John 3:13 When I Rise?
No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, the Son of Man, who is in heaven.
My uncle, Larry Collins, was a preacher; whenever there was a death in the family, he would offer himself and his church for the funeral service. Also, his church offered a burial lot in its graveyard to bury the body of a family member. At the beginning of most services, after the prayer, he plays “Thank You,” a song by Ray Boltz. Then he said, sadly, why does it take the death of a family member to get them all in the house of God; this is the only time I get to preach to you all. Johnny Collins Jr was my cousin, but he was also my best friend. We played pool most Sundays party several times. But both drifted away. I met the Lord; he met a woman and started a family. One day, I got word Johnny had committed suicide, shooting himself in front of his family after arguing with his wife. The following day my mother and I visited his family. His mother, Betty Joe, was my favorite aunt; her heart was broken, crying and asking, “Why, Johnny, did you do this? Please, God, don’t let this be true.’ Johnny’s family came into the house; his little girl, I think about four years old, was jumping in a chair, pointing to the ceiling, saying, “My daddy is up there now; my daddy is in heaven now.” My mother, Aunt Vickey, and I looked at the poor little girl, wondering if she knew what she had lost. This is why I believe suicide is an abomination sin that cannot be forgiven. The suicidal victim feels no more pain or joy anymore; it hurts the family and friends a suicidal victim leaves behind. All they could ever feel, such as love, joy, hate, and can they praise the Lord anymore, is gone forevermore.
Psalm 115:17 The dead do not praise the Lord, Nor do any who go down into silence;
I asked to say something at the burial site of Johnny, my uncle, and his pastor said a eulogy. I only said I am sorry Johnny felt like he needed to take his life, and condolence to his mother, sister, and his children. My uncle Larry, the preacher, said I don’t know if Johnny is in heaven or hell; God is the final judge of where all spend eternity. That may been the most honest funeral service eulogy I ever heard. Other family members’ funerals I have attended, not one of them I heard is in hell, but they are all in a better place. Do they know, or is that wishful thinking? As for myself, I know what Scripture. says about life, death, resurrection, descending, and ascending.
After the fall of Adam and Eve, Genesis 3:15 is a prophetic covenant God promised to them and their children. Sending His only begotten Son to a daughter of Adam and Eve, that child becomes the Son of God and the Son of Man. That Seed, Immanuel, is the only way to save the world from their sin by paying the wages of sin with His death. After His death, He rose back to life. He preaches and shows many He defeated death. He teaches them they can do the same if they believe He is what the Word of God says He is. He ascends into heaven with His disciples watching; angels tell them to stop looking up. He will descend in the same manner. Jesus was born physically as a baby. He physically grew as a man, but He lived a perfect, sinless life because He is the Son of God. He died physically on the cross; He bled actual blood. He was physically placed in a tomb. He did not ascend into heaven before that point because He told Mary He had not ascended yet, so that means after His death on the cross and His resurrection from the tomb, Jesus was literally dead and not alive at all. When the proper time comes, and it will come, the Son of Man will come again. Those who believe in Him will ascend into heaven. Understanding this means a person is born again; not understanding this means a carnal mind does not understand the ways of the spirit of God. God bless you all; the Son of Man loves you, and so do I, His humble bondservant, Samuel Jerry Head.