TESTIMONY OF THE GOODNESS OF OUR LORD JESUS
UNFORGIVENESS – A HINDRANCE TO GOD’s ABUNDANT BLESSINGS
Shalom!
Fellow disciples of the House of Joy!
Thank GOD for the wonderful breakthroughs in my life I had over the last 2 weeks. I just can’t comprehend…..years of bottled up anger, unforgiveness, hatred, disappointment, fear, insecurity etc all quickly dealt with after spending those 5 days up in the mountains in Guilin China over CNY. In those very very quiet times with GOD up in the mountain, I could hear so very clearly the HOLY SPIRIT speak and minister to my heart, revealing the condition of my heart, revealing all my faults and shortcomings, sins, strongholds and bondages which I had conveniently blamed on other people all my life when I chose to live in denial, blaming everyone else on earth except myself for whatever problems, wrongs and unhappiness I went through, choosing to live in self-pity and always seeking sympathy from others (especially using it to “cheat” women). Wow! What a big slap in my own face when I looked back at how pathetic a life I used to live.
There are just too many revelations from the LORD so I’ll just share one at a time. This first one is particularly significant and I know it’ll touch the hearts of many of you so I’ll share this first. This testimony goes like this….
In 2006, I gave a money back guarantee to my regular client, Petronas, to engage a singer by the name of Leonard (who is one of my longest and best buddy in the entertainment biz) for their annual Oilmen’s Gala Dinner where the main artiste is a famous party band from Hollywood called “Splash”. So the day of the event came and Leonard’s crew was supposed to set up and rehearse at 4pm sharp. I called to remind Leonard’s wife at 10am that morning that there was a heavy jam in KL city as roads around Dataran Merdeka was closed for a major concert, that they should leave USJ early and not get stuck in traffic jams. Their sound crew only arrived at 4.45pm and without even apologizing, they started accusing my technical people of not preparing the cables etc that they wanted. So I called Leonard’s wife and confronted her expecting a nice apology and then get on with the show. Instead, I don’t know what challenges she was going through that day, she snapped back at me and we ended up arguing for almost an hour on our cell phones over who’s right and who’s wrong…I was under a lot of pressure as it was a big international concert and I was on the verge of making a decision whether to break up with my then gf of 2yrs who keep refusing to marry me. After all that was said and done, when I got home after successfully completing the event, I immediately went online and stopped payment on the cheque I gave to Leonard for his performance. Then I sent his wife an email demanding for a letter of apology before I release the full payment to her…..
However, instead of a simple apology, she sent me a long 3 page letter “screaming” back at me why they had the right to come late etc. I still refused to pay them (even though I received full payment from the client), and 2 months later I received a lawyer’s letter from Leonard. That effectively soured our good and long brotherly friendship. In retaliation, I called my lawyer who was a Christian brother from the church where I used to worship and explained the situation to him. He told me my choices and I choosed to counter sue Leonard for 10 times of what I was supposed to pay him, I even offered my lawyer 50% share if he won the case. I left the matter at the hands of my lawyer and forgot about the whole matter…..until that day up on the mountain in Guilin…
As I was doing my daily morning devotion, praying in tongues, suddenly I was interrupted by a phone call. Usually, I would ignore when I am praying or worshipping GOD but somehow, my spirit told me that this is a call I had to answer. So I answered and my father was on the line telling me that a lawyer with some court officials were at his house to confiscate and auction his TV, Fridge, Washing Machine, Microwave oven etc because it turned out that I lost the case against Leonard! I asked him to tell the lawyer that I am in China and will come back to settle the case after 14 Feb and they agreed to postpone the auction to 18Feb. My heart and mind was greatly disturbed after the phone call. I can literally feel the anger and unforgiveness creeping back into my heart over all that has happened. But GOD is good, the HOLY SPIRIT quickly told me that it is GOD’s will that I lost the case and this incident is to remind me of the issue of unforgiveness that has sunk deep into the very bottom of my heart. GOD then led me to thank HIM for Leonard & his wife and to pray in tongues for them! Being obedient, I did just that and felt a sense of relief and a heavy burden leaving my heart. HOLY SPIRIT then ministered to me that no matter who is right or wrong, as the children of GOD, we are to forgive and to love. JESUS reminded me of HIS parables of turning the other cheek, the parable of giving your coat if someone demand for your cloak, the parable of forgiving 7 x 77 times in the same day that person who offends you and to settle with the one who is on the way to the court to sue you. What a morning of revelation and release for me. Since that day till the day I settled the lawsuit, GOD led me thank HIM and pray for Leonard daily! At the same time, I could hear satan’s voice screaming into my ears that I would be a fool to settle, that I should appeal the case to a higher court, that I would lose face by settling, that my image and reputation would be ruined etc. Wow, I really had to bind and break that evil spirit of unforgiveness almost every second when I was praying over this matter. In fact, my own carnal voice was also arguing with GOD. I said it’s not fair that I did not get my apology. It was clearly Leonard who wronged me. I should get some kind of compensation etc. Sigh! How our carnality tries to come in the way of GOD’s great plans for our lives…. I was even more horrified when GOD told me to buy a Bible as a gift for Leonard on top of having to pay him with interest, court cost etc. And, HE told me to include a card and sign it with apologies. What?! I was wronged and I had to apologise?! Not fair! I said, why GOD? Why are you doing this to me?
Then GOD gently told me that this issue of unforgiveness is like a big boulder acting like a dam blocking the flow of blessings in GOD’s appointed river that flows to me. GOD showed me a vision of the river in a huge valley like the one I saw when traveling to Shangri-La in China where a huge rock stopped the flow of water and only trickles of water was seeping through. WOW! Even the trickles of blessings already made me quite well-to-do so GOD said; imagine if the boulder is removed! The blessings will come through like a flood! So again, I humbled myself and promised GOD that I will do as HE tells me to.
On the morning of 17Feb, I went to the bank and withdrew the money. That morning, even as I woke up, the devil started screaming in my ears not to settle. I can feel how desperate it was to stop me from getting my breakthrough. All the way to the bank, all the way from the bank to the Bible book shop, all the way from the shop to the lawyer’s office and even while the lawyer was counting the cash that I gave her to settle the case, the evil one was screaming into my ears and I had to sing and hum “Jesus, Beautiful Saviour” over and over and over again all that time to labour and fight on to achieve the breakthrough GOD has prepared for me. The lawyer looked at me while she was counting the thousands of Ringgit like I had lost my mind! Ha ha ha! I think for her, I was the first person who was happy to lose a case and can even sing and rejoice while having to pay the penalty and compensation….and when she was done counting, I took out the gift wrapped Bible with a “Thank You” card attached on top of it and asked her to pass it to Leonard when he comes to collect his money. She stared at me for a few seconds and gave me that unbelieving look. I can almost hear her mind scream “this guy has gone nuts!” ha ha ha….but I was still singing and praising GOD!
I could not describe how relieved and light I felt as I left the lawyer’s office that day. I could feel JESUS’ hand patting me on my head and said “my son, finally, you obeyed me and came back to my path that leads up to the mountain of faith and blessings. See, I greater blessings stored up and waiting for you”. While I drive away, I sent an sms to my lawyer to inform him that I had settled the case and that he should withdraw whatever counter suit or appeals. Moments later, this is the reply I received from him:
“Your actions took a lot of forgiveness. God has moved you to a higher level.”
Tears of joy and relief immediately welled up and I cried like a baby and thanked GOD for HIS confirmation while I was driving home.
When I came about, I then sent another sms to Leonard and told him that I have settled his long overdue payment and asked him to accept the gift I included with the payment as a token of my sincere apologies and thanks for the ordeal he had to go through because of my unforgiving actions and I blessed him in JESUS’ name and told him GOD loves him. He replied after about 6 hours later:
“TQ bro Kiat Ken, am appreciative of your sincere thoughts, love and God bless always. I am continuously involved in helping the needy, you’ve probably read about it in the papers too, join me in this journey whenever permissible k…”
Thank GOD the barrier and ice was broken! Then I sms him that I am also involved in Christian ministry to the poor, homeless, widows and orphans and will soon be starting such a ministry in Kunming China in June 2009 and I invited him to join me for a holiday there and take a look at our work. I blessed him, his wife and his children again in JESUS’ name. He replied:
“I am truly elated to hear of your sacrifices, the world’s need for such gestures r actually endless, …. I’d love to be your guest in China soon….btw, the money received has already been allocated to a worthy cause. Love and God bless from all of us….”
Later that night, and the following day I received these sms’es from Leonard:
“My wife says we bring you for some newly discovered thai food one of these days ya J”
And:
“Hi bro KK, I’ll be tied up these 3 weeks. Pls do keep in touch ya.”
WOW! Can you see what the LOVE OF GOD can do? All hostility, anger and bitterness just melted away by FORGIVING!
Later that night, I went to my Deeper Life Seminar class as usual and a German Pastor, Ps Kitty, was teaching and at the end of the class she prayed and prophesied over all the students. I was the 2nd last to be prayed for and having told her about the plans to start the children’s mission in China the previous night, I thought she was going to pray a blessing for my soon to be full time ministry there but when she started praying for me, before she can utter the first word, she paused and said GOD is telling her something…..then she continued and said:
“GOD says HE is going to make you a very rich man. And because your heart is focused on GOD and you put GOD first in your life, even though you have been unfaithful in the past but you have been faithfully giving lately. GOD will give me the spirit of Isaac, that during times of famine, I will still faithfully and obediently sow and reap many folds just like in the book of Genesis and GOD will make me very wealthy in the land that HE wants me to be in. And I will be the steward of HIS resources with the gift of making money, and GOD will use me to teach other brothers and sisters in Christ on how to make money!”
As Ps Kitty prophesied that over me, I was already sobbing, tears of joy and relief and thankfulness just flowed out of my eyes as I thanked GOD for all that I’ve been through over the 9 years since I accepted JESUS and the 5 years when I went around my “desert” experience. Hallelujah!
Bros and sisters in Christ, I don’t know what “desert” you are going through right now. I don’t know what and how GOD is dealing with you where you are presently. I don’t know the condition of your heart but what I do know, that if there is unforgiveness, anger, hatred, pain, suffering, doubts, fears, bitterness etc in your heart, please do yourself a big favour. Come to the cross of JESUS CHRIST, soak yourself in HIS blood, lay all these burdens at the foot of the CROSS and repent of all these sins. Be honest with GOD and OBEY HIM. Open your heart to HIM and let HIM do what no man or woman can do. Let HIM cleanse, release and lift those burdens away from you. Then wait upon HIM to bring that much awaited victory into your life with OPEN HEAVENS!
GOD bless us all! Amen!
Your servant,