Matthew 5:9
Blessed are Those Who Make Peace, For They Shall Become Sons of God.
When we are making peace, we look like Jesus. Does this mean peace at any cost? Peace in spite of injustice? I don’t think so. But we are to bring peace to others.
For years, we served orphans in Romania. Part of that is an effort to bring God's peace to lives that have been disrupted by abandonment, neglect, abuse, and violence. They need peace—external and internal peace. That peace begins with love from others, but finds permanent roots in a relationship with Christ. Believers are to be agents of peace, but realizing that God is the author of that peace.
Update
I go back to Emory tomorrow for some more blood-letting. It was ten or eleven vials three months ago. Praise the Lord for the technology that allows them to stick you once for all rather than once per vial! This is my six-month-post-transplant follow-up visit. I'll also see the doctor or one of the Nurse Practitioners, for conversations about how I am doing. The test results won't be back for a couple of weeks, but you can pray that the results are good.
Your prayers are the best thing you can do for me.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Monday, September 6, 2010
Blessed Are The Pure-Hearted
Matthew 5:8
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
There is no impurity before God. His being is so untainted, without even a hint of impurity, that nothing contaminated with sin can be in his presence. It will not stand. We are born bent toward impurity. We have a natural leaning toward sin, and before we are very old, we have revealed that nature. We know this from our own children. The word we say most to our little, toddling offspring is “no,” not “yes.” That was true of our parent’s words to us. Isaiah said “All we like sheep have gone astray. Every one of us has turned to his on way.” (Isaiah 53:6, emphasis added.) Paul, in Romans 3:23, reminds us “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (emphasis added again)
Part of what makes God glorious is His total purity. I wonder what we would look like if every thought was pure, every action innocent, every word true? Hmm.
Truth is, we are not pure. How will we ever be able to stand before God? How can we get a pure heart? Isaiah finishes 53:6 with, “the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Paul tells us, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Only through Christ can we be made pure. It is His gift, from the suffering and blood of the Cross, which makes us pure. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB) Apart from Christ, I am hopelessly unrighteous. In Christ, I am made new. It is beyond my reckoning to understand all this, but my limited ability to comprehend does not make it less true.
Check out these additional passages of scripture to gain more insight. If you are reading this online, you should be able to click on each reference, as you can those above, and you'll be taken to the BibleGateway.com site, where you can read the scriptures, and look at them in their context.
Ephesians 2:1-10
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Hebrews 12:14
Revelation 22:3-4
1 John 3:2
Update: I am feeling well, perhaps a bit more tired than normal, but doing well. Keep the prayers going. They are everything.
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."
There is no impurity before God. His being is so untainted, without even a hint of impurity, that nothing contaminated with sin can be in his presence. It will not stand. We are born bent toward impurity. We have a natural leaning toward sin, and before we are very old, we have revealed that nature. We know this from our own children. The word we say most to our little, toddling offspring is “no,” not “yes.” That was true of our parent’s words to us. Isaiah said “All we like sheep have gone astray. Every one of us has turned to his on way.” (Isaiah 53:6, emphasis added.) Paul, in Romans 3:23, reminds us “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (emphasis added again)
Part of what makes God glorious is His total purity. I wonder what we would look like if every thought was pure, every action innocent, every word true? Hmm.
Truth is, we are not pure. How will we ever be able to stand before God? How can we get a pure heart? Isaiah finishes 53:6 with, “the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” Paul tells us, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8). Only through Christ can we be made pure. It is His gift, from the suffering and blood of the Cross, which makes us pure. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, NASB) Apart from Christ, I am hopelessly unrighteous. In Christ, I am made new. It is beyond my reckoning to understand all this, but my limited ability to comprehend does not make it less true.
Check out these additional passages of scripture to gain more insight. If you are reading this online, you should be able to click on each reference, as you can those above, and you'll be taken to the BibleGateway.com site, where you can read the scriptures, and look at them in their context.
Ephesians 2:1-10
1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Hebrews 12:14
Revelation 22:3-4
1 John 3:2
Update: I am feeling well, perhaps a bit more tired than normal, but doing well. Keep the prayers going. They are everything.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Blessed Are The Mercy Givers
Matthew 5:7
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
However, according to James 2:13, the converse is also true:
"Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful." However, the last part of that verse is good news, "Mercy triumphs over judgment!"
I have a hard time thinking about mercy without thinking about grace—God’s grace. If you are my age or close, that may elicit a memory of a hymn: The last verse says, "Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe. All who are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive? Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.”
Jesus isn’t just speaking of the grace and mercy of God toward me, though. He is speaking of the mercy I am supposed to show others. I take that is spurts. It is very little trouble for me to show mercy to a little kid, even one that is somewhat annoying—at least for awhile. Drivers who pull out in front of me elicit a less merciful response. That isn’t right, but is the way I tend to react.
Think about Jesus and the times he showed mercy. He showed mercy to those he healed. Perhaps He was showing a rather painful mercy toward the religious leaders he confronted by telling them the truth and pointing out their errors. He showed mercy to those who killed Him. He could have called down fire from heaven, and vaporized them on the spot. However, His mercy toward you and me was so strong that he willingly died, showing mercy to his immediate accusers and to us sinners far away in the future.
That is a level of mercy I know little about. I should show mercy as He does, to the homeless, to the needy, to the small, to the orphans and widows (scripture has a LOT to say about this) and toward whomever he brings in my path.
Bottom line. If I want people to show me mercy, I have to be merciful toward others, first.
Update
Went to the doctor on Friday. I get to do that every week, but I only actually see the doctor once a month. The other times are just to check in with the local vampires, uhm..., phlebotomist. (Blood letting seems to be a part of my treatment). This week, my number were back up, so I am back on my maintenance chemo, but every other day. We'll see how I tolerate this level of dosing. I never felt bad, but my platelets and white cell count dropped too low.
The only side effect I began to experience before they took me off the Revlimid two weeks ago was a little light-headedness upon standing. Not empty-headedness, just light. So, now, when I stand up, especially if I am in the middle of a room rather than near a wall which would withstand my leaning against it, I stand, and wait for, say, a ten-count. If I have my wits and my legs about me, I will move away from my chair. If not, I sit back down. You have to see the humor where you can find it.
Overall, I feel good—very good most days. That is an answer to your prayers. Keep them going up.
Thanks!
"Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy."
However, according to James 2:13, the converse is also true:
"Judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful." However, the last part of that verse is good news, "Mercy triumphs over judgment!"
I have a hard time thinking about mercy without thinking about grace—God’s grace. If you are my age or close, that may elicit a memory of a hymn: The last verse says, "Marvelous, infinite, matchless grace, freely bestowed on all who believe. All who are longing to see His face, will you this moment His grace receive? Grace, grace, God’s grace. Grace that will pardon and cleanse within. Grace, grace, God’s grace, grace that is greater than all our sin.”
Jesus isn’t just speaking of the grace and mercy of God toward me, though. He is speaking of the mercy I am supposed to show others. I take that is spurts. It is very little trouble for me to show mercy to a little kid, even one that is somewhat annoying—at least for awhile. Drivers who pull out in front of me elicit a less merciful response. That isn’t right, but is the way I tend to react.
Think about Jesus and the times he showed mercy. He showed mercy to those he healed. Perhaps He was showing a rather painful mercy toward the religious leaders he confronted by telling them the truth and pointing out their errors. He showed mercy to those who killed Him. He could have called down fire from heaven, and vaporized them on the spot. However, His mercy toward you and me was so strong that he willingly died, showing mercy to his immediate accusers and to us sinners far away in the future.
That is a level of mercy I know little about. I should show mercy as He does, to the homeless, to the needy, to the small, to the orphans and widows (scripture has a LOT to say about this) and toward whomever he brings in my path.
Bottom line. If I want people to show me mercy, I have to be merciful toward others, first.
Update
Went to the doctor on Friday. I get to do that every week, but I only actually see the doctor once a month. The other times are just to check in with the local vampires, uhm..., phlebotomist. (Blood letting seems to be a part of my treatment). This week, my number were back up, so I am back on my maintenance chemo, but every other day. We'll see how I tolerate this level of dosing. I never felt bad, but my platelets and white cell count dropped too low.
The only side effect I began to experience before they took me off the Revlimid two weeks ago was a little light-headedness upon standing. Not empty-headedness, just light. So, now, when I stand up, especially if I am in the middle of a room rather than near a wall which would withstand my leaning against it, I stand, and wait for, say, a ten-count. If I have my wits and my legs about me, I will move away from my chair. If not, I sit back down. You have to see the humor where you can find it.
Overall, I feel good—very good most days. That is an answer to your prayers. Keep them going up.
Thanks!
Monday, August 30, 2010
Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Spiritual Food
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.
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.
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.
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