Funeral Service - Roman Slabach

I hand you to many this memorial service and to Brother Slaybaugh. May the things be said that will be said, Lord, to be honored and gloried. And may, Lord, have a understanding of fears and passions. And this service, Lord, for the dear family, well, it will be done in Jesus' name. Now, before I read the scriptures, on behalf of those who have come to honor our Brother Slaybaugh, I'd like to offer our sincere love under

the breeze and also to the relative, both according to the flesh and according to marriage. Now, it's impossible for any one of us to

replace in this valley the shadow of death. But it is not impossible, actually, it is incumbent upon us according to Scripture. And not only that, but we actually desire to do. love to do and intend to do this, and that is to stand with you in this valley of the shadow of this time. No way can we take your place there in this hour, but you know we are taking ourselves with you in our love. Brother Slaybaugh was a much beloved brother. He wasn't amongst us too long, according to the short time he was with us in our church, but we were privileged to have him. We loved him, and he certainly was an inspiration to us. I understand that his favorite chapter was John 14. And usually, if I am correct in my assumption, based, I suppose, upon myself, that you, as a very young Christian, develop a love for a certain portion of Scripture, which I'm sure that he did when he was just a young Christian. But I don't think he realized that that chapter contained the verse number 12. which he in his later life would identify to have been fulfilled as a ministry that appeared on this earth and fulfilling Luke chapter 17, the days of the Son of Man. I'm sure that was not in his mind, but God put it there in his sovereign will, and that was his favorite chapter. Frederick Labow was born in January the 22nd. 1913, that makes me just about exactly 22 months older than I am. So he had created his own, and I honored him for it. He was one of the families of nine, of which the majority have deceased. He was the husband of Sister Anna Slaybaum, the father of one son, and four daughters of one who met a tragic accident and died. At this time he leaves behind him 14 grandchildren and 10 great -grandchildren. And although he is no longer with us, that is, as far as the body is concerned, his life lives on in those he left behind, and his influence reaches into eternity. Many men are satisfied they gain immortality through a family. It is true that Adam had immortality through the family. Descending... 6 ,000 years. But his immortality would have to take a turn for a greater immortality. That is one that God could give him. So, Brother Slabos, light has not only been multiplied here on earth, but I believe without a doubt that his life goes on because of the life which he has in the Lord Jesus Christ. And the real Roman Slabos, though not with us, He's in the paradise of God, without a doubt. They're amongst the believers who have gone on ahead. And according to 2 Corinthians, the 5th chapter, and also 1 Corinthians 16, it says there is a spirit body, there's a natural body. I would understand at this time he is definitely in that eternal body, not laid at hand in the heavens, waiting for the out -resurrection from the dead when he will come back and claim his glorified body. right here in Dalton, Ohio, and will appear amongst the living saints. This is decidedly true. Now, the scripts I want to read in 1 Thessalonians, or 4th chapter, and they are few, beginning in verse 13. But I would not have you to give me brethren concerning them which are free. It is sorry not even as others which have no hope, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring forth with him. For it is received unto you by the word of the Lord. So this is thus that the Lord, something that Paul got absolutely from God, and there's no twisting it, there's no changing it. That we which are alive and remain unto the coming, that word is really presence of the Lord, shall not prevent them which are free. Some use that term as go before the literal act, you take the preeminence over, them which are free. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we with our lives and remains shall be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words. Now, Paul spoke those words in 54 AD. But if you are a good student of fiction, I'm sure most of you sitting here are. You're Christians. And you understand much of the scripture, all of the scripture, in fact, though written, many, many years ago could not possibly be fulfilled until a certain time. And when Paul is speaking concerning these people here, he cannot be addressing them except in the sense of doctrine, because they were not standing there when the dead appeared. In fact, the dead cannot appear with the living until a certain set time. And that time, in my estimation, from what I've seen in Scripture, is found over here in the book of Romans, the 11th chapter, reading just one word. What then? Israel hath not attained that which he seeketh, but the election hath attained it, and the rest were blinded. Verse 15. For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall be the receiving of them but life from the dead? For I would not, brethren, you be ignorant of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own conceit, that blindness in part is happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles come in. Now, a blind man is not a dead man. A blind man is a blind man. Even a blind eye is not a dead eye, or it would be rotting in the socket. Blindness is blindness, and death is death. Israel is blinded. Do you understand what I'm saying? They're blind, but they're not dead. So Paul is saying here, when the fullness of the Gentiles come in, Israel will receive its life and its life and seek of a resurrection. So my understanding here is, Israel is back in the homeland. He came in 1848. So therefore, some generation starting from 48 until an end, there will be somebody, who see every event fulfilled, and this will be one of those events. So what I'm saying is this. You may be sitting here and not take that. And if you do, you have children sitting here who could well fulfill it because this is that generation. Israel is back in the homeland. Now, let's go a little further.

Paul spoke here. to these people concerning the end time, the rising of the dead, the changing of the mortal, and the catching away to the way we suffer. And his statement, he makes, and he says here, and I want to read it for you to get it again, I would not be happy to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope. Now, he doesn't say that they are not to sorrow. He says that they are able to sorrow, but not as others which have no hope. Now, why would he say that? I thought it in my mind. These people know there is going to be a resurrection. They know there is going to be a change. What is he really saying? My mind went back to the time when Jesus was standing before the great side of Lazarus, and Martha was there, and he said, your brother is going to live again. And she said, I know. I agree. In the resurrection, he said, no, not yonder down the road, but now. I

see this scripture that Paul gave us in the light of the resurrection of Lazarus. His resurrection was not down the road, it was then. And Paul is speaking in this hour of the resurrection, Israel's back in the homeland, everything is very auspicious through the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's hardly a dent that hasn't fallen in place. And I say to those who mourn over Brother Slava, you cannot sorrow as though you're looking down the road toward a resurrection which may take place a long, long time from now. But as Jesus stood there with Mary and said, your brother is going to live now, I would admonish you in spite of the fact that it sounds like a pipe dream. It sounds as though it couldn't happen. But remember this. Martha did not believe it. It came to pass anyway. And when Jesus rose from the dead and they saw him, they still couldn't believe it. So I say to you one of these things. And it could be before Sister Ann died. She's not too old. Right around my age. I'd admit to be 85. What took place in 88? What'll take place in 89? That they could come out of the ground, so to speak. They could walk amongst it. Because it's very true what I'm saying. It can happen. Perhaps not in her day, but she's got daughters here. Got her sons here. Grandchildren. And I'm not looking to the grandchildren, I'm being honest with you. I'm looking not past children. I'm not even looking past her. Because the possibility lies there. In the casket now, she's not really very bodied. She's

in another dimension. Look down here to the graveyard.

Pick up a glorified body. The grave doesn't even open.

He could travel quicker than this hour to see the thought that he wants. Like a young man, he'll walk down the road. Say, why couldn't Jesus walk down the road? He'll walk down Main Street here, I suppose. Walk up, find him. Walk up the path to the door. Ring the doorbell, knock, whatever his way was. He won't bring the room. The door's being cut. Jesus did, but he won't. He won't want to frighten you. He's not going to frighten you. He can't. If you don't believe it. Something's wrong with you.

Something's wrong with you.

And it will. Ring

the doorbell and come to the door.

Just the same thing Jesus did. They can't believe because of their choice. It couldn't be. But it was. He looked at her. He doesn't see her. As he sees herself, but he sees him in a person. Oh, he'd be able to do that without another glorified body, you know. One glorified man could destroy the earth, make everybody insane, detonate, or reduce every hydrogen bomb.

Talk about a Superman. Don't kick your wife's cock. God be their God, he is not made worthy to true as a lie. If you say to her, I'm back. I've

got to be, or I don't believe God.

I'm back. And

he says that if he goes over her and she says, like Abraham and Sarah, what'd you settle for, 15? You

can go anywhere from 15 to 19. You're exactly right, because that is the time.

Paul the Apostle said, this is the attitude you have at the end time. It's an attitude. I know it's an attitude because he told those people, and it refers to us, not them really, those who are alive shall not take any preeminence over those that died. How would you feel if you didn't die? Would you get puffed up? Or you'd say, well, if I got changed, I couldn't be puffed up because I'd be a glorified person, and persons who are glorified don't get puffed up. That's right. What if you suddenly knew you'd be one of them? Now Paul says here, don't get puffed up, there's no difference. Your living do not take precedence, preeminence, over those that have gone to the God knows. So I know he's talking about attitude. And my attitude is this, I must believe what Paul says. It can happen in the hour to which it is appointed, and Israel's in the homeland. It

can't go on for a hundred years.

It's gone on since 48.

Climax after climax is coming. Whoever thought Gorbachev would open the door to the World Council of Churches? Yes, he certainly did. Whoever thought the Protestants and Catholics would form a reciprocity and come together? Whoever thought anything could really happen? It's all happening according to the word of God. The time is running out very, very rapidly. The attitude is what counts. Now, he said, wherefore? Comfort one another with Jesus. words. What is my comfort then in this last day for Sister Flaybon and her family? To talk about Brother Roman coming back? What if they know he's going to come back in her particular moment of lifetime?

Don't ever, don't ever value yourself wrong on that. But

begin to realize it's not a hundred years off. It can't be sixty years off. My Lord, with what's taking place, can it be twenty years off? I don't want to say today. It's not talking about studying, it's studying an attitude in the face of the events that have occurred. My attitude is yes, and I'd love to see better later. I think maybe I've got a predilection toward it more than anybody else sitting here.

Yes, I mean it. Surprise me. If he's even surprised to see the castle, I don't believe in my heart it's going to, but as far as surprises, I would be surprised to be. But someday there's going to be a funeral in a castle, and they'll never carry him. to the graveyard exactly when Jesus stood there. And they took him, the widow's son, to the cemetery. And he stopped and he said, I didn't have time. And he touched the coffin and the young man arose. Well, is he just saying he has to go to the cemetery? If he is, we ought to talk like that. We can encourage ourselves and comfort ourselves in the fact he's not a long way down the road. He's not a long way off. Well, I don't believe it. Well, I want to see Jesus, brother Bill. Well, so do I. But when has a Jesus accommodated himself to us and the great God, the Lord himself, in humility to help us? For Jesus let us see each other first. Let him socialize. See how he made us. And the great archangel with that voice raising the dead. God always was his own chief messenger. God came to Abraham at the time of his king. Who else is going to do it? Who raises the dead? So comfort one another. I'm letting you know something if you've caught it or haven't caught it. In this hour, there isn't any other comfort outside of this word. Because if you don't believe it, how are you going to make it?

How can you be a part of a marriage if you've got no faith in it? Comfort one another. Son and daughter, talk to your mother about the fact. It won't be too long. And don't say, well, mom, you're going to go meet him. That would not be the right.

I like to be like that. I don't mind going and having the best of both worlds.

is a confidence. If

I was sitting here, I didn't have to say the same to myself. I cannot do anything. He

loved us enough to give us these human bodies. He just wants them glorified. We'll all be back together again. We're here on a glorified earth. What could be more wonderful? What will be more wonderful? I believe I'm looking at people who are going to see this.

By the grace of God, you're looking at one man that told you about it. That's Bowerhead Jesus. This eternal Father, we want to thank you for your Holy Spirit which you've given us in a major. whereby we could intercede and he intercedes to us, for us and for others, such as this blessed family sitting here, whom we love, have faith in, even their real fine Christians born of you. We pray for them and ask you with blessing upon them, that they may really be the comfort that's in this word here, Lord, given to us in this hour. Your brother's labor is not long gone, no. No, time's not going on. This drifting into eternity can't be too long till it's over, because the people that you ordained to go back to the homeland after 2 ,000 years are there with their own government, and they're there looking for Messiah, which will appear. The Father we know that even waits, but

before that takes place, our dear brothers will have come back to us, and we all go on to the wedding supper in the sky. So may this message, Lord, take a form and a shape in their hearts and minds. Not as though they will sit at the windows daily waiting for him to come. Just know it won't be long until he and the others come and the saints of God draw marching into that glory which is to pray for them. We thank you, Lord, for this. May your faith and grace be given us. We appreciate it. Thank you, Lord. We commend them and ourselves to you as never before, because we know each moment means a deeper consecration. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we pray.

I've been asked by Brother Dale to announce that some of you will be fired and dropped a little family after the internment. We'll be serving the session, Brother Dale.