The At Home Physical

THE AT HOME PHYSICAL

The following information was taken from the booklet, “Health News You Can Use At Home” by Rodale Press. Hopefully, it will be of help when deciding how to deal with finding out whether you have a medical problem before going to the doctor.

Recognizing Alzheimer’s

You recently walked through your house, looking for an item you’d misplaced, and then realized that you’d forgotten what you were looking for. This happens to everyone on occasion, but as you get older, it’s easy to wonder if such lapses in memory are a sign of a future health problem, namely Alzheimer’s disease.

If you have a parent or sibling with this type of dementia, you are two to three times more likely to develop the disease.

HOME TEST

If you’re worried about Alzheimer’s, here are some questions to help you decide whether it’s time to go to the doctor.

DO YOU...

¨        frequently misplace things? It’s normal to put the car keys on the kitchen counter rather than on the key rack at the back door. But do you place the clothing iron in the freezer?

¨        have trouble with complex mental tasks? Struggling to balance a checkbook doesn’t count. Instead, ask yourself if you sometimes forget what numbers are for.

¨        dress inappropriately? Some of us dress a bit...oddly...on occasion, but rest assured that this isn’t a problem. Don’t worry until you’re consistently layering on a sweater when others are reaching for tank tops and T-shirts.

¨        give away large sums of money to unlikely recipients? There’s no reason for concern if only your niece is worried about revisions to your will. But you might be developing poor judgment which is a symptom of Alzheimer’s, if you’re forking over dough to a stranger or telemarketer.

¨        find you’ve lost your zest for life? It’s okay to feel burned out by socializing. People with Alzheimer’s, however, watch television for hours, sleep excessively, and lose interest in their usual activities.

¨        rapidly swing between emotions? One minute you’re raging, and the next you’re calm. Emotional ping-pong—rather than just occasional moodiness—is another symptom.

¨        forget entire experiences? It’s normal to forget part of an experience, only to remember the rest of the details later. It’s a symptom of Alzheimer’s if the memory doesn’t return.

¨        find it increasingly difficult to follow directions? We’ve all muddled through a set of written or spoken instructions. But, if you’re doing this frequently, it could be a cause for concern.

¨        have trouble with everyday tasks? Another symptom of Alzheimer’s disease is forgetting how to perform activities that used to be second nature such as making a phone call or cooking your favorite meal. Forgetting why you came into a room every once in a while, though, is normal.

¨        forget simple words? Searching for a word that’s on the tip of your tongue is one thing; completely forgetting the word or substituting unusual words is something else entirely. You’ve encountered a warning sign when people start telling you that it’s difficult to understand what you’re saying or writing.

¨        get lost in your own neighborhood? From time to time, everyone forgets where they’ve headed and why they started in that direction, so this action isn’t worth fretting about. If, on the other hand, you forget where you are, how you got there, and how to get home, you may have a symptom of Alzheimer’s.

¨        think people are trying to harm you? Our personalities can change a bit as we age, but extreme shifts are a cause for concern, particularly if you’re frequently confused or suspicious.

Controlling Blood Pressure

In any grocery store, you’re sure to find oodles of packages promising that the product inside will help you control your blood pressure. But, really, why is this important? We’ve all heard that high blood pressure (HBP) is bad, and you probably know that HBP greatly increases your change of having a stroke. Did you know that HBP can also contribute to kidney and heart problems? Here’s some advice to help you keep an eye on your numbers.

If you discover that you have high blood pressure, try to maintain a healthy weigh, exercise regularly, stay away from cigarettes, keep your stress levels under control, avoid sodium in your diet, and increase your intake of potassium, magnesium, and calcium. A visit to the doctor should also be on your list.

In any case, have your blood pressure checked by a health care professional at least every 2 years after you turn 40.

HOME TESTS

If you suspect that you’re susceptible to HBP, it might be a good idea to invest in a monitor of your own. You’ll be able to check your numbers more frequently and conveniently than on visits to your health care professional.

Here are three doctor-recommended devices

¨        Panasonic Precise Logic Upper Arm Blood Pressure Monitor displays BP and pulse rate on a large, color-color LCD display. A flashing figure signals a low or high BP reading. The device has the capability to store 42 readings, 21 each for two people. $60 to $86

¨        LifeSource UA-787V Quick Response Blood Pressure Monitor includes an automatic inflation button, displays your readings on a large digital panel, and stores 30 BP and pulse readings in its memory. $78

¨        Omron HEM-705CPN Auto-inflate Blood Pressure Monitor prints out the blood pressure breakdown with time and date in numerical or bar graph form for easy record keeping. It features “IntelliSense technology": that takes into account normal blood pressure changes throughout the day. $76 to $100

GETTING THE BEST TEST RESULTS

While they should be valuable do-it-yourself diagnostic tools, home blood pressure monitors often produce incorrect readings. Canadian researchers have discovered that more than half of people using home blood pressure monitors have measurements that are off by 5 or more points, often reading too high. To blame:  placing the cuff on the wrong part of the arm, sitting in a way that affects the operation of the monitor, or neglecting to rest for 2 minutes before taking a measurement.

"If you report high readings, a doctor might prescribe medication you don’t really need”, says study author Thomas Wilson, M.D.

Here’s some guidance for bolstering the accuracy of your readings.

¨        Bring your blood pressure monitor to your next doctor appointment, and ask the nurse on duty to observe your form.

¨        Test yourself while seated quietly.

¨        Don’t take a reading right after you’ve exercised or eaten.

¨        Take three readings, at least 1 minute apart.

¨        Test early in the morning and in the evening.

What Do the Numbers Mean?

There are two numbers in a blood pressure reading. The systolic number, on top, gives the pressure when your heart beats to push blood into the arteries. The diastolic number, on the bottom, indicates the pressure when the heart is resting betweens beats.

Here’s what the numbers mean.

LOWER THAN 120/80   Normal blood pressure

120/80 to 139/89         Prehypertension

140/90 to 159/99         Stage 1 hypertension. Moderately high.

 Modify your diet and pick up your exercise regimen. If these

actions don’t control your blood pressure, you’ll probably

 need medication.

160/100 to 179/109     Stage 11 hypertension. Very high.

Your doctor will prescribe blood pressure medications.

180/110 or HIGHER     Danger zone. You’ve increased your

risk of having a heart attack by two times and your risk of

a stroke by four times.

***Let it be known that I do not believe that taking medications for blood pressure is the best idea. I know that many times there are other natural alternatives that don't have the side effects of medications.
                                            

Spotting Eye Trouble

The two major causes of vision loss are age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and cataracts. At age 50, symptoms of AMD might start to appear. And by the time you’re 65, half the people your age will have cataracts.

AMD results when the small, central part of the retina stops working. It’s likely to affect vision in both eyes, possibly at different times. But almost everyone with AMD retains some peripheral vision, so sufferers can still be independent. You’re more vulnerable to AMD if you smoke, are a woman, eat a high-fat diet, have a family history of AMD, have light skin or eye color, or have had excessive sun exposure.

A cataract is a painless clouding of the eye’s lens. Cataracts develop gradually and can occur at any age, although often they are a natural consequence of getting older. Younger people can get cataracts as a result of an injury, certain medications, ongoing inflammation, or an illness such as diabetes.

It’s important to monitor your vision so you know when it’s time to visit an optometrist. Here are some signs to watch for.

HOME TEST FOR AMD

There isn’t a cure for AMD, but discovering the symptoms early in the disease will give your optometrist the opportunity to try treatments that may slow down or halt the disease. Watch for the following symptoms, most of which are common to both types of AMD (the dry form and the more severe form):

¨        Blurred or distorted central vision

¨        Difficulty distinguishing between colors

¨        Sizes and shapes appearing unusual or distorted

¨        Sensitivity to light

¨        Problems seeing fine detail

¨        Difficulty reading, recognizing faces, and writing

¨        A blank or dark spot in the center of your vision

HOME TEST FOR CATARACTS

Unlike AMD, cataracts can be treated with a simple operation that removes the cloudy lens. If you find yourself answering yes to some of these questions, it could be time to book an appointment with your optometrist.

¨        Do photos look as if they’re out of focus?

¨        Do you sometimes see double?

¨        Is your vision poor on a sunny day?

¨        Are all colors looking a bit yellow?

¨        Are you often cleaning your glasses because you think you see scratches or dirt when you look through them?

2-Second Vision Check

If you’re over 40 and get headaches or eyestrain from reading, you may have presbyopia. This is the loss of the ability to focus sharply for near vision. To determine whether you have it, open a phone book and choose some numbers. (If you normally wear glasses, keep them on.) Move the book away until you can focus on the numbers. If you bend your arms only slightly or must extend the fully to see clearly, you’re probably ready for bifocals or reading glasses. See an optometrist or ophthalmologist for a more precise test.

Detecting Hearing Loss

Friends and family will notice that your hearing has been going downhill before you do. That’s because if your ability to hear conversation is declining, you make unconscious adjustments. But when others complain that the television is too loud or that you’re constantly asking people to repeat themselves, or you find that it’s increasingly difficult to carry on a conversation when there’s background noise, it’s hard to deny that you may have a problem.

While these examples could be signs of hearing loss, you might just be stresses out or tired. So it’s time to play detective. Start with the tests in this chapter.

HOME TESTS

Here are two ways to find out whether you need to book an appointment with an audiologist.

¨        An over the phone hearing test takes 2 minutes and is free. Dial (800)222-3277 for the number of a local Dial-a-Hearing screening test.

¨        The Home Audiometer 1.91 hearing test can be downloaded onto your PC for $30. You’ll need to plug standard headphones into your computer to learn if you have a hearing problem and how severe it might be. Visit sharewareplaza.com/Home-Audiometer-downloads_35098.html for a free trial (locked to limited test functionality).

2-Second Hearing Test

In a quiet room, extend one arm straight out to the side and lightly rub your thumb and forefinger together. Slowly move the rubbing fingers toward one ear, taking note of how far away they are when the sound becomes audible. Repeat on the other side. Under age 60, a person with normal hearing should be able to make out the sound at 6 to 8 inches.

Salvation Is A Birth!

The following was written by my son-in-law Todd Lassitter a few years back during the time we had our church. It was done on behalf of so many people who confuse salvation with just saying a prayer, joining a church, or doing good works for salvation.

Salvation is a Birth

(not a prayer)

   If you were to go up on top of a fifty story building and step off, what would happen? Obsiously, you would hit the sidewalk pretty hard...But what if you didn't believe in gravity? Well, you would still hit the sidewalk regardless whether you believed in gravity or not.

   Hell is exactly the same. Hell exists whether you choose to believe in it or not. The scary part is, the day that you were physically born is the same day that you stepped off the building. According to the scripture, if your body dies before you are 'born again' you will splash right into a lake of fire where you will burn for ever and ever.

   There are several misconceptions that people have concerning spiritual things. One of the most common of which is that you are your body. Your body is physical, you are not. You are inside your body, you are not your body. Think of your body as a vehicle that carries you around where ever you want to go in this life. One day it will die, but you will not. You are not physical. You cannot die. People seem to have a hard time with this, but simply put let's say that you were in a car accident and lost both your legs. There is now 35 to 40 percent of your body missing...how much of you is gone? Is 40% of your memory perished, or your feelings, what percentage of your ability to reason is gone? So it is very easy to establish that you are not your physical body. You also have a spititual body referred to by the scripture as your soul. An exact duplicate of your physical body, your soul has eyes, ears, nose, tongue, arms, legs, etc. it can touch, taste, feel, smell, hear, etc., but it cannot die. It is not physical. That is the problem with hell.

   Hell is a real place, just as real as the sidewalk in the above illustration, real flames, real heat, real pain, but your body (your spiritual body, your soul) can't burn up. It's not physical. It and you (because you're in it) can feel the flames, experience the torment, but neither it nor you can ever die because neither you nor your soul is physical. And hell will never end because God will never die.  God is a spirit according to the scriptures, and cannot die. He will place in hell everyone that does not get spiritually born before their body dies. (John: 3)

   So, what is this spiritual birth? It is an actual, literal, real birth (it's just not physical) but there are many similarities. In physical child birth a process is involved that leads up to the actual birth. A seed must be planted, conception has taken place, then the fetus starts to form and grow. Finally, if there are no problems or complications the child is birthed into this world. Physical child birth is referred to by the scripture as 'born of water' because it is impossible for a woman to birth a child without first breaking her water. But according to the scripture, physical birth is not enough. You must also be born spiritually.

   Just as you had nothing to do with your first birth neither do you have anything to do with your second birth. The first time you were born your mother birthed you. The second time that you are born God births you, or more specifically the Holy Spirit births you. Therefore, it is called by the scripture 'born of the Spirit'. Likewise, there is a very similar process involved in this second birth (Romans 10:14,15). A seed has to be planted in you which is the word of God. No seed will grow without water, so someone has to pray for you. Slowly, understanding begins to form, and if there are no problems or complications you will come to the point where you realize that your sins are against God and repent. If you come to this point then God will give you the faith to believe that Jesus Christ bore your sins on the cross at Calvary and that his shed blood atones for those sins. Then when you call on him he will spiritually birth you into His family.

   That is salvation. And just as you cannot be physically unborn (once you're born, you're born, you can't undo it) neither can you be spiritually unborn because a literal birth has taken place. You were birthed by God himself according to the scriptures. If you get 'born again' you still might have many concerns because you're still in this flesh and it will trouble you, but hell will never again trouble you. You are no longer a child of the Devil--you have been born a child of God.

   Repentance is the key. You must recognize yourself reprobate before a righteous and holy God, deserving of hell, and repent. It doesn't matter how many prayers you pray or how much you believe (the devils believe also) the scripture says, "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish".

Sinner, repent and call on Jesus Christ to save your soul from hell today. Tomorrow is too late!!!

The Independent Woman (And Other Lies)

Is there really such a thing as an independent woman? What price do women pay for their independence, and what effect does a woman's independence have on the family today? These questions are very important in coming to a conclusion as to whether or not independence today is to be sought out by women.

First, in order to answer the first question, I must clarify what I mean by an independent woman. An independent woman usually does not have a husband and if she is married, the marriage is more like a switch in gender roles. In other words, she "rules the roost". Although I am sure there are women who seem to be quite happy with the situation, I don't think the men are. Usually, when the woman in a marriage is ruling the household, the man is thought to be a "whimp". He finds himself many times allowing his wife to control things and make the decisions in the home, not because she makes better decisions, but because she overpowers his decisions. Oftentimes, if a woman has an aggressive, independent spirit, it is better that she does not marry. So, I guess I will answer the first question-yes-there are independent women!

Secondly, I must discuss the price that women will probably pay for their independence. Woman, as a created being, was made for the man. It was intended by God that the woman be a help  meet for the man. I believe that the intent was so that the man would have a companion and not be lonely, among other things. But, of course we know that this plan of God was changed by an act of disobedience. Eve definitely paid a great price for her independence. She decided to accept what the serpent told her over what God said and, in so doing, she also put Adam in a position to decide whether to be like Eve or to obey God. Adam chose to become like Eve. Thus, from that time on she was to be ruled by her husband. I know that many women, including myself, do not like this. Some utterly abhor this, but it doesn't make it any less true. I believe that women are suffering a great deal today because of independence. God has guidelines set in the Bible in order to protect the woman both physically and mentally. (See Genesis 2:18, 20; Genesis 3:16; 1 Corinthians 7:2; 1 Corinthians 11:3-12; Ephesians 5:22-31; 1 Peter 3:1-7).

Many women today are in the workforce and have much stress in their lives. It would be so much better for them if they were not so independent and they would be like the women of years ago who trusted their husbands to be the main provider. This was so much better for the woman. I know this is true because my mother stayed at home and had very little stress and, as a consequence, she has had few physical and mental problems. Ever since women proclaimed their independent spirit, they have had more illnesses and mental problems as well as family (marriage) problems. All these things are on the incline.

I would like to quote Katie Roiphe who wrote the story, The Independent Women (and Other Lies),

Seen from the outside, my life is the model of modern female independence. I live alone, pay my own bills, and fix my stereo when it breaks down. But it sometimes seems like my independence is in part an elaborately constructed facade that hides a more traditional feminine desire to be protected and provided for...But when I think about marriage, somewhere deep in the irrational layers of my psyche, I still think of the man as the breadwinner!" (Aims of Argument, p. 674)

Thirdly, what effect does a woman's independence have on the family today? I believe that women's independence has caused effects on the family that are without remedy. Many children have no idea what it is like to have stability in the home. By this, I mean that the mother is at home taking care of them, teaching them the fundamentals of life. Mothers no longer teach their daughters to be homemakers. No longer do they teach the children how to love their homes. I will add to this that many men no longer have character and this has been handed down to the next generation. We live in a generation without guidelines! Everything seems to have been torn apart. I believe this is because of the home situation. (See Titus 2:4,5)

In conclusion, it is evident that women who have decided to have their own independence, have done so at the cost of both mental and physical happiness. Women are not created to rule over nations or to run the world. Women were created by God to be helpers to men, to create life, and to succor children. I'm not saying women cannot work outside the home, I am merely saying that in many instances it would be best for her if she remained at home if she has children. I have always had an independent spirit, but in my young adult years, I chose to stay at home with my children rather than have a career. Because I was home with my children as they grew up, I learned to be closer to them and became good friends with them. I know now, as I look back, that it was far better for me physically and mentally to be at home. This does not mean I didn't do things, it just merely gave me more time to focus on home life. I don't think I could have dealt with the stress of working and raising a family.

Another quote by Katie Roiphe:

The truth is, the knowledge that I can take care of myself, that I don't really need a man, is not without its own accompanying terrors. The idea that I could make myself into a sleek, self-sufficient androgyne is not all that appealing. Now that we have all of the rooms of our own that we need, we begin to look for that shared and crowded space. And it is this fear of independence, this fear of not needing a man, that explains the voices of more competent, accomplished corporate types than me saying to the men around them, 'Provide for me, protect me.' It may be one of the bad jokes that history occasionally plays on us: that the independence my mother's generation wanted so much for their daughters was something we could not entirely appreciate or want. It was like a birthday present from a distant relative--wrong size, wrong color, wrong style. And so women are left struggling with the desire to submit and not submit, to be independent and dependent, to take care of ourselves and be taken care of, and it's the confusion of this struggle that most of us love and are loved.

Some Things Birds Tell Us

                              

The following article came from a Christian friend of mine who from time to time gets up "stuff" to preach in his area. He sent this to my husband and me and I think it is pretty neat. :

Job 12:7- But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee: and the fowls of the air and they shall tell thee.

Prov.6:5- Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of a hunter, and as a bird from the hand of a fowler.

Psa.18:10- And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly upon the wings of the wind.

What can birds tell us?  They were created before man, and have been flying over heads for thousands of years. Birds mirror mankind, and they let us know that they can think.  For example, on a university campus in Japan carrion crows and humans line up patiently waiting for the traffic to stop at the lights.  When the lights change the birds hop in front of the cars and place walnuts on the road, which they got from the trees nearby.  After the lights turn green again, the birds fly away and the cars drive over the nuts, and crack them open. When it’s time to cross again the crows join the pedestrians and pick up their meal.  This is not instinct.  Before the fall, birds talked with man. Birds watch men. Man preys or is prey.  We need the Lord for victory.

God can use birds to give us direction.  For example, the Bible tells us that Moses brought the Jews out of Egypt in spring.  Most bible scholars say that the Jews came out in fall. But what do the birds say?

Quail are toxic during their southern autumn migration, but not on their return flight in spring. Also, quail are more abundant on the Red Sea coast in spring than in fall. Birds that fly north in spring are hungry and exhausted and stop in Israel before flying to Europe or Asia.  If they fly to Europe they’ll fly over Turkey.  And if they head to the breeding grounds in Asia they fly over Jordan.  These birds tell us that the Jews crossed the Red Sea in spring where the Jews could have fed on birds-Exodus16; 34:18.  During the fall migration they are relatively fresh and don’t need to stop over at the Red Sea. 

Each year hundreds of millions of birds cross over Israel, migrating between their breeding grounds in Europe and Asia and their wintering quarters in the heart of Africa.  That is 60 to 75% of all the migrating birds fly via Israel. This is because it is the only land route and offers access to the breeding grounds in Asia.  500 million to 1.5 billion birds fly north each spring from Africa to Asia by way of the Jewish salt flats.  They stop over at the feeding grounds near Eliat at the northern tip of the Red Sea.

When God told Moses to take the Jews out of Egypt, Egypt being a type of the world, mankind was then divided into two groups; that is Jews and Gentiles. Religion had its origins in Egypt with sun worship. Yet, all the modern versions have their origins in Africa where notorious Scribes, such as Origen, Marcion, Augustine, the Popes, etc. all showed their penmanship in corrupting the manuscripts. Afterwards, in the early 20^th century two devious scholars named Westcott and Hort came out with the ASV and adopted these changes telling you that they were from the Original Greek. There is no original Greek, in fact, there are 27 Greek texts and they all differ.  All they had to do was mess up 5% of the words. A little leaven leaveneth the lump.

The Bible comes from the majority text with the manuscripts from Antioch, Syria not Alexandria, Egypt. You either have the Holy Bible because God wrote it, or you have the unholy one because men wrote them.  What Bible are you spending time with?  Is this a sin that you need to confess?

For this cause also thank we God without ceasing because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe (1Thessalonians 2:13.)

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the gentiles were divided into saints and gentiles. God took out a part for himself called the Church.

Romans 1:16- For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

The Bible says that the oracles of God were given to the Jews.  God chose the Jews as his people because he had made a covenant with Abraham. Israel is the junction for truth. God wants us to look upward.  When we do we see birds.  Almost 2/3rds of all the birds stop over at Israel for food.  Jesus is called the bread of the world-John 6:33. These birds are telling us we need to feed on the Word of God. The word of God is likened to seed because the seed gave man eternal life.

1 Peter 1:23-Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God which liveth and abideth forever.

Acts 13:23- Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel, a Saviour Jesus.

John 6:32- Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that true bread from heaven, but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven.

John 6:35-And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life. He that cometh to me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Luke 8:11-Now the parable is this: the seed is the word of God.

Luke 4:4- It is written that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

 What are those high flying shorebirds telling us, like the geese who migrate by flying in V-formation.   Seems like the Lord wants us on his wings.  He wants to be near us. He wants us praying to him. And after a restful night, If I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. (Don’t worry what a day may bring forth.)  Geese fly on the wings of the wind to remind us that we have victory in Jesus. The wind can be a manifestation of the Holy Spirit.

John 16:13-He will guide you in all truth reviving the heart of man toward God.

You see how graceful birds fly in the wind.  In this V(wing)-formation it has been calculated that they can fly 70% further than a single bird. They fly in the draft of the flapping bird in front. Also, these geese expect the others to share the work. After the leading bird has done her part, she drops to the back and the bird that was closest to her then leads. This reminds me of Prov.6:19-The Lord hates people that sow discord among brethren like false doctrine that leads to heresy.

Also, you choose to react the way you do to what you see, hear, or feel.  Yet, your attitude may well determine how much grace you’ll get from the Lord. Your attitude effects just about everything in your life.  Each morning you choose to be in a good mood, or you can choose to be in a bad mood.  Yeah, I know, even with no sleep.  You have two choices.  You can choose to react, or you can choose to submit.  Each time something bad happens I can choose to be a victim or, I can choose to learn from it. You know how people affect your mood.  It’s your choice how you handle your life.  Sometimes it’s not that easy, and maybe even, you would rather die than live another day.  Life is all about choice. Try out the positive side of life.  You know God is watching (Luke 12:6,7.)

Are not five sparrows sold for a two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?

But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered.  Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows.

  

Attitude is in your heart.? (Jeremiah17:9) The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it. When people have heart transplants many times they take on the personalities and attitudes of the donors.  Even characteristics like beer drinking.  I remember the story of one woman that never drank beer until after heart surgery.  She had such a strong urge to drink beer that she just gave in and really liked it. But she had a suspicion that the heart donor was a heavy beer drinker. She contacted the donor’s wife and she told him that he was.

Keep thy heart with all diligence: for out of it are the issues of life.

The Bible says, “Where there is no vision the people perish”  Often  times altitude will change our attitude.  The Bible says  in John 3:8-The wind bloweth where it listeth and thou heareth the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whiter it goeth so is every one that is born of the Spirit. 

The powerful operations of God’s Spirit, reviving the heart toward God are compared to the blowing of the wind.  You may need to get back on the Lord’s wing.  Birds that flap their wings are low flying birds.  Eagles drop their young ones to teach them to rely on the wind to fly. Eagles fly high for a better vision. They eat only live food, live prey. God’s words are alive.  When you’re flying high, above the clouds you have more light. You can see that those bright clouds beneath you are rain clouds. They’re bright not dark, as the Bible says in Job 37:11. Up here you’re seeing more, you’re flying higher and seeing that all your worries were petty.  God is holding you up. Your vision is clearer.  God gave us a Bible to read  and study.  And to give you strength for another day.  We can reach a world that’s never been touched from the heart by having the right attitude and with patience lead them to the Lord.

Birds show the two nature of man.   The seed can be the seed of David (Romans 3:3), or the seed of the serpent (Genesis 3:15; through Judas, John 6:70,17:12). Birds tell you to fear God because of God’s vision. Proverbs15:3-The eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 

You can be like Christ, or you can be like the wicked.  Eagles can be nasty creatures, preying, devouring, envious, proud, and lofty, and harassing other birds. History has shown that the Roman eagle has killed millions. The Bible says, In her was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth (Revelation 18:24.)  Many persecutors have destroyed the godly. “Come “ saith Pharoah, “let us deal wisely with them.”  Many Papists have accused Christians so they could take away their lives. Birds of prey are unclean  birds and would not be offered up in sacrifice.  Wicked men are unclean and their prayers and sacrifices are an abomination in the sight of God (Proverbs 15:8.) The Eagle is no well coming and friendly bird, but ill favored in God’s sight. Neither is their shrieks sweet in his ears.

 God wants to see, and hear his people.

              

Birds have a syrinx which is the sound producing organ.  Our soundbox is located at the top of the trachea.  The birds syrinx is set much lower down, at the junction of the two air tubes leading to the lungs.  This means that the syrinx has two potential sound sources, one in each bronchus.  This means that separate sounds which are then mixed when fed into the higher vocal tract . This complex design means that birds can produce a far greater variety of sounds.

 A British musician and avid bird watcher David Hindley slowed these bird songs down and discovered parallels between the skylark’s vast number of notes and Beethovan’s fifth symphony and Bach’s 48 Preludes and fugues  (whatever that is I don’t know.)

The love for Christ Jesus comes with birds singing (Song of Solomon 2:12) just before the rapture.

And if birds can parallel some music of Bach and Beethovan with sounds mixed and going out in two pipes how much more can the Devil do with his built in pipes and tabrets?

God created music for worship.  1 Chronicles 15:16-Man praised God with appointed singers with instruments of music, psalteries and harps and cymbals, sounding by lifting up their voice with joy. 1 Chronicles 15:28-And when the ark of the covenant was brought up the people shouted  and made a great voice with the sound of the cornet, with trumpets, and cymbals, and making noise with psalteries and harps.

              

Satan is the most subtle of creatures.

He wants to be like God and counterfeit Him                                                                                                                                                                                       

He has been going up and down in this world for 6,000 years and he is now out in full force with all his demonic spirits.  He was a murderer from the beginning.  He’s just as cunning now as he was in the beginning.  He was God’s music leader and wants worship. It’s no surprise to Paul who says to us in these latter days “Who hath bewitched you" (Gal.3:1.)

We have seen the decadence of music from Bach,  Handle, and Beethoven to Rock n’Roll with its sexual immorality agenda. Punk and Acid Rock shadowed the chaos in the world, and we now see the arise of Satanic worship in the music lyrics. The Rolling Stones have called themselves  “The Devil's Disciples.” The anti-Christ will come out of Europe and he is preparing his mix of music there. Coming out of Germany is a group called Scorpion and they are producing an alluring mix of classical and rock. He is a master with words, notes, and rhythm. God made Satan with pipes and tabarets  (Ezekiel 28:13) and only in the genealogy of Cain do we see this gift of music(Genesis 4:21,22) and the know how of how to make musical instruments. Father like son.  It’s not only what you say that matters, but how you say it.  The female song birds listen to all the male birds sing and mates with the one that has the largest lists of songs.  Wonder why the British people called their women “Birds?”

Satan was made the most beautiful of creatures.  Every precious stone was his covering (Ezekiel 28:13), and all the trees in the garden envied him (Ezekiel 31:9) These stones are all listed in (Ezekiel 28:13), but in (Revelation 21:20) the only precious stone that is left out is the diamond. Maybe because diamonds come from carbon and all dead things(bones) turn to carbon.  Isn’t he the god of death?  Also, carbon has an atomic number of 12, and this means it has 6 protons, 6 neutrons, and 6 electrons. His number 666 is in diamonds, and you men are even wearing it in your ears. Hopefully it will not be on your forehead! The Devil does not care for you. Diamonds are made under pressure just like he wants you under pressure too.

Paul says “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtility, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ." The Devil can sift us all as wheat if we don’t know how to resist him. We resist Satan with the words of God. But Satan has taken your sword away, the King James Bible, and given you a modern paper thin plastic knife version!

  Where the word of a king is there is power: (Ecclesiastes 8:9)

Adam had to wait 130 years to get another son to replace Abel whom he named Seth. God allowed Cains line to flourish for 130 years because God had to keep his promise. That is 10 X 13.  Ten is the number that represents the Gentiles, and 13 is the devil’s number like Judas Iscariot, 13 letters. God waited for 130 years to see whether Cain’s line would glorify God  and they did not so God destroyed them all in Noah’s flood. 

Eve was not prepared to deal with Satan.  She lived in the dispensation of innocence and did not know whom she was facing. After her fall, she went back to the garden probably because she was lonely, and Adam was in no talking mood for she had tricked him.  Passing the blame is just one of those hitches in life and many times depends on which way the wind blows. So we do well to confess it and put it under the Blood.  Eve wanted company and maybe the only one who would talk to her was Satan..  They had both fallen and now had something in common against God.

Ecclessiastes 10:20-Curse not the king, no not in thy thought; and curse not the rich in thy bedchamber: for the bird of the air shall carry the voice, and that which hath wings shall tell of the matter.

 The devil had lost his beautiful covering and she her snow white body.( Before the fall, Adam and  Eve  had water instead of blood in their circulatory system. They were the only true “bluebloods” for they had dominion over the whole world until Satan took over.)  Eve  yearned for that close contact with Adam who didn’t want anything to do with her.   But the devil knew that he could comfort her through song. She may have had made many visits to the garden to see him. She had been touched before so she thought that he was harmless. And the Devil had his day to take advantage of her. He sweet talked her to get closer while the birds were watching. He sung songs, and maybe then rock n’ roll to get her body moving. We’re prisoners of sin, but God wants to set us free. The Lord Jesus Christ led  captivity captive. He arose from the grave. Birds have that freedom of flight.  We too have that  glorious liberty in Jesus, so why are so many of us still serving idols? Are we still held captive in these late modern days by T.V. ?  God instructed us to set no wicked thing before our eyes (Psa.101:3) so who has bewitched us? People are now relying on TV for guidance and instruction on how to live their lives.  We are attacked everyday with all sorts of demoniac spirits that we really need to exercise out.

               Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hands of the fowler.

            No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

  

Yes, we live in this world where birds are telling us that we gotta be free, or we gotta be divine.  Our gods are sex, money, and education. We glorify man instead of God. And it’s only by God’s grace that enables you, or I, to give glory to God.

God’s bird is the dove. Doves are meek, harmless, and chaste. They make their nests in the rock. They feed on grain, not carrion. They are often molested by birds of prey and were appointed under the law for sacrifice. They are very fruitful and have a lovely eye on their mate, and have no defence, but by flight. A fowler can catch them and put them easily in bondage. Paul writes, Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world. (Galatians 4:3)

              

Can you glorify God? Birds teach you how to sing to the Lord. The best time is dawn. Sound travels best in the early morning with little wind and less noise.  I use to walk my dog at 5:00 in the morning, and was amazed by the loud and very large vocabulary of the mocking bird on the campus.  The Bible says:

O God , You are my God, early will I seek you.

But I will sing of your power, Yes, I will sing aloud of mercy in the morning.

 What does God say to us about our service? The Bible says:

              

He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

The Lord tells us to be faithful, grow in faith, and put out his word.   Get that spiritual vision.   And that we better know  the King James Bible, because we will be judged by it. And women if you can find a man that’s trying to serve the Lord stand by your man because at the Judgment seat of Christ you’ll get an equal portion of his rewards, (Psalms 68:12, Romans 5:17, Ephesians 5:33.)

He that rejected me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. (John 12:48)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth (2 Timothy 215.)

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich;and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:18)

                                                                                                                                                           
 Brian Oshana

Wine Is A Mocker

Wine is a  mocker; strong drink is raging: and whosover is deceived thereby is not wise.  Proverbs 20:1

Each week as I read the newspaper or listen to the news, I see and hear over and over the tragedies that are occurring due to people partaking of alcoholic beverages. As a child growing up and even in my later teens, I learned first hand what alcohol can do to an individual and in a family. Before the salvation of my dad, there were numerous occasions in our household where alcohol ruled and reigned, and the result was a home life of constant fighting, less money to spend on the necessities of life, and sickness that would not have been prevalent if my dad hadn’t drinked.  My brothers and I, as well as other family members, were able to acquire beer and liquor at an early age which resulted in near fatalities on the highway and a brother who was a teenage alcoholic. Parents do not live to themselves—someone is always affected by what they do—someone is always watching.

According to the research I obtained from the Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the following information is true:

·   Every year more money is spent promoting the use of alcohol than any other product.  Perhaps through its elaborate and creative marketing, the most basic, yet important fact about alcohol is often overlooked—alcohol is a drug—the most commonly used and widely abused psychoactive drug in the world.

·  Even at low doses, alcohol significantly impairs the judgment and coordination required to drive a car or operate machinery safely. Low to moderate doses of alcohol can also increase the incidence of a variety of aggressive acts, including domestic violence and child abuse. Long-term effects of consuming large quantities of alcohol can lead to permanent damage to vital organs, several different types of cancer, malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies, sexual dysfunction, high blood pressure and lowered resistance to disease. Mothers who drink alcohol during pregnancy may give birth to infants with fetal alcohol syndrome which in turn may suffer from mental retardation and other irreversible physical abnormalities. These children are at a greater risk than other children of becoming alcoholic.

·  More than 100,000 United States deaths are caused by excessive alcohol consumption each year. Direct and indirect causes of death include drunk driving, cirrhosis of the liver, falls, cancer, and stroke.

·  65% of youth surveyed said they got the alcohol they drank from family and friends

·  Youth who drink alcohol are 50 times more likely to use cocaine than those who never drink alcohol.

·  Underage drinking costs the United States more than $58 billion every year—enough to buy every public school student a state-of-the-art computer.

With all these statistics, why then do the adults in our area continue to include alcoholic beverages in just about every recreational activity in which they participate? One is hard pressed to find a restaurant to eat in that does not advertise and even push the wine, beer and liquor agenda, yet we wonder why there is so much chaos in the lives of the people around us. Not only do those who participate in promoting the use of alcoholic beverages have to live and deal with the consequences, those of us who do not, have to suffer because of the lifestyles of others around us. These days if a person becomes an alcoholic and is unable to work, he is allowed to get a disability check, but when a person who has worked practically all their life becomes sick, they are told they must be prepared to return to work in order to receive income. How unfair is that?

From the Christian perspective, I would like to quote a few convincing verses from the Bible in order to show how God clearly feels about this matter.

Proverbs 23:20-21

Be not among winebibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh: For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Proverbs 23:29-35

Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder. Thine eyes shall behold strange women, and thine heart shall utter perverse things. Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick, they have beaten me and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Proverbs 31:4-7

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.  Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more.

Isaiah 28:7

But they also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment.

Habakuk 2:15

Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!