Funeral Testimony at the Passing of My Wife, Margaret in April this year

When the funeral service was given, the plan was for  each one to have in hand a printed out version of  the following verses, so that they would not have to  spend  time looking  them up during the Service.

They were:

Isaiah 57:1-2, 55:6-9. 30:15-16,  Matthew 11:28-30, 
Hosea 13:14, Luke 13:5, Ephesians 1:19-21,
Hebrews 12:1-2, II Corinthians 5:20-21,
Galatians 6:14, I Corinthians 15:48-54.

Below is the original  print-out of these verses supplied before the sermon
to each, and married to the sermon.

The following are the VERSES which may be covered during the sermon. 
You may wish to refer to them during the sermon,
but they are provided primarily for review and reflection at home.

Peace

Isaiah 57:1-2

The righteous perishes,
And no man takes it to heart;
Merciful men are taken away,
While no one considers
That the righteous is taken
away from evil.
He shall enter into peace;
They shall rest in their beds,
Each one walking in his uprightness.

Isaiah 55:6-9

Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near.
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,”
says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher
than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Isaiah 30:15-16

 For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel:

“In returning and rest you shall be saved;
In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”
But you would not,
And you said, “No, for we will
flee on horses”—
Therefore you shall flee!
And, “We will ride on swift horses”—
Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Foundation

Hosea 13:14

“I will ransom them from the power
of the grave;
I will redeem them from death.
O Death, I will be your plagues!
O Grave, I will be your destruction!
Pity is hidden from My eyes.”

Luke 13:5

I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.

Ephesians 1:19-21

and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

 

2 Corinthians 5:20-21

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Galatians 6:14

But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom[a] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Pilgrimage

Hebrews 12:1-2

Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

New Building

1 Corinthians 15:48-54

As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

 

This will let you see the background to what was  being said. The headings Peace, Power, Pilgrimage and New Building, appear between  groups of  verses.  The scriptures themselves thus served as sermon notes! I delighted to do this, the words of the Rock being thus displayed direct, and in that Rock and His word is the safety, certainty and strength that grips the heart and comforts the thoughts, remembering this, “Your eyes shall behold the King in His beauty, they shall behold the land that is very far off,” (Isaiah 33:17).

END OF FUNERAL COVERAGE