Were You There?

Were you there, when they crucified my Lord? That is the title of a well-loved old hymn. Imagine standing on that hill 2000 years ago witnessing the nailing of Jesus on the cross. Here he is already near death after a heavy crown of thorns had been sunk deeply into his skull. His back is covered with deep, oozing stripes caused by merciless flogging, and his strength had completely waned under the weight of the cross, which he had been forced to drag outside the gate of the city of Jerusalem. This Jesus they crucified with three nails; one through the middle of each hand, and one through his two feet. They needed to make sure that this guy would not escape! Why? Because he had claimed to be the Son of God. Just one week earlier multitudes thronged around him as he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, waving palm branches and shouting: Hosanna: Blessed is the king of Israel who comes in the name of the Lord!” They had been witness to and/or recipients of the thousands of miracles Jesus had performed in their midst. They knew he was no ordinary man. Although they did not understand the hundreds of prophesies about what the messiah had to go through and why, they knew he was a man of God, and they wanted to crown him king. (John 12) Here now on the cross: “he is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. (Isa. 53: 3) This is no pretty picture. This is the portrayal of one man on whom was placed every sin and every sickness that ever would be committed! “Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (mat.8: 17) and: “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; ...but he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we ARE healed.” (Isa. 53: 4-5). Yes, this prophetic verse foretold his crucifixion hundreds of years earlier. Yet, there in print it tells you that you ARE healed – in the present tense, as if it had already happened! They then pierced him with a sword to ensure that he was dead, fulfilling the scripture: “They shall look on him whom they pierced.” (John 19) Many other scriptures were realized that day, including the power of forgiveness, as he spoke over his persecutors: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) At the moment of his death the heavy veil of the temple was rent in two from the top to the bottom, giving us a symbolic direct access to the God. No more do we need to go through a mediator! (Mat. 27:51-53). Standing there in your mind’s eye surveying the cross and looking upon his scarred, unrecognizable face and body, thank Him for your healing, and believe that you have it. Now you can look straight into his glorious face as, subsequent to his descent into hell, he was raised up by the Holy Spirit and is now reigning on high! He “spoiled principalities and powers (the devil), he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it” and He did it all for you! You can now live a victorious life here and with Him in eternity. He did it once and for all, summing it up with His very last words: “It is Finished.” (John 19:30)

Colon Cancer: Risks and Prevention

Cancer: it's not a word that anyone really wants to hear. While not necessarily a death sentence, cancer is an illness that does have a high mortality rate depending on where in the body it strikes.

Colon cancer - the third most common cancer - results in the second highest number of cancer deaths. While that fact can be a bit intimidating, as can the realization that for many people colon cancer has no symptoms until it is in its advanced stages, it's important to take a step back and recognize that there are a number of things that you can do in order to lower your risk of developing the disease.

Long before someone develops full blown colon cancer and notices symptoms like unexplained weight loss, anemia, generalized weakness and changes in bowel habits, there are screening procedures that can be performed by a doctor to check for signs of developing colon cancer as well as pre-cancerous polyps in the colon. Screenings are important - in fact, they are essential for detecting, diagnosing and monitoring colon cancer.

Ideally, if you were to develop colon cancer, and it would be caught before the tumor grew through the intestinal wall or soon after it had begun to do so, the treatment will often be successful, since this cancer is easy to treat if it is discovered in its early stages. Once the cells have invaded the lymphatic system or metastasized into other areas of the body, the chances of recovery begin to diminish significantly.

To ensure early detection - in addition to screenings - it's important to understand the risks and behaviors that can contribute to the disease (and to know what you can do to reduce your risk). Each of the following can contribute to your risk of developing colon cancer:

1. Age: as you get older, the risk of developing colon cancer increases;

2. History of cancer: if you have had other cancers, your risk increases; similarly, if you have a family history of colon cancer, your risk increases;

3. A history of other colon problems including Crohn's disease;

4. Diet: many people don't eat foods that are particularly healthy – or don't eat enough of the foods that are not only healthy for them but are also beneficial to the digestive tract;

5. Smoking and alcohol: there's been a great deal of focus on what smoking and excessive consumption of alcohol can do to harm the body, but it's also important to note that the toxins from both also affect the colon.

6. Lack of physical activity: exercise not improves an overall sense of well-being but also helps the body to work more efficiently.

When you know what can contribute to the risk of developing colon cancer, you'll find that there are more things that you can do in order to reduce your risk. While you cannot turn back the clock or change your family's genetic history, you can make a commitment to getting more exercise and to changing your diet so that you're taking in more fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are high in fiber and by reducing the amount of protein that you're taking in.

Likewise, when you are more aware of things that can be toxic within the body – whether in your case it is eating overly processed foods, smoking or drinking – it becomes easier to make changes to limit the intake of them. For those who have trouble making the change, however, there is another option: colon cleansing.

Using a colon cleanser to rid the body of toxins, it can break down the unhealthy foods that the body does not easily process, and it can help to reduce demands on other organs in the body as well. When the colon and large intestine are working properly, there is less strain on the liver; when there are fewer demands on the liver the kidneys are better able to function and perform their essential tasks.

Colon cleansing, therefore, is not just about ensuring that your body is properly eliminating waste; it's also about ensuring that your body is able to function properly and with less strain. By taking these steps – and by taking steps to increase your physical activity and care for your body – you're likely to find that you are in better health overall.

Not all colon cancers are preventable and it's important to recognize that. However, that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do what you can to reduce your risk of developing the disease. Care for your body, ensure that you're eliminating toxins and take the time to have screenings for colon cancer and you'll find that you increase your quality and longevity of life.