After many years of intense Bible study I have come to the conclusion that God cares deeply about our health and how we take care of our bodies. He created us for a divine purpose and He knows what we need to do in order to live long and healthy lives.
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” (Jeremiah 29:11 KJV)
There’s a reason why America leads the world in heart disease, cancer, and a litany of other debilitating diseases. It’s time that we started examining these health issues from a biblical perspective instead of seeking worldly advice for answers. There are easily explainable reasons why so many health problems are on the rise, and there are easy answers to solving many of them.
According to a year 2000 World Health Organization (WHO) report, America ranks 72nd in health, yet we pay the number one price for it. Over 60% of our society is on prescription medication for a diagnosed health disorder. Obesity has become a global epidemic. In another WHO report released in 2006 they reported that over one billion people in the world are now obese. That’s 1/6th of the planet. Type II diabetes cases are exploding, especially in our youth, and there is a direct correlation between diet and Type II diabetes.
The simple truth is many of the health problems people are suffering from are a direct result of poor dietary habits. Having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is the most important thing you need to have in your life. However, the word of God stresses the importance of taking care of our physical bodies as well because we are physical and spiritual beings.
I heard a pastor recently make the comment that for some people the most spiritual thing they can do is to go out and take a walk. If you’re overweight or afflicted with a debilitating health problem you need to be honest with yourself and acknowledge that you are more than likely in this condition because of the poor choices you have made. Take a close look at your daily dietary habits and lifestyle. What are you eating and drinking every day and how much of it are you consuming? How often do you exercise? How many hours do you sleep a night? What kind of stress and worry are you under?
In the book of Genesis it says:
“And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29 KJV)
It doesn’t say that God gave us soda, French fries, fried foods, chips, ice cream, cakes, desserts, genetically modified foods, artificial flavors, artificial colors, artificial sweeteners, or refined, processed foods in a box, can or package that are stripped of vital nutritional elements. Our diets need to be primarily based around life giving foods that build up our health.
Health Truth #1
Start Appreciating Your Health & Taking Personal Responsibility For What You Put Into Your Body
“Do you not know that your body is the temple (the very sanctuary) of the Holy Spirit Who lives within you, Whom you have received [as a Gift] from God? You are not your own, You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.” (I Corinthians 6:19-20 Amplified)
We all have the ability to control what we put into our mouth. Isn’t it time we took authority over this area of our lives so we glorify the Lord and not the devil? God is not the one to blame for sickness and disease. He’s not in the business of making people sick. He’s in the business of making people well. All sickness and disease originated from the devil. Jesus said in the New Testament that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living (Matthew 22:32). The same can be said about our health. God is not the God of sickness and disease. He’s the God of health.
It’s time to start taking personal responsibility for the choices you make whether they were done in ignorance or not. The sad truth is people are neglecting their health by the millions and paying a serious price for it. I believe that many health problems could be easily avoided or reversed if consumers had deeper insights into what to put into their bodies to keep them healthy, fit, and energized.
We live in a fast paced society where we want everything now. Fast food restaurants constitute a large part of people’s daily dietary routine because it’s convenient; not healthy. Grocery stores have an endless choice of junk food that only leads to confusion unless you know what to look for. The two most popular aisles are the beverage and snack aisles. Virtually every product you can find in them contains unhealthy, toxic ingredients that over time can cause serious health problems, and even kill you. It’s interesting that the Bible says God’s people are destroyed for lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6). Start making it a point to gain knowledge in the area of health so you can live out all of the days the Lord has intended for you.
According to the word of God Christians are held to a higher standard than other people. We are more accountable about what we allow into our body and how we take care of it. We are ambassadors of God’s Kingdom. The world needs to see us in a different light. God’s word says:
“Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (III John 2 KJV)
When we are blessed and prosper in our health, our finances, and our spiritual life; we are a positive testimony to believers and unbelievers alike. We are God’s workmanship. Having a bunch of sick, broke, negative, and spiritually weak Christians does not help expand the kingdom of God. It is not the Father’s will for us to be riddled with health problems and chemically dependent on pharmaceutical drugs to treat the problems that could be corrected in many cases by diet, exercise, and prayer.
Just because you love the Lord and have faith doesn’t mean you won’t have a heart attack or come down with cancer if you never take proper care of your body. There is no price that can be put on good health. Every day that you wake up with excellent health and mobility is a blessed day to be thankful for.
Health Truth #2
Exercise!
It’s One Of God’s Blessings To Help You Live With Abundant Health
One of the most important things you can do to better your health or maintain excellent health is to exercise. Exercise can make a dramatic difference in your overall health and physical appearance, and I believe it will also help you have a closer and more fulfilled relationship with the Lord, because it will help you feel great and full of energy.
Science has proven that exercise can help with numerous things such as: controlling and maintaining normal body weight, reducing stress and the risk of heart attack, reducing cancer and stroke, increasing energy and stamina, boosting the immune system, decreasing triglycerides, improving digestion, lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, releasing beneficial hormones, relieving depression, improving mood and sense of well-being, improving quality of sleep.
When you hear the word exercise it probably has many different meanings to our readers. For some, they think you need to hammer the gym 7 days a week for a long period of time each day in order to stay fit and healthy. Others think you need to push your body to the extreme and lift super heavy weights with every rep and every set. Some runners think they need to run a marathon several times a week or they’ll get out of shape. There are some real radicals out there in the exercise field and I think you should be careful about taking advice from them. The truth is the human body is not meant to be beat on and pushed to the max all the time like so many people do when it comes to exercise. If you don’t want serious life-long injuries that stifle your mobility and in some people eventually require joint replacements, then you need to avoid falling into the trap of doing some of the exercising I just described.
I say this from first hand experience. I used to be a competitive power lifter for many years when I was younger and then switched over to body building with extremely heavy weights. When I was in my early twenties I could get away with it. Now, at 37, it has caught up with me. I have weaknesses in both of my shoulders from repeated work out injuries that I trained through. I have some weaknesses in my spine from years of heavy squats and dead lifting. I have weaknesses in my knees from doing heavy squats and leg presses going real deep. Every single person that I ever trained with or knew from the gym that trained like this has dealt with similar issues.
If you’ve ever looked through the bodybuilding magazines that are sold on the market (which I absolutely don’t recommend), most of the bodybuilders in there are unhealthy. They may have chiseled physiques with huge muscles, but they probably got that way from using steroids. If you spoke with any professional bodybuilder they will give you a laundry list of injuries they have. By the time most of them are 40, if they make it that far without dropping dead from the steroids, they are crippled with injuries.
The advice I like to give when it comes to exercising is very balanced. Your body only needs 3-4 days a week of exercise and 30-45 minutes a time is adequate if you know what you’re doing. A little more time is okay but like I said, don’t overdue it. The most important thing you need to think about when you exercise is joint preservation. It’s imperative that you stretch and warm up before working out. It’s important to stretch after you work out. Using lighter weight with higher repetitions and doing movements that will rarely, if ever cause an injury or strain on the joints is the proper way to train. If you’re a runner, you need to warm up and stretch. You need to rest the body every few days and not run too far. Anything over 3-5 miles at a time more than a few times a week is too much stress on your knees, hips, and ankles. Don’t train through injuries; it’s a recipe for disaster. You can push your body periodically when everything feels good, but don’t overdue it. If you’re older and you haven’t done much exercise in your life, just walking 3 or 4 days a week for 30 minutes at a time will help you out tremendously. Try stretching more when you wake up.
Did you know that the lymphatic system of your body does not work on its own? It needs to be stimulated through exercise or sweating. It’s also extremely important to increase your respiration through exercise so you bring more oxygen into your body. The circulatory benefits of exercise are amazing when it’s done right.
What I embrace is a way of living that keeps the body in balance. I believe in proper eating, proper water & salt intake, moderate exercise, getting fresh air, getting sunshine in non-peak hours without sun block, getting adequate rest, and eliminating worry and stress from your life. All of this promotes health and longevity. This style of living will help you have a closer relationship with the Lord because you appreciate your body and you are trying to live in a state of health where your body will remain mobile, fit, healthy, and able to function all the days of your life. Moses is a great biblical character to look to. The Bible says that he lived until 120 years old and he was in excellent physical condition upon death.
Doesn’t The Bible Say We Shouldn’t Exercise?
“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (I Timothy 4:8 KJV)
You have to understand that this passage was written almost 2,000 years ago in much different times than ours. I don’t think too many people today believe that exercise profits little when science, medicine, and sheer common sense have proven how beneficial it can be to the human body. Far too many have seen their lives transformed, their health restored, and excess weight taken off by physical exercise. You have to take into consideration the way people lived back when this passage was written. They walked everywhere they went. They weren’t sedentary. They probably walked more in one day than most of us walk in a month. They also did a lot more physical labor because they weren’t living with all the modern conveniences that we take for granted.
Furthermore, they didn’t have access to the kinds of foods and beverages like we have an abundance of to overindulge in. There were no fast food restaurants, microwave ovens or TV dinners. Most of their food was eaten fresh from the farm. The animals weren’t injected with all sorts of artificial growth enhancers and drugs so they would become larger than normal to fatten a corporation’s profits. There weren’t any pesticides and chemicals being used like most farmers are using today on crops that are proven toxins in the body when consumed. They didn’t have soda and thousands of other sugar-laden drinks to pour down non-stop containing caffeine and other masqueraded chemicals that will addict you and make you crave more. They drank mostly water and fresh juice.
Some people can take exercise and health to the extreme and neglect their spiritual life or even their family life. If you’re in the gym for 2 hours a day almost every day and you spend little to no time in prayer or study time with the Lord, all you’re doing is gratifying the flesh and it will not profit you in the end. I think that’s what the Bible was trying to emphasize. Make sure your priorities are in the right order and that you live life in balance.
Health Truth #3
Eliminate Pork and Shellfish From Your Diet
This topic is a sensitive one that many Christians may not agree with, don’t want to hear, or in some cases, take offense with. I’m not trying to be legalistic when it comes to avoiding pork and shellfish. I’m trying to be realistic and share some deeper insights into why these foods can harm your health. The fact is if you want to live disease free while you’re occupying your body, then this issue is one you need to pay close attention to.
Pork products and shellfish can be extremely detrimental to your health and will almost guarantee you an early trip to the grave if you eat them all the time. They rank near the top of the list as some of the unhealthiest foods you can put into your body right along with trans fats, refined sugar, and artificial sweeteners. Consumption of all pork and shellfish was forbidden in the Old Testament because they were considered unclean. There’s a very simple reason why God wanted the Israelites to avoid these foods and it wasn’t because He wanted to make arbitrary rules.
From pigs we get pork, pork chops, ribs, ham, bacon, pepperoni, sausage, Chitterlings (chitlins), and other by-products. Let’s examine a few of the reasons why God considered a pig an unclean animal and why He said they shouldn’t be eaten.
Pigs are scavengers. They are notorious for eating anything, including their own waste and garbage. A pig will eat sick and infected animals, including its own piglets that die from disease. Pigs also have one the quickest, yet poorest digestive systems of any animal. On average a pig can completely digest its food in four hours. Since it processes everything so fast, many times the toxins aren’t removed and they are stored in the pig’s fat. Many pigs are traumatized physically before being slaughtered. Under these conditions, which are generally the case in large factory operations, pigs will release toxins and hormones into their muscles that affect the quality of their meat.
Pigs are also notorious for being infected with parasites and tapeworms. Anyone that knows anything about cooking pork knows that it is important to cook it long enough to make sure all the parasites and tapeworms have been killed off. If not, you could become infected. Somehow eating pork containing dead parasites doesn’t sound much better either. All parasites lay eggs to create more parasites. Just because a parasite dies during cooking doesn’t mean that you can’t become contaminated by the eggs. Some health experts believe that over 90 percent of our population today has parasites in their body. Certainly our society’s desire for pork products has had to play a part in this. People that eat a lot of pork products tend to be overweight and unhealthy. Body odor can be a problem too.
One doctor I know personally says that pig fat is the best medium there is for cancer growth. He runs a laboratory where all sorts of microbiological research and tests are conducted. They focus heavily on diagnosing and treating cancer naturally. In their lab they can isolate cancer viruses from a patient’s blood and view them under a microscope to determine the strain and then develop herbs to help rid the body of that specific virus. They also have the ability to replicate the cancer virus in a Petri dish. What he told me is that the best medium he works with for growing cancer viruses is pig fat. If they can do that in a lab, what’s all the pig fat doing to your body internally if you’re eating high amounts of pork products? It would be interesting to see a study where that question was asked of cancer patients. My guess is we would find that many cancer patients are pork eaters.
Did you know that all of the clean animals God said we could eat live only on vegetation? They also digest their food much slower and more effectively so they aren’t storing all these toxins and wastes in their body. Would you rather eat an animal that eats filth and waste and is potentially contaminated with parasites or would you rather eat an animal that processes its food properly and eliminates the toxins from its body?
Now let’s examine why you should avoid shellfish. Shellfish consists of lobster, shrimp, oysters, clams, crabs, scallops, and mussels. All shellfish can be a serious health risk. Like pigs, they are scavengers that live at the bottom of the ocean and eat the waste of other animals and the pollutants that man dumps into the ocean. Although only 0.1 % of all shellfish consumed is eaten raw, that tiny percentage is responsible for a large proportion of reported food-caused illnesses. Poisoning from shellfish can come from bacterial or viral contamination. Generally adequate cooking eliminates this danger, but is it worth the risks in the long run. Poisoning can also arise from heat-stable toxins derived from the food that the shellfish have been eating. Shellfish also are notorious for being high in mercury, heavy metals, and industrial contaminants in the environment. I’m sure I don’t have to explain in detail how damaging these toxins can be to your health.
God didn’t give the Israelites dietary laws because he’s a mean, restrictive God that didn’t want them to enjoy their food. He gave them these laws because He knows best how the body functions and that by following His dietary laws they would live their best without succumbing to disease and pre-mature death so they can serve Him. God knows far more than we can understand or comprehend. While things definitely changed after Jesus came to the earth, we should examine the Old Testament further to see why God may have wanted things done a certain way.
I’m not trying to make anyone reading this story feel condemned. I’m hoping that after you hear the facts, research this further, and pray about your health that you will try and avoid these foods. I’m not saying that if you don’t eat perfectly that you won’t make it to God’s Kingdom either. We are forgiven by the blood of Jesus Christ that was shed for us so we could live forever with God. Faith and belief in Jesus Christ is first and foremost the most important thing you need, but we should do better at watching what we put into our body because it will please the Lord, extend our days, and keep us healthier.
Health Truth #4
Avoid Pharmaceutical Drugs As Much As Possible
It’s very sad that a majority of our society looks up to the pharmaceutical industry as though they are gods with divine intellect, especially Christians who should be on better spiritual guard. The derivation of the word “pharmaceutical” comes from the Greek word “pharmakeia,” which means sorcery and witchcraft. You need to start seeing with spiritual eyes to fully understand the implications of what’s going on in the area of medicine. The pharmaceutical industry is the devil’s playground. Drug companies are practicing their magic arts with a witches’ brew of concoctions on an unsuspecting public.
Granted there are instances when pharmaceutical drugs are absolutely necessary to relieve pain, stave off infection or save a life. To state otherwise would be absurd. The problem is how often are drugs being given that aren’t necessary at all? How many drugs have been created that serve no useful purpose other than padding the pockets of an international corporation that is using these funds to endanger lives and actively work in a conspiracy against the Lord and His anointed?
Most Christians will state emphatically that they will never be deceived, but how many have been deceived into taking prescription drugs that they don’t need while never looking at their diet or natural alternatives to help them get well or stay well? If you’re taking high cholesterol medicine or drugs for Type II diabetes you’ve been given some bad advice and you need to make a serious effort to educate yourself about the long-term damage that can be done to you because of it. If your child or grandchild is on Ritalin or some other psychotropic drug because a doctor diagnosed them with ADD or ADHD, the physical and spiritual well-being of that child is in serious danger. All of these drugs to treat this made up condition are hard-core narcotics that will do far more damage to the child in the long run. If you’ve been conned into a flu shot, you just injected a brew of neurological disrupters, DNA manipulators, toxic agents, and biblically unclean ingredients that will set you up for future opportunistic infections.
Take a look at the following scripture and see if you believe it has a much deeper meaning:
“…for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.” (Revelation 18:23-24 KJV)
This scripture is referring to mystery Babylon, the great whore that sits as queen over the whole earth in the end of days. The word “sorceries” used here comes from the Greek word “pharmakeia,” which is where the word pharmaceutical comes from. Go back and read the following verse again with the word “pharmaceuticals” in place of “sorceries” and you tell me what you think is going on and why these substances all need to be questioned. If I am correct, God is holding pharmaceutical drugs responsible for the deaths of His prophets and saints. We must be vigilant about these issues, especially considering the times we’re living in.
Proper diet and exercise will go a long way in keeping you healthy or restoring lost health. If you do everything you know to do after reading this article and you’re still sick, then you should consider the advice of James in the New Testament. Here’s what he says we should do about our health problems and I think our society would be far better as a whole for taking his advice:
“Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” (James 5:14-15 KJV)
Health Truth #5
Get Enough Sleep!
It’s Vital For Your Emotional, Physical & Spiritual Well-Being
Recent surveys conducted by various universities and independent organizations reveal that sleep deprivation is a serious problem in this country. Millions of people are sleeping less than six hours a night. In addition to lack of sleep, many others don’t sleep sound but instead, restlessly toss and turn.
According to a survey by the National Sleep Foundation: “…60 percent of adults report having sleep problems a few nights a week or more. In addition, more than 40 percent of adults experience daytime sleepiness severe enough to interfere with their daily activities at least a few days each month…”
In studies conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, they showed that those who slept for six hours or less a night were later diagnosed with increase of certain chemicals in blood associated with heart disease and diabetes.
Every individual needs a certain amount of sleep to rejuvenate and repair their body every night. On the average, an adult requires 8-9 hours. Children require even more. Chronic sleep loss has been linked to weight gain, high blood pressure, lower immunity, emotional disturbances, depression, hallucinations, memory loss, inability to concentrate, irregular heartbeat, body pain, and an overall lack of vibrancy and peace.
The scriptures say that a good night of sleep is a blessing from the Lord and something that we all need regularly to remain healthy and at peace.
“In peace I will both lie down and sleep, for You, Lord, alone make me dwell in safety and confident trust.” (Psalm 4:8 Amplified)
“It is vain for you to rise up early, to take rest late, to eat the bread of [anxious] toil–for He gives [blessings] to His beloved in sleep.” (Psalm 127:2 Amplified)
Why have so many in our fast paced society lost their ability to sleep? One explanation is our need to make money to pay bills and scrape by. We have become a society that is always on the go, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We rush here and scramble there to try and accomplish everything that needs to be done in a day without ever feeling like we’re caught up. How do we make up the slack? We cut back on sleep and increase our consumption of coffee and stimulants. This is a guaranteed recipe for burn-out and an early trip to the grave if you don’t get it under control.
This isn’t the American dream. Back in the 1950’s women didn’t have to work for a family to get by financially. A man could work 8 hours Monday through Friday and have enough money to buy a nice home, own a car, take vacations, have money to send his children to college, and enough left over to save and invest. They also had plenty of time for their children and families.
If you’re over-working yourself at the office without ever taking a break for yourself or family, if you’re depriving your family of quality time, if you’re burning yourself out by lack of sleep and stress, perhaps you need to examine your life a little closer. Your physical and emotional well-being will definitely suffer if it hasn’t already. Ask yourself if what you’re doing is worth it in the long run. You may be able to get by for a while living this way, but it will eventually catch up with you.
With regard to your spiritual life, there is no possible way to have a deep intimate relationship with the Lord if you’re sleep deprived and always on the go. Rest is so important to the Lord that he even made it one of the commandments to take one day a week and completely shut it down. God knows how important it is for us to rejuvenate our bodies.
If you want to live a fulfilled life with abundant health, you must take charge of your life in every area, including the sleep department. Make sure you’re getting adequate amounts every night. If you honor the Lord in all areas of your life and put Him first, He will honor you and take care of you in all the areas of your life that you need help in.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28 KJV)
Health Truth #6
Stop Worrying and Stressing Out!
It Can Ruin Your Health & Rob You of Your Peace
A big reason why you may not be sleeping or have peace in your life can be too much worry and stress. The Bible says:
“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” (Psalm 34:14 Amplified)
If you’re pursuing peace you should be making a conscious effort every day to live with a joyful, positive, enthusiastic attitude and a forgiving spirit. If you pursue peace you will listen to that voice of intuition within you and avoid making wrong decisions and choices when it doesn’t feel right. When you pursue peace it is very difficult for worry and stress to get the upper hand with you because your faith and trust is in the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.
Worry is a destructive force that can keep you from fulfilling God’s destiny for your life. All of us encounter negative situations at times that can cause us to worry or stress out. Sometimes it’s for a season and sometimes it can be a daily struggle for years or a lifetime. Just because the situation may be negative and the odds seem against you doesn’t mean we have to respond in a negative, worried, stressed out way.
Nobody has been given a promise by the Lord in this world to be free of problematic circumstances and situations. Throughout life we will all face them at one time or another. It’s how we handle them that can make all the difference in the world. You can either worry and stress out or find strength and resolve with the Lord and have a confident trust in him that all things will eventually work out for your ultimate good. If you’re going to live a fulfilled life with robust health according to the promises of God, then getting stress and worry under control is a priority. God’s not going to let you down if you trust Him.
“We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose.” (Romans 8:28 Amplified)
From a health standpoint, medical research has shown that stress can play a pivotal role in many cardiovascular disorders and can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lowered immune system function, hormone imbalances/disorders, prolonged healing, sleep disorders, changes in appetite, frequent headaches, gastrointestinal problems, muscle tension, anxiety, and depression.
The bottom line is this; you need to get it under control. If you don’t, it may eventually manifest in the form of a serious health crisis. It will definitely rob you of a fulfilled relationship with the Lord and keep you in a negative, unsatisfied frame of mind. Negative people that are worried and stressed out all the time have trouble keeping close friends because no one likes to be around people that are like this for any length of time.
There are a variety of ministers that have an awesome ability to help you get your life disciplined and lined up with God’s word so you can overcome stress, anxiety, and worry. Two very prominent preachers that come to mind are Joyce Meyer and Joel Osteen. If you need some healthy improvement in your life in this area, both of these ministers will give you a fresh new outlook on life based on the word of God. Here are a few positive scriptures on worry and stress that will help get you thinking more clearly about dealing with these issues and putting your trust in the Lord.
“In the day of my trouble I will call on You, for You will answer me.” (Psalm 86:7 Amplified)
“All the days of the desponding and afflicted are made evil [by anxious thoughts and forebodings], but he who has a glad heart has a continual feast [regardless of circumstances].” (Proverbs 15:15 Amplified)
“Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? For the Gentiles (heathen) wish for and crave and diligently seek all these things, and your heavenly Father knows well that you need them all. But seek (aim at and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides. So do not worry or be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have worries and anxieties of its own. Sufficient for each day is its own trouble.” (Matthew 6:31-34 Amplified)
One of the most empowering scriptures you can read for strength and hope is Psalm 34. It’s too long to quote here in its entirety. If you are struggling with worry, stress, and anxiety you should read this Psalm daily.
Health Truth #7
Laugh As Often As You Can And Live With Joy & Peace!
It Can Make A Dramatic Difference In Your Physical & Spiritual Health
Satan is after your joy and peace. The last thing he wants is a bunch of joyous; spirit filled Christians full of excitement, optimism, and enthusiasm for life. We are God’s ambassadors with the power through the blood of Jesus Christ to build the kingdom of God on earth. If the devil can steal your joy and get you into a pessimistic, negative frame of mind where you don’t laugh, have a cheerful attitude, and enjoy your everyday life even in bad situations and circumstances, then you’ve allowed an opening for him to attack you. Left unchecked and uncorrected, you will live a life of misery and defeat.
Being able to laugh and have an abundance of joy in your life is an extremely important area we all need to focus on daily, especially those of us representing the good news of Jesus Christ to the world. For some it’s easy to be joyous and happy daily regardless of circumstances. For others it may be a difficult struggle. The beauty is the more you are aware of it and the more you work on changing yourself and declaring the word of God over your life through faith, you can reprogram your heart and mind and bring it into submission to God’s perfect will for you.
It’s interesting that Proverbs says: “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22 KJV)
In a recent teaching series by Joyce Meyer that I was blessed to hear, she pointed out some interesting facts on laughter and joy that are well worth reprinting. Here’s what she said:
“Did you know that the average man or woman laughs four to eight times a day? The average child laughs about 150 times a day. Laughter is the best medicine because it causes the release of body chemicals called endorphins. These substances help to relieve pain and create a sense of well-being within us. Laughter can raise your energy levels and pull you out of the pit of depression. Laughter releases tension, anxiety, fear, anger, shame and guilt, and can completely change a person’s attitude. Laughter also stimulates all your major organs. Laughter strengthens your immune system, which is your primary defense against all disease. Laughter increases anti-bodies. It is believed to have a protective capacity against viruses, bacteria, and other micro-organisms. You inhale more oxygen when you laugh. Laughter stimulates your heart and blood circulation and is equivalent to any other standard aerobic exercise. Laughter is a wonderful gift from God.”
That’s pretty amazing isn’t it? Some things you need to do to break free of a negative, pitiful attitude are to turn off the TV, stop reading the newspaper every day, and stop listening to a lot of worthless talk radio. You have no idea how much negativity, pessimism, and anxiety you allow into your mind and spirit every day through these mediums. The media thrives on sensationalism, hype, and fear. The bad things taking place in our world are reported and given headline attention far more often than the good things because there is a satanic agenda to get our minds corrupted and off base.
Since the fall of man we have lived in a world of good and evil. The devil wants to get all of us over into his paranoid world of pessimistic negativity because once he can contaminate your mind and spirit with evil thoughts, doubt, uneasiness, and negativity; he can interfere with your plans and the destiny God has for your life. Fear and negativity breeds more fear and negativity. That’s a fact. Have you ever tried to be positive and full of joy around a bunch of pessimistic, depressed, negative people? It’s hard isn’t it?
I’m not trying to be out of balance by making these suggestions. While we do need to be aware of certain things going on in the world, my advice is that you try a full media detox for a few weeks and see how much better you feel. Start praying and reading the Bible every day. Start filling your spirit with joyful music that glorifies the Lord. Do some good things for other people. Let go of past disappointments. There’s nothing you can do to change the past. Forgive people that have wronged you. Stop holding grudges and getting so offended all the time. Get around more positive people filled with zest and excitement for life. Smile at everyone you meet. Laugh as often as you can. It’s very important that you replace the bad things in your life with an abundance of good, happy, positive things. Another recommendation is to make a list of edifying scriptures that you read and profess out loud every day that declare a positive destiny and purpose for your life. You’ll be amazed at the changes you will see and what others around you will see in your personality and attitude.
Break Free of The Negative Thinking That God Is Responsible For Your Health Problems
It’s very sad to see so many people with health problems, especially Christians that believe it’s because God wants them sick or made them sick. The word of God doesn’t say that we are predestined for sickness, but it also doesn’t say that we can eat whatever we want and abuse our bodies and God will perform a miracle to get you well. If God were to answer many of the prayer requests to restore people’s health, many would probably be right back where they are in six months or less because they lack the knowledge about what got them sick in the first place.
Please don’t misconstrue this to think I’m saying that unless you do everything perfect God won’t perform a miracle in your life. God has grace and mercy on us. He knows your heart and there have been plenty of cases where He has healed someone even when they did things wrong. Some people may be angry at God because they are sick or they may feel singled out and they don’t understand why something happened to them instead of someone else. You need to get over the blame game, pessimism, negative thinking, and sour attitude, and start looking at this from a positive point of view.
The book of Exodus says the following:
“…If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26 KJV)
Certainly as far as eating is concerned, following dietary boundaries established by the Lord can make a significant impact on whether or not you live in a state of health or disease. As far as helping someone breaking free of the negative notion that God wants them sick, they need to understand that their thoughts, attitude, words, and actions play a major role in the outcome. It’s the devil that wants you thinking negatively with a sour attitude. It’s the devil that is stealing your peace and joy. He will do all he can to get you into a doom and gloom state where you will think wrong thoughts and speak negative words over your life because what you constantly dwell on and talk about will determine your reality if you’re not careful. I could do an entire study about the power of your thoughts and words and the importance of disciplining yourself to bring them under the authority of Jesus Christ. You need to be very careful about the seeds you allow to be planted through your thoughts and words. The Bible says that:
“The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows).” (John 10:10 Amplified)
Jesus wants us to have life in this world, and abundant life in the world to come. He is not glorified by your sickness or health problems. God is actively in pursuit of laborers to work for His Kingdom. He needs all the workers He can get. The last thing He needs is you home or in the hospital sick with a pessimistic attitude where you can’t do a thing other than complain about your problems. We are to be good stewards of what God has entrusted to us, including our body.
“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (I Corinthians 3:16 KJV)
If our bodies are a temple then we need to start respecting them as a temple. What are you allowing into your temple that could be defiling it? It’s time to start examining what you eat, drink, think, speak, listen to, and do. All of it has a link to your overall health and well-being.
Churches and Pastors Need To Put More Emphasis On Health, Nutrition & Disease Prevention
I believe that churches need to make health issues a much bigger priority. This is not to underplay the important spiritual role they have in properly leading people to Christ and Shepherding their flock. A good analogy of their duty would be to compare it to the duty of a watchman in the Bible. A watchman’s duty was to stand on the wall of the city as a guard to warn the inhabitants of impending danger from enemy attacks. Whenever they saw an enemy approach, they were supposed to sound the alarm so the inhabitants of the city could either flee in time or prepare quickly for battle.
I believe in the area of health that church leaders have some responsibility in being watchmen. Many of them are great at giving heart warming sermons, alerting people to spiritual deception, and converting unbelievers, but what are they doing about alerting their congregants to the toxic brew of chemicals found in the foods and beverages they are ingesting or the dangerous prescription drugs on the market that many in their congregation may be taking? If you knew that ingesting a specific ingredient or concoction of ingredients from food or medicine could make someone sick or possibly kill them, wouldn’t you do everything in your power to try and warn them? I pray that pastors and preachers will put more time into learning about health issues and designate some time to educating their congregation. If they can’t do it or they lack the knowledge, they should seek out experts who have an anointing in this area that can help them.
Type II diabetes is a good example of doing more to shepherd God’s flock. Researchers are alarmed at the rise in Type II diabetes, especially with young children. The bottom line is this; if you don’t get your insulin under control and back to normal you will eventually die from this “man-made” disease. Why do I say “man-made?” Because almost all cases of Type II diabetes are diet related. If you have Type II diabetes you’re consuming far too much sugar and you’re severely mineral deficient, especially in vital trace minerals like chromium that come from whole foods. Our society is literally addicted to sugar and refined, processed foods that the body can’t recognize and ends up converting to sugar. The average American consumes close to 150 pounds of sugar a year according to well known author Nancy Appleton who wrote the book “Lick The Sugar Habit.” That’s almost a ½ a pound of sugar a day that your blood has to process.
If you have been diagnosed with Type II diabetes what do you think your doctor will tell you to do? He or she will tell you that you need to take a prescription drug for the rest of your life, possibly even insulin injections, and that you can’t cure it. He or she may try and point out a few things like watching your sugar intake, but most doctors lack adequate knowledge about diet and nutrition because they are given very little training in med school in this area.
The word pastor actually means shepherd. If you are a shepherd of God’s flock you have a duty to look after your sheep. A shepherd wouldn’t allow his herd of sheep to graze a field if he knew substances were in the food that could sicken or kill his herd. He also wouldn’t feed his flock inferior foods devoid of nutrition and let them drink contaminated water. He also wouldn’t put toxic drugs into his herd to suppress their symptoms of illness while continuing to let them eat and drink the same things that got them sick to begin with. The state of that shepherd’s flock would not be good and it wouldn’t be long before all his animals died off.
Why should a pastor treat his congregation any differently? Christians have the power to change a lot of circumstances and situations in this world if they united on issues. If churches started to take a lead role in the area of health the big food corporations and drug companies would be forced to change. In the end, it all boils down to economics. If people stop buying these foods, beverages, and drugs the companies would be forced to offer better alternatives.
Conclusion
It is better to put your trust in the Lord than in man. If you are sincere in your desire to get well and start living God’s way, pray about what you’ve read here and seek direction from the Lord. He will lead you perfectly in the way that you should go. He has never let anyone down who has honestly sought Him with clean hands and a pure heart and He never will.
I could add quite a bit more to all of these topics and address different ones as well but space does not permit me that opportunity. In future issues of CRUSADOR we will be covering many other topics along these lines in an effort to help you live a life of great health with spiritual prosperity. Hopefully through the information I’ve shared with you I’ve at least given you some motivation and words of wisdom to help you make some positive changes in key areas of your life. Here are a few more encouraging scriptures to leave you on a positive note.
“O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.” (Psalm 30:2 KJV)
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;” (Psalm 103:2-3 KJV)
“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” (Psalm 107:20 KJV)
“Heal me, O LORD, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise.” (Jeremiah 17:14 KJV)
“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5 KJV)