Brother Otis Daniel’s Message
to Brother Robert Pruitt’s Funeral Service
Monday – July 2, 2007
This morning, my heart was heavy with sorrow and my mind filled with dread, anticipating the events of today. However, in my Spirit and on my lips was a song that the Holy Ghost brought to my mind. “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.”
The artist paints us a picture of heaven in his words and states, “How Beautiful Heaven Must Be.” He really didn’t know how beautiful it was, but he could only imagine how beautiful it must be.
SONG:
Vs. 2: In heaven, no drooping nor pining. No wishing for elsewhere to be. God’s light is forever there shining, how beautiful heaven must be.Cho: How beautiful heaven must be. Sweet home of the happy and free. Fair haven of rest for the weary, how beautiful heaven must be.Brother Dewberry gave a quote from Brother Pruitt shortly after the reorganization. When asked, “Where were the men of honor in The Church?” Brother Pruitt replied, “There is only one man of honor and He is in heaven, the Head of The Church.” All of the rest of us are men of equal. We can agree today, with Brother Dewberry, that there is now another man of honor in heaven.
I never took pastoring Brother Pruitt a light thing, neither do I take this service lightly today.
When the Pruitt family asked me to have part in this memorial service today, my heart was overwhelmed and my Spirit humbled. Overwhelmed and humbled to speak of such a great man of God; to his family and to this congregation. What can one say about a man that the divine mind of God has chosen and His divine hand has picked out from among us?
I have known Brother Pruitt for 40 years. He has been my B.T.I. Teacher, my Sunday School Teacher, my General Overseer, and my friend. Sister Pruitt and my wife worked together in the same office for two years and became close friends. This does not, in the least, qualify me to speak to you today of such a man as Robert Pruitt, General Overseer of The Church of God. Therefore, I sought God to give me words of comfort to us today. As Paul would say, “I speak to you as wise men.” If you, as an individual, could address this congregation today, what would you say?
We do not know, because each one has not been given this opportunity, so I would like to say the things that I think you would say. Therefore, I sought recorded history to know what was said at the funeral of A.J. Tomlinson, General Overseer.
COMMENTS:
- “I have been inspired many times by the things our General Overseer would do. He was a great lover of man-kind.”
- “He was wonderful because he was close to God. He was always smiling and saying good things. I never saw anything out of him that was not Godly.”
- “I never knew an idol step out of him. If there was ever a man that walked godly and upright, it was him.”
- “He was full of the power of God, lived close to God, counseled with God and walked with God.”
- “No matter what you asked him, he gave it consideration.”
- “He was a real inspiration to all those who followed the truth.”
- “If everyone was like him, there would be no wars or jails.”
- “He has done his work well. He has been faithful in what he had to do.”
- “The Spirit he has had, the humility he has had, the anointing he has had, has brought The Church of God to where it is today.”
- “Remember the three things which he did – listened to God, loved God, and served God.”
- “Although our hearts are grieved, at the same time, they are bound to beat with pride because of the great leader of The Church of God he has been.”
- “He poured out his great mind and noble heart in an effort to build The Church of God. What a glorious way to live. What a victorious way to die.”
We can see by these testimonies or comments that, this is the type of man God chose to lead The Church of God in the last days.
If you could speak today, you would say the very same thing of Robert Pruitt that was said of A. J. Tomlinson. Every word fits Brother Pruitt precisely. There is no difference.
This was the type of man God chose to continue to lead The Church of God.
According to our history, it was plain to see in 1943; The requirement that was laid on the Presbytery by the Holy Ghost, as they considered a replacement for the General Overseer, was: “ONE OF THE SAME SPIRIT.”
Not the most charismatic, the most well-known, the most traveled, the most educated, but, QUOTE: “ONE OF THE SAME SPIRIT.”
Just as God told Samuel concerning David being anointed King; I have provided me a king in the man. Provided – “To choose.”
The same God that chose A. J. Tomlinson, chose M. A. Tomlinson – and the same God chose Robert Pruitt. Man had nothing to do with the choice. In fact, there was a warning in the 1943 Presbytery Meeting; “We need a man God has built. If we build one, there will be weak places behind to look back to.”
Provided – “To choose.” … but it doesn’t stop there; …and witness in the sight of others.
In 1993, we witnessed, along with others, as God chose the man – His man, at the Solemn Assembly. A man of the same Spirit as our former General Overseers; The same character, the same integrity, the same servant-hood.
God chose Robert Pruitt to lead The Church of God, and he accepted; not counting the cost, but accepting the sacrifice; knowing the reward of obedience by faith in the One who chose him.
HIS SACRIFICE:
In his own words to a fellow minister, Brother Wilda, Brother Pruitt stated, “I had not planned for this. I had planned on buying some blue jeans and a hat, and enjoying my retirement.”
Sister Pruitt, your sacrifice was the same as other General Overseers companions. Sister M. A. Tomlinson stood before one of the General Assemblies, speaking concerning her husband M. A. Tomlinson, General Overseer: “When he [M. A. Tomlinson] accepted being General Overseer, I had to accept that he no longer belonged just to me, but to the whole Church of God.”
Thank you for your sacrifice for us. You gave your all along side Brother Pruitt.
To the family – thank you for your sacrifice. Sometimes we felt guilty for requiring you to sacrifice his life and your life to serve us, the members of The Church of God.
2 Corinthians 3:2 Paul says, “We do not need rewards, accolades, commendations, metals or letters of commendations; for ye are our epistle written in our hearts.”
Epistle – “A letter of communication with direction to a destination.”
Brother Pruitt’s leadership lead The Church of God in the direction of heaven.
His theology was made plain by his writings and his living. His destination was heaven!
He now has a place with those recorded in Hebrews 11: 13-16.
Vs. 14: They (all) that say such things, do declare plainly (testify) that they seek a country.
1. A heavenly country.2. Therefore (because of this), God is not ashamed to be called their God.3. For (because of this) He (God) hath prepared for them a city (plenteous, sufficient, and free of want).City – “A place of fellowship where men meet one another.”
Heaven is not a lonely place, but a place of fellowship (fellowship – a multitude no man can number).
Spurgeon: We shall be in the company of the best men, the noblest men, the most mighty men, the most honorable and the most renowned men. We shall sit with Moses, and walk with him of all his life of wonders. And we shall walk with Joseph, and hear of the grace that kept him in his hour of peril; we shall have the privilege of sitting by the side of David, and hearing him recount the perils and the deliverances through which he passed.
The saints of heaven make but one communion; they are not divided into separate classes. We shall be allowed to walk through all the glorious ranks and have fellowship with them all. Nor no need to doubt, but that we shall be able to know them all.
Jesus lets us focus deeper into the picture painted for us of heaven. He calls it paradise!
Greek: Paradise – “Beautiful park.”
2 Corinthians 12:4: Paul states he was, “…caught up into paradise…” (that beautiful park).
Notice what he says: Human words could not utter, declare, or describe what he saw and heard.
Final Comments:
Rest: Brother Pruitt’s body was tired. The disease had taken it’s toll on his body. How can the soul tire? The soul is eternal – God breathed into man’s nostrils and he became a living soul.
The Bible refers to rest in heaven. God rested.
Genesis 2:1-2:
Vs 1: “Thus the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them.”Vs 2: “…and on the seventh day, God ended His work which He had made. And He rested on the seventh day from all His work which he had made.”God is all-powerful. Was He tired? Nothing can take away one iota of His power and strength.
Rest – “Complete in perfection.” … “to celebrate.”
The book of Job declares that there was celebration in heaven; singing and shouting in heaven.
Heaven is a place of celebration! The party never ceases!!! Brother Pruitt has entered into that perfection and joined the celebration!
Brother Pruitt’s life has given us direction to that heavenly celebration. I declare unto you today, I want to go to that party!
READING OF A SONG:
“I couldn’t begin to tell you how beautiful heaven is…” – The Old Friends Quartet
If I had all the words of our language to use at a moment’s command;If I had all the beautiful pictures of nature, the sea, and the land;If I spoke in a voice never ending, speaking only of loveliness;I couldn’t begin to tell you how beautiful heaven is.If I mixed the glorious sunsets with the fathomless mysteries of Mars;If I mixed all the beauty of springtime with the gleam of the moon and the stars;If I added the love of all mothers, and the thrill of a baby’s kiss;I couldn’t! No, I couldn’t begin to tell you how beautiful heaven is._______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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