It won't be like this for long

Time flies fast. Let's enjoy every moment bonding with our loved ones. People and time come and go. Let's treasure them.

I'd go vege...

(Notes from and personal reaction on Dr. Clarence Ing’s lecture, The Adventist Advantage, at Youngberg Wellness Centre, Thomson Rd., SG, December 11, 2010)

As an introduction to NEW START Lifestyle Program series, Dr. Ing and his wife started their endeavour with a Sabbath afternoon service. In that short session, I learned a lot. I actually know almost all of those stuffs but I needed reinforcement (maybe) for me to apply such principles in my life.

By the way, NEW START is an acronym for nutrition, exercise, water, sunshine, temperance, air, rest, and trust in God – natural healing gifts that our Creator offers us to be wholly healthy.

Adventists put more emphasis on lifestyle choices because nowadays, lifestyle is the main culprit on most health problems as latest medical research claims. Dr. Lamont Murdoch of Loma Linda University School of Medicine said:

“Faulty genetics loads the gun; lifestyle pulls the trigger.”

Indeed, very true!

The Gospel Good News

Every time spiritual matters are brought out into conversations, I notice that most people secretly scoff at it and divert the topic.

“Basta ang importante, sumasamba tayo…” (The important thing is we are worshipping…)

“Iisa lang naman Diyos natin…” (We only have one God…thinking of debate eh…)

Some even think that the Gospel is “taking all the fun out of life”, especially when we, Adventists, present the health laws.

“Hmp, andami namang bawal, yun pang masasarap.” (Hmp, so many to avoid – especially those appetizing ones)…

It’s so sad to note that these people don’t realize that the GOAL of the GOSPEL is to give us more life to enjoy eternity.

Indeed, what the National Geographic mentioned is right: many problems are started and worsened in the mind.

At other times, there are people who sceptically question our beliefs. They believe that we are following a plain (wo)man-made doctrines. (I will share about Ellen White some other time)

In Revelations 12:17, the remnants of God’s people are described: they keep the commandment and they have the testimony of Jesus. “…The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelations 19:10

Regarding prophecy, 2 Chronicles 20:20 states that if we believe in God, we will be established, and if we believe in His prophets, we will prosper.

Long before science achieved its full-fledge status, Ellen White has written books compiled as the Spirit of Prophecy. Many of these articles tackle about health, which now are validated by dieticians, nutritionists, and other medical practitioners. In her writings, Sister White instructed Adventists on the basic concepts of healthful living.

On March 1984, The Saturday Evening Post, a newspaper in the United States, published:

“Probably no religious movement, ancient or modern, has put greater emphasis on diet and nutrition than the Seventh-day Adventist Church.”

Your stomach is not a graveyard for dead animals

Eeeeeewwwwwww….

This line really struck me.

Pictures of slaughtered animals flooded my mind. And all those health articles I’ve been reading in the internet, magazines, newspapers, and books came back to my senses.

Meat-eating has caused the number of cancers, tumours, and inflammations to rise. As Sister White pointed out, “meat is the greatest disease breeder that can be introduced into the human system.”

In addition, she also mentioned that students would accomplish much more if they never tasted meat – no meat in the body system makes a mind clearer. I like this idea^^ I am so happy that I am raised in an Adventist home, in an average family, who eats vegetables most of the time. I know this is one big factor in how I became an achiever (not to brag but I’m always first in class).

Now, people may say God gave us free will. He gave us the freedom to eat what we want. He gave us the animals for food too.

It is not God’s original plan to make animals food for man. But after the flood, when all plants were swept away and only animals and Noah’s family were saved, God allowed meat-eating – with requirement. Check your Bible. It says that pairs of every kind of animals and birds came in the ark, except for the eatable ones that came seven by seven.

Which are these eatable animals? You may see them in the books of Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.

Further, when consuming these clean animals, God made “a lasting ordinance for the generations to come, wherever you live: You must not eat any fat or any blood” (Leviticus 3: 17) “because the life of every creature is its blood” (Leviticus 17:14).

But the best thing to do is to go back to the basics, the original. Genesis 1:29 tells us of the original diet: “God said, ‘I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.’”

God says through Exodus 15:26, “If you listen carefully to the voice of the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians, for I am the Lord, who heals you.”