Not Abandoned, Always Abounding

Three ladies were in the right place a year and a half ago when I found out I had cancer. It’s one of the many details the Lord had orchestrated to show His care for me. These ladies are public servants ministering to God’s people as they enter our church each week. Moreover “my ladies” have all been through cancer at least once, yet continue to abound in the work of the Lord. (1 Corinthians 15:58) Remarkably, I met them just weeks before my diagnosis through the decision to serve in that same greeting ministry. When I shared the diagnosis, they embraced me, prayed with me and one even told me she wished she could take it from me and bear it herself. Amazing! (Who willingly wants to sacrifice himself for another? This is the heart of true love; this is the heart of God, demonstrated perfectly in Jesus!) The fruit of the Holy Spirit is definitely fully ripe on the trees of these three ladies. Two of them sat with me and drove me home from a few chemo treatments. All of them tell me they never stop praying for me.

Today, I discovered cancer had recently returned in force to one of my ladies, residing in two places. Even though she has to start chemo again, her spirit remains upbeat and focused on Christ. As I heard the news, a couple thoughts ran through my mind. First, cancer is a nasty beast that wishes to devour and consume the host it inhabits much like sin desires to destroy our souls. Secondly, just like cancer requires a stronger adversary to kill it, likewise sin can only be overcome when an individual yields to the power of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said the Holy Spirit is our Helper and Comforter, but He also said the Spirit will convict us of sin, righteousness and judgment. (John 16) We all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:10) and if we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Word is not in us. The Lord God does not wish any to perish in their sinful state and invites each person ever born, before they die to accept His free and full grace. Sadly, many do not. Rejecting the Holy Spirit is the only unpardonable sin. It makes sense. Why would God forgive anyone who chooses to reject His love and forgiveness, essentially spitting in His face until their dying day? The good news, no great news is “my lady” who again faces a somewhat familiar physical foe, wholeheartedly believes Jesus died for her and this gives her everlasting peace.

Another much asked question perhaps by some reading this is why should someone so good suffer so much? The very real answer is that we live in a broken world that has been marred because of man’s disobedience. We can’t blame Adam and Eve. We are born rebellious and self –centered. We see the results of such behaviors all around us with greed, wars and deceitful practices on the rise. Yet God did not abandon us. Jesus said “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever--the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17) He can only make His home in those who want Him to live there.

Our Lord told us we would have trouble in this world but fear not; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) By the revelation of the Holy Spirit my three ladies and I know for certain that Jesus is the resurrection and the life and if we believe in Him we will never die. (John 11:25) If we have hope in this life only we would be miserable. The human body is matter in a contained state and over time it becomes more wild and less stable. Just look in the mirror and you see the effects of that fact. The Christian has hope of eternity with Jesus and Heaven where there is more crying, pain or death. (Revelation 21)     

My three ladies are one of the reasons I wanted to start a support group within a short time after I learned I had cancer. Hearts knit together in the love of Jesus Christ, bearing one another’s burdens is a treasure in clay jars, in earthen vessels such as we are. Nothing on earth can measure up to the work of God in and through the human spirit. Amazing love! Amazing God!

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

To receive automatic email updates of new posts, send an email request to: comfortinchrist@googlegroups.com 

Watch Out,,,Look Up!

Danger! Warning! Sharp turns ahead! Slippery when wet. Driving down the highways, navigating the waterways, we know we better pay attention to signs that help mark the path. Good signage indicates a surveyor has gone that way before and experienced the hazards which may lie in wait. It behooves us to watch out and take precautions so we can live longer and even better. But when it comes to just living our lives we don’t much like to read and follow the directions. There’s a stubborn determination to go it alone despite the heartfelt plea of a loved one saying, ‘listen to me – because I’ve been down this road before I know what to expect, and here’s how you can avoid getting hurt.’ “No thanks (comes the reply) – I’ll do it myself.”

As a Christian, I believe not only that following Jesus is the best way; it’s the only way. (John 14:6) He tells us in His Word that we don’t have to go it alone. “Cast your burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.” (Psalm 55:22)  Of course I had spent most of my life pulling myself up by my bootstraps, refusing to take help or advice. Simply approaching life as a grand experiment, trying things on to see how they feel, is foolishness to be sure. The Lord has given each of us the ability to reason and power needed to make wise decisions according to His Word. People around us may set good examples of making Godly choices, but if there is a reluctance to learn from those who’ve ‘surveyed the land,’ listen closely to what the Lord has to say on the subject of receiving His wisdom:

·         “Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him,,, (Ephesians 1:15-17).”

To receive wisdom from the Lord, determine first to seek Him with all your heart, all of your mind and all your strength. Desire Him more than life itself and in so doing He will give you the desires of your heart. His desires will become your desires. How do you know you’re doing the right thing? It’s not a fleeting feeling you’ve agreed upon to justify some unjust habit. No – doing things in accordance with God’s will goes against the grain of fleshly lusts. Another way to be sure of pleasing the Lord is to decide to read His Word and find out what He is like and what He wants for His people.

When I had surgery in May it was in effect an act of placing my life in the hands of another and trusting I would wake up when all was said and done. It is the same point of surrender for Christians. We place our lives in the hands of the One who knows best and moreover has already walked our road. “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.” (Hebrews 2:18)  “No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.” (1 Corinthians 10:13) You won’t know how faithful He is to help you until cry out to Him, humbly asking Him to show you what you so desperately need. Here we have the King of the Universe standing by waiting for us to call out and ask Him what He wants us to do. It’s unfathomable and yet so genuine. He won’t force Himself upon you but He is nearby if you really want to know Him. Danger-Warning! Don’t turn a deaf ear to Him or to those He sends your way to help show you how to be safe in His arms!!

• He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. (Psalm 91:4)

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

To receive automatic email updates of new posts, send an email request to: comfortinchrist@googlegroups.com 

Still on the Throne

      

Who wants bad news: anyone? No one! We all want a ‘future so bright you gotta wear shades.’ The sunny side of the street sure is a nice place to be. What happens when bad news comes, and it will inevitably come to all who inhabit this fleshly tent in this fallen world? Today I went to my chemo doctor to get the results of my recent PET, CT and Brain MRI. None of these tests are routine in nature and are now part of the fabric of life fighting cancer. I will need to have these scans done for the rest of my natural life to catch cancer before it grows. My radiation oncologist told me a few months ago, “once bitten twice shy.” I ponder this sober reminder in my heart so I will not take any time for granted. The doctor told me today we have to get a better read but it looks like “a couple of hot spots” showed up in two lymph nodes near my heart that could be cancer.

It was surreal to hear this and I reflected back 17 months ago when I first heard the word cancer applied to me.  My statement then was “I’m so glad I’m a Christian.” Today my first thought was “Jesus is still on the throne.” Good news or not so good news, He’s still on the throne of my life and I know I belong to Him.  When I talked to my sweet husband Flynn shortly after my doctor visit he shared with me a message today that he heard about Jesus feeding the 5000. The disciples should have learned through this miracle how amazing it was that all those people could eat and there was no lack; all their needs were supplied. How true this has been for me on this cancer journey. The Lord has provided comfort and consolation, friends with food and fellowship and funds just at the right time and in the right way. My task, one might say is to allow the Lord to pour forth His love upon me and in turn, as I have been supplied, I share the “Bread of Life” with anyone who cares to know about Him.

John 6  which teaches the account of the feeding of the 5000 reads, ”Then they said to Him, "Lord, give us this bread always." And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” (Verses 34 & 35)  Are we interested in following Jesus only when we are on the sunny side of the street or will we trust him in times of testing too? That’s an active and living faith, isn’t it? My regular work day ended with a Facebook message from a now 29 year old “kid” we witnessed to about 13 years ago. He spent many years away from the Lord and now he wants to re-connect with God as he put it. Today he just wanted to say how much he enjoys the Bible verses my husband and I post each day. How sweet. That’s what it’s all about – keep passing out the bread!

Medically speaking the doctor told me she’ll call me tomorrow to let me know more about the results. We are praying for wisdom for us and for her. She indicated the drug I’m currently taking may not be effective for me and I could go back to IV maintenance chemo. Another option may be to have my radiation doc treat these lymph nodes with a laser beam. Since he did a fabulous job with me before, I would trust him with that tricky procedure. Regardless, Jesus is still on the throne. Listen with your heart to these words from John 6:38-40. “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day. And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day."  

I’ve seen the Son of God and believe He died for me. I hope you believe that too because His promises always have our best in mind. The cancer support group that I have wanted to start at our church may become a reality as we meet tomorrow night with two of our church pastors. I must believe that the Lord has allowed me to go through all these phases of treatment so I could be a comfort to others walking in my shoes. Such is the reason for the scripture passage from which the name of this blog is derived: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Two things I will pray to remember henceforth; Jesus is on the throne and keep passing out the bread.

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

To receive automatic email updates of new posts, send an email request to: comfortinchrist@googlegroups.com

Poor Substitutes

Mind, body and spirit; these three make up who we are inside and out. Oh yes, the mind is the portal for expressive thoughts on the beauty that surrounds us. The mind can also be an arena in which the conscience wars over loyalty toward God or self. Our culture is inundated with practices aimed to claim the mind while proposing to calm the spirit and relieve the aches in the body. When the body is suffering side effects from chemo treatments, the mind can succumb to seeking relief through poor substitutes for real help, and in turn unwittingly open up the spirit to ungodly doctrines.

The God of the Bible is a jealous God who teaches definitively and consistently in His Word we should have “no other Gods before Him” (Exodus 34:14) No other Gods – none.  While it’s appealing to want to take advantage of what the world has to offer to ease the weight of cancer treatments it’s not only disadvantageous, it’s dangerous. Once a person opens the door to false teachings emanating from eastern religions and performed in yoga, reiki and transcendental meditation, help from the One True God dissipates. It’s to our advantage to put God first and put away any poor substitute. Listen with your heart to what happens to folks who allow strange gods into their daily walk.  “They provoked Him to jealousy with foreign gods; with abominations they provoked Him to anger. They sacrificed to demons, not to God, to gods they did not know, to new gods, new arrivals that your fathers did not fear. Of the Rock who begot you, you are unmindful, and have forgotten the God who fathered you. "And when the Lord saw it, He spurned them, because of the provocation of His sons and His daughters. And He said: 'I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, For they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faith. (Deuteronomy 32:16-20)

Those foreign gods that hear not and speak not could care less if you get well. They make terrible servants and are even worse masters. False doctrines are always based in the amount of work the devotee does and that can be a very deep well. Biblical Christianity is founded in and upon the eternal, finished work Jesus did on our behalf when He died upon the cross. The believer in Jesus can have peace in all circumstances and the comfort of the Holy Spirit because the promise of eternal life is secure. Furthermore Christians have the added benefit of fellowship with like-minded persons who express the love and truth of God and rush to aid others in need. This fervent love isn’t out of duty but as a response to the grace they’ve found through their relationship with the living God.

Without a doubt, cancer developed in me a closer walk with Jesus. In grappling with a life and death situation like cancer, the truth is there is nothing I can do but pray to the Lord for help and healing. I am convinced even if I wasn’t healed, God would still be God; my view of Him wouldn’t be altered. As the body ages, the joints creak and crow’s feet deepen, the fact is a glorious day; a wonderful sinless perfect place awaits me. I have wholeheartedly believed the ransom Jesus paid on my behalf. Any other way to live, any other hope to have is definitely at best a poor substitute. Hope in the Lord is the real thing!

 For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

To receive automatic email updates of new posts, send an email request to: comfortinchrist@googlegroups.com 

Going Deeper...

Not being much of a swimmer, I’m relying on what I was taught about the effects of pressure on the body during deep water diving. The weight of the water above a diver exerts pressure on his body. The deeper a diver descends, the more water he has above and the more pressure it exerts on his body. The pressure a diver experiences at a certain depth is the sum of all the pressures above him, both from the water and the air.

As I recall my desire to go deeper with the Lord after awaking from my lung removal surgery, I remember thinking it won’t be easy. It never is. Seeking hard to follow after Jesus means having the compulsion, the innate and overwhelming desire to know Him and make Him known. The conviction to stand out from the crowd, go against the grain and swim upstream (figuratively speaking in my case) goes with the territory. The world seeks moral relativism. Jesus teaches He is the absolute truth, the life and the way to Heaven. (John 14:6) The world seeks to silence the voice of the Lord in the public arena. As Jesus was riding into Jerusalem He answered those who told him to keep His disciples quiet by saying, "I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out." (Luke 19:40) Disciples of the Lord are supposed to be enthusiastic about their King, not to earn points or win favor, but because they love Him.

I’d hoped my trial with cancer and the Lord’s determination to essentially resurrect me from the dead would resonate so much so by those who witnessed it that they too would want to know more about this God I serve. Not necessarily. There are many examples of people in the Scriptures who offended others by speaking the truth about God and some were even killed for it, like the deacon Stephen in the first century church. (Acts 6) Going deeper with God entails pressure to keep pressing on, knowing the love of God never fails. Some may think, ‘oh you’ve been through all cancer can throw at you – isn’t that enough?’ It’s important at such a juncture to remember we will have trouble in this world but fear not – Jesus has overcome this world (John 16:33).

If you, like I, have seen God work an awesome miracle in your life it’s a reflexive response to tell others what He has done for you. Rely on what I call the stones of remembrance in your journey thus far. Ask the Lord to bring to mind all the times He has helped you ‘swim up to the surface’ when the pressure of the water made it slow going. If your time of tribulation has seemed to keep your body bound by the effects of disease or other life concerns, remember Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world and though this body of flesh will wear out, Heaven is a place without crying, pain or death. (Revelation 21:1-9) Though we live in the world, we are not to be “of the world.” Those who belong to Jesus Christ are supposed to be different; a peculiar people. Why? Because we preach the good news that One Man, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ paid the sin debt for all men on the bloody cross. As we are dying to self and the things of the world, we are to let the Holy Spirit rule and reign in us, remembering our citizenship is in Heaven, convinced that nothing can separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:33-39)

Yes, I want to go deeper with God no matter what because it’s so worth it for the sake of the One who set me free from sin and death; the greatest miracle of all! Lord, help me to remember You are there each step of the way. Amen.

For more posts from Comfort in Christ Cancer Support go to http://comfortinchristcancersupport.blogspot.com/

To receive automatic email updates of new posts, send an email request to: comfortinchrist@googlegroups.com