Reach Testimony

Despite this, His love and zeal for me diminished not. On the contrary, they grew more intensely and infinitely. Then, a most heart wrenching event occurred, life left His body and the enemies rejoiced triumphantly, shouting words of slurs and abuses. They yelled at me, “What now, Sharon? Where is your hope? Who will rescue you?” Indescribable pain gripped my heart and feelings of hopelessness consumed me. A loud and eerie silence could be heard for what seemed like eternity. With my fist, I beat my aching heart, “What’s going to happen to me? Where will I go from here?” I waited for an answer but there was only silence… a long unbearable silence…

Then from a distance, I heard shouts of jubilation and celebration. “Is this possible at such a time as this?!” I thought to myself. The noise was so enticing, that in utter desperation, I turned toward the unmistakeable sounds of clapping and acclamations. Inexhaustibly, I searched and forcefully pushed myself through the strong crowd. I stumbled and fell to the ground scraping both hands and knees. Dust covered me, I rolled on the ground in pain…

A gentle warm hand reached out to mine to help me up. Slowly, I stood up in my torn and dirt-stained dress. I looked up and saw piercing but loving eyes gazing down at me. I paused as I marvelled at the beauty before me. His face lit up with a smile and my heart skipped a beat. A loving silence overtook us, as we stared at each other’s eyes. A pleasurable and delightful feeling came over my body as I kept my eyes on Him.

Finally, He said, “My love, I have longed to embrace you eternally, would you come away with me?” I replied, “Yes Lord, I will come with you.”

Completely awestruck by what just happened, I marvelled at the thought that He would still choose to use me despite my heavy heart. Then I noticed that I wasn’t feeling so sad anymore. Instead, there was lightness, excitement and joy flowing from within me.

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever. (Psalm 30:11-12)

Reach Testimony The TRUTH that set me FREE From seeking physical healing to finding intimacy with my Abba Father By Mabel Yim

I accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior in the 90’s. Every part of this journey has been interesting, but I want to share what happened to me about three years ago.

Most testimonies speak of an event that changes people’s lives. In mine, it was finding God’s Word that changed me. In the past three years, something major took place in my heart: answers I have been searching for over two decades were unveiled to me, one by one; and it only began when I made a decision to discover the truth of God’s Word.

In Jeremiah 29:13-14a, it says, “ And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you …” Glory to our faithful God who is true to His Word!

Overwhelmed by illnesses I grew up feeling safe and secure. Studies were smooth and I was blessed with a steady relationship with my now husband since university. However, when I became a Christian, things changed. Challenges I never imagined, one of which was a sickness that eventually led to the pain of infertility, miscarriages, and all the gruesome medical interventions associated with it. Although I knew God could heal, I was never sure if it was His will to heal me. This went on for many years.

Sickness and healing always had me baffled. Countless days and nights I came desperately before God, begging and crying out, “Have mercy on your servant.” God blessed us with a healthy child after four years of asking. Praise the Lord! I am also thankful for a wonderfully supportive spiritual family at Reach Community Church, and for Pastor Victor, without whom, our family would not know where we would be today.

The same struggle on health, however, resumed not long afterwards, leading to countless of heartbreaks beyond words can tell. Gradually I no longer heard God’s voice. God appeared silent. Somehow I thought God must have been displeased with me, for whatever evil I had thought, said or done.

My earthly parents would do anything to see their children healed. I heard them say that they would suffer in our place, so that we would be well. Why not my Heavenly Father who loves me so much more? Many thoughts went through my mind, many questions that needed answers.

Things went from bad to worse. In November 2015 I was given two new medical diagnoses. Fear overwhelmed me, yet deep down I knew there had to be something more, that God could do beyond medical science. I decided to investigate what God says about physical healing. I vowed to learn “every word that proceeded from the mouth of God” concerning His will on healing our bodies.

Reach Testimony

Seeking the truth I started searching far and wide. I looked up healing ministers from the 19th century to present times; from Pentecostal to Denominational churches. I saw various differences and similarities. Some ministers only operate in “gift of healings”; some develop faith from the Word; some execute both; some even claim miracles and healing passed away with the last Apostle. What dawned on me were the numerous Scriptures I found concerning healing, and hundreds of testimonies. People are still being divinely healed since bible time!

In December 2015, my late sister’s cancer returned for the third time. Somehow hope rose up within me. I knew God’s healing was available, attainable, somewhere.

I kept reading and learning, going through Scriptures, every single day. It shocked me to see some of these in the Bible, that Jesus “ took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17), “ Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4, Hebrew word ‘griefs’ means sickness and ‘sorrows’ means pains), “ Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law ” (Gal 3:13).

The Bible says Jesus has taken upon Him - not only my sins, but also my sicknesses - at Calvary! Accomplished 2000 years ago! That is why in 1 Peter 2:24 “ by whose stripes you WERE healed” was written in past tense!

As I read through the four gospels, I began to see Jesus in a whole new light. I saw His compassion towards the lost and the sick. Everywhere He went His ministry revolved around three things: Teaching, Preaching and Healing. Each time someone asked Him for healing, His answer was always, “I will”, “I will come and heal him”, “Your sins are forgiven, be healed.” Jesus never rejected one single person who came to Him. The only time where He could do no mighty miracle was in His hometown. Why?

Seeing the light For months I meditated on Proverbs 4:22, God’s words are health, healing and medicine to all our flesh. But how?

One day in August 2016, two verses came to me: “ So then faith comes by hearing, hearing by the word of God ” (Rom 10:17), and “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34). Suddenly, I saw a connection between “God’s Word”, “faith” and “healing” - “faith” connects the other two. All the Scriptures I learnt came together and came alive in me! I was so excited, as if I had just dug up a treasure chest in my own backyard! I began learning about faith. Is there a spiritual law of faith? How does faith come by hearing the word of God? How do fear and doubt counteract faith?

I learnt about the integrity of God’s Word (Matt. 24:35, Ps. 89:34, Num. 23:19, Isa. 55:11, Heb. 11:3, John 1:1, Gen. 1, 2 Cor. 1:18-20). I began to understand our authority as believers, that we are seated in heavenly places with Christ (Eph. 2:6); the power that raised Christ from the dead dwells in us (Rom. 8:11); we were commanded to heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons and as freely we have received, freely give (Matt. 10:8).

In Genesis, I saw God’s wonderful original plan for mankind, and how Jesus came to restore EVERYTHING Adam had lost. The dominion on earth stolen by satan, Jesus has taken it back and handed it over to His Church!

My life was changed forever! There is so much MORE to our Christian life which I did not know. We are indeed children of a supernatural God, not only with whom all things are possible (Matt. 19:26), all things are possible to him who believes (Mark 9:23).

During those times, I wholeheartedly believed my sister could be healed supernaturally, even though she herself did not. I had the revelation that God’s best for her was a long and fulfilled life, where she would fully devote herself serving God.

In 2017 I saw God’s miracles as we prayed for her, though at the very end she lost the battle with cancer and went home to be with Jesus. I thank God that she is now having the time of her life, at the most beautiful place called Heaven. I truly meant what I shared at her funeral, “Even if she had a choice to return, I know she wouldn’t. Not because she didn’t miss us, but because being in the presence of God in heaven is just too wonderful.”

Overcome by insights I did however reflect on what went through my mind during those times when we stood by her in prayer, my fear and doubt as her condition deteriorated. I was continually shown more insights. One of them was in Ephesians 2:8-9, about God’s grace - which was already given to us through Jesus, yet only by faith we can obtain. No faith no grace, at the same time, no grace no faith.

I finally understand what Jesus’ perfect sacrifice meant to all mankind - His blood covenant. No demon from hell can undo the finished work of Jesus! I finally understand what it meant “by whose stripes you WERE healed”. Our assurance is this: we are fighting from a point of victory. We are “the healed” resisting sickness, not “the sick” trying to be healed. To be a “water-walker”, it is important not to be moved by wind and waves, but be solely anchored in God’s Word, to “walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Cor. 5:7).

A changed life Since then, my outlook on life is different in many aspects. I began to recognise the enemy’s tactics - deception through our minds. I recognised that I held a wrong perception of my Heavenly Father for so long.

“ How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed BY the devil, for God was with Him ” (Acts 10:38). So my sickness was an oppression by the devil! Not a chastening from God!

“.. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8b). God’s will has been fully revealed in Jesus! As Jesus said, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). I discovered that God is always FOR me, NOT AGAINST me, and freely give me all things (Rom 8:31-32).

Reach Testimony I was in awe of God’s grace and His unconditional love, how He forgives all our sins 15 and heals all our diseases (Ps. 103:3). God’s true nature, character and goodness is unfathomable. During the time I thought God was silent, He never stopped speaking. I had built a barrier between us with my own disappointment, self-pity and bitterness towards Him. How my earthly parents would suffer in my place was the very thing Jesus has done for you and me, so that we can be set FREE: body, soul and spirit!

In the past I had an Old Covenant mentality. I now know we are in a New Covenant with better promises (Hebrews 8:6). I learnt to accept my true identity in Christ and know all my inheritance. I stopped begging God in desperate times like an orphan. Instead, I come boldly to the throne of grace (Heb. 4:16). I learnt to guard my thoughts, and renew my mind with the Word (2 Cor. 10:5, Rom. 12:2).

Every time I see someone afflicted with an illness, something burns inside me, I feel God’s compassion, how He wants them healed (3 John 1:2). At the same time I feel God’s anger towards sickness that torments people. God hates sickness as much as He hates sin, so much so that God nailed all our sins and the results of sins on the cross with His own Son, Jesus.

Praying for the sick has since become my passion. I am compelled to approach strangers offering prayers for them when I see a need. Jesus has commissioned us to do His works on earth. His Kingdom come, His Will be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matt. 6:10).

In Christ alone But there is always that one question: “not everyone gets healed”. Very true, it is as true as “not everyone gets saved”. Do we then stop sharing the gospel? Or stop praying for people with the full conviction that salvation and healing are God’s will? Do I let my experiences define God’s Word or change its integrity? Does God’s character, revealed through all His names, ever change? Most of all, can the finished work of Jesus ever be undone? And what if miracles occurred when we keep pressing in and not give up? “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

We don’t know why some people are not healed or saved. We don’t know the variables in life for we only know in part now. What I do know is, God is not fickle, shows no partiality and His Word is forever settled in heaven (James 1:17, Rom. 2:11, Ps. 119:89).

Recently during a Sunday church service, the worship leader passionately shared about the finished work of Jesus. I then asked God why I was not seeing the victory in myself and others as much as the Bible says, though I’m fully convinced of the work of the Cross? In turn, the Lord asked me, “Why do you think I call satan a THIEF?” He went on to say, “Because satan came to STEAL what rightfully belongs to My children! I want My children to take up their given authority and power and enforce the law on the thief!” I then said to God, “Lord, sometimes I’m tired of fighting.” The Lord said, “That is why you need to come to Me for rest. Rest in the finished work of Jesus, your confidence and focus ought to rest in Christ alone.” This was confirmed in my heart as three church brothers shared John 10:10 and 1 Peter 5:8- 9. God is really our good good Father, who yearns to reveal Himself and to help His children.