Life (March 2021)

On January 27, 2021 I waited in a small room in anticipation of the doctor to open the door and tell me that the biopsy was fine. My mind pictured this moment- but when the door opened and the doctor arrived, I did not hear the words I wanted to hear. He said the cancer word and my mind started to spin. I have always known that not one of us is immune to sickness and or disease. However, when you are personally told you have the “c” word it takes on a whole new perspective. Numerous friends of mine over the years have heard that word and are now cancer free. There is one individual that did not remain on this earth but at this very moment dances with Jesus.

A dear friend of mine says, “Getting older is not for sissies.” Lately, if it is not the eye doctor its’ the urologist and, or the skin doctor. Many people I know and many who I have ministered to in their sickness have their calendars filled with such appointments.

The good news is this: The doctor told me this is very treatable, and I have everything going in my favor. The prostate cancer is contained and only in two sections. It is in a very favorable area for treatment. My PSA levels are not crazy, and tests are not alarming to the point of something must be done at this very moment. It was caught early. I thank God for that.

Pray for me and pray that the side effects will be minimal. I am confident in God even in my anxiousness. I am thankful that he led me to doctors who are highly qualified for such tasks and are highly experienced. My plan is to have the minimally invasive robotic surgery sooner than later.

Thanks for listening.

Pastor Rich Edwards

I am reminded of the Apostle Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 4: 8-18

We are pressed on every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies. Yes, we live under constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you. But we continue to preach because we have the same kind of faith the psalmist had when he said, “I believed in God, so I spoke.”[a] We know that God, who raised the Lord Jesus,[b] will also raise us with Jesus and present us to himself together with you. All of this is for your benefit. And as God’s grace reaches more and more people, there will be great thanksgiving, and God will receive more and more glory. That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are[c] being renewed every day. For our present troubles are small and won’t last very long. Yet they produce for us a glory that vastly outweighs them and will last forever! So we don’t look at the troubles we can see now; rather, we fix our gaze on things that cannot be seen. For the things we see now will soon be gone, but the things we cannot see will last forever.