What Next

Recently I visited two funeral services seven days apart. One of the decease was 30 years old and one seventy nine years old. The energy in the church was at two different levels. One the young man emanated so much sorrow and loss and hopelessness. The other the elderly emanated loss and sorrow but there was a sense of hope and joy rippling through the congregation.

Both individuals had a unique personal character that will be missed now that they are gone.

The young man was said the be easy going, friendly, none confronting who tried to keep the peace at whatever, helpful, loving and very dependable. He gave his life to Christ and was baptized in the church as a young boy but had left the church for a numbers of years he was no longer a member. His death is said to be untimely as it was a ledge that someone fed him poison.

The other man was baptized in the church for over fifty, he never left the congregation. He got blind in his later years , when visited he was always giving thanks an praises to God. What was he like? He was seen as a no nonsense person who always call a spade a spade and would not dare call it a fork, not even to keep the peace. He was an ardent giver of praise to God and It was said that he had to sit in a front pew at all times .Why was that so? Well when he starts praising God and shouts Hallelujah his front dentures would fly out of his mouth and he was so a skill and agile catcher it would not reach the ground .

He had a unique hallelujah when he praise God his shout would be so loud accompanied by a kick similar to when the West Indies score a goal. He was a counselor of young men It was said one of his advice to many young men was "if you bite the mango you must eat it you must not leave it for someone else it must become your mango", an advice that has various connotations.

Both had an interesting funeral service for both sermons held the audiences.

The young man's eulogy writer tried to explain that he was a baptized church member and at the time of death though sudden and unexpected he would have had enough time to ask forgiveness of sins therefore his spirit should be now resting in heaven. The preacher stated specifically that his sermon was not for the dead but the living. Remember thy creator in the days of thy youth, a call to young people to repent and accept Christ. A warning that once dead no church , nor priest , no family and friend can pray anyone out of hell in to Heaven as the Catholic religions claim.

If one is a Christian and Believe the Bible there is no Biblical evidence to prove this. The only way to heaven is by acknowledging sin, repentance of sin, and forgiveness of sin through Jesus Christ. There is no other name under the sun by which men may be saved but through Jesus Christ.

The preacher for the elderly entitled his sermon What Next. He relate the story of the young man who was asked to map out his life journey by his father as the father asked the question what are your plans in life. It went like this, for every upward step the young man said he would take, the father asked what next.

The young man mapped out his entire life from teenager until his death and the father kept asking what next. In his dreams the young man rose to much prominence with much wealth living life to its fullest until he died with no inclusion of God ,no thought of the afterlife.

What next asked the father, and his now wealthy, educated, sensible young son could not answer what would happen after he died, the father kept on asking what next, then painfully the son said, I suppose will stay there and rot forever I guess, he said this with a sense of loss and sadness

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Oh such a waste all this work and ambition. St. Paul said if this world is all that we have we would be like men most miserable. We would be like the man in Luke 12:18. Who work hard did everything possible successful and it finally happened. He had so much that he said "I have to tear down these barns and build bigger barns, and then I will eat drink and be merry". But he was called a fool by God, as God said "thou fool this night your soul is required of you."I now ask you the question if what next comes would you be called a fool?

Author:( Soy Criada) Juliet Christie Murray