Rev 2:10-11 ESV - Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.'
We are in our second week at church of a series on the letters to the churches of Asia minor found in Revelation 2 and 3. In conjunction we are spending time as a church in prayer and fasting every Tuesday both individually and corporately.
The verse above had come up in my personal study recently, and has only caused me to meditate on it more after it was the topic of this past weeks sermon.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Update #4: effective prayer
Dear Prayer Warriors, July 24, 2011
We give our praises to God and thank Him for being present in every way. We have such a tremendous God and are unworthy of His attention to even the smallest details in our lives. Yet, he loves us that much! Your constant prayers to the Lord, whether in praise or in supplication on our behalf, are truly being heard. It is very clear that you are each being used in our lives as we are daily experiencing how “the effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).”
We received notice this past week that Colby has been approved by his insurance for the referral, surgery on August 16th, and hospital stay in San Francisco! Praise the Lord! We were preparing for an ugly battle with an HMO that was very close to dictating Colby’s care. However, as the day unfolded on Tuesday, God seemed to be showing off as if to say, “Relax, I’ve got this one too!” Even as we raised more questions over dinner, we received a phone call from the person we thought we would have to call the next day and got our answers that evening! We anticipated that this insurance issue was going to take weeks to resolve, perhaps well into August. There was even a potential that our plans for travel and surgery would have to be rescheduled. We are so thankful for the quick resolution and are hopeful that there will be no other insurance-related surprises. We are still preparing ourselves for other curve balls that may arise. Thank you for partnering with us. May we all learn together what it is like to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).”
It seems like every day we receive encouragement from someone just at the right time. It is encouraging just to know that there are so many walking this path faithfully with us. We know Christ has drawn us closer to Him through this trial and has increased our joy in Him. Emily was even reminded by a dear friend not to miss God’s great purpose for her in this trial as well. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In the mystery of God’s grace, we know that this tumor is for Colby’s sanctification, and it is for Emily’s sanctification. We pray it may also be for your sanctification (drawing you closer to Christ), or perhaps for your salvation (restoring a right relationship with God). Some of the most encouraging words we receive are stories of how God is drawing many closer to Him through this and bringing Himself glory by causing hearts to praise him. These stories bring tears of joy to our eyes and cause our hearts to rejoice even more! This is exactly what we are praying for! The promise of Romans 8:1 is Colby’s constant comfort, and we hope it will be yours as well: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Insurance dealings – We believe the majority of it is behind us. However, there are still a number of expensive preoperative tests that will likely be needed once we arrive in San Francisco, in addition to the potential for rehabilitation services needed postoperatively. All of these will need to go through the same difficult preauthorization process.
2. Healing – We continue to believe God can heal Colby, whether through physicians or in His own ways. We ask you to pray for that as well. However, we are trusting the Lord’s perfect will and asking him first to bring himself the most glory through this trial.
3. Wisdom with home repairs – There are a number of things we would like to do to our house to make it more livable for the long-term. We have a few estimates and, as always, they are more expensive than we anticipated. Pray for wisdom about which projects to start now and which ones to delay for a later time.
4. Fruitful time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless. We want to meditate on them and record them so we may look back on them someday and give God the praise He deserves.
5. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. We have had some very creative suggestions that we are very excited about. A few of these opportunities are on the horizon. Pray for preparedness for the unique needs represented at each of these events and for the Lord to speak clearly. Colby remains open to sharing his testimony and the gospel at any event or in any format. We want to be faithful and useful to the Lord TODAY, for “you do not know what tomorrow will bring…” (James 4:14).
All glory to Christ,
Colby, Emily, and Jireh
We give our praises to God and thank Him for being present in every way. We have such a tremendous God and are unworthy of His attention to even the smallest details in our lives. Yet, he loves us that much! Your constant prayers to the Lord, whether in praise or in supplication on our behalf, are truly being heard. It is very clear that you are each being used in our lives as we are daily experiencing how “the effective prayer of a righteous person can accomplish much (James 5:16).”
We received notice this past week that Colby has been approved by his insurance for the referral, surgery on August 16th, and hospital stay in San Francisco! Praise the Lord! We were preparing for an ugly battle with an HMO that was very close to dictating Colby’s care. However, as the day unfolded on Tuesday, God seemed to be showing off as if to say, “Relax, I’ve got this one too!” Even as we raised more questions over dinner, we received a phone call from the person we thought we would have to call the next day and got our answers that evening! We anticipated that this insurance issue was going to take weeks to resolve, perhaps well into August. There was even a potential that our plans for travel and surgery would have to be rescheduled. We are so thankful for the quick resolution and are hopeful that there will be no other insurance-related surprises. We are still preparing ourselves for other curve balls that may arise. Thank you for partnering with us. May we all learn together what it is like to “rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer (Romans 12:12).”
It seems like every day we receive encouragement from someone just at the right time. It is encouraging just to know that there are so many walking this path faithfully with us. We know Christ has drawn us closer to Him through this trial and has increased our joy in Him. Emily was even reminded by a dear friend not to miss God’s great purpose for her in this trial as well. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). In the mystery of God’s grace, we know that this tumor is for Colby’s sanctification, and it is for Emily’s sanctification. We pray it may also be for your sanctification (drawing you closer to Christ), or perhaps for your salvation (restoring a right relationship with God). Some of the most encouraging words we receive are stories of how God is drawing many closer to Him through this and bringing Himself glory by causing hearts to praise him. These stories bring tears of joy to our eyes and cause our hearts to rejoice even more! This is exactly what we are praying for! The promise of Romans 8:1 is Colby’s constant comfort, and we hope it will be yours as well: “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Prayer Requests:
1. Insurance dealings – We believe the majority of it is behind us. However, there are still a number of expensive preoperative tests that will likely be needed once we arrive in San Francisco, in addition to the potential for rehabilitation services needed postoperatively. All of these will need to go through the same difficult preauthorization process.
2. Healing – We continue to believe God can heal Colby, whether through physicians or in His own ways. We ask you to pray for that as well. However, we are trusting the Lord’s perfect will and asking him first to bring himself the most glory through this trial.
3. Wisdom with home repairs – There are a number of things we would like to do to our house to make it more livable for the long-term. We have a few estimates and, as always, they are more expensive than we anticipated. Pray for wisdom about which projects to start now and which ones to delay for a later time.
4. Fruitful time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless. We want to meditate on them and record them so we may look back on them someday and give God the praise He deserves.
5. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. We have had some very creative suggestions that we are very excited about. A few of these opportunities are on the horizon. Pray for preparedness for the unique needs represented at each of these events and for the Lord to speak clearly. Colby remains open to sharing his testimony and the gospel at any event or in any format. We want to be faithful and useful to the Lord TODAY, for “you do not know what tomorrow will bring…” (James 4:14).
All glory to Christ,
Colby, Emily, and Jireh
Monday, July 18, 2011
Update #3: Blessed beyond measure...
Dear Friends and Family, July 16, 2011
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. The last week has been filled with even more opportunities for us to trust the Lord. As we reflect back onto this week, we can say with certainty that there is never a dull moment when we are leaning on God to be bigger than we have ever experienced Him to be in the past. Our only regret is that we haven’t demanded to know God this intimately before. It is an amazing gift to have our eyes opened more and more every day to His extraordinary grace and love.
The latest McLaurin adventures this past week included losing air conditioning twice with temperatures over 100 along with having Colby’s insurance approval for surgery granted and then denied…and now partially granted. His initial consultation to the neurosurgeon has been approved but coverage for surgery has not yet been granted. Jireh also picked up a little GI bug, which has made for a few restless nights.
Having a sauna for a home is not pleasant when it is over a hundred degrees outside. Being told medical care will be provided and then having it denied is not pleasant. Yet, having air conditioning restored within twelve hours of breaking twice in a week is a blessing. Having Colby’s insurance re-evaluate his case and give approval within 24 hours is a blessing. Thank you for your prayers. We are reminded of Matt 7:11—“ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Many people have remarked that it will be good for our lives to get back to “normal.” Though the words are spoken out of kindness, we are not so sure “getting back to normal” would be a good thing. Really, how could our lives ever be the same again? Why would we want that? We don’t mean what we were doing before was necessarily bad or a waste of time. However, the Lord has given us a rare gift – a refreshing perspective on how brief this life is and how important it is to live every moment with purpose! “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). It is amazing how many of the things we prioritized in the past seem so trivial now! God is giving us bigger dreams and we hope to be used by Him in mightier ways every day.
Prayer Requests:
1. Insurance dealings – Surgery billing codes are being submitted by the surgeon’s office in San Francisco to Colby’s insurance for approval. Please pray for speedy approval. Our families have already purchased airfare and rented an apartment in San Francisco based on the proposed surgery date (Aug 16th), and we stand to lose a lot of money (and sleep) if insurance problems delay surgery!
2. Healing – We continue to believe God can heal Colby, whether through physicians or in His own ways. We ask you to pray for that as well. However, we are trusting the Lord’s perfect will and asking him first to bring himself the most glory through this trial.
3. Wisdom with home repairs – There are a number of things we would like to do to our house to make it more livable for the long-term, including updating the A/C unit so it doesn’t continue to break on a weekly basis. Colby feels some pressure to get these plans rolling before we leave for CA so Emily doesn’t have to deal with them (potentially by herself) when we get back. Pray for favor in the eyes of contractors and the historic preservation board, and for wisdom about what projects to start and what to wait on.
4. Multiplication of time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless and we want to meditate on them and record them so we may look back on them someday and give God the praise He deserves.
5. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. He is open to sharing his testimony and the gospel at any event or in any format. We are thankful for those who are working alongside us in this. We want to be faithful and useful to the Lord TODAY, for “you do not know what tomorrow will bring…” (James 4:14).
Thankful for each one of you,
Colby, Emily, and Jireh
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers. The last week has been filled with even more opportunities for us to trust the Lord. As we reflect back onto this week, we can say with certainty that there is never a dull moment when we are leaning on God to be bigger than we have ever experienced Him to be in the past. Our only regret is that we haven’t demanded to know God this intimately before. It is an amazing gift to have our eyes opened more and more every day to His extraordinary grace and love.
The latest McLaurin adventures this past week included losing air conditioning twice with temperatures over 100 along with having Colby’s insurance approval for surgery granted and then denied…and now partially granted. His initial consultation to the neurosurgeon has been approved but coverage for surgery has not yet been granted. Jireh also picked up a little GI bug, which has made for a few restless nights.
Having a sauna for a home is not pleasant when it is over a hundred degrees outside. Being told medical care will be provided and then having it denied is not pleasant. Yet, having air conditioning restored within twelve hours of breaking twice in a week is a blessing. Having Colby’s insurance re-evaluate his case and give approval within 24 hours is a blessing. Thank you for your prayers. We are reminded of Matt 7:11—“ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
Many people have remarked that it will be good for our lives to get back to “normal.” Though the words are spoken out of kindness, we are not so sure “getting back to normal” would be a good thing. Really, how could our lives ever be the same again? Why would we want that? We don’t mean what we were doing before was necessarily bad or a waste of time. However, the Lord has given us a rare gift – a refreshing perspective on how brief this life is and how important it is to live every moment with purpose! “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes” (James 4:14). It is amazing how many of the things we prioritized in the past seem so trivial now! God is giving us bigger dreams and we hope to be used by Him in mightier ways every day.
Prayer Requests:
1. Insurance dealings – Surgery billing codes are being submitted by the surgeon’s office in San Francisco to Colby’s insurance for approval. Please pray for speedy approval. Our families have already purchased airfare and rented an apartment in San Francisco based on the proposed surgery date (Aug 16th), and we stand to lose a lot of money (and sleep) if insurance problems delay surgery!
2. Healing – We continue to believe God can heal Colby, whether through physicians or in His own ways. We ask you to pray for that as well. However, we are trusting the Lord’s perfect will and asking him first to bring himself the most glory through this trial.
3. Wisdom with home repairs – There are a number of things we would like to do to our house to make it more livable for the long-term, including updating the A/C unit so it doesn’t continue to break on a weekly basis. Colby feels some pressure to get these plans rolling before we leave for CA so Emily doesn’t have to deal with them (potentially by herself) when we get back. Pray for favor in the eyes of contractors and the historic preservation board, and for wisdom about what projects to start and what to wait on.
4. Multiplication of time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless and we want to meditate on them and record them so we may look back on them someday and give God the praise He deserves.
5. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. He is open to sharing his testimony and the gospel at any event or in any format. We are thankful for those who are working alongside us in this. We want to be faithful and useful to the Lord TODAY, for “you do not know what tomorrow will bring…” (James 4:14).
Thankful for each one of you,
Colby, Emily, and Jireh
Urgent prayer request from 7/15/2011
Dear Friends and Family,
We are excited to share with you that we have a date for Colby's surgery planned tentatively for August 16th at UCSF! We have been working to iron out all of the details for flights and places to stay during our time in San Francisco. God has continued to show Himself to be faithful and full of surprises. We are truly blessed beyond measure.
Our urgent prayer request surrounds the need for Colby's insurance to give their approval of Colby's referral to the UCSF Neurosurgeon. He had received a phone call last week confirming that the referral was approved--we were delighted! However, we then received a letter yesterday telling us that the referral had been declined. Colby's insurance carrier is also seeing conflicting records, both of approval and decline. Today, his record will be reviewed and our local neurosurgeon should be communicating again with the insurance company. Please pray for favor in the eyes of the insurance committee reviewing Colby's case. Colby was given the indication that decisions should be made by the end of today. We are trusting that the the Lord is using this as another way for us to trust Him and for Him to bring glory to Himself.
Thanks for walking this journey with us and for your faithful prayers. We will have more updates, hopefully, this weekend.
Humbly,
Emily, Colby, and Jireh
We are excited to share with you that we have a date for Colby's surgery planned tentatively for August 16th at UCSF! We have been working to iron out all of the details for flights and places to stay during our time in San Francisco. God has continued to show Himself to be faithful and full of surprises. We are truly blessed beyond measure.
Our urgent prayer request surrounds the need for Colby's insurance to give their approval of Colby's referral to the UCSF Neurosurgeon. He had received a phone call last week confirming that the referral was approved--we were delighted! However, we then received a letter yesterday telling us that the referral had been declined. Colby's insurance carrier is also seeing conflicting records, both of approval and decline. Today, his record will be reviewed and our local neurosurgeon should be communicating again with the insurance company. Please pray for favor in the eyes of the insurance committee reviewing Colby's case. Colby was given the indication that decisions should be made by the end of today. We are trusting that the the Lord is using this as another way for us to trust Him and for Him to bring glory to Himself.
Thanks for walking this journey with us and for your faithful prayers. We will have more updates, hopefully, this weekend.
Humbly,
Emily, Colby, and Jireh
Update #2: This light momentary affliction...
Emily and I have been co-authoring our weekly updates to friends and prayer-warriors. Though I'm a bit behind posting them here, it seems like I should put them on to keep a record of all of the things we are thinking and praying through during this process.
Here is the letter from July 7th
*************************************************************************
Dear Friends and Family, July 7, 2011
Thank you all so much for your sweet prayers and words of encouragement. We are now three weeks out from our initial discovery of Colby’s brain tumor and it is a joy to be able to share with you how faithful God has been. Because of God’s tender mercies EVERY day, we have hope and are continuing to trust that this circumstance will be for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). Many of you did not receive our first email explaining the details of how we learned of Colby’s tumor. If you have any questions after receiving this update, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are both happy to answer any questions you may have.
Over the last few weeks, we have watched God provide so abundantly. When we needed time to simply celebrate life, we had the opportunity to do so with both of our families as we celebrated Colby’s graduation from residency 2 weeks ago. When the emotional battles were tough, your phone calls, hugs, emails, and texts came at perfectly timed intervals. When we needed to hear from God, he has shown himself powerful in his Word, the Bible. He has led us to so many helpful passages in our daily readings, sermons online and at church, and through many of you who reminded us of passages to study.
We have been overcome with the immeasurable value of Christ in our lives. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Psalm 63:3). His love is worth living for, and is even more valuable than life itself. It is that Love that has carried us, and is what awaits us in even more awesome clarity after this life. And we have this assurance not because of anything good we have done to deserve a reward, but because of Christ and the free gift of grace He offers to anyone who just trusts in Him. It is Colby’s absolute desire that each of you know Christ in this way before he leaves this world. There would be nothing that would give us more joy in this life. In fact if anyone is unsure of his eternal security or would like to talk to someone about starting this relationship with Christ, Colby would like to talk to you personally, anytime, night or day. You may email him directly at colbymclaurin@gmail.com or call his cell phone at 405-974-1058. You may also call or email Emily if you would be more comfortable.
We have also been reminded that this battle is not our own. Each time we made plans to fight the next step, God was one step ahead of us and showered us with a new blessing. When we thought our next steps for finding the right neurosurgeon would be difficult, God gave us two excellent options – both in Houston and in San Francisco. Both neurosurgeons called Colby personally and were very kind and helpful. We have prayed through our options and have chosen to move forward with the surgeon in San Francisco.
Though we were initially hoping we would be traveling to San Francisco this week for a consultation visit, from his standpoint, there is nothing the surgeon could gain from examining Colby in person that he could not gather by telephone or from his MRI. In fact the 2 telephone calls and several email communications with him have more than answered our questions and concerns. He confirmed that the tumor is almost certainly a low-grade glioma and is located in the part of the brain called the insula. The great news is that the neurosurgeon expects Colby to have a nearly 100% chance of being alive 10 years after diagnosis based on his published data, though we may be battling recurrence by that time. He also has published data that shows <2% risk of serious complications (such as paralysis on one side) in his relatively large experience in removing tumors from this area. Because this is a slow-growing tumor and Colby feels so well, we have the luxury of time and ability to schedule a surgery at a mutually convenient time. Colby’s surgery will take up an entire operating day and the surgeon would not be able to do anything else that day, so it is understandably difficult to find a day with that kind of availability. At this point we are waiting to hear from him with possible dates for surgery, and hope to hear this week. We will send another update when we know our travel dates.
In the meantime, please continue to pray for the following:
1. Healing. God is able to heal in ways that doctors cannot. We know that is one way that God could glorify Himself, and we are asking him to remove the tumor before the surgeon can even get to it. However, we know that is not the only way God can glorify Himself in this and we trust in His perfect will for us.
2. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. He may have one such opportunity this coming Monday that we are excited about. He is open to sharing his testimony and the gospel in any format or event.
3. That we would have news about a surgery date soon. Though not urgent from a medical standpoint, many things in our lives are on hold until we can get this part behind us.
4. Multiplication of time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless and we want to meditate on them and record them for us to look back on and give God the praise He deserves.
Again, it is our privilege to walk this road together with your support. We will send updates as they come and are grateful for your love and prayer. If you wish to be removed from this prayer list for any reason, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We won’t be offended at all. Also if you know anyone else who you think would like to hear from us and pray for us, we would be happy to add them to this list.
Love,
Emily, Colby, and Jireh
Here is the letter from July 7th
*************************************************************************
Dear Friends and Family, July 7, 2011
Thank you all so much for your sweet prayers and words of encouragement. We are now three weeks out from our initial discovery of Colby’s brain tumor and it is a joy to be able to share with you how faithful God has been. Because of God’s tender mercies EVERY day, we have hope and are continuing to trust that this circumstance will be for our good and for the glory of Jesus Christ. “So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Corinthians 4:16-17). Many of you did not receive our first email explaining the details of how we learned of Colby’s tumor. If you have any questions after receiving this update, please don’t hesitate to ask. We are both happy to answer any questions you may have.
Over the last few weeks, we have watched God provide so abundantly. When we needed time to simply celebrate life, we had the opportunity to do so with both of our families as we celebrated Colby’s graduation from residency 2 weeks ago. When the emotional battles were tough, your phone calls, hugs, emails, and texts came at perfectly timed intervals. When we needed to hear from God, he has shown himself powerful in his Word, the Bible. He has led us to so many helpful passages in our daily readings, sermons online and at church, and through many of you who reminded us of passages to study.
We have been overcome with the immeasurable value of Christ in our lives. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you” (Psalm 63:3). His love is worth living for, and is even more valuable than life itself. It is that Love that has carried us, and is what awaits us in even more awesome clarity after this life. And we have this assurance not because of anything good we have done to deserve a reward, but because of Christ and the free gift of grace He offers to anyone who just trusts in Him. It is Colby’s absolute desire that each of you know Christ in this way before he leaves this world. There would be nothing that would give us more joy in this life. In fact if anyone is unsure of his eternal security or would like to talk to someone about starting this relationship with Christ, Colby would like to talk to you personally, anytime, night or day. You may email him directly at colbymclaurin@gmail.com or call his cell phone at 405-974-1058. You may also call or email Emily if you would be more comfortable.
We have also been reminded that this battle is not our own. Each time we made plans to fight the next step, God was one step ahead of us and showered us with a new blessing. When we thought our next steps for finding the right neurosurgeon would be difficult, God gave us two excellent options – both in Houston and in San Francisco. Both neurosurgeons called Colby personally and were very kind and helpful. We have prayed through our options and have chosen to move forward with the surgeon in San Francisco.
Though we were initially hoping we would be traveling to San Francisco this week for a consultation visit, from his standpoint, there is nothing the surgeon could gain from examining Colby in person that he could not gather by telephone or from his MRI. In fact the 2 telephone calls and several email communications with him have more than answered our questions and concerns. He confirmed that the tumor is almost certainly a low-grade glioma and is located in the part of the brain called the insula. The great news is that the neurosurgeon expects Colby to have a nearly 100% chance of being alive 10 years after diagnosis based on his published data, though we may be battling recurrence by that time. He also has published data that shows <2% risk of serious complications (such as paralysis on one side) in his relatively large experience in removing tumors from this area. Because this is a slow-growing tumor and Colby feels so well, we have the luxury of time and ability to schedule a surgery at a mutually convenient time. Colby’s surgery will take up an entire operating day and the surgeon would not be able to do anything else that day, so it is understandably difficult to find a day with that kind of availability. At this point we are waiting to hear from him with possible dates for surgery, and hope to hear this week. We will send another update when we know our travel dates.
In the meantime, please continue to pray for the following:
1. Healing. God is able to heal in ways that doctors cannot. We know that is one way that God could glorify Himself, and we are asking him to remove the tumor before the surgeon can even get to it. However, we know that is not the only way God can glorify Himself in this and we trust in His perfect will for us.
2. We are still looking for ways that Colby may be faithful to this calling and not waste his tumor. He may have one such opportunity this coming Monday that we are excited about. He is open to sharing his testimony and the gospel in any format or event.
3. That we would have news about a surgery date soon. Though not urgent from a medical standpoint, many things in our lives are on hold until we can get this part behind us.
4. Multiplication of time to read, study scripture, and write for both Emily and Colby. The lessons we are learning in these days are priceless and we want to meditate on them and record them for us to look back on and give God the praise He deserves.
Again, it is our privilege to walk this road together with your support. We will send updates as they come and are grateful for your love and prayer. If you wish to be removed from this prayer list for any reason, please don’t hesitate to let us know. We won’t be offended at all. Also if you know anyone else who you think would like to hear from us and pray for us, we would be happy to add them to this list.
Love,
Emily, Colby, and Jireh
Friday, July 15, 2011
Days of grace
Really, aren't all of our days to live purely by grace?
I am reading this morning again from Jeremiah 8 and 9. The prophet Jeremiah is rebuking a rebellious Judah in no uncertain terms. They have denied and dishonored the Lord with their words and actions, and they are being cut off.
So why haven't I been cut off? I know by His grace and election I am saved, and so I cannot be cut off in one sense. My punishment was taken fully by Christ on the cross, so none remains for me. However, even since trusting in Christ as a teenager, there have been times where I have veered dangerously close to living "in" sin.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul instructs the church in Corinth on proper attitudes toward fellowship. He points out how inappropriately many have approached their times of breaking bread together...and have done so in sin. And then he says this:
1 Cor 11:28-30 "Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died."
The greek for "have died" is κοιμάω (koimao), which is also translated "sleep." It is similar to many other places in the new testament that talk about believers, Christians, who have died in Christ and await the resurrection of life (Matt 9:24, Matt 27:52, Mk 5:39, Lk 8:52, Jn 11:11-13, Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36, 1 Cr 15:6, 1 Cr 15:20, 1Cr 15:51, 1 Th 4:13-15, 1 Th 5:10, 2 Pet 3:4) as well as in the OT (PS 90:5, Dan 12:2). But here in 1 Cor, Paul refers to sleep or death that has come to those who have sinned. I don't know if this is something that is specific to the sin mentioned here--eating and drinking without discerning the body--or is just one example of how God may cause some to sleep (or die in the body) because of personal sin.
I have two thoughts about this.
1) To be made to sleep, or die in the body, only to await the resurrection of the redeemed and eternity with Christ is no punishment. Rom 8:1 says "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If anything, it is mercy. Instead of allowing his children, the elect, to live unfulfilling lives and perhaps stray from him, he calls them home early.
2) Why does he allow some, like me, and perhaps like Paul (not to place myself in the same category, necessarily) to live on in the flesh though we have within ourselves "the sentence of death" (not meaning condemnation, but a true threat to physical life? Certainly there has been in my life reason for God to take me when I may have caused more harm than renown to come to His name.
Paul gives me the answer to my question:
"indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead" (1 Cr 1:9)
"If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me" (Phil 1:22)
My hope is in the promises of the Lord, in eternity, and in the coming resurrection of the dead. This is my hope now, even while I live in the flesh.
If He takes me today, it is grace. If He lets me live on in this body, it is grace, and means fruitful labor for me. These truly are the days of grace.
I am reading this morning again from Jeremiah 8 and 9. The prophet Jeremiah is rebuking a rebellious Judah in no uncertain terms. They have denied and dishonored the Lord with their words and actions, and they are being cut off.
So why haven't I been cut off? I know by His grace and election I am saved, and so I cannot be cut off in one sense. My punishment was taken fully by Christ on the cross, so none remains for me. However, even since trusting in Christ as a teenager, there have been times where I have veered dangerously close to living "in" sin.
In 1 Corinthians 11, Paul instructs the church in Corinth on proper attitudes toward fellowship. He points out how inappropriately many have approached their times of breaking bread together...and have done so in sin. And then he says this:
1 Cor 11:28-30 "Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died."
The greek for "have died" is κοιμάω (koimao), which is also translated "sleep." It is similar to many other places in the new testament that talk about believers, Christians, who have died in Christ and await the resurrection of life (Matt 9:24, Matt 27:52, Mk 5:39, Lk 8:52, Jn 11:11-13, Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36, 1 Cr 15:6, 1 Cr 15:20, 1Cr 15:51, 1 Th 4:13-15, 1 Th 5:10, 2 Pet 3:4) as well as in the OT (PS 90:5, Dan 12:2). But here in 1 Cor, Paul refers to sleep or death that has come to those who have sinned. I don't know if this is something that is specific to the sin mentioned here--eating and drinking without discerning the body--or is just one example of how God may cause some to sleep (or die in the body) because of personal sin.
I have two thoughts about this.
1) To be made to sleep, or die in the body, only to await the resurrection of the redeemed and eternity with Christ is no punishment. Rom 8:1 says "Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." If anything, it is mercy. Instead of allowing his children, the elect, to live unfulfilling lives and perhaps stray from him, he calls them home early.
2) Why does he allow some, like me, and perhaps like Paul (not to place myself in the same category, necessarily) to live on in the flesh though we have within ourselves "the sentence of death" (not meaning condemnation, but a true threat to physical life? Certainly there has been in my life reason for God to take me when I may have caused more harm than renown to come to His name.
Paul gives me the answer to my question:
"indeed, we had the sentence of death within ourselves so that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God who raises the dead" (1 Cr 1:9)
"If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me" (Phil 1:22)
My hope is in the promises of the Lord, in eternity, and in the coming resurrection of the dead. This is my hope now, even while I live in the flesh.
If He takes me today, it is grace. If He lets me live on in this body, it is grace, and means fruitful labor for me. These truly are the days of grace.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Your love is better than life
Because your steadfast love is better than life my lips will praise you. Ps 63:3
Monday, July 4, 2011
...For that is far better
[20] as it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith,
(Philippians 1:20-25 ESV)
My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. That is how He may be glorified in my death, because I welcome it knowing I go to be with Christ who is my treasure. However, even in life if that desire leads to kingdom labor that, in seeing me value him supremely in my life, draws others to Him, it is worthwhile to stay. I don't know how Paul can be "convinced of this," though.
I have been reading from Piper's "Don't waste your life," the chapter about death and suffering not wasted. That is certainly my challenge recently and the inspiration for the title of this blog. On our road trip to Dallas this weekend, Emily and I also listened to the 3 part series recently preached by Matt Chandler titled "Transitions." The best part of that was the admonition to prepare onesself because the time for each of us will come, and it will not be "too early" from God's perspective. The subsequent 2 messages were to discuss heaven and the New Jerusalem. That was a lot to cover in just 2 messages. I appreciate what he was able to do with that time, though I certainly wouldn't consider it a complete treatise on Biblical eschatology.
One of our prayers now, and a consequence of the tumor I didn't expect, is that I may be denied the opportunity to operate or practice medicine even if the surgery goes perfectly and I have no deficits. It seems from a hospital, medical group, and malpractice insurance perspective it may not be justifiable to allow me to practice medicine with a tumor, even if I can be proven to not be handicapped by it. They haven't even begun the process of credentialing, so I don't really know how that will be handled. I am hoping it doesn't come to that, because that will be a fast track to disability. However, I am also excited about the opportunities that would allow should God provide them: 1) Missionary surgery overseas, 2) full-time residency program direction, 3) Seminary, 4) Something even better that I haven't even dreamed of.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Gods gracious will
25 At that time Jesus declared, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children;
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will." Matt 11:25-26.
Here Christ is talking about the privilege of understanding. Not everyone who saw, listened to, or watched the miracles of Jesus understood. Understanding is a gift from God, to whom He chooses. He hides and he reveals, and I can't claim to understand why. It seems from this, however, that he hid himself from those who could have boasted that they gained the understanding on their own, and graciously gave to those who absolutely had no way to boast. That certainly is the best way to get glory for himself.
What a privilege it is to be loved by my heavenly father and to be led by his hand. Who am I but a child? What have I to offer for your kingdom?
It is good to be a child.
So, where are we in the process? Emily and I had another conversation with the surgeon at ucsf and are moving ahead with plans for surgery. We reviewed a series of 108 insular tumors very similar to mine that this surgeon operated on and he had a 2% rate of paralysis, and only 1 patient that was persistently paralyzed. Though there is no hurry to move forward with the surgery, we are ready to get on with our lives. God has lots of great things he is going to do. I'm ready for those to start now, but it seems like things are on hold until we operate. I dont understand that, but I will wait and look for open doors while I am where God has me.
26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will." Matt 11:25-26.
Here Christ is talking about the privilege of understanding. Not everyone who saw, listened to, or watched the miracles of Jesus understood. Understanding is a gift from God, to whom He chooses. He hides and he reveals, and I can't claim to understand why. It seems from this, however, that he hid himself from those who could have boasted that they gained the understanding on their own, and graciously gave to those who absolutely had no way to boast. That certainly is the best way to get glory for himself.
What a privilege it is to be loved by my heavenly father and to be led by his hand. Who am I but a child? What have I to offer for your kingdom?
It is good to be a child.
So, where are we in the process? Emily and I had another conversation with the surgeon at ucsf and are moving ahead with plans for surgery. We reviewed a series of 108 insular tumors very similar to mine that this surgeon operated on and he had a 2% rate of paralysis, and only 1 patient that was persistently paralyzed. Though there is no hurry to move forward with the surgery, we are ready to get on with our lives. God has lots of great things he is going to do. I'm ready for those to start now, but it seems like things are on hold until we operate. I dont understand that, but I will wait and look for open doors while I am where God has me.
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