Renewal, Revival, Restoration

Please celebrate with me for a few moments. Gratefully, I turned 63 last weekend and felt moved to review my last five years.

The week of my birthday in 2009, I had a colonoscopy, because of disconcerting digestive symptoms and signs. When my gastroenterologist visited me afterward in recovery, he behaved strangely, talking to me from the door, not coming close and touching my hand as he had done when reviewing results with me in the past. He simply said that something had been pressing on my colon and that was the likely culprit for bloody stool. He told me to call my general practitioner the next day.

I called, but kept missing the physician assistant. Since we were in the area, my husband drove while I contemplated the facts. The PA handed me a few sheets of paper and showed me the yellow post-it on top with a doctor’s name on it. She had arranged for me to see him the following week. As my husband drove, I read the attached sheets and learned that I had several tumors of varying sizes. 

My husband read the same information when we got home just a few minutes later. We looked up the name of the doctor I was to see and found that he was the only gynecological oncologist in the state who was provided by my insurance. Greatly disturbed by the handling of this information, my husband began to try to contact someone in my GP’s office to no avail. It was late on Friday and everyone had left for the weekend.

I knew something was really wrong. I told the Lord I did not know what His plan was for me, but I trusted that He had one. I believed he would walk me to the other side of this whatever-it-was “thing”. I would trust Him.

The day of the visit with the new doc, August 18, I was shown by ultrasound a tumor inside of me that was the size of a grapefruit. I looked outside the window and asked, “Will I have a colostomy?” He said it was possible, but he did not know until he got in the OR. 

To skip to the specifics, I had fallopian tube cancer 3c. I purposefully used a little c to dishonor this little bug. It worked its way from my fallopian tube to my ovaries, then my lymph nodes over to my colon. At that time, there were 2500 cases in the world. Currently, fallopian tube cancer occurs in about 1% of female cancers. The survival rate after five years is 45% today for a case with the same involvement as what was found inside of me. New research indicates occurrences of ovarian cancer may not have truly originated in the ovaries, but in the fallopian tubes instead. 

I had known for at least a couple of years, if not more, that something was wrong. But doctors did not move fast enough, despite my questioning lab results of highly elevated platelets; changes in bowel consistency, frequency, odor and color; nausea and low energy; feeling like I had an infection or virus that would not go away and a smidgen of blood in my stool. They did not move fast enough and they almost missed it. 

I even asked my GP to perform a pap smear and exam, which she did not. She said I had never had a problem before and frequency for that test and exam was being extended to every couple of years. I have since found out that whether a pap smear is provided or not, a physical/digital exam is required every year. When the oncology gynecologist did this, he moved the grapefruit-size tumor around inside of me with his finger. Believe me, I felt it.

My husband, Rick, and stepdaughter, Amber, had accompanied me to the doctor's office. Both had cried. Weepy eyes faced me at home. I went to be alone and realized how I needed my family. I told my husband that I needed him to deal with his feelings about the situation, because I needed his support. "Go out with your buddies, talk to them, see a counselor, do whatever you need to do, because this will be the toughest fight of my life and I need you." I cried for about 20 minutes. Then I started rebuking satan at every opportunity.

Surgery was performed on August 22 with a complete hysterectomy, removal of lymph nodes, ovaries, and 8 inches of colon, tumors and surrounding cells. I also had a new buddy delivered to my body in the form of a colostomy and a fresh new ostomy appliance. Hey guys, it beat the alternative and I celebrated. Although I did feel kind of stupid when I lifted eyelids in my hospital room to see my friend sitting in a chair looking back at me in a peculiar way. I realized I must have looked pretty stupid with my hands raised and arranging things in front of me in mid-air. I lowered them and pushed that aside, opting for another lengthy nap instead.

After returning home on August 28 for recovery with home health care and rehab, I remembered thinking how odd it was that the doctor told me that his patient’s did not return to the hospital with infections. Well, that thought lasted about 36 hours until I ended up in the ER with a rip-roaring infection, or so they said. They immediately began giving me IV fluids, vancomycin (one of the super bad-boy antibiotics) and kept me for another five days. The doctor told me he was giving me antibiotics to take home with me. He said it was just to be on the safe side. Well, hallelujah, let’s celebrate!

The moral of this much of my tale? We need to be very mindful of what we believe in, depend on, respond to and expect in this life on this fallen world. Our own intellect will not sustain us, but if we listen for the Holy Spirit, He will guide us in the right direction and according to the Father’s will. The intellect, compassion, ego and skills of researchers, scientists and medical professionals will not see us through to the other side. Only the Lord will, and we need to believe and trust Him, keeping our eyes on Him from the starting line.

We live in a fallen world. Everything is topsy-turvy and inside-out. Nothing is as it should be if it complied with our spiritual yearnings, comprehension of justice, morality, love, sensibility, balance and credibility. Unless you remember we are all just human. And because we are His beloved sons and daughters, our Abba holds us up, moves us forward and remains victorious through His renewal, revival and restoration evidenced in our lives. 

No issue of blood will overthrow our faith or His majestic healing. Outcomes need not be our concern. Nor shall the fear of sleep, illness nor death taking us. Because we always awaken in the light of His glory, no matter how dreary current prospects are in this carnal world. No matter what. Because He loves us to earth and back to heaven. Because here in the power of Christ we stand. Amen? Will you celebrate with me?

Romans 8:18  (ESV)

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.  

Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 


The verse is written as follows in the NASB: and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace. What does 'having shod your feet' mean? Since the full armor of God is necessary for us to engage in spiritual battle or warfare, we must be prepared for all things by protecting our body. Our feet are no less significant and must be protected and not slow us down or make us lose our concentration. It would be difficult to maintain our focus on the Lord or the gospel of peace if we have an ill-fitting shoe or if we are grounded in the wrong foundation. Our shoes must fit correctly so we will not stumble at the feet of the enemy. We  must be able to stand firm in the foundation of the gospel of peace and go forward prepared and confident in the Lord, rather than afraid. 


What is 'the gospel of peace'? Gospel actually means good news in the Greek. So, we will head into battle with a foundation in the good news of the peace of God through Christ Jesus. If you turn to John 14:27 in your Bible, you will read: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (NIV) As witnesses of the gospel, we have the peace that only faith in God gives us. This is further illustrated in Romans 5:1. Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (NASB) We can rest assured that no matter what challenges we face in life, through Christ Jesus the battles have already been won. We can stand firm and go forward boldly with peace in our hearts to share the gospel with all we encounter. In the heat of battle, we can pray the gospel.


Dear Heavenly Father, We praise and glorify you for loving us and extending the opportunity to experience and express our faith in your Son. Please help us to always remember our beginning where we first knew your love and your peace. Help us to remain confident no matter what we face, as we shine the light of your Word where ever we may travel. Let us always be mindful of the fact that the enemy who engages us in spiritual battle is under our feet. Our feet are prepared and founded in and readied by our faith in you. We thank you and honor you for these precious gifts and for the authority you have afforded us over all that is dark and evil through your Holy Spirit's power and in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.

Poetry Page

Conservation, The Choice

Father God cradles His children

Each one requiring quality time.

He affords them a garden  sublime,

With sustenance, attention and space,

A refuge to dream, thrive and create.

God’s gentle discipline nurtures poise,

Through His living Word, His own voice.

A symphony of energy and synergy,

Mobile abundance and variety,

Moving precisely within the bounds

Of abundant reserves. An ecologic legacy

Created with His love and integrity.

Addicted to knowing - a controlling obsession,

Men idolize the power of possession.

Predator, sucking dry to the bone,

Neglecting, rejecting. polluting his home.

A dreaming, thriving paradise gone awry.

Man's substitutions risk biologic solutions:

Sanctioned killing, deforesting, oil spilling,

Mutating, irradiating, over planting yet starving, 

Geneticizing, pesticiding and ghettoizing,

With intoxicating denial and utter destruction.

God’s human child is a rebelling fetus,

Dreaming of thriving, while aborting.

Mother nature's womb strains with labor -

A breach in her belly of balance, while man

Still ignores the bounteous land

And perfects environmental murder.

She inhales and expels her offspring -

God's children with great riches and genius

Into the void with the power to choose

To create heaven or hell on earth.

Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place. 

The first piece of the full armor of God described by Paul was the belt of truth, which we studied previously. Today, our focus will be on the breastplate of righteousness, which protected the vital organs of the Roman soldier's body. The heart and lungs are no less significant for us as Christians than for Roman soldiers of Biblical times. Since we know we are not talking about an actual breastplate, what are we referring to in this scripture? The protection that righteousness provides to us on a daily basis. To be righteous is to be in divine will. That is, to live according to the laws of God. We do our best to live in such a way and when we fail to do so, we know we must repent our sins to God. This was the reason Jesus died for us -- to forgive us for our sins. 

Proverbs 4:23 tells us: Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. (NIV) Here we see that the wellspring is the source and beginning of all life. In Philippians 4:7 we read, And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (NIV) In other words, although we are in battle and we may not know the reason, we go with the peace of God. We know our hearts and minds are guarded in Christ Jesus. He is our protection, our breastplate of righteousness, in essence. As such, He guards our hearts and minds, which we know to be closely connected.

The breastplate of righteousness also protects the lungs. According to Genesis 2:7,  Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. Likewise, we read in Job 33:4: The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life. The Bible affirms the importance of our lungs. Without breath, we have no life.

Therefore, we must protect our vital organs by donning the full armor of God every day. Why every day? Because we know the dark forces of this world are not on holiday. They assert themselves into our lives whenever, however and where ever they can. We have the authority through the power of God to withstand those attacks. It is our responsibility, since God's word tells us the importance of doing so, to put on the whole armor of God to keep ourselves protected. If we give evil an inch, it will surely take miles of liberty with our lives. That is why we stand our ground and stand firm. We do not turn and run in fear. There is no need to be afraid, because we stand firm in the might of the Lord. We know this is a spiritual battle and our enemy uses us to get to our Creator.

Father God, Let us always remember the price you paid with the life of your precious Son, Jesus. On our behalf, He suffered and bore the burden of our sins, because we are human and totally incapable of doing that for ourselves. Thank you for your love, your mercy and grace and for listening to us as we repent for our sins. Embolden us in your power, Lord, through the gifts of your written word, your living Word, your Holy Spirit and our ability to prepare ahead of time for each day by putting on the full armor. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for all of these gifts and for hearing our prayers and showing us through the example of your Son how we can live and best overcome the issues we deal with in everyday life. In the precious name of Jesus of Nazareth, I pray, and by the power of your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Devotional

Ephesians 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.


In previous blogs, I discussed betrayal and forgiveness, as well as boundaries and trust. I also mentioned our need for the armour (armor) of God. It is clear from the scripture above that spiritual warfare is very real. That's why we are instructed to put on the armor. We need to stand against the devil's schemes; the powers of this dark world; the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. We can rest assured the day of evil has definitely come and has been here since day one in the Garden.


Let's look at one piece of armor at a time. Why do you believe the belt of truth is to be buckled around your waist? Do you ever use the term "gut feeling"? Is it possible that our gut feelings are sometimes wrong? Absolutely, if we are discerning in and of our own wisdom and conviction. We should be convicted by the Holy Spirit about what is true and trustworthy. 


Our gut feelings need to be based in spiritual discernment as directed by the Lord God Almighty. We need to study God's truth daily. That means our truth is to be based on studying and knowing the written Word of God. Allowing Him to guide us daily while praying and meditating on His Word is how we are meant to walk His truth in each situation and relationship we encounter. 

Devotional

Let's revisit the existence of evil in our world. There are religions that flat out deny that evil exists. They believe that God is good and created all things; He is omnipresent and omniscient; and, therefore, evil cannot exist. I believe that God is good and created all things, however, He is more than just good. The Bible tells us He is also Love, the Almighty, Salvation, Creator of all there is (including all beings given the gift of choice), Counselor, Wonderful, Prince of Peace, God with us, Lord of Lords, God who sees us, King of Kings, the beginning and the end, etc. 


I also believe that the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is omnipresent and omniscient. However, I do not believe for a second that satan or his minions can read our minds or be anywhere and everywhere and all knowing. Their power exists within the will of the Lord God Almighty to allow it, as He did in Job and many other Bible stories referred to below. In other words, our Heavenly Father (not satan who is the earthly father, the father of lies), has within His all-knowing power the ability to remove the ability for any creation to go about the earth seeking to kill, steal and destroy. 


However, God's Word tells us in story after story about God-created humans who behaved in a most evil way, such as Cain, Pharaoh, Jacob, Herod, Saul of Tarsus and Judas, to name a few.  Just the characters in these stories alone give a birds-eye view of murder, deception, mass murder, enslavement, deception, thievery, cheating, ungodly order in the home, confusion, mass murder, fear, hatred, greed, hardening of the heart, imprisonment of innocents, greed, betrayal and, of course, major deception and greed again and loads of pride. Also, notice the absolute destruction of families in all of these examples! What better way to destroy mankind than to attack the basic structure for which he was created - propagation, submission to God, and relationship.


Although there has been lots of discussion about whether the serpent was Satan or a cherub or ruler of this earth or Lucifer, it is clear that men have been given the freedom by our Heavenly Father to make choices. Those choices have been very wicked and sinful against God and our fellow humans. He has also allowed what satan meant for bad to be used for good, so that we know that all things work for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Recommended Reading

Have you wanted to understand the Bible better by learning more about Hebrew?


Go to www.Heart2Heart Ministries.com and download the first issue of Christian Roots Magazine, by editor Joan M. Brown. The online issue is free, however, you can choose  home delivery via the mail by purchasing a subscription, as referred to on the web site. 


Joan was impressive in an interview that I watched recently on a Christian television network. Watching to see what she has to share with us in the future will be exciting. I found the first issue to be very informative. For a first effort, I believe it is very good, although I can see areas where improvement are needed.


Let's watch together to learn what we can from this new information source and grow in our understanding of God's word. God's word is filled with much to learn and understand in relation to concepts and contexts, and this may be just one way to get us closer to the truth. What do you scholars out there think?