My Journey With Cancer, Part 50, By David Maddox
One of the best things about being a cancer patient is the convenient state of amnesia that seems to fall upon you when the “switch is turned on” and you find yourself in the valley of reasonable normalcy. Suddenly – for me almost immediately – you forget how the side effects of the chemo have impacted you, and like experiencing a sun rise at the beginning of a new day, can only rejoice over how many days or weeks it is till you have to do chemo again. For me it is two weeks and I am going to treasure and enjoy every single one of those days. Thank you Lord.
Last week was a good week as well. We had something going every day with our church, friends, or family. This week we look forward to special time with my brother Fred, his bride Melba, their child Jenifer and her husband Justin. It has been a long time since we were together – too long. The following week just Janet and I are going to escape to Carmel, California for a few days just to relax and enjoy each other, the Lord, and the beauty of His creation. Obviously all of this is subject to God’s will which is a reality always on the mind of a Christ Follower with cancer. Then on the 23rd we will begin chemo again, but for now that seems like a thousand years in the future.
On Saturday I attended the memorial service for Lane Ratliff. Lane was the man in charge of all the IT matters at the law firm. Over the years Lane became a friend. He was a solid Believer which meant that as we cried, he was in the presence of the Lord. As the service proceeded I could not help but be aware that he was diagnosed with his cancer after mine was diagnosed and he died in a matter of months. That is twice now since my diagnosis that people I know personally with cancer have died quickly – and yet God has graciously allowed me to live these many months. I spent some time in prayer there thanking God for the time He has given me and seeking His enablement to use every minute going forward wisely for His honor and glory.
As the service proceeded and I listened and watched the pain of those who knew and loved Lane I had this compulsion to scream out – “”It wasn’t meant to be this way. God’s creation did not include death – and it won’t be this way in our heavenly home.” Of course I didn’t, but I know that is how Jesus felt. People don’t think about it, but the truth is that according to what is presented in Scripture no one ever died in His presence – or if they had died they did not stay dead. I thought of the widow at Nain. Jesus did not know her previously. He did not speak with her before He acted. He just saw her as part of the funeral procession carrying her son’s body and “felt compassion for her.” Don’t you love that compassion, but even more that as God He could (and did) do something about it.
Scripture tells us that He saw, He walked up and told the widow not to weep, He touched the coffin, and then commanded the dead young man to arise which he immediately did. Now came the “fun” part – Jesus gave the risen young man back to his mother (Luke 7:11-15). Hallelujah!
I was also thinking about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus came to the site of the tomb to raise Lazarus, yet despite knowing what He would do, when He saw the suffering of those He loved who were grieving Scripture tells us “Jesus wept”(John 11:30-44). I know that Jesus wept with me and all the others at Lane’s service. He didn’t weep for Lane. Lane was with him probably weeping as well and for the same reason. Those he loved were suffering his loss and it was never supposed to be that way. What a privilege to serve a God who shares my tears. You may not know it but Scripture tells us that along with our prayers, God saves our tears and what we share about Him together (Psalm 56:8) (Revelation 5:8) (Revelation 8:3) (Malachi 3:16). God treasures those who seek to follow Him in ways we cannot even imagine.
I have been asked to lead several memorial services in my life time. Fortunately they were all for Believers. Scripture offers those grieving separation from a Believer so much hope, but there is no hope for the unbeliever. I thought about that as I prayed for those attending the memorial service. The verses after John 3:16 tell us the ugly reality that, “Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God” (John 3:18).
I don’t even know what I would say at an unbeliever’s funeral. You would have to speak with a passion to the living for it is too late for the dead. That reality is what drives me to want everyone to know and follow this Jesus who is this God of love and compassion and tears – who came and died to offer us a choice. That choice is expressed in God’s Word and is what we call the Gospel – we all are sinners (Romans 3:23) – the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) – but while we remained sinners Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) – we can’t earn forgiveness by good works or being good we must accept the gift (Ephesians 2:8-9) – to be saved (what the Bible says) we must confess Jesus as our Lord and believe that He died in our place to suffer the punishment for our sin and rose on the third day (Romans 10:9-10).
This past weekend I heard two public professions of what was represented to be the gospel of Jesus Christ. One was, but the other was the more often proclaimed “half gospel” which is no gospel. The “half gospel” proclaims that Jesus died on the cross, and calls for repentance and faith as the assurance of forgiveness of sin and eternal life. The problem with that is you only make Jesus your Savior and Jesus didn’t die just to save us from hell. He died that we would come into the kingdom of God – and the founding basis of any kingdom is that there is a king – and that He rules over those in the kingdom. Jesus must be our Lord as well as our Savior- or He is not our Savior and we are not in the kingdom (Romans 10:9). We cannot simply accept what Jesus did on the cross and go on living as before and believe that we are saved. Jesus put it simply, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them and they follow Me” (John 10:27). A “sheep” that does not follow Jesus is a goat.
Sorry for the emotion. It is not my intention to frighten anyone or make you mad. I just care that you know the truth while you can still make the choice to follow Jesus. Love you. Thanks for your partnership on the journey.
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.
