Jesus Came...good thing He didn't stay

"To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."(Colossians 1:27)

I often think of how awesome it was for the disciples to be able to hangout with, eat with, spend their days and nights with, Jesus in his human form. 

They were able to talk with Him, walk with Him and even hug Him. They could hear His voice, his laughing, His teaching and His singing. 

They knew the color of His eyes, hair and beard. the look of His face, the shape of His nose, if he had an under-bite or over-bite. The smell of His clothes. If he snored or not. They knew the physical Jesus like no one else, because He was Immanuel, "God with us" (Matt 1:23). God became a physical man in the flesh to know us and for us to know Him and most importantly, to be our perfect sacrifice to end all sacrifices.  

But Jesus said it best, "...it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. (John 16:7). Jesus knew that Him being accessible physically walking beside us in a fleshly body was great and all, but Him living in us would be glorious. 

 Immanuel is great and I praise God He came to provide The Way, but God in us is much better than God with us and Jesus knew that, and that was His plan all along. To stay with all believers, not just a few. To give us power that we didn't have alone. To live through us in a way that would bring Him glory and save all that would believe. I'm very glad that He came...but I'm also very glad that He didn't stay. 

Vern

Aged to Perfection, with an everlasting lifetime guarantee

"They still bear fruit in old age..." 

(Psalms 92:14)

One of the things that I get from my dad, is the love of watching shows like "American Pickers".  I like it when they go to a location and find very old and rare items. It's amazing what they come across. Many times the owner of the item has no idea the value of the item that they have thrown to the side in a dilapidated, old outbuilding. 

But the Pickers come in, find an item and either make it a piece to be set on a shelf so others can admire it or, and this is what I love the most on this show, they take the item and put it back to work in what it was made for. Now that is awesome to me. 

Like those items, our senior adults are often cast aside or set on a shelf to be admired for their past usefulness. But, did God intend for it to be that way? No. We can retire from secular work, but when it comes to serving our Lord, we should never retire. 

The Bible speaks a great deal about how useful older people are and when they are mature in the faith, the glory and wisdom they hold is priceless.

In  Proverbs 16:31 it says, "Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life."

Job 12:12 states, "Wisdom is with the aged, and understanding in length of days."

Psalms 92:14 tells us that "They (the rightious) still bear fruit in old age..."

And Psalm 71:18 lets us know that we can be used for God's serves in old age, "So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come." 

Not only is the gray hair, some seniors so desperately try to cover up, a crown to show their wisdom and glory, but they are to be sharing Jesus and His work in their lives with the younger generations. They are not just meant to be relics of past spiritual adventures and great works, they are to continue allowing God to work through them as they bestow that God given wisdom to the young.

I honestly believe that one of the main reasons that our society is plummeting is due to the lack of teaching and discipling of the younger generations by the older. The young need to see real and mature Christian lives, being lived out for the glory of God, not a bunch of pew warmers. 

Now I understand that many seniors may be physically unable to do as they use to, but when we serve at any age, we are to do what we can, God knows your limitations and will not send you to do what He doesn't give you the strength and ability to do. 

I minister along side Mrs. Laverne Champion in the Calhoun County Jail. She is in her late 80's, but still working for the lives of those who need Christ. She has been in this ministry for over 50 years. She is an inspiration to me and many others. She hasn't retired from God's work. Those inmates, hang on her every word and her every word is about the everlasting Father.

So continue to be useful for God. Continue to serve Him with your life. His plans are great and His tools, have an eternal lifetime guarantee. 

Vern