For The Sake of The Call

Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.
- Matthew 16:24-27

It was reported only recently that 23 South Korean missionaries in Afghanistan had been kidnapped by the Taliban. One of them has already been killed, and they found him with 10 bullet holes in his head, chest and stomach. He is 42-year-old pastor Bae Hyung-kyu, who led the team of Korean volunteers on a humanitarian aid mission to Afghanistan. He was killed on his birthday.

South Korea has the second biggest number of missionaries abroad after the US - about 12,000 serving the Lord in over 70 countries. I went on a mission trip to Kyrgyzstan two years back and in that country, the Koreans were the first to go in and set up house churches. Almost all of the local Kyrgyz pastors were evangelised to and discipled by Korean missionaries.

Such is the impact of their missionary work for God, and such is the willingness to obey God to go into the harvest field. Is it any wonder that the devil keeps attacking in that direction?

When I read the reports on the kidnappings, I was reminded of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman (For The Sake Of The Call)

We will abandon it all for the sake of the call
No other reason at all but the sake of the call
Wholly devoted to live and to die for the sake of the call

Not for the sake of a creed or a cause
Not for a dream or a promise
Simply because it is Jesus who called
And if we believe we'll obey


Please do set aside some time to pray for the other South Koreans still being held captive.