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Now, brother has finished his 71 years life on the ground, and has returned to the kingdom of heaven in triumph. He fell down at home on Jan. 4, and urgently hospitalized in a hospital of Kinki Univ. School of Medicine. Though his family treated him in a very gentle way, he never recovered. His wife told me that he passed away peacefully, calmly, just like sleeping. As his daughter, I gather the Christian Fellowship. I had no chance to meet him in life, but his family asked me to present a message through the Holy Bible. This funeral is conducted in the holy name of Jesus Christ, in the manner of the Holy Bible, and with no religious affiliation. It may sound strange, but it means that this is not related to any religious organization, group, nor any specific doctrine. Some of you may think, "Isn't it a Christian manner?", but we have no relation with a Christianity. Also, we don't belong to any religious group. The name of the group is called "Christian Fellowship", but there's no organization, no rules. People who believe the words in the Holy Bible gather from all over the country without any constraint. I should be happy if you would grasp this through the funeral. We call a man "Brother", and a woman "Sister", because the Holy Bible promises that those who believe in the LORD Jesus are all family of the God. You may feel strange about this manner, but please understand why we do so. Thus, let me call him friendly "Brother", for he is my family in the LORD. His daughter who lives in New Zealand asked that his funeral is conducted by the Christian Fellowship in its manner. He once attended the Gathering held in Kyushu, met the Holy Bible and the glad tidings of Jesus. This is another reason why the funeral is based on the Holy Bible. Now, his spirit is not here, already ascended into the heaven, and have a rest with the eternal life. Here his body is left, which was given by the God while he lived on the ground. There is a saying, "remains", actually this is a cloth he left on the ground. In this ceremony, I hope you to have the same thought the brother had, about the true God and His son: Jesus Christ, who gave him a life to live on the ground, a true hope for what is beyond the death, an eternal life. And I hope you share the same one he had. I am sure that this is what he wants most and also those who have already returned to the heaven in triumph want. It is the hope that the death is not the end but the beginning of an eternal life, and those who believe in the God have the right to meet again. Several years ago, a brother who once was an anchorman in a Fuji TV died. After his death, his wife, a sister wrote a book titled "The death is not the end". The book tells that the death is not the end, but the beginning of the eternity. According to the words in the Holy Bible, we don't bow the knee to those who died. Sometimes this behavior leads to a misunderstanding that we are irreverent to dead parents. But, for us, he who are worshiped and respected is the one and only God himself, who created the heaven and earth and everything, including us, and gave us a life. But the God decreed a very strict commandment between parents and children in the Holy Bible. As you may have heard about it, it is written in the "the Ten Commandments". When they were written, those who do impolite and rough activities against their parents are sentenced to death. The God determined the dignity and respect against parents. He treats the relation between parents and children so strictly, the relation between the God the Creator and human being should be treated much more strictly. Please understand this is the base of our behavior. According to this requirement from the God, we pay respect to parents, but we don't bow the knee to men and things made by men. We would like to solemnly return his body he left, the cloth on the ground, in this funeral. The funeral in the LORD Jesus Christ is totally different from the one in this world. They have just an artificial funeral in a sadness and condolence for a death, or in obligation as an acquaintance. But a death has definitely contrary meaning, if you know what is beyond a death and there is a hope for an eternal life. And we, who live in a faith to Jesus Christ want as many people as possible to know Jesus. The brother also wanted you to know a solution of problems in your life and an eternal life, in Jesus. This is called a good news of the God: Gospel. Paul who was a disciple of Jesus, once wrote, 1 Corinthians, 15:1, 3-5
Most blessed are those who returned to the heaven, who finished their life on the ground, and were granted a good news, "an eternal life" by Jesus. But in this world, there are any kinds of way of thinking made by men. A religion is one of them. They require and set spurs to a hard discipline, committed service at all perils, and sometimes a enormous amount of money. Unfortunately, those who set on in this way don't have a true answer. In the Holy Bible, Jesus confidently told, John, 14:6
Here it's written "I am the way", original meaning is "Only I am the way", and in Greek the word "EGO" is used. Then dose it recommend to enter Christian religion? Totally not. We just recommend you to acquire a "grace", which will resolve a problem of spirit, a problem of a life after death, and also fill us our necessity and provide a peace and rejoice. It will not be acquired by joining a religious group, nor disciplining hardly, nor resigning their soul to it. The Holy Bible tells us how to get it, and this provided a hope to the brother. It is a promise of an eternal life Jesus prepared. In the Holy Bible, an eternal life is described more than 40 times. Let me introduce 3 of them. John, 5:24
John, 6:40
John, 17:3
You can see the difference by watching a life of those who returned to the heaven in the LORD. The Holy Bible tells "Consider the outcome of their way of life" Jesus didn't want to establish Christian religion, and the Holy Bible is not its religious scripture. He came down to the ground to resolve our true problem of life, and a problem of salvation of spirit. The Holy Bible tells about it. It is not a religion, nor thinking, nor philosophy, but a problem of truth, problem of true life. To represent this, this funeral is conducted in the manner of the Holy Bible, regardless of any religion, but holding Jesus at the center of us. We can talk about a true rejoice which was desired and could be acquired at the end of our life. As you know, those who were born on the ground are defined to die. But the God gave in our heart a thought of eternity. He wanted us to live eternally. But within us, we have a resistant mind, not acknowledging the God the Creator, a problem of "transgression." In English, it is called "sin", in the original meaning, "out of target", and a result of a sin is a death. It implies that there isn't any hope beyond a death. Everybody knows somewhere in his mind, that life doesn't finish at a death, and keeps a thought of eternity in himself. But nobody knows how to resolve it. This leaves an anxiety and despair to his mind. Men take any measures to get away from it. Some think it may be possible by religion, some by a power in this world such as authority, money, knowledge and technology. There is a deep gap, like a heaven and earth, whether you know or not what lead most of people who loved by the God to finish their life on the ground with a true salvation of spirit, a peace, a hope of an eternal life, at the end of the long journey on the ground. The God the Creator of a heaven and earth and everything, requires noting made by men. Men are given everything. The Creator wants what is in us, a problem within us. It is for us to acknowledge that we are improper to the God. But, we can't do this by ourselves, even just this easy thing. So, the God sent His only son, Jesus, unto the ground, according to His plan to save men, and put Him on the cross, executed. Thus, He accomplished His plan that we will be unconditionally moved into a salvation prepared by the God, and granted an eternal life by just calling the name of Jesus. It is expressed by His words in the Holy Bible, which are also written on the program of this funeral. John, 3:16-17
What do you think, is requested for us to pay for an eternal life. The Holy Bible tells us it is "FREE". This is an important fact. The most precious thing in this world is "FREE". This means that nothing made by men deserves it. We sometimes hear "priceless", definitely any price can't be put onto this. Revelation, 22:17
Like these words, a solution to a problem of your life is provided by just acknowledging the truth, the problem of life, the LORD Jesus. I am sure that the brother earnestly wants you to live in this world with a hope to meet again someday in the heaven with an eternal life. If you have the hope, you will share the same thought he had. Jesus also wants it. Thank you for joining his funeral, and listen to my message. |