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Macedonia UBF
February 20, 2014

Preach the Word

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction.”

Review of 2013
Last year, we held on to Hebrews 11:6 as a key verse that we would please God. For this, we studied Daily Bread with our children in the early mornings. And between 12 noon and 2 p.m., we visited students on campus. God accepted this and gave us the reward of comfort.

1. God sent new sheep and blessed our children
This year, the Lord sent a brother called Slaveh (Archaeology – 3rd year). He was from a provincial area and suffered because of his outward appearance and a sense of inferiority so that he lived a lonesome life without connections to others. In this time, his love relationship with us was established. Since then, he also developed a spiritual relationship with us through one-to-one Bible study and singing hymns. God also sent a sister named Tijana who is from Syria. She has great interest in Korea and studies Korean with M. Petra and learns preparing Korean food. In this way, her relationship with us was deepened. God sent us a Korean woman, Eun-Kyung Lee, whose husband is from Macedonia. Actually we had prayed to God for world mission coworkers from Korea. In his own way, God sent a good coworker. We started having Saturday worship service with Korean children. Through this new ministry, M. Petra who has so many gifts and great zeal, was motivated a lot for living a life of diligent serving.

We have four children. Because of children’s education, I was always on the alert. When I am called, I have to come immediately. Sometimes I thought that children weren’t an object of joy, but a burden. This way of thinking was changed through Genesis study. When I considered Gen. 5:29 (“He named him Noah and said, ‘He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the Lord has cursed’ ”), I realized that children are truly a joy and comfort. Our oldest daughter Sarah (13) is outstanding in school so that she received a scholarship with a considerable amount of material support which is very useful for our family. Our first son David (11) plays the flute and received the first prize in a national competition and the second prize in an international competition. Our second son Andrej (8) is speaker in his class and ranked number one in a class test. Although I generally don’t talk about our children’s successes, I was often overly happy and laughed a lot when I was alone.
I realized that God comforts us. I thanked him very much. I realized that children are not a burden, but the happiest time of my life is when I may be with our children.

2. God helped me to long for the faith of the ancestors of faith, disregarding visible fruit
It has been eight years since I came to Macedonia. I often feel that I am living in a lonesome, distant place, compared to missionaries in other countries who may have more to do in their lives. But the word of God has been my sole comfort. Through Bible study, I learned the attitude of an unworthy servant. I confessed that I would no longer strive to expect something, but to do what I have to do as an “unworthy servant.” I was very thankful for this realization. I thanked God and confessed what I had already received. I prayed to live as if all my own accomplishments would be written in sand while what I receive should be carved into rock.
Through Genesis study, I could learn several important things, such as walking with God in the light of Jesus’ second coming, and raising spiritual and physical children in faith in God.

Outlook for 2014
For the new year, I want to take the key verse from 2Tim. 4:2. “Preach the word” is a most important and serious command of Jesus for us. In order to preach the word of God, one should be equipped as a spiritual soldier. I was very lazy in preparing the spiritual weaponry and weekly message.

I also want to hold on to 2Tim. 2:15 in the new year (“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth”). I pray most of all to prepare the Sunday message well and deliver the messages from my heart. I also pray to eat Daily Bread deeply. At any time, I want to be ready to serve the sheep whom God has sent with the word of life.

Prayer topics:
1. To eat Daily Bread for more than one hour each day, to prepare the message diligently, and to deliver the message graciously
2. 10 one-to-one Bible study teams, to raise one Abraham and one Sarah
3. Financial independence and children’s education

One word: Preach the Word!

Barnabas Kang