Funeral Service for the late Patrick Chilumba | 4th April, 2025

0:19 Oh, heat, heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Yeah.

1:15 Heat. Yeah. Heat.

2:02 Heat. Heat. [Music] Sh my

3:05 [Music] Say my true and he [Music] King Oh, I came Now we call she

3:52 [Music] Get down. She go. Oh [Music]

4:58 Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

5:51 Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Hey,

6:41 [Music] Heat up here. [Music]

7:36 Oh, heat, heat. Heat. Heat. I might say oh my [Music]

8:35 My me [Music] Oh [Music]

9:30 Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Oh, heat,

10:16 heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] Heat.

11:16 [Music] Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Yeah. Heat.

12:05 [Music] Fellow moners, we are about to start our program and I just want to give two notices. Uh the first one being that I will indicate that we all rise to our feet when we are bringing in the body. So I will simply say church rise and I will be at the back. Then we will stand and after that we'll continue with the rest of the

12:52 program. Also, in case you are not familiar with uh the geography of this building, the restrooms are right at the back. Turn to your right, immediate left. You can also use the other side which is far left. You turn right. And please for those of you who are seated at the back, if it were possible for you to move a bit in front and also if where you are seated there's space in between please just move so that others can come and uh easily find their way to

13:39 somewhere they can sit without inconveniencing you. So please if you can do that uh that will be helpful and also save us time. We will be starting in the next 2 to 3 minutes. Thank you. [Music]

14:39 Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh, heat, heat.

15:27 Heat up here. [Music] A

16:13 heat. Heat. Heat. Oh, heat,

17:01 heat. Heat. Heat. Heat up here.

17:50 [Applause] Heat.

18:36 [Laughter] Heat. Heat. Heat.

19:33 Yeah. Congregation rise. But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those who

20:21 sleep in Jesus. For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel, and with a trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.

21:07 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall be always with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words. [Music]

22:07 We may take our seats. [Music] Fellow mourers this morning. We gather together in this manner with heavy hearts to come and celebrate the life of our dear brother

22:53 Mr. Patrick Chilumba who died on the 31st of March 2025. Mr. Patrick Chulumba was a member of Lusaka Baptist Church and he was also a deacon here. And therefore this service has been arranged in honor of our dear brother. And thus I say this morning we come together to look to the Lord for comfort. We come together to come and remember his life and to call upon God to really comfort us. And to

23:40 this effect, we extend our deepest condolences, especially to Mrs. Lydia Chilumba, the children, and of course the entire family and even the family here at Lusaka Baptist Church. May God strengthen us this morning. May we see and feel the reality of God's presence. And as we begin, I will ask one of our elders here, Mr. Jacob Ka, to come and pray for us.

24:32 Shall we turn to the Lord in prayer? Our blessed God and father, the father of our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. We acknowledge that every perfect and good gift comes from you. The God who has no variation. The God who is the same yesterday, today, and forever more. We confess eternal God that our hearts are sore. We are [Music] grieving and indeed experiencing much [Music] sorrow. And yet again we are

25:18 reminded of the brevity of life. We are reminded that our life is like a puff of smoke that appears for a moment and thereafter disappears. Like a flower that appears in the morning and later on fades away. Our prayer this morning is that as we gather together, you would aid us to exalt our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, whom our brother Patrick believed in. We pray that we will exalt Jesus Christ as we sing songs as we listen to the tributes. But more so as we sit under

26:04 the preaching of your word. Lord, we plead that if there be some in our midst who are not Christians that this would be their day of salvation. That oh God, they would cry out to you for mercy. that you would cleanse them from their sins, that you would forgive them of all their unrighteousness. We thank you that for those of us that are believers, you have forgiven us of our sins. You have broken the penalty and the power of sin. And like Patrick, when we go to glory land, we will be in your very

26:52 presence away from sin as it were. We pray therefore Lord that you teach us to number our days are right that we may gain a heart of wisdom. This is our prayer through that worthy and that blessed name of our savior, even the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. For those of us with a program, we've just uh changed one thing. We prayed uh before singing the hymn. We will stand for those who are able to and sing what a friend we have

27:38 in Jesus. And just after that I will ask Mr. Steven Chilatu to come and give us the life history of Mr. Patrick Chilumba. Shall we rise and sing together? What a friend we have in Jesus. [Music] A

28:56 Hey, Heat. Heat. Heat up here.

29:45 Hey,

30:45 It's a bus [Music] that good morning fellow moners. I'm here to give a brief life history of the late Patrick Sanga Chalumba who happened to be my nephew. The mother is my elder

31:30 sister. Patrick was born on 21st November 1972. He started his primary school at Muang Poa in Kasama where he went up to grade 7. Thereafter he went to Kasama secondary school where he did his grade 8 to 12. Upon completion, he came to Lusaka. In fact, we briefly stayed I briefly stayed with him and then he proceeded to NRA DC where he did a diploma in agriculture. Of course, Patrick was

32:16 deserous to improve his professional qualifications and because of this prompting, he embarked upon a course where at UNZA where he did a BA in economics. Not only that, he further went on to pursue further studies which saw him go to South Africa where he did his master's in business administration at the University of Cape Town. Patrick worked for a number of

33:04 organizations spanning a period over 15 years in development economics, policy analysis and monitoring and evaluation. among other organizations work for the Millennium Challenge Account Zambia, Financial Sector Deepening Zambia and several consulting projects with international organizations such as USID, UNICEF and African Development Bank. He was employed by the food agriculture

33:50 organization where he worked until his he met his untimely death. Of course, he was married. In fact, I recall viv I recall vividly him coming to me to inform me that he had found a young lady whom he wanted to marry. and he wanted to introduce her to me. I asked her who this young lady was I he said Lydia Sama said ah okay I would love to meet her and knowing to him Lydia was someone I I actually knew and so when he brought her to introduce her to me I said uh

34:36 politely said I need no introduction and another interesting encounter Patrick again was when he came to tell me that we needed to go for marriage negotiations and he personally requested me to wear a suit because we are going to meet a very important man. I said who is this man? I said uh Dr. Joshua Kang said ah oh okay. So on that day he came over and I think a number of elders from this church they went to meet Dr.

35:22 Kangana and what Patrick didn't know was that Dr. Jifa Kangana was and I were actually friends so he was spooked when he discovered that uh I actually knew Dr. Kangana even knew his wife to be before he got to know her. Patrick is survived by a wife lead and three children. He met his death on Monday, a very sudden death uh which displaced a number of us

36:08 because we are not expecting it. The mother is not here with us this morning because she's been unwell for quite some time now. And when I got news, when my young brother called to ask whether I'd heard what had transpired at the f lumbas, the first thought which came to my mind was that my sister had passed on without knowing that it was actually Patrick. And so it is a big blow to us as family. It's something we never expected. And the death of a young man

36:53 is always painful and more so when it comes in a sudden manner. Of course the elderly are supposed to go before the young people. It's left a gap, a huge gap. But ours is not to question Lord why, Lord why? but to accept [Music] it. The words of prophet Isaiah come to me that your ways are not my ways. Your thought pattern, your plans are not his plans. and to

37:38 family as we mourn Patrick. Though painful it might be. Yes. The comforting thing is that he knew his maker is gone to be with the Lord. Again, the words of Isaiah would say, "Seek the Lord while he's near. while we may be found. Let the wicked turn from his ways and turn to the Lord and you'll find mercy.

38:25 And so let's as family take the example of Patrick who recognized the need of a savior in his life because then we mourn with hope that one day we'll be united with him. Who was Patrick? In brief, I would say was a humble man, a very humble man, a gentle spirit, a loving husband. He loved his dear wife. He loved his children. And indeed, this is an example that he has left to you a number of you, my nephews and nieces, seated in here this morning. Thank you. Thank you.

39:17 As we may all be aware and as we have heard and as we experienced, Mr. Patrick Chulumba was a Christian and as we are gathered today, he is with the Lord. And it's because of God's love for us that indeed he has prepared a way and he has prepared a place for us. And we can encourage ourselves by singing together in the sweet by and by. We shall meet on that beautiful shore. There is a land that is fairer than day. We will sit as we sing number 73 from

40:06 the supplement. [Music] Heat up here.

41:08 Heat. Oh, heat, heat.

41:54 Heat. Heat. Heat up here.

42:53 Heat. Amen. The Bible in Ecclesiastes 12 and verse 7 states, "Then the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it." And indeed the spirit of our dear brother is with God. He is not present today. He is not able to hear us. But we are encouraged that he is

43:39 with God. And we can also encourage each other by reminding ourselves of the good times that we had together. We can tell each other these stories, the fun memories and we can express ourselves to God. And therefore we have an opportunity to give our tributes as we remember our dear brother. The first one to give the tribute will be the wife to the late Mr. Chilumba, Mrs. Lydia Chilumba. Lydia Sam Chilumba and thereafter I will ask the children led by Wana to come and give

44:26 theirs. Mrs. Chilumba Uh friends and

45:11 family since that fateful night 31st of March 2025. [Music] It's like I've been living under this dream where I'm still hoping to wake up or indeed to see Patrick waking me up. And it's not ending. I'm not able to wake up from this dreadful dream. It has now led me to coming to give this

46:02 tribute. Tribute to my beloved husband Patrick. If I had to describe my husband in a few words, I would say Patrick was a gentle giant with a large warm heart full of [Music] love. Patrick was patient. He was a humble man. He was kind and often or always put others needs before his own. Because of his love for

46:49 God, he had a deep passion for serving others. And for those of us that lived with him, he embodied servant, true servant [Music] leadership. The children witnessed it firsthand. Those that lived with us different times witnessed it firsthand. In this tribute, I want to honor Patrick firstly as a husband, a father, a mentor, and a partner in ministry.

47:35 I know I may be overwhelmed with emotion at some point, but I I did pray that at least I should get through my tribute to him as a husband because he was my husband. Patrick and I met at Lusaka Baptist Church, this very church, 1998, and became friends. That friendship blossomed into a beautiful marriage on 9th September 2000. This year 2025, we would have

48:22 clocked 25 years in marriage and celebrated our silver jubilee. As a matter of fact, Patrick and I were already planning to celebrate this and had already even spoken to the couple that hosted our wedding, the Chibutas, Mr. Phillip Chiba and Mrs. Joyce Chi to consider hosting us. God blessed us with three wonderful children. Wana David Chulumba, Tatasha Nigel Chilumba, and Mala Linda

49:10 Chilumba. We have been members since then and served in this church. Patrick was a loving, caring, and thoughtful husband. And I will always remember the different ways that he expressed his love for me and honored his responsibility to me as a husband. He was a very expressive person. I am the one that is more um I don't know how to describe myself. not as expressive as Patrick was. He would tell me he loved me and often embrace me and then jokingly say or whisper in my ear, I think this is

49:58 the billionth time that I've told you this and that just warmed my heart. He looked after me when I was sick. Took me to India when I had I had to go for surgery on my shoulder. We celebrated good times and we mourned together in sad times. I could not have asked for a better husband. He was truly a gift from God. Those who knew us can attest to this, to this strong and beautiful bond that we shared. In fact, just a couple of weeks ago, we had one of our young girls from this

50:44 church with us. And over breakfast, I asked her what kind of a husband she was hoping to have. And she turned to me. Patrick was seated there. And she said, "Aunt Lydia, I would like to to marry someone who loves you like Uncle Patrick loves you. Patrick was a hands-on man talented in so many ways and vested with different gifts. I remember Mr. Timber saying this man so many gifts. I know some of you know me how the elder [Music]

51:31 talks. Yeah, he was really gifted. And when he was home, I never had to worry about things being fixed because he would take care of it. Every project we worked on as a family bears his fingerprints and this will always remind me of him. In fact, our matrimonial home was something of his idea and he often told our architect who a friend that he believed that he deserved to get 40% of the fee that that was paid for for the design because he had inputed or put in a lot of input in that project.

52:18 So perhaps I'll be sending a a bill to someone very soon. Patrick had a wonderful sense of humor and he loved telling stories about his childhood, his days at NRC and at work filling our home with laughter. When he would travel, there was that quietness in the home. He would feel it and I would miss him. He loved to sing as well. He could probably didn't have the best voice, but he loved to sing and it was a controlled voice and he was musical. He he could play the piano, the guitar.

53:05 Although his uh colleagues that he started playing the piano with used to tease him that he failed to to make it there because at the point that he fell in love with me he couldn't complete the syllabus but he was really teaching himself and it was just going to be a matter of time and you would have seen him moving into that chair. Peter He was also an avid reader. He loves to read both doctrinal and educative [Music] material. As a result, he could comfortably strike up a conversation

53:50 with just about anyone regardless of their background and status in society. He was a respectful man. He respected authority. He taught himself how to do a lot of things. He has passed on some of these passions like music, playing musical instruments to his children, some of his children. I would deeply miss that about him. In fact, because of his love for music, someone was reminding me, one of my nieces, of how when he knew that one had a beautiful voice and they came home to visit after they've been refreshed, you would see him go to the piano, get his

54:35 guitar, and then you said, "Dear, come, let us sing." Secretly, I think he would have loved us to have our own little choir as a family. He was my best friend, my mentor, and my God-given gift. Today, as Uncle Steve said, my mother-in-law, who I love to refer to as my mother-in-law, cannot be here due to her illness. and I deeply regret that she cannot be part of this send off. I am grateful to her for raising such an incredible son.

55:22 I still remember her words on our wedding day telling me that go or telling everybody that was witnessing our wedding that God had blessed her with another daughter after the loss of her firstborn daughter called Velen. And from that moment I made a promise to care for her. A promise Patrick and I shared. We agreed that whoever survived the other would continue to care for both our aging mothers. And I will honor that commitment as the Lord enables me to. Though he was not perfect and yes, we did differ sometimes, but we always

56:09 always stopped through and prayed through and resolved our differences. When we could afford to take holidays, we endeavored to take time to take stock of our marriage, make amends and plans on how we should improve it and have a God- centered relationship. I had a beautiful marriage and for this I'll always be grateful to God for the opportunity he gave me to be a wife to Patrick. As a father, Patrick was devoted and a present father. He took his role

56:54 seriously and was actively involved in our children's lives. He was at their school plays. He took them to school. He helped with their schoolwork. But most importantly, he guided them in their spiritual journeys and consistently led family devotions to a point where he made our son who has been studying in the UK join us for devotions virtually during the COVID 19 lockdowns. Being the creative person that he was, he involved us in a lot of activities. He came up with ideas of

57:40 having picnics just in our garden or backyard. We had fitness workouts and even cooking sessions because he was a foodie. He loved to cook and often told his nieces, some of his nieces and young people that uh passed through our home who had a passion for cooking that after his retirement, they were definitely going to open a restaurant and Laka Baptist people were going to be the first customers. I believe Patrick treated all the young people in our home as his own and had become a father figure to many in both our families and church. And I see so

58:25 many gathered with us here, some of whom have traveled long distances just to be with us during this dark hour. He had a special way of connecting with nieces, nephews, and yes, most recently even grandchildren regardless of their ages. As a mentor, he was a mentor to so many especially young adults whom he helped guide into responsible godly individuals. Our home was open to family and me and church members offering mentorship, support and

59:11 love. It is heartwarming to see that some of the young men that he mentored have even taken up offices of eldership in many churches in our circles in some churches. as my best friend and as a friend to others. Patrick indeed was a a true friend indeed. He easily made friends of all ages, young or peers and older alike. He did leave out Proverbs 18:24, which says, "A man who has friends must himself be friendly."

59:58 One of his most cherished friendships that some of you would know of is his bond with the Chikamba brothers Mumba and Chipil. Mumba in particular played a critical role in his coming to know the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal savior. Together as a couple we have built many strong friendships over the years within and beyond the church. friendships that have become family. As a ministry partner, Patrick served the Lord with great passion and dedication. I witnessed his love for youth ministry during our courtship when he worked with us then we

1:00:45 used to call it street children ministry. now has become uh part of the orphans and vulnerable children's ministry. He also actively participated in youth camps as one of the leaders and uh university outreach programs even in his final days. Patrick remained remained committed to ministry. Together we counseledled young couples preparing for marriage. These last two weeks went by like a roller coaster because he did so much. He was

1:01:31 like a man on a mission and very urgent mission. A week ago, we hosted the missions team in our home and he was happily serving the saints. On Saturday, last Saturday, we had a long program, a church. After that program, we proceeded to NRC to distribute gospel tracks and invite students to church. And on Sunday, he unusually left very early than his usual early time. In fact, because he then told me he needed to pick the bus from church, drive back to NRDC and pick

1:02:17 students that we had invited. Having picked them up, he then proceeded to to teach his disciplehip class. I would dearly miss serving alongside him. How do I conclude? There is just so much more I could say about my husband Patrick. I give all the glory and honor to God for giving me the opportunity to share in Patrick's life. I will hold dear the fond memories of our brief marriage and life together.

1:03:04 At this point, I would like to quote from the British missionary Charles Thomas studs poem. Only one life. Only one life. It will soon be passed. Only what is done for God will last forever. Patrick loved the Lord. He loved me. He loved his children. He loved his family. He loved God's people. May his works follow him. As a believer in the Lord Jesus

1:03:51 Christ, Patrick did not fear death as he stood on God's word. Hebrews 11:10 tells us, "For he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God." I believe Patrick saw is now experiencing that beautiful city. Patrick's favorite verse was Job 19:25-27. For I know that my redeemer lives, and he shall stand at last on the earth, and after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my flesh I shall see

1:04:38 God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold and not another. How my heart yens within me. Such my friends, family and children was his sure hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. And so to my children and family, whilst I and yourselves cannot imagine life without him, and I've been told the days ahead will be very difficult. But this we must know that the Lord is with us and will carry us

1:05:27 through. As the hymnwriter says, "Whatever God ordains is right, his holy will abideth. Let us be still whatever he does and follow where he guideth. He is our God, though dark our road may be, he holds us that we should not fall. And so to him, let's leave it all. Rest well, my love. Good night until we meet again on that beautiful shore.

1:06:46 Good morning, church. Um, I'm not as strong as my mother. She's really good with public speaking. That's why she's a great lawyer, as we all know. So, a tribute to my our beloved father. To try to summarize that meant to us in a few words. He was a hard worker. He would always try to do our best to help us achieve our goals. Dad was loving, caring. He was always wanting to pe He was always wanting people to come home over and help them in many ways. used to take care of a lot of people from church and I remember each and every person who we used to

1:07:34 bring and made us family as few zura lana and prudence kenda wii tani Ilian and a few more and now he brought us mma says She has never known a man so richly gifted, so full of grace and wavering in love. And she doubts she will never will. She never will again. For a brief moment they were uncle and niece, but now they became father and daughter. He embraced Ma as his own loving, guiding, sacrificing without hesitance. But our

1:08:22 father was a man who feared the Lord. The man who lived with the gospel. His joy was seeing us to grow in faith and encouragement and season. He challenged us to read the word. Not just to read the word but to also live it. He was a man with an open heart, open arms, always ready to listen. was always always ready to share the struggles so that we might find hope in his victories. When our home fellowship group, he assigned us with heended with NRGC obisites and put himself into the work he committed to the core tirelessly in his service. His life was a testimony. His faith was

1:09:08 unwavering and through him we were challenged to invest more in our walk with Christ and guard our hearts against idols against idols and press towards the goal. Moa truly believed that they were meant to be twins like he said they were the same in so many ways without even trying. He was the best friend followed by followed by God's ordinance. Best friend by choice. Um I always remembered how um every time we would come home we would see Moa missing. He's always taking her to nice places, hotels,

1:09:55 [Applause] and Totasha. And I and dad were the few musketeers. Dad wasn't just a father. He was also a friend to us. We could do anything with him. Whether it was advice, a conversation, or just a joke between all of us, or even just to diss each other. That was our love language. There was a time I was carrying um a bucket of water then accidentally spotted me and he was like ah finally you [Music] buffed. Yeah. He used to also say because we were rival teams he was supporting Liverpool. I was supporting Manu. Every time Manu would win you would be like you see you'll just faint my boy just support another team. Yeah

1:10:41 he was really funny. One thing that me and Tatasha loved um are his stories. He's a really good storyteller and the stories which we liked was the ones used to tell us um when he was young. The one which our favorite me and Tatasha was the one where he was the one where he was playing wrestling in a truck and it was moving. So me and just looked at each other. Okay, what are you doing? Then he said was just playing wrestling. Then one thing or another someone kicked him. He fell down. But don't worry, sooner or later he found himself running. Then and he got so confused about it. He was like, "Ah, our dad is

1:11:27 hard." Yes. Um, one more other story he gave us which I I liked. I don't think he was supposed to tell me because he was talking to uncle DJ. He said there was some big man. Um I don't know what he told him. He wanted to beat him. Then my dad was like scared. Everyone was there gathered saying, "Yeah, Patrick, you're going to be beaten. You're going to be beaten." Then he said all he did, he just closed his eyes. Then apparently he fell down. Then everyone started clapping for Patrick. Yeah, that's why we call him Superman. Katas um Katma says he could equally say so many things about that. He was more than an

1:12:14 uncle. He was getting him to getting to him to the light of life. He encouraged Katima and had a huge impact on spiritual and social academic life. It wounds me greatly. He wounds him greatly. He's not to witness a man who will become a man became he sorry the man he raised him to be. He believed that Katima will be great a great person and Katima will prepare to graduate. It saddens us that he's not going to see us graduate but we know that he lives in our heart. A moment made possible by his love and sacrifice. Um, dad dad used to compliment me a lot.

1:13:01 He used to say that I was the most beautiful baby he's ever seen. When I was young, he used to tell when I was young, I used to tell my friends that I have the best dad in the world. I don't think your dad can be mine like mine. And dad was like, "No, don't say that." But I appreciate. He used to, my dad was like the strongest people I ever knew. He used to be so fit. We used to play soccer together. We used to wrestle together. I used to eat very healthy. So every time he used to tell me that um one day when he one day he's going to leave us and I should be strong. I should take care of

1:13:46 family and I should be together with mom. I just didn't know it was going to be so sudden. He was practically superman. So I just didn't believe it was going to be just so soon. Dad's, as mom said, dad was really gifted. He could do almost anything. If you wanted to swim in a lake, he's already done that. If you wanted him to ride a bike, a motorbike, he's done that. He's If you wanted him to do a back flip, he can do it. So me and T look at each other and say that um what can we do also? Yeah, he could really do everything and he's Superman. Yeah, he used to

1:14:32 tell used to he used to tell me I should be ready to step up when his time is coming. We will never um I don't think I'll ever experience um such love again from a father like him. He was really amazing. I just wish that um one day I thought he was going to be he's going to be here when I have my own kids because he he loves grandchildren. I really wish he was still around to see that for me. Um yeah, I wondered why

1:15:19 um um I remember the time when I was writing my exam on Monday and after I was done, dad called me, asked me how the exam was when I went to go pick up. Then he was also passing by and I was wondering why he was home early, not realizing that dad might have been sick again. So I told him that I'll see you and goodbye not knowing that was my final goodbye. Yeah. Um I wish I added I love you if I knew that was the only time I was going to see him. So much love to him. Um when I

1:16:05 reach home I just I just remembered seeing him and I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. But when we rushed to the hospital and his head was on my laps, I told him everything will be okay, Dad. And indeed everything is okay because his soul is in heaven. We will meet on that beautiful show. Dad, I love you. When you are leading such a service and then had when you're leading such a service and you also had a

1:16:51 relationship with the late you are tempted to tell stories but since we are behind time Uh I will not tell you those stories. Um thank you very much for the two tributes and I must say that we are doing very well in terms of remembering our brother and telling these stories to ourselves and thanking God for such a life. Um I had so much grace for those who were presenting and the grace is going now lower and lower from now onwards 3 minutes. Um the family decided to have

1:17:39 two representatives and we'll have one from Mr. Chilumba's side and the other one from Mrs. Chilumba's side. And as we continue uh with our tributes, I will ask the family representative number one Dr. Kanga Pesulu uh who will come and give us the tribute and then followed by Mrs. Lubona Ad uh Mrs. Lubona Ado. If you are here, please come forward. Come and take a seat here. Hope I pronounced that correctly. She'll come and say it the

1:18:24 right way. Fellow moners, I greet you all in the blessed name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I'm here to give a tribute one half of uh the family tribute. Beloved family and friends and all mourers gathered here today, we stand before you with heavy hearts, yet with gratitude for the precious life of our dear Patrick Chilumba, fondly known as Uncle Patrick. Though words feel inadequate to capture the depth of our sorrow, we come together to celebrate a life

1:19:11 well-lived, a life of love, wisdom, humility, and unwavering faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And to a large extent, these traits, these characteristics have been ablely um represented in the tributes that have been delivered here. Before this one, Uncle Patrick was more than just a brother, a son, an uncle, a cousin or a friend. He was a pillar in our family, a beacon of kindness, wisdom, and selflessness. His life was one of service. Service to his family, to his community, and most importantly to his

1:19:57 Lord. He did not simply speak of biblical principles. He lived them out daily with unwavering dedication. His home was always open, as we have heard, to those who needed guidance, encouragement, and love. He mentored many young people, shaping their lives with patience, and devotion. To him, no one was ever too small to be listened to, no burden too heavy to be shared. To his siblings, he was more than a brother. He was a protector, a source of strength, and a provider. Cooker remembers him as a mentor who

1:20:42 whether in deep theological discussions or in the simple joy of building something with their hands inspired learning, understanding and creativity. To Muhama, he was a father figure offering love and support unconditionally. He was a sweetheart to young Chiluia and a rock of stability to his mother and the entire family. to Mrs. Florence Zulu and Cynthia Chilumba. He was a wise counselor, always ready with words of encouragement, ever present with a listening ear and a warm heart. Uncle Patrick's humility was truly remarkable. As Grandpa Everisto

1:21:30 fondly recalls, he was always softspoken, always smiling, and ever respectful. He did not have time for anger. He treated those around him with utmost respect. Honoring his elders, uplifting his peers, and nurturing the young with love and patience. His words carried weight, not because he sought to command authority, but because they were filled with wisdom and grace. His love for the Lord Jesus Christ was evident in all he did. I here today describe him as a man who stood out because of his faith. A man whose

1:22:17 testimony will live on in the lives of all he touched. Uncle Patrick walked in the ways of the Lord and through his journey though seemingly short he left an indelible mark. What a life. What a testimony. What a blessing he was to us all. Today, as we lay Uncle Patrick to rest, we are struck by a profound sense of divine timing. This day, the 4th of April, is not only the day we bid farewell to our beloved Uncle Patrick, but it is also the very date on which his father passed away in 1992. It is as though the Lord in his uh

1:23:04 infinite wisdom has brought father and son together in eternal rest on this special date. This shared day deepens our reflection and reminds us that our times our times are truly in God's hands. As we say our final goodbyes, we do so with the comfort that Uncle Patrick has fought the good fight. He has finished his race and he now rests in the arms of our savior. Though our hearts ache, we take solace in the hope of reunion, that glorious day when we shall meet again in eternity. Uncle Patrick was truly a gift

1:23:49 to us all. His legacy of love, kindness, and faith will forever remain in our hearts. Blessed be the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Good afternoon everyone. I'm actually Luana Ado. He tried. Um I am giving this tribute on uh behalf of the Saman Mumbai Lunga families. Today we celebrate the life of an extraordinary man. Uncle Patrick as many fondly called him. To some of us it was just Uncle P. To my children it was

1:24:36 Grandpa Patrick. Uncle Patrick was a beloved father not only to his biological children but to many others and I will attest to the fact that I looked at him as a father figure. He was an in-law brother and a devoted husband to my aunt. As we are gathered here to bid him farewell from this earthly plain, let us reflect on the profound impact that he had on every one of us. The Lord gave Uncle Patrick the gift of being able to relate to relate with and connect with others so effortlessly. He just made it look so easy to speak to

1:25:21 others. I often joked and said, "You can speak to anyone, but I struggle to connect with people if I don't have anything in common with them." This gift he used so well and many of us can also attest to this and as we all formed our own special bonds with him. Uncle Patrick opened his heart and home to our family without complaint or discrimination. His generosity knew no bounds as he welcomed us with open arms, treating each of us as his own. He was not only a devoted husband, as I said earlier, ever supportive and caring towards his wife, but he also stood as a pillar of strength and

1:26:07 guidance for his children. He exemplified what it meant to be a good father, teaching by example and nurturing with unconditional love. His compassion extended beyond our immediate family. Uncle Patrick dedicated himself to looking after the elderly and orphans among us, ensuring that no one felt alone or forgotten. He and his loving wife championed the importance of education, providing financial support to many who needed it. Respectful and kind, Uncle Patrick embraced the wisdom of our elders and inspired us all to do the same. His faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

1:26:54 shone brightly through his deeds, illuminating the path for others to follow. He was a true witness of the gospel to us all. Though we mourn his passing, let us remember Uncle Patrick's spirit. a loving brother, a devoted husband, a caring father. May we carry forward his legacy of love, generosity, and respect for one another and his love for our savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you, Uncle Patrick, for everything you were to us. Indeed, God takes the best first. An angel you were. The Lord gave you to us short as it may be and he has called you to be amongst

1:27:41 his saints in glory. You will forever hold a special place in our hearts until we meet again. Thank you Kanga and Luon for those beautiful tributes. I usually used to tell Uncle Patrick that the reason why I don't visit you is simply because I've got a phobia for dogs and one I will obviously say yes to that. [Applause] Um, we are going to have a song which is also a tribute and I just want to say something

1:28:28 before Sanctum comes to share this song that this song was composed by Dr. Timani Piri and it was written by Dr. Manipiri uh in dedication to the family and friends of Patrick. In other words, it was composed for this particular function occasion and this week. I will ask Sanctum to come and share the song after which we will continue with the tributes. And just to encourage those who are yet to come that please uh let

1:29:13 us try to do it um quickly if I may use that word uh without indeed uh diluting the message because we are really behind time and we still have the program at Memorial Park and we also know that we have to beat time. We've been given the slot of 13 I mean 11 hours to 13 hours at Memorial Park. So sanctum

1:30:02 [Music] Our hearts are bleeding. Our hearts are sore. Here we are pleading. Comfort would you pour cords of death entangled anguish of the grave overwhelms swelling with sorrow seeking God who made the

1:30:53 real mercy. Yeah. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Our hearts are bleeding. Our hearts are

1:31:41 sore. Here we are. Heat. Yeah. Heat. Heat.

1:32:31 Heat. Heat. Heat. I come and wipe away all my tears of compassion. [Music]

1:33:28 by the Lord. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat.

1:34:28 [Music] Oh, heat, heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat.

1:35:20 In a broken heart by the [Music] woods. Amen. We will proceed and have the representatives and that is from the employers and under this we have two representatives that will be coming forward to give their tributes and we'll first

1:36:07 uh call upon Mr. Cheswam Pandamabula from the cooperating partners and then we'll move on to FAO later. Mr. Chesa Pandabula, Madame Sus Pi Filipino will be next. Please prepare yourself. Fellow mourers, I stand before you this morning to share a tribute on behalf of the

1:36:53 nutrition cooperating partners group. We are a collective of development partners and donor agencies that support Zambia's efforts towards achieving positive nutritional outcomes. And just to mention before I read the tribute we prepared, I knew Mr. Patrick Chilumba in three ways. In official meetings, I addressed him as Mr. Chilumba. When speaking about him to colleagues, I addressed him as Patrick. When I spoke to him bilaterally, he was uncle Patrick. So for the context of this tribute, as we

1:37:39 fondly called him in the sector, I will address him as Patrick. Patrick was a dear friend and valued colleague to many of us working in the nutrition sector in Zambia. He was a dedicated professional known for his collaborative spirit, determination, and sincere care. Patrick was widely recognized as a monitoring and evaluation specialist with a strong commitment to advancing sustainable food systems and improved nutrition outcomes in Zambia. He was without a doubt a tremendous asset to the nutrition cooperating partners

1:38:25 group. Over the past year, he supported our group's secretariat functions, ensuring that our deliberations were accurately captured and follow-up actions were executed in a timely and efficient manner. His attention to detail was greatly appreciated. Beyond his technical news, Patrick was engaged in efforts to keep nutrition high on the national agenda. Whether he was facilitating the exchange of knowledge and best practices to improve nutrition or contributing analytical insights to strengthen food system transformation ambitions, Patrick was always

1:39:10 present bringing both strong expertise and unwavering dedication to the process. His absence would deeply be felt across the food and nut nutrition sector. However, his contributions will not be forgotten, especially by those of us who had the privilege of working alongside him. Thank you very much. We are doing fine in terms of observing time. Uh the next one to come is the FAO country representative, her excellency Madame Suzie Filipini.

1:40:08 Peace, honorable guest, family and friends of our dear colleague Patrick Chilumba, senior government officials UN agencies representative, fellow uh workmates at the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, members of the Scaling Nutrition Program, and all who have gathered here

1:40:56 Today it is with a very heavy heart that I stand before you to pay tribute to a dear colleague who sudden passing has left loss with a deep sense of loss. Patrick was not only a dedicated professional but also a kind and humble

1:41:43 person who touched the lives of many through his work and unwilling commitment to improving food security and nutrition in Zambia. Patrick joined the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO, in July 2021 as a monitoring and evaluation specialist for the office of FO in Zambia and assigned to uh the scaling of

1:42:30 nutrition. program. In this role, he played a critical part in ensuring that the program's objectives were effectively tracked, assessed, and aligned with Zambia's national nutrition agenda. Through his meticulous data collection, analysis and reporting, Patrick helped strengthen evidence base decision making contributing to policies and

1:43:15 interventions that improved the well-being of vulnerable communities across the country. Beyond his technical contributions, Patrick was an integral part of the FL family. He was deeply committed to FO's mission and played a key role in organizing big events for the office such as the World Food Day celebrations, the agricultural show and

1:44:02 our annual staff retreat to ensure that His occasions were meaningful and impactful. Patrick impact extended far beyond. He was a reliable M& specialist in the UN nutrition teams. In this capacity, he interacted widely with colleagues from most of the UN agencies in Zambia and the resident coordinator's office. He was a people's person in the

1:44:50 office such that in 2023 he was unanimously elected as the FO staff representative and represented FO of the UN staff representatives group. to his colleagues. Patrick was more than just a monitoring and evaluation specialist. He was a mentor, a source of wisdom, and a friend. His passions, diligence, and willingness to support others will always be remembered.

1:45:40 Patrick's work ethic and passion for making a difference will continue to inspire us. to his beloved family, the FO team in Zambia as well as all the FO teams in Africa in Rome where we have our headquarter. We are we share in your grief and sorrow, but we also celebrate the life of a man who devoted

1:46:26 himself to a cause greater than himself. His impact will not be forgotten and his contributions will life on through the work that he championed. As we bid farewell to Patrick, let us honor his memory by carrying forward his commitment to excellence, service and dedication to the people of Zambia. His lives work reminds us that every effort we make in ensuring food security and nutrition has

1:47:12 the power to change life. Rest in peace, dear Patrick. Your legacy will endure and your FO family will forever hold you in our hearts. Thank you. Thank you uh Mr. Panda Magula and her excellency Madame Suz Percy Filipini. [Music] Um most of us would have loved to say a

1:47:59 lot about our dear brother Mr. Patrick Chulumba and we do apologize that we did not all have this opportunity to express ourselves. Uh but one other group of people he worked so closely with and worked together for a number of years uh his brothers here at Lusaka Baptist Church in the diaonet. He was a deacon and his fellow deacons would like to give a tribute and it is only fitting that we ask them to do so. Can we please have

1:48:45 the one giving the deacons tribute to come So this is a a tribute uh from the deacons of Lusaka Baptist Church uh in honor of our beloved brother, a fellow servant uh and deacon Patrick Chilumba. Uh we uh the deacons of Lusaka Baptist

1:49:32 Church uh give thanks to God uh for the life of our brother, our colleague, our friend uh Patrick Chilumba. It is with very very heavy hearts that we pinned down uh these words and it is also with uh very heavy hearts that we share these words uh with you. But we also are filled with deep gratitude uh for the privilege of serving alongside a man who truly loved the Lord, loved his family, and loved the

1:50:18 church. Uh Patrick was in every sense a servant. He bore the heart of one who sought not recognition but faithfulness in the little and great. His final Sunday with us was a testimony to the life that he lived. As you may have heard, he drove the church bus. He taught his disciplehip class and saved at communion table uh with us. All this in one day. And that

1:51:04 was Patrick. Tireless, willing, joyful, and ready to as his fellow deacons. He was more than a colleague in ministry. He had a kind and watchful heart towards the rest of us. He looked out uh for us. He noticed when we were abbidden and quietly stepped in to lighten the Lord. Just this past Sunday, as we served communion together,

1:51:50 uh he quietly turned to one brother who he seemingly saw to be struggling and said to him, "Vala, we can collect the cups. You don't need to do it." And this actually revealed his heart. Always looking out for others, always ready to serve quietly, gently, and faithfully. Apatrick was a very practical and very prag pragmatic man. He didn't merely talk about saving. He showed us how to save as

1:52:36 well. One brother in the diaonet recalls asking him for help on how to prepare the Lord's table or the communion table being new to the office of deacon. uh without any hesitation a brother Patrick recorded a short instructional video which he later shared with the others as well. Uh that was a kind of initiative and thoughtfulness that he consistently displayed. He was approachable and a deep thinker on many occasions. His

1:53:23 insights into scripture revealed a profound grasp of God's truth, rich, thoughtful, and anchored in very sound doctrine. He had a calm, deliberate way of engaging ideas and conversations, willing uh to listen and always pointing us back to what really mattered. He had a he had time for young people uh those within and beyond the diaonet. He made time to disciple young brothers to answer their questions to guide them patiently and to encourage

1:54:09 them to grow in both service and understanding. Many of us could speak of moments when in a confusion and discouragement, a simple call to him brought clarity and much comfort. I'm sure you've heard that he was gentle and firm at the same time. He carried himself with humility but also with much conviction. He did not shy away from speaking truth and truth in love especially when it concerned the health

1:54:55 uh of the church. He often urged us as deacons to take preemptive actions particularly in support and protection of our church elders reflecting his clear understanding of spiritual oversight and church manship. We had always admired how Patrick wisely dealt with um complex issues uh that varied from demands uh that came from mission stations that we have as Laka Baptist Church. He had the ability to respond with discernment while holding firmly to biblical convictions.

1:55:42 It was a mark of his spiritual maturity and wisdom. A truth spoken with grace. Decisions made with much care. Apart from our usual chimuya jokes in the jaconate, what stood out most was his genuine care and concern for all of us. He was a steady presence amongst us, one who lived his faith boldly. one whose life testified of a heart which was shaped by grace. If there's one sorrow that we carry as deacons right now, it is that we may not have told him

1:56:32 often enough just how much we loved him, how much we appreciated his quiet strength, his cheerful presence, and his selfless service to the body of Christ. and to his God. Nonetheless, we're very confident of this fact that our brother has heard those very beautiful words from the Lord who he so much loved. Well done, good and faithful

1:57:17 servant. Enter now into the joy of your master. Farewell, dear brother. Farewell. It's okay. You fought the good fight. You finished the race. You kept the faith, miss you dearly, but you do not grieve as those without hope in

1:58:04 Christ. Please turn with me to the words found in John chapter 14. John chapter 14 reading from verse one and from verse 1 to 4. These are the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God, believe also in me. In my father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place

1:58:53 for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go, you know, and the way you know. Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you're going, and how can we know the [Music] way?" Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except

1:59:39 through me." Shall we rise if we can and sing together? We speak of the realms and this is hymn number 794. Shall we rise if we are able to? Heat. Heat.

2:00:37 Heat up here. Heat. Heat.

2:01:39 Hey, Yeah. Heat. Oh, heat.

2:02:36 Heat up here. A Yeah.

2:03:32 Heat. Yeah. Heat. [Music]

2:04:22 bring God's word to us is our pastor here at Lusaka Baptist Church, Pastor Ronald Khalifunga. I will be inviting him to come and first of all give the church tribute and then proceed to give us God's word. I will be drawing your attention to Job 19 verse 25- 27 in a

2:05:10 [Music] moment. You may want to turn to that if you have come with your [Applause] Bible. But before I do that, I want to bring a tribute and perhaps begin [Applause] by expressing our very heartfelt condolences to the Chulumba family, to Lydia and the children and everyone. We know this is a difficult time for you. We share in your grief and I've prayed that the Lord would comfort you and strengthen you in this moment.

2:06:00 Now, if you searched for Patrick Chulumba on the internet, you would likely find an impressive resume, a monitoring and evaluation advisor at the UN, a national senior expert at GFA Consulting Group, an expert in due diligence, business analysis and financial management among other roles. What about his spiritual and church regimen? We've heard something of that already. Patrick became a Christian in

2:06:48 1992 at a Zafes meeting, invited by a friend. On that occasion, Pastor Conrad in Beweek was preaching on the theme, the day of judgment. Patrick later testified, "I realized I would go to hell if I died that day." He was confronted with the reality of his sin and the dire consequences of remaining in that condition. However, several months passed before he truly understood that fearing judgment was not

2:07:34 enough. He needed to seek forgiveness and commit his life to Christ. In the same year around 11 p.m. in his college room at NRDC, Patrick confessed his sins, asked God for forgiveness, and committed his life to Christ. Patrick became a member of Laka Baptist Church in 1996 and remained faithful for 29 years. He was a dedicated participant in church life, regularly attending services, actively engaging in Bible

2:08:19 study and ministry work at large. His thirst for biblical knowledge led him to grow rapidly in his understanding of the scriptures and the doctrines. so dearly loved and held among us here at Lusaka Baptist Church. Over the years, he played an active role in several ministries, including the senior YP ministry, teaching the intermediate Bible class, leading a home fellowship group. He was engaged in student outreach particularly at NRDC his former college

2:09:08 where he and others notably Mr. Matthew mobilized students to gather regularly to hear preaching and engage in worship. He was committed to the transport ministry. He engaged in premarital counseling alongside his wife Lydia, preparing many young people for marriage. Of course, he served as a deacon and he served faithfully conducting himself with integrity. Patrick was known for his godliness, compassion, and

2:09:56 humility. One of his final sermons, and he didn't preach very much. He taught a lot, but one of his final sermons here at Lusaka Baptist Church was on the subject of pride and humility. He preached from Proverbs 18 and verse 12. verse 12 which states before destruction the heart of man is haughty but humility comes before honor. His message highlighted the danger of pride the blessing of humility and then he brought some applications for believers encouraging Christians to cultivate humility in

2:10:43 their walk with God. Patrick lived out these values exemplifying humility in his daily life. Patrick valued loyalty. A few weeks ago during a sermon series on the Christian life from grace to glory, it was entitled. I spoke about the importance of Christian friendships like hopeful in a book called pilgrims progress who was an encouragement to Christian. After the service, Patrick approached me and said, "Pastor, I have a hopeful. My hopeful is Chibili." He was

2:11:33 mentioned earlier on and indeed he had a good friend in both Chipil and Mumba Chamba. His example challenges us to ask, do we have a hopeful in our lives beyond his personal friendships, Patrick and Lydia demonstrated incredible hospitality. Their home was a refuge and sanctuary for many young people. It was a place where young people were mentored for life. They frequently hosted church related

2:12:18 meetings and functions for which we extend our sincere gratitude to Lydia. Thank you. Many of us last saw Patrick just a few days ago. He was present at the prayer meeting on Saturday as we gathered for a day of prayer and fasting. He attended Sunday services as usual, driving the church bus, worshiping, serving at the Lord's supper during the evening service, and he showed no sign of distress. Thus, his sudden passing on

2:13:04 Monday came to us as a great shock. Yet we take comfort in knowing [Music] that Patrick lived a life well spent in devotion to God and now he rests in a far better place. Having preserved or rather persevered through life's trials and temptations, he has entered

2:13:50 heaven. Welcomed by the angels. He has reached the land of Bola, a place of immense beauty and peace. There there is no more sin, no more death, no more tears. Though we will miss him dearly. It will not be long before we along with his hopeful join him in glory. Amen.

2:14:47 Let me now draw your attention to Job and chapter 19. Job 19 from verse 25. I'm reading from the New King James Version. I'll take just a few minutes seeing that our time is running very quickly. For I know that my redeemer lives, and he shall

2:15:33 stand at last on the earth. And after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my flesh I shall see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall beholds within me. On this sad occasion in which we remember the passing of our dear brother Patrick as well as

2:16:19 celebrate his homegoing. I wish to draw your tech your attention to the text I have read to us and I am reliably informed by his wife that this was his favorite text on the day in which we are remembering his life and celebrating his life. I thought it would be fitting to remember him by reflecting on the words he so dearly loved. And it's important to appreciate something of the context of these words. Job, a righteous and blameless

2:17:05 man, has suffered unimaginable loss. He has lost his children. He has lost his property. He has lost his health. His friends rather than support and comfort him accuse him of sinning and of deserving the suffering he was going through. Job has maintained his innocence and integrity but he is struggling to understand why God is allowing him to suffer. Indeed he fel he felt rejected

2:17:52 by God by friends and by society. Driven by desperation, he fell back upon the truth and justice of God. He almost declared that God may be treating him like this. God may have allowed him to go through this, but because the God he knew was a just God, he should be vindicated somehow or other. He trusted God would vindicate him. And even if he died, there would certainly come a way

2:18:41 of vindicating him, a way a way of rectifying particularly his friends views of him. So his trust in the justice of God gave him certainty and it gave him certainty in two things and that is what I want to share with us before I bring one or two applications. First, the certainty related to the knowledge that his redeemer lives that his redeemer will stand on earth. He was suffering. He was

2:19:30 misunderstood. He needed a redeemer and he was persuaded that he had a redeemer. Now by redeemer we are to understand three things. First of all by redeemer he was referring to his kinsman. The nearest king the nearest kin kinsman to all. In other words, a brother, his brother, someone who was more than a brother. He was in fact referring to Jesus

2:20:15 Christ. Now, mind you, this is uh thousands of year rather hundreds of years before Jesus came, before Jesus walked the surface of this world. And God had miraculously and supernaturally revealed to Job this kinsman, this brother, this who was not ashamed to call him brother. this who would not forsake him even if his own friends who knew him, they knew of his integrity, they knew of his works

2:21:01 forsook him. No kinsman is so near to us as Jesus is. And Job understood that so many years before he was expecting Jesus to live to come upon this world to stand on this earth to be his friend amid cruel friends. so many years after. There is no doubt that Patrick had this same friend who stood by him even through difficult

2:21:47 times. No wonder he loved this text. No wonder it was his favorite text. For I know that my redeemer lives. Redeemer was also a reference to his vindicator. This is actually more closer to the precise and direct meaning for this text. His vindicator. because friends were accusing him of being a sinner even if he was a blameless and righteous and god-fearing man. His friends thought as some do in

2:22:32 our own day who expect that a Christian cannot suffer, a Christian cannot go through calamity. If it does, it's because he has no faith or because he has sinned. Job experienced that. And he looked therefore to someone who would vindicate him. Someone who would vindicate him from every false charge by pleading the cause of his soul. Someone who would vindicate him from every ji and jest. Someone who would vindicate him

2:23:17 even from true charges. Someone who would bear his sin for him. Someone who would become his righteousness. Someone who would justify him. He needed a vindicator from the accuser of the brethren, from Satan. He needed someone who would stand by him and say, "The Lord rebuke you, oh Satan." He needed someone who would deliver him from Satan. whose business it is

2:24:07 here below to accuse the brethren. By redeemer he meant redeemer. Someone who would free him from bondage, the bondage of sin. Someone who would restore his lost estates, his privileges, his joys from the hand of his enemy. Someone who would redeem him both by price and by power. And he knew that that redeemer was

2:24:53 there. I know. He says, "My redeemer lives and he shall stand at last on the earth." Jesus ultimately was such a redeemer. And Job was ultimately saying in addition to all that I have said that everything may be gone, children may be gone, property may be gone, health may be gone, but my redeemer is still there. He is still my

2:25:41 own. He lives for me. I will cling to him. He is my only hope in life and in death. The knowledge that his redeemer lives. The second thing he was certain of was that he would see God in his resurrected body. Listen to what he says in verse six. Having mentioned the fact that he knew that his redeemer lived, he goes on to say, "And after my skin is destroyed, this I know that in my

2:26:27 flesh I shall see God." And he was emphatic upon the fact that he himself will see God. My eyes shall behold not another not another. I shall see God. Now there are a number of things he would have been implying by that. First of all he is implying the fact that we see God in the face of Jesus Christ. God is invisible. We all know that in the children's catechism, children always answer that God does not have a body like man. He

2:27:16 doesn't. He's invisible. How will Job see he who is invisible? How will Job see he who cannot be contained by space? How will Job see he who transcends time? He will see him in the face of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus, who is God, became a man. And many thousands of years before Jesus came, Job could see that Jesus will come upon the earth. A

2:28:04 body will be prepared for him. And a day will indeed come when Job, who lived so many hundred years before, will see him. He will see him. Jesus would be born. Jesus would eventually die. And Jesus will live again. And he won't just live again. He will live forever. Job will also die. And this is what he means when he says here in verse 26,

2:28:51 "And after my skin is destroyed, he will die. His skin will be destroyed." Job will also die. But in saying he will see his redeemer, he and not another, he is also saying he will live again. In the same way that Jesus lived and died and lived again, Job will live again.

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