John Kim was awarded Flagship Fellowship for studying overseas

The recent newspaper article of Univ of Illinois reported about John Kim who was awarded a prestigious Language Flagship Fellowship.

John is the first Illinois student who was awarded this prestigious Language Flagship Fellowship. Thank God for that. Please pray for him that he may grow as a servant of God.

Here is link to the article.

Pray for Graciela Uruguay Update from Goheun

Goheun writes from Uruguay:

Thank you for your love and prayer supports.

As you may know, Grace got severe second degree burns accidentally and was hospitalized twelve days ago.

The first day she couldn`t bear the pain even with morphine application. But slowly the pain went down and the doctors changed the analgesic drugs from ketoprofen to ibuprofen with less dose. And she began to get better and even could share gospel with three nurses and prayed for a patient with critical skin cancer who was in the next room.

But two days ago, the doctors said that the wounds didn`t look good and they told us about possibility of skin grafts of larger extension than they commented before if the skins didn`t grow within 24 hours with the treatment. We prayed to God for his mercy and also found strength in the LORD through the daily bread that day like David did in Lord his God.

Many uruguayan friends prayed also with us and God worked marvelously.

Today the doctors said the skin is growing miraculously and nurses was surprised by Gracy`s quick healing. And thank to GOD, Gracy is coming home soon!!!!!

Thank God for his love for us and also thank you very much for your prayer!!!

I`ll let you know soon if there are any updates of my sister.

Please, continue to pray for her so that she may not get infections and for her full recovery without scars. Thank you!

In Christ,

Goheun Park

Heavenly Wisdom part 2

This week, Paul Toh will speak on heavenly Wisdom based on James 4.

Come and join for his message.

Emily Weimer's medical mission trip

Pray for Emily's mission trip to Indonesia. She will be a second year medical student at Oregon Medical School in the Fall.

Emily writes:

I am off on another adventure! Destination: Indonesia. I am extraordinarily grateful for this opportunity because I felt very clearly that God was calling me to Indonesia. I kept trying to go to India (exciting, right?!), but my searches and emails kept turning up empty.

However, in February I attended a Christian Medical and Dental Association conference, where I was challenged to reconsider my role as a Christian in light of the unique calling of medicine. At the conference I met a physician who leads a trip every year to Indonesia and I asked if I could apply. I knew the deadline had passed, but he agreed to accept my application. A week later I was welcomed on the medical team!

More...

Discpleship workshop

Pray for the disciples workshop going on now in Chicago. Here is the link at the UBF website.

Gloria Jeong and Jerry Park are attending from the U of I UBF.

True Wisdom that comes down from heaven

What is Wisdom?

Come and hear what James (Jacob in Hebrew) talks about true wisdom that comes down from heaven.

Here is the link to the message.

Do what I learned part 2

Week 2

Networking

"Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

...Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor". (Rom 12:1,7 NIV)

We need to remember that this is their community.

God has placed them in authority, they have deeply invested themselves in it and they deserve your respect. When we respect and give respect to community leaders it will go well for years to come.

Too many church planters enter a community like an 'invader" coming to conquer. But every community has its own expectations to those new to their community, especially those who are going to start a business or a Godly community. The only way we will discover those expectations is by respectively interacting with its leaders and long-term residents.

Ten rules for networking
1. Trust in God's provision.
1.1 Treat your area as a garden to be cultivated by prayer and hard work
2. Take the posture of a servant
3.Ben an effective listener
4.Be an initiator
5. Make a memorable first impression
6.Take every referral seriously
7.Try something new
8. Develop partnership
9. Keep accurate records
10. Always follow up


Actions steps;
1. Join one club -International Toaster masters (standandspeak.info)
2. Visit Chamber of commerce
3. Visit city hall
4. Talk to the president of the University

Three Chemists and one English Lit major

Our dear friend, Diana Strong visited us from Louisville, KY.
Here are three chemists who graduated from U of C. (Diana Strong, Sam Lee and Josh Tice) I do believe that chemists are so versatile and so organic. We know the chemistry of life: We all acknowledge that we desperately need God's wisdom. (James 1:5)


My wife met Jesus while taking Organic chemistry.


In addition, Andrew Lamb visited us. He is not a chemist but he has more chemically balanced life at NY, NY.

Andrew and I went to the Arch in St. Louis. Here is Andrew at the Arch.




It is indeed God's grace to have friends in Jesus.

James 3:1-12

What is the book of James about?

Alex will will expound on this subject this Sunday.

Here is his message.

A Simple Way to Pray

Martin Luther was asked by his barber, Peter Beskendorf, for some practical guidance on how to compose oneself for prayer.

Luther complied with this request by writing a brief treastise in the Spring of 1535.

It should be always noted that Luther always begins with a passage from the Bible or the Creed.

First, he carefully reflects upon the content of the passage and then meditates upon what the Holy Spirit is saying to him personally in and through the passage.

I have been greatly benefited for reading this small blooklet entitled, "A Simple Way to Pray, for a Good Friend".

This small booklet is for those among us who are learning to meditate on James and Ecclesiastes this Summer.

Here is the link to the book.

Do what I learned -Step 1. Relating with God and others

Week 1

Henry Blackbay, in his book, Experiencing God, writes:

"We are a doing people. We always want to be doing something. Once in a while someone will say, 'Don't just stand there, do something.' I think God is crying out and shouting to us, 'Don't just do something. Stand there. Enter into a love relationship with me. Let me love you and reveal myself to you as I work through you'. A time is coming when the doing will be called for, but we cannot skip the relationship. the relationship with God must come first."

One every page of the book of Acts we see people praying...

• When they prayed God raised up new leaders (Acts 1:24, 6:6, 13:1-2, 14:23)
• When they prayed god healed the sick and raised the dead. (3:1, 9:40)
• When they prayed God literally shook their world (4:24, 16:16)
• When they prayed God opened doors of opportunity that they never saw before. (8:26, 9:10, 11:19, 13:1-2)

The action step that I can do is to build an intercessory prayer team.

I will ask 10 to 20 servants of God to pray for the ministry on behalf of us. Pray that we can have a 10 member intercessory team by the end of June.

Do what I learned

Last week I attended the church planting conference. Gary Rohrmayer was the instructor. He planted several churches and now he is working with an church planting organization called 'Converge MidAmerica.'

In his book, "Firststeps", there are six steps. I will follow his advice and do one task a week.
Here are his steps.

• Step 1. Relating with God and others

• Step 2. Networking and gathering

• Step 3. Building a launch team

• Step 4. Designing worship services and ministry stratgegies

• Step 5. Launching public worship service

• Step 6. Establishing the new community and its ministries.

James said we can not just listen and do nothing and deceive oneself. (James 1:20). I must do what I learned and put them into practice. I request your prayers so that I can implement one task a week so that together we can build a gospel community that can reach out to the lost at the U of I.

This is the first week. I will share my action steps based on what I learned each week.

God speaks in a gentle whisper

The LORD said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the LORD, for the LORD is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Then a voice said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:11-13)

God chose to reveal to Elijah in a way that he did not expect.

Sometimes the voice of God comes in a gentle whisper. I am living in a loud world. How many gentle whispers do I miss because I am so much preoccupied with many things?


God's gentle whisper has been there all along but I fail to hear it. Matt 6:33 says. "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." So far this was just only in my mind but when I studied James, it hit me so hard that it does not matter what I know but it is what I do with the verse I believe. (James 2: 14,18,20,24,26) A deep sense of peace came to me and heard God's voice, "Sam, I gave you the word of truth. Why don't you see if this word if true in your life, in your ministry and in your daily life? Put your trust in my word."

After that, I could not say any more but thank God for giving me the word of truth so that I can be born again and live as a kind of firstfruits. (James 1:18)

I am asking God's wisdom to review, repent, relearn and re-launch the Deeper Roots of Christ 2.0.

May God grant us wisdom and live out our faith and reach out to the lost at the U of I.

Gabriel A. Lamb

I am really waiting for having some babies. If not mine but then some grand children.
Am I getting old? Of course, I am.

Babies are blessings from God and the kingdom of God belongs to them.

Here is my picture with Andrew the dad and his son Gabriel Alexander Lamb (2 months old) in NY, NY when I visited his family during the Spring break.

Please pray for them to grow to wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and men and know pure joy (James 1:2)

Turkey Mission

Let's pray for Turkey Mission this month.

Any volunteers to go there and serve?