Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. I shared Pastor Rick Joyner’s interview with Sid Roth last week. After I watched it, I really wanted to know more about the friendship with God and bought a video teaching, God’s Storm Changers, in MorningStar Ministry website. I did enjoy series of Pastor Rick’s teachings from his encounter with the Lord and I’d like to share with you some of them that spoke to me so much. Pastor Rick quoted what Jesus said to him, “Labors (servants) are cheap; Friends are expensive; Sons are priceless.” Jesus said that Pastor Rick should be delivered from the slave mentality, to become Friends of God. But paradoxically, He said that slave mentality got him into being promoted to becoming His friend. Pastor Rick said that he served the Lord for 40 years, before this encounter and he always wanted to serve the Lord, saying “What do You want me to do? I will obey.” We need to serve the Lord, but He needs more than that. He desires friendship. And Jesus said to him that if Pastor Rick didn’t obey His voice to ride his motorcycle during the storm and despite his weak knees, he would have missed the promotion to be His friend. It was the test from the Lord. Friend, I’m writing this, not that I’m being proud of myself, thinking I’m promoted, but I’d like to encourage you, as anybody can be His friend. Pastor Rick said it took 40 years for him to be delivered from the slave mentality and to be his Friend. But it would take a year or a few months to some. I believe the Lord would be merciful to many of us, perhaps because we are running out of time. In 2016, after I was baptized with the Holy Spirit, my heart desire was to be His servant not only now, but in eternity. I really wanted to be close to Him, serving and worshipping Him day and night in eternity. Then, last year, when I read the late Pastor Neville Johnson’s book, Destiny and the Eternal Purposes of God, his testimony and encounter with the Lord really made me into tears, getting to know about His loneliness. I knelt down on the floor and said to the Lord, “I set my heart to become Your friend.” Then, when I listened to Pastor Rick’s testimony on the Lord’s testing him, I felt that asking my old friend forgiveness was a test, likewise. It was not easy to break the silence and ask forgiveness to someone who I think is immature and self-centered. In addition, I was resolute in not arguing with her, nor backbiting her, after that. When I was tempted, I said to the Lord, “Father, I wouldn’t backbite her.” Probably, not only asking her forgiveness, but being quiet, not defending myself nor backbiting her, just as Jesus was before He was crucified, could have been the test. And I stood in awe again that He orchestrated everything including the timing of watching Pastor Rick’s testimony right after this incident. Interestingly enough, Pastor Rick said, “Some of you might see 11:11 very often. It’s Isaiah 11:11. The second chance.” Since 2020, I saw 11:11 so often and I interpreted that I’m in a transition. With Pastor Rick’s interpretation, I said to myself, “Could it be really the second chance, as the Lord kept showing my friend in my dreams, but I didn’t listen to Him?” Friend, Pastor Rick said he is just a baby in the friendship with the Lord. How much more immature would I be? I may be a fetus in a womb. Yet, I ask His great grace and mercy that I would grow in this friendship with Him. I don’t hear Him often or see Him face to face, as Pastor Rick does. But, I’m fine with that. My heart is to long for Him and want to bring Him joy and be conformed to His character. Being so encouraged, I looked up Pastor John Fenn’s book, Pursuing the Seasons of God, as I recalled he also shared on the friendship with God in it. I reread the part and I’d like to share some of it: There is another aspect to friendship with the Lord that Jesus shared with me that day. Friends keep confidences. He shared that many people have wonderful experiences in the things of the spirit, but many get puffed up, or they don’t learn what he intended for them to learn from it, or they get into the flesh and change it or otherwise err, so he limits what he tells them. Fenn, John C.. Pursuing the Seasons of God . Docs2eBooks. Kindle Edition. It resonated with me, as one of the reasons that made me keep some distance from my old friend was that she didn’t keep confidences. And I indeed limited what I would tell her, due to lack of trust in her. Last, but not least, I would like to share Pastor John’s writing “Heaven’s Value System” that made me into tears. He shared his experience when he was in church on Sunday. In an altar call, he saw a deaf and mute man full of joy on the altar, which he thought was out of place for the type of altar call. Then, he suddenly saw a shaft of light come down at him: Suddenly I found myself eavesdropping by divine revelation on words of love flowing from the Father to this man. I both read and heard the words. In part, he was telling him how much he was loved and appreciated. The Father was telling him he saw his hard work and was pleased. He was sending love that was tangible into this man. Though he is mute, I’m sure if he could have shouted he would have: his mouth was open, he had a huge grin across his face, and he could barely contain himself for the joy and love that was coursing through him. The Father continued: “My son, you have a throne and authority in my kingdom. I have provided great things for you and you shall walk in them, for you have been faithful in your love for me.” As I witnessed this I blurted out in my mind, “Father, why him?” Just as quickly the Father responded: “Because of the simplicity of his love for me. His love for me is unencumbered with ulterior motives and he asks nothing for himself. The purity of his love for me is uncomplicated by issues others are distracted with. It is because of the simplicity and purity of his love that I bless him this way. In the ages to come he will share the wisdom which flows from this simplicity and purity of love.” I asked, “You’ve given him a throne and authority?” Again he responded, “He has been given authority because he has done more with the little he has been given in this life than nearly everyone here [in the church that night] whom you would consider “whole.” therefore he will be their teacher.” I asked, “Why don’t you just heal him?” The Father replied very quickly and with a matter of fact tone, “I enjoy his worship.” “But, Father,” I reasoned, “he’s missing so much of life he could have if he was healed—family, jobs, cars, and so on.” He replied, “I make sure he has everything he needs. He finds his fulfillment in his love and fellowship with me.” “But what a wonderful testimony and example of love he could be to everyone if you healed him, and he could tell us here in this life about loving you with purity and simplicity.” He continued teaching me, “they [the congregation] have the scripture that tells them what pure religion and love is, yet this man is not even given a thought or noticed by them. Therefore I have set him in their midst as an example and testimony to them, that by him they might know humility and simplicity of love for me. Learn wisdom in this, Son: most just see a deaf mute, but I see a man who loves me in simplicity and purity, therefore he will be their teacher. Look at people as I see them, for man looks at the outward appearance, but I see the heart and weigh all things in the balance. Know people according to their heart.” Fenn, John C.. Pursuing the Seasons of God . Docs2eBooks. Kindle Edition. My eyes are still wet, thinking of the simplicity and purity in the man and the Father’s joy. Friend, if you think your spouse or your friend or your child come to you, only when they need something from you, you would understand how our Father would feel. Some people would choose their spouses for money, social status and so on, even from the outset. I would call the relationship “business”. Sadly, there are many believing businessmen who come to the Lord, with their ulterior motives. Yes, we all have needs on earth, and He knows that very well and provides what He thinks is the best for us. Even if we are not businessmen, but His servants, He wants more than that. He desires friendship. He wants you and me as His true friends. Friend, It’s my prayer that you and I simply love the Father and bring Him joy, by knowing Him and loving our brothers and sisters. The life we have here on earth would be 70~90 years, if we could enjoy long life. Think about how tiny proportion it is, when we think of thousand years, or ten-thousand years or an eon to come. But still many believers live like chicken, earth-bound, not looking at the eternity to come. I pray that you and I press on toward the high calling in Jesus’ name. (As trailer, next week, I may write on Sons of God, our high calling. :) Have a bliss! Yunee He who loves purity of heart Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. In early February this year, I had a dream and saw one of my old friends had a leukemia. When I woke up, I was a bit uncomfortable in my heart. The Lord showed her so many times in my dreams in the past and I wondered whether He wants me to talk to her. She and I lost contact with one another since early 2016. We were friends since we were in the elementary school. We went to the same church in our high school years. To make a long story short, I kept some distance from her, when I grew older. She is so talkative that she made many mistakes in her talk. When I shared something with her, I found it simply slipped out of her mouth. I knew at that time that she was not ill-meaning, but she simply repeated what I wanted her to keep to herself. In addition, I was uncomfortable with her jealousy towards my friendship with new friends whom I met in the university. It continued even after she got married. I can’t exactly remember the time, but if I’m not mistaken, I think it was 2015 when I worked in Singapore. She texted me, saying she was diagnosed with a breast cancer. So, I prayed for her in Singapore. Later, when I visited Seoul, to spend time with my mom, I texted her to ask how she had been, and whether we could meet near my office during my lunch hour. To my recollection, she either took a long medical leave or left her company at that time, to be refreshed. But her answer was very blunt: “Everybody pays a visit to my town, to see me! They make an effort to meet me!” I was not even surprised at her selfishness, as it was also one of the reasons that I kept some distance from her. She lived in a suburb area of Seoul. As I worked long hours at work and my visit to Seoul was simply to have time with mom, I couldn’t afford to go to see her. If I could go back to that time again, I would do the same. I would prioritize my mom over her, definitely. But I didn’t really want to explain my situations to her, as her immaturity wouldn’t consider that. Yet, the Lord showed me in my dreams so often that I wondered whether He wants me to talk to her and ask forgiveness, if I offended her. I was actually reminded of her face when we bumped in on the street in Seoul, in 2015. As I was on the phone with my boss on a serious subject, I only greeted her with my eyes and kept talking to my boss, walking toward the bus stop to go back home from work. I think she had no idea that I was in town for the moment, but might have assumed that I worked abroad, as I didn’t let her know. If I did, she would definitely want to catch up with me, but I had to manage my time, especially when I was super-busy. Later at home, I could have texted her, to simply say hi, but I didn’t. At that time, I already took some distance from her, being disappointed and tired. But her smiling face on the street kept lingering in my mind. And I really hesitated to ask the Lord whether He wants me to talk to her. If I would listen to His voice to talk to her, I know I must obey Him. So, I didn’t even ask Him last year. But I repented to the Lord that I lacked in love toward her and I prayed for her, though not daily. Then, earlier this year, I listened to Sister Margaret’s teaching on forgiveness in YouTube and she shared her testimony that she obeyed the Lord and asked a lady to forgive her, if she offended her. And Sister Margaret said to the students something like if we obeyed Him and asked someone forgiveness, we did our part. Whether he or she would forgive us or not is a matter between God and him or her. When I listened to her teaching, my old friend came into my mind. And after I had a dream of her having leukemia, I said to the Lord, “Father, do You want me to ask her forgiveness? I will do, if You want me to. Please let me know.” “….” The next morning, when I read the Bible, I felt the Lord wants me to reach out to her, to ask her forgiveness. So, I texted her and asked whether I offended her. And I wrote I would like to say sorry and ask her forgiveness, if I did. She sent a long message and I got to know that while she went through the cancer surgery, she kind of cut off the relationship not only with me, but with some of her friends who didn’t measure up to her expectation, including her in-laws. And my intention to obey the Lord seemed to be backfired, when we exchanged the texts. When she said she didn’t want to open her heart toward me nor want to restore our relationship, I actually made it very clear that I didn’t intend to, but I simply wanted to ask her forgiveness, if I offended her. I didn’t want to explain my situations at that time, as it would simply sound like a lame excuse to her and I know her immaturity and self-centeredness. It won’t help. And I didn’t even want to mention what made me disappointed and offended at her in the past, as I already let it go and it didn’t matter to me anymore. I had no grudges against her. But then she said, “If you don’t want to restore our relationship, there is no need to ask forgiveness!!!” (Bang!) When I read her texts, I felt she was just the same as when she was teen. And I also found she was full of self-pity, self-centeredness, bitterness and so on. Among them, I felt self-pity could be the stronghold in her spirit, knowing her dad passed away at her age of 9 or 10 and her family had more difficulty in finance. And I also recalled her letter long ago which showed self-pity in her. Getting to know her bitterness not only toward me, but toward her in-laws and other friends of her, I got to understand why the Lord wants me to talk to her. I felt He wants me to intercede for her, getting to know her spiritual condition. Yet, her blunt messages kept lingering in my mind. I said to myself, as if I wanted to pour out to her, “Look at you. How old are you? You’re still whining, to get attention, just like when you were teen. Have you ever asked me how I was at that time? Have you ever asked me what made me keep distance from you? Do you think it was easy to humble myself toward such an immature person like you? I didn’t even want to talk about how you hurt me.” And I said to the Lord, “Father, I obeyed You. I will keep praying for her, but please don’t show her in my dream anymore. Have mercy on her.” “…” I tried to calm down myself, but the mind was a battle ground, indeed. I knew it was what Satan wants, but I couldn’t help stopping thinking about her and her messages. Then, it dawned on me that I didn’t even try to share how hurt I was with the Lord. Even if I pretended to be ok, He already knew my heart. So, I thought I would be transparent and honest to my Friend and said to Him, walking to the rest room, “Father, yes, I’m being so upset, You know…” “…” Then, when I was washing the dishes, still lingering on her and being upset, I heard a still small voice in my heart, “Who else’s gonna pray for her?” I knew it was the Lord. And I thought to myself, “Her devout mother passed away from leukemia long ago. And her elder sister was full of bitterness after divorce. Maybe her hubby and church friends wouldn’t know how serious her spiritual condition is.” I thought her having a leukemia in the dream would mean her spiritual condition is actually in danger just like leukemia. And I also felt the Lord saying, “What you said about her is true. Can you pray over that?” Yet, still being upset, I listened to Shekinah Worship Center’s worship and prayer meeting that I saved in my YouTube, lying on the sofa and closing my eyes. At the end of the worship, Pastor Joe Sweet talked about Jesus on the throne and 24 elders worshipping Him in the book of Revelation, being emotional. When I listened to him, the dream where I saw Jesus came into my mind. When I rode on a motorcycle and flied away, I cried out to the Lord before the moment of crash toward a building. And I found myself prostrate upon the feet of Jesus. The dream just came into my mind and I became emotional just like Pastor Joe, thinking of Jesus who is worthy to be worshiped. Then, to my amazement, Pastor Joe talked about Pastor Rick Joyner’s interview with Sid Roth on a friend of God. I happened to watch the interview last year, 2021, only after I had the dream about Jesus and the motorcycle in late 2020. In the interview, Pastor Rick shared his testimony that the Lord told him to ride on a motorcycle for 900 miles, when his knees were bad and there was a storm. Just like I felt the Presence of the Lord behind my back on a motorcycle in the dream, Pastor Rick shared that during 900 miles of journey, He felt the Presence of God and his knees were healed. After that, he met the Lord face to face and heard him talk about friendship. How could all this be a coincidence? I couldn’t stop tears, thinking of Jesus. And I immediately searched the interview in YouTube and watched it again. I stood in awe again, as the interview talked about Brother Lawrence’ book, “Practicing the Presence of God.” Like I shared last week, I reread it in this January, as I felt that’s what the Lord wants from me, the friendship. And I was simply in awe, seeing Him join all the dots. And it even dawned on me that His unexpected still small voice, “Who else’s gonna pray for her?” came to me, while I was washing the dishes, just like Brother Lawrence. I wrote about friends of God last year and I wanted to think about Him, talk to Him and listen to Him all the time, but failed. I felt it really needs a lot of efforts not to be distracted and I should be really intentional now. Just happening to listen to Pastor Joe’s sermon on a friend of God from Pastor Rick’s experience, I became very assured that this is indeed what the Lord wants from us. And I also understood the Lord asked me to pray for my old friend, His beloved daughter, as He took me as His friend. Friend, I think I will continue to write on this subject next week. In the meantime, I would like to encourage you to spend 25 minutes to watch Pastor Rick’s interview with Sid Roth and take some time to read or reread the book, Practicing the Presence of God. I found Pastor Rick’s first question to the Lord very interesting: “What do You think about sports?” And His answer is even more interesting. (This is a trailer. :) He wants friends. He wants us to enjoy fellowship with Him. Pastor Rick shared Jesus’ saying, “I have few friends.” Would you leave Him alone, when He is next you? I would like to encourage us to include Him and invite Him, in everything we do. I said to the Lord in tears, ”Father, thank You for taking me as Your friend, as Your immature and selfish friend.” To my utter amazement, after I had a great moment with the Lord in tears, I felt healed. I didn’t feel offended at my friend anymore but prayed for her with love. Not only for her, I found my heart changed toward a few, simply with love. And the great moment of God didn’t come when I knelt down for prayer late at night, but just unexpectedly when I was resting lying on a sofa. There is no formula, no religiosity. We can’t contain Him nor expect Him in our religious way. Friend, It’s my prayer that you and I would never leave our Lord lonely, and we become His friend, know His heart and bring Him joy. Have a bliss! Yunee What is man that You are mindful of him, Dear Friend, How are you? Hope you had or are having a good day, today? Last week, I shared my story that I learned to be flexible and adjust to praising the Lord and praying whenever mom sleeps or watches TV. In light of this, I would like to write about being set free from legalism. Last year, I became aware that I had a religious spirit and I think I was set free, but sometimes I found I had a little bit of residue from many years of legalism. For example, as I used to devote my first hours to reading the Bible and praying, especially when working for company, I still practiced that. So, I used to read the Words, after I fixed breakfast for mom, not having breakfast for myself, but I used to have brunch after reading the Bible. But, recently, I slept in daily and I fixed breakfast for mom and I began to sit in front of her, just to enjoy light meal together. Then, I said to myself, “The Lord doesn’t condemn me nor rebuke me, for having a breakfast before reading the Bible.” I had some kind of peace and didn’t feel guilty nor condemned. Then, I read Pastor John Fenn’s weekly thoughts on legalism in Church Without Walls Internal website that was posted many years back. It simply spoke to me and encouraged me. And I would like to share with you some out of them. How NOT to be a Legalistic Believer #1 & #2 …and it certainly is, that means God the Father is beyond being manipulated. You can’t do something to make him un-like you and you can’t do something to make Him like you more. He is love – it’s just how He is! That makes Him unpredictable in many ways, or appears so with our limited understanding. You don’t always know what He has in mind. You also can’t buy answered prayer, you can’t impress Him by doing x deed, you can’t offer Him anything that will corrupt Him to manipulate things to your liking over and above what someone else needs. He is God and He alone is sovereign. … Just getting out of bed and ready for your day is not a sin. Neither are necessary thoughts and conversations about your day a sin. Eating breakfast isn’t a sin. Being a human being isn’t a sin. Sin is an offense against God. You don’t offend Him by going about your routine. Legalism focuses on self and causes a person to be continually second guessing themselves, worrying they have offended God or done something wrong. If you sin He is fully capable of letting you know in your spirit that you missed it… How to not be legalistic – know the Father Some may recall this that I’ve shared before: While watching a rerun of a TV show I had seen many times before it occurred to me the Father knows everything, and therefore like me watching that rerun I knew so well, He must lead a boring life. So I asked Him, ‘Father, where do you find fulfillment?” Immediately He responded, “I enjoy the process.” The Father is a Spirit, but He created a physical world. By living in us by His Spirit He experiences the limitations of human life in the physical world, and He enjoys the process we call discipleship. Legalism cuts off process. Legalism constrains an individual within a well-defined or understood framework that removes individual personality and gifts. A person cannot grow as a human being nor as a Christian if constrained by legalism. Legalism is not flexible. Legalism is all about performance, not relationship. The Father enjoys the process. … What I do is when I first wake up, I greet the Father and ask Him if there is anyone He wants me to pray for I’ll lay there from a few moments to 30 minutes or more, praying in the spirit as people come to mind, floating across my mind up from my spirit – not me thinking them up – but floating up from my spirit is the best way I know to describe it, like a quiet suggestion that has the presence of the Father attached to their name…and I pray for them until the next person’s name floats up… … I suggest if you don’t know the Father, you start talking to Him, including Him in your life first as your Creator. Demonstrate a core thankfulness for nature, for Him thinking you up, for Him causing you to be born at this time in history, for the natural world around you whenever you notice beauty, order, and design. Just say, ‘Beautiful sunrise Father’ and things like ‘Wow, look at the tree Father, amazing design to make a leaf dying for the season turn so colorful” and when you do things like that, revelation starts to flow. … Start there…just talk to the Father, He loves the process. He is already planning the ages to come. Be relationship based in your faith, not structure based. Friend, I’ve been feeling that the Lord allowed this season of the pandemic, for the Body of Christ to reset. I think many Christians once had or even still have the religious spirit or legalism. But, through this pandemic, I think some of us started to be focused on relationship with the Father and the brothers and sisters at home rather than go to the buildings and do some religious rituals. For me, I do think the Lord has given me the season of declutter and He wants me to be set free from the religious spirit or legalism, to move further and come closer to Him. Friend, I reread Brother Lawrence’ Practicing the Presence of God in this January, as I felt that’s what the Lord wants me to focus on, the fellowship with Him. And just like Pastor John shared his own experience, I also tried to talk to Him more often, saying, “Father, I love the clouds and the blue sky today. Thank You so much!” I will share more on the friendship with God later. In the meantime, I pray that you and I are set free completely from legalism, if any, and our focus is on loving our Father and fellowshipping with Him. Have a bliss! Yunee There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us. (1 John 4:18~19) Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Recently, I read a Pastor John Fenn’s book, “Pursuing the Seasons of God”, and in one chapter, he wrote “Jesus Desires Friendship” and shared one of his encounters with Jesus: I asked him as he turned, “Lord, why are you appearing to me to teach me these things?” He stopped, turned around, took a step towards me and paused as he looked down at the ground in thought for a second or two. Then, with a tilt of his head and a puzzled look on his face that seemed to say you know the answer. He replied: “Because you are my friend.” There were several seconds of silence between us as I stared into his eyes trying to comprehend the depth of what he was saying, and wrestle with my own arguments at the same time. As I stared at him I was thinking, “Who am I that I should be visited by my Lord?” But my arguments were overcome with the overwhelming awareness of aspects of his personality flowing from him that I had never seen before: Loneliness and sorrow. His eyes spoke of a deep desire for fellowship and a sorrow for his children that don’t walk in all he has for them. He was especially sad about those members of his body who were caught up in, and living like, the world. It wasn’t a hurt, but a sorrow that he had done so much for them and they treated what he had done with so little respect, distracting them with this present world. … I then asked him something I had never asked in all my prayers and all my praise and worship to him over the years. “Lord, what is it you desire? What is on your heart?” He replied, “I enjoy it when my people just like being with me, not asking anything of me, just enjoying me, for it is then that we enter into true communion and fellowship. This is my great desire: fellowship, to be with my people, that my people would enjoy me for just being me, this is true worship.” Suddenly I realized that relatively few Christians truly know the Lord. They pray like they place an order at a restaurant: here is a list of things I need or want, amen. Sometimes they pray to wage spiritual warfare—there is a job to be done—and yet other times they enter into praise and worship with the ulterior motive of getting something from him. Some use praise and worship as a formula and means manipulating an answer from the Lord. Many don’t want to live right, but want all the benefits of the Life of God to be manifest in their lives. Fenn, John; Pursuing the Seasons of God I thought his encounter with Jesus resonated with the late Pastor, Neville Johnson’s encounter with Him that I shared in my previous blog, “Friends of God.” And I felt the Lord indeed desires the friendship with us, and I repented of my soulish prayer for my life, though I thought it was for His Kingdom. And I pondered whether I used praise and worship as a formula and means to manipulate an answer from the Lord, as Pastor John wrote. I asked the Lord to show me if there is anything impure in my heart, for me to repent and I said to Him that I set my heart to be pure in my heart and to be His friend. Then, in the morning of August 17th, I went to my prayer table with a patio umbrella in the nearby museum. I had a certain incident the other day with my sister in California, when we had a video-chatting. We had some debate and it kept lingering in my mind. I didn’t talk about it to anyone, as I didn’t want to backbite her. But in that morning, I brought up that subject, thinking He is my best Friend and I just decided to talk to Him. “Lord, was I wrong? I know I shouldn’t have said those words to her, but she was absolutely wrong!” “……” Then, I read the chapter 17 of Proverbs. While reading and mediating on a few verses, I felt the Lord was speaking to me as to what my heart attitude should be toward my sister and how I should manage my words. But there was nothing like condemnation. Then, I decided to pray in tongue more rather than to pray for what I want to pray, in my own words. I wanted to pray for what He wants me to pray. While I prayed in the spirit, I was reminded of Afghanistan. I remembered Pastor Joe Sweet mentioned it together with the earthquake in Haiti, but I didn’t watch or read the news on Afghanistan at that time. So, in the middle of the prayer, I searched the headlines of Korean news on Afghanistan to understand what happened there, and prayed in tongues, thinking of it together with Haiti. Coming back home after the prayer, I checked my chatting applications and was surprised to see a few unread messages with videos from my Singaporean friend. She actually texted them the other evening, to ask me to pray together for Afghanistan, but I went to bed very early, not knowing she had texted me, with the notification off. I felt that indeed the Lord wanted me to pray for Afghanistan and He let me know as I’m His friend. Then, later in the morning, I had my haircut and planned to go to grocery on my way home. Once a week, I buy flowers for mom and for myself from the grocery store. It’s always my joy to see and debate for a while in front of the flowers in the store, as to what flowers I would pick. I usually change the kinds and the colors of flowers each week for variety. Then, on the way to the grocery store, the yellow flowers came into my mind. A few weeks ago, I saw them and wanted to buy them, only after I chose other flowers in front of the cashier. So, when the yellow flowers that I didn’t even know the name of came into my mind, I said to Him, “Lord, I want to buy the yellow flowers I wanted to buy last time, if they are available today. What do you think?” “……” I simply enjoyed talking to Him in my heart, no matter whether I felt Him saying something or not. Then, I went to the grocery store and found out two bundles of the yellow flowers were in a plastic bucket! As the stocks of the flowers varied each week, I had no idea as to whether they would be available. I was joyful to see them and took a bundle of the yellow flowers to the employee who was in charge of the flower department. I handed them over to her, asking the price. And she said to me, “You might want to take them for free.” I said, surprised, “What? (Seriously???)” She said, “They are not fresh ones. So, they won’t last long. As you’re a regular customer, I would give them to you for free. Just take them, please.” I couldn’t thank Him enough. In my joyful heart, I kept saying to Him, “Thank You, Lord. You’re so kind! Thank You!” And I simply felt He wanted to give me these yellow flowers as His gift to His friend. After I came home and enjoyed watching the flowers, I kept being curious about the name of the flowers. So, I searched the pictures online and got to know from a Korean encyclopedia that it’s Marigold. To my amazement, it said that one of its flower languages is friendship! I felt as if He wanted to let me know I’m His friend and He desires friendship with me. In a few days, I meditated Proverbs 22:11: “He who loves purity of heart And has grace on his lips, The king will be his friend.” It reminded me of the debate with my sister earlier and He was teaching me in a gentle way, yet without condemnation. And I prayed that the meditation of my heart and the words of my mouth be pleasing to Him and I become the friend of my King. Friend, do you desire friendship with the Lord? I pray that you and I feel His loneliness and sorrow toward the body of Christ, and we come to Him with a pure heart and grace on our lips, not with any hidden motives, to become His friend, in Jesus’ name. Have a bliss! Yunee Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:13~15) Dear Friend, How are you? I’m well. Imagine if you should live in an uninhabited island and could bring only one person between a servant and a friend of yours, who would you pick up? I used to hope that I would like to be the servant of the Lord on the throne, being close to Him in eternity. I do not demean the servanthood at all, but I also learned that our Lord is looking for His friends. Neville Johnson wrote in his book, “Destiny and the Eternal Purposes of God” thus: There has been much teaching on the role and position of the bondservant, which is necessary and good. However, this level of dedication and service to God must mature to another level, to that of “Friends of God”. And he shared the story of when he had some excruciating pains on his back from an accident. After a few days of this, a phrase that I had heard somewhere came constantly to mind: “Don’t waste your pain.” Along with that, a scripture from Colossians kept surfacing through the pain and establishing itself firmly in my thoughts: Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the Church. (Colossians 1:24) I meditated on that scripture for a while trying to connect it to my painful circumstances. After a while, it seemed a veil lifted, and to a degree I understood what this scripture meant. I said to the Lord, “Lord, I don’t want to waste this pain, but if I can carry or alleviate some of your pain in carrying this, then I will do it.” At that point, I saw the Lord. He was standing at my bedside and tears were rolling down His cheeks. I asked, “Lord what’s the matter?” He looked at me and said, “Very few of my children ever think of my needs.” The phrase stunned me. The Lord’s tears were tears of gratitude and the effect on me was as such that could not be described, I was undone. The pain in my back continued and even worsened for a few weeks, but I now knew that I was not wasting my pain. Shortly after this, He healed me. Does the Lord have needs? Yes. He has need of friends, and He has need of fellowship. He needs us to pray so that He can respond to our prayers. He has a need of us to seek Him, because only then can we find Him. When I read Jesus’ dropping tears and saying, “Very few of My children ever think of My needs.” I felt my heart stirred inside. I couldn’t simply go to bed, after putting down the book, but I knelt down on the floor. I said to the Lord, “Lord, I set my heart to become Your friend. I set my heart to feel Your pains and groan for what You groan. I will pray with Your heart for those You groan.” I was reminded of the teaching that we must be very careful in our prayers, as they are all recorded. Although I would not know how much pain He has when He sees His Church and the lost sheep, I felt I should not avoid carrying His burdens and having His pains together. So, after this prayer, I spent some time for intercession. Strangely, since that night, I felt a little bit of backpain, which was not normal. More interestingly, when I texted my friend in Singapore and asked how she was, she said she had a bad backpain. I really do not know whether my backpain was part of sharing the burden and pain of the Lord toward His child, my friend in Singapore. Though my backpain was not serious, it continued for a few more days. Friend, I would like to encourage you today to set your heart to become the friend of Jesus. He would appreciate your servanthood, but He would look for a friend to talk to, listen to and relate to, more than a servant. Would you be willing to rejoice with Him, feel His pains and carry His burdens? And would you be willing to look after His needs as He does to yours? I pray that you and I become His friends, like Enoch, Abraham and many others in the Bible, in Jesus’ name. Have a bliss! Yunee Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. (John 15:13~15) |
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