Come on in and kick off your shoes. Put on a pair of slippers, serve yourself a warm drink, relax with me and and let’s muse together about glorious truth and how embracing it, can change our lives.

This article interested me because as a believer in the Bible I have come to believe (contrary to the evolutionary theory) that the human race is much smaller in size than it was when God created it. Because of the entrance of sin, a degenerating effect has taken place, not only on the human race but all of nature.

After reading the article I came home and dug another article out of my files that I had been holding on to for quite a while. It was a March 21 1949 Life Magazine article entitled “A New Giant Appears on Man’s Family Tree”. The article is about a South African paleontologist, Robert Broom, who found the remains of a giant human jaw embedded in the wall of a cave.

Now I know you may have seen those pictures floating around on the web showing those giant human skeletons. Some of those are obviously hoaxes, but don’t let the hoaxes scare you away from the truth that humans were at one point larger than we are today.

Add to this scientific evidence a text from the Scriptures taken from Genesis 6:4, describing humans before Noah’s flood, which says, “There were giants on the earth in those days…” Add another text found in Numbers 13:33, where it speaks of a time when even after the flood during the time of Moses, when the spies were searching out Canaan, they said, “There we saw the giants (the descendants of Anak came from the giants); and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.” Then again in Deuteronomy 3:11 it speaks even of a specific king named Og of Bashan (the land of the giants) who was one of the few who remained of the “remnant of the giants”, even noting how large his bed was.

Yes mankind is shrinking. Scientists recognize it. The Bible gives evidence of it. I have often told people that I believe in evolution and if the world continues on a few more thousand years we will all be apes, because the truth is since sin mankind has been shrinking.

While I won’t take time to go into it here, it can be easily established that the “beast” is the resurrected Holy Roman Empire that we know today as the Papacy, located in Vatican City in Rome. The beast’s counterpart or “image” can be easily identified in Scripture as a deteriorated phase of Protestant America. The uniting and cooperation of these two global powers will eventually result in the imposition of what the Bible calls “the mark of the beast”.

The thing that has been skipping around in my mind recently however, is just how this will develop and come to fruition. Many have felt strongly that this union will come about when the religious right in our country (the USA) will ascend to power and then join hands with the Papacy to form a religious political alliance. With this thought then, we tend to keep our eyes on the religious right. But in doing this have we played into a trap? Has the devil made an end run around us?

As I noted in my previous blog, “The Right is Left”, most people view the political landscape with a very narrow focus. The landscape, as they see it, stretches from the far right to the far left. What we noted there however, is that when using the American constitution as the anchor point, both left and right find themselves far left of the center.

The Papacy, being a child of the Roman Caesars, is a good example of an oligarchy. It’s not a democracy or a republic. It is the form of government that rules by a ruling, dictatorial class.

Over the decades the two main political parties that have made up our government’s elected leaders have been the Republicans and the Democrats. As noted before, both of these parties have been marching left, across the landscape, away from the constitutional republic given to us by our founding fathers.

It is this “leftward” march that is leading the USA down the road to becoming an “image” to the “beast”. While religious harmonies will be a part of this union, political harmonies will be in play as well. In the words of one of the founders of my faith tradition. “When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power . . . our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government.” (Last Day Events 131)

When the founders came up with the American constitutional experiment it was out of a very careful study of the history of national politics. One thing was clear to the founders, “democracy” was anathema. “Democracy”, someone once said “is like two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for lunch”. Democracy, or majority rule, always ends up in an oligarchy where the majority takes power, the leaders of that majority take that power to themselves and the populace is forced to submit.

The founders with the American constitution, created a very unique nation where law is the rule not the majority. This assures that the sheep does not become lunch for the wolves. This form of government is called a Republic. This is what the Roman Empire was until they transformed through the stages of democracy which then quickly slipped into the ruling class headed by the Caesars.

This is why the word “democracy” is not found in the constitution nor is it found in any of the state constitutions. But have you noticed how much we hear it all the time from politicians on both Democratic and Republican sides. Everything is about “democracy.” It sounds so virtuous and fair, but it leads to tyranny. Democracy opens the way for the wolves to have their way and eat the sheep for lunch. Both the “left” and the “right” in our country are so far left of the Constitutional Republic that they do not see the danger of a democracy and how important it is that we get back to the principles of the republic that our founders invisioned.

My recent musings on things temporary however were not regarding things as trivial as those I have just mentioned. Though some might not consider pets trivial, I have had seven dogs in my life and even those weren’t as significant as some other very temporary things in our lives and that’s family members.

Some of you may know that for over two and a half years my wife has been struggling in a fight with cancer. Things have been up and down but through it all we are constantly reminded how temporary life is, in this world. Many of you have probably faced this as well.

I’m reminded of the words of Jesus when, after he had miraculously fed 5000 people, He said, “Do not labor for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to everlasting life.” Then He added, “I am the bread of life.” (John 6:27 , 35)

Jesus is trying to get us to understand that we too often seek out and place our hopes in things that are temporal. I’m convinced that much of the disappointment we experience in life comes from placing all of our bets for happiness on things that are transient. Then when those things suddenly disappear we are left bankrupt.

The key to enduring peace and joy is to make sure that our hopes for happiness are placed in that which is eternal. The Apostle Peter said, “The Word of the Lord endures forever.” (1 Peter 1:25) That’s one thing that will not disappoint us. Jesus said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves, treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys.” (Matthew 6:19, 20) The bank of heaven is the only bank that will never go under. His kingdom is the one kingdom that will never end.

We may find some pleasure in cars, cameras, clothing and pets. We might even cling to precious family members but we need to remember that these too, in this world, can be very transient.

As Jesus said, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)

Much of the “growth” of the economy in recent decades has been because people have borrowed to buy things, and thus it is a false sense of “growth”. Because of greed, lenders as well as borrowers have entered into loans that are not able to be paid back.  Loans have been defaulted on and the flow of money has almost stopped.  The government now wants to “infuse” hundreds of billions of borrowed dollars into the credit market to entice people to borrow for cars, homes etc. so the economy will start expanding again and the flow of interest can continue.

We have 976 billion dollars just in credit card debt.  Can you imagine the interest paid on this debt alone?  A lot of other people are making a lot of money just because we can’t wait to pay cash for the things we want.  It’s like a big government approved corporate pyramid scheme in which over 60 million American citizens are enslaved.

I remember when I was a young boy and the first credit cards came out from gas companies. My parents started using one to buy their gas.  My grandfather, a common working man who never took out a loan for anything, not even a house, said, “I would never have a credit card.”  My little brother said “But grandpa how do you buy gas?”  We were already being programmed to join the scheme.

The truth is, even though the politicians want us to go out and borrow more money to get the economy going again, the best thing for us to do is to avoid debt like a plague, because, like the Bible says,  “the borrower is slave to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7)

Most of us live our lives completely unaware of what’s going on around us.  I remember when the reality of this first dawned on me.  It had quite an impact on my life.  All of a sudden things that were confusing to me began to make sense.  In my youthful search for meaning in this chaotic world this was like a great light coming on.  The apostle Paul touches on this golden thread of the Bible when he says, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6:12)

The important thing about this truth is not that it is a dogmatic proposition that we can cling to but it is a universal truth that provides a context for meaning in our personal lives.  This truth helps me begin to understand what is going on, not just in the broader chaotic events of the world but in the troublesome events of my own personal lfe.

Learning to relax under pressure, instead of grabbing at the oars in a desperate attempt to save ourselves, has a real payoff.  If a merry heart does good “like a medicine”, that merry heart needs to hang in there in the bad times, as well as the good times, and maybe especially then for the benefit of our overall health and well-being.

There were seven nurses at the Hufeland Clinic which I watched with interest.  All of them, though varying greatly in personality, seem to have mastered the art!  As soon as something would go amiss in the infusion room, they would begin lightening the mood with their cheerful and efficient ways until everyone was chuckling, including me.  Though I was not always able to catch on to the nuances of the humor because of the language barrier just the sheer laughter lifted me.

Laughter produces endorphins and improves immune function.  On the other hand an over reaction to stressors can hinder immune function.  There is a spontaneous kind of childlike laughter many of us abandoned somewhere along the road of life when we allowed its stressors to trick us into believing that life has too many dangers to let your guard down.

The scriptural challenge that “Godliness with contentment is great gain - for we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it . . .” (1 Timothy 6:6) came to mind.  Though she lost a child as a young mother, then her husband after only 30 “wonderful” years of marriage and at that point she had been battling cancer for a few years, I sensed my friend was already accepting this newest loss.  Most people would feel a bit ripped off, but not she!  Contentment has just become a way of life for her.  I want to become less rattled by the daily upsets in life and learn to be at peace, regardless of the circumstances.  If we believe that God is the “Master of circumstances” anyway, why should we be so very concerned when our boat starts rocking in the stormier times of our lives?  “When life gives you lemons  . . .”

I can’t help but wonder if there isn’t a silent hope among some American doctors that maybe there is some- thing better than our current standard of care treatment for some types of cancer.  If so, it seems like they are  careful not to talk about it much, although my doctor did share with me that there are trials being done somewhere in Texas for the IPT (insulin-potentiation therapy) that I received in Germany, where IPT has been used successfully for two decades.  Since my tumor markers  continue going down, I’m encouraged that we’re on the right track.

Since coming home, my most challenging concerns have been in keeping focused on my health needs - despite daily living distractions; keeping unnecessary stress at bay; not regressing into old thinking habits and continuing to take good care of myself in regards to my struggle with anxiety.  When my husband came home early, leaving me alone in Germany for a month, I found it was easier for me to focus on just my own needs.  Having come home, I am consciously resisting my tendency of trying to please everyone around me, which in Germany was hardly ever an issue as there were no real or imagined pressures to meet the needs of others that I have typically experienced.

I was sent home with an assignment to keep a journal of my daily victories, defeats and what I’m learning about myself in regards to these.  This is serving me well and I’m planning to continue this method of self- accountability for a good long time.  I challenge anyone who struggles with breaking old habits to try it!

The thought that there may be times when it is appropriate to address our need to know how to “receive” was thought provoking to me.  Another popular saying from the words of Jesus is , “Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” (John 16:24) So it is not only “blessed to give” but it is “blessed to receive” as well.  In fact how can we give unless we first receive.  We start our life as little children in the receiving mode.  It is only after we have received for a while that we can even begin to give in a conscious and meaningful way.

When we look at God’s world around us we discover that it is one massive, perpetual, receiving and giving system.  Every living thing receives and gives.  Plants and animals all receive nutrients and water, air and sunlight and in turn give fruits as well as beauty.  The truth is, all who lose the ability to “receive” will soon not have anything to give.

I’ve been a health-care giver for most of the past three and a half decades now, never dreaming I would be on the receiving end, especially as a cancer patient, a full decade before I am even old enough to retire! Alas, most of the “helping professions” have a down side, attracting those of us who would prefer not being an equal.  I’m finally learning that my very “giving” nature is in part responsible for a life out of balance with its subsequent health hazard.  I’m finally discovering this balance and sincerely believe that “give” AND “take” is where it’s at.

As an in-patient, I recently found out that the cleaning ladies normally make the beds here for the patients each day while they are having their various treatments.  In my “good girl” way I was carefully making my bed each day, even hanging the “do not disturb” sign on the outside of my door, trying to save “the help” from having to bother with my room.  When that didn’t work and I realized their job description included a daily routine of floor and bathroom cleaning, as well as bed tidying, I finally accepted the fact and even started to leave my bed unmade, symbolizing to myself that it’s high time I learned to take from someone who wanted to give to me!

Friendships flourish on this basis and while I have dear and wonderful friends, I’m not sure I’ve always been so wonderfully dear to have as a friend.  My tendency to “carry the world” has been an intimacy barrier for me in some ways.  I’m untouchably invincible when I’m giving in excess.  Only when I’m in crisis will I readily take support from others so there has been a lop-sidedness in my relationships that I’m realizing HAS TO GO!  The healthiest relationships are based on equality where lots of giving and taking are going on from both sides.  Even with the language barrier here, I’ve picked up that people want me to communicate my needs better.  If you’re cold, just ask for a blanket!  They can’t read my mind and I’m certainly not bothering anyone when I ask for something I need.

Jesus role-modeled the right balance when he asked for a drink from the woman at the well, or invited Himself to supper with a tax collector or received the gift of perfume annointing Him for His burial.  Even Jesus was dependent on others for a place to lay his head.  The ability to receive is as much a virtue as the ability to give.

The more I read I’m appalled at the harm done in my country, by the seeming neglect to offer what has been shown to be safe and effective medical care. (Not to mention the medical mistakes, which constitute the third leading cause of death in the USA. Do no harm?)

For example, my daughter sent me a forward here the other day on the amazing benefits cancer-ridden laboratory rats are getting from the simple infusion of Vitamin C. This research was begun earlier on but was squelched by a double-blind study proving the lack of benefits of taking oral Vitamin C. Of course, that was comparing apples to oranges, so now we’re back to square one, “crossing our fingers”. as the article said, hoping this will be legalized before too many more cancer patients “kick the bucket”!

Vitamin C infusions are given here at Hufeland on a regular basis, along with other protective vitamins and trace elements because, according to current research findings, these substances protect against free radicals. A doctor who says to a patient, “I don’t think much of that”, is often simply revealing that he/she knows nothing about the subject! Because Vitamin C supports the immune system and your body’s own repair capabilities, it is vital for recovery! In quantity, “Vitamin C is the best broad spectrum antitoxin, antibiotic and anti viral there is”. per Abram Hoffer, M.D.

What “harm” can be done by using a simple substance like vitamin C when it can help. Is there not “harm” done by denying its use?

“Change” (another word for reform) seems to be the buzz word for both presidential candidates.  “Reform Washington!” is the cry.  We even hear about a change the wife of one of the candidates had to make in overcoming her addiction to prescription pain medicine.  She says her recovery includes continuing to talk to anyone willing to listen, about her battle and commitment to staying drug-free.  I have been encouraged to do that and maybe that’s why I’m feeling the need to contribute to my husband’s blog a few times while I’m making the needed “reform” in my life which also includes getting rid of some long-entrenched thinking patterns and behavior.

While living here in the land of the Protestant “Reformation”, I am realizing that “reforming one’s ways” sometimes means the pendulum has to swing a bit far in the opposite direction before finding that change is here to stay.  So please bear with me during this leg of my journey while I cement my resolve to “reform” by sharing each step of the way, in my endeavor to cooperate with God’s principles of healing.

There is a strange phenomenon, called “hysterical conversion reaction”, when the body warns the mind that there is trouble brewing.  A limb may become suddenly useless without any physical cause.  This happened to me prior an inevitable divorce from my past marriage while I was walking down the hall of the hospital where my former husband worked. I was heading for the cafeteria where we had agreed to have lunch and, yet again, discuss our bleak future.  It was so unexplainable that, after nearly falling to the floor, I sought a medical opinion from the nearby office of an orthopedist who was willing to talk to me without an appointment.  He motioned for me to sit down in the chair across from his desk while I told him what had just happened to my leg.  Kind concern crossed his face and seemingly unhurried, he calmly asked me this question, “What’s going on in your life at home?”  At first, I was taken aback, and then burst into tears.  How could he know our well kept family secret?

I’ve been thinking a lot about that mind/body connection while here in the hospital in Germany, where all patients are encouraged to look at the various aspects and contributors to our “symptom” of cancer.  Looking back on my life so riddled with fear and anxiety and left-over habits from childhood patterns, I’m not too surprised when I learn they might have something to do with the big “C” wake-up-call I’m facing.  Standing on our own two feet instead of always adapting to the expectations of others is a must!  Someone named J. Kirshnamurti once stated a very simple truth that “If you begin to understand what you are without trying to change it, then what you are undergoes a transformation”.

Somehow we seem to have been under an illusion that if one follows the rules and works hard to keep everyone happy, everything will come up roses.  Adapting to our circumstances is initially helpful but according to the brain function specialist and author of Mind Waves, Arlene Taylor, PhD., for our own mental and physical well being, prolonged adaptation is NOT!  I for one, refuse to stay stuck in denial of this life threatening adaptation.  Constantly trying to conform to the supposed or real expectations of others, is a formula for failure when it comes to many ailments which include fatigue, lack of concentration, risk of burnout, midlife crisis AND major illness.

Living authentically involves making some conscious choices. I want to always remember that “above all, to thine own self, be true!”

I’ve been thinking a lot about different kinds of fear lately, both the warranted but mostly the unwarranted kind, much of which is a category we call “the fear of the unknown”.  Since being on the other end of the thermometer and IV infusion - as a nurse turned cancer patient - I’ve experienced more of this fear-of-the-unknown than I’d ever wanted to know about, these past couple of years!

I remember reading a book, Go Out in Joy , when I was working in a Los Angeles children’s hospital as a nurse on a cancer ward. It gave me amazing perspective on the differences between how adults and children face the uncertainties in life.  These kids were amazing!  They simply accepted whatever reality was thrown their way, often lifting the spirits of the staff who were in anticipatory grief over when their other proverbial “shoe” might drop and it would be “curtains”, as they say, - time to go!

Tomorrow I face something new to me called IPT (Insulin Potentiation Therapy).  This is where, using an insulin IV push, they artificially force the blood sugar down into the 30’s or low 40’s, making the tumor cells “hungry” enough to open up to what’s coming next, a mixture of low-dose chemotherapy and glucose.  Besides having known a person who ended her life with an overdose of insulin, I probably know too much about what could potentially go wrong to view this therapy as a “piece of cake”. (It actually is a piece of cake here, as they do it routinely and have for decades now.)  I’m preparing mentally for the potential transitory nausea and profuse sweating this brings on, knowing my blood sugar levels will be checked very often to make certain they don’t get me too low.  I’m trusting Dr. Demuth (Internal Medicine / Naturopathic) and his great medical team to pull me through this less conventional approach to cancer treatment.

Then why can’t I sleep after laying here for over an hour?! My mind drifts back to another Physician with a less than conventional approach to the healing arts.  He is saying these words to my heart, “Why are you so afraid, Gloria?” and reminding me He also emphasized that we must, “become as little children…” or life can get pretty scarey.  So, I’ve just decided to simply trust Him, turn out the light and drift off into a blissful slumber.  Afterall, if I’d tried this childlike approach more often during my lifetime I just might not be in the predicament that I’m in right now!

it was on my early morning walk through the quaint little town here last week on my way to church when I noticed the things my mind was wrestling with and the anxiety I was feeling because of them.  It was while listening to the music of the fountain in the park and passing amidst the beautiful green trees that I was struck with the inharmonious sound of my own thoughts.

I didn’t have any stockings for church and hoped I didn’t offend anyone.  In addition to that I had left my Euros behind so had nothing to put in the offering plate.  “What will people think if I don’t give?”  Then just when I thought I was making good time I became stuck at the train track by a passing train which might make me late.  The pastor had gone to some effort so I would have translation for the services!  My shallow quick breathing alerted me that I was stressed.  The voice was shouting, “Gloria you’re not being a good girl!”

My life has been riddled with these symptoms of anxiety ever since childhood.  I remember as a little girl my mother giving me a paper bag to breath into to alleviate some of these symptoms.

What a lot of wasted energy when there were ducks to watch as I passed over bridges, sunshine to bask in to warm my stocking-less legs, not to mention that I have noticeably more stamina to even TAKE this kind of long walk!  I consciously chose to begin to think of my blessings and put these unfounded worries out of my mind and trust that things would be fine, a real learning curve for me to be sure.

When I got to church (just before the opening prayer) and was introduced to the lady next to me (who was stocking-less, as well), I had already felt relaxed and open to what God had just for me as a guest in His house!  Since I had no offering I’d decided to think of it as a symbol that I was there to receive the gift of His blessings today, more than try to please others with what I had to give.  I would just trust.

Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me . . . and you shall find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Some words of Jesus came to my mind from Luke 7:32.  Speaking of the people who were unhappy with him he likened them to children who complained “We played the flute for you and you did not dance.”  That’s what it is, there are so many flute players out there with their different tunes and each one expects you to dance to their music. Trying to dance to all the conflicting tunes can drive us crazy!

Some words from my favorite writer are about people who “. . . do what’s right because it is right.”  Not because we think it will please anyone but just because it’s right.  Can you imagine your life lived by principles of truth, from the heart, doing every day what is right just because it is right, not worrying about what people think?  That’s true freedom.

Now it may be that doing right might be pleasing to some people but that’s a secondary benefit.  The prime motivation is doing right because you want to be that kind of person.  It may also be true that some people won’t like it when you do right because it’s not always in harmony with the music they expect you to dance to.

The truth is we need to decide to embrace the tune of truth and dance our lives away.

Now THAT resonated with ME and ever since, I have to admit, I’ve worried a little about MY funeral when the real truth about me could possibly come out!  Maybe I had no big need to worry as the real me has been kept neatly hidden from all those who don’t really know me very well.  They’d surely say all those nice things about me, but what about the ones who really do know me?  What might THEY say about their late wife, mother, sister or close friend - the one that’s been so “nice” that she’s been nauseating at times to live with?  The one they longed to get close to but she was often too busy “taking care” of them to need anything from anyone else?  The one who’s closest childhood friend had finally “had it” one day exclaiming.  “Why don’t you let somebody ELSE be the good guy once in awhile!”  It’s pretty sad when your loved ones don’t even know what to get you for Christmas because you don’t have enough of your own interests for them to have a clue what you’d like and like a “nice girl” you would probably just give it to someone else, anyway.

Since my life took a serious turn and I’m now on disability, battling cancer and really COULD face such a scenario (sooner than later), I’ve had lots of time to reflect on life’s priorities and have decided to stop “shouldering the world”, playing the martyr and smiling all the time.  I’m going to try really LIVING for as much time as I might have left on this old earth.  Of course none of us really knows when that time might come, but for me - it’s really been brought to the front-burner for the past year and a half.

So, here it is - my newly developed committment to myself and to all those who really know me.  Starting here in Germany, where the emphasis in health care is on the whole person instead of just a body part, it’s “goodby Mr. nice guy” (or in my case “nice girl”) and “hello” to the unique but special person - warts and all - that God intended me to be in the first place.  I won’t promise to come home transformed and am warning you that I’m definitely in that ugly, awkward stage of metamorphasis, but you won’t mind because I know in my heart you’ve all been waiting and hoping for a very long time to see this happen.

First of all we planned to wash only one load today even though we had two. So Gloria and I took the whites down to the basement, followed the direction listed on the washer (in English) put in the soap and our three euros (about five dollars! Talk about irony!) and got our load started. Things looked good as we could see the wet clothes beginning to tumble around through the glass window of the front loading washer.

Keep in mind that we were told by someone that if we didn’t get our clothes out at just the right time and two hours passed, the door to the washer wouldn’t open and we would have to put in another three euros just to get the door open. This alone filled us with apprehension about our prospects of success.

Just as we were leaving the room a jovial German lady came in with a big smile on her face jabbering something that we couldn’t understand. She looked at us as if she expected a response.

The dazed look on our faces must have told her that we were completely confused. We were. So in her helpful jabbering way she began to push buttons and turn knobs. She turned off the washer and opened the little drawer on the front where we had put some powdered soap. The water had already washed it out so she must have promptly concluded that those confused Americans must have forgotten put soap in. Taking the scoop she put in another very large heaping scoop of dry soap, making motions and expressions that made me think she thought it took an extra large scoop to do the job.

Grabbing a plastic container of water and pushing buttons she poured the water into the tray to wash the soap down into the now churning clothes. I don’t know exactly what happened but we ended up with a large pool of water all over the floor in front of the washer. She immediately grabbed a wash rag from a nearby pile threw it into the pond and began to dab it with her foot. The smile on our face must have made her think we were pleased for she was smiling at us too.

Checking the digital display on the front of the washer I learned I had one hour and forty two minutes before I had to be back to meet the deadline if I didn’t want to be penalized another three euros.

One hour an thirty five minutes later I returned and began to watch, wondering what the signal would be. The now spun dry clothes were being rolled to the right then to the left slowly every three or so seconds. Soon the time was up on the digital display but nothing happened. The clothes kept rolling one way then the other. I tugged on the door but still nothing. The clothes stopped. Nothing. I had visions of a crow bar to apply pressure but relaxed thinking about the irony of the situation. I gazed over the German words on the front of the washer but nothing gave me a hint. I pushed a button that said Ein but nothing. I waited a bit thinking time would solve the problem.

Well maybe it was going to cost me three more euros. I thought about it for a minute and decided, “If I’m going to put three more euros in I want to be able to wash another load of clothes with it.” So up the elevator to the fourth floor I went and came back down with my second load of clothes. When I arrived the door to the washer was wide open and there stood my smiling German friend jabbering with delight. She must have seen the delight on my face as well but I was still wondering what I had missed.

So I transitioned the wet clothes into the dryer and as I did my friend turned the knobs to the “proper” positions seeming to explain that where it was would be too hot so she bumped it down a notch. Again another three euros were inserted to dry them!

Can you imagine over ten dollars to wash and dry one load of clothes?! I had gone to the bank and got fifteen euros in change thinking it would last us the six weeks we were here, I had already spent six and Gloria had spent two on something else.

Anyway having brought my second load down I was determined to wash it. My friend had stepped out into the hall so I went through the same procedure as before and quickly got the load running. Another three euros!

She stepped back in just in time to see the container that I was carrying my euros in. It was a container that I use for my retainers. I could tell immediately she thought they were for false teeth and she began to laugh shaking her head and pointing to her teeth. I didn’t try to explain but just smiled and wondered if my teeth looked false.

Feeling pleased that I was making headway I went into the hall to go to six o’clock supper when my smiling friend stopped me and called my attention to a sign that I couldn’t read. She pointed out that I had until seven o’clock and they were going to lock the door to the laundry room. There was an hour and forty two minutes again on the dial. There was no way I could make it. Our, clothes were destined to turn sour after sitting all night in the locked washer which would cost me another three euros to open. I shrugged my shoulders, smiled said “danke” like a Yankee and left to eat.

I returned from supper at 6:45 pleasantly surprised to find an elderly gentleman ironing his shirt in the laundry room. Maybe I could make it before the door was locked. Checking my time there was only a few minutes left. The dryer was stopped so I opened the door and pulled out my half dry clothes.  Oh Well.

My attention turned to the washer again. Spun dry clothes flopping slowly back and forth every three seconds, I was waiting and watching. The gentleman saw that I was trying to figure out how it was supposed to end so he began to read instructions in German and tugging on the door. He pointed to the English instructions but they made about as much sense to me as the German ones. Nothing worked after he poked a few buttons so he motioned for me to go up to the office and ask for help.

Going up one floor and to the office I stepped in and much to my surprise there was my smiling jovial German lady friend. I motioned to her that I was trying to get the door open on the washer. “Two hours?” “Two hours?” she said. I tried to assure her that we were well under the limit and she scurried back to the basement with me.

The nice gentleman was still ironing shirts when we arrived to the basement but the cord to the iron was drooped across the front of the washing machine plugged into the only outlet in the room. Swiping the chord away and pushing buttons again she began tugging on the door. The man held firmly on to the iron as she jerked on the chord. Pointing to another timer up on the coin box on the wall she told me there was another five minutes to wait. Un-plugging the iron chord she threw it over the ironing board where the gentleman was still ironing his shirts. He and I smiled at each other. A smile in any language means the same thing.

By this time she was pushing more buttons and all of a sudden water started pouring in onto our already spun dry clothes! They were already drenched when she reached for the water valve on the wall and turned off the water.

I was standing there in dismay when she turned to me from a moment of deep thought and said apologetically “Three more euros.” She wasn’t smiling now. I reached into my pocked and pulled out my embarrassing euro container only to see her chuckle about it again and even point it out to the gentleman who was still ironing his shirts with a now cooling iron. I held it out to him so he could have a good laugh at me too.

Handing her three more euro’s she deposited them and motioning and jabbering she tried to assure me that we didn’t have to put soap in this time. I was grateful for that but realized that now I had another hour and forty two minutes to wait for the next opportunity to attempt to open the washer door. Worried about the laundry room door being locked I had visions of another three euros in the morning to just get the door to the sour clothes opened. What a vicious cycle! Pun intended.

Returning to the lobby on the first floor I thought I have to write this story down and put it in my blog. Gloria was in a class and I was just about finished when she came out. I figured she needed a good laugh so I read it to her as we sat in the lobby splitting our sides. The healing endorphins were flowing as people stared at us. One lady even sat down on a nearby couch and began laughing as well. Healing was taking place.  I didn’t know if she was laughing because she understood what I was reading or just laughing at our laughing.

By this time our hour and forty two minutes were coming up so we headed for the basement again. Twenty minutes left we sat and worked on this little story a bit more and had a few more laughs. 5 -4 -3 -2 -1, the digital display said “ein” whatever that means. We waited, nothing. I saw an orange button on the front with a word that meant nothing to me. I hesitated, I pushed it and the door popped open. We looked at each other in wonderment, moved our clothes to the dryer, and dropped in three more euro’s. Looking at my funny retainer container we saw one lone euro left.

One of the things that Gloria and I have been thinking of and very thankful for is the help we are getting from our friends. I don’t know how anyone could go through a crisis like we are without help. We have someone looking in on our cat while we are gone. We have someone watering our house plants. Someone even loaned us some luggage. There are those picking up my work responsibilities. We had someone drive us to the airport and our friend Daniella picked us up when we arrived in Frankfurt and drove us to the clinic.

Daniella is a native of Germany whom we met while at the Lifestyle Center at Uchii pines in Alabama. She of course has an excellent command of the language, something Gloria found very helpful in communicating with the staff here. She was here for over a week. Just the providence of having met her before we came here and that she was here at the time we needed her reminds us of God’s care for us.

Peter encourages us in “casting all our care upon Him for He cares for you.” (1 Peter 5:7) We see that care reflected in our friends. Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.” (Matthew 10:29)

The truth is we need each other to make it through difficult times.  Thanks to all of our friends for the peace of mind you have given us with your care.

For some reason when it comes to cancer conventional medicine has a different approach.  Instead of enhancing or supporting the body’s natural ability to heal itself we often attack the cancer and do so with methods that actually work against the body’s ability to heal itself.

Every person every day has cells that become cancerous.  Every day those cells are dealt with by our own body’s self healing powers.  So the first question that should be asked is “What is this mechanism within our bodies that naturally takes care of cancerous cells?”

The regulatory mechanism contains five things, the cells, the blood and lymph vessels, the nerves of the autonomic system, hormone producing glands, and the liquid surrounding the cells with all of its substances.  The second question to ask then is what is disturbing this regulatory mechanism and causing the breakdown of the natural healing processes.

Therefore here at Hufeland the first or primary focus is not on the cancer but on the underlying organic characteristics of the body system or the inner atmosphere, as I call it, which is allowing the cancer to survive.  While there may be a judicious use of more conventional methods when necessary, the process of working in harmony with the natural healing systems of the body is the primary focus.  The truth is we can help but only the body can heal itself.

In one degree or another most of us live our lives in a semi brain freeze. Experiences that have affected us negatively have shut us down and locked us into patterns of thinking and moods that are destructive to our physical health.

Someone who understood this said years ago, “The influence of the mind on the body, as well as of the body on the mind, should be emphasized. The electric power of the brain, promoted by mental activity, vitalizes the whole system, and is thus an invaluable aid in resisting disease.” (Mind Character and Personality p. 61)

I am becoming more and more convinced that a free mental state is of utmost importance to physical health. We have learned that not only does the brain communicate to the immune system but the immune system communicates with the brain. This requires all possible channels to be freely open.

Each week here at the Hufeland Clinic my wife undergoes what is called Auto-Hormone Therapy. They explain this as, “the passing of ultra-short waves through the brain and its hormone producing glands.” (thalamic and hypothalamic regions) What this does is to effect the metabolic systems by breaking up the “autonomic freeze” in the immune system. The autonomic system of the body controls all those things that happen without our conscious thought. (Heart beat, digestion etc.) It also controls immune responses.

We all know that it is true that when our brain is frozen up, downshifted or stuck, the electrical activity necessary for conscious mental and physical activity is diminished. We have all experienced it. But an even worse truth is that when we are frozen up even our autonomic or unconscious brain activity is diminished and our whole physical system is at risk.

Therefore, “be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” (Ephesians 4:23) Have “a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7)

One of the more intriguing concepts that I have encountered here at Hufeland is the phrase Spontaneous Remission. It embraces the idea that some people just seem to get over cancer. One doesn’t really know why one gets over it one just does. We noticed that even in the U.S. Some people who follow conventional methods recover and some don’t. It’s the same with those who don’t follow conventional methods.

We who have embraced the “take a pill” approach seem to always be looking for that one thing, the one gene or one drug that will do the trick. Even among herbal advocates there always seems to be one thing that will do the job. The truth is there are many different reasons why people get over cancer.

One of the many things that are emphasized here at Hufeland is mental attitude. A person’s state of mind is of great importance in staying or getting well.

The emerging science of psychoneuroimmunology is beginning to uncover the link between the endocrine system the brain with its nervous system and the immune system. To make it simple all three of these systems have the ability to learn, remember what they have learned and pass the information which they have learned on to the appropriate places.

The conclusion that the immune system is affected by grief, stress or joy isn’t a hard one to make. We’ve all heard that “laughter is the best medicine.” Or “A merry heart does good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones.” (Proverbs 17:22) Many of us also know that it has been said that “Sickness of the mind prevails everywhere. Nine tenths of the diseases from which men suffer have their foundation here.” (MCP 59) The truth is a healthy mental state is one of the many cures for cancer.

As I observe what they are doing here at the Hufeland Clinic I’m struck with the words paradigm shift.

A bit of history I read in the book Cancer, Outside the Box. It spoke of the early development of medicine in the United States. In the 1800’s there were two basic approaches developing. One approach was the idea that disease was an invader that needed to be attacked from the outside with medicines. Sometimes this approach is good.

The other approach was the idea that disease came about because of the breakdown of the body system and its own ability to counteract a disease. The idea was that one needed to address the problem in the system then let the system prevent and correct disease.

Because the former approach gained the support of the US government we ended up with the “take a pill” approach for everything. The truth is - a combination of the best of both approaches works best. That’s what they do here at the Hufeland Clinic.

To experience this approach is quite a paradigm shift for us. For example in the US when you get chemotherapy treatment for cancer it seemed strange to us when we first saw those hope-less looking people with scarf covered heads sitting in chairs around the perimeter of the room getting IV’s of cell destroying chemo. This was the only option offered us.

Here at Hufeland my wife entered a similar room lined with chairs with smiling and jovial people. Gloria took her place among them, had a half pint of blood removed, it was infused with ozone then re-infused into her system. She will do this twice a week. This effort by a medical establishment to do something to boost the body’s inner systems is a new paradigm a new experience for us

On the morning that we were to leave for Germany to get treatment for my wife’s cancer we had our alarm set for 3:15 a.m. to be on time to the airport. Much to our surprise at 2 a.m. a raccoon darted across our back deck with such speed that we were both startled out of our sleep. Though we both wanted to sleep a little longer it turned out good that we were awakened because we really needed the extra time to get ready.

I thought of Paul’s words that “knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep”. (Romans 13:11) He also says; “Awake to righteousness and do not sin.” (1 Corinthians 15:34)

Having cancer hit the family has been a real wake-up-call to us. Sometimes we need a wake up call so we can have more time to focus on things that will get us ready for the kingdom.

During our long twelve hour flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, I didn’t sleep at all. When we finally arrived at the clinic in Baud Mergentheim, there was checking in, orientation, examining of medical records, an EKG, laying out a treatment plan, lunch, and supper.

By the time our sleepy heads hit the pillow at 8:30 pm Monday evening it had been thirty three hours since the visit from our furry raccoon friend. Much to our surprise two hours later we were awakened again by the sound of fireworks. Standing on the balcony of our 4^th floor room we watched fireworks for a while. It was no surprise that at 3 am we were both wide awake again because of jet lag. Lying in our twin beds in the dark we chatted and counted the every quarter hour chimes of the nearby church until they told us it was 4 a.m. So now I am up typing these words.

The truth is the Lord wants us to be awake.

The truth is disease is a symptom of the breakdown of the systems of the human body. So at this point we are taking an approach that focuses more on fixing the system than destroying the disease itself. One problem with doing that is it raises the eyebrows of people who are dedicated to the American paradigm. When you start talking about extract of mistletoe or enzyme therapy they think you’ve gone off the deep end. It sounds ridiculous.

God’s ways often sound ridiculous to us when we have been trained to think in seemingly sophisticated ways. He says “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways.” (Isaiah 55:8, 9)

There is a story 2^nd Kings 5 in the Bible about a dignitary named Naaman who was a highly respected Syrian military hero but he was “a leper”. A young Hebrew servant girl in his home recommended that he go to the prophet in Israel for healing. When he got there the prophet didn’t even come out to greet him but sent a message for him to do something ridiculous. “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you.” Naaman feeling like his intelligence and dignity was insulted almost went away disgusted. Finally he was persuaded to do the humble act and he was healed.

The truth is God, in order to help us learn and heal, might use some seemingly very unlikely methods.

Somehow we have gotten the idea that to live in “reality” means to look at only what we can literally see. That’s what modern science has done to us. It has taken away hope. The truth is, most of reality is beyond what we actually see in this world. As we have seen before hope is in things that are beyond our present and visible realities.

David said even of his death, “My flesh also will rest in hope.” (Psalm 16:9) That’s extreme hope. Even if my wife does die we still have reason to continue hoping. Is our head in the sand? The apostle Paul said “I have hope in God . . . that there will be a resurrection of the dead.” (Acts 24:15)

I would ask those who think that my wife is going to die, how do they know that? They don’t. Our “scientific” culture has merely taught us to look at things that way. I don’t know if my wife will live or die but at least we live in hope knowing that life will ultimately win. We are “prisoners of hope” (Zechariah 9:12) We can’t do anything but hope.

The Bible speaks of Abraham “who contrary to hope, in hope believed” (Romans 4:18) When to some all hope seems to be gone, we still hope

Our hope right now in our family is that the Lord will show up and touch us with healing. Our hope is that the Lord will visit us and teach us and guide us with the promises of His Word.

One of the risks here in our culture is that we will put our hope in science or the medical establishment. We are constantly given the message through the media that our medical establishment as we know it in America is our best hope. People actually think that our only hope is if our scientists, through genetics, stem cell research or finding a new drug will eventually solve our health problems. We think our only hope is to just do whatever the doctor tells us.

Don’t get me wrong much good has been accomplished by medical science especially in the area of trauma care. In other areas however powerful lobbies which are money driven are controlling what medical care can and cannot do in this country. We cannot put much hope in a system like this.

The Lord has promised, “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go, I will guide you with my eye.” (Psalm 32:8). Our hope is that the Lord will do this as He promised. If we are open to learn about our bodies and how they work He is faithful to teach us and guide us in how to best care for them.

However there were some whom Jesus didn’t heal right away when they asked. In Mark 7:24 there was a story of a woman who asked for a demon to be cast out of her daughter. Before He granted her request Jesus entered into a discussion with her appearing to almost be discouraging her.

In John 9:1 we read the story of a blind man whom Jesus didn’t heal right away but anointed his eyes with mud and sent him away to a pool to wash. The man was healed there.

In Mark 8:22 there is a story of another blind man brought to him for healing. Jesus took the blind man out of the town spit on his eyes and touched him. At that point the man said he could only see men “as trees walking” Jesus touched him again and he was healed. We could also mention Lazarus whose sisters requested Jesus to come and help him. Jesus waited a few days before He came and he died. (see John 11)

What if these hurting people had given up hope because Jesus didn’t come through right away? These souls were privileged not only to have healing but to be used in the process of teaching eternal truths. The truth is, the Lord most likely has something more than a simple healing in mind for us. He probably has many things for us to learn through this. So we hope and will keep hoping and I would encourage you to hope with us. We must continue looking forward waiting for something good to happen.

Hope has had a real roller coaster ride in our life since my wife has become ill. There are times we are hopeful and times we are not. When some treatments didn’t help which we were hoping would give us the desired results, hope took a dip. When our oncologist told us the only hope we had was to manage things with chemotherapy to get the best quality and length of life, hope dipped again.

Then we talked to a doctor in Germany that we are going to see. He gave us hope because he gave us a brighter picture of what the future could hold. Our heads are up again and we are moving forward towards something that looks good. We are hoping and hope-full.

The apostle Paul understood that hope was connected with the future when he said, “But hope that is seen is not hope, for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” (Romans 8:24, 25) You see, hope is always anchored in something that has not yet been realized but only envisioned in the future.

The truth is when we are going through the crisis of our lives we need to keep hope alive. Hope is kept alive by looking toward something that you don’t yet see.

I think of the story of Joseph found in the Bible in the book of Genesis. As a young man he found himself betrayed by his jealous brothers, threatened with death and sold into slavery in Egypt. Talk about having your life take a drastic exit from the anticipated journey!

At the end of the story, years later, when his brothers came to Egypt for famine relief they were horrified to discover that the brother they had betrayed was now the Prime Minister with whom they had to deal to find help. They eventually threw themselves upon Joseph’s mercy expecting swift retribution.

Joseph’s response is evidence that he had gained a broader perspective on his crisis. He had made sense out of the tragedy of his youth. He said to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive.”(Genesis 50:20) We can always hope that good can come out of tragedy.

Joseph exhibited the ability of people of faith to get the bigger picture and regain a hopeful perspective in spite of tragedy. Joseph knew the experience of God’s words through Jeremiah, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

To put it simply the brain has three basic levels, the lower, mid and upper. In the lower region the brain can only process in the present tense. Not much if any rational thinking goes on here. It’s fight or flight, knee jerk reactions that occur here. All the autonomic things like, heartbeat, digestion and things you don’t have to think about are generated here.

In the mid section of the brain is where you can begin to process the past in with the present. Some rational thinking begins to take place here as you relate past experiences with the present. Your mind can think, “Oh I’ve been in a similar situation before so I’ll do or feel what I did last time” with no regard for future outcome. Thinking about the future is impossible here.

The upper region of the brain is where full rational thought occurs. Planning for the future and considering the outcomes takes place here. This is where your creative thoughts are generated.

When you experience a threat to your life such as cancer, your brain immediately downshifts to the lower regions. Like a car that is cruising along on flat ground and comes upon a steep hill. In order to keep going you have to downshift. Everything slows down, and gets harder.

The truth is, when you face cancer in the family not only does your life exit the freeway but it begins a slow uphill climb where thoughts about the future are harder to consider. Without the ability to see the future one might feel like Job in his crisis when he said, “What is my end that I should prolong my life?” (Job 6:11)

I compare our life before cancer to traveling down a freeway. As you chart your course you have certain waypoints you plan and hope to arrive at. Early in life you have stops you expect to make like, marriage, having children and seeing them graduate from college. We were focused on getting a home paid for and being prepared for retirement and enjoying the grandchildren that were coming along.

When cancer strikes its like all of a sudden you’ve gotten stuck in an exit-only lane and found yourself heading off in a direction you hadn’t planned, a direction that doesn’t seem to be taking you towards your goals and dreams. All of a sudden you don’t have a vision for your future. Where are my goals and dreams? They seem so far away in another time and place. Who am I?

One thing I am beginning to discover is this; how I would like the book of my life to read, or how I might want the itinerary of the journey to be laid out, I may not have it the way I want.

The truth is, life off the freeway may be the only trip you can take. “A man’s heart plans his way but the Lord directs his steps” (Proverbs 16:9)

I’m reminded of the words in the John Denver ballad, “What One Man Can Do”.  John expresses the reality of man’s struggle when he sings, “It’s hard to tell the truth when no one wants to listen, when no one really cares what’s going on.”  That’s the problem.  Most of us don’t really want to know what’s going on.  We don’t care. We just want to live in our own little castles of ideas without interference, whether those ideas are founded on reality or not.

Simon and Garfunkel express the same quandary in their song called “The Boxer”.  It’s a song about a poor young man trying to find comfort but is stuck in  meaningless misery.  He bemoans the fact that he has “squandered” his life because he has embraced “promises” that have turned out to be “all lies and jest”.  Then he admits, “Still a man hears what he wants to hear.”  We can’t blame anyone but ourselves if we believe lies instead of truth.  If we really want to know the truth we will find it.

Like John Denver says in another song, “But we both know the truth is hard to come by and if I told the truth that’s not quite true.”  We would like to hide behind cliches like “Truth is hard to come by” or “Truth is relative” but the honest in heart know “that’s not quite true”.  Anyone who is contemplative enough, like these poets and songwriters, knows that it’s a struggle in the mind of man to really want to know the truth about anything.  They also know that if one really wants to know the truth, one can.

Oh yes there are some things the medical community can do that we can’t do for ourselves but if you want to avoid the main killers of our culture like cancer and heart disease you have to think prevention and that is our responsibility. It is true there are some good doctors and nurses out there but their knowledge base is always limited just by virtue of the system that they have been trained in.

Do you realize that the third leading cause of death in America is medical errors!  We hear about it all the time. Most of us have heard stories of someone who has met that fate. You have to keep your eyes open and know what you want or you could become one of those statistics, those who die from the third leading cause of death - medical mistakes. The truth is if you want to live a long life you must take your health care into your own hands.

Those who embrace this light and truth are like those of whom the apostle Paul spoke when he said “You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness.” (1 Thessalonians 5:5) These sons and daughters of light are eager to embrace the conviction found in Isaiah 8:20 where it says “To the law and to the testimony if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” That is to say that anyone who doesn’t teach in harmony with the “Law” of Moses as well as the “testimony” of the prophets which give witness to and affirm that Law, doesn’t have light or truth in them. They are children of darkness.

The children of light have a great advantage in being able to know what is light and truth and what is not. Get a Bible and begin to read it and see if you don’t find truth and light. Just don’t let pride of opinion eclipse the light from coming into your soul.

One reason I can’t accept that philosophical idea is because that isn’t how light and darkness really are in the natural world. In nature light always has the predominance. In fact darkness is nothing but the absence of light. Darkness doesn’t come from anywhere to dispel light. There is no such thing as a dark bulb. There are no beams of darkness coming from some “dark” source “shining” into the light. You might block light waves with a solid object but the darkness is still only caused by a diminishing of or the absence of light.

Secondly darkness is not equally powerful in it’s balance of push against light but is helplessly subject to light’s invasion. You could put it this way, light is not the least bit intimidated by darkness but is complete master of it whenever it sees fit.

Like light, for the Christian, truth is not dependent on lies for it’s existence. Truth is truth and error will just have to get used to it. Just like the dark will have to get used to it when the light decides to shine. Jesus said “But he who does the truth comes to the light.” (John 3:21)

The Picture above is of a sculpture in the Church of the Jesuits in Rome showing the Mother Church ridding the church of heretics like Martin Luther and Ulrich Zwingle who understood that the Papacy was the Antichrist. The little angel is depicted in the sculpture as tearing pages out of the reformers books.

During the time of the Protestant Reformation the Roman Catholic church was under great pressure to do something to take the heat off from the Protestant and Biblical idea that the Papacy was the Antichrist. To counteract the reformation the order of the Jesuits was formed. Jesuit priest Francisco Ribera (1537-1591) opposed to the idea that the Papacy was the little horn of Daniel seven devised the futuristic idea that the Antichrist was an entity that would show up on the scene sometime way into the future and appear for a brief three and a half years. Another Jesuit Priest Manuel De LaCunza (1731-1801) in Chile adopted Ribera’s idea and wrote about it. (The book he wrote was not published under his name because it had some things in it about the second coming of Christ and the judgment the Catholic church would not like. Eventually after LaCunza’s death the Catholic church condemned the book and forbade it’s publication.) During the Great Awakening in the early 1800’s Edward Irving an Anglican (protestant) minister in Dublin translated LaCunza’s work to spite the Catholic church. This translation was presented at the prophetic conferences at Powerscourt Castle in the 1830’s. Probably unwittingly, Irving had opened the door to popularizing the idea of the Antichrist being a person who would show up sometime in the far future.

What many people don’t realize is that also at these conferences was a young girl, 15 years old, named Margaret McDonald who was having supernatural visions. In one of her visions she saw that there would be a “secret rapture” of God’s people before the great tribulation which would be in connection with the appearance of the Antichrist (Interestingly enough she fingered a man named Robert Owen an atheistic socialist who was planning a socialistic community in New Harmony Indiana as being the Antichrist.)

John Darby is the one however that can be credited for popularizing the idea of a futuristic Antichrist. It is highly likely that John Darby who was at these conferences, through the translation of LaCunza and the influence of Margaret McDonald, embraced more fully the idea of futurism, the pretribulation rapture and the establishment of Israel as a nation in the end time.

Ironically Protestant churches “bit the bait” and have now become water carriers for Papal counter reformation ideas by spreading the un-Biblical notion that the Antichrist is not the Papacy but some nondescript person in the future. The Papacy must be pleased that the “Protesting” has for all practical purposes stopped and the Jesuit counter reformation has been quite successful.

]]> http://glorioustruth.com/wp/?feed=rss2&p=73 http://glorioustruth.com/wp/?p=72 http://glorioustruth.com/wp/?p=72#comments Sun, 16 Dec 2007 13:32:40 +0000 Owen http://glorioustruth.com/wp/?p=72 One thing is very certain and that is that early on in the Protestant reformation it became clear to the reformers that it was the Pope of Rome that fulfilled the Biblical description of the Antichrist. You can study the writings of the Protestant reformers and you will not find one that did not recognize this truth. I will cite just a few here.

Arnulf, (988) the bishop of Orleans France, called the Roman popes “monsters of guilt” and declared in a council called by the king of France in 991 that the pontiff, “was Antichrist, sitting in the temple of God, and showing himself as God”

Eberhard II, archbishop of Salzburg Austria stated approvingly at a synod of bishops held at Regensburg in 1240, that the people of his day were “accustomed” to calling the pope antichrist.

When the western church was divided for about 40 years between two rival popes, one in Rome and another in Avignon, France, each pope called the other pope Antichrist. John Wycliffe (1320s-1384) said both were right “two halves of Antichrist, making up the perfect Man of Sin between them.”

Martin Luther, (1483-1546) as an Augustinian monk in the University of Wittenberg, came to believe that “the papacy is the seat of the true and real Antichrist”. The “Lutheran” church today is playing with the idea of reuniting with the Catholic church.

I have heard some Protestants say that the Papacy has changed, and that it no longer fits the characteristics of Antichrist. I think however that it is more likely that Protestantism has changed and has itself moved more in line with Antichrist. It may not be glorious to some but it’s the truth none-the-less.

The term Antichrist has it’s origins in the Bible. The Bible speaks specifically of “The” Antichrist but it also speaks of other obviously lesser “Antichrists” as well. The Apostle John said

• “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many Antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.” (1 John 2:18)

Some characteristics of the spirit of Antichrist are understood by the Apostles as well:

• “For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an Antichrist.” (2John7)

• “Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is Antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.”(1 John 2:22)

It is also clear that the spirit of Antichrist was something already present in the time of the Apostles as a danger to the church:

• “. . . and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world.” (1 John 4:3)

The apostle Paul, recognizing this looming apostasy said:

• “For I know this - that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. (Acts20:29,30)

How did Paul know this? He knew it from studying his Bible and in particular the book of Daniel. The Thessalonians were confused about the timing of the second coming of Christ and Paul encourages them that:

• ” . . . that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. (2 Thessalonians 2:3,4)

Paul continues emphasizing that this apostate spirit is already presently at work within the church of his day. Notice that the Man of Sin or Antichrist is not some entity from outside the church but is a result of a “falling away” from within the church. While at the time of Paul this apostasy was being restrained, soon that which is restraining it would be removed and the Antichrist would then become full blown. This Man of Sin or Antichrist will eventually meet his end with the second coming of Christ. Paul explains:

• “Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.”(2 Thessalonians 2:5-8)

Compare what Paul has just said with what Daniel says in chapter 7 and see if you don’t agree that Paul gets his description of the man of sin from there:

• I was considering the horns, and there was another horn, a little one, coming up among them, before whom three of the first horns were plucked out by the roots. And there, in this horn, were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking pompous words.” (Daniel 7:8)

• “I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame.” (Daniel 7:11)

When Daniel asks for further explanation of the little horn the Angel explains:

• He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, Shall persecute the saints of the Most High, And shall intend to change times and law.

You should have been able to find at least three and maybe four characteristics that indicate that Paul was studying Daniel chapter seven.

You can hijack the term “Antichrist” from it’s context in the Bible and apply it to anyone you want but the Glorious Truth is when you take the term “Antichrist” within it’s Biblical context you have to conclude that, the spirit of “The” Antichrist was already existing in the days of the Apostles, that the Antichrist would come from within the church as a “falling away”, that whatever was restraining the Antichrist from emerging at that time was soon to be taken away, and that the Antichrist is the same as the “Man of Sin” spoken of by Paul and the “Little Horn” spoken of by Daniel.

A Pan-Theist (One who believes that all nature is god itself)  has the same problem but maybe even worse.  The Pan -Theist admits that the god of nature has no personality or feeling but is the embodiment of good and evil, life and death with no care about it.  Neither is this kind of God appealing to me.  It’s incongruent with what I see in nature because animals as well as humans are capable of better feelings than this in their own personalities.

The Bible says”the wages of sin is death” ( Romans 6:23)  If death came long before sin was ever in the world then this statement and all the rest of the Bible is called into question.  The Bible says that “through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned”.  (Romans 5:12)

The Bible’s picture of a God who created the world and all the life in it in six days is much more appealing to me and much more consistent with what I see in nature.  Death was never meant to be part of God’s plan in this creation.  Men and animals were created to never die but to live forever according to the Bible’s view of God.  God loves life and so do we.

It is only because man sinned that death entered into the world. Death is man’s fault not God’s.  Unless you hold the philosophy of a Theistic Evolutionist or a Pan-Theist then you can believe that you are not responsible for death but God is.  Could it be that these ideologies have come about because we don’t want to take responsibility for what we have done to this world by bringing death into it.

Think about it right now. What is it in your life that you would like to be set free from? Is it a health challenge? Is it a relational challenge? Is it a financial challenge? Is it a moral challenge or even a spiritual challenge? Is it an attitude?

Jesus said something most profound that it would be well if we took note because it applies to every aspect of our lives. He said; “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free.” I don’t think we have really considered the real importance of that statement to every aspect of our lives.

Let’s take for instance a very practical example in our life and one that is increasingly on our minds especially as we get older, our health. Think of the lies that we believe about health and the bondage that comes to us because we believe them. For instance we may believe that common disease is inevitable and it is our doctor with the use of prescription drugs or surgery which gives us the best hope of survival. I don’t know how else to say it but “It’s a lie”. Because we embrace that lie we continue to experience disease in our society at increasing rates not to mention the side effects of the treatments we are given.

The truth is that our health is in our own hands. We are responsible for our own health. The traditional diseases that plague our society do not have to plague us. The truth is that a very large percentage of heart disease and cancer for instance could be prevented if we would just live within the physical laws that make up our being. If we would but embrace these truths we could be set free from the diseases that plague our culture. But alas we prefer lies not the truth. The truth could set us free from that which plagues us but no we prefer bondage, disease and death.

There is not one aspect of our existence that isn’t governed by principles of truth. If you can show me one then I’ll show you a piece of green cheese I scooped up off the moon. We believe lies about what it takes to be happy. We believe lies about what it takes to raise children. We believe lies about what it takes to make a marriage work. We even believe lies about the spiritual realm.

Let’s take some time today and identify the areas in our lives in which we are in bondage. Let’s identify the lies that we believe which put us into bondage. Then let’s make an all out search for the truth that can set us free from that with which we struggle.

Only about about 8% of the world population doesn’t believe in God and I bet if you talked to them, in a moment of insight many, even of them, would admit that they weren’t absolutely certain about their non belief in a God. It really takes a lot of effort and narrow concentration to not believe in a God.

The real question that needs to be asked is not if God exists but “What is God like?”. That’s where the really interesting search and research in this life happens. I like this inviting text from the Bible, “And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart”. (Jeremiah29:13) I have found this seeking process to be a very stimulating and rewarding effort.

Many have tried to make a case that our nation was founded upon the “Christian Religion”.  The truth is that the USA was founded more specifically on Protestant principles and most specifically on the protestant principal of freedom of conscience in respect to worship.  This was clearly understood by the framers of our nation. Listen to the words of our second president John Adams:

“I love and revere the memories of Huss, Wickliff, Luther, Calvin, Zwinglius, Melancton and all the other reformers; how muchsoever I may differ from them all in many theological metaphysics & philosophical points.  As you justly observe, without their great exertions & severe sufferings the United States of America had never existed.”  (John Adams, 1821; quoted in The Founders on Religion: A book of Quotations page 15)

I’m afraid that the more our nation moves away from this core principal and towards a socialist form of society, the more likely we are going to lose our individual freedoms and return to the medieval form of society against which the Protestant reformers struggled with their lives.

We have had a few beautiful days.  Yesterday we had a stop in the Alps and Ralph and I had a couple of hours to take a trip to a peak at the 8000 foot level. It was amazing. We arrived in Geneva last evening in time for a tour regarding John Calvin, saw our Adventist College in Cologne France, and after supper took a walk along lake Geneva.  It’s beautiful here.  I haven’t seen such beautiful country.

Just a few days left.  Hate to see it end.  The truth is that key boards are different here in Europe than in the US.  The z and the y are switched on this one.  I can’t find the colon and the apostrophe is in a different location.

We also saw the Mamertime prison where the Apostles Peter and Paul were imprisoned before their execution.  We also walked some of the Appian Way, the rout that Paul walked while being brought to Rome for his imprisonment.

Going in my imagination to these times, events and places serves to make them come alive.  The truth is “We have nothing to fear for the future except we forget how God has led us and His teaching’s in our past history”  Again those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.  What are we repeating that we shouldn’t have to be if only we would educate ourselves about others who have gone over the same ground. As we have looked at the layers of generations in the archaeology of this old city it seems each generation just built upon and repeated the same mistakes.  Why do we keep building on and going over the same ground? The truth is the past is past and we shouldn’t be living in it or we are going to just repeat it. The truth is we need to make a break and break new ground.

Friday afternoon we visited the catacombs and as well as a church dedicated to the Apostle Paul.  The great cathedrals are amazing and the thoughts of the early church being under the persecution of the Roman Empire are sobering.  There are times I am afraid I have taken my faith for granted. “Oh that we like they could die for thee” is what the hymn says.  Think about it.

This afternoon we visited some other churches as well as the hill in Rome that held the home of Emperor Nero.  A home that covered over a hundred acres and maybe as much as three hundred.  Not all of it is excavated.  Think about Nero who had the Apostle Paul executed, he also murdered his mother.  What truth is to be learned in this?  For one thing sin has sometimes ruined people.  He died by suicide at only thirty two years old.

In the Castle of St Angelo we discovered that the motto of the Papacy was. “Festina Lente”   It means “slowly in haste” and means “taking action after reflection”.  We were amused by this because Ralph has always repeated a motto of his own which is “go slow to go fast”.  Isn’t it true that sometimes you can make more headway quickly by taking your time and going slow?

By noon we were at our room in a little monastary turned motel about a block from St. Peter°s Bacilica.  After refreshing ourselves we took lunch in a nearby restaurant then went over to St Peter°s Square.  The Hogates, whom we are traveling with, have never been here before so we shared their joy in seeing the amazing beauties of St. Peters.  We went underground to see the tombs of popes, and enjoyed the music of a Korean choir as we witness the mass in the cathedral.  After working on our workbook for the Reformation Tour while sitting in St. Peter°s square we enjoyed a walk to the Tiber River as the day began to end.

Gloria handled the flight and the walking around a bit much better than she has been anticipating.  It°s Friday morning and after a good nights sleep we are both ready for another day.

It never ceases to amaze me when I think of the history of this place.  Knowing history is so important to discovering the truth about who we are, where we have come from, and where we are going.  I recomend the study of history if you are searching for the truth.  Remember the old axiom, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”  I°m afraid that°s what I see happening in the world.

Another word for truth or better yet maybe another state of truth is wisdom. I coined a little saying the other day - if a Fact is a Truth Frozen then Wisdom is a Truth Warmed. Proverbs 9 in the Bible is a chapter on wisdom. One verse says, “For by me (wisdom) your days will be multiplied, and years of life will be added to you.” The answer to our question is really simple. If you want to be set free from (in this case) a short life, get wisdom, get truth warmed up.

The universe and life has built within it certain truths about how it works optimally. Life operates by ceretain truths. If we embrace those truths in a way that they become warmed up as a part of our very nature, our lives will be benefited because we will be in harmony with how life was made to be lived. Whenever we live out of harmony with the truths of our being there is dissonance created and our life will be shortened. Embracing the truth can set you free from the consequences that come from living in conflict with the principles of truth which govern our nature. Seek truth.

As a seeker for truth myself I understand that the process of finding and receiving the truth requires personal desire, thought and consideration before I can assimilate an idea as my own or reject it as error. When someone comes to me as if they have the truth, overwhelming me with ideas and not allowing me to process and consider if it is true or not I usually tune them out.  Most searching and thinking people will.

On the other hand when teaching truth the most important thing is to know that those listening are engaged willingly with their own thinking process. The most important part of teaching truth is making sure your listeners are engaged as thinkers. Truth doesn’t need anyone to force it on anyone else.  It has it’s own natural appeal to those who are searching for it.  Through this process people are enabled to prove for themselves what is truth.

As a teacher of truth I am not out to “prove” anything.  I just present what is true and those who are honestly searching for truth will recognize it when they see it.  They can prove truth to themselves.

For instance “Light” itself as an element has often been used as an analogy for truth, as opposed to darkness which has often represented error, the perfect opposite of truth.  When we find truth we often speak of ourselves as enlightened.

When it comes to mere words “Actuality” is a word that to me represents that which is true.  This is similar to “Reality” which speaks of that which is “real”.  That which is real is true and actual.  We could also speak of “facts ” - a word which also represents that which really is.  We often speak of that which is “right” whether it be with reference to philosophy, behavior, or facts.  Whatever is right is true.

The fact that languages of all cultures have developed words or symbols to represent “truth” is an indication to me of the basic desire and need of our very natures to know and identify truth.  It’s built within us.  The natural desire of people to identify what is true and real exists all around us.

Here at Glorious Truth I will periodically use some of these common words and images as I speak about my search for truth.  I would like to know what symbols and words you use when you speak of truth.

Just think of how our understanding of the universe has grown over the years. This increase is directly related to somebody’s desire and capacity to search. Think of how the Hubble telescope has improved our capacity to look into the universe. If there is only one truth to be learned here it’s that the universe is bigger and grander than we can even imagine. Without someone’s desire to know truth we wouldn’t know what little we do about the universe.

Go the other direction and look into the human body. Only two hundred years ago there was very little known about how the body systems worked. Just think of how somebody’s desire and then technology has helped us understand something like the immune system and the relationship of the cells and their components. Our discovery of the truth about our body is relative to our desire and capacity to study it.

As we search for the truth we have to ask ourselves; “What can I be certain of as truth and what is beyond my capacity to know?” When it comes to God, the universe, our world, our health, or our relationships, we want to know as much truth as we can, to achieve personal success. We want to increase our desire and capacity for knowing truth as much as we can because in the end our comprehension of truth is relative to our desire and capacity to search it out.

For instance, apply that principle to your spiritual life. Suppose you have views about God and spirituality that aren’t true. It may be that you will find yourself on the wrong side of the road. In every area of life there are always negative consequences of not knowing the truth but believing an error. It behooves us then to make sure that we know what is true in the spiritual realm.

What about your physical health? Suppose society or doctors or marketeers tell you something about what you should eat or do to be healthy. Does it matter if what they are telling you is the truth? Of course it does. Almost every week we hear about people who are harmed by following the latest recommendation. It is really important that you take time to find out the truth about how you can best be healthy.

Have you ever wondered why your relationships don’t work? It’s probably because someone isn’t acting in accordance with truth as it relates to how healthy relationships work. Embracing the truth about relationships can help you avoid all manner of surprising turns.

What about our environment? Is it true? Are we destroying our environment because of things we are doing? Wouldn’t it be a shame if we were to go along acting in accordance with ideas that were harming us believing that they weren’t harming us?

If we are going to achieve success in life, truth matters. Avoid it at your own peril. Cling to lies and you will find yourself continuing to crash along the road of life. Don’t let laziness, tradition, or blindly following hold you captive. Search for truth yourself, because truth matters.

I’ve heard people say something like, “Well what’s truth to you is truth to you and what’s truth to me is truth to me.” For me to embrace that statement would feel like a cop-out. It is true that we all may have different perceptions of what we call “truth” but that doesn’t change what truth “actually” or “really” is. Truth stands by itself with or without my approval. I may have opinions but if my opinions are not in accord with what “really” or “actually” is, then our opinions are not truth.

When you look at the world today you see conflicting masses of people holding desperately to what they think is truth. People are going in all different directions, pushing and shoving each other to press their version of “truth” to the top. I wonder how many truly open minded people there are searching honestly and diligently for what the truth really is?

Our goal here at Glorious Truth is to search for what is “actually” or “really” truth. This requires an open mind. It requires that we not be stuck on what we have always believed but to really be openly searching to see if what we believe is actually true. Once we have discovered the truth as it actually is then we can, without risk, embrace it and incorporate it into our lives

Because we have drifted so far from even the idea of truth in our culture there are certain basics that we must recover before we can even begin.  We must go back to kindergarten as it were.  If we are ever going to experience the freedom that truth brings we must understand what makes up the nature of truth.  We must understand how truth interfaces with the mind and how our minds were made to interact with it.

To speak of anything as objectively absolute or true is often seen as narrow and judgmental.  While it might be true that the chaos is coming from judgmental and narrow people the reality is that those people have become that way because they have failed to apprehend the truth about life.

When you look at the chaos in the cultures of our world you are seeing the results of a relativistic approach to life. If we all were searching for truth we would be drawing closer together.  Judgmental and narrow people have become that way because they have failed to apprehend the truth about life.

I have come to believe the truth that it is in the process of embracing things that are not true that we become narrow and judgmental and this leads to chaos. Those who set their minds on apprehending and embracing the the truth will find and make peace. Whenever people search for objective truth they begin moving towards harmony with their true selves and one another rather than pushing at each other from their respective relativistic platforms. Peace and freedom is always the result of the embracing of truth.

Check out the articles under the Basics of Truth and let me know your thoughts.