to stand firm (Ephesians)

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ephesians%206%20:10-18&version=NLT

Ephesians 6:10-18

New Living Translation (NLT)

The Whole Armor of God

¹⁰ A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. ¹² For we^[a] are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

¹³ Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴ Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. ¹⁵ For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared.^{[b] 16} In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil.^{[c] 17} Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.^[d]

God's whisper at work
 
At work I started to hear "...having done all, stand firm."  I never felt these verses from Ephesians so closely in my past. Today, I read them with reverence. I am in a battle. So is everyone else.  I am not the only one. God is encouraging me to stand firm. My appointment for the next scan is approaching.


God's humor at work

The other day my computer at work froze for a little while. I needed to keep printing many forms that came on line, but it got stuck and I could not print this person's form. I hit "enter" several times. Then the next screen popped up. Because I hit enter many times, there are several duplicates. I kept deleting many pages and I saw the same name over and over.....and I smiled.  The person's name was "Miracle."

God says not to look around for help - Isaiah 41

I was reading some healing verses and a well-known verse from Isaiah caught my attention.

Do not fear, I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God....

Then I went to my Hebrew dictionary.

• with you = The prime root word has meanings like "overshadowing by huddling together." This word (#5973) has meaning like against, before, beside, among, between, in...
• be dismayed= gaze at (for help), inspect, consider, bewildered, depart, look (away), etc...
•  strengthen = to be alert, on foot
• yea = more over, furthermore, yet, even
• help = surround, protect, aid, succor
• uphold = sustain, maintain, retain

Then my conversation with God went like this:

"Do not be afraid! I am all over you." (After reading the description in the dictionary, I understood the word as this. My heart jumps with joy.)
"Do not look around for help because I am your God. I will let you stand on your own your feet and strengthen them." (Then I remember there were no feeble men in the tribe as the Israelite were leaving Egypt.)

"More over (or better yet), I will surround you, protect, and aid you."

"That is not all I will do. More over , I will maintain you with my strong right hand." (He will "maintain" me! Ooo I want to be off the maintenance medications! Okay, let's keep reading.)

I haven't look up the rest of the scriptures yet, but it is lovely. Especially the next sentence. I am in awe.

"You will seek them but will not find them."

I am keeping these words in my heart. Lord, I thank you.

Wait for the LORD to act...

How long is the battle going to last? When I was stressed from work, I feel as if something or somebody is trying to make me quit working! But when I realize that it is not God at all, then I recover and the condition of the heart changes. When the condition of the heart changes, things change. I recognize the power of believing God in my heart. God drives out the darkness. Then I saw in the Bible where it said to wait for the LORD to act, and I felt like the LORD is telling me that the day the LORD will act is coming towards me! Is it coming soon? In the meantime, I keep speaking to the mountain!!!

highest regards on God's words

What am I doing?!
I confess that I never felt I had enough courage to join a support group for cancer survivors. I may sound selfish, or someone may even say I am in denial, but I wanted to keep my eyes on the LORD and didn't want anything/anybody that comes between me and God.  Lately I started doing some research. It is good to be educated, but I was doing it instead of reading and searching the scriptures. Then I started to feel down...

The scriptures, messages, and teachings for healing tell me to put highest regards on God's words. My heart agrees. Why am I looking for an answer somewhere else then? I repented. Chemo, radiation, juicing, herbs, natural treatment, and other approach are good because we take care of our bodies, which is the temple of God. But without the word of God, they are in vain.

Not bowing down to other gods (Exodus 23:26)

This is something I learned from Exodus 23 where it talks about God's blessing. This is a simple understanding of an ordinary mom who don't have a specific degree.

Exodus23:26 says God will bless my bread and water, and will take sickness away from the midst of us. The beginning of the verse in my note says, "And so." I don't remember which translation it came from, but I thought there must be something I need to do before God blesses my food and water. Of course I know God is merciful, and I don't understand deep and difficult theology but I thought there might be something I might want to pay attention to. So I went back a few verses. Then I saw that God wants us to get rid of other gods utterly. I saw how important it is to God.

We are not to 

• bow down to other gods
• serve them
• do after their (other gods' people) works or follow their example.

We are to

• utterly pull down/break
• destroy 

                                                              their standing images.


In this verse, I saw something fascinating. Two words are repeated twice in Hebrew Bible just like in the proverbs (diligently, diligently). The words repeated here both mean to break down.  The first word is to break down/beat down. The second word is to break down in pieces, crush, etc. So we are to utterly pull down and down, and crush and crush their standing images. Then...

And so you shall serve the LORD your God, and he will bless your bread and water, and will take sickness away from the midst of you. (Exodus 23:26)

Glory to God. He is the One who healed us all! I am waiting for the day when the LORD will act and I will hold a proof in my hand (One time I decided not to wait for that, but then I noticed it was still my desire to have an "NED" (no evidence of disease) in my hand, so I am waiting for it again) . Until then, I keep hiding in the shadow of His wings, speaking to the mountain to be removed and be thrown into the sea!


In Christ,

Psalm 116 in my own words

I love that the LORD has heard my voice and my earnest prayers attentively.
Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death were around me, the terrors of grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
But I called on the name of the LORD, "Please, LORD, save me!"

The LORD is merciful and righteous, yes, our God is compassionate.
The LORD preserves the thoughtless; when I was brought low (oppressed) he saved me.
My soul, return to your rest!
For the LORD has been generous toward you.

Yes, you have rescued me from death, my eyes from tears and my feet from falling.
I will go on walking in the presence of the LORD in the lands of the living.
I will keep on trusting even when I say,
"I am utterly miserable," even when, in my panic, I declare, "Everything human is deceptive."
How can I repay the LORD for all his generous dealings with me?
I will raise the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.

I am forever thankful that the LORD is giving me abundant life everyday. Stage IV cancer is diminishing.

Videos that give you faith!

http://www.cross.tv/68629

 http://www.cross.tv/8549

by Christine Darg

Testimony from Lakewood church

Testimony of a lady from Lakewood Church

I certainly learned how to fight and keep focused by Dodie Osteen's teachings. I am grateful for her and also for Gloria Copeland's teachings. I had never listened to Gloria's teaching until a stranger contacted me and gave me her teaching CD's. He heard about me and wanted to pray for me. I am so grateful I "met" these teachings through him. Prosperity teachings? I hear criticisms but I am definitely grateful for their belief in healing. They caused me to look into the Scriptures more intently.

I am also grateful for the people at my church, The River, who keep standing with me.

I am also grateful for the teachings of The Bethel in Redding, California.

I am also grateful for the prayers of many different denominations. We are one in Christ Jesus.

Cancer is not mine. It does not belong to me.

PET scan

Today I had an appointment for a PET scan.
I was praying and thinking about something to say to the scan tech person. Something that honors God and something that encourages me and hopefully him. I wanted to see God's glory.  This was my 5th time to see him. I ended up saying, "My body will not suck up any of the radioactive nuclear medicine you are about to inject in my blood." He smiled and said, "That's good!" It turned out to be more for me than anything else.  I think I was hoping that would be a prophetic word over myself. I prayed hard while I was waiting for the medicine to go through my body - for 90 minutes. I prayed, then fell asleep, then I prayed. I felt like I was ready when the tech came to get me.

On my way out, I saw somebody I knew. Her doctor found a spot in her lung. Without hesitation I reached out to her and whispered a prayer for her. I forgot how shy I was. When love is first, fear (due to shyness) disappears! I believe she will be okay.

The person I got to know through my brother-in-law texted me the other day. We haven't met each other yet, but we talk on the phone and pray for each other. She was also diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. When I talked to her about a month ago, she was coughing so much that she could not continue talking. Well, in her text the other day she said that her PET scan showed that the tumor had not only stopped growing but it has shrunk to almost nothing! I called her and she was not coughing at all this time. 

God does not change. I want to brag about Him.

25th anniversary

We have disagreements in many areas, but praise God we celebrated our early 25th anniversary last weekend. The grass becomes green where we water. God loves us in every area of our lives. He makes a new way even when we felt like there wasn't going to be any. The enemy must flee when we resist. God is so faithful. We wait, and he comes.

During our celebration, we rode bicycles, hiked, and walked in one day. I felt great! Being able to do all those itself is a miracle for me.

Last week I went to my oncologist's office. He had skipped my maintenance med. twice due to my dental procedures (root canals) so I was naturally a bit nervous. I meditated on the scriptures of God's healing promises more than usual the night before. And God faithfully revealed his power in the result of my blood test and the blood pressure. They were perfectly normal!

I am thankful.

Cleaving to God - I Samuel 30:6

David found strength from God.

I Samuel 30:6b

(KJV) ...but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.
(NAS) ...but David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.
(NLT)...but David found strehgth in the LORD his God.

וַיִּתְחַזֵּ֣ק  (Strong's #2388) is the word for "encouraged" or "found strength."

It has meanings like fasten upon, seize, be strong, to bind, cleave, hold faｓt, lean, etc...

How did David become encouraged and strong? We don't have to imagine or guess what he did or how he did it because it is indicated in the original word! He cleaved to the LORD his God. That is how we stay encouraged and gain strength, too, because the word of God gives strength and life to those who find them. (proverbs)

I was greatly encouraged by the following words from Deuteronomy 4:4.  The word for "cleave" is a different word from #2388 (it is #1695),  but "cleave" part is the same. : )

(KJV) ...but ye that did cleave upon the LORD your God are alive every one of you today.

I once asked the LORD, "What was I doing then, when I was reading the Bible and studying the Bible, before I was diagnosed with cancer? Wasn't I reading your word?" I felt a soft small voice in my heart immediately after I said it. "These words are giving you life." This was a moment when I understood what he meant. He doesn't answer my "why" questions, but he gives me peace. Our God's kindness is great. I keep trusting Him. He is my hope.　Cleaving to/clinging to/adhering to God is the best place to be.

Thanksgiving - Psalm 30

Psalm 30

¹ I will exalt you, Lord, for you rescued me.
      You refused to let my enemies triumph over me.
 ² O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
      and you restored my health.
 ³ You brought me up from the grave, O Lord.
      You kept me from falling into the pit of death.

That is exactly what God is doing in my life!
I am full of gratitude.
Thank you, Father.

Today I got together with some of my relatives, and I connected with some of my friends via texting. My heart was full of joy.

 ¹¹ You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing.
      You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy,
 ¹² that I might sing praises to you and not be silent.
      O Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever!

I don't want to forget what you have done.
I keep praising you, Lord.

Spoken words - Deuteromony 4:9

Deuteronomy 4:9 (my own words, acquired from different translations)

Only take heed, hedge about, attend to , and protect your life/breath/soul diligently so that you don't forget what God has said (= and done!) which your eyes have seen, and so that the word of God, which was accomplished by His deeds, will not leave your heart all the way till the end.

Instruct your children and grandchildren.

In Dodie Osteen's book, I read that the word for "God has said (=and done)" is translated as "miracle" in her devotional. In other translations it is "word" or "things." It caught my eyes.

I found that the original word is Strong's Hebrew 1697    דָּבָר (dabar).

It can be word, spoken, matter, or thing. 

Dabar is also the Hebrew title of Deuteronomy. 

Personally this word is saying that the word of God equals things/matter because God does what he says. That the spoken words are always done is hidden in this small word. When God's spoken words or promises come true in front of our eyes, it is a miracle.

Joshua 21:45 (my own words acquired from different translations)

Not one good thing/promise/word (Strong's 1697) which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel failed; all came to pass/go/bring forth/cause.

It is written that God's word will not return to him void. In this case the word even causes things. I sense the importance of the spoken words.

Jesus told the disciples that "These signs will accompany those who believe; They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new language; they will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them."

Then later the Bible says that ".. the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the LORD worked with them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs."

I don't know how to compare Greek words to Hebrew, but somehow I think these scriptures go together.

I thank God for His life-giving words. Lord, I pray that your word keeps being alive in my life and those who need life in their bodies. 

In Jesus,

change in treatment plan

My oncologist has always said that the treatment plan will remain the same, but he is changing it.

Me "Could you remind me the reason why I was inoperable? People are asking me and I can't remember the reason."
Doctor "Well, the cancer was all over you."
Me "But it is in one place in the upper lung."
Doctor "Mmmm. If it stays the same for one year, we can have a surgeon to take it out."
Me "It is staying the same since April."
Then the doctor wrote down that he may send me to a surgeon in April. (or something similar)

Just like that?
Compared to what it was a year ago, it is amazing!

God is still watching how his words are accomplishing their purposes. His words never fails.
I am just standing in awe.

I am sorry but I have to confess here that I still don't have courage to be a part of a support group. Maybe I should be there and encourage people, but I don't feel strong enough to do it. I encourage myself through God's words but I may be discouraged easily. I want to keep looking up. When the medical world says there is not hope, God is my only hope. No man can save me. I just stand in awe and praise him. :)

one year!

It has been over a year since I was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer. It was September 1, 2010.  I remember walking down the street near my office then.  This year, on 9/1/2011, I walked on the same street, full of gratitude.

Today I went in for my maintenance medicine. The blood test results and my blood pressure were perfect! I am in "partial remission" according to the doctor. I am on my way to a total remission. Praise the Lord!

When all fails, remember our God specializes in creating a path when there seems to be no hope.

One day at a time

In the very beginning of my journey of healing, I decided to choose life. (I learned it from Dodie Osteen's book.) Since then I have been choosing life one day at a time in the best way I know how. I wish I kept a journey every single day but I didn't because I was trying to just live literally everyday. Most of my energy went to just to eat well and sleep so that I could have enough energy to go to work and do the best I could. I never felt very sick, and I seemed to be living a regular life, but now I look back and I realize I had much less energy.

Now I am trying to write down all the scriptures I received from the LORD in one notebook.  Reading the scriptures with a Hebrew dictionary has given me great insight. I would like to share in my blog, but I haven't been organized enough to do so. I am happy to read those scriptures, to repeat and to think about it over and over. My heart becomes "full."

ひつじさん

ブログでひつじさんに出会いました。
今もひつじさんの癒しを信じていのります。
私の教会の友達でキモセラピーを始めた友達のためにも。
これからキモセラピーを始める友達のだんな様のためにも。
私と同じ肺がんといわれて、知り合いになった友達のためにも。
どんな状態であろうと息をしていれば決して遅くはないと、韓国のチョー先生は言っています。
言ったからといってそうならないこともあるけれど、私はそれでも信じることを選びます。

希望のないときにこそ信じるのが信仰。神様は奇跡をおこなう専門家なのです。
父なる神様、あなたの御言葉を信じています。

I pray for this man I saw on a blog and got to know a little. I pray for his healing, still believing.
I pray for a friend at church who started chemo therapy.
I pray for my friend's husband who is about to start chemo therapy.
I pray for a woman who called me because she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer.
It is not too late as long as you are still breathing, says Dr. Cho from South Korea.
It does not always happen just because you declare something, but I choose to believe.

Faith is to believe when there seems to be no hope. God's specialty is to perform miracles.
My Father, I believe in your words.

August 5th, 2011

Well, the result was the same as last time. The tumor size is the same (abut 1 inch dia.), and it is still sucking up the sugar water (chemical they injected) but not much. I reject to dwell in this mode. I say no thank you to cooperate with cancer.

I will wait for the LORD.
All his promises are "yes." So I say "Amen!" through Jesus.

PETスキャンの結果は、前回と同じでした。がんのサイズは同じで、血液に注入された光る砂糖水（専門用語がわからない）を吸い込む量も同じ。大量ではありませんでしたが。でもこのままのモードでいるつもりはありません。がんと共存はしません。

私は主を待ち望みます。
かみさまの約束はすべてなされますから、私はただアーメンといってイエス様の御名によって同意するのみ。

Advanced case of leprosy - Luke 5:12

This was the scripture for my devotional today. God can heal even the advanced case of leprosy!

Luke 5:12-13

New Living Translation (NLT)

Jesus Heals a Man with Leprosy

 ¹² In one of the villages, Jesus met a man with an advanced case of leprosy. When the man saw Jesus, he bowed with his face to the ground, begging to be healed. “Lord,” he said, “if you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean.” ¹³ Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!” And instantly the leprosy disappeared.

癒しの祈りは続く。。。/ my healing prayer continues...

５０肩らしき痛みが去年から直らないので今日専門家にいきました。
昨日はPhysical Therapy.
今日のアポではレントゲンをとり、その画面を先生が見せてくれました。そのとき肩はなんともおもわなかったけど、そのとなりに例のTumorがはっきりくっきり写っていて、そんなにはっきり見えたのははじめてだったので思わず見入ってしまいました。

シーンとした肺の中にじっとしていたかたまり。

もっともっとしっかりとイエス様のところに、そして御言葉の上にたとうと、心を新たにした日でした。

I went to a physical therapy yesterday for a frozen shoulder. It has been going on since lase December. It hurt a lot and I asked her to stop at the therapy!  Then I  went to an orthopedist today. They took an X-ray of my right shoulder. When the doctor showed me the X-ray on the computer screen, my eyes were glued to the tumor in my lung. I could see it clearly due to the location of the tumor.  I had never seen it so clearly. It looked like it was floating silently in my lung. I renewed my vow to keep standing on Jesus and the word of God again.

God's word will never fail.