FOK challenge post 4

Its been a few days since I posted. We got really busy getting ready for the Christmas program for last  Sabbath and went to the Zoo Lights Saturday night so there were quite a few late nights. However we did make a few recipes.

Jeffrey made Breadkfast Quinoa with Apple Compote. This is from page 50. The boys have not been fond of quinoa anyway, but they were ok with it this time. However the compote was not a hit at all. We only made one recipe which I did on purpose, knowing that they might not like it. I didn’t like that flavor mix very well either, but I did eat more than my share so we wouldn’t have to throw too much away.

Joshua made “Southwestern Twice-Baked Potatoes” on page 192. It was very good, though we skipped the second baking and stuffed the stuffing right on our plates. The leftovers we used in the next recipe which was “Southwest Mac and Cheese” on page 252. We cheated a little on that recipe and used real cheese, but it also was very good. I forgot to get pictures of those recipes and they are gone now, but oh well.

Today, we are cleaning house and getting ready for the weekend. Josh is making Strawberry shortcake for lunch and we will be making bread tomorrow as well as stuff for Sabbath. Then on Sunday or Monday we will be baking pies and cookies for Christmas day. Most of them are not from the cookbook, I think, but I will share them anyway as they are healthier recipes than your typical dessert recipes.

Anyway, thats all for now.

Have a great weekend, and a Merry Christmas!

FOK challenge post 3

So the last couple of recipes that we did this last week were so yummy!  Jeffrey was making Banana Granola Parfait on page46, so the day before I made Banana Almond Granola from page 44. So yummy. I usually make granola with oil, and bake it over night, but since I was following a different recipe, this one called for no oil and baked for about 40 or 50 minutes stirring every 10 minutes. It turned out toasty brown and crunchy. Not as flaky as the one with oil, but that’s to be expected. I really liked the flavor of it, too.

The Parfait basically is a layered dish, usually in decorative glassses. We used regular glasses and long spoons. The first layer was banana cream made out of tofu and bananas and other yummy stuff, then granola. Then Jeffrey put on some fruit salad, that we had tried earlier in the week from page 37, though this time I think we used just the fruit without the dressing. And then he added some more cream. At least thats how I think he layered it. Anyway, here’s a picture of my glass plus a picture of the fruit salad we made earlier.

We ended up having to make extra cream because everyone wanted seconds. Definitely a recipe to keep making! 

Vitamin K

I just wanted to share something that I was researching about. My midwife keeps asking me about doing vitamin K shots or drops for my baby and I had looked into it a little bit before so I didn’t feel comfortable giving them to him/her. My girls never had them and never had any problems. However, my midwife apparently had a client who’s baby had a brain bleed so she is extra concerned now. Because I am uncomfortable giving any kind of shots to my kids, I decided I had better figure out exactly what its for and if the benefits outweigh the risks. Here is a quick rundown of what I found out with some links to go with it. This was copied from the page I typed up and printed out for my midwife so that she could see what I researched and hopefully will help ease her mind as well.

 Facts about Vitamin K and Hemorrhagic disease of the newborn and Vitamin K deficiency in Babies. 

1. Risk for HDN or early onset bleeding is 1 in 100,000, risk for VKDB or late onset bleeding is 3-4 in 100,000
2. Causes include: liver disease in baby; medication use by mom that interfere with vitamin k metabolism like anticonvulsants, anticoagulants and antibiotics; or a diet low in k and fat. Also, any other issue that can interfere with baby’s absorption of vitamin k.
3. Vitamin K shot is synthetic, not easily absorbed or utilized by the body.
4. Vitamin K is metabolized in the liver, and absorbed by gut bacteria.
5. Baby liver and digestion are immature. Drops are not metabolized by baby liver, and interfere with the gut bacteria.
6. Shot has other ingredients, not just ‘vitamin k’. For example, Propylene Glycol, Benzyl alcohol, Hydrochloric Acid, castor oil. Etc. Again, Baby liver cannot process these. Benzyl alcohol has been shown to cause respiratory problems. 
7. Vitamin K shot has a black box warning. It says it can cause death, and jaundice.
8. Best way for baby is to increase moms vitamin k through diet in the weeks before birth, so baby liver can store it.
9. After birth, delay cord clamping to get all the stem cells for repairs from birth process. Vitamin K thickens blood so stem cells cannot travel where needed well.
10. Make sure baby gets colostrum which contains small amounts of easily absorbed vitamin K and stem cells. 
11. Vitamin K containing foods : Raspberry Leaf tea; Greens like Kale, alfalfa, cabbage. Cauliflower, spinach; Soy; Nuts, like cashews, pecans and walnuts; Legumes- green beans, kidney beans, etc.; Nettle; Avocado; Grapes. 
12. Gut bacteria also produces vitamin K, so lots of prebiotic food like onions and garlic and the above foods.
13. God created babies with lower k until 8 days old so stem cells from the placenta can travel through the body to brain quickly. 

http://legaljustice4john.com/jaundiceVitKshotNewborns.htm?fbclid=IwAR3PEuUPyxt6SywL4BHW0GYmnAJXCsgvgT5P7Fd41rCcWa2s5dCKm9EUUao

http://www.vaccination.inoz.com/VitaminK.html

http://barbfeick.com/vaccinations/vitamin-shots/vitamin_shots_for_newborn.html?fbclid=IwAR1XaWWB8kZYZfCchznyycX2E_8nG4t0srJ8dXDtCqOlRQudPewQdKtjP7w

https://www.scribd.com/doc/33874512/Merck-Vitamin-K-Package-Insert-Aquamephyton-PI

https://youtu.be/IFcDz3Kvz8I

https://youtu.be/6rxEo8R5Fwk

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-vitamin-k#section7

FOK challenge post 2

Today, we made White Bean Chili with Jalapeno and Lime. It is located on page 130. It was very good. A little limey, which was ok with me as we also had Swiss Chard for dinner and that was good mixed in. The kids didn’t like the lime flavor as well as I did, so we may have to alter the recipe a bit if we want to make it again.   This was also supposed to be a very hot chili with lots of jalapeno. 6 servings of chili with 3 jalapenos in the pot. Also lots of cilantro and the zest of 1 lime. I only used 1 jalapeno and I’m glad I did because it would have been way to hot for little ones. Josh liked the heat but the girls weren’t fond of it.

It made a very pretty picture, even if it wasn’t a favorite recipe. I may try it again next year, but with less lime.

Forks over Knives challenge

So, the other day, when my parents were visiting over Thanksgiving, we watched a true-to-life movie about a lady who challenged herself to cook from Julia Childs’ cookbook over the period of one year, writing a blog about it. I mentioned to my mother, “hey, I could do that, except maybe I could do one on the Forks over Knives cookbook, instead.” She, of course, thought that was a great idea.

We have been also working on the Pathfinder cooking honor, not as a requirement for the club, but as part of schoolwork. One of the requirements in the honor is to put together a file of 10 recipes they have made. So we are making some of the recipes in the Forks Over Knives cookbook.

Combining these two projects into one came to mind, so I made a list of some of the recipes to start with and we will be making them over the course of the next few months and letting you know how they fare in our family’s tastes.

Thus far, we have made 3 recipes from the 2012 edition of the cookbook.

A couple of weeks ago, Joshua made Mac and Cheese which is on page 2 which used the No-Cheese sauce from page 29. It was very good, except we over estimated the amount of pasta and ended up with more pasta than sauce, so it turned out kind of dry. Next time we will use more sauce, or less pasta.

The second recipe we tried was the Carrot Cake from page 284. We ended up using a whole can of pineapple for the topping instead of the Vanilla Bean Whip and it was very moist. It was taken to church for the impromptu potluck and mostly gone by the time we left afterwards. I think we will definitely be making that again. Next time we will try the Vanilla Bean whip on top and see what that’s like.

Yesterday, Josh made Corn Chowder off of page 93 for lunch, which he blended using an immersion blender that someone, either my mom or my friend gave me. It was slightly chunky, not meant to be smooth, and was very delicious. Next time we will make a double recipe, I think, and make it using the Vegetable stock from page 23 called for in the recipe. I forgot to make the stock in the morning before we left to go to the store so we used just water with a little miso and it was still good.

So far, the recipes we have tried have been fairly good. And I’m looking forward to trying some more of them.

I will try to remember to take some video or pictures of the next few recipes so you can see what they look like.

Til the nest time!

Annoying things

Something has been bugging me alot lately. Its the lack of thought that goes into peoples comments and speech these days. There is no common sense. I don't know if its the times we are living in, which I'm sure does play a big part, or if the fact that people can google everything, or just ask someone else to tell them the answer, is causing alot of it too. For instance, so many people ask questions in some of my facebook groups that the answer could have been quickly found just by a 5-10 second google search. But instead they ask in a group and then have to wait 10 minutes to an hour or more to get an answer. Sometimes it is nice to get other peoples opinions on things, but for factual things, a 5 second google search can get me most of the facts I need to make a decision many times.

Another thing that bugs me no end, is when in certain settings, people will say things like, "you didnt go to school for that, so you don't know what you're talking about." "What school did you go to to find the answer, google U.?"  What they fail to realize many times, is that Google is a search engine. Its a modern version of a card index in the library, which has actually been replaced by the computer anyway. Its like the index of the old hard copy encyclopedias. If you want to do some research, most people these days don't need to head to the library or pull out the encyclopedia. They can just use their smart phone, their tablet or ipad, computer or laptop and use any number of search engines and find the answer to almost anything they want to, as well as any false information that anyone in the world has put there. The same is for the library. Almost anyone can write a book or pamphlet and publish it. So, either way, the information has to be weeded through to find credible sources and factual information without alot of fiction among it.

Finally, the last thing that has really been annoying me lately, is the lack of checking whether things are true or not before they are repeated to others. This happens alot, especially on social media where all it takes is a click of a button to share someone elses post to hundreds more people. Now, this may not seem that bad, and it isn't always, but things like amber alerts of people who have already been found, or information passed out by fake news sites can cause problems. For example, an amber alert is an urgent message for people to keep an eye out for a missing child. Now, if the child has already been found and its noted on the alert, but not on the link of the post someone shares, than that post takes away from new amber alerts of children that havent been found yet. Information from fake news sites that don't report accurate infomartion, or are biased in a certain way, causes division unneccessarily and just causes people to fight among themselves or blame people for things they may not be at fault for, or even never were involved in. Half truths are not truths at all.

As Christians we are called to honesty, integrity, and truth. If we fail to check our facts, may pass on something that isn't true, even if it is unknowingly. But we should do all in our power to pass on only truth. It only takes a few seconds to check the comments, to google information about the things we share and to verify a few facts before we pass along ours or someone elses post. And use the brain God gave you to think before you blindly comment on something. Sometimes, all it takes is a few minutes of thought to see that the article someone shared is not completely true or that something someone said doesnt' make sense based on evidence.

And last of all, in regards to spiritual things, if it contradicts God's Word, forget about it. Its not worth your time. Except to help someone see whats true rather than what they may be sharing in error. Basically, share the truth, and not the error, don't meditate on falsehood, but rather contemplate and hold to what is true.

Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

1 Thessalonians 5:21 "Prove all things; hold fast that which is good."

Reading

Just a short piece of a book we’ve been reading for our morning devotions.

“Christ's first words to the people on the mount were words of blessing. Happy are they, He said, who recognize their spiritual poverty, and feel their need of redemption. The gospel is to be preached to the poor. Not to the spiritually proud, those who claim to be rich and in need of nothing, is it revealed, but to those who are humble and contrite. One fountain only has been opened for sin, a fountain for the poor in spirit.
The proud heart strives to earn salvation; but both our title to heaven and our fitness for it are found in the righteousness of Christ. The Lord can do nothing toward the recovery of man until, convinced of his own weakness, and stripped of all self-sufficiency, he yields himself to the control of God. Then he can receive the gift that God is waiting to bestow. From the soul that feels his need, nothing is withheld. He has unrestricted access to Him in whom all fullness dwells. “For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.” Isaiah 57:15.
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.” By these words Christ does not teach that mourning in itself has power to remove the guilt of sin. He gives no sanction to pretense or to voluntary humility. The mourning of which He speaks does not consist in melancholy and lamentation. While we sorrow on account of sin, we are to rejoice in the precious privilege of being children of God.
We often sorrow because our evil deeds bring unpleasant consequences to ourselves; but this is not repentance. Real sorrow for sin is the result of the working of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit reveals the ingratitude of the heart that has slighted and grieved the Saviour, and brings us in contrition to the foot of the cross. By every sin Jesus is wounded afresh; and as we look upon Him whom we have pierced, we mourn for the sins that have brought anguish upon Him. Such mourning will lead to the renunciation of sin.
The worldling may pronounce this sorrow a weakness; but it is the strength which binds the penitent to the Infinite One with links that cannot be broken. It shows that the angels of God are bringing back to the soul the graces that were lost through hardness of heart and transgression. The tears of the penitent are only the raindrops that precede the sunshine of holiness. This sorrow heralds a joy which will be a living fountain in the soul. “Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God;” “and I will not cause Mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord.” Jeremiah 3:13, 12. “Unto them that mourn in Zion,” He has appointed to give “beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness.” Isaiah 61:3.”

The Desire of Ages, pages 299-300

Health in the Bible, Part 2

Have you ever heard the phrase, “You are what you eat”? Research has shown that what you eat affects the whole body, including the brain. I was just listening to an interview with Dr. Daniel Amen. He explained that certain foods actually cause the brain to shrink. Of course, other things, like toxins, will also do this, but if we eat food that contains toxins then we are going to lose brain power.

In 1 Corinthians God tells us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
“1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

1Co 6:20  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

Now, some will take a look at the context of that last verse and say, “Paul was talking about fornication, this doesn’t apply to diet.” Really? Why wouldn’t the same principle apply? The principle is that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Ghost. And that we should glorify God in our spirit and in our body. Hmmm. This principle would therefore apply to all areas of our lives, would it not? 

1Co 10:31  Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.  

Eph 2:19  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Eph 2:20  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Eph 2:21  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:

Eph 2:22  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.

As the children of God we are to glorify God in all that we do. Some say it doesn’t matter what we eat. I disagree, because of the verses above. Science is beginning to reveal and has shown that a diet of vegetables and fruits, nuts and seeds and legumes, the very diet God gave us in the beginning, is the healthiest one. The Whole Food Plant Based diet is gaining foothold, through such programs as Forks Over Knives, The Truth about Cancer, Dr. Fuhrman’s Eat to Live, the Engine 2 diet with Rip Essylstyn, Dr. Colin T. Campbell, and many other doctors. 

We really are what we eat. When we eat high fat, high sugar, low nutrient foods we are setting ourselves up for inflammation, disease of all kinds, and ultimately an early death. We have been called by God to preach the gospel to all nations, and its really hard to do that when we are sick all the time, and can’t think clearly because of our unhealthy lifestyle. 

Rom 12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

God has promised that He will put His spirit within us to cause us to walk in His ways. Eze 36:25  Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Eze 36:26  A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Eze 36:27  And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Jas 4:6  But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Jas 4:7  Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Reading

The calling of Gideon. God has a purpose for you!

"The Call of Gideon" by Pastor Ray N.

What can his story teach us about our purpose?

Lesson 1
God knows you more then you know yourself
Lesson 2
God's purpose for you supersedes your own self-confidence
Lesson 3
Don't be over-confident
Lesson 4
Do not fixate on yourself. Focus on God's promises. Here is one verse: Isaiah 41:10
Lesson 5
Take God at His Word.

Even through our brokenness God can still use us.

Jdg 6:1  And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years.

Jdg 6:2  And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of the Midianites the children of Israel made them the dens which are in the mountains, and caves, and strong holds.

Jdg 6:3  And so it was, when Israel had sown, that the Midianites came up, and the Amalekites, and the children of the east, even they came up against them;

Jdg 6:4  And they encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth, till thou come unto Gaza, and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass.

Jdg 6:5  For they came up with their cattle and their tents, and they came as grasshoppers for multitude; for both they and their camels were without number: and they entered into the land to destroy it.

Jdg 6:6  And Israel was greatly impoverished because of the Midianites; and the children of Israel cried unto the LORD.

Jdg 6:7  And it came to pass, when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD because of the Midianites,

Jdg 6:8  That the LORD sent a prophet unto the children of Israel, which said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I brought you up from Egypt, and brought you forth out of the house of bondage;

Jdg 6:9  And I delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians, and out of the hand of all that oppressed you, and drave them out from before you, and gave you their land;

Jdg 6:10  And I said unto you, I am the LORD your God; fear not the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but ye have not obeyed my voice.

The Call of Gideon

Jdg 6:11  And there came an angel of the LORD, and sat under an oak which was in Ophrah, that pertained unto Joash the Abiezrite: and his son Gideon threshed wheat by the winepress, to hide it from the Midianites.

Jdg 6:12  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him, and said unto him, The LORD iswith thee, thou mighty man of valour.

Jdg 6:13  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the LORD be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the LORD bring us up from Egypt? but now the LORD hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.

Jdg 6:14  And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?

Jdg 6:15  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.

Jdg 6:16  And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.

Jdg 6:17  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.

Jdg 6:18  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, and bring forth my present, and set it before thee. And he said, I will tarry until thou come again.

Jdg 6:19  And Gideon went in, and made ready a kid, and unleavened cakes of an ephah of flour: the flesh he put in a basket, and he put the broth in a pot, and brought it out unto him under the oak, and presented it.

Jdg 6:20  And the angel of God said unto him, Take the flesh and the unleavened cakes, and lay them upon this rock, and pour out the broth. And he did so.

Jdg 6:21  Then the angel of the LORD put forth the end of the staff that was in his hand, and touched the flesh and the unleavened cakes; and there rose up fire out of the rock, and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes. Then the angel of the LORD departed out of his sight.

Jdg 6:22  And when Gideon perceived that he was an angel of the LORD, Gideon said, Alas, O Lord GOD! for because I have seen an angel of the LORD face to face.

Jdg 6:23  And the LORD said unto him, Peace be unto thee; fear not: thou shalt not die.

Jdg 6:24  Then Gideon built an altar there unto the LORD, and called it Jehovahshalom: unto this day it is yet in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.

Jdg 6:25  And it came to pass the same night, that the LORD said unto him, Take thy father's young bullock, even the second bullock of seven years old, and throw down the altar of Baal that thy father hath, and cut down the grove that is by it:

Jdg 6:26  And build an altar unto the LORD thy God upon the top of this rock, in the ordered place, and take the second bullock, and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the grove which thou shalt cut down.

Jdg 6:27  Then Gideon took ten men of his servants, and did as the LORD had said unto him: and so it was, because he feared his father's household, and the men of the city, that he could not do it by day, that he did it by night.

Gideon Destroys the Altar of Baal

Jdg 6:28  And when the men of the city arose early in the morning, behold, the altar of Baal was cast down, and the grove was cut down that was by it, and the second bullock was offered upon the altar that was built.

Jdg 6:29  And they said one to another, Who hath done this thing? And when they enquired and asked, they said, Gideon the son of Joash hath done this thing.

Jdg 6:30  Then the men of the city said unto Joash, Bring out thy son, that he may die: because he hath cast down the altar of Baal, and because he hath cut down the grove that was by it.

Jdg 6:31  And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death whilst it is yet morning: if he be a god, let him plead for himself, because one hath cast down his altar.

Jdg 6:32  Therefore on that day he called him Jerubbaal, saying, Let Baal plead against him, because he hath thrown down his altar.

Reading

Rom 7:1  Know ye not, brethren, (for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth?

Rom 7:2  For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.

Rom 7:3  So then if, while her husband liveth, she be married to another man, she shall be called an adulteress: but if her husband be dead, she is free from that law; so that she is no adulteress, though she be married to another man.

Rom 7:4  Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Rom 7:5  For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.

Rom 7:6  But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter.

Rom 7:7  What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom 7:8  But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.

Rom 7:9  For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.

Rom 7:10  And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death.

Rom 7:11  For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me.

Rom 7:12  Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good.

Rom 7:13  Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful.

Rom 7:14  For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Rom 7:15  For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Rom 7:16  If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.

Rom 7:17  Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:18  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

Rom 7:19  For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.

Rom 7:20  Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.

Rom 7:21  I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.

Rom 7:22  For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:

Rom 7:23  But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?

Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

Health in the Bible Part 1

In the Bible, God tells us through John the beloved, that He wants us “to prosper and be in health, even as our soul prospereth.” 3 John 2. In Psalm 103:3 we are told that God is the God that heals us. Obviously, God loves us and only wants the best for us.

In the beginning, in the garden of Eden, God gave us the perfect diet for health. Genesis 1:29 reads, “And 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.”

And in the very next verse, He gave the diet for the animals.  “And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.”

So, based on these verses, the foods that Adam and Eve were to eat were things like fruits, nuts, seeds, beans, squash, tomatoes, etc. All these are things that are have fruit with seed, or are seeds themselves. And the animals ate greens, herbs, grass, etc. 

After sin, God tells Adam and Eve, “cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.” Genesis 3:17-19

Now, in addition to the foods they had been originally given, they were to toil and till and eat the herb of the field. This could have included things we know as vegetables, like the green herbs, spinach, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, root vegetables, and others that only the animals had eaten before. The reason for this is not clear, though it may have been that because of sin, and because they no longer had access to the tree of life, they needed some nutrients from these foods that they would not have gotten otherwise. 

Nowhere during the time of Adam’s long life and that of his children’s, do we ever see them given a command to eat meat. Because of sin, it is possible that the people of the world, did eat meat and the animals may have killed each other as well, as we are told that God saw the world and it was exceedingly sinful.  

It is not until after the flood, that God allowed meat to be consumed, but with restrictions. “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood thereof, shall ye not eat.” Genesis 9:3,4

Notice that the meat he was given to eat, was not to have the blood in it. Also, we know that it could not have been unclean meat, since the ark only contained one pair of each of the unclean, whereas there were 7 of the clean. During the time of Israel, they were given statutes that specified which meats were clean and which were unclean. Some will say that this stipulation was given to Israel only, and that it didn’t apply to Noah. However, the book of Genesis was written at the same time as the rest of the book of the law and since the statutes of which meats were clean and unclean were included there, there was no need to be more specific in the story of Noah, except to say that there were clean and unclean animals. 

One important thing to notice about the unclean animals listed in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 is that many of these animals are scavengers and bottom feeders. Science today confirms that you are what you eat, and that applies to animals as well. Animals that eat garbage and clean up the oceans have the most toxic flesh on the planet. 

Several times in the Old Testament, God promises blessings of good health, and protection from disease and sickness, if His people follow the laws and statutes He gave them. Exodus 15:26 and Deuteronomy 7:12-15 are a couple of verses.

In Daniel 1 we see a good example of the results of following the laws of health given to Israel. Daniel refused to eat the foods of the king of Babylon. Many of the foods they ate were unclean, and also sacrificed to idols. Daniel asked for vegetables and water, and the result was fantastic. God blessed them with better health, and more wisdom than all the wisemen in Babylon. 

To be continued. . . . .