Newsletters
Binding to Breaking
(The Forge Newsletter_September & October_2013)
Then he said to him, "Please go and see if it is well with your brothers and well with the flocks, and bring back word to me." So he sent him out of the Valley of Hebron(חברון), and he went to Shechem(שכמה). Now a certain man found him, and there he was, wandering in the field. And the man asked him, saying, "What are you seeking?" (Genesis 37:14-15)
It is true that Jesus came to the earth to bind and fix the broken. Also we need to know that Jesus came to break the fixed and to disturb the settled. We don't want to be broken and disturbed once we have been fixed and settled. There is no more hope and no more future, if we have been fixed and settled. Unless we are broken, God cannot work on us and in us any more.
1. If we listen to our Father, our plan and expectation may be ruined
Jacob sent Joseph to Shechem to find his brothers. When he got there, he couldn't find them but he was found by a nameless man instead. Since Joseph followed the man's instruction, his life was completely ruined. He was sold as a slave and became a prisoner in Egypt. His dreams, plans, and his father's expectation were completely disrupted by meeting the man.
2. A new way opens up where there is no way
Joseph was wandering in the field because he couldn't find his brothers. If he had found his brothers in Shechem, he would have gone back to his father with news about them. An unexpected new way was opened to him by wandering without finding them. If I get whatever I want, a new way will not be opened for me. The way opens up where there is no way.
3. We need to meet a nameless man who ruins our lives
Those who help me to rearrange and reform will never give me a new life. They only add to or reshape my existing life. A new life starts from the end of my life and my ruined life. The one who ruins my life is the one who introduces me to a new life. When we meet someone famous, our life may be built up by him, but the nameless one will destroy my life. This world is looking for well-prepared ones but God is looking for the ruined.
4. The nameless man brings a new identity and eternal destiny
Joseph hadn't met the nameless man, his life would not have been delayed and ruined. Because Joseph met the man, his life was not only delayed but also ruined. Joseph's identity was a beloved shepherd and his destiny was Hebron. But because of meeting the man, his old identity was ruined, and he had new identities; slave, prisoner, prime-minister of Egypt. He thought his destiny was Hebron or Canaan, but a new destiny; Egypt, was given to him because of meeting the man.
Jesus lived namelessly for thirty years. His disciples were found by the nameless one and in the end they all received new identities; apostles, and all had new destinies; were martyred, except Judas Iscariot and John, who was exiled. What kind of identity and destiny do I really want to have? An eternal identity and everlasting destiny, which means being ruined, possibly martyred, imprisoned, exiled, in this world? Or an identity and destiny that is nice and safe in this world but is really living in a guinea-pig's wheel endlessly or in a zoo comfortably?
Jesus saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. .... And Jesus said to Simon, "Do not be afraid. From now on you will catch men (not fish)." So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook everything and followed Him. (Luke 5:2,10-11)
The Forge School of Faith - III
5th - 19th Oct (Wales) / 21st Oct - 5th Nov (The Middle East)
Those who are coming to the Forge School of Faith, have been battling with finance, visas, family relationships, etc.. That's really great because there is always RISK, where faith is leading us to. Faith is often found in uncertainty and fear. Because if everything is sure, we don't need to use the faith of God. We are excising the faith of God and the love of God in this journey with intercessory trip to the Middle East. 23 people, including our immediate family, are coming to the Forge and 9 people out of them are going to the Mideast. We will appreciate your standing with us.
The Forge School of Faith with Youth
14th December 2013 – 12th February 2014
I received an email last August from a friend of mine who lives in Israel. She would like to send a group of young people under the wings of the Forge journey for two months. (They are not Jews.) She was very much touched by the Celtic spirituality and the spiritual inheritance. So they are coming in December.
Faithful Provision and house moving
Our house was converted from fully furnished into unfurnished for a day and our TV died. A day later, God provided new dining table and chairs, some very good quality sofas, a TV, 3 pine chest-of-draws and 4 wardrobes. They are all donated. It's amazing. Also I made a new wooden shoe-rack from bits of broken wardrobe. We are doing a house-swap in December for two months. We have a terraced house but many people. Our local friends have got a big house and a holiday cottage but 3 people are living there right now. So we have agreed to swap for two months while the youth group will be around. It will be very interesting and exciting.
[ Prayer & Intercession ]
Iran's sweet negotiation may not be real Pray that God will send a spirit of confusion to the political and religious leaders of Iran to confound the enemy, and a spirit of clarity and boldness to Iranian Christians, releasing signs, wonders and dreams among Muslims. Pray that God may raise modern day Daniels, his 3 friends, Esthers and Mordecais like in that ancient land of Persia, so that God's purpose may be fulfilled. |
What is the Destiny of Egypt? And it will be for a sign and for a witness to the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt; for they will cry to the LORD because of the oppressors, and He will send them a Saviour and a Mighty One, and He will deliver them. Then the LORD will be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians will know the LORD in that day, and will make sacrifice and offering; yes, they will make a vow to the LORD and perform it.(Isaiah 19:20-21) |
Barak Obama has encouraged the Arab Spring or Arab Spree!
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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 in redeeming his spiritual inheritance through the Forge vision. |
[ Unfinished Race with Rees Howells ] |
SETTING OUT Does age restrict, contract the vision of a man Does fear lurk large So Abram journeyed What new vistas will we see Vivien Firth |
Shalom Love!
Qday LEE
on behalf of the Forge family
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