photo credit: Ibtauris
Ms.
Bang had called us from a small town named Mae Hong Son located in
Thailand, “Pardon, are you Pastor Yong Doo Kim from the Lord’s
Church? I am from Mae Hong Son, the region that is located in the
outermost part of Northern Thailand. My name is Bang. I am a
missionary and I’ve been operating as a missionary for almost 20
years. Pastor Kim, I’ve been spiritually very thirsty. After I had
read your first book, “Baptize by Blazing Fire,” I was very
shocked. I am so shocked that I am not able to sleep. I love to
invite you here and hold a spiritual conference in Mae Hong Son. This conference
will be the first spiritual conference here for this region. We’ve
been thirsty for a long time. Please I beg you!”
With
many different excuses, I politely rejected her invitation.
Missionary Bang’s name sounded like a man’s name. But I later
realized that it was a woman’s name. In the midst of great
persecution and tribulation she had established about one hundred
thirty churches within twenty years. The number of congregational
members is between twenty five thousand to thirty thousand. She was
leading an amazing ministry. Even a male missionary will experience
difficulty leading a ministry in such a location. But she was
manifesting the great glory of God in such a location.
Missionary
Bang had built many churches and a large seminary school. Now she is
doing an amazing task of God. She is training and raising the natives
to produce the servants of the Lord. Almost everyone in Mae Hong Son
knows about this missionary. She is a legendary missionary. She did
not even get married so she could concentrate and devote her work of
God. It appeared she even had acquaintances with renown pastors of
churches in South Korea. I had never dreamed of working as a
missionary abroad. I highly respect those I witness as missionaries
who love and devote themselves to preach the gospel to the unreached
people. I am only an unknown pastor who has a small established
church. But contrary to myself, this missionary had a great vision
and passion of missionary work. She had bore abundant fruit.
Personally, I felt that she possessed a great personality.
THERE
WAS A GOOD REASON WHY I CONTINUOUSLY REJECTED THE CONFERENCE
REQUESTS. IF ANYONE REQUESTS A HOLY FIRE CONFERENCE WITHOUT READING
THE ‘BAPTIZE BY BLAZING FIRE’, WE CANNOT POSSIBLY GO AND HOLD A
CONFERENCE. IT IS NOT BECAUSE I AM HIGHLY ESTEEMED OR SMARTER THAN
ANYBODY. IT IS BECAUSE OUR MINISTRY IS THE MINISTRY THAT BATTLES
AGAINST THE FORCES OF THE DEVIL AND IT’S REALITY. SO IN ORDER TO
FIGHT AGAINST THE FORCES OF THE DEVIL, WE NEED TO EXECUTE POWERFUL
PRAYER. ALONG WITH THE POWERFUL PRAYER, THIS IS THE HOLY FIRE
MINISTRY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT PRECISELY WORKS AND MANIFESTS.
So
whoever holds a conference with us will face many tests. Even if one
calls him/herself a servant and possesses a strong faith, he/she will
have a difficult time bearing great tests. This ministry is
definitely not easier than one thinks. One important fact, whenever
we (the Lord’s church) make a move against the forces of the devil,
they will mercilessly attack that particular region in which we plan
to hold the holy fire conference. The forces of the devil employee
countless and various types of tests. Therefore, too often the
churches fail to hold the conferences that are planned because the
attacks and tests of enemy have stumbled them during the process of
preparation and pre planning. These churches encounter a real fight
against the forces of the enemy and because they could not overcome,
they had grown weary. They eventually became discouraged. For this
reason, I have rejected her countless request of holding a holy fire
conference. I had explained to missionary Bang why it will be
difficult for me to hold a holy fire conference. But she pleaded with
me and asked me to help her.
“Pastor
Kim. Please do not worry. I have confidence that I will be able to
bear the tests and attacks. Please, I beg you. The region where I am
located has invited many renown Korean pastors to hold conferences.
Therefore, this region is firmly built with a good foundation.
Please do not worry. And one more thing, our souls are very thirsty
for God. Theologically, we know the word, the work and the
manifestation of the Holy Spirit which comes upon us and presence
Himself. But we do not know HIM realistically to experience. We
have never had spiritual experiences. Please help!”
“Since
you only had read the first book in the series of Baptize by Blazing
Fire, I will send you books number two to five. When you receive the
books, please pray more on inviting me. If you are fully determined
to engage into the spiritual warfare, let me know. Let us pray
together on this matter.”
After
I answered missionary Bang in such a way, I ended the conversation.
In reality, the mission field is the place where spiritual warfare
occur. Many people do not catch this reality. People in the mission
field must be filled even more with the power of the Holy Spirit. It
is necessary for them to be equipped with powerful prayer, gifts,
power and authority. I’m not saying this is always the case. My
point is that too many missionaries are only bonded to the material
things. I frequently have witnessed it.
After
a few days had passed from sending the Baptize by Blazing Fire
books, missionary Bang had contacted me again. She told me about her
thoughts on the books. After she had read book one and two, she
became very frightened that she did not know what to do. She was
troubled for many days. But when she began to read book three,
God’s great grace was present. And when she had read book four,
she was determined to hold a conference. After she had finished
reading book five which describes the answers of prayers and
manifestation of fruit, she was blessed and a great assurance had
come to her heart to hold a conference. I said, I needed to
pray one more time to the Lord on this matter and hung up the phone.
I prayed to the Lord as I thought about the various variables. After
long period of time, the Lord firmly spoke to me.
“Accompanied
with persecution for My sake, a stronger manifestation and work of
the holy fire and other various power will occur on you and your
ministry. Therefore, firmly prepare and be ready. From now on and in
the future, many of the so called servants of God will intensely
attack you Pastor Kim. Many organizations will persecute you. You
must pray a lot. You must completely entrust all things to Me on
your knees. Then, I will vindicate and pay it back for you.”
After
the comments of the Lord and a few days passing, missionary Bang
contacted me. I have finalized to hold a conference. I had advised
and encouraged her by saying that many large and small tests will
come. Therefore she must pray a lot. No matter what happens, she
must endure and fight to the end to have victory. Special and
urgent prayer request were proclaimed in our church to intercede for
the conference to be held in Mae Hong Son.
In
our church, whenever we decide to hold a conference whether on a
national scale, an individual church, or some type of organization,
we would intensively accumulate prayers between one to six months
until the day of conference. We proclaim the war as we pray for the
region, city, or a country for that particular church or
organization. We had begun to pray offensively. The whole church
would be on their knees so that the kingdom of God’s powerful
healing and the power of the Holy Spirit would manifest. We pray
ahead of time so that the stronghold of the forces of darkness would
crumble with the manifestation of the presence of the Lord.
When
we prepare and accumulate prayer for the conference, the Lord shows
us the identity and precise areas of the evil spirit. He would lead
in all things so that we would obtain victory in our spiritual
warfare. If we obey according to the will of God, then ultimately,
He will grant us victory. This way, we give great glory to God.
Testimony
of Missionary Bang
In
the past twenty years, I had established many churches in Mae Hong
Son. I have done the work of raising and training many seminary
students. But in the middle of the year 2006, the weight of burden
became inexpressively overloading. I had grown weary. My heart was
yearning for retirement. But I did not have a choice to stop or
give up. At the same time, I no longer was able to move forward. I
had no ability to see further or envision the future. Just then, the
Lord had awaken my senses in missionary
work just as when He had first called me as a missionary. I began to
seek the ways to spiritually raise up seminary students. But most of
all, I needed to be restored and get back up.
In
the month of June, in order to take courses to obtain a Doctorate in
Ministry, I had visited South Korea for two weeks. One day, I
visited the home of a pastor whom I am close too. At his library, I
found a book titled, ‘Baptize by Blazing Fire”. As I was reading
the book, I was greatly stunned. My heart was yearning to invite the
author of the book to our mission fields. So I called the author and
he answered the call. The author, who was also a pastor asked me if
I had read all the other books. I answered stating only one book.
The pastor then told me he would send me the book series from two
to five. He continued our conversation by saying that he needed to
pray about holding a conference. He said, he will decide to hold
conference if the Lord permits him. Pastor Kim said, it is his goal
to reach as many as possible through the books than actually holding
many revivals.
Finally,
on one particular Saturday, Pastor Kim, Yong Doo had chosen the
dates for conference. It was the last week of September of that
year. Pastor said that I would encounter many tests. He said many
churches that holds fire conferences encounter many tests up to the
actual day of the conference. Pastor Kim told me to pray a lot.
On
the following Monday, I fell onto the floor of the theological
school bathroom. When I had fallen, my back fell onto something
sharp. In that moment, I could not get up nor call anyone. My body
was in pain for awhile. Even though I had suffered from this injury,
in these painful times, I had prayed to God to help us hold the
fire conference without fail. I remembered the words of Pastor Kim
that I needed to pray a lot because I would be encountering many
tests before the fire conference. I proclaimed a special prayer
until the conference. The seminary students and all the people
who reside in the seminary school cried out and prayed day and night
for two months.
After
few days had passed, the rest of Pastor Kim’s books arrived.
Within my heart, a voice aroused. ‘You must read precisely and
thoroughly’. I went into the main sanctuary. I opened the books. I
began to read it precisely as I spoke in tongue. The shock was too
great. I thought and considered if the spiritual warfare was such a
thing, it may be better for me to die. There was no sense of common
ground between my theological background and the books.
There
were more incidents. A Sunday school student had fallen out from his
car. The accident had stopped the people in a whole town from coming
to church service.
Due
to a typhoon, an old oak tree fell onto a house of a senior pastor
and his assistant pastor. As a result, there were tremendous damage.
Events continuously occurred. Even though many events had occurred,
peace had entered into my heart. I was expecting to witness great
blessing and grace.
The
eventually passed and the appointed day for the conference had
arrived. Including Pastor Kim, Yong Doo who was our guest speaker
for the conference, the team from the Lord’s church arrived as
well. The conference began at 7 pm and continued until 5 am the next
morning. I was expecting Pastor Kim to pray over people as he laid
his hands over the people’s head. But my expectation was missed.
Pastor asked the people who were attending the conference to put
everything down except the Lord. Most of all, he said that one’s
determination is important. Once we firmly
decide, God will help us because He views the determination as
precious.
Then
Pastor Kim, Yong Doo imparted fire. I was the translator at the
conference. As he laid hands over me, the fire came upon me. During
the corporate prayer time of crying out, the gift of tongue had come
upon many people. The Spirit of repentance had come upon as well.
The
next day, more than five hundred people attended the 7 pm evening
service. During the prayer time of corporate crying out, several
ministers and students had their spiritual eyes opened. They
experienced seeing heaven and hell. They realized the filthiness
and ugliness of themselves. They repeatedly repented. They repented
of not properly keeping the Lord’s day holy, the matter of
offering and tithes to God, and the pastors and youth pastors who
had ran a secret business on the side.
Pastor
Sucre who was in charge of the missionary center had his spiritual
eyes opened and experienced heaven and hell. He witnessed demons of
laziness which had followed him vigorously for a long time. So he
cast them out in prayer. Some people who were not initially blessed
and who did not experience a graceful time experienced the blessing
and grace when they had arrived at their residence. But it occurred
when they applied Pastor Kim’s words which was to put everything
down except the Lord.
In
the baptizing book series, there is content describing the lifting
up of arms and praying for a long time. I had no ability to
understand this concept. I thought it may be just exaggeration. But
once I lifted up my arms, I knew it was real because I felt the Lord
holding my hands and arms. I had no difficulty holding them high
for a long time. I had even
felt
so light. I felt the holy fire becoming hotter. The wife of Pastor
Kim danced in the Spirit and the dance was called the holy dance.
It was very
smooth
and graceful. It was very beautiful. Except a few people, many of
the seminary female students received this gift and began dancing in
the Spirit.
After
the conference, we continued in the prayer service. The spirit of
repentance continued as well. The holy fire continuously sanctifies.
During the Wednesday service, I had experienced so much holy fire
entering my body through my chest and right hand.
I
had a seminary student who used to be very violent that he even
broke the window and created a lot commotion. He became so disturbed
that he screamed for over one hour. But with the work of the Holy
Spirit, all the evil spirits came out of him. He became like a
gentle sheep.
Among
the female seminary students, I had a girl who were going through
difficult time due to her epilepsy. On one particular service, the
illness began and she also began to laugh hysterically. I rapidly
came down from the pulpit and laid my hands over her. I then saw an
evil spirit in the form of a woman. The spirit looked eerie and in
that moment goose bumps covered all over my body. I imparted the
holy fire the way Pastor Kim, Yong
Doo instructed me. She then became peaceful. I somehow in my spirit
knew the Lord said to the girl ‘I love you’ and the girl
confessed to the Lord ‘I love you, Lord’. When the loving words
were delivered to my heart, the tears of thanksgiving continuously
flowed down.
For
twenty years, I had lived in spiritual ignorance. Not only did I live
in spiritual ignorance, I had neglected the sheep who were entrusted
to me in the midst of the evil spirits. When I had realized my error,
my heart ached very much. I prayed believing with an earnest heart
that the Lord would have pity for this land and will grant the favor
of salvation. I had obtained one very precious truth. The Lord
requires our determination in every second and every moment of our
life. And I realized this is the true spiritual warfare.
Source: Baptize by Blazing Fire, Book 6
