The Finish Comes Fast – Tim Keesee

Published Jan 28, 2025, 3:15 PM

Tim Keesee writes this, “Successive cancer diagnoses in 2019, 2020, and 2021 have struck hard. My situation, though, is no different from what all of us will face because cancer is just another way to die. And one kindness from God I’ve seen (and I can count many of his kindnesses to me in this stretch of my journey) is that cancer has given me a clearer focus on the finish line. I want to make every stride count — every day meaningful. I want to finish strong.” Tim stopped by and shared his journey and what God is teaching him along the way.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-finish-comes-fast 

Tim also has a written book in which Christian brothers and sisters have taught him much about a day well spent:

https://www.amazon.com/Days-Journey-Stories-Hope-Death-Defying/dp/0764241745 

Kurt and Kate mornings. Not just on the radio.

It's a podcast, too.

Ministry leader Tim Casey has, well, he's dealt with a lot over the past few years. He's had a number of cancer diagnoses. 1 in 2019, 1 in 2020 and 1 in 2021. You always want to lean in and pay close attention to those believers who have faced very difficult times, severe trials, because they have so much wisdom based upon what they've gone through and how God has been with them and met them in the midst of whatever crisis they may face. Yeah, and.

It's important to talk about this, because I think it's so easy to forget that we're not promised tomorrow. Right.

He wrote an article. The finish comes fast. It's a wake up call for all of us, a necessary one. Hebrews 11, the Great Hall of Faith. The rundown of all of these notable people who live by faith. By the way, imperfect people with flaws used by God. Any way, just put a star by that idea. But they they walk by faith and not by sight. And so we have all of these examples in Hebrews chapter 11. And then when chapter 12 begins, therefore, in light of what the author of Hebrews just shared in chapter 11 about all these people. Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. This life is a race. We are all running this race together, but a lot of times we don't think about how soon it will be over. The finish comes fast. Could you walk us through a bit of that journey? I know we can only hit the the highlights, but I think it's really good to have a background before we dive into some some other things that I know you've shared here in your article that I want to highlight.

Sure. Uh, yeah. To to condense a very long story with lots of twists and turns. Uh, I, I was diagnosed with, uh, successive diagnoses of cancer. Answer. Um, and it pretty much brought my, uh, world to a halt. Uh, I, in my role with frontline missions and working on different documentary films to, uh, communicate what God is doing, uh, through the gospel all over the world. Um, uh, all of a sudden, uh, all of those, uh, all of those, uh, journeys were, uh, halted. And I was in chemo and went through a bone marrow transplant, and, um, and it really reordered my days. Um, and I, I took that time, uh, to put down in writings, sometimes from a hospital bed or from the, the chemo chair to, uh, to write what God was doing in my heart. Uh, as I was, Of facing my my mortality. And, um, we all face that. Um, we all, um, we're all going to die. Um, unless the Lord returns. Uh, before that time. But I would just say, historically and statistically speaking, all of us are going to cross the river. And so, um, that's nothing new, but it's it's things like a diagnosis or the death of a close friend that brings us, uh, face to face with with really good realities. Um, this isn't this isn't a bitter providence. Uh, God was always in control. Uh, every step of the way. He is always good. He is always kind. And he is always in charge. Yeah. Um, even when I'm not. Especially when I'm not. Yes. Yeah.

Yes. But we do, um, block that out somehow, or we're in denial often in our younger years. Although I had a brother who passed away in his early 50s, suddenly you know it. Time is not promised. Tomorrow is not promised to us, no matter how old or young we are.

Yeah, it's it's so true. And I know even from the time I wrote A Day's Journey, and I really didn't know if I would live to finish the book. But God gave me those days and strength to do that. But, um, you know, I lost friends, died of all sorts of things during that time when I thought I was, uh, at death's door, so to speak. Um, so we we never know the timing. And, um, I think, as you referenced, uh, an article, uh, about sort of a life as a race, you know, we think we have this home stretch that we're going to finish up and it's going to be very satisfying and sad. But we're going to we're going to go through this nice long home stretch before we reach the finish line. And and for for many people, there is no home stretch. It's just home for the believer. Um, just as quick as a wink.

One of my favorite movies of all time is Chariots of Fire, and it features the story of Eric Liddell from Scotland, the Olympic gold medal sprinter. Of course, he's famous for refusing to run on a Sunday as a believer. And he said I don't want to desecrate the Lord's Day. You need to move. And this was his event was what he trained for, what he was best at. But he said, I'm not going to run on Sunday. They didn't change it. So then he went for the 400 meter, I believe it was later in the week, which was not his best event. He ran in that and he ended up winning a gold medal, and it was a big story at the time. Of course, the movie Chariots of Fire is awesome. Eric Liddell once said this I run the first 200m as hard as I can, and then for the second 200m, with God's help, I run harder. Tim, that's a quote that encouraged you?

Yes.

Yes. Um, I want to, I want to I want to make these days count. Um, and, um, that doesn't mean I'm going to be frantic about it. Uh, that doesn't mean I have to pack my calendar to to make my days count. But it does mean I need to focus on, um, my my savior and my my calling and what he's positioned me to me to do. And so, um, I want to run hard in that race that he's set before me.

And here he is right now. Many times he just said, you know, I mean, just Tim just said it. I thought I thought it was over. I thought my race was over. But God had other plans. And so what am I going to do now with the time that he's given me? Well, look, he's here with us this morning. He's encouraging us with what God has taught him in the midst of this battle. You know, he has God has preserved him right up to this very moment. And that's because he has work for him to do. Maybe you are in a similar position and you received a difficult diagnosis, or maybe there's something else going on in your life. Whatever may may be the situation. You may be thinking, well, God's, you know, I'm done. I'm, you know, for whatever reason, what more can I do for the Lord? We're all breathing here today. That means God has a plan for our lives. As Tim alluded to, we don't want to waste a minute. And that's what we're discussing here this morning. The value of recognizing that this life is temporary. You want to live with more urgency to share the gospel with others. Consider that every body you encounter today. Every human being will live forever, somewhere after they die. The soul continues on. Will it be in heaven with the Lord Jesus because of his sacrifice on the cross, receiving by faith him as Lord and Savior, dying for your sins, paying the penalty for your sins? Or are you going to die in your sins and be separated from God Forever. This is important. And so today, maybe you're going to run into somebody who doesn't know the Lord Jesus. And the door opens. Maybe it's just a little tiny crack, but the door opens where you're like, oh man, this could be an opportunity for me to share the gospel. Do it. Follow the Spirit's lead on this. Don't freak out about it. We need to live lives not in a hurry, but to be urgent with the task that we have been given here as believers. Enjoying every moment as a gift from God and using it to bless others.

Thank you for taking some time to listen to this episode of the Kirtan Kate Mornings podcast. We always welcome a review with your thoughts and comments, and please feel free to subscribe and follow us as well.

I want to go to the prayer of Moses. Tim. In Psalm 90. Yes, it is so important. And of course, I'm thinking about how Psalm 90 really does teach us to number our days. So let's talk about what Moses is trying to tell us here.

Yeah, it does begin with realizing that there is a number. Um, and Psalm 90 describes life, our lives like grass, which is here today and gone tomorrow. Um, it is in South Carolina. It is grass here today and gone tomorrow in Florida.

Yeah.

Sometimes it's no grass at all. But that's another.

Matter. Yeah, yeah.

So, um. Yeah, you know, it's it's interesting that that life is fragile, and yet our lives, uh, are in God's hands. Our days are numbered, and he knows the number. We don't know the number. but he does. And but we can trust that there is a number. And so it it helps us to, to not be frantic, but to be focused, um, on making the most of, of what God gives us each day. And that's all we that's all we have is this is this is this present moment.

How do we avoid panic, though? Um, you know, I mean, there are many things, many landmines, obviously, panic being one of them. I think about the NASB translation of verse in Proverbs three. Do not be afraid of sudden fear, for the Lord will be your confidence. That's what we need to focus on when we're tempted to panic, huh?

Right, right. Yeah. It's just it is just, uh, it is fear. And, um, and, I mean, there's a reason why fear not is the most often repeated commandment in the Bible is because we are naturally fearful people. But, um, this is where we, uh, rehearse our hope and we remind ourselves that our God is great and good, and he is overall, and we are safe in our shepherd's hands.

Did you find yourself in a situation when you got your first diagnosis or. I don't know, maybe one of the other ones where suddenly you're like, I've been saying this, I've been preaching this, I've been writing about this my whole life, and now here I am. This is my quote unquote, opportunity to live out what I've said. I've believed all along. And and what was that moment like for you? I would imagine it's not just one moment, but many.

Kurt, you really touched on something there. I remember, um, a friend made a little video, a compilation of a message that I had preached about, Out risk taking gospel um ministry, uh, rooted in acts in Matthew 16 where Jesus said. Follow me. Take up your cross, find your life by losing it. And he sends this to me and it's. It's at a at a really down time. And it was like, oh, I, I almost didn't want to listen to what I was saying. Um, but I needed to I needed to hear that, uh, because it was truth. And, um, and I recall reading something that. Tim Keller, uh, wrote, uh, about his cancer. Uh, he had just finished a book called On Death and the the. First copies were delivered to his house, uh, on the day, as I understand it, on the day that he he came home after. Getting his diagnosis. And he saw it there and he said, I didn't even want to open it. I didn't want to see what I had written. Um, because that that's a that's a hard moment. And yet, God, God is near. He's with his children always. And and he helps us, uh, to see him, uh, through that.

John Piper wrote a little book, too. Don't waste your cancer. That. Have you read that one? Yes.

Yeah. Yeah. Because, um, Piper is just reminding us that, uh, our moments, our days, uh, our circumstances are in God's good hands. And, um, so pick ourselves up and live the the days and the life that he's given us. Um, do not, um, um, do not turn to fear and An unbelief, but trust and faith. And speak of our hope.

Speak. It's almost like you need. Like Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, we need to stop listening to ourselves and start preaching to ourselves the truth.

Yeah, that's a great book right there. Spiritual depression, uh, rooted in that passage, rooted in Psalm 4243.

So how do you deal? And by the way, that's a psalm that, um, is very helpful if somebody is dealing with depression, which is another landmine obviously you face when you're dealing with all that you've dealt with.

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah. So, um, we have to preach the truth. You know why? You know, the psalmist there is saying like, why? Why are so why are you why are you cast down hope in God? For I shall yet praise him, um, my help and my salvation. So, um, that's a that's a daily prayer. that we should like, look up and hope in God.

Is it possible, Tim, to have joy in the midst of the uncertainty and fear?

It is. It is. Um, it's not something that, uh, that is a switch you turn on. Um, but, um, I can certainly say that when in the word, by the spirit, through the the encouragement of his people, Jesus reminds us of his nearness. And there's nothing more joyful than to be near to Jesus. Um, so I can say, even in the really low times, um, especially, I'm thinking in the times, in the hospital weeks, in the hospital, going through the bone marrow transplant. Um, uh, it was It was they were very low days there. But there was also unspeakable joy that only the person going through that valley can experience in the presence of their shepherd.

The anchor holds, doesn't it?

Yes.

Yes. If I could ask you on the tail end here, how is your health today? How are you doing?

Yeah. I'm, um. By God's grace, I am, uh, I'm doing, uh. Well, uh, I'm not. I'm still under, uh, I still go from scan to scan. Um, um, because the particular one of the particular cancers that I have is, uh, is quite aggressive. So I'm under observation for that. Um, so just trying to make the best use of the day. So God's given me. Um, I just finished, uh, I was amazed, uh, but, Uh, my oncologist said, if you're going to travel, do it now. So it was just like a year and a half ago. And so, um, I undertook a worldwide project with Tim Challies called From the Rising of the sun A Journey of Worship Around the World, and was in 21 countries and wrote the book about this, this journey we took worshipping in churches all around the world. It was it was glorious and it was arduous. And I am absolutely amazed that God gave me the strength and days to do that. So he's been he's been kind to help me, um, through these days and just continuing to look to him.

Thanks for listening to Kurt and Kate Mornings podcast. Please take a minute to follow, subscribe and review us. And no matter where in the world you are, you can listen to us live from 6 to 9 a.m. weekdays on the Moody Radio app.

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