I have to tell you how proud I am of my Dad. He is really a trooper through all of this experience. He has never complained about any of the procedures or medicines that he has had to take. In these months he has held tight to his faith in God. Also, he has been a witness and a testimony to the doctors. I know that this is seen as an unbeatable foe by the doctors, but I tell you that I have never met a stronger, more resilient competitor than my Dad. He has beaten the odds……more than once.

When he was first diagnosed and we were up in Indianapolis for his first surgery, we were in his hotel room before he left for the hospital. And, the scriptures say in James 5 that if anyone is sick, gather the elders together and anoint them with oil and pray for them. We did this as a family. We were given great peace and some super scriptures…that this sickness is not unto death, but that the Son might be glorified thereby (John 11). In many places in scripture faith is tested.

Mat 15:22-28 KJV

(22) And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, [thou] Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

(23) But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

(24) But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

(25) Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

(26) But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast [it] to dogs.

(27) And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

(28) Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great [is] thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Had she not persisted, then who knows what would have happened. Great is her faith and she is a witness to us all.

These great faith examples remind me of my Dad’s faith….

Mar 10:46-52 KJV

(46) And they came to Jericho: and as he went out of Jericho with his disciples and a great number of people, blind Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging.

(47) And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.

(48) And many charged him that he should hold his peace: but he cried the more a great deal, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.

(49) And Jesus stood still, and commanded him to be called. And they call the blind man, saying unto him, Be of good comfort, rise; he calleth thee.

(50) And he, casting away his garment, rose, and came to Jesus.

(51) And Jesus answered and said unto him, What wilt thou that I should do unto thee? The blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might receive my sight.

(52) And Jesus said unto him, Go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received his sight, and followed Jesus in the way.

Mat 8:1-10 KJV

(1) When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.

(2) And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

(3) And Jesus put forth [his] hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

(4) And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

(5) And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him,

(6) And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.

(7) And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

(8) The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.

(9) For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this [man], Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth [it].

(10) When Jesus heard [it], he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.

My Dad has been declaring the faithfulness of God to all who would listen. God has been so good to us. Dad has lived far beyond the doctor’s expectations. Additionally, the doctors continue to say that they might find cancer in the ducts or the liver or abdomen….Dad boldly declares, “You will not find any cancer. The tumor is gone. I have been healed of the cancer.” Each time the results support my Dad’s faith. Even still the doctors do not believe that the ultimate outcome is total cure. Our faith is not in the healing, but in God. Our faith is in a God who can and does heal.

The Word of the LORD is trustable. It is the truth. My Dad gives me great inspiration and strengthens my own faith. When the circumstances look bad, Dad is still fighting and believing that God has/will heal him. He believes the words of Jesus….(Mat 19:26 KJV) But Jesus beheld [them], and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

It also brings to mind a few other choice scriptures.

(Rom 1:17 KJV) For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

Rom 4:3-5 AMP

(3) For what does the Scripture say? Abraham believed in (trusted in) God, and it was credited to his account as righteousness (right living and right standing with God). [Gen. 15:6.]

(4) Now to a laborer, his wages are not counted as a favor or a gift, but as an obligation (something owed to him).

(5) But to one who, not working [by the Law], trusts (believes fully) in Him Who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited to him as righteousness (the standing acceptable to God).

Dad has the faith of Abraham. I am truly blessed. I do pray that God will totally heal my Dad….and by that I mean he will return to full health in the next few weeks and months. I pray that Dad would be healed for a witness and a sign. I pray that he would be healed as a testimony to the scriptures we were given and for His Name’s sake.

I am not able to know God’s exact timetable in all of this. But I do know that healing cannot come without faith. I am so proud of my Dad’s continual statements of faith and belief that he has been healed. I know that the circumstances can seem pretty bad, and things might look bad on the outside, but this is the same God who delivered Israel from Pharaoh and Shadrack, Meeshack and Abednego from the fiery furnace. (Jer 32:27 KJV) Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

How blessed I am to have a father with such great faith….the faith of Abraham.

(Joh 20:29 KJV) Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed [are] they that have not seen, and [yet] have believed.