Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 3John 1:2-4
JOHN WROTE GAIUS A SHORT LETTER in which he almost immediately went to the subject of physical health. He complemented Gaius on the good reputation he had among the brethren. A reputation for a commitment to truth (whatever it is and wherever it is found) is refreshing, indeed! There are people like that, and they are the kind of people you want to talk to when you’ve got a knotty problem of some kind. “Well, you may not like what he says, but you know you are going to get the truth when you talk with him.”
IT SEEMS THAT GAIUS WAS NOT IN GOOD PHYSICAL HEALTH and John wishes that his physical health would come up to his reputation for telling and living the truth. I was curious what some of the most reliable Bible commentators would say about this. They all agree that John was targeting Gaius’s physical health: not spiritual health. It was common then for people to greet one another and immediately reference their health. Don’t we say: “Good morning! How are you doing?” Same thing.
JOHN TAKES IT A STEP FURTHER AS IF TO SAY: “Someone told me you were not feeling well, and I just want you to know I’m concerned about it. Since John had been one of Jesus’ disciples, he had been well-trained by the Master to be concerned about the health and well-being of people as you mix with them. Jesus “went about doing good,” How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him. (Acts 10:38)
THE KING JAMES BIBLE LISTS: “one another” 547 times in 238 verses. That declares us to be quite “sociable,” wouldn’t you say? The Bible is about us and God. The Bible is also human-to-human. We go to church to worship God and we also go to church to exercise and refine our social natures And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
IT IS BIBLICAL FOR US TO BE CONCERNED about the physical well-being of one another. James dealt with our need for food and clothing. And one of you say unto them, depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? (James 2:16)
AS WE HAVE THEREFORE OPPORTUNITY, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Galatians 6:10 The local church has some duty to see to the welfare of others, as we are able, especially to those of the household of faith. (If you are not able, you do not have opportunity.) The church is unable to perform the function of an enormous government program such as Social Security. The limited ability of the church to meet community needs is built into the phrase: “as we have opportunity,” or, as we are able.
WELL, HERE WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF ANOTHER PLAGUE, the Coronavirus. Some of the news is true and some of it is hype. It’s also a thing to politicize and use as a football, while people get sick and die. We commoners should do what people have always done: talk to the doctor’s office on the phone and stay out of the office if possible, quarantine, drink water, sleep, etc. Check in with www.cdc.gov often and see what’s really going on. Congress has appropriated $8-billion. That ought to do it.
Also, you may want to check in with CBN and listen to Lorrie Johnson, the very able and honest health reporter. https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/health (browse and learn) https://www.cbn.com/special/BuildABetterGut/ Get this free booklet or download it. There is also a 2-page summary you can download.
In America, the Coronavirus is killing mostly older people and people who already have underlying health problems. The new thing America is beginning to learn is that 80% of our immune system is in our gut, in the bacterial colonies that live in our gut. Take probiotics (capsules of gut bacteria) and prebiotics (what the bacteria eat to stay alive). Some of the best bacteria food is raw kraut and kimchee (bigger chunks of fermented vegetables).
Go to Google and type in: “how to make sauerkraut.” Try this website here: https://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-make-homemade-sauerkraut-in-a-mason-jar-193124. This will make 2 quarts of kraut, or one half-gallon jar.
TODAY, I CHOPPED UP 1 1/2 HEADS OF GREEN CABBAGE, put it in a dishpan, sprinkled 2 tsp salt, with clean hands stirred and squeezed the cabbage for ten minutes. Put in a crock and placed inside the crock, on top of the cabbage, about 2” of water in a plastic bag and let the water in the bag flow out to the wall of the crock. I put a weight on top of the bag of water, which went down onto the plate. Covered with cloth. Set the crock in a bedroom on a rug. Will check it in a couple of days and then every day until the product begins to turn sour. If it foams (normal thing) remove weight and water and remove foam; return water and weight to crock. In 5-6 days the product should be about ready to put into pint or quart big-mouth jars.
YOU CAN MAKE SAUERKRAUT IN QUART OR HALF-GALLON JARS. Jars make the product faster than crock. For 20 years, I searched for “why is salt used in making kraut?” Books, websites, old-timers. No one knew. I found the reason salt is used in making sauerkraut in this book I saw advertised on a website: Fermented Vegetables, 375 pages. About 9”x11”, paperback. New: $24.95. Amazon Books: $18.83. You may find a good used copy.
I’VE BEEN MAKING SAUERKRAUT IN A CROCK for about ten years. I’m making it now to boost my immune system against the Coronavirus and all other infectious diseases that lurk in the wings for 85-year-olds. I hesitate to be taking in much salt. I balance it out by upping my intake of potassium. (These two things are antagonistic to each other.)
Too much salt will raise blood pressure in some people, will swell the nasal passages and swell the feet. Swelling is a signal to increase potassium or back away from the salt. When eating kraut, refuse other salted products such as corn chips.
Read Through the Bible in a Year
March 5, 2020 - THURSDAY
A.M. Numbers 34-36 P.M. https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+10%3A32-52&version=KJV
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)
Good Verse to Memorize:
Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. 3John 1:2
Song for Today:
Give Me Jesus (3:05) (Calvary Memorial Church)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64X3dotG5A
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