The
test results are conclusive; you have
cancer. It is inoperable, and I am sorry
to have to say, it is terminal.
Those are probably some of the most
traumatic words anyone could ever hear.
It was not too long ago that a neighbor
came to my door inquiring about natural
remedies. Her husbands cancer had
returned after having been in remission,
and the doctors did not offer any hope.
Two years earlier, her husband had been
diagnosed with a rare form of cancer,
which had attached itself to one of his
lungs. Sadly, it was malignant. At that
time, surgery had been performed in hopes
of preventing it from spreading.
Tragically, during the surgery, the nerve
to his diaphragm had been severed,
resulting in the complete loss of the use
of his good lung the lung without
cancer. In spite of this, the surgery
seemed to have been successful, as far as
the cancer was concerned. A tumor the
size of a grapefruit had been removed.
Since then, he has had x-rays taken of
his lungs every few months to check for
any signs of the cancers return.
Now their worst fears were a reality. It
was back, and it had taken root in his
chest cavity. The doctor referred them to
the Cancer Research Foundation, telling
them that there was nothing he could do.
Maybe the Foundation could help
good luck.
After bouncing from one sympathetic
listener, unable to help, to another, my
neighbor decided to investigate natural
remedies. She was highly motivated
she wanted her husband to live! Both she
and her husband realized that this was a
matter of life and death.
Stop drinking coffee? No problem? Give up
eating sugar and meat? No problem! Drink
the juice of fresh vegetables three times
a day? No problem! Exercise, breathe
fresh air, drink plenty of water
no
problem! Whatever it takes.
Why is it that something drastic has to
happen to us to prompt us to re-evaluate
our priorities? So often, when we find
ourselves in a crisis, we earnestly
plead, Lord, save me! I promise,
from now on
In our moment of
need, and usually with good intentions,
we solemnly promise to do this or change
that. Whatever it takes. Like children
wandering in the wilderness, we say,
All that the Lord hath spoken we
will do. (Exodus 19:8.) However,
after the crisis passes and things are
going along fairly well, we find
ourselves slipping back into our old
ways. Though we may not utter the words,
our actions betray us. Who is the
Lord that I should obey His voice?
(Exodus 5:2.)
The Word of God is an important factor in
the maintenance of our health and
physical well-being. My son, attend
to my words; incline thine ear unto my
sayings. Let them not depart from thine
eyes; keep them in the midst of thine
heart. For they [are] life unto those
that find them, and health to all their
flesh. Proverbs 4:20-22. It
is written, Man shall not live by bread
alone, but by every word that proceedeth
out of the mouth of God. Matthew
4:4. Beloved, I wish above all
things that thou mayst prosper and be in
health, even as thy soul propereth.
III John 2.
From the beginning, God has been very
specific about the importance of
temperance and a healthy diet. Adam and
Eve, in the Garden of Eden, were given an
abundance of fresh, wholesome food. (See
Genesis 1:29.) After the flood, more
instructions were given. (See Genesis
9:3) Ancient Israel was given specific
orders regarding clean and unclean foods.
(See Leviticus 11:1-47.) At each step of
the way, God has given His people ample
instruction. It is no less true today.
Through His modern-day prophet, Ellen
White, God has given explicit instruction
for the people upon whom the end of the
earth is come.
Why? He has very good reasons. He
has vested interest in the great
controversy, which is wrapping up, and He
is acquainted, all too well, with our
human nature and our bent toward sin.
Deuteronomy 14:2,3 makes it very clear:
For thou [art] an holy people unto
the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath
chosen thee to be a particular people
unto himself, above all the nations that
are upon the earth. Thou shalt not eat
any abominable thing.
The world today is very much
self-oriented and ego-driven. The youth
are mercilessly pressured to fit
in. To be different in any way is
to be exiled to a life on the outside of
the in crowd. For the most
part, a good grade point average is not a
thing to be sought after or desired. On
the other hand, anything displaying a
Nike logo is to die for. To be
cool is to go along with the
rest of the crowd the cigarettes,
sex, alcohol, and drugs. Not to do so is
to be viciously cast out. The young
people know they have to do certain
things to be accepted hang with a
crowd and wear the right stuff. To be
accepted seems to be the most important
thing. This is the world in which they
live.
Say no to drugs, they are
told by worldly educators the same
adults who were puffing on cigarettes and
drinking cocktails. Is it any wonder
children are confused and rebellious?
Yet, they are expected to conform to the
standards which adults, in their sphere,
seldom reach. In addition, yes, it holds
true inside the church as well. The youth
are told, you have to do this; you cannot
do that, and all the while, they see
inconsistencies in the lives of adults
all around them.
When a youth becomes involved with drugs,
alcohol, sex, cigarettes, or other vice,
they are told, Just say no!
usually by an adult who will say
No! to his or her own vices.
Youth see right through the façade.
Why should I listen to you when you
cannot get it right?
In a nation where the currency proclaims
In God we Trust, to have
Christian adults permit peer pressure to
sway them from standing in steadfast
opposition against wrong. What will
someone think? I might lose
my position.
We are too concerned about what others
our friend, neighbors, co-workers
or family will think if we do this
or do not do that. We expect our children
to ignore peer pressure and to do the
right thing. However, how often do we do
it? As Christians, should we not be
showing them how to do it? Should not we
be consulting God first, instead of our
friends and neighbors? Should not we be
doing the right thing because it is the
right thing to do?
It is easy enough for us to read the
story of Cain and Abel, and say,
Oh, I would never do that!
However, if we examine our lives, we
might discover that our actions betray
our profession. Though we may not
literally place fruits or vegetables upon
the altar, upon closer inspection we may
be surprised to see that our offering may
not be precisely what God requires. Like
Cain, we have disregarded the Lords
direct and explicit command.
From our reading in Genesis about the
life of Cain and Abel, we can conclude
there will be two classes that will exist
in the world until the close of time. One
class will avail themselves of the
appointed sacrifice for sin; the other
venture to depend upon their own merits;
theirs is a sacrifice without the virtue
of divine mediation, and thus it is not
able to bring man into favor with
God
True faith, which relies wholly
upon Christ, will be manifested by
obedience to all the requirements of God.
From Adams day to the present time
the great controversy has been concerning
obedience to Gods law. In all ages,
there have been those who claimed a right
to the favor of God even while they were
disregarding some of His commands.
However, the Scriptures declare that by
works is faith made perfect,
and that, without the works of obedience,
faith is dead. James 2:22,17.
He that professes to know God, and
keepeth not His commandments, is a liar,
and the truth is not in him. 1 John
2:4.
Spend some time considering your
offering. The following excerpts may
provide the challenge we need to face our
personal obstacles and press toward the
mark. Abstain from fleshly
lusts, which war against the soul,
is the language of the apostle Peter (1
Peter 2:11). Many regard this text as a
warning against licentiousness only, but
it has a broader meaning. It forbids
every injurious gratification, appetite,
or passion. Let none who profess
godliness regard with indifference the
health of the body, and flatter
themselves that intemperance is no sin,
and will not affect their spirituality. A
close sympathy exists between the
physical and the moral nature. Any habit
that does not promote health degrades the
higher and nobler faculties. Wrong habits
of eating and drinking lead to errors in
thought and action. Indulgence of
appetite strengthens the animal
propensities, giving them the ascendancy
over the mental and spiritual
powers.
In
the Ten Commandments God has laid down
the laws of His kingdom. Any violation of
the laws of nature is a violation of the
law of God. The Lord has given His
holy commandments to be a wall of
protection around His created beings, and
those who will keep themselves from the
defilement of appetite and passion may
become partakers of the divine
nature.
Every
man that striveth for the mastery is
temperate in all things. Now they [do it]
to obtain a corruptible crown; but we are
incorruptible. I therefore so run, not as
uncertainly; so fight I, not as one
beateth the air: but I keep my body, and
bring [it] into subjection: lest that by
any means, when I preached to others, I
myself should be a castaway. 1
Corinthians 9:25-27.
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? For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and
in your spirit, which are
Gods. 1 Corinthians 6:19,20.
We
are to use every spiritual nerve and
muscle in the contest for the crown of
life. No one who does his best will fail
in this contest. All who seek for
the prize are to place themselves under
strict discipline. Every man that
striveth for the mastery is temperate in
all things. [1 Corinthians 9:25.]
How
much more should those who enter for the
human race, restrain themselves from the
unlawful indulgence of appetite and
abstain from fleshly lusts, which
war against the soul. [1 Peter
2:11.] They must be temperate at all
times. The same restraint that gives them
the power to obtain victory at one time
will, if practiced constantly, give them
a great advantage in the race for the
crown of life. Ellen G. White
Comments, Seventh-day Adventist
Bible Commentary, vol. 6, 1089.
So
the Christian today needs to keep strict
guard over his appetite. He needs to
subject himself to severe training, that
he may not run uncertainly or at random,
without seeing his standard and striving
to reach it. He must obey the laws of
God. The physical, mental, and moral
powers must be kept in the perfect
condition if we would obtain the approval
of God. I keep under my body,
the apostle says. [1 Corinthians 9:27.]
This means literally to beat back its
desires and impulses and passions by
severe discipline
Ibid.
God
has bought us, and He claims a throne in
each heart. Our minds and bodies must be
subordinated to Him, and the natural
habits and appetites must be made
subservient to the higher wants of the
soul. However, we can place no dependence
upon ourselves in this work. We cannot
with safety follow our own guidance. The
Holy Spirit must renew and sanctify us.
In Gods service there must be no
halfway work. Ibid, 1088.
Again,
the apostle writes to the believers,
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 (Romans 12:1).
Specific directions were given to ancient
Israel that no defective or diseased
animal should be presented as an offering
to God. Only perfect were to be selected
for this purpose. The Lord, through the
prophet Malachi, most severely reproved
His people for departing from these
instructions.
A
son honoureth his father, and a servant
his master: if then I be a father, where
is mine honour? And if I were a master,
where is my fear? Saith the Lord of hosts
unto you, O priests that despise my name.
And ye say, wherein have we despised thy
name? Ye offered polluted bread upon mine
alters; and ye say, where in have we
polluted thee? In that ye say, the table
of the Lord is contemptible. And if ye
offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not
evil? And if ye offer the lame and sick,
is it not evil? Offer it now unto thy
governor; will he be pleased with thee,
or accept thy person? Saith the Lord of
hosts
Ye brought that which was
torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye
brought an offering: should I accept this
of your hand? Saith the Lord
(Malachi 1:6-13).
Though
addressed to ancient Israel, these words
contain a lesson for the people of God
today. When the apostle appeals to his
brethren to present their bodies a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, he sets forth the principles
of true sanctification. It is not merely
a theory, an emotion, or a form of words,
but a living, active principle, entering
into the everyday life. It requires that
our habits of eating, drinking, and
dressing be such as to secure the
preservation of physical, mental, and
moral health, that we may present to the
Lord our bodies, not an offering
corrupted by wrong habits, but a
living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God. The Sanctified Life, 27,
28.
A
closer look at Romans 12:1 needs to be
taken. You can probably recite it from
memory, but you need to understand more
fully, what the words really mean.
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.
Living
(zao): lively, active, enduring, living
and constant, as opposed to what is dead,
inactive, or intermittent.
Holy
(hagios): set apart, sanctified, and
consecrated. Chaste, pure. Its
fundamental idea is separation,
consecration, and devotion to the service
of Deity, sharing in Gods purity
and abstaining from earths
defilement. It particularly means
perfect, without blemish. Acceptable
(euarestos): well pleasing, used with
reference to God that which God wills and
recognizes. Antonym: hard to bear,
oppressive, bad, bitter, heavy, grievous,
difficult, perilous.
Reasonable
(logikos): from logos, pertaining to
reason; that service to God which implies
intelligent meditation or reflection,
without heathen practices.
Service
(latreia): service for hire or as a
slave, divine service. Synonym: religion,
worship, voluntarily adopted worship;
piety; godliness; service, ministry.
In
like manner, let us define several more
words pertaining to our subject.
Appetite:
1) a: any of the instinctive desires
necessary to keep up organic life. b: a
desire for food or drink. 2) a desire to
satisfy any bodily need or craving. 3) a
desire or liking for something; fondness,
taste; an appetite for power or pleasure.
4) an inherent, insatiable craving.
Synonym: longing, inclination, wish,
relish, gusto, zest.
Lust:
1) a: pleasure, delight. B: personal
inclination, wish; 2) strong feeling or
desire;
6) a strong or extravagant
fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for
anything
8) an outburst or strong
emotion or feeling; 9) violent anger; 10)
the state of being acted upon or affected
by something external, especially
something alien to ones nature or
to ones customary behavior.
Synonym: fervor, zeal, ardor, ire, fury,
wrath, rage.
Appetite
is not spelled H-U-N-G-E-R
If
Eve were hungry when she tasted the
forbidden fruit, inspiration is strangely
silent on the point. The fact is worthy
of consideration. Please notices that
appetite is not hunger; rather,
words such as desire and craving
are given. It could be said that for Eve
it was a desire to appease her curiosity
that caused her to leave her
husbands side. Moreover, we all
know the rest of the story.
Appetite
in and of itself is not sin. However,
permitting the appetite to rule or have
dominance over that which God has set
forth as principles of health is surely a
violation of the first commandment:
Thou shalt have no other gods
before me. Exodus 20:3. It is
as truly a sin to violate the laws of our
being as it is to break the Ten
Commandments. To do either is to break
Gods laws. Those who transgress the
law of God in their physical organism,
will be inclined to violate the law of
God spoken from Sinai. Counsels on
Diet and Foods, 17.
Taste
is only one of the five senses-taste,
sight, smell, touch and hearing. Our
nature is a combination of the spiritual,
mental, and physical being. Our character
is made up of the things we think, do and
say. An unsanctified appetite can, or
dare I say will, disqualify a person from
acceptable service to God by corrupting
the senses, nature, and character,
ultimately bringing that person to
eternal ruin.
The
controlling power of appetite will prove
the ruin of thousands, when, if they had
conquered on this point, they would have
had moral power to gain the victory over
every other temptation of Satan. But
those who are slaves to appetite will
fail in perfecting Christian
character. Ibid., 59.
It
is impossible for those who indulge the
appetite to attain to Christian
perfection. Ibid., 22. This is not
about an egg or a piece of chocolate. It
goes much deeper than that.
In
fact, the first two sections of Counsels
on Diet and Foods are entitled
Reasons to Reform and Diet
and Spiritually, and they provide a
wonderful foundation upon which to base
our decisions and build our characters.
Each day we place our offering upon the
altar. The decisions we make reveal to
the watching universe precisely who is
upon the throne in our hearts-either the
god of this world, or the God of Heaven.
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