HEALTH COUNSEL FOR THE SAINTS

To Be In Good Health and Fulfil Your Ministry

By Venerable Dr Ifechukwu U. Ibeme
Websites: http://www.scribd.com/ifeogo ; http://priscaquila.6te.net ;

Exodus 15:26
(26) And said, If you will diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD your God, and will do
that which is right in his sight, and will give ear to his commandments, and keep all his
statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon you, which I have brought upon the Egyptians:
for I am the LORD that heals you.

3 John 1:2
(2) Beloved, I wish above all things that you may prosper and be in health, even as your soul
prospers.

Psalms 103:3
(3) He is the one who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases.

Do not tempt the Lord, with foolhardy carelessness or presumptuousness (Mat 4:6-7)
Do not be foolish but rather be wise in accord with God’s wisdom and will in the face of evil (Eph 5:15-17)
Be wise to void risk factors that endanger your health – Primary prevention is better than Secondary and Tertiary
Cure – “work while it is day” (John 9:4; 11:9-10).

HEALTH COUNSEL FOR THE SAINTS Lev 11-15, 18-19

OT Hygiene was Ritual Laws of holiness unto God (Sanitary Codes as Sanctity Codes)
 Quarantine, check-up and cleansing for emissions and discharges Lev 12 and 15
 Quarantine, check-up and cleansing for skin diseases and leprosy Lev 13 and 14
 Healthy (Clean) and Unhealthy (Unhealthy) food Lev 11; Deut 14
 Avoid sexual perversions Lev 18 and 20
 Avoid tattooing Lev 19:28; Deut 14:1-2
 Avoid prostitution and stone prostitutes Lev 19:29
 Observe Sabbath rest and Festal refreshment FOR GOD Lev 23 and 25
Precaution to preserve good health for the blessedness of healthy living is part of godliness in the OT!

NT Hygiene is Wise Counsels on cleanliness for our health (Health Counsels for Man’s Healthiness)
 Law was kindergarten teacher (Gal 3:23-25), so that the Scripture that was Law of Ordinances is now
Instruction in Wisdom and Righteousness (2Tim 3:15-17)
 Healing contact and confirmatory check-up for leprosy Mk 2:27
 Faith Healing contact for issue of blood Mk 3:25ff
 Little medicinal prescription use (Not Social Drinking) of Wine 1Tim 5:25 (NOTE: Wine refers to all
sorts of pressed Grape Must of Grape Juice Neh 5:18, but Strong Drink refers to alcoholic cereal
drink)
 Defiling is not alimentary by unhygienic food, but moral by evil thoughts. Mat 15:11; Mk 7:5, 18f
 Avoid prostitution but Forgiveness and repentance for prostitutes. Luk 7:39

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  Sabbath rest is counsel FOR MAN with room for necessity and essential services 1Tim 5:23

1. Personal hygiene for healthy living

Body (Teeth/mouth brush; Airways mask; Handwashing; Feet cover against warms and wounds, Skin
birth, creams against rashes and cover against insects bites and Nets against mosquitoes or zika; Genital
hygiene)
Food (Clean wash; appropriate cooking, Dietary balance, Fruits/Vegetables, Fish/Birds)
Water (Clean source and treatment against Diarrheas and Typhoid)
Spirit (Sin, Occult, Imbalance from fear, despair, rage)

2. Environmental sanitation for healthy living

No overcrowding against CSM
No air pollution against Respiratory Diseases
No water pollution against Diarrheas and Typhoid
Pest control against Mosquitoes/Malaria and Rodents/Ebola

3. Avoid Risky Habits

Smoking/Cola/Coffee raise the BP
Drinking/Sugar/Alcohol precipitate Diabetes and Liver disease
Eating excess causes obesity, inadequate food causes frailty and anaemia.
Drugs misuse/abuse, addiction, over-counter, folk herbs,
Stress without rest, exercise and peace.

4. Abstain from Risky sexual relations and behavior

Sex is spiritual bond for only marriage union and only safe in faithful monogamous marriage; otherwise
is sinful and transmits dangerous diseases like HIV/AIDS, etc.

5. Prevent infestation
Aerosol infestation – Respiratory diseases
Feca-oral infestation – Water-borne diseases
Body-fluid infestation – Needles, Transfusion, Manicure, Tattoo, Barbing tools, Sexual emissions.

6. Use Prophylaxis
Immunization for Children and Blood-thinners for Elders

7. “Go show yourself to the Physician” for health check-up (Jer 8:22; Mat 8:4; 9:12).
Screen for probable disease, Diagnose presenting symptoms and Treat underlying disease
When physicians fail other option is faith in the power and hem of the Great Physician Lk 8:43ff

COMMON DISEASES TO WATCH AGAINST (in Tropical Africa)

1. Marriage-related
Desire for marriage could be unadvisable in the face of certain situations like blood Affinity, Insanity,
Sterility and some Infirmities of incompatibilities like HIV sero-positivity and Sickle Cell genotype

2. Childhood diseases
Mostly immunizable with vaccines (BCG, DPT, Polio, Measles)

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 Easily preventable and treatable (Gastroenteritis, Worms, Malaria and other Fevers)

3. Common Infections
Malaria, Typhoid, Hepatitis, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Pelvic Inflammatory Diseases, Meningitis.

4. Chronic Diseases
Diabetes, Hypertension, TB, HIV, Obesity, Stress (need for rest), Aging (Eccl 12:1-3; John 21:18).

UNHEALTHY CULTURES AND SUPERSTITIONS TO ABANDON (in Nigeria)

1. Palm kernel oil and fire-warming for childhood febrile convulsion.
2. Clay paste on sunken fontanelle for infant dehydration.
3. Primitive concoctions of unknown constituents or dosage (e.g. Gbomoro) for children.
4. Manicure with unsterilized implements and culture of tattoos and marks.
5. Treatment of Compound fractures by Traditional Bone-setters.
6. Presumed diagnosis of demonic “attack” and resort to “spiritual warfare” without regard for the
possibility of divine “pruning” which requires “self-examination” or natural disease requiring medical
consult and therapy.
7. Presuming to have been healed by our faith or by someone’s miraculous power without confirmatory
medical test (Mat 8:4).

COUNSEL ON MEASURES DURING INFECTIOUS DISEASE OUTBREAK

What advice from the Scripture could the Church have for herself and the society in event of a spreading
contagion or infectious disease outbreak?
1. Biblical solutions to PREVENT an infectious disease from spreading in the community are quarantine to
keep away from the exposed and isolation to keep the infected from the community (Lev 13) ended
with purification (Num 19), or hygiene and sanitation to cleanse and keep ourselves and the
environment clean from contagions (Lev 14-15).
2. Biblical solutions for RECOVERY/HEALING from all diseases are:
a. Spiritual Ministration e.g. Mar 10:1; Joh 9:11; Jas 5:13-15: presbyterial or priestly ministrations
(prayer of faith, praying and fasting, laying hand, penitential absolution, binding and loosing, casting
out, word of command and declaration, prophetic instruction, and prophetic action) and personal
prayer.
b. Medical Management: Physical Medicinal Measures e.g. 2Kin 20:7; Luk 10:34 and Physician’s
Medical Therapies e.g. Jer 8:22; Mat 9:12.
Therefore Scriptural options to combat a spreading contagion include:
1. The wisdom for penitence, isolation and hygiene;
2. The knowledge of healing medicines; and
3. The power and faith for healing prayers.

Updated September 2, 2016

by Ven. Dr. I. U. Ibeme
Copyright  © PriscAquila Publishing, Maiduguri, Nigeria.
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