God Thoughts January 18th

God Thoughts January 18th

Let me tell you of  3 Senior citizens that have no moss growing 

on their butts.

Anthony Mancinelli of NEW WINDSOR, N.Y is in the Guiness 

book of world records, for being the oldest practicing barber at 

107. Tao Porchon-Lynch,  Spends her Saturdays at Ruben Art 

Museum teaching yoga.  She is 100.   Orville Rogers is 100 years 

old and routinely breaks records at track meets around the 

country. Sure, the World War II veteran doesn’t have much 

competition in his age bracket, but that’s beside the point.  The 

point is that Rogers is in his fourth decade of retirement and still 

running in all the ways you want to be when you hit triple digits: 

a model of physical, emotional, and financial health.

This does not mean we will live in this lie forever-no one until 

Christ comes back will get out alive! But, it does mean:  We can 

get old to the glory of God in a way that makes God look glorious. 

By living and dying in a way that shows God to be the all-

satisfying Treasure that he is.  We can die moss free!

Father, give us a passion in our final years to spend 

ourselves to make Jesus as great as he really is—to get old to the 

glory of God.  Amen

Since my youth, God, you have taught me,

and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.

Even when I am old and gray,

do not forsake me, my God,

till I declare your power to the next generation,

your mighty acts to all who are to come. Psalms 71:18,19

God Thoughts January 17th

God Thoughts January 17th

My Christian friends often say that the Bible says nothing 

about exercise. So why waste the energy? This attitude is 

evidenced by the number of obese people sitting in the pews and 

even standing in this pulpit. Church membership is down 

because we can’t fit all of them in the building. I have a friend 

who knows he is overweight and unhealthy. He quotes the 

scripture about our bodies being temples of the Holy Spirit (1 

Cor. 6:19). Then he turns in a circle, displaying his opulent body, 

and says, “I’m building a mega-church.”

But all of us know that the poor health that comes with the 

“megachurch” and falls short of what honors God.   That poor 

health eats up our resources and zaps our purpose. Often people  

point out that the Bible says nothing about exercise, I respond, 

“Life in Bible times was exercise. If anything, the people in those 

days needed to set aside time to be sedentary, time to rest.”

I would like to point to For physical training is of some value, 

but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for 

both the present life and the life to come. 1 Timothy 4:8

“Most of us set goals that are too small. Wearing a certain dress 

size, reaching a target weight, or looking buff isn’t a goal big 

enough to sustain you for the rest of your life. If your “goal is too 

small, then once you reach it, your commitment fades. As soon as 

the zipper zips, out come the potato chips!

Without a bigger goal, you will never maintain that weight or 

continue to fit into the dress. Before you know it, you’re sliding 

downhill, struggling to recapture the same hard-won ground 

again. Over time your weight will yo-yo up and down, resulting in 

even poorer health, greater lack of confidence, and deeper 

discouragement. Been there, done that.

But notice what 1 Timothy 4:8 states what our ultimate goal 

must be godliness for this life and the life to come!  Or as we have 

said; glorify God!  Telling the next generation about God's glory 

becomes a challenge with poor health.  Spending time loving our 

nephews and nieces become a challenge as we lose resources, our purpose 

and our health.

God Thoughts January 16

God Thoughts January 16

So growing old to the glory of God means using whatever 

strength, eyesight and hearing, and mobility and resources 

we have left to treasure Christ and in that joy to serve people—

that seeks to bring them with us into the everlasting enjoyment 

of Christ.  Poor health Lessens our resources for God's Glory!  

Remember we have said during this series; "Getting old to the 

glory of God means getting old in a way that makes God look 

glorious. It means living and dying in a way that shows God 

to be the all-satisfying Treasure that he is.  Poor health makes the 

moss grow faster!

Let me give you the 10 biggest health concerns for retirees

Heart Disease

It is a chronic condition that affects 37% of men and 26% of women over the age of 65

What's the answer?  The best weapon you have against heart disease is taking good care of your body. Try to maintain a healthy diet full of good nutrients and vitamins, and be sure to get enough exercise and sleep every day.

B.  Arthritis

arthritis is estimated to affect 49.7% of older adults and is the number one condition people over 65 have to live with.

Preventing arthritis is dependent on a healthy lifestyle with a good diet and no substance abuse but nothing can completely protect you from developing it. Arthritis often leads to pain and a lower quality of life, so it is important to work with a doctor to develop a plan alongside the treatment to keep you healthy. 

C.  Cancer

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in older people and affects over ¼ of men and ⅕ of women over 65.

By maintaining healthy living choices such as a good diet and exercise plan and working with your doctor and health team to come up with good health plans and treatment for you, you can greatly improve your quality of life, even living with cancer.

D. Respiratory diseases

respiratory diseases are the third most common cause of death in older people because there are so many ways people can be affected.

The best way to prevent or deal with respiratory diseases is to get frequent lung function tests so that it is caught early and to take the correct medication. Preserving your health with healthy diets and exercise will have a big impact on your life, and one of the best ways to prevent or handle a respiratory disease is to quit smoking.

E. Alzheimer’s Disease

One in nine people over 65 are known to suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease

Risk factors that lead to Alzheimer’s include depression, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, and substance abuse.

F. Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a condition where your body has a low bone mass. 

Whether you are trying to prevent osteoporosis, or live with it, it is important to maintain a diet rich in calcium and to do exercises that build muscle, like weights.

G. Diabetes

25% of people over 65 live with diabetes.

Diet & Exercise 

H. Influenza and Pneumonia

Over 674,000 adults over 65 are sent to the hospital with pneumonia every year, and 90% of flu and pneumonia-related deaths are adults over 65.

The best prevention for these infections is getting an annual flu shot and talking to your doctor about the pneumonia vaccine to see if it is best for you.

I.  Obesity

Do I need to site a stat?  Young and old struggle with this one.

How can we fix it?

J. Depression

15 to 20% of Americans over the age of 65 have or presently suffer from depression. 

An increase in physical activity is a healthy way to combat depression on top of therapy and/or medication.  Repeat after me   Taking medication is not evidence of a lack of faith!  It is also important to maintain social interaction and get out of the house to boost your sense of happiness.

https://www.theseniorcarenetwork.org/10-most-common-health-concerns-for-senior-citizens/

God Thought January 15th 2019

John Glenn, in donating his personal and Senate papers to Ohio

State University in 1997 said to the students;  “If there’s one

thing I’ve learned in my years on this planet, it’s that the

happiest and most fulfilled people are those who devoted

themselves to something bigger and more profound than merely

their own self-interest.”   Bertrand Russel self-described atheist

or agnostic said this; Unless you assume a God, the question of

life’s purpose is meaningless  Bertrand Russell

wordly  retirement what a strange reward for a

Christian to set his sights on! Twenty years of leisure while

living in the midst of the Last Days.  Which has significant

consequence for millions of people who need Christ. What a

tragic way to finish the last mile before entering the presence of

the king who finished his last mile so differently!  We grow old for

God's glory by living now for eternity.

 Even when I am old and gray,  do not forsake me, my God, till I declare

your power to the next generation, your mighty acts to all

who are to come. Ps 71:18

Let's go to  Verse 20,21 which says; Though you have made me

see troubles, many and bitter,  you will restore my life again;

from the depths of the earth you will again bring me up.You

will increase my honor and comfort me once more. Psalms

71:20,21 NIV

In these verses, the psalmist describes the full spectrum of the

ups and downs of his life” “the skies” “troubles, many and bitter”

“depths of the earth” and “bring me up.” The psalmist doesn’t

sugar coat the hard times, but he understands that the Lord is

sovereign over the mountain tops as well as the dark valleys of

his life.

How many Christians set their sights on a retiring—resting,

playing, traveling,-gathering moss on their butts. Is that purpose,

glorifying to God?

God Thoughts January 14 2019

If you look carefully, you will find people all around you who show few signs of life. 

They haven’t flatlined yet, but they stopped singing long ago. Rarely do their hearts 

race in excitement over the possibilities held by a new day. They lurch through the 

darkness like zombies, clinging to memories of what life used to be. But deep inside 

they long to live again.

You can find them in high schools, retirement homes, corporate offices, and church 

pews; and sometimes they stare back at you in the mirror. They are what the little boy 

named Cole saw in the movie The Sixth Sense. He saw dead people. I am talking 

about people who are alive but living as if they are dead. People who are fading 

physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually. Even though they have many 

years of life ahead of them, they are unplugging their own life-support systems. 

I see it in their eyes, hear it in their questions, and since it in their body language. 

I see it in the way they have neglected their health. I hear it in their confessions

of a desire to live again.   They have lost their purpose of making God their 

greatest treasure.  They have moss on their butts! “  

Excerpt From: Ken Davis. “Fully Alive.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/fully-alive/id607421690?mt=11

How many Christians set their sights on a retiring—resting, playing, traveling, etc.—
the world’s substitute for heaven since the world does not believe that there will be
heaven beyond the grave. The mindset or our culture is that we must reward ourselves 

now in this life for the long years of work. Eternal rest and joy after death is an irrelevant
consideration. When you don’t believe in heaven to come and you are not content in the
glory of Christ now, you will seek the kind of retirement that the world seeks.  Did God
create us so we could just play golf?  Fish? Fill in the blank with your favorite retirement
activity is that all there is?

“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil
against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in
heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."
Matthew 5:11,12

God Thoughts January 13

God Thoughts January 13th

Snippet

A well-trained soldier is not afraid of his adequacy in battle. In fact, in some ways he looks forward to the challenge of using his skills and equipment. It is not the fighting that scares him. It is the realization that out there somewhere may be a bullet with his name on it. But the wonder of the Gospel is that God promised there is no such bullet for the believer. Though we are in for the fight of our lives and may experience great loss - even of our lives - we know that the enemy is ours. God has promised that our souls are secure, and that He will ultimately defeat all our spiritual foes. John Murray Principles of  Conduct p. 236-237, 242

Scripture

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39

Songs

Ain't No Grave Cageless Birds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cGoBJ6R18qg

[Verse 1]

Shame is a prison as cruel as a grave

Shame is a robber and he's come to take my name

Oh, love is my redeemer, lifting me up from the ground

And love is the power when my freedom song is found

[Chorus]

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

When I hear that trumpet sound

I'm gonna rise up outta the ground

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

[Verse 2]

Oh, fear is a liar with a smooth and velvet tongue

Fear is a tyrant, he's always telling me to run

Oh, love is a resurrection and love is a trumpet sound

Love is my weapon, I'm gonna take my giants down

[Chorus]

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

And when I hear that trumpet sound

I'm gonna rise up outta the ground

There ain't no grave

Gonna hold my body down

[Interlude]

[Verse 3]

Oh, there was a battle, a war between death and life

And there on a tree, the lamb of God was crucified

And he went on down to hell, he took back every key

And he rose up as a lion and he set all captives free

[Chorus]

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

When he heard the trumpet sound

He rose up outta the ground

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

[Outro]

When he heard the trumpet sound

He rose up outta the ground

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

There ain't no grave

Could hold his body down

Sentence Prayer

Jesus, Jesus, sweetest name in heaven and on earth.  You fought a battle between death and life and life won!  Train us to use your weapons so in our prayers and life, your kingdom comes here on earth.  Amen