Page 43 - Prophetic Word Newsletters Archive 2006 by Pastor Randy Shupe

“HOW ARE THE DEAD RAISED UP? AND WITH WHAT BODY DO THEY COME? FOOLISH ONE, WHAT YOU
SOW IS NOT MADE ALIVE UNLESS IT DIES. AND WHAT YOU SOW, YOU DO NOT SOW THAT BODY THAT
SHALL BE, BUT MERE GRAIN – PERHAPS WHEAT OR SOME OTHER GRAIN. BUT GOD GIVES IT A BODY AS

HE PLEASES, AND TO EACH SEED ITS OWN BODY…SO ALSO IS THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD. THE
BODY IS SOWN IN CORRUPTION, IT IS RAISED IN INCORRUPTION…IT IS SOWN A NATURAL BODY,
IT IS RAISED A SPIRITUAL BODY…” 1 Cor. 15:35-44 excerpts

It is clear from the language of Paul above, as well as his illustrations pertaining to the resurrection, that
he taught (and anticipated) that the body of the believer would be sown into the ground like a seed. It
speaks of the natural corruption process that releases the life of the seed (“wheat or mere grain”). The
body of the believer is to be planted in the ground, not burnt with fire! The remains are to experience a
natural corruption process in the ground. I am grieved when I read the “creative” ways in which the world
takes the ashes and disperses them from airplanes and the like. That is fine for the world, but it is not so
fine for a believer! Beware of the tradition of men! Jesus reproved the Jews by saying:

“…LAYING ASIDE THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD, YOU HOLD THE TRADITION OF MEN…ALL TO WELL
YOU REJECT THE COMMANDMENT OF GOD THAT YOU MAY KEEP YOUR TRADITION…MAKING THE
WORD OF GOD OF NO EFFECT THROUGH YOUR TRADITION WHICH YOU HAVE HANDED DOWN.

AND MANY SUCH THINGS YOU DO.” Mark 7:8-13 excerpts

Jesus said these words to the Jewish leaders at His first coming. I wonder if He will utter the
same reproof to segments of His church at His second coming? Is not much of the professing
church guilty of also replacing the commandments of God with the tradition of men? Things
such as “Christmas” and “Easter”, things like the compromising marriage of “God and
country” in which patriotism to earthly kingdoms replaces the Kingdom of God in the hearts of
the political “Christian.” The church has openly replaced the Christ-centered and Christ-
revealing Holy Feast days of the Lord (Lev. 23) with the more popular but pagan-based
commercialized holidays of this world (see Nov. 2005 newsletter on our website.)

Could not the church also be charged by Jesus with these ringing words, “and many such
things you do?”

Cremation is becoming a tradition of men readily accepted and practiced in the church of Jesus Christ.
The Roman historian Tacitus noted that both the Jews and the Christians “…bury rather than burn their
dead” (Hist.5:5). It is somewhat ironic that the Jewish people, steeped in so much tradition, have
remained very faithful to this day to the practice of burying their dead, but the church has not. It is the
church who has replaced the commandment of God with the tradition of men. In this area of cremation
there is no distinction between today’s modernized “Roman Empire” and the church of Jesus Christ. We
do what they do with their dead.

The secular French historian,Amaury de Reincourt, in his book,
“The Coming Caesars” made this remarkable and perhaps,

prophetic statement: “GIVEN SUFFICIENT TIME,
CHERISHED TRADITIONS BECOME DOGMATIC BELIEFS”

De Reincourt’s whole premise in this book is that America is the revived Roman empire and that the
presidency will produce the next “world Caesar.” (You can order this out-of-print book from our ministry for
$10.95) The early church was a vivid CONTRAST to what the Roman Empire endorsed and practiced.
Sadly, this cannot be said of the American church which resides in the midst of the new Roman Empire!
The early church was different – dare to be different! Paul exhorts believers with a word that is very
applicable to the subject of this newsletter – cremation:

“DON’T LET THE WORLD AROUND YOU SQUEEZE YOU INTO ITS OWN MOLD, BUT LET GOD
RE-MAKE YOU SO THAT YOUR WHOLE ATTITUDE OF MIND IS CHANGED. THUS YOU WILL

PROVE IN PRACTICE THAT THE WILL OF GOD IS GOOD, ACCEPTABLE TO HIM AND PERFECT.”
Rom. 12:2 Phillips

May it be said of us as Christians, “…They BURY rather than BURN their dead.”

Pastor Randy Shupe