The Goodnews - October, 2015

October 2015

DELIVERING THE GOSPEL & THE TESTIMONIES OF GRACE

Salvation Testimony God Starts to Work When I Am Weak

Special Article 2015 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour

Memoirs of a Missionary Partaking in the Work of God

About the Cover The 2015 Christmas Cantata Tour kicked off on the east coast on September 19th and has made its way through the west coast leg. Above is a photo of an audience member giving a standing ovation during the Cantata at City National Civic in San Jose, California. This year's cantata expects to reach 100,000 Americans in attendance across 25 cities.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

4

Monthly Sermon

10

Salvation Testimony

14

God Who Fulfills His Promise

Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

58

The Path to Salvation Prepared by God

Gospel Lesson

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Partaking in the Work of God

New York Times

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2015 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour: We Bring the Joy to You

Memoirs of a Missionary

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God Starts to Work When I Am Weak

Special Article

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Let Us All Decrease Our Suspicions and Increase Faith

God Protects Even the Fish

Church Directory

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This Month's Sermon

Let Us All Decrease Our Suspicions and Increase Faith Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

“And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years. When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole? The impotent man answered him, Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool: but while I am coming, another steppeth down before me. Jesus saith unto him, Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

And immediately the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked: and on the same day was the Sabbath.”

(John 5:5-9)

How did the heart to walk arise in him, and how was he able to walk?

John chapter 5 tells the story of the man with an infirmity for thirty eight years being healed. It is recorded in the scripture that when Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk,” “Immediately, the man was made whole, and took up his bed and walked.”

When God’s words match our thoughts, it is easy for us to follow.

However, when the man with an infirmity clearly knew that his sickness made him unable to walk, how was he able to have the heart to walk, and how was he able to walk? Although we have not been ailing of a sickness for thirty eight years like this man, how 4

can we be people who follow the path of Jesus’ words?

The scriptures record, “And immediately, the man was made whole, and took up his bed, and walked,” but thinking of this, I was able to realize that the man with an infirmity for thirty eight years had an incredible heart. I often thought, God would work so great if only our brothers and sisters followed only the word of Jesus without regard to the situation, just as this man did.

How Precious is a Heart to Believe…

My grandchildren came to visit me over their summer vacation, but there was not much time we could spend together. Because I always left the house around 7:30am and returned around 10 or 11pm, I would only see them sleeping most of the time. One day, I set out time to go and work at a cantaloupe field. I knew a brother in Seongju who kept a cantaloupe farm, so I asked him if there was anything for us to help out with. The brother told me that we could pluck cantaloupes. I thought that my grandchildren would be able to do the task, so I took them to the brother’s house, slept over, and woke up at 5:30am to go to the farm and pick cantaloupes.

I wanted my grandchildren to experience difficult, arduous work. But when 8 o’clock came, the brother stopped us. He said once the sun rises, the greenhouse will be too hot to work in, so people usually don’t work during that time. After plucking the cantaloupes, we gathered all of them in a huge tank. Once the cantaloupes are washed, they go onto a conveyer belt, which separates them according to size. They are then wrapped up. I believed my grandchildren felt this was a worthwhile time.

As I had the chance to see my grandchildren’s hearts while cantaloupe picking with them, I saw that their faith in their 5

grandparents was much greater compared to other ordinary children. Even when I would joke with them, they would accept it without even the slightest doubt. Their heart to trust others around them was also great. How great would it be for these children to retain this ‘trusting heart’ even when they are older? Surely as they live in this world, being deceived and tricked by others, many times, their hearts will change to that of distrust. But the heart that my grandchildren have to trust their family, the people around them, and God, is truly precious. I too, am not good at trusting others easily, but after believing in Jesus, the heart to trust church brothers and sisters grew in me. There are times when trusting in them makes me face difficulties, but there is nothing better and more comfortable than trusting in each other.

When Trust Levels Decrease and Doubt Levels Increase

A long while back, there was a time when I had surgery due to a tiny tumor in my throat which interfered with the vibration of my voice. During that time, my blood pressure was pretty high, so the doctor had given me medicine for it, which I took for two days.

Two days later, when I went to get the surgery, the anesthesiologist told me, “You’ve taken care of your high blood pressure well.” My blood pressure had returned to normal. I said, “You’ve taken care of it for me. All I did was take the medicine.” From then on, my blood pressure continued to stay normal, and I felt that it was God who took care of my blood pressure.

People can easily measure blood pressure or hemoglobin levels with technology. “Your blood pressure is high. Your hemoglobin levels are low. You don’t have enough blood.” However, there is no technology to measure the heart’s ‘doubt’ or ‘faith’ levels, nor are there any standards or levels that can be given. If blood 6

pressure, hemoglobin, or body temperature go above or below normal, they cause negative effects on the body. But when the heart’s faith levels decrease and doubt levels increase, they bring about unspeakable misery.

Children who grew up under adults they could trust tend to trust others instead of doubting them. This makes the people around them feel comfortable. But people who grew up without the warmth of parents, or people who grew up with no one to help them or make sacrifices for them, naturally doubt others.

Most of the time, their doubt levels are high, while their faith levels are low. When those people get married, their heart to trust their spouse is low, so they doubt their partners without any clear, specific reason. The problems that arise from such doubts are huge. People who only trust themselves, people who only think themselves to be right may exchange conversations, but because their hearts do not flow, they make the people around them miserable.

Falling into Trial, Falling into Sin, or Leaving the Church…

We say we believe in God, when we do not have the heart to believe in God, God cannot work in us. The more we read the Bible and feel the love of Jesus, the more our faith levels increase, and the more our doubt levels decrease. In other words, the more we do not follow Jesus’ Word and follow our own thoughts, our faith levels decrease.

When you receive salvation, your heart is at peace. It is because Jesus has chased out the doubt in our hearts and has filled it up with faith. Also, when faith levels increase, God works. The biggest reason why people fall into trial, fall into sin, or leave church is because their doubt levels are high and their 7

faith levels, low. Those people cannot trust God, the church, or the servant of God, and only trust their own thoughts. As a result, their lives are painful, and they make others around them miserable as well.

As long as we have the heart that we are great, and the bigger the heart to trust ourselves, the harder it is to believe in God. Once we realize that we are worthless, dirty people who cannot believe in God, our faith to believe in God grows.

Easily casting aside the thought that I cannot walk

What do you think the man with an infirmity for thirty eight years thought of as he ailed for years from his sickness? He probably felt his weakness, an infinite amount of times, and felt dirty and helpless. ‘I thought I was a smart guy. I thought anything I did would work out well…’ He realized his impotence more than enough. That is why when Jesus said, “Rise, take up your bed and walk,” he was able to throw away the first thought that arose in him, which said, “But my legs are withered, and I can’t walk…” Because he was so hopeless, he could not even trust his own thoughts that said “I cannot walk,” easily getting rid of it and walking through the words of Jesus.

One day, a brother called me, saying, “Pastor, I cannot break my heart.”

“Sure. That’s the case for everyone. But how do you think the man with an infirmity for thirty eight years followed Jesus’ words, when he knew he couldn’t walk? Feeling worthless, and feeling he has no righteousness of his own as he went through difficulties made him able to follow the Lord’s words.”

If a person has his/her own righteousness, they will not follow others, no matter what they say. Neither will they follow Jesus’ 8

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People Who Know the Bible Know They are Nothing Short of the Man with an Infirmity for 38 Years, Humble their Hearts and Believe in Jesus’ Words, as if They’ve Suffered for 38 Years

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words. God does many things to lower the doubt levels and increase the faith levels in our hearts. He shows us our weaknesses, our filthiness, and our foolishness. He makes us able to follow his words by making us unable to believe in ourselves as we see our weaknesses. We then become people who can throw our thoughts away and follow after Jesus’ words. The man with an infirmity for thirty eight years was not simply able to get up and walk. If we like him, were diseased for thirty eight years, the heart to believe in ourselves would crumble, and our faith levels to believe in Jesus’ words would increase. People who know the Bible have not had a disease for thirty eight years, but they discover themselves in the Bible. They know they are no different from the man with an infirmity for thirty eight years. Knowing this makes them humble their hearts and believe in Jesus’ words, as if they suffered for thirty eight years. This is the moment when the miracle that happened to the diseased man appears through us, and God can receive glory through us. God shows us our weaknesses in order for us to trust in others more than we do ourselves, and become people who believe in God. I hope for all of us to be able to decrease our doubt levels and increase our faith levels to serve the Lord in peace.

Pastor Ock Soo Park Pastor Park is currently the senior pastor of the Good News Gangnam Church. He is the founder of the Mahanaim Cyber Theology School and International Youth Fellowship.

Annually he is the guest speaker for Bible Crusades domestically and internationally and serves as a guest lecturer to university students. He is the author of several titles such as: The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again, Repentance and Faith, Navigating the Heart. These books have been translated in 17 different languages, and in addition he is the author of 40 other books on spiritual life.

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Salvation Testimony

God Starts to Work

When I Am Weak

Ibijoke Akinola-Michel | Good News Manhattan Church

I

was born in New York City, the youngest of three daughters. My parents, who are immigrants from West Africa, both worked

diligently to provide for us, which meant that my mom had to find a babysitter to take care of me during the day while she worked. She met a lady, who I call my auntie. Most of our relatives lived overseas and 10

“

Only later would I find out God's true requirements.

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she cared for me as if I was her own family member. She took me to her church regularly. It was through her family’s influence and my parents that I learned about the idea of God. Once I was school age, I joined my sisters at a predominantly white all girls’ school. The school was extremely rigorous in terms of academics. Being very young for my grade and more interested in socializing than learning, I found myself having to repeat a year of elementary school. I was embarrassed but as I began to make new friends with children my age, I soon forgot the stigma that I had attached to being held back.

As I grew older, school would continue to be a humbling environment for me so I tried to do well in church as I learned how to be a member.

I watched people give money as the offering box was passed around, joined the children’s choir, made Sunday school friends, heard people zealously cry out to God, tried doing it myself, and observed many baptisms. I began to interpret baptism as an act that one needed to experience in order to go to Heaven. Only later would I find out God’s true requirements.

During that time, my sisters had also convinced my parents to put me in a performing arts after school program because they thought I was hyperactive. That was where I ended up feeling most comfortable. We were constantly being trained and the process, though difficult, ▲ Ibijoke as a young girl

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Salvation Testimony

“ Iupwoke each

was so joyful. Neither my parents nor I thought much about me entering the performing arts world outside of the confines of the after school program

I was attending. Then I began to be recruited by

casting agents. My dance partner’s grandmother

also encouraged me to audition for a Broadway show.

When I was chosen to be in the show, I began to feel like an adult. No one tolerated my giggles when I made mistakes during my initial rehearsals. Instead I was chastised and taught how to be professional.

I no longer had time to go to church or play with

morning paralyzed with fear and dread.

my friends because I had shows daily after school and on weekends. The cast, which was comprised of mainly adults, treated me with such warmth and I figured that our cast prayer before each show helped me maintain somewhat of what I thought was a relationship with God. I was experiencing a wave of exaltation. My school classmates came to see me perform and one of them even wrote me a letter requesting to be my friend.

▲ Ibijoke in college

Until I truly received the forgiveness of sin, I used my life experiences and the things I thought had worked out well for me to prove to myself that I had a special relationship with God. The next Broadway show was very competitive. This time, there were more children and the parents of the children with whom I worked often pitted us against each other. Eventually, they smiled in my face while ostracizing me. Then before the show debuted in Manhattan, we went on tour and I had to leave New York. My parents and my aunt took turns taking care of me while I was on tour and there were adult cast members who, knowing what was happening, became close 12

”

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with my family and me. Yet amidst the children and stage parents who tormented me daily, I felt so empty and depressed. Eventually, my father asked the stage managers if we could meet to discuss the problems that were going on. When my father spoke in my defense, it was the first time I had heard him sound like he was going to cry.

The stage managers realized what was going on and they began to sympathize with me and do things like provide me with a private dressing room. When I returned to school after the tour, all my friends, including the one who had asked to be my friend, and even teachers had turned against me saying that it was unfair that I was able to leave school for so long. The administrators tried to be supportive but I was bullied daily. I woke up each morning paralyzed with fear and dread.

Eventually, as the show was coming to a close, it was decided that I would take the lead child role and the other girls would be cut from the cast. Also, by the end of the year, all my previous popular “friends” who had bullied me were my friends again and I developed close relationships with people in my class who I had never acknowledged. I felt vindicated. These circumstances made me feel as if God loved me, but in my heart, because I had very little knowledge of God and the Word of God, there wasn’t much of a difference between God and good luck. I continued to do shows until schoolwork became more and more challenging and I found myself constantly asking teachers for clarification and additional explanations in certain areas of learning. I also joined a non-profit youth group that connected me to people who nurtured me and provided me with chances to travel abroad. Although school was hard, I managed to do well and I felt blessed by the new experiences I was having. Again, I attributed it all to being special in God’s eyes.

I began to gain additional strength from my college experience, 13

Salvation Testimony

the support I received and the friendships I made during those years.

With that strength, I believed I could revive my career in performing arts. I went back to my former agent and began auditioning and training at the gym. A learning specialist that had taught me while I was in high school contacted me and asked me if I wanted to tutor children with learning difficulties. I asked her how I, having had difficulties myself, would be helpful. She was convinced that I may have come up with strategies for learning that would be useful to others. So I began to tutor and it

“ It became

clear to me that I'd have gone to hell.

served as a great means of financial support while I went to auditions.

Although I found tutoring extremely rewarding, I could not let go of

my dream to pursue an acting career. But on top of all of that, many of my college friends had joined me in New York, and my working hours were flexible, that so much of my time was spent partying. I felt like I could control my life. At the time, my oldest sister had started to attend the Good News Church in Flushing and she received salvation.

I was used to following her to clubs and poetry readings. She had changed and it was strange to me. I recall talking to my friends about how I was wary of her newfound spiritual life. I attended a Bible study that she had invited me to and took it very lightly.

About a year later, I had one thought that dragged me. I had been at home for most of the day and I felt overcome with a fear of getting fat. I felt I had to go to the gym even though it was getting late and the gym was far from my house. I headed out and as I got off of the first bus, I began to run for a bus across the street. Suddenly, I heard a loud sound and I remember waking up on the ground. People were shouting and running towards me. I didn’t know where I was but I 14

�

tried to lift my body to catch the bus. My body would not respond to my attempts. People were shouting at me not to move. Then I realized that a car had hit me. At that point all I felt was excruciating pain.

I started to scream. An ambulance rushed me to the hospital and I began to think about death and all the things I had taken for granted.

During my months of recovery, I had to learn how to walk again and I saw many news reports about hit and run accidents that killed people.

It was the first time I came so close to death and it became clear to me that I would have gone to hell had I died because my understanding of God was so vague. During that time when I could not do anything for myself, God allowed me to get physical therapy. While on crutches, I began to look for churches. I would ask questions about Jesus and salvation and people would tell me that we have to follow in Jesus’ footsteps. I neither knew how to do that nor understood if that would get me to Heaven. It was not until my sister invited me to a seminar at the Flushing Good News Church that I learned about righteousness.

I had never even heard about being righteous. When I had fellowship after the service, a Pastor explained how sin entered the world through Adam. I was familiar with being a sinner but I had condemned myself based on my own actions not based on Adam and Eve’s. Then my

▼ At the IYF World Camp Korea | ▼ One of the volunteers at the English Camp Haiti

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Salvation Testimony

▲ Above: Ibijoke's two daughters ◀ Left: With her husband, JeanClaude

heart was in turmoil because I learned about all the laws and there was no way for me to fulfill them so I wondered if God was setting me up to fail. Then the pastor revealed through Romans that the purpose of the law was to make me realize that I could not fulfill it so that I could look to Jesus. He began to talk about Jesus and the sin offering and how Jesus was sacrificed to cleanse us from sin and to connect us to God. Before I thought I needed to be good until I was shown the Word, which revealed that my flesh is only evil continuously. God already took care of the problem of sin that entered the world through Adam. I inherited sin from Adam, my ancestor. There was nothing I had to do to get myself to Heaven but since the wages of sin is death, God sacrificed Jesus for me. God replaced my image with Jesus' which is why He says in Hebrews 8:12, “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no

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God replaced my “ image with Jesus’.

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more.” That scripture really pricked my heart and I was so thankful.”

Since that day, God has guided me precisely through the church

and showed me that it is best for Him to control my life. Through

physical therapy, he made me more fit than I had ever been and allowed me to dance again through church. Over time, God also took away my desire to pursue a career in acting, and placed me in a school as a learning specialist. Through the hardship of one of my closest friends being murdered, he humbled my heart and reminded me of the grace of salvation. I was dating my husband before I was saved.

When I told him I received salvation, he did not really know what it was but he acted as if he was happy for me. Salvation became our main point of contention. Church guided us in fellowship and then God saved him. Our first child had severe atopic dermatitis, and shortly after receiving a laying of the hands prayer from Pastor Park, she was healed. I am a person who only wants to move forward towards what I desire, but as God has given me a righteous family in Christ, that family keeps pushing me forward towards the work of God. I am so thankful that Heaven was revealed to me through the Word and the Good News Church and I am grateful to God for saving my flesh to save my soul.

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Special Article Christmas Cantata

HRISTMAS CANTATA U.S. TOU R 2015 C

We bring the Joy to you

C

hristmas Cantata—the tour that fired up America during the latter half of last year. Gracias Choir visited 20 different cities, and at every city, the people were excited and overjoyed as they opened their hearts.

The Gracias Choir returned for the 5th Christmas Cantata in the U.S. with the theme “We bring the joy to you.” This year they will be traveling to 25 different cities for the Christmas Cantata. At 6 am, the tour bus left from Mahanaim in New York, headed towards the first city.

The start of the Christmas Cantata was in New Jersey, where they were having the Cantata for the first time. It was held at the Newark Symphony Hall in the city of Newark. The Newark Symphony Hall is one of New Jersey’s oldest buildings that seats 2,800 people. Mrs. Parker O. Griffith is the person who built this theater with the purpose of bringing music to 18

U.S. Tour

all people, regardless of your ethnicity. This theater perfectly symbolized the Christmas Cantata, which is Gracias Choir’s gift of Jesus Christ to all people, regardless of your background.

The people of New Jersey began to form lines two hours before the start of the show. Not long after, the line of people grew to over a block long. At 7 pm, it was already a full house. The police shouted, “Full house” at the entrance and many people were sent away.

“You are the first people in the world to see the brand new 2015 Christmas Cantata,” Pastor Terry Henderson told the crowd, as they applauded and cheered. This was the start of the 2015 Christmas Cantata.

The audience reacted to every move of the choir, and they applauded at the end of every song.

Pastor Joseph Park of the New York Church preached about John 19

Special Article Christmas Cantata

Choi, who was stung by a scorpion, and he also spoke about the temple.

“Folks, all the things of the world are temporal and will not last forever.

Everything has an end at some point. But heaven is eternal. Jesus shed His blood and entered into the eternal Holy Place in heaven. There is no more need to condemn ourselves and confess daily for our sins. For our sins, Jesus shed his blood and passed away for eternity.” At the end of the sermon, the people cheered as they heard that all their sins were washed.

“I like the first and third act the most. I was surprised at how perfect everything was. I couldn’t believe how realistically they depicted the first act. I was touched and thankful for the birth of Jesus Christ. I cried when I heard Handel’s “Messiah” during the third act. I couldn’t help crying. The music touched my heart.

Gracias Choir is always moving people through their music. They are the best.” - Linda Marklin

“I was moved during the whole performance. It was touching and amazing. The birth of Jesus in the first act was most touching. It think the choir did a great job depicting it. They were very professional and it felt like I was watching a movie. I was also amazed to hear how God worked in that person who was stung by a scorpion. I, too, believe in God and am thankful and 20 amazed by Him.” - Kevin Johnson

By the grace of God, the highly anticipated and hopeful New Jersey Cantata ended beautifully. The choir planted seeds of happiness in each and every person. The choir headed towards the second city feeling a little unfortunate for those who were sent back home.

The Philadelphia Cantata was held on September 20th. On that afternoon, there was a pastoral meeting. “I am so glad to see you all.

Let us prepare for the Christmas Cantata next year,” said the pastor of Philadelphia, Sang Rok Ryu. With the hopes of spreading the Gospel to the people of Philadelphia, Pastor Ryu was filled with tears. All the pastors were touched when they heard Pastor’s Ryu’s sincere testimony. They all said “Amen” to the Gospel that was preached to them. We were able to see that the pastors wanted to work together.

As soon as the house was open at 6:30 pm, the people of Philadelphia quickly filled the seats of the theater, waiting for the Christmas Cantata to begin.

The audience was quickly overcome by the music of the Gracias Choir as they traveled back 2,000 years ago to the time of the birth of Jesus Christ. They held their breaths as to not lose one note the choir sang.

Pastor Yeong Kook Park of the New York Church invited John Choi 21

Special Article Christmas Cantata

to the stage to explain in detail of the incident of the scorpion encounter.

He also spoke about the words of the eternal sacrifice in Hebrews 9:11, 12.

“The storyline, acting, and singing that depicted the Bible was amazing. We are a Christian family so we were touched by the words the pastor preached. I believe that Jesus was crucified on the cross for my sins.” – Jim Siminuk

We are able to feel warmth the colder it gets, and we are able to see light the darker it is. The city of Philadelphia has a dark side to its bright appearance. The Christmas Cantata brightened up the hearts of the people on this cool summer evening.

The third city to hold the Cantata was in downtown Washington D.C., the capital of the U.S.A. The perfect setting for a capital, Washington D.C. works as the center of the United States. Despite that fact that it was the city founded on Christian values, there was no Jesus in their hearts.

It is for those people that the Gracias Choir came to spread the love of Jesus Christ.

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For the third leg of the tour in Washington D.C., the Christmas Cantata was held at the Warner Theater, one of the busiest theaters in the U.S. Due to the tight scheduling, there were some difficulties while planning the tour. However, God opened up the hearts of the theater supervisors, and they even gave us a discount for renting the venue.

“Thank you for the letter. It seems like a great performance and our church members would really like to go to the show but they don’t have a lot of money.”

“Don’t worry. The Christmas Cantata is free.”

“Really? Is it really free?”

These were the words that moved that hearts of the people of Washington D.C. The members of a church wanted to attend but they did not have the money. So while deciding whether to go or not, they called the church. They were so happy to hear that the show was free and were thankful for giving them the opportunity to attend the performance.

Many people called after receiving the “Dear Neighbor” letters.

Washington D.C., the capital of the United States and also one of the best places to live. Despite all this, there was a certain loneliness in the hearts of the people. A letter from us who they did not know moved their hearts.

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Special Article Christmas Cantata

The Washington D.C. Christmas Cantata was held on September 21st.

Pope Francis was scheduled to visit Washington D.C. the very next day.

Once the pope arrives, the whole city would be in standstill. But God knew this in advance and allowed us to schedule the Cantata appropriately.

Pastor Terry Henderson preached about the words in Mark chapter 5.

The woman with the issue of blood is considered unclean, but the holiness of Jesus Christ is much more powerful than any illness. This woman who made everything unclean with her very touch was made perfect through Jesus Christ. The pastors listened to the words with sincerity and even took notes.

They wanted to work together with us and were thankful for the invitation.

It began to rain from early morning and as it came closer to the start of the show, it rained heavily. But this did not deter the people of Washington D.C. as they stood in line to see the Christmas Cantata. The line was very long and their clothes were completely soaked but their faces were filled with smiles as they anticipated watching the Cantata. “Merry Christmas!� said the emcee to the full house of 1,900 people.

Just like that, 1,900 people of Washington D.C. traveled back in time with the Christmas Cantata.

2,000 years ago, Jesus shed his blood for us and entered into heaven as our eternal sacrifice. God is working even stronger for the Gospel for those who 24

do not believe in this truth. Through the Gracias Choir, God wanted to give the people of Washington D.C. joy as He spreads the Gospel to them.

“It was great. There were many different themes in the third act. The beautiful music and voices are deeply embedded in my heart. As I watched the second act, I thought of my daughter and the heart she should have as she grows up.

More than money and power, family should come first. The third act conveyed this message and it was great. Also, the words that pastor preached was not only for Christians, but for people of all religions. God gave us the eternal sacrifice.

Everyone must know these words.” – Showray

The Christmas Cantata is bringing joy to many people around the United States. With over 20 more cities left to go, many prayers are needed for the safety and health of the choir members and those volunteering for the tour.

We are excited to see how God will work in the many cities to come.

More to come in the next issue...

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Memoirs of a Missionary

The Highest Prize from God Pastor Joon Hyun Lee | Lomé, Togo

Some Africans have many wives. Togo is especially known for this practice.

Because the people are in disorder and are not educated well, it lends itself to many people getting diseases. When God made man, He made him to produce life and live within God’s will. There are many who face demise as they live differently from God’s will, to follow their own thoughts. There are also some who realize God’s true will and turn around from such a path to live boldly and happily. God does works of the Gospel through those people.

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A Wedding that Could Only be Seen in Africa

It is seldom for couples to get lawfully wedded in Africa. Most people cannot have a wedding because of monetary difficulties. One day, a sister named Sidon from my church told me that she would be getting married at city hall. Because the sister’s husband is a relative of the president, there were always bodyguards surrounding her. Many people attended the wedding. The officiant asked the groom during the wedding, “Do you want your wedding to be monogamous, or polygamous?”

“I’d like it to be 7.”

Even when the husband is to choose another wife, most husbands promise a monogamous relationship at the wedding, but sister Sidon’s husband answered so boldly that he wanted a polygamous relationship.

The audience began to murmur. The officiant asked the bride as well.

“I’d like it to be a monogamous relationship.”

“The both of you need to get on the same page. We will postpone the wedding for 20 minutes and continue again. The two families should discuss this and choose to remain either monogamous or polygamous.”

Eventually, the wedding was postponed. That was the first time I had ever seen such a wedding. The bride’s expression was not so good, and the guests attending were in confusion. Even when the wedding did recommence 20 minutes later, the husband chose to remain polygamous until the very end. Eventually, the sister had to agree to the polygamy and the wedding came to an end. In Africa, especially Togo, such a case is a serious problem.

Sister Sidon’s husband was a man who enjoyed drinking, spoke out loud, and did whatever he wanted to do. I once visited his home, and his home was very luxurious with western liquor stacked in the halls. Even when he would get caught driving drunk, he would be the one to yell at the police.

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Memoirs of a Missionary

Once while driving, he ignored the red light of a freight train passing by.

While all the other cars stopped, he just kept on driving and eventually got hit by the train, breaking almost every bone in his body. Also, he had a lot of money and was involved in many promiscuous relationships with other women. Ultimately, he was diagnosed with AIDS. Sister Sidon cried and was very disappointed. Many people are led by a certain force of the world, and end up walking a very dark and gloomy path.

Not Placing Value on Life

In Africa, there are many people whose family relations are in a disarray and whose lives are disorderly. Even some of our native missionaries have multiple mothers. One even has a father who lives with 12 wives. One day, a 20 year old young woman came to our church. She was tall and pretty, but AIDS had given her face a dark hue. Like many others, this young lady enjoyed her beauty, and enjoyed life with pride. Her mother too, was an AIDS patient.

One brother lived in the country with his young wife. After a few blissful months of being together, his wife began to return home late at night after meeting with other men while the brother was away.

Incidents like this are not uncommon in Africa. One day, his brother in law showed him a video she recorded of his wife meeting another man and going to a hotel. The brother was shocked, and demanded the truth from his wife. His wife went crazy, saying she felt wronged.

“If I had to drink hydrochloric acid in order for you to believe me, I would!”

When her husband gave her an unbelieving look, she opened a bottle of hydrochloric acid and drank it on the spot. When his wife, with all her insides quickly deteriorating, asked, “Do you believe me now?” he grudgingly answered, “I believe you.” They quickly moved 28

In Togo, where polygamy is lawful, many people have complicated family relations. Many suffer because of such a life, but meet the Gospel and live a life in faith. Missionary Lee Jun Hyun shares the Word with missionary students under the shade of a mango tree.

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his wife to the hospital, but she only lasted three months, and died.

His wife died when she did not have to, only because she could not tell the truth to her husband. I see people even put their lives on the line just to make excuses for themselves, to make themselves seem right. Those who have not met God’s wisdom think they are smart, but eventually, they lead themselves to demise.

From Fear to Happiness

There are those who live in difficulty and poverty, but meet God. Not too long ago, a sister went on a trip to the countryside. During the car ride there, the sister heard that a Togo soccer team had gotten into a car accident. The soccer team was traveling in a bus, but there was a hole in the tire, which made the bus flip over. There was also a fire. 30 were injured and 6 died on the spot. After hearing the news, the sister was in great fear, thinking the same might happen to her.

But when she met people and preached the Gospel to them, that fear disappeared.

In Acts 8, there is a huge persecution in the Jerusalem church, which splits everyone apart. The Christians were in despair and difficulties. But in Acts 8:8, it says, “And there was great joy in that city.” What had changed their sadness and despair to joy? In Acts 8:4, it says, “Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.” That great joy came about from the “Gospel.”

According to botanists, the main goal of plants is to bear fruit, and produce seed to create life. Likewise, the clear will and plan God has towards Christians is to bear life. God allows people to receive salvation through the Gospel. God’s heart enters us and allows us to overcome any situation, sadness, or difficulty that comes our way.

That is the power of the Gospel.

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God's heart enters us and allows us to overcome any situation, sadness, or difficulty that comes our way. That is the power of the Gospel.

Pastor, I Cannot Understand

In Togo, Africa, there are not many dentists. Treatment is very expensive, so dentists make a lot of money. Some of our elders preached the Gospel to a dentist, but his point of view was too strong, so he was unable to accept the Gospel. There was a time when that dentist asked to meet me, and we met. I preached the Gospel to him, but his rigid heart rejected the words. But he came to me again.

“Pastor, like I said last time, I cannot understand. For example, let’s say there’s a track meet. First place gets 10 dollars, the second, third, tenth place, even those who don’t make it within the ranks get 10 dollars. Would you understand? Isn’t that an act that completely ignores the runners who did their best? That’s what I don’t understand.

First place should get 1,000 dollars.”

“That’s true. But try reading Matthew chapter 20, “For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder, which went out early in the morning to hire laborers into his vineyard.” It says those who entered the vineyard at 9 am got a denarius, those who entered at 3 pm and 5 pm also got one denarius.”

Realizing that there was a similar story in the Bible to the one he told, he was surprised.

“Pastor, do you think this is fair treatment?”

“I don’t necessarily think it’s fair, but this story expresses the heart that God has towards man. We who live in the human world cannot understand with our logic. This is the heart that God, who lives in heaven, has. Doctor, are you higher, or is God, who created the heavens and earth higher?”

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“Yes, God who created the heavens and earth is higher.”

“Then is God’s decision correct, or is your decision correct?”

“God’s decision is correct.”

His heart began to bend, allowing him to hear the Word. After reflecting upon his weaknesses through the Bible, he was very fearful of himself, because he had not received salvation.

“Doctor, let me ask you. Are you a sinner?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Are sinners within or outside of Jesus Christ?”

He was shocked.

“Outside.”

“Then I’ll ask again. If Jesus were to come to Earth tonight, where would your soul be heading?”

“I’d go to hell.”

I asked again, “Do you go straight to hell, or not?”

After a long pause, he spoke.

“Straight to hell. Pastor! What should I do?”

Putting himself down, he began to listen to the Gospel, and amazingly, he was so thankful after receiving salvation. “Hey, the words of the Gospel are amazing!” The Gospel was able to melt away our doubts, make humanistic logic useless, and melt down even sadness and fear. God had hidden such a secret within the words.

Christians accept the words, but not many of them are able to bring out the power of God in those words and apply them to their lives to overcome their problems. Being broken in front of the words, and meeting the Word of God to have a new heart and receive salvation is the most precious, beautiful thing that could happen in Africa.

Knowing this, I became a preacher.

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After reflecting upon his weaknesses through the Bible, he was very fearful of himself, because he had not received salvation. “Are sinners within or outside of Jesus Christ?” “Outside.”

Like the Bells and Pomegranate of the Priest

Towards the latter half of 2007, there was a big boom in the Mahanaim Theology School. Because most theology schools do not teach the Bible properly, the Mahanaim Theology School was established to cultivate true workers of the Gospel in 50 different countries. In January 2008 in Togo, we began Mahanaim Theology School classes with students, other church pastors, and anyone interested in God. Those who listened to the Gospel and received salvation there, returned to their churches to preach the Gospel.

At a church on the edge of a mountain called “Abo” in the countryside, there was a brother named “Broco” who worked as branch manager at a bank. He met one of our missionaries, listened to the Gospel, and received salvation. He was so moved that he went to his village to preach the Gospel, and he suggested to his pastor that he take classes at the Mahanaim Theology School. The pastor of his church attended the class and received salvation while listening to the Word. He requested that I send a witness team, because he admitted he was completely lacking to lead his church. Soon afterwards, the congregation of his church heard the Gospel and received salvation.

Currently, 30 of those brothers and sisters are attending church.

Among them, there were some who received training to become ministers and pastor’s wives. Afterwards, brother Broco became an elder, and brought happiness to the church as he poured his heart out for the Gospel.

“Pastor, before receiving salvation, I lived such a disoriented life.

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Memoirs of a Missionary

Top: During the Togo Bible Crusade, guest speaker Pastor Ock Soo Park is preaching with his whole body to deliver God’s heart to the audience.

Left: Pastor Jun Hyun Lee interprets for Pastor Ock Soo Park at in interview with reporters from Togo’s state broadcasting station.

Since I’m a bank branch manager, I would commit adultery whenever I’d get some money, and use it all on women…I truly lived a dirty, worthless life in front of God. I lived such a foolish life.”

He showed all that was in his heart to the church, just like the bells and pomegranate on the priest’s clothes. Like the ringing sounds that the bells make as the priest moves around, those who have met God, make a sound from God. The riper a pomegranate gets, the more it shows itself. It shows the white seeds that are inside. Like the sweet and sour pomegranate, the riper people’s hearts get after they meet God’s heart, the more they can push out the darkness in 34

their hearts to expose themselves before God. That is why opening your heart is very important. Many people in Africa walk a dark path, full of various diseases like AIDS, but God’s Word chases away such darkness. I am thankful that God’s Word is always with us.

A Conversation with the Minister

In 2008, a World Camp was held for the first time in Ghana, Africa. During that year there was a World Camp in 6 countries in Western Africa. During the 2009 Togo World Camp, it was very difficult to find a venue and sleeping quarters. In March 2009, we secured sleeping quarters at a college, but they suddenly mailed us a letter in June, saying they could not lend it to us. We were able to borrow a beautiful National Theater for the event venue, but the problem regarding sleeping quarters was not solved. The World Camp would be taking place in three weeks, and we were so lost. Some brothers and I went to the Minister of Education and finally obtained a meeting with him.

“In March, we got confirmation on our sleeping quarters, but on June 23rd, we got a letter, saying our request was rejected. We’d like to ask for your help.”

“Universities are an independent organization, so I don’t have the right to tell them what to do. I hope you understand.”

“Minister, we understand what you’re saying. But we have to have this event. The college students in Togo live without hope. There are many young people who even after they’ve graduated don’t know what to do, and wander the streets without purpose. IYF will change those students. We will instill hope and happiness in their hearts. I am a pastor. I truly believe that the heart of God will enter them and change them. Minister, please help us. Please open your heart so that 35

Memoirs of a Missionary

God can work in the hearts of the young people in this country.”

I spoke out passionately.

“Please wait a moment in the waiting room.”

The minister called the university himself. A while later, he called us back.

“Missionary, cheer up. I’m sorry these things happened. I called the university’s vice president, so you should go back and speak with them.”

A week later, the university clerk called us.

“Is this the pastor?”

“Yes.” “We are processing the authorization form for you to use the university. It’ll arrive within three days. You can use all the area you need.”

The Highest Prize from God

Through many difficulties, God opened a way for us to hold the World Camp. God sent many university students to the camp. We were lacking in many aspects, but in July of 2009 was a very touching time for us. During the camp, I listened to the word of Matthew 21 as I interpreted for Pastor Ock Soo Park. The story about the householder also comes out in Isaiah 2:5. The householder plants prize grapes in his vineyard, and has everything prepared for the farmers to simply come in the vineyard and live happily. Through the World Camp, God allowed me to listen to his highest prize − the Word. The best World Camp program, the best music and cantata by the Gracias Choir, the best volunteers and staff members, the best students, and the best VIPs − all of these were the highest prizes prepared by God. 36

Those who live with the best things given to them by God are happy people. They are blessed people with a happiness and joy, inconceivable in this world.

From the beginning of creation, and from time to time, God prepares His highest prize for us. However, even when the laborers had the highest prize, why did their hearts break apart? Why did they fall to misery? Even in a blessed position, why did they walk a dark and miserable path? I questioned myself.

It has already been 16 years since I have lived in Africa. As I looked back on the laborers’ misery, I remembered these words: even in a straight line, be careful not to fall. Who am I that destroys the best things! If I have not clearly come to an end in my heart, the highest prize I received will disappear. Those who live with the best things given to them by God are happy people. They are blessed people with a happiness and joy, inconceivable in this world.

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

The Mark of Salvation Upon My Heart Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. (Genesis 4:13~14)

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Genesis speaks of a world of the heart much deeper than the one we think of. But it is difficult to know the world of our heart without going through the mirror called Genesis. It will not be easy to describe, but I would like to talk about the world of the heart shown in Genesis.

It Was the Filthy and the Dirty That Were Blessed In most cases people want to come before God through living a good spiritual life. People try to keep the law in order to be blessed and go to heaven. But when we read the Bible, we easily discover that no one in the Bible was blessed by God by doing what was right and being loyal.

Especially in the New Testament, people such as the woman taken in adultery and the thief on the cross were people who committed various sins. There was no one who was blessed by doing what was right. I do not know how people read the Bible, but by perception, people automatically assume that to believe in Jesus is living as a good person. That is why people pray zealously, labor to commit less sin, and quit smoking and drinking to become good and to be blessed.

But no matter where we look, from Genesis to Revelation, there was not one person who was blessed or who received grace through not committing sin, being good, or being diligent. However, contrary to our thoughts, it was rather the filthy people who had done evil who were blessed. But people labor to do good while they are stuck somewhere in between.

Cain, in Genesis chapter 4, appears to be a good person, but he later crumbles down, more and more, into becoming a murderer who stands in opposition to God. People may think of this story only as the story of Cain, but it is a story about us. It seems that when we are young we are living as good people. But as we grow older, we sin more and more. We become more and more evil with age. Then later on, we say, “I cannot do it!” and reach the same point that Cain had, saying, “My punishment is

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

greater than I can bear!” We no longer have methods of our own at that point, and thus, we can only wait for God’s grace.

If a good swimmer falls into water, he will not ask to be rescued, but will swim out himself. If one who does not know how to swim falls into the water, he will shout, “Now I am dying!” and will huff and puff, waiting for rescue. People fool themselves into thinking that they can do good. They think, “All I have to do is read the Bible. I just have to keep the Ten Commandments. I just have to stop sinning. I just have to be good.” There are so many people who foolishly think this. I, too, for a long time, lived thinking this. But it is not feasible, if attempted.

People Who Want God to Fulfill Their Desires When the Israelites left Egypt, God led them through Moses. “I will send you to lead my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt into the land of Canaan.” Moses then told this to the children of Israel. At that moment, if the children of Israel would have accepted those words by faith, they would have said, “God is leading us out of Egypt into the land of Canaan that is flowing with milk and honey in order to bless us and bestow His grace upon us!” and they would have been joyful and thankful coming out of Egypt. They would have been joyful and thankful even if the circumstances were difficult, because they would have believed that God would ultimately lead them to a blessed place.

However, the children of Israel did not receive the heart of God, but they received the words within their own thoughts. They were joyful and thankful simply because they were now being delivered from their torturous life of carrying dirt and baking bricks. And they were being delivered from the pain of having had to throw their male children into the Nile River. Their thankfulness was not from fully knowing the plan for leading them into the land of Canaan flowing with milk and honey.

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It was a temporary joy and thankfulness for being freed from the pain of hard labor and their male children having been killed.

Soon afterwards, the Red Sea blocked the Israelites’ path and the Egyptian soldiers were chasing them. In this instance, the faith, “God is leading us to Canaan so God will open up our way even though the Red Sea is in front of us,” arises in the heart of a person who has received the heart of God. But the Israelites complained against Moses and cried out, “Why did God call us out of Egypt to have us die here in the wilderness? Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you are doing this?” A person who lives with the heart of God is completely different from a person who simply thanks and follows Him because He helps in times of difficulty.

Most people do not want to live through the heart of God. They want a god who helps them with the difficulties in their lives. We long for a god who heals our diseases, makes us rich, and fulfills our desires. Such people complain against God and abandon their spiritual lives, even in the midst of believing in God, when they face difficulties.

In Numbers chapter 21, the Israelites complained against God in the wilderness and fiery serpents came among them and bit them. Then they realized their wrong and said, “God, we have sinned. We have done wrong,” and asked, “God, take the fiery serpents away!” They did not truly realize their wrong, but because of the biting of the fiery serpents, they had no choice but to ask for forgiveness. They had not received the heart of God. God, who knew this heart of theirs, did not rid them of the fiery serpents, but told Moses, “Make a brass serpent, set it upon a pole, and

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

everyone who looks upon it, shall live.” There were 600,000 grown Israelite males plus women and children in the wilderness, and only one brass serpent was made. It must not have been easy traveling long distances to look upon the brass serpent. But if one has faith that he will be healed by looking upon the brass serpent, he will go whether the distance is 2 miles or 4 miles. But people without faith would say, “Cut the nonsense! You get bitten by a fiery serpent, and you are saved if you look upon a brass serpent? Nonsense!” and believe in their own thoughts.

They cannot look upon the brass serpent for healing.

Throwing Your Thoughts Away for They Are Evil We are truly dirty and wicked people. Satan has continually placed lustful, deceitful, and wicked hearts inside of man after Adam and Eve sinned. Thus, such hearts continually spring forth in us. People who go to church without the heart of God think, “Never leave during the service,” and they comfort themselves for having such hearts. Then they say, “Holy God, I have come before you to have service. Receive the service I give before you!” Therefore, although they appear holy during church services, they revert back to their pitiful, wicked hearts as soon as the services are over. They then repent again during the next Sunday service, saying, “Lord, forgive me,” and continue living this life.

There is something God wants to teach us. It is that our hearts are filled with wickedness, and therefore must be thrown away as a whole.

Your thoughts must be thrown away. Your thoughts are connected with Satan’s thoughts and through those thoughts, Satan continually inserts evil. As a result, we wind up only committing evil regardless of our own will. We can only have dirty and filthy thoughts. However, God leads us to throw our thoughts away, but we are unable to throw them away.

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You cannot go to heaven through doing something well yourself, but only through the merit of what God has accomplished without cost Who Seeks Grace?

The Korean War occurred when I was young. Many people starved after the war. Once, when we were having breakfast at our home, we heard a strange sound outside the gate. I thought, “What is that sound?” and went outside, but there was nothing there. As we were eating again, we heard another strange sound. Later, I saw that a friend of mine from my class had come to get some food. He was so hungry he came over to receive some food, but he felt so ashamed that he could not say a word.

He could only make, “ugh,” noises. He would then hide when we went out. Later, my friend told me that in the beginning, he felt so ashamed that he could not ask for food. But after a day or two, he said that he was able to. It was difficult back then because there was no food.

Who enjoys begging? Who would leave food at home to go out to beg? People beg when they are hungry because they have starved for days.

No one begs because they enjoy begging. You go to heaven by begging.

You cannot go to heaven through doing something well yourself, but only through the merit of what God has accomplished without cost. But people who can do well by themselves try to go to heaven through their own righteousness: they never seek the grace of God. Even though they seek, they have the heart, “I only need to do well,” and people with such a heart can never receive the grace of God. Cain failed while he was trying to do his best. His goodness and his righteousness ran out. It was revealed that he was an evil sinner. Such people go to Jesus to seek grace like one begging for food because it has

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

become impossible for them to become holy through their own methods.

This is the way it was with the thief on the cross, the woman taken in adultery, and with Matthew, the publican. The people who received grace in the Bible received it in this manner.

I’ve Had It! Trying to go to heaven through your own good deeds results in a spiritual life that is completely different from your failing and entering heaven solely through the grace of Jesus. There is a tremendous difference between what you do and what Jesus does.

Once, I was preaching at a conference and there was a lady sitting in the back. People were going home after the conference ended, but this woman remained, sitting in her chair wearily. I approached her and said, “Hello?” and she was startled. I asked, “Are you satisfied with your spiritual life?” and she said, “Pastor, I’m exhausted! I’ve had it! I’ve reached my limit!” This lady was exhausted and had reached her limit because she had tried to do everything by herself. Would she have reached her limit if God was doing everything? It is easy to have your sins washed away when God washes them away. It is very easy to become clean and pure if God does it.

That is so with the Bible. It does not work for the prodigal son no matter how hard he tries to live a clean life in the pigpen. He could not have accomplished it no matter how hard he tried, but it was accomplished very easily when the father did everything, even though the son was doing nothing. “Heat the bath water and bathe him. Take off his dirty rags and put the best clothes on him. Put shoes on his feet. Kill the fatted calf.” The son changed each time his father said something. It was not through his own effort and labor that he became clean, but it was through his father’s.

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Jesus has received the wages for our sins and washed us spotlessly clean of our sins, making us righteous Becoming clean through your own zeal is completely different from God cleansing you. What you do appears as if it will go well, but it ultimately fails, and leaves you exhausted, tired, and full of pain. And the results always end in filth. On the other hand, it is very easy and peaceful when God works.

I Am Righteous!

I say, “All of my sins have been washed as white as snow. I am justified and sanctified!” People are amazed when they hear this. Some people argue and ask me, “You don’t sin?” This is what I tell them.

“I was truly an evil, dirty sinner. But the Lord has washed my sins away.

I have no doubt that God sent His son, Jesus Christ, to this earth and He has washed me white as snow. That is what the Bible says. I have memories of committing sins, doing evil, and living a filthy and dirty life. But the loving Lord has abundantly paid for those sins that I remember. In Isaiah, it says that the Lord has paid double for all the sins I have committed. I have become holy through the grace of the Lord because the Lord has received double the punishment for the sins I have committed. I am justified.”

Some people say to me, “How arrogant! Who’s righteous? The Bible said that there is no righteous, no not one!” There is no one who is righteous to begin with. All are sinners, but those cleansed by Jesus are righteous. The Bible often speaks of the righteous.

For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: (Psalms 1:6) The just shall live by faith. (Romans 1:17) The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16) There is no one that does not sin. But Jesus has received the wages 45

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

for our sins and washed us spotlessly clean of our sins, making us righteous. We become clean if Jesus cleanses us. Would Jesus wash sins halfheartedly? Housewives may do dishes halfheartedly and leave some stains, but Jesus has completely washed our sins whiter than snow. My sins have been washed through the blood of the cross.

This is not something we have done. We have nothing of which to boast. The Lord bestowed His grace upon us, but people who think that they can do well cannot receive grace. Many people are too busy and lost trying to do good themselves, but filthy people who cannot do good deeds can look to the cross of the Lord.

The Passover Is upon Us as Well Cain realized precisely that all of his actions were useless, and that there was nothing more he could do. He saw himself and he could only be destroyed. He gave up on himself and called out to God. “I have many sins, and my punishment is greater than I can bear!� That is when God worked.

And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. And the Lord said unto him, therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. (Genesis 4:13~15) God gave Cain a clear mark that would not allow anyone to kill him.

There was a mark on house after house in Exodus chapter 12. Death did not come upon the houses that had the mark. But that night, an angel visited every house in Egypt and killed all the firstborn males in the houses without the mark. But the angel did not enter the houses that

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Jesus has received the wages for our sins and washed us spotlessly clean of our sins, making us righteous

had blood on the two side-posts and the upper post of the door. It was because death had already come upon that house.

I have done wickedness and am a filthy person. That is why the angel of death comes looking for me with a sword to put me to death. But I have a mark. The blood of Jesus Christ that was shed on the cross! “I have already been killed. I have already been punished for sin. The punishment for my sin has been paid. My sins had already been taken care of when Jesus was crucified.” The blood of Jesus, who died for my sins on the cross, is upon the door posts of my heart.

I have many memories of hitting my friends, stealing, lying, and committing many other sins. But the Lord was punished for every single one of those many sins and He has purified me. It is not that I have done anything good, but all of my sins have become as white as snow through the Lord’s grace. I have become clean and holy. I cannot put into words how thankful I am.

God gave Cain a mark! God did not give the mark only to Cain, but also to my heart. Jesus shed His blood on the cross! That blood has become the mark that says all of my sins have been punished, and judgment can no longer come upon me. The destruction that I was to receive, the curse that I was to receive, everything that I was to go through, the Lord has already received on the cross. That is why I cannot be cursed and destroyed. I have accepted, by faith, the work Jesus has accomplished within my heart.

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God gave us the mark of salvation so that we may escape death just as He gave a mark to Cain.

Curse and death can no longer come upon me now. It is because the punishment for all of my sins is over with. The angel went from house to house the day the Israelites escaped from Egypt and killed the firstborn males, but passed by the houses with blood on them.

“Judgment has already come upon this house. Destruction has already visited this house.” This Passover is upon us as well.

“I have committed many sins, but those sins have already been punished. Jesus received all the punishment for my sins on the cross.

I may sin, but it is no longer punishable because the punishment has already been received. Sin has lost its power.”

We can go to God by faith. God gave us the mark of salvation so that we may escape death just as He gave a mark to Cain. I hope you all will receive the mark, not by your own goodness but through believing in the grace of the Lord.

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Gospel Lesson

The Blind Man Who Couldn’t Even Want Pastor Kim Sung Hoon | Hanbat Central Church

To us who are locked inside of the flesh, God wants to show us a different world, not a world that this flesh has seen or heard of. He wants to take your heart out of your flesh and move it to a different place. That is why He has given you the Bible.

When we see people in North Korea, we consider them to be pitiful. Since they do not have food to eat, they overcome the crisis of death to cross into China. However,

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many North Koreans do not consider themselves to be such pitiful people. Why is this so? It is because they have never seen a different world, a world better than North Korea. Because they are deceived by Kim Il Sung, they think of themselves to be in an earthly paradise. And so, they think, “Paradise is like this, so how would South Korea be like? It must be so miserable.”

People only know of the world that they’ve experienced. They do not know about another world so they are unable to gain from it.

A blind sister who attends our church recently was introduced to someone for marriage. The brother who she was introduced to was also blind from birth. They

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Gospel Lesson

People who don't know what seeing is cannot even have a heart to want to see.

both have to meet each other to marry, but how could they? Since they could not see, we had them touch each other’s face and each other’s hands. We also had them talk to each other a lot. When they talked about the hardship in their life, there were many tears shed.

The sister said, her parents had tried to kill her.

They had her and discovered that she was blind, so they put her in a room and didn’t feed her for three or four days to kill her. But she didn’t die. The sister didn’t even have any idea why her parents were doing that to her. She thought that everyone could not see just like herself. When she went to elementary school she heard that people could see, and became very curious.

We have another blind brother at our church, but his eyes grew dim when he was refereeing a baseball game and the ball hit one eye and that eventually made the other eye blind as well. He slowly lost his vision and now he can barely see.

However, he really wants to see again because he has seen before.

People who don’t know what seeing is cannot have a heart to want to see. How pitiful is this? One day, Jesus went to Bethsaida and people brought a blind man to Him. They asked him, “Teacher, please make this blind man see.” The blind man always had to be led by someone else. How different would his life have been if he was healed?

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If he sought for Jesus he would have immediately been able to see, but the blind man could not say, “Jesus, I want to see.” Why? Because he was blind since birth, he didn’t know the world of seeing. He could not ask to see because he has never seen before. This is why someone who could see held his hand and brought him before Jesus.

People are the same way because they have never seen the world of faith or the world of God before.

They cannot go in front of the Lord and say, “Lord, I want to see the world of God. Lord, please wash my sins.” If they go out in front of the Lord and seek His help, a new world would be opened to them, but they cannot even ask.

What Have I To Do With Thee?

Let’s look at John Chapter 4 Verse 9.

In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. (John 4:9,10) Jesus was waiting for the Samaritan woman next to the well. He knew that this woman would come. This woman knew nothing as she came to the well, and just as usual to quench her thirst, she put down her bucket to draw water. At that time, Jesus asked for some water. He did not say this because He wanted to drink some water.

If you continue to read this story, it doesn’t say that Jesus

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Gospel Lesson

Gadarenes Gadarenes is one of the names used to designate the place where Jesus healed two demoniacs. The miracle referred to took place, without doubt, near the town of Gergesa, the modern Kersa, close by the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Above a Byzantine monastery at Kursi, a chapel was discovered in the hills, believed to commemorate the healing of the man described in Mark chapter 5 who lived in the caves of Decapolis territory.

drank the water that the woman gave him. The reason why Jesus asked was first to teach her that she was an empty person who had nothing to give.

Jesus wanted to point out, “I have the true water to give to you.” He started to speak to her as He spoke about water to reveal her empty heart.

What did she say at that time? “Teacher. Aren’t you a Jew? Why are you, who is a Jew, asking me, who is a Samaritan, for a drink?”

Jesus’ clothes and outer appearance showed He was a Jew. That was why the women thought He was just another Jew. She judged by appearance.

Because Jews did not interact with Samaritans, she thought, “What does He have to do with me?”

She thought that Jesus, who came for her, who walked His tired body to her because He loved her, did not have anything to do with her. How did this thought come to her heart?

Let’s look at Mark Chapter 5.

And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he had come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit (Mark 5:1,2) Here, Jesus crossed the sea to Gadarenes. Mark Chapter 4 Verse 35 says, “And the same day, when the evening had come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side.” The place where Jesus told his disciples to cross the sea unto was the place

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that appears in chapter 5 verse 1, Gadarenes.

Why did Jesus have to come this way? There was a demon-possessed person there. Jesus went to the region of Gadarenes with a purpose to meet the demon-possessed person. A person who is demonpossessed cannot move on their own will, but rather is lead by satan. This man was possessed by the legions demon.

Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones.

(Mark 5:3-5) This was what the demon made him do. There are many different types of demons but people are often unknowingly led by demons. If I tell people to come to early morning service, they never come but if money tells them to come out at 4 AM they will come.

If money says they will meet them, they could stay up all night. People who gamble don’t even know they are pulling an all-nighter when they gamble. They are led by money. Just like this, we have long been led by powers that we did not even know. Jesus went to that place to lead the man, who was controlled by demons.

Let’s look at verse 6.

But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped

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Gospel Lesson

The Woman at the Well The Samaritan woman at the well is a figure from the Gospel of John, in John 4:4–26. The woman at the well came to draw water at the hottest part of the day, instead of the usual morning or evening times, because she was shunned and rejected by the other women of the area for her immorality.

Jesus knew this and still and purposefully went to meet her by the well of Jacob.

him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not.

(Mark 5:6-7) The demon saw that Jesus had come and it came to worship him and asked, “What have I to do with thee?” Satan put these words into this man to keep him from meeting Jesus. The thought that satan puts into man is, “Jesus has nothing to do with me.”

Once again, we will go to John chapter 4, back to what the woman had said.

“How is it that thou, being a Jew, asks drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?”

In this women’s heart as well, she thought she had nothing to do with Jesus. She had the heart of, “Jesus and I have nothing to do with each other.” Jesus truly came for her and loves her.

This was not a heart that she made herself, it was a thought Satan had given her. Jesus continued to speak to the women. He went into her heart.

Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (Mark 5:10) If the blind man comes to Jesus and asks to be able to see, then there will be a whole new world opened to him. This woman as well, if she went to Jesus and asked, “Lord, give me the living water.”

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If one knows Jesus precisely, then one has no choice but to believe in Him.

Jesus would have given her the water that would never let her thirst again. However, this women did not know. She didn’t even know the heart to seek from Jesus. Maybe, Jesus’ heart in John chapter 4 verse 10 would have been very pitiful. “I see you cannot even seek from me!”

The Samaritan woman did not know Jesus. In John chapter 17 verse 3, it says, “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” In the Bible, it doesn’t say “believe” in eternal life, but it uses the word “know.” Jesus did not tell us to believe, but to know. Why can you not believe in Jesus and God? It is because we are ignorant about Jesus and it is reason of distrust. If one knows Jesus precisely, then one has no choice but to believe in Him. However, Satan makes it so that people cannot turn their eyes to Jesus. Jesus, who is the creator, is standing in front of the woman, but the woman is not able to ask for the living water. It is such a pity.

The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? (John 4:11) When Jesus said He was going to give living water, the woman thought, “If you want to give me some water from this well, then you need a vessel, but you don't have one. So how are you going to get the water?”

Is it the living water or the well water that He wants to give her? It is the living water that Jesus wants to give her, which is outside of her thoughts.

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Gospel Lesson

If Jesus tells us, "I will give you living water," it means that al the conditions to receive the living water are met.

The women heard the words of Jesus within her own thoughts. Even though people are foolish, they hear the word of Jesus within their own thoughts. That is why the words of Jesus does not make sense. The Word comes into their hearts as a misunderstanding.

So, if you want the water, what condition do you need? First, you need someone to draw the water, and also you need a bucket to draw the water with. Likewise, we have the thought that in order to gain something, we need to have a condition.

In order for us to be happy, we think that we need the conditions to be happy. We think, “If this and this happens, won't I be happy? Won't I be joyful?�

When we live our lives, we think about everything inside what the flesh has experienced.

What God wants to give us is not those sorts of things. God created us so that there is no need to meet a condition. When does a person fall into despair? Before, I spoke about my son. The doctor told me that my son would not live. In other words, there was no condition that my son could live. In order for my son to live: his illness should not be terminal, there should be medicine that can overcome the disease, there has to be a doctor who can apply the medicine well... In this manner, we need many conditions to have hope to live. When we don't have hope, man falls into despair.

However, God does not work like that. God

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can make something when there is nothing.

Inside of the words that He speaks all conditions are met. If Jesus tells us, "I will give you living water," it means that all the conditions to receive the living water are met. But, this woman looked for a condition to receive the living water. We, just like this woman, have the heart to look for the conditions for such a long time until now. It is because we lived a life being ruled by the flesh and we are inside of the flesh.

The condition for God to work is inside of God. With your eyes, you cannot see it. That is why we just accept it. But the Samaritan woman, in her own thoughts, thought about Jesus, "Wait, how is He going to give me the living water? He doesn't even have a vessel to draw. Does it make sense to say that He will give me living water?" Currently, the thoughts of the woman is so far from the world that Jesus is speaking about.

We see that our thoughts and the thoughts of Jesus are formed so differently. What happened to the Samaritan woman to form that heart in her?

Pastor Kim Sung Hoon is currently the senior pastor at Han Bat Church. This is the sermon that he preached at the 29th Summer Retreat, titled, “For the Lost Souls�

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Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

W

hile I was ministering in Geochang, I received a message from the ministers who trained us, saying, “Come to Daegu.” I was told on Thursday to come by the following Monday, and I had to pray for the travel expenses. Friday and Saturday passed, but there was no answer from God. After Sunday service, I announced that I will not be at church due to my trip to Daegu. It was obvious to announce my upcoming absence, but I was thinking, “If the congregation knows that I’ll be leaving to Daegu, wouldn’t they give me some travel expenses?”

However, everyone went home after service and I received nothing.

I prayed all night long, but I didn't have any travel money, even as I 60

I Know

Testimony of Pastor Ock Soo Park

walked out of the chapel in the morning. I had to walk a long distance from Jangpali, all the way to the town of Geochang. On the way to Geochang lived a brother who was the church treasurer. As I got closer to his house, many thoughts raced through my mind.

“Oh hey, brother, I have to get to Daegu, but I have no travel money.”

“Oh, minister, you should’ve told me earlier. Here you go.”

While I was thinking of such a scene, another thought came up, “I’m a servant of God. How can I seek help from people?” I even pictured that brother recognizing me first and saying, “Oh, minister, you’re going to Daegu, right? Come in and have a cup of coffee. By the 61

Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

way, do you have travel money?” That too, was depending on people.

I felt that as a person who will have to rely on God for the rest of his life, if I looked to people for help for such small problems, that would not be a life of faith. I set my heart to think, “If I don’t have travel money, I’ll walk. If I can’t go, then that’s too bad. I won’t rely on people.” All nervousness and troubles disappeared and I felt at peace. Ultimately, I decided not to pass by that brother’s house and I intentionally went around.

Walking further past the brother’s house, I saw that the bus to Daegu was slowly coming towards me. I was troubled, thinking “Should I stop that bus?” But the bus stopped in front of me and the doors opened.

Nobody was behind me, so I figured it stopped for me and I got on.

As soon as I got on the bus, someone called out from one side, “Hey, Minister Park, hurry, come.” It turned out to be one of the older sisters of our church.

“Come sit next to me. So you’re going to Daegu?”

“Yes, I’m headed to Daegu.”

While I was speaking to the sister, the bus attendant came to me with a pen and bus ticket in her hands. When I said, “I…have no bus fare,” the sister said, “I know,” and paid for my fare. That sister was single and she made her living by sewing. A few times a year, she would go to the countryside to visit her mother. She told me that her mother was so poor that each time she visited her, she would give the rest of her salary to her mother aside from her bus fare. But strangely that day, she had taken the money out for her mother, and then put it back in her wallet. On the bus, she was thinking, “Why didn’t I give my mother the money? Am I becoming stingier as I age? What’s wrong with me?” While she was regretting this, she had seen me walking in Geochang. At that moment, she thought, “Ah! God did this so I could 62

give Minister Park his bus fare!” and said, “Driver, please stop the bus.

Someone needs to get on!” She explained why the bus stopped and how I got on.

Once we arrived at Daegu, I said “Goodbye now,” but she said, “Don’t go” and invited me to her home for lunch. I was also able to eat a plateful of sticky rice cakes, which are my favorite. Although I don’t know where she got it, she slid some money into my jacket pocket. She then sent me off, saying, “I know it’s difficult living in the countryside, right? Doing God’s work isn’t easy.”

Before going to sleep that night, I realized this as I was praying, “God listened to my prayer and prepared the fare through that sister!” If I had gone to the treasurer brother’s house, the bus would have left. Then not only would I have been unable to receive everything that God had prepared for me, but I would have also resented God for not listening to my prayer. I felt that things could have gone very wrong.

It was a small experience, but through it, I deeply realized that God is always preparing and working for me. Even after that incident, there were many times while doing the work of God, when I nearly starved or went through hardships from having no money. But I never showed this to the congregation and prayed only to God. Each time, God listened to every prayer.

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