Newsletters

 Dark for Light

(The Forge Newsletter_February_2023)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

1. Without dark background, the light does not show
Generally speaking, when we look up at the sky at night, we can see the moon and stars, although we cannot not see them often in Wales. But not many people notice the background of darkness for the moon and stars to be shown. Without darkness, we cannot see the stars and moon clearly, though we can see the moon faintly in the day.

2. Darkness brings out the unseen and takes away the seen
The wise men from the east travelled at night because they followed the star. We cannot see any star in the day but at night. It means that they must have travelled at night, whereas they must have taken rest in the day. When evening comes, we can see the things that we cannot see in the day time, also we lose sight of the things that we can see in the day time. Likewise when the darkness comes in our life, we cannot see what we normally see, also we lose our confidence. However, in the darkness we may see the things that we have never seen before. So the darkness in our life may be an opportunity to find a special light or star that leads us to Jesus.

3. The wise men weren’t wise enough
As the wise men arrived in Judea, they assumed that the new born king must have been born in Jerusalem which was the capital city. So they must have stopped following the star. Instead of waiting for the evening to see the star, they rushed into the palace in the day. However, their assumption was wrong. The new born king wasn’t there. Because of their human ingenuity, they stopped following the star and it brought disaster to the families in the vicinity of Bethlehem. When we follow Jesus, we shouldn’t rely on our human ingenuity but a simple faith in Him. The faith often leads us to journey at night in the darkness, instead of in day light by sight.

4. Many of us have been in dark situations
Many of us already have been very dark situations during the Covid-19 pandemic. Many people are struggling because of financial recession and various strikes. Also we recently heard about the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Turkey and Syria on 6^th February 2023. The people who are in those countries are in shock and devastated. Also Ukrainians have been suffering tragically for a year because of the Russian invasion.

5. Dark and desperate situations may lead us to the Light
Jesus’s death was terrible news for his followers but it turned into good and great news of resurrection and redemption. The death of three men; her husband and two sons, brought devastation to Naomi. That’s why she asked people to call her ‘Mara(מרא = feminine, bitter)’. However, later her name ‘Naomi(נעמי = pleasant)’ was redeemed and her daughter-in-law, Ruth became an ancestor of king David and Jesus. Sarah’s death was so sorrowful, but her death brought an opportunity to buy a burial place in Hebron that became the legal foundation of God’s promise in Canaan. If we look around us to seek a light on earth, it may help us temporarily but it will dilute the darkness, so that we cannot see the Light above. However, if we look up to seek the Light of the world in the middle of the dark situations, we can find it and will lead us into the Life of God.

“Behold, I go forward, but he is not there,
and backward, but I do not perceive him;
on the left hand when he is working,
I do not behold him;
he turns to the right hand,
but I do not see him.
But he knows the way that I take;
when he has tried me,
I shall come out as gold.
My foot has held fast to his steps;
I have kept his way and have not turned aside.
I have not departed from the commandment of his lips;
I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food.”
(Job 23:8-12)

[ Prayer & Intercession]

“Let the young woman to whom I shall say, ‘Please let down your jar that I may drink,’ and who shall say, ‘Drink, and I will water your camels’—let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. By this I shall know that you have shown steadfast love to my master.” (Genesis 24:14)

1. Our prayers can be changed by our situations
Abraham’s servant arrived by the well outside the city of Nahor, at the time of evening, when women go out to draw water. Then he prayed specifically to find Issac’s wife. His prayer was a very tricky and risky prayer because he had a very specific prayer list. For incidence, it should be Abraham’s relative, virgin, and giving him water and water for his ten camels. Camels drink a lot of water, so she had to run down to the well and up so many times. It probably took thirty minutes to an hour at least. As soon as he prayed like that, the angels of God were sent out all the houses to stop ladies coming out to the well to get water for preparing dinner, except Nahor’s house. When someone pray in faith, God moves His angels and His hand to fulfil the prayers.

2. Lots of information sterilise our wild and pure prayers
If the servant had some information about the ladies in that town and who normally came to the well first, he wouldn’t pray like that. He might have known that time was the busiest time for ladies in the day to prepare dinner, so no one would be willing to give water to his ten camels. Sometimes our prayer has no wild wings because of so much information of the situations. So we modify or edit our prayers according to the information, situation and conditions where we are at.

3. Prayers that come from above are overriding all
However, the prayer that has been given from above, is overriding the information, situation and conditions to fulfil God’s desire, dream and His design. Rees Howells prayers were not edited with political agenda, economical situation, cultural differences, also military situations, but he brought out His prayers purely through prayers and intercessions. Our prayers can change our situations, or our prayers can be changed by our situations.

In Rees Howells’ time, the Head Teacher of the Emmanuel Grammar School, Kingsley Priddy, “told how the Bible College of Wales was brought to prayer at the time when the United Nations were voting for the partition of Palestine. They saw, in vision, angels surrounding the UN building and they proclaimed victory in faith even before the vote was taken, which despite Britain’s abstention was passed so that Israel would once more be reborn as a nation in their own land. It is not as a result of a political manoeuvre that Israel is back in the Land: it was an act of God.” (Read more….)

4. Agreeing and accepting His prayer
When I pray in faith, God has to fit in to my prayer. Sometimes God changes my prayers but sometimes God changes his plans to fit into my prayers or even put himself into me. Jesus’ mother Mary agreed and accepted the word that the angel spoke to her. When she agreed and accepted the word of God, the Word came into her womb. If I agree and accept God’s prayer, he would bring his plan and himself into my life. In fact, Mary’s prayer was God’s prayer that he prayed and longed for from the garden of Eden since the first Adam broke the Covenant.

5. Prayer should be specific?
Prayer should be specific but God knows what we really need although we don’t know how to pray and what to pray specifically. One day some of us prayed for a person’s physical condition to get healed. God not only healed the person physically but also set the person free from the fear of man. In fact, the person had been suffering from fear of man for 40 years since having been a child abuse. One day we prayed for another person and one young man just passing by and he got healed from his elbow pain instantaneously.

6. Before & After Brexit and Before & After Covid-19
Life goes on, although there have been a lot of changes since Brexit and Covid-19. We are still facing financial recession, inflation, wars, earthquakes, corruption, fighting, lying, stealing, gaming, abusing, sporting, marring, divorcing, birth and death, etc.. Also the Kingdom of God is advancing forcefully and ceaselessly. Most of all, our Heavenly Father is the same yesterday, today and forever: faithful, merciful, loving and caring, whereas we are so much changeable up and down.

What has been is what will be,
and what has been done is what will be done,
and there is nothing new under the sun.
Is there a thing of which it is said,
“See, this is new”?
It has been already
in the ages before us.
(Ecclesiastes 1:9-10)

7. Non-stop Prayer and Worship at Asbury University in USA
A Christian service at a college chapel in Kentucky has ballooned into a nonstop prayer and worship session. The growing event started as a routine chapel service at Asbury University in Kentucky. At the tail-end of the meeting, a couple dozen lingering students assembled informally in a gathering that’s been going now (on 15 Feb) for seven days straight, 24 hours a day. As attendance swiftly rises, some students who joined the spiritual movement at Asbury over the past week have returned to their own schools, where separate worship and prayer gatherings have broken out. Students at Lee University in Tennessee started a nonstop prayer vigil Monday morning that is still ongoing, said Brian Conn, director of communications at Lee University. Other schools with similar reports include Anderson University in Indiana, Ohio Christian University near Columbus, and a handful of others. Asbury University is no stranger to events like this, as 50 years ago a similar prayer and worship event took place across the campus. (from NBCNews: Read more...) / (Watch on YouTube...)

Besides this you know the time,
that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep.
For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.
The night is far gone; the day is at hand.
So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armour of light.
Let us walk properly as in the daytime,
not in orgies and drunkenness,
not in sexual immorality and sensuality,
not in quarrelling and jealousy.
But put on the Lord Jesus Christ,
and make no provision for the flesh,
to gratify its desires.
(Romans 13:9-14)

[ News Update ]

1. Doubled gas bill & Broken down car
Two months ago, we received a huge gas bill. It’s literally double. Our family were shocked and I have stopped using gas heated hot water for shower and washing up but we are using electric shower instead, for five minutes brief. Also our car, that has been serving our family and hundreds of visitors for ten years, stopped last week in the middle of main road in the morning rush hour in our town centre. It was really embarrassing but thankfully no one got hurt. Again, on Sunday I took a few young people to the youth service and we had a few hiccups on the way but we arrived safely. After the service, the young people got in our car and as I was leaving, our car wouldn’t move at all. Even though it’s difficult time, I thanked God, because we have a roof and solid walls, and food. Although our car has broken down, no-one got hurt. I praised God even more when someone put an envelope through our door with £200 in! The car is now in the garage. *(Now we have taken this as His sign to replace our car and we are praying seriously for VW Transporter, 9 seater, 2015~2019, SWB, less than 50,000 mileage.) Also we keep praying for 7 acres of land and decent properties to set up a discipling community with practical skills.

2. Visiting elderly friends in care homes & Serving young people
I have three British friends and one Iranian friend who are in care homes. I visit one friend once a week and the others irregularly. Once upon a time, they were handsome, beautiful and strong, but now they are weak, forgetful and fragile. While I am spending time with them, I have been thinking a lot of myself in the future. I thank God that I learned a lot from them in the past and I am still learning from them. Also every Sunday afternoon, I drive a few young people to attend a youth service that is held 30 minutes away. Whether I like being in the service or not, I have to spend time with the young people. Every Friday afternoon, I am learning Korean martial art 'Taekowndo' with young people too. So I am walking and serving between the young and the old. 

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23)

3. House moving : Owen & Seungae, Jean & Nicol
Owen’s mother Jean & his brother Nicol have sold their property in South Wales, then they are moving to North Wales according to what God has instructed them. Owen & Seungae are looking for permanent accommodation, and are trying to start a family.

4. Visiting grandma and grandpa
Qday & Bridget, Noah and Yohan travelled to the Lake district and Scotland during the Christmas and new year to visit Bridget’s mum and her dad. I worked nearly everyday to fix things in the house and I made a very nice porch roof in Wales and took to Scotland and to installed on my father-in-law’s house. God really helped us to find roof tiles there and released mild temperature. When I finished all, on that night the temperature was dropped minus. It was amazing. My father-in-law doesn’t believe in God yet but he recognised someone controlled the weather for three days for my work.

5. Producing the Fruit of Faith
Vivien’s a testimonial faith journey book “A Living Legacy” is on the verge of publishing. Owen has been exploring Treadit Gardens and he made a beautiful garden and pond for local families. (https://treaditgardens.com) Seungae is very creative artist and a qualified architect has been creating various art works; cards, calendar, book cover, etc.. Also Our brother Rabbi Mathew has published a powerful testimonial book: “Grace Undone” on Amazon. (click here)

Qday Music Album: “Tomorrow Never Comes!”

1. Tomorrow Never Comes!
2. The Only Way
3. Beginning & End
4. Enough
5. The Most Beautiful Thing
6. Set Free
7. Let Your Kingdom Come
8. Like A Rock

Shalom Shalom!

Qday LEE

(+44) 7870 653157

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www.theforgewales.org.uk