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****Message Evangelist Ronnie Miller****
On behalf of the family of Jimmy Sprinkle thank you for coming today….we are here today pay our respects to his life ….Jimmy was gentle, quiet man who loved his family and I also believe that Jimmy put his trust in Jesus Christ as his Saviour.
Sometimes life in this old flesh is not easy …sometimes it’s just plain cruel ….especially when our bodies give away to sickness and many times for some ..disability like it did Jimmy….when that happens it’s like we are trapped inside this body waiting to be healed…..
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With all the troubles and sickness that a Christian goes through ..God assures us and gives us promises ….that the best is yet to come….because death has been defeated by the Lord Jesus.
****Apostle Paul said in Philippians 1:20 According to my earnest expectation and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death 21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
Paul wrote those words that are inspired by God while he was in a Roman prison.
***You know folks; Jimmy was in prisoned by his own body in the last several months because of the heart trouble he had starting back in Dec of 2011.
But for Jimmy and all who belong to Jesus….is to live for Christ and to die is gain.
How can the Bible make such a statement?.....how can dying be a gain?
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Listen to what the Apostol Paul says in II Corinthians 5:6 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:
7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
How could Paul have so much confident that when a child of God like Jimmy Sprinkle left his body that he would be present with the Lord?
Because he says we as Christians walk by faith and not by site…….***Well…what is faith?
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
That means that we rely on Gods promises……we believe everything that the Bible says…not only is the Bible inspired by God but those promises were witnessed by hundreds of people just like us.
Also the split second we ask Him to forgive us of our sins and save us …God sends the Holy Spirit to live inside us and He makes it real to us and is a deposit of the promise that when we die we will stand before God free from our sins because of what Jesus did for us on the cross of Calvary.
********death is not the end….it’s just the beginning of eternity*************
Jimmy Sprinkle was one of the kindest….humblest men I’ve ever met….he was what we call a “good fellow”….but, the Bible says that none of us are good enough to stand in Gods presents because of our sin….we must be forgiven….we must have a Saviour.
Jimmy put his trust in the only one who could do that…Jesus said Himself that He was the only way truth and life…..that no one comes to the Father except through Him…its belief…its trust…its faith.
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When God spoke to Jimmy Sprinkles heart …he responded by accepting Jesus as his Saviour.
The Bible says in Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Jimmy believed from the heart all of what God had promised….He believed that Jesus forgave him his sins and
Folks..now at this very moment because of Jimmy Sprinkle trust in Christ …is in the presents of the Lord…….Remember what the Bible says…to be absent with the body is to be present with the Lord.
***And the Bible says that nothing can separate us from Him….ever again…no one or anything can snatch us from Gods hand….Jimmy Sprinkles name has been written in the Lambs book of life….sealed with the blood of Jesus Christ and to forever be with Him.
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What happens to those who don’t believe and never except Jesus as their Saviour?....
To be absent from the body is to be present in one of 2 places… one is a place called Heaven …where the Lord is ….but the other one is a place called Hell where Satan will be.
The soul… the real you and me never has as an un conscience state..never sleeps….our spirit was created to last forever and it will in either Heaven or Hell.
The Bible says that Hell is a place of torment.
****The most important decision you will ever make in your life is to follow Jesus….because He made a way for us to be with Him in a place called Heaven….where there will be no more tears…no more sorrow…no more sin…no more death and sickness…but best of all ..its where Jesus is.
Easter is coming up next month and I couldn’t help but think of the last few hours the Lord Jesus spent on this earth before He was crucified …teaching His disciples and giving them last minute assurance that He would rise from death and see them again and making those promises to all of us.
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It was the famous Last Supper Jesus had with His disciples…it was in an upper room in Jerusalem where a lot was said in the final hours of our Lords ministry on this earth.
They left the upper room after that supper late that afternoon on their way the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus would be arrested and the next morning crucified.
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They came out of that upper room and followed a road through Kidron Valley and I believe while they were walking along that dusty road there were many more questions the Disciples had and we have many of those same questions today….their biggest question was …Jesus talked about leaving them and they were wondering how they could join Him.
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I believe Jesus stopped on that road side and said these famous words that Apostle John recorded in John 14:1
John 14
1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.
Jesus was arrested …sentenced to death and the only crime He committed was loving you and me.
But it doesn’t end there….Jesus said He would rise again and on the 3rd day He did just that.
The death and burial of our Lord was one thing but, the most important thing is the resurrection.
*************our God lives
If Jesus hadn’t rose from the dead then….neither could we ….if Jesus hadn’t died for our sins then we wouldn’t have the opportunity to stand in His presents when we past from this body into eternity.
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The disciples and others were heartbroken when they buried Jesus….they were devastated because they lost a friend…a family member in Jesus…Mary His mother had lost a son….Apostle James had lost a brother in Jesus.
Some of the women came to the grave that 3rd morning were they buried Jesus to bring incense and flowers and things and they saw an Angel at the tomb…..and the Bible records in
Matthew 28
5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
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Jimmy Sprinkle is not here …..to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord..
It’s because …….Jesus Christ defeated death on the cross….for whosoever will come to Him.
****Its because
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
The Bible says it’s by grace that we are saved……Grace…Amazing Grace….
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Amazing Grace …..chorus once….
Twas grace that taught my heart to fear and grace my fears relieved.
How precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed.
Through many, through many dangers tolls and snares…I have already come.
Tis grace hath brought we save thus far and grace will lead me home.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun.
We’ve no less days to sing Gods praise then when we first begun.
Amazing grace how sweet the sound…….chours….
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In closing….I can assure you by the promises of God’s word… that same grace is still available today for all who will come to Jesus.
*********Closing Prayer**************
Father thank you for your amazing grace …your amazing love you have shown to us all.
Father in the days ahead I ask that you to comfort the family of Jimmy Sprinkle …..give them strength and bless them with the promises you have made…..You said you were our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble
Give them that strength of the heart knowing that all those who belong to you will see him again.
We rejoice …we praise You and give you honer and glory…in Jesus name…amen
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