Steve Freeman
Health Update
September 5, 2010

   We have had a great week with a lot of really good news. First, as many of you know, the CT Scans we had on Monday were clean. Secondly, we had blood work done on Thursday, but we didn't know how soon we would get those results. Dr. Gonzales (my Oncologist) called me Friday afternoon to tell me that my turmor markers were good. They were at 11.7 the last time this test was done, and now they are at 11.2. Dr. Gonzales says that these numbers are stable which is really good news. 

   We are so grateful to God for the way He has protected, provided for, and brought healing to my body through all of this. This time last year we were certainly in a much different place, and there was no way for us to know then just how difficult the following year would be. Having said that, all we do know is that God has been with us and has been so good to us. 

   One of the ways that God reminds us that He is with us is through each of you. So many of you have stood with us, prayed for us, and supported us in so many ways through all of this. We are so amazed and encouraged by all He has done through you to help care and provide for us. Thak you all so much. 

   We will have testing again in a couple of months, but for now, we are looking forward to a great fall schedule of preaching revivals. We will keep you all posted, and again, thank you for your prayers. 


In His love,
Steve Freeman

  

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Steve Freeman
Health Update
August 30th, 2010

   I told each of you that I would keep you posted on my test results this week. I had several CT Scans done this morning. I didn't know when I would learn the results of the scans, but my Oncologist called me this morning after I had gotten home to tell me that the scans look good.

   Praise the Lord!!! I feel so blessed to have gotten this news today. It is a huge relief to me and my family. It was about this time last year when I had CT Scans done and the doctors found a blood clot in my lungs, and that I had a 3 centimeter cancerous mass in my abdomin. 

   I would be lying if I said that these thoughts were not on my mind. The timing of the CT Scans is very similiar to last year and so I have been pretty nervous about the tests this week.

   This is why I am so grateful to each of you who lifted me up to the Father today. God has been so gracious and merciful to me. I am overwhelmed by His goodness. I am also amazed by your love, and faithfulness, towards me and my family. 

   I have bloodwork tests on Thursday, so I would appreciate your prayers. I will keep you posted.  

In His Love,
Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman
Health Update
August 29th, 2010

   I hope you have had a great summer. It certainly has flown by. With the end of summer, we have to gear up for the opportunities of the fall, which is just around the corner.

   I am so thankful for each of you who continue to lift me and my family up to the Lord in prayer. I don't know what we would do without you. We are also so thankful for those of you who feel led of the Lord to support Steve Freeman Ministries financially. 

   Thank you so much for partnering with us the way that you have. We are blown away by all of your prayers, cards, letters, emails, and support. We continue to thank God for each of you. 

   So how am I feeling these days? Really good. I have a pretty busy schedule this fall with many preaching/singing opportunities and I am ready to get started. 

   I would ask you to continue to pray for me. I go to the hospital in the morning for some CT Scans, and then on Thursday go back to do more blood work. Please pray for clean CT scans and good blood work results. I will let you know what we find out later this week. God Bless You All.

In His Love,
Steve Freeman

   

  

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Steve Freeman
Health Update/Freedom
July 4th, 2010

Happy 4th of July!!! Thank you to all the men and women who serve this Nation so faithfully so that we can rest in Freedom.

I want to thank everyone who is and has been praying for us. I went to the doctor on Wednesday for bloodwork. I talked with the doctor late Friday afternoon. My tumor markers have gone up a little since the last test. They were at 10.8, and now they are at 11.5. My Oncologist (Cancer Doctor) does not believe that this is anything to worry about. These test have a certain amount of error plus or minus. We are just going to continue trusting the Lord with this. We are thankful that the tumor markers are as low as they are.

If you are interested, I thought you might enjoy reading a sermon I preached this morning at Waverly Baptist Church in Waverly, VA. titled "Freedom."

Intro: Today we come to this place and can worship because of Freedom. In this nation, we can experience Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness, because of Freedom. Today our Nation celebrates her 234th Birthday because of Freedom.

Now the Freedom we enjoy; the Freedom we live in; the Freedom we grow in; and the Freedom we thrive in; is not accidental. It didn’t just happen by chance. No, the Freedom we have as a nation, comes at a very high cost.

Brave men and women have served this Nation, loved this nation, fought for this Nation, and even paid the ultimate price, giving their lives, so we could be free. So we could enjoy freedoms not found anywhere else in the world.

And you say, “Well, is that what makes America so special? Is that what elevates her to a place that all other nations desire to be? Is that what makes her the leading Super-Power in the world? I mean, “Why is America so Blessed?”

I mean truthfully, other Nations are made up of people who have served their countries faithfully. They would say that they love their country. Many of these same people have fought for, and even died in combat for their country? Why is America so Blessed? Why are we the Freest of all nations on earth?

It is because this Nation, America, was founded as One Nation Under God.

You see, that is where real freedom comes from.

That is where real freedom is realized.

That is where real freedom is experienced. And because our Founders understood that; that is why as a nation, we have enjoyed such freedom for so many years.

And while you and I here, are the recipients of this freedom. We certainly enjoy the benefits of this freedom. On days like this we are reminded that Yes, this freedom comes at a very high cost.

Would it surprise you to know that God wants us to experience freedom as well? He wants us to know what it is to be truly free. This freedom is available to each of us, but it comes at a very high cost. God paid the ultimate price, by dying for us, so that we could be free.

When you come to the 8th chapter of Romans, some have called it the Christian Declaration of Freedom. Notice I did not say, “The Christians declaration of independence.” When it comes to God, we do not need to be more independent, we need to be more dependent on Him. And that is what brings and ensures freedom for all of us forever.

I pray for America. It seems that in recent years- our nation, our leaders, our President, is less dependent upon God, and more independent in what they think they can do. What they can achieve without God.

I believe if we as a nation continue down this road,

We put ourselves in great jeopardy.

We put ourselves at great risk.

We open ourselves up to give away, or lose the very freedoms that we have fought for, and enjoyed, for so long. God help America turn back to you before it is too late.

God wants us to be free, but true freedom is rooted in a relationship with Him. And that freedom; that God provides to an individual, or to a nation, or to a people is unlike any other. So what does it look like? What is this freedom that God offers? I want to look at several areas this morning from the 8th chapter of Romans.

1)    We are free from Condemnation. (8:1)

     
         Have you ever been in a courtroom or seen one on TV where the Judge declares someone “Guilty?” Do you know that each of us are guilty before the Judge of Heaven and Earth? We are all guilty of breaking His laws. We are all guilty of ignoring His commands. We are all guilty of transgressing His ways. We are all sinners.

We have all walked this earth and lived in our own independence and rebellion against God. We have all lived in such a way that says, “I know what is best for me and I will do what I want.”

God’s word says, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” “The wages of sin is death. . .” “We have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Don’t you see, Death, Hell, Separation from God, Condemnation is what each of us have earned.

You say well “I am sure that’s what some people have coming to them.” I mean the murderers of this world, you know the Hitlers of this world. The Osama Bin Ladens of this world. The cruel dictators of this world. The rapists of this world. The pedophiles of this world. The mafia thugs of this world. The Drug-addicted thieves of this world. The pornographers of this world. Those that profit from the buying and selling of sex in this world. People that abuse, mistreat, or hurt little children in this world, we say, “boy I’m sure there is a place in Hell for them.”

You see what most people do not understand, is that one sin, any sin, the littlest white lie you have ever told, you know what that does? It places us in that courtroom with the God of Heaven ready and justly declaring that we are all “Guilty.” We are condemned. . .

But wait a minute. In comes our defense attorney. He stands before the judge and says, They are guilty, but before you pass sentence, look at my hands. . . Look at my feet. See the scars. This is where the crown of thorns was placed. See these stripes on my back. I have paid for their crimes. I have taken their punishment, and I have given to them my righteousness.

Romans 8:1 says that there is no condemnation. How can that be? Who is He referring to? To those in Christ. Hebrews 9:27 says that it is appointed for man once to die and after this the Judgment. And the truth is, most people are not ready for this appointment. How can we be ready? By Being “in Christ.” Being In Christ, means we have acknowledged our sinfulness and asked Christ to forgive us and save us. Because of this, we are free from sins penalty and power. We are free from condemnation. We will never be condemned.  

2)    We are free to enjoy an intimate relationship with God. (vs.15)

     
         A few weeks ago, my family and I had an opportunity to go to the Richmond speedway and take part in an event called The Life and Faith Tour. I was asked to speak at this event along with Christian author/speaker Karen Kingsbury.

There were also lots of musical groups there like Mercy Me, Amy Grant, Natalie Grant, and Point of Grace. Now it was fun being at this event, listening to them sing. We got to meet all these people.

And while it was fun, and I am a fan of much of their music, simply because I met them, I wouldn’t necessarily say that we are friends. I wouldn’t say that yeah, we are real tight. Mercy Me and Point of Grace weren’t exactly asking me for songwriting tips. Although, I could give them a couple.

You see, it is one thing to meet someone, it is quite another to have a relationship with them. I mean you and I can meet people all the time, but how many people do we meet that actually become true friends of ours? Here’s a better question, “how many people do we meet that actually become part of our family?” When you met you wife or your husband, you may not have ever dreamed that this would be the person that you would spend the rest of your lives with. But certainly this is a true intimate relationship.

And God invites us to not only meet Him, but know Him intimately. To begin a relationship that will not only last for all the years of our life, but that will last forever. What does that look like? Notice what the scripture says in Verse 15. That word “abba” means Papa, or Daddy. Don’t you see the picture? We come to know God, we become His child. That is intimacy.

The picture here is a child being able to crawl up into the lap of his or her daddy. That is one of the things I love most about being a dad with young children. They still do that with me. I know as they get older, those times will be less likely, and certainly less frequent. But sometimes, there is nothing quite like that. That is where my heart is. I want them to come and sit in my lap, with their heart pressed next to mine. I love just holding them and telling them how much I love them.

Have you ever thought about this? That is what God desires for us. I mean the creator of Heaven and Earth, desires to have an intimate relationship like that with each of us. Not only can we call him daddy, we can come and crawl into his lap with our heart next to his.

One of the things I have noticed about my children is that they especially love to crawl in our laps when they are hurt, or sick, or upset about something, or afraid. How many times have our children come to us startled and afraid from a storm outside, or a nightmare? And what do we do in those moments? Do we say, “get over it, or grow up?” No, we do what we can as parents to comfort and calms their fears and hurts.

I am thankful when the storm winds are blowing in our lives, and when we become afraid, we can come to God with all of that and He is ready to comfort us. Because we are His children, He loves us and believe it or not is proud of us, not because we are perfect, not because we always do the right thing, or make the right choices, but because we are His. This is the kind of intimacy that Christ offers.

You know sometimes, my children come and sit with me, not because they are hurting, but because they are excited about something. They can’t wait to tell me about their day. They can’t wait to show me the picture they have drawn, or a card they have made for me, for Father’s day. Don’t you know how proud I am of them, and how do you think it makes them feel when I express that to them?

It occurs to me that if I would spend more time with my heavenly Father, with my heart pressed against His, I would know that the things in my life that bring me joy, also brings the Father joy as I share with Him in praise. At the same time, the things in this world that have a tendency to frighten me, wouldn’t be so scary anymore. That doesn’t mean that we won’t be shaken at times, it doesn’t mean that we won’t hurt, or at times be in despair, but when we are, we can run to our heavenly dad, and fall into His arms. Fall into His lap.

I am so thankful that we are free from Condemnation, and free to enjoy an intimate relationship with God.

3)    We are free knowing that the best is yet to come. (vs. 18,21-25)

     
         Have you had some good times? Have you had some days and some memories that you cherish? Have there been some things that have happened in your life that were so special, so significant, that you will never forget them? God says, “you just wait, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”

You think a sunset is beautiful, you should see it from where I sit. You like to look at stars? You can see them all, even up close. Have you ever wondered what a billion galaxies look like? You’ll find out. How would you like to have a perfect body? It will be yours.

You like to listen to music? You will hear it like you’ve never heard it before. It will not be tainted with sinful ears, nor prideful hearts, and will not be limited by human talent to play or sing.

God says, “on the other hand, have you had to endure more than your fair share of suffering, or hardship on this earth?” Have things really never worked out for you, the way you had hoped or even dreamed? Does the road you travel seem to be filled with more pot holes, ditches, and detours than anything else? He says, you just wait to see what I have prepared for you.

Believe it or not, it will be worth the wait. Verse 18 tells us that. You say, “well that’s great I guess, one day in the future, but what do I do now?” Right now I’m hurting, right now, I don’t know how to make sense of the things that are going on in my life.

God says, come on, get up in my lap and talk to me. Sometimes we don’t even know what to say or how to talk with God about the things that are going on in our life; because it is so painful, and we are so afraid, and we feel so helpless.  

Now this is how much God loves us, notice verses 26 and 27. The Holy Spirit, takes over and prays to God the Father on our behalf. And you know what? The Holy Spirit knows the will of God for our lives and so He always prays what is best for us, and He brings before God the deepest yearnings of our heart even when we don’t know how to put it into words, He does.

Do you know who else is praying for us? Do you know who else has God the Father’s complete attention where we are concerned? Not only is the Holy Spirit praying to God the Father on our behalf, but verse 34 tells us that Jesus is at the right hand of God praying for us as well.

So what do we do with all this? We thank God. We praise God. And for now We Trust God with our lives. Vs. 28 tells us that God will work all things together for good, to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. God has a purpose and a plan for you and me, and it is good. His plan is that we experience Freedom.

1.     We are free from Condemnation.

     2.     We are free to enjoy a relation with Him.

     3.     We are free knowing the best is yet to come.

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Steve Freeman
Health/Ministry Update
June 29th, 2010

I hope everyone is doing well. I have an appointment to see my cancer doctor tomorrow and he will do bloodwork on me. Our prayer is that the tumor markers will be the same or lower than they were the last time they were checked.

We appreciate your love, support, and prayers so much. I will be preaching at Waverly Baptist this Sunday in Waverly, Va. I always enjoy being there.

I wanted to also let everyone know that the Life and Faith Tour dates have been cancelled for Rockingham, NC. and Atlanta, Ga. It was great being able to speak at this event in Richmond on June 19th. I believe that God could have used us in Rockingham and Atlanta, but the promoters of the tour have cancelled the entire event.

I will keep you posted on upcoming ministry events and test results. Thank you for your prayers.

In His Love,
Steve Freeman

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Life and Faith Tour
June 19, 2010

  
   So the day started out pretty well. I had two opportunities to preach. The first was on the main stage, and later in the day, I preached on the second stage.



I just thought this was a funny picture. Me on the Jumbo screen. It is not very clear, but for the first time in my life, I looked pretty tall. I was excited that my family could be with me at this event. We were at the Richmond Speedway.

It was a long, hot, but fun day. There were so many different artists, musicians, and authors at this event. I was honored to be one of the featured speakers.

 

Here is Author/Speaker Karen Kingsbury signing an autograph for our daughter Berkeley, and taking time for a picture with me and Lisa.

 

Point of Grace was also there in concert. We have been a fan of their music for a long time. They also took time for a picture with Me, Lisa, and Berkeley.

  

This is Natalie Grant with Berkeley and Me. She did a great job in concert. She was really very kind to my family.

 

There was also entertainment for the kids. There were all kinds of bouncy houses, and slides. Not only that, but Bob and Larry the Veggie Tales made a special appearance.

       

Amy Grant was also there in Concert. I am such a fan of her early music like El Shaddai, and Father's Eyes. She also has a wonderful Christmas Cd titled, "Home for Christmas." It was fun meeting and speaking with her.

     

This is Bart Millard from Mercy Me. They were the final concert artist. I was so glad that he sang, "I can only imagine." That is such a great song.

We are excited for the opportunity to be a part of the Life and Faith tour. The next date is July 10 in Rockingham, NC. Then we will be at the Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Ga.

Please pray that God would keep me healthy and that He would use us greatly at these events. I do have more bloodwork scheduled for the end of this month. We would appreciate your prayers for good test results.


In His Love,
Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman
Health/Ministry Update
June 1, 2010

I hope everyone had a great Memorial Day weekend. I am so thankful for those who have served our country so faithfully, and for so many who have given the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedom that they have attained for us. Isn't that what Christ has done for us as well?

I wanted to also let you know that I am feeling good, and have been able to be on the road preaching. It is such a blessing from the Lord to be able to preach and sing again. The month of May was so much fun for me and my family, and the Lord blessed each week as we were on the road.

The first Sunday in May, we were at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church in Durham, NC. I was able to preach both morning services, and their evening service. We had a great day there and the Lord really blessed. It was such a joy to be with Pastor Jeff McCarthy and the entire Rose of Sharon family. Jeff and I were in Seminary together and he has always tried to tell others about about our ministry. On one occasion while in Seminary, he even tried to tell Dr. Adrian Rogers about me. It made me laugh at the time, but I think the world of Jeff, and he has served the Lord faithfully for so many years. There were also some dear friends from Trinity, NC., and Durham, NC. who came out to see us.

The Second Sunday, we were at Moores Chapel Baptist near Graham, NC. It was Mother's Day and I was able to preach a special challenge to honor Mothers and also looked at what the bible says makes an Honorable Mom.

Back in the fall, when I was enduring my chemo treatments and was not physically able to travel and preach, this church took an entire service on Sunday evening to watch my DVD titled, "Why Me? Why Not?" Not only that, but they took up an offering and sent it to us back in the fall. I told their Pastor Chris Caudle, another dear friend from Seminary, that I was so thankful to have an opportunity to be used of God to preach the Gospel, even when I was lying in bed, sick with Chemo. God is good. We certainly enjoyed being with them in person this time.

The third Sunday in May I was able to preach in two different revivals. On Sunday Morning I preached at Swift Creek Baptist, in Colonial Heights, Va. They were starting a revival and had scheduled me to preach during their morning service, and then on Sunday night through Wednesday night, they had another evangelist scheduled to finish out the revival. I am so thankful for their Pastor, Steve Felker who has been a dear friend to me and our ministry for many years. I believe God really worked in a great way that morning.

That night I preached at Holly Springs Baptist, in Sanford, NC. and continued each night through Wednesday. We had a great time of revival and it was great to be back there again. Pastor Jerry Parsons was so kind to have us back there again, and he is a true encouragement to my soul. The folks at Holly Springs just loved all over us, and we wish we could have stayed there longer.

The next Sunday, I was able to go back to the church where I grew up. I was asked to preach Homecoming at Freedom Baptist Church in Wilmington, NC. I came to know Jesus in that Church as a nine year old boy. I was a part of that church all the way through High School, so there are tons of memories there for me. Their Pastor, Dodd Mays has also been a good friend of mine for a long time. He and I were in the youth group together at Freedom. He and I were talking about how many young people came out of that church and are now serving the Lord in full time ministry. I am proud to be one of those, along with Dodd.

It was a great homecoming, with all of the things that make days like that very special. There was Faith, Family, Friends, Fellowship, and of course, Food. It was so much fun seeing people that I had not seen in years, and everyone was so gracious to me and my family. They told me about how they are constantly praying for us and we are so grateful.

This past weekend, we were able to preach at Mt. Carmel Baptist in Midland, Va. I have preached for them many times in revivals, and it was great to be with them again. Their Pastor Peyton Embrey was on vacation, but he was so kind to have us come in his absense. This church has poured out their love towards us, especially over the past year. Even now they continue to pray for us, and they give each month to support Steve Freeman Ministries out of their church budget. We are so grateful for their prayers and financial support.

A Great Opportunity: Last week I met with two men who are putting together a tour called the "Life and Faith Tour." This tour is an all day event that will be held in three different cities. Richmond, Va. (June 19th), Rockingham, NC. (July 10th), and Atlanta, Ga. (July 24th). Each tour will have a number of Christian Artists, Musicians, Authors, and Speakers. Among these will be; Mercy Me, Point of Grace, David Crowder Band, Natalie Grant, Hawk Nelson, Amy Grant, Author and Speaker, Karen Kingsbury, Tommy Tenney and many more.

I was also asked to speak at each of these events. It is a great opportunity to be able to share what God has done in my life with literally thousands of people at one time. I pray that there will be a lot of fruit from these events. For more information, go to www.lifeandfaithtour.com

Please continue to pray for my health and that we will continue to get good reports from the doctors. We have more testing at the end of the month. Pray that God will use me each time I stand to preach or sing. I am so thankful for any and every opportunity He gives me. I want to be faithful with each opportunity.

In His Love,
Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman
Health Update
May 6, 2010 

We have so many reasons to Praise the Lord. From our last update you may recall that my latest CT scans look clean. On Tuesday of this week, I went to the doctor for blood work. They were looking at my tumor marker numbers again. Last month they were at 11.7. Well, my Oncologist called me this morning to tell me that the numbers have gone down to 10.8. Praise the Lord!!! 

This is the first time since I finished my Chemotherapy that these markers have gone down. This is great news. My Oncologist told me that I should be very encouraged by this, and believe me, I am.  

I had an appointment with another doctor today for follow-up. The doctor was the Surgeon who operated on me last April. He too is encouraged by all of my recent test results. He said to me that, “there have been things going on in your body that I cannot explain, but I know you are a man of faith and prayer and obviously, that has made the difference.”  

Faith and prayer has made a difference, but it is not my faith and prayers alone, but I believe the faith and prayers of my family, and all of you, who have been so faithful to lift me and my family to the Lord. I also feel that God is using me in some way to impact the lives of my Oncologist, and my Surgeon. We are so grateful for how God has blessed us.  

Thank you for your prayers and support. I will keep you posted and we look forward to the next several weeks as God is allowing us to stay on the road Preaching Christ, Reaching People.  

In His Love, 

Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman
Ministry Update/Health Update
May 1, 2010 

We have been on the road this past month. I have had so much fun in the month of April. I cannot tell you how good it feels to be preaching and singing again. We started the month of April at Waverly Baptist where I was able to preach on Easter Sunday. It is always good to be in Waverly. We have done things with this church for about 17 or 18 years. They are true friends of our family and ministry.

 

Then the next week we went to Charles Town, WV. To preach a revival at Charles Town Baptist. I had the opportunity to be there in the spring of 2008. We had a great time in revival two years ago. The pastor, immediately following the revival in 08’ put us on the schedule to be back in April, 2010. I had no idea what would be going on in my life over the next couple of years, but God did.

 

I was so excited to be feeling well enough to preach that revival a few weeks ago. That was the first revival I had preached since September, 2009. The revival went well. There were people who came to a saving faith in the Lord, as well as other commitments that were made. One of the things that struck me about this church in particular was the number of people dealing with cancer or cancer related issues. I pray that God used me and my battle with cancer to be an encouragement to them. I am praying for them that the Lord will strengthen and bring healing to them. I do want to thank the former pastor Dr. Wyman Hall, and their new Pastor, Brian Hotaling for the opportunity to be at Charles Town Baptist.

 

The next Sunday I went to Ebenezer Baptist in Indian Trail, NC. I preached at the morning and evening services and things went really well. I was also able to speak to the youth group on that Sunday afternoon, and they were so kind, responsive, and respectful. Their youth minister is certainly doing a great job. I am so thankful to the pastor, Tim Rogers for that opportunity, and look forward to being with them again in the future.

 

This past week we were at Emmaus Baptist, in Pittsboro, NC. for a revival. I was there last year in April for a Sunday and Monday event. I would have stayed longer but my Lymph Node surgery was scheduled for Wednesday of that week. The church was so sweet to us then and now. They had a special time of prayer for us this past Wednesday night, and it blows me away how people lift us up to the Lord. I am so grateful for them. We had a wonderful week of revival with them. People gave their hearts to Jesus, and I believe we all experienced God’s presence in a powerful way. Their Pastor Steve Moore is doing a great job there.  

 

So what about my health update? Yesterday I went to the hospital for a CT scan and chest X-Ray. My oncologist called me yesterday afternoon to tell me that the scans look good. That is great news!!! Praise the Lord!!! I still have to have blood work done on Tuesday, but we are thankful for the good reports so far. Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. We will keep you posted. I am in Durham, NC right now. In the Morning and Evening I will be preaching at Rose of Sharon Baptist Church.

 

In His Love,

 

Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman
April 8, 2010
Health Update/Lessons from the Empty Tomb 

Well it has been about a month since my last update. Thankfully there has not been much change, except I am feeling really good. My hair has come back, although with a little more gray, ha ha. The tumor markers are still being closely watched. My last blood work came back and the tumor markers were at 11.7. If you recall, last month they were at 10.7.

 

So what does this mean? I certainly was hoping that the tumor markers would have stayed the same or gone down. My oncologist still does not believe that we should be worried at the moment. He said while these markers have gone up, they are not going up significantly. He reminded me that in June of last year, when they thought the cancer was gone, the tumor markers were at 4 or 5. Then three months later in September, the markers had jumped to 192. Now that was a significant jump.

 

The doctor said if these numbers are only going up slowly and incrementally, not to worry too much. If the tumor markers would have jumped from 10.7 to say, 20, he would be more concerned. But he is keeping a very close watch on my situation and he has scheduled another CT scan for me on April 30^th. He will then do more blood work on May 4^th. Please pray that the CT scan will be clean and the tumor markers will stay the same or go down.

 

As far as my tumor markers ever going back to the normal range of 0-8.3, that may not happen. As I have talked with my doctors, and others who have gone through cancer, and chemotherapy, I am told that for many people, these numbers often never go back to the normal range.
As I think about my life, and what I have gone through, I realize I usually don’t do most things the normal way or the easy way. But God is so good to me and my family.

 

I hope you had a wonderful Easter. My wife Lisa and I were thinking about how different this Easter was for us compared to last Easter. Last Easter I was in the hospital recovering from the surgery where they took out all those lymph nodes.

This Easter I was able to preach at Waverly Baptist Church in Waverly, Va. It was great to be there again with so many friends, and to also make some new ones. Obviously Easter is a time of celebration, realizing not only what Christ did for us on the cross, but that He rose from the grave. Are there some lessons that we can learn from the Empty Tomb? I am absolutely convinced that there are. I hope these lessons will encourage your heart.

 
1. The Empty Tomb is God’s voice shouting to us that while the Fridays of our life may be dark and difficult, they do not last forever. After the crucifixion, everyone thought it was over. They were filled with fear, doubt, insecurity, and hopelessness. But then on Sunday, they found an empty tomb. Now their sadness has turned to joy. Now they have hope, faith, and  courage. And so can we, because of the empty tomb. Aren’t you glad of that?  

2. The Empty Tomb is God’s promise to us that He is in control of our life and has a plan just for us. As Jesus was being crucified, you know who was rejoicing? Satan and all the demons in hell. They thought they had won when Jesus died. They thought they had foiled God’s great plan. They thought that they were running the show. What they found out on that Easter morning was that they had lost. They learned that while it appeared that Satan was having his way, God was the one who was really in control of all of these events. He had a plan and purpose for Jesus, and He has one for us. You know what God did with those disciples who thought that it was all over on Friday? After they knew that Jesus had risen, God used them to change the world. 

3. The Empty Tomb assures us that what God is doing in our life will work out for good. I love the promise of Romans 8:28. Sometimes it is hard to see the good when you are in the midst of difficulty or suffering. The crucifixion didn’t seem like a good thing, but thankfully it didn’t end there. The empty tomb is there to remind us that not only does God have a plan for us, His plan for us is good.  

4. The Empty Tomb assures us of His love. The bible says, For God so loved the world, that God so loves you and me, that He gave us Jesus, His son. Jesus said, “if you have seen me, you have seen the Father,” He said, “I and the Father are one.” He said, “my sheep hear my voice, I know them, and I give them eternal life and they shall never perish. He also told His disciples that He would rise from the dead on the third day. If Jesus would have stayed in the tomb, we would have no assurance of anything. No assurance of God’s love. We wouldn’t be able to trust any promise or anything that Jesus said. But He did not stay in the tomb, He came out and proved that He is exactly who He said He was, the sinless, Son of God. He did this to demonstrate His great love for all of us.  

5. The Empty Tomb shows us just how far God will go to have a relationship with us. How far did God go? Do you see the crown of thorns? How about the spikes in His wrist and feet? Covered in blood and writhing in pain. He went all the way to the grave. He died for us. He left the Glory of Heaven to become like us so that we could be in a right relationship with Him.   

6. The Empty Tomb guarantees that we can be forgiven of each and every sin. As Jesus hung on that cross, the sins of every man, woman, boy and girl were placed on Him. Let that sink in. The agony of that moment was so painful for Him that He cried out, My God, My God, why have you forsaken me? So what happened in that moment? God the Father had to look away from God the Son. God could not look on all that sin and for the first time in eternity, there was a separation of the Father and Son. The bible says in 2 Co. 5:21 that He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  

7. The Empty Tomb is God’s promise to us that we can spend eternity with Him in Heaven. This is why the Gospel is called good news. The good news is because of what Jesus has done for us, we can live with Him forever in heaven. Just as Jesus was raised from the dead, those of us who know Him will be raised up. The resurrection of Jesus is the single most significant event in human history, and because of it, we can spend eternity with Him forever.  

Now what are you going to do to celebrate Easter? Can I make some suggestions?  

1.  If you haven’t already done so, invite Jesus into your heart to be your Savior and Lord.
2. Thank God for what He has done for you.
3. Tell others what God has done for you, and how they can come to know God, through His Son Jesus.
4. Live for Jesus until He calls us home.

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March 7, 2010                                                    
Steve Freeman Update 

I wanted to write and let each of you know what we found out from our recent blood work tests.  My tumor markers are now at 10.7. They were at 10.5, but as of right now, the doctor said that it is not a significant difference.  

Now if you are like me, and have been following these numbers closely, then you remember that in December the tumor markers were at 9.5, in January they were at 9.6. In February, they were at 10.5, and now in March they are 10.7. These numbers do seem to be trending in an upward direction. At the same time, the doctor says that if these numbers stay in the eights, nines, or tens, that he would not be too worried. (Easy for him to say) 

So what does all this mean? Well, the doctor has told me that he will keep a close watch on these tumor markers. Each month they will check these numbers and if they start climbing too high, too quickly, something will have to be done. My prayer is that these numbers will stabilize, or even begin to go down. I know so many of you have been praying for this as well. So for now, I will begin to schedule revival meetings or one day events with every intention of doing these things.

Our next tumor marker test will be on March 30th. Please keep us in prayer. Thank you again for all your support, prayers, and love. We love you and thank God for each of you. 

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

 

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March 3, 2010

Steve Freeman Update

 

I can’t believe that today is one year since Steve had his first surgery relating to his cancer. In some ways I think, “Wow, where did the year go?” In other ways, I am very aware of where this year has gone. The year included a total of 3 hospital stays, two surgeries, one blood transfusion, numerous Ct scans, Mri’s, 28 treatments of chemotherapy, two trips to the ER, and a plethora of doctors appointments including Urologists, Oncologists, Surgeons, a Pulmonologist, and of course, our family doctor.

 

Some would say that it has been a tough year, and they would be right. But as Steve and I look back on this year, we wish we could adequately communicate all the blessings we have experienced. Some of the blessings include:

 

• Our son Kevin accepted Jesus as his Savior in April.
• Our family has grown closer together and to the Lord.
• Our family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, support, and prayers.

 

With all of this, it is still hard to believe that one year later, we would still be dealing with cancer. Our latest Ct scans looked good, but as I write this, we are waiting on more blood-work tests which measure Steve’s tumor markers. Please be in prayer for this, because it will impact what we have to do next. We Love you all and appreciate you so much.

 

Lisa Freeman

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Steve Freeman update
February 12, 2010

I wanted to let each of you know that we did get the results back from the bloodwork. The numbers were not what we were hoping for. The tumor markers are at 10.5. That is higher than they were in December and January. In December and January they were 9.5 and 9.6. As I have said in other updates, the doctors really want to keep an eye on the tumor markers because they do indicate the possibility that cancer is still in my body.

Having said that, the doctors have also said that if my tumor markers hover or stay in the range of 8, 9, or 10 that they could be anomalies (I hope I spelled that right) in the tests themselves that could cause a fluctuation in the numbers. At the same time, they tell me that if these numbers start climbing to 13, 14, 15, or higher then something definately has to be done.

On the 22nd of this month, I will have more CT scans. and on March 2nd, they will do more blood work. Depending on what they reveal, will determine what we have to do next.

Please continue to pray for us, and for healing. We are praying for clean CT scans and good blood test results. We will keep you posted. Thank you for your prayers and support during this time.

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman update
February 2, 2010

Well in case you missed it, its groundhog day. As expected, the famous groundhog has predicted six more weeks of winter. Believe it or not, this is a special day for me and Lisa. It was sixteen years ago today that I asked my sweet Lisa to be my wife. (isn't it romantic;getting proposed to on groundhog day?)

If you know Lisa, then you also know how blessed I am to have her as my wife, my best friend, the love of my life, and the mother of our children. I don't know how I could make it without her constant love, help, support, prayers, and yes, hard work. She has a full time job as a mom, wife, school teacher for our kids, and so many things she does for me and the ministry.

So what is going on with our health situation these days? Well, over the last few weeks, I have had many tests run. I have had 3 MRI's, 1 High Density Ct scan, and 1 Pulmonary Function Test. Thankfully, the MRI's and CT scan do not show any cancer. That is good news. We are still waiting on results from Blood Work, that was taken today. As I mentioned in the last update, the doctors are testing my blood because my tumor markers have been a little elevated the last two times that they have been checked. The last few times the markers were taken, they were 9.5. A normal range is anywhere from 0-8.3. We are praying these markers will go down, or at least stay at 9.5.

We will probably get these results in the next couple of days and hopefully we will begin to know what is next for us. As of right now, the doctor that we saw for the second opinion does not recommend the surgery because there is no visible sign of cancer in the scans.

If the tumor markers start going up significantly, we may have to look at a different type of Chemotherapy as our next option. We are praying that God has already healed me of this cancer. I appreciate your prayers and support so much. We will let you know as soon as we find out something. God Bless each of you.

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

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Steve Freeman Update

January 13, 2010

It has been a while since our last update, but I hope each of you had a Merry Christmas and I wish you all a great New Year. We are so thankful for our family, friends, and partners in ministry (prayer partners and financial supporters) who have stood with us, and continue to lift us up to the Lord in prayer.

I finished my last day of Chemotherapy on December 15th, 2009. There is a tradition in many cancer treatment centers in which a patient on their last day of Chemotherapy will ring a bell at the conclusion of the treatment. I certainly had been looking forward to that day, and I was able to ring the bell.

On the 29th of December, I went to the hospital for another CT scan, but unfortunately I would not be able to see my oncologist (cancer doctor) to talk about the results of the scan until January 8th. That is a long time to wait while you are praying for good reports.

On January 8th, I met with my oncologist who also wanted to run some more blood tests. The purpose of these blood tests primarily is to measure what are called tumor markers. Apparently there is a normal range which would be anywhere from 0-8, but if the markers come back higher, that is an indication that there may be cancer cells still active in the body.

When they first discovered that my cancer had come back in September, my tumor markers were at 192. The CT scan they took at that time indicated several things:

1. That the cancerous tumor was about 3 centimeters.

2. That part of the tumor was pressing against and had invaded the Renal Vein (this vein carries blood to my left kidney)

3. The tumor pressing against the Renal Vein had contributed to the formation of a blood clot in the Renal Vein that was surrounding the cancer within the vein. This is something that I was told is very unusual, and the doctors especially wanted to keep an eye on what was happening in the Renal Vein. Their concern there was the Chemo’s ability to penetrate the clot and attack the cancer.

To help with this, I was put on a daily blood thinner shot called Lovenox. I would have to give myself injections daily. I am still doing this, and it is not any more fun now, than when I started back in September.

What about these tumor markers? By the time that I had finished my second round of Chemotherapy (each round was three weeks), the tumor markers had dropped to 11.2. That was a dramatic drop and proof that the treatments were working. At the end of round three of Chemo, the tumor markers were 10.1. Finally at the end of the fourth and final round, the tumor markers were at 9.5.

So what does all this mean? My doctors are still concerned that my tumor markers have not come back into the normal range. Why would this be? Remember the CT scan that I had done on December 29th? Well the good news there was that the CT scan did not show any tumors. Unfortunately, there can be cancer cells active that are too small to be detected by a CT scan. My doctors believe that some of the cancer may still be inside the Renal Vein. While the chemo was effective in shrinking the cancer in the Renal Vein, the doctors do not believe that the chemo got it all. So what does this mean?

I met with my oncologist on Friday who spent a great deal of time explaining to me the significance of the tumor markers. He then told me that because of the elevated tumor markers, there is probably still some cancer in the Renal Vein, and that surgery might be the next step. Surgery would involve not only the removal of the Vein, but also my left kidney.

On Tuesday of this week, I met with the surgeon who operated on me back in April. He too spoke with me about the possibility of surgery being our next step. He also indicated that a different type of Chemotherapy treatment may also be an option if we do not wish to go through the surgery. My question to him was this, “if I have already had the most effective Chemotherapy treatments in regard to testicular cancer, and it did not get all of the cancer that had invaded my Renal Vein, why would I want to endure another 12 to 16 weeks of Chemo that may not be as effective?” To that, he said, “Well that is our dilemma. and also why I want to send you to another specialist for a second opinion.”

So I have an appointment to see another doctor tomorrow who specializes in the treatment of Testicular and Prostate Cancer. It will be interesting to see what his recommendation will be for me. We certainly need your prayers as we will have to make some significant decisions over the next few weeks.

As if all of this were not enough, I have got something going on with my lungs right now. I took a pulmonary function test December 29th, the same day as the CT Scan. The Pulmonary function test indicates how well your lungs are holding up during your chemo treatments. I have taken this test 3 times during my treatments and the first two times I did really well, scoring in the 90+ range. However, on December 29th, my scores were mostly in the 50+ range. So my lungs are not functioning at full capacity right now, and I continue to have a chronic cough that I can’t seem to get rid of. Because of this, the option of surgery will invariably put me at higher risk.

I have an appointment to see a pulmonologist next Wednesday. I hope that he will run a scope down into the lungs to get a better look at what is going on. It could be some type of infection, or it could be simply scar tissue damage from the chemotherapy.

With all of this, there is certainly a lot on our minds and hearts. We need the prayers of God’s people now more than ever. Pray that God will continue to give us His peace that passes all understanding. We are certainly praying that God would provide healing however He chooses, so that we could, in the near future, be back on the road Preaching Christ, Reaching People. Thanks again for your prayers, financial support, cards, emails, and posts on the caring bridge site and facebook. We need your encouragement and we thank you so much for all you do for us.

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

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Wednesday, December 9, 2009

October 30, 2009

I know it has been a while since my last update, but I want to thank everyone who conitinues to lift us up to the Lord in Prayer. I have officially finished my 2nd round of chemotherapy. This means that I am halfway through my treatments. Only 2 more rounds of chemo to go.

The Lord has been gracious to us. While I do have many of the symptons associated with Chemotherapy such as hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomitting, it is not all bad. I do have many good days during my chemo cycles.

On Wednesday of this week I went to the hospital for some tests. One was a pulmonary function test which tests my lungs. The second was a blood gas test, and I am not certain what that test is supposed to indicate. The third test was a Ct Scan which would show if the chemo is working and the cancer is shrinking.

The good news is, the doctor's office called this morning and told me that the blood gas test results are good. The CT Scan also indicated that the cancer has shrunk from 2.3 centimeters in size to 1 centimeter. So the chemo is doing what it is supposed to be doing and that is a Big Praise. The test results for the pulmonary function test have not come back yet, but hopefully, those results will be good.

We have so much to be thankful for.

Last night in Chester, Va. which is only about 10 miles from where we live, some dear friends of ours along with Chick-Fil-A restaurant, held a fund raiser for Steve Freeman Ministries. The fund raiser began at 5:00pm last night and ended at 8:00pm. A portion of the proceeds from each meal purchased at Chick-Fil-A, was donated to Steve Freeman Ministries.

I was actually able to attend the fund raiser with my family. It was a lot of fun. We saw so many friends and church members who came out to eat, fellowship, and show their support for us. We thank God for all who were able to come out last night.

Next week I begin another five day cycle of chemotherapy. Please pray that it goes well with no complications. The reason I say this is that at the present time, the doctors tell me that my blood platelets are pretty low. On this past Tuesday, when they tested them, they were at 58. The doctors like them to be somewhere between 150 and 400.

They are hoping that the blood platelets will come back up on their own. If they do not, I may have to go back to the hospital so that I can be given blood platelets. This proceedure would be like a blood transfusion.

Thank you so much for your prayers and support during this time. Please stay in touch with us. If you would like to contact us, please do at:

Steve Freeman Ministries

510 MacArthur Ave.

Colonial Heights, Va. 23834

And don't forget to visit our caring bridge site for further updates and to be able post notes of encouragement to us if you would care to. Just click on the caring bridge tab at the top of this page and the site will pop up. God Bless You!!!

In Him,

Steve Freeman 

Health Update

October 2, 2009

     Well let me begin by thanking all of you who have been praying for us, and please know that we are so grateful. I am at home and thankful to be here. So far, I have had six days of chemotherapy treatments. My treatment began last Tuesday and went through Saturday. That was my first five days. On Saturday I came home from the hospital, and even went to church on Sunday. 

     On Monday I went back to the hospital for a white blood cell shot, which is designed to help boost your white blood cell count as the chemotherapy begins to take its toll on your body. I also spent about an hour talking with the doctor about our particular treatment, side effects, etc. . . My treatment cycle will go as follows:

• A five day cycle of chemotherapy (Week 1)
• One day of chemotherapy on Wednesday (Week 2)
• One day of chemotherapy on Wednesday (Week 3)

     At the end of the three weeks will conclude my first round of Chemotherapy. I will have 4 rounds of chemotherapy that will repeat this pattern, beginning with another five day cycle at the beginning of week four.

     So what does this mean for Steve Freeman Ministries? Unfortunately, I will not be able to preach the many revivals that are on our schedule for the fall. The doctors do not want me travelling during this 12 week period. I have spoken with every Pastor on our fall schedule, and they have been nothing but gracious, kind, and understanding.

     As a matter of fact, four of the churches on our fall schedule, have agreed to let my good friend Mike Osborne, who is our Administrative Pastor at Colonial Heights Baptist Church, to come and preach in my absence. The truth is, back in the spring when I was first diagnosed and had to endure the two surgeries, Mike and our Senior Pastor, Dr. Randy Hahn had an idea to try to help while I was out of commission.

     They thought it would be a great help if Mike could go and preach for me in my absence, if the churches were willing, and then whatever monies the church would collect in offerings would go to Steve Freeman Ministries. Mike did this for 2 of my revivals in the spring, and now he will do this again for me with 4 revivals in the fall. What a blessing he, and my pastor are to my heart. Thank you Mike and Randy.

     Obviously, I wish I were preaching these revivals, but for now the doctor says that I need to go through this treatment so that I can do this for many years to come. So what about the Golf Tournament? It is still on, and I plan to be there tomorrow. I think it will be a lot of fun. I believe the tournament is full, so thanks to everyone who is playing and financially supporting the tournament.

     So could you pray for our entire family?

• Lisa: As she takes care of two children and me (the biggest child)
• Berkeley and Kevin: That they would not be afraid as they watch their dad go through Chemo, with all of the side effects, fatigue, nausea, vomitting, and hair loss.
• Steve: that God would use this in my life to draw me closer to Him, and to in turn be able to draw others to Jesus. That He would bring healing to my body.
• That God would supply all of our needs through His riches in Glory.

      I want to thank eveyone who prays for us, and who also feel led to financially support our ministry during this time. We love you.

Health Update

September 21, 2009

     I went to the hospital on Friday for a check up. They did a CT scan and some blood work. Unfortunately these tests revealed that my cancer has returned and at the present time, I also have a blood clot in my lung.

     This is certainly not the news I wanted, or even expected to hear. The doctors do believe however that this cancer is very treatable with a very high success rate. I will probably have to begin Chemotherapy treatments within the next week or two.

     I would appreciate your prayers for me, Lisa, and my children. 

In His Love,

Steve Freeman  

New Health Update

May 2, 2009

Hi everyone, its Steve. I am so thankful to be able to do this update myself. It has been an incredibly difficult month, of course I mean the month of April. I feel like I spent most of it in the hospital. My surgery was on the 8th and I stayed in the hospital until the 14th. Then on the following Sunday I was admitted back into the hospital because I was not able to keep my food down.

The doctors determined that my small intestines had went to sleep and had not awakened since the surgery. So I had to stay in the hospital for another five days while many tests and scans were run. Needless to say, I was going stir crazy, and I just wanted to go home. Finally on Thursday of that week I was discharged, and sent home on what the doctors called a full liquid diet for seven days. The doctors thought if I would do this, the small intestines would start working properly.

My seven day liquid diet ended a couple of days ago, and it seems that I have been able to keep solid food down. Praise the Lord!!! God is bringing healing to my body as I recover from the surgery, and my digestive system starts working properly again.

Yesterday I met with my oncologist Dr. Gonzales and he had some good news for me and my family. Because of the surgery and the fact that only one lymph node out of the thirty that was removed was infected with the cancer, he does not think that I will need to undergo Chemotherapy. He wants to aggressively monitor me with tests and scans every month or two for the next two years. If the cancer does show up again, then I would have to be treated with Chemotherapy. But at this point, Dr. Gonzales believes that I have somewhere between a 50 and 75% chance that this cancer will not reappear in my body. Certainly this is not a guarantee, but we do our best to put this in the Lord's hands and trust Him with this.

I wanted to thank all of you again who have called to check on us, sent cards, letters, and emails. Your friendship and prayers mean so much to us, and without this, I know that this past month would have been much more difficult.

I wanted to also thank those who have sent us financial support during this time in our ministry. I am certainly not preaching right now, and It may be another month before I feel up to being on my feet in the pulpit again. We have been so overwhelmed how God has provided for us during this time and he has used financial supporters of our ministry to do this. We have even had Sunday School classes receive love offerings for us, and even a couple of churches that we have preached in many times have taken up love offerings for us. We are so grateful and we really don't know how to say "Thank You." Please know how much we are thankful for each of you, and we pray that God will Bless You in a special way because of your faithfulness to Him.

I would appreciate your continued prayers for me and my family as I recover, and hopefully get stronger every day. Pray that my digestive system would continue to work properly, and as I eat, I would begin to gain some weight. I lost 17 pounds during the last 3 weeks. For some, that might be pretty cool, but let me tell you, you don't want to lose it the way I did. Most of you who know me, know that I am not a big guy anyway, right now I feel like a strong wind could blow me away.

Thanks so much for your prayers and support of our ministry. I will keep you posted. I love each of you. God Bless You.

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

Steve had to go back in the hospital.  He had a hard time over the weekend and on Sunday he was admitted again to see what what causing further illness.

April 17, 2009

Hi everyone, I hope you are doing well. I wanted to write to let you know that I came home from the hospital on Tuesday evening. Let me tell you, it was a long, hard week, but God is so Faithful to us. The Lymph node removal surgery went well, and the really good news is this, out of 30 lymph nodes that were removed, only one of them was cancerous.

This is a big Praise The Lord!!! What our surgeon communicated to us is that what this means, is that they believe that they got all the cancer out. It also means that they will not recommend Chemotherapy for me. They will simply want to run tests such as Chest X-Rays, and CT scans very regularly.

I still have a ways to go as far as my recovery. I am not really planning on doing much for the next 3-4 weeks. Walking is difficult for me right now, and eating is also a challenge. For one week my body lived simply on IV fluids, so getting my appetite back will take some time. 

I am scheduled to go back to the doctor next Wednesday to remove about 32 staples that run down my chest and stomach. My kids tell me I look like a human zipper. I wish I could tell you different, but they are right. But I know you are glad that I am not posting any photos of that, ha ha. 

I want to thank each of you who have posted messages on my site encouraging me with your words and prayers. I also want to thank so many others who have sent cards, letters, and emails to lift my spirits and to assure me that God's people have certainly been praying for me and my whole family. Some have also contributed financiallly to our ministry during this time, and I am so grateful and overwhelmed by each of your acts of generosity. I also want to thank my web site administrator, Jesse Simmons who has worked so tirelessly to keep the site updated and let each of you know what is going on. Thanks Jesse, keep up the good work. 

I want to also thank one of our Pastor's on Staff at our home church, Mike Osborne who is going to be preaching a couple of revivals for me, in the month of April. Both churches that I was scheduled to preach for in the last two weeks of April agreed that it would be great for Mike to be able to do this for me. It is such an act of love that blows me and my family away. Mike is a true friend, and I am so honored that he would do this for our ministry. Thank you so much!!!

As you continue to pray for me, pray also for my wife Lisa, and my children Berkeley and Kevin. I don't know how I could go through all this without them. God is so good, and my family is taking such good care of me right now, but I know they also need the strength of the Lord. Thanks for lifting them up to Him as well.

Finally, I want to convey the Lord has been so gracious to me and my family. He has comforted us and taken care of us in ways that I am sure we don't even realize. I thank my Lord and Savior for putting His healing hand on my body not only during the surgery, but certainly in that He allowed only one of the 30 lymph nodes to be infected and as a result, the cancer has been removed. Thank You Jesus!!!

In His Love,

Steve Freeman

Steve Freeman Health Update

April 12, 2009
(By Jesse Simmons)

Steve asked me to update his web site for him in order to keep everyone informed of his situation. As I spoke with Steve today, he seemed to be in good spirit but I could tell in his voice that he still didn't feel well. That should be expected after such surgery that he went through earlier this week.

Steve told me that the surgery went well with a few complications, but the recovery will take longer than expected. They will start him on a liquid diet tomorrow and he will not be able to eat solid food for a few days. He wants everyone to keep praying for him.

Steve also sends a thank you to everyone who has been praying for him, had visited him, and a thank you to  those who sent flowers, cards and letters. All of this is very much appreciated.

Steve asked me to tell everyone to continue praying for him as he continues through this difficult time.  Specifically, that the pain that he is in will soon subside and that the lymph nodes that the doctors removed will be found cancer free.

April 7, 2009

  It has been a while since my last update because of some recent health issues I have been dealing with. On March 3, 2009 I had surgery to have a tumor removed. It was later diagnosed as cancer, specifically an Embryonal Carscinoma. This is an agressive cancer, but we are hopeful that we caught it early.

  In the morning, I will go back into the hospital for another surgery where the doctors will remove 30-40 lymph nodes out of my abdominal area. They will be testing these lymph nodes for the cancer. We are praying that they will be clean and cancer free.

     This surgery will be more invasive and will require me to stay in the hospital for at least 5 days with 4-5 weeks of recovery at home. As you might guess, this will affect our spring preaching schedule. Some revivals will obviously have to be post-poned or rescheduled.

     Since my first surgery, I have been able to preach several revivals including revivals at Polkville Baptist, Polkville, NC. First Baptist Church of Manning, SC. Victory Baptist in Asheville, NC. and Emmaus Baptist in Pittsboro, NC. Also, I was able to preach on March 29th at Kingland Baptist in Chester, Va. I always love preaching for our friends at Kingsland Baptist. They are dear to us and their Pastor, is a great friend of our ministry.

     Each of the revivals over this past month were incredible. The revival in Polkville was a great time for us to be refreshed in the Lord as we were awating test results from a CT scan and blood work. The Pastor and the whole church just embraced us and loved us with the Love of Jesus. I cannot tell you how grateful I am for how they took care of us during some very difficult days.

     The revival at FBC Manning, SC. was significant in that we saw 78 salvation decisions. Most of those were teenagers and some adults, but we were so grateful that God used us and allowed us to see such a harvest of souls that week. I was able to hold assemblies at seven different schools, and that really helped with the revival.

     I also met a man named Karl who attends FBC Manning, who is a cancer survivor, and was a great encouragement to me. After I preached on Facing Your Giants, a sermon dealing with David and Goliath, Karl came up and handed me five smooth stones, and said, "go slay your giant."

  The revival in Asheville, NC. at Victory Baptist was also a great time. We had several come to faith in Christ, and one of those was my son Kevin. Lisa and I knew that God had been dealing with his little heart for sometime, but that week he prayed and asked Jesus into his heart. We are so thankful that now both of our children have accepted Jesus as their Savior.

     There was a dear sweet lady named Jan at that church who is also a cancer survivor. She gave me cards and notes of encouragement each night of the revival. I am so thankful for her willingness to share what God has done in her life with me, so that I could be encouraged.

     We just got home this morning from the revival in Pittsboro, NC at Emmaus Baptist Church. While the revival was short, we really knew that God was working and moving in their church. We are so glad that we got to be a part of what God is doing at Emmaus, and we look forward to another opportunity to come when we can stay longer.

     So as I am preparing for surgery in the morning, and there is certainly some anxiety regarding this, I would ask you to pray for me and my family. Pray several things if you could: 1) Pray that the surgery will be successful, with no complications 2) Pray that the lymph nodes will be cancer free 3) Pray that all the cancer will be gone from my body   4)Pray for my wife Lisa and my Children as they care for me over the next several weeks 5) Pray that God will continue to provide for us everything we need 6) Pray that soon, I will be back in pulpits across this nation Preaching Christ, Reaching People. 

     I must confess to you that with this recent diagnosis of cancer, I have shed many tears along with my wife, children, and other family members and friends. But I have also been amazed and comforted by the number of people who have sent cards and letters of encouragement to me. One such letter was from a boy in NC. who writes:

Get well soon and the Lord will help you through it. You may not remember me but I remember you. I'm Stephen the child who accepted Christ at the tent revival at Center View Baptist. I'll keep Praying for you.

Sincerly,

Stephen 

     This young man became a Christian in 2006, when he was only five years old. He went to Brazil on a mission trip in 2007 and wants to go back this summer. I am so grateful that God used me in his life to point him to the Savior. I am just as grateful that with his letter, the Lord has comforted me and reminded me that He is in control and He still has many more lives for me to reach with the Gospel.

    Thank you for praying for me and my family. God Bless You.

        Steve Freeman

Valentine's Day, A Great

Day To Show Love.

 February 10, 2008

     I don’t know about you but I really enjoy Valentine's Day. Now this has not always been the case. In fact, in my single days, or as I call them, “the agony of defeat,” I didn’t particularly enjoy this special Day. It seemed more like a holiday for other people, than for me.

     I remember in Junior High School, I had this girlfriend, (not Lisa unfortunately) We had actually, technically been “going together,” for almost five months. Now in my mind, that was huge, and it was at that point in my life, the longest, successful, ongoing, relationship I had ever had with a girl. So, here it is, Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and I am excited because I had never actually had a girlfriend on Valentine's Day, so I wanted it to be special.

     So what do I do? What do I get for this angelic creature to celebrate Valentine's Day? I thought I could look to my mom and dad for some answers or maybe an example to steer me in the right direction. And you know what I found out? That apparently for married people, who let’s say, have been married for sometime, the gifts themselves, have a tendency to be somewhat less romantic, and simply more practical in nature. How did I come to this conclusion you ask?

     Because that year for Valentine's Day, my parents showed their undying love, devotion, and commitment to one another by giving each other, the most sought after of all of the trinkets on the Valentines Buffet, yes, you guessed it, a pair of odor eaters. I am not kidding.

     Apparently I missed this ingenious marketing strategy. I mean, can’t you just see the commercials? Can you hear this unbelievable ad campaign? "There are many ways to say I love you. You can say it with Candy; you can say it with Flowers; you can say it with Diamonds because Diamonds are forever, but nothing can express your true feelings of love, quite like these three little words, Your Feet Stink.”

     I pray that as you think about how to best show those around you how much you love them, think of this story, and do something different!! God Bless You, and have a Happy Valentine's Day.