Earthquake

     From time memorial, earthquakes were very serious problems. Earthquakes have destroyed many civilizations. Earthquake not only destroys property, but it also destroys people. It kills! It maims! It injures! This is a grave problem. The earthquake, which hit Lisbon in Europe on November 1, 1755, had killed many thousands. The earthquake was felt over many thousands of square miles. We cannot eradicate earthquakes at all. When the different layers of the earth move, inside the earth and under the ocean, it could cause earthquakes. Earthquakes are measured on the Richters scale. It is hard to predict when earthquakes will occur. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

    We cannot stop earthquakes. If earthquakes are destined to take place, it will take place. However, we can be prepared for earthquakes. If you plan to settle, do not do so settle in earthquake prone areas if possible. For example in USA, some cities in California are earthquake prone areas. If you have already settled in earthquake zones, then you can only be prepared for earthquake disasters. It is also good to have a few pets because some of the animals, like dogs and horses, have extra keen hearing that even the slightest rumbling inside the earth could trigger erratic and unconventional behavior in these animals. When you see the animals acting strangely, especially in a big estate, or you see a lot of rodents coming out of their burrows, it may mean there is an impending earthquake. One must try to have an earthquake shelter in the house and an emergency kit, which would include some medicines, canned food, a knife, a box of matches, a radio, a flashlight and a Bible. In times of earthquakes you can make use of them.

     Actually there is no time frame for earthquakes but most of them seem to strike in the nights or early hours of the morning, that is, from 2:00a.m-7:00am. This is the time that most people are fast asleep and thats why there are heavy casualties and death toll. If you hear suspicious rumbling in a building or see it shaking, immediately escape into an open area. Even if the earthquake had already taken place, do not return to buildings for a while, as there would be after shock waves several times after the earthquake. There could be recurrences of the earthquake so for several nights it is best to sleep out in the open under a tent.

   The government should be ready for these disasters and have ample supply of pure water, food and medicine. The government must be very quick in helping the people who are trapped under debris. They should try to save people as much as possible and must also have trained dogs to help to detect people buried under the debris. For an earthquake, it is better to be prepared than not to be prepared.

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Eccentric Persons

   Eccentric means to be odd or to be unconventional. There are a few persons who act very indifferent in our society. These act unconventional. For example, if there is a party and the dress is formal dress, there would be one or two persons who would not care and wear informal dress. They will not follow the exact etiquette, whether it is in terms of dress or eating habits or respecting old people or following the customs of the land. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

          First of all, the persons who are behaving eccentric must be made to understand that they are acting indifferently to the societys rules and regulations. If persons do not accept that they are acting eccentric, then it is hard to find a solution. However, with love and care, we can show those persons that they are acting irrationally or oddly in terms of the customs of the society, and they may listen. We must tell them that it is important when we are going to a party with formal attire that they also dress formally. It is also important that whatever the general practices of the land are, they should be followed. Sometimes persons who act eccentric have discovered many things. Thomas Edison who invented the light bulb and also Albert Einstein (theory of relativity) were talked about as being a little eccentric. Eccentric persons managed to invent important objects, so let us not make fun of these persons but try to help them whenever possible. Even if they dont try to really change, we should not make fun of them. Of course, religious customs should not be thought of being eccentric in nature.   

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Edema

    Edema is a condition where there is extra cellular water along with sodium because of abnormal renal retentions. Edema can be caused by heart failure, hypertension and liver disease. If there is puffiness in the face, it could be a renal problem. The other causes of edema could be as a result of oral contraceptive use and pregnancy. Even pre-menstrual problems could lead to edema. 

Management

   The management for edema would be based on the cause of edema. If hypertension is the cause of edema, then the patient should take less salt or even completely avoid salt until the problem is solved. And if oral contraceptive use is the cause, one should discontinue using these oral contraceptives. Usually the line of treatment for edema is diuretic tablets.  Affected limbs should be elevated so that the retention of extra cellular fluid is not collected in one place.

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Elopement

   Elopement is an act where a person runs away with his or her lover. When a child is not brought up in a proper way that child may run when he or she becomes a teenager or an adult. Suppose the parents are very, very strict and will not give any room for children to decide, there could be some problems in future like elopement. When a boy loves a girl, who is not from the same religion, same caste or same class, naturally, they would run away when things dont go their way. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

  When a boy or man loves a girl or woman very much and they intend to get married but there is strong opposition, they may decide to run away. If theyre more than eighteen (18) years old, there is nothing the parents can do because they are adults and can do what they desire. But if the parents want to avoid it, they can only advise in a loving manner. The parents can only lovingly tell them what some of the problems could arise if the person is from another caste, class, religion or race. If they try to coerce, and get their daughter married to another person who may not be liked, then its going to give rise to other problems. The best you could do as parents is to speak with the children of possible problems to be faced as a result of these differences of caste, race, etc. If the person still wants to marry or does whatever that he/she had planned, there is nothing much the parents can do about it. 

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Enmity

  Enmity is hostility. It could also mean animosity. Enmity had been a problem ever since sin came into this world. There were enmity between relatives, families, tribes, nations and races. Until the coming of Christ, enmity between some tribes, families, kingdoms, nations and races will continue because of sin. Satan is making maximum use of this enmity problem. A person may hate another just because of pride or he may be jealous. As an individual, you cant do much to stop enmity between two nations or kingdoms. However, you can try to do something for enmity that exists between two individuals. There can be enmity between two boys because of a girl, or between two girls over a boy. There could be enmity over a small piece of property. Racism can lead to enmity. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

    In order to find solutions for enmity, we have to first identify the cause for enmity. When two nations are fighting for some particular border or area and if there is no compromise, there will be more bloodshed and it will go on for a very long time. If a government doesnt like a particular tribe or race, enmity will exist. That is not the way it should be. Fighting or war solves nothing but begets more violence. All are created equal. 

Spiritual Solutions

Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5:34, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you. We should love our enemies, not hate them. It is easier said than done but we have to try not to harbor enmity.

   The Bible remarks in Acts 17:26, And God hath made of one blood all nations of man for to dwell on the face of the earth. God made everybody from one blood whether it is the Negroid or Caucasoid or Mongoloid race.  All have the same color of blood. Enmity between nations must be ceased. Even tribes for that matter. Tutsis and the Hutus fight and kill each other. Though they are tribal people that live in more or less the same African region, yet they fight and kill each other just because they belong to two different tribes. UNO and all the powers that be, should do everything to stop this enmity and bloodshed. People who are sitting in cozy houses and watching television may not be directly affected but they should do something like praying that there be no enmity between countries and between peoples. People should not hate and kill each other just because they do not like someones face. Let us follow Lord Jesus example and love one another. However, enmity cannot be eradicated as long as sin prevails.

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Epidemics

   An epidemic is a disease that spreads from place to place rapidly and the occurrence might be more than expected. The epidemic diseases are like cholera, typhoid, hepatitis A and malaria. These could spread very rapidly and kill many.  

Management

  Doctors and epidemiologists must quickly be put into action to find out the causes of epidemic. Once the causes are known, then the next step is to find out how it is being spread from place to place. There should be immediate steps to treat the disease and to prevent it. The people who are at risk should be immediately helped by vaccination. Whatever the cause of the problem is, that particular cause should be rectified. The particular disease should be monitored to find out how many are suffering and what should be done to stop it. The preventive measures ought to be quick. For example, vaccination should be immediately administered to see that the disease doesnt spread. Whatever is the exact source of transmission is to be curtailed and stopped and measures should be taken to ensure that there are no recurrences. Measures are to be taken in non-epidemic areas in order that it does not spread. The final solution is to see that there should be no occurrence of the epidemic in that area again or elsewhere.

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Euthanasia

  Euthanasia, in short, is mercy killing. Euthanasia is an act of putting somebody who is terminally ill to death because that patient wants to die. Active euthanasia is where something is given to the person, like a lethal injection, to put the person to death. Passive euthanasia is a condition where nothing is performed to save the person from death. For example, if somebody is dying for lack of air and nothing is done to help him to breathe or if somebody is dying on the road because of an accident and nothing is done to save that person from death. 

Spiritual Solutions

    Euthanasia has been legalized in Holland. However, only God, who had created life, can take out life. If you take somebodys life, youre actually playing God. Nonetheless, we should also note the patients suffering from intense and excruciating pain. If they cannot bear the suffering, what is to be done? Euthanasia is, therefore, a very touchy ethical situation. The person who wants to die should be prayed for. The patient should talk to psychiatrists, psychologists, pastors and counselors and see if they could choose an alternative other than dying. Patients, who are suffering from terminal diseases like cancer, if they want to die, we could pray and maybe God can do some miracles if they give their lives into Gods control. Whatever the condition, the sixth commandment says in Exodus 20:13, Thou shall not kill. So we have no right to kill. A doctor has no right to snuff out somebodys life even if the patient has permitted to do so. However, the person who is suffering from excruciating pain and a lot of depression must pray to God.

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Evolution   ---Loopholes

Evolution is a grave dilemma. Evolution is a process where life evolves from lower forms to complex forms over millions of years. Because the evolutionists could not have all the fossil records to show how lower forms evolved into complex forms, some of them have changed the definition of evolution to a change in allele frequency in the population from one generation to another generation. There are so many loopholes in the theory of evolution. Of course, creation is based on faith and cannot be proven in a lab. Evolution also cannot be proven in a lab. It is also based on faith in a way. How did the first living cell evolve? There is no particular answer. You need to have faith to believe that there was a first living cell, which evolved by chance. Even when you see stellular evolution, you have to have faith to believe that there was a big bang. Who caused the big bang? How did it take place? It also is to be believed on the premise of faith. Ill be discussing about the creation, which is also based on faith, under Solutions.

Now I'll be discussing various unanswered questions and loopholes of evolution. There are many evidences against evolution.

        1. The evolution theory keeps changing and it is relative & not absolute. Jean Baptiste Lamarck brought up the theory of acquired characteristics. He stated the snake eventually lost its limbs because of its disuse and the giraffe had a long neck because it stretched its neck to reach the leaves, which was on the trees because there was not enough grass on the ground. All this was disproved. Charles Darwin in 1859 published his book on the Origin of Species by Natural    Selection. In his book he did not mention the role of genes because he knew nothing about genes. Neither did he know the role of mutation. His theory was known as Darwinism. His followers started Neo-Darwinism, in-cooperating the role of genes and also mutation. After Neo-Darwinism, came the theory of Punctuated Equilibrium. It postulates that as life evolved from lower form to higher form, a species may have jumped over many forms and evolved into a higher form. So a fish instead of evolving into an amphibian became a reptile. This theory was erratically conceived because evolution does not have enough evidence of intermediate fossils.

       2. Discovery of Coelacanth fish debunks evolution. The gradualism evolutionists, who believe evolution happened over millions of years, have stated that the coelacanth fish became extinct over 80 million years ago and its fins eventually gave rise to the legs of amphibians. When the question is asked to the evolutionists, Why can't evolution be seen happening today? They may answer that it would take millions of years to see it. The coelacanth fish, which they said became extinct 80million years ago, was found about seventy years ago in the waters of Madagascar and Indonesia. That fish even till today has not undergone even an iota of change. It still has fins, which did not turn to the legs of amphibians. There is no change whatsoever. Hence, the evolutionary theory in a way has been debunked.

        3. There is a miniscule number of intermediate fossils, which cannot prove evolution to be true. There is a lacuna in records of intermediate fossils. Since there is a miniscule number of intermediate fossils, another theory was brought out by some evolutionists, which is punctuated equilibrium. Evolutionists mention archaeopteryx fossil, which has intermediate characteristics. However, when they state that there are many hundreds of other intermediate fossils, it is not factual and far from truth.

        4. Archaeopteryx fossil can be explained by the existence of platypus. Archeopteryx fossil has the characteristics of a reptile and a bird. This archeopteryx had teeth like a reptile and wings like a bird. This could be explained with the existence of platypus. Platypus, even today, has the characteristics of a reptile and a mammal. It lays eggs like a reptile and gives milk to the offspring like a mammal. Same case with the spiny anteater. Hence, platypus and spiny anteater show that there was no evolution but there is a Designer who designed that they should have a few characteristics of a reptile and a mammal. If evolution is to be true, then platypus and spiny anteater should have long ago discarded the reptile characteristics and maintained the mammal like characteristics but that didnt happen.

       5. The so-called missing links have been debunked. In 1911, a man by the name Charles Dawson found a fossil in Sussex, England and the next year in 1912 it was stated the prefect missing link between the anthropoid apes and the humans had been found and for the next forty years it was referred to as the missing link. Many scientists and so-called scientists have believed that this fossil found by Charles Dawson was the true missing link and it was known as Anthropus Dawsoni or Piltdown Man. Then in 1953, a scientist by the name of Oakley used fluorine analysis dating method and discovered the fallacy of this missing link. It was found that mandible of the fossil was of recent time and the skull was much back in time. The skull was that of a man and the mandible was that of an orang-utan. The flora and the fauna were also taken from places in Africa and put around that fossil. Therefore, that missing link was debunked. All who believed it was the true missing link for forty years were fooled. All the hominid fossils that are said to have some ape characteristics and human characteristics are either fully apes or fully humans with some osteological defects. There were other missing links, which were also disproved. In 1965, a man by the name of Frank Hanson had a frozen ape-man in an icebox and charged some cents for people to view this missing link. That frozen ape-man was part man and part ape. Eventually it was revealed that Frank Hanson used a dummy, because when the scientists wanted to x-ray it, he did not permit as it was a dummy and the x-ray would let the cat out of the bag. Then there were other missing links like Yeti and Big Foot. Yeti or the Abominable Snow Man was found in the Himalayan Mountains and Big Foot or Sasquatch Man in Canada/US border. These two are basically just big bears. Their print of the front paw was overlaid by their back foot and this print became larger, which in turn, made some persons to reason the print was that of an ape-man, i.e., missing link.            

         6. Mutation in genes would only corrupt the information and would not bring out new species. For example, progeria. Progeria is a genetic disorder where premature aging is manifested in the patient due to a mutation in gene or genes that control aging process. If mutation is supposed to add better information in the genes, then the progeriacs would be turned into new and better species. This mutation, however, is actually causing the quick death of the progeria patients. They usually die by early teens. Hence, mutation will only curb and corrupt the information in the genes and will not bring a new species. 

        7. Gene flow cannot cause evolution and a change in allele frequency is not evolution. During the industrial revolution, because of the black soot and smoke accumulated on trees, more and more dark colored moths multiplied because the birds could not eat them whereas the light colored ones could easily be seen on the bark of the trees and they could be eaten. And after the industrial revolution, the reverse happened, that is, the dark colored moths were easily seen and eaten by the birds whereas the light colored moths were not easily seen and so they multiplied. Evolutionists argue that this is evolution because the allele frequency has been changed.¹⁷ My answer to them is, if the dark colored moth had become a purple colored moth or became a blue colored moth, then that would be evolution because it would have evolved from one colored moth to another all together. It should have evolved into a new color. However, it was just that more light colored moths multiplied or dark colored moths multiplied. Or suppose the moths evolved into another species, then that wouldve been evolution. But the moths remained moths and the dark colored and light colored moths didnt even change their color and that is not evolution.

        8. Genetic drift cannot cause evolution. Evolutionists say that genetic drift happens in a small community and by random drift, a new species may be evolved.  But that is not really true. It cannot really happen; in fact, it can lead to extinction of species but not to a new species.

        9. Variations in species are not evolution. Some evolutionary scientists give an example of present day evolution by mentioning bacteria, which are resistant to antibiotics become different strains of bacteria. That is not really evolution. If those bacteria become new species like fishes, then that could be evolution but just because the bacteria have different strains doesnt mean it is evolution. The bacteria have different variations as we human beings have different variations or races like Mongoloid, Caucasoid and Negroid. If the bacteria become insects, then that is evolution. But that is not the way it is.

         10. Appendix is not vestigial and it is functional. Some evolutionary scientists say that the appendix is slowly getting rudimentary and vestigial and it has no purpose. If you follow that line of reasoning then kangaroos, which have a bigger appendix than man and some species of monkeys that do not have an appendix, will show us that man evolved from kangaroos and monkeys have evolved from man (and not the other way around according to evolution). An appendix is functional as it contains mucosa, which has lymphocytes that play a role in the immunity of the body.

         11. Dating methods are not accurate and have some disadvantages. The dating methods like carbon 14, uranium 235, Thorium 230, potassium-argon 80, fall under absolute dating or chronometric dating methods. Stratigraphy, fluorine analysis, amino-acid racemization come under relative dating methods. Let me take the example of carbon 14 dating method. Carbon 14 dating has several disadvantages. There is a difference of carbon C14 level in the northern hemisphere and the southern hemisphere. The fractionalization of carbon 14 from land plants and plants under the sea are different. The difference between the results of the C14 dating and dendrochronology of a same object (e.g. a buried piece of wooden fossil) is about 2000 years. The half life of C14 was once stated to be 5568 and now it is known to be 5730, so the exact half life is changed.¹⁸ When Mary Leakey discovered the zinjanthropus fossil, the actual skull fossil was not dated but the volcanic layer, which was above the skull was dated and it was supposed to be 1.3 million years ago.¹⁹ The Bible in Genesis 1:1 says, In the beginning, God created the heaven and the earth. Genesis 1:3 states, Let there be light There is a world of difference between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis1:3. Life (of plants, birds, animals and humans) began on the earth about 6000 years ago according to the Holy Bible but we do not know when God created the volcanic rocks, elements, waters, and mountains. Thus, if the zinjanthropus was dated by dating the volcanic layer and the not bone fossil, naturally it would show a million years because we really do not know when the rocks, volcanic material and waters were created by God.  

  Solutions---Designer and Some facts beyond Scientific Explanations

We cannot prove creation in a lab. We cant go to the lab and say, Birds and animals, come out from the test tubes! because we are not God. We cannot even prove evolution in a lab by making life evolve either. Both cannot be proved. But evolutionists believe only what they see. There was an evolutionist who was teaching her students that evolution is true and creation is false because there is no God since we cant see God. She asked a small girl to stand in the class and asked her "Do you see the trees outside?" The little girl said, "Yes!" The teacher asked again, "Do you see the clouds?" The girl replied, "Yes!" She asked, "Do you see God in heaven?" The girl answered, "No!" Then the teacher said, "You can't see God because there is no God." A small boy in the class got up and said, "Madam, can I ask some questions to this same girl?" The teacher agreed. He asked the girl, "Do you see the trees outside?" She said, "Yes!"  Next he asked, "Do you see the clouds outside?" She replied, "Yes!" The girl was wondering why he was asking the same questions. The teacher was also wondering so. The small boy continued and asked the girl, "Do you see the teacher?" The girl said, "Yes!" Then he said, "Okay, Ill ask you one final question. Do you see the brain of the teacher?" The small girl replied, "No, I don't see her brain." Then the small boy said, "Well, the teacher doesn't have brain because we can't see it." Hence, seeing is not always believing. We have never seen our great, great grandfather/grandmother but we believe that they were there in order for us to come out into this world. We can't see the wind but we can feel it.

Since neither creation nor evolution can be proven, how does one know what is the truth regarding the origin of life? There are many factors, which can be used as evidences to show creation is true. Scientific knowledge is relative whereas the Biblical truth is absolute. In 150 AD, Ptolemy told that the earth was flat and revolved around the solar system and many believed until Galileo in 1610 AD proved through his telescope that the earth was not the actual center of the solar system and was not flat but it was round. However, the Holy Scriptures stated in Isaiah 40:22 in 700 BC that the earth was round. Therefore, the Bible declared that the earth was round about 2010 years before Galileo stated that the earth was round. The Bible states in Proverbs 17:22, A merry heart doeth like a good medicine, but a broken spirit drieth the bones. This was written by King Solomon about 900 BC. Today, scientists have found that because of happiness, endorphins are produced in the body and these endorphins are good for health. The Bible did state about 900 BC in Proverbs 23:29-31 to avoid the evil effects of alcohol. And today science has proven that alcoholism is bad for our health. It destroys the brain cells and the liver. Thus, you can see the Bible had always been correct and the scientific knowledge had been relative, changing from time to time until the actual facts are known.

            What makes creationism not to be false? There are numerous pieces of evidence to show that creation is true.

1.                  The fossil records: These records show complex forms and doesnt show many intermediate forms like half fishes and half frogs or one eighth fishes and one eighth frogs.  As already mentioned, one fossil archaeopteryx, which has characters of reptile and bird, is quoted as proof of evolution by evolutionists.  The answer to them is the example of platypus.  God designed platypus to have characters of a reptile and of a mammal, so He had designed archaeopteryx in like manner.  Noahs flood is also proven by the archeological, taphonomical and palynological evidences.

2.                  Power of God in nature: The other evidence to show that creationism is true is the power of God in nature. A green turtle in the Pacific Ocean would swim several thousands of miles and lay eggs in the South Pole. When those eggs are hatched, the small turtles, which have never seen the home of their mother, would swim back thousands of miles to the home of their mother, if predators do not eat them. How do they do it? It was because of a Designer or Creator. The evolutionist says it is due to innate behavior or instinctive behavior; but who has given that innate or instinctive behavior? It is God.

3.                  Bible prophecies fulfilled: All the Bible prophecies had been fulfilled except some relating to the second coming of Lord Jesus. In 800 BC, prophet Joel had predicted in the Bible (Joel 2:30,31) about the darkening of the sun and the moon turning red like blood. It was fulfilled on May 19,1780. That means the Bible had predicted about 2,580 years ago in advance, what would happen and exactly that had happened.

4.                  Parapsychology: Another evidence to prove that there is a Creator, and that is parapsychology. Parapsychology is the study of supernatural effects, which is outside the scope of physical laws and science. Scientists and evolutionists cannot fathom parapsychology. There are the supernatural effects like ghosts, haunted houses, chairs moving from one place to another, vegetables and fruits moving from the table to the terrace of the house seemingly through the concrete ceiling. The laws of science cannot explain these supernatural effects. Since there are evil angels or devils and ghosts, so also there has to be good angels and a God, which can perform better supernatural things.

5.                  Miracles: One of the greatest evidence to show that God is a Designer and a Creator of all things are the miracles. Science cannot explain miracles. God is omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. God cannot be explained within the rules and laws of science. I know of many patients who had cancers and the doctors had given them just five or six months to live. But later, they were completely healed of their cancers and the doctors could not explain how it happened. When you talk about miracles to the evolutionists, they will state that they are all humbug and crap! But when an evolutionist suffers from terminal cancer and is given three months before he is to die, and somebody goes and prays for him and if it is Gods will and he is healed, I bet he would never be an evolutionist again. He would believe in creationism because something had happened, which science cannot explain.

6.                  Second law of thermodynamics: According to evolution, disorder turns to order. The second law of thermodynamics states that order turns to disorder. If you accept evolution, you have to also accept that if you put nuts and bolts and tires in one particular place, after a few days when you open the garage youll find a brand new Mercedes Benz. That is the way evolution is. But if you keep a car in your garage and dont use it for many years, it will rust, the tires would become deflated and it would be so worn that it wouldnt even start.

7.                  Conversion to new life: Evolution cannot change a person who is a drug addict, murderer or thief. It cant convert a person that is leading a bad life. Whereas in creationism, if you believe in Lord Jesus, He can change a drug addict, murderer, thief or kleptomaniac into a new person. Thus, creationism has power to change lives.

8.                  Life after death: If you believe evolution, then there is no life after death. If one accepts creationism, there is life after death when Lord Jesus comes the second time as King of kings and Lord of lords. All who died in Christ would be saved and they would have eternal life. All who believe in evolution have no hope after death and they will be lost for eternity. Hence, the evolutionists should repent and forsake evolution theory, accept creationism and embrace Lord Jesus as their God.

        Thus, there are many evidences to reveal that creationism is true.  Gods omnipotent power cannot be explained by the principles of science. God is beyond the realm of science.  I pray that all the evolutionists will come out of oblivion, repent and accept Jesus as their Creator and Saviour. 

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Extinction

As human beings, we are responsible for the flora and fauna since that is what God had ordered Adam and Eve and their descendants to do so. The birds and animals, which are on the verge of extinction, should be protected and not be killed for pleasure or for food. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

The solution is that man should be taught from childhood what animals or birds are on the verge of extinction. The giant pandas were about to become totally extinct but now these are protected animals. Theyre such gentle creatures that anyone would fall in-love with them. Education must be imparted from childhood to all people, especially to those living around the forest regions, and tribal people, regarding not to kill any animal or bird, which is on the verge of extinction. 

There are a lot of marine life creatures, which are on the verge of extinction but now are protected. Strong laws have to be made in various nations to see that the animals are not driven to extinction.

The rhinoceros was hunted for its horn, which some men wrongly believe has some aphrodisiac powers. It was on the verge of extinction but is protected today.  We as human beings are responsible for the protection of these animals. The offenders must be severely punished, so that it could be a deterrent for other people who would want to destroy the animals or birds that are close to extinction. 

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Fads

         Fads are usually short-lived fashions, be it in dress and hairstyles. Fads could actually deceive people. Some waste time energy and money in trying to emulate their favourite movie stars or celebrities in following some fads, which could eat into their budgets.  

Non-Spiritual Solutions

If a person has a lot of money, he could afford to waste money but this is not advisable. People who dont have money and choose to buy something, which is short-lived, are actually not wise. That money could be used for some other important long-term purpose. Anything, which is short-lived, whether it is a skirt, shirts, pants or high-heeled shoes, does not require wasting time, money and energy to acquire it. It is better to use the money for some other more tangible purposes. However, if you have lots of money and can afford to spend on fads, its fine because you can buy things with new design. If you dont have the money, youre just wasting time. There are a lot of fads regarding food, which the producers tell that if you drink or eat, youll lose weight and become slim. Dont be fooled by food fads because they dont work. These people are unscrupulously trying to cheat you and make money.

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Fake Documents (Forgery)

            People want shortcuts to success so they produce fake documents to enter educational institutions or to get jobs. People also use fake documents to obtain visas, loans and various other benefits. They do it speculating that they can fool others and also they think that they will not get caught.  

Non-Spiritual Solutions

Whenever persons are handling the documents of applicants, as administrators, they must verify the institutions, which had issued those documents, to be of recognized status. They are to ensure that the institutions are recognized and genuine. If it is an educational institution, you can basically check with the board of education. If it is in another country, you have to phone or fax the education ministry of that country. Once the institution is verified, you next need to photocopy the documents and fax them to the institution to find out if they had issued them. If you do not know the fax number, the only alternative is to ring up and find out if the documents were issued from that institution. If you dont have the phone number, fax number or e-mail address, the only alternative is to photocopy them and post them to the institution to find out if they were issued or not. Until then, keep that application on hold.

There are some persons who do cheque washing. They dip the cheque in a solution of certain chemicals, which will remove only the written stuff so that they can use the cheque again. They usually photocopy the signature before washing and overwrite the signature later. In order to avoid your cheques to be forged, it is better to write the cheques with very dark ink so that when it is diluted it will smudge the paper.  

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False Accusation

Some people are falsely accused of stealing, lying, or committing crimes like murder.  This is injustice.  

Spiritual Solutions

When a person is falsely accused, that person should not panic but should take things in their stride. Try to be calm and pray to God. We must seek the help of friends and known persons to see if they can help us to get out of the situation. Always remember if you are falsely accused, the one who is actually guilty of the particular crime will eventually be caught because Numbers 32: 23 states, And be sure that one day your sin will find you out. So trust in God and pray that He will solve your problem of injustice.  

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Fallacies

        A fallacy is a mistaken idea or concept. There are fallacies in every subject and discipline. Fallacies exist in health, sexual education, business, science, and every realm.  

Non-Spiritual Solutions

          Good education should help you to find out if a particular concept is a fallacy or a fact. Not only read about the particular subject matter to verify if it is fallacy or not, you should also ask experts in that field. There are a lot of fallacies regarding sexual matters. There are a lot of aphrodisiacs, which are actually being traded but they are actually fallacies. Experts should be consulted. Do not ask people who try to promote or give testimonies to sell out a product. They are actually paid to say what they say in order to boost the sales. Also, verify the comments of an expert with other experts within the same field.

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Famine

          Famine is a condition where there is scarcity of food. In order to solve the problem of famine, we need to know the etiology of famine. Famine could be caused by poor weather conditions such as no rain and the soil being infertile. Sometimes there is rain but the soil is not conducive and may be rocky terrain. Famine is also caused by man made problems like civil wars or some government criminals who use scorched earth policy to destroy the property of the other people in the land fighting for independence. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

          The solution is to be based on the cause of the famine. If the famine is because of infertile soil, then the soil should be made fertile by using a lot of fertilizers. If the famine is because of poor weather conditions, then sometimes evergreen trees and other trees could be planted to increase water vaporization in that area. One could also with the aid of science create artificial clouds to bring rain. If the famine is because of man made problems, the UNO, and USA, which is the only super power now, should do something to stop the civil war or stop the officials who are using scorched earth policy.

           The persons, who are cruel and evil and try to cause famines deliberately, should be severely punished. The charitable agencies should be prepared for famine conditions and should see that the people do not starve. They should bring in food, water and medical supplies and distribute to the people so that they will not be undernourished. So in times of disasters, like famine, preparation is good.

         Here is a joke regarding famine. A fat man saw a thin man and said to him, Man, youre so slim. I think the place you live in has famine. The thin man looked at the fat man and replied, That may be true, but you have caused that famine.

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  Fanatics

Fanatics are people who have abnormal enthusiasm for their religion, philosophy or ideology.

Non-Spiritual Solutions

Religions should not teach people to be fanatics where it would hurt other people or cause them to kill in the name of religion. Just because other people do not belong to a particular religion, does not mean they should be killed. Some of the religious leaders in the Middle East nations kill in the name of religion. Their teachings would instigate their followers to kill and to persecute other people or commit suicide bombings. It should be stopped. Those teachings should be curtailed if they are detrimental to the lives of the other people.

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Fascism

Fascism is an authoritative form of government. The leaders in that government try to implement their ideology on everybody else and they would go to any extent to achieve their goals. Mussolini and Adolph Hitler are examples of fascist leaders. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

We should not allow history to repeat itself in the case of fascism. As Hitler was a fascist and ensured the genocide of many Jews, we should not let fascist leaders take weapons and persecute people whom they dont like. The UNO and other like-minded organizations should get together and oppose all the fascism, when it prevails in the present age. Fascism is to be nipped in the bud.

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Fatigue

            Fatigue is a state of weariness or tiredness.  It affects every person at sometime or the other.  The causes of fatigue are plenty and they vary from person to person.  The causes are as follows:

1.                  Too much physical labour or workout

2.                  No exercise at all

3.                  Stressful conditions

4.                  Less sleep

5.                  Too much sleep

6.                  Anemias

7.                  Cancers 

8.                  Endocrine diseases like hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus and Cushings syndrome

9.                  Cardiovascular diseases like hypertension, angina pectoris and cardiac arrest

10.              Infection with diseases like influenza, TB, malaria, hepatitis A, typhoid, pneumonia, and AIDS.

 

Management

            To manage or solve fatigue, one has to know for sure what is the cause of his or her fatigue, after which the cause should be treated or avoided.  If a person suffers from fatigue due to less sleep, then that person should sleep well.  When a man gets tired because of too much physical labour, he must take rest and reduce the amount of work.   If a woman is tired or weary because of stress, she is to avoid or cope up with the stressor.   If an individual is tired because of iron deficiency anemia, then he or she should take iron supplements and eat foods rich in iron.  Persons suffering from systemic diseases and infections should visit medical doctors and have their conditions treated.

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Flattery

Flattery is actually praising someone insincerely. It is also telling something, which is not true, with a motive to gain favour. There are many people who try to use flattery just to get a promotion or a job or to get some kind of help. Flattery is not good. Many individuals enjoy when others flatter them. 

Spiritual Solutions

We should not flatter because we do not mean what we say. People flatter just to gain some benefits, promotion or to get a favour. God doesnt like flattery because Psalms 12:3 says, The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips. Since God doesnt like flattering lips we shouldnt be involved in flattering. We are not to be involved with flatterers. Proverbs 20:19 expresses, Therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.  Neither should we meddle with the flatterers nor must we flatter. As much as possible, we are to discourage others flattering us. And if we need some favour or kindness, it is good to ask a person without flattery. Inevitably we ask favours from God but we cant flatter Him since He knows our hearts very well.

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Flatulence

Flatulence is a production of gas in the intestines. It is also known as flatus or fart. It is normal to produce some amount of gas in the intestines. But the exact amount of expulsion of flatus is highly variable and also controversial. The flatus is actually due to bacterial fermentation. The bacterial metabolism yields amounts of hydrogen methane and carbon dioxide. Flatus is also produced because the majority of swallowed air, which is not belched passes through the gut and will leave as flatus. The bacteria fermentation of undigested food leads to production of gas in the lumen of the intestines, especially when hydrogen is produced. Certain foods will cause greater gas production and diseases of malabsorption, like sprue and lactose intolerance, which could make the patient, suffer from bloating of the stomach and more production of the gas. Gases produced from plants foods usually have no odor. Gases produced from meats and eggs could be of noxious odor. Improper and irregular fecal evacuation will cause flatus with foul odor. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

In order to avoid excessive gas production in the stomach, people should avoid swallowing of air by not being very anxious and not eating too fast. Gas can be produced in the stomach if the food is eaten in plentiful quantities or if the diet is full of protein and has a high content of dietary fiber. The foods that normally produce a lot of gas in the bowel are to be avoided or ingested in less quantity. These foods include red peas, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, onions, beer, red wine, eggs and meat. For some people, drugs that have anti-flatulence characteristics, can help them to reduce gas production while for others, it makes no difference. People, by trial and error, can find out what foods really cause them too much gas trouble. Those foods that really cause them gas trouble must be avoided. Persons who suffer a lot from flatus must avoid drinking carbonated drinks. It is mandatory for everyone to have proper and regular fecal evacuation. The use of activated charcoal can mitigate the problem of flatulence

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Flood

Flood is a serious problem especially where it is known to be endemic. The low-lying lands are susceptible and vulnerable to flood, especially if there is a river body nearby. Flooding is such a serious problem that in the ancient past it has destroyed many civilizations. We are to find out what really causes the flood. Is it the rainy climate? Is it the overflowing of riverbanks or the breaking of dams, which cause floods? Flash floods, which come without a warning, are especially dangerous. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

We are to be prepared for floods. If a particular area is endemic for floods, they should be prepared all the more for these situations. People ought always be ready with an emergency kit, which contains dry food, water, medicines, flashlight, knife, Bible and other things. Whenever flood warnings are being given over the radio or television, then the people residing in low-lying areas are to oblige and move to a higher place or to an emergency shelter. After the flood, the people should not venture out to see the damages and go sightseeing or else they will come in contact with naked live wires or fall in water covered deep pits. Always have some pure water and chlorine tablets to purify unclean water. Have a radio to hear the news and follow the instructions. Keep some extra batteries to ensure that the radio works. The concerned government or charitable agencies must rehabilitate the flood victims. 

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Folly

Folly is foolishness. We have to be wise in our duties. Anyone who is not careful can make mistakes. Nobody should think that he is too smart because anyone who thinks he is very wise and there is no end to himself, will one day find himself to be foolish in one aspect or the other. 

Spiritual Solutions

Always read and be well informed. Do not discuss about a subject of which you are ignorant. The Bible says in Proverbs 12:15, The way of a fool is right in his own eyes but he that harkeneth unto counsel is wise. So let us not think that whatever we do is wise and right all the time and what others do is foolish and wrong all the time. Let us also heed to other persons advice if it is wise enough to be followed. Let us accept the wisdom of God and not be fools in His sight. Let us do His will and be wise.

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Forgetfulness

            I am not discussing about amnesias here but about human tendencies to forget what they read or what they are told. I am talking about the problem of how people cannot remember everything what they had studied while answering tests and examinations, forget where they kept the screwdriver or hammer and letters or documents and cannot remember appointments.   It is natural for humans to forget because we cannot remember everything in life.  Our minds are not like computers with many gigabytes of memory.  However, we can do certain things to fix forgetfulness and increase our remembrance and memory power. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

1.                  Use repetitions or have thorough practice. When you repeat or write over and over again, you can remember well. If you practice over and over, it becomes hard to forget.

2.                  Never be in a hurry.  If you are in a hurry, your brain impulses are not relayed properly and you can forget easily.

3.                  Love and dont hate what you are supposed to do.  If you hate mathematics or history, you are going to forget regarding it very easily.

4.                  Organize your time and your place of work or study. Organize your things like tools, documents, data of phone numbers, bills and receipts.  Use an electronic organizer if you can.

5.                  Always plan ahead. 

 Spiritual Solutions

            Lord Jesus has given me a photographic memory for which I am very grateful.  When I read, see or hear something, I can remember it for a long time.  I do not know how I do it.  Praise to Lord Jesus and glory to Him alone for it.  I can, however, suggest some factors to my readers, which can help them to mitigate forgetfulness and increase the capacity to remember and enhance memory power.    The suggestions are as follows:

1.Pray to Lord Jesus for memory power.

2.Read the Holy Bible daily without fail.

3.Memorize Bible texts as much as possible.

4;Keep the 10 commandments (see Psalms 119:99, 100).

5.Do not engage in evil thoughts and actions (see Job 28:28).

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Franchise Problems (Elections)

There are many problems during franchise, that is, during elections. Many people try to coerce people to vote for them. Many print illegal ballots and use a lot of bullyism and goons to make people vote for them. They also steal ballot boxes and place new ones to cheat in order to win the elections. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

There ought to be a fair and a strict government conducting elections. The sitting government ought not to use fraudulent means to win the elections. Each person, that is eligible to vote, should be permitted to vote once. They should not use false documents to cause others that are not eligible to vote. The government must punish the people who use hooliganism and goons to steal boxes and to cheat in the elections. If these people are severely punished then the others, with such intents, will get afraid and will not emulate these criminals. But, if the president or prime minister himself is using fraudulent means and criminals to win the elections, then the outside forces like the UNO and the USA should intervene to prevent the use of fraudulent means to cheat in the elections. The whole international   community should pressure guilty governments not to use fraudulent means to win elections.

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Gaffes

Gaffes are basically mistakes. Make no mistake; everybody can make a mistake one time or another. The mistake could be while giving a speech, writing or while communicating. Nobody is perfect but we should try to avoid gaffes. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

When a person is planning to give a speech, it is better for the person to rehearse the speech so that there will be no gaffes. If a person is going to write an article, give a written statement, somebody should edit and see if there are any gaffes. Always plan and organize to avoid gaffes. As mentioned earlier, no one is perfect but just because no one is perfect doesnt entitle us to make gaffes in our conversation, speeches, or in other aspects. We should avoid gaffes as much as possible.

Politicians and public figures that make statements on television or on the radio and in newspapers should be extremely careful not to make gaffes because other people or politicians use these gaffes to make fun of them. So politicians and leaders should not give room for the opposition to be able to make fun of their gaffes or use them against them. When politicians speak, they should not speak too fast or else they will bite more than they can chew. They should talk carefully and sensibly and avoid gaffes. The politicians should completely avoid blunders or remarks that could hurt others. They should not present speeches that could hurt the minorities, religious or ethnic groups. A teacher should not make blunders in the classroom and the pastor should not make blunders while preaching. They should not make gaffes in their private lives because they are supposed to examples through their lifestyles to others.

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Gallstones

Gallstones are formation of calculi in the gall bladder. It is also known as cholelithiasis. The etiology of gallstones is not fully understood, however, impaired gall bladder emptying and high content of cholesterol of the bile, could cause gallstones. The people who are at risk for gallstones are people who are obese, who eat high fatty meals and also those who take drugs like oral contraceptives. Usually the females who are fat, fair and over forty years are highly susceptible for gallstones. These are known as the four fs female, fair, fat and forty years of age and over.

Sometimes there are no signs and symptoms for some patients but for others, there are symptoms. They usually have pain in the right upper quadrant or severe abdominal pain. Sometimes there may be jaundice. 

Treatment

Usually the patient because of severe pain would report to the hospital to seek help. The doctors would do a lot of investigations like ultrasonography or abdominal radiography. They would also do various blood tests. The line of treatment is usually ursodeoxycholic acid.²⁰  This drug should be taken under the supervision of a doctor. Patients should avoid high fatty foods and foods with high cholesterol. If you want to know more about gallstones please check my book, Dr. Stevensons Book on Preventive Nutrition.

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Gangrene

             Gangrene can be defined as death of body tissue due to loss of blood supply or to the effects of certain infections. There are different types of gangrene, which are dry gangrene, gas gangrene and moist gangrene. Dry gangrene is usually because of slow reduction of blood supply in the arteries. The tissues usually become dry and brittle. It affects the extremities and the patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and arteriosclerosis are vulnerable. Gas gangrene can be caused by the species of clostridium bacteria. Clostridium species usually invades dirty lacerated wounds. This gas gangrene is acute, severe and painful condition. The wounds could be filled with gas and also the wound would be swollen. The skin around the wound be pale and there would be foul smell and brown bloodstained serous discharge. Moist gangrene is due to sudden stoppage of blood. Generally, this is because of burning by heat, acid, severe freezing, and physical accidents.  

Treatment

The patient should be immediately taken to the hospital. The treatment depends on the type of gangrene. For gas gangrene, usually the line of treatment is penicillin. Of course, other drugs like tetracycline and chloramphenicol could also be used against clostridium species. Apart from treating with the drugs, there should be surgical debridement and surgical excision, if necessary. When a person gets a cut, the wound should be properly cleaned and treated with antiseptic creams in order to discourage the anaerobic bacteria like clostridium species. Immediate care for cuts and wounds would be necessary in order to avoid gangrene.

Patients suffering from diabetes mellitus and atherosclerosis must be very careful. From time to time, they should see that they do not go out into freezing cold, lest they would be susceptible for developing moist gangrene. They should seek immediate help if they have any pale color bruises on their extremities.

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  Genetic Disorders

There are many genetic disorders identified today. The genetic disorders can be classified into autosomal, polygenic and sex-linked disorders. The genetic traits could be dominant traits or recessive traits. The examples of genetic disorders and chromosomal aberrations are Downs syndrome, which is trisomy 21, hemophilia, thalassemia major and minor, sickle cell anemia, Edwards syndrome and phenylketonuria, also known as PKU. The genetic disorders could be caused if one of the parents carries a dominant deleterious allele or gene, which could result in a dominant genetic disorder. If both the parents carry the deleterious genes then there are more chances and probability that the children will inherit the genetic disorder. Some of the genetic disorders cause severe physical, mental retardation and finally death. 

Management

It is better to have genetic screening to prevent genetic disorders. Persons who wish to be careful or if there is a genetic problem in the family, they should consult genetic counsellors who are usually tied to some hospitals and seek genetic counseling. The genetic counsellors do prospective screening and retrospective screening. Prospective screening is for the ones who think that they might carry a harmful gene and who might plan to have children. These persons should be screened to see if they have any detrimental gene. Retrospective screenings are for the children who are born to the parents who might be carrying the detrimental genes and they would be screened to see if they are having any genetic disorder before the symptoms set in. Let me discuss about phenylketonuria. This genetic disorder is due to the absence of phenylalanine hydroxylase, which is normally produced in the liver. When the patient of this disorder eats food, which have normal or high levels of phenylalanine then he or she would have severe mental and physical retardation. So when the screening is done and it is found that the baby has the genetic disorder phenylketonuria, the baby would not be fed with a diet that has normal level of phenylalanine amino acid in the diet. The baby would be given vegetables and fruits, which are low in phenylalanine. When this precaution is taken at an early stage, the child is not mentally or physically retarded.

Another way is to follow the rule, that is, prevention is better than cure. When a woman is pregnant, she should go for genetic screening. When the genetic counsellor feels that they should have to undergo certain tests, like amniocentesis and ultra- sonography, it is best to follow the advice. Amniocentesis is usually done during the fourth month. The doctor would usually send a sharp syringe, guided by ultrasonography into the amniotic sac and aspirate some amniotic fluid. This fluid would be cultured for another four weeks to detect if there is any detrimental gene or chromosomal aberration in the fetus. If there were lethal genetic disorders present, the counsellor would advise abortion. But one should be aware of false negatives and false positives.       

No matter what, cloning, especially human cloning must never be performed for any genetic engineering and research purposes.  Genetic engineers must not play God.

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Genocide

            Genocide is mass killing. It is the annihilation of a tribe, religious group or killing many people due to ethnic hatred. Some political leaders who practised genocide were Adolph Hitler in Germany, Pol Pot in Cambodia and Idi Amin in Uganda. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

            The international body UNO and super power USA must not permit criminal geniuses like Hitler to rise again. The evil political leaders should be nipped at the bud. We should not allow history to repeat itself. The human rights group should protest against budding evil leaders in various nations.

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Ghetto Problems

            Wherever cities exist, there are bound to be ghettos. Wherever there are ghettos, they are inevitable to have many problems. The ghetto problems are usually housing congestion, poor sanitation, poor ventilation, poverty, unemployment, crime and violence, alcoholism and drug addiction. 

Management

            The government must leave no stone unturned to help members of the ghettos. The local level of government must use their resources to improve and better the conditions of the ghetto like housing and sanitation facilities. Charitable agencies must also help. The persons who once lived in ghettos and have become rich ought to help others there.

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Gossip

         Gossip is bad. Most of us know that gossip is not good, however, knowingly or unknowingly we are involved in gossip in our lives. When we hear what others have gossiped about us, we get mad but when we gossip about others, we enjoy it. Some people love to gossip and that should be curtailed. A wife said to her husband, "Honey, I think our neighbors are hearing everything we are talking because our bedroom is so close to theirs. We have to change our bedroom and convert another room into bedroom so that they will not hear what we talk." The husband replied, "Fine, give me a week time and we will shift from this bedroom of ours and we will move to another room, so that the neighbors cant hear what we are talking." After a few days the husband was about to shift the things from the bedroom into another room but the wife came running and said, "Honey, don't shift the room." The husband said, "You're the one who told me to shift. Why are you changing your mind now?" The wife replied, "Upon second thought, I decided that if we change our room, we won't be able to hear what the neighbours are talking. So let us not shift into another room." From this incident, we notice that most of us not only gossip but also enjoy eavesdropping. 

Spiritual Solutions

When parents inculcate the children that gossip is distasteful and they themselves do not get involved in gossip, then definitely this evil practice of gossip can be overcome or at least shown the door. The Bible condemns gossip. It articulates in Proverbs 20:19 that the persons involved in tale bearing are not good and God will punish them. Therefore, let us not be involved in gossip. For some of us, it is sweet to gossip about others, but when we are in their shoes, we would not be happy. Let us follow the golden rule that is found in Matthew 7:12, Do unto others as ye would have others do unto you. It is mandatory that we follow this golden principle and stop the gossip about others and eavesdropping. Some people unabatedly love to hear gossip but the good aspect of gossip is nothing.

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Hackers--Internet

            A hacker is a person who spends most of his time trying to penetrate into the computer files of other people. He would try to somehow get the confidential information from other peoples personal files, by breaking the password. The hacker would try to break into the computer systems of a company or a government. First the hacker may do it just for fun in order to see if he can do it. The hacker would do it to see if he is smart enough to get into another persons personal computer files. Once he breaks through the password, he might be bold enough to use the information against that particular person or institution. How do the hacker actually get the password? The hacker would act as if he was an employee of a particular organization for which he would want the password. He would in fact act as an employee of the organization and telephone that he forgot the password and would ask for it. The unsuspecting person may give the password, thinking that he is an employee and considering that he had told him the correct name. Sometimes, a hacker will say that he is an employers friend or relative and that he is sick and has forgotten the password and asked him to find out through the telephone. Eventually he may get the password from the unsuspecting person. Sometimes hackers take a chance by just trying many different alphabets and numbers that could actually be the password.   

             It is just a trial and error method. They would use words like law or they would use common names like John123 or Mary111 or they would use common numbers like 111, 333, 666 or 777 and through luck they may figure out the password. Some people use the password as password itself. Some of the hackers know what may be the most probable passwords and by trial and error they will succeed. Once they get the information, they can be very good in trying to misuse the information. There were hackers who tried to get into the US military secret files. Some hackers try to break into computers of banks to siphon off the money. A victim of this bank robbery was Citibank in New York, where the hacker from Russia had diverted ten (10) million dollars to different bank accounts. Fortunately, the hacker was found and they retrieved most of the money. Hackers do all types of things to misuse information by secretly going into somebody elses confidential documents. Some other hackers create programs that are viruses to corrupt the files or delete files of other computer systems.  

Non-Spiritual Solutions

            To completely avoid hackers getting into your computer files or your companys computer systems, first of all, use a very difficult password. No matter who asks you the password, whether a person says, on the phone, that he is an employee and he has forgotten the password, never reveal the password over the phone, fax or e-mail. When somebody tells you over the phone, that he is the employer of the institution and he has forgotten about it, do not believe it because there are some hackers who can disguise their voices and mimic the voice of employers. Whenever the employer/employee asks for the password you should inform them that they should come in person for the password. Never disclose the password to anybody over the phone or to suspicious sounding persons. Always remember not to leave your computer unattended.

There is no foolproof solution for anti-hacking. The FBI in USA has used a lot of technology to make anti-hacking measures successful.  We should be extremely careful not to open e-mails, which are suspicious. For example, on Valentines Day (2000) there were electronic viral mails entitled, I love you, which a hacker sent to many persons. All that opened these e-mails lost a lot of information on their computers. I love you virus was so tempting, that anybody who saw it opened it immediately to see who had sent it. The hackers use various modi operandi to destroy your computers and delete your information. So do not fall prey and if you find suspicious e-mail, do not open it. Always be careful in order to avoid succumbing to the tricks of the hackers.

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Headache (Including Migraine)

Headache is one of the most common symptoms for man. It is not a disorder, but merely a symptom. Headache is a symptom of many diseases. It is also a symptom of emotional distress. I shall also explore migraines under this problem. Migraines are severe headaches, where there are paroxysmal attacks. A migraine is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and visual disturbances. More women are affected by migraine.²¹

When there are structural lesions in the brain, they could cause severe pain in the head. The intensity, the quality and height of pain and the duration of the headache should be assessed to find out what actually is the underlying cause. Usually headaches that disturb sleep and paroxysmal headaches may indicate some tumors in the head. Chronic headaches are normally due to tension and depression.

           Migraine is induced by environmental triggers like stress and alcoholic beverages and also due to changes in the neurotransmitters in the brain. 

Management

The patient must see a medical doctor. In case, the headache was a result of tension, then generally the treatment would be non-narcotic painkillers, muscle relaxation massages and soothing muscle-relaxing exercises.

The treatment for migraine is multi-factorial. The migraine patient should rest in a dark room and could take simple analgesics. For migraine patients, propranolol could be used as prophylactic drug.²²   The patients of migraine should avoid alcoholic drinks completely. They have to also avoid cheese, chocolates and coffee since they can trigger a migraine. They should also avoid stress and strain. Female patients who suffer from bouts of migraine should avoid oral contraceptives.

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Halitosis

Halitosis is bad breath. It is an unpleasant odor of the breath. Halitosis may be produced because of ingested substances like high-refined food that might be stuck between teeth or between teeth and gums. It could be the result of some dental diseases. Some of it could be because of inhaled substances that can be excreted, in part, by the lungs. Halitosis could also be a result of systemic diseases. Some suffer from psychogenic halitosis where the affected persons assume or think they are having bad breath when they actually do not.  

Non-Spiritual Solutions

The person that is suffering from halitosis must recognize that he or she is having bad breath. Some persons with bad breath are so used to their own breath that they do not realize that they are suffering from bad breath. So the relatives or friends who are close to them should, in a very loving manner, tell them that their breath is foul. After they realize that they are suffering from halitosis, they should not eat highly refined carbohydrate food, which would stick between the teeth and the gums. They should immediately brush their teeth after eating. They must also floss their teeth often. After flossing their teeth, they could use water pick, which would help to clear any food particles that remain. What actually helps halitosis to prevail? It is because the bacteria will act upon the food, which is stuck between the teeth and the gums.

In order to discourage the bacteria from multiplying, brushing and flossing ought to be done. But the bacteria will multiply if the mouth is dry, hence if your mouth is always wet with saliva, the bacteria will not multiply and bad breath will not be caused. When you chew bubble gum, you are always producing saliva, which will not help the bacteria to multiply. Babies mouths always smell very good because they are always salivating. Thats why their breath is so pleasant. The person suffering from or wanting to prevent halitosis must also use breath mints in order to lessen the smell. Proper oral hygiene is invariably mandatory to preclude halitosis. The persons who are suffering from psychogenic halitosis should be given counseling.

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Hallucinations

Hallucinations are distortions of reality. Hallucination is also perception of objects, which are not real. Hallucinations can be divided into two types, audio hallucination and visual hallucination. Audio hallucination is where the patient hears sound, but in reality there is no sound. Visual hallucination is where the patient can see something, which a normal person cannot see. There are many problems that can cause hallucination. Schizophrenia could cause hallucinations. Psychedelic drugs like LSD could incite hallucinations. Delirium could also induce hallucinations. Mushroom poisoning could be another cause of hallucination. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

             In case, psychedelic drugs are the cause then the patient should be de-addicted. When a patient is suffering from schizophrenia, that disease should be managed in order to help him to avoid both audio and visual hallucinations.

The people who take drugs like LSD also suffer from a disorder known as synesthesia where they would use certain words or phrases like smelling music or hearing red or touching sweet.²³  Such persons should be helped to kick the habit of drug addiction. If the hallucination is caused because of mushroom poisoning, then the person should be treated to nullify the mushroom toxins.

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Hell

          Hell is a place where the wicked will suffer when Lord Jesus comes the third time to restore His kingdom on earth. Hell is a highly misunderstood place. Some people think that hell is another world where the dead wicked people continue to live and suffer. Hades is another name for hell. What is hell? Where is hell? Will persons in hell burn forever?  

Spiritual Solutions

Some persons are told to go to hell. But what could be hell? Hell could be any place where an individual leads a devilish life full of sin; and his own life could be hell. Let us talk about the physical hell, where is it? Biblically, there is no hell as of now. Hell would only exist when Lord Jesus comes from heaven the third time. When He comes the second time all the good people who died in Christ will be resurrected and all the living righteous people will go to heaven. Then this earth itself will become a hell for Satan and his angels. This earth will be called a bottomless pit because Satan has nobody to tempt and he will be by himself along with his devils. There is no purgatory but only hell.

When Lord Jesus comes a third time, part of this earth would be hell and be destroyed forever. People who dont believe in God and who dont keep His commandments, including the seventh day Sabbath and also dont repent would be lost.  First John 2:4 states, He that saith I know Him (Lord Jesus) and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him. So people who reject Lord Jesus and dont keep His commandments would naturally go to hell. John 14:15 says, If you love Me, keep My commandments. Thus, we have to keep His commandments. Only Lord Jesus can save us. But, why should we keep the Sabbath if only Lord Jesus can save us? James 2:26 declares, Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also. Hence, if we have faith in Lord Jesus but dont keep His commandments, we dont have the works. If you dont keep the Ten Commandments including seventh day Sabbath one would be lost in hell.

 Now coming to the highly misunderstood part about hell. Would the fire burn forever and ever? No! Malachi 4:2 expresses that in hell the fire would burn up everybody into ashes and it would leave no branch or root. Though, in other books in Bible, it says forever and ever but here it says it will burn up and leave stubble, which means that the fire would not be forever and ever and it would leave no branch or root. People who sinned more may burn a little longer like Hitler, but will eventually die and people who sin less and were not very wicked, would burn for shorter time and would die too. Eventually, everybody would be destroyed in hell and Satan would be the last person to be burnt to ashes.

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Heresies

Heresies are doctrines not accepted by a church. But what one church sees as heresies may not be so for other churches. Here is an example. Worshiping the statutes of some saints could be heresy in protestant churches but would not be heresy in Catholic Church. 

Spiritual Solutions

Whatever is taught contrary to the Bible doctrines become heresies. If you teach traditions of man as doctrines of God, then they become heresies. The Bible clearly states in Matthew 15:7,8, These people draw nigh unto Me with their lips but their hearts are far from Me. Teaching the commandments of men as if they were doctrines of God. Any teaching by the church, that is contrary to the Bible, is heresy. If worshipping statues is condemned in the Bible then it becomes heresy.  Heresies should not be classified by the leaders or the administrators of the church but should be done so only by the teachings of the Bible. So we can judge what is heresy and what is not heresy by the teachings of the Bible. One text should explain the other text. One text should not be used to make a new doctrine. Just as diamond cuts diamond so too one Bible scripture explains other scripture. Let us follow the Bible holistically.

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Hiccups

Hiccups are the sounds, which are produced when the glottis suddenly closes and rejects the inflow of air. This is caused by repeated involuntary spasms of the diaphragm. What causes the repeated involuntary spasm of the diaphragm? When the afferent and efferent nerves of the medullary center are irritated then hiccups can be caused. Diseases like pleuritis, pneumonia, uraemia, alcoholism and abdominal surgeries can put a patient at risk for hiccups. Disorders of the stomach, oesophagus and bowel, pregnancy, bladder irritation and hepatitis can also cause hiccups. Tumors of respiratory system can also produce chronic hiccups. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

One solution could be to hold your breath as long as you can and the hiccups may stop. Other solutions could be swallowing small morsels of cooked rice, eating dry bread, breathing in a bag and even inducing vomiting. Simple methods like eating one teaspoon of granulated sugar or lifting the uvula in the throat with a spoon could also help. All these can help to overcome hiccups. If these solutions fail, see a medical doctor.

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Hijacking

It is forcefully taking command of a vehicle, especially an aeroplane. The person who does this act is known as hijacker. The hijacker or hijackers would divert the plane somewhere else and may hold the passengers as hostages for some kind of ransom. Usually the ransom would be politically motivated or to seek asylum.  Some hijackers are deadly terrorists who can kill the hostages or themselves in desperate situations for political reasons. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

            There ought to be stringent laws to severely punish the hijackers, which can act as deterrent to prospective hijackers. There should be tight security measures to prevent hijacking. The cockpit must have strong door and the plane must have air marshals to preclude hijacking. Individuals should not travel in airlines that are high risk for hijacking. In case of hijacking, the concerned government must use intelligence and experienced personnel to defuse the situation. Negotiations will help if experienced personnel are used. Only force should be employed as a last resort with minimum danger to passengers.

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Hoaxes

Hoax is an act intended to actually dupe or trick people. Persons who try to do something or establish something by fabrication or fraud are actually hoaxers. Some individuals create hoax just for the fun of it. They just have some pleasure in seeing people panic. If somebody phones the cops and informs that there is a bomb in the train or underneath the bus; then he may watch from a distance and enjoy how the cops and other administrators work their heads off trying to prevent the non existent bomb from exploding. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

If everybody stopped playing hoaxes on others then when children become adults they will not cry hoax. Sometimes, hoax backfires on the same person who is trying to create it. All of us know the story of the boy who cried the hoax of wolf. A boy was asked to take care of the sheep and was told by the elders that each time he called Wolf! Wolf! they would come and help him by chasing the wolf. But this boy was mischievous and he cried, Wolf! Wolf! many times. Whenever the people arrived, they realized that it was a hoax and there was no wolf. Finally, the wolf did come. When he cried, Wolf! Wolf! and nobody turned up and at that time he was in a dire situation and some sheep were lost. This simple story should teach us the moral of not pulling hoaxes on others. Some people are extremely scared of bombs, so when somebody announces that there is a bomb in the train, though it might be a hoax, people with heart problems or who are elderly will panic, which may trigger a heart attack. An elderly person may die. So the person who cried hoax may be actually responsible for the persons death caused by the hoax. Let us not be sadistic by pulling hoaxes but let us try to help one another. Anyone found guilty of pulling hoaxes must be taken to task so that it would be a warning for others not to pull hoaxes.

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Homesickness

Homesickness is a case of being physically or mentally sick when a person is away from home. This homesickness could happen to any person who leaves home, be it prep school child, a student who lives in dorm, a married person leaving home for business, an elderly person attending some meetings far from home or businessmen who travel away from home for work purposes. People who habitually travel may not suffer from homesickness. It is the people who travel for the first time or infrequently that may suffer from homesickness and nostalgia. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

When persons who go away for the first time become homesick, it is natural. It is always good for them to call home or have the relatives call them and make it less painful. A person may take a video recording or pictures of their loved ones to see them whenever he feels homesick. To escape homesickness, it is best to remain occupied. Students living in dorms who are always occupied by studying in the library, doing assignments, watching television, and spending time with friends, will not have much time to think of their loved ones and be homesick. So people with homesickness should always be occupied. In spite of being occupied if theyre still homesick, they should call home and be refreshed.

If persons, who are chronically homesick and nostalgic, may be able to lessen their sadness if they return home regularly and make it a routine to go back and forth. In so doing they get away from the homesickness.

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Horoscope

Horoscope is basically astrological forecast. Horoscope is  predictions based on relative position of planets and sun signs of the zodiac at birthday used by the astrologists to interpret personality traits and also to foretell events in a persons life. Many people like to go and see astrologers and horoscopists to find out what is their future, like if they would be rich, if they would get good life partners, and if they would have good business in their lives.

If horoscopes were true, then all the predictions predicted in the horoscopes would be fulfilled. Most of the predictions of horoscopes do not come to pass and the astrologists would predict something, which is vague and general. They may say that you will make money, but how much money you will make will not be specified. They may say that you will get a wife but they will not tell you her age or the color of the woman. Most of the horoscopes are general in nature and those general things in nature could happen to anybody, whether you belong to gemini or capricorn or any of the sun signs of the horoscope. Horoscopes will simply inform, business will be bright this week. Business could be a gift from somebody that increases your money or if somebody just buys something for you. Most horoscopists are not precise but people continue to waste time looking at the horoscope. There are many marriages performed based on the horoscope and those marriages have completely failed and have led to divorces or the murder of the wife or the husband or the battering of the wife by the husband or has led to adultery. Hence, horoscopes have copious problems. People who spend a lot of time and money on horoscopes are being actually fooled.  Palmistry is also a problem. 

Spiritual Solutions

Suppose horoscopes were true, then what if people do not look into their horoscopes? Their lives would be a mess! But alas, their lives are not in a mess. In fact, people who look at their horoscopes are at times actually scared. If the horoscope foretells that you should not drive that particular week but you have to drive. And as you drive you think of the horoscope and say, Oh, I should not be driving on the road. Out of fear that you should not be driving, you would possibly be involved in an accident or cause one. Suppose you did not read the horoscope, then you wouldnt end up in an accident because you wouldnt have any fear of being in one.

In some remote areas, people do not know when exactly they were born. Does this mean that they have no future because they dont know when they were born since they cant consult a horoscope? Astronomy is not fully understood, therefore, how can you base your future on the astronomy, which is not completely comprehended by the astronomists. Astronomy is true but astrology is false. In astrological terms, the sun revolves around the earth and this is not true. God created you and me and only God knows the future. God also created the sun, the moon and the planets. The movement of the planets and the stars have nothing to do with our lives. The stars and planets are not gods and only God controls your life and therefore you have to depend on God for your future. If you submit your will to God, God shall lead you. In Proverbs 3:6, the Bible declares, In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct your path. Hence, in everything that you do, you should acknowledge Him and seek His guidance and God will lead you into the future because He had lead you safely in the past. Let God lead you and dont be fooled by horoscopes.

Palmistry falls in the same category as horoscope. Palmistry is looking at the hands, seeing the creases and the lines in the palm and predicting the future. If that is true, what about those people born without hands? Dont they have any future at all? Do you think that they would die instantly because they dont have palms? Not at all, the lines have nothing to do with our future. God knows the future. Let us leave the future to God and not worry about the palmists and palmistry, which is total foolishness.

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Hyperactive Child

Hyperactivity is actually ambiguous. It is hard to define hyperactivity because different people assess children in different ways. If a person says a child is hyperactive it will reflect the patience of that person. Some persons have more patience and tolerance with the child and may not call the child hyperactive. But if another person cant tolerate the childs behaviour then that person may believe the child to be hyperactive. So how do you really define hyperactivity? It really depends on who the parents are and who are managing the children. If children have much shorter than average attention and theyre restless all the time, moving from place to place, doing something, which is not normal, the person could be rated as a hyperactive child. There are many causes for hyperactivity. Children who have emotional disorders or who are highly pampered by their parents or grandparents can be hyperactive. They might possess some genetic component. Somebody in the family was hyperactive before, whether aunt or uncle or parents. Hyperactivity could also denote central nervous dysfunction. If the child is extremely hyperactive then it could indicate some motor or psychological disorders and the child would need medical attention. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

The hyperactive children ought to be taught that they cannot do whatever they want and get away with it. The child who is hyperactive should not be pampered by their grandparents or parents and boast about him to friends and relatives, by saying, Our child is hyperactive. Hes very smart for his age. They should not think of it as a compliment for the child because the child will later be an unmanageable child or maybe an irresponsible adult or will not be a good citizen. The parents, with love, should correct the children who are hyperactive. They should not bribe the child with gifts or say, You stop behaving this way and Ill give you chocolates. The parents should not try to blackmail the children because they would be smart and would purposely do things to gain certain things from parents. The parents should be strict with the hyperactive children. They should not beat them really hard but should be stern with them. If the parents are not strict with them but instead, pamper them, they would become worse. The parents (single or both) have to seek help if they cant manage the hyperactive child. If they are working all the time and they have to employ someone to baby-sit this child, then they have to get a woman with experience with hyperactive children. The woman could use her experience to calm the hyperactive child.

However, if the children are really extremely hyperactive, then there may be some systemic problems like psychomotor or psychological disorders. A psychiatrist will have to be seen to identify the underlying factor for the childs behavior and to treat it.

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Hypochondria

Hypochondria is a morbid obsession about ones own health. It is also a preoccupation that something is wrong with ones health. A hypochondriac would spend a lot of time pondering and worrying that some part of his body is sick and diseased. After a few days of being reassured, he will speculate that other parts of the body are diseased. This problem is chronic. The problem lingers on, sometimes, until the death of the person. Hypochondria runs in families. Some of the hypochondriacs may not want to shake hands with others because they fear that by shaking hands they will contract some microorganisms, which in turn, will cause disease.

Some will not eat in restaurants or other persons homes for fear of contracting disease. Some individuals would wash their hands over and over again with soap, trying to remove all the microorganisms from their hands. Many hypochondriacs in Eastern nations will wash their hands many times before eating because they have the fear of microorganisms, which they assume might have contaminated their hands.

Certain hypochondriacs would go from doctor to doctor, from hospital to hospital, attempting to find a cure for their imaginary diseases. For some hypochondriacs, it is so debilitating that they are not able to concentrate on other things because of this hypochondriac problem. They are not able to study or work properly and sleep well. They are not able to live normally, thinking that they have diseases and are going to die. 

Non-Spiritual Solutions

Invariably, hypochondriacs should be reassured. They must be reassured that there is nothing wrong with them and that it is only their imagination. Some of the hypochondriacs must see a medical doctor who may convince them that there is no problem only for a little while. But after a few days they will think that another organ of the body is sick. If a hypochondriac speculates that he is having some serious stomach problems and when a gastroentrologist checks and reports that there is nothing wrong with his stomach, later that hypochondriac will certainly imagine there is some problem with his heart or lungs and would go on to worry about that. Having seen a cardiologist or a chest physician and told that all is well, then he would muse he has a problem with his kidneys. So he moves from one problem to another, always thinking that something is wrong with him.

When the hypochondriacs have serious depression that affects their health, then they would be given some tranquillisers by doctors to calm them. But once the effect of that drug, such as diazepam, is gone, theyll start worrying again. This is a chronic problem; hence the solution has to be a life-long one. I am making some recommendations for the hypochondriacs.

(1)    If the hypochondriacs are always occupied, there is not much time for them to think about parts of their body being diseased or having problems. Hence, they should be kept occupied.

(2)    They ought to listen to soothing music to take their minds from worrying.

(3)    They need to have trust worthy friends who will make them happy by encouraging and pepping them up. 

(4)    They should not deal with depressing conditions. If someone dies of a particular disease, they would start worrying that they too have that disease. They should not be taken to hospitals to visit a patient as they may imagine that they have that patients illness. So they are not to be exposed to conditions that may trigger off their hypochondria.

(5)    The family doctor should always reassure the hypochondriacs. 

Spiritual Solutions

They must read the Bible and be assured that God would take care of them.They ought to pray and fully depend on Lord Jesus. The hypochondriacs should follow the advice given in Psalms 55:22, Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He shall sustain thee... Thus, if the hypochondriacs cast all their imaginary fears about their health to the Lord, the Lord will take care of them.

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Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a nasty problem. Hypocrisy is feigning to be someone youre not or believing something but not practising it. Hypocrites are the ones who say something but dont do it. Hypocrisy is worse than unrighteousness. The problem with hypocrisy is that most people who are hypocrites dont accept that they are hypocrites. That is the problem. Many people who are hypocrites will ponder that others are hypocrites while they are not. They dont practise what they preach. 

Spiritual Solutions

First, the person who has a problem with hypocrisy should realize that he/she is a hypocrite. Other people can pray for those persons who are hypocrites so that God will open their eyes and reveal to them that they are hypocrites. Lord Jesus denounced hypocrisy. In Matthew 23:13-36, the Bible shows that Pharisees were hypocrites in those times. They would preach one thing yet do another. Some of the preachers in various churches today preach one thing but do something else. They may preach, Do not commit adultery. And they themselves would commit adultery. Matthew 23:27 states, Woe unto you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. For ye are like unto whitened sepulchers, you indeed appear beautiful outwards but are within, full of dead mens bones and of all uncleanness. Since God has said Woe unto the hypocrites we should get rid of this sore of hypocrisy from our lives and God can help us to remove it. We should not be judgmental of others but should note our own weakness in our own lives and try to correct it. If we cant do something, then let us not tell others not to do it.

If you preach something, you had better do as you preached. If you cant practise what you preach, then dont preach. Job 20:5 admonishes, And the joy of the hypocrite is but for a moment. Therefore, hypocrites will not be happy. Their joy is but for a moment. Let us have a long time of peace and joy and not be hypocrites. Only God can change our acts of hypocrisy. If we let the Holy Spirit take control of our lives, He can help us to overcome it.

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