What Can We Learn From The Biblical Villains? What’s The Problem With Plastic? The Kindest Diet Is Also The Healthiest.

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Biblical villains: What can we learn from them?

'The Death of Jezebel' by Gustave Doré

“Eight of the Ten Commandments define God’s law by listing wrong actions and thinking we are to avoid. Lessons from the Bible’s villains can help us to learn how to apply God’s law. We can extract good lessons from bad examples.”

Rehoboam

“Rehoboam was the son of Solomon who initially ruled over the united kingdom of Israel in the north and Judah in the south (1 Kings 12). But when he came to power the northern 10 tribes of Israel were already restless and on the verge of seceding.

Rehoboam unwisely took the advice of his peers instead of listening to more experienced older advisors. He raised taxes, and the northern kingdom of Israel split away from the southern kingdom of Judah, resulting in the king losing far more income than all his taxes could have ever gained him. He chose poorly, and everyone suffered because of it.

The lesson to be learned from Rehoboam’s experience is to seek a multitude of counsel (Proverbs 11:14) when making important decisions, and to ask God for discernment.

Queen Jezebel

Queen Jezebel was the wife of King Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel. She was the daughter of the king of the Phoenician city-state of Sidon and a priestess of the false god Baal (1 Kings 16:29-33), which gave her a great deal of power. She influenced Ahab to worship Baal, which often required human sacrifice, and fought against the true worship of God whenever she could, even calling for the assassination of the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:13; 19:2). She also schemed to have a wealthy vineyard owner murdered so that her husband could steal his land (1 Kings 21). Eventually Jezebel was thrown from a window and eaten by dogs after years of corrupting Israel and the king.

As a priestess of Baal, and trying over and over again to destroy the worship of the true God, she was attempting to hold on to and increase what she saw as her source of power. The lesson we can learn from this is not to trust in some other perceived source of power (false gods of our own making)—wealth, authority, weapons, position, etc.—in place of God. If we look to anything other than God for strength, it will ultimately fail.

Saul of Tarsus

There is also a biblical example of a man who was a villain, who then became a biblical hero teaching the truth of God for the rest of his life. His name was Saul of Tarsus, also known as the Apostle Paul. He was initially a fanatical pharisee who saw the teachings of Jesus as blasphemy and Christians as heretics. He had the authority to punish anyone he believed to be a heretic within the Jewish community, and would track them down and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law—resulting in their imprisonment and sometimes death. He even took part in the death of Stephen “And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul” (Acts 7:58), while they threw rocks at Stephen until he was bludgeoned to death.

Saul continued to harass the Church and was on his way to the Jewish community in Damascus to arrest members of the faith and send them back to Jerusalem when God intervened and struck him down. Blind and helpless, Saul finally realized he was wrong and that it was futile to fight God. After his spiritual conversion, he went on to preach the truth with the same vigour with which he had previously fought against it (Acts 9). Saul the persecutor became Paul the faithful.

The lesson we can learn from the life of the Apostle Paul is that when God reveals to us we are wrong, we need to humbly respond and make the 180 degree turnaround to do what’s right.”

Beyond Today Bible Commentary (See I Kings chapters 12, 16 and 21 for more information about Rehoboam and Jezebel)

From: https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/bible-villains-learning-from-scriptures-bad-examples

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What is the problem with plastic?

“Globally, we produce a massive amount of plastic – over 380 million tons every year. It’s everywhere in our daily lives and we’ve become dependent on it. Half of all plastic produced is single-use – meaning it’s thrown away after just one use. Think bottles, bags, straws, cups, and lids. Used for just a few moments, but forever on the planet.

Virtually every piece of plastic that was ever made still exists in some shape or form (with the exception of the small amount that has been incinerated). We thought recycling was the answer but it’s not. Less than 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled!

What’s plastics impact?

When plastic enters the ocean, it impacts us all. It’s in the food and water we consume, it’s harming our animals and marine life, and of course, polluting our beautiful planet.

Once at sea, sunlight, wind, and wave action break down plastic waste into small particles, called microplastics. Microplastics have been found in every corner of the globe, from Mount Everest, the highest peak, to the Mariana Trench, the deepest trough. Plastic never fully biodegrades, it just breaks down into these small, toxic, pieces.

Because plastic is so prevalent, there are countless (overwhelming) statistics on its impact. Below are some key facts we feel are important to share – we encourage you to further research the plastic issue as the more aware we are of the problem, the more likely we are to become part of the solution!

Plastic By the Numbers

Millions of marine animals die each year from plastic waste alone.

Plastic pollutes at every step of its journey and it never disappears – breaking up into tiny pieces called microplastics.

Plastic is literally everywhere. It’s in our bloodstreams, the air we breathe, the food we eat, and the water we drink.

Today, more than 99% of plastic is made from fossil fuels.

Less than 9% of all plastic ever produced has been recycled.

What can you do?

Your individual actions, however small, make a difference.

Here are simple ways you can have an impact, starting today!

Say ‘No’ to Single-Use: By refusing to purchase single-use plastic you are showing the big corporations producing the plastic that you want change. Every purchase you make is a vote with your dollar.

Start Conversations: Talk with your friends, families, neighbors, and local businesses, about the plastic issue and how we all can be part of the solution.

Shop Sustainably: One of the biggest impacts you can have is to reduce the amount of plastic you use in your daily life. For almost every plastic product you use, there’s a plastic-free alternative. To help you get started, check out our sustainable products.

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The Kindest Diet Is Also The Healthiest.

“THE TRUTH IS THAT THE FLESH, MILK & EGGS OF ANY SPECIES IS NOT THE NATURAL FOOD FOR HUMANS, & HARMS THE ANIMALS WE TAKE IT FROM

...and it harms those that still consume animal products, so many have proven this

...an analysis of 79,468 North American Seventh-day Adventists in the Adventist Health Study-2 found that vegetarians had a 12% lower risk of all cancers combined

...and vegans had a 24% lower risk compared to flesh and dairy eaters, showing that dairy is also harmful to our health...the study tracked participants for almost eight years, matching cancer cases to state and provincial registries.

...it found that reduced risk was strongest for colorectal, stomach and lymphoproliferative cancers, with vegan diets showing notable protection against breast cancer in younger women.

...and dairy is also harmful to the mothers we steal it from, as the female cows that are constantly forcibly impregnated die 14 years early because of the abuse of their reproductive powers...and they cry for their babies taken from them so their milk can be stolen, leaving them heart broken.

...those babies are put alone in crates and force fed GMOed replacement and if they are male they are killed within weeks for vile veal.

...while the females are forced to become dairy slaves within months, and abused like their mothers were.

...THERE IS NO REASON TO BE CRUEL & STEAL THE FLESH, EGGS & MILK OF OTHER BEINGS, A PLANT BASED DIET IS THE ONE THAT IS NATURAL FOR US -- Animal Freedom Fighter

The China Study puts the vegan numbers way higher. Check it out!”

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Biblical Conflict Resolution. What Is God’s Dietary Plan? Hospitals Selling Sickness.

 

Biblical Conflict Resolution

“As interpersonal conflicts increase, how should we best deal with them? What are some of the strategies of biblical conflict resolution?

From the time of Cain and Abel, offenses and conflicts have been incessant human problems. And the Bible warns that in the end time, many will be offended (Matthew 24:10).

Have you ever witnessed someone being offended? Have you ever been offended? Have you ever offended someone else? It is very likely that you have.

Offenses generally produce conflict. The Cambridge Dictionary defines conflict as “an active disagreement between people with opposing opinions or principles.”

And resolving conflict is no easy task! It can be uncomfortable and difficult because of the hard feelings and strong emotions that are involved.

Small offenses may require little more than extending forgiveness to the person who’s committed the offense. Our blog post “Conflict Resolution: Should I Say Something?” explains, “With the majority of small offenses, the best response is usually simply to forgive the offense, recognize we have similarly offended others and bear with the other person in love (Ephesians 4:2).”

The purpose of this article is to explore the situations when a more involved response is needed.

No doubt, you will face conflict at some point in your life. Countless books have been written on this subject, some of which have proven to be very helpful. But, more important, God Himself provides us with some conflict resolution strategies within the Bible, His inspired Word.

What is the lesson of Abigail in the Bible?

The courageous example of Abigail provides a good illustration of an individual with exceptional conflict resolution skills. Her reaction to a very difficult situation—the strategies that she used to address conflict—can help us be prepared to resolve potential conflicts in our own lives.

We find the story in 1 Samuel 2      We will continue to see increased numbers of offenses and conflicts in the world around us, and you will most likely face difficult conflicts in your own personal life. But the Bible provides a way for us to deal with them:  “Now there was a man in Maon whose business was in Carmel, and the man was very rich. He had three thousand sheep and a thousand goats. And he was shearing his sheep in Carmel. The name of the man was Nabal, and the name of his wife Abigail. And she was a woman of good understanding and beautiful appearance; but the man was harsh and evil in his doings” (verses 2-3).

It is here that we’re first introduced to Abigail, along with her husband, Nabal. Verse 3 provides us with a key description of Abigail: She was a woman of “good understanding.” This good understanding was beneficial throughout Abigail’s life, both to her and to those around her.

It is not unreasonable to conclude that being married to a harsh man whose name literally meant “fool” left her vulnerable to moments of conflict.

We have no way of knowing every conflict that Abigail faced, but we are made aware of one significant situation that she faced. This tense situation involved her husband and another man who became extremely angry. Strong emotions and hard feelings often accompany moments of conflict.

David and Nabal

Nabal was a successful businessman; he possessed thousands of animals and was very rich. And while he was shearing his sheep in Carmel, along came David with a band of his men.

As background, it’s important to understand that when Nabal’s shepherds had been working in the fields, David’s men had provided security and protection for Nabal’s men and animals.

So David sent some of his men to remind Nabal of this. They were sent to entreat Nabal to share some supplies with them.

David’s message was, “Therefore let my young men find favor in your eyes, for we come on a feast day. Please give whatever comes to your hand to your servants and to your son David” (verse 8).

They were simply asking this wealthy man to be hospitable, which was the custom at the time. It was not an unreasonable request from David. They were not forcing Nabal’s hand; they were simply asking him to share whatever he was willing to give at this festive time. After all, they had provided some protection for his men and animals.

True to his name, Nabal’s reaction was churlish. He rudely responded with an insult in verses 10-11:

“Who is David, and who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays who break away each one from his master. Shall I then take my bread and my water and my meat [notice his emphasis on my throughout] that I have killed for my shearers, and give it to men when I do not know where they are from?”

Nabal made it quite clear that he had no intention of sharing anything with David. Not only was he unwilling to share, but he verbally insulted David as well.

Enter conflict. Nabal’s unkind reply greatly offended David and made him angry. He gathered up his men, told them to get their swords, and vowed to kill every male within Nabal’s camp.

Nabal was upset with David for asking him to share, and David was upset with Nabal for being unwilling to share. Nabal incited David by hurling insults, and David threatened to kill all of Nabal’s men.

Abigail and David

Standing in the midst of this very tense conflict was Abigail.

In verses 14-16, Abigail received a quick briefing on what was going on. She was informed of what her husband had done, as well as how David had reacted to Nabal’s conduct. The servants affirmed that David’s men did exactly as they said they had done, describing the men as a “wall [of protection] to us both by night and day.”

“Now therefore, know and consider what you will do” (verse 17).

Abigail was faced with this difficult question. As she faced the possibility of an attack by David, what would she do?

There is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution, but Abigail’s response does provide a few important lessons about biblical conflict resolution.

1. Face the problem—don’t hide from it.

Abigail discerned the situation and acted quickly to address the problem. She didn’t ignore it, hoping that it would go away. She didn’t try to hide from the problem. Abigail faced the matter head-on.

Notice the first four words in verse 18: “Then Abigail made haste.” She quickly gathered a collection of gifts for David and rode out on a donkey to meet him.

“Now when Abigail saw David, she dismounted quickly from the donkey, fell on her face before David, and bowed down to the ground” (verse 23).

Takeaway: When we’re faced with a conflict, we must be willing to address the situation. Avoiding the issue does not help resolve it.

2. Base your response on Scripture.

Abigail did not address the situation by angrily accosting David, but expressed genuine humility instead. When it comes to conflict resolution, there is quite possibly no passage more significant than Proverbs 15:1: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (See “Dealing With Difficult People” and “5 Tips for Dealing With Difficult People” for further reading on this topic.)

Through an attitude of humility and incorporating the biblical principle of a soft answer, Abigail’s approach helped defuse David’s anger.

“So she fell at his feet and said: ‘On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. For as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent’” (1 Samuel 25:24-25).

She essentially told David, “I didn’t know that any of this had happened. Please forgive us for offending you.” She presented her gift of food, fulfilling what David had wanted in the first place. And she let David know that she knew he was fighting God’s battles (verse 28).

Once she’d softened him up, Abigail provided David with some encouragement to change his mind.

To paraphrase her reply, Abigail said, “Please forgive me. God will reward you and defeat all your enemies. I believe He has restrained you from taking revenge so you won’t have any regrets in the future.”

As you break down Abigail’s response to David, you can clearly see the resulting fruit of a soft answer turning away wrath.

Takeaway: Each situation is unique and may require a modified approach, but our response should always be based upon biblical principles.

3. Seek God’s help and know He is with you.

If we seek God’s help and strive to act as He tells us, we can know that He will be with us (Hebrews 13:5-6).

“Then David said to Abigail: ‘Blessed is the LORD God of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me!’” (1 Samuel 25:32).

That’s an important statement that should not be overlooked. The Lord God of Israel sent Abigail to meet with David. God was with her. She had to do her part as well (see lessons 1 and 2), but God was with her as she faced this conflict. Through Abigail, He helped address and resolve a situation that affected many people.

Takeaway: As we face moments of conflict in our lives, we must recognize that God can be right there with us. (See “God Is There for You” for further reading on this subject.)

Prepare to apply these conflict resolution strategies

We will continue to see increased numbers of offenses and conflicts in the world around us, and you will most likely face difficult conflicts in your own personal life. But the Bible provides a way for us to deal with them.

As you face those tense moments of conflict, let Abigail’s example be a source of encouragement. Resolving conflict is no easy task, but it is attainable.

Learn more in our three-part blog series on conflict resolution, beginning with “Conflict Resolution: Should I Say Something?”  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/friendship/biblical-conflict-resolution/?

Also see: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/friendship/dealing-with-difficult-people/

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What Is God’s Dietary Plan?

“Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” ~1 Corinthians 10:31

Can we glorify God by disobeying His word? Absolutely not. There is but one way to bring glory to God, and that is through obedience to His infallible word! We must decide this one thing, are we going to obey God or man?

“But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: We ought to obey God rather than men.”   ~Acts 5:29

​So, what exactly is a Godly diet? Let’s break this down into some very simple steps, a Godly diet plan for us in the here and now consists first and foremost of eating only clean foods!  This not only refers to God’s do and do not eat list of clean and unclean animals, it also refers to eating foods that are unblemished by man.

Let’s talk just a bit about GMO’s, genetically modified (mutated) organisms. I know this is a tough concept to get our brains wrapped around, so I’m going to be extremely generalized in my explanation of this horrendous condition.

Misguided human beings have messed with God’s perfect foods, and corrupted both plants and animals for monetary gain as well as for power to control their propagation. They have messed with the very core of these creations, better known as the DNA! Click here for a crash course on Genetics and DNA.

God had a perfect plan, a plan that can not be improved on. By messing with and genetically corrupting these organisms, man has recreated God’s creation into what I call “Frankenstein-foods.”  So, without going into anymore boring genetic science, suffice to say, we absolutely should not be consuming any of these genetically mutated Frankenstein-foods. And that leaves us with what is better known as organic foods.

“For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.”   ~Romans 8:20-21

Now for a brief understanding of organic foods versus chemically treated foods. Organic means natural, in other words, foods that are grown as God intended, not genetically modified or sprayed with harmful chemical pesticides (bug-sprays), dangerous herbicides (weed-killers), or chemical fertilizers. We should only eat organically grown foods that have been treated naturally, fertilized with herbivore manure or composted seaweed and vegetation mulch.

Lastly, we need to look at the condition of the foods that we’re consuming. Natural, unprocessed is what God intended for us. Not bleached, over processed, artificially colored, artificially sweetened, artificially preserved, or foods full of any additives, no matter what the purpose might be. A good rule to follow is to read all labels, and if they contain anything you can’t pronounce, don’t eat it!

We were created to eat whole natural organic, non-GMO foods like; fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, clean wild-caught fish, and minimal free-range/chicken, grass-fed clean meats and dairy (without steroid, growth hormone or antibiotic injections).

No refined sugar, and absolutely no artificial sweeteners. Only natural, raw honey or plant nectars like agave nectar, real maple syrup, and molasses. No processed and refined chemically preserved anything. If it doesn’t come in, what I refer to as a God wrapper (peeling or skin covering), don’t eat it!

I was recently at a friend’s house one morning, and he asked me if I’d like to join him in a bowl of instant maple flavored oatmeal. He knew my stance on organics, as well as how I felt about GMOs. He protested that it was organic and that oatmeal is very good for you!

I politely declined and tried to explain the difference to him. Yes, organic is good, and yes, oatmeal is good for you as well, however, instant anything is processed and altered to microwave super fast, as well as “maple flavoring” which is just that, artificial flavoring, a man-made chemical substitute for real maple syrup, and is totally unnatural and downright harmful.

I am no longer willing to compromise my beliefs to please others. I will not jeopardize my health, nor will I go against God’s rules for optimal health.  I’m to the point in my life that I don’t care what people think. I no longer care that many of my friends and relatives feel I’ve gone overboard with my dietary restrictions.

“Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, you people in whose heart is My law: do not fear the reproach of men, nor be afraid of their insults.”   ~Isaiah 51:7

​I fully understand that God wants us to be healthy, and that’s the whole reason He made all these dietary rules in the first place. This is overwhelmingly apparent by a number of Biblical facts. First off, God is extremely specific about exactly what we should and should not eat. Secondly, Jesus spent the majority of His adult life healing the sick and lame. As well as the fact that God created us. Who could possibly know better what these organic bodies should consume for fuel?

With that said we must now ask, how can we get as close as possible to what God wants for us? In a nutshell, here it is.

What should we eat...?

• ​Eat only biblically “clean foods”
• Eat uncontaminated meats; not treated w/steroids, hormones or antibiotics
• Eat non-GMOs; foods that have not been genetically altered by man
• Eat organic foods that have not been chemically treated
• Eat quantities that reflect Biblical moderation and self-control
• Eat more raw and live foods like fresh fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds, and less animal, as well as less cooked, refined/over-processed anything

One of the biggest problems with the average American diet isn’t just how much we eat; it’s the percentage of our diet made up of cooked and over-processed foods. Eat more raw, natural foods like fresh fruits and vegetables (remember about the God wrapper) i/e the fresher, the better and the more color, the healthier. Follow God’s rules rather than man’s. The more natural the foods you eat, the healthier you will be!

Anything that isn’t labeled organic has more than likely been treated with dangerous chemical insecticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. As well as animals that are injected with steroids, growth hormones and antibiotics. Anything that isn’t labeled non-GMO has probably been genetically mutated to replicate something it isn’t. Have you ever heard the saying, only God can make a tree? Let that sink in! Man can try to improve on God’s perfection all he wants, but I assure you he will ultimately fail.

The following was a newsflash on the internet that a friend sent me. She commented on how happy she was about this discovery. “Science Confirms Eating Chocolate Cake For Breakfast Is Good For Your Brain And Waistline”  Sadly, I informed her that she was more than old enough to understand that you can’t believe everything you read.

God has given us the ability to discern. This simply means, if it quacks and waddles, it’s a duck! I don’t care what anyone might tell you it is. Use your God-given common sense, if it sounds too good to be true, that’s because it isn’t true.

The thing is, people choose to believe what they want to believe. Yes, it would be great if chocolate cake for breakfast, ice cream for lunch and Krispy Kreme donuts for dinner were good for you, but really, it doesn’t take a nutritional expert to understand that they aren’t.

What shouldn't we eat...?

Besides all of the “unclean foods“ that God tells us to avoid, we also need to use our God-given ability to discern regarding things that are not mentioned in the Bible. For example, GMO’s of any kind, chemically treated foods, over-processed foods, refined foods, artificial preservatives, and toxic chemical additives like aspartame, just to name a few. God created perfect, clean foods—man modified and mutated it into toxic, unclean trash, and sells it as a convenience!

Additionally, any type of soft drink is extremely unhealthy due to the excessive amount of refined sugar, but diet soda is by far the worst possible choice.

Here are the ingredients in diet coke:

​Carbonated water, caramel coloring, artificial sweetener (Aspartame, or Sucralose for the Splenda version), phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate (to protect taste), sodium (40mg), natural flavors, citric acid, caffeine. GMO: This product includes ingredients sourced from genetically engineered (GE) crops, commonly known as GMOs.

All artificial sweeteners are bad for you—Aspartame being one of the most unhealthy and down-right dangerous choices possible—its absolute poison in every sense of the word. The harmful effects of ingesting this stuff are endless. It can cause seizures, headaches, depression, ADHD, weight gain, dizziness, birth defects, cancer, lupus, Alzheimer’s, MS, and internal bleeds, just to name a few!

Opt to eat the good of the land—the foods that God has created to nourish our bodies—rather than man-made trash and fake foods!

​“If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land.”   ~Isaiah 1:19

​Q: Are you ready to accept God’s diet?”  From: https://thetruthmission.org/what-is-gods-dietary-plan/

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Hospitals Selling Sickness

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/hospitals-selling-sickness/

“The movement to remove fast food operations from hospitals parallels the successful movement in the 80s to bar hospital tobacco sales.

The food industry spends billions of advertising. Promotion costs for individual candy bars could run in the tens of millions, and this was years ago. McDonald’s alone spends a billion dollars on advertising every year. Such figures dwarf the National Cancer Institute’s million dollar annual investment promoting fruit and vegetable consumption or the 1.5 spent on cholesterol education. And that McBillion goes a long way.

Children’s food preferences are being molded by McDonald’s even before they learn to tie their shoelaces. By the early age of 3 to 5 years, preschoolers preferred the taste of foods and drinks if they thought they were from McDonald’s. This was true even for carrots. Baby carrots placed on a bag with McDonald’s logo reportedly tasted better.

And then if they get sick, they can continue to eat McDonald’s in the hospital. Nearly 1 in 3 children’s hospitals had a fast food restaurant inside, leading parents to have more positive perceptions of the healthiness of McDonald’s food. Or they can just buy the naming rights altogether: The Ronald McDonald Children’s Hospital.

In teaching hospitals, Krispy Kreme tops the list. Hospitals may wish to revisit the idea of serving high-calorie fast food in the very place where they also care for the most seriously ill.

This is reminiscent of the fight back in the 80s to get tobacco out of hospitals, when public health advocates made radical suggestions like cigarettes should not be sold in the hospital. By working to make our hospitals ultimately smoke-free, we become part of a global campaign to completely eliminate the tobacco scourge. The task is difficult, but so was eradicating smallpox.

Maybe it’s time to stop selling sickness in hospitals.”

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Katie Schloer.

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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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Is Thanksgiving Being Replaced? The Sacrifices of Thanksgiving. The Gut-Destroying Toxin You Eat Everyday.

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Is Thanksgiving Being Replaced?

“Saying thanks to God is what Thanksgiving was all about. Is it still?

This year some U.S. retailers are starting their Christmas sales even earlier than Black Friday—now on Thanksgiving Day. Have our priorities changed?

When I was a child, the American Thanksgiving Day was a big event. We were taught in school about the history of the day and to be thankful to God for our blessings. Even television commercials were focused around family togetherness and being thankful.     But times have changed.

Black Friday becoming Black Thursday?

For years the Christmas shopping season “officially” started the day after Thanksgiving in the United States.

The term “Black Friday” got its name from retailers making their largest profits during the holiday season. Profits put retailers “in the black.” Since Friday was the start of the Christmas season, the name “Black Friday” was born.

In recent years some retailers began opening their doors at 7 a.m. on that Friday. Then it was 6 a.m., then 5 a.m. and then midnight.

Now some retailers are beginning their sales at 8 p.m. on Thursday, the same day as Thanksgiving!

What that means is that some employees will have to be at these stores even earlier than that. They won’t have much of a Thanksgiving.

Black Friday is now Black Thursday.

Is Thanksgiving even important anymore?

When President Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday, he called it “a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens” (quotes from the American Presidency Project).

Thanksgiving was originally intended to draw our attention to God, not ourselves. But today many Americans rush through Thanksgiving so they can go shopping and do the things they want to do. Instead of being thankful for the blessings they have, many believe they deserve and are entitled to them.

This completely different mind-set is not what Thanksgiving is supposed to be all about.

Losing sight of God

Concerning America’s wealth, President Lincoln commented that “no human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.”

His words sound very similar to what God told the people of Israel more than 3,000 years ago about the blessings Israel’s descendants would receive.

“When you have eaten and are full, then you shall bless the LORD your God for the good land which He has given you. Beware that you do not forget the LORD your God by not keeping His commandments, His judgments, and His statutes which I command you today, lest—when you have eaten and are full, and have built beautiful houses and dwell in them; and when your herds and your flocks multiply, and your silver and gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied; when your heart is lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt … then you say in your heart, ‘My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth’” (Deuteronomy 8:10-17).

For many decades America has been the most blessed nation on earth, and for that we should be thankful to God. But instead of being thankful for what we have, many want to rush out and accumulate more.

“But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come. For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money … unthankful … lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

“Although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts. And their foolish hearts were darkened” (Romans 1:21).

Americans have forgotten their heritage. Why else would we replace a day set aside for God with a day set aside for greed? Why are we replacing Thanksgiving with Black Thursday?         Because we have forgotten God.

Let’s remember God

Moses, the leader of ancient Israel, wrote about the heritage of Israel. (To explore the connection between ancient Israel and modern nations such as the United States, Australia, Britain and Canada, see “Who Are the United States and Britain in Prophecy?”)

Moses wrote, “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations. Ask your father, and he will show you; your elders, and they will tell you” (Deuteronomy 32:7).

Moses goes on to show how God raised up ancient and modern Israel and blessed them so much that they became the greatest people on earth (verses 10-14).

But as the case is today, Moses also wrote that Israel would forget God because of this wealth (verses 15-18).

Then Moses wrote that because Israel forgets God, God will stop helping them and troubles will come upon Israel (verses 19-26).

God even says, “For they are a nation void of council, nor is there any understanding in them. Oh, that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!” (verses 28-29).

In light of all the troubles the United States has been experiencing over recent years, we should examine the quality of our relationship with God and our gratitude toward Him.

So before America replaces the meaning of Thanksgiving, let’s remember that the day was intended to pay homage to God, not to ourselves.”       From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/is-thanksgiving-being-replaced/

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The Sacrifices of Thanksgiving

Psalm 107:22 

“Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.”

Leviticus 7 describes a “sacrifice of thanksgiving” that involved offering grain and an animal sacrifice (Leviticus 7:12). This offering was not for sin, but for rejoicing and showing thankfulness to God.

We know from the book of Hebrews that the system of animal sacrifices has been superseded, yet Hebrews still talks about a “sacrifice of praise to God.” This is defined as “the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

Praising God, doing good and sharing are sacrifices that continue to please our Creator today.”   For more about thanksgiving, see “In Everything Give Thanks.”

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/the-sacrifices-of-thanksgiving/ 

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The Gut-Destroying Toxin You Eat Everyday

by: Dr. Craig A. Maxwell

“Since the 1990s, there’s been something different about the food you eat everyday. It still looks the same, it tastes the same but it’s not the same nourishing food your grandparents ate. Lurking deep inside a fresh-grilled ear of corn or your favorite soy-based vegetarian dish could be a gut-destroying toxin. It’s called Bt toxin and what you don’t know about it could seriously affect your health.

What is BT Toxin?

Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) is a gram-positive soil-dwelling bacterium that has been used as an insecticide since the 1920s. When farmers spray their crops with this bacterium or its insecticidal proteins or spores, insects eat it and they die when their intestines explode. When this pesticide is just sprayed on your food, you are able to wash it off. Indeed, the spraying of it on crops, even organic crops, allows it to be washed off. Sunshine also quickly degrades it. When used in this way it is considered effective against pests and harmless to humans, as it is not absorbed into the plant.

Now with the advent of genetically modified crops, it is difficult to avoid this dangerous toxin. This is because biotech giant Monsanto decided to profit from this pesticide by splicing the Bt gene with corn, soybeans, and cotton. Now these plants have Bt toxin genetically inserted in them. It cannot be washed off, and it does not degrade during the growth cycle.

Monsanto describes these new crops as “pest-resistant”, giving unsuspecting consumers the idea that pests somehow smell the Bt pesticides and avoid the crops containing them. No. Nothing could be further from the truth. When any insect takes a bite of a genetically modified Bt toxin crop, the toxin literally splits their guts open and they die. So, why would you want to eat it? Remember, when it was only sprayed on the plant, it was easily washed off or degraded by sunshine.

Terrifying Side Effects of BT Toxin

According to a UK report published in 2004, twelve German dairy cows died a slow and painful death after consuming GMO Bt Toxin corn. Syngenta (a biotech company linked to Monsanto) has been trying to cover up this fact for nearly a decade.

Here are just a few of the side effects of Bt Toxin:

Allergic Reaction

Your immune system is designed to protect you against toxins and foreign invaders. Bt toxin is a foreign invader, which means the more you eat GMO foods, the worse you’ll feel. You may develop allergic symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, wheezing, watery eyes, asthma, and hives and be unable to figure out what’s causing them.

Developmental Disorders

Studies have proven that animals given feed from GMO crops experienced noticeable alterations in their mood and behavior. Hogs exposed to Bt toxin exhibited cannibalistic behavior while rats who ate it exhibited signs of anti-social behavior, withdrawing from others and aggressively climbing the cage walls.

This has led researchers to believe that Bt toxin and autistic symptoms are closely-related because they seem to interfere with functional digestive development. Children with ASD have a disproportionate amount of gastrointestinal disorders, reinforcing the belief that gut and brain health are very closely connected.

Autoimmune Disease

Less than a hundred years ago, autoimmune diseases were uncommon. Now we live in a society where conditions such as celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and multiple sclerosis are almost commonplace. It’s becoming more unusual now not to have some type of autoimmune dysfunction than it is to be sick! Sick has become the societal norm and pesticides have been cited as one of the primary causes.

Since 80% of your immune system is located in your gut, the last thing you want to do is eat gut-destroying Bt toxins. One of the most alarming facts about Bt toxin GMO foods is their staying power.

Even if you eat a primarily organic diet and “slip up” every once in the while by eating some corn chips laced with Bt toxin, the effects of the toxin can stay with you. Once inside your stomach, these Bt toxins take can over by destroying your natural gut flora and forcing your digestive system into continually producing more of the pesticide!

Severe Food Allergies

Once your immune system begins to go haywire, it will be unable to tell the difference between whole organic food and genetically modified food. Once your healthy gut flora has been destroyed and altered, a condition called leaky gut syndrome will result. In a person with leaky gut syndrome, the intestinal lining is more porous than it should be. This allows toxins, undigested food particles, and bacteria to run unchecked in your bloodstream, causing chronic inflammation and multiple food allergies.

Kidney Disease

Your kidneys are designed to flush toxins from your body. Continually eating genetically modified crops containing Bt toxins may eventually destroy your kidneys.

Infertility

There is a rising theory among health-conscious individuals that one of the main purposes for the development of GMO crops is population control. When Mike Adams of NaturalNews.com interviewed a biotech scientist known only as “Ed”, the man confirmed that Bt toxins do, in fact, contribute to infertility and that he thought this fact was “awesome!” He went on to say that he believed genetically modified crops were doing humanity a favor because the world is overcrowded.

Cancer

The Institute for Responsible Technology reports 65 serious health risks associated with GMO crops, including cancer development. For example, rats fed potatoes engineered to produce their own insecticide developed precancerous cellular growth in their digestive tract.

Foods Containing Bt Toxin:

Corn – Unless it’s organic, stay away from corn. Over half of the corn grown in the United States is genetically modified to contain Bt toxin.

Soy – Studies have shown that soy is not the health food you have been lead to believe. Up to 90% of soy grown in the United States is genetically modified to contain Bt toxin.

Sugar Beets – In 2012, GMO sugar beets got the green light as well so avoid these and purchase organic beets only.

Diary Products – The milk you pour in your coffee and onto your child’s cereal each day could contain dangerous Bt toxins, as livestock are often fed corn and soybeans which most often contain Bt toxin. Use organic milk instead. Better yet, use organic almond milk.

Squash – Most yellow and zucchini squash is genetically modified and contains Bt toxins.

Cotton – Cotton has been genetically modified to produce Bt toxins. It is pressed into cottonseed oil which is used in vegetable oil and margarine.

Beef-When possible, choose only grass-fed, organic beef. Cattle are often fed Bt toxin-containing feed.

Potatoes-Approved in 1995 by the FDA as the first pesticide-producing crop in the United States.

How to Avoid BT Toxin

The best way to avoid Bt toxins in food is to eat organic whenever possible. When selecting produce, it’s really important to understand what the label numbers mean. A four-digit number beginning with a “4” means it’s been conventionally-grown. A five-digit number that begins with a “9” means it’s organic. A five-digit number beginning with an “8” means it’s genetically-modified and contains harmful Bt toxins.

Also, it is very important to read food labels. Produce isn’t the only thing you have to watch out for. Any food containing corn, soy products, vegetable oil or dairy could potentially contain dangerous Bt toxins. Look for non-GMO or GMO-free foods only.

If you didn’t really understand the dangers about Bt toxins before, you’re not alone. These major biotech corporations will do anything it takes to make sure this critical information doesn’t reach you. Remember, become a label-reader, purchase organic, and look for “non-GMO” food labels. Once you stop unintentionally eating poison, your health will improve by leaps and bounds you never thought possible!                    From: https://www.askdrmaxwell.com/2013/03/the-gut-destroying-toxin-you-eat-everyday/

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Eternal Life Offered to All. Do the Souls of the Dead Live Forever? There's Weed Killer In The Foods You Eat.

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Eternal Life Offered to All, The Eighth Day.

“What does God have in mind for those who have never believed in Christ or understood any of God's truth? How does the Creator provide for them in His plan?

Juan Ignacio Tapia/Unsplash

Thousands of millions have lived and died with their deepest spiritual needs unrealized. When will they be refreshed by the life-giving power of God’s Spirit?

The Bible makes abundantly clear in Acts 4:12 that "there is no other name under heaven" than that of Jesus Christ by which human beings can be saved.

This particular passage raises troubling questions for anyone who believes that God is desperately trying to save the whole world in this age. If this is the only time for salvation, we must conclude that Christ's mission to save humanity has largely failed. After all, over the centuries billions of people have lived and died without once hearing the name of Jesus Christ. Even now thousands die every day never having heard of Christ.

In spite of the missionary zeal of so many over the centuries, far more people have been "lost" than "saved." If God is truly all powerful, why have so many not even heard the gospel of salvation? The traditional portrayal of conflict between God and Satan over mankind leaves God on the losing side of the struggle.

What is the fate of these people? What does God have in mind for those who have never believed in Christ or understood any of God's truth? How does the Creator provide for them in His plan? Are they lost forever without any hope of salvation?

We should not doubt God's saving power! Let's examine some common assumptions and come to an understanding of our Creator's marvelous solution.

Resolving the dilemma

Paul tells us that God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth" (1 Timothy 2:4). Peter adds that God is "not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). This is God's overriding goal in dealing with mankind: He desires as many as possible to repent, come to the knowledge of the truth and receive His gift of salvation!

Jesus explained how this will come to pass. John 7:1-14 describes how Jesus went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles. He appeared publicly and stood in the midst of the people, crying out: "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:37-38).

Christ's message recorded here most likely was given on the seventh day of the Feast of Tabernacles. Scholars vary on whether this was the seventh day or the day following, but the weight of evidence and the series of events indicate that John 7 describes incidents on the seventh day while the setting moves to the eighth day in John 8 and 9.

It is also possible that Christ's teaching recorded in John 7:37-38 came at the end of the seventh day or the very beginning of the eighth day (God's Holy Days begin with sunset and end at the following sunset), as the chapter concludes with people returning to their homes after sundown for the night. The theme of Christ's teaching then continues in chapter 8 (which is clearly the next morning, John 8:2) and includes the offer of salvation to all mankind.

In Leviticus 23:39, we see that this day immediately follows the Feast of Tabernacles but is a separate festival with its own distinct meaning. Based on Christ's words and the theme of offering salvation to all mankind, this festival is sometimes referred to as "the Last Great Day," although the Bible simply calls it "the eighth day." 

Symbolism of Christ's teaching

What was the significance of Christ's teaching about "living water"? In His day, according to tradition, during the Feast of Tabernacles the priests would bring golden vessels of water from the Pool of Siloam on the south side of Jerusalem and pour it over the altar at the temple. Joyous celebration along with the sounding of trumpets marked this ceremony as the people sang the words of Isaiah, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation" (Isaiah 12:3).

Jesus stood where all could hear Him and drew a lesson from the water, revealing that all who were thirsty could come to Him and be refreshed—forever. In Christ's analogy, the water represented God's Holy Spirit, which those who believed in Jesus would receive (John 7:39). He showed that the basic wants of spiritual thirst and hunger could be satisfied only by Him as "the bread of life" (John 6:48) and the source of living water.

But when would this happen? Within six months Christ's own countrymen pressured the Roman authorities to execute Him. About 40 years later the temple and all its ceremonies, including those described above, were brought to an end at the hands of the Roman legions.

Humanity still hungers and thirsts for the message Christ brought—and for the means to live as they ought to and find true happiness. God's promise to pour out His Spirit on all flesh (Joel 2:28) has not yet fully taken place. Thousands of millions have died with their deepest spiritual needs unrealized. When will they be refreshed by the life-giving power of God's Spirit?

A physical resurrection to an opportunity for salvation

To find the answer, we must consider again a question the disciples put to Christ just before He ascended to heaven: "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?" (Acts 1:6). When the disciples spoke of this restoration, they understood it in the context of the many prophecies of a reunited nation of Israel under the coming rule of the Messiah.

One such prophecy is in Ezekiel 37. This passage describes Ezekiel's vision of a valley full of bones. God asks, "Son of man, can these bones live?" to which the prophet replies, "O Lord God, You know" (Ezekiel 37:3). God then says to the bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put breath in you; and you shall live. Then you shall know that I am the Lord"  (Ezekiel 37:5-6).

In this vision a physical resurrection takes place. The account acknowledges the hopeless situation in which these people had found themselves: "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" (Ezekiel 37:11).

Their Creator, however, offers them the hope of a resurrection and the gift of the Holy Spirit in the setting of a reunited nation. In this dramatic vision, ancient Israel serves as the model for all peoples, whom God will resurrect to physical life. God says: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves . . . I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live" (Ezekiel 37:12-14). At this future time God will make freely available the life-giving spiritual water of His Holy Spirit.

More at: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/gods-holy-day-plan-the-promise-of-hope-for-all-mankind/the-eighth-day-eternal-life-offered-to-all?

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Do the Souls of the Dead Live Forever?

Ezekiel 18:4

“Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die.”

The word translated soul is the Hebrew nephesh, which can even refer to animals ( Genesis 1:21 ) and corpses ( Leviticus 22:4 ). The Bible does not describe humans as having an immortal soul, but as being a living soul—a living creature. As God says in Ezekiel 18:4 and 20 , human souls can die. In fact, death—eternal death—is the punishment for sin ( Romans 6:23 ).

Only God has immortality (1 Timothy 6:16 ), and He offers it as a gift to those who believe and obey Jesus Christ ( John 3:16 ; Romans 6:23 ).

For a study of the subjects of the mortality of the soul and hell in the Bible, see our articles “Do Humans Have an Immortal Soul?” and “What Is Hell?” Understanding what the Bible teaches about the mortality of the soul provides further reason for Christians not to celebrate All Saints’ Day and Halloween.  From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/do-the-souls-of-the-dead-live-forever/?

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There's Weed Killer In The Foods You Eat Every Day - Here's How To Avoid it

“Roundup is sprayed on everything these days, and countless studies have showed the many negative side effects of this. But even if you avoid soy and corn, the most commonly sprayed crops, you can not steer clear of the weed killer RoundUp and its active ingredients glyphosate.

Conventional farmed oats, wheat, and beans, score high in glyphosate because some of them are sprayed with roundup so they dry out quicker and can be harvested. In my opinion, you need to buy organic and avoid putting this toxic chemical in your body!”. 

See YouTube:   https://youtu.be/xPHAsThLXOY

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What Is God’s Plan for You? Loner. Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, & Wine Come From? How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels.

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What Is God’s Plan for You?

robertsrob/iStock/Getty Images Plus

“What is God’s plan for His faithful believers?

The ultimate purpose of human beings is to become part of the family of God.

“Why am I here?” This is the question of the ages, the great mystery of life. Why were you born? Why do you exist? What is the purpose of your life? 

What is God’s plan for you? Many believe they will spend eternity in heaven—but doing what? Playing harps and comparing halos? I’ve never heard a good explanation that makes sense.Such a future seems quite dissatisfying. Due to Covid-19, millions of people have spent the last year bored, shut up in their homes doing little or nothing. Do we really want an eternity of that?

If heaven really is the future of much of the human race, the Bible says very little about it. In fact, I’ve searched the Scriptures repeatedly and can find nothing about what believers will do during a supposed eternity in heaven. And for that matter, the common ideas of halos and feathered wings are nowhere to be found either. (To learn more, download or request our free study guide Heaven and Hell: What Does the Bible Really Teach?)

So, what is God’s plan for His faithful believers? What does He have in store?

What the Bible actually reveals is something far greater than going to heaven to do virtually nothing for eternity. It tells us we can become the literal children of God.

That may sound outlandish to you. But don’t take my word for it. Take the word of the apostle Paul, quoting God in 2 Corinthians 6:18: “I will be a Father to you, and you shall be My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty” (emphasis added throughout).

How did Jesus Christ, who came to reveal the Father (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22; John 1:18), present Their relationship? As a family—God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son.

God is in the process of creating a family—His own divine family, the God family. And as a God whose nature and character are summed up as “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16), He wants to see us become part of that family—that means you and me.

What will existence in God’s family be like? Notice the apostle John’s description of Jesus Christ as he saw Him in vision in Revelation 1:12-18 (New Living Translation): “When I turned to see who was speaking to me, I saw seven gold lampstands. And standing in the middle of the lampstands was the Son of Man. He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chest. His head and his hair were white like wool, as white as snow. And his eyes were bright like flames of fire.

“His feet were as bright as bronze refined in a furnace, and his voice thundered like mighty ocean waves. He held seven stars in his right hand, and a sharp two-edged sword came from his mouth [evidently figurative of His speaking the Word of God—Hebrews 4:12]. And his face was as bright as the sun in all its brilliance. When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. But he laid his right hand on me and said, ‘Don’t be afraid! I am the First and the Last. I am the living one who died. Look, I am alive forever and ever!’”

This same John tells us in 1 John 3:2 that the glorified children of God will also appear as Christ does when they are resurrected and given eternal life in the family and Kingdom of God! He states, “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as he is.” 

This is the kind of glorified existence God promises to His children in the resurrection of the dead to immortal spirit at Christ’s return as described in 1 Corinthians 15:50-54. The ultimate purpose of human beings is to become part of the family of God—so Jesus can be “the firstborn among many brethren,” those raised to glory as He is glorified now (Romans 8:29; Hebrews 2:10).

That is a future we can believe in and build our lives around!”

From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-magazine/what-is-gods-plan-for-you

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Loner

“There are times when we must be alone and it serves a purpose. But we need each other and we must appreciate the value in being together.

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/DRPskJ89hak

[Darris McNeely] “There are times we just want to be alone. We want to be by ourselves to work out whatever difficulty, whatever question, whatever problem that might be working in our lives. But we don't want to let that go too long because there's power, value in being together, working with a group, working with those that are close to you.

There's a story from the aftermath of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ that helps us to understand this. It's the story of Thomas, the disciple, who for eight days removed himself from the other disciples after Christ was crucified and was not around in the initial appearances that the resurrected Jesus made to His disciples. And then in John's account, John 20:26, we read where Christ came through the wall, literally, into the room where his disciples were. And Thomas was with them. This says it was eight days after the time of the resurrection. And Thomas was doubting all that he had heard from the other disciples about seeing the resurrected Christ.

Christ appeared to them, He said, "Peace be unto you." And He turned to Thomas and He said, "Reach your finger here and look at my hands. Reach your hands here and put it into my side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing." And when Thomas did that, it was all it took. He said, "My Lord and my God," to which Christ said, "Thomas, because you have seen me, you have believed, and blessed are those who have not seen, have not yet believed."

And so, Thomas now was back with the group, back with the other disciples, the other 10 at that particular point in time. And because he had seen Christ, now his faith was restored. But he had doubted for a period of time. And in this is an important lesson for us.

Today, there's reasons for us to be shut down, locked out, quarantined. We've gone through an extended period. And as the world reopens, we need to understand that there is value in the face-to-face contact with family, with friends, even co-workers to be able to communicate, to understand, to be effective.

This lesson from the life of Thomas, who doubted because he had not seen but when he then rejoined with all the others, his faith was strengthened and he went on to do the job as a disciple that Jesus wanted him to do. Being a loner, being apart, can have brief benefit. But, ultimately, we need one another as we develop our relationships that help strengthen the faith that we have in God.”         From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/loner

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Where Does the Arsenic in Rice, Mushrooms, & Wine Come From?

“What happens when our crops are grown in soil contaminated with arsenic-based pesticides and arsenic drug-laced chicken manure?”

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/upYpLFGjG78

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.

“When arsenic-containing drugs are fed to chickens, not only does it grow out into their feathers (which can then be fed back to them as a slaughterhouse byproduct), the arsenic can get into their tissues, and then get into our tissues, explaining why national studies found that those who eat more poultry have tended to have more arsenic flowing through their bodies.

Why would the industry do that? “In modern poultry CAFOs [these concentrated animal feeding operations],” there can be “200,000 birds under one roof.” And so, the floors of these buildings become “covered with feces.” While this so-called factory farming “decreases…costs, [this also] increases the risk of disease…” That’s where arsenic-containing drugs, and other antibiotic feed additives, can come in, to try to cut down the spread of disease in such an unnatural environment—to which you can imagine the smug vegetarians gloating how glad they are they don’t eat chicken. But, what do you think happens to the poop?

The arsenic from the drugs in the feed can get into our crops, into the air, and into the groundwater, and find its way into our bodies, whether we eat meat or not. Yeah, but how much arsenic are we really talking about? Well, we raise billions of chickens every year, and if historically, the vast majority were fed arsenic, then, if you do the math, we’re talking about dumping a half million pounds’ worth of pure arsenic into the environment every year—much of it onto our crops, or shoveled directly into the mouths of other farm animals.

Most of the arsenic in chicken waste is water-soluble; so, there are certainly concerns about it seeping into the groundwater. But if it’s used as a fertilizer, what about our food?

Studies on the levels of arsenic in the U.S. food supply dating back to the 70s identified two foods—fish aside—with the highest levels: chicken and rice, both of which can accumulate arsenic in the same way. Deliver an arsenic–containing drug, like roxarsone, to chickens, and it ends up in their manure, which ends up in the soil, which ends up in our pilaf. “Rice is [now] the primary source of [arsenic] exposure in a nonseafood diet.”

I was surprised to see mushrooms in the top five food sources of arsenic, but then, not so surprised when I found out that “poultry litter [was] commonly used” as a starting material to grow mushrooms in the United States. And, over the years, mushroom arsenic content has rivaled the arsenic concentration in rice, though people tend to eat more rice than mushrooms on a daily basis, and arsenic levels in mushrooms did seem to be dipping, starting about a decade ago, confirmed in this latest 2016 paper that looked at a dozen different types of mushrooms: plain white button mushrooms, cremini, portobello, shiitake, trumpet, oyster, nameko (never heard of it), maitake, alba clamshell, brown clamshell (never heard of either of those either), and chanterelle. Now, only averaging about half what rice is running.

Just like some mushrooms have less arsenic than others, some rice has less. Rice grown in California has 40% less arsenic than rice grown in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, and Texas. Why? Well, arsenic-based pesticides had been used more than a century on millions of acres of cotton fields, noted to be “a dangerous practice” back in 1927. Arsenic pesticides are now effectively banned; so, it’s not a matter of buying organic versus conventional rice, because millions of pounds of arsenic had already been laid down in the soil well before your rice was even planted.

The rice industry is well aware of this. There’s an arsenic-toxicity disorder in rice, called “straighthead,” where if you plant rice in soil too heavily contaminated with arsenic, it doesn’t grow right. So, instead of choosing cleaner cropland, they just developed arsenic-resistant strains. So, now, lots of arsenic can build up in rice without the plant getting hurt. Can the same be said, however, for the rice consumer?

Same story with wine. Decade after decade of arsenic pesticide use, and even though they’ve been banned now, arsenic can still be sucked up from the soil, leading to “the pervasive presence of arsenic in [American] wine [which could] “pose a potential health risk.” Curiously, they sum up by saying “[c]hronic arsenic exposure is known to lower IQ in children.” But if kids are drinking that much wine, arsenic toxicity is probably the least of their worries.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/Where-Does-the-Arsenic-in-Rice-Mushrooms-and-Wine-Come-From/

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How to Cook Rice to Lower Arsenic Levels

Boiling rice like pasta reduces arsenic levels, but how much nutrition is lost?

Transcript of YouTube: https://youtu.be/H_Lui1v2A1M

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.

“Cooking rice in a high water to rice ratio reduces [toxic] arsenic content”—meaning if you boil rice like pasta, and then drain off the water at the end, you can drop arsenic levels in half. 50 to 60 percent of the arsenic gets poured down the drain, whereas the typical way we make rice, boiling the water off like in a rice cooker or pot, doesn’t help. Or, may even make things worse, if the water you’re using to cook the rice has arsenic in it too—a problem that exists for about three million Americans, as about 8% of public water supplies exceed the current legal arsenic limits.

But “cooking rice in excess water [and then discarding] efficiently reduces the amount of [toxic arsenic] in the cooked rice.” Yeah, but how much nutrition are you pouring down the drain when you do that? We didn’t know, until now.

“Unpolished brown rice naturally contains [nutrients] that are lost when the bran layer and germ are removed to make white rice. To compensate, since the 1940s,” white rice has had vitamins and minerals sprayed on it to quote-unquote “enrich it.” That’s why cooking instructions for white rice specifically say don’t rinse it, and cook it “in a minimal amount of water.” In other words, “the opposite” of what you’d do to get rid of some of the arsenic. But brown rice has the nutrients inside, not just sprayed on.

For example, “rinsing white rice [—like putting it in a colander under running water—] removes much of the enriched vitamins sprayed onto the [white] rice…surface during manufacture,” removing most of the B vitamins, but has “almost no effect on vitamins in whole-grain brown rice,” because it’s got the nutrition inside. Same thing with iron: rinsing white rice reduces iron levels by like three-fourths, but the iron in brown rice is actually in it; and so, rinsing only reduces the iron concentration in brown rice by like 10%. But rinsing didn’t seem to affect the arsenic levels; so, why bother?

Now, if you really wash the rice, like agitate the uncooked rice in water for three minutes, and then rinse and repeat, you may be able to remove about 10% of the arsenic. And so, this research team recommends washing, as well as boiling in excess water. But I don’t know if the 10% is worth the extra wash time. But, boiling like pasta and then draining the excess water does really cut way down on the arsenic, and while that also takes a whack on the nutrition in white rice, the nutrient loss in brown rice is “significantly less,” as it is not so much enriched as it is rich in nutrition in the first place.

“Cooking brown rice in large amounts of excess water reduces the [toxic arsenic] by almost 60% and only reduces the [iron] content by 5%,” but does reduce “the vitamin content of brown rice by about half.” Here it is graphically. A quick rinse of brown rice before you cook it doesn’t lower arsenic levels, but boiling it instead of cooking to dry, and draining off the excess water drops arsenic levels 40%. That was using like six parts water to one part rice. What if you use even more water, boiling at 10:1 water to rice? A 60% drop in arsenic levels.

With white rice, you can rinse off a little arsenic, but after cooking, you end up with similar final drops in arsenic content. But the iron gets wiped out in white rice by rinsing and cooking, whereas the iron in brown rice stays strong. Similar decrements in the B vitamins with cooking for brown and un-rinsed white, but once you rinse white rice, they’re mostly gone before they make it into the pot.

What about percolating rice? We know regular rice cooking doesn’t help, but boiling like pasta and draining does. Steaming doesn’t do much. What about percolating rice as a radical rethink to “optimize [arsenic] removal”? So, they tried like some mad scientist lab set-up, but also just a regular “off-the-shelf coffee percolator.” But instead of putting coffee, they put rice, percolating 20 minutes for white, 30 for brown, and got about a 60% drop in arsenic levels using a 12-to-1 water-to-rice ratio. Here’s where the arsenic levels started and ended up. The squares are the brown rice; circles are the white.

So, raw brown may start out double that of raw white, but after cooking with enough excess water and draining, they end up much closer. Though, 60%, percolating at a 12-to-1 ratio, was about what we got boiling at just 10-to-1; So, I see no reason to buy a percolator.

But, even with that 60%, what does that mean? By boiling and draining a daily serving of rice, we could cut excess cancer risk more than half, from like 165 times the acceptable cancer risk, to only like 66 times the acceptable risk.” 

DOCTOR'S NOTE

At this point, I can imagine you thinking, Wait, so should we avoid rice or not? I’m getting there. First, I’m just laying out the issue. Here are videos on the latest on the topic, if you’re interested:  See bottom of page at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/how-to-cook-rice-to-lower-arsenic-levels/

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