The Perfect Setup

 

I have been in trouble, I've been disheartened, I've been discouraged, I've been challenged in my faith, I've been confused not knowing what decision to make.  The advocate, the counsellor, the paraclete has always been with us, guiding us. I live because He talks. I have history with God. In my challenging situations, I will go back to bible scripture where I met the Lord before and intercede till, He talks. I go to these places where I have history with God where He had set me up before to face challenging situations in my life. Because He is Sovereign and loves to set you up for life, that eagerness to see what it is for me next, has always been an absolute delight.

And He will set up something extra ordinary “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him (1 Corinthians 2:9)

And years later, when you revisit these passages, you will realise the journey which He has planned for us. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11) and feeling grateful because those journeys are worth the travel. It would make absolutely no sense, on what to do or where to go and you dont expect to see a light at the end of the tunnel, but it is worth the walk in those darkness, valley of shadow of death.

My life so far has been a perfect setup (My New Birth) and absolutely content.

Focus

The more you focus on the difficulties or your hardship or even your pains, the more u focus, the bigger it gets.

I am going through this, am going through that and if your friends listen to this, “oh boy, sorry for you, so hard, isnt it?”. The more sympathy they give, the more it grows and the more you doubt God.

So what we need to do is focus. What we need in our life is the simple trait of Daniel. The bible says Daniel slept with the lion. If he has been focusing on lion, am sure he would not be sleeping with them. It brings it back to the days when God did something very personal during one of the difficult times of my life.

During my first day chemotherapy under the supervision of Prof. Mark Rosenthal at Royal Melbourne Hospital, I met this gentleman Ben who was also diagnosed with Testicular cancer with same prototype – non seminoma teratoma and started the treatment one week ahead of me. So I was also put under the same schedule of three months of daily chemo as Ben, just one week behind though. Every Monday I meet Ben at the consultation room. We used to share our previous week experience and we used to laugh it out. As we progressed with the treatment, weeks later laughs became groans. I soon realized that I was having the same symptoms and experiences which Ben had the previous week. Week pass-by and I know what days are going to be ahead of me with all those excruciating pains of spasm. I was focusing on the pain which Ben faced and I invited those into my life. If Daniel was focusing on the lion, he would not be sleeping with the lion. It’s a simple truth. Daniel doesn’t have his eyes on the lions, but on God.

That was one of the biggest revelations I received during my chemo days and got a nice hug from my God. I was separated from my family during the period and had no access to my son. Living away from my three year old was more painful than the terminal illness. God said, "Son,but Daniel didn’t focus on the lion". From that moment on, all my fears disappeared, all of my uncertainties, all of my anxieties disappeared as He got my focus right.

When you focus on the trouble, burden, the pain , it grows bigger and we feel less confident, less significant and overwhelmed. Daniel looked at the God who created the lion. God will acts on those who wait for Him. Trust in God, do what he ask us to do and leave the consequences to God. Then we will have peace, sense of joy, confidence and assurance.

Understand this, only thing that will happen in your life is what God allows. If we are the child of God, what He allows, He allows for a reason. Trust in him and focus on God. Eventhough I don’t like the way the event keeps hammering my life, I want His way no matter what.

Stay focus.

A New Year with a Good Start !!

For my friends who cannot follow my native language "Malayalam, മലയാളം" above, I have made an attempt to translate the testimony in English with a best possible effort. I was very much in particular here that none of my friends should walk away without hearing His work and His grace on me in 2010.

(click the 'play' to hear) 

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Glory to my Father!!

Thanks to my Lord for protecting me safe for the last one year. I thank my Father for giving me this opportunity to testify in front of His children that He is still an awesome Lord who has done big things in my life this year. 

In 2007, I faced 2 back to back surgeries in my fight against cancer.

In 2008 - a severe chemotherapy.

In 2009 - 6 hour long complicated surgery

In 2010 - I was thinking like what next. But instead I was chosen by my Father to do His work for one year. He has given me one opportunity in my life in 2010 to work close to Him. And hence, my Lord didn't allow me to enter into the hospital for cancer problem or was bedridden a single time. And it was an year of His blessings. 

Last 4 years in my fight against cancer, He was walking along with me, His rod and staff comfort me. Throughout the years He delivered my feet from stumbling, my eyes from tears, my soul from death.

While I was alone in my pain, He made me hear His voice on several occasions through His people in this church, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in your weakness. Today in His grace, my cup overflows.

Today nothing happens by accident in my life, He plans my life. Let us hold constantly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful. He was faithful to me yesterday, He is faithful today and He is the same tomorrow.

In this journey, He made me believe that 

There's no people that He can't save

There's no sickness He can't heal

HE'S THE GOD WHO IS MORE THAN ENOUGH

My Lord has done great things for me. Glory to my Father.

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Spread His Fragrance

Last Saturday, with the Grace of God, I had the wonderful opportunity to share my testimony with the members of the Parkville community, Victoria, Australia. The Lord has blessed me to share the wisdom He has given me, He is working through me to touch the lives of others for His Glory. 

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. (2 Corinthans 2 :14 )

(click on play button to hear)

My New Birth

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MY NEW BIRTH

by ARUN RAM, Australia - June 19, 2009

After being settled with my family in Bangalore, India, we migrated to Australia in July 2007. It was a decision from out of the blue. We couldn’t find a reason why we made that big move, until now (Hebrews 11:8).

In August 2007, I was diagnosed with Testicular cancer, a month after we moved and I underwent Orchidectomy (removal of testis). My family was shattered with the news of this deadly disease. Why were we moved this to land? Why this suffering the week after we moved? Questions with no clear answers stared at our face. Regardless, I began to run after life to make it secure for the family. We didn’t have the strength to reveal the matter to our parents then. Days became weeks, week became months, the fear of cancer, and the fear of a relapse was always on the back the mind. I lost peace. I started hiding my fears from my wife. I was all alone...

After one year, the cancer relapsed to the lymph nodes and I was asked to undergo chemotherapy. That was the time when I met our church Priest, Rev Boby Philip and a friend Jacob George. Jacob visited me during the first week of my chemotherapy and took my Holy Bible and told me to hold on to it firmly and read daily. I started reading the Bible. It was big relief for me, a new beginning. The Word of God filled me with peace that passed all human understanding (Philippians 4:7). Jacob led me to the scripture, Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

My life during chemo was pure turmoil. But I found my companion in Jesus. He showed me the way, the truth, the life. I was becoming closer and closer to Him each day. I was in emergency isolation in hospital with the severe dose of chemo, but “thy rod and thy staff comfort me.” (Psalms 23:4). He was my comfort.

Towards the end of chemo by December 2008, I was so weak and was vomiting badly. I prayed to my Lord to give me the strength to attend the Holy Communion on December 25th of 2008. I had never missed the mass since my childhood. On Dec 23rd, I stopped taking the nausea medicine; I was regaining the strength. It was a miracle! On the 25th of December at 5AM, I drove the car all by myself and attended the Holy Communion! “What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? In Presence of all His people, I will take the cup of Salvation, I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving” (Psalms 116). On December 31st of 2008, I gave my first testimony of His Grace and His blessing.

The chemotherapy was a great success and the 5 cm mass shrunk to 1 cm. The doctor was confident the same to be a dead scar after the chemo. But they wanted it to be removed. The surgery was scheduled on June 3rd. During these 5 months, I was getting closer to Jesus and asked Him why I am being tested in my life. I found my answer in Romans 9:17 - “Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.” God will never “teach” anyone by giving him or her a sickness. He loves us so much that He died for us while we were sinners (Romans 5:8). But God can take glory by delivering me from my sickness (John 11:4) and use me as His effective channel.

During the recent CT scan, the doctors noticed that the mass has aligned to the centre and updated me before the surgery, about the risk of losing my blood when moving the blood vessels to reach the cancerous mass, which was near my spine. This was the new risk on top of the regular risk associated with the surgery. They made extra arrangements for this blood loss and transfusion.

I underwent the lymph node dissection surgery on June 3rd of 2009. After the surgery, the doctor was really happy that they could reach the spine (with their hands) and not lose the blood vessels. These blood vessels turned to their side and made its way to the bottom, just like the divided Red Sea through which Moses and his people of Israel passed after leaving Egypt. Jesus was leading in the front through the surgery. Matthew 19:26 – “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.”

After the surgery I was moved to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). After a successful procedure, now it was a testing phase at the ICU. On the first night, I suddenly woke up and saw my image on the TV on the ceiling. It was blurred. The lights were switched off; I could see doctors a little far away in the room in discussion. I was getting uneasy every other minute. While I was looking at the blurred image on the TV, the pain was aggravating. I started commanding: “By His Stripes, I AM healed, in the Name of Jesus”, I was shouting as the pain aggravated. Suddenly the doctors arrived. “Why are you murmuring sir?” and they woke me up. I couldn’t imagine I was asleep. I saw my image on the TV, it was alright. They switched on the light. They were surprised that my epidural (pain medicine) stopped working through the IV (drip through the vein). There seemed to be some air bubble blocking the epidural to reach my body. The block was on the equipment and not on the tube, which was surprising. My temperature shot up to 39.9 and they were running around to get everything in control. In two hours, my temperature became normal and the malfunction was rectified.

The second night at around same time, I started getting the pain. I called the doctor. The Epidural pain management was not getting distributed on all the areas of my abdomen. As a result of this, there was pain and the doctor did not know why it was happening. Finally they found out that the epidural cord which was fixed on my spine, needed to be replaced. They do not have an option but to start over the procedure to insert a new cord. At 2AM they started the procedure. They made me sit on the bed and had me bent forward. The doctor started working on my spine to get the cord right. It took them 2 hours to get it corrected. Due to the 12” incision, sitting in that position was painful. The doctor keeps checking with me regarding my comfort level. I was just smiling. I knew that if the Good Lord had taken care of me during the 6-hour surgery and that these things were minor. The major works were already supervised by Jesus. These were just tricks of Satan, he could only do these silly pain-generating tricks. Why should I be worried? So I wasn’t.

The next day, the doctor informed me that I have pneumonia. The plan was to have me observed for 4 days in ICU and then 10 days in the ward. But miraculously, I moved to the ward on the Day 2 of the surgery. I was transferred to a beautiful room where I could see a church from my bed. It was calm and I was happy to be in this state. Most importantly, I had plenty of time to read my Bible. There was absolutely no tension; I did not have to run around for earthly things, I could be myself with my Heavenly Father. During this time, I had a lot of God-loving friends visiting me, praying and praising the Lord for His Grace. The doctor never came back on the latest finding on pneumonia. It was cast down in the Name of Jesus. By God’s grace, I was recovering fast; I was able to walk from Day 4. Praise the Lord, on Day 7, I was back home! I was not having any pain. The wound healed in 3 days and I could walk from day 4! The biopsy result was out and the doctor confirmed that the residue mass was in fact a dead scar and it was not cancerous. By His Grace, I am cancer free. Jesus saved my family, my wife and my son. My Jesus touched me. I prayed, I believed I felt and then I experienced my healing! (Mark 11: 24).

Now I know the truth; the truth why we moved into this land. Through this ordeal, I set my trust in Jesus. All my life, I knew about Jesus, but I did not personally know Him. Now I have experientially known the truth that our Jesus will never leave nor forsake us, no matter how severe the circumstances around us are. Now I have experienced the truth that healing is the divine birthright of a child of God - My Jesus bore the stripes on His back for our healing (1 Peter 2:24). His plan is to give us Hope and Future.

God Bless!!

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