This Week 15 Years Ago

This New Year's Eve Service will be especially meaningful to me. I came to Houston 15 years ago this week, and started my ministry as pastor of Seoul Baptist by leading the New Year's Eve service. I arrived on a Wednesday, and all seven deacons - except for one who was battling liver cancer - came to Houston International Airport with their wives to welcome me. There is a saying among Korean pastors in the U.S. that whoever comes to the airport to welcome a new pastor will be the same ones who kick that pastor out of the church. I remember thinking to myself, "At least I ...

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Korea Has Been Blessed

Even though I am an American citizen, being of Korean heritage, I'm still interested in the political situation there. The recent Presidential campaign was heated and I followed the debates closely. Last Wednesday, the Korean people chose Lee Myung-bak as their next president. I'd like to share some thoughts on the past, present and future presidents of Korea. The Bible says, "The authorities that exist have been established by God." (Romans 13:1) I think that God loves Korea and has allowed it to have presidents who were most effective for their given times. People ...

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Foods I Like

Last Monday I interviewed a shepherd candidate couple. When I interview candidates I usually treat them to lunch, but this couple insisted on buying. And I enjoyed lunch a lot. They took me to a Korean restaurant. The wife asked me, "What would you like to have as an appetizer? I heard they serve delicious dumplings." I said, "Dumplings sound good." "Which do you like, steamed or fried? I recommend the fried dumplings." "OK by me." "What would you like for the main dish? Their mackerel special is supposed to be good. It comes with bean soup." "I'd like that." I felt ...

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Outrageous Joy

If God exists, why do bad things happen to good people? For centuries, people have struggled with this. Philosophers, such as David Hume and Bertrand Russell, argued that the world is full of evil and suffering. Thus, if God is all good and all powerful, He can and should destroy evil. However, they point out, evil is not destroyed, and sufferings still continue. They say it appears that God is not able or willing to rid the world of evil; therefore, God is neither all powerful nor all good. Therefore, God, as He is understood by the Christian faith, must not exist. In ...

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A Christian Statesman

I recently watched the movie "Amazing Grace", and it made me think about the upcoming Presidential elections in Korea and the U.S. Religion has become a political issue in both countries. In Korea, the leading Presidential candidate is a church elder, and camps have formed for and against him based on his religion. In the U.S, one of the Republican candidates is a member of a Christian cult, which has led to a division of opinion among mainline Christians about whether to vote for him. The movie is about William Wilberforce, an English statesman in the 18th century. He ...

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How to Share Testimony during Worship

When we complete New Life Bible study classes or one-on-one discipleship Bible studies we have people share their testimonies during Sunday worship about how they are blessed or impacted by them. In order to help you share your testimonies well here are some guidelines. Sharing testimony is bragging about God. It is bragging about God who has given us much grace. Therefore, it is a right thing to share testimony with others when God has given us much grace. Your testimony should have three parts: your life before you took the class, how you have been blessed by the ...

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A Shameful Confession

When I see mentally or physically handicapped people, I tend to avoid them rather than embrace them. When I come across homeless people begging for money on the street, I feel anger instead of compassion, because I feel that they choose to depend on other people's charity rather than stand on their own feet. My negative feelings increased after I read a newspaper article that said that many homeless people use the money they collect on the street for alcohol or drugs. However, deep in my heart, I know that this attitude of mine is wrong. Jesus cared about and even ...

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