Our beloved pastor, husband, father, brother and friend, Eugene L. Garner, 63, departed this earthly tabernacle June 5, 1993, to be with His Wonderful Lord.
    He was born on February 25, 1930, in Wynne, Arkansas, the son of Willie and Edith Shields Garner. He was saved at a young age and surrendered to preach in April 1948. He was ordained to the Gospel Ministry November 14, 1948, in Caidwell, Arkansas. He was married to Louise Kamerman November 10, 1950. The Lord blessed with 7 children, Picky Beale, Marilynda Schulz, Adina Kniseley and Derwin Garner, Rockford, Illinois, Vada Garner, Denton, Texas, Lavella Garner, Dallas, Texas and Derek Garner, Missoula, Montana.
    Pastor Garner pastored Kentucky Missionary Baptist Church, Benton, Arkansas, Magnet Cove Missionary Baptist Church, Magnet Cove, Arkansas and First Missionary Baptist Church, Mabelvale, Arkansas during his years of study at Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas.
    He came to Rockford as a Missionary in April 1952 to organize a New Testament Church. Landmark Missionary Baptist Church of Rockford was organized June 8, 1952. Pastor Garner has been it's only pastor for 41 years.
    His love for the Lord's Church and teachings were always evident in his teaching, writing, preaching and living. His testimony will live on not only through his writings, but in the lives of multitudes whom his life has touched.
    Words can never express the gratitude we feel for all the love that has been shown since his

passing. Your prayers have strengthened us. The love-gifts, cards, letters, calls and support in every way has caused us to realize how much you loved him. Truly, a great prince has been taken from us. May our Wonderful Lord bless and strengthen each of you for the critical days to come.

    We can truly say with Job "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away! Blessed be the Name of the Lord", Job 2:21.

    We desire your prayers as we await our Lords leading for a leader of His flock at Landmark Church in Rockford.

I. THERE IS A TWO-FOLD SENSE IN WHICH THE WORD "DEATH' IS USED IN THE SCRIPTURES.

  A. As a SEPARATION of the spiritual-soulish part of man from the physical-material. When this happens the body ceases to function and returns to dust, (Jn. 11:11-15; Heb. 2:15; 5:7-9; 9:27-28).
  B. As the SEPARATION of man FROM THE FELLOWSHIP and presence OF GOD.
    1. On the day he first sinned against God, AJ3AIvI DIED; a breach, a separation, a severing of fellowship took place between him and his Maker - just as the Lord, his God, had warned, (Gen. 2:17).
    2. ALL MANKIND, springing from Adam, are born in that same spiritual state - separated and alienated from God, (Rom. 5:12, 14, 17, 21).
    3. Only THROUGH FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST may we be delivered from this alienation, and RESTORED TO LIFE and fellowship with our Maker, (I Jn. 3:14).
II. "DEATH", IN ITS BIBLICAL USAGE, NEVER SUGGESTS A CESSATION OF EXISTENCE, OR BEING.

  A. As spiritual LIFE is "conscious existence in fellowship with God", so,
  B. Spiritual DEATH is "conscious existence in

SEPARATION FROM GOD", (Lk. 16:24-31).
III. "DEATH" IS ALWAYS VIEWED AS THE ULTIMATE CONSEQUENCE OF SIN! (Rom. 6:23)
IV. SO, it was as the BEARER OF OUR OWN SINS that Jesus Christ submitted Himself to the death of the cross, (I Pet. 2:24).
  A. Though the PHYSICAL DEATH of our Lord demonstrated the essence of His sacrifice for our sins, it was NOT THE WHOLE of the price that he paid!
  B. The darkness that covered the land, as He hang on the cruel cross, as well as the cry that fell from His burning lips, expressed the fact that He was left ALONE to bear our SIN, (Matt. 27:45-46).
  C. But He arose triumphantly over death, hell and the grave! And has been exalted to the Father's right hand IN HEAVEN.
V. Thus, in the face of death, we may come to Him, IN FAITH - confident, not only of a sympathetic hearing, but of His ABILITY to speak peace to our troubled and fainting hearts, (Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16; Matt. 11:28-30).
VI. DEATH should always be a reminder to the Living of the NECESSITY OF PREPARATION TO MEET GOD!
  A. ONLY the LIVING CAN PREPARE; after death it will be forever TOO LATE! "As the tree falls, so shall it lie." And so it is with the person who has lived out his allotted days on this earth.
  B. NOW is the time for all who are under the curse and condemnation of SIN TO PREPARE TO MEET YOUR GOD!
    1. All of us are, by nature, SINNERS before God - condemned ALREADY if we have not repented of our sins and trusted in Jesus Christ as our personal Saviour and Sin-Bearer.
    2. Except we be "born from above", by the power of the Holy Spirit, we cannot see, experience or enter into the Kingdom of God - The eternal realm of life, health, righteousness, joy and peace.
    3. Coming to God, with honest and sorrowful hearts, we must admit ourselves to be SINNERS

- having freely and deliberately rebelled against the word, the will and the laws of our Maker.
    4. Definitely and whole heartedly, repudiating, despising and turning from our SINS; we must ASK GOD to FORGIVE our sins; to SAVE and CLEANSE us by the blood of his Son.
    5. Then, we must fully trust Him to BE OUR SAVIOUR - claiming the faithful promise of His word: "Him that cometh to me, I will in NO WISE CAST OUT!" And again: "He that heareth my word, and believeth on Him that sent me, HATH EVERLASTING LIFE, and shall not come into condemnation; but is PASSED from death unto life" (Jn. 5:24).
    VII. TRUSTING IN JESUS, ONE MAY FACE DEATH WITHOUT FEAR AND IN HOPE OF BEING RAISED IN HIS LIKENESS AT HIS COMING (Ps. 23:4, 116:15; Prov. 14:32, Rom. 14:8; Phil. 1:21; Jn. 11:25,26; I Thes. 4:13-18; I. Cor. 15:51-58)



I loved a soul, with a love God-given,
   And sought to make it known.
I told how Christ had come down from heav'n,
   And for man's sin atoned;
How He bled and died -- was crucified -
   Forsaken and alone.

With a heart that yearned, and love that burned,
   I urged him Christ to seek --
To accept God's love, sent from above,
   With humbled heart and meek --
His soul to commit, and daily sit
   At Jesus' pierced feet.

At length he heard, believed the Word that,
   Alone, could make him whole;
With broken heart, from sin's dread smart, he
   Yielded to Christ his soul.
Heaven's joy-bells rang, as angels sang
   Around the throne of gold.

   The heart that had yearned,
and love that burned
   To share the Savior's grace,
Was knit to the one, now just begun
   To run the Christian race.
Full well it knew that so very few
   E'er walk at pilgrim's pace.

   All fears were stilled,
and our hearts were thrilled,
   As heart-to-heart we went
To tell out the love of God above,
   Whose own dear Son was sent
To save the soul, and to make quite whole,
   Each one who will repent.

Through disappointment and shattered dreams,
   The cunning tempter worked.
Apparent failure; hope, unfulfilled,
   Soon led to duty shirked.
With cunning, keen, and by hellish scheme,
   The enemy did work.

Now, the soul I loved has gone astray,
   And he has wandered far;
At my care, he smirks; love's bond deserts;
   Leaves deep within a scar.
Yet, I love him still, and think no ill,
   Love's memory will not mar.

With daring bold, he rejects the fold,
   Despising God's good plan --
The path of truth for the health of youth -
   The one, safe way for man;
While to passion's call he yields his all,
   Thus, builds upon the sand.

0, God! You know that I love him so!
   Love him for Jesus' sake;
Incline, now, his heart from sin's path to depart,
   Or soon 'twill be too late!
With stains of sin none may enter in
   Through Life's eternal gate.

No one shall scorn, on judgments morn, the
    Word of the Living God;
No jest or mirth, at recall of earth,
    With all that once was trod
Beneath the feet of those then thought meet
    To pass beneath His rod.

Soon I must stand, in Immanuel's land,
    A true account to give,
Of the way men heard the heav'n-sent Word
    And of the lives they've lived,
As I've urged them on, to crown and throne,
    By yielding up their own.

With heart and soul, 'neath Christ's control, I
    Still love the one astray.
That he may repent, e'er life is spent,
    So vainly for decay,
I deeply yearn for this soul's return
    To walk in Christ's own way.

But, this burden, Lord, for souls astray,
    I cannot bear alone.
Into Thy care, and with prayer sincere,
    I cast on Thee thine own.
By Thy grace divine upon him shine,
    And bring him safely home.

When the souls I've loved shall meet above,
    The heartaches others wrought,
By cruel claim, that my life was vain,
    To judgment shall be brought.
Heaven's trump shall blast--earth's sorrows pass-
    Then JOY in souls LOVE-SOUGHT.


"I would not live alway; I ask not to stay
  Where storm after storm rises dark o'er the way;
The few lurid mornings, that dawn on us here,
  Are enough for life's woes, full enough for its
    cheer.

I would not live alway; no, welcome the tomb;
  Since Jesus hath lain there, I dread not its gloom;
There sweet be my rest, till He bid me arise,
  To hail Him in triumph descending the skies.

Who, who WOULD live alway, away from his God;
  Away from yon Kingdom, that blissful abode,
Where rivers of pleasure flow o'er the bright plains,
  And the noontide of glory eternally reigns?

When saints of all ages in harmony meet,
  Their Savior and brethren transported to greet;
While the anthems of rapture unceasingly roll,
  And the smile of the Lord is the FEAST of the soul.