WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE THE VICTORY!

As I was preparing the discussion questions from Faith Study Course, I was again very ministered by what I read. It was in line with what I had been meditating on recently. I remembered looking at those self-help books at a book store and I thought to myself. The key to all these steps of success eventually boils down to a changing of mindset. The human mind is the most stubborn and most resistant to change. Circumstances and things around us may change faster than our minds can change.

Nowadays I accept that there are so many things I don't know about the universe and the spiritual realm. I am often humbled by what I don't know. Yet at the same time I am contented by what the Lord shows me or what He does want me to know. If it deems important for Him to let me know then I will want to know. I thank God that I know so much more about His word than I used to. In the past I knew His ways but now I can begin to say that I know His heart even when things don't necessarily go according to what I expect to see or contrary to what His word says.

I also begin to understand the temporal nature of things and situations. Even though things had been like this for many years didn't mean that it would not change. Things would not remain like this forever. For me this perspective from God helped me a lot when I was going through trials or tough times. It gave me hope for a better future, that things would eventually get better and better. That after the testing comes the rewards, the promotion.

Last night I was listening to Pastor's sermon and he said before the enemy attacks your health or your finances, he will always try to steal the word from your life. That's why most people find themselves quarrelling or moody for no reason after church service. The devil is trying to steal the word they just heard. So that is not the time to give up on the word but to dig in your heels and stand firm on it. Sometimes it may mean life and death.

Even Kenneth Hagin said if you have read these lessons on faith and they have taken hold of your hearts, the enemy is going to try to contest you. But the Lord wants you to be prepared for Satan's wiles. You can be fully prepared for any situation or circumstance that can arise. Keep pressing on to attain the highest kind of faith which is to believe that the word of God is the truth. It is actually what it declares it to be. The word of God is living and active but it will only come alive to you and work in your life as you accept it and act upon it. You have to align yourself with His word.

When you really begin to study the word and accept it as it is, you will wonder why in the world you believed some things the way you did. This is the process of God changing our minds. There are dark areas in our mind or strongholds which we probably didn't even know about. It was when the light of His word shone on those areas that we realised we were held bondage in that particular area. It is astounding that some of the things people believe in really aren't in His word at all. We often accept what others say about the word instead of seeing it for ourselves.

Other times we believe in what we experienced to be the truth rather than God's word. Like if we have been burnt before by an issue then we would see that challenge as bigger than His word. Yet many times seeing is not believing. How many times have you been deceived by things you saw? And how many times have you been deceived by things you didn't see? Spiritual things are more real than natural things that our eyes can see. Just because you went through some heartache which was very real to you doesn't mean it is the word of God. Or the will of God.

Kenneth Hagin urged us to pay attention to what the Word has to say about redemption or forgiveness of sins because a lot of folks are defeated here. They don't take a stand against the enemy, against what comes against them because they think it ought to be that way. That they deserve the test or trial that has come upon them. Like they still felt they got to pay for something wrong they did in the past though the bible said clearly that our sins are paid by Jesus at the cross. A lot of people are permitting tests and trials to take place in their lives because they are not standing in their place of authority against Satan.

They are being robbed of deliverance and victory because they think it ought to be that way. Of course tests and trials in life come to all of us but on the other hand that doesn't mean we have to allow Satan to run over us either! If we are in Christ, God has promised us the victory in every circumstance. Even Pastor Prince said that not all trials are necessary in our lives. Jesus also taught us to pray that our Father deliver us from evil or testing in His daily prayer.

Beloved, understand that God's heart is not to allow us to go through endless testing and trials. As with all seasons, the season of wilderness is only temporary and it too shall pass. After going through the fire and water, God is bringing us to a broad place. A place of fulfilment and abundance. He will repay us and restore us the joy and peace the trials had taken away from our lives. He will work all things out for our good. Bring beauty out of ashes. And even though some testing might be necessary for our character development, God has tampered it with much mercy. He will not allow us to go through what we cannot bear but always provides a way out for us.

I strongly believe that most trials and tough times in believers' lives are actually not necessary. If they could follow the still small voice of the Holy Spirit, they could be spared of many heartaches and pains. But well, some of us need to come to the end of ourselves before we can receive His help. No wonder apostle John prayed this at the end of his life. Beloved I wish for you above all things that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers. God's heart is to see His children prosper, not suffer.

Kenneth Hagin said that instead of accepting the fact that they had been delivered from the penalty of sin, some believers let the devil dominate them and keep them sick and defeated. But God doesn't hold your sin against you once you have asked for forgiveness. The work of Christ on the cross washes away our lifetime of sins. We are made righteous because of Jesus' blood. The price for our redemption has been paid, so the devil has no right to dominate us. He can only have an inroad in our lives as far as we allow him to.

The best part about being in Christ is that no matter how many times you missed it, God will always give you more chances. You can try until you get it. God will make sure that you eventually get it. Hence ultimately victory belongs to us, no matter what it seems like at the moment. The enemy is always a defeated foe. Don't let him get you into condemnation and fear again. Say I am the righteousness of God in Christ. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ.

Christ in us is really the hope of glory. Because of the finished work on the cross we will always win. No matter how far we have strayed or how impossible things seemed in the natural, there is always hope if we turn back to the cross. The finished work is a definite thing that had happened so we can have the assurance that when we go back to the finished work, God can make all things right in our lives again. It might take a long while, there might be a process to endure, a fight of faith to stand firm on the promise, but the end outcome is assured. Eventually the promise will manifest. We are forever blessed because of the cross.

HARDLY A COINCIDENCE

Our family went for a holiday at Club Med Bintan last week. When we received our room number I was so surprised. It was the same number I thought we were staying in Malaysia in early June. Back then I was having my hair treatment in the hair salon and did not remember the room number though I had the key. I took a shot of the room number but later I passed my handphone to Heng. I vaguely remembered it was 12th floor and this number '1219' came to my mind. Thank God Heng and Joshua came by when I was just done with my hair because the room number was 1240 instead. I could have went to the wrong hotel room. 

But this number ended up to be our Club Med hotel room number instead! It was a prophetic word for our next hotel room! Although this was a small thing, nevertheless it was amazing for me. I wondered what were the chances that it could be this number? Of all the numbers in the world, how could it be so spot on! God must be telling me something. That He is showing me things to come with increasing accuracy. Even another sister also felt that I have come up to another level. Really praise the Lord! It was really quite exciting.

Last night I was pondering upon 1219 and tried to search bible verses associated with this. I came to Romans 12:19 which said 'Beloved, do not avenge yourselves but rather give place to God's wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay," says the Lord. I was wondering why the Lord impressed upon me this verse. I wasn't even thinking about taking revenge on those people who persecuted us. There was a time I thought about it but now no more. I wasn't thinking about revenge. I really didn't care much about them, especially not when I am busy enjoying my life.

This morning it occurred to me why God showed me this verse. It was in the context of God avenging my enemies in this season. God wanted my enemies to repay me for all the troubles brought upon me. The enemy is being paid back for touching you. The enemy is being paid back for tormenting you. The enemy is being paid back for stealing, killing and destroying in your life. The enemy is being paid back for lying to you. The enemy is being paid back for attempting to kill you. I may have forgotten about revenge but God hasn't. Praise God for now is payback time! 

TENANCY ISSUE FINALLY SETTLED!

Praise the Lord for on 2 June the tenant finally signed the tenancy agreement! Since 20 Mar, our rental flat has been vacant. We have been waiting for more than two months for God to bring us the right tenant at the price we desire. Our previous Property Agent has been telling us that the rental market was very bad and there were many flats waiting to be rented out. Supply far outstripped demand so it has become a tenant market instead of landlord calling the shots.

We had been waiting and praying for God to send us a breakthrough in this area. It wasn't that we didn't have any offers but they were really low. If we accepted those offers, it would be like 'spoiling the market' and causing a new low in our region. I prayed and sought the Lord about it as I was willing to compromise and take the low offers in an attempt to close this issue and stop the waiting. After all we were incurring opportunity costs in the form of no rental income for these few months. 

But Heng wasn't comfortable with taking the low offers so we couldn't proceed. I also didn't have the peace but I didn't know what was the hold-up. All I knew was God wanted the best deal for us and He didn't want me to compromise despite the bad rental market. Well, after waiting for almost two months, we felt prompted to let another new agent market our unit. Initially we hesitated because this agent had served us since Jul 2010 and we wanted her to earn the rental commission. Yet somehow she wasn't really able to close a deal this time round. 

Besides this is our seventh year of flat rental and we have entered into a new season. He is doing new things and He wanted us to be open. This caused me to wonder if God may want us to engage a new agent to help market our unit. But we didn't know who and when. So we just did nothing and waited. What happened next was really His hand at work. My mum had her agent to rent out her room so she spoke to this agent about my situation. My mum asked her if she could help and she agreed. So my mum recommended us to this new agent. Both Heng and I prayed about it and agreed to let her have a try. We had the peace to proceed.

Well, in about two weeks' time, this new agent managed to close a deal for us at a price higher than we expected. Not only that the rental profile was good. This tenant worked as a professional and had a family of three. It was this agent's first viewing. I told Heng that this agent was a godsend angel to us. She was really so encouraging and acted in my interest. God sent her to do good to me. I was reminded of how God also sent this sister in our previous church to convince us to take the vitamins to help me conceive in 2005. I was resistant for a year but she didn't give up. Not only that she helped us to carry the heavy bag of vitamins to bring to us in church. I mean she didn't have to do that but she did. She had the heart to help me conceive. I was really grateful to her and I felt so loved by my Abba Father.

Pastor Prince said that when God wants to bless us, He will send a person. Indeed one of the ways we experience His goodness is through people. That was why when God sent us this person in mid May and prompted us to change a new agent, I knew God had His eye on this issue and wanted to close it soon. Even though there was a time lapse of two weeks, I had to keep reminding myself to give Him some time for He was working behind the scenes. Just rest in Him and don't get into works. Meanwhile I was to worship and praise Him for the completion of the rental issue. Changes were set into motion once we appointed this agent.

Yes I must admit that I was tempted to be moved from my position of rest when I saw that nothing was happening initially. I was getting impatient and weary. But I had to focus on what God told me and find encouragement in His word. I had to trust Him. Besides what can I do if He didn't move? I have done all I could and the ball was in His court. But God is so good. He told me to change my mental picture as I began to get discouraged after waiting and seeing no breakthrough in the rental issue. I started thinking of the worst scenario and feared of more delays. This thinking did not help because it was not a positive expectation of good things to come. It would make me feel more drained.

I was also prompted to start praising God. Praise and worship really changed my perspective too. God told me I should be rejoicing because I have finished the race, completed the training, passed the test. This was more important to Him that the breakthroughs I was desperately seeking Him for. It was because once I passed the test, there would be no limit as to how high He could bring me to in my next season. He showed me He was so pleased with the completion of this journey. He was even excited at my future. I could sense His excitement…so interesting.

In one of the worship sessions, I also began to see how these issues I had been waiting for a breakthrough were already a finished work in His eyes. I began to see that God was already looking at a much farther future of our family when I was concerned about these immediate issues. It was then that I realised this was a done deal so I didn't even have to worry about it coming to pass. Worship put my heart at ease knowing that God was working on my situation and what I thought was very difficult could change in a moment with a touch of His favour.