I posted a short YouTube video about how gut health is important to mental health. In this video, I discuss ways you can optimize the health of your gut, and by doing so improve your emotional health and the health of your brain.

Now, I would like to address how our emotional health is closely linked to our physical health. Let’s take a look at Proverbs 14:30:

A calm and undisturbed mind and heart are the life and health of the body but envy, jealousy, and wrath are like rottenness to the bones.

Unhealthy emotions can suppress the immune system increasing our risk of disease. Recently, in a book by Dr. Gordon Crozier entitled Healing One Cell at A Time, I read that the cells of our body vibrate. They have a sound. Healthy cells have a totally different vibration than unhealthy cells. The vibration of healthy cells allows nutrients to get into the cell whereas unhealthy cells suffer form inadequate nutrition. Dr. Crozier stated that studies have shown that certain tones can have a healing effect on the body and that emotions and self-talk also affect how our cells vibrate.

“Changing our emotions to be positive ones can in fact change the very vibration of our cells.” – Dr. Gordon Crozier

This makes me think about telomeres. Telomeres are non-coding DNA at the tips of our chromosomes that are involved in cell division. Telomeres don’t follow a pre-programed genetic code but are listening to us! Stress, poor diet, and lack of exercise accelerate telomere division causing our cells to age faster and produce more inflammation. In other words, shorter telomeres means shorter life of the cell and longer telomeres means longer life of the cell. Lifestyle habits that prolong the life of our cells are diet, exercise, stress reduction, and meditation. What you think, feel and speak matters!

“Every thought or belief, though invisible and even unconscious, becomes the chemistry that flows through our viens. This ‘psycochemistry’ has an incredible influence upon every cell that it bathes and envelopes. It possesses inherent power to nourish as well as destroy. ” – Dr. Alexander Haskell, N.D.

“Focusing on positive emotions and being thankful for what I have-rather than focusing on what I don’t have-makes all the difference. Focusing on the negative causes every cell to be focused on death and destruction.” – Dr. Gordon Crozier

Our thoughts, emotions, and words have inherent power to heal or destroy. Negative emotions can have a detrimental impact not only on our body but to our spirit as well. Inflammation is at the root of unhealthy cells and chronic stress can increase our risk of cancer by 32%.

What we feed ourselves, physically and spiritually, is so very important to living a healthy life. What we allow ourselves to meditate on and speak matters as well. When you place your hand on your chest and speak, you can feel the vibration. The words we speak have the power to bring encouragement or to bring discouragement. Our words have a sound or a vibration. We have all been around people who speak negatively, and you can feel the atmosphere in the room change. The same is true when you are aound people whose words are filled with encouragement and joy. The atmosphere is alive and uplifting. You have also been around people who are peaceful and calm and just being around them brings peace to your soul. What sound or vibration are you releasing?

Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life] Proverbs 18:21

Here we go agian with the concept of eating. Feeding ourselves the wrong things, physically and spiritually, can causes physical and spiritual death. Jesus said that the Words He speaks (He is still speaking today) are Spirit and Life. When we think and speak the Word of the Lord over our lives, it brings life not only to our body, but to those around us. It’s time to align our hearts and minds to our Heavenly Father. He is the Giver of Life. He is good and nothing is too hard for Him.

He is looking for a people to be His Voice in this time. To know His heart and to bring words of healing, deliverance, and love to a hurting world. His heart is for all people to come to the knowledge of Jesus Christ and for all people to understand that His love has no limits, and is extended to all who will believe in His son-Jesus. You have a VOICE in this season. Will your voice be filled with death and destruction or filled with grace and truth?

An example of what I am saying is found in Numbers Chapter 13 and 14. Moses sent out the 12 spies to scout out the land that the Lord was giving to His people. The spies came back and reported that the land was good, but it was inhabited by a strong people with fortified cites. Not only that, it was filled with giants. Caleb immediately quieted the people saying, “We should by all means go up and take possession of it, for we will surely overcome it (Numbers 13:30).” Unfortunately, the people continued to speak negatively against the Lord complaining that he brought them to this land to die by the sword. Moses and Aaron fell on their faces, and Caleb and Joshua tore their clothes, in response to the peoples words. Caleb and Joshua reminded the people that the land is exceedingly good, and if the Lord is pleased with them, that He will bring them into the land and give it to them. They told the people not to be fearful of the people in the land because the Lord was with them. The people angered the Lord with their lack of trust in Him after all the miracles and care he had shown them coming out of Egypt. He told Moses he would smite them with pestilence and dispose of them, and that he would make Moses into a nation greater and mightier than they were. Moses interceded for the people reminding the Lord that the Egyptians would hear that He could not bring this people into the land. Moses prayed: “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness, just as you also have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now (Numbers 14:19)”.

Here’s what really struck my heart. The Lord pardon the people according to the word of Moses but would not allow them see the promised land. Wow, the words of Moses changed the heart of God towards a rebellious people. Moses interceded for the people as the High Priest and God listened. We now have a perfect High Priest, Jesus, that intercedes for us! Glory to God! Jesus was the perfect sacrifice that was poured out, not only to saves us, but translates us into the Kingdom of God. We are now heirs to this Kingdom, and as Jesus is, so are we in this world. Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father and so are we! We are Kings and Priest giving us authority to declare “on earth as it is in heaven”. We are adopted as His beloved sons and daughters. We are not slaves but are children! This is the good news of the Gospel! Jesus is alive and has imputed righteous to me and you as a gift, a gift not based on my or your behavior or righteousness, but the loveingkindness and favor of the Father. Jesus is the person of GRACE!

Let’s continue this story, God said that Caleb and his descendants would enter the land because Caleb had a different spirit and fully followed the Lord. What spirit did he have? I think 2 Timothy 1:7 says it all:

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (of cowardice, of craven and cringing and fawning fear), but [He has given us a spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and discipline and self-control. He didn’t have a spirit of fear but a spirit of power, love and a sound mind.

Furthermore, the Lord told Moses to tell the people that as they have spoken, he would surely do to them. They would die in the wilderness but their children would enter the promise land. OUR WORDS (THOUGHT OR SPOKEN) HAVE POWER!

Often times, under pressure, we can see what is really in our hearts. The Israelites thought they were small (like grasshoppers) in their own sight. They let their minds focus on the gaints in the land and thoughts of dying, instead of focusing their hearts and minds on their God who had never forsaken them or left them. They let fear and complaining overtake them, and they died spiritually and physically. They listened to the voice of fear (the enemy) instead of the VOICE of their loving Father who had told them not to fear. They let their hearts be troubled and their minds to go to the worst case scenario. Remember Proverb 14:30: A calm mind and undisturbed heart is health to the body.

Do not let your hearts be troubled (distressed, agitated). You believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely on God; believe in and adhere to and trust in and rely also on Me. John 14:1

How do we not let our heart be troubled? It starts but not letting our mind focus on the world but focus on the Kingdom of God, the finished work of Jesus, and who we are in Him. What we focus on or meditate on, will begin to manifest in our lives. The Israelites focused on the giants and not the goodness and love of their Heavenly Father. They focused on the enemy and not the God who had delivered them and cared for them. The Israelites forgot their identity: God’s chosen people and people jealously loved by Him.

This is much like today. The people of God have forgotten who they are and have partnered with unbelief and fear. People of God, our Heavenly Father is for us not against us. If God be for us, who can be against us! The land we are entering to take possession of is a land of mountains and valleys that drink rain from heaven (Deuteronomy 11:11).

Mountains in scripture have a symbolic meaning: spiritual high place, heaven possibilities, place of worship, place of transformation, separation, God’s Glory, refuge, obstacles, pride, or unbelief. A valley is also symbolic: depression, hopelessness, discouragement, fear, separation, the enemy’s domain, weeping, trail, tribulation, or hidden in secret. Rain is symbolic of abundance and the favor of God. So in other words, the land or era the people of God are entering into, will have obstacles and trials, but the Glory of the Lord has risen upon us. He is with us, and we can take the land.

We, who are in Christ, should be going from Glory to Glory. The earth is moaning and groaning awaiting for the sons and daughters to arise. It’s time for us to arise and take our place as sons and daughters of the King. In other words, align our thoughts and words to His Word, and His Voice. It’s time to listen and to obey. Speaking the heart of God over ourselves and circumstances changes things! His Words will not go out void! Hear His VOICE: You are my beloved! I am jealous for you. I desire you to come and sit and eat with Me.

His love is a burning fire that drives fear out of our heart, mind, and body. If we remain fearful after receiving Jesus as our Savior, it’s because we do not know the love of Father through Christ His Son. Fear expects punishment or evil but in Christ there is no condemnation. How do I know this? The bible says that Jesus disarmed all principalities and powers that raged against the cross (Colossians 2:15). People of God, it’s time to know our idenity as children of God. Hear these words from Isaiah:

Arise [from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you—rise to a new life]! Shine (be radiant with the glory of the Lord), for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you! Isaiah 60:1

The Glory of God has risen over us!

What will you chose today? Life or death? The health of our body and the health of the Body of Christ begins with a healthy mind-the mind of Christ. We are transformed by the renewing of our mind and the reverent, worshipful fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Health and every good things comes from the Lord. He is able to give us instruction to live productive and healthy lives. All is required is to go to Him, receive His gift of no condemnation, and let His love transform you. This means taking time out to be with Him. Paul said that his only aim was: knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and of progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him [of perceiving and recognizing and understanding Him more fully and clearly] (Philippians 3:8). Let this be our heart in this whirlwind call COVID-19. To know Him and to know who we are in Him. Don’t partner with fear but partner with the one who died to give us life more abundantly-Jesus. Trust Him. He is faithful and just. His yoke is easy and light. He cares for you. He is the healer, and He is the bread of life. Let faith and hope arise today! You are loved.