When It Looks Like Death Has Won

Photo Credit:  Turn Back to God

Message delivered by T.D. Jakes at the funeral of Whitney Houston

In moments like this it feels like death has won, but the Bible says that LOVE is stronger than death.  Your hearts are heavy.  Tears flow down.  Your spirits are wounded.  You look around and everybody you love and everybody you can count on and everybody you can trust seem to be slipping through your fingers.  And, it feels like death has won.

The first family – when Cain killed Abel – it looked like death had won.  Noah escaped the flood.  Still, he died.  It looked like death had won.  Isaiah was an eagle eyed prophet.  He could see thousands of miles and years away.  Still, he died.  It looked like death had won.  Habakkuk had come as a prophet to Israel – spoke truth so powerful, so profound.  But, no matter how close he was to God, still he died.  It looked like death had won.

We see scientists and astronauts and politicians and think of the great sages of the ages.  And no matter how profound, prolific or bright they were, still they died.  It looked like death had won.

But, the Bible kept saying that LOVE is stronger than death.  And they went at it like two gladiators in a fight every time they entered into the ring and it looked like death had won.  And I know to some of you today it looks like death has won.  But, I rose to tell you that two thousand years ago LOVE rolled into the ring and said, “Wait a minute, death!  You’ve been bullying people for a long time, but I want to set the record straight.  LOVE is greater than death!”

HE (LOVE) rolled up HIS sleeves and they fought all over Jerusalem and wrestled all through the cross and the fight went down to the grave.  And death said, “See!  I did to You just like I did to all the rest of them!”

Death started having a party on Friday night.  It was one of those weekend parties.  Lasted all the way through Friday night and all Saturday.  Looked like death had won.

But early Sunday morning LOVE rolled up HIS sleeves and said, “Wait a minute!  Wait a minute!  Wait a minute!”  Snatch grabbed death and took the sting out of death and the victory out of the grave.

And I want you to understand in a very practical and pragmatic way that death has NOT won!  Your tears may flow.  Your pain may come.  The flowers will wither.  The cards will all be filed away.  The phone will stop ringing.  The cakes and pies will all stop coming.  Don’t you dare think that death has won!

You will learn what all of us know who have lost people that we love.  You’ll be driving down the street one day and you’ll hear Whitney’s voice talking in your head.  Something she said or something she did will pop up in your spirit and you’ll giggle inside of yourself as if she were sitting in the car with you.  And you will find that people that you really love may leave you outwardly, but they never leave you inwardly.

May the love of God, the peace of the Holy Spirit, the sweet communion that knowing that you are a child of the King keep you in this period in life when it might appear that death has won.  But, it’s a lie!  LOVE will last forever!  For God is LOVE.