BETTER HEALTH — MADE SIMPLE !Thirty-four Steps to Happier Living – A Complete Online Health Course! Published by TRAIL GUIDES - Altamont, TN 37301 USA Road maps for pilgrims traveling home
1- By the way of introducing this lesson, I am going to share with you portions of eight actual case histories of patients. Only the names have been changed. 2- First, is the case of Mr. Smith, 55 years old, male, married, and manager of a big advertising company. Three days before he came to the hospital he began to have frequent bowel movements with soft, blood-streaked stools. At first he took conventional treatment for diarrhea, but he got not relief. In the hospital he was advised by his physician to come in for a careful examination and tests. 3- Second; is the case of a 40 year old woman teacher, who for the past several months had noticed a growing mass in the left breast which she kept from the knowledge of her husband. She did not consult a physician, for she was afraid that he would suggest surgery. 4- The third case is that of an old farmer from a village. He came in to see the doctor because of a peculiar growth on the left side of his tongue. He said he was sure it was probably irritation from chewing snuff. 5- Fourth, is the case of a 32-year-old engineer who came to the hospital because of a change in bowel habits for the previous several months together with some noticeable loss in weight. 6- Fifth is the case of Mr. Jones, who is the treasurer of a first-class shipping business in the South. He had been coughing for the past three months and had treatment by a doctor who had not x-rayed him. This particular patient had been smoking heavily for the past 20 years. 7- Miss Wilson is our sixth case. For about a year she had complained of indigestion and stomach pains. At first she was relieved by routine ulcer treatment, but later no amount of medicines helped her. 8- Ordinarily a mole is not harmful, but this is the reason our seventh patient came to see us. She had a mole on her cheek for several years. It was brownish-black at first, but recently it had turned blacker and it bled when slightly irritated. 9- Finally, our last case is that of a furniture shop worker who denied feeling anything except concern over a steady loss of weight. 10-
Now I will tell you the diagnosis of these cases. In each instance, it
was the word CANCER. If you were listening you caught the eight most
common danger signals. 11- Friends, I must admit that there are many things we do not know about cancer, but there are also many things we do know. Now I will tell you some of the things to remember. First of all, know the danger signals! But that is not enough. Many persons who know them well, still put off seeking medical attention until it is too late. Second, get immediate help. Third, practice good health habits. One good habit is to have a thorough physical check up regularly, at least once a year, and even more often as you grow older. 12- Practicing good health habits also means discarding bad health habits such as smoking-a habit that is undeniably linked with lung cancer. "Cancer of the lung kills more people than any other kind of cancer.” 13- Now I have given you eight SIGNS to watch as you guard against cancer. A wise person, interested in good health will be alert for those warning signs, and will heed them. God has promised us, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee." Isa 41:10. Even if we do detect any of these signs in our bodies, there is help and even cure, if we receive help soon enough. 14- Just as there are signs of warning for Cancer—so Jesus has given us signs of warning of His Second Coming. As we have already studied, sin has been and still is the cause of all our problems. We have learned how Jesus came to do away with sin and to get the power to give LIFE to anyone who comes to Him for it. We have learned how Jesus went to heaven having conquered death and the grave, and how He is coming again to give life eternal to those who believe Him. Now we will study some of the Signs of His Second Coming. 15- He has given us social signs, signs in the heavens, signs in the earth, political signs, and religious signs, signs in the economic world. If we know these signs and heed them, we will be ready to meet Him when He comes. Let us now see what the Bible has to say about these things. 16- "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:14. What an accurate picture of our times this is! Yet, it was written almost two thousand years ago! 17- Jesus spoke to His disciples concerning definite signs in the physical world. "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Matt. 24:24. On May 19, 1780, the sun, at about 10 am became dark. The birds went to roost. The cattle went to their stables. The day became pitch-black so that one person could not see another standing next to him. Encyclopedias mention this under the "Dark Day." No Scientist has been able to give a satisfactory reason for this occurrence. That same night, the moon appeared red as blood. 18- The falling of the stars occurred in the western world on November 13, 1833. Some years later the same thing occurred in the Eastern hemisphere. It was an unusual meteoric shower and was seen by thousands of people. Here again, the scientists can give no explanation for the occurrence. These were the signs which Jesus spoke of would occur some time before His second coming. When these signs occurred, men could know that Jesus was really telling the truth, and that He really is coming back to earth, just as He said He would. 19- The prophet Daniel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said that at the time of the end of the world, "knowledge shall be increased." Although this also refers to knowledge of the prophecies of Daniel, during the past hundred years there has been such rapid growth in knowledge and technology that man finds it difficult to keep up with it. Airplanes, motorcars, telephone, telegraph, sewing machines, electricity, space travel, have all been discovered or invented during the life-times of this present generation! Even wrist watches and torches are comparatively new inventions. 20- There are other signs; "and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places." Mt 24:6,7. These things all happen today-in our life-time. They are to us signs that Jesus is coming soon. Many people now living can remember a time when there were no wars such as we now have. The earth was peaceful. Famines and earthquakes were rare. The nearer we get to the time of Jesus' second coming, the more common these things will become. Even now, we have almost come to accept them as the normal way of life! 21- In the economic world, we find controversy between the rich and the poor; and the haves and the havenots. This too was foretold in the Bible. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.. Ye have heaped up treasures together for the last days. Behold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth." James 5:1-4. While the rich try to impose more hours of work, at the same time giving less pay, the poor cry for more money with less work. This is a further sign given to us by God, whereby we can know that Jesus is coming again soon. 22- There is one more sign to be fulfilled. Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14. The Bible is now published in many languages, and portions of the Bible have been published in even more languages. Through radio and books people in nearly every country in the world have heard the story of Jesus, the Saviour from sin. 23- Jesus said, 'When ye shall see all these things know that it is near, even at the door. ' Matthew 24:33. Every day we see and hear signs that tell us of Jesus' soon coming. If we take heed to these, if we watch and pray, we shall not be caught unprepared. On the other hand, if we do not heed these signs, then, like the victim of cancer who did not heed the warning signs of the disease, we shall arouse ourselves to do something about it, but it will be too late. We are told, that the actual day will come "As a thief in the night." People will not know the actual day and hour, so we must be ready momentarily. 24- God is love. He delights in saving His children. He does not delight in the death of the wicked, nor of anyone. He wants everyone to be saved and to have a happy home and happy eternal life. That is why He has given us signs of His second coming, so that we might believe and be ready to meet Him. Will YOU be ready? Here is additional information about the signs of the end: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?"-Matthew 24:3 (Read this entire chapter and the next one also) "But he that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved."-Matthew 24:13. "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day."-Matthew 24:20. "And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened."-Matthew 24:22. "There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars."-Luke 21:25. "Distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth."-Luke 21:25-26. "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."-Luke 21:28. "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory."-Luke 21:27 (compare Matthew 24:30). "So likewise, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand."-Luke 21: 31. Also read 2 Timothy 3:1-5, 1 Thessalonians 5:2-4, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21. LESSON TEN - THE SUNSHINE OF HEAVEN1- Have you ever stopped to think of how many things we could get along without in life? We sometimes feel that such things as money, houses, nice clothes, and education, important friends and a good job are the most important things of life. But even if you have millions of dollars, many houses, all the clothes you desire, the best job, the most important friends, the highest education, and the greatest world success-they are all without meaning if you do not have good health. 2- If you have to go to the hospital because of illness, your education is of little use. Your job may be lost. The old saying that health is wealth is very true. Yet, strange to say, we often forget, or take for granted some of the most important means of promoting good health. 3- Have you ever thought about what a wonderful aid to health, life and happiness God placed in the sky when He sent the sun spinning through space? Without the sun there would be no life at all in our world. Our planet was placed at exactly the right distance from the sun for abundant life and health when all is in order with God's laws. 4- Why is one plant bright green and sturdy-looking? Why is another pale and sickly? The difference is found in the fact that the one had the advantage of sunshine, while the other did not. It makes me think of some of the pale, sickly people who could be healthy and well if they only realized the value of this natural remedy God has given to keep us healthy. 5- Every bite of food you eat is the result of the sun's energy which combined with plant life to produce carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals. Even meat is indirectly produced by the sun, since the animals lived and grew by eating the food produced by the sun. Your tissue cells get their fuel from the food you eat. So you can see, we are actually sun-powered beings. 6- We really ought to learn about sunshine and its value to our lives besides making plants grow. If we could take a ray of sunlight and break it up into its many parts by putting it through a prism, we would find that a light ray is composed of many rays of different colors. Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet, and indigo. These are the colors we see in the beautiful rainbow. The drops of water in the air, act as a prism to form a rainbow. By the way, all these rays showing color are of different lengths. 7- Can you tell which color has the longest ray? It would be the red, which is at one end. The red rays are longer than the others. That is why red rays are the last you see in a beautiful sunset. When we know that the red rays are the longest, we can easily figure that the indigo rays, the color at the opposite end of the rainbow, are the shortest. Now, most people think that it is the sunshine we see that warms us. 8- However, there are rays which the human eye cannot see. These are longer than the red rays. We call them infrared rays ("Infra" means below so these are below the red rays). Although we cannot see them, these are the rays that warm the earth. If it were not for them, our earth would be a cold, frozen mass. 9- For example, consider a young lady who may carry a parasol to shade her. If we could ask her why she is carrying the parasol, she would say, "Oh, I don't like to get in the sunshine. I like to keep my skin fair." However, the suntan this young lady is trying to avoid does not come from the infrared rays, but from ultraviolet rays ("ultra" means beyond, so these are beyond the violet rays). These are rays that are shorter than the indigo rays. They are also invisible to the human eye. Your skin really needs these rays. 10- You see, your skin is actually a chemical factory that helps to keep you healthy. In your skin is a fatty substance that is powerful enough to combine with some of the calcium and your phosphorus from the food you eat, and help to place it in your bone cells to make them strong. But these little fellows WILL NOT D0 THIS unless they first have a good sun bath. Then they change their name and are called Vitamin D. And it is the ultra-violet light in the sun-rays that they need to cause them to do this. 11- If you will let it, sunshine helps to give you that handsome, beautiful look everyone admires. It causes pale, anemic, toneless skin to become smooth, soft, healthy. It actually raises the resistance of the skin against disease germs. It builds up the blood by helping to increase the number of red and white blood cells. It even improves your heart tone! It brings rest and relaxation to your nerves as it increases the blood circulation of your skin. 12- Sunshine is a wonderful healer of wounds. It is also a powerful germ-killer. We should remember that germs grow fastest in warm, damp, dark places. But two hours of direct sunlight will destroy even tuberculosis germs! So for this reason your home should be open to sunlight and fresh air. Even the poorest person has the same advantages as the rich when it comes to the matter of receiving the benefits of this wonderful health-promoter-the sun! 13- Friends, I have mentioned only a very few of the many facts about the sun which helps to give you that handsome, beautiful look. Now let me also mention here a caution. If you have not been getting sunshine everyday, you should START NOW! But remember, you should do this gradually so that you do not get a sunburn. These invisible rays we have talked about can pass right through clouds. This is one explanation of why it is possible to get a sunburn even on a cloudy day-especially if you are at the seashore where the rays are reflected effectively by the water! 14- Mothers, your babies will be more healthy if they get a sunbath every day. If your child is also getting a good diet, this is one of the greatest insurances against rickets. However, be sure that as you give your baby a sunbath, you keep his head covered and start out with just three minutes on the front, and then three minutes on the back. This time can be increased three minutes every day until the baby is taking one hour. The sunbath should be given before ten in the morning, or after three in the afternoon. Do not give a sunbath when the rays are most direct and hot. 15- Friends, we can get along without many things, but we can not live without this great health-promoter God set in our sky. Upon it we depend for food, and for all plant, animal, and human life. 16- I am sure this wonderful life-giving power was what inspired the prophet Malachi to speak of our Lord as the Sun of righteousness who would arise with healing in His wings. Malachi 4:2. At present, we are earthbound as our world rotates around the sun which is about 93,000,000 miles from the earth. Some day soon I plan to take a space trip that will take me from this earth and carry me out past the moon, the sun, and the unnumbered stars of outer space. This is not just a dream. Friends, I would be happy for you to join me. 17- "The heavens, even the heavens are the Lord's: but the earth hath He given to the children of men! Psalm 115:16. Heaven is God's dwelling place, which is so far away that we cannot even understand the distance. According to the Bible, when Christ comes back to this Earth the second time to take His elect, they will be His honoured guests in heaven for 1000 years. We shall learn more about this in our next study. 18- Heaven is a real place, where there are real things and real people. It is the dwelling place of the God-head and of the angels. There is a record of some people from this world who also live there at present. Elijah was taken alive to heaven, to assure us that the righteous living upon the earth at the time of Jesus' second coming will go to heaven without dying. If we are faithful, we shall meet Elijah. Moses, the meekest man who ever lived, is also in heaven now. He was resurrected by Christ after he had died upon a mountain. He represents those who having died while believing in Christ, will be resurrected at Christ's second coming and will be taken to heaven with those who have never died. 19- Heaven is not the place where the saved people will live forever. They will be in heaven just a thousand years and then they will come back to live on this earth! It will be this same earth, but the condition of it will be different. We shall learn about this another time. But we must say now, that when the people come back to this earth, all things will be new and there will be no trace of sin or sorrow or suffering to trouble them. 20- At present Jesus is in heaven preparing a place to welcome His people to. It is a big city called the New Jerusalem. God's throne is there. There is a beautiful river there. It is the river of life. On either side of the river is the tree of life. This tree bears twelve different kinds of fruit. It gives its fruit every month. The leaves may also be eaten. They are for the healing of the nations. 21- "And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And His servants shall serve Him: And they shall see His face. And His name shall be in their foreheads." (Revelation 22:3.) What a wonderful privilege this will be. Imagine the crowds of people who gather to see the leader of our country. This helps us to understand a little of the crowds and the joy that will be there when we see King Jesus, King of Kings and Lord of Lords, face to face. 22- There shall be no night there; there will be no need of candle, neither light of sun; for the Lord God giveth the light. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the former things are passed away. No one wants to miss being in a place like that. I am sure I want to be there; don't you? 23- It is for the purpose of taking us to heaven that Jesus is coming back the second time. His repeated assurance is, "Behold I come quickly, and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be." "Blessed are they that do His commandments that they may have a right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city." (Revelation 22:14.) "For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and idolators, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie." "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth neither:. whatsoever maketh abominations, or maketh a lie; but they - which are written in the Lamb's book of Life." Revelation 21:27. 24- Our loving God wants to save everybody. He has - made the provision for everyone to be saved by giving His Son, Jesus, to die for the whole world. But He will not force us. He gives us the power of choice. Let us choose to accept Jesus now, so that when He comes, He will claim us as His own and take us with Him to that wonderful city. Here is additional information about heaven and our eternal home: "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosover believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."-John 3:16 (also: John 3:14-21,36) "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God."-Revelation 2:7. "Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."-2 Peter 3:13. "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea."-Revelation 21:1. "For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make, shall remain before Me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain. And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord."-Isaiah 66.22-23. |
