02/04/13

Obesity has no place in God's Kingdom

Isaiah 10:16 - Therefore shall the Lord, the Lord of hosts, send among his fat ones leanness; and under his glory he shall kindle a burning like the burning of a fire.


During the time of Ezekiel when the Lord had to take names of certain people as examples of being righteous He did not take the names of people like Moses, David nor Abraham, not even Elijah or Jeremiah. It may surprise people that God chose to take names like Noah, Job and Daniel (not once but twice).

We may think we become great in God's Kingdom by doing great miracles, healings, or works among the people.

We need to wake up; we need to realize these things happen not by our power or ability but by the Power of God through us. So how is God going to be impressed with things that we do by His Power?

If we look at Noah for 100 years he worked tirelessly on a ship (Ark) in a desert kind of surrounding. People must have laughed at him day in and out yet he did not stop. What we see is his persistent dedication to God earned him great respect.

Job even though was greatly blessed with things of the world feared God greatly. When we went through a test that nearly took his life he did not give up on God. Even after losing everything, when his own wife and closest friend the last of what remained, became his worst critics yet he did not give up on God. His trust and willingness to be corrected earned him respect from God.

Daniel was captured and taken to Babylon as a slave and then given the highest status in the Kingdom after the King himself. Yet we see Daniel refused the pleasures of the palace. He lived a sober life because he feared these things would take him away from God. Another person like him was Joseph and we see Joseph refused to return to his people at the end and stayed back in Egypt, thus he was replace by his son in the 12 tribes. Daniel learning from this great mistake of Joseph did not want to forget his roots, his people and his God. God was pleased with him and thus respected him.

All three showed an unwavering commitment to God. God is pleased more with what we do with our efforts not whit what we do with His Power.

We can choose to be people's heroes or be heroes of God. To be heroes of God one needs to work inside.

In today's message the Lord is talking of making fat people lean. Obesity is a weakness of the flesh or problem of the spirit. The second one can be serious but the first if not controlled will lead to the second.

Someone told me a few days back the best food is see (not sea) food. We people are so weak in the flesh and slaves to the craving of the desires of our tongues. If we can control our tongues (not only what we speak but also its desire of taste) then we will preserve our life.

Some doctors put obesity can be caused by the dysfunction of the thyroid (TSH concentration) while some put the dysfunction as not the cause but the consequence of obesity. Obesity is not about eating more but about eating senselessly. It is about not looking at what we eat and how much our body requires. If our body usage (metabolism) is less than we should eat less food that do not digest and are converted to fat (storage). Like we are called to discern what we accept spiritually we also are called to discern the natural intake. A weak body can affect our spiritual balance. A strong (healthy) body will help us have a healthy mind and thus a healthy spirit.

Paul advices us to live a sober life, not giving unto the pleasures of the flesh, or be drunk in desires of the flesh. Let us control the input and not struggle later to get it out.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You have called us to be soldiers always on battle, protecting things that are precious in your eyes. Lord, You have said our body is your Temple wherein You dwell. Lord we prayer we know how to respect our bodies and not abuse it by our lack of control of our desires. Lord, help us to discern what we eat and consume what is necessary. Help us keep a healthy body along with a healthy mind and spirit...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Ezekiel 14:14 - Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 14:20 - Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

1 Peter 3:10 - For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: (Psalms 34:13)

Proverbs 15:4 - A wholesome tongue is a tree of life: but perverseness therein is a breach in the spirit.

Proverbs 18:21 - Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.

1 Thessalonians 5:5-8
5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.




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