APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER

                                                      APRIL 2023 NEWSLETTER

Robert Lindenberger

711 Wager St.

Titusville, Fl, 32780

321-368-7184

expas65@yahoo.com

I am 88,

I will not be late

To behold the Pearly Gate.

Just sitting with Jesus will be great.

God is good

All the time;

All the time,

God is good

Amen?

Perhaps you have noticed my address change. I am now living in a home for Assisted Living. So, I am grieving one more loss. My daughter, my LW, my son, my book, and now my home. Please do not say, “I’m sorry.” But say, “Praise the Lord for each trial.” Because each trial has brought me closer to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, he has carried me through, and He is carrying me now and making me homesick for heaven. At my lowest point in this move, He gave me this:

MUCH YET TO DO

“Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the Lord said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remained yet very much land to be possessed. “(Joshua 13:1)

There is no set “retirement age” for the Christian, where there is always “yet very much land to be possessed.” Joshua had survived 40 years in the wilderness, then led in the long, hard conquest of Canaan, and was now at least 80 years of age. Not only was he “old and stricken in years,” but God even told him he was old! But instead of allowing him to settle down to enjoy a few retirement years and hard one new home, God sent Joshua again for further conquests.

That must always be the case with those who love and serve the Lord. There is still much Scripture to study and learn, many people yet to reach with the gospel witness, many with whom to share God’s love and comfort, and much money yet to be earned to give to missions. Even those who must retire from active service, overcome confined at home, still have much praying to accomplish.

No one knows the way to the love of Jesus Christ is ever too old to possess more “land” for the Lord. “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree: he shall grow a senior in Lebanon. Those that be added in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall bring forth in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psalm 92:12 – 14).

Old age eventually comes to everyone who survives middle age, but that does not mean it is time to quit. “O God, thou has taught me from my youth: that hitherto I have declared thy wondrous works. Now. Also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God, for me not; until I have shown that strength into this generation, and thy power to everyone that is to come” (Psalm 71:17 – 18). HMM (Days of Praise)

God is nearer to us than our own hearts. His Holy Spirit dwells in the deepest part of our being. So why do we sometimes feel as though He is far away?

In the Bible, we find many promises, such as:

“Call upon Me and, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you (Jeremiah 29:12).

“Seek the Lord your God, and you will find him.” (Deuteronomy 4:29).

“Cry for help, and [God] will say, ‘here I am’” (Isaiah 58:9)

The Lord said, again and again, He would be with us. So perhaps today, you don’t need to pray for His nearness but for help in receiving how close He already is. For the blessing of His being fully present with Him, even if just for a few minutes, right where you are.

I have several groups of widows/widowers on Facebook and enjoy sharing this testimony: I feel your hurt. When my son died of ALS (Lou Lou Gehrig’s disease), I traveled from Florida to PA. I was crying and praying. I told God it’s hard seeing my son die. God said to me, I FEEL YOUR HURT, BOB, I HAD TO WATCH MY SON DIE. AND, BOB, IT’S OK TO CRY.

I also tell them I lived alone for eight years, but we’re not alone, which is also comforting. Jesus “is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word” (Hebrews 1:3). Yet, Christ uses His strength not to slay us but to love us. Here is His invitation, “if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20). Our faith begins with fear. – Who is at the door? – And it ends in a welcome and strong embrace. Jesus promised to always stay with us, even to the last person on earth. Thank God we’re not alone. Amen?

 

May God bless you and keep you and make his face shine upon you and give you His Peace. Shalom