How We Got Here
GMO is the acronym for genetically modified organisms. It is a term that has received a lot of attention as it pertains to our food. Genetic modification of our food sources has become a subject of great controversy. There are those that say that the genetic modification will save the world from starvation by producing a pest resistant, drought resistant, higher yield crop.
Others claim that this genetic modification has the grave consequences of reducing certain nutrient values of the food and that when consumed could affect our bodies adversely, possibly to the genetic level of our own cells. Foods that were grown from genetically modified seed, often will not reproduce, thus requiring the continuous modification process. Because the genetic modification improves the hardiness of the plant, growers of genetically modified foods can often use stronger pesticides and herbicides, which can have their own dire health implications.
Now I know that both sides of this controversy would have much more to say about this, but let me share why I am even discussing this here.
Over 4 years ago, my family and I, embarked on a new adventure in what you could call eating clean, living clean. It has been a process of removing the GMO products and replacing them with organically grown foods. Replacing the synthetic chemical based cleaning and hygiene products in our home with natural or organic products. Now we haven't become religious about this, but it has become the norm for us. Without trying to speak as an authority on this subject, I must share that these last four years now we've had very little illness in our home. What illness we had was always short lived. We haven't been to the doctor except for regular preventive checkups.
Although some may be skeptical, the evidence has been clear in our lives.
"Okay, but what does all this have to do with Simply Blessed Life?"
I made the decision to follow Christ when I was seven years old. I was raised in a Christian home that revered the word. I was learning scripture before I knew what television was. I still have the Bible that was given to me when I was four years old, for quoting Romans 3:23 and John 3:16 in front of the whole Sunday school. I grew up continuing to hide his word in my heart that I might not sin against God. I struggled with the same things that any boy/young man would. Sometimes I was victorious. Often I wasn’t. I went to Bible College before I joined the Navy. I’ve memorized scripture and read the Bible and studied about the Bible.
The Bible says that because I'm under grace, then sin will not have dominion over me. Yet I spent most of my younger life with some kind of sin seemingly having dominion over me. I thought the word of God is supposed to change us. We are washed in the water of the word. The word of God lives in us and we have overcome the evil one. Yet I, like other Christians, have spent a measure of my life in bondage and struggling to get free or just giving up and giving in. I asked God "why?" And He answered me with a revelation that has changed my life. In Mark 7, Jesus was speaking with the Pharisees about why his disciples violate the rules handed down from the elders of the past. Well, he proceeds to show them how they violate God’s law for the sake of their traditions. But it was the second part of verse 13 that jumped off the page at me; “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” The Greek word used for nullify means to annul or depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect. It was through this verse that God began showing me how I had wrapped the word in religious tradition and therefore deprived it of force and authority in my life and that I do many things like that. Then I began to understand why the word of God seemed to have no effect on my life. Now, I've come to understand some things about the word and God’s revelation of it to me. He promises to confirm a thing in the mouth of two or three witnesses; meaning that he will give me more than one reference to a revelation in His word. So as God began exposing to me areas where religious tradition had made His word without power, He showed me in another scripture this truth revealed. In Colossians2:8 it says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” That was it! I had been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy that was rooted in human or religious tradition and the principles of this world. But since this truth has been revealed to me, God has been peeling back the layers of religious tradition in my life. As I have gone through this process, the word of God that I thought I once knew has been coming alive to me as described in Hebrews4:12. It has brought about a paradigm shift in my life that has given me a new understanding of the victory that Christ’s death on the cross has secured for us. Now I am beginning to understand that the abundant life that Jesus spoke of is a life of being Simply Blessed.
“Great, but, what does this have to with GMOs?”
The word of God is likened to a seed by Jesus in the parable of the sower. Mark4:14 Genetic modification begins with the seed. The writer of Hebrews refers to it as milk and solid food. Hebrews 5:12 You see, religious traditions and the basic principles of this world, added to the word of God, is like Genetically Modifying and adding preservatives, pesticides, herbicides and chemicals in our food. You can feed on them for awhile, but eventually it will cause sickness, disease, and eventually death. They definitely will not bring about the abundant life that Jesus said that he came to bring us. The life giving nutrients have been watered down, bleached out or stripped away, leaving you with empty calories that need to be refortified with synthetic nutrients that are incompatible and not readily absorbed.
It’s time to embrace the organic, non-genetically modified, undiluted and unadulterated word of God! But this comes at a cost. Many of us that were raised in religion have a hard time separating the religious doctrines and traditions from the word. Religion has raised up these pillars that demand to be observed or adhered to that are described as sacred. The problem is that they often are based in tradition and are reminiscent of the golden calf at the foot of Sinai. This will require taking up the calling of Gideon, knocking down the idols of Baal, cutting up the Asherah poles and using them to sacrifice the sacred bull of religion and religious tradition .
Jesus often taught his disciples while traveling down the road. He walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. He met the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.
The blog page on this site, Walking the Road is where we walk this out together.
Jesus said that He must go so that the Holy Spirit could come, and that He, the Holy Spirit, would lead us into all truth. Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the word to you?
If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the Ecclesia.
Come. Let us walk together.
GMO is the acronym for genetically modified organisms. It is a term that has received a lot of attention as it pertains to our food. Genetic modification of our food sources has become a subject of great controversy. There are those that say that the genetic modification will save the world from starvation by producing a pest resistant, drought resistant, higher yield crop.
Others claim that this genetic modification has the grave consequences of reducing certain nutrient values of the food and that when consumed could affect our bodies adversely, possibly to the genetic level of our own cells. Foods that were grown from genetically modified seed, often will not reproduce, thus requiring the continuous modification process. Because the genetic modification improves the hardiness of the plant, growers of genetically modified foods can often use stronger pesticides and herbicides, which can have their own dire health implications.
Now I know that both sides of this controversy would have much more to say about this, but let me share why I am even discussing this here.
Over 4 years ago, my family and I, embarked on a new adventure in what you could call eating clean, living clean. It has been a process of removing the GMO products and replacing them with organically grown foods. Replacing the synthetic chemical based cleaning and hygiene products in our home with natural or organic products. Now we haven't become religious about this, but it has become the norm for us. Without trying to speak as an authority on this subject, I must share that these last four years now we've had very little illness in our home. What illness we had was always short lived. We haven't been to the doctor except for regular preventive checkups.
Although some may be skeptical, the evidence has been clear in our lives.
"Okay, but what does all this have to do with Simply Blessed Life?"
I made the decision to follow Christ when I was seven years old. I was raised in a Christian home that revered the word. I was learning scripture before I knew what television was. I still have the Bible that was given to me when I was four years old, for quoting Romans 3:23 and John 3:16 in front of the whole Sunday school. I grew up continuing to hide his word in my heart that I might not sin against God. I struggled with the same things that any boy/young man would. Sometimes I was victorious. Often I wasn’t. I went to Bible College before I joined the Navy. I’ve memorized scripture and read the Bible and studied about the Bible.
The Bible says that because I'm under grace, then sin will not have dominion over me. Yet I spent most of my younger life with some kind of sin seemingly having dominion over me. I thought the word of God is supposed to change us. We are washed in the water of the word. The word of God lives in us and we have overcome the evil one. Yet I, like other Christians, have spent a measure of my life in bondage and struggling to get free or just giving up and giving in. I asked God "why?" And He answered me with a revelation that has changed my life. In Mark 7, Jesus was speaking with the Pharisees about why his disciples violate the rules handed down from the elders of the past. Well, he proceeds to show them how they violate God’s law for the sake of their traditions. But it was the second part of verse 13 that jumped off the page at me; “Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.” The Greek word used for nullify means to annul or depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect. It was through this verse that God began showing me how I had wrapped the word in religious tradition and therefore deprived it of force and authority in my life and that I do many things like that. Then I began to understand why the word of God seemed to have no effect on my life. Now, I've come to understand some things about the word and God’s revelation of it to me. He promises to confirm a thing in the mouth of two or three witnesses; meaning that he will give me more than one reference to a revelation in His word. So as God began exposing to me areas where religious tradition had made His word without power, He showed me in another scripture this truth revealed. In Colossians2:8 it says, “See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.” That was it! I had been taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophy that was rooted in human or religious tradition and the principles of this world. But since this truth has been revealed to me, God has been peeling back the layers of religious tradition in my life. As I have gone through this process, the word of God that I thought I once knew has been coming alive to me as described in Hebrews4:12. It has brought about a paradigm shift in my life that has given me a new understanding of the victory that Christ’s death on the cross has secured for us. Now I am beginning to understand that the abundant life that Jesus spoke of is a life of being Simply Blessed.
“Great, but, what does this have to with GMOs?”
The word of God is likened to a seed by Jesus in the parable of the sower. Mark4:14 Genetic modification begins with the seed. The writer of Hebrews refers to it as milk and solid food. Hebrews 5:12 You see, religious traditions and the basic principles of this world, added to the word of God, is like Genetically Modifying and adding preservatives, pesticides, herbicides and chemicals in our food. You can feed on them for awhile, but eventually it will cause sickness, disease, and eventually death. They definitely will not bring about the abundant life that Jesus said that he came to bring us. The life giving nutrients have been watered down, bleached out or stripped away, leaving you with empty calories that need to be refortified with synthetic nutrients that are incompatible and not readily absorbed.
It’s time to embrace the organic, non-genetically modified, undiluted and unadulterated word of God! But this comes at a cost. Many of us that were raised in religion have a hard time separating the religious doctrines and traditions from the word. Religion has raised up these pillars that demand to be observed or adhered to that are described as sacred. The problem is that they often are based in tradition and are reminiscent of the golden calf at the foot of Sinai. This will require taking up the calling of Gideon, knocking down the idols of Baal, cutting up the Asherah poles and using them to sacrifice the sacred bull of religion and religious tradition .
Jesus often taught his disciples while traveling down the road. He walked with two disciples on the road to Emmaus after His resurrection. He met the apostle Paul on the road to Damascus.
The blog page on this site, Walking the Road is where we walk this out together.
Jesus said that He must go so that the Holy Spirit could come, and that He, the Holy Spirit, would lead us into all truth. Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal the word to you?
If anyone has ears to hear, let them hear what the Spirit says to the Ecclesia.
Come. Let us walk together.