Participants: Lee Wellard & Dr. Scott Grivas
Series Code: WM
Program Code: WM000425
00:01 The following program presents principles designed
00:03 to promote good health and is not intended 00:05 to take the place of 00:06 personalized professional care. 00:08 The opinions and ideas 00:09 expressed are those of the speaker. 00:11 Viewers are encouraged to draw their own 00:13 conclusions about the information presented. 00:35 Welcome to Wonderfully Made. 00:38 My name is Lee Wellard, a Lifestyle Educator 00:40 from Wildwood Lifestyle Center. 00:42 And today we have with us Dr. Scott Grivas, 00:45 welcome to the program Dr. Grivas. 00:47 Thank you, Lee. Today, we're looking at very 00:49 sensitive topic one that is foundational 00:53 to our understanding of being able to view 00:56 the treatment as well as the prevention of disease. 01:00 Today, we're gonna be looking 01:01 at the philosophy of health. 01:03 When we're talking about the philosophy of health, 01:06 what do we really talking about? 01:09 I think I would describe it as a belief system 01:13 that motivates the action. 01:16 We need to know what is truth and then we need 01:20 to practice the truth. And you know, 01:23 today Lee on every corner in the health arena 01:27 you hear a voice saying, this is the way come. 01:31 And you start to walk that path, 01:33 and then you begin to hear another voice 01:35 from another corner, no you're on the wrong way, 01:37 come this way, this is the truth. 01:40 And I think when we're dealing with such a 01:42 sacred topic as the health of human beings 01:46 that we have got to know what is truth? 01:49 So, we can then follow it. 01:51 That's interesting when you brought up 01:53 that there are many voices, How do we know 01:56 which voice, you know Jesus said you shall hear 02:01 My voice and those who, who are open to understand 02:05 and to listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit? 02:07 How do people out there listening, 02:09 how would they know what is the correct philosophy 02:12 as we approach the understanding of disease, 02:15 its causes as well as its treatment. 02:17 Sure, well I would encourage our viewers 02:21 to begin to study the Bible as also a health book. 02:28 To the law and to the testimonies. 02:32 Here is the truth. And when we're dealing 02:37 with the variety of opinions, many speculations 02:43 and the various philosophies that you hear? 02:48 We can become so easily confused unless 02:51 we know what has God written for us that 02:56 we can look at and know and put all of our weight on 03:02 in regards to health patterns 03:04 for healthful living. Only God who made 03:07 these bodies possibly knows how for us 03:11 to live in them. Right. 03:12 And He has given us instruction. 03:14 Right, so speculation is an inspiration. Right. 03:18 And so, as a physician one who is approaching 03:22 the study of disease and treatment. 03:25 Your foundation is going to be inspiration, 03:29 it's the Bible, it's the Bible. Has to be. 03:31 And how has that changed your mindset, 03:33 you've had years of study understanding 03:37 difficult concepts, a lot of scientific background, 03:41 and how is that you know, adapted your mind has 03:47 it been a struggle as you've looked 03:49 at the word of God, and how is that change 03:52 your mindset now when you come to approaching disease? 03:56 Well, I was not trained in medicine in accordance 04:02 with all that is written. I had a very good 04:07 medical training for which I'm very grateful. 04:09 I learned a lot of the sciences, 04:12 the health sciences that physicians need 04:15 to know physiology, anatomy, bio-chemistry, 04:19 nutrition and so forth. But when it comes 04:23 to the discussion of treatment of disease, 04:27 then the word of God goes in one direction, 04:32 and secular medicine is headed in another. 04:35 And so, it sometimes difficult to try to get 04:40 these two together, and for me you ask me, 04:44 was it a challenge? Indeed, because when 04:48 I am confronted with another human being 04:52 who has a problem, naturally my reflex is 04:57 to use what I have learned. 05:00 But as I have studied more and more, 05:03 I now recognize that I am not able 05:06 to just rely on that. I must pray, 05:08 I must ask the Lord. What do you want me 05:11 to do in this particular situation? 05:14 And how can I use those remedies which 05:17 you have pointed out in your word are foundational 05:21 to bring true healing to men and women 05:24 when they are empowered by the Holy Spirit. 05:27 So, that obviously wasn't part of your training 05:29 as a medical student, I'm expecting 05:32 you don't expect the sermon everyday 05:36 from your professor, but then must have been 05:39 at some point a time where you started 05:42 to see that the Bible and what it said specially 05:47 we got in our health had a critical part 05:50 to play in your understanding of 05:54 the treatment of disease. 05:57 When I was in training as a young man, 06:01 somewhere along that road, 06:03 I remember somebody gave me a book 06:06 and it was called "None of These Diseases." 06:09 And I looked at that book and there was a 06:12 picture of stethoscope, doctor's medical bag, 06:18 and a Bible. And I looked at that and I said 06:22 this is strange mix. What is this all about? 06:27 But as I began to look into this, 06:30 I begin to understand the wisdom 06:33 that book contained, because this author 06:38 who was a physician, was pointing the physician 06:41 bag to the great physician who said, 06:45 if you will follow my plan, 06:47 I will put none of these diseases upon you. 06:50 Now, when you came out of medical school, 06:52 and you start to get your feet wet, 06:55 you started to see patients. 06:56 Did you feel that you have 06:58 the answers to their problem? Of course. 07:01 You had a pill for everything. 07:02 If you have an ill, I have a pill. 07:04 Okay. And you get the bill. Right, correct. 07:09 And at one point did the Bible become more 07:13 important tool to understand about disease? 07:17 Well, it was certainly after I became a Christian, 07:20 then I studied the Bible more and more. 07:24 And then I could see the pattern of Christ ministry 07:29 of healing, right, which gave me a different model? 07:34 It wasn't as I had been trained that human beings 07:41 through their own wisdom are able 07:45 to bring healing to man. It was that no only 07:48 the Lord heals through His Spirit, 07:51 but if the human agent is in connection with Christ, 07:56 then God can use him as an instrument. 07:59 Was that a humbling experience at the time? 08:01 Ah! Very much because you know, 08:04 it's no longer I that does the healing. 08:06 Right, right. And pray, how important was 08:10 pray in your ministry as a physician, 08:13 as a new Christian and seeing Christ methods. 08:17 Was it little hard to start praying with patient? 08:21 Yes, and in fact, not only was it hard for me 08:26 to initiate that, but it was a little difficult 08:30 in the academic setting where I was 08:32 for others to even appreciate it. 08:35 Now, did the patients who you were praying for, 08:37 did they appreciate, there is praise 08:40 or did they feel you know, that they didn't want 08:45 that as part of their treatment, 08:47 how did they respond to that? 08:49 It wasn't the patients that were objecting, 08:52 it was the other medical arena. Right. 08:56 Because we just are trained that way, 09:00 that religion and medicine you know, 09:02 it's not an easy mix. And so, to lay aside 09:09 that gourmet of I am the healer, right, 09:14 and to get down on your knees and acknowledge, 09:17 I cannot bring healing or health to an individual. 09:20 But I can ask the Lord to bless my efforts, 09:24 and to show me what to do, and then He will be 09:28 the one who comes to that individual, 09:32 and begins that work of restoration. 09:34 And yes, it is a humbling experience, 09:37 but it is a beautiful experience 09:39 that the Lord gives us. Amen. 09:41 And did you find the other physicians around 09:44 you share the same understanding philosophy, 09:50 compassion, some of the things 09:52 that that you were adopting. 09:53 Well, there are, yes, there were some, 09:58 but in the regular practice of medicine 10:02 it's more difficult to bring those 10:07 concepts to the front. And so, I would have 10:13 to admit to that I'm sure that there are many, 10:18 many God fearing you know, men and women 10:21 in the medical field that are doing their best trying, 10:25 yes, to bring healing in the way that they know, 10:27 some are praying with their patients. 10:31 But honestly in the world's system 10:36 there isn't given a lot of space for the Christian 10:42 influence of looking only to Jesus as 10:47 the healer of disease. And I think that's what 10:49 we want to really impress individuals with 10:55 that while we can do some things as a physician 10:58 you know, I mean God uses even those 11:02 who don't yet have a knowledge of Him 11:05 as an instrument. But how much more 11:08 can He use an individual who is tune with his mind, 11:12 and who praise and ask for help to assist him 11:15 in things that he is doing. Amen. 11:17 That is a powerful ministry then. 11:20 I remember one of the first times I came to Wildwood, 11:22 and I was sitting behind the desk and you ask me, 11:25 if I would come with you and visit a patient. 11:28 I remember you getting on your knees before 11:32 you even went in to see the patient, 11:35 and then praying in that room with the patient 11:38 in the beginning and also the end, 11:40 and that really impressed me, and you could just 11:43 sense the influence of the Holy Spirit. 11:46 Praise God. And you could just tow it brought a 11:50 sacred atmosphere into the room. 11:53 And then maybe some who're listening 11:55 who have this desire to pray, 11:57 but they feel certain constraints and limitations, 12:01 how could we encourage these people? 12:03 Well, who we have to be respectful of 12:06 another's ideas. We don't wan to force 12:09 any spiritual influence on those who are not 12:16 ready for that, but we can often just simply 12:20 make a statement, would you object, 12:22 if I offered a prayer, right, for your healing 12:25 to the God of heaven? Some little way of putting 12:33 in that patient's mind the knowledge that listen, 12:36 I cannot bring healing, I will be your assistant 12:42 in this, I'll be the helper that the Lord uses, 12:48 but my efforts can go only so far. 12:52 There is a work that must be done in this body 12:55 that a pill can't do, right, a drug is not gonna 12:59 be able to do. And then humanly speaking 13:02 it would be impossible for us to do without 13:05 that divine influence. And so, working together 13:08 humanity with divinity just as it was 13:12 pictured in Jesus, the human and the divine, 13:15 then we see a power in this world that will be a 13:19 restoring power, a revitalizing power 13:23 to help man become altogether whole again, 13:27 and that's what we want in a healing ministry. 13:29 Amen. And getting back to the philosophy of health 13:35 when you were in school studying about 13:38 the cause of disease, did you find that was a 13:41 different emphasis than when you read the Bible. 13:46 Did you find there was a little conflicting 13:48 perspective on the cause of disease? 13:51 How is the Bible shaped your 13:53 understanding of the cause of disease? 13:55 We looked at some things like for instance, 14:00 lung cancer we do that that was related 14:02 to cigarette smoking, I mean everyone 14:04 recognize that, but for many, many diseases 14:09 we had not a clue as to you know, what was 14:13 the cause the etiology, why this occurred? 14:16 And especially as it relates to individual 14:20 choice you see, my impression was as a 14:25 young physician, if you got sickly 14:27 you were just an unlucky person, 14:30 you were just unfortunate, 14:32 but I had the answer you see. Right. 14:36 And it wasn't until I myself became very ill 14:40 as a young person, as a physician because of 14:46 in attention to the laws of life and health that 14:51 I began to wrestle with this question, 14:54 why am I sick? And you know, 14:57 the adage physician heal yourself and I tried that, 15:01 and I found that it did not work, 15:04 nor could my colleagues really bring 15:06 the healing that I needed. They could offer me a pill, 15:09 but it never would bring that ultimate healing 15:13 that I was so needful of. And that is one of 15:17 the steps in my conversion experience 15:21 where I learned that the medical profession, 15:24 the medical arts can only go so far. Right. 15:27 And then there is that divine intervention 15:31 that people need and God did that for me. Amen. 15:37 He took me the next step when the physician says, 15:40 Scott I'm sorry, this is all we can do. 15:43 I said, Lord help me! Amen. So, we're not saying 15:50 that physicians don't have a very important place 15:54 and the understanding in treatment. Right. 15:57 And in surgery and many of the blessings 16:00 that we have today, but what we're saying 16:02 on addition to that is there's a spiritual 16:05 component that it lies at the foundation of 16:09 many diseases that we also need to address. 16:12 Exactly, in fact you know, even the envelope of 16:16 the medical profession you know, the staff with 16:18 the serpents is Biblical. Yes, that's right. 16:21 Look and live. Amen. And so, if we can take 16:26 the scientific knowledge that God has given us, 16:29 and then combine that with that divine intervention 16:34 that only Jesus can bring, then we will see the results 16:39 that will be a blessing to humanity. Amen. 16:43 Let's take a look now to some of the causes from 16:46 the Biblical's perspective. We address that a little bit 16:51 about the spiritual component, but we also see 16:53 in the Bible that there are lifestyle practices 16:58 as well that make a tremendous difference 17:00 in the recovery of one's disease. 17:03 God has placed in condition upon our healing, 17:11 and that is best exemplified 17:14 in the scripture Exodus 15:26, 17:17 "If you will diligently listen to the voice of 17:23 the LORD thy God." Do that which is right in His side. 17:26 Keep His commandments, His statues, and His judgments, 17:29 then I will bring none of these diseases upon you. 17:32 And so, here God is inviting humanity to work with Him, 17:37 to make the choice, to cooperate with Him to keep 17:42 this body temple which He made in perfect 17:46 operating order. And the God of heaven who made 17:52 this wonderful creation, establish it under 17:58 divine law and order, it works, it functions 18:03 under law. And as we understand those principles, 18:07 as we then follow what God has told us to do 18:12 in the matter of health, then we can reap 18:14 those benefits. If we are negligent, 18:17 if we abuse the body, if we do not pay attention 18:23 to the right things to put in the body whether 18:25 it's in eating or drinking, then we should anticipate 18:29 that sickness will come, it may take a while, 18:32 but it sure it will come. Amen. 18:35 How important do you see the role of educating 18:38 your patients toward the healthier lifestyle? 18:43 Again for a person to have an intelligent choice 18:48 they must know. And so, a lot of what we do in our 18:54 patient care is teaching them always 18:58 something better. I believe that's the watch 19:00 word of true education in showing people 19:03 how to have the abundant life that Jesus said, 19:07 I came to give you. And so, we have 19:10 to start from the bottom and work up, 19:13 and teach them how to eat, how to drink, how to rest, 19:18 how to labor you know, the importance of 19:21 outdoor living, and sunlight, and fresh air, 19:24 and all of these simple things 19:26 that were from the beginning, but have, 19:29 have been so covered over by centuries of 19:35 human tradition, and custom that it's 19:38 sometimes hard for people even to know what these 19:41 principles are unless we go back to the scriptures. 19:45 Right, right. And they're very simple. 19:47 So, in your practice as a physician you've often had 19:53 to look to the Bible for the answers, 19:55 I'm sure there would be many times 19:56 that you been stumped. Oh! Yes. In a condition, 19:59 and you've just cried out, amen, 20:03 to the Lord for guidance. 20:04 Not just many times, everyday, everyday, 20:07 every patient. Okay! Praise God. 20:11 How can we help you know, there will be some people 20:13 who are watching this, and they maybe feeling 20:17 that you know, they haven't had the benefits 20:21 of the training such as you've had. 20:24 How would you encourage them to look at the Bible 20:28 through the perspective of understanding 20:31 health from a lifestyle perspective, 20:34 a spiritual perspective? Well, I often point 20:40 people back to the Book of Beginnings, Genesis. 20:44 And I will refer them for the, to the first two 20:47 Chapters there in Genesis, Chapters 1 and Chapter 2 20:51 because here is God's health plan. 20:54 It was the plan that God had established 20:57 from eternity in order to provide an environment, 21:03 so that this human family, all human beings could 21:07 live on this earth be perfectly happy, 21:11 perfectly healthy, and holy. 21:14 In other words, in the image of God, 21:17 and that apparently has not changed. 21:20 God has said, I don't change something once I iterate, 21:24 it is forever. Amen. And if you look at headily 21:28 to the prophecies that deal with life on the new 21:31 earth after this experience of sin has done away with, 21:34 it's gonna be the same plan. Amen. Living the same way. 21:38 So, I tell people when you come to the Bible 21:42 and you begin to incorporate 21:43 in your lifestyle those principles that are found 21:46 in Genesis 1 and 2, what you're learning 21:50 is heaven's lifestyle today, 21:53 because you're not gonna be changing. 21:55 Amen. Dr. Grivas, what role do you see a drug 21:59 medication in God's plan of healing 22:02 or is there a place, how do you understand 22:04 that from a Biblical perspective? 22:06 Sure, drug medication has a place, 22:12 but I don't see it as the primary focus 22:15 as we have made it in the western world. 22:18 As I told you when I was training that was 22:24 the foundation for medical intervention 22:27 was pharmacology. If there is an illness 22:31 then we, we as physicians we learn what drugs 22:35 do we give to counteract that, that disease, 22:38 but from a Biblical perspective, 22:41 we see a different approach. 22:43 In fact, the Lord tells us very emphatically 22:45 that drugs do not cure disease, take for instance 22:49 Jeremiah 46 verse 11. In vain shall you use 22:55 many medicines, but you will not be cured 22:57 and what we need to understand 23:00 is what are we doing, when we use a drug medication? 23:04 Drugs can be used to help let say, 23:08 stabilize a very unstable situation for a short time 23:13 in order to give that individual time to even 23:16 make lifestyle changes. Alright, okay. 23:19 And in the acute emergency situation 23:22 these can be life saving. And so, we need 23:25 to put the balance there, but we're not saying 23:29 we never use a drug, but often times drugs 23:32 are used when they wouldn't need to be used 23:35 at all, if we understood the simpler remedies 23:38 which God has pointed out to us in the scripture. 23:42 I think that's a really good point to bring out 23:45 because as we've said, we're not saying 23:47 that you shouldn't take medicines specially 23:50 in acute conditions or emergency settings. 23:53 However what we are saying is that, 23:56 if you have a poor lifestyle it may necessitate 24:00 the use of drug medication, which wouldn't be 24:03 the best approach because we've brought it about 24:06 through our own choice. Dr. Grivas, I would like 24:10 to ask you a question regarding God's plan 24:15 in you know, reeducating us in the medical perspective. 24:19 It's very hard sometimes to change orientation 24:22 specially when we use to it, and you've obviously 24:27 had some struggles yourself, sure, 24:29 coming into your understanding especially 24:31 from a Biblical perspective. 24:34 What was that enabled you to have a deeper 24:39 understanding and appreciation of these things? 24:42 Well, certainly we talked about the Bible itself, 24:45 but then you know, there is so much 24:48 today available to us even in the scientific area 24:53 for we call it lifestyle medicine where physicians 24:59 are beginning to understand the importance 25:02 in the value of nutrition of exercise of water, 25:07 of sleep and rest and all of these things. 25:11 So, the Lord in His graciousness has flooded 25:16 this world with light on these particular subjects 25:20 that are not just only found in the Bible, 25:24 but so much now in the, what is called alternative 25:30 medicine literature, we can find these 25:35 principles interwoven. And so, people can, 25:40 can look at these from these various health 25:45 book periodicals, books on such things 25:49 as hydrotherapy, the scientific use of water 25:52 in treating disease. The herbal medications 25:57 that are coming into such prominence now in medicine, 26:01 the botanical medicines. There are so many 26:04 books available, if people want 26:06 to avail themselves of this knowledge. 26:10 Amen. Now, something that often God gets 26:13 the blame for His disease, when something wonderful 26:17 happens in nature, we say, 26:19 Oh! Isn't Mother Nature wonderful? 26:20 But when something bad happens it's an act of God. 26:23 Right. And so, sometimes we see that God gets a 26:28 lot of the blame for things going wrong, 26:32 is God an author of disease or certain diseases 26:36 or sometimes He brings it upon us to allow us 26:39 to suffer that we may find him, 26:41 how is your perspective? How do you look at that? 26:44 God is not the author of disease; 26:47 He is the author of life and an abundant life, 26:50 and so, we don't want to get too confused. 26:53 God often allow certain things that take place 26:59 that are not His primary will for the individual. 27:03 The Book of Job for instance gives us a 27:05 complete picture when Job who was following 27:10 what he knew and God accounted him righteous, 27:14 it didn't keep him from getting sick 27:16 because there was an enemy. 27:17 And the Lord has told us that in this earth 27:21 at this time, it is not just us 27:23 and the Lord down here, we have an enemy. 27:26 And so, we need to put the blame where 27:30 it needs to be on an enemy, not upon God. 27:33 Amen. In closing, we hope this information 27:37 is being helpful to you at home from understanding 27:40 from a Biblical perspective, as well as a medical 27:43 perspective the cause of disease. 27:47 Sometimes, if we don't understand the cause, 27:49 we tend to look for temporary crutches 27:53 as long term solutions, and God has as plan 27:56 for us today. We'd like to thank you 27:58 for coming today, and joining us. 28:00 Please join us again next time on another program 28:03 of Wonderfully Made. My name is Lee Wellard 28:05 from Wildwood Lifestyle Center 28:07 and look forward to you seen you again next time. |
Revised 2014-12-17