WHAT ARE YOU WEARING? PART I

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 The fashion industry is worth billions and spans the globe, connecting designers, weavers, manufacturers and community seamstresses to the wardrobes of consumers. Fashion has been part of human history since the Fall of Man. From fig leaves to animal skins, and from natural materials to synthetic fibres, humanity has experimented with clothing in the pursuit of comfort, practicality, economic opportunity and self-expression.

Yet, as important as physical clothing may be, it pales in comparison to the spiritual garments we wear.

Did you know that you wear spiritual garments? What do your spiritual clothes say about you? And how does the enemy respond to what he sees you wearing?

The First Garments: From Spiritual Covering to Shame

Garments have always been significant in the biblical narrative. When Adam and Eve ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened, and they became conscious of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). Their immediate response was to sew fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Before the Fall, they had lived in fellowship with God without shame. After disobeying Him, however, their relationship with God was disrupted, and they became conscious of their nakedness. They went from God-consciousness to self-consciousness. Their fig leaves could not undo what had happened.

Their outward nakedness revealed a deeper spiritual reality: they had sinned against God. Their spiritual covering was lost and that is why they were now naked. They were always naked in the physical but covered with a spiritual garment. As I continue I will demonstrate to you that that spiritual covering was Jesus.  

God, in His mercy, provided a different covering. Genesis 3:21 tells us, “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” Their efforts to cover themselves with fig leaves were replaced by garments God Himself provided.

This act demonstrates God's initiative in caring for fallen humanity. It also introduces a powerful biblical theme: the covering of sin and guilt cannot be accomplished by human effort alone. The animal skins may be understood as pointing towards the cost of sin and the need for sacrifice, although the passage itself does not explicitly explain them as a sacrifice for atonement we understand this because God demonstrates just as powerfully as His spoken word.

The Fall set in motion a history of sin and death that would ultimately find its answer in Jesus Christ, the Second Adam. As Paul explains:

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21–22)

What humanity lost through Adam, God made possible to recover through Christ.

The Wardrobe Change: Putting Off the Old and Putting On the New

The imagery of spiritual clothing continues throughout Scripture. The Apostle Paul uses it to explain the transformation that takes place in the life of a believer. Spiritual growth is not merely about changing outward behaviour; it involves a renewal of the mind and a transformation of the inner person.

In Ephesians 4:22–24, Paul writes:

“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”

Paul presents a three-step transformation.

Step One: Put Off the Old Self

Paul calls believers to strip away their former way of life. Imagine trying to wear filthy, rotting garments long after they have become unfit for use. These garments represent the attitudes, desires and behaviours associated with our old way of life.

We cannot embrace the new life Christ offers while deliberately clinging to the very things that keep us bound to the old one. We must be willing to put them off.

Step Two: Be Renewed in Your Mind

Paul explains that the old self is corrupted by deceitful desires. Therefore, transformation requires more than outward change. We must be renewed in the attitude of our minds.

We must have a mind of Christ that is our thinking must be brought into alignment with the truth of God. This means examining our beliefs, challenging our assumptions and allowing God's Word to shape our understanding of ourselves, our circumstances and the world around us.

The change begins within, as our minds are continually renewed through our relationship with Christ. This is the transformational power of renewing our minds.

Step Three: Put On the New Self

The final step is to put on the new self, created to reflect God's character in true righteousness and holiness.

This is not simply an invitation to become a better version of ourselves through willpower. It is a call to live out the new identity God gives us in Christ. Our attitudes, choices and conduct should increasingly reflect the One to whom we belong.

The old garments must come off, our minds must be renewed, and our lives must reflect the new person we have become in Christ.

What Should Our New Garments Look Like?

In Colossians 3:9–14, Paul develops this imagery further. He contrasts the old self with the new self and identifies the characteristics that should mark the life of a believer.

Among the things to put away are anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language. In their place, believers are instructed to put on compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. They are also called to forgive one another, just as the Lord has forgiven them.

These are not merely admirable personality traits. In the renewing of our mind we are building from peace. They are the spiritual garments that should characterise those who profess to belong to Christ.

Paul then brings the imagery to what is often described as a "climax":

“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” (Colossians 3:14)

Love is the crowning garment. Compassion without love can become an empty gesture that is transparent. Patience without love can become mere restraint. Forgiveness without love can become a reluctant obligation. Love gives these virtues their proper expression and binds them together.

Our spiritual wardrobe, therefore, should reveal more than what we claim to believe. It should reveal the character of Christ being formed in us.

The Garment Is Christ Himself

The new self is not simply an abstract collection of good behaviours. At the heart of this transformation is a person: Jesus Christ.

Paul makes this clear in Romans 13:14:

“Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Notice that Paul does not merely tell us to put on righteousness, kindness or holiness. He tells us to put on Christ.

Our spiritual transformation is rooted in Him. We do not attain righteousness by presenting God with a list of good deeds or by attempting to make ourselves acceptable through our own efforts. We depend on what Christ has accomplished and learn to live in a manner that reflects Him.

Dear Reader, What Are You Wearing?

We spend considerable time choosing our physical clothing. We consider its colour, style, quality and suitability for the occasion. We may even change our outfits several times before deciding what to wear.

But how much attention do we give to our spiritual garments?

Are we still wearing the garments of bitterness, pride, anger, malice and unforgiveness? Are we attempting to cover our shortcomings through our own efforts? Or are we allowing God to transform us through Jesus Christ?

Our spiritual garments matter because they reflect the condition of our hearts and the direction of our lives. We should not measure our spiritual standing by outward appearances, nor assume that every hardship or spiritual struggle is evidence of an enemy's response to us. Instead, we must examine ourselves in the light of God's Word.

Dear reader, we cannot make ourselves righteous by our own efforts. We must come to God in humility, surrender our old ways and depend on His grace to transform us.

Remember how God provided garments for Adam and Eve when their own coverings were insufficient. Remember Paul's instruction: “Clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The question is not merely what you have chosen to wear today. The question is whether your life is clothed in Christ.

So, what are you wearing?

FOUNDATIONS OF WORSHIP PART 5

  There is a lot of debate about what it means to worship God in spirit. Understanding it comes with different levels of maturity. Many people turn to what John the Revelator said: “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” (Revelation 1:10), and try to unpack what he meant.

Jewish priest washing his face in the Bronze Laver. Image by ChatGPT

Some believe “the Lord’s Day” refers to the Sabbath, which would be Saturday, while others believe it refers to Sunday, since the calendar and practice of worship had changed by that point. This argument, however, can become a distraction because it gets us no closer to understanding what John meant when he said, “I was in the Spirit.”

The bigger issue is really what it means to be in the Spirit. Jesus gives us an important starting point in John 4:23: “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him.”

In Part 4, we explored how worshipping in truth involves obedience, faith, repentance and being conformed to the image of Christ. When we praise God and give thanks, we are worshipping Him. But many times, praise and thanksgiving simply open the door to the temple and prepare us to meet with Him. The flesh wars against the spirit, and when a believer begins to experience the presence of God, they can be quick to leave.

Apostle Tobi Arayomi calls it “roll call.” After the first hour, people begin to feel the presence of God—and then they leave. That is, if they can even make it to an hour. It is like dropping by a friend’s house, honking the car horn for them to come outside, and then, as soon as they open the door, simply waving and driving away.

We enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. A lot of times, that is where believers remain. They are unable to enter the inner courts. Worse yet, many believers do not even know that they can go further or deeper.

WORSHIP IN REVELATION

We worship according to the revelation we have of God. God reveals Himself. He is not an abstract or distant God who remains unknown to us. He is known by those who belong to Him. Jesus said that His sheep know His voice (John 10:27). There is a relationship between revelation and knowing God.

We see a similar principle in Jesus’ prayer in John 17:1–5, where He speaks about those whom the Father has given Him: 

“Father, the hour has come. Glorify Your Son, that Your Son also may glorify You, as You have given Him authority over all flesh, that He should give eternal life to as many as You have given Him. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.”

In Revelation 1:1, Christ is revealed to us through what the Father reveals to Him and what He, in turn, makes known to us. Revelation is not simply about predicting the future, as many people understand prophecy. It is the revelation of Jesus Christ and of what happens with or without Jesus.

Revelation is centred on Jesus. Jesus is the Spirit of prophecy, and He fulfils prophecy. To worship God in spirit, therefore, is to worship Him according to the revelation we have of who He is.

In my early walk with Christ, I gravitated toward the Father. One day, I realised that although I was using the name of Jesus, singing about Jesus and speaking Scripture, I did not have the same relationship with Jesus that I had with God the Father. I also recognised that my relationship with the Holy Spirit was not what it should be. I prayed for a deeper relationship with each Person of the Godhead, and I have been working on that relationship ever since.

Each Person of the Godhead has personality and function. In a very basic way, we can say that the Holy Spirit points us to Jesus, and Jesus points us to the Father.

Worshipping God in spirit, therefore, involves worshipping Him according to the revelation we have received of Him. Why? Two reasons immediately come to mind:

1. We can only worship what we know.
2. The pattern as established in Scripture.

As we read the Bible, we see the ways in which God revealed Himself to the prophets and to His people: as Healer, Banner, Deliverer, Redeemer, Provider and in many other ways.

But worshipping in spirit also means acknowledging that there is a spiritual realm and that we have a spirit.

WORSHIP THROUGH US

When we are in the outer courts, we encounter the laver, a basin used by the priests for ceremonial washing. According to Exodus 38:8, the Bronze Laver was constructed using the bronze mirrors donated by the women who served at the entrance of the Tabernacle. These were not mirrors as we know them today. They were made from highly polished bronze, brass or copper. The metal was melted or hammered into the shape of the basin and its base.

Combined with the still water inside it, the polished bronze would have created a reflective surface. As the priests leaned over the basin to wash their hands and feet, they would have seen their own faces reflected in the water and polished metal.

There is spiritual symbolism in this. Before a priest could look upon the holiness of God, he had to look at himself. The laver served as a reminder for self-examination. The priest had to approach God with purity, honesty and humility.

This concept carries into the New Testament, where James compares the Word of God to a mirror that reveals our true spiritual condition:

“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” — James 1:23–24

We must have the image, manifestation or reflection of Christ because Jesus is the way. We reflect Jesus  when we become a doer of the word.

At the time of the Tabernacle and the temple, there was a physical place where people approached God. But the meeting place with God is no longer confined to a tent or a physical temple. Through Jesus, we have become the temple.

To worship God in spirit is, in part, to go inward—to recognise the spirit within us and the spiritual realm in which we encounter God. The New Age followers understand what it means to look inward. Spiritists understand something about the spiritual realm. Yet, sometimes, the children of God shrink back from these concepts because of fear or because they see it as heresy.

But Scripture tells us that it is “deep calling unto deep” (Psalm 42:7). We are spiritual beings. Our spirit responds to God. Spirit to Spirit.

We must understand something important about worship: when it comes to worship, we are the ones who initiate it. James 4:8 says, "draw close to me and I will draw close to you".

Worship in spirit and truth changes our appearance until we begin to look like Jesus. It allows us to move beyond the outer courts and enter the presence of God. We can enter in the Spirit. Worship in spirit is dimensional. We worship God in our spirit, in the spiritual realm and through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us in worship and leads us deeper into the revelation of God.

FOUNDATIONS OF WORSHIP PART 4

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  We continue on the topic of worship in truth. We have seen that truth is based on God's word and who Jesus is and this is why He is called "faithful and true" (Revelation 19:11). Worship leads to repentance and builds faith when it is based on this truth. But what happens when we allow that truth to take root in us? It produces fruit. In this part, let us delve into how worship produces fruit.

THE WORD PRODUCES FRUIT

Hebrews 4:12 tells us: “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword…” Through His word we have revelation because His Word is living. But revelation is not simply information. It produces a response. Revelation gives us more truth, and ultimately, it is all about Jesus. As a two-edged sword the word in worship cuts through to the truth and enables you to face truth starting with who He is. 

Worship in the word is truth which produces fruit. Revelation becomes fruit. 

Colossians 3:16: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Notice the connection between the Word and worship. The Word dwells in us and activates in our life. It is not dormant, it affects how we think, what we say, and ultimately how we worship and how we live. 

The Word of God is not meaningless or empty, (Isaiah 55:11).  It accomplishes what He sends it to accomplish. Once God's Word is released, it has an impact. It can produce fruit in conviction and transformation. God's word stands because it's truth.

This is why the Word matters so much in worship. 

TRUTH MUST COME FIRST

But there is something we must understand.You can be spiritually stirred without actually being with God if you are not careful. In the spiritual realm, there is God and there is His enemy, the devil. Scripture therefore tells us to test the spirits (1 John 4:1). This is why truth must come first.

The stepping stones to God is His word that you declare, meditate on, read, study and sing, when we believe in Jesus as the Son of the Living God.

When we sing songs of worship using the Word of God as the foundation, we meet with God according to His truth and we meet Him in spirit.

The Word gives us the foundation. Faith responds to the Word. Worship expresses that response. 

BELIEF IS PART OF WORSHIP

John 6:29 says: “The work of God is this: to believe in the One He has sent.”

If we worship without believing who Jesus is, then our worship is not true worship. If we do not believe in the One we are worshipping, what exactly are we worshipping? Remember based on what we learnt in part 1, worship is work "avodah/abodah". Our first work is to build our faith.

We may sing the songs that make us emotional. We may raise our hands, we may bow our heads but worship must be connected to faith in Jesus, because Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6. 

The purpose is reconciliation - to meet with God and be reconciled to Him through Christ. Daily worship enables us to be daily reconciled to Him.

Therefore, worship in truth is not simply about what happens during a worship service. It is about what happens in us when we encounter the truth of Jesus. And if truth has truly taken root in us, something should happen next. Faith should produce action. 

FAITH MUST PRODUCE ACTION

James 2:26 says: “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

Real faith is evident and can be seen in our works or actions. Our actions must show our faith in Christ. You can perform an act of kindness without showing faith in Christ. You can make a decision without faith. You can do something good for many different reasons. But action based on faith is worship because it is submitted to Him. Our actions demonstrate what we believe. Our actions prove whether we are allowing His Word to govern our lives, and allowing Him to direct our paths.

This is where worship moves beyond the song. Worship becomes a way of life.

FAITH AND OBEDIENCE

A good example of this is our giving. Suppose the Holy Spirit genuinely convicts you to give something you have, but you respond: “But Lord, how will I get home?” And you hold back because you are afraid that you will not have enough. The issue is no longer simply the money. The issue is trust.

If God has genuinely directed us to do something and we refuse because we do not believe He will provide, then our refusal is revealing unbelief. 

At the same time, Scripture teaches that giving is not to be done reluctantly or under compulsion (2 Corinthians 9:7). The principle is therefore not that every believer must give everything they have whenever they feel an impulse. The principle is that when we know God is leading us, our response should be one of faith and obedience. But it should also be immediate. 

Faith is alive. Faith produces life when we trust in Jesus, who is abundant life. In fact, Hebrews 10:38–39 says: “Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him. But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.”

The just shall live by faith. Faith therefore cannot remain merely an idea in our heads. Faith must become visible in how we live. We live in abundance to reflect Christ. This brings us to more evidence of faith: repentace that produces fruit as worship.

REPENTANCE PRODUCES FRUIT

In Part 1 we looked at Luke 3:10–14 when John the Baptist charged the Pharisees to produce fruit. It is part of our faith walk. But let us look at it from the perspective of worship in truth. 

John is speaking about repentance. He told them: "Produce fruit, then in keeping with repentance" Luke 3:8. Their repentance had to become visible in their behaviour. John's response was practical.

The person with more than enough had to share. The tax collector had to stop exploiting people. The soldier had to stop abusing his authority.

Their actions had to demonstrate the change that had taken place in their hearts. This is worship in truth. 

Truth had produced conviction.

Conviction produced repentance.

Repentance produced changed behaviour.

Changed behaviour produced fruit. 

When we can honestly live for Christ demonstrating His goodness. We are reflecting Christ. We become a true worshipper. A disciple of Christ. 

FOUNDATIONS OF WORSHIP PART 3

  Have you ever noticed that some people regularly come to church for the Word but miss the worship? Worship proves the heart. Worship brings revelation of Jesus and, His Word and gives prophecy to believers. It builds relationship and brings us into His presence.

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When believers constantly miss out on worship, they can reduce their relationship with God to simply knowing about Him through knowing His Word. They may know the Scriptures but fail to acknowledge Him as sovereign God. They may know about Him without truly loving Him. They may know about Jesus without building faith in knowing that Jesus is God. We must know Him deep inside of us.

In previous blogs we found that worship is about service, obedience, reverence and submission. It is the surrendering of our hearts, minds, souls and bodies to Him. Even in serving as a housemaid, you must be subject to an authority. Worship involves submitting ourselves to the authority of God. We must worship Him because of who He is, and not simply when we have a feeling. 

In Foundations of Worship Part 2,  we examined the difference between worship and praise. Today, we will look at what it means to worship in truth. Worship in spirit will be covered in another blog because it requires a little more explanation.

WHAT IS TRUTH?

Truth is factual and proven. It is not simply what we feel, what we prefer, or what we want it to be. 

In John 14:6 Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”  Therefore, when we talk about worshipping in truth, we are not merely talking about having correct information. We are talking about worshipping according to the truth of who God is and who Jesus is.

We worship acknowledging this truth that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus's existence is proven from non-Biblical sources and there were eye witness accounts of His life, death, and resurrection. Throughout the New Testament, the Apostles testify of what they saw and experienced as they exercised the power of God and what they witnessed while Jesus ministered, how He died and resurrected. But they also clarified issues concerning the true doctrine of Jesus.

This is important. How can we worship God according to a false teaching about Jesus? If the Jesus we are worshipping is not the Jesus revealed in Scripture, then we may actually  worship a false Jesus.

Paul warned the church about those who preached “another Jesus” and “a different gospel” (2 Corinthians 11:4). This shows us that what we believe must be intentional and specific. It must be truthful and honest.

Christians worship with the knowledge that Jesus is the true and living God. Jesus is called “Faithful and True” in Revelation 19:11. When we worship Him, it is to submit ourselves and obey the One we accept as the only true and living God.

Worship is a choice. We have to choose to worship Jesus as our Saviour, our Lord and our Master because all worship belongs to Him.

GOD'S TRUTH OR “MY TRUTH”?

Nowadays, the culture is to personalise truth. We hear people say, “This is my truth.” But there can only be one truth. They are actually basing the statement on experience.

Experience is different from truth. Our experiences can be influenced by ourselves, our emotions, our desires, our circumstances and even by other people. Experience is therefore subjective. It is not absolute. But the Word of God stands the same. God is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8).

God's Word is absolute. This does not mean that our experiences are meaningless. It means that our experiences must be tested against God's truth. “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God…” 1 John 4:1

Truth can withstand interrogation. If something is true, it does not have to be protected from examination. God's truth does not become less true because we question it. If the Word of God were to change, then the stars would fall out of the sky. Why? Because it's His word that He spoke that put it there.

And let me give you a little joke: God's Word is like vodka—it is absolute! It cuts through and leaves no residue. 😂

TRUTH BRINGS US INTO ALIGNMENT WITH JESUS

Through worship we build our faith. Our faith walk is designed to pull us into alignment with Him and His purposes. Worship accomplishes this. But we also become repentant.

Our repentance produces fruit. And our lives increasingly come into alignment with His Word and His purposes. This is why worship cannot simply be about singing.

Worship is a response to truth. We worship because He is worthy. We offer true worship in love for a Father who loves His children and sent His only son to die as a sacrifice for us to pay the price of our sin. We worship because He is God and we have the victory over satan and death because of Jesus's perfect work on the cross.

We worship because He is true. We worship in truth because our human minds cannot create a Jesus according to our own feelings, experiences, desires or imagination that can die on a cross for us. We cannot comprehend it fully. So, we worship the Jesus revealed in the Word of God.

In the next part, we will continue to look at worship in truth. But first ask yourself some really deep questions:

Who do I worship?

How do I worship?

Why do I worship?

EULOGY PART 2 - CULTURAL AND ETHICAL DIMENSIONS

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  So far, we have learnt a little about the origins of the eulogy. I hope that it was not morbid, but that you learnt something from it or, at the very least, that it gave you a new perspective on what a eulogy is and what it is intended to achieve.

In Part One, I wrote about certain Gnostic traditions concerning Jesus. If I were a Gnostic writing a eulogy about Jesus, I might say that He turned a sculpture into a living bird and spoke when He was born.

In death, however, we should be ethical.

Jesus said to His mother at the wedding in Cana:

“Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.” John 2:4

The implication is significant. Jesus was indicating that His public ministry and the signs associated with it had not yet begun. Contradicting what a person said or demonstrated about themselves in life, particularly after their death, without evidence or proof, is wrong.

WHEN “SPEAKING WELL” BECOMES DISHONOUR

By speaking only good of a person's life, we can actually dishonour the dead.

I will use another clear and well-known person as an example: the historical figure behind the legend of Santa Claus—Saint Nicholas of Myra.

Saint Nicholas was a devoted Christian who lived during the third and fourth centuries, approximately 270–343 AD, in Asia Minor, modern-day Turkey. He served as a Christian bishop and became famous for his secret gift-giving and his defence of his faith.

The Christian practice associated with his gift-giving connects with the teaching in Matthew 6:3:

“Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”

Today, many people want to focus on Saint Nicholas's good deeds. But in doing so, we can lose the meaning of his life—the principle by which he lived and the essence of the man himself. What is even worse is that we use his life to pull others away from the Christian beliefs that inspired his works by replacing Jesus Christ with Santa Claus.

We actually dishonour him by turning him into Santa Claus and, worst yet, by capitalising on his story when the man himself practised piety and secret generosity. He did not want his story to be used in such ways.

There is a lesson here.

When we reduce a person's life to the parts that are convenient, entertaining or profitable, we can distort the very life we claim to be honouring.

THE ETHICAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE EULOGIST

There is another ethical dimension to the eulogy.

The person being discussed cannot defend themselves.

I believe there is a deeper purpose for the eulogy. Jesus paid for this person's life, and there will be a judgement for each of us when we die. A eulogy reminds us that we all have to answer to someone. We are witnesses to this person's life, and in giving a eulogy, we are, in a sense, testifying about them like in a court case.

There is a spiritual side to death. That means the person delivering the eulogy has a spiritual responsibility.

You should not use someone's funeral to settle old scores, expose embarrassing secrets, make yourself the centre of attention or manipulate the audience. God is not pleased with any of that. Manipulating the role of the eulogist for any of these objectives is witchcraft. A practice of deception. 

The deceased should remain the centre. But Jesus is the ultimate goal of the eulogy and the funeral.

But there is another interesting tension here:

A eulogy is about the dead, but it is written for the living.

That tension is what makes this form of writing and memory so interesting.

CULTURE, MEMORY AND ORAL TRADITION

There is also a cultural aspect to the eulogy.

Human beings have always been concerned with memory. Memory forms part of our oral traditions, and the eulogy helps us pass on the oral tradition of the deceased.

But ethics and culture can, and do, come into conflict. The transformation of the life of Saint Nicholas into the cultural figure of Santa Claus demonstrates this.

Coincidentally, it also raises another issue: the way the cultural story of Santa Claus can overshadow the true meaning of the Christmas celebration.

Here again we see a conflict between culture and ethics.

What happens when the story we pass down becomes more important than the truth behind the story? What happens when memory is shaped by culture until the person being remembered is almost unrecognisable? These are ethical questions.

DEATH, MEMORY AND LEGACY

We die physically, but our relationships with other people do not simply disappear at the moment of death.

The impact and lasting memory of a person can continue for at least one other person—and sometimes for generations.

People continue to exist in memory:

• through stories;
• through photographs;
• through children;
• through institutions they built;
• through lessons they taught;
• through values they transmitted;
• through people whose lives they changed;
• through continued behaviours and traditions.

The eulogy participates in that process. It says:

• This person existed.
• This person affected us.
• This person's story belongs to our collective memory.

THE EULOGY AS A CASE STUDY

In this way, there is also a scientific aspect to a eulogy.

The life of a person can become a case study of their practices, words, beliefs, environment, way of thinking, family and community. We can examine what they did, what they said, what they believed, how they responded to their circumstances and how their circumstances influenced them.

Their life becomes evidence from which others can learn.

This brings us back to the Greek meaning of the word eulogia—“good words.” That meaning is beautiful. It isn't merely about saying nice things.

We make good of our words by giving value and meaning to the person's life.

It is about using words to preserve something of a life that has ended physically.

WHY MEMORY MATTERS

Human survival depends, in part, on learning the lessons of those who have died.

Because of the comforts and innovations we have today, we can easily forget that we are created beings on Earth and that human existence itself can face extinction.

Every generation inherits knowledge from the generations that came before it.

• We learn from their successes.
• We learn from their failures.
• We learn from their mistakes.
• We learn from their beliefs.
• We learn from their choices.
• We learn from the consequences of their actions.

The dead therefore have something to teach the living.

Our desire to remember life gives hope to those who remain: that, in the greater context of existence, when death comes, something of our life may continue through others.

Our words, our actions, our values, our children, our teachings, our institutions and our traditions can all become part of what survives us.

Perhaps this is one of the deeper purposes of the eulogy. It does not bring the dead back to life. It helps the living understand the life that was lived. And perhaps, if we are willing to listen, it can teach us how to live the life that remains better.

Jesus paid for us with His life and blood. Our life and death belongs to Him. Even in death our life is about Him. That is why the eulogy must serve a Jesus purpose that is to draw others to Christ. Our life must prove His word is true and the eulogy ultimately explains that. We have to see how God's word is is real in this person's life. Not with judgement but with the love of Christ. 

THE EULOGY - PART I

  This may sound a bit strange, I know. I came across the eulogy I wrote for my mother, and it got me thinking.

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The history of the eulogy is not Christian. It is a tradition handed down, or copied, from the Greeks and subsequently adopted by different cultures and peoples.

Too often, we misunderstand or misuse the eulogy. There is a purpose for it, but most times we lose direction with it.

What do I mean?

A eulogy is an opportunity to give guidance or direction to the descendants and those affected by the deceased. Even a stranger can learn from a well-written eulogy.

A eulogy is a speech or written tribute delivered in honour of a person who has died. It normally takes place at a funeral, memorial service, wake or celebration of life.

But that does not mean that only positive things should be spoken of the individual. That would be a misinterpretation of the person's life and, ultimately, of the purpose of a eulogy.

From a biblical perspective, there should be hope, and there should be the glorification of God.

DEFINITION

A eulogy is much more than a speech about someone who has died. At its best, it is an act of remembrance, interpretation, honour and communal healing.

The word itself comes from the Greek eulogia, meaning “good words” or “speaking well of someone.” That gives us an important clue about its original purpose: a eulogy is not primarily a biography of the deceased. It is an intentional act of speaking about a person's life in a way that helps the living understand and remember it.

The “good words” are not simply words that make the person look good. They are words that make good—or give meaning—to the words used to describe that person's life.

Consider someone who dies after being imprisoned for a crime. There is a lesson in that life: crime does not pay. Meaning is given to what happened.

The people who knew the individual most closely should be able to give context to the person's actions and words, or to their way of thinking, so that others can understand who that person was and why they did what they did.

There is a distinction worth making: 

A eulogy is not an obituary.

An obituary generally tells people that a person died and what happened during their life—birth, education, career, family, achievements, survivors and funeral arrangements.

A eulogy asks different questions. It also helps to bring resolution to the wider community as well as the immediate family.

What should a eulogy achieve? I would say there are five major things a good eulogy should accomplish:

1. It should honour the person.
This person's life mattered as an individual.
2. It should help people remember.
3. It should give meaning to the life.
It should place the person's life in the context of the community in which they lived and offer an interpretation of the life of the deceased. 
4. It should help the living grieve.
5. It should provide closure—or at least a path forward.
It should do this through shared memory and by bringing clarity to the actions and words spoken by the person. It can help explain their driving force.

HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

The Greeks had a tradition of public speeches honouring the dead, and one of the most famous examples is Pericles' Funeral Oration, recorded by the historian Thucydides in his account of the Peloponnesian War.

That speech is fascinating because it demonstrates that, historically, funeral speeches were not always the intimate tributes that we practise in modern times.

Pericles used the occasion of mourning the Athenian dead to speak about the values of Athens itself.

In other words, the deceased became a vehicle through which the living community reflected upon itself.

Funeral speech has historically been about both the individual and the community. The individual was an example of the output of the community from which they came.

Similar examples can be found in the tributes people make to heroes who pass away. We say, “He was a son of the soil,” or “She was a daughter of the soil.”

As human beings, they contributed to human life, which continues after their death.

The Romans developed their own important tradition known as the laudatio funebris—the funeral oration. Among aristocratic Roman families, speeches could celebrate the ancestry, accomplishments and virtues of the deceased.

These speeches were not simply expressions of private grief. They could reinforce the family's honour, social standing and values.

The funeral therefore became a public presentation of identity.

Christianity transformed the tradition by adding another significant dimension. The Christian funeral introduced the idea that death should be understood within a larger theological story—death, resurrection, eternal life, judgement, hope and the promise of being reunited with God.

Consequently, Christian funeral addresses have often attempted to accomplish two things at the same time:

Remember the person and proclaim hope.

This is why many Christian funeral services distinguish between mourning the deceased and proclaiming the faith to the community.

The Bible helps us put the eulogy in context:

“In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
— Proverbs 3:6

And:

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23

The deceased person's life is remembered. We acknowledge the ways of the deceased and allow that testimony of life to guide us. We allow the person's life to draw us closer to God because the eulogy is part of the funeral service and serves as a testimony to God's word unfolded in a person's life. We prove that in death we see God's word is real in Romans 6:23 for we all are sinners and fall short of the glory except through Christ.

The funeral must ask and answer the larger questions:

• What do you believe about death?
• Where will you spend eternity?

The temptation in writing a eulogy is to be completely positive. But that can actually diminish the humanity of the person. The good or bad of that person's life loses meaning when it is whitewashed. The deceased had tears, joys and a thinking process to back up the things they did, we should not belittle it by forgetting about it either. This would be cancel culture. We must give it a moral value.

I think in some ways the Bible is like a eulogy of mankind. The risk in focusing only on the good things or down right lying to claim good of someone can be seen in the Gnostic beliefs about Jesus. They diminish Jesus's humanity by focusing on miracles that is said (not proven) to have been performed in His childhood, but in so doing they undervalue the death, burial and resurrection of Christ. The end result is that the price paid for our sins is of reduced value.

By representing the deceased with dishonesty or in a puerile or childish manner, we risk leaving wounds open and we enable generational curses and cycles to continue. Hurts fester, and chaos can ultimately become the end result. 

THE EULOGY AND THE RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS

The lesson we learn from the resurrection of Lazarus (John 11) is that Jesus glorified the Father by performing the miracle. He said, “It is for God's glory.” But He added that it was also “so that God's Son may be glorified through it.”

Jesus wanted to demonstrate to the people that resurrection is possible and to give them a recent example of it, so that they would be more inclined to believe in His own resurrection, which would come soon after.

His disciples, misunderstood what He had said and Jesus replied:

“Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.”

Added to this, He said to Martha:

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

To the attendees at a Christian funeral, the eulogy asks this same question:

“Do you believe?”

The hope is in spending eternity with Christ—or be condemned without Him.

In Him is life. Without Him is death.


“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
— Romans 6:23

This account of the raising of Lazarus from the dead is an important aspect of Christian beliefs. It is about life, death and eternity. Even in death we must glorify God, we must prove God and draw others to Christ. Jesus shows us that here. A funeral is an opportunity to spread the gospel and even in death we belong to Christ because He paid the price for it. I will post more on the eulogy in Part 2.

MELCHIZEDEK ORDER PART 2

wayhomestudio@magnific.com

Trusting God More Than Speculation

Trusting God is another lesson we learn from the account of Melchizedek.

Many people are led astray through a lack of knowledge, false teaching, distorted facts, fables and myths. Today, social media algorithms often feed what the Bible calls "itching ears." They present people with ideas that agree with their opinions rather than challenge them with the truth.

Even Christians can fall into this trap. Our own emotions, personal biases and desires can influence how we read Scripture. Like Israel in biblical times, we often struggle with wanting to please people and fit in with the world around us. This is one reason God repeatedly warned Israel about adopting the beliefs and practices of the surrounding nations.

2 Timothy 4:3–4 says:

"For the time will come when people will not tolerate sound doctrine and accurate instruction that challenges them with God's truth. Instead, to satisfy their own desires, they will gather teachers who tell them what they want to hear. They will turn away from the truth and turn aside to myths."

The enemy's methods have not changed. Only the tools have changed. Today those tools include technology, social media and marketing. The goal is still the same—to create confusion, division within the body of Christ and ultimately a falling away from the faith.

The Church has been building on the foundation laid by Christ and the apostles for nearly two thousand years. Yet we must ask ourselves: Are we continuing to build on that foundation, or are we allowing ourselves to be distracted from it?

Jesus Himself said that "the children of this world are wiser in their generation than the children of light" (Luke 16:8). The world often plans its strategies carefully. As believers, we should be equally committed to knowing the truth, living it and sharing it faithfully.

Our calling is to strengthen and unify the body of Christ. True transformation begins when God's people awaken to His truth. I hope to explore this subject more fully in future articles.

Peter reminds us that the apostles did not build their message on myths.

2 Peter 1:16 says:

"For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty."

The apostles wrote about what they saw, heard and experienced. Throughout the New Testament they remain consistent on the essential truths of the Christian faith.

These include:

1. Jesus' words and works.

2. The call to repentance and conversion.

3. Jesus as the mediator of the New Covenant.

4. Jesus as the Word of God.

5. Jesus' humanity, born of a virgin, as the Son of Man.

6. The miracles of Christ.

7. The miracles that followed through faith in His name.

8. The command to preach, teach and spread the Gospel.

9. Jesus as the Saviour of the world.

10. Jesus as the true and living God.

11. Jesus as the Son of God.

12. Believers as heirs and joint heirs with Christ.

13. Believers as ambassadors of Christ and a royal priesthood.

14. The complete and perfect work of the Cross.

15. The power of the blood of Jesus.

16. The ministry of reconciliation flowing from the Father's love.

17. Salvation by grace through faith, not by works.

18. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.

19. The Holy Spirit, who brings to believers all that Christ has accomplished for them.

20. Believers have power and authority over the wiles and plans of the enemy.

These themes appear throughout the New Testament and are rooted in the Old Testament. As the Church builds on these truths, believers grow in unity, maturity and love. Imagine the harvest of souls that could be gathered into God's Kingdom if we remained focused on these foundations. We would be building the walls or repairing the walls. We will be building from the foundation which a next step.   

The book of Hebrews brings many of these themes together. It does not present Melchizedek as an isolated figure. Instead, his priesthood becomes the meeting point of several great biblical themes: covenant, kingship, priesthood, righteousness, peace, inheritance, eternal life, Christ's once-for-all sacrifice and our access to God. Hebrews uses Melchizedek to show how Jesus fulfils God's redemptive plan in a priesthood that is greater than that of Levi.

How confusion surrounding Melchizedek is often used

Confusion about Melchizedek can become a doorway for false teaching. Some common examples include:

1. Focusing on his ethnicity in ways that create unnecessary division over the Canaanites rather than understanding the biblical account.

2. Using modern political or emotional issues, such as debates surrounding Israel, Jerusalem, Palestine and Gaza, to distract from what Genesis is actually teaching.

3. Claiming that because the Bible does not answer every question, it cannot be trusted.

4. Introducing teachings about Melchizedek that present a different gospel or a false view of Christ.

5. Claiming that Israel invented or hijacked the priesthood and that Jesus is therefore not the promised Messiah.

6. Using Abraham's tithe to Melchizedek to argue that the biblical principle of giving has no relevance today without considering the wider teaching of Scripture.

Paul repeatedly warned believers about this kind of error.

1 Timothy 1:4 warns against myths and endless genealogies that produce speculation rather than God's work, which is by faith. In the case of Melchizedek it is a question of genealogies.

Titus 1:14 tells believers not to pay attention to human myths that turn people away from the truth.

1 Timothy 4:7 simply says:

"Have nothing to do with irreverent and silly myths."

What are "silly myths"?

Many ideas shared on social media and presented as research are not based on careful scholarship or sound methods of investigation. They often rely on assumptions, selective evidence and emotional appeals rather than facts. They are designed to provoke reactions instead of helping people discover the truth.

This brings us back to a simple but important question.

Do I trust God?

Do I believe that what God has revealed in Scripture is true?

Do I also believe that what He has chosen not to reveal is not necessary for my salvation or for understanding His purposes?

When Abraham entered an unfamiliar land, he brought Lot with him. Over time, God taught Abraham to trust Him completely. 

Are we doing the same? Are we allowing others to create a "veil" over our eyes? Are we allowing endless questions, speculation and myths to pull us away from the solid foundation of God's Word? 

Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

Ask God to forgive you for engaging or listening to myths, fables, genealogies. Ask The Holy Spirit to help you filter out the deceit of the enemy. Remember there is a difference in seeking truth or seeking to break down believers. Ask God to forgive you for listening to and entertaining, a false Jesus or a false gospel. Click here for part 1