LESSON 09:
Danger Signs of Cancer
1: By the way of introducing this lesson, I am going to share with you portions of eight actual case histories of patients. Only the names have been changed.
2: First, is the case of Mr. Smith, 55 years old, male, married, and manager of a big advertising company. Three days before he came to the hospital he began to have frequent bowel movements with soft, blood-streaked stools. At first he took conventional treatment for diarrhea, but he got not relief. In the hospital he was advised by his physician to come in for a careful examination and tests.
3: Second; is the case of a 40 year old woman teacher, who for the past several months had noticed a growing mass in the left breast which she kept from the knowledge of her husband. She did not consult a physician, for she was afraid that he would suggest surgery.
4: The third case is that of an old farmer from a village. He came in to see the doctor because of a peculiar growth on the left side of his tongue. He said he was sure it was probably irritation from chewing snuff.
5: Fourth, is the case of a 32-year-old engineer who came to the hospital because of a change in bowel habits for the previous several months together with some noticeable loss in weight.
6: Fifth is the case of Mr. Jones, who is the treasurer of a first-class shipping business in the South. He had been coughing for the past three months and had treatment by a doctor who had not xrayed him. This particular patient had been smoking heavily for the past 20 years.
7: Miss Wilson is our sixth case. For about a year she had complained of indigestion and stomach pains. At first she was relieved by routine ulcer treatment, but later no amount of medicines helped her.
8: Ordinarily a mole is not harmful, but this is the reason our seventh patient came to see us. She had a mole on her cheek for several years. It was brownish-black at first, but recently it had turned blacker and it bled when slightly irritated.
9: Finally, our last case is that of a furniture shop worker who denied feeling anything except concern over a steady loss of weight.
10:
Now I will tell you the diagnosis of these cases. In each instance, it
was the word CANCER. If you were listening you caught the eight most
common danger signals.
1.
Unusual discharge or bleeding
2.
A lump or thickening in the breast or elsewhere
3.
A sore that does not heal
4.
A change in bowel or bladder habits
5.
Persistent hoarseness or cough
6.
Persistent indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
7.
A wart (or mole) that changes
8.
An unexplained loss of weight.
11: Friends, I must admit that there are many things we do not know about cancer, but there are also many things we do know. Now I will tell you some of the things to remember. First of all, know the danger signals! But that is not enough. Many persons who know them well, still put off seeking medical attention until it is too late. Second, get immediate help. Third, practice good health habits.
12: Practicing good health habits also means discarding bad health habits such as smoking, a habit that is undeniably linked with lung cancer. Cancer of the lung kills more people than any other kind of cancer.
13: Now I have given you eight SIGNS to watch as you guard against cancer. A wise person, interested in good health will be alert for those warning signs, and will heed them. God has promised us, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee." Isa 41:10. Even if we do detect any of these signs in our bodies, there is help and even cure, if we receive help soon enough.
14: Just as there are signs of warning for Cancer, so Jesus has given us signs of warning of His Second Coming. As we have already studied, sin has been and still is the cause of all our problems. We have learned how Jesus came to do away with sin and to get the power to give LIFE to anyone who comes to Him for it. We have learned how Jesus went to heaven having conquered death and the grave, and how He is coming again to give life eternal to those who believe Him. Now we will study some of the Signs of His Second Coming.
15: He has given us social signs, signs in the heavens, signs in the earth, political signs, and religious signs, signs in the economic world. If we know these signs and heed them, we will be ready to meet Him when He comes. Let us now see what the Bible has to say about these things.
16: "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God." 2 Timothy 3:14. What an accurate picture of our times this is! Yet, it was written almost two thousand years ago!
17: Jesus spoke to His disciples concerning definite signs in the physical world. "The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall be shaken." Matt. 24:24. On May 19, 1780, the sun, at about 10 am became dark. The birds went to roost. The cattle went to their stables. The day became pitch-black so that one person could not see another standing next to him. Encyclopedias mention this under the "Dark Day." No Scientist has been able to give a satisfactory reason for this occurrence. That same night, the moon appeared red as blood.
18: The falling of the stars occurred in the western world on November 13, 1833. Some years later the same thing occurred in the Eastern hemisphere. It was an unusual meteoric shower and was seen by thousands of people. Here again, the scientists can give no explanation for the occurrence. These were the signs which Jesus spoke of would occur some time before His second coming. When these signs occurred, men could know that Jesus was really telling the truth, and that He really is coming back to earth, just as He said He would.
19: The prophet Daniel, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, said that at the time of the end of the world, "knowledge shall be increased." Although this also refers to knowledge of the prophecies of Daniel, during the past hundred years there has been such rapid growth in knowledge and technology that man finds it difficult to keep up with it. Airplanes, motorcars, telephone, telegraph, sewing machines, electricity, space travel, have all been discovered or invented during the life-times of this present generation! Even wrist watches and torches are comparatively new inventions.
20: There are other signs; "and ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. . . For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in diverse places." Mt 24:6,7. These things all happen today:in our life-time. They are to us signs that Jesus is coming soon. Many people now living can remember a time when there were no wars such as we now have. The earth was peaceful. Famines and earthquakes were rare. The nearer we get to the time of Jesus' second coming, the more common these things will become. Even now, we have almost come to accept them as the normal way of life!
21: In the economic world, we find controversy between the rich and the poor; and the haves and the have-nots. This too was foretold in the Bible. "Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you.. Ye have heaped up treasures together for the last days. Behold the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth." James 5:1:4. While the rich try to impose more hours of work, at the same time giving less pay, the poor cry for more money with less work. This is a further sign given to us by God, whereby we can know that Jesus is coming again soon.
22: There is one more sign to be fulfilled. Jesus said, "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations: then shall the end come." Matthew 24:14. The Bible is now published in many languages, and portions of the Bible have been published in even more languages. Through radio and books people in nearly every country in the world have heard the story of Jesus, the Saviour from sin.
23: Jesus said, 'When ye shall see all these things know that it is near, even at the door. ' Matthew 24:33. Every day we see and hear signs that tell us of Jesus' soon coming. If we take heed to these, if we watch and pray, we shall not be caught unprepared. On the other hand, if we do not heed these signs, then, like the victim of cancer who did not heed the warning signs of the disease, we shall arouse ourselves to do something about it, but it will be too late. We are told, that the actual day will come "As a thief in the night." People will not know the actual day and hour, so we must be ready momentarily.
24: God is love. He delights in saving His children. He does not delight in the death of the wicked, nor of anyone. He wants everyone to be saved and to have a happy home and happy eternal life. That is why He has given us signs of His second coming, so that we might believe and be ready to meet Him. Will YOU be ready?
Here is additional information about the signs of the end: "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?":Matthew 24:3 (Read this entire chapter and the next one also)
"But he that endureth unto the end, the same shall be saved." Matthew 24:13.
"But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day." Matthew 24:20.
"And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." Matthew 24:22.
"There shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars." Luke 21:25.
"Distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth." Luke 21:25:26.
"And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh." Luke 21:28.
"And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory." Luke 21:27 (compare Matthew 24:30).
"So likewise, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand." Luke 21: 31.
Also read 2 Timothy 3:1:5, 1 Thessalonians 5:2:4, Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21.
