Brothers and Sisters, Peace to you in the Lord!

In the early morning of March 13, in the hymns and prayers of all  the CWC co-workers and board members at the Gospel Camp, after physical sufferings with sickness, and also fulfilled the life-long ministry the Lord had entrusted him, our beloved Pastor Ko has gone to be with the Lord and rest in the arms of Jesus. In  indescribable sorrows, we drove back to the Center and with only one hour of sleep, we got up on time and continued to serve in the Gospel Camp without any fatigue. Since we didn’t want to divert the focus of the gospel seekers from listening to the gospel, nor did we want to divert the hearts of our brothers and sisters from pursuing the Lord, we did not announce this news until the last day of the Gospel Camp.

“Weeping” is not an unfamiliar term in the Bible.  God is a sentient God who can relate with us completely. When Jacob died, Joseph wept for him for 7 days (the Egyptians wept for him for 70 days), and when Moses died, the Israelites wept for him for 30 days. On the evening of March 13, after the brothers and sisters had all gone back to their rooms to rest, I sat down in the meeting hall with Pastor Danny Li, and my tears flowed uncontrollably… Suddenly a verse came in: ” unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. ” (John 12:24). My heart was greatly comforted right away!

Life Is Derived from Death

Since Pastor Ko fell ill, I have often been asked, “Who will be the successor of CWC ministry?” Honestly, I deeply dislike this kind of question. From one  hand: we have been praying that God will grant Pastor Ko more years to continue to lead us in CWC ministry. From the  other hand: my  feeling was like when the Lord was going to take Elijah to heaven, the disciples of the prophet who lived in Bethel and Jericho kept saying to Elisha  “Do you know that the LORD will take away your master from over you today?” And I would also love to answer to the questioners, , “Yes, I know; be still.” (2 Kings 2:1-5)!

Over the past two years, I could not stop from weeping at the thought of Pastor Ko’s illness, and I have pondered carefully upon the weeping of some people in the New Testament who have come into contact with Jesus:

“When the Lord saw her (the widow in Nain) , He felt compassion for her, and said to her, ‘Do not weep.’” (Luke 7:13)
“When Jesus therefore saw her (Mary) weeping, and the Jews who came with her {also} weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled.” (John 11:33)
“And they (Angels) said to her (Mary Magdelene), ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’” (John 20:13)
“Jesus said to her (Mary Magdelene), ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’” (John 20:15)

These people wept because those they knew well on earth faced death.

It is correct that Moses’ “successor” was Joshua, Elisha’s “successor” was Elisha, and this seems to be the pattern of the Old Testament, or the thinking of today’s political leaders, so who is Jesus’ designated “successor”?

Five days before Jesus’ crucifixion, he rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, and the people greeted him with palm branches, shouting,  “Hosanna! BLESSED IS HE WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD, even the King of Israel.” (John 12:13) … Jesus said, “ ” The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:23-24).

I’ve been in the agricultural states in the Midwest (where wheat, soybeans, corn, and other crops were produced) long enough and knew a little bit about seeds! Each seed of every plant contains life unless being cooked. If you bury the seed in the soil, it begins to crack as if it were broken, died, existed no more, but with that crack, two new shoots burst out and the green buds grow into a mature, full cluster of wheat or corn.  Isn’t this as the Bible says, “ yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty” (Matthew 13:8)?

Jesus was talking about Himself in John 12:23-24, and if Jesus had not died on the cross for us, we still were dead in our trespasses and sins with no hope, but Jesus’ death has opened up a new and living path for us. That is “life from death”! When a grain of wheat dies, it does not bear only one grain of seed, but many seeds! This is the mystery of God’s revelation when the world sees “Man dies like a lamp goes out”, but the supremacy of Christianity is: Life is derived from death!

Paul expounded this truth vividly in 1 Corinthians chapter 15, “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man {came} death, by a man also {came} the resurrection of the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-21), “You fool! That which you sow does not come to life unless it dies;” (1 Corinthians 15:36), “So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown a perishable {body,} it is raised an imperishable {body;}  it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual {body.}” (1 Corinthians 15:42-44), and finally Paul was able to sing the triumphant song of victory: ““O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH?”… Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not {in} vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:55-58). This is also the mission of Pastor Ko’s life: the longer you serve the Lord, the sweeter He becomes!

If, after serving in the Midwest for forty-two years, Pastor Ko had only one successor, or even no successor could be found, and we came up with a modern term as “collaborative leadership”, I would think his ministry was a failure and he was merely a lifeless grain of wheat! But in the forty some years, I have witnessed many people believe into Jesus in the Gospel Camp, Winter Conference, Short-term mission team’s ministry where their lives have changed; I have seen many people through attending the Discipleship Training Camp and Bible Camp which were held several times a year, their spiritual lives have been refined, and have become spiritual leaders, the sharp force in God’s kingdom with wonderful ministries in the church, whether in the North America. or in Southeast Asia, and  many have been serving the Lord full-time. God has truly remembered the works of His servant! Although God took him away today, but he has borne much fruit.

After Moses was taken by the Lord, Joshua picked up Moses’ unfinished mission: to lead the Israelites back to the Promised Land, and Joshua probably was scared and timid, but God’s promise came to him, “ Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you, be strong and courageous… Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” ” (Joshua 1:5-9),

After Elijah was taken by the Lord, Elisha picked up the unfinished business of the prophet and spoke to that age, because the double portion of the spirit of Elijah has been upon Elisha!

After Jesus ascended, He said to His disciples, “ but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).

Paul, in his last letter, told Timothy, “ For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.… You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.!”. (2 Timothy 1:7, 2:1). This is not something that can be accomplished by one grain of seed, but by many seeds, including those who are willing to take the baton passed on by Pastor Ko to continue to fulfill the mission that God has given us.

When preparing for the Thanksgiving Sharing Meeting, Pastor Ko’s nephew asked him which scripture he would like to put on the bulletin, and Pastor Ko chose:  ” Whom have I in heaven {but You?} And besides You, I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail, But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever..” (Psalm 73:25-26)

In the Thanksgiving Sharing Meeting, I still remember the sister who shared last said: “Pastor Ko often plays the role of love, and Sister Chiang plays the role of righteousness.” My  reply to her was “Don’t worry! Although God has taken away a loved one, look at the names on the program bulletin in your hand, God has already prepared more love for us.” This is : a grain of love falls into the ground and dies, but it produces a lot of love, not only love, but more holiness, bright light, faithfulness, mercy, kindness and all kinds of God’s attributes.

May the Spirit who touched Pastor Ko come and touch us again!

 

Remembering Pastor Ko

 

（1）Special Thanksgiving Sharing Meeting

Pastor Ko had hoped to share and give thankful praises for God’s leadership throughout his life in the Gospel Camp which was also in response to the desire of many brothers and sisters who wanted to see him personally, so we held a “Thanksgiving Sharing Meeting ” in the afternoon on March 12. Sadly, the day before the meeting, Pastor Ko’s condition had taken a sharp turn for the worse, and he was unable to come in person. On that day, besides the 150 adults who were in the Gospel Camp, an additional 100 plus adults came (about 60 children, cared for by American co-workers) for the special time together.  We sang hymns, shared what God has done in CWC over the past 40 years, and the brothers and sisters also reflected what great impact Pastor Ko had had on their spiritual lives. Though Pastor Ko was not able to present physically, but he had HEARD everyone’s testimony.  The coworkers had planned to drive to Columbia, Missouri after the evangelical meeting that night, but I got a call from Mrs. Ko at the end of the Thanksgiving Meeting at around 4:50, saying that Pastor Ko’s pulse had weakened, his breathing had slowed down, and the nurse said that he may only have an hour or so, and Mrs. Ko suggested that we don’t go, but their daughter Sarah who was beside Pastor Ko said, “Come anyway!”　(Later, Mrs Ko told me that the conversation between Sarah and her was overheard by Pastor Ko.) So at 9:20 p.m. that night, a group of nine co-workers and board members drove to Columbia. On the way at 10:20, Mrs. Ko texted me saying, “Pastor Ko is waiting for you. We arrived nearly midnight, at his bedside, singing, praying, and speaking to his ears one by one that we will continue to serve the Lord faithfully, with that, Pastor Ko rested in the arms of the Lord at 12:25 am.  Video recording of the meeting has been uploaded on CWC website, please press here.

（2） Ways We Can Commemorate

On March 23, Pastor Ko was cremated after the family members came to Columbia, Mo and to bid farewell  for the last time. (Only family members were allowed to participate on that day).

It was Pastor Ko’s desire to be buried in the CWC campground, and the board of directors unanimously approved it. Pastor Ko had served in Christian Witness Center for more than forty-two years, and every grass and tree, brick and tile of the center was built by his hands, and he also had left his heart in the center. Pastor Danny Li,  representing the family, came to the Center on March 22 and selected a high ground that can overlook the entire Center and the Lake of Ozark, he hopes to build a memorial garden so that brothers and sisters who come for meetings in the future can be encouraged and challenged by the great foresight of Pastor Ko’s vision.  Besides  “The Longer I Serve Him The Sweeter He Grows”, a plate  “God is the Capitan, I am His co-pilot” will also be placed on the ground.  The American co-workers (Harold Shull and Scott Jerome) are putting their best efforts to work on the burial ground first, and the other part of the memorial garden will come later.

The burial service is closed to the public. Besides the family members, only the board members, the current and past CWC co-workers, the two leaders  of the Columbia Chinese Christin Church, and the American co-workers who have served in the Center for a long time are invited to participate. It is scheduled for Saturday, April 23 at 11:00 am.

（3）Ways You Can Participate

Although the above meetings were limited, in addition to some church and fellowship representatives who have come and shared on stage on March 12, we believe you also have a lot to share:

1. 1. You may write an article with photos if you have any, upload it on the CWC’s website, or send it to the Editor-in-Chief pastorkobook@gmail.com. Deadline is the end of June.  We will publish a collection of essays in memory of Pastor Ko and distribute it to brothers and sisters in the Winter Conference.
   2. Or if you have photos taken with Pastor Ko, you may also upload them on the CWC’s website to share.
   3. A Memorial Service will be held on one of the afternoons during this year’s Winter Conference (Dec. 22-26), so please set aside a time to attend. 

Briefing from Past Meetings

Gospel Camp (March 11-14)

About 150 adults (24 of them were gospel friends) and more than 40 children attended the Gospel Camp, 3 accepted Jesus as their personal Savior, another 3 brothers and sisters were baptized in the name of the Lord for whom we give glory and praise to the Lord!

Holy Land StudyTrip Is Canceled 

We originally planned to hold the Holyland Trip from June 20 to 30, and more than 20 brothers and sisters have signed to join! What a joy it would be to be able to go to the Holy Land and witness Jesus’ footsteps! From last summer to this year,  Pastor Ko had kept reminding me that we should still organize this trip even though he himself may not join. So  I have been in contact with the travel agency in Jerusalem. According to the Israeli government’s regulations in March this year: now enter Israel, in addition to having a negative PCR test for 72 hours before entering the country, you must screen again after entering the country, and quarantine for 24 hours for the negative results before clearance. If  you are tested positive, it will be more quarantine. Our plan was to enter Egypt first, and then enter Israel through Jordan, which means we will be tested again when we are in Jordan. With all that is happening, maybe, as the Israelites mourned for Jacob and Moses for a while, maybe God would allow us not to go this year. We look forward to next summer, when the Covid restrictions in various countries are more relaxed, that we can go together! For those who have already signed up for the trip please set aside your time for next year.

Future Meetings

1. 1. May Discipleship Training (5/22-27)
   2. Lay-minister Discipleship Training (5/22-27)
   3. August Bible Camp　(7/31-8/6)
   4. June Youth Disciple Training (6/5-11)
      Please check CWC website for details.

Sunday Online Bible Reading & Prayer Meeting     

Please attend the online Bible reading and prayer meeting every Sunday at 6:30pm (Central Time)  via Zoom that we may be equipped for God’s kingdom. The account number is: 8110999917, password: 737903. In order to follow with the progress of the Bible Camp, we are currently studying the Book of Genesis. We especially encourage  those brothers and sisters who plan to attend August Camp to join this meeting every week.

Thanksgiving and Prayer Requests:

(1) For CWC Co-workers (written by each coworker):

• Mrs. Ko: Thank be to the Lord, with the fervent and unceasing prayers from churches and brothers and sisters around the world, Pastor Ko had enjoyed the everlasting arms of the Lord sustaining and comforting him, and experienced intimate communion with the Lord during the past 2 years of illness.  And now Pastor Ko is resting in the arms of the Lord waiting for the sound of the last trumpet.
  Sincere gratitude to all brothers and sisters from churches at Columbia, St. Louise and elsewhere for providing everything we needed in all aspects in the past two years.  Your help, caring, visitation and encouragement are deeply appreciated.  To this day, I still receive condolences and cards from brothers and sisters and God has poured His love upon us through each one of you, and we can only bow down and worship, praise Abba Father in Heaven.  Thank you brothers and sisters. I pray that I will still have the strength to continue the vision and work that God has entrusted us.             
• Sister Cindy Chiang : Although Pastor Ko is gone to be with the Lord, there are a lot of things that need to be dealt with.  May the Lord give me wisdom and trusting Him alone that I may receive new strength each day to handle the tediousness work during the week, and with good time management in preparing for the weekend’s preaching. 
• Brother Qinglong Liang: Ask the Lord to guide in my personal prayer life with a sensible heart towards Holy Spirit; have the wisdom to lead the whole family to pursue the Lord and serve Him; help brothers and sisters to establish a stable spiritual life; have the wisdom to work with brothers and sisters in preaching the gospel and cultivate disciples in the Midwest; and care for and shepherd the people around according to the Lord’s will.
• Pastor Charles Huang: Thank you Lord  that I got to know Pastor Ko twenty-four years ago. Through attending the Discipleship Training and participating in the short-term mission, I have witnessed the good and faithful life of God’s servant. The humble, sincere, steadfast, low-key characters of Pastor Ko who diligently preached the Gospel, built disciples is a great example for us. Whenever I thought about him, I am again compelled to serve more diligently in Champaign, IL. May the Lord help me, follow Pastor Ko’s example, to be more fervent in my ministry.
• American coworker Scott Jerome: Pray for the spiritual life and ministry of his family. This month will focusing on preparing the graveyard of Pastor Ko and ask the Lord to give wisdom and strength to complete it.

(2) For Expansion Project: Pray for the construction of the children’s activity center.  Pray for Pastor Harold Shull’s safety, construction progress. This month will focusing on preparing the graveyard of Pastor Ko and ask the Lord to give wisdom and strength to complete it.

(3) For Financial needs: Pray for the monthly fund needed by the Center and ask the Lord to show His abundant supply and let more brothers and sisters experience the blessing of offering.

(4) For CWC: Pray that the Lord will bring more co-workers to the Center for the furtherance of the gospel ministry in the MidWest.

 

Emmanuel

 

In the Lord,

Sister Cindy Chiang