Getting Close to Coming Back to Church

After my last visit to Stanford and getting a seemingly clean bill of health, I was approved to finally be able to go to church. So, we went the next Sunday where we had a former student of mine and a friend speak at the church. His message was entitled, When God puts you to the test. Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader? He began by reading John 6:1 that says, “After this…” But after what? It was sometime after the presentation of John in chapter 5 on the deity of Christ. Here, the speaker, Dr. Roger Martin said that John 5:1-9 Jesus demonstrates Himself to be God, in John 5:17 Jesus claimed to be equal with God, in John 5:18 the Jews seek to kill Jesus for His claim. In John 5:21-27 Jesus’ position as Judge and His authority speaks of His Deity, in John 5:29 the two resurrections speak of His Deity, in John 5:3, John the Baptist spoke of His Deity, in John 5:36 Jesus’ miracles spoke of His Deity, in John 5:37 God the Father spoke of Christ’s Deity, in John 5::39 the Scriptures spoke of Christ.

Why is this important? Roger said, “Because Jesus Christ is the answer to every problem! He will either solve the problem or give you grace to go through it."

Now, in John 6:1-14 there are THREE big problems!

How to feed 5,000 men plus women and children
How to build faith in Philip
How to get unbelievers to believe

Philip’s Problem: The Test Question: Where are we to buy bread that these may eat? (John 6:5)

Philip’s Answer: “200 denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them for everyone to receive a little” (Literally: ‘For everyone to receive one bite)

What About Tests?
Tests are God-given opportunities to discover our competency! (Are we ready for the next assignment?)
Tests are God-ordained challenges to make us stronger! (He knows what we will need for the future)
Tests are God-designed instruments to measure our progress! (Are we continuing to grow?)

For instance, there can be Tests of our:
• Faith
• Gratitude
• Obedience
• Knowledge
• Willingness
• Servanthood
• Boldness/Courage
• Follow-through
• Trust
• Faithfulness
• Availability

Principles to Grasp

God is just as interested in working in you as He is in working through you!
(So anticipate His tests in your life)
If we want to pass the tests God puts in our lives, we must first understand the question!
(So don’t be afraid to focus on the real issues)
Every test from God is an act of His grace because He really cares about you!
(So welcome His tests as a part of His love for you!)

The message was very appropriate to our church and certainly to my situation. We were glad he could be with us. The next Sunday, I preached. It was the first time since February. One of our nurses in the church told me to plan on sitting down during the message. She also noticed how I was walking and she said, “Get a cane.” I said, “They gave me one at Stanford” and she said, “Use it then!” So I am back at church sitting on a chair and using my cane. Thanks for your prayers to be able to be back again with our people.

Survivor Winner Has Cancer

The day after James “JT” Thomas was revealed as the winner of “Survivor: Cocantins,” news broke that Ethan Zohn, winner of “Survivor: Africa” has cancer.

“This is the ultimate game of Survivor and there’s really only one outcome, and that’s to win,” the 35-year-old told People on Monday. “There’s no other option.”

According to E! Online, night seats and strange itching led the reality-TV star to think he had some sort of skin condition until he was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin’s disease April 30….He began chemotherapy treatments on Friday….”My life flashed before my eyes.”….However, the pair have good reason to be hopeful—survival rates for Hodgkin’s lymphoma are up to 90% percent.

Zohn will lose his signature curly hair within the next few weeks. He’ll take the initiative to buzz it himself before then.

For an update on myself, my hair is coming back in. It looks just like fuzz at this stage and it is darker on my face. I seem to be getting stronger and walking better. The doctors are still urging me not to be in crowds for awhile. I have a meeting June 5 at Stanford and hope to have some more green lights to attend church and even do some speaking. The church board, however, is urging me to get well so I won’t experience some kind of a relapse. They are so patient and kind. We have a great group of people at FBC in Walnut Creek.

Oakland Man Finds New Life through Cancer Battle

Jill Perry of our church saw this article below and made sure I was able to see it. She wrote, “Hi Pastor, I hope everything is going well and that you are feeling stronger every day. I finally was able to get that story for you about the Oakland man who had Stage 4 lymphoma….Quite an inspiring story. Of course, I think you and Koyce have quite an inspiring story also. You both amaze me with how you have handled all that you have gone through. We miss you at church and look forward to the day we can see you either sitting in the crowd or preaching from the pulpit. We will be happy with either one.
Take care and hurry back. Love, Jill.” The article is below.

MATT RHODES didn't realize how alive he could be until he overcame a period in his life when it looked as if he might be dying.

Diagnosed with stage-four Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 31 in 2001, Rhodes' cancer rendered him unable to walk because a tumor was pressing against his spinal cord. The Oakland resident learned a year later that his doctor estimated his chances of survival at one in three, and other doctors had calculated it at one in five.

"That was probably the first time it really hit me how close I was to death," said Rhodes. "The tumors had gone outside of my lymph system, so they were basically everywhere. My whole chest and torso was pretty much full of tumors — my spleen, my lungs, my bone marrow — all over the place."

Fast forward to today. Rhodes, 39, is cancer-free. He and his wife, Claire, have become avid triathletes, competing for charity under the banner of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training program.

It's a phenomenal survival story, with a neat love-story subplot. Before he contracted lymphoma, Matt considered himself a reasonably healthy bachelor who ran a little and worked out at the gym to stay in shape. But after surgery to remove the tumor, followed by 12 weeks of chemotherapy and 12 weeks of radiation treatment, he had to learn to walk again. He used a walker at first, then a cane. About a year into his rehabilitation, he went on a ski trip to Colorado, where he met Claire through mutual friends. While the two were swimming, she noticed a large surgical scar on his back. He told her his cancer story and thought he'd killed a budding romance.

"When we got back to the lodge, I made things even worse by showing her a Web site I'd made with pictures and a journal from my rehab," he said. "She basically got to see me near death only a year before. She was flush and had a blank look on her face afterward, and I thought, 'Good job, Matt. Way to screw up this relationship. This isn't going anywhere.' But she stuck with a guy who should have been a 'no' the second you hear stuff like this."

Claire wound up shifting Matt's physical mind-set into overdrive. An avid runner, she convinced him they should try the inaugural Hike For Discovery at the Grand Canyon, where they came in contact with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which sponsored the event. They were married shortly after in 2004, settled in Oakland, and at Claire's urging entered a triathlon through Team in Training, which has prepared more than 380,000 novice athletes for marathons, triathlons and cycle rides, raising nearly $1 billion for research, education and patient aid since 1988.

"I'd never done anything like this," Matt recalled. "I'd only done one other race in my life, a four-mile road race. I had no real concept of what it would take or how good it would feel. My initial thinking was do something easy, but Claire said, 'No, no, let's challenge ourselves.’”

Since 2006, Matt and Claire have competed in more than 10 triathlons together, raising several thousand dollars toward finding a lymphoma cure. They recently took part in the Avia Wildflower Half-Ironman and are now training for their third Escape From Alcatraz triathlon in June. Even though Claire generally beats Matt, he adores the fast-growing sport.

It still grabs him sometimes that he is able to compete. Rarely does a day go by when he doesn't reflect on what he overcame.

"It's a wonderful irony that I'm out here running and cycling when my diagnosis had me not walking, and possibly worse," he said. "My first three or four triathlons, I'd get choked up during the race because I'd get to that moment where I realized what I'm doing and how lucky I am. I'd look like an idiot on the course because I'd be wheezing, barely able to breathe, because I would get so emotional."

As for Claire's influence on his life, Matt said, "She believes in herself in a great way and me in a way that makes me do things I never thought I could do before."

Claire has made inspiration her life's work. She is director of the San Francisco arm of Girls On The Run, a nonprofit prevention program that helps preteen girls develop self-esteem and healthy lifestyles through running. Matt is a computer software animation and graphics developer who provides inspiration simply by telling his story whenever and wherever he can.

"Team in Training tries to contact people who are going through treatment so they can receive support from our group, but also we use them as honorees as inspiration for the team," he said. "It's give-and-get inspiration. For me, it's a real honor to hear that I inspire people." In truth, they both do.

When Medicine and Faith Collide--What about the Child?

Because we have heard on the news a situation with a 13-year of boy with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, I have been following this story with interest. Today, Seminary President Albert Mohler weighed in on the story. He writes below saying,

“Recent cases involving parents who claim a religious reason to refuse medical treatment for children have cast this issue back into the Public Square -- and right into the headlines.

The cases draw immediate attention for good reason. Each case involves a sick or injured child, and in each case at least one parent refuses to allow needed medical treatments, claiming either a reliance upon divine healing, a resignation to the divine will, a medical practice specific to the religious tradition, or some particular objection to a specific medical treatment (such as a blood transfusion) or to all medical interventions.

Each case involves what appear to be conflicting interests -- the parental right to determine the raising of children and the state's interest in protecting the health and welfare of all citizens, including minors. All of these cases are tortuous in some sense, and some are deeply tragic.

In the case of Daniel Hauser, a 13-year-old Minnesota boy with Hodgkin's lymphoma, the issue is the fact that his mother, Colleen Hauser, has defied legal authorities and is believed to have taken him to Mexico for non-traditional treatments for his cancer. The Hausers believe in medical practices based on Native American traditions. After an emotional appeal from the boy's father, the mother and son returned Memorial Day to Minnesota, where he will now receive treatment directed by pediatric oncologists. There is good reason to hope that the chemotherapy will be successful in the case of this treatable cancer.

In another highly publicized case, Leilani Neumann of Wausau, Wisconsin was convicted last week of second-degree reckless homicide in the death of her 11-year-old daughter, Madeline Kara Neumann. Mrs. Neumann refused to allow medical treatment for her daughter's diabetes, and the girl died. The mother claimed a belief in faith healing as her rationale for refusing medical treatment for her daughter. According to medical authorities who testified at the trial, insulin and fluids would have kept the girl alive. Mrs. Neumann now awaits sentencing.

Another recent case involves a 16-year-old boy in Oregon who died a painful death when his parents refused medical treatment for what started out as a simple urinary tract infection. Citing a belief in faith healing, his parents substituted prayer for medical treatment. According to medical authorities, the boy's death was easily preventable.

As these cases make clear, the headlines draw attention for good reason -- children deserve medical care and parents who refuse medical care in cases such as these have no right to allow their children to die without the care and treatments.

And, amazingly enough, there is a strong moral consensus in this country that children deserve medical care and that the state has the obligation to intervene in such cases. This consensus includes both political liberals and conservatives and includes the vast majority of Americans regardless of religious conviction. Though there are important legal issues at stake, a broad consensus exists on this narrowly-defined question. In cases like those recounted above, there is no outcry against state intervention from Christian conservatives or from secular liberals.

The 1944 U.S. Supreme Court decision Prince v. Massachusetts set parameters that continue today. In that case, the Court acknowledged the rights of parents as fundamental. In an important statement the court expressed this right: "It is cardinal with us that the custody, care and nurture of the child reside first in the parents, whose primary function and freedom include preparation for obligations the state can neither supply nor hinder. Pierce v. Society of Sisters, supra. And it is in recognition of this that these decisions have respected the private realm of family life which the state cannot enter."

But the Court also found that there were issues of the welfare of a child that could draw state authorities into this "private realm." Specifically, "The right to practice religion freely does not include liberty to expose the community or the child to communicable disease or the latter to ill health or death."

As a parent, I respect this point. I cannot imagine denying my child any needed medical treatment or defending the right of others to do the same, whether claiming religious liberty or parental freedom for the care and nurture of the child.

I would defend the duty of the state to intervene in these cases, and I am thankful for the broad consensus that stands behind this duty.

I am not without concerns. Given the power of government and the reach of the state into almost all areas of life, the danger exists that the state could seek to expand this duty into other decisions related to education, discipline, and nurture -- the very issues acknowledged by the Court in Prince v. Massachusetts to "reside first in the parents." Yet, vigilance on those questions is the price that must be paid, lest more children be added to the list of those who die or are endangered by parents who claim a religious right to deny their child urgently needed medical treatment. As adults, parents have the right to refuse medical treatment for themselves. They do not have the right to refuse urgently needed medical treatments for their children.

As a Christian theologian, my concern is also directed to those who oppose medical treatment on what are claimed as biblical grounds. The Bible never commands any refusal of legitimate medical treatment. I am unspeakably thankful for modern medicine, for antibiotics and anesthesia and chemotherapy and dialysis and diagnostics. The list goes on and on. There is no Christian prohibition against legitimate medical treatment. I believe that God heals, that we should pray for healing in Christ's name, and that our lives are in God's hands. I believe that all healing comes ultimately from God, but that He has given us the blessings of medicine for the alleviation of much suffering and the treatment of disease. There is no conflict here.

There are serious issues of medical ethics in the case of some treatments, even as there are excruciating dilemmas that confront physicians, patients, and parents. Those must be acknowledged, but they are not the issues at stake in these cases.

In these cases I advise what the great Reformer Martin Luther advised -- take your medicine and put your trust in God. For parents, this means to give your child the best care that modern medicine can offer, and to entrust your precious child to God and to God alone.”

Look for the rainbows

On Friday, we visited Stanford once again. I had a CAT scan and they took some more blood samples. We met with our oncologist and she suggested that I could back off on some of my meds. The meds were often making me just gag right after I took them. It was like World War III going off in my stomach within seconds. We were checked over and we were given a good prognosis. I will go to Stanford every three months for the next year and twice the following year. Koyce and I were overjoyed with the news on Friday and so we get ready for the next five months of getting stronger, resting and staying healthy. We thank the Lord for our friends, your prayers and your love. We could have never gone through this without them. As Jo said in a previous note, prayers have been answered. By the way, a great song to see is I’m Alive illustrated with fighter jets. If you haven’t seen it, email me or leave a comment below and I will send it to you. Thanks again. We are flying high at the moment and for this we give God the glory. Praise be to Him, the Almighty, our LORD and savior. I trust that you will priase God this week along with us.

"When Life throws you a curve, SWING".

This statement above was developed by Alyssa Knight, age 12. It was picked up by Jo Sherman who said, “I saw this card and thought of you! You are swinging back—and an army of people who love you are praying! That’s how God works. What an encouragement you both are to me.” (I liked this card because the theme of it is similar to the theme of my blog, that is, we want life to be in a straight line but there are curves along the way. Also, this was written when I was not feeling like writing, but I wanted you to see it anyway.

In some ways we are going through this process with you—thank you making it so clear as to what to expect ad you go through the various steps. It makes it much easier to pray appropriately!

I think you must feel so horrible! And I pray, “Please God, take this away soon so David will feel better.” That seems to be all I know how to do! But just be aware that every day you are being prayed—and it is a priority.

I am keeping up with your blog but there isn’t much as to news there right now so I am assuming this is a tough time and it will get better soon! I pray for success for you and the doctors in all that is being done—and expect to hear you are doing well!Every day we will continue to pray for you both—and thank God for what he is doing for you! Much love to you both! Jo & Jack.

Jo, in another note wrote, "I just finished reading your blog. Wow! It is so great that the people who were there for you were able to listen as you related the gospel in such creative ways. I, of course, read your blog from the top down and should have gone down to the last bit that I had read and go back up! Anyway, after reading about the terrible nightmares and other "bad" things that happened as a result of the chemo, etc, it sounds as if you were quite uncomfortable for some time. The sores in the mouth and throat must have been difficult for sure.I hope you are gaining a bit more energy each day because I know it can be very discouraging when one feels they do not have the energy they want to have. It is especially difficult for someone like you who is always so energetic!Sounds like Koyce was a true trooper and the best help meet you could ask for!Have a terrific, wonderful good day, Jo"

A card Koyce received from Neva in Texas said, “Life’s Essentials… and then you open it up it reads, “…a little black dress, and one great friend!” Then she wrote, “Dear Koyce, This card just shouted to me of you! I would love to be with you for a visit. We could just enjoy a “chic day!” I am reading Ann of Green Gables and am feeling and thinking very imaginably. I hope your nursing is going well. I am so thankful that you have so many to help you during this time out. I am even looking to Hawaii for you! (Oh, just a dream). We love you and are praying for you, Gene and Neva.