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Bonn & Mainz UBF

May 30, 2013

IDENTITY IN CHRIST

Key Verse: 1 Peter 2:9

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”

Thank God for his mighty work through his powerful word at our 2013 United Bonn and Mainz UBF Spring Bible Conference. We could renew our identity in Christ and make a decision to hold on to this identity in our practical lives. This Spring Bible Conference was held over the span of five days (May 1-5) at two places, first in the EM Vision Hall in Bonn and then in the ravishingly beautiful recreation center Flensunger Hof in Mücke. It was really a heavenly banquet of God’s word.

1. Conference Preparation

The preparation for the conference began in March when our leaders met to discuss the program and to select Bible passages and appoint messengers. Through this co-working we agreed on the theme “Identity in Christ” especially for our growing shepherds and next generation leaders. Last year, we had learned that our new life in Christ has nothing to do with our old and earthly life in sin. Then, who am I? What is my new identity in Christ? Our messengers and testimony speakers had these questions in mind as they revised their messages and testimonies and met every Thursday night with a mentoring-team for two months to share God’s word and grace and pray together. After their full-time jobs or their studies they did their best to receive God’s word personally. Even our children and teenagers thought about the question, “Who am I before God?” by writing an “identity testimony” based on their names. MBF new gens from Bonn and Mainz UBF met with Anja S. to practice a noble ballet performance.

2. 2013 Spring Bible Conference

The conference began May 1, 2013, which is the international workers’ day, at 9am in the European Mission Vision Hall in Bonn with Bible study in small groups. At the last Spring Bible Conference in 2012, for the first time we tried to discuss the Bible passage in groups before each lecture based on a condensed question sheet instead of just having one Group Bible Study before the main lecture. The feedback was very positive, mainly because the conference became much more interactive than in the past. So we decided to keep it that way. In this way, we could not only prepare our hearts for all the messages but communicate, learn from each other and get to know the group members more personally. The question sheets for the main lecture contained four questions while the other question sheets only contained two. At this conference, next generation co-workers led the groups.

Xenofon G. gave the opening message on Mt 5:13-16 and spoke about our new spiritual identity as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. We learned that we can be Christians with a good influence by being different from the world and sharing the gospel of Jesus through our life. Matthäus G., his only son, accepted his new identity and testified about God’s calling as a shepherd and Bible teacher based on Mt 6:33. The first main lecture began with a Group Bible Study session. We thought about Jesus’ forgiving prayer on the cross. Peter P. gave the message on Lk 23:1-49 and encouraged us to remember that we are forgiven sinners and to embrace one another with the love of Jesus. Sarah P. accepted Jesus’ forgiving prayer and thanked God for restoring her identity and vision with Gen 17:16 as a spiritual mother for Europe.

Thursday morning, for once, we met at 5am for Group Bible Study. It was early in the morning, but all co-workers and Bible students, even our next generation attended. The Bible study in the early morning was very refreshing and full of the Holy Spirit. Petrus C. spoke about Jesus’ resurrection based on Mk 16:1-20. We heard Jesus’ rebuke to repent for our lack of faith and we renewed Jesus’ calling as witnesses of his resurrection by obeying his world mission command. Johannes P. gave his testimony that the power of Jesus’ resurrection changed him from a class clown into a blessing and powerful gospel worker.

Friday afternoon, in Mücke, a small village 2 hours away from Bonn, the conference continued with the devotional message of Heidi G. based on Lk 22:39-49. She encouraged us to fulfill our mission as Bible teachers and disciple makers among campus students for the spiritual revival of Europe accepting God’s will in prayer like Jesus. Peter R. decided to grow as a fisher of men according to Lk 5:10b for young students at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences. After dinner we had another Group Bible Study on Eph 2:1-10. Jochen S. challenged us to give our new lives as ambassadors of God’s kingdom to advance the gospel. Holy Maria P.‘s life is a living testimony of God’s grace which made her alive and victorious with John 11:40 and Rom 5:8. She decided to dedicate her life and future house church for European campus mission.

The highlight of the night was to listen to the identity testimonies of our JBF kids. Joseph, Peter, Joshua, Samuel Abraham, Sarah, Daniel and Daniela deeply thought about their names in light of the Bible and decided to live according to God’s sovereign will for each of them. Their testimonies were really heart moving so that many Bible students saw God’s vision for Europe and praised God. First- and second-graders recited 1 Corinthians 15:1-58 on stage. We could see God’s mighty work in their lives through his word. Even though they are still young, they are really the hope for Europe.

Deborah E. shared prayer topics of Africa UBF. Especially, we thanked God for the completion of the Bethesda Medical Clinic in Uganda. Still, there is a need for doctors, nurses and medical equipment. So we gathered in groups to pray for the Bethesda Medical Clinic Mission in Uganda and our mission co-workers in Africa. In particular, we prayed for the health of Msn. Maria K. in South Africa and sister Apolonia from Zimbabwe who is serving as a short time missionary in Korea right now. And we prayed for the leadership of Msn. James L. and to reach all 55 countries in Africa with the gospel.

We started Saturday morning with the morning devotion of Dr. Christian K. on Mk 8:27-38 who has a Ph.D in physics. He was a strong atheist who gave his Bible teacher always a hard time. But God is working in him very mightily. He confessed Jesus as his personal Christ and decided to be a blessing for his family and next generation coworkers. Elisabeth M. thanked God for Jesus’ forgiving grace and decided to dedicate her life as a Bible teacher and shepherdess for campus students. The third main lecture on Rom 6:1-14 was delivered by David G. from New Jersey, USA. His message was very powerful und challenged each of us to make a decision for our new spiritual identity in Christ. He showed us clearly that weapons can be either useful or deadly depending on which hands they are in. We decided to be used as ICBMs (Intercontinental Bible Missionaries / Messengers). Samuel R. is such an ICBM. He accepted Mt 6:33 and decided to serve God as a UBF full-time shepherd and to advance God’s kingdom in this generation at all costs.

Saturday evening, Johannes C. gave the message on Ezra 7:1-10. Ezra made a decision of life to be the Bible teacher for his nation and devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel. A decision of this one person to study the Bible ignited a spiritual revival in His people. We learned that there is a similar approach in the medical field, “See one, do one, teach one”. Johannes saw God’s hope for Europe that many medical students will become excellent Bible teachers like Ezra. Maria P. L. found her identity as a Bible teacher and decided to study, obey and teach the word of God. Maria P. Lee and Johannes C. are now in residency in ophthalmology and internal medicine.

Sarah G. from New Jersey UBF shared her mission report which was very challenging and encouraging for our co-workers. Her son Daniel G. shared his identity testimony with God’s vision to be the future president of the United States of America. God may bless his new identity in Christ and his vision. They are serving campus ministry and co-working with Msn. John P. in New Jersey UBF and are praying to raise 7,000 Bible teachers in New Jersey and 1,000 professor shepherds in Princeton. 2^nd generations from Mainz UBF who were baptized recently shared their life testimonies and shared their new identity as shepherds and Bible teachers for the spiritual revival of Europe.

We heard two special lectures about the Lausanne Movement and about Pastor Uwe Holmer from West Germany who welcomed Erich Honecker, the top leader of former East Germany, and his wife Margot in his house with God’s forgiving love in spite of all misunderstandings. After that we saw a heart-moving skit about our new identity in Christ which was directed by Joachim D. and performed by our HBF-team.

To end the night, Pauline C. spoke about the importance of praying for one person and leading one person to Christ. Our prayer may seem small and insignificant. But it can make all the difference. And maybe this one person will become a blessing for many. One Sunday school teacher taught a boy who worked in a shoe store the gospel. This boy turned out to be D. L. Moody. Mordecai Hamm preached for three weeks at a revival meeting in Charlotte but only one 12-year-old boy accepted Jesus Christ. This boy was Billy Graham. We were encouraged to pray and to serve one person wholeheartedly. After this presentation we prayed for the upcoming International Summer Bible Conference in Pennsylvania, USA and sending 100,000 missionaries to the ends of the earth.

Sunday Morning began with the devotional of Aster B. based on 1 Peter 1:1-12. She and her son are from Eritrea. She accepted the living hope in Christ, which is an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade, and encouraged us to overcome all sufferings and misunderstandings in our shepherd life. Markus Y. decided to live as a holy pilgrim for European campus mission to the end.

Christoph T. gave the fifth main lecture on 1 Peter 2:1-10 and encouraged us to be a royal priesthood, mediators between God and people, to intercede for others and to share God’s will with them. He is one of the remnants in the time of trials at the beginning of the new millennium. Our faithful God is working in his life mightily through Bible study with Sh. Joachim D. Praise God who uses him as a powerful ICBM! Stephan P. decided to serve his friends through Bible study and he prays to pass his first state law examination by having faith in God and holding on to Mk 11:22-24. Msn. Samuel Peter R. gave the closing message on John 21:15-17 and encouraged us to be good shepherds of Jesus’ flock and to serve them with the word of God. Back in Bonn, we concluded the conference with tennis, soccer and BBQ fellowship.

We thank God for working in all attendants, especially in the next generation and our Bible students through his powerful word, clear and challenging messages, heart-moving testimonies and open and honest group Bible studies. We could find our spiritual identity in Christ and decide to be salt of the earth, light of the world, Jesus’ witnesses, and ambassadors of God’s kingdom, ICBMs, excellent Bible teachers, prayer servants and shepherds for our generation. In the week after the conference Bonn UBF co-workers met together to share what they learned and to reflect what to improve at our next conference. We had a joyful and fruitful discussion and most of the co-workers contributed very actively. I especially thank God that also many next generations shared the grace they received and their suggestions. May God bless all conference attendants to hold on to their spiritual identity and be used as world changers for the spiritual revival of Europe.

Dr. Peter Chang