60 and vegan

“Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” (1Cor. 9:24-27).

In 1995 I gave up the long-sought achievement of being my own God. It didn’t work. It blew up in my face. Jesus did that for me in His goodness. And then I gave up and I returned to my Lord, or, as Shayne McCusker put it, “my loving God”. I had been UA/AWOL for 13 years beginning the day I got married 35 years ago. Do the math and this adds up to be my 60th year of life on my birthday last week.

Twenty-three years ago I was so glad that Jesus took me back that I immediately returned to my lifestyle before I left Him—living by the 8 laws of health. Fresh air, pure water, proper diet, sunlight, exercise, rest, abstinence, trust in divine power. After a decade of manual labor but not much aerobic exercise, but a decade of proper vegan diet, I realized a new desire to start running. I’ve been jogging ever since. I even made a 1,500 mile bicycle ride a while back.

The 8 laws of health

Fresh air—as in non-polluted city air.

Pure water—inside and out, that is, for daily drinking (½ our body weight divided by 2 in ounces), as well as for bathing (at least twice weekly depending on the amount of work/exercise).

Proper diet—two meals per day, vegan (fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables, as close as possible to the condition in which God created them).

Sunlight—at a minimum of 15 minutes per day outside of the time when the sun rays are most perpendicular to Earth, from 10 am to 2 pm (Daylight Savings Time).

Exercise—aerobic exercise walking/running/swimming, 30 minutes a day minimum, 3 days per week minimum (No maximum, but everything taken to extremes is destructive. Competition does damage. Moderation is the key. Intelligent use of the body, mind, and soul is a must.).

Rest—7-9 hours of sleep each night at regular (each hour of sleep before midnight counts for two hours after midnight), at routine time of day (night-time sleep is best; rest from brain work, from over-work for type-A, driven workaholics, between workouts (over-exercise in any capacity at play, at work, or in tennis shoes harms our temple body, mind, and soul affecting our physical health, mental health, and communion with Jesus).

Abstinence—we must give our mind and will the authority over our body and its natural appetite for self-indulgence. Even a sweet tooth can be an excuse that destroys us and our eternal inheritance through destroying our body, brain, and soul. At times we will need to be stern with our fallen nature. We will have to “white knuckle” temptations by our power of choice. Jesus did in Gethsemane. “And being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him.” (Heb. 5:9). During His whole life He found temptation the easiest thing to deny entrance because His communion was always so strong with His Father. But, to know what we have to go through in the Christian life, when we too often walk without communion with Jesus, He passed over the same ground by accepting His Father to cut off all communications with His only begotten Son. Now Jesus knows what His only begotten children go through when our communion isn’t in the fullest sense. And He dies with us when we are dying to self to remain faithful to Him and to our Father’s Law.

Trust in divine power—the whole purpose for the first seven laws of health is to support and strengthen this last principle of health. Nothing is more important for health and life, strength and purpose, than faith in Jesus. The only real purpose-driven life comes from constant, open, living communion with Jesus. Without His constant presence stress builds up in the body, through the nervous system to the brain, and then to the soul, or from the soul, through the brain and then to the body’s nervous system. The result is weakness, overworked body systems, multiplied waste and toxic build-up, and eventual disease, including cancers.

In the big picture having health is two-fold: daily maintenance and preparation of the soul, mind, and body for the end times.

“Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.” (1Cor. 3:16-20).

“For bodily exercise profiteth [a] little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.” (1Tim. 4:8).

“This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matt.24:14).

Are we getting ready for the Latter Rain, body, mind, and soul? Are we fortifying our minds with the words of truth? That is more than an intellectual exercise in memory. It is a whole person, a whole being enterprise, body, mind, and soul.

“For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments^G1785: and His commandments^G1785 are not grievous.” (1Jn. 5:3).

G1785  entolē  From G1781; injunction, that is, an authoritative prescription: - commandment, precept.

If we are truly born again and wholly consecrated the eight laws of health will not be grievous at all.

The second big reason for the laws of health is related to the first: a time of trouble such as never was.

“When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)

Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains.…

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.” (Matt. 24:15,16,20).

And by “flight” Jesus didn’t mean airplanes.

So, begin vegan and exercise!