Kenny Rogers Tribute ?

[Ray12614]

12 hours ago, LadyKay said:

None of us know what was said on this deathbed. A prayer may have been whispered. Much like the one who was hung on the cross next to Jesus.   Enough said. 

My mother-in-law was one of those people who had a death-bed conversion. My wife and I had prayed for years for her salvation, and she refused because her 'boyfriend' told her he would leave her if she became a Christian. Thank God for his mercy, because on her death-bead with only an hour before she died, a Hospice nurse lead her to the Lord. Interestingly enough, in the next room, her boyfriend was screaming 'Don't take her away from me'!  That really opened up my eyes to the spiritual reality of the saved and un-saved dimension of life. Those who profess Jesus and those who do not.

Thanks for the reply!

 

 

 

 

[Neighbor]

Does a person's  opinion change any thinking or the degree of sorrow, or might it simply be a curiosity? I ask, because I have always been struck by how inappropriate the question has seemed to me when I have heard it at church. - So and so died. Oh, was he/she saved? -  I always wondered, does that somehow change how we may help the family or friends, and just how am I to know anyway.

Any person may come to know our Lord at anytime at all. The Holy Spirit may come to  one's deathbed and make that specific call to the dying individual who may right then with their final breath in this corruptible flesh accept Jesus as Lord God and their savior.

So yes the question seems rather idle to me, always has. And since I have no power to know the state of anyone's salvation how inappropriate it seems to me to try to even guess about the servant of another. If I knew them I mourn the loss of their company, if I didn't know them I mourn in the sense of having empathy  for the sorrow faced by their family and friends.

[BeauJangles]

17 minutes ago, Ray12614 said:

I was just wondering about Kenny, since normal Christian family obituaries include things like 'his love for his family and love for God, how he served in the community, church, etc.' , and since I did not see that in the public announcements, I was wondering. I am not pointing an accusing finger at Kenny, just wondering if anybody was aware of any outward actions that indicate what his inward spiritual state was. 

Thanks for the reply . . . 

Ray . . 

1. Top 10 Gospel Or Christian Songs Sung By Kenny Rogers

   https://www.godtube.com/news/top-10-gospel-or...

   May 14, 2015 · That’s perhaps why Kenny Rogers included this song in his album “The Love of God.” What a Friend we have in Jesus. This song is also one of Kenny Roger’s favorites. Written by Joseph M. Scriven in 1855, it focuses on prayer and Kenny Roger’s is a firm believer in prayer, having seen his Christian mother engaged in prayer many times.

[Ray12614]

Thanks BeauJangles!

[JustPassingThru]

7 hours ago, Neighbor said:

Does a person's  opinion change any thinking or the degree of sorrow, or might it simply be a curiosity? I ask, because I have always been struck by how inappropriate the question has seemed to me when I have heard it at church. - So and so died. Oh, was he/she saved? -  I always wondered, does that somehow change how we may help the family or friends, and just how am I to know anyway.

I totally agree with you bro, that kind of questioning is irrelevant, it's rude, cruel and shows a lack of sympathy and compassion in the one asking!

I have been to so many funerals here that are filled with upbeat, clap your hands and stomp your feet music and then it turns into a evangelist message...

No comforting of the bereaved, no show of "weeping with those who are weeping" and no "contact" with those that are grieving over their loved one after they walk out of the door.

My wife and her mother came back from just such a funeral in their church when her father died, they sat in the front room weeping their hearts out, their tears flooding the floor. 

We came and took their hands and repeated some well know verses and then I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me of His peace the goes beyond all human understanding, ...we prayed for "it" from our hearts and a peace so "thick," ...His Presence could be felt, ...it "covered" us like a blanket, the body convulsing sobs stopped, ...the tears stopped flowing, ...silence, ...then my wife started to sing Praise to her Lord and God...

We serve an Awesome God!

[TheBlade]

I know a singer that most if not all would know here. He started to sing gospel songs. So one night at some Christian place..  came on stage sang one of his reg songs. They all booed him. Christians did. He left the stage.. came back a few min later.. he said sorry. He never told this story. I love this man.  I LOVE music. Seems a preacher was there. He was sharing this story just a few years ago when this singer was singing at there Church. That night.. that pastor said sorry to him. Yes became very famous Christian singer. Loves Jesus..

I praise GOD our Father does not judge like we do.

Edited March 23, 2020 by TheBlade

[Ray12614]

14 hours ago, JustPassingThru said:

I totally agree with you bro, that kind of questioning is irrelevant, it's rude, cruel and shows a lack of sympathy and compassion in the one asking!

I have been to so many funerals here that are filled with upbeat, clap your hands and stomp your feet music and then it turns into a evangelist message...

No comforting of the bereaved, no show of "weeping with those who are weeping" and no "contact" with those that are grieving over their loved one after they walk out of the door.

My wife and her mother came back from just such a funeral in their church when her father died, they sat in the front room weeping their hearts out, their tears flooding the floor. 

We came and took their hands and repeated some well know verses and then I felt the Holy Spirit reminding me of His peace the goes beyond all human understanding, ...we prayed for "it" from our hearts and a peace so "thick," ...His Presence could be felt, ...it "covered" us like a blanket, the body convulsing sobs stopped, ...the tears stopped flowing, ...silence, ...then my wife started to sing Praise to her Lord and God...

We serve an Awesome God!

I agree with you mostly, yes, we serve an Awesome God. Certainly we as Christians should comfort the broken-hearted and the hurting for sure. By the way that continues long after the loved-ones pass on from this world. People are different in how they handle the grieving process. Thessalonians declares that we as Christians should not grieve with a hopelessness that the world exhibits, but with hope and confidence that we will see our loved-ones who are saved. That is our great hope in Christ, the hope of the resurrection and eternal life with Jesus together with our saved loved ones. Thank you Jesus!

What I respectfully disagree with is the 'secret Christians' outlook, where we cannot tell any difference between believers in Jesus, and non-believers. From what I read in the NT, early church Christians were not secretive concerning their faith. Many suffered hardships and death for their confession of Jesus as Lord of their lives. In fact, today, we have many martyrs giving their lives because they will not renounce their faith in Jesus. Only in the western world do we see people living secret lives for Jesus, or not living at all their Christian values, and then when they die, people try to rationalize that somehow they will be with Jesus. It just does not make any sense to me other than trying to be sensitive to their family who has suffered loss. 

Certainly, I would never ask the family of someone who passed-on if their loved one was saved. That is cruel and heartless. Jesus will sort all that out. He is the Lord, not us. However, I pray that my life will reflect the love of Jesus, and the certainty that when I die I will be with Jesus. It will give my family and friends a confidence that they will see me again, and hopefully inspire them to outwardly live their days for Jesus the King.

As for Kenny: I am glad he was a Christian, thanks to all for affirming that. I have a hope to see him again someday.

Blessings to all here . . . 

Ray . . . 

[JustPassingThru]

4 hours ago, Ray12614 said:

Thessalonians declares that we as Christians should not grieve with a hopelessness that the world exhibits, but with hope and confidence that we will see our loved-ones who are saved. That is our great hope in Christ, the hope of the resurrection and eternal life with Jesus together with our saved loved ones. Thank you Jesus!

Absolutely!!!

I hear so many say, "They have lost...," ...that is so wrong, ...when something is lost we rarely ever find it again, ...in the so called "death" of a child of God the "only" thing that has "changed" is our relationship with them, they are still alive, ...actually much more than when they were with us, ...and they are not "lost," we know exactly "where" they are, ...reality is, we are in a "long distance" relationship with them...

You are correct, we don't have to grieve like the rest of the world does, ...When Father created Adam in His image and likeness he was created "immortal" like God is immortal.

What that means to all of us who are born in the "image" and "resemblance" of Adam outside of the Garden is we don't have a "file" to place "death" in, ...place it in the filing cabinet, close the drawer and, ...out of sight, out of mind.

However, Father has given us His Holy Spirit and He can cover us with His "peace that goes beyond all human understanding," enabling us to live our lives in "hope" and glorifying our God through it to any who are watching us, ...hopefully they will ask why we are so different from the world and that will give us an to share our hope in our Lord, ...and the Gospel.

5 hours ago, Ray12614 said:

What I respectfully disagree with is the 'secret Christians' outlook, where we cannot tell any difference between believers in Jesus, and non-believers.

No worries mate, ...if I gave that impression I apologize, ...that is certainly not what I believe...

Jesus told us we would "know" them by their fruits, so in a non-judgmental way I just look for the fruit they exhibit and "live" in 24/7, ...are they of the flesh Gal 5:19-21, or are the of/from the Holy Spirit Gal 5:22-23?

Also when their "fruit" is of/from the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit in me "testifies" with the Holy Spirit in them that we are brothers or sisters and the common bond between us is Love and our hearts are "knit" together.

Another thing I have learned is when I meet a descendant of Abraham, one of the children of Israel, the Holy Spirit is like doing, "flip-flops" inside of me, ...and the Love I have for that person pouring out of my heart is overwhelming!

5 hours ago, Ray12614 said:

I pray that my life will reflect the love of Jesus, and the certainty that when I die I will be with Jesus. It will give my family and friends a confidence that they will see me again, and hopefully inspire them to outwardly live their days for Jesus the King.

Brother, I'm certain it does, ..from what you have said here in your reply...

"out of the abundance of the heart, ...the mouth speaks," ...brother you are speaking the Truth!

Lord bless

[Ray12614]

17 hours ago, JustPassingThru said:

Brother, I'm certain it does, ..from what you have said here in your reply...

"out of the abundance of the heart, ...the mouth speaks," ...brother you are speaking the Truth!

Lord bless

Thanks PassingThru. Its awfully nice of you to say that. I look forward to getting to know you . . .  Ray . . .