Preaching Folks Into Heaven...AFTER Their Dead?

Ok, if you are black and have been to a funeral in a predominantly black congregation, then you know ALL about this familiar ritual that black preachers do.

A loved one or a friend of the family passes.  The funeral arrangements are made meticulously.  Folks who couldn't afford to pay a light bill go ALL OUT to bury loved ones (who regrettably didn't have insurance) in style!  To preach a great homegoing service for their dearly departed!

We have the viewing, the repasse, the funeral, and the burial.  Blacks folks take like a good week to bury their loved ones.

I don't say this mockingly; I say this because this is a tradition and a way of life (or should I rather say a way of death) for our people.

But what I want to focus on is preachers preaching EVERYONE into heaven!

This is a tradition that is traditional in the church.  Black people are said to be 'comforted' when the preacher gives a eulogy that portrayed the person in the casket in a glorified, glamorized, iconic, and almost divine way.  Oftentimes, the preacher automatically preaches the dead 'into heaven,' irregardless of how the dearly departed lived their lives, or how they left this life.

Coming up in a black Baptist church, this was commonplace and normal for me.  Even after having become a woman, I saw no problem with this tradition.  And truth be told, it did add 'temporary' comfort when a preacher would preach a departed loved one as 'entering the pearly gates.'

But since having left the institutionalized church, I have had time to sit back and observe much of what we embrace as culture and tradition....

And I can BLATANTLY proclaim that this is nothing more than a form of idolatry and hypocrisy that we have perpertrated inside of the four walls of the church!

I have seen preachers preach the funerals of drug dealers-who died while selling crack to little kids-into heaven.  I have watched preachers preach flaming, openly gay, unrepentant homosexuals into heaven.  I have watched preachers preach EVERYBODY into heaven, as a matter of fact!

This scares me.

Why?

This scares me because a minister of the gospel is supposed to TELL THE TRUTH.

Now, we can get into the semantics and suppositions  of  'we don't know if they repented right before they got shot, or while they were on their knees giving that last blow...' all we want.

But the fact of the matter is that when most people die, it is unexpected.  All of a sudden.  Death can happen in a millisecond.  Before anyone can say 'God, forgi....' they are snuffed out.  Gone.  Capeche!

There IS no time to repent.

Many don't realize that.

So they go on living their lives like they got tomorrow...and not truly knowing if they do.

But I want to address the PREACHERS who have all this blood on their hands.  YES, THEY DO.

How?

Because when that person in that casket was living, most preachers don't preach heaven or hell anymore.  Most preachers don't preach on sin.  They are afraid that folks are gonna come back at 'em with the 'Judge not, lest ye be judged...'

LOOK.

ALL OF US ARE GOING TO BE JUDGED.  AND WE ARE GOING TO BE JUDGED BY WHAT WE DID IN THIS LIFE.

But GOD HIMSELF has appointed SOME VOICES TO JUDGE.  And TO WARN people of their wicked ways.  And don't get it twisted...the ones who GOD is raising up and using are NOT going to be perfect and without sin themselves.

Since God has LEFT THE BUILDINGS, God is having to go into the highways and the byways.  God is raising up voices in the crackhouses.  IN the whorehouses.  IN the jails.  Compelling them to come in, NOT to church.  But into the KINGDOM OF GOD!

THE PREACHERS SHOULD BE PREACHING FOLKS INTO HEAVEN...WHILE THEY ARE YET ALIVE AND HAVE A CHANCE TO REPENT!!!

NOT WHEN THEY ARE DEAD....

PREACHERS, STOP LYING TO PEOPLE. YOU ARE NOT COMFORTING THOSE WHO MOURN BY LYING TO THE PEOPLE.  IF THAT PERSON WAS A HELLION ON EARTH, SAY SO.  THEN USE THAT LIFE TO WARN OTHERS TO COME TO CHRIST JESUS WHILE THERE IS STILL YET TIME!!!!

IT IS TIME TO REPENT!!!!!