Death is Swallowed Up in Victory!

Back in June of 1996, the Air Force squadron I was serving in was wrapping up a lengthy deployment to Al-Jaber Airbase in Kuwait. Al-Jaber Airbase was located in the desolate and hot Kuwaiti desert and when you weren’t doing the mission, there was very little to do other than eat, sleep, work out, and do your laundry. And of those things, eating was the most adventurous. The chow hall was run by a local contractor and most of us got dysentery at least once during the deployment. The food was awful, and everyday life was a boring grind. But at the end of the deployment, we were moved off base before our redeployment, and to our great surprise, the theater command put us up at a 5-star hotel in Kuwait City! It was a stunning place to stay, especially after our deployment, and the hotel restaurant had a first-rate all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. It truly felt like stepping out of hell and stepping into heaven! When I reflect upon that time, it reminds me of Jesus’ encounter with a Roman Centurion whose faith proved to be great in the eyes of Jesus, and as if to make the point that believing gentiles like this Centurion will also enjoy life in His kingdom, Jesus said “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11). Can you imagine what this banquet in Christ’s kingdom will be like? Can you imagine the sense of celebration?! Can you imagine the sheer wonder of hanging out with the likes of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob?! But to truly understand the full sense of celebration here, we need to understand what the hellish nature of life in this world will be like leading up to it.

We invite you to come join us this Sunday morning for our in-person worship service at Leptondale Bible Church in Newburgh, starting at 10:55 AM. For those unable to attend, our service can be viewed live on the church’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/leptondalebiblechurch. This Sunday, we’ll continue a series from Isaiah titled “In That Day: The Kingdom in Isaiah.” This Sunday’s message from Isaiah 25:1-9 is titled “Death is Swallowed Up in Victory!”

God bless!

Pastor Mike