The Only Testimony Worth Telling... by Anonymous

The Only Testimony Worth Telling is that which Turns the Hearts of the People Toward Jesus

How do I know I was healed?  That’s a good question because I remember a lot more that what was told from others perspectives. I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in August of 2004. I was very familiar with the disease as my mother also had MS. I watched her go from a fairly active and happy lifestyle to a debilitated and depressed woman in a very short period of time. Without realizing it, I had formed a belief system and put my faith in what I had seen already happen with my mom, I received exactly what I put my faith in. In 2009, my mother passed away from complications of the disease, it was a low point in my life. It introduced a new level of fear and hopelessness that I had not entertained before.

          A few years later I decided that I would do something more with my life’s struggles and formed a plan to become a voice for the disabled. In May of 2014 I spoke in front of about 50 people at an amateur mixed martial arts event in Saint Augustine, we raised $11, it was successful because we did what we set out to do despite the low fundraising. I spoke at another amateur event in New Port Richey, FL in the August of 2014 at the All Sports Arena in front of about 110 people and raised $17, it was an improvement and the message reached people, it was a success. The third event seem to be the charm, back at All Sports Arena in September of 2014 I spoke on behalf of the MS Foundation in front of a packed house and raised $964.  That night I realized the hard work was paying off despite the physical challenges experienced while dealing with the disease. As time went on, my physical condition got worse, but I had a breakthrough in my mission to reach the masses with my message of hope in March of 2015. It was National Multiple Sclerosis Education and Awareness Week and I had an opportunity to become a worldwide spokesman for the MS Foundation at Real Fighting Championships 33: Proving Grounds. This event was held in Tampa, FL and the message not only reached an over packed house, but millions of people by pay-per-view on 5 continents. It was a major success, it opened up another door in my hometown of Daytona Beach in June 2015 when I spoke at a sold out, Daytona Beach Ocean Center for Breakthrough MMA.  This event was the first one that an MMA clothing company sponsored my wardrobe, not only for me, but for my entire family. Needless to say, I was completely full of myself. After this event, I got very sick. The same symptoms that I spoke about at the event, I ended up in the hospital with. My white blood cells had failed, I was a mess, not only physically, but mentally.  Pride comes before the fall. (Proverbs 16:18)

            In July of 2015, Home healthcare sent a nurse named Vanessa to my home to administer steroid infusions.  I was looking for a church at the time and had visited Turning Point Christian, but really didn’t find it to be home for us. She mentioned Anchor Faith Church and about what they believed, and just hearing her passion about this church, I committed to going. She had told us that service started at 11:00am on Sunday, so we showed up at 10:45am thinking that we were early, and it had actually started at 10:30am so we walked in right in the middle of worship. Both my wife and I were overcome with emotion within minutes of taking our seat. I can only explain it as being on a long and exhausting trip, and finally reaching home.  We know now that it was the Holy Spirit that we walked in on that morning. Over the course of the first few months at Anchor Faith my health was very much a rollercoaster. There was a point where I had to use the crutches with the braces on my arms, and then also a period of time that I required the use of a wheelchair. There was one verse that I just kept to memorization, and burned into my heart in that season. “I will turn the curse into a blessing to you, because I love you” (Deuteronomy 23:5).  I really believed that verse, no matter what I went through, no matter what the doctors said, I believed that God was going to turn this all around.

            There was a night that I was at home taking shower, and I was sure that the Holy Spirit had just told me that I was healed. It was also revealed to me that the reason my health got worse after each of the fundraisers was that I was taking ownership of the symptoms associated with the disease during the speeches. I recognized the pattern and started confessing that I was healed, well before a doctor said anything to me about it. Then in December of 2015, I was at home sitting in my wheelchair, and I heard the Spirit say “Get up and walk”, Immediately the enemy started flooding my head with doubt, accusations, and failure, but it was my friend, Jan-Michelle that sent me a text in that moment of battle that said “It’s OK to believe”. I thank God for her sensitivity to the Spirit in that moment, because without it, I am positive that the flesh would have won that day. It was a span of only a few days that I went from wheelchair to cane to walking, and then a few weeks later that I completed the obstacle course at Family Day, glory to God. When I had MS, 15 minutes in the sun was crippling, but now I spend 8-10 hours in the sun at work daily with no issues. God truly has flooded my body with His healing power, and whether or not you believe what I’m saying is fine. Let my life be a testimony of His love for all to read. (2 Corinthians 3:2)

          I look back now and see a parallel in scripture of my life.  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the water. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:1-5) I see from this account of creation, that God can create someone and they can breathe and function, but that existence can be chaotic. That existence can be formless and void of purpose, but glory to God the Spirit was hovering, waiting for the Word to be spoken. When God speaks to you, He releases the light of the world who is Jesus into your life. (John 8:12) That release separates the light from the darkness, and only then do you realize that you were in the darkness to begin with. God has filled me with so much light that when I wake up the dawn breaks from within me and gets brighter with each passing day.  (2 Corinthians 3:18) So the original question was, how do I know I am healed. It’s actually quite simple, God said it and I believe Him.