John 7:30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
Matthew 26:18 He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near, I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover.
(See also Luke 22:10-11; Mark 14:13-14) [New International Translation]
Summary
The passages of John 7:30 and Matthew 26:18 illustrate the fact that Jesus’ death on the cross was part of the Divine plan of GOD. It was not something that was accidental, unplanned or that just happened. Just as Jesus’ birth was foretold and predicted, so was HIS death. It was preordained. His life was not taken from HIM but rather HE gave HIS life. As the passage from John 7:30 shows, even those who wanted to get rid of HIM, to seize HIM, could not, unless GOD willed it to be so. No one could touch HIM, until HIS appointed time. In Matthew 26:18, Jesus states that HIS “appointed time is near.” HE knew what was to happen. He knew what was to come. HE chose to do the FATHER’s WILL. HIS life was not taken; rather, HE gave up HIS life freely, out of love. HE died just for you and me.
EATING AT THE RIGHT TIME
Sometimes we find ourselves engaging in unplanned and/or poorly thought through patterns of behavior. Our eating behaviors often fall in this category of behavior. Many of us have no idea how many “meals” we eat a day or how many hours/minutes during the day we spent eating. For example, some people are “conditioned” to start eating or drinking as soon as they turn on the TV or as soon as the movie starts in the theatre. Sometimes we eat “out of habit” and not because we are hungry. We grab a second helping because the food “looks good” or because we are just in the habit of getting two slices and not one. This “binge” type eating often occurs during family holiday gatherings (like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter). We are probably no more hungry these days than any other day, but because there is so much food that “looks good” we just eat more. Or, we do it because we are so used to following everyone else to the donut line, or “going for seconds” just because everyone else is doing it too.
A. Eat Late Put on Weight
In “Eat Late, Put on Weight, Kathleen Doheny, reviewed by Brunida Nazario, MD discusses a study by researchers from Northwestern University that found that eating at the “wrong” time leads to more than twice as much weight gain, even when the overall calories consumed are the same as those eaten at appropriate times.
The research involved animals. One group of mice was allowed to eat during a light phase of the day---their “wrong time of day for eating,” while a second group of mice were allowed to eat during a dark phase of the day---their “right time for eating.” The group that ate during their “wrong phase” gained substantially more weight---approximately a 48% weight increase compared to the other group that had a 20% weight increase.
In another study, Arline D. Salbe, PhD, a research fellow at the Kronos Longevity Research Institute in Phoenix, and her colleague conducted another study. They first evaluated the food intake of 94 people who had come to the institute, who were allowed to eat as much as they wished, over a three day period. They found that 29 were “night eaters,” defined as those who ate between 11PM and 5AM on at least one of the three days and that 65 were “not night eaters.” When they followed the two groups for nearly 3.5 years, they found the night eaters gained 13.6 lbs. while the non-night eaters gained 3.7 lbs. According to Salbe’s findings, night time eating predicts weight gain.
Her advice is that the healthiest way to maintain weight is to eat breakfast, lunch and dinner. If dinner is early, and you stay up late, according to Salbe a “snack” at 8 or 9PM is fine, but a “snack” should be a “small amount of food,” and “not an overflowing plate.”
See, “Eat Late, Put on Weight? Study Shows Eating at the Wrong Time of Day Could Lead to Weight Gain,” September 3, 2009 by Kathleen Doheny and Brunilda Nazario, MD, www.webmd.com.
Some nutritionists suggest eating a number of smaller meals per day---for example, 5-6 meals.
A meal plan for those advocating the “small meal” way of eating might look like the following:
1 7:00 a.m. - Eat breakfast
2. 10:00 a.m. - Eat a light snack (e.g. fruit, nuts)
3. 12:00 p.m. - Eat a good lunch
4. 3:00 p.m. - Eat another snack (e.g. fruit, nuts, celery, carrots)
5. 6:00 p.m. - Eat an optional snack
6. 7:00 p.m. - Eat a small dinner
According to Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD:
When you’re trying to lose weight, eat regular meals and consume 90% of your calories before 8 p.m. The benefit of eating meals every three to four hours is it helps regulate your blood sugar, and thus control hunger and cravings.
See, “Diet Truth or Myth: Eating at night Causes Weight Gain---Is late eating more likely to pack on the pounds?” by Kathleen M. Zelman, MPH, RD, LD, www.WebMD.com. Emphasize added.
B. Be Mindful of Medical Conditions
If you have a medical condition, consult your personal physician about your eating patterns or about changes you should make. If you are on medication, remember some medications should be ingested at certain times or with or after meals. Again, consult your physician about taking medication and eating at the right time. Get answers appropriate for you.
EAT THE WORD ANYTIME
Unlike physical food, we are never at risk for “overeating” the WORD OF GOD. If anything, we should be concerned about under eating or even malnutrition, for those who never study GOD’s WORD.
This Friday is known as “Good Friday,” (sometimes called “Holy Friday,” “GOD Friday,” “Easter Friday.”] Many places of worship will be holding services where preachers speak about the passion (from Late Latin: “passionem” or "suffering,” “enduring") of CHRIST. They will tell “the old, old salvation story about JESUS and HIS love. Perhaps, seven preachers, (at Allen Temple Baptist Church in Oakland, California, there will be seven women speakers) will remind us of the Seven Last Words of JESUS on the Cross:
“Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do”
Luke 23: 34
“Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”
Luke 23: 43
Speaking to John and Mary,
“Woman, behold your son! …Behold your mother!”
John 19: 26, 27
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?”
Matthew 27:46
Mark 15: 34
“I thirst!”
John 19: 28
“It is finished!”
John 19: 30
“Father, into Your hands I commit My spirit.”
Luke 23: 46
So, eat THE WORD. Give thanks for THE WORD, THE WORD that was made flesh and dwelt among us. (John 1:14).
On Sunday Morning- REJOICE! And, BE BLESSED.
