“He will swallow up death for all time, and the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, and He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken.”Isaiah 25:8

Paul wrote that, because of sin, death has reigned in all our lives (Romans 5:17). We feel this cruel reign as we experience the impact of sin in the world. Yet, even in the Old Testament, the Bible promises that one day God would swallow up death in victory. There would be no more loss, no more pain. Through the Resurrection of Jesus, everything changes for us. We still experience the consequences of sin and sometimes face strained relationships and financial, emotional, or physical needs. We still endure pain and may shed tears because of problems or troubles in the world. But we can be victorious because of the finished work of Jesus on the Cross for us. We need to remember the words of Paul that “if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11). God has promised His Resurrection life and power to all who believe in Jesus! He has promised to quicken our mortal bodies! Brothers & Sisters,Today, no matter what struggles you face, remember that Jesus died for your sins. You can be forgiven of every sin you’ve committed. You can be healed, because by His stripes we are healed (Isaiah 53:5). You can know the power of His Resurrection to change your life—right now! Declare victory, and dedicate your life to Him! He has swallowed up death for all time! And He will wipe away every tear from your eyes!

"Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God."Psalms 20:7

We live in a world full of corruption and deceit. But you know what really DOES surprise me? We would sooner trust in doctors we don't know and medicines we've never heard of than trust in the healing touch of the Lord! We've somehow, been conditioned to look for every possible physical solution to our health problems and finally, when those don't work, we throw up our hands and say "Oh well, there's nothing left to do but pray!" Brothers & Sisters, let's get real here! We need to go to God FIRST! Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you! Haven't we heard this somewhere before? Let's start putting our trust first in the Lord today! WHO DO YOU TRUST?

"And the angel of the LORD appeared to him, and said to him, The LORD is with you, you mighty man of valour!"Judges 6:12

Judges 6 begins with an angel talking to Gideon saying, "thou mighty man of valour!" However, in this passage Gideon isn't feeling very valiant -- he's consumed with his circumstances -- how poor his family is and how he's the least of his fathers' house. He doesn't feel he's done anything worthy of being called valiant, yet the angel still addresses him "mighty man of valour!" Gideon is not the only one who struggles with feeling unvaliant, though, is he? Even the best of us struggle with feelings of failure and defeat. But we must remember that we are part of the Lord's army -- and in the Lord's army we do not depend upon our own strength. We depend upon the power of the Lord! We depend upon the victory that He has already won! Imagine the countless thousands of saints like Gideon who have passed away before us and now sit in heaven's glory where every tear is dried, and every wound is healed -- who have already fought the battle of life and are calling down to us from heaven saying "Fellow Saint, you can get through this thing! Fight this battle -- for we have fought these same battles in our lives and been rewarded with heaven's glory! So fight through and we'll see you soon beside us! March forward you mighty man and woman of valor!" Brothers & Sisters, the Lord stands anxiously awaiting our call. He wants us to walk in His power, not our own! Let's give him our circumstances today and strive to rely on His strength to conquer them! BE VALIANT!

"Let the redeemed of the LORD say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south. They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in. Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses."Psalms 107:2-6

In his book, Pilgrim's Progress, John Bunyan has written one of the most beautiful allegories about the journey we all travel as a believers. The book describes the hero, Christian, and his journey from the City of Destruction to his heavenly destination, the Celestial City. Now there's one part of Pilgrim's Progress that I want to focus on today -- walking through the Swamp of Despondency! At one point during their travels, Christian and his companion suddenly find themselves there....in the Swamp of Despondency. Still bearing his burden, Christian, begins to sink in the mire. His traveling companion manages to get out, but he returns to the City of Destruction without giving aid to Christian. Christian is left all alone and sinking even deeper in the mire, until Help, the allegorical figure for the Holy Spirit, pulls him free from the swamp. Christian then asks Help why this dangerous plot of land has not been mended so that poor travelers might go safely to the Celestial City. Help replies, "This miry slough is such a place that cannot be mended." How true it is in real life! As hard as we try to avoid them, whether young in the Lord, or spiritually mature...swamps of despondency seem inevitable, and we must struggle through them! Charles Spurgeon once wrote to his students in the book, "Lectures to my Students", "Fits of depression come over most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be, we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous, the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the joyous not always happy. There may be here and there men of iron...but surely the rust frets even these." Brothers & Sisters, there are times in our lives when we will struggle through the swamps of despondency -- but praise God that He has provided us a helper for those times of need! We need to press through, seeking and trusting the power of the Holy Spirit to pull us out of those nasty swamps, and set our feet back upon the Rock of our salvation. Let's also look around us to see our brethren who may be struggling in the swamps of despondency, so that, rather than abandoning them, we might give them a hand on their journey to the celestial city! PRESS THROUGH THE SWAMPS!

"Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth."Psalms 46:10

So often life can become so hectic that it becomes hard to find time to sit still and just listen to what the Lord is saying. But Jesus often secluded himself, so that He could commune intimately with His Father. In these days and in this hour it's so imperative that we spend time in our own prayer closets, so we can clearly hear what our Father is saying to us, through His still small voice. If we do, we may find some wonderful and valuable things that others have missed. Brothers & Sisters, the question isn't whether God will speak, but whether we will take the time to be quiet and still enough to hear His voice. Let's be sure to take that time to hear what He's saying to us! LISTEN CAREFULLY!

"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost."Romans 15:13

I heard a story about a man who was imprisoned during Napoleons reign. While sulking in his dungeon one day, he etched on the wall the words "Nobody Cares". A few weeks later, through a crack in the dungeon floor, a little green shoot sprang forth, reaching toward the tiny ray of sunlight that came from his small prison cell window. The prisoner began giving a portion of his daily water to the little shoot and it began to grow. One morning the man awoke to a beautiful flower. A tear rolling down his face, he crossed out the words, "Nobody Cares" and replaced them with "God Cares." The story goes on to tell that His devotion to the flower was reported to the Empress Josephine. She was so very moved that she convinced Napoleon to set the man free. How many times do we feel like "Nobody Cares"? God has planted little shoots of hope in each and every one of our difficult circumstances -- do you know that? Perhaps we're stepping on them, not even noticing they exist. Perhaps we're pulling the shoots before they spring forth into beautiful flowers. Brothers & Sisters, God wants us to be released from our prisons of despair. Look around! See what God has planted since the beginning of time especially for us today. A FLOWER FOR YOU!

"Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, Owill he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?"Matthew 7:9-11

Another great preacher whose writings I love to read wrote, "I once imagined I was in Heaven, walking along with the Angel Gabriel. I said, "Gabe, what is that big building over there?" "You'll be disappointed," he answered. "I don't think you want to see it." But I insisted, and he proceeded to show me floor after floor of beautiful gifts, all wrapped and ready to be sent. "Gabriel, what are all of these?" He said, I thought rather sadly, "We wrapped all these things, but people never called for them." There are gifts and an abundance of blessings to be received from heaven -- but we need to claim them as our own! We receive not because we've asked not. Brothers & Sisters, when we ask the Lord in humility and expectation for His goodness, He will answer! Then we'll be better equipped to do the great things He has in store for us. CLAIM YOUR GIFTS!

"Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness" -- and he was called a friend of God."James 2:20-23

Looking at the relationship between "love and affection" and "obligation" , we find another closely related word, "chaver", one of the Hebrew words for "friend". Friends are people with whom we share love and affection and also a sense of obligation. Our God and Father wants us to be His friends, to share love and affection with Him and to carry the sense of responsibility and obligation which friendship requires. Abraham was a friend to God. He believed and trusted His Friend, but he also came to share the awesome responsibility of that friendship. Abraham's Friend, the Lord Himself, asked Abraham to become a living picture of His relationship with His own Son, Jesus, by offering his own beloved son Isaac on an altar at Mount Moriah. Abraham's response to his Friend's request expressed a level of commitment to the friendship which was probably unprecedented in all human history since the time of Adam. Brothers & Sisters, as we consider these Hebrew words and their common roots, we begin to see that Biblical language expresses profound realities, and carries meanings which resound through history. And we find that the God of all creation desires an intimate friendship with human beings He created and loves. But that friendship involves degrees of commitment which test the very frontiers of relationship. If you are on one of those frontiers, you may count yourself blessed. Not everyone is called "a friend of God." BE HIS FRIEND!

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels."Isaiah 61:10

The common romantic view of love in films and novels draws heavily on strong feelings of affection or passion. Even our love for God can flow from those kinds of feelings. (The apostle Peter was filled with them shortly before he denied the Lord three times.) But love based on obligation is another matter, and it's significant that the Jewish marriage contract, the "Ketubah", contains a list of “obligations” that a husband is required to fulfill for his wife. He might be passionately "in love" with her when he signs this contract, yet the wisdom of experience says this passion may wither with time, so the marriage ceremony formally "obligates" him to his spouse. By accepting these “obligations”, he agrees that love is nurtured by commitment. One Rabbi commented: “Love which flows from obligation endures, but when obligation follows love, both are doomed.” Our bridal relationship to Jesus also reflects this reality. His "obligation" to us flowed from an irrevocable decision of His will and commitment to love us...which cost Him His human life. We might speculate on the Lord's feelings for us, but we don't have to wonder at all about His obligation, or the absolute security we have in His love for us. Our love for Him can be the same. Feelings of love are wonderful. But they also come and go. And there will be times when we wonder, “Where's that loving feeling? Is God really there?” And that's when the sure foundation of commitment will arise in the heart of every true lover. Brothers & Sisters, God's great love for us is expressed in His commitment; to cover our debt of sin; guide us through this earthly life, and be our eternal Heavenly Husband. Cleansed by His blood and filled with His Spirit we can love Him and one another with the same commitment. The feelings will follow. UNDERSTAND THE OBLIGATION OF LOVE!

"One thing I have desired of the Lord, That will I seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord All the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to inquire in His temple."Psalm 27:4

The Hebrew word for "face" is "panim", (the Hebrew letters, peh-nun-yud-mem), literally "faces", a plural word. Normally, when we think about God, we focus only upon one of His "faces” at a time. God is "love" – or He is "holy"-- or He is "just"--- or He's a God of "wrath". Yet, of course, ALL these "faces" are His at once; and so the word "panim" accurately reflects the truth of God's multifaceted being. As we get to know Him better we begin to appreciate the complexity of His nature and the fact that our focus on one "face" is a very limited view, since there's so much more going on in His amazing "Personality". Now the same four Hebrew letters which form the word "face", (peh-nun-yud-mem), also form the Hebrew word for "inside" or "interior". * This would seem to contradict the first meaning, "face", since "face" is the external part of a person or thing, not the inside. Yet here, as with many Hebrew words and concepts lies a deep truth, a paradox which expresses two sides of reality. The "face" is intimately connected with the "interior", and may accurately reveal the true "interior" of someone. There's even a science (or perhaps you might call it an art) of reading peoples' true attitudes and character by looking carefully at their facial expressions. So while we don't "judge a book by it's cover", we may begin to know a person better by carefully looking at her face...because it is true that the face often says something real about the inside of a person. Jesus said, "The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light." Inside and out, we're connected. And this is something God wants us to do with Him; to meditate, or gaze upon His "panim", His "faces", and so to receive from His interior depths. Someday, we will see Him "face to face", and begin to know Him in ways which are unimaginable. Yet it is possible, by His Spirit within us, to begin now. Brothers & Sisters, God desires us to look deeper into who He is, even as we only look or meditate on one of His "faces". King David expressed his own unique desire in these words: "One thing I have asked from God, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of God all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the God and to meditate in His temple." God's faces and His "interior" are one continuous eternal wonder. Let us spend time simply beholding Him! FACES REFLECT; REFLECT ON FACES & BEHOLD HIS BEAUTY!

For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled."2 Corinthians 10:3-6

The first king of Israel, King Saul,was told by God to utterly slay Amalek and his descendants. In blatant disobedience Saul allowed Agag, the king of the Amalekites and the best of the cattle to remain alive. The following day, Saul tried to remedy his disobedience by attempting to sacrifice the best of the cattle to the Lord. But the prophet Samuel informed Saul that because of his disobedience, his family would no longer reign over Israel, and he told Saul, "to obey is better than sacrifice." If offering the "best of the cattle" for sacrifice was a poor excuse for disobedience, its negative consequences must have paled in comparison with sparing the Amalekite King - whose infamous descendant Haman, an agagite (Esther 3:1) later rose to power seeking to destroy the entire Jewish population of Persia. If Saul had dealt with Agag as God instructed him, he would have spared his people, centuries later, from the agonizing contest with a vicious enemy who would destroy them. So it is with sin. Allow it to live and be sure it will return to slay you with more power. Don't compromise. "Small" sins lead to bigger ones, and soon enough the early footholds that are ignored will turn into strongholds which cannot be! Brothers & Sisters, "Take no prisoners" when dealing with sin -- seek to be rid of the little sins, so that later you will avoid the strongholds that may threaten to compromise or destroy your walk, your calling, your life, and the precious relationship that the Lord has purchased for you! SPARE YOURSELF, SLAY AGAG NOW!

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."Hebrews 13:20-21

While on the road to Damascus, Jesus appeared to Saul, blinded him and directed him to go to Damascus. There, God spoke to Ananias of Saul and told to lay hands on this troubled man. Ananias did as he commanded and Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit, healed of his blindness and immediately baptized. In another instance, while Cornelius was praying, God sent an angel to tell him "Go and find Peter and he shall tell you what you need to do." Cornelius, along with his household and friends, did what he commanded, and God used Peter to bring them all into the Kingdom! God could have easily brought both Saul and Cornelius into the Kingdom without the intervention of any believer – but that was not His plan. He used Ananias, Peter and countless others to finish what He had already started! In the same way, God wants to include us in His plans! He has been speaking to people in our families, neighborhoods, offices and everywhere else we go! He has been drawing them gently and He wants us to be a part of their salvation! Brothers & Sisters, God still speaks to his people, does he not? And we are his sheep and know His voice, do we not? Let's start being used by the Lord for His great purposes -- let's be open to hearing His direction! DO YOU FEEL USED?