With Him! With Them!

WITH HIM! WITH THEM! By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr.

1 Thes. 3:12 And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward

all men, even as we do toward you:

Psalm 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

1 Thes. 4:13 But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep,

that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose

again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring WITH HIM. 15 For this we say unto you

by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not

prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with

the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together WITH THEM in the clouds, to

meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

My God is a God of Light, Love, Peace, and Hope.

I have some friends in very high places, and someday I am going to be WITH THEM. I long for those

absent from my presence. There may be a distance and a farewell between us, but there comes a

reunion. The same distance that now separates us, will one day bring us together again.

I love the sweet words: WITH THEM. Someday we will be WITH JESUS, WITH Moses, WITH Mom and Dad, WITH Bob and Louise, WITH Cova Morgan, and many more.

I am not an escapist, I don’t want just to get out of here. I love here. I have light. I have hope. I have peace. I have love. But I know of a place where roses never fade, hearts will never break, where there will be no darkness, for Jesus Christ Himself will be the eternal light. We shall be WITH HIM forever.

There will be no sad farewells. The River of Life will flow clear as crystal from the very throne of God. There will be no more tears, just think: NO MORE TEARS.

We must MAINTAIN A HOPE AGAINST HOPE, and press against all the obstacles that may come our way. I have a great longing, I am kind of home sick for a place I have never been. In this place I know we shall be TOGETHER AGAIN to be WITH EACH OTHER.

We have been built by our battles and stretched by persecution. There is a plan and there is a purpose.

We must set our face toward the mark of the High Calling.

Memory Lane has taken us to laughter and joy and to the sweet smells of home. Where is HOME?

The homes of yesterday are long gone. The twilight of yesteryears have dimmed the vision of home.

Yet, the vision of home is clearer today than ever before. The lights of home are just beyond my sight,

but home is there waiting. The lights are brightly shining, my visual field is limited.

There are many awaiting and expecting our soon arrival to be TOGETHER AGAIN, to be WITH THEM

FOR ETERNITY. For what the cross unites, death can never sever.

How sad for those that have not made the choice to be WITH US. Let us try to reach them. Please,

come and go with us beyond the sunset, into the realm of the glorious SONRISE.

I look toward the eastern hills, from which comes my help. I can see beyond this evening’s sunset, my heart knows there comes a golden glow of a tomorrow that will last forever as we are WITH HIM and WITH EACH OTHER, forever together.

My heart has broken saying goodbye and tasting the bitter cup of separation that I cannot seem to repair. We cannot believe the distortions of the eyes, and the games of misunderstandings.

We turn our face to the wall for there is a dream --- we shall be TOGETHER FOREVER. There comes a joy restoration and healing as God will be WITH US.

We will not bow even if the flames will burn us. We shall stay broken and spilled out, poured out at the feet of Jesus.

The swift years have come and gone, dreams have been dashed, pain has pressed, but there grows a VISION beyond the battle scars of who is right and who is wrong. Some morning soon we shall BE TOGETHER AGAIN.

Lift up your hands scarred children. The scar will testify of survival. There is a Divine appointment