"I make men do the things they don't want to do so those same men can do what they want to do!"
- Coach Tom Landry, Dallas Cowboys

This Blog is the last part of my conversation with God.  It started with my question, “Why me?”  As in why am I suffering with ALS?  God gave me an answer, one that I am sharing with you!  It is a three part answer:

1.    Why does He test our Faith
2.    How does He test our Faith
3.    What is the result of our faith being tested (that’s this Blog)

(<== Coach Tom Landry, September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000)

As with everything God does – timing is critical.  I had this conversation almost a month ago and we conclude with the Super Bowl!  Timing.

Fun fact: God loves football and we can learn about His desires for us through the Super Bowl.  Don’t believe me?  Read on …

This Sunday is Super Bowl Sunday.  Teams have played hard all year long in order to finish as “CHAMPIONS!” The Forty-niners won their division and are competing to become thee “CHAMPIONS” as is the case for the Ravens. 

Both teams have played hard, made mistakes, been up, been down, suffered injuries, withstood trials, played in the heat and cold.  

They’ve been disappointed, elated, but they worked hard to get where they are right now!

Both teams have “PAID THE PRICE” to finish at the top!

Champions aren’t born, “THEY ARE MADE!”  Every single one of the players on both teams will tell you they “EARNED” the spot on Sunday.

They weren’t born that way but they trained, pushed, stretched & made themselves “CHAMPIONS.”

The Bible has “CHAMPIONS” – people God used in ways that glorified Him

David, Peter, Mark, James & John, there were all “CHAMPIONS!” But God pointed one out that resonated with me: Paul

Paul stands out as a man who understood things about God & God’s ways that only he did. He wrote about those things in order for the young church of the day to be the church “WORTHY” of God’s sacrifice.

A passage brought to my mind:
2 Timothy 4:7-8. “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Therefore is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

“CHAMPIONS” are created by God. One like Paul used the “CHAMPIONSHIP ATTRIBUTES” given by God in order for the “CHAMPION” to come out in the way that God intends!

God intends that all of us become “CHAMPIONS” and we have to take “INITIATIVE” in order for us to become the “CHAMPIONS” God made us to be! 

All of those players in this Sunday’s game weren’t born “CHAMPIONS!” They had to dig deep within themselves in order for the “CHAMPION” to come out the way God intended!

They studied to be “CHAMPIONS!” They practiced to be “CHAMPIONS!” They even gave up things and suffered in order to be “CHAMPIONS”!

IF we are going to be a “CHAMPION” we have to earn the right to be a “CHAMPION!” There are some things you cannot do by yourself but of those things you can is a “choice” we make everyday.         

It’s just that simple! Take a good introspective look inside and choose to be a “CHAMPION!”

Is it easy, is it simple, is it fun all the TIME! NO, BUT THE PAY-OFF IS THE “CHAMPIONSHIP!”

In order to be a “CHAMPION” you have choices; otherwise you’re just getting by!

I asked, “What if I make the wrong Choice?” Answer: The Worst Choice Is Making “No” Choice At All! 

I also heard, “Akhil, you’ll never make a decision alone! I will always be by your side in order to help you so don’t quit on Me!”

Not “QUITTING” is more than just “DETERMINATION!” It is the “ESSENCE OF FAITH!”

Paul’s faith in god was greater than his suffering! Paul was determined to “finish!”

“FINISHING” is not just a part of winning! it is the “ESSENCE OF WINNING!” without “FINISHING” there would be no “champion!” and without faith, there is no “FINISHING.”

OUR GREATEST GOAL IN LIFE SHOULD BE TO PLEASE GOD! THEREIN LIES THE “SUPER BOWL VICTORY OF LIFE!”

“YOU” have a “CHOICE” to make! Are you going to “CHOOSE” to be a “CHAMPION” or are you just going to be one of those who just gets by? Takes the easy way. Paul was not one to take the EASY WAY! I could say there was NO EASY WAY but there always is an EASY WAY!

Others chose the “EASY WAY” to obscurity, never heard of again! Never making an impact or even a dent on the world for Christ!

I plan on using my ALS to keep me in the fight and make an impact for His kingdom.  The easy way is to stay down for the count, pity myself and do nothing.  Everyone will understand and support my choice.  I say everyone, but Christ!  He won’t understand. He is walking with me. He is carrying me.  He is asking me to choose to be a “CHAMPION!”

How about “YOU?” ARE “YOU” A “CHAMPION?” MORE IMPORTANTLY:  WILL “YOU” BE A “CHAMPION?”

We left off with the thought, "If God wants me to live by faith and if God builds my faith by testing it then the natural question is how does God do it?"

Simple answer:  God tests our faith, primarily through difficulties.

Pain, trials, challenges, sickness are all used by God to test our faith.

Please note I did NOT say God causes hardships to fall on His people; however, He uses hardships to test our faith. 

The enemy wanted to harm His people, but God...

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good" (Genesis 50:20)

He tested the faith of the ancient Israelites by allowing them to go through hard times in the wilderness, "in order to know what was in your heart" (Deuteronomy 8:2)

Remember, if our faith is weak, it may not be obvious when life is going smoothly and we aren't challenged in any way.  When hard times come, a weak faith will be revealed for what it really is: shallow and unable to help us through life's difficulties.

It may be anything: an unexpected illness like ALS, the death of a loved one, the loss of our job, or even a friend who turns against us.  When hard times come, the true  nature of our faith will be revealed.

Understand that I am sharing my conversation with God. 

So far He has told me HOW he tests our faith.  Ok, got it, but, I asked, "Why do you test our faith?"

I mean, He knows my heart so WHY test us?

The answer was like a lightning bolt.

I heard very clearly, "Akhil, I don't test you because I don't know how strong you are, I test you because you don't know how strong you are!"
 
Wow.  He is soooo right (Duh!)

We only realize our strength in times of difficulties.

My dangerous prayer, "God increase my faith." 

Here I am, in the middle of a spiritual war, having my faith increased.  He is with me through this test, but it is a test for me. 

Even though the enemy is using ALS to hurt me, God is using it to kick the enemy's ... tail!

None of us likes to go through hard times; but God can use them to show us our weaknesses.  We are being prepared for an unrelenting enemy.  An enemy that wants to take us all down.  God wants to make us strong, if you let Him. 

As for me, I am in the fight of my life.  Everyday a new challenge; but, everyday I grow spiritually stronger. 

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials ... so that you may be mature and complete"
(James 1:2, 4)

How does God test our faith? 

Matthew 9:29 says: "According to your faith it will be done unto you."

This is the law that God has established. It’s called the Law of Expectation.

We tend to get what we expect out of life. We tend to see what we expect to see. We tend to hear what we expect to hear. We tend to feel the way we expect to feel. We inevitably accomplish what we expect to accomplish. This is the law of faith. God says you get to choose:  "According to your faith it will be done unto you."

Let’s look at Hebrews 11:6 "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Any parents reading this? Are you pleased when your children trust you? God is the same way. God is our heavenly Father and God is pleased when we trust Him. That’s why the Bible says in Yoda-speak, “Impossible it is to please God without faith!”

You can obey God, do the right thing and still not please God because you’re not doing it in faith. So it’s important to learn how to live expectantly as you learn to live by faith.

Here’s the question:  How do we grow in our faith?

An apostle said to Jesus (Luke 17:5), "Lord increase our faith." If faith is what makes life rewarding and pleasing God, how does God build faith?

Here’s the secret God whispered to me. It was not something that excited me and you will agree with me that this is a sucky response:
God builds our faith by testing it.
By putting it to the test, by trying it, by pushing it, faith builds.

Equate faith to a muscle. When stretched and pulled it develops.

You don’t develop your muscles by letting them rest, actually your muscles atrophy when not stressed.  In the same way, faith just resting on blessed assurance withers! 

James 1:3 "The testing of your faith develops perseverance so that you may be mature and complete."

Job says the same thing speaking from experience in Job 7:17-18 "What is man that You make so much of him and that You give him so much attention and that You examine him every morning and test him every moment."

Notice: "test him." Did you realize that God is testing us every moment of our life?

Every day we have faith building opportunities. The problem is most of us don’t recognize them. We fail the test because we don’t even realize it is a test and that God is trying to help us grow. 

So if God wants me to live by faith and if God builds my faith by testing it then the natural question is how does God do it? 

Would you like to know?



Well that is for my next Blog

"We have a right to choose our attitude."

Viktor Frankl, Austrian Neurologist

Short (embarrassing) story – I need continuous, daily care.  Laura is the one to whom this burden falls.  It was Friday night.  I took some medication that helps me sleep.  A common problem I have is waking in the middle of the night due to coughing/choking issues.  My body produces too much saliva and often I start to cough and choke.  To address this issue I take Amitriptylene.  Basically, the pill dries me up and causes drowsiness, helping me with choking and sleep.

Here’s the embarrassing part of the story: 
I take the pill, fall asleep and at 2am I have an “accident” in bed.  I wake Laura who simply goes about changing the sheets, cleaning me up and makes sure I am okay.  She even kisses me goodnight!

The next morning, I was mortified and was apologizing for causing so much trouble.  I felt like a huge burden.  To my surprise Laura gave me a hug and said, “It’s no problem.  At least I don’t have to be at work in the morning.  I can nap later if necessary.”

With those words she made me feel like I was no burden at all.  Also that if needed she could take a break.  She expressed love with her servant-heart and an attitude that looked for the good in a bad situation! 

It takes a high level of intelligence to find good.  Any fool can find the bad in any situation (and they usually do).  Have you noticed this behavior?  Look at people around you and notice what they say when something goes wrong.  Do they go into “attack mode” or do they try to understand what caused the problem and give the benefit of doubt? 

What if the movie you picked wasn't great?  Dumb people will be quick to criticize, while smart people will look for something good, even if was the photography!

What about you?  You can’t choose your circumstances, but you have complete control of how you respond to your circumstances!  Look for the good and keep negative thoughts to yourself.  Frankly, nobody wants to hear them anyway, and it makes you look bad.

I am very thankful that Laura chose to focus on making sure I was valued in a demeaning situation.  She looked for the good and it made all the difference.

Watching Laura has taught me that I am in charge of my attitude. 

Akhil

James 2:17-18 (NIV)

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.

I am going to start writing something crazy! Something I have no business writing about; nonetheless, I feel a strong desire to start a series of posts that will bless others and infuriate Satan!
 
I am going to write about divine healing!  I have faith in this and I feel YOU could benefit if you follow along with me.

Why is it crazy?  Because I am still suffering with ALS

Why will it infuriate Satan?  Because claiming a promise from God and acting in faith just annoys the devil!

First let’s discuss one key point about sickness:  Sickness is NOT FROM GOD.  It is from the devil himself and we need to understand who our enemy is!  For more one this see my Blog from 12/17/2012: Is God making me sick for a reason? 

Point two:  Does the Bible say God will heal us?  Yes!  Let’s go to His word.




Matthew 8:17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: "He took up our infirmities (Sickness) and carried our diseases." 

Isaiah 53:4 Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.

1 Peter 2:24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed.

Three scriptures, two from the New Testament and one from the Old that clearly state Jesus took our sickness away 2000+ years ago.

People have said, “Wait a minute Akhil, I can read these scriptures but I object because …”




1.      We don't have the healing in this life; it is when we are in the Millennium that our sickness will be taken away.

The problem with that thinking is in the Millennium we will be given a new body, free of sickness.  We don't need healing then, we need it on Earth NOW. I.E., We won’t need a savior to take our sickness away when we have a perfect body.

2.      This is a "spiritual healing" not a physical healing.

Unfortunately this idea of spiritual healing is not biblical.  Jesus said, the spirit is dead and can only be reborn - not healed.  We become new creatures in Christ, old things pass away and we become new. 

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"  Again, this points to the spirit being made new (not healed).  When we are healed, we have the same body minus the sickness.

3.      What about Paul's thorn found in 2 Corinthians 12:1-10?  Paul might have had an eye disease, Paul prayed and the God did NOT heal him. 

With further study one understands that Paul is using the language the Corinthians would understand.  Paul specifically speaks of “thorns in your flesh” check this out:

Numbers 33:55 "'But if you do not drive out the INHABITANTS of the land, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your flesh. They will give you trouble in the land where you will live.

Judges 2:3 Now therefore I tell you that I will not drive THEM out before you; THEY will be thorns in your flesh and their gods will be a snare to you."

Thorns = people, when God says, “My Grace is enough”  He is telling Paul you have everything you need to deal with this messenger of Satan.  You have the tools, which is My grace, to handle the persecutions you are facing.

Furthermore, just move up in the text and read 2 Corinthians 11 where Paul describes all the persecutions he faced. He follows up the persecution text with the thorn in the flesh.

Now we understand that Paul was asking for relief from persecution, from a messenger or Satan – NOT sickness.

4.      Healing has gone away and was there with the apostles; those gifts didn’t transfer to us.  Remember Mark 16:17  “And these signs will accompany the apostles: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;”

Again this is not biblical and wrong.  Look up the text yourself!

Mark 16:17  “And these signs will accompany THOSE WHO BELIEVE: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues;” 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and THEY WILL GET WELL."

Furthermore:

If we look at the Old Testament, we find that the people that were being healed in the days of Moses, they had to look at the brass snake that was lifted on a staff.  We know that the staff represented the coming of the new covenant which was Jesus on the cross.  If the people of the Old Testament received healing by looking at the brass replica – we have a better point of focus:The Cross?!

5.      Fifth and final objection:  Jesus only healed while He was with us.  Now He is gone.

Again the problem with that thinking is Jesus healed every one of any and all sickness while with us, why would that be different today when Christ sits at the Father’s right hand and all authority is given Him?

Also, we can’t forget that verse in Hebrews 13:8 Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.

Jesus didn’t change; He still has compassion on all (the saints and sinners alike).

Now we have dealt with the objections, here is the closer!

Job 3:25 What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me.





Fear opens the door for Satan to come into our life.
Faith opens the door for God to come in and rule our life.
Fear shuts off God’s power in your life for anything and everything.

I have decided that I will simply thank God for the healing I have already received. 

By simply trusting God who always tells the truth, I claim my healing.

Doesn’t matter how I feel. I am healed.

Crazy, right?

You tell me, was Abraham crazy?

Romans 4:18-22 (NIV)

Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead.  Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised. This is why “it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Akhil

Next blog, how do we increase our faith?