" Radical Reform "
Colossians 3:5-6 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality,
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (NIV)
impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.
Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. (NIV)
New life in Christ is incompatible with the old life outside of Christ and opposed to His authority.
Because He died to pay the penalty for that rebellion,
all those who have been released from condemnation must not return to rebellion.
The earthly nature puts a high value on money, sex and power -
which are motivated by sinful cravings, the lust of the eyes and pride (1 John 2:16).
These are all opposed to the life of Christ.
When a believer recognizes how deeply they offend Christ,
repentance is the first step followed by radical changes of behavior and lifestyle.
Although we should dispose of all ungodliness in response to the love of God,
hardened hearts often need a severe warning.
Paul provides a two-part challenge.
Firstly, he identifies the various forms of immorality as being idolatry.
That is, self-satisfaction becomes a god to be worshipped (thought about, talked about, spending time and money on it).
And all such idols are offensive to God.
As He says in Isaiah 42:8, "I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols."
God does not tolerate idols or enter into dialogue or peace treaty with those who worship them.
And secondly, God's intolerance of idols will result in His wrath coming to those who love them.
This sort of language may seem very stark.
But it is true to God's character.
Wherever the warnings are ignored in the church (for this letter is not written to pagans but to Christians),
the Name of Christ is shamed.
The gospel of Christ cannot be productive where believers are playing games with the world's agenda.
And because willful souls instinctively fear God's wrath, they have no joy, peace, purpose or hope.
They become a liability to the church, a slur on the gospel and risk Divine action against them (1 Corinthians 10:1-14).
These verses were written to such people.
If you are one of them, today is a very good day to decide that the idols must go.
Prayer for the day : -
Holy God.
Thank You for clearly expressing Your hatred of ungodly passions and the idolatry they represent.
I confess the ease with which I consider my fleshly desires as natural and normal, appetites which I must satisfy.
Please forgive me for putting them before the authority of Christ in my life.
I know I have to make a radical decision to put them away,
and I ask for Your help in putting my decisions into action.
May I learn wisdom as I fear the wrath of the Lord and practice obedience to Your Word.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
============================================
Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain
because you're trying something new and complex.
3.
Practise writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes everyday.
This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.
4.
Take dance lessons.
In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease
in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.
5.
Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people,
those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia!
Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan gardens;
they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a garden.
6.
8.
Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain.
And it's a stress reducer.
9.
Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language, you are working your brain
by making it go back and forth between one language and the other.
A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years.
And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia.
So start them early.
10.
Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly.
Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too.
Playing solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful,
but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too.
11.
Take classes throughout your lifetime.
Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer.
Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's,
it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease.
12.
Listen to classical music.
A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain,
building links between the two hemispheres.
Any kind of music may work, but there's some research that shows positive effects for classical music,
though researchers don't understand why.
13.
Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid,
but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain.
14.
Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town),
you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment.
A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains
because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there.
15.
Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system.
And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report happier, healthier lives.
16.
Learn to meditate.
It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life.
17.
Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia.
18.
Eat more foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids:
Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts
(which are higher in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil,
cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too.
19.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up
some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells.
20.
Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends.
You'll slow down, socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate alone or on the go.
Because He died to pay the penalty for that rebellion,
all those who have been released from condemnation must not return to rebellion.
The earthly nature puts a high value on money, sex and power -
which are motivated by sinful cravings, the lust of the eyes and pride (1 John 2:16).
These are all opposed to the life of Christ.
When a believer recognizes how deeply they offend Christ,
repentance is the first step followed by radical changes of behavior and lifestyle.
Although we should dispose of all ungodliness in response to the love of God,
hardened hearts often need a severe warning.
Paul provides a two-part challenge.
Firstly, he identifies the various forms of immorality as being idolatry.
That is, self-satisfaction becomes a god to be worshipped (thought about, talked about, spending time and money on it).
And all such idols are offensive to God.
As He says in Isaiah 42:8, "I am the Lord; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols."
God does not tolerate idols or enter into dialogue or peace treaty with those who worship them.
And secondly, God's intolerance of idols will result in His wrath coming to those who love them.
This sort of language may seem very stark.
But it is true to God's character.
Wherever the warnings are ignored in the church (for this letter is not written to pagans but to Christians),
the Name of Christ is shamed.
The gospel of Christ cannot be productive where believers are playing games with the world's agenda.
And because willful souls instinctively fear God's wrath, they have no joy, peace, purpose or hope.
They become a liability to the church, a slur on the gospel and risk Divine action against them (1 Corinthians 10:1-14).
These verses were written to such people.
If you are one of them, today is a very good day to decide that the idols must go.
Prayer for the day : -
Holy God.
Thank You for clearly expressing Your hatred of ungodly passions and the idolatry they represent.
I confess the ease with which I consider my fleshly desires as natural and normal, appetites which I must satisfy.
Please forgive me for putting them before the authority of Christ in my life.
I know I have to make a radical decision to put them away,
and I ask for Your help in putting my decisions into action.
May I learn wisdom as I fear the wrath of the Lord and practice obedience to Your Word.
In Jesus' Name. Amen.
============================================
" Dementia "
Most of us start worrying about dementia after retirement - and that may be too little, too late.
Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia,
you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and 40s - or even earlier.
Experts say that if you really want to ward off dementia,
you need to start taking care of your brain in your 30s and 40s - or even earlier.
"More and more research is suggesting that lifestyle is very important to your brain's health," says Dr. Paul Nussbaum, a neuro-psychologist and an adjunct associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
"If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."
"If you want to live a long, healthy life, then many of us need to start as early as we can."
So what can you do to beef up your brain - and possibly ward off dementia?
Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation,
offers 20 tips that may help.
Nussbaum, who recently gave a speech on the topic for the Winter Park (Fla.) Health Foundation,
offers 20 tips that may help.
1.
Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now,
you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.
2.
Join clubs or organizations that need volunteers. If you start volunteering now,
you won't feel lost and unneeded after you retire.
2. Develop a hobby or two. Hobbies help you develop a robust brain
because you're trying something new and complex.
3.
Practise writing with your non-dominant hand several minutes everyday.
This will exercise the opposite side of your brain and fire up those neurons.
4.
Take dance lessons.
In a study of nearly 500 people, dancing was the only regular physical activity associated with a significant decrease
in the incidence of dementia, including Alzheimer's disease.
The people who danced three or four times a week showed 76 percent less incidence of dementia than those who danced only once a week or not at all.
5.
Need a hobby? Start gardening. Researchers in New Zealand found that, of 1,000 people,
those who gardened regularly were less likely to suffer from dementia!
Not only does gardening reduce stress, but gardeners use their brains to plan gardens;
they use visual and spatial reasoning to lay out a garden.
6.
7.
Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information.
Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well.
Read and write daily. Reading stimulates a wide variety of brain areas that process and store information.
Likewise, writing (not copying) stimulates many areas of the brain as well.
8.
Start knitting. Using both hands works both sides of your brain.
And it's a stress reducer.
9.
Learn a new language. Whether it's a foreign language or sign language, you are working your brain
by making it go back and forth between one language and the other.
A researcher in England found that being bilingual seemed to delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease for four years.
And some research suggests that the earlier a child learns sign language, the higher his IQ - and people with high IQs are less likely to have dementia.
So start them early.
10.
Play board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly.
Not only are you taxing your brain, you're socializing too.
Playing solo games, such as solitaire or online computer brain games can be helpful,
but Nussbaum prefers games that encourage you to socialize too.
11.
Take classes throughout your lifetime.
Learning produces structural and chemical changes in the brain, and education appears to help people live longer.
Brain researchers have found that people with advanced degrees live longer - and if they do have Alzheimer's,
it often becomes apparent only in the very later stages of the disease.
12.
Listen to classical music.
A growing volume of research suggests that music may hard wire the brain,
building links between the two hemispheres.
Any kind of music may work, but there's some research that shows positive effects for classical music,
though researchers don't understand why.
13. Learn a musical instrument. It may be harder than it was when you were a kid,
but you'll be developing a dormant part of your brain.
14.
Travel. When you travel (whether it's to a distant vacation spot or on a different route across town),
you're forcing your brain to navigate a new and complex environment.
A study of London taxi drivers found experienced drivers had larger brains
because they have to store lots of information about locations and how to navigate there.
15.
Pray. Daily prayer appears to help your immune system.
And people who attend a formal worship service regularly live longer and report happier, healthier lives.
16.
Learn to meditate.
It's important for your brain that you learn to shut out the stresses of everyday life.
17.
Get enough sleep. Studies have shown a link between interrupted sleep and dementia.
18.
Eat more foods containing Omega-3 fatty acids:
Salmon, sardines, tuna, ocean trout, mackerel or herring, plus walnuts
(which are higher in omega 3s than salmon) and flaxseed. Flaxseed oil,
cod liver oil and walnut oil are good sources too.
19.
Eat more fruits and vegetables. Antioxidants in fruits and vegetables mop up
some of the damage caused by free radicals, one of the leading killers of brain cells.
20.
Eat at least one meal a day with family and friends.
You'll slow down, socialize, and research shows you'll eat healthier food than if you ate alone or on the go.
DOING ALL 20 THINGS LISTED ABOVE AND YOU WILL NOT FIND ENOUGH TIME IN YOUR LIFE
TO FIT IN DEMENTIA AS WELL: IN OTHER WORDS,
"CONTINUE TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY DO AND YOU WILL HAVE COVERED MOST OF THE THINGS LISTED!"
TO FIT IN DEMENTIA AS WELL: IN OTHER WORDS,
"CONTINUE TO DO ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALREADY DO AND YOU WILL HAVE COVERED MOST OF THE THINGS LISTED!"
No comments:
Post a Comment