Greetings in the blessed holy name of our LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am writing this to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible prayers and support and solidarity you have shown throughout the year of 2023. Your unwavering commitment and dedication have been a help in our endeavors, providing both inspiration and strength to persevere all through faith and prayers of the faithful.

This year has been a journey with its unique challenges and triumphs. Amidst this, your prayers and support has been a beacon of hope and encouragement. The continued fervent prayers of the Remnant have not only contributed to our successes but have also fostered a sense of faith and trust in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Your belief in our cause and your readiness to stand with us through thick and thin have left an indelible mark. The time, resources, and energy you have invested have been instrumental in achieving our goals, and for this, I am eternally grateful.

As we reflect on the year that was and look forward to the future, I am reminded of the power of collective effort and shared vision. Your role in this journey cannot be overstated, and I am proud to be associated with such a remarkable group of individuals that we call the Remnant.

Please accept my heartfelt thanks for everything you have done. Your prayers and support has not only made a significant difference in our pursuits in this ministry but has also touched my life personally. I am excited about what the future holds and look forward to continuing this journey with your invaluable prayers and support.

Thank you once again for being a pillar of strength and a source of inspiration. As we step into the year of our Lord, 2024, let us embrace it with hearts full of faith, hope, and love. This new year is not just a change in the calendar, but a fresh opportunity for us to grow closer to God and to each other.

Remember, no matter the challenges we faced last year, God’s mercies are new every morning. He is our constant source of strength and comfort. Let us hold onto His promises, knowing that He is with us in every step we take. Let's commit to deepening our faith this year. Spend time in God's Word, engage in prayer, and seek fellowship with other believers. Presented here for you is the beginning of the Bible Reading Plan for 2024. We would be glad to send you the complete 2024 Bible Reading Plan, available in either print or email. These practices will anchor us in truth and the power of our Savior.

Also, let us look outward with compassion. There are many in need of the hope and love that we have in Christ. Let’s be His hands and feet in our communities, showing kindness and sharing the Good News.

Finally, remember that our journey is not just about this year but about a lifetime of following Jesus. Let’s run the race set before us with perseverance, keeping our eyes fixed on Him, the author and perfecter of our faith.

And, Remnant, we wanted to let you know that we have both of the Michael Plaatje CD’s on sale, $5.00 each. These CD’s are just good country Christian music, and they make unique and truly one-of-a-kind gifts!

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Lysine's Role in Suppressing HSV-1: HSV-1 replication is suppressed in environments rich in lysine and poor in arginine. Population studies suggest that diets high in lysine and low in arginine may be associated with lower rates of Alzheimer's  disease. This has led to the hypothesis that lysine supplementation could potentially prevent or reduce the incidence of AD​

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Rejoice Always

I WILL REJOICE

AND REJOICE ALWAYS!

Philippians 1:18-19         What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice.

Philippians 4:4       Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!

1 Thessalonians 5:16         Rejoice always

What does it mean and how can we do it?

It is obvious from our selected texts that I intend to talk about rejoicing. I intend not only to talk on rejoicing, but on what it means to rejoice always. It is most important to understand what it means, for the entire message rests upon our understanding of what it means to rejoice always. I think we know what it means to rejoice. It's the always part that often evades our understanding. What does it mean?

Before I tell you what it means, I need tell you what it does not mean. It for certain does not mean that one can never do anything but rejoice; Scripture certainly tells us there are times to rejoice, times to weep.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-4  There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven; A time to give birth, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to uproot what is planted, A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to tear down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.                  NAS

We can clearly see from this passage in Ecclesiastes there are times to weep and mourn.

Romans 12:15         Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.                              NAS

So, before I go further to tell you what it means to rejoice always, please understand it does not mean that we can never ever weep and grieve. 

If that were the case, we would be like that fairy tale princess who could never cry; her father, the king, realized that she was not normal and offered a reward for anyone who could make his child cry. We all know the fairy tale story, do we not, wherein a peasant woman received the reward by having the princess peel onions, which caused the sought-after tears to flow? Understand that our heavenly Father, our King, wishes us, His children, also to weep. But the commandment to rejoice always tells us He does not always wish us to weep, to grieve, to sorrow.

So with that said, what does it mean to rejoice always?

What Does It Mean to Rejoice Always?

It means that it can be done! It is most important for us to understand that. That is, if we are going to do just that; rejoice always. Our God never asks us to do that which cannot be done.

I am reminded of a time past, when my children were younger, smaller and residing at home with their father and mother. They had a dog. It was a family dog. A little gray schnauzer named Gretchen, and Gretchen was trained to go get on her rug. If she came into the house, she was to stay on her rug. Sometimes we might call her over to the easy chair and pet her, but always when we were done she was given the command to go get on her rug, which she dutifully always obeyed.

Well, I remember the time my young son decided to play a trick on Gretchen. He went over and held the rug in his right hand so that it hung down horizontally and then with his left hand he would point and hit the rug and say to Gretchen, who was standing at his feet, "get on the rug, Gretchen. Gretchen, get on the rug." But Gretchen couldn't get on the rug. One can only imagine what dog thoughts barked through her dog brain. "He's gotta be kidding! What does he think I am? Super dog? Can't he see this is a collar around my neck--not some kind of cape?

What am I supposed to do, defy the laws of gravity and fly up there and get on his stupid rug?"

Obviously, there were forces against the poor dog that kept her from obeying that command -- such as the force of gravity. It just could not be done. The command could not be obeyed.

But what about the command to rejoice always? Do we believe that it can be done? That this command can be carried out? Yes, sometimes. Yes, oftentimes. But all of the time?

But what about the command to rejoice always? Do we believe that it can be done? That this command can be carried out? Yes, sometimes. Yes, oftentimes. But all of the time?

Always?

Rejoice always? Sometimes, those dog thoughts go through our mind, "you gotta be kidding." We think, "There are sometimes this cannot be done." But I'm telling you first and foremost what this "rejoice always" means; it means we can   always, do it. But you may well say at times, "How can I always rejoice when there are forces loosed against me, pulling down upon me, crushing an already sorrowing and despairing heart?"

Please, if you remember nothing else in this message,  remember this: God never asks us to do anything we cannot do. Remember that this commandment to rejoice always means it can be done, and, if it means it can be done, it means you and I can do it. The Scripture that says, "I can do all things in Christ Jesus who strengthens me" has not yet been edited out of the  Bible. Do not edit it out of your mind, even when your heart and mind scream out that it cannot be done, or at least that it cannot be done right now. Christians, it can be done -- now.

Rejoice always means now, right now -­ always!

Remember, that. It is not the rejoice part that we have a hard time with -- it's the "always" part. That's the part that we think is impossible to obey, but our God never expects us to do the impossible.

It means that it is a mental discipline. Discipline involves doing what we don't always feel like doing or doing what we really do not want to do at the time. So it is when we are told to rejoice at all times. It is not that we cannot do it. It is that we do not want to do it. We do not feel like doing it. When we   understand that it is a mental discipline, then we will say, as Paul said in Philippians 1:19, I will rejoice. I will, because my Lord wills it and his will not my will be done.

It means the same thing as ''pray without ceasing." Obviously praying without ceasing does not mean praying every 60 seconds of every 60 minutes of every 24 hours of every day of one's life. There are some things you cannot do and pray at the same time. It's not like chewing tobacco and riding a horse at the same time. All the time that I've been preaching this sermon to you, I have not been praying. I cannot preach and pray at the same time. You can hear my preaching and pray at the same time, perhaps; and perhaps some of you are hearing my preaching and praying at the same time.

Hopefully, you are not praying, "Dear Lord, don't let him preach too long!" To "pray without ceasing" means to be of the frame of mind to pray; to always be of a mind to pray; to be mindful to pray. And so it is with the term "rejoice always." We should always be of the frame of mind to rejoice. To have a mind that rejoices always. It means there is always something to rejoice about. It means that in every circumstance, in every situation, and in every trial and tribulation, we can find something to rejoice about.

Admittedly, it takes mental discipline to find that something; but rest assured, it is there or the command would not be there.

It reminds me of the story of two old, crusty preachers holding a revival meeting in the depressed coal mine areas of Kentucky back in the '30s. At the end of the revival meeting they passed their hats for the offering. When they got their hats back and began to count the take, they found there was not much there; maybe a few pennies and some miscellaneous items like the "Vote for Roosevelt Button," a few wooden nickels, and a couple pieces of paper with I-O-U's scribbled on them. After counting the offering, the one old preacher said to the other, "Brother, let's bow our heads and give thanks."

His partner replied, "Give thanks? Give thanks for what?"

 "Let's give thanks and rejoice that we got our hats back!" the old preacher replied.

Let's look at some of the situations and times that come in life that require the mental discipline to find that something to rejoice about.

THINGS THAT OFTEN SEEM UN-REJOICABLE:

Past wrong decisions. Have we not all made them? Have we not all experienced times when we looked back in time and said to ourselves, over and over, "if only I had of," or "if only I had not of,” as we bemoan some past wrong decision? I tell you, moping in and milling around wrong decisions enhances not the ability to obey the command of "rejoice always."

First of all, regarding wrong decisions of life (and we have all made them), I ask you, what man of God has not made wrong decisions; wrong, haunting decisions; un-erasable decisions; decisions that forever changed the course of their lives or the lives of others?

Moses, David, Peter all made wrong decisions. Moses struck the rock, and thus never entered the promised land. David numbered his people and lived to see the people he loved suffer because of his decision. Peter denied his Lord three times before the cock crowed, "cock-a doodle-do," and felt the resultant shame under the merciful gaze of his Master. So, if the thoughts of wrong decisions float up into your mind, rejoice in the fact that you who have made them are keeping company with some mighty good men. Thus, you can always rejoice in your wrong decisions.

Concerning those wrong decisions, think of this - when you made them, you did the best you could do.

Now, I'm not talking about the decision to sin, to violate the Lord's Commandments. (But, even with those wrong decisions, we can rejoice in the remedy Jesus has provided us in John 1:9). I am talking about the decisions of life. Should I tum left or turn right; should I move here or stay there, etc. When you made such decisions, remember that you did the best you could with the experience you had, the knowledge you had, the intellect you had.

"Yeah, but preacher, it was the wrong decision. Things worked out all wrong," you bewail!

But remember, you did the best you could - you did your best. Think about it. What man or woman in life says to themselves, "I have a decision to make, so I think I will make the worst decision I know how to make." No, it simply does not happen that way. Wrong decisions happen by our trying to make the best decision we could.

Now I ask, who browbeats, ridicules, and condemns a man for doing the best he could? I don't. You don't. And God certainly doesn't either. So stop doing it to yourself. Stop    living in sorrow over past mistakes and rejoice in the Lord and in the knowledge that you did the best you could at the time.

Rejoice in the experience acquisition department of life called wrong decisions. For experience is often acquired from the pain of past mistakes. So you can rejoice that you learned from that mistake and that you will not need to make it again; you can teach others not to make a similar mistake. (Now whether they listen to you are not is another story).

Don't keep focusing on past mistakes for that is the way you keep making the same mistake over and over. For you see, if you focus on something, quite often that something will come to pass and you do not want your mistakes to keep  coming to pass time after time after time. You don't want to keep making the same wrong decisions time and time again. There's an old cowboy saying: "Some folks have 20 years of experience and others have one year of experience 20 times."

Just as it's insane to keep repeating mistakes, it's just as insane to continue to ponder them over and over and experience sorrow over and over. One man told me this definition of insanity: "insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over in life and expect different results."

           The biggest thing to remember concerning past mistakes is that your God is so great and so good that He can cause good to come, even from your past mistakes. You can rejoice always in this knowledge.

Romans 8:28-29  "And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. NAS

When time can get no worse for you; I really don't think such time exists, say, but in our minds, that is not to say sometimes in our minds we don't think it could not get worse, but regardless, if it is really true that things could get no worse and you could not get further down, then rejoice. Then rejoice in the fact that things can get no worse and that you can go no lower, because then things can only get better for you.

Nothing stays the same. Everything changes. So if things could get no worse and you could go no lower then things are going to change for the better and in this you can rejoice.

The truth is, things could always get worse and, for some, things are much worse than for you. Here's a letter that I recently received and wish to share with you at this time:

"Dear Pastor Peters, Thank you so much for your ministry and especially your tape ministry.

           Your tapes of the last month or two have counseled me, consoled me, edified me, and soothed me greatly. Recently, on a Friday afternoon, my truck terminally died, and, as usual, I had no money to repair or replace it.

           That evening a longtime friend, upon whose land I had stored all my retreat preparedness supplies for the last 10 years called and said he was selling the land and we could no longer retreat together. I needed to remove my stuff-- about 1 and 1/2 tons of stuff. Anyhow, this created another unexpected expense of around $3000, and we have always lived payday to payday. Then, the next morning, exactly one week after our 28th wedding anniversary, my wife presented me with a polite, well-thought-out letter requesting a divorce. This was devastating to me. The children were grown and gone, and I was looking forward to really concentrating and focusing upon one another; to rebuilding our marriage, so we could fully enjoy each other as we completed our remaining 20 to 30 years on the planet. She said she no longer loved me and that she wanted to be free to seek another man she could love. I confirmed two days ago what I had suspected for several months -- she has entered into an adulterous affair with her boss -- also married. He has money and a smooth, charming way. I suspect that he seduced her and has promised to divorce his wife and marry her after she and I are divorced.

           The following Monday my 81-year-old father had a stroke and lost the use of his right side and was in the hospital for about six weeks. Then, about three weeks later I lost my job.

How would you counsel such a man in such a situation? How about with the words, "rejoice and rejoice always and again I say rejoice. Is that not Godly counsel? Is it not scriptural? But yet, we do not give it; and furthermore, we do not receive it when it is given. At least not very well at such times, but the Scriptures say rejoice always. So, even in this situation, there is something, or perhaps I should say, many things, to rejoice about.

A lost love! Obviously, in this letter this man is suffering from a lost love (there is only one thing that I know of and have experienced that is worse than that). But, losing someone's love is right up there close to the top of the list of sorrows that can come into one's life. But even in the loss of love one can find something to rejoice about. I think the one who came up with this statement found that something; "better to have loved and lost that never to have loved at all."

You can always. rejoice in the fact the love you lost once loved you. You can rejoice in the fact that there's always hope that he or she may love you again. But, the point is, you can rejoice. Concerning love, I have a book in my office entitled Love Is a Choice. I've never read the book, so I don't know what it says. But, I've learned a lot just from its title; i.e., that love is a choice. To me it is a profound thought. We can choose to love God for example, or we can choose not to. And so it is with the command to rejoice always. We can choose to do so regardless of the situation, or choose not to do so.

Here's another profound thought. Not everyone chooses to love you or I, and the truth is, in reality, none of us are all that lovable to begin with. Think about this - - if you find yourself in the situation where someone does not love you, rejoice in the fact that there is someone who does love you. Someone who loves you, the unlovable.

"Who is that, preacher?" "Well, probably your mother." "Yeah, but my mother is dead" “Well then, rejoice in the fact that she once did."

The point is, don't look only at the love you don't have but rejoice in the love that you do have. Remember, you cannot say no one loves you because the Bible says God loves you. The Bible says you have a friend that sticks closer to you than a brother. The Bible says that God so loved you that he gave His only begotten Son for you. You can always rejoice in that love. That love that you have not lost.

If you've lost someone's love, you can rejoice in the fact that you have not lost your love for them. Listen to this man's letter as I read on; "please pray for me, and her too, in all this. In the end, she will have been used, abused, and    discarded by this man and that will be devastating to her. No job, no former husband, and no hope for a husband. Pray for her."

Practice it! In certain ways, I must say that I deliver this message with a measure of fear and trembling, for I know I must practice what I preach. However, this past week, I have already practiced what I now preach, and I can tell you, it works. It is good to obey the Lord. I remember once preaching a sermon on overcoming, and in it I asked the question, "what must one have more of than anything else in order to be an overcomer?" The answer was -- something to overcome. When I delivered that message (what now seems so many years ago), I thought I was an overcomer, and that I had  overcome many things; but, I was to learn I had overcome nothing compared to what I was going to have to overcome in the future.

Paul practiced what he preached.

Philippians 1:15-20 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ even from envy and strife, but some also from good will the latter do it out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel the former proclaim Christ out of selfish ambition, rather than from pure motives, thinking to cause me distress in my imprisonment. What then? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed; and in this I rejoice, yes, and I will rejoice. For I know that this shall turn out for my deliverance through your prayers and the provision of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I shall not be put to shame in anything…                                              NAS

Colossians 1:24      Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and fill up on my part that which is lacking of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church…                                           ASV

Peter preached it:    

1 Peter 4:13 …but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy.                  ASV

The man that wrote this letter practiced what he heard preached. Think about it. What good does it do to hear  preaching if one does not practice what is preached? He said in his letter, "all this is said to let you know how very much you've ministered to me. Especially the story of Brenda and the contact lens!! Truly, 'God doesn't call the qualified. He qualifies the called. ' I hope and pray that I am called, chosen, and faithful unto death." And then when he signed his name he put next to his name a smiling face :-).

The loss of a loved one! The one thing worse than the loss of love is the loss of a loved one. But, even in the case of losing a loved one, one can equally say, "better to have lost the loved one than to never have had the loved one at all."

Let me share with you another letter from yet another listener. "Your message entitled 'Don't Reject The Cross' was very helpful. It scared me to hear you weaken as women panic when men falter, and I figured you had so much more left  after losses than I ever had that how could I make it? I am suffering from head to toe and am so injured and sick (then she lists a long list of ailments). I have debt galore. All of my friends are dead. No family. No support. Like you, I have lost family. I am all alone here. No new spouse. Not even one kid, etc. I've been targeted for extinction, and, in fact, will leave the world childless, courtesy of doctors."

Yes, you can find something to rejoice about even in the loss of a loved one. You can rejoice that you have other loved ones that you have not lost. I do believe one of the   saddest songs I've ever heard was song by Buzz Goertzen, a man who sang at one of our past conferences. It was a song about a grandpa not being able to see his grandson. Yet, in even a situation like that, the grandfather could at least rejoice that he had a grandson that he could not see.

You can look at all the years that you did have with a loved one and rejoice that you had those years, knowing full well that many have never had even that; or, you can look at all the years that you will have without that loved one and experience all the sorrow that comes with that thought. I tell you, you can rejoice always, you can find something to rejoice about in the loss of a loved one.

Here's another thought concerning the loss of a loved one. When you experience indescribable pain, ache and heart-wrenching grief, you can be thankful that that loved one you grieve for will never have to experience that pain in grieving over you or other loved ones. You can rejoice that they are not experiencing such pain. The point is you, as a Christian, can rejoice and rejoice always.

Christians can rejoice in salvation! This and this alone allow us, as Christians, to rejoice and to rejoice always. Notice the many Scriptures that teach just this:

Psalm 9:14 …that I may declare your praises in the gates of the Daughter of Zion and there rejoice in your salvation.                        NIV

Psalm 13:5 But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.                                  NIV

Psalm 35:9  Then my soul will rejoice in the Lord and delight in his salvation.                                        NIV

Matthew 5:12         Rejoice, and be glad, for your  reward in heaven is great…                           NAS

Luke 10:20  Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are recorded in heaven.                                            NAS

It reminds me of a conversation that I once had with a friend. This friend is a kind and caring sort of person who, because of his kind and caring nature, spent a year in prison for having allegedly practiced medicine without a license. My friend told me of an incident that took place when he was in prison. A man, like him, had been placed in prison unjustly and was in great despair. The man claimed to be a Christian, so my friend said to him, "Are you not still saved?" And that remark, he said, brought him out of his despair; he realized he was still saved, only in a different location, only in different circumstances than he had ever been in before. My friend said that remark removed his sorrow and he was able to go on. In the story a good thing happened to the man when he began to obey the commandant to rejoice in his salvation. And we can always do that -- wherever we are and whatever happens to us.

It reminds me of another story in another time, Bible times, where we read of some other men unjustly imprisoned.

Acts 16:23-26         And when they had inflicted many blows upon them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to guard them securely and he, having received such a command, threw them into the inner prison, and fastened their feet in the stocks.

But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them and suddenly there came a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison house were shaken; and    immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were unfastened…                                                  NAS

And so it is we can always rejoice in our salvation.

CONCLUSION:

           As I close this message, which is my first message in the year 2001, allow me to tell you how I began this year. Jan. 1, 2001, marked the one-year anniversary date of the death of my only begotten son. He died the first day of the year 2000. Later in that year, my only brother also died. Jan. 1 was my brother's birthday. Needless to say, Jan. 1, 2001, was a day I had to face and every New Year's Day will be a day I will have to face. I decided to face it just exactly how God wants you and I to face every day of life that he gives us.

Psalm 118:24          This is the day which the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and he glad in it.                       NAS

And, I resolved Jan. 1, 2001, to do just that.

I will rejoice because my God wills that I rejoice and that you rejoice. That day we went to his grave, which rests next to his mother's in a small family graveyard on a small Wyoming hill, just north of my house (about an eighth of a mile). We read the many Bible Scriptures on the resurrection. I specifically had his sister read out loud these words:

John 11:23-26        Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth on me, though he die, yet shall he live and whosoever liveth and believeth on me shall never die. Believest thou this?

At the conclusion of reading these resurrection Scriptures, I told his friends and family it was better to have had a son and lost him than not to have had a son all.

When we lose a loved one who was a Christian, we can rejoice -- not just in our salvation, but greatly rejoice in their  salvation, and thus, we can rejoice always. I have found now that I've lost my only begotten son in whom I was very well pleased, that there is a certain special and immediate bond with people I meet who have also lost a child. I guess it is the fact that we both understand that pain and sorrow, the heartache and grief that comes with the loss of a child.

However, this thing has bothered me. When I ask people who've lost a child, "Does it get any better?" They invariably and emphatically tell me, NO. And, I decided it has to get better   because I cannot, O Lord, continue in this sorrow. When I read his command to rejoice always, I realized that our Lord does not want me or you to continue in such sorrow. Every day of my life, when I walk out the door of my house and look out, I see that tiny graveyard on that lonely Wyoming hill; and every day I drive to town I see the house were my son once lived and the yard where his children once played. There is no way I can get to town without driving by a small, wooden cross by the road marking the place of his death.

So, I have simply decided I cannot go on living in such sorrow. I have decided I can and I will rejoice. I will rejoice in his salvation.

Now, when I step out of my home in the early morning hours and I look north at that graveyard on that lonely, wind swept-Wyoming hill, I say, "Oh death, where is thy sting," and mean it. I say, or at least think, "those graves will open up." You see, I rejoice in his salvation. I rejoice in the fact that I personally baptized my son in Jesus Christ his Lord (Acts 2:38); and every day will get a little better, because every day gets a day closer to that glorious resurrection day; so I will   rejoice.

I Will Rejoice! Because He told me to.

Because it can be done. Because I can do it. Yes, it takes discipline; yes, it is a mindset; yes, at times it takes effort to find something to rejoice about, but when that effort is put forth, it is found.

I will rejoice, always! Will you, fellow Christian? I pray you will. I pray you will make it a resolution in your life for this year and every year of your life in Jesus Christ. I pray you will, and that this message will help you do just that -- to rejoice  always.

Again, I say to you, rejoice, rejoice always.

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Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and the  villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

It is important to remember that God gave us countless natural remedies to help our bodies but JESUS is really and truly our healer; Jehovah-Rapha,” The Lord your healer”

Here are some of the things my family uses when we are   needing to give our bodies some help in fighting off illness:

           Vitamin C We have seen some amazing results using vitamin C. From children taking 1,000 mg with whooping cough and the cough stopping within 15 minutes; to a one-year-old who had been in the emergency room and given steroids due to breathing difficulties (because of smoke during fire season), working up to a dose of 23,000 mg of powdered C each day, mixed in grape juice. Her breathing cleared up so rapidly, the steroids were discontinued within 48 hours. It can also be helpful (usually 3,000-6,000) for a boost of energy or a good night’s sleep. Because our bodies don't make it I don't like to take it every day so my body has to get by on what is present in food. But when needed for immune we can take some pretty large doses. Our general rule when fighting a bug is 1,000-3,000 mg every hour for older children or adults. Smaller children is 500mg each hour or until bowel tolerance.

D-3 has had some great results with high doses for us. Back in the “swine flu” year a naturopathic friend sent us several bottles of    D-3 in 50,000iu. All of the bigger people in my family took it a few times a week, nobody got sick that year. Since then some of the research I have done has suggested taking D-3 in lower doses more consistently is better. We aren't consistent vitamin takers, so in a    family of 13 years and older we go for the 10,000iu fairly often during the week during winter. We will use 50,000iu for three days in a row when exposed, traveling or feeling down.

Lomatium aka LDM. This plant, a native of the US has been used traditionally by the Washoe Indians. The root is typically taken in tincture form, is used to battle fungus, cold, flu, upper respiratory and (for us) especially sore throat. I once had a nine year old take a tablespoon, I was a bit shocked when she told me but happy when her sore throat was completely gone the next day. (She had been taking this herb occasionally for a couple of years). We ideally take it four times a day (by dropper full, not by the tablespoon) at the onset of any symptom and continue a couple of days after for a mild sickness and two weeks for a super nasty one

Olive Leaf The olive tree is an incredible tree that survives in an extremely harsh environment, olive. Olive Leaf extract boosts our resistance to illness, it can be used as a preventative once daily. Unlike many herbs that can loose their effectiveness if used too   often, olive leaf can be used regularly. As with most herbs when actively fighting something, I use it three to four times daily.

Elderberry, usually taken in syrup form is high in vitamins and antioxidants, helps with preventing colds and flu. We make our own typically in vinegar, (which tastes nasty but works really well), or alcohol. If I want it to taste good for children, I will give up some of the potency and mix the alcohol 50% with glycerin, (Which makes it sweet). This is can be given a wider range by  adding elder flowers, rose hips or echinacea, to name a few. Do not eat elderberries raw, they are mildly poisonous that way. We typically discontinue elderberry if the sickness lasts over a few days and use something stronger.

Yarrow, which grows all over the place in dry spots.

Yarrow leaves, or juice made from its leaves, have historically been applied directly to wounds to aid healing. I have never done this, we just use it as a tea (the wiser me now mixes it with peppermint) for stomach bugs. 70% of the time it has instant and amazing results. It has a slew of other potential benefits that I have never tapped into including digestive aid, anxiety, asthma, high blood pressure and mastitis, naming just some of those listed.

Grape Juice is something I try to keep on hand and administer to my family at the very first sign of any stomach bug. Grape juice is said to have antiviral properties, which prevent viruses from growing in the gut. Adding a few tablespoons of apple cider vinegar gives this an extra punch. Doing a little verification research on the internet, I was surprised that article after article was down on grape juice stopping a stomach bug. I found this funny because it has proven effective about 85% of the time in my family. One person gets sick, everyone else drinks a small glass of grape juice once or twice a day for a few days and nobody else gets it at all.

Silver and Zinc together can stay in the blood, working as a super power against bacterial or viral infections. We have had some great results with this! For zinc, 30 mg is generally thought of as a maintenance dose, 100 mg a fighting-sickness dose. I look at zinc as an immune system booster and to thin the mucus to move things out. And silver as a fighter of all bacteria and viruses. Silver and some digestive enzymes are what got it cleared up my brother's very nasty infection with strep,.

Oregano Oil, a natural antibiotic, is particularly good for    viruses. Once I had a child that had been sick, had “recovered” but was not back to normal. After two weeks of this I realized she was still not thriving, she just seemed wilted. I gave her a couple of drops of oregano oil and in 15 minutes she was full of energy and back to normal, it was so amazing!

L-Lysine is an essential amino acid. That means that your body can’t make lysine on its own, it must be obtained through diet. This amino acid plays a vital role in immune system support. L-lysine works to support your immune system by encouraging proper immune cell activity, it can also help the body with stress. In my experience some people find benefits in taking 1000mg daily where others will take up to 20,000mg for short periods of time and 6,000mg daily for long periods of time. Among these reasons, memory clarity or anxiety. It should be taken on an empty stomach, larger doses divided through the day.

NAC N-Acetyl Cysteine is used for treating lung conditions and excess mucus. We have personally had good results from chronic sinus infections being cleared up and staying gone. NAC is an antioxidant that can reduce inflammation, boosting glutathione it can improve immune function.

Fevers For us, fevers are dealt with by putting a child in a very warm bath with a tablespoon or two of ginger powder and keeping them there as long as they are comfortable. While in the bath, drinking raspberry leaf or catmint (both grow all over) tea, then wrapping them up soaking wet and getting them to bed. This keeps the fever moist. The catmint tea alone has also been very effective for us and we have given it to infants. The cell salt #4, ferrum phosphoricum was also very helpful to move fevers through faster. I had a child that had long lasting and frequent fevers. We found that can be a cause of low iron, eating blackstrap molasses and chlorophyll helped.

Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle. Use as many times a day as you possibly can at the FIRST sign of a sore throat. Make a weaker version for youngsters.

1 cup water, 1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 tsp cayenne, 2 Tbs ACV

1 tsp good quality salt, 2 droppers of LDM or ½ dropper

There a few different viewpoints I have on sickness.

Firstly, Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is a good medicine; But a broken spirit drieth up the bones.

           Secondly, we need a certain amount of exposure. One of my  favorite stories to illustrate this is the young men that volunteered from the backwoods of Canada for WWI. A good many of them spent the war in the hospitals down with childhood diseases. They lived isolated and when exposed got one sickness after another.

           Thirdly, there are different immune boosters that unlock different bugs. How many times we have fought an illness with one supplement for days and just maintained things then switched to something else and EUREKA! We were on the mend. We once had a six week ongoing bronchial infection. It was never terrible but resilient, after all that time, adding fiber to that person's diet cleared it up in a couple of days.           Fourth, rest is huge for getting better. Often, if I am able to get some extra rest and keep up on my (chosen) supplements, the sickness goes away pretty fast.

Matthew 10:1 And he called unto him his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of disease and all manner of sickness.

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Ashwaganda  chronic stress, endurance $39

Chanca Piedre  kidney stones, Hep B, liver & kidney $42

Clarkia  anti-parasitical $45

Calendula       anti-fungal, detox, skin remedy $31

Echinacea       immune boost $39

Essiac              c-cleanse  $41

Feverfew        migraine headache relief $39

Ginloba           $36

Ginseng         stress and hormonal support $45

Gravel Root   treats urinary tract complications $37

Graviola         immune protection, reduction of abnormal cells $38

Ginger            motion sickness, aids digestion, reduces nausea $31

Neem            eye disorders, bloody nose, upset stomach, ulcers, gingivitis  $38

Olive               immune support, increased energy, assists healthy bp, $37

Pfaffia P7        liver detox  $45

Pau D’Arco  fibromyalfia, lupus & smokers cough $36

Red Roobias  scavenger to free radicals $36.50

Rhodalia         mental endurance, anti-depressant,

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Skullcap       natural pain relief and sleep sedative $38

Una D Gato    stomach and bowel relief $36

Venus Fly Trap      adult malignant tumors $45

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Hormones                           $36

Lung Support                     $32

Brain Power                        $39

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Jesus-The Rock That Will Not Roll!                        $6.00

Salt Without Savor                                                     $4.00

Satan's Kids! And the German Connection            $5.00

The Effects of the Talmud on Judeo-Christianity   $12.00

The Enemy Within                                                      $6.00

The Gog-Magog Alliance                                          $5.00

The Marvelous Epistle of the Romans                    $5.00

The Mystery of True Israel                                       $12.00

The Only Solution                                                       $5.00

To Seduce the Elect                                                     $6.00

What Happened to Our Children?                           $6.00

This Time Bomb Called Zionism                               $5.00

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