Live Long and Prosper

Dr. Spock, the Klingon not the Pediatrician, became famous for saying it to Captain Kirk on Star Trek. I saw an interview on television one time with Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played Spock, and he was asked where the famous line "Live long and prosper" came from. "He replied, "I am Jewish and it comes from the Ten Commandments to "Honor your father and mother that you may live long and prosper."

The promises of God are powerful and true. On this blog we are very concerned about getting the word out about living a long and prosperous life. There are many medical reasons why folks are living longer and I am happy to take advantage of those good gifts from the Lord.

I have a stint in my chest and I take several medicines each day to keep healthy. I try to eat well and exercise and I quit smoking 40 years ago when Julie was born. I also try to stay deeply connected with family and friends because both science and scripture tell me that healthy relationships are central to a long and prosperous life. After learning about tracing my family history and the importance of honoring my fathers and mothers of the former generations I began to thank God for my heritage and blessings.

Bu that is not all. The Bible also tells us how to "Live long and prosper". And, there is a great deal of research now on the many benefits of prayer, worship, church attendance and Christian fellowship. These are testimonies to the blessings of knowing Jesus Christ as Savior and healer. All in all, I am very, very thankful that God has given us so many wonderful ways to insure a long and prosperous life.

Just think, we get to have romance and it is good for us.

We get to enjoy deep prayer and worship and they are good for us.

We get to have fun relationships with our family and friends and it is good for us.

We have prayer to guide us, heal us and bring us into the love of God.

We get to live longer with physical, spiritual, emotional and financial prosperity because God chose us to be His own. Now that is good news.

Enter the Seventies and Sixties

Ugly Seventies' Clothing

The Baby Boom began to hit American institutions in the Fifties and the offspring of the returning GI's changed everything they touched along the way. The Boomers were everywhere with their wild hair and wild ways and wilder clothing.

But, God was not asleep at the wheel, He had a plan to bring revival to those young people and a few decades later bring the Fourth Great Awakening. Revivals sprang up allover the US and a little later Europe. Christian colleges were special targets and Asbury College in Kentucky was one of the first schools to experience an extended revival that lasted for days but its influence lasted for years.

There were various streams of revival. Some were charismatic, some were evangelical and some were in mainline churches. Much of the fervor and ferment occurred among young people so it became known as The Jesus Movement and the members as The Jesus People.

Has there been a lasting difference since the Sixties and Seventies? If so what? Over the next week or so I will share what I believe are the top ten positive results of the Jesus Movement. But first, I will tell you the top ten myths that dominated church life before the JM broke out.

A Seasoned Believer

I first met Donna Thomas ten years ago when she was going through a rough patch in her life in her life. She and her husband Chuck had founded several mission organizations but recently faced blockages and issues, including a very bad medical prognosis, that caused her to question whether she should just retire and let the young people do it all.

It seemed to me that Donna had a lot of wisdom to share with the world and I asked if she had ever thought about writing her experiences to inspire others. Before long she had written a book and later penned more, all of which were well received and popular among folks interested in evangelism and missions.

Today I received a not from her with a great example of how God uses her, a Seasoned Saint, to touch people from around the world. First, she really loves folks from other lands. Second, she is bold. Third, she is creative. Fourth, she does not give up. Fifth, she is available to God. Here is her note.

Dear Gary,

Well I just had an unusual experience. I went to see Mukta (Mary) my Indian friend that went forward for prayer last Sunday. Previously I had given her a Bible in Marathi, her language but I didn’t think she was reading it. So I called and went over to ask her to read the book of John. Have you ever tried to find the book of John in a language you cannot read? The letters aren’t the same. The numbers aren’t the same. I was lost. How could I find John? How could I even find the New Testament?

I turned to the book of Revelations. Yes, that I could find. Now if I simply go backward through the New Testament until we get to John, maybe that would work. There was Jude, 3 John, 2 John, 1 John, 2 Peter…..it was a good thing I had my Bible with me because it is harder to go backward.

We moved on cautiously finding Galatians, II Corinthians, I Corinthians, Romans, then Acts and behold…there is John. Now to find the first chapter. I can’t read one word of this nor the numbers. Everything is totally different.

Ahh, John chapter one. I asked her to read it and write down questions to bring to me. I’ll try to have the answers for her. She was most agreeable.

This is certainly one step at a time, but praise the Lord, these are steps in the right direction. Oh yes, since she is now a Christian, I changed her name from Mukta (the name of a Hindu God) to Mary. I never dreamed in a million years I would be doing this. It seems the Lord has his plans and we are supposed to be obedient. Your prayers for Mary will help and bless her.

Blessings

Donna S. Thomas

3560 Towne Drive

Carmel, IN 46032

317-876-9884

www.cvministries.org

Donna is an anointed speaker so invite her to tell your church or group all about how God can use ordinary people to touch others, even after they hit a wall of adversity. (By the way, her medical prognosis was also turned upside down by the Lord and she seems healthier now than she was ten years ago.)