Newsletters

Presence to Absence
(The Forge Newsletter_May_2012)
God doesn't hide himself from us, he hides himself for us.

“As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him...When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight.” (Luke 24:15-16, 30-31)

1. God is always with us
His disciples were at a very low point after Jesus was crucified. Their hope was gone because of his death. So two of them were probably heading back to their home town full of disappointment. Jesus came up and walked along with them. Although we don't recognise him, God is always with us, even in our disappointment because he is Immanuel and omnipresent. Also he is the beginning and the end, which means he encompasses everything.

2. God disappears not from us but for us
When these disciples recognised him, Jesus disappeared from their sight. In other words, he made himself absent from their sight. When God makes his absence, it is for our sake. God made himself to be a human being for us (Philippians 2:7), which means that he put himself into limitation in space and in time although he is omnipotent and omnipresent. It is impossible for God to be absent because he is omnipresent but Jesus made his absence through his death.

3. Faith works in His Absence rather than in His Presence
It is wonderful for us to be in His presence, so we always seek for His presence. But sometimes he releases his absence instead. When we feel his absence, we feel fearful, dreadful, awful and worried. When we are in his presence, we don't need to use faith in God because we are in His presence. Yet when we feel His absence, we have to use faith, otherwise we will turn around and walk away from him. Therefore his absence is the best opportunity of using our faith.

4. His absence is the Sign to reveal His Presence
We don't want to leave His presence, but the Lord wants us to leave the place where we have been in His presence, so that we may bring his presence to somewhere else. If we don't leave His presence, he brings his absence to us. Jesus made his absence in Jerusalem after his resurrection, so that his disciples moved to Galilee according to his word. Although Jesus promised the Holy Spirit, he left the earth so that his disciples would bring his presence and power onto the earth. God brings his absence in order to create room for us to bring his presence and power around us.

5. Samuel was brought up in His absence but he brought His presence back to Israel
At the time of Eli, the high priest, the glory of God had left, then His presence was in Philistine as the ark was moving around. Although Samuel was brought up in His absence, he knew how to listen to God. If we know how to listen to God and obey him, we can bring ourselves up like Samuel and can bring his presence back into the land where the glory of God has departed.

Being in his presence is blessing to me but bringing his presence to the world is more blessing. Through the absence of God: my failure, my mistake, my disappointment; he creates room and time for me to think and to listen in order to act according to his time and his purposes.

[ Watching over his Clock ]
1. Missed flight from Moscow to London
On 16th April, I missed my flight in Moscow on the way to London from Israel because I misunderstood the clock. I didn't change my clock to Moscow time as I assumed it was the same as Israel. I had stayed overnight at the airport for 14 hours already. I slept on a chair and the next day morning I shaved, meditated and studied the Scriptures, and even I had a nice omelet breakfast because I had plenty of time and some money. But I missed the flight because I didn't watch the clock carefully. When I saw a clock in the airport while I was walking towards my gate, I thought it was wrong. But it turned out I was wrong and my flight had already departed when I got my gate.
I didn't know what to do for a while. I tried to listen to God even though I was in panic. In the end I heard from God, “You didn't watch the time carefully, so you are paying the price. I want you to tell people to watch carefully about my time, otherwise they will pay a high cost, even their eternal life.” “I will pass you over this situation because I just want your life to be this message.” I explained plainly and honestly to the airport officers and they gave me a new boarding card without any extra charge.

2. One of the Final Signs: Ataturk dam in Turkey
“He will raise a banner for the nations and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth....The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams so that anyone can cross over in sandals....There will be a highway for the remnant of his people that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel when they came up from Egypt.” (Isaiah 11:12, 15-16)

We need to understand where we are in God's time otherwise we might pay a high cost. The scattered people of Judah have been returning from the four corners of the earth to the promised land as he promised Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. If we don't stand on the Biblical ground, we will misunderstand and be misled by our emotion, situation, politics, and even our compassion and our good intention. I try not to look at present Israel through a political or humanitarian perspective, but a biblical perspective.

This Bible prophecy is being fulfilled in our time right now. The Turkish government has built the Ataturk Dam in the Euphrates river to irrigate and to generate electricity. This project is called GAP (Guneydogu Anadolu Porjesi; Southeastern Anatolia Project). The construction began in 1983 and was completed in 1990. They have been diverting this water into 7 different streams. Now Syria and Iraq are facing a shortage of water because of this project. In other words, the Euphrates and Tigris are drying up. This could trigger another war. However, this is just the beginning of the Kings' Highway event in Isaiah 19.



3. BCW sites
The housing development proposal with Swansea Council is still being processed, according to my communication with an officer in the Planning Department in Swansea City Council.

God has commissioned me to purchase both BCW sites: Derwen Fawr and Sketty Isaf, and to form a new body that is international, inter-denominational, inter-organisational in order to redeem the inheritance of Rees Howells. He has revealed 5 areas of this inheritance which are to be the lifestyle of the FORGE: intercession, mission, worship, preparing the next generation and standing with Israel. As Rees Howells excercised his calling by faith, in the same way, we are to live by faith. God hasn't told me anything different yet, therefore I have to carry on this call to set up the FORGE by faith on these sites.

[ Report Back ]
1. Last the FORGE meeting report
We were twenty-two and a few Koreans joined in worshipping and interceding. We prayed and interceded for the diaspora Jews' return. It was a supernatural experience. One of us prophesied that God would give special tongues on that day when we prayed for Jews in different countries. It happened. When one of us prayed for returning Jews from China, another person started praying in a Chinese tongue. When someone prayed for Jews in the North African reign, another person made a very high pitched call that went on and on and on. I really felt God was using us in his intercession before the BCW properties are released, as he told me earlier this year.

2. Report from trip to Israel
More Foes than Friends of Israel
When I arrived in Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport immigration, a lady officer asked questions officially. After I answered and I told her that I have been praying and fasting to stand with Israel, she said “Thank you” and was nearly in tears. I travelled by bus in Hebron and sat next to a University student. I introduced myself as Christian and apologised for the horrible things Christians did to the Jews in the past. Then I told him we are praying and standing with Israel. He deeply appreciated it. I met a retired Jewish couple in Jerusalem and I introduced myself as I did. I said that you have some Christian friends but he told me they have more foes than friends. When I was leaving at the airport, the security guy checked once and released me. I was a bit surprised and I told him I love Israel and am praying. He thanked me with perplexity. When an immigration officer stamped on my passport and I told her I am praying and standing with Israel, she smiled and thanked me.



Smuggling Welsh Coals to Israel
A friend of mine gave me some pieces of Welsh coal to take to Israel. I didn't have any desire to do it because I like to travel light. I gave 6 pieces of coal and the 7th one was missing, so the 7th person probably will come to Wales or I will take it next time. Each case was amazing. People were ready to receive it and they were surprised too. For example, two ladies whom I met in a prayer house in Jerusalem. Their ancestors are Welsh. They knelt down to receive the coals. I know the coal hasn't got power but God uses items to transfer his mystery like the ark of God. When I gave the coal to Rania in Nazareth, she told me, “It is perfect timing.” Two days before we arrived in Nazareth, she had a vivid dream and she received a very interesting picture from Australia to do with the fire of God. She invested $300 as seed money from Arab Christians in Nazareth. We were very much encouraged by her committed heart for the Forge vision and prophetic prayer for us.

Jerusalem (Korean ladies / Jan Willem / Australian group / David)
I met three Korean ladies in Jerusalem. Two of them gave me a gift for our family. I already knew God wants our family to go to the Feast of Tabernacle this Autumn but finance was a big challenge. God gave me a clear sign for our family's trip through these ladies. I met Jan Willem who was with an Australian group in the City of David. I really felt his heart with this vision; the Forge, and he sincerely prayed for me. He gave me an opportunity to share with the group about the Forge vision. They all prayed for me and one of them gave 500 shekels as seed money.
The day before I left I briefly visited a Korean prayer house in Jerusalem and they prayed for me. It was an unexpected blessing for me. Then, unexpectedly, I was kidnapped by a Korean missionary brother and taken to his house. While we were talking, he wanted to know about our journey regarding the inheritance of Rees Howells. I shared with him briefly. Then he disappeared and came back with $777 as seed money.

Highway 60 from Beersheba to Nazareth
I didn't expect it would be possible to travel along the Highway 60 from Beer Sheba to Nazareth, but a Korean missionary was staying with HJ and she offered to take me to Hebron and Beer Sheba one day. We 4-6 people travelled between Beer Sheba and Nazareth, and Caesarea, Caesarea Philipi, and near Mt. Hermon. It was an amazing time. God opened my heart and eyes, and corrected some of my Bible understanding.
In Shechem there are three important places: Abraham's first altar, Jacob's well and Joseph's tomb. It was a revelatory journey. God revealed about the importance of Shechem. Abraham built the first altar in the promised land, although he might have not known it at that time (Genesis 12:6-7). Jacob bought a piece of land in Shechem and built an altar when he returned from Paddan Aram (Genesis 33:20), but then Dinah was raped and in response Simeon and Levi annihilated the Shechemites (Genesis 34). Joshua erected a stone altar in order to redeem and restore what Abraham set up in Shechem (Joshua 8:30). After they buried Josheph's bones at Shechem, he challenged the people to choose between blessing and curse before the two mountains: Gerazim and Ebal (Joshua 24:25-26, 32). Ultimately Jesus came to Shechem and declared he was the living water and was revealed to the Samaritans as the Saviour of the world (John 4:14, 42).

While we were worshipping in Joseph's tomb, I saw a strong whirlwind that took deadness up and brought down the heavenly things. At that time we didn't know but one of us actually prayed for sending a whirlwind and I saw it.

Digging One Well by Faith until the Water Comes
Abraham's well is now 70m deep in Beersheba, and Jacob's well is 40m in Shechem. They had faith that there was water in the spot God had indicated, so they kept digging, even though there was no water after 10, 20 or 30 meters. And they found water in the end. It is still there, and I drank water from Jacob's well. We must be persistent where God had showed us to dig spiritually, and not give up even if we don't see results quickly. This is what God has showed me about the Forge vision. (This picture is the Jacob's well)



Three Days Fasting and Prayer for Israel
Date: 28th - 30th May 2012

Venue: Kings Park Centre, Kings Park Road, Northampton, NN3 6LL, U.K.

Contacts: Brenda Taylor, DOVETAIL MINISTRIES (01773 872323 or 01283 517733)

Next The Forge gathering
Date: Saturday, 26th May 2012, 12pm-4pm (with packed lunch)

Venue: Parklands Church, Maes Y Gollen, Sketty, Swansea, SA2 8HQ 



If you want to see the location on the web, click here.
http://www.theforgewales.org.uk/cms/index.php/en/events/icalrepeat.detail/2012/01/14/9/-/the-forge-meetingjanuary-142012

Shalom & love!

Qday LEE

on behalf of The FORGE team

12 Ropewalk Road, Llanelli, Wales, U.K., SA15 2AL

www.theforgewales.org.uk
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(+44) 7870653157