​Jesus said, "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to the one and despise the other.  Ye cannot serve God and mammon.  Therefore, I say unto you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink, nor for your body as to what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing" (Matthew 6:24-25)?  According to the Books of Matthew and 1 Corinthians, the answer to both of the Lord's rhetorical questions is yes.
 
Jesus explained to us that we should not worry about food for sustenance because God knows what we need, so He will provide the food and beverages necessary to sustain us just as He provides for the birds and flowers (Matthew 6:26-34).  He further clarified that our spiritual relationship with Him was much more important.  Specifically, Jesus said that, "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).  Likewise, the Bible teaches us that our bodies are the temples of the Holy Spirit, and commands us to honor God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).
 
Nevertheless, our society proves that people in this country are more concerned about food and their bodies than they are about their spiritual relationship with God, but not because they are afraid of starving.  Philippians 3:18-19 best illustrates the problem.  It says, "Many live as enemies of the Cross of Christ.  Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is set on earthly things."
 
In other words, we live in a society that is so obsessed with food, over one-third (1/3) of Americans is not only entangled with the sin of gluttony, but many more are also diagnosed with eating disorders and suffering from obesity related illnesses.  Moreover, they have also committed the sin of idolatry by giving in to every craving of their stomachs and elevating food from the status of sustenance to their comforter.
 
Neither your body nor food was not meant to be served as a false god.  On the contrary, your body was meant to be a spiritual house for the One True Living God (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 1 Peter 2:4).  Food was meant to keep you alive and healthy.  I encourage you today to lay aside every weight and repent of the sins of gluttony and idolatry that have easily beset you (Hebrews 12:1).  Renounce the idols you have made of your stomach, food, and beverages, then return wholeheartedly to the One True Living God!  But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, choose this day whom you will serve..., but as for me and my house, we willF serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  
 
If you have chosen the Lord as your God, register today for the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Master Class, featuring Dr. Tara Cannon, author of Health and Wellness for the Believer, Elsa Oliver, Christian nutritionist, and First Lady of Fitness, Debra Jones!  The classes are free!  There are no registration fees or membership fees!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the class materials.  Classes begin online only on Monday, August 22, 2022, at 6:00 p.m. CST!  Space is limited.  Sign up now at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!
If you are unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, diet, and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

If you’re like I used to be, I always made a New Year’s resolution to finally lose the weight, and if you follow my old pattern, I never succeeded in keeping the resolution until I adopted God’s plan for health and fitness success.  It’s been 9 years since I made a resolution because I finally achieved permanent weight loss success through Christ, and you can, too!  Are you tired of making the same plan each year only to fail every time you make it?  Then perhaps it’s time to adopt a new plan of action.
 
Our God is a Strategic Planner.  Before He laid the foundation of the universe, He knew what would transpire from beginning to end.  He made us in His image and gave those who believe in Jesus the mind of Christ.  Jesus has and continues to faithfully and methodically fulfill God's plan.  The Bible commands us to, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 2:5).
 
God's plan for you is to bless you to live long, healthy, abundant lives as you faithfully obey Him by reflecting His holiness in every area of your life, including how you eat and drink.  Adopting and maintaining healthy eating habits may seem impossible, improbable, or simply unappealing to you, but God's commands are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).  On the contrary, God promises, "I know the plans I have for you...plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future" (Jeremiah 29:11 NIV). The KJV translates it this way, "to bring you to an expected end."
 
This is important to note because like Christ, you should endeavor to do your part to fulfill God's plan for your life by humbly obeying the Father's commands. That means your plans for each day should line up with the Father's ultimate plan.  You should plan your meals in advance, take an emergency pack of food that's on your health and fitness plan for unforeseen circumstances, and do prep work ahead of time, such as weekends, to prevent the temptation not to cook your own meals due to time constraints and/or fatigue.  God has given you the ability to think strategically in every aspect of your life, including your personal health and fitness.  Use this gift from God to finally succeed!  
 
Yes, it's true that only God is in complete control, so you may have to make allowances for interruptions, detours, and even rethinking your plans.  However, reworking a plan is better than not having a plan at all because either you will control the day, or it will control you.  If you submit to God’s Will, His Direction, His Strategic Plan for your life even in regard to eating and drinking, God promises to deliver you to the expected end of being healthy and fit for life!
 
If you’re ready to adopt God’s plan of action for your health and fitness,  REGISTER TODAY for the EAW Health and Fitness Master Class at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!  Our classes are FREE!  There are NO REGISTRATION FEES OR MEMBERSHIP FEES!  Participants are only responsible for the cost of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook, which can be PURCHASED ONLINE at Amazon or Barnes & Noble.  Classes will be held ONLINE on Zoom, so register TODAY because space is limited.  
 
If you’re unable to take the course, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​Fall is the season when the weather changes in ways many of us don’t like.  It gets colder.  The leaves fall off the trees, and the barren landscape they leave behind has been shown to make some people enter a mental state called seasonal depression.  I used to be one of those people who disliked the fall, but now I accept it as a necessary part of life.  I’ve also come to see the good side of it and embrace the good in order to keep my spirit uplifted until the spring comes.  For example, I have discovered and come to enjoy the wonderful fall produce that I didn’t eat or even know existed.  Case in point, once my oldest son was sick during the fall, but he wouldn’t eat the soup my husband prepared while at home with our son.  The Lord directed me to make a different type of soup out of fall veggies that have a sweet taste.  My youngest son, who is a very picky eater, ate all of his soup before his brother finished.  That is rare!
 
How does that relate to your health and fitness journey?  Right now some of you may feel like its fall in regard to your journey.  I know it's difficult to go to another therapy session regarding anorexia or bulimia, and it’s hard to remain on the health and fitness battlefield when your flesh urges you to give up and stop believing you can be victorious through Christ.  You feel the pull of fatigue because of your busy schedule.  Sore muscles tell you to rest.  Personal issues distract you and demand to be given priority over your health and fitness routine.  However, you should be able to see behind the veil of these lies by now and embrace the positive side of what you have been and will experience in the future.  The Bible says, “I reckon the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed within us” (Romans 8:23).  The gains you have made, even if you’ve only just begun, far outweigh the struggle because you’re worth the fight for deliverance!
 
No, it’s not easy to break free of the cycle of obesity and eating disorders, but the Bible says, "To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven" (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  God says your season of entanglement with the sin of gluttony has ended!  Your sin of failing to take care of your body, which is the temple of the Holy Spirit, by eating and drinking for the glory of God has passed (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, 10:31)!  It's time to renounce the false gods you have made of your stomach, food, beverages, and even your ideal body shape or weight, and return to the One True Living God!  Then sow the seeds of change in your life by eating for God's glory and repairing the damage you've done to the temple of the Holy Spirit.  God promises that in due season you will reap the harvest of health and fitness for life if you don't quit (Galatians 6:9).
 
Instead of listening to the whining voice of fatigue, declare that the joy of the Lord is your strength as you continue to eat, drink, and exercise for His glory (Nehemiah 8:10).  When pride tells you that you've earned a day of rest, remember that you must work while it is day, for the night of obesity, anorexia, bulimia, and orthorexia related sickness, disease, and premature death is coming when no man can work (John 9:4).  When negative circumstances arise to deflect your attention from the task at hand, like Nehemiah you must defiantly declare that I am doing a great work for the Lord (Nehemiah 6:3), and I will not come down and cause the work of rebuilding the temple of the Holy Spirit and the protective walls of my mind through Christ to cease!  I encourage you, my brothers and sisters, to stay the course.  Put one foot in front of the other and press on.  You are not on the battlefield alone.
 
If you're ready to embrace your season of health, fitness, and weight loss success, then purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​Have you been lazy about working out?  Did you give in to your cravings again? Did you succumb to bingeing and purging after weeks of therapy and healthy eating?  Were you struggling with a trigger that leads back to anorexia this week?  Have you regained most or all of the weight you lost?  If so, I have something to tell you that you probably do not want to hear, "Get up and try again!"
 
I know your flesh does not want to, but it is time to get back in the health and fitness fight.  Remember!  The Bible says, "A just man falls seven (7) times and rises up again" (Proverbs 24:16).  You are old enough to know the difference between stumbling and scraping your knee as opposed to actually falling down and breaking your leg.  Recognize that a setback does not mean you have been defeated.  Understand that the victor is the one who wins the war even though he may have lost a few battles.  God has ordained victory over the mountain of obesity and eating disorders staring back at you in the mirror if you do not quit!  Be strong!  "Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap the harvest if we do not give up" (Galatians 6:9).
 
Losing weight and overcoming eating disorders is very difficult, especially when you are trying to do it with only your own feeble strength and willpower.  Furthermore, the more weight you have to lose or the longer you have struggled with the disorder, the more impossible it seems to be free of it.  This is particularly frustrating if you suffer from a disease such as hypothyroidism which causes you to gain weight through no fault of your own.  The worst part is that you feel like you are in it alone, particularly when you are ready to lose weight or stop bingeing and purging, but those around you who are complicit in your dysfunctional relationship with food are content to continue living an unhealthy lifestyle.  However, when you change your focus to eating for the glory of God, a wonderful thing happens!  You are no longer alone.
 
With God what seemed impossible is now attainable because He enables you to succeed where you once failed.  His strength never fails, and His will is not weak.  But there will still be days when your flesh craves fried chicken instead of grilled chicken, French fries instead of baked sweet potatoes, starvation instead of eating, purging instead of letting your food digest and be absorbed to nourish your body.  At those times, the enemy will try to make you believe that God has left you in the battle alone.  Remember that Satan is a liar and God has promised, "I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).  All you have to do is trust Him, stand up, and get back in the fight.  Then watch God fight for you and give you the laurels of victory!
 
If you are ready to get up and get back in the health and fitness fight, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​The Bible says, "Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction will drive it far from him" (Proverbs 22:15).  Children behave foolishly because they are immature physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually.  Consequently, they must be disciplined or taught to act, think, feel, and live in a way that pleases God, keeps them at peace with others, and conforms to the laws of society in order for them to live abundant lives through Christ.
 
However, there is a major problem in the life of an adult who continues to behave like a foolish child.  It's sad and very difficult to watch adults who lack self-control, who are easily angered, who overindulge in harmful substances or activities, or who never deny themselves pleasurable activities or material things in order to pay their bills, provide for their families, or even take care of themselves.  They make the same mistake over and over again but never seem to learn from it.
 
Unfortunately, that's what's happening to you in regard to food, beverages, and eating disorders.  The hard truth is you're being a hard-headed, selfish, disobedient child who is determined to have it your way regardless of the consequences even though you know you're on the path that leads to destruction!  You've not only been told repeatedly by loved ones, physicians, and public service announcements that your unhealthy lifestyle will lead to cancer, heart attacks, strokes or diabetes, but you have also seen the truth of this repeatedly with your own eyes as your family members, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even church members succumb to the various obesity-related diseases and complications resulting from eating disorders.
 
Nevertheless, like a child, you continue to play with fire and throw a violent, internal temper tantrum at the mere mention of starting a health and fitness plan.  Notwithstanding, God the Father loves you and, like the good parent He is, He is patiently correcting you today by saying, "That's enough!"  You must obey the voice of the Lord and accept His positive discipline, or you will reap the harvest of His negative discipline.
 
On the positive side, obedience results in the healthy and fit version of you and a longer lifespan.  Conversely, disobedience results in the negative consequences that lead to death which you may already be experiencing, namely, hypertension, high cholesterol, insulin shots, acid reflux, sleep apnea to name a few, or complications resulting from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, or orthorexia.  Either way, God is faithful to perform His Word, for "the Lord disciplines those He loves as a Father the son he delights in" (Proverbs 3:12). I encourage you today to GROW UP!  Be an adult who realizes and accepts that you just have to pull up your big girl underwear and get it done!
 
If you're ready to obey the Voice of the Lord in develop mature eating and drinking habits, purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​I don't know what you're going through in your life.  Maybe you've been out of work for six months, your home is in foreclosure, a loved one died, or your business is failing.  I do know that those types of issues often result in "stress eating" which results in people seeking comfort from food instead of from God the Comforter!  It can also be a trigger for those who suffer from anorexia and bulimia nervosa.
 
I speak from experience.  When I was a child, I was sexually abused by two different people and severely bullied.  As a result, I suffered from clinical depression by fifth grade.  As I matured, I developed an unhealthy relationship with food.  When things bothered me, I ate.  For example, I ate when I was angry as well as when I was sad.  I also ate whenever the thoughts of childhood trauma tried to overwhelm me.  This started a cycle which led me to eat even more and resulted in significant weight gain.
 
As I discovered, when the enemy has you add the problems you face to the amount of weight you must lose or the eating disorder you must overcome, his evil calculations equate to failure.  Therefore, you figure there's no need to try.  Jesus said the devil is a liar, the father of lies, and a murderer (John 8:44).  Satan's lies are calculated to kill, steal, and destroy (John 10:10).  He steals your peace by orchestrating circumstances which will cause you stress, hoping to tempt you to return to your old, dysfunctional eating habits.  If he successfully destroys your resolve to continue to eat healthy and exercise, then he's put you back on the path that will ultimately lead to your death.
 
You've allowed Satan to defeat you in this same way countless times before.  It's time to break the cycle!  I encourage you to trust in the Lord and the power of His might and believe that He has equipped you to stand strong on His promises in the midst of the storms you face.  Don't be discouraged!  The problems will still be there regardless of whether or not you give up, so you may as well press forward and remember, "I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13)!
 
If you’re finally ready to break the cycle of circling the Wilderness of Obesity and Eating Disorders, then purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​In the Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries Health and Fitness Course, we spend three (3) weeks discussing the opposition you must face from the enemy when you start to rebuild the temple of the Holy Spirit and fortify the walls of your mind with God's Word.  Although the Bible clearly identifies Satan's tricks, it never fails that an EAW Ministries class participant is spiritually attacked in one of the ways mentioned in the Word.  For example, the enemy often attacks a class participant’s family.  Sometimes it is sickness.  Other times, class participants experience marital problems or family strife.  Satan also attacks finances and sends fatigue, to name a few other weapons in his arsenal.
 
Nevertheless, you must remember God promised in His Word that no weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).  Life's journey is filled with distractions even when you are not trying to lose weight, get help for anorexia or bulimia, or otherwise live a healthy lifestyle.  Your past should be a good indicator that you cannot eat or starve your way out of the stress of life.  The food does not change anything except you.  In the case of the glutton, it makes you fatter, sicker, and closer to death's door with each unhealthy meal you eat.  In the case of the anorexic, it makes you skinnier, sicker, and closer to death’s door with each meal you forgo.
 
Consequently, you must learn to recognize that stressful situations are the enemy's strategy to get you to take your eyes off Jesus and sink in the sea of debt, marital problems, sickness, relational strife, and health and fitness struggles you are experiencing.  But if you stay focused on the Lord, you will rise above the turbulent waters to take your place at the Master's side.  He will command the storms in your life to cease and give you peace within as you continue to trust Him and eat and drink for His glory.
 
Therefore, I encourage you to ignore the howling winds and the torrential rain of problems the enemy hurls at you and stay focused on the spiritual task at hand! You have quit under pressure too many times before, and it has never solved anything.  It only added to the mountain of guilt and shame for giving in to the temptation to give up.  Again, you felt the sting of another defeat on top of your list of other sorrows.  Instead, let's pray to "press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Phil 3:14) and trust God’s promise that you will finally attain it!
 
If you’re finally ready to leave the Wilderness of Obesity and Eating Disorders and truly focus on claiming the Promised Land of Healthy and Fit for Life, then purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

​Philippians 3:18b-19 (NIV) says, "Many LIVE as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame.  Their mind is set on earthly things."  Is it possible to accept Jesus as your Savior but still live as if you are His enemy?  Yes!  Unfortunately, it happens every day.  For example, you probably know Christians who are not married but live together like a husband and wife contrary to God's Word.  You sit on the same pew with the Christian who smoked marijuana at a club on Saturday night.  You listened as a deaconess gossiped about a person who came to the church for prayer.  And you, yourself, have made a "god of your stomach" and failed to obey the Lord's commands to "honor God with your body" by keeping the temple of the Holy Spirit in excellent condition.
 
In the event you haven't noticed, the devil doesn't bother you while you are comfortable with your sinful existence.  After all, you are fighting on his side by actively rebelling against Christ.  It's when you resolve to change, or even consider changing, that Satan comes against you.  At that point, you are a threat instead of a pawn on the battlefield because you are trying to become free from bondage that you aren't even aware you are captive to.
 
In terms of health and fitness, that means the cravings intensify.  People suddenly want to take you out to lunch, and you don't even have to pay.  There's no free time to cook your own meals or go to the gym, and those are just the warning shots.  The warfare intensifies until your feeble resolve crumbles, and you return to your sin, in this case, your old eating habits, like a dog to its vomit (Proverbs 26:11).
 
The cure for this is to denounce the idol you have made of your stomach and serve the One True God in every aspect of your life, including how you eat.  In other words, follow Romans 12:1, which says, "I beseech ye, therefore brethren, by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."  Then the battle is no longer yours. It's the Lord's!  He'll fight for you when you stop warring against Him!  
 
If you’re ready to stop living as enemies of the Cross of Christ, then purchase your copies of the Eating as an Act of Worship Workbook and the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition online today at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.com.  In the books, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God.  Read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Follow us daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Tune in to our syndicated radio show on the DFW Den Radio Station, the StudioW Buzz Radio Station, and Victory KVDW 100.9 FM, 95.3 FM, and 1530 AM in Little Rock, Arkansas for interviews and health and fitness trends.  Lastly, make your tax-deductible donation to Eating as an Act of Worship Ministries at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!

In Haggai 1:8, God commands the Israelites to "go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build My house (which means 'temple') so that I may take PLEASURE in it AND be HONORED." The commandment given to the Israelites in terms of the Old Testament temple, which was a building where God manifested His presence among His people, is the same for us regarding the New Testament temple of the Holy Spirit, which is your body.  In other words, we are commanded to eat for God's glory, exercise for His glory, and otherwise take care of His holy temple in order to PLEASE and HONOR God not to attract a spouse or look good in a bikini.
 
The Holy Spirit dwells in, meaning He lives inside of you, when you accept Christ as your Savior.  You become His home!  "Or do you not know that YOUR BODY is the TEMPLE of the Holy Spirit WHO IS IN YOU, whom you have received from God?  For you were bought at a price (the blood of the Lamb); therefore, HONOR (or glorify) GOD WITH YOUR BODY and in your spirit which are God's."   Furthermore, Jesus said he who loves Me obeys My commands (John 14:21).  In 1 Corinthians 6:20, we are specifically commanded to honor God with our bodies.  Likewise, we're further commanded in 1 Corinthians 10:31 to eat and drink for the glory of God.
 
This command was actually first given in the Garden of Eden when God told Adam and Eve to abstain from eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil but to partake from every other tree in the Garden.  He made no exceptions when they disobeyed His command.  On the contrary, He cast them out of the Garden of Eden, and as promised, they experienced death. The same held true for the Israelites when they broke their covenant with God which included eating for His glory. As promised, God punished them with enslavement and death as a result of the Babylonian attack on Jerusalem.
 
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever" (Hebrews 13:8). God didn't accept excuses for disobedience then, and He won't accept them now!  As Adam and Eve and the Jews learned the hard way, you must also learn that God "disciplines those He loves like a father the son he delights in" (Proverbs 3:12).  Since your body is God's house, it doesn't belong to you.  That means you don't make the rules concerning it just as a child in the natural has to abide by his parents' rules while he lives in their home.  Consequently, you don't set the limits on rebuilding and repairing the damage you've done to the temple of the Holy Spirit. God does!
 
Unless He says, "That's enough!  I'm pleased and satisfied," you resist the temptation of cravings, you ignore the whining voice of fatigue, and you push through every plateau until the temple is a place that glorifies and honors God! You'll know when you reach that point because His presence will be manifested in you like never before just as it filled the physical temple in 2 Chronicles 5:14 when God was pleased because King Solomon and the Israelites completed construction of the Old Testament temple.
 
You can choose to obey His commands to honor Him with your body by eating and drinking for His glory, or you can continue to be lazy, procrastinate, or otherwise make excuses for your disobedience and suffer the consequences of obesity, eating disorders, hypertension, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and ultimately, premature death. Tomorrow is not promised to you, and even if you do live to see it, it could be too late as heart attacks and strokes often occur with little or no warning.
 
But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose this day whom you will serve...but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15).  If you’re ready to serve the Lord by eating and drinking for His glory, PURCHASE YOUR COPY of the Eating as an Act of Worship Teacher’s Edition ​ONLINE at Barnes and Noble.com!  In the book, you will learn the biblical principles regarding the body, dieting, exercising, and maintaining a healthy body for the glory of God! You can also follow us daily on Facebook and Twitter for recipes, and diet and exercise tips.  Lastly, don’t forget to read our weekly blog for motivation to stay healthy and fit through Christ.  Just visit our website at www.eatingasanactofworshipministries.org!