Misappropriate Use of God s Name

Transcription

1 Week 3 Misappropriate Use of God s Name ~ You must not use the name of the Lord thoughtlessly. ~ Deuteronomy 5:11 Focus: Understand the value of my body in my Christian life Understand foods that are harmful and foods that are beneficial to my body Objective: Exercise responsible food choices Eat only foods that I know God can bless Eat 1-2 servings of fruits and 3-4 servings of vegetables daily Essential Question: What should I eat to ensure I use the name of the LORD appropriately at the table each day? Lesson 3 ~Read~ H osea 4:6 says, My people will be destroyed, because they have no knowledge. You have refused to learn, so I will refuse to let you be priests to me. With the existence of the Internet, the world of information is readily available to us with one click of a button. Yet, many of us have not taken advantage of this opportunity. Some of us are so busy; we just do not have the time. The thought of adding another task on our to-do list frustrates us. Then, there are some of us who know the information, but we have not applied it, for applying knowledge involves time also. We are a busy people, so learning gets pushed down to the bottom of the list. Or, learning may not even make it on the agenda. When we refuse to learn, God said He will not allow us to be priest to Him. In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter declares that we are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, a people for God s own possession. [We were] chosen to tell about the wonderful acts of God, who called [us] out of darkness into his wonderful light. Spiritually, we are priests who are responsible for declaring God s great acts.

2 Learning involves taking care of our bodies as well our sacred temples over which we are priest. Because of our fast-paced lifestyle, we find it convenient to eat out, especially at fastfood restaurants. We feed our families Whoppers, french fries, and sodas and ask God to bless the food in Jesus name. Each of these items is either high in fat or sugar. They are all harmful to our heart, yet we have asked God to sanction the food, knowing that we have consistently chosen foods that are unhealthy for us. God, being sovereign, can choose to do whatever He pleases. However, as Christians, we do not have sovereignty over our bodies. Our bodies belong to God; therefore, we are to put foods that are nourishing into them. When you are busy, what do you tend to eat? Would you consider these foods healthy or unhealthy? Why or why not? Write the main theme of Hosea 4:6. From the very beginning, God created human beings and provided for them food from His garden. Read Genesis 1: What evidence in Scripture is there to support that Adam and Eve were vegetarians? What type of food did God provide for Adam and Eve? What type of food did God provide for the animals? _ What is revealed about the food that was supposed to be eaten?

3 Examples of Seed-Bearing Plants Whole grains Dried beans Vegetables Fruit Nuts/seeds Whole oats, brown rice, millet, barley, corn on the cob, whole rye, quinoa Lentils, garbanzo beans, split peas, kidney beans, pinto beans, navy beans, black or yellow soybeans, black-eyed peas, great northern beans Leafy greens (spinach, collard greens, turnip greens), root vegetables (sweet potato, potato, yucca), sea vegetable (seaweed) Berries, apples, pears, melons, cantaloupe, peaches Almonds, walnuts, pecans, cashew, sesame, sunflower, pumpkin, flax, linseed Within a seed, God planted life. We are to eat life to beget life. As a result, these plants are considered living. How many of you did the experiment in elementary school where you placed a bean in a tissue and put it in a jar? You kept it moist with water. In a few days, you noticed it sprout. That seed has life in it. If you took the stalks of some green plants and put them in water, they too will begin to grow. Root vegetables will grow too if you replant them. What happens when you leave an uncooked potato for too long? You begin to see a stem appearing. These foods are still living, whereas processed foods such as white bread and pasta, canned foods, sugary boxed cereals, frozen fish sticks and dinners, packaged cakes and cookies, and processed meats (hot dogs, sausage, lunch meats) are dead. They have been chemically altered by human beings. On the other hand, God created vegetables, fruits, and nuts with His very hands to give us life. They contain nutrients to nourish us and healing properties to heal us. These foods should also be prepared in such a way as to protect the nutrients in them. They should never be fried. Steaming, sautéing, boiling, pressure cooking, and baking are some ways to preserve the nutrients. Because these living foods or whole foods are in their natural state rather than processed, they are able to keep us balance by keeping our blood sugar levels stable. Interestingly, these foods also tend to be foods with a low glycemic index. We should plan our meals around 3 food categories: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. The seed-bearing plants are going to be called our preferred carbohydrates in this study. Carbohydrates, which are sugar and starches, are the body s preferred fuel. The body will seek for this type of fuel first before it goes to the next energy source fat. Our complex carbohydrates are our whole grains and starchy vegetables, such as quinoa and sweet potato. The amount of carbohydrates we consume is going to depend on our activity level. For example, when training as a body builder, my diet was made up of 60% carbohydrate. I needed the energy to lift as heavy as possible. However, once competition season began, my carbohydrates were reduced significantly, making it very challenging to train at optimum level but needed in order to lose the fat. I had to make another dietary adjustment when I

4 stopped competing. Because I was not training as a body builder any longer, I had to reduce my carbohydrate again. I no longer needed that amount of fuel to work out. Any excess calories that were not used would be stored as fat, and I knew this, so I gradually reduced my desire for a predominantly carbohydrate diet. Many of us, consume too many carbohydrates. As a result, we are storing excess fat. Carbohydrate stimulates insulin, a hormone, and an excess amount of insulin makes us fat and keeps us fat. If we are athletes, we would need more carbohydrate than individuals who have a sit-down job. But, most of us are not athletes. Therefore, we need to be careful about the type and the amount of carbohydrates we consume. Vegetables, such as leafy greens, are also carbohydrates, known as fibrous carbohydrates. Although they are a part of the carbohydrate family, these types of vegetables do not impact our blood sugar level in the way complex carbohydrates do. Because fiber has very little impact on the blood sugar level, insulin production is controlled. Most of our carbohydrates should, therefore, come from fibrous carbohydrates vegetables. God, the Master Gardener and Creator, certainly knew what He was doing when He provided these foods for Adam and Eve. He designed their bodies our bodies to function optimally on vegetables. Let s look at an important character in the Bible, Daniel. In Daniel 1, Judah had been captured by King Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Chaldean Empire (605 BC-562 BC). King Nebuchadnezzar wanted handsome, young, well-educated, and teachable Israelite men to serve in his kingdom. Daniel and three of his friends were amongst the men chosen. While in the King s service, Daniel chose not to eat the King s food because it was not kosher. Clarke s (1834/2011) commentary said there were three reasons Daniel probably chose not to eat the Kings food: 1. Because they ate unclean beasts which were forbidden by Jewish law. 2. Because they ate, as did the heathens in general, beasts which had been strangled or not properly blooded. 3. Because the animals that were eaten were first offered as victims to their gods. What did Daniel ask of the king s chief officer Ashpenaz? How long would this test last? Describe the appearance of Daniel and his friends after this period of time.

5 How did Daniel honor the name of God? What blessing did Daniel gain for honoring what was holy to God? The consumption of vegetables and fruits and daily prayers has come to be known as the Daniel Fast. Many Christians have participated in this fast. The benefits of this way of eating are numerous: weight loss and healings from diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and allergies. Some addictions are even broken as the body detoxifies itself. Yet, despite the benefits of these foods, many Christians discontinue a diet high in these types of fibrous carbohydrates and resort to old ways of eating once the fast has ended. Many of us would say, But, I do eat fruits and vegetables. The question is do you eat enough of them? What is the main food on your plate? God blesses us when we honor what is holy to Him. The body is still honorable to God. What we do with it and how we treat it is just as important as what we do to feed our spirit and the respect we show to the person who lives within us because the two are inseparable as long as we are here on Earth. Before we move on, let us look at fruits. Fruits are also carbohydrates, known as simple carbohydrates. Because of their sugar content, they impact our blood sugar as well. Therefore, a word of caution is given when eating them. Learning to love and appreciate fruits has been an enjoyable part of this health and wellness journey for me. Training as a bodybuilder, I hardly ate these wonderful natural desserts of God because of their high sugar content. This was another significant adjustment for me eating for health rather than physique. Fruits contain life. Powerful nutrients and minerals are locked into them which help protect us from chronic diseases. Knowing which fruits to eat, when to eat fruits, and how to combine fruits with our foods are essential to being able to enjoy and receive the most benefit from them. If weight loss is a goal, fruits with edible skins are better. These are our berries strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, for example. Because their skin is fibrous, they have a low glycemic index. Why are fibrous foods unique?

6 Like Daniel, we can honor the name of God by living a pure life in body, mind, and spirit. We should be careful what we consistently put into our bodies because God has paid a costly price for them. Therefore, when we sit down to eat a meal high in fat, sugar, or salt and which will clog His arteries or lead to the complication of other cardiovascular diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, elevated cholesterol, renal kidney, or angina, we need to think twice about asking God to bless that food. Instead, we need to think about making better choices, especially when it is within our means to do so. Yes, we do have to be mindful. It may be a headache to plan your meals properly or to think about what you are putting into your mouth, but it is a bigger headache to deal with a disease that could have been prevented. The prayer lines in churches are long. Yes, God still heals supernaturally, but He also gave us the power of choice and the ability to learn. What are we consistently putting into the body? The law of cause and effect called sowing and reaping (Gal 6: 7-8) also governs and protects the body. Guard the door of your temple! Consistently choose to eat the right foods and enjoy the effect of a healthy and energized life.

7 Nutrition Review carbohydrate fruits whole grains vegetables hotdog insulin seed

8 Across: 1. life 3. dead food 6. hormone that controls blood sugar level 7. simple carbohydrates Down: 2. complex carbohydrates 4. source of calories from sugars and starches to fuel the brain and muscles 5. fibrous carbohydrates What has the Holy Spirit taught you as you have studied today s lesson? What is God asking you to do as a result of today s lesson? Write a prayer based on what God is asking you to do today. Reflection: Write a response to the Essential Question in your journal.