Biblical Health and Wellness

Friday, August 30, 2013

Scriptural Guidance About Blood Transfusions

The transfusion of blood has become a standard practice in modern medicine, which society and the Church have generally accepted. It purportedly saves lives, so the end result seems to justify the means. Blood banks are constantly seeking donors through their blood drives, and many donors give their blood, thinking they are doing something good for mankind.

But as disciples of Christ, we must know the will of God concerning blood transfusions. We don’t make decisions based on what the world does, or based on the efficacy of a practice, even if it seems good in our own eyes. Neither do we make decisions based on what the majority of other Christians believe. Rather we make our decisions based on a correct understanding of Scripture, along with wisdom and guidance from the Holy Spirit.

Scriptural Injunctions Concerning Blood
Before the Law was given, God told Noah, "Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give all to you, as I gave the green plant. "Only you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.” (Gen 9:3-4). This also became part of the Law, and Moses taught that meat must always have the blood drained out before it is eaten.

Scripture teaches that the life of all flesh is in its blood:

"'For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.'"(Lev 17:11)

In the Septuagint, which is the ancient Greek version of the Old Testament, the word for life in this verse is psuche. This is where we get the English word psyche, which is a soul or personality.

According to Thayer’s Greek definitions, the Greek word psuche means
1) breath

1a) the breath of life
1a1) the vital force which animates the body and shows itself in breathing (of animals; of men)
1b) life
1c) that in which there is life (a living being, a living soul)

2) the soul

2a) the seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.)
2b) the (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end and secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life
2c) the soul as an essence which differs from the body and is not dissolved by death (distinguished from other parts of the body)

So when the Scripture says, “the life of the flesh is in the blood,” it literally means the soul or the vital force that animates the body is in the blood. 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.

Bleeding finger (credit: Wikimedia Commons)

Notice God did not say, “The life of every living thing is in the brain.” Although that’s what society seems to think, it’s not true. A human can go on living with brain damage. In fact, we can mechanically circulate blood through the body and keep a person alive, even in a comatose state. But if you take out all of a person’s blood, then their life ends and their soul departs from their body.

Since the life of every living thing is in the blood, the LORD told the people of Israel that they shall not eat any meat with blood still in it. "For as for the life of all flesh, its blood is identified with its life. Therefore I said to the sons of Israel, 'You are not to eat the blood of any flesh, for the life of all flesh is its blood; whoever eats it shall be cut off.'” (Lev 17:14).

This injunction was carried over in the New Testament by the apostles and elders.

"Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.” (Act 15:19-20)

Unlike food going into the body, which is broken down, blood going into the blood stream remains whole. It contains genetic material, DNA, as well as other components like blood cells, germs, bacteria, and somatids (see footnote about somatids). From a spiritual perspective, the blood also contains other components that cannot be viewed beneath a microscope. It has a supernatural life force within it.

Based on these Scriptures above, and other ones about blood, some Christians sincerely believe that it would be sinful to allow anyone to inject any substance containing human or animal blood into their bodies, such as vaccines or blood transfusions. (For more on vaccines, see What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines?).

Arguments in Support of Blood Transfusions
Some people argue against that interpretation by saying that vaccines and transfusions are never mentioned in Scripture. They argue that Scripture never forbids these modern medical practices. They argue that there is a vast difference between ingesting blood through the stomach (digestive system) and injecting blood or blood-containing products into the bloodstream (circulatory system). Those who make such arguments do so from the assumption that blood transfusions are medically necessary.

However, it is interesting to note that Northeast Baptist Hospital in San Antonio, Texas is a “bloodless” hospital. In other words, it performs even complicated open-heart procedures without transfusing any blood. They say it is safe, less expensive, and the patients recover faster. Their goal is to perform 90% of their surgeries without blood. There are bloodless hospitals in other parts of the country that have been doing this for years, and this is not an experimental practice. Since one unit of donated blood can cost around $700 or more, it’s less expensive not to use it. There’s also less chance of having a problem with the blood, such as infection, and you feel better, too. So even from a medical and practical perspective, it is not as necessary as some would like us to believe.

Quality Control within Blood Banks

Donating blood (by MartinD, Wikimedia Commons)

It’s important to note that the blood banks do not routinely test donated blood for THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. Street drugs, even marijuana, are often contaminated with many other things, the least of which would be pesticides, etc. Those things, as well as the chemicals of the drugs themselves, can interact with other medicines the person receives. They depend on donors to be honest in answering the questions and honest with themselves about if they really should be a donor. But people who use drugs do donate their blood for a variety of reasons, including incentives from the blood banks.

Here are some guidelines on blood donations the Red Cross considers acceptable, and it is all done on the honor system, relying on the honesty of the donor answering the questions:

“Taking antibiotics to control acne does not disqualify you from donating.”
“Acceptable if you have a positive skin test for tuberculosis, or if you are receiving antibiotics for a positive TB skin test only.”
“In almost all cases, medications will not disqualify you as a blood donor.”
Regarding use of marijuana, the Red Cross states the blood is: “Acceptable as long as you are not under the influence of marijuana at the time of donation.” (Note: drug use is an occult practice).
Regarding herpes: “Acceptable as long as you are feeling well.”
“Donors are only required to wait 12 months after treatment for syphilis or gonorrhea.”
Women on hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms and prevention of osteoporosis are eligible to donate. The hormone replacement pill, Premarin, comes from PREgnant MAres' urINe. Animal hormones. When estrogens and other steroid hormones go inside a cell, they can unite with a receptor to form a hormone/receptor unit that moves into the nucleus, attaches directly to special DNA binding sites, and activates protein-producing genes. The proteins drive the cell changes guiding estrogen-controlled growth and development
“Surgery: Acceptable once the wound is healed and stitches are dissolved or removed, as long as the underlying condition is also acceptable in a blood donor.”

These rules for eligibility give new meaning to the expression, "They strain out a gnat and swallow a camel"! It should also be noted that making donations for your own use during surgery (autologous blood donation) is considered a medical procedure and the rules for eligibility are even less strict than for regular volunteer donations. If this self-donated blood is not used, it is uncertain whether it is later put into the blood bank for others to receive, or what its final disposition is.

However, a former, high-ranking satanist has revealed that most donated blood around the world is intercepted by the satanists and used for drinking in their rituals. It’s a well-documented fact that satanic rituals involve animal and human sacrifices, as well as drinking blood, which is an occult practice. Some convicted criminals have confessed to murdering their victims in order to get more blood to drink in their satanic rituals. This is why there are so many abductions, including children. So it is not impossible that other criminals obtain the blood they need through blood banks. There is a risk for an illegal market.

Making Blood a Commodity
As I've already mentioned, blood is very expensive for hospitals, and in the U.S. the final cost to the patient for the blood can be double what the hospital pays for it! This can be as high as $1,500 USD for a unit of blood.

Due to the dramatic increase in the demand for blood, the brief shelf-life, and the constant shortages of blood supplies, the practice of offering incentives has increased in recent years, according to studies. Blood banks throughout the world offer both monetary and non-monetary incentives to donors, which can include cash, as well as things like gift cards, tax relief, travel reimbursement, paid time-off from work, and tickets to an event or museum, entry into sweepstakes to win expensive cars, or other material gifts. Studies in the U.S. have shown that over half of all blood donors received some sort of incentive in 2001. Sometimes legal defendants are given the option of a reduced fine, if they donate blood, or delinquents may be given the option to donate blood as part of their community service sentence.

Blood has now become a commodity that is bought and sold on the market. Since we know that the life or soul of a person is in their blood, then the blood centers, hospitals, patients, and criminals in the black market are buying and selling the souls of men (Rev 18:13). Human blood and the life in it has become merchandise, which is carried as cargo in cars, trucks, planes, and trains. Men are paying for blood. Yet few care whether that is the will of God.

Lastly, studies have shown that infectious diseases among donors who are recruited by monetary incentives are more prevalent. Therefore the safety of the blood is affected, and it's quality is reduced by this trend toward incentivized blood donors. Paying for blood donations is a risk.

Questions for Prayerful Consideration
In light of what Scripture teaches about blood, and the perpetual controversy over vaccines and blood transfusions, here are some questions:

Why do satanists drink blood?
What if a Christian’s donated blood were being used in satanic rituals?
Can a blood donor be sure of the final disposition of his blood?
Although many modern practices are not mentioned in Scripture, such as cigarette smoking, vaccinations, and blood transfusion, does that mean they are not sinful? Does it mean that God is neutral about these things, or can we deduce from Scripture what God’s will is?
Since we do not know about the life of the person who donates their own blood, then what if the blood comes from someone living in sin, such as a sexually immoral person, an adulterer, a homosexual, an incestuous person, a satanist, a pedophile, a pornographer, an atheist, a rebellious person, a hateful or bitter person, etc.?
What if the blood donor was the product of an incestuous relationship or whose birth was illegitimate in some other way?
What if the blood donor suffered from depression, anxiety, or some other mental disorder?
What if the blood donor has epilepsy?
What if the blood donor had cancer either previously or unknowingly at the time of donation?
What if the donor was sick with flu or had just taken antibiotics for a respiratory infection?
What if the donor had been vaccinated?
What if the blood donor had been taking psychotropic drugs (Antidepressants are a broad category of psychotropic drugs)?
What if the donor had been using cocaine?
What if the blood donor had recently had their ears or body pierced with a non-sterile instrument?
What if the blood donor recently had an elective abortion? (Note: the Red Cross says this blood is acceptable).
What if the blood donor were taking birth control pills (i.e., the hormones estrogen and progesterone)?
What if the blood donor were taking other hormones?
What if the blood donor had a sexually transmitted disease or herpes?
What if the donor had undergone Sexual reassignment surgery (SRS)?
What if the blood donor had themselves been the recipient of a blood transfusion from a foreign country with more lax screening and had received bad blood?
Since the life of a person is bound up in their blood, how would the life of these donors spiritually, physically, and emotionally affect the recipient of their blood?
If a Christian knew that the blood they were getting through transfusion or in a vaccine was once part of the life of a wicked person such as the kind mentioned above, or some other example mentioned above, would they still want that blood?
If a Christian received that blood, knowing where it came from, would it constitute sin?
If a Christian received that blood, realizing that he could not be certain where it came from, would it constitute sin?
If God does not want His people ingesting blood into their bodies through the mouth, why would He want us injecting it into our bodies? If it still ends up inside our bodies and becomes part of our life, what is the difference?
Whether by injection or ingestion, would a Christian want to receive a stranger’s bodily fluid -- other than blood (e.g., whole urine or components of it, sweat, mucous secretions, saliva, semen, or other bodily discharges)? If not, why then would a Christian want to receive a stranger’s blood?
Is it holy? Is it pure?
Is it ethical to buy and sell blood?
Is it morally right in God's sight to do so?

I am not going to answer these for you. These are for your own prayerful consideration. Ask the Lord to speak to you and give you wisdom. You can discuss them with your pastor, too. If you are married, discuss them with your spouse. If you have children, ask them what they think? Sometimes the Lord will use little children to speak nuggets of wisdom.

Putting it All Together
In light of the uncertainty surrounding the sources of the blood in blood banks, and the quality of the blood, it presents many difficult questions of both an ethical and spiritual nature. In light of God's Word, each disciple of Christ must determine the will of God pertaining to blood transfusions, as well as other medical matters like vaccines and the use of hormone-based products. But they cannot be left to make those decisions alone. Pastors must provide those who are under their care with the Biblical guidance to make right decisions before God. For we will all have to give an account one day of everything done while in the body, whether good or bad.

This is not something to be dismissed or taken lightly. And you don’t want to wait until you or your child has a medical emergency to decide what God’s will is about blood transfusions. In a medical emergency, there may be too much pressure from the immediate situation and the medical professionals to search the Scriptures and make a sound decision. In fact, if you are unconscious, you cannot make a decision for yourself or your loved one at all. You need to prayerfully seek the Lord’s guidance now to know God’s will.

In my opinion, the Scripture has some clear guidelines about receiving the blood of another living creature into your body. The life of every living thing is in the blood, and we are to avoid ingesting it. It seems to me that injecting something directly into the blood stream is just as bad as ingesting it, if not worse.

Man wants to disregard those guidelines, thinking he knows best. But God’s wisdom is supreme. I believe blood transfusions present a significant risk, and there are no guarantees of the purity of the blood in the blood banks. Likewise, there are no guarantees of the spiritual, physical, and emotional consequences of donating or receiving blood. At best, receiving a blood transfusion is somewhat like playing Russian roulette. At worst, it may be a direct violation of God’s will. You need to decide for yourself before God.

As you make your decision, please bear in mind that if any man wants to see God, he must walk in truth, righteousness, and holiness (see Heb 12:14; Eph 4:24; Act 17:31; 1 Tim 6:11; 2 Tim 2:22; 1 Pet 2:24; 1Jn 2:29; 1Jn 3:7; 1Jn 3:10; 1 Pet 1:15-16; Mat 5:20; Rev 21:8; 22:11, 14-15). That is the only standard for heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ still loves you. But His standard is high! And His mercy is only attainable in the world.

In case you didn't know, Jesus gave his life on the cross for you. He gave His blood on your behalf. He took your place. His blood was pure, holy, and undefiled. If you will repent, give up your life of sin, ask God to forgive you, and put your faith and trust in Jesus Christ, He will save you. He'll wash away your sin in His blood, and give you His perfect righteousness as a gift.

Footnote: Somatids are the tiniest life form. They are visible in living human blood, as well as reconstituted dried blood. When healthy blood is viewed in an electron microscope, somatids appear as little dots of light, which seem to dance around the motionless red blood cells. They are living and indestructible, which means they cannot be killed either by heat or by any chemical product.

References: Rewards and Incentives for Blood Donation Work, by Healthline News, Blood donor incentives: A step forward or backward, by the Asian Journal of Transfusion Science, American Red Cross, The Project Avalon Forum, HIV via blood transfusion on the rise, by Pakistan Defense, Now Five found with HIV+ after blood transfusion at Assam hospital, by Pakistan Defence, Thayer’s Greek definitions, and Blood donation by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

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 advice. Consult a physician for professional advice. Please be advised that I am NOT a Jehovah's Witness. If you enjoyed this post, I recommend the articles by Pakistan Defence cited in the references above, as well as my articles called What Does the Bible Say About Vaccines? and The Bible is our Guide. There are more articles of mine on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete 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.

Monday, August 26, 2013

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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Wednesday, February 1, 2012

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.

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Friday, November 11, 2011

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?"

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Thursday, November 3, 2011

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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Wednesday, November 2, 2011

Physical Exercise

Jack LaLanne

Most of us don't get enough exercise in the Western world. We often have sedentary jobs and don't move our bodies enough. We sit all day long and then wonder why we're so stiff, aching, sick, and tired.

You've got to get your body moving. Use it or lose it. If you are a disciple of Christ, your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so you need to be sure and take good care of God's temple.

For many years now I've tried to keep a simple, calisthenic exercise routine each day. I begin most days with about twenty to thirty minutes of stretches, push ups, jumping jacks, leg lifts, ab crunches, and stair climbing. It's better than nothing, but I know I should do more than that.

I recently rediscovered Jack LaLanne, the late nutrition and fitness expert who became famous through his televised work out program, books, lectures, and fitness equipment. Many of the pieces of equipment you see in the gym today were invented by him. And he performed many amazing feats of strength throughout his life, right up until his old age. I have a great deal of admiration for him. On his seventieth birthday he towed 70 rowboats, one with several guests, from the Queen’s Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary (1 mile), while handcuffed, shackled, and fighting strong winds and currents. He worked out for two hours a day right up until the day before he died in January 2011! I remember watching him on TV when I was a little boy and following along with his exercises. I teach my children to exercise every day. And I've introduced them to LaLanne's program, which is still available online through his website.

He used to say that exercise is king and nutrition is queen. He pointed out that many athletes can eat a lot of junk and get away with it, because they exercise so much. But if they stop exercising, they become out of shape and fall into poor health. It's true that if you exercise vigorously, your body will be more able to tolerate the stuff you put into it.

I agree with LaLanne that if you want to be healthy and feel well, you should put the right stuff into our bodies. This combined with exercise is a great way to maintain the fitness of this body the good Lord has given you. It's wise to do a thirty minute workout at least three or four times a week. If you can use weights, that's great. Otherwise, at least do some vigorous exercises to get your blood flowing and muscles moving.

Avoiding Extremes
But your physical exercise should be Christ centered. As with everything you do, it should be for the purpose of glorifying God, and you should be careful not to go to extremes.

Jesus didn't have a work out program. But his lifestyle was one of regular physical activity. He worked as a carpenter for most of his life and was probably in great shape from the hard manual labor he did. Then during his ministry, he walked all over the country preaching the gospel in towns and villages. So a formal exercise program as we know it was unnecessary.

Physical fitness and building up your body can become an idol, and some people fall into this trap. The apostle Paul said, "For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." (1Ti 4:8). All that exercise is only of little benefit to you. When you stand before the Lord one day after your earthly life has ended, it won't make any difference whether you were physically fit, if you lost your soul. Jesus said, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mat 16:26). We're not trying to save our lives but to lose them for Christ. Jesus said, "For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it." (Mat 16:25)

The most important thing is to discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. This has value for all things. It will benefit you in the present life and the life to come.

Fit for the Life to Come
While I think LaLanne was a great nutrition and fitness expert, I do want to point out some erroneous things he taught.

In his earlier days in the fifties and sixties, he did speak about the Lord quite often. He would always point out that "the good Lord" gave you this body and what an amazing gift it is from Him. He would often end his program by giving the Aaronic blessing, "May the Lord bless you and keep you." And he acknowledged the miracles of Jesus.

But he also said that "God helps those who help themselves," and this is not biblical. There is no place in Scripture where you will find that saying. Instead the Scripture teaches that it's when we're weak that He shows Himself strong. It's when we stop trying to save ourselves and ask Jesus to do it that He is able to save us.

There is certainly a biblical basis for diligence, faithfulness, and exercising your faith with good deeds. And often times when it comes to our health, the answer is to stop smoking, stop doing drugs, stop overeating, stop eating junk food, and start eating your vegetables. These are practical things we can do to improve our physical condition. And as LaLanne taught, you should pray fervently to God, asking Him to help you to make this difficult changes.

But LaLanne often stated that he had been "reborn" through attending a series of health lectures. He had been a sugarholic until he was fifteen years old. After hearing those lectures, he radically changed his life and began to eat right and exercise. His life was turned around 180 degrees. And he would often give examples of others who experienced a radical life change through physical fitness, saying they had been born again.

However, I need to point out here that there is only one way to be born again ,and it's not through physical fitness. You can only be born again when you repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus Christ, surrendering your life to Him and inviting Him to live in your heart. In my own personal salvation testimony posted online, you can read about my experience of being born again. When I cried out to Jesus to save me, and repented of my sin, He came and set me free from my harmful addictions that were destroying me. He gave me a brand new life, and He'll do the same for you. You can read more about Entering the Kingdom of God in another one of my blogs, and I encourage you to do that.

Unfortunately, in his latter years, LaLanne's teaching became heavily influenced by the New Age movement. For example, at age 91, in an interview with Dennis Hughes from Share Guide, he was asked about spirituality. He repled: "You have to be pretty stupid to think there isn't a Supreme Being to put all this together. Do you think that man could ever make a heart that is indestructible? Do you think that man could make a calculator like your brain? Do you think that man could ever make a machine that the only way you could hurt it is don't use it? Could man make a machine that in every 90 days practically every cell changes? Think about this. Look at all the creatures, the snakes, the worms and the birds, and the entire universe and everything that goes on. Don't you think there is a universal power, that there is some Supreme Being that put this all together? You don't have to call it God or Jesus. That's religious humbug to a lot of people, but you've gotta believe that nature and spiritual things surround us. That is what put us here! I thank the universe for that every day of my life."

When he said you don't have to call the Supreme Being God or Jesus, he's wrong. When he said he "thanks the universe every day," that's not the same man I remember from his early days on television, and it's simply not Scriptural. The Bible tells us that God made the world and all that is in it (Jn 1:1-3). He made the sun, moon, stars and the entire universe. All things came into being through Him. And He loved the world so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, so that all who would believe in Him would not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:16). Jesus said "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me." (Joh 14:6). There is no other way to God, except through Jesus Christ.

Putting it All Together
So the priority should be your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Check your heart and make sure you are listening to the Lord's voice, obeying His commandments, and living a godly life. Be sure you are feeding daily on His Word, the Bible. Fasting is one of the disciplines that you can learn to incorporate into your life. And getting plenty of rest each week is another biblical key. Those need to come first. Without them you'll end up malnourished and sick.

In addition to these spiritual priorities, you should try to get regular exercise and good nutrition by drinking lots of clean water and eating plenty of whole foods like fresh vegetables, fish, poultry, fresh fruits, and whole grains. In our family, we've cut out all dairy from our diet, along with the other white poisons, and we're feeling much better for it. These are some of the keys I have found to experiencing health and wellness the way God intended it for you.

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." The views expressed in this blog 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?"

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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?"

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