Thursday, July 28, 2005

Online Fellowship ...


From: Cyberanger

May our Abba Father bless you to be a blessing to others and use you mightily for His glory!

May I provide a link to your blog from mine?You may visit my blog and leave your reply at http://cyberanger.blogspot.com

Christ in You, Beloved, Eternally Redeemed, Annointed, New creation, Greatly Empowered & Recharged! - C.Y.B.E.R.A.N.G.E.R [That's Really a cool Nick..]
Dear Brother is Christ,

By all means, link me up with your 'blog', I am honoured to be a blessing, in the name of Lord Jesus Christ. That's when I realize my true purpose of life...to be blessed to bless...to Love as He has first Loved Us...

"Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up. Furthermore, if two lie down together they keep warm, but how can one be warm alone? And if one can overpower him who is alone, two can resist him. A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart." Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 (NASB)

In Christ we Stand... [Visual Contributed by Sister Jo]

Godwyn Lim

Monday, July 25, 2005

Positive Expectancy?

God is good is an understandment. You might not agree with me for now, yet surely the goodness of God will flow into your life, when you least expect it...few hours ago, I rang sister Irene, she bombarded me with her miracle experience. "Godwyn, 3 days ago I woke up and feel peace. My panic attack is gone!...it is a miracle..."
What is the big deal? Those who experience panic attacks, it is a big deal as you are completely helpless when a panic episode overcome you. For 14 days, sister Irene could not even sleep, from time to time, I called her and prayed with her, believing God's promises. Her testimony is just one of the very few I came across for the past 11 days...
Many shared with me about how they struggled out of depression with Jesus's grace. It seems to be a norm for us to think, depression command no physical damage, as compared to terminal illness such as cardiac arrest or AIDS or cancer...worst so, many refuse to seek treatment as when one consult a psychiatrist, others might quickly labelled him/her as suffering from Psychosis. In short, Mad! Look again at the rising suicide rates and age, it is alarming...
Don't get me wrong, I believe in Divine Healing and all our illness been taken away by Jesus with every stripes he bore 2000 years ago. I would just like to point out, Jesus wore the crown of torns, for your depression, manic attacks, panic episodes, delusion, paranoia ALL, taken away on the perfect cross. Why should we consult a physician then? Personally, I believe from what I had been taught, when I am unwell and there is a need to seek medical aids, I pray and give thanks for Jesus's wisdom to be imparted on the doctor. That does not mean I give up faith for science, what is faith then?
On early hours of 23rd July, my mind went blank with fear and pain. I had no specific idea what struck me but I knew it was both depression and an escalated panic episode. I had been working long hours over the weeks challenging every rocks that rolled onto me, tossing and multi-tasking. In desperation, I drew out a sermon by Pastor Prince, "Why you can expect good things to happen to you" and forcefully focus on his words from the Lord. In the midst of the listening to the sermon, when Pastor Prince address the ability of supernatural healing by our own hands, I pronounced "Amen!" putting my hand on my heart and just believe. I felt a 'burning' sensation, instantly the agony left me...May God be the Glory...
The night was not just another episode of miracle healing that I experienced and witnessed, it was a night of spiritual learning...The value of "Positive Expectancy"...without 'hope', how 'faith' comes about? Why is it important for us to hope? What is the difference between our Worldly "Fat Hope" and "Bible Hope"? Bible Hope is what Jesus deserved when Jesus was nailed for us on the cross. On that cross, Jesus not only took away our sins, he cut a convenant for us to receive blessing from our Father in Heaven.
Often we think we do not deserve this and that...yet Jesus did deserve it didn't he? If Jesus deserve it, you deserve it! That is Bible hope, we deserved it because God loves us! We expect good things to happen not because we deserve it, because the God we serve is a Big God, who loves us heaps! For once, I forgot the positive expectation of God's blessing...
We 'Believe the promise of God, All things work together for good' the 'all things' include stress and our daily problems. 'Problems' are bread to make us strong. Just like when I spoke to sister Irene, she justified that though it was miserable 14 days of suffering, yet she came out of it stronger than before. "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into his grace in which we stand; we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exultin our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character, hope ; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5: 1-5
In Isaiah 54, God teaches us about rejoicing with our hope and faith materializing with our positive expectation of the future, it is merely receiving what Jesus deserve! Whatever you need in your life, rejoice and prepare for your blessing! Isaish 54:
"Shout for joy, O Barren one, you who have borne no child; break forth into joyful shouting and cry aloud, you who have not travailed; For sons of the desolate one will be more numerous..." - 'Barren' is not just about offispring, it is about ANY provision we need in our life. Let us rejoice before we recieve it!
"Enlarge the place of your tent; Stretch out the curtains of your dewelling spare not! Lengthen your cords And strengthen your pegs. For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left..." - thus we hope, with our positive thinking, believing God will fill us with ALL our needs in life! How do we receive if we do not even 'enlarge' our tent to fill it? As for an example, being a consultant trainee in any trade, if we keep believing we are just a trainee, we act like a trainee, dress like a trainee, work with a trainee attitude's hope, how does our faith comes in with God's blessing?
"Okie, I think Big! What IF?..."Fear not, for you will not be put to shame; And do not feel humiliated, for you will not be disgraced; But you will forget the shame of your youth..." - This is God's promise, we will not be put to shame! We will not be disappointed! Let us first "Forget the shame" as what we asked is blessed because of the perfect work Jesus did for us at the cross! We are receiving what Jesus's deserve!
Put away our "conscience" where Adam partake the fruit of good and evil. Prepare for your blessing and receive it in Jesus name. This is positive expectancy...I am expanding my tent...are you?

Thursday, July 14, 2005

The Praise Cure !

Learn this from "Healing Treasury" by Dr. Lilian B. Healing can be as easy as praising the Lord, holding His promises by faith, be it how bad the situation is, Praise God! Since the Devil is only good with lies, confuse Him by his own deception. In pain, you thank God for shaping you, in sorrow, you thank God for learning the truth about happiness and not to take it for granted...GOD DOES NOT put you in a position to be at His mercy, it's all about Devil's lies...
My younger brother maturity can be clearly seen with his transformation, thought just 18, the Lord bless him with patience and wisdom. We are 10 years apart, we hardly talk and my usual pathetic ways to draw him closer is to the movies. That 120 minutes we focus on the movie and next 15 minutes after the show, I use scenes in the movie hoping to spark conversation. At times, I do not even know if he enjoyed it or being with me for convenience. His recent death of a friend, a 18 year old who collapsed during a run serving the army seems to impact him.
Imagine my brother was having a weekend BBQ with his friends and dew days later, the 'impossible' happen...Gone! That's how unpredictable our life is, "Now you see, Now you don't" may be a cliche, but it's true..I do not know if this is a davastating time for him, taking care of my younger sister and making sure my Dad takes his medication, while a friend just left him.
I know Satan has such a way of making us feel absolutely hopeless. I used to give in to the Devil, now I just praise the Lord as, if such are ways to transform my life, preparing me for eternity, it's Good! "When we feel like our life is falling apart, when we are going through a crisis and when it looks like defeat and failure are inevitable, the first, most important thing is to realize that God cares, God knows what we are going through, and God loves us" - Jerry Savelle.
We praise God as he loves us. God is willing to do whatever it takes to turn your situation around. You have to believes that God loves you heaps! The breakthrough will forcefully illustrate the lies and the truth. We often call it the 'turning point' of our life. The love of God is unconditional Love. If anything else is ever going to be turned around in your life, then we have to first of all believe that God cares about us more than any we can imagine. He is willing to turn what appears to be a curse into a victory or a test into a testimony. Amen?!
When one is ill, we often let symptons and feeling, leading us to doubt, we are healed by the stripes of Lord Jesus. He bore all all kinds of illness for you and I, every stripes for every illness. Hold on and believe, [No if, what if, maybe...] Christ hath reedemed us from the curse of Law, what remains for us but praise? Remember, Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy.
The Bible teaches that sin, sickness and suffering actually exist, are real and not illusions, yet it teaches us that they are completely removed by God, who Himself bore the full penalty of our sins in His body on the Cross. "Therefore when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head and gave up the spirit." John 19:30
Healing Promises:
"and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by his wounds you were healed." 1 Peter: 2:34
"He sent His words and healed them, And delivered them from their destruction." Psalm 107:20
"Submit therefore to God. Resist the Devil and he will flee from you." James 4:7

Wednesday, July 13, 2005

To serve or to be served?

Damn, wrote this last night but the page 'hung', all lost with a press of button, precious 2 hrs! That's technology, we built it to test our patience, how smart can human be? Remember one of sister in Christ who had recovered from acute panic attacks? She had a relapse, I found out a few days ago, prayed with her and I believe in the name of the Lord, she is healed. My younger sister turbo into panic state from time to time, it is difficult for my parents to handle as she is still young and the only princess in the family, spoilt like me!
I do not know why but many brothers and sisters in Christ around me are in distress, some physically, others spiritually and emotionally. Maybe I am 'Curse'? Nah, I reject that in Jesus name, Amen? Jesus loves us. As for me, my Dad is recovering from Manic Depression, sister braving panic attack with mum and my brother seems to be disturbed with the loss of a friend. In short, everyone needs divine healing while I struggle with my own progressive healing.
Penny sister shared with me about how God is using me, in the midst of my own challenges, I kept my heart to love others. This is not new as Pastor Prince [Just like Mosses] shared how God loves to turn our weakness into strength, then with his inability to speak well and now leading one of the largest congregation in Singapore with his sermons reaching out beyond Singapore...
"Abraham was old, Jacob was insecure, Leah was unattractive, Joseph was abused, Moses stuttered, Gideon was poor, Samson was codependent, Rahab was immoral, David had an affair and all kinds of family problems, Elijah was suicidal, Jermish was depressed, Jonah was reluctant, Naomi was a widow, John the Baptist was eccentric to say the least, Peter was impulsive and hot-tempered, Martha worried a lot, the Samaritan woman had several failed marriages, Zacchaeus was unpopular, Thomas had doubts, Paul had poor health, and Timonthy was timid..." written by Rick Warren.
God wants us to learn to love and serve others unselfishy. Looking at the long list, I had many of the misfits such as hot-tempered, worried, poor health and depress, just to name a few as the list goes on... Yet, I am qualified to serve God, so are you! Whenever we serve others in any way, I realize we are serving God and that give me great joy. Self-centered is focusing your concern about all your needs. We are doing that all the time without realizing, that include myself...
I believe I am healed of my terminal illness to help others, I am blessed to be a blessing. Frankly, I just manage to understand my 'calling' from God these few months, it's not to earn just a million dollars, it is to turn my weakness to strength, using 'God-shaped' abilities to help others, that I will fulfill the calling...
"It cost Jesus his own life to purchase our salvation. We don't serve God out of guilt, or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he's done for us. We owe him our lives. Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured. " Don't rush to sign up with any ministry as serving God starts from your family, friends and perfect strangers, not just Church. I am not saving not to serve in Church, what I meant is there is no small service to God...
I prayed and ask God, how? Many are sicked around me? What can I do? What should I do? It's about smashing the deception of Satan and he is best at lying. The Devil knows his time is up and his desperate attempts surfaced like recent London Bomb Blast. I do not know who in the right mind, thinks that blowing up humans, they can be God, in total control! That's just barbaric. Anyway, The Lord answered, Healing is part of Salvation...to be continued...
"What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave opportunity to each one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything but God who causes the growth." 1 Corinthians 3:5-6

Friday, July 01, 2005

She is Driving me Crazy

It's not a soul mate...not a work mate...not the usual relationship hiccup. It's my dear sister. After the laparoscopic surgery in May, for adhesion, she went into a self-inflicted trauma, developing into panic attack. Adhesion is when the tissues of the body grow together as a result of inflammation developing into pain.
I remembered how horrible government hospital is with my personal experience and my sister's case, sort of justify my thoughts are not really bias. Last year, a few doctors decided to operate on my sister, then just 13 of age with a open blade of at least 1 c.m. claiming a diagnosis of appendicitis when she had an extreme episodes of 'tummy ache'. In the end, she was 'cut up' they found no inflame appendix, they cut it with convenience, since she was to be operated.
This surgery started her chapters of near 12 months of pain where she visited all the GPs around the neighbourhood...finally Admitted to Mt Alvernia Hospital where the residential medical officer got the attention of a good surgeon who diagnose the adhesion, completing the May laparoscopic surgery cutting away the walls of stomach tissues from the first insane open surgery.
In the early hours of 30th of June, my sister lapsed into an new episode of pain and fainted. Hours before so, I laid some olive oil on my sister, prayed in spirit with my younger brother believing the truth, "Our sister is healed in Jesus Name." It is the deception of the Devil, as Satan loves to point us to our flesh while Our Lord constantly wants us to look at the complete work on the Cross, Amen?! Jesus's last words were, "It is finished...!", not "Halfway finished" or "I think it is finished." I am not a Saint but my living testimony and 'first hand' experience of healing, constantly leads me to share his complete work on the cross, not just for me...for all who believes, through his transgression, we are healed...
Dr. Wong (Surgeon) told me it was not the first time she had examined my younger sister after the surgery, I had no idea such had happened as my "China-Man" family tradition practices decision from parents, be it they know or do not know what they are doing. My parents will seek options from me when they knew it was the last straw. Don't get me wrong, I love them, yes I do 'hate them' at times with making decisions that I felt was not rational. Dr. asked me to describe the scene how my sister fainted and I did my best I could.
"I had done all physical checks and I ran out of ideas. I am sure your sister is fine after the laposcopic surgery for adhesion and I cannot find any reasons with several consultations after which I had seen her, without your presence. My opinion is that she seemed to be on a panic attack. During a panic attack, that could be triggered by any, leading her to breathe too fast, inhaling more oxygen than needed and the mind will 'black out'. Her body will tense up leading to a fall, that had similar traits of losing consciousness...." that's part of the Surgeon conversation as much as I can remember.
Dr. Wong tried to explain to my parents but it is really hard for them to believe a panic attack can be so "dramatic". "Are there any other parts of the body linking to the pain?" My mum continued in disbelief..."Panic Attack" is my old time enemy. I am not surprised and agree with what the Surgeon had related.
During a panic attack, the victim can fall flat on the floor 'drowning' one thinking he/she is dying...fast. Panic attack is worst than physical illness as it is the attack of the mind, controlling all your main physical organs in your body. At the moment, you feel so helpless and hope God will lead you back to Heaven...In other Word, Death is an appealing option. One of our sister in Christ, recovered from Panic attack, that I witnessed with a Pastor. This 'invisible' traumatic medical issue led her not able to work and she lapsed into progressive, panic attacks that nothing can control her of...
I am sharing this as such illness is complicated to diagnose and it can happen to anyone. Nothing is impossible to the Lord and sister in Christ was healed and I was healed from panic attack that crippled my life. I basically then was like the living dead, waking up to take medication and sleep, hoping to sleep away all the pain. The Rick Warren book opened up a new dimension of 'worship' that I personally believe for years and I am no Saint or a Pastor, I thought if I speak of it, others will just sweep me off, thinking, "He is mad...who is he to say such?"
When we learn to love others, it is a form of 'Worship'. The greatest commandment of all that Lord Jesus shared, "Love one another as I have First Love you." Though I faced mountains of obstacles daily, these months of 'isolation' from Church, I learn to love others. Yet, when you do so, expect NO returns as with expectations, it comes disappointment. Be prepared for others to criticize you as not all will take your approach as 'loving', in Singapore they have a term for 'busy-body' it's called , "Kapoh" pronounce as "Ke Poh".
In the past, when I see any injustice, I will jump in and sort it out, they labelled me as "impulsive". Damn, I was just trying to help...Oh I learn a simple theory: "God Loves Man, God Helps Man, Not Man Help God". Self-effort is a pack of losing cards...I notice Fear and Pride leads us to confusion without realizing the Love of God. "We aren't God and never will be. We are humans. It is when we try to be God that we end up most like Satan, who desired the same thing. We accept our humanity intellectually, but not emotionally. When faced with our own limitations, we react with irritation, anger, and resentment. We want to be taller (or shorter), smarter, stronger, more talented, more beautiful and wealthier..."
When I understand one is in trouble, mostly emotionally that leads to our spirit, our body and soul, I try to speak to him/her. I will SMS [text/ping] words, slowly I will input verses from the Bible as I came to understand when you try to be 'Holy', people will think hey, this is another religious ***. Anyway, we are Holy as Jesus is Holy. Amen?! We can never be Holy...even in trillions years, forget about it...When I am down, sister Penny does the same to me, my words can never be enough to praise God as He never fails to cast his love when you need him most, his love will warm your heart or someone, somehow or so will indirectly show you love from Jesus. It is a matter of awareness...if you truly surrender your life to God and believe in Him, he will never forsake you...
The period when I serve the Lord in Church, I learn the most practical 'mindset' from some of the brothers in Christ. "Godwyn, when you face problems, you have no control, pray and tell God it's God's problem, not yours." The amazing thing is to witness them doing such and the cliché's of "Let Go Let God" happen into reality. 'wow..."ok Too Long...STOP!
I just want to share some verses the Lord spoke and these are for all who are feeling depressed like I do, yet when I fall, I shall...arise...Amen?! God's promises:
"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you! He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed." Deut 31:8
"The Lord is near to the brokenhearted. And saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18
"Shout for joy, O Heavens! And rejoice, O earth! Break forth into joyful shouting, O Mountains! For the Lord has comforted His people And will have compassion on His afflicted. But Zion said, "The Lord has forsaken me, And the Lord has forgotten me." Can a woman forget her nursing child And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget but I will Not Forget You." Isaiah:49:13-15
The Grace of Lord Jesus is more than enough to deliver you through All Things:
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God. And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulations brings about perseverance and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Romans 5:1 -5