Appetites and Passions “Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul,” is the language of the apostle Peter. Many regard this text as a warning against licentiousness only; but it has a broader meaning. It forbids every injurious gratification of 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 which 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 ascendency over the mental and spiritual powers. – {HR November 1, 1882 Par. 1} The Health Reformer: Ellen G. White 1 Peter 2:11 King James Version (KJV) 11 Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the...
Inactivity is a fruitful cause of disease. Exercise quickens and equalizes the circulation of the blood, but in idleness the blood does not circulate freely, and the changes in it, so necessary to life and health, do not take place. The skin, too, becomes inactive. Impurities are not expelled as they would be if the circulation had been quickened by vigorous exercise, the skin kept in a healthy condition, and the lungs fed with plenty of pure, fresh air. This state of the system throws a double burden on the excretory organs, and disease is the result. – {MH 238.1} ~~Ellen G White: Ministry of Healing “don’t suddenly take up vigorous exercise after years of inactivity” Inactivity : the state of being inactive; idleness. An absence of physical activity and/or exercise, a predictor of obesity. inactivity – Discussion – Medical Dictionary – The Free Dictionary obesity is caused most of the times due to laziness, and that leads to heart, musculo-skeletal problems and even cancer…….being lazy affect every aspect and every system in our body, from the central nervous system to kidney and urinary system. Risks of Physical Inactivity What health risks are associated with physical inactivity? Lack of physical activity has clearly been shown to be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Less active, less fit persons have a 30 to 50 percent greater risk of developing high blood pressure. Although no direct link exists between regular exercise and stroke, it is known that exercise reduces the risk of other health problems, such as heart disease, which can contribute to stroke. Source: Risks of Physical Inactivity – Maryland Heart Center | University of Maryland Medical Center http://umm.edu/programs/heart/health/the-heart/inactivity#ixzz2fd4VvedU University of Maryland Medical Center Follow us: @UMMC on Twitter | MedCenter on...
Marriage Is Lawful and Holy—There is in itself no sin in eating and drinking, or in marrying and giving in marriage. It was lawful to marry in the time of Noah, and it is lawful to marry now, if that which is lawful is properly treated and not carried to sinful excess. But in the days of Noah men married without consulting God or seeking His guidance and counsel…. – {AH 121.3} The fact that all the relations of life are of a transitory nature should have a modifying influence on all we do and say. In Noah’s day it was the inordinate, excessive love of that which in itself was lawful, when properly used, that made marriage sinful before God. There are many who are losing their souls in this age of the world by becoming absorbed in the thoughts of marriage and in the marriage relation itself. [3] – {AH 121.4} The marriage relation is holy, but in this degenerate age it covers vileness of every description. It is abused and has become a crime which now constitutes one of the signs of the last days, even as marriages, managed as they were previous to the Flood, were then a crime…. When the sacred nature and the claims of marriage are understood, it will even now be approved of Heaven; and the result will be happiness to both parties, and God will be glorified. [4] – {AH 121.5} Adventist Home:Ellen G...
The Review and Herald, July 29, 1884 No. 31 (Healthful Living, 89) Food should not be washed down; no drink is needed with meals. Eat slowly, and allow the saliva to mingle with the food. The more liquid there is taken into the stomach with the meals, the more difficult it is for the food to digest; for the liquid must be first absorbed…. Many make a mistake in drinking cold water with their meals. Taken with meals, water diminishes the flow of the salivary glands; and the colder the water, the greater the injury to the stomach. Ice water or iced lemonade, drunk with meals, will arrest digestion until the system has imparted sufficient warmth to the stomach to enable it to take up its work again. Hot drinks are debilitating; and besides those who indulge in their use become slaves to habit…. Do not eat largely of salt; give up bottled pickles; keep fiery spiced food out of your stomach; eat fruit with your meals, and the irritation which calls for so much drink will cease to exist. But if anything is needed to quench thirst, pure water, drunk some little time before or after a meal, is all that nature requires. Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues…. Drink some little time before or after the meal. – {TSDF 151.1} Testimony Studies Diet Nd Food : Ellen G....
The Cities are to be Warned And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Revelation 14:8. Individually and as a people we have a most solemn work before us. There is a daily preparation of heart and mind to be gained in order that we may be fitted to work out the purposes of God for us. The perils of the last days are upon us, and at this time we are each determining what our destiny for eternity shall be. Individually we are to form characters that will stand the test of the judgment. Individually we are to give, in the church where we are, an example of faithfulness and consecration. The ministry of the Word is designed to prepare a people to stand in the times of temptation in which we live; and church members are to cooperate with the work of [the] ministry by revealing in the life the principles of the truth, that no word shall be spoken or act performed that will lead into false paths or create a condition of things that God cannot approve. There has been revealed to me the grave dangers we shall meet in these last days of peril and temptation. Our only reliable light and guide for this time is in the Word of God. We must take this Word as our counselor, and faithfully follow its instructions, or we shall find that we are being controlled by our own peculiar traits of character, and our lives will reveal a selfish work that will be a hindrance and not a blessing to our fellow men…. It is the duty of those who stand as leaders and teachers of the people to instruct church members how to labor in missionary lines, and then to set in operation the great, grand work of proclaiming widely this message, that must arouse every unworked city before the crisis shall come, when, through the working of satanic agencies, the doors now open to the message of the third angel shall be closed…. The righteous judgments of God, with their weight of final decision, are coming upon the land. Do not hover over the churches to repeat over and over again the same truths to the people, while the cities are left in ignorance and sin, unwarned and unlabored for. Soon the way will be hedged up and these cities will be closed to the gospel message. Wake up the church members, that they may unite in doing a definite and self-denying work…. The world is preparing for the closing work of the...
James 5:13-15 “Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing praises. Is anyone among you ill? He should summon the elders of the church, and they should pray for him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick and the Lord will raise him up—and if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” One of the most difficult things to do in life is to ask for help and/or receive help from others. The body of Christ is supposed to be there for one another, and elders praying for the sick is just one of those ways. They have a responsibility to serve their communities, but individuals must have the courage and faith to reach out to them because that is what the Lord would have them do – ask for help. The design of the church is to call upon Jesus in everything. Fortunately for us, there is nothing He cannot do. Verse/Commentary courtesy of ‘Verse-A-Day’...
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things.” (Romans 2:1 KJV) Rose-Colored Glasses and Magnifying Glasses The Bible clearly tells us that when we judge others, we often judge them for things that we also do! I once asked God why we would do something ourselves and think it was perfectly alright but judge someone else who does it. The Lord said, “Joyce, you look at yourself through rose-colored glasses, but you look at everyone else through a magnifying glass.” It’s true! We make excuses for our own behavior, but when someone else does the same thing we do, we are often merciless. I encourage you to reverse the process, assume the best in others, but keep your own life under the magnifying glass. Allow God to deal with you first, and then you will learn the scriptural way of helping others grow. Prayer Starter: Holy Spirit, instead of examining the lives of others, I want You to help me examine my own life. I know that with Your help, I can correct the issues I have and find the proper way to help others grow as well.-promises For Your Everyday Life :Joyce...