Ahead of Liberation Day on August 15th, a new current was flowing through South Korea. Silent protests against election fraud continued with placards, and weekend rallies were growing larger, particularly among the younger generation. Recent discrepancies between the White House and the Blue House briefings on U.S. tariff negotiations, coupled with socialist economic policies and the increasing number of communists in key government positions, were causing more citizens to wake up. In reality, the Republic of Korea had fallen into their hands. While most churches remained silent and businesses watched the government’s every move, the number of Christians attending early morning prayer services at my church was steadily increasing. Even the weekly gatherings of citizens spontaneously singing hymns under the Yeouido Saetgang Bridge in Seoul continued.

And through CBN, I heard news that in Iran, the darkest nation, millions are converting to Christianity. I realized God’s plan was still unfolding. Even during Trump’s first term in 2020, Iranian Revolutionary Guard commander Soleimani was assassinated, and the majority of citizens continued protesting against the government, crying out for freedom. Then last June, as the news that the US had bombed and destroyed Iran’s nuclear development facilities with B-2 bombers spread worldwide in real time, I thought it showed how God was restoring world order through President Trump. Thus, the gospel kept moving forward, and new wineskins were continually being made to hold the new wine. A new generation was being prepared, and those with new ways of thinking and vision were rising up. And in South Korea too, Christians who had passed through the time of fire were fighting like Gideon’s 300 warriors.

During the Liberation Day holiday, I attended a parents’ retreat at Handong University where Gideon’s warriors gathered to rebuild the crumbling walls. For two days and one night, I was in a place filled with the Word, praise, and prayers that erupted throughout Hyoam Hall Chapel. With hearts as fervent as the citizens marching patriotically at Gwanghwamun Square for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s human rights and liberal democracy, we united in prayer for the Republic of Korea. Marking its 30th anniversary, I learned about Handong University’s history and how God worked miracles in the wilderness. Through special lectures by Mrs. Kim Young-ae (wife of the late President Kim Young-gil), former and current presidents, and lecturing pastors, I heard vivid testimonies. Moreover, it seemed no coincidence that Ambassador Morse Tan, who led the International Election Monitoring Team that submitted a report to President Trump including the shocking past criminal allegations against the South Korean president, was the founding professor of Handong University’s Law Department.

Meanwhile, the book ‘Faces in the Courtroom’ I recently read deeply moved me with its portrayal of the courtroom through a judge’s eyes and the stories of people surrounding the verdicts. While presiding over trials revealing the darker aspects of Korean society, such as suicide cases or child abuse cases, he also wrote this book as an essayist, sharing the heartbreaking stories of those who stood before the bench through his habit of observing and recording. Through the book, I found him deeply human, and his gentle nature was also evident in his interview on the Yoo Quiz program. However, I realized that when trials, courtroom atmospheres, and judgment criteria are based solely on the human righteousness and compassion of a judge who does not know God, the outcome inevitably becomes a ruling influenced by human sentiment or what people desire. Rulings based not on the absolute standard but on selected precedents and some people’s opinions inevitably reflect the world’s changing values and standards. Reading in his book how he was moved by spy Shin Yun-bok’s writings, I recalled a pastor from a large church in Bundang and thought, “So this is what political correctness looks like.”

I wanted to inform the people, who have been deceived by anti-state forces attempting to distort history by portraying terrorist Kim Gu as the father of the nation and falsely claiming 1919—not 1948—as the founding year of the Republic of Korea, that the history of the Republic of Korea is rooted in Christianity. Therefore, I provided financial support for a Christian youth camp targeting ethnic Korean students in China to nurture seeds of faith, and I sent my son, a student at Handong University, a Christian university, to volunteer there. Furthermore, while learning the real science behind sonoluminescence—where sound vibrations cause light to shine underwater—I decided not to believe in the fictional cosmology created by computer graphics from NASA, which was founded based on the Big Bang theory developed by Father Lemaître, formerly of the Catholic Church. Coincidentally, the theme of LifeSpring Church’s summer Bible school this year was “Magnified.” It was a delightful time learning about God’s greatness by magnifying His craftsmanship through His creation. Recently, I took on a sales advisory role for a water treatment technology startup that developed an eco-friendly agricultural productivity enhancement system, which also seemed aligned with this theme. So, praising God for broadening my horizons, I rose at dawn today, wrote my blog, and energetically began my day.

Isaiah 58:12
Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.