2011 Latin American Bible Conference       April 19, 2011   The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs--heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  Romans 8:16-18   Preach the Word! Be Ready in Season and out of SeasonI have grown up in the midst of fellowship from the time I was very young. I always took it for granted that wherever the gospel was spread a gathering of brothers and sisters would arise and grow in that place. When I was 17 years old, I went to the United States to study there. Then, in the year 2000, I went for the first time to a place in Mexico where the gospel was being spread. I had heard there were a small number of born-again brothers and sisters living in the northern border town of Nava, and I was curious, so I went along with some others who were going to visit there. When I saw the Mexican brothers and sisters there at that time, I was aware of a slight change that came over my heart. It was clear that if nobody took care of the newly born-again people, their fellowship would not be able to grow, and for the first time, I felt what might be called a sense of mission. I still remember what I said at the time. I expressed how good it would be if the gospel that had spread to Nava could continue to spread all the way down to the southernmost tip of Latin America. It was then decided to hold a Bible Conference in Mexico and the date was set for the following year.Later, I went back to Mexico in search of possible conference sites, and in the course of my travels I revisited Nava. At that time, one brother suggested that I go with him to visit a prison located on the outskirts of Nava, so I went along with some brothers including Mr. WanSuk Koh, who has since passed away. We went into the prison chapel with the intention that Mr. Koh would preach in Korean, I would then translate from Korean to English, and another translator would take the message from English to Spanish. About forty people had gathered in the chapel, but the prison chaplain said he could only give us 30 minutes. Mr. Koh said that this would not be enough time and that I should preach directly in English. Up to that point, I had never given a sermon before in my life. What is more, it had never been in my nature to enjoy speaking in front of a lot of people. Yet, there was no time and no alternative, so I took what I could remember from the several times I had watched the “Bible is True” tapes, and I gave a short sermon.As I was talking about the matter of sin, the faces of the people sitting in front of me became very serious. Then when I went on to speak about the gospel and read some related verses, I noticed how, one by one, their faces brightened up. This is how I came to give my first sermon in Mexico. After that there were many struggles in my heart. Before that time, I had never once thought that I would ever have to give a sermon, and even after that I never thought that I would ever have to preach again. All I did was rebuke myself for being so ignorant of the Bible and resolve to get to know the Bible better. So at that time, I began to read the Bible and listen to sermons with great diligence. Even so, whenever I went to evangelical meetings or conferences, I did not have the slightest desire to give a sermon. I was so disinclined to do this that there was even a time when I went into a back room by myself and wept. Yet, in one corner of my heart, I knew that this was what I was going to have to do. I went through such struggles for a long time. I no longer think about avoiding the issue, my only thought is how to do what is pleasing to God.Recently, a certain passage in the Bible has taken hold of my heart and keeps pulling at my heartstrings. It is from Second Timothy chapter 4.   I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.  verses 1-5   There was an occasion a long time ago when I felt scared as I read these verses. When the apostle Paul wrote these words, it was not as though he was asking a favor; he said, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom.” This is expressed as a very solemn command. Then Paul wrote, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season.” These words kept bothering me. This verse might be considered in conjunction with Romans chapter 8 verse 18 where it says, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” The question of when this glory “shall be revealed” is referred to in the words of Second Timothy chapter 4 verse 1 where it says, “at His appearing and His kingdom.”It says, “The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us,” but it is a great mistake to think that if you are suffering now, God will compensate you for it later in the course of your life. The Bible says that God knows what we need even before we ask Him (see Matthew 6:8, 32). It is, of course, true that God protects those who make an effort to follow His word and His commands in the course of their lives in this world. Yet, before it says here, “Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season,” it sets the prerequisite as “Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, at His appearing and His kingdom.” If we obey the words that tell us to “be ready in season and out of season,” the moment we rest in the bosom of Christ, we will receive the tremendous blessing that has been promised to us. When I was going through a time of anguish in my heart, I thought about these verses and it seemed to me that if there was some kind of power that had taken hold of my heart and was pulling me along, there was no reason at all for me to cut it off or disregard it. In my heart, there was a struggle between two opposing thoughts. On the one hand I thought, “I am too busy now. I have too many things to do. Too many matters left unresolved,” but on the other hand I thought, “Will I distance myself from the place where many brothers and sisters gather together to talk about the Bible, with the excuse that I am busy?” I think it is necessary at times to let go of your heart and just follow the words of the Bible.Every day of our lives we meet with forks in the road. There always lie before us the things that make us happy and the things that make God happy. Yet, when I set aside the worries I have in my heart, I come to see that I am supported by the strength of the brothers and sisters around me.How do you deal with the situation when you personally are faced with such choices? You need to ask yourself whether you are living in a cloud of worries as you try to take care of your family yourself, or whether you ask yourself if the choices you make each day will have an influence on those you love?your family, friends, children?so that they may come in contact with the gospel later. I have three sons and my children have a complaint against me. “Why is daddy so busy every day? Why does he always have to work?” This is what they say. I try to explain to them that my work is related to the fellowship and that is why I am so busy, but they do not care about things like that. All they are concerned about is why I am so busy that I do not play with them. Sometimes I wonder if, as their father, I am right to present myself to them as a person who does nothing but work. Yet, on the other hand, I would be glad if they grew up to understand me and see that their father wanted to imitate the way in which the apostle Paul lived. In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote, “Preach the word!”, “Endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” Nevertheless, in the book of Acts we find that in order to make a living, Paul worked together with Priscilla and Aquila, because they shared the same occupation of making tents (see 18:2-3). In the letter to the Romans it says to distribute to the needs of the saints (see 12:13). Also, the Bible says that Paul labored with his hands day and night (see 1 Thessalonians 2:9). He even asked who would ever go to war at his own expense (see 1 Corinthians 9:7). If my life could reflect that of the apostle Paul, I would have nothing at all of which to be ashamed. Also, I travel by air, but in Paul’s days there were no cars or trains or planes, so he had to travel on foot the length of the Mediterranean coast in order to spread the gospel. Sometimes he would travel by ship and go through storms at sea. When I think of the life he lived, the slight difficulties I encounter hardly qualify to be called sufferings. Let’s turn to the letter to the Romans which was written by Paul who lived that kind of life. From chapter 8 verse 11,

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