Recently, I had the privilege to be interviewed by A Minute to Midnight Ministries based out of New Zealand. Their ministry reaches into Australia and Africa as well. Like most, the journey of faith, suffering, and plight of our son, Jeremiah Thomas, has gripped their hearts. For an hour, God allowed Jeremiah’s testimony to go forth even further to touch the nations of the earth.

As you listen to this interview, please keep in mind these passages of Scripture:

“For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, that no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the LORD” (1 Corinthians 1:26-31)

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us. We are hard -pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed— always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So then death is working in us, but life in you” (2 Corinthians 4:7-12)

From the weakness of a hospital bed and the threat of cancer ending his life, our son is taking on the altars of Moloch and Baal to bring down principalities and powers in Jesus’ name! Death is indeed at work in Jeremiah as God’s life and power continues to transform many throughout the world.

See the interview below:

Brothers and sisters, here is the the long awaited interview with gubernatorial candidate from the great state of Oklahoma. This precious brother in the Lord, Dan Fisher, took time out of his busy schedule on the campaign trail to do this on the behalf of our son.

Gov. Abbott granted Jeremiah Thomas (16) his dying wish. He called Jeremiah yesterday and promised to help abolish abortion in Texas.

The Governor was gracious with his time. He listened to Jeremiah’s testimony and encouraged him in his faith. Jeremiah said that the Governor was “compassionate and receptive.”

Jeremiah shared his heart regarding abortion. He appealed to the Governor to protect preborn babies by completely abolishing abortion by treating it as murder and penalized it by law in the great state of Texas.

Prior to the call, the Governors wife, Cecilia, reached out to Jeremiah through Facebook. She sent prayers and hugs. They both demonstrated genuine Christian love and concern for the plight of our son.

#Godsgotthis
#AbolishAbortionTX
#GovernorAbbott
#MakeAWish

Gov. Abbott granted Jeremiah Thomas (16) his dying wish. He called Jeremiah yesterday and promised to help abolish abortion in Texas.The Governor was gracious with his time. He listened to Jeremiah's testimony and encouraged him in his faith. Jeremiah said that the Governor was "compassionate and receptive."Jeremiah shared his heart regarding abortion. He appealed to the Governor to protect preborn babies by completely abolishing abortion by treating it as murder and penalizing it by law in the great state of Texas. Prior to the call, the Governors wife, Cecilia, reached out to Jeremiah through Facebook. She sent prayers and hugs. They both demonstrated genuine Christian love and concern for the plight of our son.#Godsgotthis#AbolishAbortionTX#GovernorAbbott#MakeAWishwww.operationsaveamerica.org

Posted by Rusty Thomas on Monday, June 18, 2018

 

“I don’t deserve Your healing, but Lord You will always deserve my praise. Through death or life, may Your great name be lifted up and everything that is of me fall to the wayside. Oh Lord, strengthen me that I may fight the battle with a courage Satan cannot tamper with. If You take me home or leave me here to fight a little longer, may it be Your breath in my lungs and Your song on my tongue. Lord, I consecrate myself to the full advancement of the Kingdom of God! Lord, I love You and I can’t wait to see You face to face. Amen.”

Jeremiah Thomas has been in the fight of his life against cancer since March of this year. He has resolved to use this battle to glorify Christ and advance His Kingdom whether he lives or dies. He has been an incredible example and inspiration to thousands of people in the last several months.

As you can imagine, fighting this battle is taking resources his family doesn’t have. Your love, prayers, and support are greatly appreciated.

If you’ve enjoyed this song, whoever you are, then please, PLEASE stop what you are doing and donate $5 right now to help his family pay his medical bills (https://www.gofundme.com/ccu35y-help-with-financial-burdens). They are astronomical for one family, but if we as a community come around them this need can be met. You can support them at their Gofundme Page and hear more about Jeremiah’s story here: https://www.gofundme.com/ccu35y-help-with-financial-burdens

After you donate, please like and share this video so that more people hear about Jeremiah and come support his family.

This is a song I wrote to him when he was told by his doctors that he has only a couple months to live. He is living like a man who is dying, and we can all learn from his example.

LYRICS:

When your voice is at its weakest
It can be heard around the world
When your body’s sick and dying
You can be the one who heals

When your insides won’t stop bleeding
You can still stop the crimson guilt
And rise up to defend the weak
Be strong

When your legs won’t lift you from your chair
You can walk the narrow road
When your flesh and bones are torn apart
You can mend a broken world

When your veins are full of poison
You can still cure the great disease
You can still be the remedy
Hold on, be strong

When you see the face of death
I know you will rise and live again
The deepest breath you take
Will be your last
When this flesh has finally failed you
And your heartbeats are all gone
When at last your race is won
You will be strong
You will be strong

When you lose your life
Then you will live
When you serve with every breath
Your lungs can give
When your very chest is bursting
With the power of your love
Do not fear, hold on
You are strong

When you lose your life
Then you will live
When you build the coming Kingdom
Like today will be your end
When your very chest is bursting
With the song that’s on your tongue
Do not fear, hold on
You are strong
You are strong

Bringing the fight home ���� ❤️ #GodsGotThis #JeremiahStrong #IWantToFight
Yesterday marked ten weeks to the day Jeremiah (16) was told his sports injury was really a malignant tumor in his chest.
It’s not been an easy road, with Jeremiah’s bone cancer and the paralysis caused by his back tumor.
But your prayers are touching the heart of God.
In our suffering, we see God’s mercy all around us. He’s guiding, providing, comforting. People are praying. Fasting. Sending cards. Visiting the hospital. Mailing care packages. Donating equipment. Offering financial help. Sharing testimonies. Giving advice. Blessing us with wholistic supplies. Worshiping Jesus with us.
If there is any beauty in the ugliness of Jeremiah’s cancer, it’s seen in the unfailing love of God and the army of Christians who have rallied to his fight.
Thank you �� ♥️
Jeremiah recovered from the side effects of his chemo drug and was able to leave the PICU. He’s now back in the regular pediatric ward.
He had his last chemo for this round. He also had his final radiation. When he was done with his radiation he rang a bell in the hospital to signify the end of treatment.
We also found out yesterday that Jeremiah will not be having immediate surgery on his chest tumor, as we had expected. This is disappointing.
Osteoblastic osteosarcoma is an aggressive type of bone cancer that begins in the cells that form bones. Osteoblastic is one of the fastest growing types of osteosarcomas. It is considered “high grade.”
The oncologist thought it would be best to “get ahead of the cancer,” break with protocol, and perform surgery on Jeremiah’s chest prior to more chemo. However, the surgeon did not agree.
Like the surgeons in Tijuana, the surgeon at MD Anderson is unwilling to perform the surgery. Recovery time from such an extensive surgery would take three weeks. The cancer could spread quickly in the time it would take Jeremiah to recover. Time is precious. Three weeks could literally cost Jeremiah his life.
If surgery is to happen, we first have to show that the chemo is successful. That means another round or two of chemo and extensive tests.
We also learned that the hospital is sending Jeremiah home on Monday. We were first told it would be Friday but his physical and occupational therapists advocated STRONGLY on behalf of Jeremiah. They managed to convince the medical team at MD Anderson to keep Jeremiah until Monday so they can cram necessary therapy into the weekend.
The difficulty for us isn’t just that Jeremiah is battling for his life.
Jeremiah is also dealing with paralysis from the chest down, caused by the tumor’s growth in his spine. The nerve damage effects his abdominal and back muscles. The new growth in his back means Jeremiah is now a T6 paralytic.
The brain and the spinal cord make up the central nervous system. The spinal cord carries messages from the brain to the body. There are motor and sensory “tracts” the nerve endings travel. The spinal tumor has compressed the nerves. Since Jeremiah’s surgery (to preserve his legs) was unable to completely remove the tumor, the cancer has grown back. Its creeping lengthwise up and down his spine. It’s now covering area T4 to T8.
The tumor growth is roughly at chest level in Jeremiah’s spine. This means he’s lost control over his core, in addition to his legs. This makes even the smallest activity difficult. We are praying the radiation kills the cancer in his back. If the tumor continues to grow, Jeremiah is in danger of losing control of his arms too.
With his spinal cord injury comes a whole set of complications- loss of muscle mass, infection, cardiovascular and respiratory issues. Jeremiah has lost more than his ability to walk.
The day before he lost his ability to walk, Jeremiah delivered the Easter sunrise sermon at our church.
He preached, “In resurrecting Jesus from the grave, God reminds us of His absolute sovereignty over life and death…In my personal life, the resurrection is everything to me. If there is no resurrection I’m to be pitied. There’s no point to hope. No will to fight against the things that ail me. It wasn’t enough that Jesus was beaten, scourged, and crucified. The resurrection validates the sacrifice. It proves that he is…the Messiah. It proves he’s the Almighty God is the flesh. It proves that death is not the final answer and there’s eternal life to those who believe.”
The following day we rushed Jeremiah to the ER. Things have been changing for the worst ever since. But just as he preached, it is the resurrection of Jesus Christ that gives him the “will to fight.”
One moment Jeremiah’s fight is against excruciating pain, then it’s the diagnosis, then it’s the metastasis, then it’s the 10% survival rate, then it’s the paralysis, then it’s the regrowth. But Jeremiah keeps fighting. When cancer knocks him down, he prays and gets back up.
Now the fight’s coming home.
We’re not sure what Jeremiah’s future looks like. But we know when he returns home, his family and friends will be waiting to love him and help him. We also know we’ll be focusing on holistic treatment.
One of the oncologists explained, “Curing Jeremiah’s cancer is very challenging.”
Challenging. Yes.
But we have a Champion on our side.
And He’s already conquered death.
Whether he lives or dies, Jeremiah has been given the victory through Jesus Christ.
When Jeremiah was told of his diagnosis, he wrote this prayer on Facebook:
“I don’t deserve your healing but you’ll always deserve my praise. Through death or life may Your great name be lifted up and everything that is of me fall to the waste side. Oh Lord, strengthen me to fight the battle with a courage Satan cannot tamper with. If you take me home or leave me here to fight a little longer, may it be Your breath in my lungs and your song on my tongue. Lord, I consecrate myself to the full advancement of the kingdom of God. Lord, I love you and cannot wait to see you face to face. Amen.”
It’s because Jesus is his Champion that Jeremiah can pray “to fight the battle”…even if the fight takes his life.
“‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’ The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:55-57).

 

Jeremiah will not be in Indianapolis in body, but certainly in spirit. He knows what happened to him and the youth of OSA last year in Louisville, KY For Such A Time As This was special. God visited our young and empowered them to take their place in the battle for the souls of men, the lives of children, and the future of our nation.

In this brief video, Jeremiah calls upon young people to Christian up and invites them to participate in this year’s OSA national event in Indianapolis, IN to Lead Justice to Victory. He sees the need to build upon what happened by the Spirit of God last year.

Jeremiah is fighting the battle for his life in Houston. He desires others to rise up and fight the battle to save the lives of the preborn. Will you join with him in this great Kingdom venture to end the American holocaust in Jesus’ name? Make plans to come to Indianapolis from July 14-21st, 2018

Here is our Facebook Event page for more info. Keep pressing on to the high call and prize!

https://www.facebook.com/events/1357038467775570/

Interesting Article on how Evangelicals are taking the lead to end the American holocaust. Better late than never.

Ever since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, American Catholics have been identified in the public mind as the leading opponents of abortion. But as heavily Catholic Ireland prepares for a referendum on abortion policy, data suggests that American Catholics, as distinct from the church hierarchy, are fairly closely aligned with the rest of the country on the issue.

Evangelical Protestants, who overwhelmingly oppose abortion but lack Catholicism’s formal hierarchy, have taken the lead on grassroots activism, while Catholic bishops lead in Washington at the policy level. As individuals, American Catholics tend to follow their own conscience — wherever it may take them. 

According to the Pew Research Center, 53 percent of Catholics in the U.S. think abortion should be legal in all or most cases, whereas 44 percent think it should be illegal. The American public in general is only slightly more supportive of access to abortion services: 57 percent think it should be legal in all or most cases, while 40 percent think it should be illegal. In contrast, 70 percent of white evangelical Protestants want abortion to be illegal in all or most cases. Only 55 percent of black Protestants share this view.

Ireland, an overwhelmingly Catholic country to which many American Catholics trace their ancestry, is holding a referendum Friday on whether to repeal the country’s ban on abortion: “Yes” votes go toward lifting the prohibition, and “no” votes go toward keeping it in place. The outcome is likely to be close, but the mere fact of putting the issue on the ballot suggests that the division between lay people and the church hierarchy is not limited to the U.S.

Although evangelicals lead the anti-abortion movement at the ballot box and on the street, the well-organized and powerful Roman Catholic hierarchy still plays a major role on Capitol Hill and behind the scenes.

The Catholics for Choice (CFC) advocacy group presents itself as a counterbalance to the Vatican and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) on matters concerning sexuality and reproductive health. CFC makes the case for abortion access within the context of Catholic faith.

CFC vice president Sara Hutchinson Ratcliffe said the formal hierarchy thinks of itself as the sole arbiter on moral decisions for its community but that the faith’s teachings on conscience mean individuals must be free to follow their own and allow others to do the same.

“The difference is the evangelical parishioners may follow their pastors when they tell them how to vote, but Catholics not only don’t do that, we also fundamentally disagree with our hierarchy who’s wielding this power, why they’re doing it and how they’re doing it,” Ratcliffe told Yahoo News.

Catholicism is the largest religious denomination in the United States, with 70.4 million members — 22 percent of the population. But as of January, there were only 284 active bishops.

Ratcliffe said the USCCB acts as the bishops’ lobbying arm and tries to speak for the whole faith, but, she says, “the Catholic Church actually involves all of us and what we believe.” Even going back to 1973, when Roe v. Wade was decided, Ratcliffe thinks a good portion of Catholics thought abortion should be legal, understanding it to be a personal, moral decision.
USCCB, which did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Yahoo News, has repeatedly rejected CFC’s claim to Catholic identity and argued that it’s an arm of the abortion lobby whose efforts seek to undermine the church’s authority. According to the bishops, CFC rejects and distorts Catholic teaching.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan, the archbishop of New York and chairman of USCCB’s committee on anti-abortion activities, said in a statement, “As the U.S. Catholic bishops have stated for many years, the use of the name ‘Catholic’ as a platform to promote the taking of innocent human life is offensive not only to Catholics, but to all who expect honesty and forthrightness in public discourse.”

The USCCB has set five goals for the current period: evangelizing, family and marriage, human life and dignity (which includes opposing abortion), encouraging vocations to the priesthood and promoting religious freedom.

The Rev. James Martin is an American Jesuit priest who recently wrote a book, “Building a Bridge,” about the importance of compassion for LGBT Catholics within the church. He said the polling data on abortion is surprising because the hierarchy has in no way withdrawn from the abortion debate.

“Among the Catholics who are active in the pro-life movement and have protested and written, I don’t see any pullback on that. But that has always been a particular subset of the Catholic population. Not everyone is as active in the pro-life movement,” Martin told Yahoo News.

James Martin, a Jesuit priest and editor at large of America Magazine, on May 21. (Photo: Richard Drew/AP)

Martin described himself as “100 percent pro-life” because he “believes in the dignity of all life, and that’s not only unborn children in the womb but also the lives in LGBT people, so it’s all consistent.”

Pope Francis’s pastoral pronouncements have been celebrated by liberal Catholics. In the past two months Francis has said caring for the poor is as important as opposing abortion and reportedly told a gay man, “God made you like this and he loves you.”

On the LGBT comment, Martin said, “Pope Francis is basically saying what every reputable psychologist, psychiatrist and biologist says, which is that people do not choose their sexual orientation, so it is not only a pastoral statement but it is also a true statement.”

But Ratcliffe said there’s a strong disconnect between Francis’s stated vision for the church’s future and the USCCB’s political agenda in the U.S.

“Not only do the bishops not follow his lead in that way, they really have doubled down on their agenda,” Ratcliffe said. “The Catholic bishops really have moved an agenda, starting in 2011 on redefining what religious liberty means in this country, and they’ve convinced the Trump administration in particular — although, to some extent the Obama administration as well — that their version of religious liberty must be, if not followed, certainly acknowledged.”

The earliest Gallup poll on Christian views of abortion was conducted in 1975, just two years after Roe v. Wade. Of Catholic respondents, 32 percent said abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, 50 percent said it should be legal under certain circumstances, and 17 percent said it should be legal under any circumstances. Of Protestant respondents, 21 percent said abortion should be illegal in all circumstances, 58 percent said it should be legal under certain circumstances, and 18 percent said it should be legal under any circumstances.

This data suggests that evangelical opposition to abortion has undoubtedly intensified since the mid-1970s, whereas the lay-Catholic opinion has remained comparatively consistent.

According to Ratcliffe, evangelicals might oppose reproductive rights in larger numbers but they are not as well organized. Catholic bishops, she said, are still active in the halls of power, whether it’s getting members of Congress to repeat their talking points, helping to write various amendments on congressional committees or encouraging the Trump administration to install high-level conservative Catholics in Health and Human Services, the White House or the Domestic Policy Council.

The Knights of Columbus, a Catholic fraternal organization, reportedly spent over $1 million to oppose same-sex marriagebefore the historic Supreme Court decision legalizing it nationwide.

According to a CFC survey, nearly 6 in 10 (59 percent) of Catholic voters said the views of their bishops in the U.S. are not relevant when deciding whom to vote for in presidential elections. Four in 10 said the bishops’ views were important. Two out of 3 Catholics would disapprove of religious universities denying employees or students insurance for birth control on the grounds that it’s a sin. Seventy-four percent would oppose (including 59 percent strongly opposing) a law that would allow companies to deny services to an employee or customer based on the owner’s religious beliefs.

“The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is absolutely still behind the scenes and in the halls of political power, wielding influence that’s undue based on what the vast majority of Catholics think about these issues,” Ratcliffe said.

Ratcliffe agreed that evangelical leaders such as Franklin Graham and Rick Warren have been important players in the current abortion debate but thinks the Catholic hierarchy remains more influential on the issue.

“I would argue that conservative Catholic organizations in conjunction with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops are still very much at the front of that pack.”

The Rev. Rusty Lee Thomas, the national director of Operation Save America, a Protestant evangelical conservative organization that opposes abortion, Islam and homosexuality, said in the early ’70s that the anti-abortion movement was seen as primarily Catholic but that evangelicals have become more active and outspoken in the anti-abortion movement since then.

A Sunday service at Congregacion Leon de Juda, an evangelical church in Boston, in 2012. (Photo: Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor via Getty Images)

The Roman Catholic Church has always condemned abortion as sinful, but evangelicals do not have a comparable hierarchy and claim to follow only the Bible, which never mentions abortion. It does, however, contain subtle references to life in the womb.

“It was a slow process as more evangelicals got involved to end this holocaust in the United States of America. More doors had opened to the evangelical churches. Specifically, in the last four or five years, the vision and mission has spread tremendously within the evangelical church,” Thomas told Yahoo News.

More and more, he said, evangelicals are taking their message to the streets, government officials and abortion providers, which he called “death camps.” He said the strategy now is to work on ending abortion one state at a time. Invoking the Protestant doctrine of the lesser magistrate, which posits a lesser ruler’s authority to rebel against a tyrant, Thomas is calling upon local and state governments outlaw abortion and gay marriage regardless of federal law the same way progressive states have legalized recreational marijuana despite federal law.

The anti-abortion movement started to make larger strides on the local and state level in 2010. By January 2016, the Guttmacher Institute, a research and policy organization committed to reproductive health, reported that 27 percent (288) of all 1,074 abortion restrictions enacted since Roe v. Wade came after 2010. And this hasn’t slowed down. A Planned Parenthood report in March showed that the first three months of 2018 alone saw half of all states attempt to introduce at least one abortion ban.

It’s worth nothing that the states at the forefront of this anti-abortion push don’t have many Catholics in them.

In a newsletter that was excerpted in New York Magazine, Harold Meyerson, the executive editor of the American Prospect, noticed that the eight states with the largest Catholic populations — Rhode Island (42 percent), Massachusetts (34 percent), New Jersey (34 percent), New Mexico (34 percent), Connecticut (33 percent), New York (31 percent), California (28 percent) and Illinois (28 percent) — were among the 17 states that had not enacted any abortion restrictions since 2010.

Meyerson pointed out that the states with the lowest number of Catholics — Mississippi (4 percent), Utah (5 percent), West Virginia (6 percent), Tennessee (6 percent), Alabama (7 percent), North Carolina (9 percent), Georgia (9 percent), South Carolina (10 percent), Kentucky (10 percent), Idaho (10 percent) and Virginia (12 percent) — were among the 33 states that did pass abortion restrictions.

“It’s no longer the case, and it has not been the case for a long time that you can attempt to win significant blocks of Catholic voters with an anti-abortion stance,” Meyerson told Yahoo News. “I don’t think that’s actually where most American Catholics are at, and secondly, there’s very little data showing that this is that important an issue to them. They tend to rank other issues — economic issues and among liberal Catholics certainly social justice issues — higher than the abortion question.”

In the 2016 presidential election, Republican Donald Trump got more Catholic votes than Democrat Hillary Clinton: 60 percent to 37 percent. But Hispanic Catholics supported Clinton over Trump by a wider ratio, 67 percent to 26 percent. Although Catholics are still most heavily concentrated in the Northeast, there’s been a recent increase in the South and Midwest. Much of the growth in the Catholic population is because of immigrants or the children of immigrants, many from Latin America.

Mark Gray is a senior research associate at the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate, a social science research center affiliated with Georgetown University that studies Catholicism. By and large, he said, the big topics for Catholics at any moment tend to be the same as for the public at large, whether that be the economy, terrorism, health care or something else.

“If you look at the most important problem or issue in an election, they tend to be identical to the general population, so there’s not a different set of issues that Catholics are concerned about that non-Catholics aren’t,” Gray told Yahoo News.

Gray, who also directs CARA Catholic Polls, said his research bears out that Catholics and the American public in general have similar opinions on abortion but that there’s an important nuance to keep in mind.

“If you just ask a single question about abortion, you’re not really measuring people’s attitudes. It’s just too complex of an issue,” he said. “It’s really not a yes/no question for almost everyone.”

Abortion rights activists face anti-abortion demonstrators in January 2013, the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. (Photo: Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

 

We’ll do whatever it takes to save our son.

 

An emergency surgery; a 1,000 mile flight followed by a “Tijuana or bust” road trip; a border crossing in two ambul ances, sirens wailing; two different stays in PICU; a medivac flight at 500 miles an hour; two countries; four hospitals; and countless doctors, oncologists, and neurosurgeons later, that should be clear.
 
But there are some things we won’t do. We won’t compromise.
Eight weeks ago, our all star football player was told his sports injury was really a malignant tumor in his chest. In less time then it takes to play a full season of high school football,  Jeremiah (16) lost his legs and the playbook for his life.
 We’re facing a mountain of illness. As I write this, Jeremiah has a fever and a cold. Chemo lowers the number of white blood cells needed to fight infection. Because Jeremiah’s immune system is compromised, he must now wear a face mask and a disposable gown when he leaves his room. Any visitors must do the same.
MD Anderson treats its pediatric patients with care and dignity, even offering free haircuts at the center’s barber shop. Before his fever, Jeremiah had his hair cut shorter in preparation for its eventual loss.
Osteoblastic Osteosarcoma is an aggressive bone cancer and has already metastasized (spread). Jeremiah has numerous spots on both lungs, a large tumor in his chest, and another in his back. He has a 10% chance of survival.
A meeting with MD Anderson’s medical team revealed that Jeremiah’s treatment will involve three rounds of chemo, three or four surgeries, and radiation. Although the bone cancer is resistant to radiation, it must also be attempted.
 In addition, we’re facing a mountain of debt. We’ve been advised that each of Jeremiah’s surgeries will cost between $50,000 and $100,000. That cost does not include chemo therapy, radiation, tests, medicines, outpatient care, or hospitalization. Neither does it include the cost of physical or occupational therapy. Add to that our outstanding bills from McLane’s Children’s Hospital in Temple, Rady Children’s Hospital in San Diego and MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center in Houston totaling nearly $400,000 and you get an idea of the mountain of debt we are facing.
A private benefactor covered the cost of Jeremiah’s holistic treatment in Tijuana and the medevac flight back to Texas, otherwise the bill would be larger still.
In addition, there are other practical considerations too, like medical equipment and renovations to our home to make it handicap accessible.
The tumor in Jeremiah’s back has caused paralysis. Short of the miracle we are all praying for, surviving the cancer will leave Jeremiah permanently disabled.
Pastor  Dale Sochia and King Jesus Ministries replaced carpeting with flooring for Jeremiah’s wheelchair. With help from members of Jeremiah’s football team, the Parkview Pacers, we’ve moved rooms around to accommodate his medical needs.
Our church family, Church at Tree Lake, offered financial help and expanded a door frame.
We’ve also widened the driveway allowing for better access from our vehicle to the sidewalk. We live in rural Texas, surrounded by crops and dust. Moving a wheelchair through dirt or mud during rainy season is untenable.
We’ve purchased a new wheelchair fitted to Jeremiah’s specific measurements and requirements. We’ve created a wheelchair accessible bedroom and closet, with things he needs at his height. Finally, we’ve explored ways to construct a wheel in shower or “wet room,” replace the old vanity with a sink he can wheel under, and switch out the commode.
We also picked up a handicapped placard from the county tax office.   In other words, we’re facing a mountain of change.
 Which brings us to the Mount Moriah of Jeremiah’s story.
MD Anderson began treatment. But they won’t recognize our Christian healthcare sharing plan. They suggested we apply for Medicaid. Which we’ve done. But in a world of bureaucracy, the Gofundme page means that we don’t need government assistance. Never mind the expenses far outweigh everyone’s loving help.
We were advised to redirect funds in a sort of “shell game” which we’ll not do.
As our daughter  Shekinah explains, “We are wanting to be transparent and above reproach in all things [for the glory of God], and also because so many of you are donating to support my brother and family. As my dad was learning more and more from the hospital what it would take to be eligible for Medicaid, he was being asked to be dishonest…as desperate as we are to keep Jeremiah there, that would be a violation of conscience and it would not bring glory to God.”
Compromise would ask us to spare our son at the expense of truth and justice. It would say the ends justify the means.
But one of Jeremiah’s favorite quotes, the one he has on his Instagram, reads, “The man earnestly seeking to live according to the will of God will do daily battle against the spirit of compromise. Do not give in.”
The principles of God have tied Jeremiah as sure as the cords that bound Isaac.
When  Rusty shared his concerns with Jeremiah last night at the hospital, he responded with uncharacteristic seriousness, “As long as I’ve known you dad, you’ve been an honorable man. I trust your decision to honor God.”
Of course there will be those who won’t understand Jeremiah’s or his father’s unwillingness to compromise. Won’t understand compromise is a slippery slope better avoided. Won’t understand there is no mountain pass around truth.
There will be those who throw stones as my son and husband climb their Mount Moriah.
But it doesn’t matter.
As Jeremiah reminded his dad, “We’re trusting in the Lord. It is more important to honor God than please men.”
We’re praying that God provides a way out of this insurance wilderness. That He would spare the life of our son. That He would provide a ram in the thicket.
But even if God doesn’t provide, even if our son doesn’t live, we trust in the lamb that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). We trust in God.
“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” ( John 3:16).
“If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20).

Another sleepless night in Houston. My weary mind wrestling with God. I just talked with my bride and my ailing son, Jeremiah. I’ve made a painful, but I believe right decision before God.

I’ve been placed between a rock and a hard place here in Houston. I’m typically not a man that does not know what to do or lack direction in my life or the life of our family. Lately, my fierce desire to see my son healed has collided with genuine principles of God that have served me so well in times past.

One of them is to not go to the government to meet any of our needs. MD Anderson has pretty much forced me to jump through incredible hoops to maintain the care and treatment of my son. To the point that now my conscience has been violated. I cannot and will not do it no longer.

I’m done changing our lives to fit in the government’s box to pay the astronomical dollars it will cost for Jeremiah’s treatment. I told my son this dilemma and he told me as long as I’ve known you Dad, you have been an honorable man and I trust your decision to honor God.

if something does not happen before Monday, I will let MD Anderson know that I refuse government assistance. If they kick us out, I will still owe them about 150,000, along with the 119.000 we owe Temple Texas, and the 112,000 we owe Rady Hospital in San Diego.

If we move to the Memphis area, there is a possibility St. Jude would take in Jeremiah and these murky, convoluted dilemmas would lessen in our lives. God save my son’s life and may our family always honor Him with truth in our innermost being. We trust him to make a way in Jesus’ name!

My daughter, Shekinah, beautifully nails our dilemma:

My Mom and Dad will probably go into more detail later, but just to clarify: My Dad was not refusing government help. He never wanted to go that route, but was willing to set that aside to do whatever it took to be able to keep Jeremiah at M.D Anderson.

As he was learning more and more from the hospital what it would take to be eligible for Medicaid, he was being asked to be dishonest about their current financial situation and as desperate as we are to keep him there, that would be a violation of conscience and it would not bring glory to God.

We are wanting to be transparent and above reproach in all things, because so many of you are donating to support my brother and family and even though we have a humongous mountain of debt to conquer, we know this is not the way to remove it.

We are trusting God to show us the next step and we will make sure Jeremiah is receiving quality care no matter what. It’s just looking like it won’t be in Houston. Blessings to you all!

Somehow Jeremiah’s plight and story continues to reach into the professional sport’s world. A former NBA coach and player overseas, Greg Hendricks, who pastors a church in San Diego called Jeremiah today. He also had on the line a former NFL wide receiver with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Antwaan Randall El, and a Houston Rocket’s basketball player, Tarik Bernard Black. Mr. Black is currently in the playoffs against the Golden State Warriors. They all took plenty of time to minister God’s Word and pray fervently for Jeremiah. They were truly inspired by Jeremiah’s unfolding story.

My son was blown away that these busy, accomplished men took time out of their schedules to reach out to him and encourage him in the Lord at his hour of need.

Tomorrow will determine our future course in Jeremiah’s care and treatment. Half the hospital wants him to stay and get transferred to the Physical Therapy department to become more independent at home, while half the hospital wants him discharged due to being financially flagged.

MD Anderson will not accept our Christian Healthcare Ministries insurance, just like Rady Hospital in San Diego. They forced me to go to Medicaid against my wishes. Medicaid refused. They then forced me to go to Blue Cross, Blue Shield. They refused to cover MD Anderson and establish an individual plan for Jeremiah. I must also be an employee of a major corporation with an employee package to qualify for coverage.

I’ve jumped through all their hoops with no success. Tomorrow will determine whether or not, they will continue to treat him as an inpatient or as an out patient. We do not know what impact this will have on future chemo treatments and the necessary surgeries to give Jeremiah a chance to beat this dreaded disease.

We were hoping that MD Anderson would be our last hospital to care for Jeremiah. Depending on what happens tomorrow that may have to change. There may be a long shot to get to St. Jude in Memphis. We covet your prayers as we look to the Lord for guidance. He has brought us this far and we trust Him for Jeremiah’s future and hope. God bless you all in Jesus’ name!