Participants: Geoff Youlden
Series Code: FGW
Program Code: FGW000011
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00:27 Do you know that today 90% of people who die
00:31 are dying prematurely? 00:34 That is, they are dying before they should die. 00:37 90%. 00:40 4% of people die of old age. 00:43 Now I wish I had a cure for that 00:45 but I haven't got a cure for that. 00:48 6% of people die through accidents. 00:52 And unfortunately there's not much that we can do about that 00:55 either. That totals 10%. 00:58 The other 90% of people who die 01:01 are dying before they should die 01:04 through premature illness and sickness. 01:09 And it's not God's plan that any of us die prematurely. 01:14 In fact, let me read you a text of scripture 01:17 over here in the third book of John just near Revelation. 01:20 You'll see III John is the book next to Jude that's 01:23 next to Revelation. They're both very, very short books... 01:26 that is: John... III John, and Jude. 01:29 So you will find them very close to the beginning of the book 01:34 of Revelation. III John verse 2. And this is what it says: 01:50 Now notice here the Bible equates two things together 01:54 that are very important. What are the two things 01:56 that seem to be as important as one another? 02:01 Health. And what's the other thing? Soul. 02:04 What's that mean? 02:11 Yes, it's talking about our spiritual life. 02:13 It's talking about that side of our life. 02:15 The spiritual and the physical: that's really what it's saying. 02:19 The health is the physical; 02:20 the soul is referring to the spiritual. 02:22 And here John is equating the two things together 02:26 because he wants our health to be good just as 02:31 our soul prospers. 02:33 Now for many years the church that I was brought up in 02:38 I don't remember hearing a single sermon ever - 02:42 no emphasis whatsoever - on the subject of health. 02:47 And yet the Bible is full of good material. 02:50 It's like any mother. 02:52 There isn't a mother around, I'm sure, that is not concerned 02:56 that her child gets the very best in life. 02:59 So we give them the best food, 03:01 we give them the best opportunity because 03:04 that's what love does. 03:06 And God does the same thing. 03:08 He wants us to have the very best in life. 03:11 Because you know yourself, you remember back when you were last 03:17 sick... did you feel like studying spiritually? 03:21 Did you feel like praying? 03:22 Did you feel on top of things? 03:24 Of course not. And that's why God wants us to be in health: 03:28 because when we are in good health 03:31 the whole of life takes on a different perspective, 03:33 isn't that right? 03:35 And God wants us to be on top of things. 03:37 He wants us to feel optimistic. 03:39 He wants us to have a good wholesome mental attitude 03:43 to life, and that's all related to our health. 03:47 And so when we study this morning about the seven great 03:51 health laws of the Bible we are dealing with a very, 03:54 very important subject. 03:56 Would you come back to the first health law? 03:58 It's found in the book of Exodus at the beginning of the Bible. 04:01 Chapter 15 of Exodus and verse 26. 04:05 Exodus 15 and verse 26. 04:08 And here God is speaking through Moses to the children of Israel, 04:12 but this text applies to us just as much as it did to them. 04:17 Exodus 15 and verse 26. It says: 04:42 Now this is the first time that healing is mentioned 04:46 in the Bible. You know, I meet many Christians today 04:48 who put a lot of emphasis on healing people 04:51 when they're sick. You know, I always tell them 04:54 that the Biblical teaching is even... even greater than 04:58 healing. And I believe in healing. 05:00 I believe in a God who does heal. 05:02 But the Bible teaches something even better than healing... 05:05 and that is good health. 05:07 Because I don't want to get sick in the first place. 05:11 And if we follow the principles that God has given here 05:15 then many of the diseases that afflict everybody else - 05:19 and this is what Exodus is talking about - 05:22 the diseases that affect the Egyptians, because this was 05:25 given in the context of the children of Israel 05:27 living in Egypt. The diseases that affected everybody else 05:31 around them. If the Bible was being written today, it would 05:33 talk about the Australians. 05:35 If it was written in this part of the world. 05:37 What affects everybody else that surrounds us 05:39 God will keep us from those diseases if... 05:44 And what's the if? What's the condition? 05:47 Yes, that we keep His command- ments and we are obedient. 05:52 Isn't that right? So the first great health law in the Bible 05:55 is to obey what God has asked us to do. 06:00 Obedience. 06:02 That law itself will open up wonderful opportunities for us. 06:08 All right, let's have a look at the second great health law. 06:10 Come over to Leviticus which is chapter 11 06:13 of Leviticus and verses 46 and 47. 06:17 Leviticus 11 verses 46 and 47. 06:40 What law do we call this? 06:42 When God says there are certain things that you can eat, 06:44 there are certain things that you must not eat... 06:47 what do we call that today? 06:48 Diet. Yes, that's the law on diet. 06:51 And we'll come back and talk about that in just a moment. 06:54 Come over to chapter 14 and verse 8. 06:58 Leviticus chapter 14 and verse 8. 07:17 What do we call that when we keep our bodies clean? 07:21 That's hygiene. Yes. 07:23 And most of us don't have to be convinced about that. 07:26 We're very particular about that and so we should be. 07:29 But the Bible outlined that 3-1/2 thousand years ago 07:32 that we're to keep our bodies clean. 07:34 Come back to Exodus chapter 20. 07:36 Exodus 20 and verse 9: this is the Ten Commandments. 07:41 And we're going to notice one of the commandments 07:45 that we've been talking about in the past, but 07:47 we're going to notice another emphasis. 07:50 A broader understanding of this commandment - 07:53 the fourth commandment - verse 9, when it says: 08:04 So the Bible outlines the principle of six days work 08:08 followed by the seventh day which is a day of rest. 08:12 That's the law of labour and rest. 08:15 And it's interesting that medical people today are 08:20 recognizing the necessity of having one day every week 08:23 as a rest day. 08:26 Now it's interesting that the Bible has taught that 08:28 right from the very beginning. And God chose that day. 08:31 The Bible never gives that privilege to us 08:34 to choose the day of our rest. 08:36 God has chosen that, and the reason He has chosen it 08:39 is so that we will always remember His creation. 08:43 That's why the seventh day has been chosen. 08:46 And God says you are to work for six days 08:49 and then rest on every seventh. 08:52 And it's interesting that the body clock works on that 08:55 principle. And people can ignore that, of course. 08:58 We know plenty of work-a-holics we call them 09:00 who work week after week seven days after seven days. 09:04 And you can get away with it for a while until finally 09:07 your health will crack. 09:09 And much of the stress that's in our society today 09:12 is due to the fact that people have ignored this simple 09:15 principle of six days work then having one day a complete rest. 09:20 Change gears... change the pace 09:24 so that we can be refreshed. 09:26 And God says that we are to spend that time both with Him 09:29 and with our family. 09:31 That's the Sabbath... the seventh day of the week. 09:34 Have a look at verse 14... another great health law. 09:41 That is a very important law, too. 09:44 Come over to Numbers now... 09:46 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers chapter 5. 09:50 And I'm going to read you another great health law. 09:53 See if you can summarize this into one word. 09:56 Numbers chapter 5 and verse 1. 10:28 What do we call that? When someone has a communicable 10:31 disease like leprosy and they are to be separated 10:35 from everybody else that doesn't have leprosy 10:39 or a communicable disease, what do we call that? 10:41 That's quarantine. 10:43 And that principle of quarantine was taught 3,500 years ago. 10:49 And by the way, it wasn't until the church stepped in 10:52 in the Middle Ages when the black death and leprosy 10:55 were having such a terrific effect upon the lifestyle 11:01 of people in the Middle Ages where they separated those 11:04 who had those communicable diseases from those who didn't 11:07 have it that finally those diseases were halted 11:10 in the Middle Ages. 11:11 And God had outlined that 3,500 years ago. 11:16 I remember some years ago I was studying the Bible with 11:19 a medical doctor. And he professed that he didn't believe 11:22 in the Bible. He didn't believe in God. 11:25 And so I outlined to him a study from the Bible 11:28 on what we are studying this morning. 11:30 And we went through the health principles of the Bible. 11:33 And I got about this far and I said to him: 11:36 "Doctor, if you don't believe that God in... 11:39 the Bible was inspired by God 11:42 and that men wrote down what God told them, 11:45 how come the Bible is so far ahead of medical science? 11:50 Where did Moses get this advanced information from 11:53 if he didn't get it from God? " 11:55 You know what he said? 11:58 He said: "He probably copied it while he was down there 12:01 in Egypt. " 12:03 Well I said: "Listen, that's interesting because 12:06 how come that even those countries today - 12:11 and I don't say this in any way to cast any aspersions 12:14 against any person from those countries... not at all - 12:17 but it's wonderful when you think that the Bible comes 12:20 out of the Middle East and yet one of the biggest problems 12:25 when you go to the Middle East today is hygiene. " 12:29 I've been there many, many times and so I know the problem. 12:33 I was walking down the streets of Cairo one day 12:36 and I saw in the distance one of the Egyptians had 12:40 one of these old milk cans. You remember the 12:43 old milk cans that they used to put the milk in? 12:48 Yeah, big thing... big silver thing. 12:50 Where he'd got this thing from I have no idea. 12:52 But there it was, on the streets on the foot path in Cairo. 12:56 And he saw me coming down toward him. And of course, 12:58 any paleface in that country is a millionaire, you see? 13:02 So he had milk, and he wanted me to buy some of his milk. 13:05 And as I got a little closer I noticed 13:08 that he wanted to impress me that he had some good milk. 13:12 So first of all he went down and dipped down and got the ladle 13:15 from the bottom of the tin. 13:18 Good place to keep it. He brought it up and of course 13:20 it was dripping with milk back into the tin. 13:23 Then as I got closer I noticed that what he did is 13:26 he dipped the ladle in the milk again and then ran it down 13:29 his left arm because what he was trying to show me 13:33 was that there was no water in his milk. 13:35 Because water in milk goes a gray color 13:38 and he was trying to show me 13:39 that there was no water in his milk. 13:42 It was pure white milk. 13:44 But it sort of made me feel like a drink of milk 13:46 because I noticed what he was doing with his left hand 13:48 before as I was walking down. 13:52 And hygiene in these countries is a major, major problem. 13:56 Now you would think that oranges you'd be safe. 14:00 But you know what they do with oranges? 14:02 They get... they buy the oranges from the orchardist 14:05 then they get syringe needles full of water 14:07 and they push the water into the orange through the skin 14:13 to increase the weight of the orange 14:15 so they get more for their orange. 14:17 When you peel it you think: "Whoa, this is a very juicy 14:19 orange. " What you don't realize is that it's water. 14:23 And water - as we all know - that's not been boiled 14:27 is a most lethal thing. 14:30 I wouldn't even eat an apple unless I had peeled it 14:34 and dipped it in "get off" over in those countries 14:37 because you'd never be sure who's touched it. 14:40 Even when the aeroplane lands in those countries 14:44 and then takes off and they supply a meal 14:46 I won't eat any food that's not piping hot 14:51 because I can be never certain who's touched what. 14:56 And as I said, I'm not saying this to cast any aspersions 14:59 against them. Not at all! 15:01 But I'm just trying to highlight the fact that the Bible 15:05 comes out of those countries. 15:09 In fact, very recently in the last few years 15:13 they have found one of the Egyptian books 15:18 called the Papyrus Ebers. 15:22 Now the reason why I'm interested in this 15:25 is because it was written around about 15:31 the very time that Moses was writing the books 15:35 of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy... 15:39 around about 1,500 years BC. 15:43 And so when they discovered this medical book 15:46 in one of the great tombs, my ears immediately pricked up. 15:52 I was interested to find out what was the latest medical 15:57 knowledge at the very time that Moses wrote the Bible... 16:01 or wrote the first five books of the Bible. 16:05 Well, I copied down some of their cures. For example, 16:09 if you had an embedded splinter it says apply worm's blood 16:14 and ass's dung. 16:16 Now since dung is loaded with tetanus spores, is it any wonder 16:20 that lockjaw took a heavy toll on splinter cases? 16:25 Several hundred remedies advised in this Egyptian medical 16:28 book include lizard's blood, swine's teeth, 16:31 putrid meat, stinking fat, 16:33 moisture from pig's ears, 16:35 ass's hooves, excretement from animals including human beings, 16:39 donkeys, dogs, cats, and even flies. 16:44 One of the cures that was written out says: 16:47 "a large beetle. Cut off his head and his two wings. 16:51 Warm him and put into fat. 16:54 Apply him. If then you wish to drive it away... " 16:57 that's the disease away... " then warm his head 17:00 and his two wings. Put into snake fat, 17:04 warm it, and let the man drink it. " 17:06 I tell you: castor oil doesn't sound so bad after all, does it? 17:13 But can you imagine? Just think about it. 17:16 Imagine if Moses had put one of those advanced cures 17:19 in the Bible today? 17:21 Can you imagine how the critics would laugh? 17:24 Imagine the field day that they would have against the Bible 17:27 and God if Moses had been tempted to put one of those 17:30 up-to-date cures in the Bible. 17:34 But he didn't because he wrote down what God told him. 17:38 And when we read the Bible medically today 17:40 we find that the Bible sounds as if it were only written 17:45 yesterday. In fact, I've had people say to me: 17:47 "Well, what's news about that? " 17:49 Well, let me tell you something: 17:51 it is big news! 17:53 Because what we understand today about medical science 17:57 is only very recent comparatively speaking. 18:02 Let me illustrate. Just come over to Numbers 18:04 and we'll read the next health law, the seventh health law. 18:08 Numbers chapter 31 and verse 22. 18:13 See if you can tell me what this is talking about in one word. 18:16 Verse 22 of Number 31 where Moses writes: 18:42 What do we call that? 18:44 That's sterilization. 18:46 Three thousand five hundred years ago the Bible taught 18:51 sterilization. We still know that fire is the best 18:54 antiseptic that we have and water is the next best... 18:58 boiling water. 19:01 God outlined that thousands of years ago 19:04 and we still haven't improved on it today. 19:08 In fact, you may be interested to know that in 1840 19:12 in Vienna... Now Vienna in 1840 was the leading health 19:17 city in the world. That's where all the leading medical people 19:22 were gathered... in Vienna in 1840. 19:24 You know that one woman in every six was dying 19:26 in the maternity wards and they couldn't work out 19:29 why so many women were dying giving birth to children. 19:31 You know what they were doing in 1840? 19:34 The very first thing the doctor would do when he came into 19:36 the hospital that morning is that they would carry out 19:39 autopsies on the people that had died during the night. 19:44 Without washing their hands, without wearing gloves, 19:48 they would go straight up then into the maternity wards 19:50 and they would carry out pelvic examinations 19:53 of the women who were about to give birth. 19:55 And they couldn't work out why so many women were dying 20:02 until one young doctor by the name of Semmelweis - 20:07 he was only a young fellow... just graduated - 20:11 suggested that doctors ought to wash their hands. 20:17 And if you read the story, it's one the most sad stories 20:21 in medical history, they hounded that young guy. 20:24 They said: "How dare you come along and suggest that we 20:27 ought to wash our hands? " 20:31 And they forced him out of the medical... In fact, they... 20:34 we believe that it forced him to commit suicide. 20:37 He was just hounded. 20:39 That was in 1840. 20:43 And anyone who's been into a hospital... 20:45 those of you who are medical people go into an operating 20:48 theatre... I remember when I have been in there a few times 20:51 and I was invited in to watch an operation or two 20:56 and we had to wash... the scrub up before you go in 20:59 is something to behold. 21:02 Scrub scrub scrub scrub. 21:04 And then you have to put these big gloves on and a gown 21:07 and a hat and slippers. 21:09 And you go into the operating theatre. 21:12 They usually have doors that have no handles. 21:14 You just push against the doors, they open. 21:16 And then, you know, you're walking in like this 21:20 because you can't have your hands touch anything. 21:23 Because they are so particular today about the spread 21:27 of disease in hospitals particularly. 21:29 And rightly so! 21:32 We all feel much safer because of those high... 21:36 high views of the spread of disease. 21:39 But we've got to remember that it wasn't that long ago 21:43 when doctors didn't wash their hands. 21:45 And yet the Bible outlined that thousands of years ago. 21:49 Just come back to Leviticus chapter 11 because I want to 21:54 read you now this matter of diet 21:57 because this is very, very significant. 21:59 Leviticus chapter 11 and verse 46 22:02 where the Bible talks... Remember we spoke about the 22:06 distinction between clean and unclean. 22:08 Just let me remind you, verse 46: 22:27 So the Bible says there are some things that we can eat 22:30 and there are some things that we mustn't eat. 22:33 If you go back to the beginning of the chapter, it gives us 22:37 some principles that we can follow, very simple principles. 22:40 Verse 2 chapter 11: 23:31 So the Bible here outlines a very, very simple principle. 23:35 As far as the animals are concerned, what two things 23:38 must an animal have in order to be considered clean? 23:42 It must chew the cud like an old cow 23:45 and it must divide the hoof. 23:48 It must have not one or the other... 23:50 it must have them both to be clean. 23:52 Now there's a simple principle with the fish, too. 23:55 If you notice verse 9 it says: 24:18 So once again when it comes to the fish 24:21 there is a very simple principle too. 24:23 And the principle is that a fish must have two things: 24:26 fins and scales in order to be clean. 24:30 Because any fish or sea creature 24:34 or water creature of any description that does not have 24:37 both fins and scales is unclean. 24:39 Now when it comes to the birds there is no simple principle. 24:45 But most of the birds that are mentioned from verse 13 on here 24:48 "These ye shall regard as an abomination among the birds: 24:51 they may not be eaten... " And then it mentions the eagle, 24:55 the vulture, the buzzard, the kite, and the falcon. 24:57 The raven and the ostrich and so forth... the owl. 25:01 I don't think too many of us are tempted to have 25:03 too many of those things on our plates. 25:06 But it's interesting that when you go through the principles 25:11 that God has outlined when it comes to the animals, 25:13 when it comes to the fish, and when it comes to the birds, 25:17 you will find that there's one characteristic of all that are 25:20 regarded as being unclean and that is 25:23 they are scavengers. 25:27 And God says if you want to look after your health, 25:31 if you want to preserve your health, do not eat these things. 25:39 Now I've been telling you that one of the great 25:44 discussions that I had with Professor Walter Fine 25:49 who's a zoologist is we went through scientifically 25:53 and he gave the reasons that medical science today 25:57 knows why there is a distinction. 26:01 You take the rabbit. 26:04 You know the rabbit is a vegetarian. 26:06 People say: "Well what would be wrong with a rabbit? " 26:08 Well the rabbit does something which many people don't know 26:11 and that is 26:14 when its food goes through the rabbit the first time 26:20 it's not fully digested. 26:23 You see, a cow has many stomachs, doesn't it? 26:27 But a rabbit doesn't. 26:30 And so what a rabbit does is it licks its feces 26:33 as it goes through the first time and then goes through 26:36 the second time. 26:38 And when you see the hard pellets that a rabbit has 26:41 that's been through the second time. 26:43 And God said: "Don't eat the rabbit 26:48 because of the poisons that go back into the system. " 26:52 And all of the fish and so forth. People talk about 26:56 mussels and crabs and crayfish and lobsters and oysters. 27:01 All of them God says: "Don't touch! " 27:04 Because all of those things have a purpose in mind. 27:07 God intended them for a purpose and that was 27:10 to keep the waterways clean. 27:13 And with all the pollution that goes into our waterways today 27:18 they work overtime 27:20 to try to keep them at least relatively clean. 27:22 They are able to absorb those poisons. 27:25 But if you and I eat them 27:28 then we are getting a super duper dose of those poisons 27:31 that they are absorbing. Get the thought? 27:33 And God said: "Don't eat them! " 27:37 Now there are no reasons given here, 27:40 and I don't think we know the full reasons. 27:43 Medical science certainly has helped us with much 27:46 but whether we know all the reasons yet 27:49 I'm not sure about that. 27:50 God just says: "Don't eat them! " 27:54 And when a parent says to the child 27:57 "Don't do that, " the parent doesn't always give a reason. 28:02 Because the parent expects the child to be obedient 28:05 because they are the parent and they love the child. 28:08 The same was with God. 28:11 God doesn't always give us a reason. 28:13 Sometimes He does, but in this case He hasn't. 28:16 He just says: "Don't eat it! " 28:18 And those of us who obey those instructions 28:23 certainly have a greater chance of living longer 28:29 and not getting premature sickness and disease 28:33 because they carry disease. 28:36 Let me read you something else that's very interesting. 28:38 Come back to Leviticus chapter 7 28:40 and see if your doctor has not said something like this to you 28:45 recently if you've been to see him. 28:46 Leviticus chapter 7 and verse 23. 28:50 Leviticus 7 and verse 23 where Moses writes: 29:03 So God said clearly here that while clean flesh 29:08 was permitted... And let me say this: 29:10 it's not a sin to eat clean flesh. 29:12 However, there are certain restrictions. 29:16 One is that we are not to eat any fat. 29:21 Now every doctor today that's aware 29:24 of the situation of heart disease 29:26 says the same thing now, don't they? 29:29 They say to cut down on animal fat. 29:34 Because it is animal fats which are probably the greatest 29:39 contributing cause to heart disease. 29:44 You know what fat does in your diet. 29:47 If you have an artery - and I'm exaggerating, of course. 29:50 You know arteries aren't this big - 29:51 But what happens is that the blood has to flow through 29:56 our arteries. 29:59 But as we eat animal fats of all descriptions, 30:04 gradually what can happen is that the artery 30:08 instead of being nice and wide gets smaller and smaller 30:11 on the inside because it gets clogged up 30:16 with fatty tissue. 30:19 Like an old water pipe that's been in the ground for 30:21 a long time it gradually calcifies 30:24 and instead of the water being able to get through easily 30:27 it can finally block it up. Now that's exactly what happens 30:29 with our arteries. 30:32 And the more we eat of animal products - 30:36 not just fat on meat but anything that comes 30:40 from an animal or a bird - any product 30:45 that goes back to an animal from its origin 30:49 all contribute to the clogging of our arteries. 30:54 And the more that we eat of those animal products 30:58 then the greater the chance of that artery 31:03 gradually getting smaller and smaller. 31:05 And now what happens finally is that the heart has to 31:08 keep pushing the blood through. Obviously. 31:11 So that puts a tremendous strain upon the heart 31:14 and wears it out 31:17 because the heart is a muscle. 31:19 Gradually if it has to work very hard, gradually, gradually 31:23 gets worn out... prematurely. 31:26 Or what else can happen and what usually happens first 31:31 is that under the pressure that the heart has to push 31:34 the blood through, what can happen is that some of that 31:38 fatty tissue will move... it will break off. 31:42 Now what can happen is that it might break off 31:45 and block out the last 50% 31:48 of the artery that is still clear... 31:50 it will block it off say 50% 31:52 and a person will have - if it's near the heart - 31:55 we'll say a person has a heart attack, a mild heart attack. 31:59 If it's near the head, we say they have a mild stroke. 32:02 On other occasions what will happen is that that fatty tissue 32:07 will actually move and block the artery off completely 32:10 and then a person will just drop dead like that. 32:14 Or if it's up near the head, a person will just drop dead 32:17 like that. Because the artery has been blocked off 32:21 and the blood's got to get through. 32:23 Well if it doesn't get through a person just dies. 32:25 And we've all heard of people dying just like that. 32:28 And God said: "Do not eat the fat. " 32:32 The other restriction God gave when it came to clean meat 32:37 was recorded over here in Leviticus 17. 32:42 Leviticus chapter 17 and verse 10. 32:45 And see how wonderful this statement is. 32:47 Leviticus 17 and verse 10: 33:04 So the Bible also restricted the people 33:07 from eating not only fat from the meat 33:10 but also the blood from the meat. 33:14 By the way, if people followed that counsel today 33:19 very little meat would be eaten 33:22 because it is the fat and the blood that give meat its taste. 33:27 You take the fat off, completely get rid of the fat 33:31 and take the blood out, there's practically no taste to meat 33:33 whatsoever. And that's why very little meat would be eaten 33:36 if you followed the counsel that God has given. 33:38 But of course today that counsel is not followed. 33:43 No wonder we are opening ourselves to disease. 33:47 Because you know as well as I do that if there's something wrong 33:51 with you and you go to the doctor, 33:54 what will the doctor do first? 33:56 When you go to him and say: "Doctor, I'm not feeling well. 33:58 There's something wrong with me. " 33:59 what's the very first thing he'll do? 34:01 He'll take a blood test. 34:03 Why? Because if there's any disease in your body 34:07 it will be in the bloodstream. 34:09 Because the blood has two major functions. 34:12 Many functions... but two major ones: 34:15 one is to carry the oxygen to the muscles, the blood, 34:20 and then secondly to take the waste products 34:23 in the form of urea back to the kidneys 34:25 whereby they are excreted. 34:28 And any poisons that are in the body will be in the bloodstream. 34:34 And God said: "Don't touch the blood. " 34:37 Because He knew that if the animal has any disease 34:42 it'll be in the bloodstream. 34:45 That's why the Jews in following this counsel 34:49 have still today kosher meat... 34:52 which is meat that is practically white. 34:55 It has the blood all drained out of it. 34:57 They used to put it in a salt solution. Through the form 35:00 of osmosis it would suck out the blood anyway. 35:04 And so very very little meat would be eaten today 35:08 if we followed this counsel. 35:12 And the tragedy is, 35:15 of course, that as the cancers are rising in our society 35:23 the cancers are also rising in the meat world. 35:29 And what'll happen is when an animal goes to the abattoir 35:33 and they find that it has a cancerous stomach 35:37 or a cancerous liver or a cancerous ear or something, 35:42 what do you think they do with the rest of the animal 35:44 when they find that? 35:47 They just pass it on and the whole thing is not used? 35:52 Is that the case? Absolutely not. 35:54 You would be very, very naive if you thought that. 35:57 What they simply do is they cut out what appears to be 36:01 the diseased section, and the rest of the animal goes through. 36:05 And what you and I - if we eat that type of meat - 36:09 what you and I don't realize when we go to the butcher's 36:14 is that this meat was part of an animal that had cancer. 36:20 People say to me: "Well, doesn't cooking kill it? " 36:24 Cooking will kill some. 36:27 But there are some of those diseases and viruses 36:32 which require extreme high temperatures 36:34 and to kill them you would have to destroy the meat 36:37 because there wouldn't be any meat left if you cooked it 36:40 to the extent that it needs to kill some of the viruses. 36:44 And today, of course, we live in a society 36:47 which loves to have some of its meat rare. 36:50 And of course, the rarer the meat is 36:55 the more dangerous it is 36:56 because at least cooking will kill some. 37:00 And I believe that in God's love and His mercy to us 37:04 He told us: "Don't eat those things. " 37:07 Not because He's trying to be a spoil sport 37:10 and to take away that which tastes good. 37:12 That's not the reason why God has told us these things. 37:15 He's told us so that He wants to protect us from getting 37:18 premature sickness and premature disease. 37:23 Because the facts are that if you know anything about 37:26 animal husbandry today that the rise of cancers 37:29 and diseases in animals is going up in the same proportion 37:33 that the human cancers are going up. 37:35 And there seems to be some correlation between the two. 37:39 I don't think we understand yet all of the relationship. 37:42 But there is a very very heavy relationship between the two. 37:46 And God said: "Don't touch it 37:49 if you want to preserve your health. " 37:53 People say to me: "Well isn't there diseases also in 37:57 the vegetable world? " 37:59 Yes there are! 38:03 But it's interesting... if you go to the hospital 38:09 you find people dying of heart disease, cancer, and so forth. 38:13 You go to the abattoir and you find exactly the same: 38:15 animals with the same diseases. 38:17 You go out to the orchard and you find diseases like 38:21 wooly aphids and cotton moth and red spider. 38:27 In all my visits to the hospital 38:31 I have never ever heard a person dying of wooly aphids. 38:36 And even red spider's not a problem, is that right? 38:39 Because obviously the diseases in the vegetable and the fruit 38:44 world are not transmitted to human beings. 38:46 Whereas the diseases in the animal world are the same 38:51 as in human beings so they are transmitted. 38:56 People say to me: "What about the sprays? " 38:58 Well that is an issue. 38:59 And if you can grow your own and nurture your own 39:03 that's the very best because sprays are a problem. 39:06 But let me remind you of something: 39:07 sprays are far more lethal when it comes to the animals 39:11 than it is with the fruits and vegetables 39:13 because the animals absorb far more of those sprays 39:18 in their fatty tissues. 39:21 So that when you eat meat, you are getting a super duper dose 39:26 of the poisons. Whereas in the fruit and vegetable world 39:30 it's possible that you may get a slight dose here and there 39:34 but it's much less lethal because it will probably 39:40 be only a slight dose. Whereas with the animals 39:44 it will be a super duper dose because they have been absorbed 39:47 over the period of the life of the animal. 39:50 That's why I believe today that the very best diet 39:55 if you really want to know the very best diet 39:58 that's available to mankind today 40:00 it's the diet that God gave to Adam and Eve 40:03 back in the Garden of Eden. 40:05 And it consisted of three things originally. 40:08 One was fruits, 40:10 the second were grains, 40:12 and the third one nuts. 40:16 And a little later God added one more: vegetables. 40:20 And I believe that they very best diet today 40:24 are those four things: fruits, grains, nuts, and vegetables. 40:29 And it's interesting today that medical science 40:32 is pouring out a deluge 40:36 of information that backs up what God said. 40:41 Huge amount of evidence. 40:43 Almost daily more and more evidence is coming to light. 40:48 In fact, the dairy industry 40:52 and the chicken industries are so concerned 40:55 that's why you are seeing a concerted effort on television 40:58 to advertise the milks and so forth. 41:00 Because it's making a big impact. 41:03 Because more and more people are becoming convinced today 41:07 that animal products are not good for you 41:11 no matter what product it is from an animal. 41:13 Whether it's milk or cheese or eggs... anything of those 41:16 products are dangerous. 41:19 And the more that we eat of those things 41:22 the more we are putting our health at risk. 41:28 The less that we eat of those things 41:31 and the more we eat of fruits, grains, vegetables, and nuts 41:35 the healthier we are. 41:36 I was interested to pick up in a very popular magazine 41:41 the Reader's Digest. Now I wouldn't go to the 41:44 Reader's Digest for our final word, but it's interesting 41:46 when you get magazines that are popular 41:49 and for the consumer, they are now supporting this very thing. 41:55 The title of this is entitled Foods That Fight Cancer. 42:00 And it's interesting. As we read here we find 42:03 "Diet is now considered a major weapon against cancer. 42:07 The United States National Cancer Institute estimates that 42:10 about 1/3 of all cancers are linked to diet. " 42:14 How many was that? 42:15 One third. "And recent research indicates 42:20 that what you eat may help to significantly reduce your risk. 42:24 Cancer develops over a long time, which means 42:27 that you have years - typically decades - in which to hinder 42:30 or promote it. Researchers are finding that what you eat 42:33 may interfere with cancer growth at various stages. 42:36 For example, certain foods can block chemicals 42:39 that initiate cancer. " And guess what foods they are! 42:44 "Fruits, grains, vegetables, and nuts. " 42:48 They're the foods, this article goes on to say, 42:51 that fight cancer. 42:54 Wonder of wonders. 42:56 Then it goes on to say: "A recent review of 170 studies 43:01 from 17 nations... " Now listen: any person 43:04 here who's done any serious study, you know, 43:08 for a higher degree - Ph. D. or M.A. and so forth - 43:12 knows that 170 studies from 17 nations 43:16 is a very, very broad study. 43:20 So we're not just talking about one country. 43:22 We're not just talking about one study, 43:23 we're talking about 170 studies from 17 different nations 43:28 including this country Australia. 43:29 And it shows this: 43:31 "It revealed that the people who eat the most fruit and 43:34 vegetables have about half the cancer rates of those who eat 43:37 the least. " And it talks about, um, 43:42 "the cancers of the lung, colon, breast, cervix, 43:45 esophagus, oral cavity, stomach, bladder, pancreas, 43:48 and ovary. In fact, some research suggests that 43:52 frequent consumption of fruit and vegetables 43:54 can cut the risk of lung cancer even in smokers. " 43:57 And then the article goes through and shows 44:02 that the benefits of all the different fruits and vegetables 44:06 and nuts and so forth. Goes through it. 44:11 And it's interesting. Well you say: "Does this work? " 44:14 That's a good question to ask: does it work? 44:17 Well let me give you a test case. 44:21 Seventh-day Adventists who have endeavored to follow 44:26 this counsel... 44:30 Seventh-day Adventists live up to 10 years longer 44:35 than everybody else. Did you know that? 44:37 Ten years! 44:40 You know, if you ever wanted a good reason to become 44:42 a Seventh-day Adventist, that's a good one. 44:44 Isn't it? Give you an extra 10 years. 44:49 Why is that? Why do Seventh- day Adventists live up to 44:52 ten years longer? And listen, friends, they would live 44:54 a whole lot longer if everybody did it. 44:56 I wish I could say that there was 100% of adherence to this. 45:03 But there's not, unfortunately. 45:06 But, if everybody did, 45:10 then the years would be a lot longer. 45:16 So in other words, what we're saying is 45:19 that if everything is going according to plan, 45:22 particularly from youth... And this is where you mothers - 45:26 or the ones who do the cooking in the family - 45:28 have such a big responsibility 45:30 because you determine the taste buds of your children. 45:35 You feed them plenty of fruits, grains, vegetables 45:38 they will grow up liking those things. 45:42 Feed them lots of other things and they'll grow up 45:44 liking those things. 45:46 So you have a tremendous responsibility 45:49 in guiding the future health of your children by teaching them 45:55 the right things right from the cradle. 46:00 If we follow this counsel, we can live a whole lot longer 46:04 than ten years. 46:06 And ladies, let me tell you something: 46:09 instead of wasting your money on all of these potions 46:12 about looking younger and so forth 46:14 the best way to look younger is to follow this diet. 46:17 That's the best way. 46:21 The best way to have a good skin is to follow this counsel. 46:27 The best way to feel good in the morning 46:30 is to follow this counsel. 46:33 You know once when I was drinking a lot of milk 46:36 and so forth I used to wake up in the morning... 46:39 You know how you have phlegm in your throat? 46:41 I just thought it was part of normal life 46:44 until I gave it away. I've never had a problem since. 46:48 Because the body was trying to get rid of it all... 46:50 all the poisons in it. 46:53 And I believe that God has given to us wonderful counsel. 46:58 That if we follow this counsel we will feel better 47:03 and when the morning comes around we'll spring out of bed. 47:08 And we'll feel good; our minds will be clear. 47:12 And God wants us to have the optimum of health. 47:16 He doesn't want us to be sick and not feel 100%. 47:20 And I would like to challenge you to try it. 47:23 You know the book of Daniel tells us 47:25 that it only took Daniel 10 days to prove to the Babylonians 47:28 that he looked better and was better 47:31 than all the rest who were eating all the Babylonian food. 47:35 You put it to the test. 47:38 Give yourself a 10-day test. 47:40 That's a Biblical time... ten days. 47:44 And you'll feel better. 47:48 Body might get a bit of a shock for a while... 47:50 but it'll get used to it. 47:53 And you can change your taste - let me encourage you - 47:56 because our tastes are educated. 48:00 If we like those foods that are not good, it is because 48:04 you have educated your taste to like them. 48:07 You can educate your taste buds to like the good things. 48:14 And of course, with good health and eating and diet 48:17 comes another thing... and that is exercise. 48:21 Many of us don't get enough exercise. 48:25 God wants us to be exercising every day. 48:29 And you don't have to be a marathon runner to exercise. 48:32 Just do a good, brisk walk. 48:34 We've been told that that's the very best exercise is walking, 48:37 actually. 48:39 Not necessarily running... but walking. 48:43 But not strolling and smelling the roses... not that type 48:46 of walk. A walk that causes you... the heart to beat. 48:51 And less salt in our diet. 48:54 And laying aside things like smoking and alcohol. 49:00 All of those things, if we follow the counsel, 49:03 then we will feel better. 49:06 And God wants us to have the optimum in life. 49:09 You know, Seventh-day Adventists run a lot of aged care homes. 49:14 We like to care for our old people. 49:17 It's a responsibility we all have 49:19 to care for those in the sunset years of their life. 49:22 And we run a lot of these aged-care facilities. 49:25 And of course many people want to get into them. 49:30 As they get older they want to get into our homes for the aged. 49:34 But it's very difficult to get in because 49:39 when you go to... there you find that there's no room. 49:44 And you know the reason there's no room? 49:46 They won't die! 49:49 They live too long! 49:52 You go to our homes for the aged and you will see lots of people 49:55 up around 90. That's a young person at 90! 50:01 Ninety-five... even up to 100 and over 100. 50:05 And they're not sort of sitting in the corner 50:08 dribbling out the side of their mouth. 50:10 Most of them have their facilities still. 50:14 And because... when you follow the counsel that God has given 50:20 then we have the very best in life. Now let me say this 50:24 because not all disease that we get is due to faulty diet. 50:30 We must understand that and I'm not suggesting that. 50:34 Because when we were born it would have been a good idea 50:37 if we had the choice of choosing your parents. 50:39 Because that certainly has an effect, doesn't it? 50:42 Because if you have had a weakness in your family 50:46 healthwise that goes back some generations 50:50 that no doubt can affect you. 50:52 But what I'm saying is this: 50:55 that if we follow the counsel that God has given in His Word 51:00 even those who are born with not the same opportunities 51:03 and perhaps with weaknesses that others haven't got 51:07 we will still live longer than we would have if we didn't 51:11 follow the counsel. Get the idea? 51:13 So it's still positive. 51:18 And I'm very excited about this matter of health. 51:21 You see, when it comes to the matter of health 51:23 this is one of the areas that we can prove that the Bible 51:27 is true. Because medical science today 51:30 can empirically measure these things. 51:36 And no science has done more work than the area 51:41 of health because people are becoming more and more 51:45 interested in health and governments are becoming 51:46 more concerned about it because of the cost. 51:49 And so lots of money is being spent in doing research. 51:54 And the interesting thing is on the wake of the evidence 51:59 over and over and over again 52:02 the evidence is coming out on the side of what God wrote. 52:07 That's what gives me tremendous confidence that we're not 52:11 following some made-up story when we read the Bible. 52:14 There are many things in the Bible we can't prove. 52:17 We can't prove that Jesus is coming again... 52:19 scientifically, that is. 52:22 We believe that by faith. 52:25 But there are some things in the Bible that we can establish 52:29 and prove in the scientific way, and one of them is 52:33 the subject of health because that can be measured. 52:37 And the more they study, the more is coming out in favor 52:42 of what the Bible wrote down: fruits, grains, 52:46 vegetables, and nuts. 52:49 And the more that we are able to put those into our diet 52:52 the healthier we are going to be. 52:54 Let me read you um... I ought to say this. 52:57 Sometimes people say: "Well when Jesus died on the cross 53:00 didn't He do away with these things? " Listen friend, 53:01 when Jesus died on the cross He didn't make the pig clean. 53:07 And those health laws that we're talking about: hygiene, 53:10 quarantine. We don't believe they were done away with, do we? 53:14 Why would we believe like some Christians teach 53:17 that the distinction between clean and unclean 53:18 is no longer valid? We don't say that when it comes to hygiene. 53:22 We don't say that when it comes to sanitation and all of these 53:25 other marvelous laws. 53:27 Of course they weren't done away with. 53:29 They were binding back there and they are still binding today. 53:34 And at the Garden of Eden God saw that that was the very 53:36 best diet. It's still the very best diet. 53:39 And if ever there's a time in world history 53:41 when we ought to be adhering to the counsel that God gave 53:44 in the beginning it is now. 53:45 The further away we get from the Garden of Eden 53:47 the more necessary it is to follow that counsel. 53:52 Let me just read you a verse over here in I Corinthians. 53:56 Come over to I Corinthians chapter 3 53:59 and verse 16. 54:05 I Corinthians 3 and verse 16 54:11 where it says: 54:31 So in actual fact the Bible is saying 54:33 our bodies are like unto what? 54:36 The temple or the church. 54:39 And we would not think it right to drag into the church here 54:44 a rotten bag of potatoes, would we? 54:48 No one would want to do that 54:52 because we just don't think that's the right thing to do. 54:56 Now if that's true when it comes to a physical building, 55:00 how much truer it is when it comes to our bodies. 55:04 Our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. 55:06 Tell me, what type of a witness is it if I'm going around 55:09 sick all the time? And I don't enjoy health 55:13 and it affects my attitude. It affects my depression; 55:16 it affects everything else. What type of a witness is that 55:19 to anybody? Not a very good one I would imagine. 55:22 Is that right? But on the other hand, 55:25 if you exude enthusiasm and you exude health, 55:31 that is a great witness. 55:34 And that's why it is important that we share these things 55:39 and we have these things. Because we are... 55:41 our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit 55:44 and God wants to dwell in our bodies. 55:47 And just as if we defile God's church here 55:51 God is not happy, God is 1,000 times more upset 55:55 when we defile our bodies 55:57 because our bodies is where God wants to dwell. 56:01 He wants us to be a living witness. 56:04 A living temple... a living example 56:08 to all that we come in contact with day by day. 56:11 And just by our very presence we are a witness 56:15 because our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 56:19 In chapter 10 of Corinthians and verse 31... 56:25 Chapter 10 of Corinthians and verse 31 56:28 Paul again adds this statement: 56:43 We're to bring glory and honor to our Savior 56:48 through our bodies. 56:50 We are to be a witness to all that we come in contact with. 56:54 And I thank God every day for the knowledge that He's 56:57 given to us on health. 57:00 I'm just so grateful for that. 57:02 Because the person who benefits from the subject that we're 57:06 talking about today is not the person down the road... 57:11 the person across the world. 57:13 The person who benefits is ourselves, isn't that right? 57:16 We are the ones! If we adhere to this, I tell you 57:19 you will feel a difference! 57:21 You'll be like Daniel. 57:23 Stand out fairer and fatter. 57:26 That word fatter doesn't mean this way... 57:29 it means more ruddy and healthy complexioned. 57:32 That's what the Bible means by "fairer and fatter. " 57:34 Because if you're thin and so forth that doesn't give a good 57:38 witness either. The word "fat" there doesn't mean weight. 57:41 It means to be in good health! 57:44 And if we follow God's counsel... 57:47 We already have examples in the Bible 57:50 because Daniel must have been very tempted to take hold 57:53 of the Babylonian food... but he stood firm for God 57:56 and God wonderfully blessed him. And He'll bless you 57:59 and He'll bless me, too. 58:01 Let's just bow our heads together in prayer. 58:02 Our wonderful Father in heaven, I want to thank you 58:05 again today for the wonderful counsel that You have given 58:08 to us on the subject of health. 58:10 Thank you, Lord, that You have given it not because 58:12 You are restricting us but because You love us 58:14 and You want us to have the very best in life 58:16 like any good mother. And so I pray, Lord, that You 58:19 will help us to take this seriously 58:22 and to understand it and to learn more and more. 58:24 I pray for Jesus' sake, Amen. |
Revised 2014-12-17