I saw this article in the UBF Officail Site. Thank God for his restoration and returning to Paraguay. Let's pray for them.
M. John Lee of Paraguay had to go back to Korea to restore his health
almost three years ago. By God's grace and all our coworkers' world
wide prayers he is restored completely and plans to return to Paraguay
on June 17.
His purpose to come back early in spite of many more things to be done
is to help S. Oscar to prepare his message for Latin Conference in
Bolivia. He also wants to guide our Journey team to Iguasu Fall
personally. Now he needs to do before he goes to Paraguay: His first
son John Lee's wedding on May 29 in Han Yang Center and second son
Joseph Lee's wedding on June 5 at GwanAk 5th. Pray for his health as
well as that of M. Maria who had to go through a minor operation of her
heart recently. May God bless his second round of missionary life in
Paraguay to make Latin America a missionary sending continent.
The following is so touching and inspiring. Father John Powell, professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy; Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then I know in my mind that it isn’t what’s on your head but what’s in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange...very strange. Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, "Do you think I’ll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically. "Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, "Tommy! I don’t think you’ll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!" He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line -- He will find you! At least I thought it was clever. Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. "Tommy, I’ve thought about you so often; I hear you are sick," I blurted out. "Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It’s a matter of weeks." "Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked. "Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied. "What’s it like to be only twenty-four and dying?" "Well, it could be worse." "Like what?" "Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life." I began to look through my mental file cabinet under "S" where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.) "But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, “No!” which surprised me. Then you said, “But He will find you.” I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!) "But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that’s when I got serious about locating God. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit "Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn’t really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: “The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them." "So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. "Dad." "Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper. "Dad, I would like to talk with you." "Well, talk." "I mean .. It’s really important." The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?" "Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me." "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. "I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to. "Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn’t come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, “Come on, jump through. Come on, I’ll give you three days, three weeks." "Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right He found me even after I stopped looking for Him" "Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: “God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.” Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn’t be half as effective as if you were to tell it" "Oooh... I was ready for you, but I don’t know if I’m ready for your class." "Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call." In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. Before he died, we talked one last time. "I’m not going to make it to your class," he said. "I know, Tom." "Will you tell them for me? Will you ... tell the whole world for me?" I will, Tom. I’ll tell them. I’ll do my best." So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God’s love, thank you for listening. And to you, Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could. If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes. With thanks, Rev. John Powell, Professor, Loyola University, Chicago.
GO INTO DEEP WATER
Luke 5:1-11
Key Verse: 5:4
"When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.”’
1. Describe the place. Why had Jesus probably come here early in the morning? (Mk 1:35) Describe the crowd who came to him. Why had they probably come? Why did Jesus teach the word of God instead of healing them? (2Ti 3:15-17; Col 3:16)
2. Who was Simon, and what kind of person was he (2)? What favour did Jesus ask of him (3)? Why? How would this help Jesus and Simon?
3. After teaching the crowd, what did Jesus ask Simon to do (4)? Why? Why was it not easy for Simon to obey (5a)? But what did Simon do (5b)? How does this reveal his learning mind and obedience? What does ‘go into deep water’ mean to us spiritually?
4. What happened when Simon obeyed Jesus? Why did Jesus want to restore his failure? What did Simon realize about himself through this event? (8) What did he mean by saying, "I am a sinful man?" Why did he say, "Go away from me, Lord"?
5. Read verses 9-11. What new life direction did Jesus give Simon? How did this give him new life? What does "from now on you will catch men" mean? How did Simon and his companions respond? What was Jesus' purpose in calling them? (Mk 6:34; Mt 16:18)
"There is One who cares for you. His eye is fixed on you, His heart beats with pity for your woe, and His omnipotent hand shall bring you the needed help. The darkest cloud shall scatter itself in showers of mercy. He, if you are one of His family, will bind up your wounds and heal your broken heart. Do not doubt His grace because of your tribulation, but believe that He loves you as much in seasons of trouble as in times of happiness. If God cares for you, why do you need to care too? Can you trust Him for your soul and not your body? He has never refused to bear your burdens; He has never fainted under their weight. Come, then, soul! Say good-bye to anxiety and leave all your concerns in the hand of a gracious God."
O Broken Lamb from DANIEL JUNG on Vimeo.
O Broken Lamb Verse 1 O broken Lamb of God It was for me He died For all my sin and shame My Lord was crucified But through His brokenness I am made whole again And I see loveliness In Christ the broken Lamb Verse 2 The stripes upon His back The thorns upon His brow Because He suffered them I can know healing now It was an awful price Yet He paid willingly He gave His sinless life To purchase life for me Chorus 1 The Lamb of God Became the sacrifice It was my debt And still He paid the price For ev'ry sin and all iniquity The precious Lamb of God Was broken for you and me The precious Lamb of God Was broken for you and me Verse 3 They took Him from the cross And laid Him in a tomb Their hope seemed all but lost Their hearts were filled with gloom But early Sunday morn He rose triumphantly And purchased for all men The hope to live eternally Chorus 2 The Lamb of God Became the Lord of lords And He will reign As King forevermore He conquered death And now He holds the key The Lamb of God Bought eternal life for you and me
This is mp3 file of ''to be pleasing you'. Lord I want to live my life
To please You
I bring my heart before You
To remold
Make of me a vessel fit for honor
That I might shine for You
As sparkling gold
(chorus)
To be pleasing You, pleasing You
This is all really want to do
To be pleasing You, pleasing You
This is all really want to do
Lord I lift my heart in full surrender
All that I hold dear I give to You
Purify my heart and make me holy
That’s pleasing You
Because He First Loved Us
"We love because he first loved us." (1 John 4:19)
We praise God for blessing the 2011 Canadian SBC with 270 attendants
from June 30th to July 2nd, 2011, which was held on the Queen’s
University campus, located in Kingston, Ontario. 14 Canadian chapters
from eastern Canada, 1 representative from Calgary UBF joined the 2011
Canadian UBF SBC. The theme of this conference was the love of God. From
America, the newly appointed UBF general director Dr. Abraham T. Kim
and Pastor Mark Vucekovich, Julie Jesmer (NIU) and her son Augustine
came to support this conference with prayer. Their presence encouraged
us greatly. Through this conference, we prayed to receive God's infinite
love and to respond to His love, making practical decisions of faith in
our life and ministry.
On the opening night, Matthew Northey gave the opening message based on 1 John 4:19.
Though he is the lone member of this new pioneering ministry in
Kingston, he kept his faith and laying the foundation of God’s work. We
were encouraged us to discover God's love through the conference. Then,
Andy Stumpf (Waterloo UBF) gave the first main lecture: "I will betroth
you to me forever” based on Hosea 2. God's love is expressed poignantly
through Hosea's obedience to God's command to marry his unfaithful wife.
Gomer’s infidelity can be compared to our idolatry because we have
prostituted ourselves to various things and people of this world. This
is a touching story because God is crazy in love for us and he wants to
restore our love with him forever.
On the second day, Andrew Han Jr. gave us the most famous verse about God's love through John 3:16:
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that
whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." For the
second main lecture, Joshua Brinkerhoff gave the message on the parable
of the Lost Son based on Luke 15:11-32.
This passage describes the lostness of two sons. The first squandered
his wealth and life. The other son was lost in his self-righteousness.
From God's point of view, God longs, waits, welcomes, and restores any
kind of sinner because of his great love for us. We were moved by the
waiting love of our heavenly father for sinners like us. Immediately
after the morning message, all the attendants wrote testimonies and
shared in groups. The evening lecture was given by Paul Lee Jr. Fallen
men want to retaliate after they are wounded. However, Jesus said on the
cross, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing."
(Luke 23:24)
Jesus prayed for forgiveness. God's love is demonstrated by the cross
of Jesus and for the forgiveness of our sins. Paul Lee Jr.'s testimony
of changed life from that of a small-time punk into a campus shepherd
was an unmistakable evidence of power of Jesus’ death on the cross.
Until then, we had learned about what God's love did for us. From day
three, we learned about what are our responses to the love of God.
Firstly, Samuel Mukwedeya’s morning devotion on “A New Creation in
Christ” (2Co 5:17)
reflects a changed life. Accepting Christ helps us to be inwardly
changed and we can grow in his holiness and likeness and we must also
bear fruit. Jason Northey, in his message “Remain in Jesus” (Jn 15:1-17)
described that fruit-bearing in the likeness of Jesus is Christian’s
measure of success. We can do this when we have an intimate relationship
with Christ. Apart from Jesus, we can do nothing. Practically speaking
this means to do small things for God’s flock with great love of Jesus.
It is because Jesus first loved us. Furthermore, we must love one
another because it is Jesus’ command. Ernest Chan gave his evening
lecture on Jesus’ command: “Love One Another.” (Jn 13) Love is not just
feeling, it is an intense spiritual struggle. This command is given to
the disciples and only when we love one another can we be recognized as
disciples of Jesus. Instead of complaining, we must say thank you. God
wants to use us as his channels of love by obedience to Jesus’ command
to love one another.
On the last day, we learned how to grow our love for Jesus more and more through the Lord’s Prayer (Mt 6:9-13)
which Sheila Htoo preached to us. We prayed for M. Rebekah Lee of
Ottawa UBF who was undergoing a surgery in Korea in order to remove a
fist-sized tumor. The SWS message was given by Philip Wong: “You are a
Holy Nation.” (1Pe 2:9)
Loving God means to identify ourselves as God’s people. We are to
declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his
wonderful light. The closing message was given by Andrew Christopher
based on the World Mission Command. (Mt 28:18-20)
Loving Jesus means to obey this command not only to other campuses in
Canada, but it extends to the whole world. May God answer our prayer
topic to pioneer the remaining 140 nations!
We thank God for touching our hearts with the love of God. We could see
the evidence of this love of God through powerful messages and graceful
life testimonies (Leonard A., Joseph M., Alexei T., Rita T., Jennifer
L., Wah-Paw, Lesedi M., Marcel R., Jia Z., Paulina L., Tino M.) and One
Word testimony speakers (Preston, Allan, James, Wade, Yvonne, and
Jessica). Many people shared tearful testimonies of repentance during
their group studies. Now, as we returned to our mission fields, may we
extend this love of God to students on 256 Canadian campuses and for the
whole world! M. Luke Hong’s prayer topics for Canada: 1. Pioneer 256 Canadian campuses (updated number of colleges and universities in Canada, researched by Dr. Henry Kim). 2. Double ministry in each chapter by the next Canadian SBC. 3. Restore sacrificial spirit in order to serve campus students. Reported by David Jumeau (Montreal UBF)
Sometime in late 2011, according to the UN Population Division, there will be seven billion of us.
This is interesting chart from NG Magazine. I attach images scanned from that book.
Black dots means 1960 population. (That time population was about 3 billion.)
All dots including black dots means 2011 population(Maybe Estimation).
NG says, "The less developed world will account for more than 95 percent of future population growth.
