I have heard it said, "You must learn to love yourself before you can love others." I have even heard this taught in Christian circles. I think it is one of the most illogical things I have ever heard. In my own experience, the more someone loves himself, the less they seem to care about others.
Where did this lie come from? I'll give you one guess. Where do all lies originate? They begin with the father of lies, Satan himself. The vehicles he used to establish this lie were the propagators of what we now know of as psychology, none other than Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung. Both men had a long history of fascination with occult things and Carl Jung even admitted to having a spirit guide named Philemon from whom he received many of his ideas. Should the church be borrowing ideas from sources such as these?
So, what do the scriptures have to say about self-love. Paul warned in II Timothy 3:1-5 that in the last days, difficult times would come for men would be "lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy..." and the list goes on and on. Notice that "lovers of self" is part of a long list of many other undesirable traits. Did Paul believe self-love was a good and necessary quality to have? Certainly, not.
What about Jesus, did He teach us to love ourselves? In Matthew 22:39 Jesus gave us the command, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Some try to twist the meaning of this to prove that Jesus taught us to love ourselves, but Jesus knew that we already love ourselves too much, so He was commanding us to love others as much as we already love ourselves. He also taught that we should deny ourselves, take up our cross and follow Him. This is just the opposite of what we are being taught today in our society and even in some churches.
We hear all about self-fulfillment, self-esteem, self-respect, self-worth, self-love, self-confidence, etc. It is no wonder that we have turned into a selfish society, and we have never been further from the example given to us by Jesus when He left His throne in heaven to come to Earth and die on a cross for us. We would do well to listen to what Paul told the Philippian church.
"Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:3-8
Friday, July 4, 2014
Friday, June 6, 2014
Solomon's Wisdom?
Solomon's name has become synonymous with wisdom, which causes me to wonder what I can learn from his story. How did he acquire such wisdom, and how was it possible that someone who was known for such wisdom managed to end up so far from God? Is it possible for us to have the wisdom of Solomon today? Let's look at the scriptures for the answers to these questions.
When Solomon began to rule Israel he knew he needed more wisdom than he possessed, so he prayed to God, "... give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" (I Kings 3:9) God was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom and granted his request, "...Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you." I Kings 3:12
As time went on Solomon began to be drawn away from God by the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." I John 2:16 He began to disobey God, and his disobedience caused him to commit some of the most horrendous sins mentioned in the scriptures. Solomon had no excuse for his sins. We read in Deuteronomy 17:14-17, that Israel's kings were forbidden to multiply horses, wives, and wealth. We also see in I Kings 10:23-11:9 that Solomon did all three of these things, to a great extent! Solomon could not claim ignorance since all of Israel's kings were also commanded to write in their own hand a copy of the law and read it all the days of their lives so they would not sin against God. (Deut. 17:18-20) Obviously, Solomon failed to do this.
Solomon's wives also turned his heart away from God, so much so that he actually built altars to foreign gods (demons) (Deut. 32:16-17) on which his wives sacrificed Solomon's own children. These sacrifices to these demons were unusually cruel, burning these babies alive in the arms of a super-heated idol. How could he even allow this, much less facilitate it? He was the king! This did not have to be, but he was no longer listening to God. The wisdom he once possessed was gone.
Can we have the wisdom of Solomon? Yes, we can, because it was not Solomon's wisdom after all. It was God's wisdom which Solomon was granted simply by asking. In Romans 2:11 and Acts 10:34 we learn that God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality. If Solomon received the wisdom of God simply by asking, we can do the same. In James 1:5 we are taught, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." Solomon's problem is that he failed to stay close to the One who gave him wisdom in the first place. That is an important lesson we can learn from Solomon. If we want to be wise, we must stay close to God, the source of all wisdom.
Christians should be the wisest people on earth. We have access to the very throne of God through the blood of Jesus. The veil in the temple was torn! God desires that we walk in wisdom by walking in His Spirit. "Be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Galatians 5:16 What a shame that Solomon did not continue to follow the Lord, but the record of his apostasy is a valuable warning to all of us. The more time we spend seeking and listening to God, through the Holy Spirit, the more we will be like Him in every way and avoid the tragedy of apostasy.
My prayer for all Christians, including myself:
"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." II Cor. 3:18
Very simply I pray, "Lord, make me more like you every day."
When Solomon began to rule Israel he knew he needed more wisdom than he possessed, so he prayed to God, "... give Thy servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Thine?" (I Kings 3:9) God was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom and granted his request, "...Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you." I Kings 3:12
As time went on Solomon began to be drawn away from God by the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life." I John 2:16 He began to disobey God, and his disobedience caused him to commit some of the most horrendous sins mentioned in the scriptures. Solomon had no excuse for his sins. We read in Deuteronomy 17:14-17, that Israel's kings were forbidden to multiply horses, wives, and wealth. We also see in I Kings 10:23-11:9 that Solomon did all three of these things, to a great extent! Solomon could not claim ignorance since all of Israel's kings were also commanded to write in their own hand a copy of the law and read it all the days of their lives so they would not sin against God. (Deut. 17:18-20) Obviously, Solomon failed to do this.
Solomon's wives also turned his heart away from God, so much so that he actually built altars to foreign gods (demons) (Deut. 32:16-17) on which his wives sacrificed Solomon's own children. These sacrifices to these demons were unusually cruel, burning these babies alive in the arms of a super-heated idol. How could he even allow this, much less facilitate it? He was the king! This did not have to be, but he was no longer listening to God. The wisdom he once possessed was gone.
Can we have the wisdom of Solomon? Yes, we can, because it was not Solomon's wisdom after all. It was God's wisdom which Solomon was granted simply by asking. In Romans 2:11 and Acts 10:34 we learn that God is no respecter of persons and shows no partiality. If Solomon received the wisdom of God simply by asking, we can do the same. In James 1:5 we are taught, "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him." Solomon's problem is that he failed to stay close to the One who gave him wisdom in the first place. That is an important lesson we can learn from Solomon. If we want to be wise, we must stay close to God, the source of all wisdom.
Christians should be the wisest people on earth. We have access to the very throne of God through the blood of Jesus. The veil in the temple was torn! God desires that we walk in wisdom by walking in His Spirit. "Be filled with the Spirit." Ephesians 5:18 "But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." Galatians 5:16 What a shame that Solomon did not continue to follow the Lord, but the record of his apostasy is a valuable warning to all of us. The more time we spend seeking and listening to God, through the Holy Spirit, the more we will be like Him in every way and avoid the tragedy of apostasy.
My prayer for all Christians, including myself:
"But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." II Cor. 3:18
Very simply I pray, "Lord, make me more like you every day."
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Fourteen Months on the Gerson Therapy
As many of you know, I was diagnosed with lung cancer back in January of 2013. A PET scan showed a tumor in my lower left lung and metastases in many lymph nodes in the chest and neck area. I opted for a natural therapy rather than the conventional treatments of surgery, chemo, and radiation.
After six months on the Gerson Therapy, I had some dramatic results which you can read about in my previous post, "There is a Natural Cure for Cancer." That is why I fully expected all signs of cancer to be gone after eight more months on the therapy. Unfortunately, that was not the case when I had another CT scan on May 13th which showed, "No change." I tried not to be too disappointed. After all, that meant the cancer had not spread, and that was certainly good news for any cancer patient. At least I had not gone backwards, but I could not help feeling disappointed anyway. This therapy is not an easy thing to do, and I would like to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I seemed to have hit a road block.
I began to think about where I had cut corners in the therapy and maybe not done everything I could have done. I had finally had three mercury amalgams removed in April because my blood work did not look as good as I thought it should. Then, I remembered that Gerson also says all root canalled teeth should be removed. I knew that from the beginning, but was reluctant to have three of my teeth pulled unless it was absolutely necessary for my healing.
After reading a book called, "Root Canal Cover-Up," by George Meinig, I am convinced my next step is to remove three dead teeth from my mouth. The bacteria and toxins in these teeth have been proven to cause all kinds of diseases and also suppress the immune system, which is something that could definitely keep me from a complete recovery. The research on root canalled teeth was completed back in the 1920's by Dr. Weston Price, and then promptly covered up lest anyone should actually find out about it.
I have an appointment to remove two of the teeth and the third one will be gone soon after. I plan to have another scan in about six months. Meanwhile, I continue on the Gerson Therapy. I still believe it is my best option for recovery, and I hope to be totally well soon. I am still trusting God to lead me in the direction I need to go. I believe He wants me to be well, but regardless of what happens in that respect, GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!
After six months on the Gerson Therapy, I had some dramatic results which you can read about in my previous post, "There is a Natural Cure for Cancer." That is why I fully expected all signs of cancer to be gone after eight more months on the therapy. Unfortunately, that was not the case when I had another CT scan on May 13th which showed, "No change." I tried not to be too disappointed. After all, that meant the cancer had not spread, and that was certainly good news for any cancer patient. At least I had not gone backwards, but I could not help feeling disappointed anyway. This therapy is not an easy thing to do, and I would like to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I seemed to have hit a road block.
I began to think about where I had cut corners in the therapy and maybe not done everything I could have done. I had finally had three mercury amalgams removed in April because my blood work did not look as good as I thought it should. Then, I remembered that Gerson also says all root canalled teeth should be removed. I knew that from the beginning, but was reluctant to have three of my teeth pulled unless it was absolutely necessary for my healing.
After reading a book called, "Root Canal Cover-Up," by George Meinig, I am convinced my next step is to remove three dead teeth from my mouth. The bacteria and toxins in these teeth have been proven to cause all kinds of diseases and also suppress the immune system, which is something that could definitely keep me from a complete recovery. The research on root canalled teeth was completed back in the 1920's by Dr. Weston Price, and then promptly covered up lest anyone should actually find out about it.
I have an appointment to remove two of the teeth and the third one will be gone soon after. I plan to have another scan in about six months. Meanwhile, I continue on the Gerson Therapy. I still believe it is my best option for recovery, and I hope to be totally well soon. I am still trusting God to lead me in the direction I need to go. I believe He wants me to be well, but regardless of what happens in that respect, GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!
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