What has brought me here....?
Today I hung out in my dorm room apartment cleaning up, TRYING to send photos (having problems with the "Hello/Picaso programs" that allow you to do so....), watched an old western called "The Virginian" and sorted things that have piled up in the years that I have lived here in "the Land of the Morning Calm" while reflecting on all that God has done for me. I came across an empty book that they sell known as "The Nothing Book", which (as the cover describes) is "for poets, cooks, travelers, writers, students, comedians, bridges, decorators, kids, doodlers, secretaries, list-makers, diarists, sketchers, businessmen, gift-givers and all of us who've ever wanted to do a book." Funny, that sounds a lot like many of the purposes of having a blog site as well... Anyway, that "Nothing book" was given to me by a fellow Christian brother a few years back and I was surprised to see a lot of the stuff that I had written at that time just before going to northern Ethiopia on my 1st mission trip.
"Our calling is not to be successful in ministry but to be obedient to the Master." (Jon Courson)
HAPPINESS - temporary sense of optimism and cheerfulness based on experience
JOY - Eternal abiding sense of optimism and cheerfulness based on God.
J.O.Y. - Jesus First, Others second, You last
"Why! who makes much of a miracle? As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles." (Walt Whitman)
"There are only two positions you can take. Either you believe that nothing is a miracle, or you believe that everything in life is a miracle." (Albert Einstein)
Jan. 1st, 2003, 2:25am Here goes "nothing"...
This book was given to me just an hour ago by Ben, a member of "NeulSaRangGyoHway" (Eternal Love Church) as a New Year's gift of course. What a glorious night! This was my first experience of a Korean New Years midnight church service which I'd heard so much about in my 5 years in Korea.
How I started going to this church is a long story that goes back into eternity past but to think with a "worldly mind", we could say it started Feb. 2002. At that time, I went home primarily to attend my twin brother's wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended and it was predominantly because Christ was made the center of attention. Just before I left Canada, Adam's mother-in-law, Shirley, gave me a letter that I was to read on the plane. And I did. And I did. And I did. I must have read that letter at least 20 times just on the plane! Of course, I kept that letter and so it would be easiest if I just shared the contents here:
Hi Andrew,
I felt the Lord impressing on me to bring a word from Him to you. First and foremost, I need to seek your forgiveness (and your sister's-which I will speak with her about when next I see her). It is in regards to my comment about the message we were to hear on sunday past. I said something to the effect that I had heard it all before-making excuse as to why I did not have an apparent need to hear it again. This was a bad comment and not the issue at all. I would dearly have loved to have heard the message but wanted very much for Charlene or anyone for that matter who had not heard the message or just needed to hear it to have been able to hear it. So I wanted to exchange places so that that could be accomplished. No one should ever miss a message because they have heard it before-the reason to miss it would be a call of God. Henny gave me a good scripture in regards to this:
(Matt.13:52) "He said to them, "Therefore every teach of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
So, please forgive my unwise choice of wording and don't fall into that trap the enemy has placed before many people.
Now, the word the Lord spoke to me, that in spite of your difficulty in finding a church to worship in- a body to have fellowship with, that you need to be in fellowship.
(Psalm 92:12-14) "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green."
(Psalm 52:8) "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God."
(John 15:1-17) The vines and the brances
(Acts 2:42-47) "...devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship...All the believers were together...Everyday they continued to meet together...broke bread together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily..."
(Hebrews 10:25) "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another...."
I pray and trust God to guide you as you seek fellowship with His people in that foreign land. God bless you and protect you.
Sincerely,Shirley Buck.
It wasn't long after that I discovered we had a "mission church" in Ansan, a small town just outside Seoul to serve foreign workers in Korea. I went there out of curiousity and as a result I have been attending every Sunday evening for the past 8 months. There are people from the The Philippines there, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Russia, China and a few other countries. I have especially become good friends with a fine gentleman from Iran named Gholam. Another good friend I've made there is Kumudu from Sri Lanka who feels a calling from God to open a church in her native country.
The exciting thing about Gholam is that he is a Muslim (culturally anyway) and he is seeking truth at our church. Currently, he wants to believe the Bible and the koran at the same time, but I pray the Holy Spirit will convince him of the impossibility of such beliefs. They quite clearly oppose one another. I am now teaching a very basic bible study group there every Sunday at 6pm before worship begins at 7:30pm. Actually, it's more of a facilitator role than teacher. It's a booklet of fundamental beliefs that Pastor Tim put together. I merely guide the study. I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to be where God is at work.
Several months ago, one of the Korean gentlemen at Ansan Mission, Pastor Choi, told me that he had just opened a new church, Neul SaRang Church, near Chulsan Subway Station, which is basically halfway between my church (SIBC) and the Ansan Mission Church. He asked me if I would consider teaching English to middle/high school students on Sundays from 2-3pm to maybe help increase membership/interest in his church to neighboring residents. I didn't need time to consider it and jumped at the chance to help out a newly constructed Baptist church.
To an outsider or non-Christian his request may have appeared quite imposing but Thank God I was able to see God at work behind the whole thing. You see, a small group of men at SIBC (including myself) had been taking a 12 week bible study course entitled "Experiencing God:Knowing and Doing the Will of God" written by Henry Blackeby. We learned that, as Jesus, we should seek where God is at work and join Him in His work...That is simply what I was doing.
"Our calling is not to be successful in ministry but to be obedient to the Master." (Jon Courson)
HAPPINESS - temporary sense of optimism and cheerfulness based on experience
JOY - Eternal abiding sense of optimism and cheerfulness based on God.
J.O.Y. - Jesus First, Others second, You last
"Why! who makes much of a miracle? As to me, I know of nothing else but miracles." (Walt Whitman)
"There are only two positions you can take. Either you believe that nothing is a miracle, or you believe that everything in life is a miracle." (Albert Einstein)
Jan. 1st, 2003, 2:25am Here goes "nothing"...
This book was given to me just an hour ago by Ben, a member of "NeulSaRangGyoHway" (Eternal Love Church) as a New Year's gift of course. What a glorious night! This was my first experience of a Korean New Years midnight church service which I'd heard so much about in my 5 years in Korea.
How I started going to this church is a long story that goes back into eternity past but to think with a "worldly mind", we could say it started Feb. 2002. At that time, I went home primarily to attend my twin brother's wedding. It was the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended and it was predominantly because Christ was made the center of attention. Just before I left Canada, Adam's mother-in-law, Shirley, gave me a letter that I was to read on the plane. And I did. And I did. And I did. I must have read that letter at least 20 times just on the plane! Of course, I kept that letter and so it would be easiest if I just shared the contents here:
Hi Andrew,
I felt the Lord impressing on me to bring a word from Him to you. First and foremost, I need to seek your forgiveness (and your sister's-which I will speak with her about when next I see her). It is in regards to my comment about the message we were to hear on sunday past. I said something to the effect that I had heard it all before-making excuse as to why I did not have an apparent need to hear it again. This was a bad comment and not the issue at all. I would dearly have loved to have heard the message but wanted very much for Charlene or anyone for that matter who had not heard the message or just needed to hear it to have been able to hear it. So I wanted to exchange places so that that could be accomplished. No one should ever miss a message because they have heard it before-the reason to miss it would be a call of God. Henny gave me a good scripture in regards to this:
(Matt.13:52) "He said to them, "Therefore every teach of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old."
So, please forgive my unwise choice of wording and don't fall into that trap the enemy has placed before many people.
Now, the word the Lord spoke to me, that in spite of your difficulty in finding a church to worship in- a body to have fellowship with, that you need to be in fellowship.
(Psalm 92:12-14) "The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon, planted in the house of the Lord, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green."
(Psalm 52:8) "But I am like an olive tree flourishing in the house of God."
(John 15:1-17) The vines and the brances
(Acts 2:42-47) "...devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship...All the believers were together...Everyday they continued to meet together...broke bread together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favour of all the people. And the Lord added to their numbers daily..."
(Hebrews 10:25) "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another...."
I pray and trust God to guide you as you seek fellowship with His people in that foreign land. God bless you and protect you.
Sincerely,Shirley Buck.
It wasn't long after that I discovered we had a "mission church" in Ansan, a small town just outside Seoul to serve foreign workers in Korea. I went there out of curiousity and as a result I have been attending every Sunday evening for the past 8 months. There are people from the The Philippines there, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Russia, China and a few other countries. I have especially become good friends with a fine gentleman from Iran named Gholam. Another good friend I've made there is Kumudu from Sri Lanka who feels a calling from God to open a church in her native country.
The exciting thing about Gholam is that he is a Muslim (culturally anyway) and he is seeking truth at our church. Currently, he wants to believe the Bible and the koran at the same time, but I pray the Holy Spirit will convince him of the impossibility of such beliefs. They quite clearly oppose one another. I am now teaching a very basic bible study group there every Sunday at 6pm before worship begins at 7:30pm. Actually, it's more of a facilitator role than teacher. It's a booklet of fundamental beliefs that Pastor Tim put together. I merely guide the study. I'm thrilled to be given the opportunity to be where God is at work.
Several months ago, one of the Korean gentlemen at Ansan Mission, Pastor Choi, told me that he had just opened a new church, Neul SaRang Church, near Chulsan Subway Station, which is basically halfway between my church (SIBC) and the Ansan Mission Church. He asked me if I would consider teaching English to middle/high school students on Sundays from 2-3pm to maybe help increase membership/interest in his church to neighboring residents. I didn't need time to consider it and jumped at the chance to help out a newly constructed Baptist church.
To an outsider or non-Christian his request may have appeared quite imposing but Thank God I was able to see God at work behind the whole thing. You see, a small group of men at SIBC (including myself) had been taking a 12 week bible study course entitled "Experiencing God:Knowing and Doing the Will of God" written by Henry Blackeby. We learned that, as Jesus, we should seek where God is at work and join Him in His work...That is simply what I was doing.
Another vital thing I learned is that God does speak today. He speaks to us in 4 ways:
- through the bible
- through prayer
- through the church (other believers) and
- through circumstances
The key is that they should never conflict with what the Bible says.
So, as one quick simple example, God used Shirley to relay a message to me. He used circumstances ("coincidences" or "fate" to the heathen!) in my workplace to find a new job at the Catholic University and in choosing a church. And within the letter, God spoke through the Bible to convict me of His word. It's as simple (or complicated) as that!
Since having a group of believers to fellowship with, I have matured greatly in my walk with Christ. There simply are no "spiritual lone-rangers"!
I am truly excited to think of the countless blessings God has in store for me in 2003!! Let the 1st words of my mouth each morning be:
"This is the day that the Lord has made-we will rejoice and be glad in it!" (Psalm 118:24) AMEN!
posted by Andrew Brown at 12:15 AM
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