My Journey With Cancer, Part 40 by David Maddox
Last week medically we had blood work done and an enhanced CAT Scan as part of what amounts to a quarterly review of the cancer’s growth and to monitor whether it has spread. Since I have a particularly aggressive cancer these checks are important, but to me all they reflect is what God allows or is doing since the doctor readily admits that he does not have a cure for what I have. On Monday we got the preliminary report on the tests from the Nurse Practitioner in charge of my case and God has been doing a lot. As I have told you before when we began this journey in January of last year the cancer doctor told us I have a “runaway train” inside and they have to stop it and then kill it. As I reported after the last tests in September it appears they have stopped it (Praise God), the blood test on the tumor markers vary up and down within a small window which translated means it is stable. The CAT Scan reveals no growth and no spreading of the cancer to other tissue or organs since the last test. Also no marked accumulation of fluid (again Praise God). Another piece of great news is that we can now schedule treatments four weeks apart instead of three. Hallelujah!!! This means an additional week each month when I will feel reasonably normal – can travel or be actively involved in ministry here.
All of this will need to be confirmed by a meeting with the cancer doctor next Monday after which we will send another update. We don’t expect any different information as we have been given copies of the reports. God is good. He is answering your prayers. Please don’t miss the miracle here. None of this is what the doctor has expected or what so many with a similar diagnosis have experienced. Please pray that God will either will heal it outright – or use the chemo to kill it even though the doctor does not honestly believe he can kill it – or that it will become something that does not physically interrupt or obstruct my physical ability to minister as He leads (another miracle needed).
Monday was also a great ministry day. As we met with the nurse since she too is a Believer we shared the joy of the miracle of what God is doing. I got tom give her a belated Christmas gift of Henry Blackaby’s devotional book “Experiencing God Day by Day”. She was thrilled. Before I could ask her to pray she said I could not go until I prayed for her. I learned for the first time as I ask about what she had previously requested prayer for that her husband was not a Believer. Join in prayer for his salvation.
When I was in the chemo infusion room God provided numerous opportunities with other nurses I have been sharing with over the past months and a special time with a new volunteer who now works there. I learned that she had recently been discovered with melanoma and had surgery which removed all the cancer. I also learned that she is Jewish. Her Dad was a holocaust survivor. He was captured by the Nazis and put in a work camp in Russia. He suffered from malnutrition to such an extent that he was starving. Miraculously a Red Cross inspection team was being brought to that facility so the Nazis let him go the inspectors would not see him in his physical condition. His ultimate escape, marriage and entry to the US is another series of miracles. I shared with her that God obviously had a purpose for her life which included her time there as a volunteer which was why her Dad was rescued. All of his other relatives were killed in concentration camps. Pray that I have the opportunity to share the Gospel with her on one of my other times in chemo infusion. Her name is Cindy.
The highlight of the Spiritual last week was our 2016 Revive Arizona Kickoff Banquet. We had around forty people – ten from Sedona and Prescott who joined with us and a surprise visit from Michelle Davidson from Time to Revive who was with her husband in Tucson on a business trip and who drove down for the night. The theme for the evening was that for the Christian life is about more than faith – it is also about doing because of what you believe – or as Henry Blackaby says, I can tell what you believe by what I see you doing – faith gets down into your feet.
James presents the great argument over faith and salvation in Chapter 2. The conclusion is clear there and in the writings of Paul that salvation is not a product of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The religion that believes salvation is possible only through works is Islam (not Christianity). However Scriptures clearly teach that works evidences salvation that comes only from faith (James 2:18-20). The absence of works evidences the absence of real saving faith (Matthew 3:7–8).
Jesus was really hard on those who believed that they could follow Him and yet do nothing but believe. He said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter” (Matthew 7:21) and “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). Jesus glorified the Father not by what He believed about the Father but by “accomplishing the work which You (the Father) have given me to do” (John 17:4). All of us have been given things to do for the Lord (Ephesians 2:10) and when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ it will be “so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done” (2 Corinthians 5:10) – whether we allowed God to work through us to accomplish His purposes. Be a man or woman of faith evidenced by works – and the main work Jesus clearly commanded us to do was evangelism and discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20).
Thank you for your partnership along this journey and your many prayers. God hears and is answering them.
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.