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This is a collection of articles on the topic of health and wellness from a Christian, biblical viewpoint.

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.” (Is 53:4)

“He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” (1 Pe 2:24)

"He heals all of my diseases." Ps 103:1-5

“He sent His Word and healed them.” (Ps 107:20)

"'But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the Lord, (Jer 30:17a)

It is my prayer that these articles will lead you to pray earnestly and seek the Lord's face, regarding your own health and wellness, and that of those you love.  If you are not well, I pray that the Lord would heal you, and if you are well, then I hope something you find here will help you stay that way. 

The Bible is Our Guide	Checking Your Heart	All Foods are Clean
Eat What is Set Before You	Fasting	Eating Real Food
The Cause of Disease	The Role of Demons	The Power of God to Heal
When We Are Not Healed	Physical Exercise	White Poison
Some Foods Damage, Others Heal	Taking Care of Your Body	What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines?
Going from Cursed to Cured	Healing is in the Atonement	The Benefits of Eating Well
Is it a Sin to Take Medicine?	Maintaining Your Healing	Coronavirus Origin, Reason, and Remedy
Thoughts Directly Affect Your Destiny	Neurosurgeon Explains How to Break Addiction	Rewiring the Brain: Connecting Neuroscience, Faith, and Healing
Renewing the Mind: The Intersection Neuroscience and Scripture	How to Heal the Sick - Charles and Francis Hunter	The Dark Side of Dairy
The Perils of Dairy	How Sin and Righteousness Shape the Body and Mind

Attribution notice: Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

You may access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master. 

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

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Healing is in the Atonement

Most Christians believe that Jesus died for sin, but very few believe he died for their own sin.  Still fewer yet believe that Jesus died so they could be healed!  I want to show from Scripture that salvation and healing, as well as deliverance are included in the atonement.  It's a package deal!

First of all, Isaiah said, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” (Isa 53:4-5, NASB).  I encourage you to read the whole chapter, if you can!

Then the apostle Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah saying, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Pe 2:24, NASB)

I realize that some people misunderstand these passages.  Some may think the two passages contradict one another.  Others may say that Peter was only referring to forgiveness of sin, not literal healing from sickness.  Therefore, I’d like to do a side-by-side comparison of what the prophet Isaiah said about Jesus and what the apostle Peter said, in order to see the similarities and differences:

Isaiah	Peter	Comments
“Surely our griefs He Himself bore” (Is 53:4) "He bore the sin of many" (Is 53:12)	“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross”	1. “bore” is “nasah” in Hebrew, meaning “to carry, take, receive, bear or accept” (Isaiah);  “bore is anaphero in Greek, meaning “to take up (literally or figuratively): - bear, bring (carry, lead) up, offer (up).” (Peter) 2. “griefs” in Hebrew is "chŏlı̂y" meaning “sickness, affliction, disease, griefs, or illness,” (Isaiah); “sins” in Greek is hamartia, meaning “offense, sin” (Peter) 3. “Sin” in Hebrew is "chêṭ'," meaning, “a crime or its penalty: - fault, offence, (punishment of) sin.” “Sins” in Greek is hamartia, meaning “offense, sin” (Peter)
“Our sorrows He carried”	(Not in 1 Peter)	1. “sorrows” is “makob” in Hebrew meaning “pain”. 2. “carried” is the Hebrew word “sabal” meaning “to carry or bear a heavy load”
“We ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted”	(Not in 1 Peter)
“He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities”	(Not in 1 Peter)	1. "Pierced" comes from "chalal" in Hebrew, meaning “wounded,” “dissolved,” “profaned,” “broken,” “polluted,” “slain,” “stained.” 2. “crushed” is “daka” in Hebrew, meaning “to crumble; transitively to bruise (literally or figuratively): - beat to pieces, break (in pieces), bruise, contrite, crush, destroy, humble, oppress, smite.”
(Not in Isaiah)	“so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness”	Since Jesus bore our sins, we should die to sin.  In this way, we are enabled to live righteously and be saved.
“The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him”	(Not in 1 Peter)	1. “chastening” is “musar” in Hebrew, meaning “chastisement; figuratively reproof, correction, discipline, rebuke.” 2. “Well-being” is “shalom” in Hebrew, meaning “safe, that is, (figuratively) well, happy, friendly; also (abstractly) welfare, that is, health, prosperity, peace.”
“By His scourging we are healed”	“By His wounds you were healed”	1. “Scourging” is “chabburah” in Hebrew, meaning “properly bound (with stripes), that is, a weal (or black and blue mark itself): - blueness, bruise, hurt, stripe, wound.”  The word “wounds” is “molops” in Greek, meaning “a mole (black eye) or blow mark: - stripe.” 2. “healed” in Hebrew is “rapha” meaning “to mend (by stitching), that is, (figuratively) to cure: - cure, (cause to) heal, physician, repair, thoroughly, make whole;” “healed” is “iaomai” in Greek, meaning “1) to cure, heal, 2) to make whole,  and 2a) to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation”;

When the prophet Isaiah said, “Our griefs He Himself bore,” the Hebrew word for griefs is "chŏlı̂y" meaning “sickness, affliction, disease, griefs, or illness,” according to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance (NASEC).  When the prophet said that Jesus “bore” our griefs, the Hebrew word is "nasah," which means in this context “to carry, take, receive, bear or accept” (Strongs).   Jesus actually received our sicknesses, our diseases, and our illnesses in His body on the cross. 

When the prophet said that Jesus carried our sorrows, the Hebrew word for sorrows is "makob," meaning “pain” (NASEC).  When it says He carried our pain, the Hebrew word is "sabal," which literally means to carry or bear a heavy load (NASEC).

It is repeated in the New Testament.  In the gospel of Saint Matthew, it says, “When evening came, they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.’” (Mat 8:16-17, NIV).  So Matthew states that when Jesus healed all who were ill, He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 53 that we have just cited.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit through Matthew confirmed that the prophecy of Isaiah is about Jesus Christ, and that this prophecy includes the Lord's healing and deliverance ministry.

Jesus Christ rose from the dead and lives forever.  Just as He healed all who were ill during His earthly ministry, He continues to do so today.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8). 

Furthermore, the apostle Peter wrote, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Pe 2:24).  While Isaiah says Jesus bore our griefs, Peter says He bore our sins.  Although Peter did not use the exact same words as the prophet, Isaiah did say "He bore the sin of many" (Is 53:12). So both passages say the atoning sacrifice was for both sin and sickness.  And Peter affirms this by saying "you were healed."

The Greek word for “healed” is iaomai, which means “1) to cure, heal, 2) to make whole,  and 2a) to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation” (Thayer).   Therefore, Peter affirms that by the wounds that Jesus received in His passion and crucifixion, we His sheep are healed, made whole, cured, forgiven, freed from the power of sin, and saved. Jesus Christ not only paid for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation from hell through His atoning sacrifice, He also paid for our healing and deliverance. This means that there is not only salvation but healing in the atonement. 

Here is my own composite blend of both verses from Isaiah and Peter combined together into one verse, using the various definitions of the original Hebrew and Greek words:

“Surely our griefs He Himself bore, including all our sins, offenses against God, sicknesses, afflictions, diseases, griefs, and illnesses.  He carried them on the cross, took them up, received them, bore them, and accepted them in His body all for us.  He carried our heavy load of sorrows and pains, too. We ourselves esteemed Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  He was pierced through for our transgressions and rebellion -- wounded, broken, profaned, polluted, and stained with blood, all for us.  He was crushed and bruised for our iniquities, faults, mischief, and sins.  In fact, He was beaten to pieces for the punishment that was due to us for our sin. He did all of this, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him. The chastisement and reproof that we deserved -- the correction, discipline, and rebuke that were rightfully ours – were directed upon Him.  He bore the penalty for sin that was due to us.  It all hit Him, so that we could enjoy safety, wellness, health, prosperity, and peace.  He did it all so you could be set free from errors and sins, in order to bring about your salvation and deliverance. He took every one of those black and blue marks, bruises, hurts, stripes, and red, swollen marks left on His flesh by the blows, so that you could be mended back together, cured, repaired, and completely made whole. For by His wounds received from scourging you were healed.” 

It is not God’s will for His children to have disease.  We have seen the Lord heal many various sicknesses and diseases through the laying on of hands with prayer in Jesus' name.  He has done this in our own lives, our children’s lives, as well as the lives of other people.  We have not only read about this happening through others like Smith Wigglesworth, Reese Howells, Kathryn Kuhlman, Charles and Frances Hunter, and Dr. T.L. Osborne, who saw tens of thousands healed in every corner of the earth during his sixty-five years of ministry, but we have seen it first hand. 

Going back to our text in Isaiah, the prophet began his message with the words, “Who has believed our message, and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” (Is 53:1).  It’s such an amazingly wonderful message that it may seem too good to be true.  But if anyone does not believe God, he has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son (1 Jn 5:10).  Who has believed our message?  Have you?

Just as one must believe in Jesus as His own personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved, one must also believe in Jesus as His own personal Healer to be healed.  Jesus often said to those whom He healed, “Your faith has made you whole” (Mat 9:22; Mat 15:28; Mar 5:34; Mar 10:52; Luk 8:48; Luk 17:19).

It’s not enough to believe that Jesus died for the sins of the world.  In order to be saved, you must believe he died for your own sin, and that He actually bore your sin in His body. 

While few people who consider themselves Christians believe this, even fewer believe that He died for sickness and disease.  And of those who do believe He did so, there are even fewer who believe He died for their own pain, sickness, and disease.  You must believe he died for your own pain, sickness, and disease, and that He actually carried your sickness in His body.  It was condemned there, along with your sin, two thousand years ago.  You need to accept this and believe it is for you personally, in order to be healed.

If you are suffering from pain, sickness, or disease today, you don't have to.  It doesn't matter whether it is AIDS, cancer, heart disease, arthritis, fibromyalgia, or migraines.  You need only believe what God's Word says and appropriate it for yourself.  Believe it with all your heart without any doubting.  It was all paid for by the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Son, two thousand years ago.

James said, "Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord." (Js 5:14).  If you are a believer, who knows Jesus, let me encourage you to do that.  Call upon the elders of your church, asking them to anoint you with oil and pray for you to be healed.  When you do so, the Scripture says, "The prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven." (Js 5:15).

Scripture says the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.  You can depend on God to keep His promise. And it also says, "If they have sinned, they will be forgiven."  That's why I think it is always good when you are ill to ask the Holy Spirit to show you if you have opened the door to the enemy in your life through some sin and disobedience.  Ask Him to expose you, so that you can get it right with Him.  Repent and confess your sin to the Lord, asking Him to forgive you, and He will. That's important, because if He heals you, and you continue in disobedience, it'll be even worse.  Jesus would say, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or something worse may happen to you." (Jn 5:14; 8:11)

However, not everyone reading this article belongs to a church where the elders believe in divine healing, and your elders may not believe it is God's will to heal every sick person.  In fact, some of you reading this blog may not yet belong to a church.  I encourage you to get connected with one.  But until you do, if you are a born again believer, and believe this message with all your heart, you can even be healed right where you are sitting now.  I want to encourage you to lay your hand on your body over the area that needs to be healed, and confess your faith out loud to God right now.  Call that sickness by name, and in the name of Jesus, boldly command it to leave your body.  Then praise and thank the Lord Jesus for healing you.  Receive it by faith from Him, just as you received His payment for your sins when you gave your life to Jesus.  If you did that, then I declare you are healed! 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: Please don't forget to leave a testimony of your healing in the comments below.  This post is part of a series.  It is not medical advice, and I do not claim to be a physician.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially Power of God to Heal, Going from Cursed to Cured, What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines?, The Name of Jesus, and Scriptural Guidance About Blood Transfusions. I also recommend my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body.  You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Going from Cursed to Cured

A leper once came and bowed down to Jesus saying, “If you are willing you can make me clean.” Scripture says, “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.” (Mt 8:3).

The Greek word for cured in Mt 8:3 is katharizo, meaning “to cleanse (literally or figuratively): - (make) clean (-se), purge, purify.”

In Deut 28:16, and throughout that chapter, Moses warned that anyone who did not obey God’s Law would be cursed.  In other words they would be one on whom a curse has been invoked, accursed, doomed to destruction.  And he listed all the sicknesses that were part of that curse. 

“However, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us--for it is written, ‘CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE’”-- (Gal 3:13)

Christ redeemed us from the curse.  Hallelujah!  The Greek word for redeemed in Gal 3:13 is exagorazo, meaning “to buy up, that is, ransom; figuratively to rescue from loss (improve opportunity): - redeem.”

In English there is only a one-letter difference between the words “cursed” and “cured.”  I say the letter “S” in that word should remind you of the Savior! He became a curse for us!  It’s amazing but true that through faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we go from cursed to cured!

He became the sacrifice for our sin, so you could say the "s" is also for "sin."  Through His sacrifice, our Savior bore our sin.  If you repent and put your faith in Him, asking Him to forgive you, He will remove your sin and even give you power over sin.  You'll go from cursed to cured!

If you have a pain, sickness or disease today from which you cannot be healed, there is One who can heal you.  If you are a sinner in need of forgiveness today, there is One who can save you.  His name is Jesus Christ.  He alone has the power to save you from your sin and heal you from your disease. He alone can make you whole spiritually and physically. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, especially Power of God to Heal. I also recommend my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body.  You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines?

In this age of forced immunizations, there are still some states that allow home schools to obtained an exemption based on their religious convictions.  If you have such convictions, then this article may assist you in explaining your reasons for not immunizing.

Do Not Contaminate God’s Temple
The body of a Christian is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Co 3:16; 1Co 3:17; 1Co 6:19; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:21). As such, the believer is to purify himself from everything that contaminates both body and spirit (2 Co 7:1). Vaccines may contain various ingredients that contaminate the body, including aluminum hydroxide, aluminum phosphate, ammonium sulfate, formaldehyde, various toxoids and antibiotics, as well as heavy metals like mercury contained in thimerosal, which is used as a preservative.   Mercury is a highly toxic element, second only to radioactive plutonium. When it is combined with other ingredients, specifically aluminum and formaldehyde, the synergistic effects increase 10,000-fold.  Scientific studies have connected thimerosal with autism.  To inject known neurotoxins into our children, which have known health risks, would be a violation of these biblical teachings.

Some vaccines such as the “measles - mumps – rubella” (MMR), the “measles – rubella” (M-R-Vax), and the Biavax rubella vaccine, all produced by Merck & Co., Inc., as well as the Imovax rabies vaccine produced by Connaught Laboratories, and the Havrix hepatitis A vaccine by GlaxoSmithKline, contain human diploid cells from aborted fetal tissue.  We believe that according to God’s Word, life begins at conception (Ps 139:13), and abortion of a human life in the womb constitutes murder.  This is an abomination to God.  The Bible says, “Thou shalt not murder” (Ex 20:13).  It would be unconscionable for us to inject the remnants of a murdered baby into our children or ourselves.

Some vaccines even contain DNA, such as ProQuad, the “measles, mumps, rubella and varicella” vaccine by Merck & Co., Inc.  

The authors of a study published in 1980 by "Mutation Research" came to the conclusion that smallpox vaccination has a "mutagenic effect" on human chromosomes. [Neil Z. Miller's 1999 book Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective?, p. 46] "Viruses and viral vaccines are agents for the transfer of genetic imprints from one host to another. In other words, because they contain pure genetic material (DNA and RNA) from a foreign organism, once injected into a human recipient, the new genetic material is incorporated into the invaded cells." [Miller, p. 48] In the 1960s, Joshua Lederberg, Dept. of Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, said that "live viruses are ... genetic messages used for the purpose of programming human cells". Lederberg said that "we already practice biological engineering on a rather large scale by use of live viruses in mass immunization campaigns." [Miller, p.49]

"No one knows the long-term effects of tampering with the genetic codes and delicate structure of the human organism. However, the physical invasion of the human body by foreign genetic material may have the immediate effect of permanently weakening the immune system, setting in motion a new era of autoimmune diseases. For example, research indicates that psychotic disorders may be caused by viral infections. The incidence of schizophrenia is on the rise compared to earlier times, and studies now indicate that about one-third of all cases are autoimmune in nature. Once again, some authorities implicate the childhood vaccine programs." [Miller, p. 49]

We believe that God is our Creator and He put the DNA in each person, containing the exact codes needed to instruct the cells of our bodies how they should build.  Scientific research has revealed that the genetic material contained in the vaccines is incorporated into the invaded cells of the vaccinated recipient. This constitutes crossing the DNA of humans and animals.  It would be unconscionable to allow someone to inject the DNA of an animal or another person into the blood of our children or into our own blood.  This would constitute a type of sorcery, which is forbidden by God.  We believe that vaccines contaminate our body and spirit, God’s temple, thereby weakening us, and we must purify ourselves of such things, as a means of perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

The Life is in the Blood
The life of all flesh is in the blood, so the blood must be kept pure.  The Lord said, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” (Lev 17:11a).  He also said, “For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life…” (Lev 17:14a, ESV).  

Since the life of a human is its blood, it must be kept pure.  Nothing unclean may be put into the blood.  Since the life of every creature is in its blood, we must not put it into our own blood.  This is the same as putting their life into our blood.  Since their lives are not pure, their life weakens us.

It’s a well-documented fact that satanic rituals involve animal and human sacrifices, as well as drinking blood.  This is an occult practice.  In both the Old Covenant and the New Covenant, God forbids His people to eat blood (Lev 17:14; Act 15:20). Since they did not have vaccines when Scripture was written, nothing is mentioned about them.  But since God forbids eating or drinking blood, we know that He does not want us putting animal blood into our bodies by any means, whether ingestion or injection. 

Pharmaceutical Roots in Sorcery
In a day when there are huge numbers of deaths caused by adverse drug effects (ADEs) from prescribed pharmaceutical drugs, it is interesting to note the biblical reference to sorcery: "But the cowardly, unbelieveing, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolators, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Revelation 21:8 (New King James)

In this passage, the word 'sorcerers' comes from the Greek word 'pharmakos' (Strongs) which is derived from the Greek word 'pharmakon' and is defined as: “a druggist (‘pharmacist’) or poisoner” (Strongs). 

An interesting passage in the Bible refers to the methodology used to deceive the nations in the end times:  "...For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived."  Revelation 18:23

The word 'sorcery' (Strongs) in this passage is the Greek word 'pharmakeia'. It is defined in as “medication” (pharmacy).  Drugs that the government considers illegal, like marijuana, cocaine, LSD, and heroin, are connected with the occult and sorcery.  And so are many of the drugs the government considers legal.  We do not necessarily believe that every medicine produced by a pharmaceutical company is considered sorcery.  But pharmaceuticals have their roots in sorcery.  And it is obvious in the case of vaccines that these are connected with sorcery, since they are poisonous (toxic), rely on the blood of dead animals, and they consist of ingredients that we are forbidden by God to put into our bodies. 

For example, some vaccines may contain pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, dog kidney, vesicle fluid from calf skins, rhesus monkey fetal diploid cells, bovine fetal serum, rhesus monkey fetal lung cells, bovine serum, chicken embryo, monkey kidney cells, calf serum, chick embryonic fluid, washed sheep red blood cells, and mouse serum proteins.  Many vaccines are made from the blood of diseased animals, decomposed animal parts, and are not sterile.  The Bible teaches that there are clean and unclean animals and that God’s people are not to put the unclean into their bodies. 

Luke 13.1-5 states that those who mix human blood with the blood of sacrificed animals are 'sinners.' This is precisely what pharmaceutical industrialists do in order to produce many vaccines, by mixing the blood of animals with that of humans.  And it is what medical practitioners do when they inject vaccines containing animal blood into the bloodstreams of humans.  The human and animal blood is mixed together, which is an abomination to God (Lev 20:16).

It is Not God’s Will for His People to Be Sick
Vaccines may also contain other ingredients that contaminate and harm the body, such as deadly viruses (both live and inactive).  The human body’s reaction to these (i.e., fever, aches, pains, nausea, inflammation, coma, death, etc.) show that the immune system accurately recognizes these components as foreign and harmful.  The pharmaceutical companies call these “adverse drug effects” (ADEs). Scripture teaches that it is not God’s will for believers to have sickness or disease.  The psalmist said, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, And forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases;” (Psa 103:2-3).  God is willing and able to heal all our diseases.

Do Not Destroy God’s  Temple
In some cases, vaccines can even result in death to the patient. A top Merck vaccine scientist (Dr. Maurice Hilleman) openly admits the presence of AIDS and deadly SV40 in vaccines. If you or your child dies, “They” cannot be held liable! Why would they protect themselves from lawsuits if it wasn’t harmful? They do so, because they know that it is.  And the Scripture says that “If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are.” (1Co 3:17).  We must never be accomplice to any man who destroys the temple of God, even if the intent was to prevent disease, because His temple is holy, and we are His temple. 

The Lord is Our Healer
Jesus Christ not only paid for the forgiveness of our sins and our salvation from hell through His atoning sacrifice, He also paid for our healing and deliverance.  The prophet Isaiah said, “Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.” (Isa 53:4-5). 

When the prophet said, “Our griefs He Himself bore,” the Hebrew word for griefs is chŏlı̂y meaning “sickness, affliction, disease, griefs, or illness,” according to the NAS Exhaustive Concordance (NASEC).  When the prophet said that Jesus “bore” our griefs, the Hebrew word is nasah, which means in this context “to carry, take, receive, bear or accept” (Strongs).   Jesus actually received our sicknesses, our diseases, and our illnesses in His body on the cross. 

When the prophet said that Jesus carried our sorrows, the Hebrew word for sorrows is makob, meaning “pain” (NASEC).  When it says He carried our pain, the Hebrew word is sabal, which literally means to carry or bear a heavy load (NASEC).

It is repeated in the New Testament.  In the gospel of Saint Matthew, it says, “When evening came, they brought to Him [Jesus] many who were demon-possessed; and He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were ill. This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: ‘HE HIMSELF TOOK OUR INFIRMITIES AND CARRIED AWAY OUR DISEASES.’” (Mat 8:16-17).  So Matthew states that when Jesus healed all who were ill, He was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah that we have just cited.  

Jesus Christ rose from the dead and lives forever.  Just as He healed all who were ill during His earthly ministry, He continues to do so today.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Heb 13:8). 

Furthermore, the apostle Peter wrote, “and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.” (1Pe 2:24).  The Greek word for “healed” is iaomai, which means “1) to cure, heal, 2) to make whole,  and 2a) to free from errors and sins, to bring about (one’s) salvation” (Thayer).   Therefore, Peter affirms that by the wounds that Jesus received in His passion and crucifixion, we His sheep are healed, made whole, cured, forgiven, freed from the power of sin, and saved. This means that there is not only salvation but healing in the atonement.  

Just as one must believe in Jesus as His own personal Lord and Savior in order to be saved, one must also believe in Jesus as His own personal Healer to be healed.  Jesus often said to those whom He healed, “Your faith has made you whole” (Mat 9:22; Mat 15:28; Mar 5:34; Mar 10:52; Luk 8:48; Luk 17:19).

Since it is not God’s will for His children to have disease, then it is not God’s will for them or anyone else to inject disease in any form into their bodies.  The child of God is supposed to walk in the perfect will of God, and never do anything he knows to be contrary to God’s will (Mar 3:35; Rom 12:2; 1Pe 4:1-2; Heb 10:36; Eph 6:6; 1Jn 2:17; Mat 7:21).

We have seen the Lord heal many various sicknesses and diseases through prayer and the laying on of hands.  He has done this in our own lives, our children’s lives, as well as the lives of other people.  We have not only read about this happening through others like Smith Wigglesworth, Reese Howells, Kathryn Kuhlman, Charles and Frances Hunter, and Dr. T.L. Osborne, who saw tens of thousands healed in every corner of the earth during his sixty-five years of ministry, but we have seen it first hand. 

This is not a gift reserved only for a select few believers.  Healing is a covenant promise of God to His people.  God keeps all His promises and cannot lie.  Not one word of all His good promises has ever failed.  In Saint Mark’s gospel, he records the words of our Lord Jesus to His disciples when He commissioned them to preach the gospel, make disciples, and baptize them.  He said, "These signs will accompany those who have believed: in My name they will cast out demons, they will speak with new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover." (Mar 16:17-18).  This is part of the Great Commission. He not only called us to preach salvation, but healing and deliverance also.  We cannot take only the parts of the Bible we like and leave out other parts.  We have a mandate from the Lord of the Universe.  He said that believers would lay hands on the sick.  And when He said, “They shall recover,” this reveals it is His will for those upon whom believers lay their hands shall recover.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we believe that if we are walking faithfully in obedience to Him, then He will put none of the diseases upon us that He put upon the Egyptians.  For He said, "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." (Exo 15:26). 

We do not rely on vaccines to prevent diseases, we rely on our great God.  He has revealed Himself to His people as “Yahweh Rapha,” the Lord your Healer (Ex 15:26), and we have come to know Him personally as such.  To deny this would be to deny Him.

Sometimes believers do get sick.  When they do, they are to call upon the elders of the church, not the doctors.  And the Lord promises to heal them, if they do so.  The apostle James wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” (Jas 5:14-15).  He says, “the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up.”  We have faith that the Lord will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise Him up.

Futility of Seeking Physicians Rather Than God
The role of physicians has its place in society.  But a godly physician knows that only God can heal his patients.  Many people have sought physicians rather than God and either gotten worse or died as a result.  There are examples of this in Scripture for our instruction.  One was Asa, King of Judah. 

“In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa became diseased in his feet. His disease was severe, yet even in his disease he did not seek the LORD, but the physicians. So Asa slept with his fathers, having died in the forty-first year of his reign.” (2Ch 16:12-13)

One more example will suffice, and that is the woman with the hemorrhage.  “A woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years, and had endured much at the hands of many physicians, and had spent all that she had and was not helped at all, but rather had grown worse…”  (Mar 5:25-26).  Although she spent all she had seeking the care of physicians, they could not help at all. In fact, she only grew worse.  It was only when she put her faith in Jesus and touched the hem of his garment that she was healed, and her bleeding stopped immediately. 

We believe that when people seek physicians rather than God, they will end up like King Asa or like the woman with the issue of blood.  We see this happening today in the rise of diseases, of which vaccines are suspected by scientists to be the cause, such as autism, schizophrenia, and various autoimmune diseases.  Not to mention all the so-called "adverse drug effects" resulting from vaccines.  The immunization campaign deceives people into thinking that physicians can protect them from disease without seeking God, when in fact this program only makes them worse.

Cause of Disease and Plagues
Scripture records that the following diseases came upon the people because of disobedience to God’s Law: plague, hemorrhoids, itch, consumption, fever, inflammation, boils, tumors, scabs, blindness, confusion, and madness. (Deut 28; cf., Num 14:12; Lev 26:25; Am 4:10; Jer 24:10).  And since this list is not exhaustive enough, the Scripture goes on to say, “He [the Lord] will bring back on you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they will cling to you. Also every sickness and every plague which, not written in the book of this law, the LORD will bring on you until you are destroyed.” (Deu 28:60-61). On the other hand, God promises His blessings of prosperity, or overall well being, upon His obedient children (Deut 28:1-14).

Divine Protection from Plagues
We are keenly aware that we are under the protection promised in Psalm 91, which says, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, ‘My refuge and my fortress, My God, in whom I trust!’ For it is He who delivers you from the snare of the trapper And from the deadly pestilence.” (Psa 91:1-3).  The deadly “pestilence” in this verse is from the Hebrew word deber, meaning the destroying “plague” (Strong).  The Lord -- not the pharmaceutical company -- delivers us from the deadly plague.

We don’t need to live in fear of plagues.  God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7).  Though a thousand fall at our side, even ten thousand at our right hand, it shall not approach us, because He will give His angels charge over us.

The Lord has promised us, “You will not be afraid of the terror by night, Or of the arrow that flies by day; Of the pestilence [plague] that stalks in darkness, Or of the destruction that lays waste at noon. A thousand may fall at your side And ten thousand at your right hand, But it shall not approach you. You will only look on with your eyes And see the recompense of the wicked. For you have made the LORD, my refuge, Even the Most High, your dwelling place. No evil will befall you, Nor will any plague come near your tent. For He will give His angels charge concerning you, To guard you in all your ways.” (Psa 91:5-11).

The Lord promises that if we love Him and call upon Him, He will deliver us and satisfy us with long life (Ps 91:14-16).  Man cannot give us long life, since he himself is subject to sickness and death. But we know that God who is Life Himself has the power to do so, and will do what He promised. 

The Scriptures also command God’s people to come out of Babylonian the Great whore, so as not to partake of her sins. “I heard another voice from heaven, saying, "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues.” (Rev 18:4). 

We believe the government immunization program is part of the Babylonian system that God commands us to come out of.  So rather than participate in this program in an attempt to avoid plagues, we believe it would actually be sin to participate in the program, since it is based on sinful activities.  We believe that if we are obedient to come out of her, we will not receive of her plagues.  We have divine protection only if we come out.

A Nation’s Proper Response to Plague
Scripture teaches that when God sends a plague to His people, the solution is for them to humble themselves, pray, seek His face, and turn from their wicked ways.  God says: "If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2Ch 7:13-14).  God promises to heal the nation in response to this kind of prayer.

When God sent a plague to the nation of Israel as a result of King David’s sinful census, it took the lives of seventy thousand men (2 Sam 24:15).  Then David repented of his sin and prayed to the Lord (2Sa 24:17).  He obeyed God’s command and sought the Lord:

“David built there an altar to the LORD and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. Thus the LORD was moved by prayer for the land, and the plague was held back from Israel.” (2Sa 24:25)

When David confessed his sin and sought the Lord for forgiveness, prayer for the land moved the Lord, and the plague was stopped. This is the way God’s people, especially the national leaders, are to respond to plague.

But wicked men want to devise schemes so that they can avoid sickness without turning from their wicked ways.  They want to mix their potions and inject them into human beings in an attempt to defy God.

Obey God Rather Than Man
As Sherry Shriner states: "The Bible teaches that there have been times in history when evil government and government employees have attempted, through force or color of law, to intimidate, harm or destroy the children of God’s people. (Exodus 1 and 2; Matthew 2).   The Bible teaches that when man’s law contradicts God’s law, His people must obey God over man. (Acts 5:29) Therefore, be it known, should any policy, edict or legislation of man decree our children must be vaccinated, we must obey God rather than man just as Moses’ parents of old, we will do so without fear (Exodus 2)."

The Bible teaches us that we are not to harm or wrong our neighbor. (Romans 13:10 and James 2:8) When a family decides to decline vaccines, it does not do wrong or threaten their neighbors. If vaccines were truly effective, the neighbor who has been vaccinated would not be in danger from someone who is not vaccinated.

Conclusion
After having seriously considered the Scriptures and the suppressed facts about vaccines, you may elect to forego these risks, by faith in God and enjoyment of His blessings, among which are health and natural immunity.  For anyone with deeply and sincerely held religious convictions about this matter, it would violate conscience to allow their children to be vaccinated. 

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's Note: This is not to be construed in any way as medical or legal advise.  Consult a  lawyer and/or physician for professional advice.  If you enjoyed this post, also see Scriptural Guidance About Blood Transfusions. More of my articles on Biblical Health and Wellness may be found on the Home page of this blog. I also recommend you read the book called Plague by Kent Heckenlively and Dr. Judy Mikovits, PhD. You may also access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.

Image credit: Image taken from article called Vaccines: Is Your Pediatrician a Bully? by Healthnutnation.

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

White Poisons

Most people put poisons into their body every day and don't realize it.  They consume foods that are toxic and which cause poor health, but have no idea how much damage they are doing.  There are four white poisons I want to talk about today that you should avoid.  They are white sugar, white flour, milk and it's byproducts, and table salt. 

Sugar
First of all, sugar is a major factor in poor health. Robert Lustig, MD. gave a lecture about this in 2009 that has been reported on in the New York Times and featured on You Tube. Most nutrition experts agree with him.  Sugar can cause diseases like atherosclerosis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's, rectal cancer, hemorrhoids, and many other health problems. In fact, sugar is the source of all chronic disease. Nancy Appleton, PhD. lists 143 reasons sugar ruins your health.  She's right, and just think of all the sugar in the western diet. Whether it's cookies, soft drinks, cakes, chocolate, or breakfast cereal, you will find sugar in just about every meal that westerners consume.

Even many of the so-called healthy alternatives contain sugar.  For example, look at the ingredients on a commercial box of soy milk or commercial almond milk, and you will find sugar.

But it's not just refined sugar that's bad for you.  There are many forms of sugar, including glucose and fructose.  Fructose is contained in fruit juices, even the ones that have no sugar added. And when you consume it in high quantities, it's not healthy.  Since all fruits contain sugar, it's best to eat the fruits raw in their whole form, and limit your daily intake.  This will lower the amount of fructose you consume, rather than squeezing out the juice and drinking it.

Many of the carbohydrates you eat are converted into sugars in your body when digested, and this has an overall net affect on your health, which is not good for you when you combine it with all the other sugars you consume directly.  For example, when you eat potatoes, carrots, and even grains contained in bread and cereals, your adding to your sugar intake.

I think this is one of the major causes of obesity in America today, so if you care about your health, cut out the direct intake of refined sugar, including white sugar, brown sugar, and raw sugar.  Use a little bit of honey as a sweetener instead.  And limit your consumption of carbohydrates that turn into sugar inside your body.

If you would like to do more research on the harmful effects of sugar, I suggest reading Kill the Sugar Before It Kills You: 'Sugar Is the Source of All Chronic Disease', a CBN News article by Lorie Johnson.

Milk
Another white poison is milk and all its byproducts.  It's horrible and will kill your family.  According to Robert Cohen's "Not Milk" website (no longer online as of 2026), this is a bad news substance that has been linked to acne, arthritis, allergies, asthma, autism, breast cancer, constipation, Crohn's disease, depression, irritable bowels, lactose intolerance, Lou Gehrig's disease, migraines, multiple sclerosis, obesity, osteoporosis, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, and many other diseases.  I've researched this out thoroughly and found that what Cohen says is true.

Eighty percent of the protein in milk is casein.  This substance is very harmful to your body.  It's the same glue used to hold your furniture together and to affix labels to beer bottles. When you consume it, your body creates histamines and it generates lots of mucus.  And the pasteurization process renders casein into an inorganic substance that cannot be digested.  So it doesn't do your body any good to drink milk.

And just think of all the dairy westerners consume each day.  In addition to drinking milk directly, it's an ingredient in many of the processed foods you eat.  Then there are all the cheese products in foods like cheeseburgers, pizza and lasagna. There's all the butter you use for cooking, put on your toast and in your recipes.

A great case in point concerning the harmful effects of dairy is the Scandanavians.  Denmark, Norway, Holland, and Sweden have the highest rates of osteoporosis as well as breast cancer.  There is also a high prevalence of cardiovascular disease (coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension).  Dairy products (from cows, goats, and reindeer) are heavily consumed. In addition to drinking milk, Scandanavians also have a high intake of sour cream, buttermilk, and cheese. Cheese is generally served at every meal.  This should help you to see how dangerous this substance is to your body.

If you are concerned about getting enough calcium, you should know that protein inhibits your body's ability to absorb calcium, and milk is liquid protein.  So it's not the best source of calcium.  If would like to find good, healthy sources of non-dairy calcium, such as leafy greens (which is much more bioavailable than in milk), then see here.

If you would like to do more research on your own, I suggest you watch the interview with Robert Cohen, read my articles The Dark Side of Dairy and The Perils of Dairy. Also read the Deadly Dairy Deception, by Dr. Robert Bibb, MD., and the FAQ on the Scandanavian Diet.

I've done the research and I say one of the best things you can do for your health is get rid of the dairy.

Salt
Typical salt is "chemically cleaned". This is another deadly substance.  When you consume processed table salt, you do a lot of harm to your body.  Over time, you increase your blood pressure and cause a hardening of the arteries.

You'll find refined salt in most of the foods you eat as part of a western diet. And most of the common salts have toxic chemicals that pollute your body.  You can read more about this from Bee Wilder.  But what your body needs are salts that have not been processed with chemicals, such as unrefined sea salt or naturally harvested Himalayan salt, which contain many trace minerals needed for optimal health.  You would do yourself a favor if you switch to real salt and avoid foods containing refined salt.

White Flour
This is the last one I will discuss.  White flour is made from whole grains that have been processed. This process renders the grain devoid of most of its nutrients.  To further add insult to injury, chlorine is used as an industry standard chemical agent to bleach the flour, which gives it a longer shelf life and removes the odor.  This is the same chemical in the bleach you use to remove stains from your laundry. Dr. Joseph Mercola explains this process and why white flour is bad for you, especially bleached white flour. 

What you end up with is a food that is full of empty calories.  And you'll find white flour in breads, dumplings, pastas, and all sorts of baked goods.  This is another food to avoid, if you care about your health.  Replace it with wheat flour, which has not been bleached.

Putting it All Together
Now that I've shown you why these four substances are toxic, stop and think about how the western culture promotes their consumption beyond even the normal daily diet.  In the Spring, people consume high quantities of these poisons around Easter time and Mother's Day.  In the summer, these are part of graduation parties, picnics and holiday parties like Father's Day, Memorial Day, and Independence Day.  In the fall, Halloween and Thanksgiving give people another reason to indulge in these poisons.  And then in the winter, you've got more opportunities to do so at Christmas, New Years, and Valentines Day.  In between all those, you have all the birthday parties. It's no wonder westerners are so sick and diseased when we regularly consume so much poison in our diet.

I want to be clear that I am not forbidding anybody from eating these foods.  "For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving..." (1 Ti 4:4). You can eat them if you like, but I am simply presenting facts about them, so that you can make wise decisions for the sake of your health and that of your family.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that your body is a member of Christ (1 Co 6:15). That means you should take good care of it. If you would like to take a step toward improving your health, then begin cutting these white poisons out of your diet and replacing them with healthy, nutritious alternatives.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as The Milk Deception, Some Foods Damage and Others Heal and The Benefits of Eating Well. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."  The views expressed in this blog are not intended as medical advice to treat any condition.  Rather they are my personal opinions based on my own research, and do not necessarily represent the views of Doulos Missions International.

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Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

When We Are Not Healed

In my previous post, I discussed the power of God to heal all sickness and disease.  It's true that He has that power and He still heals today! But what do you do if you don't feel better right away?.

Believe Without a Doubt
James taught that if you lack wisdom, you should ask God.  He wrote:

"But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But he must ask in faith without any doubting, for the one who doubts is like the surf of the sea, driven and tossed by the wind. For that man ought not to expect that he will receive anything from the Lord, being a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (Jam 1:5-8)

If you have not begun to feel better in answer to prayer, and you don't know why, then you need wisdom from God to know the reason for the delay.  This passage applies to you. Ask the Lord to give you wisdom on your health condition, and believe without a doubt that He will give you what you've asked for.  If your double-minded about it, then don't expect to receive anything from the Lord, and that includes your healing. You must believe it is God's will to heal you.

Sin Can Cause Sickness
James also taught that if any disciple of Christ is sick, he should call upon the elders to pray for him and anoint him with oil (Jam 5:14).  The prayer of faith will make the sick person well.  And James goes on to say that if the sick person has sinned, he will be forgiven (Jam 5:15)

If you get angry and slam your fist through a wall, your sin will probably cause a health problem in the form of a swollen or possibly broken hand.  If you get drunk and have some kind of accident while walking or driving, you may end up with broken bones.  If you get drunk often enough, you may also end up with liver problems and more.  My point is that any sin can certainly cause sickness, not just anger or drunkenness.

One sin that keeps so many people from getting healed is unforgiveness.  This is when you refuse to forgive someone who has hurt or offended you.  Jesus said that if you don't forgive others, God cannot forgive you.  Jesus said, "For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions." (Mat 6:14-15)  Since there is a connection between forgiveness and healing, you can delay your own healing until you forgive.  Once you completely release the person who offended you, then you can receive forgiveness for your sins from God, and your healing will come.

When we follow God's instructions outlined in James, and we confess our sins to one another, we will be forgiven and healed.  "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (Jam 5:16)

Warning: Sin Can Be Fatal!
Let me add just a few comments about death. Cigarette boxes now have ominous warnings to consumers that smoking can cause diseases like emphysema and lung cancer, and even lead to death.  Similarly the Bible has warnings like that about sin.

James explained that “when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.” (Jam 1:15).  So sin can ultimately lead to death.  The apostle John qualified that for us when he wrote, “All unrighteousness is sin, and there is a sin not leading to death.” (1Jo 5:17)  This is an important clarification, because it means there is a sin that does not lead to death. 

In the same passage, John taught us to pray for our brother in Christ, if we see him committing such a sin. “If anyone sees his brother committing a sin not leading to death, he shall ask and God will for him give life to those who commit sin not leading to death. There is a sin leading to death; I do not say that he should make request for this.” (1Jo 5:16).  I think this is very important.

Notice John added a caveat here, when he said that there is a sin leading to death.  And he did not teach us to pray for a brother or sister committing such a sin.  A couple examples would be lying to the Holy Spirit and blaspheming Him.  You can read about a couple of first-century believers, named Ananias and Saphira, in Acts 5, whose sin of lying to the Holy Spirit resulted in their death.  The apostles did not pray for them or extend mercy to them. 

Jesus said that all the sins and blasphemies of men can be forgiven, except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit. "Truly I say to you, all sins shall be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they utter; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin" (Mar 3:28-29). Sin can be fatal!  It doesn’t get more serious than that!  We should consider ourselves adequately warned.

Now let's look at two quick examples of people who were not healed, and it was not because of sin or doubting.

Timothy's Chronic Stomach Problems
We know that Timothy, a pastor during the first century, had frequent stomach problems.  Since the apostle Paul worked closely with him, and God used Paul to perform many miraculous healings, we would expect that God could have healed him when Paul prayed for him. But that didn’t happen.  Therefore, Paul’s instruction for him was to use a little wine with his water.  He wrote, “No longer drink water exclusively, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.” (1Ti 5:23)

Paul's Illness
In his letter to the Galatians, Paul speaks about his illness.  He says, "But you know that it was because of a bodily illness that I preached the gospel to you the first time; and that which was a trial to you in my bodily condition you did not despise or loathe, but you received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus Himself." (Gal 4:13-14).  Apparently Paul initially preached the gospel to the Galatians because of his illness, so his illness was the reason for his first visit to them. 

Some believe this illness was in his eyes, since he told the Galatians, "Where then is that sense of blessing you had? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your eyes and given them to me." (Gal 4:15).  The Galatians initially felt blessed to have Paul visit them, and even though his illness was a trial to them, they did not despise him.  They received him like an angel of God, or as if Jesus Himself were visiting them.  In fact, he says that they would have plucked out their own eyes and given them to Paul, if they thought that would help him.

He ends his letter saying, "See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand."  (Gal 6:11).  In doing this, he seems to be drawing their attention to his handwriting with large letters due to his poor eyesight.  Most likely it was a way of authenticating that it was really him writing, and not an imposter.  So it is quite possible it was an eye ailment.  But whatever it was, we know Paul had an illness for some indefinite period, and there is no reason to believe it was due to any sin on Paul's part.

Practical Reasons
Lastly, let me just say that sometimes there are practical reasons why you are not healed in answer to a prayer of faith.  For example, you may not be eating a proper diet.  I recall one man telling me that when he received prayer for healing, the answer to prayer was the revelation that he had not been eating his vegetables.  Once he started eating them, he felt better.

Most westerners eat a diet that is loaded with toxins, which make the body sick.  But they have no idea that these things are contributing to their illness.  In another post, I will cover the four White Poisons.  These are just four of the most popular poisons westerners eat, but there are many more.

Another practical area is exercise.  Some people experience many of their aches and pains because they do not stretch or exercise their muscles.  I will discuss this more thoroughly in another post on physical exercise.  But suffice it to say for now that if your healing has been delayed, and the Lord has not shown you a spiritual reason for it, you should consider lack of exercise as a possible culprit.

The last practical area I'll mention is rest.  In our western culture, we generally don't get enough rest.  With electricity, we have light twenty-four hours a day, so we can go to bed as late as we want to.  Many people stay up late and get up early, not giving their bodies time to rest, which is necessary for your cells to rebuild.  It's often times not until some people get sick with a fever that they finally rest, but only out of necessity.

My wife says that usually if she feels like her immunity is becoming run down or she is beginning to feel ill, she'll try to get some rest, and when she does so, she feels much better.  I know someone else who had a back injury due to the way she had slept on her bed.  She took pain medication for her back pain, and tried to keep going with her normal routine of housekeeping and home school teaching.  But unless she kept taking the pain killers, the pain persisted.  The injury was not healing. Finally she took a week off from everything and just laid in bed.  Her husband cared for the children and did the cooking and cleaning during that week.  And that was all she needed.  After that, her back was completely healed.

If your healing has been delayed after receiving prayer, please consider whether you are getting proper rest.  That includes your daily rest and your weekly rest.  What I mean is that the Lord commands us to give to Him one day each week on which we do no work.  On that day, we are to rest, worship Him, pray, fellowship, and do good.  It's called a Sabbath rest and is one of the ten commandments.  The Lord commanded: "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy." (Exo 20:8-11).  Neglecting this commandment has physical, as well as spiritual and emotional consequences.  For more on this topic, I highly encourage you to see my blog on Resting from Work.

Putting it All Together
I believe, the norm is for the Lord to heal us all in response to the prayer of faith.  But when you don't feel immediate results, you need to hold onto your faith in God's promise. As believers in Jesus Christ, we walk by faith and not by sight or feelings.  You should also pray for wisdom.

If you are walking in idolatry or some other area of direct disobedience to God, then this can be the reason you are still sick.  Confess your sins to God, repent of them, ask forgiveness in Jesus name and produce the fruit of repentance.  He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 Jn 1:9).  It may even be that the Lord wants to show us how to eat properly or exercise through this unpleasant experience.  It could be a signal that we are not getting proper rest or that we are neglecting the Sabbath.

When you ask Him for wisdom regarding your health condition, believe that He will grant it and He will.  Ultimately our healing is in His hands, not ours, and so is the timing of it.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Healing is in the Atonement , The Role of Demons, and The Power of God to Heal.  I also recommend my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body.  You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Power of God to Heal

I cannot emphasize enough the key aspect of faith in healing.  It’s not just about the foods we eat or about avoiding toxins.  Sometimes it’s too late and we’ve already followed a poor diet or been exposed to the toxins.  When we come to Jesus in faith, asking Him to heal us, we should believe that He will do it and He will.  I have seen this happen many times in my own life and in the lives of my loved ones.

The late Jack LaLanne, a famous nutrition and fitness expert, once said, "I spoke to my mother recently and she told me that the two most important vitamins you need are F and G. Remember that: F and G. That's faith-in-God. When you have those, nothing is impossible for you!"

This is very important for us to keep in mind.  Jesus is merciful.  He forgives all our sins and heals all our diseases, according to Psalm 103. When we come to Him in repentance and faith, we can ask Him to heal us and fully expect Him to do so.  His question for sick people who came to Him was often to find out whether they believed He could heal them.  And then when they did believe, it was done according to their faith.  

In fact, James teaches that believers who are sick should call upon their elders for prayer.  He wrote, “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord; and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him. Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.” (Jam 5:14-16).

Notice that we are supposed to call upon the elders to pray for us when we’re sick.  This means you need to be part of a church where they believe the Bible and still do this.  The elders are supposed to pray over the sick and anoint Him with oil in the name of the Lord.  James says that when they offer such a prayer in faith, the Lord will restore the sick person to health. 

But he also makes a statement about sin in direct connection with this.  “If he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.” Sometimes we are sick because of sin.  I know some people have abused this and when people don’t get healed, they tell them it must be due to some sin in their lives.  Uncaring people who have said such things have hurt folks.  Yet it is still true -- sin leads to emotional and physical illness, especially the sin of unforgiveness!  This is why we need to repent of these sins and confess them to one another.  James says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed.” 

The power of God is still able to heal in the same way Jesus did two thousand years ago.  As James says, “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

How to Heal the Sick
If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, who has received the baptism with the Holy Spirit, and you would like to learn how to heal the sick, I encourage you to spend a couple weeks, watching the 15-hour video series by Charles and Frances Hunter called How to heal the Sick.  Each lesson is one hour long, so I recommend watching one hour per day.  It actually took me about three months to watch all of them, but they were all excellent.  Charles and Frances Hunter prayed for thousands of people to be healed, and you will see many of those healings on this series.  But this couple not only functioned in the gift of healing, they taught others how to do so.  You may either watch the series at the following links on Youtube, or you can purchase it from Joan Hunter Ministries for around $60 USD:

 

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Video 4

Video 5

Video 6

Video 7

Video 8

Video 9

Video 10

Video 11

Video 12

Video 13

Video 14

The full playlist for this entire series is at this link, but the videos are not in the proper order in the playlist, so using the above video links will enable you to watch them in their proper sequence.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted.

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar, such as Healing is in the Atonement. I also recommend The Name of Jesus and my daughter's poem, Faith Should Not Depend on Feeling, which she wrote the same day she received a divine healing in her body.  You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

Which Foods Are "OK" to Eat?

There was an ancient religious belief that what goes into a person defiles him spiritually. Likewise in our modern, scientific world, we’ve come to believe that the germs or foods that go into us make us sick. The idea is that sickness comes from the outside and goes into the body. But here is what Jesus taught.

After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. ["If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."] When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He *said to them, "Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, "That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. "All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man." (Mar 7:14-23)

The Pharisees and all the Jews did not eat unless first they carefully washed their hands. This was one of the traditions of the elders that they observed. But in doing so, they invalidated the Word of God. Nothing outside a man can defile him if it goes into him. This includes germs and foods. Jesus declared all foods clean. So what defiles a man?

You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat"?  Fitness and nutrition expert, Jack LaLanne, used to say, "The food you eat today is walking and talking tomorrow."  It's true that what you eat is used by your body to build cells, so that food you put into your mouth becomes part of your body.  But Jesus said it’s what proceeds out of the man that defiles him. It’s about the heart. This includes things like evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. So perhaps we should coin a new phrase, "You are what comes out of your mouth." 

Whether we wash our hands before we eat is not the primary concern. Instead our concern should be bringing glory to God. This is why Paul taught, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” (1Co 10:31). If you are doing everything for God’s glory, including your eating and drinking, then you will be aware that while all things are lawful, not all things are beneficial or profitable (1 Co 6:12).  That means that even though you are permitted to eat any food, not all foods are good for you to eat.

For example, as the first century Jerusalem Council decreed, you should "abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood." (Ac 15:20). That means you will do well to avoid eating meat that is either sacrificed to idols, or comes from strangled animals, or has the blood still in it. In fact, you should not eat any blood, even if it is no longer in the meat, as in the case of blood sausage and blood pudding. Likewise, there are other things that you may choose not to eat, because they are unhealthy for you, even though you are permitted to eat them. If you live this way, you will be careful about what you eat, but you won’t need to be focused on what goes into your mouth.  Instead you will be Christ-centered.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. Most other Scriptures taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version® NIV®, unless otherwise noted. 

Author's note: This post is part of a series.  If you enjoyed it, you may also like the other posts in this blog available through the links in the side bar. You may also access my blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.