After more than 42 days in custody, the 21 South Korean christians were finally released and are now safely back in South Korea. Though we are sad that 2 of them died, we are indeed thankful that the rest are safe.
Now, the blame game starts.....
Today's newspaper reported that the South Korean government is asking them to pay some of the expenses incurred. The South Korean newspapers are also blaming the church in defying the directive from the government not to embark on any mission to high risk areas. It was reported that the church group undertook the trip in defiance of foreign ministry warnings. Before departure it was pictured posing with an airport notice warning against travel to the Central Asian nation.
Those that take the hardest hit must be the christian aid workers themselves. The spokesman for the group summed it all up. "We owe the country and the people a great debt," He said.
Enough said...this episode will play itself out in the next few days.
The stakes are always high when we heed the Lord's great commission "To go into all nations..." Matt 28:19,20. In our exuberance however, we throw caution into the wind. We tend to take risk unneccessarily.
Paul in Acts were warned by the Spirit to avoid Asia Minor during his missionary journey. The reason was not known but I believe that it fit into the overall master plan of God. We should then continue to seek the Lord's guidance in our mission work as we send workers into the various mission fields.
Mission work must continue. As we continue to take the road less travelled in our missionary journeys, our hearts must be conditioned rightly - compelled by the love of God to do His will, for His glory alone, not ours.
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3 comments:
Praise God for answering the prayers for the safe release of the hostages.
As for the 2 who died, IN THE LINE OF DUTY..."for to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21
Did God's reputation suffer in this episode?
Did God get the glory in this situation?
Does it matter?
What's the lesson for Christians outside S. Korea?
1. Time to step up to the plate
2. Time to examine our involvement - it's all about God OR it's all about me & my own
3. Time to focus elsewhere (unreached people groups?)
4. Time to keep our own house in order & put mission work on hold
5. Time to check my emails
In an earlier post "The ultimate sacrifice", I commented : "Far be it that this will deter would be missionaries into the mission fields. As I believe, they know what they are looking for....and it is not of this world!".
Did God's reputation suffer in this epsiode? The world may assume it is so, but the story is not finished yet...remember Jim Elliot's story?...you can see the results only after much later.
Did God get the glory...as above. Good or bad - give thanks.
Does it matter? It matters if it affects you and others as God can use this episode to teach you.
You can also give yr viewpoint to your questions so that we can be uplifted by yr answers.
wah, so few words yet so spot on. I agree with what you've said! Thanks for doing the thinking. This hostage episode sits like some unfinished business in my mind...but I'm too lazy to sort it out. KIV...
HAPPY 50TH BIRTHDAY!! Thank you for being a spiritual leader in my life.
"...he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psalm 1:3
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