Pastor Chris on Jessie's Story of Life and Salvation in Jesus Christ! Salvation Prayer! You Can Have That, Too!

What This Posting is About...

The following is the last part of the sermon recently given for a special friend, Jessica May Hall. 

She is the mother and grandmother of three close friends of mine at church: Linda, Patty, and Michelle.  Jessie and her husband Edward Hall, Sr., raised their four children- Ed, Sandra, Linda, and Patty- then this precious couple went on graciously and lovingly to raise three of their grandchildren- Brenda, Denny, and Michelle!  They have three more dear grandchildren- Evan, Colleen, and Dustin.  They also have 9 great-grandchildren and 5 great- great grandchildren. 

What incredible people they were and are (because they LIVE in Heaven right now, just not in our sight on earth...) 

Our pastor Chris Winn (***see info. below for location and time of regular Sunday services) is close to the Lord and speaks the truth of the Bible to our congregation every Sunday; he always offers a prayer of salvation at the end of the service for those who would like to accept Christ's offer of salvation

or for people who are re-committing their lives to Jesus

if they have been "away" from Him for a while. 

Chris' services for funerals are awesome!!  I have heard several, and they, also, include a prayer one can say with him and the congregation to accept Christ.  I was not let down in my expectations whatsoever at this service!  In fact, I think this service is one of my favorites of Chris, so I asked his permission to put the notes on the blog, and he graciously sent them to me.  

I have taken out some of the beginning of Jessie's information on her life (with regret) because the true purpose of this posting is to reach out to encourage those who are already saved or to re-commit yourself to Jesus AND to give you who have not done so yet~~~the opportunity of a LIFETIME to be one of the Lord's saints, to go to Heaven and have the time of your whole Life, forever and ever, with God, your loved ones who have chosen to be with Him, and countless fascinating people from many, many cultures and nations of the earth from all time!
We will have a New Heaven and a New Earth. 

Enjoy and see what follows with Pastor Chris Winn's sermon on salvation and acceptance of Jesus Christ in Jessie Hall's sweet, sweet celebration of life service:

Funeral Service/Celebration for

a Dear Lady Friend of the Church!

(Pastor Chris had made a reference to how Jessie loved to make jokes and to have fun>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>...then, he said:)

What isn’t a joke is WHERE and WHAT she is experiencing right now—

Heaven.

 She is no longer hurting,

She is no longer frustrated because she can’t do things.

She is no longer trapped in a broken down body but she has received her

glorified body, (that is her 35 year old body) she had been looking for.

        

She loved her home but I guarantee you she REALLY LOVES  her new

Home now.

 She wants to invite each of you to her new home and I’m going to tell you

how you can be guaranteed to see it, but to enter, you first have to go to the foot of the cross.

 SONG: The Old Rugged Cross

 In John 14, Jesus tells us about His Home,  (our hope)  and how we can get

there. Let me read these comforting words of hope from God’s word.

 John 14:1-6 (NIV):

1"Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.

2In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. 4You know the way to the place where I am going."

5Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way?"

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

 In these verses Jesus speaks of the Home He has prepared for us:

 Jesus begins with calming words, words of comfort.

"Stop letting your hearts be troubled."

He had just spoken of His own death and His disciples’ hearts were troubled. He was telling them,

"Quiet your hearts. Settle your fears and anxieties. Still your anxious thoughts. Believe in God. Believe in Me too. Trust in God- and trust in Me." (GB)

 Then He says, "In My Father’s house there are many rooms."

 In other words, there is plenty of room in His house,

      there is lots of room for all who will come.

 Overcrowding heaven is not a problem we need to worry about.

We do not need to fear that we will arrive at the gates of the city to

find "No Vacancy" signs posted.

 Jesus says there is room for everyone who receives God’s free gift of

salvation. He says,  If it were not so, I would have told you. I’m going to prepare a place for each of us.

 When Jessie arrived early Saturday morning she found

there was room for her.

Jesus also talks about the Hope of making His Home ours:

 Jesus said, "If I go I will come back and take you to be with Me that you

 may also be where I am."

 That is the hope of all who believe in Him.

Later in the New Testament  this promise of Christ’s return for all who

believe in Him is called "the blessed hope." (Tit. 2:13)

 One day Jesus will return for all who are truly His.

It doesn’t matter whether we are in the grave or still living when He

comes.

What does matter is that we prepare to make heaven our home.

Be certain your name is registered in the Lamb’s Book of Life (the

Guest book of Heaven) so a place will be reserved for you.

 One of the comforts this hope gives us today is that Christ’s return will be

the reunion of all believers - the living and the dead.

Each person who trusts in Christ has the assurance of being reunited

with Jessie for all eternity.

 Jesus also tells us How we can know The Way to Heaven

 How we get our names listed in the guest registry of His Father’s home.

It’s how we transfer our citizenship from earth to heaven.

Jesus says, "I am the way, and the truth and the life. No man comes to the

Father except by me."

 Heaven is not automatically the home of every one when their life on earth

is over.

Jesus says it is possible to get on the wrong path and miss Heaven

all together. 

 The Bible says there is only one Door into heaven, and Jesus is that

door.

 Jessie was a good person. But, being a good person is not enough to open

the door of heaven.

The best and greatest person in this room needs Jesus to get into

heaven. There are no exceptions.   Jesus said,

                 "no one comes to the Father except by me."

 Jessie believed this to be true and that’s why

                 she surrendered her life to Christ.

Graham Scroggie, a famous pastor in Edinburgh, Scotland,

almost 70 years ago, was fond of telling the story of a small boy in London who wanted to meet the Queen.

 The little boy often passed by the gates of Buckingham Palace in hopes of seeing the Queen. But he never caught sight of her.

 One day he went up to the gate and tried to go in but the guard wouldn’t let him in. He watched as the guards marched back and forth. When he was at the far end of the gate the little boy ran to the gate and tried to squeeze between the bars. In a flash the guard was on him and grabbed him.

 The small fellow pleaded, "But I just want to meet the Queen." The guard spoke sternly and told him to go away; the Queen didn’t have time for little boys. Dejected the lad turned and left. Just around the corner he sat on the curb and cried.

 Before long a young man came by and asked him what was wrong. He looked up at the young man and told his story, "All I wanted to do was meet the Queen, but that mean man at the gate won’t let me in."

 The man took the little boy by the hand and said, "Come with me." Together they walked around the corner, and up to the gate. This time the guard opened the gate, and they walked right past the guard, and into the palace. The young man told the little boy to wait for a moment and presently the Queen appeared. She sat and chatted with him over tea and cookies.

 Before long it was time for him to leave and the Queen offered him a cookie to go. That little boy felt so big when he walked through the gate and passed that guard.

 It turns out that the young man who took the boy by the hand was the Queen’s son! Graham Scroggie liked to say, "I know that story is true, because I was that little boy."

 I repeat this story today because Jesus tells us not everyone is permitted

inside the gates of heaven. But as God’s Son, if we will let Him, Jesus will take us by the hand and lead us through the gates right into the presence of the King!

 I believe that He takes every true believer into that wonderful home of His.

 I believe He wants every person in this room to make heaven their home.

But it’s not automatic.    You have to choose the right way.

 Jesus is the Way - the only way to heaven.

 Let Him take you into the presence of the King.

 Jessie wants to invite all of you to her new home for all of eternity.

 If you want to make certain today,  that your place in heaven,  is reserved

for all eternity and you can sit in Jessie’s home once again I want you to invite you to  pray this prayer with me.

 PRAYER

Jesus Christ, I confess that I am a sinner in need of your forgiveness.

I believe your Word.

I believe you love me and sent Jesus to die for my sins.

I believe He rose on the third day. And

I believe He is Lord. Please forgive all my sins and help me to forgive all

who have sinned against me.

Give me the grace to live every day from now on in a way that pleases You. Thank you for a brand new life. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

 SONG:  How Great Thou Art

***That is exactly what my Pastor Chris (Community Life Church, Shawnee, KS., Westglenn Theatre at I-435 at the Midland Exit, Sundays at 10 A.M.) said about Jessie, and how each of us can be assured of Salvation and Lordship in our lives through our Precious Lord Jesus Christ. 
Jesus was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth, and at the end of His life, He was crucified on the cross for you and for me, died and was buried for three days, arose and spent time for 40 days where over 500 people gave witness (many, first-hand witness accounts) to having seen Jesus, talked with Him, and dined with the Lord Jesus in Jerusalem.  He then ascended to Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us. 
The Holy Spirit of God is part of our Triune God.
Jesus Himself will return to the New Jerusalem in His Second Coming as He has promised us; there is more that follows, and I will write about these aspects soon, I plan. 
I additionally want to write about the meanings of the words hope and promise as used in the Bible.  Salvation is absolutely promised to us when we ask for forgiveness of our sins, praying that we believe and trust in Jesus Christ and want Him in our lives as our Lord and Savior!!  It is the Truth. 
 
Our One God is Spirit, and
He is Three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit :)

Donna M., Happy New Year- another good year that we have been given!