God's Free Health Plan - an interactive study

[Guest guest]

Since we are beginning a new year and people think

about thier diets and losing weight I thought I would

put this on. Some people are doing the Daniel Fast and

this could go along with that kind of thinking.

 

Great medical care is priceless - but wouldn't it be

great if we didn't need doctors anymore? Did you know

there is a proven way to put a lot of doctors out of

work? Take care of your body! Scientists have sounded

the ominous warnings about cholesterol, tobacco,

stress, obesity, and alcohol, so why press your luck?

Hospitals and psychiatric institutions are packed with

people who have ignored the warnings - do you really

want to join them? God truly cares how you treat your

body, and He's given you a free health plan, and a

manual to go by... the Bible! For amazing facts about

how you can have abundant health and longer life, look

over this Study Guide - but be sure to read it all

before jumping to conclusions!

 

1. Are health principles really a part of true Bible

religion?

 

" Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest

prosper and be in health, even as thy soul

prospereth. " 3 John 2.

 

Answer: Yes. In fact, the Bible rates health right

near the top of the list in importance. Man's mind,

spiritual nature, and body are all interrelated and

interdependent. What affects one affects the other. If

our bodies are misused, our minds and spiritual

natures cannot become what God ordained they should.

 

2. Why did God give health rules to His people?

 

" And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes

.... for our good always, that he might preserve us

alive. " Deuteronomy 6:24. " And ye shall serve the Lord

your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water;

and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee. "

Exodus 23:25.

 

Answer: God gave health rules because He knows what is

best for the human body. Automobile manufacturers

place an " operations manual " in the glove compartment

of each new car because they know what is best for

their product. God, who made our bodies, also has an

" operations manual. " It is called the Holy Bible.

Ignoring God's " operations manual " results in disease,

twisted thinking, and burned-out lives, just as

abusing a car (against the manufacturer's counsel)

results in serious car trouble. Following God's rules

results in " saving health " (Psalms 67:2) and more

abundant life (John 10:10). These great health laws

are like a wall or fence to keep out the diseases of

Satan. God tells us what these rules are so we can

avoid the devil's traps.

 

3. Do God's health rules have anything to do with

eating and drinking?

 

" Eat ye that which is good. " Isaiah 55:2. " Whether

therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do

all to the glory of God. " 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Answer: Yes, a Christian will even eat and drink

differently--all to the glory of God--using only " that

which is good. " If God says a thing is not fit to eat,

He must have a good reason. He is not a harsh

dictator, but a loving Father. All His counsel is for

our good always. The Bible promises: " No good thing

will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. "

Psalms 84:11. So if God withholds a thing from us, it

is because it is not good.

 

Note: No person can eat his way into heaven. Eating

even the food of angels will not entitle people to

paradise. Only acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and

Saviour can do that. Ignoring God's health laws,

however, may cause a person to be lost, because it

will ruin his judgment and cause him to sin.

 

4. What did God give people to eat when He created

them and provided a perfect diet?

 

" And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb

bearing seed ... and every tree ... yielding seed. "

" Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat. "

Genesis 1:29; 2:16.

Answer: The diet God gave people in the beginning was

fruit, grains, and nuts. Vegetables were added a bit

later (Genesis 3:18).

 

5. What items are specifically mentioned by God as

being unclean and forbidden?

 

Answer: In Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14, God very

clearly points out the following groups as being

unclean. Read both chapters in full.

 

Pigs are unclean.

 

 

A. All animals which do not have a split hoof and chew

the cud (Deuteronomy 14:6).

 

Shellfish and catfish are unclean.

 

 

 

B. All fish and water creatures that do not have both

fins and scales. Nearly all fish are clean

(Deuteronomy 14:9).

 

Birds of prey are unclean.

 

 

 

C. All birds of prey, carrion eaters, and fish eaters

(Leviticus 11:13-20).

 

The ones which live all or part-time in water and do

not have both fins and scales are unclean.

 

 

D. Most " creeping things " (or invertebrates) are also

unclean (Leviticus 11:21-47).

 

 

Note: These chapters make it clear that most animals,

birds, and water creatures people ordinarily eat are

clean. There are, however, some very notable

exceptions. According to God's rules, the following

animals are unclean and are not to be eaten: hogs,

squirrels, rabbits, catfish, eels, lobsters, clams,

crabs, shrimp, oysters, frogs, and many others.

 

6. But I like pork. Will God destroy me if I eat it?

 

" For, behold, the Lord will come with fire ... and by

his sword will the Lord plead with all flesh: and the

slain of the Lord shall be many. They that sanctify

themselves, and purify themselves ... eating swine's

flesh, and the abomination, and the mouse, shall be

consumed together, saith the Lord. " Isaiah 66:15-17.

Answer: This may be shocking, but it is true and must

be told. The Bible positively states that all who eat

" swine's flesh, " the " mouse, " and other unclean things

that are an " abomination " will be destroyed with fire

at the coming of the Lord. When God says to leave

something alone and not eat it, we should by all means

obey Him. After all, the mere eating of a piece of

forbidden fruit by Adam and Eve, a sinless couple,

brought sin and death to this world in the first

place. Can anyone say it doesn't matter, when God so

clearly shows it does? God says men will be destroyed

because they " chose that in which I delighted not. "

Isaiah 66:4.

 

7. But didn't this law of clean and unclean animals

originate at Sinai? Wasn't it for the Jews only, and

didn't it end at the cross?

 

" And the Lord said unto Noah, ... Of every clean beast

thou shalt take to thee by sevens ... and of beasts

that are not clean by two. " Genesis 7:1, 2.

Answer: No indeed! The Bible has ample evidence that

there were clean and unclean animals from the very

dawn of Creation. Noah lived long before any Jews

existed, but he knew of the clean and unclean, because

he took into the ark the clean animals by " sevens " and

the unclean by " twos. " Revelation 18:2 refers to some

birds as being unclean just before the second coming

of Christ. The death of Christ had no altering effect

whatever on these health laws, since the Bible says

that all who break them will be destroyed when Jesus

returns (Isaiah 66:15-17). The Jew's stomach and

digestive system in no way differs from that of a

Gentile. These health laws are for all people for all

time.

 

8. Does the Bible forbid the use of alcoholic

beverages?

 

" Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and

whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. " Proverbs

20:1. " Look not thou upon the wine when it is red,

when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth

itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent,

and stingeth like an adder. " Proverbs 23:31, 32.

" Neither fornicators ... nor drunkards ... shall

inherit the kingdom of God. " 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10.

Answer: Yes, the Bible clearly forbids the use of

alcoholic beverages.

 

9. Does the Bible condemn the use of tobacco?

 

Answer: Yes, the Bible gives six reasons why the use

of tobacco is displeasing to God:

 

A. The use of tobacco injures health and defiles the

body. " Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and

that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? If any man

defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for

the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. " 1

Corinthians 3:16, 17.

 

The use of tobacco in any form is displeasing to God.

 

B. Nicotine is an addictive substance that enslaves

people. Romans 6:16 says that we become servants to

whomever (or whatever) we yield ourselves. Tobacco

users are servants of nicotine. Jesus says, " Thou

shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt

thou serve. " Matthew 4:10.

 

C. The tobacco habit is unclean. " Come out from among

them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch

not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. " 2

Corinthians 6:17. It is really preposterous to think

of Christ using tobacco in any form, isn't it?

 

D. The use of tobacco wastes money. " Wherefore do ye

spend money for that which is not bread? " Isaiah 55:2.

We are God's stewards of the money given us, and " it

is required in stewards, that a man be found

faithful. " 1 Corinthians 4:2.

 

E. The use of tobacco never draws anyone closer to

Christ. " Abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against

the soul. " 1 Peter 2:11. Tobacco use is a fleshly

lust.

 

F. The use of tobacco shortens life. Recent scientific

findings confirm the fact that the use of tobacco

often shortens the life span by as much as one-third.

This breaks God's command against killing (Exodus

20:13). Even though it is slow murder, it is still

murder. One of the best ways to postpone your funeral

is to quit using tobacco.

 

10. What are some of the simple, yet very important,

health laws found in the Bible?

 

Answer: Here are 11 Bible health rules:

 

Eating meals at regular hours is very important.

 

 

A. Eat your meals at regular intervals, and do not use

animal fat or blood. " Eat in due season. " Ecclesiates

10:17. " It shall be a perpetual statute ... that ye

eat neither fat nor blood. " Leviticus 3:17.

 

Note: Recent scientific studies have confirmed the

fact that most heart attacks result from a high

cholesterol level in the blood--and that the use of

" fats " is largely responsible for this high level. It

looks like the Lord knows what He is talking about

after all, doesn't it?

 

Christ specifically warns His followers not to

overeat.

 

B. Don't overeat. " Put a knife to thy throat, if thou

be a man given to appetite. " Proverbs 23:2. In Luke

21:34, Christ specifically warns against " surfeiting "

(overeating) in the last days. Overeating is

responsible for many degenerative diseases.

 

C. Don't harbor envy or hold grudges. These evils

disrupt body processes. The Bible says that envy

brings " rottenness of the bones. " Proverbs 14:30.

Christ even commands us to clear up grudges that

others may hold against us (Matthew 5:23, 24).

 

A cheerful, happy disposition benefits health.

 

D. Maintain a cheerful, happy disposition. " A merry

heart doeth good like a medicine. " Proverbs 17:22. " As

he thinketh in his heart, so is he. " Proverbs 23:7.

Many diseases from which people suffer are a result of

mental depression. A cheerful, happy disposition

imparts health and prolongs life.

 

Ample sleep is essential to good health.

 

E. Put full trust in the Lord. " The fear of the Lord

tendeth to life: and he that hath it shall abide

satisfied. " Proverbs 19:23. Trust in the Lord

strengthens health and life. " My son, attend to my

words. ... For they are life unto those that find

them, and health to all their flesh. " Proverbs

4:20-22. So health comes from obedience to God's

commands and from putting full trust in Him.

 

F. Balance work and exercise with sleep and rest. " Six

days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the

seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it

thou shalt not do any work. " Exodus 20:9, 10. " The

sleep of a labouring man is sweet. " Ecclesiates 5:12.

" In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. "

Genesis 3:19. " It is vain for you to rise up early, to

sit up late. " Psalms 127:2. " For what hath man of all

his labour, and of the vexation of his heart, wherein

he hath laboured under the sun? ... his heart taketh

not rest in the night. This is also vanity. "

Ecclesiastes 2:22, 23.

 

Cleanliness is crucial for health.

 

G. Keep your body clean. " Be ye clean. " Isaiah 52:11.

 

H. Be temperate in all things. " Every man that

striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. "

1 Corinthians 9:25. " Let your moderation be known unto

all men. " Philippians 4:5. A Christian will completely

avoid all things that are harmful and will be moderate

in the use of things that are good. Habits that injure

health break the command " Thou shalt not kill. " They

kill by degrees. They are suicide on the installment

plan.

 

I. Avoid all harmful stimulants. Here is a surprise

for some. Medical science has confirmed the fact

Caffeine harms the body. That tea, coffee, and soft

drinks that contain the addictive drug caffeine and

other harmful ingredients are all positively damaging

to the human body. None of these contain food value

except through the sugar or cream added, and most of

us already use too much sugar. Stimulants give a

dangerous, artificial boost to the body and are like

trying to carry a ton in a wheelbarrow. The popularity

of these drinks is due not to flavor or advertising,

but to the dose of caffeine they contain. Many

Americans are sickly because of their addiction to

coffee, tea, and caffeinated soft drinks. But the real

tragedy is that men and women seeking peace and

strength are using tea and coffee as cheap substitutes

for prayer and Bible study. This delights the devil

and wrecks human lives.

 

J. Make mealtime a happy time. " Every man should eat

and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is

the gift of God. " Ecclesiastes 3:13. Unhappy scenes at

mealtime hinder digestion. Avoid them.

 

Helping people in need enhances your health.

 

K. Help those who are in need. " Loose the bands of

wickedness, ... undo the heavy burdens, ... deal thy

bread to the hungry, and ... bring the poor that are

cast out to thy house ... when thou seest the naked,

.... cover him ... and thine health shall spring forth

speedily. " Isaiah 58:6-8. This is too plain to

misunderstand: when we help the poor and needy, we

improve our own health.

 

11. What solemn reminder is given to those who

ignore God's rules?

 

" Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a

man soweth, that shall he also reap. " Galatians 6:7.

Answer: The answer is too plain to miss. Those who

break God's rules regarding the care of the body

machine will reap broken bodies and burned-out lives,

just as one who abuses his automobile will have

serious car trouble. And those who continue to break

God's laws of health will ultimately be destroyed by

the Lord (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). God's health laws

are not arbitrary. They are natural, established laws

of the universe, like the law of gravity. Ignoring

these laws always brings certain disastrous results.

The Bible says, " The curse causeless shall not come. "

Proverbs 26:2. Trouble comes when we ignore the laws

of health. God, in mercy, tells us what these laws are

so we may avoid the tragedies that result from

breaking them.

 

12. What fearful, shocking truth about health

involves our children and grandchildren?

 

" Thou shalt not eat it; that it may go well with thee,

and with thy children after thee. " Deuteronomy 12:25.

" I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the

iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the

third and fourth generation of them that hate me. "

Exodus 20:5.

 

Answer: A person may suffer because of his parents'

or grandparents' bad health habits.

God makes it very plain that children and

grandchildren (to the fourth generation) pay for the

folly of parents who ignore God's health rules. The

children and grandchildren inherit weakened, sickly

bodies when mother and father defy God's rules for

their lives. Is this what you want for your dear

children and grandchildren?

 

13. What more fearful, sobering fact does God's Word

reveal?

 

" There shall in no wise enter into it any thing that

defileth. " Revelation 21:27. " But as for them whose

heart walketh after the heart of their detestable

things and their abominations, I will recompense their

way upon their own heads, saith the Lord God. " Ezekiel

11:21.

 

Answer: Nothing defiling or unclean will be permitted

in God's kingdom. All filthy habits defile a person.

Use of improper food defiles a person (Daniel 1:8). It

is sobering, but true. Choosing their " own ways " and

that in which God " delighted not " will cost people

their eternal salvation (Isaiah 66:3, 4, 15-17).

 

14. What should every sincere Christian endeavor to

do at once?

 

" Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the

flesh and spirit. " 2 Corinthians 7:1. " Every man that

hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he

[Christ] is pure. " 1 John 3:3. " If ye love me, keep my

commandments. " John 14:15.

 

Answer: Sincere Christians will bring their lives into

harmony with God's rules at once, because they love

Him. They know that His rules greatly add to their

happiness and protect them from the devil's diseases

(Acts 10:38). God's counsel and rules are always for

our good, just as good parents' rules and counsel are

best for their children. And once we know better, God

holds us accountable. " To him that knoweth to do good,

and doeth it not, to him it is sin. " James 4:17.

 

15. But I'm worried because some of my evil habits

have bound me so tightly. What can I do?

 

" As many as received him, to them gave he power to

become the sons of God. " John 1:12. " I can do all

things through Christ which strengtheneth me. "

Philippians 4:13.

 

Answer: Take all of these habits to Christ and lay

them at His feet. He will joyfully give you a new

heart and the power you need to break any evil habit

and become a son or daughter of God (Ezekiel 11:18,

19). How thrilling and heartwarming it is to know that

" with God all things are possible. " Mark 10:27. And

Jesus says, " Him that cometh to me I will in no wise

cast out. " John 6:37. Jesus is ready to break the

shackles that bind us. He longs to set us free, and

will, if only we will permit it. Our worries, evil

habits, nervous tensions, and fears will be gone when

we do His bidding. He says, " These things have I

spoken unto you ... that your joy might be full. " John

15:11. The devil argues that freedom is found in

disobedience, but this is a falsehood (John 8:44).

 

16. What thrilling promises are given about God's

new kingdom?

 

" And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick. " Isaiah

33:24. " And there shall be no more death, neither

sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more

pain. " Revelation 21:4. " They shall mount up with

wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and

they shall walk, and not faint. " Isaiah 40:31.

 

Answer: The citizens of God's new kingdom will obey

His health laws, and there will be no sickness or

disease. They will be blessed with eternal vigor and

youth and will live with God in supreme joy and

happiness throughout all eternity.

 

17. Since healthful living truly is a part of Bible

religion, it is my plan to follow God's health rules.

 

 

 

 

Thought Questions

1. 1 Timothy 4:4 says, " Every creature of God is

good, and nothing to be refused. " Can you explain

this? (1 Timothy 4:4 )

 

This Scripture passage (verse 3) refers to meats

" which God hath created to be received with

thanksgiving " by His people. These meats, as we have

already discovered, are the clean meats listed in

Leviticus chapter 11 and Deuteronomy chapter 14. Verse

4 makes it clear that all creatures of God are good

and not to be refused, provided they are among those

created to " be received with thanksgiving " (the clean

animals). Verse 5 tells why these animals (or foods)

are acceptable: they are " sanctified " by God's Word,

which says they are clean, and by a " prayer " of

blessing, which is offered before the meal. Please

note, however, that God will destroy people who try to

" sanctify themselves " while eating unclean foods

(Isaiah 66:17).

 

2. Matthew 15:11 says, " Not that which goeth into

the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out. "

How do you explain this? (Matthew 15:11 )

 

The subject in Matthew 15:1-20 is eating without first

washing the hands (verse 2). The focus is not eating,

but washing. The scribes taught that eating any food

without a special ceremonial washing defiled the

eater. Jesus said the ceremonial washings were

meaningless. In verse 19, He listed certain

evils--murders, adulteries, thefts, etc. Then He

concluded, " These are the things which defile a man:

but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. "

Verse 20.

 

3. But didn't Jesus cleanse all animals in Peter's

vision, as recorded in Acts 10? (Acts 10:13 )

 

No! In fact, the subject of this vision is not

animals, but people. God gave Peter this vision to

show him that the Gentiles were not unclean, as the

Jews believed. God had instructed Cornelius, a

Gentile, to send men to visit Peter. But Peter would

have refused to see them if God had not given him this

vision, because Jewish law forbade entertaining

Gentiles (verse 28). But when the men finally did

arrive, Peter welcomed them, explaining that

ordinarily he would not have done so, but " God hath

shewed me that I should not call any man common or

unclean. " Verse 28. In the next chapter (Acts 11), the

church members criticized Peter for speaking with

these Gentiles. So Peter told them the whole story of

his vision and its meaning. And Acts 11:18 says, " When

they heard these things, they held their peace, and

glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the

Gentiles granted repentance unto life. "

 

4. What did God make the hog for, if not to eat?

(Isaiah 66:17 )

 

He made it for the same purpose that He made the

buzzard--as a scavenger to clean up garbage. And the

hog serves this purpose admirably.

 

5. Romans 14:3, 14, 20 says: " Let not him which

eateth not judge him that eateth. " " There is nothing

unclean of itself. " " All things indeed are pure. " Can

you explain this? (Romans 14:3 )

 

Verses 3 through 6 are a discussion of those who eat

certain things versus those who do not. The passage

does not say either is right, but rather counsels that

neither pass judgment on the other. Instead, let God

be the Judge (verses 4,10-12). Verses 14 and 20 refer

to foods that were first offered to idols (and were

thus ceremonially unclean)--not to the clean and

unclean meats of Leviticus chapter 11. (Read 1

Corinthians 8:1, 4, 10, 13). The point of the

discussion is that no food is " unclean " or " impure "

just because it has first been offered to idols,

because an idol is " nothing in the world. " 1

Corinthians 8:4. But if a person's conscience bothers

him for eating such food, he should leave it alone. Or

even if it merely offends a brother, he should

likewise abstain.

 

6. Are health laws and eating and drinking really

important to me personally? If I love the Lord, isn't

that enough? (Romans 12:1 )

 

They are a matter of life versus death, because these

laws involve obedience. " He became the author of

eternal salvation unto all them that obey him. "

Hebrews 5:9. " Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,

Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he

that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. "

Matthew 7:21. Love to Christ is involved here because

He says, " If ye love me, keep my commandments. " John

14:15. When we truly love the Lord, we will gladly

obey Him without dodging or making excuses. This is

the supreme test.

 

 

 

Quiz Questions

 

1. Following God's health rules for the human body

(1 answer)

___ Is necessary for children, but not of great

importance to an adult.

___ Is a very important part of true Bible religion.

 

___ Has nothing to do with a person's religion.

 

2. God's health laws were given (1 answer)

___ By a loving God who made us in the beginning and

knows what is best for our happiness.

___ For the Jews only and do not apply today.

___ To show us He is boss and can control us.

 

3. A true Christian will (1 answer)

___ Eat and drink anything he desires.

___ Just love the Lord supremely and ignore His

health laws because they were done away with at the

cross.

___ Eat and drink only those things which will

strengthen the body, mind, and character and bring

honor to God.

 

4. Man's first diet (1 answer)

___ Consisted of fruit, grains, and nuts.

___ Included alcoholic beverages and flesh foods.

___ Consisted of anything and everything that Adam

and Eve wanted.

 

5. God lists these creatures as unclean: (7 answers)

___ Cow.

___ Pig.

___ Chicken.

___ Squirrel.

___ Rabbit.

___ Catfish.

___ Deer.

___ Trout.

___ Clam.

 

6. Alcoholic beverages are (1 answer)

___ All right for a Christian if used in moderation.

 

___ Wrong for a person to use only if he thinks they

are wrong.

___ Not to be used by a Christian.

 

7. The use of tobacco is (1 answer)

___ Each person's private business and has no

relationship whatever to his religion.

___ Sinful, and a Christian will not use it in any

form.

___ Beneficial to the Christian.

 

8. Check the health laws listed below which are

God's health laws: (9 answers)

___ Don't overeat.

___ Smoke after each meal.

___ Be happy and cheerful.

___ Drink some liquor before meals.

___ Keep your body clean.

___ Eat lots of pork.

___ Drink plenty of coffee and tea.

___ Be temperate in all things.

___ Eat meals at regular intervals.

 

9. A very important truth regarding God's health

laws is that (1 answer)

___ Children and grandchildren often have weak

bodies and minds because parents ignore God's health

laws.

___ These laws were for the Jews only and do not

apply today.

___ If we really love Christ, His health laws are

unimportant.

 

10. The best way to overcome sinful habits is to (1

answer)

___ 'Taper off.'

___ Yield fully to Christ, who gives us power to do

all things.

___ Hope they will go away.

 

11. God's health laws are (1 answer)

___ Like the rules for operating a car: They are

best for us, and we run into serious trouble when we

ignore them.

___ Part of Moses' law that was done away at the

cross.

___ A good idea, but do not affect a person's

relation to God.

 

12. A sincere Christian will (1 answer)

___ Spend more time praying and ignore God's health

rules.

___ Immediately change any habit when he finds it

conflicts with God's rules, because when we love

Christ, we will gladly keep His rules and

commandments.

___ Feel free to use tobacco