THE BLINDING SIN OF PRIDE
Pride blinds people into thinking they can do no wrong and that God’s actions are unjust. They refuse to see their own sin and believe they are good. Pride is the root of this problem.
Satan is the proudest sinner. Even though he knows his end, his pride deceives him into thinking he can still overthrow God if he gathers enough followers. Those who are sinfully proud and selfishly ambitious will follow him. When they fail and are defeated, they become angrier at God rather than acknowledging their sin.
The sin of pride is incredibly destructive. Pride blinds and makes us foolish. It causes us to deceive ourselves. Scripture says, “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov 16:18). Those who refuse to repent are headed for destruction.
When the truth is preached and it convicts us, how do we respond? Do we criticise the preacher or the pastor? The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to convict our hearts. The preacher may not know your specific sins, but God does, and His Spirit speaks to you through His Word. Do you respond with humility and repentance, or with anger and resentment?
When the Holy Spirit convicts you, it is not the preacher pricking your heart—it is the Lord. Do you say, “Lord, I’m sorry. I want to change. Please forgive me,” or do you get angry at the truth and curse God’s messenger, even God Himself, and His Word?
May the Lord help us examine our hearts. How do we respond when tested, tried, or tempted? Do we praise God, or do we curse Him? If we curse Him, we behave no differently from those who hate God. When rebuked, may we respond rightly—repent quickly, just like Peter.
Peter once opposed Jesus, and the Lord said to him, “Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.” (Matt 16:23). Peter repented and was restored, becoming the leading apostle.
I pray that we all have the right heart in these last days. Let us make sure we have a heart of faith and humility. How do you respond to the Lord, His Word, and His dealings with you? You can tell by how you react. Let us be praisers of God, not blasphemers. JK
KOREA MISSIONS REPORT
Pr Park Jung Il
I would like to share with you an update on our church in 2025.
Church Theme
Our church has chosen Ephesians 3:20–21 as our theme verses for this year: “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.”
We desire to rely on and pray according to this promise, trusting in God’s power to work beyond our expectations. By the help of the Holy Spirit, who works within us, we seek to experience spiritual victory in our daily lives. Above all, we pray that all things may bring glory to God in the church through Christ Jesus.
Thanksgiving
I am deeply grateful for the prayers and loving gifts from the brethren at True Life B-P Church throughout the past year. Last year was a spiritually exhausting time for me. For too long, I struggled with spiritual stagnation and lethargy, wasting much precious time. However, by God’s grace, He has gradually restored my strength.
The visit from the True Life brethren was a great encouragement and comfort. Many members also sent emails to encourage me and even provided for various needs. Some who travelled to Korea expressed their desire to worship with us, though unfortunately, I received the messages too late to make arrangements. Nevertheless, I cherish their kindness and fellowship.
As this new year begins, I feel much restored spiritually. The Lord has renewed my strength, given me fresh vision, and stirred in me a desire to take on new challenges in service to Him. I give thanks to God for His grace and strength and sincerely appreciate the kindness of True Life B-P Church.
Prayer Requests
For Preaching Ministry
Over the past ten years, I have pursued the goal of preaching through the entire Bible. By God’s grace, I have preached through the entire New Testament and most of the Old Testament, except for Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and the Minor Prophets. Though I often feel inadequate, this journey has greatly trained and deepened my understanding of biblical exposition. Now that I have reached ten years in preaching, I earnestly desire to become a more faithful and thorough expository preacher. This year, my goal is to systematically study the entire Bible again and develop comprehensive sermon outlines.
For Media Ministry
Last year, I regularly studied and shared insights from the Psalms on our church website. Many people engaged with the content, encouraging me to invest further in media ministry. Though the fruit has not yet been visible, I trust that as I remain faithful in proclaiming God’s Word, He will bring forth fruit in His time and in His way.
For English Ministry
My opportunities to use English have been limited, and I have struggled with leading English worship services. Recently, I have developed a strong desire to share God’s truth with brethren from different nations.
For Pastoral Ordination
Discussions about my ordination began before COVID-19 but were delayed due to the pandemic. Thankfully, the opportunity has now reopened this year. My prayer is to complete all preparations and required documentation by March and successfully go through the ordination process. Through this, I hope to be able to administer the Lord’s Supper within the church.
For True Life Church Camp
Due to my wife’s sudden illness last year, we were unable to attend the church camp. By God’s grace, we have been invited again this year. Please pray that my wife will regain her strength so that we may be able to travel and fully participate in the camp.
For My Wife’s Health
We give thanks to God that her tumour has significantly shrunk and is now almost undetectable, according to the doctor’s latest assessment. Praise the Lord! However, she has another detailed examination scheduled next week to investigate some irregularities in her liver. While we do not yet know if the cancer has spread, we are determined to trust in the Lord, the sovereign Giver of life. We pray to respond with faith rather than fear, fully relying on His grace.
For the Youths
For a long time, I have desired to teach the Bible in English to Korean youth. My vision is to help them grow in faith and mature into future spiritual leaders through the study of God’s Word in English. However, I have hesitated due to various circumstances and have yet to take the first step. Please pray that God will grant me the courage to overcome fear and boldly take on this challenge, raising up young people as His faithful servants.
For Family Members
For the past three years, my wife’s brother has been faithfully attending our worship services. Although he did not accept the gospel for a long time, the COVID-19 pandemic greatly humbled him. Through prayer and Bible study, he has now accepted the gospel and is living a life that glorifies God. We are praying for his marriage. Establishing a household church will be a great encouragement and joy for both the individual and the church. We pray that God will provide a suitable helpmeet for him.
For Humility
Last year, I was involved in a personal conflict with a church member, which revealed my lack of humility as a pastor. Unfortunately, that member is no longer attending our church. Instead of praying for members, I have often caught myself justifying my own position and defending myself. I pray that God will mould me into a true servant leader—one who humbly lowers himself to serve others with Christlike love.
For Faithfulness
For years, I have asked myself: What is the mission that God has given me and the church in this generation? Though I have prayed about this question for a long time, I have struggled to find a clear answer. Recently, as I witness the rapid acceleration of apostasy in the Korean church, I have become increasingly convinced that studying and exposing this issue may be my calling. Many churches today no longer take a stand against movements like the WCC or issues such as homosexuality but openly support them. This has burdened my heart to study apostasy more deeply and proclaim the truth boldly. Please pray that I will remain faithful to this mission, following God’s will.
FEBC’s most elderly lecturer—Rev Dr Koa Keng Woo—teaching FEBC students
