Revival in Korea by Rose McCormick Brandon

The first signs of revival in Korea appeared in 1903 when medical missionary, Dr. Robert Hardie, began a series of talks on prayer at conferences and churches. Within a year, ten thousand had turned to Christ. In 1906, at Ping Yang (Pyongyang) several believers met for noon-hour prayer asking God for an out-pouring of His Spirit. By the time Christians gathered for the universal week of prayer in January 1907 they expected a first century blast of blessing. Instead, their meetings were dull and weak and their prayers earth-bound.

On the last day of prayer week, a highly-respected man stood and tearfully confessed before a congregation of 1500 that he had stolen from a widow in the church. "God can't bless because of me," he said and promised to make restitution. This man's shocking admission set off a flood of confessions. One after another confessed their sins. The meeting lasted until two o-clock in the morning. In the months following this mass confession thousands came to Christ. Missionary to China, Jonathan Goforth, visited the revival and concluded that hidden sin had hindered God but uncovered sin glorified Him. (When the Spirit’s Fire Swept Korea by Jonathan Goforth)

       By mid-1907, 30,000 converts attended the Pyongyang church. People attended services in shifts. Churches sprang up all over Korea. Confession remained a primary factor in this revival. Many repented of racial bias, including Dr. Hardie. Koreans repented of hatred toward the Japanese, their occupiers. Love from Christ filled their hearts and erased their biases. (John 13:34,35).

       One man, after learning about Jesus in the city, returned to his village with a New Testament which he read to his neighbours. When believers numbered fifty, they decided it was time to form a church, but they had no idea how to do it. Thinking it must have something to do with water baptism they each went home, took a bath, reassembled and declared they were now a church.

       Many Korean Christians suffered imprisonment. They became known for turning their confinement into an opportunity to read and memorize scripture. One man read the entire Bible seven times. Prisoners committed whole books to memory.

Pyongyang became known as “Jerusalem of the East.”

In this land where many experienced an amazing outpouring of God's Spirit, Christians today are cut off from the world, deprived of their Bibles and divided from their countrymen. They need our prayers. When North Korea's iron curtain lifts – may it be soon – we’ll see its remnant church and discover that those revival fires of long ago haven’t been extinguished.  

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Rose McCormick Brandon is the author of four books: Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children, One Good Word Makes all the Difference, He Loves Me Not - He Loves Me and Vanished. She blogs at Listening to my Hair Grow and Promises of Home. 

2016 is an Open Door by Rose McCormick Brandon

Jonathan Goforth

Missionaries Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth arrived in China in March 1888. Their assignment to open a new field in the northern section of Honan province was a daunting one. The young couple struggled to learn the language, adjust to the climate and raise a large family in primitive surroundings. They met many discouraging challenges, including the death of a child.

 

One day a letter arrived from Hudson Taylor, then a pioneer with China Inland Missions. He wrote:

We understand North Honan is to be your field; we, as a mission, have tried for ten years to enter that province from the south, and have only just succeeded. It is one of the most anti-foreign provinces in China . . . Brother, if you would enter that province, you must go forward on your knees.

The Goforths took Taylor’s advice. With persistence and prayer, they mastered the language. People began responding to their message of a loving Christ. A female convert filled their need of an assistant Bible teacher for women.



Rosalind Goforth

Years later, Rosalind Goforth wrote a little book that has become one of my favourites, How I Know God Answers Prayer. She wrote of miracles of revival, guidance, healing and comfort. Through the Boxer Rebellion and many other life threatening events, the Goforths proceeded on their knees.

Prayer sends tremors down the enemy’s spine. It puts courage in the weak-kneed and takes the whine and worry out of life. It resurrects the fallen and revives the discouraged.

Only God can give us courage to face impossible situations. Only He can open closed doors.

The new year, 2016, is an open door. Let's go through it on our knees.

See! I have set before you a door wide open which no one is able to shut . .  Rev. 3:8

Prayer: Father, make me alert to the opportunities You provide. Give me courage to walk through the doors You open for me. I dedicate this new year, 2016, to You. At the end of it, I want to be found Faithful to Your Word and to Your purpose for my life.

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  Rose McCormick Brandon is the author of four books,, including Promises of Home - Stories of Canada's British Home Children, and many articles. Visit her website: http://writingfromtheheart, her faith blog, Listening to my Hair Grow and British Home Child blog, Promises of Home.

Go Forward on Your Knees - Rose McCormick Brandon

“The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available – dynamic in its working.” James 5:16 (The Amplified Bible)

Missionaries Jonathan and Rosalind Goforth arrived in China in March 1888. Their assignment to open a new field in the northern section of Honan province was a daunting one. The young couple struggled to learn the language, adjust to the climate and raise a large family in less than desirable surroundings. They met many discouraging challenges, including the death of a child. One day a letter arrived from Hudson Taylor, then a pioneer with China Inland Missions.

He wrote: “We understand North Honan is to be your field; we, as a mission, have tried for ten years to enter that province from the south, and have only just succeeded. It is one of the most anti-foreign provinces in China . . . Brother, if you would enter that province, you must go forward on your knees.”

The Goforths took Taylor’s advice. They prayed with persistence and gained many prayer supporters back home in Canada. In time, they mastered the language. People began responding to the gospel. A female convert showed outstanding gifts for learning and teaching the scriptures. She became Rosalind Goforth’s assistant Bible teacher for women. Years later in How I Know God Answers Prayer, Rosalind wrote of miracles of revival, guidance, healing and comfort. Through the Boxer Rebellion and many other life threatening events, the Goforths proceeded on their knees.

Prayer packs a punch. It sends tremors down the enemy’s spine. It puts courage in the weak-kneed and takes the whine and worry out of life. It resurrects the fallen and revives the discouraged. Only God can open impenetrable doors. Only He can give us courage to face impossible situations. His ear is always tilted toward earth, ready to hear our petitions.

For years, family members fasted and prayed for my father’s salvation but his resistance to the gospel was strong. When he was first diagnosed with Alzheimer’s we thought his was an impossible situation. We didn’t know that God planned to use the illness to weaken Dad’s opposition. He became childlike and passive. A year and a half before his death he confessed his faith in Jesus. God clears our paths of obstacles in unexpected ways when we press forward on our knees.

Go forward on your knees is good advice, not just for missionaries on foreign fields but for ordinary people like you and me.