Listening Ears.

 I am not a big fan of  The Chosen series. Some people love them. I think that the films are well made, but in spite of the content, I find them boring to watch. I see them as the view of those ancient times from the eyes of someone who sees life much different than I do. Their view of faith is from a classic Christian perspective, not a Pentecostal perspective. And most of the stories are purely conjecture, trying to tell the stories that God did not think were important to include in the Bible.

I know that we, as believers, rely on our pastors to rightly divide the word of truth and to mine the depths of the Bible to bring us a word in due season. We, like the people with Moses, do not want to go up on the mountain where the glory dwells and where God is. We want our pastors to go there and to return with shining faces to tell us what God says. 

I read the Bible every day. I have read it for years. And I still go to church every service looking for truth to come from my pastor's mouth to my listening ears. I am interested to hear his thoughts, his perspective, his insights, and his understanding of how to live the Christian life today. I go to church ready to hear all that the Lord has given our pastors to tell us. 

His yoke is easy, his burden is light.

Growing Old in God?

 Did you know that about 10,000 people per day will be retiring during the next ten years? That's a lot of older folks beginning the final third of their lives. Some of the needs of older folks are unique to them while other issues are just human life issues. In the Bible there are stories of men growing older and sometimes behaving badly. Sometimes they just fade away with maybe one last gasp at the end of their lives trying to influence the next generation.  I wonder if their lives would have ended better if there had been ministry to them as they grew old in God?

Life is full of change and adjustments. Life must be lived to the end. But must we rely on the world for guidance on negotiating the final few years of our lives? The Prescott church brought on staff someone whose job it is to minister to the aged saints there. Ministry to the elderly is needed across our Fellowship as we age far beyond the zeal of youth.

Did you know that many retirees suffer the loss of many things in retirement? The loss of routine, the loss of identity, the loss of relationships, the loss of purpose, and even the loss of power. Relationships are the key to a happy, well balanced life. But what to do when your spouse dies or your closest friends die or move away? What about divorce or physical and mental decline?

Applying ministry that only serves the youth and new converts leaves a lot of us pining for the days when we were young and full of enthusiasm. We seem to be ignored or invisible and irrelevant. I wonder how many seasoned saints in our churches feel lonely and hopeless?

The thrill of marriage does not last very long. The thrill of salvation does not last very long either.

Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." John 6:67

End of the Week Musings

 I do what I can do. I do not beat myself up over things that I cannot do. There is no could have, should have, ought to with God. I will not let someone else's unsettled heart keep me from peace. I know how to eat the fish and spit out the bones. I know a good sermon when I hear it. I can still be moved by a good song well sung. I can shed a tear when necessary or when I cannot avoid sorrow.

I am grateful to be living here. I am grateful for the new friends I have here. I am grateful for my church and my pastors. I am grateful to be in good health for someone my age.

One day I hope to hear about how to grow old in Christ. Jesus died young. Acts is the story of  young church. There is truth for the aged in the Bible. You just have to look for it. The record for men growing old in Scripture is not very good. Maybe they needed ministry as they got old just like we do. 

He is kind to the unthankful and the unholy. A bruised reed He will not break. A smoking flax He will not quench.

Maranatha!

What Do You Want Me To Do?

What do you want me to do? That was Paul's cry on the road. That is my prayer today.  What am I to do, after 50 years in the faith, suffering through the loss of all of my retirement and savings, and then the loss of my wife. What is a man like me supposed to do?

I am tired of being told that the secret is to behave like a teenage new convert. I could not do that even if I wanted to. I think the Sun City retirement of old folks trying to act young is pathetic. Pastor Mitchell stayed busy, but he never struck me as reliving his teenage years. 

Growing old in God is not living stuck in an old version of yourself. Doing the first works, at my age? I don't think so.

I am doing all that I can do. If that is not good enough then I give up. 

I have been young, and now I am old.

Thoughts On Fairness

 The idea of fairness came up in pastor Rubi's recent lesson. The parable of the talents, 5-2-1. No doubt the man who received only one talent thought it was not fair that the others got more than him.

When we are carnal and not walking in the Spirit this idea of fairness can be troubling. Instead of doing what we can with what we have, we make excuses and blame God for our bad attitude and our inaction.

Pastor Mitchell used to say that when a person's heart is right you can blow their arm clean off and they will have the victory. But when someone's heart is not right a paper cut is devastating and traumatic.

Skeptics are just unbelievers. They know what God has said, but they do not believe God will do what He said He will do. We accuse God of being unjust and unfair. But it is we who are arrogant and unbelieving.

Unbelief is not an absence of facts. Unbelief is a deliberate disregard for truth and a choice of our own will not to believe. Having examined the Bible, we decide what God can or cannot do. We make excuses for our unbelief when pressed. But unbelief is sin, just like drinking whiskey or adultery.

Jesus said that children can understand this. Why can't we?

Thoughts on Tithing

 Pastor Rubi's lesson yesterday inspired me. Tithing is not a tax we owe. We pay our tithe, but maybe that is the wrong way to say it. Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek. We are not tithing to satisfy the demands of of conquering tyrant. We give our tithes as a tangible act of gratitude to a loving Father.

Everything we have we got from God. We do not all have the same. It is never about equality or our version of fairness. God gives us what we need and what we can handle. We give our tithe to express our gratitude to God for taking good care of us.

Comparison will lead you down the road of dissatisfaction and bitterness. Be content with what you have and with where you are in life. God knows what we need before we ask. After all of these things do the gentiles seek.

I am grateful for my pastor who, after all of these years, is still fresh and inspired and who still brings a good word for us from God.

Money And Life

I heard pastor Mitchell once say that money brings reality to life. There are many things that I would do if I had the money. So my budget sets the boundaries on my activities. This is easy to write, but hard to live. I have a cushion and I set aside money to pay annual bills. But in the mean time I live within my means.

My experiences in life have well equipped me to live on less. I have a place to live and there is food to eat. I have transportation. I have clothes to wear. I can get by month after month. I just don't have the means to get ahead.

My God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. The wealth of sinners is being accumulated for me. Make haste and help me Lord Jesus!