Category: Encouragement

At some point in life, all of us will be diagnosed with a serious and perhaps life-threatening medical condition. How will we react in such a situation? Could such an unwanted circumstance have a deeper purpose? A difficult diagnosis and illness can be viewed as either a mirror or a window.  A dark adversity can represent a mirror in which we see ourselves and then are overcome with self-pity.  Alternatively, a difficult time as this can be a window through which we can see the world around us filled with people who are walking a similar pathway as ourselves. An important purpose for which God can use our specific condition is found in the Bible in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 which states: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”  Our condition can serve as a major purpose in ministering to others experiencing similar situations.  A man whose wife was dying of cancer has shared his thoughts* based on Psalm 55.  As he witnessed the fourth member in a family of four facing a battle with cancer, he was strongly reminded of Jesus’ experience and prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane just prior to his crucifixion. Jesus had been betrayed by Judas, denied by Peter and forsaken by all His disciples. Jesus’ response was to cast His burden on God the Father thus serving as an example for us all when we are distressed or when we are helping to comfort others.

The starting point for all of us including Jesus is to pray that our suffering be removed and that we be delivered of our condition. Jesus prays in Matthew 26:39, “He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed saying, ‘O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.”   After praying for deliverance, Jesus’ second prayer was for acceptance when He prayed in verse 42, “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” For me personally, this is the most difficult prayer to pray yet it is the prayer that God wants to hear above all others as it demonstrates our complete faith and trust in God’s overall plan for our lives and the events therein. The third level of Jesus’ prayer (and ours hopefully) is one of glorification. Jesus desired that God’s grace would be seen in Him and that His Father would be glorified. In John 12:27-28, Jesus prays “Now my soul is troubled and what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’ But for this purpose I came to this hour, Father, glorify Your name.” The beauty of Jesus’ prayers is that they not only reveal His divine nature but His human nature as well. He is fully capable of truly “feeling our pain.” We too can cast our burdens on the Lord and in the process help others to do so as well. May our deepest desire be that God’s grace would be seen in us, that we share with others the comfort which we ourselves have received, and that God would be glorified in our stressful times and in our reaction to them.”

* Adapted from “When You Feel Like Running Away: Psalm 55” by Roy Clark.  © 2008 RBC Ministries.

I recently met with a well-known urologist whose research focuses on the use of our immune system to combat prostate cancer. In our conversation, I was able to share my own prostate cancer history and current status. He echoed the comment that had been stated by my oncologist and assured me that since there were so many current and future treatment options now available, I would more than likely outlive my own prostate cancer and die of another cause. The urologist went on to state that the biggest problem facing his prostate cancer patients is their own angst. I could certainly echo his sentiment.

In my own case, I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1995. Shortly thereafter, I underwent a successful radical prostatectomy at Johns Hopkins. My cancer was completely localized, had not spread and my Gleason score was an average value of 3+3 or 6. I was an ideal candidate for a “cure”. But the cancer (PSA) returned 7-8 years later and was not completely eradicated by radiation therapy. My PSA doubling time had become 2-3 months, indicating an aggressive cancer. A former colleague of mine had published a paper in a peer-reviewed journal in which he concluded that patients like myself with such a short doubling time could expect an average 5-year survival period. The period of 1995-2004 was filled with lessons I had learned both medically and especially spiritually but it was interspersed with periods of high personal anxiety as recounted in this website (see My Story and Lessons Learned). I am currently asymptomatic and undergoing intermittent therapy. I have continued to pray that God would not allow this disease to take my life and He seems to be reinforcing His answer to me through His word and the predictions of two well-known oncology and urology physicians. God had allowed me to experience this cancer scenario for other reasons, such as that He would be glorified through my experiences and that other men might be encouraged.

I have learned that anxiety can become a bondage and is an individual choice. The apostle Paul states in Philippians 4:6-7 that Christians are to “be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication” (asking), “with thanksgiving, let (y)our requests be made known to God. And the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard (y)our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” Worry indicates a lack of trust. I have often worried about the possibility of receiving negative results or news. When the actual results were known, they were never as bad as I had imagined and many times they were very positive. Negative results can serve as tests of our faith. God was showing me that I had a lack of trust and that my own anxiety was a faith battle which indicated that my own faith needed to be re-directed and strengthened. I am to release my anxiety to God and admit that I cannot handle the situation in my own strength. I simply need to trust that God will answer in His way and His time according to His purpose (see Jeremiah 29:11). This will also validate my own personal relationship with God and that it is not simply  intellectual knowledge and mis-placed faith. When we enter into a personal relationship with God, every promise in His Word (such as that above) becomes applicable to us.

Jesus Himself is our greatest example of how to handle anxiety. It is always encouraging to realize that He is both divine and human, and as such can associate with our own feelings. This is best exemplified by Christ’s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane prior to His crucifixion. He had been betrayed and denied by His own friends and disciples. Yet He cast His burden on His Father. First, like us, He prayed that His potential suffering be removed. In Matthew  26:39 He prays for deliverance, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me.” I am sure any prostate cancer patient can relate to this statement. Then Jesus expresses acceptance stating “nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” In verse 42 He prays “O My Father, if this cup cannot pass away from Me unless I drink it, Your will be done.” The fact remains that we who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer must accept its medical reality. But there is better news. Jesus’ third prayer was a desire that God’s grace be seen in Him and that His Father would be glorified. In John 12:27-28, Jesus prays “But for this purpose, I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” As a direct result of our personal relationship with God, we too can cast our burdens and anxiety on the Lord and help others to do so. For me, I often visualize packaging my anxiety in a container and laying it at Jesus’ feet or at the cross. May our deepest desire be that God’s grace and goodness would be seen in us and that He would be glorified in our individual scenarios and outcomes.

I try to read a devotional from the Bible daily. Yesterday I read a portion which could apply to anyone with prostate cancer or any other stress-inducing condition. The Old Testament book of Jeremiah 17 :verses 7-8 state as follows. “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust IS the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit.” One can interpret Biblical passages several ways. Some people read them as a personal preference asking “what do these words mean to me?” But a better approach would be to evaluate the words in terms of “what is God actually saying?” Having prostate cancer can often be likened to “turning up the heat on our lives” or experiencing a time of personal drought and anxiety. We need to remember however that God can use everything in our lives including cancer to point people to Him, to glorify Himself, to provide fulfillment and purpose to our own lives and in short, “to bear fruit”. So what is God actually promising in the verses above? We will all experience some form of “heat” and “drought” in our lives. But first our trust should be IN the Lord, His Word, His nature, His character and His plans. Secondly, our needs will be met (green leaves and watered roots) if we are so grounded. Next we need not be anxious about any of these situations. Finally, our life circumstances will not be wasted but instead be bearing wonderful and lasting fruit in our relationship with the Lord and with those around us.

There are always moments in the life of a man who has prostate cancer when peace of mind is in short supply. Personally, I experience times of anxiety as My Story in this website reveals. But God has something very special to say to us about His gift of peace. Isaiah, the Old Testament prophet, wrote the following in Isaiah 26:4-5. “The steadfast of mind Thou wilt keep in perfect peace because he trusts in Thee. Trust in the Lord forever, for in God the Lord, we have an everlasting Rock.” The words “perfect” and “peace” are actually one single Hebrew word– “shalom”. Shalom refers not just to the absence of disease, conflict or worry but the perfection of security, joy, prosperity and serenity. It is the “peace of God which surpasses all understanding” and which “guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus” according to Philippians 4:7. Remember also that God’s purpose of trials in our lives is to “perfect” our faith in Him according to James 1:2-4. This “perfect peace” comes to anyone who places his complete trust in the all-powerful, all-loving, sovereign grace of the Lord-the Rock eternal (Is. 26:4). While God uses physicians and medical science to perform wonders in the lives of prostate cancer patients, when we trust in anything or anyone more than the living, personal and eternal God, we actually practice idolatry. Only by trusting in our relationship with God through Jesus Christ, can we experience and possess true “shalom.”

I often consider my prostate cancer as “my problem.” I am focused on being maintained in a symptom-free condition for as long as possible, or potential treatments as needed and finally focused on not dying of the disease. But God sees my condition from a totally different viewpoint. From my personal perspective, it is often too easy for my trust to flounder and for my spiritual eyes to drift from God and Jesus to my disease. Once my focus shifts away from God, the problem becomes magnified. Such negative thinking can overwhelm faith and extinguish courage. We also tend to see obstacles such as prostate cancer in terms of our own strength and resources rather than God’s. Too often we miss God’s specific plan for us (which is always the best according to Romans 8:28 and Ephesians 2:10) because we view our disease as a problem instead of an opportunity.

God has a master plan for our good and it can even include a disease like prostate cancer. Had my cancer not recurred in 2002, I would not have launched this website (which I pray has been of some use to at least one person). When was the last time someone did something for you in a manner that was “exceedingly abundantly” more than you hoped for?  To me, the word ‘abundantly’ means more than I need or want. ‘Exceedingly’ tells me it goes beyond what I perceive as needing or wanting. But the Bible states in Ephesians 3:20-21, “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory ………in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever, Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21.) God’s ability and love are unlimited. The apostle Paul clearly understood this when he wrote in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Everything I need, He will provide in His time. Problems and roadblocks are a way for God to demonstrate His awesome power and for our own faith to grow and mature. When our focus shifts to a Godly perspective, gloom turns to gladness and we experience joy.

God doesn’t always show us the entire picture; often He reveals it little by little. Why? So we will learn to rely on Him daily for all we need and trust Him for tomorrow. This would not be the case if I as an individual saw my entire future in one snapshot. As long as God has the entire picture of my present and eternal life in His view and under His control, I don’t need to see it all. HE SEES IT ALL.

Coming shortly, update on new promising drug, MDV 3100.

In the last few weeks, I received word that prostate cancer had unexpectedly recurred in two men I know. Both men understandably expressed discouragement, apprehension and fear. What now??? I experienced a similar recurrence in 2003 (see My Story, 1994-2003,    “December, 2002 – January 11^th, 2004. The cancer recurs. What do I do now?”.) In addition to the emotions experienced by the two afore-mentioned men, I experienced anger at God for allowing His seemingly curative surgical process to fail. But looking at this situation now eight years later, I see not only how God can allow us to experience many years of normal life through the use of existing and newly-approved medical treatments, but how He can use such seemingly negative outcomes in our lives to glorify Himself to people around us.

Anne Graham Lotz, the daughter of Billy Graham, tells a story about receiving a gift from her aging mother. The gift came wrapped in a plain brown paper bag packed with lots of decorative wrapping paper. After examining the contents of the bag and finding nothing of value, Anne Graham Lotz was about to discard the package as a mistake when her aging mother informed her that the package contained a small yet very valuable and historical ring. Anne Graham Lotz had nearly missed a very valuable gift simply because it had come packaged in a common, un-appealing, brown paper bag. The moral of her story was as follows: what “gift” have we been given by God wrapped in an un-assuming package and can He use such a “gift” to bring honor and glory to Himself and fulfillment to our lives if we choose to use it as such? Amazingly, recurring prostate cancer could be such a gift.

Following the recurrence of my own aggressive prostate cancer (my PSA was doubling every three months) in 2002-3 after a very promising and successful radical prostatectomy surgery in 1995, I received an unsolicited, encouraging letter from a friend. The letter writer pointed out to me that every time an angel appeared to someone in the Bible, usually the first words spoken by the heavenly being were “do not fear” or “don’t be afraid.” Familiar Biblical recipients of such angelic messages include Hagar, Gideon, Mary, Joseph, the shepherds in the field, and the two Marys at the tomb of Jesus. I was informed that the phrase “do not fear” is cited 365 times in the Bible, once for each day. This is because God knows how prone we are to fear, anxiety, apprehension and mis-trust when we encounter something we do not understand or expect. But when the phrase “do not fear” is stated, it is invariably linked with a specific characteristic about God or Jesus, such as their presence, power, past performance or promises. Words such as “do not fear for I am……” or “do not fear for I have…..” appear countless times. For example, Isaiah 41:10 states “do not fear for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Such personal knowledge of and trust in the natures, characteristics and promises of God and His Son Jesus are the antidotes to fear and apprehension.

What can the Lord do with your unexpected, un-welcome “gift” of recurrent prostate cancer? Psalm 90:10 states that “as for the days of our lives, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years.” I turn 70 next month. Our biological clocks are running. In our cells, our telomeres are shortening. We have the remainder of our earthly life to look forward to followed by our eternal destiny which depends on our relationship with God through Jesus. Instead of our disease, our focus should now be on actions which will benefit our family, friends and acquaintances in this life and especially actions which will have eternal significance for ourselves and those around us. Let all we do glorify God and Christ. Examples of this abound in the Bible. In John 11, Jesus was urgently summoned to the house of his close friends, Lazarus, Martha and Mary. Jesus delayed and meanwhile his friend Lazarus died. After the crowd accused Jesus of arriving too late to help, Jesus said in John 11:4 that Lazarus’ sickness was not intended for “death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God (Jesus) might be glorified thereby.” Lazarus was raised from the dead and went on to fulfill his life. Likewise, the man born blind from birth in John 9:1-3 was healed so that the works of God might be glorified in him. If that were not enough evidence, look what Jesus could do with five loaves of bread and two fish which were used to feed over 5,000 men in addition to women and children. So what can He do with your “brown bag gift”?

In Matthew 11:28, Jesus provided the right perspective on life’s happenings that we perceive to be hard to manage. He can handle anything and that’s why He said “come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Approach the Lord in prayer and cast our burdens upon Him so that He can sustain us. Remember He can use the “gift” you have been given in a brown paper bag to bring glory to Himself and God the Father.

All of us who have received the “gift” of prostate cancer have an assignment. First, we have to make sure our relationship with God through faith in Jesus is intact. If it is, then we should remember to list God’s and Jesus’ characteristics and remember how they have helped us in the past. Finally, we must lay our situations down before the Lord. What’s your brown bag gift and how will you entrust it? Existing medical treatments are available and new ones are progressing through clinical trials. Two treatments have been approved by the FDA this past year alone. God also uses wise, compassionate and knowledgeable physicians to treat and support us. God will sustain you and more than likely, you will be able to outlive this disease with many productive years ahead. Whether our cancer is cured, in remission, under treatment or has recurred, God still loves us so unconditionally that He offered up His Son so that through faith in Jesus, we may have a deeply personal relationship with God, the Father. In addition, He still has a master plan for our earthly life and the promise of eternal life in perfect, cancer-free bodies. You may think you have seen better days, but the best is still to come to those who know God and His Son, Jesus. He can best transform us into men whose lives will be productive, fulfilling and glorifying to God. Don’t give up!!!

My prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level was again below detectable limits, 0.01 ng/mL. The prostate cancer is still under control! God’s plan, presence, protection, power and promises again prevailed over my apprehension and fears. Christ’s perfect love truly never fails! The scene above overlooking Charlotte Harbor as it leads to the Gulf of Mexico is from a scenic but rustic area called Bokeelia, on the northern tip of Pine Island off the southwest Florida coast just north of Ft. Myers. The passive scene is not at all indicative of the active and fulfilling retirement life God has given to my wife and I. We are most thankful!!!! May we all keep looking up!!!!

My cancer has been kept under control with the help of hormonal therapy for nearly five (5) years. It is anticipated that at some point, one becomes resistant (refractory) to hormonal therapy. In that case, additional treatments need to be administered. If they are chemotherapies, they have more severe side effects; or, if they are newer treatments such as Provenge^® or abiraterone, they may be limited due to their availability and cost. Therefore, every few months when a PSA test is required, the event serves as a marker of disease progression or control. From a medical viewpoint, it is “cut and dry”. From a spiritual viewpoint, the PSA test serves as a test of one’s faith, not simply in God’s healing power but whether or not one trusts God enough to cast this burden upon Him and be able to say with Job 13:15, “though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” or with Jesus Himself, when He prayed in Matthew 26:39 “not My will but Thine be done.”

In the Old Testament, Abraham serves as a shining example of a righteous, godly man. But he himself showed distrust of God on several occasions. Twice he told blatant lies to foreign kings whom he feared might take his life and that of his wife Sarah. He told them that attractive Sarah was not his wife but instead was his sister. Therefore, he put at risk God’s plan that through him and Sarah, a great nation (Israel) would arise. In our case, disease is also part of God’s plan; He is able to be glorified through it as was the case of the man born blind whom Jesus healed in John 9:1-3.  Though apprehension and fear may be normal expected reactions, we need not fear the outcome of a PSA test. Our fears can be conquered through tenacious faith in God’s and Christ’s presence, protection, power and promises. If our fear is putting God’s wonderful plans for us at risk, we must “remember that He will never ask us to do anything He cannot bring to completion, even if it requires miraculous intervention on His part.” (Dr. Joseph Stowell, Our Daily Bread, July 19^th, 2011). I’ll know my PSA result on Friday.