BRENDA MERCURE CORONA MEMORIAL
Welcome To BARAH MINISTRIES a Christian Church
Rory Clark Pastor-Teacher
Good afternoon!
Welcome to Barah Ministries…an intimate, local Christian Church with worldwide impact. My name is Pastor Rory Clark.
At Barah Ministries we know this truth…that Jesus Christ is God. The Lord…God the Son…became flesh…Jesus Christ...and lived among us. He is the uniquely born One…100% God and 100% man in one Person forever. He is the Sovereign God of the Universe. He is the Jewish Messiah.
At Barah Ministries, we make a difference by teaching the Word of God from God’s perspective and not from man’s perspective. As those who make Barah Ministries our spiritual home, we are Christians. Being a Christian means we believe in the DEITY of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we have a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with Him.
Here’s how the Brenda Corona Memorial Service will unfold...
BRENDA MERCURE CORONA MEMORIAL
A Brief Introduction
Bagpipes Chuck Burgin
God’s View of You and Death
BRENDA MERCURE CORONA MEMORIAL
Portrait: A Memorial Video
Your Reflections on Brenda
The Gospel Message
BRENDA MERCURE CORONA MEMORIAL
Brenda’s Father Speaks
BRENDA PICTURE SLIDE
A woman you loved was here…and now she is gone from here. It’s a sad day and a sad time as we remember Brenda Mercure Corona.
I’m hurting for you today. I want to thank those of you who gave me a picture of your daughter, and your mother, and your sister, and your friend…someone you love deeply. I share your grief today. I didn’t know Brenda personally, but I did get a chance to meet her briefly in the midst of putting together the memorial service for her Mom a couple of years ago. There was no way for us to know, at that time, that in two short years I’d be doing the same for her. None of us know the days, nor the time, which the Lord has fixed by His own authority. Yet each of us is allotted a number of days. The Lord knows, because He set aside our number of days in eternity past.
According to her sister Terrie, Brenda was named after the comic strip character Brenda Starr, Ace Reporter. Terrie says, “Brenda was the star of our family…her larger than life personality added so much to everything we did as a family…I can’t imagine how different things would have been without her.”
I share your grief because the picture you painted of Brenda…not only by what you said about her…but far more for the things you couldn’t say in words…far more for the things I felt from listening to you…helped me know your grief is too profound to summon words.
Some may ball their hands and shake their fists at God for “taking her away so soon.” Fifty-one years is a short stay here on planet earth. Those who shake their fist don’t really know God…they don’t understand how He works. The real perspective is not that Brenda has been taken…it’s that she was given to you for a period of time for you to enjoy. And you did! Although she has returned to her Maker sooner than we would have liked, she will live on here on earth through you, by the memories of her that you carry in your hearts. She will live in heaven for all eternity.
Brenda’s sister Terri Pizza mentioned a quote from Brenda’s Facebook page…
ALBERT EINSTEIN “God does not play dice with the universe.”
Einstein was right. God doesn’t play dice with our lives either! As the Lord Jesus Christ sent his disciples out to preach to a hostile, lost, and dying world, He said in Matthew, Chapter 10, Verses 28 to 31…
MATTHEW 10:28 Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul…rather fear the Lord who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
MATTHEW 10:29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from God the Father’s consent.
MATTHEW 10:30 But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
MATTHEW 10:31 So do not fear…to God you are much more valuable than many sparrows.
The Lord Jesus Christ has always known Brenda…and there never has been nor will there ever be a time when He does have her name and her person in His omniscient mind…and billions of years ago He knew when He would bring her here, and when he would call her home…He allotted to her a number of days…and the very hairs on her head were numbered…even when those hairs were no more.
SONG INTRODUCTION
Let’s hear some music! God’s gift of Brenda to all of us is amazing. God’s gift of Brenda to all of us is courtesy of God’s grace. At Brenda’s request, let’s listen to Chuck Burgin play a song on the bagpipes…AMAZING GRACE.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
AMAZING GRACE Played on Bagpipes by Chuck Burgin
BRENDA PICTURE SLIDE
Brenda’s body may be dead, but her soul is not. The soul once born never dies. You get to choose where it spends eternity. According to her Dad, Brenda is in heaven…absent from the body…face-to-face with the Lord…reunited with all those she loved who went to heaven before her.
GOD’S VIEW OF YOU AND DEATH
Here’s what the Lord says about death through the apostle Paul in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 53 to 57…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:53 For this perishable (our physical bodies) must put on the imperishable (a perfect resurrection body)…and this mortal (our life on earth) must put on immortality (our life in heaven).
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory (death’s power is removed).”
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:55 “O physical death, where is your victory? O physical death, where is your sting?”
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:56 The sting of physical death is sin…and the power of sin is the law…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:57 …but thanks be to God the Father, who gives us believers in Christ the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Brenda has overcome death. Here on earth we grieve, but the Lord promises us things about heaven…and the apostle John comforts us with these words in Revelation, Chapter 21, Verse 4…
REVELATION 21:4 “…in heaven, the Lord wipe away every tear from their eyes…and there will no longer be any death…there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain…the first things have passed away.”
Certainly, that’s what you want for Brenda. Those of you who are closest to Brenda…especially you daughters…will remember the end of Brenda’s struggles when her fighting spirit battled cancer, and radiation, and chemotherapy with all she had. But what I felt and what I heard as I listened to you…is that the fight you saw in her last moments here on earth is the fight you loved in her when she was most vibrant in this life as well. That’s what you’ll remember! The fight! I want you to hear what King David says about the end of our earthly struggles in Psalm 23, Verses 1 and 4…
PSALM 23:1 The Lord is the One who keeps on shepherding me…therefore I can’t lack anything!
PSALM 23:4 Even though I walk through my very own death shadowed valley…I cannot fear…You with me!
King David was excited to die knowing that he would spend eternity with the Lord. That’s what Brenda experienced as well…a personal escort to heaven from the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. After a short time…in due time…Brenda’s pain and your pain aren’t what you’ll remember. Your memory will be flooded with the special times you had together. Brenda’s daughter Melissa remembers…
MELISSA CORONA ON MOM
I remember she would blast the music…she’d come up to us dancing…she’d sing along with the music…I loved when she did spur of the moment things…it was her way of showing us she loved us…she was very thoughtful in those moments.
A great thing about remembering those who died is that we remember the good things. Whether we remember these things affectionately out loud, or whether we lash out with our grief, as is the case with some of your family members…in the private moments of loss ALL OF US reflect on the good times, and we wet our pillows with tears of appreciation for the good times. ALL OF US! That’s what is worth remembering.
Brenda is a person…she was here, and now she is back where she came from… with God…the One who walked her step by step through this life and step by step through death. As you remember her, you will know His commitment to you that you saw through Brenda’s life.
Let’s take a look at some of the special moments of Brenda’s life, captured in this short video that Andrea put together…
PORTRAIT: A Video of Special Moments in Brenda’s Life
You described Brenda as CARING, LOVING, FREE, and COMMITTED…even PASSIONATE…even though you never said that specific word.
Brenda CARED about people. Here’s what Andrea had to say about Brenda, her Mom.
ANDREA CORONA ON MOM
She was very caring…she had a soft heart…she was my best friend…she got along with everyone…she liked to live…she lived LA VIDA LOCA…she did the things she wanted to do. Her cooking was great when she wanted it to be!
She LOVED. Here’s what her sister Terrie had to say about her…
SISTER TERRIE PIZZA ON BRENDA
She loved Hugo, the man she married even after they weren’t married anymore. She loved her parents. She waited on my Dad hand and foot.
SISTER TERRIE PIZZA ON BRENDA
She loved her girls…boy did she love those girls…she loved horses…she loved the outdoors… she loved fun…she loved life. It’s hard losing a Mom, but it’s even harder losing a sibling. I loved her very much. Brenda had a wild side…a desire to be FREE that was reflected in her love for animals, especially horses. Her father John reflects…
JOHN WAYNE MERCURE ON BRENDA
We had four horses together. She loved horses. She loved life. The song Wildfire is a reflection of her. In the house, I keep expecting to hear her voice and it’s not there.
JOHN WAYNE MERCURE ON BRENDA
Brenda is with her grandparents in heaven now, and they adored her. When people we love die, we never get over it. I’ll never get over this.
She was COMMITTED to her daughters Jessica, Melissa, Alicia, and Andrea. She was described over and over again as a great Mom. If she were here right now, and could speak for a moment, she would tell each of you that raising you was worth it. She didn’t have to say it to you in words because she said it with her life. You could feel it.
She had a lot to be proud of in each of you, and she loved each of you for your very own uniqueness. When she looked at you, without saying it, as only a Mother’s eyes can see, she saw the love that you gave back to her as a reflection of her spirit implanted in you. She could see it. She could feel it. And she loved you very much for it.
You painted a picture of a woman who loved deeply…and who was loved more deeply. No need to apologize for the tears as you remember her.
REMEBERING BRENDA Portrait: A Memorial Video Your Reflections on Brenda
Touching.
THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST
Brenda would want you to join her in heaven. SO the closing moments of the service are dedicated to helping you be clear what it takes to get to heaven. Whether you know it or not, you were born a sinner. That’s bad news for you. The good news is that this gospel message offers you the chance to make the most important decision of your life. Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
What does God want for you?
Two things. First and foremost, GOD WANTS YOU TO BE SAVED…First Timothy, Chapter 2, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:3 This is what is good and acceptable in the sight of the God who is our Savior…the Lord Jesus Christ…
FIRST TIMOTHY 2:4 …who desires all men to be saved and for all men to come to the knowledge of the truth.
What the Lord DOES NOT WANT FOR YOU is highlighted in Second Peter, Chapter 3, Verse 9…
SECOND PETER 3:9 The Lord is not slow about His promise of salvation, as some accuse Him of, but instead He is patient toward you unbelievers…NOT WISHING FOR ANY OF YOU TO PERISH (IN THE LAKE OF FIRE) but for all of you to come to repentance (a change of mind about having a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ).
This immutable and irrevocable fact may contradict the thoughts placed in your head by God’s enemy, Satan, through religions that contend that God is always disappointed in you because you sin, and that you have to work to please Him.
Are you saved?
Second, GOD WANTS YOU to have a written account of absolute truth…His exact thinking. John, Chapter 20, Verse 31…
JOHN 20:31 …but these things written in the Bible have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ (The Jewish Messiah) … the Son of God in human form…and that by believing in Him you may have the resurrection life in His name.
Do you know the truth, especially the truth about who God is as a Person, and the truth about what He has done to save you?
Maybe you don’t believe in the Lord Jesus Christ! Maybe you don’t think He is God! Maybe you don’t think the Bible is His exact thinking. Maybe you don’t even think you need to be saved. The Bible says that being saved…salvation…is exactly what ALL humans need from the moment of physical birth. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verse 1…
EPHESIANS 2:1 At physical birth all mankind were born spiritually dead in your trespasses and sins…
First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verse 22 says…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:22a For all in union with Adam at physical birth (and that is every human who comes to earth) are set to die the second death in the Lake of Fire…
The Bible says all who are spiritually dead need to be saved…they need spiritual life. The Lord Jesus Christ volunteered for the task of saving you. Ephesians, Chapter 2, Verses 4 and 5 say…
EPHESIANS 2:4 But God the Father…being rich in mercy…because of His great unconditional love with which He loved all of us…
EPHESIANS 2:5 …even when we were spiritually dead in our transgressions…made us believers in Christ spiritually alive in union with Christ…by His grace you have been saved…
When you were spiritually dead, as ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers, here’s what God the Father gifted to you…Romans, Chapter 5, Verse 8…
ROMANS 5:8 But God the Father demonstrates His own unconditional love toward all mankind, in that while we were yet sinners (as spiritually dead, ungodly, unrighteous unbelievers), Christ died as a sacrifice for us.
Who is this God who saves you? The apostle Paul describes the Lord Jesus Christ…in First Corinthians, Chapter 15, Verses 3 and 4…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:3 For I (Paul) delivered to you as of first importance the gospel message I also received… that it was Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the Scriptures…
FIRST CORINTHIANS 15:4 …and that He was buried…and that He was raised from the dead on the third day…according to the Scriptures…
Because of the Lord Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, right where you sit right now, you can have eternal life…the resurrection life…by taking the suggestion in Acts, Chapter 16, Verse 31…
ACTS 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and everyone in your household who also believes.”
You would also do well to heed the warning in John, Chapter 3, Verse 36…
JOHN 3:36 “He who believes in the Son has the resurrection life right at that moment… but he who does not obey the command to believe in the Son will not see the resurrection life…instead the wrath of God (the Lake of Fire) abides on him.”
The Lake of Fire is a literal place, and it will be your eternal home if you reject a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Acts, Chapter 4, Verse 12…
ACTS 4:12 “…there is salvation in no one else…for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved (except the name of the Lord Jesus Christ).”
You don’t have to work to be saved…it’s a free gift from a gracious God… Titus, Chapter 3, Verse 5…
TITUS 3:5 The Lord Jesus Christ saved us…not on the basis of deeds which we have done in self-righteousness…but according to His mercy…by the washing of regeneration and through the renewing by God the Holy Spirit…
There is no excuse for not knowing how to be saved. It’s SO simple. Why? It’s simple because God does the saving for you. All you have to do is invest your gift of faith…a gift you received from a loving God…and place that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation. Do it now! There is no time to waste. A Loving Father Speaks
John told me yesterday, “When your child dies, there’s nothing you can do about it. I’m hurting. And I want to feel the pain. I feel pain because I love her.” Well, John, here’s a chance for you to tell everyone.
CLOSING VIDEO WILDFIRE Michael Martin Murphy CLOSING VERSES
A Doxology of Praise to Our God
PROVERBS 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.//In all your ways acknowledge Jesus, and He will make your paths straight.
DEUTERONOMY 31:8 “For the Lord is the one who goes ahead of you…He will be with you…He will not fail you or forsake you…so do not fear or be dismayed.”
ISAIAH 30:18 The Lord longs to be gracious to you…He waits on high to have compassion on you…for the Lord is a God of justice…blessed are those who wait for Him.
FIRST PETER 5:6-7 Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may promote you at the proper time…//…slamming all your cares on His back, because He cares for you.
God considers your problems to be His responsibility.
MUSIC AND REFLECTION Be Occupied with the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ Enjoy the Singing of His Praises
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW Israel Kamakawiwo'ole
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