.
The Brandenburg Gate is illuminated with the flag of Israel in Berlin, Germany, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, to mark the anniversary of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
“It is hereby officially recognized a day of remembrance for the victims of October 7th Hamas attack on Israel,”
_________
.
_________
Pentecost and God’s Gifts
Acts 2:38-39
Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
“Peter’s call to action also provides a list of some of God’s greatest gifts.
The basic idea of repentance is “a reversal of thinking which changes one’s life” (The Nelson Study Bible, note on Matthew 3:2). When we see how our sins have gone against God’s perfect law, and that Jesus Christ gave His life to pay for our death penalty, it is only right to have godly sorrow and a fervent desire to change. But even repentance is a gift from God (Romans 2:4).
After repenting, God wants us to demonstrate our commitment through water baptism, a symbol of the death of our old person. This is followed by God’s gift of forgiveness of sins and the gift of God’s Holy Spirit—a seed of spiritual life, a lifeline to God, a connection to the spiritual vine. Through the Holy Spirit, God makes available so many other priceless gifts.
So, while Peter called on new believers to take action in this passage, it is really God whose acts of giving make the difference.
For more about responding to God’s call to repent and be baptized, download our free booklet Change Your Life!” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/pentecost-and-gods-gifts/
_________
“In Leviticus chapter 23, God revealed a series of celebrations to be observed throughout the year. One of them is called Pentecost. It also goes by other names such as Shavuot, the Feast of Weeks, and First fruits (of the wheat harvest). It is a unique festival in two aspects. Firstly, it is the only holy day that does not fall on a specific day of the Hebrew Calendar. Instead, we must calculate its timing. Secondly, we must know when the weekly Sabbath occurs.
The verses about this celebration are found in Leviticus chapter 23:15-22. We will look at a few of these verses: “15 And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord…21 And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.”
Notice that Pentecost is the day after the seventh weekly Sabbath from Unleavened Bread. This means it always occurs on the first day of the week. Any church body who celebrates Pentecost on Sunday is acknowledging that the true Sabbath is from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset. This includes the Catholic Church. Some of their authors and clergy have admitted this!
John Laux, an author of textbooks for Catholic schools, wrote: “If we consulted the Bible only, we should still have to keep holy the Sabbath Day, that is, Saturday, with the Jews, instead of Sunday…” (Laux, p 51).
John Gibbons, a Catholic Cardinal, wrote: “But you may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we never sanctify” (Gibbons, pp 72-73).
The Catholic Church acknowledges the timing of the Biblical Sabbath. Any church that celebrates Pentecost on Sunday reflects the same belief. Pentecost proves the Sabbath.”
Kelly McDonald, Jr, BSA President, www.biblesabbath.org
________
“We have been told that animal flesh is an essential part of a healthy diet, but meat consumption has been associated with almost all the major diseases. Meat is high in fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, which will increase the risk of heart disease and can cause other serious health problems like diabetes. It is high in animal-protein, which is far too acidic for the human body and has been linked to kidney disease, cancer and osteoporosis.
Most meat also contains antibiotics and growth hormones, like oestrogen and testosterone, which can promote cancer growth. And fish is often contaminated with mercury, which is toxic, and can cause brain damage, and may also contribute to atrial fibrillation and fatal heart attack risk. Fortunately, there is no need to consume meat or other animal products, and a wholefoods, plant-based diet can provide all the essential nutrients for long-term health.”
RESEARCH REFERENCED: http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-top... http://cebp.aacrjournals.org/content/... http://nutritionfacts.org/topics/merc... http://nutritionfacts.org/video/uproo... YouTube: 
/ @theveganactivist
________
.
“Leviticus 23 records the “feasts of the Lord.” What are these feasts? Though often dismissed as “Jewish” holidays, are they also relevant to Christians?The word feasts in this passage means appointed times, specific observances God has designated as holy, or set apart. Their holiness comes from the tremendous spiritual significance God has attached to each.
These seven biblical feasts build upon one another in meaning and progressively reveal how God will save the world.
Do you know what they are and what they mean?
As the first of God’s seven annual feasts, Passover sets the stage for every major event to follow. This foundational feast directs our attention to the need for blood to be shed in order for us to be saved from the penalty of death.
It is a feast that commemorates the perfect sacrifice of the Son of God.
To learn more about this biblical feast, read “Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?”
More at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/blog/feasts-in-the-bible-why-should-they-matter-to-christians/?
_______
Questions and Answers About the Christian Passover
“This evening, many Christians will gather to observe the New Covenant Passover. This festival may seem mysterious to many. In this blog post, we address six frequently asked questions about the New Testament Passover.”
Transcript of: 
https://hubs.la/Q02twqnM0
If you look at your calendar for March or April, you will probably see “Passover” marked. Most people think of Passover as just a Jewish national holiday that celebrates Israel’s departure from Egypt, as told in the book of Exodus. The Ten Commandments, the 1956 movie starring Charlton Heston and Yul Brynner, is often shown on network TV around this time of year.
This may be the extent of your knowledge about the Passover. It is largely ignored in Christianity, which observes other spring holidays such as Easter, Lent and Good Friday.
(To learn about the problems with Easter, read our article “Is Easter Pagan?”)
But did you know that the Passover is found throughout the Bible—both in the Old Testament and New Testament? So why don’t most Christians celebrate Passover? Should they?
This post will answer some frequently asked questions about the Passover.
Yes, when the Passover was introduced, it commemorated the night God performed the 10th and final plague against ancient Egypt. God caused the firstborn of Egypt to die—a plague that probably took millions of lives throughout the land. God would spare the Israelites from this plague only if they painted lamb’s blood on the doorposts of their dwellings (Exodus 12:7, 12-13).
Throughout their generations, the Israelites were to celebrate the Passover to remember how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt.
That evening, the Israelites were also instructed to prepare a special meal and get ready to leave Egypt the next day (verses 8-11). God declared this observance was “the LORD’S Passover” (verse 11). He commanded them to observe it as “a memorial,” “a feast to the LORD throughout your generations” and “an everlasting ordinance” (verse 14).
Years later, God reinforced the observance in the formal list of God’s festivals given to Moses: “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the LORD’S Passover” (Leviticus 23:2, 5).
Throughout their generations, the Israelites were to celebrate the Passover to remember how God delivered them from slavery in Egypt. This was the original meaning of the observance. Jews around the world understand and observe this.
These events are also meaningful for Christians, who are called “the Israel of God” (Galatians 6:16) and are delivered from the slavery of sin (Romans 6:7). But, as we will see, the Passover holds even deeper significance for Christians today.
Yes, Jesus observed the Passover throughout His life.
Luke records that Jesus and His family observed the Passover faithfully: “His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41).
One of the most famous accounts of Jesus’ childhood—when He got separated from His parents and they frantically looked for Him, eventually discovering Him discussing the Bible in the temple—took place just after Jesus and His family had observed the Passover in Jerusalem (verses 42-50).
Jesus observed the Passover up until the day He died—literally. He observed the Passover with His disciples the night He was betrayed and arrested (Matthew 26:2, 17-19; Luke 22:15).
To learn more about the feast days Jesus celebrated throughout His life, read “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Festivals Jesus Celebrated.”
Yes, the Bible makes a strong link between the Passover and the death of Jesus Christ. Putting the scriptures together, we see that the events of the first Passover foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s death. Notice the following parallels:
Putting the scriptures together, we see that the events of the first Passover foreshadowed Jesus Christ’s death.
The Israelites were in bondage to Egypt (Exodus 1:14). All human beings are in slavery to sin (Romans 6:16-17, 20; 7:23; 2 Peter 2:19).
The Israelites were spared from death that night only through the sign of the Passover lamb’s blood on their doorposts (Exodus 12:22-23). Christians are freed from death only through Jesus’ shed blood as the “Lamb of God” (John 1:29; Ephesians 1:7; 2:13; Hebrews 9:14, 22; 1 Peter 1:19).
As a result of the plague against Egypt and the Israelites’ being spared through the Passover lamb’s blood, Israel was freed from slavery and started a new life by coming out of Egypt (Exodus 12:31-41). As a result of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, Christians can have freedom from the captivity of sin and live a new way of life (Romans 6:4, 6, 18, 22; Ephesians 4:24).
These are just a few of the parallels between the Exodus Passover and Jesus Christ. It is also important to remember that Jesus observed the Passover on the evening before His crucifixion and that His sacrifice occurred on the daylight portion of the Feast of Passover (Matthew 26:18-19).
But perhaps no scripture proves the link better than 1 Corinthians 5:7: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.”
To learn more about the connection between Jesus and the Passover, read “Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?” and “Why Is Jesus Called the Lamb of God?”
Yes, the New Testament is very clear that Christians in the early Church observed the Passover.
We must first understand that they didn’t observe it in the same way Israel did in the past. At His last Passover, Jesus Christ instituted new symbols to reflect His sacrifice for sins. These new symbols were a new element He added to the Passover for New Covenant Christians.
We read about the institution of the New Covenant Passover in Matthew 26.
Unleavened bread now symbolized the “body” of Jesus Christ (verse 26).
Wine now symbolized Jesus’ “blood” (verse 28).
Jesus commanded His disciples to “do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). He also instituted a foot-washing ceremony to teach His people the importance of humility and service (John 13:3-15). (To learn more about the meaning behind washing feet, read “What Is the Meaning of John 13:14—“Wash One Another’s Feet”?”)
The Bible shows us that the early Church continued observing the Passover in obedience to Christ (1 Corinthians 5:7-8; 11:23-26). Today, Christians around the world observe the New Testament Passover in March or April (on the 14th day of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar) to remember and commemorate Jesus Christ’s death and its significance to our lives.
In 2024 the New Covenant Passover ceremony will be observed after the sun sets on April 21 (on the Gregorian calendar).
You can learn about the dates of the biblical festivals for the next few years at “Festival Calendar.”
The fact that early Christians observed the Passover on the 14th of Nisan is a generally recognized historical fact. Unfortunately, the Roman Church eventually substituted Good Friday and Easter Sunday for the biblical Passover—a change that is still accepted and practiced by the majority of mainstream Christianity today.
To learn more about the change from Passover to Easter, read our article “Christian Festivals.”
This name, “The Lord’s Supper,” is a common title given to partaking of bread and wine in the Protestant community. Some denominations call this ceremony Eucharist (Greek for “give thanks”) or Communion (Latin for “fellowship” or “sharing”). There is much variance in how these ceremonies are kept. Some keep these ceremonies weekly; some, monthly; some, quarterly; and others, annually.
But none of these names are the biblical name for the ceremony Jesus instituted on the last evening of His life. The Gospels are very clear that He was observing the Passover (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:14; Luke 22:8).
If you read through each Gospel record of this evening, you will notice that Jesus specifically said He was changing the symbols of the bread and wine—but He never said He was changing the name from Passover to anything else.
The Lord’s Supper? If you search the Bible, you will find the phrase “The Lord’s Supper” is only used once (in 1 Corinthians 11:20). But when you actually read the verse, you may be surprised that the verse is actually saying not to use that title for the observance. “Therefore when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Lord’s Supper” (verse 20, emphasis added).
The apostle Paul was correcting the Corinthian congregation for not properly keeping the Passover ceremony with reverence and solemnity. These Christians were coming to the Passover and selfishly eating their own food while others went hungry. Some were even getting drunk (verse 21).
So, instead of calling this observance “the Lord’s Supper,” Paul was actually reminding them that it wasn’t! They were to come together to solemnly partake of the bread and wine symbols—not to eat supper (verses 27-29).
Communion? The title “Communion” is taken from 1 Corinthians 10:16: “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion [the “fellowship” or “sharing”] of the blood of Christ?” This is not a designation of a title for the event, but a statement that the symbols of bread and wine are necessary to have a relationship, or fellowship, with Jesus Christ. The Passover is necessary for truly knowing and having a relationship with Jesus Christ.
To learn more about the proper name for this important observance, read “The Last Supper or Passover?”
As we have seen, the New Testament shows that Jesus Christ instituted new symbols for the Passover on the night He was betrayed and arrested. Those symbols are foot washing, unleavened bread and wine. In order to keep the Passover as a Christian in the 21st century, there are four basic requirements for baptized members of the Church of God:
The ideal way to observe the Passover is with other converted Christians who are partaking of the Passover in a ceremony conducted by a minister of Jesus Christ.
For more insight on keeping the Passover today, read “Should Christians Celebrate the Passover?”
If you are just learning about the Passover, we hope these answers have been helpful and informative. We encourage you to continue studying the origins of the popular holidays celebrated in the spring (in the northern hemisphere) and the deep meaning of the festivals found in the Bible.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/blog/questions-and-answers-about-the-passover/?
___________
“The rise in the U.S. calorie supply responsible for the obesity epidemic wasn’t just about more food but a different kind of food.”
Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-processed-foods-in-the-obesity-epidemic/?
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“The rise in the number of calories provided the U.S. food supply since the 1970s is more than sufficient to explain the entire obesity epidemic. Similar spikes in calorie surplus were noted in developed countries around the world in parallel with, and presumed primarily responsible for, the expanding waistlines of their populations. By the year 2000, the United States was producing, after taking exports into account, 3,900 calories for every man, woman, and child—nearly twice as much as many people need.
It wasn’t always this way. The number of calories in the food supply actually declined over the first half of the twentieth century, only starting its upward climb to unprecedented heights in the 1970s. The drop in the first half of the century was attributed to the reduction in hard manual labor. The population had decreased energy needs, so they ate decreased energy diets. They didn’t need all the extra calories. But then, the so-called energy balance flipping point occurred, when the “move less, stay lean” phase that existed throughout most of the century turned into the “eat more, gain weight” phase that plagues us to this day. So, what changed?
What happened in the 1970s was a revolution in the food industry. In the 1960s, most food was prepared and cooked in the home. The average “not working” wife spent hours a day cooking and cleaning up after meals. (The husband averaged nine minutes.) But then, a mixed blessing transformation took place. Technological advances in food preservation and packaging enabled manufacturers to mass-prepare and distribute food for ready consumption. The metamorphosis has been compared to what happened a century before in the industrial revolution, with the mass production and supply of manufactured goods. This time they were just mass-producing food. Using new preservatives, artificial flavors, and techniques such as deep freezing and vacuum packaging, food corporations could take advantage of economies of scale to mass produce ready-made, durable, palatable edibles that offer an enormous commercial advantage over fresh and perishable foods.
Think ye of the Twinkie. With enough time and effort, any ambitious cook could create a cream-filled cake, but now they are available around every corner for less than a dollar––or delivered straight to your door for 30 cents! If every time someone wanted a Twinkie, they had to bake it themselves, they’d probably eat a lot less Twinkies. The packaged food sector is now a multi-trillion dollar industry.
Or, consider the humble potato. We’ve long been a nation of potato-eaters, but they were largely baked or boiled. Anyone who’s made fries from scratch knows what a pain it is, with all the peeling, cutting, and splattering. But with sophisticated machinations of mechanization, french fry production became centralized, and could be shipped at -40o to any fast food deep fat fryer or frozen food section in the country to become America’s favorite vegetable. Nearly all the increase in potato consumption in recent decades has been in the form of french fries and potato chips.
Cigarette production offers a compelling parallel. Up until automated rolling machines were invented, cigarettes had to be rolled by hand. It took 50 workers to produce the number of cigarettes a machine could make in a minute. The price plunged, and production leapt into the billions. Cigarette smoking went from relatively uncommon to almost everywhere. In the 20th century, the average per capita cigarette consumption rose from 54 a year to 4,345 cigarettes a year by the time of the 1964 Surgeon General’s report. The average American went from smoking about one cigarette a week to a half-pack a day.
Tobacco itself was just as addictive before and after mass marketing. What changed was cheap, easy access. French fries have always been tasty, but they went from being rare, even in restaurants, to omnipresent access around every and each corner (likely next to the gas station where you can get your Twinkies and cigarettes).
The first Twinkie dates back to 1930, though, and Ore-Ida started selling frozen french fries in the 1950s. There has to be more to the story than just technological innovation…which we’ll explore, next.: From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/the-role-of-processed-foods-in-the-obesity-epidemic/?
_________
Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?
Did Jesus Replace the Passover?
Is the Passover Jewish or Christian?
Sacrifice of Jesus
Why Jesus Had to Die
The Last Supper or Passover?__________
.
Our church will be having our Passover meal at sundown around 7.30pm on the 22nd. of April.
________
“
Why did Easter replace the Passover?
James Pauls/iStock/Thinkstock
It was easier to draw pagan worshippers into Christianity and maintain their devotion by identifying the time-honored spring resurrection feast of the pagan mystery religions with the resurrection of Christ.
Though Easter was clearly pagan in origin, Christian leaders of the first two centuries after Christ's crucifixion employed the same philosophy in establishing the new holiday that they later applied to Christmas. Believing that people are free to select their own times and customs of worship, they went about gradually replacing the biblically commanded Passover with their humanly devised celebration of Easter.
It was easier to draw pagan worshippers into Christianity and maintain their devotion by identifying the time-honored spring resurrection feast of the pagan mystery religions with the resurrection of Christ.
Anti-Jewish prejudice also seems to have been a major factor in the church leaders' decision to make such changes. According to R.K. Bishop: "The early development of the celebration of Easter and the attendant calendar disputes were largely a result of Christianity's attempt to emancipate itself from Judaism. Sunday had already replaced the Jewish sabbath early in the second century, and despite efforts in Asia Minor to maintain the Jewish passover date of 14 Nisan for Easter [or, rather, the true Passover] (hence the name Quartodecimans [meaning 'Fourteeners']), the Council of Nicaea adopted the annual Sunday following the full moon after the vernal equinox (March 21)" (Walter Elwell, editor, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 1984, "Easter").
Before A.D. 70, Christianity was "regarded by the Roman government and by the people at large as a branch of the Jewish religion" (Jesse Lyman Hurlbut, The Story of the Christian Church, 1954, p. 34). Christianity and Judaism shared the biblical feast days, although Christians observed them with added meanings introduced by Jesus and the apostles.
However, two Jewish revolts against the Roman Empire, in 64-70 and 132-135, led to widespread persecution of Jews and suppression of Jewish religious practices. Jews were even driven from Jerusalem and forbidden to return on pain of death. As pressure mounted, some Christians began to abandon beliefs and practices perceived as being too Jewish. Over time many abandoned their weekly Sabbath day of rest and worship in favor of worship on Sunday, the pagan day of the sun, and abandoned the Passover in favor of Easter to distance themselves from Jews.
The New Catholic Encyclopedia explains: "Originally both observances [Passover and Easter] were allowed, but gradually it was felt incongruous that Christians should celebrate Easter on a Jewish feast, and unity in celebrating the principal Christian feast was called for" (1967, Vol. 5, p. 8, "Easter Controversy").” From: https://www.ucg.org/bible-study-tools/booklets/easter-the-rest-of-the-story/how-easter-replaced-the-biblical-passover
________
How Did Passover Become Easter?
“The early New Testament Church didn’t celebrate Easter. Why not—and what changed? Phil Sandilands discusses the shift from Passover (which God commanded) to Easter (which God NEVER commanded). Discover why Passover is still important to God—and why Easter will never be an acceptable replacement. Watch our latest Life, Hope & Truth Presents video program, “How Did Passover Become Easter?” at: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/videos/series/life-hope-truth-presents/how-passover-became-easter/
________
Acts 18:21
[Paul] took leave of them, saying, “I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
“As we saw in Acts 20:16, the apostle Paul planned his journeys around the biblical festivals. Here in Acts 18:21 he also explains his need to get to Jerusalem for one of the festivals.
Though it is not explicit about which festival, this passage gives more evidence of the continued importance of God’s festivals to the New Testament Church.
For more about the biblical festivals, see the second half of the free booklet From Holidays to Holy Days: God’s Plan for You.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/i-must-by-all-means-keep-this-coming-feast/
_________
“Why did the makers of Prevagen settle a class action lawsuit in 2020 with the FTC over deceptive business practices and false advertising? Is Prevagen safe?”
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“Over the last twenty years or so, Big Pharma has invested more than a half trillion dollars into dementia treatment research, but so far to little avail. In light of this, many have turned to supplements. An AARP commissioned survey found that 36 percent of those 74 years and older take a supplement for brain health, to the tune of billions of dollars a year. The most commonly marketed brain supplement was one I’d frankly never heard of before: Prevagen.
Prevagen contains a protein derived from a luminescent jellyfish the company claims “has been clinically shown to improve memory.” According to the company website, “A landmark double-blind and placebo controlled trial demonstrated Prevagen improved short-term memory, learning, and delayed recall over 90 days.” But when you actually pull up the study, not only did Prevagen fail to improve memory, learning, or recall over placebo, it failed to show a significant improvement in any of the nine measured cognitive tasks tested.
As an inquiry into Prevagen published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest was titled, “How Can This Memory Supplement Flunk Its One Trial and Still Be Advertised as Effective?” And not just as effective, but the #1 pharmacist recommended brand. Considering the lack of sound clinical evidence, how is that possible? Presumably, they’re just as blitzed with the same kind of advertising as everyone else.
It’s no surprise the supplement didn’t do anything, since the company’s own studies showed the jellyfish protein was rapidly digested by stomach enzymes. Of course, that didn’t stop them from raking in more than $20 million a year. Claiming the “marketers of Prevagen preyed on the fears of older consumers experiencing age-related memory loss,” the Federal Trade Commission and New York State’s Attorney General filed a consumer protection complaint charging the company with making false and unsubstantiated claims. The AARP weighed in, accusing the company of “deceiving millions of aging Americans.”
In a move straight out of the Big Pharma aducanumab playbook, the company went back and conducted more than 30 post hoc analyses of the data, and found a few positive findings on a few tasks for some subgroups. This cherry-picking of subgroups after the fact is a classic example of manipulation, sometimes called “p-hacking” or “data dredging,” that can be described as “placing a bet on a horse after watching the race.”
The makers of Prevagen settled a class action lawsuit in 2020 with the FTC over deceptive business practices and false advertising. Remarkably, though, the settlement allows them to continue to market it, with the court-approved disclaimer that claims are “based on a clinical study of subgroups of individuals …” But with the amount of slicing and dicing of data they did, the chances of finding at least one false positive was estimated at 80 percent.
Prevagen may be more than just a waste of money. The manufacturer was cited for failing to report more than a thousand adverse events related by consumers to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Regulators can’t have it both ways, though. If the jellyfish protein is digested away, how can it pose a safety risk? Because dietary supplements are too often adulterated with contaminants. FDA inspectors specifically cited Prevagen’s manufacturing facilities for “objectionable conditions or practices.”
A 2019 survey by Pew found that more than half believed that the Food and Drug Administration requires supplements be tested for safety, but that isn’t true. One study of 24 supplements sold as cognitive performance boosters found that most claimed an ingredient on the label that wasn’t actually in the supplement. And worse, 38 percent contained ingredients not allowed in supplements, like prohibited drugs. Another study of a dozen so-called “brain health supplements” similarly found 8 out of 12 were misbranded (missing an ingredient promised on the label), and 10 out of 12 were deemed adulterated (containing unlisted compounds, for example caffeine in a product that explicitly highlighted all-caps ‘‘DECAFFEINATED’’ on the label). Only 1 of 12 was certified to contain what it said it did. The bottom line for Prevagen—there is no acceptable evidence that it is effective, and patients should be advised not to take it.” From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/does-prevagen-really-work/?
________
.
This is Easter weekend, but Passover isn’t until the end of next month!! Starts evening of 22nd. April 2024.
_______
In his book Primitive Christianity in Crisis, Alan Knight explains the gnostic approach: “Salvation depends on rejecting both the material world and the God that created it. … The wrathful God of the Old Testament cannot be the same as the true spiritual Father” (third edition, pp. 22, 48).
Is the big story plot of the Bible, “Jesus Christ the Savior replaces a fading Creator God”?
Did Jesus scrap the Creator’s work, or did He build on it, adding the finished structure to the foundation God had laid?
Jesus came to reveal the Father, not replace Him (Matthew 11:27; John 5:37). Could it be that Father and Son have been closely collaborating all along? They are on the same page, with the same goals and same objectives, in complete agreement.
As a case in point, consider the biblical story of the Passover, in the Old Testament and the New.
In Exodus 12 we read of the Passover being revealed to the Israelites. It was to be observed on the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew calendar. For each household a lamb was slaughtered, a male without blemish. No bones of the lamb were broken. They smeared the Passover lamb’s blood around the doors of their homes as a sign.
God spared the congregation of Israel as He passed over the blood-stained doors in the night and did not send destruction on their firstborn.
The following day, the 15th of the first month, was a holy day, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. On that day Israel began leaving Egypt and eating unleavened bread. Israel was finally delivered from their hard bondage in slavery.
Some 15 centuries later the Bible records another Passover, this time in the holy city, Jerusalem. Compare this one to that first ancient drama.
Did Jesus start a new approach with the nonbiblical holidays of Christmas and Easter? Or did He put the finishing touches on the age-old Passover festival to be observed for all time, precisely as the Father and Jesus planned in exact detail from the very beginning?
The Bible shows that the first Passover festival of the sacrifice of unblemished lambs back in ancient Egypt was a brilliantly fashioned shadowy precursor of greater things to come centuries later—the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all sins, for all mankind, for all time (Colossians 2:16-17).
For more about Passover, see “Passover: What Did Jesus Do for You?” For more about God and Jesus, check out the section about God. “ From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/god/blog/did-jesus-replace-the-passover/
________
“The Bible gives us instructions on how to worship God, Easter is not commanded there, but the Passover is... which will you observe?
Transcript Of video at: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/im-a-christian-but-i-dont-keep-easter
[Darris McNeely]
“I'm a Christian but I don't keep Easter. I'm a Christian, and I keep Passover. Now, when I say the word Passover, you may think, "Well, that's Jewish. How can you be a Christian and keep what you consider think to be a Jewish festival Jewish holiday?" Well, very simply, very easily. I read the Scripture, and I understand what it says and I understand what the Passover of the New Testament really is. And I see instruction for me to keep that and I don't see the instruction for Easter, and a lot of other holidays that have been substituted for God's Festivals. But for a moment, let's just focus on the Passover.
As I speak here, at this time, we're just a few weeks away from keeping the Passover, a very important service for a Christian. One who has given their life to God, to Jesus Christ, accepted His sacrifice and are a disciple. In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul is writing to a Gentile church in the city of Corinth, and he's giving them instructions about their life, but then also about keeping the Festival of the Days of Unleavened Bread. And in verse 7 of 1 Corinthians 5, he tells them, "Purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump since you truly are unleavened." Now, that's a reference to putting out the leaven in anticipation of the seven days of unleavened bread, another festival, and keeping that with the unleavened bread of sincerity of truth. And he says, "For indeed, Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us." Christ, our Passover.
There are many scriptures that talk about the Passover service. There's certainly Old Testament Scriptures that define what it was in the Old Testament. And there are New Testament Scriptures that define what it means in the New Testament under the New Covenant, how Christ kept it, and how the church was instructed to keep it. And this is one of those and it says that Christ is our Passover, sacrificed for us. In the New Testament Passover, we don't kill a lamb. We don't spread its blood on the doorposts as they did back in Exodus, at the time of the Exodus.
We keep the Passover with the symbols of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, but we keep the Passover. We keep the Passover because it points us to Christ who is our Passover. It's something that you should think about if you haven't before because, from the scriptures, we find that Christ is our Passover. And that's what I keep as a Christian. And I hope it will make you think if you're not already doing it, that that's what you should be doing instead of whatever you may be doing to worship God. Doing it this way is the godly way, the biblical way.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/beyond-today-daily/im-a-christian-but-i-dont-keep-easter
________
“The industry responds to the charge that breakfast cereals are too sugary.
In 1941, the American Medical Association’s Council on Foods and Nutrition was presented with a new product, Vi-Chocolin, a vitamin-fortified chocolate bar, “offered ostensibly as a specialty product of high nutritive value and of some use in medicine, but in reality intended for promotion to the public as a general purpose confection, a vitaminized candy.” Surely, something like that couldn’t happen today, right? Unfortunately, that’s the sugary cereal industry’s business model.
As I discuss in my video Are Fortified Kids’ Breakfast Cereals Healthy or Just Candy?, nutrients are added to breakfast cereals “as a marketing gimmick to “create an aura of healthfulness…If those nutrients were added to soft drinks or candy, would we encourage kids to consume them more often?” Would we feed our kids Coke and Snickers for breakfast? We might as well spray cotton candy with vitamins, too. As one medical journal editorial read, “Adding vitamins and minerals to sugary cereals…is worse than useless. The subtle message accompanying such products is that it is safe to eat more.”
General Mills’ “Grow up strong with Big G kids’ cereals” ad campaign featured products like Lucky Charms, Trix, and Cocoa Puffs. That’s like the dairy industry promoting ice cream as a way to get your calcium. Kids who eat presweetened breakfast cereals may get more than 20 percent of their daily calories from added sugar, as you can see below and at 1:28 in my video.
Most sugar in the American diet comes from beverages like soda, but breakfast cereals represent the third largest food source of added sugars in the diets of children and adolescents, wedged between candy and ice cream. On a per-serving basis, there is more added sugar in a cereal like Frosted Flakes than there is in frosted chocolate cake, a brownie, or even a frosted donut, as you can see below and at 1:48 in my video.
Kellogg’s and General Mills argue that breakfast cereals only contribute a “relatively small amount” of sugar to the diets of children, less than soda, for example. “This is a perfect example of the social psychology phenomenon of ‘diffusion of responsibility.’ This behavior is analogous to each restaurant in the country arguing that it should not be required to ban smoking because it alone contributes only a tiny fraction to Americans’ exposure to secondhand smoke.” In fact, “each source of added sugar…should be reduced.”
The industry argues that most of their cereals have less than 10 grams of sugar per serving, but when Consumer Reports measured how much cereal youngsters actually poured for themselves, they were found to serve themselves about 50 percent more than the suggested serving size for most of the tested cereals. The average portion of Frosted Flakes they poured for themselves contained 18 grams of sugar, which is 4½ teaspoons or 6 sugar packets’ worth. It’s been estimated that a “child eating one serving per day of a children’s cereal containing the average amount of sugar would consume nearly 1,000 teaspoons of sugar in a year.”
General Mills offers the “Mary Poppins defense,” arguing that those spoonsful of sugar can “help the medicine go down” and explaining that “if sugar is removed from bran cereal, it would have the consistency of sawdust.” As you can see below and at 3:17 in my video, a General Mills representative wrote that the company is presented “with an untenable choice between making our healthful foods unpalatable or refraining from advertising them.” If it can’t add sugar to its cereals, they would be unpalatable? If one has to add sugar to a product to make it edible, that should tell us something. That’s a characteristic of so-called ultra-processed foods, where you have to pack them full of things like sugar, salt, and flavorings “to give flavor to foods that have had their [natural] intrinsic flavors processed out of them and to mask any unpleasant flavors in the final product.”
The president of the Cereal Institute argued that without sugary cereals, kids might not eat breakfast at all. (This is similar to dairy industry arguments that removing chocolate milk from school cafeterias may lead to students “no longer purchasing school lunch.”) He also stressed we must consider the alternatives. As Kellogg’s director of nutrition once put it: “I would suggest that Fruit [sic] Loops as a snack are much better than potato chips or a sweet roll.” You know there’s a problem when the only way to make your product look good is to compare it to Pringles and Cinnabon.
Want a healthier option? Check out my video Which Is a Better Breakfast: Cereal or Oatmeal?.
For more on the effects of sugar on the body and if you like these more politically charged videos see the related posts below.
Finally, for some additional videos on cereal, see Kids’ Breakfast Cereals as Nutritional Façade and Ochratoxin in Breakfast Cereals.
Vi-Chocolin, a vitamin-fortified chocolate bar, was purportedly offered as a product with high nutritive value but was really just vitaminized candy. The sugary cereal industry follows a similar business model.
The sugary cereal industry has been criticized for adding nutrients to cereals “as a marketing gimmick,” creating an illusion of health benefits.
Children who consume pre-sweetened breakfast cereals may derive more than 20 percent of their daily calories from added sugar. Breakfast cereals rank as the third-largest food source of added sugars in the diets of kids and adolescents, listed between candy and ice cream. On a per-serving basis, a cereal like Frosted Flakes has more added sugar than a frosted chocolate cake, a brownie, or a frosted donut.
Kellogg’s and General Mills’ contention that breakfast cereals contribute only a “relatively small amount” of sugar to children’s diets is likened to the social psychology phenomenon of “diffusion of responsibility.”
Consumer Reports’ findings reveal that children often pour themselves 50 percent more cereal than the suggested serving size. A child eating a single daily serving of kids’ cereal with the average amount of sugar would consume almost a thousand teaspoons of sugar in one year.
The industry argues it has to add sugar to its cereals to make them palatable, which is a characteristic of ultra-processed foods. From: https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/are-fortified-childrens-breakfast-cereals-just-candy/?
.
“Anyone can choose to humbly ask God for ways to serve when they see someone who may be struggling.
Aaron Burden/Unsplash
Encourage an open and healing connection with others so they may feel understood and supported.
Have you ever seen a situation in which you wanted to do something but were afraid you might say or do something wrong or unhelpful? I have.
Admittedly, there can be situations that may not be our business. If that is the case, realize it quickly and leave it alone, an issue for another time. But there may be times you encounter a situation where your heart is moved to help, but you are not sure how.
I had four brothers, one of whom was born with Down Syndrome and a number of even more challenging conditions. I was his legal guardian for the last 35 years of his life. It was difficult for my parents and later for me to deal with countless situations that involved difficult, binding decisions. When I see people in similar situations, I cannot turn away. I recall that Proverbs instructs: “Rescue those who are unjustly sentenced to die; save them as they stagger to their death. Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve” (Proverbs 24:11-12, New Living Translation). This reminds us how important it is to be aware of serious situations of which we may be able to help, versus living in denial of the fact that I could do something to make the situation better.
I have been blessed to meet families in Church at Feast of Tabernacles sites etc., that, like me, faced similar challenging situations. Each time I was moved to action by considering the difficult times they faced as their lot in life. As I reached out to them, I experienced some feelings of nervousness but was able to overcome the apprehension by focusing on their needs and offering to serve.
It may seem easier to approach these situations with understanding and sensitivity when you’ve already had a similar experience. But, the fact is, anyone can choose to humbly ask God for ways to serve when they see someone who may be struggling.
I suggest your perspective should be: “I don't have to know or have the answers, just ask.” You could say something like, “How are you, really? But, if you’d rather not share, that’s fine.” Or you could say, “You appear to be distressed.” This may open a door and lead to meaningful conversation and additional ways to help and serve.
At the Feast of Tabernacles one year, I was saddened to hear one family tell me that they were rarely asked by brethren how they were getting along. It struck me how important it is to reach out and show true care and concern for others.
When faced with these circumstances, start by giving your ears and your heart, right then and there. Ask God to help you serve if you can (Proverbs 3:27-28). Don’t minimize or judge them, but encourage an open and healing connection so they may feel understood and supported (Proverbs 18:13). You can also make it a point not to ignore other family members who may feel neglected because of the necessary care and attention given to one family member. For me, reaching out resulted in that family feeling encouraged and comfortable enough to talk for a number of hours, sharing their situation.
People, in and out of Church struggle with many isolating and lonely battles. If you prove to someone that you are a “safe place” to trust and to share with, and you sense it is the appropriate time, you could use Fred Rogers’ simple but powerful question, “What’s the matter?” There may be potential here for fulfilling Galatians 6:2 to, “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
A good way to learn how some of your brothers and sisters are working through serious difficulties is to visit the Breaking Free blog at ucg.org. They have much to share that may help in breaking the silence that typically surrounds issues of overcoming.
We await the return of Jesus Christ, the Mighty God and Counselor (Isaiah 9:6), who will begin to create a safe place when He returns to earth. As His helpers and “princes” (Isaiah 32:1), we will become hiding places and “shelters” (Isaiah 32:2), for those who live through the Great Tribulation. So, as we look forward to that time ahead, let’s be present for others today by choosing to “just ask.” From: https://www.ucg.org/beyond-today/blogs/breaking-free/you-dont-have-to-know
________
(11) And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
“When it comes to the "most important" part of all in this Christmas observance—the Christmas shopping season—the buying and exchanging of gifts—many will exclaim triumphantly, "Well, at least the Bible tells us to do that! Didn't the wise men give gifts, when Christ was born?"
Again, we are due for some surprises, when we learn the plain truth. First, let us look at the historic origin of trading gifts back and forth, then see exactly what the Bible does say about it.
From the Bibliotheca Sacra, volume 12, pages 153-155, we quote, "The interchange of presents between friends is alike characteristic of Christmas and the Saturnalia, and must have been adopted by Christians from the Pagans, as the admonition of Tertullian plainly shows."
The fact is, this custom fastened upon people of exchanging gifts with friends and relatives at the Christmas season has not a single trace of Christianity about it, strange though that may seem! This does not celebrate Christ's birthday or honor it or Him! Suppose someone you love has a birthday. You want to honor that person on his or her birthday. Would you lavishly buy gifts for everyone else, trading gifts back and forth with all your other friends and loved ones, but ignore completely any gift for the one whose birthday you are honoring? Rather absurd, when viewed in that light, is it not?
Yet this is exactly what people the world over are doing! They honor a day that is not Christ's birthday by spending every dime they can scrape together—even spending what they cannot afford—in buying presents to trade back and forth among friends and relatives.
Now consider what the Bible says about giving gifts when Christ was born. It is in Matthew 2:1-11. "Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?' . . . And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto HIM gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh."
Notice, they inquired for the child Jesus, who was born King of the Jews! Now why did they present gifts to Him? Because it was His birthday? Not at all, because they came several days or weeks after the date of His birth! Was it to set an example for us, today, to trade gifts back and forth among ourselves? No, notice carefully! They did not exchange gifts among themselves, but "they presented unto Him gifts." They gave their gifts to Christ, not to their friends, relatives, or one another!
Why? Let me quote from the Adam Clarke Commentary, volume 5, page 46: "Verse 11. (They presented unto him gifts.) The people of the East never approach the presence of kings and great personages, without a present in their hands. The custom is often noticed in the Old Testament, and still prevails in the East, and in some of the newly discovered South Sea Islands."
There it is! They were not instituting a new Christian custom of exchanging gifts with friends to honor Christ's birthday. They were following an old and ancient eastern custom of presenting gifts to a king when they come into his presence. They were approaching Him, born King of the Jews, in person. Therefore custom required they present gifts—even as the Queen of Sheba brought gifts to Solomon—even as many people today take a gift along when they visit the White House for an appointment with the President.
No, the custom of trading gifts back and forth does not stem from this scriptural incident at all, but rather, as quoted from history above, it is the continuance of an ancient pagan custom.”
To learn more, see:
The Plain Truth About Christmas
Related Topics:
Christ's Birth
Christ's Birth Not In December
Christ's Birth Not In Winter
Christmas
Christmas, Pagan Origins of
From: https://www.theberean.org/index.cfm/main/default/id/6337/ver/nkjv/matthew-2-11.htm
________
Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-intake-and-igf-1-production/
“Animal protein consumption triggers the release of the cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1.
What is the mechanism by which our diet can affect our levels of this cancer-promoting growth hormone IGF-1? Imagine you’re a kid with some Tinkertoys. Then, Christmas comes early, and you get one of those huge sets dumped down in front of you. All excited with this new load of building raw materials, you may really start scaling up. And basically, it’s the same thing with your liver and Insulin-like Growth Factor 1.
When you dump a load of protein on your body, your liver’s like whoa, look at all this. What are we going to do with all? We can’t just waste it; we’ve got to do something with it. Let’s just start growing stuff; add a few new additions, maybe a new wing. So your liver decides to start pumping out IGF-1 to tell all the cells in the body, it’s growin’ time! Be fruitful and multiply. Spare no expense, go crazy—look how much excess protein we got to work with!
The problem, of course, is that some of the new additions may be tumors. When you’re a fully grown adult, cell growth is something we want to slow down—not accelerate. So one might imagine the goal would be to maintain adequate, but non-excessive, overall protein intake—but wait a second.
Studies have found no association between total protein intake and IGF-1 levels. Doesn’t that just go against everything I just said? Ah, but these studies didn’t take into account animal versus plant protein.
In this study of meat-eaters, vegetarians, and vegans, they found no significant difference in IGF levels between people eating lots of protein, compared to people eating less protein. But before ditching the theory that excessive protein intake boosts the levels of IGF-1, they decided to break it down into animal protein versus plant protein.
Higher IGF-1 levels were just associated with animal protein intake. In fact, the plant protein seemed to decrease IGF-1 levels. So, no wonder there was no net effect of total protein intake. Animal protein appears to send a much different signal to our livers than most plant proteins. So even those vegans eating the same amount of protein as meat-eaters still had lower levels of the cancer-promoting hormone, IGF-1.
So, it’s apparently not about excessive protein in general, but animal protein in particular.” From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/protein-intake-and-igf-1-production/
To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by Kerry Skinner.
__________
.
“The status of Jerusalem continues to be a controversial issue dividing the world. Does it belong to Israelis or Palestinians? Or to Someone else?
A group of Palestinians pray outside Jerusalem’s Old City while Israeli forces stand guard on Oct. 20, 2023 (AP Photo/Mahmoud Illean).
On Oct. 7, 2023, the terror group Hamas launched what they termed, “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge.” Their goal was to rid Palestine and Jerusalem of Jews, who, they believe, occupy the territory illegally. Hamas leader Khaled Mash’al called for the Islamic community to join the holy war in the battle for the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
To understand this, we must understand the importance of the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Islamic faith. Muhammad founded Islam in the seventh century, setting up Mecca and Medina as the two holiest sites in Islam. Both cities are located in modern-day Saudi Arabia.
According to Muslims, Muhammad was miraculously transported from Mecca to Jerusalem, the site of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which means the “farthest mosque,” where we are told he met Jesus and the prophets and led them in prayer before being taken up to heaven from the site of the Dome of the Rock.
After Muhammad’s death in 632, his second successor, Omar bin al-Khattab, conquered Jerusalem and built a mosque on the Temple Mount.
He claimed this Jerusalem mosque to be at the location of Muhammad’s night journey. Hence, it became known as the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Because of this, Jerusalem, and the Temple Mount in particular, became the third holiest site in Islam, behind the holy sites of Mecca and Medina. However, readers should understand that the city of Jerusalem is not mentioned by name in the Koran.
The Jews claim Jerusalem as their capital and the Temple Mount as their most holy place of worship, because it was the location where the first and second temples stood.
Due to the nation’s disobedience, God’s presence left the first temple, and the building was destroyed by the Babylonians (Jeremiah 52:12-13; Ezekiel 9:3; 10:4, 18-19; 11:22-23).
The second temple was constructed under the leadership of Ezra, Haggai, Zechariah and Zerubbabel. However, the Romans destroyed the second temple in A.D. 70.
Today, some Jews seek to build a third temple, which the Palestinians and many Muslims believe will be at the expense of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. Some hardline Jewish Orthodox groups do believe the Al-Aqsa Mosque must be destroyed for the third temple to take its place. In many ways, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is the center of the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.
(To learn of this conflict’s ancient roots, read “What’s Behind the War Between Israel and Hamas?”)
For Christians, Jerusalem is holy because it was the birthplace of Christianity. During the Dark Ages, it was the center of many battles between Muslims and Christians.
Prophecy shows that European forces will once again capture Jerusalem, setting off a series of events leading to Christ’s return.
Jerusalem was first captured by Christians in the First Crusade (1099) under the leadership of Pope Urban II. But Christian control was soon lost to Muslim forces led by Saladin in 1187.
There were nine crusades, but the Christian forces were largely unsuccessful in their fight the Islamic armies to regain control of Jerusalem.
Though Europe today is largely secular, Bible prophecy shows that European forces fighting under a Christian banner will once again capture Jerusalem, setting off a series of events leading to Christ’s return. Christ warned, “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20).
To learn more, read “What Is the Abomination of Desolation?”
With three faiths claiming Jerusalem, it is the most contested city in the world. In recent history, there have been several wars over the city.
At the inception of the modern nation of Israel in 1948, the Arab nations of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Jordan and Egypt attacked the fledgling nation, intending to utterly destroy it.
This image shows the three religious sites that are a source of conflict at the Temple Mount: the Dome of the Rock (left), the Western Wall (center) and the Al Aqsa Mosque (right).
The result was a victory for Israel, but Jerusalem remained divided—with West Jerusalem under Israel’s control and East Jerusalem under Jordan’s control.
On June 7, 1967, Israeli forces took control of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount during the Six-Day War.
They declared Jerusalem “the eternal and undivided capital of the Jewish State,” but to ease conflict over the Temple Mount, they appointed the Jordanian Ministry of Religious Endowments (“Waqf”) as the custodians of the holy site, which continues to this day. The Waqf does not allow non-Muslims to pray on the Temple Mount, a status that Jews try to contest.
On Oct. 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched the Yom Kippur War, a surprise attack on the solemn Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). They aimed to regain the territory they lost during the 1967 Six-Day War.
Now, 50 years later, almost to the day (Oct. 7, 2023), on the festival of the Eighth Day (Shemini Atzeret), Hamas launched “Operation Al-Aqsa Deluge” to expel Jews from Israel and Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount is constantly a place of tension. Consider the following headlines:
The Bible calls the city a “very heavy stone for all peoples,” meaning it will be a burdensome problem for all nations that entangle their affairs with the city (Zechariah 12:3). The question remains: Who has the right to call Jerusalem their capital?
To learn more, read “Temple Mount: Its History and Future.”
The most popular solution for Jerusalem is known as the two-state solution. A common form of this proposes that Jerusalem be divided and returned to its pre-1967 borders, with West Jerusalem given to Israelis and East Jerusalem given to Palestinians.
Prophecy shows that before Jesus Christ’s return, the nations will be gathered against Jerusalem and the city divided
Bible prophecy shows that before Jesus Christ’s return, the nations will be gathered against Jerusalem and the city divided (Luke 21:20). But it will not be a solution, nor will it be peaceful. Half the city and inhabitants will be “taken” violently (Zechariah 14:2).
Then Christ will return to earth and punish the nations responsible for this (Joel 3:2).
But what happens after that will be a remarkable transformation. Jesus Christ will establish His world capital at Jerusalem! This shows that the holy city does not belong to any one nation or religion—but belongs to God Himself.
In Zechariah 2:12 God says He “shall choose Jerusalem again” (King James Version). Notice the following prophecies that show what He has planned for the city:
The Bible instructs us to “pray for the peace of Jerusalem” (Psalm 122:6). That means the return of Jesus Christ and the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. Only then will it fulfill the meaning of its name: The City of Peace.”” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/prophecy/blog/who-does-jerusalem-really-belong-to/?
________
Psalm 8:6-8
“You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, all sheep and oxen—even the beasts of the field, the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea that pass through the paths of the seas.
At creation God gave humanity dominion—rulership—over the earth and the other creatures on it (Genesis 1:26-28). God intended for us to learn proper stewardship of what He gave us, and in the process of tending and keeping it, to grow in godly character. But our first parents chose the way of selfishness and shortsightedness, and humanity ever since has misused its dominion and befouled our planet.
The author of Hebrews shows that God’s intention goes beyond even the earth and its creatures. “For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him. But now we do not yet see all things put under him” (Hebrews 2:8).
God truly meant all things—the whole universe! Jesus Christ came and died that we might be forgiven and offered that wonderful potential as the glorified children of God ( Hebrews 2:9-10 ).”
For more about this awesome potential, see our article on the “Purpose of Life.” From: https://lifehopeandtruth.com/bible/blog/the-human-potential/
________
“Eggs and brains are the two most concentrated sources of cholesterol in the diet.
Transcript of video at: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/avoiding-cholesterol-is-a-no-brainer/
Below is an approximation of this video’s audio content. To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring, watch the above video.
“The egg industry would rather blame the bacon or hash browns, railing against this myth that eggs are the most concentrated source of dietary cholesterol. And it’s true, they’re right. It is a myth. According to the official USDA nutrient database, in a list of the most concentrated cholesterol sources, eggs are not #1; they’re #2. Brains are #1. Veal brains, cow brains, pig brains, lamb brains, raw pig brains, more veal brains, and then eggs. Then more brains, eggs, brains, brains, eggs, brains, eggs, and eggs. The take-home message? If you’re going to do veal brains? Pan-fried, definitely; not braised.
What about omega-3-rich eggs? “The new type of eggs containing omega-3 fatty acids are still loaded with cholesterol,” the Director of the Stroke Prevention & Atherosclerosis Research Centre notes. “The answer is not to feed flax seed to the chickens, but rather to put it on the cereal and leave the chicken out of the meal!”
The devastating new review published last year implicating egg consumption did not go over easy with the egg industry. They countered that the overly restrictive 200mg upper safety limit for cholesterol intake, that wouldn’t even allow a single egg, is only for people at risk for heart disease—to which the lead researcher replied, “[Most everyone is] at risk of vascular disease—the only ones who could eat [an] egg yolk regularly with impunity would be those who expect to die prematurely from nonvascular causes…” In other words, his famous “The only [people] who should eat eggs regularly are those [dying of] a terminal illness”—because at that point, who cares? You’re going to drop dead anyway.”
In their landmark review, they conclude that waiting until your first stroke, heart attack, or diabetes diagnosis to avoid eggs is too late. They conclude: “Stopping egg consumption after a [heart attack] or stroke would be like quitting smoking after [a diagnosis of] lung cancer: a necessary action, but late.” From: https://nutritionfacts.org/video/avoiding-cholesterol-is-a-no-brainer/
But…….. also see infographic and article all about eggs at: https://www.mercola.com/infographics/egg-nutrition-facts.htm
_________
