Ann 03/14/2015 funeral
On behalf of the family thank you for coming today….we are here pay our respects to Annie Lou Hutchins Smith ..a Mother, a Grandmother, an Aunt …a Sister, and a friend.
For me I never thought much about Ann being my Sister In Law…she always seemed like one of the sisters I never had and I certainly loved her like one.
Ann was one of those people that you just enjoyed being around. She was always the same Ann whenever or wherever you saw her. There was nothing phony or put on with Ann and that’s what I loved so much about her….she loved her family….she always had a kind word and a concern about things in their life.
******
And if there is a need of a cook in Heaven…..the Lord has got some of the best as far as I’m concerned.
In my Mom, Dora and now Ann.
**Brenda and I met Edna and Ann for lunch one day at the Cracker Barrel in Jonesville because I had an erg for some Chicken Dumplings. Our order came and we began to eat and right in the middle of our meal Ann pushed her plate back and said “ Ronnie next time you want Chicken Dumplings come over to the house and I’ll fix you some.”
There was no doubt in my mind she could fixem better than Cracker Barrel …I always told her out of all the sisters including Brenda….she was the best cook and no one ever disagreed with me.
*
But, the most important thing…Ann’s faith in the Lord Jesus was strong right up till she was taken home. But, when the Lord allows one of His own to go through bodily pain and suffering …there is always questions….
*****
Sometimes life in this old flesh is not easy …sometimes it’s just plain cruel isn’t it?..…
we all will go through heart breaks….we all will go through loss of a love ones….we will all go through pain and suffering …especially when our bodies give away to sickness and many times ….when that happens it’s like we are trapped inside our body and just waiting and longing to be healed.…..
***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; Ann was in prisoned by her own body in the last serval weeks she lived because of cancer. ….But for Ann and all who belong to Jesus….when we live for Christ .. to die is our gain.
How can the Bible make such a statement?.....how can dying be a gain?
****
Listen to what the Apostol Paul says in 2 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 Ann left her body that she would be present with the Lord? Because he says we walk by faith and not by site…Well…what is faith?
The Bible says in Heb-11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
**Evidence is something you bring into a court of law…..God has given us the evidence in His word that those who trust in Him have eternal life…..Annie Lou believed it!!….therefore for Annie …her case was closed on this Earth Thursday morning….her sins were forgiven and paid for by the Lord Jesus and eternal life has begun in the presents of God Himself.
Because she was sealed with the Holy Spirit….her name was written in the Lambs book of life and was escorted to the gates of Heaven Thursday morning.
She was signed sealed and delivered into the presents of our Saviour! ….
BIBLE SAYS
1 Corinthians 15: 55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
We have the victory because of Jesus….we have forgiveness of sins because of Jesus….and we can thank God 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.
********************************************
***Who else can we turn to in our time of sorrow?.......who else can forgive our sins?.......who else could Ann have put her trust in?
**In John chapter 6 Jesus had just feed the multitude of people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 small fish…..when He had finished He sent His disciples across the sea of Galilee and told them He would meet them on the other side…. There a storm came up and another famous event happen….Jesus walked on the water to meet them…..and when they got to the other side ….
Jesus began to teach the people and explain how He was the bread of life and God had sent Him to save the world from spiritual starvation and to keep them from dying in their sins.
*Everyone had left except the 12 Disciples because the Bible says they didn’t believe that He was who He said He was.
Jesus ask His disciples in verse 67 of John chapter 6 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away?
And Apostle Peter answered Jesus in verse 68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life 69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God
Peter says……Lord where else can we go?......because you have the words of eternal life…
Who else can we turn too in our time of sorrow?.... Who else has the words of eternal life?....Who else has the promises….
Who else has the evidence?....all others gods are dead……...our God lives ….…
And because He lives so does Annie Lou Hutchins Smith!....AND
Because He lives …..We can face tomorrow…. because He lives all fear is gone….Because I know…He holds the future ….and Life is worth the living just because He lives.
*******************************
IN CLOSING…..****
Easter is coming up in a few weeks and I couldn’t help but think of how Jesus friends and family felt when they found out He was alive…..
We are sad and broken hearted when a love one passes away like Ann because we miss them …but, we can also rejoice because we will see them again when we put our trust in Christ.
**We have an account in John chapter 20 when John and Peter ran to the tomb on the third day to see if it was really was true that their friend was alive again….they ran because they were excited to see Him again…..Why?
Just two days before they watched their friend and teacher being nailed to a cross.
They witnessed His pain and heard Him as He cried out, "I thirst!" and "My God, my God, why have thou forsaken me?"
*But, don’t you think that Jesus was even more excited to see them …and see the expression on their face when they find out for themselves it was true…. That’s our Lord.....that’s our King ....our friend...our Shepherd….our Saviour.
**Don’t you think also that our love ones who have gone ahead of us are waiting with anticipation and eagerness to see our face when we see them again in Heaven?
****All we heard was true…all we heard about the resurrection becomes a reality…..we can rejoice….we will have joy in our hearts and feel safe and secure ….our journey will be over…..our trials will be finished…because we will be home…..death has been defeated by our Saviour who showed us the way…..who demonstrated just what will happen to those who put their trust in Him.
A Pastor friend of mine called yesterday morning and said to tell Brenda he was sorry to hear about her sister Ann. …..He said tell her I know how she feels from experience because I lost my brother and my Mom and Dad….
We can’t believe just some story or hearsay …we believe by the experiences and the evident and the truth of God’s word.. . … ….we have Gods promise that Ann and all those who trust Jesus are in His presents and celebrating a new life right at this very moment.
Matthew 5 Jesus said
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
LET PRAY:
Father God , we thank you for the great privilege that we have to call upon you in our time of need ….God I ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord that you bless the family and give them strength and courage to carry on until we see Annie again in our eternal home with you.….
Father we thank you for your promises that we are so joyfully holding on to.
Most of all we thank you for your Son Jesus who paid the price of our sins on the cross of Calvary so that we may have a place prepared for those who would believe upon Him.
In Jesus name we pray and we give Him glory and honor …Amen
