Cancer Companions…

 Cancer Companions…

I found an organization that helps cancer patients…

“Cancer Companion’s vision for the future is for every person impacted by cancer to know the hope, love, and grace of Jesus and that every oncology team has included faith in their treatment toolbox. By 2033, Cancer Companions will provide 5 million engagements through cancer prayers, scriptures and interactions to those impacted by cancer. Engagements include; social media outreach, e-newsletters, prayer team requests, 30 days of Cancer Prayer event, and volunteer connections.”

They have daily devotions…as well a plethora of other helps for churches, caregivers, medical personnel, family and finally, the patient…

I am sure there are others, but this one came to me…

When statistically, writers are saying that 40-50% of people are destined for a “cancer “ diagnosis, there are helps out there…some appropriate for all and some not so much….

I have already been handed two books, “ the gift of pain” or “the gift nobody wants” by  Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey, and “Don’t Waste Your Cancer” by John Piper…plus others from my husband’s cancer journey…poems about what Cancer Can’t Do…

Plaques of encouragement…

I loved these verses for today…

 The Lord your God is with you,the Mighty Warrior who saves.He will take great delight in you;in his love he will no longer rebuke you,but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Zeph.3.17NIV

 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

Gal.2.20

No matter what we are going through, family crisis, death, just day-to-day living…God is right here with us…and that counts for everything…

Thank YOU…

Be still my soul….

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mq59iE3MhXM

Living foundation…

 Living foundation….

Reading through 1 Timothy, Paul writes twice about the living God…

 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. 

For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of those who believe.

1Tim.3.15,1Tim.4.10

We serve a living God…not one made by men, but one who made men instead…who made it all by a spoken word…

Thank YOU…

Peter in Matthew…

 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 

Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 

And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.

Matt.16.15-17

 But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.” 

Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

Matt.26.63-64

 “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

Acts.14.15

 “And in the very place where it was said to them, ‘You are not my people,’there they will be called ‘sons of the living God.’”

Rom.9.26

 And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.

2Cor.3.3

 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said,“I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,and I will be their God,and they shall be my people.

2Cor.

 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,

1Thess.1.9

 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 

how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. 

For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. 

But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering,

Heb.3.12,Heb.9.14,Heb.10.30,Heb.10.31,Heb.12.22

 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

1Pet.1.3,1Pet.1.23

Living hope…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f2FXxDVO6w

 

 

 April 5, 2012….

Twelve years ago…my devo for the morning was…

 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 

So death is at work in us, but life in you.

2Cor.4.7,2Cor.4.8,2Cor.4.12

 For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel,“In returning and rest you shall be saved;in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”

Isa.30.15a

“As you go through this day, trust Me to provide the strength that you need moment by moment…

Let Me fill you with my Love, Joy, and Peace..these are Glory gifts, flowing from my  Living presence…

In quietness (spending time with me), and confident trust (relying on My sufficiency) is your strength…” Jesus Calling , Sarah Young…

Yesterday, I met with the Cancer Doctor for myself, not my husband…it is one thing to watch another go through treatment and quite another to be handed the diagnosis for yourself, I found…

12 years ago, the nurse said 2-4 weeks max left for my husband…we were on the last few days…we talked more and more about “anticipatory grief”…the anticipation of the days, weeks ahead…we knew from the beginning that my husband’s was terminal…

The Doctor, for me, is working on the premise that mine is not…so treating is different…so we are meeting it head on with high hopes in the coming months…

As I needed that quietness, that Presence then, I need it as well through this time…and all the time…filling with peace even when anxious…(my blood pressure goes up, just going to the doctor)…

I want to walk the talk…confident trust…

Leaning…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ5cLiCCOao

Therefore…

  

 The “therefores” ….

Synonyms of therefore

1

a

: for that reason : CONSEQUENTLY

b

: because of that

c

: on that ground

2

: to that end

In the ESV translation, there are 785 “therefore s”…. 207 of them are in the New Testament…

Some chapters have more than others…they come usually after some list or reasoning…but, they are there for an important reason…or Pay attention…

Like…

 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth.

Gen.11.9

 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 

Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ “

Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matt.6.25, 31,34

We just finished the book of Hebrews in our study…but I needed to review the “therefores” in Chapter 12…

Lay aside every weight, run with endurance the race set before me, lift up drooping hands, strengthen my weak knees, strive for peace, no root of bitterness, be grateful for a kingdom that cannot be shaken…

 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. 

Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. 

Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.

Heb.12.1-2,Heb.12.12-17,Heb.12.28-29

It is interesting to look at the “therefores” found  throughout the Bible…lots to think about, meditate upon…how do they speak to our hearts…

Thank YOU….

Because of Jesus…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfVEQJjbNXQ

The last scene…the beginning of a new…

  The last scene…the beginning of a new…

Over the years I have taken pictures of our leave taking from friends and family…it is fun to see the growth from year to year of my children…I also took for granted that there would be a return to visit them again…until there wasn’t…those parting times were filled with hugs, kisses, tears and a final goodbye…then on the road…it was good to get home, sleep in my own bed, back to routine…but the sweetness of the visiting time was precious…

Jesus, went back to his home, his throne after saying his goodbyes as well…after his “visit “ to earth…how he loved and why He came is infinite…immeasurable to each human…his promises, his teaching , his giving of his life so that others might live…unfathomable…but, He did…

The end of each of the gospels and the beginning of the book of Acts tell of the scene of Jesus here before ascending to sit at the right hand of God…

He gives them a reminder, a command, a promise, an encouragement…then he was lifted up…to return again some day…

The disciples worshipped, they were filled with great joy…and they blessed God …

Thank YOU….

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 

And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matt.28.16-20

 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 

So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.]]

Mark.16.14-20

 Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.” 

And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 

While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 

And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God.

Luke.24.44-53

 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

John.21.24-25

 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 

And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts.1.3-11

The commission…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMt-SpULKGQ

Gone fishing…

 Gone fishing…

One of the last recorded events before Jesus ascends back into heaven is another meal with his disciples… and of course, it is fish…John 21..

 After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” 

They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 

That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 

The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards off. When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead. When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

John.21.1-19

It is so similar to the scene at the beginning of Christ’s ministry when he is calling his disciples…both show an abundant amount of fish..so full they had to have help getting them all..

 On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.

Luke.5.1-11

The Sea of Galilee  boasts of at least 27 species of fish…many people relied on the sea to furnish daily meals, fish to sell as a livelihood and it is still flourishes as a food provider now as it did 2000 years ago…

Jesus spent much of his ministry in the Galilean area….

He used fish to teach…to provide …

He took two small fish to feed the multitude….and he supplied a multitude of fish…

He supplied a meal to the disciples with fish already prepared…he challenges Peter…to be a fisher of men in the beginning and to take care of the flock in the end…

Then after the ascension…the coming of the Holy Spirit, it is Peter who speaks to the thousands and three thousand respond…

He has begun his ministry of real “fishing”…just as Jesus called him to do…he went from pulling fish from the sea to pulling people to Christ…

Question…what is Christ calling us to do? Are we doing it?

Thank YOU….

Fishers of men…

https://www.womanofnoblecharacter.com/fish-in-the-bible/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kU2N9kWGG-o

https://aleteia.org/2020/04/16/what-kind-of-fish-did-the-risen-christ-feed-the-apostles/

 

Looking back and looking forward….

 

Looking back and looking forward…

I hope we can look back on our walk with Jesus and point to times that His Word has been particularly, passionately REAL for a particular time or times…not that it negated other times but places that stand out a bit more than others…

One passage for me about Jesus in the boat and calming the sea, saying “do be afraid” and then reaching the other side…

 Another passage in Jeremiah, about weariness, a promise that God will give rest to the weary…or In Corinthians, His promise of comfort in times of trial or assurance of a better place…or in Philippians, the promise of peace in thanksgiving/gratitude…

I could go on and on, even describing the stories behind each meaningful event, the location they took place…

Just thinking of each day this last week of preparing for Easter…what happened two thousand years ago…each day was important… each day had purpose…

Then came the resurrection…we commemorated it yesterday, the empty tomb…the proclamation that Jesus arose, conquering death…Victorious…

As I was reading, again, and the watching the following video about resurrection day, the walk to Emmaus was part of that day as well… and then our pastor spoke on the walk, as well…coincidence?, no, hardly…another purpose…another lesson….another confirmation of truth…

We visited one site of Emmaus when we visited Israel… apparently there is more than one site within the seven mile radius of Jerusalem…I remember thinking, a small village site, a walking path and Jesus taught so much and opened these men’s hearts to see the truth…using scriptures they would have known, all to point them to Him…and they were so excited they retraced the route back the Jerusalem to share…

Those men may have been despondent over the crucifixion, despairing over the death of their friend and mentor, walking with torn hearts of grief and Jesus met them, talked to them in His 

Word…opening their eyes and hearts to receive yet more of the Word…

Personally, this passage gives promise that no matter where we are, we can learn more about the Word, from the Word himself…we can rejoice and share…on our walk…

It hit home again, that through my walk with this cancer diagnosis…something I wasn’t expecting…even despaired or grieved of having…that I can learn more and more, even rejoicing and sharing if God so leads…He uses everything to teach, to comfort…as He walks with us…

Thank YOU…

 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 

They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”

Luke.24.27,Luke.24.32

Luke 24:13+

 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.     

He makes me lie down in green pastures.

He leads me beside still waters.     

He restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,I will fear no evil,for you are with me;your rod and your staff,they comfort me. 

You prepare a table before mein the presence of my enemies;you anoint my head with oil;my cup overflows. 

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all  the days of my life,and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

Ps.23.1-6

 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

Ps.32.8

Drive through history, the Resurrection…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQU8UQM4_XI

Our Easter Service…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRoLKRGsXAA

Thy Word…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1LSyRwNA_A