The Bible Supports Foods from Both Plant & Animal Kingdoms
Part 4 of 6 parts
Dear Christians,
I am writing to you highlighting the weakness of most arguments that Biblical nutrition begins and ends with Genesis 1:29 and that the Bible advocates a 100% raw, vegan diet.
1. Manny people quote 1 Timothy 4:3 to explain that in the KJV, "meat" does not always refer to animal flesh. But you deliberately left out vs. 4-5 which states, in the same KJV that you use, "For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer."
Notice what the Scripture says. Every creature of God is good, i.e. cows, sheep, goats, deer, chicken, quail, fishes with scales and fins, etc, and nothing is to be refused as food, if it is approved by the Word of God. Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14 are detailed instructions God gave to Moses to teach the Israelites on how to choose between what may be eaten and what may not be eaten.
2. Some preachers teach that during OT times, animals were slaughtered primarily for the purpose of religious sacrifices which were a foreshadow of the ultimate and final sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of man. They are only stating the partial truth.
Firstly, the flesh of the animals that were sacrificed were to serve as food for the priests and those who offered the sacrifices. In fact, priests were offered the choicest parts of the animals as food. Priests must have eaten more meat than the common folk. Yet, they are supposed to be the healthiest people in the nation for if they had any physical defect or uncleanness, they were disqualified from serving before God. You can read all about these in Leviticus and Numbers.
I quote from Deuteronomy 12:5-12 that sums up God's position on the consumption of meat, both as part of religious ceremonies and as a part of normal meals:
"But you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.
"There you shall take your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, your vowed offerings, your freewill offerings, and the firstborn of your herds and flocks.
"And there you shall eat before the Lord your God, and you shall rejoice in all to which you have put your hand, you and your households, in which the Lord your God has blessed you.
"You shall not at all do as we are doing here today-every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes-for as yet you have not come to the rest and the inheritance which the Lord your God is giving you.
"But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety,
"then there will be the place where the Lord your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the Lord.
"And you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your sons and your daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levite who is within your gates, since he has no portion nor inheritance with you.
"Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;
"but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.
"However, you may slaughter and eat meat within all your gates, whatever your heart desires, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you; the unclean and the clean may eat of it, of the gazelle and the deer alike.
"Only you shall not eat the blood; you shall pour it on the earth like water. "You may not eat within your gates the tithe of your grain or your new wine or your oil, of the firstborn of your herd or your flock, of any of your offerings which you vow, of your freewill offerings, or of the heave offering of your hand.
"But you must eat them before the Lord your God in the place which the Lord your God chooses, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant, and the Levite who is within your gates; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God in all to which you put your hands.
"Take heed to yourself that you do not forsake the Levite as long as you live in your land."
Notice that as far as the sacrifices and tithes are concerned, the Israelites are required to eat the flesh of the animals in the presence of the LORD at the place appointed by Him. It is a command. As for other occasions, God freely allows man to eat meat whenever and whatever their heart desires.
3. You also teach that in NT times, there is no longer any need for animal sacrifices, hence we should not be eating meat. This same Jesus, who offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice for sins, ate fish after His resurrection and invited His disciples to join Him in His breakfast of broiled fish and bread! Furthermore, the apostle Paul in Romans 14 deals at length with the issue of eating meats offered to idols.
In his treatise, he does not condemn or discourage the eating of meat at all. Rather he states categorically in v. 14 that, "I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean." From this passage, we can gather that Paul himself ate meat, being stronger in faith but he taught that abstinence from meat is sometimes better for the sake of the conscience of the weaker brother. This is so as not to cause the brother to stumble, since he is weaker in faith and feels that he should not eat meat that has been offered to idols. Paul deals with this issue again 1 Corinthians 8. Nowhere in the NT does the Bible prohibit the eating of animal flesh/food.
You should also refer to my earlier letters [click here for letter 1 and click here for letter two] which highlighted passages in the OT that state that during the Millenium, animal sacrifices will be reinstated in the Jerusalem Temple, fishing will continue and meat will still be eaten.
4. The word "raw" does not even appear in Genesis 1:29 or Daniel 1:12. So how can you be so sure that the Bible was referring unequivocally to raw fruits and vegetables in both instances?
5. Did you know that God fed the Israelites with manna every morning and quail every evening during their wilderness wanderings? You can read it in Exodus 16. If meat is so toxic, why would God do such a thing? Even without quail, the Israelites had plenty of dairy products and eggs to consume because they left Egypt with plenty of livestock (Exodus 12:38). The Israelites were also instructed to cook the manna. With this diet, Moses lived to a ripe old age of 120, still in excellent health on the day he died. Vegetables and fruits were hard to come by in the wilderness, more so if you have to move from place to place. God even gave instructions to the Israelites regarding their gathering of birds' eggs (Deuteronomy 22:6).
6. God sent a raven to feed Elijah with bread and meat in the morning and in the evening for a period of time during the drought until the brook Cherith dried up? You can read the account in 1 Kings 17:1-7. This same Elijah was fed with bread cake baked on hot stones which strengthened him for a forty day/night journey to Horeb, the mountain of God.
7. Proponents of vegetarianism/veganism often cite the example of Daniel. However, they may not be aware that Daniel did not maintain a strict vegetarian diet for the rest of his life. The evidence is in Daniel 10:2-3, which records an event that took place many years after his training as a youth in King Nebuchadnezzar's palace, "In those days, I Daniel, had been mourning for three entire weeks. I did not eat any tasty food, nor did meat or wine enter my mouth, nor did I use any ointment at all until the entire three weeks were completed."
You see, the best way to interpret Daniel Ch. 1 is that the young men were presented with the king's delicacies which must have included unclean flesh of animals that were forbidden for the Jews to eat, meats that were not prepared in the manner that the Torah prescribed (e.g. draining out the blood, removing the cover fat) and meats that were offered to Babylonian idols.
Their godly wisdom taught them that consuming such food would defile their body, mind and spirit. God honored their commitment and blessed their bodies and minds. The diet of vegetables (we don't know for sure if it was all cooked, all raw or partly cooked, partly raw) was certainly more nutritious than the king's delicacies.
In the Middle East, seeds, grain, beans and lentils are a very common part of the people's diet. It would not be unreasonable to assume that part of the vegetables ("pulses" in the KJV) the youths ate included seeds, grains, beans and lentils. After Daniel completed his training and began to serve in the king's court, he could choose the clean meats and have them prepared in the Torah-prescribed way. So there was no need for him to continue with his vegetarian diet, as confirmed by Daniel 10:2-3.
8. It is still possible to buy meats from free-range animals that are slaughtered in the right way today. We need to go back to the good old ways of mixed, organic farming and protection of our environment, rather than condemn animal foods wholesale. Other than the threat of contaminated sea and river water, fish is an excellent source of animal protein and essential fatty acids, and qualifies as "free-range" meat. In many rural villages in Asia, cows, goats, chicken and ducks are still raised in the traditional way and slaughtered and eaten on special occasions.
9. John the Baptist, whom Jesus described as the greatest prophet under the Old Covenant, ate honey and locusts as his primary diet.
Often health nuts seem to like to use the example of animals feeding in the wild as illustration of how man should eat. Please bear in mind that man was not created in the image of the wild beasts, but in the image of God, Amen. So our best model is not the wild animals, but the perfect God-Man Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who ate animal and cooked foods freely and did not ever once condemn the eating of such foods.
And by the way, He also drank wine, the fermented grape juice variety, for if He had only drunk unfermented grape juice, He would not have been accused of being a glutton and a drunkard by the Pharisees and teachers of the law who are learned men and would not have made the accusation without first checking the basic facts (Luke 7:33-35). I will not belabor this point.
The scriptural position on alcohol (wine or strong drink) is clearly to drink only in moderation and not to become addicted to or drunk with it. The best scripture on this is found in Deuteronomy 14:26:
"You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household."
It should be understood that Genesis 1:29 was a commandment given to Adam and Eve before the Fall, when the world was perfect. It was essentially a fruitarian/seed diet (based on the botanical definition of a fruit). After the Fall, God cursed the ground and also modified the diet to include the green plants of the field, which was previously meant for the animals, as well as bread made from grains (Genesis 3:18) probably because of the presence of sickness and the subsequent lower yield of fruits and seeds from a ground that was cursed.
All that changed after the Flood, with the earth's environment being vastly different and harsher still, the genetic make-up of man being slightly modified so that he could not live much beyond 120, God permitted men to eat animal flesh as well (Genesis 9:3):
"Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I give to you, as I gave the green plant. These instructions were given by an all-wise, all-knowing and benevolent God who always has man's best interests in His heart.
(To be continued)
Ken Anderson
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Troy Anderson sermon on Abortion in America.
I have 2 sons that each preach Gods word. My oldest is Troy that lives in Washington state with his wife & 7 children. Here is a sermon he gave back in 2005 entitled, "Abortion in America."
Link to file:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2o4ZHlpSWU4NVh2Wmc9PQ
Link to file:
https://www.yousendit.com/download/Y2o4ZHlpSWU4NVh2Wmc9PQ
My son (Pastor Kenny Anderson) gave a sermon on "The 7 "S's" We Should be Thankful For".
Thanksgiving Blessings
Last Sunday, My other son (Pastor Kenny Anderson) lives in Oregon and has 8 children with the oldest at 17 who took good notes from last weeks Church service. Pastor Kenny gave a sermon on "The 7 "S's" We Should be Thankful For"...I just thought I would post them so that you too can be thankful for the wonderful blessings God has given us, as 2 Cor. 9:15 says- "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"
1. Salvation- What more is there to be thankful for, than the redeeming work of Christ. Without His coming, His death and His resurrection, without the Father choosing to save His elect and sending His Son to take on His wrath and justice, we would all be condemned to pay the penalty for our sins. But instead there has been provided a path of forgiveness, a way unto salvation. Be thankful, all of you, the elect, for the salvation provided to us by the blood of our Lord and Savior. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom.5:6 "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:57. Thank God for saving you, in spite of you!
2. The Sovereignty of God- So many people say that they believe in the sovereignty of God, but do they trust in it? And are they thankful for it? 1 Peter 5:6-7 says "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." We need to be emounsly grateful for the fact that we serve a sovereign, all just, and loving God! "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7. We as believers should believe in the comforting confidence of God's sovereignty, so that we may be at peace in the Lord.
3. Spankings- We get to thank God for the sufferings that He gives us, and they will only be appreciated when we understand the sovereignty of God. Prov. 13: 24 shows us that love is displayed in discipline, for it reads "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." When you are being disciplined, when things are hard and life isn't easy (the pilgrims sure didn't have it easy), it all goes to show that you are a son or daughter of God, and that you are loved by God. 1 Peter 4:12-13- "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." We are to expect hard times, to not be surprised when we are challenged, and when those times come, we should rejoice that we got to share in the sufferings of Christ! Be thankful for the hard times, for the spankings!
4. Scripture- The Word of God is living and powerful, over the blood of many martyrs, we can now read it in our own language. It is a gift for which we should be thankful. David showed His delight for the Word of God in Ps. 119, where he calls is sweeter than honey, a delight, a light, and a path unto righteousness. God has given us His Word, so that we may know His plan for our lives, so that we may know His laws and precepts, so that we may walk in the path of light and not stumble in the darkness. Through the Word of God, we can read about the salvation provided unto us through Jesus Christ. It is a precious jewel, for which we need to show our gratefulness!
5. Sanctuary- Not only has God given us salvation, shown His love through spankings, and given us His Word, but He has also given us His Church, His body of people. Ps.35:18- "I will thank you in the great congregation;in the mighty throng I will praise you." 1 Peter 2:2-6 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." We as a body are the Church,we are members. one of another, and we should be thankful for one another, we should be thankful for our cooperate worship!
6. The Supper- As we come to the Thanksgiving table, we should remember the ultimate meal- the King's Table! God has provided His Son as the bread and wine, He has invited us to enter His heavenly home and to sit at His table! Matt. 26:26-28 "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Just as Christ gave thanks, so we should be thankful for the invitation to eat at His Table, the ultimate Thanksgiving meal!
7. The Spirit- after Christ ascended to sit once again at the right hand of God, He did not leave us unequipped, but He gave us His Spirit, so that we may proclaim the gospel and conquer the world with His truths! "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Kenny^Anderson
Last Sunday, My other son (Pastor Kenny Anderson) lives in Oregon and has 8 children with the oldest at 17 who took good notes from last weeks Church service. Pastor Kenny gave a sermon on "The 7 "S's" We Should be Thankful For"...I just thought I would post them so that you too can be thankful for the wonderful blessings God has given us, as 2 Cor. 9:15 says- "Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!"
1. Salvation- What more is there to be thankful for, than the redeeming work of Christ. Without His coming, His death and His resurrection, without the Father choosing to save His elect and sending His Son to take on His wrath and justice, we would all be condemned to pay the penalty for our sins. But instead there has been provided a path of forgiveness, a way unto salvation. Be thankful, all of you, the elect, for the salvation provided to us by the blood of our Lord and Savior. "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly." Rom.5:6 "But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Cor. 15:57. Thank God for saving you, in spite of you!
2. The Sovereignty of God- So many people say that they believe in the sovereignty of God, but do they trust in it? And are they thankful for it? 1 Peter 5:6-7 says "Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you." We need to be emounsly grateful for the fact that we serve a sovereign, all just, and loving God! "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:6-7. We as believers should believe in the comforting confidence of God's sovereignty, so that we may be at peace in the Lord.
3. Spankings- We get to thank God for the sufferings that He gives us, and they will only be appreciated when we understand the sovereignty of God. Prov. 13: 24 shows us that love is displayed in discipline, for it reads "Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him." When you are being disciplined, when things are hard and life isn't easy (the pilgrims sure didn't have it easy), it all goes to show that you are a son or daughter of God, and that you are loved by God. 1 Peter 4:12-13- "Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed." We are to expect hard times, to not be surprised when we are challenged, and when those times come, we should rejoice that we got to share in the sufferings of Christ! Be thankful for the hard times, for the spankings!
4. Scripture- The Word of God is living and powerful, over the blood of many martyrs, we can now read it in our own language. It is a gift for which we should be thankful. David showed His delight for the Word of God in Ps. 119, where he calls is sweeter than honey, a delight, a light, and a path unto righteousness. God has given us His Word, so that we may know His plan for our lives, so that we may know His laws and precepts, so that we may walk in the path of light and not stumble in the darkness. Through the Word of God, we can read about the salvation provided unto us through Jesus Christ. It is a precious jewel, for which we need to show our gratefulness!
5. Sanctuary- Not only has God given us salvation, shown His love through spankings, and given us His Word, but He has also given us His Church, His body of people. Ps.35:18- "I will thank you in the great congregation;in the mighty throng I will praise you." 1 Peter 2:2-6 "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation—if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." We as a body are the Church,we are members. one of another, and we should be thankful for one another, we should be thankful for our cooperate worship!
6. The Supper- As we come to the Thanksgiving table, we should remember the ultimate meal- the King's Table! God has provided His Son as the bread and wine, He has invited us to enter His heavenly home and to sit at His table! Matt. 26:26-28 "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, 28 for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." Just as Christ gave thanks, so we should be thankful for the invitation to eat at His Table, the ultimate Thanksgiving meal!
7. The Spirit- after Christ ascended to sit once again at the right hand of God, He did not leave us unequipped, but He gave us His Spirit, so that we may proclaim the gospel and conquer the world with His truths! "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8
http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&keyword=Kenny^Anderson
Know where your food comes
..."Now chicken eggs have been contaminated with melamine, and an admission by state-run media that the industrial chemical is regularly added to animal feed in China fueled fears Friday that the problem could be more widespread, affecting fish, meat and who knows what else."
Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=6157085
Bottom Line
The bottom line here is: know where your food comes from and how it’s produced. This may sound like an impossible task, and in many cases it will be. Particularly if you depend on processed and commercially farmed foods.
However, if you purchase your raw dairy, grass-fed meats, and free-range eggs from local farmers that adhere to organic farming practices, you can eliminate much of these worries since their livestock must be put out to pasture and eat what God intended for most part of the year, instead of relying on potentially contaminated animal feed.
Full article: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory?id=6157085
Bottom Line
The bottom line here is: know where your food comes from and how it’s produced. This may sound like an impossible task, and in many cases it will be. Particularly if you depend on processed and commercially farmed foods.
However, if you purchase your raw dairy, grass-fed meats, and free-range eggs from local farmers that adhere to organic farming practices, you can eliminate much of these worries since their livestock must be put out to pasture and eat what God intended for most part of the year, instead of relying on potentially contaminated animal feed.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Thanksgiving is a continuation of an ancient Israel feast day, the feast of the Ingathering
Most Christians do not know that Thanksgiving is a continuation of an ancient Israel feast day, the feast of the Ingathering. I hope you all reflect on the good things you have as you get together with your loved ones. Keep in mind that one of these days will be the final harvest and ingathering. Until then proclaim the truth and don't forget to praise Jesus the Christ for all of our blessings.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
A game warden was driving down the road when
he came upon a young boy carrying a wild turkey under his arm.
He stopped and asked the boy, 'Where did you get that turkey?'
The boy replied, 'What turkey?'
The game warden said, 'That turkey you're carrying under your arm.'
The boy looks down and said, 'Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted under my arm!'
The game warden said, 'Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so whatever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you.
If you break his leg, I'm gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I'll break your arm. Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you. So, what are you gonna do with him?'
The little boy said, 'I guess I'll just give him a big kiss and let him go!'\
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
be one thanks for all the blessings in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
he came upon a young boy carrying a wild turkey under his arm.
He stopped and asked the boy, 'Where did you get that turkey?'
The boy replied, 'What turkey?'
The game warden said, 'That turkey you're carrying under your arm.'
The boy looks down and said, 'Well, lookee here, a turkey done roosted under my arm!'
The game warden said, 'Now look, you know turkey season is closed, so whatever you do to that turkey, I'm going to do to you.
If you break his leg, I'm gonna break your leg. If you break his wing, I'll break your arm. Whatever you do to him, I'll do to you. So, what are you gonna do with him?'
The little boy said, 'I guess I'll just give him a big kiss and let him go!'\
May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
be one thanks for all the blessings in your life.
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Thanksgiving, Fasting and Prayer Historical Documentson
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1933
By Franklin D. Roosevelt - 11/21/1933
A national Thanksgiving Proclamation, issued by Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States, on November 21, 1933.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1909
By William H. Taft - 11/15/1909
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by William H. Taft, President of the United States on November 15, 1909.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1871
By Ulysses S. Grant - 10/28/1871
A National Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, on October 28, 1871.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1863
By Abraham Lincoln - 10/03/1863
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, on October 3, 1863.
Proclamation- Thanksgiving Day- Massachusetts, 1811
By Elbridge Gerry - 10/22/1811
A Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts, on October 22, 1811.
Proclamation - Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer - 1807, Connecticut
By Jonathan Trumbull - 02/20/1807
"A statewide Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer Proclamation issued by Jonathan Trumbull on February 20, 1807, while serving as Governor of Connecticut."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1805, New Hampshire
By John Langdon - 10/10/1805
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation issued by John Langdon, Governor of New Hampshire, on October 10, 1805.
Proclamation - Fasting and Prayer - 1798
By John Adams - 03/23/1798
"President John Adams issued a national fasting and prayer proclamation on March 23, 1798."
Proclamation - Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer - 1795, Massachusetts
By Samuel Adams - 02/28/1795
"A statewide Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer Proclamation issued by Samuel Adams on February 28, 1795, while serving as Governor of Massachusetts."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1795
By George Washington - 01/01/1795
Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by George Washington, President of the United States, on January 1, 1795.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1793, New Hampshire
By Josiah Bartlett - 10/05/1793
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Josiah Bartlett, Governor of New Hampshire, on October 5, 1793.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1791, New Jersey
By William Paterson - 11/21/1791
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by William Paterson, Governor of New Jersey, on November 21, 1791.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1789
By George Washington - 10/03/1789
"A national Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by George Washington, President of the United States, on October 3, 1789."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1788, Connecticut
By Samuel Huntington - 10/03/1788
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut, on October 3, 1788.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1782
By John Hanson - 10/11/1782
A Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving issued by John Hanson, president of the Continental Congress, on October 11, 1782.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1781
By Thomas McKean - 10/26/1781
A proclamation issued by Thomas McKean, while serving as President of Congress, on October 26, 1781.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1777
By Continental Congress - 11/01/1777
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by the Continental Congress, on November 1, 1777.
Have a great Thanksgiving,
Ken & Dottie Anderson
By Franklin D. Roosevelt - 11/21/1933
A national Thanksgiving Proclamation, issued by Franklin Roosevelt, President of the United States, on November 21, 1933.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1909
By William H. Taft - 11/15/1909
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by William H. Taft, President of the United States on November 15, 1909.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1871
By Ulysses S. Grant - 10/28/1871
A National Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, on October 28, 1871.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1863
By Abraham Lincoln - 10/03/1863
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, on October 3, 1863.
Proclamation- Thanksgiving Day- Massachusetts, 1811
By Elbridge Gerry - 10/22/1811
A Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by Elbridge Gerry, governor of Massachusetts, on October 22, 1811.
Proclamation - Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer - 1807, Connecticut
By Jonathan Trumbull - 02/20/1807
"A statewide Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer Proclamation issued by Jonathan Trumbull on February 20, 1807, while serving as Governor of Connecticut."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1805, New Hampshire
By John Langdon - 10/10/1805
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation issued by John Langdon, Governor of New Hampshire, on October 10, 1805.
Proclamation - Fasting and Prayer - 1798
By John Adams - 03/23/1798
"President John Adams issued a national fasting and prayer proclamation on March 23, 1798."
Proclamation - Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer - 1795, Massachusetts
By Samuel Adams - 02/28/1795
"A statewide Fasting, Humiliation and Prayer Proclamation issued by Samuel Adams on February 28, 1795, while serving as Governor of Massachusetts."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1795
By George Washington - 01/01/1795
Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by George Washington, President of the United States, on January 1, 1795.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1793, New Hampshire
By Josiah Bartlett - 10/05/1793
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Josiah Bartlett, Governor of New Hampshire, on October 5, 1793.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1791, New Jersey
By William Paterson - 11/21/1791
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by William Paterson, Governor of New Jersey, on November 21, 1791.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1789
By George Washington - 10/03/1789
"A national Thanksgiving Proclamation issued by George Washington, President of the United States, on October 3, 1789."
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1788, Connecticut
By Samuel Huntington - 10/03/1788
A Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by Samuel Huntington, Governor of Connecticut, on October 3, 1788.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1782
By John Hanson - 10/11/1782
A Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving issued by John Hanson, president of the Continental Congress, on October 11, 1782.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1781
By Thomas McKean - 10/26/1781
A proclamation issued by Thomas McKean, while serving as President of Congress, on October 26, 1781.
Proclamation - Thanksgiving Day - 1777
By Continental Congress - 11/01/1777
A national Thanksgiving Day Proclamation, issued by the Continental Congress, on November 1, 1777.
Have a great Thanksgiving,
Ken & Dottie Anderson
Monday, November 24, 2008
Ethics and Biblical Events
by John M. Frame MD
Some may wonder why I have chosen to write an ethical treatise focused on law, rather than on the great events of biblical history. Why not an ethic of creation? Or incarnation? Or atonement, resurrection, or eschatological expectation?
An ethic of creation would, of course, focus on the biblical concern for the environment. But since the environment includes everything, it could use the environment as a perspective on other ethical teaching in the Bible: God as our worship environment, the Sabbath as our temporal environment, the family as our nurturing environment, etc.
An ethic of incarnation might focus on how we should follow Jesus’ example by entering fully into the lives of others, loving them by empathy and sympathy. An ethic of atonement would focus on self-sacrificing love as the paradigm of love. An ethic of resurrection would stress bringing God’s renewal into our own lives and those of others. An eschatological ethic would see everything in the light of our future hope, including the rewards of heaven.
I have no objection to ethical treatises of these types. They can be very helpful, useful perspectives on the discipline. I have chosen, however, to focus on the law, for reasons such as the following:
1. The focus on law enables us to interact with our historic traditions, for it is the focus of the confessions of various denominations.
2. The law has been the main focus of my own study of ethics. So I find it easier to work in this conceptual milieu.
3. I believe that despite its historic centrality, the authority of the law is under attack in some Christian circles (let alone secular circles). Many Christians think that attention to the law is spiritually detrimental, or that it detracts from grace. In my judgment, this view confuses the legal with the legalistic. This whole book, I trust, is an antidote to that kind of thinking.
4. An ethic based on one or more redemptive-historical events inevitably reverts to law when it seeks to define its specific standards. In an ethic of creation, an author will want to say that we should care for the environment. But how does he know that, from the bare fact that God created the heavens and the earth? God has not charged rats or tigers with the care of the earth, only human beings. And he has given us that responsibility, not just by creating things, but by giving us a mandate to care for them. Mandate is another word for law. Similarly, whatever we may want to derive ethically from incarnation, etc. will have to be verified in God’s law. To derive it from the event simply in itself is a case of the naturalistic fallacy.
5. It may be that in some cases the desire to turn from law to some other aspect of Scripture as ethical focus is related to the desire for human autonomy. As sinners (and often as modern theologians), we don’t want God telling us what to do. It may seem that by moving away from a legal focus we can avoid the stark voice of God commanding good and forbidding evil. But as I have indicated, the focus on biblical events depends on the law for its ethical authority and credibility.
Some may wonder why I have chosen to write an ethical treatise focused on law, rather than on the great events of biblical history. Why not an ethic of creation? Or incarnation? Or atonement, resurrection, or eschatological expectation?
An ethic of creation would, of course, focus on the biblical concern for the environment. But since the environment includes everything, it could use the environment as a perspective on other ethical teaching in the Bible: God as our worship environment, the Sabbath as our temporal environment, the family as our nurturing environment, etc.
An ethic of incarnation might focus on how we should follow Jesus’ example by entering fully into the lives of others, loving them by empathy and sympathy. An ethic of atonement would focus on self-sacrificing love as the paradigm of love. An ethic of resurrection would stress bringing God’s renewal into our own lives and those of others. An eschatological ethic would see everything in the light of our future hope, including the rewards of heaven.
I have no objection to ethical treatises of these types. They can be very helpful, useful perspectives on the discipline. I have chosen, however, to focus on the law, for reasons such as the following:
1. The focus on law enables us to interact with our historic traditions, for it is the focus of the confessions of various denominations.
2. The law has been the main focus of my own study of ethics. So I find it easier to work in this conceptual milieu.
3. I believe that despite its historic centrality, the authority of the law is under attack in some Christian circles (let alone secular circles). Many Christians think that attention to the law is spiritually detrimental, or that it detracts from grace. In my judgment, this view confuses the legal with the legalistic. This whole book, I trust, is an antidote to that kind of thinking.
4. An ethic based on one or more redemptive-historical events inevitably reverts to law when it seeks to define its specific standards. In an ethic of creation, an author will want to say that we should care for the environment. But how does he know that, from the bare fact that God created the heavens and the earth? God has not charged rats or tigers with the care of the earth, only human beings. And he has given us that responsibility, not just by creating things, but by giving us a mandate to care for them. Mandate is another word for law. Similarly, whatever we may want to derive ethically from incarnation, etc. will have to be verified in God’s law. To derive it from the event simply in itself is a case of the naturalistic fallacy.
5. It may be that in some cases the desire to turn from law to some other aspect of Scripture as ethical focus is related to the desire for human autonomy. As sinners (and often as modern theologians), we don’t want God telling us what to do. It may seem that by moving away from a legal focus we can avoid the stark voice of God commanding good and forbidding evil. But as I have indicated, the focus on biblical events depends on the law for its ethical authority and credibility.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Our Frst President was not George Washington
Presidents of the Continental Congress
http://www.peytonrandolph.com
Peyton Randolph
September 5, 1774 October 22, 1774
Henry Middleton
October 22, 1774 October 26, 1774
Peyton Randolph
May 20, 1775 May 24, 1775
John Hancock
May 25, 1775 October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens
November 1, 1777 December 9, 1778
John Jay
December 10, 1778 September 28, 1779
Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled
Samuel Huntington*
September 28, 1779 July 6, 1781
Thomas McKean
July 10, 1781 November 4, 1781
John Hanson
November 5, 1781 November 3, 1782
Elias Boudinot
November 4, 1782 November 2, 1783
Thomas Mifflin
November 3, 1783 November 2, 1784**
Richard Henry Lee
November 30, 1784 November 22, 1785
John Hancock
November 23, 1785 June 5, 1786
Nathaniel Gorham
June 6, 1786 November 13, 1786
Arthur St. Clair
February 2, 1787 October 29, 1787
Cyrus Griffin
January 22, 1788 January 21, 1789
Then came George Washington
http://www.peytonrandolph.com
http://www.peytonrandolph.com
Peyton Randolph
September 5, 1774 October 22, 1774
Henry Middleton
October 22, 1774 October 26, 1774
Peyton Randolph
May 20, 1775 May 24, 1775
John Hancock
May 25, 1775 October 29, 1777
Henry Laurens
November 1, 1777 December 9, 1778
John Jay
December 10, 1778 September 28, 1779
Presidents of the United States in Congress Assembled
Samuel Huntington*
September 28, 1779 July 6, 1781
Thomas McKean
July 10, 1781 November 4, 1781
John Hanson
November 5, 1781 November 3, 1782
Elias Boudinot
November 4, 1782 November 2, 1783
Thomas Mifflin
November 3, 1783 November 2, 1784**
Richard Henry Lee
November 30, 1784 November 22, 1785
John Hancock
November 23, 1785 June 5, 1786
Nathaniel Gorham
June 6, 1786 November 13, 1786
Arthur St. Clair
February 2, 1787 October 29, 1787
Cyrus Griffin
January 22, 1788 January 21, 1789
Then came George Washington
http://www.peytonrandolph.com
Saturday, November 1, 2008
DRUGS KILL MORE PEOPLE THAN EVER, REPORT FINDS
Source: Naturalnews.com
The 2008, first quarter report of deaths and serious injuries associated with drug therapy was recently released by The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit organization whose stated goal is to educate the healthcare community and consumers about safe medication practices. The findings of this report are astounding.
According to the information gathered from data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the first quarter of 2008, there were 20,745 reported serious injuries associated with drug therapy, up 34% from the previous quarter, and up 38% from last year`s average. Even more eye-opening than the number of serious injuries is the number of reported deaths – 4,824 people were reported killed from pharmaceutical drugs in the first quarter of 2008, a 2.6 fold increase from the previous quarter. This figure represents the highest number of patient deaths ever reported in a single quarter as a result of drug therapy. It also accounts for more deaths than those due to homicide during the same period.
It is important to keep in mind that these figures represent quarterly findings. Given the upward trend in both serious injuries and deaths over the past several years due to pharmaceutical drugs, these numbers are expected to continue their rate of increase in quarters and years to come.
Even if the numbers were to remain the same for the rest of 2008, the total number of reported serious injuries would total 83,000 while the total number of reported deaths would reach nearly 20,000. Again, this is assuming the first quarter findings remain constant – the report emphasizes that the trend has continued to veer upward, indicating that future reports will most likely contain even higher numbers.
What is more striking than these numbers is the fact that they represent only the adverse events that were reported to the FDA during this time period. Since the reporting system is voluntary and almost 85% of the reports come from the pharmaceutical companies themselves, it is obvious that these numbers represent only a miniscule percentage of the total adverse events that are actually occurring. Numerous published scientific reports on adverse event reporting accuracy, including reports from the Journal of the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have concluded that no more than 10% and in some cases as little as 1-2% of adverse events caused by drugs are even reported to the FDA. Thus, based upon the first quarter data, the actual number of adverse events from drug therapies in the first quarter of 2008 could be anywhere from 207,000 to over 2,000,000 with roughly 23% of these representing deaths.
While the report goes on to outline, in detail, most of the culprit drugs, including varenicline, heparin, oxycodone, and even acetaminophen (the active drug in Tylenol), its "bigger picture" discovery remains blatantly obvious. Assuming a best case scenario of only a 10% reporting rate, this report essentially spells out the fact that at least 830,000 cases of serious injury or death occur every year in America due to the harmful effects of pharmaceutical drugs, with possibly a quarter of these cases resulting in death.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 2.5 million people die every year in the United States. Assuming a 10% reporting rate of adverse events to drug therapy based on Q1, 2008 data, it can be concluded that about 8% of the deaths that occur every year in America are due to complications with pharmaceutical drugs. Assuming only a 1% reporting rate, that percentage increases to over 77%. Thus, it can be estimated that the number of people that die every year in the U.S. from adverse drug effects is anywhere from about 192,000 to almost 2,000,000.
To put these numbers into perspective, the National Center for Health Statistics reports that in 2006, 44,572 people died in car accidents, 18,029 from homicide, and 560,102 from all forms of cancer.
It becomes abundantly clear from this report that no one knows for sure exactly how many people are negatively affected by pharmaceutical drugs, but that the number is quite large and is getting increasingly larger. Even on the low end of the estimate spectrum, the data elucidates the obviously prodigious danger of pharmaceutical drugs and the inadequate work being performed by the FDA in protecting the public from dangerous drugs.
Considering the scrutiny with which other industries are regulated and controlled by the FDA, it is shocking that, with even a conservative estimate of about 200,000 yearly deaths related to pharmaceutical drugs, the FDA is hardly phased. The agency continues to pander to pharmaceutical interests, including its support for the industry`s immunity from being held accountable for these "adverse events" under the law.
Perhaps as this type of data becomes more mainstream, the public will forcibly hold the drug cabal accountable for the destruction it is inflicting on American society, and the regulatory agencies accountable for turning a blind eye to the damage being perpetrated against the very people it is supposed to be representing and protecting.
The 2008, first quarter report of deaths and serious injuries associated with drug therapy was recently released by The Institute for Safe Medication Practices, a nonprofit organization whose stated goal is to educate the healthcare community and consumers about safe medication practices. The findings of this report are astounding.
According to the information gathered from data submitted to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration during the first quarter of 2008, there were 20,745 reported serious injuries associated with drug therapy, up 34% from the previous quarter, and up 38% from last year`s average. Even more eye-opening than the number of serious injuries is the number of reported deaths – 4,824 people were reported killed from pharmaceutical drugs in the first quarter of 2008, a 2.6 fold increase from the previous quarter. This figure represents the highest number of patient deaths ever reported in a single quarter as a result of drug therapy. It also accounts for more deaths than those due to homicide during the same period.
It is important to keep in mind that these figures represent quarterly findings. Given the upward trend in both serious injuries and deaths over the past several years due to pharmaceutical drugs, these numbers are expected to continue their rate of increase in quarters and years to come.
Even if the numbers were to remain the same for the rest of 2008, the total number of reported serious injuries would total 83,000 while the total number of reported deaths would reach nearly 20,000. Again, this is assuming the first quarter findings remain constant – the report emphasizes that the trend has continued to veer upward, indicating that future reports will most likely contain even higher numbers.
What is more striking than these numbers is the fact that they represent only the adverse events that were reported to the FDA during this time period. Since the reporting system is voluntary and almost 85% of the reports come from the pharmaceutical companies themselves, it is obvious that these numbers represent only a miniscule percentage of the total adverse events that are actually occurring. Numerous published scientific reports on adverse event reporting accuracy, including reports from the Journal of the American Medical Association and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, have concluded that no more than 10% and in some cases as little as 1-2% of adverse events caused by drugs are even reported to the FDA. Thus, based upon the first quarter data, the actual number of adverse events from drug therapies in the first quarter of 2008 could be anywhere from 207,000 to over 2,000,000 with roughly 23% of these representing deaths.
While the report goes on to outline, in detail, most of the culprit drugs, including varenicline, heparin, oxycodone, and even acetaminophen (the active drug in Tylenol), its "bigger picture" discovery remains blatantly obvious. Assuming a best case scenario of only a 10% reporting rate, this report essentially spells out the fact that at least 830,000 cases of serious injury or death occur every year in America due to the harmful effects of pharmaceutical drugs, with possibly a quarter of these cases resulting in death.
According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 2.5 million people die every year in the United States. Assuming a 10% reporting rate of adverse events to drug therapy based on Q1, 2008 data, it can be concluded that about 8% of the deaths that occur every year in America are due to complications with pharmaceutical drugs. Assuming only a 1% reporting rate, that percentage increases to over 77%. Thus, it can be estimated that the number of people that die every year in the U.S. from adverse drug effects is anywhere from about 192,000 to almost 2,000,000.
To put these numbers into perspective, the National Center for Health Statistics reports that in 2006, 44,572 people died in car accidents, 18,029 from homicide, and 560,102 from all forms of cancer.
It becomes abundantly clear from this report that no one knows for sure exactly how many people are negatively affected by pharmaceutical drugs, but that the number is quite large and is getting increasingly larger. Even on the low end of the estimate spectrum, the data elucidates the obviously prodigious danger of pharmaceutical drugs and the inadequate work being performed by the FDA in protecting the public from dangerous drugs.
Considering the scrutiny with which other industries are regulated and controlled by the FDA, it is shocking that, with even a conservative estimate of about 200,000 yearly deaths related to pharmaceutical drugs, the FDA is hardly phased. The agency continues to pander to pharmaceutical interests, including its support for the industry`s immunity from being held accountable for these "adverse events" under the law.
Perhaps as this type of data becomes more mainstream, the public will forcibly hold the drug cabal accountable for the destruction it is inflicting on American society, and the regulatory agencies accountable for turning a blind eye to the damage being perpetrated against the very people it is supposed to be representing and protecting.
Biblical Nutrition Part 3
After reading your Health Tip: Biblical Nutrition (Part 3), it amazes me that people continue to advocate so strongly a 100% pure vegan, raw diet by putting forth rather weak arguments while at the same time ignoring Biblical truths. Your statement that biblical nutrition begins and ends with Genesis 1:29 is simply without basis and is a gross distortion of Biblical truth. So here's my rebuttal:
1. Man possesses four canine teeth out of a total of thirty-two teeth. If man were to be a pure vegetarian, God would not have placed any canine teeth in us. Four out of thirty-two is 12.5%. Hence, it may be argued that the inclusion of 10%-15% meat products to our diet is supported by our God-given physiology.
2. Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, eggs and fish (especially cooked) does not require sharp, canine teeth for mastication.
3. Although the strength of hydrochloric acid in man's stomach is much weaker than carnivorous animals, it nevertheless contains adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid to assist in the digestion of modest amounts of animal proteins. Herbivores like cows, sheep and goats do not have hydrochloric acid in their stomachs.
4. You like to use comparisons with animals and cite human instincts as arguments. Did you know that these same carnivorous animals started out as pure vegetarians before the Fall and will end up as pure vegetarians again during the Millennium? Young carnivorous animals have to learn how to hunt for prey from their parents. Likewise, for thousands of years, fathers have taught their children how to catch wild animals, fish, birds, etc.
5. If man eats a well-balanced meal with lots of high-fiber vegetables, legumes, seeds, grains and fruits, it is very unlikely that the meat he consumes with that meal would be stuck in the intestines and putrefy. The plant foods would also help to neutralize the acidity of animal foods.
6. There are carnivorous animals that feed on the flesh of all kinds of dead animals, whether these were herbivores or carnivores. These are the scavengers, e.g. hyenas, wild pigs, vultures, etc.
7. You quote experiments that were done 80 years ago. I wonder if the same kind of experiments have been repeated today. For instance, Pottenger's experiments with the cats have been proven to be flawed (see http://www.beyondveg.com website).
The problem with the SAD and most modern diets is the over-consumption of meat, sugar, refined flour, etc, and under-consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, etc. People who eat a balanced diet often do not suffer from health problems.
Consider the following Biblical evidences:
1. Many of the heroes of faith, the Godly men of the Bible, were shepherds and herdsmen, e.g. Abel, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob's twelve sons, David, etc, and had very many livestock. Jacob's entire household were in the profession of animal husbandry. That is why they settled in Goshen for the Egyptians did not like keepers of animals. The chosen people of God must have eaten lots of dairy products and meat!
2. God said He would give the covenant people, Israel, the promised land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. If milk is so bad, why would God have used it as an illustration of the abundance and blessedness of the promised land?
3. Three of Jesus' closest disciples were fishermen by profession. They must have eaten lots of fish!
4. Read Isaiah 55:1-2:
"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
According to the Holy Spirit, milk is good, it is bread for food and it satisfies. For this reason, it is used as a biblical illustration for the importance of feeding on God's instruction. Are you feeding on the whole counsel of God's Word, from Genesis to Revelation? Milk, per se, is not bad for health, it is what modern man has done to the milk.
5. Read Zechariah 14:16-21:
And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
The above passage tells us that during the Millennium, all nations have to send envoys up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Do you know how many animals (oxen, rams, sheep, etc) are slaughtered for sacrifices during this Feast? You can check out the book of Leviticus and Numbers for the details. That is beside the animals that are freely offered by the worshippers. What does the Scripture say? Refusal to participate in the Feast is punishable by plagues and drought. The meat of the sacrifices will be cooked in pots and thrown away, because it is unhealthy to eat meat? Of course not, the meat will be eaten by all who participate in the Feast.
Jesus said, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Have you carefully considered the rest of the counsel of God?
I would rather obey God than man.
1. Man possesses four canine teeth out of a total of thirty-two teeth. If man were to be a pure vegetarian, God would not have placed any canine teeth in us. Four out of thirty-two is 12.5%. Hence, it may be argued that the inclusion of 10%-15% meat products to our diet is supported by our God-given physiology.
2. Milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, eggs and fish (especially cooked) does not require sharp, canine teeth for mastication.
3. Although the strength of hydrochloric acid in man's stomach is much weaker than carnivorous animals, it nevertheless contains adequate amounts of hydrochloric acid to assist in the digestion of modest amounts of animal proteins. Herbivores like cows, sheep and goats do not have hydrochloric acid in their stomachs.
4. You like to use comparisons with animals and cite human instincts as arguments. Did you know that these same carnivorous animals started out as pure vegetarians before the Fall and will end up as pure vegetarians again during the Millennium? Young carnivorous animals have to learn how to hunt for prey from their parents. Likewise, for thousands of years, fathers have taught their children how to catch wild animals, fish, birds, etc.
5. If man eats a well-balanced meal with lots of high-fiber vegetables, legumes, seeds, grains and fruits, it is very unlikely that the meat he consumes with that meal would be stuck in the intestines and putrefy. The plant foods would also help to neutralize the acidity of animal foods.
6. There are carnivorous animals that feed on the flesh of all kinds of dead animals, whether these were herbivores or carnivores. These are the scavengers, e.g. hyenas, wild pigs, vultures, etc.
7. You quote experiments that were done 80 years ago. I wonder if the same kind of experiments have been repeated today. For instance, Pottenger's experiments with the cats have been proven to be flawed (see http://www.beyondveg.com website).
The problem with the SAD and most modern diets is the over-consumption of meat, sugar, refined flour, etc, and under-consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grain products, etc. People who eat a balanced diet often do not suffer from health problems.
Consider the following Biblical evidences:
1. Many of the heroes of faith, the Godly men of the Bible, were shepherds and herdsmen, e.g. Abel, Job, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Jacob's twelve sons, David, etc, and had very many livestock. Jacob's entire household were in the profession of animal husbandry. That is why they settled in Goshen for the Egyptians did not like keepers of animals. The chosen people of God must have eaten lots of dairy products and meat!
2. God said He would give the covenant people, Israel, the promised land of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. If milk is so bad, why would God have used it as an illustration of the abundance and blessedness of the promised land?
3. Three of Jesus' closest disciples were fishermen by profession. They must have eaten lots of fish!
4. Read Isaiah 55:1-2:
"Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price.
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy?
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
According to the Holy Spirit, milk is good, it is bread for food and it satisfies. For this reason, it is used as a biblical illustration for the importance of feeding on God's instruction. Are you feeding on the whole counsel of God's Word, from Genesis to Revelation? Milk, per se, is not bad for health, it is what modern man has done to the milk.
5. Read Zechariah 14:16-21:
And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. In that day "HOLINESS TO THE LORD" shall be engraved on the bells of the horses. The pots in the Lord’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yes, every pot in Jerusalem and Judah shall be holiness to the Lord of hosts. Everyone who sacrifices shall come and take them and cook in them. In that day there shall no longer be a Canaanite in the house of the Lord of hosts.
The above passage tells us that during the Millennium, all nations have to send envoys up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. Do you know how many animals (oxen, rams, sheep, etc) are slaughtered for sacrifices during this Feast? You can check out the book of Leviticus and Numbers for the details. That is beside the animals that are freely offered by the worshippers. What does the Scripture say? Refusal to participate in the Feast is punishable by plagues and drought. The meat of the sacrifices will be cooked in pots and thrown away, because it is unhealthy to eat meat? Of course not, the meat will be eaten by all who participate in the Feast.
Jesus said, "Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Have you carefully considered the rest of the counsel of God?
I would rather obey God than man.
Biblical Nutrition: Part 2
If you kept a 100% raw, vegan diet, would you live till 900? We know it is impossible. We don't know for sure how God shortened the lifespan of man. It could have been through several causes - genetic, environmental, loss of valuable topsoil, diet perhaps had a small role, etc. He is God and Creator. His knowledge and ways are too marvelous for us to comprehend. From the studies of eminent creation scientists, we learn that the earth's atmosphere before the Flood was very different, which accounts for dense tropical forests in what are deserts and snow-covered places today. Fact is, we will never be able to reverse the drastic shortening of life span, no matter how healthy our diet is. In your latest Health Tip, you suggested that God allowed the consumption of animal foods so as to accomplish His purpose of shortening the life span of man. This is without reasonable proof and totally against the loving, benevolent nature of God!
Bible facts for you to consider:
1. Isaac lived till 180, 70 years more than Joseph. Yet the Bible tells us that he loved game meats.
2. Ezekiel 47:9-12 tells us that during the Millennium, man will still be fishing and harvesting sea salt. What would the fishes and salt be used for? If not for human consumption, then I don't know what for.
3. Noah, his family and the animals spent about a year in the Ark. If they had only subsisted on fruits, nuts and vegetables, their food supply would have been exhausted after a short time, without refrigeration. Only dried beans and grains could have lasted for so long and managed to feed all those creatures in the Ark for a year. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that pre-Flood man had learnt to cultivate grains, legumes and other seed foods.
4. If the Jews were to follow your vegan diet, they would not have been to celebrate the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles and many other appointed feasts of the LORD as these feasts required consumption of animal flesh and cooked bread. Are you suggesting that they should disobey God's commandments (punishable by death) to follow your dietary guidelines? Did you know the Jews of the Millennium are required to keep these feasts (Ezekiel 44-46)?
5. The Bible says that God will feed us with meat and marrow during the Millennium (Isaiah 25:6)?
6. When God gave manna to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, Moses did not forbid them to cook their manna. Rather, Exodus 16:23 tells us that the Israelites were to bake or boil the manna into bread/wafers or porridge. If raw food was the most nutritious and cooking destroyed many nutrients, God would certainly have told the Israelites to eat the manna raw, but He did not.
Reverend, do not get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we go out and eat as much animal foods or cooked foods as we can. There are advantages in eating raw, especially with fruits and certain vegetables. A predominantly plant-based diet is also very healthful. But some foods are best consumed cooked (e.g. grains, beans and tubers). And when clean, wholesome animal produce is available, we should not be afraid of consuming them as these are usually very good sources of essential amino acids, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and minerals that are also of greater bio-availability than plant foods to the human body. Rather than preaching against consumption of animal foods, we should lobby for a return to traditional, organic forms of pastoral farming.
Reverend, I hope this email would cause you to review and re-think some of your teachings.
I have attached an excellent article on the Myths of Vegetarianism by Dr Stephen Byrnes for your further reference.
I'll leave you a passage from 1 Timothy 4:1-6:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
Bible facts for you to consider:
1. Isaac lived till 180, 70 years more than Joseph. Yet the Bible tells us that he loved game meats.
2. Ezekiel 47:9-12 tells us that during the Millennium, man will still be fishing and harvesting sea salt. What would the fishes and salt be used for? If not for human consumption, then I don't know what for.
3. Noah, his family and the animals spent about a year in the Ark. If they had only subsisted on fruits, nuts and vegetables, their food supply would have been exhausted after a short time, without refrigeration. Only dried beans and grains could have lasted for so long and managed to feed all those creatures in the Ark for a year. Hence, it is reasonable to assume that pre-Flood man had learnt to cultivate grains, legumes and other seed foods.
4. If the Jews were to follow your vegan diet, they would not have been to celebrate the Passover, Pentecost, Feast of Tabernacles and many other appointed feasts of the LORD as these feasts required consumption of animal flesh and cooked bread. Are you suggesting that they should disobey God's commandments (punishable by death) to follow your dietary guidelines? Did you know the Jews of the Millennium are required to keep these feasts (Ezekiel 44-46)?
5. The Bible says that God will feed us with meat and marrow during the Millennium (Isaiah 25:6)?
6. When God gave manna to the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings, Moses did not forbid them to cook their manna. Rather, Exodus 16:23 tells us that the Israelites were to bake or boil the manna into bread/wafers or porridge. If raw food was the most nutritious and cooking destroyed many nutrients, God would certainly have told the Israelites to eat the manna raw, but He did not.
Reverend, do not get me wrong. I'm not advocating that we go out and eat as much animal foods or cooked foods as we can. There are advantages in eating raw, especially with fruits and certain vegetables. A predominantly plant-based diet is also very healthful. But some foods are best consumed cooked (e.g. grains, beans and tubers). And when clean, wholesome animal produce is available, we should not be afraid of consuming them as these are usually very good sources of essential amino acids, fatty acids, fat-soluble vitamins and minerals that are also of greater bio-availability than plant foods to the human body. Rather than preaching against consumption of animal foods, we should lobby for a return to traditional, organic forms of pastoral farming.
Reverend, I hope this email would cause you to review and re-think some of your teachings.
I have attached an excellent article on the Myths of Vegetarianism by Dr Stephen Byrnes for your further reference.
I'll leave you a passage from 1 Timothy 4:1-6:
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.
‘Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic’ by Howard Garrett
‘Top 10 Reasons to Buy Organic’ by Howard Garrett
1. Organic Products Meet Stringent Standards- Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without the use of persistent and toxic chemicals.
2. Organic Food Tastes Great! - It’s common sense—well-balanced soils grow strong healthy plants that taste great!
3. Organic Production Reduces Health Risks - Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
4. Organic Farms Respect Our Water Resources - The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen-leaching fertilizers, done in combination with organic soil building practices, protects our water resources.
5. Organic Farmers Build Soil - Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The organic farmer helps counteract topsoil erosion that has been linked to the agriculture practice of chemical-intensive, mono-crop farming.
6. Organic Farmers Work in Harmony with Nature - Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
7. Organic Growers are Leaders in Innovative Research - Organic Farmers have led the way with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing the impact agriculture has on the environment.
8. Organic Producers Strive to Preserve Diversity - The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is an important environmental concern. The good news is that organic growers have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
9. Organic Farming Helps Keep Rural Communities Healthy - The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.
10. Organic Abundance - Foods and Non-Foods Alike! - Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food crops such as flowers are being grown organically—even cotton, which most experts felt could never be.
1. Organic Products Meet Stringent Standards- Organic certification is the public’s assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict procedures without the use of persistent and toxic chemicals.
2. Organic Food Tastes Great! - It’s common sense—well-balanced soils grow strong healthy plants that taste great!
3. Organic Production Reduces Health Risks - Many EPA-approved pesticides were registered long before extensive research linked these chemicals to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is one way to prevent these chemicals from getting into the air, earth and water that sustain us.
4. Organic Farms Respect Our Water Resources - The elimination of polluting chemicals and nitrogen-leaching fertilizers, done in combination with organic soil building practices, protects our water resources.
5. Organic Farmers Build Soil - Soil is the foundation of the food chain. The organic farmer helps counteract topsoil erosion that has been linked to the agriculture practice of chemical-intensive, mono-crop farming.
6. Organic Farmers Work in Harmony with Nature - Organic agriculture respects the balance demanded of a healthy ecosystem: wildlife is encouraged by including forage crops in rotation and by retaining fence rows, wetlands, and other natural areas.
7. Organic Growers are Leaders in Innovative Research - Organic Farmers have led the way with innovative on-farm research aimed at reducing pesticide use and minimizing the impact agriculture has on the environment.
8. Organic Producers Strive to Preserve Diversity - The loss of a large variety of species (biodiversity) is an important environmental concern. The good news is that organic growers have been collecting and preserving seeds, and growing unusual varieties for decades.
9. Organic Farming Helps Keep Rural Communities Healthy - The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that in 1997, half of U.S. farm production came from only 2% of farms. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can command fair prices for crops.
10. Organic Abundance - Foods and Non-Foods Alike! - Now every food category has an organic alternative. And non-food crops such as flowers are being grown organically—even cotton, which most experts felt could never be.
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