Five Foolish Things We Do to Foul Up Our Future. Where Is Lent in the Bible? The Truth About Potassium Bromate.

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Five Foolish Things We Do to Foul Up Our Future

“There are some human tendencies that create pitfalls on the path to our future. Here are five of the most common and dangerous ones.

I cringe when I hear the words stupid, dumb or foolish. No one wants to hear those words applied to his or her actions or choices. But sometimes, looking back, we see that those words fit. It has nothing to do with intelligence—some of the smartest people do some of the stupidest things.

We all have blind spots. We can’t always see when we are making a colossal mistake.

But God has given us a book of wisdom to help us look past the blind spots to the reality beyond. The warnings of the Bible can help us avoid the traps that so easily ensnare us.

Consider the following five foolish things God wants to help us avoid. With each one we also provide the alternative wise choice and some resources for further learning. As we will see, studying the wisdom of the Bible is the real antidote to foolishness and failure.

1. Following the wrong things

It’s easy to follow the crowd, even if the crowd is confused or leading us into evil. Wise King Solomon warned, “My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent” (Proverbs 1:10). How many young people have been lured with money and precious possessions (verse 13), just to end up in prison—or worse?

It’s even more natural to follow our heart. But the Bible warns, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death” (Proverbs 14:12).

Worthwhile goals and good actions seem to always be upstream, so just going with the flow won’t get us there.

So, what should we do?

Follow God: “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Helpful reading: Check out these articles on the Life, Hope & Truth website: “Saying No,” “Temptation: How Does It Occur?” and “The Trouble With Listening to Your Heart.”

2. Blowing up!

How many bad decisions have been made in the heat of anger? As Solomon explained, “Any fool can start a quarrel” and “whoever has no rule over his own spirit is like a city broken down, without walls” (Proverbs 20:3; 25:28). Having a chip on your shoulder can leave you vulnerable—especially to our worst enemy, the devil.

Responding to slights by others can escalate. Even if the first provocation was unintentional, the belligerence can quickly boil over as each mad young man returns fire. (Of course, it’s not just mad men; women can fail at anger management too.)

What does anger do? “When anger is too intense, out of control, misdirected, and overly aggressive, it can lead to poor decision making and problem solving, create problems with relationships and at work, and can even affect your health” (PBS.org from Anger Research Consortium and American Psychological Association sources).

What should we do instead?

Don’t allow anger to cause you to sin. “‘Be angry, and do not sin’: do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil” (Ephesians 4:26-27). God Himself gets angry (Numbers 25:3), but His anger is always righteous and always under control. We must not allow our anger to explode or to fester, or we will leave an opening for Satan to attack us and lead us into sin.

Helpful reading: “What Does the Bible Say About Anger?” and “Overcoming Dangerous Emotions: Anger.”

3. Starting a bad habit

Generally we don’t think we are starting a habit. But giving in once to something that can harm us can make it easier to repeat and repeat and (you get the idea). This is especially true of addictive substances like tobacco and drugs. Other habits can have varying levels of powerful psychological addiction, like gambling, pornography, eating disorders and video game addiction.

Even laziness can become a bad habit. Solomon wrote, “How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep—so shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, and your need like an armed man” (Proverbs 6:9-11).

The negative results of our habits aren’t always immediately discerned, so we tend to ignore the consequences (Ecclesiastes 8:11). But bad habits of every kind tend to get stronger and harder to break with time, so it is best to avoid them or nip them in the bud as early as possible.

So what should we do instead?

Develop a good habit! Good habits include prayer and Bible study, exercise, a healthy diet, making more good friends and using time productively.

Helpful reading: “Freedom From Addictions” series, including “Alcoholism,” “Pornography,” “Smoking,” “Gambling,” “Gaming” and “The First Month of Recovery: What to Expect”; How to Pray; “How to Study the Bible”; and “What Do You Do With All Your Time?”

4. Believing lies

From the very beginning, lies have come in attractive packages. The serpent convinced Eve that the delicious-looking (but forbidden) fruit would make her “like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:5). Humanity has accepted that lie ever since—the lie that we can decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, that we don’t need God to define it for us.

Along with that lie, Satan told Eve that she wouldn’t surely die. Humanity has since swallowed several other similar lies, including the one that humans have an immortal soul and that God was withholding good things from mankind. Humans began believing the liar and mistrusting the truth-teller. That’s a dangerous combination.

If we believe that our mind and feelings are the ultimate source of morality, we will believe other lies, such as: It feels so right, it can’t be wrong.

However, God created us and the laws of the universe, and He really does know what will help us and what will hurt us. He is the source of all truth.

But what about those who say there is no God or who reject the Creator and His laws?

God challenges us to examine the facts: “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse. … [They] exchanged the truth of God for the lie” (Romans 1:20, 25, emphasis added throughout). (Study this for yourself in our Life, Hope & Truth article “Intelligent Design: Can Science Answer the Question, Does God Exist?” and the related articles.)

And God strongly warns against falling for a widespread religious deception that rejects His laws in the last days.

“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12).

So what should we do?

Seek the truth. Jesus defined truth in His prayer to the Father: “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). The entire Bible was inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16), and God is pleased by those who, like the Bereans, “searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so” (Acts 17:11).

Helpful reading: “What Is Truth?” “How to Find Answers to Your Bible Questions,” “Can You Handle the Truth?” and the biblical warnings about deception in the article “Antichrist.”

5. Committing to something we shouldn’t

Solomon advised against hasty decisions and thoughtless promises.

“Do not be one of those who shakes hands in a pledge, one of those who is surety for debts; if you have nothing with which to pay, why should he take away your bed from under you?” (Proverbs 22:26-27).

Too many people saddle themselves with unmanageable debt early in life. Others jump into other commitments without weighing the long-term consequences, whether it be marriage, military service or some other endeavor that can be difficult to extract oneself out of and have long-lasting effects.

So what does God want us to do?

Take commitment seriously, especially the commitment of marriage and the commitment to God through baptism. God is not against commitment! He just wants us to carefully count the cost and be sure we will follow through on the good commitments we wisely choose to make (Luke 14:28-30, Luke 14:31-33).

Helpful reading: “Decision Making: Seven Steps for Making Good, Christian Choices,” “What Is Marriage?” “What Is Baptism?” and Change Your Life!

Perhaps in your study of the wisdom of the Bible you will find many more foolish choices to avoid, and many more wise actions to take. But these five provide a start. Applying these points will help us get on God’s road that leads in the best possible direction: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/holy-bible/old-testament/the-writings/proverbs/five-foolish-things/

RELATED ARTICLES

• Wisdom Literature in the Bible
• The Book of Psalms
• Proverbs
• The Book of Job
• Song of Solomon
• The Book of Ruth
• Lamentations
• Ecclesiastes
• The Book of Esther
• Book of Daniel
• Ezra
• Nehemiah
• 1 Chronicles: Lessons for Us
• 2 Chronicles: Lessons From Judah’s Kings

Learn More About The Writings

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Where Is Lent in the Bible?

Transcript from Daily Video at: https://youtu.be/ZsLnzmTEegY

“The Bible shows the truth behind popular customs like Lent.

[Steve Myers] “Christianity has now entered the Lenten season. Mardi Gras is passed, Fat Tuesday into Ash Wednesday, and now the Lenten season is recognized by much of the Christian world. But when you check out what your Bible has to say about Lent, you're not gonna find anything. It's a man-made tradition, and when you recognize what God thinks about counterfeiting his way, it's a very serious thing.

There is a powerful passage in the book of Colossians, Colossians 3:23. This is what God inspired Paul to write. "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

You see the problem with false Christianity, made up Christianity, false traditions, they do a disservice to God and dishonor him. And when you really check out the basis for these practices, you'll find them rooted in false beliefs, paganism.

I hope you'll take some time to check it out. If you'll search on our website, just type in the words "Lent," and you'll find a number of articles where you can get into the details of how Lent is an imposter, how it is fake, how is it a counterfeit to what the true God wants us to observe. So check it out, I think you'll be surprised by what you find.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/where-is-lent-in-the-bible

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The Truth About Potassium Bromate

    (Image credit: Viktorfischer | Dreamstime) 

“In 2007, Chinese authorities pulled a batch of imported snack chips from store shelves because they believed the chips contained potassium bromate, a food additive banned in China. The chips' country of origin? The United States.

Potassium bromate is also illegal in the European Union, Canada, Brazil and elsewhere because it causes cancer in rats and mice. In the United States, however, it has remained legal since it was first patented for use in baking bread, in 1914.

Bread dough's beige and shapeless appearance belies the staggering complexity of the molecules that hold it together. Gluten — the wheat protein infamous for its indigestible components that some people have to avoid — is the glue that binds bread dough to itself. (Gluten-free bread relies on other thickening agents such as xanthan gum).

But in order for two gluten molecules to bind to each other, molecular bridges have to form between them.

Such bridges do not form spontaneously. Rather, they're the product of oxidation. Historically, bakers relied on oxygen in the air to form the molecular bridges in dough — they "aged" flour after milling it by exposing it to open air for weeks, and then slowly mixed the flour in dough, all the while allowing ambient oxygen to do the hard work of bridge building.

But potassium bromate is a powerful oxidizing agent that chemically ages flour much faster than open air. Potassium bromate bleaches dough, and enhances its elasticity by strengthening its network of molecular bridges, which makes for the formation of tiny, thin-walled bubbles as the bread rises. The end product is fluffy, soft and unnaturally white.

Ideally, that end product is also entirely devoid of potassium bromate, which changes to potassium bromide, a harmless byproduct, during baking.

In 1982, researchers in Japan published the first of a series of studies showing that potassium bromate causes cancer in the thyroids, kidneys and other body parts of rats and mice.

As a result of these findings, countries around the world banned the additive, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration held back, in part because the amount of potassium bromate that remains in bread after baking should be negligible: less than 20 parts per billion (ppb).

According to information published by baking industry trade groups, it is "well within the normal production control measures in any modern bakery to ensure that bromate residues are well below 20 ppb."

However, whenever bromated flour isn't baked for long enough or at a high enough temperature, or if too much potassium bromate is added in the first place, this harmful additive can potentially be found in the final product in far greater quantities.

Today, many small and commercial bakeries voluntarily avoid using bromated flour. However, it's still found in many fast food buns and some flours, among other products.

To avoid this additive, check ingredients lists for "potassium bromate" and "bromated flour." Shoppers in California will have an easier time steering clear of potassium bromate: since 1991, California law has required products containing this additive to bear a warning on their labels.

Pass it on: Potassium bromate is an unnecessary and potentially harmful food additive, and should be avoided.” 

From: https://www.livescience.com/36206-truth-potassium-bromate-food-additive.html

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What Is Mardi Gras? Should Christians Celebrate It? The Best Diet for Cancer Patients.

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Mardi Gras: Should It Be on the Christian Calendar?

“Mardi Gras is marked by wild parades and raucous parties in places like New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro. So in what way is it connected to Christianity?

How much do you know about all the various holidays and celebrations throughout the year?

If you study into them, you’ll find a lot of them have religious roots in the ancient pagan world and several more have a circuitous connection to paganism.

What about Mardi Gras?

Mardi Gras is considered to be the culmination of a festive season leading up to Lent (another custom not taught in the Bible but recognized by even more churches). Mardi Gras is purposely designed to commemorate frivolity, carousing and sin, but is considered in many quarters to be part of the Christian calendar.

History of Mardi Gras and its pagan roots

Most historians believe Mardi Gras was brought to the Americas by the French explorer Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville in 1699, but the origins of Mardi Gras go back much farther. According to History.com, the day was celebrated in some fashion from ancient times:

“According to historians, Mardi Gras dates back thousands of years to pagan celebrations of spring and fertility, including the raucous Roman festivals of Saturnalia and Lupercalia. When Christianity arrived in Rome, religious leaders decided to incorporate these popular local traditions into the new faith, an easier task than abolishing them altogether. As a result, the excess and debauchery of the Mardi Gras season became a prelude to Lent, the 40 days of penance between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday.”  Continued at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/holy-days-vs-holidays/mardi-gras/

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What Is Mardi Gras? Should Christians Celebrate Mardi Gras (Shrove Tuesday)?

busito69/iStock/Thinkstock

“Mardi Gras literally means "Fat Tuesday" in French (called Pancake Tuesday in England) and is associated with the Roman Catholic custom of Lent. But is it taught in the Bible? Would God want Christians to celebrate it?

In places like New Orleans, the period of merrymaking with fancy balls and parades goes on for weeks leading up to Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday).

The idea behind Mardi Gras or carnival celebrations is that people overindulge before giving up something for Lent, which begins the following day with Ash Wednesday. (Lent is the 40 weekdays from Ash Wednesday to Easter observed by the Roman Catholic, Eastern and some Protestant churches as a period of penitence and fasting.)

The idea of partying before repenting seems to be to get as much revelry and additional sin out of the way before you decide to do anything about it. But that attitude doesn't show a belief that God's way is really right and that sin is really wrong.

Note the following encyclopedia article excerpt:

"Some scholars have noted similarities between modern Mardi Gras celebrations and Lupercalia, a fertility festival held each February in ancient Rome. However, modern Carnival traditions developed in Europe during the Middle Ages (5th century to the 15th century) as part of the ritual calendar of the Roman Catholic Church.

"Today pre-Lenten Carnivals are celebrated predominantly in Roman Catholic communities in Europe and the Americas. Cities famous for their celebrations include Nice, France; Cologne, Germany; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. New Orleans, Louisiana, holds the most famous Mardi Gras celebration in the United States. Residents of New Orleans have been celebrating Mardi Gras since the 18th century" ("Mardi Gras," Encarta).

Mardi Gras "is a lively, colorful [not to mention bawdy and debased] celebration held on Shrove Tuesday, the day before Lent begins," says the World Book Encyclopedia. It "goes back to an ancient Roman custom of merrymaking before a period of fast. "In places like New Orleans, the period of merrymaking with fancy balls and parades goes on for weeks leading up to Fat Tuesday itself.

It has been suggested by some scholars that the pagan practice of "weeping for Tammuz" that Ezekiel decried (Ezekiel 8:14) was the actual origin of Lent. Tammuz was a pagan god associated with death and rebirth in nature and the husband of the goddess Ishtar (See the Bible commentary on Ezekiel 8 for details.)

The idea of partying before repenting seems to be to get as much revelry and additional sin out of the way before you decide to do anything about it. But that attitude doesn't show a belief that God's way is really right and that sin is really wrong, harmful and something to be avoided because it wars against us (1 Peter 2:11) and is contrary to God's instruction (Romans 13:13-14). It doesn't show the 100 percent commitment that God wants (Romans 12:1-2).

God says we should always live holy lives and obey His laws because they are good for us (Deuteronomy 10:12-13). Satan is the one who wants us to think that doing wrong things is fun, and his deception has been quite successful (Revelation 12:9; 1 John 2:16).

Neither Mardi Gras nor Lent are commanded in the Bible but come from pre-Christian, pagan customs. What does God think about such pagan customs?

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess…do not inquire after their gods, saying, 'How did these nations serve their gods? I also will do likewise.' You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods... Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it" (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

The New Testament continues this theme. The apostle Paul addressed the issue of whether outside religious customs and practices had any place among Christians:

"What fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said: 'I will dwell in them and walk among them. I will be their God, and they shall be My people.'

"Therefore 'Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty.' Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 6:14–18; 2 Corinthians 7:1).

Instead of renaming some of the pagan customs as Christian or allowing the new converts to retain some of their former practices, Paul commanded them to leave behind all of these forms of worship.

Mardi Gras celebrations have nothing to do with God's commanded Holy Days. On the contrary, they are part of the system from which God's people should separate themselves.” From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/what-is-mardi-gras-should-christians-celebrate-mardi-gras-shrove-tuesday

For more information, please read our booklet "Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?"

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The Best Diet for Cancer Patients,  What diet should oncologists recommend?

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-best-diet-for-cancer-patients/?

Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.

“Our lifetime risk of developing an invasive cancer, not some superficial skin cancer or ductal carcinoma of the breast, but serious cancer, is about 40 percent. Two in five of us are going to get a cancer diagnosis in our lifetimes. What can we do to reduce our risk? Only about 5 percent of cancers are caused by problem genes we inherited from our parents. The other 95 percent are caused by mutations in our DNA we acquire in our lifetimes. For example, based on a genetic analysis of lung cancer, smokers may acquire an average of one DNA mutation for every 15 cigarettes smoked. Smoking is bad, but the number one cause of these mutations is our diet––and that’s not even including the cancers attributed to obesity.

I’ve got tons of videos on dietary approaches to prevent cancer. But what if you already have it? Well-meaning professionals sometimes counsel cancer patients to “Eat whatever you want.” Given the time constraints that doctors face, it may be understandable that the treating oncologist––the treating cancer doctor––may be reluctant to engage in a conversation about nutrition. But given the critical role that diet may play, perhaps it should be “a critical part of [their] job to be able to answer patients’ questions about nutrition before and after cancer treatment and not default to the unhelpful ‘it doesn’t really matter, eat what you want’ which may not be in the best interest of the patient.”

The official recommendation of the American Institute for Cancer Research, a leading authority on diet and cancer, is that those with cancer should follow the same diet that helps prevent cancer from taking root in the first place. That means more whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, while limiting fast food, processed food, meat, soda, and alcohol. Similar recommendations have been put forth by other cancer authorities: more fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and beans, and less salt, sugar, meat, and alcohol.

Cancer survivors adhering to these guidelines do seem to live significantly longer––or at least older female cancer survivors, the only group in which it’s been looked at so far.

They add that that are certain foods that may be beneficial in cancer care including: beans, berries, cruciferous vegetables, flax seed, garlic, green tea, tomatoes, and others, but emphasize it’s not about a single magic bullet food or component, but the combination of foods in a predominantly plant-based diet.

Here’s how some popular diets used by cancer patients stack up. The so-called alkaline diet gets high marks for being vegetable-focused, and encouraging people to cut down on animal foods. The keto diet does the worst, though they get points for keeping people away from refined grains, alcohol, and soft drinks. Macrobiotic diets win the day, being closest to a whole food, plant-based diet, centered around whole grains, vegetables, and beans, though may not be advising enough fruit. Paleo diets are a mixed bag, with insufficient whole grains, beans, and too much meat. The vegan diet starts out strong, but doesn’t necessarily preclude all manner of vegan junk food. Have any of these diets been put to the test?

I’ve done a video Is Keto an Effective Cancer-Fighting Diet? on the abject failure of the keto diet. The alkaline diet was tried on eleven lung cancer patients. They lived an average of 28 and a half months, which is about 40 percent longer than most patients have historically lived, but there was no direct control group. The only diet proven in a randomized controlled trial to reverse the progression of cancer was Dr. Dean Ornish’s whole food plant-based lifestyle program, which I’ve covered before in my video How Not to Die from Cancer.

Most randomized controlled trials to date on diet and cancer are like this: feasibility studies just to see if we can even get cancer patients to eat healthier, period. Otherwise, what’s the point of even running the study? In one study, researchers did find they could get patients with head and neck cancer to ramp up green leafy and cruciferous vegetable intake to nine cups a week. So, it’s at least something you could test. But we don’t yet have outcome data. But why wait? What’s the downside of trying to eat healthier? It may even save your life another way.

Cardiovascular disease competes with breast cancer as the leading cause of death for older women diagnosed with breast cancer. Researchers followed more than 60,000 women diagnosed with breast cancer over the age of 65 for an average of nine years, by which time half had died. And the number one cause of death was actually cardiovascular disease, edging out the breast cancer. And so, choosing a healthy diet centered around whole plant foods––the only diet ever proven to reverse heart disease in the majority of patients––may save your life, whether you have cancer or not.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-best-diet-for-cancer-patients/?

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Turkey and Syria: Making Sense of the Tragedy. How Does God Want to be Worshipped? Is Cheese Really Good for Our Health?

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Powerful Earthquakes Hit Turkey and Syria: Making Sense of the Tragedy

A distraught woman sits on rubble of a building in southern Turkey that was destroyed by the earthquakes of Feb. 6, 2023 (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra). 

“Thousands have died in the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. Life in this region will be impacted for years to come. Why do such tragedies occur?

Thousands of lives were suddenly wiped out when a magnitude 7.8 earthquake and then a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck southern Turkey and northern Syria on Feb. 6, 2023. As of this writing, the death toll is over 6,000.

With the more than 300 aftershocks and frigid temperatures, this number will undoubtedly rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble. In an instant, a shaking earth destroyed buildings and roads and buried thousands of unsuspecting people. Over 13,000 people were injured, and tens of thousands were without food, shelter and hope.

Both Turkey and Syria were grossly unprepared for this tragedy. Their buildings were not designed to withstand an earthquake of this magnitude. On top of that, they lack the resources to handle the aftermath of these deadly earthquakes.

Syria is still embroiled in a seemingly unending civil war. The city of Aleppo, home of many displaced refugees, was first ravaged by missiles and is now even more decimated by this natural disaster.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the families affected by this tragedy. Tragedies like this should remind us how precious life is and how quickly life can be turned upside down. It’s at times like these that we should turn to the Bible. The Bible gives a unique perspective on tragedies, including difficult lessons we should learn.

To learn more about the biblical perspective on tragedies, read “Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering?”

Lessons from the tragedy in Turkey and Syria

Consider these three lessons:

1. This is not God’s world.

Many see tragedies like this as proof that there is no God. They reason that an all-powerful, all-loving God would not allow tragedies like this. But the Bible shows a different way we should look at it. Tragedies don’t occur because God doesn’t care. Ultimately, they are a result of humanity’s rejection of God. Essentially, this is not God’s world!

The suffering and anguish in Turkey and Syria and everywhere else are a result of living in a world cut off from God. When God created Adam and Eve, He placed them in a beautiful garden and interacted directly with them (Genesis 2:8; Genesis 3:8). There were no earthquakes or other natural disasters in this garden. God was there and provided perfect protection and order. All God required of our first parents was that they live by His instructions. If they did, they would live in complete safety and happiness. They would not need to worry about natural disasters.

But when Satan appeared in the form of a serpent, he convinced them to reject God’s instructions and authority over their lives (Genesis 3:1-5). Because of this rejection, dire consequences would follow for them and their descendants. God removed them from the Garden of Eden and let them live in a world without His protection and influence (Genesis 3:23).

All human beings have been given the same free will to choose their own way of living. God warned that rejecting His law would bring suffering and death (Genesis 2:17; Deuteronomy 30:15-20). Satan’s influence currently prevails over this world because man follows his own way over God’s way (2 Corinthians 4:4). The suffering and anguish in Turkey and Syria and everywhere else are a result of living in a world cut off from God.

2. Unless we change, we will all perish.

Jesus Christ commented on two tragedies that occurred in His time on earth. One was the execution of several people by Pontius Pilate (Luke 13:1). Another was the accidental death of 18 people crushed to death by a falling tower (verse 4).

Turkish citizens searching for survivors in the ruins of a collapsed building in Diyarbakir, Turkey, Feb. 6, 2023 (Voice of America).

Christ used these tragedies to stress an important point. He said that those who died were in the wrong place at the wrong time. God hadn’t singled them out for punishment. The point He drew from these incidents was this: “Unless you repent you will all likewise perish” (verses 3 and 5).

Those who died in the recent disaster did not bring these earthquakes on themselves. The people living in this region weren’t necessarily more guilty of sin than any other people. They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The point we must take to heart is that we will die eternally if we do not repent of our sins. That is the death we should be most worried about! Those who die in tragedies may have lost their temporary physical lives (which God says He will restore in a resurrection), but if we don’t repent and change, we will perish forever (Romans 6:23).

3. Earthquakes are prophesied to increase and intensify during the last days.

Why are earthquakes (and other natural disasters) continually increasing around the world?

In the Olivet Prophecy, Jesus Christ prophesied that in the last days there would be “earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:7). As that time approaches, earthquakes will increase both in intensity and in frequency. Read more in our article “Earthquakes in Bible Prophecy.”

Since the start of the 21st century, not including this recent disaster, there have been 22 major earthquakes (greater than a magnitude 6) causing some 834,000 deaths! Some of the deadliest earthquakes since 1900 have occurred in recent years. These include:

• The growing number of earthquakes is a sign that the return of Jesus Christ is drawing near. Haiti (Jan. 12, 2010). Magnitude 7; 316,000 people killed. This was the deadliest earthquake of this century.
• Indonesia (Dec. 26, 2004). Magnitude 9.1; 228,000 people killed in the earthquake and subsequent tsunami. This was the third- largest earthquake since 1900.
• China (May 12, 2008). Magnitude 7.9; 90,000 people killed or missing and presumed dead.
• Pakistan (Oct. 8, 2005). Magnitude 7.6; over 86,000 people killed.
• Iran (Dec. 26, 2003). Magnitude 6.6; 41,000 people killed.

(Since casualty reports in these disasters often vary, the above casualty numbers should be considered approximate.)

As the weeks turn into months, the death toll from the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria will undoubtedly rise and possibly cause them to rank among the worst earthquakes in recent times.

The growing number of earthquakes is a sign that the return of Jesus Christ is drawing near. This should motivate us, more than ever, to heed Christ’s warning from point two: repent!

What will you do now?

The Bible and history prove this simple statement: A world without God leads to suffering, tragedy and death.

As you see the resulting suffering of this tragedy, ask yourself this question: Do I want to continue to be a part of the suffering that comes from a life cut off from God? Or do I want to have a relationship with Him and live a life that is blessed and happy (Psalm 1) and help prepare for the peaceful world Jesus Christ will bring at His return?”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/powerful-earthquakes-hit-turkey-and-syria-making-sense-of-the-tragedy/

To learn more about the future time when natural disasters will end, download our free booklet The World to Come: What It Will Be Like.

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How Does God Want to be Worshipped?

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“Christ commanded us to worship God in spirit and truth (John 4:24). But how do we worship God? Can we know what pleases Him?

Christ kept the Sabbath Holy all His life, and He was an example for us. 

Yes, in God’s Word we can learn how He wants to be worshipped. Christ Himself said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Those timeless commandments God gave to mankind are key to happiness, peace, abundance and harmony. Just read through any of them and imagine how life would be if all mankind strictly observed just one of those ten!

But, how do we worship God? The first four of the Ten Commandments all have to do with how we respect and honor God. He tells us how to live if we truly love Him and want to “hallow His name.” Those first four are:

1. Have no other gods besides Me.

2. Make unto yourself no graven image of anything in heaven or earth or the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.

3. You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; and

4. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.

If you believe in Christ, you probably agree with the first three of the Commandments, but do you keep the fourth?

The Sabbath day

On the seventh day of creation God created the Sabbath day for mankind (Genesis 2:2-3). Jesus Christ said the “Sabbath was made for man and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27) and that He was “Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8). Christ kept the Sabbath holy all His life, and He was an example for us. His apostles kept the Sabbath day all their lives—even after Christ died, was resurrected and then ascended into heaven—as did the New Testament Church of God.

God designed the Sabbath to be “Holy time”— a 24-hour period we should remember and set aside to do God’s will. In Leviticus 23, God says that each Sabbath is a “Holy convocation”—a time for His people to assemble before Him (Leviticus 23:1-34).

If we say we worship God and want to please Him, we must do as He says. If we do, He says He will make His home with us. If we don’t, Christ says, “Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matthew 7:23).

Do you worship God the way He wants to be worshipped? Living God’s way is a “24-7” life. The Sabbath day is Holy and we must honor Him on that day.

Do you want to worship God as He wants to be worshipped each Sabbath? Then please join us for Sabbath services, even if it is virtually at first, at one of our many locations around the world. If you’d like to talk to someone or want more information, contact us and we will get right back with you.  We encourage you to read our vital booklet on this subject, “Sunset to Sunset: God’s Sabbath Rest.”     From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/bible-questions-and-answers/how-does-god-want-to-be-worshipped

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Is Cheese Really Good for Our Health?

“What is the real story behind the recent studies that show cheese has neutral or positive health effects?

In my series of videos on saturated fat, I talked about a major campaign launched by the global dairy industry to “neutralize the negative image of milk-fat among regulators and health professionals as related to heart disease.” As you can see in my video “Is Cheese Really Bad for You?”, (Is Cheese Really Bad for You? | NutritionFacts.org) that campaign continues to this day with the publication of a meta-analysis demonstrating “neutral [non-harmful] associations between dairy products and cardiovascular and all-cause mortality,” that is, death.

How do we know the dairy industry had anything to do with this study? Well, it was published in a journal that requires authors to disclose financial conflicts of interest. So, what ties were divulged? As you can see at 0:47 in my video: Dairy, dairy, dairy, dairy, dairy, dairy, the fourth largest dairy company in the world, dairy, dairy, milk, beer, soda, McDonald’s, dairy, dairy, dairy, dairy, and more dairy. Oh, and the study itself was “partly funded by…the Global Dairy Platform, Dairy Research Institute and Dairy Australia.” So, there we have it.  More at: https://nutritionfacts.org/2023/01/26/is-cheese-really-good-for-our-health/?

Key Takeaways

• The dairy industry’s campaign to “neutralize the negative image of milk fat among regulators and health professionals as related to heart disease” continues, and the industry still funds studies like the meta-analysis that purportedly showed that dairy products have non-harmful associations with “cardiovascular and all-cause mortality.”
• Researchers affiliated with the largest dairy producer in China, thereby one of the largest dairy companies in the world, suggested eating cheese each day isn’t only neutral (non-harmful), but beneficial for our health.
• Many studies were from Europe where greater cheese consumption is associated with a “higher socioeconomic status” since it is generally more expensive. Higher socioeconomic groups also consume more fruits and vegetables, and have higher education levels and higher paying jobs, all of which are associated with better health outcomes.
• Higher socioeconomic groups also tend to consume more candies. The candy industry and the U.S. Department of Agriculture have claimed that candy consumers have lower inflammation levels and a 14 percent lower risk of elevated blood pressure.
• U.S. taxpayer dollars prop up the sugar industry with a billion dollars annually. Similarly, the U.S. government uses tax dollars to buy tens of millions of dollars’ worth of surplus cheese.
• The U.S. government has been found to collude with the dairy industry to promote their products. “These [checkoff] funds are used to promote junk foods, which contribute to the very diseases our federal government is allegedly trying to prevent. Does it make sense to tell Americans to avoid foods high in salt, sugar, and saturated fat, while engaging in the promotion of those same foods?”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/2023/01/26/is-cheese-really-good-for-our-health/?

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Can We Believe God’s Promises? A Life No Longer Fragile. Avoid Sardines With Soybean Oil.

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Can We Believe God’s Promises?

“God does keep His promises, but in ways and over time frames that our finite minds have difficulty comprehending.

Robson Hatsukami Morgan/Unsplash

God promised Abraham, “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven.”

Abraham is one of the most fascinating figures in the Bible. He’s called “the father of the faithful” (see Romans 4:11) because he left his comfortable city life to travel the wilderness with his flocks and herds without a permanent home.

Probably the most remarkable part of Abraham’s story is recorded in Genesis 12:1-3, where God gives him a series of astounding promises: “Now the Lord had said to Abram: ‘Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’” (emphasis added throughout).

As Abraham proved his faithful obedience, God expanded those promises. In Genesis 17:16, God assured him regarding his then-childless 90-year-old wife Sarah, “She shall be a mother of nations; kings of peoples shall be from her.”

In Genesis 22:17-18 God further promised Abraham: “I will multiply your descendants as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore; and your descendants shall possess the gate of their enemies. In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice.”

So we see that God’s promises to Abraham included, among other things:

•  “All the nations of the earth” would be blessed through him.

•  God would make a great nation of his descendants.

•  “Nations” and “kings of peoples” would come from him through his wife Sarah.

•  His descendants would number “as the stars of the heaven and as the sand which is on the seashore.”

What staggering promises! And more specific promises and prophecies were given to Abraham’s son Isaac, his grandson Jacob (renamed Israel) and his great-grandson Joseph.

But, as Hebrews 11:13 tells us of Abraham and other faithful men and women of God, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises . . .”    Which brings us to the title above: “Can We Believe God’s Promises?”

The short answer is absolutely yes! But we need to understand that God operates on a completely different plane from ours as human beings (Isaiah 55:8-9). For Him, “one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day” (2 Peter 3:8). This “High and Lofty One who inhabits eternity” is not bound by time as we are (Isaiah 57:15). Human possessions and territorial claims are infinitesimal next to a God who says, “All the earth is Mine” (Exodus 19:5) and “Everything under heaven is Mine” (Job 41:11).

God does keep His promises, but in ways and over time frames that our finite minds have difficulty comprehending. This brings us to the theme of this issue, which is the history and biblical importance of the British royal throne and empire—and the major English-speaking nations that emerged from that empire, notably the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Less than a century ago the British Empire was the world’s preeminent power. It was truthfully said that it was the empire on which the sun never set—meaning the empire spanned the globe from Europe to Africa to North and South America to Asia to Australia and to many islands in between. For two centuries it was the dominant global power, with a navy that ruled the seas.

But how did a small island nation roughly the size of the U.S. state of Michigan (or Wyoming or Oregon) grow into a world superpower? It seems impossible, but Britain and its colonies dominated the globe for two centuries and ushered in the modern world!

With Britain’s slide from preeminence in the aftermath of World War II, one of its former colonies—the United States—became the new world superpower, a position it has now held for three quarters of a century.

Is there any link between the rise and world dominance of these two powers with the astounding promises made to Abraham almost 4,000 years ago? Those promises were not fulfilled in Abraham’s time, or in the time of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah that were descended from him. But they have been fulfilled—and in ways that are truly amazing and bear testimony to God’s faithfulness and the amazing accuracy of Bible prophecy.

We hope you’ll carefully read this issue—and that you’ll be astounded at how we can indeed believe all of God’s promises!”  From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/can-we-believe-gods-promises

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A Life No Longer Fragile

“From time to time something happens to remind me how fragile life is. We like to see ourselves as strong, always charging on into the future. During much of our lives, it is almost beyond our comprehension to consider the day when we won’t be here any longer.

But life is fragile, and none of us is too young to carefully consider it. An accident, a sickness, some genetic predisposition or the body simply wearing out, and life comes to an end. God never intended life to go on forever in this body.

He does want us to have life forever, but it will be in a different body! A section of scripture that jumps to mind when I consider the fleeting nature of life is found at the end of the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon is directing many of his thoughts to the young—and appropriately so.  When we are young there is so much we haven’t experienced, so much we don’t know and so many ways we can get ourselves into a pickle if we don’t have wise counsel from someone older and more experienced. However, nearly everything Solomon writes applies to all of us, no matter our age, including the first 8 verses of Ecclesiastes 12.

He starts by reminding us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth. And there is a tremendous advantage to focusing on a strong and close relationship with God at the beginning of our lives, because it sets a pattern we can continue to follow. And doing so will allow us to avoid so many of the problems we might otherwise stumble right into.

For many of us, we’d be hard pressed to conclude we are any longer in our youth! I don’t think I could qualify any more—but I am as young right now as I’m ever going to be again! So, with that thought in mind, Solomon’s advice is something I should take to heart right now. I need to be sure I have a strong, clear and constant awareness of my Creator, His plan and His direct interaction with me. Over the next few verses Solomon describes very poetically what happens with our bodies.

Eyesight fails (we need glasses, then bifocals, then trifocals, then—I don’t know what comes after that). Hearing fails (we need hearing aids, but we put them off for as long as possible). Strength begins to fail (I know I used to just grab the end of that and pick it up and move it where I wanted. Who added a whole bunch of weight to it now?)

The silver cord, the golden bowl, the pitcher at the fountain are all poetically symbolic of the precious elements God so carefully designed into the human body. We need them all to function so we can live, but at some point these essential parts of us will get sick, get injured or grow old and cease to work.

And we see once again that life is fragile. But even with all his God-given wisdom, Solomon didn’t use that wisdom to stay on the right path of life. He went after everything he could imagine in great excess: entertainment, alcohol and perhaps whatever drugs might have existed then, women, and more women and even more women. And then paganism, as his wives convinced him to try worshipping other gods, and following other practices and leading a life that was contrary to the one set out by his Creator.

Toward the end of his life Solomon had a very bleak and dismal view of life, which he described at the beginning of this book. “‘Vanity of vanities,’ says the Preacher; ‘vanity of vanities, all is vanity’” (Ecclesiastes 1:2). He felt there was not much point in his life.

The world goes round, people come and people go, but nothing amounts to much. What a sad perspective. Yet at the end of this book, he does use his wisdom to give the most important advice in chapter 12 verse 13: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [the King James Version says, ‘this is the whole duty of man’].”

Human life is so fragile, and we never know when, why, where or how ours will come to an end. But our loving and almighty Father in heaven has promised that there is and will be so much more than just this fragile human life. He wants to give us life forever, in a perfect and strong spirit body that will allow us to work with and under Him in His family for eternity!

The knowledge of both those things—the fragility of life and the hope of a wonderful future—should be constant reminders that we must always remember our Creator in whatever stage of life we may be in. Do it now while we can. Don’t let the chance to live uprightly pass us by. Human life is fragile, but life in the Kingdom of God is forever.

Kind regards, and have a great rest of your week,  Tom Clark, for Life, Hope and Truth.”

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Avoid Sardines With Soybean Oil

“Avoid Sardines With Soybean Oil…This toxic oil could be hiding in your sardines!

When you do a search on soy, you’re going to find a lot of positive things about it. But, in reality, there are a lot of negative things about soy products.

Soy is GMO, and most of it has been processed using hexane, which is toxic. Soy is also very inflammatory because it’s high in omega-6. Soy has been promoted to menopausal women but, in 25 trials, it was demonstrated that soy didn’t improve hot flashes.

Soy is given to many animals that we then eat. It’s also in oils, salad dressings, processed foods, and more. There is a lot of conflicting information on soy, but many people believe it can lead to a range of serious health problems.

Soy is subsidized, meaning the government will pay farmers to grow soy. 85% of subsidized products go to just 50 multibillionaire CEOs. Overall, it seems like there is a huge push to get people to consume soy because it’s profitable.

But, as a consumer, there are a few things you can do about this problem. If people buy fewer soy products, the market will shift to other products.

What you can do:

1. Be highly selective of what you order at restaurants

2. Read labels and don’t buy products that contain soy

3. Eat at home

4. Consume more omega-3 fats” 

More info in video: https://fb.watch/imAyzFkQOL/

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