This past weekend I went to a 'Music In the Mountains Camp'. As I was thinking about my time there, I realized a couple things. So, I decided to share my thoughts.
 
        There are so many Christians out there who don't focus on God. Yes, you read that right! Even in church they focus on conspiracy theories, theologies, gossip. Especially gossip.
 
   Conspiricy theories... What can I say? I mean we know that not everything that the news tells us is true, it's many times one sided. There are certainly lots of crooked things going on, and it's good to be aware of it. But focusing on it will taking you in a downward spiral. You'll get more and more paranoid, and fearful. It will become your religion.
    Jesus literally had the Jewish rulers following Him, and plotting His death! But His sermons weren't all about how He was being watched, and about how the rulers were 'out to get Him'. He did point out their corruptness, but He didn't focus on that. He taught truth, He contradicted them, and He showed love and an example of what should be.
     Why do so many times Christians spend their times together talking about conspiracies? Frankly, it's easier than trying to do something worthwhile. Instead of constantly talking about how the goverment is wrecking people's lives, go help those people! Instead of constantly talking about how the media is unfair, bring justice and light to someone near you who needs it. Instead of constantly talking about the goverment is cheating and stealing money from workers, check yourself and stop buying things made by slaves!
    Be aware of what's going on in the world around you, but instead of sitting around and being fearful and moping, go do something about it! Help those in your neighbourhood, bring love and truth to someone's life.

 
     Theology is most certainly important. Learning how to obey God is important. But God is still the focus of all of this. We learn all this for Him, so we can honour Him. If every sermon is going to repeat the same thing you've been doing for years, there's not really much of a point. That's like learning the alphabet, and everyday memorizing it again. Sure, you need to be reminded of it once in a while, and practice it so that you don't forget it, but you don't need to constantly be memorizing it once you have it down.
     When we start doing this, we tend to forget about God. That might seem to contradict the point, but it really doesn't. We are supposed to praise God, to worship Him. Learning the same thing over and over can easily become a routine which we do mindlessly. We don't really think about why we are doing it, or what the whole point of it is.
 
     Gossip, oh gossip. How many times in the Bible are we told not to gossip? However Christians so often seem to forget those verses, when they're so busy pointing out the sins in others lives.
"So and so did this. We heard that so and so was seen going here..."
    Often this is hid behind the reason that the person needs prayer. It is wonderful if you really want to help the person, and care about them, but most of the time this is not the case. You want to tell a juicy story, you want to show that you're the first to know it, you want drama. It's often the case is that you feel guilty about something, and you need to raise your self-esteem a bit. Putting someone else down, and slandering their name is a good way for you to do that.
     To clarify, gossip isn't just telling lies about others. No, it's telling stories that are true, but not yours to tell. This usually goes hand in hand with hypocrisy. You can turn from gasping over someone's mistakes, to doing the same thing the very next moment.
    I feel really sad for you if this is the best thing you can do with your time. Spending your fellowship talking about others and what you think they're doing wrong is such a waste! Instead you should go read Proverbs 6:16-19.
    If someone needs prayer, you should definitely ask for a prayer request, but make sure you have the right motives, and don't share the story if people don't need to know.
   
     So many times I've been to visited with others, and left feeling worse than when I went there. The things I talked about above, are very often the reason for this.
     We should worship God when we meet together! We should tell of the glorious things He has done. We should learn more about His wonderful plan for us! We should encourage each other, and strengthen each other in the faith.
     
      This weekend as I headed home, I felt happier and so much more peaceful when I arrived. Of course I was a bit sad that the weekend was over, but I was encouraged. Spending time worshiping God, and spending time without all the distractions and depressing things of the world refreshed me. I had drew closer to God, I'd been reminded of His goodness and how much He loves us. It was time of uplifting and not tearing down.
     Why? Because it was about God. It wasn't about me, it wasn't about the world. It was about the heavenly kingdom. It was't about fear, or others. It was about praising God, recognizing His grace, love, sacrifice. That's what being a Christian is about. It's about Christ.
   

          Does it really matter what you eat? This is a frequently raised question among today's Christians. People are wondering if God actually cares what we eat, or if He just doesn't want us to worry about it at all.
     There are so many diets out there today. Gluten-free, paleo, sugar free, carb free, starch free, dairy free, vegetarian, vegan. It can be rather overwhelming when you see all these, and you can quickly fall into the trap of worrying so much about what you eat that it becomes an idol to you. Some people are constantly worrying if they ate something wrong, and if they're going to die because of it. Other people can't skip a green smoothie, for fear they're going to undo everything they've tried to fix. But is simply caring about what you're eating, and eating healthy wrong?

“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1st Corinthians 10:31

      In 1st Corinthians, Paul talks several times about glorifying God with your body. From the verse above, we must assume that there is a way to eat and drink without glorifying God. Some of these ways are gluttony, drinking, and eating unhealthy foods.

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” 1st Corinthians 6:20

    This verse again extorts us to glorify God with your bodies. If our bodies are the temple of God, shouldn't we keep them healthy, and our mind as clear as we can?
    There are other verses in the Bible where we are told to keep healthy, but I'm not going to put every one in here today because I have a lot to talk about.
 
    Another thing that many Christians discuss today is meat eating. I don't eat meat, and many people would call that extreme or legalistic. In the Old testament God said that we should eat meat, and in the new testament God told the disciples that we can eat all unclean meats right? I do agree that God allowed us to eat some meats, but that was never His ideal plan.

 “And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.” Genesis 1:29

     If we go back to the beginning, we find that God originally created plants to be our food. That was to be the food for every living thing, including us, and animals. It makes sense. After all why would God create living creatures that could speak to each other, and care for their young, just for them to be killed?
    After the fall, death entered the world, through the curse. That was when animals began to eat each other. People however, were still eating plants.

  “Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things.” Genesis 9:3

          After the flood, God told Noah and his family that they could now eat meat. This was necessary because there was no food to eat. All the plants had drown in the flood, and the food they had brought with them would have almost run out. It still wasn't God's ideal plan for man.
     However, even though man was permitted to eat meat, there were still some rules. In Leviticus 11, God set out some rules about what was clean, and what was not clean.

“Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof...” Leviticus 17:14

       God also made rules, saying that we should not eat blood, or strangled animals. All these rules were very particular, and made for a reason. God wanted us to be healthy, and He knew the health problems that eating blood, and unclean animals could cause.

       In the New Testament however, we start reading verses that many take to mean these rules were not longer in place. One of the most common is Peter's vision.

“And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter; kill, and eat. But Peter said, Not so, Lord; for I have never eaten any thing that is common or unclean. And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.” Acts 10:13-15

    In the vision, as sheet ascended from heaven, filled with all sorts of unclean animals. God told Peter to eat them, Peter refused, and God told him that he should not call was was cleansed common. This happened three times, before the vision was over.
     Now this has been commonly taken to mean that all foods are now allowed to be eaten. But is that really what it meant? If you take a look at the vision in context, we find the Peter was having problems allowing the gentiles to be baptized. After the vision, we see that three gentiles came to Peter. Remember that in the vision the sheet came down three times?

“And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation; but God hath shewed me that I should not call any man common or unclean.” Acts 10:28

     In verse 28, Peter explains his vision, and says that God had shown him that he should not call any man unclean. If you continue reading, you will not find anywhere Peter telling others that they could eat unclean foods. The visions was a simple metaphor, to show that the gentiles could be baptized and accepted. Jesus used many metaphors in His parables, for example He likened the kingdom of Heaven to a mustard seed, but we wouldn't never wonder if He meant it was really a mustard seed.

      “...and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving:” 1 Timothy 4:3-4

   In Timothy we find some verses about doctrines of devils, and among the lists of teachings is this one. At first glance it seems to be very much about vegetarianism. But notice it says meats which God hath created to be received. Did God create animals to be eaten? No, He created plants to be eaten. Another thing to note, is that in Middle English, (what was being used when the KJV was translated) the word creature simply meant something created. It didn't necessarily mean an animal.
    If this meant anything created, poisonous plants, mice, bats, anything should be good to eat and not refused. This just meant what God created to be eaten in the garden of eden.

 “But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse.... Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.” 1 Corinthians 8: 8 & 13

           Many people take 1 Corinthians 8 to be showing that if you eat meat, or you don't, it doesn't matter. But if you read the entire chapter it is very obvious that Paul is talking about eating foods offered to idols.

“For one believeth that he may eat all things: another, who is weak, eateth herbs. Let not him that eateth despise him that eateth not; and let not him which eateth not judge him that eateth: for God hath received him.” Romans 14:2-3

   In Romans again it talks about eating herbs, and eating all things. If you read down to verse 21 you will see that it mentions eating meat, and drinking wine which were both offered to idols, then sold in the markets. Paul also wrote this from Corinth, not very long after he wrote 1 Corinthians, and the topic of foods offered to idols was a big discussion. This chapter again, is talking about eating things offered to idols, not unclean or clean meats.

      “And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?” Mark 7:18-19

      I'm jumping back now, to the words of Jesus. These verses are a commonly used to condone the eating of unclean meats. But again if you read it in context, you will see that Jesus is talking about hand washing, eating unclean meats is not mentioned in the entire chapter. He is also referring to your soul, not your health, because in the verses before and after He talks about sins that affect your soul.
    If He were talking about foods, wouldn't that make Him wrong, as it has been proven that what you eat affects your health? Could you eat poisonous foods and have them not affect you?

   Now if you follow the rules set out in the Bible, eating no unclean meat, or blood or strangled things is it still a good thing to eat meat?

   Recently a study has come out from the World Health Association proving that eating meat, especially unclean meat, causes cancer. If you do a little bit of research you can find tons of studies showing that there is a high correlation between meat eating and cancer. Even the Canadian Cancer Society has an article on their page, talking about the fact that meat eating causes cancer.
   There are also lots of studies showing that meat eating also is a high cause of heart disease. Studies have also shown that consuming dairy raises the risk of cancer.
    Besides all the health risks, the way that animals are treated in slaughterhouses and feedlots is pretty terrible. God told us to have dominion over the animals, but also to look after them. He created them, and if He cares for the sparrows, I can assure you He cares for the cows and sheep. Would you treat your dog or cat the way many farmers treat their cows? These animals can also be very intelligent. We aren't to worship animals, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't be kind to them.

     Let's go back to the first verse that I shared in this article.

  “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” 1st Corinthians 10:31

   If we're eating unhealthy foods that cause cancer and heart disease, is this eating in a way that glorifies God? This is the reason that I'm a vegan. I want to glorify God with my body. My body is the temple of God, and I want to be healthy for Him. Meat and dairy have a bad effect on your health, eating a lot of sugar is bad for you, not drinking enough water is bad for you. Let's honour God with our bodies, and present ourselves a living sacrifice unto Him. Not only will it be glorifying to Him, but it will also make you a lot happier!

• NUTRITION
• FOOD PREPARATION AND PRESERVATION
• FOOD SAFETY AND IMPORTANCE OF LOCALLY GROWN FOOD THAN WESTERN TYPE OF FOODS
• LET FOOD BE YOUR MEDICINE
• SECOND COMING OF JESUS AND THE END OF SUFFERING

        Valentines day is just around the corner, and although I don't celebrate it, I thought it would be the perfect time to write this post. If I'm completely honest with you, I've been waiting for months to post this... So here we go!

       Do you need God right now? This very moment could you live without Jesus?
      Sometimes we forget about Him, then the moment troubled time hit us we say we couldn't live without Him. That's how Israel was, they were constantly forgetting Him and following their idols, then as soon as they were put into captivity they turned back to Him.

   "Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping His commandments, and His judgements, and His statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten are art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; and when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and the gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; then thin heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God... and thou say in thine heart, my power and the might of mine hand hath gotten me this wealth. But thou shalt remember the Lord thy God: for it is He that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish His covenant which he swore unto thy fathers, as it is this day." Deuteronomy 8:11-14 & 17-18

     This is exactly what can happen to us when we have easy times. We can forget that God is still working behind the scenes to help us keep the things we have, and that He's gotten them for us. We start getting proud, thinking that we don't need God for strength that we can do things on our own. We can't do anything through our own strength, only with God's help can we do anything. So what happens when we think we don't need Him?

    "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall." Proverbs 16:18

   We fall back down, and then we begin relying on God again. Of course, there is a way to get out of this cycle, of spiritual highs then spiritual lows.    

    "Hast thou not known? Hast thou not heard that the everlasting God, the Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not, neither is weary. There is no searching of His understanding. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might He increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary , and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run , and not be weary ; and they shall walk , and not faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

  I've been hearing a bit about the 'red cup controversy', especially among Christians. From what I've picked up, many people are upset that Starbucks' Christmas cup is red. Yeah, it used to have fancier designs, snowflakes and stuff I guess, and this year it's just an ombre red or something. So of course there's an uproar that they're raging the war against Christmas, and thus Christ.
     Well, I've got a lot to say about this. It makes me quite angry, so naturally I had to write about it.
 
     First off, why does this bother you so much? Starbucks has never been a Christian company, and why should we expect more? If you're worried about your cup not looking 'Christian' why don't you worry about the goddess logo on the front? She's topless in, case you haven't noticed, and she's what's called a siren. Don't know what that is? It's a mythological creature, who is kind of like a mermaid, except she's a temptress who lures men to their death. Sorry to have to break the news to you, but I don't think Christ would want His name on a cup that has that on it's as the logo.

      Did you know that Starbucks supports planned parenthood? They also match their employee's donations to planned parenthood. Just in case you're wondering if there's anything they do bad beside killing babies and selling their body parts, they're also pretty racist.

As LifeNews previously reported, 79% of all Planned Parenthood’s abortion facilities are located near minority neighborhood. In fact, since 1973, approximately 13 million black babies have been lost because of abortion, and out of the approximately 4000 abortions that are performed daily in the United States, 1452 of them are performed on African American women and their unborn children.

 It's not hard to know God's stance on the subject.

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart..."                                                                                                    - Jeremiah 1:5

Whoever shed the blood of man (unjustly), by man shall his blood be shed, for in the image of God has God made man.      -Genesis 9:6

      Thirdly, what's inside the cup? Coffee, I guess it's obvious. Maybe you have tea in it, but I'm going to focus the majority have coffee in their cups.
        Where does the coffee come from? Starbucks has been continually ignored the demand for fair trade coffee. As we've seen before, products with a high demand have been made with slave trade, because there's just so much needed. This goes for coffee as 99% of it is not fair trade, and has been harvested and grown by slaves. For example Guatemala is one of the leading country to produce coffee, and it has been known to use children as workers, mostly underpaid workers, called 'family helpers'. There are over 1/2 million children workers involved in the process of growing coffee, in Guatemala alone! Adult workers have to pick 100 pounds of coffee beans, just to reach the local minimum wage. That's $3 is you wondered. Over half  the workers assessed didn't reach that amount, so who knows what they were paid. Below is a chart of their policies.
     What does God think about slavery? Here's one of the many verses on the subject. It's pretty strong I'd say.

     "He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor." Psalms 72:4

     So do are you still worried about the red cup? Do you think Jesus wants His birth to be glorified on a cup that has a logo of a temptress on it, supports a company that kills babies, and is filled with a drink made of coffee beans harvested by slaves. I sure don't.
    In fact I never want to drink or eat anything from Starbucks. I don't care if people think I'm being radical, because I'd rather be called radical and be on the side of Jesus, than be on the side of the world.
   Please think about this next time you're considering buying a starbucks, or complaining about it's lack of Christmas decor.
     Sincerely, Rachel
   

     Are we called to be hipsters? I know you're probably wondering if I'm crazy. 

  So... I decided that I'd do a book review of the week, even though it is more like book review of the month. It's going to be rather short, as I'm supposed to be doing school right now. Anyways let's get to it.
      This weekend I read a great book called, "Forgotten Girls: Stories of Hope and Courage" by Kay Marshall-Strom and Michelle Rickett. It was a really good book about girls in countries around the world, and the struggles they face each day.
        From the very first page this book was so thought provoking, and really grabbed my attention. The style of writing was really good, and that didn't really matter anyways because the stories were what made it the best.
        When the woman from Sudan asked why Americans don't help the women there, it really made me ask myself why we don't do more? When I learned about the little girls in India, it made me want to go scoop one up and tell her she's worth everything. When I read about the girls in Timbuktu and Japan it made me want to go and help them out of their situation.
        This book really inspires you not only to learn more about the plight of women and girls in foreign countries, but also to do something about it. And it doesn't leave you wondering what you can do, it gives you suggestions and steps to follow.
    I suggest this book 100% and give it 5/5 stars. I would say that it is appropriate for girls 13+.
     I hope you enjoyed my little book review, and to see how many people actually read this I'm going to ask you to do something for me. Leave me a comment, just saying hello, or tell me what you want me to do more of on this blog!
     Happy Reading!
   Sincerely,
Rachel R.