FAITH: A FORCE THAT MUST BE FED

 Faith is a force that must be fed. Every day, we either nourish our faith or unbelief. It’s like depositing funds in the bank. Every day we use a little of our cash, but most of us know we need some put away for emergencies.

 Life, especially in these times of media saturation, challenges our faith from many sides. Sometimes getting up in the morning is like stepping out into a shooting range between the guns and the target. We duck and wonder why we’re not carrying a shield to get through this mess. Then we notice the enemy of our soul lurks on the edges of the hillside. He roars like a lion and we realize this is no game.

 “Where is my sword?” we ask ourselves.

 Ephesians 6 tells us a little about preparing for the battle and what our enemy is like: “Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.”

                                                           Be Prepared

The ultimate attack comes against faith in life and death issues. God warned Adam and Eve if they disobeyed him, they would die.

 Most everyone is subject to the ultimate lie Satan, that slimy snake, told Eve in the beginning. Satan opened his fangy face and guffawed. “You won’t die!”

 His bony fingers grabbed a peach from the forbidden tree and thrust it toward Eve. “Eat it. It’s delicious.”

 Eve ran to Adam and offered him a bite. Soon the couple chewed the sugary fruit, juice dripping from the edges of their mouths as they watched one another change from immortal to mortal beings.  They knew they now their flesh was subject to sickness and death..

 Satan’s venom fills every earthly body and grave since that time. Read about it in Genesis 3.  But God's because of His compassion, promised a Redeemer who would bruise Satan’s head, although the Redeemer’s heel would be bruised by the serpent when the Savior came to redeem every man who wanted to be saved. We know the Messiah was crucified. The amazing thing is death could not hold him! Yet, although we know the story, when Satan whispers, “Don’t even think about it. You won’t die,” we avoid putting that faith deposit in the bank

When someone we know has a troubling diagnosis or dies, we’re deceived into thinking he or she is the only one going. We think like the leaders of our nation that plunged us into owing $15 trillion in debt and the bank account is empty! But the problem doesn't go away because we don't want to think about it.

Perhaps that’s why it took me 15 years to see Swallowed by LIFE published. When I showed a proposal to editors, I suspected they thought the market for this category of books was limited, and it should be left to ministers with a long list of credentials and a huge following. Yet, I knew my book is unique because it has exciting news about life and how we are made, urging you to take time to see the evidence we are more than a body . To encourage you  to view the powerful hope everyone has in Christ as we look at all the aspects of John 3:16. The book asks you to look at heaven; to contemplate the joys of knowing God walks with us every day here.

 Whether we live until He comes and we’re caught away to meet Him in the air, or if we walk through the valley, He will walk with us and hold our hand.

 In short, the book reveals exciting things scripture, medicine and witnesses tell us about life and the eternal. "While we live in thee earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it's not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying boies will be swallowed up by life" 2 Corinthians 5:4NLT).

 John 3:16 ties it all up: "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in him will not perish, but have eternal life."