Christian Living

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Larry Lilly's Letter Monday February 21, 2011

Over the years I have had the privilege and benefit of being close friends with many folks who have walked many years on earth. The men and a few women far exceeded the biblical three score and ten, (70) and did so with élan, energy and usefulness. Dr. Lee Roberson comes to mind as does my dearest friend of many years and still traveling around the world preaching somewhere most every night, Dr. Tom Wallace, as does Dr. Greg Dixon. There are and were others, and to find words to describe their contribution to my life is beyond the scope of my ability. A sincere "Thanks" must suffice.

I attempt to practice some of the traits I have witnessed in these jewels and one thing stands out, they never grew old, they had just been here a long time. This they demonstrated by adhering to a mindset of true courage in that they never grew too old to dream. C.S. Lewis commented on this:

"You are never too old to set a new goal, or to dream a new dream."

That they were and are effective for the Lord is borne out by the fact that Satan has never reached the place where he lets them alone. The fallen bearer of light knows full well that in many respects an old warrior is often more effective and dangerous to Lucifer's plan than ten younger inexperienced soldiers of the cross. I have been learning to welcome the onslaughts of the one Spurgeon referred to as "the cloven hoofed one."

We know from the scriptures that the desire to achieve something intensely longed for can be energizing as in the case of Jacob working as slave for Rachel as recorded in Genesis 29:20:

And Jacob served seven years for Rachel; and they seemed unto him but a few days, for the love he had to her.

A wonderful, heart stirring goal in whatever form creates enormous energy and focus, and age doesn't seem to matter.

One of the marks of the age of The Holy Spirit, more widely known as the age of grace, is that God is doing something unheard of in normal times. What if the tremendous energy of our young people were to be suddenly focused toward true achievement for the glory of God? What if many of the retired senior citizens were suddenly consumed by a burning desire for God's kingdom on earth rather than lazing around a camp ground, or some other form of fiddle diddling their life away on the frivolities of the aged. Such is possible and has happened in history. Peter quotes Joel 2:28 in his sermon on the day of Pentecost and says this era, still in force, that God wants to do the unheard of as Peter states in Ac 2:17:

And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

This sounds to me like the Don was on to something so big that we should try it. "Geezers For Christ." When I grow old I could be president.

Larry Lilly Copyright © 2011 Use with credit.

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