the voice of one crying- Mark 1:3

EnglishVol.2

The Posture of Missions, Life-Staking Devotion

A mission is a crucial commission that saves the age. To accomplish this commission, a devotional attitude is needed. If the world is seen with the spiritual eyes; darkness and idol filled culture can be seen. Fur-thermore, lives, forgotten about true happiness, are wandering within emptiness due to slavery by the worldly culture and Satan. Not knowing the reason to live, losing their dreams, those who end their own lives. It is the age where happiness is nowhere to be found within families. There are ones that have lost the future and result in not just personal collapse, but family and society due to drugs, sex, gambling, alcohol, and games that are permeating within by the form of culture.

The bible clearly states in Genesis chapter 3 that the start of all these problems is only the result of spiritual problem, in which we have been deceived by Satan to be separated from God. Also, through the wit-nesses, the fact that only ‘Jesus Christ’ is the way, truth, and life has been proven by God’s word (John 14:6) and history. Therefore, we must respond with ‘amen’ and witness. Thus, the substance of missions must only be ‘Jesus Christ’ not otherwise because ‘Jesus Christ’ is a unique name.

However, there is one aspect we must pinpoint at before proceeding, and that is the attitude in which we must be clear about. It is the ‘devo-tion’. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds” (John 12:24). About 100 years ago, many missionaries sailed to Korea for life - staking devotion. In result, we became blessed people with true happiness by the gospel that we have received through the grace of God. Furthermore, Korea was placed 2nd in sending out the most mis-sionaries.

‘The Voice of Mission’, I have given much effort to relay stories of missionaries and their mission fields truthfully. I want to share with you about missionaries’ devotions and the reality of the mission fields, as well as how the word of God is being fulfilled there. Lastly, I want you to remember that you are a missionary within your personal field of life. True mission field is our very individual lives.

The Gospel

Anaheim

College

Mexico

Marriage

Japan

The Bible

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There is only one way to get to life.

Only Jesus Christ can be the name of salvation.

This is the Gospel.

When God created mankind, He created them in His own image and

blessed them. “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God

He created him, male and female He created them. God blessed them and

said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue

it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living

creature that moves on the ground.” (Gen.1: 27-28)

Just like how fish has to be in the water, tree in the ground, and birds in

the sky to be happy, men can be at their happiest when they are with God.

This is the principle of creation. However, due to Satan’s deception, we

broke the promise of God and left God. From then on, the fundamental

problem of sin and death has begun. Thus, Men who left God, in loss of

happiness, live their lives and die being enslaved by the worldly culture and

Satan. But the bigger issue is the life after. It says in Hebrews chapter 9 and

verse 27, “Just as a man is destined to die once, and after that to face judg-

ment”.

So men cannot solve the problem of sin and death on their own, God

has sent Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ is the way to meet God, truth, and

Pastor Jung Ja Seo

The Voice of The Gospel

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life (John 14:6). Thus, the law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from

the law of sin and death (Romans 8:2). Furthermore, He is the one who

destroyed the devil’s work, which deceived men to leave God (1John 3:8).

Meeting God through Jesus Christ is salvation. “Salvation is found in no one

else, for there is no other name under heaven, given to men by which we

must me saved” (Acts 4:12).

Then, how can we receive salvation? In order for you to receive salvation

and to solve the problem of sin and death, you must accept ‘only’ Jesus

Christ as your Lord and Savior. Anyone who sincerely believe in Jesus Christ

and accept him can be saved. Jesus has promised to those who receive him

and believe in His name, will be given the right to become a child of God

(John 1:12), and also promised that everyone who calls upon the name of

the Lord will be saved (Romans 10:13).

As it is written in Romans chapter 10 and verse 9 to 10, “That if you con-

fess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is the Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God

raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that

you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and

are saved”.

At this very moment, God is knocking on the door of your heart. At this

moment you can accept Jesus Christ through prayer. All you need to do is

sincerely pray for the Christ to enter into your heart.

“Loving father God, I am a sinner. I have left you and was living as a slave

under Satan’s control. But at this time, I accept Jesus as my Savior and my

Christ. Please come into my heart as the master and guide me forever. I

pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.”

You are now a precious child of God with the citizenship of heaven.

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Every Saturday we are continually engaging the field of Fullerton. Evange-

lism takes place among the teenagers in Fullerton. A few Bible study meetings

have begun but we have yet to enter into the schools. But as we continue to

share the gospel I believe that God will open the door to save the youth.

With a plan to tour all of Orange County, the evangelism field we are en-

gaging is Anaheim. In last Sunday’s pulpit “Future experience of the evan-

gelist” I grabbed onto the message of making my past an opportunity to dis-

cover my true self in Christ and all I have left to do today is “Only Christ”.

I don’t speak fluent English or Spanish, but with the heart of God (Phil 1:8),

trusting the uniqueness of the gospel, and believing in God who has prepared

people in the field to hear the gospel (Acts13:48), I took the bold steps of an

evangelist.

In Anaheim there are Buddhist temples, Japanese shrines, and other small

temples sprouting up as well as being located in an industrial district. Unlike

the city of Fullerton, students have lower graduation rates, and many sexual

crimes occur in the region. There are especially many Hispanic and South

East Asian people in the community. We utilized the super markets the locals

frequent to begin our evangelism and analyze the region.

As we were engaging the field we discovered that Mormons and Jehovah’s

Witnesses were already evangelizing in the area and although we were evan-

gelizing only for a short period 12 people accepted Jesus Christ as their sav-

Angie Kim, U.S. Missionary

The Voice of Anaheim

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ior. There was someone who wanted to continue to listen to God’s Word, in

one store they allowed us to leave evangelism materials for their customers.

In America there are many children wherever you go. Children become a

door to their family evangelism. In other regions when we evangelize to chil-

dren the parents listen with the child but in this region the parents let their

children listen to the Gospel but they themselves don’t listen. These children

attend schools in America but some of them were not fluent in English, most

of the parents are immigrants that do not speak English. The younger chil-

dren are able to befriend any ethnicities but as they grow older the children

began to group together among their own race. Without speaking English

well, without any ambition for school, living in a community full of poverty

and idol worship, the hardships of life is always before them. In a multi eth-

nic community we need evangelism materials in multiple languages but more

than that we desperately need the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

To see another side of Anaheim we also visited the city hall. Anaheim is a

sister city of Japan. Anaheim city hall was quiet there were few city employ-

ees that would walk about on their break but because they didn’t have much

time it wasn’t easy to share the gospel. We are planning to visit the Anaheim

city hall, the industrial district and Disneyland.

If there is a coin called ‘covenant’, I believe the front side would be “mis-

sions”, and the back side would be “healing”. Even today in the Rome of this

age God has called His children to be the missionaries. Holding correctly to

the identity as a child of God and challenging for missions inside of God’s

Word; I believe God will bring healing in every land we step on, all the people

we meet and even in our own lives. We ask you to pray for the field of Amer-

ica together.

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College ministry is an essential ministry for nurturing leaders who are

equipped in the gospel. The most important function of college is to nurture

talented individuals for the future. Its greatest role is to discover and develop

talent. As it was in the past, today’s colleges are in the unique position to

raise skilled individuals for the future.

California Institute of The Arts, also known as Cal-Arts, was established by

Walt Disney and now is one of the leading private college for the arts in the

United States. It was ranked as the number one private arts college ahead of

NYU, USC and Cornell by Newsweek, Daily and the Beast. Many international

students all over the world and in the US apply to get into this prestigious

school. Most of the art directors of the famous 3D animation studio Pixar

have graduated from Cal-Arts.

Nevertheless, Cal-Arts is not only limited to character animation, but also

other majors including graphics design, fine arts, music, dance, movies and

visual arts. These are not independent majors but they work together in

synergy in order to develop and nurture the talent needed to run the Disney

empire. With this strategy Disney was able to engrave the Disney culture in

the minds of children all over the world in less than 100 years.

The more I continue the ministry in Cal-Arts, I see the absolute necessity

of evangelizing this school. In the spiritual perspective there isn’t a field as

desperate as Cal-Arts. Surrounded in the liberal atmosphere the New Age

Nam Wook Heo, U.S. College Missionary

The Voice of College

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Culture and anti-Christian sentiments run rampant. In the works the students

produce the culture of evil spirits are found. With the eyes of the gospel we

can see the hidden spiritual influences in the culture of this school.

This is a verse that I am reminded of as I engage in my ministry at Cal-Arts

“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the con-

trary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish argu-

ments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God,

and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2Cor 10:4-

5). Ministry in Cal-Arts is a difficult one. However it is a ministry that must

not stop for it is an inevitable field that must be conquered.

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“So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Isra-

elites out of Egypt” (Exodus 3:10). Missions are about seeing the miracles

of Exodus that God gives. It is helping people come out of their fate of

being enslaved to Satan because of sin and separation from God.

Last week in Mexico where 89% of the population is Catholic, the

streets were empty as children take 1-2 weeks off for Easter vacation and

employees spend 3-4 days with their families away from work. During

Good Friday (the day Jesus was crucified), Mexicans from all over the

country gather in the city to parade around with statues of Jesus [but

mostly statues of Guadalupe(Mary)] to participate in the suffering of Je-

sus. Looking at this I felt that the joy and glory of Jesus’ resurrection was

missing. Instead the image of Jesus found in Mexican temples is a man

who hangs on the cross with a crown of thrones unable to come down.

Even in the Zo' calo (the main plaza of presidential residence), it was much

quieter than the Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) celebrations.

The Israelites had to pass the city of Jericho before entering into Ca-

naan, just like the city they had to conquer, the 89% of Catholics in Mex-

ico in the line of the Vatican seems like a daunting force to contend with.

However if God has not given us the correct way to see Jericho and the

method to conquer it (Joshua 6:1~13) how can we dare to look upon the

38 nations of central and South America and wait on the Lord who will

Sarah Sim, Mexico Missionary

The Voice of Mexico

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be the Christ to the fundamental problems of mankind there? It is a for-

midable city, but a city in danger of destruction because of the idol wor-

ship. I hold on to the covenant of (Ex. 3:7~8) and pray, waiting for God’s

kingdom to be established in Mexico.

There are things to do while waiting on God’s time schedule for the

evangelism of Mexico. It is to find the incorrect spiritual state hidden

behind the great city people of the world are amazed at and reveal the

true gospel that ‘Jesus is the Christ’. This is God’s sacred commission of

Mission that I must uphold. Only then the people can solve the spiritual

problems that they cannot overcome on their own. There is a spirit of

confusion flowing throughout the nation arising from many years of

Catholic culture mixing with pagan beliefs. Besides the regions devoid of

the gospel, even the traditional Christian regions have fallen into secu-

larism, cults, and pluralism. Christians here are in danger of not being

able to discern the Way of salvation from other religions. Also unhealthy

mysticism and heretical influences confuse and divide the church so it is

crucial to establish these churches with the clear gospel. Please pray for

the true gospel to be preached in Mexico at this time.

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Definition of Marriage - Find yourself first

My name is Meg Chong, I got married on March of 2009 when I was 31.

Because, I got married at a late age (maybe it’s because many remnants tend

to get married later these days), it was a marriage that started with much

preparation. I read many books on marriage, attended marriage seminars

and marriage counseling school, and I even read books on parenting. But

it wasn't always so joyful. Before I got married I was anxious because I did

not understand God's time schedule. I faced many conflicts and heart aches

along the way. During those moments I wanted to receive counseling in the

gospel, but it was difficult to find the right mentor. That is why despite my

lackings, I wanted to use my background and experience to become a men-

tor to the next generation preparing for marriage. I hope this writing can be

of help to those preparing for marriage, and I pray that you will be a witness

to a prepared marriage.

Fortunately, I realized the gospel before I was married. That is why my view

of marriage was different from many people. Many people view marriage as

meeting someone you love, having a wedding, raising their children well, and

living a happy and long life without facing many problems . Unfortunately,

there is no one in this world that lives a life like that. Especially in this age

facing high divorce rates, broken families, and broken children, people are

increasingly scarred by their families.

Encourager Meg Chong

The Voice of Marriage

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Why does this happen? There is only one reason. Because people don’t

know Christ. When people don’t know God they become a child of the devil.

The Devil is unseen to our eyes but brings division and destruction in our

lives. He divides the couple, separates the parent and child, and disconnects

the family and family line in order to ruin everyone involved. Because I knew

this spiritual reality so well I prayed that God will allow me to meet someone

with the gospel. For me a non-believer is a subject of evangelism and not a

candidate for marriage. No matter how great the person this was something

I could not compromise. I have been called as a child of God, and because I

realized that I will live my life as an ‘evangelist’, I had assurance through God’

s Word and my prayers that God has prepared someone that will join me in

the work of sharing of the gospel. So I asked God every day to make me into

someone that can wait until that person appeared in my life.

Anyone who is preparing for marriage needs to have a time where you

“discover yourself before God first”. You need to spend time listening to God’

s Word, not lose the flow of the Word, and most importantly you must find in

your prayer ‘why God has called you in this age’. Because if you are not sure in

your identity, you will not have a clear picture of your spouse or your marriage.

I found a clear picture of my marriage in the Bible when I discovered the

marriage of Priscilla and Aquila. After first receiving the gospel I had a sea-

son of indiscriminately listening to many sermons. After that I had a season

of sharing the gospel to anyone I met. I was able to finish all my academic,

evangelism and church training programs in the midst of my prayers. After

graduation I returned to Korea (I first received the gospel while studying in

Australia) and continued to receive training. While working I participated in

the evangelism field whenever time allowed, and according to time schedule

I began my own ministry. I was so sure when I met my husband because he

was someone who received the same covenant as me. In this way when you

first discover yourself in the gospel, you will discover who your spouse is sup-

posed to be.

This is how you receive the answer of raising a family, a family line, a so-

ciety and a nation. I pray that the next generation that is preparing for mar-

riage will have a time to first discover their identity in Christ.

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Anticipation.

It's the first time in…3 years?

Mission to Japan.

Quiet trains; commute.

Hisashiburi, Genki?

Awkwardly greeted.

Hmm, do I know him?

Recognizing vague faces.

I think I know him...

"What you doing here?"

Yeah, what am I doing here?

God, what is your plan.

Toothache, ouch, ouch, ouch.

Toothache and sharp sudden pains.

Cliche as it is…

Like being attacked.

Issac Kim, U.S. Missionary

The Voice of Japan

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Spiritually oppressed.

To hinder my quest?

But what was my quest?

From the flight to Japan and the commute all the way to the registration

desk, my journey to the 2013 Japan Mission Conference in Yokohama was

kind of eerie.

Seven years ago, I had lost my father and scattered his ashes in this foreign

country. A place which he had for some reason loved. A place where he felt

God working and calling him. After his death, I made a few trips to continue

in his ministry, to find a deeper understanding of the calling he felt. Sure

enough, I felt it, I sensed it, I realized it.

Japan is considered a missionary graveyard because so many people who

come to Japan for missions fail. Many people struggle to survive, and even-

tually find a way to do so. But not without cost. Christianity in Japan seems

weak. They seem fringe. Christianity isn't a serious cultural contender, at

least not like the context I was used to. Christianity in Japan doesn't feel like

the kingdom of a mighty God, but a fringe island of an estranged exile.

Recently, there have been many catastrophes in the news about Japan. Tsu-

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namis, earthquakes, and nuclear fallout. Like a movie, a manga, or a scene

from the book of Revelations, to those on the outside, Japan seems to be a

magnet for natural disasters. I was concerned and worried but when I asked

natives, they seemed to be apathetic. Numb? Jaded? "This is just how life is,"

they would confess, and sterility was just an efficient way to deal with it.

Clean, quiet, formal, efficient, peaceful, tranquil, deep, subtle, fresh, cul-

tured and pleasant. These are the words I would use to describe Japan. Ex-

treme, aggressive, insulated, stratified, inefficient, hypocritical, prejudiced,

unsympathetic, deceptive and dark are also words that could apply. Like any-

thing, there are good and bad, pros and cons, but being one of the greatest

countries in the developed world, Japan has yet to find a way to eliminate the

darker elements of this world. Some would even argue that because Japan

is so developed, the darkness is even darker. Depravity seems to know no

boundaries or limits.

In the darkest of places, is not the light most necessary? And in the darkest

of dark places, does not the smallest, faintest light make a stark difference?

Jesus tells us that he is the light of the world.

(John 8:12, Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.

Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of

life.”)

He came to bring light to the dark, and to bring joy where there is none. To

be the healer of the sick, and the redeemer of the depraved. The mission that

Christ has given us is one to shine the true light into the world.

Some people are not aware that they live in darkness. Some people are

comfortable with their lives and genuinely think they are happy. To deter-

mine whether this is true or not is not the commission of the Christian. Too

many Christians think that imposing the "good news" to those in the dark is

evangelism. But this is merely a Christian form of bullying.

When Christ came into the world, he was good news. To those who were

waiting for the Messiah, he revealed himself to be who they were waiting for.

To those who sought an unknown God, he revealed himself and transformed

their lives. The mission we have been commissioned is to share this good

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news. When our "good news" becomes a form of bullying, of an act of self-

righteousness, we are missing the point of Christ's commandments to firs

love our God and, then to love our neighbors.

In Japan, a country that is so advanced and prosperous, there are invisible

signs of unhappiness, darkness and hardship. When we go to the field with-

out an attitude of bullying or self-righteousness, I believe we will have truly

blessed meetings. Through these relationships that God gives us, the good

news will be revealed. Light does not strive to shine. It simply does. As the

light of Christ, evangelism is not something we must do, but it is something

that will take place when we truly enjoy this good news ourselves.

As with any conference, when the end is near, people share contact infor-

mation and take pictures. By the end of my trip, most people knew that I was

from the USA who flew all the way to Japan for the sake of missions. They

had vaguely heard about my father who was a pastor who had passed away

in Japan. As we looked over the pictures I had taken while in Japan, I showed

them some older pictures that I had with me. As we went through my archive

of photos, they were shocked to see their parents, siblings, and friends in

photos from over 10 years ago. Some of them were toddlers and elementary

school students then, but now were getting ready to go to college, wearing

make up, and getting more and more absorbed in the world of online social

media. A literal flashback, they were first surprised and then speechless.

I shared with them that for over a decade, there were people praying and

thinking of them out there on the other side of the Pacific. That the heart

to share the good news to people in Japan has not died, snuffed out by the

darkness of the world. Even with the death of one missionary, many others

have risen up with the heart of missions, and many more will rise again. In

the missionary graveyard of Japan, the deaths of missionaries have become

the seeds of the gospel. One day the harvest will bear fruit, and that fruit will

be impossible to count. Let us not lose faith while we await the harvest, but

continue in the work God has commissioned us to do. What seems impos-

sible for man, is possible for God. Experiencing, recording and sharing this is

the mission of a church that believes in the impossible.

"The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." John 1:5

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Exodus is the second book of the Pentateuch written by Moses. The original

Hebrew title for the book is called “Sh’mot(Names)”. In the Greek Septuagint

it takes the phrase from Exodus 19:1 “after the Israelites left Egypt” and gave

the name Exodus, and the Korean translation of the book literally means

“story of leaving Egypt”. Exodus contains not just the story of leaving Egypt, it

includes the law and many instructions concerning the Tabernacle. If Genesis

is about the origins of creation, Exodus shows the origins of the chosen fam-

ily of Israel growing into a nation.

Just as the name implies Exodus is the historical recording of the Israelite’

s oppression in Egypt for 400 years and how they followed God’s guidance

of salvation by coming out of Egypt and entering into the Promised Land.

It starts with the suffering of the Israelites to the birth of the great spiritual

leader Moses and illustrates God’s plan of salvation through the story of the

Israelites in the following 2 ways.

In the first half of the book, chapters 1-18, it shows historical accounts such

as Israelites crying out to the Lord because of their suffering, birth of Moses,

Moses receiving his calling, the 10 plagues, and the splitting of the Red Sea.

In the second half of the book, chapters 19-40, God chooses the Israelites as

his people and makes a covenant with them, as he details the Laws the peo-

ple of Israel must keep, and beings to record the instructions of constructing

Pastor Peter MinKyu Song

The Voice of The Bible

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the tabernacle which will become the center of their faith.

The end of Genesis and the book that follows it records how God’s promise

of salvation in Gen.15:13-14 is being fulfilled through the Exodus of the Is-

raelites. Furthermore after the Exodus the Law was given in Mount Sinai and

the tabernacle was constructed to show how the former nation of slaves are

preparing to proclaim God’s plan of salvation to the world by becoming a

nation of priests, as God creates a new nation in history.

It testifies about how God delivered the Israelites from the persecution

of Pharaoh, and how He gave them a new covenant and laws. Especially it

highlights God’s detailed guidance in their journey from crossing the Red Sea

to arriving on Mt Sinai. The purpose of the book is to show the power of God

who saved the Israelites and testifies of God’s love that will save the world.

Today we can see how the Israelites forgot the covenant of blood (Christ)

and suffered from being slaves to the world and Satan. But in the midst of

that God prepares everything in order to fulfill the covenant of Christ. Espe-

cially through evangelists and disciples like Moses, we must discover that God

does the ministry of salvation and liberation. Also through the 10 plagues

we must discover that salvation only comes from Christ (blood), and through

the miracles of Pentecost and ingathering in the wilderness we see that God

blesses and guides his people. The destination of the Israelites was Canaan.

They were headed to the land where the Messiah will come from Canaan.

In the same way after our complete salvation we are headed to our destina-

tion of world evangelism and missions. At that time we will experience the

miracles like Pentecost and ingathering.

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