Gods Eyes
(Gen 1:1ampsim5)
Pastor Imgeun Yu (Director of General affairs, KOSTA)
During the training process of my missionary work in Argentina, I was called to came back to Korea for pastor ordainment before beginning my Argentina mission. It was not easy for me to find my ministry in Korea because I planned to stay only for a year. Thanks to a senior pastor in Busan, however, I was able to start my ministry in Busan. I passed the minister test in April and was ordained in October. As time was running out, I began to struggle with the issue of leaving Korea or not.
Then I was asked to deliver a sermon in a prayer meeting of a youth group, composed of 30 people. The 30 young peoples praise and prayer were as loud and passionate as 200. I thought, Had I known what their prayer meeting was like, I would have changed my sermon. A bit embarrassed, I asked a delay of 10 minutes while I was changing the theme of my sermon. Then another young guy shouted, Pastor! If you want to change your sermon, what about a sermon on Busan? So I delivered a sermon about the cities of Gods blessing vs. cities of Gods curse. After the sermon, I jokingly addressed to the guy, Satisfied? I made it anyway! By the way, what brought you the idea of Busan sermon or that stuff?' I added 'Folks! Next weeks sermon is Dongducheon! Read the book of Mark in advance!' Instead of being shy, the young guy got excited and said proudly that they had prayed for Busan for 10 years, which was confirmed by some other young people. I was struck dumb. Looking back on my youth ministry, I remembered that most of the young peoples payer was focused on themselves employment, studying abroad, getting certificates etc. However, this group was different! They prayed for their city, 12,500 civil servants, 318 middle and high schools, 1300 churches, and 100,000 foreign laborers in Busan for 10 years. Deeply impressed by their great prayer request, I decided to be with them.
The members of the youth prayer group meeting grew to 15,000. On the day when 15,000 gathered, they prayed for eight hours. And they had pledged that they wouldnt pray for their own issues during their prayer meeting. They just held on to the vision that God planted in them for the next generation of Korea. Later I received messages from some young people who couldnt receive Jesus as their Lord that the Holy Spirit finally visited them while they were praying. Then another group repented that they didnt pray for their community and country, met the Holy Spirit, and suggested to me that they should hold a great revival assembly so that more people, including their family, could meet Jesus Christ.
One guy sent me a mail, saying The place of our last meeting was too small, We need a bigger one. How about renting the World Cup Stadium? Encouraged, I visited the stadium, learned the rental fee costs 40 million won for 4 days one day for using the stadium, two days for establishing equipment, one day for cleaning. I had to go back home. Then I saw a vision of Jacob crying at the ford of the Jabbok. It inspired me with the thought that an outdoor place, open to heaven would be better than a building for our assembly. It was Haeundae Beach! The city official told me that the rental fee was free on the condition that at least 100 thousand people gather there. I believed that figure was nothing to God and it was also what he made for us. I asked the official to draw up a contract, saying 100 thousand people would come for sure. Later, we delivered the posters announcing the event to 1,300 churches in Busan. However, peoples response was discouraging Crazy idea! Do you think the sound of the speaker will be audible in that noisy wind and waves of Haeundae? The tourist buses will cause a great traffic jam in the one-way road. What about the rest rooms for 100 thousand people, and that for eight hours? Who will prepare for their meal? Their complaints sounded rational. Their point was Haeundae is too big. Just stop it!
Then, I visited Haeundae. I was overwhelmed by the size of that place and seized by fear. I thought, Did I commit a blunder? What if God wasnt with me while I was making that big mistake? I opened the Bible and asked God for his answer. God responded to me with Genesis 1: 1-5, saying 'I created Haeundae. Is it huge to you? To me, it is very tiny. I made Korea, the earth, countless stars in the sky, and heaven! It is I, your father!' God was already looking for the one person who would pray with tears for Seoul, Busan, and Korea in Haeundae one year later. And God brought 200 thousand people to the prayer assembly.
All our problems may seem tremendous to us, but from Gods eyes, they are tiny. Now remember that Korea is suffering! Korean churches are suffering. I pray that we all will be able to bring the suffering people to Jesus by sharing the healing herb of our testimony as the slogan of Wooridle church says, 'Weep together and be healed together!'
'In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.'(Gen 1:1)
