Michael passed away on February 5, 2009
His funeral services were held on Thursday, February 12th, 2009.
His son, Jamin shared some thoughts at the funeral.*
Thank you all for coming today. Your support in being here means the world to us, and we look forward to swapping stories and memories with you after the service.
Today I would like to share with you the most important thing my father ever taught me. But before we dive into that story let me preface my thoughts by saying this. My father and I often did not see eye to eye, nor did we always understand each other, but we loved each other. I know this is true because he is the only person who ever broke my heart. Now with that said I will return to my story.
I am not going to tell you some quaint anecdote given to me on the end of a pier fishing at dawn, or a stoic statement muttered with his last breath. Instead I offer you a worldview I know to be true. My dad was cursed, cursed to die! You may ask, how can man who spent his life being a missionary, a pastor, and a defender of defenseless children be cursed? Surly a man of so many good works hangs in the positive of universal justice. What could he possibly do to get cursed? His curse is not the result of some horrible crime done in the dark of night, in fact his curse is the result of something outside his control...he was born. Now before you think too ill of me let me say I am cursed just as my father, and so are you. This should not strike us as scandalous, we all know that some day we too will die, and someone else will have to suffer our loss as we suffer dad's today... and why you ask, SIN.
In Romans 5:12, we read;
“sin entered the world through one man, and through sin - death, and thus death has spread through the whole human race because everyone has sinned.”
What hope is there for us cursed sinners, for all of us who are promised death? Simply Christ Jesus alone. Just as God has promised death for all sons of Adam and daughters of Eve, He has promised eternal life for all whom, by grace through faith, repent and believe that Christ death propitiates for our sin. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
The good news is, all that Gods law requires is given by grace through faith in Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:8-10 says,
"For by GRACE you have been saved through FAITH; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as result of WORKS, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for GOOD WORKS, which God PREPARED BEFOREHAND so that we would WALK IN THEM."
Christ offers you eternal life. When one has eternal life, that Christian will live forever, and because of the gift of faith he or she will never die.
In (John 8:51) we read .
Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."
(John11:26)and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?"
Eternal death has no hold or authority over such a Christian
(Rev. 20:6) tells us.
Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
Death has been forever conquered by Christ's death and resurrection
(Is. 25:8)
He will swallow up death forever; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the LORD has spoken.
1 Cor. 15:53-57;
For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: "Death is swallowed up in victory." "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?"
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
(2 Tim. 1:9-10).
God who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began,and which now has been manifested through the appearing of our Savior Christ Jesus, who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel, Death can now no more touch the believer in Christ than it could touch the exalted Lord Christ in all His heavenly glory.
(Heb. 2:14-15)
Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
(Heb. 9:26-28).
For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. Eternal life now envelops the follower of Christ forever.
Romans 8:38,39
And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from his love. Death can't, and life can't. The angels can't, and the demons can't. Our fears for today, our worries about tomorrow, and even the powers of hell can't keep God's love away. Whether we are high above the sky or in the deepest ocean, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This is my heritage. This is the legacy that my father has left me, this is the legacy I hope to pass on to my children. Christ was crucified for sinners like me and the promise of eternal life in Christ. And I hope that some day at my funeral my children will stand in front of a room full of people who took the time to come and remember the man who took time from his life to make theirs better, for Christ sake. And they will say come join us in eternity, please come join us in Christ, I want you to see my father and to meet his father.
The greatest thing my father ever taught me was beautifully summed up by our church fathers like this: I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy catholic church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen
In closing I would like to paraphrase a prayer for us that a friend offered up for me. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Lord, comfort us right now. We see and feel the effects of the Fall even now. I thank You that Jesus, our Man of Sorrows, familiar with death and suffering, knows how we feel. I pray that You would grant comfort to us, and to our families. May the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and His conquering of death cause us to look forward to that Great Day of our Lord's Return, when death, the ugly intruder that it is, will be swallowed up by life. Amen.
*If anyone would like to share another story or memory of Michael please feel free to leave it here in the comments or send an email to Jennifer to share with the family.
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