A disciples health tonic?
I feel, yet some disagree
Dear overcomer,
Quickly, before New Year.
If.
"The life... is in the blood." (Leviticus 17:11)
Then is our Great Physician directing us to a powerful secret tucked away in Leviticus? For we disciples that is.
In fact.
Only for we believers.
Namely...
To keep (all) life healthy—Keep good blood.*
First the natural...
Meaning vegetable market, kitchen broth type stuff.
And the second way, (far deeper of course).
Is GOD + You.
Where you might get a health INFUSION from Life Himself.
The same Prince of Life who tells you this...
"I am the way, the truth, the LIFE."
John 14:6 NKJV
Okay,
Let's look at the 'natural' first.
Then the 'spiritually—natural' after.
#1.
BORSCHT.
Or should I say, something rather wonderful in Borscht...
Beetroot to be precise.
My wife (being a Jew of Russian/Polish extraction) makes it scrumptiously!
And when she does...
Kazaam!
The strangest thing happens...
My whole body,
Perks up fast, roaring into life.
Tingles and zinging!
Seriously.
Mrs Alston's borscht packs some zing :)
Breathing. Clarity of mind. Lively sense of joy.
All lifts immediately. Stays the rest of day.
Why though?
Well,
Gathering a clue from the deep blood red colour of the dish... I dug a little and discovered it's a superfood combo.
And the Beetroot in Borscht especially.
For instance,
It's high in nitrates.
Beetroot helps lower blood pressure, yet way more too.
Take WebMD's write up for example...
"Beets are rich in folate (vitamin B9) which helps cells grow and function. Folate plays a key role in controlling damage to blood vessels... which can reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke."
Folate. Manganese. Vit C & A. Potassium etc.
(NOTE: I am NO health expert. This is NOT medical, health or eating advice btw ;)
It's all there.
Interesting eh?
So give it a try if you wish.
What I find intriguing though... is the link between Beetroot and blood and the good it does for the whole body through it.
Good blood = feel good factor I suspect :)
Which brings me nicely to the second way to lay hold on the benefits of 'Good blood'. Or in our case, the best blood ever.
#2.
The Blood of Jesus.
Get ready saint because this is big (IF YOU SEE IT. Note: You will need to ask the Holy Spirit to take you deeper because I will not share it all here due to c_ns_rsh_p etc)...
Here goes!
"So Jesus said to them,
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you."
John 6:53 ESV
Thus taking the scripture on face value EXACTLY as it says. And then doing exactly as Jesus says.
It seems clear Jesus is saying by faith to we disciple too,
That we'd be well advised to...
Drink His blood.
Because in His instruction to disciples,
*HE SAYS...
His blood is 'real drink' (It's PHYSICAL stuff we've to do. i.e. Drink it etc).
"For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever feeds on me, he also will live because of me."
John 6:55-57 ESV
Therefore.
If we want GOD's INFUSION of health, (or metaphorically almost a 'royal blood transfusion' in a sense) and Leviticus 17:11 reveals...
"The LIFE of the FLESH is in the blood."
Maybe we should be asking...
Whose LIFE is in the Blood of Jesus?
If He has an everlasting LIFE—His Blood must be everlasting too... along with its life giving power.
So.
What knock on consequences does that have for believing partakers of that divine Blood? What happens to us when we drink the incorruptible Blood of Jesus?
Could it be...
Er. By faith were' kind of partaking of Jesus'...
PERFECT HUMAN BLOOD from GOD?
Yet.
Please consider it in the context of the dark days we live in. And which we know are about to take a very sharp turn for the worst (as the scripture warned us it would).
All which simply means,
Right now believer…
WE ALWAYS HAVE ACCESS TO PERFECT UNCONTAMINATED HUMAN BLOOD... The Blood of Jesus. Son of GOD.
Son of Man.
And by faith as we take it in communion—It cleanses us and?
What else?
To help you 'get this.'
Maybe run a wee experiment...
Eat some Borscht one evening.
Next evening take the Bread and Wine (communion).
Compare what happens both evenings to your—Spirit. Soul. Body.
Because I strongly suspect (especially in the days ahead)...
#1. Helps take care of our body.
#2. The other (dare I suggest) helps takes care of our...
Spirit. Soul. Body.
[A wee dash of theology to help understanding...
Communion I suggest,
Though a simple 'sign of memorial' of course, is also I suggest a much deeper mystery Christians have yet to explore—One in which the life of Christ, through the Holy Spirit is imparted to a believer by faith...
After they have been sanctified by the bread and wine.*]
Which all begs the question,
Could the incorruptible Blood of Jesus (taken by faith)...
Be an answer,
Accessible ONLY to those who truly believe...
To the weird corruption of HUMAN BLOOD happening now since the strange things contaminating peoples blood all over the world these past few years?
Could our Saviours Blood be the divine countermeasure for 'such a time as this?' No matter how badly our blood is assaulted by various contaminants left right and centre?
Something to consider and pray about eh saint?
Because...
“If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”
Mark 9:23 NKJV
Remember too saint.
Keep good blood—With everyone.
And enjoy your Borscht!
Bless you.
Dave.
NOTES:
I do not agree with the Roman Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation.
That said…
There appears to be somewhat of a 'Mystery' in Comunion which is divinely powerful. One of which we only see a glimpse of at present and that by faith.
And faith is the key.
Please see the following by key Early Church Fathers (my emphasis added)...
Irenaeus AD 178.
Fragment 37 — "Wine and bread are counterparts. They invoke the Holy Spirit. This is done for a memorial to the Lord."
Clement of Alexandria AD 195.
Instructer 1.6 — 'Elsewhere the Lord, in the gospel according to John, brought this out by symbols when He said: "Eat My flesh and drink My blood", describing by metaphor the drinkable properties of faith.'
[Fascinating eh? 'The drinkable properties of faith." Pretty much what I'm saying as well. Especially when you consider the fullness of what Clement says in addition below...]
Instructor 2.2 — 'They use water mixed with wine for communion, and the wine is just a symbol of the blood of Jesus, but it does sanctify both body and soul to those who take it in faith.'
[Interesting eh? My point indeed... for those who 'take it in faith' it impacts both body and soul as Clement assures.
However... what if [as a kind caring gift from our loving GOD ] it ends up doing even more than we previously realised—Spirit. Soul. Body :)
Pure conjecture I know saint!
Pure conjecture...
Or pure faith depending on your point of view.
Though...
I am not saying anything either way disciple!
You get before GOD. You search the scriptures. You seek Him and see how He unfolds what He wishes to reveal to you.
For in all you must...
"Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling."
Philippians 2:12 ESV
PS Further considerations.
*Hold no bad blood with anyone. Don't be bitter. It poisons your blood. Don't be angry. Don't hold grudges. Keep short accounts with GOD and others too.
Forgive all. Be forgiven.
"Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty concerning the body and blood of the Lord.
Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.
That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died.
But if we judged ourselves truly, we would not be judged.
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world."
1 Corinthians 11:27-32 ESV
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood... and I have given it for you on the altar to make atonement for your souls,
For it is the blood that makes atonement by the life."
Leviticus 17:11 ESV
* (NOTE: All above is from someone who is absolutely NO health expert at all. This is NOT any medical, health, eating or culinary advice whatsoever ;)
Outstanding Dave. Eating His flesh and drinking His blood is the stumbling block for most nominal Christians. Satan keeps us in our own flesh mostly as evidenced by our fleshly responses to world events. The life of a true disciple is hard.