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     It's God's desire that we have good health and are prosperous (3 John 1:2). God wants to sanctify us, this includes our bodies, minds, and emotions as wee as our spiritual faculties (1 Thess. 5:23). God wants us to present our bodies to Him as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1, 2), Because our bodies are the temple of God (1 Cor. 6:19, 20).

     We are warned in the Bible that alcoholic beverages are bad for us (Prov. 20:1). Why are alcoholic beverages bad? Because it brings sorrow, woe, and contention. It deceives us into thinking, "Oh! I'm all right! I can drive. I'm not that drunk." If this statement is true, then why do so many people die as a result of someone driving when they were drunk? Why are there so many in the prisons because of DWI's or DUI's? And why are the mental services so full of those who were ordered to do a detox program? Let's face it, alcoholic beverages cloud our judgment and makes us decide to do not so smart things (Prov. 23:29-32). Woe is pronounced on those who decide to drink until intoxicated (Isa. 5:11). The Bible also tells us that excessive drinking can also lead to violence (Prov. 4:17). How many people do you suppose are sitting on death row, have been executed or are spending up to life in prision for Killing someone just because they were drunk?

God also wants us to be careful of what we eat and how food much we consume. Many people today suppose that we don't have to follow the Old Testament standards of eating anymore because Jesus came and changed all that. But is that true? There is one very sorely misinterpreted story in the Bible that I am going to use as an example. It is the, New Testament, story about the apostle Peter and a dream that God gave him. The story is found in Acts 10:9-16.

Peter is up on top of a house praying. As he was praying he became very hungry and wanted to eat. There was someone in the house preparing food, but Peter fell asleep before the food was ready. After Peter fell asleep, he began to dream. In his dream he saw a sheet full of all kinds of unclean animals coming down from heaven. The Bible says, that in it were, "All kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air (v. 12)." Then Peter heard a voice that said, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat (v. 13)." Then Peter replied, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean (v. 14)." The voice came to him a second time and said, "What God has cleansed you must not call common (v. 15)." The story said this happened three times.

How is this story misinterpreted? Many people suppose that God was telling Peter it is okay to eat unclean animals now. But I don't want to eat rats, lizards, snakes or buzzards, so why would God say it's okay to eat them now. If the sheet was full of all kinds of four footed animals, I'd have to think that there were pigs in there as well. Along with other animals that God said was unclean for humans to eat in the Old Testament. If God said these animals were unclean and forbidden to eat, in the Old Testament, why would He say it's okay to eat them in the New Testament? Why would he change His mind after so many thousands of years? I don't believe that God did change His mind, in fact I'm certain of it! why am I so certain? Because the Bible says that God does not change. In Malachi 3:6 God declares of Himself, "For I am the LORD, I do not change." Another reason that I believe the story of Peter's dream was not a changing of God's mind is because of Peter's interpretation of his dream. At first Peter is confused but later he figures it out. Here's how!

In verses 17-23, Peter is wondering what the dream meant. Mean-while there are three men, sent from Cornelius, to find Peter. Cornelius was a gentile, a centurion in the Italian Army. He was also a devout man who feared God (see vs. 1, 2). The men that were looking for Peter ended up where Peter was staying. While Peter was thinking about the vision, the spirit came to him and told him that three men were looking for him. The Spirit told Peter to go with these men and not to have any doubts because the Spirit had sent them to find him. Peter goes down to greet the me. These men told Peter, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you (v. 22)." Peter leaves for Caesarea the next morning with the men.

So there we have it, Peter gives us the answer to his dream. Peters dream was not about God saying it's okay to eat the animals of the earth that God deemed unclean for us to consume. God was simply telling Peter, using the unclean animals as a symbol to represent the other nations of the world, not to call people - who are not Jewish - unclean. So this dream was on the issue of discrimination against another human. It did not mean that God was telling Peter it's okay to eat unclean animals.

God's judgments are true and righteous (Psalms 19:9) and His Laws stand forever (Psalms 111:7, 8). God pronounced certain animals of the earth unclean for us to consume because they were meant to be natures trash cans, natures garbage disposers. The Bible tells us that if humans rebel against God's dietary standards (laws) they will not be invited to God's kingdom (Isaiah 66:15-17). God also links eating unclean food to heathen idolatry (65:1-5).

God's original diet was a vegetarian diet (Gen. 1:29). But since the great flood of Noah's day God gave us certain animals we can eat, and Noah understood the difference between the clean and unclean animals, because he brought the clean animals into the ark by sevens and the unclean by two's (Genesis 7:2).  For a Biblical list to learn the difference between clean and unclean animals please see Leviticus 11:1-12. If you have any questions concerning this subject please use the form on the "Contact Us" page. Put in the subject line, "Health and Fitness Issues." Thank you!

In addition to God wanting us to be sober and eat right he also wants us to take care of our physical condition. In a few places the Bible talks about being a glutton. The word Glutton seems like a harsh word, but this is how the Bible describes some one who eats too much. A glutton is also described in the dictionary as some one who eats too much. glutton - a person who is devoted to eating and drinking to excess (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/glutton) Here is what the Bible has to say about being a glutton, "For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with rags (Prov. 23:21)." "Whoever keeps the law is a discerning son, But a companion of gluttons shames his father (Prov. 28:7)." So, what happens if we eat too much all of the time? We get fat! So God wants us to also take care of our weight and physical condition as well. If you are having trouble with eating in excess and need to loose some weight, I invite you to join my FREE weight loss support forum. Please click on the banner below.