Are you getting enough laughter? This weeks Wellness Gospel is about the power of laughter. I am going to share with you something that is almost guaranteed to make you laugh. That laughter could actually cure what ails you!
“A cheerful heart is good medicine”
Proverbs 17:22
It is not just what you eat that will ensure you are healthy. It is not just how much exercise you get or even how spiritual you are that will keep you disease free. In order to live disease free like the Bible promises, you and I need to listen to everything the God says about health, and one of the big things about your health and mine, is a cheerful heart.
The King James Version of the Bible translates Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” The word translated “medicine” is “gehah” According to Strong’s Hebrew dictionary “gehah” literally means “a cure.” So a more literal translation of Proverbs 17:22 would be,“A merry heart is a cure.”
Laughter is my secret to 122 years of great living.
Jeanne Calment of Paris France was inducted into the Guinness Book of Would records on October 16, 1995 as the oldest documented human ever. There are many who have claimed to live longer but none have the paperwork to prove it. At the time, she was 120 years young. Jeanne remembers watching the Eiffel Tower being constructed; she outlived twenty-seven French presidents, and remembers selling pencils to the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh. At the age of 100, Jeanne was still riding her bike. Jeanne lived to be 122 years 164 days. When asked, “What’s the secret to your long life?” she answered “Laughter!”
Laughed till I cried!
For the last couple of weeks I have been reading a chapter each night from the book, “Real Ponies Don’t Go Oink” by Patrick McManus. The result has been lavish doses of hilarious laughter. My wife Shary said she could hear me laughing in our bedroom while she was in the kitchen. Now I must explain that our house is big. It is over 9000 square feet on four levels. I think the kitchen and the bedroom have different zip codes. She said I was shaking the house. I admit that I have been laughing so hard I was crying. If laughter is a cure, this book could cure almost anything. Check it out at amazon, and happy reading.
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.
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 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 and the link to Youngevity a wellness company founded by Dr. Joel Wallach. Simply click on the titles below for purchase information.
ADHD stands for Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), “ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders of childhood. It is usually first diagnosed in childhood and often lasts into adulthood. Children with ADHD may have trouble paying attention, controlling impulsive behaviors (may act without thinking about what the result will be), or be overly active.[1]
The above poster reports 2011-2012 data, but the incidence of ADHD is increasing. According to the most recent analysis, fully 20% of high school boys and 52% of all foster children in the United States today, have been diagnosed with ADHD, and the majority of those currently diagnosed have been treated with powerful prescription stimulants [3][4]
What are the symptoms of ADHD?
“It is normal for children to have trouble focusing and behaving at one time or another. However, children with ADHD do not just grow out of these behaviors. The symptoms continue and can cause difficulty at school, at home, in the community or with friends”.
A child with ADHD might:
daydream a lot
forget or lose things a lot
squirm or fidget
talk too much
make careless mistakes or take unnecessary risks
find it hard to resisting temptation
have trouble taking turns
find it difficulty getting along with others”[2]
ADHD affects the ability to learn.
I had ADHD until I was in my twenties; my older brothers did not. They got straight A’s in school, they were scholar athletes. Mike was valedictorian of his high school when he graduated, Tim was a mathematical genius. Tim and a coworker at Boeing developed a computer program you might recognize, it is now called Excel.
My brothers were great students, I on the other hand struggled to get B’s and C’s in school. School was torture for me, I felt like a pacing, caged animal most of the time. I remember one day looking out the school windows and watching a maintenance man mow the lawn, I would have done anything to trade places with him, forever.
Often my parents or teachers would say that I just wasn’t trying hard enough. I don’t blame them, the reason they say this is because that is what it looked like from their perspective. Most people do not know how much it hurts an ADHD child to hear this. We are constantly asking ourselves why is life so easy for all the other kids. We try with all our might to concentrate and stay focused in class, but just can’t do it. Other kids seem to whiz through their school-work with ease, while over and over again, we stay in from recess to get our work done. This is a terrible disease and any loving parent should do whatever it takes to help their child overcome it, and overcome it you can.
No matter how hard I tried!
I dropped out of college my sophomore year because I had some classes I just could not pass. No matter how hard I tried I kept having to drop classes because I was going to fail. I had one teacher beg me to continue, she said I was her best student, I told her that I had taken the class before and got stuck at the same place. My wife Shary, would simply drink a lot of coffee so she could stay awake all night and cram for finals. Like most ADHD students I would drink coffee and fall asleep.
People with ADHD react to stimulants differently!
People with ADHD react to stimulants in the opposite way that normal people do. Ritalin is a stimulant for most people. I do credit ADHD for keeping me away from more addictive drugs. One time I spent a lot of money on some cocaine. I was told it would keep me awake and focused for a long time. The last thing I remember was snorting it, then I fell asleep immediately. I never took cocaine again, it just seemed like a very expense way to ruin an evening.
Ritalin or similar drugs are being prescribed for children with ADHD. They get some immediate relief, which makes the parents and teachers believe that this is the answer. The kids calm down from their normal hyperactive hyper-vigilant state and are able to focus. But this drug, like all drugs has some very nasty side effects.
Side effects!
One side effect for Ritalin is what we call shiners. Most kids who take Ritalin look like someone has been punching them in the face. Their eyes are all puffy underneath and they look like they haven’t slept in weeks. This drug is also highly addictive, in order to get the same results they need to keep upping the doses. Eventually, the child is taking the maximum dose and is just as hyper as he or she was in the beginning. If you then try to take them off drug, they will experience terrible withdrawal symptoms, including ADHD that is worse than when they started.
Other side effects are stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, vision problems, dizziness, mild headache, sweating, mild skin rash, numbness, tingling, or a cold feeling in your hands or feet; nervous feeling, sleep problems (insomnia); or. weight loss. [2] Sign me up, right? Most kids hate taking it.
Mommy, I don’t feel good when I take those!
Most of the kids that come to our school taking Ritalin, hate it. They will try to trick their parents into thinking they took it when they haven’t. We have even had kids run away from home in order to avoid having to take Ritalin. It is horrible to put a kid through this. I thank God this was not the way people dealt with ADHD when I was in school. I am glad I got the discipline that I received, rather than be forced to become addicted to drugs as a child like these kids.
ADHD effects almost every part of life.
One of my older brothers was a natural piano player, so my parents signed me up for piano lessons, thinking I would also be a child prodigy. I have to give my parents a P for persistence, they took me to four different piano teachers over a period of four years. I guess they thought the teachers were at fault because they failed to bring out my expected musical genius. It was torture for me, I practiced piano each morning before school and was failing miserably, I often walked to school crying. When I say fail, I mean that after four years of lessons, all I could play was chopsticks and I couldn’t do that very well.
ADHD children tend to get into trouble a lot.
I got more spankings in school and out, than all my three brothers combined. During an unusually bad string of problems at school, my dad announced to me and the rest of the family that if I got in trouble at school again he would give me a doozy of a spanking. The next day my brother Mike tells dad that I got in trouble again at lunch time and that the principal made me stand out in the middle of the gym. I told dad that it wasn’t me, really, it was a kid with a coat just like mine. And besides, Mike couldn’t have positively identified me, I kept my back to him the whole time.
During those years I also had my run-ins with the law, I even went to jail a couple of times on alcohol and drug charges. Before I found Jesus, I always looked forward to being drunk or stoned, simply because it was the only time I really had peace.
Jesus made a difference!
After I rededicated my life to Jesus and changed my lifestyle, I went back to college. This time I got all A’s and one B. I was given an award for being the top student in my major. I went on to manage a manufacturing plant for 15 years and started a K-12 school and ran it for 25 years while pastoring a church. Oh, by the way, I haven’t been in trouble with the law all these years either. There is hope for people with the disease of ADHD.
I must give Jesus credit for my recovery form ADHD. He became a huge part of my life and it was because of him that I found the answer to ADHD. He also gave me the power to do something about it. There are people who know what to do but cannot do it, simply because they do not have God’s supernatural help like I did.
What do most modern doctors and physiologists believe is the cause for ADHD?
Scientist are blaming ADHD on poor genetics, but I and thousands of other people have beat ADHD without changing our genes. [1] You or your child can beat it too. Dr Joel Wallach says that children can turn this disease around in a week without drugs. He and other doctors are having 100% success in reversing the negative effects of ADHD, without the use of dangerous medications.
What does God Say About ADHD and all Diseases?
Deuteronomy 7:11-15a
11 Therefore, take care to follow the commands, decrees and laws I give you today. 12 If you pay attention to these laws and are careful to follow them, then the Lord your God will keep his covenant of love with you, as he swore to your ancestors. 13 He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and olive oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land he swore to your ancestors to give you.14 You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor will any of your livestock be without young.15 The Lord will keep you free from every disease”
If ADHD is a disease, then God promises to set you free from it.
Deuteronomy 30:8-9a
8 You will again obey the Lord and follow all his commands I am giving you today. 9 Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands”
Most ADHD sufferers, would not consider themselves prosperous. Everything in my life was a disaster; I only began to prosper after finding Jesus and beginning to obey his instructions.
So what Biblical instructions can keep people from having ADHD?
And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer, and they were fatter in flesh, than all the youths that did eat of the king’s dainties.
Daniel and his friends refused to eat the king’s dainties. These foods contained things that God’s word says not to eat. In just ten days these Hebrew children were healthier than the kids who ate the king’s food. The story goes on to say that they were smarter too.
In those days, Kings were the only people who could afford to eat refined foods. Most of the kings in the Bible lived very short lives. God says you might as well put a knife to your throat if you eat refined foods.
Sugar is the most dangerous of all refined foods. (Kings dainties)
When I was going to school and taking piano lessons, I was also eating cold cereal for breakfast every morning. To make matters worse, I put so much sugar in my already sugar loaded cereal, that when the cereal was gone, the bowl was still ¼ full of sugar. This was my favorite part, I scooped up the straight sugar and headed in to the living room to desecrate the art of music. According to Dr. Joel Wallach, sugar is the #1 reason for ADHD.
Could I be missing some essential nutrient in my diet?
Another doctor on the east coast who has 100% success with ADHD, gives all his patients Chromium and Vanadium and forbids them to have any form of sugar. Today sugar is in nearly all processed food. READ YOUR LABELS. It comes under a wide variety of names, (sugar, brown sugar, corn-syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malted corn, maltose, sucrose, dextrose, fructose, lactose, dried molasses etc…)
At the turn of the century the average American consumed one to five pounds of sugar each year. Today the average American consumes approximately 135 pounds each year. That’s almost 100 times more sugar than a century ago. It is no small wonder why our ADHD rate is so high.
The book, “Rare Earths: Forbidden Cures”, by Dr. Ma Lan and Dr. Joel D. Wallach, documents the undeniable correlation between sugar and dangerous criminals. Jack the Ripper, Kip Kinkel, the Columbine shooters and the Sandy Hook shooter were all heavy sugar eaters. And all of them except Jack were also on Ritalin.
Are there other practical things ADHD children and adults can do?
The answer is a resounding yes! A number of recent studies have proven that exercise helps people with ADHD to be calmer and able to focus longer. One study improved a 4 year old child’s attention span from 3 seconds to 60 seconds. What did they do? They regularly let the little boy exercise and burn off some of his pent up energy. Can you imagine trying to learn, when you can’t focus on one thing for more than 3 seconds. [2] When I started playing organized sports my grades improved. I felt better and school was easier, not great, but better.
Dr. Joel Wallach’s recipe for 100 % reversal of ADHD symptoms.
Remove all sugar products from you or your child’s diet.
Take Chromium and Vanadium or take Youngevity’s 90 essential vitamin and mineral supplement each day. (Youngevity’s 90, contains Chromium and Vanadium)
Eat at least two eggs per day. (Eggs are brain food)
Take two fish oil tablets each day.
Get some kind of vigorous exercise at least three times a week. (soccer, swimming, basketball, track, hiking)
If your family has never tried something like this you will need divine help. Changing our diet is one of the hardest things we can do. But, oh, the benefits of lining up with God’s word. Even though it will be hard, God will help if you ask him. I would suggest a lot of prayer each day. Jesus said…
Luke 11:9-13
9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 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!”
I would specifically ask your heavenly father to give you his Holy Spirit. All through the bible the Holy Spirit gave people the power to overcome obstacles. You can do anything with God’s help. Your kids are worth the effort. God bless you as you obey him. Somebody is going to beat ADHD might as well be you!
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.
Do you believe God knows what is best for us, then join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and enjoy this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
“God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach http://tinyurl.com/j8ybt8r
“None of These Diseases” by S.I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M. D. http://tinyurl.com/hh7ezs2
You can get all these books at Amazon.com or simply click on the URL next to each book title.
After our first child, Leslie, was born, and we began to get the hang of nursing, life seemed perfect. That is until Leslie began to get mobile, She began to get into things and the more she did the more unhappy we got. We had been taught in college psychology classes that children were born perfect and that the less we interfered with their explorations, the happier and emotionally healthier our baby would be. We were taught that discipline, especially spanking, was why there are wars and the like. The child-rearing theory we had learned, said children who are hit by their parents are being taught that hitting is OK. So we let Leslie do pretty much whatever she wanted and we tried to give her as much freedom as possible, within reason. There were exceptions, like not letting her play near the wood stove.
As you might imagine, as Leslie began to break things, including my stereo, we became more and more unhappy. Like most parents who use this system of child-rearing, we had to keep putting our valuables higher and higher, so she couldn’t reach them. At the same time, Leslie was becoming more and more of a tyrant. If the Martians had landed near our home and asked us to take them to our leader, we would have taken them to Leslie. Not only were we becoming more unhappy, but so was Leslie. There seemed to be no end to her crying and throwing fits. In the end, she was miserable and so were we!
Child-rearing is not always so easy!
About this same time, my Aunt Bobbie and Uncle Ward were constantly inviting us to their church functions. We always made up lame excuses why we couldn’t go, until they invited us to a class on child-rearing. They really had us on that one; we didn’t want to go to church but we needed help. So we began attending that class and read the book, “Dare to Discipline”, by James Dobson. As we put those principles into practice, a miracle happened; Leslie got happier and happier and so did we.
The main Idea!
The main idea behind Dobson’s book is that children are not born perfect, instead they are born selfish. They don’t know what is best for themselves, so a good parent will train them to do what is right. God’s word says, “he who spares the rod hates his son”, this was becoming more and more true for us. Though we really did love Leslie, we didn’t feel very loving toward her. As we began to obey this Old Testament teaching about physically disciplining her, things changed. Leslie, contrary to what we had previously been taught about child-rearing, became happier, less violent and we began to feel more love for her again. God’s word worked like magic and it has continued to work for all our young children, and for that matter, our grandchildren as well.
Unfortunately, the magic didn’t last!
Now it would be great if that was the final chapter to a beautiful story, where Shary, Leslie and I skipped off into the sunset together as she grew older. That philosophy of child-rearing worked so well that we thought we should use it on Leslie for the rest of her life, wrong! All our children benefited from that system till they were about 12 years old.
People used to compliment us on how well behaved our children were and how much fun they were to be around. But when each of them hit puberty we began to have some serious problems. Friends began to tell me that maybe I should lighten up a little, they even quoted the Bible where it says not to exasperate your children. My response was, “everything exasperates a teenager”. We finally had to come to the conclusion that letting go had to take place sometime and maybe it would be better to let go a little at a time until they left home. This method of child-rearing would gradually prepare them for adulthood instead of totally controlling them right up till they turned 18 and then all of a sudden thrusting them into the world where they made all their own decisions.
Making the change, taking a chance!
I remember when I made the final change in our child-rearing technique, Nathan was pushing to attend the high school dances. I had gotten into trouble at dances and up till this time had told the kids they couldn’t go. What good can possibly take place by putting kids of the opposite sex in a dark room together? Well, Nathan continued to tell me how not going would ruin his life. So I sat him down and told him all the reasons this was a bad idea, then told him he could make up his own mind. I figured I had done a pretty good job making my case, but he didn’t even hesitate, he decided to go.
When Nathan got home he told me all about the dance and how lame it was. If I had held firm it would have become bigger than life. He would have hated me and been convinced that dances were better than they typically are. The most amazing thing that happened is that he talked to us about it afterwards. Before, the kids would not talk to us, there was no walking them through anything because we did not communicate.
We had gradually moved through the three distinct philosophies of child-rearing.
In the last system we actually got all the benefits we were hoping for and more. We really believe it was God’s plan all along. Our children, instead of being our enemies, gradually, as they grew older, became our best friends. Most of our kids are trying to raise their kids using the third philosophy. Below we have illustrated the three philosophies in a way that people can fairly easily wrap their heads around. People often ask us how in the world did we survive rising all those kids, the answer is found in these illustrations.
Three Basic Approaches To Raising Children!
In the following diagrams the lines represent boundaries. Between the lines is the area where children are allowed the freedom to make their own decisions. Outside the lines represents the area a parent does not allow a child freedom, this is the area where parents forbid or try to forbid certain behavior. In example; most parents would allow children to play in their home or their yard, this is inside the boundary lines. Also, most parents would forbid children tp play in the street where they could get run over by a car, that would be something outside the boundary lines.
In this diagram the bottom of the lines represents birth and the top of the lines represents the age a child leaves home and is not under their parent’s authority any longer. This usually means the bottom of the lines start at birth and the top of the lines is about 18 years of age.
Child-rearing Philosophy #1
The above diagram represents modern child psychology’s approach to boundaries. It is based on the belief that children are born perfect, a clean slate if you will. So, the less we restrict children and the fewer judgments of right and wrong we place on them, the happier and more whole they will be. This philosophy believes children should be free to do whatever they want as long it does not put them in danger. Again, the idea is that they are born perfect and we mess them up. The proponents of this approach site psychological research to prove that corporal punishment is the cause of all kinds of problems for children and society at large.
Parents with this philosophy usually let their young children do whatever they want when they are young, but begin to put more and more restrictions on them as they get older.
It usually goes something like this; it’s OK for Johnny to kick or hit mommy when Johnny is little, but as Johnny gets older, mom and dad believe he should stop that behavior. It is OK to throw temper tantrums when you are young, but as you get older that is not socially acceptable. It is cute to be selfish when you are young but is discouraged as you get older.
Parents who are fully devoted to this philosophy will make the boundaries tighter and tighter until their child leaves home. Most of these children end up hating their parents because the rules keep changing, and they are in trouble more and more as they get older. They seem to be in constant conflict with their parents. Most of these kids can’t wait to leave home, and have very strained relationships with their parents. They feel they are never good enough for their parents. Some people have noticed the diagram looks a little like a volcano and that is pretty much what we create with this philosophy.
Kip Kinkel
I have a family member that lived a few houses down from Kip Kinkel, the mass murderer. He was the high school student that shot both his parents and then went into Springfield, Oregon’s Thurston High school, killing 2 students and wounded 25 others. [1] Thier kids played with Kip as he was growing up and knew his family. Kip’s parents where fully devoted to the modern psychological approach to raising kids. Kip is the extreme result of that philosophy. Fortunately, most people do not apply that philosophy fully; most people’s philosophy has some of the next two mixed in.
Mother rethinking the advice she received in a child psychology book.
This psychology has never worked, as indicated by the wildly famous Norman Rockwell drawing of a mother abandoning what she learned from a child psychology book. New research has proven that many of the studies done by the child psychologists were not rooted in scientific procedure. These psychologists made things up in order to push their theories. these theories have been taught in our colleges, as fact, for many years.[3] The problem is so widespread that it has been called the psychology research crisis.[4] The cheating is so prevalent that over half of psychological studies have been found to be bogus. Some Harvard researchers are looking for ways to detect fake studies without having to do the research all over again. [2]
Child-rearing Philosophy #2
The strict moral approach to boundaries looks something like this. From birth to 18 the parents call all the shots. The parents made a lot of mistakes in life and want to protect their children from making those same mistakes. So, their children have very little freedom. These parents decided what is right and wrong, what is good and what is bad. They then impose these boundaries on their kids, hoping the children will turn out to be far better, less damaged, individuals than their parents. These parents decide what they should eat and not eat, how they should and should not dress, who their friends will be and how they will wear their hair. They regularly tell their children what is right and wrong and they discipline their children when they get out of line.
Shary and I applied this approach to child-rearing on our oldest daughter after we abandoned the first philosophy. We only let her hang out with other children who were being raised the same way. In the beginning this approach works great. Unfortunately the final outcome of this approach was similar to the first approach, in that, these kids could not wait to get out from under our control. When our daughter Leslie was grown and raising her own children, she told us that she lied all the time and so did all her other friends who were raised this way. They knew we would not approve of a lot of what they did, so they just lied and were sneaky, pretending to love and follow our rules.
We have apologized to our children for treating them this way and they have been gracious enough to forgive us.
Our relationships with our children have greatly improved since we abandoned this philosophy. OK we are slow learners, it is good that we had 12 more kids to practice on. We have never been perfect parents, but as we followed God’s advice more closely we have become happier parents and our kids have become happier as well.
How bad was it?
To give you a little example of how bad it got under the strict moral approach, here is one of our stories. Our oldest daughter, Leslie disliked us so much as a teenager, that she would not eat dinner with us. When we invited her fiancé to the house for dinner for the first time, we thought she would certainly break with her avoidance of us and join the meal.
He showed up and we all sat down to eat and Leslie did not come. Her fiancé, David, asked where she was, we explained the situation, telling him we mistakenly thought she would join us for dinner, since he was there. He said that was silly, so he went to her room to talk her into coming to dinner. Evidently, it wasn’t that simple. He had to physically drag her down the stairs and put her in the chair, it was quite a sight. She does not remember it, but we were all highly amused. Our kids do not remember a lot of things they did and said to us when they were in their teens. God has a way of removing the past, isn’t that great?
Child-rearing Philosophy #3
What we now believe to be God’s approach to boundaries. This approach suggest that we are fairly strict when children are young but slowly loosen up on the boundaries as they get older. It is based on two scriptures.
Proverbs 22:15
Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.
Colossians 3:21
Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so they won’t become discouraged.
The Bible teaches that we are all sinners, that we were born selfish. Selfishness and all sin is harmful to us as well as others. I still remember the speech my dad used to give me before he spanked me. He would say something like this, “Chris, I love you, but I can’t allow you to act this way. If you keep treating people like this you won’t have any friends and people won’t like you. I know you don’t understand this but this hurts me more than it does you”. At this point I always thought he had lost his mind, since I could not see any way that it hurt him more than my bottom was going to hurt. Now as a parent, I get it. No one enjoys disciplining their children.
Hebrews 12:5-7a, 10b-11 says…
“Have you forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves. And he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline…. but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
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;
“God’s Guide to Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris and Shary Schauermann http://tinyurl.com/zvkbfau
Lying about researchhttp://news.stanford.edu/2015/11/16/fraud-science-papers-111615/
Lying about research http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientists-replicated-100-psychology-studies-and-fewer-half-got-same-results-180956426/
Psychology research crisis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Replication_crisis
Hence the common phrase, “you make me sick”. All kidding aside, researchers are finding that poor relationships can destroy your immune system.1 They have discovered that men and women, stressed about their relationships, produced 11% more of the stress hormone cortisol. High levels of cortisol can cause fatigue, weight gain (especially in the face, upper back, and torso), obesity (especially abdominal obesity), back pain, thin skin, low libido and swelling in the hands and feet. Those people with strained relationships also had fewer T-cells, which are vital to defense against infection.2 So what about our relationship with our Heavenly Father, can that cause a weakening in our immune system? Psalm 77:2-3 “In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed.”
There are many things that effect our health and wellness, one often overlooked element, is our relationship with God our Father. When people become angry with their Heavenly Father, it will affect their health. God can handle our anger; he understands us better than we understand ourselves. But we need to have a healthy relationship with God, in order to have a healthy body. One of the most common reasons for people to be upset with God, is when they hold the belief that God controls everything and then bad things happen to them, or someone they love.
Last spring I was returning from a Mission trip to Thailand, I had just found out that my wife’s dad was dying, she had driven from Astoria Oregon, to Sacramento California, to be with him. I told her I would change my ticket and join her. On the flight to Sacramento, I happened to be seated next to a tall wiry young man from Germany. He shared with me that he was being flown into Sacramento to be a disc jockey at a large night club event; I was impressed. He asked me why I was traveling and I said I was joining my wife in the Sacramento area because her father was dying and I felt I needed to be with her. He then began to share with me about his awesome Christian mother, who had died a year ago. He said that she passed away after a very painful bout with cancer. He also shared with me that he had fond memories of attending church with her, but didn’t go anymore. I asked him if the reason he didn’t attend church, was because he was angry with God about his mother. He said that he just couldn’t serve a God who would do such a horrible thing to a person like his mother, a beautiful person who loved God and served Him.
A devout teenage boy who attended our Christian school, recently died from a very aggressive cancer and shortly after that, a policeman in our community was shot and killed by a drug addict, leaving his wife and children without a husband and father. Many of our students were angry with God for doing this. Why? Because they have been told that God is in control, that God sends things like this to make us stronger. We even listen to and sing these words found in Christian music. Yes, God can and does take things meant for evil and turn them into good, but when children are taught that everything is predestined by God and everything that happens is God’s will, it is a distortion of the truth. This unbalanced teaching is turning millions of people away from God.
In the book “Transforming Children into Spiritual Champions”; the famous researcher, George Barna, uncovers some alarming beliefs among our young people.
Approximately 75% of all young people believe the devil does not exist.
Approximately 66% believe that life is either a random series of acts, or predetermined by God.
The problem is two-fold, if there is no devil, then who is responsible for all the bad things that happen in this world? And the second is worse, if God is in control and God has predestined everything, then God is responsible for all the evil in the world.
A Relationship Killer
You see, if God has predestined everything, planned everything, and everything is going according to God’s will; then it logically can be said that God planned for that young German’s mother to suffer and die of cancer. And it was God’s will for the police officer’s children to be raised without a dad. And God predestined our young student to die in his teens. There are multitudes of people who are angry at a God because they believe He is responsible for molestations, rapes, murder and war. But is that really true?
After sharing with the German entertainer, what I am about to share with you, he thanked me profusely, prayed with me, and said he would definitely be going back to church. I also shared with our students and teachers what I am going to share with you and they too were able to renew their loving relationships with our awesome God.
First, the statement, “God is in control”, is not found in the Bible. So, let me show you how you can quickly and simply explain to yourself and others that none of this was God’s will and that he has only wanted the best for you and me; there-by restoring your love for your Heavenly Father and your close relationship with him.
I am going to walk you through this just like I did with that young German entertainer. So take out a piece of paper and pen, (sorry, it is much easier than trying to do it on a smart phone) and follow these simple steps:
Draw two large circles beside each other on a piece of paper.
Draw a horizontal line above the circles and one below.
Draw a vertical line down the middle between the two circles, with the words, “The second coming of Christ” and “The day of the Lord”, on that line.
Now write the word “Heaven” in the top left box and the word “Hell” in the bottom left box.
So what do you think the two circles represent? Answer: earth before and after the second coming of Christ. Now write the words “first earth” on the left earth and “new earth” on the right earth. Do you believe God has everything in his control? Do you believe everything is happening the way God wants it to happen? Most Christians would say yes.
Now finish this bible verse, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done……..”. Go ahead say it out loud. Most people know the rest, “on earth as it is in heaven.”
This famous Bible verse, is the prayer Jesus asked his disciples to pray. It is probably the most famous prayer that has ever been uttered. “Thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” Jesus was telling his disciples to pray that things would be on earth, the way they in heaven.
So, how it is in heaven? Write your answers in the top left box. (No sickness, no pain, no crying, no sin and no death.)
Now ask yourself if earth is experiencing the same thing as heaven. Answer: no. If Jesus wants us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth like God’s will is done in heaven; then what God wants, is for earth to be like heaven. It is God’s will that there be no sickness, no pain, no sin and no death on earth? But there is sickness, pain, sin and death on earth. So the idea that everything that happens is God’s will is incorrect. The idea that God has everything under his control, the idea that everything that happens to us and our loved ones is God’s will, is false!
Write John 10:10 on the earth to the left “The thief (Satan) comes only to kill, steal and destroy, but I (Jesus) have come that they might have life and life abundantly.”
It is Satan’s will that is being accomplished all over the world these days. Satan is killing people and then trying to get people to blame it on God.
2 Corinthians 4:4a “ Satan, who is the god of this evil world, has made him blind.”
Ephesians 6:10-13 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
Write on the left circle (Earth, War Zone) and explain that God’s will is not being done on earth, instead it is Satan’s will that is being done here. If God is in control and his will is what is being done, that would mean that it is God’s will for people to be sick, to be murdered and raped. It would mean that it is God’s will for some people to go to heaven and some to go to hell. But none of those things are true. Satan wants people to believe that God is responsible for all the evil that is happening on earth. Satan wants people to be angry with God.
2 Peter 3:3-4, 9-10, 13 “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. 13 But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.”
See verse 9, why is God so slow in keeping his promise about the second coming of Christ? Answer: he wants everyone to come to repentance and he doesn’t want anyone to go to hell. Are people going to hell? Answer: yes. Once again, on earth God is not getting his way, his will is not being done. He is God and he could force everyone to love him. But since he is a good God he will not force us to love him.
In Verse 13 we are told that there will be a new heaven and a new earth where righteousness dwells. At that time, things will be done on earth the way they are done in heaven. God will be in charge and his will is what will be done. Until then we are in a war zone, where Satan is in charge. We are to put on the whole armor of God and fight against Satan’s will and plans.
Below is how your paper should look when you are done.
Is God’s will being done on earth today?
If the Barna Reasearch Group is correct about what our children believe, then we need to teach our children that there is a devil who’s will for us is evil. We also need to teach our children that until Jesus returns, we can resist the Devil and honor God with our prayers and actions. After the second coming of Christ we will spend eternity in a new heaven and new earth, where God’s good will is accomplished every day.
Jesus loves me this I know
It is my hope that you, like so many other people can view God as the loving Father that he is. And by doing so you can restore your relationship with him. It has been my experience that when our relationship with God is right it will help all of our other relationships as well.
If you would like to dig a little deeper into this topic, her are a few more scriptures to look at.
· Revelation 22:8-12 Ephesians 6: 10-18
· Matthew 6:5-13 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
· Hebrews 1:14 NIV Daniel Chapter 10
· 2 Kings 6:8-23
If you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and like this kind of Biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
You can get all these books by simply copying and pasting the link below each title.
a. “None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D. https://www.amazon.com/None-These-Diseases-S-McMillen/dp/0800752333
b. “Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Play-Doctor-Ma-Lan/dp/0970149093
c. “God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann https://www.amazon.com/Gods-Guide-Biblical-Health-Healing-ebook/dp/B00VAS7C7A
I believe that depression is beatable. I have experienced it and come out the other side. I have friends that have overcome it and I have counseled people who have won the battle. Often people are unable to win over depression because their caregiver is only working on one or two areas of their being. In order to consistently win against depression I believe you have to address all three Biblical parts of our being, spirit, soul and body. If you want to just skip to the end of this article, you will find my recipe. If you want to know how I got there keep reading. 🙂
When I was growing up, my Dad had bouts with depression. One of my earliest and scariest memories was of him during one especially violent episode. I can still see my mom screaming as she tried to get away from him. When I was older, he shared with me that electric shock therapy was one of the forms of treatment at the state psychiatric hospital. Even though I had observed my dad suffer from depression, I still had no idea what it was or what it could do to you. After I became a Christian, I simply figured it was something I would never have to deal with; after all, I was saved and loved by God. Surely something like this could never happen to a practicing Christian.
Then it happened to me; right after my brother Mike died I started experiencing some overwhelming physical and mental problems. It was like a cold dark cloud had attached itself to me, I couldn’t shake it. I would have feelings of panic, fear, anxiety and impending doom. I would wake up in the night in a cold cold sweat with the bed sheets stuck to my body. Then there was the pain, every bone in my body ached. The pain was the most devastating part. I remember lying in bed thinking, “Now I know why people commit suicide”. I used to think people committed suicide because they wanted to punish a parent or ex-lover. Or they were ashamed of something they had done, hated their life, and just wanted to escape. I was not experiencing any of those feelings or thoughts, I loved my family and my life. I had a good job and ministry, no; it was the desire to, “get out of this body of pain” that brought brief thoughts that suicide might be an option. I never really gave those thoughts any serious consideration, but I do have a lot of empathy now, for people who are suffer from this kid of pain.
I would like to say that with a quick prayer it was all gone, but It took me a few months of agony to finally defeat this sinister affliction. What I am sharing with you I have shared in my church, with my friends, and as far away as Africa. There is a biblical process that can work for you or someone you love!
A friend called one day and told me he was suffering from severe depression and he had heard that I might have a solution. After I gave him my recipe, he said that he would give it a try, but if it didn’t work, he was going to get a doctor to prescribe some antidepressants so he could have some peace.
So why not just get a prescription for antidepressants from your doctor? Here is one big reason, anti-depressants can actually cause depression, aggression and suicide?1,2 Another reason to avoid them is that many people on antidepressants are miserable. The drugs affect other things, like your relationships with people. Then there are the unwanted physical side effects. Doctors are prescribing dangerous drugs because they don’t have any other solutions. It is just like when they used to electrocute people who suffered from mental illness, they were willing to try anything. Drugs are never the long-term answer; they may be a quick fix, but if they are used for any length of time, they cause more damage than the disease.
A few days after my friend took my recipe to eliminate depression, I ran into him and asked him how it was going; he said the depression was completely gone.
The Bible is not silent on the issue of drugs, the Greek word used in the Bible to describe the use of drugs, is Pharmakeus, it is where we get our word pharmacy. scriptures that mention Pharmakeus, use it in a very negative way. The Bible has nothing good to say about Pharmakeus (drugs), here is just one example. I have left the untranslated Greek word, instead of the English substitute.
“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates (of heaven) into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice (Pharmakeus), the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
Revelation 22:15
I do believe like doctor Daniel Amen, the author of the book “Change Your Brain Change Your Life”, that medication can help stop some immediate problems, but is not the long term solution.
So, since I was determined to find a biblical answer and not use drugs in my search for freedom, I started in the spiritual realm. I went to two other pastors, told them what I was experiencing, and asked them to pray for me, which they did. The symptoms eased up a little but I was far from being out of the woods. I made sure I read my Bible, prayed, fellowshipped and worshiped, I determined to keep my spirit in a good place and believed that my body would eventually follow. Again, it was a little better but by no means the way I wanted to exist. Next, I began to focus on my body. I would go for long runs at night, just to wear myself out, so I could sleep. One time I got stopped by the police who figured it was a little weird for a man to be running at night. They frisked me and questioned me about a robbery and finally let me go; it was a little surreal.
I started being more careful about what I ate, and again, I got some more relief. At this point I could function, fairly normally, but not with any joy. I can still remember those days, as I write this it brings tears to my eyes. I was so miserable that I would long for the few moments each day when I arrived home, because one of my kids would greet me with a big hug, which I needed desperately. I was so depressed; that hug was like a once a day affirmation that everything will eventually be alright.
So what was the final piece that brought me back to the land of the living, what gave me back my joy? It was the third step in the process which was to take a look at my soul. I began to pray the prayer of King David, who, if you read any of his writings, evidently experienced some of the same things I was experiencing.
Psalms 139:23-24
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”
After praying this prayer, the one thing that kept coming up, was something I didn’t want to deal with. It wasn’t something that I thought about much, but when I did think about it, I knew it wasn’t right. At that time in my life, I was a part time youth pastor, but my primary occupation was managing a small window manufacturing company. One of our salesman had landed a rather large job that grossed the company over $20,000. Shortly after we had delivered the windows, it was brought to my attention that the salesman had misrepresented the product and that if the customers found out we would have to replace all the windows. The windows had been custom made for this client and could not be used anywhere else. They would be an almost total loss. The worst-case scenario was that we would have to junk $20,000 worth of windows, pay to have them removed and replaced, then pay for new windows. We could also be sued for misrepresentation and extending the customers completion date. I was convinced that if we got caught, it would put us out of business. A lot of people depended these jobs to support their families, including myself.
I just didn’t want to think about it, so I put it out of my mind, but the Lord wouldn’t leave me alone. He finally made it clear, that as long as I refused to deal with this unethical situation, the devil would have a legal right to make me miserable. I eventually made the call to the contractor, I explained the situation to him and he told me he would talk to the owners and get back to me.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow. It was at this point that the hellish symptoms completely vanished. No more physical pain, chills, illogical fear and depression. No more emotional and physical torment. As the spiritualist song goes, “free at last, free at last, thank God almighty free at last”. I can’t explain in words what a relief it was. I must tell you that I had not been spending all my waking hours thinking about the unethical business situation. It wasn’t that I was worrying about this and that worry was tormenting me. I rarely thought about it at all. It was just the last foothold the devil had on me and when I dealt with it, he had no authority to torment me anymore. The best part was when the contractor called me back he said that the customers appreciated the call, but they liked the windows so much that they would keep them the way they were, and we didn’t need to do anything. When we do the right thing, it seems that there is no end to what blessing will come our way.
In the final analysis, the way I got set free from depression, was accomplished by dealing with my whole being; Spirit, Soul and Body. It’s kind of like having an unwanted guest in your home. If you run him out of your kitchen but let him stay in your living room and bedroom, you will still be miserable. Or you could kick him out of your bedroom and kitchen, and things would be better; but until you kick him out of the living room, he will still have the ability to make you miserable. So, in a nutshell here is a recipe for eliminating depression that worked for me and has worked for countless other around the world.
A Recipe for Eliminating Depression
Your Body
Exercise thirty minutes a day (aerobic exercise), five days a week.
Exercise forty-five minutes one day a week, till you are exhausted and rest one day a week. When you are suffering from depression, your mind is sending messages to your adrenal gland to secret adrenaline. If you don’t burn it up, it will create tension and physical pain in your body. Hard aerobic exercise will also produce endorphins that will give you feelings of peace and euphoria (something you could use). In a study published by Readers DigestApril 2005, researchers at the Cooper Institute in Golden Colorado, found that only three hours of exercise per week was just as effective in combating mild and moderate depression as antidepressant drugs. People who exercise just one hour and 20 minutes a week had no improvement.3,4
Eliminate stimulants from your diet, like (coffee, energy drinks, etc.) If you are really serious you should also eliminate chocolate, cigarettes & medications.
Eliminate depressants from your diet, such as (alcohol, marijuana or other drugs) they inhibit your bodies natural endorphins, which are designed to calm you down without unwanted side effects.
Eliminate sweets from your diet, (soda pop, candy, sugar, corn syrup etc.) they can often be the primary cause of depression. You can eat honey, it has some amazing properties that can boost your physical well being, just don’t over do it. The Bible says too much honey can make you sick.
Something to include in your daily diet is lots of high quality protein (red meat, poultry, fish, 4 eggs per day and a quart of milk)
Your Soul
Proverbs 28:13 “He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.”
1 John 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sin and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
Confess your sin to God and agree with him that what you have done is wrong and then thank him that he has forgiven you.
If necessary, confess to those you have sinned against and ask for their forgiveness. Be ready to make restitution if that is possible. (I have a friend who was never able to finish this step, he had some inexpensive stolen items that he could not bring himself to return, he never overcame his mental illness.)
Your Spirit
Receive what Jesus did on the cross for you personally. (John 3:16)
Read the Bible and pray every day.
Suspend all work, one day each week, and attend church.
Fellowship with other Christians, as often as possible.
Find someone who will disciple (coach) you on your christian journey.
Doctors are doing their best to help people, but they usually only deal with us on the physical plane. As believers, we know that we are not just physical beings, our soul and spirits are vitally important to our overall well being. It is my sincere hope that this was as helpful to you or someone you love, as it was to me. If it was, please send me a message using the contact form, it would be a great encouragement to myself and others.
If you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and like this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann
Are you sick a lot, or do you have serious mood swings? Eating pork could be the reason.
What about pork and good health? To mention that pork might not be good to eat, is fighting words to many people. So, I am asking you to extend to me a little Christian love and mercy as I attempt to make the case for avoiding pork products. I think you will live longer and have healthier lives if you avoid pork. Yes, I know it tastes great, but, human experience, science and God’s word, may prove it is not worth the risk. So let’s take a look at all three of these.
Human experience Most Christians, and most Americans, believe they can eat whatever they want. Jews believe it is not good to eat pork. In Israel, Jews and non Jews tend to avoid pork. Is there any proof that avoiding pork products, is a healthier practice than eating a lot of pork, like Americans? According to a report by Jerusalem’s Taub Center for Social Policy Studies, Israeli life expectancy at birth is 81 years compared to 78 years for Americans.1 That one fact, that non pork eating Jews, tend to live longer than pork eating Americans, may not be conclusive but if it is connected to some actual science then it may be a factor.
Science When we share with people that eating pork is unhealthy, we are informed that we obviously aren’t up to date on the latest information about pork consumption. Evidently, everyone knows that with our modern technology in food processing and cooking, all ill effects of eating pork have been eliminated, or are they?
In the January 2013 edition of Consumer Reports a different story was told. Consumer Reports stated:
“Our analysis of pork-chop and ground-pork samples from around the U.S. found that Yersinia enterocolitica, a bacterium that can cause fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, was widespread. Some samples harbored other potentially harmful bacteria, including salmonella. And there are more reasons to be concerned about “the other white meat”.
Some of the bacteria we found in 198 samples proved to be resistant to antibiotics commonly used to treat people. The frequent use of low-dose antibiotics in pork farming may be accelerating growth of drug-resistant “superbugs” that threaten human health.
About one-fifth of the 240 pork products we analyzed in a separate test harbored low levels of the drug ractopamine, which the U.S. approved in 1999 to promote growth and leanness in pigs. It’s commonly used in pigs raised for food in the U.S. but is banned in the European Union, China and Taiwan.
Yersinia enterocolitica was found in 69% of the tested pork samples. It infects about 100,000 Americans a year, especially children. We found salmonella, staphylococcus aureus, or listeria monocytogenes, in 3 to 7 percent of samples.
Thirteen of the fourteen staphylococcus samples we isolated from pork were resistant to one or more antibiotics, so were six of eight salmonella samples, 12 of 19 enterococcus samples, and 121 of 132 yersinia samples. One sample was identified as MRSA, a drug-resistant and sometimes fatal staph.”2
Why are all those disease causing bacteria in pork products? Factory-farmers gobble up 80 percent of the antibiotics sold in the U.S. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that 67 percent of human diseases are of animal origin, and according to Robert Martin, director of food system policy at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, “there are a number of specific studies that have linked antibiotics in animals to drug-resistant human infections,”3
What about pork products from other countries? Food from other countries can carry even more health risks. Check out these two YouTube videos. One shows parasites in uncooked pork and the other shows cooked pork that was reheated in a microwave. Evidently these parasites are really tough.
Eating Pork can affect your moods and cause migraines.
The processing aids used in the most popular cuts of pork—ham, sausage, bratwursts, and the like—cause depression. “Sugar, salt, and nitrate preservatives used in these products can trigger low moods, migraines, and even swollen ankles,” writes Drew Ramsey, MD, coauthor of The Happiness Diet.3
According to Consumer Reports, Johns Hopkins and MD Drew Ramsey, Pork products, not only contain disease strains that are resistant to antibiotics, they also contain hormones, preservatives and sugar, that are making Americans sick and depressed, especially children.
God’s Word, what does itsay about eating pork?
Leviticus 11:4-8 4 Nevertheless these you shall not eat among those that chew the cud or those that have cloven hooves: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 5 the rock hyrax, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 6 the rabbit, because it chews the cud but does not have cloven hooves, is unclean to you; 7 and the pig, though it divides the hoof, having cloven hooves, yet does not chew the cud, is unclean to you.8 Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. They are unclean to you.
Isaiah 62:2,4b,5b “All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people who walk in ways not good…Who eat the flesh of pigs and whose pots hold broth of unclean meat; Such people are smoke in my nostrils”
Leviticus 11:4-8 talks about white meat (pig, rabbit, horse, dog, cat, rat). God said these animals are not to be eaten. Can you eat them? Sure, you can eat anything you want. Paul said in…
1 Corinthians 6:12 6:12 “Everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial…but I will not be mastered by anything. Food for the stomach and the stomach for food.”
Unclean food won’t spiritually defile you, it will just shorten your life. It’s not a sin to eat pork, it’s just not physically beneficial. Jesus said what comes out of our mouth, spiritually defiles us, not what goes in our mouths.
Many people think, that because old testament rules about food do not apply to us spiritually anymore, that they also don’t apply to us physically. Let’s just think about that for a second. The old testament says that seagulls are not good for you and that cats and dogs are not good food. Do we really believe that since Jesus died on the cross that all of a sudden those animals became healthy to eat? I live on the coast of Oregon and the thought of eating a seagull would make most of my friends sick to their stomachs.
I have been traveling to third world countries, two and three times a year for over twenty years. Many of my missionary friends ignore God’s advice concerning pork and other foods. They eat pork and shellfish and; they almost always get sick and I don’t. God did not make his laws just to see if we would be obedient, he made them to keep us out of harm’s way.
The animals in Leviticus 11:1-3 (red meat animals, those with a split hoof and chew the cud) have a four-stomach digestive system designed to convert vegetation into protein, calcium, etc. These animals are not as likely to carry diseases that affect humans. The animals that God said not to eat have a single stomach digestive system very similar to ours, which also makes them susceptible to almost all the parasites and diseases that we are plagued with.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), between November 2002 and July 2003, an outbreak of SARS in southern China caused 774 deaths reported in 37 countries. The epidemic has a 9.6% fatality rate. The epidemic was found to be related to the eating of cats, a white meat animal like pigs, the bible says not to eat. Obeying God’s advice concerning white meat would have spared these unfortunate people a lot of pain, suffering and lives cut short.
To say that modern science has eliminated the need to avoid pork products is to ignore the facts, and, put yourself and your family at risk. God’s advice is timeless and valuable. Before we had scientists who could look through powerful microscopes and see disease producing bacteria, God knew what food carried sickness and death and warned us not to eat it.
In our blog about red meat, we shared a study done in Colorado concerning people who lived to be over 100 years old.
+In that study they found only one thing that all centenarians had in common. They all ate red meat, the meat God said was good to eat, twice a day, not white meat, that God said not to eat. If you want to live out your full lifespan you will have to eat red meat like the Bible recommends and avoid white meat. Happy eating!!!
GOD CREATED MAN. GOD CREATED FOOD.
GOD KNOWS WHAT FOOD HE CREATED FOR MAN TO ENJOY,
GOD KNOWS WHAT FOOD WAS NOT FOR MAN TO ENJOY, AND
HE HAS NEVER TRIED TO KEEP IT A SECRET.
If you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and like this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann
You can get all these books at Amazon.com
Israelis Have Longer Life Expectancy than Americans, Jewish News, www.worldjewishdaily.com/longevity.p
January 2013 edition of Consumer Reports/pork consumption
I will admit that the story I am about to tell you, about unforgiveness, will sound weird, but if you have ever been on a mission trip to a third world country, or know someone who has, they will tell you that these things do happen.
So here goes; on a mission trip to Baja Mexico, I had the most amazing experience, it is something I will never forget. We were having an outdoor church service at the south end of Ensenada Mexico, about forty feet from highway 1. We were praying for an older man, his son had brought him to the meeting because he had a cancerous tumor bulging from his stomach region, doctors had told him that he was dying. As we were praying for him I had a “holy hunch from God”, so I told him, through an interpreter, that his problem might be related to unforgiveness, and my hunch was that it was a close relative he was angry with. He immediately affirmed that this was true and that I must be referring to his brother who he hated. He explained to us that he and his brother, previously, had a successful business together. His brother had swindled the business away from him. His brother was now wealthy and he was very poor. I told him that I did not blame him for being upset with his brother, but that God requires us to forgive others, because he has forgiven us all our sins. I also said that this could be the reason his body was unable to fight off the cancer. I asked him if he was willing to forgive his brother and he said he was. The interpreter led him in a prayer of forgiveness, when he had finished the prayer we all noticed a most amazing thing; the bulge in his stomach had disappeared. When we asked him how he felt, he said he felt wonderful.
In Matthew 18:15-35 Jesus reveals his Father’s attitude toward unforgiveness and the consequences of not forgiving others. He explains that if we will not forgive our brother from the heart, our Heavenly Father will turn us over to the torturers (tormentors). Many people do not realize what physical destruction they unleash on themselves by withholding forgiveness from people who have hurt them.
Unforgiveness is like drinking poison every day and hoping the other person dies.
As it relates to forgiving others, Jesus set an example for us. While he was hanging on the cross in agony and the Pharisees were hurling insults at him, he said, “forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Jesus not only canceled a debt we could not afford to pay, he also paid our debt with his own life and blood.
Jesus forgave us so we must forgive!
“Then the master called the servant in. “You wicked servant”, he said. “I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” In anger his master turned him over to the jailer to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my Heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.” Matthew 18:32-35
These tormentors are not playing games; they are playing for keeps. The Bible does not say who they are, but we can assume they are supernatural. I believe it is possible that they are the demonic spirits of Cancer, Depression, Rejection, and every other kind of sickness, both physical and mental. Jesus is called the great physician. The Devil and his fallen angels are believed by many, to be just the opposite.
So, how does the bible suggest we deal with people who have sinned against us, who have hurt and wounded us in terrible ways? According to Matthew 18 the first step in forgiveness, if possible, is to confront the person who has sinned against us. As hard as this may be, we are commanded to talk to them alone, without talking to anyone else first. we must privately give the person an opportunity to acknowledge what they did was wrong and ask us to forgive them.
Matthew 18:15 “If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over.”
If they won’t listen to you then you may not have won your brother over but you will still need to forgive. Why? So you don’t get trapped into eating the fruit of bitterness, which generally opens your body up to disease. Then you must forgive them as Christ has forgiven you. His words are forever sealed in time…“Father forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” This is not just for them but for you and me as well.
For years I held onto unforgiveness, against a young man who had hit me from behind in a high school fight. Every time I thought about him I felt sick with revenge. I would plot how I would return the favor someday. The funny thing is; I only saw him that one time, but years later he was still knocking me to the ground and humiliating me. My Uncle Ward Graham encouraged me to simply tell God that I forgave the guy and would not hold it against him ever again. That simple prayer set me free, I actually felt better after praying.
What about the emotion of anger?
Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:31 to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger”.
According to Consumer Reports, “You may need anger control if:
You easily fly off the handle when criticized.
Being frustrated makes you feel like hitting someone.
You think of yourself as hotheaded.
Being annoyed causes you to say nasty things.
So what effect does unforgiveness and anger have on our health? What happens to us when we give the devil a foothold in our life? According to an article in the July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports,
Anger will dramatically reduces your ability to heal.
Researchers at Ohio State University gave 98 study participants blisters on an arm and monitored how quickly the wound headed. The subjects, ages 24 to 72, also completed questionnaires that assessed how they expressed and managed anger.
Individuals who managed anger well, healed faster, within four days.
Those who did not control anger well, were four times more likely to take more than four days to heal, which researchers noted increase chances of further compounded infections. According to Ronald Glaser, Ph.D., one of the study’s authors, “One way or another anger will compromise your immune response,”4
The study looked at three ways of dealing with anger
Letting it out.
Holding it in.
Controlling it.
The third way was the only way that worked. God’s way of dealing with anger as found in the bible is the only way to true peace and health. The study also looked at relaxation techniques such as Yoga and Tai Chi. the study found that neither Yoga or Tai Chi had any effect on the patient’s ability to heal.
I’ll show you some tai chi!
Once again other philosophies and religions fail to produce what they promise. God’s word proves to be the most reliable source of information concerning health and healing.
In another Consumer report issue it was stated that “Negative emotions, such as unforgiveness, anger or stress, trigger the release of hormones that can threaten your heart. And people who experience those emotions, have more heart attacks than calmer, more cheerful types, research suggests. People in rocky relationships, for example, are more prone to heart disease. And those with stressful jobs are more likely to have high blood pressure and, if they return to work too soon after a heart attack, to have a second one. But curbing negative emotions may offer some of the same benefits as a heart-healthy diet and regular exercise”2
When you feel that you have been treated unfairly you get mad. How we handle that anger will affect our health. If you need more help with anger control and forgiveness, an excellent book on forgiveness is The Bait Of Satan by John Bevere. This book does not just give trite and simplistic answers; it outlines a process for defeating unforgiveness, that works, even under the most difficult and hurtful circumstances.
In Ephesians 4:26-27 Paul exhorts us “In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Evidently, unforgiveness and going to bed angry will mess up our sleep, which will lower our body’s ability to fight disease and give the devil a foothold in your life. Also, researchers have found that a lack of sleep can also make us stupid, not to mention give you ulcers.6 There is overwhelming evidence that unforgiveness and anger can cause a number of illnesses and shorten your life. The book None Of These Diseases does a wonderful job on this subject.”
A step by step guide to eliminate unforgiveness.
I have used this process myself, I have helped others through this process and I can testify that it works.
First make sure you have received God’s Forgiveness for yourself. Read John 1:8-9, then ask God to forgive you and thank him that he has forgiven you. Be specific, make sure you have gotten all your sin forgiven by God. He said he would forgive if you ask him.
Make a list of people or organizations that have hurt you.
Acknowledge that you are displeasing God when you don’t forgive others.
Ask God to give you his love for each of the people and organizations on your list.
Then by faith confess with your mouth out loud and forgive each and every one on your list. Tell God that you will not hold these things against them ever again.
As a final act of completion, destroy the list.
When you have done this the enemy of your soul has no legal right to torment you again, physically or mentally. Now God the healer can bless you and give you new life.
If you have any questions or comments about this or any other Wellnessgospel article, please feel free to contact me at chrisschauermann@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you.
If this article has been helpful and if you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and like this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann
You can get all these books at Amazon.com
July 2008 issue of Consumer Reports, Anger will dramatically reduces your ability to heal.
The bait of Satan https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=2EUmAgAAQBAJ&source=productsearch&utm_source=HA_Desktop_US&utm_medium=SEM&utm_campaign=PLA&pcampaignid=MKTAD0930BO1&gclid=COnb6oykl88CFUdOMgodY0QHXw&gclsrc=ds
Anger inhibits healing Ohio State University http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2502071/
Jeanne Calment of Paris France was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records on October 16, 1995 as the oldest documented human ever. There are many who have claimed to live longer but none have the paperwork to prove it. At the time she was 120 years young. Jeanne remembers watching the Eiffel Tower being constructed; she outlived twenty-seven French presidents, and remembers selling pencils to the famous artist Vincent Van Gogh. At the age of 100, Jeanne was still riding her bike. Jeanne lived to be 122 years 164 days. When asked, “What’s the secret to your long life?” she answered “Laughter!”
It is not just what you eat that determines how healthy you are. It is not how much exercise you get or even how spiritual you are, that will determine how healthy and how long you will live. It is everything the bible says about health and wellness, and one of the things that the Bible mentions often, that will affect your health and mine, is our attitude.
“A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. (Proverbs 17:22)
The King James Version of the Bible translates Proverbs 17:22 “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine” Strong’s Hebrew dictionary defines the original word as “a cure,” so a more literal translation would be that“A merry heart is a cure.”
Norman Cousins, Editor of the Saturday Evening Post, found this to be profoundly true. Cousins was dying of cancer, he was told that there was nothing that modern medicine could do for him, his story is now famous. If he was going to die anyway, he decided to stop worrying and working, and spend his last days watching funny movies. As he watched and laughed, he discovered something amazing; ten minutes of laughter produced two hours of pain free sleep. The action he took eventually cured him of terminal cancer. 1
It is now known that laughter and a positive attitude cause your immune system to function better. The opposite is true. Depression, anger, hate, etc. will cause your immune system to shut down.
My wife and I have noted that many, not all, but many people who have cancer, were bitter first. A lot of them were quietly bitter, they put on a happy face but in their hearts they were dying. Often it was because they were in a bad relationship where they felt trapped and helpless. Some were outwardly bitter and it came out almost every time we would speak with them. Their intensity would begin to rise and we would feel a little uncomfortable as they went on and on about other people’s shortcomings or problems. If this sounds like you, one solution is to speak to your soul.
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. For I will yet praise him my Savior and my God. (Psalm 42:5)
“Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—– who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. (Psalms 103:1-3)
King David spoke to his soul, he encouraged his own soul to hope, praise and not to forget all God’s benefits. As we do that the Bible says God will heal all our diseases. Yes, our attitude affects our health.
“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” (Proverbs 16:24)
The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. (Proverbs 18:21)
God is encouraging us to constantly remind our soul to remember all the good things He has done for us, then thank and praise Him. If we put our hope in God, and decide to fill our mind and soul with those thoughts, they will bring healing to our physical bodies. Philippians 4:6-8 sums it up…
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”
If we make an effort to think on good things and we pray and trust God for the rest, God promises to take care of our hearts, minds and bodies.
Ephesians 4:26-27 instructs us “don’t let the sun go down on our anger.” Evidently going to bed angry will mess up our sleep, which can lower our body’s ability to fight disease. Also, from what we learned in the wellness gospel, article about rest, a lack of sleep can also make us stupid, not to mention give us ulcers. There is overwhelming evidence that anger can cause a number of illnesses and shorten our lives. The book None Of These Diseases2 does a wonderful job on this subject.”
“A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is likedecay in his bones.” (Proverb 12:4)
The attitude of shame and resentment will cause the bones to decay. (Osteoporosis and Arthritis) That is why two people can have the same diet, the same exercise, even the same genes, yet one gets Arthritis and the other doesn’t. Shame and resentment predispose one of them to the crippling bone disease. What is the cure? Open honest communication with the offending person. (See Matthew 18:15) Then if that fails, you will need to have some open honest communication with your Heavenly Father who can heal all wounds and mend every broken heart.
“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.” (Psalm 147:3)
There is a book out called A More Excellent Way; this book catalogs many diseases and the attitude sins that seem to go hand in hand with each particular disease. If you have a lingering disease and nothing is working to heal you of it, you should get this book; it just may hold the key to your healing.
Someone has said that our attitude will determine our altitude. The most effective way I have found to adjust my attitude is to spend more time with Jesus. More time praying, more time reading his word, more time praising and worshiping him at home and church. Isaiah the prophet spoke about him…
“He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities (diseases) and carried our sorrows. Yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions and he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53)
If you are struggling with unforgiveness, bitterness or any other disease-producing attitude, Jesus understands and can help. He has experienced every hurt and disappointment that you have and conquered it. The apostle Paul wrote…
“We do not have a high priest (Jesus) who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16)
The Bible teaches that man is a three part being: spirit, soul and body. We have a spirit and a soul that reside in our body. Our thoughts and attitudes affect our soul and our soul can affect our bodies for either good or bad.
If you want to live to be over one hundred healthy years like Jeanne Calment of France, you will have to laugh a lot. The Bible says that the fruit of the Holy Spirit is joy (Galatians 5:22). Ask God every day to fill you with his Spirit and with his joy and he will do it. And, you just might heal someone else with your joy.
Biblical concept:
IF YOUR BODY IS SICK IT COULD BE THE RESULT OF A SICK SOUL! A CHEERFUL HEART COULD BE THE CURE.
To sum it up, here are 6 Biblical prescriptions for a healing attitude.
Laugh a lot, spend time with people who make you laugh. Watch funny movies and videos, stay away from horrors and dramas.
Set aside time each day to praise God. Make a list of the good things god has given you.
Ask God to forgive you and then thank him that he always does.
Guard your tongue, speak pleasant words, avoid negative speech.
Control your thought life, reject negotive, depressing, critical thoughts and nurture uplifting, encouraging thoughts.
Ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit every day.
If you believe God knows best, join us and the Wellness Gospel team and spread the word, share this with your friends on social media and may God bless you richly.
If you want to keep improving your health and like this kind of biblical, scientific information, then I would like to recommend three must-read books.
“None of These Diseases” by S. I. McMillen, M.D. and David E. Stern, M.D.
“Let’s Play Doctor” by Dr. Joel Wallach
“God’s Guide To Biblical Health and Healing” by Rev. Chris & Shary Schauermann
