In the quiet of winter, when the air is sharp and the days are short, we often feel the urge to shut ourselves away. While modern medicine often points us toward artificial supports, there is a profound, restorative power in the natural remedies God provided from the beginning—remedies used for generations to maintain strength and vitality.
Even if you live in a small space, on a tight budget, or with limited sunlight, you can turn your home into a sanctuary of health this season.
Popular Imagination vs. Biblical Revelation
Angels occupy a powerful place in modern Western culture. They appear in film, television, greeting cards, memorial art, music, and within the broader “spiritual but not religious” movement. Many speak of guardian angels, “angel numbers,” or invisible helpers who bring comfort and protection. In these portrayals, angels are gentle, reassuring companions—personal, emotionally warm, and primarily concerned with individual well-being.
Modern imagery typically presents angels as beautiful, human-like beings dressed in white, glowing softly, adorned with feathered wings and halos. They are often portrayed as feminine or androgynous, tender and non-threatening. This image owes far more to Renaissance art and contemporary spirituality than to Scripture.
The Bible, by contrast, presents angels as powerful, purposeful, and often fear-inducing servants of God. When angels appear in Scripture, their first words are frequently “Do not be afraid,” because their presence inspires awe rather than sentimental comfort.
Cornelius, the Roman centurion, was a man of wealth and of noble birth. His position was one of trust and honor. A heathen by birth, training, and education, through contact with the Jews he had gained a knowledge of the true God, and he worshiped Him, showing the sincerity of his faith by compassion to the poor. He gave "alms to the people, and prayed to God always." Acts 10:2, A.R.V.
Cornelius had not a knowledge of the gospel as revealed in the life and death of Christ, and God sent a message direct from heaven to him, and by another message directed the apostle Peter to visit and instruct him. Cornelius was not united with the Jewish church, and he would have been looked upon by the rabbis as a heathen and unclean; but God read the sincerity of his heart, and sent messengers from His throne to unite with His servant on earth in teaching the gospel to this officer of Rome.
So today God is seeking for souls among the high as well as the low. There are many like Cornelius, men whom He desires to connect with His church. Their sympathies are with the Lord's people. But the ties that bind them to the world hold them firmly. It requires moral courage for these men to take their position with the lowly ones. Special effort [210] should be made for these souls, who are in so great danger because of their responsibilities and associations.
"After this manner therefore pray ye." Matthew 6:9.
The Lord's Prayer was twice given by our Saviour, first to the multitude in the Sermon on the Mount, and again, some months later, to the disciples alone. The disciples had been for a short time absent from their Lord, when on their return they found Him absorbed in communion with God. Seeming unconscious of their presence, He continued praying aloud. The Saviour's face was irradiated with a celestial brightness. He seemed to be in the very presence of the Unseen, and there was a living power in His words as of one who spoke with God.
The hearts of the listening disciples were deeply moved. They had marked how often He spent long hours in solitude in communion with His Father. His days were passed in ministry to the crowds that pressed upon Him, and in unveiling the treacherous sophistry of the rabbis, and this incessant labor often left Him so utterly wearied that His mother and brothers, and even His disciples, had feared that His life would be sacrificed. But as He returned from the hours of prayer that closed the toilsome day, they marked the look of peace upon His face, the sense of refreshment that seemed to pervade His presence. It was from hours spent with God that He came forth, morning by morning, to bring the light of heaven to men. The disciples had come to [103] connect His hours of prayer with the power of His words and works. Now, as they listened to His supplication, their hearts were awed and humbled. As He ceased praying, it was with a conviction of their own deep need that they exclaimed, "Lord, teach us to pray." Luke 11:1.
For generations, dairy has been promoted as a dietary cornerstone. Yet as nutrition science advances and food systems change, long-standing assumptions about dairy’s safety and necessity deserve careful reexamination.
The Case for Dairy, and Why It Persists
Dairy is commonly presented as an efficient source of calcium, protein, and several essential micro nutrients. Public health messaging has long emphasized milk for bone health, framing it as critical for building strong skeletons in youth and preventing fractures later in life. Dairy proteins, particularly whey and casein, are also promoted as high quality and beneficial for muscle maintenance, athletic performance, and aging populations.
More recently, certain dairy products, especially yogourt and cheese, have been portrayed as neutral or even protective for heart health, despite their saturated fat content. Fermented dairy is also marketed for gut health and weight management, and dairy’s affordability and cultural familiarity are often cited as reasons it remains embedded in dietary guidelines and institutional food programs.
These claims have helped establish dairy as both nutritionally “necessary” and broadly safe. However, necessity and familiarity are not the same as optimal health.