Date: 11/6/2007
<br>Author: Devin Pickard
<br>Title: November 7, 2007
<br><br>     Those in the know tell us that there are over 200 different forms of cancer that can attack a human body.   There are three basic forms of cancer, which are named for the body tissues where they begin:  Sarcomas are found in fibrous or soft tissues, such as muscles, bone or blood vessels....Carcinomas are found in the epithelium - cells that cover the body surface and line body organs, such as the breast, colon and lung...Leukemias and lymphomas are found in blood cells of the bone marrow or lymph node cells.  Ms. Carolyn recently told me that as of late, most of the folks listed on our prayer lists are there because of cancer.  I would almost bet that there will not be one person who reads this whose family has not had someone affected by cancer in one way or another.  As I sit here and look out my window at the cemetery across the road, I wonder how many tombstones are representative of those who passed away at the hands of this dreaded disease.  Cancer culls no one.  It is no respector of persons.  It is not concerned with how old you are, how much money you have, or how good of a person you might be.  Cancer is like that proverbial “thief in the night” that sneaks up on you when you are not looking. <br><br>     According to the American Cancer Society, at any given time, more that 10 million Americans battle cancer on a daily basis.  I tend to buy into the argument, “If we can put a man on the moon, why can’t we find a cure for cancer?”  If you have to have cancer, there is no question that this is the best time in history to do so.  There are more treatment options than ever and prevention information is around every corner.  However, you have to wonder, on what day will some person in a white jacket stitched with their name on it stand behind a podium somewhere and declare, “The war on cancer is over...we have won.”  Well, I have some exciting news for you and I am about to declare it.....There is a cure for cancer and it has been under our noses the entire time.  <br><br>     Jesus said in Matthew 10:28, “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”  As deadly as cancer may be, it CANNOT destroy the soul.  Sometimes the cure for something is the realization that there is actually something even worse.  God’s Son said for us to not worry about anything that might take our physical life.  It is fragile at best and is only temporary.  A cure for what ails us should be the fact that we have a loving heavenly Father, and that a departure from this life, at least for a Christian person, is only a promotion to a life far better than we could have ever dreamed.  Read Revelation 21 and see if that doesn’t sound a little better than the street you live on.<br><br>     Cancer claimed another victim last night.  Billy McCoy, the brother of our Roy McCoy, passed away into eternity.  Some time ago Billy responded to the Lord’s invitation at Defeated Creek and was baptized.  Since that day, he lived for God.  When Mr. McCoy was baptized, he had no idea that a life threatening illness was on the near horizon for him.  Well, it was.  But guess what....now he’s in far better health that any of the rest of us left here.<br>               <br>Go the extra mile - Devin<br><br>