“Senior Saints”

Prayer: Our Father, lift us up from wherever we may be. When we are down, we need the everlasting arms to bring us up. When we are up, we need the everlasting arms to stay there. We know that with you all things are possible. So, this winter, in the northern hemisphere of your earth, show us how to live richly, in the name of your Son, Amen

As you approach retirement age, do you often wonder what a Christian should do during the retirement years. Do Christians retire from Christian service when they retire from the workplace? How should a Christian view retirement? 

In the winter, after I retired, I placed a kitchen chair beside a window, and stared at the brown, and sometimes white, winter world of the beautifulness of Colorado. The activity in my life all seemed to take a big crash. Mostly I was in a trance trying to acknowledge what God’s specific life plan for me was.As I read, and worked out at the gym, I seemed not to be very interested in TV unless it was about sports. And I wondered if I also suffered from being a senior saint, a condition believed to be caused mainly from the lack of a knowledgeable straight shot to a visible goal,triggered by physical life circumstances. It’sa feeling of uselessness and even losing interest in things and people that I/ we once enjoyed. This left me with the question, Who is coaching the coach now that he is retired? 

Although there is no biblical principle that a person should retire from his work when he reaches a certain age, there is the example of the Levites and their work in the tabernacle. In Numbers 4, the Levite males are numbered for service in the tabernacle from ages 25-50 years old, and after age 50, they were to retire from regular service. They could continue to “assist their brothers” but could not continue to work (Numbers 8:24-26).

But for less serious cases of the winter senior blues, there is much we can do to accept responsibility for improving our mood. God has given this time to us, and will help us to do well in it. He is always present with us, waiting to lift us up. It is OUR responsibility to take the first steps. Perhaps I am writing on this subject because I too have experienced down moods in the winter that do not seem to occur at other times. As a child of God who has been given the winter, I refuse to waste it in a pit. I awoke this morning thinking The Bible tells us to be filled with joy and praise (Philippians 4:4; Romans 15:11), so God apparently intends for us all to live joyful lives. In the meantime, let's get busy and never retire from serving the Lord, although the way we serve Him may change. 

Second Corinthians 12:14 states that the parent ought to save up for the children. But by far the greatest thing to “save up” is one's spiritual heritage, which can be passed on to children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Generations of descendants have been impacted by the faithful prayers of an elderly family “patriarch” or “matriarch.” Prayer is perhaps the most fruitful ministry outlet for those who have retired.

1. Accept your feelings as a human condition, not a spiritual failing. Christians often feel that if they have found new life in Christ, all down, depressed, or negative feelings will forever disappear, and any sign of them show a lack of faith. This is not so. At various times in his life, Jesus seemed to show an attitude that was less than joyous. He grieved. He wept for Jerusalem, and on the cross, he expressed dismay that God had forsaken him.

2. Develop a healthy routine. It can be comforting and reassuring to develop and adhere to a basic routine. Get up and get dressed at the same time each morning, and go to bed at the same time each evening. Plan your meals ahead. If you are alone, determine to plan meals that require some preparation. You deserve them, and planning them will be fun.

3. Work on gratitude. Often gratitude is not a spontaneous feeling. It takes some effort. Please think and pray about, Why Gratitude is important? I must daily remind myself about the many things for which I am grateful. Try this each morning just after breakfast, and see if it helps. It is difficult to be grateful and depressed at the same time. 

4. Reach out to others. Find a couple friends to call every day. These don't need to be long calls. Just see how you are each doing today, and what the plans are for the day. If you can get out, become acquainted with your local senior center, your library. volunteer for an activity at the church. There is always something to do there. Check your local paper for things to do, and people to meet.

5. Develop an interest. We discuss, at this writing. 52 possible hobbies on our Tips page. And there must be hundreds more. Investigate and select one. If you don't like it, then try another. Go to our "Just For Fun" page and work some puzzles, or read some humor. 

I have heard the expression that "MOOD FOLLOWS ACTION". And I believe it too. Often, we cease all action because we have developed a depressed mood. Be bold. Turn it around. You may not be responsible for the mood you are in, but you ARE responsible for taking the first steps to change it.

The Christian never retires from Christ’s service; he only changes the address of his workplace. To sum it up, as one reaches “retirement age” (whatever that is) the vocation may change but one’s life work of serving the Lord does not change. Often it is these “senior saints” who, after a lifetime of walking with God, are able to convey the truths of God's Word by relating how God has worked in their lives. The psalmist's prayer should be our prayer as we age: “Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me, O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your might to all who are to come” (Psalm 71:18).

God Bless You and This Ministry!

Encounter with Silence

“Even fools are thought wise if they keep silent,

    and discerning if they hold their tongues”. Proverbs 17:28

Have you ever sat down to write, speak, pray or reflect a message about experiences to make sense in life? Then a little voice inside your head say’s, “You can’t do this, you’ll never find the right words.” Is this a familiar voice? Especially when an unexpected trauma or emotional upheaval occurs- whether it’s the death of a loved one, the sudden loss of employment and stability, or grave physical harm. Done that did that, right? Who’s to say whose voice it is? It may be the devil or one of his own, trying to defeat any small good that might come from the voice of silence.

Perhaps it’s a voice from the past, maybe a parent, teacher, or coach long ago who once asked, “Can’t you do anything right?” Maybe it’s the voice, of in my case, of a white friend at the orphanage who, almost fifty years ago on a hot summer day as we sat in sand box, playing, waiting for our parents to come get us out of there, said some miserable words “You’re the dumbest person in the whole world you, blank, you are here for life! And deep inside was I afraid he was right? Perhaps, in some way, do we all hear those voices at once, rallying against us, pushing us for defeat? Who’s to say?

Do you have an inherent desire to make sense of it all.? Or understand why it happened, and what to do next? Simply ruminating about the experience over and over again can actually negatively impact one’s health. But I often thought- rather, deeply engaging with the reflections in a way that truly evaluates the experience over a few consecutive days proved for me the best way to process, heal with the help of a sense, of derived meaning from a collaborator? One that articulate that obvious and elusive, simple and complex, childlike and mysterious Word. The Word that is God, the Word that became flesh, the Word that is Wisdom. The Word we call Jesus! Our struggle to find words to describe Him is at the same time a struggle to find Him, “you suppose”? Power is Jesus Himself Our struggles are not with words but with accepting Him.

Those times when I experience a reflective crisis with certainty in words; which were precipitated by an encounter with Silent prayers. What came home to me very powerfully during those times was that silence really does say more than words. God speaks to us in the silence of the heart. Spoken or sung, words usually interfere with God’s will as much as they help in seeing it done.

For someone like me, with a “vendor of words,” of happy, this was a discouraging experience when a new sense of joyful song was on the loose in my mind during a cross road of asking for God to forgive my sins and I actually asked the Lord to come into my life. That day I knew what was missing; it was having a relationship with God. At The time I felt alone and it was disheartening to look at the blank bands between the songs I was envisioning on the mental LP playing in my heart; wondering if perhaps they might contain more meaning than the grooves that contained the musical troublesome lyrics I had labored over for so many months and years! What are we to do? What is God’s intention for this sinful yours truly?

 Something blank had finally dawned on me: “Be silent, for that is the Absolute”. Thankfully, the Lord didn’t leave me desolate in this crisis. He used the experience to give me a whole new appreciation both for words as well as His word. I was compelled to do my best to choose words with more care rather than to give up on them altogether. My question, Is the bottom line in my book an application of servant leadership? Was I to emulate the examples of the world? Or in the mist of my battle with sin shouldn’t the example be Jesus, who came as a servant?

“Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
    keep watch over the door of my lips”! Psalm 141:3

In contrast to the sullen word of Ecclesiastes 12:12, “of making many books there is no end,” the words of John 21:25 came to life: “And there are also many other things that Jesus did, which if they were written one by one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that world be written.” It was not until I despaired of using words that, oddly enough, I felt ready to try to carve a book full of thought. Before, my conceited self would have wanted to write a masterpiece or something others might call my imaginary encounter with silence. Now I am ready to write to an engaged mindset that is as useful for propping up an uneven table leg as it is for being understood.

“Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!” Job 19-23 

Ecclesiastes is saying, thisis very true today. There are hundreds of thousands of books written just on the Bible subjects. There would be literally millions on all subjects. Even these Bible studies will add to that number. 

In the flesh, mankind is constantly trying to learn new things in books. All gaining of knowledge takes much work. The continuous study of books becomes wearisome, as we grow older.

But, “clumsy words” written on any other subject other than God’s revealed wisdom will only proliferate the uselessness of man’s thinking.

Without hesitation, to tap into God’s wisdom, we must diligently study God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:15), reflecton the Word, pray for insight, strive for it with all our hearts, and walk in the Spirit. God desires to give His wisdom to His children. Are we willing to be led by that wisdom? the Bible says that life is meant to be enjoyed (John 10:10) and imparts that each person is valuable and meaningful to serve (Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 5:22) which the Self persists after death (John 14:3).

Why we should want to serve God is a more difficult question. What is your reason for serving God? Different people are motivated by diverse things. However, the Bible does make clear that, when a person is in a real relationship with God, he will serve God. We should want to serve God because we know Him; an inherent part of knowing Him is a desire to serve Him; it’s more than just serving others; it’s loving them: “Serve one another humbly in love” (Galatians 5:13)Now that’s an Encounter with Silence!

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Mean and Lean”

 Unfortunately, we all have to deal with mean people at one time or another but what if you are the mean person? Have you ever thought about how people perceive you? Not really, I’ve have always just done life. I mean seriously, have you thought about it? It’s true that we all wonder what people think of us every now and then. But normally, we tend to wonder this through curiosity rather than for any constructive reason.

 “The only thing that God cannot do is act contrary to His own character and nature”? For example, Titus 1:2 states that He cannot lie. Because He is holy (Isaiah 6:3; 1 Peter 1:16), He cannot sin. Because He is just, He cannot merely overlook sin. Because Christ paid the penalty for sin, He is now able to forgive those who will turn to Christ (Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 3:26).

Recently I attended a basketball college reunion. It was not a football reunion. Hum you are probably saying, what is Sugar Bear doing at a hoop’s reunion? It was enjoyable as well as a refreshing view, with life-long bonds from guys who were from another sport but knew me from the past. 

It was a revisited youthful perception of my athletic past that had been repaired. You see some of those perceived essential elements about me was from a time capsule during the early 70's  where the theme of the Big Eight football conference, “mean and lean” was the quote I personally lived thru. Mostly mean, anger, a quiet tough person, wanting to fight all the time were some of the quotes I heard in the present day. Those reflections led to this commentary,“God does things for us that we can’t do for ourselves”. That’s the sense behind Jesus’s saying that “Without me you can do nothing”. 

Do not be like the unforgiving servant in Jesus’ parable in Matthew 18:21-35(as I listen to my critical spirits).A servant owed a huge debt to his master; it was an amount he could never pay back. The master completely wiped out the debt. The servant, however, went to another servant who owed him a small amount of money and demanded that he pay up—and when the debtor could not pay, he threw him in prison! The master heard about it and became angry. The master reinstated the unforgiving servant’s original debt and threw him in jail. We should always try to remember, when people are mean to us, that we owed God a huge debt. He forgave us, and we can forgive others.

Romans 1:28-30 contains a long list of unrighteous behavior, which includes malice, gossip, slander, insolence, heartlessness and ruthlessness. These are all different facets of meanness, and it’s inevitable that we encounter people driven by such behavior in this world. People are mean for a variety of reasons, many of which have nothing to do with the person who takes their abuse. Often, mean behavior is a reaction to a person’s inner conflicts rather than a rational response to the people around him. However, being the subject of mean behavior is hurtful and demoralizing. What is the biblical response? What does the Bible say about how we should react to mean people? Or our own meanness? Our sinful mind can create mixed feelings and emotions for people; it can bring back fond memories and old insecurities; especially if, “All of the “stuff” that we have from our young years is just that – stuff. 

One of my Mother’s sisters who lived for nearly 90 years. Had a saying, "If I had known I would live this long, I would have fixed the dishwasher." It had quit doing something or other several years prior, and there it sat restfully biding time. She thought it unwise to repair her dishwasher in her mid 80's. So why waste the money, “You are too valuable a child of God to sit around idly like the broken dishwasher. Go fix “it”!

Have you stopped repairing things in your life? What have you become "too old to do?" What have you quit doing? Develop the mindset that you will always repair the dishwasher.

As Christian we need to believe that each of us was put here with a purpose even in Retirement; it may be time to investigate and let mercy bound, serve as a bible school teacher, a supporter for solutions, hospice, Stephen minister volunteer or even mentor our youth. 

The Bible says that when God forgives us, He “remembers our sins no more" (Jeremiah 31:34) This does not mean that the all-knowing God forgets because He forgives us. Rather, He chooses not to bring up our sin to Himself or others. When our former sins come to mind, we can choose to dwell upon them (with the resulting guilty feelings), or we can choose to fill our minds with thoughts of the awesome God who forgave us and thank and praise Him for it. Philippians 4:8 

As we travel this developing faith journey, along the way, we change with the help of the holy spirit, continually asking God what needs to be done. Knowing we have a great Savior who forgave us, undeserving though we will always be, and draw us closer in loving obedience to Him (Romans 5:10; Psalm 103:2-3) 

Dishwasher conversion begins in the heart and radiated outward to affect everything we think, say, or do (James 2:26); switches direction, changes allegiance and moves from self-worship to God-worship. As the heart is transformed, the actions follow until the entire life has been transferred from sin-filled to God-honoring (Romans 6:6-7). as a “mean and lean” athlete for Christ!

Prayer. O God our loving Father, we need you every hour of our lives, and especially now as we weigh our challenges. We place our hopeful hand in yours, and wait for your direction. Infuse our every day with hope and joy through what we do. Amen

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“Prayer Warriors Needed”

 What is it I boast to do is so essential, I die, if I don’t,I declare,“Praying” according to the will of God?"

No matter what the issue is?  “pray continually” 1 Thessalonian 5:17 

"Therefore, I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they”? Matthew 6:25-26

I use to want all my prayers to be “effective”, so much that I focused on the results and lose sight of the incredible privilege it is to pray. Some of the questions I use to frequently asked myself, "Why doesn't God answer my prayers?" ..."Doesn't He see my needs?" ..."Doesn't He care about all the violence?" You see, I felt like God didn’t answer prayers. It took me a long time to realize, that was a lie from the enemy and I/we need to remember what God says...  then believe it and trust that His word is true;We have the assurance that God hears every prayer…In my weakness the Spirit had to help me!The answer was “Wait”? Because of that sinful nature, I was left with the question of prolong hurt in my heart, and anger in my mind. Are you turning away from the promise of scripture? How is your spiritual battle with Satan without prayer? 

“But know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him” Psalm 4:3The better we understand God’s Word, the better we will know what to pray for (John 15:7). The better we know what to pray for, the more often God will answer “yes” to our requests. Understanding that people like us can speak to the Creator of the universe is itself an amazing thing.

Many people believe answered prayer, is God granting a prayer request that is offered to Him. If a prayer request is not granted, it is understood as an “unanswered” prayer. However, this is an incorrect understanding of prayer. God answers every prayer that is lifted to Him. Sometimes God answers “no” or “wait.” God only promises to grant our prayers when we ask according to His will; if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him” (1John 5:14-15).

God’s will? Praying according to God’s will is praying for things that honor and glorify God and/or praying for what the Bible clearly reveals God’s will to be. If we pray for something that is not honoring to God or not God’s will for our lives, God will not give what we ask for. How can we know what God’s will is? God promises to give us wisdom when we ask for it. James 1:5 proclaims, “If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.” 

Man's highest aim should be to bring glory to God (1 Corinthians 10:31) and this includes praying according to His will. First, we must ask for wisdom. (James 1:5). In asking for wisdom, we must also trust that God is gracious and willing to answer our prayers: “But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt” (James 1:6; Mark 11:24). 

Prayer is a conversation with our God; not a formula. Yet sometimes we might need an easy bake oven, “method” to fasten up our prayer spiritual process.
Here are seven biblical instructions that will guide the believer in praying according to God’s will: 

1) Pray for the things for which the Bible commands prayer. We are told to pray for our enemies (Matthew 5:44) for ministers of the Word (Colossians 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 3:1); (for government authorities (1 Timothy2:1-3) for relief from affliction (James 5:13); and for the healing of fellow believers (James 5:16).  Where God commands prayer, we can pray with confidence that we are praying according to His will.

2) Follow the example of godly characters in Scripture. Paul prayed for the salvation of Israel (Romans 10:1).  David prayed for mercy and forgiveness when he sinned (Psalm 51:1-2). As with Paul and the early church, we should always be praying for the salvation of others. For ourselves, we should pray as David prayed, always aware of our sin and bringing it before God before it hinders our relationship with Him and thwarts our prayers.

3) Pray with the right motivation. Selfish motives will not be blessed by God. “When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).  

4) Pray with a spirit of forgiveness toward others (Mark 11:25). A spirit of bitterness, anger, revenge or hatred toward others will prevent our hearts from praying in total submission to God. 

5) Pray with thanksgiving (Colossians 4:2; Philippians 4:6-7) We can always find something to be thankful for, no matter how burdened we are by our wants or needs. 

6) Pray with persistence (Luke 18:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). We should persevere in prayer and not quit or be dejected because we have not received an immediate answer. 

7) Rely on the Spirit of God in prayer. This is a wonderful truth: “We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (Romans 8:26-27). 

 We seek to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh!  So whatever method you use, just talk with our father. It’s not the words we pray that matter; it’s the condition of our heart of hearts. He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). 

Calling all “Prayer warriors” to have a heart for God, a heart for prayer, a heart for people, and a heart for Christ's church. Therefore, pray continually and trust that God answers each prayer according to His perfect will and in His perfect timing.

God Bless You and This Ministry!

“I need help”!

 “Patience, People,”

Be patient, therefore brothers, until the coming of the Lord.

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient with it until it receives the early and late rains.

You too must be patient. Make your hearts firm, because the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not complain, brothers, about one another, that you may not be judged. 

Indeed, we call blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of the perseverance of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, because “the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” These lyrics of this song are based on James 5:7-9, 11

 As a kid just finishing third grade, I wasn't sure what to make of thislife within this concrete jungle while trafficking my thoughts; as I stood on the corner of Linn Street and Armory avenue of Cincinnati, Ohio. Just a young sole survivor living in Laurel Homes, West End, I would close my eyes and dream and think, “Patience”; you see I can’t talk to you because you are so strange to this overnight point of me, “I can’t even spell your name”. So why would I be patience? The “patience” stranger was His own reflection, but my “handle” didn’t know that.Those were strange times, Well, they seemed strange to me. Is it in all cases, about waiting expectantly with hope trusting God’s character and goodness? Do you ever wonder why?

“I am worn out calling for help; my throat is parched. My eyes fail, looking for my God”. Psalm 69:3

 All throughout life people would remind me about being patience. Constantly saying, patience is a virtue accordingly to the Bible. Why would the bible talk about this term, I would wonder? Is it a vital part of trusting in God knowing our life circumstances or is it not always what we want “all about me” would prefer?  As you go from milk to meat spiritually may these words from God bring us a guidance, wisdom help us practice patience; and most of all bring us Peace; in What he is? How he is? 

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when our rights are violated—when another car cuts us off in traffic; when we are treated unfairly; when our coworker derides our faith, again. Some people think they have a right to get upset in the face of irritations and trials. Impatience seems like a holy anger. The Bible, however, praises patience as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) which should be produced for all followers of Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence, and love. So, how’s your Battle with Sin?

Although most people consider patience to be a passive waiting or gentle tolerance, most of the words translated “patience” in the New Testament are active, robust words. Consider, for example, Hebrews 12:1: “Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us” Does one run a race by passively waiting for slow-pokes or gently tolerating con artist? Certainly not! The word “patience” in this verse means “endurance.” A Christian runs the race patiently by persevering through difficulties. In the Bible, patience is persevering towards a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.

Patience does not develop overnight. God’s power and goodness are crucial to the development of patience. Colossians 1:11 tells us that we are strengthened by Him to “great endurance and patience,” while James 1:3-4 encourages us to know that trials are His way of perfecting our patience. Our patience is further developed and strengthened by resting in God’s perfect will and timing, even in the face of evil men who “succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” Psalm 37:7. Our patience is rewarded in the end “because the Lord's coming is near” James 5:7-8. “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him” Lamentation 3:25. 

How do we display the patience that is characteristic of Christ? First, we thank God. A person’s first reaction is usually “Why me?”, but the Bible says to rejoice in God’s will Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:6.). Second, we seek His purposes. Sometimes God puts us in difficult situations so that we can be a witness. Other times, He might allow a trial for sanctification of character. Remembering that His purpose is for our growth and His glory will help us in the trial. Third, we remember His promises such as Romans 8:28, which tells us that “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” The “all things” include the things that try our patience. 

The next time you are in a traffic jam, sufferings, betrayed by a friend, or mocked for your witness, how will you respond? The natural response is impatience which leads to stress, anger, and frustration. Praise God that, as Christians, we are no longer in bondage to a “natural response” because we are new creations in Christ Himself (2 Corinthians 5:17). Instead, we have the Lord’s strength to respond with patience and in complete trust in the Father’s power and purpose. “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” Romans 2:7.

The reason is the season of God. Sometimes His wait time is long to deliver because of the goodness of the final outcome. “Therefore, the LORD waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you. For the LORD is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for him” Isaiah 30:18. 

God Bless You and This Ministry!