Death In The Kitchen - adventbeliefs.comadventbeliefs.com/assets/BBR/26/Death-in-the-Kitchen-Joe-Crews.pdf · suffering from obesity and that more than Death in the Kitchen 5 Death

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1. Health–A Prime Interest .................. 2

2. Our Bodies Not Our Own .............. 9

3. Body Maker’s Manual .................... 12

4. Pork Unclean ................................ 15

5. Seafood Not Fit to Eat ................... 20

6. Alcohol–A Curse ........................... 22

7. Nicotine–Most Deadly Poison ........ 25

8. Coffee Drunkards ......................... 27

9. The Big Question .......................... 30

Copyright © 2003 byLu Ann Crews

All rights reserved.Printed in the USA.

Published byAmazing Facts, Inc.P. O. Box 1058Roseville, CA 95678-8058

Cover Design by Haley TrimmerLayout Design by Greg Solie

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the question of premature disability and death.Millions would still be alive today had they butheeded the warning of God in Exodus 15:26:“If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice ofthe Lord thy God, and wilt do that which isright in his sight, and wilt give ear to hiscommandments, and keep all his statutes, I willput none of these diseases upon thee, which Ihave brought upon the Egyptians: for I am theLord that healeth thee.”

These words make it abundantly clear thatanyone can actually postpone his own funeral.By obeying the laws of God concerninghealth and diet, disease may be mitigated oravoided altogether. It is apparent from thisverse in the Bible that it is not the will of Godfor great, epidemic scourges to sweep millionsinto their graves. He wants us to prosper andbe in health— body, mind and soul.

Why then do we see so much sufferingand disease in the world today? The answer isthat the majority are violating the laws of theirbeing. Just as surely as the laws of natureoperate, so there are laws of our body that arealso predictable and certain. “Whatsoever aman soweth, that shall he also reap” (Galatians6:7). If a person falls from the roof, the law of

Death in the Kitchen 3

C H A P T E R 1Health–A Prime Interest

Some years ago a survey was taken in acertain American city, and everyinhabitant responded to 156 questions

included in the survey. It was discovered thatthe prime interest of adults was that ofhealth—not politics, history, or even theweather—but health, their health and thehealth of their families.What a paradoxical ageis this one in which we live! A time when wehave more doctors, hospitals, medicines; moremedical knowledge of the care, treatment, andcure of disease; more pills, capsules, vitamins,etc.; yet seldom has there been a time whenmore sickness and general ill health hasplagued the human family.

Millions are suffering the side effects ofwrong living habits and harmful eating anddrinking.We live in a world shattered by pain.The cries of the sick and diseased are thetrademarks of modem society. In spite ofincredible programs in medical research, theproblems of health and longevity are still themost serious our society faces.

The Bible gives a simple, concise answer to

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pancreas, small intestine and colon.The reason for this cancer concentration

must be obvious to all of us. Except for thelungs, which are bombarded with hot tobaccotars, the stomach is the most abused organ ofthe body. Dr. James Ewing, one of thefounders of the American Cancer Society,made this statement in a tract entitled ThePrevention of Cancer: “The perpetual abuseof a normal stomach frequently gives rise tocancer, and an abnormally weak stomach maysuffer the same fate from less abuse. In bothinstances abuse and overfunction must beregarded as the exciting cause.The stomach isnot lined with copper but by a single row ofrather delicate epithelial cells. The sole safeconclusion to be drawn from these data is thatall forms of abuse of the stomach must beavoided if the high mortality from this verycommon disease is to be reduced.”

It is simply hair-raising and blood-curdling to see what goes into the stomachs ofAmerican men, women and children. Thegreat test seems to be whether it tastes good,or else whether it gives a pleasant aftereffect.No wonder 50 percent of the population issuffering from obesity and that more than

Death in the Kitchen 5Death in the Kitchen4

gravity immediately takes over. Regardless ofage, sex, or financial status, that falling bodywill hurtle downward to be injured or killed.In the same way, if we violate the laws of ourbody, we may expect the inevitableconsequences of sickness or death.

Effect is always preceded by a cause. Tothose who have seriously studied the counselsof God and the current world health trends,there is no deep mystery. Experts are puzzledthat cancer has continued its spiraling increase.While many diseases have been greatlyreduced, and some eliminated altogether,cancer has mushroomed. Even withunprecedented funding and research therehave been few significant breakthroughs incurbing the growth of this deadly malignancy.

We can easily understand the steadyincrease of lung cancer in the light ofAmerica’s smoking practices. This trend willdoubtless continue until more people musterthe simple, moral courage to say “No” toimbibing a deadly poison. But few peopleunderstand that fully one-third of all cancersof the human body occur within the stomach.And one-half of all cancers are found in theorgans of digestion, including the liver,


flavored, salted, creamed, dried, roasted, fried,greased, peppered, vinegar-laden, smoked,toasted, crushed, rolled, mealed, oiled,fermented, beaten, sweetened, spiced, soured,peeled, shredded, steamed, braised, colored andotherwise seasoned in order to offer an appealto the civilized man.”Then, he adds,“Civilizedman is not satisfied with the food the Makerhas supplied him and must do something withit before he feels it is fit for him to eat.”

Small wonder, then, that 25 tons of aspirinare swallowed every day in the United States.According to the National Observer, this is 21/4 tablets for every man, woman and child inthe nation; and that is every day of the week.If you didn’t get your 2 1/4 tablets today,somebody else got a double supply, you can besure of that!

One of the strangest paradoxes ofAmerican life is found in this area of health.Though people fear sickness above everyother enemy, yet they do almost nothingabout taking care of their health until after thedisease has already struck. In a year’s time, outof every medical dollar spent by the Americanpeople, 95 cents was spent to get well and fivecents were spent on preventive medicine.


three million dollars are spent each year ondiet formulas and exercise gadgets.

The amazing fact is that the averageAmerican consumes 1,488 pounds of foodevery year.This is undoubtedly a large factorin the one and a half million patients who fillAmerican hospitals every day of the year.Haveyou ever noticed that three-fifths of the wordDEATH is EAT?

Paul Bragg, in his famous cookbook,stated: “The average person is poisoninghimself day by day with the food he eats. Mostpeople eat with their eyes. If the food looksgood, they do not question whether it ishealthful or death-dealing. Few people knowthe right kind of food to put into their bodiesto keep them well and strong or take the timeto select this food if they do know. From birthto old age the average individual neverexperiences the taste of real natural food. Ourtiny sensitive taste buds have been forgenerations so polluted by unnatural,artificially seasoned and stimulating foods thatmost of us are unable to appreciate the fine,delicate flavor of the natural foods. Foods mustbe fixed, hashed, mashed, smashed, boiled,broiled, stewed, baked, pickled, preserved,



C H A P T E R 2Our Bodies Not Our own

Right at this point someone may bewondering what all this has to dowith religion. Why would God be

concerned about my eating habits? Isn’t it aman’s personal business as to how he cares forhis body? These are relevant questions andcannot be ignored.

Fortunately, the Creator of our bodies didnot leave us without answers to thesequestions.“Whether therefore ye eat, or drink,or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory ofGod” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Isn’t thatamazing? God is concerned about such smallmatters as what and how and when we feedour body system. The Bible reveals that Goddid not fabricate the delicate human machineand then leave it to operate alone. He hasnever released His ownership of the creativeprocess or of the product itself.

The apostle Paul wrote: “What? know yenot that your body is the temple of the HolyGhost which is in you, which ye have of God,and ye are not your own? For ye are boughtwith a price: therefore glorify God in your

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Now this doesn’t make much sense.But in thisfield most people don’t seem to excel inreason or good sense anyway.

It reminds me of a group of tourists inSpain who had gone there to visit one of thehistoric sites. Up on the side of a cliff, therewas an ancient monastery that they wanted tovisit. The only way to get up there was in abasket pulled up over a pulley by some of themonks. After they had toured the monastery,they were being lowered back down the sideof the cliff. As they were getting into thebasket to be lowered back down, they noticedthat the rope was rather frayed. So they askedthe monk in charge, “How often do youchange the rope?” And the monk said, “Well,we change it every time it breaks, of course.”That wasn’t much comfort to those who werebeing lowered down in the basket.

More and more, the medical researchers arefinding out that our diet has very much to dowith our state of health. The body machine isactually made up of the fuel we feed into it.Thequality of nerve, bone, blood and cell isdependent upon good nutrition and proper diet.The old adage is almost literally true: Millionsare digging their graves with their teeth.


needs of his own children? The average manknows more about the needs of hisautomobile than he does about the physicalneeds of his own family! Why is there such anincredible amount of ignorance concerningthe way to take care of this sacred bodytemple? The Bible assures us that the humanbody is to be cared for, preserved andmaintained according to the rules laid downin the Bible. The trouble is that mostAmericans simply follow their appetite inmatters of eating and drinking.

What are the guidelines laid down in theBible about caring for and feeding the body?God asks the question, “Wherefore do yespend money for that which is not bread? andyour labor for that which satisfieth not? ... eatye that which is good” (Isaiah 55:2).And howcan we tell what is good? Surely not by thetaste or the advertising or by colorful labels.Most Americans, following the law ofappetite, hastily fill their grocery baskets withthe products that have been most loudlytouted by the TV hawkers.With no regard tocontent, they collect everything that appealsto the taste and sight.As little baby birds opentheir mouths to whatever mama will put in, so


body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1Corinthians 6:19, 20).These words reveal thatthe proper care of our body is not only aspiritual obligation but a moral requirement.Even though we have control of our bodies,they do not really belong to us. We are onlystewards of someone else’s property.

No man has a right to say, “I’ll do as Iplease with my own body, and it is mybusiness alone.”We can rob God by violatingthe divine purpose of the body temple be thedwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Paul refers to both the church and theindividual member when he says: “Know yenot that ye are the temple of God, and that theSpirit of God dwelleth in you? If any mandefile the temple of God, him shall Goddestroy; for the temple of God is holy, whichtemple ye are” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 17). Thisforever settles that a person can be lost fordefiling the property of God.

But how much does the averageindividual know about his own body and howto take care of it? Doesn’t it seem strange toyou that the average parent knows more aboutthe physical needs of the chickens in the pen,or a dog in the house, than he does about the




the gullible consumers blindly accept thechoices of the media marketers.

C H A P T E R 3Body-Maker’s Manual

There is only one way to know what isgood for this very complex bodysystem, and that is to consult the One

who made it. Only the manufacturer has thebest operating manual for its products.Automobile makers always provide suchinstructions for keeping their vehicles in toprunning condition.

When God made the body, He also gavespecific operating instructions, including fueland maintenance. Notice this counsel inGenesis 1:29,“Behold, I have given you everyherb bearing seed, which is upon the face ofall the earth, and every tree, in the which is thefruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall befor meat.” No one has been able to improveon it. Nuts, fruits, grains and vegetables are stillrecognized by the best nutritionists as thefinest possible diet.

No one need be reluctant to espouse theideal vegetarian diet commanded by a perfect


God for the perfect bodies He created in thebeginning. Today, under the increasing curseof sin, those bodies have degenerated in bothsize and stamina, but no argument or scientificdata has been able to challenge the wisdom ofGod’s original arrangement.

But notice how the American peoplehave departed from the simplicity of thatoriginal recipe.Today the average eater’s plateis loaded with heavy meat protein,carbohydrates and pastries. In the beginning,God did not even allow for the use of meat.Apparently flesh was permitted in man’s dietfor the first time only after the flood watershad annihilated all vegetable matter—but onlycertain meats. God gave this instruction toNoah:“Of every clean beast thou shalt take tothee by sevens, the male and his female: and ofthe beasts that are not clean by two, the maleand his female” (Genesis 7:2).

Don’t miss the significant fact that the lawof clean and unclean animals extends all theway back to the beginning of human history.Many have assumed that only the Jewishpeople were forbidden to eat the uncleananimals. Not so.There were no Jews in Noah’sday, yet the distinction is clearly made. Why


were extra clean animals taken into the ark?Because all vegetation would be wiped out inthe flood, and for the first time, God wouldallow man to eat meat.

But only the clean meat! If Noah and hisfamily had eaten any of the unclean animals,that species would have ceased to exist becauseonly a male and female had been preserved toperpetuate the species.There were seven pairsof the clean animals in the ark. Only theycould be spared for food without endangeringthe continuity of their kind.

Since it is evident that even someGenesis-kind animals were unclean, how dowe determine where the line is drawnbetween the clean and unclean? God has notleft us to wonder about this important issue.

In Leviticus 11:3-11 the requirements areclearly laid out:“Whatsoever parteth the hoof,and is clovenfooted, and cheweth the cud,among the beasts, that shall ye eat.Nevertheless these shall ye not eat of themthat chew the cud, or of them that divide thehoof: as the camel, because he cheweth thecud, but divideth not the hoof; he is uncleanunto you.And the coney, because he cheweththe cud, but divideth not the hoof; he is


unclean unto you. And the hare, because hecheweth the cud, but divideth not the hoof; heis unclean unto you.And the swine, though hedivide the hoof, and be clovenfooted, yet hecheweth not the cud; he is unclean to you. ...These shall ye eat of all that are in the waters:whatsoever hath fins and scales in the waters,in the seas, and in the rivers, them shall ye eat.And all that have not fins and scales in the seas,and in the rivers, of all that move in thewaters, and of any living thing which is in thewaters, they shall be an abomination unto you... ye shall not eat of their flesh.”

C H A P T E R 4Pork Unclean

How fortunate we are that the Onewho made us also prescribed thekind of food that should and should

not be eaten. We may not be able to explainwhy some are unclean and others clean, butwe can trust the Creator to know thedifference, and in His great love for us He hasrevealed it for our good. All animals that donot have a split hoof and chew the cud are notto be eaten.



Either death ensues or a successful effort ismade by nature to throw an enclosure, or cyst,around each of the teeming parasites, whichthen become dormant, although they remainalive for years. Don’t blame your doctor. Allthat the best doctor can do as yet is to conservethe patient’s strength and try to relieve thepainful, local symptoms as they appear”(Reader’s Digest, March 1950). What thesesymptoms are, the layman had much better notworry about.Trichinosis can simulate to somedegree almost any other malady. That pain inyour arm or leg may be arthritis orrheumatism or it may be trichinosis.That painin your back may mean a gall bladderinvolvement, but it may mean trichinosis.

Dr. Samuel C. Gould, a Washington healthofficial, who has made an extensive study oftrichinosis, states that the average Americanconsumer eats at least 200 infested pork mealsduring his lifetime. Just because the meat maybe stamped “U.S. Government Inspected andPassed” does not mean it has been tested fortrichina infestation. Every bit of the porkwould have to go under a microscope to makethat determination.

The Public Health Service advises


Is it any surprise to us that Satan hascreated an appetite for the very foods Godforbade? And should it be any surprise thatepidemic.disease has followed the violation ofGod’s dietary principles? The forbidden swineis a perfect example of how presumptuousappetite has overruled God’s sensiblerestrictions. Unlike some of the other uncleancategories, we can show abundant scientificevidence why pork is totally unfit for food.

Pork contains a microscopic worm calledtrichina, and if it gets into the system, thedisease trichinosis results. Governments warnthat there is no inspection for the parasite, anda Readers’ Digest article stresses that there is nocure for the disease.

Under the title “Must Our Pork RemainUnsafe?” these statements are made abouttrichinosis:“A single serving of defective pork,even a single mouthful, can kill or cripple orcondemn the victim to a lifetime of aches andpains. For this unique disease, trichinosis, thereis no cure. With no drugs to stop them theworms may spread through the entiremuscular tissues of the human system.

“One of two things then happens,depending on the intensity of the infection.



Environmentalists keep us posted hour byhour on the massive accumulation of deadlypesticides, insecticides, and other contaminantsin every order of nature.

And if reason doesn’t convince us that theunclean animals are still unclean, we have therevelation of God’s Word on the matter. Isaiahwrites: “For, behold, the Lord will come withfire, and with his chariots like a whirlwind, torender his anger with fury, and his rebuke withflames of fire. For by fire and by his sword willthe Lord plead with all flesh: and the slain ofthe Lord shall be many. They that sanctifythemselves, and purify themselves in thegardens behind one tree in the midst, eatingswine’s flesh, and the abomination, and themouse, shall be consumed together, saith theLord” (Isaiah 66:15-17).

This text is talking about the secondcoming of Jesus and proves that the nature ofthose animals will not experience any changethat will make them fit to eat—not evendown to the very last day of this earth whenJesus comes.The swine is placed in the samecategory as the abomination and mouse, andGod plainly declares that the eaters thereof“shall be consumed together.” None can say


consumers to cook the pork thoroughly inorder to kill the trichina worms. Someone hasobserved that eating dead worms is not veryhighly appealing to the palate either.The act isthat God calls it unclean and an abomination.Why is it so hard for Christians to accept thejudgment of God over the perverted cravingof appetite?

Some have asked why God created the pigif it should not be eaten.The answer to that isself-evident. The pigs, along with buzzards,snakes and hyenas, are great scavengers of theearth’s filth and refuse. All creatures serve apurpose, but all are not suitable forassimilation into the human system as food.We might not be able to figure that out in ourown wisdom, but the counsels of God haverevealed it beyond all doubt or question.

Arguments have been advanced that thereis better sanitation since God made those OldTestament laws, and the pig is now quite fit tobe eaten. One is hard put to believe that landor sea animals have become less polluted bythe passing of time. Today there are chemicalpoisons infecting land, sea, and atmosphere tosuch an alarming degree that constantgovernment directives are being issued.



habitat, we must in good conscience adviseyou to avoid shellfish, no matter how theytempt you, and even though those around youseem to be swallowing them with delight.Theday of reckoning cometh.

“Why are shellfish so dangerous? Becausethey are many times more polluted than thefilthy waters they inhabit.

“Unfortunately they choose to live andlove and multiply in estuaries along coastalregions.These estuaries are particularly subjectto discharge of sewage, sewage effluent, andother water-borne pollution from municipaldischarges, from suburban home drainage andagricultural runoff.

“The polluted aspect of their habitat isone danger.The fact that they are filter feederscompounds the danger.

“Oysters, for instance, because of theirway of obtaining and absorbing food, havebeen found to concentrate polio virus up to20 to 60 times the level of the surroundingseawater.

“No other animal food offered on themenu of your favorite eating place would beserved to you along with its feces.Yet this isthe case with seafood. It is served whole;


that the warning has not been given inlanguage that everyone can understand.

C H A P T E R 5Seafood Not Fit to Eat

It should be noted that only the marineanimals that have fins and scales are countedas “clean” in Leviticus 11.All others are an

abomination to God. This eliminates oysters,shrimp, crabs, clams, eels, catfish, lobsters andcrayfish. Again, the scavengers have beenforbidden as articles of diet.

Are there sound, scientific reasons foraccepting God’s appraisal of these shellfish andother seafood? It is quite common knowledgethat these creatures feed largely on the rawsewage and pollutants in the water.

Prevention magazine of September 1972,carried an interesting article entitled “ShellfishAre Dirty and Dangerous.” The authorappeared reluctant to take a stand, but he wascommitted to telling the truth on thissensitive subject. He wrote: “They’resucculent; they’re delicious; they’re evennutritious. But, because of the nature of themollusk and the sewage-like pollution of its



in fact, been the most malignant social diseaseknown to civilization. No wonder the Bibledeclares that no drunkard will be in heaven.

In these days of compromise, most of thegreat religious bodies have changed theirattitude toward social drinking. From totalabstinence they now take a stance ofmoderation. In essence this is exactly the sameposition the brewers take—no drunkenness.But is that a safe posture to take towardalcoholic beverages? Statistics reveal that oneout of every ten that start drinking becomeeither alcoholics or problem drinkers.

The claim is made by many Christians thatthe Bible endorses moderate drinking ofalcohol.This is based largely on the use of theterm “wine” in the Scriptures. But therecommended wine of the Bible is notalcoholic. The word wine is used for eitherfermented or unfermented drink. Goddeclared, “As the new wine is found in thecluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for ablessing is in it: so will I do for my servants’sakes, that I may not destroy them”(Isaiah 65:8).

This wine in the cluster has to be the freshjuice of the vine. This is the only kind Godever declared to have a blessing in it.There is


complete with its intestinal tract.”Can you imagine anyone finding such

fare to be a culinary delicacy? Over and overagain outbreaks of hepatitis have been tracedto the eating of seafood.After feeding on rawsewage, the creature is harvested and sold.Thedisease is simply cycled from man to molluskand then back to man.

Again we must confess the loving concernof an all-knowing God for the health andhappiness of His creation. And those whodeliberately flaunt the divine laws will finallysuffer the tragic consequence thatdisobedience always produces.

C H A P T E R 6Alcohol–A Curse

Now let us consider how to glorifyGod in what we drink or inhale intothe body. The Bible says, “Whether

therefore ye eat, or drink, . . . do all to theglory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Amongall the popular poisons which are imbibed bymodern man, one that is particularlypernicious and destructive is alcohol.Glorified as a symbol of gracious living, it has,



C H A P T E R 7Nicotine–Most Deadly Poison

Books could be written about themassive research into the noxiouseffect of nicotine on the body. Since

the Surgeon General’s first release on thesubject, every new study has documentedmore supporting information. Nicotine ispossibly the most deadly poison known toman. Millions have died as a result of itsmalignant influence. By constricting thearteries of the body, nicotine forces the heartto overexert. Lungs have become riddled withcarcinoma. Fetuses have been fatally affected.Hardly an organ of the body escapes theinsidious effect of the fatal nicotine poison.

Is it a sin to use tobacco? There is no sensein denying a patent truth. Anything thatdefiles the holy body sanctuary is a sin. Godsays He will destroy those who do it.We darenot call it less than it is. It is a sin, and noChristian should presumptuously shorten hislife by introducing it into his body.

Few church members would considertaking even small, microscopic doses of arsenicor strychnine into their body, yet they take


no blessing in the intoxicating, befuddlingbottle of fermented poison. Inspirationdeclares, “Wine is a mocker, strong drink israging: and whosoever is deceived thereby isnot wise” (Proverbs 20:1). “Look not thouupon the wine when it is red, when it givethhis color in the cup, when it moveth itselfaright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, andstingeth like an adder” (Proverbs 23:31, 32).

Did Jesus go contrary to the OldTestament and turn the water into alcoholicwine? It is unthinkable that He should do so.He obeyed the Word of God. The wine Hecreated was the unfermented kind. We nowknow the actual physiological effect of alcoholon the body. Research has proven thatintoxication is caused by a process thatdeprives the brain of oxygen.This deprivationdestroys brain cells, affecting, ultimately, thereasoning powers of conscious thought.WouldJesus, the Creator of the body, condonesomething that would weaken moralinhibitions, reduce the power of effectivedecision, and finally destroy the sacred bodytemple of the Holy Spirit? Never. And whatcan we say about the use of tobacco?




the way we take care of our bodies is rooteddeeply in the Bible, but millions are becominghealth conscious today just to avoid the painfuleffects of neglecting their bodies. And it is sotrue that reason and good judgment aloneshould provide enough motivation for abalanced diet-and-exercise program.

But sometimes logic, and even scientificevidence, has a tremendous conflict withappetite, social custom and addiction. Caffeineis a dramatic example. There is a growingcatalog of research that points to caffeine as apernicious enemy of good health. It is apowerful, habit-forming drug that has fastenedmillions in a vise of addiction.Many find it justas hard to give up caffeinated drinks as to stopsmoking or drinking. It has been indicted forits adverse effect upon heart, stomach, nervesand even the fetuses of expectant mothers.

C H A P T E R 8Coffee Drunkards

M erck Index of Drugs lists quite avariety of caffeine symptoms andindicates that seven grains of the

drug is a medical dose. Most cola drinks, tea,

something just as lethal. Slowly the cigarette tarscoat the delicate membranes of the lungs untildeath results. It is exactly the same when menand women deliberately inhale the toxic fumesof tobacco until the cumulative effect causesdeath. It is suicide on the installment plan. It ismorally wrong to take God’s property, violateour stewardship, and rob Him of His possessions.

And what can we say about the waste ofmoney on tobacco? Most smokers spend $50or more every month for their indulgence. Byretirement time this would amount to$25,000. Enough to guarantee a late-life nestegg, even if Social Security fails.Yet many ofthose who waste that money on tobaccocome to the end of life penniless anddependent on welfare or relatives. What anunspeakable tragedy! No wonder God said,“My people are destroyed for lack ofknowledge” (Hosea 4:6). How much better itwould be to simply place the $25,000 in aneat pile and strike a match to it. At least itwould not be serving as a destroyer of life.

We can surely see by now what a seriousmatter it is to desecrate the physical body andmind created for a specific, spiritual purpose.This principle of being accountable to God for



sugar threatens the well-being of everyhabitual user of soft drinks.

It is not uncommon to see secretaries orbosses sitting at their desks with a cigarette inone hand, a cup of coffee nearby, and a Coca-Cola on the credenza. Who hasn’t heard theircommon rationale:“If I don’t get my coffee (orcoke) I get a headache”? They are telling thetruth.The caffeine does take away the headache,but so would a tenth of a grain of morphine.The temporary, sedative effect is to deaden thepain, but the daily dosing of delicate nerve-endings wears off, leaving them more jangled,and demanding more and more sedation.

The most pathetic proof of this drug-slavery is to be found in expectant mothers.With all the accumulation of medical dataproving the damaging effect of alcohol,tobacco and caffeine on the fetuses, pregnantwomen still pour the poison into the bodies oftheir unborn babies. It might be possible tounderstand a woman willing to risk her ownlife and health by a perverse indulgence inchemical poisons, but how could she sodeliberately endanger the life of her child?The answer to that question reveals the depthof the drug problem in American society.


and coffee contain from one and a half tothree grains. Many people take far more thana medical dose at every meal.The effect is tostimulate the cells of the body to operate on ahigher level of activity than God everintended. One physician described it this way:“We in America have become a nation of teaand coffee drunkards.”

Incredible as it seems, this countryconsumes 275 billion pounds of coffee everyyear.That averages 17 pounds for every man,woman and child. Doctors warn heart patientsand those with stomach ulcers to leave offcaffeine, along with smoking. Another coffeefactor has recently been established as cancer-causing.This is, by far, the most serious chargethat has grown out of the coffee research.Although the carcinogen has not beenidentified as caffeine, it is definitely associatedwith coffee drinking.

Tea, in addition to its content of caffeine,has another harmful constituent, tannic acid.This powerful chemical is used for dyeingleather. The detrimental effect of sugarconcentration in the caffeinated drinksprovides still another reason for eliminating itfrom the diet.The murderous effect of refined



Someone may object that we are trying totake away too much.After all, you can overdoanything.Too many potatoes or beans can alsobe very harmful to some people. Indeed theycan, and a true definition of temperanceshould read like this: A total abstinence fromthings that are harmful, and a moderate,judicious use of the things that are good.Doesn’t that make a lot of sense? It alsocontains a lot of good, sound religion.

Impressive evidence that a person canpostpone his own funeral was presented byPaul Harvey in his news column. Under thetitle Eat Right, Live Longer, Harvey describedthe results of a western survey on longevity.The study focused on the death certificates ofCalifornia Seventh-day Adventists incomparison to non-SDAs. Comparing therecords of the Adventist (who teach againstdrinking, smoking, or using caffeine) withothers, the survey revealed that Seventh-dayAdventists have a life expectancy almost sixyears greater than other Californians.

Seventy percent fewer Adventists die fromall types of cancer, 68 percent fewer fromrespiratory disease, 88 percent fewer from TBand 85 percent fewer from pulmonary


C H A P T E R 9The Big Question

The big question, of course, is how toquit.After the will has been weakenedby years of indulgence, how does one

find the power to resist the powerful cravingfor these narcotic-type drugs? Most will onlyfind deliverance from outside themselves.First, there must be a decision to stop—awillingness to give up the physical pleasureassociated with the habit. All available effortshould be mustered for the conflict.Then pray.Claim the mighty promises of the Bible fortotal victory.

Don’t try to taper off on the use ofsomething that is morally and physicallywrong to indulge. It just doesn’t work. It ismuch like cutting off the dog’s tail a little at atime to make it easier on the dog! It is actuallymore painful that way.A habit is a habit. If youcut off the “h” you still have “abit” left. Takeoff the “a” and “bit” remains. Remove the “b”and “it” is still with you. Even after takingaway the “i” you are left with “t.”And if yourproblem is tea-drinking, you still don’t havethe full victory.



emphysema. Adventists have 46 percent lessstrokes, 60 percent less heart disease. Perhaps asa by-product of abstinence from alcohol, theyhave only about one-third as many accidents.

Again we are faced with the reassuringtruth that all of us can add years to our lives bysimply obeying the practical, ageless principleslaid down by our Creator in the Bible. Ratherthan feeling cheated or short-changed, weought to rejoice that God loves us enough toshare with us His secrets of long life andhappiness. The apostle John wrote, “Beloved,now are we the sons of God, and it doth notyet appear what we shall be: but we knowthat, when he shall appear, we shall be likehim, for we shall see him as he is. And everyman that hath this hope in him purifiethhimself, even as he is pure” (1 John 3:2, 3).

Do you have the faith and courage toaccept the inspired prescription that canlengthen your life and tranquility? Seize itright now as the course that can prepare youwell for both time and eternity.

Death in the Kitchen32 Library of Sermons

1. Armageddon2. Can a Saved Man Choose to Be Lost?3. Does God’s Grace Blot Out the Law?4. Hidden Eyes and Closed Ears5. How Evolution Flunked the Science Test6. Is It Easier to Be Saved or to Be Lost?7. Man’s Flicker or God’s Flame8. Satan in Chains9. Satan’s Confusing Counterfeits

10. Spirits From Other Worlds11. Thieves in the Church12. Why God Said Remember13. Why the Old Covenant Failed14. The High Cost of the Cross15. Hell-Fire16. Is It Possible to Live Without Sinning?17. Blood Behind the Veil18. Spirits of the Dead19. The Brook Dried Up20. Death in the Kitchen21. The Search for the True Church22. Is It a Sin to Be Tempted?23. Is Sunday Really Sacred?24. Heaven ... Is It for Real?25. Rendezvous in Space26. Christ’s Human Nature27. Point of No Return28. The Rich Man and Lazarus

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