04/04/2026
🌱 1. Plant-Based Foods (Given at Creation)
Whole, natural foods are foundational
Genesis 1:29 – God gives:
Seed-bearing plants
Fruits from trees
✅ Why they’re good:
Seen as God’s original provision
Nutritious and sustainable
Gen 3:5-8-READ
🥩 2. Clean Meats (Old Testament Dietary Laws)
Certain animals were considered “clean”
Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14
👉 Allowed animals:
Land animals that chew the cud AND have split hooves
Cow, sheep, goat
Fish with fins and scales
Certain birds (like chicken, dove)
👉 Avoided:
Pork (pig)
Shellfish (shrimp, crab)
Predatory/scavenger animals-Bottom Feeders
Science says we have decomposers and Regenerative cells and life forms,
🍯 3. Honey — Natural Sweetness
Proverbs 24:13 – “Eat honey, for it is good” Be careful not to have too much!
John the Baptist ate wild honey (Matthew 3:4)
🥛 4. Dairy — Egg and Goat milk and Curds
Milk, curds, butter (e.g., Isaiah 7:22) Curds are to Milk what wine is to grapes/fruit Fermenting process
🍞 5. Bread and Grains — Daily Sustenance Enriched and refined
Jesus Christ calls Himself the “bread of life” (John 6:35)
🫒 6. Olive Oil — Health and Healing
Widely used in cooking and anointing
👉 Examples:
Healing (Luke 10:34)
✅ Why it’s good:
Symbol of blessing and healing
🍷 7. Wine — In Moderation
Psalm 104:15 – Wine “gladdens the heart” Fermented Fruit
Jesus Christ turned water into wine (John 2)
⚠️ But:
Drunkenness is strongly warned against (Proverbs 20:1)
✅ Why it’s good:
Acceptable in moderation
Symbol of joy and celebration
🐟 8. Fish — Clean and Nutritious
Frequently eaten in the New Testament
Jesus Christ multiplied fish (Matthew 14)
⚖️ 9. New Testament Perspective — Freedom with Wisdom
Later teachings shift the focus:
Mark 7:18–19 – Jesus Christ declares all foods clean
1 Timothy 4:4 – All food is good if received with thanksgiving
👉 Emphasis becomes:
Gratitude
Self-control
Avoiding excess
🔑 Biblical Principles for Eating
✅ Eat what is:
Natural and wholesome
Received with gratitude
Not harmful or excessive
❌ Avoid:
Gluttony (overeating)
Drunkenness
Lack of self-control
Fasting and Prayer process and restorations Joel
1. Trails
Joel begins by describing a devastating locust plague that destroys crops and livelihoods. This disaster is more than just natural—it symbolizes a coming “Day of the Lord”
👉 Message:
Hard times can be a wake-up call, urging people to reflect on their lives and turn back to God.
2. Call to Repentance
2:12 12 “Therefore also now,” saith the Lord, “turn ye even to Me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”
Joel urges everyone—leaders, priests, and ordinary people—to repent sincerely, not just outwardly.
“Return to me with all your heart and not your garments ”
👉 Message:
God desires genuine change of heart,
3. God’s Mercy and Compassion
Even though judgment is coming, Joel emphasizes that God is:
Gracious
Compassionate
Slow to anger
Abounding in love
👉 Message:
Judgment is not the end—mercy is always available if people turn back.
4. Promise of Restoration
After repentance, God promises to:
Restore the land
Bless the people
Remove their shame
👉 Message:
What’s been lost can be restored—God can bring renewal after devastation.
5. Outpouring of God’s Spirit
One of the most famous parts of Joel is the promise that God will pour out His Spirit on all people—young, old, men, and women.
This passage is later quoted in the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament.
👉 Message:
God’s presence will become more personal and widespread, not limited to a select few.
1. Moses – Seeking God and Receiving the Law
Who: Moses
Reference: Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 9:9
What he did: Fasted 40 days and nights while praying on Mount Sinai
Effect:
Received the Ten Commandments
Experienced deep closeness with God
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer brought revelation and covenant guidance
2. David – Repentance and Intercession
Who: David
Reference: 2 Samuel 12:16–23; Psalm 35:13
What he did: Fasted and prayed for his sick child
Effect:
Expressed deep repentance
Accepted God’s will when the child died
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer led to humility and surrender to God’s will
3. Ezra – Seeking Protection and Guidance
Who: Ezra
Reference: Ezra 8:21–23
What he did: Proclaimed a fast before traveling
Effect:
God provided safe journey
Strengthened trust in God instead of military protection
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer brought divine guidance and protection
4. Esther and the Jews – Deliverance from Destruction
Who: Esther
Reference: Esther 4:16
What she did: Called for a 3-day fast with no food or drink
Effect:
Found favor with the king
The Jewish people were saved
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer led to deliverance in a crisis
5. Nineveh – National Repentance
Who: People of Nineveh (in the book of Jonah)
Reference: Jonah 3:5–10
What they did: Declared a city-wide fast
Effect:
God relented from judgment
The city was spared
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer brought mercy instead of judgment
6. Joel’s Community – Turning Back to God
Who: The people in the Book of Joel
Reference: Joel 2:12–17
What they did: Declared a holy fast and prayed together
Effect:
God restored their land
Promised blessing and renewal
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer led to restoration and spiritual renewal
📖 New Testament Examples
7. Jesus – Preparation for Ministry
Who: Jesus Christ
Reference: Matthew 4:1–2; Luke 4:1–14
What he did: Fasted 40 days in the wilderness
Effect:
Overcame temptation
Began His ministry in power
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer strengthened spiritual authority and resistance to temptation
8. Early Church – Seeking Direction
Who: Early Christians
Reference: Acts 13:2–3
What they did: Fasted and prayed while worshiping
Effect:
Received guidance from the Holy Spirit
Sent out missionaries (Paul and Barnabas)
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer brought clear direction and mission
9. Paul – Commitment and Ministry
Who: Paul the Apostle
Reference: 2 Corinthians 6:5; Acts 14:23
What he did: Practiced fasting regularly
Effect:
Strengthened endurance in hardship
Helped appoint leaders in churches
👉 Impact: Fasting + prayer supported spiritual endurance and leadership
🔑 Big Pattern You Can See
Across the Bible, fasting and prayer consistently lead to:
Repentance → hearts change
Guidance → clarity in decisions
Protection → God’s intervention
Deliverance → rescue from danger
Strength → overcoming temptation
Restoration → renewal after loss
💧 1. Water — The Clearest Symbol of Life
Key idea: Water = life, cleansing, and spiritual renewal
Genesis 2:7 – God forms man and gives him life
John 4:14 – Jesus Christ speaks of “living water”
John 7:38 – “Rivers of living water will flow from within them”
Ezekiel 47 – Water flowing from the temple brings life everywhere
👉 Meaning:
Water represents:
Physical survival
Spiritual life (eternal life)
Cleansing and renewal
✅ Bottom line: Water is the Bible’s strongest image of life that comes from God.
🧂 2. Salt — Preservation, Covenant, and Vitality
Key idea: Salt = preservation and sustaining life
Matthew 5:13 – “You are the salt of the earth”
Leviticus 2:13 – “Salt of the covenant”
2 Kings 2:19–22 – Elisha uses salt to heal bad water
👉 Meaning:
Salt represents:
Preservation (prevents decay)
Purity and value
Covenant faithfulness
✅ Bottom line: Salt doesn’t create life, but it protects and sustains it.
🌬️ 3. Breath / Air — The Source of Life Itself
Key idea: Breath (air) = life from God
Genesis 2:7 – God breathes into man the “breath of life”
Ezekiel 37:9–10 – Breath enters dry bones and they live
Acts 17:25 – God gives “life and breath and everything else”
👉 Meaning:
Breath/air represents:
The direct life force from God
The human spirit
Dependence on God for existence
✅ Bottom line: Breath is the very act of God giving life.
🔗 Putting It All Together
Even though the Bible doesn’t list them as a trio, you can see a powerful pattern:
Element
Role in Life
Spiritual Meaning
💧 Water
Sustains life
Renewal, eternal life
🧂 Salt
Preserves life
Faithfulness, purity
🌬️ Breath/Air
Creates life
God’s life-giving power
🧠 Big Insight
Together, these show that life comes from God, is sustained by Him, and must be preserved through faithfulness.
Breath → God gives life
Water → God sustains life
Salt → God calls us to preserve what is good
In One Sentence:
The Bible teaches that God is the source of all life—giving it through breath, sustaining it like water, and preserving it like salt.
