Your Voice

‘Until our time is finished’

Recently, a few of our senior adults were recognized for their faithfulness of service in Pickens Baptist Association. … They have been and continue being “good and faithful servants” to our Lord. Their faithful service started me thinking about being a senior adult. Although I may not consider myself one, I am by some who do the statistics. By others, I am not. Either way, I’m not a “spring chicken.”

There are many phrases used to describe this age of life. Unfortunately, most of the terms used feel derogatory — declining years, golden age, winter of life, retirement age, elderly. These descriptions creep into the life of the local church and even into our own minds. We senior adults begin feeling useless or “past our prime.”

But as I look at these people who were honored, they have endured and been constant, persistent and stable in their Christian life. These are the proper words we should use for those of us who are aging well.

God inspired King Solomon to write that “gray hair is a crown of splendor … attained in the way of righteousness” (Prov. 16:31).

The Bible also teaches that seniors need to continue living their lives to the full by training younger believers. It is not a time of retirement. It is not a time to slow down. There is still much to be done in our churches and communities.

Just as these brothers and sisters of Pickens Baptist Association received recognition on earth, we are striving for a heavenly reward from Jesus Christ. In Pickens County, there are about 3,000 experienced folks who must keep going forward. May we allow God to use us until our time here is finished!

Lyle Dease
Director of missions
Pickens Baptist Association

May the Lord give you the awareness of His presence, the guidance of His purpose and the strength of His power.

Franklin L. Kirksey
Robertsdale, Ala.

Throughout Scripture we read of individuals discovering new dimensions of God’s faithfulness and character in the midst of their trials. That doesn’t mean they never questioned “Why?”

Asking “Why?” is a normal human response to troubles, but God is not put off by that question. It may be a starting point for a dialogue with God that opens doors to a renewed understanding of His plan for your life. There is something about the hour of necessity that sharpens our wits and focuses our attention like no other. The moments in which we need God the most are the moments when our eyes and ears will be most attuned to Him.

Pastor David Jeremiah
Shadow Mountain Community Church
El Cajon, Calif.

Abiding in Christ rooted (my parents) in God’s truth and informed the task at hand. Daily seeking the Lord taught them how to walk in wisdom and steward their time for the glory of God. And they set an example for those of us who were watching.

Susan Lafferty
IMB missionary

“God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars.”

Martin Luther

Regardless of who you are or where you consider yourself to be in regard to giftedness, God has blessed you with certain gifts and talents to be invested for His kingdom and glory. Each time you invest one of your talents, you do bring God glory. Each time you invest, God is gladly preparing a “Well done …” statement for you. According to your actions, is God preparing words of commendation or condemnation?

George Yates
Church Health Strategist
Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions

Those who know me are aware of certain parts of my life, but I don’t like to share most things. I feel like everyone has enough drama going on that they certainly don’t need to hear all of mine.

It’s hard for me to understand when the Bible talks about doing life with other people — about allowing the people in your life to help you during those really tough times. Even Jesus had 12 close friends to walk with Him and share life with, so why do I think I can do it on my own?

Amy Hacker
Theropetab.com

To all my friends on social media, but especially my “Christian” friends, I’d like to give you a word of caution. Regardless of how credible something may sound or how well it fits your narrative … do a little homework and check your facts before you post it. … The spread of misinformation is just another form of lying, and if you are a Christian it is hurting your witness.

“I heard” and “they said” will get you in more trouble than any other four words in the English language.

Pastor Jeff Gardner
St. Elmo FBC
St. Elmo, Ala.

Don’t be so focused on the trouble that you stop walking through the trouble. As you abide in Him and His word abides in you, you will access all you need to live a life of enduring faith.

Tony Evans via Twitter

From the Twitterverse

@MattSmethurst
A life without Christ is as empty as his tomb.

@rayortlund
“All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness” (Isa. 40:17). God loves this world. But He isn’t nervous, intimidated, scrambling. This view of God above makes us fearless, steady, calm down here. Let’s have a great day.

@PaulTripp
Like he did with Peter, your Savior doesn’t leave you to wallow in your sin and guilt but meets you with forgiving, restoring and commissioning grace.

@CSLewisDaily
“The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is to hand over your whole self — all your wishes and precautions — to Christ.”
—C.S. Lewis

@timkellernyc
As many have learned and later taught, you don’t realize Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.

@GKCdaily
Whatever else is true, it is emphatically not true that the ideas of Jesus of Nazareth were suitable to his time but are no longer suitable to our time. Exactly how suitable they were to his time is perhaps suggested in the end of his story.

@Tabletalk
The gospel is only good news when we understand the bad news. —@RCSproul

@ricklance
“Discipleship is about becoming who Jesus would be if He were you.” —Dallas Willard

@myarnell
The Church [is] triumphant. Why all this fear about mortal dangers to the church? Jesus said we would conquer through proclaiming the Good News: “on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” Stop wringing your hands! Start speaking his words!

@RevKevDeYoung
We ought to be living now in the assured hope of our living later.

@SamAllberry
There is a point when being *anti* something begins to subtly eclipse being *for* the gospel and gradually reshapes and displaces it. I know people who used to talk a lot about Jesus and now only really talk about ideology.