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Survey of Fasting in the Bible

A Biblical Survey of Fasting

Fasting is an important and prevalent practice in the Bible. It was both expected and voluntary. At times it is commanded by God; at times it is a means of presenting supplication to God; at times it was a response to a difficult situation; at times it was a means to draw near to God in repentance.

This survey of fasting in the Bible is meant only to demonstrate the reasons and occasions it was practiced. There is little indication in the Bible that fasting has Continue reading “Survey of Fasting in the Bible” →

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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.

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Principle #2: Healthy Blood Through Fasting: Introduction

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Fasting is a practice that endured throughout biblical history and beyond, involving individuals, nations, and the church. Interestingly, it is rarely practiced today – individually or collectively in the body of Christ.

For clarification purposes, let’s define fasting.

According to the Continue reading “Principle #2: Healthy Blood Through Fasting: Introduction” →

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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The Circumcision Principle

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

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” →

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Living Under God’s Design: Introduction

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

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” →

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Principle #2: Blood Circulation

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Blood Circulation

The previous post, Principle #1: Blood Quality, should be read prior to this post for full context.

Now that we know the major components of a person’s life force (i.e. blood) and the primary functions of each component (as much as science can apprehend), let us look at blood as a whole unit – primarily how blood functions within the human cardiovascular system.

The Cardiovascular System

The cardiovascular system is made up of three primary units.

The Heart
- Has four chambers
  - Left Atrium
  - Left Ventricle
  - Right Atrium
  - Right Ventricle

Blood (see previous discussion)
Blood Vessels
- Ateries (carry blood away from the heart)
  - Pulmonary artery (carries deoxygenate blood into the lungs)
- Arterioles (sm vessel connecting arteries to capillaries)
- Capillaries (exchange nutrients, water, and chemicals with human tissue and organs down to a cellular level)
- Venules (connect capillaries with veins)
- Veins (carry blood away from the capillaries back to the heart)
  - Pulmonary veins (carry oxygenated blood from the lungs back to the heart)
- Coronary vessels (supply the heart with oxygen)
- Hepatic portal vein (transfers nutrients and chemicals from the digestive tract to the liver – but is not connected directly to the heart)

There are two primary types of circulation that exist within the cardiovascular system.

Systemic Circulation (feeds and cleanses the body)
- Oxygen rich blood leaves the left ventricle of the heart.
- It then travels through the aorta (the largest artery).
- The aorta branches into smaller arteries, through arterioles and into the capillaries.
- Capillaries exchange blood at the cellular level
  - leaving nutrients, oxygen, chemicals, and toxins.
  - taking cellular wastes
- Next the blood exits the capillaries and enters into the venous system through venules.
- Eventually the blood returns to the heart through the upper and lower vena cava and enters the right atrium where pulmonary circulation begins.

Pulmonary Circulation (oxygenates the blood)
- Oxygen depleted blood exits the systemic circulation when it is pumped back into the right atrium of the heart.
- From there the blood is pumped into the right ventricle of the heart, preparing to exit the body.
- The right ventricle pumps the blood into the pulmonary artery and then into the lungs.
- As the blood travels through the capillaries in the lungs
  - it releases carbon dioxide (and other chemicals)
  - and picks up oxygen (and other chemicals).
- Re-oxygenated blood travels through the pulmonary veins and enters into the left atrium of the heart.
- The blood pumps into the left ventricle and enters back into systemic circulation.

The heart circulates its own blood in a different system called Pulmonary Circulation.

The Significance

Now that we have a basic understanding of the way blood circulates in the human body, let’s consider some implications.

Capillaries

Capillaries, the tiniest of all vessels, are the key to cellular nutrition and cellular waste. It is here that blood products are delivered to the cells. It is here that waste products are removed from the cells.

Capillaries are so tiny, that blood cells must form a single file line [1] in order to pass.

Our bodies are made up of cells, our organs are made up of cells, and our tissue is made up of cells; and capillaries are the portal of their life.

Diminished Blood Flow

If blood flow becomes blocked or damaged or diminished, it can cut off the life supply to various portions of your body.

Consider a diabetic who must have their feet amputated. This results from poor circulation (blood flow) to the feet. In addition, they succumb to sores that cannot heal [2].

If blood circulation is not up to God’s intended par, there is no way for blood’s healing properties (as discussed in Principle #1: Blood Quality) to reach the damaged areas of the body.

It is estimated that 90% of American adults have diminished capillary flow causing chronic symptoms of one kind or another [3].

This Occurs At The Cellular Level.

If one cell does not receive its life saving blood, it will probably not have a big impact on the body. But if the blood flow continues to diminish in that area, the damage will grow.

Cancer never begins as a tumor the size of a baseball. It begins at the cellular level, one cell at a time.

Disease never begins with a rush. It begins affecting one cell at a time until it gets to the stage of causing noticeable symptoms.

Macular Degeneration does not begin with blindness. It begins one cell at a time.

Fill in the blank: ____________ begins one cell at a time.

Conclusion:

When blood flow is restricted to an area (or the quality of the blood is imbalanced), there are consequences.

Cellular nutrition cannot occur
Cellular wastes cannot exit
Portions of your body become starved for nutrition
Portions of your body become toxic dumps
Your health is affected

Tying Things Together

It is impossible to consider blood circulation without considering blood quality. You cannot have good health with one missing.

If your blood flow is good, but your blood quality is bad, your cells will not be supplied with the proper nutrition.

If your blood quality is good, but your blood flow is bad, your cells will not be supplied with the proper nutrition.

They must work together, and we will be discussing (in the future) how Living Under God’s Design will allow for both good blood quality and good blood circulation. But there is a third principle dealing with the life principle of blood: blood cleansing.

Next: Principle #3: Blood Cleansing.

Return To: Biblical Health Study

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— — —

Acknowledgments: Most blood research was done at Wikipedia. All else is footnoted below:

[1] http://biology.about.com/od/anatomy/ss/capillary.htm

[2] http://ruralhealth.und.edu/pdf/diabetes.pdf

[3] Sinclair, Russ. Family Health Media, Inc., 1998: The Systemic Health Home Study Course Part 1 Systemic Exercise page 15

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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The Life Principle: The Life of the Flesh is in the Blood!

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Introduction

What element is Foundational to all of life, both physical and spiritual? The Blood!

Without blood, our physical bodies would die; without Christ’s blood, our spiritual bodies would die.

Leviticus 17:11a: The life of the flesh is in the blood.

The Scripture expounds the foundational significance of blood.

Please read Genesis 9:1-5

In this passage, Noah has come safely through the floodwaters. God has a new set of instructions for Noah to live by. Prior to this, humans had not been given permission to eat meat; now God gives them permission to eat the flesh of animals.

However, there is a caveat. They cannot eat flesh that still has its lifeblood. Or, as the New American Standard Version puts it, “you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood.”

Not Just a Symbol

Blood is not just a symbol of life and death, but it is the life of the flesh.

The principle of lifeblood was so important to God that He instituted the death penalty against anyone who took the life of another human. This death penalty was against humans and animals.

In the Old Testament, God judged man and animals who took the life of another. The requirement was their own life blood.

Before the Mosaic Law

It is important to note that this death penalty and lifeblood principle was instituted prior to the Mosaic Law. In addition, it can be traced to before the flood.

First we see in the garden a necessary animal sacrifice to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve (this deals with the spiritual life of man). Later in Genesis 4 we see the first two murders recorded in history.

Cain first kills his brother Able when his own sacrifice was not acceptable to God. Cain recognizes, prior to the recorded law, that his lifeblood will be required of him for his deed. But God shows Cain Mercy and puts a mark on him so that no one will kill him. Next Lamech kills a young man, and aware of the punishment, tries to ride the coattails of God’s mercy towards Cain. As Matthew Henry says, “He seems to abuse the patience of God in sparing Cain, into an encouragement to expect that he may sin unpunished.” The idea is that Lamech, just like Cain before him understands that there is a punishment for murder.

Read Leviticus 17: 10-14

Here we discover an even greater understanding of the importance of blood to God.

Any man who ate blood would be cut off from the people of God.
Blood is the very life of man (and animal). It carries life-sustaining elements to every part of the body and thus is the very essence of life itself.
Blood makes atonement for our souls. Since it contains life, it is sacred to God.
Shed blood (death) from a substitute (ultimately Christ) atones for or covers the sinner.

Whether spiritually or physically, it is blood that brings life, both temporal and eternal. It is the blood coursing through our veins that nourishes every cell in our body, sustaining our life. And it is the blood that Christ shed on the cross that brings life to our souls. We are one whole person, saved by the blood.

What are these life-sustaining elements found in physical blood?

We will be looking at three principles which help explain how the blood provides life to our bodies: blood quality; blood circulation; and blood cleansing.

Next: Principle #1: Blood Quality

Return To: Biblical Health Study

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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What is Good Health? And Who Does It Belong To?

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

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

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Designer Principle #5: Completeness Under God’s Design

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Principle #5: Completeness Under God’s Design

In order to fully understand the principles of this website, one cannot look at the individual pieces and make a judgment.

Just as with a puzzle, before the picture can be determined, each piece must be in its proper place. Even if one piece is missing, the puzzle is not complete. So the reader should not draw any final conclusions about biblical health until all the pieces are presented in their proper order – and as a whole unit.

The Scriptures contain a plethora of information concerning health, but the information is found not in one chapter and verse, but throughout the Scripture there are many different pieces of information, biblical health principles, that when unified into one whole unit will help us understand how we can regain our health.

We are going to put together a cogent picture, principle by principle and root cause by root cause, until we have constructed the systemic wellness approach.

This simple principle of Completeness Under God’s Design, concludes this series on Five Designer Principles of Living.

As a recap: The Five Designer Principles of Living are:

Next: What Is Good Health? And Who Does It Belong To?

Return To: Biblical Health Study

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Designer Principle #4: Systemic Wellness Under God’s Design

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Principle 4: Systemic Wellness Under God’s Design

Conventional health care in our country deals with illness and disease through a symptomatic or local approach. The focus is on localized pain, localized skin conditions, lack of energy, some symptom that suggests an organ is not functioning properly, or any other abnormal health condition that is focused on one area of the body. The problem is usually treated based on the symptoms, and once the probable cause of the symptoms are known, then treatment is given to that particular, localized area of the body. Continue reading “Designer Principle #4: Systemic Wellness Under God’s Design” →

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Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.

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Designer Principle #3: Faith Under God’s Design

Posted on by Mischelle Sandowich

Principle 3: Faith Under God’s Design

What is faith?

According to the Noah Webster 1812 Dictionary, faith can be defined: Belief; the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority and veracity, without other evidence.

This definition serves as a perfect example of the type of faith that God expected of the Old Testament Israelites concerning their health. God prescribed a way to live through the O.T. law and declared, “ If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer [Exodus 15:26].”

God did not tell the Israelites the details of how this would happen. He did not give them a diagram of the human body explaining how the immune system worked, or the digestive system, or the integumentary system, or the lymph system, cardiovascular system, etc.

God simply does not provide this information. It was not necessary for them know the details in order for them to obtain proper health, and they probably would not (fully) understand it anyway. God asked them to simply trust Him, to have faith.

It was the responsibility of the Israelites to discover, learn, and obey the law that God had revealed. God would do the rest.

Our approach to biblical health should be similar. Our focus need not be on the complex details of the workings of the body. The body is so complex that man will never fully understand how it functions, but God knows perfectly. If we simply apply the “simple” principles that God has clearly written or provided as inference in His Health Book, our complex bodies will follow suit of their creator and function at their best. Therefore, our focus should not be on the complexity of the body, or the hordes of research, but on the Creator and His guidebook, the Word of God – which we must obey in faith.

We must view God’s Word as the authority for healthy living; every other source must subordinate to God’s Holy Word.

An Illustration

Recently, my husband asked a co-worker to create a website for a project that he was working on. The orders trickled down from the boss, and a deadline was given to have the website completed by the end of the week. Having no other orders, the webmaster began the project. The next day, it came to my husbands attention that the project was put on hold because a second order had come in. This order was from the boss’ daughter.

My husband had only been on the job for a few weeks; the boss’ daughter, well let’s just say, she had a lot more seniority. The webmaster followed the order from the higher authority.

Now, what if the boss had come with a different order? Obviously, my husband and the daughter would have been trumped. He is the ultimate authority in the work place. It is his business. He created it. He owns it. He knows how to best operate it.

And so it is with God. He has created us; He owns us; He knows best how we operate. When God gives us a design (an order) for healthy living – we need to obey it, even if we do not understand all the details of why He is asking us to do these things. However, in all my research, I have found that God’s ways always have a good reason, but the good reason must not be our reason for obeying. Our reason for obeying needs to be trust (faith) in our designer.

Yes, His Word does have the answers. And no, it is not a legalistic following of the ceremonial laws of Moses – though there is great wisdom to be gleaned there. Our responsibility is to discover, learn, and obey. We must have faith and trust that the Creator does have the answers. It is the only thing that makes sense. Would God create man and then leave him alone to discover how to live a healthy life? No!

Leviticus 18:5: So you shall keep My statutes and My judgments, by which a man may live if he does them;

Why?

I am the Lord.

Lev.18:30 – Thus you are to keep My charge, that you do not practice any of the abominable customs which have been practiced before you, so as not to defile yourselves with them;

Why?

I am the LORD your God.

Isaiah 66:1,2 – Thus says the LORD,

Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool.
Where then is a house you could build for Me?
And where is a place that I may rest?
For My hand made all these things,
Thus all these things came into being

declares the LORD.

But to this one I will look,
To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.

To this one God will look – he who trembles at His Word!

Next: Designer Principle #4: Systemic Wellness Under God’s Design

Return To: Biblical Health Study

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