Opus 2026-072: Headlines: The Big Flip

One of the recent headlines has been about how the government agencies have redrawn the nutrition pyramid.  There’s a lot of talk about how it has been inverted.  I watched one “Doctor” on the Internet until he got to his commercial, and he was excited about the fact that grains and carbohydrates have been taken from the position of king and foundation to a fringe group.  He had a lot to say about how destructive carbohydrates are and so forth.

While I will accept the fact that we eat too many carbohydrates it is not a problem of the carbs themselves as much as it is our lack of discipline and moderation.  One reason people eat a lot of carbs is that they are less expensive than the other things on the chart such as red meat and fresh vegetables.  I sometimes wonder if the people telling us how wonderful this will be have ever actually gone to a grocery store or had to balance a budget.  Pasta is cheap.  Porterhouse is expensive.

Another reason that I am not jumping on this bandwagon is because of a point that was made years ago in a book called The Weigh Down Diet.  The author pointed out that God had designed our bodies and designed hunger and appetite as a way of the bodies knowing what they should take in.  Her point was to eat what you craved, but do it in moderation.  Unfortunately, most of us don’t have the kind of discipline necessary to do that, but the principle of God building in a craving for certain foods resounded with me.

I’m not ready to reject carbohydrates as being the major problem in diabetes, and, according to the good doctor, all major illness.  My reason is theological.  I can give you a reason from the Bible in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  For instance,

(Mat 6:11 KJV)  Give us this day our daily bread.

This is a clear statement about bread.  I’ve seen other click bait on YouTube about how the bread they ate in those days was different than the bread we eat today.  That’s probably true.  The answer is not to throw out bread, but possibly to stop putting pesticides on the grain.  I’m not ready to reject what is a staple across almost all cultures just because the FDA decided to revise the food pyramid.  I am not ready to reduce the population of the world in order to give everyone the amount of fresh vegetables and fruits needed to follow the fruits and nuts.

I have been tracking certain things in nutrition for years.  Bread, and starches like potatoes, contain fiber, protein, and a bit of fat as well as carbohydrates.  Government agencies have a tendency to take extreme stands.  They tend to throw the baby out with a bath water.  While their advice is something to be considered, each of us needs to be our own advocate and walk our own path.

Shamblin, Gwen.  The Weigh Down Diet.  New York:  Doubleday, 1997.

homo unius libri

Opus 2026-022: Uber Bugs

I am previewing an album from the Gaither Vocal Band and in the song that I’m listening to they mentioned the little birds that God feeds. This of course was reflecting upon the verse,

Matthew 6:26 (KJV) Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

The point was that if God takes care of the birds, won’t he even more so take care of you?

Of course, my rabbit trail brain goes off on a tangent.

You should consider what the birds eat.  Generally speaking they eat bugs and seeds, at least the birds that are being discussed in this verse.  That’s not a lot of variety.  I mean there are many kinds of bugs but don’t they all taste the same?  I’m not sure I would flourish on that kind of a diet, which brings up the second point that I want to make and this one is probably the significant one.

If you’ve ever watched birds as they are going through their day, they are constantly in pursuit of food.  Yes, God provides the bugs and the seeds, but they have to go looking for them.  The bird does not just find a nice comfy spot in the grass and expect the bugs to come to jump in his mouth.  The bounty of God is there for him, but he has to reach out and take it.

So part of this lesson is not just that God is the ultimate provider, but that he expects us to do our part.  We are not on celestial welfare.  He gives us our health and our abilities and we are expected to go out and work.

Consider the words of Paul,

2 Thessalonians 3:10 (KJV) For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

As a man who thought he was wise said, “God does not play games.”  He expects you to put them away too.

homo unius libri

Opus 2025-299: Trump or Follow Suit

You should be familiar with a statement of Jesus found in the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

This is one of the key commands of Jesus.  How does that compare or contrast with one of Paul’s key statements,

Ephesians 2:8 (KJV) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Is Paul trumping Jesus?  I don’t know if you play cards, but in many card games, there is either one card that will take anything or one suit which will overpower all others.  Under certain circumstances, if hearts was played first, if you don’t have hearts, you can play a spade, which if it’s trump will defeat a higher card of hearts.  Is this what Paul does?  Or is he just taking the lead of Jesus and explaining it in greater detail?

One thing that we need to understand about this is that Jesus was speaking to a Jewish audience.  He was assuming that they were a part of the nation of Israel.  And that since they did not need to enter into the covenant, they should’ve already been there.  Leave aside the individual aspect of salvation that we emphasize and just look at this command.

This is a statement of obedience and action.  It is a statement of priorities.  It is a statement made to explain the responsibilities of being a part of the kingdom of God.  Paul’s statement on the other hand was about how you were to enter the kingdom.  Neither one rules the other out.  Both are scripture.  They give the two sides of the salvation coin which would be counterfeit if it only had one.

So believe and seek.

homo unius libri

Opus 2024-379: Prayer Details

One night in church the following verse was referred to,

Matthew 21:21-22 (KJV) 21 Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

The pastor announced that this meant that anything we asked for we would receive.  I found that very unsatisfying.  We played the spiritualizing game with, “What is the mountain?”  People came up with all kinds of things, such as our sin.  Still very unsatisfying.

This is not the first time I have wrestled with this nor the first time I have written about it.  It struck home again.  I got to thinking about how there are many places in the Bible with prayer talked about and in each place it seems like there’s some kind of qualification.  This is one of those topics that requires a gestalt view.  

Take this verse,

Matthew 6:33 (KJV) But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Is this referring to prayer?  And is it a qualification?  Are we required to be making righteousness a priority for answered prayer?

Then you have the case where the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray.  His answer was what we know as the Lord’s Prayer.   There is no guarantee of answer there, just directions.  I think that is significant.  Of course there are very few typical prayer list items mentioned.

And you have two examples of non-answers to the main people in the Bible.  One is when Paul pleads three times that his thorn in the flesh be removed.  The answer is “No.”

(2Co 12:8-9 KJV)  For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.  And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Then you have Jesus Himself in the garden praying and asking that this cup be removed.  Then He finishes with those lines that are so unpopular, “They will be done.”

Let’s go there next.

1 John 5:14 (KJV) And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

Prayer is not a free for all.  It is to be focused.  

Then we have something that has become a ritual or mantra.  We tend to finish all prayers with this,

John 14:13 (KJV) And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

Then there is the ultimate limitation which, when joined with praying in His will, really narrows the requests down.

John 15:7 (KJV) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.

So don’t base your ideas about prayer on one verse.

homo unius libri

Opus 2016-193: Headlines: California Attacks Again

According to World Magazine the California Legislature is preparing a bill that will force Christian colleges to stop maintaining standards that are mandated in the Bible.  The punishment at this point will be financial not jail time.  The pogrom will come later.  It will be the typical way that government controls the pigs at the trough, first they threaten to withhold funds, then they decide who becomes bacon.

Basically schools that refuse to remove their codes of conduct about sexual activity and proclivity will no longer be able to receive any government funds.  The way this will hurt is by the withholding of Cal Grant scholarships.  Years ago it was called the California State Scholarship.  I had one for three years and it covered my tuition at a small Christian school quite nicely.

“If signed into law, SB 1146 could expose schools to punitive litigation and the loss of millions in student aid. Schools wanting to avoid any penalty would have to dissolve student codes of conduct based on biblical teachings about sex and wouldn’t be able to base hiring decision on religious convictions about sexuality, gender identity, and marriage.”

This is another salvo from the left to remove Christianity from the public square but I am not sure it will not be a good thing for truly Christian colleges.  It will force them to decide whether they are Christian or not.  The choice will be to either take the government’s money or take the Lord’s righteousness. 

“All schools wanting to keep state financial aid would have to accommodate students based on their gender identity and would not be able to separate housing, restrooms, or locker room facilities based on biology. The same standards would apply to gender fluid students, those who fluctuate between identifying as either male or female.”

As Jesus said,

(Matthew 6:24 KJV)  No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

It isn’t really a matter of whether the schools will survive.  The question is will they survive as a part of the church?  Will they still be Christian?  Since the slide into perdition began long ago and most schools started by Christians have already sold out, this might be a good time for a wake up call.  I would suggest that it is time for the schools that are still Christian to bite the bullet, give up all government support and get back to being salt instead of tofu.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-431: Goal A, part 2 of 2

When I finally admitted to myself that I had diabetes, I got serious about dealing with it.  I lost a significant amount of weight.  Many of you have been there.  I always say losing weight is easy.  Now I am trying to keep it off.  That is the hard part.  Most of us with weight problems have lost thousands of pounds over our lifetime.  Then we gain it all back, and more.

The problem I continued to have was that I fixated on the weight loss and forgot the real goal:  Being healthy.  Since I have diabetes that might be expressed better as being healthier.  That requires keeping the weight off.  That requires control of my eating.  Self control, no gimmick or pre-packaged commercial program supplies that key element.

There is a difference between a goal and a side effect.  If we focus on the side effect we will never reach our Goal A.  If I focus on weight loss I can feel good half the time and in the other half return to the same bloated condition.  If I focus on how my clothes fit I can always fool myself with different cuts and styles.  When I first started dealing with my diabetes I was told to count carbohydrates.  I counted and had victory... over my carbohydrates.  It did nothing for my diabetes because it did nothing about my weight.  Being the clever sort, I realized that I could pig out on cheese and bacon and still be following the rules.  They don’t have carbs but they do have calories.

In education we see the same thing.  We have the wrong goals.  We talk rigor and high standards.  We practice self esteem and feelings.  This is probably why the group with the highest math scores are the ones with the lowest self esteem scores.

Spiritually it boils down to,

(Matthew 6:33 KJV)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Spend some time asking yourself what Goal A is for you.

homo unius libri

Opus 2015-428: Bread

Historically bread was a primary food, a staple.  When there was nothing else, there was bread of some kind.  Every culture had some kind of bread:  tortillas, pita, bagels, biscuits, saltines, won-ton, and the list goes on.  Only in modern times has our wealth and plenty made it an accompaniment to other foods, almost a condiment.  Only in modern health food culture does it become the enemy because of carbohydrates and gluten. We take it for granted.

I came across a statement that gives an idea of the place that bread played as late at the French Revolution.  In France, 1789, “Bread constituted three-fourths of an ordinary person’s diet and cost one-third to one-half of his or her income.”1

Forget the potatoes.  Don’t even dream about meat.  Hope you can get enough bread.

One Sunday the congregation was reciting the Lord’s Prayer together and we came to the line that says,

(Matthew 6:11 KJV)  Give us this day our daily bread.

That got me to thinking about communion and its reference to bread.

(1 Corinthians 11:23 KJV)  ...That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread:

We do not understand the historical importance that this is declaring.  Not only is Jesus to be a daily part of our lives but He is to be thought of as our primary sustenance.  This is the context of His reminder.

(John 6:48 KJV)  I am that bread of life.

If you are a Christian you are to take communion.  When you do, you are to remember the sacrifice Jesus made.  You are to remember that He died for your sins.  You are also to be reminded that He is to be at the core of your nutritional needs, not a condiment.

1Massie, Robert K.  Catherine the Great.  New York:  Random House, 2011, page 534.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-313, Forgiveness and Repentance

(Matthew 6:12 KJV)  And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

Forgiveness.  Such an important part of any relationship whether it be you and your spouse or you and the traffic cop.  Where would life be without forgiveness? 

It is a basic Christian action.  It is at the root of turning the other cheek.  It is necessary for salvation.  In the Lord’s prayer our forgiveness by God is tied to our willingness to forgive others.

I have a question about forgiveness.  What is the proper response to forgiveness?  Gratitude?  Relief?  Affection?  The most significant and meaningful response is too often overlooked.  It is the same thing which often generates forgiveness:  Repentance.  Repentance in the sense of willingly changing that part of our behavior or attitudes which caused the difficulty in the first place.

When you have wronged someone it is a glorious thing for them to forgive you.  For Christians it is a mandate.  When asked how many times we must forgive, Jesus told Peter it should go to 70 times 7.  The point is that we all make mistakes and our culture can only continue if we make allowances for that.  It reminds the person doing the forgiving that retribution and vengeance are not supposed to be in our repertoire.

It should also remind the person being forgiven not to push their luck.  Although it seems that forgiveness is unending largess, there will come a time it will not be extended. 

If forgiveness does not generate a difference in the person forgiven it will eventually become destructive.  Take advantage of this form of love in action.  Change the behavior that caused the problem.  Make it a two way street.  Why is this important?  I started off with the words of Jesus.  Let me finish with what He said a few verses later.

(Matthew 6:15 KJV)  But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

Get the point?

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-269, Healthy Insights: Mañana

There was a popular song when I was young enough to listen to AM radio.  It was called “Mañana.”  Some of the words went like this.

My Momma she was working, she was working very hard,
And every time she wants me I am sleeping in the yard.
My Momma thinks I’m lazy, and maybe she is right.
I’ll go to work mañana, but I gotta sleep tonight.

And the chorus went,

Mañana, mañana, mañana is soon enough for me.

Of course the idea was to mock people who always procrastinate.  I am here today to put in a word for procrastination.  There are some people who need to learn to say, “Later.”

Perhaps you know someone like this.  They are always going like a living dynamo and always have one more thing to do.  They are usually late because they stopped to get one more thing done.  They consider others lazy because they are not running fast.  And of course they complain about always being tired.

Perhaps a little nap would take care of some of that.  We talk about stopping to smell the roses.  This person has it on the list and will get to it next Tuesday, unless they are in the hospital for stress.

Although we are expected to put in our days labor and work hard we are also commanded to take a Sabbath.  Remember when Martha complained about Mary being lazy.  She wasn’t working, just listening to the words of Jesus.  Martha did not get much sympathy.  In another place Jesus had something else to say about this kind of frantic behavior. 

(Matthew 6:27 NAS77)  "And which of you by being anxious can add a single cubit to his life's span?

Just a few verses later He sums up what our target should be,

(Matthew 6:33 KJV)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Make it a priority to seek the kingdom.

And don’t just add it to your list.

homo unius libri

Opus 2011-98, Designer Toilets

What kind of toilet do you have?  If you are using the same one that was in the house when you bought it twenty years ago you don’t know what you are missing.  They have a whole line of designer toilets today.  Different colors and shapes.  Oval and round seats.  It boggles the mind and numbs the seat. 

Why do we need so many types of toilets?  They all perform the same function.  Basic white will go with any color scheme.  One size fits all.  What does it say about us and our culture to visit the bathroom section of the local building supply store and see the resources and creativity applied to basic sanitation?  Many people don’t even have running water.

How many different things in our life are this way, i.e. designer labels on toilets?  How much of our money and choices are focused on items that do the same thing at a much different cost?  Watches, cars, eye glasses, colleges, tissue, clothes; almost every area of life is included.

How much of your life is an investment in impressing other people?  What is the point of a Rolex watch?  I have never heard anyone praise it’s time keeping prowess.  It is all about diamonds and gold. 

Should this be your focus?  I think you know the answer.  Jesus said,

(Matthew 6:33 KJV)  But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

If you read the last phrase and shout, “Hallelujah,” you have missed the point.  If you ignore the priorities of God, you are ignoring everything that is important.

Make the Holy Spirit your designer label.

homo unius libri