2 BOCNEWS.com DECEMBER 2017 "Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none, but such as I have give I thee: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." — Acts 3:6 It is one of the most touching accounts in the Scriptures. Imagine a man who never in his life was able to stand up and walk. He had been unable to walk from birth. He was totally depen- dent on friends or relatives to carry him to a place where he could be a beggar. He was at a Jewish temple. He was at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful. He was there to beg from passersby for alms or monetary gifts. He was totally dependent on the money some might even throw his way. He was the poorest of the poor, and the lowest of the low. Utterly impoverished and dependent on those who would stoop to help him. Day after day he lay helpless for all to see him, and help if they would. What else could he do? He could not be gainfully employed. It was a miserable, and wretched way to live. He did not ask to be in the condition he was in. He was doing all he could do. All he could do was call out and say something like: "Alms for the poor!" Along comes now two men walking together. They did not look like rich men, but this beggar would ask any- one within ear shot for alms. One of the men told him to focus his attention on them: "Look on us." The lame man focused his eyes upon them, expect- ing to receive a donation no matter how small. He was dismayed at first by what he heard as one of them said: "Silver and gold have I none-That is, I do not have any money. But such as I have I am going to give you." He had never heard anyone say such words to him! Then he heard a command:" In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk." Walk? No one had ever asked him to walk! But he tried. He got help as Peter reached down and helped him to his feet. He sud- denly felt strength in his legs and feet. A new sensation never experienced before. He realized for once in his life he could stand! His feet and legs had a new-found strength, agility, and mobil- ity. So what did he do? He walked, and leaped and praised God. You and I would do the same! He would never have dreamed that this was the last day he would be just a beggar sit- ting helplessly watching others walk around him. He could not get enough of walking, jumping, leaping and prais- ing God! But after this signal act of healing came a powerful and encour- aging sermon as noted in Acts 3. So, there was not just going to be mental, and physical healing, but also spiritual healing as Peter preached his heart out to all who could hear him. Have you seen them on the corners of our streets and on freeway exits? They are beggars just like the man with no name at the Gate Beautiful. They hold up signs with words like "Help if you can" "Anything helps, and God bless!" We may not know it but these people have at times mental, physical and spiritual maladies and they do in fact need help. Its just that there seems to be too many who need help! We might not have any measure of medical training but we can help people with holistic healing, that is spiritual, physical, and mental heal- ing. First of all the scripture are full of information to help us depart from sinful soul-destroying habits, and addictions. Someone has said there are over 3,000 promises in the Bible. they are actually a source of strength and courage for all of us. We can hide these words in our heart and get strength. We can learn from the scriptures that our bodies are the temple of God and we need to care for them in keeping with this text: I Corinthians 6: 19 and 20. If we care for our bodies as if they belong to God we will be healthier and not abuse our bodies. We can learn from the Scriptures how to cope with depres- sion and stress We can learn simple things from the Internet we can share with people about the need to eat right, stop smoking, control your blood pres- sure, control your diabetes if you have it. control or eliminate alcohol use, and control sexual behavior. We need to understand the need to see a doctor when needed and do not just go in because you are acutely ill. I have spent many hours on hospital wards, intensive care units, in clinics, and nursing homes. I do not need for anyone to tell me that there is much pain and sickness in this world we live in. It is sad to note that by our failure to just take care of ourselves we may bring much pain and illness on our- selves. This is really preventable. I believe all of us who believe the Scriptures need to practice purpose- driven health ministry. That is help people to be spiritually, physically, and mentally whole. We can do this even if we have no medical training as noted above. We just need to believe we can do this and that we should do it. We need to make this a subject of prayer and pray for those who need help and we all need help. We need to help as many as possible live the more abundant life as Jesus promised in John 10:10. Purpose-Driven Health Ministry Dr. Conner By Byron E. Conner, M.D. HEALTH RELATIONSHIPS They hold up signs with words like 'Help if you can' 'Anything helps, and God bless!' We may not know it but these people have at times mental, physical and spiritual maladies and they do in fact need help. Its just that there seems to be too many who need help! 10 Warning Signs You’re Not Ready To Say ‘I Do!’ MARRIAGE IS SERIOUS! God takes it seriously, and so should we! But in an age where wed- dings take up more conversation time than marriage itself, it’s easy to jump into an engagement on a wave of infatuation without asking some hard questions! In the Church, marriage is sometimes used as a “solution” for sexually immoral couples – even though marriage won’t fix a struggle with lust! Other times engagement happens as the natural next step for a couple who’ve been together for years, but haven’t evaluated the true state of their relationship. Christian marriage is a picture of the gospel and as such, should not be taken lightly! God wants the best for His children, and He gives us guidance in order to find His will. Sometimes that guidance comes in the form of warning signs: SIGNS WE SHOULDN’T SAY “I DO” AT ALL! Here is PART 1 of ten things that should make you pause before getting engaged or married: 1. You don’t share the same faith. For followers of Christ, it’s not just suggested that we marry a fellow believer; it’s commanded! This isn’t because God is cruel or unfair. Rather, it is because of God’s incredible love and protective nature that He issues this com- mand. In the Old Testament He forbade intermarrying with people who served other gods for the precise reason that those gods would lead His children astray. In the New Testament, we’re com- manded not to form intimate rela- tionships with unbelievers for the same reason: doing so pulls us away from our foundation! Paul did give instructions to those already married to unbe- lievers, but he did so understand- ing how difficult that road would be! When we unite ourselves to someone who doesn’t share our faith, we’re putting a human relationship ABOVE our relationship with God. We’re also uniting our- selves to someone who has nothing in common with us spiritually or eternally, and who does not possess the Holy Spirit to guide thoughts and actions. It’s a dangerous game, and it grieves God. 2. You have different life callings. If one person in a relationship is called to overseas missions and the other does not share this call, something has to be resolved. Whose calling will the couple follow? This isn’t something that can be “figured out” after the vows! God places individual passions and skills within each of us. We get to steward those gifts for His glory! But if we partner with someone who refuses to go along with the use of those gifts, we’ll forever be in conflict over honoring our marriage or honoring our call. Have the discussion before engagement, and be honest with each other regarding your dreams. 3. Your partner is financially irrespon- sible. Finances might not seem like a major issue pre-marriage, but they become one as soon as those vows are said. A unified couple is completely honest about their financial status and habits – even sharing a joint bank account. But when one partner is financially irresponsible, it doesn’t just affect them as a person; it affects the marriage and the future of By Dr. Sandra Powell Sandra Powell Continued on Page 7