Christian Natural Health

Today we jump around in scripture a lot. Here are some of the verses: John 10:3-5 Romans 3:4 John 10:27 John 8:47 Jeremiah 33:3 Rev 3:20 Isaiah 30:21 James 4:8 Jeremiah 29:13 Heb 8:6-13 Psalm 37:4 Col 3:15 1 Kings 19 Hebrews 4:12 and more... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post: Spotlight On: Baking Soda. To find a root cause doctor in your area, check out wholehealthdr.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast is a meditation on how to pray for the world in dark times. Our anchor verse is Proverbs 4:23. Other scriptures discussed include: - Philippians 4:6-8 - Colossians 3:15 - James 5:16 - Psalm 2 - 2 Cor 3:14 - Matthew 9:38 - Romans 1:19-22 - Luke 12:2-3 - 2 Chronicles 7:14 - Psalm 37:34 - Proverbs 26:27 - Proverbs 11:21 - Genesis 50:20 - Romans 8:26-28 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post, Clotting: The Real Cause of Heart Disease? To find a local holistic doc near you, go to wholehealthdr.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Bob Hasson (hass-en) is a businessman, author, consultant and podcaster. He is both the founder and CEO of HPCI, a painting subcontractor he founded in 1978 and that operates across the western U.S. For over 30 years, he has been active as a consultant and board member for churches, ministries, non-profits and school boards. A sought-after speaker, Bob has co-authored books with Danny Silk and Shawn Bolz. He has been married for 33 years to his wife, Lauren, and they have four children and two grandchildren. To learn more about Bob, go to bobhasson.com, or follow him on Instagram @bob.hasson Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post: How Uric Acid Affects Blood Pressure. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Don and Esther Parsons have served in cross-cultural missions for over 25 years. Sensing the call to use their language and cultural skills in the region where their missionary ministry began, Don joined the staff of Mission Eurasia in 2020 working as the only western member of their Field Ministries Team. Through Mission Eurasia’s vast regional network and working with other partners Don is serving as Ministry Director for the Unreached People Groups Initiative; mobilizing, inspiring, and equipping the next generation of leaders in Eurasia to take the Gospel to the unreached in Eurasia and beyond. This new challenge allows Don to use his extensive experience and training to help equip the church in Eurasia to impact the nations in profound ways. When the war broke out on February 24, Don’s focus and direction with Mission Eurasia changed. He is currently heading the relief efforts of Mission Eurasia in Warsaw, Poland, through work with several refugee relief centers providing for physical and spiritual needs. Don and the Mission Eurasia team meet with and encourage refugees, organizing provisions and much needed counseling services. To learn more about Don and Mission Eurasia, go to: Website: https://missioneurasia.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missioneurasia Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissionEurasia Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missioneurasia/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/missioneurasia/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8FIPHrNVyXOGoqWSalOCMg/featured Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Coach April is an international speaker and author who loves to exhort people to tap into their greatness to identify who they really are! Now a Certified Fitness Trainer, April carried around the weight of feeling fat for many years after a boy called her “big” at the ripe age of 12. Finding her identity in Christ is what set her free, and now she challenges and supports her clients to change both the inside and outside; tackling both mindset and physical fitness with programs like the 90 Day Breakthrough, Clean Eating and Love My Body Challenges. April believes everyone is able to make the changes they desire, whether by baby steps or giant leaps—they just have to start moving! Her vision is to get the Body of Christ and anyone who is interested in reclaiming their health to make sound choices that will lead to victory in their overall lives! To learn more about Coach April and for a free gift, see loseweightloveyourbody.com or find her books on kingdompowerliving.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Jared Zeff is a licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine and a licensed acupuncturist. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Dr. Jared Zeff currently teaches at the Bastyr University, College of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Zeff is considered a traditionalist, practicing a classical form of naturopathic medicine. He began a private practice in McMinnville, Oregon, based around obstetrics and family medicine. He was named “Naturopathic Physician of the Year” in 1989 for his contribution to the development of naturopathic clinical theory. In April, 2002, he was given the first Lifetime Achievement Award of the Northwest Naturopathic Physicians Association for his contributions to naturopathic medical education. For more on Dr Zeff, see www.salmoncreekclinic.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Defeating Anxiety and Control Realize you are not in control anyway - that is an illusion. Think back over the events in your life: list the other times that you have tried to control your circumstances. Did it work? What was the outcome? Admit that you are powerless to make your life work out the way you want it to. (You might as well, because it’s true whether you admit it or not.) Psalm 127:1: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” Proverbs 21:30: “There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.” Proverbs 19:21: “Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 16:9: “In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.” God wants to be first in your life. This is the key to defeating control and anxiety: we are anxious when we want something more than we want to follow God. Letting go of the thing we desire is terrifying (in fact, it feels a lot like dying to ourselves), but it is the only path to peace. The paradox is, God promises that if we lose our life, that is when we will find it. As long as we insist on controlling our lives, it will remain forever out of control. Matthew 6:33-34: “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Proverbs 21:21: “Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor.” Matthew 10:39: “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” Matthew 16:25: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.” Psalm 37:4: “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Matthew 5:3: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:5: “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” When we let go of “trying to find our lives” (whatever the problem is that obsesses us), we will experience grief - but it is a good, healing grief. It is a grief that leads to joy in the end, because it is the only path to life. Psalm 126:5: “Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy.” Matthew 5:4: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Psalm 30:5: "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning." What to do instead: God invites you to bring your troubles to Him. Matthew 11:28: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” 1 Peter 5:7: “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Philippians 4:4-7: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Psalm 55:22: “Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall.” God is a good God; therefore you can trust Him. He is for you and not against you; He wants good things for you. (And He is in a better position to know what is good for you than you are. If you doubt this, stop and think about some of the things you wanted desperately in the past and didn’t get.) Isaiah 46:3-4: “You whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Jeremiah 33:41: “I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.” Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” Isaiah 58:11: “And the Lord will... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: The Dark Side of Statins. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Ronald D. Ramsey retired from corporate life after a twenty five-year career as an organization development consultant specializing in large scale culture change. After earning a doctorate in family therapy, he has worked as a licensed marriage and family counselor in private practice. In 2017 he completed the requirements of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education for hospital chaplaincy with additional training in Palliative Care chaplaincy. The majority of his work since then has been with patients receiving palliative care and their families. Ron is the author of the powerful book Forty Days to Forgiveness: A Christian’s Field Guide to the Forgiveness Journey. The book draws from Ron’s experiences as an organization development consultant, his knowledge of the behavioral sciences and theological studies, and his own unforgiveness challenges, to lead readers on a life-changing forgiveness journey. For more on Ron, see fortydaystoforgiveness.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Devin Burke is an international and TEDx speaker, the bestselling author of “The Sleep Advantage,” the founder of Sleep Science Academy, and one of the top health and sleep coaches in the world. His books, keynotes, programs and videos have inspired thousands of people to improve their sleep, energy, and life. Devin Burke helps high achievers and exhausted insomniacs get and stay asleep so they can wake up with more peace, power and presence. He was named one of the “Top 25 Health Coaches in America.” and has studied innovative holistic coaching methods from some of the world’s top health and human performance experts for over a decade. As a speaker and coach, he has inspired thousands of people to open their eyes to what is possible through creating new sleep, health and performance habits, and routines. For more on Devin, see SleepScienceAcademy.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr Moshe Daniel Block is the author of The Revolution of Naturopathic Medicine: Remaining True to Our Philosophy, a book about the philosophy and practice of naturopathic medicine, and Holistic Counseling – Introducing the Vis Dialogue, a book about a breakthrough healing method uniting the worlds of Mind-Body Medicine & Psychology. He graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Ontario) in 2000. Dr Block then went on to complete the Homeopathic Master Clinician course with Louis Klein in 2003. He now focuses his practice doing one on one "Physician, Heal Thyself!" and mentoring appointments with NDs and students enrolled in his mind-body medicine certification program called "Holistic Counseling." He continues to specialize in autoimmune illness and myasthenia gravis, a disease he was personally diagnosed as having and from which he has healed himself. For more on Dr Block's counseling certification, see https://holistic-counseling.ca/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Michael Andrews is the author of “The Influential Christian: Learning to Lead from the Heart.” He has taught and preached in a number of churches across the country over the past 30 years. He retired as an engineer from the telecommunications industry, after directing several research and development projects. In addition to his degrees in electrical engineering, Michael has a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry. He is an ordained minister affiliated with the Churches of Christ. To learn more about Mike, see mwandrews.com, or see his book The Influential Christian here. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

We jump around, but these are the scriptures mentioned: 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Colossians 3:13: "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do." Matthew 6:12, 14-15. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (The same prayer also appears in Luke 11:4) Luke 6:37 also says, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." Luke 17:4:“And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, ‘I repent,' you shall forgive him.” Matthew 18:21-35: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, ‘Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 “But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, ‘Pay me what you owe!’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.’ 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 “So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses.” Mark 11:22-26: So Jesus answered and said to them, “Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” James 5:13-16:"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Luke 17:3:“Take... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, is the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Dr. Cohen conducts research examining integrative medicine practices such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and other strategies aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life. He is also conducting research to demonstrate that lifestyle changes can influence cancer outcomes. In addition to publishing more than 125 scientific articles in top medical journals and numerous book chapters, Dr. Cohen and his wife, Alison Jefferies have published their own book, titled “Anticancer Living,” which outlines six pillars of lifestyle change to support health and well-being and reduce the risk of cancer. Dr. Cohen in fact is living proof that this approach works, as the day he finished his book, he received notice that he himself had cancer. He then “lived his book” and today is cancer free. For more about Dr Cohen and Alison, see anticancer-living.com or check out their book, Anticancer Living. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Norm Wielsch was an agnostic police officer for over 25 years. He was exposed to many traumatic incidents and diagnosed with PTSD. Then he was diagnosed with an incurable debilitating neuromuscular disease, and had over 25 surgeries in ten years. He was prescribed opioids for the pain, and soon began to abuse the opioids to relieve the negative emotions of PTSD. After that, his daughter was diagnosed with liver tumors, and the prognosis was poor. This placed him in a downward spiral that led him to make some very poor decisions that led to a 14-year prison sentence. He responded to God’s calling, and though divine intervention, his daughter and he were both healed. He spent over 8 years in Federal prison where he co-pastored the church and taught how God heals PTSD. In prison, he obtained a master’s degree in Theology and Counseling, then a doctorate in Christian Counseling. He went on to become a Registered Addiction Counselor and pastoral care provider in a residential treatment facility. He wrote a book called, “Christ-Centered Healing of Trauma: Healing a Broken Heart” and a small group study guide to go with it. Both are on sale now. To learn more about Norm, see www.christ-centeredhealing.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Rick Kirschner is a retired speaker, author of 9 books, filmmaker and vitalist naturopathic physician. He is coauthor of the international bestseller, ‘Dealing With People You Can’t Stand’ now in it’s third edition and in 27 languages. He is the past President of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute. He has worked with some of the world’s best known organizations and businesses, from NASA to Starbucks to the US Army and National Guard, as well as city, state and national governments, hospitals and healthcare conglomerates. His documentary film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History Of Medicine is available for free viewing on his website, TalkNatural.com He lives just across the long bridge in Sagle, Idaho with his wife, one eyed cat, and 5 chickens. To learn more about Rick, see https://talknatural.com/. To watch his film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History of Medicine, click here: https://talknatural.com/documentary.html Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's meditation and retelling is from Acts 16:16-40. Introduction: I always thought it strange that this demon-possessed girl announced the truth of Paul and Silas’s message, and yet the disciples found this troublesome. Why would a demon endorse their message, and if it did, why would that be a bad thing? There must be something we’re missing. Perhaps this gave the distinct impression to listeners that Paul and Silas were in cahoots with the demons. Jesus was accused of this very thing, too (Luke 11:15). Also, if this demon-possessed girl bothered Paul (whatever the reason), why did it take him “many days” to cast the demon out? Why didn’t he do so at once? We’re not told what was going on that would have hindered this solution, so we can only speculate. Andrew Wommack’s interpretation is that perhaps the girl had no desire to be free of the demon. If that were the case, as Jesus said, casting out one demon without replacing it with a new Spirit might leave her with more demons than she started with in the end (Matthew 12:44). As a naturopathic doctor, I think of this as similar to a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics. They might wipe out the pathogen, but if you don’t repopulate with good bacteria to defend the territory against subsequent attacks, opportunistic organisms may invade instead. The end state of that patient’s digestion and health generally can then be worse than it was to begin with. Perhaps Paul and Silas waited to see if the girl might give any indication that she wanted deliverance. But after many days of her presumably hindering their message and preventing others from coming to the Lord, they’d had enough. Unfortunately, the girl turned out to be a valuable slave, because of the demon. In their anger, her owners dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates of the city. I’m not sure why Paul didn’t tell the magistrates that they were Roman citizens then, since apparently that would have changed everything. Perhaps God told them to keep their mouths shut about that for the time being, though it seems like if that were the case, it would have been recorded. Also, while the apostles were certainly persecuted in many cases for their faith, I can’t think of a time in scripture when God explicitly told them to submit to persecution because He intended to use it for the greater good, even though He always did so. God taking evil and turning it for good certainly isn’t the same thing as God causing evil and turning it for good. Later in Paul’s life, God specifically tried to lead him away from Jerusalem, apparently to spare him persecution (Acts 21:4-11). It therefore seems more likely to me that in the ensuing brouhaha, Paul just couldn’t get a word in edgewise. I love how God redeemed this miserable story, though. Beaten, bloody, in stocks so they couldn’t even move, and now thrown into prison, Paul and Silas surely didn’t feel like singing. Yet they offered a sacrifice of praise, anyway (Hebrews 13:15). This time, God didn’t send an angel, but an earthquake. He needed to make sure the jailer was awake to see Paul and Silas’s deliverance. As a result, rather than committing suicide (since the jailer knew that if all the prisoners escaped on his watch, he would be killed for his negligence), he and all his family were saved. Not only that, but the Roman law protected Roman citizens from being punished without a trial (Acts 22:25-29). When the magistrates learned they had thus treated Roman citizens, they were afraid, for their positions and possibly even for their lives. Naturally, word of the scandal would spread—“Did you hear what the magistrates of Philippi did to two Roman citizens? Yes, and without trial!” The next question of course would be, “What did the men do to deserve such treatment?” And so the gospel might spread even farther than it might have otherwise. Also, magistrates in other cities would be careful not to repeat the offense, protecting Paul and Silas from similar treatment... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. is a veteran psychologist and was the long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Glenn has sold $30,000,000 of marketing consulting services over the course of his career. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food. To learn more about Glenn, see neverbingeagain.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Victoria Davis’s career began in the music industry after attending NYU’s Music Business program. While attending school, her passion for health began while working at a renowned allergy- friendly bakery. This experience was the catalyst to her shifting her focus to a career in health and healing. In the years following, she experienced radical healing from Tourette Syndrome, panic attacks, anxiety, depression, food intolerances, and feminine health concerns. Today, Victoria is a Strategist for Health and Fitness Businesses and speaker, combining her experience as a Health Coach, Certified Sports Nutritionist, Personal Trainer, and health-conscious baker. She is also the author of the book, Addicted to Health. She specializes in vision-casting and program development for Christian health and fitness business owners for their clientele’s unique needs. For more about Victoria, see victoriapdavis.com or healthaddictionfree.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Kathleen Trotter, MSc, is a fitness expert, media personality, personal trainer, writer, and author of Finding Your Fit: A Compassionate Trainer’s Guide to Making Fitness a Lifelong Habit and Your Fittest Future Self. Making Choices Today for a Happier, Healthier, Fitter Future You. Kathleen has been a personal trainer and fitness expert for almost twenty years. Key Takeaways: Consistency is better than perfection. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Keep your long-term goals in mind. Set up systems to keep yourself on track on those inevitable days when you "don't feel like it." Use dopamine to your advantage to help you celebrate your "small wins" along the way. Cultivate a growth mindset. Use your bad days to set you up for better days in the future. Choose a form of movement that you enjoy. Links Kathleen mentions in the interview: Kathleen's article on dopamine Kathleen's review on "Mindset" Kathleen's review of "Atomic Habits" kathleentrotter.com Facebook: @FITbyKathleenT Instagram: @fitbykathleent Twitter: @fitbykathleent Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post on Spotlight On: Chamomile. Chamomile flowers are in the daisy family, also known as asteraceae or compositae. Compounds beneficial to health are many and varied, and it is generally recognized as safe for consumption with few contraindications. Chamomile is probably best known as an herbal tea, with over one million cups consumed per day, though there are other ways to access its health benefits as well. Which benefits you’re after may influence the form of chamomile you choose to use medicinally. Chamomile for Digestion and Menstrual Cramping A carminative herb used to calm digestive upset, chamomile is known for the anti-spasmodic effects of the bioflavonoids apigenin, quercetin, and luteolin. These compounds also decrease inflammatory prostaglandin release (the same mechanism of action of NSAIDs), and extract well into water, making them easily absorbable from tea. Anti-inflammatory effects are found in the essential oil components (called chamazulene and α-bisabolol) which don’t extract as well into tea. Bisabolol also helps to prevent and treat stomach ulcers by decreasing pepsin production without affecting HCl production. These constituents are best absorbed via capsule or tincture. Anti-spasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects of course are both useful for menstrual cramping and pain, too. Chamomile for Anxiety, Depression, and Insomnia Chamomile tea is one of my favorites for a nightly “wind-down” routine before bedtime, helping to calm the mind and acting as a gentle sedative. This may be due to the plant’s water-soluble glycine content, a calming amino acid which assists the body with getting into deeper stages of sleep. Chamomile has indeed been shown to improve sleep quality. Because of this gentle calming effect, chamomile has been shown to even significantly reduce moderate to severe generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, and to assist with depression when it is comorbid with anxiety disorder as well. Chamomile for Infection, Wound Healing, and Skin Care Topically, chamomile’s antioxidant polyphenols can assist with wound healing and restoration of a breached skin barrier. Since polyphenols extract well into water, a compress soaked in strong chamomile tea and applied to, say, a sunburn, may assist with quicker healing. A similar compress, or even a wet tea bag, can be used on skin lesions such as acne, styes, or eczema; this is because in addition to antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, chamomile is also antimicrobial. Since a breached skin barrier often leads to opportunistic infection by normal skin flora, topical chamomile may assist the healing process in multiple ways. The essential oil has been studied for its antihistamine purposes for atopic lesions as well (see below). Chamomile’s antioxidant properties have also been utilized topically for reduction of fine lines and wrinkles. Chamomile for Allergies There is evidence that chamomile stabilizes mast cells, thus decreasing release of histamine for those who suffer from allergies, those with histamine intolerance, and as an adjunctive treatment for those with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Disorder. These effects were observed from the alcohol tincture extract form. The Upshot Chamomile tea is consumed worldwide in large quantities for a reason, though it’s helpful to know which effects you’re after to help choose the most appropriate extraction method. Bioflavinoids apigenin and quercetin are water soluble, which means they will easily be extracted into a tea. These are helpful for anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-anxiety, antioxidant, and sedative properties. Essential oil components chamazulene and bisabolol do not extract as well in water. These are better consumed either in powder or capsules made from the whole dried flowers, an alcohol extract, or using the essential oil itself (diffused or topically). These have been observed to protect against ulcers, and to stabilize mast... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

A meditation and retelling of Acts 12:5-19 Introduction: It’s amazing to me how involved angels seemed to be in the early church. This is at least the third time Peter has encountered one: the first was after Jesus’ ascension (since the story in John of Peter at Jesus’ empty tomb didn’t indicate that he encountered the angels there). The second time was when an angel had helped Peter to escape prison once before, in Acts 5. Historians date that escape in the same year as Pentecost. Given that, I’m not sure why Peter was so surprised to find himself delivered this time, though it was estimated to be about twelve years later. Perhaps it wasn’t the deliverance that surprised him necessarily, but simply the fact that he felt he was having a vision. Maybe there was a dreamlike quality to this encounter because it was in the middle of the night. Still, though, James the brother of John, one of Jesus’ core three disciples, had just been martyred publicly by the sword, to the delight of the Jewish mob (Acts 12:1-3). It certainly looked like Peter might die the next morning, too, and Jesus himself told the disciples that they could not expect to escape persecution (Matthew 24:9, Mark 10:30). Despite all this, Peter slept so peacefully that the angel had to strike him to wake him up. Either he was not bothered by the prospect of death, or perhaps he expected that he would escape somehow, given Jesus’ prophecy that he would not be martyred until he was an old man (John 21:18). Since the story mentions that the church was praying for Peter constantly (Acts 12:5), perhaps it was their prayers that dispatched the angel to free him. We’re not told the exact cause and effect, though this seems to be the implication—even though they, too, were pretty shocked to see him when he showed up (Acts 12:14-16). This Mary was mother of John Mark, who wasn’t one of Jesus’ original apostles, but instead was Barnabas’s cousin (Colossians 4:10). Barnabas and John Mark both traveled with Saul, later called Paul (Acts 12:25). At this point, Saul and Barnabas were in town (Acts 11:30), and since Mary was Barnabas’s relative, it’s possible they were staying with Mary when Peter showed up. Saul’s conversion was estimated to be not quite a decade before this, though it would be around another six years before he went on his first missionary journey—so I wonder if the other believers were still getting used to him. Neither Barnabas nor Saul are mentioned in the story, though. Why in the world did the believers in Mary's home suppose it was more likely that it was Peter’s angel at the door (presumably his guardian angel, as mentioned in Matthew 18:10) than Peter himself? Were their encounters with angels in the early church really so common as that? Perhaps… an angel again appeared at the end of the chapter, to strike down Herod for his arrogance (Acts 12:23), which presumably meant Peter could return to the city freely. Later, an angel also appeared to Paul during the tempest at sea (Acts 27:24), and the writer of Hebrews mentions that sometimes we can entertain angels without knowing it (Hebrews 13:2). At least the early church didn’t consider encounters with angels nearly so unusual as we might today. Fictionalized Retelling: “Seize him!” Herod’s soldiers surrounded me even as I was in the middle of my sermon to the assembly of the Jews before the Temple. I had no hope of escape. My listeners scattered, and I turned a resigned expression upon my captors. Even as they shackled my wrists and led me away, I marveled somewhere in the back of my mind at how much had changed, in how short a period of time. These were the days of Unleavened Bread, leading up to the twelfth Passover since Jesus had been crucified. Nearly twelve years ago, I had denied Him. I’d feared for my own life, that I might share his fate. Now, even though my brother in the Lord, James, had been publicly executed by Herod only days before, a fate Herod surely intended for... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Johnny Crowder is a suicide/abuse survivor, TEDx speaker, touring musician, mental health and sobriety advocate, and the Founder & CEO of Cope Notes, a text-based mental health platform that provides daily support to users in nearly 100 countries around the world. Since his first keynote in 2011, Johnny's refreshingly candid perspective has attracted praise from hundreds of outlets, including Upworthy, CNN, and Forbes. Even when commanding a virtual stage or touring with his metal band, Prison, his infectious positivity and firsthand experience with multiple mental illnesses (ranging from bipolar disorder and OCD to schizophrenia) uniquely equip him to provide realistic, yet hopeful insight into the pains of hardship with authenticity, levity, and unconventional wit. For more about Cope Notes, you can go to copenotes.com For more about Johnny, you can learn about him on johnnycrowder.com or johnnycrowderlovesyou on Instagram. His Ted Talk On YouTube: How to Grow as a Person and Why It Sucks Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Chacko is the new author of Amazon best seller Pilgrimage: A Doctor’s Healing Journey. She practiced medicine for decades, first as a radiation oncologist and later as a family medicine doctor, caring for the poor in Washington, DC. Now Donna works in the ministry she founded, Serenity and Health, to promote health of body, mind, and spirit. Dr. Chacko will send Three Keys to A Holy, Happy and Healthy Life to listeners of the podcast when they sign up for her newsletter and blog.To learn more or to purchase Pilgrimage, go to https://www.serenityandhealth.com/pilgrimage . Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Wendie Trubow, M.D., MBA is a functional medicine gynecologist with a thriving practice at Five Journeys, and is passionate about helping women optimize their health and lives. Through her struggles with mold and metal toxicity, Celiac disease, and other health issues, Trubow has developed a deep sense of compassion and expertise for what her patients are facing. She is the co-author of Dirty Girl: Ditch the Toxins, Look Great, and Feel Freaking Amazing! To learn more about her, please visit: https://www.fivejourneys.com Instagram https://www.instagram.com/5journeyshealth/ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/wendietrubowmd Twitter https://twitter.com/5JourneysHealth Facebook https://www.facebook.com/fivejourneys LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendietrubow/ Youtube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBIkSOxPL3t3wQuKmnGwGRA/about Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from Daniel 6. Introduction: I’ve known the story of Daniel and the lion’s den since I was a kid in Sunday School classes, but I never really considered before what Daniel was thinking at the time. As I wrote some of these retellings, it was obvious that the heroes were actually terrified and full of doubts, like Gideon. Samson wasn’t at all fearful, but he’d placed his confidence in himself, rather than in God. It was only very rare individuals that seemed to be completely confident in the Lord. David and Jonathan clearly had this mentality, because the things they said to those around them just before their exploits revealed their thoughts. With Daniel, it’s not quite so clear, until you put this event in chronological context with the rest of the book of Daniel. The first half of the book of Daniel is historical, telling events that transpired during Daniel’s lifetime as the kingdom changed rulership. The second half, from chapter 7 through 12, is prophetic, in which Daniel is treated to a series of profound visions which encompass the “silent” years of the Old Testament through the coming of Christ, and then apocalyptic visions that harmonize with John’s account in Revelation. We’re told in Daniel 5:31 and 6:1 that this episode of the lion’s den occurred during the reign of King Darius, and historians say he only reigned for two years. We also know from Daniel 9:2 that Darius was king during the time that Daniel received his famous seventy weeks prophecy, so these two events must have occurred relatively close to one another in time. In the seventy weeks prophecy, Gabriel appeared and helped Daniel to understand that while Jeremiah’s prediction of seventy years of captivity (Jeremiah 25:11-12) was nearly over for Israel, there was a deeper meaning for the seventy years as well. There would also be seventy weeks of years, or 490 years, from the time of the rebuilding of Jerusalem, until the end of the age. It would be sixty-nine weeks of years from the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the Messiah would come (and according to “The Coming Prince” by Sir Robert Anderson, from the time Nehemiah was sent to rebuild the walls of the city, sixty-nine weeks of years, where a year in the calendar of the day was 360 days, would work out to 173,880 days. This is to the day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey on Palm Sunday, proclaiming himself to be king, Luke 19:28-44.) That last week of years, or the last seven years, will be the end of the age—and the rest of Daniel’s seventy weeks prophecy describes the antichrist, the covenant with Israel that begins those seven years, and the abomination of desolation 3.5 years in, which will initiate the last 3.5 years of tribulation. Daniel’s prophecy here doesn’t indicate that there is a gap between the 69th and the 70th week, though some scholars believe that was because there didn't have to be a gap: had the Jews accepted Jesus as Messiah when he rode in on Palm Sunday, the first and the second coming might have been one and the same. This might have been why Jesus wept as he rode into town (Luke 19:41-44). As it was, there is a pause in Daniel’s timeline “until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in” (Romans 11:25). In my retelling, therefore, I imagined how full Daniel’s mind must have been with such wonderful revelations. He’d seen and spoken with God’s messenger, not once, but twice (Gabriel also came to him in Daniel 8:16). He’d been in captivity nearly all his life, and now in his eighties, he realized that the time drew near for his people to return to Jerusalem. His prayer in Daniel 9:4-19 is so impassioned, one can almost picture him weeping as he contends for their release. Gabriel told him that he was greatly beloved (Daniel 9:23), and told him that not only did the time draw near for his people’s release, but also showed him God’s entire plan for history. Meanwhile, Darius wanted to promote Daniel because, like Pharaoh had said of Joseph,... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: Spotlight on: Oregano. Oregano might be primarily associated in our minds with pizza and Italian food, but it’s also a powerful medicine. A member of the mint (Lamiaceae) family which also includes basil, lavender, marjoram, and sage, oregano is a hearty plant that doesn’t require a lot of water or even especially fertile soil. It’s an easy one to grow on a sunny kitchen windowsill. While the fresh or dried herbs will certainly confer additional nutrition to your dishes, most of the studies on oregano as medicine have been done using its powerfully concentrated essential oil. The active constituents are called thymol and carvacrol. Here are some of the medicinal properties of these compounds. Oregano: Antimicrobial Oregano essential oil has been shown to be effective against a wide variety of different species of bacteria, and is one of the most effective antibacterial essential oils. In test tube studies, it has been shown to neutralize multiple viruses within a single hour of treatment. Oregano has also been recognized for its antifungal properties as well. Oregano as an Anti-Inflammatory Inflammation is always a secondary process, so I suspect that given oregano’s other properties, it’s natural that it also acts as an anti-inflammatory. Yet it may have a direct anti-inflammatory effects as well; animal studies have shown reduction in inflammation for a variety of different lesions, as well as for colitis. Oregano as an Antioxidant The active constituents thymol and carvacrol have been shown to have high antioxidant activity (1, 2). This goes hand in hand with decreased inflammation, as oxidative damage produces inflammation. Oregano for Metabolic Support Oregano has recently been studied for its metabolic support as well. It has been shown to assist in lowering blood sugar and in elevated lipids, which go hand in hand. Hypertension is also part of this picture, and oregano also helps in regulating blood pressure. The Upshot While you might not notice dramatic effects from adding more oregano leaves to your meals, they certainly have enough beneficial properties to contribute to an overall healthy and nutrient dense diet. To enjoy some of the medicinal benefits, choose oil of oregano in capsules, or as an essential oil diluted in a carrier oil such as olive or jojoba for topical use. Note that oil of oregano is contraindicated in pregnancy. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's meditation and retelling comes from Luke 1:5-25, 39-80. Background music by www.bensound.com. Foreword: Zacharias and Elizabeth are the only other truly elderly couple in scripture to bear a child, besides Abraham and Sarah. There are a lot of parallels between Isaac and John the Baptist. Why this couple, and why now? Why did his need to be a “miraculous” birth? Gabriel did tell Zacharias that his prayers for a child were heard (Luke 1:13), so we know that Zacharias and Elizabeth wanted children long before this. Zacharias’s response to Gabriel’s good news was skepticism, based upon their ages (Luke 1:18), which suggests that he’d given up praying for children long ago, when he thought that it was too late. But given all the promises in scripture for fertility for those who followed the Lord, and the fact that this couple was blameless (Luke 1:6), I’m sure they wondered why it seemed that the Lord had not fulfilled His end of the promise. Elizabeth also called her barrenness a “reproach” (Luke 1:25). We know from the question the disciples asked Jesus about the man who was blind from birth (John 9:1-5) that it was a common belief among Israelites that physical ailments were a direct punishment for personal sin. Thus, like blameless Job, the people likely would have believed that it was some sin on their part that had kept them from bearing children all these years. Yet God had not forgotten them… it just took faith and patience (a lot of it!) for them to inherit this particular promise (Hebrews 6:12). One reason for this likely is because John’s conception and birth would have caused such a stir, and attracted such attention. Gabriel appears to Zacharias while he is performing his duties at the Temple, and the fact that he is subsequently struck dumb alerts everyone who was waiting for him outside the temple that he must have seen a vision (Luke 1:21-22). Then, after five months of seclusion, elderly Elizabeth reveals to all that she is pregnant. Imagine the whispers! She gives birth to the child, and then on the eighth day they break with all tradition and name him John, a name found nowhere in their lineage. As soon as Zacharias complies with Gabriel’s final decree, his tongue is loosed, and he announces to all the onlookers that this is to be the prophet they have all been waiting for these four hundred years. Had his conception and birth been ordinary, this child would not have caused such a stir, or such expectation (Luke 1:65-66). That’s one reason why the Lord probably chose an elderly, faithful couple to be the parents of John the Baptist. But I suspect the other reason is because Elizabeth and Mary were close relatives (Luke 1:36). (In my retelling, I imagined that she was her great aunt, though the scriptures don’t say what their exact relationship is.) They obviously knew each other well, though, because Mary goes to stay with Elizabeth for three months. This close relationship with another woman who had a miracle pregnancy was probably very important for Mary, who was being asked to take such an enormous step of faith, knowing she would be ostracized for getting pregnant out of wedlock. Not only does Elizabeth’s pregnancy confirm Gabriel’s words for Mary, but then the Lord reveals to Elizabeth that Mary, too, is pregnant, by the Holy Spirit, and with the Son of God (Luke 1:42-45)! I’m sure Mary very much needed this confirmation of the angel’s word to her, and the encouragement. While scripture never talks about the relationship between Jesus and John the Baptist as children, given the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth and the prophetic connection between the two boys’ lives, they must have known each other before they each stepped into their ministries. And Jesus was born “in the fullness of time” (Galatians 4:4-7); he could not have come any earlier than He did. His forerunner had to just barely precede him. So had the Lord granted... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: The Anti-Aging Nutrient You've Never Heard Of. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post, Health Benefits of Algae. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast is a meditation on the scriptures of our identity in Christ, from the verses below. Who We Are and What We Have In Christ "Through him and for his name’s sake, we received grace and apostleship to call people from among all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith” (Romans 1:5) “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand” (Romans 5:1-2). “Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!” (Romans 5:9) “when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son… how much more… shall we be saved through his life!... rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom we have now received reconciliation” (Romans 5:10-11). “those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (5:17). “through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous” (5:19). “Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, [so] we too may live a new life” (6:4). “count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus” (6:11). “you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God” (7:4). “we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (7:6). “there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (8:1-2). “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you” (8:9). “you received the Spirit of Sonship… Now if we are children, then we are heirs – heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ” (8:15, 17). “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called; he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified” (8:30). “in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us” (8:37). “you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another” (Romans 15:14). “in him you have been enriched in every way – in all your speaking and in all your knowledge” (1 Cor 1:5). “we have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us” (1 Cor 2:12). “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor 2:16). “All things are yours” (1 Cor 3:21). “you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). “the man who loves God is known by God” (1 Cor 8:3). “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ. And so through him the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God” (2 Cor 1:20). “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing” (2 Cor 2:14-15). “in Christ we speak before God with sincerity, like men sent from God” (2 Cor 2:17). “Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant – not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor 3:4-6). “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Cor 3:18). “through God’s mercy we have this ministry” (2 Cor 4:1). “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: Acne: Root Causes and Treatments. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Trial Lawyer, Scott Pryor, turns real life tragedies into award winning screenplays and films. Pryor is the Founder and CEO of Pryor Entertainment which is a bi-coastal independent production company that creates films, tv, and content that inspires, empowers, and educates so that others may truly live. After setting the record for the second highest grossing domestic box office for self-distributed movies to theaters in 2020, on February 2, 2021, Pryor Entertainment is releasing digitally their most recent feature "Tulsa" starring Pryor, John Schneider, Livi Birch, Nicole Marie Johnson and Cameron Arnett. Pryor describes himself as a big kid with really big dreams whose goal in life is to Pioneer Hope. For more on Pryor entertainment, see officialscottpryor on all social media platforms, or pryorent.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Krystosik is a board certified chiropractic family physician, with an undergraduate degree in clinical nutrition. Dr. Krystosik has helped over 15,000 patients reclaim their health without drugs and surgery using safe, time proven, evidence based natural medicine. He is the author of 5 books on nutrition and functional medicine, including his best seller, “Carbs from Heaven, Carbs from Hell”. He’s been the host of a weekly health talk radio program, “The Other Side of Medicine,” for over 25 years and he is a nationally known speaker. To learn more about Dr Krystosik, see his website at theothersideofmedicine.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This retelling comes from Genesis 37, 39-45, and it appears in Blood Covenant Origins: Biblical Retellings. Introduction: Joseph is one of my favorite biblical characters; he’s such a great example of faith. It took thirteen years for his reversal of fortune to finally occur, and another nine years after that for the complete fulfillment of God’s promise to him. Yet if he ever wavered in his faith that God would fulfill what He showed him in his two dreams, we have no record of it. This is even more incredible when you consider that Joseph had no written scriptures to cling to like we do. He wouldn’t have even had an oral tradition of previous faith heroes similar to himself. While Abraham his grandfather had to wait 25 years for the promised child, the circumstances had little in common with Joseph’s own circumstances. He couldn’t read about the 13-17 years between King David’s anointing and when he finally became king, for instance. Moses had not yet written Deuteronomy, telling him all the blessings he could expect if he remained faithful to the Lord. All Joseph had to go on were two cryptic dreams… but it was enough. It’s fitting that the first dream showed his brothers’ sheaves of grain bowing down to his, considering it was the famine and grain distribution that propelled him to second in command of Egypt in the end. The one charge leveled against Joseph by some is that he started out arrogant: after all, what was he thinking, telling his brothers (whom he knew already envied him, due to his father’s blatant favoritism) that God had told him he would rule over them? Maybe this was arrogance, or at best, a decided lack of wisdom. He was only seventeen at the time, after all. Also, with the exception of the death of his mother when Benjamin was born, Joseph had presumably lived a charmed life: the coat of many colors that Jacob had given him was the attire of a great landowner, even though Joseph was the second youngest of twelve brothers. (Pretty foolish of Jacob, too.) It’s no wonder this galled them. Even so, their response to him shows how evil his brothers were, at that point. Had they not sold Joseph into slavery, they very well might have killed him—that was what they meant to do at first, after all. Despite this, despite slavery and then imprisonment, God said Joseph was prosperous and successful (Genesis 39:2-3, 23). Even though Joseph himself was not paid for any of his work, the blessing of the Lord was upon him, and therefore his master got blessed because of him. This is an interesting concept, that the overflow of God’s blessing upon us (Deuteronomy 28:2) can affect those around us who just happen to be in the way—including our bosses in this case, or our families as well (1 Corinthians 7:14). Joseph also happened to be very handsome (Genesis 39:6)—ordinarily a blessing, but under the circumstances it was a curse, as he drew the eye of Potiphar’s wife. If she was this aggressive, probably this wasn't the first time she had cheated on Potiphar. I suspect that the other servants, and maybe even Potiphar himself could compare what they knew of her and what they knew of Joseph and deduce the truth. But if Potiphar did not choose to believe Joseph, what could the other servants do? And wouldn’t it have disrupted Potiphar’s life more to have believed Joseph? He surely couldn’t have kept Joseph in his house with his wife; he had to get rid of one of them. So in my retelling, I assumed that Potiphar’s pride forced him to believe his wife, even though deep down he knew the truth. I would imagine that if he had truly believed his wife’s accusation, he would have had Joseph killed, rather than merely thrown into prison. So Joseph started out with two dreams of greatness, which led directly to his being sold into slavery for a decade (deduced from his age at the time he was sold, the number of years he was in prison, and his age when he was finally promoted). At the end of the decade, Joseph refused to commit... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: Health Benefits of Quercetin. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast is a meditation on the letters to the seven churches of Revelation 2-3 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Justin Frandson is an Athleticism Performance Coach that has worked with amateur and professional athletes for over the past two decades. He saw his athlete breaking down from the excessive levels of EMF from their SMART watches, wireless earbuds, and electric cars. He has tested hundreds of homes and clients. He sells the Grounding and Faraday Bags at doctor clinics throughout the country. The Grounding Bags are hand-mined crystals with moisture and magnetic properties to ground and repel EMF, all for a deeper night's sleep. This is Mother Nature's way of protecting us from the excess rollout of man-made radiation, not a man-made device attempting to keep up with the other man-made levels. To learn more about Justin, see athleticism.com or EMFRocks.com Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast is a meditation and retelling of 1 Samuel 8-10. Introduction How disappointing for God. He had chosen this nation, and had a special relationship with them, promising nothing but blessings galore (Deuteronomy 28), if only they would obey Him. He always intended to lead them personally, through one judge as His liaison. He knew they wouldn’t be faithful to Him, but I doubt that made it any less heartbreaking when time and time again, the people abandoned Him and worshipped false gods. He was covenant-bound to withdraw from them when this happened, leaving them open to the enemy to steal, kill, and destroy. When they’d had enough finally, the people would cry out and God would send the deliverer who was to be their next judge—whoever was the best option He had at the time. Samuel had been one of the good judges, and perhaps it wouldn’t have ended as it did if his sons had been like him. It is strange that Samuel thought his sons would succeed him though, since God’s judges were never meant to be a dynasty. Presumably Samuel also knew of his son’s shortcomings. It’s very clear in this story that God didn’t think a king was a good idea, and took it as a personal rejection (Hosea 13:11). Yet He granted what the people wanted anyway. It’s interesting how often in Old Testament stories God gives the people what they demand, even though He knows it isn’t for the best. God chose to make creatures with free will, and because of it, God rarely gets His first choice. I’m thinking of the story of Balaam: God told him not to go with Balak’s messengers the first two times he asked. Balaam should have left it at that, instead of pressing God to give in! But, Balaam wanted financial gain, just as the Israelites wanted to govern themselves rather than having to rely on God. Moses also permitted divorce, even though Jesus said that wasn’t God’s first choice either (Matthew 19:8). God gave the people what they asked for, consequences and all. At the same time, I have to wonder whether the Israelites’ desire for a king was somehow premature. Saul reigned for forty years, Acts 13:21, and David began to rule when he was thirty years old, just after Saul’s death, 2 Samuel 5:4. That means David wasn’t even born until the tenth year of Saul’s reign, though God began to look for a “man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14) in the second year of Saul’s reign. Saul’s beginning was certainly less than illustrious, and we can see seeds of the cause of his downfall, insecurity and fear of man, from the very beginning. It almost seems like Saul was just a placeholder, until David was old enough to be anointed and trained up in the “school of hard knocks,” as it were, to become ready for the throne. That said, it’s interesting how God used natural circumstances (Saul’s father lost his donkeys and had sent him and a servant to look for them) to bring Saul and Samuel together. Samuel’s prophetic insight to set aside the best cut of meat, expecting Saul to show up the next day, surely primed Saul to accept Samuel’s proclamation that he would become king. God knew that a man like Saul wouldn’t just believe such a word; he would need to be convinced. Then Samuel gave him a number of other confirmatory events to look for in the subsequent seven days, so that he would be ready for the big “reveal” of the man God had anointed a week later. Unfortunately, Samuel’s presentation fell flat when their new king was literally hiding among the baggage. Presumably his absurd behavior was why some of the men of Israel despised him. Shortly after this, God used an attack from their enemies as a means to galvanize Israel to fight under Saul’s leadership (1 Samuel 11). Thus Saul redeemed himself, earning a new and better coronation. Yet only a year later, in the second year of Saul’s reign, Saul disobeyed God for the first time, causing God to proclaim through Samuel that God would take the kingdom away from Saul and give it to a “man after His... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: The Toxic Effects of Glyphosate. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's blog review comes from this blog post: Fiber and the Benefits of Butyrate. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast is a meditation on the story of the Israelites' first attempt to take the Promised land from Numbers 13-14, when they finally went in and did it from Joshua 1-6, when Caleb took the mountain in Joshua 14, and the writer of Hebrews' reflection on what this means for us from Hebrews 4. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Dr. Eric Zielinski is the author of the bestselling primer on using essential oils for general health, The Healing Power of Essential Oils, which is in 8 languages worldwide. Together, he and Sabrina Ann Zielinski run the top health website devoted to brand-neutral essential oil education Natural Living Family, with more than 4 million users every year. In THE ESSENTIAL OILS APOTHECARY: Soothing Remedies for Anxiety, Pain, High Blood Sugar, Hypertension and Other Chronic Conditions they bring their masterful and authoritative knowledge to the complexities of chronic illness. For more on Dr Zielinski, please visit naturallivingfamily.com or eoapothecary.com. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Satan has power; he once had authority too (Luke 4:6), but Jesus won it back and gave it to us (Matthew 28:18, Colossians 2:15). Satan still tries to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). He's even more likely to do it if we're standing for God's word or against his plans (Mark 4:17, 2 Timothy 3:12). Now anything he tries to do to us is illegal, but he can still get away with it if we allow it. We must resist him, standing firm in faith (1 Peter 5:8-9, James 4:7). How we resist: Be aware who the real enemy is (Ephesians 6:12). Recognize that our weapons are spiritual and can tear down the enemy's strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:4). Our armor is God's, not ours--Jesus gave it to us (Ephesians 6:11, 13). Keep the truth (God's word) always buckled around your waist (Ephesians 6:14), or before your eyes, meditating on it consistently (Joshua 1:8). It is not just the truth, but the truth we know, that sets us free (John 8:32). Remember you are righteous through Christ (Ephesians 6:14)--unlike Old Covenant believers where disobedience took them out from under God's protection where Satan could curse (Deuteronomy 28:15), in the New Covenant, Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13) and gave us His righteousness. Now, every promise found in scripture is yes and amen for us (2 Corinthians 1:20). Don't let Satan tell you differently. He's the father of lies (John 8:44). Sin can still give place to the devil to come in and steal from you (Ephesians 4:27), but only because your heart might condemn you for it and rob our confidence in prayer (1 John 3:20-22). We must believe we receive when we pray (Mark 11:24). Unforgiveness is one way in which our own hearts may hinder our prayers (Mark 11:25-26). Remember you wrestle not against flesh and blood (Ephesians 6:12). Forgive them, so you can fight the real enemy behind them. Stay in peace (Ephesians 6:15). Confidence in prayer requires faith/trust (Philippians 4:4-7, Isaiah 26:3). The opposite of faith is fear (1 John 4:18). Since we have the authority Jesus won back from Satan for us (John 16:33, Matthew 28:18), Satan has to get us to fear him in order for him to get away with stealing from us. We do not have to accept the spirit of fear (Romans 8:15) but remember we have the spirit of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). "Above all," use faith to extinguish Satan's lies (Eph 6:16). We do this by renewing our minds with God's word (Romans 8:6, 12:2). We have the belt of truth already, but we have to mix the Word of truth with faith, or it profits us nothing (Hebrews 4:2). Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2); we must keep our eyes on Him. The helmet of salvation (Eph 6:17). I assume the significance of this is the fact that it's protecting the mind. The Holy Spirit is the seal that proves we belong to God (2 Cor 1:22, 5:5, Eph 1:13-14, 4:30), and He bears witness that we have salvation and belong to God (Romans 8:16). So Satan can't lie to us and tell us otherwise. The sword of the spirit (Eph 6:17): this is the only offensive weapon. Jesus used the Word as His weapon against Satan (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12-13, Luke 4:1-13). It is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). The word of our testimony of God's goodness likewise has power (Revelation 12:11). Pray with all kinds of prayer (1 Timothy 2:1), including supplication and intercession (Eph 6:18), praise and thanksgiving (Phil 4:7), and agreement (Matthew 18:19-20), with perseverance. When you have done all this, stand your ground (Ephesians 6:13). This is the persistence in faith that achieves results and justice (Luke 18:1-8). Forcefully lay hold of what Christ died to give you (Matthew 11:12)! The end: we will always triumph in Christ (2 Corinthians 2:14). We will overcome the world and the prince of the power of the air (Ephesians 2:2) with our faith (1 John 5:4). Even under the Old Covenant, God fought for His people in the spiritual realms... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today's podcast comes from this blog post: Are Soil-Based Probiotics Better than Traditional Probiotics? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Music by Ben Sound at www.bensound.com Today's meditation comes from Matthew 26:17-30, Mark 14:22-26, Luke 22:14-23, and John 13:1-30 Introduction: I found it rather difficult to synthesize the four versions of the Last Supper in the gospels, and particularly where Judas was, and where Satan was relative to Judas, at any given time. Matthew and Mark’s gospels kept the story simple and short, moving directly from Jesus’ mention that one of them would betray him into communion. There is no mention in those gospels that Judas left at all, or that Satan was present. They also both showed that Jesus started with the bread and then moved to the cup. There was no mention of anything Jesus told them afterwards, either; they just sang a hymn and then Jesus led his three closest disciples down to the Garden of Gethsemene. Judas clearly left at some point, because hours later he arrived in the Garden with soldiers; it just isn’t mentioned when. Luke went into more detail. He wrote in Luke 22:3 that Satan entered into Judas when he approached the chief priests and made a deal to betray Jesus. There was no mention that Satan departed Judas and entered into him again later, but perhaps he did, since John later makes mention that Satan entered into Judas after Jesus passed him the bread at the table (John 13:27). Also in Luke’s version, the cup came first and then the bread (not that this really matters). Jesus didn’t mention His betrayer until after communion in Luke’s version, suggesting that Judas was there at the time. Perhaps he was, though Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 11:27 that whoever eats and drinks the Lord’s supper in an unworthy manner is guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. I suppose this would not be any truer of anyone in history than of Judas that night. John didn’t actually describe the Last Supper in terms of the bread and the cup at all, but he alone recorded that Jesus washed the disciples’ feet. John 13:2 says that the supper was ended, though apparently the Greek phrase could have also been translated “during supper”—so I interpreted this as meaning they had eaten the Passover lamb and herbs, but Jesus had not yet instituted communion. Jesus’ comment that His betrayer was the one to whom He gave the bread after He had dipped it (John 13:26) is consistent with similar phrasing in Matthew 26:23 and Mark 14:20, just before Jesus institutes communion, suggesting this comment came first. Since John explicitly mentioned that Judas left right afterwards, and he was more specific about Judas’ whereabouts than Luke, his was the interpretation I used in the retelling. It also makes sense to me that Judas would not have been present for communion, for two reasons. First, Jesus hates hypocrisy (as evidenced by his many run-ins with the religious leaders), and he knew that Judas was not one of His, as He repeatedly said that night. If His betrayer were to take communion right before Him on the very night of His betrayal, it would have been the ultimate hypocrisy. Second, Jesus was always walking the fine line of trying to tell the disciples what was going to happen to Him in enigmas and riddles (Proverbs 1:6), but without spelling it all out until after He had already risen (Luke 24:13-49). There may have been many reasons for this, but one of them was surely that He didn’t want Satan to understand His plan, or else he would never have crucified the Lord of glory (1 Corinthians 2:8). Jesus knew Satan was in the room as long as Judas was. I suspect this was another reason why He didn’t want to explain about the body and the blood until after Judas had gone. Passover was instituted the night the Israelites left slavery. It was from then on both a ritual of remembrance, and also a prophetic act. The Egyptians painted the blood of their Passover lamb over their door posts, which protected those inside from the destroyer (Exodus 12:23). This was a perfect symbol of... Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This week's podcast comes from this blog post: Are Nightshades Inflammatory? Our sponsor: trylgc.com/cnh, and enter the coupon code CNH20 for 20% off your order. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.