Matthew 5:6
I, and most westerners, do not have much idea what it means to be truly hungry. When I think I am hungry, that means that my stomach is empty. Hunger for survival is a foreign concept to me—and I like it that way. However, all of us, if we have been paying attention at all, have seen images of people that are desperately hungry – Haiti after the earthquake, South Asians after the Tsunami, refugees from the genocide in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Rwanda. They are hungry. They need to eat to survive.
I wish I were that hungry spiritually. Oh, I feed myself daily, but sometimes it is only a snack, not a meal. Sometimes I scarf it down rather than chewing it properly, savoring the flavor and getting the most out of it. I know lots of Christ followers that are spiritually anorexic. They starve themselves because they mistakenly assume that a little food on Sunday will get them by the rest of the week. Try that physically. Go eat Sunday dinner after church, and then don’t eat again until the next Sunday’s lunch. Same principle applies.
I need to be in the Word each day, and I need God to increase my appetite for food and drink spiritual. He can do that a number of ways. During the last nine months, I have been hungrier for Him than hardly any other time in my life. Being diagnosed with an illness that ends with seeing Him face to face should make me want to know Him better. But, I would suggest that you avoid this type of appetite inducement if at all possible. Allow God to work in your life to, and take time to eat every day. The more you eat, the more likely your appetite will grow.
Update
Last week I had to deal with one of my "bi-annual sinus/chest infections," What I call "the Lowry Crud." Usually, before Stem Cell Transplant (SCT) I could get my antibiotic and any other meds over the phone. Now, post-SCT, never again will I get "doctored" over the phone. I do appreciate my allergist coming in early to see me. Not many docs will do that. My chemo has left some of my counts low, so my oncologist has asked me to hold off the chemo pill until I see him on Friday. I have. So, the infection is on retreat, and hopefully the counts are coming up.
Ask God to give my doctors wisdom as they work to keep me healthy and to find what keeps the cancer very unhealthy. Your prayers are still the critical ingredient in my treatment. Don't let up.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Blessed Are The Self-Controlled
Matthew 5:5
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness, I have read, is not weakness, but Spirit empowered self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The phrase, “shall inherit the earth” is quoted from Psalm 37:11.
Self-control has to be Spirit empowered, because the huge majority, if not all of us, do not have any! Oh, we do most of the time, but those are the times that any of us would be in control of ourselves. It is times of frustration, temptation, stress, grief, or even joy that we can be out-of-control.
Maybe the self-controlled will inherit the earth because they are the ones that will be able to function when others cannot, will not, or do not. It takes relying on the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, and controlled by the Spirit for it to happen.
Update
I am feeling good. Pushed it pretty hard this week, so I am taking it a bit easier today. My biggest fear is that many will see how well I am doing, and will stop praying. Don't! Every day, something—even if it is just taking the pills—reminds me that I have cancer, and that reminds me that God is in control, and I can trust Him, with me.
“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
Meekness, I have read, is not weakness, but Spirit empowered self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). The phrase, “shall inherit the earth” is quoted from Psalm 37:11.
Self-control has to be Spirit empowered, because the huge majority, if not all of us, do not have any! Oh, we do most of the time, but those are the times that any of us would be in control of ourselves. It is times of frustration, temptation, stress, grief, or even joy that we can be out-of-control.
Maybe the self-controlled will inherit the earth because they are the ones that will be able to function when others cannot, will not, or do not. It takes relying on the Spirit, being filled with the Spirit, and controlled by the Spirit for it to happen.
Update
I am feeling good. Pushed it pretty hard this week, so I am taking it a bit easier today. My biggest fear is that many will see how well I am doing, and will stop praying. Don't! Every day, something—even if it is just taking the pills—reminds me that I have cancer, and that reminds me that God is in control, and I can trust Him, with me.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Blessed Are Those Who Know Sin is Serious
Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”
Perhaps in the same breath that he spoke the words about knowing you are needy, Jesus speaks of mourning over your personal condition. This isn’t sorrow over getting caught, or fear of being found out. What does God not already know? (Perhaps we fear earthly repercussions more than heavenly ones.) It is sorrow over sin—sorrow that leads to repentance. Paul amplified it this way in 2 Corinthians 7:10:
The comfort he speaks of is comfort of forgiveness. If you repent—turn away from your sin and turn toward God—then you will be comforted. 1 John 1:9 reminds us “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Confess means “to say the same” and in this context means to say the same thing about a thought or action that God says about it. If He says it is sin, then call it sin. Do you ever have trouble calling something you know is wrong “sin”? I do. Seems I can call it a flaw, shortcoming, something stupid, or whatever, much easier than agreeing with God that it is “sin.” But that is the starting point to forgiveness. Confession is acknowledging what God has already said about something. It is letting myself know that I agree with God about it.
Speaking of the day when Jesus would come and make this forgiveness possible, Isaiah 40:1-2 says,
Those were words to the entire Jewish nation of the coming Messiah. He would pay for their sins, once for all. That payment is now effective for every Christ follower.
1 Peter 3:18 says it this way, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (NASB) Notice that first phrase. Christ died once for all sins. He didn’t deserve it, we did. He was completely innocent. We are completely guilty. He died in order that we might be brought to God. That is comforting.
An Update
I continue to feel well. People even tell me that I look good. (Yes, that rarely happened before I was sick.) Anyway, in spite of my "good" looks and feelings, I still desperately need your prayers. Unless it has been removed by the Father and we have not yet discovered that, the cancer still lurks in my bone marrow, awaiting an opportunity to rear its ugly head. More than the meds, your prayers keep it at bay. Please don't let up. Those prayers mean more than you know.
Oh, here's a view from a home I recently visited with friends up in the NC mountains. Soooo Nice!
The front porches of the house were right on this stream.
Perhaps in the same breath that he spoke the words about knowing you are needy, Jesus speaks of mourning over your personal condition. This isn’t sorrow over getting caught, or fear of being found out. What does God not already know? (Perhaps we fear earthly repercussions more than heavenly ones.) It is sorrow over sin—sorrow that leads to repentance. Paul amplified it this way in 2 Corinthians 7:10:
Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
It is sorrow that brings about change.The comfort he speaks of is comfort of forgiveness. If you repent—turn away from your sin and turn toward God—then you will be comforted. 1 John 1:9 reminds us “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.” Confess means “to say the same” and in this context means to say the same thing about a thought or action that God says about it. If He says it is sin, then call it sin. Do you ever have trouble calling something you know is wrong “sin”? I do. Seems I can call it a flaw, shortcoming, something stupid, or whatever, much easier than agreeing with God that it is “sin.” But that is the starting point to forgiveness. Confession is acknowledging what God has already said about something. It is letting myself know that I agree with God about it.
Speaking of the day when Jesus would come and make this forgiveness possible, Isaiah 40:1-2 says,
Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins. (NIV)
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the LORD's hand
double for all her sins. (NIV)
Those were words to the entire Jewish nation of the coming Messiah. He would pay for their sins, once for all. That payment is now effective for every Christ follower.
1 Peter 3:18 says it this way, “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit;” (NASB) Notice that first phrase. Christ died once for all sins. He didn’t deserve it, we did. He was completely innocent. We are completely guilty. He died in order that we might be brought to God. That is comforting.
An Update
I continue to feel well. People even tell me that I look good. (Yes, that rarely happened before I was sick.) Anyway, in spite of my "good" looks and feelings, I still desperately need your prayers. Unless it has been removed by the Father and we have not yet discovered that, the cancer still lurks in my bone marrow, awaiting an opportunity to rear its ugly head. More than the meds, your prayers keep it at bay. Please don't let up. Those prayers mean more than you know.
Oh, here's a view from a home I recently visited with friends up in the NC mountains. Soooo Nice!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Blessed Are Those Who Know They Are Needy
Matthew 5:1-3
Jesus saw the multitudes and took the opportunity to teach them many things. I think it pretty appropriate that his first words to them are both and encouragement and an affirmation. To imaginatively paraphrase, “Happy are those who know they are needy. You know you don’t know everything there is to know. You know you need more for life. Well, you are in the right place at the right time. Listen to what I have to say hear, apply it, and you will find yourself a part of the kingdom of heaven.”
This hits me at the core of my American-Western self-sufficiency. The “I can do it” attitude has to eventually understand there are some things it cannot do. We Americans have accomplished some amazing things, but that doesn’t mean we are all knowing and able to fix everything. Other nationals developed lots of the things we enjoy, and even with their help we still cannot put everything right. What has happened, I am afraid, is that we have chosen to ignore or explain away those things we cannot fix—the things of the spirit. We have achieved much in the physical realm, from manufacturing to medicine. We have learned, through drugs, to alter or numb some of the disorders of the soul. But the realm of the spirit is God’s realm. Only He can do the work that needs to be done in every person’s life.
I would posit that the spirit of a man or woman is the foundation upon which they live, move, and have their being. If that spirit is not rightly related to God, then there is a very weak foundation indeed. My physical maladies of late remind me how fragile this body is, and how things can be going terribly wrong inside without the first “check body” warning light illuminating on the mind’s dashboard. Soul maladies—the things of the mind, will and emotions are more challenging. Why do I think the way I do? Why do I act the way I act? Why do I feel the way I feel? If my spirit is estranged from the Creator, then my answers will be at least somewhat in error.
Paul helps us understand this better in Acts 17:24-31. He is in Athens, expounding the good news to the elite: “In Him we live, move, and have our being” (emphasis added). Jesus said blessed are those who know they are needy—spiritually needy, spiritually poor—for they will seek the truth, find it, and become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
How needy am I? Plum needy—completely needy. I may find treatment for some of my physical issues or challenges. I may be able to treat some of the maladies of my soul. Yet, I cannot fix my spirit. It is the deepest part of who I am. Only the designer-creator knows how it works. Only He can fix it—if I allow Him to.
Health Update:
I am feeling well. So far, the maintenance chemo is not making me feel any ill effects. Keep praying that is the case. There are other side-effects that can only be followed by doing blood work, so I will be going to the doctor on a weekly basis for a tiny bit of blood letting. You can pray those tests show the chemo having minimal impact on my body while at the same time doing their job.
Jesus saw the multitudes and took the opportunity to teach them many things. I think it pretty appropriate that his first words to them are both and encouragement and an affirmation. To imaginatively paraphrase, “Happy are those who know they are needy. You know you don’t know everything there is to know. You know you need more for life. Well, you are in the right place at the right time. Listen to what I have to say hear, apply it, and you will find yourself a part of the kingdom of heaven.”
This hits me at the core of my American-Western self-sufficiency. The “I can do it” attitude has to eventually understand there are some things it cannot do. We Americans have accomplished some amazing things, but that doesn’t mean we are all knowing and able to fix everything. Other nationals developed lots of the things we enjoy, and even with their help we still cannot put everything right. What has happened, I am afraid, is that we have chosen to ignore or explain away those things we cannot fix—the things of the spirit. We have achieved much in the physical realm, from manufacturing to medicine. We have learned, through drugs, to alter or numb some of the disorders of the soul. But the realm of the spirit is God’s realm. Only He can do the work that needs to be done in every person’s life.
I would posit that the spirit of a man or woman is the foundation upon which they live, move, and have their being. If that spirit is not rightly related to God, then there is a very weak foundation indeed. My physical maladies of late remind me how fragile this body is, and how things can be going terribly wrong inside without the first “check body” warning light illuminating on the mind’s dashboard. Soul maladies—the things of the mind, will and emotions are more challenging. Why do I think the way I do? Why do I act the way I act? Why do I feel the way I feel? If my spirit is estranged from the Creator, then my answers will be at least somewhat in error.
Paul helps us understand this better in Acts 17:24-31. He is in Athens, expounding the good news to the elite: “In Him we live, move, and have our being” (emphasis added). Jesus said blessed are those who know they are needy—spiritually needy, spiritually poor—for they will seek the truth, find it, and become a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven.
How needy am I? Plum needy—completely needy. I may find treatment for some of my physical issues or challenges. I may be able to treat some of the maladies of my soul. Yet, I cannot fix my spirit. It is the deepest part of who I am. Only the designer-creator knows how it works. Only He can fix it—if I allow Him to.
Health Update:
I am feeling well. So far, the maintenance chemo is not making me feel any ill effects. Keep praying that is the case. There are other side-effects that can only be followed by doing blood work, so I will be going to the doctor on a weekly basis for a tiny bit of blood letting. You can pray those tests show the chemo having minimal impact on my body while at the same time doing their job.
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