Dana's Christian Journey

musings of a thankful cancer survivor

Author: Dana

  • the other side of the world

    —

    Dana

    This week I have friends going to Latin America, Asia, and different parts of Europe. My family and thirteen others are flying to Namibia in Southern Africa. When Jesus said, “Go into all the world”, little did the early disciples know how this would be possible. There’s a man named Loren Cunningham, the founder of Youth With a Mission, who has preached in every nation on the earth. Can you imagine?

    But even with the speed of travel and our incredible means of communication, building the Kingdom is still a daunting task. Rich Mullins wrote this song called THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD:

    The other side of the world is not so far away as I thought that it was… and the distance just dissolves into the love.

    The New Jerusalem won’t be as easy to build as I hoped it would be… there are many bellies to fill and many hearts to free.

    The gates of Hell are not as prone to prevail as I once thought they were. The gates of Hell have been destined to fail… and I see Satan impaled on the Sword of the Word.

    Chorus: I see a people who have learned to walk in faith with mercy in their hearts and glory on their faces… and I pray it won’t be long until Your Kingdom comes.

    Wherever we are, may the God of peace allow His Good News to touch the hearts of men and women. And may His love and mercy be demonstrated by the people who wear the Savior’s Name.

    I hope to write again in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your prayers!

    “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” Matthew 28:18-20

  • invitation

    —

    Dana

    Lately, I’ve had some of the most enjoyable weeks with our son, Taylor. It started with an invitation: “Dad, would you be my partner in a fishing tournament?” I’m not nearly as good a fisherman as he is, but we have had great fun planning strategy and getting ready for the Saturday competition. Though I can’t report that we came close to winning, I have, once again, noticed God’s willingness to be involved in every aspect of our lives.

    I could almost write a book about the many times God has revealed Himself to my children while fishing, and I am convinced it is because they simply ask. “Lord, will You help us?” The Father in Heaven relishes these invitations just as much as us earthly fathers do! And while He may not choose to let us catch the biggest fish every day, He has His ways of answering.

    About ten years ago such an answer came as we reached the end of a grueling day of unsuccessful fishing. Eight-year-old Taylor finally determined the problem and stated, “We haven’t prayed!” I said, “You’re right, Taylor, why don’t you pray.” “Lord, will You help us catch a fish? We haven’t caught one all day.” Within a few minutes, this simple prayer was answered, but it was not the way Taylor had planned. His six-year-old sister, Kinsey, pulled in a good-sized catfish. To make matters worse, as her grandfather helped Kinsey bait her hook again, Taylor discovered, to his great dismay, that she had taken the last worm. Realizing sibling difficulty mounting, I quickly borrowed some of Solomon’s wisdom and cut the poor worm in two, giving half to Taylor and half to Kinsey. As Taylor walked to the pond, he asked with a pitiful voice, “Dad, why can’t I catch a fish?” For some reason, a Bible story came to mind. “Remember when Peter couldn’t catch anything one day? Jesus told him to fish out in the deep.” Immediately, Taylor replied, “You mean to tell me, if I cast out in the middle I will catch a fish?” I quickly wondered if I had given a wrong reply; we never caught fish in the middle of that pond! “Uh, Taylor, I’m not sure…” But it was too late. As half a worm flew out to the middle of the pond, a little voice yelled, “If Jesus said it… it has to be true!” I kid you not, within three seconds he was reeling in a big catfish.

    After Taylor proudly carried the fish to us and pulled the hook out of its mouth, I noticed him retrieve a tiny piece of that half of a worm. As he took off running back to the pond, I yelled, “What are you doing? We’re ready to go!” Taylor shouted back, “But Peter didn’t catch just one!” Within a minute, the little fisherman was reeling in his second catch of the day.

    As we thank the Lord for His great love, may our ears be open to His invitation. A long time ago, some fishermen heard these words and were never the same.

    “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ‘Come, follow me,’ Jesus said, ‘and I will make you fishers of men.’ At once they left their nets and followed him.” Matt 3:18-19

  • important things

    —

    Dana

    Someone asked me to call their friend who had just been diagnosed with multiple myeloma. As I talked to a dear man and his wife, who are facing a great battle, I remembered all the questions, confusion, and fear that accompanies this disease. “Friend”, he told me over the phone, “I have to tell you, we’re just a little scared.”

    At the doctor’s office this week, I saw the father of one of my old students. He has been fighting leukemia. The chemotherapy knocked out the leukemia but brought another cancer that has attacked his bone marrow. He is on his way to Texas for a bone marrow transplant and will be away from home for a minimum of four months. “I would appreciate your prayers”, he humbly requested.

    I talked to another friend this week whose sixteen year old son is approaching the end of treatment for leukemia. This family loves God and testifies of His faithfulness through the storm. The son is a courageous young man.

    At a tennis match this week, I saw one of my old players who is now in his mid twenties. He is fighting lymphoma with a great attitude. He told me he is closer to God than he has ever been.

    Though going through intense trials, these people all have a perspective that is very focused. All that is unimportant or distracting has been cut away and clear priorities are in view. Four years ago, when I first started working again, I realized with amazement all the trivial things we worry about. It seemed that everyone was running ninety miles an hour and going no where. “Lord, I’ll never get in the rat race again,” I claimed. Now, despite my good intentions, I find myself running ninety miles an hour, worrying about things that aren’t that important.

    I’m not sure how to avoid the pace of our society, but one thing I know: we cannot neglect the things that are important. I must pray for Buck, Don, David, and Shaun. I must love my wife, Susan, my three precious children, and Terry and John. People are important… “Lord, help me to love.” No matter how busy I am, if a friend is in need, I must find the way to serve him. And most importantly, I must walk with the Lord. He is our God, a mighty Fortress. He is our Shepherd and faithful Friend.

    “Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. May your deeds be shown to your servants, your splendor to their children. May the favor of the Lord our God rest upon us; establish the work of our hands – yes, establish the work of our hands.” Psalm 90:1,12,16,17

  • cost

    —

    Dana

    I asked our eighteen-year-old son, Taylor, what he thought of the movie, LUTHER, and he said, “It was kind of depressing. Thousands of people died because of what he did.”

    The Holy Spirit made Paul’s letter to the Romans come alive in Martin Luther. A young man found the love of God in a perfect Savior who died to rescue the undeserving. “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.” In the movie, Luther’s mentor saw the life of a young priest being transformed, so he challenged him to go out and change the world. But when controversy exploded and pressure increased, even the teacher encouraged his student to recant. This was Luther’s reply: “When you told me to go change the world, did you not think there would be a cost?”

    We might expect personal difficulty as we obey God, but should our obedience hurt others? In MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST, Oswald Chambers wrote, “If we obey God it is going to cost other people more than it costs us, and that is where the sting comes in. If we are in love with our Lord, obedience does not cost us anything, it is a delight, but it costs those who do not love Him a good deal. If we obey God it will mean other people’s plans are upset, and they will gibe us with it – ‘You call this Christianity?’ We can prevent suffering; but if we are going to obey God, we must not prevent it, we must let the cost be paid.”

    The only way to walk such a path is to have the mind of Christ. Jesus only cared what His Father thought, so He walked free from the fear of man. Even His enemies gave Jesus this compliment: “You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are.” As you read the gospels, notice the unflinching resolve of the Son to obey the Father. Peter was one of those who would be “hurt” by Jesus’ obedience. He did not like talk of trial and crucifixion, so one day he pulled Jesus aside to rebuke Him. “‘Never, Lord! This shall never happen to you!’ Jesus turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God but the things of man.’” Oh that we may choose “the things of God” above “the things of man.”

    “As they were going out, they met a man from Cyrene, named Simon, and they forced him to carry the cross.” Matthew 27:32

  • Luther

    —

    Dana

    I recently watched the movie, LUTHER, and was reminded afresh of the war in the spiritual world. Martin Luther, an imperfect man, came to a life-changing realization: CHRIST IS EVERYTHING. No wonder chaos broke out. No wonder a price was put on Luther’s head. No wonder a fire blazed across the world.

    It is the truth of Christ that causes the devil to rage and the kingdoms of this world to fight. Christ demands our kingdoms fall… and how we love our kingdoms. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day would not entertain the thought of giving up control. No evidence of miracles, knowledge of Scripture, or insight into the heart of God would change their minds. “This man must be destroyed or our whole world will change!” So, without knowing his prophetic message, the high priest, Caiaphas, declared, “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” (see John 11:45-53)

    This same spirit opposed Luther. “If people embrace this man’s preaching about indulgences, we’ll lose our income! If the common man reads Scripture in his own language, we’ll lose control!” The same spirit is at work in many parts of China today, where preaching from the book of Revelation is outlawed, because a King higher than any world government is proclaimed to have supreme authority. The same spirit creates havoc when a child of God declares truth that may not line up with man’s teaching within a denomination. James revealed the weapon most often used in our land: “The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.”

    So if the battle is not against flesh and blood, what do the forces of evil in heavenly realms most fear? Is it not the message of Christ? “I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly!” “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” The Law cannot save… “For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast.” Put aside man’s traditions and run to Jesus. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And when the devil raises his ugly head, tell him you will not fear… for your Redeemer lives.

    In a powerful scene in the movie, Martin Luther, declared the truth that echoes throughout eternity. “If we truly believe that Christ is our Savior, then we have a God of love! And to see in faith is to look upon His friendly heart. So when the devil throws your sins in your face and declares that you deserve death and Hell, say this: “I admit I deserve death and Hell, what of it? For I know One who suffered and made satisfaction in my behalf. His name is Jesus Christ, Son of God, and where He is there I shall be also!”

    “I know that my Redeemer lives, and that in the end he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God; I myself will see him with my own eyes – I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me!” Job 19:25-27

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