Had an opportunity to hike a trail up Vroman's Nose with a genuine woodsman (hunter/fisherman/trapper) named Ed. Saw clear panoramas of Schoharie Creek Valley, a floodplain that grows hay, corn, apples, blueberries, pumpkins etc. Good exercise.
As I travel, I find many people concerned about eating in a healthy manner. While I believe that diet is the number one factor in maintaining or promoting good health, I hope it doesn't become yet another idol in our lives. God has not created our present bodies to last, no matter how much time, effort or money that we employ. Many of our brothers and sisters around the planet face the reality of insufficient food, rather than the luxury of organic or other specialized cuisine.
Am delighting in the fellowship of saints in the Albany, NY area, a region that I lived in while in high school but not thereafter. I find a genuine care for one another, generosity, and willingness to travel an hour to gather. Many of these saints are experiencing anguish in their personal lives. Although I do not believe that the devil has responsibility for anything and everything bad that occurs in our lives, nor do I believe that we can find a natural explanation for everything. I believe the truth lies somewhere in the middle. In 1 Peter 5:8-9 the apostle writes, "Be sober-minded, be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." Sounds serious to me. We are told in the next verse to, "Resist him, firm in your faith..."
Ephesians 6, in the famous 'armor of God' passage, verse 12 says "we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places." This passage speaks of a spiritual warfare that many Christians seem unable to wage. "For though we walk according to the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds." (2Cor. 10:3-4 ESV) We need to combat lies with the truth of the Word of God, and to pray in the Holy Spirit against the influence of our enemy.
As I travel I hear original songs written by saints, or ones I've not heard before. Since I have no musical ability, I am praying God will raise up an itinerant musician to travel and compile new songs and share them with other fellowships.
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On the topic of food... I also believe that Satan is using food (poor food) as a means to incapcitate believers. If he can keep us fat and sick through addictions to unwholesome, unnatural foods (sugar, fat, processed, etc.), it will tie up our resources (time and money) in doctor visits and hospital bills. When we are sick, we tend to have poor spritis and draw inwards, thinking more of ourselves and how bad we feel, rather than outwards to seek after what God is doing around us. I know from experience, I have been there (I have seen others there) and have gotten out of it by changing my diet.
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