If you stopped by because you read my devotion today over at Encouragement Cafe, WELCOME!   So glad you are here!

A couple years ago I learned about my church’s history. They started out in a log school house in 1866 and then built a small wooden frame building. They made small additions and repairs through the years. The people started longing to build a new building in the 1930’s. Every so often the subject would come up, but they could never afford to build. 

Tragedy occurred in 1947 when the wood frame building burned. However, with the resources the church had saved, the aid of the members and the community, a new church was built and completely paid for within a few years. It housed a different generation of people, but the church’s dream of a new place of worship came to be. 

As I read of the desire of the people to build a place of worship, I started thinking about David’s desire to build a temple for the Lord. He had been a man of war. When the established kingdom was finally at rest, he wanted to build a permanent place for the Ark of the Covenant. However, God had other plans.

Now it was in the heart of my father David to build a temple for the name of the Lord God of Israel. But the Lord said to my father David, ‘Whereas it was in your heart to build a temple for My name, you did well that it was in your heart. Nevertheless you shall not build the temple, but your son who will come from your body, he shall build the temple for My name.’   I Kings 8:17-19 NKJV

Instead of being disappointed at being told by God he could not build the temple, David began preparing things for his son. David stored up silver, gold, bronze, and other items that he acquired from subduing his enemies and he dedicated those things to the Lord in anticipation of Solomon one day using it in the temple.

So all the work that King Solomon had done for the house of the Lord was finished; and Solomon brought in the things which his father David had dedicated: the silver and the gold and the furnishings. He put them in the treasuries of the house of the Lord.  1 Kings 7:51 (NKJV)

This gave me a new perspective on my dreams of life. There are so many things I wish I could do for God. I hope I will get to accomplish some of those things before my time on earth is over. However, just because I know there are some things I will never get to do, that doesn’t mean I need to stop working for the Lord in whatever way He allows. I can still strive to live a Godly life and hope my life will inspire others to continue to live for the Lord all their life. Perhaps God will use them to accomplish things that I never will. Maybe I’m a David, just meant to live my life and prayerfully prepare the way for my children and grandchildren to be Solomons, fulfilling God’s purposes in their lives. 

God does put desires in our heart to accomplish His will. We need to stay close enough to Him to realize which dreams are truly from Him and to work diligently toward, and which desires, although admirable, are not in His will for us.

Don’t allow unreached dreams to make you feel defeated. Purposefully serve the Lord. Go through whatever door He opens and be thankful for the door He leaves shut. Prepare future generations to serve the Lord all their lives. If you are a Solomon, if God has given you a great task to perform, pray for wisdom. And remember the ones who prepared you for that task.

Whether you are a David or a Solomon, stay faithful and the Lord will bless you in ways you could never imagine.

Heavenly Father, like David, I pray, “How great you are, Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you, and there is no God but you, as we have heard with our own ears.” (2 Samuel 7:22 NIV) May I have the same mindset, Lord, to praise you even if my personal dreams never come to pass. May I be faithful to follow you and Your plans for my life.  Thank you, Father. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion!  Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem!  Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.”      Zechariah 9:9 NKJV

I’ve often wondered about the happenings on the day we call Palm Sunday.  Jesus was nearing the end of His earthly ministry.  The longer He had taught the people, the more divided they were becoming in what to make of Him.  (John 7:11-13, 40-43) Some wanted to set Him up as an earthly King. (John 6:15)  Other religious leaders wanted to kill Him. (John 7:1)  Some even wanted to put Lazarus to death because he was a visible representation of Jesus’ power over death. (John 12:9-11)

Then came Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem.  Jesus told His disciples to get a young colt from a certain place and they found the ass’s colt just as Jesus had said.  They then threw garments over the back of the colt and Jesus sat upon it as He rode into the city.  People cut palm branches and threw garments on the ground for the colt to walk over.  And they cried out, “Hosanna, blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:13)  This was the fulfillment of one prophecy about the Messiah.  Luke’s Gospel tells us it was a multitude that began to shout out and praise God for all the mighty things they had seen.  (Luke 19:37)

There were even some Pharisee’s in the crowd.  They told Jesus to quieten His disciples.  They did not want the people proclaiming Jesus as the one to fulfill the prophecies of the Christ.  Jesus knew that all that was happening had been foretold, therefore He would not stop the people from doing what they were doing.  Jesus answered the Pharisees saying that if He did quiet the multitude that was praising Him, then the rocks would begin to cry out.

But there were many that within a few short days would suddenly turn on Jesus and instead of shouting praise, they would be shouting, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!”

I’ve often wondered why people turned away from Him.  Many just simply did not believe Him.  Many may have been upset because He was not setting up the earthly kingdom they were expecting from Him.  But it was also a fulfillment of prophecy from Isaiah, that people’s hearts would be hardened and their eyes blinded to the truth. (John 12:37-41)  Still others believed but were afraid to speak up. (John 12:42-43)

As I have thought about all these things, I cannot but help to think how much things that happened so long ago are still happening now.  Some people praise God with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him.  Some are expecting something from Him and when they don’t get it, they turn their back on Him.  Some are openly cursing Him.  Some will go to church on Easter out of habit or tradition but in their heart, Jesus is still dead to them.  Some are trying everything they can to silence God’s people who are trying to openly praise Him.

But nothing the multitude did, even calling out for Jesus’ crucifixion, stopped God’s perfect plan from being fulfilled.  In fact, what they did actually was part of the plan.  Yes, they succeeded in crucifying Him.  But they didn’t stop Him from being raised from the dead.  Where was the crowd then, having a grand procession for His resurrection?

I’m looking forward to another triumphal entry.  In fact, I’m looking forward to two.  The first one will be when Christ raptures His people up into the air and we are ushered into heaven.  And the second one, the most triumphant one of all, will be when Christ comes back, not on a small colt, but on a grand white horse.  Only then, He will be holding a sword of judgement.  No “hosannas” will be coming from the lips of those living on the earth.  But shouts of victory will be heard from all the heavenly hosts.  And Christ will finally be recognized by all people for who He is – The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords!

I pray that this Easter will be celebrated, not out of tradition or habit, but that people will be just as excited about praising Christ now, as they were the day of His entry into Jerusalem.  Because this time, we won’t be praising Him for what we think He is going to do for us individually, but praise Him for everything He has already done!  And we can praise Him with full assurance that someday His kingdom shall be established for all eternity.

Along with our praises, may our shouts be filled with, “Even so, Lord Jesus, come!”

(I referenced a lot of scripture that I encourage you to look up and read. I pray that you have a very Blessed Easter as you wholly worship our Savior and King!)

Dad went home from rehab on Friday, April 21, 2017.

Over that weekend and the following week he did well.  He walked around in the house and outside.  His appetite got better.  He was looking better and feeling stronger.  Until Saturday, April 29th.

That Saturday and Sunday, he began to feel worse.  He became weaker and didn’t eat as well.  He started running a fever Sunday.  That evening it went up to over 102 degrees.  We called the nurse who was on call.  She was not familiar with his case but told us to take him to the Emergency Department.  But we decided to call the oncologist first.

While we waited for the doctor to call, we gave him Tylenol and put a cold cloth to his head.  It didn’t take too long before his fever started to slowly come down.  When the doctor called, he really did not want us to take him to the ED.  He had already scheduled Dad to have a PET scan on Tuesday.  Due to certain rules, a PET scan cannot be taken if a patient is admitted into a hospital.  Insurance will only pay if the patient is not currently in the hospital.  The doctor really wanted Dad to have the PET scan done so the extent of the cancer could be determined.

We took him to a scheduled appointment at Levine’s Cancer Center on Monday, May 1^st.  At the office he had some fever.  When the doctor came in, he asked Dad to move from the wheel chair to the examination table.  When dad sat down, he started blacking out.  The doctor leaned him back on the table and went to get the nurse.  They decided to give him a bag of fluids.  After that, he began to feel some better and we took him home.  The PET scan was planned for the next day at 12:45.

After leaving the doctor’s office, a rash began on his legs.   He continued to run a fever.

Tuesday morning, Dad was weaker and the rash that had started on his legs was now over his entire body.  He was still running some fever.  Mom called the doctor’s office to make sure they did want him to get the PET scan because of his fever, rash and weakness.  They told her if she didn’t hear back from them to bring him to their office after the PET scan.

We took him to get the PET scan.

PET is Positron Emission Tomography.  The way it works is that the patient is injected with a glucose or sugar solution that has a small amount of radioactive material in it.  The radiotracers goes throughout the entire body.  Cancer cells use more glucose than normal cells.   The cancer cells take in the radiotracers at a higher rate than other cells.  It causes those cells to look brighter on the PET scan than non-cancerous cells.

His appointment was at 12:45.  A lady came to get him in his wheelchair to do the test.  She said she would give him the medicine to perform the test and that he would have to wait an hour to give the drug time to work before actually doing the scan.  A few moments later she returned to tell us she thought he had shingles.  She had seen the rash and was very concerned.  That was the last thing we had wanted to hear.

Dad did not get out of the scan until after 3:00.  We took him straight to the doctor’s office.  He was running a fever of 101 and his blood pressure was very low.  The doctor came in and talked with us.  He showed us the PET scan.  There were a lot of lymph nodes throughout his torso that were shining bright red.  There were also some spots on his spleen.

The doctor then told Dad that he needed to go back to the hospital.  He said the rash wasn’t shingles.  He said he really felt that the fever and the rash was coming from the lymphoma.  He thought that the chemo from his first treatment was out of his body and the lymphoma was raging back.  But to be sure that there was no infection, especially in his pic line, the doctor wanted Dad to be in the hospital on antibiotics.

The doctor also said that they were going to be more aggressive in the treatment against the cancer.  He told Dad he had to fight.  The 2^nd treatment that was planned for Thursday would be moved to Wednesday, the next day.  The following treatments would then be every two weeks instead of three.

Two nurses from the doctor’s office rolled Dad in a wheelchair across the parking lot into the emergency department.  We were in the ED from a little after 4:00 until after 8:00.  The next four days were spent in room 371.

On Wednesday, Dad felt weak but did eat a decent breakfast.  They had started him on antibiotics as soon as he was in the ED the previous day.  He continued on them the whole time he was in the hospital.

The rash was still over his whole body.  A dermatologist took a biopsy from his leg of the rash.  He said it could be a reaction to some medicine he had been on.  The oncologist still believed it to be the lymphoma.  He said the lymphoma could aggravate the blood vessels right under the skin resulting in the rash.

Chemo started at 2:30.  The first drug was pushed through a syringe connected to his pic line.  The nurse pushed the syringe in slowly, over a period of 10 minutes.  The second drug was not connected to the tubing properly so it had to be fixed at the lab.  It eventually took the last two drugs until 5:15 to be finished.

Dad snored through the treatment.  He had been given something for nausea before the treatment.  That along with him being so tired allowed him to rest soundly while the drugs were being administered.

Just as when he had his first treatment, Mom and I sat in his room with him.  Maybe because he was sleeping so soundly, the mood was not as somber as before.  We talked quietly to keep from disturbing him but also joked with the nurse about his snoring.

But I also couldn’t stop thinking about the pushing.  The cancer pushing back in Dad’s body as the chemo was getting out of his system.  How the doctor said they needed to push back, be more aggressive in the treatment.  How the nurse was slowly pushing the drug into his veins.

Pushing.  How often do we feel bombarded, or pushed around, by the cares of life?  Sin pushes against our desire to live a Godly life.  Walking Christ-like is not easy – it requires us pushing, being persistent and persevering in our faith.

Sin is like that cancer.  And like the radiotracers used in the PET scan, our natural desires, the part of us that is not saved, is attracted to sin.  In order to stay close to God, we have to be aggressive in our fight against that sin.

And when we commit our ways to the Lord, when we fight the fight of faith, when we push away from the sinfulness of this world, the Lord gives us sweet rest.  Peace. We may even snore a little because of being so relaxed in God’s hands.

We just have to keep pushing, in the strength of our Lord, against the evil things pushing against us.

Dad stayed in the hospital until Saturday.  Since coming home, he has had good days and bad.  Please continue to pray for him as he keeps pushing on.

Keep Pushing, Daddy.

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The Children of Israel fought many battles to take possession of the Promised Land.  However, they knew the battle was not won because of their strength, but because of the strength of their God.  We have the same God and He will be as faithful to help us fight our battles as He was to them.

Psalm 44 (NIV)

¹ We have heard it with our ears, O God; our ancestors have told us what you did in their days, in days long ago.
² With your hand you drove out the nations and planted our ancestors; you crushed the peoples and made our ancestors flourish.
³ It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

⁴ You are my King and my God, who decrees victories for Jacob.

⁵ Through you we push back our enemies; through your name we trample our foes.
⁶ I put no trust in my bow, my sword does not bring me victory;

⁷ but you give us victory over our enemies, you put our adversaries to shame.
⁸ In God we make our boast all day long, and we will praise your name forever.

David was surrounded by his enemies time after time.  When things looked the worse, God, in His Sovereign timing, gave David the victory.  We, too, are in a battle.  But in God’s timing, not ours, we will be victorious.

Psalm 118 (NIV)

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.

² Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.”
³ Let the house of Aaron say: “His love endures forever.”
⁴ Let those who fear the Lord say: “His love endures forever.”

⁵ When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place.
⁶ The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?
⁷ The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I look in triumph on my enemies.

⁸ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humans.
⁹ It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
¹⁰ All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹¹ They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹² They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
¹³ I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me.
¹⁴ The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.  

God can and will calm our storms.  And when the storm subsides, there’s perfect peace.

The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.  Luke 8:24 (NIV)