On aging GRATEFULLY

 

Psalm 37:25

King James Version

25 I have been young, and now am old; 

yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, 

nor his seed begging bread.

Are you afraid of getting old?

Or are you already old, and getting afraid?

In April 2024, we've written about the various generations:

"Which GENERATION are you?"

That means, the Greatest generation, the Silent generation, the Baby boomers, and Generation X, are the aged, and aging population all over the world right now.

Cats normally have nine lives, but humans don't.

Never believe anyone who claims they're immortal.

We don't have such luxury.

Lucky are those who have aged gracefully; not heavily.

Lucky are those who remain cheerful; not grumpy.

Lucky are those who are in good health; and not ill health.

But blessed are those who have given their lives to GOD, in service to the LORD, and to others.

Most blessed are those who followed JESUS' command to be "born of water and of the Spirit".

They are unfazed by old age.

They only care to follow His commands.

Because they know that life is but a "vapor":

James 4:14

King James Version

14 Whereas ye know not 

what shall be on the morrow. 

For what is your life? 

It is even a vapour, 

that appeareth for a little time, 

and then vanisheth away.

They know how to grow old gracefully, through GOD's GRACE.

They give thanks to the LORD all the time.

They have enough wisdom to know everything goes according to GOD's plan.

And that all happen for a reason, mostly known only to GOD.

But when you're born again, you begin to truly understand.

Only because the HOLY SPIRIT teaches you about JESUS, and Scripture.

We can understand heavenly things, through JESUS, the SON of GOD.

As JESUS declared:

John 3:12-14

King James Version

12 If I have told you earthly things, 

and ye believe not, 

how shall ye believe, 

if I tell you of heavenly things?

The mature born again looks forward to the Rapture.

He knows it can happen any time GOD wills/wants it.

And then believers all meet JESUS up in the clouds.

Oh, what a glorious day that would be for believers, both the living and the dead!

Who would envy cats with nine lives, when the believer gets eternal life with JESUS.

Believers know their "citizenship" is in heaven.

Would any sane person want to be anywhere else, but with JESUS?

2 Corinthians 5:8

King James Version

8 We are confident, I say, 

and willing rather to be absent from the body, 

and to be present with the Lord.

Through the Cross, JESUS conquered sin, death, and the devil:

1 Corinthians 15:55-57

King James Version

55 O death, where is thy sting? 

O grave, where is thy victory?

56 The sting of death is sin; 

and the strength of sin is the law.

57 But thanks be to God, 

which giveth us the victory 

through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 2:14

King James Version

14 Forasmuch then as the children 

are partakers of flesh and blood, 

he also himself likewise took part of the same; 

that through death he might destroy him 

that had the power of death, 

that is, the devil;

Sure, humans are but flesh.

Subject to ails, aches, and pains.

But we have JESUS, "The MAGNIFICENT Healer".

We only need to call on the LORD, that we may be saved.

Romans 10:13

King James Version

13 For whosoever shall call 

upon the name of the Lord 

shall be saved.

Saved from what?

Perhaps, people don't realize we need to be saved from our sins.

Sin causes physical, and spiritual death.

Many of our aches, and pains -- even diseases -- are caused by a malevolent "spirit of infirmity".

Sin can distort our face, bodies, minds, souls, and spirit.

Well, we have JESUS to save us, only if we cared to know more about Him, and the POWER He has.

Once you walk with JESUS, and walk in the SPIRIT, things become clear.

You become a new person, even if you're an "old" person.

2 Corinthians 5:17

King James Version

17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, 

he is a new creature: 

old things are passed away; 

behold, all things are become new.

You lose your fears.

You don't lose your tears.

But your tears are more meaningful now.

You grieve over your sins, and how you've hurt others.

You grieve at how you've displeased GOD, now that you know His laws.

You have tears of joy, at how much GOD loves you, in giving you His SON, to save us from our sins.

JESUS asked believers carry our own "cross", too.

Luke 9:23

King James Version

23 And he said to them all, 

If any man will come after me, 

let him deny himself, 

and take up his cross daily, 

and follow me.

That's what aging gracefully means.

We thank GOD for everything.

We become grateful.

Be like a contented cat.

A graceful, old cat, who's lived his years.

He may have lost his feisty playfulness, but he hasn't lost that grace.

Let our souls be as limber as ever.

Ephesians 2:8

King James Version

8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; 

and that not of yourselves: 

it is the gift of God:

Related material:

The FOUNTAIN of LIVING WATERS

Which GENERATION are you?

The GOSPEL on HEALING

GODLY men and women

PEACE through JESUS

BREATH in man

GOD's GLORY blogs

BORN AGAIN classics

Image: Two Cats. Lithograph by Thomas Hunter, 1881. (Library of Congress)

If I were to WRITE just ONE article

 

On LOVING GOD:

1 John 4:19

King James Version

19 We love him, 

because he first loved us.

What would I write?

If it's just one article I have to work on?

What would I share with you?

I'd write of how wonderful it is to love God.

I'd write of how wonderful it is to be loved by Him.

I'd write of how awesome it is to receive answers from Him.

I'd write of how important it is to be born again.

I'd write of how powerful God is.

I'd write of how loving Jesus is.

I'd write of how awesome the Holy Spirit is.

I'd write of how exciting it is to read the Bible.

I'd write of how precious the Bible is.

I'd write of how powerful the Word of God is.

I'd write of how lost a cause the devil's cause is.

I'd write of how we must be devoted to the Word of God.

I'd write of how we must be child-like with Jesus.

I'd write of how much we must trust Him.

I'd write of how we must be grateful to Jesus.

I'd write of how we must thank God all the time.

I'd write of how we are to love Jesus.

I'd write of how much Jesus loves us.

I'd write of how we are to adore God only.

I'd write of how we must all love each other.

I'd write of how we must love God above all.

I'd write of how Jesus answers prayers.

I'd write of how the Holy Spirit teaches us.

I'd write of how God gets mad.

I'd write of how God blesses us.

I'd write of what God can make angels do.

I'd write of what angels really are.

I'd write of what God can do in an instant.

I'd write of how God waits for the perfect time to act.

I'd write of how magnificent God is.

I'd write of how we must surrender everything to Jesus.

I'd write of how Jesus alerts us to the Rapture.

I'd write of how Jesus is our only salvation.

I'd write of how the days are at hand.

I'd write of how we must repent, and believe the gospel.

I'd write of how we must know the Bible, and live by it.

I'd write of how little the world knows about God.

I'd write of how magnificent JESUS is.

This post tells all.

Details can be found from our blogs.

That all may know GOD's TRUTH.

According to Scripture.

Related post:

GOD wanted me to write

GOD's GLORY blogs

born again classics

Image: Wallpaper Flare

Why UNBELIEVERS won't be able to FIGURE things out

 

The LORD JESUS said:

John 16:33

King James Version

33 These things I have spoken unto you, 

that in me ye might have peace. 

In the world ye shall have tribulation: 

but be of good cheer; 

I have overcome the world.

Face it.

The world's too topsy-turvy.

Can give you scurvy.

I watch news video every day.

Just to see what's happening in the world.

One reporter sighed.

Can't seem to figure out the world.

Then, she mentioned about churches.

How they always ask you to repent.

She'd much rather comb the news.

And try to figure it out on her own.

I knew then, she was not a believer.

Thank GOD I'm a cat.

We're pretty simple.

Feed, cuddle, leave alone.

That's what we ask of humans.

But humans need so much more reassurance.

Forgetting they caused all the problems in the first place.

And they wonder why nothing makes sense.

They're basically stumped.

Couldn't figure out the world.

What they don't know is I'm a CHRISTIAN cat.

Yup, a full-blooded CHRISTIAN cat.

I know a thing.

Or two.

That's why I'm pretty peaceful.

Trusting in the LORD completely.

Look what JESUS said, about not being able to perform miracles in His own country:

Matthew 13:58

King James Version

58 And he did not many mighty works there 

because of their unbelief.

One of the stories I love from the Bible, is when apostles couldn't cast out a devil:

Matthew 17:14-20

King James Version

14 And when they were come to the multitude, 

there came to him a certain man, 

kneeling down to him, 

and saying,

15 Lord, 

have mercy on my son: 

for he is lunatick, 

and sore vexed: 

for ofttimes he falleth into the fire, 

and oft into the water.

16 And I brought him to thy disciples, 

and they could not cure him.

17 Then Jesus answered and said, 

O faithless and perverse generation, 

how long shall I be with you? 

how long shall I suffer you? 

bring him hither to me.

18 And Jesus rebuked the devil; 

and he departed out of him: 

and the child was cured from that very hour.

19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, 

and said, 

Why could not we cast him out?

20 And Jesus said unto them, 

Because of your unbelief: 

for verily I say unto you, 

If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, 

ye shall say unto this mountain, 

Remove hence to yonder place; 

and it shall remove; 

and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

It's that UNBELIEF thing.

Causes all the problems.

And yet, all we have to do, is believe in the LORD JESUS.

Acts 16:31

King James Version

31 And they said, 

Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, 

and thou shalt be saved, 

and thy house.

We are to trust in GOD alone.

Psalm 118:8

King James Version

8 It is better to trust in the Lord 

than to put confidence in man.

Psalm 146:3-5

King James Version

3 Put not your trust in princes, 

nor in the son of man, 

in whom there is no help.

4 His breath goeth forth, 

he returneth to his earth; 

in that very day his thoughts perish.

5 Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, 

whose hope is in the Lord his God:

Micah 7:7

King James Version

7 Therefore I will look unto the Lord; 

I will wait for the God of my salvation: 

my God will hear me.

For me and my small cat community, we BELIEVE in JESUS.

We eagerly await the time we'll meet Him up in the air.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

King James Version

16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven 

with a shout, 

with the voice of the archangel, 

and with the trump of God: 

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain 

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 

to meet the Lord in the air: 

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

Who needs nine lives, when you have JESUS for eternal life?

Thus said, we continue to live by Scripture.

Sitting happily at JESUS' feet.

Listening to His WORD.

Waffles and water can wait.

Related material:

FAITH

Man's QUESTIONS

The RAPTURE

Image: Wallpaper Flare

To meet the LORD in the air

 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 

King James Version

16 For the Lord himself 

shall descend from heaven with a shout, 

with the voice of the archangel, 

and with the trump of God: 

and the dead in Christ shall rise first:

17 Then we which are alive and remain 

shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 

to meet the Lord in the air: 

and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

18 Wherefore comfort one another 

with these words.

Did you catch that?

Here are the simple points to that promise:

1. "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,"

2. "the dead in Christ shall rise first:"

3. "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds,"

4. "to meet the Lord in the air:"

5. "and so shall we ever be with the Lord."

Now you see why I share verses the way I do.

The Holy Spirit of God taught me how.

Only by taking Scripture, a word, or a phrase, at a time, can we really understand what is being said.

I did write about problematic prepositions from yesterday's post:

"The way the HOLY SPIRIT taught me to share BIBLE verses with you"

It seems, everything I was trained to do (precision in architecture and communications), everything I liked to do in the past (write, think, study, review, pray for discernment) has been put to good use by the LORD.

Before I became born again, I had no idea how to put all the gifts together.

It was only when I surrendered on 6 September 2019, that the floodgates of God's GRACE poured forth -- beyond measure -- assisting me, teaching me, guiding me, and protecting me, each and every single day, for the past 15 months.

But that only happened because I surrendered to God, completely, and looked upon Him as a kid, knowing nothing.

I was entirely teachable, for I had the heart of a five-year-old.

And I was patient, and persevering; quiet, and independent.

I liked figuring things out for myself.

More fun that way.

Finally, I can be the soul sleuth that I was, listening to the "prompts", following the "leads", checking the "clues", letting the Holy Spirit "guide" me, letting Scripture "speak", and coming to a "conclusion", based on all the "facts" I had.

What could be more factual than the WORD of GOD -- Scripture -- JESUS?

When you've come to this point, where you finally begin to understand, and marvel at the wondrous WORD of GOD, the Bible speaking to you, the LORD instructing you, answering your prayers even before you're done praying, and finally being able to piece things together, word by word, phrase by phrase, verse by verse, you can only smile, and wait for JESUS to take you up and "meet" Him "in the air".

For, after that, the world that's left behind will be so much different.

That's also why it's important I tell you all these things now, so your soul can rest easy, too, knowing GOD has ALWAYS been in charge.

All attempts at unseating the LORD JESUS, are futile.

The Bible says so.

Read the Book of Revelation.

Updated 23 February 2022