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Worship: For Heaven’s Sake “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” . . . the only thing in our world upon which we can rely is the word of God. . . . When we learn the power of His word, we shall not follow the suggestions of Satan in order to obtain food or to save our lives. Our only questions will be, What is God’s command? and what His promise? Knowing these, we shall obey the one, and trust the other.” DA 121.2 (Read more below.)
Wellness: For Health’s Sake Pastor Flemons, a doctor of biblical wellness, reviewed three articles that provided the inspiration for the topic or reasons to avoid getting the flu vaccination. (Read more below.)
(NOTE: Before following any advice given here, please read our disclaimer on this page.)
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Worship: The Three Temptations of Christ
Wellness: The Dangers of Flu Shots
TOPICS THIS WEEK – May 28 – June 3
Worship Sunday – The Temptation; Monday – The Victory; Tuesday – “We Have Found the Messias”; Wednesday – At the Marriage Feast; Thursday – In His Temple; Friday – Nicodemus; Saturday, the Sabbath – “He Must Increase” [All topics per Desire of Ages by Ellen G. White.]
Wellness Sunday – The Dangers of Flu Shots
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Words of Encouragement
Psalm 119:11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.
Psalm 34:5 They looked unto him, and were lightened. And their faces were not ashamed.
For Heaven’s Sake…
That’s how Jesus was able to succeed against the three temptations of Satan in the wilderness after forty days and nights of fasting. The Holy Spirit, says Pastor Flemons, led Jesus into the wilderness for communion with God the Father to be strengthened for His earthly mission. But after forty days of fasting, Jesus was extremely hungry. Satan hurled his greatest temptations at Jesus when Jesus was at His weakest. He will do the same to followers of Jesus. And in the same way, God’s people must overcome the same three temptations: appetite and passions, presumption, and true worship to God in every way and on His seventh-day Sabbath, rather than worship to Satan in any way or on any legally enforced day of worship, regardless of circumstances.
“In the last great conflict of the controversy with Satan those who are loyal to God will see every earthly support cut off. Because they refuse to break His law in obedience to earthly powers, they will be forbidden to buy or sell. It will finally be decreed that they shall be put to death. See Rev. 13:11-17. But to the obedient is given the promise, ‘He shall dwell on high: his place of defense shall be the munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.’ Isa. 33:16. By this promise the children of God will live. When the earth shall be wasted with famine, they shall be fed. ‘They shall not be ashamed in the evil time: and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied.’ Ps. 37:19. To that time of distress the prophet Habakkuk looked forward, and his words express the faith of the church: ‘Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.’ Hab. 3:17,18. DA 121.3
“Of all the lessons to be learned from our Lord’s first great temptation none is more important than that bearing upon the control of the appetites and passions. In all ages, temptations appealing to the physical nature have been most effectual in corrupting and degrading mankind. Through intemperance, Satan works to destroy the mental and moral powers that God gave to man as a priceless endowment. Thus it becomes impossible for men to appreciate things of eternal worth. Through sensual indulgence, Satan seeks to blot from the soul every trace of likeness to God. DA 122.1
“The uncontrolled indulgence and consequent disease and degradation that existed at Christ’s first advent will again exist, with intensity of evil, before His second coming. Christ declares that the condition of the world will be as in the days before the Flood, and as in Sodom and Gomorrah. Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart will be evil continually. Upon the very verge of that fearful time we are now living, and to us should come home the lesson of the Saviour’s fast. Only by the inexpressible anguish which Christ endured can we estimate the evil of unrestrained indulgence. His example declares that our only hope of eternal life is through bringing the appetites and passions into subjection to the will of God. DA 122.2
“In our own strength it is impossible for us to deny the clamors of our fallen nature. Through this channel Satan will bring temptation upon us. Christ knew that the enemy would come to every human being, to take advantage of hereditary weakness, and by his false insinuations to ensnare all whose trust is not in God. And by passing over the ground which man must travel, our Lord has prepared the way for us to overcome. It is not His will that we should be placed at a disadvantage in the conflict with Satan. He would not have us intimidated and discouraged by the assaults of the serpent. ‘Be of good cheer,’ He says; ‘I have overcome the world.’ John 16:33. DA 122.3
“Let him who is struggling against the power of appetite look to the Saviour in the wilderness of temptation. See Him in His agony upon the cross, as He exclaimed, ‘I thirst.’ He has endured all that it is possible for us to bear. His victory is ours. DA 123.1
“Jesus rested upon the wisdom and strength of His heavenly Father. He declares, ‘The Lord God will help Me; therefore shall I not be confounded: . . . and I know that I shall not be ashamed. . . . Behold, the Lord God will help Me.’ Pointing to His own example, He says to us, ‘Who is among you that feareth the Lord, . . . that walketh in darkness, and hath no light? let him trust in the name of the Lord, and stay upon his God.’ Isa. 50:7-10.
“‘The prince of this world cometh,’ said Jesus, ‘and hath nothing in Me.’ John 14:30. There was in Him nothing that responded to Satan’s sophistry. He did not consent to sin. Not even by a thought did He yield to temptation. So it may be with us. Christ’s humanity was united with divinity; He was fitted for the conflict by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. And He came to make us partakers of the divine nature. So long as we are united to Him by faith, sin has no more dominion over us. God reaches for the hand of faith in us to direct it to lay fast hold upon the divinity of Christ, that we may attain to perfection of character. DA 123.3
“And how this is accomplished, Christ has shown us. By what means did He overcome in the conflict with Satan? By the word of God. Only by the word could He resist temptation. ‘It is written,’ He said. And unto us are given ‘exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.’ 2 Peter 1:4. Every promise in God’s word is ours. ‘By every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God’ are we to live. When assailed by temptation, look not to circumstances or to the weakness of self, but to the power of the word. All its strength is yours. ‘Thy word,’ says the psalmist, ‘have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.’ ‘By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths of the destroyer.’ Ps. 119:11; 17:4.” DA 123.4
(This study is based on Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1-13 and chapter 12, “The Temptation” in The Desire of Ages (DA), by Ellen G. White.)
For Health’s Sake…
The first article inspired the topic, as it urged college students to be more proactive in getting vaccinated. The flu epidemic on college campuses were blamed on the lack of getting flu shots. Not so, says Pastor Flemons. The epidemic of flu or any other disease is due to a lack of proper hygiene. “Flu doesn’t come because you don’t get the flu shot,” anymore than cancer comes because you failed to get enough chemo. Over a million people were kept free of disease during a forty-year pilgrimage, because of proper diet and hygiene. And they didn’t have the conveniences to practice proper hygiene, he added, speaking of the children of Israel under the leadership of Moses.
The second article gives the history of the program that Congress created to compensate victims of vaccinations who had brought lawsuits against vaccine manufacturers and health care providers that administered the vaccines. Congress created The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP). Congress was “fearful that these lawsuits would result in vaccine shortages, deter the production and development of additional vaccines, and reduce vaccination rates in the United States.” In 1988, as part of the NVICP, the federal government established The Vaccine Injury Compensation Trust Fund to both compensate those injured or killed by vaccines and to ensure a continued production of necessary vaccines. “The fact that this organization exists proves the dangers of flu shots,” says Pastor Flemons.
The third article presents the Top 10 reasons to skip the flu shot:
- 1. It’s ineffective. You get the flu anyway. Because flu shots are created months in advance, it is only an educated guess as to which of the many strains of the virus will cause the most trouble.
- 2. It’s all about money. “Specifically, members Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – stand to make billions of dollars from successful sale of the pharmaceuticals.”
- 3. Immunization is a fallacy. The vaccine introduces the flu virus to the body. The body’s immune system is lowered and symptoms of the virus are created. Pastor Flemons, quoting Scripture, says, “Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one” (Job 14:4).
- 4. No benefits for infants nor children. There is no evidence that children ages 6 to 23 months benefit from the vaccine. Pastor Flemons adds, “at any age!” At the same time serious complications, including death, have been discovered.
- 5. Increased threat to those at risk. Those whose immune system is already suppressed are further compromised by the shot, which introduces a virus into the body. Increased susceptibility to pneumonia and other contagious diseases is risked.
- 6. Hazard of mercury toxicity. The heavy metal mercury is “known to cause memory loss, respiratory problems, cardiovascular disease, attention deficiency disorder,” and other health concerns. And the “amount of mercury contained in a multi-dose flu shot far exceeds the maximum allowable daily exposure limit.” That alone is dangerous.
- 7. Evidence of neurological disorders. “Many receiving flu shots during the 1976 swine flu outbreak suffered permanent nerve damage. . . . flu vaccines can contain a number of hazardous materials, including formaldehyde, detergent and mercury, in addition to strains of the live virus.”
- 8. Greater risk of Alzheimer’s disease. “Receiving the flu vaccine for three to five consecutive years runs a 10-fold increase for developing Alzheimer’s disease than those who did not have any flu shots. In addition, aging tends to bring with it a weakened immune system (under ‘normal’ living habits), increasing the risk of dangerous symptoms when the flu virus is introduced to the body.”
- 9. Multiple strains bring multiple risks. “Receiving shots for multiple strains increases the health risk as greater numbers of viruses and harmful vaccines are introduced into your body.”
- 10. Overuse creates greater risk. Overuse of the flu shot and drugs for flu can cause the virus to mutate, creating a higher susceptibility to the flu.
Better options include vitamin C, oil or oregano, golden seal, or other natural remedy for flu, as well as a healthy diet and lifestyle. Depending on the state in which you live, you may opt out of a required vaccination at work for religious reasons. Contact Pastor Flemons (706-897-8537) for help with that.