I have always heard in the Christian circles I live in that retirement is not a biblical option. One of my early mentors said, “You can rest in heaven.” And, he added, “I’d rather flame out than rust out.” That made sense to me, and on one level I agree. The idea that Christians should retire at some point just so they can ‘play’ for the rest of their lives is certainly not a future that I embrace. But can a believer retire from one sphere of influence, his current vocation, and move to another? I read a great article about this by Gene Edward Veith that I highly recommend. His opening paragraph includes this statement, that made me want to read more: “Surprisingly, my retirement has brought me to a deeper sense of vocation.” Go here to read the rest!
God called a family meeting in Amos 3, and gathered His children from Israel in the living room, if you will. His first words, when they were all assembled and looking attentively into His eyes were these: “Hear this word that the Lord has spoken!” I said to the Antioch congregation last Sunday in my sermon, “That’s where it all starts, doesn’t it, saints? Hearing the Word that the Lord has spoken. But what enables us to hear the Word of the Lord when most on the earth cannot hear it? Or cannot hear it with acceptance? Paul wrote, “The natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Cor. 2:14) This is such an important truth that helps us understand why we who are followers of Christ are swimming upstream in a culture that cannot even begin to understand why we would do such a thing. It is because we are not natural men and women, thanks to the transforming grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are spiritual men and women, and therefore we can accept and can understand the Word of the Lord.” To hear that sermon for yourself, go here.
Yes, I will confess. I do love March Madness. It is one of my favorite times of the year. As a Tar Heel basketball fan (and an alum), I have had plenty to cheer for in the past 39 years since I graduated. But even in those rare years when the Heels don’t even make it to the Sweet Sixteen, I still love the tournament. So, bring it on, March Madness, and GO HEELS!
J. Mark Fox 