Two hours after preaching a revival sermon on Lazarus, Justin Heath, the leader of Cutting Edge Revelational Ministries and Fore Christ Church in Mount Olive, North Carolina, was killed in a crash Saturday that left seven other people injured, including his wife of 47 years, Lynn. He was 67.
The Harnett County Sheriff’s Office told WRAL News that a Durham police officer, identified as Joseph King, ran a red light in his Honda Civic around 9:45 p.m. and crashed into a van the pastor was driving at the intersection of NC Highway 210 and Old State Road, near Angier.
King has since been charged with misdemeanor death by motor vehicle, and the Durham Police Department has pledged to conduct an internal investigation into the officer and the circumstances surrounding the crash. The North Carolina State Patrol has already stated that the officer was not impaired. An obituary on Heath’s passing said that prior to him becoming a pastor, he served the Wayne County Sheriff's Office as a deputy from 1984 until 1996.
In his message on Saturday, he encouraged believers to ditch the grave clothes like Lazarus, whom Jesus raised from the dead in the Bible, and step into the healing promised by God’s Word. He also said he had questions for God’s prophets when he got to Heaven.
“I want when I get to Heaven, I want to ask how it feels to go to paradise and get called out,” he said about what he plans to ask Lazarus. “I want to ask some people. Don't think I ain't; I'm going ask Elijah. How'd it feel to go up in that chariot, son? How did it feel, Moses, [to] walk across some dry land and don’t get no mud in your toes?
I want to know how it felt.