Michael Kahoekapu-Cruz's Cremation Service

Welcome & Call to Worship

On behalf of Michael’s family, I want to welcome & thank everyone who came this morning to remember Michael.

And I want to start off by reading a verse to you—Romans 12:15.

Romans 12:15 ESV

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

And that is what we’re here to do: to rejoice over everything good in Michael’s life, and to weep with those who are weeping because they’ve lost him. To weep at the loss, and yet to rejoice in God’s grace in the life that he lived.

And so, please join me in prayer:

“Father, please help us today. Please help these who have gathered to remember Michael, who you love. Please sound a strong note of hope through the gospel that Michael believed, and help us by your Spirit both to grieve and to rejoice...”

Message

Intro

What was the most significant thing about Michael?

Let me read for you the verse that he last shared on social media: Psalm 91:14. This verse is God talking about his Son. God says:

Psalm 91:14 ESV

“Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.

What was the most significant thing about Michael?

That he knew God’s name, and was God’s son.

And that was something—from all the testimony I’ve heard—that Michael clung to; it was his faith: ‘I know my Lord, and so, my Lord will save me.’ And he is now experiencing the reality of that, as he is with the Lord in glory.

But someone might say: Is that really true? Was Michael’s hope of salvation real? Has he really been saved to everlasting life with God? Or is that just some religious talk that people use to comfort themselves?

Well, the answer is, no—it is not just some talk. It is the most real of all real things. God saving his people—bringing them safely home to unending glory—is more real than the dirt between your fingers when you’re planting tomatoes in a garden, or the heat of the sun on your skin on hot summer day.

But how? How could merely knowing the Lord save your soul in this way?

Well, the answer to that question is in this very verse that Michael shared:

“Because [my Son] holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect [my Son], because he knows my name.”

It’s a verse about God’s Son—about God saving his Son. And as a son of God, Michael read it and trusted that God would save him.

But again, how? How could simply trusting in the Lord save you? That’s what I want to spend the next few minutes telling you about, and for two reasons: first, I want you to have comfort in knowing that Michael really has been saved into the presence of God; and second, I want you to understand what lead to Michael’s salvation, so that if you do not yet share his faith, you’ll have a chance to understand and believe.

So what I want to show you is this: this verse Michael is actually about Jesus himself, the true Son of God. It’s about God the Father rescuing his Son, Jesus, from the grave.

And the result of the Father rescuing Jesus was this: that all who trust in Jesus for salvation are also counted as God’s sons, and so also rescued from the grave, just like Jesus was.

And so It because the Father rescued his Son Jesus from the grave, that Michael, by trusting in Jesus, has also been saved.

Christ: The Son Who Was Delivered

Now, there’s a background story we need to really understand all this:

[God] First, God himself made all things—that’s where the story began.

From God’s own infinite and overflowing abundance of life, he created the world and everything in it. All the world—its oceans and flowers, snow-capped mountains and fruit trees and birds and galaxies and people and everything—all of these things receive their life and beauty from the infinite life and beauty of God.

And as the Creator of the universe, God also is its King—ruler over all things, and righteous judge of the world.

[Man] But God made mankind in a special way:

We weren’t just part of his creation—we were also made to rule over his creation and nurture it on God’s behalf, as an act of joyful praise to him.

And it was a beautiful design! But this is where the problem comes in: the first man, Adam, turned his heart away from God and tried to become god over his own life. It was an act of cosmic rebellion against the good and rightful King of all things: God himself.

And with Adam’s turn away from God, Adam’s heart turned to darkness. And we all, since that time, have had this same problem of darkness—of selfishness, pride, and much more that infests our hearts.

And darkest thing of all is this: that God is a good judge. He will not sweep our darkness under the rug, but will judge it as we deserve. He will judge and condemn us rightly for every dark thought, word, and action.

But in the face of such difficult truth, why did Michael have hope? How did he find hope in this verse, and in Jesus?

For Michael was like all of us: we all have fallen short of the goodness of God. We all have this darkness in our hearts, and this future judgement of our sins that is coming.

And yet, I’ve told you that Michael’s hope has now become a very real joy in the presence of God, and that he was not condemned, but now is in glory.

How could such a thing be true? How could he, or any of the rest of us, be rescued from sin and judgement?

[Christ] Well, that brings us back to Jesus, the true Son of God.

Even though Jesus had eternal joy and glory with the Father from before all time, he gave that up, and humbled himself, and became human like us to rescue us. He became human, and lived a life of perfect righteousness, and of perfect love for the Father.

And then he humbled himself even more: he took on himself the guilt of all his people—of Michael, and of everyone else who comes to him for salvation. And, carrying on himself the guilt and shame of our sins, he died beneath the judgement of God the Father in our place.

But long before Jesus was even born, that verse that Michael shared had already been written: “Because [my Son] holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name.” It was a prediction of how the Father would rescue his son Jesus from the grave. And so, when Jesus had successfully paid for the sins of his people, the Father delivered him from the grave in victory over death.

In this way, Jesus blazed the trail to glory for all his people: he removed their guilt by carrying it on himself until it was paid for, and then he defeated death itself on their behalf, so that they might draw near to the Father as his sons and daughters

Michael: The Son Who Trusted in Christ

And this was Michael’s hope: through Jesus, Michael too was a son of God. He was a son of God because he turned and trusted in Jesus to forgive his sins and to bring his heart to the Father. And because of that, even in his darkest hour, nothing could change the truth that he belonged to the Father and had an inheritance in glory.

And so, even now, Michael waits in the presence of Jesus for that day when Jesus will return, when those who died in faith will finally be raised back to life from the grave just as Jesus was.

And although I never met Michael, I can guess from the testimony of what’s been said about him, that he would want you to hear this: that this salvation is for everyone who who turns from sin to Jesus for forgiveness and salvation. Anyone who turns to Jesus receives this same promise that Michael did: that God saves his children, because they know him by faith.

Sing the Doxology? And/or Prayer:

“Lord, we thank you for Michael’s life, and for the memory of it. Even more, we thank you for your boundless grace and mercy by which you rescue sinners, by which you have brought him safely home to glory. Please give comfort to those he has left behind; please let the hope of glory sink into the hearts of all who are here...”

Thanks and Benediction

Numbers 6:24–26 ESV

The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

On behalf of the family, thank you for coming here and helping us to honor Michael Kahoekapu-Cruz and God’s grace in his life today.

Eulogy

Michael Kahoekapu-Cruz was born on February 15, 1993, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii. Of Native Hawaiian descent, he embodied the true spirit of aloha—kind-hearted, generous, and deeply loving.

As the eldest of five siblings—two sisters and two brothers—Michael had a natural protectiveness and a deep love for his family. He was a steady source of strength, always quick to help and uplift those around him.

He was also a gifted athlete. From childhood soccer and football games to track and canoe paddling in Hawaiian waters, Michael embraced physical activity with passion and dedication. This commitment to health and fitness stayed with him throughout his adult life.

After graduating from high school in Hawaii, Michael pursued health sciences at Portland Community College. His path eventually led him to Georgia, where he worked as a warehouseman for S&A Construction. During his time there, he attended North Gwinnett Church, which provided a meaningful sense of community and spiritual grounding. In 2022, he settled in Vancouver, WA, and found fulfillment as a CDL truck driver for Shaw Industries. Despite the demands of his profession, he remained dedicated to his well-being, often in the gym and always treasuring moments with loved ones.

Though he wasn't formally connected to a church here in the Northwest, Michael's faith was a steady and meaningful part of his life. He was a devoted reader of the Bible, especially drawn to the books of 2 Kings and Psalms. Psalm 91:14 held particular significance for him—it was the last verse he shared on social media, a quiet yet powerful reflection of his trust and belief. In his final days, he was actively engaged in Bible reading plans that focused on God's peace and freedom from fear. Friends who participated in the same Bible study recalled heartfelt conversations about God's grace, and the comforting truth that we are accepted and forgiven through Jesus Christ.