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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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Taking Care of Your Body

If you are a disciple of Jesus, then you should know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Many times as believers, we think only about our spiritual well-being, and sometimes neglect our bodies.  Some of the Lord's servants physically over-exert themselves, pouring themselves out by working in such a way that they ruin their health.  This is especially true of pastors and ministers of the gospel who are devoted to serving the Lord.  If that's you, then you need to understand that the Lord wants you to take care of your body, too.  You need to get proper rest and eat right, because your wellness is important.

But then there are those who are lazy and self-indulging, and they can not be used by the Lord, because they have allowed themselves to fall into poor physical health from neglecting their bodies. This is also displeasing to the Lord.

Lastly, there are those who overly emphasize their own physical fitness.  This is idolatrous and the Lord considers is a big sin.

I'd like to encourage you to read my blog about a Korean pastor who was raised from the dead after he died from an illness caused by overexerting himself for the sake of Lord's work. It includes an excerpt from a book by another Korean pastor, Yong-Doo Kim, called Baptize by Blazing Fire.  I also strongly urge you to read my blog about that book, which links to the free, abridged e-book available online, as well as the full hard copy book available for purchase.  I think these will encourage you to take proper care of your body without neglecting or idolizing it.

Image credit: Image taken from article called Importance of Physical Fitness by Alex Trinca.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also 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.

Some Foods Damage, Others Heal

Food pyramid from ihelt.com

In my previous posts, I have mentioned the need to eat real food, which means whole foods that have not been man-made or processed.  I've also mentioned the need to avoid other foods that damage your body, particularly the four white poisons -- dairy, refined sugar, refined salt, and refined white flour. 

While I have studied this topic extensively from many sources over the years, one excellent source of information I've found is Bee Wilder.  She has a website called Healing Naturally by Bee.  In this post, I'd like to highlight a few things she teaches, which I think are key.

On her home page, she states: " 'Real' food is medicine! Unprocessed foods direct from nature nourish your body so it can heal itself. Your health is damaged and deteriorated by processed foods, foods that are microwaved or irradiated (zapped with radiation), and foods not properly prepared for human consumption."

Foods That Heal
She gives an excellent list of healthy foods.  Her list includes dairy, but based on our research, we concluded that it is definitely not healthy and we have eliminated it from our diet.

One of the things you probably don't expect to see on the list are saturated fats.  She points out a fact that many experts have found, which is that our bodies actually need saturated fats.  This includes all animal fats, and certain other saturated fats like cold-pressed, virgin olive oil, as well as virgin coconut oil. 

Contrary to a myth that was created in the 1950's by a biochemist named Ancel Keys, fat and cholesterol do not cause heart disease.  There's an entertaining video called the Big Fat Lie, which covers this.  But I'd encourage you to also read what Bee has to say about saturated fats.

Stay away from the unnatural oils that contain unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, like corn, soy, safflower, and canola oil.  These go through a hydrogenation process that makes them very unhealthy for your body.

Foods That Damage
I recommend Wilder's article called Foods that Damage, Foods that Heal.  In addition to listing the healthy foods, she gives quite a comprehensive list of foods that damage your body.  In addition to the ones I've already mentioned, these include grains, nuts, seeds and legumes that have not been properly prepared, and including all products containing them, irradiated and microwaved foods, pasteurized foods and foods that are processed using high heat, genetically modified foods, soy and soybean-based foods, as well as supplements and products containing soy.  She states, "Foods must be free of additives, pesticides, heavy metals, irradiation, neurotoxins (MSG, carrageenan, etc.), nitrates, sulphites, etc."

It's important to note that during biblical history there was no such thing as processed or pasteurized food as we know it today.  Prior to the industrial revolution, "food processing" was limited to crude methods like natural fermentation, sun drying, smoking, or preserving with natural salt.  The food that Jesus and the apostles ate did not contain chemical pesticides, additives, growth hormones, nitrates, sulphites, or neurotoxins.  You can be sure they ate whole foods, free of these toxins, which are real food that nourishes your body.  And their bodies were vessels fit for the Master's use.

Let me just say a word about MSG, which is an acronym for monosodium glutamate.  If you are not aware of the dangers of this poison, I highly recommend your do your research.  This substance is a commonly used flavor enhancer in food.  Most fast foods contain MSG.  It's found in many canned and packaged products westerners eat, including soups, as well as dressings and fast foods. The label will not always say monosodium glutamate or MSG.  Often times when there is MSG in a product, it may simply state "natural flavorings" or some other pseudonym. MSG has been linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, asthma, obesity, and a host of other diseases. A good place to start your research is with this video. Some other sources of info on this are the following:

MSG Linked to Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Degenerative Disease by Kathryn Picoulin
The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth about MSG
Monosodium Glutamate MSG Health Dangers and Side Effects of Toxic Additives
Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) Causes Obesity
MSG Dangers and Deceptions

Putting it All Together
These are just a few resources I'd like to provide for you to educate yourself on which foods damage and which foods heal your body.  As we have implemented these changes into our family's diet, we have seen a significant measure of health restored in a number of areas in our family, including sinus headaches, asthma, and seborrhea.  I hope you will find this helpful, and begin making the changes in your diet to remove the toxins and consume the real foods that God created for you to enjoy.

If you are a disciple of Jesus Christ already, this information can help you take the practical steps necessary to be a vessel fit for the Master's use.  But if you are not yet one of His disciples, you can't become one by trying to purify yourself physically.  Only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole.  He loves you with an everlasting love, and He died upon the cross for you, in order to wash away your sin and enable you to be in right relationship with God.  That's why I'd like to invite you to give your whole life to Him today.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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 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.

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.

Eating Real Food

The worldly teachers believe that our primary concern is putting the right foods into your bodies.  You've heard the saying, "You are what you eat."  It's true. What we put into our bodies has a great deal to do with whether we will experience good health or not.

I agree with many of the things that  nutritional experts like the late Jack LaLanne have taught.  Jack often taught, "If man made it, don't eat it." And "if it tastes good, spit it out!" 

No doubt there are foods that damage and foods that heal, which I'll discuss further in another post.  I believe we should study and learn which foods are healthy, and seek to eat those, rather than the ones that are unhealthy. For example, in our household, we seek to eat whole foods.  We eat real food, not man-made, processed stuff that comes in a box. 

The fallacy of living on bread alone
Yet this is only a partial truth.  Jesus taught that natural food is not enough to sustain us.  When He fasted for forty days without any food, Satan tempted Him to turn a stone into bread.  And Jesus answered him, "It is written, 'MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE.'"  (Luk 4:4). 

Contrary to what we think, it’s not just the natural food that sustains us.  It’s the Word of God.  As Paul wrote to Timothy, “We should be nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine.”  We should feed on the meat of God’s Word and do what Jesus commanded. You can eat all the right foods, but if your diet not include lots of Scripture, then you are malnourished.

Strengthened by grace, not by foods
“Do not be carried away by varied and strange teachings; for it is good for the heart to be strengthened by grace, not by foods, through which those who were so occupied were not benefited.” (Heb 13:9)

So many today are in the fast lane on the information superhighway, searching for answers to their health problems.  They want to take charge of their own health and find the cures.  They want to know what foods they should or should not eat, so that they can be healed of their sickness.  But most of this teaching leaves God completely out.  And it’s easy even for Christians to get carried away by it.

We have some health problems in our family. I have done the research and it is so draining.  It’s like going in circles, because the conclusions of one author about what you should and shouldn’t eat contradict those of another author.  One says you should eat a certain food in order to be healthy and the other one says you should not eat it.  I myself have almost gotten carried away by the various and strange teachings about proper nutrition.

In a way, it’s similar to my initial search for spiritual truth.  I was looking in all the wrong places, including Buddhism. But then I found Jesus and the Truth set me free.  It was liberating and broke the bondage in my life.

Now with this search for health answers on what foods to eat, it’s much the same.  The search becomes wearying.  Then the Lord reminded me that Jesus is the Truth, and we should go back to the Bible for our answers on health.

It’s not that the information available in books and on the internet is completely untrue.  Much of it is helpful, but it’s also full of half-truths.  Many of the health advocates point out that the medical professionals isolate illnesses or diseases, rather than treating the whole person.  They point out that we must treat the whole person, if we are to help make people well.  I agree.  But our whole being includes our spirit and soul.  The body is simply our tent. 

Putting it All Together

Therefore, we should be placing a very high emphasis on our spirit and emotional well-being, not simply focusing on the body, as though that represents the entire human being.  This spiritual health emphasis begins with a relationship with Jesus and obedience to his commands.  It’s not about yoga and New Age meditation.  These will only carry us further away from Christ.  Our strength must come from his grace, not from foods.  Our eyes must be fixed on Him.  Our meditation must be on His Word.  And our lives must be lived in accordance with it.

Does your diet include reading the Bible daily and asking God to speak to you through it?  Do you do what it says?  This has far greater importance than what we eat.

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.

Fasting

Fresh vegetables are an important part of a healthy diet.

There may be a time when you are fasting, and you need to abstain from eating what is offered to you. This can happen whether you are on a total fast from all food or a limited fast from certain foods.  An example of this would be a vegetable fast, in which you eat only vegetables for a defined period of time.

The prophet Daniel did this successfully.  When he was in exile in Babylon, they brought him the royal food and wine to eat and drink.  But Daniel made a personal choice not to eat it, because he did not want to defile himself with this food. So he kindly asked that they feed him and the other Hebrew men with him only vegetables and water for ten days.  He said, "Please test your servants for ten days, and let us be given some vegetables to eat and water to drink.” (Dan 1:12).  The test worked.  He and the other Hebrew men were healthier looking after ten days on vegetables and water than the non-Hebrew wise men who ate the king’s choice food and wine.

That was under the Old Covenant, before Christ.  Since Jesus has declared all foods clean, we no longer need to be concerned that any food will defile us.  Paul said that he was able to even eat meats that had been sacrificed to demon idols. He said, “But food will not commend us to God; we are neither the worse if we do not eat, nor the better if we do eat.” (1Co 8:8).  So he was free to eat it.  However, he was guided by love, and would not eat such meat if it offended the conscience of another disciple that felt it was a sin to do so.

Our motive for fasting, therefore, should not be to avoid spiritual defilement. But fasting is a normal part of life for the disciple of Christ. Jesus said, "When you fast..." and then gave instructions on how to do so with a right heart.  He didn't say, "If you fast..." (Mt 6:17).

He Himself fasted for forty days without food or water on one occasion.  It's not advisable to try this.  One reason is that most of us are too accustomed to eating three meals a day, and we are full of toxins.  If we were to try this kind of complete fast for that long, it could be enough to kill you.  But there are other kinds of fasts that you can do for shorter periods.

If your desire is to fast for biblical reasons, the Word of God tells us what our motive should be.  "Is this not the fast which I choose, To loosen the bonds of wickedness, To undo the bands of the yoke, And to let the oppressed go free And break every yoke? "Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry And bring the homeless poor into the house; When you see the naked, to cover him; And not to hide yourself from your own flesh?" (Isa 58:6-7).  This kind of fasting is pleasing to the Lord.

When you fast in this way, you can expect to see a beneficial change in your own life.  The passage of Scripture I just cited about godly fasting goes on to say: "Then your light will break out like the dawn, And your recovery will speedily spring forth; And your righteousness will go before you; The glory of the LORD will be your rear guard. Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; You will cry, and He will say, 'Here I am.' If you remove the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom will become like midday. And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail." (Isa 58:8-11)

The light of God will come forth from your very being and be evident in your eyes.  You will experience recovery.  The Lord will protect you.  Your communion with God will be firmly reestablished.  It will even provide an emotional lift.  It'll give strength to your bones, and you will be rejuvenated like a garden that's been watered well.

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: The IHOP Kansas City has an excellent set of fasting guidelines that I recommend reading.  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.

The Bible is Our Guide

People approach health and wellness in different ways. Some do so in according to traditional medicine. They feel that the medical doctor is the expert regarding healthcare and that they will submit themselves to whatever he or she says. They simply trust that the doctor knows best.

Others will ask more questions of the doctor, and even go for a second opinion. They see the medical doctor as more of an expert consultant to speak with about their condition. They may look to the doctor to help them to better understand their condition and diagnose it, and provide a prognosis and treatment plan. But beyond that, they decide what to do with the information and decide on a course of action from there.

Still others prefer doctors who treat things holistically, and treat not only the body, but the mind, and spirit as well. Some people only go to naturopathic doctors, who use natural cures, such as herbs, nutritional remedies, and exercise plans to help their patients get well.

Then there are the do-it-yourself people, who go online and research their condition to find out everything they can about it and discover a natural way to treat it. They chose to blaze their own trail, become an expert on the matter, and make their own decisions. But they choose to avoid traditional medicine, along with its use of surgeries and pharmaceutical solutions to treat people.

Another group are those people who believe all sickness is psychosomatic, and they think can get well by exercising proper mental control over their condition. Finally there are those who believe exclusively in faith healing. This group refuses to use any of the above approaches, but relies solely on prayer and faith for healing.

Due to some recent health issues in our family, we’ve been praying and trusting the Lord to bring healing. We have seen Him do this many times in answer to believing prayer in the name of Jesus Christ. And this is another opportunity to trust Him.

But since we have not seen an immediate healing, I have prayed for wisdom, and have been doing a lot of research online for natural solutions. Many times I have found natural remedies that bring relief and healing.

But with all these approaches and all the voices speaking about healthcare, it would do us well to go back to the Bible and see what it teaches us. The Bible is a guide for living healthy physical and emotional lives. It provides us with instructions for good health and abundant life. And unfortunately it is missing from most teachings about health in the medical world, as well as the holistic and naturopathic community. So let’s begin by Checking Your Heart.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. 

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.