My Journey With cancer, Part 23 by David Maddox
Last week was chemo infusion number 9 – still with the same regiment as we began in February. Today we reached the top of what I have come to call the “mount of side effects” and started down toward what I call the “valley of reasonable normalcy”. Your prayers were once again answered and the side effects thus far have been as before – God is good. The next major milestone is Wednesday morning when we meet with our cancer doctor to get an evaluation of where we are and what is the plan going forward. We had a CAT Scan several weeks ago which he is comparing with one in April to determine how effective the treatment has been and what is next. These are dangerous times for a cancer patient as your imagination will run wild if you allow it or lose your focus. The reality never changes – God is in charge and what He declares or allows is what will happen – so worrying is a waste – our place is to trust Him and give Him glory. Pray that we will not lose our focus and that the doctor have wisdom to recommend only what God wants – and that we will have peace with whatever we may hear – good news or bad news as we may see it. We will send an update midweek on what we learn. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
Spiritually two subjects have really been on my heart this week. The first is the same as last week – Enoch, David and Abraham and the passion within to have more intimacy with Him – to be His friend – one who walks with Him – and one who is a man after His own heart. I have spent a lot of time in prayer over this subject wanting to seek Him with all my heart – wanting a new and more complete revelation of who He truly is. If Moses who spoke to the Lord face to face still wanted more and asked that God to “show me Your glory!” (Exodus 33:18) – then there is nothing wrong with a desire to have a greater revelation of Him so you can love Him more. God did not show Moses his glory, but He did come to him and revealed His goodness which is what Moses must have needed to see (Exodus 33:19-23).
As I have considered intimacy with God I was reminded of Jesus’ prayer in John 17 where He literally asks the Father that all Believers be one with Him and with the Father even as He is one with the Father and the Father is with Him (John 17:20-23). Let that sink in – one with Jesus and the Father even as they are – and remember that is what Jesus asked for us in prayer. That reality means that if we are not one as they were one – the problem is not with God – the problem is with us. We have become like beggars at a banquet table that refuse to eat and starve in the presence of all we could ever hope for to eat.
What distinguished Enoch, David and Abraham? Why were they singled out by the Lord for their intimacy with Him? The answer may not be as difficult as we think. It may be in the story we all love of Peter who was invited out of the boat to walk on the water to Jesus and began well, but he took his eyes off Jesus and put them on the circumstances (the wind and the waves). He almost drown and rather than knowing more about Jesus and sharing a special moment with Jesus, Peter found himself rebuked for his lack of faith. You cannot be intimate with one who you do not put your full focus on. We (I) allow so much to obstruct my view of the Lord that I miss when He calls to share a special moment together. I become like the disciples in the garden who when Jesus wanted to share His pain in preparation for the cross – fell asleep. They missed this intimate moment and the Lord knew there were limits to what He would be able to share with them until they changed their focus.
How does a wrong focus effect intimacy and how would you know? Consider the difference between the baptism of John (the Baptist) and Jesus. Scripture tells us that John’s baptism was, “with water for repentance”. We learn later in Scripture that John’s baptism for forgiveness of sins was not sufficient even to save (Acts 20:1-6). Jesus’ baptism, on the other hand, was “with the Holy Spirit and fire” (Matthew 3:11). If we are one with Jesus even as He prayed then we will have the Holy Spirit active in our life and our fire (our passion) will be for Jesus and that everyone know Him. When our main focus is on circumstances – marriage – work – health – needs etc. we do not have a passion for Jesus and for those who need to know Him – and we do not see the Holy Spirit working in us and through us for others. We become like those with John’s baptism – looking for forgiveness of sins, but not for an intimate relationship. We soon find that we are people like those warned in Hebrews who “must pay closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it” (Hebrews 2:1) – and as we drift away we are further and further from the object of our intimacy – Jesus.
The other focus was Israel and what Scripture tells us about the future of Israel. I don’t have time to detail all the Scriptures, but it is without debate that Jesus ultimate return will be to Jerusalem and that from there He will rule and reign on the earth for 1,000 years. From Abraham forward God’s promise has been, “I will bless you (the Jewish people), and him who dishonors you I will curse” (Genesis 12:3). Those Scriptures and the revelation in prophesy of nations united in the final battle against Israel frankly frightens me living in a nation whose current leadership is turning its back on Israel – making deals with its (also our) enemies which will lead to a nation which continues to call for the destruction of Israel to have nuclear weapons. America has lost its way because America is no longer led by people of the Word of God. Consider the question of why was there ever an America – why were we protected and provided such resources – why have we been allowed to lead and been so blessed? A look at who settled this nation and their original purpose will help answer that question. But there is more. I believe America was founded as a nation to be used to reestablish the nation of Israel which happened in 1948 when an American President push the UN to create a place of refuge for Jews after the holocaust. The magnitude of that only becomes clear when you understand that there was no nation of Israel from 70 A.D. to 1948. Additionally I believe that America was to protect and help Israel be established and become secure which we have done since then until now. Israel’s enemies would be our enemies. That is no longer true and I fear for our future if we continue down the path the current leadership has set.
Those are not intended as political comments. They are not intended to affirm secular Israel’s treatment of its neighbors and its restriction on the Christian faith. Those are comments which arise from seeking to walk in the fear of the Lord and belief that His Word is true. We can make ourselves God’s enemy and subject to the curse for God’s Word is true and He does not play favorites as the Jewish people learned when they rebelled against Him.
Thank you again for your prayers. We will give you an update later in the week.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.
