Stewart Adams began work as a 16-year-old Apprentice in Great Britain’s Boots Pharmacy chain. He eventually received a Ph.D. in Pharmacology and continued as a Boots scientist. He spent 67 years studying, searching and experimenting to find a cure for rheumatoid arthritis without steroid after-effects. He and his associates failed. But when he died in 2019, after 67 years of trying without success for that cure, they had identified ibuprofen as an inflammation fighter.
This writer testifies that IBU works in reducing the terrible pain of sciatica. For a period of time, after exercising with a particular machine, I could walk only a few steps before finding somewhere to sit—at Walmart, at Judy’s work, when teaching my Bible Study class at Southwest Christian Church. In desperation I saw my Primary Care doctor. He told me he would get rid of the pain. He did. I went home, took two IBU pills totaling 1600 milligrams and a morphine tablet, then went to sleep in my Lazy-Boy. When I awoke, Glory be! No pain. For the first time in weeks. I also noticed a numbness above my left ankle across most of my foot. After years of exercise, I still have a numbness in that ankle—but never again PAIN! Dr. Adams used himself as a guinea pig when seeking the cure he sought. As Dr. Walter Reed and his associates regularly did when seeking an antidote to Yellow Fever. Reminisce, January 2021, p. 45. Like them, Jesus modeled what he demanded of his believers. Unlike them, he didn’t have to search for the right model, since he embodied it! Consider but a few examples of how he consistently referred to God’s Word when questioned or criticized. “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread” Matthew 4:3. In turn, “Jesus answered…‘It is written’’’ Matthew 4:4. While walking through grainfields on a Sabbath Christ’s disciples offended human tradition by picking, husking and eating heads of grain. “Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath” Matthew 12:2. In reply Jesus said, referring to King-apparent David in I Samuel 21:6, “He entered the house of God and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread….” Matthew 12:4. When an expert in the law asked Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life, Jesus replied, “What is written in the Law?...How do you read it”? Luke 10:25-26 The challenge for Christians: rather than debate with critics, KNOW scripture well enough to answer with appropriate passages. That demands more knowledge than many disciples now possess. Nevertheless, since Jesus could refer to Old Testament writings because he wrote them, it isn’t an excessive expectation that Christians would well enough know New Testament passages they can use when questioned WHAT we believe and WHY. Remember Luke 12:1. “When a crowd of many thousands had gathered…Jesus began to speak first to his disciples….” Evangelism always begins with the Christian. For once we listen to Jesus, ponder his teaching and incorporate it into our life, we’ll qualify as witnesses of Christ’s didache. Using scripture will not only put the person under the Holy Spirit’s tutelage. It will also inform the person WHAT JESUS DID and WHAT JESUS MEANT, not what we think JESUS WOULD DO! That’s important since…if the Spirit can’t convict and convince the person, our opinions won’t.
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