Biblical look at the Netflix documentary “WHAT THE HEALTH”

What the Health, vegan, cancer, diabetes, hearth disease, meat, dairy, butter, milk, cheese, fish, poultry, chicken, eggs, Bible, science

A Biblical perspective on the Netflix documentary, “WHAT The HEALTH”

My daughter-in-law Anya, came to me the other day and asked me to watch the Netflix documentary, “What the Health”, she said that it is super popular right now and a lot of her friends have changed their diets after watching it. Now, they are wondered why she and her family still eat meat and dairy products, because, “WHAT The HEALTH” clearly shows how bad meat and dairy products are”. Anya asked me to give some kind of rebuttal, because frankly, she didn’t know what to say to all of her friends who had seen the movie, and because she knows that we have always eaten a lot of meat, dairy and eggs and our family is very healthy.

According to WHAT THE HEALTH creators, Kip Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio…

“What The Health is a groundbreaking documentary. The film follows intrepid filmmaker Kip Andersen as he uncovers the secret to preventing and even reversing chronic diseases. What the Health exposes the collusion and corruption in government and big business that is costing us trillions of healthcare dollars, and keeping us sick.”

The movie is backed by actor Leonardo DiCaprio and is getting a fantastic reception here in the U.S. and changing the way America eats.

The basic message of the movie, WHAT The HEALTH.

We have a lot of disease in the U.S.; Cancer, diabetes, heart disease etc.
Processed foods are contributing to the problem.
Sugar and high carbohydrate diets are not the problem.
Meat and Dairy products are the biggest reason for disease.
The meat and dairy industry is destroying the planet.
Becoming a Vegan is the solution.

When we first got interested in eating healthy we were pulled to and fro by all the “expert voices”.

We heartily agree with the first two messages in the documentary but disagree with the last four. When we first got interested in eating healthy we were pulled to and fro by all the “expert voices”. The Bible calls it “winds of doctrine” they blow every which way. We even tried being vegetarians for a while, but we found that all the voices were not singing in harmony. They actually contradicted each other on a daily basis. So who were we going to believe? We finally decided to let God be the judge as to what is healthy and what is not, what we should eat and what we shouldn’t. That is when I quit getting sick and when we quit needing doctors and medicine altogether. My wife Shary says that her friends often ask her what medications she takes. Here answer is “none”, we don’t want or need them.

WHAT The HEALTH suggests we not eat…

Any type of meat, (beef, poultry, fish, etc).
Dairy products of any kind, (Milk, butter, cheese, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc). This includes goats milk and they even suggested that human milk was dangerous to babies.
Any type or form of Eggs.

What does the Bible say?

The authors of “WHAT THE HEATH”, believe that eating animal products is not only unhealthy but immoral. Obviously, God does not agree, since none of the great men and women in the Bible were vegans. Able ate meat but Cain did not. Moses ate meat, Samuel ate meat. David ate meat, all of the priests ate meat. Most of them lived to be more than 100 years old. Jesus and the disciples ate meat. Abraham ate meat and dairy and offered meat and dairy products to God and his angels before they destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. And… wait for it… they ate meat and dairy products!

Genesis 18:1-8

1 Now **the LORD appeared to him (Abraham)** by the oaks of Mamre, while he was sitting at the tent door in the heat of the day. 2 When he lifted up his eyes and looked, behold, three men were standing opposite him; and when he saw them, he ran from the tent door to meet them and bowed himself to the earth, 3 and said, “My Lord, if now I have found favor in Your sight, please do not pass Your servant by. 4 “Please let a little water be brought and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree; 5 and I will bring a piece of bread, that you may refresh yourselves; after that you may go on, since you have visited your servant.” And they said, “So do, as you have said.” 6 So Abraham hurried into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quickly, prepare three measures of fine flour, knead it and make bread cakes.” 7 Abraham also ran to the herd, and took a tender and choice calf and gave it to the servant, and he hurried to prepare it. 8 He took curds and milk and the calf which he had prepared, and placed it before them; and he was standing by them under the tree as they ate.

Our experience, eating meat and dairy products.

WHAT The HEALTH tries to make the case that beef, chicken, turkey, fish, milk, cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese and eggs are very bad for us and the reason people are getting diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Our family has been consuming these foods as the foundation of our diets for over 40 years. About 40 years ago we began to eliminate highly processed foods, especially sugar. Then we started eating more Biblical; (Red meat, milk, butter, cheese, eggs and poultry, the result is that none of us have diabetes or heart disease.

When all of our kids lived at home.

When all the kids lived at home, our family consumed 6 gallons of milk a day and ate innumerable eggs. We never paid for health insurance and never needed it. Most of our children never saw a doctor while living with us and following Biblical dietary habits. Shary gave birth to 13 healthy babies. We then raised those babies to be very healthy children and adults. So far those 13 children have raised 48 very healthy grandchildren.

relaxation breathing in labor — Shary stayed healthy and produced thirteen healthy babies eating eggs, meat. and drinking lots of milk.

For an in-depth look at what the Bible and science says about meat, eggs, milk, butter, salt, and processed foods, just go to our website, wellnessgospel.net and use the search option for the food item you want to research.

In Conclusion

The Bible does encourage fasting for limited periods of time. We believe there are spiritual and physical benefits to fasting. Eating a vegan diet can produce beneficial results if done for a short time, but making this a permanent lifestyle change will shorten your life. In our research we have never found a lifelong vegan or vegetarian, that made it to the 100 year mark. Conversely, all of the super-centenarians and oldest living persons, ate meat, eggs and drank milk and lots of it.

ONCE AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THE ONLY WAY TO EXCEPTIONAL EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, IS TO SPEND TIME EACH DAY LISTENING TO THE GREAT PHYSICIAN, JESUS CHRIST, AND DOING WHAT HE SAYS.

Often people have questions or comments about Wellness Gospel articles, please feel free to send an email to chrisschauermann@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
If you believe God knows what is best for us, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
To keep improving your health, and enjoy this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books and the link to Youngevity a wellness company founded by Dr. Joel Wallach. Simply click on the titles below for purchase information.

REFERENCES

WHAT THE HEALTH trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jf44vLndiRM
Debunking WHAT THE HEALTH http://nationalpost.com/life/food/why-netflix-documentary-what-the-health-has-got-nutritional-advice-very-very-wrong/wcm/054ced0f-08a0-4c96-9bee-7a868cda405d

May 23, 2017August 1, 2018

Autisim is at epidemic proportions, there is a simple fix!

autism, Bible, science, nutricion, drugs, vaccinations, diabetes, inducing labor

A national epidemic!

Autism has become an epidemic, it is moving so fast it is hard to keep up with the new numbers.

According to a new report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One in 68 U.S. children has autism. One in 54 boys has it. This is a 30% increase from 1 in 88 two years ago. Autism rates now 1 in 68 U.S. children: CDC – CNN.com [1]

[3]

Autism, what is it?

Autism refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication.

What are the symptoms of autism?

It is characterized by social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a tendency to engage in repetitive behaviors.

Common traits

Children often don’t respond to their name.
They don’t normally point at objects or things of interest.
Playing “pretend” games, is virtually impossible.
They avoid eye contact
People with autism die 30 years younger on average than their peers. [3]

The national organization that receives millions of dollars each year to fight autism, “Autism Speaks” says that genetics plays a huge role in autism.

“It’s noteworthy that we’re still finding new autism genes, let alone 18 of them, after a decade of intense focus,” says study co-author Mathew Pletcher, Ph.D., Autism Speaks’ vice president for genomic discovery. “With each new gene discovery, we’re able to explain more cases of autism, each with its own set of behavioral effects and many with associated medical concerns.” [2]

How can you make sure that your children and your friend’s children are not a part of the epidemic, if it is genetically driven?

God said, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” He did not say, “My people perish because I (God) gave them the wrong genetic makeup.” Even if you don’t believe in the God of Creation, the theory of evolution requires millions of years for genetic change. These people are trying to get us to believe that the genetic makeup of an entire country has changed if half a century. No, that is ridiculous and completely unscientific, autism is a cause and effect disease. There are things that increase your risk and things that reduce your risk, So what are those things?

The people of God are getting sick just like everyone else, but should they?

Hosea 4:6 “my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.”

God has promised to keep us and our children free from disease, giving us a full lifespan. He promises this, if we will just listen to what he says, pay attention to his laws and treat his word as divine truth.

Exodus 23:22, 25-26

²²If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, ²⁵Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, ²⁶and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

At some level every Christian must come to grips with this passage!

Either the word of God is true or it is not, either God will remove all sickness from us or he won’t, either God will give us a full lifespan or he won’t. For any real believer, it is not a matter of whether God will keep his promise, it is whether we have rejected His knowledge. Whether we have listened to him and done what he has said to do. Jesus warned people who are hearers of the word but not doers. He said they are like a house built on sand, when the storms of life come, they collapse. People who are doers of the Word are like a house built on rock. When the storms of life come (epidemics), they stand secure.

Autism Speaks wants you to believe that it is a result of your genetic makeup, God says that it is a result of what you have done. They want you to donate to their cause, so they can do more research. God says to simply, “read My word, do what I say, and you will not be in danger of having a child with autism. Or as we will demonstrate, if you have autism, you could be healed of it by simply following God’s advice.

A new study says that inducing labor can cause babies to be born with autism.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/27/health/cdc-autism/

According to new research inducing labor or speeding up labor with drugs can increase the chances of your baby having autism by 35%. The Bible says there is a time to be born (Ecclesiastes). Evidently, when we try to change the time to fit into our schedule or the doctor’s schedule, it can increase the chances of having a child with autism. When we use drugs to speed up birth, it increases our baby’s chances of autism. The Bible is emphatic about the disastrous effects of drug use. (See Wellness Gospel blogs concerning Doctors and Drugs.)

Eating refined foods causes diabetes and evidently causes autism in children born to mothers who eat refined foods.

Doctor Wallach says that he can cure autism in two weeks by simply removing refined foods like sugar and white flour, and feeding autistic children eggs and certain trace minerals.

You can get those trace minerals at: theambassador.youngevity.com

The Bible says not to eat refined foods, it says you might as well cut your throat with a knife. (Proverbs 23:1-3) Diabetes and autism are caused by refined foods.
Check out these videos for more information:

Wallach on Autism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkAKOFeV9vM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JXDND9UA24

Evidently exposure to sunlight can greatly reduce your child’s chances of being autistic.

A new study shows a 200% increase in the disease, if your baby is born in the darkest months. This is probably due to a lack of vitamin D, which your body produces when exposed to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be assimilated by eating fish or taking fish oil. The Bible says that fish with fins and scales are very good food. (Leviticus 11:9)

This is an epidemic that you and your loved ones do not have to participate in. So far, no one following our Biblical guidelines has ever had a child with autism. God has promised you a disease-free life and a full lifespan. Simply listening to God and doing what he says is the safest life plan you can pursue. Everything you need is found in God’s word and in his son. Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life”, “the enemy comes only to kill, steal and destroy, I have come that you may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10)

Truly; the only way to exceptional emotional and physical health and wellness, is to spend time each day with the great physician, Jesus Christ!

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other Wellness Gospel article, please feel free to send an email to chrisschauermann@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

If you believe God knows what is best for us, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.

If you want to keep improving your health and enjoy this kind of Biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books:

“God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach http://tinyurl.com/j8ybt8r
“None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D http://tinyurl.com/hh7ezs2

You can get all these books at Amazon.com or simply click on the URL next to each book title.

References

May 13, 2017May 23, 2017

Michelle Obama vs Donald Trump and school lunches! Part II

Michelle Obama sitting with school age children eating in a cafeteria. Michelle looking aghast at what the children are eating.

The effects of Michelle Obama’s “Healthy, Hunger-Free Food Act of 2010”

A close friend of mine works at a local public school. That school is mandated by the “Healthy, Hunger-Free Food Act of 2010” to restrict salt in the school lunches. He contacted me after he read my last blog. He said that it was unbelievable how much food the kids are throwing into the garbage cans each day. Evidently the elimination of salt has made the food so bland and tasteless that the kids would rather not eat, than consume the “healthier” food. So, if the kids won’t eat the food, how is that solving the hunger problem? And, are they healthier if they do not eat salt?

Michelle Obama led the fight against junk food in schools and helped pass the 2010 law. Now, Donald Trump appointees are working to remove those restrictions and are being heavily criticized for it. Both sides are claiming the scientific/nutritional high ground, but who is right?

Mrs. Obama means well, and I applaud her desire for the children of our country to eat better, it is a great need. She advocates for whole grain bread instead of white bread and I heartily agree. She wants to lower the amount of sugar the kids consume and I say, yes and Amen! But when Michelle is advocating for the lowering of salt intake, she is simply following the advice of mainstream medical and nutritional “experts”. Unfortunately, most of those experts do not have a Biblical world view, and it does make a difference.

A Biblical world view makes a difference in how you see the world.

Everyone has some kind of a world view. Most scientist have understandably chosen a “science is king” world view and it has been to their detriment, and now it is to the detriment of our children. Why? Because they are mandating a nutritional standard that is not only opposed to what God has said, but dangerous!

Last week we talked about saturated fats and how the idea that we should avoid saturated fats has been completely debunked. How that philosophy was born in a lie and has shortened the lives of thousands, if not millions of people who followed that advice.

This week I want to focus on salt. Salt enhances or brings out the flavor in almost all food. It also is a necessary nutrient; we will die if our body salt content gets too low.

What has been the initial effect of the 2010 law that lowered salt intake for our school children?

The School Nutrition Association, estimates that about 1 million fewer students participated in the school lunch program last year — in part due to the new 2010 requirements. “Forcing students to take a food they don’t want on their tray has led to increased program costs, plate waste, and a decline in student participation,” ¹ Schools were told to cut the salt in foods they sell, even in campus vending machines. [2]

5.May 22nd 1996 edition of the New York Times, the article was abstracted from the Journal of American Medical Association. — Students are throwing away record amounts of food or avoiding school lunches altogether.

What are reputable sources saying about salt?

According to the American Heart Association, excess sodium (salt) in our diets causes (stroke, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, stomach cancer, kidney disease, kidney stones, enlarged heart and headaches) They also claim that excess sodium causes (puffiness, bloating and weight gain [4] Wow who would want to expose their kids to those risks? That puts salt (sodium) in the category of junk food or worse, a poison. (It should be noted that the American Heart Association can’t seem to make up it’s collective mind. It has made statements that are exactly opposite of those above. See the full article about salt from last year.

Is salt (sodium) an evil chemical to be avoided like the plague or is it an essential nutrient that we need to consume in order to thrive and survive? With experts on both sides of the issue, who are you to believe? It is interesting that whenever “experts” want to restrict salt they call it sodium. It is kind of like calling a baby a fetus instead of a baby, so it is easier to abort it. If we call it sodium, it makes it easier to restrict.

What does the Bible say about salt?

The Bible tells us that Moses, Aaron and Levi were all priests before God. Moses lived to be 120, Aaron lived to be 123 and Levi lived to be 137. According to…

Deuteronomy 34:7, “Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.”

What did Moses, Aaron and Levi have in common? They were all priests, consequently, they all consumed lots of salt. Why? Because God had commanded that all the meat and grain they consumed (the offerings) be thoroughly salted.

Leviticus 2:13 “Add salt to all your offerings”

Mark 9:50 “Salt is good.”

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.”

Matthew 5:13

Salt makes food taste better.

Every chef knows that food without salt is bland, salt enhances the flavor of all foods. That is why virtually every dinner table in the world has a salt dispenser of some sort. That being said, everyone has a different idea of how much salt in their food makes the food taste best. If my wife Shary, put as much salt on her food as I put on mine, she would gag. I always put more salt on my food. Why? Probably because I sweat a lot more than Shary does.

Lost salt, must be replaced, if it isn’t, strength is lost and sometimes life itself!

When you sweat, you sweat out salt. That is why athletes drink Gatorade, (a heavily salted drink), it replaces the salt they have lost though sweating. God designed our taste buds to respond to nutritional needs. When we need more salt, we crave salty food. When we need less, we are repulsed by the salty taste. Salt is a necessary nutrient and your body has a mechanism designed to regulate it. That is why it is a dangerous practice to restrict salt.

There were only 5 player deaths in America 1931-1959 from heat, that amounted to only .18 deaths per year. Since we have been restricting salt, there were 103 player deaths in America from 1960-2000, that is 2.57 per year. Since we started restricting salt, player deaths has gone up a whopping 1400%. Similar statistics are found when we look at the population as a whole. It has become routine practice for hospitals to immediately start a salt water IV. Why? Because we aren’t getting enough salt!

My mother is in her nineties, she lives in a nursing home that feeds her typical food service fair. In the last year, we have had to take her to the emergency room twice. Each time she complained of excruciating pain all over her body. Each time we have taken her to the emergency room they give her a salt IV and she immediately recovered with all the pain gone.

salt, children, nutiritian, heart disease, stroke, kidney stones, arthritis, Bible, science, school food, diabetes, — Sweating Iron man runners who take salt pills finish 26 minutes faster! **Notice he is not even touching the ground!**

What is the latest research telling us about salt?

In an article found in US News and World report [4] by K. Aleisha Fetters. She sites new research published in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. They found that salt filled energy bars, drinks, and gels are not enough to sustain people’s need for salt.

“For the study, scientists from the Exercise Physiology Laboratory at the Camilo José Cela University in Spain studied 26 athletes competing in a Half Ironman – which consists of 1.2 miles of swimming, 56 miles of cycling and 13.1 miles of running.

During the race, half of the triathletes drank their regular sports drinks along with 12 salt capsules divided into three doses, while the rest drank their regular sports drinks and took 12 placebo capsules.

On average, those who consumed the extra salt ended the competition 26 minutes before those who stuck to sports drinks.”

“Sodium, for all the bad press it gets, is critical both to performance and staying healthy during particularly sweaty workouts. “When sodium levels get too low, total body water drops and blood volume drops, which leads to fatigue and performance declines,” says board-certified sports dietitian and certified strength and conditioning coach Marie Spano. “An athlete may experience muscle cramps, decreases in strength, and hyponatremia – dangerously low blood-sodium levels, which leads to edema, headache, confusion and can cause brain swelling and death.”

In a study, published in the August 2011 issue of the American Journal of Hypertension, 6,250 Patients were sampled. They concluded that there was no strong evidence that cutting salt intake reduces the risk of heart attacks, strokes or death. Actually they did find that the risk of heart disease was 56% higher for people who restricted salt intake as compared to the people with the highest salt consumption. The less salt you consume the more likely you are to die from heart disease. “You might as well salt your food to taste. It is a meaningless exercise (a low sodium diet). Don’t get paranoid about salt. It has nothing to do with blood pressure problems. There has never been a single iota of proof that restriction of salt has any benefit.” [5]

So who are you going to believe, when it comes to the health of your children?

Once again well-meaning people like Michelle Obama have listened to non-Christian scientists, and put our children in danger. Let me explain why there is a huge difference between Christian scientists and non-Christian scientists.

Non Christian scientist are more motivated to pay their mortgages and feed their families than please a God who sees all and will judge us when we die. Christian Scientist trust God to take care of their needs even when telling the truth may not please the person who writes their checks.

Christian scientist also have a book written by the creator of the earth. They can compare their research to what God has said and save a lot of time following dead end research.

Millions of people die each year because they lack Biblical knowledge. Knowledge about the care and feeding of their physical bodies!

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

The Idea, that to be a Christian is to be unscientific, or opposed to scientific knowledge, is not only incorrect, but is just the opposite of the truth. It would be like saying that Martin Luther King was a racist. Or that Einstein was opposed to math and physics.

The Word of God is not in opposition to the world of God.

Jesus, the creator, is referred to as “the Word”. In John chapter one, the Bible states that all wisdom and knowledge are found in Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:3 “in him (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

To love and know Jesus is to love knowledge because he is the author of it.

Why is this important to health and wellness?

Because millions of people believe that the God of the Bible is mostly concerned with our souls and is not really that concerned about our physical bodies. Millions do not believe that the Bible has any valuable information concerning the care and feeding of their bodies. Many people also believe there is no difference between God fearing scientist and those who reject the idea of a creator and ultimate judge of mankind. Many people think that to be Christian is to be unscientific and this could not be farther from the truth.

Some of the greatest scientific minds that ever lived, were children of God.

Solomon, Louis IV of France, Isaac Newton, Raymond Vahan Damadian, and Joel Wallach are all men who loved God, were guided by the scriptures and who investigated the nature of things. Below is another great Christian, scientific mind that helped change our world for the better.

In conclusion

Our schools need to return to biblical training and biblical/scientific eating. We need to promote and encourage God-fearing doctors and scientists who are more concerned about pleasing God and helping people than they are about furthering their careers. The greatest minds that ever lived, were guided by God and by his word. That is why we bring this information to you each week. Information from the word of God and from honest scientists that love God and love people.

Truly; the only way to exceptional emotional and physical health and wellness, is to spend time each day with the Great Physician, Jesus Christ!

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other Wellness Gospel article, please feel free to send an email to chrisschauermann@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

If you believe God knows what is best for us, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.

If you want to keep improving your health and enjoy this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.

“God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach http://tinyurl.com/j8ybt8r
“None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D. http://tinyurl.com/hh7ezs2

You can get all these books at Amazon.com or simply click on the URL next to each book title.

References

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/05/20/313983587/lawmakers-seek-delay-on-healthy-lunch-rules-for-schools
http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-school-lunch-20150422-story.html
Salt matters usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2015/03/20/is-salt-the-newest-workout-supplyment.
Sodium is bad https://healthyforgood.heart.org/eat-smart/infographics/effects-of-excess-sodium-infographic
May 22^nd 1996 edition of the New York Times, the article was abstracted from the Journal of American Medical Association.

April 23, 2017

9 shocking reasons we should be fasting.

fasting, bible, Science, weight loss, heart health, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, longevity.

Fasting, what is it?

Fasting is simply the act of abstain from all or some kinds of food or drink for a specified period of time. Some fasting works and some doesn’t.

People have many different reasons for fasting.

For health reasons.
For weight loss and beauty.
Some people fast as a means of letting God know they are serious and want him to move on their behalf. Often people will say, “I will fast till my friend gets healed”. Or, “I will fast so God will fix my marriage”. Jesus said that when we fast in secret God will reward us openly.

Matthew 6:16-18 (Jesus speaking)

¹⁶“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.

Jesus said that fasting that is done for people to see doesn’t move the hand of God. It does get people to think we are spiritual but Jesus said that was the only reward for that kind of fasting.

If you fast, will you always get what you want?

Sometimes when people fast and pray they get the things they are requesting. In the book of Ester, the people fasted and prayed so that the government would not implement a law that required mass genocide on the Jewish people. God answered their prayers through a marvelous set of perfectly timed events. The book of Ester is a great read and a great example of getting what you fasted for.

Even when people fast in secret they don’t always get what they are asking for. Sometimes people get what they are fasting for, and sometimes they don’t. I have had many friends fast and pray in earnest, but they did not get what they were praying for. When this happens, it can be very discouraging. Because of this, people often give up on the practice of fasting all together. Does this mean that Jesus lied about God rewarding us? Does it mean my friends somehow did it wrong? Let me tell you a story that might shed some light on this issue.

Did Jesus lie about fasting or are we just doing it wrong?

When I was a youth pastor, we got a video once a month from a group called Fire By Night. They would introduce the kids to new Christian music artists and do hilarious skits in order to illustrate Biblical truths. The videos were great and the kids loved them. One year they advertised summer mission trips. They showed kids ministering on mission trips all over the world. They even showed famous Christian Artist with the kids on trips. Well, our kids were sold, they all wanted to be missionaries.

Unfortunately, that year, my wife Shary was due to give birth during the mission trip. The kids still wanted to go even though I couldn’t make it. A couple that helped with the youth group, Dan and Brenda Lewis offered to go as chaperones while I stayed home. They ended up taking a trip deep into Mexico.

When they got back from the trip, they all gathered in my dinning room and shared their experiences. Along with their parents and family members we all listened as the related one miraculous story after another. The stories were great and it seems like we listened for hours as they shared how people got back their sight, lame people walking and demons were cast out.

The screaming interpreter!

One story they told us was about a man who had one leg about 3 inches shorter than the other. As they were praying for him with their eyes closed, the interpreter began to shout and scream. They said they were afraid to open their eyes at first, they didn’t know what they would see. Finally, they looked and saw that his leg had grown so that both legs were the same length.

The next year I got to go; wild horses couldn’t have stopped me. I was so determined to see the same things the kids saw the year before, that I suggested we fast for the 28-hour trip from Astoria to El Paso Texas. My idea was that we would fast and pray, so God would do miracles. Kind of like we were letting God know we were serious. Much to my disappointment, not one person got healed, and we didn’t see any miracles on that mission trip. But, what we did see and what did happen, was we prayed with over 3,000 people to receive Jesus. At one open air preaching event, people lined up three deep wanting to receive Jesus.

Something better!

At first, I was disappointed that we did not get to see any miracles. But when I realized how many people came to Christ I understood that God had kept his promise. “He rewarded us”, not with miracles but with something better, souls. Jesus did not lie to us and most people are not doing it wrong. Jesus never promise we would get what we fasted for, he promised we would be openly rewarded, and that’s just what God does.

How I apply that to my life.

Over forty years of fasting has taught me that Jesus meant it when he said, “God will reward you openly”. That promise has motivated me to do a lot of fasting and God has rewarded me in a lot of very fun and amazing ways.

Here is how I have applied that to my life. I fast once a week by not eating solid food for breakfast and lunch every Sunday. Once a year I go on a personal retreat with God, on that retreat I will go without food or water for three days. Before mission trips I usually fast anywhere from three days to three weeks. I have done a couple of 40 day fasts where I drank juice and water.

All the fasting I do with the except of the three-day fast, I take vitamins and minerals and drink milk, water or juice. As I have gotten older I sometimes I refrain from solid foods but do eat soup. All that to say this. Many people think fasting is dangerous. Fasting is not dangerous, on the contrary, it can be quite healthful and; I have always found God to be faithful to reward me, one way or another.

Some spiritual benefits of fasting.

I have been doing mission trips for all these years and people always get saved and usually we do get to see God heal people and sometimes we see him drive out demons.
It’s been my privilege to leading a great church and school for over 25 years.
I have been fortunate to see all my children do mission work in foreign countries.
My wife Shary and I have been together for over 45 years and She is my best friend.

Is all of this because I fast from time to time? Maybe not, but on the other hand maybe it is. Somebody is going to fast and pray, might as well be us. Somebody is going to get a reward from God, might as well be us!

Physical benefits to fasting.

Not all the benefits from fasting are spiritual. Evidently there are a lot of physical benefits as well. Here are 9 scientifically verified benefits of fasting.

Intermittent fasting changes the function of cells, organs, genes and hormones!

Evidently our internal organs need a rest occasionally so they can repair and recuperate.

Insulin levels:Blood levels of insulin drop significantly, which facilitates fat burning .
Human growth hormone HGH:The blood levels of growth hormone may increase as much as 5-fold. Higher levels of this hormone facilitate fat burning and muscle gain, and have numerous other benefits
Cellular repair:The body induces important cellular repair processes, such as removing waste material from cells when fasting .
Gene expression:While fasting there are beneficial changes in several genes and molecules related to longevity and protection against disease. Fasting strengthens your immune system.
The liver, kidneys, stomach, intestines and other organs need to rest regularly. During intermittent fasting these organs heal and recuperate.

Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat

Intermittent fasting enhances hormone function to facilitate weight loss. Fasting once in a while for long periods to loose weight doesn’t work over the long haul. That kind of fasting will actually produce the opposite results. When we go for long periods without eating, your body reprogram itself to hold onto fat. Even though you might loose a lot of weight while fasting, you will gain in all back quickly.

Regular: once a week or twice a week fasting is effective because it lowers insulin levels, while increasing growth hormone levels and increasing amounts of norepinephrine (noradrenaline) all increase the breakdown of body fat and facilitate its use for energy.

Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

intermittent fasting has been shown to have major benefits for insulin resistance and lead to an impressive reduction in blood sugar levels. In human studies on intermittent fasting, fasting blood sugar has been reduced by 3-6%, while fasting insulin has been reduced by 20-31%. One study in diabetic rats also showed that intermittent fasting protected against kidney damage, one of the most severe complications of diabetes.

Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in The Body

Oxidative stress is one of the steps towards aging and many chronic diseases. It involves unstable molecules called free radicals, which react with other important molecules (like protein and DNA) and damage them. Additionally, studies show that intermittent fasting can help fight inflammation, another key driver of all sorts of common diseases.

Intermittent Fasting May be Beneficial For Heart Health

Heart disease is currently the world’s biggest killer. Studies show that intermittent fasting can improve numerous risk factors for heart disease, such as blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglycerides and inflammatory markers. According to the Mayo Clinic “Regular fasting can decrease your low-density lipoprotein, or “bad,” cholesterol. It’s also thought that fasting may improve the way your body metabolizes sugar. This can reduce your risk of gaining weight and developing diabetes, which are both risk factors for heart disease”. [1]

Intermittent Fasting May Help Prevent Cancer

Bottom Line: Intermittent fasting has been shown to help prevent cancer in animal studies. One study on humans showed that it can reduce side effects caused by chemotherapy.

Intermittent Fasting is Good For Your Brain

Intermittent fasting may have important benefits for brain health. It may increase growth of new neurons and protect the brain from damage.

Intermittent Fasting May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer’s disease is the world’s most common neurodegenerative disease.

A study in rats shows that intermittent fasting may delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease or reduce its severity.

Intermittent Fasting May Extend Your Lifespan, Helping You Live Longer

In one study rats that fasted every other day lived 83% longer than rats that didn’t fast.

How do I get started?

Start off with a short easy fast once a week. Pick a day to skip breakfast and lunch, just drink juice or water for those two meals. Take a vitamin and mineral supplement with your liquids, then eat a normal dinner. When you can do this without headaches or other withdrawal symptoms you could try two days or maybe all day.

What to expect!

It is common for people to get a headache or some other unpleasant feeling the first time they try to fast. Don’t panic, you are not the first person to experience this. it is simply your body having a temper tantrum. Your body has been used to being in charge and it wants to stay that way.

Fasting is your spirit beginning to be in the driver’s seat. Pray for God’s help, then tell your flesh that you are now in charge, the negative physical feelings will eventually go away. I never have any negative reactions to fasting because my body is used to it. Most people quickly get over the withdraws associated with first time fasting. Often people who have trained their bodies to fast feel better, more alert and alive while fasting. The apostle Paul tells us that we need to be in control of our body, not the other way around.

Galatians 5:16

¹⁶So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you cannot do what you want to do.

There are so many positive benefits to fasting, what are you waiting for? The Pharisees asked Jesus why his disciples didn’t fast like they did. First of all, Jesus wasn’t impressed with the kind of fasting they practiced, but he told them that when he was gone from this earth his disciple would fast.

Matthew 9:15

Jesus answered, “How can the guests of the bridegroom mourn while he is with them? The time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; then they will fast.

In Matthew 6:16-18 Jesus didn’t say, “if you fast” he said, “when you fast”. Jesus expects us to fast, why? Because it is good for us. Make plans today, it will change your life.

Matthew 6:16-18 (Jesus speaking)

¹⁶“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ¹⁷But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, ¹⁸so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you openly.

Truly; the only way to exceptional emotional and physical health and wellness, is to spend time each day with the Great Physician, Jesus Christ! When you fast pray, whenever you think about eating spend a moment praying for someone or simply thanking Jesus for who he is.

If you have any questions or comments about this or any other Wellness Gospel article, please feel free to send an email to chrisschauermann@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.

If you believe God knows what is best for us, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.

If you want to keep improving your health and enjoy this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.

“God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach http://tinyurl.com/j8ybt8r
“None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D. http://tinyurl.com/hh7ezs2

You can get all these books at Amazon.com or simply click on the URL next to each book title.

References

Fasting Http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/facts/.htmlhttps://authoritynutrition.com/10-health-benefits-of-intermittent-fasting/
Science behind fasting http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/expert-answers/fasting-diet/faq-20058334

A Biblical perspective on the Netflix documentary, “WHAT The HEALTH”

According to WHAT THE HEALTH creators, Kip Anderson and Leonardo DiCaprio…

The basic message of the movie, WHAT The HEALTH.

When we first got interested in eating healthy we were pulled to and fro by all the “expert voices”.

WHAT The HEALTH suggests we not eat…

What does the Bible say?

Genesis 18:1-8

Our experience, eating meat and dairy products.

When all of our kids lived at home.

In Conclusion

REFERENCES

A national epidemic!

Autism has become an epidemic, it is moving so fast it is hard to keep up with the new numbers.

Autism, what is it?

What are the symptoms of autism?

How can you make sure that your children and your friend’s children are not a part of the epidemic, if it is genetically driven?

The people of God are getting sick just like everyone else, but should they?

At some level every Christian must come to grips with this passage!

A new study says that inducing labor can cause babies to be born with autism.

Eating refined foods causes diabetes and evidently causes autism in children born to mothers who eat refined foods.

Evidently exposure to sunlight can greatly reduce your child’s chances of being autistic.

Truly; the only way to exceptional emotional and physical health and wellness, is to spend time each day with the great physician, Jesus Christ!

The effects of Michelle Obama’s “Healthy, Hunger-Free Food Act of 2010”

A Biblical world view makes a difference in how you see the world.

What has been the initial effect of the 2010 law that lowered salt intake for our school children?

What are reputable sources saying about salt?

What does the Bible say about salt?

Salt makes food taste better.

Lost salt, must be replaced, if it isn’t, strength is lost and sometimes life itself!

What is the latest research telling us about salt?

On average, those who consumed the extra salt ended the competition 26 minutes before those who stuck to sports drinks.”

So who are you going to believe, when it comes to the health of your children?

The Word of God is not in opposition to the world of God.

Why is this important to health and wellness?

Some of the greatest scientific minds that ever lived, were children of God.

In conclusion

References

Fasting, what is it?

People have many different reasons for fasting.

Matthew 6:16-18 (Jesus speaking)

If you fast, will you always get what you want?

Did Jesus lie about fasting or are we just doing it wrong?

The screaming interpreter!

Something better!

How I apply that to my life.

Some spiritual benefits of fasting.

Physical benefits to fasting.

Intermittent fasting changes the function of cells, organs, genes and hormones!

Intermittent Fasting Can Help You Lose Weight and Belly Fat

Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Your Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Intermittent Fasting Can Reduce Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in The Body

Intermittent Fasting May be Beneficial For Heart Health

Intermittent Fasting May Help Prevent Cancer

Intermittent Fasting is Good For Your Brain

Intermittent Fasting May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease

Intermittent Fasting May Extend Your Lifespan, Helping You Live Longer

How do I get started?

What to expect!

Galatians 5:16

Matthew 9:15

Matthew 6:16-18 (Jesus speaking)