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Pastor Ray LaSalle (00:00):
Coming to
you from North Central Ohio. We
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share with you the voice of theNazarene. A week by week,
venture into the Word of Godsponsored by the Bucyrus, Ohio
Church of the Nazarene. We joinour Pastor Reverend Ray LaSalle
and the voice of the Nazarene.
I'd like for you to join me inthe book of Acts, chapter one
and the reading begins in versenine. And when he has spoken
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these things while they beheld,he was taken up and a cloud
received Him out of their sight,while they looked steadfastly
toward heaven as he went up,behold two men stood by them in
white apparel, which also saidYe men of Galilee, why stand ye
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here gazing up into heaven, thissame Jesus, which was taken up
from you into heaven, shall socome in like manner as ye have
seen him, go into heaven, thenreturn they unto Jerusalem from
the mount called Olivet, whichis from Jerusalem a Sabbath
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day's journey. Many of us livelife in life's valleys. So I
think ever, ever so often, weneed to find and scale a
mountain peak to get above thehaze and the fog and the smog
and get a clear view what isreally happening. An old
preacher down in the south inthe mountains, he said that
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every great event happens on amountain top, and that's not far
from the truth. As you studyyour way through the Bible,
you'll find that some of thegreat events that transpired did
happen on mountains. Every sooften when I'm wondering really
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who is in control, everybodysays they're in control this
party and that party and thiselement and that group. But when
I really wonder who's incontrol, I grab the hand of
Moses, and he helps me to scalemy way up Mount Sinai, where the
lightning is flashing, thethunders are crashing, and I
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hear the voice of God say, I am,that I am. And then I know who's
in control. Sometimes I I needto hear anew and a fresh the
words of Jesus, and I make myway to the snow capped peaks of
Mount Hermon, where I see thedeity and the humanity of Jesus
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embraced in transfiguredsplendor. Once while I get to
thinking about salvation, and inall of the happenings of life,
the beauty of salvation, andwhen I begin to wonder about it,
I walk with Abraham to the topof Mount Moriah, and I see Isaac
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stretched out on the altar, andthe knife is poised, and He's
about to die, and suddenly hegets resurrected life because of
a substitute lamb. There's othertimes when in the journey of
life that I I'm wondering whenthe end is going to happen, when
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is everything going to explode,when is everything going to
collapse and begin to close in?
And it's then I make my way tomount all of that Jesus there on
that great mountain in Matthew24 begin to unfold the essential
events that were to happen inthe end times. And it reminds us
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that he's coming back. He'scoming back for his people.
There at the bottom of thatmountain, he spoke in words of
mystery, and he made his way toMount Calvary to die there at
the top of that mountain. Hespoke in words of Majesty and
ascended his way into glory. Andwhat a scene it must have been
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gathered with his disciplesthere at the top of that great
Mount of Olives. And as they'regathered around, they're they're
watching him now he's ready togo back to heaven. For 40 days,
he had proven himself alive bymany infallible works. The
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Scripture said he's about to goback to heaven, and the angels
come, and they bring with themthe clouds, and they watch Jesus
as his feet begin to lift off.
The Mount of Olives, and itbegins his ascension, and he
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reaches over, and he grabs theclouds and pulls them around
like a garment and disappearsbefore their little eyes. And I
thought about what a celebrationthat must have been when angels
lined the roads that led back toglory, angels reaching out and
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saying, Can we see your hand?
Can we see your feet for amoment? Is this what man did to
you when you went to Earth torescue and save them, and they
drove spikes through your handsand through your feet. Oh,
Jesus, eternal Son of God. Howcould humanity have done that to
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you? Now I want to talk to youfor a few minutes about what
took place there on the mountaintop of Mount Olivet. I want to
look at what transpired in thelives of the apostles. The
Scripture said the two men atwhite apparel stood by them must
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have been angels. White apparel,it must have been angels because
of the announcement that theymade, and they may have been the
same two angels that were thereat the Garden Tomb that said, He
is not here, for he is risen, ashe said. But they make a
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startling announcement. Theysaid, The same Jesus, which is
taken up from you into heaven,shall so come in like manner as
you have seen him go intoheaven. Let me talk to you a
little bit about what happenedon that mountain, so that when
you and I climb the samemountain, we'll leave and come
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back down as those discipleschanged. First of all, when
you're climbing the mountain,you're looking at a person. Did
you notice the language that heuses there in verse nine, a word
for seeing. But by the nextverse, it's much more intense,
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and it said they looked at himsteadfastly or with intention,
not occasional glance, but it'san intent look. They're looking
at the Lord Jesus Christ, andwhen we climb Mount Olive
together, we're looking at aperson it said the same. Jesus,
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aren't you glad that he's thesame? Ever say anything else
about life seems to be changing,bulges and not baldness yet, but
bifocals and bunions and whathave you. Everything in life
seems to be changing. Cultureschange, and customs change, and
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church life changes. Fact of thematter, it seems like nearly
every denomination, over aperiod of time, begin to change
and will justify the changes,but they change. But I'm glad
there's one that the Bible saidchange is not Jesus never
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changes. And there's aninteresting parallel verse over
in Hebrews 13, verse eight,where it said Jesus Christ the
same yesterday today, and outthere into the forever Jesus
Christ the same yesterday. Thatmeant he's the past Jesus, and
Jesus, if you look back into thepast, you'll see that virgin
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birth, you'll see his virtuousliving you'll see his vicarious
atonement and victoriousresurrection and glorious return
back to heaven. The Bible saidJesus Christ the same yesterday.
But it didn't end there. Itsaid, the same today. He's the
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same today. He he still savestoday. I was nine years of age,
and I was so bothered that nightthat I took a chance and and
came to the little curtain thatserved for a doorway between the
kitchen and my parents bedroom,and I spoke, and I said, Can I
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come in? Would you pray with me?
And they came alert and awake,and they invited me in, and I
knelt there beside their bed,dad on one side, mom on the
other I took Mom's hand anddad's hand, and while I gave
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them my hand, I gave my heart toJesus. I begin to pray, and they
begin to pray, and I begin toweep. And I want you to know the
Lord Jesus Christ walked intothat room with a crown on his
head and a cross on his back,and said, Son, what would you
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like for me to do for you? And Isaid I'd like for you to do what
I can't do for myself. When Ileft that room, I left going to
my own little back porch bedroomas a new believer, I mean, stars
lined up in celebration. I. I'mtelling you, the branches of the
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trees were clapping their handsand welcome. And I laid down in
that little roll away bed thatmy brother and I shared
together, and I was able tosing, Oh say, but I'm glad that.
I'm glad Jesus is calm and mycup overrun. Oh say, but I'm
glad. But you know, somethingelse today, Jesus not only
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saves, but he still sanctifies,he still transforms and changes
and cleans and purifies humanhearts. There, in that 15th
Chapter, First Corinthians,where it talked about Jesus, the
resurrected one, was seen bymore than 500 and everyone that
saw him, their lives weredramatically changed. If you
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look around right now, you'llsee other people in this room
whose lives have been changed.
They're not the same people theyused to be. Some of them have
spent time in the prison. Othershave dealt with addiction.
Others have had impurity intheir life. They wouldn't want
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anybody else to know. But notonly that, today, he not only
saves and sanctifies, but he hesatisfies. I'm satisfied with
Jesus. How about you? Are yousatisfied with him? He's never
let me down. And if there's sinin your life, if there's sorrow
in your life and shame in yourlife, may I tell you he wants to
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exchange that for His peace andHis love and His grace, a past
Jesus, a present Jesus. But hedoesn't stop there. He says
forever. That means WorldWithout End. While ages roll on,
he's the perennial Jesus. He'sJesus forever. And he says here
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that he's the same Jesus. And sowhen we talk about the second
coming of our Lord, that he'scoming back, it's not talking
about an event. And that's allwe want to talk about, is
events. It's not an event. It'sa person. It's a person that's
coming back. Quit making anevent out of it. Look for him.
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Back in the 1990s there was aguy by the name of scott
o'grady. Remember him, and hewas flying during that battle,
and his jet was hit, and then hewent down in enemy territory in
Bosnia, that jet hit the crowd,and the first thought, I'm going
to be captured, and what am Igoing to go through? And and he
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got on the radio and radio backand tried to give his location
to see if they could get himbehind enemy lines and rescue he
and his squad all day, he said,huddled in that wreckage
somewhere. That evening, ahelicopter came in and dropped
down a rope ladder. He ran forthat laddered kind of they they
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brought him out of Boston,across the line and over to
Andrews Air Force Base. They'dnotified the family and flew the
family in the meeting. And whenthat helicopter touched ground
and the family came running,they didn't run out and kiss the
nose of the plane. No, theywaited till the door was open
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and they embraced him. And it'sthe person that brings meaning
to the event, and I'm trying totell you this same Jesus. He's a
person. Jesus the Savior. Jesusson of God. Jesus, soon coming
Redeemer. But you're not onlylooking for a person. Climb this
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mountain. You're listening for apromise. Listen the words the
angels spoke here, couched in alanguage of a promise, this same
Jesus shall so come in likemanner. That's a promise. That's
a literal promise that you cantake to the bank, this same
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person in the same you know, webelieve in a little literal
return of Jesus. Now, if you'regoing to talk about the life of
Jesus, it's either literal orit's figurative. It can't be
both. And so if it's literal,take it through literally all
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the way through. You see it wasa literal virgin birth. It was a
literal sinless life, a literalatoning death on Calvary, a
literal bodily resurrection, andwhen Jesus returns again, he
returned again, literally. Didyou know that Jesus stood on a
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literal mountain, and hedisappeared in some literal
clouds, and he went through aliteral sky, back to a literal
heaven to sit down on a literalthrone, and when he returns,
it'll be bodily, literally. Deepbodily and we're listening for a
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literal promise from the sameperson coming back. The Bible
said, for a same people, thissame Jesus shall so come in like
manner as you you have seen himgo into heaven. That means he's
coming back to Earth. For thepeople there in John 14, Let not
your heart be troubled. You.
Believe in God. Believe also inme, In my Father's house, many
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mansions, if were not sold,would have told you I go to
prepare a place for you, and ifI go and prepare a place for
you, I will come again andreceive you unto Myself, that
where I am there you may bealso. So the same person is
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coming back for the same people.
Marvelous to think about ourliteral resurrection. I mean,
they'll there'll be some comeout of the what we call
beautiful garden cemeteries,where the flowers are beautiful
grass. But there are others thathave died, and their bodies will
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come out of the depths of thesea. Those bodies have been
embalmed in seaweed across theyears. Others will come out of
the jungles where their fleshhas been eaten to the bone bear
by insects and by animals. Butthe good news is he's coming
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back, and if you and I, whichremain alive, will be caught up
together, and it's called therapture. Did you ever hear the
word rapture? One preacher downin the south was preaching about
the rapture of the church. Andhe got he mispronounced it. He
said, I'm preaching to you aboutthe rupture of the church. I
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won't enhance that, but it'swhen our bodies will be changed
and we will meet the Lord in theearth. So we're listen to the
promise, the promise by the sameperson, to the same people. And
guess what? He's coming back tothe same place. He'll come back
to the very Mount of Olives.
Zechariah, 14, four makes thispromise. His feet shall stand in
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that day on the Mount of Olives.
And as I read the Scripture,that Mount of Olives is
literally going to split in two,Jesus will make his way down the
side of that Mount of Olives.
He'll cross that Brook, thatvalley called Kidron, make his
way inside the Eastern gates.
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He'll walk the streets to takeover the throne of his father,
and he'll sit down in throne torule and to reign in Zachariah.
He says that the Lord, it's orrather, Isaiah said, chapter 24
verse 23 the Lord of hosts shallreign in mount Zion. The Lord's
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going to reign in mount Zion.
You say, Pastor, do you everplan to visit Mount Zion? I do.
Soon as you raise the money,that's just a little humor, very
little. But during themillennial, I mean, it lasts
forever, I'd like to visit MountZion, wouldn't you? I'd like to
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make a reservation in Jerusalemarea, Marriott, and after I'm
through unpacking, made me walkthrough the little lobby and out
onto the streets and look aroundand ask, Where's the police
officers? And somebody will say,we'll have what you heard, The
Lord reigns in Zion. No need forpolice officers. But where's the
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soldiers? Don't need soldiers.
We're going to study war nomore. I buy some roses, and I'll
ask, why don't they have thorns?
And somebody said, Don't youknow the deserts blossomed like
a rose? Where's the hospitals?
Where's the funeral homes?
Where's the jails? And they'llsay there's no hospitals here,
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no jails, no funeral parlors.
Back to my there's no sickness,sorrow, there's no death. Death
was the last enemy. We're on theother side of that enemy. And
can you imagine walking up thegates to the very throne of God
and joined with all the host andthe saints of all ages and sing
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that millennial song all hell,the power of Jesus name, let
angels prostate fall, bringforth a royal diadem and Crown
Him, Lord of all we're climbinga mountain, and When we do,
we're looking for a person,we're listening for a promise,
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but we're going to leave thatmountain with a purpose. You
see, God doesn't intend for usto always stay on the mountain
tops,and neither did he plan for his
disciples to stay there, andjust like they left were to
leave. The purpose. Now they'rewatching. Their eyes are
bugging. They can't believe thathe's disappearing. But then the
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angels give an electrifyingannouncement, but he's coming
back again. He's coming again. Ithink with that in mind, some of
us need to catch our purpose, webetter find out what the purpose
and when you come to the closingverses of the book of Luke, and
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Doctor Luke not only wrote thebook of Luke, but he wrote the
book of Acts. And before we gotto the book of Acts, he's
writing the book of Luke. And hecloses out the book of Luke, and
he gives us some reasons andsome insight that we're to do
after having come down from themountain before the Lord comes
back. And the first one of thosepurposes is to worship. Look at
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Luke, chapter 24 verse 52 theyreturned to worship him. Boy,
some of us better get out of ourstreet clothes and get in our
worship stuff. We better learnhow to worship all heavens,
worshiping God. There's nomoaning and groaning and whining
and and the old McDonald'sfarmer, give me, give me here
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and give me. Give me, give me,give me everywhere. No, it's
worship time, and if we don'tlearn how to worship down here.
It's going to be a little lateto fit in over yonder. And if
you understand the Lord'sreturn, it ought to put a new
vigor and a new excitement and anew thrill in our worship. Now,
if Jesus is not coming again,then we need to tell the
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orchestra over here to quitplaying. Tell the choir to sit
down. Don't know used to singanymore. And if Jesus is not
coming back, tell the preacherto close the book and shut up
and go home. You see. If theLord's not coming back, might as
well have the benediction andit's all over. But if he's
coming back, then we need to getexcited and get ready for His
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coming. And we better get intoworship and a different kind of
worship. And not only that,another purpose is to get to
work. We used to sing a littlesong, I'll work till Jesus
comes, and then we'll begathered home. You know, church
doesn't automatically grow. Ittakes work. Over in second to
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Timothy chapter four, it says todo the work of an evangelist.
That That means it takes worthto bring people into faith. And
when you get new people in andand you nourish them, and you
love them, and you you teachthem how to grow, and we exhort
one another, and we encourageone another, and we stay in
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contact, we become a family.
Families speak to each other.
Family gets along. So we need toget practice up, because in
heaven, it's a family. So getover the grudges and lay down
all these things and treat eachother like family, the work of
evangelists. Now I've noticed,not here, of course, just in my
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travels, that now everybody getsblessed when the church starts
to grow. But you know, thepattern of the book of Acts.
Jesus went up, Holy Ghost camedown, and the church went out to
reach a lost world. And theytried to, you know, there's
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people around here don't have aclue what goes on in church, and
they need God and everything intheir lives collapsing and
coming apart at the seams andfalling apart, and they need
God, and we need to get God outto them, because we're the salt
and the light. We're to makethings better, and we're to make
things brighter, but not onlywork and worship, but also to
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wait for His coming. It saysthat we are to live looking for
that blessed hope and theglorious appearing of our great
God and Savior, Jesus, Christ,and we need the sanctifying
effect on our daily lives. Thechurch is doing is the bride of
Christ, and it's ourresponsibility to live clean and
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pure. Every man that has thishope in Him purifieth himself
even as He is pure. You know,sometimes I I wonder about
people, even animals, don't actlike some of us do. I've never
seen a billy goat yet get ondrugs. I've not seen a hog go
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out and get stoned. I tell you,folk, we just need the grace of
God, or we're going to act worsethan animals. But when God's
grace comes, it transforms ourlives, and we need to start
serving him till he comes down.
When we climb up that mountain,we come down with a purpose in
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our life. And oh, John theRevelator, he sits down and he's
writing everything he sees. He'she writes about the rain. If
you're watching by teletelecast, it started raining,
okay, but he writes about theseven churches and the seven
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candlesticks, and he writesabout the seven stars, and he
writes about the seven seals,and he writes about the seven
bulls, and he writes about thefalse prophet, and he writes
about the beast and theAntichrist, and he writes about
the Lion and the Lamb. And thenhe comes down to the last few
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verses, and Jesus says to him, Iwant to say something. And three
times Jesus says through John,behold, I come. I'm just here to
tell you, that's what he sent meto tell you this morning he's
going to come. And John theRevelator got so excited. He
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climbed up on a rock there, onthat isle of Patmos, and he
threw his arms out, and he said,Even so come Lord Jesus. Are you
looking for His coming? Are youglad that he's going to return?
Are you ready? Did you know youcan be ready? And I came this
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morning to tell you, if you'renot ready, you need to be
getting ready for the return ofour Lord Jesus Christ. Let's
line the streets with newconverts awaiting Christ
glorious return. I've got afuneral Wednesday down in
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Louisville, Kentucky. What Iwant to mention to you this
morning, I have a funeral righthere in the event center at two
o'clock, one of our own thatcame a few years ago and started
attending passed away the otherday. It was two days before they
found him. His background was ofanother faith. All of their
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family are of another faith. Butthey said, since he came to this
church and loved this church andloved the people in this church,
they'd like to have his funeralheld here. His name is Shane. He
was only 59 engineer, verygifted guy. I he's got a twin
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brother, he's got three growingchildren, and I would just like
to invite you to come, if youhaven't been to a funeral
service for a while, acelebration of life. I invite
you to come at two o'clock andso that his family that live in
Cleveland live in Columbus,believing that he has friends
here in this church, that you'llcome and show yourself as a
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friend and be a part, if you canjust pull it off. Grab a little
dinner, take a little quickbreak and show back up at two
o'clock in the event center forthis special celebration of life
for Shane and his family,Father, we thank you today for
this church, for these people,wonderful God fearing people
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here in North Central Ohio,thanks
for being a part of the voice ofthe Nazarene. Visit us every
Sunday at 9am with BNC's PastorRay LaSalle, for more
information regarding BNC, visitBucyrus nazarene.org. You.