High blood pressure kills. That’s a hard fact. High blood pressure, or hypertension, affects about 1 in 3 adults, and, according to the American Heart Association, is listed as a primary or contributing factor in around 350,000 deaths every year.

High blood pressure damages the heart, blood vessels and kidneys, as well as other organs, often with no obvious symptoms. Some risk factors for developing high blood pressure, such as age and family history, can’t be altered, but you are in control of other factors, including your weight.

Most doctors use medication to control hypertension, but many patients don’t stick to meds because of side effects. Fortunately, there are also all-natural ways to help get your blood pressure under control. Check out these nutrients that can help you bring your pressure levels down naturally and without side effects.

Hawthorn. “Hawthorn is accepted by cardiologists to be as effective as powerful drugs,” says Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report. “In addition to lowering blood pressure, hawthorn extract also increases the strength of the heart muscle.” A British study found that giving hawthorn to hypertensive diabetic patients lowered their diastolic blood pressure readings significantly.

Hawthorn berries are loaded with flavonoids and are used to treat several cardiovascular conditions, including high blood pressure, chronic heart failure and irregular heartbeat. Some experts recommend a form of hawthorn called Crataegus oxyacantha. The most common dosage used in hawthron studies range from 160 mg to 1800 mg.

Quercetin. Studies of individuals sensitive to salt found that the flavonoid quercetin lowered elevated blood pressure better than a common antihypertensive drug. In a study published in the journal Pharmacological Reports, the authors wrote: “Since raised blood pressure is the major cause of stroke as well as an important risk factor for ischemic heart disease, we propose that the blood pressure-lowering effect of quercetin could be an important mechanism contributing to the reduced risk of myocardial infarction and stroke observed with fruit and vegetables-rich diets, and possibly with flavonoid-rich diets.”

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that giving healthy men a quercetin supplement of 200 mg a day increased their blood levels of nitric acid, which helps vessels dilate and lower blood pressure.

Melatonin. The “sleep hormone” melatonin may increase the normal drop in blood pressure that occurs during sleep, perhaps protecting the heart from damage. Italian researchers recruited healthy women and also women with high blood pressure. They were divided into two groups, and one group was given melatonin for three weeks while the other group was given a placebo. After three weeks, the two groups switched treatments. The study, which was published in the American Journal of Hypertension, found that blood pressure dropped more at night when the women were taking melatonin, but had no effect on daytime blood pressure.

Celery. According to information published by the National Institutes of Health, celery reduced high blood pressure in more than 87 percent of patients participating in a Chinese study. Patients mixed celery juice with honey and took the mixture three times a day for up to a week. The difference in blood pressure after treatment with celery—both systolic and dystolic—was significant, says the NIH.

Celery contains phthalides, a type of phytochemical that relaxes muscle tissue in arteries, and lowers blood pressure by increasing blood flow. Like some prescription blood pressure drugs, it also increases urine flow. Some experts recommend eating four stalks or one cup chopped celery (about 4 ounces) daily.

Pomegranate juice. Drinking pomegranate juice can significantly lower blood pressure. Researchers at Scotland’s Queen Margaret University found that when patients with high blood pressure drank about 16 ounces of pomegranate juice daily for four weeks, 90 percent of them experienced a “significant” drop in blood pressure. Another study found that drinking about eight ounces of juice daily reduced the blood pressure of patients with hardening of the arteries from an average of 174 systolic to an average of 162 mm Hg in only one month. After a year, it had fallen to an average of 152 mm Hg.

And while patients on placebo saw an increase in the thickness of their carotid arteries after a year, those drinking pomegranate juice reduced the thickness of their carotid arteries by 35 percent. (Check with your doctor since pomegranate juice can react with some medications.)

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There is no question that churches have been badly burned by the notorious start-stop, roller coaster nature of most men’s ministry. However, I want to introduce you to the No Man Left Behind Model—a simple yet robust model you can adopt to build an intentional, sustainable men’s discipleship ministry to all of your men.

You can sketch it on a paper napkin at breakfast with one of your leaders. The vision is to help men grow as disciples and disciple-makers. On the left, you have men who need Christ. A conveyor belt moves “every man” along toward discipleship and spiritual maturity at his own pace. The create-capture-sustain cycle is the engine that powers the conveyor belt. Multiple repetitions of the create-capture-sustain cycle keep the conveyor belt moving.

The conveyor belt is built on three foundations. And the model works best when the church in general has a disciple-making culture.

No Man Left Behind is not something you “add” to your already busy schedule. It’s not an additional “program.” It’s not a “curriculum.” Rather, it’s a process. An “intentional” process. You overlay it on top of your existing ministry. It will give you and your leaders a common language to organize what you are already doing to maximize your disciple-making impact. And it will reveal new areas of opportunity to disciple your men—all of them.

The No Man Left Behind Model can help you more effectively:

• Attract new men to your church.
• Help men who need Christ come to faith.
• Help lukewarm cultural Christians renew their faith.
• Give new believers and Cultural Christians an “on-ramp” to grow spiritually.
• Assimilate men into your existing growth and service ministries.
• Surface new servant leaders and disciple-makers for your church.

And you will be able to do this without adding a lot of new programming and work for yourself. Does this sound too good to be true? Let’s dig in so you can see for yourself. Here are 15 main concepts of the No Man Left Behind Model:

1. An “all-inclusive”mindset: Successful churches have a vision to disciple all their men, not just those willing to join “men’s only” activities. So if you have 100 men in your church, that’s the size of your ministry to men.

2. “Ministry to men” versus “men’s ministry”: In fact, we suggest you even stop using the term “men’s ministry” altogether—it can help you shed the baggage of the old way that reaches only “some” of your men.

3. Five types of men: A “one-size-fits-all” approach may have worked 50 years ago, but those days are long gone. In the field we find five types of men at various stages on their journeys. These five “sizes” of men fit along what we call “the wide-deep continuum.” There are Men Who Need Christ, Cultural Christians, Biblical Christians, Servant Leaders and, among each of those four groups, Hurting Men.

4. Clarify your vision: In one way or another, the essence of your vision is “to disciple every man in the church.”

5. A public slogan: You will also want a “public” vision statement—a “slogan”—that resonates with your men. Something like, “Every man a disciple and disciple-maker—starting at home” or “No man left behind.”

6. An all-inclusive name: In addition to a “private” vision for the leadership team, and a slogan for your “public” vision statement, you will also want to come up with an “all-inclusive name”—one that unmistakably applies to all your men. Don’t ever make men feel like they have to be part of your “men-only” ministry to be part of the “Men of Grace.” Instead, describe any and every involvement men have with your church as something that the “Iron Men” (or whatever name you choose) are doing.

7. A common language: Since the term “disciple” can mean different things to different people, you will want to create a common language. Plan to preach a series on discipleship—something like, “What Is a Disciple, and How Do You Become One?” Focus on the biblical command to make disciples, texts that describe discipleship, and examples of discipleship that are already taking place in your church.

8. Create value: You can create momentum by offering men something they want—”something of value.” That may be inviting them to have breakfast, attend church, play softball, or be your guest at a special men’s event.

9. Capture momentum: It’s so disappointing to expend all that energy to turn men out, then see them drift away when the event is over. Instead, offer what we call a “believable next right step” for the men who attend the “Success That Matters” dinner (or other event)—a step to help “capture” the momentum. For example, meeting one hour a week for six weeks to further discuss, say, “Success That Matters.”

10. Sustain change: This is the silver bullet—the way you can use the model to populate the new and existing growth and service ministries of your church. At the end of the six week groups offer men opportunities to assimilate into the “existing” growth and service ministries of the church. You can also offer something “new.”

11. Repeat the create-capture-sustain cycle: The create-capture-sustain cycle is the engine that moves men along the conveyor belt. Regularly repeat the cycle with something that targets other types of men. That’s how you keep it going.

12. The portal priority: Discipleship is the “portal” priority through which all the other priorities of your church can be achieved.

13. Your man code: You have an unwritten “man code” that defines what it means to be a man in your church. From the décor, to the announcements, to how men are involved in the worship service, you can create an atmosphere that says: “Men matter here. Men can make a difference. God is doing something in and through the men of this church.”

14. Three strands of leadership: Successful discipleship ministries for men need strong support from the senior pastor, a committed leader, and an effective leadership team—three strands of leadership.

15. A one-year plan: Develop a one-year plan to complete one cycle (or two) of create-capture-sustain, and then re-evaluate.

Watch a 10- or 30-minute presentation of the model, download the figure above, learn about the No Man Left Behind book and how to get more training here.

Patrick Morley is the founder of Man in the Mirror Ministries. For the original article, visit .

Would you believe me if I told you that you could improve your flexibility, performance in workouts and function in everyday life, and reduce injuries all with a single piece of equipment that you can buy for less than $20? Well you should, because it’s true!

Self-Myofascial Release (let’s call it “SMR”) utilizes a simple yet brilliant little invention called a foamroller along with your own body weight to massage away yucky adhesions that form on important connective tissue that surrounds individual muscles, muscle bundles within individual muscles, nerves and blood vessels. This web-like, connective tissue, called fascia, often turns from soft and supple to tight and tender due to a variety of causes, such as immobility, injury, inflammation, exercise, stress and poor posture. Deep compressions on the fascia, through rolling, signals the muscle fibers to stretch, unknot and realign, thereby decreasing pain and increasing mobility as normal muscle length-tension is restored.

When performed correctly and consistently, SMR with a foam roller can be like a fantastic, free masseuse. I recommend foam rolling both before and after workouts, and even during sitting breaks at work or at your desk at home. Foam rolling before exercise (after your warm-up) is beneficial because it helps the two major receptors in your muscles—the muscle spindle responsible for contraction and the Golgi tendon organ responsible for relaxation—become balanced with one another, thus reducing injuries and increasing range of motion during your training.

Foam rolling again after you exercise is important too, as it lessens post-workout muscle soreness and expedites recovery. And finally, foam rolling any time of day, whether during your lunch break or right before bed, will effectively alleviate stiffness, help muscles return to their normal, healthy lengths, increase circulation and remove toxins.

Here are a few of my favorite foam rolling variations that can be done before and after just about any workout. Please note that it is always recommended to consult with your physician or physical therapist before starting SMR. Most people will be cleared immediately, and your doctor will likely encourage the practice.

Hips

Does your lower back hurt? Roll out your hips, because if your hips are stiff, you’ll find yourself bending at your waist during workouts and daily chores instead, which puts pressure on your lower back. Over time, this will lead to injury.

How to Roll

Sit on the foam roller with feet flat on the floor and knees bent. Hands are on the floor beside you.

Cross your right leg over your left, making a “4” with your legs. Rotate your hips to the right until you find a tight or painful spot. If and when you feel tightness, stop and hold for eight to 10 seconds.

Roll back and forth a few more times, then return to the spot and hold again. It will be painful, but pain is a sign that your muscles need this. Be diligent in foam rolling each day, and the pain will subside, I promise!

Move your hips forward and back to massage any more such areas for one to two minutes, then switch sides.

Upper Back

Thanks to desk jobs, as well as time spent in cars and on couches, most of us could use better posture, stronger shoulders, and less stiffness and upper back pain!

How to Roll

Sit on the floor with your knees bent. Place the foam roller behind you so that it’s perpendicular to your torso. Lie back, making sure the roller is under your shoulder blades.

Support your head with your hands and keep your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Lift your bottom so that your weight is supported by your feet and the foam roller.

Begin moving your hips up and down, keeping elbows squeezed together in front of your face. Again, when you find a tight spot, hold for eight to ten seconds.

Alternate rolling and holding for one to two minutes.

Inner Thigh

If your knees are giving you trouble, it’s likely due to poor stability in your hip joint and gluteus medius (one of the glute muscles responsible for internally rotating the thigh as well as pulling it away from the midline of our bodies), which is causing your iliotibial (IT) band to overcompensate during exercise. Many people foam roll over the wide strip of tendon on the outer thigh (the IT band) to try and loosen it, but this is often done in vain as the IT band is like a steel cable and could take what seems like millennia to improve.

If your knees hurt, try rolling the inside of your thigh to reduce inflammation in any muscles that may be pulling on your knee joint.

How to Roll

Position yourself so that one leg is turned out and the foam roller is under your inner thigh.

Pin your forearms to the floor in a shoulder plank position, and use your arms to roll up and down along the inner thigh. When you find a tight spot, hold for eight to ten seconds.

Continue this pattern for one to two minutes, then switch legs.

There are dozens of other foam rolling exercises out there, so I encourage you to ask a trainer, coach, physical therapist or well-informed friend for more suggestions. And now for a word on what kind of foam roller to use …

The cheapest foam rollers available are basic white ones made from polyurethane, the same kind of foam used in paint rollers. Though very affordable, they’re not the best choice, in my opinion, as they break down easily. If you’re brand new to foam rolling, I recommend an ethylene vinyl acetate foam roller, which is a bit softer, but won’t break down.

After you’ve been rolling for a while and feel ready to tolerate more pressure, it will be time to graduate to a “closed cell” roller, which is made of polypropylene. These are high density, so definitely more firm than the aforementioned options. Experienced foam rollers can even use a piece of PVC drainage pipe (about 4 inches in diameter is best). These are available at most hardware stores and are excellent to use on the upper part of the legs, as well as the calves.

As far as foam roller size goes, this will likely depend on how much space you have, but generally, the longer (36 inches) the roller, the better; a longer roller is easier to maneuver along your whole body. If you don’t have the space, or perhaps need a roller to pack with you while traveling, look for a shorter one that’s at least 6 inches in diameter.

Happy rolling! Stay fit, stay faithful.

Diana Anderson-Tyler is the author of Creation House’s Fit for Faith: A Christian Woman’s Guide to Total Fitness and her latest book, Perfect Fit: Weekly Wisdom and Workouts for Women of Faith and Fitness. Her popular website can be found at , and she is the owner and a coach at CrossFit 925. Diana can be reached on Twitter.

For the original article, visit .

In 2007, the Lord woke me in the middle of the night to share His heart about this nation—and His intentions. You can read the entire prophecy here, but the bottom line is He wants us to repent and He wants to bring a Third Great Awakening to America.

That’s not going to happen without intercessors making an appeal to heaven. It’s not going to happen without praying churches—and praying pastors—crying out to God day and night, night and day. It’s not going to happen if we submit ourselves to a Jezebelic White House that’s endorsing immorality and idolatry.

But I believe it is going to happen because I see intercessors making an appeal to heaven. I see praying churches—and praying pastors—crying out to God day and night, night and day. And I see people like Franklin Graham dropping a plumb line in our nation (which is why I recently called for urgent intercession over him).

In December, the Lord spoke something more to me while I was on an early morning prayer call. He told me our labor in the Spirit over the next 18 months will determine the course of this nation. Strong words, I know, but I believe them with every fiber of my being. Here’s the entire prophecy:

“The church has modeled the government instead of the government modeling the church. There are strife and division in the government. There are strife and division in the church. There are corruption and scandal in the government. There are corruption and scandal in the church. There are politics and merchandising in the government. There are politics and merchandising in the church.

“These things ought not be so. The church at large has submitted to the government and its ways but the government should be accountable to the church. It’s time to turn the world upside down, not for the glory of a president but for the glory of the risen King.

“So rise up. Rise up now in the authority of My Spirit and wake up the church with My love. Reform and transform the church with My truth. And then turn your attention to your government. Pray without ceasing according to the assignment I have given you and you will see My power work to bring the change you have been hoping and believing for.

“Don’t give up now. Many are standing for you and the great cloud of witnesses is in agreement with you. Continue pressing in and refuse to submit to the ungodly. Your labor in the Spirit over the next 18 months will determine the course of the nation. Watch and pray. Pray without ceasing. Cooperate with My Spirit. Listen to My voice. Execute My plan. Don’t give up.”

 I don’t know about you, but that stirs me to intercede for the church—and for the nation. While writing The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening, I spoke with leaders from many camps in the body of Christ—folks who don’t always agree on much beyond Jesus as Lord—and they all agreed on this: Judgment is here and an awakening is emerging. The question is how severe must the judgment become before the America fully wakes up.

I believe we need to do what the Spirit of God told me: “Rise up now in the authority of My Spirit and wake up the church with My love. Reform and transform the church with My truth. And then turn your attention to your government. Pray without ceasing according to the assignment I have given you and you will see My power work to bring the change you have been hoping and believing for.”

God wants to bring an awakening. In fact, I see pockets of revival and awakening in cities across America. I’ve never been more hopeful. God is not done with America. It’s up to us to get in agreement with His Spirit and pray in the next great move of God that sweeps the nation.

Jennifer LeClaire is senior editor of Charisma. She is also director of Awakening House of Prayer in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and author of several books, including The Next Great Move of God: An Appeal to Heaven for Spiritual Awakening, Mornings With the Holy Spirit, Listening Daily to the Still Small Voice of God, The Making of a Prophet and Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft. You can visit her website here. You can also join Jennifer on Facebook or follow her on Twitter.

Alzheimer’s is a debilitating disease for which there is still no definite cure. However, a recent study conducted by UCLA might provide a source of hope for sufferers and their families.

Omega-3

The program conducted on patients between the ages of 55 to 75, showed remarkable improvements in at least 90 percent of the participants. For a disease that is seen as a “hopeless diagnosis,” this study may help to restore optimism in the wake of a devastating illness that has attacked nearly 5 million people in America. Statistics note that Alzheimer’s disease is “the sixth leading cause of death in the United States,” and has left a disturbing toll on a large number of recently diagnosed patients and their loved ones.

Dr. Dale Bredesen, the author of the study, and director at the Mary S. Easton Center for Alzheimer’s Disease Research (UCLA), is optimistic about the potential for improvement in Alzheimer’s disease. Bredesen largely believes that based on his recent study, Alzheimer’s has a number of factors that need to be addressed “as a group, rather than one at a time.”

The author states that drug companies “tend to come up with a really good patch for one [factor]”, and therefore do not look at correcting the issues as a whole, noting that “it’s not a surprise [that their drugs] don’t work.” The study discovered that among a variety of factors, patient’s physical examination results included “36 potential deficiencies, imbalances and sources of inflammation.”

The patients in the study participated in a variety of tests that included brain scans and blood work, in addition to neuropsychological testing. The majority of patients, according to Bredesen, each had “between 10 and 24 problems that needed correcting.” Referring to the disease as a “roof with 36 holes in it,” Bredesen believes that every piece was a contributing factor in Alzheimer’s symptoms. Bredesen’s evidence has led him to refer to the current philosophy of “identifying single targets to treat a disease caused by many factors” as a “flawed” theory. Bredesen developed his program to systematically work on a multitude of issues, in order to improve cognition and degenerative symptoms.

The patients that participated in the study, who “were in various stages of dementia, say their symptoms were reversed” after participating in Bredesen’s program. The program, conducted by Bredesen and his team, set out to correct the imbalances, deficiencies and causes of inflammation as a collective, rather than try to work on just one or two at a time. The program was intensive, and included “optimizing Vitamin D levels in the blood, using DHA supplements to bridge broken connections in the brain, optimizing gut health, and strategic fasting to normalize insulin levels.”

During the course of the study, lasting a few months, the patients testified that their “condition had either improved or returned to normal.” The overall effectiveness of the study was quite positive, and only one of the patients proceeded to decline over the course of the study, though she was in “the late-stages of Dementia.” Thus, the study exemplified Bredesen’s theory that by “addressing the many contributing factors of Alzheimer’s” there is a greater possibility to “potentially reverse the disease’s early progression.”

One of Bredesen’s patients who participated in the study, was a 69-year-old male who was “struggling with progressive memory loss for 11 years.” He mentioned that his symptoms began at around 58 years old, as he was becoming more and more incapable of identifying people’s faces that he would normally recognize. He went from being a “bright and unflappable medical professional” to a man who now couldn’t efficiently perform simple mathematical additions.

His symptoms worsened as he recalled going to the gym, and realizing that he had forgotten the combination for his locker. When he was tested a year after that, it was discovered in his brain scan, that he had “damage consistent with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Before participating is Bredesen’s study, the gentleman believed that he was heading for “inevitable decline” and “was considering giving up working.” He assumed that he would have to give up his driver’s license and would soon become a “burden” on his loved ones. The program required that he make specific changes that included “eliminating simple carbohydrates and processed foods from his diet; taking probiotics and coconut oil; rigorously exercising; and sleeping as close to eight hours as he could.”

He also included “herbs and a raft of supplements to his diet,” in addition to a number of other lifestyle changes for up to six months later. However, from the fourth week onward, he noticed that his “acuity with numbers and faces returned,” and at 71 years old, he is still active in the work force. He has attested his improvements to Bredesen’s study, remarking that he is now “in better shape [than he was] a few years ago.”

A female patient named Gee who participated in the study, had suffered from memory problems before it was discovered that she had a gene that negatively affects her “brain’s ability to heal itself.” Gee was diagnosed with having “two copies of the APOE-4 allele,” which would “dramatically increase her risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.”

As soon as she became aware of this predisposition for Alzheimer’s disease, she began fervently researching treatments that may slow the progression of her disease. She also consulted with Dr. David Perlmutter, a renowned neurologist, who assisted her in making many beneficial changes to her lifestyle. Dr. Perlmutter advised that she add “fish oil and other supplements to her daily regimen,” as it was noted that “people who took the supplements performed better on memory tests and had bigger brains.” She also made sure to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep nightly, began performing a rigorous exercise routine, and incorporated meditation two times each day. The theory was that incorporating these changes would help “improve blood flow to the brain and instigate neuron generation.” The program advised by Dr. Perlmutter was also incredibly similar to Bredesen’s treatment plan.

Gee was also told that the brain can be negatively impacted by hormonal imbalances in the body, and thus was encouraged to begin hormone replacement therapy. She also performed ‘fasts’ daily, by making sure to eat her last meal at least three hours before she goes to bed, ensuring a 12 hour gap between meals. Bredesen has noted that the benefits of fasting include initiating ‘autophagy,’ a process that helps eradicate a buildup of a harmful protein called amyloid-beta in the brain, found in Alzheimer’s patients.

In addition to fasting, Gee eats a diet that includes more fermented foods, “raw, organic vegetables drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and wild-caught fish.” This meal plan can be sometimes alternated with lean grass-fed meat. The idea is that health of the stomach and digestive system, is now being linked to a healthy, well-functioning brain. Gee no longer purchases food that is “packaged, boxed or canned.” She has also removed sugar, starches, grains and processed foods from her diet, as these are linked to causing “inflammation in the brain.”

As Gee followed the program strategically, she noticed a variety of positive changes as a result. She attested that her “mental acuity improved the more (elements of the program) [she] began doing.” She believed that the program was truly improving her condition, and she did not feel starved or oppressed by the new lifestyle change. She believed that the program was in fact “simplifying her life” and removing the “processed and other inflammatory foods [was] freeing.”

When Gee initially began the program, she was scoring brain training tests in the “30th percentile” while months later, she was remarkably “scoring above the 90th percentile.” She believed that this “dramatic cognitive turnaround” was a result of the changes that she had made following the Dr. Perlmutter’s protocol. Gee now offers support to other people suffering with degenerative brain issues, via an information website that advocates the program, . She refers to the lack of information that provided solutions for her illness in the past, as opposed to the “prevention protocol” which she feels is a source of hope for people who once believed that they would “die with [their] disease.”

Bredesen’s belief that the cause of early Alzheimer’s symptoms is certainly related to a “patient’s specific deficits and imbalances.” This can be illustrated in a two-year study conducted in Finland, which consisted of a clinical trial on 1,200 people with Alzheimer’s symptoms. These people began a variety of changes, such as implementing exercise, social activity, nutritional plans, brain training activities, and addressed “management of risk factors for heart problems.”

In this study, which was showcased at an International Conference by the Alzheimer’s Association, participants showed improvement in cognitive function and performance. Thus, James Hendrix, a representative of the Alzheimer’s Association has noted that Bredesen’s “focus on addressing multiple risk factors” is definitely a “sound element” of his research on such a complicated disease.

Bredesen has confirmed that he will continue to study “early-stage Alzheimer’s patients” and implement his program’s protocol. He hopes to discover the “ideal stage of cognitive decline” to study the length of time that improvements will occur, even in patients in the APOE-4 group like Gee. Bredesen believes that by addressing the causes of the illness, there is a greater possibility of creating a positive impact. He also has the belief that this protocol can be “implemented in asymptomatic people as a prevention strategy” in order to nip the illness in the bud before it goes into the early phases.

This he hopes, “might provide a better platform for future drug-based therapies” if they are able to “normalize” cognition in early stage Alzheimer’s patients. While this study is still in early testing phases, according to Hendrix, “these … results should be interpreted with a lot of caution” due to the minimal number of studied participants, and the “range of diagnoses, resulting in different interventions” of patients.

While Bredesen believes these studies are making headway in Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention, he believes that these treatment options should be performed only in a “supervised research study.” Studies would need to be conducted on a larger number of people, in order to establish whether or not the program is beneficial for the majority of cases.

Bredesen knows for sure that patients’ symptoms need to be addressed as a whole and that one drug to fix one symptom at a time is sure to fail when so many other symptoms still exist. In terms of advice for people with early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, Bredesen advises that “it’s a good idea to do what our moms told us to do,” which includes getting enough sleep, keeping stress levels down, abstaining from junk food and getting adequate exercise.

Don Colbert, M.D. has been board certified in Family Practice for over 25 years and practices Anti aging and Integrative medicine. He is a New York Times Bestselling author of books such as The Bible Cure Series, What Would Jesus Eat, Deadly Emotions, What You Don’t Know May Be Killing You, and many more with over 10 million books sold. He is the Medical Director of the Divine Health Wellness Center in Orlando, Florida where he has treated over 50,000 patients.

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Do you want God to use you in mighty ways? How great is your desire to be His anointed instrument in setting captives free, healing and bringing Him glory?

I have said many times that I would rather have a greater anointing than anything. I suppose that is a God-honoring request, but I am not so sure. I want it so much that I cannot tell whether this desire is natural or spiritual. The anointing is the power of the Holy Spirit that makes our gift function with ease. When I live within my anointing, my gift works without effort, but the moment I go outside my anointing, I find myself struggling.

God does not want us to struggle. He wants us to cast our anxiety on Him (1 Pet. 5:7). But at least twice in his life Moses struggled. First, he was overwhelmed by people coming to him in droves to get his verdict on civil matters among the children of Israel. His wise father-in-law, Jethro, saw all that Moses was doing for the people and said to him, “What is this thing that you are doing for the people? Why are you sitting by yourself while all the people stand around you from morning until evening? … What you are doing is not good. 18 You will surely wear yourself out, both you, and these people who are with you, for this thing is too heavy for you. You are not able to do it by yourself” (Ex. 18:14, 17-18). Jethro then advised Moses to designate authority to others—appointing capable men as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens—letting them handle the simple cases and Moses the more difficult (vv. 19-26).

The second occasion was when the people complained about the food—pining for what they ate in Egypt and complaining that they now “never see anything but this manna!” Moses brought this to the Lord and told him he could not bear the burden of their constant complaining. Moses was then instructed to choose 70 elders.

God assured Moses that he would lighten his load: “I will take of the Spirit which is on you and will put it on them, and they will bear the burden of the people with you, and you will not bear it by yourself” (Num. 11:17). After that the Lord came down in a cloud and spoke with Moses. God “took of the Spirit that was on him, and gave it to the seventy elders, and when the Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but did not do it again” (v. 25). However, two of them who had remained in the camp prophesied, and Joshua was upset. “My lord Moses, forbid them,” he said to Moses. “Are you jealous for my sake?” he asked Joshua. “Oh, that all the people of the Lord were prophets, and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” (vv. 28-29).

Why would Moses want everybody to prophesy and all to have the Spirit on them? Because when one person is in leadership and sees people struggle with their maladies, he realizes he needs all the help he can get! Joshua had not yet inherited Moses’ mantle and wrongly assumed that Moses wanted to be the head and center of everything. How wrong Joshua was. The transfer of anointing to others lightens the load of the one with whom the buck stops. When all the people have the Spirit on them, it will mean that the work of God functions with ease—and with no rival spirit in control.

We learn from this how God can take from our anointing and pass it on to others. We are not told that Moses laid hands on the 70 elders. The impression is given that God merely did it by Himself—taking from Moses’ anointing and passing it on without Moses losing any measure of the Spirit in the process. This is the wonderful thing about Christian ministry; what we give away we keep.

Nothing would be more thrilling than God taking from one’s ministry and passing it on to others. I have longed for the day that not only would my anointing change lives and increase their measure of the Holy Spirit but also even heal people’s bodies under my preaching. But if we want to keep the Holy Spirit to ourselves, it is unlikely that God will use us much.

We also learn from this account that God does not want us to bear a heavy load. He knows how much we can bear and will step in—never too late, never too early, but always on time.

Ask the Lord today to give you an ever increasing anointing to operate under, and then for it to be transferred to many people for His honor and glory.

Adapted from 40 Days With the Holy Spirit by R.T. Kendall, copyright 2014, published by Charisma House. If you want to experience more of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit this book is ideal. Take 40 days to focus on getting a deeper understanding of the Holy Spirit and encounter Him in a fresh new way. To order your copy click here.

Prayer Power for the Week of Feb. 23, 2015

This week ask the Lord to give you an ever increasing anointing to operate under, and then for it to be transferred to many people for His honor and glory. Ask Him to give you divine connections for impartation and ministry. Continue to pray that the gospel would spread around the world and ignite a global revival. Remember Israel, the persecuted church and those who continue to suffer persecution and losses for the gospel’s sake. Lift up our leaders and ask God to give them godly wisdom and direct them in making the right decisions (1 Pet. 5:7; 1 Tim. 2:1-4).

It’s true that some people have more of a measure of faith than others. Some have faith like an apple seed. Some have faith like a peach pit. And some people have the smallest measure of faith—like a mustard seed.

But it doesn’t really matter much because even if you have mustard seed faith, you still have enough to move mountains! So then some may ask, “What is the problem? Why haven’t I seen the mountains in my own life moving out of my way?”

Let us consider the context of the verse where Jesus talked about mountain-moving faith. The story is found in Matthew 17:1421. A certain man with a demon-possessed son had come to Jesus’ disciples for help, but when they could not cast out the evil spirits, they asked Jesus why they had been so unsuccessful. He said to them, “Because of your unbelief” (v. 20).

This is a very clear and precise explanation that Jesus reiterated by going on to say, “For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you”(v. 20). So far this seems very straightforward. But the simplicity and clarity of this statement is often overshadowed by confusion over the next words Jesus spoke: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting” (v. 21).

It almost sounds as if Jesus contradicted Himself. When asked why the disciples had not been able to exorcize the demon, He said it was because of unbelief. But now He seems to be saying that it is because they had not fasted and prayed enough. Which is it?

The confusion comes when we fail to realize the moral of the story. At first glance it may appear that the demon is the focal point of this account, but a closer look will reveal that the real antagonist in this story is not the demon but the spirit of unbelief. The disciples were concerned about the demon inside the boy, but Jesus was concerned about the unbelief inside His disciples. The disciples’ question was about casting out demons, but Jesus’s answer was about casting out doubt. Jesus knew that once unbelief has been cast out, exorcizing demons would be a piece of cake.

Sometimes we have to pray long prayers and fast for many days before we get the victory, but it is not because our appeals coerce God into doing something. And it is not because we have finally earned the answer to our prayers by logging enough credit hours into our spiritual bank account.

Much fasting and prayer may be necessary and useful in helping us gain victory over our own stubborn flesh and cast out the spirit of unbelief that blocks God’s power from flowing through us. It is this kind of unbelief that goes out only “by prayer and fasting. It is also worth mentioning that some manuscripts do not contain the statement about prayer and fasting at all, which is why many Bible translations have left it out completely. Any way you look at it, faith is the key to powerful prayer. This is the point Jesus made in this story.

In Matthew 9:25, when Jairus’s daughter died, Jesus had to send everyone out of the room before He could raise her from the dead. Why didn’t He allow all those scornful skeptics to see the miracle with their own eyes? Because He had to cast the unbelief out.

Peter did the same thing in Acts 9:40: “But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, ‘Tabitha, arise.’ And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up” (NAS). Jesus taught His disciples a lesson: Cast the spirit of unbelief out, and nothing will be able to stand against you. Demons, death, and even the most formidable mountains will obey your command.

Investors often “diversify” their investments because if one venture doesn’t work out, they want to have something else to fall back on. So a common idiom in the business world is, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” That means, don’t put all your resources into one investment because if one of your “baskets” breaks and all your “eggs” are in it, you will lose everything.

You see, if you are holding back some of your “eggs,” it means you are not 100 percent confident that a particular basket will hold. You may be 50 percent confident or even 99 percent confident, but that small percentage of apprehension is what I am calling “unbelief.” So how do you know when you’ve gotten rid of all the unbelief? When you’ve put all of your eggs into God’s basket.

Daniel Kolenda, a missionary evangelist, has led more than 10 million people to Christ face-to-face through massive, open-air evangelistic campaigns in some of the most dangerous and remote locations on earth. He is president and CEO of Christ for all Nations and hosts an internationally syndicated television program.

We all know God hates divorce—mainly because of the pain that ripples out of it. Still, it’s inevitable.

People cheat, steal, hurt others, treat spouses unfairly or just walk away (with half of everything). Even the most amicable divorce is never good. Divorce stains, leaving a lasting impression on the spouses, children, families, friends and co-workers.

Regardless of the reason, divorce is common. It’s become a cultural norm, despite its nasty repercussions. In some ways, divorce is harder to deal with than a death in the family. At least the death provides closure. Divorce, on the other hand, never goes away. It is the end of a marriage, but the relationship with the spouse and children never ends.

And divorce doesn’t discriminate among faiths. One study, albeit 10 years ago, showed divorce is actually more common among “Bible-believing” Christians. Statistics are sometimes fishy, because they typically involve a sample size “representing” a population.

But nevertheless, divorce is a cloud overhead just waiting for someone to rain on. If you know someone in the rain, do you leave him alone all wet or do you bring an umbrella and stand in the rain with him?

Unfortunately, friends divorce friends over divorce. Men in the church going through divorce often find themselves isolated, partly because God’s men don’t know what to do. It’s a shame.

So, I wanted to give my top tips for dealing with men going through divorce.

1. Embrace Don’t Disgrace. Nobody expects to be in this position. Even in the case of infidelity, divorce rivals any crisis. This is not the time to pile on. Being a friend doesn’t mean taking sides, it just means to be a friend in a time of need. Be available to help the hurt and pray together. Consider this verse from Matthew 7:1 from The Message:

 “Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults—unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It’s easy to see a smudge on your neighbor’s face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, ‘Let me wash your face for you,’ when your own face is distorted by contempt? It’s this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.”

2. Don’t Bible thump. Instead speak with love, grace and truth. Friends going through divorce may need Jesus more than ever, and God can work in this situation. But don’t condemn or judge your friend like you’ve been deputized in the “Holy Spirit Police Force.” Do the loving thing, and love. While navigating this relationship, God may teach you something about yourself, vulnerabilities and character.

3. Do what the Samaritan did. In Luke 10, Jesus tells us exactly how to act towards a “neighbor.” While other men walked around the beaten man stripped of his clothes, money and dignity, the random Samaritan interrupted his travel plans to do what? He took pity for the man. He went to him. Bandaged his wounds. Then he took him to safety. Put him up in a hotel and took time to care for him. In other words, don’t ignore your friend and don’t wait to help. Pray. Bring a meal. Provide a helping hand. Get the kids, help with the garbage … whatever the need, give your friend a glimpse of Jesus working through you.

If Jesus tells us to be like the Samaritan and serve neighbors with this kind of attention, how much more should we serve a friend? Helping a friend in need is a friend indeed.

Divorce provides an opportunity to carry out God’s love, and you will have a friend for life.

Kenny Luck is the president and founder of Every Man Ministries. As the former men’s pastor at Saddleback Church in California and current leadership pastor at Crossline Community Church, Kenny has found the proven way to improve men’s ministries around the world. Sleeping Giant is this blueprint, and gives men the tools they need to lead and understand their own men’s ministry. Watch Kenny’s teachings at  and start your men’s group today.

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I often receive emails for prayer for weight-loss help. But the other day, I received a unique request:

“Could I ask how do I pray an extremely powerful prayer with 100 percent unwavering faith to ask the “I AM” to have me lose 40 kilograms of weight healthy, supernaturally and miraculously?”

I wasn’t sure if I understood the request correctly, so I wrote back:

“It sounds like you are looking for a prayer that will help you lose weight without you having to do or change anything with your eating or exercise. Is that correct?”

“Yes!” he answered.

Here was my response in part and I hope it helps you too today:

I applaud you for wanting to achieve a healthy weight. I know how to pray to God for wisdom concerning weight loss, but I do not know a prayer that will enable you to lose weight without you having to do anything. Notice that I did not say that such a prayer doesn’t exist; I am just saying that I do not know one.

Even with the great miracles in the Bible, action was required. For example, when God parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to cross, he still instructed Moses to raise his staff. Moses had to do something—act upon his faith.

However, I can give you a prayer so that you can ask God for wisdom on the right daily actions to take to lose weight. Here is that prayer:

“Gracious heavenly Father, You have said in your Word that if anyone lacks wisdom, all they need to do is ask and You will give them wisdom liberally and without reproach (James 1:5). I come to you in the name of Jesus asking for wisdom to take care of myself so that I may glorify You in my body and my spirit (1 Cor. 6:20). Give me the desire to choose foods that bring energy and vitality to my body and clarity to my mind. Give me enthusiasm to exercise so that I may strengthen my body and have the energy to do the things I need to do. Most of all, Lord, give me wisdom to put You first in my life because You have said that if I seek first Your kingdom and all its righteousness, my needs will be taken care of. Thank You, Father, for giving me the gift of abundant wisdom today. Amen.”

Now that you are asking God for wisdom, consider the wisdom that He has already given you. That is a source of great wealth that can enrich your life immediately. Refusing to use it is like leaving money on the table.

Here is a sobering Scripture to ponder: James 4:17 says, “Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”

What good things do you already know to do that will help your body stay healthy? According to this Scripture, you have a responsibility to do them. Write down all the wisdom that you already have about health. Then ask God daily to help you put it into action—starting today.

Do not give up; that is the 100 percent way that you will never get what you want. At least if you are working on it, you are giving yourself a fighting chance!

My prayer for you today is that you put your faith into action every day. According to Scripture, you will inherit the promises of God when you put faith and patience to work.

Be blessed in health, healing and wholeness.

Once 240 pounds and a size 22, Kimberly Taylor can testify of God’s healing power to end binge eating. She is an author and the creator of the Christian weight loss website . Visit today for inspirational health and weight-loss tips.

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Do you ever find yourself having an issue that you just can’t seem to get resolved or find an answer to? I used to struggle with issues like that all the time and I still struggle with them on occasion. I started to find better and quicker resolutions when I realized I needed to take more responsibility for my actions.

I really started noticing issues with my responsibilities when my marriage was taking a sharp nosedive. I had been trying to coast along in my marriage since we first said our vows to each other. My marriage (and manhood) had no sense of direction and it wasn’t getting better over time, in fact, it was getting much worse. And as this happened, I would start to ask why.

Instead of seeking quality help from good resources, I searched out for answers and resolutions in all the wrong places. I’d end up on chat forums trying to sell my ideas and try to get people to agree with me and my point of view. When people did try to steer me in the right direction, I thought they were attacking and judging me. As time passed, I got nowhere in the process.

Since it was all about me and what I wanted, I was never going to listen or hear the right answers that were plastered in front of my face. I needed to wake up.

As I look back at my old self, and see many other men struggling with this similar scenario, I figured out how things could go so wrong.

Here are three signs of irresponsibility:

1. The man won’t take the time to even entertain the resources available to him. He’ll see a resource on pornography, but assume it won’t help him. He’ll see a video on how to build a stronger marriage, but he won’t take a few minutes to even watch it. And worse, he’ll know God is there waiting for him, but he’ll avoid Him.

2. The man will decide to read the article or book, or even listen to a testimony; but he will convince himself that those articles and stories do not apply to him. His selfishness will keep him blind from the truth.

3. The man will think that his situation requires a special answer that’s just for him that doesn’t exist. After taking some time to actually engage in getting some help, he’ll render almost all options useless.

If a man gets to stage three, he will be very hard to help. He has gotten to a stage of irresponsibility that is very difficult to fix. His own blindness to his own selfishness will ultimately be the destruction of him.

There is hope though and there are ways to be a man who transfers from selfishness and irresponsibility to humility that takes responsibility for his actions.

Here are three ways to take responsibility:

1. Understand what your problems really are and realize that there are ways to fix them.

2. Take the initiative to resolve your problems. There’s no room in mature manhood to just sit back and complain about your issues, they must be actively pursued and resolved. Recognize that there other men have already fought the battles you’re going through and seek their help. Take time out of your busy schedule and read some articles on the topic. And when you do find these resources, take some separate notes and write down what you think applies to you. Develop a battle plan that you can review on a daily basis and resolve to stick to it!

3. The most important thing you need to remember about your faith is that “your faith is your responsibility.” That’s right, your faith is up to you! It’s not up to your buddies at work. It’s not up to your wife or your kids. It’s not even up to your pastor. Your faith is your responsibility and only you can make yourself take the necessary steps to fix it. Only you can seek out Christ each day for His assistance and guidance in all of your problems. Only you can recognize that YOU alone cannot fix your issues.

Your faith is your responsibility [tweet that]!

Take a moment to review your life. What is one situation or way that you’ve taken responsibility for your faith?

Manturity is a blog built on establishing spiritual maturity in today’s man. The goal is to assist men in building better marriages and help them grow in maturity and explore different aspects of manhood. features new weekly blog posts, daily social-media updates and a powerful resources page. Stay up to date with the Manturity blog communities on Facebook and Twitter.

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