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2 Peter 1:12


Dear Readers,

November 2003

“Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.” (2 Timothy 1:2) Thank you for your prayers for David Clayton, Howard Williams, and Esther McDaniel while they were in Africa. The Lord protected them, and greatly blessed their efforts. We hope to share more about their trip with you next month. 

Plan early to attend the 2004 West Virginia camp meeting, which will be held here from June 15-19. 

Please note that we are using a new return address on the back of Present Truth to better reflect our relationship to Smyrna Gospel Ministries and to help us organize the mail. 

In this Issue

Demons in the Church

by David Clayton

Lessons on Faith (Part 12)

by Alonzo T. Jones

Something for the Young at Heart

Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Part 21)

by George McDaniel

 


Demons in the Church

by David Clayton

A woman is on the ground. Her body heaves and shudders under the control of some powerful force. Her heels drum against the floor as she thrashes about, while strange, unintelligible sounds come from her lips. Her eyes are glazed over, vacant, unable to recognize anyone. Standing all around her are people who are singing, shouting and clapping. With each jerk of the woman’s body there are cries of, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” Suddenly there is a commotion among the other people as another woman gives a piercing shriek and, with convulsive jerking of her body, she too collapses to the floor. All around, other individuals are having the same experience, while the congregation continues to sing and praise. What is happening? Is this something strange? Unusual? Not at all. It is time for the regular church service and people are being “filled with the spirit.” 

All over the world, in more and more churches, these experiences are taking place and more and more Christians are seeking to have this experience of speaking in unknown tongues and being “filled with the spirit.” Undoubtedly, something strange is happening in the churches. There is no question that there are supernatural forces at work among these Christians. However, there are serious questions which must be considered and which many of these Christians are not asking themselves as they seek to be filled with this spirit. 

Questions: 

1. Is it possible for a church to call itself a Christian church when it is really controlled by Satan? 

2. Is it possible for ministers and people to preach in the name of Jesus, to cast out demons, heal the sick, speak in tongues and yet be the servants of Satan? 

3. Is it possible that most of the people who say that they have been “filled with the Spirit,” have really been possessed by demons? 

Satan Rules Through Deception 

The key word is “deception.” Satan could never hope to openly gain control of Christian churches. Christians would reject him with fear and scorn if he should come to them openly, demanding worship in his true form, as he has done in pagan religions. Therefore, Satan, who is the father of lies (John 8:44), has come into the churches under disguise. 

“And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.” (2 Corinthians 11:14, 15) 

The truth is that Satan is the one who rules in most of the so-called Christian churches today! Satan, not Christ! Though men and women may call upon the name of Christ and address their prayers to God, yet it is Satan who controls the lives of those who have believed his lies and accepted his deceptions. 

Which Deceptions? 

What lies are we talking about? What deceptions? Paul wrote, “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils.” (1 Timothy 4:1) 

Jesus said, “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” (Matthew 7:22, 23) 

Do you see what these verses are saying? People would cast out devils, do mighty works, call Jesus “Lord,” but at the same time they would really be serving the devil and doing his works! In the judgment day Jesus will say to them, “I never knew you.” So, we can see that many who are working miracles and are using the name of Jesus, are people who really don’t know Jesus at all!! It is Satan who is working through these people. Please remember, my friend, that Jesus said there would be MANY of these people. Is it possible that you know, and are even involved in worshiping with some of these people? Thousands of suffering sinners are going to these false teachers and to their churches to be healed of sickness and to listen to the things which they teach. Yet God’s Word tells us that these teachings are the “doctrines of devils!” 

My dear friend, do you see how important it is that you should read, understand and obey the Word of God? Do you see how vital it is that we should seek God Himself to give us understanding as we study, and not put our trust in men? Many poor, deceived people are seeking for a supernatural experience. They think that as long as they can have an experience which is outside of ordinary human experience, then it must be the work of God. But this is not true. Satan, too, can work miracles. 

Can We Know God’s Servants? 

Now men have come to believe that the work of demons in the churches is the work of God’s Holy Spirit. You see, my friend, people are made to believe that if a man (or a woman) can speak in unknown tongues; if a man can heal the sick; if a man can cast out devils; if a man can preach like angels, then such a man must be a messenger of God. Therefore, people go by the thousands to hear such men speak, and to receive the spirit which such people possess. But they have forgotten a most important thing: Jesus said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21) 

What is the most important thing? To do the will of the Father. This is the key thing! We may know a servant of God by his obedience to the commandments of God. Jesus said, “By their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:20) By their fruits, not by their miracles! This is why we are told in Acts 5:32 that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who OBEY HIM! 

Does God Bless Disobedience? 

Many persons are being filled with a spirit by “tarrying” for many hours. Others, by just a touch of the evangelist’s hand. Yet, at the same time, many of them still have prominent sins in their lives. Most of them still live in open disobedience to God’s commandments. Yet they believe that they have been filled with the Holy Spirit of God. This is a terrible deception. These people now feel that God has blessed them in their disobedient state. Why then should they seek to be obedient? If God has given them the greatest gift of all, in spite of the fact that they are living in disobedience to His laws, then it must mean that He is pleased with them the way they are. So you see, because Satan has given them this gift, and they think it is from God, they are now settled into their disobedient, sinful lifestyles. They think they are saved, while they are really lost! This is why this deception is so terrible. 

Demonic Behavior 

Consider, my dear friend, the behavior of those who are “filled with the spirit.” Is this the behavior of God’s Holy Spirit? They leap about and shout. They fall to the floor like a person having fits. They speak in a strange unknown gibberish which they call “tongues” but which no man can understand. Search the Bible and you will find out that no servant of God ever behaved in this way!! But you will find out that many of those who worshiped devils, or who were filled with evil spirits, behaved in this manner. (See 1 Kings 18:26, 28; Mark 9:20.) 

Satan has overthrown many Christian churches by this lie. Because these poor deceived people are so anxious to be filled with the spirit, they rush blindly into seeking for the experience. They open the doors of their souls so that they can be filled at any cost, and Satan, the great deceiver, willingly gives them a spirit. 

Guard the Doors to Your Mind 

Think for a moment: would it be wise for you to open wide the door of your house all night and to put out a sign saying, “All who are honest may enter”? Of course not. Although you may hope that only honest persons will respond, yet at the same time there are criminals who will enter through those open doors for the purpose of robbery and murder. You have got to close the doors and only open them for those whom you can trust. Should we not be just as careful in dealing with our souls? Yet millions are opening up their minds to be possessed by a spirit without first of all making sure of the identity of the spirit whom they are letting in. 

Don’t misunderstand me. God does have a Holy Spirit, and it is His plan that His children should be filled with this Spirit. But this Spirit of God is orderly and decent—not the author of confusion, and it does not fill those who are disobedient to the commandments of God. The spirit which is taking over many churches is Satanic. It is disorderly, noisy, and confusing. It does not care whether or not you keep the commandments of God. It is not God’s Spirit. 

Time to Get Out! 

Dear friend, if you belong to a church where the people get into the spirit, speak in unknown tongues, fall upon the floor and roll about, then you are in GREAT danger! You are in a place where evil spirits are at work and you need to get out IMMEDIATELY! Do not tarry, or delay. Separate yourself immediately from that place before you also are entangled completely in the web of Satan’s deception. (See Revelation 18:1-4) 

God’s Spirit dwells in congregations where there is decency and order, where things are done in a calm, reverent, thoughtful manner. A place where the people believe in keeping ALL of God’s commandments and where the love of Jesus is driving all sin from their lives; where the fruits of the Spirit may be seen: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. (Galatians 5:22, 23) A place where people are more concerned about living holy, obedient lives than in seeing miracles and signs and wonders. Remember, the Word of God tells us that Satan can, and will, perform many miracles in the last days. But Satan cannot produce a holy life, nor an obedient, happy Christian. Therefore, in looking for God’s work and God’s people, we must not look, first of all, for signs and wonders and miracles. Rather, we must look for the fruit of the Spirit (“by their fruits ye shall know them,”—Matthew 7:20), the holiness and purity of the life and the Bible truth being taught and lived. Such a Christianity is a rare thing in the world today but, nevertheless, this is the kind of Christianity that God requires. 

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(This article was taken from a tract, written by David Clayton, entitled, “Demons in the Church.” This tract is available online at www.presenttruth.info. You may request printed copies by contacting us or David Clayton at PO Box 23, Knockpatrick, Manchester, Jamaica, West Indies. You may e-mail him at: david@restorationministry.com. You may call him at (876) 904-7392.     Editor


Something for the Young at Heart

This month we are continuing a series of crossword Bible studies that are based on the “These Last Days” Bible Lessons. In order to maintain the flow of the study, this crossword puzzle is not split into Across and Down sections—Across or Down is indicated at the end of each line. 

Invisible Forces Behind the Scenes

Salvation

  • God created visible and ____ things. Colossians 1:16— 7 Down 

  • God made man a little lower than what superhuman beings? Psalm 8:5—21 Down 

  • Balaam saw the ____ of the LORD. Numbers 22:31— 21 Across 

  • God commissioned ____ to guard the tree of life in the Garden of Eden. Genesis 3:24—11 Across 

  • Note: Angels are not the spirits of dead people as some may suppose. No one had yet died when Adam and Eve were driven from Eden. The Bible speaks definitely of the existence of  intelligent beings in the universe before the earth was created (Job 38:4, 7). 

  • Angels excel in ____. Psalm 103:20—18 Across 

  • Angels move as fast as a flash of ____. Ezekiel 1:14— 14 Down 

  • Angels are sent forth to ____ to people. Hebrews 1:14— 15 Across 

  • Some who have entertained ____ have entertained angels unawares. Hebrews 13:2—16 Down 

  • The Angel of the LORD delivers those who ____ Him. Psalm 34:7—12 Across 

  • Note: Here are a few stories of angels helping God’s people in times of personal crisis: 1 Kings 19:1-8; Daniel 6:16-23; Acts 5:17-23; Acts 12:5-11. 

  • God will give His angels ____ over you to protect you from the calamities of the last days. Psalm 91:11—2 Across 

  • Note: “Be not afraid of sudden fear, neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” Proverbs 3:25, 26. 

  • Are angels commissioned to guard even little children? Matthew 18:10—3 Across 

  • Angels do God’s ____. Psalm 103:20—2 Down 

  • God spared not the angels that ____. 2 Peter 2:4— 26 Across 

  • Sin is the transgression of God’s ____. 1 John 3:4— 14 Across 

  • The ____ is the leader of the rebellious angels. Revelation 12:9—1 Down 

  • Before he fell, Satan was called ____. Isaiah 14:12— 13 Down 

  • Before Satan fell he was the anointed ____. Ezekiel 28:14—11 Down 

  • Lucifer was ____ from the day he was created until iniquity was found in him. Ezekiel 28:15—8 Down 

  • Lucifer ____, therefore God cast him out and took away his position as covering cherub. Ezekiel 28:16—28 Across 

  • Lucifer’s heart was lifted up and his ____ became corrupted. Ezekiel 28:17—9 Down 

  • Lucifer wanted to be like the ____ ____. Isaiah 14:13, 14 (2 words)—22 Across 

  • Note: “Every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be  exalted.” Luke 18:14. 

  • This led to ____ in heaven. Revelation 12:7—10 Down 

  • A ____ ____ of the angels (symbolically referred to as “stars”) joined Satan in his rebellion. Revelation 12:4 (2 words)—5 Down 

  • They ____ not in their rebellion. Revelation 12:8— 8 Across 

  • Satan and his angels were ____ out of heaven. Revelation 12:9—24 Down 

  • They are now being reserved in everlasting ____ until the judgment of the great day. Jude 1:6—19 Down 

  • Note: The Bible speaks of the fallen angels as “unclean spirits,” “evil spirits,” and “devils.” Their work of darkness is limited to this world. For an illustration of their destructive work upon man and beast when unrestrained by the mighty angels of God, read Mark 5:1-13. 

  • Satan goes about as a roaring ____ seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter 5:8—23 Down 

  • Satan has come to us now in great wrath because he has a ____ time. Revelation 12:12—20 Down 

  • We must put on the whole ____ of God so we can stand against the devil. Ephesians 6:11—4 Down 

  • Note: Please read Ephesians 6:12-18 for a more detailed description of what we must do to stand against the devil. 

  • Satan tries to trap people by lust and the ____ of life. 1 John 2:16—25 Down 

  • Note: Although Satan makes his offers appear enticing, his purpose is to destroy people. Job 1:6-22 unveils the real conflict going on behind the scenes over each one of us. 

  • We must submit to God and ____ the devil. James 4:7, 8—17 Across 

  • When Satan comes against us we can claim God’s promise that His Spirit will lift up a ____ against Satan. Isaiah 59:19—27 Across 

  • God’s angels are joyful when one sinner ____. Luke 15:10—6 Down 

Answers


Lessons on Faith (Part 12)

by Alonzo T. Jones

“The righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.” (Romans 1:17) 

Faith is complete dependence upon the word of God, expecting that word to do what the word itself says. 

Is there, then, righteousness spoken by the word of God, so that people can depend completely upon that word, that the word shall accomplish what the word says? 

There is. Indeed, that is the very object of the gift of Christ. For him “God hath set forth… to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God.” (Romans 3:25) 

Seeing then that God hath set forth Christ expressly to declare, to speak, the righteousness of God, it is certain that the word of God has been spoken, upon which there can be complete dependence, expecting that word to do what that word says. In other words, there is righteousness that can be received by faith. 

Wherein is this word spoken?—It is spoken in the word “forgiveness.” “He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins;” “there is forgiveness with thee.” (1 John 1:9; Psalm 130:4) 

Now what is the meaning of “forgive”? The word “forgive” is composed of “for” and “give,” which otherwise is give for. To forgive, therefore, is simply to give for. For the Lord to forgive sin, is to give for sin. But what does the Lord give for sin?—He declares “his righteousness for the remission of sins.” (Romans 3:25) 

Therefore when the Lord forgives—gives for—sin, He gives righteousness for sin. And as the only righteousness that the Lord has is his own, it follows that the only righteousness that God gives, or can give, for sin is the righteousness of God. 

This is the righteousness of God as a gift. As all men have only sinned, and, if they are ever clear, must have forgiveness entirely free; and as the forgiveness of sin—the righteousness of God given for sin—is entirely free,—this is the righteousness of God as a free gift “upon all men unto justification of life.” (Romans 5:18) 

Every soul, therefore, who ever asks God for forgiveness of sin, in that very thing asks God to give him righteousness for sin. Every soul who asks God for forgiveness, asks it solely upon the word of God, which speaks forgiveness. And faith is entire dependence upon the word for what the word speaks. Thus righteousness is altogether of faith. 

“Every one that asketh receiveth.” (Luke 11:10) You have asked the Lord many a time to forgive your sins; that is, you have asked him to give for your sin. But when you ask the Lord to give for your sin, in that you ask him to give the only thing that He does or can give for sin, which is righteousness. That is what it is to ask forgiveness of the Lord. 

And He does forgive—He does give for—your sins when you ask Him. He says He does, and He does. “He is faithful”—that is, He will never fail—“and just to forgive us our sins.” (1 John 1:9) And the only thing He gives for sins is His righteousness. 

Then why not thank Him for the righteousness that He freely gives for your sins, when you ask Him to? 

Do you not see that righteousness by faith is just as plain and simple as the asking God for forgiveness of sin? Indeed, it is just that. 

To believe that righteousness is given for your sin, when you ask forgiveness, and thankfully to receive that righteousness as the gift of God,—this is what it is to exercise faith. 

Yet how true it is that “we suffer much trouble and grief because of our unbelief, and of our ignorance of how to exercise faith.” 

“Hast thou faith?” (Romans 14:22) Have the faith of God. “Here are they that keep… the faith of Jesus.” (Revelation 14:12) 

(This is an edited version of an article that was first printed in the March 14, 1899 issue of The Review and Herald. It is also found on pages 39-41 of the book Lessons on Faith by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner.    Editor)


Fearfully and Wonderfully Made (Part 21)

by George McDaniel

(This is the twenty-first in a series of health articles that are designed to help you gain a deeper appreciation for God’s amazing handiwork of the human body and a better understanding of how it works and how it can be better maintained by simple methods. George McDaniel is my father-in-law, and has been a registered nurse for many years, which, along with much research, has taught him many useful health principles. I pray that you are being blessed by these articles.     Editor)

Rest – Part 2

What happens during normal sleep? Scientists study the brain during sleep by using a device that measures electrical activity of the brain called an electroencephalograph, EEG for short. The brain of an awake, relaxed person gives off about ten small waves a second. As a person falls deeply into sleep, the brain sends out slower but larger waves. 

The different levels of sleep are given numbers, referred to as stage one through stage four. Stage four is the slow-wave sleep. This is also referred to as delta sleep. A person in stage one sleep can be awakened easily. Any noise, such as a door closing or a dog barking, or other stimulus such as a touch or a light being turned on, can awaken one in light sleep. Dreams can also occur during this stage, even though they are more prevalent during a later stage. 

After a person has been in stage four, or delta sleep, for awhile, he normally goes into a period of fast brain wave activity during which his eyes move about rapidly. This is called rapid eye movement sleep, or REM sleep. A person awakened during this phase of sleep can usually remember dreaming and will be able to give details of the dream. People normally experience approximately 90-minute cycles of non-REM and REM sleep. Non-REM, which includes the deep or delta sleep that provides for daily physical and mental rest and renewal, dominates the first part of a night’s sleep, while REM or dreaming sleep is more prevalent in the second half. 

The amount of delta sleep tends to decrease with age. Children experience the most delta sleep and older people experience little or none. Anyone who has ever cared for children knows how hard it is to rouse them once they are soundly asleep. The two most important stages of sleep for health are delta sleep and REM sleep. Stages one through three are just transition stages. 

Possibly the most important aspect of rejuvenation during sleep occurs when a substance called growth hormone (GH) is released. It is released in delta sleep just preceding the entry into REM sleep. GH, in turn, is believed to help regulate sleep during the REM stage. The value of adequate levels of GH is so great that loss of REM sleep, during which GH apparently exercises control, can be a serious threat to health. Certain drugs, including most sleeping pills, alcohol, and even sugar, can disrupt normal GH activity and REM sleep. 

GH is usually secreted in a series of pulses. In normal young adults, a major release occurs in the first cycle of delta sleep. In men this first release represents about 70% of the daily GH output. In women, the GH release is more variable, but early sleep is the primary determinant of GH release for both men and women. 

The decline of both early phase, slow-wave sleep and GH release are age-related. This raises the possibility that too little GH at the most propitious time may speed aging and its associated conditions, including sleep disturbance. Too much GH at the wrong time may also be detrimental. This is why GH injections can be harmful, since they come at the wrong time physiologically speaking. 

Other studies have shown that the diminishment of REM sleep is connected to the decline of memory functions including recognition, recall, spatial memory and other cognitive activities. 

Sleep, Longevity and the Immune System

Related to longevity, sleep may be more important than most people think. In the 1950s the American Cancer Society did a study of factors involved in longevity. Volunteers surveyed over one million Americans from every county and parish in the country. The survey asked about exercise, nutrition, smoking, sleep and other health-related habits. Six years later, the survey was repeated, clearly identifying the respondents who had died since the original survey. Out of all the factors in this study, stated habitual sleep time had the best correlation with death. 

The highest mortality rates at all age levels occurred for those who said they slept four hours or less and also for those who said they slept for nine or ten hours or more. The lowest death rates were those who reported that their habitual nightly sleep time was around eight hours. Other studies have shown similar results. When scientists studying these results eliminated those suffering from painful illnesses such as cancer, the results remained the same. Those who sleep seven to eight hours live longer. 

For those who sleep longer, the possibility is that they suffer from an undiagnosed sleep disorder such as sleep apnea. Even though they spend more time in bed, their sleep is repeatedly disrupted by short, unremembered awakenings that severely cut down on real sleep time. Sleep disorders can create excessive daytime sleepiness that can be life-threatening. 

These studies don’t prove a causal relationship between amount of sleep and life span but the results are very suggestive. One possible answer to the question of the relationship of the length of sleep to the length of life lies in the immune system. There seems to be a connection between sleep and the maintenance of our bodies through immune function and cell repair. 

Our bodies keep harmful organisms in check through the action of special cells that recognize whether other cells are part of the body or foreign. The immune system also recognizes and destroys mutant cells, those that are or can become cancerous. When the body detects invaders, immune cells release substances called interleukins. These chemical messengers are a call heard throughout the body, mobilizing many kinds of immune cells. Special proteins called immunoglobulins are sent out to intercept foreign matter. If a cell is found to be foreign, cancerous, or infected with a virus, the body calls in the destroyers: immune cells like T-cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells. Natural killer cells attack cancers and viruses in particular. They come up next to the mutant or infected cells and release enzymes that make holes in the enemy’s cell membrane. 

Once we fall prey to an infectious disease, all the elements of the immune defense network come into play. Interleukins and other immune molecules cause a massive mobilization among the immune cells. One result is fever. Scientists have found that if they inject interleukin into a healthy person it raises the body temperature a few degrees. 

When we are sick, in addition to getting a fever, headache and aching muscles, we get very sleepy. All we want to do is find a place to lie down. Even a cold not bad enough to give us a fever will make us feel tired. This also seems to be the effect of interleukins, which act to increase our brain’s pressure to sleep. Test animals given interleukin-1 will pass more quickly into slow-wave sleep. However, increased sleepiness doesn’t always mean more sleep. People tend to sleep more at the start of an infection and less as the illness continues. During the peak stage of sickness people tend to sleep fitfully, being awake for a few hours and asleep for a few hours, then awake again for several hours. This resembles the pattern seen in animals when the biological clock is disabled. It seems that interleukins and other immune messengers also may act directly on the body clock, even turning it off or blocking its alerting impact. 

Sleep disruption and sickness-induced desire to sleep can make being sick all the more fatiguing and debilitating. Sickness can feel like sleep deprivation, and sleep deprivation sometimes can feel exactly like getting sick. 

Some researchers have wondered, since being sick increases our desire to sleep, whether sleep can help the body fight infections once we succumb. It was found that rats, totally deprived of sleep, died after about 40 days. Autopsies done on these rats showed greatly enlarged lymph nodes and a large amount of bacteria in the blood. This shows that the immune system must have broken down as a result of sleep deprivation. One researcher, studying sleep deprived rats, found live E-Coli bacteria in abdominal lymph nodes after as few as four or five days of sleep deprivation. The rats still appeared perfectly healthy. This researcher, comparing sleep deprivation with food deprivation, made the following observation: If you deprive someone of food for a short time, they get hungry, but you don’t see any nutritional problems. Only when someone has a restricted diet for a long time do you see nutritional problems becoming obvious. 

Certain immune system chemicals, such as interleukin, and tumor necrosis factor, increase during sleep and then decrease in the morning as one wakes up. Both of these substances act like sleep medication when injected. 

Natural killer cells are particularly affected by lack of sleep. Researchers in one study found that people who stayed up until 3:00 a.m. before falling asleep had a 30 percent reduction in the number of natural killer cells the next day and depressed activity in the ones still present. 

This suppression of immune function could result in greater susceptibility to viruses such as those that cause colds. Since these immune cells also protect against tumors, it is possible that chronic sleep deprivation increases cancer risk. 

A related aspect of sleep deals with repair and growth of cells. Cells in the body are constantly wearing out and being injured. They need constant replenishment. The concentration of growth hormone released during the night’s first period of stage four sleep suggests that deep sleep is important for this repair process and that the disappearance of deep sleep may contribute to the physical decline experienced in old age. 

Growth hormone is released into the blood stream through the action of another hormone called growth hormone releasing hormone (GHRH). GHRH induces sleep. When levels of GHRH are artificially increased in the body, sleepiness increases. 

In animals, administering drugs that block the release of GH tends to keep them awake longer, even after they have been sleep deprived and are very sleepy. The process of releasing GH into the blood stream is not just a response to sleep but seems also to foster sleep, through the action of GHRH. 

Growth hormone, growth factors and immune regulators seem to work with each other to produce sleep, which is the best state for doing their job. As we fall asleep, our bodies turn to the task of energy and tissue conservation. Body temperature decreases, conserving energy, sugars are stored away, growth hormone fosters the repair of tissue and the immune system is bolstered. 

As we wake up and work through the day, our bodies are prepared for action. Stress hormones rise mobilizing stored sugars to make energy available and raising our adrenaline levels and general excitability. Stress hormones also work against interleukin-1 and other immune factors, further encouraging wakefulness. GH levels drop, probably because cells switch from reproduction to other functions such as processing food or muscular action. Added to this are the psychological stresses in our lives, which tend to interfere with sleep and also help suppress the immune system. 

In studying sleep, it is impossible to differentiate between cause and effect. Does sleep prompt tissue growth, or does the process of tissue growth, through the action of growth hormone releasing, prompt sleep? Does the immune system govern sleep or does sleep govern the immune system? 

Hormones, immune chemistry, the metabolic machinery and sleep are all tied together in a complex web of biochemical interaction. Our bodies oscillate between the needs of waking life—to work, to use energy, to expose ourselves to wear and tear—and the necessities of renewal, when energy is stored, tissue repaired and the immune system prepared to fight another day. 

In the next article we will provide more information about sleep, including steps to take to improve your sleep patterns. 

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