Cancer has greatly affected my life … both of my parents died of cancer, both of paternal grandparents as well and I have experienced cancer as well though God has spared my life. Cancer brings about change in life not only for the one enduring it but the loving, caring, family and friends around them also. This disease has not ended with another taking its place. Let us remember all those who suffer from the ravages caused by the fall of man and fervently pray for God’s grace and healing. - Pastor Dale
But if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her.
— 1 Corinthians 11:15 NKJV
When I was seven years old, I got my fantasy doll for Christmas. With a twist of a button, I could make Velvet’s hair shorter or longer. I always wanted to grow long, luscious locks, but my mom insisted a pixie cut was right for me. Though short, my hair was thick, shiny, and beautiful — a treasured family trait.
Then cancer came along.
“It’s not too bad; the worst part is losing your hair,” my oncologist said. My hair? Hair loss meant I was losing the centerpiece of my appearance!
I was encouraged to cut my hair very short to ease the loss. Three days before Christmas, I was taking a shower and noticed a small clump of hair on the drain cover. As I looked down, the word peace popped into my head. The next day, I found a larger clump of hair.
Peace of God! cried the voice in my head.
Each day, I experienced the “peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7 NKJV).
God was in charge of the thing I dreaded most. He knew peace was what I needed to get through this tumultuous loss without Velvet’s button to make my hair grow back.
God, You are the Prince of peace. You quiet the raging seas of my fears with the perfect peace of Your Holy Spirit. I praise You as the One who sits over all circumstances, even what feels like a flood. You are enthroned as King forever.
You give strength to Your people and bless Your people with peace. Thank You for Your faithfulness in the storms of life and for the gift of unexplainable peace in the midst of them.
Lord, I lay my appearance before Your throne. I stand amazed that You know how many hairs are on my head and how many I will lose as I battle with cancer. I thank You for teaching me the meaning of true beauty through this. You desire the inner beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in Your sight. Thank You for Your love and patience toward me as You peel away layers of vanity and pride. I praise You for the gift of Your peace that passes all understanding!
~ Laura Geist
Today’s Tip: Tie a bandanna or scarf around your head before putting on a hat. It will make y
Prayer References: Psalm 29:10–11; Matthew 10:30; Philippians 4:7
Excerpted from Praying Through Cancer by Susan Sorensen and Laura Geist, copyright Susan Sorensen and Laura Geist.
Many people, particularly women, going through cancer and losing their hair have to face the grief of that loss. It’s just one more cruel blow from the wicked C-monster! Let’s pray today for our friends and family members battling cancer and stand with them in intercession!
Pastor Dale
An addition Note of Faith to add to your understanding of our times …
A number of prophetic voices have proclaimed truth to our culture, but one is unique. As both a woman and a Christian with a Jewish heritage, Jan Markell represents a modern-day watchman (or watchwoman).
Jan began following Yeshua when she was 11 years old. As a young woman, she traveled to Israel, studied Bible Prophecy, and served with Jews for Jesus. In 1982, Jan launched Olive Tree Ministries "to help people understand the times according to the Bible, contend for the faith in Jesus Christ, and help the Church stand against deception as watchmen on the wall in these last days." I can't think of a more significant or timely calling. Over the years she's written many books, including contributing to Lawless: End Times War Against the Spirit of Antichrist, along with Dr. David Reagan and Nathan Jones.
In this week's episode of Christ in Prophecy, you can hear from this giant in the Bible prophecy realm whom the Lord has disguised as a wonderfully petite woman. The following is an excerpt.
Jan's Alarm
Jan MarkellTim Moore: In one of your newsletters from the year 2020 you talked about Globalism's "perfect storm." What lessons did 2020 teach us as even today we are continuing to witness a rise in lawlessness?
Jan Markell: My headquarters and home are located in Minneapolis. I'm living at ground zero for the past year. The turmoil that was sparked in 2020 started 20 minutes from my home in Minneapolis when George Floyd was pinned down by a policeman. That sparked epic unrest across the country that I frankly question will ever settle down, and more likely will be ongoing. Racial strife was stirred up.
But, I don't want to go down that path. The path I want to go down concerns the agenda by the global cabal behind the globalist system. They needed a crisis, and so they used 2020 as their crisis, be it the pandemic or be it racial strife. They used the global crisis to further their own nefarious ambitions. Remember, it wasn't an American crisis, and it wasn't a North American crisis, rather it was a global crisis. They used that crisis to help get their global government launched a little farther along.
Obviously, a one-world government is not in play at this time, for the Antichrist has to be here and the Church has to be gone in the Rapture. This growing centralized government shows that, again, we are living in the last hours, and that's exciting.
Tim Moore: Those bent on globalism and taking over the world in a dictatorial manner will use every opportunity. I'm reminded of Kristallnacht, the Nazi Germany Night of Broken Glass. German Nazi thugs went around breaking the windows of Jewish shop owners and persecuting Jews. Adolf Hitler responded to the effect, "You see all of this unrest, so if you'd just put me in power, I will tamp down all of the lawlessness that has taken place." We found out that Hitler was spurring the persecution on behind the scenes to create the crisis. Today, many of those who are claiming to want power are promising to quell the unrest, but they've been the ones who have been fomenting it all along.
Jan Markell: That is true. I am concerned about Leftism stoking the flames, but moreso the need for the Church to come and put out these fires. Instead, I am seeing the Church sign onto the racial unrest and all in the name of social justice. They've been signing onto the agenda of Black Lives Matter. What a terrible mistake they are making, all in the name of social justice! They are signing onto a movement that is very unhealthy in aligning with the whole Black Lives Matter Movement.
Tim Moore: Black Lives Matter wrote in some of their manifestos that as an organization they are not only tremendously Anti-Semitic but that they are pushing a very radical LGBTQ+ agenda. They've totally renounced Judeo-Christian values, even the family as a basic foundational unit as God ordained. So, yes, this is very problematic.
Jan, what do you see are some of the other trends from recent years foreshadowing the way the Antichrist will rise to power? Do you see anything specific that we should be alarmed about?
Jan Markell: Yes, I think, firstly, we should be alarmed when we see such unmitigated lawlessness. I don't think we even know where that is going, but we've seen over the past year lawlessness taking over our country. As a matter of fact, it also took over parts of Australia and parts of Europe as well. Anything that is lawless is not of God, rather it's the rise of the Antichrist spirit.
What I saw most in the year behind us, the thing I saw make the strongest, most impactful in a negative way, is the spirit of the Antichrist raising its ugly head in the world and trying to influence the Church. I don't know if it was successful, but it tried.
So, believers, are your pushing back with the truth? That's all that we Christians can do — give the truth. Give the truth about what's happening in our world. Give the truth of the Gospel. Get people inside this rescue mission we have; get them into the lifeboat of salvation.
Yes, these are exciting times, but I'm not the least bit discouraged. I am living right at ground zero in Minneapolis. Huge segments were burned down last year and will never come back. In the natural, that can be very discouraging, but still, I'm not discouraged. I see it as a sign of the times. It's a reminder to the Church that Jesus said: "Look up! I am coming soon."
Jan's Warning
Tim Moore: Jan, what do you see is the greatest threat to the Church worldwide? And, what opportunities must we as believers seize right now living in such a time as this?
Jan Markell: The Church needs to be discerning in these end times. We need to understand how late we are in God's prophetic plan. Is the Church doing these things? I don't think so.
I think, secondly, a deeper problem concerns the growing apostasy in the Church, apostasy that was predicted in the Bible. There are more Bible references about the Last Day's apostasy than almost anything else, other than maybe the rebirth of Israel. Read Jesus, Peter and Paul, particularly all of those verses in 1 and 2 Timothy. They're all giving warning about the wolves that are going to come and devour the flock with false teaching, horrible theology, and the doctrines of demons. That's just what is happening in our churches today.
That's why God provides watchman trying to warn the Church to repent and return to the biblical Christ. And yet, in many cases, these watchmen are simply brushed off. Nobody is listening to them. They are trying to tell the church leadership that we are going down the wrong path, whether it is the New Apostolic Reformation or Replacement Theology or other false teachings that we could talk about if we had three hours, we would fill them so quickly.
So many new false teachings have come along in the last hundred years, and even moreso really in the last ten years. Christian Palestinianism — whoever would have thought of that? Jesus was a Palestinian?!? That totally unhistorical claim came about in just the last ten years or so.
Tim Moore: Errant ideologies have sprung forth in the last couple of years which are meant to distract us from the truth as revealed in Scripture.
Jan Markell: And, it's worked. They have distracted the Church from a great calling, and that is to get their folks focused on winning Jews and Gentiles to Jesus and proclaiming our message about the end times concerning the coming of the King of Kings. Israel is the key to understanding the times we are living in.
Tim Moore: When it comes to being a watchman, or watchwomen in your case, I'm reminded of what the Lord said to Ezekiel. He said that the people would not listen to him, but He still would hold watchmen responsible to declare the truth even though the people wouldn't listen. Jan, you have obviously been a watchman who has been faithful to fulfill your duty to the Lord regardless of the great numbers of folks who are groping in darkness. Whether or not they come to the light that you have been faithfully proclaiming is not your responsibility.
Jan's Confidence
Tim Moore: In spite of all of the gloom that we are seeing descending upon the world today, ours is a message of joyful hope. So, tell us, Jan, about your unfailing confidence in our Blessed Hope.
Jan Markell: I want to encourage Christians. We are not truly living in dark times. I know the headlines appear that way. But, understand that we are a privileged generation getting to see all of these events coming to pass. Whoever thought we would be part of the generation to see Israel become a nation again? We are seeing so many events that have been transpiring before our very eyes on a daily basis, and that includes the lawlessness, unfortunately. But, you've got to see the good along with the bad, and then translate the bad into the good news that the King is coming soon. These signs are heralding His coming.
And so, I'm excited! I'm thrilled to be a part of this generation. It's been a tremendous experience, and I've been privileged to partner in this kind of a ministry, which is very much needed, because shots are coming at us every day.
Tim Moore: As Adrian Rogers would say, "The world is getting gloriously dark." The King is indeed coming!