Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day today? In the book of Esther, there is a story that overturns the plot of genocide against the Jews. The Persian King’s insomnia. As the King was not able to sleep one night, he read the chronicles and found out he had not rewarded a Jew who had saved his life. That changed the story. David Pawson said in his teaching that people could say it is a coincidence, but it’s His providence. And it reminded me of a few stories. One of the pastors in my Korea church shared the story of the couple he knew. When the man of the couple proposed to the woman, she wasn’t sure whether he was meant for her. So, when he proposed to her, she didn’t say yes or no immediately, but said to him that she needed time. Then, she prayed, “Lord, if he is meant for me, please let me know by the color of his clothes in our next meeting. If he wore a green shirt, I would know he is the one You gave me.” Then, in the evening when they were supposed to meet, she went to the meeting place. She waited and waited for him, but he didn’t come. She said to herself, “Maybe he is not the man the Lord gave to me.” Right at the moment she was about to leave the place, lo, behold, she saw the man running up the stairs from all the way down below in a “green” shirt. He rendered apology to her for being late. And he said his work was finished so late that he chose not to change his green uniform to see her as soon as possible. The Hands of God arranged all these things and they got married! I recall an interesting story of Kari Jobe, a worship singer and her husband, Cody Carnes, a worship pastor in an interview. They were friends for five years in the worship team in Gateway church before marriage. She said that she wanted her future husband to have green eyes, but Cody Carnes had brown eyes. One day, he moved to Arizona, taking a position of worship pastor in the worship academy of Gateway church there. Later, when he started to court her and they met in a restaurant, she noticed Cody’s eyes got green. She said to him, “You have green eyes!” And he said, “No, I don’t.” Then he went to the restroom and found his eyes got green. They googled it later and found out brown eyes could turn to green, if they were exposed to too much of the sun. The weather in Arizona turned his brown eyes into green. And Kari said God had moved Cody to Arizona, for them to get married. I got to realize these two stories are related to the color green, coincidently or by His providence? Friend, No matter how funny or silly our desires or prayers sound, I think our Heavenly Father loves to answer His children. I picture He smiles, moving His Hands here and there, to answer us and confirm us on His will. And even when we don’t ask Him directly, I think He still intervenes for us. I feel many times that He has a sense of humor. If He is willing, He can even turn brown eyes into green eyes. Friend, sometimes you might wonder why something in your family, in your relationship or in your career happened to you. I believe nothing in our life is accidental. And if you have insomnia for no reason in the future, just like the King in the book of Esther, you might want to ask the Lord what He is trying to say. Or would you ask the Lord tonight to answer your prayer by His providence? Sounds good? Have a bliss! Yunee When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day today? In the winter, 2020, I signed up to Brother Chris Berglund’s class on Ascending Zion. In his class, he mentioned threshing floor. It was quite interesting to listen to his teaching on threshing floor, as I can’t remember listening to sermons on threshing floor in the past. Brother Chris mentioned threshing floor is where grains from harvest are detached from husks. The purpose of threshing is not destruction, but detachment. He shared David’s setting up an altar on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (2 Samuel 24, 1 Chronicles 21). King David paid the full price for it, saying he would not offer burnt offerings to the Lord that would cost him nothing. Brother Chris shared how the word of the Lord comes to us in forms of testing and threshing floor transactions and said these invitations to transfiguration have the potential to detach us from our old way of thinking and conform us to the image of Christ. I pondered his teaching on threshing floor and transfiguration. I wanted to see how the threshing is done. So I searched it online. Though I dream of farming, I know I’m so ignorant of the process. Searching and watching it actually gave me both practical and spiritual teaching. Interestingly enough, I happened to read some articles in Succat Hallel website and found out Pastor Rick Ridings and Sister Patricia Ridings posted their writings on “The Season of the Threshing Floor and the Coronavirus Plague” that was posted back in April, 2020. I found it interesting to read and hear on the threshing floor often in that season. I’m sharing the link of the article, as I would like to encourage you to take some time to read it. It’s still up to date during this pandemic and it speaks truth that we should ponder. We are always around tough people to work with or to live with. Even if you would pray not to meet those kinds of people in your life, you should know it would be impossible. No matter where we work or go, we always meet difficult people to be with and challenging situations to deal with. It’s not because our Heavenly Father enjoys watching our pains or He doesn’t give his eyes and ears to us. But it’s because He wants us to be refined and purified. How would it be possible? If only we could allow Him to take His place in His throne in our hearts. I often ask our Father to give me His heart, as I feel it’s hard to love others with my own effort. I think if I could have His heart, it would be just natural that I could see others with His heart and His eyes. I pray that I crucify myself on the cross and only Jesus lives in me. Friend, I’m not writing this as if I have already reached the point where I should be. Even yesterday, I had an unpleasant phone call with someone I know for business. He is a Christian and very demanding and difficult person to work with. I was not in a good mood at all after the call. Yet, I chose not to slander or backbite him, instead, to pray for him and forgive him. I think I’m in the middle of being trodden on the threshing floor. Friend, I pray that you and I come out purified in this season and fruitful for His Kingdom in Jesus’ mighty name. Have a bliss! Yunee His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. (Matthew 3:12) Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day today? If you are given 24 hours totally free from your daily duty for your family, your work or your school and you have financial provision for whatever you’d like to do, what would you like to do? I thought if it were given to me, I would simply like to soak into the presence of my Lord. I sometimes miss my time and my place in Singapore where I lived alone and had no one to be conscious about and simply soaked into praise and prayer. It’s not because I get tired of my daily mundane duty, but because I long for some time alone with the Lord. If I were in the presence of the Lord, I know it would be better than to go to any beautiful place in the world. I could experience more beautiful and wonderful place in Him, even if I stayed in my room for 24 hours. It would be great if we could be given some retreat time. But life does not always unfold, as we like it to be. Yet our Heavenly Father knows what our heart desires are, and He is always faithful. I read a James Durham’s book, “Alert! Perilous Times: A Prepper’s Guide to the Last Days” that he had a worship room in his house. One day, he and his wife smelled the fragrance of kind of banana cake in the room. Other times when he entered the room, it was full of clouds. In that room, some people were healed and anointed. I thought to myself, “Wow! I would like to have a worship room like that in my future place.” And I continued to read what James Durham wrote. It was about John Wesley’s mother: Where is your place of intimacy with the Lord? Perhaps you don’t have an extra room to convert into a worship room. What can you do with the space you are given? I am reminded of the mother of the great spiritual leader and revivalist John Wesley. She gave birth to nineteen children and was extremely busy caring for them. How could she have a place of intimacy with the Lord? She found her place and taught her children to never disturb her when she was in the presence of the Lord. She simply threw her apron over her head and experienced her special time with the Lord. Anyone can do something like this. Don’t make excuses, make it happen. Ask the Lord to guide you through the process so it will be pleasing to Him. Where do you go to position yourself to experience the presence of the Lord? Don’t make excuses based on your circumstances. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit to reveal it to you. You don’t need to imitate another person and do what they did. Find your own way with the Lord. Remember that you serve a creative God who never ceases to change and make all things new. Let Him guide you to the place where you can experience special times of intimacy with Him. This is a good time to ask. Durham, James A.. Alert! Perilous Times: A Prepper's Guide to the Last Days (p. 177). Xulon Press. Kindle Edition. I burst into laugh when I got to read that her place of intimacy with the Lord was under the cover of her apron. Friend, this is so encouraging to know the secret place of the mother of nineteen children and the mother of the great revivalist, John Wesley. Indeed, we have no excuse that we don’t have our own space! Friend, I pray that you and I ask the Lord to give us grace to soak into His presence and continue to have intimate time with Him, no matter what circumstances we are in, in Jesus’ name. May we draw near to our Heaven Father every day! Have a bliss! Yunee I have set the Lord always before me; Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day today? Today, I would like to share some of my stories on the love of the Father. I cannot recall when it was exactly, but I know it was sometime in 2012 ~ 2014 when I worked in Shanghai. In order to check out my mom at home in Seoul, I paid a regular visit home like every other month. To max out my time with my family, my flight back to Shanghai used to be in the Sunday afternoon before the work of the week starts. Then, at the international airport in Korea on one Sunday, I found the airline company bumped me up to business class. Of course, I was overjoyed by the unexpected gift. Although it was only two hours of flight from Seoul to Shanghai, it’s always good to take a spacious comfy seat and nice meals in there. So, I was on board and took a seat in the business class. Much later after I took the seat, I heard the announcement by the captain that he was still in the middle of waiting for the permission to take off from the control tower. I do not recall the reason for the delay, but at that time, I got to know we had to stand by for take-off for two hours. I was even more grateful for my Father to give me the business class, knowing the take-off would be delayed. I imagined that it would have been very uncomfortable to wait for 2 hours in the economy class, without flying, but on the ground. I really felt that it was the gift from the Father, and He wanted to give me some time to relax alone while waiting. I was able to read my book, simply thanking Him. Though it took four hours in total to get to Shanghai airport, I was grateful. Then, later in 2015, I had a summer vacation in California, visiting my sister and my brother-in-law. As one of my employer’s offices and plants were around three hours drive from my sister’s place, I was allowed to make the business trip there and my local travel expense to the office and the plant in California was paid by the company while I paid my international flight and bought the economy class from Singapore to California. Along the line, I was able to lay over in Seoul and spend some time with my mom. After the nice vacation in California, I went to the international airport in Los Angeles, to return to Asia. During the check-in, I got to know the airline company bumped me up to the business class again and I was able to use the business class lounge at the airport. I couldn’t thank the Father, enough. It is a very long trip from Seoul to California, and even longer from California back to Seoul like 13 hours. What an unexpected and extravagant gift from the Father! As I’ve tried to spend money prudently for the Kingdom and for the poor and needy, I acknowledge that I sometimes feel guilty about spending some money for myself. But I realize that I shouldn’t feel guilty because my Father sometimes wants to give me even lavish treatment and the guilt is not from the Holy Spirit. I recall a Korean missionary’s testimony. When he was invited to speak in an Arabic country, it was arranged for him to stay in a very extravagant hotel. Everything was paid by the host. While he stayed in the luxurious hotel and had meals in there, he didn’t feel comfortable at the luxury. And he kind of grumbled to the Lord, “Lord, I don’t really need these luxurious meals and hotel. I would rather have money for those in need, for my ministry!” But the Lord said to him, “Can’t you simply enjoy My love?” I believe our Heavenly Father wants to give His children something very nice. I think we need some wisdom that we live prudently, but we are free to enjoy His extravagant gifts. I think I can understand His heart, as I always wanted to give my family the best treatment whenever we have a getaway. I wouldn’t spend that money for myself, but I was happy to spend money on my family for a nice accommodation and meals. It’s because I love them. So does our Heavenly Father. Sometimes we think as if being rich is evil, but I don’t think it is. And the Scripture says the love of money is evil, not money itself. If business class and luxury hotels are evil, why would He give such gifts to His children? I’m not saying that He doesn’t love those whom He didn’t give those gifts. But I’m trying to say that our Heavenly Father loves His children, and if He is willing and our heart motive is right, He wants to give us lavish gifts. Likewise, I believe He wants us to share our love with His children. Do you like gift cards? I do. I found that when gift cards are given, a good duty to spend money is also given. After I received some gift cards for coffee and dessert from my friends, I always had to go to coffee store to enjoy those nice gifts. It’s nice treatment. And I also want to give the good duty to spend money to those who wouldn’t, unless gift cards are given. I heard from a missionary that one day her friend gave money to her before she went to a mission trip to China. Her friend said that the money was for the missionary to take a taxi and eat nice meals during the trip. She gave it not for the people in the mission field, but for the missionary to enjoy some good things from the Lord. Her friend wanted to give her nice treat out of His love. Friend, I pray that as we freely receive, we freely give, for all His children to taste and see the goodness of our Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name. And I pray you and I continue to taste and see His goodness and that He sometimes gives us unexpected gifts, and we be overjoyed with surprise in Jesus’ name! Have a bliss! Yunee Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Do you like to receive double portion of blessing and anointing that Elijah had? I do. On January 29, 2021, I had a dream where I seemed to move to a new company. It seemed that I would work in Finance department, and the discussion on my salary was going on. It sounded very weird, but it seemed that my salary would be twice as much as the number of the people who were sitting before me. I saw one row of chairs before my seat and there were twenty-four people sitting on each chair before my chair. Then I saw the words “White”, “Salt” in the notebook somewhere. When I awoke in the middle of the night, I prayed, recalling this dream. When I thought of my moving to a new company, immediately I knew it meant transition. My salary would be twice as much as the number of people in front of me would mean double portion of anointing in a new season. Then I was curious as to what the number, twenty-four would mean. I looked up the book, Dream Language of James W. Goll and it says symbol of priesthood courses and order. I didn’t understand why, and I could only think of twenty-four elders who fell down and worshiped the Lord in the throne in Revelation 5:8~14. Later in the day, I visited the Academy of Light website to watch Word for the Week, Neville Johnson’s teaching. I was looking for episode 8, as I had watched episode 7 last time. To my utter amazement, the title of the episode was “Elisha: Double Portion” and I felt the Lord confirming double portion of anointing in a new era. While I was listening to his teaching, I was even more amazed. Neville Johnson read 1 Kings 19:19: So he departed from there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he was with the twelfth. Then Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. Neville Johnson talked about twelve yokes of oxen and said it is unusual to have that many oxen to plow the field. He didn’t interpret this “twelve yokes of oxen”, but I was stunned to know twelve yokes of oxen would be twenty-four. I would never have noticed twelve yokes of oxen if I had not watched this episode and had a dream on the number twenty-four. I was reminded of Neville Johnson’s teaching I listened to the previous week, The Four Faces of Sons of God. He explained the four faces of Sons of God in the book of Ezekiel and the book of Revelation, which are eagle, man, ox and lion. And he explained the ox as the servanthood. So, I thought priesthood would also mean servanthood. Still being curious about the number twenty-four in the Bible, I searched more and found twenty-four divisions of priests in the temple in 1 Chronicles 24 and twenty-four divisions of musicians in 1 Chronicles 25. Later, I recalled some preachers’ mentioning the priest Zadok who was loyal. And I interpreted the dream that double portion anointing would pour out on those who minister to the Lord and serve Him and His children faithfully in a new era. Friend, I pray that double portion anointing that no one has ever seen or heard rest upon you and me as we minister to the Lord and serve Him and His children, in Jesus’ name. Have a bliss! Yunee You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you. Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. (John 13:13~17) |
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