Robbin Khoo (CG-Peter Cheong, PJS1)

Here's my testimony and I must confess that when I was listening to my other brothers / sisters talk about their "encounters" with God, I was envious that I didn't encounter God at the BMEW. Little did I know Jesus had already done that....as I thought it was merely a figment of my imagination when I "saw" Him turning to me, smiled and reached out His hand saying, "Don't worry, I shall give you time". Never did I think He would reveal to me what He meant, on the following day. Now, I understand what "my encounter with the Lord" was all about. He gave me a testimony that was just overwhelming with joy that I could not surpress my anxiety to want to share it throughout the week that followed - both with my brothers / sisters in the cell as well as non-Christian colleagues at the workplace.

I also want to thank you for all the guidance, understanding, direction and prayers. Your parenting experiences and sharing have been very uplifting.

And I know that as the Lord builds me up spiritually, He has made my journey very swift and rapid. I know I now need to walk with my own feet, in confidence and faith that He shall always be with me.

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1. What is one most important spiritual lesson I have learnt?

The Father Heart of God. It was an absolute blessing that the Lord revealed Godly wisdom to me. He “opened” my heart and mind to realize that in many a time, while as parents and in our zealousness to love our children and ensure they grow up in the most righteous manner, we fail to express our love for them in the manner in which the Lord has taught us. This lesson taught me that love in its true essence contains no condition and is indescribably divine – for the Lord Father has loved me so[1], that I shall love my children no differently; for He has also shown me forgiveness and not once shame me, that I shall also learn to show my children a display of such love. The Holy Spirit convicted me to ask my children for forgiveness for I have mistakenly shamed them in my pursuit to discipline and correct them out of love. I felt a heavy burden in my heart as I realized there is still so much that I have not learnt. As I silently prayed in the midst of the lesson, the Lord revealed again that all is forgiven and that my responsibility now is to “bear witness to what the Lord has said and done for me…that the change in my life will be my greatest testimony of my relationship to Christ…and that finally, there is nothing more appealing or convincing to a watching world than to hear the testimony of someone who has just been with Jesus”[2].

2. What has transacted between you and God this weekend?

In a simple sentence – I saw Jesus sitting right in front of me. And as He turned to me, with a smile He said comfortingly, “I shall give you time”…as if He readily knew my heart and my concern over my work deadlines. Utterly bemused when I shared the experience with my wife on the same evening, we merely brushed the incident off as a figment of my wild imagination? Perhaps a manifestation of my own anxiety? Unable to place any meaning to the incident, we did not pursue the matter any further.

As we have so often discovered, God works in strange and mysterious ways. Jesus revealed the true meaning of His message at the end of Monday. I encountered a series of emails at my workplace, moving the deadline of my scheduled task. And these emails arrived within minutes of each other (refer Appendix 1). Ultimately the deadline was rescheduled to the following Monday. Incidents like this never fails to deepen my belief that the Lord is ever so real and so faithful and that He shall always walk with us in our lives when we constantly live our lives obediently and continue to reach out to Him in our prayers. This brings real meaning to the statement – God’s people live by revelation[3].

3. How did you feel before and after the Encounter Weekend?

As the weekend approached, my emotions were pretty mixed, anxious yet peaceful…excited yet calm…earnest yet uncertain of what to expect. Then there was the struggle with work deadlines and the wonder of whether I should throw in a last minute postponement. The decision was made through the conviction of the Holy Spirit that in such a state of uncertainty, I should place the Lord first and place my faith in His will and know that somehow He would arrange what’s best for me to make that happen.

And so I went….

At the end of the BMEW, I felt an inner peace that I have made the correct decision to attend the workshop. Spiritually lifted with the numerous testimonies of my brothers and sisters in attendance, I somehow knew that the Lord has already intervened in my schedule. And as I drove back home, I continued to pray that the Lord would “stretch” my hours in order that I might have sufficient time to complete what I needed to do. And ever faithful as He was, God divinely and amazingly arranged that my deadlines were “somehow” shifted for an additional week and I was granted sufficient time to complete what I had to do. With magical moments like these, I know that God is building my faith in Him with each encounter and as I continue to seek Him, I can see His mighty hand reaching out all the time. With that, I walk in confidence of the Lord and know that He is always ahead of me…for “God never sends you into a situation alone”[4]

4. Why should others attend the Encounter Weekend?

For many varied reasons. I believe the Lord has independent plans for each of us. While I had originally approached this Encounter Weekend as a requirement for me to attain my baptism, it had turned out quite differently from my original plans. And as always, with the Lord’s intervention, it could only be much better than our own plans. One could also experience the Lord’s blessings and humour as He “cradles” you along the weekend and reveals His special plan for you.

For whichever the outcome, I know it will most definitely be different and meaningful to each and everyone in their own lives. The Encounter Weekend could very well be the beginning of someone’s ‘transformation’ in his or her life.

[1] The Parable of the Lost Son – LUKE 15:11-31
[2] That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your joy may be full – JOHN 1:3-4 (Experiencing GOD day-by-day, 4 April 2006)
[3] Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law – PROVERBS 29:18 (Experiencing GOD day-by-day, 7 January 2006)
[4] But after I have been raised, I will go before you to Galilee – MARK 14:28