Never Grow Old The Wayfarer 6/9/16

Never Grow Old

1 Corinthians 15:50-54 King James Version (KJV)

⁵⁰ Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

⁵³ For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

⁵⁴ So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

Since the fall of Adam, mankind has continually sought to alleviate suffering, heal wounds, mend the mutilation of body mind and soul that occur regularly, and to end the death brought upon us by that fall.

Over centuries, the “fountain of youth” has been sought adamantly and continually, bringing fleeting fame to such as Ponce de Leon in their failure to find that restorative fountain.

Death, old age, brokenness of body and mind remain with us amid a world of that same brokenness brought about by that initial fall from grace.

It seems that there comes daily some new and better drug, promising longer life, and better life during its length…. And with each of them comes the side effects warnings that most often include the inevitable death first ordained because of that fall.

From experience, having read the labels and information sheets on the “maintenance” drugs administered for my own maladies that are a result of life lived, and of the normal deterioration of a human body on a journey that requires it to eventually expire, those side effects can and often do hasten that expiration instead of delaying it as intended by those knowledgeable in the wisdom created by man.

Mankind, despite his unwillingness to admit it, holds no power over death or the aging process, and has little ability in preserving the life granted us by our Creator.

That power is reserved to the Giver of that life. It is something else that does not lie within the purview of this creature called man.

It remains the intent of that Creator to provide perfection, flawlessness of body, flawlessness of mind and soul to the creature created to that purpose despite that creature’s attempts to find their own means of attaining it for themselves.

This brings me to yet another old Hymn, well loved, often heard and sung regularly that echoes the promise of the opening verses of scripture.

1.    Where We'll Never Grow Old

“I have heard of a land on the far away strand
'Tis a beautiful home of the soul
Built by Jesus on high, there we never shall die
'Tis a land where we never grow old

(Chorus)  Never grow old, never grow old
In a land where we'll never grow old
Never grow old, never grow old
In a land where we'll never grow old

In that beautiful home where we'll never more roam
We shall be in the sweet by and by
Happy praise to the king thru eternity sing
'Tis a land where we never shall die

(Chorus)

When our work here is done and the life crown is won
And out troubles and trials are o'er
All our sorrows will end and our voices will blend
With the loved ones who've gone on before

(Chorus)”

That fountain of youth sought by Ponce de Leon, and so many others through the years DOES exist.

It not only exists, but is readily found by any willing to seek it where it is to be found, instead of seeking it where it does not.

It is to be found at the end of the journey, not during it… it is the purpose of the journey itself, taken at birth, ending upon arrival in the presence of the Creator Who allowed the beginning of that journey to be instituted.

The last three chapters of Revelation describe what is to be found at the end of that journey, and which shall find what upon arrival at that end.

In order to see, not only hear of that land, on the beautiful strand that is commended and praised in the hymn of today’s title, it MUST be diligently sought, but sought through the means provided for us to find it through Christ Jesus.

Without THAT GUIDE, there is only the failure already experienced by so many who sought to find it by their own means.

Jesus alone remains the source of living water sought by so many.

Jesus alone remains the WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE, that, if sought, is readily and easily found.

As science promises miraculous cures and longevity of life that loom just over the horizon of tomorrow through the learning and wisdom provided by the means of mankind’s discovery, there is, looming over the horizon, all of those things, already provided….by GOD through the grace given us for our simple acceptance of that grace…Christ Jesus.

As their promises and searches continue to fail, His promise will unerringly be delivered.

As the warning labels prove their efficacy and truth by administering death instead of life, and as drugs of various kinds deliver misery instead of the ecstasy sought, so too shall the warning delivered by Jesus prove its Truth and efficacy upon arrival at the end of the Journey.

That warning label came, not on a bottle of, pills or liquid, but with the issuance of the promise of eternal life itself.

“Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Despite repetitiveness, I would again remind each of the final chapter of the book already written… one never edited and impossible to rewrite, unchanging in its end except by choice made during the life of the ones able to read and comprehend it’s meaning.

Choice has been made available, the end result of that choice remains yours.

Revelation 22King James Version (KJV)

22 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

² In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

³ And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

⁴ And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

⁵ And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

⁶ And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

⁷ Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

⁸ And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

⁹ Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

¹⁰ And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

¹¹ He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

¹² And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

¹³ I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

¹⁴ Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

¹⁵ For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

¹⁶ I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

¹⁷ And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

¹⁸ For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

¹⁹ And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

²⁰ He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

And AMEN

The Wayfarer