Diet

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Not only does God instruct our lives in terms of how to apply his standard of living, but he also guides us in how to maintain a healthy body and a sound mind. When the human body is in good health, the mind is more sound and even one’s thinking and disposition is more pleasant. The food that we consume has a direct connection on our health, state of mind, and well-being. The food we eat everyday serves as fuel needed to keep us going just as gasoline is needed to fuel the engine of an automobile. If we used anything other than gas or the mandatory fuel in our vehicles we would slowly destroy the car. Much in the same way is how the human body works.

Clean & Unclean Foods

While there are many conversations to hold about the food industry, which includes many of the today’s common grocery stores, fast food places, and restaurants, it is necessary that the basic intake of food be viewed. Not every animal placed here on earth was given to mankind for potential food. Many animals that God created and called good act as living garbage cans. These certain creatures which are not meant to be eaten literally rid the earth of much of its waste. All of these “living garbage cans” were called unclean animals. These animals are good, good for the purpose in which God intended them to be used. The other list of animals, are healthy for human consumption and were labeled clean animals later in the bible.

Noah appeared to already know the difference between the clean and unclean animals, taking them into the ark which God instructed him to build seven by seven of the clean animals and two by two of the unclean animals, Genesis 7:8. When Jesus lived he kept this same standard, and when he died nothing he said closely stated that this would change. Since the time of Noah not only has the green herbs been a part of man’s diet, but clean fish, clean animals, clean fowl as well, Genesis 9:3, and Leviticus 11. In both of the scriptures in the Bible it gives us a guide as to which animals may be eaten of mankind.

We understand this information (laws) was later given to the nation of the Jews or Israelites. It precedes them being given to Noah whose nationality is unknown, giving us legitimate reasoning to state that all must keep this law regardless of a persons nationality. The dietary laws given were not just for the Jews, which came thousands of years after Noah. The Lord knows what diet the man he created can consume and what is most healthy for him. He wants his people to live a clean life, keep clean thoughts and eat clean foods and be an example to the rest of the world.

Organic Foods

Beyond the regulated food that God asked of his servants not to eat, there are many other ways that the food created for mankind to eat can be harmful. Much of mankind, in his quest to become a faster producer of vegetables and animals for a quick profit has turned him to become self destructive to the earth and his fellow mankind. In its origin food was meant to grow at a steady pace and throughout a certain season. As food grows there are certain “pest” and rodents which may destroy a portion of the harvest. Many farmers have relied on new technology to rid themselves of these pests. As much of our country has left from farming, we have relied on farmers and the government to help us be healthy people. The government, big business and the farming industry have developed immediate remedies to rid farmers of pest that destroy their crops, and assist in making huge profits. These methods are harmful, dangerous and unnatural. There are natural methods which can be used to prevent pest. As opposed to the use of such natural methods many of today’s farmers have turned to pesticides.

When you see an ant in your house and or a roach, or a colony of bugs what would be your 1st reaction? Chemicals or bug sprays. The same chemicals in which you would spray to kill insects in your home have been being sprayed on your foods for close to 3 decades, that’s 30 years! The democratic country we live in, America, has kept us all uninformed of this. The foods which are sprayed with pesticides are not required to be labeled and as much as 90% of our common foods contain pesticides or other chemicals.

The EPA (environmental protection agency) has a job to protect the environment. It decides which pesticides people can use. Over 20 years ago despite the governments science objections the EPA released DDT a pesticide in the environment. This same chemical was used as a base for nerve gas in World War 2. There is also a big opportunity for companies to make money through the genetic engineering of food, called GMO’s. This technology allows a “Frankenstein” like method of producing food. Major companies patent seeds like corn and canola to have control of the food supply. GMO foods are outlawed or must be label in almost every country in the world, besides the United States. Many countries understand the danger of producing foods that are genetically engineered, and will not take the risk of harming their citizens.

With this understanding it behooves our community, and those who wish to have better health to take the approach of shopping for and growing organic food. While shopping organic is a costly endeavor, we have begun to pool our resources reminiscent of the early church to better live according to the scripture. We have also begun planting our garden and have been in a search to acquire land so that we can obtain independence from such harmful practices used by the food industry today.

The Blood

Many of us may have all looked over these same verses and may not have recognized the fine print. When we read precepts like Genesis 9:3-4, the Lord let’s Noah know (who was at the time a vegetarian) that he has given him meat to eat. However, if and when he decides to eat the meat he is not to eat the BLOOD. After this occurrence, we begin to notice that the Lord has repeated his instruction for mankind not to consume or eat blood when eating meat. According to the Laws of God we are not to eat of the blood of any flesh.

Leviticus 17:12,14: Therefore I said unto the children of Israel, No soul of you shall eat blood, neither shall any stranger that sojourneth among you eat blood. For it is the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of the flesh is the blood thereof; whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.

Many Bible readers may wonder what does this have to do with them. God has given instruction for the health and life of mankind. When meat is cooked without 1st ridding it of the blood, persons are placing themselves in danger of diseases known and unknown. The blood of an animal is the life of an animal, and almost every disease or infection known to man exists in the blood. God in his wisdom forbade mankind to eat of the blood of the clean foods which he allowed mankind to eat, which in turn would eliminate disease amongst them.

As part of our Biblical diet, we have learned to salt or kosher our meats. This koshering process removes any trace of blood that can be found in the smallest capillary. To Kosher your meats you will need to wash, soak, and salt your meats thoroughly.

What does salting meat do to meat?

Salting meat removes all traces of blood from raw meat. To salt meat one would add enough Kosher table salt to water and allow meat to soak in the water for a minimum of 4 hours. If salting fresh meat a minimum of 1 1/2 hours. As many of us learned of our Father what we should do when eating meat (chicken, deer, beef etc.) it began to drastically change our diets. For these causes our community does not eat out much, knowing that we may be eating blood because the restaurant would not salt the meat. Many fast food restaurants are not only unhealthy, but are also unlawful according to the commandments given by God.

Although our diet now consists still of meat, it must be salted prior to eating. Much of our community will eat tofu, or other meat replacements which need not to be salted mainly due to time constraints. Just as murder is a sin, a violation of God’s commandments, to eat meat which still contains blood is also a transgression. As our understanding continues to grow, over the years our diet has began to take a change and our minds have become a lot clearer. These are the basics of our dieting practices held by members of our community.