Saturday, September 29, 2007

GOD'S PLAN FOR HEALTHFUL LIVING

THE 8 LAWS OF HEALTH

Just think. Only eight laws to obey! What a relief from this world we live in where there are laws without end! But don't be deceived by the simplicity of these laws, for in them is the secret of true health.

When we come to realize that Jesus wants us to be healthy, and that He has given us laws to gain and maintain good health, then our hearts respond to those laws with genuine interest and desire. For isn't it true that we long to please those whom we love?

The Bible is full of admonitions of maintaining health and well-being. It is God's intention that we be “a living sacrifice” and rightly honor Him with our bodies: abstaining from harmful things and using in moderation those things that are good.

G GODLY TRUST
O OPEN AIR
D DAILY EXERCISE
S SUNSHINE

P PROPER REST
L LOTS OF WATER
A ALWAYS TEMPERATE
N NUTRITION

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Click pictures for DETAILS!

GODLY TRUST

An abiding faith in our loving God will help you! He has made every provision to forgive and cleanse all our past mistakes. He will give power to break harmful addictions and help us overcome bitter and angry attitudes that 'eat us up' inside. If we are 'Willing to be made willing'—He will work with us, take away our love for sinning and make us free in Him, His happy, obedient children—Ask Him!

OPEN AIR

Pure fresh air is very important! That means good air with lots of oxygen. Walking in forests and nature is great! Do deep breathing exercises daily, in the morning. Even in winter have windows open a little and air rooms daily. Avoid smoke, chemicals, 'Air fresheners', sprays and aerosols. Do not remain in the presence of someone smoking!

DAILY EXERCISE

Begin a program of walking by walking as far as is comfortable and gradually working up to 4 or 5 miles a day. Take a walking stick for stability. Work up to a minimum of 20-30 minutes at least every other day. If muscles are weak, every other day is better, as it takes 48 hrs. recovery time. Can't go out? A re-bounder, (mini trampoline) is good. Folk in apartment buildings often walk the halls, going to the top in the elevator then walking each hall and descending each staircase. Gradually increase the number of floors walked. Organic Gardening is also great for health. (and the side effect is yummy vegetables!)

SUNSHINE

Sunshine has several benefits to the body. It furnishes the natural Vit. D and helps to lower cholesterol. Sunlight increases the volume of oxygen in the blood. People with severe Arthritis have been cured by simply getting out into the sunlight. It is important to spend at least part of your time in the sunlight without wearing glasses to maximize healing effects. Start with 10-15 minutes daily to face and hands and work up to 30-45 minutes daily. The best time for sunbathing is 9-10 am and 4-6 PM. Avoid burning. To lessen skin cancer risk, reduce the fat intake, such as animal fats, oils, margarine(& foods containing refined, processed oils) And don't over do sunbathing. If you have to stay in the sun, the best 'sunscreen' is a straw-hat and light clothing.

PE01094_.WMF (20568 bytes) PROPER REST

Get adequate restful sleep. an early, light supper, well before bedtime and no eating before bed will help. A relaxing warm bath may help you unwind, avoid stressful and stimulating activities before bedtime. Regular times for going to bed and rising will also help. The best time to go to bed is between 9 and 10 PM. This sounds strange, because in our culture, it almost seems in bad taste to sleep. 100 years ago the average person got 9 or more hours sleepnow it is more like 4 or 5! Exercise during the day also helps set the stage for restful sleep. Avoid using drugs for sleep as these are harmful and sleep thus attained is of little benefit to your body. Lack of restful sleep is for many the root of the 'enervation' that brings disease. For healing and cleansing to occur much rest and sleep is needed as these actions are done only while asleep.

AG00033_.GIF (5479 bytes) LOTS OF WATER

Your body is about 75% water! Lots of water is needed for optimal function! Every process in your body depends on the presence of adequate water.
Drink lots of pure, soft water daily. Distilled water is best. Juice, tea or soft drinks do NOT take the place of water! Your weight ÷ 2= minimum number of oz. of water to drink daily. Adequate fluid intake will increase your endurance and energy levels! Studies show DEHYDRATION at the cellular level to be the root cause of many diseases! Carry a supply with you at work and on walks etc.
On arising squeeze a fresh lemon into two glasses room temperature or warm water and drink it. Drink between meals. 2 hours after to 1/2 hour before
not with meals. Taking 2 glasses 1/2 hour before each meal, prevents mealtime thirst, aids digestion and prevents ulcers. Shower daily with cool or tepid water using a bath brush or good rough washcloth to rub your skin all over. This improves circulation and gets toxins out.

ALWAYS TEMPERATE

Temperance is not only concerned with drinking booze; good health requires moderation and wise choices in all aspects of life. Over-eating, over-playing, over-working, and over-indulgence of the marriage privilege can all contribute to poor health. Abstain from all harmful indulgences. Tobacco, alcohol coffee, tea, (except herbal tea) colas and soft drinks. The bit of pleasure they might give is not worth the misery they cause in the long run.

NUTRITION


THE HEALTHY DIETAvoids all refined foods; Uses fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, legumes and grains, as fresh & simple as possible. Fresh is best, Frozen next best, dried is OK also. Eat as much as possible fresh & raw. Sprouts are very good. Reduce oil and fat, including margarine and vegetable oils and things made with them. (Read Labels!) Use no sugarreplace with honey or dried fruit & use this lightly. Avoid 'salt bombs' such as cheezies, chips, pretzels and party snacks. Cheese is extremely high in fat & salt and should be eliminated. Use no deep fried foods. Don't mix fruits and vegetables at the same meal. Avoid 'hot' spices and vinegar. Cook in Glass, stainless steel, or enamel, not aluminum! (or better still eat it raw.) If you can, get organically grown foods, but even the worse supermarket fruits and veggies are safer than animal products. Avoid microwaved, and irradiated produce. A good rule isIF IT GROWSEAT IT; & EAT IT IN AS NATURAL A STATE AS POSSIBLE. The more man does with a food the less nutritional value it has left when he is finished!

THE BIBLE BASIS

The fundamental lesson in the study of the human body is to learn that God created the body, and instituted all its laws and functions; that God gave it life which was to be full, perfect, without pain, without disease, and without end; that the interference with this plan which came in came through disobedience to the laws which God instituted; and that our diseases are the result of disobedience by ourselves or those who have gone before. This is taught by such Scriptures as these: “Sin no more lest a worse thing come upon thee." John 5:14; “For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee, or to say,. Arise, and walk?" Matthew 9:5; when it is finished, bringeth forth death." James 1: 15. Death, which we usually consider to be the result of our diseases, God says is the result of sin. Had there been no sin, there would have been no disease, and no medical work. “Jesus came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly." John 10:10.

Jesus came to forgive all our iniquities, to heal all our diseases, and to redeem our lives from destruction. Psalm 103:3, 4. Therefore, to take away sins, and to take away sickness, and to redeem the life, are all His work, and are all one work, and cannot be separated. This means that our violations of the spiritual and physical laws of God must be treated and healed together as one work, which cannot be separated. And when His work of forgiving and healing is finished, no one will then say, “…I am sick; the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity." Isaiah 33:24. In taking away all their iniquity, their sicknesses are also taken away. Then there shall be no more pain. Revelation 21:4; and “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death." 1 Corinthians 15:26. Then the Saviour's work is finished, and the work of the physician is also finished. The work of the true physician is a calling from God to cooperate with Him in His great work of restoring mankind; and the true way to work is to seek for the causes of our condition, and labor to remove them. And the causes are found in the violation of the laws of God, both spiritual and physical.

ANOTHER KEYNOTE

The study of the human body should always be a search after the will of God, with obedience as the purpose, which makes the restoration of character the goal. This is why “teaching and healing should never be separated." Ministry of Healing, p. 141.

“To obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams." I Samuel 15:22. It is better that we learn not to sin, than that we sin and then have to make a sacrifice for it and be forgiven. And it is likewise better that we learn how to live without violating nature's laws than that we ignore them, become sick, and have to be forgiven, (healed), (bring a sacrifice). Therefore, the very best and highest form of practicing the healing art is teaching the people to obey both the spiritual and physical laws, as the laws of God. This is the highest and best form of the healing art for two reasons. (a) To prevent sin and sickness so that forgiveness and healing are not needed is better than to forgive and to heal. (b) Recovery by teaching brings forth character through obedience to the law of God. Reason (a) is good, but reason (b) is far more important but much less understood.

“Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted. Their soul abhorreth all manner of food; and they draw near unto the gates of death. Then they cry unto Jehovah in their trouble, and He sendeth His Word and healeth them." Psalm 107:17-20, R.V. The “word" which He “sendeth" and by which He “healeth" them must contain as its chief element instruction to cure them of their foolishness and transgressions, by calling for repentance and future obedience. The “word" by which He “healeth" them says , “Ye are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. If any man destroyeth the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy." 1 Corinthians 3:16, 17; and, “Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God, and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body." I Corinthians 6:19, 20; and, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." I Corinthians 10:31; and, “Eat in due season, for strength, and not for drunkenness." Ecclesiastes 10:17; and, “Every herb yielding seed .... and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for food." Genesis 1:29, R.V. This kind of “words" is better than treatment of medicine. To obey this kind of words is better than to plead for forgiveness and healing which follows disobedience, and to bring a “sacrifice."

Because the work of the physician is placed upon the basis set forth in the foregoing, the commission and calling to the physician is the same commission and calling as that given to the evangelist. “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and charged them saying, As ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons. Freely ye have received, freely give." Matthew 10:5-7, R.V. “The Lord appointed seventy others and sent them two and two before His face into every city and place whither He Himself was about to come. And He said unto them .... Into whatsoever city ye enter .... heal the sick that are therein, and say unto them, The kingdom of God is come nigh unto you." Luke 10: 1-9, R.V. These texts constitute the physician's calling; and these texts constitute the evangelist's calling.

Therefore, the first lesson in medical science is to learn that the laws of the body were set there by God the Creator, and are still maintained there by Him; that they were set there for, (a) The glory of God—character; (b) The good of man—happiness through obedience.

The world teaches medical science in an imperfect way, for the sake of health. This may not bring forth character. While this is a worthy work, yet the commission given to us is a much higher calling, it being to prepare a people for the coming of the Lord. When we teach medical science according to the word and wisdom of God, it has character as its object, and eternity as its goal.

Julius Gilbert White,

November 20, 1920

Source: http://present-truth.org/Health%20Library/8_laws.htm

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