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Did you do something wrong or is this problem just a test?

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job

Sometimes we are just going through a test.

If we at Wellness Gospel have given you the impression that you will never get sick  if you do  things the way we suggest; we apologize, we have miss-communicated. Sometimes we as Christians are just going through a test!

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job
The perfect Christian doing everything just right.

From time to time people lump us together with the preachers who tell people that if they have enough faith they will never experience problems or get sick. They are the name it and claim it crowd. When you or I get sick and can’t get well, they blame it on “our” lack of faith. This kind of help isn’t Biblical, it is not nice and it is not true. Let’s get real, not all sickness is a result of doing something wrong or not having enough faith, sometimes it is just a test.

Years ago we had a group of people at our church that were telling everyone that whatever people said was what would come to pass. They told us if you say something like, “I’ll just die if that person doesn’t like me” then you will die. If you say, “this new job will make me rich” then you will get rich. Again, let’s get real, all you have to do is try this to find out that it isn’t true, It is not how God works. If this doctrine were true we  would all be dead and rich! 🙂

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job
If that doctrine were true, we would all be dead and rich!

We believe that “generally speaking,” if we follow God’s advice we will be healthy. But, that does not mean that we will never get sick or have bad things happen to us.

There are a lot of things in the Bible that are meant to be taken as a generally rule, but not meant to be a formula.

A great example would be Psalm 15:1. This passage says…

  “A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

This is generally true, but not always true. Everyone has experienced a time when they gave an angry person a soft answer and that person just got madder. Generally; it will calm people down, but not always. If we are to be honest and real with ourselves, we know this to be true. We have all experience a time when someone was mad at us and we spoke softly and respectfully and the person was still angry. There are millions of battered spouses who can tell you that a soft answer does not work on truly mean people. Giving a soft answer to a mean drunk won’t stop them from hurting people. This applies to other things in the Bible that people want to make into a formula. Most advice in the Bible is  meant to be generally true.

So what should we do when we get sick?

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job

When we are sick, the first thing we should do is check to see if we are violating those general rules. Lets get that out of the way first, for example…

  • Are you getting enough rest? You were made in God’s image, he rested on the seventh day so are you taking one day a week to just rest?
  • Are you getting enough sleep? Psalm 127 says that God gives sleep to those he loves and that we are not to rise up early and stay up late eating the bread of anxious toil. We are to work a reasonable number of hours a day, and then trust that God will take care of all our needs.
  • Are you angry at anyone, do you have a generally cheerful heart? God say that a merry heard is a cure.
  • Eating the things God said to eat, (Red meat, milk, eggs, fish, honey, butter, salt, etc) and avoiding the things God said would harm you, (Pork, shellfish, highly processed food, sugar, etc)
  • Walking with God? Are you regularly doing something that you know God does not want you to do? Are you regularly using your God given gifts to advance God’s kingdom.

If you have checked yourself on the above and you can “generally” say you are following God’s advice, then maybe you are like Job in the Bible, you are experiencing trouble because you are one of God’s favorite people and you are just going through a test.

You might be experiencing sickness because, like Job, you are one of God’s favorite people! 

Yep! It is possible that your problem isn’t because you are doing something wrong, but instead it is because you are a child of God and doing something right. You, like Job may be experiencing a test. It has been said that the only time a teacher doesn’t’ answer your questions, is during a test! Job experience this and maybe you are experiencing this now. Be patient, tests always come to an end.

Someone might say that we are not Job, and his story was written in the old testament so it doesn’t apply to us today. But, we cannot say that, because Paul wrote in the new testament that the things in the old testament were written as examples to us, to warn us. They are things that could happen to us. What happened to Job could happen to you or me.  1 Corinthians 10:11 states…

“These things (stories in the old testament) happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.” 

So what happened to Job?

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job
Satan had afflicted job with painful sores. Job is surrounded by friends who are trying to get him to confess what he did wrong.

In a nutshell what happened to Job goes something like this, check it out for your self by reading the book of Job.

  • Chapter 1 God is bragging about Job and what a wonderful person he is. Satan over-hears it and tells God that the only reason Job is so good is because God is protecting him and blessing him. Satan tells God, ” if you just let me take his stuff he will curse you”. God tells Satan, go ahead you will see that you are wrong. Satan does his worst and Job suffers greatly but does not curse God.
  • Chapter 2  God basically says, see you were wrong about Job. Satan says it was just because you didn’t let me make him sick, if you let me touch his body then he will curse you. Once again God says go ahead, he will still not curse me. Satan does his worst, covering Job’s body with painful sores.  Job maintains his integrity and does not curse God.
  • The following chapters are full of “friends” telling Job that he must have done something wrong. In the end God restores Job’s health and all his stuff, times two. Then God rebukes Job’s friends for accusing Job of doing wrong simply because he was sick.

This is what the new testament calls a test!

James 1:12

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.

Not every sickness is a direct result of someone’s doing something wrong!

The Bible says our enemy the Devil stands before God day and night accusing us of doing something wrong, (Revelations 12:10). When we submit to God and his advice, when we resisting the Devil and his temptation to give up and get angry with God. The Bible says the Devil, will flee from us.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God, resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”      (James 4:7)

“The thief (Satan) comes only to kill steal and destroy, Jesus Christ came that we may have life and that abundantly.” John 10:10

So what are we to do when the Devil attacks us and puts us to the test? When we go on mission trips that are going to be incredibly productive for the kingdom of God, we are always met with strong resistance.

Story of a test for teen missionaries in Mexico.

On one trip, just before an evangelistic meeting, one of our leading youth, Tim Ray, came down with all the symptoms of the flu, aches, pains, nausea, vomiting, etc.  We were in the city of Durango north of Mexico City, Tim had a lead part, in a powerful gospel drama, and there was no one to replace him. So what did we do? We prayed for him and he bravely continued on, sick as a dog. Tim actually threw up while waiting for his part in the drama. When we finished the drama and had shared the Gospel, Tim realized that he was completely healed. He had resisted the enemy’s attempt to stop him from ministering and the enemy left him. Tim passed the test by continuing to minister. On that trip, over 3000 people prayed to receive Jesus Christ as their savior.

Test, Bible, trouble, sickness, Job
Missionaries from our local church preaching the gospel in Mexico.

It is common for veteran missionaries to actually prejudge the effectiveness of a mission trip by how much resistance they get from the enemy before and during the trip, how much testing.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground”        Ephesians 6:10-13a   

It is not our wrongdoing it is just a test!

Notice, it’s not our armor, it’s God’s full armor!

It’s not our power; it’s God’s mighty power!

Jesus’ armor gives us the power to resist the Devil, and if we resist him, he (The Devil) will flee.  It is not about you or me, it is always about Jesus.

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.
  1. “God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann
  2. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
  3. “None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D.
  4. “Youngevity website by Dr. Joel wallach

REFERENCES

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The law and the prophets; friends or foe? Part 1

bible, God's law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws

Most New Testament teachers say that it is definitely not biblical to follow God’s law concerning food!

bible, God's law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws

In this weeks blog we will explain why they say that about God’s law, and give our explanation from our experience, from science and from God’s word.

The apostle Paul makes this statement about God’s law…

“You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” Galatians 5:4 

 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you?  It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Galatians 3:1-2 

Because of these passages, many bible scholars, believe that following old testament rules and regulations displeases God. Some have even told us that it puts us under a curse. Consequently, most preachers not only ignore the valuable information about healthy living found in God’s law, but teach people that it is something they must not do.

Deuteronomy 7:11-5 states that if we are careful to follow God’s law, he will keep us free from every disease. In Exodus 23:20-26 God says that if we are careful to do all that he says, he will take away sickness from us and give us a full lifespan. 1 Timothy 3:16 says that all scripture is God breathed and useful. This certainly includes God’s law as found in the Old Testament, since that was all the scripture they had when this was written.

So what is the truth, should we be careful to follow Gods law or not? Will it bring health or a curse?

We believe the proof is in the pudding, the answer is found in the results. Does following God’s commands bring a curse or blessing on those who do it? We see people every day who follow God’s law, are healthier than people who ignore them. There is a lot of science to back up what God has said about food choice. We believe that the reason so many very good, honest, God loving pastors die young, is because they ignore these conditions and promises from God’s word. Here are some notable examples; we could produce thousands.

bible, law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws

  • Evangelist John G Lake,

Lake preached to hundreds of thousands of people in Africa and America. He died at the young age of 65. Lake was not overweight, he was fit as a man can be. He had a very powerful healing ministry and started the now famous healing rooms that are all over the world. His wife died about twenty years before he did of malnutrition. Lake died of a stroke ten years short of the average American lifespan of 75.

bible, law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws

  • Aimee Semple McPhearson

Mcphearson started the Four Square denomination. She was one of our nations greatest evangelists and was a successful faith healer. Mcphearson looked as healthy as could be, she was not overweight, she led an active lifestyle, but sadly she died at the age of 54. She had been very sick, the day she died she had called her doctor numerous times to see if he could help her, he was in surgery and never got her call . God said we are to live to 120 and our strength should equal our days. If Aimee had lived an average american lifespan, she would have had 21 more years of ministry.

bible, law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws
William Seymour is pictured in the front row second from the right. His ministry crossed all financial, age and racial boundaries and literally changed the world.

  • William Joseph Seymour

Seymour was an American minister, and an initiator of the Azusa Street Revival. Seymour was one of the most influential individuals in the revival that grew into the Pentecostal movement. That movement has now spread across the world. The largest denomination in the world is Pentecostalism. The largest most influential churches in the world are Pentecostal. It all started in Seymour’s church.  the Azusa street church walls were covered with canes and crutches left there by people who had been healed. At 52 Seymour had two massive heart attacks and died. He was a very healthy looking young man who loved God and loved people.

What went wrong?

So many great movements of God were hindered by the early death of their leaders. Leaders who believed God would heal them and keep them free from disease, but did not do what God said must be done to stay healthy and live a full lifespan. Other  great leaders did listen to God’s advice, consequently they where going strong long into their nineties. Following God’s law includes his dietary laws. Following God’s laws will keep Christians active in their gifts many years past the average american lifespan.

So what did Paul mean when he said, “You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace.” Galatians 5:4

Paul is saying that if anyone thinks obedience to God’s Law needs to be added to his or her faith in Christ, so they can be justified or saved, he is alienating himself from Christ. In Galatians 3:1-5 Paul further states that such a person is bewitched.  Obedience to the Law cannot add anything to what Jesus did on the cross for us.

Christ plus nothing = salvation.

I know of one congregation in Portland Oregon that split over just this issue. Half of their congregation actually started to do animal sacrifices for the forgiveness of sin. From a Christian perspective, that is nuts, Christ died once for all and there is no need for sacrifices any more. Obedience to the law cannot save us from eternal punishment. Jesus also confronted the Pharisees on this point.

“You diligently study the Scriptures (Old testament law and prophets) because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.” John 5:39,40

Jesus was teaching that God’s law never could save anyone and that he (Jesus) was the source of salvation. So; since salvation is only found in Jesus Christ, and by his grace, does that mean that God wants us to stop observing God’s  law. Does that mean we are to stop following its advice? (See Proverbs Chapter 1:29-33) Since God cannot love you and me anymore than He already does, since obeying the law won’t make him love you more, why should you obey the Law?

Because there are other reasons to follow the law apart from salvation.

First; what God likes and does not like has never changed. God’s law states that we should not bear false witness, that we shouldn’t tell lies. Everyone knows that if you continue to tell lies, people will not like you or believe you even if you tell the truth. No one would say that if you follow that law you would be under a curse; no, it is just the opposite.

Secondly there are unwanted consequences to disobeying God’s law apart from Hell. The law is for physical health, that is what the word states. It never says obedience to the law will save us from hell, it says that it will save us from disease and a shortened life.

A third  point to make, is that the followers of Christ did not stop obeying and teaching the law after Jesus was crucified. In Acts chapter 22:12-16 Paul is describing the Christian who guided him and healed his eyes.

A devout observer of God’s law!

“A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him.” Acts 22:12-16

God obviously used Ananias in a powerful way and the scriptures commend his way of life by describing him as a “devout observer of the law.”

It is interesting how we are all disgusted with famous preachers who are not devout observers of the Law.

Men and Women who are drunkards, steal money, lie, or commit sexual sins. We reject them as poor representatives of God. God and the world are still looking for men and women that are living devout holy lives. The world is also looking for men and women to follow, men and women who are not constantly struggling with disease or struggling financially. The Old Testament has wise words to help us avoid, these problems.

Shary and I have some Christian friends that we have known for over 30 years. They love God and love people; are a tremendous blessing to us in many ways. They are givers, that is, they freely give to missions and to people in need…BUT… they have a strong belief that it is a sin to obey God’s Law, (found in the Old Testament), even though they are great givers they believe that if you follow the Old Testament advice, you are putting yourself under God’s Law and that is wrong. Let me give you an example of how that’s working in their lives. Malachi 3:8-10 states…

bible, law, old testament, curse, bewitched, nutrition, dietary laws

Will a man rob God?

“Will a man rob God? Yet you rob me. But you ask” ‘How do we rob you?’ “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—the whole nation of you—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this.” Says the Lord Almighty. “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.”

These friends of ours are convinced that tithing is wrong, simply because it is found in the Old Testament. They believe that they would be putting themselves under a curse if they follow this Old Testament teaching. Here are the results of their belief system. In the 30 years we have known each other, this couple has lost more money than most people will ever see in a lifetime. They have lost two inheritances; each one was hundreds of thousands of dollars. They have had numerous huge business ventures fail and they have taken out bankruptcy at least once that we know of.

What they are experiencing looks a lot like the curse that Malachi said would happen if you don’t tithe.

A retired pastor

I have another friend who is a retired pastor, he has stated that he believes Old Testament tithing is wrong . He struggled financially his entire life, which isn’t all that uncommon for pastors. When he retired he received a large inheritance, which he believed would take care of him and his wife, very well, the rest of their lives. It was all lost in a couple of years through unfortunate circumstances beyond his control. Again, what he experienced was exactly what Malachi chapter 3 says will happen to people who rob God by not tithing.

My point in relaying these stories is that if you obey God’s law, you will get what God says you will get…a blessing, not a curse. Again, I want to emphasize that observing God’s Law won’t get you to heaven.

So if God’s law won’t get you to heaven what good is it?

Proverbs 4:20-22 states…”My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man’s whole body.”

The apostle Paul states in 1 Timothy 1:8…”We know that the law is good if one uses it properly.”

God’s Law is good for exactly what he says it is good for, in both the New Testament and the Old. It is good for producing life and health! 

So history, personal experience and science all point to the fact that listening to God and following his advice about food choices will bring life and health to any man or woman’s whole body.

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

  •  If you 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.  Wellness Gospel does not receive any financial help from Youngevity, we simply feel they have the best products. You can click on the titles below for purchase information.
  1. “God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann
  2. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
  3. “None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D.
  4. “Youngevity website by Dr. Joel wallach
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Some Good loving Christian teachers drive me crazy!!!

Super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese

This stuff drives me crazy!!!

A friend of mine called me the other day and said I should listen to a very popular Christian radio program. I know believe he was trying to drive me crazy and thought it would be funny to get my reaction. He listens to this program regularly and the last couple of days they were talking about how Christians should honor God by taking good care of their bodies. They had some very specific ways they believed you should do that. He said he thought I would enjoy it. Yeah, right!

I was hanging out in my living room with family and decided to get on my computer and looked up their archived shows and listen. My son Angelo was hanging out with me at the house; as soon as he heard what they were peddling, he immediately started laughing at me. He said our friend knew what I believed and was obviously trying to see how agitated he could get me.

Well it worked, I got agitated! *&%$#&**@#$%^. The more I listened and the more I thought about it the crazier I got!

Crazy,Super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese
This stuff makes us crazy!!! What are those people thinking? (Granddaughter Sadie & I)

The next time I saw my friend, I accused him of baiting me; he looked all innocent and acted shocked that I would suggest such a thing. He went on to tell me that he thought I would really like it, seeing how I love hearing health advice from the Bible. Right, I’m not buying his story.

So, that radio program is one I generally appreciate, (not going to mention their name).  They give out a lot of great Christian advice, some of which has had a huge beneficial impact on my family over the years. Like when they told me how I could almost eliminate my wife’s PMS, that one bit of advice has probably saved my life more than once.

What got me so agitated and crazy? Well I’ll tell ya! They were saying that we had an obligation to God to take good care of our bodies, which I agree with. Then they proceeded to give example after example of things that we shouldn’t eat. Every suggestion was opposed to God’s word and to current scientific discoveries. Click here for more infomation.

 So what, in a nutshell were they advocating?

  • Don’t eat red meat.
  • Avoid milk, especially whole milk.
  • Stay away from salt.
  • Stop eating eggs.
  • Use margarine instead of butter.
  • Above all, never eat cheese again!

 

This is crazy and here is why this gets me so agitated!!! Millions of good God loving Christians are sick and dying young because they are following this kind of advice. They do not believe, or have not been taught that the instructions God has given us about food, matters. Well meaning, bible believing Christians are teaching people to abstain from food that God has ordained for them to eat. And then they tell us, the reason you should avoid these foods is to honor God.

If I told one of my kids to do something, and they said the reason they weren’t going to do it was so they could honor me.  I would be more than perplexed it would make me crazy.

Fortunately God is not like me; what we do can’t make him crazy, cuz if it could, we would have made him crazy a long time ago. But, the real reason for this is simply a lack of knowledge about what God has said about food.

Hosea 4:6 says: My people parish for lack of knowledge (Biblical knowledge)

So let me show you what God says about these foods and show how super-centenarians follow God’s advice instead of the crazy experts.

These super-centenarians  outlived all the experts of their time and so will you if you listen to God.

In Exodus 23:25-26 God said that if we obey all his commandments, He will… “take away sickness  from among you” and  “give you a full life span.”

 Red Meat

Leviticus 11:1-3 “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Say to the Israelites: Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat: You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.’”     (That is the definition of what we today call red meat)

At 105 Reverend Otis Clark told me he ate red meat twice a day. He was still preaching vigorously at the age of 109. click here to watch him!

Crazy, Super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese
Preaching vigorously at 109

Milk

  • Exodus 3:7-8 says that God was going to bless his people by taking them to… a land flowing with milk and honey
  • I Corinthians 9:7 “who tends the flock and does not drink of the milk?”
  • Deuteronomy 32:13-14 says “He (God) nourished him with…curds and milk from herd  and  flock.”
  • Proverbs 27:27 says, “You will have plenty of goat’s milk to feed you and your family and to nourish your servant girls.” 

In 2008, Tomoji Tanabe was the oldest  male alive with the necessary papers to prove it. At 113 years old, he lived on the island of Kyushu, Japan with his fifth son, who was 68 years old. Reporters wanted to know if Tamoji was tired of living, so, they asked him, “How much longer do you want to live?”, thinking that he can’t possibly have much quality of life at 113.  He simply replied “I don’t want to die.” He was still getting enjoyment out of life.

Tamoji said that he drinks milk every day. Actually, he is known to “guzzle” milk.

Crazy, Super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese
Tomoj Tanabe at 113 years old.

Mbah Gotho at 147 years is probably the oldest living person on the planet. I read an article years ago, about an Indonesian man who was claiming to be over 140. Therefore, I think it was Gotho. As I remember the story, he did not make it into the Guinness Book of World Records, because he did not have the proper paper work to prove his age. His longevity was pretty believable though. He had a son who took care of him that was over 100 years old.

Mbah Gotho remembers watching a local sugar factory being built when he was about 10, that factory was built in 1880, you do the math. All that to say this, it is very likely that he is way over 100 years old and he claimes to drink close to a gallon of goats milk every day. Evidently, the milk didn’t hurt his longevity. I hope this drives the no-milk people crazy.

Crazy, super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese
Mbah Gotho at 147 years old. 

Salt

  • In Mark 9:50 Jesus made this statement…    “Salt is good.”
  • Leviticus 2:13 “Add salt to all your offerings”
  • Numbers 18:18-19“Their meat is to be yours, just as the breast of the wave offering and the right thigh are yours. Whatever is set aside from the holy offerings the Israelites present to the Lord I give to you and your sons and daughters as your regular share. It is an everlasting covenant of salt before the Lord for both you and your offspring.”

God gave the offerings to the priests and the tribe of Levi. They did not receive land like the other tribes so they got their food from offerings. All the offerings were salted, consequently the tribe of Levi got lots of salt in their diets. The first priests were Moses, Aaron and Levi, Moses lived to be 120, Aaron 123 and Levi made it to 137. These guys lived to be crazy old; again, salt evidently did’t shorten their lives.

Eggs 

  • Luke 11:11 Jesus said… “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for… an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Emma Morano was the oldest “documented” person on the planet, she had the paper work to prove her age. Emma lived in three different centuries, that is, she was the last person alive, who was born in the 1800’s. She was born November 29th1899, in the Piedmont region of Italy, when King Umberto reigned.  At 117 years old, Emma Morano still had a sense of humor and a keen wit and a love for eggs.

Crazy, Super-centenarians, food, Bible, God, milk, butter, eggs, red meat, salt, cheese
Eggs, eggs and more eggs!

Emma eats three eggs each day, two raw and one fried egg with minced meat.

Her doctor said she must have great genetic makeup because he believes she is doing is crazy.  She disagrees with her doctor and says her diet is one reason she has outlived everyone else on the planet. The other reason she gives for her longevity, is her escape from an awful marriage. An evil spouse will definitely shorten anyone’s life or make you wish it was shorter.

When Emma was a teenager, a doctor made a crazy suggestion. He told her to eat raw eggs to combat her anemia. You see Emma was like most everyone else, she was sick and headed for a short disease filled life.  Someone suggested she eat eggs, something that the Bible says is very good. She has followed a stringent diet of two raw eggs, one cooked egg, a little minced meat and pasta for the past 100 years.

Emma Morano at 117 eat a lot of eggs in her life.

  • Carlo Bava, Emma’s doctor, said she has perfect cholesterol and glucose levels. “She is in a great state of health and mind,”he said. “The fact that she has never had much variety in her diet is proof that she is so well-preserved thanks to genetics.” Once again a medical doctor believes that genetics are the answer to long life. God says that long life is not found in genetics. Genetics are out of your control. Long life is found in lifestyle, which we can improve by simply listening to and following God’s advice. Emma is the living proof that following God’s advice works.
  • Deuteronomy  32:45b-47a“Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long” 

 

  • Butter and Cheese

  •  Sarah and Abraham, of bible fame, ate butter, red meat and drank milk. Sarah lived to be 127 and was so beautiful, that at 65, “the Egyptians saw the woman, that she was very beautiful.  The princes of Pharaoh also saw her and commended her to Pharaoh.” (Gen 12:14-15) She was so vivacious that she was able to carried and give birth to a healthy child at 90 years old. After giving birth, the King of Gerar found her so attractive that he wanted her to be his wife, crazy right? Abraham was so healthy that he lived to be 175. Evidently, the butter they ate didn’t hurt them. Maybe, just maybe, it was why they were so healthy.
  • 2 Samuel 17:27-29 wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans, lentils, parched seeds, honey, curds, sheep, and cheese of the herd, for David and for the people
  • Isaiah 7:14-15 “Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive, have a son, and name him Emmanuel,  By the time he learns to reject what is bad and choose what is good, he will be eating butter, curds(cheese) and honey.”

Yes you read that right, when Jesus was old enough to know what was good and what was bad he choose to eat butter, cheese and honey. If you want to live long and strong you will have to do the crazy thing and follow God’s advice. Reject man’s wisdom, even if it comes from well meaning experts.

THE ONLY WAY TO EXCEPTIONAL EMOTIONAL, SPIRITUAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, IS TO SPEND TIME EACH DAY LISTENING TO 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.
  1. “God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann
  2. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
  3. “None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D.
  4. “Youngevity website by Dr. Joel wallach

 

 

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“The Secret” health insurance companies don’t want you to hear!

The Secret, Health Insurance, doctors, Hospitals, savings

Our Insurance agent leaked, “The Secret”,  Health insurance companies don’t want you to discover!

In 1973, Shary and I were newly married, had good jobs. We were managing a small golf course and were pregnant with our first child Leslie. So; it just seemed like it was time we acted like grownups and got health insurance.

Health Insurance, the secret, Bible, wellness, doctors, hospitals
Shary and I with Leslie just after our conversation with my insurance agent.

My Uncle Art Schauermann was our insurance agent, we had our car insurance through him but he also carried all kinds of other insurance products. So, we called him up and asked him to sell us some health insurance. He told us he would come right over to our house to discuss the matter. Evidently, he didn’t want anyone in his office to hear what he was going to tell us.

Health Insurance, the secret, Bible, wellness, doctors, hospitals
Art Schauermann, my uncle and my insurance agent!

My uncle Art was a great guy, he and my dad had been partners in a couple of businesses. They were also close friends, we would go camping and water skiing together on a regular basis.  Uncle Art liked me, so maybe that is why he felt compelled to tell us “The Secret”.

He told us he wouldn’t sell us health insurance!

He sat down with us at our kitchen table and basically said he wouldn’t sell us health insurance. I replied by saying something like,” you’re an insurance agent that sells health insurance, and you won’t sell us health insurance, what’s with that?”

He proceeded to tell Shary and I that health insurance companies were in business to make money, and lots of it. He said that virtually nobody wins in the health insurance game, except the insurance companies. Why? Because the game is rigged. It is kind of like going to Vegas; you’re gambling that the insurance companies will pay out more in health coverage than you pay them. Vegas the longer you play the slots the more likely you are to come away with less mony.

People are often surprised at what their health insurance doesn’t pay for!

First, the health insurance companies couldn’t stay in business if they payed out as much as people paid in. Second, they have to pay for advertising, agents, adjusters, office help, skyscrapers, administrators and shareholders profits. Health insurance companies are some of the most profitable companies in the world. Why? Because they pay back a very small percent of what you pay in. You are gambling that they will pay more and they are gambling that you will pay more. So; they set the premiums very high, and do their best to limit how much coverage you get. Often people are surprised at what their health insurance doesn’t pay for.

Health Insurance, the secret, Bible, wellness, doctors, hospitals

My uncle then told us that all of this is true for the average family. So; he said, if you are of average health you will loose big. But, if you take better care of yourself than most people you will be an even bigger looser. He suggested we take what we would pay in premiums and put that money in the bank every month, saving up for any medical expense we could have in the future.  He said it would be crazy for us to get health insurance

So how do we pay the hospitals and doctors if we haven’t saved anything yet?

I told him that we hadn’t saved anything yet so how would we pay the hospital or doctors expenses if we got sick or had a baby, something we were about to do.  Well, uncle Art continued, the hospitals and doctors will all take payments after you receive their services. Mind you,  those payments will be far less than the monthly premiums you would have been paying to the insurance company. Also the payments to the doctor or hospital stop when they are fully paid. The payments to the health insurance company never stop.

So, we took uncle Art’s advice, and it turned out he was so right. Sharing, “The Secret” saved us so much money. It allowed us to live like normal people while raising 13 kids and living on a pastor’s salary.

Since then we have learned even more about health care.

  • When hospitals find out you are paying for their services instead of a health insurance company, they will typically reduce the bill by 1/3. Why? Because they know that most people don’t have unlimited funds like the insurance companies.
  • If Doctors and hospitals find out you will be paying cash they will often give you an even bigger discount.
  • Hospitals will not order unnecessary procedures and tests if they know you are paying for them out of pocket.  If an insurance company is paying they will order all the test your insurance provider will accept. (there is some research that suggest the more tests you get the more unnecessary procedures you get, that includes cancer treatments that are not necessary. My sister-in-law got chemo treatments by mistake, they later found that she never had cancer.)

So how did knowing “The Secret” about health insurance  pan-out for us?

Most of our children never saw or needed a doctor. The worst thing that happened was when our daughter Leah was riding a stallion bareback near our home. The horse was quite tall and a little unpredictable. He threw her off and she broke her arm. Like any good Christian, we prayed for her but it still hurt her badly. So, we took her to the hospital. Because we try to follow God’s advice for healthy living, the doctors found that she had really tough bones. All she needed to do was put her arm in a sling for a while, the whole thing cost $425. All four of our hospital/doctor births together cost $1200, the rest of our births were at home, consequently they were free.

The hospital reduced the bill by $5,000!

A couple of years ago Shary had a number of symptoms that looked like a heart attack. We prayed and when nothing changed we rushed her to the hospital, they did tests and found that she was just fine. The doctor was actually mad that he couldn’t find any problems with her heart. Her blood work showed she had no heart damage and was very healthy. He kept her in the hospital for about 11 hours anyway. The initial bill was $11,000, but when the hospital found out we didn’t have  health insurance, and we would be paying cash, they reduced the bill to $6,000. So, over the course of 40 plus years we paid out less than $10,000 dollars in medical expenses for our entire family. Our premiums for those 40 years would have been more than $500,000.

My uncle Art’s sharing, “The Secret” with us has changed our lives in many ways. The reason we are sharing with you is so you can make an educated decision about health insurance. Hopefully it will be of help to you and yours as well.

Health Insurance, the secret, Bible, wellness, doctors, hospitals

In Exodus 23:25-26 God said that if we obey his commandments, He will… “take away sickness  from among you” and that He will… “give you a full life span.”

The Bible encourages us to “trust in the Lord”, not in our money or our health insurance company. We have seen a lot of miracles, but even when we don’t get a miracle, God has still been faithful to make the problems much smaller than we might have anticipated.

Often people have asked us how we raised thirteen kids on a pastors salary. Not buying health insurance was one of those ways. Obeying God’s commands was another. Our favorite scripture during those years with all the kids was psalm 127:

Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,  the guards stand watch in vain.
2 In vain you rise early  and stay up late, eating the bread of anxious toil—
for he gives sleep to[a] those he loves.                                                                  3 Children are a heritage from the Lord, offspring a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth.
5 Happy is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their opponents in court.

There are always people who say, “I don’t care about following all of that “health advice” I have health insurance, when I get sick, my insurance company pays for my surgeries, medications and my hospital bills.”

It has been far more beneficial for us to have the Lord watch over us than any insurance company. We have been far happier with this plan than we ever dreamed.

Many people are not comfortable with this strategy and that’s OK. Whatever you choose to do, you need to have peace. If you don’t have peace your body will secrete chemicals that will undo all the exercise and good food you eat and any money you saved will be lost.

ONCE AGAIN, WE BELIEVE 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.

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.

  1. “God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann
  2. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
  3. “None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D.
  4. “Youngevity website by Dr. Joel wallach

 

 

 

 

 

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Tried everything, still sick, maybe it’s spiritual?

Spiritual warfare, sin, sickness, disease, fear, confession, Bible, name of Jesus, armor of God

Not all disease and pain can be fixed by medicine or nutrition. The source of your problem may be spiritual!

Often people spend all their time and money pursuing a physical answer to a spiritual problem.

Spiritual warfare, sin, sickness, disease, fear, confession, pruning, Bible,
When everything else has failed; Jesus can you help me?

She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse.

Mark 5:23

A woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had spent all her money on physicians, but no one was able to heal her.                                                                                                      Luke 8:43

In both of the preceding passages, Jesus healed these women who had run out of medical options.

When you have spent thousands on doctors and drugs, and gotten worse. Then you bought every nutritional supplement known to man and are no better. You followed the advice of friends who told you to stop eating foods with chemicals, gluten, sugar, saturated fats, dairy, etc. Now you are starving and still sick as a dog.

You may not have a physical problem, you may have a spiritual problem.  

A good example is of this was when one of our girls was 7, a babysitter exposed her to the movie “It.” The “monster” in this movie disguises himself as a clown. I am told, the monster lived in the sewers and would come out of toilets to get people. This movie was written by Stephen King  and was designed to scare the heck out of people. The problem with movies like this is they can do just the opposite.  They scare something into people and it is not good!

Spiritual warfare, sin, sickness, disease, fear, confession, pruning, Bible,

It wasn’t her fault!

Our daughter didn’t want to watch the movie, but  the house was dark and she was afraid to go to another place in the house alone. While watching the movie, she was overcome with fear. She understandably believed the lie, that this monster was real and was going to get her. The Bible says,  “the devil is a liar and he is the father of lies.” The devil uses lies in order to accomplish his goals.

After watching this movie our daughter could hardly sleep, and when she was able to sleep, she had to have the lights on. She was afraid to go to the bathroom; fear ruled her life. Even though it was not her fault, she was exposed to this horrible movie, it had a spiritual effect on her. The devil  never  plays fair.

Lying spirits bring disease.

The spirit of fear that gripped our daughter brought with it the most severe case of shingles I have ever heard of.  She broke out with painful fluid filled blisters, they completely covered her stomach and looked like fish scales. We tried everything to get rid of the shingles but in the end it was prayer that did it.

Are you dealing with fear or do you have a physical ailment that won’t go away?  It may be  time to seek the Lord and do some spiritual warfare.

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

1 Peter 5:8

“Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 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. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground”

Ephesians 6:10-13a

Notice, it’s not our armor, it’s God’s full armor!

It’s not our power; it’s God’s mighty power!

In every case, Jesus is  the answer.

3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

What our daughter needed was to take some thoughts captive, but we need God’s weapons to do that!

So what are those weapons?

  1. The Name of Jesus is the most powerful weapon. Simply call on the name of the Lord.
  2. The Word of God. Take thoughts captive, and command those thoughts that are opposed to God’s Word to leave! Every time one of those lies comes to your mind, quote God’s word that is the truth. For instance, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” Find scripture that applies to your situation or thoughts.
  3. Faith. Jesus said that when you are praying and believe what you say, you will get what you are praying for. (Matthew 21:22) You and I must have faith in God.
  4. Confession. James 5: 14-16 tells us to, “confess our sins to each other and pray for each other so that we may be healed.” Often people are healed when they confess their sins. Find someone you trust, and don’t leave anything out, then receive God’s forgiveness. (1 John 1:7-9)

Our daughter was eventually healed. Sometimes spiritual warfare takes time, not every war is won in a moment.  Sometimes you have to battle for an extended period, and if you do not give up, you will prevail.  Our daughter now a mom with 5 very healthy kids.

We have prayed with countless people who have been set free from all manner of illnesses. God will do it for you as well. Jesus is the answer, God’s weapons are mighty and they are always available.

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. Simply click on the title for purchase information.

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

References

Posted on

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.

fasting, bible, Science, weight loss, heart health, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, longevity.
                                                    Fasting, a Godly and healthy habit.

 

People have many different reasons for fasting.

  1. For health reasons.
  2. For weight loss and beauty.
  3. 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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so 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.

fasting, bible, Science, weight loss, heart health, cancer, Alzheimer's, diabetes, longevity.
Youth praying for the sick.

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.

  1. 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.
  2. It’s been my privilege to leading a great church and school for over 25 years.
  3. I have been fortunate to see all my children do mission work in foreign countries.
  4. 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!

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

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.

  1. 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.

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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]

 

  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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

 

  1. 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.

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

Galatians 5:16

16 So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For 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. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so 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.

  1. “God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann                                         http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
  2. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach                                                                                                                           http://tinyurl.com/j8ybt8r
  3. “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

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

 

 

 

Posted on

Super-centenarian credits God and the Bible!

116 years old and full of joy.

Super-centenarian, 116-year-old, Violet Mosses Brown has discovered the secret to living a long and happy life without many of the ills associated with old age.

 

Bible obedience equals longevity.
Violet Moses Brown reading her daily Bible devotional.

Deuteronomy 33:25b  “Your strength will equal your days”

This Bible verse certainly applies to Super-centenarian, Violet Mosses Brown. Born March 4th 1900, now at 116, Violet still enjoys reading her Daily Bread devotional flawlessly without the assistance of reading glasses. She is still so sharp, she is able to effortlessly recite a poem, The Vision of Belshazzar by Lord Byron, a poem she learned while attending elementary school a century ago. She can recite it without a hitch. For fun Violet listens to music, practices shorthand and typing.  So far, her strength is equal to her days.

Violet Brown is a resident in the western Jamaica town of Duanvale, Trelawny. A local news reporter commented, “Mrs. Brown exudes peace and contentment as she sits on her cool veranda, enjoying the comings and goings of the district. Beside her is her 96-year-old son, Harold Fairweather, incredibly youthful in appearance and believed to be the oldest person with a living parent.  Harold still lives with his mother as he approaches 100. People complain that their twenty-year-old children are still living at home. Get this; Violet has a 96 year old son still living with her and a 62 year old grandson to boot.

Her son did leave home and live in England for a number of years, but felt it was his duty to come home and take care of his mother. After she is gone, he can return to England to pick up were he left off. Just think of it, many 40 year olds think they are over the hill, with this family, they would barely be starting up the hill.

Often people tell me they don’t want to live to be over 100, much less be a super-centenarian. They feel the quality of life at that age would be so poor that it would be better not live at all. At the age of 110, Violet commented with a smile, “You know, sometimes I ask myself, “Am I really 110 years old?” Because I don’t feel like 110.” Though less active at 116, Brown boasts she is still able to make her own bed in the mornings.  Her 96 year old son says she has no major illness, though her hearing isn’t what it used to be.

116 years old and full of joy.
Violet, 116 and still full of joy.

A local official stated, “This is a woman who we can say contributes significantly to the community. She has been humorous in her discussions, possesses good health, a memory that is outstanding, and, of course, she was the record keeper for all deaths in Duanvale.”  Violet kept cemetery records so well that the local government used her record keeping procedures as the standard for all future employees.

This super-centenarian has also been a major help to her family and church community.  Her grandson, 62-year-old Vernon Davis described his grandmother as the unifying force in their family. “She was a person who keeps the family together. She has been hard-working,” said Davis, who has lived with his grandmother since his youth. Her family says even at her age she continues to counsels the residents of Duanvale. They enjoy the company of this positive lady, who shares many gems of faith and poetry with them.

Church make us healthier
Violet with her pastor.

Violets influence has gone beyond the borders of Jamaca!

Her influence in her family and community has also spread to other parts of the world as evidence by this story told by her oldest son.

Harold Fairweather, appears closer to 60, than the centenarian he will be in only four years. He spoke animatedly about his experience as a migrant in Sheffield, England. He had applied for a job and was told by the manager that they did not hire blacks.  I told the gentleman, ‘When your time comes for you to go to the City Road Cemetery, I don’t think color will matter there. I have a flower garden and I do not see only white flowers there. God made them of various colors. This is God’s world, and all of us are in His beautiful garden.” The gentleman seemed surprised and asked, “Where did you get that from?” (Obviously from his mother). He hired me that day. “I became the first person of color to be employed in that business, I opened the door for other people of color; and would you believe that this gentleman became like a second father to me in England”.

So what is this Super-centenarian’s secret to a very productive, very long, very physically healthy life?

Her son says that Violet is not given to gluttony, but enjoys small meals. He also says, “She likes fish and mutton and sometimes she will have cow foot, but she does not eat pork or chicken”. Her other preferences are sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, breadfruit, and fruit, especially oranges and mangoes. The Bible highly recommends eating mutton (red meat) and fish, it also vehemently commands us not to eat pork.[2][3][4] Violet is getting a lot of vitamin C from the fruit she eats.[5] She also says, “I don’t drink rum and dem tings.”

Breadfruit eaten by super-centenarian.
Young Jamaican with a ripe breadfruit.

In my study of super-centenarians, I have not found them to simply be lucky enough to win the genetic lottery, what I have found is that they all do a lot of the same things. And all of the things in common, that they do, are backed up by the word of God and science.

Exodus 23:21, 25-26                                                                                                                                                                

“Pay attention to him (the angel of the lord) 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.”

Violet proudly testifies that her full lifespan has come from obeying God. “I live by the grace of God. At 13, Violet was received into the Baptist Church, where she was told to read Psalm 119, verse 133 — words that she has never forgotten. According to a local reporter, “She declared them to us:” “Order my steps in thy word and let no sin have any dominion over me.”

This super-centenarian declares her greatest joy is the church, “I love the Church,” Brown told reporters.

Worshiping God lengthens and strengthens life.
Violet Brown worshiping with church members.
Prayer and worship strengthen your days.
Violet praying with her church family.

The energetic super-centenarian also said she credited her long and fruitful life to her respect for family, life, and people in general, as well as a lot of hard work when she was younger. She believes that obeying the fifth commandment, “Honor your mother and father so your days may be long” Exodus 20:12, has worked for her. I believe that it is working for me and that it will work for you and your loved ones as well. 

Somebody’s going to live long and strong past 100 years, might as well by you!

5 Biblical principals followed by Violet Mosses Brown, that contributed to her long, healthy and productive life.

  1. Biblical eating habits.
  2. Biblical worship habits.
  3. Biblical relationships with God, family and neighbors.
  4. Avoidance of sin (missing the mark, things that displease God)
  5. Steady, hard work.

The Bible does not say that your genetics determine your health. The Bible says your actions determine your healthfulness.

I will admit that, “honoring your mother and father”, was a hard one for me. When I was growing up, my dad had always been a little overbearing, OK a lot overbearing,  and even though the Bible says that honoring him would lengthen my days, I struggled with it. After being away from home and returning to work for my dad again, he and I almost went to blows one day in the back room of the golf course we were running. Our church encouraged me to keep trying to honor him, and the more I tried the easier it got.  Before he passed away, he and I had some really good talks. A plethora of studies have shown the Bible to be true in this area. One study done by  Brummett and colleagues (2001) found that, among adults with coronary artery disease, the socially isolated had a risk of subsequent cardiac death 2.4 times greater than their more socially connected peers.[6] Check out this link for a ton of evidence that points to relationships being a major factor in physical health and longevity. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/

Once again, our purpose for writing each week is to provide you with Biblical advice and examples of people who followed that advice for the care and feeding of their bodies.  We share this Biblical advice each week, because it 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 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:

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

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

 

References

  1. Violet Brown http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/20100308/lead/lead6.html
  2. Mutton   http://wellnessgospel.net/index.php/2016/07/10/should-we-eat-red-meat/
  3. Fish  http://wellnessgospel.net/index.php/2016/11/19/fish-can-make-you-sick-or-healthy/
  4. Pork  http://wellnessgospel.net/?s=Pork
  5. Vitamin C  http://wellnessgospel.net/index.php/2016/10/10/vitamin-c-granddaddy-vitamins/
  6. Social/physical connections https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/

 

 

 

Posted on

Faith Healing Part 2

Faith healing doesn't always work the way you want.
 When Faith Healing Fails.

What do you do, when God doesn’t? When you pray for something good, and believe with all your heart that it is going to happen, and then……. nothing; what do you do? Most believers go through something like this in their spiritual journey. How you handle that experience can make you or break you! Most people I have talked to broke when it happened to them. Consequently, they stopped believing and settled in for a mediocre faith in God, or gave up on God all-together. I am going to share with you my journey of faith. Eventually it increased my faith and brought me closer to God, hopefully it will do the same for you.

New believers honeymoon period.

It doesn’t always happen, but it is very common for new believers to get almost everything they pray for. We had a couple in our church that had recently dedicated their lives to Christ. Virtually everything they prayed for happened, it was disgusting, it made us older Christians look bad. I’ll give you an example. They began to pray for some home decorations; the very next day, at a local store, they found a framed picture they really liked. Unfortunately, it was kind of expensive, more than they could afford, so they left the store without the picture. On their way home, they saw something on the side of the road that had evidently blown out of someone’s pickup. They stopped to see what it was. It turned out to be the identical picture in a frame, undamaged. All that to say this, that kind of immediate answer to prayer doesn’t usually last. Kris Vallotton, a favorite speaker of mine, calls that beginner’s luck. I think it is just God confirming his love for new believers, but eventually they need to mature a little… Here’s how it happened to me.

New believers, Disney Land experience with faith healing,           eventually comes to an end.
Faith healing tested
Disney Land with Leslie, Peter, Daniel, Nathan and Maria.

When Shary and I started attending the Philadelphia Church of Hammond, Oregon, we saw some amazing miracles. I talked a little about it in last week’s blog “Faith Healing Part 1”. We saw many healings and miraculous answers to prayer. About this same time, Shary approached me about wanting to attend a wedding in Sacramento and then fly from there to Disneyland with the kids and I. We were literally living from paycheck to paycheck at the time and my first reaction was no way, we don’t have that kind of money. Shary was not giving up that easily, she asked me to figure out how much it would cost, then she told me she and the kids were going to pray for the money; if that amount of unexpected money came in, could we do it? I said sure, but it won’t. just to prove it to her, I sat down and crunched the numbers. Shary told me what the new clothes would run us, I added in the cost of gas for the trip, I even added in wear and tear on the car. I figured out what I would lose in wages. I got paid by the hour and had no sick leave or vacation pay. Then I added the airfare and Disney tickets. Needless to say, the grand total was impressive. Shary began to pray anyway, and to my total amazement, money started to come in, little by little from many unexpected places.  When we got closer to the grand total she started giving me that look. She didn’t say it out loud, but you know that look. It’s that look, the one with the little sparkle in the eyes, that says, “see I told you God would do this”. So, being the big-hearted guy that I am, when we got within ten dollars of the grand total, I gave in and said she could buy the tickets. The story doesn’t end there however, the night before we left, someone left a plate of cookies wrapped on our front porch. We found them the next morning and inside, with the cookies, was a ten dollar bill. God had answered her prayers to the penny!

I learned three major lessons from that experience: 1) God loves us enough to let us enjoy life. 2) He sometimes does it in such a way as to make sure we know he did it. And Finally, 3) I learned that God had no problem helping my wife to prove I was wrong and she was right. (If you ask me the two against one seemed a little unfair though, just sayin’.)

OK, so because of all these things, Shary and I really started embracing this new area of faith. At our former church we had received faith concerning salvation and Biblical advice about marriage and family. But, at our new church, we were adding onto that faith for everyday miracles and healing.

We were so excited about God that we began praying in earnest for our families to get saved. We had been praying for some of Shary’s family and wanted to see them come to the Lord, and our trip to Sacramento was going to give us some opportunities to talk to them about Jesus. But when we got there our witnessing seemed to be falling on deaf ears. The day before the wedding we were hanging out playing basketball when Shary’s brother had sprained his ankle quite badly. We felt that this was an opportunity to show him the reality of God and his love, through faith healing. We asked him if we could lay our hands on his ankle, because we believed God would heal it. He said we were nuts. He said faith healing wasn’t real. But he was stuck in a chair with his leg up and finally agreed to let us try it.  In faith, we laid hands on his ankle and asked God to heal him in Jesus’ name. We had no doubt that God was going to do this, but… nothing happened; at least nothing that her brother (or we) saw. He openly ridiculed us. An opportunity we felt would bring him closer to God had seemingly ended up moving him further away. We went home feeling discouraged and let down by God.

So what do you do when God doesn’t?                                                         When faith healing doesn’t work,                                                                   or anytime God doesn’t answer your prayers, then what do you do?

                                      In Hebrews Chapter  eleven, we are told,                                    “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Our ultimate goal was for Shary’s brother to make peace with God. But what ended up happening was I became less zealous for God. Like so many Christians who have had similar experiences, my desire to pray and witness dropped off dramatically.  Have you ever experienced anything like this?

Shortly after that experience I was reading the story about Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. Something they said went deep into my heart.  I believe it is the secret to consistent faith and pleasing God. It is found in chapter three of the book of Daniel. In that chapter, King Nebuchadnezzar orders everyone small and great to bow down before to an idol of his own creation or be thrown into a fiery furnace. These three young men told Nebuchadnezzar that their God was able to deliver them from the fiery furnace, and that he would save them, but even if he did not save them from the fire, they still would not bow to any so called God but Jehovah. Ultimately, they were thrown into the furnace, and God showed up and was in it with them. As the story goes they came out of the experience without even the smell of smoke on them. Even though God didn’t stop them from being punished, he was with them in the punishment and turned defeat into victory.

Faith healing and miracles
Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego in the fiery furnace and someone who looked like a God was with them.

In a nutshell, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said…

  1. “The God we serve is able to save us”   (They possessed faith in God’s ability)
  2. “and he will rescue us”              (They possessed faith in God’s willingness.)
  3. “But even if he does not”      (They were more concerned with pleasing God                                               than pleasing the king or saving themselves)

Once I got a hold of that concept, and shared it with others, there was no stopping us. We determined that when we prayed we would confess that the God we serve is able to answer our prayer, that he will answer our prayer, but even if he doesn’t do it immediately we will continue to act in faith, if for no other reason then to simply please him. I believe there are three basic levels of faith.

Level one is to believe that God is able. This is a huge step for many people in our society. Our schools and society in general have been teaching us that the only world that exists is the physical world.

Level two is to believe that he will answer our prayers. A lot of Christians believe that God  is able to heal and do miracles, they just don’t believe that he will. For them the next step is to believe that he wants to and that  he will. One man, speaking to Jesus, put it this way, “I believe, I believe, help my unbelief.” Mark 9:24

Level three is to continue to act in faith, even if God chooses not to answer your prayer in the way you want. Many people, like me, got to level two because it was easy to believe. But when it got difficult we stopped believing and, more importantly, stopped praying for miracles.

Faith healing doesn't always work the way you want.
Walking away from God when he doesn’t answer your prayers.

The real key to all of this was in Hebrews chapter eleven. Paul states that “without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he is a rewarder of those who diligently (working persistently to) seek him.”

There apostle Paul also states that many of the great people of faith did not receive in this life, all the things  God had promised.

13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth. 14 People who say such things show that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 If they had been thinking of the country they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them.

Paul then goes on to give many examples of people who got what they prayed for. Then, in verse thirty-five, he starts sharing about people who didn’t get what they prayed for, people who were tortured, sawed in two, people who lived in caves and holes in the ground. Paul said that the people who prayed and believed God, but didn’t immediately get what they asked for, would get it in heaven and get more. Paul says they were going to get a better resurrection.

So my conclusion was this: If we share Jesus with people, regardless of how they respond, and if we pray for people, regardless of the immediate outcome, it pleases God. If we get what we prayed for then we have our immediate reward. If we don’t get what we pray for God is still pleased with us and will do something to reward our faith, either in this life or the one to come. Armed with this new insight, we can’t lose.

So what has become of our faith healing?

Now we pray for almost everyone who will let us. We realize it is not our responsibility to heal them. We know that God is able to heal them, and we know that, ultimately, he wants to heal them. We now understand though that if this isn’t his time we are not going to just stop the process simply because we can’t see the immediate results.

Since adopting this three-point approach to faith, which focuses more on pleasing God, (without faith it is impossible to please him) we are seeing blind eyes opened, the lame walk, captives to sin set free and people receiving Jesus as their Lord and Savior more and more each year.

I recently went to Thailand with Craig Demo and Ambassador Ministries. One day we prayed for tribal people who lived way up in the jungle, virtually every person we prayed for got healed. They lined up for hours to be prayed for. One man was blind in one eye, his brother had thrown a knife at him and hit is eye. He had been blind in that eye ever since. After we prayed for him, with his good eye covered, he read the letters on a pickup truck across the street.

The final outcome to all of this is that we are not discouraged when our faith seems to fail. Oh, about Shary’s brother; he eventually received Jesus as his Lord and Savior, and soon afterward he quit a very high paying job and went to work, for a very low wage, as a full-time children’s church director at his church. We feel that our prayers for him were ultimately answered and in a way that was beyond anything we could have asked or imagined.

Jesus said, “As you go, preach, saying,’ the kingdom of heaven is near. ‘Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. . Freely you have received, freely give.” (Matthew 10:7&8)

Jesus also said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father.” ”And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. “If you ask anything in My name I will do it.” (John 14:12-14)

Jesus shed his own blood so we could be healed!

“But he (Jesus) was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 KJV

When the Roman soldiers were whipping Jesus and cutting great bloody stripes across his back, he could have said “that is enough” he could have stopped the whole thing. Instead, he took it so that we, and the ones we love, could be healed. It is a tragedy of the highest form not to receive this love gift from him. Faith healing is one of the ways that we are to honor him among unbelievers. Listen to the apostle Peter.

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.”      Acts 4:8-10

Faith healing concepts!

YOU CAN DO THE WORKS OF JESUS,                                                              YOU CAN DO GREATER WORKS THAN JESUS,                                                     IF YOU SIMPLY BELIEVE JESUS!

If you would like to see people receive Christ, if you would like to see God do miracles, you should join me this March on a trip to Thailand, with Craig Demo and  Ambassador Ministries. Openings for this trip are limited, so don’t wait. Contact me by leaving a comment in our comment section and I will get back to you. Just include the word Thailand.

“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, providing you with biblical advice on the care and feeding of your body.  We do it because this 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 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.

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

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

Posted on

Faith Healing Part 1

The Secret, Health Insurance, doctors, Hospitals, savings

Is faith healing real?

Faith healing, is it real? Is it the ultimate answer to long life, or is faith healing just sleight of hand and a lot of hype? We do not believe it is the ultimate answer to long life nor do we believe it is sleight of hand. Here is my journey from disbelief to faith.

faith healing and the Bible
Chris, Shary and Leslie, when our ideas about child-rearing and health weren’t working.

When Shary and I started going to church back in 1977 we attended Forest Grove Baptist Church and loved it. They had Bible classes for every age. The first class we attended was a class that focused on what the Bible said about raising children. We had one daughter at the time, we were miserable and so was she. The class was awesome, it is a big reason we have thirteen children instead of one. We then took a class on marriage, it is the reason we have been together for 45 years instead of 5. But… that church did not believe in faith healing and neither did I.

When we moved to Astoria, Oregon, we had a lot of friends who attended the Philadelphia Church. It was a Charismatic, Full-Gospel church that believed in faith healing. We started attending, but I was not convinced.

We were very poor at that time, I was planting trees for a living and it was tough. In that job you get paid by how many trees you plant, and there were no paid sick days. On a Friday I started having flue symptoms and by Sunday I was deathly ill in bed. Between services, a group of men from the church came to the house and said they were in a big hurry to get back to the next service. Could they pray for me? They said it probably wouldn’t work but were willing to give it a try. I got out of bed, every move I made hurt, they surrounded me, prayed a quick prayer in Jesus name and left. I slowly started to walk back to bed, because a minute ago any movement was agonizing. Then I noticed that there was no stiffness, all the pain was gone; I had been instantly healed. Since then I have literally seen God heal people thousands of times. Have I seen God heal every time we pray? No, but I will discuss that next week, stay tuned, subscribe to our weekly newsletter.

For six months I have been making the case that divine health is God’s plan for you and I. I’ve been showing you what you need to do to appropriate divine health. Some people who have embraced faith healing have argued, “We don’t need doctors nor do we need to go back to the law to find Biblical principles for healthy living. We believe in faith healing; every day we go to the cross and claim healing, ‘by his strips we are healed’.”  In response to this, I would have to point to the apostles Paul and Peter. Paul healed people by faith, but he also obeyed the Law of Moses. Peter believed in faith healing and he also obeyed the Law. Jesus healed people by faith and he obeyed the Law of Moses. Jesus was not willing to eat shellfish, seagulls or any other thing the Bible forbids, just to prove he could heal himself. The Devil tried to get Jesus to jump off the pinnacle of the temple in order to prove how strong his faith was, or prove that God can heal and protect.

“Then the devil took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. ‘If you are the Son of God,’ he said throw yourself down. For it is written “’He will command his angels concerning you, and they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus answered him, “It is also written Do not put the Lord your God to the test,’”              Matthew 4:5-7

Just because God could send angels to protect Jesus, didn’t mean that Jesus should do something foolish or against the word of God just to prove he had faith. To disobey God’s word concerning divine health and then expect God to heal us is foolish at best, and disobedient at worst. One pastor put it this way “who gave you permission to disobey the commandments of God”?

Just because God is in the faith healing business, does not mean we should disobey his commandments concerning divine health.

I have seen high profile “Faith healers” who ignore God’s advice about health. When they get sick they sneak off to Allopathic doctors. Then they begin to build hospitals and train their faith disciples to be Allopathic physicians. They do all of this without first following God’s instructions to see if the promises of God concerning the law are true. To jump from faith in God, to faith in Allopathic doctors, seems to be quite a leap. Why not faith in all of God’s word? “All scripture is God breathed and useful”

Then, there are those who deny faith healing altogether and believe that it passed away with the apostles.

Jesus gave us this command.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands’ and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all’ they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well. After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it.” Mark 16:15-20

Jesus said these signs will accompany those who believe. Are you a believer? If you are, then you are commanded by Jesus to lay hands on the sick, and when they get healed it will confirm to unbelievers that God’s word is divinely inspired. (If you would like a list of scriptures that reinforce this truth, make a comment in our comment section, and I will give you a list of more than twenty-five passages from the Old and New Testaments that tell us miracles help people believe the word of God.)

Faith healing in Harare
Students in Harare, where we saw many healings, including a nurse who had been suffering for many years. We also saw thousands pray to receive Christ as their lord and savior.

  So, if we teach divine health,                 why do we need faith healing?

After giving a talk at a large hospital in Harare Africa, a nurse approached me. She had been prayed for the year before, and had been healed of a serious, lingering disease. She asked me, “If, as you say, we obey all God’s commandments, he will remove all sickness from us, why then do we need faith healing?” The answer is quite simple. Who other than Jesus ever obeyed, or will ever obey, all God’s commands? No one! Jesus is the only person who never needed faith healing. The rest of us need it in the worst way.

Occasionally I will disobey God and go for weeks without a day off.  Or I will eat foods the Bible says not to eat, like cake and ice cream. We have 22 kids, counting spouses, and we have 40 grand-kids, so, we average a birthday party almost every week. And you think I can resist all that tasty food? Yes, I know it is not good for me, but hey, I’m weak. I believe that without Divine healing we would find ourselves in a very sad place.

We need faith healing because people have accidents!

First of all, no one but Jesus has listened carefully to, paid attention to, and kept all God’s commands and decrees. Secondly, people have accidents. Until we get to heaven and see Jesus face to face we will always need divine healing. Paul had to heal a boy who fell asleep while listening to Paul preach on and on, this is so typical of us pastors. The boy fell out of an upper story window and died. It was what we call “faith healing” that brought that boy back to life.

 

I would like to say, “Every time I pray for people they get healed”, but that’s simply not the case. Some Christians would say that if you pray and the person doesn’t get healed it is because you didn’t believe or you didn’t have enough faith. I would agree that if you don’t believe and if you have no faith that you can’t expect God to answer any prayer, but…in Mark 6:4-6 it is recorded that even Jesus couldn’t do many miracles because of the people’s lack of faith. Jesus said…

“Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.” And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith. Matthew 13:57-58

Even Jesus did not heal everyone.

Just because people don’t get healed every time we pray for healing, does not mean that faith healing is somehow illegitimate. Jesus did not heal everyone he prayed for. The Bible says some did not get healed because of THEIR lack of faith. Jesus would not let the scoffers in when he prayed for the little girl who was dead. He first removed all the doubters and only let her parents and his closest disciple in the room. Then he prayed for her and raised her from the dead. I believe that the people he let in believed with their hearts and souls because they loved the little girl so much.

So, how much faith do we need for divine healing to work?

”I (Jesus) tell you the truth if you have the faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, move from here to there and it will move” Matthew 17:20

Mustard seeds are some of the smallest seeds in the world; yet they can grow into a large bush, big enough for birds to live in. Thank God, Jesus didn’t say that we need coconut seed faith.

Faith Healing at church
Lewis and Clark Bible Church, located near Astoria Oregon. The site of an amazing miracle of God.

One of the greatest miracles, I have had the privilege to witness came with faith the size of a mustard seed. Our church had a large choir of about sixty members. Shary and I sang in the choir when it was performing the “Alleluia Chorus” written by Bill and Gloria Gather. We traveled around our small community singing in many different venues and had a great time glorifying God and seeing people drawn closer to Him. Our church is fairly demonstrative in worship; we often lift our hands praising God.  Sometimes we praise God in English and occasionally we praise him in tongues (See Acts chapter 2). The Pastor from Lewis and Clark Bible Church asked us if we would come to their church and perform. But; he requested we refrain from lifting our hands or praying in tongues, since this was not something their church believed in. We discussed it as a group and agreed that if it would be a stumbling block to their church, we could refrain; no lifting hands, no speaking in tongues, not a problem.

In the musical, the Gaithers had masterfully inserted places for testimony with the songs. One of the best was the song “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows.” Orby Galloway was a part of our choir and a pastor from another local church in our area. Orby was in his late 60’s and very feeble. Orby was so feeble that he had to be helped up on the platform; and those who sang with him had to listen carefully, slowing down and speeding up to match his feeble yet anointed singing. Did I mention he had a bad heart? Well he did; and according to doctors it wasn’t going to serv him much longer. When Orby sang “The longer I serve him the sweeter he grows”, he would share how his wife had recently passed away and how he loved her and Jesus. He testified that he was looking forward to heaven, seeing Jesus face to face and being reunited with his wife. Every time he sang and testified, people were so touched, there wouldn’t be a dry eye in the place.

After the performance, we were invited to punch and cookies in the basement of the church. As I headed for the king’s dainties, (cookies and punch) I heard a scream. I looked over by the stairs and saw Orby lying on the floor. We all rushed to him, the choir surrounded him. Someone went to call an ambulance (this was before cell phones). People were weeping and praying all around us. I knelt on one side of Orby and our pastor knelt down on the other side. Orby was having a hard time breathing, people where praying all around. Then it happened, our worst fears,  I heard Orby breath out a very long last breath and then lay still.  It was at this point we forgot our promise; many of us began to pray in tongues and lift our hands to God. A woman in the choir who was a nurse checked for a pulse on his neck. Another man who had been a medic in the military checked for a pulse on his wrist. They both agreed he was gone. Not really thinking about what I was doing but simply doing, I laid my hands on his chest and said  “Dear God, if this is Orby’s time to go home to be with you and his wife, let him go in peace, but if you have more for him to do, please bring him back.”

I confess that I only said it as a sort of a last rights kind of a prayer. My faith was no bigger than a mustard seed. When I had spoken my last word over him, what a surprise, he sat up and asked us what we were all doing. We tried to tell him how serious his condition was and that he should lie down till the ambulance came. He said he didn’t want to lie down because he felt fine, that is when it became a little comical. He got angry about the ambulance because he said there was nothing wrong with him and he couldn’t afford an ambulance ride. We assured him that we would pay for the ambulance and he should be quiet and lay down like we said. He would sit up and we would gently push him back down. We fought about this till the ambulance arrived. A few days later we got the report from the hospital. Something miraculous had happened. Orby’s EKG indicated that all the old scar tissue on his heart was gone and that he had what seemed to be a brand-new heart. The rest of the story is that Orby’s new heart gave him a new lease on life. He remarried and lived another 20 years, preaching and teaching in his own church and occasionally at ours. It never hurts to pray; even mustard seed prayers can surprise us.

Is faith healing just for especially gifted people?

In James chapter 5, we are told “the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well” It also says that we don’t have to be anybody special, because – “Elijah was a man just like us, he prayed and it did not rain then he prayed again and it rained.”

Jesus said that whoever believes the gospel and is baptized will be saved, and signs and wonders would accompany those who believe. If you are a believer then you have the backing of God when you pray in Jesus name. Jesus also said that when people get healed it would make God’s word more believable.

A few years ago, I was witnessing to a group of teens who quite frankly didn’t believe that there was a God and didn’t believe a word of the Bible. So, I told them about a young man that they all knew, and how God had healed him.

Faith Healing in a hospital.
Columbia Memorial Hospital cafeteria, where we prayed for Kelly.

The story went something like this. A young high school student named Kelly had found out that his girlfriend had cheated on him. He was very upset and decided to get drunk. He figured that this was the best way deal with the problem, but he went a little too far. He consumed a large container of hard liquor with only a little bit of help from his friends. He said that before he passed out he lost feeling in his mouth and throat. When they got him to the hospital he was in a coma and the doctors said he probably would not live and if he did survive, he would have brain damage. At the hospital we met Kelly’s mother and a friend in the cafeteria. Shary and I prayed with them that God would heal Kelly, in Jesus name. When we entered his hospital room, he was sitting up in bed talking normally.

At this point in the story one of the teens I was witnessing to challenged me. She said that it was impossible for anyone to drink that much hard liquor and live. Fortunately, a boy next to me confirmed my story, saying he had watched Kelly do it. To add to the seriousness of this event, a girl from the same school at the same location had recently died doing the same thing. All of a sudden, I had about six very attentive teens hearing and receiving the Good News about Jesus Christ. Kelly is now a father himself, and sends his little girl to our Christian school.

Not only has it been our experience that prayer works, but it has been proven through numerous, scientific, double blind studies.[1][2]

God confirms his word by signs that accompany it!

God’s word is also confirmed by the very fact that it is so scientifically and medically accurate.

Next week we will discuss; what to do you do when God doesn’t heal you? Why not? What does it mean?

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, providing you with biblical advice on the care and feeding of your body.  We do it because this 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 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.

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

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

References

  1. http://www.newsmax.com/Health/Headline/prayer-health-faith-medicine/2015/03/31/id/635623/
  2. http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=132674&page=1
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Salvation, my Journey

Chris Schauermann and Gary Schauermann with family

Salvation, My Journey

My salvation/faith journey continues another year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of you who have made this year such a blessing to me. After preaching at Gateway Community Church for approximately 35 years, I retired this year. I have turned over that part of my life to my son, Angelo. The church gave him a 100% confidence vote (better than what I got when I started). I still have a passion to share God’s goodness, so I started a whole new chapter in my life. In June, I started blogging. It started small with a handful of page views per week, but thanks to all of you, the blog is averaging over 1,000 page views per day from over 40 countries including Russia, China, India, Sweden, and Israel. Since my passion is to share the goodness of God, and the word of God, this blog has surpassed my wildest dreams. Thank you, thank you, all of you! Since you have all played a part in this, as the year draws to an end and we look forward to a new year and new adventures with God, I thought I would share with you where it all started for me.

At the ripe old age of sixteen, I found myself forced to contemplate the deep questions of life. My cousin Gary had just died in the war in Vietnam and I was confronted with the stark reality of death, up close, for the first time in my short life. After getting the news, I remember lying on my back in bed staring at the ceiling thinking about my own life and wondering what would happen to me if I died. Where would I go? Would I just cease to exist? The thought of it went deep and frightened me. I had made some attempts to be “good”; don’t lie, don’t cheat, don’t steal, don’t use God’s name as a curse word, but I always seemed to fail. If I died and had to stand before God and give an account for my life, I was in trouble. If there was no God and I was going to just cease to exist when I died…well that scared me just as much. I don’t think I slept all night. But life goes on and I got busy with other things and just didn’t think about it much.

Chris Schauermann and Gary Schauermann with family
This is a family photo with my grandparents in the middle. I’m the cute one, front row far right, my cousin Gary is seated next to me.

The summer, between my junior and senior year in high school, I was sent by the local Kiwanis Club to a Fellowship of Christian Athletes camp. The camp was in Ashland, Oregon, at the Southern Oregon College campus. The Kiwanis Club presumably sent me because I was a good athlete, and I was regularly in trouble. Since this camp was staffed with professional football players, Olympic gymnasts, etc. who were Christians, I guess the idea was that I would come back a better football player and a better member of society. I had no idea what Christian Athletes were, I had never heard of them, I had no idea that this was anything but a place for me to improve my athletic skills. OK, I was a clueless teenager! So, it should be no surprise that with my false expectations, I was more than disappointed when I got few tips on being a better football player, but had to sit through sermon after sermon and small group discussion after small group discussion that I didn’t want to hear, especially since I wasn’t fond of sitting in the first place.

One afternoon during a break, a water fight broke out in the dorm rooms. Before it was over we had grabbed anything that could possibly be used to get our opponents wet; cups, wastepaper baskets and fire hoses. Well… when they finally stopped us, we were taken out to the football field, I assumed, to wait for our punishment. Did I mention that there were hundreds of us? It seemed like it took forever. Did I mention I didn’t like to sit? While waiting, I prepared myself for the inevitable. I was used to being in trouble; they would scold and lecture us forever, and then tell us what the punishment was going to be. We would either be sent home or our parents would be contacted and told how much we disappointed them and how much it was going to cost and that we should pay for the damages. I was used to being in trouble, most Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) boys are. I was determined that I could take whatever they could throw at me. After years of constantly being in trouble, I had become tough; I wasn’t going to let them get to me.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Salvation ministry

Southern Oregon College football field.
FCA staff praying for our salvation
FCA Athlete-staff praying for our salvation .

Finally, the director showed up, he said that the college estimated that we had done about $5,000 worth of damage to the dorms. He said that all the leader-athletes had been praying, which is why it had taken so long, and that God had told them that they should pay for the damages and that we could go back to our rooms. That was it, nothing more was said.

OK, I was in shock, no lecture, and no punishment. They had taken our punishment for us and it was over. My first thought was “these people are different.” That night when one of the athletes spoke about salvation, about Jesus taking our punishment on the cross, I saw it for the first time. The speaker led me and some of the other boys in a simple salvation prayer. It was an incredible experience for me. The prayer went something like this…

“God, I confess that I have lied, taken your name as a cuss word, I’ve ignored you and broken your laws. I thank you that you sent your son Jesus to be punished for my sins, so I could go free. I receive what Jesus did on the cross and believe you raised him from the dead because He was sinless. I believe that because of what he did, I can go to be with you when I die. I have made a mess of my life; I want you to be the Lord of my life. So, take my life and make me what you want me to be!”

When I got done praying I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off me. I was happier than I had ever been in my entire life. To this day, I still mess up, and God still forgives me every time I ask him. He is an awesome God and an awesome father!

John 3:16                                                                                                                                    “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

1 John 5:11-14

11 And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

John 1:12

12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—

God promises us salvation, eternal life with him, if we believe in Jesus the savior and we receive him, That is, we receive everything he stands for, we receive him as our lord, savoir and friend.

My wife Shary’s salvation story, is similar to mine, except she went to a Young Life summer camp and received Jesus as her savior.

Youglife, Woodleaf Salvation Summer Camp
Younglife, Woodleaf, Summer Camp.

If you have never prayed a prayer like the one I prayed at that Christian Athletes camp. you can do it right now.  If you have never received God’s love, forgiveness and salvation, and like me, have made a mess of your life, you can pray this prayer. God is waiting to be set free from your past if you are ready to let God take control of your life. Receiving Jesus will change everything. Go back to the prayer I prayed: put it in your own words, God is listening and he will respond.

Whether you prayed that  prayer a long time ago or just prayed the salvation prayer for the first time, I hope this new year, you fall deeper in love with Jesus. It is also my hope and prayer that you and yours find his word to be a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. His word is the truth, his word is his gift to us, his word is life.

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

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.

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

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