December 2001

Dear Readers,

“Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord.” (2 Peter 1:2) As this year comes to a close, I pray that your relationship with God is stronger than it was when this year began. The Lord earnestly desires to have fellowship with us. The Bible says, “The prayer of the upright is his delight.” (Proverbs 15:8) It is wonderful to realize that God is delighted when we come to Him for fellowship. He loves our fellowship very much and wants to extend that fellowship to last for eternity. I pray that you will be ready to meet Christ when He comes, without being ashamed. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” (Proverbs 3:5)

Shelter in the Storm

by Lynnford Beachy

There is a storm about to break loose upon this world and God wants to prepare you to meet it. The recent events that took place on September 11, 2001, shattered our dreams of continual earthly peace and prosperity and showed us that this storm has already begun. Many people fear another major attack will take place, and many fear that anthrax, smallpox, or some other deadly disease will come close to home and strike their friends, family, or even themselves. Many people are seeking for answers to how they can protect themselves.

Jesus, in His love and mercy, has warned us about the events that would take place just prior to His second coming, and He has given us instructions on how to be prepared for this crisis. In the 24th chapter of Matthew He said,

“Ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences [diseases], and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:6-14)

My friends, Jesus knew what was coming upon this world and His words are being fulfilled right before our eyes. We are still at the beginning of these things; for Jesus said, this is “the beginning of sorrows.” We are hearing of wars and rumors of wars. We are beginning to see nation rising against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There are famines, diseases and earthquakes which are rapidly increasing in number. Jesus commanded us to “be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.” Very soon the remaining words of Jesus will be fulfilled to the letter. He said, “then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.”

The Hatred of the World

One thing that amazed me after September 11 was how rapidly the world’s hatred can be turned against one class of people. At first the hatred was against Muslims in general. Several mosques were vandalized, and some Muslims were beaten. Afterward, the hatred has been directed more towards a smaller fanatical fringe of the Muslim religion. However, this will not be the last shift of the world’s hatred. Jesus warned us that His true followers “shall be hated of all nations.” Yet how can this be? Today it almost sounds absurd to say that the world will turn its hatred toward God’s faithful people, but that is exactly what Jesus said would happen.

We have all heard about the mark of the beast and the antichrist, but many of us have been unwilling to think about this subject for long. We seem to think it will happen sometime in the future so that we do not have to be concerned about it. Well, my friends, by the looks of things, this trying time will come upon us very soon. What are we going to do?

God has warned us, “If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb.” (Revelation 14:9) That is a stern warning, yet at the same time God gives us the remedy. He says, “Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.” (Revelation 14:7) To be safe through the coming crisis we must fear, worship, and give glory to the true God of heaven.

The Protection We Need

The 91st Psalm was written especially for you and me at this time in earth’s history. It says,

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence… his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday. A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee. Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked. Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways… Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.” (Psalms 91:1-16)

It is the privilege of every Christian to know this Psalm by memory, to help us be victorious through the times ahead. I want you to notice specifically a few things in this Psalm. It says that we will be safe if we dwell “in the secret place of the Most High,” if we make “his truth” our “shield and buckler,” if we trust in His protection, and if we set our love upon Him. This is the only way we will be safe in the coming crisis.

What does it mean to dwell in the secret place of the Most High? Are we to find some secluded secret cave and dwell there? No! We are to dwell in the secret place of a close, personal relationship with Him. We are also to set our love upon Him and fortify our minds with His truth. In order to have a close, personal relationship with the Most High, and have our love and affections set upon Him, we must first know Him in truth. We must know who the Most High is, and we must know what He is like. Does He love you? Is He interested in your well being? Before we can ever love God we must first see His love for us. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

The Love of God

“God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) When Jesus said God “so loved the world” He was saying, “This is how much God loves you, He loves you so much that He did something for you.” This is how the Most High God demonstrated His love for you—He gave up His most precious possession, His only begotten Son.

If God had loved the world so much that He gave a goat, you and I would seriously question God’s love for us, because a goat would be an almost meaningless gift for God to give up, since it is something He created. If God had loved the world so much that He gave a human, what would we think then? Well, that is a little better than a goat, but it is still a small gift, because humans were also created. What if God had loved the world so much that He gave an angel? That is a better gift than a human, but it still falls far short of demonstrating how much God loves us. You see, our understanding of God’s love depends upon the value of the gift He gave up for us. The more valuable the gift He gave, the more we can see His love for us.

God gave His only begotten Son for us. He has other sons, but He only has one begotten Son. We can be “sons of God” by adoption (Romans 8:14), angels are “sons of God” by creation (Job 1:6; 2:1), but Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. What sets Jesus Christ apart from everyone else in the universe, and by which we know God’s love for us, is the fact that He was begotten.

God, the Father, knows, from firsthand experience, the most valuable possession a person can have. He knows that nothing is more valuable to a person than a child whom they love. This is precisely where God tested Abraham’s love and loyalty when He asked him to offer his beloved son, Isaac, for a sacrifice. Abraham’s obedience to God’s command proved that he loved God with all his heart. It proved that he would be willing to give up every possession he had for God.

The same thing is true with God. When He gave up His only begotten Son it proved that He is willing to give up every possession, suffer any amount of pain, and endure any hardship in order to save those whom He loves. This is what Paul meant when he said, “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32)

God truly loves us, yet this love can only be comprehended by understanding that God gave His only begotten Son. Therefore it is Satan’s determined goal to destroy, obliterate, and completely eliminate this truth from the minds of men. Satan knows that the only ones who will be able to overcome and endure unto the end through this upcoming crisis are those who believe that Jesus is the begotten Son of God. John wrote, “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5)

Believing that Jesus is the begotten Son of God enables us to overcome the world by elevating our perception of God’s love and enabling us to love Him with all our hearts in return, thus abiding in the secret place of the Most High.

Begotten

What did Jesus mean when He said He was begotten? Jesus, speaking of Himself, said, “When there were no depths, I was brought forth [born]; when there were no fountains abounding with water. Before the mountains were settled, before the hills was I brought forth [born]… Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.” (Proverbs 8:24, 25, 30)

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ was begotten, which literally means born, before anything was created—long before God sent Him into the world. (See Hebrews 1:1-9; Colossians 1:15; John 3:16, 17; 18:37; and 1 John 4:9.) How He was begotten is not for us to know, but God wants us to realize that the Father and His Son have a close, genuine, father-son relationship that is not just a role or an act.

However, Satan is not pleased with us having this knowledge, therefore he has sought, and is seeking, to destroy this truth from this world. Satan is so dedicated to eradicating the wonderful truth that God really gave up His only begotten Son that he has convinced the translators of most of the new translations, including the NIV, RSV, NASB, etc., to delete the word begotten from John 3:16. Check it out for yourselves!

My friends, God really means what He says. He says that He gave His only begotten Son. If Jesus Christ was not the begotten Son of God before God sent Him into the world, then what did the Father give up? Many sincere Christians believe that Jesus Christ is an exactly equal, same-aged companion of the Father. If this were true, then all the Father gave up was a friend; a companion! If this were true, then the One who loves us the most is Christ, because He is the One who willingly died for us.

It is true that Jesus Christ loves us very much, and we praise and thank Him for that love. However, the Bible teaches that God the Father suffered tremendously when His Son was suffering under the weight of our sins. (Compare Psalm 18:4-11 with Matthew 27:45-51) In Abraham and Isaac’s story it was obviously the father, Abraham, who suffered more than Isaac when he gave up his beloved son. Jesus said, “the Father himself loveth you.” (John 16:27) John wrote, “Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us.” (1 John 3:1) We cannot behold the love of the Father if we do not know what He gave up for us. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9) God the Father has an only begotten Son whom He willingly gave up so that you could be forgiven of your sins and live for eternity. Praise God for such wonderful love!

My friends, I pray that you will be ready to stand in the final crisis that will come upon this world and that you will receive the seal of God instead of the mark of the beast. Remain faithful to God, dwell in the secret place of the Most High and make “His truth” your “shield and buckler.” I pray that you will come to know “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height” of God’s love in giving up His only begotten Son. (Ephesians 3:18) “Prepare to meet thy God.” (Amos 4:12)    ?

(This article was recently written as a tract to be widely distributed to help people prepare for the coming crisis in this world. This tract also offers a free copy of a book on last day events. If you would like to receive copies of this tract, please contact us.    Editor)

Ministers of God

by Alonzo T. Jones

From the list that the Lord has drawn, in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10, it is plain that there is nothing that can ever come into the life of the believer in Christ, but that the grace of God will take it and turn it to the good of the believer, and make it serve only to his advancement toward perfection in Christ Jesus. This the grace of God will do always, and nothing but this, if only the believer will allow the Lord to have His own way in his life; if only he will allow grace to reign. Thus it is that “all things are for your sakes;” and this is how “all things work together for good to them that love God.”  (Romans 8:28) This is grand. It is indeed glorious. It is salvation itself. This is how the believer is enabled “always” to “triumph in Christ.”

This, however, is but half the story. The Lord proposes not only to save him who now believes, but He will use him in ministering to all others the knowledge of God, that they also may believe. We are not to think that the Lord’s grace and gifts to us are only for us. They are for us first, that is true. But they are for us first, in order that not only we ourselves shall be saved, but that we may be enabled to benefit all others in communicating to them the knowledge of God. We ourselves must be partakers of salvation before we can lead others to it. Therefore it is written: “As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” (1 Peter 4:10) And “all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation.” (2 Corinthians 5:18)

Thus every man who receives the grace of God, at the same time receives with it the ministry of that grace to all others. Every one who finds himself reconciled to God, receives with that reconciliation the ministry of reconciliation to all others. Here also the exhortation applies, “We… beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.” (2 Corinthians 6:1) Are you partaker of grace? Then “minister the same” to others; do not receive it in vain. Are you reconciled to God? Then know that He has given to you also the ministry of reconciliation. Have you received this ministry in vain?

If we do not receive the grace of God in vain, if only we will allow grace to reign, the Lord will cause it to be that “in all things” we shall approve “ourselves as the ministers of God.” This is the truth. The Lord says it, and it is so. “In all things approving ourselves as the ministers of God.” That is, in all things we shall be conveying to others the knowledge of God. And thus the Lord proposes not only to cause us always “to triumph in Christ,” on our own part, but also to make manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. That is, He proposes to make known to others by us, and in every place, the knowledge of Himself.

We cannot do this of ourselves. He is to do it by us. We are to cooperate with Him. We are to be workers together with Him. And when we do thus cooperate with Him, then as certainly as we do so, so certainly will He cause us always to triumph in Christ, and will also make manifest the knowledge of Himself by us in every place. He can do it; thank the Lord. Do not say, do not even think, that He cannot do this by you. He can do it by you. He will, too, if only you will not receive His grace in vain. If you will only let grace reign; if you will be worker together with Him.

It is true that there is mystery about how this can be. It is a mystery how God can make manifest the knowledge of Himself by such persons as you and I are, in any place, much less in every place. Yet mystery though it be, it is the very truth. But do we not believe the mystery of God? Assuredly we do believe it. Then never forget that the mystery of God is God manifest in the flesh. And you and I are flesh. Then the mystery of God is God manifest in you and me, who believe. Believe it.

Do not forget, either, that the mystery of God is not God manifest in sinless flesh, but God manifest in sinful flesh. There could never be any mystery about God’s manifesting Himself in sinless flesh—in one who had no connection whatever with sin. That would be plain enough. But that He can manifest Himself in flesh laden with sin and with all the tendencies to sin, such as ours is—that is a mystery. Yea, it is the mystery of God. And it is a glorious fact, thank the Lord! Believe it. And before all the world, and for the joy of every person in the world, in Jesus Christ He has demonstrated that this great mystery is indeed a fact in human experience. For “as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same.” (Hebrews 2:14) “In all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren.” (Hebrews 2:17) And therefore God “made him to be sin for us.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) He “hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6) Thus, in our flesh, having our nature, laden with iniquity, and Himself made to be sin, Christ Jesus lived in this world, tempted in all points like as we are; and yet God always caused Him to triumph in Him, and made manifest the savor of His knowledge by Him in every place. Thus God was manifest in the flesh—in our flesh, in human flesh laden with sin—and made to be sin in itself, weak and tempted as ours is. And thus the mystery of God was made known to all nations for the obedience of the faith. O, believe it!

And this is the mystery of God today and forever—God manifest in the flesh, in human flesh, in flesh, laden with sin, tempted and tried. In this flesh God will make manifest the knowledge of Himself in every place where the believer is found. Believe it, and praise His holy name!

This is the mystery which today, in the third angel’ message is again to be made known to all nations for the obedience of the faith. This is the mystery of God, which in this time is to be “finished,”—not only finished in the sense of being ended to the world, but finished in the sense of being brought to completion in its grand work in the believer. This is the time when the mystery of God is to be finished in the sense that God is to be manifest in the flesh in every true believer, in every place where that believer shall be found. This is, in deed and in truth, the keeping of the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

“Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) I have revealed God in the flesh. Our faith is the victory that has overcome the world. Therefore, and now, “Thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)    ?

(This article was first printed in the September 29, 1896 issue of The Review and Herald. It is also found on pages 100-103 of the book Lessons on Faith by A. T. Jones and E. J. Waggoner.    Editor)

Questions and Answers

by Lynnford Beachy

Question:

Do you believe in Thanksgiving? If you do why? Have you done a study on it?

E-mail

Answer:

Yes, I believe thanksgiving is a holiday that, compared to the rest of the holidays in the year, can truly be called a Christian holiday. I say this because Christmas, Easter, Lent, Good Friday, and many others have pagan origins as was demonstrated in the November, 2001 issue of Present Truth.

Thanksgiving was originally observed by Christians to thank God for the things He has provided. The Encarta Encyclopedia has this to say about the origin of Thanksgiving:

“Long before Europeans settled in North America, western Europeans observed Harvest Home festivals to celebrate the successful completion of gathering-in the season’s crops. In the British Isles, Lammas Day (Loaf Mass Day), observed on August 1, was often held to celebrate a good wheat harvest. If the wheat crop was disappointing, the holiday was usually canceled.

“Another important precursor to the modern Thanksgiving holiday was the custom among English Puritans (see Puritanism) of designating special days of thanksgiving to express gratitude for God’s blessings. These observances were not held regularly; they usually took place only in times of crisis or immediately after a period of misfortune had passed. Puritan thanksgiving ceremonies were serious religious occasions and bore only a passing resemblance to modern Thanksgiving celebrations. (“Thanksgiving Day,” Microsoft® Encarta® Encyclopedia 2000)

The World Book Encyclopedia has this to say about Thanksgiving:

“The first Thanksgiving observance in America was entirely religious and did not involve feasting. On Dec. 4, 1619, a group of 38 English settlers arrived at Berkeley Plantation, on the James River near what is now Charles City, Va. The group’s charter required that the day of arrival be observed yearly as a day of thanksgiving to God.

“The first Thanksgiving in New England was celebrated in Plymouth less than a year after the Plymouth colonists had settled in America. The first dreadful winter in Massachusetts had killed about half the members of the colony. But new hope arose in the summer of 1621. The settlers expected a good corn harvest, despite poor crops of peas, wheat, and barley. Thus, in early autumn, governor William Bradford arranged a harvest festival to give thanks to God for the progress the colony had made.

“The festival lasted three days. The men of Plymouth had shot ducks, geese, and turkeys. The menu also included clams, eel and other fish, wild plums and leeks, corn bread, and watercress. The women of the settlement supervised cooking over outdoor fires. About 90 Indians also attended the festival. They brought five deer to add to the feast. Everyone ate outdoors at large tables and enjoyed games and a military review. Similar harvest Thanksgivings were held in Plymouth during the next several years, but no traditional date was set.

“Later Thanksgiving Days in the United States. The custom of Thanksgiving Day spread from Plymouth to other New England colonies. During the Revolutionary War, eight special days of thanks were observed for victories and for being saved from dangers. In 1789, President George Washington issued a general proclamation naming November 26 a day of national thanksgiving. In the same year, the Protestant Episcopal Church announced that the first Thursday in November would be a regular yearly day for giving thanks.

“For many years, the country had no regular national Thanksgiving Day. But some states had a yearly Thanksgiving holiday. By 1830, New York had an official state Thanksgiving Day, and other Northern states soon followed its example. In 1855, Virginia became the nation’s first Southern state to adopt the custom.

“Sarah Josepha Hale, the editor of Godey’s Lady’s Book, worked many years to promote the idea of a national Thanksgiving Day (see HALE, SARAH JOSEPHA). Then President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed the last Thursday in November 1863, as ‘a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.’ Each year afterward, for 75 years, the President formally proclaimed that Thanksgiving Day should be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. But in 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt set it one week earlier. He wanted to help business by lengthening the shopping period before Christmas. Congress ruled that after 1941 the fourth Thursday of November would be observed as Thanksgiving Day and would be a legal federal holiday.” (“Thanksgiving Day,” World Book Encyclopedia 1999)

From all I have studied on this subject there is no pagan origin of Thanksgiving. I can see no reason to cease from giving thanks to God each year on a day that is set aside for that purpose. I personally have many things to be thankful for. Thanksgiving day is a wonderful opportunity to get together with friends and family since most people do not work on that day. Some people even exchange gifts on that day instead of doing so on Christmas day.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

Question:

“Please help me to grasp more clearly the atonement and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Was the death of Jesus merely a human sacrifice or was it possible that He risked eternally the very life which is in the Father and was GIVEN to Him (John 5:26) on behalf of sinful humanity?
    “I understand that the Father alone has immortality. He is the source of all life, and that it is impossible for God the Father to die, but because Jesus was given this same life that the Father has, was it possible that Jesus could actually lose His gift of immortality when He became man’s substitute.
    “Is Jesus self-existent in the sense of when He was begotten of the Father He then became self-existent because He received eternal life unique to divinity? Or is this understanding incorrect?
    “Assuming that Jesus is self-existent and possessed this divine life as well as biological life as a divine human person. It has been suggested that at the resurrection His divinity raised His humanity from the grave. But the Scripture states that it was the Father who raised Him. Why was it necessary for the Father to raise Him if His divine nature is self-existent, and gave Him the ability to do this Himself?”

E-mail

Answer:

You brought up some excellent questions. No, the death of Jesus was not merely a human sacrifice. Yes, He risked losing for eternity the life that His Father had given Him, along with his mortal life. His death was a divine/human sacrifice. You are right that the Father is the only One in the universe who has absolute immortality and cannot die under any circumstance. You are also right that the Father gave His Son self-existent life. The Son does not have to depend upon some outside source to keep Him alive. Jesus said, “For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself.” (John 5:26) It is obvious that this life was not in the Son before the Father gave it to Him. When the Son was given this life is not certain, other than it had to have been prior to the time Christ made this statement because He described the giving of this life as a completed action in the past. It could have been at the time He was “brought forth” from the Father (Proverbs 8:24, 25) or at some later time. The Bible says that “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,… who first trusted in Christ.” (Ephesians 1:3, 12) The Father trusted His Son with the gift of self-existent life.

Yes, Jesus was able to lay aside His self-existent life because it was given to Him. Jesus said, “As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:15) Jesus laid aside His self-existent life to become a mortal man while He was on this earth, for He said, “I am he that liveth, and was dead.” (Revelation 1:18)

You are right to say that the Scripture states that the Father raised His Son from the dead. Paul wrote, “Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead.)” (Galatians 1:1)

While Jesus was a man He was not self-existent, or His words could not be true when He said, “I can of mine own self do nothing.” (John 5:30) He depended upon His Father for everything while He was a man. (For a thorough study on this subject contact us and request the tract entitled “God’s Plan to Save You.”)

I hope this helps to answer your questions.

Question:

“I have a question that I did not see before, concerning the counsel of peace. Maybe I do not correctly understand the wording. It says: ‘The counsel of peace shall be between them both,’ which sounds like a prophecy of a future event.
    “We have friends who believe that the Father and Son were only one being until Christ’s birth on earth. Could you please help me understand when this counsel of peace ‘took place’ or ‘is taking place’?”

Tennessee

Answer:

This is a very good question. All the translations I have read, except the Young’s Literal Translation, indicate that the counsel of Zechariah 6:13 was a future event at the time it was spoken. The Young’s Literal Translation says, “a counsel of peace is between both.” However, the original Hebrew seems to indicate that “shall be” is more accurate than “is” in this verse.

The counsel of peace is the plan of redemption, and it is a plan that is being worked out in this world until sin is finally destroyed. This plan had been devised long before Christ died on the cross. It was foretold in the book of Genesis when God told the serpent who had deceived Eve, “Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:14, 15)

When God spoke to Joshua in Zechariah 6:12, 13, the counsel of peace, or plan of redemption, had already been decided, but the working out of the plan had not yet been accomplished. I believe the real meaning of this text is that both the actual counseling together about the peace of mankind, and the accomplishing of that counsel are between the Father and His Son. The plan to save mankind has already been discussed and decided by the Father and His Son, but the plan has not reached its final conclusion until sin is finally destroyed and the righteous are living with God eternally. Then and only then, can it be said that the plan of redemption is completed.

The fact that this text uses a future tense regarding the plan in no way gives any justification for the idea that the Father and His Son were only one being before Christ was born on earth. In fact, if it did prove this it would contradict many verses in the Bible that clearly indicate that two divine beings existed in the Old Testament times. Here are a few examples:

“The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.” (Psalms 110:1)

“Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son’s name, if thou canst tell?” (Proverbs 30:4)

Christ says of Himself, “When he prepared the heavens, I was there: when he set a compass upon the face of the depth: When he established the clouds above: when he strengthened the fountains of the deep: When he gave to the sea his decree, that the waters should not pass his commandment: when he appointed the foundations of the earth: Then I was by him, as one brought up with him: and I was daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.” (Proverbs 8:27-30)

The Father said to His Son, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Genesis 1:26)

There is much more evidence of this, including the words of Jesus Himself. He prayed to His Father, “Now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.” (John 17:5)

I have written two studies on this subject which I have never printed for distribution. I would be glad to send them to you if you like. I may print them in upcoming issues of Present Truth.

I can see that there are severe negative implications if we accept the idea that Christ had no existence prior to Bethlehem. Please allow me to explain. God manifested His love toward us by giving up His only begotten Son. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.” (1 John 4:9) The measure of God’s love is understood by the value which He placed upon His only begotten Son. The more exalted we understand this relationship, the more we will love God in return. “We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:19) If the Bible says that God loved us so much that He sent His only begotten Son into this cursed world to die for us, then I believe it. A great part of the sacrifice on the part of the Father or the Son was the fact that Christ left heaven to become a feeble baby in a manger. In doing this, God the Father risked the chance that His only begotten Son would fail when He was tempted. Jesus Christ risked the chance of failing, and the result would have to have been eternal death. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) Praise God that He did not fail.

If we degrade the Father-Son relationship in any way, we are depriving ourselves of a full comprehension of God’s love for us. In so doing, we deprive ourselves of the chance to love God perfectly like He has commanded. In proportion to the way that we perceive God’s love for us, we will love Him in return. If we perceive that God loved us a little bit, then our love for God will be very little. But if we perceive that God loved us to a great degree, then our love for God will be much greater.

Over and over again, Christ lifted up the Father’s character before the people. He always focused the attention of the hearers on the love that His Father had for them. The greater our understanding of God the Father’s love for us, the greater will be our appreciation for Him, and hence the more we will love to serve Him.

The key lies with our understanding of the relationship between the Father and His only begotten Son. “Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” (1 John 5:5) There is something about us understanding the truth that Jesus Christ is the Son of God that enables us to overcome the world. Certainly Satan would try to distort this understanding.

As we can see, the key to our overcoming the world is a correct understanding of the relationship of the Father to His only begotten Son. Any deviation on this point from the revealed Word of God is a deviation from our ability to overcome the world. This is a serious matter my friends. Please take the time to examine this thoroughly.

All untruthfulness regarding the Father and His Son, by which their characters are presented in a false light, is to be regarded as a grievous sin.

May the Lord abundantly bless you as you continue to study this subject.

I hope this helps to answer your questions.    ?

Letters from our Readers

“I enjoyed Lynnford’s article, ‘The Big Picture.’ What an undertaking! God bless you all for all your good works and love for erring believers gone astray. I am encouraged, enlightened, strengthened and awed by your studies presented in your blessed publications.”

Tennessee

“It’s a great pleasure to have a chance to write to you, since we met in Dar es Salaam [Tanzania] during the seminar. I came home with an [enthusiasm] for the message I received. Since then I am proceeding with other people in my area. I am at work, beginning in my family, church and all who are nearby.

“The work is not bad. Yesterday I received two letters from Shinyanga wanting me to send the message as they heard my new attention about God. Many people enjoy when they hear this good news and want to know more about it. This message none can oppose because it has no dilemma; it goes directly to the Scriptures, this is why many people can’t [dispute it].”

Tanzania

“Hi, my name is _________. I am writing you in response to your October article [‘The End of Time?’], as I want to respond to your article in a positive way, except I do come in defense of agreement—that I agree with Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell because of the slaughter of millions of innocent babies, as well as laws to defend, protect and say being a sexual pervert is fine…
    “Without a doubt because of these legalized acts, as well as many other God’s law-breaking activities in this nation, has been a large contributor to the disaster in New York and Washington.
    “I also will say with assurance, As long as we legally murder babies in this nation by the 1000s each day, we have not seen anything yet, as you are right, you will not want to get caught in the inner cities because if this nation does not repent and turn from her wickedness, God’s full wrath will surely come upon us.”

Indiana

“This morning I enjoyed the study of lessons 3 and 4 of ‘These Last Days’ Bible study. Once again I would like to thank Truth Seekers Ministries for allowing me to receive, study, and learn from the informative Bible study course. The Bible study course helps to bring the many scattered scriptures together to show what is yet to befall this world that is moving further and further away from our heavenly Father and His intention for us. I am confident He has a wonderful plan to bring all of those who exercise faith in Him into His wonderful and eternal kingdom. Hallelujah!”

Michigan

“I have been reading some of your brochures. I am interested in obtaining more to give away. I especially am interested in the ones on the Holy Spirit and the different ones on understanding God and His Son. What are your charges? Are these free or is there a cost? Please let me know. I need them soon. Thank you.”

Oregon

(We request a donation of 5 cents for each of the tracts. That is $5 for 100 tracts. However, we send tracts out at no charge to anyone who cannot afford them.    Editor)

“First we extend our thanks to the brethren of the Truth Seekers Ministry for the arrangements to prepare this wonderful event. [A camp meeting held in Kenya.] We, as workers, really have appreciated all the support in the matter of transport.… after we received the news of taking the three angels’ messages to a strange country we did not hesitate.
    “Luke 2:10 ‘And the Angel said unto them, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.’ After reaching Homa-Bay late in the evening we were fearful thinking that those who were assigned to wait for us have left. But we thank God for they did not get tired for the time they hoped us to arrive there had passed, because we took a long trip from Tororo-Malaba-Kakamega then Kisumu for the day we left there was no vehicle ready to take us to Busia border.
    “After arriving indeed all people were anxious to see us. Some were told that it was white men who were coming, but instead they saw their fellow Africans. To some it was a discouragement, for they always know that Africans are selfish people, they could not give them any thing good. But we thank the Lord that we were able to give them what we had, and that is not anything else but the truth about God, His Son Jesus, His death and the Holy spirit.
    “When all the subjects were presented, God’s people saw that they have been believing theories of men and we assured them that majority of Christians say that they don’t worship images, but it is easy for men to adopt a false teaching and hold it and this is more than the one who can mold an image. So many of God’s prophesied people who claim not to worship idols, by holding false theories they are idol worshipers.
    “Many expressed their joy for this good tidings and promised to share with other people. For the majority were pastors from Sunday churches. But they need more training.
    “Finally on Sabbath we ended in the evening by the study, ‘Why are there so many religions?’ Here we dealt with symbols in the Word which God uses to reveal the reality. When the disciples of Jesus did not know the symbol and the meaning of the vineyard, they did not understand Christ and His ministry. So it is with us today, if we don’t understand the symbols used in Revelation and the entire Bible, it is very hard for us to identify the true church of God.
    “Mostly we dealt here with Revelation 17:1-6 and Revelation 12:1-17 and those who understood praised God. We encouraged them to continue in unity and love by searching the Scriptures.
    “Sunday came and it was not easy for us to leave the home of Brother Allosso. We were escorted by songs sang by orphanage kids along the way until we took off. We left them waving their hands with both joy and disappointment for our departure. The songs of these children reminded us of the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. Matthew 21:9-11. Even some people had invited us to visit their churches but we could not make it, so more plans are to be made to visit them.
    “I end up this missionary report with these words: ‘Practical work will have far more effect than mere sermonizing. We are to give food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, and shelter to the homeless. And we are called to do more than this. The wants of the soul, only the love of Christ can satisfy. If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be full of divine sympathy. The sealed fountains of earnest, Christlike love will be unsealed.’ (Christ’s Object Lessons pages 417)”

Uganda

 “I have just received a tract from a friend entitled ‘The Holy Spirit’ and it blows me away. I can’t tell you how excited I am about the new truth. I am an elder, and an outcast, because of my constant search for truth from God’s Word.
    “If you have any more information please e-mail me so we can include it in our Friday night vespers that we have in our home. Thank you.”

E-mail

“Grace be unto you. I am enjoying the November 2001 issue of Present Truth. How soon can we be caught in a ‘Dead Formalism’!?
    “I sure enjoy the letters from your readers.
    “Thank you, Lynnford, for your good answer to my question about the resurrections and your clear answer to my question concerning the ‘Branch’ in Zechariah 6:12. But, I have another question that I did not see before, concerning the counsel of peace. Maybe I do not correctly understand the wording… [Answered in the ‘Questions and Answers’ section.] Thank you also for your answer about the thrones in Revelation…
    “I have three $5 King James Bibles that I could send to someone in need if you could give me instructions and addresses. I see so many requests for help with money that I do not know where I should begin, but I would like to help the pastor in Tanzania who needs a new home. We go to town on average of once a month, so it would be about a month before I could send him any money by Western Union, so I am sending you a check and asking if you could please send the $50.00 to him (hopefully the $7.50 will cover the transfer cost) as he may need it urgently.
    “Do you still have pastors that can be supported for $50.00 a month? I don’t know if our income will allow us to support one for $100.00 a month, plus I would like to continue giving you some support too. Sign us up for a $50 pastor if you still have one…
    “I wonder what it costs you for producing one 11x17 sheet of the Present Truth printed on both sides. I get some of yours copied which costs 25 cents a sheet. I thought I might just buy some from you if you can produce them much cheaper. I pass some around.
    “We will continue praying for your ministry and the people in Africa and we sure appreciate your prayers for us.”

Tennessee

(Thank you for your prayers and willingness to help send Bibles where needed and to support a minister in Africa. We will send you the addresses you need. Just to let you know if you want to help support a minister in Africa but cannot afford the whole amount, we can arrange for you to help a minister with part of the amount and others can help with the rest. Regarding paper, it costs us approximately 12 cents to produce double sided 11X17 sheet of paper, so if you would like extras, just let us know.    Editor)

“Yes, as I finished these last two lessons, I want to do the course on “These Last Days.” many more if you have them. I really do appreciate everything you are doing, keeping the Word of God in my heart. Amen.”

Ohio

“I have recently come to a better understanding of who God is. It has been an amazing revelation to me and I’m very grateful to him for this. Thanks also for the Bible study material on this website.”

E-mail

(Thank you for all your letters. If you would not like your letter to be printed, please let us know when you write to us.
    Editor)

Healthful Living

by Lynnford Beachy

Today, more and more people are becoming health conscious. They want to live energetic lives free from pain and sickness. This is especially true since the September 11th attack, because people are concerned about the threat of contracting anthrax, small pox, or some other deadly disease.

God has given us some very encouraging promises that will help us in the days to come. He said, “If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26)

God also said, “Because thou hast made the LORD, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation; There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.” (Psalms 91:9, 10) God wants us to put our complete trust in Him, that He will sustain us and protect us in the days to come. He knows very well how to protect us from disease.

John expressed the thoughts of God when He wrote, “Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” (3 John 1:2) God wishes us to be in good health, and He has provided natural means to keep us healthy and free of disease.

Natural Preventions

Perhaps you have heard the old proverb, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” I have found this principle to be true in just about every aspect of life, including health.

Several years ago, I was introduced to a collection of simple health principles that, if followed, will go a long way in both the prevention and cure of many sicknesses and diseases.

These health principles are very easy to remember and they are free to everyone. They are nutrition, exercise, water, sunlight, temperance, air, rest, and trust in divine power. Let’s look at each of these principles.

Nutrition

It is common knowledge that many illnesses are directly related to the foods we eat. I am sure you have heard the saying, “You are what you eat.” It would be more accurate to say, “You are what your body assimilates from what you eat.” Your body needs certain vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, and other nutrients to perform the daily bodily functions that keep you alive and healthy. When your body is lacking in any of these things it will suffer in one way or another, depending upon what your body is lacking.

For example, many of us have heard about the disease called scurvy that killed many people. This disease primarily affected sailors, and for some time they could not determine what caused this disease. Eventually it was discovered that the lack of vitamin C caused this deadly disease, and from then on ships were well stocked with limes.

Proper nutrition has always played a major role in the prevention and treatment of diseases. The ideal diet for man consists of the original diet given to man in the Garden of Eden. God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” (Genesis 1:29) God’s original diet for man included fruits, grains, nuts and vegetables. God’s people lived for an average of over 900 years on this diet. It was not until after the flood, one and a half millennia later, that God permitted men to introduce flesh food into their diets. After this, their life span rapidly and drastically decreased down to under 200 years, and later down to under 100 years.

Today, studies indicate that people who eat a vegetarian diet live, on average, about seven years longer than people who eat flesh foods. One factor that contributes to this is that vegetarians are spared from diseases that are transmitted through flesh foods, as well as the excessive fats found in meat.

Many people think that a person cannot possibly get enough muscle-building protein on a vegetarian diet. However, it seems that these people have not considered the fact that many of the animals they eat acquired all their protein from a vegetarian diet. When we think of the largest, most powerful animals in the world, they are all vegetarians. For example, the elephant, hippopotamus, rhinoceros, giraffe, buffalo, gorilla, and many other large animals, acquire all their muscle-building protein from a vegetarian diet. Spinach, avocados, broccoli, asparagus, clover, peas, nuts, beans, grains, and rice are all good sources of protein. Lentils are an excellent source of complete protein. Also, beans and rice together make a complete protein.

The fact is, most people, and especially Americans, eat far too much protein. The body has a difficult time dealing with these large amounts of protein. One byproduct of protein digestion is uric acid. The more protein that is taken into the system, especially through meat eating, the more uric acid is produced in the body, leading to many problems such as arthritis, gout, high blood pressure, obesity, high cholesterol, uremia, calcium depletion, kidney stones, kidney failure, etc. (See “Uric Acid” in the World Book Encyclopedia.)

A balanced diet, consisting of fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables in as natural a state as can be acquired (preferably raw), is the best diet for humans.

Exercise

Muscles that are well exercised are much better prepared to function under stress than muscles that are left unworked. This is also true of the vital organs of the body. They need good exercise in order to function properly. Proper exercise keeps the heart, lungs, and other vital organs in a healthy condition, enabling them to perform their functions efficiently and without hindrance.

The lack of exercise, given time, will cause many physical problems and diseases which could have been prevented by daily exercise.

A 20-minute aerobic exercise 3-4 times a week will help keep the heart and respiratory system in good health. To classify as an aerobic exercise, the heart rate must be increased to approximately 140 beats per minute for a 20-year-old, or 120 beats per minute for a 50-year-old, for the entire 20 minutes.

Working outdoors, perhaps in a garden, is one of the best forms of exercise because it accomplishes two things at once, and exercises the mind as well as the body.

Water

Your body is made mostly of water, and it requires an abundance of water to replenish the cells and to cleanse the body of impurities, thus preventing and curing diseases. Many experts say it is good to drink 8 large glasses of water each day with the glass size proportionate to your body weight. It is a good practice to drink at least half of your body weight in ounces each day. A person who weighs 150 pounds (68 kilograms) should drink at least 75 ounces (2.2 liters) of water each day. However, your body is not able to use all of that water at once, so it is good to spread the water out over the day (starting 2 hours after, and ending one half hour before, each meal). This enables the body to have the water it needs when it needs it.

There is something to keep in mind when it comes to drinking water. Many people are in the practice of drinking water with their meals. This is a big mistake, because it puts an extra strain upon the digestive system. When we eat food, our stomachs secrete digestive acids to digest the food. When we drink water with our meals, our stomach acids are diluted and the stomach struggles to remove the water from the stomach and build up the digestive acids again in order to continue digestion.

The digestion of food takes an incredible amount of energy and, if this process is prolonged unnecessarily, it will rob the rest of the body of blood and energy that is needed to maintain proper health.

It is good to drink water one half hour before eating which will ensure that your stomach will have the water necessary to produce digestive acids. It is also good to wait one to two hours after each meal before drinking water again, which will enable the digestive process to be well underway before more water is added.

Many people think that any beverage can be substituted for water and they will receive the same benefits. This, too, is a big mistake. Fresh, clean water, (preferably without fluoride, which is found in most tap water) is much easier for the body to utilize than water mixed with flavors, colors, or carbonation, found in many beverages.

Just as water is important for the inside of the body to maintain proper health, it is also necessary on the outside of the body. Your skin is full of pores that the body uses to expel toxins from the body. These toxins, if they are left on the surface of the body for extended periods of time, will clog the pores, making it difficult to expel toxins. These toxins can also enter the body again through the skin, which means washing your clothes regularly is necessary to remove the toxins from the skin.

Water also can be used to aid in the healing of many types of bruises, and other ailments. Alternating hot and cold water treatments will increase the circulation of the blood to a particular area, hastening the healing process. I have used this remedy to aid in the healing of sprained ankles, wrists, and other injuries, with great success. Care must be taken never to use this remedy during the first 24 hours of an injury, at which time cold water alone should be used to reduce swelling. To utilize this healing method, start by submersing the affected area in hot water, as hot as you can bear, for three minutes. Then submerse the affected area in ice-cold water for 30 seconds. Repeat this process at least three times, ending in cold water. For some parts of the body, it is necessary to use wet towels, which will accomplish the same goal. This process will help with varicose veins, or any other blood circulation problem.

Sunlight

Jesus said, “Your Father which is in heaven… maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” (Matthew 5:45)

Sunlight is very important to good health. Some people are so unfortunate as to live in dark homes where the sunlight rarely breaks through. Others have been confined to dungeons or mines where they spend most of their days without seeing the sunlight.

We should take a lesson from plants, which turn toward the sun to take in all the light they can. When they live in basements or other dark places, they become pale and sickly.

Sunlight is a purifier. It should be let into our homes to clean the air and kill germs. Mold has a difficult time growing in direct sunlight. Sunlight lifts the spirits and brings a calming affect in its path. It lowers cholesterol, reduces high blood pressure, and is essential to the body’s production of Vitamin D. Exercise is much more rewarding when it is done in the open air, with plenty of sunlight.

To receive the benefits of sunlight, one does not need to strip down to their underclothes and bathe in the sun. A small amount of the skin exposed to the sun is sufficient to receive its benefits. Too much sunlight can cause skin cancer and other problems.

We do not know all the benefits of sunlight, but we have seen results of people being deprived of this heavenly gift. Let us take advantage of what the Lord has supplied for our well-being.

Temperance

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22)

Temperance comes to us as a result of having the Spirit of God working in our lives. Temperance means “self control.” It is the ability to master one’s desires and passions, including his appetite.

Paul wrote, “And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.” (1 Corinthians 9:25) We are to be temperate in every detail of our lives, avoiding those things that are harmful, and moderately partaking of those things that are beneficial.

We can see the terrible effects of intemperance everywhere we look. The drunkard, the drug addict, the gambler, the glutton, are all products of intemperance. Much heartache and pain would be eliminated if we could only gain control of our passions. This can be done by receiving the Spirit of God in our lives and following its leading. Paul wrote, “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?” (Romans 6:16) He also wrote, “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17)

Air

Fresh air is vital to good health. To see the terrible results of a lack of fresh air, we need only look at the black lung disease of the coal miners, the lung cancer of the tobacco smokers, or the pneumonia sufferers who have been confined to small rooms with little or no air circulation.

It is well known that many diseases can be avoided by introducing fresh air into our environment. This is a major concern in many hospitals because of the airborne diseases that are so common there.

We should train ourselves to keep air circulation a priority in our homes and places of work. We should also learn to take deep breaths as often as possible, allowing the lower portions of our lungs to be exercised and purified by clean, fresh air. Our lungs are designed to get oxygen into our blood streams, and we should aid our lungs in their work by surrounding ourselves with fresh air and by taking deep breaths.

Increased oxygen intake is recognized to be so important that many football and other athletic facilities have invested in hyperbaric chambers where increased pressure and oxygen are used to speed the recovery of injuries. The nutrition world is replete with products claiming to introduce more oxygen into the blood stream.

I have heard it said that pneumonia can be completely avoided by taking ten deep breaths of fresh air each morning. I am sure you have experienced the overwhelming need to get a breath of fresh air. Our bodies are crying out for more oxygen. This is another reason why it is so important to do our exercise outdoors in the fresh air. When we exercise, our lungs are working harder than normal, and we can be benefitted greatly by exercising outdoors in the sunlight and fresh air. In this way we are partaking of three of the eight principles of health at the same time.

Rest

Rest is an amazing and necessary element in maintaining good health. Scientists have not yet been able to discover why the body needs sleep, but it is abundantly evident that it does. One only needs to deprive himself of sleep for a few days to realize that the body desperately needs sleep. Many accidents have occurred due to lack of sleep.

When a person is well rested they are much more able to think properly and carry out the daily duties of life more efficiently. For some people, a short nap during the day is needed to give them that extra edge to complete the days duties. A short nap can invigorate the body and clear the mind.

My dad used to tell me the old motto, “Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.” That is good counsel that I have not forgotten. I always feel much better when I retire early and rise early. I find that my body requires less sleep when I do this. Some say that one hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours after. I am not sure if the math is exactly correct, but I have found this principle to be true. Try it and see for yourself.

Another thing to keep in mind regarding rest is that when your body is busy digesting food, it is very difficult to sleep well. I have found that when I eat a meal just before bedtime I am restless during the night and often spend the night dreaming, and awake nearly as tired as when I went to sleep. When this happens, I also have little appetite for breakfast because my meal from the night before is still in my stomach. The human body takes approximately five hours to digest food. It is preferable to give your body at least three to four hours after eating before going to bed.

This brings up another point. Not only does your body need rest at night, it is good to allow your digestive system to rest during the day. When we eat between meals our bodies struggle to keep up with the unnatural digestive requirements. To demonstrate this principle, a lady was given breakfast at 7 a.m., and at 9:30 a.m. she was given a brownie. At noon she was given lunch, and at 2:30 p.m. she was given another snack. Finally she was given dinner in the evening, after which her stomach was pumped to reveal that her stomach still contained the food that she had been given for breakfast.

You see, the body begins digestion about ten minutes after you eat your last bite. It takes approximately five hours for the food to be completely digested. When food is introduced into the stomach before the previous food leaves, the stomach must begin its process over again, leaving the partially digested food until the new food can catch up to that stage. When new food is again introduced into the system, the same thing occurs, allowing the old food to begin to decay before it is digested. This causes the entire system to be overworked and leads to many digestive problems if this is continued. For some less-active people two meals a day would be better than three. We would all be much better off if we would exercise temperance regarding our eating habits. Let your digestive system rest as well as your body.

Trust in Divine Power

Last, but definitely not least, we must trust in God’s power to bring us healing and to keep us from disease. The Psalmist wrote that our bodies are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” (Psalms 139:14) God made our bodies, and He is the best qualified to instruct us as to how to care for them and to heal them when they are sick. All of the principles I just shared are powerless to heal or keep from disease without God’s power. I have heard some say that medicines heal people. I have heard others say that only natural remedies heal people. I have learned that neither of these statements is correct. God is the only One who is able to heal. He says, “I am the LORD that healeth thee.” (Exodus 15:26)

There is a sad story in the Bible of a man who forgot this great principle and, instead of trusting God for healing, he trusted the physicians. “Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians. And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.” (2 Chronicles 16:12, 13)

God wants us to trust in Him for healing, not in our own strength, nature, physicians, medicines, or natural remedies. Please don’t get me wrong, God has used all of these means to bring healing to people, but it was always He who brought the healing, not the remedies themselves.

Personally, I believe that God wishes primarily to use prevention and natural remedies to prevent and heal diseases, rather than drugs and doctors. Many drugs are designed to hide the symptom rather than treat the disease, and for this reason I try to stay clear of medicines, and seek to treat the cause rather than the symptom. Many doctors are trained to treat the symptom and have little knowledge of how to treat the cause of the problem. The problem with that is that the symptoms are not permanently removed, and often the drugs used to treat the symptoms cause more problems which will require more drugs to cover those symptoms as well. Following this route can lead to many unnecessary problems that would have been completely avoided had the cause been treated instead of the symptom.

How would you like it if you brought your vehicle to the mechanic because the engine had begun to make a terribly loud and alarming noise, and he said, “No problem, I’ll have it fixed in a jiffy. I’ll insulate the engine cavity so you can no longer hear the noise?” I don’t know about you, but I would not be satisfied with this type of treatment for my car. Yet how many people, who would never dream of treating their car that way, would treat their bodies with as little caution by treating the symptom rather than the cause?

Now, please, don’t get me wrong. If I break a leg or an arm, you can be sure that I am not going to put a charcoal poultice on it and hope for the best. I will visit a hospital very quickly. There are some things that doctors and medicines can treat better than natural remedies. In each case, though, it is only God who brings the healing.

I am thankful that I can trust in the Maker of my body to give me instruction and healing to maintain this body. Let us trust in divine power more, and in human power less.

These eight principles of health, when followed, will eliminate many hours of suffering and many wasted dollars treating diseases. These principles of health are easy to remember by using the simple acronym NEWSTART.

Nutrition
Exercise
Water
Sunlight
Temperance
Air
Rest
Trust in Divine Power

Try these principles, and see if they make a difference in your life. They are free to all, and yet powerful enough to make life-long changes.    ?

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