Rahab’s Lie. A Great Blessing. Making America Healthy Again.

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Rahab’s Lie

“When the spies approached Jericho Rahab and the Canaanites had already heard stories of the Red Sea crossing 40 years before. The Israelites had also completely destroyed the Amorites just east of the Jordan (Joshua 2:10) and now they were camped on Jericho's doorstep.

'When the soldiers arrived she did not betray them. ‘There were two men here but I did not know who they were,’ she explained, ‘at dusk before the city gate was closed they left and I don’t know where they are heading.’ (freebibleimages.org)

While most of the people of Jericho were faint with fear, Rahab recognized who was behind the Israelite successes: “I know that the Lord has given you the land...for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath” (Joshua 2:9 and 11). Rahab hid the Israelite spies and lied to the king of Jericho (Joshua 2:4-5). Joshua then spared her and her household “because she hid the messengers…” (Joshua 6:25). God also miraculously kept her walls from tumbling down when the other walls surrounding Jericho were reduced to ruble.

Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, tells us the reason why Rahab did this: “By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who do not believe, when she had received the spies with peace” (verse 31). But was it OK for her to lie in those circumstances?

The Nelson Study Bible states: "A lie is a lie, and...Rahab's action was wrong.... Rahab sinned no matter how noble her intentions. Of course, in her case, her sin is understandable because she lacked complete knowledge of the living God. That is, what she did was wrong, but she did not know any better. We must be careful to make a distinction between Rahab's faith and the way Rahab expressed it. The Bible praises Rahab because of her faith in God, not because of her lying. That is, her actions would have been more noble had she protected the spies in some other fashion…" ("In Depth: Lying").

The United Church of God’s Bible Commentary (see the link below) explains it clearly: “Some view the Bible’s praise of Rahab as an endorsement of her lying…. Based on this, they argue that it is okay to lie when it is ‘for a good cause.’ However, that is simply not the case—ever….”

The Israelites accepted Rahab and her family into the nation of Israel (Joshua 6:25). Over time, she would have learned the laws of God and come to serve Him more completely, repudiating the mistakes of her past. She eventually married Salmon, a prominent member of the tribe of Judah. King David would descend from them and eventually Jesus Christ (Ruth 4:20-21).

Lying is never a trivial matter for a Christian: “Who may climb the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? Only those whose hands and hearts are pure, who do not worship idols and never tell lies" (Psalm 24:3-4 NLT). God's law makes it clear that lying is never acceptable (Proverbs 12:22), and we are told God “cannot lie” (Titus 1:2). We should bear in mind that Rahab is commended for her faith (Hebrews 11:31) not her lying and realize that she would grow in faith and the knowledge of God’s way of life.

• Source:  United News (Mar-Apr 2025)   https://www.ucg.org/members/united-news/united-news-march-april-2025/it-ever-okay-lie

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A Great Blessing

“The desire for revenge, retaliation and mudslinging is reflected in our entertainment and society in general. In spite of the fact we are told to forgive, many seek an active or passive form of revenge against their real or perceived enemies.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid the death penalty earned by mankind as a result of sin. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.... when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son..." (Romans 5:8-10). God expects us to develop this same attitude of mercy, graciousness and forgiveness. He will not forgive our sins if we are unforgiving toward others.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:12,14-15). II Timothy 3:1-4 includes being unforgiving in the list of characteristics people will exhibit in the “perilous times” prevalent in the “last days” just before Jesus Christ returns to earth.

When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus the Scribes and Pharisees demanded: “'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery...Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?'  This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.”  Jesus’s response was, “'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' And…those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one…When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers ... .Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more'" (John 8:1-11).

Another example showing Christ expects us to develop a forgiving attitude occurred when Peter asked, “‘…how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, “…up to seventy times seven'" (Matthew 18:21-22). The Apostles were stunned at this statement and answered, “‘Increase our faith.’” (Luke 17:5).

The parable in Matthew 18:23-35 illustrates the consequences of being unforgiving. The account of the forgiven servant persecuting someone who owed him a pittance in comparison with the amount he had just received forgiveness for is a lesson for us. Christ warned the unforgiving servant his attitude was unacceptable, pointing out: "Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' (verse 33).

This is not to say we cannot make a judgment regarding other people's actions as to whether or not we should follow their example, but we cannot read minds and hearts. Christ instructs us not to judge others: "Judge not, that you be not judged... First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1 and 5). Luke 6:36-37 reinforces this admonition: "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37).

Proverbs 19:11 states, “it is his [our] glory to pass over a transgression” (King James Version). Jesus' example just before His death sets the standard for us as far as forgiveness is concerned: "When Jesus was being crucified and in agony He prayed: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). When we forgive, we reflect the Father’s love, giving us the opportunity to extend to others the great blessing God has extended to us.

Source: United News (May 2001)   From: https://www.ucg.org/members/united-news/united-news-may-2001/where-do-you-draw-line-sand

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Here’s My 2 Cents: "Making America Healthy Again"

Dr. Eric Berg says:

“Robert F. Kennedy is receiving a lot of pushback for his ideas on health and reform. As secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, his ideas would radically change the US healthcare system. In this video, I’m going to share some of the changes I would make to address the current healthcare crisis and improve America’s health.

RFK has the following goals for healthcare reform in America: RFK healthcare policy 1:22 Institutional foods 2:35 Subsidized foods 3:54 Vote for me! 4:25 GRAS 5:00 Food fortification 5:35 Tax money and drugs 6:55 End the rounding rule 7:47 Sun phobia

He will be actively working against big food companies, big chemical companies, and big pharma, so naturally, he’s getting a lot of pushback. The U. S. spends over 4.1 trillion dollars each year on healthcare, yet we’re at the bottom as far as health. Why? Here's what I think can improve America’s health! 

1. Change the institutional foods.  Prepackaged foods are given to people in nursing homes, prisons, schools, hospitals, and other public institutions. These institutional foods are very low-quality, highly processed foods. The health of the people in these institutions would quickly improve by simply removing the refined sugars, starches, and oils from their diets.

2. Address the subsidized foods.  Subsidized foods are paid for by taxpayers. Corn, soy, wheat, sugar, and rice are the most highly subsidized foods. Changing the types of foods that are subsidized and investing in small farmers can significantly improve this problem.

3. Changing GRAS.  “Generally Recognized As Safe” is a term used by the FDA for products that have been safety tested by their own manufacturers. To avoid conflict of interest, these tests should be conducted by third-party independent companies.

4. Change food fortification.  Synthetic folic acid and iron fortification of food can cause serious problems for many people.

5. Disallow tax dollars from being used for drugs.  Every year, 40 billion dollars of taxpayer money is used to pay for medical research to develop new drugs.

6. The rounding rule. If a product contains less than .5 grams of an ingredient, it can be rounded down to 0. This is misleading and should be eliminated. People need to be more aware of what's really in their food. Companies also need to be forced to raise the quality of the ingredients in their products.

7. End sun phobia Sun phobia paired with low RDAs for vitamin D is contributing to massive vitamin D deficiency in the population, putting people at risk for disease.”  More at: https://www.drberg.com/blog/heres-my-2-cents-making-america-healthy-again

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Danger, Fake News. Heeding an Alarm: The Texas Tragedy Still Haunts Us. The Same Diet That’s Anti-Cancer Is Also Anti-Heart Disease And Anti-Lung Disease.

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Fake News in the Church? It Started in a Garden...

“Fake news isn’t new.

In fact, the very first fake news story was broadcast in the Garden of Eden when Satan told Eve:
“You will not surely die...” (Genesis 3:4)

That was a lie — and it’s been spreading ever since.

Christ called Satan the father of lies (John 8:44), and to this day, he remains the invisible broadcaster behind every slander, whisper, distortion, and deception — including many that make their way right into the Church of God.

In a world trained to doubt everything and mock everyone, the spirit of fake news has crept in among God’s people — not just through media, but in our conversations, our comments, our posts, and even our fellowship.

Let’s be real:
Gossip, rumors, harsh opinions, character assassinations — these are all modern forms of false witness, and they violate the Ninth Commandment:

“You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” (Exodus 20:16)

Even if something is “technically” true, if it’s told with the intent to damage, divide, or discourage — it becomes spiritual fake news.

God hates it.

“A lying tongue… a false witness who speaks lies… and one who sows discord among brethren.” (Proverbs 6:16–19)

It’s easy to fall into it.
We’ve all heard it — maybe we’ve even spread it.

That’s why we must wake up and take spiritual inventory.

Christ didn’t just speak truth — He was the Truth (John 14:6).
As His followers, we must reflect that same Spirit of truth — in our words, our tone, our posts, and even in our private conversations.

So ask yourself:

Do I speak negatively about others?

Do I pass on things I haven’t personally confirmed?

Do I allow cynicism or distrust to shape my attitude in the Church?

Cynicism isn’t harmless. It damages your faith and erodes others’. It causes stumbling — and Christ warned that causing a brother to stumble is no small thing (Matthew 18:6).

This isn’t about being naïve. It’s about being spiritually responsible.
We must not become the carriers of a spiritual virus that Satan uses to weaken the Church from within.

So here’s the challenge:

▸ Don’t engage in or pass along gossip
▸Speak well of others when possible — and stay silent when it’s not
▸Change the subject when others veer negative
▸Choose your words — and your thoughts — carefully

“Let all that you do be done with love.” (1 Corinthians 16:14)
“To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne.” (Revelation 3:21)

You were called to truth — not just to know it, but to live it.

Let’s overcome the spirit of fake news — and be vessels of faith, clarity, and peace.

With sincerity and encouragement in Christ,
Bob Schenfield”

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Heeding an Alarm: The Texas Tragedy Still Haunts Us

“Have you ever heard an emergency alarm sound and ignored it?  I have.
I remember the alarm system when I was young in my hometown. A weather alert would come on the television or the radio. Those were the only two systems we had. Because my mother had once experienced a tornado, and we had a next-door neighbor who took the alarms seriously and came knocking on our door, we took it seriously. We would go to our basement until the alarm passed.

Recently, I visited my hometown. One night, storms came through, spawning tornadoes, and the tornado alarms went off. The town now has a system of very loud alarms. When the alarms sounded my wife and I did nothing. We turned over and went back to sleep. Fortunately, nothing occurred. I am alive to write this piece.

I am still digesting the recent flooding tragedy in south Texas along the Guadalupe River. Every time I think of the young girls who were swept away in the dark of night, I grieve for their families. The whole incident haunts us. The region will take a long time to recover. Parents and family of the dead will never fully recover.

Could the devastating loss of life have been prevented? Had it occurred in daylight, rather than the early hours of morning when all were asleep, the number of casualties would certainly have been reduced. It happened when it did, when people were sleeping and evidently the only alarm system was on people’s cell phones. When you are asleep it is difficult to hear and heed an alarm.

I read that Kerr County, Texas, where this occurred is about the size of the state of Rhode Island (1,107 square miles) and only has 54,000 inhabitants. Rhode Island has more than a million people. Emergency services were likely tailored to the size and resources of the population. They proved inadequate.

What do we learn from this tragedy?

I will pay more attention to the sounding of an alarm, whether it is a tornado, fire or other emergency. It is the right thing to do. One day danger will strike. If we prepare even a small amount, it can save a life.

I have thought about the biblical references to the coming of the Lord as a “thief in the night.”  This phrase is used in four locations in the New Testament. Revelation 16:15 says, “Behold, I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame.” (Luke 21:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:4; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3).

The metaphor is striking—“a thief in the night.”  While we sleep—when we are least able to hear and respond to danger.
These scriptures refer to spiritual watchfulness.
The events of the Day of the Lord will begin suddenly. Spiritual deception is high. World events suddenly shift. These biblical references speak to preparedness, alertness and righteous works.
My lack of reaction to a local alarm tells me I may need to study these scriptures again.
There is much to learn.” From: https://mailchi.mp/ucg/heeding-an-alarm-texas-tragedy?e=72c729d811

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The same diet that’s anti-cancer is also anti-heart disease and anti-lung disease.

“Following cancer prevention guidelines for lifestyle and diet may increase longevity.

Adherence to cancer prevention recommendations isn’t just associated with higher survival in cancer patients and lower risk of dying from cancer, but lower risk of dying overall. That’s the beauty of eating a more plant-based diet.

Thirty to 50 percent of common cancers are preventable with diet and lifestyle. We have the power to change our health destiny.

A healthy lifestyle that includes a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes may help reduce the number of breast cancer incidences, for example.

The American Institute for Cancer Research recommendations include maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and eating a diet rich in whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and beans, while limiting fast food, processed junk, meats, soda, and alcohol.

Specific to breast cancer, those who met most of those recommendations only had half the risk, compared to individuals who only met a couple. If you could only do one of those recommendations, limiting animal foods seems most protective. Adherence to the recommendations is also associated with higher survival in people who already have cancer.

Higher dietary fiber consumption was associated with a 37 percent lower risk of dying from all causes put together and a 28 percent lower risk of dying specifically from breast cancer among breast cancer survivors––and it didn’t take much. There was about a 10 percent drop in death risk for every increment of 5 daily grams of dietary fiber. That’s like a cup of oatmeal or broccoli, or just a third of a cup of beans.

Watch the video “Diet and Lifestyle for Cancer Prevention and Survival” at see.nf/3O4GyAa

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Simon The Magician. A Great Blessing. God Cares About What We Eat.

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Simon The Magician

“Simon the Magician came from the Middle East, but his religious cult expanded over a wide area perverting the teachings of Jesus Christ. He is mentioned in the book of Acts and founded a counterfeit Christianity promoting false ideas and doctrines.

After Jesus' crucifixion, death and resurrection His followers spread the Gospel message. A disciple named Philip taught in Samaria, an area not far from Jerusalem, and many people began to respond to his message.

During his time in Samaria Philip came in contact with a pagan religious leader known as Simon the Magician, who is described in Acts 8:9-10: “But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one. To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, "This man is the great power of God.”

Many of Simon's followers believed Philip's message about Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, and were baptized. Even Simon himself professed to be a Christian and he too was baptized (Acts 8:12-13). A short time later the Apostles Peter and John traveled to Samaria to teach the new converts and lay hands upon them so they would receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:17-19). When Simon saw the people were given God's Spirit, he offered the Apostles money to give him this power. (This is the origin of the English word ‘simony’, which refers to the selling and buying of religious offices.)

The biblical account doesn't say Simon wanted to give up his false teachings or even change his way of life. What he wanted was power (Acts 8:19). The Apostles knew this and called him a man of “...bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity” rejecting his request (Acts 8:23). After this, Simon Magus (magus means magician or sorcerer) disappears from the biblical account, but he continued to lead his religious cult, adding elements of the teachings of Jesus to his pagan-Jewish mixture, and becoming part of a movement to create a paganized Christianity.

Simon carried his message from city to city, just as Christ’s Apostles spread the true Gospel. He translated the doctrine of grace as license to disobey God’s law. The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 25, states, in its article titled “Simon Magus,” that he identified with the “Hellenized Gnosticism of Samaria.” The article referred to him as the “Samaritan Messiah” and the “father of all heresy.” The Samaritans had been placed in the land from which the northern kingdom of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians. These Samaritans had been brought from Babylon and continued to practice their ancient Babylonian religion, mixed with other religions.

The belief, at the heart of Simon's heresy, was he could receive power from God without changing his ways. The religious movement became known as gnosticism, and in the New Testament this false teaching is referred to as ‘lawlessness’.  Even today many believe the law of God was done away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul maintained this approach was already gathering momentum during his lifetime, "For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work..." (2 Thessalonians 2:7).

The Ten Commandments define the most basic behaviors of love. Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not murder. 1 John 5:3 very plainly tells us that love is keeping the commandments. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expanded the meaning of the word ‘love’ beyond the simple letter of the law. For example he explained obedience to the commandment "do not murder" entailed learning not to hate, because hatred is the root cause of murder.

Nearly 300 years after Peter confronted Simon, a bishop named Eusebius lamented the Simonian cult still existed: "It is an astonishing fact that this is still the practice of those who to the present day belong to his (this) disgusting sect. Following in…. [Simon's] footsteps they slip into the church like a pestilential and scabby disease, and do the utmost damage to all whom they succeed in smearing with the horrible, deadly poison concealed on them" (The History of the Church by Eusebius.)

Even after Simon died in AD 68 his greatest heresies were still infecting Christianity hundreds of years after he is mentioned in the book of Acts. One of the reasons God inspired Luke to record these events is because Christians will be combating the "mystery of lawlessness" until the return of Jesus Christ. No wonder the Apostle John warns Christians: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1)

• Source: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-television-program/the-strange-tale-of-simon-the-magician

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A Great Blessing

“The desire for revenge, retaliation and mudslinging is reflected in our entertainment and society in general. In spite of the fact we are told to forgive, many seek an active or passive form of revenge against their real or perceived enemies.

The sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid the death penalty earned by mankind as a result of sin. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.... when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son..." (Romans 5:8-10). God expects us to develop this same attitude of mercy, graciousness and forgiveness. He will not forgive our sins if we are unforgiving toward others.

"And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:12,14-15). II Timothy 3:1-4 includes being unforgiving in the list of characteristics people will exhibit in the “perilous times” prevalent in the “last days” just before Jesus Christ returns to earth.

When a woman caught in adultery was brought to Jesus the Scribes and Pharisees demanded: “'Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery...Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?' This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him.” Jesus’s response was, “'He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.' And…those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one…When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, 'Woman, where are those accusers ... .Has no one condemned you?' She said, 'No one, Lord.' And Jesus said to her, 'Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more'" (John 8:1-11).

Another example showing Christ expects us to develop a forgiving attitude occurred when Peter asked, “‘…how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?' Jesus answered, “…up to seventy times seven'" (Matthew 18:21-22). The Apostles were stunned at this statement and answered, “‘Increase our faith.’” (Luke 17:5).

The parable in Matthew 18:23-35 illustrates the consequences of being unforgiving. The account of the forgiven servant persecuting someone who owed him a pittance in comparison with the amount he had just received forgiveness for is a lesson for us. Christ warned the unforgiving servant his attitude was unacceptable, pointing out: "Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' (verse 33).

This is not to say we cannot make a judgment regarding other people's actions as to whether or not we should follow their example, but we cannot read minds and hearts. Christ instructs us not to judge others: "Judge not, that you be not judged... First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:1 and 5). Luke 6:36-37 reinforces this admonition: "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven" (Luke 6:37).

Proverbs 19:11 states, “it is his [our] glory to pass over a transgression” (King James Version). Jesus' example just before His death sets the standard for us as far as forgiveness is concerned: "When Jesus was being crucified and in agony He prayed: Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Luke 23:34). When we forgive, we reflect the Father’s love, giving us the opportunity to extend to others the great blessing God has extended to us.

• Source: https://www.ucg.org/members/united-news/united-news-may-2001/where-do-you-draw-line-sand

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God Cares About What We Eat.

“God’s instructions to mankind concerning the food we should eat was an established law of God long before the time of the Mount Sinai covenant (See Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14).

Noah was aware of these laws at the time of the flood. When God told him in Genesis 7:2, “You shall take with you seven…pairs of every kind of clean animal…and one pair of every kind of unclean animal….” He did not explain which creatures were clean and unclean because Noah already knew.

Act 10:13-35 describes a dream the Apostle Peter had ten years after Christ’s crucifixion, in which he initially thought God was instructing him to eat unclean food. It is clear from Peter’s reaction the Apostles did not think Christ had abolished the food laws of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14. His response was: "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean" (Acts 10:14). Peter eventually correctly understood the significance of his dream was that God’s message of salvation applies to all nations, and He was calling people from all races and backgrounds. “...God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean (verse 28).” Shortly thereafter Peter baptized the first uncircumcised gentiles God called into the Church (Acts 10:34-35; 45-48).

The account in Mark 7 is also often misunderstood and thought to indicate the food laws in Deuteronomy and Leviticus no longer applied in the New Testament era. However, the topic of discussion here is food in general, as Mark 7:2 points out: “Now when they (the Pharisees) saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault." They then asked Jesus, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?" (verse 5).

In Mark 7:18-19 Jesus explained: “...whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him because it doesn’t enter his heart, but his stomach, and is eliminated….” Many modern translations of the New Testament erroneously insert additional words into the text of Mark 7:18-19. The New International Version ends verse 19 with the comment: "In saying this, Jesus declared all foods 'clean'." The New King James Version has "thus purifying all foods."   The food laws are not in question here. The disciples were being criticized for not following ceremonial hand-washing procedures and, after decrying the hypocrisy of this and other religious practices, Jesus describes the attitudes that defile us “... out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man" (Mark 7:21-23). Some of these same qualities are listed in Galatians 5:19-21 as "works of the flesh." They are contrasted with the "fruit of the Spirit" which are listed as: "Love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness [and] self-control…." (Galatians 5:22-23).

Many also believe Romans 14 tells us Christians are free from all former biblical restrictions regarding the meats they may eat. They cite as proof verse 14 in which Paul wrote, "I know and am convinced by the Lord Jesus that there is nothing unclean of itself; but to him who considers anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." This approach, however, fails to consider the context of Paul's letter as well as the specific Greek words he used.

The food controversy here was over meat sacrificed to idols. The Romans of the day commonly offered both meat and wine to idols, with portions of the offerings later being sold in the marketplace. Some thought there was nothing wrong with eating this meat, while others had a guilty conscience about it. Paul explained those whose consciences were not troubled by eating meat that might have been ceremonially offered to idols could go ahead and eat it as long as they did not offend others who may believe it was a wrong thing to do. Paul instructs, "..let each be fully convinced in his own mind" (Romans 14:5) because "...whatever is not from faith is sin" (Romans 14:23). (See our article Does Romans 14 Abolish God’s Law About Clean And Unclean Meats for a more detailed explanation of these scriptures and the Greek words Paul used here.)”

• Source: https://www.ucg.org/learn/bible-study-aids/new-covenant-does-it-abolish-gods-law/new-covenant-does-it-abolish-gods-23

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Would Jesus celebrate Easter? How Easter Supplanted Passover Observance.

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Would Jesus celebrate Easter?

“Many Christian churches prepare special easter programs commemorating the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, and parents hide easter eggs so their children can hunt for them on Easter morning. Then there are the Easter sunrise services, when Jesus' miraculous resurrection is supposedly honoured by watching the sun rise in the east.”

Image: Church Easter egg hunt (source: wikimedia commons)

“But can we find any historical or biblical record of Jesus or His disciples celebrating Easter or teaching us to meet to honor His resurrection at sunrise on Easter Sunday—or at any other time, for that matter?

There is no reference to Easter anywhere in the New Testament. In the King James Version of the Bible the word ‘Easter' is used once in Acts 12:4, but it is an erroneous mistranslation. The original Greek word is ‘pascha’, which is correctly translated as Passover in virtually every modern version of the Bible.

The original Apostles, and even the Apostle John, who died near the end of the first century, left no record of celebrating Easter. The Apostle Paul, some 25 years after Jesus' death and resurrection, told the Corinthian church they should continue to keep the Passover as Christ commanded (1 Corinthians 11:23-27). (See also the previous issue of Bible Insights Weekly #324 Why Christians Should Keep The Annual Passover). Paul and Luke, his traveling companion and author of the book of Acts, regularly mention observing the weekly Sabbath day and the annual biblical festivals listed in Leviticus 23, but mention of Easter is conspicuously absent ( 1 Corinthians 5:6-8 and 6:8; Acts 2:1-4; 13:42-44; 17:1-3; 18:4; 20:6 and 16).

Many scholars point out Easter is a pre-Christian religious holiday, observed long before Jesus' human lifetime. Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words notes: "The term 'Easter' is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean [Babylonian] goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pasch [Passover] held by Christians in post-apostolic times was a continuation of the Jewish feast…From this Pasch the pagan festival of 'Easter' was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity" (W.E. Vine, 1985, "Easter").

Alexander Hislop in his book The Two Babylons also explores the origins of Easter. Although his work has been criticized as lacking scholarship, it is heavily footnoted with sources—and much of what he presents can be verified through other historical works. He points out Easter and the practices associated with it can be traced back to pagan rituals. For example "the forty days' abstinence of Lent [a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving observed by many Christian denominations in preparation for Easter] was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess" (p. 104). Hislop continues, "Among the pagans this Lent seems to have been an indispensable preliminary to the great annual festival in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Tammuz…." (p. 105). Tammuz was a chief Babylonian deity and husband of the goddess Ishtar, and a great festival was held every spring to celebrate Tammuz's death and supposed resurrection.

One Catholic writer explains how eggs and rabbits came to be connected with Easter: "The egg has become a popular Easter symbol…In ancient Egypt and Persia friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox, the beginning of their New Year. These eggs were a symbol of fertility for them….Christians of the Near East adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus came forth to new life" (Greg Dues, Catholic Customs and Traditions, 1992, p. 101). Rabbits came to be linked with Easter because they were potent symbols associated with ancient fertility rites.

Not until the Council of Nicaea in 325—almost three centuries after Jesus was crucified and rose again—did Easter replace the Passover, the biblical ceremony Jesus and the Apostle Paul instructed Christians to observe. "A final settlement of the dispute [whether and when to observe Easter or Passover] was one among the other reasons which led Constantine to summon the council of Nicaea in 325….The decision of the council was unanimous that Easter [which they wrongly called Passover] was to be kept on Sunday, and on the same Sunday throughout the world, and 'that none should hereafter follow the blindness of the Jews'" (The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, pp. 828-829, "Easter").

Constantine's decision was a fateful turning point for Christianity. Those who remained faithful to the instruction of Jesus and the Apostles would become a persecuted minority as a vastly different set of beliefs and practices—recycled from ancient pre-Christian religions dressed in a Christian cloak—would take hold among the majority.

Easter is a pagan tradition that was involved in the worship of false gods and is abhorrent to God. It is rooted in ancient pre-Christian fertility rites that have nothing to do with Jesus. Scripture does not support this pre-Christian holiday and condemns pagan worship practices even if done to honor the true God (Deuteronomy 12:29-32).

• Source:  Good News magazine (March-April 2011)
• https://www.ucg.org/good-news/good-news-magazine-march-april-2011/would-jesus-christ-celebrate-easter

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How Easter supplanted Passover observance

“After Adam and Eve rejected God in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3), humanity looked for other explanations for life with fertility rites and customs being incorporated into religious practices early on in human history.

Forces of nature and seasons that could not be controlled began to be viewed as gods, goddesses and supernatural powers to be worshipped and feared. Man soon created his own gods, contradicting God's instruction against idolatry (Exodus 20:3-6; Deuteronomy 5:7-10). “The most prominent myth to cross cultural lines was that of the fertility cycle. Many pagan cultures believed that the god of fertility died each year during the winter but was reborn…in the spring." (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, 1995, "Gods, Pagan," p. 508).

The Babylonian and Assyrian fertility goddess was Ishtar. She was the goddess of love, and the practice of ritual prostitution became widespread in the fertility cult dedicated to her name. "Associated with Ishtar was the young god Tammuz (Ezek. 8:14)... [who] died annually and was reborn…representing the yearly cycle of the seasons and the crops. This pagan belief later was identified with the pagan gods Baal and Anat in Canaan" (Nelson's New Illustrated Bible Dictionary, "Gods, Pagan," p. 509).

It was believed that Ishtar brought about the rebirth or resurrection of Tammuz in the spring, coinciding with the blossoming of nature. Though Easter was clearly pagan in origin, Christian leaders of the first two centuries concluded it was easier to draw pagan worshippers into Christianity by identifying the time-honored spring resurrection feast of the pagan mystery religions with the resurrection of Christ. Believing that people are free to select their own times and customs of worship, they gradually replaced the biblically commanded Passover with their humanly devised celebration of Easter.

This movement to replace Passover with popular Easter customs was the basis for contention over the next three centuries: "The earliest Christians celebrated the Lord's Passover at the same time as the Jews…[but]...By the middle of the 2nd century, most churches had transferred this celebration to the Sunday after the Jewish feast….[however] certain churches of Asia Minor clung to the older custom, for which they were denounced as ‘judaizing' “(Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book 5, chapters 23-25).

Before A.D. 70 Christianity was "regarded by the Roman government and by the people at large as a branch of the Jewish religion" (Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, 1954, p. 34). Christianity and Judaism shared the biblical feast days, although Christians observed them with added meanings introduced by Jesus and the Apostles. However, two Jewish revolts against the Roman Empire, in 64-70 and 132-135, led to widespread persecution of Jews and suppression of Jewish religious practices.

As pressure mounted, some Christians began to abandon beliefs and practices perceived as being too Jewish, such as the weekly Sabbath and instead worshiped on Sunday, the pagan day of the sun, as well as abandoning the Passover in favor of Easter to distance themselves from Jews. The New Catholic Encyclopedia explains: "Originally both observances [Passover and Easter] were allowed, but gradually it was felt incongruous that Christians should celebrate Easter on a Jewish feast, and unity in celebrating the principal Christian feast was called for" (1967, Vol. 5, p. 8, "Easter Controversy"). The first ecumenical Council of Nicaea in 325 decreed that all churches should observe the feast together on a Sunday" (15th edition, Macropaedia, Vol. 4, pp. 604-605, "Church Year").

Two religious leaders of the mid-second century—Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna in Asia Minor, and Anicetus, bishop of Rome—debated this point. Anicetus argued for Easter while Polycarp, a student of the Apostle John, defended observing "the Christian Passover, on the 14th of Nisan…regardless of the day of the week" (Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th edition, Micropaedia, Vol. 8, p. 94, "Polycarp"). Eusebius said Polycarp did so because this was the way "he had always observed it with John the disciple of our Lord, and the rest of the Apostles, with whom he associated" (Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, 1995, pp. 210-211).

Several decades later another church leader, Polycrates, argued with a new bishop of Rome, Victor, over the same issue. Eusebius wrote of the continuing debate: “The bishops ... of Asia, persevering in observing the custom handed down to them from their fathers, were headed by Polycrates…."We,' said he, ‘therefore, observe the genuine day; neither adding thereto nor taking therefrom ...For they who are greater than I, have said, ‘we ought to obey God rather than men'" (pp. 207-209).

Regrettably, people's reasoning won out over the directions of God and the example of Jesus Christ and His original disciples. As Easter replaced Passover, not only was a new date selected, but a new theme was introduced. Rather than commemorating Christ's death as directed by the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 11:26), the new holiday was designed to celebrate His resurrection, easily accommodating the pagan fertility symbols. It also helped distinguish the Christian community from the Jews, a major goal of church leaders of the time.

Although Christ's resurrection is an important basis of our hope that we, too, can be resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:17; Romans 5:10), the love of God is primarily expressed to humanity through the crucifixion of Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Hebrews 9:28). His death, through which our sins may be forgiven, is the primary focus of the Passover.”     From: https://www.ucg.org/learn/bible-study-aids/holidays-or-holy-days-does-it-matter-which-days-we-observe/holidays-or-11

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Do You Feel Lucky Today?

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Do You Feel Lucky Today?

“Good luck, bad luck, no luck and even luck that can follow you—is this really what controls your future?

Across the globe the seemingly harmless Irish tradition of having to wear green on March 17 so the luck of the Irish will be with you has saturated our society. What's all the fuss over a man called St. Patrick that has resulted in widespread partying and celebration?

Even more widespread is the concept of luck, a seemingly supernatural force that swings the odds of circumstances in people's favor or against them. Is this acceptable from a biblical perspective? Should we be wishing others "Good luck"?

As St. Patrick's Day comes around, it's a good time to take a hard look at luck.

Irish tradition

Throughout the past 1, 500 or so years, traditions have grown, folklore has spread, and "luck" has sprouted in our everyday language. The leprechaun and icons like the color green, the shamrock and the pot o' gold have all come to be associated with the celebration of St. Patrick's Day.

Legend states that St. Patrick used the shamrock or three-leaved clover to explain the Trinity. Its three leaves supposedly represented the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Eventually, the custom was adopted of wearing a shamrock on his feast day. (The Trinity doctrine, however, is unbiblical—for more information, request our free booklet Is God a Trinity?)

A shamrock is different from a four-leaf clover. According to Celtic tradition, when a four-leaf clover is found, it is said to represent God's grace, with the four leaves standing for faith, hope, love and luck.

Ironically, the real Patrick would probably have frowned on the traditions associated with his feast day—as well as the holiday itself.

What's with luck?

Of course, the concept of luck or fortune is not exclusive to Irish tradition. We find it throughout human history and throughout the world today.

We now hear phrases like "good luck with the job interview," or "good luck on that test." While many deem this merely an expression of hoping for the best outcome, not really believing in luck, others take the concept of luck more seriously.

Some things associated with luck seem harmless, like wishing on a star, shooting stars, wishing wells, lucky trinkets or fairies. But there are underlying issues here that need to be raised.

Over the years luck has become like a god in society. Luck seems to decide things like your fate, car accidents, test scores, the job hunt, pay raises or even the answer you'll be given about that date you want to go on this Saturday night. People believe luck controls things and that it provides different opportunities for different people. Decisions are even based on it. Consider that many skyscrapers have no 13th floor—as 13 is considered unlucky.

No luck with the Bible

Looking to the Bible, we find that it gives no credibility to luck. In the first of the Ten Commandments, God states, "You shall have no other gods before Me" (Exodus 20:3). The intent of His command here is that nothing is to take a higher priority in our lives than Him! This first command warns us to not accept a religion or philosophy that teaches that our life and well-being originate or depend on anything other than the one true God.

As He often does, God colorfully portrays the utter foolishness of making gods of wood and stone, but the biblical nations of ancient Israel and Judah manufactured as many fake deities as the number of cities in the land of Judah (Jeremiah 2:27-28). "See if they can save you in the time of your trouble!" God taunted them and modern mankind (compare verse 28). Today our peoples still trust in worthless and inanimate things to save us—such as weapons, money and even actual idols by seeing power in crosses, religious statues and good luck charms.

God even laments over His people rejecting Him "and offering food and wine to the gods you call ‘Good Luck' and ‘Fate'" (Isaiah 65:11, Contemporary English Version). Any credit to luck is really a form of idolatry.

No luck at all

Maybe you've heard people say, "I know luck doesn't exist, but good luck anyway!" Perhaps they're conceding that there may be luck after all—or maybe they just don't know how else to wish someone well. They could simply say, "Do well" or "All the best." Or they could look to God, saying, "God be with you" or "God bless you" (yet only if He is truly sought).

After all, true power is with God, not with luck. As the Bible tells us: "Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things … by the greatness of His might and the strength of His power; not one is missing … The Creator of the ends of the earth neither faints nor is weary" (Isaiah 40:26-28).

Using luck in our vocabulary and lives may seem harmless. But God is jealous for His people. He truly loves you and desires the best for your future. It does not please Him when we turn to fables and smooth phrases that announce our dependence on anything but Him. Everything we are and have ultimately comes from God. The only reliable assurance that our future is secure lies in our relationship with our Creator, not some ominous luck, wishes, stars or leprechauns.

God beats luck any day

God wants us to understand that we must never direct our worship toward anything He has created, or regard it as the source of our life and blessings. Worship only the Creator—never the creation. He is the sole miracle-working God who provides blessings, hopes and a promised future of eternal life in the Kingdom of God. Rainbows, waterfalls, clovers, stars and the rest of the creation were created for us to enjoy and use as a wonderful and beautiful environment to live in. We don't bow down, pray or make requests to any aspect of the creation.

So where are you placing your trust, faith and hope? That's a vital question for each of us.

God's ultimate plan and desire for us is that we live forever in His eternal family and Kingdom: "Now we are children of God … we know that when He [Jesus Christ] is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is" (1 John 3:2).

That is the purpose for which we have been created! Luck has nothing to do with it! Wishing wells, wishing on a star or making a wish when blowing out birthday candles simply skew and corrupt our relationship with our Creator.

There is one source of blessings. There is one way into the Kingdom of God. There is one sacrifice that removes the penalty of our personal sins. God alone is that true source—not luck!

Read the related article "St. Patrick & St. Patrick's Day".  From: https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/vertical-thought-january-march-2012/do-you-feel-lucky-today

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Valentine's Day What's Wrong With Showing Love? How do I connect with God? Why did God change our diet?

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Valentine's Day, What's Wrong With Showing Love?

“Valentine's Day has become a very romantic holiday despite its pagan origins. So what's wrong with celebrating this holiday?

Thinkstock

Valentine's Day is all about showing "love," giving a card or flowers or chocolates to a loved one. All of that's good, right? Wrong.

Valentine's Day is big business. According to the National Retail Foundation, Valentine's Day for 2012 added around $17.6 billion to the U.S. economy—making retail spending for this day the second-largest behind Christmas.

For a lot of people it's the holiday to express your love to someone special. According to Kemberly King, a business instructor at South University, young adults ages 25-34 spend the most on Valentine's Day gifts. Interestingly, men will outspend women—almost 2 to 1—with the biggest categories for all spending being restaurants, candy, romantic getaways and flowers.

A quick Web search for the origins of Valentine's Day will give you the basics of the accepted history of the day. A deeper search will acknowledge its pagan origins. The Good News magazine (sister publication of Vertical Thought) has published a variety of articles on both of these aspects of Valentine's Day. While Valentine's Day is the most promoted holiday after Christmas and Easter even among traditional Christian churches, it is definitely not a holiday with true Christian values.

How can "love" be wrong?

There's nothing wrong in showing love to others—after all, isn't that the most valued Christian characteristic? But what's been lost in how we go about it, and how we worship God for that matter, is whether we are actually following what God teaches in the Bible. It's like an automobile manufacturer tells you to put only gasoline in the fuel tank, but then you decide that diesel fuel is just as good! It just won't work.

Here's a quick review of the background of Valentine's Day—before exploring a deeper point about this holiday.

By most accepted historians, Valentine's Day was an adaptation by the Catholic Church of the ancient pagan Roman celebration of Lupercalia, a fertility festival. The Catholic Church updated and connected it to a "Saint" Valentine sometime late in the third century A.D. (though there is some confusion as to who this person actually was). It really took off commercially as a holiday in the late 1800s, promoted as a day to show your "love" to others—especially romantic love to your special someone.

So what's wrong with that? Here's the problem: Lupercalia was an immoral fertility festival also featuring gluttony and drunkenness. At the end of the festivities young men would draw the name of a young lady from a box and the two were considered a pair (sexually and otherwise) for the coming year.

As a festival Lupercalia was dedicated to the Roman god Pan, recognized as the god of fields, groves and wooded glens—and pictured as having the hindquarters, legs and horns of a goat. This pagan deity was connected to fertility and the season of spring. None of what is connected to the feast of Lupercalia is worthy of a Christian's observance.

But what's wrong with a little paganism?

What about showing love on Valentine's Day if I'm not doing it for pagan reasons? Isn't that okay? No, because the expression of that kind of "love" is still rooted in a former pagan holiday. True Christians must not adopt pagan festivals as holidays, for they are to strive to please God in everything they do.

Even when you think you're innocently observing a holiday like this, you're still advancing the origins and meanings of the day—especially from His perspective, as He certainly knows where it came from. God said not to do this. He told the Israelites entering the pagan land of Canaan:

"When the Lord your God cuts off from before you the nations which you go to dispossess, and you displace them and dwell in their land, take heed to yourself that you are not ensnared to follow them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you 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" (Deuteronomy 12:29-31, emphasis added).

When we merge pagan teachings with what God instructs through the Bible, we weaken the truth and violate God's clear command.

God's way is true love

Showing love as God instructs is not wrong—romantic love included. It's a good thing to express your love toward others through a card, flowers, dinner out or any number of other ways. But don't do it under the trappings of a pagan holiday like Valentine's Day! If someone is special to you, then do those things throughout the year rather than waiting until February 14th.

Our worship of God must first and foremost be according to His truth (John 4:24). Carryovers from pagan worship don't honor Him!

God is personified by the characteristic of love (1 John 4:8). Godly love is genuine outgoing concern for others as God would love them—not as a selfish love. Divine love is reflected in keeping God's commandments (1 John 5:3), including the Ten Commandments and instruction like that in Deuteronomy cited above. True Christians desire to faithfully observe God's own Holy Days (see Leviticus 23 for a list of them). Celebrating holidays like Valentine's Day in opposition to God's instruction does not honor or obey Him—no matter how well intentioned or innocent we believe it to be.

It does matter to God how we worship Him. He expects us to understand the difference between what He has declared holy and the profane teachings, customs and traditions masquerading as godly worship (Ezekiel 22:6).

For a more complete review of comparing traditional religious holidays to God's Holy Days, we recommend that you read our Bible study aid Holidays or Holy Days: Does It Matter Which Days We Observe?”  From: https://www.ucg.org/vertical-thought/valentines-day-whats-wrong-with-showing-love

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How do I connect with God?

“I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently will find me.” ~ Proverbs 8:17 

“We must be proactive, we must diligently reach out and seek God in order to find Him.  We need to literally make time to get to know Him because without a deliberate, conscious effort it will probably never happen.

How did you get to know your spouse?  You dated, right?  Did you just wake up one day and find yourself in a relationship?  No!  One of you specifically asked the other to go on a date so you could spend time with each other.  It's the only way to have a relationship with anyone, you must spend time with that person.  We get to know God personally through developing a deep, meaningful relationship by spending time with Him...and the best place to find Him is in His holy word.

Q: Why does it seem so hard to find the time?

A: Work, kids, breakfast, school, dance class, Little League, homework, meals, baths, chores, shopping, our social life…on and on!  These things can all get in the way. So now you must ask yourself, what do I want?  A hectic, chaotic life...or the peace found only in Christ?  We must prioritize our lives to include Him, make our daily reading as habitual as breakfast, and create a new habit.  We have to create a habit of going to our Bible, first thing, as soon as we get up every, single morning.

By starting my day off with praise (thanking Him for everything), worship (praying and conversing), and study (reading His Word) my day will always go smoother.  This is the thing that motivates me the most, the knowledge that my entire day will go better if I do this one little thing.

I’m just too busy…

But, you might ask, how can I possibly fit one more thing into my already crazy schedule?  You need to start earlier.  Start out by getting up just ten minutes earlier and go directly to your Bible.  No-one is up, it's quiet, and it's just you and God…He will do the rest.  Talk to Him, ask Him to help you…He will.

After you do this for a while you can gradually increase your time.  How long is less important than being consistent every single day.  I try to spend an hour, I call it my power hour!  It’s the most important hour of my day.  This is when I get juiced up with the energy I need to get though the day.

Here's how I start every day.  I get up, go to the living room, sit down on my couch and I pray.  I tell Him I'm sorry for messing up and how grateful I am for another day.  I then tell Him everything that's troubling me.  So often we complain to everyone about all our problems but forget to talk to God about them.

"And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” ~ Matthew 21:22 

I then ask Him to guide me through my Bible reading and impress me with the things I need to know today.  I then sing a praise song or two, either one of my favorites or I just Google "praise songs" on YouTube and then sing along while I get a cup of coffee and start my day.

Why you ask, is it so important for me to have this daily devotion time every morning?  Why can't I just pray when I need something or when I have the time?  Ask yourself this one little question to find that answer.  How long would I stay married if I approached my relationship with my spouse in the same manner...  just called him/her when I needed something, or had some time to kill?

We must make our relationship with God our number one priority if we truly want to get closer to Him.  He surely made us His biggest priority.  Just think about what He gave up, how He suffered and died to have us with Him forever.

Make your life easier...

I'm gonna be honest here, some days I'm beat, I don't even feel like getting out of bed, let alone doing this devotional time.  And ya know what…these are the days that I need it the worst.  So I lay in bed and I pray.  I pray for the will to get up and do this.  I ask for the desire to just put one foot in front of the other to make it to the living room.  I then ask for Him to take the lead and help me through.  And He always does just that....and moreover, He's happy to do it.  What parent wouldn't be happy to help their child?

“And you will seek me and find me, when you search for me with all your heart.” ~ Jeremiah 29:13

Now that you know how to find God, how can you grow closer to Him?”

From: https://thetruthmission.org/how-do-i-connect-with-god-2/

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Why did God change our diet?

“And the woman said to the serpent, we may eat the fruit of the trees of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God has said, you shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die.” ~Genesis 3:2-3

“When you read the above verse, not much has changed. We are still listening to lies, and we are still defying Creator God with our disobedience. How sad is that?

So, why did God change our diet? He didn’t change our diet, per se, but rather added to it as was necessary due to our sin condition. God originally made our bodies to eat specific fruits (in the Garden of Eden). Then, He added vegetables (at the fall of man when Adam & Eve were kicked out of Eden). And finally, He added “clean meats” only after the flood because there were no vegetables or fruits available to eat.

But irregardless of what God has specifically created for us to eat, people still want what they want, they still want what God has told them not to eat! Just like Adam and Eve, they want what God has forbidden!

People want their fat-filled hotdogs and sausages, ham and cheese, bacon and eggs! They don’t want to hear what the Bible says, nope! However, if we choose to eat these unclean foods; things God has not made for food, we will eventually get sick. We really need to see the big picture here. We need to understand that certain creatures were created solely as environmental filters. If we eat these creatures, we are ingesting the toxins that are in the animals that God created as toxin filters.

Why would God make certain animals, and then tell us not to eat them? Let’s start with the bottom dwellers of the oceans for example. God made these creatures, not for food, but to filter the toxins out of the water. Clams and oysters, for example, filter the micro- contaminants from the water. Shrimp and crabs, lobsters and snails, as well as all the other things that live on the ocean floor, are there for clean up duty. They exist to eat the dead and decaying materials that sink to the bottom of the sea and to filter out the micro-contaminants as well.

What exactly do you really know about these sea creatures? They are bottom dwellers, they troll the bottom of the seabed sustaining themselves on fish waste, as well as dead stuff that sinks to the seafloor. And if all that isn't enough to make you want to stop eating shrimp and crabs, how about the scientific fact that because they are water filters, they are literally chock-full of toxins! And, if that still isn't enough to make you want to give up consuming these nasty little things, how about the fact that God clearly tells us not to eat any environmental filters?

Think of it this way, would we deliberately suck on a pool or aquarium filter? Of course not! Wouldn’t we also have an objection to not wanting to eat a rat or a mouse? Absolutely! But for whatever reason, we’re fine with eating other animals that are equally unclean.

God gives us a very specific list of do’s and dont's when it comes to foods, but we've been conditioned through generations of compromise to be okay with eating these unclean and unhealthy foods. We think we've somehow found a way to overrule God’s perfect plan for us. Crazy, huh?  We need to heed God's dietary commandments for our own good health, and learn how to eat clean!

What are clean and unclean meats…?

These dietary rules can be found in Genesis, Leviticus & Deuteronomy, but are mentioned throughout the Bible. According to the Bible, clean meat is defined as the meat of every animal that has a split, or cloven hoof in two, and chews the cud. Examples of clean meat include the ox (cattle), buffalo, sheep, goat, deer, gazelle, antelope and mountain sheep, just to name a few.

God gave us a long list of what to eat and, and, more importantly, what not to eat! God clearly tells us not to eat swine, in fact, He compares eating pork to eating rats and mice! And yet we continue to eat bacon, ham, sausage and so on. Would we ever eat a rat or a mouse? Of course not! God clearly tells us not to eat these things because they are scavengers, as are pigs as well. Also, they do not have sweat glands which makes them even more toxic because they are incapable of expressing toxins from their bodies.

Seeing God’s word play-out in the Bible is a great way to understand why He did certain things. And even more amazing, is how somethings happened  before God ever mentioned them as laws.

For example, let’s take the story of Noah’s ark. How many of each animal did he take into the ark? Two? That's only partially correct. Genesis 7:2 tells us that God instructed him to take seven of each "clean" animal into the ark, revealing that the distinction between clean and unclean animals actually predates the dietary laws that God gave Moses on Mount Sinai, by centuries. These examples clearly show us that God knew all along what would and wouldn’t be acceptable for us to eat, as well as the fact that He would be adding to our diet. And more importantly, is the fact that the science surrounding these toxins never changes, nor does the law of God!

​“For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified.”   ~Romans 2:12-13

​Q: Are you ready to eat as God specifies?”  From: https://thetruthmission.org/why-did-god-change-our-diet/

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The Roots and Fruits of New Year’s Eve. God’s Festivals as Shadows of Things to Come. The Fruit Whose Juice Is Healthier

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The Roots and Fruits of New Year’s Eve

“Some of the customs may seem crazy or quaint, but what are the real origins and results of the New Year’s holiday?

I admit it. I have been up at midnight on New Year’s Eve a few times. Not celebrating exactly. In fact, most of those times I was part of a volunteer security force on the campus where I went to college—which happened to be along the Rose Parade route in Pasadena, California.

Our job was to be alert to criminals, vandals and even people camping out along the parade route and searching for anything they could burn to keep warm. You might be surprised that it gets fairly cool in January in Southern California. Of course, it is much warmer there than in New York’s Times Square (where it averages 33.7 degrees Fahrenheit at midnight) and other northern gathering places where people count down to the new Roman year.

It makes you wonder: How did New Year’s Eve come to be celebrated in the winter and at midnight? Blame it on the ancient Romans.

Julius Caesar, the calendar fixer

Many ancient societies began their new year in the spring. But by the time of Julius Caesar, the Roman calendar was off. Way off. To get the calendar to line up with the seasons, Caesar had to add 90 days!

History.com explains, “Over the centuries, the calendar fell out of sync with the sun, and in 46 B.C. the emperor Julius Caesar decided to solve the problem by consulting with the most prominent astronomers and mathematicians of his time. He introduced the Julian calendar, which closely resembles the more modern Gregorian calendar that most countries around the world use today.

“As part of his reform, Caesar instituted January 1 as the first day of the year, partly to honor the month’s namesake: Janus, the Roman god of beginnings, whose two faces allowed him to look back into the past and forward into the future. Romans celebrated by offering sacrifices to Janus, exchanging gifts with one another, decorating their homes with laurel branches and attending raucous parties.”

Beliefnet.com also notes that New Year’s is associated with the winter solstice and is “an ancient holiday with deep spiritual roots. … Ancient Romans celebrated with six days of carousing that would probably be familiar to us today.”

Customs and superstitions

From its ancient origins, a wide variety of traditions and superstitions have developed around the world. Here is just a sampling.

“In Ecuador, people make dummies, stuffed with straw, to represent the events [and people, such as politicians and pop culture icons] of the past year. These ‘[año] viejo’ effigies are burned at midnight, thus symbolically getting rid of the past” (Beliefnet.com). Some even try to jump through the flames 12 times!

MarthaStewart.com describes another jumping tradition: “Many Danish people celebrate the New Year by jumping off chairs at the stroke of midnight. Leaping is said to banish bad luck and bring good fortune into the new year. They also traditionally throw plates at neighbors’ doors to symbolize their friendship. The person with the most broken plates is said to have the most friends.”

On NPR.org, Maria Fe Martinez describes another Latin American New Year’s tradition: “If you want to have a very lucky year, you have to wear yellow underwear. And if you want to have a very passionate year, you wear red underwear. …

“And you can get them all over town. Like, if you’re driving in your car, you’re going to see a street vendor selling yellow underwear, which is hilarious. Right after Christmas, they show up.”

The International Business Times reports that 44 percent of Americans say they will kiss someone at midnight. But why?

According to Livescience.com, “Puckering up at the stroke of midnight is a venerable tradition with ancient roots. Many cultures considered the transition from the warm to the cold seasons to be an intensely vulnerable time, when evil spirits could run amok, Aveni [author of The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays] said.

“Many of our traditions, including kissing, originally come from the English tradition of ‘saining,’ or offering blessing or protection, during the period of Yuletide, Aveni said. (Yuletide was originally a pre-Christian Germanic festival that eventually became synonymous with Christmastide in Europe.)”

New Year’s crime rates

In addition to its pagan roots, the fruits of this holiday are not good. For example, according to Allprobailbond.com, “the holidays are the busiest time of year for the bail bond industry.” Why?

“• Increased alcohol consumption. … Driving under the influence is the leading cause for New Year’s Eve arrests. …

“• Increased emotions. Some people are very unhappy during the holidays. Domestic violence often increases during the holiday season as well as self-inflicted wounds. Consumption of alcohol also increases violent acts.”

What does the Bible say?

The Bible gives its own list of meaningful annual celebrations, but Jan. 1 is not on the list. It’s definitely not God’s new year; He set the first month of the year to begin in what we call March or April. The Bible gives its own list of meaningful annual celebrations, but Jan. 1 is not on the list. It’s definitely not God’s new year; He set the first month of the year to begin in what we call March or April (Exodus 12:2; Deuteronomy 16:1). And the Bible warns against getting ensnared by customs that are based on pagan religions. We are not to ask, “How did these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise” (Deuteronomy 12:30).

Superstitions and customs that may seem quaint or harmless to most people today can be repulsive to God who knows their roots and their fruits.

Playing with paganism isn’t cute—it is corrosive to our relationship with the true God. When God calls Himself a “jealous God,” it’s actually a sign of His love and desire for the best for us (Deuteronomy 6:14-15).

And consider the apostle Peter’s call to avoid sinful celebrations where there is “lewdness, lusts, drunkenness, revelries, drinking parties, and abominable idolatries” (1 Peter 4:3). Peter acknowledged that our friends may think it strange we no longer party with them, but in the end we must answer to God.

For all these reasons, celebrating the pagan holiday of New Year’s Eve is not pleasing to God.”

Learn more about what God says in our free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You 

From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/life/plan-of-salvation/holy-days-vs-holidays/new-year/new-years-eve/

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God’s Festivals as Shadows of Things to Come

Colossians 2:16-17

So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

“In essence, Christians were still enjoying the biblical festivals with eating and drinking, and apparently were being judged by those who believed in philosophies of self-denial. Paul mentions these ascetic ideas later in the chapter: “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” (Colossians 2:21).

Some think that when Paul said the festivals are “a shadow of things to come,” it was a put-down. They think Paul was saying the festivals were not important.

But another way to look at these shadows is to see that they help us picture the objects of which they are shadows. For example, the Passover clearly represents the sacrifice of Jesus Christ and foreshadowed that event. Pentecost foreshadowed the coming of the Holy Spirit and the beginning of the New Testament Church.

In the same way, the four fall festivals foreshadow events that have not yet taken place. Learn more about these important events in God’s plan of salvation in our free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.”   From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/gods-festivals-as-shadows-of-things-to-come/?

Listen to the "Verse by Verse" episode covering this scripture at: God’s Festivals as Shadows of Things to Come (lifehopeandtruth.com)

(This passage is explained in detail in “Colossians 2:16-17: Did Paul Warn Christians Against Keeping God’s Law?” We encourage you to study that explanation to clear up several misconceptions about this passage.)

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The Fruit Whose Juice Is Healthier

Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-fruit-whose-juice-is-healthier/

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 veganmontreal.

“Can you name a fruit whose processed juice is healthier than just eating the fruit itself?

Here’s the VCEAC of fruits, and their juice. The black bars are the fruit; the white bars are the juice. VCEAC stands for vitamin C equivalent antioxidant capacity.

So, for example, even though apples don’t actually contain 150mg of vitamin C itself, they have other antioxidants that add up to the equivalent of that much antioxidant power. As you can see, across the board, as you go from fruit to juice, the antioxidant capacity is slashed. In fact, the only reason the grape juice was even that high is because it happened to have extra vitamin C added to it—so it kind of cheated.

But wait a second; what is this? A fruit’s juice that has significantly more antioxidants, and even greater phytonutrient availability? And the answer is: tomato juice. About twice the antioxidant power of tomatoes, and five times the phytonutrient lycopene.

And no, it was not a trick question. You may use it as a vegetable, but it is a fruit, because it’s got seeds. Don’t tell that to the Supreme Court, though, who, having nothing better to do, ruled in 1893 that tomatoes were vegetables—though they were only a batch of Justices away from those who ruled Mr. Scott was not a citizen, so I wouldn’t listen to them.

Arkansas decided to have it both ways, declaring tomatoes both the official state fruit, and the official state vegetable.”  From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-fruit-whose-juice-is-healthier/

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