Anne and Joy’s Story!

 Meet Anne and Joy, a young couple from Suji (Yongin), South Korea!  Anne and Joy were not born into Christian families. They did not have any religion before meeting Christ. A couple years before they came to study at our English school the two of them began learning of Christ. They attended a church in Seoul and were baptized. However, there were still many questions and doubts in their minds about God’s character and truth. Though Anne had been the first one to suggest attending a church to Joy, her husband, yet her own doubts and struggles became very great–even more than what her husband had originally experienced!

Anne and Joy were seeking and questioning still, and God was calling them to a higher understanding of His will for their lives! God brought them to our Language Institute in Suji, South Korea where they had the opportunity to find the real answers to all the questions they were asking! After spending many hours of personal Bible study with our teachers and director, attending our Righteousness by Faith Bible class series, et cetera, Anne and Joy experienced a growth in faith like never before! A brighter, clearer faith and hope were shining on their pathway! In July of 2012 they both decided to rededicate their lives to Christ through a re-baptism together before God and witnesses! Heaven rejoiced to witness their re-commitment to Christ! Below, you can hear parts of their story in their own words!

In Joy’s own words: “I got married to my wife Anne on December 13th, 2009 (about 3 years ago). Anne said to me, “I met God. Can you go to Seoul Baptist Church with me? Can you give two hours of a day for me? Can you give 1 week for me?“ (That was on the 1st of October 2009 before our marriage). I said, “No, I don’t like church. I believe in only myself. Don’t touch me. And suddenly, I began to worry about Anne because she was sick for one week. So I said, “I can go to your church. I believe in you 100% because I love you.” So, I came to have faith in GOD because I realized that I was a sinner through John 1:29, Isaiah 44:22, Micah 7:19, and other such verses (31.Oct.2009).

We were both baptized in 2010. I read the bible for about 6 months and I told about God to my friends and coworkers, maybe 24 people in total. Then suddenly one day, I began to desire more knowledge about the Christian life because I started to think and realize that the Seoul church members didn’t seem to live the life of a christian, which I had been reading about. At about the same time, I began to feel a need to study English more, since it is so useful for us. I feel like God made the English language more prevalent than Korean, so I wanted to know it! Anne said “I recommend SDA English Language Schools for you because I went to one in Seoul about 3 years ago and it was good.” So, I went!

I began to study and read the Bible in the English version. Oh my God!! Awesome! I realized the Korean Bible has many problems because the translation is not very good. I wanted to know the truth of the bible so I studied it with Teacher Ben and with my wife, Anne. I studied the English version of the Bible for 6 months. Ben said, “Pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17), study and follow God’s words.” And, “If you’re not sure about something, just pray.” So, I prayed about the Sabbath day to God (which I had recently learned about). Suddenly, God gave an answer to me–the very next day! I opened my Bible to Isaiah 56:4~7 and read (Feb. 2012). Wow! My first time of really feeling communication with God.

God showed me that we must “choose the things that please” Him (Is. 56:4). And also that all who come to Christ from any and every nation are to be blessed by keeping the Sabbath of the Lord! I began to pray all of the time, more, more, and more. I felt the love of God. I met God through Ben, in a much deeper way than ever before! …I understand now that God is our Father of LOVE. So, recently I got re-baptized with Anne (21. July. 2012). We sincerely wanted to re-give our lives to God, having learned what we now know about His amazing character and truth! Thank you very much God! Thank you very much Ben. I can’t live without God. I’m so thankful God has helped me to know Him better!”

Here’s Anne’s side of the story! “Hi everyone! I’m Anne, a 33 year old Korean housewife (as I write this). I wanted to share my past story. I hope my English is clear enough. Well, I tend to be a really hard working person. People have known me for that. Unfortunately, my health has not been that great. I’ve had to live a painful life and sometimes it’s hard to maintain just the status quo of everyday life and work. As I had to bite the bullet, I thought, “What else is there in my life?” “Life is pain in itself.” “Maybe I just have to get rid of stress…”

One day, when I was 30 years old, a friend of mine told me about the gospel. But, I wasn’t able to believe. I mean, my brain understood the gospel, but not my heart. I was so accustomed to living a painful life that I could see God’s words only through my eyes of pain. In life, I could only see painful things. Naturally, the Bible seemed that way to me. I thought, “God was a judge, unfair, and he wanted me to do so many things…” I had many work lists left undone already! I didn’t really want another one. God only seemed to add to that.

Anyway, I told about the gospel to my boyfriend (now my husband, Joy). Once Joy started attending church, he then got baptized and encouraged me to do the same. So, we both ended up getting baptized, but I felt like it was without the Spirit for me. It was just going through the motions. It only seemed like what I should do. I knew I fell short of what God wanted…too short! God was so bad, I thought. I hated Him. And I struggled like this for about two years, after having “met God.” Finally, I was so frustrated that I just gave up everything! I said to God, “Who are you?!!!! Come before me!!! [show yourself]” I had an impudent prayer. It was my first and last prayer like that, actually. And then I forgot about it.

But, little by little I would hear God’s words. It wasn’t my will, but I did. I didn’t have energy, so I didn’t go anywhere. I wanted to be alone. But strangely, I got to meet some good people, some missionaries, just for studying English. I also went to a health seminar. Many people had just told me though, doctors, etc., that my health could not improve. They said, “Not possible. Not so.” In God’s word though I began to see a “not so” to all my misunderstandings. And then I resolved my misunderstandings perfectly only through God’s words, much to my surprise. Regardless of my will. God was opening my eyes! He was bringing me out of my bondage (just like in Judges 6:8).

I was very pleased and so excited! Suddenly, my life was losing it’s painfulness. It was not a painful life anymore. I began to realize that God was my backing and strength! I know Him now! If I fall backward, I will be okay. So, recently, I was re-baptized into Christ Jesus! I became part of a new church family! (Baptized 7-21-2012). I just think, it was not a possible event for me and this testimony also. God is doing amazing things in my life. It is beyond conception! So, I surely say, it is possible, even if you think it could never happen for you…just like I never imagined! And thank you to the one who helped me to be reconciled to God, my teacher, Ben. Thank you for introducing me to your backing! I really want everyone to experience this backing! God is our strength and Savior! I pray for you to experience this!

“Allah” – The God of Christianity in North Africa? Don’t shoot!

Relations between the Islamic and Western Christian worlds have been tense to say the least, with the rise of international terrorism in the name of Islam, discussions of refugees seeking asylum or terrorists seeking to conquer. There have been Bible and Qur’an burnings as well as flag burnings on both sides. So much tension, so much hatred, so much misunderstanding, and so many “keen” observations into just how many think everything is going to play out! With such tensions, we often think of the term “Allah” as strictly the Muslim/Islamic “god” and “God” as our God and Heavenly Father, who is found in the Bible. But is that how all the world understands the name of “Allah?”

In the title of this short post I said “Don’t Shoot,” perhaps somewhat comically, but with consideration for the heated debate over who God really is and how He should be called. There are a number with weapons poised for fire [figurative, verbal, theological, and perhaps even some, real] at the slightest hint of anything that sounds as if in support of the extreme radical Islam that we see terrorizing the world from day to day. The question we must raise here is, what does the name or term of “Allah” mean? Now, some will shout that it is a demonic inspired term for an awful “god” that is nothing like the God of the Bible. Others will say that it is just a generic name for describing God – the God of Abraham. Well, which is it, really? What need we to fight, and what need we not to fight?

The answer might be surprising to some! In North Africa, the name used by the Christians there for God, in the Arabic tongue, is “Allah.” In fact, their Bibles are translated with that name when speaking of God, the Lord. Now, for some, that is an uneasy thought. If the name “Allah” has been put into their Bibles, then what are we to do? What are they up to? Are they following a different God than the rest of Christianity?

It is true that the Islamic picture or understanding of God is different from the Christian picture or understanding of God, although there are a number of similarities of Islam with Christianity and Judaism too [since Islam believes in one God, heaven and hell, Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, Jesus, biblical dietary laws, God is merciful, He is the Creator of all things, etc.]. On the differences, they do not believe in the one God known as a Trinity with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They don’t believe that Jesus died for our sins, and other differences too, as we know. Despite the differences in understanding the nature of God, the fact remains that the term “Allah” is that used for God in the Arabic speaking world. How you understand Him is up to you and which views you ascribe to.

In various languages the term for God is different – “Theos” in Greek, “Hananim” in Korean, “Shin” or “ShangTi” in Chinese, “Deus” in Latin, “Dios” in Spanish,  “YHVH, YHWH, Jehovah, Adonai, El Shadai, or Elohim” in Hebrew, and “God” in English. In Arabic, it is “Allah.” Surely, God who created the various languages (Genesis 11) knows the meaning in each language.

So, should it bother us that Christian brothers and sisters in Arabic-speaking countries are calling God by the name of “Allah?” It shouldn’t bother us anymore than a Hispanic person calling God “Dios,” or a Chinese person calling God “Shin.” That is how the name or title is understood in their language, and just how we understand “God” so well in our English language [In fact, we use the same word, “God” and “god” to describe both the true and the false, though we usually distinguish by capitalization]. So, maybe it is a surprise for some of us to consider that reality, but now we know, and hopefully we can choose to be more understanding of the various cultures and names or words for God in our world.

Without a doubt, the Islamic understanding of God is different from our understanding of God, but the word “Allah” is needful in the Arabic to describe “God” and the understanding can be enlightened to understand just who God (“Allah”) really is and who His Son is. So, “don’t shoot” might be a good watchword in this matter. We must be careful with our feelings, preconceptions, and associations. Asking an Arabic Christian to give up the title of “Allah” for God would be like them asking an English person to give up the term “God” and start using “Allah.” It’s actually the same in meaning for each language. Naturally, we favor our own language. Regardless of personal favorites, God knows every language, and we can seek to be understanding of other worlds.

For further study, please check out these helpful resources:

• “Allah does not belong to Islam” – by the Christian Research Institute.
• “Can we call ‘God’ Allah?” – Christianity Today. June 26, 2014.
• “Why do many Arab Christians refer to God as “Allah?” – ChristianAnswers.Net

Jonah Completed. Starting Gospel of John!

Recently completed the book of Jonah and all the materials are added up on the website now for your listening and study! Hope you enjoy!

We will now be going through a study of the Gospel of John! Files and materials will be added to the website as they become available!

May the Lord Bless, guide, and keep you always!
May we all be faithful to Him!

Blessings,
Ben B.