In His Grip is a weekly email newsletter, a ministry of Stronghold Ministry.

Fear’s greatest deception may be that it carries an air of inevitability – as if fear is the only appropriate response to a very troubling circumstance. Yet the phrase, “Do not fear,” appears 57 times in the Bible. The Lord is not only encouraging us not to fear, but clearly indicating we don’t have to fear. Fear is, after all, a choice. Does the Lord make it too easy? Perhaps we just make it too hard.

The Bible and history provide a long list of those who scoffed at fear in the midst of the most daunting dilemmas. You can join this list. Still have some doubts? Honestly, I still struggle with fears and insecurities. I’ve been thinking recently about root beliefs that bring me freedom from fear. The Lord wants to be our Stronghold, not fear.

1) God is on your side.

The God and King of the universe adopts those who receive Jesus’ free gift of righteousness into His royal family. (more on how here). To make this possible, He gave us His very best – Jesus. All other needs are minor and He willingly meets those needs FOR FREE. Freedom from fear is one of the “all things” that He freely guarantees in Romans 8.

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? – Romans 8:31b-32

 2) God guarantees victory over any fear.

Think about it – can anything be stronger or more powerful than God or His love? No possible way! So we can be totally victorious over fear in any situation – including sickness.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. – Romans 8:35 & 37

 Please note: the ability and power to overcome fear does not come from you – it comes from Him!

 3) God is not punishing you.

Sometimes we believe that we deserve something bad to happen to us. So the Lord will certainly not deliver us or even help us – we are on our own. This would certainly be cause to fear – if it were true. We must shake all guilt and shame through the work and shed blood of Christ on the cross. If you have trusted in Him and Him alone as your personal Savior, realize He has taken away all of your sins at the cross, even sins for which you’re struggling to forgive yourself.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. – Romans 8:1

There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. – 1 John 4:18 

Don’t ask for freedom from fear. Based on these passages, you already have it! So just claim your freedom now. Just thank Him now for granting it to you freely!

For a related devotional – check out “Panic Is A Choice.”

Lord, we fear NOTHING with You on our side!

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Find out about God’s love through the cross – The Two Ways To Get To Heaven

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-If you’re fighting cancer, please write and let us know how we can pray for you. We want to be “in your corner.”

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts. – Isaiah 55:9

Could the Lord have created a solar system on a smaller scale? Well sure, He can do anything. Is there a message in the vastness of the scale He chose? Definitely! To quote Him: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.” Now, do we really believe we could advise the Lord on how to better run His universe? The closest star in the heavens is a mere 93 million miles higher than the earth – quite the “knowledge gap.”

To get a better grip on this gap, consider the quiz God gave Job after listening to him spout off about the mysteries of His universe. Yet realize God’s list of questions for Job continues on for several chapters.

Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, “Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge? Now gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you instruct Me! Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy?”

Job quickly got the point. To properly evaluate God’s choices, our experience, wisdom and capabilities must match His experience, wisdom and capabilities. Keep in mind, Job’s exchange with God came fresh from the pain of Job’s loss of his ten children, all of his possessions, and last but not least, his health. So even in the agony of the tragic storms of life we have to remind ourselves of the knowledge gap.

Recently Stronghold Ministry has been praying for two young mothers fighting Stage IV metastatic melanoma. No doubt our intensity has been miniscule compared to the wrestling of small armies of friends and family. Still, both mothers passed away this past month… and both had four children. I, along with many others ask, “Why, Lord?”

Let’s suppose the best, most insightful answers to this question forms a tall mountain, the Mt. Everest of human understanding. Still, while comparing our highest mountain peak to the height of the sun, our answers are dwarfed by God’s answers. Someday in heaven we’ll fully explore and grasp the wonders of His ways, but for now, what can bridge this gap?

At the top of our knowledge mountain stands a cross – The Wonderful Cross – which extends through the heavens, touching the outer edges of the universe, and forever declaring God’s good intentions towards us. Once we were totally undeserving, yet He sent Jesus, His Son, to sacrifice Himself on that cross to deliver us sinners from eternal death and punishment.

 For Your righteousness, O God, reaches to the heavens, You who have done great things; O God, who is like You? (Psalm 71:19).

 For me, the cross fully explains all that I don’t yet understand. How about you?

Lord, we struggle – but help us trust your heart.

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. -Habakkuk 3:17-18

When my son and daughter were about 10 & 9 years old, we were walking along the shore of a lake. My son abruptly announced, “I smell Mexican food.” We were two miles from any restaurant, so I thought he might just be hungry. We walked another one hundred yards, and as we got closer to a truck parked along the lake, he said, “It’s in there.” Sure enough, as we looked at the seat of the unoccupied truck, there was a full bag of fast food from a familiar restaurant. I asked him how he could have detected the food from such a long distance, he said, “Dad, I was born to eat Mexican food.”

Now we all have different tastes and callings which we were born to carry out, but there is a common inclination in every human – praise. We are innately and unavoidably drawn to find things awesome. Though we are awe-struck by many things – singers, athletes, a sunset – our Designer intended the primary object of our adoration to be Himself. He certainly is worthy, not only because of His amazing deeds, but because of His incomparable nature. Words fail to describe Him.

Praising God may flow best when circumstances are favorable. Yet when we encounter adversity, our hearts may turn elsewhere. We may be unimpressed with His ability or willingness to spare us of troubles.

Yet one thing I want to practice this year is to praise Him always. Habakkuk grasped the unconditional aspects of true worship. He wanted to praise and exult God even if he had no food! The patriarch, Job, praised God after he lost all of his earthly belongings and all ten of his children.

Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.” -Job 1:20-21.

Some of us are in very difficult physical or spiritual condition because of cancer or some other trial. We don’t feel like praising, but praise lifts us into true joy above worldly suffering into heavenly realms. There, all that matters is that God is good and He always has the last word. So praise Him! Praise becomes you. You were born for this.

Lord, give us a spirit of praise and worship of You – You are worthy!

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

The diverse worlds of pro football, religion and cancer treatment have come together in a compelling story that might encourage you. A quarterback named Tim Tebow, who is considered by some to be an overachiever at the professional level, has stunned the football universe by piling up a string of last minute wins, leaving many to wonder if he is “God’s quarterback.” Tebow has been outspoken about his faith in Christ, and during games he often drops to one knee to offer up a prayer of thanks, even while his teammates are jumping and celebrating around him.

This kneel and pray gesture has been given a name – “Tebowing.” Tebow has approved what might be the official definition of Tebowing: “To get down on a knee and start praying, even if everyone else around you is doing something completely different.” A viral movement to capture photos of people “Tebowing” in various locations has now been launched. Of course it may be easier to give thanks when things are going your way.

Enter 12-year-old Joey Norris, a cancer survivor currently undergoing treatment. He posted a picture of himself in the kneeling position while hooked up to his chemo machine. He called it “Tebowing while chemoing.” You have to love Joey’s fight… and faith.

Several times during my battle with Stage IV melanoma, I felt the sting and blessing of praying alone. Oh there were many caring friends and family surrounding me. Yet they too were crashing against the maddening ceiling of man’s limitations. I also felt the odd benefit of crying out to God, who is often the last resort. At times too weak to kneel, my silent prayers crossed paths with His touch. I was lifted up by an invisible hand.

He shows up for those who cry out to Him. He doesn’t guarantee that we’ll win every game, but He lets us know He is watching. He is truly engaged, and is surely rooting for us. He gives us the poise, grace and peace to endure adversity. Little Joey Norris reminds us that we are all famous to God.

Lord, bless all of Your followers everywhere, in every situation; and bless our fellow warriors in their fight against cancer.

It’s just a fact of life – people say careless things. From infancy people have been saying careless things to you. One of your parents probably serenaded you with the lullaby, “Rock-a-Bye Baby.” Have you ever considered the lyrics of that song? It’s about placing a baby in a cradle at the top of a tree. The wind rocks the cradle causing the tree limb to break. The baby in this sweet song is not rescued, however, but falls unceremoniously to the ground! Sweet dreams, little one. It’s a good thing babies can’t understand us!

Some of you are right in the middle of a cancer battle. You’re expecting understanding and sympathy, but well-meaning people keep saying careless things. Please understand – this is common – you are not being singled out for this torture! So today I offer a few thoughts on coping with the insensitivity of others.

1) Focus on people’s intentions, not their words.
People generally mean well. They might want you to laugh when you really need to cry, but they’re sincerely meaning to take away your pain. Can you cut them some slack and realize they just hate to see you hurting?

2) Remember your own insensitivities.
I’ve been guilty of every misguided attempt to encourage the hurting, including being overly positive, bad timing, being trite, and the old fallback, “I don’t know what to say so I won’t say anything.” It’s inconsistent for me to be too hard on others when I’ve made the exact same blunders!

3) Focus on the Lord not people.
Psalm 62:2 says, “He only is my rock.” Some people may never, ever let you down, but they represent an exception and are certainly not the rule. Only God is totally dependable. We may feel like He has left or forsaken us, but He never, ever does (Hebrews 13:5).

Lord, grant us the grace to extend grace to others when they don’t understand what we are going through.

This week we asked our patients and caretakers to share their reasons for giving thanks.

Linda McKee-Cervantes, caregiver & Manuel Cervantes, cancer patient:
I am so thankful for my husband’s life and am so proud to be his caregiver. I praise God for each day we remain together on this earth. We will never surrender to this cancer and I believe Almighty God is graciously giving us more time to share His Divine love with others.

Jodi Hightower, Breast Cancer Stage IV patient:
I am thankful for the opportunity that having cancer has given me to reconnect with family, friends, and high school classmates. I’ve been able to share the gospel message through my CaringBridge blog.

Darlene Lindgard:
I am thankful to the Lord that I am still in remission, but much more importantly, I am thankful that the Lord still holds me in His grip. I love You, Lord, more and more each day.

The Tommy Lane Lowry Family, Waco, Texas:
We are thankful for the courageous battle of Tommy Lowry against lung cancer and the beautiful smile on his face as he was met by our Savior. That smile and the knowledge that He really is waiting for us has sustained this family.

Peggy Hadricky – Uterine Stage II:
There is too much to give thanks for. I thank our God that I found your website when I cried out, and you reached out your heart and hand to me. The devotional Streams in the Desert is a constant companion to me. I am thankful that God has increased my days. His promise that I would see His goodness in the land of the living is all around. For this I know the life I am living is for His Glory – I now know my purpose. And when He takes me home I have His peace that He knows me. I am living a thankful life through His grace and mercy one day at a time.

Bobby Martin, Stage IV metastatic melanoma:
I am thankful for the opportunity of a deeper walk… for family that prays… friends that support… the assurance that God’s word is true… the certainty of His promises… knowing His presence… the continued favor He gives me with men… and my new friend Joe Fornear. Praise be to God. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Lord, there are always so many reasons to be grateful! Help us to count our blessings – always.

I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly. -Jesus in John 10:10

Nothing tests our knowledge of God like a major life crisis. Fortunately, nothing has the potential to improve our knowledge of Him like a major crisis. A little desperation goes a long way.

We can know God on several different levels. The following categories of knowing Him can help us identify new areas for growth.

• Savior - If we don’t know Him as Savior, we don’t know Him at all. Our relationship with Him must begin with acknowledgement of the sin that has separated us from Him. When we trust in Jesus Christ to cleanse us from our sin and guilt, we become “saved” from our sin. “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). So the key to knowing Him as Savior is faith. More here.
• Lord - This means we closely follow Him as our leader. We want to know and do what He asks. Jesus said, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord’ and do not do what I ask?” The key to knowing Him as Lord is faithfulness. Keep in mind in moments of indecision – He always has our greatest benefit in view.

• Master - Serving Him is crucial to knowing Him. We follow Christ’s example in using our God-given gifts and talents to be a blessing to others. The key to knowing Him as Master is maintaining a servant attitude to God and people.
• Life - Knowing Him as Life means we are drawing power and resources from Him. It means His peace and joy become ours as we lean on Him. Paul had so developed his reliance on the Lord during fiery trials that he could say, “It is no longer I who live but Christ who lives in Me” (Galatians 2:20). The key to knowing Him as Life is dependence. And Jesus said He wants to give us an “abundant” life, which means a fulfilled life.

Paul said knowing Him better was the most rewarding goal of his life. He considered all other pursuits to be like cow manure (Philippians 3). What do you think?

Lord, reveal Your sheer beauty and awesome power to us; we want to know You better!

Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved [or enlarged] me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer. Psalm 4:1

A friend who is battling cancer sent me a this devotional which I’d like to expand on here today.

Why did David seem so desperate for God throughout the Psalms? Let’s face it; it was because he was so often in distress. He had many enemies and many struggles in his family. In fact, David wrote Psalm 4 when he was running from one of his enemies – his own son, Absalom.

There is a wonderful upside, however, to this distress that God allowed in David’s life. He was “enlarged.” This Hebrew word was used of expanding borders and territories. The Lord makes us bigger in our character and in our ability to endure. We are purified from the petty pursuits of this world. We are also able to handle more of His blessings, and in turn, give out more as well!

Our faith is just like a muscle. If we want to enlarge our muscles, we place them under the distress of additional weight. The fibers of the muscles tear and often hurt for a time, but they also grow larger and stronger! In the same way, the faith that connects us with Him is able to be strengthened by distress. We can hold on to Him during the toughest times.

Does it seem like the weight of your health battle is too much for you to bear? Try not to get discouraged. With His help you will stand up under it and grow stronger as a result! You will be a blessing even as you hurt.

Lord, we don’t like distress, but we see how You use it to strengthen our connection to You, and to increase our blessings and ability to bless others.

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. – Philippians 4:6

Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. – 1 Peter 5:7

In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Carefree living may seem a distant fantasy in your life right now, yet these verses make no exceptions for troubling thoughts and feelings. Keep in mind that during biblical times people experienced every type of life crisis as well. And because of modern medicine and technology, we surely have a more comfortable existence today. The bottom line is being in turmoil in the face of crisis is not inevitable!

On some intellectual level, we may acknowledge the Lord’s ability to handle our troubles, yet we suppose that our particular situation is somehow an exception. Can the Lord really handle all of the struggles of advanced-stage cancers? Well, sure He can! Does agonizing over each step of our journeys accomplish anything? Definitely not!

Where we see extenuating reasons to fret, God sees opportunities to reveal Himself strong on our behalf. With His supernatural grace and help we can be free from anxiety and full of thanksgiving. He never intended us to handle life without His help.

So shift the burden of coping with your struggles onto Him. The issue is not “Is the Lord strong enough to handle my situation?” but, “Am I trusting enough to let Him take over?” These verses encourage us to bring “everything” to Him because “nothing” is too hard for Him to handle in us or for us – including cancer. Entrust everything – your finances, future, children and pain level to Him. We have an exceptional God who is Master of “all things,” so cast down each and every troubling exception that comes to mind.

The Lord doesn’t promise pain-free living. He does promise encouragement and comfort so that pain and struggles are manageable. So be thankful to Him – for He truly cares. He promises to carry us through anything! No exceptions!

Lord, we can’t handle our troubles on our own, so please grant us grace to cast our anxiety into Your capable hands.

To whom then will you liken Me that I would be his equal?” says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, The One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, Not one of them is missing. - Isaiah 40:25-26

When Isaiah recorded these words of God, he knew the stars were numerous and beautiful. Little did he know the true scale of the vastness of the heavens. Astronomers tell us there are 200 billion stars residing in just one of the smaller galaxies, the Milky Way. The universe holds a mere 3,000,000,000,000,000,000 stars! That’s three thousand million billion stars, each of which God has assigned a name. I suppose remembering so many names is easy compared to creating them in the first place. (Oh and all of those movie stars – He created them too).

The sheer volume of stars boggles the brain, but their beauty is equally astounding. We are just beginning to capture images of what God has fashioned in the far corners of the universe. We call cloud formations of clouds of gas, dust and stars – nebulae. Do yourself a favor and take a moment to view these images of nebulae, allowing “the greatness of His might and the strength of His power” to sink in.

Is it any wonder that in hard times, God asks us to look away from our earthly dilemmas and look up to Him and His stellar handiwork? Still, how does this help if we’re sick and laying flat on our backs?

In May of 2003, when I was battling Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I remember lying in a hospital bed, shaken by doubts and fears which had broad-sided me in the wee hours of the night. As the Lord began redirecting my focus, He reminded me of the complexity and vastness of His creation, and how amazingly awesome He is. Out of nothing, He designed and launched this entire cosmos. Yet Psalm 139:17-18 tell us He thinks of you and me constantly AND with great fondness. Romans 8:28 says He works ALL things to the good for those who love Him.

So what is there to fear? The Star Maker loves us!

Lord, give us just a glimpse of your true nature and we will be lifted out of our troubles.

The spirit of a man can endure his sickness, but as for a broken spirit, who can bear it? - Proverbs 18:14

When you’re reeling from sickness, hope is essential. This verse states we can indeed endure sickness. A greater issue is not our physical condition, but our emotional and spiritual state. There are Stage IV cancer patients who are happier than wildly successful celebrities. Circumstances don’t have to dictate our sense of well-being. In fact, I spoke just this morning with a Stage IV patient, Itai Mhuriro, who made this amazing statement, “This cancer is the best thing that has ever happened to me. It has caused me to live each day the way it’s supposed to be lived!”

So how do we maintain hope when our body is being torn down by disease? How do we avoid despair? During my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I had moments, even days of slipping into despair. So I learned from my mistakes and from God-ordained breakthroughs. If I had to boil down the lessons to one core truth, it is this:

 We must believe that through God’s power we can handle anything
the disease throws at us.

Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). The burden is not on my ability or your ability to cope, but on Christ’s. Let Him hold you up.

Lord, let Your strength and love fill us with hope right now.

And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!”  Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”- Matthew 14:29-31

Is it possible to always keep your head above water, even when you’re fighting cancer? Is it possible to be free of fear’s tentacles? Just as Peter literally walked on water, this passage implies we can rise above the storms of our lives. But how?

Peter’s experience is a parable of walking with Jesus through the storms of our lives. Peter was walking well, rising above the situation… as long as He focused on Jesus. He was buoyed by His Master’s confidence and serenity. As soon as he focused on the storm, he began slipping down into the deep. So the key is focus – not on our capabilities, problems or human prognoses, but on Jesus’ powers and abilities.

Fears leverage lies about God. So we should face them head on. Let them surface so we can smack them down. One by one they’ll lose their grip as every angle of their deceptions are held up to the light of God’s love and power. Romans 8:35 & 37 encourages us, “Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.” Go ahead and add cancer to Paul’s list. Through Christ’s love, we can overwhelmingly conquer cancer as well.

Now, admittedly, there were several times during my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma that I sunk well below the surface of the water. Thank God I discovered Peter’s backup plan as I was learning to walk above my circumstances. Whenever I began slipping down into despair, I called out to Him, and His outstretched hand took hold of mine and lifted me back up. Walk on!

Lord, teach us to keep our eyes fixed on you and not our problems; we know You’ll catch us when we slip.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. - 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

The beauty of God’s comfort is that it is transferable! Stronghold Ministry thrives on spreading the comfort we received during our cancer battle. As a non-profit organization, Stronghold relies on donations to operate. So in this edition of In His Grip, we are asking for a favor from you. Our financial supporters are encouraged when they see how the Lord has used us to encourage people fighting cancer. If you are a cancer patient or a caretaker, and have been touched by Stronghold Ministry, we would love to know how.

We are putting together a montage of short comments and pictures from the people we’ve served. We also want to encourage those who do not know us yet to contact Stronghold Ministry for support. But we need your permission to include your comments or image.

Here is how to help us spread His comfort:

1) Send us a brief note describing the impact Stronghold has had in your life.

One or two sentences is the perfect length. Simply share how Stronghold has lifted you. In today’s world, testimonials of third parties are often used to motivate people to participation and action. If you have already sent us comments, you could help by granting us permission to use portions of anything you’ve already sent. Just send us an email granting your permission.

2) Send us your picture of you and your family.

To add a more personal touch, we prefer to include your image with your comments. Could you send us recent pictures, or pictures from before you were diagnosed? If your pictures are not digital, please mail to: Stronghold Ministry PO Box 38478 Dallas, TX  75238. We’re sorry; we will not be able to mail them back, so please send a copy. Perhaps a tech-savvy friend could scan and email them for you.

Send your comments and pictures via email to: jfor@mystronghold.org. Thank you so much! We could really use your help.

Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. – John 14:27.

I sometimes cringe when I read John 14:27 where Jesus says, “Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid.” It’s like a foreign language. I am not quite getting the verb tense in it. That’s because fear is one of my personal “strongholds.” It was an obvious battle during Joe’s cancer, but I still struggle with letting go of fear. Stronghold means: “a defensible place, a center of predominance.” I’ve used fear to give me a false sense of security.

• I hide behind it.
• I control with it.
• In a strange way, I think I’m safer with it.

Who is going to protect me if I don’t protect myself from all the terrible things that might happen? Who’s going to change my circumstances? Who’s taking care of everything and everyone I love? Fear wants me to believe it can prevent bad things from happening.

Letting go of fear displaces me. It dislodges me from God’s role in my life. Letting go of fear dethrones me from the center of predominance in my world, a stronghold which holds no real power.

Letting go and taking Jesus’ peace, my true Stronghold of safety, is the gift He freely gives. It’s the real place of safety and security, and the way through the things I fear, because the Lord leads with His peace.

He has already fought my battles on the cross. All has been won and given to me there. Jesus is my peace in the present, past, and future tense.

Lord, we are so grateful that you not only set us free from fear, but fill us with the joy of Your Presence.

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.  – 1 Corinthians 10:13

Temptation always abounds, even when you’re sick. When we’re weak and vulnerable, a common temptation is to be overwhelmed by fear and doubts. In the midst of pain, bad news, or a poor prognoses, panic is never far off. Yet neither is the way of escape. Fortunately for us, being overwhelmed is a choice, and not inevitable. So how do we overcome the temptation to be gripped by fear and not the Lord’s peace?

• Realize you’re not alone.
  “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man.” Any situation you will ever be in, another human has been there, and managed to stand firm. You too can get through anything the Lord allows in your life.
• Remember God’s commitment to help you overcome.
  “God is faithful.” You can count on Him to give you all of the coping power you need. He will never let you down.
• Rest in His control.
  “The Lord will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able.” When You’re the absolute Master of the Universe, You can not only monitor, but You can ease the difficulties of your beloved children. Praise to the Lord for that!
• Remain steadfast in the face of the temptation.
  “With the temptation (He) will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it …” Don’t stumble over the false expectation that victory only comes through the Lord removing the temptation. He may not remove it; He might ask you to endure its presence. Either way, He will provide a way of escape through His mighty Presence.

Look for His escape route. It could come in the form of a Scripture verse; a surprise appearance from a long lost friend; a timely financial gift; or a word of comfort He speaks directly to your spirit.

We have a loving God and Creator. He does not abandon us when we need Him most! Turn your gaze to Him and not your storm.

Lord, we thank You in advance for providing everything we need to be at rest in any situation.

And He was saying, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what You will.” – Mark 14:36

What a prayer! Jesus knew a few things about our Father, didn’t He? The following are some observations about Jesus’ understanding of His Father’s heart towards Him… and us.

1) The Father was tender.
Jesus called the Father, “Abba,” which is like calling Him daddy or papa. The Father enjoys intimacy with us. Do you want to have that closeness with Him? Do you let Him get that close to you? Open up to Him.

2) The Father was all powerful.
“All things are possible for You.”

During my cancer journey, I had seen enough of Stage IV metastatic melanoma to know it was bigger than me and modern medicine. Still, a thought kept bolstering my sense of well-being: cancer is absolutely no match for God Almighty.

He can do anything; nothing is too hard for Him. He could snap His finger and make it all go away. For me, that stripped ALL of the power from cancer, and put it all on God. He always has the last word.

3) The Father’s will is best.
“Yet not what I will, but what You will.”
Jesus was content to yield to His Father’s final decision. Still He prayed three times for “the cup to pass.” Jesus was asking for some other way to accomplish man’s redemption, which would not entail his crucifixion and “becoming sin” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Yet Jesus knew if the Father asked Him to go through with the crucifixion that He would be there for Him in the end. Even though He felt forsaken for a time, the joy of their relationship was soon restored.

So we can rest in His power, decisions, and heart towards us, while not fearing ANY outcome. He is good. Praying and rooting for you all!

Lord, open our eyes to Your awesome power and tender heart.

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Find out if getting to heaven is by being good – The Two Ways To Get To Heaven

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. She had a sister called Mary, who was seated at the Lord’s feet, listening to His word. But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do all the serving alone? Then tell her to help me.” But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42

Guess who’s coming to visit? Do you think you might panic a little if your hero was coming to your home? My father’s aunt was kind and well-respected by my family. Since she lived far away, she was not a frequent visitor to our home. So when she visited, we “rolled out the red carpet” for her. Once when she arrived, she gushed over how clean and beautiful the house looked. I was about five years old at the time, and told her the truth, “That’s because we have been cleaning it for two whole days!” Imagine the preparations you would have if your guest was the Messiah!

I can relate to Martha, she wanted everything to be just right. She wanted to convey the value she had for her special guest. Surely He would notice. So why was He so unimpressed? He ignored her, and lavished attention on that “lazy” Mary, who was just sitting at Jesus’ feet… doing nothing. Martha appealed to Jesus to correct Mary. Jesus rebuked her instead.

What a study in contrasts! Martha was a list person, Mary a led person. Martha was working out her agenda, while Mary awaited orders. Martha demanded Jesus listen to her; Mary listened intently to Jesus.

With whom do you identify? Are you driven to fulfill some set of internal or external expectations? Are you wearing yourself out being a “good” mother, a “good” employee, or a “good” husband? Internal expectations, imposed upon ourselves, are often more demanding because “the judge” is always present.

In the course of our lives, there are “good” things that must be done, but not to the exclusion of the “best” thing. So go ahead and do some good, but to experience life’s best, carve out quality and daily time with Jesus. He is a living God, who longs to be with you! He will free you from unnecessary burdens which are wearing you out. His Words will give you peace and comfort. Just sit and listen.

Lord, help us see the freedom and superiority of choosing time with You over our to do lists.

In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory. -1 Peter 1:6-8

Being sick is not only a trial, it’s a test. Yet it’s not the Lord who needs to find out how we’ll handle a test. He already knows what’s in us. Testing reveals to us what we’re depending on for strength, fulfillment and purpose. So He leverages our trials to shift us on to a firmer foundation, which will provide true freedom and stability.

During my battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma, I struggled with a specific area of testing – my identity as it related to my work. There were times I was physically or mentally unable to carry out my work as a pastor. I couldn’t prepare sermons, counsel, or help anyone. I considered the cancer battle a colossal waste of my time, and God’s time.

I tried to push through and keep working, which only complicated my treatments and recovery. We have to be wise enough to realize when our cancer battle needs to be a full time job.

I did not comprehend at first, but the Lord was purifying my motives, and corralling my passions. My identity and value are not wrapped up in the success of my career. He used the cancer to set me free from my addiction to work.

Now I’m not suggesting that it’s wrong to derive enjoyment from our hard work. In the book of Ecclesiastes, Solomon tells us enjoying work is a gift from God. Still, we must realize our significance is not tied to our production, paycheck or performance. When we’re unable to work, we still have incredible value!

 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Just as it is written, “FOR YOUR SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:35-39

 Let’s consider medical leave a chance to grow in being loved without condition. We don’t need to earn our value in the workplace, we already have it, even when we can’t lift a finger.

Do you struggle with your inability to work during your cancer treatment?

The LORD is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.
- Nahum 1:7

At some point in our lives, we’ll endure a “day of trouble.” Wouldn’t it be nice if troubles lasted just 24 hours? But in Hebrew, “day” can mean some indefinite period of time, which some call a “season.” Perhaps you find yourself in the middle of “one of those days,” even a long fight against cancer. There is plenty of hope for you, because those who turn to the Lord will find great relief. Nahum 1:7 provides three key lessons on how to handle the day of trouble.

1) Trust the goodness of the Lord during our trials.

Nahum first focuses on the goodness of God, not the trial. “The Lord is good.” He is always good, and we can access His goodness as He pours out comfort, assurance and peace. Perhaps our greatest error is to equate His goodness with His removal of our trials. We mistakenly reason, “God, if You’re good, you will remove me from this trouble… now.” Trust Him, He has other ways to arrive at our ultimate good.

2) Lean on Him during our trials.

The term “stronghold” is a military term describing a fortified city that was well defended and hard to breach. It is a reference to the Lord’s mighty protection and strength. He guards our hearts from spiritual attacks such as fear, self-pity, condemnation and doubts. He provides a “refuge” or shelter from any storm.

He certainly held me up during my fierce battle with Stage IV metastatic melanoma. In May of 2003, after being given days to live, I had become so weakened by surgeries, treatments, and being human, that I found myself losing my grip. As I cried out to Him, He reminded me that though I was out of control, He wasn’t. Though I was worried, He wasn’t. He had a firm grip on me, and I found Him to be a powerful Stronghold. This is why we named our ministry to cancer patients, Stronghold Ministry, in honor of His promise to carry us through days of trouble.

3) Answer the Lord’s invitation to an ever-deepening relationship with Him.

Nahum uses an intriguing phrase here, that the Lord “knows those who take refuge in Him.” This reminds me of Psalm 139 where God tells us He knows everything about us. His thoughts are not only countless, but precious towards us. As we turn to Him, He reveals Himself in the form of an incredible companionship.

Nothing could be better than to be personally “known” by God Himself! Think for a moment of a human hero/heroine or yours. It’s one thing to know all about your hero, but it is quite another when he/she knows everything about you!

So when you’re confused and frustrated in your day of trouble, turn to Him, not away from Him. You’re not alone. He is good, and He is your Stronghold in the day of trouble.

Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love him. – 1 Corinthians 2:9

This verse deals with heaven, right? Quiz time. To what time or era does it refer? Though many will answer, “Heaven,” this verse has already been fulfilled today on earth!

The verse is a quotation of Isaiah 64:4, where Isaiah longs for the day when God will reveal Himself. In 1 Corinthians 2, Paul declares that day has come. God has given us His Spirit, a Guide to explain His deepest thoughts. “Now we have received … the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12). Note the past tense. He has already given these things, and they were free!

What are these things we already possess? Here is a short list:

• His love (Romans 5:5).
• His peace (John 14:27).
• His wisdom (James 1:5).
• His joy (John 16:24).
• His comfort (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

Some might wonder if we can possibly experience these blessings when we’re sick. Yet if one considers the context of each of these promises, they’ve been freely given to those in the midst of great tribulations!

If you believe in the goodness of God, ask yourself, would He allow us to go through hardship and not be our Stronghold through it? Will He fail to provide the necessary resources to handle the pain? He shows up greater when our need is greater. When I lean on the Lord in my troubles, I find my experience of His goodness is greatest.

“Pie in the sky” does not have to be “by and by.” The “things freely given to us by God,” and “all that God has prepared for those who love Him,” are for our enjoyment now!

Lord, please help us depend on you to discover all that you have prepared for us today!

Find out if heaven is freely given -
The Two Ways To Get To Heaven