Be In good health ministry
"Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers." 3 John 1:2
The mission of the Be In Good Health ministry is to transform lives by elevating individuals to a harmonious state of health and wellness of mind, body, and spirit, as disciples of Jesus Christ through evangelism, health education, prevention programs, screenings, and health related services.
What we are aiming for is the spiritual athleticism that equips us to meet the demands that will come. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/25/how-do-we-stay-spiritually-fit-time-coronavirus via @americamag
The image of a runner, in particular, fits with the way many of us are feeling now: poised at the starting block, muscles taut, eyes strained to look ahead of us, trying to imagine how we will finish this race. We are asking ourselves: Are we up to the task?
If we (believer in Christ Jesus) consider the form of this Christian readiness, though, a fuller picture emerges. Above all, we recall that the readiness to which we are called is not only the result of our own efforts. We are borne up by a power greater than our own. It is not simply steely-eyed determination that we need. It is surrender and cooperation with that which is greater than ourselves. The call to training is there, but so is the reminder that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose†(Phil 2:13). If, at this moment, we don’t feel quite ready, we can rest a bit in the knowledge that Someone else is working in us and through us, drawing us into plans that we may not even fully understand.
We know something of what lies ahead of us. Other tests will only emerge as we go. We will have to do everything we can to be ready. We also have to remind ourselves, though, that we do not run alone. We will trust in God, and we will bear up one another. It is a moment to offer whatever we have: our skills, our resources, our time, our love. And yes, even our scars.
What we are aiming for is the spiritual athleticism that equips us to meet the demands that will come. https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2020/03/25/how-do-we-stay-spiritually-fit-time-coronavirus via @americamag
The image of a runner, in particular, fits with the way many of us are feeling now: poised at the starting block, muscles taut, eyes strained to look ahead of us, trying to imagine how we will finish this race. We are asking ourselves: Are we up to the task?
If we (believer in Christ Jesus) consider the form of this Christian readiness, though, a fuller picture emerges. Above all, we recall that the readiness to which we are called is not only the result of our own efforts. We are borne up by a power greater than our own. It is not simply steely-eyed determination that we need. It is surrender and cooperation with that which is greater than ourselves. The call to training is there, but so is the reminder that “it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill His good purpose†(Phil 2:13). If, at this moment, we don’t feel quite ready, we can rest a bit in the knowledge that Someone else is working in us and through us, drawing us into plans that we may not even fully understand.
We know something of what lies ahead of us. Other tests will only emerge as we go. We will have to do everything we can to be ready. We also have to remind ourselves, though, that we do not run alone. We will trust in God, and we will bear up one another. It is a moment to offer whatever we have: our skills, our resources, our time, our love. And yes, even our scars.
Take Care of Your Body
Your physical health is an important part of making your life count. I want to look at the right motivation for getting healthy – what God’s says about the importance of your body in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV)
1. God expects me to manage my body. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. …I will not be mastered by anything …†(verse 12). Your body is a gift from God. He loans it to you and it’s your responsibility to manage it well. What are you doing with what He’s given you?
2. My body is God’s property. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord …†(verse 13). Our culture teaches us that we can do whatever we want with our bodies. But God created our bodies, so we don’t have a right to share them with anybody we want.
3. My body will be resurrected after I die. “ … God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also†(verse 14). God never wastes anything. One day he’s going to resurrect a new version of your body.
4. My body is connected to the body of Christ. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?†(verse 15). God considers sins against the body to be in a special class because your body is connected to the body of Christ.
5. The Holy Spirit lives in my body. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit … ?†(verse 19). Your body is God’s temple. If you were walking down the street and saw some gang vandalizing a church, you’d do something about it, right? When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.
6. Jesus bought my body on the cross. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body†(verse 20). If you want to know how much you’re worth, look at the cross. Jesus with his hands outstretched says, “This is how much you’re worth to me. You’re worth dying for.†You are infinitely valuable.
Keeping your body in shape is a spiritual discipline. It’s not just about losing a few pounds, wanting to live longer, or trying to look nicer. God created your body, Jesus died for it, the Holy Spirit lives in it, your body is connected to Christ, and it’s going to be resurrected one day. When it is, God’s going to hold you accountable for how you managed what he gave you.
Your physical health is an important part of making your life count. I want to look at the right motivation for getting healthy – what God’s says about the importance of your body in 1 Corinthians 6:12-20 (NIV)
1. God expects me to manage my body. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial. …I will not be mastered by anything …†(verse 12). Your body is a gift from God. He loans it to you and it’s your responsibility to manage it well. What are you doing with what He’s given you?
2. My body is God’s property. “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord …†(verse 13). Our culture teaches us that we can do whatever we want with our bodies. But God created our bodies, so we don’t have a right to share them with anybody we want.
3. My body will be resurrected after I die. “ … God raised the Lord from the dead, and he will raise us also†(verse 14). God never wastes anything. One day he’s going to resurrect a new version of your body.
4. My body is connected to the body of Christ. “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself?†(verse 15). God considers sins against the body to be in a special class because your body is connected to the body of Christ.
5. The Holy Spirit lives in my body. “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit … ?†(verse 19). Your body is God’s temple. If you were walking down the street and saw some gang vandalizing a church, you’d do something about it, right? When you don’t take care of your body, you are vandalizing God’s temple.
6. Jesus bought my body on the cross. “You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body†(verse 20). If you want to know how much you’re worth, look at the cross. Jesus with his hands outstretched says, “This is how much you’re worth to me. You’re worth dying for.†You are infinitely valuable.
Keeping your body in shape is a spiritual discipline. It’s not just about losing a few pounds, wanting to live longer, or trying to look nicer. God created your body, Jesus died for it, the Holy Spirit lives in it, your body is connected to Christ, and it’s going to be resurrected one day. When it is, God’s going to hold you accountable for how you managed what he gave you.
