Newsletters

  Assumption to Assurance
(The Forge Newsletter_06_2023)

And he said, “Take the arrows.” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. (2 Kings 13:18)

1. We cannot carry on without assurance
If we don’t listen or listen carelessly, we have no assurance. Without assurance, we are hesitant or may stop in the middle of doing. Elijah had an assurance of God’s promises, so he kept praying until the palm size of cloud appeared. Yet Joash struck three times and stopped. Did he assume that three times was enough? Or didn’t he have assurance of what he was doing?

2. Assumption creates misunderstanding, disappointment and anger
Why didn’t Elisha tell Joash to strike five or six times? Did he assume that Joash would strike five or six times? Why didn’t Joash ask how many times Elisha wanted him to strike? If Elisha had told him to strike five or six times, he would have done it. It wasn’t difficult task. Their assumptions created anger and disappointments. Although Elisha gave him a hint, Joash didn’t get it.

“Open the window eastward.” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he shot. And he said, “The LORD'S arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” (2 Kings 13:17)

3. Assumptions spoils God’s plan
King Joash knew that God had used Elisha in extraordinary ways, but he knew that this was the end of Elisha’s time. So he probably didn’t expect any extraordinary things. Therefore he missed what God had prepared for him and his country: the absolute victories. God can do amazing things when we think it is the end. In fact, he starts new things when we come to an end. God starts from our ends. God starts when we finish. Even a dead man’s body was touched by the bones of Elisha, he was revived and stood on his feet. (2Kings 13:21) If God doesn’t say it is the end, it is not the end, but even if it looks as if things are continuing, if God say it is the end, it is the end.

4. Assurance comes from listening
We shouldn’t assume but ask questions. Faith is not a wish nor assumption, but the assurance of what we hope for, the conviction of what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1) Faith doesn’t come from assumption but from hearing, and hearing through the Word of God. (Romans 10:17) Martha assumed that Jesus was hungry, so she cooked busily. However Mary sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to him quietly because she was hungry for him. We should live by faith, not by assumption. We are called to live by faith as the righteous, not by assumption. (Hebrews 10:38) But we assume a lot because we are too busy to stop or we think we know what to do. Joash struck three times and stopped, but we have to stop first, then listen to the heartbeat before striking.

5. Although doors are big, but keys are small
Striking the ground with arrows is not a big action but it was meant to be a prophetic action for winning the battles. So we mustn’t ignore or under estimate the weak, the sick, the poor, the old, and the small. God can use even a donkey to speak to us. We mustn’t underestimate our prayers and singing. The battle didn’t depend on Joshua’s fighting arms but Moses’ interceding arms. (Exodus 17:11) Jehoshaphat's victory didn’t depend on the soldiers’ shouts but the singers’ singing. (2 Chronicles 20:21-23) We mustn’t dismiss fasting and feeding the poor. God hears and remembers us. The brake system is not a big thing in a car, but it can cause a big accident if we don’t use it properly. Big problems don’t come with big things, but with small things. We easily notice the big things but not the small things. So the ignored, small things become big problems. Even though doors are big, but the unlocking keys are small.

[ Prayer & Intercession ]

1. A bird picked out a book instead of bookworms
We have three birds in our house; two quails and one budgie. When the budgie came to our house, sometimes we opened the cage door for him to fly around in the living room. One day he flew to a book case and kept pecking one particular book. I wondered if he was looking for bookworms and I felt that God might want me to read that book. I could have ignored it but I picked it out. It was about the Welsh Revival 1904 and has encouraged and spurred me a lot. I am so grateful that God used the little bird to indicate for me.

2. Insignificant dreams but significant incidents
I am not a dreamer but recently I had a couple of very interesting dreams. I could have ignored them but I felt they were meaningful. So I shared them with relevant people. Then it turned out a big encouragement for a family and for a local church. I thanked God that God used me like a donkey that spoke. Also, very recently I had a dream and in that dream a brother journeyed with me till the end of my journey, though it was very difficult time for me. So I texted him with grateful heart after I woke up. Then he texted me back. In fact, a few days before he tried to contact me, but he didn’t get through. So he was wondering, then he received my text. It turned out that I had a very encouraging online meeting the next week with the church members.

3. Twenty-one days of fast & prayer for Israel
A couple of months ago, when I heard that there would be an organised global fast and prayer movement for Israel, I wasn’t interested in it at first. But God wanted me to join it quietly. So I have joined quietly. Although our fast and prayer might be insignificant, God would do significant things.

“For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. The nations shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory, and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will give. You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of your God.” (Isaiah 62:1-3)

4. The significant one Elijah vs the insignificant hidden 7,000
The reason why God is seeking for the worshipers who worship the Father in spirit and truth is that they are hidden. (john 4:23) Elijah was significant one who closed the heaven for three and half years and brought down fire from the sky. However, there were seven thousand hidden people who were insignificant and hidden but they truly worshipped the God of Israel. (1 King 19:18) Often God uses mightily insignificant ones for his eternal purposes to be fulfilled like the shepherd boy David and the fishermen of Galilee.

“The hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.” (John 4:23)

5. Preparation with insignificant ones in Welsh Revival
God always prepares his people before he does things, as Jesus called and prepared his disciples before he poured out the Holy Spirit. If there is no vessel or there is no clean vessel, he will not pour out his Spirit. Likewise the 1904 Welsh Revival, it didn’t happen suddenly but God had prepared his people before, whether they were significant or insignificant. He lays railways before the steam engine comes.

"In 1896, thirteen Welsh people attended the Keswick Convention in England that was dedicated to ‘higher life’ holiness teaching, and prayed for Wales. In 1898, W. S. Jones, originally from Swansea, received ‘a baptism of power’ shortly before leaving the USA to minister in Wales. In 1900, W. S. Jones had a second ‘baptism of power’ in Wales. Later in 1900, W. W. Lewis was influenced by W. S. Jones and Keri Evans, and had a ‘baptism’ experience. W. S. Jones, Lewis and Evans - the ‘Carmarthen trinity’ - arranged meetings for the deepening of spiritual life. Between 1903 and 1904, W. S. Jones asked young ministers to covenant together in prayer for revival in Wales. Signs of blessing occurred, a regular prayer meeting for young people started and was joined later by large crowds." (Read more...)

"In August 1903, the first Welsh Keswick convention was held in Llandrindod. Twelve Welsh ministers, including Joseph Jenkins and Seth Joshua attended. Seth Joshua  was greatly affected. After the convention, between November 1903 and January 1904, Joseph Jenkins had become increasingly desperate about the lack of genuineness and depth in his own spiritual life, and had given himself to seeking for a deeper encounter with God. One night, as he wrestled with God he suddenly felt as if he was enveloped with a blue flame, as the Holy Spirit descended on him in response to his desperate longings for more. It was an experience that utterly transformed him, and in the days that followed, he found he had a new responsiveness to the Word of God, and new levels of insight that accompanied a far greater sense of the reality of Christ indwelling him. Overnight, his preaching became incisively effectual, cutting to the very hearts of his listeners where it had previously been passionless." (Read more… )

"In February 1904, after Sunday evening service, Florrie Evans asked Joseph Jenkins for counsel. He advised her to submit to the lordship of Christ. At the next Sunday morning after the meeting Florrie Evans publicly confessed, 'I love the Lord Jesus with all of my heart.' There was silence for a short while, then some of the listeners began coming under conviction. There was the quiet sound of sobbing, as the Holy Spirit worked deeply in hearts, bringing revelation of the closeness and the depth of God's love expressed to each one through the person of Christ. In 1904 Spring, news of this confession and its result spread and crowds were attracted to the united prayer meetings. Young people of 16-18 years old went from New Quay to churches of the surrounding districts to share the blessing." [ source from “Well-digger” http://daibach-welldigger.blogspot.com/ ]

Also Seth Joshua had been praying for four years that God would raise a person from a mining or farming field to facilitate the next revival. When he met Evan Roberts, he shared for the first time his hidden prayer. Also he prayed to be bent at Blaenannerch chapel, and in response to Seth Joshua’s prayer, Evan Roberts prayed, “Bend me!” Then the Holy Spirit descended on him.

6. Insignificant ones in Hebrides Revival in Scotland
There were two elderly ladies Peggy(84) and Christine Smith(82) in the village of Barvas in the Hebrides, Scotland. Peggy was blind and Christine was almost bent double with arthritis. They were insignificant but God used them significantly for the Hebrides revival between 1949 and 1952. One day God gave them this promise: “I will pour water upon him that is thirsty and floods upon the dry ground.” So they pleaded this day and night in prayer, and God answered their prayers. (Read more… ) [ source from “Call the Nation to Pray” https://ctntp.uk ]

7. Fruits of the seeds from Wales and preparing the next phase of His move

(1) Korean missionaries in Wales
Robert Jermain Thomas went to China as a missionary in 1863. He visited Korean coastal villages to deliver Bibles and in the end, he was martyred in 1866 in Pyungyang, North Korea. He was one of the seeds of the Korean church. So now a number of Korean missionaries are serving in local churches and everyday places in Wales and praying for revival in this land because of the love that we received from Robert Jermain Thomas.

(2) Argentinian missionaries in Wales
Quite recently I met an Argentinian missionary who speak Welsh language fluently. He told me that in 1930, a Welsh missionary, David Morris from Neath, went to Argentina to deliver the gospel message and his mother accepted Jesus. When he was in university, God showed him clearly through a vivid dream and called him to come to Wales. Even God indicated him where to be in Wales. It is an amazing story. He has been ministering four Welsh speaking churches. If you want to watch his testimony, please click here. (It is in Welsh with English subtitles.)

(3) A Cameroonian missionary in Wales
Although Cameroonian Apostolic church was founded by Nigerian apostolic missionaries, they had a Welsh apostolic missionary who came to Cameroon around 1960. Therefore Cameroonian apostolic christians feel that they have the Welsh apostolic heritage. About five years ago, a Cameroonian missionary came to Llanelli after serving an African church in London for few years. He has been meeting local people, evangelising, and discipling, especially young people.

[ News Update ]

1. Streams of visitors
Since last year July we are having, on and off, quite a number of visitors. I have been taking them to a few historical places to praise and to pray. It has been amazing. Although the places are the past history of God’s visitation, people still have encounters with Him and start new journeys with Him as well. Also I believe that their prayers and praises are bringing His presence and power, as Paul and Silas prayed and praised in the prison, and the foundations of the prison were shaken, all the prison doors were opened, and every prisoners’ chain was unfastened. (Acts 16:25-26)

2. The Forge School of Faith
Last March, we resumed the Forge School of Faith and two young Korean ladies joined. During this time, one of them heard she has been not only accepted at Asbury University in USA but also offered a four year scholarship. She was in tears with gratefulness because she was afraid of failure since she had already applied twice to university in Korea and failed. It was a quite different school but was great that people released and received his/her gifts.

4. Owen & Seungae’s Faith Journey to Tailand
As some of you know that Seungae served Thai young people in Thailand for four years as a missionary. So she always has a heart for the Thai people. This time her university missionary colleagues had a mission conference in Thailand. God opened the door and she and Owen went and after that they had a mission expedition by faith. They had an amazing reconciliation experience with a Thai brother and encouraged Thai brothers and sisters in Jesus.

5. Jisook and Joosun’s family are visiting Wales
Jisook and Joosun were singles when they came to the Forge House, but now they are visiting with their husbands and children for over two months this summer. We are looking forward what God is going to do among us. 

6. Lee Family News
Noah, Yohan and Qday have been learning Taekwondo for one year and we all got the first grade black belt. Noah and Qday are carrying on, but not Yohan. Noah finished his GCSE(General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams and will move on to a local college in September. Bridget finished the second year of her open university MA course and she is wondering whether to carry on or stop. Qday has made few more things with wood: tea table, desk, stool, double bed, etc..

7. Nine seater people carrier is on the way
One day God told me that people are coming and we need to get 9 seater vehicle. So we have been praying for 9 seat people carrier. Quite recently someone have offered a large donation for the vehicle. So I am searching for the right one. Thank you for your prayers and practical helps. Please keep praying for seven acres of land and decent accommodation buildings as a home for our community, to raise up the spiritual blacksmiths and build the spiritual & practical forges.

* Mathew Toller’s book & Vivien Firth’s book have been published

Rabbi Mathew has published a powerful testimonial book: “Grace Undone” on Amazon. (click here)

Vivien’s a testimonial faith journey book: “A Living Legacy” 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