Family
Acts 16:15 hen she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.
♬ Hymn for scheduled worship: Korean/English Hymnal #435 Thou, My Everlasting Portion (#492 in previous version)
Every person has a different family background. There are people who live their whole lives with the scars from the problems they had in the midst of this background. If we do not fully understand this background, then we cannot correctly heal them, even with the Gospel. This is what people who are suffering from family problems and people who want to help suffering families with the Gospel must keep in mind.
1. The actual problems of families
There are many people who have family members with disabilities, diseases, or mental illnesses. The Bible says that this is not to reveal the sins those people or their parents, but for the purpose of revealing God’s work. We must hold to this message firmly, enjoy answers of restoration in our families, and factually help those families going through a hard time. There are also families suffering from family discord or divorce. Prophet Hosea suffered because of his wife, but he held onto God’s special message for his age. When we hold onto a message of God’s desire through family problems, those problems will become platforms for great answers.
2. Three backgrounds
First, everyone has a family background. People can have different financial, cultural, and religious backgrounds. However, the background in which a person has grown up will be that person’s platform. God’s great work and plan is inside the family backgrounds in which we have grown up. Second is the church background. We must hold onto God’s important message in the midst of this. Third is the field background. This is comprised of our related workplaces and schools. Our backgrounds can either be good things or bad things. However, we must find a message and answer in the midst of them. God has called us for this purpose.
3. Hold onto family problems as a covenant!
Even if we have great ministries and we are messengers who relay messages, our lives and our families will face hardships if our personal problems are not solved and our family problems continue. We absolutely must hold onto family problems as an important covenant to have victory. If we have scars, they will absolutely become a passageway for Satan. God has the best plan for the families of God’s children and evangelists who are saved. We must discover this good plan. Then, we will be restored and will receive the best blessings in our families.
° Forum Topic - Pray and meditate on what God’s covenant and good plan is for your family.
New Believer & Field Ministry Worker Retreat Lecture 5 / 2009.11.12