Explore Holistic Health Through Faith: The Christian Natural Health Podcast
Join Dr. Lauren Deville as she delves into the intersection of natural health and Christian faith. Each episode offers insights and practical advice to enhance your well-being through a holistic approach.
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Bearing Fruit: A Meditation
Jesus says we should discern good people from evil people by their fruit (Matthew 7:16-20, Matt 12:33). Every seed bears fruit according to its kind (Gen 1:11) so this is how we can see physical evidence of what they've planted in their hearts.
But what fruit does He mean?
- Fruit of the Spirit: Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 6:22, 2 Cor 9:10, Eph 5:9, Phil 1:11, James 3:18, 2 Peter 1:5-8
- Fruit of righteousness is a "tree of life": Prov 11:30
Fruit of labors: Psalm 1:3, Psalm 92:14, Prov 12:12 (the root yields fruit... eventually I assume), Prov 31:31, Romans 15:27-28 (those who sow the gospel reap material provision), Phil 1:22, Col 1:10 (seems like good works are blessed to
- produce
- fruit, not that they are the fruit in and of themselves) Fruit of financial seed: Phil 4:17 (sowing finances to spread the gospel reaping fruit from the same) Fruit of trust = blessing: Jeremiah 17:7-8, Hosea 14:8 Fruit of wisdom/ good choices: Prov 8:19, Isaiah 3:10, Jeremiah 17:10, Jer 32:19, Matt 12:33, Luke 6:43-44, James 3:17
- Fruit of the Word / Kingdom: Matt 13:23, Matt 21:43, Mark 4:20, Luke 8:15, John 4:36 (including souls to eternal life), John 15:16, Romans 1:13 (souls), Romans 7:4, Col 1:6, James 5:7-8 (with patience)
- Fruit of discipline
- by
- the Word: John 15:2-8, Heb 12:11
Fruit of repentance: Matthew 3:8 (a changed heart/ways?), Luke 3:8 - Fruit of words ("you can have what you say"): Prov 12:14, Prov 13:2, Prov 18:20, Prov 18:21, Isaiah 57:19
- Includes praise: Heb 13:15
Negative fruit:
Fruit, or consequences, of poor/evil choices: Prov 1:31, Isaiah 10:12, Jeremiah 17:10, Jer 21:14, Jer 32:19, Matthew 3:10, Matthew 7:16-20, Matt 12:33, Luke 3:9, Luke 6:43-44, Romans 6:21, Romans 7:5
Fruit of negative words: Prov 18:21, Hosea 10:13
Fruit of negative thoughts: Jeremiah 6:19
No fruit of the kingdom (when their should be --those who profess to be believers): Luke 13:6-9, John 15:2, Jude 1:12
Dr Neil Nathan: Toxic
Dr Neil Nathan has been practicing medicine for 50 years, and has been Board Certified in Family Practice and Pain Management and is a Founding Diplomate of the American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine. He has written several books, including Healing is Possible: New Hope for Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, Persistent Pain, and Other Chronic Illnesses and On Hope and Healing: For Those Who Have Fallen Through the Medical Cracks. He has hosted an internationally syndicated radio program/podcast on Voice America called The Cutting Edge of Health and Wellness Today. He has been working to bring an awareness that mold toxicity is a major contributing factor for patients with chronic illness and lectures internationally on this subject which led to the publication of his ebook, Mold and Mycotoxins: Current Evaluation and Treatment, 2016, (now updated to 2022), and then to his best-selling book Toxic: Heal Your Body from Mold Toxicity, Lyme Disease, Multiple Chemical Sensitivities and Chronic Environmental Illness. His new book, out winter, 2021, is Energetic Diagnosis, a discussionof the value of intuition and energetic devices as an aid to both diagnosis and treatment of medical illness.Dr. Nathan has been treating chronic complex medical illnesses for 25 years now, and Lyme disease for the past 15 years. As his practice has evolved, he finds himself increasingly treating the patients who have become so sensitive and toxic that they can no longer tolerate their usual treatments, and his major current interest is in finding unique ways of helping them torecover.To learn more about Dr Nathan, see www.neilnathanmd.com
Ray Leight: Identity Restoration and Maturing Into Yourself
Having worked with CEOs, celebrities, church leaders and everyday people from every walk of life and countries around the world, Ray Leight has spent nearly two decades teaching people how to know, believe and live the truth of who they are. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and ADHD, discovering and living out of one's true identity in Christ is a journey he is all too familiar with. Cofounder (along with his wife, Kathryn) of Faith by Grace Ministries, he serves as a pastoral counselor with Bethel Church and is a devoted father and husband, as well as a sought-after speaker. He is also the author of 'Maturing Into Yourself: Grow Into the Fullness of Your Healing,' which explores the different aspects of the maturation process, beyond trauma and healing ... beyond experiencing revelation through spiritual discernment and finally believing the truth of who we are.
To learn more about Ray, see his book, Maturing Into Yourself, or go to faithbygrace.org
Interview with Dr Nayan Patel - Glutathione, Master Antioxidant
Dr. Nayan Patel is a sought after pharmacist, health expert, and thought leader in the industry. Since 1999, he has been collaborating with physicians to develop customized medication for their clients and design patient-specific drug and nutrition programs. He has been the pharmacist of choice to celebrities, CEO's and physicians themselves.
He recently published his first comprehensive book, The Glutathione Revolution: Fight Disease, Slow Aging & Increase Energy. After 11 years of clinical research on the master antioxidant, glutathione, Dr. Patel finally shares how powerful and essential glutathione is to the body's detox system. He talks about the various benefits it has with slowing down the aging process, and explains how to increase your levels naturally. Dr. Patel is a firm believer in providing the body with tools it needs to defend itself and promote a healthy lifestyle that fits the pace of the modern world.
To learn more about Dr Patel, see www.aurowellness.com.
Interview with Ryan Beck: CTO of Pray.com
Ryan Beck is the Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of Pray.com, the world's #1 app for daily prayer and faith-based audio content. Pray.com is driven by a mission to grow faith, cultivate community, and leave a legacy of helping others. Beck brings expertise in computer science, software engineering, and theological studies to his role as chief technology officer. He helped start Pray.com in 2016.
To learn more about Ryan, see https://www.pray.com/articles/founders
Dr Greg Hammer: Burnout and Mindfulness
Dr Greg Hammer is a Professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, pediatric intensive care physician, pediatric anesthesiologist, mindfulness expert, and the author of GAIN without Pain: The Happiness Handbook for Health Care Professionals.
A member of the Stanford WellMD initiative, Dr. Hammer is currently the Chair of the Physician Wellness Task Force for the California Society of Anesthesiologists. He has been a visiting professor and lecturer on wellness at institutions worldwide and teaches GAIN to medical students, residents, and fellows at Stanford.
Dr. Hammer's clinical focus is in pediatric cardiac anesthesia and pediatric critical care medicine. His research is in developmental pharmacology and immunology, and he has an active laboratory with multiple ongoing studies in these areas. He has published widely on topics related to pharmacology and perioperative care of children undergoing cardiac and thoracic procedures as well as organ transplantation. Dr. Hammer is a health enthusiast and meditator, utilizing a non-duality and mindfulness-based approach, including the GAIN method.
To learn more about Dr Hammer, visit greghammermd.com
Hearing God's Voice
Today we jump around in scripture a lot. Here are some of the verses:
- John 10:3-5
- Romans 3:4
- John 10:27
- John 8:47
- Jeremiah 33:3
- Rev 3:20
- Isaiah 30:21
- James 4:8
- Jeremiah 29:13
- Heb 8:6-13
- Psalm 37:4
- Col 3:15
- 1 Kings 19
- Hebrews 4:12
- and more...
Spotlight On: Baking Soda
This week's podcast comes from this blog post: Spotlight On: Baking Soda.
Praying in Dark Times
Today's podcast is a meditation on how to pray for the world in dark times. Our anchor verse is Proverbs 4:23. Other scriptures discussed include:- Philippians 4:6-8- Colossians 3:15- James 5:16- Psalm 2- 2 Cor 3:14- Matthew 9:38- Romans 1:19-22- Luke 12:2-3- 2 Chronicles 7:14- Psalm 37:34- Proverbs 26:27- Proverbs 11:21- Genesis 50:20- Romans 8:26-28
Clotting: The Real Cause of Heart Disease?
Today's podcast comes from this blog post, Clotting: The Real Cause of Heart Disease?
Shortcuts: Interview with Bob Hasson on Finding Your Purpose
Bob Hasson (hass-en) is a businessman, author, consultant and podcaster. He is both the founder and CEO of HPCI, a painting subcontractor he founded in 1978 and that operates across the western U.S. For over 30 years, he has been active as a consultant and board member for churches, ministries, non-profits and school boards. A sought-after speaker, Bob has co-authored books with Danny Silk and Shawn Bolz. He has been married for 33 years to his wife, Lauren, and they have four children and two grandchildren.
To learn more about Bob, go to bobhasson.com, or follow him on Instagram @bob.hasson
How Uric Acid Affects Blood Pressure
This week's podcast comes from this blog post: How Uric Acid Affects Blood Pressure.
Mission Eurasia: Interview with Don Parsons
Don and Esther Parsons have served in cross-cultural missions for over 25 years. Sensing the call to use their language and cultural skills in the region where their missionary ministry began, Don joined the staff of Mission Eurasia in 2020 working as the only western member of their Field Ministries Team. Through Mission Eurasia's vast regional network and working with other partners Don is serving as Ministry Director for the Unreached People Groups Initiative; mobilizing, inspiring, and equipping the next generation of leaders in Eurasia to take the Gospel to the unreached in Eurasia and beyond. This new challenge allows Don to use his extensive experience and training to help equip the church in Eurasia to impact the nations in profound ways.
When the war broke out on February 24, Don's focus and direction with Mission Eurasia changed. He is currently heading the relief efforts of Mission Eurasia in Warsaw, Poland, through work with several refugee relief centers providing for physical and spiritual needs. Don and the Mission Eurasia team meet with and encourage refugees, organizing provisions and much needed counseling services.
To learn more about Don and Mission Eurasia, go to:
Website: https://missioneurasia.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/missioneurasia
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissionEurasia
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/missioneurasia/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/missioneurasia/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8FIPHrNVyXOGoqWSalOCMg/featured
Kingdom Power Living - Interview with Coach April
Coach April is an international speaker and author who loves to exhort people to tap into their greatness to identify who they really are! Now a Certified Fitness Trainer, April carried around the weight of feeling fat for many years after a boy called her "big" at the ripe age of 12.
Finding her identity in Christ is what set her free, and now she challenges and supports her clients to change both the inside and outside; tackling both mindset and physical fitness with programs like the 90 Day Breakthrough, Clean Eating and Love My Body Challenges.
April believes everyone is able to make the changes they desire, whether by baby steps or giant leaps—they just have to start moving!
Her vision is to get the Body of Christ and anyone who is interested in reclaiming their health to make sound choices that will lead to victory in their overall lives!
To learn more about Coach April and for a free gift, see loseweightloveyourbody.com or find her books on kingdompowerliving.com.Download the latest episode of Christian Natural Health!
Naturopathic Philosophy - Interview with Dr Jared Zeff
Dr. Jared Zeff is a licensed doctor of naturopathic medicine and a licensed acupuncturist. In addition to maintaining a private practice, Dr. Jared Zeff currently teaches at the Bastyr University, College of Naturopathic Medicine in Seattle.
Dr. Zeff is considered a traditionalist, practicing a classical form of naturopathic medicine. He began a private practice in McMinnville, Oregon, based around obstetrics and family medicine.
He was named "Naturopathic Physician of the Year" in 1989 for his contribution to the development of naturopathic clinical theory. In April, 2002, he was given the first Lifetime Achievement Award of the Northwest Naturopathic Physicians Association for his contributions to naturopathic medical education.
For more on Dr Zeff, see www.salmoncreekclinic.com
Defeating Anxiety and Control
Defeating Anxiety and Control
- Realize you are not in control anyway - that is an illusion.
- Think back over the events in your life: list the other times that you have tried to control your circumstances. Did it work? What was the outcome?
- Admit that you are powerless to make your life work out the way you want it to. (You might as well, because it's true whether you admit it or not.)
- Psalm 127:1: "Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain."
- Proverbs 21:30: "There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord."
- Proverbs 19:21: "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails."
- Proverbs 16:9: "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps."
- God wants to be first in your life. This is the key to defeating control and anxiety: we are anxious when we want something more than we want to follow God. Letting go of the thing we desire is terrifying (in fact, it feels a lot like dying to ourselves), but it is the only path to peace. The paradox is, God promises that if we lose our life, that is when we will find it. As long as we insist on controlling our lives, it will remain forever out of control.
- Matthew 6:33-34: "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
- Proverbs 21:21: "Whoever pursues righteousness and love finds life, prosperity and honor."
- Matthew 10:39: "Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it."
- Matthew 16:25: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it."
- Psalm 37:4: "Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
- Matthew 5:3: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
- Matthew 5:5: "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth."
- When we let go of "trying to find our lives" (whatever the problem is that obsesses us), we will experience grief - but it is a good, healing grief. It is a grief that leads to joy in the end, because it is the only path to life.
- Psalm 126:5: "Those who sow in tears will reap with songs of joy."
- Matthew 5:4: "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."
- Psalm 30:5: "Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning."
- What to do instead: God invites you to bring your troubles to Him.
- Matthew 11:28: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
- 1 Peter 5:7: "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you."
- Philippians 4:4-7: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
- Psalm 55:22: "Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; He will never let the righteous fall."
- God is a good God; therefore you can trust Him. He is for you and not against you; He wants good things for you. (And He is in a better position to know what is good for you than you are. If you doubt this, stop and think about some of the things you wanted desperately in the past and didn't get.)
- Isaiah 46:3-4: "You whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you."
- Jeremiah 33:41: "I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul."
- Nahum 1:7: "The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him."
- Isaiah 58:11: "And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
- Psalm 34:10: "Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing."
- Psalm 84:11: "For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord bestows favor and honor; No good thing does he withhold From those whose walk is blameless."
- Psalm 103:2-5: "Praise the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits -- Who forgives all your sins And heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the pit And crowns you with love and compassion, Who satisfies your desires with good things So that your youth is renewed like the eagle's."
- Psalm 145:16-19: "You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing. ...He fulfills the desires of those who fear him."
- Once you have brought your troubles to God, and prayed for a solution, your job is to do the very hardest thing of all, for people like us: wait, and trust that God will do what He said He would do.
- Psalm 27:14: "Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."
- Psalm 37:3-5: "Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass."
- Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your paths straight."
- Isaiah 26:3: "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you."
- Isaiah 30:18: "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"
- Joel 2:25: "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten."
- 2 Samuel 23:5: "Will he not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire?"
- James 1:17: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows."
- But what if you are still supposed to do something to fix the problem? Part of trusting God is trusting that He will tell you what to do and when to do it (if you are supposed to do anything at all). That is why we have the Holy Spirit - he promises to guide you into ALL truth.
- John 14:26: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you."
- John 16:13: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come."
- Jeremiah 33:3: "Call unto Me and I will show thee great things and difficult, which thou knowest not."
- Jeremiah 6:16: This is what the Lord says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls."
- Psalm 32:8: "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you."
- Isaiah 2:3: "And he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths."
- James 1:5-8: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does."
- Isaiah 30:21: "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it.""
- Psalm 25:12-13: "Who, then, is the man that fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way chosen for him. He will spend his days in prosperity, and his descendants will inherit the land."
- When you act according to the leading of the Holy Spirit, now you are partnering with God and can have faith in the outcome.
- 2 Thessalonians 1:11: "By his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith."
- Isaiah 58:11: "And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail."
- Philippians 2:13: "it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose."
- Isaiah 48:17: "I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go."
The Dark Side of Statins
Today's podcast comes from this blog post: The Dark Side of Statins.
Ronald Ramsey: Forgiveness
Ronald D. Ramsey retired from corporate life after a twenty five-year career as an organization development consultant specializing in large scale culture change. After earning a doctorate in family therapy, he has worked as a licensed marriage and family counselor in private practice. In 2017 he completed the requirements of the Association for Clinical Pastoral Education for hospital chaplaincy with additional training in Palliative Care chaplaincy. The majority of his work since then has been with patients receiving palliative care and their families. Ron is the author of the powerful book Forty Days to Forgiveness: A Christian's Field Guide to the Forgiveness Journey. The book draws from Ron's experiences as an organization development consultant, his knowledge of the behavioral sciences and theological studies, and his own unforgiveness challenges, to lead readers on a life-changing forgiveness journey.For more on Ron, see fortydaystoforgiveness.comDownload the latest episode of Christian Natural Health!
The Sleep Advantage: Interview with Devin Burke
Devin Burke is an international and TEDx speaker, the bestselling author of "The Sleep Advantage," the founder of Sleep Science Academy, and one of the top health and sleep coaches in the world. His books, keynotes, programs and videos have inspired thousands of people to improve their sleep, energy, and life. Devin Burke helps high achievers and exhausted insomniacs get and stay asleep so they can wake up with more peace, power and presence. He was named one of the "Top 25 Health Coaches in America." and has studied innovative holistic coaching methods from some of the world's top health and human performance experts for over a decade. As a speaker and coach, he has inspired thousands of people to open their eyes to what is possible through creating new sleep, health and performance habits, and routines.
For more on Devin, see SleepScienceAcademy.com
Holistic Counseling: Dr Moshe Daniel Block
Dr Moshe Daniel Block is the author of The Revolution of Naturopathic Medicine: Remaining True to Our Philosophy, a book about the philosophy and practice of naturopathic medicine, and Holistic Counseling – Introducing the Vis Dialogue, a book about a breakthrough healing method uniting the worlds of Mind-Body Medicine & Psychology. He graduated from the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (Toronto, Ontario) in 2000. Dr Block then went on to complete the Homeopathic Master Clinician course with Louis Klein in 2003. He now focuses his practice doing one on one "Physician, Heal Thyself!" and mentoring appointments with NDs and students enrolled in his mind-body medicine certification program called "Holistic Counseling." He continues to specialize in autoimmune illness and myasthenia gravis, a disease he was personally diagnosed as having and from which he has healed himself.
For more on Dr Block's counseling certification, see https://holistic-counseling.ca/
Michael Andrews: The Influential Christian
Michael Andrews is the author of "The Influential Christian: Learning to Lead from the Heart." He has taught and preached in a number of churches across the country over the past 30 years. He retired as an engineer from the telecommunications industry, after directing several research and development projects. In addition to his degrees in electrical engineering, Michael has a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry. He is an ordained minister affiliated with the Churches of Christ.
To learn more about Mike, see mwandrews.com, or see his book The Influential Christian here.
Forgiveness: a Meditation
We jump around, but these are the scriptures mentioned:
- 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
- Colossians 3:13: "bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do."
- Matthew 6:12, 14-15. "And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (The same prayer also appears in Luke 11:4)
- Luke 6:37 also says, "Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven."
- Luke 17:4:"And if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times in a day returns to you, saying, 'I repent,' you shall forgive him."
- Matthew 18:21-35: The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant. 21 Then Peter came to Him and said, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" 22 Jesus said to him, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven. 23 Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. 24 And when he had begun to settle accounts, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and that payment be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down before him, saying, 'Master, have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 27 Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt. 28 "But that servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii; and he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, 'Pay me what you owe!' 29 So his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, 'Have patience with me, and I will pay you all.' 30 And he would not, but went and threw him into prison till he should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellow servants saw what had been done, they were very grieved, and came and told their master all that had been done. 32 Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, 'You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. 33 Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?' 34 And his master was angry, and delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was due to him. 35 "So My heavenly Father also will do to you if each of you, from his heart, does not forgive his brother his trespasses."
- Mark 11:22-26: So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. 23 For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. 24 Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them. 25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
- James 5:13-16:"Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. 14 Is anyone among you sick? 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. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. 16 Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.
- Luke 17:3:"Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him."
- 2 Corinthians 2:5-7: "But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent -- not to be too severe. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow."
- Matthew 18:15-20: "Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.' 17 And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector. 18 "Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. 19 "Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."
- John 20:23: "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."
Anti-Cancer Living: Dr Lorenzo Cohen and Alison Jeffries
Dr Lorenzo Cohen, PhD, is the Richard E. Haynes Distinguished Professor in Clinical Cancer Prevention and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Dr. Cohen conducts research examining integrative medicine practices such as meditation, yoga, acupuncture and other strategies aimed at reducing the negative aspects of cancer treatment and improving quality of life. He is also conducting research to demonstrate that lifestyle changes can influence cancer outcomes.
In addition to publishing more than 125 scientific articles in top medical journals and numerous book chapters, Dr. Cohen and his wife, Alison Jefferies have published their own book, titled "Anticancer Living," which outlines six pillars of lifestyle change to support health and well-being and reduce the risk of cancer. Dr. Cohen in fact is living proof that this approach works, as the day he finished his book, he received notice that he himself had cancer. He then "lived his book" and today is cancer free.
For more about Dr Cohen and Alison, see anticancer-living.com or check out their book, Anticancer Living.
Christ-Centered Healing: Interview with Norm Wielch
Norm Wielsch was an agnostic police officer for over 25 years. He was exposed to many traumatic incidents and diagnosed with PTSD. Then he was diagnosed with an incurable debilitating neuromuscular disease, and had over 25 surgeries in ten years. He was prescribed opioids for the pain, and soon began to abuse the opioids to relieve the negative emotions of PTSD. After that, his daughter was diagnosed with liver tumors, and the prognosis was poor. This placed him in a downward spiral that led him to make some very poor decisions that led to a 14-year prison sentence. He responded to God's calling, and though divine intervention, his daughter and he were both healed. He spent over 8 years in Federal prison where he co-pastored the church and taught how God heals PTSD. In prison, he obtained a master's degree in Theology and Counseling, then a doctorate in Christian Counseling. He went on to become a Registered Addiction Counselor and pastoral care provider in a residential treatment facility. He wrote a book called, "Christ-Centered Healing of Trauma: Healing a Broken Heart" and a small group study guide to go with it. Both are on sale now.
To learn more about Norm, see www.christ-centeredhealing.com
Vitalism and the History of Medicine - Interview with Dr Rick Kirschner
Rick Kirschner is a retired speaker, author of 9 books, filmmaker and vitalist naturopathic physician. He is coauthor of the international bestseller, 'Dealing With People You Can't Stand' now in it's third edition and in 27 languages. He is the past President of the Naturopathic Medicine Institute.
He has worked with some of the world's best known organizations and businesses, from NASA to Starbucks to the US Army and National Guard, as well as city, state and national governments, hospitals and healthcare conglomerates. His documentary film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History Of Medicine is available for free viewing on his website, TalkNatural.com
He lives just across the long bridge in Sagle, Idaho with his wife, one eyed cat, and 5 chickens.
To learn more about Rick, see https://talknatural.com/.
To watch his film, How Healthcare Became Sickcare: The True History of Medicine, click here: https://talknatural.com/documentary.html
Paul and Silas's Jailbreak: Acts 16:16-40
Today's meditation and retelling is from Acts 16:16-40.Introduction:
I always thought it strange that this demon-possessed girl announced the truth of Paul and Silas's message, and yet the disciples found this troublesome. Why would a demon endorse their message, and if it did, why would that be a bad thing? There must be something we're missing. Perhaps this gave the distinct impression to listeners that Paul and Silas were in cahoots with the demons. Jesus was accused of this very thing, too (Luke 11:15).
Also, if this demon-possessed girl bothered Paul (whatever the reason), why did it take him "many days" to cast the demon out? Why didn't he do so at once? We're not told what was going on that would have hindered this solution, so we can only speculate. Andrew Wommack's interpretation is that perhaps the girl had no desire to be free of the demon. If that were the case, as Jesus said, casting out one demon without replacing it with a new Spirit might leave her with more demons than she started with in the end (Matthew 12:44). As a naturopathic doctor, I think of this as similar to a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics. They might wipe out the pathogen, but if you don't repopulate with good bacteria to defend the territory against subsequent attacks, opportunistic organisms may invade instead. The end state of that patient's digestion and health generally can then be worse than it was to begin with. Perhaps Paul and Silas waited to see if the girl might give any indication that she wanted deliverance. But after many days of her presumably hindering their message and preventing others from coming to the Lord, they'd had enough.
Unfortunately, the girl turned out to be a valuable slave, because of the demon. In their anger, her owners dragged Paul and Silas before the magistrates of the city. I'm not sure why Paul didn't tell the magistrates that they were Roman citizens then, since apparently that would have changed everything. Perhaps God told them to keep their mouths shut about that for the time being, though it seems like if that were the case, it would have been recorded. Also, while the apostles were certainly persecuted in many cases for their faith, I can't think of a time in scripture when God explicitly told them to submit to persecution because He intended to use it for the greater good, even though He always did so. God taking evil and turning it for good certainly isn't the same thing as God causing evil and turning it for good. Later in Paul's life, God specifically tried to lead him away from Jerusalem, apparently to spare him persecution (Acts 21:4-11). It therefore seems more likely to me that in the ensuing brouhaha, Paul just couldn't get a word in edgewise.
I love how God redeemed this miserable story, though. Beaten, bloody, in stocks so they couldn't even move, and now thrown into prison, Paul and Silas surely didn't feel like singing. Yet they offered a sacrifice of praise, anyway (Hebrews 13:15). This time, God didn't send an angel, but an earthquake. He needed to make sure the jailer was awake to see Paul and Silas's deliverance. As a result, rather than committing suicide (since the jailer knew that if all the prisoners escaped on his watch, he would be killed for his negligence), he and all his family were saved. Not only that, but the Roman law protected Roman citizens from being punished without a trial (Acts 22:25-29). When the magistrates learned they had thus treated Roman citizens, they were afraid, for their positions and possibly even for their lives. Naturally, word of the scandal would spread—"Did you hear what the magistrates of Philippi did to two Roman citizens? Yes, and without trial!" The next question of course would be, "What did the men do to deserve such treatment?" And so the gospel might spread even farther than it might have otherwise. Also, magistrates in other cities would be careful not to repeat the offense, protecting Paul and Silas from similar treatment in the future. The story might even have protected other believers from harassment too, as they preached; surely no other magistrates would be in a hurry to repeat the Philippian mistake.
Fictionalized Retelling:
I felt a sinister presence right away, at the edge of our meeting in Philippi. One minute, it felt like I had the crowd's full attention, like they were hanging on my every word. The Holy Spirit was almost palpable. I brimmed with anticipation, eager for the awesome display of the Lord's power that was sure to follow. But then suddenly, the energy of the group shifted, and soured. I didn't miss a beat, and continued speaking, but I scanned the crowd for the source of the disturbance. My eyes landed on the girl at once.
She was dark-skinned, her wrists spangled with bracelets and her head and waist with colorful scarves. These told me her profession at a glance: she was a diviner. All diviners were either demon-possessed or charlatans, so I wasn't too surprised to note the sneer and hollow expression she wore. Demons I could deal with. The problem was the effect she was having upon the crowd.
As I continued preaching, I saw the girl whispering to those around her, though her vacant eyes remained locked upon me. Sometimes the demon-possessed retained some control of their own bodies, but not this girl. She had surrendered herself to it totally. I couldn't hear what she said to the listeners around them, but the effect was like a bucket of cold water upon the Holy Spirit's flame. People began to wander away, before I had even finished. All my hopes for the great outpouring of the Spirit that night evaporated. Finally, I dismissed what remained of my listeners at dusk, urging them to return to hear me speak again the next morning. I caught the girl's smirk of satisfaction as she wandered away, too.
When we were alone again, I turned to Silas in frustration and threw up my hands. "What happened?" I demanded. "Did you feel it too? That shift?"
The younger man nodded, grim-faced. "You saw her?"
"Yes! What was she saying to them? Could you hear?"
Silas nodded again. "It was always some variation of, 'These men are servants of the Great High God, and they're telling us how to be saved!'"
I let out a grunt of disgust. The words were true, of course, but the effect of the words were proof enough that, coming from her, it would have the opposite effect. There were those who already spread rumors that we performed signs and wonders through the power of the demonic. The diviner girl's apparent endorsement must have convinced at least some of them that the spirit by whom she operated and the Spirit through Whom I did were one and the same.
"Maybe she won't come back tomorrow," Silas soothed, but I turned a deadpan expression upon him. He gave me a bashful smile and shrugged. "Just being optimistic." He knew as well as I did that if Satan discovered his tactic had worked to hinder the gospel, he would assuredly double down on it.
I huffed. "Let's just pray that, if the girl herself is still reachable, she'll give some indication of it tomorrow," I murmured to my protege as I walked into town, toward the house where we were staying for the night. "Then we can cast it out, and turn her distraction to our advantage."
"We might have to cast it out anyway, whether she wants us to or not," Silas returned, falling into step beside me.
"I know, but it'll be worse for her if we do it without her consent."
"Why?" Silas frowned.
"Remember the Lord's teaching on this? He said, 'when a demon is cast out of a person, it goes to wander in a waterless realm, searching for rest. But finding no place to rest, it says, 'I will go back and reoccupy the body I left.' When it returns, it finds the person like a house swept clean and made tidy, but empty. Then it goes and enlists seven demons more evil than itself, and they all enter and possess the person, leaving that one in a much worse state than before.'" I told Silas, "If I cast it out, I want to be able to replace it with the Holy Spirit, for her sake. If I can't do that…"
"Ah, I see," Silas bit his lip, and then looked up to heaven. "Lift the confusion and the oppression off of that girl, Lord! Long enough for her to hear that she has a choice, to hear that she can be set free!"
I agreed with Silas in prayer, both of us alternately speaking in English and groaning in tongues as we interceded for the girl all the way to our house for the evening.
But alas, the next day was no different—nor the next, nor the next. The girl turned up every day that we preached, souring the crowd against us and growing increasingly bold. "These men are the servants of the Most High God!" she began to shout over us. "They are proclaiming the way of salvation!" Many would-be listeners seemed to be scared off by her expostulations. Finally after nearly a week of hindrance, I approached the girl, standing right before her, peering into her eyes. I willed her to show me some indication that she was still in there, and that she wanted deliverance—but alas, she was only a shell. Still, I couldn't let this go on.
"I command you in the name of Jesus, the Anointed One, to come out of her, now!"
At first, the girl's vacant expression did not change. I turned my back on her and, unhindered, proceeded to preach again to the small crowd gathered. I had to break off, though, because their attention was arrested by the spectacle behind me. Exasperated, I turned to see what had distracted them, expecting the usual foaming and writhing of a demon fighting his eviction.
I saw this, but I also saw a pair of well-dressed, burly men at the girl's side. I suddenly understood for certain what I had only suspected before: she was a slave, and she probably made these masters of hers a great deal of money with her divinations. The girl shrieked, and then went still. I knew she wasn't dead, having been through this plenty of times before, but her masters behaved as though I had killed her.
"You!" they spat, pointing at Silas and me.
My mouth fell open, which was about all the time I had for protest. In moments, the two swarthy men had each chosen a target—one falling upon Silas and the other upon me. When my huge captor got close enough, he wrapped one hand all the way around my skinny upper arm and proceeded to drag me toward the central marketplace of Philippi.
"Don't struggle!" I called to Silas, behind us.
Silas let out a short laugh, which I understood to mean, As if I could!
I tripped a few times as my captor dragged me inexorably along, at his own pace rather than mine. Moments later, we found ourselves before the city magistrates, on our knees.
"These Jews are troublemakers!" Silas's captor announced. "They're throwing our city into confusion. They're pushing their Jewish religion down our throats. It's wrong and unlawful for them to promote these Jewish ways, for we are Romans living in a Roman colony!"
This announcement was met with an uproar, from both the magistrates themselves and from the surrounding mob—always ready to be whipped into an emotional frenzy, whatever the cause. I considered retorting that the two men who seized us were really upset that they had lost their source of income from the demon-possessed girl, but it was clear it wouldn't matter. The emotional pitch was too high. The magistrates, feeding off the energy of the crowd, tore their clothes and cried out that Silas and I were to be beaten with rods. Silas caught my eye, looking briefly terrified.
In minutes, both of us were stripped to the waist, tied to a pole, and on our knees, while bloodthirsty soldiers relished laying stripes into our backs. The dull thud of the rod against Silas's flesh and my own made me groan in rhythm with it. Then, some part of my consciousness detached as protection from the pain. I made a song of it. It was, in a bizarre sense, almost meditative. I was with the Lord, looking down at our suffering bodies, bemused. I wondered if this was how we would die.
And then it was over. I scarcely heard the crowd anymore, a dull roar in my own ears. All I saw were the paving stones, slick with my sweat and blood. The tunic was replaced upon my raw flesh. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I winced in anticipation of the moment when I would have to remove it again. I decided that when the time came, I would try to soak the tunic in water so that it would not stick to my wounds when I peeled it off.
These thoughts distracted me sufficiently that I was surprised to find myself on my feet, walking somewhere with an escort. It was bright, and then it was dim, dank, and chilly. We were forced into a cell, and then to our knees. Something wooden slammed across my ankles, hands and neck. Stocks, I realized. Silas received the same treatment beside me, I saw as my eyes adjusted to the gloom. The roar began to fade from my ears, too, and with it, I felt the sting and throb of my wounds begin to return. I could make out the cadence of taunts from our captors, but not their substance. Then the door slammed shut. Silas and I were alone again.
We were silent for some time, probably both regaining our senses after the physical shock.
I was so grateful for shock, I thought. How kind of the Lord, to build in that mechanism to the human body, so that the nerves could not be overloaded with too much pain at once. I hadn't really felt the pain except at the very beginning, and as it crept back to me now.
"You okay?" I croaked to my companion at last.
Silas groaned in response.
Over the subsequent hours, the pain returned in dribs and drabs, but never all at once. I felt the ache of my stiff, restless limbs, the throb and occasionally the sting of my wounds. I drowsed a few times, but then the discomfort of my position awakened me. I glanced over at the keeper of the prison, whose silhouette I could just make out from where I sat. I could tell the man had fallen asleep from his akimbo position, and his jaw that hung agape. Every now and then he let out a snore.
Eventually Silas said, "So. That could have gone better."
I started to laugh, but winced from the pain of it. "The Lord has us here for a reason," I managed.
Silas snorted. "You think so, huh? We're gonna do great things, all by ourselves down here, preaching to the rats?"
I didn't bother to rebuke him. Less than a minute later, he sighed, having apparently rebuked himself.
"I'm sorry," Silas murmured. "You're right. Of course the Lord has a purpose. He will take what the enemy meant for evil, and turn it for good."
"Let's praise Him for it," I said with determination, and began to sing softly, "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; make His praise glorious."
Silas, recognizing the psalm, joined in, "Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You."
"Yes!" I agreed, louder than I meant to. I heard slight creaks and groans from other cells adjacent to ours, and suspected we had roused an audience now. The jailer was still asleep, though. I continued, terribly off-key, "All the earth shall worship You and sing praises to You; they shall sing praises to Your name!"
We finished one psalm and went on to the next, and as we did so I felt my spirits lift. I knew Silas's did too. I also felt a sense of anticipation that I could not explain. Neither of us could sing a lick, but our discordant voices blended in joyful noise and occasionally dissolved into laughter. I could see a few of the eager faces of our audience of fellow prisoners though our bars, cast in shadow.
"Keep singing, boys," said one hoary prisoner, his voice scratchy with disuse. "You're doing it!"
"Doing what?" asked his cell mate.
"I dunno," said the old timer, "but they're doing something. Can't you feel it?"
I certainly could. I responded with, "The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord! He is their strength in the time of trouble."
"And the Lord shall help them and deliver them!" Silas belted as loud as he could. "He shall deliver them from the wicked, and save them, because they trust in Him—"
"Shh!" I hissed. I thought I'd heard a rumble, and wasn't sure what it was. A second later, the rumble grew much louder, and the ground beneath us trembled violently.
"Is that—an earthquake?" Silas now had to shout over the din.
As if in response to his question, our stocks—which were locked—rattled open. So did our cell door.
So did everyone else's!
"Ha ha!" Silas cried, and then moaned with relief as he straightened and gave his angry limbs a decadent stretch. "Thank You, Lord!" he cried out.
I too straightened, stretched, and couldn't help groaning as my stiff limbs began to move. All around us, I heard the other astonished prisoners doing the same.
"Psst!" hissed one of the other prisoners. "This was your doing, preachers! Where should we go now?"
I glanced at the keeper of the prison, who had startled awake and let out a cry when he saw that all of the cell doors stood ajar. He swore as he scrambled to his feet, and drew his sword. I watched him with alarm, thinking that he intended to attack us, until he turned it upon himself.
"Stop!" I shouted.
I so startled the man that his sword clattered to the ground, and he uttered another cry, as if I were a ghost. I realized that the jailer had seen the open cells, assumed we had all fled, and that he would be executed for failing in his duties.
"Don't do that!" I told him, holding up my stiff hand. "We're all still here! Nobody's run away!"
I could still see only the man's silhouette. He turned to shout to jailer who was out of sight.
"Bring me a torch!" he cried.
In a few minutes our jailer bore a lantern, held it aloft, and saw that indeed, all of the prisoners were still within, though none of us were chained or barred. He re-secured all of the other cells once more, though he did not lock any of the rest of the prisoners back in their stocks. When he got to ours, I expected him to seal our bars as well, and go back to sleep. But when he got close enough, his expression crumpled, and the lantern shook with his trembling. He came into our cell, falling on his knees before us.
"Sirs, what do I have to do to be saved?" he begged.
Silas beamed at me, and I nodded at him to go ahead. He told the jailer, "Put your entire trust in the Master Jesus. Then you'll live as you were meant to live—and everyone in your house included!"
The jailer wiped his eyes as he stood to his feet, though I hadn't noticed that he had been crying before. "Come," he told us. "Tell my household yourselves!" He turned and whistled for the other jailer who had stood in the shadows watching all of this, the one who had presumably brought him the lantern. The other jailer watched us, wide-eyed, as we walked out of our cell behind our original captor.
"I am Jerome," he introduced himself. "My wife is Sophia, and our daughters are Alexandra and Katye."
We did not have far to go, as Jerome and his family lived right by the prison. He called out in a loud voice to rouse his wife and daughters when we entered. The girls were young teens, and they seemed irritable to have been so awakened. Apparently the earthquake had been quite localized, and not even extended so far as to his home. His wife looked alarmed, looking at Silas and me.
"Who are these men, Jerome?" she asked in a low voice, not taking her eyes off of us. "They certainly look like the men who were beaten in the square today—"
"They are, but just wait until you hear—!" He tripped over his own tongue trying to tell his wife and daughters what had happened in the prison, though he got it all out of order and seemed to forget basic words in the process. At last, Silas and I helped him fill in the details.
"It was a miracle!" Jerome concluded, throwing his hands up. "These men are from God, and they are here to tell us how to be saved! But quickly, we must first attend to their wounds and their bellies. Alexandra, Katye, draw some water, lather some soap, and bring some salve if we have some. I will tend their stripes myself. Then help your mother prepare these men something to eat."
"Oh, praise the Lord!" Silas uttered as Jerome bathed and applied salve to the raw flesh of his back. When it was my turn, I hissed from the sting but also let out a few involuntary praises as he dressed my wounds. He washed our bloody tunics in the soapy water afterwards and gave each of us a fresh tunic while ours dried. Around the third watch of the night, Sophia and the girls set a meal before us of bread and cold meat. My stomach growled when I saw it, but I knew we must put the Lord's priorities first. The meal was a cold one anyway; it could wait.
So Silas and I took turns telling Jerome and his family about the Lord. We told them about Jesus, His death and resurrection, and about the Holy Spirit He sent at Pentecost. We invited them to be baptized. Jerome agreed eagerly, though the only water they had on hand was now dirty with soap and blood and dirt. Jerome declared that he didn't mind a bit, but Alexandra and Katye did. They dumped the previous basin and drew fresh water, assembled dry clothing for the family to change into afterwards, and then Silas and I took turns baptizing all four of them. As we did so, the Holy Spirit fell upon each of them. Alexandra, the most demonstrative of the family, babbled with tongues while laughing and crying. The others held back, but we could see that their faces were radiant with joy. Both teenaged girls shrieked with combined shivers and giddiness, and ran back into the house to change into dry clothing.
And then, what a meal we shared! I could hardly remember when one had tasted so good, seasoned with hunger and enjoyed with the love of new brothers and sisters.
"I only regret that I have to bring you back to the prison now," Jerome cast Silas and me an apologetic look. "I know you've done nothing but the Lord's work, and the magistrates only agreed to punish you because you cast a demon out of a valuable slave, and the owners wanted you to pay for it. But still, if I don't return you to your cells, they'll kill me—"
"We know," Silas held up a conciliatory hand. "And the magistrates also know we did nothing wrong. They can't hold us forever."
It was just before dawn when we followed Jerome back to prison. He pleaded with his eyes for us to forgive him as he locked us in once more. We nodded to him and smiled that we understood.
Silas and I had just finally drifted off to sleep the following morning when the rattle of our cell door jolted us awake.
"The magistrates sent word that you're free to go on your way!" Jerome gasped, beaming at us. "Congratulations! Go in peace!"
Silas began to climb to his feet, but I held up a hand to him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa," I said, frowning. "We are Roman citizens in good standing, yet they beat us up in public and threw us in jail. And now they want to get us out of the way on the sly without anyone knowing? No indeed! If they want us out of here, let them come themselves and lead us out in broad daylight."
Jerome gaped from Silas to me. "You're—Roman citizens?" he echoed. "Why didn't you say so before?"
Before I could answer, the jailer hurried from our cell, leaving the door wide open. He ran outside, presumably to relay this astounding piece of information to the magistrates.
"Why didn't we think to say that earlier?" Silas asked me, smacking his forehead.
I shrugged. "Honestly everything was so chaotic at the time that it didn't occur to me. But I think that the Lord wanted us to meet Jerome and his family anyway."
"And us!" wheezed the old-timer in the cell beside ours. He grinned through the bars, revealing several missing teeth. "Your singing was so terrible it made the earth quake!"
Everyone laughed at this, just as we heard a commotion coming down the stairs. The magistrates followed Jerome, who could barely contain his smug grin. The magistrates themselves were white-faced and flustered.
"You are—Roman citizens?" one cried.
"You should have said—"
"We had no idea! Please, forgive us—!"
They tripped over one another in their efforts to apologize and beg our forgiveness, and plead with us to leave the city so that the whole affair might be quickly forgotten. Heads held high, we followed the magistrates out in broad daylight, waving goodbye to our fellow prisoners as we went. Jerome did not want to appear overly friendly with us, but his eyes twinkled at us warmly, and we nodded at him before we departed.
"What do you think?" Silas whispered to me as we walked away. "Should we leave the city, as they asked?"
"Soon," I told him with a sly smirk. "But not just yet. Best not to let the magistrates breathe too easy."
Never Binge Again - Interview with Dr Glenn Livingston
Glenn Livingston, Ph.D. is a veteran psychologist and was the long time CEO of a multi-million dollar consulting firm which has serviced several Fortune 500 clients in the food industry. Glenn has sold $30,000,000 of marketing consulting services over the course of his career. Disillusioned by what traditional psychology had to offer overweight and/or food obsessed individuals, Dr. Livingston spent several decades researching the nature of bingeing and overeating via work with his own patients AND a self-funded research program with more than 40,000 participants. Most important, however, was his own personal journey out of obesity and food prison to a normal, healthy weight and a much more lighthearted relationship with food.
To learn more about Glenn, see neverbingeagain.com