Table of Contents:
1. Some information about me, Peter Reason
a) Why have I called this site: ‘Not Many Wise’?
Well, that phrase comes from some verses:
… think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no-one may boast before him.”
I can certainly relate to God choosing me – the foolish and weak person that I am. With God’s help may He fulfil the rest of the verse in all of us!
b) When I believed in Jesus:
I started on my Faith Journey whilst on my sandwich year from college when I was first invited to a church meeting in Diss, Norfolk by an enthusiastic fellow student, and became a Christian then in 1976.
Upon returning to college and right up to the present day, I’ve not been restrained to any one denomination – believing that the local Church is always important.
Through career moves and life changes, this has enabled me to play a part in the Assembly of God Church, Elim, various House Church Groupings, Brethren, Anglican and Baptist Churches.
c) Cancer, tumours and sepsis:
I am married to Jackie and we live in Cambridgeshire in the UK.
In 2015 as the year progressed I became increasingly short of breath and got down to only being able to work 1 hour a day.
In November I was diagnosed as having a 12cm Germ Cell tumour between my heart and lung.
I was immediately admitted to Addenbrookes Hospital and put on a heavy regime of chemotherapy treatments.
In May 2016 Papworth Hospital removed the tumour along with part of my lung and a small part of the pericardium on my heart which then had to have a patch put on it.
In March 2018 Fibromatosis tumours were diagnosed in my abdomen.
d) Back from the dead!
While we were away from home in June 2018, one of these tumours caused a perforation on my colon but the hospital there diagnosed it as a twist in my colon so discharged me with painkillers.
The next day Jackie got me to Addenbrookes Hospital where they opened an emergency theatre as I was now suffering 5 major organ failures from sepsis poisoning.
As I was wheeled through the theatre doors I effectively died after saying goodbyes to my wife and son.
While in an induced coma in Intensive Care I heard Jackie saying to the nurse how lovely I was! I couldn’t move or respond because I was still in a coma but a little tear rolled down my face which Jackie noticed and wiped away.
But she was not aware that I could hear as I was on life support machines and in a coma!
Our church and friends were all praying for me and believed that the Lord healed me.
I quickly recovered and a doctor and an I.C. nurse both commented that they had never seen anyone recover so quickly from such a dire situation!
When I was strong enough I then had more chemotherapy.
Then in March 2019, another tumour in my abdomen perforated my colon again and I was back in an emergency theatre.
This time the surgeon had to remove some of my colon.
The chemo is having a bigger effect now and is reducing the sizes of the tumours.
I feel humbled that I have come through these trials.
And I am thankful that I have been plucked from this boiling cauldron to safety, which made me think of John Wesley’s experience as a child in his parent’s burning house:
Thinking it was morning because the light from the blaze was growing ever larger and hotter, John finally awoke and called out for the maid.
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His cries were heard from the street, and Samuel darted back into the house and attempted to mount the burning stairs.
They quickly gave way under his weight.
Fearing John was lost, Samuel knelt down in the burning hall and commended his soul to God.
With the flames licking the ceiling of his room, John attempted to run through a doorway, but found it impossible.
He then climbed onto a chest near the window and was spotted by those in the yard downstairs.
While a ladder was called for, one man stood on top of the shoulders of another and reached for the terrified child.
At the exact moment John Wesley was in his rescuer’s arms, the roof came crashing down and fell inward, sending debris, smoke, and flames into the night sky.
Seeing all that had happened in just a matter of moments, Rev. Samuel cried out with a sense of relief,
‘Come, neighbours, let us kneel down. Let us give thanks to God! He has given me all my eight children. Let the house go, I am rich enough.’
Reflecting on the life-and-death situation years later, John wrote that he was ‘a brand plucked from the burning.’ ”
e) Final info
I hope you find good, eternal things within my articles, thanks for calling by.
This website was originally called seeking-god .co.uk then notmanywise .org but due to my times of critical illness I let those domain names lapse!
So have started again with this domain notmanywise.uk
I have now taken early retirement from running my horticultural nursery.
Thanks for reading
from Peter Reason.
2. My social media profiles
This page is about Peter Reason of Not Many Wise.
about.me
Medium author page
Amazon.com author page
Amazon UK author page
Facebook personal page
Facebook Not Many Wise page
YouTube Not Many Wise
SlideShare
LinkedIn
Payhip author page
3. My latest articles on the Medium blog:
- Jesus as ‘High Priest’ can transform our weak worship into God-pleasing worship
- What can the church do to be relevant? A surprising answer…
- Don’t be fooled and misled
- Confusion arises over Gospel dates — here are some facts
- Does the Bible really say that the moon radiates its own light?
- Millie, our cat, demonstrates how not to be defined by disability.
- Stars plummet to Earth in Bible; figurative, genuine or stupid?
- What is God’s purpose for the unchurched?
- What is Christian worship? Free lesson plan key stage 2
- What is the Bible? Free lesson plan key stage 2
- What did Jesus teach? Lesson plan
- What is Baptism and Confirmation? Free Lesson Plan
- Is Jesus a historical figure RE lesson plan
- Church makes me feel like a square peg in a round hole!
- How many churchgoers will not get to heaven — according to Jesus?