Newsletters

Hidden to Known
(The Forge Newsletter_April_2014)

"Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!' (Matthew 7:22-23)

Religion focuses on what “I” have done, but the Gospel focuses on what “Jesus” has done. So there are many rules; “DO” and “DON'T” in religions and people are bound by them. However, the Gospel sets us free from the external rules because of what Jesus has done on the Cross. Instead it leads us to make decisions willingly what to do or not. So religion gives no rest but the Gospel gives rest in Him. Eventually religion promotes myself, but the Gospel promotes Jesus.

1. I want to know the Lord but don't want to be known to him
We want to know the Lord more. So some people come before him everyday. But he won't know me at all although I might have some information about him, if I don't make myself known to him. True knowing (ידע) is to know each other through experiences, without hiding anything, showing ourselves as we are. Jesus died on the cross as the last Adam(אדם ruddy) and completely naked. However, sometimes I hide myself purposely before God as the first Adam did, and I am too busy to show myself to God or to share my heart.

2. Are we not too busy showing our work rather than ourselves?
We might be too busy showing our works, so we have no time to show ourselves. I have no time to show myself not only to God but also to people. I live as if I was born to work until I die like a slave. I might live to make known my works to my master, instead of making known myself to the Father. Therefore, even though I might have done amazing works in the name of Jesus, one day I might be told, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

The Lord will know my works whether I tell him or not. (I know your works, your labour, your patience,... Rev 2:2,9,13,19, 3:8,15) However, paradoxically he will not know me if I don't make myself known to him and if I don't respond to him, although he might know about me. So God told Abraham, “Now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” (Genesis 22:12) God knows everything, but if I don't show him, he might not know me and I might deceive him. Actually God is not deceived but I am deceived by myself.

3. Older son tried to please his father, but made him sad
If I am really a son, I need to spend time with my father to get to know him and to make myself known to him. Am I living as if I am a slave like the older son? The older son worked hard in order to please his father, but actually his father was sad. The younger son apparently made his father sad, but in fact his father was so pleased with him. In other words, the older son didn't know his father's heart and he didn't let him know his heart, so he couldn't enjoy life with his father. However, the younger son knew his father's heart and made himself known to his father, so he enjoyed life with his father.

Although the younger son left his father's house, the father didn't chase after him but waited until he returned, because he knew his son well and he knew he would come back home. Also the younger son knew that his father would receive him when he came back home.(Luke 15:20) Although the older son was living at his father's house, he didn't want to come in when his brother came back home. So his father had to come out from the house to persuade him to join, because he didn't know his father's heart. Although he lived in the house, his heart was always in the field. (Luke 15:28)

4. No courage to make myself known
From the garden of Eden, we are expert at hiding and covering ourselves. Because of fear and shame, we want to show ourselves as we want to be seen, instead of showing ourselves as we are. Also we are too busy to unwrap the coverings, although we have time to wrap ourselves. We are too afraid to make ourselves known as we really are. Therefore we show ourselves with coverings: works, possessions, position, titles, etc. and we value others with the same things. So many people know myself wrongly rather than who I really am.

5. Failure is my opportunity to be known
I can fail in my ministry and will sometimes fail, but I don't need to be worried about it or to cover up with pretence because Jesus has already finished and completed everything. Failures make me humble and give me the experience of the finished work of Jesus. Also through my failures, the hidden parts of me may be exposed and reveal the love of God, which was revealed and released through the Cross. Although my ministry may fail, it is successful if I am broken, known and built through it. If we don't trust in God, we cannot enter the rest of God and cannot show our failures. Instead we will cover and hide ourselves with fig tree leaves like the first Adam, even though the last Adam was stripped for us and covered us with his grace.

Let us therefore be diligent to enter “that rest”, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature “hidden” from His sight, but all things are “naked” and “open” to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. (Hebrews 4:11-13)

We are looking for our new house, but there are no houses at all for rent with 7 bedrooms although there are some houses for sale. At the same time a new tenant for this house has turned up. We cannot do anything in this situation, except prepare for moving house: painting, packing and de-cluttering. Therefore we have to trust in God who has done everything for us and to take rest while we are preparing this house moving.

[ The Forge Trip to the Middle East ]
7 people travelled to the Middle East, but 4 people didn't get visas for the 2nd country in the Middle East. We didn't expect this incident at all. So we were perplexed and we tried again and again, but the result was the same as before.

Now we found that we were not able to use the four people's return flight tickets because we had already booked from the second country's capital to London. The travel agent told us they couldn't rearrange the departure location as we wanted. The flight company would have refunded 30 euros each (about 15% of the original cost), if we had cancelled the return flights. We were desperate for money, so we decided to cancel 4 people's return flight tickets. We had to leave the first country quickly and also we felt that God wanted us to stay together as one team for longer than we had planned. So we moved to a really unexpected country: Georgia. God spoke to us about Lydia whom we would meet and we met her in a minibus after we crossed the boarder. She helped us to arrange our accommodation when we arrived in the capital city at 2am.

We had not enough money because of our visa issues and the extra journey. Our budget was very low and we needed to buy four new return flight tickets. We ate very cheap food each time. One day I checked my bank account and it was minus £50. I couldn't use my debit card to buy the four tickets. I called my wife and she knew our bank account was minus. She told me she would pray for us. I was desperate to find £550 to buy the tickets. As we were praying for 4 people, a thought came to my mind. So we went to the travel agency and amazingly from this country the tickets were exchangeable! On that evening, we were invited by an American couple and we ate a lot of pizzas with great satisfaction.

In the end, three of us left Georgia in order to go to our original destination. It was a 26 hour long bus journey and and 4 hours more to get to the town we wanted to visit. It was such a meaningful time and we met a couple of believers in the bus. We visited a couple of families whom we had met before and we were really welcomed and loved. Many people wanted us to come to their house to eat and to stay. I wish we had had more days. (If you want to read more testimony, click here)

No Compromise!!!
Unexpectedly we met a Turkish Christian family who have been keeping their faith for 16 years among persecutors and under the Islamic government. They have lost their jobs, security and future in order to keep their faith. When we asked what their life was like in this situation, they told us that it is the same whether living here or in the UK as a true Christian; “We have to pay the price to keep our faith!”

Six Ladies' Faith Exploring
6 ladies are exploring Jewish history across Europe to bring down the mystery of God here on earth for ten days. This is exciting because they had a little money and no experience before, but they had a mustard seed size of faith. God provided their finance before they left. We will hear more about the journey when they come back. One will go back to New York, three will go back to Korea and two will come back to Wales. (Click here!)


House Moving & Hearts Moving
I and my wife, also a couple of friends felt that the time of our living in this terrace house is coming to an end. So we let our landlord know that we are planning to move out by the end of April or May. We haven't got the next house yet.

On 17^th April, my friend Huw Priday invited me to meet a group of Singaporeans at the Bible College of Wales (BCW). They were travelling to pray over Wales and England. I went and listened to them. God told me just to listen but not to speak. One of them was sharing about her and her husband's experience, when they visited BCW in December 2008, my heart was so excited. I felt they initiated spiritually at that time and God stirred me up to follow it up in January 2009. My journey of faith regarding BCW started in January 2009.

I appreciated what she and her husband did when they took a prophetic action according to their conviction. While I was sharing with her, she stopped me because she saw a picture in her spirit and wanted to share with me. After she shared the picture, she asked me what kind of place or house I live in. I shared that I am living in a terrace house and we feel we need to move into a bigger house. She asked me how much we are paying and how much will be needed. Then she told me she would support £400 every month and wants us to find the house. I was so moved and welled up. Later her husband came to me and gave me £1000 as if it was the deposit. We haven't found a house yet. Please pray with us.

Speaking in a Korean gathering London
I went to London to speak in a small Korean gathering. It was a very interesting time for me. I was able to deliver the message for the Korean church which I have been carrying for a few years. It wasn't an easy message for either of us. I met a few interesting people too. I will share more about them later.

Family Break
From 21^st to 27^th April We had family break with my mother-in-law in the Lake District in the UK for six days. We had lovely walks by the sea, a boat trip on Lake Windermere and lots of helping Grandma in her garden.  It was a restful time.

[ 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 percent of Czechoslovakia's coal, 70 percent of its iron and steel, and 70 percent of its electrical power. Nevertheless, 15^th March 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, ethnical, 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.

Shalom Love!

Qday LEE
on behalf of the Forge family

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