He Lives!

At service they sang a song that I remembered my brother sang when he led singing and sang specials at a church we attended many years ago.
"He Lives"...
I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today,
I know that He is living, whatever men may say
I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer
and just the time I need Him, He's always near.

Chorus:
He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today.
He walks with me and talks with me
Along the narrow way
He lives, He lives, Salvation to impart
You ask me how I know He lives, he lives within my heart.

Going through more of mom's things this weekend I came across a picture. It was a picture of my mother and my daughter Hannah sitting on mom's bed. In the background of the picture, on the wall behind them, were pictures of my brother. At first I was a little creeped out. All 3 subjects in this picture were no longer with me.
But then this scripture came to my mind. Jesus talking to the Pharisees...
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Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
.....

Then today at this service, "He Lives" was sang and this scripture was posted on the big overhead screen.
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I Corinthians 15:55 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
57 But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
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Then its like the Lord reminded me that even though mom, Hannah, & Dewayne are no longer "with us" in the earth, this separation is only temporary. Really, that is all DEATH is, separation. But thanks be to God for giving us victory over DEATH, HELL, & the GRAVE. HE is the God of the living. Sometimes in our grief we act as the
Pharisees did when speaking of Abraham and their forefathers, in the past tense.
But they ARE ALIVE just as Jesus is ALIVE.
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John 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
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What a blessed hope!
Thoughts & Prayers, DLC