Testimony
Keep the Faith continues to reach out to so many through the monthly CDs. It is thrilling and encouraging to hear the responses. Here are a few recent ones. I truly appreciate your prayers and support.
“Pastor Mayer, we had no idea your ministry even existed!” said John at a recent meeting in Houston, TX. “But we’re really inspired. We were invited by a friend of ours, along with another couple.”
“Your sermon on the secret place was absolutely wonderful! We really appreciated that one very much,” said a listener from Idaho.
“Thank you very much for sending the news. At the beginning I thought, ‘These news are just bringing bad news and panic.’ But the more I read I became aware that you inform people of things that are not necessarily spread in the mass media and that you are waking people up to prepare. After all, Jesus is coming soon. Thank you for sharing.”
Thank you for your encouraging words.
Highwood Spirit
“The Mormons used to come here, but I don’t mind if they don’t come back,” said Herold, a Bible study contact in Melbourne, Australia. “The Jehovah’s Witnesses used to come here, but I don’t mind if they don’t come back,” he continued. “But if you don’t come back I will really mind, because I really learn something from the word of God when you come!”
Herold is from Burma. He currently lives in a Melbourne suburb that was part of our literature distribution campaign in March of 2014. After the book Path to Peace (Steps to Christ) was left in his letterbox he wrote to request other books.
Herold was raised a Baptist and left Burma as a refugee because of persecution. While in another Asian country he attended a Pentecostal church and is now studying at a Pentecostal Bible School in Melbourne, though he is still very much a Baptist in his heart. Yet, Herold is a seeker for the truth. He loves the Bible! There are certain things in the Pentecostal theology that he doesn’t think are right.
Stine and Paige first meet Herold at his home in February. They had a very good talk and he greatly appreciated the Bible knowledge they shared with him. He invited them back. On the second visit, Stine and Paige did a deep Bible study about law, grace and obedience. He had just studied this topic in Bible school. He was really impressed with the verses they shared about the validity of the law and that we can obey if Christ lives in our hearts.
Herold was so interested that he urged the ladies to come back. They squeezed in another very interesting Bible study the next Sunday morning before he went to church. Herold really expressed how much he valued their visits. That’s when he said that he wouldn’t mind if the Mormons or Jehovah’s Witnesses didn’t turn up again.
Herold already has a great desire to work for the Lord. And he is wide open for the word. Please continue to pray for him and for our three Bible workers! Your support for Highwood really helps us expand this important work of soul-winning.
Highwood Health Retreat has made wonderful progress. We are now back to serving guests with a new kitchen, dining, and lounge room. And it’s beautiful! We even have new bathrooms (ensuites) in all the guest rooms. We still have to finish up a couple of these in the next couple of months. Two of the 12 rooms have been expanded to make them into small studio suites that can be very flexible and can be used in a variety of important ways. We also have some renovations to our office and entryway to do, but we’ll keep working on them with our staff and a few volunteers until they are finished.
Highwood Soul – Highwood’s Alumni Page [1]
Amaroo Water Gardens
As you may remember, by the providence of God, KTF recently purchased property near Adelaide, South Australia for a second health retreat. Soon Keep the Faith will have two health retreats operating. Thanks to the Lord, the local county (council) gave us permission to move to the second stage in the process of getting planning approval for a health retreat. There are a lot of issues to navigate, one of which is approval of our building and renovation plans.
And just when we have to start developing architectural drawings, Joanne came to me during our open house day on January 11 and told me she was an architect and volunteered to help. I thought to my self, “that has to be the Lord’s doing!” It’s so timely. “Jo” has volunteered to take on this project to help get us through the process of planning with the local county. Aren’t God’s providences wonderful?!!
Amaroo Water Garden Health Retreat [2]
Sugar-laden Beverages Accelerate Aging
By Andrew Hendrickson
When you reach for a soda, do you ever stop to think about what sort of an effect it could have on your long-term health? Sodas and other sugary drinks—such as sports and energy drinks, fruity drinks with less than 100% juice, flavored waters, and sweetened teas—are widely available around the world. But is it possible that your consumption of these drinks is shortening your life, and bringing on chronic disease? In fact, new research suggests that more than 180,000 people around the world die each year from diseases related to sugary drinks.
Within the DNA molecules of the human body are protective units called telomeres, which gradually shorten as a person ages. Often seen as an indicator of lifespan, the shortening of telomeres also seems to be linked with the development of chronic disease such as diabetes, heart disease and some kinds of cancer. A recent study has associated drinking a 20 oz. soda daily with the equivalent of 4.6 years of telomere shortening. Ironically, this was similar to the effect of smoking or the lack of exercise.
Lets put that in more every day terms. What you eat or drink, as well as whether or not you exercise, may have a strong influence on how quickly the cells in your body age. If you exercise but drink lots of soda, you have gained no real advantage in this area over someone who drinks no soda, but does not exercise. You are causing yourself to work harder for less benefit then if you simply put aside sodas altogether and continued to exercise.
Globally it is estimated that around 180,000 people die every year from health problems brought on by consumption of sodas and other sugary drinks, due to diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers. Within the United States alone, an estimated 25,000 people died in 2010 due to these beverages.
Even if you will not ultimately be one of those who will die of diabetes, heart disease or cancer because of sugary-drinks, to continue to drink them taxes the immune system and ages the body. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sugar-sweetened beverages to 450 calories (36 oz.) or less per week. Perhaps it is time to seriously cut back on or give up these drinks altogether and drink more water instead, since, after all, water has no negative side effects and many benefits.
In health and in sickness, pure water is one of Heaven’s choicest blessings. Its proper use promotes health. It is the beverage, which God provided to quench the thirst of animals and man. Drunk freely, it helps to supply the necessities of the system, and assists nature to resist disease. CD 419.1, MH 237
Nature knows best!
Source References