Isaiah 58:8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rereward.
The above verse refers to a church of worship and service. Through Isaiah, God tells us that worship is not just a churchin' thing we do, but a total commitment to him. It should be a part of our every day life, evident not only on Sunday morning, but every day, all day. Worship leads to service. When we leave our churches after a worship service, or complete or daily Bible study we should be prepared servants through out the week.
That's why good health is important. We have to be whole in order to do our best in helping others. I'm a black (I know it's not politically correct) Christian who attends a Baptist church. Denominational lines don't bother or restrict me. I've attended Pentecostal and been to AME, Church of God, Methodist, and several other denominational Christian churches with both black and non-black congregations. The one thing they all have in common, along with the belief that Jesus Christ is Lord is their fellowship meals. I've seen more fried chicken, sweet potato pie, home made butter cake, macaroni and cheese, potato salad, string beans smothered in pork, and lots of other fattening, cholesterol filled food items. I've also been blessed to see a few low-cal, low-fat dishes served by several churches during fellowship meals.
The meals served at our fellowship gatherings are an extension of the dinner tables of our homes. We delve them out, giving extra helpings to the clergy, elders, officers and men in the church; taking no thought of colon cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, of obesity in the process. Why should we? Our food is often times an expression of our love for one another. Remember the movie 'Soul Food'? There is a nurturing feeling you get when you give someone something to eat, the feeling is compounded when you have also prepared the food. Men and women enjoy this feeling of compassion and service.
We have to do more. (Revelation 2:19 I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first). We have to lift each other up and encourage healthier eating and lifestyle habits. It's okay to serve fried chicken and even macaroni and cheese, but there is nothing wrong with serving baked turkey, steamed vegetables and/or a nice tossed salad in the same meal.
John 3:16 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. This refers to Spiritual life, but we have to use our fleshly vessels to move about and do God's will on this earth until he returns.
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.
Below is a list of useful sites. If you would like to see other sites listed, please drop me a line.
Diabetes.com Diabetes news and information, includes health library search engine
Sickle Cell Disease Association
Heart Disease: Heart Disease Online Homepage
Cardiomyopathy Association Web Site
AIDS Information - A Service of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Cancer News: A Website Dedicated to the latest news and information on cancer diagnosis, treatment & prevention.
MEDLINEplus: Prostate Cancer
American Lung Association: Tuberculosis (TB)
Pulmonary Hypertension Information from the American Heart Association
Obesity.org - Education, Research, Prevention, Treatment, Information and related Links
