Time and Age

Seventy years are given to us! Some even live to eighty. But even the best years are filled with pain and trouble; soon they disappear, and we fly away. Psalm90:10NLT

O Lord, what are human beings that you should notice them, mere mortals that you should think about them? For they are like a breath of air; their days are like a passing shadow. Psalm144:3,4NLT

Do you ever spend time thinking about your age? There are a few birthdays in my family during the year, ranging from age 15 to ‘senior’, and this month sees three! I am becoming more and more conscious that birthdays are passing faster, the older I get. I am reliably told this is normal! That’s age, but what about time?

The good news is that the Christian does not live by his or her age count. Even better is the fact that we are not bound by time either. It has been said that we live in an eternal ‘now’. I like that thought. I came across the following insight to the Christian’s eternal hope in Jesus Christ. It is not a morbid thought, but an eternal promise and comfort for us to cling to, no matter our earthly age. Senior Pastor Colin Smith was asked if we would recognise each other in heaven, and this is his response:

The reunion of believing loved ones - by Colin Smith

When Paul writes to believers who grieve the loss of a loved one, he offers them this comfort: “We who are still alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” 1Thessalonians4:17.

“Them” refers to believing loved ones who are now in the presence of the Lord. A wife who grieves the loss of her believing husband has the comfort of knowing that when the Lord comes, she will meet her husband again. Sons and daughters who grieve the loss of a believing father or mother can find comfort in the prospect of this happy reunion when we will be reunited with those who have gone before us into the presence of the Lord.

Christians who know and love each other on earth will know and love each other in heaven.

**Colin Smith is senior pastor of The Orchard Evangelical Free Church and a Council member with The Gospel Coalition.

It's Over

That’s it! All over for another year. The wrapping paper torn from the gifts is in the bin. The turkey is half eaten, and all the time you took to arrange and buy those special gifts for the important people in your life, is in the past. So long to get here, and over in a day. I suppose the real question becomes, is it all worth the effort?

Christmas, with all its rush and bustle is not for the faint hearted, but it is good to see the look on a child’s face when they get their gifts. Today’s special present that caused so much happiness will soon become tomorrow’s old dated game or toy. Christmas is great, and I love it, but it seems to be gone so quickly, and all you are left with, is the fond memory, and the still to be finished turkey which will become a curry, or  sandwiches.

So, it’s over. Or is it? Take a step back and think what Christmas really is all about. It’s not the gifts or the food, good as they are, the clue is in the word Christmas, and the verse which says Jesus came into the world as “Immanuel, God WITH us”, so it’s not just for a day. It’s a lifetime thing, and beyond that into eternity. As Christians we do our Lord, and our faith a disservice by thinking Christmas is a day on the calendar. It’s more than that. It’s a lifestyle choice. It’s a mindset, and a change of heart. Yes, our Christmas should last all year, until the next time we celebrate His birthday again. You don’t ignore your children between birthdays, so why should we do that with Jesus?

It just leaves me to say, Happy All Year Christmas my friends.