Health by Faith
There are many confusing ideas about health and healing in the world. There are several major worldviews when it comes to understanding health and disease. A major worldview, which comes out of Babylon, is the idea that the human is a microcosm of the universe, and that health is the result of universal energy flowing through the individual in an unhindered manner. In this worldview, disease is caused by “blockages” of that universal energy as it flows through an individual. Treatment, therefore, focuses on removing those blockages and restoring proper energy flow. In many of these healing forms a therapist attempts to manipulate the energy of the patient, certain substances are applied or consumed, or the sufferer participates in certain exercises or meditation to bring about healing.
In Chinese Medicine, health is the result of a balance of positive and negative energy flowing through the body (yin and yang). Disease is the result of an excess of yin or of yang. Different foods, minerals, substances, herbs, exercises, meditation, etc. are used to counterbalance the energy imbalance to restore proper balance and thus restore health. The substances aren’t used because of their nutritional or chemical value, but because of their ability to balance positive or negative energy. Chinese medicine also includes the idea of meridians—major pathways through which that energy flows through an individual. Different organs are associated with different meridians, and dysfunction in an organ is treated by manipulating the meridian(s) associated with that organ. Popular treatments used to restore proper energy flow in these meridians include acupuncture and acupressure.
Ayurvedic medicine is based upon the concept of chakras, which are spinning wheels of energy that align along the spine to the head of an individual. This is where matter and consciousness meet, and through these chakras flow a vital life force called Parana. Chakras are believed to correspond to massive nerve centers in the body which contain bundles of nerves and major organs as well as one’s psychological, emotional, and spiritual states of being. Health is dependent upon the seven main chakras staying open, aligned, and fluid. If there is a blockage, energy cannot flow, and physical disease results. These chakras can be balanced by meditation, breathing exercises, yoga, mantras, colors, gems, aroma therapy, essential oils, and herbs. The use of each of these things is to bring balance to the chakras, in order from the lowest to the highest chakra, so that one can experience health and eventually achieve Moksha (relief from death).
There are also other forms of energy healing, such as reflexology, reiki, therapeutic touch, Bowen therapy, and iridology. But there are other forms of therapy available, including chiropractic, kinesiology, homeopathy and hypnotism. But the most popular form of healing in Western societies is allopathic medicine. In allopathic medicine, the premise is that a symptom should be treated with a substance that causes the opposite of that symptom so that the system is brought back into proper function. For example, if one is vomiting, you take a substance that makes you stop vomiting. If you have a fever, you take a substance that prevents a fever. If you have inflammation, you take a substance that prevents inflammation, etc. The problem is that none of these methods get to the cause of the problem.
We are told, “There are many ways of practicing the healing art, but there is only one way that Heaven approves. God’s remedies are the simple agencies of nature that will not tax or debilitate the system through their powerful properties. Pure air and water, cleanliness, a proper diet, purity of life, and a firm trust in God are remedies for the want of which thousands are dying; yet these remedies are going out of date because their skillful use requires work that the people do not appreciate. Fresh air, exercise, pure water, and clean, sweet premises are within the reach of all with but little expense, but drugs are expensive, both in the outlay of means and in the effect produced upon the system.” {5T 443.1}
Where does health come from? We understand from the Biblical context that health comes from God. But many of us have come to believe that health is the paycheck we receive for doing the right things. If we only eat the right food, exercise sufficiently, get sufficient sunshine exposure, live a relatively natural life, and don’t stress too much, we should have health. But how does health come about? For this, we must go to the fundamental textbook—the Bible. In the Bible, what are we told is the cause of disease and the source of healing? Read Exodus 15:26, Deuteronomy 7:12-15, Deuteronomy 28, 2 Chronicles 7:14, Proverbs 3:7-8, Proverbs 4:20-23, Matthew 13:5.
Many times, when Jesus healed someone, He said, “Your faith has made you whole [Sōzō].” In the Bible, the Greek word, Sōzō, means to save, to make whole, and to heal. The same word is used for salvation and for healing. Could it be that salvation and healing have the same foundation? 3 John 1:2 states, “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” How does your soul prosper? The answer to this may be the key to understanding how our health prospers.
We recognize that our nature is sinful (see Psalms 51:5, Isaiah 1:5-6, Isaiah 64:6, Jeremiah 17:9, Romans 8:7, and Revelation 3:17). And we must be saved from sin into the perfection of the life of Christ. The soul, therefore, can only prosper under the plan of salvation that sets us free from sin.
Grace is everything that God does to rescue man from sin, which is offered to man as a free gift. Faith is that which accepts the gift of God’s grace and appropriates it to myself so that it becomes mine. And we are told, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:8-10. This is a one-way process (grace àfaith à works). This process does not work backwards (works à faith à grace).
Evil is the result of taking what is good and turning it around. Good is God’s grace accepted by faith, which then naturally works in harmony with God’s will. Evil (legalism) is doing good works to develop faith by which I earn God’s grace. Your soul can only prosper by grace accepted through faith which then works. Your soul can never prosper by works obtaining faith to obtain grace.
What about health? Where does health come from? Does it come from some cosmic energy flowing through your body the right way? No! Does it come from balancing positive and negative energy in your being? No! Does it come from taking substances that counteract certain symptoms or hinder certain physiologic processes? No! Does it come from eating a healthy diet, exercising regularly, getting regular sunshine and fresh air, and otherwise living a healthy lifestyle? Does it? Is health the paycheck you receive for doing all the right things? No! So, where does health come from?
Health comes from God and God only. Health is a gift of God’s grace, offered to undeserving sinners freely, because we need it. And that health is accepted by faith, which then naturally works in harmony with God’s will. Health is not the result of doing enough good health “works” that prove that you have enough faith so that you can earn health as your paycheck, your earning, your due, your right—as if God was obligated to give you health if you behaved good enough. You are not saved by works, and neither are you healed by works. You are saved by grace, through faith which then works in harmony with God’s will. And you are healed in the same way—by grace, through faith which then works in harmony with God’s will.
Is it God’s will for you to eat a healthy diet? Yes! It is God’s will for you to get enough exercise in the right context? Yes! Is it God’s will for you to get sufficient rest? Yes! Is it God’s will for you to avoid putting into your mind and body things that will clog the system and cause it to not work so well? Yes! Is it God’s will for you to be in a natural environment where you can have fresh air, sunshine, pure water, the surroundings of nature, etc.? Yes! But it is not the doing of these things that brings health. Health is a gift of God’s grace, offered to each of us freely. And that gift is accepted only by faith—a faith that will then naturally work in harmony with God’s will; a faith that will live a healthy lifestyle, not to convince God to give me health, but to cooperate with the One who is giving me health.
Unfortunately, we have not understood this in our health work. In one prominent system of healthcare, we have burdened people with treatments and slow poisons that cause many side-effects and slowly destroy the system, while we miss entirely the cause of disease and health. And in another system of healthcare, we have burdened people with long lists of what they should eat, how they should eat it, how long they should go between meals, what times of the day they should eat, what attitude they should have when they eat, what food combinations to avoid, etc., etc., etc. And then people go home with a long to-do list of very good “works” to do, with the idea that by doing these works, they will earn health. We may say that the one system is better than the other, because one gets closer to the cause by addressing the lifestyle of the people. But what does it matter if we are still operating under a works-based system? Both will fail.
What does health by faith really look like? You trust that God is your source of health and healing. You understand that healing can only come from Him. And trusting in Him as your only hope, you accept His grace (not just the health as an end product, but the motivation and power to cooperate with God in the process of restoring health) as a free gift to you. Trusting in Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself, you ask the Lord, “What would you have me to do to cooperate with You now?” He will then lead you to those things He has already blessed (healthy diet, proper eating habits and times, exercise, fresh air and sunshine, proper rest, etc.) and invite you to participate with Him in those things with Him. As you trust in Him and follow His leading, you will have access to His power and consistency to be able to participate in those healthy behaviors that are in harmony with His will. Thus you will succeed where you had always failed.
This does not mean that we will always have the health we are looking for at the time and in the way we wanted it. God knows the end from the beginning, and He knows what is best for us. Job’s affliction was not lifted just when he would have liked to be free from it, but it was lifted when God knew it was time. Elisha died of an illness, but He did so with an expectation of being raised again when Jesus returns to health everlasting. As we trust in God and put our faith in His promises, we do not demand that He works according to our will, but we trust in Him as He works according to His will, which is for our best good.
We must bring people to God. We must show them that their hope is in God and God only. We must help them to see that God loves them, despite their intemperance and decades of deadly “health” practices, which are, by the way, only manifestations of the real, underlying problem. We must help them to see that God is just as willing to heal them now as Jesus was when He walked on the Earth. Jesus turned no one away who came to Him for help—no one. And God is the same today as He was then. God offers us health as a gift of His grace. And that gift is only accepted by faith. There is no other way to accept that gift. If it is by works, then the gift will not be accepted. And the faith that accepts that grace will naturally work in harmony with God’s will.
Does this mean that there are no benefits to good works when done from the wrong motive? No. There are benefits to good works, even if done from a wrong motive. But health, true health, is only accessible by grace, through faith which then naturally works in harmony with God’s will. May we pursue health and salvation the same way, for we will only prosper and be in health as our soul prospers. And may we not lay heavy burdens upon others by giving them a long list of do’s and don’ts. That kind of life is a burden, constantly having to do so much to earn the coveted prize of health. Point them to the Savior who takes away the sin of the world and lead them to trust in Him. Then faith will grasp the promises and will naturally work in harmony with God’s will. Then the good works will flow naturally and freely from a life that is full of God’s grace. That is the experience and the health the world is longing and searching for.
Volunteer Opportunities
If you would like to be a part of our PRAYER TEAM, please send your name and email address to [email protected] and we will add you to our team. Yes, we can counsel and give advice, but it never results in the transformation of the life unless the Holy Spirit is involved. And prayer makes a tremendous difference. We believe in that, and we invite those who want to be a part of the team to join us as we pray for hurting souls who are looking for freedom. We send many thanks to our current prayer team members. Through your prayers, our efforts, and God’s grace, many lives have been touched and transformed in less than a year. God is so good!
Ministry Updates
Red River Camp Meeting
Part of our family was privileged to be at the Red River camp meeting the end of June/beginning of July. God was truly working upon the hearts and minds of the precious people there. It was wonderful being a part of the camp meeting and sharing messages of God’s love and helping people understand better how they can cooperate with God and experience the freedom He died to give them. Our girls stayed quite busy covering the ministry booth for the week. They enjoyed meeting with and serving each of you. The presentations from camp meeting can be viewed here, here, here, and here.
AMEN Kenya
In July, I (Dr. Mark) had the privilege of sharing with Christian health professionals in Kenya about how to understand their own mental health challenges and the solutions to those challenges found in the plan of salvation, and also how those truths can be used to help their patients find freedom as well. We had a blessed time together.
Hartland Convocation, Germany & Switzerland
I also had the privilege of speaking at the Hartland Summer Convocation at the end of July. We had a few, wonderful days together with many interactions with individuals who were touched and challenged by what was shared. It was great seeing our Hartland family again as well as new brothers and sisters in Christ. The messages from these meetings are available here, here and here.
I then flew to Germany for the first time to participate in a camp meeting a Hohegrete, in Pracht, Germany. About 400 people enjoyed time together for prayer, worship, and fellowship. As the week progressed, I had more and more unscheduled counseling appointments. The last couple days I was meeting with people from morning until about 11pm at night. It was truly a blessed time of being able to share simple principles that the people need to find victory in their lives. Only two of the presentations and one workshop are available, and they can be found here, here, and here.
While in Switzerland, there was a small venue in downtown Bern, the capital of Switzerland. Dr. Mark and Christopher Hudson presented meetings for 2 nights there before returning to Germany and then flying back to the United States. There were a few participants from the community and nearly 100 online during the livestream. This, too, was a blessing. We must say that Switzerland is very beautiful.
Total Health Spokane / Video Recording
Total Health Spokane is a training program for individuals desiring to learn comprehensive, community evangelism, and I was privileged to spend 15 hours (3 hours each day Monday through Friday) with the class teaching principles of Biblical counseling. These classes were open to the community, so in addition to the seven students in the program, we had about 15 other individuals joining us throughout the week. It was truly a blessing to me and many of those participating. One of the participants said, “I have been in the church for 34 years, and in today’s presentation, I have learned more about myself than I did in all of those 34 years.” Praise God for opening the truth to minds that desire to be free themselves so they can help others to be free as well.
Classes were in the morning, and in the afternoons, I was busy in the studio recording a high definition version of The Law of Life that follows the outline of The Law of Life book (you can find the book here in English and here in Spanish). We were able to record 12 videos, and we are planning to finish the series at the end of September when I will be back in Idaho and can make it to the studio to finish the recordings. When completed, the videos will be part of the programming for a new TV station, and we will make the videos available on flash drives.
The Sunday I flew into Spokane, I spoke for a Dinner with the Doctor program at the Spokane North View SDA Church. There were many participants from the community at the meeting who were interested in health. My presentation was The Mind-Body Connection, which looked at research that shows how strongly the mind controls the functions of the body. The audience was very engaged and attentive during the presentation. Afterward a woman came up to me and said, “I have been interested in health, but I have not been religious. Now I see the need to incorporate the religious aspect into my practice. How do I do that? Do I just try to read the Bible?” What a precious question! We talked for a little while, and I pointed her to some resources that would be helpful as she pursues that journey. The Saturday before I left, I spoke for the same church about anxiety, sharing the presentation, From Anxiety to Peace. There were a number of people who were blessed by that information as well. Praise God for His wonderful grace!
Flash Drives
We will soon have flash drives of the Lessons from Covid series that I put together last year. It is an 11-part series of presentations looking at many of the issues that arose during the Covid pandemic, looking at those issues from a Biblical perspective to help individuals understand what was going on and what the truth is in the midst of all the confusion. These presentations are very important, especially as we will be facing similar situations in the near future. We need to know the truth and how to respond when this comes again in a different form. Each flash drive will contain all 11 of the presentations in high-definition video, as well as PDF copies of the slides and the actual PowerPoint slides for those who are interested in presenting the series in their area. These should be available later this month.
When the videos are completed of The Law of Life series being recorded for the TV station mentioned above, then we will make those videos, PDF’s, and PowerPoints available on flash drive as well. If all goes as planned, those should be available in October or early November.
Counseling or Health Consultations
If you are struggling with personal, relationship, or health challenges, we are available to counsel with you. Virtual appointments can be scheduled through our website or directly at https://npmin.org/appointments
Scheduling Seminars
If you would like to schedule Dr. Sandoval to speak for your church or community, you can contact us at [email protected]. Schedule soon, because he is already booked through January of 2023.
Upcoming Events
September 8-11, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking at the Wildwood SDA Church, in Wildwood, Georgia. This will be a Law of Life series available to the community around Chattanooga.
September 16-17, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking for the Liberty and Health Alliance meetings, Upside Down, in Tampa, Florida. He has been asked to speak on the topics of LGBTQ as well as the impact evolutionary theory has had on the healthcare industry and how that plays into the recent mandates.
September 26 – October 1, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking at the SDA Church in Sandpoint, Idaho. This series will include a lot of new material that He has not presented yet and is not available on YouTube, so you will want to keep this series in mind. It should be livestreamed on the church’s social media channel(s).
October 21-23, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be sharing the Law of Life series at the Decatur SDA Church in Decatur, Arkansas.
November 10-13, 2022
Anthony Sandoval will be leading out at the AYM Youth Retreat in Claremore, Oklahoma.
November 13-16, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be attending the American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference in Orlando, Florida.
December 9-11, 2022
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking about mental health and New Paradigm Ministries at the Seventh-day Adventist church in Melbourne, Florida.
January 11-15, 2023
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking at the Pearland International SDA Church in Pearland, Texas.
January 18-22, 2023
The Sandoval family will most likely be attending the Adventist Agricultural Association’s annual meeting in Glen Rose, Texas. We will plan to have a booth at the conference and would love to see you there.
June 28-July 2, 2023
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking at the Red River Camp Meeting in Stanton, Kentucky.
July 24-30, 2023
Dr. Sandoval will be speaking for the Family Camp in Pearland, Texas.
Donate
If the Lord is laying it upon your heart to support the work of New Paradigm Ministries financially, we would be most appreciative. Your tax-deductible donations can be given via check to:
New Paradigm Ministries
Cabool, MO 65689
14527 Berry Rd.
Or you can donate on our website HERE.