Best Cancer Counsel Ever!

I found this over at the Lifestream blog, and wanted to post it here.

I hesitate to post this because I know just about everyone on the planet knows of a sure cure for cancer from eating tree bark, to drinking some kind of reconstituted seed, to visiting clinics in foreign countries. Every time I mention that someone I know is dealing with cancer I get a pile of referrals, all guaranteed to work with anecdotal evidence to back it up. Cancer patients tell me it is one of the most frustrating aspects of dealing with well-intentioned people while you’re also trying to deal with the disease and treatment. People who are desperate are sitting ducks for every expensive procedure and false hope to cure the disease. So I am going to ask that no one fill the ‘comments’ section with more of those cures, and if they do then for those who are dealing with cancer, feel free to ignore them. Please. On both counts!

But I have to share this email exchange with you. Dave Coleman, a close friend of mine who was my partner on the SO YOU DON’T WANT TO GO TO CHURCH ANYMORE project, received a letter from a young couple who are facing a crisis. The sought out Dave for help and, as you will see, could not have approached a better person:

My wife of 23 years was diagnosed with colon cancer. She is recovering from surgery and we are waiting to start the chemo/radiation adventure (mid December). When my wife was in the hospital I had several panic attacks and became so worried about the situation that I almost ended up in the emergency room myself. It seem after years of being a Christian, I am totally unequipped to face the emotional trials and feelings that come with pain, suffering and mortality issues. I guess that I’m just afraid. Afraid for my wife, afraid for my children afraid for me. I am trying to pray and meditate on scripture and it works at times, but I do have an hunger for peace in Christ.

Here is Dave’s reply in its totality. In my estimation you will not read better counsel to deal with any devastating calamity in this age, whether it be cancer, loss of a job or something else. Dave not only acted as a hospice chaplain for over 10 years, but as you’ll see has engaged this same kind of cancer, albeit at a more advanced stage in his own life:

I don’t know if Wayne told you or not, but next month (Jan. ‘08) I will officially become a Cancer Survivor. In 2003 they found a large Colorectal tumor which was advanced Stage IV. They wouldn’t even operate on me here, but fortunately there were two doctors in the country who would attempt it—one on the East Coast and one at USC. I went thru all the hoops with severe complications requiring an additional 5 surgeries, etc. Won’t bore you with the details and my only reason for mentioning it is to say that colon cancer is not the end of the world—though a battle, to be sure. I want to encourage your wife and yourself, and perhaps share a positive thought or two.

The main thing of course is prayer. Just accept the illness and offer yourself to God, for He alone is the One who does all things well. Go through all the chemo/radiation, etc. but relax with it. Get to know people, share with them. I had some great times in the chemo room, and met some fantastic folks along the way.

An illness such as this is a tremendous opportunity to grow in the Lord. Sometimes though, we panic, and believe the statistics, etc. which has a way causing a certain amount of futility. “What’s the use?” we think. In my ten years as a Hospice Chaplain, the one thing I noticed about all of the patients was that they had given up. The attitude of a cancer patient and family must simply be, “Let’s see what God has for us in all of this.” I am not talking about whistling in the dark. I am talking about spiritual reality. As Jesus said, “God knows all these things that you have need for.” He knows what is going on and He loves us so deeply. He wants us to know that and that is the key. He is not out to, get us.

Sometimes, though, we have a tendency to panic. Why? If we really understand ourselves deeply, the bottom line in all of our personalities is our deep-seated desire to be in control. This to me is the basic meaning of what the Bible calls sin. We want to have everything run smoothly in order to look good, and when it doesn’t, we feel threatened and when we are threatened we get scared (afraid) and that moves us into anger, which causes panic, anxiety and/or depression, etc. The opposite of love is control (fear). There is no fear in love, because perfect love cast out fear, writes the apostle. God is constantly at work conforming us to His image (the outward expression of an invisible reality). So that like Jesus told the disciples, “He who has seen me, has seen the Father.” So often rather then to accept what God is doing, we have been taught the ‘principles’ of how to get from God whatever you want. And we forget that if God is love. He doesn’t control us and we, in turn, cannot control Him. He is there to see us through, and bring us into a deeper awareness of who He really is, and not what we want Him to be, which of course is far better. Allow your wife’s illness to bring you closer together in your family and of course closer to Father. You have been and will continue to be in our prayers on your behalf. Again, there is no need for fear, for the many reasons all ready mentioned, and also because being uptight (stress) just knocks out our immune system and destroys the healing qualities of our body.

I remember about 6 days after my major surgery, the Dr. said that I was not healing as fast as he would like. Why? I asked, “Well, he said, the immune system is trying to deal with all of the pain medication that you are receiving, so that your healing is slowed down to a crawl.” Pull the needle out, I said, and in a few days, I was on my way home. Painful? You bet, but necessary for healing. There is an old Gaelic blessing that goes, “May you have the commitment to heal what has hurt you, to allow it to come close to you and in the end, to become one with you.” Don’t run away from this. It will be the biggest blessing in your lives.”
In His Peace, Dave and Donna

One Leader!

"But none of you should be called a teacher. You have only one teacher, and all of you are like brothers and sisters. Don't call anyone on earth your father. All of you have the same Father in heaven. None of you should be called the leader. The Messiah is your only leader.
(Matt: 23:8-11) cev

Saved by His Life!

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Rom 5:10)nasb

How are we saved?

by His "Life".

SEEING THE ACCOMPLISHED FACT

by Watchman Nee

"We are His masterpiece." (Ephesians 2:10) The Church is the very best God can produce. It can never be improved upon.

We look around and see breakdown everywhere and we wonder, "What is the Church coming to?" I tell you she is not coming to anything; she has arrived!

We do not look forward to discover her goal; we look back. God reached His end in Christ before the foundation of the world and we move forward with Him on the basis of what already is.

As we move in the light of that eternal fact, we witness its progressive manifestation - you advance spiritually by finding out what you already are, not by trying to become what you hope to be.

It is when you see you are dead that you die (i.e. manifest ones death in Christ);
It is when you see you are risen that you arise;
It is when your see you are holy that you become holy. Seeing the accomplished fact determines the pathway to the realizing of that fact.

The end is reached by seeing, not desiring or working. The only possibility of spiritual progress lies in us discovering the truth as God sees it; the truth concerning Christ, the truth concerning ourselves in Christ, and the truth concerning the Church, the Body of Christ."

Abide in Him!

"As for you, the anointing which you received from Him abides in you, and you have no need for anyone to teach you; but as His anointing teaches you about all things, and is true and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you abide in Him."

The verb "abide", meno in the very rare pluperfect tense, indicates an event viewed as having been once and for all accomplished in past time!

God's Ultimate Passion

Posting a few quotes from Frank Viola's book above.

"God only accepts one Person-----His beloved Son, And we are in Him! So He accepts us on exactly the same basis as He accepts Christ. Therefore, we need not struggle to earn God's favor. Nor must we grapple to have a "better relationship" with God. We only need to come to Christ and rest in Him."

The Shack

I am currently reading "The Shack"

Really enjoying this fictional work loaded with Spiritual truths!

First called "Christians" in Antioch!

(repost)

Since the Church was birthed on Pentecost, many have only embraced a Historical Jesus versus The Indwelling presence of the "Anointed One." In-"Christ" (Christos-Anointed One)

Interestingly enough, The Disciples were first called "Christians" in Antioch............................Why?

It is well known that Saul, who was later to be called Paul, spent (14) fourteen years in Tarsus developing his trade as a (tentmaker). Moreover, as Saul was growing in a practical sense, he also was being given/ministered to, by the Holy Spirit a far deeper Revelation, which would ultimately change the World.

You may ask, well, what was this great "Revelation"? Listen to Paul's own words inspired by God in His Epistle to the Church of Ephesus.

For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles-- if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you; that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. By referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which in other generations was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed to His holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit; to be specific, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel, of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God's grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, and to bring to light what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him. (Eph. 3:1-12) nasb

Again, what is this mystery?

I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit, so that I might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God, that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints, to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in me/you, the hope of glory. (Col.1:25-27)nasb

Now, Saul/Paul, after (14) fourteen years, was hunted by Barnabas and brought from Tarsus to Antioch. And it was here, that a large number of people assembled over the course of a year, and Paul ministered this New found Mystery, which had now been revealed which is Christ In Me,the hope of Glory..............................and in Antioch the Disciples were first called "Christians" (Christ- In- Ones).

(It is my prayer, that "all" will begin to embrace,the Reality of Christ-In me, versus the Historical Jesus of the past, and the word "Christians" will be known,as it was known in Antioch... Amen)

There is only one Life-Leader!

“Don’t set people up as experts over your life, letting them tell you what to do. Save that authority for God; let him tell you what to do. No one else should carry the title of ‘Father’; you have only one Father, and he’s in heaven. And don’t let people maneuver you into taking charge of of them. There is only one Life-Leader for you and them—Christ.” (The Message)

You Have Overcome

Check out Paul Rupe's new Blog and word below:

I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 2:13-14

In a day of deliverance ministries and demon hunting very few preach that believers have already overcome the devil. The believers victory over Satan is exactly what John is speaking of in our text. One interesting thing to consider is that you will never find one single case of any believer, after the cross, ever being possessed by a demon or trying to break a generational curse from off their life.

It's important to remember that in Christ you are perfect and complete (Colossians 2:10), there is no struggle because you are seated in the heavens with Christ - Satan is under your feet (Ephesians 1:20-21.)

Many Christians approach the devil in anger, rebuking and commanding him when in reality often this is just an exercise in fear; while there is a warfare present, the battle as we have seen previously, is in the mind.

The Truth is that Satan is terrified of the one that realizes their power and position in Christ; Satan knows that for the mature believer there is no struggle, there is no trying to be victorious because the believer rests in the fact that Jesus has already defeated and destroyed the enemy through His work at the cross. John says in 1 John 3:8,

He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Paul the apostle writes in Colossians 1:12-13,

Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated [us] into the kingdom of his dear Son:
The Greek word for "Darkness" in this verse is "Skotos" and means, "1) darkness a) of night darkness b) of darkened eyesight or blindness 2) metaph. a) of ignorance respecting divine things and human duties, and the accompanying ungodliness and immorality, together with their consequent misery in hell b) persons in whom darkness becomes visible and holds sway"

If you are in Christ you are in the light in whom there is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5) If you were to walk into a dark room and flip on the light switch, what happens? The darkness flees! In the same way the powers of darkness can't get close enough to the light that you are without having to flee - Light always over-powers darkness.

Dear believer, I would encourage you to stand firm in the faith and realize your victory in Christ. More on that tomorrow...

Strongest Dad in the World

Strongest Dad in the World [From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly] Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

"Much More"

Rom 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.

Rom 5:10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Rom 5:15 But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many.

Rom 5:17 For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Rom 11:12 Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!

Heb 9:14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Today I was pondering the name of this Blog's url,(Much More Of Jesus) Wow! What an awesome realization regarding the One whom Indwells us. His "LIFE" dwelling in me/you, which enables each of us to live and reign.

Child of God, know you have been raised from the dead,to walk in newness of "LIFE"... His "LIFE"!

Now go, and live the"LIFE," by the Much More within.

What a Friend I've Found