Funeral Eulogy Mcham

Lucille Mcham

Lucille Mcham, a daughter, a mother, an aunt, a sister, a cousin, a friend, a wife and a child of God. Today we celebrate the homegoing of one who decided to let Jesus Christ make a difference in her life. It’s something how we see death as a time for sorrow and for grief, in that we are saying good-bye to someone we love. God shares in our suffering and grief in that the Lord knows the loss that we feel. But at the same time God gives a special hope in moments like these.

God has a another view by which He looks at death. It says in Psalm 116:15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. Let it be known today that something precious happened in heaven, last Sunday morning when Lucille breathed out for the last time. Lucille found freedom from the body that was keeping her from serving the Lord in the way she wanted to serve. Today she can once again sing the praises of her Lord Jesus Christ. We’ve got a reason to be happy for her on this night.

Lucille’s death was precious, because she died in the Lord. My friends death has a date set for us all, but that date will only be precious if we die in the Lord. All of life is journey to death. It takes some of us longer than others to reach our destination but we eventually will get there. Some of us take fancier and more prestigious routes than others, but the final exit is still at the same stop called death.

Once we reached that stop, the issue becomes whose waiting for us to give us directions on the other side. Jesus said, "I’m going away to prepare a place for you and I will come back and take you with me that you also may be where I am." There’s nothing like having a guide when you reach unfamiliar territory. We can rejoice in knowing that while we were all catching a little sleep before coming to church, Lucille had a guide leading her to church service that stays in the presence of God."

Some ask if God is loving, why is there death. I see it as, because God is loving there is death. Can you imagine what a burden it would be to have to live life in the way we know it forever? What it would be to have pain in our bodies, unforgiveness and bitterness in our soul, or to be stuck at the bottom of poverty forever. God has seen all the evil, and the madness, and the pain that goes on in the world, and God decided that at some point this must stop.

That point is death.

God has always wanted to be in close relationship to human beings, because that’s why He created us. But God is holy and righteous. Once we did wrong as human beings, the penalty for that wrong was that we were to die. God’s holiness would destroy us if we attempted to be in His presence with wrong in our lives. That’s why God does not dwell with us as He did in the beginning of time. Our behavior brought about the separation.

God loved us to much to leave us alone, and God knew there was nothing we could do to pay the penalty for the wrong we have done. That is why Jesus Christ entered into the world. Jesus offered himself as a payment for the wrong that we have done. It is through Jesus Christ, that we find the forgiveness and mercy of God. To receive it, we simply acknowledge, yes God I know that I have done wrong and deserve death for it. I ask your forgiveness of my wrong and I accept the work that Jesus Christ has done on my behalf. I give my life to serve Him in appreciation of the work He has done for me.

Going to heaven is not a matter of having done more good things than bad ones. Going to heaven is dependent on whether you died having accepted the work of Jesus Christ or not. Lucille’s death was precious, not because she lived the holiest and most moral life possible. Her death was precious because she died in Christ. When she died, God smiled and said, "that’s one of mind, take her to one of the rooms my son Jesus has prepared. We’ve been expecting her."

My friend if you were to die today, would God say the same about you. If God would not, then you are living your life in vain. The only decision that you make, that will still be affecting you personally 200 years from today, is the decision you make as to whether or not you have chosen to follow Jesus Christ. For only what’s done for Christ is going to last.