Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Better to Worse to BETTER Revelation

Matthew 12:43-45 NLT

“When an evil spirit leaves a person, it goes into the desert, seeking rest but finding none.  Then it says, ‘I will return to the person I came from.’ So it returns and finds its former home empty, swept, and in order.  Then the spirit finds seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they all enter the person and live there. And so that person is worse off than before. That will be the experience of this evil generation.”

I often hear from others that when they give their lives, hearts, and struggles to God - finally laying it down - that things get better but only for a little while and after that short while, things seem to get worse; worse than even what they were before. This scripture makes it even more clear for me for why that happens. There is a continuous attack on our identity, purpose, and will. It swings hard over and over, getting stronger and more forceful, more vengeful, with each swing, hoping to ultimately conquer its victim. I believe the moral of this scripture is to NOT GIVE UP, KEEP SWINGING BACK, AND STAND FIRM IN YOUR FAITH AND KNOWLEDGE OF WHO YOUR GOD IS! We will win because God has already won!

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Mark 4:3-9, 14-20 NLT

“Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed.  As he scattered it across his field, some of the seed fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate it.  Other seed fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seed sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.  But the plant soon wilted under the hot sun, and since it didn’t have deep roots, it died.  Other seed fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants so they produced no grain.  Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they sprouted, grew, and produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”  Then he said, “Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.” The farmer plants seed by taking God’s word to others.  The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message, only to have Satan come at once and take it away.  The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.  But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word.  The seed that fell among the thorns represents others who hear God’s word,  but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life, the lure of wealth, and the desire for other things, so no fruit is produced.  And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic

“Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.”

Those are famous words from the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates, often called the father of Western medicine. He actually used to prescribe garlic to treat a variety of medical conditions.Well… modern science has recently confirmed many of these beneficial health effects.

Here are 11 health benefits of garlic that are supported by human research studies.

1. Garlic Contains a Compound Called Allicin, Which Has Potent Medicinal Properties
2. Garlic Is Highly Nutritious, But Has Very Few Calories

A 1 ounce (28 grams) serving of garlic contains (3):
  • Manganese: 23% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B6: 17% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin C: 15% of the RDA.
  • Selenium: 6% of the RDA.
  • Fiber: 1 gram.
  • Decent amounts of Calcium, Copper, Potassium, Phosphorus, Iron and Vitamin B1.
Garlic also contains trace amounts of various other nutrients. In fact, it contains a little bit of almost everything we need. This is coming with 42 calories, with 1.8 grams of protein and 9 grams of carbs.

3. Garlic Can Combat Sickness, Including the Common Cold
4. Garlic Can Reduce Blood Pressure
5. Garlic Improves Cholesterol Levels, Which May Lower The Risk of Heart Disease
6. Garlic Contains Antioxidants That May Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia
7. Garlic May Help You Live Longer
8. Athletic Performance Can be Improved With Garlic Supplementation
9. Garlic Can Help Detoxify Heavy Metals in the Body
10. Garlic May Improve Bone Health
11. Garlic Is Easy to Include In Your Diet and Tastes Absolutely Delicious

Leech, Joe. "11 Proven Health Benefits of Garlic." Authority Nutrition. Web. 7 January 2015. http://authoritynutrition.com/11-proven-health-benefits-of-garlic/.