The "C" Word: CANCER

"Then Joshua and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, the silver, the mantle, the bar of gold, his sons, his daughters, his oxen, his donkeys, his sheep, his tent and all that belonged to him; and they brought them up to the valley of Achor. Joshua said, "Why have you troubled us? The LORD will trouble you this day." And all Israel stoned them with stones; and they burned them with fire after they had stoned them with stones. They raised over him a great heap of stones that stands to this day, and the LORD turned from the fierceness of His anger. Therefore the name of that place has been called the valley of Achor to this day." (Joshua 7:24-26)

To read the whole account of Achan's sin, check out Joshua chapters 6 & 7.

On Sunday, one of our Elders, Henry Jones, led our congregation in communion. He made a comment about taking communion in an unworthy manner. He went on to discuss that some try to hide their sin from God (as IF we really could) and then proceed to take communion. He did the bad news/good news. The bad news is we, as Christians, are not to partake of communion if we have unconfessed sin, or if we are trying to hide our sin…or if we are continuing in sin. The good news is, as Christians, we can ask for forgiveness!

What are you hiding in your life? Why not agree with God on your sin, seek forgiveness and repent? The longer you wait, the more it festers and becomes this hideous cancer eating away at your relationship with God. Sometimes we may go so long in a sin (or sins) that we believe a lie and think we have gone too far and cannot possibly be forgiven, restored, made right in our relationship with God.

One of our cats (a.k.a. Val, the spawn of satan), was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and lung cancer. Apparently, she is not in any real pain right now and has weeks, maybe even months to live. But, one day, we will observe her struggling to breathe and/or unable to breathe at all…and that will be the "time" to have her put to her "eternal rest." I guess the cancer in her lungs will take up so much space, it will be impossible for her to breathe. My first reaction was to save her from this agony and put her down now. Frank, on the other hand, feels she is not in immediate peril or pain and that we should keep her as long as we can. I am glad I listened to him. She seems to be thriving and happy. In fact, we are even considering having the mass (tumor) on her breast area removed so her quality of life is less bothersome in her final time here with us. It is nasty looking and the only real evidence that anything is wrong with Val. The mass is not in plain view. When Val is walking, cat-napping or allowing us to lavish her with ear/head rubs, she looks perfectly healthy.

Of course, that is all a farce. I don't think she knows she is terminally ill.

Our unconfessed sin is like Val's cancer. Sometimes it is obvious, like the mass on her chest, and then sometimes it is hidden (we think) like the cancer on her lungs. Cancer is what will eventually separate Val from her life. It will eventually kill her. And, our sin is what kills us from having a right relationship with God. Our unconfessed sin keeps us from an abundant life in Christ. The news is bad for Val. However, the news is good for you my brothers and sisters in Christ! Here is what God says about our sin:

If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:8-9 NASB)

Why wait any longer? Go to God. Confess, repent and begin again living the way God planned for you to live, abundantly in Christ!

I love you all!

Dogledanji!!!