Newsletters

 Passive to Active

(The Forge Newsletter_Nov_2024)

And Jesse said to David his son, “Take for your brothers an ephah of this parched grain, and these ten loaves, and carry them quickly to the camp to your brothers. Also take these ten cheeses to the commander of their thousand. See if your brothers are well, and bring some token from them.” (1 Samuel 17:17-18)

Life is a journey. Some journeys start with me, and sometimes they are started by others. Whether it is alone or together, short or long, fast or slow, sad or happy, passive or active, life is a journey. In some cases, the journey exceeds our expectations, and in other cases, it misses our expectations or stops short of our expectations. Some journeys end as human journeys, and some journeys lead to God's journeys.

1. The journey that started with his father leads to God
David's father sends his youngest son, David, to deliver supplies to his sons on the battlefield and to find out news from them. However, upon arriving at the battlefield, David unexpectedly achieves an amazing feat of killing the enemy general Goliath and becomes a national hero. If Goliath had not appeared or if he had not threatened and taunted God's army, David would have simply returned to his father's house with the news of his brothers.

2. Love makes us cross the line
Because David knew who God was and had an intimate love for him, he could not bear to hear Goliath mock God's army. So, despite the dissuasion from those around him, he crossed the line and entered the war on his own. In this way, love makes us active and allows us to go beyond our circumstances or imagination.

3. Goliath's mockery unleashes the power of intimacy
When Goliath appears in my life and there are things that mock God and threaten my life, it is time for me to step forward. People who have no faith are trembling with fear like aspen trees, but those who know God and have intimacy with Him cannot just pass by. If there is no intimacy, I take care of my safety first, but if there is intimacy, I will make sacrifices.

4. Rejection becomes the soil for intimacy
However, intimacy does not happen overnight; it arises when we share life and spend time together. Ironically, David's intimacy with God is established when he is rejected by his family and spends time with God while taking care of sheep in the fields. Therefore, this is not a time to passively wallow in rejection, but a time to actively approach God and fulfil the responsibilities entrusted to me to the best of my ability. God turns the rejected stone into the cornerstone to build His Kingdom.

“Have you not read this Scripture? ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is what the Lord has done, and it is marvellous in our eyes.’” (Mark 12:10-11, Psalm 118:22-23)

[ News Update ]

1. My Cambodia Journey begins with a friend
A retired Korean missionary visited Wales last spring and a friend of mine living as a missionary in Cambodia visited Wales last summer. As they were leaving, they both invited me and my wife to Cambodia, but I didn’t take it too seriously. But this summer, while a family visiting from France was praying with me, the mother suddenly said to me that I should go to Cambodia. Still, I didn't take it seriously. But one day, I was talking on the phone with my missionary friend in Cambodia, and he asked me, “Don’t you want to see my life and my work here in Cambodia?” Those words pierced my heart like a dagger and played a decisive role in my decision to go to Cambodia.

2. Passing the valley of death and becoming a missionary in Cambodia
I first visited Cambodia in 1994 with an international mission group, and the second time in 1997 on a short-term mission with young people from Korean church. The following year I crossed the Thai border into Cambodia alone. After that it was about 26 years until this visit. On the second visit we suffered severe spiritual attacks, even visible manifestations, and one young man almost died. However, thanks to the intercession of the members, the brother came back to life and dedicated himself as a missionary to Cambodia. He served as a missionary in Cambodia for over 20 years and now continues to serve as a missionary in a nearby country.

3. Speaking in English like a native speaker
When I went to Cambodia in 1997, I was given the opportunity to preach at a small rural church. I had to speak in English for 5 minutes, and I was sweating. And God told me from then on to prepare to speak English like a native. Even when I struggled with the language, I always told myself “If you can speak English well, you don’t have to speak English. But since you don’t speak English well, you have to speak English.” This time, when I came to Cambodia, I preached in Korean twice at Korean churches, but I preached in English five times at local worship and praise gatherings.

4. My Cambodia journey was so rich because of my friends
I heard that the Revival Korea team that came to Wales this summer were going to Cambodia in October for a worship seminar. Soon after I heard that the dancing worship team, Father’s Love, was going there too. And when I told my Romanian-British friend that I was going to Cambodia, he said he wanted to go with me. In the end, I was able to join in with the schedule of Revival Korea and Father’s Love. During my 14 days in Cambodia, I had beautiful fellowship with the missionaries serving there, as well as the teams from Korea and my friend from Wales. I am truly grateful to all of you who have served with your finances, mind, and body, sometimes visibly, sometimes invisible.

5. Now is the time for Cambodia to move forward with the gospel
While traveling to Cambodia this time, I was able to see incredible changes in Cambodia compared to 30 years ago. More than 500 youth attended the meeting hosted by the Revival Korea and Father’s Love teams, and I also saw them praying earnestly. During this meeting, I met three Cambodian people living as missionaries in Korea, England, and Indonesia. I feel that now is the time for the Cambodian church to go forward with the gospel.

[ Prayer & Intercession ]

1. Nothing is new
There is nothing new under the sun. Even though it looks different, when you go inside, it is the same as before. Things that oppose God have existed since the creation of the world. Although their names are different, groups such as IS, Hamas, Hezbollah, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Taliban, Muslim Brotherhood, Jemaah Islamiyah, Islamic Jihad, and Houthi rebels are all captured by the spirit of Islam and seek to destroy God's eternal purpose. They are agents of Satan. However, the war has already been won with the blood of the Lamb, and the cross erected on Calvary Hill speaks of that victory. There is nothing new under the sun, but everything is new in Him who is above the sun. God said that through the promised seed, Abraham's descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore, and that they would become a light for the salvation of the Gentiles. (Isaiah 49:6) So Satan is trying to erase Israel from the map so that the promise made to Abraham cannot be fulfilled and to make the God of Israel a liar. However, God's history is already recorded in the blood of the Lamb, who is the beginning and the end.

2. Bless Israel and Iran
The enemy wants us to curse and destroy one another, but God tells us to bless one another. About 11 years ago, God put it on our hearts to pray for Iran, and we were praying. Then, a few months later, God gave us the heart to stop praying and go to Iran and bless the land. So, although we had many difficulties, we went to Iran four times as a team. In recent months too, God gave us a heart to pray for Iran and a heart to go into Iran and bless the land. After the Hamas incident on October 7th last year, God gave me a song and I pray almost every day, but He has not yet given me the will to go to Israel. Instead, I am praying about visiting Iran. (Click here to listen to the song.)

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever.” (Daniel 2:44)

3. North Korean People’s Army participates in the Ukraine War
On June 19^th 2024, North Korea and Russia signed the “Strategic Comprehensive Partnership” treaty, which stipulates that either side will provide military assistance without delay in the event of an armed invasion. North Korea has since shipped ammunition and artillery shells. Recently, it is reported that about 12,000 North Korean troops were deployed to the Ukraine war. Until now, North Korea has had a close relationship with China, but Russia's involvement has complicated the military-diplomatic dynamics and is making Xi Jinping uncomfortable. Russia had already suffered 200,000 deaths and 400,000 injuries in the Ukraine War, and has been having difficulty forcibly conscripting its own citizens, so it accepted the North Korean People's Army as mercenaries in exchange for military technology and financial support. Russia and North Korea started this journey hoping to benefit each other, but it will ultimately hasten their downfall.

3. The US presidential election turns the world upside down (?)
The U.S. presidential election could change the world situation, but it ultimately rests in prayerful hands. God reveals His will through those who pray and accomplishes His will. We are already seeing many changes after the US presidential election. But ultimate change lies in the knees of those who pray.

Shalom Shalom!

Qday LEE

(+44) 7870 653157

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