Shall we bow our heads?
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Father in heaven, as we
study about the 8 laws of health
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that You established at the
very beginning of human history
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we ask for the
guidance of Your Spirit.
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Help us to understand them
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and give us the power to
implement them in our lives.
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We pray this in the
precious name of Jesus,
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Your beloved Son, Amen.
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In our lecture today we are
00:01:38.41\00:01:39.85
going to study about the eight
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laws of health
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in the book of Genesis.
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And basically we're going to
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look at the eight laws of
health in five different periods
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of human history.
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The first period is, of
course, at the very beginning
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before sin came into the world.
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The second stage where we're
going to look at these 8 laws
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of health is between
the fall and the flood.
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The third stage that
we're going to take a look at
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is the period
between the flood and today.
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And the fourth stage is
as things are, of course,
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today. And then the final stage
that we're going to deal with
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is how the eight laws
of health will be practiced
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among God's people
once sin is eradicated
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from the universe.
So we're going to study
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the eight laws of
health from the way they were
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at the beginning;
from the fall to the flood;
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from the flood till today.
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We're going to say a
few things about between now
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and the end of time and
how those laws of health apply
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eventually in God's
everlasting kingdom.
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Now, we're going to deal
with three points in each one
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of these five sections.
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We're going to first of all
take a look at the environment
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which existed at
these different stages.
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Secondly, we're going to take
a look at the 8 laws of health
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at each stage. And
finally we're going to look
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at how life could be prolonged
during each one of those stages.
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Now let's begin
at the very moment
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that God created this world.
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At the beginning, man was
created with a perfect body
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and he was placed in
a perfect environment.
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The ecosystem was
in perfect balance.
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The air was crystal clear.
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The water was
pure and refreshing.
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The earth was absolutely
fertile with no pests,
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no weeds, no
thorns, and no thistles.
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Animals did not
eat animals for food.
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There was no death.
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There was no
disease in the world.
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In other words, the
environment at creation
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was perfect for the preservation
and for the prolongation
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of life. This is the reason
why in Genesis 1 and verse 31
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we find at the conclusion
of creation that God...
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In other words, God
made at the very beginning
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a perfect environment in
which Adam and Eve lived.
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Secondly, at creation
God established eight laws
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to preserve health.
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Now those eight
laws are the following:
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#1- sunlight.
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Now if you look at
the story of creation
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you will find that light
was created the first day.
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And of course we are
told that the sun was made
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the fourth day. And I'm
not going to get into how
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the light was made the 1st day
and the sun was made the 4th day
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because right now our interest
is that God made light -
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sunlight - because He knew
that man would need sunlight
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in order to preserve life.
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Secondly, God made fresh
air. He made the atmosphere.
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He did this the
second day of creation
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indicating that man was supposed
to breathe that fresh air.
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After all, God gave
man lungs to breathe.
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In the third place, God made
fresh water also on the 2nd day.
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He placed water under the earth.
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They're known as
the fountains of waters.
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And that indicates that
man was supposed to partake
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of that fresh water
to sustain his life.
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On the third day God made plants
and He made trees with fruit
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indicating that He expected
man to enjoy the vegetarian
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cuisine that He had made
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in order to sustain
and perpetuate his life.
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God also explained
the law of temperance
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in the Garden of Eden.
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In other words, to abstain
that which is detrimental
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or bad for your health.
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And God taught this
lesson by placing in the garden
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the Tree of the
Knowledge of Good and Evil.
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And He was teaching man
to abstain from that which
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He had forbidden. In other
words we have the principle of
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"abstemiousness" or temperance.
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To abstain from
that which causes harm.
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Also during creation week
God made the day and the night.
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By making the night He
was indicating that man
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needed to rest...
he needed to sleep.
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God also made
originally exercise.
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We are told in
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 15
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that God placed Adam
in the Garden of Eden
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to tend and to keep it.
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In other words, He
wanted man to get exercise.
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And finally, God - by
creating the Sabbath -
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tried to teach man that
he was supposed to trust
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in the divine
power of his Creator.
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In other words, at creation
God made eight laws of health
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that man was to live by in
order to preserve his health
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in a perfect environment.
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I'd like to read a statement
that we find in the book
00:08:00.56\00:08:03.27
The Ministry of
Healing page 127.
00:08:03.47\00:08:07.09
This is from the great health
reformer from the 19th century
00:08:07.39\00:08:11.46
Ellen White. I would
recommend this book to everyone.
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It is a tremendous
book on health principles.
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She says this:
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I find it interesting
that this health reformer
00:08:54.64\00:08:57.38
mentions the very eight
laws of health that we find
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in Genesis that God
made during creation week...
00:09:02.24\00:09:05.73
which we have
already referred to.
00:09:05.93\00:09:07.59
Now not only did God
place Adam and Eve in a perfect
00:09:07.79\00:09:11.19
environment, not only did
God give Adam and Eve eight laws
00:09:11.39\00:09:16.32
for the preservation of health,
00:09:16.52\00:09:18.25
but even with the perfect
environment and with the 8 laws
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of health, the life of man
still needed something else
00:09:21.98\00:09:25.68
in order to be prolonged.
00:09:25.88\00:09:27.53
And that was that God
placed in the Garden of Eden
00:09:27.83\00:09:30.60
a tree which is mentioned in
Genesis chapter 2 and verse 9.
00:09:30.80\00:09:35.63
It's called the Tree of Life.
00:09:35.97\00:09:39.15
We're told in Genesis 2 verse 9:
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Now we need to
understand the Tree of Life
00:09:54.98\00:09:57.01
like a battery charger.
00:09:57.24\00:09:59.49
In other words, God gave
man a certain constitutional
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force, a certain
supply of vital energy.
00:10:03.62\00:10:06.98
And even though he lived
in a perfect environment,
00:10:07.29\00:10:09.96
even though he lived in harmony
with the 8 laws of health,
00:10:10.16\00:10:12.87
that battery in the
course of time would deplete.
00:10:13.07\00:10:16.80
And so it was necessary
for man to continue eating
00:10:17.10\00:10:20.35
from the Tree of Life to
continually charge his vitality,
00:10:20.55\00:10:24.96
his vital force or
his energy to function.
00:10:25.16\00:10:29.74
So we find at creation
00:10:30.04\00:10:32.41
man created in a
perfect environment.
00:10:32.61\00:10:36.50
God gave him
eight laws of health
00:10:36.80\00:10:39.43
to preserve his health.
00:10:39.63\00:10:42.82
And in the third place
God put a battery charger
00:10:43.02\00:10:46.50
to refurbish his life.
00:10:46.70\00:10:49.36
But then, of course,
sin came into the world
00:10:50.37\00:10:53.53
and all three of these
things were affected by sin.
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The environment was
greatly impacted by sin.
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Notice what we
find in Romans chapter 8
00:11:03.55\00:11:07.02
and verses 20 to 22.
00:11:07.23\00:11:09.23
Romans chapter 8
and verses 20 to 22.
00:11:09.43\00:11:12.96
Here we find the impact
of the fall upon creation.
00:11:13.26\00:11:17.15
It says there in verse 20:
00:11:17.55\00:11:19.97
Notice that nature
after sin was in travail.
00:11:55.67\00:11:59.38
It was moaning and groaning
00:11:59.58\00:12:02.17
in pain
according to this passage.
00:12:02.37\00:12:05.56
The environment was impacted
00:12:05.80\00:12:07.86
by sin. First of all, the earth
00:12:07.96\00:12:10.65
began producing
thorns and thistles.
00:12:10.86\00:12:14.54
Also we're told in the
Bible that animals commenced
00:12:14.94\00:12:19.43
to eat other animals and
death appeared in the world.
00:12:19.63\00:12:23.53
In other words, the
environment was impacted
00:12:24.35\00:12:27.92
by the sin of Adam and Eve.
00:12:28.13\00:12:29.88
Now between the
fall and the flood
00:12:29.98\00:12:32.99
the creation or the environment
was not greatly impacted.
00:12:33.89\00:12:38.73
The big impact would come
in consequence of the flood.
00:12:39.03\00:12:42.19
And yet the environment was
impacted to a certain extent.
00:12:42.59\00:12:47.66
Now we also know that
between the fall and the flood
00:12:47.96\00:12:53.20
human beings
violated the laws of God,
00:12:53.40\00:12:57.88
the moral laws of God,
00:12:57.98\00:12:59.23
as well as the laws of
their constitutional body.
00:12:59.33\00:13:04.42
We know that because in
Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5
00:13:05.16\00:13:08.24
we're told about the
wickedness that existed
00:13:08.54\00:13:12.44
in the earth.
Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5
00:13:12.64\00:13:16.45
says this:
00:13:16.65\00:13:18.45
"Then the Lord saw that
the wickedness of man was great
00:13:18.65\00:13:23.26
in the earth and that every
intent of the thoughts of his
00:13:23.46\00:13:26.61
heart was only
evil continually. "
00:13:26.71\00:13:29.75
And notice verses 11 and 12:
00:13:30.05\00:13:32.11
And so we find that not only
00:13:48.52\00:13:51.43
was man living now in an
environment which was no longer
00:13:51.63\00:13:55.10
perfect but also he was
violating the eight laws
00:13:55.30\00:14:00.18
of health - the physical
laws that God had established -
00:14:00.39\00:14:03.61
and obviously also
the moral law of God.
00:14:03.81\00:14:07.52
And also man no
longer had access
00:14:07.92\00:14:12.17
to the battery charger.
00:14:12.37\00:14:14.06
Notice Genesis
chapter 3 and verses 22 to 24.
00:14:14.36\00:14:18.70
Genesis chapter 3
and verses 22 to 24.
00:14:18.90\00:14:23.22
Man was barred from
the battery charger.
00:14:23.62\00:14:26.29
We are told there in
Genesis chapter 3 and verse 22:
00:14:26.49\00:14:29.72
And so man no longer had
access to the battery charger.
00:15:02.89\00:15:06.58
So you see three
changes as a result of the fall.
00:15:06.88\00:15:10.22
An imperfect environment;
00:15:11.20\00:15:13.40
violation of the
eight laws of health;
00:15:14.25\00:15:16.74
and no access to the battery
charger to refurbish the life.
00:15:16.94\00:15:21.09
And yet the constitutional
energy which God gave originally
00:15:21.83\00:15:26.33
to Adam must have been immense.
00:15:26.43\00:15:29.96
You say: "Why? "
00:15:30.17\00:15:31.25
Because of the lifespans
of the people that lived
00:15:31.45\00:15:34.55
between the fall and the flood.
00:15:34.76\00:15:36.45
Allow me to
mention those lifespans.
00:15:36.55\00:15:38.46
What an amount of
constitutional energy
00:16:07.08\00:16:10.46
Adam must have been given
00:16:10.56\00:16:12.21
at the very
beginning of human history
00:16:12.41\00:16:14.30
that even by living in a
less-than-perfect environment
00:16:14.50\00:16:17.73
and living in
violation of the laws of health
00:16:18.03\00:16:22.66
to a greater or less degree
00:16:22.86\00:16:24.58
and having no access
to the battery charger
00:16:24.78\00:16:27.51
people still lived to
be almost 1,000 years old.
00:16:27.72\00:16:32.32
Now what about after the flood?
00:16:33.28\00:16:35.46
The lifespan of people greatly
decreased after the flood.
00:16:35.76\00:16:40.69
Allow me to read the
ages of the post-flood heroes
00:16:40.99\00:16:45.10
that are found in Genesis 11.
00:16:45.30\00:16:47.48
Drastic decrease in the
lifespans of those who lived
00:17:18.01\00:17:22.23
after the flood. And immediately
we ask the question: "Why? "
00:17:22.33\00:17:27.27
Folks, the world-wide flood
00:17:27.50\00:17:30.10
totally turned the
ecosystem of planet earth
00:17:30.30\00:17:35.39
upside down. The environment
was thrown out of balance
00:17:35.59\00:17:40.56
as a result of this
world-wide cataclysm.
00:17:40.77\00:17:43.33
Great regions of the
earth became inhospitable.
00:17:43.73\00:17:47.52
Huge bodies of
salt water appeared.
00:17:47.82\00:17:51.76
Deserts and icecaps
came into existence.
00:17:52.59\00:17:57.52
The cosmic rays now
penetrated the atmosphere
00:17:57.82\00:18:01.24
because the layer of water
that God placed above the earth
00:18:01.34\00:18:04.13
was brought down at
the time of the flood.
00:18:04.33\00:18:07.01
Disease appeared and
became more prevalent.
00:18:07.41\00:18:11.36
And the land was less
fertile because of what happened
00:18:11.66\00:18:15.38
at the time of the flood.
00:18:15.48\00:18:16.82
So the environment greatly
00:18:17.02\00:18:19.67
depreciated and became
00:18:19.70\00:18:22.72
not conducive to the sustaining
00:18:23.12\00:18:26.36
of life. Furthermore,
human beings continued
00:18:26.56\00:18:30.74
violating the 8 laws of health.
00:18:30.94\00:18:32.88
They continued depleting
their constitutional energy
00:18:33.28\00:18:36.29
by disobeying the physical
laws that God had established.
00:18:36.50\00:18:39.67
The Tower of Babel
episode illustrates this.
00:18:39.97\00:18:42.88
You know, these wicked
individuals were creating this
00:18:43.28\00:18:47.13
tower or building this
tower because they wanted to
00:18:47.24\00:18:50.04
save themselves
from another flood.
00:18:50.24\00:18:52.41
And this is happening
only 100 years after the flood.
00:18:52.71\00:18:55.39
The wickedness of
the earth was great
00:18:55.69\00:18:58.16
and they wanted to
centralize evil and wickedness
00:18:58.36\00:19:01.31
as we've studied previously
in order to lead the world
00:19:01.51\00:19:04.63
into total and
complete rebellion against God.
00:19:04.83\00:19:07.40
And so you find an environment
which is totally inconducive
00:19:07.90\00:19:13.05
to the sustaining of life.
00:19:13.25\00:19:14.78
You have a violation
of the laws of health
00:19:14.98\00:19:18.23
and, of course, you
no longer have access
00:19:18.43\00:19:21.76
to the battery charger to
refurbish the vital force.
00:19:21.96\00:19:27.02
And so that's the reason why
the lifepsans after the flood
00:19:27.32\00:19:31.60
decreased greatly.
00:19:31.80\00:19:34.03
Now what about today?
00:19:34.43\00:19:35.81
Go with me to Psalm 90
and let's read verse 10.
00:19:36.11\00:19:40.26
Psalm 90 and verse 10.
00:19:40.56\00:19:43.19
What about today? What
is the lifespan like today?
00:19:43.49\00:19:46.68
Well, let's take a look at what
David had to say about this.
00:19:47.08\00:19:51.11
Once again the reference
is Psalm 90 and verse 10.
00:19:51.34\00:19:54.68
There David says:
00:19:55.18\00:19:57.23
In other words, David is saying
"The lifespan of man in my day
00:20:15.53\00:20:20.36
is 70 to 80 years.
00:20:20.56\00:20:22.93
And if you live to be 80 years
old, it's with aches and pains
00:20:23.13\00:20:28.53
and sorrows. "
00:20:28.74\00:20:30.60
Now the question is: "Why
did the lifespan of man decrease
00:20:30.91\00:20:35.22
even more between
the time after the flood
00:20:35.62\00:20:40.73
and the time of David?
00:20:40.93\00:20:43.07
There's no doubt
whatsoever that it's because
00:20:43.37\00:20:46.01
of environmental factors,
00:20:46.04\00:20:48.51
violations of the
eight laws of health,
00:20:48.71\00:20:51.53
and having no access
to the battery charger.
00:20:51.73\00:20:54.64
Now somebody might say:
00:20:55.04\00:20:56.86
"But Pastor Bohr,
the lifespan today
00:20:57.06\00:21:00.84
is very similar to
the lifespan which existed
00:21:01.04\00:21:04.42
in the days of David. Why
hasn't it further decreased? "
00:21:04.52\00:21:08.73
Let me explain why.
00:21:09.03\00:21:10.45
You see, science has eliminated
many of the environmental
00:21:11.12\00:21:16.45
hazards and diseases
which deplete the vital force.
00:21:16.65\00:21:21.00
There is a
tremendous and marked emphasis
00:21:21.51\00:21:24.63
upon hygiene and sterilization
00:21:24.83\00:21:27.75
even among the people of
Israel but especially today.
00:21:27.95\00:21:31.97
Scientific discoveries
have helped reduce the threat
00:21:32.93\00:21:36.94
of viruses and bacteria.
00:21:37.14\00:21:40.08
Antibiotics and vaccines
have gotten rid of diseases
00:21:40.28\00:21:45.75
which cause fear and
terror in the hearts of people
00:21:45.96\00:21:49.05
such as tuberculosis,
smallpox, polio, and the plague.
00:21:49.35\00:21:54.46
And medical treatments
are able to help people
00:21:54.69\00:21:59.31
preserve the amount of
vital energy or vital force
00:21:59.51\00:22:04.01
that they have. And yet
today we even have a tremendous
00:22:04.22\00:22:10.09
emphasis upon
following the laws of health.
00:22:10.29\00:22:14.03
You've noticed, for
example, on television
00:22:14.43\00:22:16.74
they have a lot of plans
- diet plans - and a lot of
00:22:16.84\00:22:20.15
exercise plans and so on
00:22:20.25\00:22:23.36
so that people can
preserve their health.
00:22:23.46\00:22:25.91
There's an emphasis
upon getting enough water
00:22:26.21\00:22:28.84
and getting enough exercise
00:22:28.94\00:22:30.51
and eating the
right kinds of foods.
00:22:30.71\00:22:33.35
And so, because of
the environmental factors
00:22:33.65\00:22:37.00
being not
eliminated but being reduced
00:22:37.20\00:22:41.67
because of medical science
00:22:41.87\00:22:43.26
and because there's a renewed
emphasis on the 8 laws of health
00:22:43.46\00:22:47.26
and following them
the lives of people have
00:22:47.46\00:22:51.13
continued to be about the
same as in the days of David.
00:22:51.33\00:22:55.85
But human beings
still do not have access
00:22:56.52\00:22:59.44
to the battery charger.
00:22:59.64\00:23:01.04
And so people live to be
70, 80. You know, some people
00:23:01.34\00:23:05.99
as the exception
to the rule live 90.
00:23:06.19\00:23:09.22
Some people live to be 100.
00:23:09.42\00:23:11.43
And we say "Wow, that person
lived to be 100 years old! "
00:23:11.63\00:23:15.34
But what is 100 compared to 969?
00:23:15.54\00:23:19.37
Certainly not very much.
00:23:20.28\00:23:21.86
I mean, when those people
who lived before the flood
00:23:22.16\00:23:26.19
reached the age of 500
they were only entering their...
00:23:26.39\00:23:30.88
maybe their middle age.
00:23:31.08\00:23:33.68
You know, they still had
400 or 500 years to live.
00:23:33.78\00:23:38.45
And yet today, life
has decreased drastically
00:23:38.69\00:23:43.02
from those times.
00:23:43.22\00:23:44.51
And yet because we
live in a world today
00:23:44.81\00:23:46.90
where environmental hazards
to a great degree have been
00:23:47.10\00:23:50.08
eliminated and because
there's a great emphasis
00:23:50.28\00:23:53.34
on the laws of health
life has been able to hold
00:23:53.54\00:23:57.29
quite steady. Now I want to
talk to you a little bit about
00:23:57.49\00:24:02.23
the constitutional
energy which each of us has
00:24:02.43\00:24:07.10
which actually preserves
our life and helps us have
00:24:07.30\00:24:10.97
a good quality of life.
00:24:11.17\00:24:13.06
Two doctors several years ago
00:24:13.46\00:24:16.65
did some very
intensive studies in this area
00:24:16.85\00:24:20.90
of the constitutional
force which is also called
00:24:21.10\00:24:23.51
adaptation energy.
00:24:23.71\00:24:25.22
Their names: Hans
Selye and Paul Tournier.
00:24:25.42\00:24:29.91
They published their research
00:24:30.22\00:24:33.72
in several books as well as
articles in medical journals.
00:24:33.92\00:24:37.38
They discovered
that each one of us
00:24:37.68\00:24:40.86
is born into this
world with a certain supply
00:24:41.06\00:24:45.07
of what they called
"constitutional energy"
00:24:45.27\00:24:48.89
or "adaptation energy. "
00:24:49.09\00:24:51.07
It's also called vital force.
00:24:51.38\00:24:53.78
They discovered that
some people receive more
00:24:54.64\00:24:57.80
vital energy and
others receive less.
00:24:58.00\00:25:01.16
We receive it according to
the habits of our ancestors.
00:25:02.16\00:25:06.27
If our ancestors lived
in severe environmental...
00:25:06.58\00:25:10.87
environmental hazards
and if they violated the
00:25:11.27\00:25:15.52
eight laws of health, we receive
less constitutional energy.
00:25:15.62\00:25:19.24
If our ancestors were quite
careful in their health habits
00:25:19.54\00:25:23.36
and they lived in
a better environment,
00:25:23.56\00:25:25.30
they discovered that they
passed on a greater supply
00:25:25.50\00:25:29.19
of adaptation energy
or constitutional energy.
00:25:29.39\00:25:34.34
Now when we
receive this vital energy
00:25:35.04\00:25:37.96
it is used to make
the physical functions
00:25:38.26\00:25:42.06
of the body work.
00:25:42.26\00:25:44.26
In other words, the vital
force keeps the heart pumping
00:25:44.56\00:25:48.32
and it keeps the brain thinking
00:25:48.53\00:25:50.30
and it keeps
the lungs breathing.
00:25:50.50\00:25:52.18
It's kind of like the
energizing force for the body.
00:25:52.38\00:25:56.43
When we receive the vital
force it cannot be replenished.
00:25:57.21\00:26:00.60
What we receive
must last us a lifetime.
00:26:00.93\00:26:04.63
It is not going
to earn interest.
00:26:05.26\00:26:08.15
It will not be replaced.
00:26:08.35\00:26:10.86
As we live, it
depreciates or it gets weaker.
00:26:10.96\00:26:15.96
We can decide either to
preserve the vital force
00:26:16.29\00:26:20.75
by following proper habits
00:26:20.95\00:26:23.05
and living in the
best environment possible.
00:26:23.15\00:26:25.89
Or we can decide to
live in any old environment
00:26:26.29\00:26:30.46
and violate the laws of health.
00:26:30.66\00:26:32.50
But this
depletes the vital force
00:26:32.90\00:26:35.46
and shortens our life
00:26:35.66\00:26:37.22
and makes us less happy
00:26:37.42\00:26:39.61
and less healthy.
00:26:39.81\00:26:41.53
Allow me to illustrate
00:26:42.03\00:26:43.48
what I mean.
00:26:43.58\00:26:44.65
I once saw this cartoon
00:26:44.85\00:26:46.15
and in the cartoon
was this young man.
00:26:46.55\00:26:49.67
He had a big smile on his face
00:26:49.87\00:26:52.23
and he had a candle in each hand
which was burning on both sides.
00:26:52.43\00:26:56.53
Then you have a
second frame of the cartoon.
00:26:56.73\00:26:59.66
And this same young
man is old and decrepit.
00:27:00.06\00:27:04.85
He's bent over, and the
candle is a little stub.
00:27:05.08\00:27:10.20
And the candle is lit, but it's
just flickering about to go out.
00:27:10.61\00:27:14.87
And he has his
hand over the flame
00:27:15.17\00:27:17.92
just begging for the
candle to not go out.
00:27:18.12\00:27:21.12
What did he do with his vital
force in his younger years?
00:27:21.42\00:27:25.75
He burned the
candle on both ends.
00:27:26.05\00:27:29.24
In other words, he
used his vital force -
00:27:29.54\00:27:32.16
his adaptation energy,
00:27:32.36\00:27:34.31
his constitutional
force - recklessly.
00:27:34.51\00:27:37.57
And as a result his life
was shortened and made unhappy.
00:27:37.87\00:27:43.85
And unhealthy I might say.
00:27:44.08\00:27:46.21
I'd like to read another state-
ment from this health reformer
00:27:46.71\00:27:50.71
Ellen White in her book
Counsels on Health page 99.
00:27:50.91\00:27:55.69
See, she understood this
issue of constitutional force
00:27:56.38\00:27:59.53
much much before
Selye and Tournier
00:27:59.73\00:28:04.52
and those who have
done modern research.
00:28:04.73\00:28:06.21
She says this:
00:28:06.51\00:28:08.15
What she's saying is that
if we live in harmony with
00:29:56.29\00:29:59.47
the eight laws of health
we will preserve and conserve
00:29:59.67\00:30:04.30
our constitutional
energy for times of emergency
00:30:04.50\00:30:08.17
and to prolong our
life and our happiness.
00:30:08.37\00:30:11.40
But she's saying that every
time that we violate these laws
00:30:11.70\00:30:15.09
our energy is depleted
00:30:15.29\00:30:18.08
and as a result
our life is shortened,
00:30:18.38\00:30:21.67
our health is impacted,
00:30:21.87\00:30:23.87
and obviously our
happiness is impacted as well.
00:30:24.08\00:30:28.11
Because nobody can be
fully happy when he or she
00:30:28.41\00:30:32.01
is sick all the time.
00:30:32.21\00:30:34.73
So we all receive this vital
force or this vital energy,
00:30:35.70\00:30:39.45
this adaptation
energy, from our ancestors.
00:30:39.65\00:30:42.72
Some more... some less.
00:30:42.92\00:30:44.40
You know, I can't help
but think about George Burns,
00:30:44.70\00:30:47.48
that Hollywood actor
who died in his 100's.
00:30:47.78\00:30:51.79
Some people say:
"Look, he smoked cigars
00:30:51.99\00:30:54.27
and he lived a disorderly life
and yet look, he lived to be
00:30:54.30\00:30:57.26
over a hundred years old!
00:30:57.46\00:30:59.78
So I guess that means I
can do anything with my body
00:31:00.19\00:31:02.86
and maybe I'll be
lucky and live a hundred. "
00:31:03.07\00:31:05.11
The only reason he lived to
be a hundred is because of the
00:31:05.31\00:31:07.79
constitutional energy that
he received from his ancestors.
00:31:07.89\00:31:11.10
They must have had
a strong constitution!
00:31:11.41\00:31:14.34
They must have lived
relatively well in harmony
00:31:14.54\00:31:18.06
with the principles of health.
00:31:18.26\00:31:20.02
But it does not
apply to everyone
00:31:20.42\00:31:22.93
because everybody receives
00:31:23.13\00:31:24.58
a different
supply of vital energy.
00:31:24.68\00:31:27.29
Now allow me to address
some habits which deplete
00:31:27.59\00:31:32.69
and diminish this vital
energy that God has given to us.
00:31:32.89\00:31:36.86
By the way, the vital energy
not only is for our physical
00:31:37.16\00:31:41.43
functioning but also
for our mental functioning.
00:31:41.54\00:31:44.68
The more vitality we have
00:31:44.98\00:31:47.01
the better our
minds will function
00:31:47.21\00:31:49.75
and the closer we can draw
to God and understand His will.
00:31:49.95\00:31:54.06
Allow me to address
some examples of habits
00:31:54.36\00:31:58.96
which deplete this vital energy.
00:31:59.16\00:32:01.54
Not getting enough rest.
00:32:02.50\00:32:04.87
Not sleeping enough.
00:32:05.87\00:32:08.49
You know, when I was a student
I used to study all night
00:32:08.79\00:32:11.66
to prepare for a test.
00:32:12.73\00:32:14.52
Do you know what that's like?
00:32:14.92\00:32:16.52
It's like having your car
racing at 100 miles an hour
00:32:17.41\00:32:21.48
when it should be idle.
00:32:21.78\00:32:24.39
You see, at night our
engines should be idle.
00:32:24.79\00:32:28.24
Our bodies still function
but the engine is "idled. "
00:32:29.69\00:32:33.45
We're not supposed to be
running full steam day and night
00:32:34.72\00:32:37.70
because this
depletes our energy.
00:32:38.00\00:32:41.40
And so one of the
laws of health is rest.
00:32:41.70\00:32:44.36
We need to get enough rest.
00:32:44.66\00:32:46.32
We need to get enough sleep.
00:32:46.53\00:32:48.05
One thing which I admire about
the people in Latin America
00:32:48.35\00:32:50.93
is they all close
their stores at noon
00:32:51.23\00:32:54.16
and they take a siesta.
They go home and they eat
00:32:54.36\00:32:57.40
and they have a good family time
00:32:57.60\00:32:58.92
and then at 2 o'clock
they come back and they open up
00:32:58.95\00:33:01.21
their stores... because they
know that rest is of critical
00:33:01.41\00:33:06.75
importance. What
is another factor that
00:33:06.85\00:33:11.15
reduces this
constitutional energy?
00:33:11.35\00:33:13.62
Trauma... accidents.
00:33:14.02\00:33:16.81
We all need to be
careful to not have accidents.
00:33:17.12\00:33:19.50
I realize that we will
have accidents now and then.
00:33:19.60\00:33:21.93
But you see, what
happens when we have an accident
00:33:22.23\00:33:24.52
is, for
example, we break a bone.
00:33:24.72\00:33:26.86
The body has to
expend additional energy
00:33:27.07\00:33:30.00
to repair that bone
00:33:30.21\00:33:31.48
which would not be
expended if we had been careful.
00:33:31.78\00:33:35.17
Also exercise...
lack of exercise...
00:33:36.22\00:33:40.03
impacts the burning
of that vital energy
00:33:40.33\00:33:43.88
that we have received.
00:33:44.18\00:33:45.35
You see, when we
have too much body mass
00:33:45.65\00:33:48.54
the result is that
the heart must pump harder
00:33:48.74\00:33:51.59
and it must pump more times
00:33:51.89\00:33:55.12
to get the blood to
the additional body mass.
00:33:55.32\00:33:59.84
And by the way,
when we are overweight -
00:34:00.07\00:34:03.11
and I'm not criticizing
anybody - but when we're
00:34:03.31\00:34:05.42
overweight our vessels constrict
and it makes it much harder
00:34:05.52\00:34:10.38
for the heart to get the
blood through the vessels.
00:34:10.58\00:34:13.86
Because the vessels constrict
they build up cholesterol
00:34:14.06\00:34:16.62
and the heart has to
work harder to push the blood
00:34:16.93\00:34:19.92
through the vessels.
00:34:20.12\00:34:21.61
Let me give you an example.
00:34:21.91\00:34:23.26
With very little exercise,
the heart of the normal person
00:34:24.28\00:34:28.26
beats 80 times a minute.
00:34:28.46\00:34:30.30
But if people just did
a little bit of exercise -
00:34:31.26\00:34:34.61
and let me tell you
this before I tell you about
00:34:34.81\00:34:37.01
the little bit of
exercise - at 80 times a minute
00:34:37.11\00:34:40.51
that means that your
heart beats 115,000 times a day.
00:34:40.71\00:34:46.05
OK? But if you do
a little exercise,
00:34:46.28\00:34:49.06
you can reduce your
heart rate to 60 beats a minute
00:34:49.26\00:34:53.20
which means that
your ticker is saving
00:34:54.29\00:34:57.32
29,000 beats a day
00:34:58.28\00:35:02.29
because it's only beating
00:35:02.59\00:35:04.23
approximately 86,000 times.
00:35:04.43\00:35:07.04
And so what are you doing?
00:35:07.34\00:35:09.23
By exercising you are reducing
00:35:09.63\00:35:12.81
the use of the vital energy.
00:35:13.11\00:35:16.43
You're
preserving your vital force.
00:35:16.63\00:35:18.55
And by the way, the vital force
not only lengthens our life
00:35:18.85\00:35:21.94
but it also helps us have
resistance against disease.
00:35:22.14\00:35:26.06
Now let me address
certain habits that people have
00:35:27.24\00:35:30.41
like for example smoking.
00:35:30.61\00:35:32.45
What's the downside of smoking?
00:35:35.05\00:35:36.80
Well, when people smoke
the poisons enter their body -
00:35:37.47\00:35:43.21
for example the kidneys -
00:35:43.61\00:35:45.29
and the kidneys
have to work overtime
00:35:45.49\00:35:48.04
to expel the poisons.
00:35:48.24\00:35:49.65
The liver also
has to work harder
00:35:50.05\00:35:55.64
and longer to expel the nicotine
00:35:55.94\00:35:59.40
and the other 30+
poisons that cigarettes have.
00:35:59.60\00:36:02.41
And as a result your
body is working overtime
00:36:02.81\00:36:06.08
to expel the poisons.
And in order to do that
00:36:06.28\00:36:09.02
it is expending the vital
force which should be used
00:36:09.22\00:36:13.12
to preserve life.
00:36:14.43\00:36:16.83
By the way also, the
body has to repair the damage
00:36:17.03\00:36:20.93
which is done by the smoke.
00:36:21.13\00:36:23.56
And so the body is
depleting unnecessarily
00:36:23.86\00:36:28.61
the vital energy
that we have received.
00:36:28.81\00:36:31.19
Now some people might
say: "Well Pastor Bohr, but
00:36:31.49\00:36:34.30
the Bible does
not forbid smoking. "
00:36:34.50\00:36:36.32
What do we do when the Bible
does not specifically address
00:36:36.62\00:36:41.35
a certain habit. How do
we know whether that habit is
00:36:41.65\00:36:45.48
OK or not OK?
00:36:45.68\00:36:47.88
Some people say: "If the Bible
doesn't say thou shalt not smoke
00:36:48.18\00:36:50.93
it's OK to smoke. "
00:36:51.13\00:36:52.39
Well let me tell you that when
the Bible does not particularly
00:36:52.59\00:36:55.12
address a habit, what we
need to do is look for Biblical
00:36:55.22\00:36:58.61
principles and
apply those principles
00:36:58.83\00:37:01.40
to a specific situation.
00:37:01.50\00:37:03.01
Allow me to take some
principles - and I'm going to do
00:37:03.15\00:37:05.35
this very quickly -
with, for example, smoking.
00:37:05.46\00:37:09.07
There is one of the
Ten Commandments - #6-
00:37:10.10\00:37:12.91
that says "Thou
shalt not kill quickly. "
00:37:13.22\00:37:15.44
Is that what it says?
"Thou shalt not kill quickly? "
00:37:17.84\00:37:20.09
No. It says: "Thou
shalt not... " What?
00:37:20.49\00:37:22.61
"kill. " Let me
ask you: is a smoker
00:37:22.81\00:37:25.25
slowly killing himself?
00:37:25.45\00:37:27.01
Is he shortening
his life? Of course.
00:37:27.31\00:37:29.22
So it's a violation of
the principle that says:
00:37:29.43\00:37:31.27
"Thou shalt not kill. "
00:37:31.47\00:37:32.55
In Revelation 21 verse 27
00:37:34.04\00:37:36.28
we are told that nothing
unclean will enter heaven.
00:37:36.49\00:37:38.62
Have you ever seen
the lungs of a smoker?
00:37:38.92\00:37:41.05
Furthermore, in Isaiah
55:2 it says: "Why do you spend
00:37:42.97\00:37:47.03
your money on that
which is not bread? "
00:37:47.13\00:37:48.99
You know, people who smoke
cigarettes... they have money
00:37:50.67\00:37:52.74
to burn... obviously.
It would be better to take
00:37:52.84\00:37:55.87
the 3 or 4 dollar bills
that you spend on a packet of
00:37:56.07\00:37:59.15
cigarettes and just burn
the 3 or 4 dollars bills.
00:37:59.25\00:38:01.89
At least you would
be burning the money
00:38:02.19\00:38:04.99
but you would not
be ruining your health.
00:38:05.20\00:38:07.28
In other words,
spending money on cigarettes
00:38:07.58\00:38:10.33
is a bad stewardship practice.
00:38:10.53\00:38:13.67
Furthermore, in Leviticus 19:18
we are told that we are to love
00:38:13.97\00:38:18.25
our neighbor as ourselves.
00:38:18.35\00:38:19.74
Now does second-hand smoke
show love for our neighbor?
00:38:19.84\00:38:23.39
You know, they have done studies
to show that second-hand smoke
00:38:23.70\00:38:26.36
is just as bad or
sometimes even worse
00:38:26.56\00:38:29.87
than first-hand smoke.
00:38:30.07\00:38:31.97
And so when we're
smoking around people -
00:38:32.28\00:38:34.45
around our kids for example -
00:38:34.65\00:38:36.84
we are not showing
much love for them.
00:38:37.05\00:38:39.62
Furthermore, in Romans 6:16
00:38:39.92\00:38:43.32
the apostle Paul says
that we're not supposed to be
00:38:43.52\00:38:45.37
enslaved by habits.
00:38:45.47\00:38:48.77
And of course the
biggest motivation is found in
00:38:49.07\00:38:52.08
I Corinthians
6:19-20 where we are told
00:38:52.18\00:38:54.91
that our body is the
temple of the Holy Spirit.
00:38:55.01\00:38:56.95
That we do not
belong to ourselves.
00:38:57.15\00:38:59.03
And so if we take these
principles - even though
00:38:59.76\00:39:02.30
the Bible does not say
"Thou shalt not smoke, "
00:39:02.40\00:39:05.05
if we apply these principles
00:39:05.25\00:39:07.27
we find that
smoking is out of bounds.
00:39:07.47\00:39:11.12
Now, I don't want to be critical
of people who are caught up
00:39:11.42\00:39:14.76
in the habit of cigarette
smoking. I know it's a terrible
00:39:14.86\00:39:17.58
habit. Some people are
saying that it's even worse
00:39:17.68\00:39:19.84
than some hard drugs.
00:39:20.04\00:39:21.40
I'm not being critical
because God can give us power
00:39:21.60\00:39:25.00
to overcome anything.
The Bible says: "I can do all
00:39:25.20\00:39:27.67
things through
Christ who strengthens me. "
00:39:27.77\00:39:29.67
But I'm simply
making a statement of fact
00:39:29.70\00:39:32.60
that cigarette smoking
depletes the life forces.
00:39:32.90\00:39:36.49
It reduces the vital energy.
00:39:36.79\00:39:38.90
It makes us sick.
Have you ever heard,
00:39:39.10\00:39:40.90
for example, the
cough of a smoker?
00:39:41.00\00:39:42.97
You know it
sounds in advanced stages
00:39:43.27\00:39:46.71
like someone who has pneumonia.
00:39:46.91\00:39:49.79
You know, you can hear
that deep cough from the lungs.
00:39:49.99\00:39:53.24
Now what about alcohol?
00:39:53.54\00:39:55.41
You know, there's Christians
that say: "Ah, there's nothing
00:39:55.71\00:39:57.95
wrong with drinking a
little bit of alcohol. "
00:39:58.05\00:40:00.21
Well... is that true?
00:40:00.51\00:40:03.16
Do you know that
alcohol - no matter what amount
00:40:03.96\00:40:07.16
you take in - kills brain cells?
00:40:07.26\00:40:10.07
It's been proven that
alcohol causes cirrhosis
00:40:10.91\00:40:14.66
of the liver and other diseases.
00:40:14.86\00:40:17.02
It causes tremendous
heartache among families.
00:40:17.42\00:40:22.08
It causes accidents.
00:40:22.39\00:40:24.30
It clouds the brain so
that you're not able to
00:40:24.60\00:40:27.50
distinguish
between right and wrong.
00:40:27.70\00:40:30.07
And it takes away also
your willpower to perform
00:40:30.77\00:40:35.31
the good and to
reject the wrong.
00:40:35.41\00:40:38.04
In other words, it affects
your powers of discernment,
00:40:38.34\00:40:41.44
your powers of choice,
00:40:41.74\00:40:43.82
and your power to
do that which is right.
00:40:44.12\00:40:47.37
The Bible has a lot of
things to say about the issue
00:40:47.78\00:40:52.22
of alcohol. You know,
some people take a text here
00:40:52.32\00:40:55.61
or a text there and they'll
say: "See, the apostle Paul
00:40:55.71\00:40:58.04
said that a little wine
is good for the stomach. "
00:40:58.14\00:41:00.20
Well, the word wine
can apply to grape juice
00:41:00.40\00:41:03.06
or it can apply to
fermented grape juice...
00:41:03.26\00:41:05.59
what we call wine.
00:41:05.79\00:41:06.87
You have to allow the
context to dictate it.
00:41:07.07\00:41:09.14
Some people say:
"Well Jesus made wine at the
00:41:09.44\00:41:11.32
wedding of Cana. "
That's true enough.
00:41:11.42\00:41:13.83
But do you think that Jesus
would make an alcoholic beverage
00:41:14.13\00:41:17.53
that kills the brain
cells that He Himself created?
00:41:17.73\00:41:20.97
I don't think so. And
that causes family strife
00:41:21.27\00:41:24.05
and that makes
people sick? Absolutely not.
00:41:24.25\00:41:26.76
Now allow me to
mention just some passages
00:41:27.66\00:41:30.04
from scripture - and
by the way, in the handout
00:41:30.15\00:41:32.14
that you will receive
at the end of the lecture
00:41:32.34\00:41:34.04
you'll have all of these texts.
00:41:34.24\00:41:35.98
So I hope that you look them up.
00:41:36.18\00:41:37.88
In Genesis 19:35-38
00:41:38.28\00:41:41.19
we find the daughters
of Lot making him drunk
00:41:41.39\00:41:45.13
and then committing
incest with their own father
00:41:45.43\00:41:48.88
to have children. And Lot,
of course, he couldn't think
00:41:48.98\00:41:51.70
straight. He couldn't see
straight. He didn't even know
00:41:51.80\00:41:53.56
they were his daughters because
he was under the influence.
00:41:53.66\00:41:56.83
Proverbs 20 and verse 1 says
00:41:57.06\00:41:59.28
"Wine is a mocker;
strong drink is raging. "
00:41:59.48\00:42:02.62
In other words,
Solomon knew this.
00:42:03.39\00:42:04.90
Solomon is not
speaking from some ivory tower.
00:42:05.10\00:42:08.44
You know, Solomon
went astray from God
00:42:08.64\00:42:10.48
in the days of his youth.
00:42:10.58\00:42:12.67
And you read Proverbs
and you read Ecclesiastes.
00:42:12.97\00:42:15.77
He went out into the world
and he became a party animal
00:42:15.98\00:42:20.49
so to speak. So when he
says that wine is a mocker
00:42:20.60\00:42:23.57
and strong drink is raging,
00:42:23.67\00:42:25.13
Solomon knows what
he's talking about.
00:42:25.33\00:42:27.63
Then we have the story
in Leviticus chapter 10
00:42:27.93\00:42:30.22
of Nadab and Abihu
00:42:30.42\00:42:31.60
who offered strange
fire before the Lord.
00:42:31.81\00:42:33.84
They could not distinguish
between holy fire and
00:42:34.04\00:42:36.18
common fire. Why?
Because we're told there
00:42:36.28\00:42:39.92
that they were
under the influence.
00:42:40.03\00:42:41.43
They had drunk too much wine.
00:42:41.53\00:42:42.97
You see, wine does not
allow you to distinguish between
00:42:43.07\00:42:45.78
right and wrong and to choose
00:42:45.89\00:42:47.77
the right and to
reject the wrong.
00:42:47.87\00:42:49.97
The apostle Paul in Galatians
00:42:50.17\00:42:52.24
chapter 5 verses 19-21
00:42:52.44\00:42:54.20
gives a list of
the works of the flesh.
00:42:54.41\00:42:58.29
And he says that drunkenness is
one of the works of the flesh.
00:42:58.49\00:43:03.65
And he says that
those who become drunk
00:43:03.95\00:43:07.49
unless they repent
and they change their ways
00:43:07.79\00:43:10.29
shall not inherit
the kingdom of God.
00:43:10.49\00:43:12.51
In I Corinthians
6:9-10 the apostle Paul says
00:43:12.71\00:43:15.72
the same thing. He
says: "Those who are drunk
00:43:15.92\00:43:18.89
will not inherit
the kingdom of God. "
00:43:19.09\00:43:22.40
So alcohol, cigarettes are
off limits when it comes to
00:43:23.43\00:43:29.32
preserving the
constitutional energy.
00:43:29.42\00:43:31.96
Now let's talk for a
few minutes about diet.
00:43:32.26\00:43:35.43
Basically, there's
four types of diets.
00:43:35.83\00:43:38.91
One is the vegetarian diet.
00:43:39.22\00:43:41.96
Fruits and vegetables.
00:43:43.10\00:43:44.79
Second: lacto-ovo vegetarian.
00:43:45.29\00:43:49.25
Those are people who
don't eat flesh foods.
00:43:49.55\00:43:52.10
They don't eat meat but
they eat dairy products.
00:43:52.30\00:43:55.92
The third type of diet
is people who eat clean meat
00:43:56.33\00:44:00.59
or clean flesh foods.
00:44:00.89\00:44:02.99
And the fourth type of
diet is a "see-food" diet.
00:44:03.30\00:44:06.93
You see it... you eat it
00:44:07.23\00:44:10.11
and you don't
think any more about it.
00:44:10.31\00:44:12.59
As long as it's
edible - so called - eat it.
00:44:12.79\00:44:18.02
Now what is the best diet?
00:44:18.32\00:44:20.32
What is the diet that
preserves and conserves
00:44:20.62\00:44:23.37
the constitutional force?
00:44:23.57\00:44:25.25
Well folks, there's no doubt
whatsoever that the diet which
00:44:25.56\00:44:28.85
God created is
a vegetarian diet.
00:44:28.95\00:44:31.11
That's the best diet.
00:44:31.42\00:44:33.35
That's Plan A. Notice Genesis
chapter 1 and verses 29 and 30.
00:44:33.56\00:44:38.87
Genesis chapter 1
and verses 29 and 30.
00:44:39.07\00:44:42.65
And notice the beasts
were also vegetarians.
00:44:57.85\00:45:00.64
Human beings and
animals were created vegetarians
00:45:13.59\00:45:18.27
at the very beginning.
00:45:18.47\00:45:20.10
Now there are several principles
of diet that I would like to
00:45:20.40\00:45:23.07
share with you very quickly.
00:45:23.17\00:45:24.86
First, our diet
should be simple and natural.
00:45:25.26\00:45:29.89
That means that we should not
eat processed and refined foods.
00:45:30.72\00:45:34.66
Eat them the closest to
the natural state possible.
00:45:34.96\00:45:38.49
Secondly, we
should eat a variety
00:45:38.99\00:45:43.41
of fruits and vegetables.
00:45:43.61\00:45:45.25
You know, God could have
made one superfood that had all
00:45:46.28\00:45:48.85
of the necessary nutrients...
00:45:48.96\00:45:50.50
but God made a buffet.
00:45:50.90\00:45:53.51
He made different kinds
of fruits, different kinds of
00:45:53.71\00:45:56.53
vegetables that have the
same nutritional properties.
00:45:56.63\00:45:59.36
Because He's a God of variety.
00:45:59.66\00:46:02.52
He knows that there are
going to be different tastes.
00:46:02.72\00:46:05.20
So we should have a varied diet.
00:46:05.50\00:46:08.24
We should have a balanced diet
00:46:08.54\00:46:10.72
which means that we should
have a balance of proteins,
00:46:10.92\00:46:13.38
carbohydrates,
minerals, and vitamins.
00:46:13.58\00:46:16.01
We should eat a regular
times in the proper amounts.
00:46:16.31\00:46:20.94
We should guard
against eating "junk foods"
00:46:21.17\00:46:23.95
and an excess of sugar.
00:46:24.05\00:46:25.64
You know, we could
take a whole lecture
00:46:25.75\00:46:27.17
to speak about these principles.
00:46:27.27\00:46:29.11
But we need, in other
words, to be careful to follow
00:46:29.31\00:46:33.13
God's counsel
when it comes to diet.
00:46:33.34\00:46:36.09
The original
diet is the best diet.
00:46:36.39\00:46:39.57
Incidentally, eating
flesh foods has many downsides.
00:46:39.87\00:46:45.02
For example, they have fat.
00:46:45.93\00:46:47.72
Fat has cholesterol,
00:46:48.82\00:46:51.06
and cholesterol causes
hardening of the arteries
00:46:52.36\00:46:55.79
and it causes strokes
and it causes heart attacks.
00:46:56.44\00:47:00.46
Furthermore, the diseases
are carried in the blood.
00:47:01.01\00:47:04.86
I'm sure you've heard about
mad cow disease for example
00:47:06.06\00:47:09.06
and there are other diseases.
00:47:09.36\00:47:10.87
So animal food - in
other words, flesh food -
00:47:11.17\00:47:15.86
is not the ideal in these days.
00:47:16.06\00:47:18.64
Furthermore, these days
they inject growth hormones
00:47:19.05\00:47:23.71
many times into the animals.
00:47:23.92\00:47:27.18
And so when we eat these
growth hormones we are impacted
00:47:27.38\00:47:30.41
and affected. Furthermore,
the animals themselves
00:47:30.61\00:47:35.04
have what are called purines.
00:47:35.24\00:47:37.13
You know, people say:
"If I quit eating meat,
00:47:37.33\00:47:39.48
I feel weak all of a sudden. "
00:47:39.68\00:47:41.39
Well the reason why is because
meat has certain stimulants
00:47:41.59\00:47:45.86
in it. You know, the animals
also have adrenaline like we do.
00:47:46.06\00:47:51.44
And when we eat the meat
we're eating those hormones
00:47:51.64\00:47:54.95
which they naturally produce
00:47:55.15\00:47:56.50
and so people have a
sensation of strength
00:47:56.60\00:47:59.09
when really it's an
artificial sense of strength...
00:47:59.49\00:48:02.73
which can be gained
by a vegetarian diet
00:48:02.94\00:48:04.94
as long as we get used to it.
00:48:05.14\00:48:07.24
Now some people say:
"Well, those regulations
00:48:07.55\00:48:09.75
about clean and unclean
foods, those were for Israel.
00:48:09.85\00:48:13.78
Those were given by Moses. "
00:48:13.98\00:48:15.76
Well the fact is,
folks, that Genesis 7:2-3
00:48:16.06\00:48:19.06
very clearly shows that there
were clean and unclean animals
00:48:19.37\00:48:22.92
before the flood
because God told Noah
00:48:23.12\00:48:26.46
to take clean and
unclean animals into the ark.
00:48:26.66\00:48:30.16
Now I realize that many of those
who are listening are going to
00:48:30.66\00:48:33.87
say: "Whoa... Pastor Bohr
is really raising the bar.
00:48:33.97\00:48:36.33
You know, becoming a
vegetarian overnight? "
00:48:36.53\00:48:38.48
It might just be
possible that some people say:
00:48:38.78\00:48:41.26
"I cannot become a
vegetarian overnight. "
00:48:41.46\00:48:43.40
Well, God has established
certain transition points
00:48:43.70\00:48:47.63
that you can follow
in reaching that ideal.
00:48:47.83\00:48:49.99
You know, He allows in the Bible
00:48:50.49\00:48:53.23
people to eat certain
kinds of animal foods.
00:48:53.43\00:48:57.96
And I would say that
would be like a step towards
00:48:58.16\00:49:01.66
God's original ideal.
00:49:01.86\00:49:03.56
You say: "What
standards has God established
00:49:03.86\00:49:06.56
for the types of meat that
can be eaten if I feel like
00:49:06.76\00:49:10.03
at this moment I cannot
survive without eating meat? "
00:49:10.23\00:49:13.49
Well, let me mention
just quickly some texts here.
00:49:14.00\00:49:17.30
Deuteronomy 14 verse 6
gives the prescriptions
00:49:17.40\00:49:20.88
for the land
animals which can be eaten.
00:49:20.98\00:49:23.08
The land animals
must have a cloven hoof
00:49:23.48\00:49:26.81
and they must chew the cud.
00:49:27.01\00:49:28.68
Of course,
animals that chew the cud
00:49:28.98\00:49:30.56
are vegetarians.
00:49:30.67\00:49:31.95
If you look at
those two characteristics,
00:49:32.15\00:49:34.55
you'll find that
animals that have a cloven hoof
00:49:34.75\00:49:37.90
and that chew the
cud... they are vegetarians.
00:49:38.10\00:49:42.13
In other words, God forbids
animals that are scavengers
00:49:42.43\00:49:45.17
and that feed on other animals.
00:49:45.37\00:49:47.16
In Deuteronomy 14:8 God
forbids the eating of pork
00:49:47.56\00:49:51.60
because pork is not clean.
00:49:51.90\00:49:54.58
Now some people say: "Oh,
I don't see anything wrong
00:50:05.77\00:50:08.20
with eating pork. That
law was for the Jews. "
00:50:08.30\00:50:10.82
Let me ask you: is the
digestive system of a Jew
00:50:11.22\00:50:13.89
different than ours?
00:50:14.09\00:50:15.20
Are pigs dirty in other places
and they're clean in Israel
00:50:16.45\00:50:20.30
or vice versa? Of course not!
00:50:20.60\00:50:23.14
The digestive
system of man is the same
00:50:24.06\00:50:26.61
and the pig is still dirty.
00:50:26.81\00:50:28.65
And so, what applied back
then applies just as well today.
00:50:28.85\00:50:33.10
Now what about
marine creatures like fish?
00:50:33.40\00:50:36.13
In Deuteronomy 14:9
there's also two rules.
00:50:36.87\00:50:40.01
Rule number 1: they
have to have scales.
00:50:40.31\00:50:43.29
And rule number 2:
they have to have fins.
00:50:43.59\00:50:45.81
And God had a reason for that.
00:50:46.11\00:50:47.70
You know, if you look
at the marine creatures,
00:50:48.00\00:50:50.74
you'll discover - and there
are exceptions to this rule -
00:50:50.94\00:50:53.66
you discover that most of them
that don't have fins or scales
00:50:53.86\00:50:57.38
are scavengers and they feed on
00:50:58.70\00:51:01.13
other fish. For example,
00:51:01.24\00:51:04.02
the shark. Does the shark have
00:51:04.22\00:51:06.02
scales? No. Catfish.
00:51:06.98\00:51:09.47
"Oh, he's taking
catfish from us! "
00:51:09.57\00:51:11.46
Catfish. Does
catfish have scales?
00:51:11.66\00:51:14.95
Absolutely not. Do
you know what catfish eat?
00:51:15.15\00:51:18.10
Well I'd better not tell you
00:51:18.30\00:51:19.48
because you might be
going from here to supper.
00:51:19.68\00:51:21.38
So I'd better not
tell you what catfish eat.
00:51:21.41\00:51:23.14
Because you already
know! They go around the bottom
00:51:23.34\00:51:26.58
of the lake or of the river
and they're really the garbage
00:51:26.78\00:51:30.58
disposer if you please.
00:51:30.68\00:51:32.55
And so God says:
"Don't eat them. "
00:51:32.75\00:51:34.71
Also God gives prescription
about the birds that we can eat.
00:51:35.12\00:51:39.22
He doesn't say this character-
istic or that characteristic.
00:51:39.42\00:51:43.23
He simply said:
00:51:43.43\00:51:44.71
And then He gives a list
of birds that cannot be eaten.
00:51:47.70\00:51:50.60
And as you look
at that list of birds
00:51:50.80\00:51:53.36
every single one
of them is a scavenger
00:51:53.56\00:51:55.72
or feeds on other birds.
00:51:55.92\00:51:57.44
So I guess that would mean
00:51:57.74\00:51:58.96
that birds that feed
mostly on a vegetarian diet
00:51:59.16\00:52:02.54
like chickens
and birds like that
00:52:02.74\00:52:05.75
would be edible
according to the prescription
00:52:05.95\00:52:08.28
that God has given.
Although chickens will also eat
00:52:08.38\00:52:11.20
roaches and
they'll also eat worms.
00:52:11.30\00:52:13.25
Even they have degenerated.
00:52:13.55\00:52:15.30
I don't know whether you
were aware of this or not.
00:52:15.50\00:52:17.27
So folks, God has given us
00:52:18.38\00:52:21.64
these simple rules -
eight laws of health.
00:52:21.84\00:52:26.81
I've mentioned some of them.
00:52:27.11\00:52:28.46
You know, the need for
rest. And I've mentioned diet
00:52:28.56\00:52:31.65
and I've mentioned smoking
and I've mentioned alcohol.
00:52:31.86\00:52:35.91
I've mentioned the
importance of exercise.
00:52:36.11\00:52:37.72
I've only
mentioned some of them.
00:52:37.82\00:52:39.34
But God has given us
these laws so that as we
00:52:39.64\00:52:42.97
live them we are
healthy, we are holy,
00:52:43.17\00:52:46.99
we are happy, and
we prolong our life.
00:52:47.20\00:52:51.20
Now allow me to
close this lecture
00:52:51.61\00:52:54.06
by talking about motivations
for living healthfully.
00:52:54.26\00:52:58.23
What should be our motivations
for living healthfully?
00:52:58.73\00:53:01.27
I have six that
I've written down.
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Number one - and this is
the motivation of most people -
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good physical
health; less medical bills;
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and a more enjoyable life.
00:53:12.79\00:53:14.55
There's nothing wrong with that.
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But that's not the best
motivation for obeying the laws
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of health. Second motivation:
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the apostle Paul says
that "we are not our own. "
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Our body belongs to God by
creation and by redemption.
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So if our body is not our own,
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is it imperative for
us to take care of that
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which is not our own?
Certainly a good motivation.
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Third motivation: do you
know that in Leviticus 11
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after God gives the list
of animals that can be eaten
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and animals that cannot be eaten
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He says to
Israel: "You shall be holy
00:53:47.82\00:53:52.02
for I am holy. "
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In other words,
being holy like God
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has a lot to do
with our physical habits.
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After giving this list God
said: "Be holy for I am holy. "
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So the desire to
be holy as God is holy
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is a good motivation for living
in harmony with God's laws
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of health. Number
four: Jesus said that
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we're supposed to serve
the Lord with all of our might
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our mind and our strength.
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How can we serve God
with all of our might
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and all of our mind
and all of our strength
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if we're depleting
our mind and our strength
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by bad habits?
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Number five: when we
practice the laws of health
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we have a clear mind to dis-
criminate between good and evil,
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to choose good over evil,
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and to live
good instead of evil.
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When our body is
affected by bad habits
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our mind is also
affected by those bad habits
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and the will of God
becomes blurry in our minds.
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Let me ask you: does
drinking affect your capacity
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to communicate with God?
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After you have a great big meal
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do you feel like reading a book
and doing some serious thinking?
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Of course not
because what affects the body
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affects the mind. And so
a very important motivation
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for living in harmony
with these eight principles
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is to have a clean
body with a clear mind
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that can discern, choose,
and implement the will of God.
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Finally... this is the
greatest motivation of all...
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the apostle Paul says
in I Corinthians 10:31
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These are the best motivations
for living a healthy lifestyle.
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Now we've studied
about the environment.
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We've studied about
the eight laws of health.
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We've studied
about the battery charger
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in all of these
stages. At creation,
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between the fall and the flood,
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between the flood
and the days of David,
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today. But what
about the future?
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Well, there's a glorious
future awaiting us because
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what God did at the beginning
He's going to do again.
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And we're going to be there
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if we are obedient
to God's principles
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because we love God
with all of our hearts.
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Allow me just to summarize
what it's going to be like.
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In Revelation 22 and verse 2
we're told that God will make
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a perfect environment again.
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There will be no curse
just like at the beginning.
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And God, according to
I Corinthians 15, will
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give us a new body. Immortal!
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Incorruptible! And by nature
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we will keep the 8 laws of
health that He has created.
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And once again we will have
access to the battery charger.
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In other words,
to the Tree of Life!
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And we will refurbish our
life and live forever and ever
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in the presence of the Lord.
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