Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
The apostle Paul instructed:
7But refuse profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness. 8For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.
Paul is telling us to refuse profane traps which cause us to think we accomplish something.
Profane means: that which is not Biblical ...
Paul warns us concerning getting caught up in exercise. He says exercise profits little.
Instead train ourselves to exercise ourselves unto godliness.
Certainly we must beware of secular saying concerning the humans body. The health and long life being sought so diligently by this world has to do with things opposite to that which is in the Bible.
Jesus said: Mt. 9 ... They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.
The medical profession today is eaten up by practice of "preventative medicine". They think they can prevent illnesses by regular exams.
You are also told to eat certain things and to avoid other foods.
But the Bible says ... 1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth. 4For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving: 5For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer. I Tim. 4
And what does Bible say concerning health and long life?
Eph. 6 ... 1 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. 2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) 3 That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
I Cor. 11 ... (cause of certain physical problems) Wrongly partaking of the Lord's supper, which is the Word of God. Eating the Word of God by reading but failing to do the word of God would be an example of this ...
26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come. 27 Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself (examine yourselves by what the scripture says and make appropriate corrections), and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (We judge ourselves by the Bible as we read it and by doing words delivered by the Spirit of God.)
Ex. 15 ... 26And said, 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.
There is a time appointed for each of us when we leave this earth. Do you have to be sick to die?
Elijah wasn't. God took him up by a whirlwind. And Enoch pleased God and was translated, not seeing death.
So seriously consider it when you are confronted with taking up a worldly plan to extend life as is presented often these days. When you are confronted with exercise plans and food, is this after prayer and Bible study, or is it recommended by another human. Isa. 2 ... 22 Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of?
We who are of God should consider that which God would say to us. There are many profane (secular) sayings which will put us in bondage for no good.
Don't we know the truth? These bodies are temporary. This life is temporary, approximately 70 years. (Psalm 90:9)
While on this earth, do we focus on that which will perish? or on that which is eternal?
Four years ago, I fell over a box, broke hip, surgery caused bone in leg to shatter. While I was in hospital a month, I never thought I would walk again. As strange as it sounds, I never even prayed about this situation. I just felt what would be would be and I just kept trying to serve God, even in hospital.
God gave dream to one of our church members showing him that I was walking, even without cane or walker. In time that is exactly what happened to me. It was the will of God that it go this way with me.
Recently Pam Padgett said to me she was amazed that I do so well physically at my age, 77 years old. I told Pam it doesn't surprise me. For more than 30 years, I have read Bible and have tried to adjust my life by what I read in Bible.
But what matters to me is serving God wherever I am and speaking the word of God wherever I am. If I can't do that, nothing really matters.
Concerning physician, the key for me would be "need". If I had a lot of pain which continued over a period of time, I would go to doctor for help. Last August I had terrible pain in the leg where there was operation. I could not take a step without severe pain. I even made doctor appointment. But then I examined a thought that came to me: What can doctor do? He could give me strong medicine to override the pain. I didn't want to take such. So I cancelled the appointment. In two or three days, the pain went away. (but hopefully I would also be asking God what I should do before going to doctor.)
So Paul says: exercise yourselves unto godliness ...
exercise: daily habits, procedures
- Bible reading daily
- Pay attention to that spoken to you by Holy Spirit
- Communicate with God by speaking with God
- Think on things of God
- As needed, correct self by word of God
For you are dead ... and your life is hid with Christ ...
Col. 3 ... 1 If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
5 Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: 6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: 7 In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them.
8 But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 9 Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; 10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:
... Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.... One definition of the word "affection" is to be influenced by ... Determine to be influenced by things above... by that which is in Bible ... and not by the way this world sees things.