Age Beseeches Youth (Continued)

Beloved, in continuance of our theme, “Age beseeches Youth” - Can you imagine the regrets that the younger, “prodigal” son must have felt? In his distress, I’m sure that he remembered how even the servants in his father’s house were better off than he. Can you imagine the battle he had with his pride to bring himself to the point of going back home? He had to acknowledge that he was not as wise and able to care for himself as he thought! Yet, Beloved, the maturity of wisdom and the “age” of the father had to “beseech” his “youthful” ignorance. The young prodigal thought that he would need to humbly beg for a job rather than to have his sonship restored. I’m so thankful that at least he found the grace to do so, whereas many today never make it. We are losing many young people (chronologically and spiritually) because those who have “aged” (in years and in Christ) refuse to exercise more maturity than those who are “younger”. Too often, “older” saints fail to “beseech” the younger saints over their mistakes, thus forfeiting opportunities to share their wisdom with them.

Precious Ones, all of us must place ourselves in the prodigal son’s deplorable state at one time or another during our lives. We all have had to travel that long and wearisome journey home after we made mistakes - wondering, “How will God receive me? What will my family think? Will the person I offended ever forgive me? Like the prodigal son, we may find ourselves asking, “What will my brother say? How will the servants accept me? Can I face them all and ever be able to hold up my head again? Oh, if only I had listened! Oh, the disgrace of it all!”

Chosen Ones, can you imagine the grace and love that was manifested when his father, seeing him coming, “ran (to meet him) and fell on his neck and kissed him” (Luke 15:20)? Beloved, when “age beseeches youth”, there is opportunity for reconciliation and healing, no matter what the offense. However, when the youth, who will make their mistakes, have no one “aged” to turn to, they will be lost.

I will write more on this subject next Sunday. Until then, know that...

I love you all SO very much,

In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Age Beseeches Youth (Part 1)

Beloved, I’m impressed of the Lord to write to you from a new theme entitled “Age Beseeches Youth”. Beloved, we find Jesus uttering the words, “When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest” (John 21:18). These words were addressed to Peter, and Peter was up in years when he was called - certainly, he was the oldest of the twelve. Jesus spoke of the manner of Peter’s life in his youth. I’m not advocating that Jesus considered Peter a singular or peculiar case. Rather, Jesus spoke of the attitude of youth as a whole. In growing up, we all passed through a phase in our youth where we wanted to try everything for ourselves. If you can think back to when you were young, you will remember that this was a time when we struggled for independence. After we reached maturity, we realized that our youthful mistakes and youthful accomplishments served to establish the pattern of our adult lives. This is the reason why some would rather live for “the moment” rather than seeking opportunities for the future.

Precious Ones, the wise man Solomon devoted himself to finding out “what was that good for the sons of men” (Ecclesiastes 2:3). Beloved, Solomon was not just experimenting for his own pleasure, but also to be able to advise others for their own benefit. However, the nature of youth is to want to make its own mistakes, regardless of how detrimental these actions may be to the future. For example, how many times have children said to their parents, “You have experienced your life, and now you don’t want us to experience ours!” Beloved, it has been said that “experience is the best teacher”, but that is not always true. In some cases, experience is the most expensive teacher. In their youth, people can experience some things that maim the body, pervert the mind, stifle the spirit and destroy the soul.

Chosen Ones, this is why Solomon stressed to the young that “age beseeches youth”. In other words, Solomon urged the youth to “forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

There will be more on this subject later.

I love you all SO very much.

In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy

Marked (Conclusion)

Beloved, in conclusion of the theme we have been ministering from, entitled “Marked” - Jesus declared that he had come “to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Jesus was “marked” to do so. However, since Jesus’ crucifixion, the “mark” has shifted from Him to us. Now, this responsibility descends on us. Paul explains it this way, “All things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing (counting) their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us (the saints) the (spoken) word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:18-20). In other words, Beloved, God has given us the power to reconcile man back to his God, because we are “marked” to “speak” it into existence by God’s Word. This is what marks us to be “ambassadors for Christ”. In what greater manner can we show the “marks” of the Lord Jesus Christ? Speak the salvation of your families and loved ones into existence, and you will see results. Remember, Solomon said, “death and life are in the power of the tongue...” (Proverbs 18:21).

Precious Ones, because of the “mark” on our lives, our ministry reveals the weakness of “the laws of Moses” and the strength of “the Gospel of Jesus Christ”. The Law divided men, but the Gospel united men. The apostle Paul maintains that Jesus has “made both one (that is, both Gentiles and Jews, both sinners and saints), and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us” (Ephesians 2:14). Now, Beloved, both sinner and saint can get an audience with God, because the old ordinances of “the law” were taken away by virtue of being nailed to the cross.

Chosen Ones, in conclusion - Paul, as the apostle to the Gentiles, recognized the signs that followed those who were in Christ and of Christ. The true “mark” of a born-again Christian is the understanding that everyone can be saved.

I love you all SO very much.

In His Love,

Pastor William L. McCoy