From the Pastor's Desk for March 2026

Dear Lighthouse Church:

In Chapter 12 of A. W. Tozer’s book The Knowledge of the Holy, he writes about

the omnipotence of God observing that to reign, God must have power, and to reign with sovereignty he must have all power. This is described as a “potency that is absolute.” We can only know that by divine revelation as we read scripture and meditate upon all that God has done in creation. He is a self-existent creator and the source of all power, including the power to heal. I have been reflecting upon this this week because several in the congregation have had a diagnosis of prostate cancer. I too am a survivor of prostate cancer; and closely monitored to ensure that it has not spread.

Like you, I have professed my faith in Jesus Christ and that I will accept whatever may transpire in this regard. I have prayed with each of these men for healing and for reassurance of our salvation. I do this because it is what I was taught as a child and what I have learned in seminary. It is part of my embedded religion to trust in God. However, I have been wondering exactly what I mean by that.

Cancer could be viewed as one of the laws of nature; that it is a mutation of cells in the human body that causes disease and often death. A cure for cancer may be viewed as a medical matter dependent upon the skill of the physician and the availability of effective treatments. As I laid motionless on the radiation table I admit that my thoughts were for the effectiveness of the protons that were being emitted at my prostate. I fell into the trap of praying for successful human directed healing. In this way I forgot the omnipotence of God and that my destiny is entirely in his hands. Both the fact that I have cancer and that I have survived so far is entirely his doing.

Worse yet I assumed some personal credit for my healing. The first indication that I might have prostate cancer was an increase in the blood test result for Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA). My doctor opined that we could wait for the next annual blood work, but I insisted that I be referred to a urologist at once. As a result, the cancer was detected and treated quickly. In my vanity I believed that I was responsible for the success of my doctors. This conclusion is now the source of shame because I did not give credit to God, the only one with the power to bring me into this world, to keep me alive and healthy, and to someday redeem me. My prayer now is to be forgiven for my vanity. When we are in need for healing we should pray as instructed in Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV): "Heal me, Lord, and I will be healed; save me, and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise".

God Bless,

Pastor Eric