+Hurry up.
+Write it down.
+Just google it.
+Young people appreciate your wisdom, and are willing to do your manual labor.
+More lame jokes as knees get worse.
+If it weren’t for slow speed, I’d have no speed at all.
+Count your blessings—T-9, T-8, T-7, T-6 . . . all the way to LIFT-OFF (the best).
+I’m not half the man I used to think I wished I was.
+”Go with the wimp.”—–Bill Pruett, responding to my complaint feeling like a wimp.
+”As your days, so shall your strength be.”—–Jesus (OK, God, I’ll take Your Word for it.)
+Getting older, getting slower, faster.
+”When I am weak, then I am strong.”—–Paul (Sure need that to be true.)
+”First shall be last—last shall be first.”—–Jesus (Looking forward to the rest of THAT story.)
+”. . . He will teach you all things, and bring all things to your memory, whatever . . .” (Alzheimer’s Bible verse)
+Laugh at peer pressure—or cry for lack of peer pressure.
+Embarrassment doesn’t matter so much anymore (unless no one notices, to laugh with you).
+Memories.
+Short-term memory goes first—no problem, it’s just the issue of things that happened over thirty seconds ago.
+”How are you doing?” becomes a multiple choice question.
+Was ok—got over it.
+God’s opinion—my opinion. (Which is a laughing matter?)
+”Let no one despise your youth.”
+”Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before . . .”
– – –
My dear, faithful servants, you’re not home yet.
OXYMORONS FOR SENIORS
FREEDOM (WITH VIGILANCE)—VS— SECURITY (WITH CONTROL)
The natural default human experience is a drift toward the promise of security—with a drift toward the loss of freedom.
This experience happens with no conscious effort by the people—with a plan for taking control by a small group at the top.
The reversal of this typical experience, to gain and maintain freedom, requires very conscious effort and sustained faith and sacrifice.
It calls for strength beyond human nature.
ALEX MCFARLAND ON THE CHURCH TODAY
“Churches are following trends rather than blazing trails.”
“We are selling our soul for celebrity status.”
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FISHERMEN AND SAILORS
+size of boat
+size of ‘fish’
+size of stories
+range of travel
+time away from home
+meaning of freedom
+degree of solitude
+extent of reputation for vocabulary
+difference in social influence
+time to dream
+amount of risk
+types of danger
+definition of success
DIVINE DISTANCING
There are some interesting mandates from God about distancing.
+”Don’t eat the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden.”
So how much distance should Adam and Eve keep from the fruit and the tree?
Apparently more than they did—but they blew it before they touched or ate—got too close just listening.*
+”Take off your shoes, for the place you are standing is holy ground.”
How much distance should Moses keep from the burning bush?
Rest assured, Moses did not treat casually getting so close to the presence of God.*
+”Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of God . . . go forward.”
Israel was a very short distance from a miracle they could not see, about to happen in front of them.
Israel was also a very short distance from the fearful enemy behind, out to get them.
But God . . .*
+Israel at Mt. Sinai, “Take heed, that you do not go up to the mountain, . . . whoever touches the mountain shall surely be put to death.”
The people kept their distance, because the greatest fireworks in history on Mt. Sinai blew them away with fear—from God, on purpose.
And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, for God has come to prove you, that His fear may be before your faces, that you sin not.”*
+Don’t touch the Ark of the Covenant!—“The anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza, and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark.”
Even “David was afraid of God that day.”
So, keep your distance, or else.
Hmmm.*
+”Touch not the unclean thing.”
So how much distance must we keep from unclean things, from sin, from evil.
“Flee sexual sins.”
“Flee idols.”
“Flee youthful lusts.”
“I will set no wicked thing before my eyes.”
RUN—simply, put as much distance as you can, as fast as you can, between you and evil, temptation, sin.
If God says, “FLEE!”—that means you already had a close call.
Do your very best to keep as much distance as you can from life’s pitfalls, not courting disaster close to the cliffs.
*Same for us?—to fear, or not to fear—take heed, on what basis we expect to get close to God—on what basis we expect a miracle from God.
IDOLS ? – – – TODAY ?
First, a few selections from history:
+ PAGAN IDOLS—earth, animals, trees, rocks, weather
When I taught fourth grade four decades ago, it seemed obviously silly how ancient people actually worshipped the earth and things it contained.
It wasn’t long after, that the world established “earth day,” so we could officially worship the physical world around us with the misguided environmental movement.
+OLD TESTAMENT ISRAEL IDOLS—the golden calf at Mt. Sinai, ‘high places’ for duplicating pagan worship on mountains away from the temple, fiery molech for child sacrifice, even physical idols brought into God’s temple.
God set the record straight with severe repercussions, repeatedly as required.
+ROMAN/GREEK IDOLS—named gods for every human need, with human personalities, with human weaknesses, with human needs, providing material for a world of literature, fascinating in itself.
What a phenomenal exercise in futility.
They instinctively knew this did not cover their spiritual requirements, so they added to their physical idols an altar “to the unknown god.”
+CATHOLIC IDOLS—popes and councils add to the Bible (oppose people reading the Bible), indulgences (buy forgiveness—build cathedrals), saints for every need and every occasion (praying to saints unabated for 2000 years, shamelessly, with shrines and dates), Jesus alone is not enough, church itself becomes the idol.
God sends the Reformation—people read the Bible and find Jesus—Catholicism basically unchanged (still depending on the pope and praying to saints when you need them).
PROTESTANT/AMERICAN IDOLS—our enlightenment (we got salvation right, we brush over that Catholics don’t get it quite right, at least we all have Jesus—or do we?), our success (best Christian nation ever), economy (too good to depend on God), personal retirement (unbiblical), evolution to abortion (we didn’t stop either), sex worship to sex perversion (unclean pulpits—unclear message—unthinkable inclusion), social justice to socialism (church mission abdicated to government).
– – –
Jesus alone is enough—adding anything to Jesus and the Bible, by any church, at any time, is false gospel and idolatry—truth is unchanged!
We worship, condoning what God clearly forbids—no illusions that we’ve made any progress since Eden.
If nothing else, don’t give satan more to gloat about.
Warning:
Speak out against the idols of the day in the church—expect to pay a high price, now.
Warning:
Fail to speak out against the idols of the day in the church—expect to pay a higher price, soon.