everlasting-gospels.gif

The Health Reform
letter-text.gif
line.gif
guide_img.gif

June 10  The Health Reform

 guide_img.gif

 

line.gif

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God? 1Cor. 6:19, RSV.

A few days ago we noted that truth is progressive and that God leads His people step by step. It was thus with health reform. Once the doctrinal and organizaitonal steps were in place, lifestyle issues (including health reform) became the next stage in the develpment of Adventism and present truth.

On June 6, 1863, a mere 15 days after the formation of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Ellen White had one of the most influential visions of her entire ministry. Later that day, she wrote that "I saw that now we [she and James] should take special care of the health God has given us, for our work was not yet done. . . . I saw that we should encourage a cheerful, hopeful, peaceful frame of mind, for our health depends on our doing this. . . .The more perfect our health, the more perfect will be our labor.

"We must not leave the care of ourselves to God to see to and to take care of that which He has left for us to watch and care for. It is not safe nor pleasing to God to violate the laws of health and then ask Him to take care of our health and keep us from disease when we are living directly contrary to our prayers.

"I saw that it was a sacred duty to attend to our health, and arouse others to their duty. . .We have a duty to speak, to come out against intemperance of every kind-intemperance in working, in eating, in drinking, and in drugging-and then point them to God's great medicine, water, pure soft water, for diseases, for health, for cleanliness, and for a luxury"(MS 1, 1863).

While this was personal counsel for James and Ellen, it also applied to the church at large. "I saw," she penned, "that we should not be silent upon the subject of health but should wake up minds to the subject"(ibid).

And seek to wake up people she did. From that point on, her writing ministry focused to a considerable extent on the need and duty to preserve health and on how to do so.

And it didn't come any too soon. Her husband was on the verge of the crippling stroke that would hinder his ministry for the rest of his life, they had recently lost two of their four children to disease, and much of the leadership of the church struggled with chronic illiness.

There was nothing so much needed at that time than the blessing of good health. And that is still true.

         line.gif
guide_img_bottom.gif guide_img_bottom.gif

The good heart is a believing heart, one that has faith in the word of God. Without faith it is impossible to receive the word. "He that cometh to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." Heb. 11:6(COL 59).
line.gif
이 게시물을...