Cancer and God's Supreme Control

Cancer. There are few other words in the English language that are dreaded as much as this word. But what is God's will for us even when we are faced with a trial as great as cancer? Can we trust Him?

I preached his past Sunday out of Isaiah 38 - the story of Hezekiah's healing from a cancer-like (perhaps even cancerous) sickness - while this story of a pastor who was recently diagnosed with cancer lingered my mind. Now the point of Isa. 38 is that Hezekiah could trust God with his health crisis because he knew that the sickness was as much in the hand of God as the healing. This brings us to the reason why I am recommending you read "Don't Waste Your Cancer" by John Piper and David Powlison - both men who have been afflicted with cancer.

Here's a snippet by David Powlison from the article: "Suffering really is meant to wean you from sin and strengthen your faith. If you are God-less, then suffering magnifies sin. Will you become more bitter, despairing, addictive, fearful, frenzied, avoidant, sentimental, godless in how you go about life? Will you pretend it’s business as usual? Will you come to terms with death, on your terms? But if you are God’s, then suffering in Christ’s hands will change you, always slowly, sometimes quickly. You come to terms with life and death on his terms. He will gentle you, purify you, cleanse you of vanities. He will make you need him and love him. He rearranges your priorities, so first things come first more often. He will walk with you. Of course you’ll fail at times, perhaps seized by irritability or brooding, escapism or fears. But he will always pick you up when you stumble. Your inner enemy - a moral cancer 10,000 times more deadly than your physical cancer - will be dying as you continue seeking and finding your Savior: 'For your name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my iniquity, for it is very great. Who is the man who fears the Lord? He will instruct him in the way he should choose' (Psalm 25)."

And here is the ten ways that the experience of cancer can be wasted:

1. You will waste your cancer if you do not believe it is designed for you by God.
2. You will waste your cancer if you believe it is a curse and not a gift.
3. You will waste your cancer if you seek comfort from your odds rather than from God.
4. You will waste your cancer if you refuse to think about death.
5. You will waste your cancer if you think that “beating” cancer means staying alive rather than cherishing Christ.
6. You will waste your cancer if you spend too much time reading about cancer and not enough time reading about God.
7. You will waste your cancer if you let it drive you into solitude instead of deepen your relationships with manifest affection.
8. You will waste your cancer if you grieve as those who have no hope.
9. You will waste your cancer if you treat sin as casually as before.
10. You will waste your cancer if you fail to use it as a means of witness to the truth and glory of Christ.

What does Christlike humility look like?

Cultivate Humility - Part 2

by Ryan Townsend

"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." - James 4:6

Here's more great stuff to read slowly and prayerfully from Stuart Scott's From Pride to Humility: 

A list of 24 manifestations of what Christ exalting humility should produce in your life.

1. Recognizing and trusting God’s character (Psalm 119:66)

2. Seeing yourself as having no right to question or judge an Almighty and Perfect God (Psalm 145:17; Romans 9:19-23)

3. Focusing on Christ (Philippians 1:21; Hebrews 12:1-2)

4. Biblical praying and a great deal of it (1 Thessalonians 5:17; 1 Timothy 2:1-2)

5. Being overwhelmed with God’s undeserved grace and goodness (Psalm 116:12-19)

6. Thankfulness and gratitude in general towards others (1 Thess. 5:18)

7. Being gentle and patient (Colossians 3:12-14)

8. Seeing yourself as no better than others (Romans 12:16; Ephesians 3:8)

9. Having an accurate view of your gifts and abilities (Romans 12:3)

10. Being a good listener (James 1:19; Philippians 2:3-4)

11. Talking about others only if it is good or for their good (Proverbs 11:13)

12. Being gladly submissive and obedient to those in authority (Rom. 12:1-2, 13:1-2)

13. Preferring others over yourself (Romans 12:10)

14. Being thankful for criticism or reproof (Proverbs 9:8, 27:5-6)

15. Having a teachable spirit (Proverbs 9:9)

16. Seeking always to build up others (Ephesians 4:29)

17. Serving (Galatians 5:13)

18. A quickness in admitting when you are wrong (Proverbs 29:23)

19. A quickness in granting and asking for forgiveness (Colossians 3:12-14)

20. Repenting of sin as a way of life (Colossians 3:1-14; 1 Timothy 4:7-9)

21. Minimizing others’ sins or shortcomings in comparison to one’s own (Matthew 7:3-4)

22. Being genuinely glad for others (Romans 12:15)

23. Being honest and open about who you are and the areas in which you need growth (Philippians 3:12-14; Galatians 6:2) 24. Possessing close relationships (Acts 20:31-38)

reposted from http://blog.9marks.org/2010/01/cultivate-humility-part-2.html

But...how does one remain humble?

Q: “How does a follower of Jesus remain humble? I see areas of pride in my life, I confess them to my Father, but how do I remain in a state of humility?” In other words, can humility be maintained with the result that failures of pride will be drastically reduced over time? This great question begs the following questions as well: Is it reasonable to expect that we can remain in a state of humility for an extended period of time? What should I expect of myself? What does God expect of me?

A: I have a three-part answer by way of three illuminating questions:

1. What is the source of humility? Humility is not the by-product of “humble behavior”. In other words, acting humble won’t produce a humble state-of-mind (soul). In fact, the example of the Pharisees strongly indicate an opposite outcome. True humility is born of a sensitivity and awareness to the presence of God in a person’s life. To the degree that a person is encountering the living God, will he/she experience a sense of humbleness. Having a humble mind will produce humble behavior (cp. Phil. 2:5ff), not the other way around. Since this is true, we must ever learn to first “practice the presence of God” (ala Brother Lawrence) before we practice our Christianity!
2. Should I expect to see less sin over time? Since sanctification is a generally gradual and upward process experienced throughout one’s life, one would expect that he/she would see less and less sin in themselves over time. However, true spiritual progress produces a surprisingly different result. Notice that the more Paul grew mature in his faith, the more he became aware of his sinfulness and capacity for failure (cp. 1 Cor. 15:9 – near the beginning of his ministry; Eph. 3:8 – about the middle of his ministry; 1 Tim. 1:15 – near the end of his life)! Yet, he didn’t despair that he wasn’t all that he could be for Christ. Instead, this led him to realize that he was truly on the way and this brought him joy – not disappointment (Phil. 3:12-14). Why? Because he saw that his spiritual progress had less to do with his efforts and more to do with God’s grace (Titus 2:11-14). So when you become acutely aware of sin in your life and you are broken over it, take this is as a sign that you are growing, not slipping backwards!
3. On what should my focus be – grass or weeds? So often, we look at the garden of our lives and we see the weeds before we notice the grass. We get frustrated and sometimes even panic because, after all, we think, My garden is supposed to be “weed-free”, yet it isn’t! Ah, stinking weeds! I must rid myself once and for all of these shameful blights in my garden! We run to the garage and grab the strongest chemical we can and feverishly begin spraying everything that remotely resembles a weed. In fact, we get so focused on treating the weeds that we forget to water the grass! And while we may have laid waste to the weeds for the day, what will inevitably appear there tomorrow or the next day? Weeds! They will return because my garden is still on earth, not heaven. It is for this reason, I believe, that the NT spends more time on how to grow grass than kill weeds. And the logic is simple enough, for if our grass grows strong, healthy, and abundant, there will be less and less room for weeds. Our focus must be on developing our Christ-character by addition and multiplication and not just subtraction (cp. 2 Pet. 1:4ff). Also, we must keep in mind that if God can be patient with us, we can be patient with ourselves without violating passages like 2 Pet. 1:4ff which advocate an aggressive approach to positive character-building in the Christian life. 

Symptoms of Pride - by Ryan Townsend

Cultivate Humility - Part 1
by Ryan Townsend

"God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble." James 4:6

In his booklet From Pride to Humility, Stuart Scott has compiled an insightful list of 30 biblical indicators as to whether pride is resident in our hearts. Read these slowly and prayerfully.

1. Complaining against or passing judgment on God (Numbers 14:1-4, 9, 11; Romans 9:20)
2. A lack of gratitude (2 Chronicles 32:25)
3. Anger (Proverbs 28:25; Matthew 20:1-16)
4. Seeing yourself as better than others (Luke 7:36-50)
5. Having an inflated view of your importance, gifts and abilities (Acts 12:21-23)
6. Being focused on the lack of your gifts and abilities (1 Cor. 12:14-25)
7. Perfectionism (Matthew 23:24-28)
8. Talking too much (Proverbs 10:19)
9. Talking too much about yourself (Proverbs 27:2; Galatians 6:3)
10. Seeking independence or control (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 5:21)
11. Being consumed with what others think (Galatians 1:10)
12. Being devastated or angered by criticism (Proverbs 13:1)
13. Being unteachable (Proverbs 19:20; John 9:13-34)
14. Being sarcastic, hurtful, degrading, talking down to them(Proverbs 12:18, 24)
15. A lack of service (Galatians 5:13, Ephesians 2:10)
16. A lack of compassion (Matthew 5:7, 18:23-35)
17. Being defensive or blame-shifting (Genesis 3:12-13; Proverbs 12:1)
18. A lack of admitting when you are wrong (Proverbs 10:17)
19. A lack of asking forgiveness (Matthew 5:23-24)
20. A lack of biblical prayer (Luke 18:10-14)
21. Resisting authority or being disrespectful (1 Peter 2:13-17)
22. Voicing preferences or opinions when not asked (Philippians 2:1-4)
23. Minimizing your own sin and shortcomings (Matthew 7:3-5)
24. Maximizing others’ sin and shortcomings (Matthew 7:3-5; Luke 18:9-14)
25. Being impatient or irritable with others (Ephesians 4:31-32)
26. Being jealous or envious (1 Corinthians 13:4)
27. Using others (Matthew 7:12; Philippians 2:3-4)
28. Being deceitful by covering up sins, faults, and mistakes (Proverbs 11:3; 28:13)
29. Using attention-getting tactics (1 Peter 3:3,4)
30. Not having close relationships (Proverbs 18:1-2; Hebrews 10:24-25)

View the original post on "Church Matters: The 9Marks Blog": http://blog.9marks.org/2010/01/cultivate-humility-part-1.html

The Ocean of Divine Love

The love of God to His people was as eternal
as the eternity of His being, as everlasting as
His uncreated nature. "I have loved you with
an everlasting love." It panted, it yearned for
an outlet. It sought and found it in Christ.

Nowhere in the heavens above, or in the
earth beneath, or in the waters under the
earth; no star, no flower, no creature, so
reveals, expresses, and embodies the love
of God as the gift of His dear Son to die
for our sins!


Oh, what love is this!

"God so loved the world!"

So loved, that He gave Jesus!

Jesus is the most precious exponent of God's
love: Jesus descends from the bosom of His
love; Jesus draws aside the veil of His love;
Jesus is God's love expressed, God's love
incarnate, God's love speaking, laboring,
dying, redeeming! Beyond this it would
seem impossible that love could go.

Jesus is the channel through which the ocean
of Divine love washed the shores of this earth,
its soul healing waves spreading like a sea of
life over our sin tainted, curse blighted, sorrow
stricken humanity.

Oh, let every affection of our heart, every
faculty of our soul, every power of our mind,
every action of our life, embody as its grateful
response the words of the adoring apostle,
"Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable Gift!"


Octavius Winslow (1808-1878)

10 Questions Regarding Worship

1. What is worship?
2. Why is having a biblical understanding of worship so important?
3. How will a better understanding of worship improve my walk with God?
4. What makes for an 'appropriate response' in worship?
5. Why are God-encounters necessary for worship to occur?
6. In what ways can I be certain to have an encounter with God?
7. What if I struggle to want to worship God?
8. What should I desire so that I will worship God?
9. Do worship experiences and encounters with God just happen, or must they be planned ahead of time?
10. What is the biggest issue to face when it comes to corporate worship?

My answer to question #1 is that worship is an appropriate response to an encounter with God that results in God being glorified and the worshipper being humbled. I know that I have worshipped when I have encountered the living God and responded in an appropriate way to the revelation of who He is or what what He has done.

Happy Are the Mourners

Matthew 5:4

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

The last thing we want to be is sad. Mourning is seen as something connected with grief, loss, and death. We picture people at funerals, dressed in black, wiping their tears. Not exactly a pathway to happiness. But is this what Jesus had in mind?

What is meant by ‘mourning’ here?

‘Mourning’ here does not mean that we Christians are to be a melancholy and depressed people. Rather, this mourning is a spiritual mourning. Jesus sets forth here the inner attitude of mourning which comes about from an awareness and encounter with Almighty God. This is a mourning which occurs when one awakens to the reality that he dwells in a world separated from its loving Creator (Matt. 23:37-39), and when he himself senses his own distance from a holy God (Isa. 6:5).

Why are the mourners ‘blessed’?

Since this mourning is the emotional counterpart of being ‘poor in spirit’ (5:3), we can see that God calls those happy who have a right estimate and realistic view regarding themselves, the world they live in, and the God who created them. For this reason, they are called ‘blessed’, or ‘happy’, because they do not live blind to the truth as Jesus said some do (Luke 6:25).

But Jesus says that the primary reason they are blessed is because they are now in a position to receive the comfort God longs to give them. Paul, who lamented over his inescapable lostness in the cry of Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” was also able to find and proclaim his joyful deliverance in the very next verse, “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Once again Jesus presents us with a paradox – the way up is down. “That is the astounding thing about the Christian life,” writes Martyn Lloyd-Jones. “Your great sorrow leads to joy, and without the sorrow there is no joy.”

How are we to mourn?

1. We must get into the presence of God.
2. We must ask God to give us the grace we need to be deeply affected by that which grieves God.
3. We must be willing to take action as we mourn to be God’s agents of redemption.

We will ache at sin

Where is our ache at sin’s devastation? Where is the mourning of the church at the violence of abortion and the pain of its living and dead victims? Where is the mourning of the church at the fracture of families because of the selfishness of men and women? Where is the mourning of the church at the way in which that pornography and prostitution has enslaved millions? Where is the mourning of the church at the realization that our city, nation, and planet is at war – not with opposing nations, cultures, and ideologies – we are at war with God Himself because we have abandoned our Creator for gods made in our own image?

We will grieve for the lost

“I am speaking the truth in Christ--I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit--that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.” (Rom. 9:1-3)

We will revel in our salvation

Romans 8:31-39:

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died--more than that, who was raised--who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who 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.

Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “Now this is not only true at conversion; it is something that continues to be true about the Christian. He finds himself guilty of sin, and at first it casts him down and makes him mourn. But that in turn drives him back to Christ; and the moment he goes back to Christ, his peace and happiness return and he is comforted. So that here is something that is fulfilled at once. The man who mourns truly is comforted and is happy; and thus the Christian life is spent in this way, mourning and joy, sorrow and happiness, and the one should lead to the other immediately.”