The Goodnews - June, 2015

JUNE 2015

DELIVERING THE GOSPEL & THE TESTIMONIES OF GRACE

Salvation Testimony

I Came to Accept the Truth into My Heart

A Letter From...

From Bondage to Freedom

Special Articles

East and West Silver Camp

Partaking in the Promise

of 500 Churches - Orlando

About the Cover All the members of the Gracias Choir felt that it was not them who were singing on the stage but it was God who made them sing. Judges and audiences were amazed by their performances and complemented saying their singing was in perfect harmony and was so beautiful like angels. The servant of God said that the choir is the best choir in the world since its beginning. This is because the choir sings only for the gospel and their sound comes from the heart. It delivers life to people, bringing thankfulness and glory to God who fulfills the promise of the servant.

(Photo: Gracias Choir singing in the 14th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf. Photo by Jong Hun Lee)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

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Monthly Sermon

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If Any Man Will Come After Me, Let Him Deny Himself

Salvation Testimony

I Came to Accept the Truth into My Heart

Special Article 14

Gracias Choir Awarded 1st Prize

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West Coast Silver Camp

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East Coast Silver Camp

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New York Times

I Am Righteous Because Jesus Justified Me

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Partaking in the Promise of 500 Churches - Orlando

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Memoirs of a Missionary

Man is Formed By God's Providence

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A Letter From... From Bondage to Freedom

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Gospel Lesson Come Back!

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Preaching the Gospel to Ends of the Earth

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Just Begin the Bible Story

Church Directory 3

This Month's Sermon

If Any Man Will Come After Me, Let Him Deny Himself Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24) “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

(Luke 9:23) The First Condition to Follow Jesus is to Deny Yourself

In reading Matthew chapter 16, verse 24, Jesus said, “Let him deny himself. These words are not only in the Gospel of Matthew, but it is also written in the Gospel of Luke. When the time comes for us to follow Jesus, the first condition is to deny ourselves.

“Isn’t it good to trust myself? The only one who has been with me my whole life is me, if I don’t trust myself, then who would I trust?”

Perhaps there is someone who may retort like this. But when we look into the Bible, we can discover that the image of man described in the Bible is someone who cannot be trusted.

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The reason is because we do not live just following our thoughts, but at times Satan leads our hearts. It may seem like we make judgments and plans, but realistically, we often follow the thoughts Satan had placed inside us. That is why when we trust in ourselves, as a result, we go in a direction that goes against God and commit a great sin that we cannot fathom. That is why Jesus says to deny himself.

How Could They Stone to Death Jehoiada’s Son, Zechariah?

In the Old Testament, it talks about a character named King Joash. His father was Ahaziah, and when Ahaziah died, his mother Athaliah wanting to become king herself, killed all the remaining descendants of Ahaziah. At that time, Ahaziah’s sister Jehoshabeath with her husband Jehoiada the priest, hid one of the king’s sons. Joash who was born last became the prince. They hid and raised Joash in the temple for six years.

In the seventh year, when Joash was around seven years old, Jehoiada the priest, establishes Joash as king with an elaborate plan. When Athaliah heard the noise of the king being exalted and went to the temple, she saw the king standing next to the pillar and the people rejoicing sounding the trumpets. Athaliah yelled, “Treason!” but in the end she was slain.

An immature seven year old king cannot administer politics well, but through the teaching of the high priest Jehoiada, he peacefully governed the nation. Additionally, he poured his heart toward God and Joash became a good king. But after many years, Jehoiada dies and the king did whatever he wanted and he became corrupt. He went against God and began to worship other gods and caused more and more difficulties for the nation.

Then, Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, chastised Joash for having 5

forsaken God and advised him to return back to God. But King Joash stoned to death Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, who saved him and helped him to be king and govern over Israel well. Although man may seem to be good and pure in some parts, if he heads towards evil, he can be very evil. How could he stone to death Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, who saved him from death and established him as king and lead him to govern over his nation?

The Devil Placed the Thought to Betray Jesus Inside the Heart of Judas Iscariot

When we commit evil, most of the time an evil spirit leads us to gravitate towards evil and it deceives us. When reading John chapter 13, before Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus, the Bible states that the devil placed inside the heart of Judas Iscariot the thought to betray Jesus.

We are often led by the thoughts of Satan, therefore we cannot consider all the thoughts that rise up within us to be right. Even if I have been doing well up until now, regarding the thoughts I have inside, I must open the Bible and observe, “Did this come from God? Is it God’s will?” and verify the will of God in order to proceed. If we don’t distinguish between my thoughts and the thoughts of God and if we just follow our thoughts, then we may commit evil following the thoughts Satan has placed inside us when hardships or difficulties come upon us.

We cannot understand how Judas Iscariot could take part in Jesus who is the son of God, to be crucified on the cross. It is because Satan is very cunning that however nice or honest a person maybe, he can change them with his cunning wisdom 6

and make them go against God. We Have to Think Deeply About What We Are Capable Of

Satan often places thoughts inside of us which are not our thoughts. When I see people following those thoughts they go against God and against people who would bestow grace upon them. In the Bible, there are many stories like this.

In reading Matthew 21, there are husbandmen for the vineyard. These husbandmen did not have land of their own and lived in hardship, but from the moment the owner of the vineyard entrusted the vineyard to them, they lived in wealth and joy through the harvest that came from the vineyard. But one day the husbandmen beat and killed the servants who were sent by the vineyard owner to collect rent. The owner again sent many more servants, and they did the same to them, and in the end they committed evil by even killing the owner’s loving son.

This kind of evil is not committed by evil people. No matter how good you may be, if you accept Satan’s impulses and are led by him, then those thoughts flow to only one side. Likewise, when he is dragged by the thoughts of Satan, little by little, he will go against God and go against the church and the servant of God. When we are dragged by the thoughts of Satan, we think we are right and unknowingly we commit evil and often we become the main character of a tragedy.

King Joash killed Jehoiada’s son, Zechariah, who saved him.

How could he do that? What we have to think deeply about it that we are all capable of it as well. Anyone is susceptible to follow the thoughts that pop up, and Satan changes those thoughts little by little that you become more than capable of going against God and to go against the church.

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They May Not Trust Others, But There Is Hardly Anyone Who Does Not Trust Themselves

The Bible tells us, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.” For me to deny myself is a very hard task.

Some people are doubtful of their wives and some doubt their husbands. Some people cannot trust their parents and some people distrust their friends. There are many people like this.

Some are unable to trust their wives, husbands, parents, or friends, there are many people who have fallen into doubt, but there is almost no one who distrusts themselves. Most people often just follow their thoughts and live by them.

Regarding the thoughts that rise up inside us, we must go beyond our point of view and examine them with the people around us, and open the Bible and examine them with the scripture. If we don’t, then we will think the thoughts that Satan has placed inside as our thoughts and follow them and endure such a tragic incident like Judas Iscariot, and only but commit such evil like Joash.

Satan is more wise and cunning than we think. That is why we must not trust ourselves. With each and every thought that rises up inside of us, we have to examine them to see if they are biased or not and if those thoughts fit with the scripture.

I Can follow Jesus Only By Denying Myself

Jesus said “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself.” My thoughts are different from the thoughts of Jesus, which means I cannot follow Jesus by following my thoughts.

The Lord’s words state, “My thought are not your thoughts.”

There are times we commit evil being influenced by a bad friend or by a fraud, but what is more important is that when 8

we accept the thoughts Satan has given us as our thoughts and follow them, we often fall into iniquities. People who gave their bodies and hearts to serve the Lord, turned against the church and the servant of God. It is because they are deceived by the thoughts Satan has placed inside them.

Whatever thoughts they may be, we must not trust in ourselves and examine, “Are these thoughts accurate?� I must doubt myself and must know for sure if I am inside the will of God. Only by doing this we can follow the Lord. By distrusting ourselves and denying our thoughts, and by following the guidance of the scripture, we can become precious servants who do the work of God. People say they serve God, but there are many who follow their thoughts. That is why Jesus said to deny himself. We are unable to serve the Lord by following our thoughts, only by denying ourselves we can follow the Lord.

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

I Came to Accept the Truth into My Heart Christopher Garcia Good News Manhattan Church

I grew up in church and heard about Jesus and about God’s grace from a young age, but, at the same time, I was subconsciously believing that after salvation it was my job to stay saved by doing good. As I grew older and difficulties in my family began to happen, I started to seek avenues of relief from stress and fell into carnal sin. After leaving to join the military with a good works mentality which was emphasized by military life, I found myself in stress and sin grew greater. When I returned home, I became a Sunday school teacher. I was a hypocrite and the question, “If God saves, why doesn’t He save me from my sin?” began to torture me. I eventually left church completely. I did not bother with spiritual life for a long time.

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I had only just reconciled with the Lord about a month when I was stopped on the street by a pastor who was handing out information about the Bible Crusade and I was asked if I was free from sin. In my heart, there was a fear that my faith would not last because of my sin.

I was not sure that I was truly saved or free from sin. I was never sure about my salvation because of my struggle with lust. I felt like a liar and a hypocrite because I would teach people that Christians are dead to sin so we are not supposed to sin but I couldn’t stop sinning myself.

I would also be told we cannot help but be sinners in church but that never made sense to me because the scripture says, "Christians are not sinners." This eventually led me to indulge in my lustful desires and

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Salvation Testimony

leave church. In this state, I would often blame God for not making things clear and doubt He even existed. However, eventually the emptiness and bondage of sin had me angry and I wanted to seek Him again. I was empty because I could not be satisfied. Instead of filling a hole in my heart, it only made it deeper and the bondage brought on my guilt and condemnation continually. I was not free.

I told the pastor that the Bible says that Christians are dead to sin but that I didn’t understand this because I still considered myself a sinner for I still sinned. He told me about how darkness cannot be removed but only light can make darkness vanish. I understood but still thought my salvation was uncertain because of sin. I believed my sins were forgiven but not if I continued committing sin. When he told me how Jesus healed people by His Word, I told him I understood that Jesus is the truth. If I abide in His Word, I am set free but it didn’t seem like I was free because I still wanted to sin. He told me how Jesus forgave the sins of a crippled man and called him a son before He healed him. I began to tear up and get emotional. He invited me to the Bible Crusade and I thanked him and left.

At the Bible Crusade, many times I could not concentrate on the message because of the many thoughts going through my mind. Thoughts like, “Is this really the Gospel?” “Can I trust this?” “I really want to leave and have a drink. I’m just going to end up where I was before.” and other trivial thoughts like wondering how long the service was going to take because I was hungry or tired. However, I was begin-

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ning to understand the Father’s heart and how without Him I am nothing and can do nothing like the earth which was in void and darkness. The Father’s light is what brings forth fruit. The fellowship after the messages had a great impact on me. Being shown in the Bible how I have trusted myself to obtain salvation helped me to see the Father’s heart more and more. I shared things that I would not have the confidence to share were it not for the grace of God that I saw in the people who fellowshipped with me. I also learned about the sacrifice for the common people and how it symbolizes the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. I learned how I have been made holy through Jesus who died once for all my sins and perfected me. I still sinned and would share this during fellowship and was told that my identity in Christ was someone who was perfected and free from sin.

It did not matter if my flesh sinned, it was paid for on the cross and my flesh was crucified on the cross and is dead. I began to receive the promise of salvation by the grace of God throughout the Bible Crusade.

During the Bible seminars I learned even more about how my heart is sinful but that God gives me His heart and how He makes me to be like Him by His grace. Abraham did not always trust God but God gave him grace and Abraham believed. Grace saved Abraham, the father of faith. Abraham would sin and be fearful even after God showed his faithfulness and God would redeem him. When Abraham saw the Father’s heart, he believed. God’s grace saved me and the Lord my God has redeemed me. I do not have the power to save myself. Only He can save and change me and, by the blood of Jesus, I am forgiven and made a son. No matter what my flesh does, I am perfected. I am washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.

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Special Article 2015 International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf

Gracias Choir

Awarded 1st Prize Gracias Choir Blows the Audience Away All eyes were on the Gracias Choir at the International Chamber Choir Competition in Marktoberdorf. The world’s best choirs came to compete in the International Chamber Choir Competition from May 21st to May 26th in Marktoberdorf, Germany.

On the first day the Gracias Choir performed five pieces one of which was “Blessed art thou” by Rachmaninov. At the end of each song, the audience was shocked and whispers of awe echoed throughout. After the final song had finished, a powerful and warm round of applause came bursting out. The audience members 14

were saying that had to stay until the end of the competition to hear them again and some people simply exclaimed, “Five Stars,” “Perfect,” “Magical,” or “Amazing.”

The members of the Gracias Choir thanked God for helping them sing in one perfect voice.

“We sang in a way that we had never sung before. We felt an emotion that we had never felt before. Some of us even shed tears after the performance.” (Tenor Tae Hyung Kim) “Even though we were singing, the song touched our hearts and it felt actually like the music took control.” (Tenor Ji Hyuk Shin) “I am so thankful to have this opportunity, it felt like God was alive and was standing next to me, singing along.” (Alto Uh Ddum Oh) Many people grew more interested in the Gracias Choir as the day went on. In the evening, the choir was split into three different groups and they performed at Saint Anne’s Church. It was a beautiful European cathedral with high ceilings which magnified the beautiful sound of the Gracias Choir, the audience could not help but to admire their voices. As the third song ended, the audience began to shout, “Encore!” and when they began to stomp their feet, the Gracias Choir could not help but to sing one more song. Even after the end of the last song, everyone remained standing until the Gracias Choir exited the stage. The 15

Special Article 2015 International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf

competition’s best conductor sat in the first row of the concert and other choirs attended to witness the Gracias Choirs’ performances. The Gracias Choir was a big hit considering it was held at the hub of classical music.

On the second day, a lot more people gathered together and some even had to stand at the back. The Gracias Choir sang two songs; including “Gakseori Taryeong” and the audience at the back even recorded it. The audience held their breath for the entire performance and they were full of laughter seeing the Gakseori’s (Beggar) humorous motions. They gave a thunderous round of applause when the song finished.

The Marktoberdorf Choir Competition’s scale draws only the world’s best choirs and thousands came to witness the spectacle.

There were ten choirs competing in the mixed category and five choirs competing in the women’s category. In each category, there was a 3rd place, 2nd place, and 1st place prize. 75% percent of the competition took place on the first day, and the remaining 25% took place on the second day. It was a competition where there was no room to make mistakes.

The choir performed according to the level of world’s best 16

international choir. There were several choirs that performed at such a high level that it was difficult to distinguish their abilities.

Gracias Choir, awarded 1st place in 14th International Chamber Choir Competition Marktoberdorf Gracias Choir was awarded 1st place for mixed chorus, and another prize for romantic choral work at the world’s most prestigious Marktoberdorf International Choir Competition. The Gracias Choir was acknowledged for their world renowned skills being amidst performances by top-level choirs from all over the world. 2nd place for mixed chorus went to Oregon University Choir, and 3rd place went to choirs from Ukraine, USA, and Indonesia.

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Special Article West Coast Silver Camp

From May 12th to the 14th, the west coast Silver camp was held at the Desert Hot Springs. This camp was born with the objective of giving those who have less days ahead of them, a chance to live the rest of their lives happily through the Gospel.

For three days, the scheduled programs were early morning sermon, followed by morning sermon and group fellowship, hot spring baths, and then evening sermons. After the evening sermons, there was a time to share each other’s hearts through group fellowship. After hearing the Words, one person testified to say that she had lived a life like a tied donkey until now. She said she was so thankful to the church and the Pastors for inviting such an arrogant person like herself, who had been tied to Satan. One grandmother who had been in the church for over 18

West Coast Silver Camp 20 years testified, “Until now, I knew the Gospel, but I never believed it. Now, my sins are forever cleansed!” Hearing such testimonies gave us great joy as well. Additionally, a grandfather testified about how he thought he had done something for the church until now. However seeing how he had been living with his own thoughts, tied down to the circumstances and conditions, he said, “I realized that even the mere fact of my breathing is pure evil.” He additionally testified to say that he has now come to know that the church and the Word of God are his life.

The best part of the camp was getting into groups of five or six people for group fellowship. With the sharing of fellowship, members could think back about God’s initial love for them, 19

Special Coast Silver Camp Special Article Article West 2015 Pastoral Camp

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and reflect upon how much of an evil life they had lived. They have now discovered that living through the guidance of the servant of God and the church is the most happy and blessed way to live.

On the last day, there was united group fellowship. The meeting was initially supposed to last for 2 hours, so members could eat lunch, then depart, ending the camp. However, as one person after another began running out to grab the mic to give their testimonies, nobody could stop them. As a result, the meeting lasted four hours. The meeting had to be stopped for the program to come to an end.

This silver camp showed its members that those with the Gospel should not sit still, but should continue forward with faith for the Gospel until the ends of their days. We have great hope towards the Silver group of the west coast who will have great works of the Gospel brought out through them.

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Special Article West Coast Silver Camp

On a warm spring day, the Silver group of the East coast churches gathered together and left for the Saratoga spa camp. The Silver group always found themselves step or two behind in many of the church activities done in the church due to because of their old age, but this was a great chance for them to openly enjoy themselves. On the bus ride to Saratoga, everyone opened their hearts and shared their testimonies.

Some mentioned how difficult circumstances had almost kept them from coming, but testified to say how they received the heart of the Pastor and took a step forward. When the Pastor asked one sister to join the group going to Saratoga she said, “But I’m not in the Silver group.” But later on, she gave a testimony about how she came after receiving God’s heart. We were able to see how much God was happy with the Silver camp.

Having arrived at Saratoga in the afternoon, there was time to settle down into the rooms, set up the cafeteria, eat, and relax in the spa. Saratoga’s 22

East Coast Silver Camp spa is unlike other spas in that it contains more minerals which are famous for helping cure people suffering from eczema and other skin conditions.

Everyone was so thankful to be able to relieve their fatigue, heal their body’s weaknesses, and listen to the Word of God. In the evening, a meeting was held at the local Lutheran Church. Pastor Jun Eun Choi, the Emcee, told everyone that this is a place to shed their old age and become children. There was also time to enjoy simple dances, in which everyone enjoyed with child-like hearts. This dance time was a chance to unstiffen the body, forget all the worries back at home, and become a child in front of God. Even though not everyone was a great dancer, everyone was able to have a great time as they danced with a unified heart.

The guest speaker, Pastor Sang Rok Ryu from the Philadelphia church preached about the story of the rich man and the beggar in Luke 16. Through the Words that he preached, we were able to see God’s heart, who wanted 23

Special Article East Coast Silver Camp

to teach us His will and statutes. Also, we are able to see that God did not want us to live in a festival house, simply eating and enjoying ourselves, but wants us to live in a mourning house, where we can reflect upon and humble ourselves. Unlike the previous camps, this camp had a lot of group fellowship time. It was a great chance for brothers and sisters to break down into small groups to have deeper fellowship and share their testimonies.

One sister from the New York church gave a testimony about how she was always trapped in her thought, unable to overcome her limit, and thinking “I can’t do it,” because of her sickness. But through this Silver camp, she overcame that limit through God. Listening to her testimony, we were able to feel that the problems we think to be so big, are actually nothing when we share them with others. This could be a chance for God to work in our lives. Although we see each other at church all the time, it was not easy to share deep fellowship from the heart, but through this camp, listening to the testimonies made time fly. We were able to feel that God was happy with the camp as we saw everyone sharing their testimonies.

The following morning, everyone gathered at the front yard at a very early hour to do simple exercises such as clapping, making age groups, and stretching.

For the morning sermon, we heard the words of the Egyptian servant who was abandoned by the Amalekites. Through this story, we realized that Satan and the world tie us down to our efforts and eventually betray us, but God accepts us regardless of our conditions, and leads us in the most blessed way.

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On the second day, there was an exciting singing competition. Through this time, our hearts were moved from the songs of the world we used to sing, to a new song given to us by God. And on the last day, everyone boarded the bus early in the morning for the tour of the Niagara Falls. Once again on the bus ride, as people shared their final testimonies, we were once again able to forget our age and meet God. For those who had lived in the United States for a long time, but had not had the chance to visit the Niagara Falls, expressed their joy and their thankfulness to God and the church. Even after the tour, the bus ride home was full of testimonies and fellowship. As we had the evening service in the bus, we had a great time as we had a hopeful heart toward God who had worked and will continue to work inside of us.

Just like Pastor’s words that although there may be many silver colored heads in this church, there are no elderly people. We are thankful to God, who allowed us the most happy and blessed life to live for the Gospel until the very ends.

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

I Am Righteous Because Jesus Justified Me Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. But there went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of the ground. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. (Genesis 2:4~7)

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Regardless of how dirty I am, will I not be clean if the Lord cleanses me?

There are always two sides in the Bible: the work of God and the work of Satan. The work of God and the work of us man. The work of the father and the work of the prodigal son. . . . Last time, we spoke about the work that God does and the work we do. Opposing elements come together to accomplish things in the Bible. When electrical heaters are made, they are not only made of conductors that conduct electricity, but insulators that do not conduct electricity are used to make parts such as the frame and what not. So, conductors and nonconductors are used together to make electrical heaters.

To accomplish the great works of the salvation of God, the weaknesses, lacking, disgrace, and filthiness of man are needed. No matter how great the love and mercy of God, there would be nowhere to pour out His holiness or love if we were perfect and did not sin, if we acted righteously, or were holy like God. One needs to be ill to need a doctor, and one must sin to need a savior. If God is to be the savior that saves us from sin, then we must be people who commit sin. If we were perfect, not having committed any sins, we would not need the grace of God’s salvation in any way.

When we see ourselves floundering in sin and acting in an unrighteous manner, we can only become disappointed. But we have hope if we look to the Lord who sanctified such people as we. Most people, in their spiritual lives, look to themselves who are filthy and sinning rather than look to God. There is no one who can say, “I am righteous. I am holy. I am clean,” while looking at himself.

But just as the moon automatically radiates light when it looks upon the sun, although you are filthy, dirty, and evil, if you look to God, who has sanctified, justified, and purified you, you can say that you are holy, righteous, and pure. Regardless of how dirty you are, why would you not

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

be clean if God cleanses you? Regardless of how diseased you are, if God, who raised Lazarus from the dead, heals the disease, why wouldn’t you be healed? No matter how evil you are, why would you not be good if God makes you good?

That I am only evil is not problematic to God whatsoever

In Genesis chapter 2, verses 4 through 6 we read today, it says, These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created. Then it says, And every plant of the field before it was in the earth, and every herb of the field before it grew: for the Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground. It seems utterly impossible that a beautiful world would be made at this point. The earth was without form, it was void, and it was in deep darkness. It was without any plant life, people to till the ground, and there was no rain. It was truly despairing seeing this condition. However, from this nothingness, God began to work.

When God said, “Let there be light,” there was light. When He said, “Let the waters above the firmament divide from the waters below the firmament,” it was so. The oceans and the land were formed according to the words uttered by God. God told the earth to bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruittree yielding fruit. The earth then began to sprout, flowers bloomed, and fruit grew. God made the fish, the birds of the air, the sun, moon, stars, and man, as well. Was it a problem to God that there was nothing?

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No problem at all.

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep: (Genesis 1:1~2) Looking at this condition, what hope can be found? What is there in which to place any expectations? Hope cannot be placed upon the earth, which is in darkness, but in God. Because God began to work, the circumstances, that appeared as if nothing could be done, were not a problem in the slightest. This was also true with the prodigal son. It was so despairing to see the prodigal son in his filthy rags.

On the contrary, the father began to work, saying, “Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and shoes on his feet. Bring the fatted calf and kill it.” Then the desperate state of the prodigal son became nothing.

Everyone, God began to work on this earth that was without form, void, and in deep darkness, in which nothing could possibly be done, and changed it in such an amazing and beautiful way. Our hearts are this way.

“I’d better live as a good person and not sin. I’d better try to keep the law.”

How many times have you made up your mind, saying the same thing?

Haven’t you made up your mind over and over again, determined to not sin, regretted your sins, repented, and begged for forgiveness? I too have done this countless times. “Starting from this revival, I’m going to repent and live properly. I’m going to do this from the beginning of the New Year.

From this day forward. . . .” That is the same as the earth saying, “I’m going to make trees, make flowers blossom, and make light,” while it is in darkness. On its own, this could never be accomplished. However, since God said for there to be light, and it was He who created the grass and the flowers, it was possible. That is why there wasn’t a problem although the earth was dark. This is so amazing.

I remember going to Namhae, Korea one spring. The cherry blossoms

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

and the white flower petals had completely covered the entire road. “From where did the cherry tree get that clean, white color?”

It was so amazing. I once looked carefully at a rose, and noticed that the red color was so lovely and pretty. “Rose, where did you get that red color?” No matter how much one digs in the ground, there is no red color there, but the rose amazingly makes the red color. There is no red in the ground at all, but the rose has the ability to produce the red color and bloom red flowers.

How much more it is with God! There is no righteousness, holiness, or goodness in me; only evil. But I am a righteous person if Jesus makes me righteous. I become a holy person if Jesus makes me holy. I stand if Jesus establishes me. Joseph was a prisoner, but he became a governor overnight because God made him so. David was on the run, but God anointed him king one day, so he became king. God made Nebuchadnezzar behave like an animal, so the king turned into an animal. There is nothing God cannot do.

There is nothing for us to bear since Jesus bore the iniquities of us all

The process of the creation of heaven and earth is very similar to the process of our heart changing. It seems impossible for the earth to change inside of the darkness. However, if God works, what is impossible? All things are possible. That is how it is with your heart. You have no goodness although you try to do good deeds. You do not have the power to keep the law no matter how hard you try. You can only sin although you try not to. Everything is impossible when you try to do it by yourself. The only thing you’ll be able to say is, “I cannot do it!” and be in despair. Through what effort could the earth bring forth flowers?

With what effort could the earth make light? It is all impossible.

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However, if God works, the impossible is able to be done. In the beginning, when God created the heaven and the earth, the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep, and the spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. Much time had passed with the earth in darkness. One day, however, God gave light upon this earth, made flowers bloom there, bore fruit there, and to this day, the earth continues to bring forth flowers and bear fruit.

Everyone, this is also true with our heart. We try to achieve righteousness within ourselves, do good, and put in limitless effort to bear fruit that God can happily accept. You tried to become holy, truthful, and put in endless effort and labor. Nevertheless, it did not work. For thousands of years, from the dawn of creation until the coming of Jesus, not one human had been able to achieve goodness, righteousness, or holiness, nor had they been able to stand clean before God. However, the time for Jesus to work had come. Jesus began to work 2,000 years ago. God removed all of the sins we had, so that not even a single spot remains. Jesus washed away each and every sin that resided in man, and the sin of man disappeared. Just as it says in Isaiah chapter 53, verse 6, All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all, God has moved all of our sins onto Jesus, no matter how it may look to us.

Everything has moved onto Jesus. You have in your heart the memories of the sins you have committed, but that is just your memory. The Word of God says that your sins have all moved onto Jesus, and Jesus has borne them all. Jesus took our sins away, and in its place, poured all His holiness and righteousness onto us.

Within the words of Jesus is the power to fulfill those words

That is how it is with all the stories recorded in the Bible. In John

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

chapter 5, Jesus goes to the pool of Bethesda near the sheep market in Jerusalem one day. There was a man with an infirmity for 38 years lying there. He had strained for 38 years to be released from his disease. This is the same story of us straining to be released from the disease of sin.

The more he strained, the less it worked. I don’t know whether he had a wife or not, but his entire family abandoned him. All he had left was his disease-ridden body, lying at the pool of Bethesda, asking for alms from people.

Jesus came near the helpless man and said, “Wilt thou be made whole?” And he answered, “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.” If we think about these words, they may imply, “Jesus, why don’t you push me into the pool when the water is troubled before other people go in?” Jesus spoke to this helpless man: Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.

(John 5:8) Until now, this helpless man had no power to rise, pick his bed up, or walk.

He had surrendered the power to rise, pick his bed up, and walk, to the disease.

He had labored and tried to enter the water when it was troubled, but he could not because he had no power. He could not walk.

However, the words, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” left the lips of Jesus and entered the ears of the man with the infirmity for 38 years

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and entered his heart. Within the words of Jesus is the power to fulfill those words. The moment He said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” the words vibrated through the air, and not only echoed in the helpless man’s eardrums, but the power to make him rise, pick his bed up, and walk had already arrived in him as well. That helpless man was surely ill and could not walk in his own eyes. But from the moment the Lord’s words were heard, the power to make him stand and the power to defeat the disease had already entered him.

The helpless man had the ears to hear sound and the eyes to see things, but he did not have the eyes to see the power of God. He heard sounds, but he had no idea whether that power had come upon him or not. If he could not believe in the words of Jesus right then, but spoke through his own thoughts, he would have said, “Gee, sir, how can I walk? I cannot.

I’ve had this disease for 38 years. If I could walk, why would I be lying here? No, it’s not going to work,” and continue lying there.

God said in Romans chapter 8,

There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. . . . Romans 8:1 It means that condemnation in our heart has already disappeared. It says in Isaiah chapter 44, verse 22, I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. It means that your sins have already been forgiven. But everyone, when Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” the helpless man did not feel that the power to defeat the disease and walk had entered him. A person should not follow their own feelings in determining what their spiritual life is. Spiritual life is not about emotions and feelings, but simply receiving God’s word, as it is, into their heart.

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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

The holiness and the righteousness of God is already upon us

In the words we read today, Genesis chapter 2, verses 5 and 6, it seems as though nothing would work out. However, because God worked, seeds sprouted, flowers bloomed, and everything was accomplished beautifully. It is exactly the same with the man with the infirmity for 38 years being healed.

It seemed as if nothing would work out. His efforts could not work. He tried to move, but it did not work. He struggled to rise, but it did not work. Both his legs were also withered, and there was no hope at all. However, when Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” not only did the words proceed from the mouth of Jesus, but the power to fulfill those words also proceeded forth without the helpless man even knowing it, and cast out the disease that bound him for 38 years. The helpless man had already been made whole.

So it is with our salvation. It says in Hebrews chapter 10, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17) and it says, but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:11) It seems that his disease is not healed and that nothing has changed in the eyes of the man with the infirmity for 38 years. But just as the power of the word of Jesus made the helpless man whole, it may seem to me that I am filthy, dirty, and an evil sinner, but the holiness of God, the cleanliness of God, and the righteousness of God has already come upon me.

This cannot be verified with your feelings. When Jesus said to the man with the infirmity for 38 years, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” the power already went out from Jesus, but it could not be verified through the eyes or the feelings of the helpless man. When Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” he was already no longer a helpless man. When he simply believed in the words that Jesus said, he arose, took up his bed, and walked. If he continued to lie there, not believing even though the power had already come upon him, then he would only have continued living as a helpless man.

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ʻʻAnd their sins and iniquities will I remember no moreˮ Hebrews 10:17

However, since he arose by faith, he became the man that rose, took up his bed, and walked.

God said, And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more (Hebrews 10:17) and, there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus.

(Romans 8:1) Even though we may not feel it, we have already been made holy and righteous. Why? It is not because we do not sin, but because Jesus justified us.

That is why God calls us righteous. It is only that our eyes and our feelings are not able to confirm this Those who believe in god believe in the word of god rather than their own judgment

People do not believe in this Word of God, but in their experiences; their own judgment. That is why they say that they are sinners when they feel like sinners. When it seems that they are weak, they say that they are weak. They say that they are great when it seems that they are great. They live following their own judgment, and do not believe in God. However, people who believe in God believe in the Word of God rather than in their own judgment. No matter how it appears to you, if God says that you are righteous, then believe that you are, and if He tells you to rise, take up your bed, and walk, believe that you will walk. You should believe that the power of God fulfills all things that are impossible with man, having us stand on faith and in holiness.

Everyone, you cannot say that you are righteous or that you are holy if you are looking at yourself. But if you look to the cross of Jesus, you can believe that He has sanctified dirty and filthy humans like you. Then, you can dwell within the righteousness and holiness of God. And, you will become people of faith who can stand boldly before God.

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Promise Being Fulfilled: 500 Churches

Partaking in the Promise of 500 Churches - Orlando Minister Hojun Ki | Good News Orlando Church

God spoke through the servant that 500 churches will be established in the United States. The Bible says that a church is not just a building, it is a place where saved brothers and sisters come together in the will of God. More than anyone else, God wants the Gospel to be preached to those who are suffering because they have not heard the true Word yet. God has led thousands of people to hear the Word through many events such as the Bible Crusade, regional Bible Seminars, English Camps, World Camps, and Cantata Tour. This will be the first of many examples of the promise of God to establish the 500 churches throughout the United States.

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I

came to the United States as a missionary through the grace of God in December of 2010. It’s been over four years since, and when I look back at the time that I’ve spent here, I can recall God bestow His abundant grace unto me. I can also see how powerless I really am. I can strongly see that it is not I who is spreading the gospel in the U.S., but God working according to His promise.

As I continued to establish myself, the bank repossessed the church I’ve been living in and I wasn’t able to lead the hearts of the students. The more I tried to establish myself, the more difficulties I faced. It was during those times that God showed me how pathetic of a person I truly am. If not for the grace of God, I would not be able to stand on my own.

After the bank repossessed the former church, I began to look for a One day, the servant of God spoke new church. Through the grace of about God’s heart to establish 500 God, we were able to rent a church. churches in the U.S. and spread The pastor of that church accepted the gospel through these churches. us, and we started to have service Through my eyes, the Orlando at this new church. This was all Church is just a church that rents the grace of God. I can see it was a small house, but through the eyes God accepting me—a person who of the servant, 500 churches have has nowhere to go. Instead of realalready been established and the izing that I’m a person who can Orlando Church is under that same only live through the grace of God, I began to have the heart of somepromise. one who already received grace. I Truthfully, I’ve been living a life tried to establish myself, and was that was opposite the promise of caught up in trying to look good in God; a life of establishing myself. front of others. Ultimately, although

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Promise Being Fulfilled: 500 Churches

we tried to purchase the church, to revive America. The Orlando we ended up not being able to.

Church was among the churches mentioned and, in all honesty, I After my plans fell through, it was shocked. I already failed in was burdensome to face the New trying to purchase a church and I York Pastor and other pastors. Actu- vaguely thought that buying a new ally, it’s a given that I wasn’t able to church was something that would purchase the church but as long as happen in the far future. But once I was establishing myself, I wasn’t I heard of the servant’s heart that free. God wanted me to no longer was different from mine, I was able be tied down to myself in order to to see how meaningless my own receive the heart of God. Just as some- heart was. I wanted to learn of the one who tries not to sin is shown the servant’s heart in more detail. law, He often shows me my pathetic image.

One day, I went to see the church building the Miami Church was Not long after, I heard that the planning to purchase. It was that New York pastor wanted to pur- day I listened to pastor’s words. chase new church buildings for Pastor Ahn of the Los Angeles several churches with the intent Church spoke to me about those who are lazy and those who are diligent through God’s eyes. He explained about Gideon, who was threshing wheat in a winepress. In God’s eyes, a lazy person is someone who has the

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ability of 100 but only does the work of 80. On the other hand, a diligent person is someone who has the ability of 100 but does the work of 120. In other words, a lazy person lives within his or her limits, and relies on the 20 that is left, thinking they are doing well.

But a diligent person lives outside his or her limits, and doesn’t rely on themselves because they are always lacking that 20.

He also spoke about the Jesus who lives together with us, and if we are to rely on that Jesus, then we can overcome our limits through the power of Jesus. God called Gideon a “mighty warrior,” Gideon who was hiding and threshing wheat in the winepress.

Pastor said we experience difficulties because we are not walking the path of the gospel that we should be walking. Someone who is truly living for the gospel

does not get tied down to any circumstance whatsoever. I realized that the reason I was in so much difficulty was because I tried to avoid burdensome situations and was living within my limits. It was not because of my circumstances.

Gideon the Man of Valor

I was able to see God connect my heart to the heart of the servant through the fellowship I had with Pastor Ahn. He said the servant’s words gave him the strength to

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Promise Being Fulfilled: 500 Churches

The 2014 Orlando Christmas Cantata looked impossible to do, but God opened the way for the Gospel and many people attended and gave standing ovations. Furthermore the seed of the Gospel was planted in them.

in New York. I asked the pastor what heart he had towards me in the letter. A few days later, New York Pastor called me. I was truly grateful. He asked if I was looking for a church. He also conveyed the heart of God. He said, “Hojun, I really want you to do this in faith. Don’t think this is something that you must do. Seek the heart of God as you pray and read the bible.

First seek the heart of God. If you don’t have faith, no matter how hard I try, I won’t be able to help you. Let’s talk again after you’ve prayed and God shows you His heart.”

After speaking with pastor, I saw that I can’t do these works The Christmas Cantata volunteers through my own heart. The serovercome all his circumstances, vant wants me to seek the heart and those words gave my strength of God. The words of pastors as well. It was that very same eve- kept running through my mind. ning, I sent a letter to the pastor Although a little unorganized, I

gathered the brothers and sis- heart: “And the same day, when ters for prayer service in order to the even was come, he saith unto share my heart with them. “But them, Let us pass over unto the othseek ye first the kingdom of God, er side” (Mark 4:35). The strength and his righteousness; and all is not in the disciples who are these things shall be added unto rowing the boat; strength is in you” (Matthew 6:33). The more I the words of Jesus who said to prayed and shared my heart, the pass over to the other side. That more I was thankful for the fact Jesus spoke to me: “Hojun, let’s that we can’t help but to seek the go over to the other side.” Jesus Lord because we are unable to do wants to work in the other side. it. We can’t help but to seek the Because it is God’s will to preach heart of the Lord because it can’t the gospel in Orlando, He will be done without first receiving allow new people to get connected the Lord’s heart. and He will allow us a new chapel.

I am so thankful when I think The church building is no lon- about God giving the Orlando ger important to me. The reason Church His heart and leading is that God is already working to us to the most beautiful path. I establish the true church in our am so hopeful that the Orlando Orlando Church. As I sought God, Church is within the promise to these words were established in my establish 500 churches.

God's promise to establish 500 churches in America is given to us all.

Through this month's special article, we hope you will also be able to discover God's heart of preaching the Gospel in America and partake in the amazing works of God. Please pray until the promise is fulfilled. Look forward to our next issue's article.

Memoirs of a Missionary

Man is Formed

by God’s Providence Pastor Joon Hyun Lee | Lomé, Togo We had tremendous difficult times in the beginning of the third act of the mission. Through Pastor Park’s guidance, we started a missionary school but all the students ran away. Because of the pastor’s encouragement, we started again but it resulted with deeper scars. Eventually, I was unsuitable to do the mission work. That was how God broke me down and started to form my heart.

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“Satan finds ways so that he can utilize people’s hearts.

When Satan puts lustful thoughts, people are dragged without thinking about being led to destruction.”

Difficult Times Due to Suffering From Disease

While I was ministering in Africa, God formed my heart through many incidents. He worked beautifully and difficultly. There were times that we went through hardships due to typhoid and malaria. I got malaria after I had been in Africa for three years. I was so ill that I was unable to take a missionary back to the airport. The missionary wanted to take a picture of me and give it to my mother in Korea. I barely got up and took a picture. I was very skinny back then because of malaria. Some time later, I received a call from my mother.

“Son, you got old all of sudden. What happened?”

My mother was deeply worried.

I had a difficult time fighting against malaria and typhoid for a month and to make things more difficult I was not able to afford the medicine because it was expensive. Even the missionary and his wife were suffering from malaria and typhoid, and sometimes they coughed up blood.

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Memoirs of a Missionary

The Third Act of Mission, Togo

In early April, 1999, I moved to Togo from Ghana. It had been a while since I was dispatched to a different place. As I was ministering and preaching the Gospel in Accra, Ghana, for two years and six months, around 20 brothers and sisters were connected to church. However, when we had a farewell service, only 8 people came. Missionary Ban’s family came from Korea and he said, “I have attended many farewell services in the Good News Mission, but this is first time it looked so shabby.” I could not forget what he said. It was so painful. I tried to do well, but I ended up leaving Accra with such a shabby and shameful image. As I started the third act of the mission in Togo, I wanted to set my heart and preach the Gospel powerfully, and I thought to myself, “Let me make up for the shame in Ghana!”

I Poured All My Heart, Yet They Ran Away

There were many problems as we started to live in Togo. The surroundings were very poor. We rented our church in a two-story house. When we looked around, there was a shanty town nearby and the neighbors were very poor. There also was a big waste ground next to the church, and the foul smell of the garbage was everywhere.

Luckily, after a week I got used to the smell and it did not matter anymore. The other problem was language. I was used to speaking in English, but now I had to speak in French. I was frustrated because I could not communicate with others.

After some time passed, I received a call from Pastor Park and he told me to start a missionary school. Since I was living so pitifully and terribly, I stood idle thinking, “How could I run a missionary school?”

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The dumpster nearby the church was always filled with trash

The pastor kept telling us to start a missionary school. Five months later, on April 27, 2000, we started a missionary school. It was good to see missionary students becoming ministers in Ghana, so I started the missionary school with three people.

“I should raise them well! How nice would it be, if these people could be used as ministers preaching the Gospel? I should lead them well!”

I poured all of my heart into the missionary school. However, six months later, the missionary school failed. All the missionary students ran away before they became ministers because they could not keep up with the life in the missionary school.

“Why can’t I do it? I can’t even handle my own mission. How am I supposed to run a missionary school?”

I lived for several months with mixed emotions.

God, What Is This?

Pastor Park told me to start the missionary school again. I gathered around six people to restart the missionary school. It seemed like it was working out in the beginning, but an immoral incident happened.

Due to the incident, the missionary school became a mess. I could

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Memoirs of a Missionary

not understand their behavior. My heart was unspeakably frustrated with pain. The second missionary school failed as well. Leading a ministry alone was difficult, but it became much harder with the missionary school.

“God, What is this? Everything is ruined. I can’t keep up!”

After two months, Pastor Park told me to start the missionary school once again. I really could not understand. Yet, I started the missionary school regardless. Four people gathered in the beginning, and the missionary students left a few months later. Abraham was the only one who was left. He barely made his living by working in a marketplace and lived a homeless life. Abraham was “The Last Leaf” to me like O. Henry’s novel. I hoped everything would go well for him. However, when I left the church for a moment visiting Ghana, Abraham took all the things that he could possibly sell from the kitchen, such as the rice cooker, plastic water bottle, etc. ` You Should Not Minister. You Are Unable.

I spent the entire year of 2000 in despair and disappointment. Until early 2001, I was in much difficulty because of what happened in the missionary school. The church was chaotic and could not settle down.

Missionary Jang from Ghana told me, “Missionary Lee, you shouldn’t minister, you are not able.”

A different missionary was sent to Togo and I came back to Ghana with my wife and two daughters. The missionaries who stayed with me said, “Stop ministering. You need to give up ministering in your heart.”

I continued to have a painful time and I even felt guilty about eating meals with the other missionaries.

“Pastor Jang, it is painful to eat together at the same table. I will stay in

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Making a native food out of corn powder, “Banku,” during the conference at countryside of Ghana.

the missionary student's sleeping quarter.”

“Hey, that is not something that you decide.”

“No, we will move there.”

I took my wife and two daughters to the missionary student's sleeping quarter.

“Did I come here to live like this? If I were to live like this, why did I quit my job to come here? I could have served God while working at my job. If I stayed, I would have never been revealed as a shameful and pitiful person. Why did I walk the path of a missionary?”

I was really regretful. I spent dark and gloomy days.

One day, my wife told me in passing, “You are Achan!”

She talked to me while she was frowning. I got very angry. I put down my title as a pastor and a missionary and spoke to the other regional pastors. “My ministry failed and I moved here from Togo because I can’t minister. Please don’t call me a pastor from today.”

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Memoirs of a Missionary

At that time, there was construction for a mission center in Ghana.

Missionary students and church brothers were digging the ground with pickaxes, but the ground was so hard that there was not much progress even after digging for a month. I grabbed a pickaxe and dug for 10 or 20 minutes. It was so difficult. When I compared myself to the other native brothers, I was not doing any better than them. I did not have enough strength to dig the ground and felt shameful to beg. I felt so pitiful and lost.

Dad, I’m Thirsty!

Our whole family was living in one room. In the evening, everyone came to the room to sleep. My children started to become badly behaved. One day, my second daughter, Do Eun, got up at night crying.

“Mom, I’m thirsty.”

“Tell your dad!”

“Dad, I’m thirsty!”

“Okay, get up.”

When I went outside, there was a faucet.

“Do Un, open your mouth and drink.”

My daughter suddenly frowned.

“Dad, this water doesn’t taste good!”

What my daughter said lingered in my heart. “Hey! Do you think this is time to complain about the quality of the water? Just open your mouth and drink!” That was what I said in my heart. We were not used to drinking the water from Africa, so we boiled water with corn and kept them in fridge. My daughter became used to drinking that. Our family did not have the luxury to drink a cup of cold water that was boiled.

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“Normally, missionary students would have opened doors and welcomed me, but there was no one welcoming me. Although there was no one welcoming me and an empty chapel, there was a calm peace in my heart.”

Many people get divorced in Africa. I always criticized them in my heart thinking, “Why are they so immature to get divorced whenever they want to?” However, everything in my life became problematic when I departed from the heart of God. “Even though my wife lives with me, her heart is already distant from me. Everything is falling apart when I depart from the heart of God!” Everything my wife and children would say had implications of the pain they were experiencing.

“Dad, why did you take that? If you didn’t do that, we wouldn’t have to suffer like this!”

I could imagine Achan’s children crying and screaming. It was not that only the people in Africa getting divorced, but I also was on the verge of a divorce.

Like Burnt Ziklag, Everything Was Burnt in My Life

In desperate times, I received spiritual counseling. I truly realized that I failed. I could depict the scene of Ziklag’s burning in 1 Samuel.

Just like Ziklag was completely burnt down, God burnt all my works and effort so that I would serve God and His ministry.

“So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their

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Memoirs of a Missionary

voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep. And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite. And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God.”(1 Samuel 30:3-6) Ziklag was burnt with fire and David and his men's wives, sons, and daughters were taken captive. They wept until they had no more strength to weep. David was greatly distressed because his people tried to stone him. However, David had a special heart that no other person had. According to the situation, he could only be distressed but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God. That Word touched my heart.

After some time passed, I was sent back to Togo. Normally, missionary students would have opened doors and welcomed me, but there was no welcoming. Even though there was no one welcoming me and an empty chapel and room, there was a calm peace in my heart.

“Yes, I failed. All the things that I tried did not work. Like burnt Ziklag, everything was burnt in my life!”

Water freezes at zero degrees Celsius, barren situations and having nothing did not matter to me anymore as long as the position of my heart was moved to zero. Hope arose from the bottom of my heart. “Ah! God will now work!” After a few brothers visited me in the evening, I laid down on the bench on the roof. As I laid down, I saw many stars and I felt like I had the same heart when Abraham saw the stars, I too had hope in my heart. “God will work. I failed, but He will change me like He did for Abraham and give me as many people as stars in the sky.

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▲ Scenery of downtown Lome, the capital of Togo

▲ The second floor of the building is the Togo church’s chapel in the early stages

New Springing Hope

There is a dry season in Africa. Towards the end of the dry season, there is yellow dust from Harmattan which are strong winds from the Sahara. During that time, all the plants wither. On top of that, yellow dust covers all the withered plants. All the plants go through this process for a month or so. During that season, it is hard to breath and rooms are full of dust. When it is severe, people could barely see. The yellow dust covers all of western Africa. In Africa, there is no facility to draw water and farm in any season like Korea. Instead, they set the field on fire. After the entire field turns into ashes, the beautiful rainy season starts. As it rains, all the dust washes away.

After two weeks of rain, life is springing in the once lifeless land.

The reason why God burnt Ziklag was He wanted to raise new life after all things of man were burnt down. I had a heart that He would work the same way in me. I was unspeakably thankful. Nothing actually changed outwardly. Yet, as I put everything down, I could have hope that God would work and would lift me up to fulfill His will.

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Memoirs of a Missionary

One Dollar For Each Radio Advertisement

My family came back from Ghana. My first daughter, Eun Ji, and my second daughter, Do Eun, came back as well. My heart was filled with hope that God would surely work in Togo. We witnessed diligently under the blazing sunlight, but it did not work out well. When people saw our small rental church on the second floor, they were disappointed and mocked us saying, “I heard this church was operating through wealthy foreign missionaries. Is this a church?” However, everything changed after the “Ziklag” of my heart had been burnt down. Amazingly, God sent people. When I asked them how they got to know about our church, they said that their friends told them to go.

In 2001, I visited a radio station because I thought it would be a good way to advertise the Bible seminar on the radio.

“How much is it to advertise once?”

The manager said it was a dollar for each advertisement. I was shocked because the price was so cheap. Later, one brother told me, “Pastor, they gave you a more expensive price because you are Asian. In some places, they could do it for fifty cents.”

“No, it’s okay. We are doing great work, and we should make some investments.”

One day, I thought to myself, “Hey, if it is this cheap, what about broadcasting a sermon on the radio?” I asked the manager, and he said it costs twenty dollars for an hour. It was so cheap.

Soon, we started broadcasting once a week from six to seven in the morning. Amazingly, there were people visiting our church after hearing the sermon on the radio. People started to gather in our small church.

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“8 years later, a miracle happened. Sister Delphin had a beautiful son at the age of 44.

She named him Isaac. She received all the money back, and her husband stopping having an affair after receiving salvation.”

One day, a lady named Delphin came.

“How did you come here?”

“Yeah, one of my friends highly suggested me to come here. So here I am.”

“Do you have any problems?”

“I want to receive prayer. I run a business. Many people buy things on credits but they do not pay me back. Please pray for me so that I could get them to pay the money back.”

“I will pray for you to get your money back.”

I was about to pray, but she asked me again.

“Pastor, there is one more thing. My husband is having an affair.

Please have him stop it.”

“Yes, sure. I will pray that your husband will no longer have an affair.”

I was about to pray but she stopped me again.

“I have a one and only son, but I wish I could have one more son.”

“Yes, I got it.”

I wanted to pray for anything because I felt that it was God who sent her. After the prayer, as I was started to have spiritual counseling, she said, “Thank you”, and left.

Elder James Couple

During the next Sunday morning service, Ms. Delphin came and

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Memoirs of a Missionary

listened to the sermon sitting in the first row. I preached with a joyful heart but she started to fall asleep. On the next Sunday, and the following Sunday, she came and sat in the middle but she fell asleep. A few weeks later, she sat in the back and slept. She finally brought a mattress and slept.

Some time later, there was a retreat in Ghana. Ms. Delphin attended with her son. Her son was only five years old but he witnessed to his father saying that he met the true church.

“Do you even know what the true church is?”

“Dad that is really the true church. It is really good. You also should go.”

Incredibly, the father came to church with his son. Though Ms. Delphin continued to sleep in the back of the chapel, her husband listened to the sermon intently. He received salvation at the retreat in Ghana. Ms. Delphin also was saved and stopped falling asleep. I never imagined this would happen.

Ms. Delphin’s husband was a principal. They were called the “Elder James” couple who was the first to be ordained as an elder in the Togo church. After receiving salvation, 8 years later, a miracle happened. Sister Delphin had a beautiful son at the age of 44. She named him Isaac. She received all the money back, and her husband stopping having an affair after receiving salvation. God answered all three prayers. Likewise, God led each person beautifully in His providence and plan.

There were times that I thought I was established and was a person who could do something. I constantly made mistakes and ran into difficulties. I am a foolish person, but I am thankful that God is turning me into a worker of the Gospel in His plan.

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A Letter From... | From Bondage to Freedom

From Bondage to Freedom

Dong Wook Kim who ministers at the Good News Minneapolis Church forwarded a letter to the Good News Magazine Publishing team. The letter was from a person serving time in prison. He wrote about how thankful and joyful he was after receiving the forgiveness of sin through reading the book: The Secret of Forgiveness and Being Born Again by Pastor Ock Soo Park. He said, “I no longer want to live in the past and I want to serve the church with everything I can.� Everyone who met Jesus in the Bible from heart to heart was transformed. The Word is power.

Jesus is the light of the world and darkness will cease to exist when the light shines. Jesus has casted away all the sins in our hearts by cleansing all of our sins through the shedding of his blood.

There is no condemnation because Jesus has washed away our sins forever.

Darkness cannot cover our hearts any more. The Word became a ray of light in his heart and led him to eternal life, we hope that Jesus will lead him strongly in the future.

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Dear Pastor Kim, Hello, my name is Daniel Collins. I am currently serving time in Federal Prison for some poor choices I’ve made. I’m due to be released May 1st, 2015 to a halfway house in Minneapolis. The reason I write is because I never want to return back to prison or my old life. I’m a new creation in Christ. I recently read Pastor Park’s book called Born Again and it was very powerful. I plan on attending your church and will serve any way I can. I was wondering if you offer any mentors someone who can help guide me in the right direction. I am a child of God. He has a calling on my life and once we meet maybe you can help me find those gifts and the calling Jesus has on my life? I look forward to meeting you soon! In the meantime if you can send any reading material that would be a blessing way God be with you and bless your family.

Sincerely, Daniel Collins United States Penitentiary

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Gospel Lesson

Come Back!

Minister Kwon Oh Sun Good News Vienna Church, Austria

Luke 15:11-24

And he said, A certain man had two sons: And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living. And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.

And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him. And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.

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T

he year I turned 21, I heard the Gospel and was born again. Until then, I considered myself a “Born Again Christian” and lived my spiritual life with that pride. However, in the midst of not being born again, I was not able to win over my sin with my own determination and efforts. A year before I was born again, I even denied the existence of God and the spiritual world in a state of desperation.

It was because I couldn’t believe all these truths with my own thoughts and wisdom. However, at the time, in God’s good guidance, I had the chance to hear the Gospel. However, even after I heard the Gospel, I was in frustration because the Gospel wasn’t established in my heart. At that moment, I was able to ask myself, “How many times have my thoughts been estranged with the truth?” “That’s right! My thoughts! Let’s throw away the imperfect and lowly thoughts of man.” In the midst of meditating upon the Gospel once again, the true event of Christ’s cross came into my heart. We were born again with Christ’s life.

Today, many people try to understand the truths of heaven with the lowly thoughts of man but there are many times they end up misunderstanding. You will misunderstand if you try to understand with your thoughts without the realization of God. Just like it says in Peter 3:16: “Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.”

As the people of the Middle Ages, who did not understand the truth that the earth was rotating, misapprehended the sun to be rising and setting, they

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Gospel Lesson

believed on speculation that the earth was flat and if you were to go far across the sea, you would fall into a pit. They believed that it was true because they did not discover the truth that the earth was round.

Even though there is grace that should be enjoyed, so many people labor and live in pain because they do not know. The Lord is telling us, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28) In the state of not being able to come out of your own thoughts, you try to follow the law. Towards these foolish people, God is saying, “Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord” (Isaiah 55:7) This means to put down your incorrect spiritual life that you are living with your own thoughts and come back to the Lord. It is not saying for evildoers to throw away their evilness or sinners to throw away their sins. God is the only one who has the power to solve the problem of evil and sin. This power is not inside of weak human beings. God wants us to realize and enjoy the grace that He has made for us; He never told us to take care of our evil or sin.

The Earth is Flat The myth of the Flat Earth is the modern misconception that the prevailing cosmological view during the Middle Ages saw the Earth as flat, instead of spherical. During the early Middle Ages, virtually all scholars maintained the spherical viewpoint first expressed by the Ancient Greeks.

Because we cannot realize the truth, we listen to aspects that bring pain and toil. The widest river in the world is the Amazon River. The width of this river is so extremely wide that at the point where the river and ocean meets, you can’t even see the other side. That is why boats that come in to the estuary cannot decipher if they are in the ocean

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Even though there is grace that should be enjoyed, so many people labor and live in pain because they do not know.

or the river. Utterly exhausted sailors on a long voyage were entering the estuary while lying on the deck. They must have gone off course on their voyage because they had run out of drinking water and were suffering from hunger and thirst. They wished, “If only I had some water to drink.” That was when one sailor above the mast cried out to another ship coming their way.

With great expectation, they waited for the boat to get closer and then gave the signal for them to sell some water. When the other boat attempted to pass by as they thought it was a joke, the sailors begged for just a little bit of water and said that they would pay any amount.

Then the people on the other boat said if they were thirsty, they should just drink the water below them and passed by. The greatly disappointed sailors fell into despondency and laid upon the deck once more but one young sailor tied a rope to a bucket and tried to draw some water. The older sailors attempted to stop him, but as he said he couldn’t take it any longer, he gulped down the water. After he finished drinking, he put down the bucket and shouted, “It is river water!” The truth was that the boat had already passed the estuary and had already went a long way up the river, but, because they thought it was still the ocean, they suffered from thirst while sitting on top of all that river water.

God wants to reveal His amazing love to us. In the main text, the story of the prodigal son shows us how we can realize the grace of God that has already been established; how we can enjoy it; and how the son, who left his father and was being tormented in the shadows of darkness and death. He was able to repent,

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Gospel Lesson

come back and receive the state of not having any sins. The second son left his father. After that, debauchery, waste, famine, destitution, and starvation followed after him. Leaving his father became the source of all his misery.

Since when did shadows of darkness, pain and sweat, torment and death come to the land that was created because God saw that it was good? It started after man defied the heart of God and on his own will left the union with God. In Colossians chapter 1 verse 21, it is written, “And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works,” The state in which you are apart from God is “sin.” To break away and depart from the love and the union of God, which is the reason why God made man, clearly reveals sin.

The state of being unable to put God in your heart and living by only the flesh.

The state of being unable to put God in your heart and living by only the flesh, that is, the state of not having been born again and is the state of sin. That is what God hates and loathes the most. Thinking without the spirit, planning without God, and living without Jesus Christ and taking action, God considers these the most evil. Thinking without the Holy Spirit, planning without God, and living and acting without Jesus Christ is what God considers to be the most evil thing.

Most people, who are unable to possess the truth, either live a life of debauchery, like the prodigal son, or only consider the time spent with a harlot to be

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The Father The father must have waited for the second son's return. He did not want for the prodigal life to end, for possessions to be recovered, or for a life of a beggar to be abandoned.

He earnestly wanted him to return with empty hands, with him giving up on everything.

sin while not having much interest in the fact that they have departed from the Father. Although people pray for forgiveness for the things that they think to be evil or sin, they many times skip over what God considers to be sin. If you look at Romans 1:28-32, not only is murder, debate, deceit, malignity related to punishment but we can see how God had also decided that boasting and whispering are relevant to punishment. In our lives, we do not receive wrath and destruction because several concrete blemishes are revealed. We receive eternal destruction because we rebel against the truth in the state of not keeping the heart of God since our basis has departed from Him. When God looks at it, through a life of true repentance, it is not about asking for forgiveness for a couple of crimes that are revealed, but it is about returning from the state of our basis, which was departed from God, to being back on His side. If the second son, departing from his father and in the situation of being in a far away land, organizes and puts in order his prodigal life, wouldn’t that have not become joy to the father! Even if he recovered his wealth, which was wasted on the harlots when he was disconnected from his father, what would be the point if he does not return?

The father did not want for the prodigal life to end, for possessions to be recovered, or for a life of a beggar to be abandoned. He earnestly wanted him to return with empty hands, with him giving up on everything. God only wants for all of man’s labor and endeavors to come to an end and for him to return to Him, who is abundant.

What disappoints God the most is when we do not look upon Him, but rather, try to improve our unfortunate and

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Gospel Lesson

deviated life through our own strength and wisdom.

Woman with Issue of Blood The woman with the issue of blood for twelve years had suffered many things of many physicians and was no better but rather “grew worse.” Where men failed, Christ succeeded.

Her disease was of long standing yet she was swiftly healed, for as soon as she touched the hem of His garment, “straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up.” Believing, she appropriated and was healed.

God has made mankind, who lives in a world of evil and suffers from destitution, labor, and starvation. The very purpose is to teach us how difficult and distressed life is without God. For the time being, you might think they are some places that can provide satisfaction, however, it is as useless as trying to fill one’s stomach with the fruits of a honey locust. God wanted us to quickly realize that we can no longer have any expectations toward the world of war and famine, disease and pitch darkness. Isn’t He teaching us that the truth of the way to resolving the root problem, not just partially or temporarily, lies within Him? In Mark chapter 5 verse 25, the Word about the healing of the woman who had an issue of blood for twelve years properly elaborates about resolving the root problem. This woman, for twelve years, tried every labor and effort of man but to no effect. Rather, it grew worse. No matter how much she tried to wipe the blood away, it continued to flow out of the fountain of her blood. It’s like how the sin (Isaiah 59:4), which the fundamental attributes of a sinner continually produces and never stops even if one repents every single day. Because if we wipe it, it flows out once again; if we wash it, it dirties once again. We have no energy to do anything else. The efforts of man only led us gradually to destruction and death, and from all the physicians that we put our hopes in, only gave us pain. When we had lost all of our money, wealth, and hope, that was when,

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Come back!

Do not try to take off all labor and burdens by the efforts of man but bring your body full of blemishes and wounds to God!

for the first time, we looked upon Jesus Christ. When she touched the edge of Jesus’ garment, she became connected with Jesus and an amazing thing happened.

The fountain of her blood, which had tormented her, was dried up. Have you been emancipated from all the sin that has led you? Has all of your sin ended? Has all of your blemishes been washed? I’m not talking about the assurance that a couple of sins have been washed away, but do you have the assurance that all of your blemishes have been washed whiter than snow in the eyes of God? Come back! Do not try to take off all labor and burdens by the efforts of man but bring your body full of blemishes and wounds to God! You will realize God’s abundant grace and you will become happy and thankful.

The second son came back. He did not regret one or two sins but he changed the whole direction of his life towards the side of his father. From the direction of sin to righteousness, from the state of darkness to the state of light, from division to unison, he came back. He truly repented. But, as he was going back to his father, he knew something was preventing him from feeling liberated.

More than completely believing in the generous love of his father, he had a heart to make it up with actions.

More than believing that he would be restored as the son of the father, he went back with a heart asking to be seen as a hired servant. Because the love of God is perfect, the efforts of man cannot supplement it. The son might be considered fair or conscientious but he

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Gospel Lesson

Let us draw near with a full assurance of faith.

did not believe in abundant grace. The love of God does not contain conditions or terms. Saying things like “God works, but I also have to work. God saved us but we must also try.” only amounts to either you not knowing the love of God or you despising and insulting it.

A hired servant has to work hard to receive wages or pay but the son can enjoy all things by grace. Grace is given free and without payment. A person that can enjoy with all of his or her heart the given grace and power is a person who has realized and believed God’s grace to be true. Faith, with even a little bit of fear or burden, is not perfect faith. Hebrews chapter 10 verse 22 says, “Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith”. Where can we gain faith without a particle of fear or faith without hesitation?

We can only get that from God. This faith does not appear when you kneel with a firm posture and put strength in your voice as you cry, “I believe”. Also, attitude or will of man are useless as well. This faith appears only when we throw away our thoughts and hear the words of Jesus (Romans 10:17).

The second son was embraced in his father’s bosom.

When he met his father, he was able to realize the whole truth and was able to be certain. The father saw the son first. The father had compassion, ran, fell on his neck, and kissed him. The father was satisfied by the fact that his son had returned. Not only did he not inquire about all the sins that the son committed when he was away from the father,

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the father did not remember them. Though the son was embraced by his father, he mentioned the words, “hired servant” and was insecure but the father confirmed his love to his son with true actions without words. Would he have still doubted after directly seeing the evidence that acknowledged him as a son: the best robe, the ring, the shoes, and the banquet with the slain fatted calf!

Oh! Father had forgiven all things and he was earnestly waiting for me! I could not understand my father’s love and wasted time on useless worries and cares! Just like the sailors who were suffering from thirst above the river water, he did not know the grace already permitted and was suffering; but he was able see all things in the light and could believe with assurance.

All doubts and fears disappear when we deal with God who is the Word, when we realize the words of the Gospel. The Holy Spirit personally testifies that I have been made into a child of God, through the sacrifice on the cross; he resolved all of my sins. With the garments of Jesus, all my blemishes were covered. When we realize that through the death of the Son of God, all the wages of sin were paid, the happiness and glory of heaven comes into us. When all of my things disappear, and I accept the promise of God, the thoughts of God, the power of the Holy Spirit of God, will cover me.

God has finished all things and He is calling us. Will you reject this voice of love, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden”? Will you not come back to the widely-open arms of God?

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Just Begin the Bible Study Testimony of Pastor Ock Soo Park

A

fter 3 years in Apgok-dong, God sent me to Geochang. Before leaving to Geochang, I had to say ‘goodbye’ to Sister Sohn, but she was out due to business, so I could not meet her. After waiting several days, I could wait no longer, so I packed my things and left Geochang.

A few days later, that sister brought some food over to my old house, but was very surprised to see that I no longer lived there. After She had come to Geochang to see me only to find out that I had left. It

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Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

was market day, so I was witnessing at the marketplace. When people would gather around to the sound of my singing hymns, I would shout the Gospel and pass out fliers. While witnessing in that manner, I met Sister Sohn. We were so happy to see each other. In the middle of a busy road, we stopped our bicycles and prayed together. It would have been great to at least have had a meal together, but due to my poor circumstances, we parted ways after fellowship.

“Without you minister, how can I live spiritual life on my own?”

“Gather people and have a Bible study. You must preach the Gospel.”

“I can’t. I don’t know anything about the Bible.”

“Once you begin the Bible study, God will help.”

“I can’t do it. It’s only been a short while since I came from Japan. I can’t even speak Korean well…”

“I’m telling you, just begin the Bible study. God will help. Why wouldn’t He?” “But, I can’t.”

“Even if it’s difficult, you must do this for your spiritual life to survive. God will surely help you.”

Today, the 15 kilometer distance from Geochang to Apgok-dong only takes ten to twenty minutes by car, but back then, it was quite a long walk. On top of that, I had to be careful not to get dust and sand on me when a car passed by, and on rainy days, mud-water would splash on me. Going back and forth from Geochang to Apgok-dong was very tiring. Feeling that I should not just leave that sister to do nothing, I strongly suggested she begin the Bible study.

One evening, I took the bus to Apgok-dong and secretly watched how sister Sohn was running the Bible study at her home. In a small room made of stone, lighted by lamplight, she had gathered around ten children and was having a meeting with them. On the back

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Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth

of her calendar, she had written a children’s hymn, and was singing a completely different tune from the original song. She was also preaching the Word. Everything was so awkward, that I could not help but think, “Is this going to work?” Without telling the sister I had come, I returned to Geochang.

However, God worked so much through that sister. One time, while looking for her child, a lady heard the Word being preached through sister Sohn’s window. She was so moved that she heard even more of the Word later on and received salvation. As more and more people began to receive salvation, the elders of the neighboring village of Apgok-dong, began to persecute that sister. “Are you going to keep spreading that western religion which we don’t even believe in?” The elders had sat the sister down to begin a trial against her. Compared to other towns, Apgok-dong had many families believing in superstition. That sister later testified to say, that God had given her the wisdom to wisely combat the elders’ persecution.

That sister casted out many demons from those who were possessed, and many received salvation as well.

Brother Jungho Park, who was dying from tuberculosis was healed through Sister Sohn’s prayer and witnessing. His brother Heejin Park, who was deserted by his family because of his tuberculosis, was also healed after hearing the Word and received salvation, he is now a pastor.

When I see how God worked through that sister, I cannot express my thankfulness in words.

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Church Directory (North America) EAST COAST Good News New York Church 718-878-4246 300 Nassau Rd., Huntington, NY 11743

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