'A Great Multitude from Every Nation' The Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapter 7, Verse 9 "After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ..."

Hello and welcome to another merry go round here at the ole blogger ranch. Happy Monday, June 30, 2025. Yeah. I've been reading about boomer habits and I must agree that I am still clinging to old norms and beliefs. They tell us that's a problem we in my generation have. It seems we need to understand that younger people have their own beliefs and they are just as valid. Really? I understand that methods do change. But I am likely taking something Jesus said out of its context to make a point here, "You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free."(John 8:32)  I know that it had a specific application in the situation where He said it, but, in a general sense I believe that it is a timeless truth. Our pastor spoke some about this yesterday in his Sunday sermon. My point? No matter where you are from or where you have been or what your age might be the reality of life hangs on the knowing of The Truth. Since Jesus Himself is the way, the truth and the life, (John 14:6), I can think about it this way: Knowing the truth means knowing Jesus. Knowing Jesus requires one to repent of their sins and call directly on Him to save them. (Acts 3:19 "Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away.") Once a person knows the Truth, Jesus, well, that's when our beliefs become unified because our lives are based on the same Truth, Jesus Himself. Methods of presentation and communication? Okay. They change. Music? It certainly is changing all the time. Church practices and styles? They change also and that's fine as long as The Truth is never compromised. This tells me that we can come together across all age groups but to do so we have to know the truth so that we have freedom to embrace the same source of truth, none other than our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Amen.

 

That's a little sermonette to get the day started. You didn't ask for one? Yeah, but, sometimes what I have is all I have and there's really no more to it, at least for today. It does seem like as I see myself marking time in the last phase of life here on the planet that I am given to thinking about how we relate to those coming behind us. Those who have read my blogs for anytime at all know I am full of references that fly over the heads of nearly any and all in the younger generations. At times I find myself in choir next to a young man who just graduated high school. He has a different cultural background and a funky haircut and while he is very respectful to me, I often can see the blank stare when I talk to him. Those funny anecdotes, (to me and my generation), do not connect even when I explain them. My point? He overlooks that because of our common faith in Christ. He respects me because of my age and our common faith in Christ. We can enjoy fellowship together, an unlikely pair, because of our common faith in Christ. The experts spend a lot of time trying to come up with ways to bridge the gap that exists between generations. I love the answer our pastor has for those who ask him what demographic group is he pursuing. He says we want to reach everyone that Jesus died for. Now that, my friend, is one of the best answers I've ever heard. Talk about being inclusive! Even me. Wow! Y'all get out there and as you go here and there, remember to thank God that when He said whosoever, He included us all. Amen.