Seven Divine Keys to a Healthier You-Now!
Your Body is the Temple of GodBy Ronnie L. WilliamsAuthorHouse
Copyright © 2011 Power In the Word, World Ministries
All right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4520-5592-3Contents
Introduction........................................................................................................................xiiiKey #1: Jesus Christ Is the Way to a Healthier You—Now!.......................................................................1Key #2: The Power of Prayer and the Holy Spirit.....................................................................................13Key #3: Stop Smoking and Stop Drinking Alcohol in Excess............................................................................23Key #4: Release the Grease: Reduce Your Consumption of Foods Containing High Levels of Saturated and Trans Fats.....................33Key #5: Make a Commitment to Exercise Consistently..................................................................................41Key #6: Release the Stress, Receive God's Best!.....................................................................................51Key #7: Count It All Joy Now!.......................................................................................................65Appendix 1..........................................................................................................................73Appendix 2..........................................................................................................................77
Chapter One
Key #1: Jesus Christ Is the Way to a Healthier You—Now! "The Gift of God"
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"For by grace [God's unmerited favor] are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works [human effort] lest any man should boast." (Eph. 2:8–9)
In order to seek a healthier body, we must first seek a healthy spiritual relationship with the greatest gift that mankind has ever received, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who gives us the gift of salvation, justification, and sanctification. "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you," reveals Matthew 6:33. "O taste and see that the Lord is good. Blessed is the man that trusteth in him," reveals Psalms 34:8. Jesus Christ is truly the answer and "the way" to a healthier you now when you seek first a relationship with Him through faith.
His Word is a "lamp unto our feet and a light unto our paths," meaning that through His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, He will illuminate, lead, and guide us into a lifestyle of healthy living when we place our total confidence in Him as our Lord, Savior, and Shepherd. "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths," reveals Proverbs 3:5–6. "I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger and he that believeth on me shall never thirst," reveals John 6:35. I firmly believe, as the above scriptures indicate, that the Lord will lead, guide, and direct those who trust Him into a greater awareness of the divine relationship between health consciousness and a life filled with His purpose. We, as true believers, will also never hunger for divine direction in receiving the wisdom we need to reach our highest level of healthy living.
Jesus Christ, who indwells us with the power and the help of the Holy Spirit, said in John 15:5, "I am the vine, ye [you] are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: For without me ye can do nothing." This verse clearly reveals why so many people start out on new diets and exercise plans and abort them in a few weeks. When we leave the Lord out of the plan, the result will always be less than desired. The Lord went on to say in verse seven, "If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you." When a person makes the right choice to live in a relationship with Jesus Christ and daily obey His Word, "you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you," including your desire for a healthier body. Always remember that your obedience to God is valued more than your sacrifice. One of the most powerful revelations in the whole Bible, in my opinion, is found in John 14:23, where Jesus said, "If a man love me, he will keep [obey] my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." I firmly believe that with God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit abiding with us at all times, our victory in every area of our lives, including our health, is already won! "With God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26).
In Matthew 11:28, the Lord offers a powerful invitation to all people of the world: "Come unto me all ye that labour [trying on your own strength], and are heavy laden [weary and burdened down] and I will give you rest [victory and peace]. Take my yoke [my purpose, my will] upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest [peace, victory, and contentment] unto your souls. For my yoke [my mission and purpose for your life] is easy, and my burden is light." I truly believe that the greatest thing we can have on this Earth is a close personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
Apostle Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in 2 Corinthians 5:17 revealed, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." In essence, you will become spiritually "born again and transformed from above." Once a person makes a total surrender, repents and comes all the way through saving faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the Cross of Calvary, the Lord will indwell and seal you with the Holy Spirit of promise, redirecting your way of thinking from worldliness to holiness. "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise" (Eph 1:13). "Marvel [Wonder] not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again" (John 3:7).
I firmly believe that you, after being spiritually born again and converted from above, will begin to recognize that your body is the most precious and the most valuable natural resource that the Lord has given you stewardship over. Of all the money and precious jewels in the world, no amount could ever equate to God's value of your life here on Earth. The psalmist in Psalms 139:14 revealed it best: "for I am fearfully and wonderfully made." Matthew 10:30– 31 reveals, "But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows."
This process of thinking the way God desires you to think about your body starts the moment you believe and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior. Without question, a divine transformation takes place within your heart. A man named Saul experienced this spiritual transformation while he was on a wicked mission to persecute Christians in Damascus (Acts 9:1–6). The first thing he said, after realizing that he was in the presence of Jesus Christ, was "Lord what wilt thou [you] have me to do?" His transformation was so profound that the Lord changed his name from Saul to Paul. Our inward transformation, through faith in Jesus Christ, should certainly have a positive impact on health consciousness, as Apostle Paul revealed to the believers in Romans 12:1: "I BESEECH you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." As you may be aware, Apostle Paul went on, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, to write major portions of the New Testament, including the hallmark scripture of Romans 10:9, which reveals, "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." A clear way to explain salvation is revealed below:
Delivered from the penalty of sin. John 6:23
Delivered from the bondage/control of sin. Romans 6:14
Delivered to victory now. 1 Corinthians 15:57
Delivered to eternal life with Christ in the life to come. John 14:1–3
The word saved refers to the deliverance that the Lord purchased for all believers through His sacrificial, substitutionary death on the Cross of Calvary. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him" [2 Cor. 5:21]. Meaning, we obviously had a sin debt we couldn't pay, and He paid the price for a sin debt He didn't owe because of the love of God for mankind. We, as believers, were truly "bought with a price," the shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Regardless of all that you have done in the past that was not right in the sight of God, He still truly loves you with a divine agape love and desires for you to turn from sin and come all the way to Him through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. John 3:16 places it all in proper perspective: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Romans 5:8 further reveals, "But God commendeth [revealed] his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." I can truly say, with all sincerity, that of all the blessings that I have ever received in this life, I thank the Lord the most for leaving me here long enough to get to know Him! He transforms your way of thinking and living from worldliness to holiness, therefore enabling you to make the right choices in regard to nurturing your God-given earthen vessel. Remember, as a believer, your body is the temple of God, meaning that as a born-again child of God, your body becomes the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit of God, and you are never alone.
In conclusion to this first and all-important key, it's your time to make a conscious decision to accept the Lord's invitation for a lifetime of good health, love, joy, peace, and prosperity through a binding, everlasting relationship with Him.
The Word in 2 Corinthians 6:2 reveals, "Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." Also, in Revelation 3:20, the Lord extends another binding invitation: "I stand at the door and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with me."
If the Holy Spirit has used this first and all-important key, through the love of God, to touch your heart and inspire you to accept the invitation of Christ or rededicate your life to Christ, please confess openly with me the following soul-saving prayer:
Dear God our Father, I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal living Savior. I repent of my sins, I believe in my heart that you have raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and now according to the power of your divine Word in Romans 10:9 and John 3:16, I know that I am saved. From this day forward, lead, guide, and direct me through the power of your Holy Spirit so I can fulfill your plan and purpose for my life. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
If you repeated this prayer with me through saving faith, I know, according to the promises of God in John 3:16 and Romans 10:9, that you have been born again spiritually, "sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise," and that the Lord has now made you a new creature in Christ. I also fervently believe that all of the heavenly hosts are now rejoicing. Your door to the blessing of a healthier you is now open. When you made the above confession, through saving faith, your name was immediately "written in Heaven," meaning that the gift of eternal life with the Lord is now yours. It also means that you have access to the Lord's gift of health, happiness, love, joy, and peace, including all of the fruit of the Spirit, in this present dispensation through faith and obedience to His word and His voice. Confirm your commitment to the Lord by placing your name in the commitment signature blank and record this date as your day of dedication or rededication.
Signature of Commitment _____________________________________ Date ________________________________________________________
Key #1 Truths
"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Romans 10:9)
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." (Matt. 11:28–30)
"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor. 5:17)
"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33)
"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen ... But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him." (Heb. 11:1, 11:6)
"So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God." (Rom. 10:17)
"But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible." (Matt. 19:26)
"For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly." (Psalm 84:11)
"Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again." (John 3:7)
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable and perfect, will of God." (Rom. 12:2)
"I know in whom I have believed and I am persuaded that he is able" (2 Tim. 1:12)
"If they obey and serve him, they shall spend their days in prosperity, and their years in pleasures." (Job 36:11)
"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 10:32)
"But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Rom. 5:8)
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God." (Matt. 5:8)
"For the preaching of the cross to them that perish is foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God." (1 Cor. 1:18)
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also the Greek." (Romans 1:16)
"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon [materialism]." (Matthew 6:24)
Key #2: The Power of Prayer and the Holy Spirit
"You Have Not Because You Ask Not" "Greater Is He That Is in You"
The Power of Prayer
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." (Jer. 33:3)
I firmly believe that prayer—humbled direct communication with God through faith in Jesus Christ—is divinely designed by God to transfer our problems, troubles, and issues from the physical realm to the spiritual. In essence, when we obey the Lord's command to pray, He equips, directs, guides, and enables us so we can face every battle in life, including our battle to become healthier and more physically fit, with assurance and conviction. For example, in 2 Chronicles chapter twenty, King Jehoshaphat of Judah, after being surrounded by several enemy armies, prayed to God for deliverance and ended his prayer, in verse twelve, saying, "for we have no might against this great company that cometh against us; neither know we what to do: but our eyes are upon thee." The Lord answered the King, in verse fifteen, saying, "Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God's." In verse seventeen, the Lord said, "Ye shall not need to fight in this battle; set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation [the deliverance] of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem; fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them; for the Lord will be with you." When the King obeyed the voice of the Lord by sending the "praise team" in front of the army, singing "Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever," the Lord confused the enemy armies and they defeated themselves. God answers prayer and gives divine favor to those who obey Him!
The above account clearly reveals that God not only answers the prayer of the righteous but also is faithful to those who obey and serve Him. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much," reveals James 5:16. The battle that was originally King Jehoshaphat's before his prayer became God's battle after Jehoshaphat prayed and obeyed the Lord's instructions. Remember that we are laborers together with God and that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:26). I, therefore, believe that when we pray, the Lord will equip us with the strength, guidance, instructions and perseverance, through the power of the Holy Spirit, to achieve a fit and healthy body.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Seven Divine Keys to a Healthier You-Now!by Ronnie L. Williams Copyright © 2011 by Power In the Word, World Ministries. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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