November 2016 - Wellness Gospel

November 26, 2016

Destiny, is your body hindering yours?

Destiny, is God’s good plan for our lives.

As far as our destinies are concerned, does God even care how we treat our bodies? It’s our spirit and our soul that he is concerned about, right? Isn’t it just worldliness to spend time and energy trying to keep this body alive a few more years?

We believe God is infinitely concerned about how we treat our bodies. Why? Because our body is the vehicle we are given to accomplish our destiny! If our bodies give out early, we cannot finish all that God has planned for us. Our body is also the place where God’s spirit lives.

1 Corinthian 6:19-2o Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own,²⁰for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.

1 Corinthians 3:16-18 ¹⁶Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? ¹⁷If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.

Evidently God is serious about how we treat our bodies. Why? Because God has a plan for my life and your life, and, until he returns, that plan is carried out in this body we live in. How serious is God? According to 1 Corinthians 3:17, if we abuse our bodies, he will remove our bodies and take us home to be with him.

I once heard Charles Swindoll, the famous theologian/teacher, share a conversation he had with a man who felt that concern for our physical bodies was unspiritual. As I remember the story, Swindol was trying to encourage the man to take better care of his body, to slow down his pace of life a bit. To rest on Sunday, as God has suggested. The man was boasting to Mr. Swindoll,“In my service to God; I’d rather burn out, than rust out!” I will never forget Swindoll’s response; he paused for a moment and then said, “either way you’re out!” Whether you burn out or rust out, you’re out!

God has a plan for our lives, a specific, awesome, fruitful plan. God has given us the potential of having close to 120 years to fulfill that plan.[1] You have a destiny, what a waste to die young, cutting short your destiny, because you didn’t take care of the body He gave you. Some people have argued, “There is nothing we can do to extend or shorten our years of productivity, because Ecclesiastes says ‘there is… a time to be born and a time to die.” They conclude, if God has set a specific time to die, then we are powerless to alter it. I agree that there is a time to die, but most people never live long enough to reach their appointed time. In Psalm 55:23 King David writes that sinful men, (men and women who miss the mark), “Will not live out half their days.” He is saying that you get a certain number of days, but sin can cut those days in half. In Ephesians 6:2,3 the apostle Paul quotes from the Ten Commandments…

“Honor your father and mother”—- which is the first commandment with a promise— that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”

Paul is quoting from the old testament, affirming that there are decisions that we make that will either shorten our lives or lengthen them. Which road we choose can make a difference for eternity.

Road to Destiny — Choosing which road leads to your destiny

Many good Christians I talk to express no desire to live long. They usually say something like, “Why would I want to extend my life? I’m not that attached to this world. I would much rather go home to be with my Jesus.” This sounds so spiritual, but is it? I think this attitude is illustrated in this humorous story.

An elderly Christian couple had taken such good care of their bodies that they were now in their eighties and were still going strong. Unfortunately, they were the victims of a car accident and both went to heaven at the same time. When they got to heaven St. Peter took them to their new mansion. It was beyond anything they had ever seen and the couple was overjoyed. After the initial shock, the husband took Peter aside and explained that though they loved the house, they probably couldn’t afford it. Peter laughed and told the man that he was in heaven, and the house was free. Next, Peter showed the man that in his back yard was the most beautiful eighteen-hole golf course ever seen. This golf course changed to a new fantastic course every day. The man thanked Peter profusely but again expressed a concern for how expensive the greens fees might be. Peter laughed and told him that there was no charge for the use of the golf course. Next Peter took them to a banquet table spread with the most beautiful and delicious food imaginable. Once more the man said that though the food looked very good, he and his wife couldn’t eat it because they were on a strict diet, the food had way too many calories. Finally, Peter, a little exasperated, said “listen; this is heaven, everything is free, nothing is harmful; you can eat all you want and never get fat or unhealthy.” On hearing this, the man paused for a moment, deep in thought, then turned to his wife and said, “If it wasn’t for you and your bran muffins we could have been here a long time ago.

This is funny, but is this what our savior died for? Many people are saying, “the sooner I get to heaven the better.” Paul expressed the same desire, but his conclusion takes a different twist.

Philippians 1:24-25 “I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body. Convinced of this. I know that I will remain and I will continue with all of you for your progress and joy in the faith.”

Destiny Schweitzer qoute — Destiny means serving others

Jesus said that there were two great destinies, two great Godly motivators; to love God and love people.

We demonstrate our love for God by caring for the body that He gave us and by caring for the body that the Holy Spirit chooses to live in: yours! We demonstrate our love for people by living and serving as long as possible, to help as many people as possible. Paul said that death was not our friend, but, instead, it is our last enemy. (1 Corinthians 15:26) We are to fight that enemy as long as we can. Why? Every soul you win will be eternally grateful to you for sticking around long enough that they could hear the Gospel and grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. They will be your eternal reward.[2]

Does God have a specific destiny for each of us?

Psalms 139:13-16 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made: your works are wonderful; I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

Before we were born God wrote a book about each of us. It was his good plan for our lives. His plan included good works for us to do.

Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

It has been said that it is better to finish well than to start well. God is looking for people who can make it for the long run, and, if you are going to make it for the long run, you are going to have to take care of your body. The best way to take care of your body is to follow the instructions in his owner’s manual, the Bible. You can find those instructions in our previous blogs that share God’s advice on; (rest, exercise, food, attitude and more). Follow God’s instructions and you will have a healthy body to work with, but then what do we do with it? How do we know what our destiny is? Here is a very brief answer, to that very important question.

Destiny, psychic — **You don’t have to be psychic to find your destiny!**

You simply must look at how God made you. What things are you good at, and what do you enjoy doing. That is the best place to start. He made you good at the things he wanted you to do, and he gave you the ability to enjoy those things.
Next, ask God for help each day, “apart from God we can do nothing”.[4] Pray a simple prayer something like this: “Father, I want to know your will for my life today, lead me and give me the strength to do your will.”
Then act on your holy-hunches. When a thought goes through your head that is selfless, and does not contradict God’s word, do it.

Here are a couple of examples from Shary’s life and my life, that illustrate how God uses his still small voice to guide us.[3] It also illustrates how God can take something that seems to be insignificant to us, and turns it into a life changing event for someone else.

At a pastor’s conference, held at New Beginnings Christian Church in Portland, we were asked to greet the people around us. As I turned to greet the woman behind me, a thought went through my head that I should give her the ten-dollar bill in my pocket. It seemed a little presumptuous, but I just apologized and said. “I realize this is a little strange, but I feel God nudging me to give you this money.” The woman immediately burst into tears. She told me that she and her husband were really struggling financially. They had come to the conference as a kind of last ditch effort to decide if they should continue working as pastors. Most of the women at the conference were going to a luncheon that cost ten dollars and she didn’t have it. She said that she had just told God that if he would provide the money for the meal she would take it as a sign that he was still with them in the ministry. There was no celestial music in my ears like in the movies, no thunder and lighting, just a quiet thought. When we doubt we hear God, we need to remember that Jesus said his sheep hear his voice. You are a sheep, aren’t you? Ok, then you do hear his voice.

When Peter was barely old enough to play soccer, we signed him up. We had to do something before he drove us crazy. When we arrived at the first practice, all the parents were there and they all stayed for the entire practice. While we were waiting, I noticed a girl that I had gone to school with in Forest Grove. I introduced her to Shary and they talked for a while. On the way home I told Shary the girl was a grade above me in school and she was super nice and super popular and had been the queen of everything in High School. About a week later Shary had a thought, (a holy hunch) go through her head. She felt God wanted her to call this girl up and ask her to be her friend. Shary protested, she told me and God that this would certainly look like Shary was this needy person asking, “would you be my friend’. It wasn’t sky writing, it was just a holy hunch, so Shary declined. Unfortunately, or fortunately, the thought would not go away. Finally, Shary took a deep breath and made the call. She apologized and said this might sound a little crazy, but she was calling because she felt God wanted them to be friends. Shary said that there was a long pause on the other end of the line. Shary was sure the girl was trying to figure out how to get the crazy person off the phone. Then Shary heard crying, when the girl composed herself, she told Shary that she had been having a rough time, and had been contemplating suicide. She explained to Shary that she had told God, “If he would just bring me a Christian friend, I won’t do it.

At this point I must admit that these experiences don’t happen every day for Shary and me. The reason they don’t happen every day is that I am not always that tuned in, I wish I were. Only Jesus lived out his destiny perfectly. But as his followers, we will accomplish more of our destiny if we have a healthy body.

You have a destiny I have a destiny and if we are always sick and tired, it will be too hard to follow the still small voice of God. If we die young, we will not have the time to do all that God as planned for us. Don’t give in to people that don’t think it is important to follow God’ advice. Jesus said…

I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:18-19

Our purpose for writing each week is to obey Matthew 5:19, by providing you with biblical advice on the care and feeding of your body, God’s temple. We do it because this Biblical advice is so rare. We also do it, because we see thousands of good Christians, whose lives have been cut short, simply because they were never taught what the Word of God and the Law of God had to say about health and wellness.

If you are new to the wellness gospel, check out our oldest posts and work your way to the present. God has a lot to teach us about rest, sleep, attitude, sin and food. You will be richly blessed as you put his advice into practice.

If you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team; register for our weekly newsletter, then spread the word by sharing 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.

“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.

https://www.amazon.com/None-These-Diseases-Secrets-Century/dp/080075719X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478320824&sr=8-1&keywords=none+of+these+diseases

“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Play-Doctor-Ma-Lan/dp/0970149093/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478321040&sr=8-1&keywords=let%27s+play+doctor

“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann

https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Guide-Biblical-Health-Healing-ebook/dp/B00VAS7C7A/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1478321131&sr=8-1&keywords=God%E2%80%99s+Guide+To+Biblical+Health+and+Healing

You can get all these books at Amazon.com

References

120 year lifespan Deuteronomy 6:3 https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=120+years&qs_version=ESV
People, your eternal reward and crown. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4:1&version=NIV
Then still small voice of God https://www.biblegateway.com/quicksearch/?quicksearch=still+small+voice&qs_version=NKJV
John 15:5

November 19, 2016

Which fish improves your health or makes you sick?

Eating fish can make you sick or make you healthy, it’s all in what fish you eat. God said not to eat fin-less or scale-less creatures, that live in water. God also told us that fish with scales and fins are good food. Once again we have so called, “experts” who tell us that eating shellfish is harmless. Why? Because of toxin advisories. Experts also tell us not to eat fish with fins and scales. Why? Because of mercury contamination. So, who are you going to believe? The problem stems from the fact that our bodies are infinitely complex; the functioning of our immune systems is beyond complex. We at Wellnessgospel, believe that God created our complex bodies and he knows what foods are good for us and what foods are not. So, let me share with you one story and some science that should encourage us to believe that our God still knows what is best for us.

In his blog, Wandering Earl, Derek Earl Baron describes his bout with seafood poisoning. As he puts it, “Seafood poisoning is less fun than I ever imagined”

Shortly after eating some questionable seafood curry in Goa, he had this reaction.13,14 (in Goa one of the traditional ingredients of seafood curry is shellfish)14

“I only remember a little from the following couple of hours but according to my friend, who has had the most unfortunate job of taking care of me, I was in a most delirious state. I passed in and out of sleep, often times waking up in an instant, muttering some nonsense and then closing my eyes immediately after. My words were jumbled, I couldn’t focus on any one location for more than a second and I wasn’t comprehending much of what she was saying to me. Using my own strength to sit up was impossible and I would alternate between very quick and extremely slow breathing.

After about an hour of this, my friend finally managed to get me to stand up and while she wanted to take me straight to the hospital again, I used my ridiculous stubbornness to convince her that I should eat some lunch and see how I felt after that. And then, on the way to the restaurant in front of my beach hut, I nearly walked into a tree. I didn’t even see it and again, according to my friend, I could barely walk in a straight line at all.”

If you read Derek’s entire story, he had all the classic symptoms of domoic acid poisoning; memory loss, dizziness, itching and shortness of breath, to name a few. Domoic acid poisoning can leave the person with permanent memory loss and, in some cases, death may result.

On Prince Edward Island, Canada, there was a shellfish poisoning resulting in 3 deaths. Blue mussels contaminated with domoic acid were blamed.9,10 In 1987 there was an outbreak of domoic acid poisoning, 14% of all those effected died. 11

Shellfish always contain toxins. They are not always at the “danger” level, but any amount of toxins will put an unnecessary strain on our bodies, especially the kidneys and liver. Both are important to our immune system. The liver actually scans the blood for cells that fight disease. When it recognizes a disease-fighting cell, it selectively enriches that cell. Pretty awesome huh? God has reasons for his food advice, it is great that we can now see what some of those reasons are, but we still don’t know all the reasons. We just know that when God said he would take away sickness from us, and give us a full life span, the condition was that we pay attention him and listen to what he says.

Exodus 23:20-21, 25-26 “I am sending an angel (The angel of the Lord, Jesus) ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him…Worship the Lord your god and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.”

I have been on many mission trips where my friends eat shellfish and get sick. Derek and my friends could have saved themselves a lot of pain and suffering had they listened to God’s advice in the old testament.

Leviticus 11:9-12 “of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams, you may eat any that have fins and scales . But all creatures in the seas and streams that do not have fins and scales…you must not eat their meat.”

God’s word is not silent about the benefits of eating kosher fish in the New Testament either. Jesus called fish, “Good gifts”.

“Luke 11:11-13 ¹¹If a son asks for bread^[a] from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? ¹²Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”

Jesus was trying to communicate how great a gift the Holy Spirit was, so he used bread, eggs and fish as examples of very good gifts. Jesus ate fish after he was raised from the dead and he cooked and served fish to his disciples before asking Peter, “do you love me”.

Why did God put his stamp of approval on fish with fins and scales? Because fish with fins and scales generally eat living things. Creatures without fins and scales are primarily bottom feeders eating dead and decaying things. Commonly eaten seafood without fins and scales are:

Shrimp, clams, lobster, crab, oysters, abalone, scallops, catfish, sturgeon, shark, crayfish, bullhead, whale, and calamari. As these creatures clean up the seas, they collect toxins that are harmful to our bodies.

My family lives on the Oregon coast; our local radio stations will routinely give a “toxin report.” They will report the levels of toxins in shellfish (clams, crab, etc.). They never say there are no toxins (poisons). One of the most prevalent toxins in shellfish is demoic acid; demoic acid can cause dizziness, nausea, permanent short-term memory loss, which is what Wandering Earl experienced.

newspaperclam toxin report — newspaper clam toxin report

My question is this – If toxins are poison to our bodies, how much poison do you want? What level of poison do you consider safe for you and your family? The Bible says to avoid it altogether.

Your kidneys filter out toxins (poison), these toxins inhibit our body’s natural immune system. Also, if our kidneys receive too many toxins they cannot do their other job, which is to control proteins in the body. Why is that so important? Well I’m glad you asked, antibodies which fight disease are made of protein.

But people will tell me, this is a new day, the bible is outdated, the writers of the bible didn’t know that we would pollute our streams, rivers and oceans with mercury. And everyone knows that fish contain dangerous levels of mercury. OK, did you know that sharks contain the highest levels of mercury of any fish. And, sharks have no scales, thus not to be eaten by us.

seafood mercury warning

Next, Greenpeace is promoting this mercury alert. Since when did Greenpeace become a nutritional advisory. They have an ulterior motive. Their goal is to stop as much fish harvesting as possible. Scaring us out of eating fish is part of their strategy and they usually throw in the scare tactic that, pregnant women especially, should not eat fish. So here are the facts.

Fish is a high-protein, low-fat food that provides a range of health benefits. White-fleshed fish, in particular, is lower in fat than any other source of animal protein, and oily fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids, or the “good” fats.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists note that, considering all the dangers and benefits, the overall result of eating fish in the United States is likely to improve personal health rather than damage it. The Seychelles Child Development Study traced more than seven hundred mother-child pairs for nine years, and found no neurological problems in the children resulting from both prenatal and postnatal methylmercury exposure. A study done with marketed fish in Oman concluded that, except in a few rare cases, the fish available for consumption had lower levels of mercury than limits defined by various health organizations.^[50] Clearly, these studies call into question whether or not normal everyday consumption of fish is dangerous in any way.6
Mercury is an essential nutrient. We must have mercury in our diets, in order to metabolize carbohydrates. The body uses mercury as a cofactor and expels it after use. Mercury has always been in our water, as a natural element. Yes, we can overdose on mercury, but probably not by eating fish a few times a week.7
Selenium is an element that is known to counteract some of the dangers of ingesting mercury.^[18] Multiple studies have been done, such as those in New Jersey and Sweden, that take into account selenium as well as mercury levels. Fish often do contain selenium in conjunction with bioaccumulated mercury, which may offset some of the dangers associated with the mercury ingested.6
Mercury in dental fillings is probably a more realistic threat to your health than eating fish. Mercury in dental fillings has been linked to cases of Multiple Sclerosis.8

If you believe God and want to be disease free, living out your full life span, you’ll have to eat fish with scales and fins a few times a week and abstain from all other creatures that live in the water. That means, Flipper and Willie the killer whale will be safe from us. If everyone followed God’s advice about shellfish, it would mean that clams at high tide would not be the only happy clams.

If you believe God knows best, 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.

You can get all these books at Amazon,com

“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann

References

Explanation of the human immune system webmd.com/immunesystem
The livers function in immunology http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hep.21060/pdf
Kidney function in immunologyhttp://www.kidneyservicechina.com/ckd-basics/1546.html
Kidneys remove toxinshttp://www.livescience.com/52047-kidneys.html
FDA recommendation/mercury in fish http://www.fda.gov/food/resourcesforyou/consumers/ucm110591.htm
American college of obstetricians and Gynecologist study https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercury_in_fish
Mercury in filling may cause MS http://www.gotminerals.com/quackwatch.html
Mercury is an essential nutrient. https://www.uwsp.edu/cols-ap/nadf/Workshops/Mercury/Mercury-Se-Nutrition%20Effects%20Review%20Chan%202000.pdf
Deaths from domoic acid. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domoic_acid
Deaths from domoic acid. Gilbert, Steven. “Domoic Acid”. Toxipedia. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
Deaths form domoic acid. http://www.webpages.uidaho.edu/etox/resources/case_studies/redtide2.pdf
https://www.adn.com/outdoors/article/clam-gulch-probable-case-paralytic-shellfish-poisoning-first-ever-reported-popular/2014/06/18/
http://www.wanderingearl.com/seafood-poisoning-is-less-fun-than-i-ever-imagined/
Goan fish curry includes prawns. http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1121651/goan-fish-curry
Omega 3 fatty acids edf.org/benefits-eating-fish
Blue muscle recall https://www.bitterwallet.com/consumer-advice/wham-bam-avoid-ms-clams-70327

November 13, 2016March 8, 2020

Relationships can affect your immune system.

Strained relationships can make you sick.

Hence the common phrase, “you make me sick”. All kidding aside, researchers are finding that poor relationships can destroy your immune system.1 They have discovered that men and women, stressed about their relationships, produced 11% more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol can cause fatigue, weight gain (especially in the face, upper back, and torso), obesity (especially abdominal obesity), back pain, thin skin, low libido and swelling in the hands and feet. Those people with strained relationships also had fewer T-cells, which are vital to defense against infection.2 So what about our relationship with our Heavenly Father, can that cause a weakening in our immune system? Psalm 77:2-3 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.”

There are many things that effect our health and wellness, one often overlooked element, is our relationship with God our Father. When people become angry with their Heavenly Father, it will affect their health. God can handle our anger; he understands us better than we understand ourselves. But we need to have a healthy relationship with God, in order to have a healthy body. One of the most common reasons for people to be upset with God, is when they hold the belief that God controls everything and then bad things happen to them, or someone they love.

Last spring I was returning from a Mission trip to Thailand, I had just found out that my wife’s dad was dying, she had driven from Astoria Oregon, to Sacramento California, to be with him. I told her I would change my ticket and join her. On the flight to Sacramento, I happened to be seated next to a tall wiry young man from Germany. He shared with me that he was being flown into Sacramento to be a disc jockey at a large night club event; I was impressed. He asked me why I was traveling and I said I was joining my wife in the Sacramento area because her father was dying and I felt I needed to be with her. He then began to share with me about his awesome Christian mother, who had died a year ago. He said that she passed away after a very painful bout with cancer. He also shared with me that he had fond memories of attending church with her, but didn’t go anymore. I asked him if the reason he didn’t attend church, was because he was angry with God about his mother. He said that he just couldn’t serve a God who would do such a horrible thing to a person like his mother, a beautiful person who loved God and served Him.

A devout teenage boy who attended our Christian school, recently died from a very aggressive cancer and shortly after that, a policeman in our community was shot and killed by a drug addict, leaving his wife and children without a husband and father. Many of our students were angry with God for doing this. Why? Because they have been told that God is in control, that God sends things like this to make us stronger. We even listen to and sing these words found in Christian music. Yes, God can and does take things meant for evil and turn them into good, but when children are taught that everything is predestined by God and everything that happens is God’s will, it is a distortion of the truth. This unbalanced teaching is turning millions of people away from God.

In the book “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions”; the famous researcher, George Barna, uncovers some alarming beliefs among our young people.

Approximately 75% of all young people believe the devil does not exist.
Approximately 66% believe that life is either a random series of acts, or predetermined by God.

The problem is two-fold, if there is no devil, then who is responsible for all the bad things that happen in this world? And the second is worse, if God is in control and God has predestined everything, then God is responsible for all the evil in the world.

A Relationship Killer

You see, if God has predestined everything, planned everything, and everything is going according to God’s will; then it logically can be said that God planned for that young German’s mother to suffer and die of cancer. And it was God’s will for the police officer’s children to be raised without a dad. And God predestined our young student to die in his teens. There are multitudes of people who are angry at a God because they believe He is responsible for molestations, rapes, murder and war. But is that really true?

After sharing with the German entertainer, what I am about to share with you, he thanked me profusely, prayed with me, and said he would definitely be going back to church. I also shared with our students and teachers what I am going to share with you and they too were able to renew their loving relationships with our awesome God.

First, the statement, “God is in control”, is not found in the Bible. So, let me show you how you can quickly and simply explain to yourself and others that none of this was God’s will and that he has only wanted the best for you and me; there-by restoring your love for your Heavenly Father and your close relationship with him.

I am going to walk you through this just like I did with that young German entertainer. So take out a piece of paper and pen, (sorry, it is much easier than trying to do it on a smart phone) and follow these simple steps:

Draw two large circles beside each other on a piece of paper.
Draw a horizontal line above the circles and one below.
Draw a vertical line down the middle between the two circles, with the words, “The second coming of Christ” and “The day of the Lord”, on that line.
Now write the word “Heaven” in the top left box and the word “Hell” in the bottom left box.

So what do you think the two circles represent? Answer: earth before and after the second coming of Christ. Now write the words “first earth” on the left earth and “new earth” on the right earth. Do you believe God has everything in his control? Do you believe everything is happening the way God wants it to happen? Most Christians would say yes.

Now finish this bible verse, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done……..”. Go ahead say it out loud. Most people know the rest, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

This famous Bible verse, is the prayer Jesus asked his disciples to pray. It is probably the most famous prayer that has ever been uttered. “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Jesus was telling his disciples to pray that things would be on earth, the way they in heaven.

So, how it is in heaven? Write your answers in the top left box. (No sickness, no pain, no crying, no sin and no death.)

Now ask yourself if earth is experiencing the same thing as heaven. Answer: no. If Jesus wants us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth like God’s will is done in heaven; then what God wants, is for earth to be like heaven. It is God’s will that there be no sickness, no pain, no sin and no death on earth? But there is sickness, pain, sin and death on earth. So the idea that everything that happens is God’s will is incorrect. The idea that God has everything under his control, the idea that everything that happens to us and our loved ones is God’s will, is false!

Write John 10:10 on the earth to the left “The thief (Satan) comes only to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come that they might have life and life abundantly.”

It is Satan’s will that is being accomplished all over the world these days. Satan is killing people and then trying to get people to blame it on God.

2 Corinthians 4:4a “ Satan, who is the god of this evil world, has made him blind.”

Ephesians 6:10-13
“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”

Write on the left circle (Earth, War Zone) and explain that God’s will is not being done on earth, instead it is Satan’s will that is being done here. If God is in control and his will is what is being done, that would mean that it is God’s will for people to be sick, to be murdered and raped. It would mean that it is God’s will for some people to go to heaven and some to go to hell. But none of those things are true. Satan wants people to believe that God is responsible for all the evil that is happening on earth. Satan wants people to be angry with God.

2 Peter 3:3-4, 9-10, 13
“Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”

See verse 9, why is God so slow in keeping his promise about the second coming of Christ? Answer: he wants everyone to come to repentance and he doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. Are people going to hell? Answer: yes. Once again, on earth God is not getting his way, his will is not being done. He is God and he could force everyone to love him. But since he is a good God he will not force us to love him.

In Verse 13 we are told that there will be a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. At that time, things will be done on earth the way they are done in heaven. God will be in charge and his will is what will be done. Until then we are in a war zone, where Satan is in charge. We are to put on the whole armor of God and fight against Satan’s will and plans.

Below is how your paper should look when you are done.

Is God's will being done on earth today? — Is God’s will being done on earth today?

If the Barna Reasearch Group is correct about what our children believe, then we need to teach our children that there is a devil who’s will for us is evil. We also need to teach our children that until Jesus returns, we can resist the Devil and honor God with our prayers and actions. After the second coming of Christ we will spend eternity in a new heaven and new earth, where God’s good will is accomplished every day.

It is my hope that you, like so many other people can view God as the loving Father that he is. And by doing so you can restore your relationship with him. It has been my experience that when our relationship with God is right it will help all of our other relationships as well.

If you would like to dig a little deeper into this topic, her are a few more scriptures to look at.

· Revelation 22:8-12 Ephesians 6: 10-18

· Matthew 6:5-13 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

· Hebrews 1:14 NIV Daniel Chapter 10

· 2 Kings 6:8-23

If you believe God knows best, 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 like this kind of Biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.

You can get all these books by simply copying and pasting the link below each title.

a. “None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D. https://www.amazon.com/None-These-Diseases-S-McMillen/dp/0800752333

b. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Play-Doctor-Ma-Lan/dp/0970149093

c. “God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Guide-Biblical-Health-Healing-ebook/dp/B00VAS7C7A

References

1. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2280629/Being-anxious-relationship-make-ill–damaging-immune-system.html

2. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/invisible-chains/201606/when-relationship-makes-you-sick

3. http://universityhealthnews.com/daily/depression/how-to-recognize-high-cortisol-symptoms/

4. Picture of angry couple http://lifenlesson.com/angry-dreams-interpretation/

5. Why god? Picture https://aliciareagan.com/2013/08/18/why-god/

Jesus loves me picture http://indulgy.com/post/hSy5002Ha1/jesus-lo

November 6, 2016May 18, 2017

Depression, A Recipe For Its Defeat!

I believe that depression is beatable. I have experienced it and come out the other side. I have friends that have overcome it and I have counseled people who have won the battle. Often people are unable to win over depression because their caregiver is only working on one or two areas of their being. In order to consistently win against depression I believe you have to address all three Biblical parts of our being, spirit, soul and body. If you want to just skip to the end of this article, you will find my recipe. If you want to know how I got there keep reading. 🙂

When I was growing up, my Dad had bouts with depression. One of my earliest and scariest memories was of him during one especially violent episode. I can still see my mom screaming as she tried to get away from him. When I was older, he shared with me that electric shock therapy was one of the forms of treatment at the state psychiatric hospital. Even though I had observed my dad suffer from depression, I still had no idea what it was or what it could do to you. After I became a Christian, I simply figured it was something I would never have to deal with; after all, I was saved and loved by God. Surely something like this could never happen to a practicing Christian.

Then it happened to me; right after my brother Mike died I started experiencing some overwhelming physical and mental problems. It was like a cold dark cloud had attached itself to me, I couldn’t shake it. I would have feelings of panic, fear, anxiety and impending doom. I would wake up in the night in a cold cold sweat with the bed sheets stuck to my body. Then there was the pain, every bone in my body ached. The pain was the most devastating part. I remember lying in bed thinking, “Now I know why people commit suicide”. I used to think people committed suicide because they wanted to punish a parent or ex-lover. Or they were ashamed of something they had done, hated their life, and just wanted to escape. I was not experiencing any of those feelings or thoughts, I loved my family and my life. I had a good job and ministry, no; it was the desire to, “get out of this body of pain” that brought brief thoughts that suicide might be an option. I never really gave those thoughts any serious consideration, but I do have a lot of empathy now, for people who are suffer from this kid of pain.

I would like to say that with a quick prayer it was all gone, but It took me a few months of agony to finally defeat this sinister affliction. What I am sharing with you I have shared in my church, with my friends, and as far away as Africa. There is a biblical process that can work for you or someone you love!

A friend called one day and told me he was suffering from severe depression and he had heard that I might have a solution. After I gave him my recipe, he said that he would give it a try, but if it didn’t work, he was going to get a doctor to prescribe some antidepressants so he could have some peace.

So why not just get a prescription for antidepressants from your doctor? Here is one big reason, anti-depressants can actually cause depression, aggression and suicide?1,2 Another reason to avoid them is that many people on antidepressants are miserable. The drugs affect other things, like your relationships with people. Then there are the unwanted physical side effects. Doctors are prescribing dangerous drugs because they don’t have any other solutions. It is just like when they used to electrocute people who suffered from mental illness, they were willing to try anything. Drugs are never the long-term answer; they may be a quick fix, but if they are used for any length of time, they cause more damage than the disease.

A few days after my friend took my recipe to eliminate depression, I ran into him and asked him how it was going; he said the depression was completely gone.

The Bible is not silent on the issue of drugs, the Greek word used in the Bible to describe the use of drugs, is Pharmakeus, it is where we get our word pharmacy. scriptures that mention Pharmakeus, use it in a very negative way. The Bible has nothing good to say about Pharmakeus (drugs), here is just one example. I have left the untranslated Greek word, instead of the English substitute.

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates (of heaven) into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice (Pharmakeus), the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

Revelation 22:15

I do believe like doctor Daniel Amen, the author of the book “Change Your Brain Change Your Life”, that medication can help stop some immediate problems, but is not the long term solution.

So, since I was determined to find a biblical answer and not use drugs in my search for freedom, I started in the spiritual realm. I went to two other pastors, told them what I was experiencing, and asked them to pray for me, which they did. The symptoms eased up a little but I was far from being out of the woods. I made sure I read my Bible, prayed, fellowshipped and worshiped, I determined to keep my spirit in a good place and believed that my body would eventually follow. Again, it was a little better but by no means the way I wanted to exist. Next, I began to focus on my body. I would go for long runs at night, just to wear myself out, so I could sleep. One time I got stopped by the police who figured it was a little weird for a man to be running at night. They frisked me and questioned me about a robbery and finally let me go; it was a little surreal.

I started being more careful about what I ate, and again, I got some more relief. At this point I could function, fairly normally, but not with any joy. I can still remember those days, as I write this it brings tears to my eyes. I was so miserable that I would long for the few moments each day when I arrived home, because one of my kids would greet me with a big hug, which I needed desperately. I was so depressed; that hug was like a once a day affirmation that everything will eventually be alright.

So what was the final piece that brought me back to the land of the living, what gave me back my joy? It was the third step in the process which was to take a look at my soul. I began to pray the prayer of King David, who, if you read any of his writings, evidently experienced some of the same things I was experiencing.

Psalms 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

After praying this prayer, the one thing that kept coming up, was something I didn’t want to deal with. It wasn’t something that I thought about much, but when I did think about it, I knew it wasn’t right. At that time in my life, I was a part time youth pastor, but my primary occupation was managing a small window manufacturing company. One of our salesman had landed a rather large job that grossed the company over $20,000. Shortly after we had delivered the windows, it was brought to my attention that the salesman had misrepresented the product and that if the customers found out we would have to replace all the windows. The windows had been custom made for this client and could not be used anywhere else. They would be an almost total loss. The worst-case scenario was that we would have to junk $20,000 worth of windows, pay to have them removed and replaced, then pay for new windows. We could also be sued for misrepresentation and extending the customers completion date. I was convinced that if we got caught, it would put us out of business. A lot of people depended these jobs to support their families, including myself.

I just didn’t want to think about it, so I put it out of my mind, but the Lord wouldn’t leave me alone. He finally made it clear, that as long as I refused to deal with this unethical situation, the devil would have a legal right to make me miserable. I eventually made the call to the contractor, I explained the situation to him and he told me he would talk to the owners and get back to me.

Praise God from whom all blessings flow. It was at this point that the hellish symptoms completely vanished. No more physical pain, chills, illogical fear and depression. No more emotional and physical torment. As the spiritualist song goes, “free at last, free at last, thank God almighty free at last”. I can’t explain in words what a relief it was. I must tell you that I had not been spending all my waking hours thinking about the unethical business situation. It wasn’t that I was worrying about this and that worry was tormenting me. I rarely thought about it at all. It was just the last foothold the devil had on me and when I dealt with it, he had no authority to torment me anymore. The best part was when the contractor called me back he said that the customers appreciated the call, but they liked the windows so much that they would keep them the way they were, and we didn’t need to do anything. When we do the right thing, it seems that there is no end to what blessing will come our way.

In the final analysis, the way I got set free from depression, was accomplished by dealing with my whole being; Spirit, Soul and Body. It’s kind of like having an unwanted guest in your home. If you run him out of your kitchen but let him stay in your living room and bedroom, you will still be miserable. Or you could kick him out of your bedroom and kitchen, and things would be better; but until you kick him out of the living room, he will still have the ability to make you miserable. So, in a nutshell here is a recipe for eliminating depression that worked for me and has worked for countless other around the world.

A Recipe for Eliminating Depression

Your Body

Exercise thirty minutes a day (aerobic exercise), five days a week.
Exercise forty-five minutes one day a week, till you are exhausted and rest one day a week. When you are suffering from depression, your mind is sending messages to your adrenal gland to secret adrenaline. If you don’t burn it up, it will create tension and physical pain in your body. Hard aerobic exercise will also produce endorphins that will give you feelings of peace and euphoria (something you could use). In a study published by Readers Digest April 2005, researchers at the Cooper Institute in Golden Colorado, found that only three hours of exercise per week was just as effective in combating mild and moderate depression as antidepressant drugs. People who exercise just one hour and 20 minutes a week had no improvement.^3,4
Eliminate stimulants from your diet, like (coffee, energy drinks, etc.) If you are really serious you should also eliminate chocolate, cigarettes & medications.
Eliminate depressants from your diet, such as (alcohol, marijuana or other drugs) they inhibit your bodies natural endorphins, which are designed to calm you down without unwanted side effects.
Eliminate sweets from your diet, (soda pop, candy, sugar, corn syrup etc.) they can often be the primary cause of depression. You can eat honey, it has some amazing properties that can boost your physical well being, just don’t over do it. The Bible says too much honey can make you sick.
Something to include in your daily diet is lots of high quality protein (red meat, poultry, fish, 4 eggs per day and a quart of milk)

Your Soul

Proverbs 28:13 “He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
1 John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confess your sin to God and agree with him that what you have done is wrong and then thank him that he has forgiven you.
If necessary, confess to those you have sinned against and ask for their forgiveness. Be ready to make restitution if that is possible. (I have a friend who was never able to finish this step, he had some inexpensive stolen items that he could not bring himself to return, he never overcame his mental illness.)

Your Spirit

Receive what Jesus did on the cross for you personally. (John 3:16)
Read the Bible and pray every day.
Suspend all work, one day each week, and attend church.
Fellowship with other Christians, as often as possible.
Find someone who will disciple (coach) you on your christian journey.

Doctors are doing their best to help people, but they usually only deal with us on the physical plane. As believers, we know that we are not just physical beings, our soul and spirits are vitally important to our overall well being. It is my sincere hope that this was as helpful to you or someone you love, as it was to me. If it was, please send me a message using the contact form, it would be a great encouragement to myself and others.

If you believe God knows best, 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 like this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.

“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann

You can get all these books at Amazon.com

References

https://www.drugwatch.com/ssri/suicide/
http://center4research.org/child-teen-health/suicide/do-anti-depressants-increase-suicide-attempts/
Readers Digest April 2005, researchers at the Cooper Institute in Golden Colorado,
http://www.cooperinstitute.org/tread
https://paradigmmalibu.com/teen-depression-treatment/
http://blog.walkjogrun.net/2015/01/12/a-daytime-runner-starts-running-at-night-and-sees-the-light/

Destiny, is God’s good plan for our lives.

Does God have a specific destiny for each of us?

Strained relationships can make you sick.

A Relationship Killer

Psalms 139:23-24

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”

A Recipe for Eliminating Depression

Your Body

Your Soul

Your Spirit

References

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”