Participants: Pastor Stephen Bohr
Series Code: CGC
Program Code: CGC000029
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01:12 Shall we bow our heads?
01:14 Father in heaven, as we study about the 8 laws of health 01:18 that You established at the very beginning of human history 01:22 we ask for the guidance of Your Spirit. 01:24 Help us to understand them 01:26 and give us the power to implement them in our lives. 01:30 We pray this in the precious name of Jesus, 01:33 Your beloved Son, Amen. 01:38 In our lecture today we are 01:39 going to study about the eight 01:42 laws of health 01:44 in the book of Genesis. 01:46 And basically we're going to 01:48 look at the eight laws of health in five different periods 01:54 of human history. 01:55 The first period is, of course, at the very beginning 01:59 before sin came into the world. 02:02 The second stage where we're going to look at these 8 laws 02:06 of health is between the fall and the flood. 02:11 The third stage that we're going to take a look at 02:14 is the period between the flood and today. 02:21 And the fourth stage is as things are, of course, 02:26 today. And then the final stage that we're going to deal with 02:31 is how the eight laws of health will be practiced 02:35 among God's people once sin is eradicated 02:39 from the universe. So we're going to study 02:42 the eight laws of health from the way they were 02:47 at the beginning; from the fall to the flood; 02:51 from the flood till today. 02:53 We're going to say a few things about between now 02:57 and the end of time and how those laws of health apply 03:01 eventually in God's everlasting kingdom. 03:05 Now, we're going to deal with three points in each one 03:10 of these five sections. 03:12 We're going to first of all take a look at the environment 03:16 which existed at these different stages. 03:20 Secondly, we're going to take a look at the 8 laws of health 03:24 at each stage. And finally we're going to look 03:27 at how life could be prolonged during each one of those stages. 03:33 Now let's begin at the very moment 03:37 that God created this world. 03:42 At the beginning, man was created with a perfect body 03:47 and he was placed in a perfect environment. 03:51 The ecosystem was in perfect balance. 03:56 The air was crystal clear. 03:59 The water was pure and refreshing. 04:04 The earth was absolutely fertile with no pests, 04:09 no weeds, no thorns, and no thistles. 04:15 Animals did not eat animals for food. 04:18 There was no death. 04:20 There was no disease in the world. 04:24 In other words, the environment at creation 04:28 was perfect for the preservation and for the prolongation 04:34 of life. This is the reason why in Genesis 1 and verse 31 04:39 we find at the conclusion of creation that God... 04:55 In other words, God made at the very beginning 04:57 a perfect environment in which Adam and Eve lived. 05:03 Secondly, at creation God established eight laws 05:08 to preserve health. 05:11 Now those eight laws are the following: 05:14 #1- sunlight. 05:18 Now if you look at the story of creation 05:21 you will find that light was created the first day. 05:24 And of course we are told that the sun was made 05:28 the fourth day. And I'm not going to get into how 05:33 the light was made the 1st day and the sun was made the 4th day 05:36 because right now our interest is that God made light - 05:40 sunlight - because He knew that man would need sunlight 05:44 in order to preserve life. 05:47 Secondly, God made fresh air. He made the atmosphere. 05:51 He did this the second day of creation 05:53 indicating that man was supposed to breathe that fresh air. 05:58 After all, God gave man lungs to breathe. 06:01 In the third place, God made fresh water also on the 2nd day. 06:06 He placed water under the earth. 06:09 They're known as the fountains of waters. 06:11 And that indicates that man was supposed to partake 06:15 of that fresh water to sustain his life. 06:19 On the third day God made plants and He made trees with fruit 06:24 indicating that He expected man to enjoy the vegetarian 06:29 cuisine that He had made 06:31 in order to sustain and perpetuate his life. 06:35 God also explained the law of temperance 06:40 in the Garden of Eden. 06:41 In other words, to abstain that which is detrimental 06:44 or bad for your health. 06:46 And God taught this lesson by placing in the garden 06:50 the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. 06:52 And He was teaching man to abstain from that which 06:55 He had forbidden. In other words we have the principle of 06:59 "abstemiousness" or temperance. 07:03 To abstain from that which causes harm. 07:07 Also during creation week God made the day and the night. 07:11 By making the night He was indicating that man 07:15 needed to rest... he needed to sleep. 07:18 God also made originally exercise. 07:22 We are told in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 15 07:25 that God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden 07:30 to tend and to keep it. 07:32 In other words, He wanted man to get exercise. 07:36 And finally, God - by creating the Sabbath - 07:40 tried to teach man that he was supposed to trust 07:44 in the divine power of his Creator. 07:48 In other words, at creation God made eight laws of health 07:53 that man was to live by in order to preserve his health 07:58 in a perfect environment. 08:00 I'd like to read a statement that we find in the book 08:03 The Ministry of Healing page 127. 08:07 This is from the great health reformer from the 19th century 08:11 Ellen White. I would recommend this book to everyone. 08:15 It is a tremendous book on health principles. 08:18 She says this: 08:54 I find it interesting that this health reformer 08:57 mentions the very eight laws of health that we find 09:02 in Genesis that God made during creation week... 09:05 which we have already referred to. 09:07 Now not only did God place Adam and Eve in a perfect 09:11 environment, not only did God give Adam and Eve eight laws 09:16 for the preservation of health, 09:18 but even with the perfect environment and with the 8 laws 09:21 of health, the life of man still needed something else 09:25 in order to be prolonged. 09:27 And that was that God placed in the Garden of Eden 09:30 a tree which is mentioned in Genesis chapter 2 and verse 9. 09:35 It's called the Tree of Life. 09:39 We're told in Genesis 2 verse 9: 09:54 Now we need to understand the Tree of Life 09:57 like a battery charger. 09:59 In other words, God gave man a certain constitutional 10:03 force, a certain supply of vital energy. 10:07 And even though he lived in a perfect environment, 10:10 even though he lived in harmony with the 8 laws of health, 10:13 that battery in the course of time would deplete. 10:17 And so it was necessary for man to continue eating 10:20 from the Tree of Life to continually charge his vitality, 10:25 his vital force or his energy to function. 10:30 So we find at creation 10:32 man created in a perfect environment. 10:36 God gave him eight laws of health 10:39 to preserve his health. 10:43 And in the third place God put a battery charger 10:46 to refurbish his life. 10:50 But then, of course, sin came into the world 10:54 and all three of these things were affected by sin. 10:59 The environment was greatly impacted by sin. 11:03 Notice what we find in Romans chapter 8 11:07 and verses 20 to 22. 11:09 Romans chapter 8 and verses 20 to 22. 11:13 Here we find the impact of the fall upon creation. 11:17 It says there in verse 20: 11:55 Notice that nature after sin was in travail. 11:59 It was moaning and groaning 12:02 in pain according to this passage. 12:05 The environment was impacted 12:07 by sin. First of all, the earth 12:10 began producing thorns and thistles. 12:14 Also we're told in the Bible that animals commenced 12:19 to eat other animals and death appeared in the world. 12:24 In other words, the environment was impacted 12:28 by the sin of Adam and Eve. 12:29 Now between the fall and the flood 12:33 the creation or the environment was not greatly impacted. 12:39 The big impact would come in consequence of the flood. 12:42 And yet the environment was impacted to a certain extent. 12:47 Now we also know that between the fall and the flood 12:53 human beings violated the laws of God, 12:57 the moral laws of God, 12:59 as well as the laws of their constitutional body. 13:05 We know that because in Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5 13:08 we're told about the wickedness that existed 13:12 in the earth. Genesis chapter 6 and verse 5 13:16 says this: 13:18 "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great 13:23 in the earth and that every intent of the thoughts of his 13:26 heart was only evil continually. " 13:30 And notice verses 11 and 12: 13:48 And so we find that not only 13:51 was man living now in an environment which was no longer 13:55 perfect but also he was violating the eight laws 14:00 of health - the physical laws that God had established - 14:03 and obviously also the moral law of God. 14:07 And also man no longer had access 14:12 to the battery charger. 14:14 Notice Genesis chapter 3 and verses 22 to 24. 14:18 Genesis chapter 3 and verses 22 to 24. 14:23 Man was barred from the battery charger. 14:26 We are told there in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 22: 15:02 And so man no longer had access to the battery charger. 15:06 So you see three changes as a result of the fall. 15:11 An imperfect environment; 15:14 violation of the eight laws of health; 15:16 and no access to the battery charger to refurbish the life. 15:21 And yet the constitutional energy which God gave originally 15:26 to Adam must have been immense. 15:30 You say: "Why? " 15:31 Because of the lifespans of the people that lived 15:34 between the fall and the flood. 15:36 Allow me to mention those lifespans. 16:07 What an amount of constitutional energy 16:10 Adam must have been given 16:12 at the very beginning of human history 16:14 that even by living in a less-than-perfect environment 16:18 and living in violation of the laws of health 16:22 to a greater or less degree 16:24 and having no access to the battery charger 16:27 people still lived to be almost 1,000 years old. 16:33 Now what about after the flood? 16:35 The lifespan of people greatly decreased after the flood. 16:40 Allow me to read the ages of the post-flood heroes 16:45 that are found in Genesis 11. 17:18 Drastic decrease in the lifespans of those who lived 17:22 after the flood. And immediately we ask the question: "Why? " 17:27 Folks, the world-wide flood 17:30 totally turned the ecosystem of planet earth 17:35 upside down. The environment was thrown out of balance 17:40 as a result of this world-wide cataclysm. 17:43 Great regions of the earth became inhospitable. 17:47 Huge bodies of salt water appeared. 17:52 Deserts and icecaps came into existence. 17:57 The cosmic rays now penetrated the atmosphere 18:01 because the layer of water that God placed above the earth 18:04 was brought down at the time of the flood. 18:07 Disease appeared and became more prevalent. 18:11 And the land was less fertile because of what happened 18:15 at the time of the flood. 18:17 So the environment greatly 18:19 depreciated and became 18:23 not conducive to the sustaining 18:26 of life. Furthermore, human beings continued 18:30 violating the 8 laws of health. 18:33 They continued depleting their constitutional energy 18:36 by disobeying the physical laws that God had established. 18:39 The Tower of Babel episode illustrates this. 18:43 You know, these wicked individuals were creating this 18:47 tower or building this tower because they wanted to 18:50 save themselves from another flood. 18:52 And this is happening only 100 years after the flood. 18:55 The wickedness of the earth was great 18:58 and they wanted to centralize evil and wickedness 19:01 as we've studied previously in order to lead the world 19:04 into total and complete rebellion against God. 19:07 And so you find an environment which is totally inconducive 19:13 to the sustaining of life. 19:14 You have a violation of the laws of health 19:18 and, of course, you no longer have access 19:21 to the battery charger to refurbish the vital force. 19:27 And so that's the reason why the lifepsans after the flood 19:31 decreased greatly. 19:34 Now what about today? 19:36 Go with me to Psalm 90 and let's read verse 10. 19:40 Psalm 90 and verse 10. 19:43 What about today? What is the lifespan like today? 19:47 Well, let's take a look at what David had to say about this. 19:51 Once again the reference is Psalm 90 and verse 10. 19:55 There David says: 20:15 In other words, David is saying "The lifespan of man in my day 20:20 is 70 to 80 years. 20:23 And if you live to be 80 years old, it's with aches and pains 20:28 and sorrows. " 20:30 Now the question is: "Why did the lifespan of man decrease 20:35 even more between the time after the flood 20:40 and the time of David? 20:43 There's no doubt whatsoever that it's because 20:46 of environmental factors, 20:48 violations of the eight laws of health, 20:51 and having no access to the battery charger. 20:55 Now somebody might say: 20:57 "But Pastor Bohr, the lifespan today 21:01 is very similar to the lifespan which existed 21:04 in the days of David. Why hasn't it further decreased? " 21:09 Let me explain why. 21:11 You see, science has eliminated many of the environmental 21:16 hazards and diseases which deplete the vital force. 21:21 There is a tremendous and marked emphasis 21:24 upon hygiene and sterilization 21:27 even among the people of Israel but especially today. 21:32 Scientific discoveries have helped reduce the threat 21:37 of viruses and bacteria. 21:40 Antibiotics and vaccines have gotten rid of diseases 21:45 which cause fear and terror in the hearts of people 21:49 such as tuberculosis, smallpox, polio, and the plague. 21:54 And medical treatments are able to help people 21:59 preserve the amount of vital energy or vital force 22:04 that they have. And yet today we even have a tremendous 22:10 emphasis upon following the laws of health. 22:14 You've noticed, for example, on television 22:16 they have a lot of plans - diet plans - and a lot of 22:20 exercise plans and so on 22:23 so that people can preserve their health. 22:26 There's an emphasis upon getting enough water 22:28 and getting enough exercise 22:30 and eating the right kinds of foods. 22:33 And so, because of the environmental factors 22:37 being not eliminated but being reduced 22:41 because of medical science 22:43 and because there's a renewed emphasis on the 8 laws of health 22:47 and following them the lives of people have 22:51 continued to be about the same as in the days of David. 22:56 But human beings still do not have access 22:59 to the battery charger. 23:01 And so people live to be 70, 80. You know, some people 23:06 as the exception to the rule live 90. 23:09 Some people live to be 100. 23:11 And we say "Wow, that person lived to be 100 years old! " 23:15 But what is 100 compared to 969? 23:20 Certainly not very much. 23:22 I mean, when those people who lived before the flood 23:26 reached the age of 500 they were only entering their... 23:31 maybe their middle age. 23:33 You know, they still had 400 or 500 years to live. 23:38 And yet today, life has decreased drastically 23:43 from those times. 23:44 And yet because we live in a world today 23:47 where environmental hazards to a great degree have been 23:50 eliminated and because there's a great emphasis 23:53 on the laws of health life has been able to hold 23:57 quite steady. Now I want to talk to you a little bit about 24:02 the constitutional energy which each of us has 24:07 which actually preserves our life and helps us have 24:11 a good quality of life. 24:13 Two doctors several years ago 24:16 did some very intensive studies in this area 24:21 of the constitutional force which is also called 24:23 adaptation energy. 24:25 Their names: Hans Selye and Paul Tournier. 24:30 They published their research 24:33 in several books as well as articles in medical journals. 24:37 They discovered that each one of us 24:41 is born into this world with a certain supply 24:45 of what they called "constitutional energy" 24:49 or "adaptation energy. " 24:51 It's also called vital force. 24:54 They discovered that some people receive more 24:58 vital energy and others receive less. 25:02 We receive it according to the habits of our ancestors. 25:06 If our ancestors lived in severe environmental... 25:11 environmental hazards and if they violated the 25:15 eight laws of health, we receive less constitutional energy. 25:19 If our ancestors were quite careful in their health habits 25:23 and they lived in a better environment, 25:25 they discovered that they passed on a greater supply 25:29 of adaptation energy or constitutional energy. 25:35 Now when we receive this vital energy 25:38 it is used to make the physical functions 25:42 of the body work. 25:44 In other words, the vital force keeps the heart pumping 25:48 and it keeps the brain thinking 25:50 and it keeps the lungs breathing. 25:52 It's kind of like the energizing force for the body. 25:57 When we receive the vital force it cannot be replenished. 26:00 What we receive must last us a lifetime. 26:05 It is not going to earn interest. 26:08 It will not be replaced. 26:10 As we live, it depreciates or it gets weaker. 26:16 We can decide either to preserve the vital force 26:20 by following proper habits 26:23 and living in the best environment possible. 26:26 Or we can decide to live in any old environment 26:30 and violate the laws of health. 26:32 But this depletes the vital force 26:35 and shortens our life 26:37 and makes us less happy 26:39 and less healthy. 26:42 Allow me to illustrate 26:43 what I mean. 26:44 I once saw this cartoon 26:46 and in the cartoon was this young man. 26:49 He had a big smile on his face 26:52 and he had a candle in each hand which was burning on both sides. 26:56 Then you have a second frame of the cartoon. 27:00 And this same young man is old and decrepit. 27:05 He's bent over, and the candle is a little stub. 27:10 And the candle is lit, but it's just flickering about to go out. 27:15 And he has his hand over the flame 27:18 just begging for the candle to not go out. 27:21 What did he do with his vital force in his younger years? 27:26 He burned the candle on both ends. 27:29 In other words, he used his vital force - 27:32 his adaptation energy, 27:34 his constitutional force - recklessly. 27:37 And as a result his life was shortened and made unhappy. 27:44 And unhealthy I might say. 27:46 I'd like to read another state- ment from this health reformer 27:50 Ellen White in her book Counsels on Health page 99. 27:56 See, she understood this issue of constitutional force 27:59 much much before Selye and Tournier 28:04 and those who have done modern research. 28:06 She says this: 29:56 What she's saying is that if we live in harmony with 29:59 the eight laws of health we will preserve and conserve 30:04 our constitutional energy for times of emergency 30:08 and to prolong our life and our happiness. 30:11 But she's saying that every time that we violate these laws 30:15 our energy is depleted 30:18 and as a result our life is shortened, 30:21 our health is impacted, 30:24 and obviously our happiness is impacted as well. 30:28 Because nobody can be fully happy when he or she 30:32 is sick all the time. 30:35 So we all receive this vital force or this vital energy, 30:39 this adaptation energy, from our ancestors. 30:42 Some more... some less. 30:44 You know, I can't help but think about George Burns, 30:47 that Hollywood actor who died in his 100's. 30:51 Some people say: "Look, he smoked cigars 30:54 and he lived a disorderly life and yet look, he lived to be 30:57 over a hundred years old! 31:00 So I guess that means I can do anything with my body 31:03 and maybe I'll be lucky and live a hundred. " 31:05 The only reason he lived to be a hundred is because of the 31:07 constitutional energy that he received from his ancestors. 31:11 They must have had a strong constitution! 31:14 They must have lived relatively well in harmony 31:18 with the principles of health. 31:20 But it does not apply to everyone 31:23 because everybody receives 31:24 a different supply of vital energy. 31:27 Now allow me to address some habits which deplete 31:32 and diminish this vital energy that God has given to us. 31:37 By the way, the vital energy not only is for our physical 31:41 functioning but also for our mental functioning. 31:44 The more vitality we have 31:47 the better our minds will function 31:49 and the closer we can draw to God and understand His will. 31:54 Allow me to address some examples of habits 31:59 which deplete this vital energy. 32:02 Not getting enough rest. 32:05 Not sleeping enough. 32:08 You know, when I was a student I used to study all night 32:12 to prepare for a test. 32:14 Do you know what that's like? 32:17 It's like having your car racing at 100 miles an hour 32:21 when it should be idle. 32:24 You see, at night our engines should be idle. 32:29 Our bodies still function but the engine is "idled. " 32:34 We're not supposed to be running full steam day and night 32:38 because this depletes our energy. 32:41 And so one of the laws of health is rest. 32:44 We need to get enough rest. 32:46 We need to get enough sleep. 32:48 One thing which I admire about the people in Latin America 32:51 is they all close their stores at noon 32:54 and they take a siesta. They go home and they eat 32:57 and they have a good family time 32:58 and then at 2 o'clock they come back and they open up 33:01 their stores... because they know that rest is of critical 33:06 importance. What is another factor that 33:11 reduces this constitutional energy? 33:14 Trauma... accidents. 33:17 We all need to be careful to not have accidents. 33:19 I realize that we will have accidents now and then. 33:22 But you see, what happens when we have an accident 33:24 is, for example, we break a bone. 33:27 The body has to expend additional energy 33:30 to repair that bone 33:31 which would not be expended if we had been careful. 33:36 Also exercise... lack of exercise... 33:40 impacts the burning of that vital energy 33:44 that we have received. 33:45 You see, when we have too much body mass 33:48 the result is that the heart must pump harder 33:51 and it must pump more times 33:55 to get the blood to the additional body mass. 34:00 And by the way, when we are overweight - 34:03 and I'm not criticizing anybody - but when we're 34:05 overweight our vessels constrict and it makes it much harder 34:10 for the heart to get the blood through the vessels. 34:14 Because the vessels constrict they build up cholesterol 34:16 and the heart has to work harder to push the blood 34:20 through the vessels. 34:21 Let me give you an example. 34:24 With very little exercise, the heart of the normal person 34:28 beats 80 times a minute. 34:31 But if people just did a little bit of exercise - 34:34 and let me tell you this before I tell you about 34:37 the little bit of exercise - at 80 times a minute 34:40 that means that your heart beats 115,000 times a day. 34:46 OK? But if you do a little exercise, 34:49 you can reduce your heart rate to 60 beats a minute 34:54 which means that your ticker is saving 34:58 29,000 beats a day 35:02 because it's only beating 35:04 approximately 86,000 times. 35:07 And so what are you doing? 35:09 By exercising you are reducing 35:13 the use of the vital energy. 35:16 You're preserving your vital force. 35:18 And by the way, the vital force not only lengthens our life 35:22 but it also helps us have resistance against disease. 35:27 Now let me address certain habits that people have 35:30 like for example smoking. 35:35 What's the downside of smoking? 35:37 Well, when people smoke the poisons enter their body - 35:43 for example the kidneys - 35:45 and the kidneys have to work overtime 35:48 to expel the poisons. 35:50 The liver also has to work harder 35:55 and longer to expel the nicotine 35:59 and the other 30+ poisons that cigarettes have. 36:02 And as a result your body is working overtime 36:06 to expel the poisons. And in order to do that 36:09 it is expending the vital force which should be used 36:14 to preserve life. 36:17 By the way also, the body has to repair the damage 36:21 which is done by the smoke. 36:23 And so the body is depleting unnecessarily 36:28 the vital energy that we have received. 36:31 Now some people might say: "Well Pastor Bohr, but 36:34 the Bible does not forbid smoking. " 36:36 What do we do when the Bible does not specifically address 36:41 a certain habit. How do we know whether that habit is 36:45 OK or not OK? 36:48 Some people say: "If the Bible doesn't say thou shalt not smoke 36:51 it's OK to smoke. " 36:52 Well let me tell you that when the Bible does not particularly 36:55 address a habit, what we need to do is look for Biblical 36:58 principles and apply those principles 37:01 to a specific situation. 37:03 Allow me to take some principles - and I'm going to do 37:05 this very quickly - with, for example, smoking. 37:10 There is one of the Ten Commandments - #6- 37:13 that says "Thou shalt not kill quickly. " 37:17 Is that what it says? "Thou shalt not kill quickly? " 37:20 No. It says: "Thou shalt not... " What? 37:22 "kill. " Let me ask you: is a smoker 37:25 slowly killing himself? 37:27 Is he shortening his life? Of course. 37:29 So it's a violation of the principle that says: 37:31 "Thou shalt not kill. " 37:34 In Revelation 21 verse 27 37:36 we are told that nothing unclean will enter heaven. 37:38 Have you ever seen the lungs of a smoker? 37:42 Furthermore, in Isaiah 55:2 it says: "Why do you spend 37:47 your money on that which is not bread? " 37:50 You know, people who smoke cigarettes... they have money 37:52 to burn... obviously. It would be better to take 37:56 the 3 or 4 dollar bills that you spend on a packet of 37:59 cigarettes and just burn the 3 or 4 dollars bills. 38:02 At least you would be burning the money 38:05 but you would not be ruining your health. 38:07 In other words, spending money on cigarettes 38:10 is a bad stewardship practice. 38:13 Furthermore, in Leviticus 19:18 we are told that we are to love 38:18 our neighbor as ourselves. 38:19 Now does second-hand smoke show love for our neighbor? 38:23 You know, they have done studies to show that second-hand smoke 38:26 is just as bad or sometimes even worse 38:30 than first-hand smoke. 38:32 And so when we're smoking around people - 38:34 around our kids for example - 38:37 we are not showing much love for them. 38:39 Furthermore, in Romans 6:16 38:43 the apostle Paul says that we're not supposed to be 38:45 enslaved by habits. 38:49 And of course the biggest motivation is found in 38:52 I Corinthians 6:19-20 where we are told 38:55 that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. 38:57 That we do not belong to ourselves. 38:59 And so if we take these principles - even though 39:02 the Bible does not say "Thou shalt not smoke, " 39:05 if we apply these principles 39:07 we find that smoking is out of bounds. 39:11 Now, I don't want to be critical of people who are caught up 39:14 in the habit of cigarette smoking. I know it's a terrible 39:17 habit. Some people are saying that it's even worse 39:20 than some hard drugs. 39:21 I'm not being critical because God can give us power 39:25 to overcome anything. The Bible says: "I can do all 39:27 things through Christ who strengthens me. " 39:29 But I'm simply making a statement of fact 39:32 that cigarette smoking depletes the life forces. 39:36 It reduces the vital energy. 39:39 It makes us sick. Have you ever heard, 39:41 for example, the cough of a smoker? 39:43 You know it sounds in advanced stages 39:46 like someone who has pneumonia. 39:49 You know, you can hear that deep cough from the lungs. 39:53 Now what about alcohol? 39:55 You know, there's Christians that say: "Ah, there's nothing 39:58 wrong with drinking a little bit of alcohol. " 40:00 Well... is that true? 40:03 Do you know that alcohol - no matter what amount 40:07 you take in - kills brain cells? 40:10 It's been proven that alcohol causes cirrhosis 40:14 of the liver and other diseases. 40:17 It causes tremendous heartache among families. 40:22 It causes accidents. 40:24 It clouds the brain so that you're not able to 40:27 distinguish between right and wrong. 40:30 And it takes away also your willpower to perform 40:35 the good and to reject the wrong. 40:38 In other words, it affects your powers of discernment, 40:41 your powers of choice, 40:44 and your power to do that which is right. 40:47 The Bible has a lot of things to say about the issue 40:52 of alcohol. You know, some people take a text here 40:55 or a text there and they'll say: "See, the apostle Paul 40:58 said that a little wine is good for the stomach. " 41:00 Well, the word wine can apply to grape juice 41:03 or it can apply to fermented grape juice... 41:05 what we call wine. 41:07 You have to allow the context to dictate it. 41:09 Some people say: "Well Jesus made wine at the 41:11 wedding of Cana. " That's true enough. 41:14 But do you think that Jesus would make an alcoholic beverage 41:17 that kills the brain cells that He Himself created? 41:21 I don't think so. And that causes family strife 41:24 and that makes people sick? Absolutely not. 41:27 Now allow me to mention just some passages 41:30 from scripture - and by the way, in the handout 41:32 that you will receive at the end of the lecture 41:34 you'll have all of these texts. 41:36 So I hope that you look them up. 41:38 In Genesis 19:35-38 41:41 we find the daughters of Lot making him drunk 41:45 and then committing incest with their own father 41:48 to have children. And Lot, of course, he couldn't think 41:51 straight. He couldn't see straight. He didn't even know 41:53 they were his daughters because he was under the influence. 41:57 Proverbs 20 and verse 1 says 41:59 "Wine is a mocker; strong drink is raging. " 42:03 In other words, Solomon knew this. 42:05 Solomon is not speaking from some ivory tower. 42:08 You know, Solomon went astray from God 42:10 in the days of his youth. 42:12 And you read Proverbs and you read Ecclesiastes. 42:15 He went out into the world and he became a party animal 42:20 so to speak. So when he says that wine is a mocker 42:23 and strong drink is raging, 42:25 Solomon knows what he's talking about. 42:27 Then we have the story in Leviticus chapter 10 42:30 of Nadab and Abihu 42:31 who offered strange fire before the Lord. 42:34 They could not distinguish between holy fire and 42:36 common fire. Why? Because we're told there 42:40 that they were under the influence. 42:41 They had drunk too much wine. 42:43 You see, wine does not allow you to distinguish between 42:45 right and wrong and to choose 42:47 the right and to reject the wrong. 42:50 The apostle Paul in Galatians 42:52 chapter 5 verses 19-21 42:54 gives a list of the works of the flesh. 42:58 And he says that drunkenness is one of the works of the flesh. 43:03 And he says that those who become drunk 43:07 unless they repent and they change their ways 43:10 shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 43:12 In I Corinthians 6:9-10 the apostle Paul says 43:15 the same thing. He says: "Those who are drunk 43:19 will not inherit the kingdom of God. " 43:23 So alcohol, cigarettes are off limits when it comes to 43:29 preserving the constitutional energy. 43:32 Now let's talk for a few minutes about diet. 43:35 Basically, there's four types of diets. 43:39 One is the vegetarian diet. 43:43 Fruits and vegetables. 43:45 Second: lacto-ovo vegetarian. 43:49 Those are people who don't eat flesh foods. 43:52 They don't eat meat but they eat dairy products. 43:56 The third type of diet is people who eat clean meat 44:00 or clean flesh foods. 44:03 And the fourth type of diet is a "see-food" diet. 44:07 You see it... you eat it 44:10 and you don't think any more about it. 44:12 As long as it's edible - so called - eat it. 44:18 Now what is the best diet? 44:20 What is the diet that preserves and conserves 44:23 the constitutional force? 44:25 Well folks, there's no doubt whatsoever that the diet which 44:28 God created is a vegetarian diet. 44:31 That's the best diet. 44:33 That's Plan A. Notice Genesis chapter 1 and verses 29 and 30. 44:39 Genesis chapter 1 and verses 29 and 30. 44:57 And notice the beasts were also vegetarians. 45:13 Human beings and animals were created vegetarians 45:18 at the very beginning. 45:20 Now there are several principles of diet that I would like to 45:23 share with you very quickly. 45:25 First, our diet should be simple and natural. 45:30 That means that we should not eat processed and refined foods. 45:34 Eat them the closest to the natural state possible. 45:38 Secondly, we should eat a variety 45:43 of fruits and vegetables. 45:46 You know, God could have made one superfood that had all 45:48 of the necessary nutrients... 45:50 but God made a buffet. 45:53 He made different kinds of fruits, different kinds of 45:56 vegetables that have the same nutritional properties. 45:59 Because He's a God of variety. 46:02 He knows that there are going to be different tastes. 46:05 So we should have a varied diet. 46:08 We should have a balanced diet 46:10 which means that we should have a balance of proteins, 46:13 carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. 46:16 We should eat a regular times in the proper amounts. 46:21 We should guard against eating "junk foods" 46:24 and an excess of sugar. 46:25 You know, we could take a whole lecture 46:27 to speak about these principles. 46:29 But we need, in other words, to be careful to follow 46:33 God's counsel when it comes to diet. 46:36 The original diet is the best diet. 46:39 Incidentally, eating flesh foods has many downsides. 46:45 For example, they have fat. 46:48 Fat has cholesterol, 46:52 and cholesterol causes hardening of the arteries 46:56 and it causes strokes and it causes heart attacks. 47:01 Furthermore, the diseases are carried in the blood. 47:06 I'm sure you've heard about mad cow disease for example 47:09 and there are other diseases. 47:11 So animal food - in other words, flesh food - 47:16 is not the ideal in these days. 47:19 Furthermore, these days they inject growth hormones 47:23 many times into the animals. 47:27 And so when we eat these growth hormones we are impacted 47:30 and affected. Furthermore, the animals themselves 47:35 have what are called purines. 47:37 You know, people say: "If I quit eating meat, 47:39 I feel weak all of a sudden. " 47:41 Well the reason why is because meat has certain stimulants 47:46 in it. You know, the animals also have adrenaline like we do. 47:51 And when we eat the meat we're eating those hormones 47:55 which they naturally produce 47:56 and so people have a sensation of strength 47:59 when really it's an artificial sense of strength... 48:02 which can be gained by a vegetarian diet 48:05 as long as we get used to it. 48:07 Now some people say: "Well, those regulations 48:09 about clean and unclean foods, those were for Israel. 48:13 Those were given by Moses. " 48:16 Well the fact is, folks, that Genesis 7:2-3 48:19 very clearly shows that there were clean and unclean animals 48:23 before the flood because God told Noah 48:26 to take clean and unclean animals into the ark. 48:30 Now I realize that many of those who are listening are going to 48:33 say: "Whoa... Pastor Bohr is really raising the bar. 48:36 You know, becoming a vegetarian overnight? " 48:38 It might just be possible that some people say: 48:41 "I cannot become a vegetarian overnight. " 48:43 Well, God has established certain transition points 48:47 that you can follow in reaching that ideal. 48:50 You know, He allows in the Bible 48:53 people to eat certain kinds of animal foods. 48:58 And I would say that would be like a step towards 49:01 God's original ideal. 49:03 You say: "What standards has God established 49:06 for the types of meat that can be eaten if I feel like 49:10 at this moment I cannot survive without eating meat? " 49:14 Well, let me mention just quickly some texts here. 49:17 Deuteronomy 14 verse 6 gives the prescriptions 49:20 for the land animals which can be eaten. 49:23 The land animals must have a cloven hoof 49:27 and they must chew the cud. 49:28 Of course, animals that chew the cud 49:30 are vegetarians. 49:32 If you look at those two characteristics, 49:34 you'll find that animals that have a cloven hoof 49:38 and that chew the cud... they are vegetarians. 49:42 In other words, God forbids animals that are scavengers 49:45 and that feed on other animals. 49:47 In Deuteronomy 14:8 God forbids the eating of pork 49:51 because pork is not clean. 50:05 Now some people say: "Oh, I don't see anything wrong 50:08 with eating pork. That law was for the Jews. " 50:11 Let me ask you: is the digestive system of a Jew 50:14 different than ours? 50:16 Are pigs dirty in other places and they're clean in Israel 50:20 or vice versa? Of course not! 50:24 The digestive system of man is the same 50:26 and the pig is still dirty. 50:28 And so, what applied back then applies just as well today. 50:33 Now what about marine creatures like fish? 50:36 In Deuteronomy 14:9 there's also two rules. 50:40 Rule number 1: they have to have scales. 50:43 And rule number 2: they have to have fins. 50:46 And God had a reason for that. 50:48 You know, if you look at the marine creatures, 50:50 you'll discover - and there are exceptions to this rule - 50:53 you discover that most of them that don't have fins or scales 50:58 are scavengers and they feed on 51:01 other fish. For example, 51:04 the shark. Does the shark have 51:06 scales? No. Catfish. 51:09 "Oh, he's taking catfish from us! " 51:11 Catfish. Does catfish have scales? 51:15 Absolutely not. Do you know what catfish eat? 51:18 Well I'd better not tell you 51:19 because you might be going from here to supper. 51:21 So I'd better not tell you what catfish eat. 51:23 Because you already know! They go around the bottom 51:26 of the lake or of the river and they're really the garbage 51:30 disposer if you please. 51:32 And so God says: "Don't eat them. " 51:35 Also God gives prescription about the birds that we can eat. 51:39 He doesn't say this character- istic or that characteristic. 51:43 He simply said: 51:47 And then He gives a list of birds that cannot be eaten. 51:50 And as you look at that list of birds 51:53 every single one of them is a scavenger 51:55 or feeds on other birds. 51:57 So I guess that would mean 51:59 that birds that feed mostly on a vegetarian diet 52:02 like chickens and birds like that 52:05 would be edible according to the prescription 52:08 that God has given. Although chickens will also eat 52:11 roaches and they'll also eat worms. 52:13 Even they have degenerated. 52:15 I don't know whether you were aware of this or not. 52:18 So folks, God has given us 52:21 these simple rules - eight laws of health. 52:27 I've mentioned some of them. 52:28 You know, the need for rest. And I've mentioned diet 52:31 and I've mentioned smoking and I've mentioned alcohol. 52:36 I've mentioned the importance of exercise. 52:37 I've only mentioned some of them. 52:39 But God has given us these laws so that as we 52:43 live them we are healthy, we are holy, 52:47 we are happy, and we prolong our life. 52:51 Now allow me to close this lecture 52:54 by talking about motivations for living healthfully. 52:58 What should be our motivations for living healthfully? 53:02 I have six that I've written down. 53:04 Number one - and this is the motivation of most people - 53:09 good physical health; less medical bills; 53:12 and a more enjoyable life. 53:14 There's nothing wrong with that. 53:16 But that's not the best motivation for obeying the laws 53:19 of health. Second motivation: 53:22 the apostle Paul says that "we are not our own. " 53:25 Our body belongs to God by creation and by redemption. 53:31 So if our body is not our own, 53:33 is it imperative for us to take care of that 53:36 which is not our own? Certainly a good motivation. 53:39 Third motivation: do you know that in Leviticus 11 53:43 after God gives the list of animals that can be eaten 53:45 and animals that cannot be eaten 53:47 He says to Israel: "You shall be holy 53:52 for I am holy. " 53:54 In other words, being holy like God 53:57 has a lot to do with our physical habits. 54:01 After giving this list God said: "Be holy for I am holy. " 54:06 So the desire to be holy as God is holy 54:08 is a good motivation for living in harmony with God's laws 54:12 of health. Number four: Jesus said that 54:16 we're supposed to serve the Lord with all of our might 54:18 our mind and our strength. 54:20 How can we serve God with all of our might 54:24 and all of our mind and all of our strength 54:27 if we're depleting our mind and our strength 54:30 by bad habits? 54:32 Number five: when we practice the laws of health 54:37 we have a clear mind to dis- criminate between good and evil, 54:43 to choose good over evil, 54:47 and to live good instead of evil. 54:51 When our body is affected by bad habits 54:54 our mind is also affected by those bad habits 54:57 and the will of God becomes blurry in our minds. 55:01 Let me ask you: does drinking affect your capacity 55:04 to communicate with God? 55:07 After you have a great big meal 55:11 do you feel like reading a book and doing some serious thinking? 55:16 Of course not because what affects the body 55:19 affects the mind. And so a very important motivation 55:23 for living in harmony with these eight principles 55:27 is to have a clean body with a clear mind 55:31 that can discern, choose, and implement the will of God. 55:38 Finally... this is the greatest motivation of all... 55:41 the apostle Paul says in I Corinthians 10:31 55:55 These are the best motivations for living a healthy lifestyle. 56:02 Now we've studied about the environment. 56:05 We've studied about the eight laws of health. 56:08 We've studied about the battery charger 56:10 in all of these stages. At creation, 56:13 between the fall and the flood, 56:16 between the flood and the days of David, 56:19 today. But what about the future? 56:23 Well, there's a glorious future awaiting us because 56:27 what God did at the beginning He's going to do again. 56:31 And we're going to be there 56:33 if we are obedient to God's principles 56:37 because we love God with all of our hearts. 56:40 Allow me just to summarize what it's going to be like. 56:43 In Revelation 22 and verse 2 we're told that God will make 56:48 a perfect environment again. 56:50 There will be no curse just like at the beginning. 56:53 And God, according to I Corinthians 15, will 56:57 give us a new body. Immortal! 57:00 Incorruptible! And by nature 57:04 we will keep the 8 laws of health that He has created. 57:07 And once again we will have access to the battery charger. 57:12 In other words, to the Tree of Life! 57:15 And we will refurbish our life and live forever and ever 57:20 in the presence of the Lord. |
Revised 2014-12-17