Difficulties turned into Power and Inspiration

8 March 2014 by Natasha Kim CM-

Pastor Reggie Lee, man of God and Producer of the movie “Who are the Chinese”, shared at a recent FGB (Full Gospel Businessman) at Summit Chapter, on the 26th of February. There, he updated everyone on the latest films that he will be undertaking. He shared that God had prompted and led him to take on the film industry on a larger scale in order to reach out to many more people. “When you trace the roots back of how Christianity came to Malaysia, it is because someone came and gave us a chance with salvation. Now the salvation is passed to us and it is our responsibility to make a difference in the outer most region of the world,” he shared.

For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. (Matthew 24:27)

Reggie aim to create a three-Hollywood-standard-films! One movie will be based on Israel and the different roles people have to play in the last days; one on the revelation; and the other is animation-based, which will thrill children. In terms of the animation film, he shared that it will be likened to the high-quality animation of the famous “Epic” movie. “One of the ways to reach out to the children is through multimedia, through sight and sound,” he said. Reggie is focusing his efforts on creating an evangelistic film that targets the children in India who are illiterate and the people in the world who need reaching out to. The idea of creating this came to him when he ministered in India, where he saw all the little ones that he needed to reach out to. “I believe that if you can do something very attractive for the kids, you can help them to see God in their own culture,” he said. He shared that these particular kids he met in India were from the lowest caste and would probably stay illiterate until they grow up. “Their main occupation there is to carry feces (stool),” said Reggie. The Lord showed me that if you can bring the Gospel to them, they will receive it easily. Besides that, Reggie also plans to create translated versions of this film in many other languages.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. (James 1:2-3)

Sorrows turned into Joy

At the beginning, he had no experience in filming but he took the risk of filming “Who are the Chinese”; that’s why he dares to take more and bigger projects today. “Because of the difficulties I faced today, I can move to my next step.” he shared. In the past, Reggie owned four restaurants by the age of 30 years old. Although he was proud of his business, it was built on borrowed money from the bank. And one fine day, it all collapsed on him. At this point, many fingers pointed at him, condemning him for the consequences in his life. It was not easy for him. He had to go through guilt and shame and most of all, his daughter was heading to university soon without any financial support because he had lost everything. It wasn’t until the Lord touched Reggie’s life, that he began to see life the way the Lord wanted him to see it, that he should be the head and not the tail. The Lord impressed on him that He would provide everything for Him if Reggie was willing to follow and trust Him. “I learned a bitter lesson, that the ways of man are not the ways of God,” he said. Reggie felt more than blessed to have found God.

The Lord will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the Lord your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. (Deuteronomy 28:13)

“The pain in my life has transformed into some kind of power, to be able to resist difficulties” he said. Many people get lost in their difficulties. Akin to the spring time, flowers can be easily found everywhere. But when the winter comes, the snow covers everything, similar to people who get buried by their problems. Luckily, there are flowers that are able to push their way out through the snow; they fight through freezing temperatures and emerge alive and successful. This speaks about life and how people who push through their difficult times are able to emerge from their difficulties like those winter flowers. “Sometimes, the Lord sends you to where you are to teach you the lessons of life,” he said. Now having experienced that bitter lesson, Reggie aims to help others come out from their own difficulties in life. “For many of us, it may seem like there’s no light at the end of the tunnel, where everything seems very dark,” he said.

“Whatever situation we are all in, know that there is always hope in Christ, if you have Christ in you! Sometimes, God teaches you how to convert your pain into power, just like how the difficulties in my life transformed me,” shared Reggie. The best time of his life, he recalls is when he only had 50 cents in his pocket. He now knows that he can have joy, strength, and courage to move on without money. “Even when everything seems like there’s no hope, the joy of the Lord is my strength!” he said.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)

Learning to move forward

Reggie then shared a story about a girl he knows who is an insurance agent. She often moaned that she needed to achieve her target in order to keep her agency but she had an invalid mother that she needed to take care of. It was difficult to juggle life. Reggie felt her pain and prayed for her. A couple of years later, he met her and she told him that her mother had passed away. She moaned to Reggie once more. She shared that she missed her mother. She now lives with a lot of regrets, blaming herself for her mother’s death and still complaining about having to achieve her target.

“The problem with her is that she took ownership of everything, the car, the house, her mother, practically everything! When you take ownership, it becomes your problem. Your car does not belong to you neither does your house or your mother, everything belongs to God,” he said. At the end of the day, you can have millions but you cannot take anything with you when it is time for you to leave this world. We come into this world with nothing, and we leave with nothing. The message here is that we all need to let go and let God come into our lives instead. “Then you do not need to look back and think of all the negative things you’ve gone through, you can look forward and change your life.” The way you look at things is very important! Reggie shared that this girl should have been thankful to God for liberating her from the responsibilities of having to take care of her mother. She should have released it to the Lord. Now, she still complains about hitting her target. She has worries upon worries. “Some people are that way but a positive outlook can change your sorrow into joy,” shared Reggie.

“There are two things you can speak about people, you can speak about what they do, or you can speak blessings into people’s life. Turn your problems to God. He is the same God that liberated me. All these difficulties make you the person you are, able to take the challenges and able to understand when people go through difficulties,” said Reggie. Every hurdle you pass can make you a better person if you look up to God, pray often, keep positive, and learn to take every experience as a lesson.