Health

Restoring the Temple – The Integumentary System

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“And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I [am] the Lord.”

—Ezekiel 37:6.

What is the largest organ of the body? With an average area of about 22 square feet (2 square meters) and a weight of 10–11 pounds (4.5–5 kg), skin—called the integument—wins hands down. It is obvious that skin covers us and protects our internal organs from injury. But skin has several other very important functions, including protection against dehydration, body temperature regulation, sensory reception, metabolic function, blood reservoir, absorption, and excretion.

Surprised about that last one? Indeed, our skin is our body’s largest waste organ. You can see why cleanliness is so important. Recent research has shown that exposure to the dirt we come into contact with daily does not harm us. Yet Ellen White spent a lot of time discussing the benefits of cleanliness. Does this conflict with what scientists have now found? Absolutely not! Ellen White understood this concept long ago when she wrote: “Do not misunderstand me in this. I do not say that you must keep them [children] indoors, like dolls. There is nothing impure in clean sand and dry earth; it is the emanations from the body that defile, requiring the clothing to be changed and the body washed.” Child Guidance, 107. She further states, “Impurities are constantly and imperceptibly passing from the body, through the pores, and if the surface of the skin is not kept in a healthy condition, the system is burdened with impure matter.” Healthful Living, 188.

Skin is composed of two layers: the epidermis and the dermis. The epidermis is the outer layer of skin, made relatively waterproof by the protein keratin. The cells of the epidermis are constantly sloughing off and being replaced by new cells as they are pushed up from below. Not only do epidermal cells have a life span of only 35–45 days, but you are likely to shed some 40 pounds of skin in a lifetime! In fact, about 30,000–40,000 dead skin cells fall from your body every minute!

Some of the cells of the epidermis are called melanocytes, and they are where the skin color comes from. Melanocytes make a pigment called melanin. Melanin protects the DNA in our skin cells from harmful UV radiation. Your genes, or what you inherit from your parents, determine the amount of melanin, and its particular shade. Carotene is another pigment, giving a yellowish cast (which can be seen clearly if you eat a lot of carrots every day). The pink coloration of skin comes from the blood in your capillaries showing through.

The dermis is composed of connective tissue, thread-through with lots of tiny blood vessels called capillaries. The dermis is also where hair follicles, nerve endings, and sweat and sebaceous glands are found. The dermis consists of two layers, the papillary layer and the reticular layer. In the papillary layer, fingerlike projections called the dermal papillae extend up into the epidermis. The epidermis is very thin on your fingertips, making them more sensitive to stimuli. This thinness also makes those dermal papillae stand out. You know them as your fingerprints. When you lightly burn your fingertip, your fingerprints do not disappear forever, because it is the epidermis that is damaged, not the dermis from which the prints project.

The Lord made us with several skin appendages, including hair, sebaceous glands, sweat glands, and nails. Have you ever wondered how your hair stands on end when you are cold? Tiny muscles, called arrector pili muscles are attached to each strand of hair. The nervous system causes them to involuntarily contract, pulling each strand of hair upright. This is the same way a cat’s hair stands on end when it is scared or angry. The reason why your hair does this is that erect hair traps more air, keeping a layer of warmth around you.

What about the differences we have in hair color? Pigments produced by melanocytes in the root of the hair cause these variations in color. Your own hair color is mostly predetermined genetically, but hormone and environmental conditions can play a part. So why do you grow gray as you age? It is because pigment production decreases with age. White hair is a combination of pigment loss and air bubbles within the medulla, or central core of the hair shaft.

Sweat glands are coiled tubes found in the dermis. Sweat generally does not have an odor. The bacterium on your skin that is attracted to this moisture causes the odor associated with sweat. Sweat is more than just water. It also contains salts, antibodies, and waste products. Sweating helps to regulate your body temperature. Depending on the circumstances, you lose 2–4 pints (1–2 liters) of water every 24 hours through the skin. You can see why drinking adequate amounts of water (8 8-ounce glasses) each day is so essential. When we are overheated, more blood is directed to the skin’s surface so that heat can be wicked away. This is why skin, especially lighter skin, turns red when hot.

Each day your skin is being constantly abused, attacked, and abraded. Radiation from sunlight beats down on it, germs are constantly attacking it, chemicals in the air and chemicals we use abuse it. Yet, for most of us, all we see is a freckle here or a pimple there. There is nothing remotely like the skin that can be made by man. The best-manufactured fabrics deteriorate quickly under the same conditions. Some materials are durable but are incapable of all the additional functions of skin. God made the wondrous fabric that is our skin. We must take care of it, follow the laws of health, and thank the Lord for His love and infinite science.

“Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews.” “And [though] after my skin [worms] destroy this [body], yet in my flesh shall I see God.” Job 10:11; 19:26.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon, where she lives with her husband and twin daughters.

Restoring the Temple – The Cardiovascular System

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Centuries ago, scholars believed that the heart was the seat of thoughts and emotions. They believed this mainly because when you think of something, and become emotional, your heart rate speeds up. William Harvey, an English Physician, first described blood circulation in 1628, and although great strides had been made toward understanding the cardiovascular system, it was not until the middle to last part of the twentieth century that scientists came to understand its functions. Ellen White said, much earlier, “The more active the circulation the more free from obstructions and impurities will be the blood. The blood nourishes the body. The health of the body depends upon the healthful circulation of the blood.” Healthful Living, 178.

Your heart is about the size of your fist, no matter what age or size you are. Its duty is to pump blood through blood vessels (arteries) and to receive the blood again from the veins and repeat the process.

Blood circulation has two main purposes. First, it delivers oxygen, nutrients, water, hormones, and other essentials to each cell of the body. Second, it transports all the carbon dioxide and other waste products of the cells to the lungs to be expired or to the kidneys to be excreted. The adult heart beats approximately 70 times per minute and pumps 2,000 gallons (7,570 liters) of blood each day. There are about 60,000 miles (96,560 km) of blood vessels in the human body, or enough to encircle the Earth more than twice over.

The heart is a muscle, made by God as a different kind of muscle than those that move the skeleton. It has four chambers, the two atria and the two ventricles. It is really like two pumps in one. The right side of the heart receives circulated blood from the body. Blood drains from veins into the right atrium and then flows through a valve (tricuspid valve) into the right ventricle when the valve is opened. The blood then is shunted through another valve (pulmonary semilunar) to the lungs where it will drop off its carbon dioxide load and pick up inhaled oxygen. Blood and inspired air do not directly mix. Oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported across a special thin membrane in the lungs. When the blood is oxygenated, it becomes bright red. It then continues its journey back to the heart where its first stop is the left atrium. As the valve (bicuspid or mitral) opens, blood flows into the left ventricle. The left ventricle is the largest chamber in the heart and has a large portion of muscle surrounding it.

Only when a blood vessel is damaged, such as in a cut, is blood ever not contained within the circulatory system. Even when it flows through organs, such as the brain or liver, blood is always inside a blood vessel. Arteries are the vessels that carry blood away from the heart to the body. Blood is highly pressurized as it travels away from the heart, so arteries do not need valves. Arteries get smaller and smaller the farther they are from the heart, becoming arterioles. As blood arrives at the tissues, the vessels become so small that only one blood cell can fit through at a time. These tiny vessels are called capillaries. This is where the oxygen/carbon dioxide and nutrient/waste exchange takes place. The oxygen and nutrients are dropped off, and the blood picks up its load of carbon dioxide and other waste and continues its journey back to the heart. As the blood vessels start to get bigger, nearer the heart, they are called venules and then veins. Blood is much less pressurized by now, and its journey to the heart is assisted through skeletal muscle contraction and the use of valves. One-fifth of the blood goes to the kidneys to drop off its waste load and then continues to the right side of the heart.

Why do you hear your heart beating but you cannot hear your other muscles when they contract? It is not the muscle contraction that you are hearing. The sound that is heard when the heart beats, lub-dub, comes from the heart valves. The first sound, the “lub,” occurs when the tricuspid and mitral valves shut after the blood has gone through. The “dub” occurs when the pulmonic and aortic valves close. The lub-dub can be heard through a stethoscope or if you put your ear to someone’s chest.

Prior to 1900, heart disease was rare. Before machines made life easier, people plowed their fields, milked cows and did laundry by hand. The main method of transportation was walking. Rich meats were available only to the wealthy on a regular basis, and refined grains were unheard of. As the Industrial Age brought new methods to improve life, it also brought new ways to eat. Meats, refined foods, and high-fat foods became a staple of daily life, and the common people developed and died of rich man’s diseases. Between 1940 and 1967, the rate of heart disease increased so sharply that the World Health Organization called it the world’s most serious epidemic. The role of diet and exercise in heart disease prevention and treatment was finally discovered. Much earlier, Ellen White noted that “The more we exercise, the better will be the circulation of the blood. . . . Those who accustom themselves to proper exercise in the open air will generally have a good and vigorous circulation.” Healthful Living, 186.

God is not only the architect of your heart, but He maintains every beat that sends blood through your body and every breath that fills your lungs with oxygen. The daily care of this system lies in your hands.

“Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD.” Psalm 31:24.

Relationship between the Cardiovascular System and Other Systems

Integumentary: skin cell stimulation produces local changes in blood flow; delivers immune system cells to injury; clotting seals breaks in skin; removes toxins; provides heat.

Skeletal: provides calcium needed for normal heart muscle contraction; protects blood cells developing in bone marrow; provides calcium and phosphorous for bone maintenance; delivers hormones and nutrition to bone cells.

Muscular: skeletal muscle contractions help move blood through veins; protects superficial blood vessels; muscles make up most of the heart organ; delivers oxygen and nutrients, removes carbon dioxide, lactic acid, and heat during muscle activity.

Nervous: controls patterns of circulation; modifies heart rate and regulates blood pressure; certain cells in blood vessels maintain blood-brain barrier; helps to make cerebrospinal fluid.

Endocrine: helps regulate production of red blood cells; involved in elevating blood pressure; adrenaline stimulates cardiac muscle, elevating heart rate and contraction force; distributes hormones throughout the body; heart secretes hormone ANP.

Lymphatic: defends against pathogens or toxins in blood; fights infections of cardiovascular organs; returns tissue fluid to circulation; distributes white blood cells; carries antibodies; clotting response aids in slowing spread of disease-causing germs.

Respiratory: provides oxygen and removes carbon dioxide; transports oxygen and carbon dioxide between lungs and other body tissues.

Digestive: provides nutrients; absorbs water and ions essential to maintenance of normal blood volume; distributes digestive tract hormones; carries nutrients, water, and ions away from sites of absorption; delivers nutrients and toxins to liver.

Urinary: releases hormones to elevate blood pressure and accelerate red blood cell production; removes waste products delivers blood to capillaries where filtration occurs; accepts fluids and solutes reabsorbed during urine production.

Reproductive: estrogens may maintain healthy vessels and slow development of hardening of the arteries with age; distributes reproductive hormones; provides nutrients, oxygen, and waste removal for developing fetus.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon where she lives with her husband and twin daughters.

God’s Farmacy, Part I

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Know ye that the LORD, he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3. As we study from the Great Owner’s Manual—the Bible—the greatest medical book that has ever been written, we find even the diseases that we suffer with today. There is nothing new; the Egyptians suffered from the same diseases. A book written by Moses 4,000 years ago shows the same diseases. (See Deuteronomy 28.) Here we live in such a modern, technological society, with more sophisticated apparatus, more education, but we still have not won the battle with cancer and other chronic diseases, because we are shooting in the wrong direction. The only way we can prevent sickness and preserve integrity of the body is through what God ordained 6,000 years ago in the Garden of Eden. Man thinks he is wiser than God, but God has given us instruction. He wants us to not only have theory or facts, but He wants us to have understanding—how to apply that which we know.

Eight Doctors

There are eight doctors at work for us. They are:

  1. Dr. Trust,
  2. Dr. Air,
  3. Dr. Exercise,
  4. Dr. Sunshine,
  5. Dr. Rest,
  6. Dr. Water,
  7. Dr. Temperance, and
  8. Dr. Nutrition.

As we go through this study, we will find these eight principles used exclusively. I use nothing outside of these eight principles. I do not care if it works; if it is not “to the law and to the testimony” (Isaiah 8:20), I do not use it. I do not use iridology; I do not use reflexology; I do not use acupuncture; I do not use the pendulum,and I do not use muscle testing, because they are not “to the law and to the testimony.” Those things are wrought in spiritualism. We can prove that God has given us a simple plan.

“There are many ways of practicing the healing art; but there is only one way that Heaven approves.” Counsels on Diets and Foods, 301. The writer who penned those words does not leave us in darkness. She, Ellen White, goes on to talk about the eight laws. If we are asking for and looking for the Latter Rain to fall on us, we must be in harmony with God’s principles. There is no way we are going to get the Latter Rain if we are not in harmony with the health principles. We find that these principles are simple.

The devil takes the gospel and the health message and he enshrouds them in mystery where only a few people have the so-called expertise and know-how to follow God’s simple principles. But this plan is accessible to all of us. I have no advantage to anyone reading this. We have access to the same power—the Holy Spirit. If God can take a person like me from the streets of Chicago and put His Word in me, He can do it for you.

Disease is an Effort

I want to give you one of the most profound definitions of disease that I have found in any book—whether you went to Loma Linda, Harvard, or Yale, the definition given in The Ministry of Healing is the most profound that I have read in my 54 years. When I picked this book up 27 years ago, I was not a Seventh-day Adventist, and I did not know who wrote it, but I knew it was inspired. It says, “Disease is an effort of nature to free the system from conditions that result from a violation of the laws of health.” The Ministry of Healing, 127.

“Disease is an effort of nature . . . .” When we look at the word effort, it comes to mind that the body is putting forth some work or energy, what we call vital force. Nature is expending energy to maintain what we call homeostasis or balance. God created the body to maintain balance. The temperature of the body, hot or cold; the pH of the body—God created the body to maintain harmony. But when we interfere with the delicate mechanisms of the body, we disrupt its function and sickness takes place.

But notice what it says. “Disease is an effort “—that means that the body is expending energy to get rid of the problem that we have brought upon it through the violation of law. When someone gets sick, it does not mean that God is punishing that person. We live in a sinful world that has come about as the result of my father and your father, Adam, disobeying God. If there were no sin, there would be no disease. Therefore, my warfare is not against cancer. The Bible does not say that the wages of sin is cancer. The wages of sin is eternal death. My purpose is to lead people back to the cross, back to the Great Physician, Who not only can heal them from cancer, but Who can heal their soul. If a person gets well from cancer and does not have a relationship with Jesus, I have not done the work of God. All I have done is to produce another soldier for the devil to use against God’s people. God is not in the business of producing healthy sinners.

Our Effort vs. Nature

“Disease is an effort of nature.” Some of you realize that a common cold or chronic cough is something that you want to get rid of, so you go to the pharmacist, and you purchase what is called a cough suppressant. As you take this cough suppressant, you are now suppressing nature’s effort to free itself of the condition that has been brought about as a result of the violation of the laws of health. You take the cough suppressant; you are no longer coughing, and you feel good because the cough is gone. Six months later you end up with bronchitis. Now you take another drug to rid yourself of bronchitis. Six months later you may end up with pneumonia, and you take another drug to suppress nature. A year later you may end up with lung cancer.

The more you interfere with nature, the more you are changing one form of a disease into another form, which is more severe. At a later date, nature is so weak it cannot rally to deal with the problem. Then you come to God and want Him to work a miracle, but you have been interfering with nature’s process all along. When you end up with a headache, you may take Tylenol. Your body is not deficient of Tylenol! You need to get to the cause of the problem.

When you sneeze, the body expends energy to get rid of a foreign organism. This involves the immune system. It goes through a histamine reaction—it is trying to get rid of the problem. That is good news! You start breaking out with a rash, and you think you are dying. That is good news! You have pain, and you think you cannot handle it, but that is good news! That is nature, working in your behalf, trying to save your life, and you are trying to interfere with nature. Nature is the voice of God, and when you interfere with nature, you are saying, God, be quiet. When all the mucus begins coming out in the morning, do you really want to take something to snuff that stuff back into your body?

God Wants to Cleanse You

Like Adam and Eve trying to cover themselves with fig leaves when they realized they were naked, you cannot hide your sin in your methods. You cannot mask sickness with your own methods. God wants to cleanse you, to purge you, and to get rid of all the sin in your body. He wants to get rid of the poison in your body, so God created the body in such a way to fight these diseases.

Fever is the way the body was created to deal with infection. Fever raises the body’s temperature—and you put it out with some aspirin. Instead of learning how to do water treatments or fasting to work with nature to free the system of the infection, you treat the symptom. Treating the symptom is like mopping the floor while the water continues to pour from an overflowing sink. What should you do when the floor is covered with water and it continues to pour out onto the floor—keep mopping? No, you need to turn off the water. High blood pressure, diabetes, and cancer are nothing but symptoms! Proverbs 26:2 says, “The curse causeless shall not come.” For every curse there is a cause; for every effect there is a cause; for every symptom there is a cause. The reason that you are not well is because the doctors are treating you for symptoms.

For ten years I did not get well because the doctor was treating my symptoms. He was treating arthritis. I went to the Word of God, and there I found that the cure was in the cause. Remove the cause, and you will get rid of the problem. That is what I did, and the Lord blessed. If He chooses not to heal you, He will give you grace to endure. If you are chronically ill, He may put you to sleep until the indignation passes, so you can rise in the first resurrection. God’s plan does not fail!

Four Steps

The Ministry of Healing mentions four things that should be done in case of sickness:

1 Ascertain the cause. (See The Ministry of Healing, 234, 235.) “The cause [which] I knew not I searched out.” Job 29:16. Where do you go? Romans 3:20 says that the knowledge of the law reveals sin. Without the law there can be no knowledge of sin. You find the cause of sickness by going to the law. To what law? The eight laws of health. If you have a headache, you may ask yourself why. Are you under a lot of stress? Are you drinking enough water? Maybe it was the 10:00 p.m. meal that you ate, or maybe you are not getting enough exercise. The law will reveal to you why you are sick.

2 Unhealthful conditions—the environment in which we live—need to be changed. (See The Ministry of Healing, 127.) The environment might not be conducive for a healthy lifestyle. Why? You might live in a home that has mildew and dampness, with no sunlight. Or perhaps you are sleeping with the animals—with the cats and dogs. Maybe they are running around all over your kitchen counter. Did you know that cats and dogs are susceptible to a number of different parasites that are communicable to humans? Except for service animals, such as those used for the blind, you do not need to be sleeping with animals. They should not be in your kitchen or even in your house.

Well, you might say, they are good for older folks. No, the Holy Spirit is good for older folks; you do not need animals in the house. I remember, on the way to a camp meeting several years ago, my wife and I stopped to use the restroom at the “golden arches.” They had a clean restroom and a little picnic area. My wife says I am a nosey person, but I say that I am observant, and there is a difference. (When you are nosey you get in other people’s business. Observant means you are learning for educational purposes.) As I walked out of McDonald’s, I observed a family with a wonderful dog, a German shepherd. It was eating ice cream. As I was observing, the mistress gave the dog the ice cream and it licked; then she took the cone back, and she licked from the same cone! Animals are wonderful creatures, and I love them, but you have to be hygienic with them.

If you are living in a home where there is second-hand smoke, you are in an unhealthy environment. Maybe you are working in a job where you are breathing chemical fumes. A friend who has been an auto mechanic for over 25 years had lungs filled with fumes; his hand was black with fungus. When he quit that job his hand started turning back to its normal color. Sometimes we work in hazardous situations that are not conducive to our health. Ask God to deliver you from such a situation. He will provide you with another job.

3 Wrong habits need to be corrected. (See The Ministry of Healing, 234.) That means simply that we need to change our lifestyle habits—our sleeping, eating, and exercise habits, etc.

4 Nature is to be assisted in its effort. (See The Ministry of Healing, 127.) Perhaps sometimes when you are sick and the stomach is aching, you keep feeding the stomach. The body may say, Wait a minute; give me a rest! Maybe you need to fast for 24 hours to assist nature; maybe you need to do a dry brush rub; a hot and cold shower; perhaps a sitz bath, or a foot bath. That is what it means to assist nature.

All of this comes from that wonderful book, The Ministry of Healing. It is a great medical book. So you need to find the cause, change unhealthful conditions, and follow the eight laws of health.

God Provides Everything

Under God’s plan you will find everything you need in the eight laws of health. Under the water law you will find that you are benefited by using it internally as well as by using hydrotherapy. Under the law of exercise you can find passive exercise, physical therapy, or massage. Under the law of nutrition you not only find good food, but you also find God’s Farmacy. Food is your medicine. God’s Farmacy is found in your back yard garden and in your grocery store. Genesis 1:11, 12 and Genesis 2:5–8, 15 tell us that God planted vegetation before He put man in the Garden. Everything Adam needed was in that Garden.

God gave man an original diet. Genesis 1:29 says that God gave man fruits, grains, and nuts in the beginning. Before sin, man did not eat green herbs; man did not eat green plants. He ate from the trees; he ate seeds; he ate grains; he ate fruit. There was no vegetation in his diet at all. This was God’s plan. In Genesis 3:18, after sin, God added the herbs of the field.

Genesis 1:11, 12 describes three types of vegetation—grass, herb-bearing seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit with the seed in itself—that God made. Of the three vegetations, in the beginning, God gave man two of them. (See Genesis 1:29.) God gave animals the vegetation from the grass. (See Genesis 1:30.) God said to Adam, “Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of it] all the days of thy life; Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.” Genesis 3:17, 18. Then He mentioned the sweat. Why did He do that? God is associating sweating with eating these plants, because sweating eliminates toxins out of the body. The body went through a metamorphosis. The Bible records the warning given that in the day that man would eat of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, he would surely die. (See Genesis 2:9, 17.) In that day he began to die, but God had an antidote. Therefore God gave man permission to eat fruits, nuts, grains, and vegetables.

The Bible says, “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth.” Psalm 104:14. God provided the herbs for the service of man.

Grow Your Own Food

To have a healthy body, you have to have healthy food; if you are going to have healthy food, you need to have healthy soil. When we began to work with our soil years ago, we discovered that we have clay soil. The pH was something like 3.5; there were no worms in our soil. Now a few things will grow in clay, but there is no way you are going to grow healthy food where there are no worms. After a year or two of building up that soil, the food grown on it is so sweet it melts in your mouth. You can become accustomed to store-bought vegetables, but if you are in the country, you need to have a garden. If you are in the city, get some grow boxes. Even in the city you can grow some food.

Out of the Cities

Those who have the resources should get out of the cities! With all we hear about end time events, it is really interesting to me that so many of us are still in the cities. Those who can get out of the city, get more than one acre, because there are refugees coming. We have 75 acres of land. We would never use that much land. Why do we have it? Because those acres can be converted, in the future, for those individuals who cannot financially afford to get out of the city now. We got out of the city without any money—God provided. Purpose in your heart—resolve; do not say that you do not have money; God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Purpose in your heart; start getting out of debt; start getting your tools together; begin making preparation just as the Israelites had to make preparation before leaving Egypt. Resolve, and watch God honor your resolve!

To be continued . . .

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.

Restoring the Temple – The Lymphatic System

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“The God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.” Psalm 68:35.

God has given us strength in many ways: physical strength to lift heavy loads or walk a long distance; mental strength to solve difficult problems; emotional strength to handle stressful moments; and spiritual strength to withstand temptations. He has also designed our bodies with a wondrous immune system—the lymphatic system—that provides strength against invading germs. Without a working immune system, each one of us would die soon after birth. Germs are everywhere, and although many of them are friendly to man, the microbes that are not would conquer us quickly.

Last month we discussed the cardiovascular system. The lymphatic system works in tandem with the cardiovascular system, and the systems have a lot in common. Like the cardiovascular system, the lymphatic system has vessels. Larger lymph vessels are very similar to veins, complete with valves, and the tiny ones are called capillaries. Lymph fluid does not use a pump like the heart but uses the contraction of skeletal muscles to move the fluid through the lymph vessels.

The lymphatic system actually has three major functions: absorption of excess fluid and its return to the bloodstream; absorption of fat; and the function of the immune system. Besides the vessels, the lymphatic system consists of lymph nodes and organs such as the bone marrow, spleen, and thymus. Certain cells called lymphocytes, monocytes, and leukocytes are produced in bone marrow. Lymph nodes are areas of concentrated lymphocytes along the lymphatic veins. The spleen is like a large lymph node except that it is also filled with blood. The spleen filters and purifies the blood and lymph fluid that flow through it. The thymus secretes a hormone that causes certain immune cells to mature.

The capacity to repel and destroy foreign substances and cells is called immunity. Your skin is the body’s first line of defense, providing a barrier to microbes and toxins. If this barrier is breached, or if foreign substances bypass it, then more specific immune defenses must be deployed.

Someone once said, “A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold.” When we get an illness, such as a cold or the flu, we develop symptoms. The market is full of over-the-counter medications designed to reduce or mask these symptoms. Such medication may make you feel better temporarily, but will not cure. The reason is because the symptoms are not the problem. They are only evidence of the existence of a problem; they are the body’s efforts to kill the bug. (See The Ministry of Healing, 127.)

Fever, for example, is not an illness in itself but a symptom. Damaged cells release chemical signals that increase the blood flow to the area. When a scratch or cut becomes red, swollen, and warm, for example, the warmth makes an unpleasant environment in which germs are less likely to survive. The warmth also increases the mobility of immune cells. The body raises its temperature in order to kill the bug. It is said that for every degree the temperature rises, white blood cells (powerful immune cells) race to the site of infection twice as fast.

A runny nose and cough are the body’s way of shedding invading microbes from the nose and lungs, respectively. It is better to support the body in its fight back to health than to simply mask the symptoms.

Often the inflammatory process is enough to halt the invasion. Sometimes, however, microbes continue to survive. If this occurs, the body sends in its next line of defense. Certain proteins, called complement proteins, are made in the liver and form a membrane-attack complex (MAC) that embeds itself into the “skin” of the invading microbe. The complex makes a hole in the microbe and fluid rushes in. The microbe swells and finally bursts, dying instantly. Another defense occurs via production of antibodies. Each microbe invader has antigens on their surface. Antibodies bind to the antigens in a lock-and-key method, killing or inactivating the microbe.

The lymphocytes that are formed in the bone marrow migrate to the thymus and become T cells, very important immune soldiers. Another type, B cells, also mature in the bone marrow and produce antibodies. Macrophages are a type of white blood cells that is continually in search of foreign invaders. They are like police cruisers patrolling the city. When the macrophage finds an invader, it does not cart it off to jail. It eats it!

If the immune system over-reacts, people develop allergies or autoimmune diseases. If it under-reacts, disease and death may result. Allergies are caused by a hypersensitivity to weak antigens that the immune system ignores in most people. When some people are exposed to an allergen (like grass) the first time, their bodies make antibodies against it. The next time the person mows the lawn, they develop a much larger immune response, releasing histamine, which starts the inflammatory process. This response can range from mildly annoying all the way to life threatening.

Normally, the immune system is able to distinguish “me” from “not-me.” That is why it attacks invading microbes and not the body’s own cells. Occasionally, the immune system attacks and destroys cells of the body. Examples of these autoimmune diseases include multiple sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis.

We must make every effort to keep our immune systems healthy and well-able to defend us from the germs all around us. Ellen White warns us also of spiritual germs that we must have strength to fight against: “Satan has wrought with deceiving power, bringing in a multiplicity of errors that obscure the truth. Error cannot stand alone, and would soon become extinct if it did not fasten itself like a parasite upon the tree of truth. Error draws its life from the truth of God. The traditions of men, like floating germs, attach themselves to the truth of God, and men regard them as a part of the truth. Through false doctrines, Satan gains a foothold, and captivates the minds of men, causing them to hold theories that have no foundation in truth.” Review and Herald, October 22, 1895.

“Unto thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defense, and the God of my mercy.” Psalm 59:17

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon where she lives with her husband and twin daughters.

God’s Farmacy, Part II

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We find, in God’s Farmacy, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals, which are high in fiber—this is God’s pharmacy! God has given us plenty of food on this earth, especially in America. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8, 9.) We wonder what is a fruit, what is a grain, what is a nut, and what is a vegetable. Instead of going to man, go to God; He will tell you what it is. He can explain Himself. He gives us a definition through a parable. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree.” Matthew 13:31, 32. So herbs can be trees. Any plant is considered an herb.

When you think of herbs, the first thing that comes to your mind is going to a health food store and buying capsules or weeds. All vegetation can be classified as herbs. These herbs, edible plants, grow wild everywhere. When the Food and Drug Administration says we cannot distribute herbs, they will have to make a law saying that I cannot feed people carrots or parsley! Then they will have to find a way to prevent me from growing parsley.

What is the purpose of herbs?

Seasoning and Nutrition

We think about Thyme, Rosemary, and Oregano as seasonings, but at the same time they are nutritional. Thyme is good for migraine headaches. I have gone into people’s homes to have a Bible study, and the man of the house has a headache. How can we study if he has a headache? So I ask for permission to go into their kitchen. I open the kitchen cabinet and there I find Thyme, and I make him a tea. In about 30 minutes his headache is gone, and we can start the Bible study. That is powerful!

Oregano, Basil, and Turmeric are also nutritional. They contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A, antioxidants, and calcium. These herbs are medicinal phytochemicals! Notice what Ellen White wrote over 100 years ago: “It is no denial of faith to use rational remedies judiciously [wisely].” Selected Messages, Book 2, 346.

We ran a health food store for ten years. Two-thirds of our money came from pushing vitamins. That is why we got out of the business. That is not God’s way to teach the health message. We should instead educate folks on how to live. I am not saying anything is wrong with taking a supplement, but pushing pills is not medical missionary work. Things that come on the health food market shelves such as Nonie Juice, and water that costs $2.00 a bottle because it has oxygen in it, are not according to God’s plan. Mrs. White says, “Water, air, and sunshine, these are God’s healing agents. The use of certain herbs that the Lord has made to grow for the good of man, is in harmony with the exercise of faith.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 333. Faith works! God says, drink water, and if you drink it, He does something supernatural. God says use a little Rosemary, so you use the natural, and He does something supernatural.

Educate vs. Medicate

Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals would never stand in favor compared with the products of nature. The living cell of the plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, when correctly used, promotes elimination of waste and poison from the system. By simple natural means they support nature’s effort. Actually, though, there is not an herb on the face of this earth that will heal you. Exodus 15:26 says, “I [am] the Lord that healeth thee.” These are the things that God has ordained, and if you cooperate with Him, He will give the power of healing. Do not go and buy things thinking that they will heal your arthritis when you are still not drinking water and when you are still going to bed at midnight! You cannot take a pill in place of making a lifestyle change.

“Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner spoils much good.” Ecclesiastes 9:18. God’s Plan is to educate versus man’s plan to medicate. I am not telling you to not take drugs or to take drugs. I believe there is sometimes a place for medicine. If I am in an accident, rush me to the hospital. If it is necessary to operate, do not tell me God does not want me to have anesthesia—put me to sleep! If I need some blood, give it to me. Let us not get fanatical, because there is a place for medicine, but medicine does not kill disease.

Seventy-four percent of 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in modern medicine in ways similar to the way they were used in native cultures. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the world’s population relies on herbs for primary care needs. I believe that is true. We have traveled over four continents, and we see the indigenous people of many countries use herbs. We find that today 25 percent of all prescription drugs in the United States have an active ingredient derived from trees, shrubs, or herbs. An estimated 30–40 percent of all medical doctors in France and Germany still rely on herbal preparation. I know that to be a fact, because I have been to Germany. I did not go to the health food store to get Goldenseal; I went to the pharmacist. They still use herbs, but here in the good, old USA, people think you are practicing witchcraft when you use herbs. The Germans know that there is no addiction, no dependence. In my 25 years of using herbs; I have had only one case that has had side effects, and that was because the person abused the herb. You do not need a prescription for herbs, and there are no negative side effects—when used rationally. This is the safety of God’s Plan.

Biblical Examples

We are even given biblical examples for the use of natural remedies. Jesus used clay on the blind man’s eyes. (See John 9:6.) Now Jesus created the eyes, and He could have spoken and told the man’s eyes to open. Why did He go through all the trouble of getting some dirt, putting a little spit on it, and then putting it on the blind man’s eyes? To give us an example. It is all right to use things of nature. Christ endorsed the use of natural products.

I’m sure you have read about Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:21 and the fresh fig poultice. I use it on boils and breast cancer. It is high in potassium, and it draws. It is best to use fresh figs. Some people may try to catch you on the statement in 1Timothy not to drink water, but to use a little wine for your stomach’s sake. (1 Timothy 5:23.) See, they say, you can drink more wine than water. But they do not know the Scripture, and they do err. The wine that is talked about in 1 Timothy is unfermented grape juice. When you study the pH or chemistry of food, you learn that grape juice contains malic acid, which helps to neutralize the acid in the stomach. That is why the Bible advises the use of a little wine [grape juice] for the stomach. As Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”

Phytochemicals

The Bible says the leaves shall be for medicine. (Ezekiel 47:12.) God gave man the green leaves. When a dog gets an upset stomach, it does three things: it fasts; it lays in the sun, and it eats grass. When we get sick, we lay in the shade and keep eating. The Bible says that the fowls of the air should tell thee; the beasts of the field should teach thee. (Job 12:7.) We have 33 percent frontal lobe, made in the image of God; the dog only has 7.5 percent frontal lobe, and they know better than we do!

What is in the plant that the Lord said the leaves should be for medicine? phytochemicals, plant substance. God put chemicals in the plants that are in harmony with the biological makeup of man. Within the green plant is chlorophyll. The molecule chlorophyll is similar to the molecule of hemoglobin that attracts oxygen. The only difference, between the molecular structure of chlorophyll and of hemoglobin, is that hemoglobin has iron as its nucleus; chlorophyll has magnesium. Chlorophyll is the closest chemical to human blood. It is cleansing. That is why God gave man green plants to eat in his sinful stage. It is going to lead us back to the original diet. Yet some people do not want to eat vegetables! You cannot survive without them.

Chlorophyll contains magnesium. Magnesium is the spark of life. The devil thinks he is smart—he is producing all of these foods without seeds such as seedless grapes. The life is in the seed; magnesium, the spark of life. So when you continue to eat the seedless grapes, you are not getting the nutrition you need.

Potassium is one of the most important nutrients in the body, especially dealing with the lymphatic system. We call it the potassium pump. Cancer cells cannot live in a rich potassium environment. That is why every Israelite had a fig tree! Figs are high in potassium. When you have high blood pressure, I guarantee you your potassium is low. When you take a diuretic, the doctor gives you potassium, because the diuretic flushes potassium out of your colon. It creates a vicious circle.

Calcium is the most important element. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in our bodies is in the bone. Calcium is an alkaline nutrient. When we are on a high protein diet, a high fat diet, a high alkaline diet, the body takes calcium from the bones to neutralize it. This creates another problem—osteoporosis. We talk about ‘Got Milk’ for calcium. Got milk? get allergies! get asthma! You do not need milk to prevent osteoporosis. Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, and America have the highest consumption of cow’s milk in the world. They also have the highest incident of juvenile diabetes, allergies, and osteoporosis. And they still tell you to drink milk! Milk is for calves, not for humans.

Here are some of your phyto-chemicals: carotonoids, beta-carotene, flavanoids, lucien and kale. These are what we call antioxidants. We need these to strengthen our immune system. Lycopene is what gives the tomato, the watermelon, and the red pepper their color. I believe in eating a lot of raw food, but for those who are on all raw, I want to tell you that the lycopene is more bioavailable when the tomato is stewed or cooked. Even the beta-carotene in the carrot is more available when it is steamed, than raw. You have to have a balance of a lot of raw foods, but there is nothing wrong with having properly cooked food. Overcooked food will kill you, but do not tell me that I am going to go to hell because I eat cooked food. There has to be a balance.

Limonene is in the pigment of citrus. It contains antioxidants. There are over 32 chemicals in the rind of the orange peel. One of those chemicals is arsenic. If I have a glass of water, put a little arsenic in it and give it to you, would you drink it? No! Why not? Because it is poison, even though the arsenic is diluted with water. But arsenic is in the skin of the orange. I can peel the skin, put a little honey on it, place it in my oven, and bake it to make a throat lozenge to suck and chew. It has arsenic in it! Why does it not kill me? Because the Master Chemist synergistically knows how to put things together. The Bible tells us, What God hath joined together, let no man tear asunder. (Mark 10:9.) It also warns that if you add to God’s Word or take away, He will add the plagues to you. (Revelation 22:18.) God knows how to balance. It is when men begin to take away, concentrate, and dilute that it becomes a serious problem.

Aloe Vera

I am excited by aloe vera. It is not a wonder food, but it is everywhere; on every continent that I have visited, I have found aloe vera. You know aloe vera as a plant to put on minor burns, and you can buy its juice at the store. Aloe vera is a high sulphur green. We have thought it was part of the cacti family, but it belongs to the garlic family. The Bible talks about this wonderful plant, aloe, that God brought into existence. In Numbers 24 we are told of gardens, planted by the Lord, in which He put aloe. Psalm 45:8, Proverbs 7:17, and Song of Solomon 4:14 mention aloe. In John 19:39 Jesus talks about the aloe and the spices.

There are over 300 different varieties of aloe. Aloe vera is 90 percent water and contains over 200 active compounds in the juice of a fresh leaf. Many important compounds are included in the following groups: vitamins, minerals, salicin acid (which is found in aspirin), lecithin (which is good to deal with cholesterol), amino acids, fatty acids, and steroids. Aloe acts as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis, bronchitis, bursitis—you name it. It is also an anti-bacterial for fungus and an anti-viral that may be used in the treatment of AIDS and cancer. Aloe is one of the primary things I use in dealing with AIDS.

We are involved with a clinic in Zambia where there are thousands of cases a month of AIDS. Because we have an AIDS program, four years ago the Zambian government sponsored a Seventh-day Adventist nurse to come to the United States. She was convinced she could learn how to deal with AIDS. This sister is now doing such a good work in Zambia that the government sponsored another nurse to our school this year. She is going to take over the current clinic, and the other nurse will start up a new clinic.

I received a letter from a colporteur in Africa. He received our AIDS program brochure, and one day on the bus he passed out this information. On the bus was a man who had just been sent home by the doctors to die. The literature evangelist talked to the man and told him what to do. He worked with this gentleman for months. That man thought he would never see another day, but he is living today—free from AIDS, converted from Catholicism to Seventh-day Adventism through the health message. Truly the right arm in action.

Aloe is good for digestion and liver function. It is good for elimination, bowel obstruction, immune system function, auto-immune diseases, fibromyalgia, Hepatitis C, and lupus. I am not saying aloe heals these diseases, but it is good for support. Aloe is also good for acne, anemia, allergies, attention deficit disorder, bladder function, burns, cancer, Candida, cardiovascular system function, cold, flu, constipation, dental and oral hygiene to strengthen the gums, gingivitis, dandruff (shampoo your hair with it), detoxifying your body, diabetes, eczema and psoriasis, hemorrhoids, and sinusitis. Every home should have an aloe plant!

Fillet the leaf of an aloe vera plant, just like you would fillet a fish. Take out the jell, and ingest a tablespoon to a half cup of it internally. It is bitter, but it is going to make you better. Sometimes we take the whole plant and blend it with juice. If you are a diabetic, mix it with other green juice, or you can take it straight. I do not run out to the health food store and buy it; I just use the fresh plant. It is best fresh, because it loses its power to heal within hours of harvest.

People Paste

One of the most powerful natural healers you can use is People Paste. Buy Goldenseal, Myrrh, and Slippery Elm, and mix equal amounts of them together. If you have ulcerated sores, hemorrhoids, or decubitus ulcers (bed sores), just drop this mixture into the sore. It heals and leaves very little scar tissue. If you get cut, put some People Paste on the cut. To help it stay on the sore, mix it with a little aloe vera then apply it; cover it and the healing begins. You can take the People Paste internally. It is beneficial for ulcers, lung problems, digestive problems, Chrone’s disease, and many other maladies. You need to have People Paste in your cabinet. The People Paste is good for all kinds of sores, external or internal, wounds, rashes, colds, fevers, sore throats (gargle with it), inflammation, and blood poisoning. When you go on camping trips, take People Paste with you.

You should also have Goldenseal, Peppermint oil, Eucalyptus oil, and Tea Tree oil in your medicine cabinet. When I go to foreign countries I take Goldenseal and a few other things with me. When I go into the jungles of Thailand, I take Goldenseal, garlic and People Paste. If you cannot find Goldenseal, use Barberry; those who live in Oregon can use Oregon Grape in place of Goldenseal. Antiviral and antibacterial, Slippery Elm is mucilaginous, soothing to the digestive tract.

True Method

“The true method for healing the sick is to tell them of the herbs that grow for the benefit of man. Scientists have attached large names to these simplest preparations, but true education will lead us to teach the sick that they need not call in a doctor any more than they would call in a lawyer. They can themselves administer the simple herbs if necessary. To educate the human family that the doctor alone knows all the ills of infants and persons of every age, is false teaching, and the sooner we as a people stand on the principles of health reform, the greater will be the blessing that will come to those who would do true medical work. There is a work to be done in treating the sick with water and teaching them to make the most of sunshine and physical exercise. Thus in simple language we may teach the people how to preserve health, how to avoid sickness. . . . This is true science.” Spaulding and Magan Collection, 137.

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.

Restoring the Temple – The Respiratory System

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The respiratory system is the first part of the anatomy mentioned in the Bible. According to the scriptures, Adam was a formed organism made from material from the earth, but he was not living until God breathed into his nostrils. The respiratory system begins in the nose and mouth and also includes the pharynx, epiglottis, trachea, larynx, bronchi and lungs. As the bronchi enter the lungs, the tubes branch out into smaller and smaller tubes called bronchioles and finally end in small, elastic air sacs called alveoli where the oxygen/carbon dioxide gas exchange takes place. The right lung has ten segments and the left has eight. These segments are self-contained units, which is very useful when a disease or injury requires surgical removal of part of a lung without any damage to the other segments.

Gas exchange requires certain criteria to be in place. For one thing, the greater the surface area available for gases to cross, the better. Another factor is that the width of the barrier for the gas to cross should be very small. God, of course, took these things into account. If one were to spread out all the inside surfaces of the lungs side by side, the average adult’s lungs would have the surface area of a tennis court. Blood in the tiny capillaries (blood vessels) in the lungs is separated from the air in the lungs by tissue less than one thousandth of a millimeter in places. That is amazingly thin.

So you breathe in and breathe out, and that is all there is to it, right? There is much more to it than that. First of all, the air you breathe presents problems to the respiratory tract. The air inside needs to be both at body temperature and very moist, but outside air temperature and humidity varies. The outside air is filled with dust, debris, and germs, all of which should not get into the alveoli. Not surprisingly, our bodies were designed to deal with these problems. From the nose to the lungs, the passageways are lined with mucous-producing tissue, so by the time the air reaches the lungs, it is warmed and moistened. We also have several filtration systems in place. The sticky mucus acts as a trap for particles, and once trapped, upward/outward movement of cilia (tiny hair-like projections on cells lining the respiratory tract) removes the debris. In the nose, the cilia move the debris downward. The debris is moved to the throat where it is then swallowed and destroyed in the stomach.

Since part of the throat is used for both eating and breathing, there is a potential traffic problem. We know what happens if air gets to the stomach—unpleasant, but generally harmless. However, food or fluids do not belong in the lungs. The epiglottis is a flap of cartilage that covers the entry to the lungs via the larynx when you swallow. Otherwise the epiglottis remains in an upright position at rest, allowing air to pass freely into the lungs. Occasionally we try to do both at the same time and end up choking. A drop of water is all it takes to set off a gagging cough, but it is not life threatening. An object such as a piece of food in the larynx, or a lungful of water, as in a drowning, are life threatening events, because they prevent air from filling the alveoli, and therefore gas exchange cannot take place.

The larynx is commonly known as the voice box. It contains three folds (vocal cords) that vibrate in the air stream, producing sounds. The particular sound of your voice is a combination of the size and shape of your vocal folds, pharynx (upper throat), nasal passages, and mouth.

The act of breathing is essentially caused by changes in pressure. The lungs are surrounded by muscles. Your diaphragm, the most important respiratory muscle, is located at the base of the chest cavity. There are muscles between the ribs as well that play an important part in breathing. The muscles cause the chest cavity to increase in size or expand. This causes the pressure in the lungs to decrease, which in turn, causes outside air to be sucked into the lungs. This is called inspiration, or breathing in. When you relax your muscles, the chest cavity becomes contracted. Pressure in the lungs increases and air is expelled. This is called expiration, or breathing out. The more muscles are used to breathe, the deeper a breath you can take.

Premature babies (less than two pounds [0.9 kg] or less than 37 weeks gestation) often have respiratory problems. The main cause is that their immature lungs have not made any or enough of a substance called surfactant. Surfactant is a soap-like material produced in the lungs. Think of a rubber balloon. Sometimes, especially if too warm or too old, an uninflated balloon sticks to itself and cannot expand. If a little liquid soap is poured into the balloon, the slippery surfaces prevent the sides from sticking and allow the balloon to expand. This is what happens in the lungs. The surfaces within the lungs must not only be flexible but slide over each other well. Without surfactant, the premature baby’s tiny lungs either do not expand initially or collapse on expiration. In adults, a similar situation can occur with inhalation of water, fumes, or other substances. Fortunately, in both babies and adults, this problem can be treated in most cases.

Though the body is designed to purify the air we breathe, there are those who purposely engage in activities that the body cannot easily handle. Most people, nonsmokers and smokers alike, are aware that smoking is very harmful to health. Inhalation of cigarette smoke causes a large amount of poisonous gases and particles to enter the respiratory system. The gases can pass over into the blood stream just like oxygen does. The particles cannot be moved out of the lungs easily and damage to the delicate cilia occurs. Eventually, the amazingly thin membranes in the alveoli become coated with a gooey, black substance, and gas exchange becomes difficult or impossible. Cigarette smoke contains at least 43 different cancer-causing chemicals and is responsible for 87 percent of lung cancers. Smoking also causes heart disease and stroke and a variety of other problems, which is why 440,000 Americans die each year from diseases caused by smoking.

It is clear that God designed our complex respiratory systems to be both hard working and delicate. When we choose not to follow the laws of health, our breath fails. Ellen White knew that: “The health of the entire system depends upon the healthy action of the respiratory organs;” because “the strength of the system is, in a great degree, dependent upon the amount of pure, fresh air breathed. If the lungs are restricted, the quantity of oxygen received into them is also limited, the blood becomes vitiated, and disease follows.” Healthful Living, 171. God’s laws are in place for a very good reason. Without them, life fails.

“The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life.” Job 33:4, NASB.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. She may be contacted by e-mail at beaudry@cascadeaccess.com.

Restoring the Temple – The Digestive System

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“A man’s belly shall be satisfied with the fruit of his mouth; [and] with the increase of his lips shall he be filled.” Proverbs 18:20.

We have a lot of mouths to feed. Our bodies are made up of billions of cells, and each one is hungry. Every cell has a specific duty that it accomplishes day in and day out, a process that uses a lot of energy, which must be replenished or the cell will die. Cells cannot absorb food in its natural state. If you smeared peanut butter on your skin, the cells would not absorb its nutrients. The purpose of the digestive system is to break down food into nutrients that can be absorbed into the bloodstream and delivered to each of those billions of hungry mouths.

The first stop in the trip through the digestive system is the mouth. Teeth crush the food so that it can be swallowed and processed more easily by the stomach. The tongue helps with the chewing process and is also designed to detect flavors. The purpose of tasting is both for pleasure (as when biting into a juicy peach) and for detection of potential toxins (as when a slice of bread tastes moldy).

Saliva is produced and mixes with the food. Saliva contains enzymes that begin the chemical breakdown of the food. Ellen White noted that, “Food should be eaten slowly, and should be thoroughly masticated. This is necessary, in order that the saliva may be properly mixed with the food, and the digestive fluids be called into action.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 107. The body is designed to make enough saliva to moisten the food properly for its trip down the esophagus. If you feel the need to drink a tall glass, or more, of fluid with each meal in order to “wash it down,” that is probably because you have accustomed yourself to that habit. Fortunately, the habit can be reversed. Too much fluid during a meal dilutes the digestive juices necessary to break down the nutrients.

When the food has been chewed into a soft mass, it can then pass easily into the esophagus. When you swallow, the epiglottis closes off the entrance to the trachea or windpipe so that food travels down the correct tube. Muscular action in the esophagus helps food make its way to the stomach and prevents it from going backwards. This is why you are able to drink upside down and the water still makes it to your stomach!

The stomach is rather j-shaped and is toward the left of the center of your upper abdomen. The purpose of your stomach is to continue the process of breaking down the food into absorbable nutrients. The stomach produces acids, which help break down food. The stomach has a special mucus-secreting lining that prevents the acid and chemicals from breaking down itself. This is particularly important since the digestive juices are powerful enough to burn a hole in carpet. The muscular layers of the stomach wall churn the food and acid into a substance called chyme which is then passed through a sphincter—like a gate—and into the first part of the small intestine, called the duodenum.

The small intestine is made up of three parts: the duodenum, the jejunum, and the ileum. As the chyme passes through the duodenum, more digestive chemicals are added, such as enzymes from the pancreas and bile from the liver. The small intestine also has a special lining, upon which are tiny finger-like projections (villi), and upon which are even tinier finger-like projections (microvilli). This dramatically increases the surface area of the small intestine, as God planned it, to make sure that as many nutrients as possible can be absorbed into the body. Each villus has its very own blood capillary and lymph capillary, so that the nutrient transfer is extremely efficient and rapid. The small intestine terminates at the beginning of the large intestine. The appendix is attached to this last portion of the small intestine.

Now that the majority of the nutrients have been absorbed, the job of the large intestine, or colon, is to turn chyme into feces and eliminate it. So far, the chyme has been quite moist, but the large intestine absorbs a large amount of the water. The body’s goal is to be able to easily eliminate the soft, formed stool. The very last portion of the intestine is called the rectum. When the stool makes it to the rectum, you have a feeling of pressure and the urge to eliminate. The feces are then eliminated as the last sphincter, the anus, opens and closes. Fortunately, the anal sphincter is controlled by voluntary and involuntary muscle action (which is why stool doesn’t continually leak in infants and paralyzed persons), and has the ability to distinguish between gas and solid rectal contents. The entire length of the intestines, large and small combined, is about 25 feet (7.6 meters) in an adult.

Other organs assist in digestion and are therefore part of the digestive system. They include the salivary glands, which moistens and predigests food; and the pancreas, which adds enzymes to the intestine and also produces insulin, which regulates blood sugar. Another digestive organ, the liver, produces bile, which is stored in the gallbladder and then secreted into the intestine. Part of bile helps to break down fats, but the other portion is waste being excreted from the liver via the gallbladder. The multi-tasking liver also stores nutrients, which it releases into the blood stream when the body needs them. These nutrients include a version of sugar and vitamins.

The digestive system is a created wonder, but it is up to the individual to maintain its health. As you have seen, anything that you eat or drink is likely to be transported to every cell in your body, so it is important to be wise about the food and beverage choices you make. Ellen White stated, “Respect paid to the proper treatment of the stomach will be rewarded in clearness of thought and strength of mind. Your digestive organs will not be prematurely worn out to testify against you. We are to show that we appreciate our God-given intelligence by eating and studying and working wisely.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 101.

“Who giveth food to all flesh: for his mercy [endureth] for ever.” Psalm 136:25.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada,Oregon where she lives with her husband and twin daughters. She may be contacted by e-mail at beaudry@cascadeaccess.com.

Seven Habits of an Effective Immune System, Part I

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Was the plan of salvation an afterthought, or was it already planned in eternity past? As soon as there was sin, there was the plan of salvation. Before God created any thing, there was already a plan intact, in case the delicate balance of heaven would be disturbed. God had a plan. God is always working things out in the future, and as I study the spiritual principles of health, it is the same in the physical world. There is an intimate relationship between the spiritual and the physical.

I study physiology primarily from the Bible. I have been to school, and I have studied physiology and anatomy, but I became very bored. When I began to study from the Word of God and saw the plan of redemption, it made more sense to me.

Endangered Species

I want to share with you the seven habits of an effective immune system. We live in a world that is overwhelmed with toxins—emotional toxins, environmental toxins, and food toxins. Ellen White wrote that if Adam had not been created with twenty times the vital force than we have now, you and I, with our present day living, would have been extinct long ago. (See Conflict and Courage, 21.) We can think about the manatee, the spotted owl, and other endangered species, but human beings are the most endangered species on the face of the earth. Our environment, everything we do, is all stressed. God in His infinite wisdom provided one of the most amazing internal defense systems to preserve us from the onslaught of external pressures.
He is not going to let man destroy himself; He is going to have an upright people in the midst of all of this confusion. So let us explore the seven habits of the effective immune system.

Owner’s Manual

Our foundation text is, “Know ye that the Lord he [is] God: [it is] he [that] hath made us, and not we ourselves; [we are] his people, and the sheep of his pasture.” Psalm 100:3. There are many people who do not know that God is our Creator. They could be agnostic or atheist, but I want to leave the imprint on their minds that there is a Creator. He has given us an owner’s manual, the Bible, designed to help us know how to operate the product. There are also eight doctors on God’s staff, and those doctors are financially accessible to everybody. They are: Dr. Trust, Dr. Air, Dr. Exercise, Dr. Sunshine, Dr. Rest, Dr. Water, Dr. Nutrition, and Dr. Temperance.

In Psalm 119:73 we are told that God does not want us to just have mere theory, but He wants us to have understanding—that includes understanding this system that God has given us. “A prudent [man] foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Proverbs 22:3. The word prudent means wise, so our text is telling us that a wise man foreseeth evil and hides himself. What does that mean to us? It means that a wise man will avoid danger. You have probably heard of court cases dealing with the tobacco companies. They are in serious trouble, because people who have lost loved ones to cancer and other tobacco-related diseases are suing the tobacco companies for being responsible for those deaths. We know tobacco is an insidious weed—it is poison, but I have to go another step further. I tell people that we are the only smoking animals in the world. Dogs do not smoke; cats do not smoke; rabbits do not smoke. We know that tobacco is dangerous, but the tobacco companies did not take a gun and put it to the head of an individual and say, You better smoke. The person who chose to smoke is responsible, so why sue the tobacco company? Their time is going to come anyway. The Scripture says a wise man avoids danger. Then it continues, “but the simple pass on and they are punished.”

The word simple does not mean that they are stupid; it means that they are ignorant, they need to be educated. The Bible tells us that God will make the simple wise. Prevention is better than cure. David wrote, “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully [and] wonderfully made: marvellous [are] thy works; and [that] my soul knoweth right well. My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, [and] curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all [my members] were written, [which] in continuance were fashioned, when [as yet there was] none of them.” Psalm 139:14–16. The Bible says that God saw the substance, which means matter or materials, of which we are made. That matter or substance came from the dust. He put that matter into the dust: the molecules and the atoms, the potassium, the magnesium, the zinc, and the copper. All of that is what God took to make us. David says, He saw all of that substance when it was not even perfect.

“Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee . . . .” Jeremiah 1:5. I am the eighth child of eight children. I was not supposed to be here because my sister, who is twelve years older than me, was supposed to be the baby. My mother was getting ready to go into menopause. But God said, I open the womb and I close the womb and the fruit of the womb is Mine. So when my mother was ready to take a pause, God said, one more time. You see, it takes something like 300 male sperm in order to produce the one that will win the prize, and out of those 300 male sperm, the one that endured to the end, had my name on it, because God said I was on His mind before Mom and Dad considered conceiving me. We are not here by accident; we are here by Providence, ordained in eternity.

We often get in the way of God working out His plan, but He is still on course, and He orchestrates circumstances according to His will. He allowed me to have arthritis for ten years to get me back on course. That is good news! I did not glory in the pain, but I thank God for arthritis.

Substance of Life

Since God knew us before our birth, and since He made us, as we look at the substance of which we are made, we notice that we are made up of cells—single cells. We are nothing but the assemblage of cells. The Bible tells us, “He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much.” Luke 16:10. We know what that means spiritually, but let us put it on a physiological level. The cell is the smallest unit of the human body—it is microscopic. This verse is telling me that if I learn how to take care of that single cell, my whole body will be healthy. We are as healthy as our cells.

If we are going to deal with behavior problems, we do not attack the behavior; we get to the root of the problem, which is a heart problem. If the heart is transformed, the behavior is going to be all right. So when we are dealing with health—with cancer or with diabetes—our focus is not on diabetes or cancer, it is dealing with the cells.

Foundation Destroyed

Notice this scenario. “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” Psalm 11:3. We know what that means spiritually, but let us apply it to a physiological concept. The foundation of the human body is the cell. Cells make tissue; tissue makes organs; organs make up the systems, and the body is comprised of systems. Therefore, if I have cancer in the body (there are over 250 different types of cancer), wherever the cancer may be, I track it back to the system. It could be the digestive system; track it back to the organ and from there to the tissues, to the very cell membranes, and back to the cells. It is so simple. Remember, if it is complicated, it is not of God. That is why the plan of salvation is not complicated. The devil shrouds these simple things in mystery, so keep this in mind: cell, tissue, organs, system, and the body.

The cells are the foundation of the body. Healthy cells—healthy body. The health of the body is determined by the health of the cells. Sin affects us at a cellular level—at the heart level. We need a heart transplant, a heart renewal.

I am a brand plucked out of the fire from off the streets of Chicago, with brain cells destroyed as a result of drugs. It is amazing that God can take those brain cells and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, create new pathways across the synopsis so I can have my memory back. Being born again is the greatest miracle—not being free from cancer, but being born again and having a mind that has an affinity towards the throne of God. That is why I am in debt, and the only way I can pay my debt is to win souls for Jesus.

Body Systems in Bible

The Bible is the great medical book; it gives practical instruction on how to preserve the integrity of our bodies. The tribes of Jacob could be illustrative of the body systems. For example, the tribe of Judah, from which Jesus was a descendant, could represent the nervous system. The ladder with the angels ascending and descending represents communication with heaven—the central nervous system of the whole body. (Genesis 28:12.) Issachar, double burden bearer, could represent the support, the skeletal system. (Genesis 49:14.) If we look at the characteristics of the sons of Jacob, we can see physiological truths that impact the human body.

Gad could represent the immune system—the army. (Genesis 49:19.) The immune system is an amazingly intricate collection of specialized and not-so-specialized cells. The mission of the immune system is to identify and destroy foreign invaders before harm is done to the body. Disease-causing organisms such as bacteria, virus, fungi and parasites are detected upon entry, tagged for termination, and devoured by hungry immune system cells. They are marked—do you get the significance of that? When you study the Word of God, you will find that physiology runs all the way through it. The mission of the immune system is to identify and destroy.

“And of the Gadites there separated themselves unto David into the hold to the wilderness men of might, [and] men of war [fit] for the battle . . . .” 1 Chronicles 12:8. Gad was a troop, an army, men of might, men of war, fit for battle. Is the immune system an army? Yes it is.

Small but Mighty

We are also given the story where Elijah was called by God to destroy all of the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18.) So the immune system is designed to destroy every enemy that comes into the body. “One thousand [shall flee] at the rebuke of one.” Isaiah 30:17. The immune system only represents one percent of our entire system—small but mighty, keeping us alive.

Every moment cancer cells are developing in our systems. We all have cancer cells, because they are free radicals, present in the very air that we breathe. If it were not for the immune system, we would not be around. Adam had the immune system at creation, but he did not need it until sin entered. As soon as there was sin, there was a Saviour, and as soon as there was disease, the immune system went into operation.

The immune system is an army within. It has mobile soldiers that are constantly vigilant—not stagnant, not sitting still, not dozing off—but always alert. They are watchmen on the wall! They definitely know how to blow the trumpet. We have one trillion white blood cells throughout the whole system. The phagocytes, part of the vast immune system, are called the foot soldiers. They are moving through the blood system, monitoring, scouting, protecting, identifying, and if anything seems to be out of the norm, they themselves declare war.

The lymphocytes are part of what we call the T-cells. We know that all of the white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, but the T-cells are what we call the special troopers. They have a higher education in the thymus. They are the elite forces, specializing in attacking cancer and Aids. They are the Commander-in-Chief of the immune system. If we were going to take over a city, we would knock out its communication system. When Aids invades the body, it attacks the T-cells to knock out the communication system. When attacking a city, if we can get the watchmen off the wall, remove them from standing in the gap, then we can move in and take over. As in the church, when truth is not upheld and kept alive, Satan insinuates himself within. The lymphocytes destroy virus-infected cells, target cancer cells, and produce antibodies.

The immune system is involved with allergies and the auto-immune diseases, trying to preserve your life. If dust, wheat, and pollen caused allergies, we would all have allergies. Those items do not cause allergies. The problem with a person who has allergies is the immune system, and when the immune system is healthy, allergies will not be present. If you want to get rid of allergies, strengthen the immune system.

The body will produce its own antihistamines. You do not have to go to the drug store and buy antihistamines. Histamines occur when the body goes through a reaction, so we take a drug called antihistamine. The adrenal glands and the liver work together to produce antihistamines. If we take care of the immune system, God will bless us and preserve us, because He will have a people who will go through the seven last plagues.

Rheumatoid arthritis and diabetes are involved with the immune system. Aids is also involved with the immune system. I have been spending a lot of time focusing on cancer and Aids. There is hope for those who have Aids. A principle is involved here. God promises to write His Law into our inward parts and put it in our hearts. (Jeremiah 31:33.) Inward parts—every cell, every tissue, every organ—has God’s Law written on them with His own finger. Ellen White says, “His law is written with His own finger upon every nerve, every muscle, every faculty, which has been entrusted to man.” Counsels on Diet and Foods, 17.

Like a Kingdom

The immune system is like a kingdom. When Nathan went to David to tell him the story of the man who had much but took from one who had little, what was David’s response? Kill him! Then Nathan said, “Thou art the man.” (11 Samuel 12:1–7.) If you knew of a king who had a large domain and every day he would order his soldiers to kill 10,000 of his subjects, what would you think about that king? You would think he was sick! I must tell you that today you are this king. Every day you kill thousands of your subjects in the immune system. Some of you may be doing it in ignorance, but there are others who do it willfully, knowingly.

God has given us this vast kingdom called the immune system. “How can one enter into a strong man’s house, . . . except he first bind the strong man?” Matthew 12:29. The immune system may be likened to the strong man. It is your defense, your strong man. The only way that cancer, a virus, Aids, or any other disease can get in is if the strong man is bound.

Four Enemy Parallels

There are four enemies to the immune system:

  1. Bacteria
  2. Virus
  3. Fungi
  4. Parasites

Bacterium, from a spiritual aspect, is blatant error. You cannot see it; you cannot smell it; it can grow on your spiritual food, and it can come into the church and proliferate. Allowing it to grow will bring spiritual darkness. “Where the message of divine truth is spurned or slighted, there the church will be enshrouded in darkness; faith and love grow cold, and estrangement and dissension enter.” The Great Controversy, 378, 379. In the physical world, bacteria can be on your food, in the water you drink, and in the air you breathe. One of the most deadly places to be is on an airplane—not because it may crash but because of the unhealthy environment.

A virus is the smallest living organism. They have to attach themselves to something; they need a host in which to thrive. That is like error and truth! A virus does not have a DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid, the genetic program “written” in a chemical substance). It has an RNA (ribonucleic acid). RNA occurs throughout the cell, while DNA is found mainly in the cell’s nucleus. It is hard to distinguish the virus from the regular cell. Just like the wheat and tares growing together—it may be difficult to distinguish the difference as they grow. We are told that they “shall grow together till the harvest, which is the end of the world. Then the tares are to be gathered out of the field; but they are not to be transformed by a mighty miracle into wheat. They are to remain tares, and are to be cast into the fire and utterly destroyed.” The Spirit of Prophecy, vol. 2, 250. In Tennessee we have a grass called Johnson grass. When you plant corn, the corn and Johnson grass look just alike until they grow up. That is the way a virus is; it disguises itself as something good, but it will only result in destruction.

A fungus likes sweet stuff. Spiritually, it likes to hear sweet things, things that are pleasing. You cannot get rid of a fungus, if you continue to use sweet stuff. Diseases like Candida continue to grow, if you keep feeding it with sugar. The only way you can rid yourself of fungus is to give it something bitter. Truth can be bitter sometimes, but it is saving. It can deliver us. “He [God] gave His people a bitter cup to drink, to purify and cleanse them. It is a bitter draught, and they can make it still more bitter by murmuring, complaining, and repining. But those who receive it thus must have another draught, for the first does not have its designed effect upon the heart. And if the second does not effect the work, then they must have another, and another, until it does have its designed effect, or they will be left filthy, impure in heart. I saw that this bitter cup can be sweetened by patience, endurance, and prayer, and that it will have its designed effect upon the hearts of those who thus receive it, and God will be honored and glorified.” Early Writings, 47.

Parasites live off of another organism. There are parasites in the church, of which Ellen White said: “Satan has wrought with deceiving power, bringing in a multiplicity of errors that obscure truth. Error could not stand alone, and would soon become extinct, if it did not fasten itself like a parasite upon the tree of truth. Error draws its life from the truth of God. The traditions of men, like floating germs, attach themselves to the truth of God, and men regard them as a part of the truth. Through false doctrines Satan gains a foothold, and captivates the minds of men, causing them to hold theories that have no foundation in truth. Men boldly teach for doctrines the commandments of men, and as traditions pass on from age to age, they acquire a power over the human mind. But age does not make error truth, neither does its burdensome weight cause the plant of truth to become a parasite. The tree of truth bears its own genuine fruit, showing its true origin and nature. The parasite of error also bears its own fruit, and makes manifest that its character is diverse from the plant of heavenly origin (Letter 43, 1895).” “Ellen G. White Comments,” Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, vol. 5, 1094, 1095.

These are the enemies to the kingdom. “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” Matthew 11:12.

To be concluded . . .

Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.

Restoring the Temple – The Urinary System

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“And God opened her eyes, and she saw a well of water; and she went, and filled the bottle with water, and gave the lad drink.”                           —Genesis 21:19.

When Hagar was wandering in the wilderness of Beersheba with her son, she ran out of water.  Abraham had given her bread and water as they set out, but now the water was gone.  The bread may have been gone as well, but when it looked like death was imminent, God gave them water with which they revived.  Humans can go many days, even weeks, without food, but without water, we will die in a few short days.  The urinary system works closely with water in order to keep us healthy.

The urinary system consists of two kidneys, two ureters (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder), the bladder, and the urethra (the tube that goes from the bladder to the outside of the body).  The purpose of the urinary system is to remove excess fluid and other substances from the body and filter out waste products from the blood.  As we learned last month, the body processes the food we eat and extracts the nutrients to “feed” every cell in the body.  The waste products left over go into the blood stream.  If this waste is not removed from the body, you will die.  There are several organs that help remove waste from the body, including the skin, lungs, and intestines.  These other body systems work alongside the urinary tract system in keeping chemicals and water in balance.

Each kidney is shaped similar to a kidney bean and is about the size of a computer mouse.  They are placed in the rear of the abdominal cavity, just below the ribs.  The kidneys contain tiny filtering units called nephrons (there are about a million of these in each kidney).  Each of these units consists of a small round collection of blood capillaries and a small tube called a renal tubule.  Here is what happens.  The blood, full of excess water and waste products, passes into a kidney.  Now the blood is traveling through the tiny capillaries in the nephrons.  The excess water, waste, and other unneeded chemicals cross the extremely thin wall of the capillary and into the renal tubule.  This waste and water is called urine, and it then travels from the tubules and out of the kidney via the ureters which are about 8–10 inches (20–25 cm) long in an adult.  Gravity helps urine travel from the kidneys to the bladder, but muscles in the ureter walls also help force the urine in a one-way direction.  Small amounts of urine drip into the bladder about every 10 to 15 seconds.  About 440 gallons (1,665 liters) of blood are filtered through the kidneys each day.

The bladder is a hollow muscular organ that sits in your pelvis.  The purpose of the bladder is to store urine until you are ready to dispose of it.  As urine fills it up, the bladder gets larger and then shrinks back down when drained.  The bladder can comfortably hold about 2 cups (16 ounces) of urine for a few hours.  It is most healthy, however, to empty your bladder as soon as you feel the urge.

Circular muscles located at the bladder exit keep the urine from leaking out.  These sphincter muscles close tightly, keeping the fluid from flowing down the urethra.  As your bladder fills, nerves from the bladder signal the brain that you need to urinate.  As you urinate, the bladder muscles contract and the sphincter muscles relax.  Urine exits the bladder, travels down the urethra and out of the body.

Kidneys are very important. You need at least one kidney to live.  There are many factors that can cause the urinary system to have problems.  As we age, our muscles lose strength and sometimes a person finds they “leak” more easily, especially when coughing or sneezing.  Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria travel up the urethra and into the bladder, or all the way up the ureters and into the kidneys.  An injury or illness may prevent the kidneys from filtering the blood properly or blocking the passage of urine.  As with all systems of the body, it is essential to have healthy eating habits and drink plenty of fluid.  Ellen White stated that, “Catarrhal difficulties [colds], kidney disease, headache, and heart troubles are the result of immoderate eating.”  Healthful Living, 176.  It may seem logical that the more water you drink, the harder the kidneys have to work, and therefore they will wear out sooner.  In fact, the opposite is true.  The less you drink, the less fluid circulates through your bloodstream.  The body’s cells are still producing the same amount of waste, which is dumped into the blood.  This blood, chock full of waste products, circulates as usual through the kidneys, which have to work harder to filter the blood, and consequently produce darker, concentrated urine.  Dehydration will therefore help to wear out the kidneys faster, not to mention what keeping all that concentrated waste around in your blood will do to the rest of your body!  Most people do not drink enough fluids and are walking about in a state of constant dehydration.  Bottom line: drink lots of fluids, especially pure water, to help keep your kidneys and entire body in optimum working order, as God intended.

“O God, thou [art] my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is.” Psalm 63:1.

Sheryle Beaudry, a certified teletriage nurse, writes from Estacada, Oregon where she lives with her husband and twin daughters.  She may be contacted by e-mail at sbeaudryrn@hotmail.com.

Seven Habits of an Effective Immune System, Part II

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What are the seven habits of an effective immune system?

Investigation

When an enemy comes into the body, the immune system identifies and tags it for destruction. An inspection occurs, so the first step of the effective immune system is investigation. As soon as the foreign organism comes into the body, the immune system investigates it to determine whether it is part of the body. If it is not part of the body, it needs to be disfellowshipped out of the body. If the foreign organism does not have a certain protein marking on it, it is an enemy. Most people who get a kidney transplant have to take immune suppressant drugs, because their body recognizes the new kidney as a foreign object. When we sneeze, when we have a histamine flush, there is something that we have inhaled or ingested that is not part of the body. The immune system investigates it, identifies it, and sends for help to get rid of it.

We are living in the time of the Investigative Judgment. We will either receive the seal of the living God or the mark of the beast. God is expecting to put His mark on us, but for that to happen, we should be ready—not getting ready. When we leave home in the morning, what guarantee do we have that we will make it to work? If the people on September 11, 2001, knew that two planes were going to run into the Twin Towers [World Trade Center, New York, NY] do you think they would have gone there? That means that we should be ready, even at this moment.

When an enemy comes into the camp, the body, a white blood cell called a microphage will definitely identify it and send out a chemical solution to destroy it. It recognizes that the intruder does not belong in the house. The Bible says, “When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.” Isaiah 59:19. We know that if we do not feed our brains with the truth of God, there is nothing the Holy Spirit has to work with when we are faced with temptation. So what goes into our bodies and into our minds determines how we respond to a situation.

Communication

When the immune system first investigates and discovers there is a problem, it begins to send out communication. It sounds the alarm that there is an enemy in the camp and calls for reinforcement.

We, as a people, are not only under investigation, but heaven is communicating with us. We have angels ascending and descending, carrying our prayers to the throne of God where Christ intercedes. There is constant communication between heaven and earth through God’s grace and Holy Spirit.

So the immune system communicates. The body systems recognize and communicate with one another. Another microphage with little tentacles (pseudo-pods or false feet) recognizes the enemy and sends the pseudo-pods to trap the organisms for destruction. They say, There is an enemy in the camp; prepare for war! They blow the trumpet.

We must have men and women who will give the trumpet a certain sound. We must keep truth ever before us, and as the enemy comes in the gate, we should not be afraid to call error by its right name, to lovingly lift up Calvary. If you are my friend, you are going to pull me aside and tell me when I am wrong. That is true love. Even though the old flesh might rise up, that flesh will be mortified if we allow God to crucify us.

Duplication

God designed the immune system to multiply. When there is infection in the body, the T-cells duplicate themselves to attack enemy cells.

Jesus called twelve men to duplicate His work. There is strength in unity, in duplication. Ministries become strong as they mentor other people in the ministry to duplicate their efforts. One ministry by itself has a difficult time; often it cannot make it. There has to be duplication. If the multiple ministries are on the same wavelength, under the same investigation, communicating the same thing, and duplicating, then there is going to be an impact for good.

Cooperation

Once there is communication and duplication, the systems can work together. How can two walk together unless they agree? (Amos 3:3.) The Bible says there is one body but many members—the eye cannot say it is not part of the body because it is not the nose. (1 Corin-thians 12:14–26.) Every member is important, so there has to be cooperation. God will have a church that will be united. “That they also may be one in us.” John 17:21. When we draw close to Jesus, we are going to draw close to one another.

The immune system operates on the same principle; the parts of the system cooperate to maintain the health of the body. “For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; [Yet] through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.” Job 14:7–9.

Cancer cells contain tentacles or roots. Through M.E.E.T. Ministry we work with dozens of people who have cancer, especially women. I am not anti-surgery; sometimes it is necessary, but when people have surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy and think that is going to solve their problem, they are wrong. The cancer will return, if that person has not made any lifestyle changes. There have been situations where women have had their cancerous breast removed and then, without being discouraged by their medical practitioner, had their good breast removed. That is ludicrous! They believe that is where the cancer will return, but the only reason it is going to come back is because they are not taking care of the immune system. We are not telling people to change their lifestyle, so we find that, even now, they are trying to deal with cancer by producing a drug that will cut off the blood supply to the cancer. “The life of the flesh [is] in the blood.” Leviticus 17:11. You do not need to cut off the blood supply; you need to make clean, healthy blood. “In order to have good health, we must have good blood; for the blood is the current of life.” The Ministry of Healing, 271. Every cell in the body depends upon the integrity of the blood, so if we have a healthy blood stream, it gives no environment for cancer cells to breed.

Annihilation

“The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend . . . .” Matthew 13:41. When the time comes, God will separate everything that offends Him from His true sheep. We are in that sifting and shaking time right now.

After we investigate to identify the enemy, create communication to let the body know there is an enemy in the camp, experience duplication and cooperation, we then must have annihilation, complete destruction. Sin will be destroyed just as the healthy immune system destroys the invading cells. Sin must be removed out of the body; we are not going to take sin to heaven. God is a consuming fire. If anyone tells you that we cannot overcome sin, they are a liar and the truth is not in them. By God’s grace we can overcome sin. Calvary testifies to that. If we do not believe that, we might as well go out into the streets and eat, drink, and be merry. I do not have the same desires that I used to have, and I am still growing in grace. This is the only truth that I know that can take the mind and transform it. Sin will be annihilated.

Transportation

Leviticus 16:21, 22 talks about the scapegoat, how sin was transferred to it, and how it was led out into the wilderness by a fit man. He will be led out—that means sin will be taken out. “And shall send [him] away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.”

Once the invading organism is destroyed, it must be transported out of the body. It will either go out through the glands, through the ducts, or through the rectum—God will get rid of it. That is how the immune system works.

Cessation

Scripture tells us, “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast [it] into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake.” Revelation 8:5. When Jesus finally casts the censer down and probation closes, His mediatorial work ceases, which leads us to the seventh habit.

This means that whatever is occurring stops! There are diseases known as autoimmune conditions, such as lupus, leukemia, and those types of things. We have what we call suppressor T-cells. When the war is over within the body and the enemy has been destroyed, the suppressor T-cells send out a signal saying, The war is over! Stop the fighting—cessation. But if something goes wrong within the system and there is no connection there, the immune system keeps fighting and turns against the good tissue of the body. We call that “friendly fire.” Have you ever heard of that?

Friendly fire occurred in the Gulf War and in other wars where the United States military has mistaken their friends for the enemy. During the Gulf War some of the navy vessels shot their own airplanes out of the sky! They said, We have to find out what is wrong that we are shooting down our own planes. They discovered it was because of mental fatigue. The guys were tired.

I want to tell you, friends, we have friendly fire among us. We think we are the enemies, and we turn our spiritual weapons on one another. Even though we might not agree on all points, we are not the enemy; you are not my enemy. The Bible says it is the spirit in the man. (See Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:11.) The only way you can deal with a spirit is that you must be in the Spirit. Our warfare is not against flesh and blood; it is not against people; it is against error. “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets.” Revelation 10:7.

When the war is over within the body, it is finished. Cancer cannot survive a powerful immune system. There have been people where the war is over, and there is no more cancer, no more AIDS, no more diabetes, and no more arthritis. It is finished! That is because of a powerful immune system. The powerful soldiers of our immune system destroy foreign invaders every day of our lives. They do their work so thoroughly that most of the time we are unaware that there is a war going on within us.

Ellen White says that if we could just pull back the curtains, we would see the forces of good and evil in intense combat. (See Patriarchs and Prophets, 598.) There was war in heaven. Michael and His angels fought, and also the dragon. (See Revelation 12:7–11.) We know of that war. The dragon did not prevail; the devil was cast out of heaven, and it says, “Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb . . . .” Verses 10, 11. The blood of Jesus does two things for us: it cleanses us, and it nourishes us.

The blood that runs through our veins cleanses and nourishes our bodies—the life of the flesh is in the blood. In order to overcome disease, we must have the blood—not only spiritual but physical. We must have good blood, and the way we can have good blood is to have the strong man. Mark 3:27 says that no man can enter into the strong man’s house (that is the immune system), and spoil his goods except he first bind the strong man, and then he can spoil his house. So in order for foreign invaders to thrive in the body, the powerful immune system must be weakened.

Weakened Immune System

There are certain things that weaken the immune system.

Lack of trust causes stress and distress, which weakens the immune system. “A merry heart doeth good [like] a medicine . . . .” Proverbs 17:22. Proverbs 3:5, 6, 8 says, “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. . . . It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.” What takes place in the bone marrow? Blood building—red and white blood cells. So when we have a genuine trust in God, our immune system is strengthened. Isaiah 58, which is the prescription to the church, tells us that when we carry out this instruction it is health to our countenance. When we quit focusing on our own problems, our own selfish ways, and begin to minister to others, it has a biological, chemical effect upon us.

Negativity. “A good report maketh the bones fat.” Proverbs 15:30. What is a good report? That means when you are encouraged. Most people only give roses when someone is in the grave. We should lift people up, encourage them, and thank them for the little things. We men often take our wives for granted—we think the wife is supposed to cook and clean and take care of the children, but they need some encouragement, and vice versa. If a good report makes the bones fat, what does a bad report do? “Pleasant words [are as] an honeycomb” and are even health to the soul. Proverbs 16:24. If you are around someone who is always negative—the weather is too hot; the weather is too cold—rejoice in the Lord. When the world gives you lemons, make lemonade. God turns curses to blessings.

Bad diet. Sugar suppresses the immune system. A phagocytic study was performed. Just one can of soda—Dr. Pepper, Coca-Cola, you name it—equals 12 teaspoons of sugar and decreases your immune system by 20 percent. A slice of chocolate cake, no matter how you slice it, cuts the immune system down 50 percent. I used to be a sugarholic. To show you how bad I was, I ate sugar sandwiches. I used to melt butter, put it on Wonder bread, then spread the sugar on it. That is how much I liked sugar. I used sugar on my rice, on my beans, in my greens. I was hooked on sugar, and it suppressed my immune system, wiped out my B vitamins, zinc, and chromium. Sugar reduces oxygen; it stresses you out.

Lack of exercise; poor lifestyle habits. The lymphatic system is only stimulated through exercise. It is not stimulated through food or watching TV. It is stimulated outdoors in the garden and exercising, because some of the fat that you eat is dumped into the lymph glands, and when you sit all the time, without any activity, you are going to end up with lymphoma.

Lack of rest. Habitually we need to be in bed before 10 p. m. When I am not on the road, I am in bed at 9:30 p.m. If I did not do that, I would be wiped out every day.

Lack of water. If we do not drink enough water, we will pay for it. We have close to 60,000 miles of blood vessels in our body. That is enough to go around the earth at the equator two and one-half times. Our red blood cells travel through 60,000 miles of blood vessels at a speed of about 43 miles an hour. When we do not drink enough water, the first place the body takes water from is the blood; it next takes water from the bones. You have heard of dry bones! The next place it takes the water from is the liver, then the skin (that is why we have premature aging), then from the brain (cerebral dehydration), then from the cells. Cell dehydration is one reason we have pain.

Lack of sunshine. Water, rest, sunlight—are you following where I am going? I am giving the eight doctors important to our immune systems.

Antibiotics. We have “antibio-ticed” ourselves to death. If you do not take antibiotics you may still ingest them from your food, because they are in the cow and in the chicken. Science already calls these antibiotic-resistant organisms smart bugs, because antibiotics do not now have the same impact that they used to have.

These are the things that bind the strong man.

Strengthen the Immune System

How can we strengthen our immune system? Simply! We realize that heredity loads the gun; we cannot change it. I am six feet six inches tall, slender build, thick lips, wide nostrils, tight hair, brown skin, and I cannot do anything about that, so I must be happy with the house in which I live. I do not want to bleach my skin; I do not want to point my nose, and I do not want to blue my eyes. God made some of you with blond hair and blue eyes; praise God! We cannot do anything about heredity. But what we can control is lifestyle. If heredity loads the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger. That over which you have no control, leave it to God.

When God told Noah to build the ark, did the ark save Noah? No way! But if he had not built it, would he have been saved? No. No man can build anything that can withstand the onslaught of God’s arsenal. Napoleon had that experience. When he battled, God just blew through His nostrils and snow came—it stopped Napoleon. We have all of these weapons, and we think we are going to win a war. God just blinked, and there was a flood. The point is this: Noah obeyed God, and even the ark could not have withstood unless God upheld it. Noah had to cooperate with God. When we use the natural things that God has given us, God does something supernatural. Do not despise the beginning of small things. If God said drink water; if God said get exercise; if God said get rest, trust Him, and watch Him supernaturally interpose in your life.

God’s Plan

It is through God’s plan that the integrity of the immune system is preserved. This has been my experience. “Fools because of their transgression, and because of their iniquities, are afflicted.” Psalm 107:17. The Bible says a fool is one who says in his heart, “[There is] no God.” Psalm 14:1. But in Proverbs 1:7 we are told that the beginning of wisdom is the fear of God, but fools despise instruction and wisdom. I used to be like that, you could not tell me anything.

Iniquity and transgression mean the same thing, but there is a slight difference. Iniquity is known sin—one knows better, willful rebellion. Transgression is ignorance. So there are two classes of people, those who are willful and those who are ignorant. The willful need to be influenced to use their knowledge to live a life in harmony with God. Those who are ignorant need to be educated.

“Their soul abhorreth all manner of meat; and they draw near unto the gates of death.” Psalm 107:18. That means they are on their last legs, giving up hope, not wanting to live. I remember a gentleman, who had cancer, looking up into my face and saying, “I just want to die.” I told him that was not in his power. God holds life and death in His hands. God did not let him die.

“Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, [and] he saveth them out of their distresses.” Psalm 107:19. That is my testimony. For 17 years I suffered with crippling arthritis. I did not know God, but I just cried and said, “Lord, I need help. I need peace.” “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered [them] from their destructions.” Verse 20. There is a difference between faith healing and fake healing. With fake healing, you can blow on somebody, move your hand over them, and they fall down. Faith healing comes by hearing the Word. God heals according to His Word.

“Oh that [men] would praise the Lord [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!” Verse 21. When you experience the power of God, you will praise Him.

Choice not Chance

Health is a choice—not a chance. Salvation is a choice—not a chance. We choose to be healthy; we choose to be saved. It is a treasure, and all God is asking of us is to make a decided change. Seven habits of the effective immune system—you and I hold the key. We should work with it; we should supply it. May God help us to realize that as it is in the spiritual, so it is in the body.

Thomas Jackson is a health evangelist and director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.