Friday, July 28, 2017

Feast Invitations


Then He (Jesus) turned to His host. "When you put on a luncheon or a banquet," He said, "don't invite your friends, brothers, relatives, and rich neighbors. For they will invite you back, and that will be your only reward. Instead, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. Then at the resurrection of the righteous, God will reward you for inviting those who could not repay you." Hearing this, a man sitting at the table with Jesus exclaimed, "What a blessing it will be to attend a banquet in the Kingdom of God!" Luke 14:12-15



What a blessing it will be to attend a Banquet in the Kingdom of God! Do you plan your menu considering who you are inviting? Would it make any difference to your menu if you were inviting the mayor, your next door neighbor or a homeless person? Healthy eating is good for everyone—whether they are in good health or not. Somehow eating good food also boosts a person’s attitude so that they are spiritually more attuned, too. God was so wise in guiding the Israelites as they went through the desert on the way to the Promised Land. They may have complained about not having enough food—but the manna He provided must have been nutritionally complete and met the needs of their bodies. We don’t have manna today—but we have such an immense variety of foods in this summer season—and all through the year at our local grocery stores. We are blessed. 

Prayer – Thank You God—for manna—and for all the variety of foods You provide for us. Help us to serve others and invite them to enjoy Your bounty.

Daily Bible Reading: 2 Kings19; Psalms 48, 80, 135

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

The Four New Food Group includes: Vegetables, Fruits, Legumes, and Whole Grains. These were introduced by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine in 1991. Here’s the number of servings we should have per day to provide our bodies with antioxidants to ward off infections and cancer, as well as adequate protein and nutrients to provide for healthy growth.

Fruits - 3 or more servings of ½ to 1 cup

Vegetables – 4 or more servings of 1 cup raw or ½ cup cooked

Legumes (beans, peas and lentils) – 3 or more ½ cup cooked beans, ¼ cup bean spread, 3 oz tofu

Whole Grains – 6 or more ½ cooked, ¾-1 cup dry cereal, 1 slice of bread, ½ tortilla (bagel = 4 servings)

The idea behind these new food groups is that meat and fat affect the hormones in our bodies and cause cancer and inflammatory diseases. Can you live without meat? I’m not sure that I am totally ready to give up meat. Maybe I’ll occasionally add fish to my menus for a while. The Omega-3s in fish are essential.  

The fiber in all the fruits and vegetables, as well as the legumes, is also highly beneficial for removing toxins from our bodies. The basic new four food group diet without meat is lacking in Vitamin B12 so it is suggested that anyone following this eating regime include a good multivitamin that contains Vitamin B12.  Information from The Cancer Survivor’s Guide by Barnard and Reilly.

Considering these food groups a menu for a “banquet” could include a quinoa sweet potato salad with black beans and chickpeas topped with a mango salsa. Serve that up in large romaine lettuce leaves. For dessert, how about some freshly sliced watermelon since it is in season now. My mouth is watering just thinking about that watermelon. A nice watermelon drink. So cool and refreshing since it is nearly 100 degrees today!

© 2017 Text and photos by Mickey M. Hunacek. All rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

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