I received nothing I wanted, I received everything I needed !

I sat in church on Sunday listening to our pastor expounding Scripture on the life of Paul and his encounter with God on the way to Damascus. I came to the conclusion that my challenges are not even coming close to those of Paul who, after a confrontation with God and his conversion, became a true disciple of Jesus and faced many hardships that are described in 2 Corinthians 11: 25

Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Yet despite all this Paul laboured on for his Lord.

We all face challenges in life and we don’t always see them as God intervening in our lives for our good. At first when I was diagnosed with cancer I could not see it either and at times wondered what God had in mind. I have come to the conclusion that cancer in my life has become a blessing in many ways, at the same time we continue to pray for healing. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us.

We should never try to figure out how God is going to answer our prayers. Trust that God will answer prayer, He promises in the Bible multiple times and in different ways that He "hears the needy when they cry" and that "whatsoever we ask of the Father in His name He will give it to us". Whatever circumstances you find yourself in, remind God of his own promises. Hebrews 10: 23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Our lives appear to revolve around my cancer, last week we visited with the radiation Oncologist and on November 20 I started a series of 5 radiation treatments to hopefully shrink the cancer on my spine. I received one treatment every day, today being the last one. Last week it got to the point that the cancer in my spine really started to give me much discomfort and pain. I was told today by the radiation oncologist that some patients with Kidney cancer don’t respond to radiation treatments. Each time I get this kind of news I can only look to Christ, He can do miracles. This week I will have another visit with my Oncologist in Vancouver.

The journey with cancer can be challenging, however what a difference it is when God is in it, I couldn't imagine these turbulent times without Him. Many of you have challenges in life; please never forget that God has a purpose for every life, which becomes a real adventure for those willing to cooperate. Just look at Paul, he faithfully followed the call from his Master and Lord and became a pillar of faith to those whom he ministered too. I pray that you will have the same courage and dedication for Jesus in your life as Paul did.

Thank you for your care and tokens of love in so many ways. God be with you.
Remember, the best things in life are not things!
John

I asked for strength: and God gave me difficulties to make me strong.
I asked for wisdom: and God gave me problems to solve.
I asked for prosperity and God gave me brain and brawn to work.
I asked for courage and God gave me danger to overcome.
I asked for favours and God gave me opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted: I received everything I needed!

Gods measurements

In Isaiah 40:12 we read that God measures everything, “Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand and marked off the heavens with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure and weighed the mountains in scales and the hills in a balance “

Just sit back and think about that, He measures the oceans in the hollow of His hand and measures the dust and weighs the mountains. I find that amazing. God does all these things to the very things He created and He does the same to people. I am personally experiencing that day after day, God measured up my shoulders before He laid on me this load of cancer. He knows how much I can carry, and I can honestly tell you that when scripture tell us in Matthew 11: 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." I am also experiencing that too. There are people that have asked me how I am dealing with this difficult journey of cancer, at times I feel that those that ask are more burdened with it than me. I often tell folks, at times it may be difficult but it is bearable because the Great Burden bearer Jesus Christ is helping me to carry my load and that is why my yoke is easy and burden is light. How I thank God for this time and again. From a worldly perspective the future looks grim, from an Eternal perspective it is nothing but gain. If there was ever anyone that experienced that Gods yoke is easy, and His burden is light it was Paul. He suffered a great deal in his life for the sake of the Gospel and Jesus Christ, he spoke these profound words from his prison cell in Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ--and to die is gain!"

This does not mean that I am not praying for healing, I am praying for that often and I pray that God will give me more time here with my loved ones. This week I celebrated my 59th birthday and find myself too young to die, that too I place into Gods Almighty and capable hands. He knows what is best, He already knows the outcome and that is wherein I can rest.

Before Jesus spoke the words "For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." He said in verse 28 "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

Dear friend, have you personally surrendered to Jesus? You too can place your burdens on this same Jesus. Your burden of sin, worldly care burdens, family burdens, financial burdens and personal burdens can all be brought to Jesus. Confess your sins, believe on Him, place your trust in Jesus and He will be your Comforter for this life and all Eternity. This is Gods promise, Psalm 9:10 And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

This week was good but my back is starting to give me more discomfort and I have decided to go for radiation treatments early next week to hopefully shrink the tumor on my spine and deal with the discomfort. Standing up for a longer period is becoming difficult, but sitting or lying down is not a problem. Please pray that these treatments will help, pray for healing and a peaceful heart and that my faith will not fail. Thank you for your cares and the huge amount of birthday and well wishes this week. Thank you, I pray that God may bless you abundantly in this life.

Abiding in Christ.
John

STEPHEN CHARNOCK (1628-1680): Prayer is nothing else but a pleading on God’s promises.



The Weaver

THE WEAVER

My life is but a weaving between my Lord and me,
I cannot choose the colors He worketh steadily.

Oft times He weaveth sorrow, and I in foolish pride
forget He sees the upper but I the under side.

Not till the loom is silent and the shuttles cease to fly,
shall God unroll the canvas and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needed in the Weaver's skillful hand,
as threads of gold and silver in the pattern life has planned.

Benjamin Malachi Franklin (1882-1965)

Don't waste your cancer

Many of you may know John Piper, a pastor from Minneapolis and author of many books. For those of you that do not know John Piper, here is a good opportunity to get to know him.

One of his booklets is titled “Don’t waste your cancer”. I found it a very good example of how we are to deal with the things that God allows in our lives, no, it is not by accident that we get struck by some kind of illness and that includes cancer.The big question is, what do we do with it? Curse God or ask God to use this opportunity for yourself and others.

Here is a link to this booklet; you can read it online for free. I know you will be blessed by it. Maybe you can see or add your own illness or accident to this story. No, it is not just for those that are afflicted by cancer, it is everything that God allows to happen in our lives, even as small as a headache.

 John Piper writes about the following points in his booklet.

1. We waste our cancer if we don’t hear in our own groanings the hope-filled labor pains of a  fallen world.
2. We waste our cancer if we do not believe it is designed for us by God.
3. We waste our cancer if we believe it is a curse and not a gift.
4. We waste our cancer if we seek comfort from our odds rather than from God.
5. We waste our cancer if we refuse to think about death.
6. We waste our cancer if we think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
7. We waste our cancer if we spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
8. We waste our cancer if we let it drive us into solitude instead of deepen our relationships with manifest affection.
9. We waste our cancer if we grieve as those who have no hope.

I have tried hard not to waste my battle with cancer and share my story and God’s blessings with others. We pray often for healing but even more that God will help me carry this load which can at times weigh very heavy on my heart. We pray that God will use my cancer to bring sinners to repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and I pray that my cancer will not be in vain.

There are days when I wonder if I will see the end of 2012 because of the discomfort I feel inside my body.There are also days when I feel good and look to the future with great anticipation. I have to learn however to take life and its blessings day by day and stop looking too far into the future, that already is a challenge on its own.

Today is 3 weeks ago that I stopped Chemo treatments that too has its challenges. At times I feel more vulnerable because I am not taking any meds, yet I know that God is in control and that healing only comes from Him.The diet I am on is not a pleasant one. I always loved my food but now the joy of eating is no longer there, now I just eat to live. No meat, no salt or spices, no dressings of any kind but just fruit, veggies, fish and yogurt, it’s all very bland and tasteless but the blessing is that I can still eat.

I am not as tired as I was before and I have more energy, however, I can feel that things are happening inside of my body. It’s hard to explain how and what I feel but it is uncomfortable at times.

I want to thank all the people that stop me, call or email me to encourage me time and again, your words may be few, you maybe don’t know what to say but your words and prayers mean a lot to me and Henrietta. It is truly blessing for us. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
God bless you and keep you.
John

The Love of Christ

Romans 8

35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.