Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 244 BOCNEWS.com AUGUST 2016 "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." — John 10:10 If you have ever been severely ill, you may recover and have then an appreciation about the immense value of good health. Perhaps even a relatively mild illness will serve to remind us of our humanity and how much we value feeling well rather than feel- ing sick. I had a near death experience that made me appreciate as never before the treasure of good health. I was serving as a missionary in Ethiopia in 1985 and while there, I became ill. This illness came as a result of living temporarily in an isolated place and eating the available food and water. When I moved back to the capital city Addis Ababa, I became acutely ill and soon I was diagnosed with hepatitis which causes inflammation of the liver and can be a fatal illness. I considered this a near death experience. The whites of my eyes and my skin turned a sickly yellow color. I had persistent nausea and vomiting. I had chills and fever, and intense aching of my body all over. I felt like I was being tortured. I was somewhat upset in that even though I was there to serve the people of my host country, this service did not prevent me from getting sick. In fact, I felt so dreadful there was a brief period of time when I really hoped I would die so I could escape the pain I was having. However, praise God I recovered completely from this illness and lived to testify about it. This left me with the ability to really empathize with people who tell me they are really feeling quite ill--been there, done that! We live in a world of sin and degradation and we are prone to illness and death until the Lord creates a new heaven and a new earth. However, until that glorious time comes, we have a remedy and respite for our sickness. The source of help for our sickness and the guideline to find eternal life is the Bible. If it has been awhile since you read it, I would like to advise you to look at the Scriptures in a way you may not have done before. Look at the Bible as a source of information to experience healing and also a reposi- tory of information to prevent illness. Consider it like an "owner's manual" written by our Creator to help us live longer and better. It has information to help us have physical, mental, social, and spiritual wellness. Modern medicine does offer us much infor- mation about our health that can allow us to recover from and prevent illness. One of the critical pieces of information we need to be aware of us is that our habits and personal choices play a major role in our state of health. Heart dis- ease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other causes of death and suffering are strongly linked to our personal choices and our lifestyle. In addition to this if certain diseases occur in close family members such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, we need to be especially vigilant and careful about our lifestyle. Look at just a few of the Scriptural references to help us live longer and better: Exodus 15:26: "If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His sight, and wilt give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee." Following the Lord's commandments can bring good health. I Corinthians 6:19&20: "What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's." We need to care for our bodies as if they belong not to us, but to God. Doing this can help us live longer and better. James 5: 13-15: " Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. Is any sick among you? 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: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up: and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." Personal and intercessory prayer can bring comfort and healing. This also has to do with our social well- ness. Philippians 4:6&7: "Be care- ful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplica- tion with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understand- ing, shall keep you hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Peace is important to our men- tal well-being and we can have this even during our final ill- ness. Isaiah 41:10: "Fear thou not: for I am with thee: be not dis- mayed: for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righ- teousness." God tells us to fear nothing and trust in him even if we are facing a catastrophic illness. Our lives are in His hands. I Corinthians 10:31: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. " This guides us in taking ethical responsibility for our habits, and will make us healthier Titus 2: 11-13: "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glori- ous appearing of the great God and or Saviour Jesus Christ." When all is said and done and no matter what may happen, we have the blessed hope! John 5:6: "When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, He saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?" The question Jesus asked is one we can ask ourselves, as by our choices and habits we can determine if we will be made whole (physically, mentally, spiritu- ally) or not. There are many other texts that can show us the way to live longer and better here, and live eternally. May God help you to find the more abundant life. WhatDoestheBibleSayAboutHealth? Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner, M.D. HEALTH Heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and other causes of death and suffering are strongly linked to our personal choices and our lifestyle. 1. HEZEKIAH WALKER - BETTER 2. WILLIAM MURPHY - DEMONSTRATE 3. EARL CARTER - MY LIFE IN YOUR HANDS 4. DA TRUTH - IT'S COMPLICATED 5. MYRON BUTLER - ON PURPOSE 6. DAYNA CADDELL - PUSH 7. SHIRLEY CAESAR - FILL THIS HOUSE 8. DOUG WILLIAMS - CROSS OVER 9. CHICAGO MASS CHOIR - WE GIVE YOU PRAISE 10. JONATHAN NELSON - FEARLESS