Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who

is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you

were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in

your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:19,20 NKJ)

NATURAL CHRISTIAN is primarily about promoting health through diets rich in whole, natural foods, but also encourages regular exercise, adequate rest, using natural complementary healthcare, reducing environmental hazards where possible, and developing spiritually. I have very intense reasons for believing, practicing, and teaching this with so much fervor. This author believes that, in light of the above scripture, caring for our bodies is not optional. God may have endowed us with a freedom to choose, but we do not have the right to choose everything as we please, because we are not our own! We are bought and paid for.

Here is an astounding paradox: Being a slave of Christ and therefore of righteousness is actually freedom. For freedom from righteousness, in our former way of life, was really bondage, and likewise, slavery to Jesus is really freedom.

The more Word we get in us, the more Christlike we become (Galatians 2:20). The less we demand control and the more we allow the Holy Spirit to rule our lives, the greater the actual freedom we will have. It challenges the natural mind, doesn’t it?

Throughout the New Testament we find scriptures extolling this freedom that can be ours in Christ, but at the "new birth" we retain our freedom of choice. Many who claim to be Christians nevertheless continue to live in ignorance or rebellion to many of God’s "precepts," and these people are anything but freed-up, at least while still on this earth.

Many rightly argue that as sons of the Most High we are no longer subject to the Law of the Old Covenant. They resent the notion of "rules" and even "admonitions," carrying it sometimes to the extreme of refusing a disciplined lifestyle. Yes, yes, yes, we are free, free, free from Law. However, the Bible also warns against using that freedom to be a cover-up for sin or using it as a means of indulging the sinful nature of the "flesh." (see Galatians 5:13 and/or 1 Peter 2:16).

People, we have a responsibility and a duty to take care of our mortal bodies as an expression of obedience and love for God and His precious people . Our Lord repeatedly commands us to "love one another." We, quite frankly, do not have a right to live just any old way. Our health not only affects our own selves, but it affects parents, children, employers, co-workers, fellow church members, and many, many other peoples’ lives we may not even be aware of. YOU have been appointed an ambassador of Christ. How excellent of a job are you going to do while tired and wiped out, depressed, ashamed, sick, or worse, dead? You won’t do anybody any good if you leave and go to heaven. How would your children suffer if you left them fatherless or motherless at a young age? Wouldn't your parents grieve horribly to see you go before your time, and wouldn't their lives be altered? How many people's lives would miss your touch because of your premature death, because of your chronic sickness, because of your fatigue or your feelings of depression and unworthiness? Guard your health, guard your testimony before men.. Don’t think you’re not important just because you don’t have some huge ministry, because that is a lie.

Some people believe they don’t have to consider their health because they have the promises of God, they have grace, they have faith, and God will bail them out. Jesus IS our healer. We don’t HAVE to be sick. We have authority over sickness and disease, just like Jesus. But don’t put a sign on your forehead that says, COME HERE SICKNESS. Don’t live as if natural laws don’t apply to you, or chances are you will find out that indeed they do. Disease may not have a spiritual right to dwell in your body, but if you're pussyfooting around with destructive habits, it has a natural right to move right on in. And if you exercise your authority over your body and drive the sickness out, but continue on in your error of lifestyle, that thing is going to try its best to revisit your life!

You’ve heard of putting God to a foolish test, what about putting yourself to a foolish test? Personally, I think it is hard to exercise faith in God’s Word when my heart "condemns me" (1 John 3:21, 22), that is to say when I know that my problem is my own fault and I’m still not willing to change. That’s like saying, "God, I’ll take my healing, thank you very much, but I’m going to keep on doing the very things that are making me sick. I’ll just keep coming to you for a bail-out as needed." By living NOT IN FEAR, but rather circumspectly, you will reduce the likelihood of having to put your faith where your mouth is and appropriating a healing for your body because of a major, life-threatening illness.

Do I think the devil is behind a lot of premature deaths in the Christian camp? Absolutely! How does he do it? He does it by grand deceptions and influencing the choices YOU make, choices like what you eat, what activities you engage in, what kind of work you do, where you live, even what you feel and attitudes you hold (due to what you think about--including bitterness, envy, unforgiveness, etc. in your relationships with others). Then, on top of all that, he attacks your confidence in the Word of God: "He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses." (Mat. 8:17; see also Isaiah 53:4) He works through the avenue of your mind, over your entire lifetime, applying pressure and using subtle suggestion with the aim of dictating your thoughts and leading you purposely in specific directions. The agents of Satan adeptly appeal to the desires of the "flesh." Our adversary is intelligent, crafty and very, very patient.

I’m telling you, it is exceedingly important that you as a Christian rev up your body with premium quality fuel, that your body is fit and in good running order, and that your emotions are in check and you feel energetic and strong. You are a potential powerhouse and achiever for God. You are a servant, you are a giver. Other people need you. God wants to use you to full capacity your whole lifetime to touch all the other people He loves so very much. See, it’s not just about you. It’s about everyone. No one is an island.

It’s not that the Church or any one person should dictate to you your diet or other particulars of your lifestyle. The purpose of this site is to share with you what I have learned and choices I have made for my own life. Take it upon yourself to find out what pleases the Lord and then do it (see Ephesians 5:8-10 and/or 1 John 3:21,22). I’m here to tell you your health is important to God, and it’s not all God’s job to take care of it!

Although health is undeniably wholistic, involving all tangible and intangible parts of the human being, what we eat and fail to eat is absolutely, undeniably one of the central factors in establishing, improving, or maintaining excellent, feel-great, live-long health.

This author believes that all bodies need a low-fat plant-based diet comprised of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and pure water. Lean meats and dairy products are optional. You can still choose to consume animal products as part of a plant-based diet, so long as plants comprise the foundation of your meals. Vegetarianism is encouraged, but by no means dogmatically essential. For my own life, the jury is still out concerning the supremacy of veganism, though I'm beginning to lean that direction--but again, I'm not pushing veganism as the only way to live. Definitely, prepackaged, processed, refined, manufactured (fake), artificially flavored and/or colored, preservative-soaked, chemically-treated, irradiated, or chemically engineered foods are strongly discouraged. Buying organic is expensive, but advantageous. Supplementation with high-quality supplements is also advised.

As far as I am concerned, ratios of carbohydrates to fat to protein are debatable, and I don't think there is a ratio "law" which applies successfully to all bodies. However, I will say that the Standard Western Diet is generally too high in fat and protein. The high protein/low carbohydrate diets that are popular today are dangerous as they encourage even higher levels of protein (most of which is consumed in the form of animal products) and very low levels of carbohydrates. God designed our bodies to run on primarily clean-burning complex carbohydrates. High fat, high protein eating styles displace needed carbohydrates, plus the excess fat and protein is in itself destructive. Please, please research the matter carefully before subjecting your body to a low-carb diet.

My general rule: experiment and do what seems to work for you. You will know if it is working if you look healthy, feel healthy, and have a strong immune system.

There is so much arguing back and forth between different camps over which eating regime is "right" or "best." Each eating style seems to have strong critics as well as people who have experienced dramatic results from eating that particular way. I have a hard time believing that anyone can claim to feel terrific and be eating all wrong. Me, I do not follow anyone’s plan in particular, but rather over time have developed my own tailor-made style, incorporating those concepts which have appealed to me both intellectually and preferentially. Living life and studying the Word of God and the subject of health has birthed convictions in me that have fueled my past health changes and current objectives. The result: I feel better now than at any other time in my life that I can remember. However, I will continue to fine-tune my lifestyle for as long as I am living on this earth.

I am not in favor of weighing, measuring, or counting anything for the average person (though if you choose to do those things, that is, of course, entirely up to you). Athletes, I realize, may have logical reasons for wishing to practice these things, but for most of the rest of us they are not necessary or beneficial. Who needs a scale to tell them they are at a healthy body size? Either your clothes fit or they don’t. Either you’re firm and fit or you’re not. Do you have enough energy to carry out your activities or do you frequently feel a need to sit down or take a nap? Are you sick all the time or usually feeling tip-top? At mealtimes, can you normally eat to fullness without changing your figure? People who are fat usually do not really need a device to tell them so. Those numbers on the scale are meaningless, unless you need them for a season to break through denial.

People just learning to eat right may benefit from using calorie counters, fat counters, sodium counters, cholesterol counters, or whatever for a while. However, once you get the picture, consider throwing the little books away and start relaxing. Your ability to estimate whether something is high, medium, or low in fat, for instance, should serve you well enough. There is no need to be overly cerebral about your eating....it is only ONE aspect of your life.

Finally, eat foods that are healthy, yes, but also that you enjoy thoroughly. Never eat foods you would rather not. Doing that will not only undermine your efforts, but it is unnecessary. When switching from the standard western diet (SWD) to a more healthful way, you may encounter many things that taste like dog food to you. Don’t give up! Your tastebuds have to adjust, and they will. I look forward to eating things today that I once despised. Keeping a 3-ring binder of tried-and-true recipes ensures that I never have to face a healthy meal that isn’t fantastic.

Your health is YOUR responsibility! It is not your mother’s responsibility, nor your doctor’s, nor the Surgeon General’s, nor some government agency’s. Honor God with your body! Research, learn, understand, choose, change, do.

Don’t forget....have fun!!!

 

Someone else's thoughts...
What Does God's Word Say About....Diet?

 

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