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.
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