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Possible for Impossible
“You shall march around the city, all you men of war; you shall go all around the city once. This you shall do six days. And seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark. But the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets.” ….. Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout or make any noise with your voice, nor shall a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I say to you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout." (Joshua 6:3-4, 10)
1. Faith never asks impossible things
God doesn't ask us to do what we cannot do. In other words, God doesn't ask us to do impossible things but always possible things. However, we often don't want to do what we are told because it seems to be impossible. Faith never asks us impossible things but always possible things. Faith never expects us to do impossible things but faith itself does impossible things when we do possible things. Only we think or feel it is impossible. So the faith walk is always possible but it is uncomfortable, difficult, costly for us.
2. Our 'pride' might stop us from walking by faith
Jesus' conception was impossible, but actually what Mary did was possible. Although she had to face all the possible consequences of her decision, even death, she only said, “Yes! Let it be to me according to your word.” to the angel of God (Luke 1:38). Naaman was furious when he was told from Elisha to immerse himself in the Jordan. Even though he really didn't want to do that because of his pride and disappointment, it was an easy thing for him to go down to the river. "My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? (2 Kings 5:13)
We cannot make Mary conceive super-naturally, or make the walls of Jericho fall down super-naturally, heal Naaman's leprosy, etc.. Yet although we might feel overwhelmed and face apparent death by stoning like Mary, it is possible to agree and accept what God has said, as Mary did. Although it is hard for us to keep silent and we may be tired, we can walk around Jericho for seven days without speaking. Although it might be so unpleasant, horrible and insulting, we can immerse ourselves seven times into unclean water.
3. 'Fear' might stop us from walking by faith
Sometimes it is fearful for us to act when we think and feel that it is impossible. However, it is possible to step out from a boat onto the water like Peter, although it is fearful. Four lepers were afraid of the Arameans army, but they walked to the camp because they had decided even at the risk of death. It wasn't impossible for them to walk to the camp even though they were afraid. (2Kings 7:5)
4. Faith grows in the garden of fear
If there is no fear, there is no faith. So faith is easily found where there is fear. Fear arises when I face things beyond my experience and ability. If I can manage things with my own experience and ability, there is no fear. In other words, in that case I don't need God, only my own resources. Interestingly, religion helps us to live safely, but the faith of God helps us to take risks. Religion keeps us in the safety zone and the predictable life, but faith takes us into the unknown adventure.
5. Uncertainty releases us whereas certainty binds us
We are living in an uncertain world. That's why insurance companies are able to make money because we want our lives to be safe. Uncertainty helps us to move into the journey of faith. If everything is certain, no-one uses faith and no-one moves into the unknown adventure of faith.
6. Journey into uncertainty
So we are moving now into another uncertain journey by faith. Our family and some friends have been living in a big house for the last three months. Now we 22 of us are gathering together as the Forge School of Faith for two weeks. We need to move out from here at the end of this month, although we don't know yet where to move to and where we will live. It is an exciting adventure of faith. Everything is uncertain, which actually makes it easier to have faith and step out. Also seven of us are leaving for the Middle East for two weeks of intercessory journey. One of us is facing an impossible visa issue, but we are moving forward in this journey by faith because what we are doing is possible. “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” (James 2:26)
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Joseph: How can a man from Blackburn, experiencing blackouts over a six month period end up in the Forge? Living alone and blacking out at any moment is a lonely, vulnerable place to be whilst waiting for a scan six months later. But the Forge is a place of healing as well as faith so Joseph stepped out in faith and made the journey to Wales with a friend from the Forge, excited but aware of his limitations, in writing and reading. Because since the age of 2 he had been both deaf and dumb and during surgery part of his brain was touched which left him with a pronounced stammer. One wet and windy day at the Forge I was taken to a very special place with a group of other people who were participating the Forge. It was a farm just outside of Llanelli called The Cross. Everyone went into the prayer room and I decided to go for a walk to the Cross. At first I just stood alone at the cross and then felt I needed to kneel down. I started to cry and could not stop and remained on my knees in the pouring rain and sensed something lifting off me so I felt lighter and happier as I came back to meet everyone else. The next day I felt so much peace and felt that a lot of grief had been lifted from me. So the Forge is teaching me to listen to God through His word and to share with others in practical ways and in relationships. With my new friends I am learning to be more open with God and am learning more about myself and the need to pray more about other people as well as myself. I feel loved in the Forge and will find it hard to leave. (If you want read his full testimony, click here) |
[ Intercession & Prayer ]
1. History Repeats: Russia's Invasion Crimea – Hitler's Invasion Czechoslovakia
“That which is has already been, And what is to be has already been; And God requires an account of what is past.” (Ecclesiastes 3:15)
On September 30, 1938, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, French Premier Edouard Daladier, and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich Pact, which sealed the fate of Czechoslovakia, virtually handing it over to Germany in the name of peace. Although the agreement was to give into Hitler's hands only the Sudentenland, that part of Czechoslovakia where 3 million ethnic Germans lived, it also handed over to the Nazi war machine 66% of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70% of its iron and steel, and 70% of its electrical power. Nevertheless, 15thMarch 1939, Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia in the name of protecting 3 million German people in the Sudentenland in Czechoslovakia, disregarding the peace agreement they had made.
Now we have Putin, a former KGB officer, and Crimea at who's southern shore sits the port city of Sevastopol, home to the Russian Black Sea Fleet and its thousands of naval personnel. Putin has been pushing to restore the glory of Russia. He used the Russian population, about 58 % in Crimea, to bring her back under Russian rule. I think what Hitler did to Czechoslovakia and the whole of Europe is happening again in Crimea and Eastern Europe. It could lead to another world war or to a new cold war. Putin is not stupid, so he may make a peace treaty with the USA and the EU. Who knows whether he might act like Hitler, who trampled the Munich Pact and started invading Europe? I pray that God would give more time for us to prepare Jews and Gentiles to preach the Gospel in the nations.
2. Is A New-Cold War happening between Russia and USA?
Nowadays we are seeing a new cold war picture in the world. Russia, China, Iran, Egypt, even Germany are coming together. The USA has lost already its grip over this world. A naval drill began in the Mediterranean Sea on January 25th 2014, involving the Russian Navy's heavy nuclear-powered missile cruiser Petr Velikiy and the Chinese Navy's frigate Yancheng. This is the first time such an interaction between the two countries' Navies has been held. This new cold war is not about ideology but spiritual and prophetic in nature, although it looks as if it is religious, political, ethical, patriotic. The new world order is being established and the Internet system is really helping their control. In the end they will try to control and persecute true Christians and Jews who serve the true God. Some of us will be not only persecuted but also killed for Jesus' sake, as we are seeing happen in some parts of the world now. However, he is coming soon, as he has said, and as it has been written. 3. These signs are grave to the world but great to us
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Later on I called my younger son Yohan to come to the Blue Room with me because his conception and birth are deeply related to our journey of faith. I took a couple of photos of him in the room and I saw a card on the top of fire place. As soon as I looked at it, God spoke to me loudly and firmly. “Place All on the Altar!” On that card there were a few Bible scriptures and this hand writing. Only this sentence jumped out to me and convicted me. Later on I found that a lady sent this card last November from Penllergaer area. Isn't it interesting? One day I heard “Go back to the Beginning!” and the next day “Place All on the Altar!” In January 2009, our family started going to the BCW sites every Sunday according to God's conviction, that he wanted us to redeem and restore the SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE of Rees Howells. Then the BCW sites were closed down and the college moved to England in July 2009. From that point I felt that God wanted us to redeem and restore the PHYSICAL PROPERTIES too, as part of the inheritance. Thankfully one of these has now been purchased and is being restored by Cornerstone Community Church, Singapore. So “Go back to the beginning” might mean that this journey is to redeem and restore the spiritual inheritance of Rees Howells only. Although I still don't know a lot of things, what I know is that I have to place all on the altar and I have placed BCW sites on the altar. Of course it was so hard for me but obedience is better than sacrifice. It looks like my 4 years and 4 months intercessory journey with BCW sites has come to an end, although we are still pursuing Rees Howells spiritual inheritance and the picking up the baton of equipping Jews and Gentiles for the last harvest fields. But we are pursuing the redeeming of his spiritual inheritance through the Forge vision. |
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Meeting with Brenda Taylor and Clifford Hill Date: Saturday 5th April 2014, 2:30 – 5:30 pm |
Shalom Love!
Qday LEE
on behalf of the Forge family
12 Ropewalk Road, Llanelli, SA15 2AL, UK
(+44) 7870653157
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www.theforgewales.org.uk