DEATH HAS NOT A STING!

DEATH HAS NOT A STING!
By Charles Ngoje
–Minister Moshi Town Church of Christ
Delivered at the Funeral Service of Anna Paul
On Sunday 31st August, 2008
Text: 1 Corinthians 15:55
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On the 27th August, 2008, a separation between the body and the soul of Anna occurred. That separation left a dead body but a living soul went to heaven to join with God and His angles. The Anna that lives now is not physical Anna but a spiritual Anna. The spiritual lives on but the Physical is dead.

Today, we are gathered here for the sake of the physical, which is dead. We are gathered here to bid farewell to the body of the one we loved, and cherished. The body will be transported to her home in Sirati where it will be buried on Tuesday 2nd September, 2008.

The parents of Anna described her life as ‘a miracle’

Anna was diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia when she was only six months. The doctors predicted that the longest she could live was 6 years. And it is true that it is hard for a sickler to live beyond six years and at most to live beyond 12 years.

Anna lived to be 34! Anna was able to finish her primary school education, her high school education and her college. She got employed and was a faithful worker, full of life and enthusiasm. She went against the odds.

But her medical condition kept on pulling her down. Anna knew what pain is. She knew what it means to be bed-ridden. She knew what it means to be on medication. But

She also knew what it means to pray without ceasing. She knew what it means to hope in the Lord when hoping does not seem rational. She knew what it means to cast your burdens unto Jesus. She knew what it means to rejoice in the Lord always. She knew what it means to be happy in tribulations.

She knew a lot of things. The things she knew by experience prepared her to be an effective witness of the Gospel of Christ.

Anna never let the Church down. Anna never let the Lord down. She spoke effectively of the Church. She was proud of salvation and was never ashamed of sharing the gospel. She was a walking sermon. She was a good letter from God that people read.

In 2004, I took the youth of this church for a picnic at a water fall in Rau. At that time Anna had developed a complication with her heart. Her lungs were not strong enough either. She enrolled to go. I was scared and tried to deter her from taking the risk. Going to the waterfall involved a long hike on a wet and slippery terrain. Oxygen is not plentiful up there. I had to deter Anna from going. I feared for her life. But it wasn’t easy deterring Anna. She had a strong determination and nothing would deter her from doing what she had set her heart to doing. With the help of others, she made it to the top! And enjoyed her self at the top of the cliff and played in the pool of water flowing off the water fall.

I was moved by this gesture and it was then I started to know and to appreciate Anna. Anna was stubborn in the face of discouragement. You can’t discourage her. The mountain did not discourage her.
I learnt of the pain she would always go through and even that pain would not deter her. She was unstoppable. She walked to Church every Sunday and walked back when it was hot and nothing would discourage her. By her action she taught all of us a few lessons: That…

Anna is in front row to the extreme right, raising her right hand in victory at the waterfallSickle cell anaemia, stroke and heart problem sound scary and surely they will affect your body and mind. They will give you sleepless nights but they have not power to affect your Spirit unless you let them.

Sickle cell like any other disease will weaken your body, but your spirit can remain strong and defy all the odds, unless you let down your spirit.

Sickle cell anaemia like any other disease will deny you of adequate blood supply, but the blood of Jesus will always be abundant for you to swim in it. That’s the blood that Anna swum in for 34 years when her own blood was inadequate. The blood of Jesus kept Anna’s spirit alive, fresh and nourished.

Sickle cell anaemia like any other disease may deny you opportunity to marry as it did for Anna. But her heart was married to Christ and she served him faithfully. The Church (a body of believers) is the bride of Christ. This is the marriage that goes beyond death into eternity. Anna was faithful to a lasting relationship with the Lord. Since Wednesday she has been enjoying that close company of her Lord.

As she braved the heights and the depths to get to the water fall on top of Kilimanjaro, Anna has braved the valleys and the hills of this life. She has braved pain and sickness and loneliness to reach the mountain tops of heaven where she will relax and enjoy herself for millions of years.

And so we echo the true words of Apostle Paul that are now true to Anna and soon will be true to us that:

‘Anna has fought the good fight, She has finished the course, She has kept the faith henceforth there is laid up for her the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give to her at that day; and not to her only, but also to all them that have loved his appearing.’ 2 Timothy 4; 7-8

Anna sustained a good warfare against Satan. She ran a good race. She kept the faith and now she is being crowned in glory with Christ.

She has a new body. The pain is gone. The pure blood of Christ is running through her veins. She is happy. She is new. She is sparkling as of GOLD.

And so we ask death: ‘Where, O death is your victory? Where, O death is your sting?’ 1 Corinthians 15: 55. Death can only glorify the children of God. Will you be glorified in death?

As a church we thank God for the years she gave us Anna. She was a wonderful sister in the LORD!
God bless you! God bless your journey to Sirati. Thank you!