The Weekly Encourager – April 10, 2015 – How to Live to 100

It should be no surprise that the Easter Sunday edition of “The Washington Post” contained little if any reference to Easter. Fifty years ago, the assumption was that virtually everyone would celebrate Easter, and newspapers reflected that. Twenty or even ten years ago, the front page would have had an article on the Annual White House Easter Egg Roll, or which church the president planned to attend, what the First Lady might wear, or even the latest research on the “historical” Jesus.

This year, the lead article was “Tech Titans' Latest Project: Defy Death” with the subtitle “The Human Upgrade.” The first sentence gives us a preview: “For centuries, explorers have searched the world for the fountain of youth. Today's billionaires believe they can create it, using technology and data.” The piece gave several examples of rich people funding expensive research, with the goal of trying to prolong life on this earth.

“Parade” magazine, the thin pop culture tidbit that is inserted in every major newspaper in the country, on Easter featured a “Cheater's Guide to Living to 100” as their main topic. While that article contained some excellent suggestions for optimizing your health, the emphasis was on living as long as you can. After all, you only go around once, right?

Right. According to Scripture, this life is mercifully short, which is fine since there's another life to come. But people don't see that. The unbelieving world around us is scared, because even with all our medical advances, inventions, and improvements, we're still going to get old and die. Recently, the two oldest people on earth died. Misao Okawa of Japan was 117 years old when she died. Five days later, Gertrude Weaver, 116, died in Arkansas. It's obvious to everyone that to live even to 100 is exceptional. I watched the recent documentary on PBS called, “Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies.” That's the holy grail of medicine: to cure cancer so we can live forever.

Just before Easter, 148 Christians in Kenya were murdered for their faith in Christ. A few weeks earlier, Christians in a different country defended the faith and died for it. All of these brothers and sisters showed amazing courage in the face of persecution, and this past Sunday, they spent their first Easter in Heaven. Now that's life and death in the fast lane. The Lord says. “To him who endures, I will give a crown of life.”

Isn't it interesting that everyone's talking about trying to defy death at Easter? Sorry, folks, there is only one way to defy death: to believe in the Lord Jesus, the only Man who defied death and defeated it once and for all! Jesus is the only One who can offer us “The Human Upgrade” - new bodies in which to enjoy perfect health forever. No more cancer, no more aging, no pain, no depression, no suffering of any kind. This new long life is available to any who trust in Christ, whether rich or poor, well-educated or not, strong or weak, tech titan or trash collector. The world looks to Science to save them, but God sent His Son to bring salvation and eternal life. Jesus' blood is the only fountain of youth that will ever be found.

My goal is not to live to 100, but to live for Christ in whatever time I have left. With the Holy Spirit's help, may I know and show the love of Christ more and more each day. By God's power within me, if I am called upon to choose, may I be brave enough to die for my faith, knowing that death is only a doorway into an eternal life worth living. Thanks be to God!

God is faithful,
j