Saturday, March 24, 2007

Honey, I want it cooked this way!

Of all the eight Laws of health, there is one that is the least liked by most Americans and that is the Law of Nutrition. You don't talk about eating habits to FAT people, or to your mother, or to anyone who is doing the wrong kind of cooking in your family. And no one who enjoys eating out at the greasy spoon every day wants to hear that their food choices are bad, even though they are suffering from fatal or crippling diseases. WHO wants to hear that the diet must CHANGE NOW, stop cooking this way, you are killing yourself, learn how to do better. Why?

Maybe the sugestion to start cooking and eating healthfully was not done tactfully, and the person resisted. Everyone hopefully wants to be healthier! However, wives may have a hard time when their husbands ask them to stop cooking it that way, do it this way! Men, do you realize what saying this means to the wife, that whatever she has learned in the past has to be thrown out and now she must start over! The wife may instead of rejuvenating the pantry, go on a pity trip thinking that her husband is abusing her. So TACT IS IMPORTANT. Don't give your wife a reason to run to the women's shelter! Learn to work together to have better health. Involve the children, too, to win their cooperation.

In America, most families can't imagine not eating meat, hot spices, refined foods, and sweets. What is there left to eat, they ask? They forget that God made nutritious food in the very beginning: plenty of fruit, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and vegetables of all varieties which are readily available today in most markets. Trying these "new" foods which have been around since God made the world is not a custom in most families!

But this blog today is not only about Nutrition. This is about another Law which is the most controversial one in the whole world today: the Sabbath commandment of God's Ten Commandment Law which reads how the Sabbath is the seventh day of the week.

If the Sabbath wasn't in the Ten Commandments, there would be no hassle. But God put it right in the middle of the Ten. Why is this? It has to be the most important of all the Ten for it identifies the name of God, His office, and His territory-- "the Lord thy God.... made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is." (Exodus 20:8-11) A knowledge of the true God and Jesus Christ our Saviour is eternal life (John 17:3). Do we personally know who our Creator is? Do we spend time enjoying God's nature, and reflecting on the character of God which the Sabbath reminds us to do?
There are several reasons for this worldy opposition to the Sabbath--Satan has deceived the whole world on biblical truth! Most people go to church on Sunday and have been for generations, not knowing the truth. They have been taught by their church that Sunday is a sacred day called the Lord's Day! Upon examination of the Scripture, they will find it is not so. Instead a discovery is made that the Sabbath is called the Lord's holy Day. Other people think Sunday is the seventh day of the week, and are amazed to find out from a look at the calendar that Saturday is the seventh day instead. Still others are taught that the Sabbath commandment was made for the Jews exclusively and therefore the Sabbath is not necessary for Christians to keep, even though you show them Mark 2:27, 28 and other verses.

When presenting the truth about any principle of God or commandment of God, it needs to be presented as it is in Jesus, as the Bible teaches, as Jesus gave it and as He lived it. The heart which is won to Christ will not rebel at the truth, but will see the truth in its true beauty and want to follow it. Satan tries to cast the truth to the ground that it might be trampled upon, but Christ came to restore it to its exalted position. Truth will win out in the end, and we want to win out with it. Search the Scriptures and find the lovely Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). Cast out the false doctrines that destroy faith in Christ.

May we search our hearts with Christ's help, examining our motives and actions, and seeing what keeps us from the truth! Feed on the pure word of truth, the Holy Bible, given to us from God Himself, just as you should feed on all the good food which He created and made to be eaten!

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Where does a person go when he dies?

Surely everyone goes to heaven at death? Once I saw a bright light at the end of a tunnel, but it wasn't a near death experience! I was very much alive, and the light proved to be a train, and it was a good thing I was not in the tunnel. Some people claim to have seen a light at the end of the tunnel, and to them it was very real and they called it death, but it was actually a near-death experience. So where do you go when you die?

That is probably a good question, and who do you suppose would know the answer to this question? Has anybody ever died and then come back to life again to tell us where he went when he died? We have heard of countless stories of people who say they had died but an angel at the end of the bright tunnel told them they had to come back to earth again for a while. So what about these stories?

Contrary to popular religious opinion, scientists tell us that a person is fully dead when the heart stops beating and there is no more brain activity. If these persons "in their death" heard an angel or saw a light at the end of a tunnel, brain activity was still there! So they were not actually dead. Maybe they were at the point of dying, but didn't, and in such a state, the mind can imagine things that really aren't so. That is not to say that God is not speaking to the person. Many people when facing death are going over in their mind the hundred things they could have done right which they didn't. Now they have to meet up with their conscience, and for some it is a little too late to make things right for they ran out of time to confess their sins to Jesus and ask forgiveness. We can be thankful if He gives them a little more "time" to do so.

So where does the person go when he dies? The Bible tells us of one Person who died and came back to tell us all about it. He is Jesus Christ. This is what He says after His experience in death: "Touch Me not; for I am not yet ascended to My Father: but go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father and your Father; and to My God, and your God." John 20:17.

From this statement, we have to admit, Christ did not go to the Father in His death, but only after He raised Himself to life, and His body was functioning again. At death, Christ could go no where except to the grave (often termed "hell") where people put Him after He died. Only when He raised Himself to life, could He go anywhere at all! So are we better than Christ in our death, do we go to heaven and not just the grave?

I read an obituary recently that reveals the confusion people have about where a person goes at death. This dear lady had died, and the obituary read that she went to be with her husband and brothers and sisters where she they are all enjoying the glory land of heaven, etc., but at the end of the article, it said that she was laid to rest in the grave beside her husband. Now that seems rather hard, that Christ couldn't go anywhere but to the grave, yet this lady could enjoy not just the grave, but heaven also while dead!

What does the Bible say about death and where you go at death? We can trust what the Bible says as it is the word of truth...

Ecc 9:5, 6, 10 "For the living know that they shall die: but the dead know not any thing, neither have they any more a reward; for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, and their hatred, and their envy, is now perished; neither have they any more a portion for ever in any thing that is done under the sun."
Ecc 9:10 "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

Joh 5:28, 29 "Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation."

1Co 15:22, 23 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming."

No one who has died can do anything at all until Jesus comes and raises him back to Life, at the end of the world at His second coming.

So what will it be like for those who die? They will sleep in their graves until the resurrection at the second coming of Jesus. When a person dies, it is like going into a dreamless sleep. The dead know nothing. When they wake up immediately they will see Jesus who is the Resurrection and the Life. When they wake up they will not be able to tell you what death was like for there is no memory except the thought before death. There was no pain, fear, love, nothing at all. That is a comforting thought that the dead are no longer suffering, no matter how sinful a life they lived. All the righteous and the wicked go to the same place at death, the grave. Rewards are given at the resurrection. That is what we need to prepare for. Which resurrection will you be in (read John 5:28, 29 again)? (For more information on death, read John 11 in the Bible.)

If you loved God with all your heart, mind, body and spirit, at death, the next thing you will know is seeing Jesus who raised you to eternal life. If you didn't love God and Jesus Christ as your Saviour, but rejected all the opportunities to follow the truth, you will raise in the resurrection of the wicked who will receive their condemnation. That is a little scarey, I am sure, but that is true. Are you ready to meet Jesus your Maker? Is He your Lord and Saviour now? Do you love Him, and love the Bible truths? God help us to be ready to face death at any moment so that we can face Christ with real joy at the next moment after death!

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

God's Covenant with Israel

Psalm 111 is well-worth reading and studying. God says in this passage, "He will ever be mindful of His covenant. All His commandments are sure. They stand fast for ever and ever. He hath commanded His covenant for ever."

What covenant is being referred to? His covenant which contains His commandments which stand fast forever and ever. What is His covenant?

Exodus 34:28 "And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments."

Deuteronomy 4:13 "And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone."

So if the Ten Commandments, His covenant, stands fast for ever and ever, then what is the Old Covenant and what is the New Covenant? What is the difference?

The Old Covenant, called the "first," existed before the cross of Christ, the New Covenant has existed since the cross of Christ. The first was established with the sacrificial animals that had no blemish, i.e., with the blood of these animals, while the second was established with the blood of Christ. The first foreshadowed Christ and was just as good as the real, but the second cancelled the first because it was the real. When you have the real thing to establish the covenant, you no longer need the shadow to establish it.

The first covenant would have been perfect except that it was not possible for the people to obey or keep the promises on their part, as they lost sight of the fact that the sacrifices were only the shadow of Christ in whom they really needed to believe. The sacrifices had to be offered over and over again, though God had no pleasure in them. To obey is better than sacrifice. (See Micah 6:6-8). Christ came to establish the second covenant by sacrificing Himself once for all, for that was all the sacrificing that was needed. Because He lived a perfect life, keeping all the Ten Commandments perfectly from the heart, He promises to give us His grace to overcome sin under the New Covenant, otherwise we would still be living under the Old Covenant which has passed away, trying to work our way into heaven by doing the works of the Law, but hating the Law at the same time. If the Law of God is written in the heart, supreme love for God, and unselfish love for one another would be the result on a daily basis. There would be no hating righteousness, or failing to find victory in Jesus.

Please read these verses:

Heb 8:7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.
Heb 8:8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah:
Heb 8:9 Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord.
Heb 8:10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people:
Heb 8:11 And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.
Heb 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.
Heb 8:13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.



Heb 10:1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.
Heb 10:2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.
Heb 10:3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.
Heb 10:4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.
Heb 10:5 Wherefore when he [Jesus] cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:
Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.
Heb 10:7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.
Heb 10:8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.
Heb 10:10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.


The common denominator of the two covenants is the Law of God, did you notice? The first Covenant was the Ten Commandments, and the perfect animal sacrifices in the sacrificial services which established the Law, represented Christ coming some day to live a perfect life in obedience to the Ten Commandments in sinful flesh, and then offering Himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins to pay the price of our sins. Only then He could write His Law in our hearts and minds. The second or "New" Covenant was established by the real sacrifice for sin, Christ dying on the cross of Calvary for our sins. Because Christ who lived in sinful flesh but did not sin (Hebrews 4:15, Romans 8:3, 4) died in our place, He who lives again will give us grace that we might also obey His Law. How? by writing the Ten Commandment Law in our hearts and minds so that we could overcome sin. The New Covenant is the same Covenant as the old but it is founded on better promises and that is what makes it New and everlasting. Christ rose from the dead, securing His right as our High Priest, so that He might save us from death by administering to us His grace. Praise the Lord!

If we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, confessing our sins to Him, we should also believe that He pardons us, and gives us more grace to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit which He gives to every follower who asks. Then only can we truly render that heartfelt obedience to His Ten Commandment Law. It is only by the blood of the Lamb of God (John 1:29, 1 John 1:7, 9) that we are saved. Our obedience is the fruit of what Christ does for us and in us. He gets all the glory!

God bless and have a great day in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Friday, March 16, 2007

God does have a Law!!

There are many things people think of when you mention ~~God's Law~~. Some think you are talking of the ceremonial law of Moses. Others think that God's Law is an outdated Law which should be memorialized in courthouses and other public places for historical purposes. Others think of God's Law as the sacred precepts written on two tables of stone which were once broken, and which no one can possibly keep or fully obey today. Praise the Lord, there are still some today who highly regard God's Law as the 10 sacred commandments spoken and written by God to all Israel, that it is still His just, perfect and holy Law for us to keep today. (Romans 7 and 8)

Which view is correct? Let us see what the Bible actually says:

1. Exodus 24:12 "And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them."
2. Exodus 31:18 "And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God."

Unfortunately, the children of Israel sinned worshipping the golden calf, and Moses in his anger smashed the commandments to pieces by throwing them down, showing that Israel had broken God's Law. After God forgave those who repented, He asked Moses to bring two new tables of stone up the mountain, then God wrote on them the same Ten Commandments as at the first. So whether or not they were broken, they were still to be kept.

3. Deuteronomy 10:1-5 "At that time the LORD said unto me, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first, and come up unto me into the mount, and make thee an ark of wood. And I will write on the tables the words that were in the first tables which thou brakest, and thou shalt put them in the ark. And I made an ark of shittim wood, and hewed two tables of stone like unto the first, and went up into the mount, having the two tables in mine hand. And he wrote on the tables, according to the first writing, the ten commandments, which the LORD spake unto you in the mount out of the midst of the fire in the day of the assembly: and the LORD gave them unto me. And I turned myself and came down from the mount, and put the tables in the ark which I had made; and there they be, as the LORD commanded me."

This Law is called God's Law, it is never called the Law written by Moses. It was handed to Moses, but God wrote it with His own hand, after He had told it with His own voice to Israel.

The Law of God is found in Exodus 20:1-17 and reads:

Exo 20:1 And God spake all these words, saying,

Table One contains Supreme Love For God --

Exo 20:2, 3 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. [Here God proclaims to be their Saviour who has delivered them.] Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exo 20:4-6 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Exo 20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Exo 20:8-11 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Table Two contains Unselfish Love For Man --

Exo 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Exo 20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
Exo 20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Exo 20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
Exo 20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
Exo 20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Though these Ten Commandments called the Law of God are old, are they outdated? No. Are they still necessary to be kept today for man's best good and happiness? Yes. Everyone needs to come to an intelligent decision regarding God's Law, for the breaking of the Law is Sin (1 John 3:4) and the wages of Sin is Death (Romans 6:23). If we daily choose to have Christ Jesus as our Saviour from sin, who also is our Creator and Lawgiver, then we should also want to daily ask for His help to live in obedience to His will, keeping His commandments. It is His will that we have eternal life through Him (Romans 6:23, Revelation 22:14).

May God help each one of us to love Him and keep His Commandments. Read 1 John and note how many times "commandments" appear as well as the word "love!" They are the Great Law of Love, for God is Love.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Are you a malnourished born-again believer in Christ?

What kind of nutrition are you getting as a new babe in Christ? Yesterday, I was babysitting two young children of a new Christian single parent mom, but I wasn't really doing the babysitting. The DVD player was already babysitting when I got there, having the full attention of the two little minds.

TV's and DVD's all have the ability to capture the mind of anyone who is in the room. That is why it can be a tool for good or for evil. In this case, I couldn't see much good as the DVD was about sexy mermaids, etc. If I were to shut it off, I would have had to face two very angry children who would take out their anger on the walls, the furniture, me, and whatever else could be found. Truly they have a ways to go in living the new life in Christ which their mother is struggling to find! I wonder how they could have any appetite for spiritual things on the Sabbath day or at worship times as they are being fed entertaining fantasy programming .

What is the nourishment for our spiritual life that we need every day so that our spiritual experience can grow and not starve to death as new and old Christians? God has provided the BEST for us, not just in the realm of physical food for good health, but also spiritual food for growth in grace, and in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. All He asks of us is to be partakers of this grace, this special food He has prepared for us. What is the BEST food for our spiritual health? God's word, the Holy Bible.

As a baby Christian, you were born again by the "milk" of the word of God so that you could start growing up into Christ:

1Pe 1:23 "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever."
1Pe 2:2 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby."


As an older Christian you are to be nourished no longer with the milk of the word, but with the "meat" of the word of God which is the word of righteousness, not "fantasy" books or TV, or fables and traditions of men:

Heb 5:12-14 "For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil."

As you eat this word, joy will come to your heart. Why? Because the word of God actually feeds you and helps you in your daily living. Have you ever gone to a church service and then come home feeling empty? That is because the Word of God was not preached under the power of the Holy Spirit, and there was nothing there to feed you and give you what you really needed for life.

Jeremiah, whose name is a sign and means, "Jah (the Lord) will rise," found great benefit in eating the word of God, not literally, but spiritually:

Jeremiah 15:16 "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts."

What are we to do with the word of God so that we will truly be benefitted? We are to EAT the Word of God. The more you eat the word of God, the more you will want to eat it. By eating it, you will be changed into Christ's image. The Holy Spirit will dwell in you as you receive the word of God and believe, and ask for His indwelling Spirit to enable you to keep the word of His promises.

Matthew 4:4 "But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."


God bless you as you choose the BEST food for spiritual life and growth.

Wednesday, March 14, 2007

What did you say you were having for supper?

Why should I worry about what you are having for supper? Maybe you don't really know what you are eating! Before I begin to explain, I would like to explain the first law of health a little better: "Nutrition - God told man to eat of every tree in the garden as well as herb bearing seed." God is telling us what human beings were intended to eat: fruits, grains and nuts (all from trees and herbs which bear seeds). But after sin, God gave us something to eat just as essential, the dark green leafy vegetables and other greens and stems which we know are good to eat. Genesis 3:18. Other vegetables are seed bearing plants which are good for food. For the purpose of human health, this diet of plant foods is very important! Nutrition is the KEY. What foods really give us the nutrients needed for good health? Green plant foods are at the top of the list. Refined foods and meat are actually at the bottom of the list for containing nutrients, yet they are high in calories. So what are you having for supper? Let me tell you what I used to eat for supper, not knowing what I was really eating....

I am not the only one who ate this way growing up. There are many people who still eat this way, who have to admit that they don't know what they are eating. They might not like it if you told them, and they might even tell you "I don't care what I am eating." Hot dogs are really popular, and I used to eat lots of them. But what was I eating? Fat, blood and guts, and maybe an ear or two! I remember coming home from school with my siblings and sitting down to "supper" in the form of hot dogs, the trimmings and maybe a canned vegetable. Let me do a little research from Wikipedia on what I was really eating for my supper:

"There is no fixed specification for hot dog meat, with pork and beef being the most popular. Less expensive hot dogs typically contain chicken, due to the low cost and availability of mechanically separated chicken, and some pork. Hot dogs are generally regarded as unhealthy insofar as most have high sodium, fat and nitrate content. Contents can also be questionable, with cheaper types of hot dogs having been known to contain snouts, ears, and blended organs."

Regarding guts:
"As with virtually all sausages, hot dogs must be in a casing in order to be cooked. Traditionally this casing is made from the thoroughly cleaned small intestines of sheep, and are known as "natural casing" hot dogs or frankfurters. These kinds of hot dogs are preferred by some for their firmer texture and the "snap" that releases juices and flavor when the product is bitten into."

Rather than to go into more gross details of eating dead animals for supper, I want to re-emphasize the really physical benefits you receive by eating plant foods first hand. The most nutrient-dense foods you can possibly eat are the dark leafy green vegetables. Since we have been eating lots of greens this last year, none of us have experienced getting colds or complain too much of lack of energy so much as we have in the past. My mother-in-law lives with us, too, and because she eats so much plant foods in the form of greens and other kinds mentioned, and takes regular exercise in walking as much as possible, with God's blessing, she has been in "stage 4" of breast cancer since almost 3 years ago! She is enjoying good health at age 78 except for occasional discomfort from the cancer. God's plan does work! She is really thankful for God's plan of eating. Her health has improved significantly since she first came to live with us, and her weight is down to normal and maintaining.

Even more important than what you eat, however, is WHEN you eat. Regularity in eating is most essential for the best function of the body. Digestive juices take time to form, and if you eat too soon, then your stomach is not ready for the food, and indigestion can set in. We have devised a schedule in our home and have learned to stick to it ALMOST TO THE DETRIMENT of being labelled "social outcasts." But our friends are beginning to understand the whys and wherefore's and that really helps. It is for our health. Does that sound selfish? Yes, but really, it isn't. We found it works best for digestion to schedule our meals at a regular time each day, and have them about six hours apart. Another proven benefit is to eat the largest meal in the morning like a KING, less at lunch time like a PRINCE, and very little if any like a PAUPER at supper! Health is wealth!

God bless you and hope this information has been a little helpful to you.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Are you paying too much in doctor bills?

In this life we are all faced with sickness at one time or another, and some people get sick more than others. Many, even young people, must deal with chronic illness, and they don't know what to do to get better. We have known many people who say that they can do nothing at all about their illness, that they will always have the problem until they die. Why is this? And is this the truth, that they can do nothing at all about it?

In the case of Diabetes type 1 (juvenile diabetes), the sufferers must take insulin shots the rest of their lives or they would soon die. Can not these people be helped? What about those who have had bypass surgery because of plugged arteries? Must they always live in fear of death? And how many people are afraid they will get cancer? And who will pay the medical costs for any treatments that will be needed if there is no insurance when they get the problem? These are all hard questions!

There is good news for everyone who is suffering IF they will take hold WITH THE HAND OF FAITH onto God's health plan which is called the NEWSTART program (as outlined in the first blog we sent). This program which God has given to humanity is designed to help EVERYONE to achieve better health than they have now. Even for Diabetes type 1! Even for those who have been told they have a terminal illness. Though the Diabetic Type I will still be on his insulin, his health will generally improve so that life becomes more enjoyable. And those with terminal illnesses if it has not gone too far, may be able to reverse the condition under special supervised help.

What would happen to the person who has been on the NEWSTART program for one month who has had a chronic illness? Even after 10 days of following the program diligently, a difference in health will be noticed. The health will be improved and the courage will be renewed to continue on the program to see what else will happen! When we follow the plan Jesus has for us, taking up His cross with the whole heart, and following Him, He promises us not just a new body someday in heaven but a much healthier one now.

John 10:10 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."

Who is the thief who wants to steal, to kill and to destroy? Satan is the thief, and it is his work to so tempt us with things which destroy our health. People's health is being destroyed all over the world today. We don't need nuclear disaster to destroy us! There are more hospitals and doctors than ever, but none of that seems to be helping the increase in disease and sickness. We are a dying planet. It is because people have gotten away from God's eight laws of health. Jesus promises to give us life, and much more abundantly if we come to Him for help.

We hope you will begin to search out this program or get back to the program if you have not already so that your health will increase. Above all things, maintaining a cheerful spirit through trusting in God's help is the best medicine. It makes the bones healthy, and healthy bones means healthy blood, which means healthy you!

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones."

Monday, March 12, 2007

Who Actually Did Their Work?

It is a good thing that Jesus looks at our heart before He weighs our actions! Let me explain by a couple of illustrations:

1.) Grandma has every intention to wash the dishes in the dishwasher. She loads the dishwasher, adds the soap, shuts and locks the door, but gets distracted at the last minute before turning the dial to "wash." In her mind only, she thinks she has started the dishwasher. She leaves the kitchen totally believing that the dishes are getting washed. The next day she opens the dishwasher and to her surprise the dishes are not washed!!

2.) The 14 year old son is told by mother to wash the dishes, and while she goes to town, he dilly-dallies around and nothing gets done. Mom comes home and finds everything as she left it--the dishes are not washed!!!

So who did the will of the Father in heaven? Grandma or Son? Neither of them got the dishes washed. They both knew the dishes needed washing. One fully believed she did her job, the other fully knew he did not do his job. This is just an illustration to see that, yes, it is a good thing that God does look at the heart before He judges our actions. That is not to excuse sin, however. Because Grandma meant well, she finished the job as soon as she realized her mistake. Son, being still young, had to learn the hard way. He was made to finish the dishes, and not only those dishes but all the dishes for the next few days until he learned to do his job with a cheerful heart, and to do it well to please Mom.

What about the law of Sabbath-keeping? Some people believe that if you have the Spirit of the Law in your heart, you don't really have to keep the Letter of the Law. But is that rule to apply to all Ten of the Commandments? Shall I only have the spirit of "not murder" "not steal," then go out and murder and steal? Truly if you have the Spirit of the Law, you will also have the Letter of the Law. The Letter by itself is like the Son who chooses not to do the dishes. When the Son realizes that Mom will not let him off the hook, then does he get the work done. That is not the Spirit of the Law. It was still not in his heart to please Mom until he first learned the hard way! What a good thing, he found out, to please Mom, and to set your heart to do the work cheerfully and get it done when asked. And sometimes Mom would even offer to help him!

The Bible quotes this about Jesus Christ who was faithful in all that He did:

Joh 8:28, 29 "Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him."

May God bless you today as you seek to please Him who has so loved you, that He died that He might save you with His own blood on the cross of Calvary. He not only died, but He reached down and found you, dear one, that He might bring you to Him, that you might love and serve Him with all your heart, mind, body and spirit.

Friday, March 9, 2007

Mercy and Justice

How do mercy and justice work together?

If I rob a bank and get caught, yet I truly repent, do I receive mercy, or do I only receive justice? I would most likely receive both, one from God and the other from the courts. God readily forgives those who repent of their wrong-doing who show their repentance, either by restoring what was stolen with interest, or if they are not able to do that, they still confess to their guilt and take the punishment whatever it is. True repentance is not to be frowned upon, but to be admired.

Several years ago, I had received a ticket for speeding on the way to the airport to pick up my husband whom I hadn't seen for about a month. It was late winter when the roads were thawing, and the speed limit had been reduced to 30 mph instead of 45 in one section of road I was on. I was doing a little over 50, completely oblivious to the new posted speed limit. At the "T" in the road, I saw a patrolman waiting for me with the lights flashing. Then I began to realize those 30's on the signs I was passing was for traffic speed. My ignorance made no difference to the officer. There was no mercy, and besides he was not the one to extend the mercy if he could. I had broken the law, and it was no one's fault but my own. I had to suffer the consequences in order for the law to be satisfied, which is called "justice," a heavy fine.

If I had been awake to the new rule, I would have driven slowly, I am sure. But I couldn't really justify my action and had to admit that I had done the wrong thing in speeding. Even if I assured the officer that I had not meant to speed, or that I would never speed again, it made no difference to him. But thankfully, God is not like that. He knows that we will do wrong things ignorantly even though in our heart we think we are doing right. We should not be afraid to confess our ignorance and ask for His forgiveness.

But if I purposely drove fast, purposely ignored the rules, that would show a different attitude of heart, and to try to confess this wrong-doing as ignorance would be like adding a lie to the crime done. What needs to be confessed is the rebellious heart, or attitude towards the law. God longs to forgive that if we will but confess and ask for a new heart.

We hope that you will look to Jesus Christ your Saviour from sin, and learn to love Him, and with all your heart, keep His commandments, which are only for your good always.

Read Psalm 23 again. We will post again next Monday, the Lord willing. Bye for now!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

How are you reacting to change in your life?

Yesterday we had a visitor at our door when we came home from town. "She" was the cutest little dog which belongs to our neighbors down the street! She had somehow gotten off her leash and was trying to tell us something with her barking and wagging of the tail. Usually the neighbors are home, so we just ignored her and figured she would go home. Afterall, once you pet or feed a dog you have a friend for life, and we didn't want to steal the neighbor's dog that way!

Eventually she went back to her house, but every once in a while we would see her come out on the street and bark and wag her tail. Later that afternoon, a few neighborhood children gathered around wondering what to do with the cute little dog? So I asked them, does the dog have a leash? We could leash her up until the owners got home. We walked over to the dog's "home," found the leash, and hooked it to her collar. After that the dog was perfectly content and happy.

Now that is a strange thing indeed. isn't it? That little dog should have rejoiced to be free from her bondage of being chained up day after day. She should have been happy to run and play and explore like dogs should do. But she really felt totally out of place being off her "chain." She was out of her comfort zone. She seemed to not know that being chained up all the time was living a life of bondage.

Jesus ran into the same kind of thinking, of people who were in the same kind of bondage:

Joh 8:31-36 "Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free? Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed."

The truth of Jesus Christ, found in The Holy Bible, if obeyed, will set us free from the bondage of sin. Being born a Jew was not enough for salvation. Even being born a Seventh-day Adventist is not enough for salvation! We need Jesus Christ! People have to leave the comfort zone of sinful living and that is only possible through coming to Jesus Christ and learning of Him, and obeying His truth, otherwise we go right back into our comfort zone or bondage to our sins. Many people abhor slavery, yet they are slaves to their own sins and that is the worst bondage. How sad! We should be more than happy to obey Christ's invitation found in Matthew 11:28-30, and find sweet rest in Jesus Christ from the Devil's chains of disobedience which leads to "weeping and gnashing of teeth", not happy wagging of the tail.

God bless you through Jesus Christ our Saviour, today!

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

Did you go for a walk today?

My husband often asks me the question, "Did you go for a walk today?" Why? Because he hates me? Ha, no, but to encourage me because sometimes I get so busy and forget to go for a walk which I really need to do. Today, I took a walk without being reminded, Praise the Lord! But the thought came to me as I was walking, "Am I walking where Jesus walked?" Jesus walked through the country-side primarily to get from one place to another, but I think secondarily so that He could enjoy the fresh air, the warm sunshine, and to exercise His muscles to build strength. Exercising outdoors is a stress reliever, too. And though Jesus lived as we do but without sin, He still was under a lot of stress and needed to keep His mind balanced and healthy to meet life's battles.

There are times in the past where I have walked to places where I would not be able to answer Yes! to "Am I walking where Jesus walked?" I really don't like to think of those circumstances now. For instance, when was the last time you walked MORE THAN ONCE to the dessert counter at church potluck? When was the last time you forgot to walk to return a book you have borrowed? When was the last time you forgot to walk to the telephone and call your ill mother? When was the last time you forgot to do anything you know you should have done? The list goes on and on.

Now let's answer the question from yesterday.... Should a Christian keep all Ten Commandments that were given to Israel? Which one should a Christian not keep? If we are walking today where Jesus walked, we have to admit that He walked in all the Law of His Father and kept the Ten Commandments. Why? Jesus knew that we needed His example of what it means to love God and keep His commandments. It was because Jesus loved His Father, and knew the commandments were given for the best good always, not just to Israel, but to the whole human race. As a human being, He kept all His Father's commandments. Read John 15:10.


Now here are some Bible verses to read:

1Pe 2:21-25 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

God bless and have a good day walking where Jesus walked!

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Should Christians keep all Ten of God's Commandments?

Should Christians, who love Jesus Christ and have believed on Him as their personal Saviour from all sin, and have asked Him to dwell in them by the Holy Spirit, keep all Ten of God's Commandments which constitute God's holy, just and perfect Law?

Most devoted Christians believe they are keeping God's Law, and if they aren't that somehow Christ will make up the difference. It would be well to examine the Ten Commandments which were spoken by God to the nation of Israel, and which were written on tables of stone by God's own finger for the nation of Israel, to see what the commandments read, and to see if they are necessary to be kept today.

Christian, if you have your Bible, read Exodus 20:1-17, and tell us which commandments would no longer be valid today, and why? You may respond to this email address:
shelley.senner@gmail.com or post on comment section. God bless, and have a wonderful day!

Monday, March 5, 2007

What are the eight laws of health?

We can find the eight laws of health described in the first book of the Bible, GENESIS, which means "beginnings." The very first two chapters describe:

Nutrition - God told man to eat of every tree in the garden as well as herb bearing seed.
Exercise - God told man to care for the garden.
Water - God made pure good water for many purposes, and to satisfy thirst of man, animals, plants.
Sunshine - God made the sunshine to warm the earth and benefit all life forms.
Temperance - God restricted a tree in the garden to see if man would love and obey Him.
Air - God made fresh air in the beginning for the benefit of all.
Rest - God gave the Sabbath day to rest from all common labor, and enjoy worshipping God and He made the night for sleeping.
Trust in Divine Power - Man was to love and trust God who made all things great and small.

The first letter of each word in boldface spells the acronymn NEW START, which is an easy way to remember the eight laws of health given to us by our Creator.