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when the bucket runs dry

3/22/2019

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  When the Bucket Runs Dry   
And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the LORD, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.  (Exodus 17:1)

SOMETIMES I THINK ABOU MEDLOCK HOLLOW. The set day for going barefooted and planting corn was May 1. There was no set age for riding the mule to water if you proved you could stay on him. He was plenty tame. The set age for being allowed to draw water out of the well by myself was 8. I had watched Grandpa and Mama and my brother: C.J. draw water. Grandpa was the most patient teacher. He began letting me go through the whole process while he stood 3’-4’ away and watched and coached me. I think my mother and brother had closed their minds to my doing such a “grown-up” thing. It was another way of spelling “disaster.” They had heard stories of kids turning up missing and finding them head-first in the family well.

BUT IN OUR MEDLOCK CLAN, EVERYBODY DID THINGS and shared the work load. A warm house and food on the table didn’t just happen.  When I turned eight, I was ready. I was privileged to let a bucket, much like this one, down into a hand-dug well to bring up fresh water for drinking and cooking. The bucket had a 3” piece of pipe fastened at the top on one side so that when the bucket hit the water in the well, the bucket would turn over and fill with water. The bucket was drawn up with a  rope attached to a windless and crank and emptied into another (nicer) bucket to be carried into the house.

WHEN THE HOUSE BUCKET WAS EMPTY, we had to go to the well and refill it. Grandpa’s daddy had dug our well before the Civil War (1860-65), and before Grandpa was born (1875). A big slab of sandstone had been dragged there with mules and a 36” round hole chiseled through it in the middle of it for accessing the well. The slab prevented surface water from running into the well and polluting it.  The wall of the well was lined with big stones, down about 30’. I remember Grandpa going down into the well one time to clean it out; to make sure there was no debris in it. He put the trash and mud into a bucket and somebody at the top drew it out. He let himself down into the well by “walking” down the stones in the wall and then “walking” his way out of the well.

GRANDPA'S HOUSE WAS 100 YARDS OR MORE down the dirt road; a house he had built before he got married. It also had a well, but the water was from a different underground stream and was not as good as the water in our well. Long before I was born, Grandpa and my mother came down with typhoid fever and like to have died. It was determined that his well was the source of the infection. After many years, they began to use his well again to cool the milk during the warm months. Letting the milk down into the well required more skill than drawing water. If you turned over the milk, it would sour in the well and then all the water would have to be drawn out of the well, maybe 2-3 times until the stinking odor cleared up. So, Grandpa got all of his drinking water from our well.

THE EMPTY BUCKET PICTURES OUR LIVES WHEN WE RUN DRY. We could always go to the well and refill the bucket because the well never ran dry, even in a time of drought. Even so, we need to be refilled with the Holy Spirit many times in our lives. We are baptized by the Spirit into the Body of Christ one time (1Corinthians 12:13) but filled with the Spirit many times (Ephesians 5:18).

THE OLD TESTAMENT IS THE LARGER HALF OF OUR BIBLE because it is the foundation of the New Testament and because we are to learn from it.  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples (examples) and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.  (1Corinthians 10:11)

THE BIBLE MENTIONS WATER 396 TIMES. After our need to breathe, our most intense need is water. God teaches us about our spiritual life by studying “water” in the Bible.
The people ran out of water while they were following the commandment of the Lord. (Exodus 17:1) There’s no mention of any sin or anything displeasing to the Lord. However, this experience was a trial of their faith and it resulted in their murmuring and complaining, which was a bad sin against God.
 
THIS IS IMPORTANT: At times, we may experience a shortage of the most needed things while we are obeying the Lord. Our faith will be tried. How are we going to react to the trying of our faith? By running out of water, the intensity of their personal need was increased. It is hard for us to advance in faith in the midst of plenty. Paul said he had learned, by faith, to suffer need. I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.  (Philippians 4:12)

THEN PAUL INSERTS THAT FAMOUS VERSE that is often quoted out of context: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  (Philippians 4:13) Paul, what kind of things can you do through Christ? Paul said that through Christ he could be full, and he could be hungry, to abound and to suffer need. He could do ALL of those things through Christ.

IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT WOULD BRING GLORY TO GOD TO CLAIM that one could suffer need and be hungry “by the power of Christ.” But that is exactly what he is saying. Christians in Africa and other countries have dug up roots and worms because there was no food. Some Christians have been locked up in their churches and burned up with the burning buildings. They died in faith.

And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment:  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (Of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise:  (Hebrews 11:36-39)

WHEN GO IS GOING TO DISPLAY HIS POWER, He sometimes will increase our difficulties before He moves His hand. He increased the difficulties of the Hebrew brick makers in Egypt before He delivered them from their hardships. No straw was provided for their bricks, but they still had to produce the same number of bricks per day. Ye shall no more give the people straw to make brick, as heretofore: let them go and gather straw for themselves.  (Exodus 5:7)

ABRAHAM SENT HAGAR AND HER SON (also the son of Abraham) into the wilderness with a bottle of water. That was sufficient for the first part of her wandering. It was the best she could do. She had been sent away by the authority in her life: by Abraham. And in obedience to that authority, the water ran out.

And the water was spent in the bottle, and she cast the child under one of the shrubs.  And she went, and sat her down over against him a good way off, as it were a bowshot: for she said, Let me not see the death of the child. And she sat over against him, and lift up her voice, and wept. And God heard the voice of the lad; and the angel of God called to Hagar out of heaven, and said unto her, What aileth thee, Hagar? fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.  (Gen 21:15-17)

PLEASE STUDY THIS CAREFULLY. Hagar seemed to be carrying the sole weight of their plight. The text records her words, her voice, her weeping. And yet, God heard the voice of the lad. No mention is made of God hearing the mother’s words. Though she lifted up her voice, she may not have lifted her voice to God. She may have wailed in despair without reaching out to God.

ON THE OTHER HAND, GOD HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LAD. The angel begins speaking to Hagar and says: “What aileth thee, Hagar?” There is no mention by the angel that Hagar had prayed to the Lord. The angel said to Hagar: “Fear not; for God hath heard the voice of the lad where he is.”

DID THE LAD PRAY TO GOD AND HIS MOTHER DID NOT? It seems that may be the case. The wording of these three verses is tight with no explanation. We may be confident that the angel dealt with the first need of Hagar: “fear not.” Hagar was afraid her son was going to die there, and she removed herself the distance of a bowshot, or 200-300 yards.

ROBERT BROWNING HAMILTON LEFT US THIS FAMOUS POEM.  “I walked a mile with Pleasure; She chatted all the way; But left me none the wiser for all she had to say.  I walked a mile with Sorrow; And ne’er a word said she; But, oh! The things I learned from her, When Sorrow walked with me.”

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  (Revelation 21:6)
            
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 22, 2019 - FRIDAY
A.M Joshua 7-8    P.M Luke 2:25-52
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize: 
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  (Psalm 100:4)

Song for Today: 
Tell Me the Story of Jesus (5:49) (Gaither Group)  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AghsSvQ_2B8
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   “The Bible is a sufficient guide for faith and practice.”
 
Health Tip:
Digestive Enzymes. Digestion of food and its use in the body is an extremely complicated process. God made enzymes to digest our food. Amylase digests plant foods. Lipase digests fats (lipids). Protease digests proteins and polypeptides. Lactase digests milk and milk products. Raw foods contain enzymes that digest themselves. Bananas ripen through the action of enzymes that are in the green bananas.

WHEN A SNAKE SWALLOWS A RABBIT, the enzymes in the body of the rabbit do most of the digesting. The snake has to produce enzymes to digest only the last 10% of the rabbit’s body. When food is heated to 118 degrees Fahrenheit, the enzymes begin to be destroyed. A few more degrees and the enzymes are destroyed completely.

THAT'S WHY YOU BLANCH FRUITS AND VEGETABLES before freezing them. Blanching only destroys the outer shell of enzymes. Boiling or pressuring for several minutes destroys the enzymes completely. Pasteurizing milk destroys its enzymes. When we eat cooked food, our bodies must manufacture all the necessary enzymes for digestion. Universities around the world have been studying this for over a hundred year. Making enzymes for digestion, shortens our lives. As we age, we are less able to produce digestive enzymes, and this produces other problems.

ENZYMES CAN NOW BE PURCHASED FOR ADDING TO MEALS. I have been using pancreatin tablets for digesting fat and protein for over 30 years. They are designed to work beyond the stomach. Another type of enzymes is now available that works in the stomach. It is ideal to use both kinds to take the load off the digestive system.

EATING AS MUCH RAW AS POSSIBLE of fruits and vegetables is very helpful. The green powders are now popular and helpful but not as strong as the raw, fresh produce. I use raw powders, and fresh-made carrot/apple juices, and sprouts that I grow part of the year in big-mouth quart or half-gallon jars. Some raw things will digest themselves plus other food. Raw apples and raw pineapples are among the best-known. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Remember that one?

THE MORE RAW STUFF YOU EAT, the more energy. Eating heavy cooked food will force a nap on you while your body slaves away at digesting the load in the stomach. We can’t eat an all-raw diet. We could but are not likely to do it. The best deal is to eat all the raw fruits and vegetables you can (blend your greens in a little apple juice if you like – I do that some). If you dare, drink a quart of organic carrot juice mixed with a granny smith apple, a day. I’ve used the same CHAMPION juicer for 30+ years and it has made over 12 barrels of juice. I have to buy a new cutter every six months or so.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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take heed how you hear...

3/20/2019

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           Take Heed How You Hear   
Take heed therefore how ye hear: for whosoever hath, to him shall be given; and whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he seemeth to have. (Luke 8:18) A companion verse: And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be given.  (Mark 4:24)

WE DO WELL TO LOOK AGAIN AT THIS COMMAND OF OUR SAVIOR. We must be careful when we hear, read, study, memorize, or meditate on the Word of God; careful that we are paying close attention. When the Word of God is being read, we should always focus our attention on it so that we “take heed” to what we hear.

BARBARA AND I READ THE BIBLE TOGETHER EVERY MORNING, Monday through Saturday and have done so for almost 33 years. Rarely do we miss. That’s what we should do and so we do it. When I listen to the daily Bible readings, that are included in the Morning Minute, I click on the reference and when it opens, I look for the little speaker icon and click on it. It opens another window and Max McClean will begin to read. I adjust my earphones, close my eyes, and begin listening.

THERE IS STRONG TEACHING IN THE BIBLE ABOUT "THE LAW OF USE"  Not the Law of Moses, but about how we should hear the Word of God. Because God loves us, He gives us light and we are responsible to respond to that light.  If we trample it underfoot, God respects our decision. If we don’t want His light, he will send no more light and perhaps remove the light He has already given us. He is plenteous in mercy and slow to judgment and He will not force us to receive His gift of light and love.

JESUS WAS A POWERFUL SPEAKER TO THE MASSES who loved to hear Him speak. The leaders of the Temple sent their police officers to bring Him in and they came back without Him.  Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?   The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.  (John 7:45-46)

HE PREACHED MOSTLY OUTSIDE ON HILLSIDES or even from a boat where the water would amplify His voice. He spoke in synagogues and to individuals. He engaged people in conversation in the streets. He broke up funerals and talked to people there. When He healed somebody, He talked to the people gathered around. The people also heard comments about Him as they mingled with each other in crowded places. The comments were divided in what they thought of Jesus.

ONE OF HIS STRONGEST POINTS IN HIS PREACHING was that He came from His Father and He was doing everything in accordance with His Father’s will. If they could not believe Him because He had told them, then they should believe Him for the works sake that He was doing among them. Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.  (John 14:11)  He told them: …I do always those things that please him.  (John 8:29)

THE CLAIM THAT HE WAS FROM THE FATHER TRANSLATED into an issue of moral authority. Their proper response was to submit to His authority. But some were determined not to do that. They could not withstand the drawing power of his public speaking and watching the miracles He did in public. They liked to watch Him. But watching Him for entertainment and submitting themselves to the claims of His message were two different things.

JESUS WARNED THEM, therefore, to be careful with what they had heard and seen. If they took care of what they had heard, more would be given to them. If they counted it as trivia and mere entertainment, the essence of the message would be taken away from them and they would not be able to understand anything else. What warm feelings they may have had toward Jesus’ message would leave them. The result would be a cold, unmoved, stony heart that would not be able to believe and be saved. He told them: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.  (John 6:44)

ONE DAY HIS DISCIPLES WERE BAFFLED AT HIS SPEAKING to the people in parables that were above their heads and they understood nothing He was telling them. Let’s look at full account of this incident.
 
And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.   For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath.   Therefore speak I to them in parables: because they seeing see not; and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand.
 
And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:   For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.
 
But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear. For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.  (Matthew 13:10-17)

THE FIRST TIME I READ THESE VERSES, IT WAS SOBERING. Jesus only went through Samaria one time and encountered the woman by the well in John 4. She had just one shot at it. She grabbed her opportunity and made use of it. If God is showing you something today, shouldn't you lay hold on it and not let it get away? Treasure it for the rest of your life and live your life by it. Walking with God involves three things: The Word of God, Prayer, and Obedience to everything God shows you. It will never change. Take heed how you hear. Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 21, 2019 – THURSDAY         
A.M.  Joshua 4-6   P.M.  Luke 2:1-24
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.  (Luke 24:44)

Song for Today:    
Original Chuck Wagon Gang: Come unto Me (3:16) (Quartet & Guitar)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIHP77a73gk
 (Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)
 
 Health Tip:
Winter Attacks. Winter attacks are all about our immune system. If our immune system is strong, we will probably do well. If the immune system is low, any kind of trashy germs or virus can walk in and take over. We should try to sleep a little extra and lay off the simple sugars that show up in a jillion things we eat and drink these days. Soft drinks and other junk food lowers our immune system. If you start sneezing or nose starts running, there are two things that almost always help me to shorten and reduce the severity of attacks. 

We buy Vitamin C 1,000 mg capsules in quart jars because we take two of them everyday in the morning. But with an invasion, I immediately begin taking 2 1,,000 mg capsules of Vitamin C Complex every  hour for 4-5 hours. The "C" will dry up the runny nose and stop the sneezing for a while. (It will make you windy.)

Add to that, (2) 500mg capsules of garlic powder with each of your three meals (NOT on an empty stomach. It will burn your stomach.) It doesn't matter if it claims to be deodorized. There's no such thing as deodorized garlic. During WW2, our soldiers called it "Russian Penicillin" because the Russians carried a pouch of garlic with them. They used it for wounds and infections.

(So did the Romans, the Persians, the Babylonians, and the Egyptians.) The reason is that garlic is powerful stuff. It's called: "The Stinking Rose." Drink lots of water with a half-lemon squeezed in each glass. If all that doesn't keep you going, better go to the ER. But, you have to get on it when you first start sniffing and sneezing.
 
 
 

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falling on the stone...

3/19/2019

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    Falling on the Stone…

And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.  (Matthew 21:44)

THE STONE IS CHRIST. The Scripture uses a stone to picture one coming to Him for salvation. (It’s a foundation or corner stone) And if you refuse to be broken upon the stone, then one day that stone will fall upon you in judgment. If you come to Christ as the unchangeable, unmovable stone, it will not break. You will break. You must break. Your will must break. Your allegiance must break from self to Christ.

ALL WHO COME TO CHRIST, must come in brokenness and submission of their will to Him as Savior and Lord. It’s not enough that you come to Him as Savior. He is Lord and you must come to Him as Savior and Lord. That is so important that at the very beginning of the book of Acts, Peter proclaimed to the whole nation of Israel: Therefore, let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  (Acts 2:36)

SINCE GOD HAS MADE HIM BOTH LORD AND CHRIST, I have no authority from God to present Christ as being less than whom the Father has made Him to be. I do not have permission from God to present Him as anything less than Savior and Lord. He is both Lord and Christ and I must tell you that He is both Lord and Christ.

WHEN THE PHILIPPIAN JAILOR asked what to do to be saved, Paul told him: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved.” (Acts 16:31).

THE SETTING OF THE STONE in verse in Matthew 21:44 is broader than to an individual. Jesus was preaching to the chief priests and Pharisees who were leaders of the Jewish Temple. Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes?  (Matthew 21:42)

Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and Pharisees had heard his parables, they perceived that he spake of them.  (Matthew 21:42-45)

THE JEWISH NATION HAD BEEN THE KEEPER OF GOD'S MESSAGE of salvation. Israel had been God’s rock to the rest of the world. But Israel was in the process of blindly rejecting their promised Messiah and were about to put Him to death. God was about to take His message of salvation from Israel and give it to another nation, a new nation, the Church that was about to be formed.

THE CHURCH WOULD BE A NEW "NATION" that would proclaim God’s message to the Gentiles. The church would not be given Israel’s property and land. The church would be given Israel’s mission of preaching the gospel of the crucified Christ who was raised from the dead.

McGee SUMMARIZES IT LIKE THIS: “The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof"—that is, taken from the Jews and given to the church. "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1Peter 2:9).

THE CHURCH IS THAT "HOLY NATION." But this transaction did not annul or make void God’s promises He made to Abraham and to the nation of Israel. This is temporary until one day Israel will repent and all the promises made to Israel will be fulfilled. Israel did not become the church. The church did not become Israel. The church did not inherit the land God gave to Israel.

THE CHURCH DID NOT INHERIT THE PROMISE God made to David that God would build him a house. The church did not assume the promise God made to Israel through the prophet Daniel. The church did not take the place in the Book of Revelation that connects with Daniel to explain the end time judgments and the establishment of Israel in its restored state.

MacARTHUR COMMENTS: Christ is "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to unbelievers (Isaiah 8:14; 1Peter 2:9). And the prophet Daniel pictures Him as a great stone "cut out of the mountain without hands," which falls on the kingdoms of the world and crushes them (Daniel 2:44-45). Whether a ceramic vessel "falls on" a rock or the rock "falls" on the vessel, the result is the same. The saying suggests that both enmity and apathy are wrong responses to Christ, and those guilty of either are in danger of judgment."

IN SUMMARY: God temporarily removed the preaching that had belonged to Israel and gave it to the newly-formed Church. To bring that about, the Temple was destroyed, and the blood sacrifices ceased. The Jewish priesthood ceased to exist. For two thousand years, Israel was dispersed throughout the world. In 1948, Israel declared itself to be a nation and U. S. President, Harry Truman was the first national leader (against the advice of his State Department) to recognize Israel as a nation.

THIS WAS A FULFILLMENT OF PROPHECY in that God was gathering Israel back to the land from all the nations of the world. Harry Truman’s mother had drilled into Harry Truman: “Be good to the Jew, Harry.” Little did she know how much she was fulfilling prophecy when she was raising her little son in Missouri.

JOHN MacARTHUR WRITES: "I will gather. God pledged to restore exiled Israelites to their ancient soil. Cf. similar promises in Jeremiah 16:14-15 and chapters 30-33. The land in view was literally Palestine, being contrasted with all the other countries (Jeremiah 23:3), thus assuring that the regathering would be as literal as the scattering.

"The restoration of Judah from Babylon is referred to in language which, in its fullness, can only refer to the final restoration of God's people ("out of all countries," cf. Jeremiah 23:8), under Messiah. "Neither shall they be lacking" indicates that no one will be missing or detached. These are prophecies yet to be fulfilled. Cf. Jeremiah 32:37-38; Isaiah 60:21; Ezekiel 34:11-16. (MacArthur Study Bible)

THERE IS ABROAD THE ERRONEOUS DOCTRINE IN SOME CHURCHES TODAY known as “Replacement Theology.” That is, that the church replaced Israel and all of God’s promises to Israel were revoked. On that basis, they claim that Israel is illegally occupying the land of Israel today. This is a serious mistake.

GOD HAS NOT REVOKED HIS LONG-TERM PROMISE to Israel. Jesus, the Jewish messiah is going to reign upon the Throne of David for one thousand years. Ezekiel’s temple will be built in Jerusalem that will be used during the thousand years. (Before that, another temple will be built and function during the Tribulation Period of seven years.)

BUT RIGHT NOW, THE CHURCH (not all the visible denominations), the Body of Christ, is the proclaimer of God’s Gospel of salvation and will be until Christ returns and in the twinkling of an eye calls up His Church to be with Him. We are grafted into Israel.

IN 1983, DR. DAVID HOCKING preached a series of messages over the radio Biola Hour entitled: What the Bible Says About ISRAEL AND ITS LAND. Several years later, I got his permission to reprint his booklet. Barbara typed off the booklet and we posted it on http://www.biblewalking.com/whose-is-the-land.html It is the best 12-fact statement I’ve seen on what the Bible says about Israel and its land.

Read Through the Bible in a Year
March 20, 2019 – WEDNESDAY
A.M.  Joshua 1-3   P.M. Luke 1:57-80
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
 
Good Verses to Memorize:
I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.  So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase.  Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building.  (1Corinthians 3:6-9)

Song for Today:
The Holy Hills of Heaven (5:49) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXrL-Z44KHc
 Wait a few seconds. You may have to wait for an ad.

Health Tip:
Promorphogenic. A fairly new word, meaning to bestow benefit on the same kind. A few years ago, some vitamin manufacturers began adding glandular substances to their vitamin-mineral compounds. They added trace amounts of certain animal glands, like liver, thyroid, kidneys, etc. Some researches claimed to have discovered that when you include liver, for example, in your diet, your liver gets the first take on the incoming liver. If you eat kidney from an animal, your own kidney gets first-take on the use of it. I don’t know how strong the proof is, but the idea goes way back, hundreds of years.

 Dr. Max Gerson gave desiccated liver tablets to his cancer patients to strengthen the liver for combating cancer.  From my study of Gerson’s work, I began taking 2 tablets of desiccated beef liver a day. I still take it. It’s from Argentina cleaner-air, grass fed cows. The tablets are too large to swallow, so I chew them. Not tasty but do-able.

 Forty years ago, a doctor prescribed Armour Thyroid for me to make up for deficient thyroid hormone. Several doctors told me it was superior to the synthetic thyroid that is currently prescribed because the Armour thyroid contained some “first cousins” to the thyroid that enhanced its effectiveness.
​
The counter claim is that the batches of pig thyroid vary too much and is not as precise in dosage strength as the synthetic. Anyway, the supply has dried up and it is not available now. Armour Thyroid (was made by the Armour Meat Packing Company from pork thyroid.) For several years I bought Armour Thyroid from Mexico but last year I lost that connection. It cost me $30 per year and now the synthetic Synthroid is about $60 per year. Ω
 
 
 
 
 

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a jew writes for jews

3/17/2019

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            A Jew Writes for Jews
And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose and followed him. And it came to pass, as Jesus sat at meat in the house, behold, many publicans and sinners came and sat down with him and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?  But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.  (Matthew 9:9-12) 
AS SHIPS PLIED BACK AND FORTH ACROSS THE SEA OF GALILEE, they carried freight from one town to another. They could not come ashore at just any place. There were ports where they tied up and took on freight or set off freight. At these ports, tax collectors collected taxes on the freight being loaded or unloaded. Matthew (Levi) was at the Capernaum port, collecting taxes.

MATTHEW'S OTHER NAME WAS LEVI. (Mark and Luke call him “Levi.”) He became a tax collector for the Romans. All Roman tax collectors were despised by the Jews, but the Jewish tax collectors were especially, bitterly despised by their fellow-Jews. They were traitors to their nation. They were in partnership with the Romans who crucified anyone who resisted them. Sometimes the Roman soldiers left the crucified bodies hanging in public to rot or to be picked by vultures, reminding everyone: “This could happen to you.” Tax collectors were very much a part of this picture in the minds of the people. Traitors! The lowest of the lowest!

A TAX COLLECTOR PAID THE ROMANS A FEE for the privilege of collecting taxes. Whatever they could squeeze out of the people above what the Romans appointed as the rate of tax was extra profit. Thieves! Robbers! Jewish tax collectors were called “publicans.” Matthew Levi was an ostracized, despised man, worthy to be spit upon, and worse.

JEWISH RABBIS HELD THAT THERE WAS NO HOPE FOR A TAX COLLECTOR. They were excluded from all religious fellowship including the Temple and Synagogue. Their money was considered tainted and it defiled anyone who accepted it. They could not serve as a witness in any court of law. The people classed them on the level of thieves and harlots.

BUT JESUS SWAM UPSTREAM AGAINST THIS MASSIVE, deep-seated hatred of tax robbers. Jesus made himself a friend of sinners, even of the tax collectors and the worst of sinners. He set a new precedent among the Jews by accepting and associating with the tax collectors. He ate with them (Mark 2:16), He offered salvation to one of them: Zacchaeus (Luke 19:9), and He even chose a tax collector (Matthew) as one of His twelve disciples (Matthew 9:9).
 
HOWEVER, AT THIS TIME IN MATTHEW'S LIFE, he may not have been a typical tax collector. Some writers believe he had been baptized by John. Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.  (Luke 3:12,13) (Soldiers also came to John and asked him what they should do.)  Some suggest that as many as 11 of Jesus’ disciples had been baptized by John. None of them were baptized again under Jesus’ ministry, even though Jesus submitted Himself to the baptism of John.

WHEN JESUS COMMANDED MATTHEW TO FOLLOW HIM, Matthew immediately got up and began following Him. When Matthew writes about this encounter with Jesus, he lightly passes over it with one short reference. McGee comments: “Luke tells us that Matthew made a great dinner in honor of Jesus (see Luke 5:27-29). Matthew invited many of his publican friends to this dinner because he wanted them to know the Lord Jesus Christ also. (McGee) Would Jesus go eat with such a collection of low-life buzzards and thieves? He did. Does God love sinners? He does. Does God condone the sin of sinners? He does not.

WHY DID JESUS CHOOSE MATTHEW, THE TAX COLLECTOR, to be one of His disciples? I’ve wondered about this. I would not have chosen him. Surely, he would be a liability, a hole in the bottom of the gospel boat! No one could have felt that way anymore than Matthew himself. But Jesus could see potential in men that no one else could see. He was willing to work WITH men and work ON men to shape them into His choice tools.

AND JUDAS? JUDAS DEMONSTRATED that regardless of the love and grace offered to men, they must repent and turn to God as their Savior and Lord. Judas is a picture of the many church members today who have never repented of their sins and have never truly turned to the Lord.

WHEN JESUS SAID TO MATTHEW, “Follow me,” it was done! As the Gospel song: It’s Real says: “…then like sparks from smitten steel. Just so quick salvation reached me, O bless God, I know it’s real.”  And surely, Matthew could never have imagined that he would be the one chosen by the Lord to write the bridge document between the Jewish nation of Israel and the dispensation of Grace and the new Church Age! Not just any document: THE BRIDGE DOCUMENT!

THERE HAD TO BE A JEWISH DOCUMENT WRITTEN TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE and Matthew was the one to do it! Who knew the Jewish people better than this low-down, Jewish tax collector? And oh, what God had done in his heart! He was the one to write it! No one can know what God is making until He is finished with it! Matthew would write a well-documented thesis of how Jesus Christ of Nazareth was the long-awaited, promised Jewish messiah who had been promised since the days of Moses and spoken of by numerous respected prophets. But, as a nation, Israel had rejected their “Sent One.”

A FEW IN ISRAEL REALIZED WHAT THE NATION HAD DONE and wondered what God would do to Israel. This was the nation that had so often rejected Jehovah God and centuries earlier, the northern ten tribes had been destroyed by the Assyrian army to the north. Then, 150 years after that, the Babylonians destroyed the Jewish Temple and the city of Jerusalem and the southern kingdom of Judah began her 70 years of captivity in Babylon. So, what might they expect from God if they had rejected their promised Messiah and crucified Him on a Roman cross?

THEY HAD DECIDED THEY WOULD NOT HAVE JESUS RULING OVER THEM. Much like Americans today who are killing a thousand babies a day in the womb and have legalized the primary sin that destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities of the plain. America is saying: “Our lips are our own. This man, Jesus, shall not rule over us.” But God warns: The LORD shall cut off all flattering lips, and the tongue that speaketh proud things: Who have said, With our tongue will we prevail; our lips are our own: who is lord over us?  (Psalm 12:3-4)

SO, IN ISRAEL A FEW WERE BOUND TO BE ASKING: “What will God do to us?” God was giving them 40 years to think about what they had done and if they did not repent, there would fall upon them the most severe penalty that had ever been sent upon them.

IN A SHORT TIME, IN FORTY YEARS, from the time of the crucifixion and resurrection of the CHRIST, the magnificent Jewish Temple would be gone! Destroyed! The city of David: Jerusalem would lie in ruins, leveled to the ground just like Jesus said would happen! And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.  (Matthew 24:2)
 
 A MILLION JEWS WOULD LIKE DEAD IN A RIVER OF BLOOD when the Army of Titus would come into the city during the Passover Feast. I have read some reports that the Holy Spirit warned the Christians to leave Jerusalem and they escaped the bloody purge. This link reports a modern-day re-examination of that report and concludes it is probably accurate. https://www.preteristarchive.com/Bibliography/1998_scott_flee-pella.html

IN 40 YEARS, THE TEMPLE SYSTEM OF WORSHIP, the entire priesthood, the farms that raised sacrificial lambs, the industry that undergirded the ancient Jewish system of worship would be gone. GONE!

BUT BEFORE THAT WAS TO HAPPEN, MATTHEW WOULD WRITE THE BOOK that would show how Jesus, whom they had crucified, fulfilled the writings of the prophets from Moses to Malachi. Not just any book. It would be the Gospel According to Matthew. Let’s look at some of the features of the short book Matthew would write.

THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK would be to show that the messianic promises made to David’s line are fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus was the legal heir to the throne of David as measured by the genealogy through His legal father: Joseph. (The genealogy in Luke 3:23-28 was traced through the bloodline of his mother, Mary to the throne of David.) Matthew traces Jesus’ genealogy back further to Abraham: Genesis 12:3; 13:15;  22:18. Matthew quotes from the Old Testament more than 60 times, emphasizing that Christ was the fulfillment of all of those promises.

BY CONTRAST, LUKE GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO ADAM to show that Christ was the Savior of all humanity, and not just of the Jews. Matthew’s purpose was somewhat narrower: to demonstrate that Christ is the King and Messiah of Israel.

MAC-ARTHUR POINTS OUT IN MORE DETAILl how Matthew was primarily Jewish in his viewpoint. “He usually cites Jewish custom without explaining it, in contrast to other gospels (cf. Mark 7:3; John 19:40). He constantly refers to Christ as “the Son of David” (1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30; 21:9,15; 22:42,45).

“MATTHEW EVEN GUARDS JEWISH SENSIBILITIES REGARDING THE NAME OF GOD, referring to “the kingdom of heaven” where the other evangelists (Mark, Luke, John) speak of “the kingdom of God.” All of the books major themes are rooted in the Old Testament and set in light of Israel’s messianic expectations.

“MATTHEW'S SIGNATURE PHRASE: “’the kingdom of heaven’” occurs 32 times in his book and nowhere else in Scripture.

“THE REJECTION OF ISRAEL'S MESSIAH IS ANOTHER CONSTANT THEME in this gospel. In no other gospel are the attacks against Jesus portrayed as strongly here. From the flight into Egypt to the scene at the cross, Matthew paints a more vivid portrayal of Christ’s rejection than any of the other evangelists. In Matthew’s account of the crucifixion, for example, no thief repents, and no friends or loved one are seen at the foot of the cross. In his death, He is forsaken even by God (27:46). The shadow of rejection is never lifted from the story.

“YET MATTHEW PORTRAYS HIM AS A VICTORIOU KING who will one day return “on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (24;30). (MacArthur Study Bible)

CHURCH: Matthew mentions “church” twice and but none of the other evangelists (writers of the gospels) mention “church.”  “Church” occurs 80 times in the King James Bible. “Church” does not appear anywhere in the Old Testament. It occurs twice in Matthew. The other 78 times occurs in the Book of Acts and forward through Revelation.

BARBARA AND I HAVE BEEN READING and studying the book of Matthew in our morning devotions together. The book is so interesting that I thought you might like to share in it. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
     MARCH 18, 2019 – MONDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 31-32   P.M.  Luke 1:1-23
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verses to Memorize:
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.  (Matthew 1:20-21)
 
Song for Today:
Jesus, What a Friend of Sinners (4:05) (Samonte- A-Cappello Choir)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdtAtC99rH0    
 (You may have to turn up the volume or delete an ad.)
 
Health Tip:
Miller’s Bran and Applesauce. According to David Reuben, M.D., we need at least 24 grams of fiber a day to comply with the design of our body. (30 grams are better) Less than 24 grams of daily fiber endangers us to several diseases. On page 84 of his book: SAVE YOUR LIFE DIET, he lists nine ways to get your daily fiber down. #6: Mix it with applesauce. After trying it with water and juice, I tried it with applesauce. The winner!
 
TWICE A DAY: In a small glass bowl, put two heaping tablespoons of miller’s bran. (Dirt cheap, health food store) Add heaping four tablespoons of unsweetened applesauce. Stir well and let set 5-10 minutes. Eat as a snack or eat as a side dish. With applesauce you can also add two heaping tablespoons of chia seeds. Stir and let set 5-10 minutes. Try psyllium seeds instead of bran or chia seeds. DRINK PLENTY OF WATER! I bought a half-gallon of good unsweetened applesauce at Audie’s for $1.89. (You can also add the bran to soup or bread.) I think the bran does the best and Dr. Reuben was satisfied with it.
 
If you’re just beginning a fiber supplement, expect it to be “windy” for a few days until your body adjusts. You may want to begin with one heaping teaspoon of miller’s bran and two heaping teaspoons of apple sauce and gradually increase it. Find your own used copy of Dr. Reuben’s book, SAVE YOUR LIFE DIET, at Amazon Books, or Google the book title and find another source. Dr. Reuben watched his own father die of colon cancer and then began a search in medical literature. After reading over 600 medical papers and articles by 500 medical writers, he wrote his own book in 1975. Ω
 
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THE HEREDITY OF THE KING

3/14/2019

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        The Heredity of The King  
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.  (Matthew 1:1) And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.  (Matthew 1:16-17)
 
I’M GOING TO "BORROW" THE EXCELLENT SUMMARY of the beginning of the book of Matthew from Warren Wiersbe, who was the pastor of Moody Memorial Church in Chicago for several years and a noted author of Bible commentaries and well-known Bible conference speaker. I heard him in Bible conferences at Tennessee Temple Schools while I was a student there in the early 1950’s.

“IF A MAN SUDDENLY APPEARS AND CLAIMS TO BE A KING, the public immediately asks for proof. What is his background? Who pays homage to him? What credentials can he present? Anticipating these important questions, Matthew opened his book with a careful account of the birth of Jesus Christ and the events that accompanied it. He presented four facts about the King.

                          “THE HEREDITY OF THE KING (Matthew 1:1-25)

“SINCE ROYALTY DEPENDS ON HEREDITY, it was important for Jesus to establish His rights to David’s throne. Matthew gave His human heredity (Matthew 1:1-17) as well as His divine heredity (Matthew 1:18-25).

                              “HIS HUMAN HEREDITY (Matthew 1:1-17).

“Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for without them they could not prove their tribal memberships or their rights to inheritances. Anyone claiming to be “the Son of David” had to be able to prove it. It is generally concluded that Matthew gave our Lord’s family tree through His foster father, Joseph, while Luke gave Mary’s lineage (Luke 3:23).
“Many Bible readers skip over this list of ancient (and, in some cases, unpronounceable) names. But this “list of names” is a vital part of the Gospel record. It shows that Jesus Christ is a part of history; that all of Jewish history prepared the way for His birth. God in His providence ruled and overruled to accomplish His great purpose in bringing His Son into the world.

“THIS GENEALOGY ALSO ILLUSTRATES GOD'S WONDERFUL GRACE. It is most unusual to find the names of women in Jewish genealogies, since names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list we find references to four women from Old Testament history: Tamar (Matthew 1:3), Rahab and Ruth (Matthew 1:5), and Bathsheba “the wife of Uriah” (Matthew 1:6).

“MATTHEW CLEARLY OMITTED SOME NAMES FROM THIS GENEALOGY. Probably, he did this to give a systematic summary of three periods in Israel’s history, each with fourteen generations. The numerical value of the Hebrew letters for “David” equals fourteen. Matthew probably used this approach as a memory aid to help his readers remember this difficult list.

“BUT THERE WERE MANY JEWISH MEN WHO COLD TRACE THEIR FAMILY back to King David. It would take more than human pedigree to make Jesus Christ “the Son of David” and heir to David’s throne. This is why the divine heredity was so important.

                                     “HIS DIVINE HEREDITY (Matthew 1:18-25).
​
“MATTHEW 1:16 AND MATTHEW 1:18Matthew 1:16 and Matthew 1:18 make it clear that Jesus Christ’s birth was different from that of any other Jewish boy named in the genealogy. Matthew pointed out that Joseph did not “beget” Jesus Christ. Rather, Joseph was the “husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need of an earthly father. This is known as the doctrine of the Virgin Birth.

“EVERY CHILD BORN INTO THE WORLD IS A TOTALLY NEW CREATURE. But Jesus Christ, being eternal God (John 1:1, John 1:14), existed before Mary and Joseph or any of His earthly ancestors. If Jesus Christ were conceived and born just as any other baby, then He could not be God. It was necessary for Him to enter this world through an earthly mother, but not to be begotten by an earthly father. By a miracle of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin (Luke 1:26-38).

“SOME HAVE RAISED THE QUESTION THAT PERHAPS MARY WAS NOT A VIRGIN. They say that Mathew 1:23 should be translated “young woman.” But the word translated virgin in this verse always means virgin and cannot be translated “young woman.”

“BOTH MARY AND JOSEPH BELONGED to the house of David. The Old Testament prophecies indicated that the Messiah would be born of a woman (Genesis 3:15), of the seed of Abraham (Genesis 22:18), through the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10), and of the family of David (2Samuel 7:12-13).

"MATTHEW'S GENEALOGY TRACED THE LINE THROUGH SOLOMON, while Luke’s traced it through Nathan, another one of David’s sons. It is worth noting that Jesus Christ is the only Jew alive who can actually prove His claims to the throne of David! All of the other records were destroyed when the Romans took Jerusalem in a.d. 70.

“TO THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THAT DAY, betrothal (engagement) was equivalent to marriage — except that the man and woman did not live together. They were called “husband and wife,” and, at the end of the engagement period, the marriage was consummated. If a betrothed woman became pregnant, it was considered adultery (Deuteronomy_22:13-21). But Joseph did not punish or divorce Mary when he discovered she was with child, for the Lord had revealed the truth to him. All of this fulfilled Isaiah 7:14.

“BEFORE WE LEAVE THIS IMPORTANT SECTION, we must consider the three names assigned to God’s Son. The name Jesus means “Saviour” and comes from the Hebrew name, Joshua (“Jehovah is salvation”). There were many Jewish boys with the name Joshua (or, in the Greek, Jesus); but Mary’s Boy was called “Jesus the Christ.”

THE WORD CHRIST MEANS "ANOINTED;" The word Christ means “anointed”; it is the Greek equivalent of Messiah. He is “Jesus the Messiah.” Jesus is His human name; Christ is His official title; and Immanuel describes who He is — “God with us.” Jesus Christ is God! We find this name “Immanuel” in Isaiah 7:14 and Isaiah 8:8.

“THE KING, THEN, WAS A JEWISH MALE WHO IS ALSO THE DIVINE SON OF GOD. But, did anybody acknowledge His kingship? Yes, the magi from the East came and worshiped Him.
                            THE HOMAGE TO THE KING (Matthew 2:1-12)

“WE MUST CONFESS HAT WE KNOW LITTLE ABOUT THESE MEN. The word translated “wise men” (magi) refers to a group of scholars who studied the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. However, their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology.

“GOD GVE THEM A SPECIAL SIGN, a miraculous star that announced the birth of the King. The star led them to Jerusalem where God’s prophets told them that the King would be born in Bethlehem. They went to Bethlehem, and there they worshiped the Christ Child.

“WE DO NOT KNOW HOW MANY MAGI THERE WERE. From the three gifts listed in Matthew 2:11, some people have assumed there were three kings from the Orient, though this is not certain. But when their caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were enough of them to trouble the whole city.

“KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE MEN WERE GENTILES.. From the very beginning, Jesus came to be “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). These men were also wealthy, and they were scholars — scientists in their own right. No scholarly person who follows the light God gives him can miss worshiping at the feet of Jesus. In Jesus Christ “are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:3). In Him dwells “all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

“THE MAGI WERE SEEKING HE KING, but Herod was afraid of the King and wanted to destroy Him. This was Herod the Great, called king by the Roman senate because of the influence of Mark Antony. Herod was a cruel and crafty man who permitted no one, not even his own family, to interfere with his rule or prevent the satisfying of his evil desires. A ruthless murderer, he had his own wife and her two brothers slain because he suspected them of treason. He was married at least nine times in order to fulfill his lusts and strengthen his political ties.

“It IS NO SUPRISE THAT HEROD TRIED TO KILL JESUS, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title “King of the Jews.” But there was another reason. Herod was not a full-blooded Jew; he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began even before the boys were born (Genesis 25:19-34). It is the spiritual versus the carnal, the godly versus the worldly.

“THE MAGI WERE SEEKING HE KING;he magi were seeking the King; Herod was opposing the King; and the Jewish priests were ignoring the King. These priests knew the Scriptures and pointed others to the Saviour, but they would not go to worship Him themselves! They quoted Micah 5:2 but did not obey it. They were five miles from the very Son of God, yet they did not go to see Him! The Gentiles sought and found Him, but the Jews did not.”(Warren Wiersbe)
​
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 15, 2019 – FRIDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 26-27   P.M.  Mark 15:1-26
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  (Psalm 119:11)
 
 
SONG FOR TODAY:
Keep on The Firing Line(2:43) (Calv. Mem. Ch. Men’s Ensemble)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2wSORRwBzA  
 (You may have to turn up the volume or delete an ad.)
 
Health Tip: Eating Raw. Eat as much raw as you can of fruits, vegetables, sprouts, micro greens (one stage beyond sprouts- 2” or so high) and fresh vegetable juice. If these are not available, you may wish to try some of the vege powders. Go for color. Home-grown sprouts in a big-mouth qt. or half-gallon jar (mung beans, green lentils, sunflower, alfalfa) and mini-greens (broccoli, kale) are winners. Raw carrot and sour apple juice have been my choice for 30+ years.
 
“Raw” translates into energy. Takes time. Anything but Snicker bars takes time. Any animal product is going to cost more than plant food and is harder to digest. Protein? Cows and horses get their protein from green plant stuff. Bible eating was mostly plant food except special occasions. Cut way-back on sugar and salt.  I’m not a health professional. I read and do. Google makes information easier and cheaper than when I began health-reading fifty years ago. Ω
 
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jesus in matthew

3/13/2019

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             Jesus in Matthew… 
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
 
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, (Isaiah 7:14)) saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  (Matthew 1:21-23)
 
IN THE PAST, we have given much attention to Jesus in the Old Testament. All the gospel preaching an evangelizing the first 30 years of the church was done with Old Testament scriptures. There were no New Testament writings for almost 30 years. It is also important for us to look at how Jesus was presented in each of the New Testament gospels, beginning with Matthew.
 
RECENTLY, AN EMAIL WAS SENT TO ME REGARDING A WEBSITE whose spokesman seemed to be puzzled that there were four gospels. I read the whole thing and the problem was the man’s shallowness. He meant well, I’m sure, but he was making a big mistake because he had not done his homework. Homework is sometimes…work.
 
IN SOME MATTERS THE BIBLE IS SIMPLE so that simple people can grasp it. But like the laws of math and physics, some things in the Bible require that we roll up our sleeves and spend some hours in study. It’s like when our cows used to come to the barn at the end of the day to be fed and milked, I never had a cow to milk herself. I always had to do a “hands on” thing to fill the bucket with milk. God designed it that way. God also designed it so that we must study the Bible to get the milk and meat from it. (2Tim.2:15)
 
WHEN PHILIP WAS DIRECTED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT to leave a revival and go by foot into a sparsely populated area, it might have seemed to be shortsighted. But God does not waste words and does not waste His servants. And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
 
And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,  Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
 
Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest? And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.  (Acts 8:26-31)
 
THE FOUR GOSPELS ARE NOT WRITTEN TO TAKE UP SPACE; were not written because the writers could not “quite get it together.”  The four Gospels were written as four distinct portraits of how Christ related to four different groups or types of people.
 
“THE FOUR GOSPELS PRESENT A FOURFOLD VIEW of the life of Christ.  With the exception of scant references by Tacitus and Josephus, our entire knowledge of the life of Jesus is from these gospel accounts. The early accounts probably were passed on verbally in the Aramaic language and then recorded in Greek manuscripts between A.D. 60 and 90. All four Gospels build upon genuine historical tradition and preserve different aspects of it.
 
“THE BASIC PURPOSE OF THE GOSPELS is to present the gospel message, the Good News of the Redeemer-Savior. They present Jesus as the Messiah of Israel, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world. The Gospels were written so that their readers would come to believe in Christ and receive eternal life (cf. John 20:31). They view Jesus as the Lord of Glory who is presently alive and active in heaven.”
 
“THE ORDER OF THE GOSPELS has been generally recognized by the church throughout its history. The Gospel of Matthew occupies first place in all extant witnesses to the text of the four Gospels. Matthew’s emphasis on the Old Testament preparation for the Gospel makes it an ideal “bridge” from the Old to the New Testament.
 
“MATTHEW, THE HEBREW TAX COLLECTOR, writes for the Hebrew mind. Mark, the travel companion of Paul and Peter, writes for the Roman mind. Luke, Paul’s physician-missionary, writes with the Greek mentality in view. John’s gospel is different by nature from the other three. It is an interpretation of the facts of Jesus’ life rather than a presentation of its facts in historical sequence.” (From: The King James Study Bible.)
 
WITH THE ABOVE AS AN INTRODUCTION, we will explore some of the features of the Gospel According to Matthew. It will be a survey and not an exhaustive study. Morning Minute is partly a quick-stop morning devotional, but sometimes it leans into heavier Bible study which is desperately needed today. This is one of those heavier studies. Please stay with us.  Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 14, 2019 – THURSDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 23-25   P.M.  Mark 14:51-72
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  (Psalm 119:11)
  
Song for Today:
God Bless America (:53) (Calv. Ch. Sch. 1st,2nd Grade )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJKqYHMQUEU
 (You may have to turn up the volume or delete an ad.)
 
Health Tip:
Fruits and Vegetables at the front. After water and fiber, we need to think about fruits, vegetables. Then come beans/peas, grain and a small amount of safe animal protein (if that’s on your list). If it’s salmon, stick to wild, cold-water salmon (our favorite). Sardines packed in water are a staple for me, with Texas Pete hot sauce and “Hint of salt” Triscuits (whole wheat crackers). Chicken should be free-range without growth hormones and anti-biotics. Beef should be grass-fed. If you’re rich, eat animal products like you’re poor: “now and then.” That’s the way they did it in the Bible. https://hcscchurch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/food.pdf  Ω
 
 
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and these words...

3/11/2019

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             And These Words…    
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:  That thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy son, and thy son's son, all the days of thy life; and that thy days may be prolonged.  (Deuteronomy 6:1-2)
 
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. (Deuteronomy 6:5-7)

WHEN GOD SPEAKS OF "THESE WORDS," we notice He did not say: “these ideas” or “these suggestions” or “these talking points.” These words. When God says “these words” it makes the message clear and to the point. It is easy to understand. We are to love God supremely and obey Him. We are to teach our children in our home what God told us.

“THE EMPHASIS IS ON OBEDIENCE. There are actually only two classes of people in the world: those who love God and those who hate God. The heart attitude of people is evidenced by their obedience or disobedience. Listen to Deuteronomy 5:29: "O that there were such an heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever!"
Through the prophet Isaiah, God had this to say: "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men" (Isaiah 29:13).

DO YOU REMEMBER HOW HE PROPHET SAMUEL rebuked King Saul? "And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams" (1Samuel 15:22).

WHEN THE LORD JESUS GAVE HIS COMMISSION TO SIMON PETER, He asked only one question, "Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me?" (John 21:16).

THE MOST WONDERFUL THING IN HEAVEN will be to see the Lord Jesus and realize fully that He loves me and that He gave Himself for me. But the next best thing in heaven is going to be that I will love everybody, and everybody is going to love me. Now that, my friend, is going to make heaven a very wonderful place!” (McGee)

Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 12, 2019 – TUESDAY         
A.M.   Deuteronomy 17-19 
P.M.  Mark 14:1-25
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  (Psalm 119:11)
  
Song for Today:
Great Is Thy Faithfulnes (2:09) (Calv. Ch. Sch. 1st,2nd Grade )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va2X6fJRVY4&t=15s
 ( You may have to turn up the volume or delete an ad.)

Health Hint:
Our first two concerns in food are water and fiber. (My opinion)
Catherine Saxelby, is a certified nutritionist and writer of the Food Watch blog. https://foodwatch.com.au/blog/carbs-sugars-and-fibres/item/fibre-7-most-asked-questions.html  
 
 
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drawing nigh to god

3/10/2019

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                            Drawing Nigh to God 
Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. James 4:8-10
 
WHEN I LOOK AT THESE VERSES, I always think of Anna and Simeon who frequented the Temple in Jerusalem prior to and during the birth of Jesus. Anna and Simeon are in our photos today. They were looking for the coming of the Promised One that Moses and other prophets wrote about. Not everyone was looking for the Promised One. Anna and Simeon were different.

GOD REVEALS HIMSELF THROUGH HIS WORD, through His creation, through His people, through His various gifted and special-called ones, and through the things He allows or causes to happen. But, it’s up to the individuals as to what they do with God’s outreach to them. For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.  (Hebrews 4:2)
 
JESUS TALKED ABOUT THE VARIATION OF FRUIT resulting from the seed of the sower. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred.  
(Mark 4:20)
 
THE POPULAR LEFT BEHIND SERIES OF BOOKS by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins sold over 80-million copies, according to Wikepedia. These books dealt with the return of Jesus Christ to earth and the days before and during the seven-year Tribulation Period. If 80-million Americans read those books, America had its memory triggered for a few months. Some were entertained and some drew near to God,… for a while. It reminds us of the early interest Jesus gathered in His ministry, only to have some of those same people turn against Him as a mob and shout at the Roman authorities to crucify Him!
 
THOUSANDS OF CHURCHES IN AMERICA CLAIM TO BELIEVE AND PREACH THE BIBLE in one form or another. However hard the efforts are being made to interest unchurched people, it doesn’t appear to be turning many toward the Bible. The message of James on drawing nigh to God is relevant to church goers and non-church goers, alike. Perhaps no one needs the message worse than the children who are growing up in “Bible-believing” churches. Survey after survey shows that 60% of the young people who are growing up in Bible-believing churches are leaving their church by the time they graduate from high school. That withdrawal is hardened when they go through college.
 
THE BOOK OF JAMES WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST NEW TESTAMENT BOOK and it appeared about 30 years after Christ rose from the dead.  Strangely enough, it was not a book about evangelism. It has been dubbed the “Proverbs of the New Testament.” The Bible tells us how to go to Heaven and it tells us how to live on earth while we’re waiting on our trip to Heaven. James is a book on how to live on the earth as a Christian.
 
IS IT STRANGE THAT ONE OF THE PROMINENT THEMES of this first New Testament book is about drawing nigh to God? Christians drawing nigh to God? It comes right after the verse that tells us to “resist the devil.” We live in a world of moral rot and poison ivy and living like a Christian is of paramount importance to God. It is not always the easy thing to do and to succeed at living the Christian life, we must have the power of God.
 
“IT IS SAID THAT ONE TIME, MARTIN LUTHER THREW AN INKWELL AT THE DEVIL. Somebody might say that was a crazy thing to do, but it is not if you are resisting the Devil. James tells us that the way to resist the Devil is to draw near to God. The Devil will flee from you, because he doesn't like God as company. The Devil will not get to you unless you get too far away from God. A wolf never attacks a sheep as long as it is with the rest of the sheep and with the shepherd. And the closer the sheep is to the shepherd, the safer it is. Our problem is that we get too far from God.”(McGee)

THE VERSES RIGHT AFTER VERSE EIGHT SOUND POETIC, but they are not intended to be poetic and empty. Cleanse your hands, purify your heart, mourn and weep and let our laughter be turned into mourning and our joy into heaviness. What he is really after is the humbling of the heart; submission to God. This was the key issue in 2Chronicles 7:14: If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.  (2Chronicles 7:14)
 
WHETHER IT IS OLD TESTAMENT OR NEW TESTAMENT, the issue is the same: humbling the heart. It is not nearly as important to God that we be fantastic Bible scholars as being humble Bible scholars. If that’s the issue, then we might as well get with the program, you think? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.  (James 4:6)
 
PETER WROTE ABOUT THIS: Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:  (1Peter 5:5-6)
 
LET'S BE ALL THE BIBLE SCHOLAR  WE CAN BE, but first things first: humble our hearts so God can unlock his grace to us. Grace is getting good things we don’t deserve. But, we lock the door against the grace of God when we stiffen our hearts in pride and rebellion. This is how it works, so again, let’s get with the program. Seek His face. Surrender. Draw nigh to God on His terms. That’s the only thing that works.
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 11, 2019 – MONDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 5-7   P.M.  Mark 12:1-27
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6)
 
Song for Today:
Give Me Jesus (2:59) (Calv. Mem. Ch. Adult Choir )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHpv4jsIlcM  
 (Turn up the volume.  You may have to delete an ad.)
 
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does it matter to you what god thinks about it?

3/7/2019

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Does It Matter to You What God Thinks About It?
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6)
 
WHAT IS SIN LIKE? This is what sin is like: Our own way pitted against God’s way. Sin is living independent of God. If God had not laid out a superior way, our way might not look so bad. Popular crooner, Frank Sinatra sang: “I Did It My Way…” and America loved it! Went wild over it! Thousands of people bought their own private copy of the song so they could play it over and over again.
 
WELL, WE ARE ENTITLED TO OUR OWN IDENTITY and our own private collection of things. But we can become obsessed over everything being our way. “Our way or the highway.” It’s one thing to say, “My way and not your way.” It’s quite another thing to say, “My way but not God’s way.”
 
GOD SAID OF ABRAHAM: For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.  (Genesis 18:19)
 
TODAY'S TEXT PRESSED IN ON ME at least fifty years ago. The basis of all sin is having my way and disregarding what God has said. We tend to be selectively deaf toward God. The devil asked Eve in the Garden of Eden: Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?  (Genesis 3:1)
 
WHAT'S IT GOING TO HURT IF YOU TAKE A BITE of a special fruit from a special tree? The only thing wrong with it is that God said, “don’t do it!” That’s a whole train load of reasons not to do it! There doesn’t have to be any other reason than: “God said “don’t do it.” It may be that God has led you to do something or not do something. That’s your whole world! You don’t know of anything bigger than that.
 
MY GOOD FRIEND, PAUL FERGUSON, boxing champion and evangelist, told me God told him he would be an evangelist. He would never be a pastor. But Paul wanted to work on the railroad and be a local pastor so he could be at home with his boys growing up. The contest went on for several months. One night the overhead lights went out where Paul was switching railroad cars. While he was waiting for the lights to come back on, something picked him up and set him over several feet. A loaded coal car rumbled by in the dark where he had been standing.
 
HE THOUGHT HE WAS STANDING BETWEEN TWO RAILROAD TRACKS, but he had been standing between the rails of A RAILROAD TRACK! Immediately, God spoke to him in his spirit as clearly as if He had spoken into his ear: “The next time, I won’t pick you up.” That settled it! Paul fell to his knees and surrendered to be an evangelist. (You can find a used copy of the book “Paul Ferguson The Fighter” at Amazon Books.) Paul was determined to have his way instead of God’s way. That had to change.
 
THE BOTTOM LINE IS: “Does it matter to you what God thinks about it?” It is human nature to reason things out, so our sin is not too bad, at least it’s not any worse than somebody else’s wrong doing. It’s ok to be slightly bad if it’s not stinkin’ bad. Same old game; it doesn’t matter what God thinks about it. “Hath God said?” Living independent of God is the essence of all sin. ALL SIN!
 
WELL, MY FRIEND, we don’t know what is coming down the road tomorrow right where we’re standing. The telephone rings, someone knocks on the front door, the doctor comes back into the room with test results in his hand. You simply cannot afford to not care what God thinks about it. Anything! Everything! Stuff going on in your life that maybe nobody knows about. Does it matter to you what God thinks about it? Ω
 
Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 8, 2019 – FRIDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 5-7   P.M.  Mark 12:1-27
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.  (Isaiah 53:6) 
 
Song for Today: 
Have Thine Own Way Lord (1:41) (Heber Vega – Acapella )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jSnBbgsecD4&list=RDjSnBbgsecD4&start_radio=1&t=56
 (Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)

Health Tip:
Plantar Warts. These warts form on the bottom of your feet. They are contagious and very troubling. I once ended up on crutches for several months waiting for the skin to slowly grow back, shrinking the hole that was formed from the surgery. Some people report getting rid of them by soaking in vinegar and then covering them with duct tape. Here is a report from Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/plantar-warts/symptoms-causes/syc-20352691

Here’s an excellent article at The People’s Pharmacy on plantar’s warts.
https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/2019/03/04/can-you-cure-your-plantar-warts-with-hot-water/?utm_source=The+People%27s+Pharmacy+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b630feb97d-MC_D_2019-03-05%26subscriber%3D1&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_7300006d3c-b630feb97d-215154885&goal=0_7300006d3c-b630feb97d-215154885&mc_cid=b630feb97d&mc_eid=b917424292   
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saved to the uttermost...

3/6/2019

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                 Saved To the Uttermost…
    Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.  (Hebrews 7:25)
 
HOW LONG WILL WE BE SAVED? Might we mess up and get kicked out? That’s what this verse is about. Christ can save people “from” the roughest side of town, from solitary confinement in the worst prison. But that’s not what this verse is about. It’s not about “from” the uttermost. It is about “to” the uttermost. That’s all you need to get fixed in your mind today.
 
WHEN YOU GET SAVED, He is able to keep on saving you ‘till the day of your death on earth. Then, He is able to keep on sustaining you throughout eternity because He is the high priest that never dies. He is our peace. He is our security. He is our sacrificial lamb. He never ceases to be all those things.

"HE EVER LIVETH." It says, first of all, that Christ is not dead, but He is living. Right at this very moment He is alive. We emphasize the death and resurrection of Christ, but we ought to go beyond that. We have to do with a living Christ. We know Him no longer after the flesh. We know Him today as our Great High Priest at God's right hand. My friend, that is where we need to put the emphasis. He died down here to save us, but He lives up there to keep us saved. (McGee)

"HE IS ABLE ALSO TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST that come unto God by him." He is able to keep on saving you. "To the uttermost" means all the way through. He is able to save us completely and perfectly. He is the Great Shepherd who up to this very moment has never lost a sheep. Do you want to know something? He never will lose one. If you are one of His sheep, you may feel like you are going to be lost, but He is up there for you and He is watching over you. (McGee)

“WHEREFORE [BECAUSE HE IS THE EVER-LIVING, UNCHANGING HIGH PRIEST], He is able also to save them to the uttermost [completely, forever] that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them.” It is unfortunate that this verse is often read, “He is able to save from the uttermost” instead of “to the uttermost.” To be sure, it is true that Christ can save any sinner from any condition; but that is not the import of the verse. The emphasis is on the fact that He saves completely, forever, all who put their faith in Him. Because He is our High Priest forever, He can save forever. (Wiersbe)

JESUS IS ALSO OUR SHEPHERD. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one.  (John 10:27-30)
 
PAUL JOINS IN, stating that Christ will continue to do a good work in us. Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: (Philippians 1:6)
 
PAUL TELLS TIMOTHY THAT CHRIST IS ABLE TO KEEP HIM. For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  (2Timothy 1:12)
 
JESUS SAYS WE HAVE PASSED FROM DEATH UNTO LIFE: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.  (John 5:24)
 
 Read Through the Bible in a Year
MARCH 7, 2019 – THURSDAY         
A.M.  Deuteronomy 3-4   P.M.  Mark 11:20-33
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

A Good Verse to Memorize:
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.  (Psalm 119:11)
  
Song for Today:
There Is a Fountain (4:39) (Gaither-Vestal Goodman)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE
 (Wait several seconds. You may have to delete an ad.)

Health Tip:
Intrinsic Factor and Other Stomach Features: (Intrinsic Factor: technical definition) is a glycoprotein secreted by parietal (humans) cells of the gastric mucosa. In humans, it has an important role in the absorption of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) in the intestine, and failure to produce or utilize intrinsic factor results in the condition pernicious anemia.”

TRANSLATED: this stuff enables us to absorb vitamin B-12 out of our food. The absence or deficiency of B-12 damages the nerves in our bodies. Severe shortage of B-12 is called “pernicious anemia.” This type of anemia is called “pernicious” because it was once considered a deadly disease. People who have no intrinsic factor can still get B-12 into their body by holding “soft” B-12 tablets under the tongue, or by taking B-12 shots. B-12 is one of the factors of body energy.

WITHOUT INTRINSIC FACTOR we cannot convert blood gastrin into stomach acid. For five-plus years I had very little stomach acid but didn’t know it. Finally, I found a doctor who had me swallow a radio capsule that measured the acid in my stomach and transferred the signal to a printing device across the room that printed a graph for the doctor to read. He prescribed acid tablets to be taken before meals. That helped a lot, but it was not the whole story.

NOT LONG AFTER THAT, Helicobacter Pylori, a stomach bacterium, was discovered and proven by an unheard-of doctor. The big-name doctors had missed it. It changed the whole medical profession’s view of the way it looks upon stomach ulcers. Another doctor, my gastroenterologist in Chattanooga, gave me an anti-biotic plus Pepto-Bismol to clear it up. The anti-biotic went deep and the Pepto-Bismol treated the surface of the stomach. When that healed, I had more stomach acid than I knew what to do with. Question: If I had had enough stomach acid, might the acid have killed the Helicobacter Pylori?

FROM MY HARVARD HEALTH NEWSLETTER, I had already learned, according to World Health Organization of the United Nations, that world-wide, there is a strong connection between stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. (There is also a strong connection between acid reflux and cancer of esophagus.) The World Health Organization surmised that the connection between stomach ulcers and stomach cancer lies in the continual healing process of damaged stomach tissue, which occurs more than with normal tissue maintenance. When a new cell misfires in its formation and becomes cancerous, it establishes a cancer in that area which then grows into full-blown cancer.

LATER,I DEVELOPED ACID REFLUX and began taking Prilosec to shut down the acid. I went to the drug store and bought the tablet form so I could cut it in half. 10mg keeps the acid at bay, but I take acid capsules with my cooked meals to aid digestion. I’m not finished with this problem. I’m not content to continue taking even a small amount of acid-blocker (Prilosec). Getting off it will send an avalanche of acid pouring out and will burn the esophagus. Been there, done that.

DOCTORS ACROSS AMERICA DON'T SEEM TO KNOW WHAT TO DO with acid reflux. Some doctors will look you in the eye and tell you that stomach acid is not necessary. I don’t believe them. God made no mistake in putting acid in the stomach. It kills many kinds of bacteria in the stomach and aids the stomach in digesting minerals and protein. There’s reason to believe that bone health/strength is dependent on good stomach acid. Be aware of this controversy among doctors and read for yourself on Google. Type in “stomach acid” and see what you find. You may want to begin your search with this link: https://riordanclinic.org/2014/03/why-your-stomach-acid-is-important/  Ω
 
 
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    Dan Carr is a "retired" pastor, writer, teacher and continues to write at this website. This blog and other articles are e-mailed free to anyone who wants them. Go to: 
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    Dan and Barbara live 
    at Flat Rock, AL between Chattanooga, TN and Huntsville, AL. on Sand Mtn.
    We enjoy gardening, reading, church, family and friends.

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