Never too old

Maybe you have heard in the news this week about Margaret Dunning, of Michigan.  She became newsworthy by entering her car in a car show in Canton, Ohio.  What makes it newsworthy is Margaret is 102 years of age and is believed to be the driver license record holder in the United States.  She learned to drive when she was 8 years old, and became the youngest licensed driver at the age of 12 after the death of her father.  Margaret was the only person in her family that knew how to drive and with some string-pulling from the prominent family, she was issued a driver license.

Margaret has several automobiles, currently driving a Cadillac.  Her claim to fame is enhanced greatly with the 1930 Packard Roadster, the car she entered in the car show. She purchased the car in 1949 and completely restored it to original, and brags that she still changes the oil and spark plugs as well as all other maintenance on the car.  She is also well known among local radar cops for all the speeding tickets she has on her traffic record. 

I saw the picture of Margaret sitting on the running board of her 1930 Packard, and spent some time thinking of how much fun it would be to drive a car like that. No doubt she has turned down numerous offers to sell the car.  It's her pride and joy.  So she made the national news, a 102 year old woman driving an 82 year old car.  There are probably not many people you know that are older than the car they drive. 

Stories like this encourage those of us who are in our "senior" years.  When we hear stories like that we wonder if someone like Margaret has the same painful and stiff joints we have.  Surely, she must have led a sheltered life with no major problems or illnesses. I don't know anything from the story about her physical ailments, but she did work hard all her life, never marrying, but quite successful in banking and in retail sales. 

If Margaret were in your home church today, would she be active in the sewing circle?  Would she teach  a ladies class?  Would she busy herself trying to be a good example to the younger women in things about success and purity? Those are questions I cannot answer, but they start me to thinking about the place senior citizens have in most churches. In a time when the emphasis is on young families  we expect the older folks to slow down in their involvement, Margaret is the example of perseverance. Still going strong. Never giving up. 

If you are a younger person, spend some time with the older folks in the church. Learn from their example, their wisdom, and especially their love of the church.  If you are older, determine that you will continue to be a good example to those who are younger. Share your stories with them. Encourage them to keep pressing forward, to be steadfast in the Lord. 

Revelation 2:10, toward the end of the verse says, "Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life." Regardless of our age, that is a promise of God we should all claim. 

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We are taught to walk

Hebrews 21:1  -"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

Acts 20:24 - "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace."

Colossians 1:10 - "Walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."

The above verses were selected from numerous references in Scripture which indicate our Christian lives are described with illustrative references to walking, or running a race. The Hebrew writer encourages us to get rid of anything that slows us down, and run the race with determination.  Then Paul, in the verse from Acts says his life is worthless and the really worthwhile life is one that runs the race given by the Lord.  Again Paul writing to the Colossians encourages us to walk worthy of the Lord while pleasing him and bearing fruit and increasing in knowledge.

Three verses where the language is used, but each of the three containing important lessons we should learn and practice.  There is one more such verse which I had overlooked, and it gives us tremendous insight into the "walk" of our lives in Christ. Look to the poetic verses from Hosea 11:3-4:

It was I who taught Ephraim(Israel) to walk,
    taking them by the arms;
but they did not realize
    it was I who healed them.

I led them with cords of human kindness,
    with ties of love;
I lifted the yoke from their neck
    and bent down to feed them.

Remember, the prophet Hosea was called  to teach the children of Israel how much God loved them.  Just as a loving parent will instruct, help, and guide a child in learning to walk, God says he is the one who taught Israel to walk. He took them by the arms even when they didn't realize it was God who was helping them.  Now notice that next verse. God "led them with cords of human kindness, with ties of love," and God "lifted the yoke from their neck and bent down to feed them." 

For the children of Israel it was God, Abba Father, who showed them love, even though they sinned and sought after other gods. The relentless love of the God of heaven became their helper, their leader, their healer, and in fact the provider for their every need. He helps us, too, in our walk, and running the race, and when we stumble, he is there with his ties of love to lift us up. 

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Some Doubted

 Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go.  When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  Matthew 28:16-20

The events of the public ministry of Jesus were history. His death, burial an resurrection were a thing of the past. Jesus had made some appearances since being raised from the dead, the these verses were his departing commands to his closest disciples. They contain those words which we call the "Great Commission,"  which extend even to us and become the basis for the church's ministry of evangelizing the world. 

One special note for those who are familiar with this section of scripture is we often start quoting with the command of Jesus, "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations...."  We fail to read and remember the verses that lead up to the command.  Notice, the eleven went to Galilee, to the exact place where Jesus had told them to go.  Then they saw him. They worshiped him, but some doubted. 

Was there doubt in the ranks of the remaining eleven? The very ones who had followed him through all the ups and downs, in good times and bad, those who were witnesses to his resurrected state. How can it be, even after all that, there were some that still doubted?

Before we find an answer to that, we must make a contemporary glance at those of us who are disciples of Jesus. His authority in heaven and earth has been established and it is by his authority that we are commanded to make disciples of every nation. We preach and proclaim that every Christian is commanded to actively participate in evangelizing the world. 

Even when understanding that, we must admit that we have fallen short of being obedient to the Great Commission's commands.  We may hear it preached from the pulpit, and drop a few bucks in the collection plate, and feel confident we are supporting the spread of the gospel. I would never discourage your financial support to missions and evangelism, but there is a trend among us just like that of the eleven mentioned at the end of Matthew 28.  Even today, some see him, they worship him, but some doubt. They may doubt the authority of Jesus, or they  may doubt their own ability to be making disciples of all nations, but the doubt is there. 

Look again at the closing words of Jesus' commands. "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."  My premise is this.  When our doubts have been erased concerning Jesus being with us now and to the very end, only then will we be instruments in his hands, bringing others to him.

  

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Standing on the Promises

This is an old joke. Where does a 400 pound gorilla sleep?  And the answer is, "anywhere he wants to."  Few of us would try to stop a gorilla from sleeping where he wants to. We exercise our "smarts" and quickly decide we wouldn't attempt it.

The 1985 NFL draft brought a player named William Perry to the Chicago Bears. He stood 6' 2" and weighed 382 pounds. It is not surprising he was nicknamed "The Refrigerator."  He was a very successful defensive lineman for the Bears, except on special occasions when they were near their opponent's goal line, William Perry would either carry the ball as a fullback, or would lead the way in blocking for another running back, leading him into the end zone.

A more contemporary joke might be, "Who wants to tackle William Perry?"  The answer comes back, "nobody wants to try!"  Even for a football player, an opponent can become too big to handle.

Do you ever face problems or difficulties in life that you would compare to a 400 pound gorilla, or an attempt at tackling William Perry? If we are human and honest with ourselves, we all have. We deal with such difficulties in our work, our schools, our marriage, in raising our children, in dealing with our neighbors.....and you can add to the list.  We may be successful in coming away from our problems without physical injury, but our spirits are bruised, and our emotions are tattered, and we often don't know which way to turn.

For the Christian who deals with the issues we have described, there is hope. From 1 Peter 5:7, "Cast all your cares on him, for he cares for you."  There is great comfort in knowing that we have the assistance of the Divine when it comes to dealing with our problems.

While the above scriptural verse offers an answer to our cares and anxieties, we are usually unwilling to give them to the Lord. We think we are strong enough or rich enough to handle our own affairs and any move in the direction of seeking help, even from God, is a sign of weakness.  The truth of the matter is that our God, in preparing the way for our sinful lives to be brought back to him, provides the remedy for all our anxieties, and offers to shoulder the weight of our burdens.

The one who extends his forgiveness for our sins through the blood of his Son, wants us to know that we have the very power of heaven within us to be our Comforter, our Strength and our Provider.  Peter  refers to God's power and his promises by saying "he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature."   God does not want us to be weighted down by the things and situations of this life, so his promise to us to be our helper, and keep us from cares and anxieties, is actually God inviting us to be a participant in his divine nature.

Yes, we still have our troubles and calamities, but our helper is with us and in us to guarantee our success and victory.  And here is the part that is difficult to understand.  The only explanation to God doing this for us is he loves us.  Rather than face our troubles with our own strength or intellect or success, God promises us a share in his very own divine nature.  Those are the promises upon which we can stand.

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The Workings of God

Relatively few people who have been to church for worship or attended  a Bible study, have not heard of the name Moses.  The events and happenings that took place in his life are among the most remembered from the word of God. Moses was God's chosen to stand before Pharaoh and demand the release of the children of Israel, who had been held as Pharaoh's slaves. The Red Sea crossing  is perhaps one of the greatest demonstrations of the power of God working through the life of a chosen leader, ultimately leading to Israel's release from captivity. 

Moses was also the man through which God chose to reveal those commandments which we know as the Ten Commandments. Numerous strategic events were happening but in the midst of all that was going on in the lives of God's chosen people, the commandments were ultimately given through Moses. 

One of the writers that I love to read over and over again is Peter Marshall from a generation ago. He is better known from the book and later the movie, A Man Called Peter.  In a 1950's book I was reminded  of the way Marshall leads the reader through the miraculous happenings which surrounded the birth of Moses, and how through normal events, the miracles of God can be easily seen.

Moses was born during the time Israel was in bondage to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh, while reaping the benefit of the services of those he held as slaves, realized the possibility that the slaves could eventually outnumber Pharaoh's armies.  This fear of being overtaken by those he held in bondage caused Pharaoh to issue the edict that all male babies born to the Israelites would be killed.

  

Moses was hidden successfully for the first three months of his life, then his mother fashioned a cradle that would float, and concealed him in the bulrushes along the banks of the river. She also stationed an older daughter in hiding to keep an eye on the cradle.

Before long, Pharaoh's daughter came to the riverside and saw the cradle, went to inspect it and found the baby crying.  Then Moses' sister came from hiding with an offer to go get her mother to be help with the baby, and Pharaoh's daughter agreed. So rather than being another male fatality with the enforcement of Pharaoh's decree, God used the faith of Moses' mother and the natural event of a baby crying, to spare the life of Moses. Another added benefit is that Moses' mother was appointed as a nursemaid for her own son.

Would you call all those events, falling into place just right, a miracle?  I would! Peter Marshall's account of this story pointed out that today's follower of God needs to learn to recognize that many of God's miracles happen within the confines of normal events. 

You see, Moses was God's chosen one to eventually free his people, and no law of Pharaoh could stop that from happening. Nor could it stop David from defeating Goliath, and the greatest application of all, it could not stop Jesus' emergence from a sealed, well guarded tomb. Perhaps we should be more aware of the events in our lives and how God wants us to see his working in every step we take. 

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