This Life’s Greatest Battle- “Self”
It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.” quote by Norman Schwarzkopf, retired US Army general.
I personally would like to suggest that within the Kingdom of God, a different or newer norm for “a hero” is one who has been taught and is proficient with the disciplines of”self-mastery”. I have always believed that the greatest war that I will ever partake in would be the war with “self!” This photo below was taken of my serene, peaceful internal and external state after a #7daywateronlyfast. Amen
This 7 day fast was one of the most wonderful experiences that I have had thus far this year! It is not for everyone, nevertheless, I would like to provide some insightful links, books, and spiritual inspiration for anyone who is called into one of the spiritual disciplines of a faithful follower of Jesus of Nazareth: FASTING!
“If you wish for Peace, understand War!”
B. H. Liddell Hart
The book, “The End of Illness”, David B. Agus, MD
Video links: Fasting for Survival: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuOvn4UqznU&list=WL&index=50,
In addition, in the video, New Analysis of Health Conditions and High Risk for C-19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iY98nuD3Bco&list=WL…
Biblically, we are expected by God to tend and cultivate our body and spirit as an act of worship and service to God to produce more for Him and His Kingdom as well as being the very best witness of discipline and self-mastery of one’s gift of Life. [ consider Genesis 2:15], applying the spiritual application to our bodies, minds, and spirit.
Tending and Keeping
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15
God’s purpose for which He created the garden, and begins to reveal foundational parts of the training program for Adam and Eve. Spiritually, this principle extends to His current believers and those to follow.
Adam’s job in the Garden was to “tend and keep” or “cultivate and guard.” A deeper study of the words shows that in combination, tending or cultivating is a form of keeping. Cultivation is the effort a farmer makes to ensure that he will produce as bountiful a crop as possible.
He plows the ground, fertilizes it, plants the seed, then promotes further growth by watering, weeding, and so forth. If the farmer is lazy if he fails to cultivate his ground if he does nothing to promote growth, then what occurs? Nature follows its course and the farm begins to degenerate!
On earth, those who are faithful intending and keeping the things of God are glorifying Him and worshipping Him. God’s purpose is accomplished because men and women cultivate and guard. They cultivate what is provided to them in terms of both physical and spiritual things.
If cultivation occurs, it will guard against spiritual and physical degeneration. So another principle begins to emerge: Not only must sound training come from pure doctrine but also, there is a growing need for an increase in Biblical literacy among the believers!
We must make an effort to cultivate, producing more fruit and greater growth If we neglect this great salvation, our spiritual lives are going to degenerate. The truths that we formerly held in high esteem will begin to slip away. [Glened from an article of John W. Ritenbaugh]
The Body Is a Temple
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” – 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.”
Faithful followers should abstain from whatever defiles their temple. Because Christ gave us these bodies as a temporary gift, we should honor Him with them. That means we should avoid anything that might tempt us to defile them, either by acts of sexual immorality or other sins.
With the proliferation of diseases, illnesses, viruses, and death, we would be wise to see each day as the Sabbath. How so, by becoming increasingly thankful and dedicated toward holistically, tending to the entirety of our human nature. Rest spiritually in the presence of God, and make sure to get enough sleep, exercise, and eating healthy foods (and ensuring to eat the proper amount of food, not over or under eating).
We may have to reorient our thinking, reminding ourselves that our bodies are a holy and beautiful thing, and may have to unplug from other avenues that tell us differently. Part of this process of cleaning the temple may include removing some idols we’ve held on to for a while.
One of the hidden realities of a fast is that it will reveal one’s addictions, inclinations, cravings, and lust. But once we remove them, we can draw even closer to Christ, becoming more and more like Him every day.
Caring for your body glorifies God, it demonstrates a good testimony to others and it gives you the energy that you need to do God’s will, spreading the Gospel.
In 1 Corinthians 10:31, we are told to do whatever we do to the glory of God. In Isaiah 43:7 we are reminded that we were made by God to glorify Him. That is our primary purpose in life — to glorify God. If you choose to not follow a healthy lifestyle, not eat healthily, not practice self-control, not exercise, and to not care about your body, you are choosing to not honor God. [Gleaned from crosswalk.com article “Your Body Is A Temple”]
We Are Called to Do God’s Work
“The part can never be well unless the whole is well.” -Plato
We are called to live and to share the Gospel to the world where you and I are placed. We combined are to be the hands and feet of Christ. We can’t do this very effectively if we are burdened by harmful if not destructive lifestyle conditions or choices that comprise our wholeness as image-bearers of God.
To be a willing vessel for God is one thing, but to be a healthy willing vessel that God can use is a totally different thing. You never know what God will call you to do and where He will call you to go. Being prepared physically and spiritually for any task the Lord gives you is always best. “Let the Healing Begin!”
Grace and Peace
Brother Alonzo