Issue No.026 September 7, 2006; Healthy living
Posted by: gracepeaceu <gracepeaceu@...>
An e-periodical for spiritual enlightenment,
edification and encouragement
Issue No.026
September 7, 2006
_______________________________________________________________________________
In this issue:-
Perspective:- Healthy living
Study Note:- The Brazen Alter(contd)
Outline:- Angelic Ministry Heb.1:14
Anecdote:- "Are You Jesus"
News & Views: - Escapes after one year in the sea.
Health Tips: - National nutrition week
Worthy Quote:- Thoughtfulness
To Ponder over:- words
_______________________________________________________________________________
Perspective:- Healthy living
Is it wrong to be healthy? Is it unscriptural to eat nutritious food? There are Christians who think like that! According to them, we should not eat to be healthy, but have something, like plain water and biscuit, just to pull on the days. They teach that eating wholesome food and staying physically fit is not good for a Christian! Strange ideas coming from Europe!
What does the Bible say about our physical health? Apostle John writing to beloved Gaius he wrote, "Beloved I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 3John v.2
. Elder John is concerned about the spiritual health as well as the physical health of Gaius. Our Lord was concerned about the hungry people who listened to Him. Matt.14:15—21. Apostle Paul also advised his beloved disciple to be careful about his physical wellbeing. 1Tim. 5:23; 4:8.
The Bible speaks a lot about our body. It has been created by God but marred by sin. Due to the fall of man human body has many limitations. Some of the natural purposes and requirements of the body can be taken over by the sinful nature and satisfy the desire of the fallen nature. We must be careful about that and be away from such deception of the evil one.
However the body is not evil in itself. The Lord who saved our soul has a purpose for the body too. The redemption of our body—deliverance from the presence and power of sin—will take place in the future. He shall transform this mortal, weak body in to the image of His glorified body.
Rom.8:23; 1Cor.15:42, 43. Phi.3:21
Yet today itself we are supposed to consecrate our bodies as a living sacrifice to God. Rom.12:1. For the spirit of God dwells in our body and we are not our own, the Lord has bought us with a price. So we should keep our body holy and make sure that it functions to glorify God.
1Cor.6:18--20.
Here comes the need for a healthy body. In order to demonstrate the goodness and greatness of our God through our body, naturally, we need to be sufficiently in good physical shape. Deliberately or ignorantly we should not harm our body. We should give the needed food, rest, exercise etc for our body, so that we may move around easily and show forth the Excellencies of our Lord through our words and works. We must be aware of some basic knowledge of food, nutrition and health and endeavour to stay fit physically to be active and fruitful for the Lord.
Then, what about the saints who are sick and weak in their body? Remember, the sovereign God in His perfect wisdom allows some of His chosen ones to show forth His greatness and glory through a frail body. That was God's will for Paul; he accepted it gladly. 2Cor. 12:8, 9. cp.
John.9:3. There are countless believers who in spite of their physical weakness and limitations lived a very fruitful and blessed life. If the Lord allows such a life we must willingly agree to it.
Of course the priority should always be spiritual health. Yet for every practical reasons we ought to give some attention to maintain a good health to glorify God through our body.
N.T.K
_________________________________________________________________________________
Study Note:- The Brazen Alter(contd)
The height:
The height of the altar was 3 cubits, or about 5 feet, (1 1/2 metres) high. This meant that if one was to see what was happening inside the depths of the altar, one had to draw near. While every one remained at a distance, they would see the fire, and the smoke as it ascended to God, but would never see the sacrifice consumed by the fire.
The altar was hollow, the acacia wood boards, covered with thick bronze, formed an outer wall, and fixed to the internal corners of those bronze walls were hooks, from which a grating, (network,) of bronze, was hung, by bronze rings on the corners of the grating. This grating hung down inside the altar, and because of this, the fury of the fire that consumed the sacrifice would only bee seen by those who cared enough to come near.
In our days, there are so many who have truly trusted Christ as their Saviour, but who have a very shallow and superficial appreciation, and understanding of all that He passed through for them, when He hung on the cross. How often we talk of Christ dying on the cross, but rarely do we come (in our minds), to that place of the skull. So few have heard that cry of agony, "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken Me?" Has your heart ever been torn by the agony of that cry?
Have you ever wept as you have thought of what He passed through for you? Have you ever seen, with the eyes of your heart, His lovely bruised and blood stained body, hanging limp and lifeless on that tree, and said to your self, He did it all for me?
There is a solemn depth about the agony and sufferings of Christ the most of us never realize. The Psalmist says, "Thy judgments are a great deep", Psalm 36;6. "Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy cataracts; all thy waves and thy billows have gone over me". Psalm 42;7.
My dear brother and sister let us "draw near, and see the Saviour die, on the cross, on the cross", as the hymn says. To see the fire consume the sacrifice, was an awesome sight for the offerer to behold. It leaves upon our souls a deep sense of the hatefulness of sin, and of the terrible cost to our blessed Lord, that we might be His.
Charles E.Wigg
_________________________________________________________________________________
Outline:- Angelic Ministry Heb.1:14
1. Point out the way. Exo.23:20; 32:34
2. Prepare us for the conflict. Judg.6:11—22
3. Provide us in times of discouragement. 1King.19:5
4. Protect us in times of danger. 2King. 16:17;
Ps.34:7; Act.12:6—12
5. Prevent harm from coming to us. Daniel.3:28; 6:22; 2King.19:34
6. Pull us out of the difficulties. Gen.19:15—24; Act.5:19; 12:7—11
7. Preserve us in all our journeying.
Gen.24:7, 40; Isaiah. 63:9; Act.27:23—24.
________________________________________________________________________________
Anecdote:- "Are You Jesus"
A cripple on crutches was walking with a few packages under his arm. It was with great difficulty he painstakingly made his way to the railway station. All the people around him were rushing up to the station and one of them knocked down the crippled boy. His packages scattered on to the road. The man who knocked him down was angry with the boy for walking clumsily.
Another gentleman who had been walking behind him, picked up the boy and the packages, put his crutches in place and even slipped a little money in to his hand. With a kind smile he went on his way. The crippled boy who had not known such kindness, called out to the gentleman inquiring, "Mister, please sir, are you Jesus?"
"No," replied the Good Samaritan, "but I am one of His followers."
_____________________________________________________________________________
News & Views: - Escapes after one year in the sea.
After floating helplessly in the sea for around a year three Mexican fisher men were rescued by a Thailand fishing boat. It was on October 9 2005 five Mexican fishermen set out from Sanblas which is 600km away from Mexico City. By the time they were found by the Thai fisher men after 10 months, the Mexicans had traveled more than 8000 kilometers in the sea.
Due to engine failure they could not control their fiber boat. All these months they were floating in the Pacific Ocean hoping for some help. They ate row fish and birds and drank rain water. They had no means to make a fire. There were many days they could not even get row meat or rain water. Two of them died on the way and buried in the sea. No body, even the passing ships noticed them.
The said, because there is a God above, they had hope of escape. In their 27ft fiber boat they spent time in Bible reading and prayer.
The word of God and communion with Lord always give strength and hope, even in such terrible situation.
______________________________________________________________________________
Health Tips: - National nutrition week
India is celebrating national nutrition week (Sep.1—7) and published some important health tips for the general public; we are just reproducing them here. Readers are welcome to contribute for this column.
--Growing children, adolescents (10—19 years), pregnant & lactating women need more nutrition.
--More of pulses, soybeans, green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, milk and milk products can meet their increased requirements.
--Plant foods are better for health and help in healthy ageing.
--Vegetables, cereals and coarse, legumes including soybeans, spices, fruits and nuts etc provide minerals, vitamins, more than 50 bioactive phytochemicals and fiber.
--Adequate intake of fruits and vegetables can minimize the risk of degenerative diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
--Flavonoids present in black tea, onion, apple, garlic etc can effectively prevent heart disease.
--Turmeric, fenugreek, spices, onion, garlic etc contain anti-carcinogenic, anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory, hypolipedemic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, and anti-fungal properties.
--Diet control and exercise (30—40 minutes walk) can help prevent degenerative diseases.
--Maintain body weight. Calculate your body weight index (BMI).
Weight in KG
BMI= ____________
(Height in meter)2
--BMI between 18.5 to 23 is normal
--BMI below
18.5 is underweight
--BMI above 23 is overweight
________________________________________________________________________________
Worthy Quote:- Thoughtfulness
"To consider persons and events and situations only in the light of their effect upon myself is to live on the door step of hell."
---Thomas Merton
_______________________________________________________________________________
To Ponder over:- words
" A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." Pro.15:1
___________________________________________
aiming the overall spiritual growth of the Christian Believers.
Feel free to forward it to the potential subscribers and encourage them to
subscribe directly by sending a blank message to
To unsubscribe send any mail with the subject 'unsubscribe' to gracepeaceu@yahoo.com
Edited and posted by Nelson Thomas Kumaramparampil for the Glory of God & the Joy of the saints.