Breaking Intimidation - John Bevere

Chapter 14 - Press On

What man considers insignificant

God uses to perform the impossible

Short Excerpt:

'Often people try to intimidate you by laughing at you or making light of what you are doing. They may mock you and question your ability to perform all that God has put in your heart. They might do this to your face, or they might sow questions and mockery among others. Or perhaps it is not a person or group that resists you, but you wrestle with your own mind as it is bombarded with thoughts such as, What will people think? Will they laugh at me? Will I fail?

In this situation it is important that we know what God has instructed us to do, remembering that He "has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty" (1 Cor. 1:27) What man considers insignificant, God uses to perform the impossible. Then He gets all the glory!'

I can so totally relate to that.. I've been there.. done that..

The purpose of intimidation: to weaken us so we cannot accomplish the will of God and will no longer resist the intimidator... Our enemy the devil attempts many different avenues of intimidation when we invade his territory. He doesn't try once and then give up. If he can stop, postpone or weaken us, then he keeps the kingdom of God from advancing.

Sometimes I wonder why I didn't come across this book earlier.. maybe it'd have been easier to go through those trials if I knew all these? *shrugs.. well I'm sure it's all in God's timing.. and the book has a bigger impact on me now that I am able to relate to all that's in the book...

our gifts actually become dormant when we are intimidated... that's exactly what had happened to me.. and the intimidating spirit unleashed confusion, discouragement and frustration...and caused me to lose my proper perspective... - that was exactly what I was going through when I was doing my first teaching practicum last year!!...

The encouraging thing is... "...for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor 12:10) and "that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil 1:6) ...and of course as we all know.. "... that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

I guess I never did realise that I was such a big threat to Satan in the advancement and expansion of God's Kingdom.. God is not the one who put us under trials.. but he simply allowed us to undergo these trials to reveal our weaknesses as we are placed under pressure... It's good to know that I've passed the trial... and I'm no longer intimidated and has been set free to join hands with God and build His Kingdom alongside with God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit.

How awesome it is to be His privileged princess and to be walking in THE DESTINY He has for me...

I am loving every bit of it!

in shock & disbelief of my life at the moment

Good morning or should I say Good night world?

It's 4:17am, and I so shouldn't be awake and what more online and blogging...

It's been a long.. very long while since I have been awake and online at this kind of unearthly hour as I term it.

Just finished reading Sophie Kinsella's Remember me?

Quite interesting novel I'd say... which kept me hooked on.. was supposed to read it to sleep.. but the more I read the more I wanted to keep going on.. and I ended up just finishing it not too long ago... and it got me feel like expressing myself...

I suddenly stopped and reflected abt my life in Albany...

and I'm in utter shock and disbelief.

so I've actually moved out of my so-called comfort zone for the past 9 years, Perth, and moved to the so-called 3rd largest city in WA to live, to teach, to answer God's calling for my life...

Is this it?

I don't think so...

I am sure God has called me here and have even greater things in store for me.... and He will reveal it in His timing.. :)

But it just suddenly dawned on me the fact that I've been living on my own for the past 3 months.. but technically speaking it's 1 mth.. coz mum had been in and out of Albany in the first 2 months I was here.

Unimaginable.

I didn't think I could live on my own. Renting in Albany. Working/Teaching in a School, a Christian College. Do grocery shopping on my own. Go for walks on my own. Cook for myself. Do budgeting and pay off debts

- LIVE LIFE INDEPENDENTLY!

It's HUGE.

I know I'm supposed to have my steep independent-living learning curve when I first moved to Perth when I was '16 going on 17'. but sister was there to 'baby-sit' me. when she moved to Melbourne and left me alone in Perth? I was already accustomed to it all and had friends surrounding me...

I know it was/is a huge blessing from God and I'm thankful to my parents as well that I've come this far... but I still can't believe that I HAVE BECOME A TEACHER.

Something that seems so unthinkable, unimaginable 5 years ago.. in 2005. A word from God; a thought, an idea that seem to have dropped from nowhere; words of confirmation through others... has now been fulfilled. How amazing. How awesome You are...

The path wasn't easy, the path wasn't straight. The path wasn't smooth-going, it was rough. Very rough at times. But Praise God! I have come through the refining fire and am now here. Still fulfilling the DESTINY & PURPOSE HE HAS FOR ME!

And at a crucial history-making moment as well in the midst of Curriculum changes in Australia. Midst of growth in CEM and ACC - Southlands.

I am excited with what lies ahead of me. I am in awe of what God has put me through, what he is putting me through, and what I am about to go through.

But probably it's the lack of reflection at this kind of timing for a Long Long Time...

I'm just in shock & find it hard to express myself...

I have a First-Aid Training Course that I am attending in less than 4 hrs time and till about 12 hrs later.. I so shouldn't be up till now.. good thing I accidentally fell asleep from about 7+ till 10+.. so I had 3 hrs nap earlier.. hopefully that will provide me with enough energy and rest to last tomorrow... and there's an assessment at the end of tomorrow! for the First-Aid Course.. hmmmph.....

What is happening to my life? (I think it's more good than bad at the moment.. although stereotypically, it seems pple only ask this question when life is bad)

What else does God want me to do to influence the lives of people around me? (or to begin with, am I already doing it? I think so... I hope it is.. I hope I am having a positive and Godly influence on people's lives...)

I love you Dear Heavenly Father...

I love you Mummy and Papa.

I love you Jie...

I love you My Dear...

I love you my friends...

(all of you whom has crossed my path somewhere, somehow, sometime.)

I love you Gong gong and Po po.

(hmmz, I'm not too sure where I'm going.. public declaration of my love for pple that won't even be reading this?)

I guess life is short. or rather life in this temporal world is short. We really need to make full use of it.. and the best way is to surrender it into God's hands and allow Him to accomplish His plans and purposes for us, through us...

Life is that SIMPLE.

because this life is not our own.

~ Lord Jesus take control ~

and I finished blogging and editing at 4:57am..

Good night world!

delayed updates

sooo... I have totally stopped updating my blog 4 mths ago.. and *poof.. there are so many changes in my life since then...

My graduation was on the 17th Jan and the awesomest thing that happened that week was I had a job offer on the 12th Jan ;) how cool is that to get a job offer before you graduate officially... I'm not really proud of myself for that.. but I really want to point that out and give glory to God for the provision of such a wonderful job and change of lifestyle & environment that came along for me with this job! :D

In fact, before I went for the interview, I prayed and asked God whether is this the job he has in mind for me... because it requires me to be uprooted and be in Albany, the 3rd biggest city in WA, which is 4 - 4.5 hrs drive away from Perth, which means I'll be away from Perth, away from family, away from FCC, and especially away from Mark!.. But God spoke clearly to me to take up the job offer even before the interview, there was much peace that came along with it, and Mark was also supportive of me to obey God's calling.

And well, if we want to look into the nitty grittys.. I had the interview on Monday morning.. and deep down within I felt a sense of certainty, confidence and excitement of the prospect of moving down to Albany. I was told that by the end of the week, they will get back to me.. and Stuart, the principal, rang the following day to inform me that I have been offered the position and I took up the offer immediately, regardless of it all... I was just excited to be walking in God's destiny and appointment for me... I didn't need time to consider.. coz the consideration and prayers were already done before the interview.. :P

I reckon life has never been this great for me.. I love it in Albany. surprising yet not so surprising. I've always been a lover of nature and scenery. that's why I love it in Perth, WA, Australia. I used to dream of having a holiday home in Margaret River and staying there. Well, my dream has been kindaf fulfilled now that I'm working in Albany. :) I couldn't ask for more.. to be teaching in a Christian College, Australian Christian College - Southlands, that have encouraging and Godly colleagues, don't need to be teaching full-time in a classroom, yet get to be in a teaching role.. to have settled down in a wonderful Church and lifegroup in Troode St Church.. to be growing Spiritually once again.. and enjoying God's favour and His blessings and provisions in my life.. to see things from a different perspective and to regain the JOY within me most of all... something precious that was lost and taken away from me through the ups and downs, mostly downs of my life in 2008 & 2009...

But those downs in life were necessary for God to break me and mould me to be who I am now.. to be the teacher that He's called me to be.. to be an encourager to others... to appreciate Him and exalt Him even more... to be able to testify How Great and Mighty my Heavenly Daddy is...

Ultimately...

all glory to God !!

Sunrise in Albany on 7th May 2010