Another good time together.
I like the smiles we share.
Physical ailments don't change our love and joy relationship with God.
Age takes a toll and death stalks us our entire lives, but you have beaten the odds.
We suffer blindness, deafness and other ailments, but God will solve our problems with new bodies, not new parts.
Until then, we must conquer sin.
God gives us overcoming wisdom.
Two of the reasons I like to come;
Two of the reasons I like to come;
1. To see your smiling faces, and that gives me joy;
2. I want you to see my smiling face and hopefully impart to you my joy and love for you.
Sometimes we hurt on the outside, but we smile on the inside. I squint when I play at the gym because I play without my glasses. People tell me not to have a scowl and I say I am not scowling, I am blind (laughter). Don't misread someone's hurt for a bad attitude.
Age brings its ailments. Our bodies start to die before we are born. The death process stalks us throughout life. Some of you are older than 21 (laughter), 65, 75 and much older (some are over 100). You have beaten the odds. Your bodies have suffered losses, such as hearing, seeing, moving, remembering, but you are still here and active.
Just because we are physically impaired does not mean we are useless, yet people treat us that way. They talk as if we are not in the room. They talk to us like we are little children and cannot understand them. Some of us respond by just smiling, nodding our heads and letting them think what they want to think (laughter). It isn't worth the argument. Being deaf or having memory loss does not nullify our value (grunts of agreement). One good thing about memory loss is I get to enjoy the same things for the first time, over and over again (laughter).
But there is coming a day when we will get all new equipment; not hearing aids, not eye glasses, not artificial limbs, not powered walkers, but a whole new body. We will beat death ultimately, through Christ. Until then, we have to contend with life. Until then, we are faced with trials, even in our advanced years.
God gives wisdom throughout life.
Natural Wisdom is the “know how” of life skills (work, art, war).
Special Wisdom is the “know how” of ministry to God and His people.
Overcoming Wisdom is the “know how” of victory over sin in the face of trials and temptations.
God tells us to rejoice in our trials and promises to give us wisdom to overcome our trials.
James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
When faced with problems, temptations, He is with you, ask and He will give you wisdom on how to be victorious.
Today, God is making us perfect on the inside and in eternity He will make us perfect on the outside too.
Sometimes we hurt on the outside, but we smile on the inside. I squint when I play at the gym because I play without my glasses. People tell me not to have a scowl and I say I am not scowling, I am blind (laughter). Don't misread someone's hurt for a bad attitude.
Age brings its ailments. Our bodies start to die before we are born. The death process stalks us throughout life. Some of you are older than 21 (laughter), 65, 75 and much older (some are over 100). You have beaten the odds. Your bodies have suffered losses, such as hearing, seeing, moving, remembering, but you are still here and active.
Just because we are physically impaired does not mean we are useless, yet people treat us that way. They talk as if we are not in the room. They talk to us like we are little children and cannot understand them. Some of us respond by just smiling, nodding our heads and letting them think what they want to think (laughter). It isn't worth the argument. Being deaf or having memory loss does not nullify our value (grunts of agreement). One good thing about memory loss is I get to enjoy the same things for the first time, over and over again (laughter).
But there is coming a day when we will get all new equipment; not hearing aids, not eye glasses, not artificial limbs, not powered walkers, but a whole new body. We will beat death ultimately, through Christ. Until then, we have to contend with life. Until then, we are faced with trials, even in our advanced years.
God gives wisdom throughout life.
Natural Wisdom is the “know how” of life skills (work, art, war).
Special Wisdom is the “know how” of ministry to God and His people.
Overcoming Wisdom is the “know how” of victory over sin in the face of trials and temptations.
God tells us to rejoice in our trials and promises to give us wisdom to overcome our trials.
James 1:2-4
2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith works patience.
4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not; and it shall be given him.
6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
When faced with problems, temptations, He is with you, ask and He will give you wisdom on how to be victorious.
Today, God is making us perfect on the inside and in eternity He will make us perfect on the outside too.
