Daily Living for Seniors

[Judy Harder]

 July 01, 2011     


Daily Living for Seniors
     
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil. --Proverbs 4:23-27

A former police officer once told of the tactics of roving bands of thieves. The group of thieves would enter a store in a unit. One or two of them would separate themselves from the group, and the others would start a loud commotion in another section of the store.

This grabbed the attention of the clerks and customers. And as all eyes were upon the disturbance, the accomplices would fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, and leave before anyone suspected anything.

Hours—sometimes even days—later the victimized merchant would realize things were missing from the store and call the police. Too late—they'd already been deceived and robbed.

This effective strategy is often used by Satan as well. Believers are seduced into paying attention to the distractions, while evil agents ransack our lives and ultimately leave us confused, lost, and devastated. So what does the Bible say about this? Always be on guard!

Paul warned believers several times about this scenario:

·         "...I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ" (2 Corinthians 11:3).

·         "...Be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil" (Romans 16:19).

·         "So be on your guard!" (Acts 20:31).

·         "So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!" (1 Corinthians 10:12).

Don't be distracted by Satan and his roving band of demons. Instead, "be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man" (Luke 21:36).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to guard your heart and mind, so that you won't be seduced and deceived by Satan.

 

[Judy Harder]

July 4


There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.. --1 Corinthians 12:4-6

Charles Osgood, well-known CBS radio newsman, once told the story of two ladies who lived in a convalescent center. Each had suffered horrible, incapacitating strokes. One lady's stroke left her left side completely restricted. And the other's right side was severely damaged and paralyzed.

Both of these ladies had once been accomplished pianists in the past. But after their strokes, they both gave up hope of ever playing again.

But because of their love for music and the piano, the director of the center sat them both down at the piano and encouraged them to play solo pieces together. Over time and with some practice, they began to play beautiful pieces together in perfect harmony and a lasting friendship developed as a result.

What an amazing picture of how the church of Jesus Christ can work together! One member cannot do everything alone. Instead, it takes two or more of God's people working together in harmony to accomplish His will in bringing the world to faith in Christ.

The Scripture says, "Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way" (1 Corinthians 12:29-31).

It may be that God has called you to one specific job within His church. Or maybe He's asked you to do something extraordinary within the Body of Christ. Whether you are a greeter, Sunday school teacher, or visitor of those who are sick, do it all for the glory of God as a precious member of His church!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the many members of the Body of Christ. Pray that He would make you effective in ministering to others wherever He's called you to serve.

[Judy Harder]

And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. --Colossians 3:17

In Loving God, Charles Colson tells the story of Telemachus, a fourth-century Christian and monk. Telemachus lived in a remote village and spent most of his time tending his garden and praying.

One day, God told him to go to Rome. The monk responded obediently and set out on foot. Weeks later, he arrived at the city's gates to witness a great festival taking place. He followed the crowd through the streets toward the Colosseum.

Inside, he saw the gladiators stand before the emperor and say, "We who are about to die salute you."

Telemachus realized they were going to fight to the death for the entertainment of the crowd, so he cried out, "In the name of Christ, stop!"

As the games began, Telemachus pushed through the crowds, climbed over the wall, and dropped to the arena floor screaming over and over, "In the name of Christ, stop!" The crowd thought this was part of the show, so they began laughing. When they realized it wasn't, their laughter turned to angry shouts.

Suddenly, one of the gladiators plunged his sword into the body of Telemachus. He fell to the sand and his last words were, "In the name of Christ, stop!" Then, a hush fell over the Colosseum and one man in the upper rows stood up and walked out. Soon, others began to follow and in silence everyone left the Colosseum.

On that day in B.C. 391, the last battle to the death between gladiators in the Roman Colosseum was fought. It was all because one tiny voice that could hardly be heard above the uproar spoke the truth in God's name.

Won't you be that small voice in the darkness and commotion of our culture today?

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that others might be sensitive to hear the message of truth spoken by you in God's name.

[Judy Harder]

 July 06, 2011     

I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly. --Psalm 40:10

Peter Cartwright was a nineteenth-century, circuit-riding Methodist preacher. But more importantly, he was known for being uncompromising in his faith.

One Sunday morning, as he was preparing to preach, he was told that President Andrew Jackson was in the congregation. Some of the elders warned him not to say anything out of line or there would be trouble.

So when Cartwright stood to preach, he said, "I understand that Andrew Jackson is here today. I have been requested to be guarded in my remarks. Andrew Jackson will go to hell if he doesn't repent."

The congregation was shocked by Cartwright's bold sermon and wondered how the President would respond. However, after the service, President Jackson walked by to shake hands with Cartwright and said, "Sir, if I had a regiment of men like you, I could whip the world."

As Christians, we are not called to be "guarded" when it comes to sharing the Gospel message with the world. Instead, we are to be bold and outspoken in proclaiming the truth.

In Psalm, King David wrote, "I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD" (Psalm 40:9).

Scripture says that we are a "chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [we] may declare the praises of Him who called [us] out of darkness into His wonderful light" (1 Peter 2:9).

The world needs more Christians who will be uncompromising in their faith. Will you be that kind of Christian—just as Peter Cartwright was? Won't you be bold enough to declare the faithfulness and salvation of God today (Psalm 40:10)?

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would give you the opportunities to boldly share your faith. Ask Him to give you the right words at that time that will bring others to Christ.

[Judy Harder]

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins ... But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. --Ephesians 2:1, 4-5

The Vietnam Veteran's Memorial is astounding for its simplicity and meaning. Etched carefully in the black granite wall are the names of 58,156 Americans who died in that gruesome war. And since its opening in 1982, the striking monument has stirred deep, and sometimes painful, emotions in many people.

Some visitors walk the length of the memorial slowly and reverently, but without a pause. Others stop before certain names to linger where they recognize the name of a son, sweetheart, or fellow soldier. They wipe away their tears and remember the legacy those lost lives left behind.

For Robert Bedker, Willard Craig, and Darrall Lausch—three Vietnam veterans—a trip to visit the memorial must be especially moving because each man can walk up to the long ebony wall and find their own names carved in the stone. Because of data coding errors, each of them was incorrectly listed as killed in action upon the monument.

Dead, but truly and completely alive—this is a perfect description of every believer in Jesus Christ. Just as Christ suffered death of the flesh and was made alive by the Spirit, so are we as Christians made alive in the Holy Spirit (see 1 Peter 3:18). And we are called to die to ourselves every day and walk in the Spirit of Jesus.

Every day we should thank God for raising us up from the mire and muck to live in glory with Him. Because of the death of Jesus on the cross, we can rest peacefully knowing that we will be alive forever with Him in heaven one day. Praise God!

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for making you alive in the Spirit as a believer. Pray that He would help you die to yourself and your sins every day, so that you can be more like Him.

[Judy Harder]

 Daily Living for Seniors
     
Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. --1 Corinthians 15:51-52

Winston Churchill, the great preacher of yesteryear, planned his own funeral that took place at Saint Paul's Cathedral. Included in the service were many great hymns of the church and the eloquent Anglican liturgy.

At his direction, a bugler, stationed high in the dome of the cathedral, was to play "Taps" after the benediction signaling that the day is over. Then immediately afterward, Churchill instructed another bugler, positioned at the other end, to play the tune "Reveille"—"It's time to get up. It's time to get up. It's time to get up in the morning!"

This was Churchill's testimony to all—though it was the end of his time on earth, it was a time of joy for he was getting up to go home to be with the Lord. At the end of history, the last note for all believers will not be "Taps," but instead "Reveille."

Believers can have hope for the day when death comes. When you take your last breath, know that your soul will go to be with Jesus in heaven and will one day be reunited with a new body when He returns. Death is not the end for the believer, it is just the beginning.

"We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ... For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thessalonians 3:14, 16-17).

Praise God! The worst things are never the last things.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the future you have with Him in heaven.

[Judy Harder]

You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ... Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. --2 Timothy 2:1, 3

A Soviet cosmonaut returned to Earth from outer space on December 29, 1987 after 326 days in orbit. He was surprisingly in good health which isn't always the case in these types of record-breaking expeditions.

Just five years earlier, two cosmonauts touched down after 211 days in space. Thereafter, they suffered from dizziness, high pulse rates, and heart palpitations. For over a week, they couldn't walk. And after 30 days, they will still undergoing physical therapy for atrophied muscles and weakened hearts.

At zero gravity in space, the body's muscles begin to deteriorate because there is no resistance as there is when gravity is present on Earth. To counteract this problem, the Soviets developed and prescribed a rigorous exercise program for the cosmonauts.

They invented "penguin suits"—running suits laced with elastic bands—that resist every move the cosmonauts make so that they have to exert more strength when exercising. This regimen, used today, helps those traveling in space to avoid the difficulties earlier cosmonauts faced.

As believers, we so often long for days without difficulty and hardships. But God knows better. The easier our life is, the weaker our spiritual fiber becomes. It is by exerting our strength through difficult times that we can grow and withstand whatever life throws our way.

So let us "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:1-2).

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Thank God for the rigorous life exercises you face. Pray that He will use them to strengthen you for what's ahead.

[Judy Harder]

Daily Living for Seniors
     
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.  --Ephesians 1:7-8

Senator Mark Hatfield once recounted the following historical story:

"James Garfield was a lay preacher and principal of his denominational college. They say he was ambidextrous and could simultaneously write Greek with one hand and Latin with the other.

"In 1880, he was elected president of the United States, but after only six months in office, he was shot in the back with a revolver. He never lost consciousness. At the hospital, the doctor probed the wound with his little finger to seek the bullet. He couldn't find it, so he tried a silver-tipped probe. Still he couldn't locate the bullet.

"They took Garfield back to Washington, D.C. Despite the summer heat, they tried to keep him comfortable. He was growing very weak. Teams of doctors tried to locate the bullet, probing the wound over and over.

"In desperation, they asked Alexander Graham Bell, who was working on a little device called the telephone, to see if he could locate the metal inside the president's body. He came, he sought, and he too failed.

"The president hung on through July, through August, but in September he finally died—not from the wound but from infection. The repeated probing, which the physicians thought would help the man, eventually killed him."

The same is true with people who dwell too long on their sin and refuse to release it to God. Satan creeps into their lives and takes control. Just like an infection, their sin eventually takes over their being.

But Jesus said of his sacrifice on the cross, "This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins" (Matthew 26:28).

Because of His sacrifice, the infection of sin can be stopped. Release your sin to the Savior, and find complete forgiveness in Him.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Recognize and release your sin before the Lord today in prayer.

[Judy Harder]

July 13, 2011   

Daily Living for Seniors
     

[Jesus said:] "You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." --Acts 1:8

In his book, Pastoral Renewal, Charles Simpson wrote:

"I met a young man not long ago who dives for exotic fish for aquariums. He said one of the most popular aquarium fish is the shark.

"He explained that if you catch a small shark and confine it, it will stay a size proportionate to the aquarium. Sharks can be six inches long yet fully matured. But if you turn them loose in the ocean, they grow to their normal length of eight feet.

"That also happens to some Christians. I've seen the cutest little six-inch Christians who swim around in a little puddle. But if you put them into a larger arena--into the whole creation--only then can they become great."

Jesus commanded all believers to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [he has] commanded" (Matthew 28:19-20).

There is no room to grow inside the walls of a Sunday School classroom, church building, or your own home. We have been called to go outside of those walls and reach out to the lost world that needs to know Jesus.

Get involved in doing missions and evangelism in your neighborhood, city, or state through your church, local seniors group, or Bible study class. If you are physically unable to get involved, become a prayer warrior for the cause of Christ. Your prayers are needed both on and off the mission field.

Get out of the puddle you've been swimming in, and take your faith to a larger arena--the world.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would open the doors for you to reach out to those who are lost in your Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth.

[Judy Harder]

July 14, 2011     

What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. --Philippians 3:8

In a publication put out by Wycliffe Bible Translators called, In Other Words, a story was published about Sadie Sieker, a lady who served for many years as a house-parent for missionaries' children in the Philippines.

Sadie loved books. She would gladly loan out some on occasion, but there were others that she treasured and kept tucked away in a footlocker under her bed.

One night, when all had gone to bed and everything was quiet, Sadie heard a faint gnawing sound. She searched her room for the source of the sound, but then suddenly realized it was come from her footlocker underneath her bed.

When she opened it, she found only a huge pile of dust. All the precious books she had kept hidden away for herself had been lost to a band of termites. Sadie learned a valuable lesson that night--what we give away, we keep. What we hoard, we lose.

Matthew 6:19-21 says, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Jesus exhorts us not to value possessions or keep them selfishly locked away. If your heart is focused on possessions, money, security, friendships, or something else, the Lord will take it all away. He wants your full attention, offerings, and all of your possessions.

Jesus' words strike at the very heart of human selfishness. We are all selfish by nature, so we must daily seek to give all that we have and our lives (see Luke 17:33, John 12:25) to Him, so He can fully use us for His glory and receive His blessings.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Through prayer, seek to commit yourself and your things to the Lord for His use.