Joy 6 

Rejoice always,

Pray continually

Give thanks in all circumstances;

for this is God's will for you

in Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This scripture, God gave me on the day

of the year beginning prayer of 1989.

Then, I was a few years after

knowing how to live by the Holy Spirit

and the purpose of life is to make known

Jesus' life to the world.

That was a complete paradigm shift for me.

But I was not prepared to do

the ministry I do now.

It was about 5 months after the return

to my country over the last ten years.

For over the 10 years were the period

of studying hard in order to find how

to live and the purpose of life at

one university after another.

Eventually, though my area is public health

I was searching and searching in the area

of theology, psychology, missiology,

community development etc; hoping these

areas would give me the answer

I was searching.

As time goes by the degrees accumulated

bachelor, master, doctorate and researcher.

There were no answers there though

the pleasures of attaining new knowledge.

The faithful Holy Spirit taught me from

the Bible. It was disciple making.

It started for me learning how to live in

the Holy Spirit by a thin booklet written

by Dr. Bill Bright, then a few more small

booklets about how to live continually

with him.

These are the rock of Christian living and

as Christianity is such simple and logic;

it answered itself to all my answers.

The Holy Spirit has started to teach me

as the humble and gentle teacher through

the Bible.

In public health, my specialty is to provide

the best health service to all people with

least expense; this family and village health

service is important and rewarding.

If this village health system is installed,

physicians would highly satisfied and

population receive best level total

health service without cost increase nor

current problematic medical reformation

increasing physician numbers.

50 years ago, I have seen a great success

of village health system courageously

started by the US medical missionary

Dr. John Sibley in Kojedo, S.Korea.

It works with love and technology; and

we have seen tearfully the population's

increased quality of life as well as

physical health.

Nevertheless it does not guarantee

Jesus' life to them and it is not easy

the workers have love and technology.

Thus, it seemed to me God wants to

introduce this in seminaries and

experiment it in a hostile village to Christ.

This is the love strategy that Jesus used

when he was on earth.

But I had no interest in doing it.

In Fuller Seminary I wrestled with it

for a whole year.

On August 15th 1988, finally the 40th

anniversary of the Korea Foundation,

I returned to Korea.

The method of returning was like Luke 9

when Jesus sent out his 12 disciples to

villages. Nothing was provided.

Joining in a Seminary, visited around villages

to find an hostile village to Christ; since

my being a lay christian I had known

no support system and nothing.

The village lifestyle was quite different

then that in New York.  

My visa was for 3 months travel.

No one approved my obedience.

Another big problem is the demonic attacks

for the previous 3 years continued which

was separating from my spirit and soul

and body; 30% separation or 50% I felt

always they were being separated,

if 100% then death.

My eyes were dazzling and congestive,

look like a red rabbit's and seeing

everything turns round spinning so I could

understand drunken's dangerous tottering.

Yet the ophthalmologist found no problem.

This eye problem was announced after

the Yeodo Full Gospel Church Sunday

afternoon worship service Rev. Cho Yong Gi

"Demon attempts to make the young lady's

eyes blind, now healed."

Right away I knew it was me; and said Amen

and I lifted up my face and looked up at

the blue sky for the first time in 2 years.

Allergy was severe continually coughing

while wipeing tears and nose.

Finance was a little left from $ 1,000

that Kim Geong Hee, a lady elder,

put in my hand in Chicago.

I bought a round trip ticket and a couple

hundred dollars for emergency.

Because of the long schooling, students

loan had to be paid off after graduation

while working. Thus there were no debts

nor savings. I was 40 years old.

So I wept a lot.

One evening at the staff lobby in

the Seminary where I was a visiting professor.

Dr. Esenhaur, a missionary lady professor

was with me and I said

"I can't take this anymore" and wept.

She was embarrassed in empathy; and said

"I have an inheritance due to my parent's

plane crash. Can you do with it?"

In the New Year, on the 5th month since

my return it was January 1st 1989 at

my friend's vacant small apartment alone

I started the year start prayer and opened

my Bible,

“Rejoice Always”was it.

I was startled.

Rejoice in this situation?

Have I grown up this much?

This joy was a life.

It was the power.

From that moment on this joy of God

has become the bedrock in my heart.

Since then the joy, God's joy that was

given to me has become the bedrock through

the earth quick and stormwind attacks.

Indeed in this ministry of life saving 

we have stood couple times before

the Red Sea and had much suffering.

During the last 37 years, I have faced

2 or 3 times that the bed rock seemed

soft; those dangers seemed to me we

were slowing down into the bottomless mud.

Without this joy, the power,

the dangers seem to be impossible me to

continue life.

Everytime when God salvaged me from

such a situation to the safe, wide and

deeply rooted bedrock was the Joy,

his joy that revived me. It was 3 times.

The joy of the Lord Jesus, it was his joy.

That was as he says if you keep

my command, my joy will be completed

in you.

My command is to love each other.

This joy is the fellowship with

the Trinity who invite his children to it.

This is the talk Jesus solemnly to

his disciples at the last night which is

written in John 14-16.  

I pray that you are safe as loved one by God

and in turn to love God, yourself and others;

and everyday renewing new strength and to soar

like an eagle on the wings as putting hope

in him.

The Lord Jesus bless you in this season of

his resurrection. Amen.

 _​