Hammer on Anvil '

Most of us have probably read about great intercessors of the Bible, who were willing to put their very lives on the line if it meant saving their people. Moses, most notably, comes to mind. When the wrath of God was kindled against the Israelites because of their idolatry, their destruction was imminent. He pleaded with God, offering Him his very soul in their stead:

So Moses went back to the Lord and said, “How terribly these people have sinned! They have made for themselves gods from gold.  Now, please forgive them of this sin. If you will not, then erase my name from the book in which you have written the names of your people.”

Isaiah had to walk around naked and barefoot for three years as a warning to Israel. Hosea married a harlot to show his people that God was willing to take back His adulterous people. There are many other examples, but this is a good start.

The man in the photo here is Rock. He and his family attend the same church as my niece, in the Phoenix area. One year ago this month, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer.

I began praying for Rock when my niece told me about his plight, and have received regular updates from his CarePages website. In some ways I feel like I have walked this road with him, because he has been so often in my  prayers.

Rock passed away last Tuesday at the age of 42. The news was there when I went online to post my blog. I shed many tears for his wife and their three young children. Then I stumbled across a video of Rock that his church posted last Easter. Rock talked about Romans 8:28, and all things working together for the good of those who love God, and then proceeded to give a heart-wrenching testimony.

Rock's sister, who had not committed her life to Christ, contacted him about the time he was diagnosed. She asked Rock why something so terrible was happening to him, when he loved God and seemed to "live right." The Holy Spirit used their conversation and subsequent conversations with Christian friends to convict Rock's sister of her need for a Savior, and she gloriously came to faith in Christ.

Later on, when Rock and his sister were talking about her new-found faith, Rock told her, "I would go through this a hundred times if it would bring you to Jesus." And he meant it. His grasp of God working all things together for good was awe-inspiring.

In subsequent months, I read about people visiting Rock and being uplifted and challenged in their faith. His wife's posts were raw with emotion, yet underneath was a faith that remained unwavering. Through it all, Rock rejoiced and was humbled that God would use his situation to bring others to faith in Christ.

Rock's testimony reminded me of the intercessors I listed above, who were willing to offer their own lives to save their people. It made me ask myself some hard questions. What am I willing to endure for the sake of bringing someone to Christ? Do I care so deeply about other souls that I would willingly lay down my life for the glorious prize of bringing them to faith?

I am not saying Rock was a modern-day Moses. Nor am I insinuating that God would curse someone with cancer in order to save their family. That's messed-up theology. Bad things happen to everyone in this sin-sick world. The difference is this: are we willing, as Christ followers, to allow God to USE those things to bring beauty out of the ashes? To allow Him to bring good out of what the enemy intended for evil?

In your prayers today, please pray for Rock's family. He will be buried this Friday. The cool thing is that after the funeral, people are gathering at a big park for a picnic (in Arizona they have good weather) to celebrate Rock's life. He was ready to meet Jesus and talked of heaven in his last days, so a celebration is fitting! I am so glad physical death does not have the final word for those who love God, and are called according to His purpose.