[LA] West-coast Bible Crusade, Heating up LA with the Gospel. (April 24, 2012)

From April 15th, evening, through 16th, the bible Crusade with Pastor Ock Soo Park was held for two days at the Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, U.S. The crusade, which they have promoted for about a month, handing the 15,000 flyers to the neighbors in person, was held in the center of Korean Town in L.A, with much attention from the public. It was the 3rd Bible Crusade in the west-coast, after the one in 2003 at the Ebell Theatre and one in 2009 at Orpheum theatre.

On 15h, at 7:30pm, people who came to hear the words led their footsteps to the Grand Ball room on the 2nd floor in the Wilshire Hotel. 400 seats were all taken with the audiences, and even the hallways were packed with people listening to the words on their feet.

The first musical performance opened with Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody by Gracias Choir’s lead violinist, Joonhee Park. The audience were drawn to the soft playing music. And “By the Grace of God” by Baritone Ill-yong Song, Soprano Eun-hye Cho, and Tenor Julio reflected their peaceful heart.

For the first session, Pastor Ock Soo Park, the guest speaker, talked about the man who fell among thieves in Luke 10:25. Pastor Ock Soo Park pointed out that the reason people feel difficult about the Spiritual Life is because they do not know the bible precisely. In Luke chapter 15, the prodigal son failed because he tried to clean and glorify himself. Yet when the prodigal son came back the father, he finally was cleaned and became full then. Just like that Pastor Park said that we shouldn’t try to read bible, pray, or do good deeds on our own, but leave everything to Jesus and take rest for ourselves.

On the 16th, at 10:30am, Violinist Joong-soo Na’s calm “Amazing Grace,” moved the hearts of the audience, and the African traditional performances by Gracias Choir brought them back to vibrant and bright atmosphere.

For the second session, they heard about the man who became one with God in Luck 10:30. The man who fell among thieves did not do anything for his salvation; only the Samaritan worked for him. Also the woman caught in adultery had nothing the she could do for herself. Pastor Ock Soo Park said that humans are saved by Jesus, so there’s nothing we have to do to be saved, and God has laid all our sins on Jesus – 100%. In addition, he said that the saved Christians who have become one with God, will overcome any kind of problems – through Jesus.

On the 16th, 7:30pm, it was the last session. Baritone Il-yong Song’s “O Sole Mio,” and “You Raise Me Up” by Baritone Il-yong Song, Soprano Eun-hye Cho and Tenor Julio received a big round of applause from the audience. And the Encore performance, “Hometown’s Spring,” passed on the Korean traditional affection to the audience.

For the last session, Pastor Ock Soo Park talked about a tropical fruit Durian, “the taste of Heaven and the smell of the Hell.” And he said that we should not have an abstract reading of the Bible, but should be able to see the hidden taste inside. The perspectives of God and the one of human are completely different. That is why our thoughts can never be same as God’s. But when the heart of man breaks apart, the heart of God starts flowing into us, initiating change.

Then Pastor Park continued, “Just like Hebrew 9:11 – “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” – the sacrifice done in the world was incomplete that after some time, they had to wash their sins again, but the sacrifice done in the “greater and more perfect tabernacle,” which belongs to the heaven was the eternal redemption, so there is no need to repeat the redemption, and all we need to do is to believe this truth.”

For this event, about 500 people attended every session to fill the lecture hall, and for the two days, about 200 new people came and listened to Pastor Ock Soo Park’s lecture. Until the promise to establish 500 churches in the United States, the work of gospel will continue in the west-coast region as well.

Reporter Ha-young Jung, Young-woo Sim/ Photographer Dae-sung Lee