10/2/24 Mike Luttrell Funeral

E sure e [Music] I heard an old Story how a Savior came from Glory how he gave his life on Calvary to save a like me I heard about his grow of his Precious Blood atoning then I repented of my sin and won the victory oh Victory in Jesus my Savior forever he sought me and bought me with his redeem in blood he loved me I knew him and all my love is to him he plunged me to Victory beneath the cleansing flood I heard about a Manion he is built for me in glory and I heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea about the angels singing and the old Redemption story and some sweet day I'll sing up there the song of Victory oh Victory in Jesus My Savior forever he sought me and B me with his redeeming blood he loved me I knew him and all my love is through him he plunged me to Victory beneath the cleansing blood oh Victory in Jesus my Savior forever he sought me and bought me with his redeeming blood he loved me I knew him and all my love is to him he plunged me Victory beneath the cleansing flood

Beneath the cleansing FL James Mike LOL son of Haymon and zelfie Reinhardt Lal was born March 3rd 1953 in tuscumia Missouri he departed this life Tuesday September 24th 2024 in San Felipe yilla Mexico at the age of 71 years 6 months and 21 days on October 5th 1973 Mike was United in marriage to Connie Ali and together they shared nearly 51 years together Mike was preceded in death by his parents and his siblings Clint Lynn oid Oki Dean Donnie Jackie Ronnie Terry and Bonnie he is survived by his wife Connie of the home his children Heather LOL of CER Missouri Jason LOL of Montreal Missouri and Brandon Decker and wife Carly of kulum Missouri his grandchildren Luke and Harper Decker his siblings Betty Johnston and husband John Sharon Kar and Sally Durham as well as a host of other relatives and many dear friends Mike grew up in Brumley and was a graduate of oage high school in the class of 1971 he spent time working at tantara in convention services before working for Dawson in machine setup for 23 years Mike later attended Central Texas community college and retired an electrician after working for Quality Electric for many years Mike was saved during a Revival at Buffalo Prairie Baptist Church he was a member of First Baptist Church of camton for many years he was very active in the church and had taught Sunday school to the first and second grade groups for the last 10 years he served in VBS live 316 missions and the church properties committee Mike enjoyed traveling and had taken many special trips with his family throughout the years one special trip was to Jackson Hall Wyoming on a missions trip where he was able to go whitewater rafting he had recently been to the ark encounter in Kentucky this past summer and shared that story with anyone who would listen in his spare time Mike

Enjoyed taking care of his cattle his cats and his dogs spending time with his family and his grandchildren was something that he absolutely cherished he was the Jack of all trades and found great joy in helping those who could not help themselves Mike was a loving husband father grandfather brother and uncle and was a caring neighbor and friend we celebrate his life and accomplishments and we treasure the many wonderful memories he had created for his family and many dear friends [Music] some glad morning when this life is over I'll Fly Away to a home on God Celestial Shore I fly away I Fly Away Oh Glory I fly away when I die Hallelujah by and by I fly away yeah when the shadows of this life gone fly away yes I will like a bird from prison balls have flown Fly Away in the morning Fly Away Oh Glory Fly Away I'll Fly Away I'll Fly Away I die Hallelujah by fly [Music] away just a few more weary days and then I'm going to fly away yeah to that land where Joy will never end Fly Away F fly away [Music] F Hallelujah by fly away I fly away fly I will fly away fly away I will fly W [Applause] Hallelujah Fly Away [Music] in the morning you can't always choose your

Testimony if God had given us a menu of the testimonies that we wanted to come back and share with you from Aila this would not have been on the list for us but God gives us a testimony and it's important and Connie and I on our way as we traveled back wrote up some notes about the way we saw God's hand working in lucila and some of the blessings that we felt and she asked that I read that to you today back when we were leaving for our mission trip M can Cony joke that they were making funeral arrangements the funeral director called that morning to chat with them what we thought was kind of funny was really God's hand preparing for what was to come once in Mexico we drove a harrowing road to the beautiful remote Village of usila when we were at last over the mountains Larry our leader and Driver confessed that we were without breakes he tried to downshift and realized that her transmission was out too God allowed us to Coast into the drive of our hotel and as the men including the local Pastor Marco were evaluating the problems the pastor's mechanic happened by he was able to temporarily fix the transmission I'm not kidding you with a pin and reported that the bricks were just overheated thank you God the clinic started like any other with many Mexicans working with our team to provide glasses and share Christ we prayed and worked together setting up and training the first day of the clinic was Tuesday Mike worked at the eye chart so he saw all of the 234 people who came through on that day 12 decisions were made for Christ during the clinic and four people recommitted their lives sorry after we closed and put things away the group was walking to a restaurant for dinner Mike sat down on the sidewalk and fell

Backwards many people rushed to assist but the cardiac arrest took them quickly the community ofila immediately gathered in solidarity over 300 people came Mike's body could not be moved until released by the authorities so as is accustom the men of the Town erected a canopy over the area where he lay people came in support a man who rented Chairs set them up out up and down the streets for free women made and passed out coffee we were offered multiple bottles of water church members offered their home the team for the bathroom and fed the team and they gave Connie and I a little glass of grape soda a cup of water in Jesus name our translator giovan shared the Gospel with the crowd gathered in the street and he reminded him that this faith comes to us all and we need to be ready the town's people set up a small table with a bucket on it many people put money in the bucket it's a very poor town but they gave what they had to help Mike's family the local Pastor wife Margarita St close and Pastor Marco asked if it would be okay if he shared briefly and Connie said yes well they brought the pulpit from the church and a band they sang Praises together and they prayed and the pastor shared a message in Spanish which was also translated to English and chinatech the local native language of the local tribal people Mike would have loved the fact that so many people heard about Jesus in three languages because of him was very impactful through this time although the service was poor we were able to send and receive a few text messages and one phone call from PJ carton here at church The Joy group was meeting back in Candon and Susie Jennings who's rarely at Joy group shared the situation and our prayer warriors were immediately deployed thank you all for praying it was several hours before the

Authorities arrived to examine and release the body and it was longer until the funeral home arrived to collect him Connie and the team wanted to go at the same time as he did but our van was still debilitated coincidentally a small bus had just returned to town and was available to transport us the town's people stayed until Mike's body was picked up and then many of the woman rushed Connie to offer support Embraces and kind words as we departed we flew over those mountains through the night God definitely protected us the next morning we began the task of completing the requirements to get Mike's body home the prayers of the saints were felt at every juncture also five Elders from the usila church drove the three hours to offer their encouragement we absolutely knew that our Brothers and Sisters in Christ were with us in this we were told that it could take up to two weeks to go through the official process so Mike's body could come home our first T task was to establish that Connie had standing to make decisions again she was miraculously able to get a call out to Donnie Snelling C County Recorder Who provided their marriage license immediately we were actually able to get the first two documents on day one the next steps were very confusing as we received contradictory advice so on Thursday we found ourselves back at the same office complex one of our local leaders Elita had to use a restroom when she returned she had somebody with her it was Gabriel come to show us the way Pastor Gabriel Garcia used his influence with a person in the office to obtain the document and once in hand we had to race across town to the office of Civilian registration before it closed to get the death certificate with all the people were completed we left the funeral home

In less than two days with transport on the way to pickup Mike so Connie could leave Mexico in peace and travel home to be with her family as I say in Mexico Gloria adios glory to God thankfully Vision 316 had purchased travel insurance so the insurance company coordinated Logistics and will pay the cost throughout the process the team pull together in unity not one person put their own needs above the task at hand even though we were all sleep deprived and hungry we were family Mike went to usila to share Christ's love with others and this is love that a man laid down his life for his friends Mike doesn't have any regrets he died with the love of his life by his side serving his Lord a little addendum to the story Connie donated that contribution back to the church in New Zealand when our messenger went to deliver it the pastor shared that a lot of people had been asking about Connie and Mike and making sure everything she was doing okay and still lifting her up in prayer and the messenger said Mike and Connie made a big impact in usila and I said to him good that's why they went on my way into the funeral today I heard a song from Casting Crowns only Jesus and it said I don't leave a legacy I don't care if they remember me only Jesus the T people might not remember M name I remember why he was there I Jesus and John chapter 14 we read these wonderful wonderful words let not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you into myself that where I am there you may be also and where I go you know and the way you know and Thomas said to him Lord we do not know where you're going and how can we know the way

Jesus said to him I am the way the truth and the life no one comes to the father except through Me In this passage we are offered some wonderful wonderful words of comfort for today AR way but also hope for eternity in Ecclesiastes chapter 3 we read to everything there's a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens a time to be born and a time to die a time to plant a time to pluck up that which is planted but isn't it amazing how fast that time goes by perhaps you saw someone last night or this morning and you haven't seen for years and years and you thought well I thought I just saw them no it's been five or 10 years time goes by so fast James forth tells us that life is like a vapor that appears just for a little while and then vanishes away hopefully in the time that we do have we'll put our faith and our trust in Lord Jesus Christ and will allow him to make the most out of our life to accomplish his plans and purposes in our life like he has been in mik con's life I know that you all have some very special and private memories of Mike and they are great great source of comfort today Mike loved the Lord we've heard that and we all know that if you know Mike you know that he loved the Lord and I first met Mike and Connie back in about the mid 70s I started attending Buffalo Prairie Baptist Church and they were there and they were very active in that church I forget all what all you were doing but several different things they were doing and then might continued to serve the Lord all his life until the very end and he loved the Lord he hard worker everywhere from Young Life Tanta the Dawson the quality electric Mike had this reputation that he'd see something that was broken and he'd step back and he'd think about it for a while and eventually he'd be able to fix it Mike was a very determined person a very persistent person but it

Wasn't only in his work you see one day down at work he saw Connie walking down the street he became persistent determined to win her over as well and so he tried and tried and eventually he did didn't he and so you had nearly 51 years together and that's wonderful they have a great great love for each other Mike's remembered by his family and his friends to kind of have a green thumb he loved the garden and grow cucumbers and you've probably had some of his Tomatoes haven't you that he's grown but also flowers you look around these house house and outside there's a lot of flowers that he planted he loved being outside someone said it wouldn't matter if it's May or in the winter there you'd see Mike outside in a pair of shorts right finding something to do they also love traveling traveling with their family and their kids they travel to the dtas or Colorado or Disney World or events and St Louis and you know I mentioned how Mike could fix everything and figure out everything there's one thing he couldn't do very well and that was a weather forecaster he would he would look around they say he was they were in the s l and he'd look around they say oh it's not going to rain it did and but they had a wonderful time traveling around Mike also loved Western and watching westerns and Bonanza and he kept little ornaments and little figurines and horses and things that he got from a child and he kept those and he had quite a collection and again as he loved watching westerns and so as he worked down in Tanta you all remember the rodeo you that they used to have and all the different entertainers and actors that would come to the rodeo well he got the meet ser allum and so it was a great privilege for him to meet all those FES Parker and different ones that were famous on TV you all remember Mike very caring and a very compassionate person he cared about others and in

Their hurts when times are good but also in their illnesses everyone from Connie's mom and helping with her to Little Children You know when Mike saw little children hurt he hurt as well an interesting thing about him because he was caring and compassionate he didn't just stop with people Mike also had a way with animals didn't they and so working on the farm or working around the cattle or whatever it might have been he had a way even to settle them down as well so that's quite a talent there now the family has told me a few things and maybe you know this but it surprised me a little bit we've heard some of the Gospel songs that I'm sure Mike and Connie like but you know Mike had a knack of being able to tell you the names and the tunes to songs back in the 60s and 70s so you can name a song back in 60s especially an old country song and U he'd be able to tell you the name of it you know he claimed he couldn't carry a tune in a bucket but if you went to his house all of a sudden he I didn't know this but all of a sudden he'd break out a couple lines of an old country song I thought now that would have been interesting can you imagine that can you imagine being in his house and all of a sudden he starts singing a Kenny Rogers song so he had a good time and he loved music and I know they both did and one of the most interesting things is when I think of Mike can picture him driving down the road maybe kind of slowly thinking about something he had to go do or some a way to fix something or something that he's just done but there is a different side to him you realize that when he was younger he used to have a Chevy shabel that was all souped up and was a race car and he'd actually race up and down eoad and 42 I don't know how you race on 42 but he raced on 42 I have a hard time just staying on the but he would race other people down 42 when he was in college down School the oarks for a while he

Knew theyd get in trouble if they started it so they'd have to kind of push it out of the driveway you know and off they go and find someone to race down there so there's a lot of different talents and hobbies that Mike had that he liked that he liked but he truly loved his wife and his family and his friends and he truly loved the Lord you know when we say goodbye to a loved one it's a it's a Bittersweet time isn't it on the one hand we never want to see him suffer or hurt or be in pain but on the other side there's a loss inside but we have a great promise in God's word a promise that God is our refuge and strength a very present help and trouble he has promised that he'll never leave us or forsake us he is with us in the best times alive when the Sun's shining and everything's just about perfect but he's also with us in those times so hard that you don't know if you can take another step he's with us in those times as well in Isaiah 41 we read fear not for I with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen Thee I will help thee I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness not only is God With Us not only do we have that promise but we know that he also cares first Peter 5:7 says casting all your care upon him for he carth for you and sometimes especially when you lose a loved one you say goodbye to a loved one people ask well how are you doing well you say I'm doing all right but there's a million questions inside that are hard to share with other people we have a God that we can take those questions to and he understands and he's able to help us along matter of fact John 14 it says Jesus can give us a peace a peace that path us all understand peace I leave with you my peace I give unto you not as the world giveth give I unto you let not your heart be troubled or neither Let It Be Afraid but the greatest hope we have

Today is the hope of Heaven don't we the hope of Heaven one day there was a man walking along the seashore and he saw this great ocean liner going out to sea and everyone was waving and cheering and telling them their friends goodbye and then before long it kind of went out of sight and he overheard someone say well we can go now they're gone and he thought to him himself you know they're not really gone they're just gone over to the other side and there on the other side was a great group of people waving and cheering and shouting and saying welcome home welcome home and that's the greeting that Mike's getting now the great hope that we have in heaven the Apostle Paul said I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory which shall be revealed to us a place beyond our mortal description really and I think about Jesus's Ministry and the lies that he touched and the healing he brought and then I think about Christians today that love the Lord but some Christians go through this life crippled don't they can you imagine when they enter Heaven and they can run and jump and do whatever they want to can you imagine the blind man that's gone through this life not being able to see and the first sight that he sees is the glories of heaven and his Lord face to face and can you imagine the person that's kind of been pushed off to the side that has kind of be rejected or misunderstood and when he arise in heaven this great throng of people come up and say welcome home welcome home Heaven is a place where we look forward to a glorified body with no more sickness or no more pain a place where there'll be no more broken hearts and a place of Beauty Beyond Compare what a glorious place we have to look forward to we Jesus has given given us that Living Hope a place of being reunited with our loved ones you know if we live

Long enough if you could pick how long you could live a 100 years 120 eventually we'd have to say goodbye to everyone wouldn't we but in heaven we can be reunited and Never Say Goodbye again but most of all we're going to a place where we'll see our Lord face to face you know I've heard different people say there's an old evangelist a years ago go named elel Moody and then also Billy Graham have said some you're going to pick up the paper and read that I've died but don't believe it I'm living more now than ever now I had to thinking you know couldn't Mike be saying the same thing to we've we've talked about how he's passed away but in a sense he's more alive now than ever he's Lord so what a wonderful privilege what a living hope God has given us and we have this great hope because of God's love don't we he loved us so much that he sent his son for us to die on the cross of Calvary and I hope today we've all accepted Christ of our Savior that we're living for our Lord and reflecting our Lord knowing a great homecoming someday will have and somebody put heaven in these words they said I am home in heaven dear ones all so happy and all so bright there's perfect joint and Beauty in this Everlasting Light and all the pain and the grief are over and every Restless tossing past I'm now at peace forever safely home in heaven at last and did you wonder how I trod the Valley of the shade oh but Jesus's love had lumed every dark and fearful Glade and he came himself to meet me in that way so hard to tread and with Jesus's arm to lean on could I have one doubt or dread then you must not grieve so sorely for I love you dearly still try to look beyond the Earth shadows and pray to trust our father's will there's Works still waiting for you so you must not Idol stand do it now while life remaineth you shall rest in Jesus's land and when that work is all complete he'll gently call you home oh the Rapture of

That meeting oh the joy to see you come that's the great hope our Lord has given us this bow prayer dear father we thank you for your love for your forgiveness for the Salvation that you offer us through Jesus Christ I thank you for Mike I thank you for the lives that he's touched the service that he's lifted up for you the care that he had for so many and just the witness that he was and we know father he's home with you now we praise that great hope and I just pray you'll be with his family and his friends and lift them up and give them a hope and a peace and comfort inside like only you can give and dear father we pray these things in Jesus name amen for littleit this tear Ang good the m [Music] still here [Music] light [Music] again [Music] again every Dr is [Music] place [Music] the side up C would it's [Music] face

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