OLD FASHIONED REMEDIES FOR HEART AND HEALTH
III John 2 "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well."
INTRO.- John prayed for Gaius that his health would improve. His spiritual health was good, but not his physical health. God is concerned about both aspects of our lives.
ILL.- A young doctor examined an old man. "And how do you feel today?" he asked. "Not so good," the old man said. "My left leg is giving me fits. It hurts something awful!"
"Oh, don’t you think that’s just old age?" "No," the old man said, "My right leg is the same age as my left, and it don’t hurt none at all!"
ILL.- An old man, 90 years old, read in the newspaper that his country needed blood for blood transfusions. He decided to help, so he went to the hospital and said, "I want to give some blood."
They put him on the table, and stuck a needle in his arm. Afterward, he was given a glass of orange juice.
He said, "I feel better than ever. I think I’ll just give some more blood right now." "Sir," the nurse said, "WE DIDN’T TAKE ANY OF YOUR BLOOD, WE JUST GAVE YOU A PINT."
Brothers and sisters, how are you feeling today? Feeling old? Feeling good?
ILL.- Here’s what is called "The Age Gauge Test." My twin sister Sharon sent this to me. Count all the ones that you remember.
1. Candy cigarettes
2. Wax coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside
3. Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
4. Coffee shops with tableside juke boxes
5. Blackjack chewing gum
6. Home milk delivery in glass bottles, with cardboard stoppers
7. Party lines
8. Newsreels before the movie
9. PF Flyers
10. Butch wax
11. Telephone numbers with a word prefix identifying the exchange
12. or the one which became a hit Glenn Miller song title! (Pennsylvania 6-5000)
13. Peashooters
14. Howdy Doody
15. 45 rpm records
16. S&H Green Stamps
17. Hi-fi’s
18. Metal ice cube trays-with levers
19. Mimeograph paper
20. Blue flash bulbs
21. Roller skate keys
22. Cork pop guns
23. Drive-ins
24. Studebakers
25. Wash tub wringers
26. The Fuller Brush man
27. Reel-to-reel tape recorders
28. Tinkertoys
29. The Erector Set
30. 5 cent packs of baseball cards…with a pink slab of bubblegum
If you remembered 10 or less: You’re still young.
If you remembered 11 - 15: You are getting old.
If you remembered 16-20: Don’t tell your age.
If you remembered 21 or more: You’re older than dirt!
ILL.- I wrote to my sister Sharon and told her that I remembered almost all of these things. She wrote back and said, "I am sorry that you are as old as dirt." Can’t you imagine that? And if it weren’t for me she never would have graduated from high school!
Brothers and sisters, old is not bad. And even getting older is not bad. In many ways, it can be very good. With age comes gray hair. And gray hair is not all bad. At least, for some of us.
Prov. 20:29 "The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old."
Webster defines splendor as "the quality of being splendid." Does this mean that old people are splendid and young people are strong? Can a person be both splendid and strong?
Psalm 71:18 "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."
That’s what I’m trying to do. Declare God. Declare His power to all I can. And I don’t believe the Lord has forsaken me in this worthy work. Nor will He forsake any of us, young or old, when we are involved in declaring Him to people!
Psalm 92:14 "They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green."
Another great Scripture. We can still bear fruit as we age. We can bear fruit for the Lord, that is, in His service: preaching, teaching, calling, listening, loving, etc.
Old is not bad. Old may well be very good. Old books are often very good.
ILL.- The oldest book I can think of in my library is entitled "Preacher and Prayer" by E.M. Bounds. I don’t know when it was originally published, but mine was put out by the Christian Witness Company and dated 1916. This "old" book contains some very good advice for preachers.
For example, chapter one, page one. "We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men." Amen!
Old is not bad. Old is very good. Some old books are very good. The old "book," meaning the book of God is very good!
It contains the mind and message of God. The plan of salvation and the man of salvation, the Lord Jesus Christ! The book tells us how to know God through Christ and how to live for Christ. And how to live a better, richer and fuller life in Christ.
And again, according to III John 2 I believe that God is concerned about both the physical and the spiritual aspect of our lives.
PROP.- From this good old book, God’s Word, I want to share some old fashioned remedies for heart and health.
I. OLD FASHIONED REMEDIES FOR HEALTH
ILL.- A patient said to her doctor, "I wish you’d give me something to make me smarter." Doctor, "Take these pills and come back next week." A week later the patient returned and said, "I don’t think I’m getting any smarter." The doctor replied, "Take some more of those pills I gave you and come back next week."
Another week passed and the patient returned and said, "Now I know I’m not any smarter. Are these pills candy?" The doctor replied, "NOW YOU’RE GETTING SMARTER."
If you go see a doctor about anything, more than likely, you will end up taking some pills which supposedly will help you.
Even though none of us like to take pills or medicine in any form, we must be thankful that the medical world has come up with some good medicine to help improve our health or fight off infections and illnesses.
Believe it or not there are some principles found in Scriptures in regard to our physical health. And since we are living in such a health-conscious society, I think it would be good to consider some of the principles.
1- Recognize ownership
ILL.- Here are the property Laws of a Toddler.
1. If I like it, it’s mine.
2. If it’s in my hand, it’s mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it’s mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine.
5. If it’s mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I’m doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it’s mine.
8. If I saw it first, it’s mine.
9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine.
10. If it’s broken, it’s yours.
Brothers and sisters, these are not just the property laws of a toddler. These are also the laws that some of us as adults have carried into our lives! We think if something is in our possession, it’s ours. Including our bodies. This is my body I can do with it whatever I want. NOT.
I Cor. 6:19-20 "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own. You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body."
Scripture is clear. If you are in Christ then you belong to Christ. Your body belongs to Christ. All of us should recognize ownership.
ILL.- I think the year was 1986. My family and I were planning on attending the North American Christian Convention that summer which was to be held in Denver, Colorado. We had two cars at that time and both of them were giving us trouble. One of them had a blown head gasket and I forget what was wrong with the other one.
A couple in the church had two vehicles: a new car and a used Dodge Van with only 30-some thousand miles on it. It was a full-sized van which they hadn’t driven in nearly a year. So they offered to let us drive it to Denver. I had never borrowed a person’s car before, except for a short trip around town. They kept insisting that we take it and since our children were somewhat small at that time, we decided to accept their offer.
The trip in that van was just great. And when we returned home I took their van to have it serviced.
I also vacuumed it and washed it before returning it. WHY DID I DO THOSE THINGS? Because it didn’t belong to me. It belonged to someone who loved me and cared about me. And I wanted to take good care of it and return it in as good of condition as when they loaned it to me.
We all need to recognize the ownership of God and Christ. We have no right to do whatever we want with our bodies.
2- Realize potential. Realize your potential.
ILL.- A woman said to a guy, "I’ve got a new diet that is guaranteed to make you lose weight and you can eat anything you want." He replied, "You mean I can eat anything I want?" She said, "YES, BUT YOU DON’T SWALLOW."
All of us need to realize our potential to become healthier.
ILL.- Remember Jared Fogle of Subway fame? He is 6’ 2" and at one time weighed 425 lbs. In one year’s time he reduced to 190 lbs. At first Jared did nothing as far as exercise was concerned.
When he got down to 300 lbs. he replaced riding the bus with walking to classes. By 250 pounds, he walked everywhere during the day. Typically 1.5 miles per day.
His diet consisted of: coffee for breakfast. For lunch, he ate a 6-inch Turkey Subway with tons of vegetables, including hot peppers and a bit of spicy mustard. He left off the mayonnaise and cheese and had a bag of Baked Lays potato chips and a diet soft drink. For dinner he had a Footlong veggie sub - again no mayonnaise or cheese.
Brothers and sisters, I realize that what Jared Fogle did was extraordinary, but I think it shows there is potential in all of us for health improvement.
I’m not saying we have to do what he did, but there are things we can do to improve our health.
I Tim. 4:8 "For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come."
Physical training or physical exercise is good for you. Use it or lose it. Work it and it works better.
Realize that you have the potential to have better health. Walk, jog, run, swim, jazzercise, lift weights, etc. Doing any of these things can make a big difference in your health. And the better you feel and the healthier you become, the better you can serve the Lord.
It’s a proven fact that when your body is healthy, your mind will always work better. Realize your potential for better health and better service for the Lord. Of course, it won’t happen unless you do something about it.
ILL.- I’ve heard it said, "The plan will work, if we work the plan." But we must work the plan. Many people are too lazy to work the plan, but if and when they do, they find it will work.
Exercise doesn’t take away energy and vitality, it gives it back to the body. That’s the way God created the body to work.
Psalm 139:14 "I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made..."
Realize your potential. Realize that your body is the incredible creation of God! Thank God for it and take care of it!
3- Rest periodically
ILL.- An employer noticed that one of his clerks had not been looking well for months. He had black circles under his eyes, his cheeks were sunken, the color was gone from his face, and his general attitude was one of fatigue. "Don’t you sleep well, Ashley?" he kindly asked.
"No, sir, I do not," Ashley replied. "My roommate and I both suffer from alternating insomnia." "Alternating insomnia? What’s that?" Ashley explained: "Whoever gets to sleep first keeps the other awake." In some homes, that could be call SNORING!
There are many things that keep us awake at night: health problems, worries, poor diet, late-night eating, etc.
Regardless of the schedule we have for our work, days, nights, or whatever, we all need a certain amount of rest and/or sleep. The amount needed for each person is debatable. You may need 8 hours as has been suggested for many years. Some need more and some need less. I get by on a whole lot less.
Generally, your own body will tell you how much sleep you need. If you can’t stay awake in your car at a stoplight, then you need more sleep! And if you sit down in a chair in the evening and fall asleep immediately, you probably need more sleep.
Mark 6:30-31 "The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught. Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, ‘Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.’"
The human body is not a machine that can run, day and night, forever, on and on, like the Energizer Bunny or the Timex watch that keeps on ticking.
Old fashioned remedies for health. 1- recognize ownership. 2- realize your potential for improvement. 3- Get your rest.
II. OLD FASHIONED REMEDIES FOR HEART
III John 2 "Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well." God wants us to prosper spiritually.
ILL.- James Reston was a syndicated columnist for the New York Times for more than thirty years. In his final column for the newspaper, he wrote: "In America, we have learned something about how to deal with adversity since the great Depression, but not much about how to deal with prosperity. We are very rich, but we are not having a very good time."
WE ARE RICH, BUT WE ARE NOT HAVING A VERY GOOD TIME. I believe this is because of our lack of spiritual progress. Heart problems are very real and very hurtful. Soul problems are very shattering.
ILL.- The Pentagon reportedly has scrapped one of the favorite words of World War II, "snafu" (situation normal, all fouled up), and replaced it with "fubb" (fouled up beyond belief).
We must admit that sometimes our lives can get all fouled up beyond belief.
ILL.- Lucy of Peanuts fame said that life is like a deck chair. Some place it so they can see where they are going; some place it so they can see where they have been; and some place it so they can see where they are at present. Charlie Brown said: "I can’t even get mine unfolded."
IS THAT YOU? Or has that been your life? Can’t get your life unfolded and facing in the right direction?
ILL.- Recently, a father said to me about his one son who is over 40 years old now, "For the first 30 years of his life I wanted to kill him. I never knew where he was, what he was doing, etc. He was always changing jobs. The only blessing was he wasn’t married."
ILL.- Years ago, a man named Potter was riding his horse in the Yosemite Valley. Somehow he fell from his horse and injured a foot. The foot got better, but troubled him ever since that time. Sometime later he had his foot X-rayed and it was discovered that for 25 years he had been walking on a broken foot.
While that man went through life walking on a broken foot, many people go through life with a broken heart or a broken spirit. The cause may be a rotten or ruined marriage. A dysfunctional family. A problem child. A bad boss. A boring job. A financial disaster.
All of us get hurt in life in some form or another. All people experience pain and misery in life. What can be done about it? Some people don’t know what to do or where to turn. We are not without sympathy in this world nor without help.
1- Release your hurt
James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed."
I John 1:9 "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
ILL.- A Sunday School teacher in a class of small boys emphasized the importance of personal confession of sin. As he closed the class, he asked, "Now boys, how many of you have sins you would like to confess to God?"
No one raised their hand. Finally, one little boy said, "Teacher, I don’t have any sins to confess, but I know of some people who do."
We’ve all heard it said that "confession is good for the soul." We must "get out" what is on the inside or else it can eat us alive. It can damage the body and kill the soul.
ILL.- A lady in Southern Illinois told in a Sunday School class one time about the church where her brother became a member. I don’t know the name of that church, but before a person could become a member they must go forward before the congregation and publicly confess their sins. ANY TAKERS? I didn’t think so.
Even though we don’t have to publicly confess our sins, there may be times when we need to privately confess our weaknesses to one another and pray for one another. Pray for healing, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. And obviously, we should privately confess our sins and weaknesses to the Lord.
We all need to be open before the Lord. We all need to cast ourselves on the Lord, confess and ask for mercy. "God, be merciful to me a sinner!"
2- Rest in the Lord. We all need to find rest in the Lord.
ILL.- A little girl once cried out in the night and woke her mother. She asked if she could get in bed with her mother. Her mother asked, "What’s the matter?" The little girl said, "It was dark in my room." "Yes," said her mother, "but it’s just as dark in my room." "I know, Mother," the little girl said, "but you’re here."
Being with the right person at the right time can make all the difference in the world for us.
All of us have probably at some time been comforted by our mothers. Or perhaps by our fathers as well. I hope so. I pray so.
We parents need to have a heart for our children. All of us need to have a heart for one another.
Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep."
There may be times when we feel like no one has a heart for us, no one understands, no one cares, no one loves us. BE ASSURED, THERE IS SOMEONE WHO HAS A HEART FOR US.
Psalm 40:1-3 "I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our god. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord."
Psalm 121:1-2 "I lift up my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."
Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
ILL.- A lady said to her neighbor friend: "If you had my faith you wouldn’t have any trouble" The neighbor replied: "Well, if you had my trouble you wouldn’t have any faith."
Troubles plague us all in life, but our faith in the Lord is the only thing that will deliver us. The Lord is the only one who can make things right when things go wrong. He alone can restore our souls and make us heart healthy.
CONCLUSION-----------------------------------------
ILL.- At the close of World War II, the Russians held a reception for Field Marshall Bernard L. Montgomery. At the reception, he was awarded the Soviet Union’s Order of Victory. Vodka flowed freely at the function. Montgomery was surrounded by a score of imbibing, high-ranking Russian officers. Being a total abstainer, he was "on the spot." He was embarrassed. Just then, General Dwight D. Eisenhower came near him. Montgomery said: "Ike, get me out of this!" And Ike came promptly to his aid.
GET ME OUT OF THIS! Life sometimes puts up behind the 8 ball or between a rock and a hard place. And we all need some help, someone to help us get out of it or get through it. That someone is the Lord.
Psalm 46:1-2 "God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear..."
