Page 38 - Prophetic Word Newsletters Archive 2006 by Pastor Randy Shupe

~MAY 2006~ 39

THE
PERSPECTIVE OF THE PRACTICE OF

The Dec. 5,1995 issue of USA Today revealed that on the average, 30% of North American funerals were
cremations. This same article reports that in 1960 the average was less than 5%. That is a significant
increase over a thirty-five year period. By 2004 that average had increased to 47%. Obviously we are
witnessing an ever-increasing, trend-setting pace developing in the world in which we live. As a teacher
of God’s Word, I am ever scrutinizing trends that I see in the world and comparing them to what is
recorded in God’s Word simply because of the principle that, for the most part, what the world embraces
is 180 degrees opposite of what is stated in God’s Word. This is borne out to be true because Satan is
identified as “the god of this world” (2 Cor. 4:4), the direction or course of this world is guided by Satan
(Eph.2:2), and “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one (1 Jn.5:19). Therefore, it is most
likely that increasing trends such as we see in cremation of the body rather than the Scriptural practice of
burial, must be deemed as having Satanic influence. What the world tends to endorse is the result of his
corruptive and detrimental guidance.

Cremation is a difficult and sensitive subject for me to write about and perhaps for you to read.
Considering the high level of cremations that are taking place we, as Christians, are therefore exposed to
the dilemma of being personally involved in cremation funerals of loved ones, friends and acquaintances.
It is not my purpose to judgmentally criticize what the world accepts as normal behavior. The Scripture
plainly states that the people of the world are those “…whose minds the god of this world (age) has
blinded…” (2 Cor. 4:4). The world ‘s inhabitants are “having their understanding darkened” (Eph. 4:18), but
the believer is called to have “the eyes of [their] understanding enlightened” (Eph. 1:18). Simply put, what
the children of darkness choose to do should have no bearing upon the children of light. This newsletter
is written to God’s people who are instructed to be “not of this world” (Jn.15:19), to be believers who
choose “not to be conformed to this world” (Rom. 12:2). Hopefully, we, as the enlightened ones, are those
who take their guidance solely from the Scriptures. Consider how Paul states both positive and negative
examples of Scripture from which we are to take direction for our lives:

THE POSITIVE EXAMPLE: THE NEGATIVE EXAMPLE:

“FOR WHATEVER THINGS WERE WRITTEN BEFORE “NOW ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENED TO THEM
WERE WRITTEN FOR OUR LEARNING, THAT WE AS EXAMPLES, AND THEY WERE WRITTEN FOR
THROUGH THE PATIENCE AND HOPE OF THE OUR ADMONITION, ON WHOM THE END OF
SCRIPTURES MIGHT HAVE HOPE.” Rom. 15:4
THE AGES HAVE COME.” 1 Cor. 10:11

Notice that what has been previously written is to be God’s counsel for those of us who live in “the end of
the ages.” God’s will in the area of the proper disposal of the body of believers is revealed in His Word.
We are going to take a look at what has been recorded in the Scriptures pertaining to the practice of
cremation as well as what God’s Word has to say about burial.