Victorious In Death

My brother, Bob Sustar, preached for 21 years before dying with cancer at the age of 37. His ministry touched the lives of thousands as he served as state youth and Christian education director for the Church of God in North Carolina and Virginia. He was a man of the highest integrity and a great witness to everyone he met. He loved to sing about God's keeping power through every circumstance of life.

He fought cancer for 3 years, being reduced physically to approximately 80 lbs in weight but never once losing faith in God. There were times when the pain was unbearable and he groaned for deliverance but he always testified to God's goodness.

The day he died in August 1975, I watched as death slowly came upon him. His hands and feet were cold and purple. About noon, he lost his sight because of the lack of oxygen getting to his brain. It seemed he would slip away at any minute. However, God had a special home going planned for him.

About 2:30 p.m., in a strong and deliberate voice he said from his semi-conscious state: "I'm looking for Him, I'm looking for Him!" His wife, Barbara, came into the room and said, "Who are you looking for, Bob?" He responded, "I'm looking for Jesus." Since the age of sixteen, he had preached that when you come to the last moment of your life, if you have faith in God, Someone will be waiting for you.

In a few minutes, he triumphantly declared, "I've found Him, I've found Him!" When he died, the Spirit of God filled the room and the peace of God flooded our hearts. It was as if God said, "Don't worry about a thing. I've just kissed away his soul at his lips and put my big fingers on his eyelids and I'm taking him home to the paradise above." With great assurance, I look forward to seeing him again.

T. David Sustar
Cleveland, Tennessee