The Goodnews - July, 2015 by Good News Mission

JULY 2015

DELIVERING THE GOSPEL & THE TESTIMONIES OF GRACE

TESTIMONY

Gracias Choir: Spreading the Voice Given by God

SALVATION TESTIMONY Everything that Happened Was to Lead Me to Salvation

NY TIMES

Forsake Your Thoughts and Return

SPECIAL ARTICLE Haiti English Camp

ABOUT THE COVER We see the Haiti English Camp transforming the country year after year, especially with the devastation of the earthquake that occurred five years ago. We can no longer see any traces of distress and sorrow on their faces. The hope radiates their hearts like the stars that shine in the dark sky. (Photo: Volunteer and student smiling for the camera after having their faces painted during English Camp)

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Monthly Sermon

Salvation Testimony

Forsake Your Thoughts and Return

Gospel Lesson

Along the Beautiful Flow of God's Works

New York Times

Haiti English Camp

Memoirs of a Missionary

Gracias Choir Spreading the Voice Given by God

Special Article

Everything that Happened Was to Lead Me to Salvation

Testimony

God Plows the Field of the Heart

For the Lost Souls the Life of Walking with God

Church Directory

This Month's Sermon

God Plows the Field of the Heart Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

“And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door: and he preached the word unto them. And they come unto him, bringing one sick of the palsy, which was borne of four. And when they could not come nigh unto him for the press, they uncovered the roof where he was: and when they had broken it up, they let down the bed wherein the sick of the palsy lay. When Jesus saw their faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins be forgiven thee. But there was certain of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts, Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? who can forgive sins but God only?” (Mark 2: 2-7)

People Uncovered the Roof and the Scribes Criticized Them

When Jesus was preaching the Word at a certain house in Capernaum, some men brought a man sick of palsy. But since there were too many people and unable to enter the house, they went up to the roof and uncovered it to let down the bed of the man sick of palsy, to have him meet with Jesus. The Bible states that Jesus saw their faith. It would be difficult to uncover the roof, but if you could be healed by Jesus, why wouldn’t you? If they were uncertain about it, the four men would not 4

have uncovered the roof. It is because they had certainty in their faith: if the man sick of palsy goes to Jesus, he would be healed, and therefore they uncovered the roof. The roof can always be repaired later. Jesus seeing their faith says to the man sick of palsy, “Son, they sins be forgiven thee.” He taught the forgiveness of sin and afterward, he healed the palsy. However the scribes judged Jesus. “Why doth this man thus speak blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” God Plows Our Hearts Like the Farmer Plows the Ground to Rid the Weeds

In God’s view, there are two kinds of men: a man who has the heart to believe in Jesus and a man under Satan who denounces and persecutes Jesus. Inherently, after the offense of Adam and Eve, all men were under Satan and Satan deceived men to go against God. “Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.” (Ephesians 2:2-3) This verse describes the original image of man, but because they heard and accepted the Word of Jesus they became people of faith. Before, we followed Satan and were by nature children of wrath, but it is solely because of God, who is abundant in mercy, worked in our hearts with great love. In the Gospel of John chapter 15, verse 1, Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.” The husbandman does not sow the seed anywhere. 5

Some People, Like the Man Sick of Palsy or Those Who Carried Him on His Bed, Believe in Jesus’s Words. Oppositely, Some People Denounce and Judge Jesus

No matter how good the field may be, if it is overgrown with weeds, the field is first plowed and the weeds are taken out. Then after leveling the soil and making it fertile, the seeds are sown. Likewise, when God sows the seed of Jesus in our hearts, he does not sow the seeds anywhere. First, he does the work of plowing our hearts. Before I received salvation, God did not allow all the things I did to turn out well. He dropped me into despair and made me give up on myself. That is why I was able to hear the Word of God. I am so thankful to God working in me in this way! No matter how hard we try to believe in God, if the heart to believe in myself is firmly established, I only accept the Word when it suits my heart and if it does not suit my heart, then I won’t accept it. I am smart, I am honest, and I am good… like these, before we rid of the heart to believe in ourselves, no one can accept the heart of Jesus that is different from theirs. Conversely, a person whose heart has crumbled down and realizes they are wrong and the Word of Jesus is right, has the heart to accept the Word of Jesus even though it does not fit their heart. Just like the husbandman plowing the field to rid the weeds, God breaks down our hearts and only Jesus becomes our hope. The Grandfather Lost His Beloved Wife and Stood In Front of Death Due to Cancer

Not too long ago, a sister from our church brought her father and asked for counseling. He was very old and had cancer living in hardship. All of a sudden his wife passed away and his heart completely crumbled down. The entire time his wife 6

prepared his meals, medicine, and took care of him with all her sincerity in his time of fighting cancer. He said, “Pastor, I cannot even boil instant Ramen noodles correctly.” And like that he was in despair when his beloved wife who cared for him so much passed away. He was concerned and saddened, and I felt in my heart that “God, in order to save this man, worked to break down his heart!” The sister’s father lost his loving wife and had terminal cancer standing in front of death. I saw how he gave everything up and placed all his hopes on Jesus Christ. That day I preached the Gospel, and I saw him happily accepting the Gospel and receiving the forgiveness of sin. And not too long after that, he passed away. Of course, if his wife had been next to him, he would have received care and may have eaten better, but as his saved wife passed away, he lost all hope and Jesus Christ became the only hope in his heart. Now Jesus was standing in the place where he used to stand, and he lived as he kept happiness and hope in his heart. Soon after he went to the Lord’s bosom. In order for God to sow the Gospel of truth in our hearts, he first works to break us down. People who are successful, mostly trust in themselves and judge Jesus. They say, “The scripture is reasonable or not reasonable based on what they think in their own heart.” When they are broken, the only one they can believe in is Jesus. That is why just as the husbandman plows the field to get rid of the weeds, He breaks down our hearts to sow the precious Gospel in our hearts. Among the Saved, Because There Are Many Who Still Believe In Themselves

Some people like the man sick of palsy or the men who carried him on his bed believe in the Words of Jesus. They 7

uncovered the roof and the man sick of palsy met Jesus and was healed of his palsy, and they received grace from Jesus. Oppositely, some people denounce and judge Jesus. Even today, while people come to church and receive grace and blessings, there are some who judge and denounce the church. A person who thinks they are good or good at doing something believes in themselves because they are established. This type of person is unable to believe in the Words of Jesus that are different from his thoughts. In Isaiah chapter 55, just as God said, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,” because the thoughts of Jesus are different from our thoughts, they cannot believe in Jesus. “I am truly evil! I will be ruined and can only be cursed!” Only when a person has this heart, can they believe in the words of Jesus. Today, there are many saved people who still believe in themselves. For those people, the true faith to believe in Jesus can never come into them. That is why God has to break us down in our lives. God shows us precisely that all that I have done is iniquity, dirty, and filthy things. Afterwards, He sows Jesus in our hearts who has saved our souls. If you sows seeds without getting rid of the weeds, the crops can never grow. When we get rid of the heart to believe in ourselves and sow the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then Jesus can work with His power. Jesus then becomes the Lord in our hearts and allows us to bloom flowers and yield fruit. The People Who Tried to Kill Jesus Even Though He Brought Dead Lazarus Back To Life

The man sick of palsy, and the man with an infirmity for 38 years are broken down people. When the prodigal son believed in himself, he left his father. Afterward, when he realized that he failed and broke down, he came in front of his father and 8

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If We Are Established and See Jesus With Our Thoughts, Even As We See Jesus Working With His Power,

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We Can Only Go Against Jesus.

received grace. Likewise, it is grace to receive the forgiveness of sin by the blood of Jesus, but only a person whose heart to believe in themselves is broken down can have this grace. For a person whose heart to believe in themselves is strongly established, Satan has made it so that it is difficult for them to receive the grace of Jesus. In John chapter 11, Jesus brought dead Lazarus back to life. As people saw it, they should have said, “This is the power of God! Jesus is truly the son of God!” and believed. But the priests and Pharisees, not knowing the assembly, said, “If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him, and the Romans shall come to destroy us.” Then a high priest said, “It is better for one man to die so that our nation might live,” and said to kill Jesus. Even though Jesus saved Lazarus, there were people who wanted to kill Jesus. Today, if we are established and see Jesus with our thoughts, even as we see Jesus working with His power, we cannot help but to go against Jesus. That is why God even today gives us sickness, suffering, sadness, and disappointment to break down our hearts. God breaks down the heart to believe in ourselves to establish the heart to believe in God. God plows the field of our hearts so that many people receive grace and blessings in front of the Lord and have entered the path of eternal life. I cannot express with words how thankful I am about this. 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.

Salvation Testimony

Everything that Happened Was To Lead Me to

Salvat ion

April Coslett | Good News New York Church

I look back on my life I can see how God has guided me to salvation and the church. There were many things that needed

to happen in order for me to have received salvation during the 2010 IYF World Camp at UCLA.

My friend Ebony invited me to her church which became my church for the next

but I realized later that I wasn’t saved

several years. I would later become the youth president and teach Sunday School but I realized later that I wasn’t saved. According to this church you were saved when you received the Holy Spirit you were able to speak in tongues. In all the years that I was attending church I never spoke in tongues. I was in the choir, teaching Sunday School, and in charge of the youth program but according to this church, I wasn’t saved. Eventually I stopped going and my family and I went through many difficulties. I caused two car accidents, my parents had lost their jobs, and we became homeless. My mother was living in her car, sleeping in the parking lot of Wal-Mart and I ended up leaving for Los Angeles. I was working without pay for 9 months, on the 10th month all of my pay was given to me and I went back home to my family: got an apartment, bought furniture, and got a job. It seemed like we were back to normal. Sometime later my mother went to the Philippines to visit our family; she hadn’t been back to the Philippines in several years so she stayed there for three months. I became really depressed. I was by myself

▲ Top: Family picture ▲ Bottom: With my family in the Philippines

in our apartment, I went out with my friends to drink to have fun but even though it was fun at the time afterwards it brought out all my depression. I had a difficult time coping with my mom being away and I started having problems at work. While my mom was in the

Salvation Testimony

◀ Left: My mom and brother ▼ Bottom: Old family photo

Philippines I was fired from my job and became more depressed. My mom didn’t have a job when she came back and neither did I, eventually we would lose our apartment. My mom went to live with my sister in southern California and I stayed behind. My older sister had a family of her own and couldn’t take me and my mom so I stayed with my friend. I moved a few times between my friends’ houses, but they also had their own families to care for so staying there didn't work out. I was staying at a friend’s house when my mom came to visit me. My mom saw the condition I was living in and wasn’t happy at all. My legs had flea bite marks all over so she had urged me to leave and go somewhere else. I moved into another friend’s house and my mom stayed with me for a few weeks. One day she felt really urgent to go back to my sister’s house. I had told her that it was late and that I would take her in the morning. But still she wanted to leave that night, so I took her to the bus station where she would spend 10 hours going to Southern California.

At the bus stop while switching buses my mom came across someone speaking Korean. My mom was interested because while she was in LA she became familiar with Korean Dramas and Korean Language Lessons on TV. So she wanted

I realized they were all being serious when they said they had no sin

to try out what she had learned. She said, “Hello” in Korean to Pastor John Park. Pastor John was at the bus station dropping off a missionary when my mom ran into him. Pastor John told my mom about the 2010 IYF World Camp in UCLA. My mom called me and told me all about the camp and urged me to call and see what I had to do to go. When she called I knew that God had set that up to meet pastor and why my mom HAD to go that night. I went to the World Camp with two friends and the first time I heard Pastor Ock Soo Park speak, he said, “Everyone, do you have sin?” As I said yes, everyone around me had said. “No” and I turned to the middle school student next to me jokingly and said “Why are you lying?” I realized they were all being serious when they said they had no sin, so I listened and had fellowship with many people young and old throughout the camp. While walking to the dorms, or during meals, or on the bus someone was sharing the Word with me. So many people talked to me about how Jesus had

▼ With my group at the 2014 IYF World Camp. | ▼ At the beach | Me as an IYF teacher ▼

Salvation Testimony

already taken my sin away and washed me completely and that there was nothing left for me to do. It was through sharing these two verses when it finally hit me. “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” (Romans 5:19) And “It is finished.” (John 19:20). Nothing I would or could do would be comparable to what Jesus had done for us. I called my mom and told her everything I was learning, and she was really happy to hear about it. I had told her

I went away from the IYF World Camp as a new person

that Jesus had taken away our sins and that there was nothing else to do, we are righteous and free. I went away from the IYF World Camp as a new person, I had happiness inside of my heart and it didn’t easily go away like it did when I was drinking. One month later, my mom was planning her next visit to come see me and I was waiting for her the night she said she would come. I was waiting for her to call me to pick her up from the bus station but she didn’t call. My sister had called instead and told me that mom was in an accident. On my mom’s way home to my sister’s house she was walking and a truck turned right into her causing my mom hit her head on the ground and lose consciousness. My mom was in a coma for a week before the doctors pronounced that she was brain dead and was not alive anymore. During this time was the most difficult time for my family but even though it was hard, I still

had hope inside of my heart. Pastor John came to the hospital and prayed for my mom and spoke to my brother and my sister. There were a lot of things that had to happen in order for me to receive salvation. But through my testimony I can see how much God was preparing me for salvation and preparing to care for me. If I had not received salvation when my mom had passed away I would have definitely been depressed enough to hurt myself. But God had given me and my family strength and hope. All these events were to lead me to salvation but also to save my life. This entire time God had been thinking about me and aligning my life to follow God and the church.

▲ Top Left: Together with IYF members ◀ Bottom Left: With Khuu family during World Camp ▼ Bottom: With Pastor Ock Soo Park, founder of IYF

Testimony Gracias Choir Spreading the Voice Given by God

Gracias Choir

Spreading the Voice Given by God By Sanghoon Lee | Good News Gangnam Church

This past May, the Gracias Choir received first prize as well as the special prize in the world’s highest ranking “Marktoberdorf International Choral Competition in Germany.” We will introduce to you, the testimony of Deacon Sanghoon Lee, who traveled with the Gracias Choir.

he time that I spent with the Gracias Choir in order to cover them for the news was truly precious. I was so thankful to see the kind of heart that the choir lived with in front of God. The best part was that I was able to partake in the daily morning meetings that the choir held. During testimony time, each member tries to battle their way to the front to speak first. Each member spoke of their hearts. Their testimonies were void of “themselves,” and were shared only with the bright heart that God had provided them. Seeing them live each day in such a manner was a fresh surprise. Just as chestnuts are taken out of their hard shells they're sweet and easy to eat, the testimonies that the choir members gave after having shed their own thoughts were so precious and beautiful. Pastor Ock Soo Park often said, “Should the choir members feel that they did well after a performance, from then on, they will be unable to improve.” The choir members kept those words at heart, and threw away the heart to establish themselves. The Marktoberdorf International Choral Competition was a competition the Gracias Choir had been preparing for many years. For years, it was difficult for the Gracias Choir to even try to challenge themselves in such a difficult competition, in which 17

Testimony Gracias Choir Spreading the Voice Given by God

The audience becomes engaged into the performance of the Gracias Choir.

only ten teams can compete after an audit by some of the strictest judges. However, as the choir learned to sing from their heart, they improved surprisingly fast, and eventually got to compete in the world’s top competition. The competition began. Not many people were interested in the choir that had come from Korea. People said, “The only Asian choirs I’ve heard were from the Philippines or Indonesia. I don’t know much about Korean or Japanese choirs, but from what I know, their skills are still insufficient to compete in international stages.” In each of the two competitions, the Gracias Choir was to perform in the morning slot. It is not easy to sing in the morning, when the body is not yet fully awake. Even in each of the three concerts held in the evening, they were always the first to go on stage. The Gracias Choir was not even a candidate for first place. However, once the choir finished their competition on May 23rd, the tide changed. The Gracias Choir sang five songs extremely clearly and perfectly. All the judges and members of the audience 18

“In this aspect, the Gracias Choir showed genius, amazing class. Congratulations, and I’m so happy to get to know you. More than anything, I’m happy to be able to listen to your music.” (Digna Clara, Marktoberdorf International Choral Competition Judge).

were moved and surprised. Some members of the audience even shed tears. Listening to the Gracias Choir’s music that day, I felt things I never felt before. They had such powerful and perfect sound. After having finished the competition on the first day, the director of the competition, Professor Wilgen Bugadi, attended Gracias Choir’s performance that evening. He watched from the front row. People usually sit a bit far back when they listen, but he sat in the very front. He did so to observe up close how the choir performed. Even during the third concert, he sat in the very front during Gracias Choir’s performance time. It seemed as if he had already fallen into the Gracias Choir’s songs on the first day. The following morning, testimonies poured out from the choir members. Each member said that the sound that came out of them was not theirs.

Testimony Gracias Choir Spreading the Voice Given by God

“I felt music, and emotions I’ve never felt before until now. After the competition, member Kyungsoo Park came out shedding tears. It was so thankful.” (Bass, Tae Young Kim)

“I felt like it wasn’t me that was singing.” (Tenor, Ji Hyuk Shin)

“ We harmonized so well. ‘This is really God!’ I felt God singing next to me. I feel thankful when I think of how God will be with us again today.” (Soprano, Euddeum Oh)

It was clear that this choir sang, not with their voices, but with God’s voice. After the second round of competition, one of the members of the Indonesian choir approached the Gracias Choir and said, “Your singing sounds like it comes from heaven. That sound has touched our hearts.” The songs of the Gracias Choir moved others like no other choir was able to, and everyone who attended the competition felt that. The conductor of the New York Ghostlight Choir shouted, “Wow!” as the Gracias Choir’s song ended with an amazing harmony. Eventually the Gracias Choir received the first prize, which is the grand prize, and also for Romantic Choral Work. Because the Marktoberdorf International Choral Competition is one of the most prestigious choral competitions in the world, the fact that the Gracias Choir won first prize plays a huge role in their place in the world choral rankings. On the night the prizes were awarded, many of the judges approached conductor Boris Abalyan and said, “Thank you for your music!” We felt the sincerity of their gratitude 20

The Gracias Choir's last stand at the German choral competition yielded the applause of all the musicians.

for the Gracias Choir’s music. They added, “We chose the Gracias Choir as the first place, with a happy heart.” The Gracias Choir is a choir that shows true innocence in music.” The Gracias Choir was born for the Gospel inside of Pastor Ock Soo Park’s faith. The members of the choir give themselves for the Gospel inside of Pastor’s faith. When watching the choir, they feel more like an army than artists. Soldiers who are prohibited from having an arrogant heart! That is what allows them an even bigger freedom and happiness. Because the distance between the event hall and dormitories were far, the choir members drove themselves in about five different cars. They were baggage handlers, drivers, and artists. One time, I saw one of the choir members who was driving a car getting yelled at for failing to take good care of some of the volunteers. Through the things that happen to them each moment, the choir members humble their hearts to a position of a servant. The dazzling stage is only fleeting. Although the 21

Testimony Gracias Choir Spreading the Voice Given by God

Written by Sang Hoon Lee (standing in the center in white)

choir members treated me well as a person covering their story in Germany, but I learned so much from their spiritual life. The Gracias Choir thinks highly of the precious Word, and sing depending only on God. The Marktoberdorf Choral Competition was like a miracle. As I traveled with the choir, I saw Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s words fill their lives and also saw God show himself through them. The Gracias Choir members, who sing with one voice given by God will lead many people to the Gospel.

WORLD CHRISTIAN LEADERS WORKSHOP

WCLW NEW YORK

August 16–20, 2015 Mahanaim School | LIU Tilles Center There is a great demand from church leaders everywhere for the establishment of a deeper and wider knowledge about true faith in God. We are responding to this need by organizing the 1st World Christian Leaders’ Workshop in New York during the annual IYF World Camp.

wclwusa.com | wclw@iyfusa.org 929-200-2589 (EN) | 631-742-7740 (SP)

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Special Article Haiti English Camp

HAITI ENGLISH CAMP

THE GOOD NEWS OF RAIN FALLS ON

DRY HAITI

On June 9th, 250 U.S. volunteers arrived in Haiti a day before the start of the 2015 Haiti English Camp. Volunteers from the East and West Coast came to quench the studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; thirst for English. It did not rain for over a month and the land was dry and dusty. The weather was welcoming the arrival of the volunteers, as it began to pour. The volunteers gathered at the lodging quarters for orientation. The music studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; performance marked the start of this grand event. For the next ten days, these volunteers will be assigned to different schools, City Hall, and a reform school. Pastor Byung 24

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Joo Lim of the Good News Atlanta Church spoke about the kind of heart the volunteers should have in preparation for the camp. “Many people think receiving from others is best. But those who give to others know that giving is such a blessing. I hope that you all will be able to give your all and gain happiness during this camp.” After the lecture, the volunteers were given an overview of the schedule and program. Finally, they returned to their sleeping quarters with eager hearts awaiting for the start of English Camp. OFF TO THE SCHOOLS WHERE THE STUDENTS AWAIT US!

D-Day: The first day of Haiti English Camp. The volunteers woke up before the crack of dawn and had a light breakfast before heading out in the Haitian mode of transportation called “Tap Taps.” For the first three days, the English Camp was being held at four different schools simultaneously. The first school we arrived at was Firmin. The students enjoyed the program so much that the IYF English Camp has been held there for the past three years. The students waved at the volunteers as they welcomed them to their school. The U.S. volunteers were paired up with a Haitian interpreter and were led to their respective classrooms. The students were then registered and set up in different teams. Despite the hot weather, the Haitian students danced along with the dance 25

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Special Article Haiti English Camp

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volunteers. There were students who thought they were not good at dancing and shied away from class, but the teachers and Haitian volunteers led them gradually as they encouraged the students and told them they can do it. The Haitian students are very interested in English. They were very attentive to whatever the teacher had to say; they took notes and asked questions as they learned English. When asked if they have Bibles at home, the students boldly replied, “Oui” meaning yes. After hearing the gospel, they were not able to accept it at first. But once they had fellowship, they were able to accept the truth that Jesus washed away all our sins. They promised to bring their Bible for gospel class the next day. HAPPINESS THAT COMES FROM THE LITTLEST THINGS It was the second day of camp. Rather than exhaustion, the faces of the volunteers were filled with eagerness as they hastily prepared to meet the students again. The volunteers had mangoes in their hands as they rode the “Tap Taps.” The cool, morning breeze wafted through the bus, and lightened the load off of everyone’s shoulders. The school we visited on the second day was Vincent. It was situated

in the middle of the blazing sun with no shade whatsoever. The school was filled with dust, but that did not deter the students from learning English. This made it ever more meaningful for the volunteers who gave up their summer break to volunteer in Haiti. We were able to think about true happiness as we saw the Haitian students filled with joy through a simple song and dance. Many people believe that acquiring many material goods and having a lot of money brings about happiness, but these students were able to find happiness in the littlest things. The volunteers intended to give to the Haitian students, but in the end, the volunteers gained so much more. The second day came to an end as everyone learned from one another at the English Camp that was growing more abundant each day. ELECTRICITY TRAVELS THROUGH WIRES, WATER TRAVELS THROUGH PIPES, GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S POWER TRAVELS THROUGH THE HEART When two lakes are connected, water flows freely through them; when two wires are connected, electricity flows as well. Just like this, when two hearts are connected, the power of God flows through them. The secret to the English Camp are the connections made in the hearts of student and volunteers. The third day was filled with stories of hearts connecting with hearts at each and every corner of

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Special Article Haiti English Camp

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the school. THE SHOUT FOR HOPE AT THE HEART OF DELMAS The English Camp is being held here at the city of Delmas. It is already the fourth day. The English Camp that was held at the four different schools came to a close and it was now the beginning of the English Camp at City Hall from June 13th to the 15th. Anyone who wanted to learn English was welcomed to attend. It is already the fourth year into Haiti English Camp and NATCOM Telecommunications, Brana beverages, Big Star Supermarket, Sun Auto, the Ministry of Education and the UN all came together to help support this year’s Haiti English Camp. We were able to see the camp received a lot of public attention through this. More than anything, close to 1,800 Haitians attended the English Camp held at City Hall. English was fun to learn through games and songs! The students and teachers laughed out loud as they played games together. English was more approachable through songs such as “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” and the alphabet song. Academy classes were filled with useful information such as CPR and stretching. The students made sure to take in all they were taught. The class they enjoyed the most was Song and Dance! The dance titled “I’m Alive” was most popular among the students. Although, they were not able to dance along perfectly, we were able to feel the passion in the students who danced. Gospel class was a time to reflect one’s soul in front of God. The music

students from Mahanaim Music School performed the song “People with Sad Hearts” before the start of gospel class. As the gospel was preached, those who were suffering from sin were overjoyed to be freed from sin. The three days we spent at City Hall was grace that we were not able to receive on our own. There was gospel fellowship going on throughout the camp, and through this fellowship many received salvation and opened their hearts toward IYF.   WHEN HEARTS FLOW WITH ONE ANOTHER, THERE IS HAPPINESS The joyful time at City Hall had come to an end, as it was already the final three days of the Haiti English Camp. The volunteers were sent to seven different schools during these last few days. The atmosphere of the English Camp was getting better as time passed, and many students who were burdened to speak English were able to overcome that burden. The Haitian volunteers were the foundation for the flower of the English Camp to blossom. These volunteers bore through the heat as they interpreted into French and Creole for ten hours a day, with only ten minutes of break time between each classes. There were also volunteers who helped to promote the camp and assisted with running the programs. It was through these Haitian volunteers that we were able to successfully have this English Camp.

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Special Article Haiti English Camp

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YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD On June 17th and 18th, as the English Camp was being held at the different schools, a group of several volunteers, along with music school students and missionaries visited a reform school and held a special English Camp there. In April of this year, pastor Ki Sung Kim began to preach the gospel at different prisons and that motivated the missionary in Haiti to get connected to this reform school. The reform school consisted of individuals who were convicted of crimes ranging from theft to murder. The classes were divided into morning and evening classes. The morning classes were for those between the ages of 12 and 16; there were around 50 people who attended. The evening classes were for those between the ages of 16 and 18, and close to 100 people attended. The students they met at the reform school were no different from the students they encountered in Haiti so far. They all smiled the same, and had the same short haircuts. They had open hearts as they attended the Song and Dance class, and academy classes. After the morning and evening classes ended, there was a music performance before the start of gospel class. During the morning gospel class, Pastor

Terry from the Good News New York Church preached about the woman caught in adultery in John chapter 8. He spoke about the heart of God that wanted to connect with us regardless of the condition we were in. During the evening gospel class, Pastor Yeong Gook Park of the Good News New York Church preached the words of First Corinthians chapter 6, verse 10 and 11. He spoke about the truth of our righteousness and of our sins being washed in the name of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit of God. Through this English Camp, the warden of the reform school opened his heart towards IYF and asked us to come back every week for the next six months. Matthew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” The gospel is the light of the world. The gospel will shine bright even in the darkest of places. No matter what kind of person you may be, once you meet Jesus, you will become washed and sanctified. Until now, they lived a dark life and they were led to live a life that they did not want. But Jesus is now the Lord of their lives, and we are thankful that He will lead them in the most blessed and beautiful ways. HOPE OVERCOMES DESPAIR Up until five years ago, Haiti was still neglected after the devastating aftermath of the earthquake. Haiti has overcome their past and is now heading toward a brighter future. Compared to other developed countries, it is still very much impoverished and lacking but through the English Camp, the students not only learn English but also the heart of God. We believe they learn the world of the heart as they listen to the Word of God. We are hopeful to see how they will become the future leaders of Haiti. Haiti is no longer a country of despair, it is a country full of hope and happiness. We will continue to have this Haiti English Camp until these same students who heard the gospel cover the world with the gospel.

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Special Article Haiti English Camp

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way water flows is very simple. Water flows when two pipes are connected to each other. The way hearts flow is simple as well. When two hearts are connected to one another, I am able to receive a new heart that I never had before. The attendees of the English Camp didn’t just learn English, but they learned the word of God and were able to gain true hope. “The academy class was most fun. We learned English as we competed with other teams. I can’t speak English very well but I liked that we were able to speak with foreigners through this Camp. I want to attend again next year!” -Jean Joucquez Vanessa “I attended the gospel class and I wasn’t able to accept that we didn’t have any sins. I had sin in my heart and it’s clearly says in First John that we do. I thought the pastor was lying and I went the next day to confront him. When the pastor showed me verses from the bible, I didn’t pay attention to him because all I thought about were ways to argue against him. Then pastor said to me, “You condemn yourself because of your sins. But it says that there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Then that means that you are outside of Jesus.” I was speechless. Until now, I tried hard to wash my sins, pray and read the bible. I didn’t know about

HAITI ENGLISH CAMP:

STORIES FROM THE

ATTENDEES

the world of God’s works. Pastor told me that I can’t change on my own but I can change through the power of Jesus Christ. I accepted those words.” -Pudens

“I have so much respect for the English Camp for bringing joy to the students. I believe IYF offers a positive influence on these students’ lives. First of all, I think it is great that you are teaching English. They are able to open their hearts through English and connect with the volunteers. They are also able to overcome the language barriers. I also think dancing and music is a good way to connect with students. Just as pastor had said, only the Word can change these students and I agree with this. Only the word of God has the power to change these students and I am thankful that power is with the IYF.” -Rene Sergo

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Special Article Haiti English Camp: Stories From U.S Volunteers

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volunteers from the U.S. went to Haiti to spread hope through the English Camp. But there was even better news. How did their hearts change? “In the past, I’ve been to the Philippines as a medical volunteer for two days. This was my first time volunteering as a teacher. I was very eager to attend the English Camp. During the camp, I taught the students English pronunciation. At first, I thought it’d be difficult but the students listened so well and laughed at the jokes I made with open hearts. I was very thankful. There were many similarities between Haiti and the Philippines. Litter on the streets, busy open markets— my heart went out to them even more. IYF is great in that they are different from other organizations that just give out materialistic assistance. IYF allows us to open our hearts and connect with the students through sharing our hearts.” – Claudine Zia Guerrero

HAITI ENGLISH CAMP:

STORIES FROM THE

U. S . VOLUNTEERS

“Although I’ve been volunteering since I was 11, this was my first time going overseas. Haiti was different from the U.S. in so many ways, but it taught me a lot. I missed my family and home, but the time I spent here teaching English to the students was so much fun. We weren’t just teaching English, we sat down together and talked with each other. The Haitian students were open towards everything. I can see they were seeking some kind of change in their lives. It was interesting to see students my age learning the ABCs from me. The mind lectures were interesting as well. At first, it was difficult to accept that people are evil 100%; I thought I loved my family 100%. Through individual fellowship, the pastor answered all of the questions I had. I was able to receive salvation and be freed from sin.” – Fatima Fabiola (IYF El Paso branch)

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Special Article Haiti English Camp: Stories From U.S Volunteers

“When I used to attend church, I was always taught to keep the commandments. That’s why I didn’t like going. I tried to keep the commandments, but I was someone who was unable to keep them. I caused my mother a lot of trouble and I lied a lot. Seeing what kind of person I was made me so difficult but I didn’t know what to do. I was sure to go to hell and I thought God was someone who caused us fear and dread. But I was able to hear the gospel through this English Camp. When I realized that Jesus died for our sins and there is nothing more for us to do for our sins, so much peace came about my heart and I am now righteous. God wasn’t a fearful being but someone who loved me. I know how to speak four different languages and now I want to use my skills for the IYF.” - Theanauoc Reynaldo Berlin

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Special Article Haiti English Camp: Stories From Haitian Volunteers

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Haitian volunteers acted as the foundation of the 2015 Haiti English Camp that blossoms flowers of hope. Let’s hear how God led these volunteers. “This is my fourth time attending the Haiti English Camp. I’m a teacher and I met the IYF one day while they were promoting after class. The first English Camp I went to was in 2012 and at that time my goal was making money. I thought they’d give us money for volunteering. After the workshop ended I realized that we wouldn’t be getting paid. But I had so much fun with the other volunteers that I decided to stay. After receiving salvation, I wanted to be a teacher who preaches the gospel. I realized that in order for me to preach the gospel, I must first receive grace. The more I interpret for the gospel classes, the more I learn about the gospel. I’m so thankful to be able to hear the pastor’s sermon in such close proximity. Money is no longer an issue and I now want to live for the gospel.” - Jimmy

HAITI ENGLISH CAMP:

STORIES FROM THE HAITIAN VOLUNTEERS

“I met the IYF two years ago. Everyone was so happy when I first came here that I wanted to be just like them. I received salvation during the English Camp through the words in Hebrews 10:10. Through the words, I realized that I am always evil and deceitful. Knowing who I am, God already prepared everything for a person like me. I lived in a town a few hours from Port-a-Prince. During the workshop, the missionary told me to stay at the church. At first, it was burdensome because I didn’t have any money or clothes, but while at church, I experienced a joy I’ve never felt before. I realized I can’t live without the church or the servant. I preached the gospel to a student during the English Camp this time. I preached about Romans 5:18 and the student received salvation. I was so joyful and thankful that all my problems are resolved through God.” - Bazelais Ismonde The flowers of hope are blossoming in the hearts of these individuals who will lead the future of Haiti. Now anyone who meets them will no longer fall into despair because of their circumstances; they will be able to overcome all their circumstances with gratitude and faith. Haiti is a joyful place because of them.

Memoirs of a Missionary

Along the Beautiful Flow of Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Works

Pastor Joon Hyun Lee | LomĂŠ, Togo

The third act of the mission ended with failure, however God opened the forth act of the mission with His works. Through the radio broadcasting, the path to preach the Gospel opened. People who persecuted us for being a small church with a Caucasian pastor disappeared, and many people came to the church through the guidance of God. Furthermore, unimaginable miraculous events continued to happen.

“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.”

The Failure of the Third Act and The Beginning of the Forth act

The third act of the mission continued for 6 years until 2001, and it ended with failure. Like burnt Ziklag, I spent my time in tears in Togo because of the difficulties that I had experienced there. In 2001, God renewed my heart. God opened the way for the mission through the radio broadcasting. Every Monday from 6 am to 7 am, for an hour, the sermon was broadcasted on the radio, “Bonne Nouvelle.” We started the broadcasting with nervous hearts, but many people got connected after listening to the Gospel. Before, I often tried to go out and preach the Gospel with my wife. It seemed like it was working out, but eventually it ended up failing. Life was tiring. A few people got connected to the church, but they left the church not long after. As time passed by, preaching the Gospel became a burden and I thought it was difficult due to the language and other factors. When I went to a shantytown in Lome, people ridiculed me by calling me a white missionary. One day, my wife and I sat down on the bench by the lake because we did not have any

Memoirs of a Missionary

strength to witness. As I saw the lake, I felt so pitiful about myself. The birds flying over the lake looked so free and peaceful. I spoke as I was looking at the birds. “Bird, bird, you look so happy. You look so free. We want to be free like you but we are not. It is so difficult. I don’t even want to talk to my wife!” The birds were freely flying in the sky. “The world where man works and the world where God works are so different!” I truly went through a period of failure in my heart. “Hey! Failure is so good. I am an unable person! All the things of man eventually fail! Until now, I failed and everything didn’t work out. Now, God will work in me!” New strength and hope arose in my heart. Like a new sprout, the heart of God was sprouting in my heart. Where is the church? I want to visit!

I often received calls from people after the radio broadcasting. “Today, I heard the sermon on the radio and the Word knocked on my heart. Where is the church? I want to visit. I want to listen to the Word.” Many people said that. One day, a gentleman came to the church with his suit on. He was a teacher at a technical institution. “As I listened to the sermon on the radio, I decided to come here because I felt that this could resolve my frustrated heart.” I had spiritual counseling on that day and he received salvation on the next day. “Wow, there is the Word of God here!” He was really happy and gave an offering as well. Before, there were people who visited our church and went back saying, “Is this a church?” However, this person was different. During those times, the circumstances were difficult. When we received $300 from the mission per month, we paid for the rent, electricity, water, and phone. With the remaining $60 to$70, we barely met our needs of purchasing rice

"Afterwards, I could not go out witnessing as often as before because God continuously brought people to the church."

and food. However, the gentleman joyfully gave an offering of $50 and an additional $30 for the radio broadcasting. God helped us in miraculous ways and led the people. In Genesis 7:2, God spoke to Noah. “Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female.” God led Noah to take the animals and put them into the ark. The amazing thing was that this did not happen through Noah’s effort or work. Noah’s will was nowhere to be found. “Hey! Who is the one who told you to bring the animals into the ark?” According to what God told Noah, the animals came forth to Noah by the power of God and went into the ark. Likewise, for a person to meet Jesus and receive salvation, it was not by man’s diligence, sincerity, or will. God precisely taught me His providence in my heart. People have to fall into the will and plan of God in order for them to enter the ark of the Gospel. In the same matter, though our chapel looked shabby outwardly, God led people there. God who we could not see with our eyes was with our me and mission. God showed the world where things are fulfilled by Him even to such a lacking person like me. Afterwards, I could not go out witnessing as often as before because God continuously brought people to the church. People Visiting Continuously

I asked people who came to the church how they came here. Some

Memoirs of a Missionary

people said someone recommended them to go here and many of them said they came to the church thinking they might find the truth after listening to the radio broadcasting. Someone said he had a dream saying, “Find Missionary Lee.” He tried to find Missionary Lee, but he had no idea whether the missionary was Korean or Chinese. However, one day, he was thoughtlessly listening to the sermon on the radio. At the end of the sermon, there was an advertisement and it shocked him because it said my name, Joon Hyun Lee, and my number. After listening to the advertisement, he realized that this was the person he was looking for. He wrote down the address and came to our church. He listened to the Word and received salvation. He also brought his wife and she became saved as well. It was a miracle. A few months later, two people came from the countryside called, Pome. One person’s name was Tete. He was a fisherman who worked on a lake that was 35 kilometers away from Pome. People in Africa would sweep the yard in the morning and walked around listening to the radio. Tete turned the radio on in the ship while he was working. While he was listening to the sermon on the radio, he thought, “This is the Word of God that I’ve never heard before! This is the truth of God!” He finally came to me in Pome, the capital of Togo. He heard the Gospel and received salvation. He was really happy. He went back to his village and preached the Gospel. People did not listen to him carefully in the beginning, but, eventually, around 15 people separated from their churches and had a meeting with Tete and me. Although brother Tete continued to preach to them for several months, no one became saved. They just agreed with him saying that what he preached was right. One day, brother Tete came to me. “Pastor, I was so joyful after I was saved. So, I preached the Word and people agreed with me. Also, around 15 people separated from their

While he was listening to the sermon on the radio, he thought, “This is the Word of God that I’ve never heard before! This is the truth of God!” He finally came to me in Pome, the capital of Togo.

churches. However, they don’t accept the Gospel well. Please come and hold a conference.” He sincerely asked me. For the first time, after I moved to Togo, I had a conference in a small village called Pome. There were beautiful coconut trees. Because there was no suitable place to hold a conference, we temporarily set up a tent and had a conference. Around 20 people were saved. Through that we established the first regional church there. I was so thankful to God and felt that God was opening the way before us. That was how God was opening the forth act of the mission. Overwhelming: The First Conference in Togo

On September of 2001, we had a conference with Pastor Ock Soo Park for the first time. It was when the Gracias Choir was newly formed. We decided to rent a space in a hotel downtown to have a conference. Brothers and sisters gave offering and had prayer meetings for renting the venue, preparing food, and so on. Though most of brothers and sisters were poor, they all had a heart that it would be good if Pastor Park could preach on the podium. We gathered money and made a small and pretty podium. There was a sister named, Victoria who worked in a theater. Since 15 members of the choir were supposed to come, I thought it would be good if we could get a piano, so I asked her. "Sister, do you think we could get a piano in Togo?” “Yes, pastor. I saw a piano before. I will be in charge of finding a piano.”

Memoirs of a Missionary

Victoria was a sister who was devoted to the Gospel and was happy to look for the piano. The conference finally started and the 120 seats were packed. It was overwhelming. However, that day sister Victoria rented a keyboard instead of a piano. She misunderstood thinking a keyboard was a piano. It was funny, but they played beautiful music for us and it was so touching. People started to receive salvation through the conference. Among them was a persecuting wife of one of the brothers. "This is nonsense! How, in the world, could you say that you don’t have sin even though you have sin? I heard the sermon about the woman who was caught in the act of adultery. Jesus said, “Go, and sin no more.” What does that mean?” This is how she spoke against us and, sometimes, she called us to find a weak point. I told the brother to invite his wife to the conference. “Brother, you should invite your wife since Pastor Park is coming this time.” “Pastor, my wife won’t come.” “Brother, throw your thoughts away and tell your wife that missionary Lee is inviting her to the CNTT venue.” The brother went back home and spoke to his wife. “Honey, the missionary sincerely invited you to come to the conference. You should go.” The brother’s wife attended the conference and her heart became broken while listening to the Word. She realized that the story of Cornelius in Acts 10 was talking about her. Cornelius could not receive salvation although he served God well with his diligence, likewise she discovered not being able to receive salvation. Thankfully, she now is saved and is serving the Gospel as a worker of the church. Amongst the people who attended the conference and recieved

On September 10, 2001, by the grace of God I was unexpectedly ordained as a pastor

salvation was a person named "Amebe". He was a schoolteacher in a city called, Atakpame, 250 kilometers away from Lome. God opened the way to preach the Gospel in this new cities as well. I was thankful before God. After the conference, I went to Ghana with Pastor Park. Unimaginable Things Started to Happen

In Ghana, I received unthinkable grace. On September 10, 2001, I was ordained as a pastor with pastor Gwang Un Kim from Benin. As manâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work came to an end, God continued to work in the forth act of the mission. As I was reading Isaiah 49, I was so thankful for the Word. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by

Memoirs of a Missionary

reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been?” (Isaiah 49:18-21) “He will work in Togo according to this Word!” A powerful hope knocked on my heart. God spoke to me. “Lift your eyes and look around. All people will come to you! Says the Lord, I, God, will bring everyone to you!” It was amazing as the heart of God flowed into my heart. When we lived in a place that costs $200 per month for more than 2 years, no more than 30 people came. Yet, as the heart of God came into my heart, more than 50 people suddenly came and the chapel was packed after the conference. We could not use the place anymore. We made a temporary chapel on the roof. We made a shade to block the sunlight and brought carpenters and made 60 more wooden chairs. The chapel became twice as big. Six months later, on the second floor, there were more than 100 people sitting. I was so marveled. “For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away” (Isaiah 49:19). People who went against me left and the empty Togo church was filled with many people. Many newly saved brothers and sisters were connected to the church. All of them were poor and barely made their ends meet, but they often asked me, “Pastor, this place is too small. We should move the chapel to a

In 2002, with family members, when I visited my mother’s house in Nonsan, South Korea

better place.” “Let us buy land! Let’s move to a new place!” I saw nice and fancy houses when I went out witnessing in a rich neighborhood. “How nice would it be if God gives us land and a chapel in a place like there?” I once had that hope. However, in the hearts of brothers and sisters, there suddenly arose a heart to build a chapel. One of the elderly brothers looked for land. The land and its location were great. However, we did not have money to buy the land. On that matter, I prayed to God. Purchasing the Land for a New Togo church

I was worried whenever I thought about my mother who was alone. However, she received salvation and I was so thankful. In 2002, I got a call from my mother. At that time, I had a chance to go to Korea, so I wanted to talk to her about that. “Mom, I am going to Korea this time.”

“Is that so? That’s great! I have something to discuss with you.” “Yes. Also, mom, our brothers and sisters are praying for buying land since more people were connected to the church. I think we need to move.” “Oh! Really? That’s good. Let’s discuss for sure when you come to Korea.” Though I was curious about why my mother wanted to talk to me, I went to Korea and met my mother. “Hey, I was thankful as I became saved. Actually, I’ve been saving money for 3 years and I didn’t know where to spend this money. However, I think it would be good for you to use it instead of me. You said people are praying for buying land in Togo. I hope you could use this money to buy the land. That is the reason why I wanted to see you.” My mother gave me $10,000, which was a lot of money at that time, and told me to use it to purchase the land for the church. “If your older brother and younger brother find out about me giving all the money to you, they may feel disappointed. Don’t tell your brothers. It would be good if you could use this money for the work of God.” Unexpectedly, God gave her the heart to use the money to God newly opened the forth act of the mission in 2001 and 2002! God ended the work of man with failure and led me so that He could work through me beautifully along the flow of God.

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

Forsake Your Thoughts and Return Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church

Now the serpent was more subtile than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. (Genesis 3:1~5)

How Does Change Come About?

The Bible speaks about change. Simon Peter changed upon meeting Jesus at the Sea of Galilee. People would no longer see Peter at the seaside after that day. Matthew, the publican, was no longer at the tax office, and the man with an infirmity for 38 years was no longer at the poolside of Bethesda after having met Jesus. Change came upon those who met Jesus. But how does change come about in our lives? This is what the Bible speaks to us about. People think that they must know much about the Bible to live their spiritual life well. But in reality, that is not the case. Our will in doing well is not spiritual life, but because we cannot do it ourselves, God doing it for us is spiritual life. How is spiritual life accomplished? Spiritual life begins where our hearts are different from the heart of God. For example, when Jesus turned water into wine in John chapter 2, He said, “Fill the waterpots with water.” When the servants there filled the waterpots to the brim, He said, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” Jesus is saying that it is wine, but in the eyes of the servants, it was water, not wine. “Go serve the wine.” “Jesus, this is water.” We can see that there is a difference in thought between Jesus and the servants. The biggest problem in our lives is the difference our thoughts and God's thoght. Because our thoughts are different from God’s, our purpose and lives differ. That is why thoughts that differ from God’s must be moved back to God’s side. But people do not do this, rather try to do good deeds within the state of having thoughts different from God’s. Jesus once said to a paralytic, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.” Right then the scribes said, “Blasphemy! Who can forgive sin but God only?” Jesus’ thoughts and those of the scribes were different. That is why 53

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

spiritual life is discovering the heart of God within the word and uniting your heart with the heart of God. Then change arises, and the power of God appears. It was clearly water in the thoughts of the servants at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. But if they changed their hearts to the heart of Jesus and believed that it was wine, when Jesus told them to serve it, there would be no problem for them to serve the water. This is when the works of God begin to arise. The Heart Connected with the Devil Should Be Changed . . .

When we read the Bible closely, we see that all problems begin from our hearts being different from the heart of God. God said that He would punish the world with water at the time of Noah, but the people at the time thought, “What punishment? It’s probably not going to happen,” in their hearts. That is why they did not prepare the ark. It was not that people were committing murder, adultery, and theft that God destroyed the people at the time of Noah’s flood. God wanted to destroy those who had a different heart from His heart. God only destroys the heart that is different from God’s, and nothing else. Therefore, we must unite with the heart of God. We need to receive the heart of God for us to unite with the heart of God, but Satan deceives us to keep us from doing so. He makes us zealously try to keep the law, pray, and be loyal to God. Satan deceives us into thinking that doing so will bless us and he leads people in this direction. The start of this is shown in Genesis chapter 3. After making the garden of Eden and having Adam and Eve live there, God said to Adam, “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that 54

thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” Such was the heart of God. But Eve listened to the serpent’s words which were different from the heart of God. The serpent said, “Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened; and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Adam and Eve abandoned the Word of God and followed the serpent’s words. They thought this would be profitable. Had Adam and Eve said, “What the serpent says is a lie. God said that we would surely die, so we will. We should not do this!” and inclined their hearts to the side of God, their hearts would have been in communication with God, and the heart of God would have been continually supplied to them. But Adam and Eve listened to the serpent, ate from the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, and their hearts became connected with Satan. From then on, Satan’s heart was continually supplied to them. Shame at being naked came upon them, fear came upon them, and they tried to hide and cover their sin. Such things are continually arising in man even after Adam and Eve. God shows us in Genesis chapter 3 that Adam and Eve leaving God was the problem. From then on Satan has continually stirred up wicked hearts inside of us. This is the reason why lustful hearts constantly arise in us, along with wicked, deceitful hearts as well as fear. People today do not try to change their hearts that are connected to Satan, but they only labor and toil not to sin and try to live as good people. They are deceived by the thought, “I only need to keep the Ten Commandments. I need only not to skip church service and be good.” But there are not many people who have truly done this, and they know that living this way is impossible and they eventually give up. But many people assume that they can do it this time around, and being led by that heart, they labor not to commit sin. 55

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

“I have absolutely no power to protect my son. I should not hold on to this, but I should leave this to God!”

The Life of Receiving the Heart of God

What would have happened if Adam and Eve had refused the word of Satan and received the Word of God? They would have become one with God, and the heart of God would have continually been inside of them, and they would have lived lives overflowing with peace and joy. There is a pastor named Sung Hoon Kim. Pastor Kim lived inside of sin, but received the heart of Jesus and received the forgiveness of sins. He walks with Jesus, and the heart of Jesus flows in him time and time again. This happened when Pastor Kim’s son, Joo-an, was born. His son had a fever in the brain and was dying. The child was hospitalized and there was an announcement on the PA system calling for Pastor Kim. “Joo-an Kim’s guardian, come to the registrar. . .” At that moment, Pastor Kim thought this in his heart, “Joo-an Kim’s guardian? I am not my son’s guardian. My son is dying right now of a brain fever and how could I, who can’t do anything, be his guardian? The hospital calls me a guardian, but I am not my son’s guardian.” On the spot, he prayed to God. “God, my son is dying and I do not have the ability to protect my son. Now I am no longer my son’s guardian. There is nothing I can do, even if my son dies. God, you be my son’s guardian!” Afterwards, Pastor Kim left his son in the hands of God and visited people, preaching the gospel every day. A few days later, the pressure from his brain caused his son’s eyes to bulge, and the hospital was looking for the guardian because they wanted to remove the eyes for a check up. Even though this child was facing death, the guardian was nowhere to be found because he was out witnessing. Because the hospital could not contact the guardian, no matter how hard they looked for him, they 56

called me and I went to the hospital together with the Pastor Kim a few days later. They told him to sign an agreement that said it would be okay to perform the surgery to remove the child’s eyes. It broke Pastor Kim’s heart that his son’s eyes were being removed, but he had no choice, so he signed the agreement. The next morning, the doctor in charge said that all the preparations for the operation were complete, but it was postponed because the bulging of the child’s eyes had decreased a little bit. The bulging decreased even more the next day, and more the day after. And four days later, his eyes were back to normal. Then the child was completely healed within a few days. The heart of God which was not of his own thoughts would suddenly enter Pastor Kim’s heart because his heart was connected with God’s. From the day he thought, “I have absolutely no power to protect my son. I should not hold on to this, but I should leave this to God!” God began to work. Forsake, and Return

When we receive the forgiveness of sin and have the same heart as Jesus, a channel that flows from the heart of Jesus is now formed. On the other hand, Adam and Eve’s hearts were connected with Satan’s and became one with it when they ate the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. From then on, Satan placed various dark and wicked thoughts inside of man. This is why dark thoughts and wickedness continually spring up in man. It is truly impossible to “do good” and “live according to God’s word” in such a state. That is why the Bible says,

Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near; Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord. (Isaiah 55:6~7) 57

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

It means that your thoughts are from Satan and thus, should be thrown away, and you should return to the Lord. It means return to the heart of God. But people put aside returning to the heart of God, but are trying hard to pray, witness, and serve God. While we are laboring, God cannot do any work inside of us. God gave man the law through Moses. But it says in Romans that no flesh shall be justified in His sight through the law. God gave the law to man for man to realize how wicked, filthy, and sinful he is. If one thinks even a little, while trying to keep the law, he will realize this. If one tries zealously to keep the law, he comes to the conclusion, “I cannot keep the law whatsoever!” Once he realizes this and says, “Then what shall I do?” God bestows upon him His grace and mercy. Rather than the eating of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil itself, the important thing is that Adam and Eve inclined their hearts, which should have been united with God, to Satan. The heart we inherited from Adam and Eve is the evil heart led by Satan. That is why this heart must be forsaken. Your heart and your thoughts must be thrown away. You must realize that all the things that arise inside of you are evil. They are evil even if they appear to be good. A con-man saying good things is saying them to con people, and thieves make people feel safe so they can steal from them. This is how it is with our works that appear to be good. We must become freed from this evilness. We must turn from this evilness, and we must receive God into our heart. The Way Back

Jesus turned water into wine at the wedding at Cana of Galilee in John chapter 2. He told the servants there to fill the waterpots with water. When the servants had filled them to the brim, He said, “Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast.” This part is very important. It was clearly water in the eyes of the servants. Surely it was water when judged by their 58

experience and knowledge. They thought, “I poured this water myself. Surely it is water!” but Jesus was saying that it was wine. Throwing your thoughts away and receiving the word of the Lord at this point is returning to the Lord. Just as Adam and Eve threw the Word of God away and selected the serpent’s words, one must receive the Word of God to become freed from this. After Adam and Eve received Satan’s words, mankind belonged to Satan and could only live sinfully because Satan continually put filthy and lustful hearts inside of man. It is not that we should try and labor not to sin within this state, but we must turn around. You must say, “I am evil! I have been infected by Satan!” and turn around. If someone was infected with hepatitis, hepatitis is found throughout his blood. If someone is infected with syphilis, the syphilis germs are in his blood. A person infected with malaria has malaria germs in his blood. We, who are infected with sin, have sin everywhere in our heart. All of our very own thoughts, though we may not be able to distinguish, are evil and dirty. That is why you must deny yourself. Say, “It looks like water to me, but it is wine if Jesus says that it is;” distrust yourself; and believe in Jesus’ words. Adam and Eve distrusted God’s words and believed in the serpent’s words. Now you should do the opposite; distrust your thoughts and believe the Word of God. You Must Decide Now

There are many stories about change in the Bible. Beginning with the story of Jesus changing water into wine, all the stories of change have the process of denying your own thoughts and believing the Word of God. Jesus once met a man with an infirmity for 38 years at the pool of Bethesda. “Wilt thou be made whole?” Jesus asked. 59

New York Times: Notes on Genesis I

“Sir, I have no man, when the water is troubled, to put me into the pool so someone else goes in before me,” replied the man. “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” Jesus answered. Jesus told the man with an infirmity for 38 years to rise, take up his bed, and walk. In the eyes of the man with an infirmity for 38 years, he has been long diseased and his legs are so withered that he cannot walk at all. But Jesus told him to rise and walk. Now, he has to decide whether he should believe in his own thoughts, or believe the words of Jesus! Everything is decided by this. If the invalid believes in his own thoughts and says, “Jesus, not me. How can I walk?” and lays there, he will remain an invalid and die. Although it appeared impossible to the eyes of the man with an infirmity for 38 years that he could walk, he denied his thoughts and judgment and walked, saying, “In my eyes I cannot walk, but I will walk because Jesus has told me to.” Then the works of God arose. This is how true change happens in our lives. Our ancestors, Adam and Eve, long ago forsook the Word of God and chose the words of Satan. Now we must forsake our thoughts, which are infected by Satan, and believe the Word of God. Though it may appear to be water in your eyes, it is wine if Jesus says that it is wine. It seems that you cannot walk in your own eyes, but you can walk if Jesus says to walk. When Jesus told the paralytic, “Son, be at peace. Thy sins be forgiven thee,” upon hearing this, many people thought to themselves, “How could that man forgive sins?” We, too, have many thoughts arising in us when we hear that Jesus forgave our sins. “How could I receive forgiveness of sins? I have so many sins. I still commit this and that kind of sin. How could all those sins be forgiven? 60

Not me. I am a dark person. I still drink and do drugs.” Man refuses the words of Jesus through various thoughts. But right then, we must throw away our thoughts and receive the words of Jesus. “Lord, what did you say? Did you just say to the paralytic, ‘Son, thy sins be forgiven thee?’ If you are saying this to the paralytic, then you are saying it to me. Are you saying that my sins are forgiven? Then, regardless of my own thoughts, I will believe those words. Lord, I am a man with many sins in my own eyes. I am an evil person, but now I will put my thoughts away. It is water in the eyes of the servants, but they believed that it was wine upon hearing the Lord’s words. The man with an infirmity for 38 years could not walk, but he heard the words of the Lord and walked. I too, Lord, believe in you! I appear to be dirty and filthy in my own eyes, but I believe that my sins are forgiven. Now my sins are forgiven!” Such faith is true faith. Following the Lord when things fit your thoughts, and not following Him when things do not is not true faith. No matter what your thoughts are, throwing your thoughts away and accepting the Lord’s words is true faith. I hope that such faith will be upon your heart.

No matter what your thoughts are, throwing your thoughts away and accepting the Lord’s words is true faith. 61

Gospel Lesson

For the Lost Souls The Life of Walking with God Pastor Kim Sung Hoon | Hanbat Central Church

GOD FINDS THE LOST He left Judea and departed again to Galilee.4 But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” 8 For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.” (John 4:3-10)

I plan to think about the heart of God, concentrating on John chapter 4, with you all. For a while, I clearly saw God working amazingly amongst us. As I precisely and concretely heard the Word of God, part-by-part, I could not help but to believe in God. As time passed by, I could very clearly feel faith growing inside of me. John chapter 4, which I want to talk about today, is the story of the woman of Samaria, the thirsty, suffering, and frustrated woman of Samaria, meeting Jesus. Jesus did not say to this woman, “Believe in God. Do not live a life of adversity”. Jesus simply had a conversation with her. He started a simple conservation, but inside of that dialogue, change occurred in her heart. This woman did not try hard to believe in God, and she did not try to break free of a life of adversity or frustration. While she was simply listening to the words of Jesus, the Words of Jesus entered and affected this woman’s heart. Now, let us think about what Jesus said to this woman. Just like how the word entered into her heart and changed her, I truly believe that if this Word comes into our hearts, we will also change. 63

Gospel Lesson

THE MANUAL OF LIFE We are truly evil. In our church, there are two sisters who have sons that have a slight mental problem. Those sons graduated from prestigious schools, had good majors in college, and were smart people. As they excelled in studying on their own, they were people who lived with the desire to try to succeed. However, even though they are in their early thirties, they became people who cannot live a normal life. Their outward appearance looks intact, but the problem is in the center of their hearts. An evil spirit entered in their hearts, and since it is holding onto them, without any regard to their own will, they live a miserable life. Folks, if God does not become the master in all of your hearts, you will live a difficult life. Your master is God who created you all. The person who also knows you the best is the same God who created you. I live in my house, but I do not know more about my house than the person who built it. You all probably know yourself, but you do not know as much as the One who created you. Your heart beating in your chest, is it by your will? Opening your eyes and seeing objects, do you know by what reaction that is happening? Now, in your body, many organs are functioning with each other, are united, and are maintaining your life. Do you know all about those movements? Those things also, regardless of your will or determination, are moving by the One who created you. The One who created you, and who is also your master is God. When your heart is connected 64

The One who created you, and who is also your master is God.

with God, by Him, you can receive protection and preservation. But, people have thrown away God from their hearts. They have forgotten their master. They attempt to assert themselves, but, there is no way that life can go well. At our church in Daegu, there is an elder in our congregation who has an excellent talent for textile systems. His relative lent him a lot of money, so he set up a large textile company. Because of his outstanding management skills, in 1994, he won first place in exports in that field. It became the greatest textile company. He also established branches overseas. But the relative who lent him the money had the desire that if he ran the company, he would earn a lot of money, so he chased out the elder who was his nephew. What do you think happened to the company? One year later, it failed. What do you do to make great products? What do you do to sell efficiently? This wisdom is inside the person who made the company. If you chase that person out, can the company succeed? Everyone, it is the same with us. The One who designed and created you is God. If God were to supervise you, there would not be a single person who would not be blessed. But, if you cast Him out, despise Him, and become your own master and drive your life toward the direction you want, how can that person not become ruined? How can a person be blessed? God possesses all of that wisdom. That is why God gave us this Bible. The Bible is the manual for our lives. If you buy a machine, 65

Gospel Lesson

If something is blocked in your life, you must open the Bible.

there is a manual for that machine, in other words, the instructions. If you buy a phone, there are directions on how to use it. You have to use the phone according to the instructions so you can use it for a long time and to use it to the greatest extent. The Word of God is the manual for our lives. And so, if something is blocked in your life, you must open the Bible. If you open the Bible, the solution is there to move your hearts. “When this happens, do this,” If we start to move our hearts, following that Word little by little, all the problems that are blocking us have no choice but to be solved. I am not that old but there was a lot of difficulty in my life. While I was in Japan for four years as a missionary, there were many times that it was very difficult because I did not have money. At those times, the Word steadied the direction of my heart, and then, I was able to see God helping me. Also, my only son had a disease when he was three days old and was expected to die. In my heart, there was great despair and pain. I did not know what to do. In other words, at that time, my life was blocked. At that time, too, I opened the Word. I read in the middle of the Bible and the Lord spoke to my heart. “At this time, do this.” According to what God had spoken, I turned the direction of my heart. And, then God worked, and my dying child was saved by God. Everyone, for this one week, do not try to believe in the words of the Bible, but simply, listen and earnestly think about it. “In the Bible, what is God 66

speaking about? What is the Bible telling me?” While you are listening to this story quietly, I believe God will work amazingly in your hearts.

THE HEART OF GOD LOOKS FOR THE LOST

Samaritans Ancestrally, Samaritans claim descent from the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (the two sons of Joseph) as well as from the priestly tribe of Levi, who have links to ancient Samaria from the period of their entry into the land of Canaan. The split between them and the Judeans began during the time of Eli the priest when, according to Samaritan tradition, Judeans split off from the central Israelite tradition.

If you look at verse 3, it is written that “He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria.” In the middle of Jesus leaving Judea and going to Galilee, He had a heart to go to the area of Samaria. This is the very important part. During this era, the Jews really hated the land of the Samaritans. Israel used to be one nation but was divided to north and south. The first king of Israel was Saul, next David, then Solomon, and then it was Rehoboam; when he was king, the land was divided. Since there are twelve tribes of Israel, the tribe of Judah formed the country called Judah in the south, and the remaining eleven tribes formed Israel in the north. The capital of the southern kingdom was Jerusalem, and the capital of the northern kingdom was Samaria. However, the people of northern Israel did not serve God and were corrupt; they were invaded by Assyria and were destroyed. After Assyria seized Samaria, they knew that the power of unity of the Israelites was very strong, so in order to bring about the complete collapse of their race, they forcefully settled foreigners in Samaria. Also, many foreigners came to Samaria and they made it into a commerce city for business. Samaria, to put it simply, became a place where people 67

Gospel Lesson

The Samaritan Woman The Samaritan woman at the well is a figure from the Gospel of John, in John 4:4–26: “Now Jacob's well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour. There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink... Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.”

with mixed-blood lived. On top of that, since it was a city of commerce, the city itself was lustful and dirty. To the Jews who emphasized descent, Samaria was a very dirty land. They considered it shameful to even set foot on that land. Just like that, all the Jews did not go to Samaria, but in John chapter 4 verse 4, it is written that Jesus needed to go through Samaria. Jesus had a reason that He must go to Samaria. There was one woman who lived in the city of Samaria. John chapter 4 is the story about this woman. This woman had five husbands before, and she was living with her sixth. She was a woman that was scorned by the people around her. This woman was always thirsty. She tried to obtain satisfaction from one man but she was unable; she tried to obtain satisfaction from another man but she was unable to. Again, she was living with one husband, she tried to obtain happiness but her heart was still empty. There was nothing that could fill her heart. She was as exhausted as she could be. This woman tried to find happiness with labor and toil, but she was unable to find any. And so, that is why Jesus went to his woman. Jesus, in order to meet this woman, purposely moved His tired feet to the land of Samaria. In John chapter 4, verse 4, in this brief scripture, contains the heart of God about how God finds us. God truly knows you all. Does Jesus know the woman, or not? He does know her. But, this woman does not know at all that Jesus is looking for her. 68

She tried to obtain satisfaction from another man but she was unable to.

Without any relation to the heart of Jesus, she is living inside of emptiness. Jesus Himself was feeling stifled so he went to find her. If a child leaves the house, the parents become worried. The kids are having fun playing but the parents look for their children with an aching heart. A couple of years ago, there was the “Chorongchorong Bitnari Park” incident when an elementary school student was kidnapped. One young lady had a fine and owed $4,000 in debt. The kidnapper thought “The fact that the child is well dressed might mean that her household is wealthy, so it would be good if I kidnap her and ask for some money.” And so, she kidnapped that child. At the time, every newspaper and broadcasting system continued to report the Nari kidnapping incident. One day, I turned on the TV and Nari’s mother was on TV. All the cameras of the broadcasting systems were focused on her, but this woman did not try to decorate herself. She did not put on any makeup, and she had on shabby pants as she sat, plopped down with her legs open. In the heart of Nari’s mother, she I was very hurt in my heart as well the heart of wanting to find Nari. At that time, suddenly the phone rang. Nari’s mother, like a bouncing spring, jumped up and picked up the receiver. “Who is this? Is it Nari?” She confirmed that it was a phone call for something else and dispirited, she hung up. When I saw this. I felt that Nari needed to be found, and when the service was over and I returned home, I wondered “Did Nari return home today?” and would turn on the TV. But 69

Gospel Lesson

Ten days later, it was discovered that the child had died.

ten days later, it was discovered that the child had died. Because the young child kept on crying, the woman who kidnapped her could not handle it, so she strangled her to death. As soon as the body of the child was discovered, that mother embraced the child and fainted. That is the heart of a parent who had lost their child. The heart of God towards us is like that. No, it is much more than that. But, the child who has left the home, because he or she is intoxicated with desire and with what he or she wants to do, they do not know the heart of the parent. WHY ARE YOU SCARED OF DEATH? I read this story in one book. One child held his mother’s hand and went to the zoo. They saw several animals. When he was looking at the elephant, his heart was lost in its enormous frame and he let go of his mother’s hand. He did not have the opportunity to think about being separated from his mother when he suddenly saw the monkeys. “Hey, monkeys are funny.” And then he saw a snake: “Snakes are gross.” He continued on and saw a lion, a tiger…, while he was doing that the sun set and it became dark. Then, when the child looked around, his mother was not there. Now, he has to go home, but he lost his mother. Only then did the child whimper and cry. Originally, when was this child supposed to cry? He was supposed to cry when he let go of his 70

mother’s hand, when he was looking at the elephant. But, the child was lost in the things that he wanted to see and he did not know that he lost his mother. It was when he had to go back home that he actually realized the truth and started to cry. We are like this. People forget God and frantically live their lives and when they stand in front of death, they think about God. “Oh, I am dying. I want to avoid death.” One of the sisters who attends our church lived in pain for two years because of a disease. She always had a heart of wanting to die. However, around two weeks ago, she collapsed because of shock. Her tongue and her entire body were drying up and she stood in front of death. At that time, from the bottom of her heart, one sound arose towards God. “God, save me please!” She thought she wanted to die, but when she actually stood in front of death, she had a heart of not wanting to die. When people are in front of death, they have a heart of wanting to avoid death. Why are people tormented by death and want to avoid it? This happened when I was in the third grade of elementary school. In the garden in the back of our neighborhood, was a playground and I went there often to play with my friends. One day, one of my friends hit me and ran away. I got mad and wanted to catch him and beat him up; however, he was running around so I could not catch him. Just at that moment, there was a rock, so I picked it up and threw it. It hit a girl, on the side of her head. It went “bam” and it sounded like something exploded and I was so surprised and I ran away. I heard from behind me, “Sung 71

Gospel Lesson

When people are in front of death, they have a heart of wanting to avoid death.

Hoon Kim did it!” I thought something serious had happened so I just ran. I went out of my neighborhood and went to the neighborhood nearby. There, my school friends were playing so I played with them. But, time passed and it became dusk. Cold wind started to blow and my friends, one by one, went home. But, that day, I had no place to go. The day before, I was not scared of the sun setting, but that day I was very scared. I saw that I had no house and no warm bosom of my parents to return to. I was very worried. It became nine o’clock and I couldn’t take it anymore so I went to my friend’s house and called home. “Mom…” “Is this Sung Hoon?” “Yes, it is me.” “Hey, you punk, hurry up and come home. You’ve really done it this time. If you do not get back in 30 minutes, know that you are going to be in big trouble!” When I got back home, the girl, who was hit by the rock and bandaged, and her parents were at my house. I begged for forgiveness and they left. Afterwards, I got into big trouble with my parents. When darkness and fear comes to people, the darkness itself is not the problem but the problem is that they have no place to go. In our lives, what is the greatest pain? Generally, we say it is death. Why is death scary? It is because they can’t return to the 72

People, at the last moment, have a heart of wanting to seek for God.

bosom of God. It is because from the center of their hearts, they do not have the experience of meeting God. Everyone, since we are from God, we will eventually return to him. The female sibling of a brother who attends the East Daejeon Church was adopted when she was two by someone who lives in Belgium. When she was 23, she had become a young lady and since she wanted to see her parents and her brother, she came to Korea with her boyfriend. She received help from the Holt Child Welfare, which handled her adoption. She knew that her father and her brother lived in Daejeon, and she called her brother. Of course, since the young lady only knew how to speak English, they could not communicate. Last week, she attended the retreat with her brother and her boyfriend and I saw how she really enjoyed meeting her father and her brother. You can call that instinct, the heart of wanting to return to your hometown. People, at the last moment, have a heart of wanting to seek for God. But when they stand in front of death, instinctively, they become insecure. Our spirit, which is inside of us, without us even knowing, is afraid and trembles. We have to go in front of God, but the truth that we cannot return is scary. Many people, like this, have departed from God and lived and continue to live on in this way.

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