VEGAN & THE BIBLE - NYOBS 64.07

VEGAN & THE BIBLE

The initial diet of ALL humanity was Vegan; vegetables, fruits, nuts, & grain. - Gen 1:29-30

First Word

·         A Vegetarian is basically someone who practices eating only vegetables and dairy products and abstains from eating meat; Semi-Vegetarians will include fish and poultry in their diet. – Vegetarian and Vegan; what is the difference?

·         Veganism is the practice of abstaining from ingesting animal-derived foodstuffs as well as dairy products. - Followers of either The Diet or The Philosophy are known as a VEGANS.  

·         Vegans believe that their way of life is the purest way to honor God and His creations, not only does it outwardly express compassion toward animal life, but inwardly it is a healthier lifestyle and is better for the community and the world.

·         The term Vegan was coined by Donald Watson when he co-founded the Vegan Society in England in 1944. - At first, the word Vegan meant…

a)    The Diet – A Vegan - a "Non-dairy vegetarian" – (no dairy; no meats) and later it included

b)    The Philosophy - The Ethical Vegan - "Doctrine - man should live without exploiting animals".

·         The term Ethical Vegan is applied to those who extend this philosophy into other areas of their lives opposing the use of animal products for any purpose. They avoid the purchase of ordinary soaps and cosmetics that contain animal bi-products or purchasing bedding that contains goose down or duck feathers. They choose to not wear clothing that includes animal products such as wool and silk or leather shoes. – OT Tradition has many wearing only linen.

·         Ethical Vegans avoid certain vaccines such as the flu vaccine which is usually grown in hens' eggs - As an alternative, Ethical Vegans can use” Flublok” which is widely available.

·         Vegan diets are based on grains and other seeds, legumes, beans, fruits, vegetables, edible mushrooms and nuts. 

·         The diet tends to be higher in HDL; good cholesterol, and higher in dietary fiber, folic acid, magnesium, iron, vitamin C and E and “Phytonutrients” which are the nutrients that come only from plants.

·         The diet tends to be lower in LDL, the bad cholesterol; Lower in saturated fats, calories, vitamin B12 and vitamin D, calcium, and zinc. – Most of the fats encountered are the “good” fats; “Monounsaturated” fats.

·         The diet downside is that it tends to not offer enough protein, vitamins and essential amino acids in the diet.

·         Vegans do not eat wild game, beef, pork, poultry, fowl, seafood, eggs, dairy, or any other animal products, such as gelatin. 

·         Vegan Meats (mock meats) are based on soybeans (tofu), or wheat-based seitan/gluten, usually in the form of vegetarian sausage, mince, and veggie burgers.

·         Vegan Plant milks are used in place of cows' or goats' milk, they are made from oats, rice, soy, almonds, hemp and coconut.

·         Vegan Cheeses called Chreese, Daiya, Sheese, Teese and Tofutti, are made from soy, nuts and tapioca to replace dairy cheese.

·         Veganism appears to provide health benefits, including a reduced risk of obesity, high blood pressure, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and can aid in weight loss. – Wikipedia –

·         There is evidence that in heaven we will all be HERBIVORES eating herbs and that Vegans are just getting prepared for Heaven and will feel right at home.  Isaiah 65:25 - Eating Straw

Is God a Vegan?

·         In the beginning of time, it pretty well says that man and beast both were vegans eating from the trees and plants until they were removed from the Garden of Eden.

·         At the end of time in the Eternal Kingdom, Isaiah the prophet says the wolf will live with the lamb; the leopard will sleep with the young goat; the calf and the lion will be together and a little child shall lead them around. - Man will not hurt or destroy His creatures.

·         From the Garden of Eden to the eternal kingdom we can get a sense that God desired a world without killing.

Genesis 1:29-30 – Man and Animals ate vegetables, fruit & seed
²⁹ And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.
³⁰ to every beast of the earth and to every bird of the heavens and to everything that creeps on the earth, EVERYTHING that has the BREATH of life, I have given every green plant for food.” (ESV)

Isaiah 11:6-9 - Man shall not hurt or destroy the creatures
⁶ The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
⁷ The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat STRAW like the ox.
⁸ The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.
⁹ They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD.(ESV)

Was Jesus a Vegan?

·         Was Jesus a Vegan or Vegetarian? – The Vegetarian Jew thought that meat corrupted the soul, causing man to stumble, thus we find Isaiah the Prophet saying that Jesus would eat CURDS (butter) and HONEY and know how to refuse evil and choose good.

·         But was Jesus a total vegetarian, the simple answer is NO; He had the opportunity to feed 5000 people salad, but instead he chose to feed them with fish and bread. – I will say that “fishweed” (dried seaweed) was also a popular food among the peasants and was plentiful.

·         The Greek word for Fish is “IXOUS” which just happens to be an acronym for the phrase “Jesus Christ Son of God”

·         NOTE: Pesco-Vegetarians were vegetarians who also ate fish.  

·         Jesus own diet included wine, bread and fish as well as lamb, – God made wine and said it was good. – NYOBS 03.21 – BEER BOOZE AND BUBBLY --  NYOBS 03.25 – VOW OF THE NAZARINE

·         Jesus declared that all foods are clean including animals and told Peter he could eat any kind of meat that he wanted; Cows, Pigs, Chickens and more; that what He had made clean should no longer be called common.

·         Jesus was a Nazarene, the Nazarite vow was to abstain from wine and touching anything dead; this could be for “a period of time” or for life. – We can see from scripture that Jesus’ vow was for “a period of time”, where John the Baptist’s vow was for “life”.

·         In matters of dietary regimen, we as followers of Jesus are free to follow the dictates of our faith; what we believe God wants us to do. – What’s right for me might be wrong for you.

·         In the very beginning God gave Animals, Fish, Poultry and plants to man and nowhere in scripture has this gift ever been rescinded. – It’s in the Book -

Matthew 14:17-21 – Jesus fed the multitudes fish
¹⁷ They said to him, “We have only five LOAVES here and two FISH.”
¹⁸ And he said, “Bring them here to me.”
¹⁹ Then he ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass, and taking the five LOAVES and the two FISH, he looked up to heaven and said a blessing. Then he broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.
²¹ And those who ate were about FIVE THOUSAND MEN, besides women and children. (ESV)

Luke 24:41-43 – Jesus ate some broiled fish
⁴¹ And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?”
⁴² They gave him a piece of broiled FISH,
⁴³ and he took it and ATE before them. (ESV)

Luke 22:7-15 – Jesus ate some Lamb
⁷ Then came the day of Unleavened Bread, on which the Passover LAMB had to be sacrificed.
⁸ So Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat it.”
¹⁵ And he said to them, “I have earnestly desired TO EAT this Passover with you before I suffer.

(ESV)

Acts 10:10-15 – Peter can eat cows, pigs, chickens and more
¹⁰ And he became hungry and wanted something to eat, but while they were preparing it, he fell into a trance
¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
¹² In it were all kinds of ANIMALS AND REPTILES and BIRDS of the air.
¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; KILL AND EAT.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has made clean, do not call common.”

(ESV)

Luke 7:33-34 – Jesus drank wine

33 For John the Baptist came neither eating bread nor drinking WINE, and you say, `He has a demon.'

34 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and you say, `Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and "sinners." NIV

Gen 1:31 – God created wine and said it was very good

31 God saw ALL that he had made, and it was VERY good.

NIV

Isaiah 7:14-15 – Jesus will eat curds (butter) and honey
¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
¹⁵ He shall eat CURDS and HONEY when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. (ESV)

Genesis 9:2-3 – Animals, Birds, Fish and Plants are food for you
² The fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every BEAST of the earth and upon every BIRD of the heavens, upon everything that creeps on the ground and all the FISH of the sea. Into your hand they are delivered.
³ EVERY MOVING THING that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

(ESV)

Romans 14:21 – It is not good to eat meat (causes brother to stumble)
²¹ It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble.

(ESV)

THE NAZARENE VOW

• If you are moved by the Spirit to get closer to God, then you must separate yourself from strong drink and not touch anything dead for whatever time is impressed on you.  Jesus’ vow was for a period of time and John’s the Baptist’s vow was for life. 
• The grape to the Nazarene was a symbol of temptation because it symbolized prosperity, leisure and the fullness of life that is connected to it.
• Vow of the Nazarene:  To make oneself available to God - To aspire to be a spiritual leader.

a)    Dedication and separation to a priestly life for a PERIOD OF TIME or FOREVER.

b)    Abstinence from anything from the VINE, including raisins and the vine itself.

c)    Defilement avoidance: To avoid touching a DEAD thing, making them un-ceremonial defiled.

d)    Unimpaired strength:  The cutting of hair was forbidden, as hair is a symbol of strength, the length of the hair indicated the length of time that the separation had taken place.

·         Long Hair is merely an “outward manifestation” of an inner purity.  You may recall Sampson; a Nazarite for life had long hair, but ate corrupt food, drank wine and lived a life of debauchery even though he was a judge of God for 20 years.

·         Interestingly; the Shroud of Turin thought to be Jesus Christ had the images of someone with long hair like that of a Nazarene.

Num 6:1-3 – Want more of God – Separate from wine

1 The LORD said to Moses,

2 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: `If a man or woman wants to make a special vow, a vow of separation to the LORD as a Nazirite,

3 he must abstain from wine and other fermented drink and must not drink vinegar made from wine or from other fermented drink. He must not drink grape juice or eat grapes or raisins. NIV

Luke 1:13-16 - Want to be totally dedicated to the lord

 13 But the angel said to him: "Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.

15 for he will be great in the sight of the Lord. He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even from birth. NIV

Eph 5:18 – Seek the spirit of God

18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit NIV

1 Cor 6:19-20 – Our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit

19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;

20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

NIV

Rev 1:5-6 – We are a kingdom of priest

5 To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood,

6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father-to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.

NIV

1 Peter 2:5 – We are a royal priesthood

5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ

NIV

1 Peter 2:9 – We are a chosen people

9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

NIV

Judges 13:7 – Samson – A Nazarite from birth
⁷ But he told me, ‘You will become pregnant and give birth to a son. You must not drink wine or any other alcoholic drink nor eat any forbidden food. For your son will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from the moment of his birth until the day of his death.’” (NLT)

OT Dietary Laws

THE HEBREWS COULD EAT ALL OF THIS

These are the foods that God was specific in mentioning in the OT

dietary Laws, as you will see, those boys still ate pretty good.

·         Meats - Sheep – Lamb – Goat - Beef – Venison - Turkey – Chicken – Quail – Locust – Crickets Grass Hoppers – Katydids - Beetles - Fish (with scales and fins) –

·         Bread - Bread Cakes – Roasted Grain – Wheat – Barley – Crackers -

·         Beans – Lentils – Millet – Emmer – Rice -

·         Greens - Collards – Turnip Greens - Lettuce – Cabbage - Radishes - Cucumbers – Corn -

·         Melons – Tomato’s – Onions – Leeks – Potatoes – Squash – Cauliflower - Brussel Sprouts Rutabagas – Mushrooms -

·         Fruit – Dried Fruit - Raisins – Raisin Cakes – Figs – Grapes – Peaches – Plumbs – Apples Oranges – Pomegranates – Persimmons - Olives – Lemons – Limes -

·         Spices – Herbs – Salt – Peppers - Garlic – Olive Oil - Honey – Honeycomb -

·         Nuts - Pistachio Nuts - Almonds –

·         Wine and lots of it – Water –

·         Dairy - Goats Milk – Curds – Cheese –

·         If it grows in the ground, you can eat it, but not smoke it.  – If it does not grow, it’s probably a rock.

·         While Vegetable oil certainly seems OK, you will find that Olive Oil has 80% less polyunsaturated fat. – NYOBS 49.20 – FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Four Vegan Boys

·         Seeking youths of the royal family and of the nobility, King Nebuchadnezzar took four Hebrew boys captive from Judah; their names were Daniel (called Belteshazzar), Hananiah (called Shadrach), Mishael (called Meshach) and Azariah (called Abednego)

·         The King ordered the guard to feed them with the royal food and wine; Daniel asked the chief official to allow them to eat just vegetables and water for ten days and judge for himself if they did not look healthier.

·         At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food which included meats and wine. – It’s in the Book -

Daniel 1:6-8 – Daniel, Hananiah, Azariah & Mishael captured
⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
⁷ The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.
⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. (NIV2011)

Daniel 1:11-12 – Give us nothing but vegetables and water
¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah,
¹² Please test your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.

(NIV2011)

Daniel 1:15 - They looked healthier and better nourished
¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they LOOKED HEALTHIER and BETTER NOURISHED than any of the young men who ate the royal food.

Case for Animals

·         Moses knew that Egypt’s sacrificing of animals to idols was deeply ingrained in the people of Israel and he re-adjusted their thinking by permitting the sacrifice of animals only to the One God of Israel.

·         Jeremiah the Prophet said that God never commanded His people to have burnt-offerings or sacrifices, but to just obey His voice.  When a sacrifice was offered it was a voluntary act. He said that acts of love, service and justice are more important than sacrifices. – To make it even clearer He said, I take no pleasure in the blood of bulls, lambs and goats.

·         One day God will make a covenant to ABOLISH KILLING ANIMALS. – No creature will be harmed on His Holy Mountain. – God will preserve them and they shall eat and lie down together in peace.  

·         The righteous will care for the needs of the animals and those who do so will be blessed. – God already provides food for his creations; even a small sparrow is noticed by Him.

Jeremiah 7:22-23 – I did not command to have sacrifices
²² For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices.
²³ But this command I gave them: ‘Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’ (ESV)
Amos 5:21-22 - I despise your feast
²¹ I hate, I despise your feasts, and I will take no delight in your solemn assemblies.
²² Yea, though ye offer me your burnt-offerings and meal-offerings, I will not accept them; neither will I regard the peace-offerings of your fat beasts.

Isaiah 1:13 – The smell of vain offerings is an abomination
¹³ Bring no more vain offerings; incense is an abomination to me. New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations— I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly. (ESV)

Isaiah 1:11 – I do not delight in blood sacrifices
¹¹ What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices? says the LORD; I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams and the fat of well-fed beasts; I do not delight in the blood of bulls, or of lambs, or of goats. (ESV)

Hosea 2:18 – Covenant to abolish killing animals – lie in safety
¹⁸ In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, the birds in the sky and the creatures that move along the ground. Bow and sword and battle I will abolish from the land, so that all may lie down in safety. (NIV2011)

Isaiah 65:25 – No creature will be harmed on my Holy Mountain
²⁵ The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, and dust will be the serpent’s food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain,” says the LORD. (NIV2011)

Luke 12:6 – Even sparrow are important to God
⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. (NIV2011)

Jeremiah 12:4 – Man causes the animals & birds to perish
⁴ How long will the land lie parched and the grass in every field be withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, “He will not see what happens to us.” (NIV2011)

Psalm 36:6 – God preserves the animals
⁶ Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep. You, LORD, preserve both people and ANIMALS.

Psalm 147:9 – God provides food for the animals
⁹ He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call. (NIV2011)

Job 12:7 – The animals and birds can teach you
⁷ But ask the animals, and they will teach you, or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you; (NIV2011)

Proverbs 21:3 – Righteousness is better than sacrifices
³ To do RIGHTEOUSNESS and JUSTICE is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice. (ESV)

Hosea 6:6 – Steadfast love is better than sacrifices
⁶ For I desire steadfast LOVE and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (ESV)

Proverbs 12:10 - The righteous care for the needs of animals
¹⁰ The righteous care for the needs of their animals, but the kindest acts of the wicked are cruel. (NIV2011)  

Matthew 5:7 – You are blessed showing animals mercy
⁷ Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. (NIV2011)

Case for Meat Lovers

·         If the original intent of God was for Veganism, it was repealed right after the flood of Noah when God told Noah that everything alive was food for him.

·         After the Kosher Levitical Laws made a distinction between clean and un-clean foods, Jesus did away with these laws stating nothing that goes into a man makes him unclean.

·          Animals are born to be caught and eaten; every moving thing is food for man and God has made them ALL clean.

·         If you are eating SALADS you are taking away food from the animals, birds and creatures. God says the green plants are food for them.

·          No food is to be rejected, but received with thanksgiving. – It’s in the Book -

Genesis 1:30 – I give the green plants to the animals
³⁰ And to all the BEASTS of the earth and all the BIRDS in the sky and all the CREATURES that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give EVERY GREEN PLANT for food.” And it was so. (NIV2011)

2 Peter 2:12 – Animals born to be caught and eaten
¹² But these, like irrational animals, creatures of instinct, born to be caught and destroyed, blaspheming about matters of which they are ignorant, will also be destroyed in their destruction,

(ESV)

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you
³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything. (ESV)

Mark 7:18-19 – Jesus declares all foods clean
¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,
¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) (ESV)

Acts 10:11-15 – Eat animals & birds; God has made them clean
¹¹ and saw the heavens opened and something like a great sheet descending, being let down by its four corners upon the earth.
¹² In it were all kinds of ANIMALS and reptiles and birds of the air.
¹³ And there came a voice to him: “Rise, Peter; KILL AND EAT.”
¹⁴ But Peter said, “By no means, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.”
¹⁵ And the voice came to him again a second time, “What GOD has MADE CLEAN, do not call common.”

(ESV)

1 Timothy 4:4 – No food is to be rejected – receive thanksgiving
⁴ For everything created by God is good, and NOTHING IS TO BE REJECTED if it is received with thanksgiving, (ESV)

Case for Dairy Lovers

·         God speaks of Eggs, Butter and Milk and I do not find anywhere that He has discouraged eating dairy product or drinking milk.

·         Early on God promised the Hebrews that He would give them a land flowing with MILK and honey. – Later on they inherited the land flowing with MILK and honey only to forget the Lord God’s commands.

Exodus 33:3 – Command - Go up to a land flowing with MILK
³ Go up to a land flowing with MILK and honey; but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (ESV)

Exodus 3:8 – A good land has MILK and Honey

⁸ and I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land to a GOOD and broad land, a land flowing with MILK and honey, to the place of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites. (ESV)

Genesis 18:8 – Butter and Milk they did eat
⁸ And he took BUTTER, and MILK, and the CALF which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and THEY DID EAT.

(ASV)

Isaiah 10:14 – As a farmer gathers eggs, God gathers us
¹⁴ I reached out my hand and took all that they treasured as easily as a boy taking a bird's eggs from a nest. Like a farmer gathering EGGS from the henhouse, I gathered the world in my basket, and no one so much as fluttered a wing or squawked or even chirped. (MSG)

Johnathan

·         I had a friend who had very little to live on and I took him to lunch one day and said, “Johnathan, order anything that you want”. – He ordered just one hamburger and water. –

·         I said, Good Grief man, don’t you want more; get two hamburgers, fries, a pie, and a soft drink; … He said “Of course I want more, but this is all I need”.

·         I think Johnathan is the exception, because we all want more, but overeating or gluttony is the sin of rebellion and rebellion is lumped in with the sin of witchcraft which is an abomination to God. – Psalms talks about God’s anger against gluttony and says He killed the fattest of some of them. – So the moral to the story is - “Overeating can kill you” –

·         Johnathan’s prayer; “give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me. – It’s in the Book –

Proverbs 30:8 - Feed me with the food that is needful for me
⁸ Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is NEEDFUL for me,

(ESV)

Ps 78:30-31 – God slew the FATTEST of them.

30 But before they turned from the food they craved, even while it was still in their mouths,

31 When the anger of God went up against them, and SLEW of the fattest of them, and smote down the young men of Israel.

ASV

Last Thoughts

·         The New Testament shifts us away from the Old Testament legalism underscoring Christian Liberty and the rule of individual conscious.  Each person should be fully convinced in his own mind what he wants to eat.

·         There is no command from the Lord to eat meat or to abstain from eating meat.  You have Free Will to eat as you choose.

·         We are not to worry about what to eat or drink, we are free to eat or drink anything we choose, but are to bathe our food in pray because we just don’t know what we are eating.

·         There are some that do not know that they are FREE to eat meats. - One man’s faith says he can eat meats and the other’s man’s faith says he can’t - The “Free in faith” person should not despise the one who abstains from eating meat nor should the “Weak in faith” person pass judgement on the person who does eat meat. – We should not force our personal convictions of diet on someone else. – God has accepted both men -  It’s in the Book –

·         Israel had dietary Laws, but they did not include abstaining from eating meats.  Jesus made it clear when He said that it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, it’s what comes out of him; like evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.

·         What we eat is not a SIN, its overeating; gluttony that’s the sin. – The Sin of Gluttony is considered EVIDENCE of lack of control in other areas of your life. - God says that if you are a glutton you should just cut your own throat. - NYOBS 38.02 – SEVEN DEADLY SINS

·         Cruelty to animals is inconsistent with Christian Principals; the way animals are raised and handled in the food industry; reports of testing animals with household products; putting animals in a circus, and just killing them for sport certainly gives rise for good reasons to refrain from using anything that utilizes animal bi-products. -  HOWEVER, on the other hand, it’s just plain wrong to give animal life a priority over human life especially in denying food to starving people in order to protect the “rights” of animals, birds and fish.

·         We are warned that in the later times some will be deceived by the insincerity of liars which require the “Abstinence from Foods” that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth  - It’s in the Book -

·         The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, so whatever YOU choose to eat or drink, give thanks for it and enjoy it to the glory to God. – Our Salvation is Jesus Christ plus nothing else –

Romans 14:17 - Kingdom of God not a matter Eating & Drinking
¹⁷  For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

(ESV).

Luke 12:29 – Do not worry about what to eat or drink
²⁹ And do not seek what you are to eat and what you are to drink, nor be worried. (ESV)

1 Timothy 4:4-5 – You can eat anything; just pray over it.
⁴ For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
⁵ for it is made holy by the word of God and PRAYER.

(ESV)

1 Thessalonians 5:18 – Be thankful IN all things
¹⁸ GIVE THANKS in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (ESV)

1 Corinthians 10:31 – Eat and Drink – Give Glory to God
³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

(ESV)

Mark 7:18-23 – Food cannot defile a person
¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes INTO a person from outside cannot defile him,
¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)
²⁰ And he said, “What comes OUT of a person is what defiles him.
²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,
²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.
²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (ESV)

Romans 14:2-3 – The FREE in faith eats anything he wants
² One person believes he may eat anything, while the WEAK PERSON (in faith) eats only VEGETABLES.
³ Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him.

(ESV)
Romans 14:5 – Each should be fully convinced in his own mind
⁵ One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind.

(ESV)

Genesis 9:3 - Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you
³ Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. And as I gave you the green plants, I give you everything.

(ESV)

Prov 23:2 – Cut your own throat if you are a glutton

2 and put a knife to your throat if you are given to gluttony.
NIV

Ps 10:3 – The greedy cravings revile the Lord

3 He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the LORD.

NIV

1 Timothy 4:1-3 – Deceitful spirit require abstinence from foods
¹ Now the Spirit expressly says that IN LATER TIMES some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
² through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
³ who forbid marriage and REQUIRE ABSTINENCE FROM FOODS that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. (ESV)

In the multitude of counselors,

there is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:14

I am grateful to those that went before me providing concepts, ideas, historical

information, and scripture verses.  Because of them I can stand on their shoulders

and see further that I otherwise ever could have.

                                                                                                                                     

A Commentary; Critical, Experimental and Practical - Eerdmans

Antiquity of the Jews – Flavius Josephus Matthias

Apocrypha – Goodspeed

Baker Commentary on the Bible - Elwell

Bible Almanac; The – Packer-Tenney-White

Bible Commentary – F.B. Meyer

Bible Dictionary – Harper and Row

Dake’s Annotated Bible – Dake

English Standard Version Bible – ESV

Expositor’s Bible Commentary – Frank E. Gaebelein

Illustrated Bible Dictionary – Nelson’s

Illustrated Bible Dictionary; The – Tyndale

Interlinear Greek-English New Testament - Baker

King James Version Bible – KJV

Matthew Henry’s Commentary - Zondervan

Mysteries of the Bible – Readers Digest

Nave’s Topical Bible - Zondervan

New International Dictionary of the Bible; The – Douglas - Tenney

New International Version Bible (2011) – NIV

NOTE: The “new” NIV has been corrupted and made gender neutral.  Avoid it.

Thru the Bible – J. Vernon McGee

Vincent’s Word Studies of the New Testament – Mac Donald

Who’s Who in the Bible – Paul D. Gardner

Wycliffe Bible Commentary; The – Pfeiffer & Harrison

Wikipedia –

Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible; The – Tenney