As a youngster, I liked to watch “The Untouchables” on TV , a series depicting the efforts of agent Elliot Ness to combat the criminal activities of various crime bosses such as Frank Nitti. In major cities like Chicago small businesses would be trashed by drive-by villains using their Thompson sub-machine guns,  and the business owner would later be told by nefarious individuals that he could avoid such future devastation by paying a “fee” for “protection”.

We need protection today no less than those business owners, since we live in a fallen world where threats surround us. The Bible refers to Satan as “the god of this world” and he has a certain amount of power temporarily. He is described as “a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour”. (the “shield of faith” protects against his “fiery darts”)

First of all, if you are not a Christian you are “wide open” to the attacks of Satan. He is real and he inflicts real harm. The Bible says that “hell hath enlarged itself” to accommodate all of those who fail to place their trust in Christ Jesus. Our Savior is described as “a strong tower” where “the righteous run into it and are safe”.

We described in the last article how Christians invite illness and early death upon themselves by failing to properly discern the Lord’s body at communion (see “Black and Blue Jesus”). In fact, God’s word tells us that Christians actually bring a curse upon themselves by this failure. Is that important? You bet it is!

You might want to place a bookmark at I Corinthinans 11:29,30 where this is all spelled out. That will be a reminder to you and your family and friends about how the proper realization and attitude about Jesus’ suffering actually gives you protection against many serious illnesses and even an untimely death. The key phrase is “not discerning the Lord’s body“.

A healthy body is maintained through following a good diet, getting enough sleep, drinking enough good quality water, getting enough exercise, and avoiding toxins when possible. (there are more and more of these, including aluminum in childhood vaccinations, mercury in flu shots, GMO ingredients in your food, and all of the extra sugar added to it.)

Once more…we as Christians believe that Christ took all of our sins upon himself so that we do not have to face the consequences of having committed them. We fail to realize that He also took all of our diseases upon himself so that we need not suffer them in our lives today. As Ripley said, “Believe it or Not!” Live with this added protection, or live with the curse you have brought upon yourself. Why does Jesus offer protection in this life and the next? It’ summed up in one word – LOVE.

Blessings,

Dr. J