ENCOUNTERING GOD THROUGH SUFFERING AND ILLNESS - A TESTIMONY

15 Mar 2018 Thursday

Sharing my notes taken @ Church of St Ignatius, Singapore

Lantern Talk by Jennifer Yeo

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Jennifer Yeo, wife of George Yeo, was diagnosed with Sino Nasal Undifferentiated Carcinoma (SNUC), a very rare (1 in 5million), very deadly, very aggressive form of cancer with very low cure rate.  After undergoing just two cycles of chemotherapy in seven weeks, the tumour disappeared and she is well now.  Her testimony was about her great faith and her very close walk with Christ - in close communication and relationship with Him, hearing Him through the Scripture, presenting and leaving her problems to Him, receiving His peace and joy throughout. 

 

Jennifer also spoke about her journey through her son’s childhood leukemia, diagnosed 21 years ago when he was three years old, surviving two relapses and 4.5 years of chemotherapy, today a hail and healthy 4th year medical student, passionate about life and raring to contribute to society.

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Here are my personal notes taken during her talk….

 

FAITH

Faith is a gift from God.  It is not enough to have faith.  We must have 101% faith, fulltly trusting and leaning on God.  Ask God to give us faith, faith that opens the sea and moves mountain.  Pray for God to strengthen our faith. 

 

PURPOSE

We need to know what we want and have a purpose.  She shared how she did not know initially whether it was God’s plan that her time is up, or to pray for healing.  When she look to Scripture for divine guidance, the Lord gave her Isaiah 58:5 “Go and say to Hezekiah, ‘Thus says the Lord, the God of your father David, “I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold, I will add fifteen years to your life."  With that she prayed for healing, not only for fifteen years, but for a long time more. 

 

She shared Mat 10:51 where Jesus asked the blind man “What do you want me to do for you?” God wants our participation, He does not want to give us what we don’t want.   We must tell him what we want.

 

FASTING

Then Jennifer shared that she began to fast.   Prayer is not enough, fasting is needed.  She shared Matthew 17:21  “Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?”   And He said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.  But this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”   The sacrifice of fasting is needed. 

FEEDING ON THE WORD OF GOD

She was quick to add that while she fasted from food, she fed on the Word of God.   Scripture says "man shall not live on bread alone.”  And as one of the disciple told Christ, “Lord to whom shall we go?  You have the word of eternal life.”  It is important that we read Scripture and we feed our Spirit with the Word of God  “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.”  Isaiah 58:8.  The Lord’s word is life to her soul.

THE NEED TO DO GOOD WORKS

Jennifer shared the verse God gave her 13 years ago when his son’s leukaemia relapsed.  She asked, what will it take for you to cure my son, and she told the Lord she will open the Bible and told the Lord that whatever she see will be the Lord’s answer to her.  And she came upon  Isaiah 58 "“Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke,to set the oppressed free…. to share your food with the hungry….provide the poor wanderer with shelter...when you see the naked, to clothe them...    and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear…”  And she realised that the Lord wants her to do good works, that fasting is not for ourselves, it is to bring us to do good works, to help others. The kind of fasting is not just not eating food, but it is to do good works.

 

BE COMPASSIONATE TO YOUR CANCER

She recounted how well intended people told her to fight the cancer and battle the disease.  She thought otherwise.   Cancer cells are part of our body.  God is the source of life, He knows our body, he knows the “source code”, the algorithm.  Every cell in our body was birthed to achieve a purpose.  And when the purpose is achieved, the ceils die in the course of nature as part of God's plan.  Cancer cells are cells that have gone wrong, they have rebelled, and they refuse to die, they try all means to get fed and to get its energy.  Cancer cells are a rebellion in our body.  She advocates asking God to send His love to the body, to come into every cell, including the rebellious cancer cells, to have compassion upon them.  And so she began to talk to the cancer cells, telling them not to be afraid, to surrender to the Lord, telling them to behave… and commanded the cancer cells “In the name of Jesus, be healed. In the name of Jesus, conform to the will of the living God.”

 

SPIRITUAL REBELLION

Sin is not just robbing the bank or doing injustice to fellow men.  Sin is simply wanting our own way and living our life on our own terms without communicating with God.  We have gone apart from God.  Ask God for areas which we are not conforming to His will and purpose.  Ask God to show us any areas of unforgiveness we have in us - are there any persons whom I have not forgiven?   Scripture is clear, it is not right for us to be angry – Mathew 5:21-22  “You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court.”   Jennifer urged us to search, reflect and seek out all negative thoughts in us.  Do I have any resentment in me, in my conscious and subconscious.  Ask God to detox not only my cancer cells, but also my emotions, my thoughts, my soul.  Tell God to release everything negative from me.   Jennifer shared Philippians 4:8 “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.  The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”

 

INTERCESSION OF OUR LADY

After her 2nd cycle of Chemo, Jennifer had to get her visa documentation in order, necessitating her to travel to out of USA to Mexico (closest).  They took the chance to visit the shrine of Mary at Guadalupe.  She shared the story of Juan Diego, the miracle at Guadalupe and the role of Mary, Mother of Jesus who is true God and true Man.  Jesus performed His first miracle at the behest of his Mother.  He loves His mother and He loves us.  Her powerful intercession is invaluable and necessary.  "Jesus, I trust in You."

 

WORSHIP

Jennifer shared how in meditation and reflection, the Lord pointed her to 1 Sam 19, and in particular 1 Sam 19:24 “He also stripped off his clothes, and he too prophesied before Samuel and lay down naked all that day and all that night. Therefore they say, “Is Saul also among the prophets?”  We have to seek protection from the evil spirits and find refuge in the sanctuary of God like Saul did, worshipping God.  We must worship God.  Praying is communicating with God, and communicate with God is not just thanking Him and asking Him for this and that.  It is about worhshipping God, spending time with Him and blessing Him.

 

The Divine Praises –

Blessed be God.

Blessed be His Holy Name.

Blessed be Jesus Christ, true God and true Man.

Blessed be the Name of Jesus.

Blessed be His Most Sacred Heart.

Blessed be His Most Precious Blood.

Blessed be Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar.

Blessed be the Holy Spirit, the Paraclete.

Blessed be the great Mother of God, Mary most Holy.

Blessed be her Holy and Immaculate Conception.

Blessed be her Glorious Assumption.

Blessed be the Name of Mary, Virgin and Mother.

Blessed be St. Joseph, her most chaste spouse.

Blessed be God in His Angels and in His Saints. 

 

THE HOLY EUCHARIST

Jennifer shared her developing a longing for the Holy Eucharist and her longing to go for Eucharistic adoration.   Jesus died on the Cross. He took all our sins.  We daily “take and eat” – to take the Body of Christ that has healing power.

 

DO NOT BE ANXIOUS

Philippiand 4:6 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near.  Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all [d]comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Do not be anxious, just tell God.  God will replace our worry with peace and with understanding.

 

A NEW BEING

Jennifer shared that after her remission, the Lord guided her to Isaiah 43:18-21 “Do not call to mind the former things,  Or ponder things of the past.  “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert. The beasts of the field will glorify Me, The jackals and the ostriches, Because I have given waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My chosen people.   The people whom I formed for Myself will declare My praise.”  She was guided to not look back at her cancer, but to look forward to a new life, to enjoy every day in close communication with God…

 

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Jennifer summarised....

• If I have a problem, I just present it to God, communicate with Him and be in good relationship with Him. 
• Ask God for your heart’s desires.  
• Be not afraid, only believe. 
• The presence of God neutralises evil spirits and sickness
• Enjoy life, be happy. 
• Do not over think.  
• Ask God for faith that can move mountains.
• Give Him praise.  
• Resolve to enjoy every minute of your life in good relationship with God

Jesus asks: "Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” Matthew 6:27.   

Jesus says: “Be not afraid, only believe” Mark 5:36

(Note:  Above are personal notes compiled from scribbles during the talk - it is not complete and please pardon any inaccuracies.)