Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day, today? In early April this year, I went to my Christian hairdresser for my haircut. While she was doing my haircut, a Christian bakery owner next door came in and gave a big bag to my hairdresser. It seemed she had ordered something. Then, my hairdresser said to me, “Sister, I ordered special salads for you and your mom. Please enjoy them!” What a surprise! And I was so thankful for His goodness. Since the previous day, I had a craving for something fresh and different from my own recipe. After I had my own healthy recipes for long, I wished I could have something different. As she knew I’m on a healthy diet, she actually ordered special salads, not breads nor cakes in my favorite bakery. Not only that, but when I saw the salad boxes inside the bag, the first thing I saw was strawberries. I was even more thankful, as I had a craving for strawberries those days, but didn’t buy any. Again, I tasted and saw that the Lord is good. He knows every single detail of me and He blew me away by surprise. At home I texted my hairdresser, to let her know He exactly filled my mouth with something I desired, through her love. Actually, for the past few days, I had a heavy heart from the guilt and condemnation for a certain incident, but He just delivered me from the evil by His love. While I was eating those nice salads at home, I kept thanking Him. What a good good Father! I felt free and I felt loved. Only then, did I realize He wants me to love someone that I wasn’t happy with from the incident a few days ago, with the same love as His. He wants me to be merciful, as He is merciful to me. Then, a week later, I ordered grocery online. Here in Korea, being a small country, we have some benefits in fast delivery. Even before the pandemic, many people used online grocery shopping and among the online grocery shoppings, there is an overnight delivery. If I ordered some stuffs before 11pm tonight for example, I would be able to receive them before 7am tomorrow morning. Depending on the membership or the suppliers, free delivery is available for above US$15 or US$35. It is quite convenient and helpful, especially when I should buy heavy stuffs. So, on that day, I ordered sweet potatoes, cherry tomatoes and onions. In the next morning, when I opened the box delivered at the door, lo, behold, the vendor put other’s order in my box. Though the address on the box was printed correctly, I found yogurt, cheddar sliced cheese and unsalted butter in the box. It was a bit bothersome to claim return, but I had to. So, I opened the grocery shopping application online and claimed the return. Then, they sent the message that they would deliver my order by the next morning and they allowed me to either throw away or use the misplaced order. Though I had to wait for my order for another day, it was a good thing to get free yogurt, cheddar sliced cheese and butter. As my mom and I don’t take cheddar cheese and butter, I gave mom yogurt only and she loved it. Then, I thought I would give the cheddar cheese and the butter to my hairdresser in my next haircut in May. I could have given them to a food store owner nearby, who is not a Christian. But I kept Pastor John Fenn’s teaching in my mind that we look after His sheep first. His teaching also gave me some kind of confirmation, as the Lord also said to me, “Feed My sheep.” And I felt my call is more for believers rather than unbelievers, though I should evangelize unbelievers. Though cheese and butter are not expensive goods, I wanted to bless His sheep first, even with keeping them in my fridge for a while. Then, a week later, on April 22nd, Friday, I texted my hairdresser whether she would be in her salon on the next Monday. As I should go to the clinic for mom’s prescription near the beauty salon, I thought I would rather give them to her sooner than May. And I said to her that I got cheddar sliced cheese and butter for free, due to the supplier’s mistake and I wanted to give them to her. Then, on the next Monday, 25th, I went to her salon, before I went to the clinic. As it was a bit early in the morning, she was preparing for her business with no customer coming yet. So, we had a time to catch up and she said, “You know what? Earlier on that day when you texted me, my hubby said to me, ‘We’re running out of butter.’ It was exactly when we needed new butter! We eat cheese and butter very often. And cheddar cheese is the only cheese we eat! We don’t eat other kind of cheese.” I became speechless. Our God is awesome! He made me text her when her butter was running out and supply to her exactly when she needed it. Though my vendor made a mistake, I was able to see His hands orchestrate everything. It could have been mozzarella cheese, but He knows my hairdresser, another child of His and her family eat cheddar cheese only. In both testimonies, He ensured to my hairdresser and me, using His own sheep that He provides and He cares for us. Friend, I hope these testimonies gave you comfort and peace. The goodness of our Father will chase after you and me, no matter what happens. Remember the sparrows and remember the lilies! Have a bliss! Yunee He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Earlier, I encouraged us to look upon Jesus, no matter what may come. Today, I would like to encourage us with His words: “Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Luke 12:6~7)” He said this, when He taught the fear of God. Later in the chapter, He told His disciples not to worry: “Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing. Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds? And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature? If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?” Last year, I wanted to bless Irene Wong, an artist in Singapore, by ordering her paintings. And I also wanted to bless other friend of mine by giving Irene’s paintings. In her website, I really loved her painting called “Remember the Sparrow.” Together with other painting of her, I asked Irene to deliver it to a friend of mine in Singapore, whom she also knows. I said to my friend she could give the paintings to others, if she has no space to hang in her place. Then, she gave the painting to a Pastor whom both of us are much blessed by. She took a picture of the Pastor and his wife’s holding the picture in their new flat and the Pastor texted me to say thanks. My friend said the painting suits the theme of the interior in his new flat. I was so glad to see that Irene’s beautiful painting blessed the Pastor’s family. Friend, do you believe He cares for you? He who created the sparrows and the lilies and cares for them cares for each one of us. I’ve been touched by the goodness of our Father so many times when I do grocery shopping online or offline. Every time when I thought of something to buy, I found out it’s on sales or on 1+1 promotion. One day, when I went to a nearby grocery store to buy beans, I smiled, seeing the very kind of bean I wanted to buy on sales. There were other kinds of beans at a normal price but the bean that I wanted to buy was the only bean on sales. I smiled, as I repeatedly see His goodness. When I tried to buy anchovy on line, again, among the different kinds of anchovies, the very kind I wanted to buy was on 50% of sales. The price I could save was not really much, yet in all these small amount of discounts, I feel our Father cares. He knows what I needed. And He is so kind that He gives me joy to buy them at a good price. These days, I often thought of His goodness that He provided me with two favorite flavors of cookies from Marks and Spencer through a friend of mine who had no idea on that, when I left Singapore for good. I wrote the story in the very first blog here, and I would never forget it. That experience continues to remind me that He cares for me. Indeed, He counts the very hairs of our heads. Friend, I’d like to encourage each one of us to fear the Lord and trust His faithfulness, no matter what may come. He cares for you and me. Remember the sparrows. Remember the lilies. We do not worry about tomorrow, but seek the Kingdom of God. Have a bliss! Yunee Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 5, “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” And he went on to say to children, “Obey your parents” and to bondservants, “Be obedient to those who are your masters in sincerity of heart.” Would these commands apply only to wives, children and bondservants (subordinates)? I don’t think so. Before Paul said this, he said to the saints in Ephesus, “Submit to one another in the fear of God.” So Paul encouraged each one of us in the Body of Christ to submit to one another in the fear of God. Earlier this year, I read the gospel of John and I was very surprised to read below: Then Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops, and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?” They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.” Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. Now when He said to them, “I am He,” they drew back and fell to the ground. (John 18:1~5) I’ve never read this incident carefully before and it was my first time to realize how powerful His name is. When Jesus simply said, “I am He”, these men drew back and fell to the ground! He has all the power and even by His breath, He could have smashed everyone. I often imagined what if He overturned the situation, showing His mighty power, before He was crucified. Despite all the power and authority He has, He chose to submit Himself to the will of the Father, for you and me. Interestingly enough, when I was in Sister Margaret’s class recently, she mentioned this story and told the students to look up these verses in person. I wanted to write on submission long ago, as I think it’s what our Father wants us to do. Then, I happened to see Pastor John Fenn’s teaching, “Submission and Obedience Not the Same.” He explained submission is quality of the heart or the attitude a person has and obedience is physical act. And he went on to say we can be obedient but not submissive. Likewise we can be submissive but not obedient. I found his teachings very enlightening and interesting and want to share the link of YouTube. He shared a testimony of Smith Wigglesworth and his wife. Before Smith Wigglesworth accepted Jesus, he forbid his wife from going the church in one evening. But she prepared for his dinner, saying to him that she would go to church. And she went to church. So, Smith locked her out in the outside and she had to sleep on the stood in the cold outside. The next morning, when Smith opened the door of his house, his wife jumped up, not grudgingly at all and said, “Good morning, I will prepare for your coffee and breakfast!” Her attitude was such that he got convicted and he accepted the Lord. I think it is the example of his wife’s disobedience by act, but submission in her heart and attitude. And I believe our Lord, Jesus showed us both submission in His heart and obedience by His act. Friend, It’s my prayer that we obey the Lord and submit ourselves to Him. And we submit to one another in the fear of the Lord. We live out the Words in our home, our workplace, our church and our community. We gaze upon Jesus and we become alike. Have a bliss! Good Friday! Yunee Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Are you in peace? I would like to share what the late Neville Johnson wrote in his book, Secrets of the Kingdom III: “Three artists were once asked to paint a picture expressing peace. One painted a tranquil scene by a very still lake in a perfect environment. The second one painted a picture of a desert scene with a very light breeze blowing and the light delicately reflecting off the sand dunes. The third man painted a raging waterfall thundering down a huge cliff with a roaring sound. A tree branch had grown out halfway down the ranging waterfall, stretching outward across it, and on the end of the branch was a bird, fast asleep in its nest. Guess who won the contest?” This year, we see another crisis, the war between Russia and Ukraine. When I first watched the news, I thought of China. My friend sent me a prophecy earlier this year that we should pray for Taiwan, as China has been trying to gobble it up. Then, it went on to say we should also pray for South Korea. Once China eats Taiwan up, it will gobble up Korean Peninsula, Vietnam, the Philippines and so on. As we’ve been technically under the Korean war, with about 7 decades of break, the news on Russia/Ukraine and the prophecy on China gave me many thoughts. I still recall my childhood when my parents had a few backpacks in the closet. In the backpacks, mom put some emergency goods, including some clothes. My sister and I got to know they had the backpacks, as we saw mom replace our clothes in them with a bigger size due to our growth. We asked our parents what these were and they explained it. Since they went through the Korean War, they took it very seriously. Watching the news on the war in Ukraine, I prayed that both Russians and Ukrainians would be saved, believing Jesus. And I prayed China would not invade Taiwan and us. I have no fear, but peace. In December last year, Pastor John Fenn wrote about one of the Lord’s visitations and I share the links of his article. He wrote “His focus is on what He is doing not what the devil is doing or what the processes of politics and economics will effect upon this world. That is where our focus should be.” His article made me repent, as I got to realize my focus was wrong. Later in March this year, in a monthly meeting with my Singapore pastor and others, a pastor shared what the Lord said in his heart. He said that we should look upon Jesus, not on what’s going on in the world. I felt it really echoed what Pastor John Fenn wrote. The pastor’s wife is from Russia and he said she has her family both in Russia and in Ukraine. Then, the news in this world don’t tell the truth on the war from both sides, at all. No wonder as satan always uses deception. Since last year, we’ve seen inflation everywhere and the war seems to add fuel to it. I heard many prophecy that bumpy roads are ahead, but fear not! Friend, I believe it’s wise to prepare for the things to come, as Proverbs 27:12 says, “A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself.” Yet, we don’t fear, but look upon Jesus, the Prince of Peace. We focus on what He is doing in the Body of Christ, not on what the enemy is doing in the world. In Him, we have peace, joy and hope. God is in control. Have a bliss! Yunee Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. (James 4:8a) |
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