We find, in God’s Farmacy, fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and minerals, which are high in fiber—this is God’s pharmacy! God has given us plenty of food on this earth, especially in America. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, His ways are higher than our ways. (Isaiah 55:8, 9.) We wonder what is a fruit, what is a grain, what is a nut, and what is a vegetable. Instead of going to man, go to God; He will tell you what it is. He can explain Himself. He gives us a definition through a parable. “Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree.” Matthew 13:31, 32. So herbs can be trees. Any plant is considered an herb.
When you think of herbs, the first thing that comes to your mind is going to a health food store and buying capsules or weeds. All vegetation can be classified as herbs. These herbs, edible plants, grow wild everywhere. When the Food and Drug Administration says we cannot distribute herbs, they will have to make a law saying that I cannot feed people carrots or parsley! Then they will have to find a way to prevent me from growing parsley.
What is the purpose of herbs?
Seasoning and Nutrition
We think about Thyme, Rosemary, and Oregano as seasonings, but at the same time they are nutritional. Thyme is good for migraine headaches. I have gone into people’s homes to have a Bible study, and the man of the house has a headache. How can we study if he has a headache? So I ask for permission to go into their kitchen. I open the kitchen cabinet and there I find Thyme, and I make him a tea. In about 30 minutes his headache is gone, and we can start the Bible study. That is powerful!
Oregano, Basil, and Turmeric are also nutritional. They contain Vitamin C, Vitamin A, antioxidants, and calcium. These herbs are medicinal phytochemicals! Notice what Ellen White wrote over 100 years ago: “It is no denial of faith to use rational remedies judiciously [wisely].” Selected Messages, Book 2, 346.
We ran a health food store for ten years. Two-thirds of our money came from pushing vitamins. That is why we got out of the business. That is not God’s way to teach the health message. We should instead educate folks on how to live. I am not saying anything is wrong with taking a supplement, but pushing pills is not medical missionary work. Things that come on the health food market shelves such as Nonie Juice, and water that costs $2.00 a bottle because it has oxygen in it, are not according to God’s plan. Mrs. White says, “Water, air, and sunshine, these are God’s healing agents. The use of certain herbs that the Lord has made to grow for the good of man, is in harmony with the exercise of faith.” Manuscript Releases, vol. 18, 333. Faith works! God says, drink water, and if you drink it, He does something supernatural. God says use a little Rosemary, so you use the natural, and He does something supernatural.
Educate vs. Medicate
Until man duplicates a blade of grass, nature can laugh at his so-called scientific knowledge. Remedies from chemicals would never stand in favor compared with the products of nature. The living cell of the plant, the final result of the rays of the sun, when correctly used, promotes elimination of waste and poison from the system. By simple natural means they support nature’s effort. Actually, though, there is not an herb on the face of this earth that will heal you. Exodus 15:26 says, “I [am] the Lord that healeth thee.” These are the things that God has ordained, and if you cooperate with Him, He will give the power of healing. Do not go and buy things thinking that they will heal your arthritis when you are still not drinking water and when you are still going to bed at midnight! You cannot take a pill in place of making a lifestyle change.
“Wisdom is better than weapons of war; but one sinner spoils much good.” Ecclesiastes 9:18. God’s Plan is to educate versus man’s plan to medicate. I am not telling you to not take drugs or to take drugs. I believe there is sometimes a place for medicine. If I am in an accident, rush me to the hospital. If it is necessary to operate, do not tell me God does not want me to have anesthesia—put me to sleep! If I need some blood, give it to me. Let us not get fanatical, because there is a place for medicine, but medicine does not kill disease.
Seventy-four percent of 119 plant-derived pharmaceutical medicines are used in modern medicine in ways similar to the way they were used in native cultures. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of the world’s population relies on herbs for primary care needs. I believe that is true. We have traveled over four continents, and we see the indigenous people of many countries use herbs. We find that today 25 percent of all prescription drugs in the United States have an active ingredient derived from trees, shrubs, or herbs. An estimated 30–40 percent of all medical doctors in France and Germany still rely on herbal preparation. I know that to be a fact, because I have been to Germany. I did not go to the health food store to get Goldenseal; I went to the pharmacist. They still use herbs, but here in the good, old USA, people think you are practicing witchcraft when you use herbs. The Germans know that there is no addiction, no dependence. In my 25 years of using herbs; I have had only one case that has had side effects, and that was because the person abused the herb. You do not need a prescription for herbs, and there are no negative side effects—when used rationally. This is the safety of God’s Plan.
Biblical Examples
We are even given biblical examples for the use of natural remedies. Jesus used clay on the blind man’s eyes. (See John 9:6.) Now Jesus created the eyes, and He could have spoken and told the man’s eyes to open. Why did He go through all the trouble of getting some dirt, putting a little spit on it, and then putting it on the blind man’s eyes? To give us an example. It is all right to use things of nature. Christ endorsed the use of natural products.
I’m sure you have read about Hezekiah in Isaiah 38:21 and the fresh fig poultice. I use it on boils and breast cancer. It is high in potassium, and it draws. It is best to use fresh figs. Some people may try to catch you on the statement in 1Timothy not to drink water, but to use a little wine for your stomach’s sake. (1 Timothy 5:23.) See, they say, you can drink more wine than water. But they do not know the Scripture, and they do err. The wine that is talked about in 1 Timothy is unfermented grape juice. When you study the pH or chemistry of food, you learn that grape juice contains malic acid, which helps to neutralize the acid in the stomach. That is why the Bible advises the use of a little wine [grape juice] for the stomach. As Hippocrates said, “Let thy food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food.”
Phytochemicals
The Bible says the leaves shall be for medicine. (Ezekiel 47:12.) God gave man the green leaves. When a dog gets an upset stomach, it does three things: it fasts; it lays in the sun, and it eats grass. When we get sick, we lay in the shade and keep eating. The Bible says that the fowls of the air should tell thee; the beasts of the field should teach thee. (Job 12:7.) We have 33 percent frontal lobe, made in the image of God; the dog only has 7.5 percent frontal lobe, and they know better than we do!
What is in the plant that the Lord said the leaves should be for medicine? phytochemicals, plant substance. God put chemicals in the plants that are in harmony with the biological makeup of man. Within the green plant is chlorophyll. The molecule chlorophyll is similar to the molecule of hemoglobin that attracts oxygen. The only difference, between the molecular structure of chlorophyll and of hemoglobin, is that hemoglobin has iron as its nucleus; chlorophyll has magnesium. Chlorophyll is the closest chemical to human blood. It is cleansing. That is why God gave man green plants to eat in his sinful stage. It is going to lead us back to the original diet. Yet some people do not want to eat vegetables! You cannot survive without them.
Chlorophyll contains magnesium. Magnesium is the spark of life. The devil thinks he is smart—he is producing all of these foods without seeds such as seedless grapes. The life is in the seed; magnesium, the spark of life. So when you continue to eat the seedless grapes, you are not getting the nutrition you need.
Potassium is one of the most important nutrients in the body, especially dealing with the lymphatic system. We call it the potassium pump. Cancer cells cannot live in a rich potassium environment. That is why every Israelite had a fig tree! Figs are high in potassium. When you have high blood pressure, I guarantee you your potassium is low. When you take a diuretic, the doctor gives you potassium, because the diuretic flushes potassium out of your colon. It creates a vicious circle.
Calcium is the most important element. Ninety-nine percent of the calcium in our bodies is in the bone. Calcium is an alkaline nutrient. When we are on a high protein diet, a high fat diet, a high alkaline diet, the body takes calcium from the bones to neutralize it. This creates another problem—osteoporosis. We talk about ‘Got Milk’ for calcium. Got milk? get allergies! get asthma! You do not need milk to prevent osteoporosis. Canada, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, and America have the highest consumption of cow’s milk in the world. They also have the highest incident of juvenile diabetes, allergies, and osteoporosis. And they still tell you to drink milk! Milk is for calves, not for humans.
Here are some of your phyto-chemicals: carotonoids, beta-carotene, flavanoids, lucien and kale. These are what we call antioxidants. We need these to strengthen our immune system. Lycopene is what gives the tomato, the watermelon, and the red pepper their color. I believe in eating a lot of raw food, but for those who are on all raw, I want to tell you that the lycopene is more bioavailable when the tomato is stewed or cooked. Even the beta-carotene in the carrot is more available when it is steamed, than raw. You have to have a balance of a lot of raw foods, but there is nothing wrong with having properly cooked food. Overcooked food will kill you, but do not tell me that I am going to go to hell because I eat cooked food. There has to be a balance.
Limonene is in the pigment of citrus. It contains antioxidants. There are over 32 chemicals in the rind of the orange peel. One of those chemicals is arsenic. If I have a glass of water, put a little arsenic in it and give it to you, would you drink it? No! Why not? Because it is poison, even though the arsenic is diluted with water. But arsenic is in the skin of the orange. I can peel the skin, put a little honey on it, place it in my oven, and bake it to make a throat lozenge to suck and chew. It has arsenic in it! Why does it not kill me? Because the Master Chemist synergistically knows how to put things together. The Bible tells us, What God hath joined together, let no man tear asunder. (Mark 10:9.) It also warns that if you add to God’s Word or take away, He will add the plagues to you. (Revelation 22:18.) God knows how to balance. It is when men begin to take away, concentrate, and dilute that it becomes a serious problem.
Aloe Vera
I am excited by aloe vera. It is not a wonder food, but it is everywhere; on every continent that I have visited, I have found aloe vera. You know aloe vera as a plant to put on minor burns, and you can buy its juice at the store. Aloe vera is a high sulphur green. We have thought it was part of the cacti family, but it belongs to the garlic family. The Bible talks about this wonderful plant, aloe, that God brought into existence. In Numbers 24 we are told of gardens, planted by the Lord, in which He put aloe. Psalm 45:8, Proverbs 7:17, and Song of Solomon 4:14 mention aloe. In John 19:39 Jesus talks about the aloe and the spices.
There are over 300 different varieties of aloe. Aloe vera is 90 percent water and contains over 200 active compounds in the juice of a fresh leaf. Many important compounds are included in the following groups: vitamins, minerals, salicin acid (which is found in aspirin), lecithin (which is good to deal with cholesterol), amino acids, fatty acids, and steroids. Aloe acts as an anti-inflammatory for arthritis, bronchitis, bursitis—you name it. It is also an anti-bacterial for fungus and an anti-viral that may be used in the treatment of AIDS and cancer. Aloe is one of the primary things I use in dealing with AIDS.
We are involved with a clinic in Zambia where there are thousands of cases a month of AIDS. Because we have an AIDS program, four years ago the Zambian government sponsored a Seventh-day Adventist nurse to come to the United States. She was convinced she could learn how to deal with AIDS. This sister is now doing such a good work in Zambia that the government sponsored another nurse to our school this year. She is going to take over the current clinic, and the other nurse will start up a new clinic.
I received a letter from a colporteur in Africa. He received our AIDS program brochure, and one day on the bus he passed out this information. On the bus was a man who had just been sent home by the doctors to die. The literature evangelist talked to the man and told him what to do. He worked with this gentleman for months. That man thought he would never see another day, but he is living today—free from AIDS, converted from Catholicism to Seventh-day Adventism through the health message. Truly the right arm in action.
Aloe is good for digestion and liver function. It is good for elimination, bowel obstruction, immune system function, auto-immune diseases, fibromyalgia, Hepatitis C, and lupus. I am not saying aloe heals these diseases, but it is good for support. Aloe is also good for acne, anemia, allergies, attention deficit disorder, bladder function, burns, cancer, Candida, cardiovascular system function, cold, flu, constipation, dental and oral hygiene to strengthen the gums, gingivitis, dandruff (shampoo your hair with it), detoxifying your body, diabetes, eczema and psoriasis, hemorrhoids, and sinusitis. Every home should have an aloe plant!
Fillet the leaf of an aloe vera plant, just like you would fillet a fish. Take out the jell, and ingest a tablespoon to a half cup of it internally. It is bitter, but it is going to make you better. Sometimes we take the whole plant and blend it with juice. If you are a diabetic, mix it with other green juice, or you can take it straight. I do not run out to the health food store and buy it; I just use the fresh plant. It is best fresh, because it loses its power to heal within hours of harvest.
People Paste
One of the most powerful natural healers you can use is People Paste. Buy Goldenseal, Myrrh, and Slippery Elm, and mix equal amounts of them together. If you have ulcerated sores, hemorrhoids, or decubitus ulcers (bed sores), just drop this mixture into the sore. It heals and leaves very little scar tissue. If you get cut, put some People Paste on the cut. To help it stay on the sore, mix it with a little aloe vera then apply it; cover it and the healing begins. You can take the People Paste internally. It is beneficial for ulcers, lung problems, digestive problems, Chrone’s disease, and many other maladies. You need to have People Paste in your cabinet. The People Paste is good for all kinds of sores, external or internal, wounds, rashes, colds, fevers, sore throats (gargle with it), inflammation, and blood poisoning. When you go on camping trips, take People Paste with you.
You should also have Goldenseal, Peppermint oil, Eucalyptus oil, and Tea Tree oil in your medicine cabinet. When I go to foreign countries I take Goldenseal and a few other things with me. When I go into the jungles of Thailand, I take Goldenseal, garlic and People Paste. If you cannot find Goldenseal, use Barberry; those who live in Oregon can use Oregon Grape in place of Goldenseal. Antiviral and antibacterial, Slippery Elm is mucilaginous, soothing to the digestive tract.
True Method
“The true method for healing the sick is to tell them of the herbs that grow for the benefit of man. Scientists have attached large names to these simplest preparations, but true education will lead us to teach the sick that they need not call in a doctor any more than they would call in a lawyer. They can themselves administer the simple herbs if necessary. To educate the human family that the doctor alone knows all the ills of infants and persons of every age, is false teaching, and the sooner we as a people stand on the principles of health reform, the greater will be the blessing that will come to those who would do true medical work. There is a work to be done in treating the sick with water and teaching them to make the most of sunshine and physical exercise. Thus in simple language we may teach the people how to preserve health, how to avoid sickness. . . . This is true science.” Spaulding and Magan Collection, 137.
Thomas Jackson is a Health Evangelist and Director of Missionary Education and Evangelistic Training (M.E.E.T.) Ministry in Huntingdon, Tennessee. He may be contacted by e-mail at godsplan@meetministry.org or by telephone at 731-986-3518.