Participants: Pastor Charles Byrd
Series Code: IST
Program Code: IST000010
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00:01 Hello, I'm Karen Byrd.
00:03 Would you put water in your gas tank? 00:06 No of course you wouldn't. 00:09 Why not? 00:10 Now you might think it's silly to even ask why 00:12 but before you tune out 00:14 please note that people are doing far worse than this 00:17 everyday, to machines that are much more valuable 00:20 than the most impressive luxury car. 00:23 In fact, you might be one of those people. 00:25 What machine am I talking about? 00:28 The human body. 00:30 And what an amazing body it is! 00:32 According to Joan Fleitas, 00:34 Associate Professor of nursing at Fairfield University, 00:37 if you blink one eye you move over 200 muscles. 00:42 Your stomach makes a new layer of mucus every 2 weeks. 00:46 Otherwise, it would digest itself. 00:48 And your brain weighs about three pounds, 00:51 but over two pounds of that is water. 00:54 According to Dr. Ben Walter, 00:56 the central nervous system 00:57 is connected to every part of the body by 43 pairs of nerves. 01:02 There are nearly 45 miles of nerves 01:05 running through your body. 01:07 And messages travel along the nerves as electrical impulses 01:10 at speeds up to 248 miles per hour. 01:15 So would you? 01:16 Would you pour water in the gas tank of your car? 01:20 That would be ridiculous, crazy. 01:22 But what about that priceless machine called the human body? 01:26 It can only take so much punishment. 01:29 Scientists have been sounding ominous warnings 01:31 about cholesterol levels, the use of tobacco, 01:33 nervous tension, obesity, etc. 01:36 Why press your luck? 01:39 Hospitals and mental institutions 01:40 are well attended with people who have ignored 01:42 the rules of the human body. 01:45 Why insist upon joining them? 01:47 Somebody cares how you treat your body machine 01:50 Somebody bigger than you and I. 01:52 Someone who is the master mind behind its creation. 01:55 So perhaps we'd better listen. 01:58 More may be involved here than we have dared to imagine. 02:01 Come on; 02:02 let's join Charles as we go in Search of the Truth 02:06 about our body temple. 02:47 The human body, quite the machine indeed. 02:50 Here are a few more facts about the human body. 02:53 The rush of air produced by a cough 02:55 moves at a speed approaching 60 miles per hour. 02:58 No wonder they say coughing spreads germs. 03:02 The human heart creates enough pressure when it pumps 03:04 to squirt blood 30 feet! 03:07 Well, some people's heart could squirt blood that far. 03:10 But not everyone's. 03:12 That's because many of us are daily doing the equivalent 03:15 of pouring water in the gas tanks of our automobiles. 03:18 We are mistreating our bodies and that with dire results. 03:24 According to Dr. Mike Magee, 03:26 "The cost of health care in the United States 03:29 has increased some 102% over the past two decades. 03:33 During this same period of time 03:35 the nation has begun to face an epidemic of obesity, 03:38 which has contributed to a significant increase 03:41 in the incidence-and, in turn, the deaths- 03:43 from diseases like diabetes." 03:46 Many people are unaware 03:48 of the number one threat to their health. 03:50 Dr. Hans Diehl says that Americans 03:52 are daily committing suicide 03:54 in slow motion with the fork. 03:58 In my search for the truth 04:00 I was amazed to find that the God of this book, 04:02 the one who declares Himself to be your Creator, 04:06 has a lot to say about your body, and your health. 04:09 And one other thing I've discovered, 04:11 everything He tells us in this book 04:13 and through the Spirit of Prophecy 04:16 is for our happiness and our good. 04:18 I can hear someone asking right now, 04:20 "Are health principles really a part of true Bible religion?" 04:25 Well, John, the last disciple of Jesus to live, 04:28 and the one who, guided by the Spirit of Prophecy, 04:31 wrote the apocalyptic book of Revelation also wrote this: 04:36 "Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper 04:40 and be in health, 04:41 even as thy soul prospereth." 04:45 Here God's beloved disciple rates the importance 04:48 of our health concurrently with the prospering of our souls. 04:52 Man's mind, spiritual nature, 04:54 and body are all interrelated and interdependent. 04:58 What affects one affects the other. 05:01 If we abuse our bodies, 05:03 then our minds and spiritual natures cannot become 05:06 what God ordained they should. 05:08 To keep our bodies, our minds, and our spirits in good health 05:12 God himself prescribed the diet 05:14 that our first parents were to eat. 05:16 And God said, 05:17 "See, I have given you every herb that yields seed 05:21 which is on the face of all the earth, 05:22 and every tree whose fruit yields seed; 05:25 to you it shall be for food." 05:28 Here, in simple terms, 05:30 God lays out the diet that will be of most benefit 05:33 for perfect people in a perfect world. 05:36 God's original diet was fruits, grains, and nuts. 05:40 Notice that God's ideal plan for mankind 05:43 was a vegetarian diet. 05:45 If man was given a vegetarian diet as the ideal plan 05:49 when did people start eating flesh food? 05:52 The book of Genesis tells us 05:53 that God allowed the eating of meat after the flood. 05:58 For 1,600 years following creation 06:00 the life expectancy of the antediluvians, 06:03 the people who lived before the flood, was around 912 years. 06:08 Adam lived to be 930. 06:11 His son Seth lived to be 912. 06:14 And Jared lived to be 962 and he didn't even eat at Subway! 06:19 And Noah, he lived to be 950. 06:24 But notice something startling happens 06:26 as soon as a flesh diet is introduced. 06:28 In the first generation of meat eating 06:31 the life expectancy drops to 600 years. 06:35 The next three generations drop to the 400's. 06:38 The next four or so generations 06:40 the average age drops to the low 200's. 06:44 And just 10 generations after the flood, 06:47 Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, 06:49 doesn't even make the 200 mark. 06:53 If meat eating is so detrimental why did God approve it? 06:57 Well, I'm sure my mind cannot fathom all the reasons of God 07:00 but there are two that appear to be clear. 07:04 The first is the need for food. 07:06 After the worldwide flood 07:08 all the earth was in a state of chaos. 07:10 There were no grocery stores for Noah to stop at. 07:13 Crops would need to be planted and waited on to grow. 07:17 Creation scientists believe that following the flood 07:20 there was a great amount of volcanic activity 07:22 and a much cooler temperature causing the ice age. 07:26 Survival itself 07:28 would have made the eating of flesh food less of an option 07:31 and more of a necessity. 07:33 Secondly, perhaps God wanted to deliberately shorten 07:36 the life span of humanity 07:38 to give them a reasonable amount of time to make their decision 07:41 of where they wanted to spend eternity 07:44 and yet to place a limit on the amount of damage 07:47 a wicked person could do. 07:49 Just imagine Adolph Hitler, Pol Pot, Mao Tse-tung, 07:52 or Saddam Hussein living to be 900 years old. 07:57 Now even though God allowed man to eat meat, 08:00 in His love and mercy 08:01 He still placed certain restrictions upon their diet. 08:04 Even though their lives would be shorter, 08:07 He still wanted their earthly sojourn to be filled 08:10 with good health and a certain quality of living. 08:13 Now I would like to use the word "guidelines" for this counsel 08:17 in the same way we use lines on the freeway. 08:20 When we're doing 70 miles per hour down the road 08:23 it is to our advantage to stay within the lines. 08:27 But the word "guidelines" may not be strong enough 08:30 because these are more than just good ideas. 08:33 This is the Law. 08:35 This is the God of creation setting up a clear line 08:39 dividing between happiness and misery, 08:41 dividing between right and wrong, 08:44 dividing between saved and lost. 08:47 If His children stay on the right side of the line 08:50 they will be blessed abundantly. 08:53 If they cross the line it will be to their loss and 08:59 destruction. OK, Here is a little noticed and mostly 09:02 ignored guideline that may take many of us by surprise. 09:05 When Noah got off the boat 09:06 and was told he could eat meat to sustain life, 09:09 God said, 09:10 "you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood." 09:15 This same law is written clearly in the book of Leviticus. 09:19 "No one among you shall eat blood, 09:22 nor shall any stranger who sojourns among you eat blood." 09:26 If you're tempted to think 09:28 that this injunction was just for Old Testament folks, 09:31 check out Acts 15: 20 & 29 09:34 where instructions are being given 09:37 to new believers in Jesus. 09:39 "...we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, 09:42 from sexual immorality, 09:45 from things strangled, and from blood... 09:49 If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well." 09:52 God's law carefully followed includes properly slaughtering, 09:56 draining, cleaning, and cooking the meat 10:00 so that all the blood is removed. 10:03 Sometimes we can't discern immediately 10:06 the benefit from obedience to God's commands 10:08 but when we look at a control group 10:10 that has followed the Biblical counsel 10:13 a powerful truth emerges. 10:15 Obedience feels better. 10:18 For 40 years the children of Israel 10:20 wandered in the deserts of Sinai. 10:22 During that time they were meat eaters 10:24 and did prepare their meat according to God's law. 10:28 What was the result? 10:29 They were all healthy. 10:31 According to Deuteronomy 7, 8 and 28 10:34 they had none of the diseases 10:35 that they had experienced in Egypt 10:37 and in all their wanderings even their feet were never swollen. 10:42 The next guideline God gave 10:44 is most clearly stated in the book of Leviticus. 10:47 "Ye shall therefore put 10:50 difference between clean beasts and unclean, 10:53 and between unclean fowls and clean." 10:56 God says there is a difference between certain animals. 11:00 Some are "clean" or are fit to eat 11:02 while some are "unclean" or unfit for human consumption. 11:06 You may be surprised to learn 11:08 that this guideline was made nearly 1 thousand years 11:11 before there ever was a Jewish Nation. 11:14 OK, here is your quiz question for the day. 11:16 When Noah took the animals into the ark 11:18 how did the animals go in? By twos or by sevens? 11:22 Oh, Oh, I know, by twos. Ah! By sevens? 11:27 By twos and sevens. 11:29 Then the LORD said to Noah, 11:31 "Come into the ark, you and all your household... 11:34 and take with you seven each of every clean animal, 11:37 a male and his female; 11:40 two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female." 11:45 Genesis 7:1-2 11:48 You see, before there ever was a Jew or Levitical law 11:51 there was a God who understood the human body 11:55 and cared about the health and well being of His dear children. 11:59 So He gave them rules that would make their lives better, 12:02 safer, healthier. 12:04 So how can you know which animals are clean, 12:07 or fit for food? 12:09 The Bible is clear on this. 12:11 "These are the beasts which ye shall eat... 12:14 every beast that parteth the hoof. 12:17 ...and cheweth the cud..., that ye shall eat." 12:20 You simply look for two criteria, split hoof and chews 12:25 the cud. What about a cow? 12:27 Yes, it has a split hoof and it chews the cud. 12:30 So it would be a "clean" animal, an animal fit for food. 12:33 So also would be the goat, the deer, the caribou etc. 12:37 OK, what about the camel? It chews its cud. 12:41 Yes, but it does not have a split hoof, it has toes. 12:46 A pig has a split hoof! 12:47 Yes, but it does not chew its cud. 12:50 So the camel and the pig are "unclean", 12:52 or unfit for human consumption. 12:55 God also gives us clean and unclean guidelines in fish. 13:00 "These ye shall eat of all that are in the waters: 13:04 all that have fins and scales." 13:07 Again a simple two step criteria. 13:10 Fins and Scales. 13:13 Bass have fins and scales. 13:15 Clean. 13:16 Trout have fins and scales. 13:18 Also clean. 13:19 What about catfish? 13:21 Fins, but no scales, unclean. 13:25 What about lobster? 13:27 Scales, sort of, but no fins. 13:31 Shrimp? 13:32 The same, no fins, unclean. 13:35 If you feel like the Word of God is interfering 13:38 with your desires in the area of diet, 13:40 just remember what God desires for you. 13:44 "You are the children of the LORD your God;... 13:47 you are a holy people... 13:49 and the LORD has chosen you to be a people for Himself, 13:53 a special treasure... 13:55 You shall not eat any detestable thing." 13:59 If you are tempted to think that what you eat doesn't matter, 14:02 take another look at the story of Adam and Eve 14:05 in the first three chapters of Genesis. 14:08 The reason we are in this mess today is because they disobeyed 14:11 and ATE from the forbidden tree. 14:14 What we eat is important for several reasons. 14:16 First, and most obviously, what we eat impacts our health 14:20 and we all know how important our health is, 14:23 at least we do once it's gone. 14:25 Second, our diet gives us the opportunity to be tested, 14:29 to see if we love God more than we love self. 14:33 In the book of Daniel is the story about 4 young men 14:36 who chose not to make their belly their god. 14:39 Daniel and his three friends were being groomed 14:42 for royal service 14:43 in the Babylonian court of King Nebuchadnezzar. 14:47 To help these captives forget their God 14:49 and transfer their allegiance to the King 14:51 and his gods he changed their names, 14:53 gave them nice accommodations 14:55 and even fed them from His own table. 14:59 That table, though, 15:00 was laden with rich concentrations of sweetness, 15:03 fat, wine, and unclean and un-kosher meats. 15:07 This created a problem for Daniel and his companions. 15:10 These young men had had parents 15:12 who cared about obedience even in the area of diet. 15:16 They had chosen a home life of simple food 15:18 much like the original diet God had given Adam and Eve 15:22 in their paradise home. 15:24 In the King James Version of the Bible 15:26 this simple diet is translated "pulse." 15:29 That word in the original Hebrew means something sown, 15:32 like grains, vegetables 15:34 and would also include fruits and nuts. 15:37 "Daniel purposed in his heart 15:39 that he would not defile himself 15:41 with the portion of the king's meat, 15:43 nor with the wine which he drank: 15:46 therefore he requested of [Ashpenaz] 15:49 the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. 15:53 Now God had brought Daniel into favor 15:55 and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs." 15:58 But even tender love was not enough 16:00 to overcome Ashpenaz's fears. 16:03 The King himself had dictated the diet 16:05 these young men should have 16:07 and Ashpenaz was afraid 16:09 that if Daniel and his friends lost weight 16:11 and looked pale he would loose his head. 16:15 Ashpenaz had given the 4 Hebrews their own caretaker, though, 16:19 named Melzar so Daniel went to Melzar with this proposal. 16:24 "Please test your servants for ten days: 16:27 Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. 16:31 Then compare our appearance 16:33 with the other young men who eat the royal food, 16:36 and treat your servants in accordance with what you see." 16:40 Daniel knew that good health follows simple laws. 16:44 This was also a way to put God to the test, 16:46 to see if he would indeed bless strict obedience. 16:51 Melzar agreed to Daniel's ten-day test 16:54 and during that time gave them only "pulse" to eat. 16:58 "At the end of the ten days they looked healthier 17:00 and better nourished 17:02 than any of the young men who ate the royal food. 17:05 So [Melzar] took away their choice food 17:07 and the wine that they were to drink 17:10 and gave them vegetables [or pulse] instead." 17:13 This simple choice to be fully obedient to God's guidelines 17:18 created an avalanche of blessings. 17:21 "God gave them knowledge 17:22 and skill in all literature and wisdom; 17:24 and...understanding in all visions and dreams." 17:27 This ability they applied to their Babylonian education 17:31 with startling results! 17:33 At exam time the King himself was the chief examiner 17:37 "And in all matters of wisdom 17:39 and understanding about which the king examined them, 17:42 he found them ten times better 17:44 than all the magicians and astrologers 17:46 who were in all his realm." 17:49 We need to learn to reason from cause to effect. 17:52 We need to learn that every time we are strictly obedient 17:55 to God's guidelines on health we are blessed with more wisdom, 17:59 better health and God's presence. 18:02 Blessings on the one hand 18:04 are in contrast to curses on the other. 18:07 I can hear some saying, 18:09 "But I like my pork. 18:10 Will God curse me just because I eat unclean meat 18:13 like pork chops or a piece of bacon for breakfast?" 18:17 On this I dare not give my opinion 18:21 but a plain thus saith the Lord. 18:24 Isaiah 66 prophesies about the end of time 18:27 and describes the activities 18:29 that will be lost in the final judgment. 18:34 "For by fire and by His sword the LORD will judge all flesh; 18:38 ...Those who [eat] swine's flesh 18:41 and the abomination and the mouse, 18:43 shall be consumed together," says the LORD." 18:46 This may be shocking, but it is true and must be told. 18:50 The Bible positively states that all who eat "swine's flesh, 18:54 the "mouse," and other unclean things that are an "abomination" 18:58 will be destroyed with fire at the coming of the Lord. 19:02 And why? 19:03 Because Jesus has no plans of setting up hospitals in heaven. 19:07 Because God is not going to have any cancer operations in heaven. 19:10 Because God is not planning any funerals in heaven. 19:15 The only way to avoid sickness, funerals, 19:18 and curses is for us to believe and obey His laws on health, 19:23 to follow carefully His guidelines. 19:27 "Listen diligently to Me, and eat what is good," 19:30 God calls to us through the prophet Isaiah. 19:33 "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, 19:37 do all to the glory of God." 19:39 Paul reminds the New Testament gentiles. 19:42 Would you like to know one of the most profound reasons 19:46 God makes such a big deal about our health? 19:49 Because "...you are the temple of the living God. 19:52 As God has said: "I will dwell in them and walk among them. 19:56 I will be their God, and they shall be My people." 20:01 God is not some absentee landlord of planet earth. 20:05 He wants to live right inside of each of us 20:07 through the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. 20:10 Some people have no respect for this creator God 20:13 who delights in intimate personal relationships. 20:17 They take their body temples 20:19 and they fill them with unclean meat, 20:21 with alcohol and tobacco, all of which the Bible condemns. 20:25 Listen to this warning, 20:28 "If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. 20:33 For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are." 20:38 This is why we should follow all the guidelines 20:41 given to us through the Spirit of Prophecy, 20:44 whether in scripture or through prophets. 20:47 Without going into details, here are 11 of those guidelines. 20:52 A. Eat your meals at regular intervals, 20:54 and do not use animal fat or blood in your diet. 20:58 B. Don't overeat. 21:00 C. Don't harbor envy or hold grudges. 21:03 D. Maintain a cheerful, happy disposition. 21:07 E. Put full trust in the Lord. 21:10 F. Balance work and exercise with sleep and rest. 21:14 G. Keep your body clean. 21:16 H. Be temperate in all things. 21:19 I. Avoid all harmful stimulants. 21:22 J. Make mealtime a happy time. 21:25 K. Help those who are in need. 21:28 According to Paul Harvey news, 21:30 there is a group of people 21:31 who seriously regard these guidelines to good health. 21:35 The Seventh-day Adventists. 21:37 Ellen White, one of the founders of the church, 21:40 wrote books on health that many understand to be inspired. 21:45 Many things in those books were scientifically advanced 21:48 and not provable in her day. 21:50 In fact science is still playing catch-up. 21:53 Now the State of California, 21:54 the United States Public Health Service, 21:57 the Seventh-day Adventist Church, 21:58 along with the Loma Linda Hospital 22:00 did a five-year analytical study 22:02 on the Adventists living in California 22:04 to see if living by good health principles 22:07 makes any difference at all. 22:09 They "interviewed" all the dead ones 22:11 by going over their death certificates 22:13 and what they discovered may surprise you. 22:16 Quoting now from Paul Harvey, 22:19 "The benefits of Ellen White's teachings are now measurable. 22:23 ... 98.8 per cent of all the death-certificates 22:26 were traceable. 22:28 Judging from these records, 22:29 Seventh-day Adventists have a life expectancy 22:31 five to six years greater than other Californians. 22:35 70 per cent fewer Adventists die from all types of cancer, 22:39 68 per cent fewer from respiratory diseases, 22:43 88 per cent fewer from TB 22:46 and 85 per cent fewer from pulmonary emphysema. 22:49 Among all Adventists there had been only nine cases 22:52 of cancer of the lung 22:54 and further research revealed, 22:55 each of these had at some time been a smoker. 22:59 Adventists have 46 per cent less strokes, 23:02 60 per cent less heart disease. 23:05 About 50 per cent of Adventists are vegetarians." 23:09 Perhaps a by-product of the Adventist abstinence from 23:12 alcohol is the finding that they have only about one-third 23:15 or 35 percent as many accidents. 23:19 It has tended to reaffirm the faith of the faithful to 23:23 discover that the most advanced scientific findings 23:25 support what was written and taught 23:27 by this amazing little lady, Ellen White, 23:31 more than a hundred and thirty five years ago." 23:34 So what about you and your body temple? 23:37 You have the freedom of choice, 23:39 but remember you cannot avoid 23:41 the consequences of your choices. 23:43 Like Adam and Eve we can choose the forbidden thing, 23:47 which results in death. 23:48 Or Like Daniel we can resolve to follow God 23:50 and be ten-times blessed. 23:54 Ten-times blessed. 23:56 This is the reason "...the LORD commanded us 23:59 to do all these statutes, 24:01 ... for our good always, that he might preserve us alive..." 24:06 I like that. 24:07 Alive and in good health. 24:09 Many of us are learning that we've been lied to. 24:13 Take Jim for example. 24:14 This is his 1951 Pontiac with 60,000 original miles. 24:21 And this used to be his favorite beverage. 24:24 But he has learned that it is not good for his body, 24:27 but it works wonderful for cleaning his battery terminal. 24:31 This product will also take the rust off the bumper 24:34 of his antique car. 24:36 Drop a nail in a cup of Coke syrup 24:38 and this caustic agent will dissolve the nail 24:41 completely away. 24:47 The advertisements encourage us to drink this stuff 24:50 but when we reflect on what this product does to our insides, 24:54 it is just as foolish as taking our car to the gas station 24:58 and instead of pumping the tank full of petrol 25:02 we fill the tank with water instead. 25:05 To learn more about the abundant, 25:07 healthy and happy life in store for you 25:10 I'm sure you'll want your own free study guide. 25:13 It will explain to you, from the Bible, 25:15 the good health principles that the God of creation 25:18 has clearly spelled out for us 25:20 to achieve a long and vibrant life. 25:23 Now, here is the information you'll need 25:25 to request your free guide... 26:06 Charles and I recently stood together 26:08 on the Summit of Mt. Sinai 26:10 watching the sunrise over those desert mountain peaks. 26:14 In our next program we'll be heading up Mt Sinai 26:17 and looking into the Bible 26:18 to find the answer to this question. 26:21 Is God's law still valid for our lives today? 26:25 Are the Ten Commandments still written in stone 26:27 or did God in fact write them in the sand? 26:31 Join us again as we go in search of the truth. |
Revised 2014-12-17