Freedom FROM = Freedom UNTO Dear Freedom Lover,

Although I wish I could

see you face to face, it is a

joy to once again greet you

via this amazing electronic

medium, and I hope that

you are electrified by

what you read. I am very

excited about writing it,

and I pray that the Lord

Jesus ministers to you

through what I am inspired

to share with you.

First, Elizabeth and I THANK YOU for your prayers

for us as together we follow the Lord Jesus to victory

through our present trial. Each day we expect to see his

mighty hand of love and deliverance, and he continues to

confirm his presence with us, and his provision for us. I’m

ingesting lots of good stuff God made to help my body

heal itself, I am speaking

to it daily, and the Lord

Jesus is energizing his

healing power within me.

I don’t feel bad, just more

tired than usual. Please

pray for the healthy cells

in my bone marrow to go

wild and run the rogue

cells out of town.

In the USA, July

4 marks the celebration

of our national Independence Day, when in 1776 we threw

off the shackles of tyranny and charted a new course for

our country. As such, we not only achieved FREEDOM

FROM bondage, we also achieved FREEDOM UNTO a

July 2014 Volume 5, Issue 7

Inside this issue:

Movies in

Review 6

Online Store 7

Fruit of D’Puzzle 7

Can We “Pray” to

Jesus Christ? 8

Staying Well in

a Sick World 10

Tell It Like

It Is

By Larry Ramberg

Last month, I wrote about hate speech. As a reminder, “hate speech” is usually an

accusation made against someone who disagrees with the agenda of the party making

the accusation. This month I would like us to turn our attention to another linguistic

phenomenon that has swept our nation and infiltrated our verbiage: political correctness.

Political correctness dominates the news. It simply boils down to this: one must never

speak anything that might offend another person.

(Continued on page 4)

TLTF WWF LIVE VIDEO TEACHINGS are every first Wednesday of the month

new and better way of life. The corresponding biblical

principle relevant to each of us as Christians can be

summed up as “Grace unto works,” and the following

verses succinctly capture this great truth:

Titus 2:11-14 (KJV)

11 For the grace of God that bringeth

salvation hath appeared to all men,

12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and

worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously,

and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for

that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of

the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;

14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem

us FROM all iniquity, and purify UNTO himself

a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Think what it must have been like for a POW who had

spent years locked in a tiny cell when a liberator finally

opened the cell door. He was FREE TO GO - and go and

go! But if the greatest vision he had for his life was to lean

against the outside of the cell that had restricted him, he

would squander his newfound freedom. Likewise, we as

Christians must know who has set us free and what he

wants us to do with our liberty, if we so choose. Some of

the first words that Jesus, the Messiah, spoke to Israel are

pertinent to us also:

Luke 4:18-19

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,

Because He has anointed MeTo preach the

gospel to the poor;He has sent Me to heal the

brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the

captivesAnd recovery of sight to the blind,

To set at liberty those who are oppressed;

19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”

What is freedom, or liberty? Here are a couple of

dictionary definitions: “exemption from control; the

power to determine one’s thoughts, words, and actions.”

In light of the Church Epistles that the Lord Jesus gave

to Paul, we now know that what controlled us was sin,

which nature we inherited from Adam. We know also that

the new nature we received as a gift from “the Last Adam”

gives us the power to choose to subjugate the old nature

and walk in newness of life. The following verses

delineate the two contrasting laws in play:

Romans 8:1-2 (NKJ)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to

those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk

according to the flesh, but according to the

[s]pirit. 2 For the law of the [s]pirit of life in

Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of

sin and death.

A law sets the limits of freedom, as in: SPEED LIMIT

55 (Arrgh!). Prior to our new birth, the law of sin and

death totally enslaved us and limited us, and now the same

sin nature tries to put us back in that bondage. That’s why

we must saturate our hearts with the glorious truth of

WHO WE ARE IN CHRIST because of his “spirit of life”

within us, for that is what sets us free moment by moment.

Under the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, there is

NO SPEED LIMIT.

I once saw a plaque that read: Discipline is the key to

freedom. At first glance it seemed incongruous, but when I

thought about it I understood that my walking in the steps

of Christ as his disciple is what makes me free. I can

refuse to allow anything in my sin nature to stop me from

excelling in the abilities Christ gave me. An analogy that

helps me grasp this is that of comparing the efficiency of a

locomotive on its seemingly restrictive tracks with its

efficiency on, say, the open prairie - now that’s freedom!

Not exactly, because when the locomotive “disciplines”

itself to stay on the tracks, it realizes its awesome

potential, but when it abandons the constraints designed to

maximize its inherent capacity, it flounders.

Freedom … cont’d

Page 2

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Jul 2, 2014 at 8:00 pm EST (Tuesday standoff)

To Listen in by telephone Call-in toll number (US/Canada): 1- 408 - 600 - 3600

Access code: 800 998 965

Page 3

Likewise, the love of Christ “constrains us” (2 Cor.

5:14-15) not to live for ourselves, but for him who loved

us and died for us. When we do, we are free to develop

our limitless potential. One key to doing so is to rivet the

eyes of our heart upon our precious Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18

17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the

[s]pirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. 18 But we

all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror

the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into

the same image from glory to glory, just as by the

[s]pirit of the Lord.

Gazing expectantly on the face of Christ means that

we consistently delve into the written Word of God, of

which Jesus is the main subject. Not only do we read it,

we hide it in our hearts and act accordingly in service to

our Lord.

James 1:22-25 (NKJ)

22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers

only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a

hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man

observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he

observes himself, goes away, and immediately

forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who

looks into the perfect law of liberty and

continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a

doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what

he does.

It is interesting that James 2:12 also speaks about this

“law of liberty”: “So speak and so do as those who will be

judged by the law of liberty.” I see that as meaning we

will each be judged according to what we did with the

many opportunities presented to us. Jesus may ask us

something like: “What’d ya do with whatcha knew.”

If you grew up attending a Protestant or Roman

Catholic Church, you’re probably familiar with “the

Church Calendar,” which notes such days as Christmas,

"May we think of freedom,

not as the right to do as we

please, but as the opportunity

to do what is right."

-Peter Marshall

Good Friday, Easter, Pentecost, etc. I think we should add

“Inter-dependence Day,” and celebrate it on each day of

the year. How so? Because as members of the Body of

Christ, we are called to both excel individually and to lean

on our brothers and sisters for help.

Galatians 6:1-5 (KJV)

1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye

which are spiritual, restore such an one in the

spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou

also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's

burdens [baros], and so fulfil the law of Christ.

3 For if a man think himself to be something,

when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But

let every man prove his own work, and then

shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in

another. 5 For every man shall bear his own

burden [phortion].

Note the two different Greek words translated

“burden.” In verse 2, baros means “a weight that can be

relieved or transferred.” In verse 5, phortion means “a

weight that has to be borne.” It is as I prove my own work

and bear my own burden that I am best able to help bear

someone else’s burden, and the more I do the former, the

more I will desire to do the latter.

Ever heard the basketball-related saying, “You miss

100% of the shots you don’t take”? First of all, it’s true.

But when the game is on the line, and someone needs to

step up and take the deciding shot, only those who have

disciplined themselves to excel, those who have

“exercised themselves unto [hardwood] godliness,” will

boldly declare, “Give me the ball; I’ll make the shot.” That

is exactly what Jesus Christ said when the eternal contest

was on the line:

John 12:24-27 (NKJ)

24 “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a

grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it

remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much

grain. 25 He who loves his life will lose it, and he

who hates his life in this world will keep it for

eternal life. 26 If anyone serves Me, let him

follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will

be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will

honor. 27 Now My soul is troubled, and what

shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But

for this purpose I came to this hour.”

To see examples, simply do a Google search of political

correctness. You could fill a library. One ridiculous example

took place in a town called Fort Gay, West Virginia. There

an X-Box gamer was suspended from online gaming because

his profile showed he was from Fort Gay, which was deemed

offensive although it was the actual name of his hometown.

Anti-Christian political correctness is rampant. All across

America schools and governments have banned anything that

indicates a Christian God or Jesus. Students have been sent

home for wearing a simple cross.

Another ridiculous example: students have been in the

news for wearing a shirt in support of the Second

Amendment to the Constitution. In fact, during the election

cycle several years ago, it was brought to light that the

Sheriff’s Department in Winnebago County, Illinois had

been routinely sending pornographic material via department

emails. It was made public to make a point about corruption,

and the administration responded quickly by having the

division I was in sit through sensitivity training. First, the

training in no way addressed the problem, as it had nothing

to do with pornography. Second, the division I was in had

NO ACCESS to the internet, so it was impossible for us to

have been involved. Nonetheless, the administration did the

politically correct thing.

(Continued from page 1)

Events From a Biblical Worldview

Page 4

Merriam-Webster.com defines “political correctness” as

follows: “conforming to a belief that language and practices

which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex

or race) should be eliminated.”

By definition, one would think that political correctness

has to do with government or politics, not everyday society,

but regular folks have been fired and even hauled into court

for things they have said that offended someone. But we can’t

leave out American politics. You may have seen politicians

make public apologies for things they said in the heat of the

moment, especially around election time. Many times these

were derogatory comments or foul language regarding persons

or groups. Occasionally, these slips of the tongue are just that,

but things spoken in the heat of the moment may reveal the

heart of the speaker.

Luke 6:45

A good man brings good things out of the good

stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil

things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the

mouth speaks what the heart is full of.

Proverbs 4:20-24

20 My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your

ear to my words. 21 Do not let them out of your sight,

keep them within your heart; 22 for they are life to

Jesus knew that God had no substitute for him. He

knew that throughout his life he had prepared his heart for

that crucial moment, when it was all up to him to take, and

make, the game winning shot for mankind - and he did!

Praise his wonderful Name!

In my 50 years of playing basketball, I saw players

with great ability stifled by coaches who would too

quickly take them out of the game if they made a mistake.

They became tentative, fearful, and tried harder not to

make a mistake than they did to score. I also saw players

of lesser ability blossom and excel, simply because the

coach convinced them that he believed in them and

wanted them to be aggressive, innovative, and take some

chances - and that he wouldn’t take them out of the game

if they made a few mistakes.

You and I are “born again of incorruptible seed.” Our

salvation is permanent. Not even God can take you out of

the game, which of course He doesn’t want to do anyway.

So use your limitless freedom to exercise your limitless

abilities. Be all you can be. Do all you can do. Stand fast

in the liberty wherewith Christ has made you free.

I love you, and I’m proud to compete on the winning

team with you.

p.s. Elizabeth and I have been deeply touched by the

hundreds of expressions of love and kindness toward us

in regard to the physical challenge that I am currently

overcoming. We’re behind on emails, etc., but please

know how much each one means to us. THANK YOU! I

know that I am healed, because my God and my Lord are

too powerful and too passionate to do any less.

Matthew 23:15

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,

you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a

single convert, and when you have succeeded, you

make them twice as much a child of hell as you are.”

Sounds like too many politicians today, who travel all

over the place and tell you whatever you want to hear to

secure your vote. Political correctness changes language and

covers true motive.

Genesis 2:15-17

15 The LORD God took the man and put him in

the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.

16 And the LORD God commanded

the man, “You are free to eat from

any tree in the garden; 17 but you

must not eat from the tree of the

knowledge of good and evil, for

when you eat from it you will

certainly die.”

Simple directions, right? But in a

modern modern politically correct

society, the question would be, what

gives you the right to deny this to them?

Who do you think you are?

Genesis 3:3-5

3 Now the serpent was more crafty

than any of the wild animals the LORD God had

made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say,

‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit

from the trees in the garden, 3 but God did say, ‘You

must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of

the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will

die.’ 4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said

to the woman. 5 “For God knows that when you eat

from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like

God, knowing good and evil.”

Is that what God had said? No, but the serpent was more

“crafty,” and what result did this craftiness produce?

Genesis 3:6-10

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree

was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also

desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate

it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with

her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them

Page 5

those who find them and health to one’s whole body.

23 Above all else, guard your heart, for everything

you do flows from it. 24 Keep your mouth free of

perversity; keep corrupt talk far from your lips.

Generally speaking, derogatory terms, name calling, and

racist statements benefit no one, and are too often spoken in

haste and anger. If you find yourself about to spout something

unloving, it might be time to take a breath and STOP!

Remember some appropriate Scripture. For example:

2 Corinthians 10:5 (ESV)

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion

raised against the knowledge of God, and take every

thought captive to obey Christ,

We are to control our thinking and

lead each thought captive to Christ.

But sometimes telling the truth can

be unpleasant and may offend someone.

Did Jesus ever use a politically

incorrect statement while addressing

people? Study the Gospels. For

example, in Matthew 23 alone, Jesus

calls people “hypocrites, children of

hell, blind guides, fools, whited

sepulchres, serpents, generation of

vipers,” and so on. If you read the whole

chapter, you will see the point of his

trenchant remarks.

Matthew 23:1-4

1 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his

disciples: 2 “The teachers of the law and the

Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be

careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do

what they do, for they do not practice what they

preach. 4 They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads

and put them on other people’s shoulders, but

they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to

move them.”

Throughout this chapter Jesus is confronting religious

leaders who acted the part but did not measure up to true

godliness. Still though, by today’s standards and perversion of

language, Jesus was being “politically incorrect.” He was

engaging in “hate speech.” Let’s think how Jesus would

sound if he had used political correctness: “You folks really

shouldn’t be so mean. Oh pooh, darn you guys.” No, their evil

ways warranted his godly anger.

We are to control our

thinking and lead each

thought captive to

Christ. But sometimes

telling the truth can be

unpleasant and may

offend someone.

Page 6

Watch the Trailer: http://godsnotdeadthemovie.com/

by John Lynn

Finding Normal (2013)

The only thing standing between

successful surgeon and master multi-

tasker Dr. Lisa Leland (Candice

Cameron Bure) and the wedding of

her dreams in the Hamptons to her

equally brilliant doctor boyfriend is a

2600-mile drive from Los Angeles to

Long Island. However, a run-in with

a small town cop in Normal, North

Carolina leaves Dr. Leland with a

choice - jail or community service.

Sentenced to serve three days as

the town's doctor, and stuck in the

middle of nowhere with no cell

reception, Wi-fi or even credit card

access, Leland does her time by

filling in for the town's ailing doctor,

MOVIES IN REVIEW

who is also the judge, mayor, and minister. During that time,

Lisa has her world turned upside by

God as He places the right people in

her path, and she begins to discover

that there’s more to life than money,

a nice car, great food, etc. With the

help of a man she would never

have expected to have anything in

common with, Lisa finds that there's

a lot more to “Normal” than she

could have ever imagined.

Actually, God comes out looking

pretty good in this film. Rather than

being cheesy, the dialogue is crisp,

well delivered, humorous, heartfelt,

and catchy. The film’s life lessons:

be looking for the hand of God in

your life; don’t judge a book by its

cover; and take time to smell the

roses. I really enjoyed this movie.

were opened, and they realized they were naked; so

they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings

for themselves.

8 Then the man and his wife heard the sound of

the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in

the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God

among the trees of the garden. 9 But the LORD

God called to the man, “Where are you?”

10 He answered, “I heard you in the garden, and I

was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.”

The result? They were afraid and tried to cover

themselves and hide their sin. As a deputy sheriff, I looked

for hundreds of suspects through the years. You would laugh

to know how many would cover their eyes instead of actually

hiding themselves. It was as if they thought that if they

couldn’t see me, I couldn’t see them. That’s a bizarre form of

political correctness - if I don’t say it, it won’t be. It’s better

to lie than to offend. So the truth of a thing is hidden, often

by rearranging words. A multitude of sins is covered by

changing the definitions of words. And those who would

dare bring the spotlight of Truth to bear on the situation

are condemned.

(Continued from page 5) You can see that Satan has been on this campaign trail

since Genesis - and he has been very successful! The truth

has become politically incorrect! I say we follow Jesus

example and call a whited sepulchure a whited sepulchure.

Speak the truth. Read Psalms 139, and see how it obliterates

political correctness! One cannot hide his sins by changing

the definition of sin. In our quest to be honest before God

and man, perhaps the greatest request we could make of God

Almighty is as follows:

Psalms 139:23-24

23 Search me, God, and know my heart; test me

and know my anxious thoughts. 24 See if there is

any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way

everlasting.

God and the Lord Jesus will answer that sincere prayer

because their goal is that Christ is being formed in you. Our

standard for what is right must always be the written Word of

God. The more we hide it in our hearts, the more it will be

manifest in our words and deeds.

Ephesians 4:25

Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each

one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we

are members one of another.

The Living Truth Fellowship 7399 N. Shadeland Ave.; Suite 252

Indianapolis, IN 46250

Phone: 317-721-4046

Email: info@tltf.org

We would love to hear from you in regard to anything in this FRUIT OF D’VINE you want to comment on.

feedback@ tltf.org or write to us at the address below:

Page 7

Word List

CANDACE CAMERON

CONNECTION

CORRECTNESS

DIGESTION

DISCIPLINE

EXALTED

FACTORY

FREEDOM

LIBERTY

MOVING

NORMAL

OPPORTUNITY

POLITICAL

PRAY TO JESUS

F r u i t of D ’ P u z z l e

Key

Covers

New

T-Shirts

Can We “Pray”

to Jesus Christ? By John Lynn

[This is an article from Chapter 13 of our book, One

God, One Lord: Reconsidering the Cornerstone of

the Christian Faith.]

There is a controversy among some Christians who

believe that Jesus is not God about whether or not we can

pray to Jesus. The only definitive place to go for an

answer to that question is the Word of God. It is important

when trying to answer such an important question that we

do not base our position upon only one Greek word or one

verse. Rather, we must examine the scope of Scripture to

see what it says. We believe that the Bible makes it clear

that one can certainly pray to Jesus but does not have to,

and we will do our best to show why that is.

There are many points of logic in understanding why

we can pray to Jesus. Before we delve into the issue,

however, it is important to understand that the basic and

fundamental definition of "pray" is "ask." Prayer may also

include praise, but prayer is fundamentally asking for

something, as is clear from studying the pertinent Hebrew

and Greek words, and even looking up "prayer" in an

English dictionary. Consider the following eight points:

First: Jesus is Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Rom. 10:12)

and has all authority in heaven and earth (Matt. 28:18).

How can he be "Lord" in any real sense if we cannot ask

him for things? Now that the exalted Lord Jesus has all

authority, it makes even more sense that we petition him,

even as it made sense that people petitioned him when he

was alive in his earthly ministry. Hundreds, even

thousands, of people asked Jesus for things when he was

on earth. Does it make sense that someone could ask Jesus

for something 2000 years ago but cannot do so now?

Second: We are to have fellowship with the Son

(1 John 1:3). How can we have fellowship with Jesus,

which clearly indicates being in relationship with him, but

not ask him for anything? We have fellowship with God

and ask Him for things, and we have fellowship with other

Christians and ask them for things, so does it make sense

that we are to have fellowship with Jesus but not ask him

for anything?

Third: Jesus said that his followers could ask him

for things.

John 14:13 and 14

13 And I will do whatever you ask in my

name, so that the Son may bring glory to the

Father. 14 You may ask me for anything in my

name, and I will do it.

These verses are especially enlightening when we

remember that the entire context of John 14 is Jesus telling

his disciples that he is going to be with the Father. If we

could not pray to Jesus after his ascension to the Father,

that would have been the perfect place to say so. He could

have said something like: "You have asked me many

things while I have been with you, but now I go to my

Father, after which you cannot ask me for anything, but

must ask Him." Of course that is not at all what he said.

On the contrary, he said we could ask him for anything

after he was with the Father, and he would do it.

Fourth: The Word of God makes it clear that believers

in the early Church thought it normal to talk with the

exalted Lord Jesus Christ.

After his ascension, the disciples prayed to Jesus about

choosing a replacement for Judas. This was logical

because they understood it was Jesus who had originally

chosen the Twelve.

Acts 1:24 and 25

24 Then they prayed [proseuchomai], "Lord,

you know everyone's heart. Show us which of

these two you have chosen 25 to take over this

apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where

he belongs."

Although some have contended that the Lord in the

above verse is God, it is more logical that it refers to Jesus.

He was the one who chose Judas, and he was addressed as

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Page 9

"Lord" by all the Apostles over and over in the New

Testament. Furthermore, as Peter stated in Acts 2:36, the

ascended Christ now holds the title of "Lord."

Stephen called upon Jesus, not God, when he was

being stoned.

Acts 7:59 and 60a

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen

prayed [epikaleo = "calling upon"], "Lord Jesus,

receive my spirit." 60a Then he fell on his knees

and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against

them …."

Paul pleaded with the Lord Jesus

about his "thorn in the flesh," as is clear

from the context of the following verses.

2 Corinthians 12:8 and 9

8 Three times I pleaded

[parakaleo = to beseech] with the

Lord to take it away from me.

9 But he said to me, "My grace

is sufficient for you, for my

power is made perfect in weakness."

Therefore I will boast all the more

gladly about my weaknesses, so

that Christ's power may rest on me.

Fifth: Verses such as Acts 9:34 and

2 Timothy 4:17 show that as the Head of

the Body the Lord Jesus is actively

involved in healing and sustaining its members. It is our

contention that any Christian can ask the Lord Jesus to do

for him anything that would help him do the works that

Jesus did. As Head of the Body he converses with

believers and asks things of them. It is only logical that we

would also ask things of him. The New Testament tells us

of his personal interaction with Stephen (Acts 7:56); Saul/

Paul (Acts 9:1–9, 16:7, 23:11; 2 Cor. 12:9; Gal. 1:12);

Ananias (Acts 9:10–16); Peter (Acts 10:9–22[1];

2 Pet. 1:14); and John (Rev. 1:9–18).

Since Pentecost, many things come to the Body via the

Head, Jesus Christ. Below are some of the things Scripture

says he now does:

Pours out the gift of holy spirit (Acts 2:33)

Gives us grace (Rom. 1:5, 16:20; 1 Cor. 16:23;

2 Cor. 8:9, 13:14; Gal. 1:6, 6:18; Eph. 4:7; Phil. 4:23;

1 Thess. 5:28; 2 Thess. 1:12, 3:18)

Gives us peace (2 Thess. 3:16)

Gives us mercy (1 Cor. 7:25)

Blesses us (Rom. 10:12, 15:29)

Nurtures and cares for the Church, holds it together

and causes it to grow (Eph. 5:29; Phil. 1:19; Col. 1:17,

2:19)

Directs us (1 Cor. 16:7; 2 Thess. 3:5)

Is interceding for us (Rom. 8:34)

Gives the leadership ministries to the Church

(Eph. 1:1, 4:8, and 11)

Gives revelation (2 Cor. 12:1; Gal 1:12)

Will transform our bodies at his

appearing (Phil. 3:21)

Will judge, reward, and punish

people, according to what they deserve

(John 5:21 and 22; 2 Cor. 5:10;

Eph. 6:8; Col. 3:23–25; 1 Thess. 4:6;

2 Thess. 1:8)

Could it really be that with such

an intimate connection to the members

of his Body the Lord Jesus could not be

addressed by his Church? Surely we

can ask our Lord and Head for

whatever we need.

Sixth: One solid piece of evidence

that people can pray to Jesus is the

phrase, "call upon the name of the

Lord." Christians are to call on the

name of the Lord Jesus, that is, pray to him for help in life.

Through the Old Testament, when people "… called upon

the name of the LORD," it was to pray to, appeal to, or ask

for help from God.

Abraham was in the habit of praying to God, and

though there are many examples in Scripture, one

will suffice.

Genesis 12:8

From there he went on toward the hills east of

Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the

west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to

the LORD and called on the name of the

LORD [Yahweh].[2]

(Continued on page 12)

It is our contention that

any Christian can ask

the Lord Jesus anything

that would help him do

the works that Jesus

did. As Head of the

Body he convenes with

believers and asks

things of them. It is only

logical that we would

also ask things of him.

Americans spend billions of dollars every year to

relieve chronic digestive problems. Bloating, gas, and

constipation account for a huge percentage of

common complaints to medical practitioners. Gastritis

(inflammation of the bowels) is one of the most

common diagnoses in the Emergency Room, and small

bowel obstruction is one of the most common causes

for hospitalization. Gastro-intestinal complaints are

seen among all ages and ethnic groups. A vast number

of Americans go about their business every day

uncomfortable and in pain because their digestive tracts

are not working right. Why?

The human digestive system is basically a long tube

that runs from mouth to rectum. Food and liquids enter

and go through the complex process of being broken down

into their basic components so they can be assimilated by

the body as they cross over the intestinal wall into the

blood stream. There they are used by the body to fuel or

rebuild, or they are stored for latter use. What is not used

is eliminated as waste. This is a extremely simplistic

explanation, but that’s the basic design. This process

demands a lot of energy and it effectiveness is regulated

by two major factors, genetic disposition and the quality of

food you ingest. If your body has a tough time digesting

certain food, welcome to the club. I personally can’t eat

milk products, so I avoid them like the plague. It is really

my only option. Genetics cannot be changed, but what I

choose to eat can. I also try to be very discriminating in

what I eat, trying not to overload my gut with foods

that are difficult for it to process. Let me expound.

If you see your gut as a factory conveyer

belt, moving food through the factory to be

processed, you can easily see that the two

biggest determinants of that factory’s efficacy

will be quality and quantity. Too much food

at once, or too much food that is difficult to

process, will cause your digestive work to

slow down or even stop. Remember Lucy at

the chocolate factory. If the

food you eat comes in too

large an amount, your gut

will be stressed out and have

a difficult time moving it

along. Too much is really

dependent on what food you

STAYING WELL IN A SICK WORLD

Keep Things Moving by Marc Dickie

are eating. Two pounds of salad moves along a lot quicker

than two pounds of steak. Both are quality food sources,

but the process to break down meat is a lot more arduous

on the gut than digesting plant foods.

Your body’s main method of breaking down food is to

dissolve it in a weak acid solution. Your small bowel

produces enzymes to break down proteins, carbohydrates,

and fats. It is all very sophisticated and elegant but also

pretty simple chemistry. As such, if you want to judge

how hard a food is going to be to digest, just imagine it

sitting in water and ask how long will it take to break

down. As you can see, meats are going to take longer and

more energy than plants. That’s one of the reasons we

need to cook some of our food. We start the digestive

process before we ever eat it, breaking the food down

with heat.

Meat is difficult to digest, but even harder are

processed foods that are loaded with preservatives, dyes,

and God knows what else. Many of these “foods” also

contain known poisons and carcinogens, and should be

treated as such. Just don’t eat them if you can avoid it, no

matter how good it tastes. Generally speaking, the closer

to the form it grew in, the better the food will be for you.

Moving your food though the muscular tube of your

intestine, a process known as peristalsis, requires a lot of

work and a lot of calories. That’s why Thanksgiving

dinner is often followed by a Thanksgiving nap. You can

help yourself by not over-indulging and by eating fiber-

rich foods. This fiber is plant material

that is indigestible but harmless to

humans. It helps to give your

digestive system something to

Page 10

[Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for informational purposes only. It is not to be

considered medical advice and is not intended to replace consultation with a qualified medical professional.

TLTF makes no claims as to the suitability of the information for your purposes, and shall not be

responsible for any adverse consequences of your use of this material. The reader is advised that opinions

on health topics may vary from professional to professional. The opinions and information expressed are

those of the authors and may or may not represent those of TLTF. TLTF does not represent or warrant the

accuracy or comprehensiveness of the article. It is the reader’s responsibility to become informed, weigh

the evidence, and form his or her own opinions before taking action of any kind. We strongly encourage

you to consult with your medical professional concerning any health issues.]

grip as it pushes the food along. Found in all fruits,

vegetables, and unprocessed grains, fiber is essential to

bowel health and regularity. Whereas some foods like milk

products can be mucus producing and therefore binding

(sticky), fiber is bulk forming and helps retain water in the

gut, allowing the digestion to flow easily. Adding fiber to

your diet may at first seem to exacerbate bloating and

gas, but as things get moving properly you will find

that it is a ready solution to the very common problem

of constipation.

Here’s a question I bet you have wondered about but

never had the bad taste to ask: “How often should I poop?”

OK, I put it out there so now we have to deal with it. The

simplest answer is every time you eat you should void. Not

at the same time - don’t get excited, but it makes sense,

does it not, that if this factory of yours is operating

efficiently, then when you put a new product in you should

get an old product out? I know we are all different, and that

there is great variety of digestive norms among us, but I

think that daily bowel movements should be expected.

Anything less than that and you should take a closer look at

your diet and see if you are getting the fiber you need. It is

easy to get over-the-counter psyllium seed husk fiber

supplements to add to your diet. Use this instead of

laxatives like Colace or Exlax that artificially stimulate the

bowel or pull water into the colon from the body.

Your food is always the best source of dietary fiber.

Oats, brown rice, nuts, vegetables, and fruits are some

readily available sources of fibrous foods. Heavy meat and

starches, dairy products, and heavily processed foods are

hard to digest and will slow things down, as will

overeating. Alcohol and smoking also slow digestion,

whereas caffeine tends to stimulate bowel movements.

That’s why it is hard to find an empty bathroom in

the mornings.

Page 11

GOT CLASS?

I had to tell you how much we enjoyed the ODWTC

class. My husband and I were thrilled by the artful

manner in which the material was presented, and we

were very excited to hear things we never heard before.

I watched my brother and his somewhat skeptical wife

marvel, laugh, and cry. Each of us had many epiphanies

during the class. One Day With The Creator is simply

masterful. From the bottom of our collective hearts,

THANK YOU! (G.H.)

I hope this subject has not been too distasteful for you,

because it is very important to healthy living. Lack of

proper digestion can lead to serious problems and account

for many lost days due to sickness and poor health. And

after all, no-one want to be full of crap!

Happy eating and good health to you!

Copyright © 2014 The Living Truth Fellowship - All rights reserved.

The Mission of TLTF is to provide accurate biblical teaching so as to make known the Lord Jesus Christ, the

Living Truth, and thus facilitate a worldwide community of mature Christians committed to following him by

living the truth of God’s Word and sharing it with others.

Our Goal in setting forth the Scriptures is to enable each believer to understand them for himself so he can

develop his own convictions, become an effective communicator of God’s Word, and fulfill his individual

ministry in the Body of Christ. Jesus said that knowing the truth would set one free (John 8:32), and our teachings

have practical benefit in terms of one’s quality of life-spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically.

July 2014 Volume 5, Issue 7

Elijah challenged the

prophets of Baal as to who

was the true God and who

was not. He and they each

prayed to their god, and the

one who answered by fire

would be known to be God.

They prayed, which in the

Hebrew idiom is to "call

upon the name."

1 Kings 18:24

Then you call on the name of your god, and

I will call on the name of the LORD. The god

who answers by fire - he is God." Then all the

people said, "What you say is good."

Naaman, the great Syrian general, who was also a

leper, expected Elisha to come out and pray for him. He

expresses his thought about prayer as follows:

(Continued from page 9)

Can We “Pray” to Jesus Christ?

2 Kings 5:11

But Naaman went away angry and said, "I

thought that he would surely come out to me and

stand and call on the name of the LORD his

God, wave his hand over the spot and cure me of

my leprosy.

In Psalm 99 we see that when the great men

of God prayed to God ("called on the LORD"), He

answered them.

Psalm 99:6

Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

Samuel was among those who called on his name;

they called on the LORD and he answered them.

God tells the people that when they pray to Him ("call

upon my name") He will answer.

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[To read more about this stimulating article,

go to: http://thelivingtruthfellowship.org/jtltf/

bible-teachings/articles-by-topc/what-about-

the-trinity/369-can-we-pray-to-jesus-christ]