Godliness and Physical Exercise

1 Timothy 4:8 “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.” Note that godliness not only has promise for the life to come, but also for the present life. The thrust of the verse is not to point to the virtue of physical exercise or all that it may imply, but to use it as a contrast to something which is really valuable -- godliness. An application of the verse today might be as follows: a pretraining stress ECG for a middle-aged man is of some value, but if you really want value now (physically) and in the hereafter, be exercised in godliness.

Medicine can certainly teach us something about body maintenance, yet it is godliness that has the most to do with the maintenance. Somehow, things have gotten turned around. Christians routinely seek physicians' advice on health maintenance while remaining heedless of ungodliness in their lives. Christian physicians routinely bypass obvious ungodly behavior which has possible adverse health consequences in their patients -- a quick temper, unforgiven sin, unconfessed guilt, etc. We don't even think of these as health issues, or, we put them aside as “not in our field.”


Excerpt from "How Would God Have Us Practice Preventive Medicine?"

South Carolina Citrus

Those of you who remember Dr. Terrell know of his love of tropical plants and his uncanny ability to get them to grow outside of their normal zone. In case you were the recipient of some of his juicy, South Carolina oranges, try this delicious recipe:


ORANGE WALNUT BREAD
Makes 1 loaf  

2 1/2 c. flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 c. butter, melted
2/3 c. freshly squeezed orange juice
2 T. orange extract*
1 c. coarsely chopped walnuts (or pecans)

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine eggs, melted butter, orange juice, orange peel, and water; add all at once to flour mixture. Stir quickly until dry ingredients are moistened.  Stir in nuts. Turn into greased and floured 9x5x3" loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until done. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. Slice and serve with butter.

* Or freshly grated orange peel. Dr. Terrell's oranges have a very thin peel which makes grating it for zest very difficult, so extract was substituted.

Economics and Preventive Health

Preventive health is a big factor in the health care discussion. President Barack Obama claims that preventive care saves money, and provision for preventive care is included in the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The data, however, does not support the money-saving claim, as the New England Journal of Medicine discussed. The data didn't support it when Dr. Terrell wrote about it earlier in his career, and it still doesn't support it. Furthermore, as Dr. Terrell wrote, preventive care ought not to be justified merely on an economic basis.

A U.S. Senator from Florida wrote one of his constituents to state that if “seniors” would allow themselves to be diagnosed earlier, then “the chance of successful treatment” would be greater and the treatment would be less costly. Even if that were so, which it by and large is not for those near the end of life, it would not save money. What would happen is that the elderly person would live to require other services of dependency and to acquire yet another chronic disease which is likely to be more costly to treat, simply because he will be older and more frail.

In crass economic terms, it is cheaper to die young and expensive to die old. Preventive medical care for the elderly should be defended on the grounds of compassion and what is best for God's kingdom, not societal economics. Socialist arguments grounded in “what the country can afford” are hollow and will echo back awful things in the near future. Pro-life people should avoid them! Economics must be taken into account but by the proper authorities (individual, family and church). We do not hold our bodies in stewardship before the state. The state will not consider the Bible as authoritative in making decisions about health expenditures. Having sold us the economic argument for health maintenance, the state will turn around to plead the same argument when it first permits, then mandates euthanasia.

Excerpt from "How Would God Have Us Practice Preventive Medicine?"

Godly Preventive Medicine

[P]reventive medicine is an idea thoroughly consistent with scripture. God has granted life, and He requires that we be good stewards of each life. God is “pro-life!” Each human being bears His image. Though the image is not our physical appearance, we are to honor God's image in all people by supporting their life and refusing to take innocent life. The answer to the Westminster Larger Catechism question #136 includes preservation of life under the sins forbidden in the sixth commandment: “... the neglecting or withdrawing the lawful or necessary means of preservation of life; ...immoderate use of meat, drink, labor, and recreation, provoking words, oppression, quarreling, striking, wounding, and whatsoever else tends to the destruction of the life of any.” Obedience to the sixth commandment is more fully accomplished by godly living than it is in preventive medicine (as it is presently conceived).

Excerpt from "How Would God Have Us Practice Preventive Medicine?"

God's Law for All

The moral law in Scripture is not just for Christians. It does have different functions for Christians and non-Christians. For Christians are under grace, and we see in the law what Christ has done for us and also how He expects us to behave in serving Him. For non-Christians the law shows them the deadness in which they exist and their need of deliverance.


Excerpt from "Trusting God or Trusting Ourselves"

American Individualism

Americans are reflexively individualistic. Don’t tread on me no longer means don’t mess with the state of Vermont corporately as it did originally. It means don’t tread on me, individually. I am my own boss. No one tells me what to do. The hero of many movies, especially action and adventure movies is the rugged individualist. Did John Wayne ever stop to consult with his family, with his church, with the governor? I don’t recall it ever happening. It was John Wayne against the bad guys, and the only touchstone was his conscience.


Excerpt from "Trusting God or Trusting Ourselves"

Ready to Die

The death of Moses in itself could almost compose a foundation for a study of dying. The account is found in Deuteronomy 32 through 34. He died at 120 years of age. “His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor abated.” [Deut. 34:7b] In this natural vigor he sang a song, which is most of the 32nd chapter of Deuteronomy.

No long period of declining vigor for Moses. No faltering memory, uncertain steps, failing voice. There was vigor, utility in God’s service, then he was taken. Moses’ last words were many and well-composed. Many people would like to die this way. But, to die this way, you have to be ready to die at every moment. God graced Moses with notice where Moses’ bodily decline did not give him notice.


Excerpt from "Are We Christians Dying to Meet Him?"