Friday 23, 10:00 am: (I also added an update to this post at the bottom at 5:05 pm. In addition, at least for the next few blogs I write, I will also add them to the bottom of this same blog.)
Good morning! I will try to further explain myself this morning and expound upon what I only touched on in my last blog: that is my decision to again eat fish after nearly 15 years of not eating any flesh. I will need to give a little history first.
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved animals. It really didn't seem to matter what type. Though dogs are my favorite, I have had and cared for many different types. But even though I greatly cared for animals I continued eating meat. Then, many years after I was saved and I had studied the Bible, I came to the understanding that animals were always obedient to the call of God! Search the Scriptures, from the animals parading themselves before Adam to be named, to the walking in pairs to board the ark, even to coming to a spot that God called them to in order to be a sacrifice for Him... they were always obedient!
It began to greatly bother me that many times I was still rebellious in my heart and in my life toward God, and here was this "poor dumb animal" that was always obedient to their God and I was having them killed in order to benefit me in my palate pleasure. I decided to quit it. So, June 29, 1994 to this date I have refrained from my part in any animal having to die in order that I might consume them.
I also learned to get more comfort from having animals in my life than I did from reaching out to other people in need. I knew that in the eyes of God people are of far more importance than an animal, yet I had either disappointed people, or been disappointed by them to the extent that I thought I was through with all of that. Other than my family I felt I didn't need anything more than the animals in my life. After all, there is no animal I have ever been close to that has ever disappointed me.
Beside all of that, it greatly bothered me that an innocent animal had to suffer and die in order to benefit me. So, the decision to quit eating meat seemed, at least to me, a good one and something I should do. Then I thought, what if I am just like Peter... and by that I only mean his weaker parts, not his strength which I wish were mine. When the mob came to take the innocent Lord Jesus in order for him to be our sacrifice... Peter with his sword tried to stop it. He did not savor the things of God. I do not anymore want that to be me.
I accept the offering of Christ, the innocent One, dying for me... a guilty one. With that same understanding I am going to accept the fact of God allowing man to eat meat. Of course this teaching is found in both Testaments. As far as "meat" is concerned I use that same word in the same way I find it in the Bible. That is as it pertains to fish. An example is the miraculous feeding of the five-thousand.
The recorded times that Jesus ate "meat" it was always fish. Even in this way I would very much like to follow in His footsteps. While it is true that at the Passover meal He probably had roast lamb... at least, at this time and for me I would like to limit my "meat" intake to fish... and I will thank God for this!
1/23/2009 5:05 pm
A few hours ago after my wife and I had a walk in the park with our daughters and all but one of our grandchildren (she was in school) we stopped at the grocery store and bought items to prepare for our lunch. The main food item was fresh, farm-raised, Talapia.
My wife prepared it with an herb coating and olive oil and then she baked it and served it over a bed of steamed rice with cole-slaw on the side. During prayer for our food I asked the Lord to bless it to our bodies and to let me remain without any pain after eating it. Something that has been hard for me for a long time, that is to be able to eat without hurting... but I thank God that He honored and accepted my prayer, and I had no pain after eating it!
I also wanted to state why I decided to go ahead and eat fish today, instead of waiting until I was completely healed and to use that meal as a celebratory meal with my family. Instead of waiting I have decided to trust the Lord that He has heard my prayers and I am on the road to complete recovery. In that way I can thank Him now and celebrate a complete victory even if I am not there yet.
When Jonah, because of his own disobedience, was swallowed by a specially prepared fish he cried out to God for help. It is important to know that even though his circumstances were the same, still inside the body of the great fish: in verse nine of the second chapter he offered his prayer of thanksgiving! He did this before he was delivered from his problems! Why? It is because he knew that the Lord had heard him and he was fully trusting God both to hear and to help.
In that verse Jonah finished with, "Salvation is of the Lord." It was only then... after his prayer and already thanking God for his deliverance that the great fish obeyed God's command and it... "vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."
It is also worth noting that Jonah, knowing the Lord was faithful and would deliver him called his present condition, i.e., in the belly of the fish, lying vanities! He refused to look at his present circumstances, rather he chose to thank God for delivering him, even before he ever saw that deliverance. Because he counted God as able and faithful to help him. Jonah 2:8 "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." It was because of God's faithfulness and His written word that Jonah knew he could trust the Lord for his own deliverance!
God is always faithful, but it is we, who are sometimes weak and look at our present circumstances and it causes us to shift our gaze and heart from having complete faith in God Almighty.
Peter, while steadfastly gazing upon the Lord could literally walk on water, but when he took his eyes off of God and began to look at his own circumstances, the roiling sea, dark night, winds howling, his faith was shaken and he began to sink. Thankfully though, Jesus was there to hear his plea for help and He touched Peter and took him safely to the boat.
In part, that is what I am now learning to do. Read God's Holy Word and find where there are clear promises He has made to and for His children. Those promises and only those promises, I can even thank and praise Him for answering well before I have an answer. It is because He is faithful and cannot lie. And even as I only want what is best for my own children... God as a loving father only wants what is best for His many children. There is great comfort in that thought.
Psalm 37:4-5 "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." We need to acknowledge that... it is written, therefore as long as we meet the conditions that the verses tell us to, then God is always willing to uphold all that He said He would! Praise God!
Good morning! I will try to further explain myself this morning and expound upon what I only touched on in my last blog: that is my decision to again eat fish after nearly 15 years of not eating any flesh. I will need to give a little history first.
As far back as I can remember, I have always loved animals. It really didn't seem to matter what type. Though dogs are my favorite, I have had and cared for many different types. But even though I greatly cared for animals I continued eating meat. Then, many years after I was saved and I had studied the Bible, I came to the understanding that animals were always obedient to the call of God! Search the Scriptures, from the animals parading themselves before Adam to be named, to the walking in pairs to board the ark, even to coming to a spot that God called them to in order to be a sacrifice for Him... they were always obedient!
It began to greatly bother me that many times I was still rebellious in my heart and in my life toward God, and here was this "poor dumb animal" that was always obedient to their God and I was having them killed in order to benefit me in my palate pleasure. I decided to quit it. So, June 29, 1994 to this date I have refrained from my part in any animal having to die in order that I might consume them.
I also learned to get more comfort from having animals in my life than I did from reaching out to other people in need. I knew that in the eyes of God people are of far more importance than an animal, yet I had either disappointed people, or been disappointed by them to the extent that I thought I was through with all of that. Other than my family I felt I didn't need anything more than the animals in my life. After all, there is no animal I have ever been close to that has ever disappointed me.
Beside all of that, it greatly bothered me that an innocent animal had to suffer and die in order to benefit me. So, the decision to quit eating meat seemed, at least to me, a good one and something I should do. Then I thought, what if I am just like Peter... and by that I only mean his weaker parts, not his strength which I wish were mine. When the mob came to take the innocent Lord Jesus in order for him to be our sacrifice... Peter with his sword tried to stop it. He did not savor the things of God. I do not anymore want that to be me.
I accept the offering of Christ, the innocent One, dying for me... a guilty one. With that same understanding I am going to accept the fact of God allowing man to eat meat. Of course this teaching is found in both Testaments. As far as "meat" is concerned I use that same word in the same way I find it in the Bible. That is as it pertains to fish. An example is the miraculous feeding of the five-thousand.
The recorded times that Jesus ate "meat" it was always fish. Even in this way I would very much like to follow in His footsteps. While it is true that at the Passover meal He probably had roast lamb... at least, at this time and for me I would like to limit my "meat" intake to fish... and I will thank God for this!
1/23/2009 5:05 pm
A few hours ago after my wife and I had a walk in the park with our daughters and all but one of our grandchildren (she was in school) we stopped at the grocery store and bought items to prepare for our lunch. The main food item was fresh, farm-raised, Talapia.
My wife prepared it with an herb coating and olive oil and then she baked it and served it over a bed of steamed rice with cole-slaw on the side. During prayer for our food I asked the Lord to bless it to our bodies and to let me remain without any pain after eating it. Something that has been hard for me for a long time, that is to be able to eat without hurting... but I thank God that He honored and accepted my prayer, and I had no pain after eating it!
I also wanted to state why I decided to go ahead and eat fish today, instead of waiting until I was completely healed and to use that meal as a celebratory meal with my family. Instead of waiting I have decided to trust the Lord that He has heard my prayers and I am on the road to complete recovery. In that way I can thank Him now and celebrate a complete victory even if I am not there yet.
When Jonah, because of his own disobedience, was swallowed by a specially prepared fish he cried out to God for help. It is important to know that even though his circumstances were the same, still inside the body of the great fish: in verse nine of the second chapter he offered his prayer of thanksgiving! He did this before he was delivered from his problems! Why? It is because he knew that the Lord had heard him and he was fully trusting God both to hear and to help.
In that verse Jonah finished with, "Salvation is of the Lord." It was only then... after his prayer and already thanking God for his deliverance that the great fish obeyed God's command and it... "vomited out Jonah upon the dry land."
It is also worth noting that Jonah, knowing the Lord was faithful and would deliver him called his present condition, i.e., in the belly of the fish, lying vanities! He refused to look at his present circumstances, rather he chose to thank God for delivering him, even before he ever saw that deliverance. Because he counted God as able and faithful to help him. Jonah 2:8 "They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy." It was because of God's faithfulness and His written word that Jonah knew he could trust the Lord for his own deliverance!
God is always faithful, but it is we, who are sometimes weak and look at our present circumstances and it causes us to shift our gaze and heart from having complete faith in God Almighty.
Peter, while steadfastly gazing upon the Lord could literally walk on water, but when he took his eyes off of God and began to look at his own circumstances, the roiling sea, dark night, winds howling, his faith was shaken and he began to sink. Thankfully though, Jesus was there to hear his plea for help and He touched Peter and took him safely to the boat.
In part, that is what I am now learning to do. Read God's Holy Word and find where there are clear promises He has made to and for His children. Those promises and only those promises, I can even thank and praise Him for answering well before I have an answer. It is because He is faithful and cannot lie. And even as I only want what is best for my own children... God as a loving father only wants what is best for His many children. There is great comfort in that thought.
Psalm 37:4-5 "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass." We need to acknowledge that... it is written, therefore as long as we meet the conditions that the verses tell us to, then God is always willing to uphold all that He said He would! Praise God!
posted by Robin Johnson @ 9:55 AM
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