Letter 18 – May 24, 2010

Exercise is good for the body!
Various medical persons say anywhere between 15-60 minutes 5-6 days a week.
For Cardio – you need to get your heart rate up for 20 out of 30 minutes.
For Strength – you need to work the muscles to exhaustion.
For Walking – you need to walk at least 10,000 steps a day.
For eating – you need to eat between 1200 and 1500 to lose weight(typical diet plans).

And what does this benefit us in eternity?
There are Biblical indications that we need to be in the best shape possible.

Jeremiah 12:5 If thou hast run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and [if] in the land of peace, [wherein] thou trustedst, [they wearied thee], then how wilt thou do in the swelling of Jordan?

Isaiah 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; [and] they shall walk, and not faint.

Proverbs 24:10 If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.

Gal 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

The goal for physical exercise should be tied to the goal of spiritual exercise. We may have to run with the horses, but more importantly, we need to be able to endure to the end without fainting.

Why lose weight?
There are two that I can think of in scripture that were fat….Eli – whose sons were not corrected, and when he fell backwards at the news of their death and the capture of the ark, he fell backwards.
1 Samuel 4 –
1 Sam 4:18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck brake, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

And then there’s Ehud killing Eglon –
Judges 3:21-22
And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his (Eglon’s) belly: and the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.

So – heavy is not portrayed well in scripture.

Another thing – we are to be living sacrifices…Rom 12:1 – presenting our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.

How were things handled as a sacrifice?
Lev 3
3:3-4 From the fellowship offering he is to bring a sacrifice made to the Lord by fire: all the fat that covers the inner parts or is connected to them, both kidneys with the fat on them near the loins, and the covering of the liver, which he will remove with the kidneys.

This seems to be where I am carrying a lot of my fat.

Lev 3:16 – The priest shall burn them on the altar as food, an offering made by fire, a pleasing aroma. All the fat is the Lord’s.

This is what gets me….ALL THE FAT IS THE LORD’S!

In Exodus 29:10-14, it also explains what is to be done with the rest of the animal:
14 But the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it [is] a sin offering.

All of our flesh, skin and dung (garbage we brought into this relationship with Christ) needs to die – burn it with fire.

But Samuel sort of clears up the importance, the priority of exercise(burning fat) and relationship(obeying):
1 Sam 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, he hat also rejected thee from being king.

So, here is our priority:
Col 3:1-3
If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things upon the e3arth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God.

And here is how we burn that flesh and dung:
Col 3:5-6 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetous which is idolatry: For which things sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience.

The rest of Colossians 3 talks about putting off that old flesh and dung, and putting on Christ.

But what does that have to do with exercise and fat?

Here is a passage from Proverbs:
Pr 30:7 Two things have I required of thee; denyt me them not before I die:
8 Remove far from me vanity and lies: give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me:
9 LEST I BE FULL, AND DENY THEE, AND SAY WHO IS THE LORD? Or lest I be poor, and steal, and take the name of my God in vain.

A good plan for eating…not to fullness – let we get lazy, and deny the Lord.
Bingeing IS denying the Lord as my source of comfort.
And many victims of trauma and abuse use food as comfort, and hide behind that wall of fat. I know, because I know me, and others.
My fat is an outward expression of an inward lack of faith in times of fear.
Therefore, my burning fat is a sacrifice to the Lord – and I should do the most efficient fat burning possible.
I also have to burn away fear by trusting that God has not given me a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind.(2 Tim 1:7)

“feed me with food convenient for me: lest I be full, and deny thee, and say, Who is the Lord?”
My portion – no more, no less.
When the sacrifice was taken, sometimes there was a portion that could be eaten…Lev 3-7. But it was the portion…and it was not fat.
My eating should be as an offering of Thanksgiving – remembering what the wise man said about meats of kings:
Prov 23:1-3
When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: and put a knife to thy through, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat.

Jesus is the Bread of Life…and I am to eat of him every time I remember him. Why should it only be when we have the Lord’s Table that we eat and drink in remembrance of Him? What would happen to our lives if every time we ate, we thanked God for Christ’s body, and every time we drank, we thanked God for Christ’s blood? Would we eat differently? I think I would.

Some reasons to exercise – to be able to run with the horses.
To endure to the end – to receive the crown of life.
To release the chemicals that help us to enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise! (Ps 100)

We need to:
Is 35:3-6
Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble knees.
Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not:
Behold, your God will come with a vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you.
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
Then shall the lame man leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Heb 12:12 – 13
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;
And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.

And, Our Lord has patience with us:
Mat 12:20 A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory.
Mat 26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak.
But He wants us to be able to help these bruised reeds and smoking flax….
1 Cor 8:9-12
9 But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak…..
11 And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died?
12 But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ.

We need to be strong enough to pick up our brothers and sisters, in any situation – be it physical, mental or spiritual.

We are a triune creation – created in the image of God.
To be spiritually strong, and physically weak(by choice) is to not bring all of our gifts to the table.
To be physically strong, but not mentally strong to fight the battle in the mind, we have left our brain at the door.

Physical exercise exercises the mind to focus. If done as unto the Lord, and meditating on His word, it can nourish the spiritual as well. And we are told to exercise our spiritual muscles.

1 Tim 4:7 But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself [rather] unto godliness.
8 For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.

Exercising our physical muscles can teach us to focus on each task in order to strengthen it.
My triceps are flabby – so I need to focus on tricep exercises.
My faith is flabby – I need to focus on the Word of God to build my faith. Rom 10:17

My core is weak – I need to focus on core building activities, and plan out a routine.
My scripture reading is weak – I need to plan out a routine – and stick with it!

My foot is recovering from surgery – I need to to the rehab, but not over do it.
My heart is recovering from trauma – I need to do the therapy, but not push past what I’m able.

When I am balanced, body, mind and spirit – I am the most like God.
And I shall love the Lord my God with all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my might… (Deu 6:5)
Mark 12:30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this [is] the first commandment.
I don’t know how to break this into three…but the fact is, if I do this, I have the first 4 commandments under my belt.
If I do the second: And the second [is] like, [namely] this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. (Mk 12:31)
Then I have aimed to fulfill the 10 commandments – and to hearken unto the voice of the Lord.
Deut 28 is a great place to go and see what God has in store for those that hearken unto the voice of the Lord.

But the key is – John 10:27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28)and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
29 My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.
Sweet promise….and the reason Jesus can promise this?
John 10:30 I and my Father are one.

Present your bodies a living sacrifice to the one that gave HIS life for you!
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.
And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. (Rom 12:1-2)

We do not live by sight, but by faith – and it is by faith, walking in the Spirit with Christ Jesus, that we will learn to walk, then run, then mount up with wings as eagles.

But we must remember why we are exercising….unto godliness.

Eccl 9:10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do [it] with thy might; for [there is] no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

***Do all things as unto the Lord….can’t find this verse.
Rev 22:14 Blessed [are] they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

This body must be fit as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
This mind must be renewed by the washing of the word.
This Spirit must be nourished, and listened to, not grieved.

Our bodies, minds and spirits are gifts from God, no matter how we are created. And they are to be cherished, and cared for. We are to love ourselves so that we can love our neighbors.
But that old flesh, and that fat are to be burned, fat as an offering to the Lord, and flesh to crucify the old self.

And in everything we are to:
Rejoice evermore.
Pray without ceasing.
In everything give thanks: for this is the w2ill of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Quench NOT the Spirit.
Despise NOT prophesyings.
Prove all things;
hold fast that which is good.
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
AND THE VERY GOD OF PEACE sanctify you WHOLLY; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Faithful is He that calleth you, Who also will do it.
1 The 5:16-24

We are given this one body – and God has redeemed it. May we recognize it as the temple of the Holy Spirit, and work on it to be a temple fit for the King of Kings! Holy, acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service!

In His Hands and under His wings,
~Christi