At Reformed Health — we teach the Biblical principles of wellness so people can better serve Christ in their calling. We’ve talked about water, exercise, food, air, circulation, and so much more — but never have we addressed health from this most fundamental perspective.
Tag: God
Delighted by Living From The Garden
Have you ever considered the variety of foods that grow from the earth’s bountiful garden — all the foods that God has given us to enjoy? My heart sings over an avocado — with its creamy goodness. And my tastebuds rejoice when I bite into the tangy yellow flesh of a mango. I am even delighted by the sweet sting of a jalapeño pepper on my tongue. Of course, I must not forget garlic, with its undeniable beauty on the palette. And a basil leaf picked straight off the stem — what a refreshingly pungent herb that adds life to many dishes. And let us also remember the queen of all the fragrant edibles: Continue reading “Delighted by Living From The Garden”
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
The Circumcision Principle
Regarding Circumcision
For a better understanding of this topic, please read Genesis 17: 9-11 and Leviticus 12:3.
Circumcision was the sign of the covenant between God and Abraham in which the male foreskin was cut away. From a physical standpoint, this surgery was important for Continue reading “The Circumcision Principle”
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
Healthy Blood Through Cleanliness: What Do The Scriptures Say?
Principle: Do Not Touch
There are many warnings in the Old Testament about what believers should and should not touch. The overarching reason that God forbid the Israelites from touching certain items had to do with separation. Israel was set apart and separate from the rest of the Gentile nations. However, there is more to it than that.
God did not sit arbitrarily in His Heaven and Continue reading “Healthy Blood Through Cleanliness: What Do The Scriptures Say?”
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
Living Under God’s Design: Introduction
The last several posts have elaborated on the Life Principle, namely that the Life of the Flesh is in the Blood. This principle was divided into there sub-priciples: Blood Quality, Blood Circulation, and Blood Cleansing.
We will now be looking at the overarching principle of Living Under God’s Design, which will include seven principles derived and applied from the Scriptures for maintaining a healthy life force, namely Continue reading “Living Under God’s Design: Introduction”
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
What is Good Health? And Who Does It Belong To?
What is Good Health?
Do you recall a time when your physical life was great, when you felt excited to get out of the bed in the morning?
Do you know, or have you forgotten, what it is like to get out of bed feeling refreshed with the mind clear and looking forward to what the Lord has for you in the day as you recall, “This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
Do you know, or have you forgotten, what it is like to have abounding energy throughout the day which is maintained through morning until evening without feeling exhausted, and when bedtime comes, you fall to sleep within a few minutes and have a sound sleep without waking up periodically throughout the night?
Have you forgotten what it is like to be free of stiffness in the joints, and when muscles are stretched, there is no pain but a slightly enjoyable feeling of satisfaction?
Do you remember what it was like to be free of digestive problems and not have the bloating and abdominal gas that seems to be so prevalent? Not only this, but perhaps you have forgotten that there was a time when you could smell and taste most everything, and when you went outdoors, you could smell the air and the various fragrances that were around you from the trees and plant life.
Do you remember a time as you were eating that you ate only enough for what you needed and experienced no exaggerated cravings, and your body weight stayed normal even though the amount of what you ate varied here and there?
Do you recall a time when you could not recall the last time you got sick? Do you remember in earlier years how you rarely got sick or had an infection of some sort, your immune system was topnotch, and when you did get sick, it was for a very short time?
If you cannot remember any of those times, then it has been a long time since you were truly healthy, that is, in excellent health.
Gradually over the years, by violating God’s design for us on a regular basis, we have slipped from excellent health to a state of existence that does not meet the fullness God designed for the human body. Perhaps we never had excellent health to begin with as a child, and therefore we do not know what it is like to feel healthy.
Can You Attain Good Health?
The above questions demonstrate what normal health should be. These things are attainable through humility and a sincere trust in our loving God. If we compare ourselves to others in our same age bracket, we might think that our health is good or normal or maybe not that bad, but our standard of comparison is too low. We cannot compare ourselves to others, but instead we should compare ourselves to God’s standard. As we build upon the foundational information laid so far, we will attempt to provide examples from the Scripture as we share God’s principles for excellent health and the root causes of systemic wellness.
Now, we recognize that aging will bring certain losses from what is normal as our bodies do break down, but I am convinced because of what God has said that these aging losses can be very limited, and the quality of our lives can be greatly enhanced until the day our Lord calls us home.
Perhaps you feel that because of your current physical weaknesses, God can no longer use you. Or on the opposite spectrum, you might feel that God is using you because of your physical weaknesses. And while the later may be true, what if you were able to improve your health to some degree? Could He not use you in other ways, and relieve your suffering? Would you willingly share with others how applying His principles led to your wellness?
Whether you are young, middle-aged, or in the senior years of your life, the time is now to make the necessary changes for the Lord’s glory and honor. Improved health is attainable to all those who apply His principles to their life. Don’t let your illness or condition hinder you from seeking wellness from God’s design. Improvements can be found for those suffering from the smallest ailments to those suffering from serious chronic illnesses, improvements to all, complete restoration to many.
Next: The Life Principle
Return To: Biblical Health Study
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
Designer Principle #2: Simplicity Under God’s Design
Principle 2: Simplicity Under God’s Design
The principles and applications for excellent health under God’s design are simple to understand.
Some people may find these principles too simple to be of any value. This is a sad deception. It is often the simple things that can destroy or heal. In the case of biblical health, it is an absolute rule. The answers lie in the simple things, the simple truths of God’s Word
If you are prone to think that the answers must be complex, please carefully consider what is being said in this article and the rest of this site. We are presenting a case for health from the creator of the body. Yes, the body is complex, no doubt, but tending it is not as complex as you may believe.
God’s Word is meant to be understood by the simple-minded as well as by the intelligent-minded – and all those in between. That includes everyone, and God desires that all would apply it to their lives.
God’s approach to truth is simplicity, but man’s approach to truth is complexity.
We have been led to believe that truth regarding good health and the workings of the body can only come from complicated sources:
- years of study
- mountains of research
- sophisticated and expensive equipment
- endless surveys
- continuous testing
- intelligent and creative thinking (often through godless minds)
- statistics and analysis
- the expenditure of large sums of money
And then we say, “Look at all the work done in this area by so many people, this must be where I can find the answer my illness.”
Or we may say, “The experts and researchers say, ‘it is incurable,’” and we beat our breasts, tear our clothes, put on sackcloth and pour ashes on our head, and say, “Lord thy will be done,” as we resign ourselves to the fate befallen us.
Satan is a liar. He wants us to believe that truth is found in complexity. And those who concur (that truth is found in complexity) say, “Well, the poor fools who cannot understand these things, well, too bad for them.”
This should not be so!
God provides truth that is clear, concise, and to the point. He doesn’t add extra words or meaningless repetitions; He does not require years of study or complex equipment; and He has made the truth available to all – to the simple-minded and to the intellectually endowed. In God’s clear genius, He has communicated to us in a simple fashion, telling us what we need to do, and that is all we need to know. Yes, there is value in education and research – but only inasmuch as it compliments the Word of God, not convolutes or nullifies it.
Two principles come to mind:
- The KISS principle: Keep It Simple Saint (I learned it stupid, but saint sounds better).
- The magnet principle – that is the magnet on my mother’s refrigerator: God said it; I believe it; that settles it!
There is a great illustration of this found in 2 Kings 5:1-14. Read the passage in your Bible for the greatest impact, or you can click the passage and read it online.
Naaman’s Cleansing
Naaman was a great leader for the army of Aram, but he had a little problem: he had leprosy. A young Israelite captive girl told Naaman about a great man of God who could cleanse his leprosy.
Interested, Naaman sought out Elisha to cleanse his disease. In response, Elisha told Naaman to go wash in the river.
Naaman was insulted. He wanted to see a flashy miracle – a great display of the power of God. Instead he was instructed to go and wash in the Jordan and his flesh would be restored.
Naaman, at first, refused such a menial method of healing, but later upon persuasion from a lowly servant, Naaman went to the Jordan to wash seven times as instructed. God instantly restored his flesh to that of a young boy.
It was not in a great display that Naaman was healed, it was in simple obedience to the Word of the Lord (in this case through the prophet Elisha).
It took humility for Naaman to do something simple. And so it is with us, we need humility as we go through this study, humility to trust the simplicity of God’s Word.
There is a second example from Numbers 21:4-9. Again, I recommend following along in your Bible, or clicking the passage and reading online.
Serpent on a Stick
In a punishment for complaining in the wilderness, the Israelites were sent serpents from the Lord to strike with venomous poison. Upon being bitten, the Israelites called out to God for healing.
God instructed Moses to make a serpent and put it on the end of a stick. All the Israelites had to do was look upon the serpent to be healed.
God could have chosen 1000 complicated ways to heal the Israelites, but He chose the simple.
And so it is with God’s principles for health. They are simple, but they are practiced by very few – and the majority of the population in the United States are suffering or will be suffering the consequences in their lifetime.
Keep It Simple Saint
Next: Designer Principle #3: Faith Under God’s Design
Return To: Biblical Health Study
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
Designer Principle #1: Living Under God’s Design
Living Under God’s Design
As we discuss the following health principles, we need to be guided in our thinking regarding man’s proper place in the overall scheme of God’s creation.
The Design
God has designed a world and the creatures in it to live under absolute, fixed boundaries and laws. It is a world based upon the pure, excellent wisdom of God. It is a world of harmony in all its facets. Each part of God’s creation works in harmony with another part. Man in the center of His creation needs to understand his place and how he best functions in God’s world.
Read Psalms 104 for an amazing picture of God’s hand over His creation and how He has established an order for its proper function. Here are a few highlights taken from the passage:
- Bless the Lord oh my soul…You are very great!
- Stretching out heaven like a curtain
- He established the earth upon its foundations
- The mountains rose…to the place You established for them.
- He sends forth springs in the valleys…they give drink to every beast of the field.
- He waters the mountains…The earth is satisfied with the fruits of His works.
- He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and vegetation for the labor of man,
- so that he may bring forth food from the earth
- and wine which makes man’s heart glad
- and food which sustains man’s heart
- He made the moon for its seasons
- The sun knows the place of its setting.
- You appoint darkness and it becomes night
- When the sun rises…man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening
There is so much wisdom for living in this passage. I highly recommend reading it in its entirety. Click Here to read it now. Though we are not going to dissect this passage at the moment, we are presenting an idea: the idea that God does have a perfect plan for living, a plan that was designed at creation, updated at the flood, and manifest through the whole of Scripture. It is this design that we are going to explore on this site.
Psalm 145:17 – The Lord is righteous in all His ways, and holy (gracious) in all His works.
The Living
Once we discover this perfect plan for living, we must appropriate and apply what we know to be true, i.e. live it. In this way alone can true harmony with the wisdom that God has established for creation exist, so as not to violate His natural and physical laws, lessening or eliminating the associated diseases and illnesses. This will take the spiritual fruit of self-control (and faith – Proverbs 3:5-8).
Prov. 25:28 – Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit.
Consider this illustration titled Walls [1]:
The dictionary provides several definitions for discipline. The first is punishment, but the dictionary’s second definition is richer: Training that corrects, molds, or perfects the mental faculties or moral character.
Discipline, in other words, is training in virtue and self-control. If we say that someone is a disciplined person, we mean he is self-controlled. How important is self-control? Proverbs 25:28 says: Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control (NIV).
A strong, safe, well-guarded city in biblical times had high, thick walls to thwart invaders. Enemies had to camp in the vulnerable open and send troops rushing toward the gates with battering rams. The city’s defensive forces could shoot well-aimed arrows and repulse the enemy. The population felt safe, because the walls were unassailable.
But if the walls collapsed like those of Jericho, the enemy could waltz right in, rape the women, loot the stores, kill the men, massacre the children, and burn the town.
Proverbs 25 says that a person’s self-discipline is his defense in life. The devil can’t touch a self-controlled, well-disciplined person. But if we’re undisciplined, prone to indulge our appetites, doing what we feel like doing, exercising little self-control, then Satan doesn’t even have to fire a shot. He can stroll into our lives and do whatever he wishes. That’s why Peter wrote: Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.
Galatians 5:22, 23: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
How do we walk by the Spirit?
Galatians 24,25: Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.
Only through the strength of our resurrected Lord, Jesus Christ.
What you should have gleaned from this post:
- God has a perfect design for living
- We must apply His design to our life through self-control and the power of Christ
- And inferred are the rewards of improved health
Next: Principle #2: Simplicity Under God’s Design
Return To: Biblical Health Study
— — — — —
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
5 Designer Principles for Living: Introduction
Let’s Recap!
So far on Reformed Health we have explored three basic topics:
We will now explore five authoritative principles for living that will put anyone on the path to a healthier life – regardless of current illnesses and/or conditions or lack thereof. These principles will educate people how to avoid violations of the natural and physical laws that God has established for mankind.
Thinking Properly
Before we discuss these health principles, we need to be willing to take a potentially new approach to how health is achieved – this may require that we make a major shift in our thinking process. This was addressed in some detail in the Authoritative Answers section, but for the sake of expediency, we will briefly address it here.
We often grow up from early childhood thinking that there is only a particular way of diagnosing ill health. We learn this by the example of our parents, our school teachers, our peers, the medical establishment, and in general the culture we live in.
This approach, in most cases, is not the way God has ordained, and it is the primary reason why illness and disease persist and increase. In particular, diseases that once only affected the elderly are now being found increasingly in the younger generations, including young adults, teenagers, and children, illnesses such as diabetes, arthritis, and high blood pressure.
Why?
We espouse that a large part of the problem is that God and His Word are simply ignored (for the most part) in areas involving healthy living. But for those few who do look into His Word, they often do not find the answers they are looking for and become discouraged. As a result, they turn to sources outside of Scripture in order to find a cure that will make them whole again.
Approaching God’s Holy Word
The problem can be identified in how a person approaches the Scripture. We cannot approach Scripture with the same mindset that the world has in finding cures to our health problems. Our mindset must change – there must be a paradigm shift in our thinking. Thus, we need to take a new approach. We need to align ourselves with how the Word diagnoses ill health and view our own lives through the lens of Scripture and the design that God has for living.
We will be presenting five biblical guidelines to help us think radically different than we are accustomed. These principles may not harmonize with the beliefs, worldviews, or practices of the world around us in regards to the achievement of a healthy life. But they will perfectly align with the Word of God. This should not be a surprise to the Christian; God’s ways are always different than man’s ways.
Isaiah 55:8-9: For my thoughts are not your thoughts neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.
Next: Designer Principle #1: Living Under God’s Design
Return To: Biblical Health Study
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved
Why Am I Sick? Reason #7: The Curse and Hereditary Weakness, Part B
Part B: Sickness by Violating God’s Design
We can become sick because we violate God’s design in how we live or eat.
This can occur through neglect or ignorance. We can violate God’s design by willfully participating or not participating in actions that can harm or improve our health. Or we can violate God’s design simply because we don’t know what His design is.
Violating Foods
One example is the foods we eat. Perhaps we know that eating fast food on a regular basis is not good for our health, yet we do it anyway. This would be an example of neglect.
On the other hand, we may not be aware that white bread is poisonous, so we eat gladly. This is an example of ignorance.
Whether we eat neglectfully or ignorantly, we can have the same result: poor health.
Consider II Kings 4:38-41. The men in this passage made a stew. They had no knowledge that it was poisonous. Before they ate, they recognized that there was “death in the pot,” and Elisha made it edible. Many times the food we eat is nothing more than “death in the pot,” but we eat it without thought.
Sometimes the food we eat is not even worthy to be called food, but unfortunately we still eat it. We will suffer in our bodies the consequences of eating poisonous foods, even if the poison produces only a slow death.
Sexual Sin
Another example of how we can become sick by violating God’s design is through the consequences of sexual sin.
Consider the following passages:
Romans 1:26-27 clearly states that there is a penalty received in the body for exchanging the “natural” with the “unnatural”. This physical penalty could very well be sexually transmitted disease, including, but not limited to AIDS.
I Corinthians 6:18 calls immorality a “sin” against the body. The result of immorality? Sexually transmitted disease is a high probability. There may be other effects on the body that we don’t even know about. Immorality is definitely a violation of God’s design for intimacy.
General Violations
Aside from the above specific principles, there is a general all inclusive principle known as “reaping what you sow.”
Galatians 6:7-8 teaches that whatever we do, whether good or bad, we will reap the appropriate reward. If we fail to understand and follow God’s general design for living, we will reap the negative consequences in our life. On the flip side, if we learn to live under God’s design, we will also reap the benefits.
Topics that could be included under this heading are exercise, drug use or abuse, alcoholism, attitudes, sunshine, cleanliness, and so on.
We are getting close to wrapping up the seven biblical reasons for illness. We have talked a lot so far about “living under God’s design.” In future articles, we will be sharing specific ways to live purposely under God’s design.
Next: Why Am I Sick? Seven Biblical Reasons: Conclusion
Return To: Biblical Health Study
Disclaimer:
Reformed Health exists so you can take control of your own health and be all that God has designed you to be. The information shared on Reformed Health is the sole opinion of the author and is not meant to diagnose or treat any illness. None or our claims have been evaluated by the FDA or any other government organization. We are not medical doctors, nor do we have any medical doctors on staff. If you are having a health emergency, please call 911, contact your doctor, or visit a local emergency room. Always consult your doctor before engaging in any new exercise regime.
This page may contain affiliate links. Please refer to our affiliate policy.
Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.
Copyright:
© 2017 Mischelle Sandowich
All Rights Reserved