Food is NOT our Saviour, Jesus is!

There are many benefits to following a whole food plant based diet, and yes it has the ability to prevent and reverse some of our biggest killers- heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. But it doesn't matter whether we die at 40 from a heart attack or live to a ripe old age of 101 and die peacefully in our sleep, our eternal destination is secured by Jesus sacrifice - not by our food choices.

Food is NOT our Saviour, Jesus is!

 And with that in mind, sometimes I wonder why I blog. Its not of eternal value.

But here's my dilemna --> I do actually ENJOY blogging. It becomes a record of the recipes that my own family enjoy and an easy way to refer to them without having scraps of paper all over the kitchen! You see, I really do cook my own recipes and refer to them frequently!

I also think it is wonderful to be able to share healthy recipes with people in a way that is simple and easy to prepare, that fits in with current lifestyles. Many people are searching for healthier ways of living.  

Why is it that eating has become such a confusing issue for modern day society?

I do believe that people need to shift their eating habits to more whole-foods and away from the processed garbage that floods us these days.

When God created humans he gave us the ultimate plan for wholesome, nourishing food.

Genesis 1:29

I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.

How did we lose our way?

Do we really need to be reminded by constant posts and recipes and new research findings?

Yet is that the worlds REAL issue???

Our world would see more transformation from hearts being won for Jesus than by dietary change.

But yet surely part of living for Jesus is looking after ourselves, as well as caring for his creation too!

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) 
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.

Numbers 35:33-34 (NIV)

Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it. Do not defile the land where you live and where I dwell, I, the Lord. 

So surely if we ignor our health then that is not honouring God either! And surely the farming practises that animals endure these days is not the way God intended members of his creation to be treated.

But at the same time we aren't honouring God if we are so focused on what we eat, aiming to be ultra healthy and insanely environmentally conscience, that we forget that God is the sustainer of all life and that our aim in life should be His purposes and His kingdom!

Acts 17:24-25

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 

The bible makes it very clear what our primary concern should be -->

Matthew 6:31-33 
So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

Our culture seems to be obsessed with finding health and being concerned with what we look like.

We are taught to love and accept ourselves by the way we look and what we achieve.

And yet at the end of the day - do any of those things really matter???

Don't get me wrong.... I will be vegan til the day I die. But it makes me wonder if the time & energy I invest in my blog is worth it. 

Is there something better I could be doing with my time?.......


Perhaps we should be thanking God for the good foods he has given us to eat!
Just like this church did:
http://www.earthsave.org/mfh_gift_2013.htm 



I'm not one who sits here writing lengthy posts about all the benefits of a plant based diet. I leave that up to the experts. 
It's not more information that society needs. Its how to apply the information that we already have access to!
I just provide a few easy recipes for those who are looking for meal options!
So I guess for now I'll keep posting..... but without over committing myself to the point where I feel exhausted by it!

Ecclesiastes 12:11-12 (NLT)
The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out.

 

Excellent Viewing

If only more people realised that God's love doesn't stop at humans!


Greg Boyd: God's Love for Animals

What would you do?

If your child was given this much chocolate for Easter - what would you do?

 

I HATE my daughter eating dairy.
I don't stop her from doing it but I strongly discourage it.

Would you allocate a certain amount for your child to have each day if they wanted to eat them?
Is it rude to throw these away since they were gifts? Especially since they aren't technically 'my' gifts to throw away?
Is it better to give them away? Who would you give them to then?


 

Veganism & Christianity

There are 2 things that I'm passionate about in life...
             --> Veganism (obviously!)           and
             --> Christianity

So, perhaps you're wondering how the 2 are connected.

In this post, I endeavour to explain how I believe they are connected.

Now I know that there are many issues that are constantly wrestled with amongst Christians & that each will, of course, have their own view point & their own verses to support their view - unfortunately this is one of the many issues that will never be resolved until heaven!
Many other touchy issues include:
- Ladies wearing skirts
- A woman's place in the church
- Homosexuality

So, yes - I believe that Jesus was God's Son who was sent to earth & died on a cross to take away the sins of the world so that when we die, we can go to heaven to be with God.
I also believe that animals are not to be used by humans for their own purposes.

Why is it that this is such a hard concept for some people to understand?

I find that usually the most amount of criticism towards a vegan diet & lifestyle often comes from other Christians.
I find that a shame really because when I read my bible it says, "The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made." Psalm 145.9
ALL He made. Not some, not selected parts.... but ALL. I believe that means God has compassion on the animals He made too & is heart-broken when any of them are hurt.

I take the bible quite literally when one of the ten commandments instructs us "You must not murder." Deut 5.17

The bible does not specify the murder of 'what'. Its just says don't do it! 
In John 8 Jesus is faced with a woman who has committed the act of adultery & instead of condemning her he tells her to "Go and sin no more.” And I believe that Jesus sends that message to each of us about doing things that are wrong - yes He forgives - but don't do it anymore! Surely as people who are 'saved' our goal should be to live as holy as possible!
If adultery is also listed in the ten commandments as one of the don't do's, then why do people still consider that one a no-no but somehow dismiss the law of murder?
To say that the eating of meat is now excused is like saying "so & so is financially struggling so its ok for them to steal a loaf of bread!" Really? Do you think that's ok?

Stealing is stealing.
Murder is murder.

I believe very closely the view of animal theologian Andrew Linzey who states that people & animals are created by the same God for HIS purposes and not for our personal use.

The more I read the bible the more I believe that to be true! God created people originally to thrive in a garden - God wants us to thrive, well there is a way of doing it! And since we are saved now & should not live as part of this world, then I also believe that to be true of the 'worlds' view of it being ok to eat animals. And especially as I've come to follow God not from the view of 'old school Christianity' or what I was taught to believe when growing up!

Unfortunately in this life many people just 'go with the flow' and accept that it is ok or just brush it off without truly thinking about it and the implications of it!

There are no cautions in the bible given around eating plant-based food & yet several times meat is given caution & shown to be the food of "greedy people" (Numbers 11). And surely as Christians being seen as 'greedy' is not Godly. The story in Daniel 1:8-16 gives great insight into benefits of consuming plant foods.
God has given us what we need to survive - Genesis 1.29 God said, “Look! I have given you every seed-bearing plant throughout the earth and all the fruit trees for your food." That is how God made humans to survive - and that is how we should! 

Perhaps I'm seen as upfront about my view on this. I do this because I believe it to be the right thing! People who consume other foods post their opinions, so surely I'm allowed to as well! I cast no judgement on people for their food choices, but I do believe that everyone has the right to know where food has come from, what it does to us & not to do this absentmindedly (why is it that people shy away from the truth)! Which I do feel that a lot of Christians often do, and yes my most often condemnation comes from them!!! 
I guess it comes from them when they don't realise that I also have biblical reasons for choosing the lifestyle that I have. I think they assume I do this just 'because' when yet, as a Christian I do believe that all parts of my life need to be biblically based & as such - so is my food consumption!

That said -   I believe this whole food debate is already addressed in Romans 14:2,3. We are not to pass judgement on one another for food choices. Yet obviously Christians (and others) continue to debate this often.

Romans 14:2-3 "One person believes it’s all right to eat anything. But another believer with a sensitive conscience will eat only vegetables. Those who feel free to eat anything must not look down on those who don’t. And those who don’t eat certain foods must not condemn those who do, for God has accepted them."


Want some other references? Try these links:
All Creatures
Joyous Vegan
Brief Summary - Andrew Linzey
Animal Rights Book by Andrew Linzey
Frank Hoffman  (I don't think this link to the video still works, but it was an AWESOME speech)