The Importance of Sharing Life Lessons with Others / Senior Living

 The Importance of Sharing Life Lessons with Others

Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom. - Job 32:7

In the book Live and Learn and Pass It On, H. Jackson Brown, Jr., recounted some of the life lessons people of different ages said they’d learned. Here are a few he collected and the ages of the people who shared them:

• Lending money to friends and relatives causes them to get amnesia. (32)
• You should always put on a new bathing suit and get it wet before wearing it in public. (21)
• No situation is so bad that losing your temper won’t make it worse. (41)
• You shouldn’t leave your fork on the plate when you reheat food in the microwave. (13)
• When you’re too busy for friends, you’re too busy. (48)
• Life is like a 10-speed bicycle—most of us have gears we never use. (59)
• When parents say, “It doesn’t matter what we think—you are the one dating him,” they hate the guy. (24)
• Keep your words soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them. (38)
• The more mistakes you make, the smarter you get. (13)
• If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven’t done much today. (21)

One of the remarkable benefits of getting older is that you have many life lessons like these that you can share with others. That’s exactly why in cultures around the world, gray hair is indicative of wisdom!

As you reflect upon your life, think of the life lessons that come to mind. Make a list of them so you can share them with others. When you allow your experiences to be teachable lessons for others, you’ll breathe life into their relationship with God!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray and ask God to bring to mind your life lessons. Make a list and share them with others who can learn from your experiences.

Time Is God's Gift to Us/ Senior Living

 Time Is God's Gift to Us

My days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle… -- Job 7:6

Where are we going so fast? Scientific measurements indicate that we are moving even when we are standing still. Continental land masses sit on enormous slabs of rock that slide very slowly at the rate of 1 to 8 inches per year. In addition, America is gradually moving westward, away from Europe, at the rate of 3 inches per year.

Consider this: our Milky Way galaxy is hurtling through space at 375 miles per second or 1.3 million miles per hour. And within our own galaxy, the sun and its solar system are zooming along at 12.4 miles per second toward the star Vega in the constellation Lyra.

If you were to lie on your back in a quiet park on a cloudless day, you may feel as though all time and movement have stopped under the warm rays of the sun. And when you're walking down the street, you don't notice the earth spinning beneath your feet. But the scientist and the Christian know otherwise. Just as we are hurtling through the heavens at unimaginable speeds according to science, so too are we moving from here to eternity.

Our days and opportunities to live for the Lord and share Him with others pass so quickly that we cannot afford to waste any more time. It is important that we remember our days are numbered and life is but "a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes" (James 4:14). Time is God's gift to you, so worship Him, live for Him, and bring others to the saving knowledge of His grace and forgiveness in the days you have left. Live dynamically for Christ today because tomorrow may not come.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to help you live without desperation or futility as you travel quickly from your earthly home to your heavenly home.

How to Have Victory Against Your Spiritual Enemy / Senior Living

 How to Have Victory Against Your Spiritual Enemy

Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. - 1 Peter 5:8-9

One famous and effective tactic thieves often use to rob a store is to distract. They enter the store as a group. Then, one or two separate themselves from the group while the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the customers, as well as the store clerk.

As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, and then leave the store before anyone even suspects what happened. Hours, or even days later, the merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. But it’s too late… the thieves are long gone.

This strategy is effective for stealing—as well as for tempting! You see, the enemy loves to seduce us into paying attention to the distractions of life, all the while causing havoc unnoticed in other areas. And if this tactic is successful, we don’t realize it before it’s too late and sin has already taken hold of our lives!

It’s crucial we check our spiritual pockets now and then to stay on-guard against Satan. It’s helpful to have others in our lives who can point out weaknesses in our defense as well. When you keep watch against the enemy, you’ll be better positioned to fight off temptation to sin and experience victory in your daily spiritual battles!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you the soberness of mind to stay alert and identify when the enemy is trying to distract you from obedience.

Questions for Thought

Why do you believe the enemy wants to see you fail spiritually?

Who are some people you can talk with regularly about areas of spiritual vulnerability in each other’s lives?

May it Be to Me / Senior Living

 May it Be to Me

The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God. Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be barren is in her sixth month. For nothing is impossible with God." "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said." Then the angel left her. --Luke 1:35-39

Imagine this—a young girl, betrothed to a reputable man, finds herself pregnant and the father is not her beloved. Two thousand years ago, this potential scandal could have cost her a reputation and maybe even her life. However, Mary was called out by the Lord. Probably no older than 15 years of age, she certainly had no job and no intentions of becoming a mother just yet. But God entrusted her with a great responsibility.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to her and assigned her this task, she didn't respond as most would by saying, "But I can't take on that responsibility, Lord. I am about to get married. I just want to enjoy time with my husband right now. Please pass this assignment off to someone else! I don't want you to call me to do this!"

No, instead Mary willingly obeyed the Lord and submitted to His will for her life. Many people confuse Mary's status—some put her on the same pedestal as Jesus and some even worship her as they would the Lord. But Mary was simply the woman God called to bear the Messiah and the woman who was willing to carry out the task He laid before her.

As believers, we must learn the meaning of surrender. When God places a call on your life, there is no room for questions or hesitation. Is God calling you to some specific task? Are you willing to surrender all to obey Him? You must simply say, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said." Take with you the very valuable lessons of surrender, compassion, obedience, and love displayed in the Christmas story.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to show you His will for your life, and pray that He would help you to be a man or woman that is completely surrendered and obedient to Him.

Pointing to the Master / Senior Living

 Pointing to the Master

Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. --Romans 12:11-13

Most people think of St. Nick as a jolly, bearded man who rides around in a sleigh delivering gifts to all good boys and girls. But, he is more than just a children's Christmas legend—he was a genuine man of God. Nicholas was born to wealthy parents in Patara about 270 A.D., and was still very young when they died and left him a fortune. However, he was a humble young man and secretly gave of his wealth to the poor.

Nicholas eventually forsook his wealth to answer the call to ministry, and was soon chosen as bishop of Myra. He was destined to lead the church through the worst tribulation in history. In 303 A.D., during the reign of Roman Emperor Diocletian, Christians were ordered to sacrifice to pagan gods. But Nicholas and thousands more refused to denounce that Jesus Christ is Lord, so they were dragged to prison where they were savagely tortured, beaten senseless, or brutally murdered.

However, their persecution couldn't stamp out Christianity. Instead it spread. After years of imprisonment, they were freed by decree of the new Emperor Constantine. Saint Nicholas was welcomed into his city once again by the people. Although the bishop was beaten, he was not broken. Through the prayers and witness of this faithful soldier, many found salvation in Jesus.

St. Nick's fame still carries faint reminders of this ancient man of God—the red color of his bishop's robes, his lectures to children about good behavior, and his secret gifts of food and money to those in need. Yet if he were alive today, this saint would humbly deflect attention from himself as he did centuries ago, and point people to his Master. Shouldn't you do the same this holiday season?

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to help you point others to Him. Pray that your faith would be unshakable and that you would relentlessly pursue and confess Christ at all costs.

The Right Way to Speak Truth into Others’ Lives / Senior Living

 The Right Way to Speak Truth into Others’ Lives

Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.
Proverbs 13:3

A mother recounts how her kids won four free goldfish at a school carnival. So she went out and bought a used 10-gallon aquarium for a mere 5 dollars. Of course, it was dirty, but the savings made the two hours of clean-up a breeze. Those four new fish looked great in their new home… at least for the first day.

But by the next day, one had died. Too bad, but three remained. Monday morning revealed a second casualty, and by Monday night a third goldfish had gone belly up. So she called in an expert, a friend who had a 30-gallon tank. It didn’t take him long to discover the problem: She had washed the tank with soap, an absolute no-no. Her uninformed efforts had destroyed the very lives she was trying to protect.

All too often, in our zeal to clean up the world around us, we unfortunately use “killer soaps”—condemnation, criticism, nagging, and angry words. At the moment, it seems like we’re doing the right thing, but our harsh, self-righteoustreatment is more than others can bear.

So what’s the answer? Well, we have to use words of love when dealing with the sin of others. We can’t expect people to respond to our negative attitudes, but must affirm we love them and express a genuine concern for their well-being. That’s the key to speaking truth into others’ lives!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would help you speak the truth to others in a spirit of love and unity.

Questions for Thought

How have you seen the power of words to tear down or lift up in the past?

Who are some people in your life today to whom you can speak truth in a spirit of love and affirmation?

Discovering Real Life in God’s Word / Senior Living

 Discovering Real Life in God’s Word

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. - Psalm 119:105

Anatoly Shcharansky, a dissident Soviet Jew, kissed his wife goodbye as she left Russia for freedom in Israel. His parting words to her were, “I’ll see you soon in Jerusalem.” But Anatoly was detained and finally imprisoned. Their reunion in Jerusalem would not only be postponed, it might never occur.

During long years in Russian prisons and work camps, Anatoly was stripped of his personal belongings, with the exception of a miniature copy of the Psalms. Once during his imprisonment, his refusal to release the book to the authorities cost him 130 days in solitary confinement.

Finally, twelve years after parting with his wife, Anatoly was offered his freedom. In February 1986, as the world watched, Shcharansky was allowed to walk away from Russian guards toward those who would take him to Jerusalem. But in the final moments of captivity, the guards tried again to confiscate the Psalms book. So Anatoly threw himself face down in the snow and refused to walk on to freedom without it because it was those words that had kept him alive during imprisonment.

Do you love the Word of God? Do you cherish His precepts so much that you would suffer for them? God’s Word is more precious than any earthly possession. So as you live your life, keep the Bible as the light to your path because in it you’ll find the way to the life God wants for you!

Prayer Challenge:

Pray and ask God to help you to walk the path of life with His Word as your light!

Seeing Your Eternity in Light of the Temporary / Senior Living

 Seeing Your Eternity in Light of the Temporary

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18

The great preacher W. B. Hinson one day received the news that he had an illness from which he would never recover. In fact, the doctor told him he had only a year at best to live. So he went to a quiet place near his home in Portland, Oregon, and looked across a serene lake toward a beautiful mountain in the distance. He recounts,

“I looked at the river in which I rejoice, and I looked at the stately trees that are always God’s own poetry to my soul. And I said, ‘I may not see you many more times, but mountain, I shall be alive when you are gone; and river, I shall be alive when you cease running toward the sea.’”

Just like Hinson, each and every one of us is living on borrowed time. It doesn’t matter if you’re 20 or 90, your days here on this earth are numbered and there will come a day when they’ll be no more. So the question isn’t if, but only when we’ll pass from this life to the next.

But for those of us who are in Christ, we have an eternal hope that surpasses everything else. We know that, in the end, we’ll be with the Lord forever, outliving creation as we experience eternity with Him. So while our passing is certain, we have a hope that it will only be the beginning of an endless, joyful existence with Him!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would give you an eternal perspective on your life, knowing that if you’re in Christ, you’ll experience eternity with Him.

Questions for Thought

Why do you think it’s so easy to focus on the here and now and lose our eternal perspective?

How would a stronger focus on the eternal give you hope as you face challenges in this life?

God Became Man that We Might Understand / Senior Living

 God Became Man that We Might Understand

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. --John 3:16-18

Paul Harvey once told the story of a family who kept the same tradition each Christmas Eve—the mother and children would go to the church service, and the father would stay home to read the paper. When the family returned home from church, they would all gather to open their presents.

The father no longer believed in the stories of God coming as a baby in a manger. As the family left for church one particular Christmas, the father opened the evening paper and settled in by the fireplace. Suddenly, he heard tapping on the window. A bird kept flying against the glass trying to get out of the snow and into the warmth of his home .

Feeling sorry for the bird, the man went outside hoping to bring it in. When he got closer to the scared creature, it flew against the window even harder. The more the man tried to capture the bird, the more it continued to fly into window. He yelled out in frustration, "Stupid bird! Can't you understand that I'm trying to help? If only you understood, you wouldn't fly away. If only I could become a bird, and get you to understand."

Just then the church bells rang, and the father fell to his knees, began crying, and said, "Oh God, I didn't understand."

God's Son came in human form that we might understand from where we came, for what reason we were separated, and how we can be restored to God. Christmas isn't about empty promises of material gifts, holiday icons, or seasonal sights and sounds. It is about a fulfilled promise of a restored relationship between God and humankind.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask God to strengthen your faith in Him, forgive you of your sins, restore you to a right relationship with Him, and give you joy this season.

The Best Is Yet to Be / Senior Living

The Best Is Yet to Be

Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. --2 Corinthians 5:6-8

In his book, The Best Is Yet to Be, Henry Durbanville told the story of an elderly woman who lived in southwest Scotland. She wanted very much to see the city of Edinburgh, but was afraid to take the train because it had to go through a long tunnel to get there.

Things came up and she was forced to travel to Scotland's capital. Filled with fear and anxiety, the trip began and she became more anxious as the train sped along the tracks. Before the train reached the long tunnel, the older woman, exhausted with worry, fell fast asleep. When she awoke, she was already in the city.

Of this story, Durbanville commented, "It is even so with the dying saint. He closes his eyes on earth, passes into what he thinks of as the tunnel of death, and opens them immediately in the celestial land."

Your earthly body is nothing more than a temporary home. Moving day is coming for everyone. You'll never know when the moving truck will pull up to your "house," with its crumbling foundation, failed heating system, and cracked windows, load up what's left inside, and take it away to your new home.

The Scripture says, "For here we do not have an enduring city, but we are looking for the city that is to come" (Hebrews 13:14). As moving day approaches, it is important to realize in this analogy that death for the believer is not a dreaded parting—it is a glorious homecoming.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Pray that God would give you peace as you prepare to leave your earthly home. Thank God for the upcoming homecoming reunion that will take place when you are reunited with the ones you love and most importantly—the Lord Jesus Christ. 

How God Can Really Soften a Hard Heart / Senior Living

 How God Can Really Soften a Hard Heart

For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.  - 1 Corinthians 15:9-10

As he approached the end of his life, atheist philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre declared, “I do not feel I am the product of chance, a speck of dust in the universe, but someone who was expected, prepared, prefigured. In short, a being whom only a Creator could put here; and this idea of a creating hand refers to God.”

This was a shocking turn for Sartre, who had spent much of his life ardently defending atheism. After his death, his long-time lover Simone de Beauvoir protested, saying, “How should one explain the senile act of a turncoat?”

For Sartre, this change of heart went against almost everything he had ever espoused in his life. And while he most likely didn’t embrace Christ before his death, who can deny that he had begun to see the light?

As we look at unbelievers, there are many who, like the apostle Paul before his conversion, seem to be beyond hope. They’ve hardened their hearts again and again, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll ever come to the truth. But like Paul, we should never lose hope that they may see the light of Jesus.

Don’t give up on anyone. Keep praying and sharing Christ, trusting that God can soften even the hardest heart!

Prayer Challenge

Ask God to give you a heart for even the most hardened unbelievers and to never give up hope they’ll see the light of Christ.

Questions for Thought

Who are some people who come to your mind that seem to be hardened beyond hope?

How can you as a believer in Christ continue sharing God’s love with people with hard hearts?

Wear Your Scars with Pride / Senior Living

 Wear Your Scars with Pride

From now on, let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus. - Galatians 6:17

Larry Holmes, the undisputed heavyweight-boxing champion from 1978 to 1983, was a sparring partner of Muhammad Ali in his younger days. But every time the not-so-famous Holmes would tell someone he was Ali’s training partner, no one believed him. Holmes wrote in his biography, “I had to pull out pictures of me with him to prove it!”

Finally one day, despite all the protective gear during the training sessions, one punch of Ali landed squarely on Holmes’ right eye. Instantly, Holmes got the black eye he needed. He didn’t put ice on it, and he didn’t wear dark glasses. He went around telling people, “Muhammad Ali gave me this black eye.”

Holmes was proud of the fact that he bore on his body the mark of Ali’s training partner. And when we suffer for the sake of the gospel, we can be proud of that too – just like the apostle Paul in today’s passage.

When others chastise and insult you for bearing the name of Christ, let that be your badge of honor. Take pride that you share in the sufferings of Christ and use your sufferings to bring glory to Him!

Prayer Challenge: 

Pray and thank God for the chance to share Jesus – and even suffer for His name!

Questions for Thought:

Have you ever suffered for the gospel? How?

How might God use your suffering to bring glory to Himself?

The Best Way to Discover God’s Truth / Senior Living

 The Best Way to Discover God’s Truth

The Israelites are stubborn, like a stubborn heifer. How then can the LORD pasture them like lambs in a meadow? - Hosea 4:16

Are you strong enough to face how mistaken many of your most cherished beliefs are? Well, here are a few things you may not have known:

1. Marie Antoinette never said, “Let them eat cake.” This phrase was attributed to her but had actually been used by other prominent figures long before.

2. Charles Lindbergh was not the first person to fly nonstop across the Atlantic. He was the 92nd, although he was the first to do it alone.

3. The centipede doesn’t have a hundred legs. It usually has 21 or 30, though some have more than 100. And the millipede certainly doesn’t have a thousand legs. In fact, very few have more than 200.

4. A red flag to a bull is meaningless because bulls are colorblind.

5. The idea that people never use more than 10% of their brain is false.

6. An ostrich never buries its head in the sand. It only looks that way when it lowers its head in fear, to feed itself, or to cover its eggs for protection.

When it comes to our ideas of God, it’s important that we don’t have a stubborn heart and are willing to accept when we might be wrong. So instead of assuming you have the Christian life all figured out, live your life with a humble and teachable attitude and let God guide you in His truth each day!

Prayer Challenge:

Ask God to reveal to you areas where you have been stubborn and unteachable. Pray that He would soften your heart in these areas so that you can grow in His truth!

Senior Living / December 13

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." --Hebrews 13:5

There is a story of a rich industrialist who walked past a fisherman one day. He was irritated to find the man sitting lazily beside his boat instead of out at sea. The rich man asked, "Why aren't you out there fishing?"

The fisherman replied, "Because I've caught enough fish for today."

The rich man asked, "Why don't you catch more fish than you need? There's still more work to be done."

The fisherman responded with, "What would I do with them once I caught them?"

"You could buy a better boat so you could go deeper into the sea and catch more fish," the rich man impatiently replied. "You could purchase nylon nets, catch even more fish, and make even more money. Eventually, you'd have a fleet of boats, people to do the work for you, and be rich like me."

After quietly contemplating, the fisherman asked, "Then what would I do?"

"You could sit down and enjoy life like I am," the industrialist said.

Looking placidly out to sea, the fisherman replied, "What do you think I'm doing now?"

The Apostle Paul said to the church in Philippi, "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. …I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:11-13).

Whatever situations come your way—good or bad—find your strength in the Lord and learn to rely on Him for provision. It's often hard to have faith that He will provide in times of need, but rejoice in what He has given you thus far in your current situation, and trust completely in His timing.

PRAYER CHALLENGE: Ask the Lord to make you content in life whatever circumstances come your way.  

The Priceless Value of the Gospel You Carry / Senior Living

 The Priceless Value of the Gospel You Carry

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. - Romans 1:16

One foggy night in London many years ago, a poor man shuffled into a quaint little music shop on the edge of town. Under his right arm, he held an old violin in terrible condition. “My good sir,” the man said to the shopkeeper, “will you please buy this violin from me so I can get something to eat?”

The clerk took a quick look at the instrument and said, “I have many violins, so I can only give you 5 pounds for this one.” The man agreed, and departed with the money into the foggy night.

As the shopkeeper examined the old beat-up violin, he could hardly believe what he saw carved into the wood: “Antonio Stradivari… 1704.” He ran out into the street to find the man and give him a fair price. But he was gone.

Many Christians are a lot like that poor man. They carry with them something of unimaginable value, the gospel, yet have no idea how much it really is worth. But the truth is, for those who are spiritually dying, it’s the most important thing you could ever share with them.

Don’t go throughout your life concealing the power of God and keeping it to yourself. Understand the amazing power you have in the gospel and use it to rescue the lost from a Christless eternity!

Prayer Challenge

Pray that God would open your eyes anew to the gospel’s amazing value so that you’d be more eager to share it with others.

Questions for Thought

If the good news of Jesus has the power to save people from a Christless eternity, why do you think so many people hesitate to share it with others?

How might your life look differently if you really grasped the gospel’s true value?