NOV 2016
DELIVERING THE GOSPEL & THE TESTIMONIES OF GRACE
Special Article Pastor Ock Soo Park Meets with the King of Swaziland
Salvation Testimony
God’s Life Changing Gift to Me
Preaching the Gospel
I too Have Seen the Light!
GOOD NEWS MAGAZINE
Contents
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Monthly Sermon Not of Works
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Salvation Testimony God’s Life Changing Gift to Me
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Special Article 2016 Gracias Christmas Cantata US Tour Bringing Joy & Happiness to America!
About the Cover This year's Christmas Cantata Tour in the U.S. visited 26 cities covering 16,000 miles. Each year we see the Gracias Choir innovating their performances to the touch the hearts of thousands of Americans. Not only the choir, but hundreds of volunteers come together to help the Tour operate. Read more in the special article to see the details.
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Memoirs of a Missionary The Happiness that the Church Brought Me
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New York Times If Thou Depart to the Right Hand, Then I will Go to the Left
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Gospel Lesson God's Power and Divinity Inside of Creation
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Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth I too Have Seen the Light!
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Church Directory
Sermon of the Month
Not of Works Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church
“For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) THEY DID NOT KNOW SALVATION DOES NOT COME FROM WORKS
In reading Ephesians 2, verse 9, it is written “Not of works, lest any man should boast.” For us to receive salvation and to have our sins washed clean, the Bible states that it is apart from our works. I attended church since I was a child, but because I did not know this truth, I always thought that I had to work diligently in order to receive the forgiveness of sin and to be born again. I thought that I had to keep the Ten Commandments, give offering and do good deeds. In the beginning I thought that if I try to keep the Ten Commandments that I could. But apart from my own will, I discovered that I kept sinning and disobeyed the Ten Commandments as I kept lying. No matter how hard I struggled to not sin, it was useless.
Back then, even though I was young, I went to church at dawn every day. Out of the whole church, I was first at the early morning service and prayed in order to wash away my sins. I attended the early morning service, and when the early morning service was over, I again confessed my sins. But no matter how many times I confessed my sins and no matter what I did, there was no happiness or peace in my heart that comes from resolution of all my sins. I lived repeating the life of sinning then suffering and then sinning again. It was all because I did not know the truth that salvation and the forgiveness of sins is not of works.
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If salvation is not from works, no matter what sin I may commit, since it is of works, it is apart from salvation.
IF SALVATION IS NOT FROM WORKS…
Up until I began to suffer because of my sins, I thought that I was an honest person. But no matter how hard I tried to not sin, as I saw myself more and more falling into sin. I thought, “Why am I like this? I don’t think I can do it! I’m going to hell!” Before knowing the Bible precisely, because all that I could do was to cleanse my works, I tried diligently to live good and honestly. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t free my heart from sin and I could feel that more and more I was falling deeper into sin. A long time has passed since I received salvation and as I reflect upon the past, when I was a teen I thought that I had to do good deeds and I relied upon my works, but I didn’t search for it precisely in the Bible. Afterwards, as I read the Bible, I was able to discover many new truths from the Bible. Among them, one was the truth that our salvation is not of works. Whether we receive salvation or not was absolutely not based on if our works were good or evil. If salvation is not from works, no matter what sin I may commit, since it is of works, it is apart from salvation. Oppositely, no matter what good deed that may have done, since that is also works, you can’t derive salvation by it. GRACE IS TO FREELY OBTAIN THE RESULTS OF SOMEONE ELSE’S WORK WITHOUT COST
Before the verse in Ephesians chapter 2 verse 9, which states that salvation is not of works, it says in verse 8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God.” God states that salvation is by grace through faith. If you open the Bible, it is a word that can be found easily, but before I received salvation, I simply did not understand Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8 and 9. Salvation is to be received without price; God gave it freely. When I was young, I would go over to a friend’s house, although I did not work, if they were boiling sweet potatoes to eat, they would give me one to eat. When they boiled potatoes, I remember receiving the potatoes for free. Likewise, to
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Sermon of the Month
receive without having to do any work is grace. Grace means that although I did not work at all, but because someone else did that work for me, I can obtain the results of someone else’s work freely. I did not farm potatoes or sweet potatoes, but someone else diligently farmed them and through their labor, the potatoes and sweet potatoes were given to me freely. This is grace. We have received the life of Jesus without price and just as Jesus said in the Bible, “Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?” because we are descendants of sin and the seed of sin, we could never do good works on our own. We could not do the works that will please God. But because I tried to receive salvation by those works, it could not be done. Since the forgiveness of sin is a gift, it just has to be accepted. Because it does not come from works, you do not have to work for it. Even though I didn’t work, but I still ate the potatoes and sweet potatoes at my friend’s house because someone else labored; likewise, someone else labored for our salvation. And it is Jesus who died on the cross to pay for all the punishment of my sins and He has finished all the work that I was supposed to do. It is because Jesus worked, salvation is not of works, but by grace. Jesus was crucified on the cross for our sins and He gave us His life of not sinning even once as He lived upon this earth for 33 years. And without any cost, as we received that life. the holy life of Jesus became ours and the judgment He received on the cross became our judgment. Likewise, since Jesus did all the work that we were supposed to do, there is nothing left for us to work for. We don’t have to do any work in order to receive salvation. We don’t have to keep the Ten Commandments, or try diligently, or live zealously in front of God. Salvation has nothing to do with our works. It is the blood Jesus shed on the cross that has cleansed us and not ever by confessing our sins or shedding tears had our sins become washed. Therefore, no matter what you do to wash your sins, you cannot accomplish salvation and we can never receive grace by our works. We must accept grace that is given to us without price. THERE WERE TIMES I WAS ASHAMED IN FRONT OF GOD AFTER RECEIVING SALVATION…
Since we could not keep the law and sinned, we were to be punished, but Jesus received that punishment on the cross. Even after salvation, it is not by our efforts to live good that we can live in goodness. God has given us the 6
good life of Jesus to us. The curse that we were to receive, Jesus received it for us and the glory of going to heaven that Jesus was to receive, we received it. Spiritual life is never fulfilled by my good deeds. It is fulfilled by faith in accepting what Jesus has done is mine. After I received salvation, as a saint there were many times I felt ashamed. After receiving salvation I tried to be good, but there were times when I would make mistakes and do wrong. When that happened, I hesitated to go in front of God and I was ashamed to stand in front of God. But to stand in front of God, it is not by our works. When Jesus was crucified on the cross, because He bore all of our sins, we were made clean. Therefore, no matter what my works may be like, it is through Jesus that I can boldly go in front of God. In the beginning of my saved life, when I felt that I was doing the work of the gospel well and lived good in front of God, I would go boldly in front of God, but when I wasn’t able to live that way, I lost my boldness, but later being strengthened by the blood of Jesus I was then able to go in front of God with boldness again. It was because no matter what sin or wickedness I may have committed, I knew the truth from the Bible that all of my iniquities were cleansed. After knowing this truth, being strengthened by the blood of Jesus, I was freely able to go in front of God and every time God worked inside me and bestowed grace upon me. I was always able to boldly seek God and as I saw God living and working inside me, I was very thankful. APART FROM WORKS, IF WE ALWAYS GO IN FRONT OF GOD BY THE GRACE OF JESUS
“Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:9) If people are unable to understand these words, then whoever they are, they will rely upon their works. When their works are good, they will be bold, but when their works are bad, they will not be able to go to God boldly and they will be ashamed. Because that is a spiritual life by works, they cannot receive the blessings of God. Spiritual life belongs to grace. By accepting the things fulfilled by Jesus, we can go in front of God through Jesus. The Bible explains to us the truth that apart from works, if we always go in front of God by the grace of Jesus, we will receive all the blessings and Pastor Ock Soo Park
Pastor Park is currently the senior pastor of the Good News Gangnam Church. He is the founder of the Mahanaim Cyber Theology School and International Youth Fellowship. Annually he is the guest speaker for Bible Crusades domestically and internationally and serves as a guest lecturer to university students. He is the author of several titles such as: The Secret of Forgiveness of Sin and Being Born Again, Repentance and Faith, Navigating the Heart. These books have been translated in 17 different languages, and in addition he is the author of 40 other books on spiritual life.
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Salvation Testimony
God’s Life Changing Gift to Me Theresa Bradford | Good News Fort Wayne Church
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Before I stepped into the life changing experiences of IYF and Good News Mission Church, my life was filled with constant depression and hardships. I would always find myself thinking that I was nothing more than a burden to the people around me, and feeling like I had no love or support to turn to. While I was growing up, I experienced some of the worst events I think someone can possibly go through, and because of those events, I ended up closing my heart, and refused to share any of my thoughts or feelings with anyone. I mean, I didn’t feel like anyone even cared, so what would have been the point? I constantly watched people walk in and out of my life as if it was a flipbook, and I had to deal with everything that stemmed from it. The people who would tell me that they love me, or would always be there to help me if I ever needed anything, would always end up disappearing without another word. Would could feel loved with that going on in their life? Feeling unloved, I began to search for it and ended up in the wrong places with the wrong people. I found nothing more than heartbreak and abuse with the side of trauma to match. I didn’t know what to do or even what to think anymore. I began to turn to self-harm as a way to keep my mind off everything, but that only made it worse. I would start to question everything. “Why would God let this happen…? I continued to make the wrong decisions and trust many people that I shouldn’t have. I used to hear that with every dark patch, there is always a gleam of light, well I believe that after all the darkness I encountered, my first patch of light came from God when He blessed me with my beautiful daughter Lilian. Even though I’m not married, and I am raising her as a single mother, I believe that she a beautiful gift from God. She has helped me mature in many ways, and given me a way to prove I am nothing like the mother I ever knew. With the struggles continuing to take hold of me, I one day came across a little post that was made on Facebook about this Korean Language class that was going to be taught for two weeks at a church. I didn’t really think about it at the time, but I felt that was a sign from God as to where He wanted to lead me. Obviously, I went to this amazing class and had so much fun while I was there, but it wasn’t until the class came to an end, that I found my life beginning to change. I walked into a large room where a handful of volunteers around my age where folding letters and placing them in envelopes. I sat down and started helping them, but kept to myself and stayed quiet. Without saying a word, these amazing people began to introduce themselves, and asked me about myself. At first, I couldn’t help but feel like I was dreaming. Everyone in that room was so 9
Salvation Testimony
kind and caring towards me that I just couldn’t push the shocked feeling away. They invited me to come back and learn more about Christmas Cantata and IYF. I watched every promotional video with much curiosity and continued to run back to the church everyday so I could continue to be a part of this wonderful experience. I was able to be a part of helping promote and prepare for one of IYF’s biggest events without even realizing it. Oh what a blast it was! Not everyone could probably look at what we did and consider it fun, but I did! Even though there were some days where we would work so much that I would nearly fall over asleep, but that just proved to everyone how much time and effort we were putting into everything we did. My favorite experience was going door to door, delivering “Dear Neighbor” letters to the door steps of people’s homes. Every time I would place a new letter in someone’s door, I would always have faith in my heart and a bounce in my step hoping this letter would improve that person’s day. Even with all of the kindness, I was beginning to feel confused and a little out of place. Here these volunteers are, able to walk up to the podium and share their hearts without any problems…and here I am trying to hide from the Pastor so he wouldn’t call on me. Looking back at everything, I hope I didn’t come off as disrespectful as I think I did because thinking about all of the fellowships, one on one talks with the Pastors, First Ladies, and even the volunteers, I can see that they were just trying to help me find my full faith in God and help me reopen my heart. Since that amazing life changing experience last August, I have continued to go to church, meeting new volunteers, attending Bible Seminars, and other great events just so I can continue to be a part of this astounding group that I never knew existed. Every time I’m in the church, or even 10
around students and volunteers of IYF, I always find a different feeling in my heart. I always feel myself smiling, and actually being able to feel this sense of trust whenever I’m there. It’s almost unexplainable, but every time I have met someone in the church, or IYF, I always feel that I can trust telling them my entire life story without any worry of being shunned even though I just met them. I know they will open their heart back to me, and share this friendship bond that goes beyond words. Through the church and everyone in it, I was able to find salvation. They all helped me believe the true word of God once more. I used to think that because of everything that’s happened in my past, I had almost lost it, but that wasn’t true at all. They continued to work with me and share fellowship and lectures with me that helped me see, God has a plan for everything. God would never give me more than I could handle, and God has already forgiven me for all of my sins. He has made me righteous! Even though it may have taken me some time to realize everything that the Pastors, First Ladies, and volunteers have been trying to teach me, and I still find myself struggling to share my heart with others, but now I know that I am always loved, always forgiven, and God led me down this path for a reason because He has a plan for me. I have to continue to believe in His word, see what His plans for me are, and trust Him. My only wish is that I could have found all of this sooner so that I could have possibly been able to keep a few things in my past from occurring, but I now see that it is all a part of God’s plan and I am more than thankful towards Him for leading me down this path in life. Since I have never written a testimony before, I hope that I have shared my life changing story with you in a way that you can truly see the amazing change I have made since IYF and Good News Mission came into my life. I wish to thank all the amazing Pastors, Ministers, volunteers, and even some of the students for being so kind and open hearted With towards me so that I could finally open my heart and share it volunteers, teachers, and students with all of you as you all have for me. I know that I couldn’t have made this great of a change in my life without any of you. I plan to stay a part of this amazing group for as long as I possibly can, helping whenever I am needed because nothing has made me happier than knowing that I have found the most amazing group of people I think I could ever possibly find in my life. 11
Special Article 2016 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour Worldwide Performances for 1 Million People
Gracias Christmas Cantata
Bringing Joy & Happiness to America! The 26-City U.S. Tour
Editor: Min Young Kim | Photography by: Jin Wook Kim
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26 U.S. Cities, Joy & Happiness brought to 100,000 U.S. Citizens
The Gracias Choir's Christmas Cantata has finally come to a close after a month-long journey across the U.S. Beginning September 14th and ending October 15th, they have completed 31 performances in 26 different cities. The tour began on the East Coast and continued on to the Southern and Midwestern region of the United States. This grand journey began towards the end of summer, and ended towards the end of fall. The Christmas Cantata that has brought about much joy and happiness to American cities performed in renown venues such as the Fox Theatre in Atlanta (3,500 seats), the Shrine Auditorium in L.A. (7,000 seats), twice at the Alaska Center for the Performing Arts (3,900 seats), and the Newark Symphony Hall in New Jersey (3,000 seats). Gracias Choir received Top Prize and First Place at the worldrenown Marktoberdorf Choral Competition in Germany in 2015. They have been living up to their fame as they toured in 60 countries around the world and received wide praise worldwide. The U.S. audience was a diverse makeup of people from all backgrounds and ethnicities. They all became one and gave standing ovations during the Christmas Cantata. The Christmas Cantata will be running its South Korean Tour from November 19th to December 21st. It will be performed in 21 different cities across South Korea. They will be performing in renown venues in Korea, including the famed Sejong Cultural Center in Seoul, Korea. The Cantata includes the opera of the birth of Jesus, following the Little Santa's performance, and then Act 2 the musical of Ana, and finally Act 3 the choir performing classical pieces. It will be an evening of joy and happiness as the audience is moved by the famous pieces performed by the Gracias Choir. 13
Special Article 2016 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour
Many people came with their friends and family to the show at the Shrine Auditorium in L.A.
Detroit was the 22nd city to hold the Christmas Cantata, and amongst it's audience was Eric who was weak in one leg due to complications during a heart attack. He spoke of his "amazing experience" at the Cantata. 14
2016 Gracias Christmas Cantata US Tour
26 Cities 31 Performances 16,000 Miles 70 Staff Members 100 Gracias and
Orchestra Members
6 Cities Appoint Official Christmas Cantata Day
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1. Volunteers promoting Christmas Cantata 2. Family from Salt Lake City came to see the show
"I gain new strength as I heard the message of the man who was stung by a scorpion. I feel like my leg is better all ready! I feel as if an angel came down from heaven." He had a big smile as he was saying this. The audience members embodied a wide range of people, but at the end of the performance, they were all moved and exclaimed the same things. They all came out at the end of the show and said "I will be definitely bringing my family and neighbors next year!"
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Beautiful
Awesome Amazing
Wonderful
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3. Thousands of people stood in line at every city to watch the performance. 4. Before the start of Act 2, the Little Santa's brought much joy as they performed their dances for the audience. They rehearsed daily, and improved their performance substantially.
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Special Article 2016 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour Act 1: Opera Herod attempts to kill Jesus, which culminated the suffering of the people of Israel.
Act 2: Musical Troublemaker Ana experiences life as the Little Match Girl through her dreams, and later realizes the importance of family.
The Message: Pastor Yeong Gook Park of the Good News New York Church is giving the Christmas Cantata Message. Many audience members were moved and uplifted.
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Act 3: Choir The famous pieces performed by the Choir and orchestra
Again and again, the American people awaiting the Christmas Cantata
Is it easy for 100 musicians to tour 26 cities on the same bus for a whole month? At a time where everyone prefers to eat alone and have fun alone, what is the moving force that unites theses many people as one? The Gracias Choir said, "If people hear our music and feel happiness, then we can overcome anything." It is not easy for vocalists to sleep in buses, not hotels, especially when they have to maintain their condition. It was not easy to travel to a different city every day. This is unheard of for vocalists in Korea. For vocalists such as Jinyoung Park, she was in the worst condition since the first performance when she had to sing "God Bless America," a beloved patriotic song that requires the singer to perform in a wide range of octaves. Despite this, she went on the complete the show with the rest of the choir and was amazingly able to make high notes which garnered much applaud from the audience. After the performance, the audience described the Choir as "the best of the best." Even the reporters were moved when they witnessed the choir during their rehearsals. The Gracias Choir moved as one entity on stage. They all responded "yes!" to the instruction of the conductor and immediately acted upon those changes. They were all filled with pure passion. Conductor's Eun Sook Park's mind to perform the greatest show for the audience was conveyed directly to the choir members. That was how they were able to become world's best in such a short time. Conductor Eun Sook Park leads long hours of daily rehearsals filled with detailed and meticulous instruction. At times she instructs with the warmth of a mentor which has elevated their status significantly. They mastered English which allowed them to act and express themselves freely. They did not simply sing songs, but they sung about their lives. The audience were deeply touched and overjoyed as a result of this. They all laughed and cried together during the performance. Gracias Choir who spreads hope and dreams will begin their performance in South Korea on November 19th. 17
Special Article 2016 Christmas Cantata U.S. Tour
“This is the happiest and most exciting time of my life! The whole performance was perfect! All three acts couldn't have been more well done. I will definitely return next year with my friends.� Jenny College student at St. Paul University
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Thank you, Gracias Choir, for your performance for the community.
The singing, dancing, and It was an honor! acting were all outstanding. I will come again next year! I was moved to tears! Frank Casada
Jack Peterson Assemblyman of Fairfax, Virginia
Sandra Armenta Mayor of Rosemead
Deputy Mayor of Royal Gables
It was a great performance. A wonderful evening!
It was a unbelievable performance. I watched it with my students!
My wife and I were happy to see this wonderful performance.
Valerie Robinson President of Roxbury Community College, Boston
Rolandas Grishonas Ambassador of Lithuania
Yoo Sun Jung Professor at George Mason University, Washington D.C.
It was a great performance. A wonderful evening! Marsha Croban Deputy Ambassador of Jamaica
Volunteers of the Christmas Cantata in Alaska
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The 70 people who worked backstage to make this Cantata a reality. 1. The trailer that carried the set. It was grand sight to see the trailers driving in one line.
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2. The staff who unloaded the set. The staff was careful when unloading and loading the set at every new city. It took man power to move the heavy set materials.
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3. The staff who were disassembling the stage at the end of every performance. Their speed and efficiency grew with every performance, and left American venue employees speechless.
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4. The team members who worked the lobby, setting up the photo zone, books and Gracias Choir merchandise. 5. The tireless staff members drove through the night to arrive at the next city. 6. There were staff members who drove the buses all night to the next performance site. (Eun Chong Park) 7. The audio staff made sure the acoustics were perfect and precisely executed the complicated music patterns of the show.
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8. The famous Fox Theater in Atlanta. Many people pay admission to tour the theater even on days with no performance. The weather was very hot during the performance in Atlanta. The skies were clear and blue.
During the month of the Christmas Cantata tour, summer had ended and it was the beginning of fall. The blue skies were clear and the clouds were floating low in the sky. The hearts of the people were as beautiful as the beautiful nature scenery.
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Memoirs of a Missionary_Côte d’Ivoire
Memoirs of a Missionary 1st Edition
The Happiness That the Church Brought Me By God’s grace, missionary Jung Do Lee received salvation when he was a student embraced the hope to become a Gospel preacher. Just as stars shine most brightly in the darkest night, perhaps, he was able to be led by the light of Jesus Christ because he did not have any hope in his life. We introduce to you the testimonies of Missionary Jung Do Lee, who received a gift of God to live the most precious and beautiful life of saving souls throughout these 12 issues.
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For a long time, I have lived my life only looking ahead of me. Now, I am very thankful to be given this chance to look back upon my life. Sometimes, we must go back to where we started to find what we lost. However, as I reflected on my life, I discovered myself burying many things in my life. As animals deemed clean in the Bible chew the cud, I believe that I will relive the happy memories of my life as I regurgitate those memories and write my memoirs as a missionary. My childhood was enough to draw other people’s attentions
Everyone cherishes his or her birthday. They sing birthday songs and hold parties to celebrate and express love, spending time and money generously. A birthday is such a blessed day. However, my birthday was a bit different. My father, who was already married and had 3 children, met my mother coincidently and had me and my brother. Situations like this weren’t uncommon where I lived. However, it still drew other people’s attention. I used to think that maybe my existence was a burden to my father and mother, and that my birth may have been an unwelcoming event. Until I was in 5th grade, my brother, mother, and father rarely visited home, and I moved to many different places. Suddenly, we got to live with my father’s first wife and his children. It was because my mother’s business was unsuccessful and she was no longer able to support us. All of a sudden, my mother’s name on my student record was changed and the names of my stepbrother and stepsister were written on my record. My new family was nice to me. Yet, a sudden change in my life was shocking to me and made me confused. My brother and I were too young to take these changes casually. Many times, I saw my older brother crying under the blanket. I do not remember how I lived the first year after I moved to my father’s house. One day, I was taking an exam in school. When I got the test, I was overwhelmed because the test was full of questions that I had never seen before. All of my grades in my 5th grade year were either D’s or F’s. I truly lived the first year thoughtlessly. One year later, my mother came to get my brother and I, and we were able to live the life that we used to live before. As I lived with my mother, I was psychologically stabilized and was able to get A’s in all of my classes in my 6th grade year. While I was living with my mother, my heart was at peace but it was always difficult financially. I was not free from poverty. When I was in 7th grade, I helped my mother sell egg bread. Looking at myself baking and selling bread with gloves and an apron, I did not want to meet my friends and felt shameful and miserable when customers looked at me with pity. It was also
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Memoirs of a Missionary_Côte d’Ivoire
my job to pick up government- stock rice from the village office. I felt so small lining up to receive rice rations with other people. I hated poverty so much. I pointed a finger at myself and shouted, “Hypocrite!”
My mother diligently attended church. She never missed the early morning prayer meetings and gave offerings with money that she earned difficultly. It seemed as if she always had enough money to give offerings, but never enough to pay for my tuition. Since I had to be called by my teachers for not being able to pay the tuition on time, I couldn’t understand my mother. When I was in 6th grade, my mother twisted her ankle and had to wear a cast. Even during that time, she went to early morning prayer meeting in crutches. Although it was raining heavily, she woke up early as usual. I was lying down and thought to myself, “How far can she get without an umbrella on those crutches?” After a short time, I ran outside with the umbrella and followed my mother. She was going to church while getting rained on as I had imagined. On the way to church, there were stairs. Since she could not see the stairs due to the rain, she went down each stair in a sitting position. The umbrella that I was holding was useless. After my mother arrived at the church, she knelt down by the corner and prayed with tears. “Why is she in such pain and sadness? What kinds of sin did she commit?” I was thinking about many things. After I saw such an image of my mother that day, I made up my mind that I would never believe in Jesus like my mother, even if I come to believe in Jesus. As I moved on to the 8th grade, I began to condemn the church that I used to attend with my mother. As I was going through puberty, I suffered because of sexual curiosities and desires. It was a good thing that I was maturing as a man. However, it was really difficult to live condemning myself, asking for forgiveness, and trying not to commit sin all at the same time. One day, I went to early morning prayer meeting and asked for forgiveness while crying, thinking about the sins that I committed in my heart. As I prayed like this for a while, I suddenly remembered my mother’s image and thought, “This isn’t right!” Then, I quit praying and came back home. I wanted to go to a different church, so I looked for other churches. However, all churches were the same. The process of solving problems of sins were similar, whether I went to a Catholic church or a Buddhist temple. If I had no fear of going hell, I would have cut off my link to God. However, I could not deny the existence of God. I did not know what to do and this concern only got bigger. I often stood before a mirror and pointed a finger at myself, shouting, “Hypocrite!” People called me a good boy just because they only saw my
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outward appearance of helping my mother with her business and not causing much trouble. That made it even harder for me to share my heart. One day, one of my classmates talked about bad things that he had done. He even talked about how he assaulted a woman. Yet, outwardly, he didn’t seem like a bad boy, but seemed like an honest and sincere person. From that day on, I hung out with him and deemed him a savior from my ‘hypocrisy.’ One day, my friend encouraged me to meet up with girls. I thought it would be my first opportunity to express my inner self, so I joyfully followed. However, a few minutes after he said that, I fell and broke my leg as I was riding on my roller-skates. I didn’t get a single chance to speak to the girls. I felt like I was going crazy, lying down at home with a cast and going to the bathroom in a chamber pot. I thought that it was God who was doing this. He locked me in His prison and did not allow me to do anything that I wanted. I wanted to be free from the feeling that God was forcing me to serve Him. The retreat, which I had no choice but to attend since I could not rebel against my mother
One day, my mother came back home rejoicing and told me, “I am saved.” Whenever she came back from a prayer center or a revival assembly, she was happy, but it did not last much, as she lost the spiritually feeling shortly. I thought she was simply in another one of her spiritual moments. However, this time, it was little bit different. She said she would begin attending the church that actually preached the Gospel to her. It was the first time she tried to attend another church. However, I was not interested. On January of 1988, when I was on my bed with a broken leg, my mother told me to go to the retreat. Not only was it difficult to go in my crutches, but also I didn’t want to go, because I wasn’t sure of God’s existence. The problem was that I could not run away because of my broken leg. On the first day of the retreat Pastor Jung Soo Park, who was ministering at the Good News East Busan Church at that time, parked his car and told me. “Let’s go together!” I could not get angry at my mother in front of a pastor who I had met for the first time, so I attended the retreat. In the Gospel class at the winter retreat, I heard the Gospel which said that my sins had With my mother during my middle school graduation
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Memoirs of a Missionary_Côte d’Ivoire
been washed through the blood of Jesus Christ. More than the fact that all of my sins were washed, the fact that I was a person who could not keep the law touched my heart deeply. Until that time, no one had taught me that a man could not keep the law. That was why I lived my life with an obsession that I must keep the law at all times and live a good life. I condemned myself every day and cried whenever I prayed. I heard an amazing story there for the first time. After I received salvation, I started to go to the East Busan Church. Pastor Jung Soo Park served our family with all his heart. My brother and grandmother also heard the Gospel and received salvation. I truly was an introverted person. I did not have one friend and did not share my heart with anyone. I had to bear hardships by myself. Meanwhile, I was often caught in many useless thoughts. Such a person like me began to change, little by little as I received salvation and listened to the Word in the church. From that day, I dreamed of becoming a Gospel preacher
Not long after I received salvation. Pastor Jung Soo Park was dispatched to a different church and Pastor Yong Jae Lee, who now passed away, came to our church. Although Pastor Lee had a problem with his back, he preached the Word from early morning to late at night service . Once in a while, I had a chance to massage his stiff back and legs. To soften his back and legs, I had to give him a massage for at least 30 minutes. He was really happy while preaching the Words of the Bible to people. People were also happy after receiving salvation by hearing the Gospel. A life of a Gospel preacher appealed to me- a person who had lived without any purpose, this became most precious and beautiful. From that day, I dreamed of becoming a Gospel preacher. During that time, the brothers and sisters of the East Busan Church lived only for the Gospel. Since they valued living a spiritual life over going to school or working, some people gave up on going to college and got a job to earn money to solely serve the Gospel. One time, my friend’s mother specially offered me to stay at his house to study with him, since I had good grades by then. In return, she said she’d offer to pay for my living expenses, academy tuition, and college tuition. My friend’s house was located by the school and was really nice and big. At home, I had to study in a suffocating, and difficult conditions, not being able to sleep at night due to my mother’s moaning in pain. Although my friend’s mother had offered me a good environment in which I could simply study and live for free, I told her without hesitation, “I can't do that because I have to go to
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1. With the brothers during Daeduk Retreat Center construction (last to the right) 2. During my military service (middle) 3. I went to Daeduk on my first vacation from the army. 4. I was able to do volunteer work joyfully in the grace of God (Second low, second from the right)
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Memoirs of a Missionary_Côte d’Ivoire
church.” I was able to say that because my life in church was truly a happy one. My friend’s mother asked me if it was okay if I could just to church on Saturdays and Sundays. I replied that I could not do that, since I had to go to church every day. During that time, most of the young brothers and sisters had hopes of going to missionary school to learn faith to become a Gospel preac her. ‘If God called me, he should have called to heal me.’
In 1989, I took the SATs and applied to a university, but I got rejected. On the day that the pastor heard that I got rejected from the university, he told me to go and help build the South Busan Church. While helping with the construction in the kitchen area of the church, I hurt my back. I could feel my pelvic bone sticking out. I could not sit nor stand unless I put my hands on the wall because it was so painful, but I did not tell anyone. On the next day, the pastor told me to go to Daeduk to help build a retreat center there. The pastor did not know that I was hurt. At that time, in my heart, God, the church and the pastor were the ‘Trinity,’ so I accepted the word of the pastor as the will of God. I did not mention my pain to the pastor. Since I believed that God who knew everything about me spoke to me through His servant, whether the servant of God knew about my situation or not,3that wasn’t important. At the retreat center construction site, there were no sleeping quarters for the brothers who were helping with the construction, so they had to commute from Geochang church to Daeduk. First, an excavator went up to the Daeduk Mountain and began working logging to create enough space to work. The more I worked in construction, the more pain I felt on my back. I started to have weird thoughts. “Am I going to be disabled? I’m not married and I don’t even have children yet….” However, another heart held my heart. “If it were the will of God for me to be disabled, I would be disabled even if I were to avoid this moment. If it is not the will of God, I would not be disabled no matter what happens!” I had a heart that I would not make a disabled person work if I were God. I was able to work peacefully because I had an assurance that If God called me, he would have called to heal me. A week into the construction work, I was assigned to mix concrete. Although I was little hesitant because of my back pain, I did not back up and continued to work. After 6 months, I no longer had back pain, but my pelvic bone was still sticking out. Around 8 months later, I coincidentally touched my back, but I could not feel my pelvic bone. Everything went back to its place. It was amazing.
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I sang hymns with motions during the conference at the church when I was in high school. (far right)
The pastor told me to prepare to go to missionary school
Although I was thankful that God bestowed grace upon me, my heart was established above the church and the servant of God. I thought my faith to believe in God was greater than anyone else’s and I thought that I was the person who loved God the most. That was how I spent my time in Daeduk for a year and a half. After that, I joined the army. Because I thought I had faith, I felt like I could flip the army upside down with the Gospel. I was dispatched to the capital defense command. After I was dispatched to my base, I started my army life, but it was not easy. One senior soldier stubbornly tortured and beat me because I did not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, and sing pop songs. One time, he threatened me by putting a loaded gun in my mouth. With persecution, I preached the Gospel diligently on my own. However, no one was interested in the Word that I preached. Despair came to me and I gave up on preaching the Gospel. I even thought that I was trying to preach the Gospel with my desire. I decided not to waste time and start to find my own way. First, I got a car maintenance certificate. After that, I prepared to go to college for an automobile related major. When I came out for my last vacation from the army, I registered for the exam and took the exam right after I was discharged from army. After the exam, I got a job at an auto shop. After I got my job, I thought about church, so I went to church. However, as I listened to the Word in church, my heart for the Gospel revived. The pastor told me to learn a foreign language. Ever since I was in my senior year in high school, I
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Memoirs of a Missionary_Côte d’Ivoire
Pastor Jung Do Lee’s family
was praying to go do ministry in Russia. Thus, I decided to major in Russian instead of automobile. Since my grades were good, I was able to attend college with a full scholarship. I lived in East Busan Church with a few other brothers and attended school. I woke up at 4am to do a part time job, wiping cars that were parked by the apartment. After that, I rode my bike to the cheapest bus station to the school. I almost always did not eat breakfast because I had no time. I did not eat lunch to save money. I was able to eat at the church when evening services were over. If there were some constructions or work at the church, I would have less sleep. It was really tiring and difficult. After the first semester was over, I thought I should get a part time job at a Russian company. However, I was not able to do that because I had to attend the retreat and work as a volunteer for the Sunday school. After the vacation was over, school life began again. As I thought about repeating the same life that I lived again, I did not think I could do it. It seemed like no one was interested in my school life and I felt like going to college was meaningless, so I quit school that year and got a job. After I worked at my job for one year, Pastor Jang, who was ministering at East Busan Church at that time, called me. He told me to prepare to go to missionary school. I was so happy to think that my dream was coming true.
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New York Times: Notes on Genesis I
If Thou Depart to the Right Hand, Then I Will Go to the Left Pastor Ock Soo Park | Good News Gangnam Church
And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? Separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. (Genesis 13:6-9)
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sisters of the youth in our church were cleaning the rooms. The brothers were carrying in various things they had bought. I had never seen such a beautiful and happy scene. They had given all their money to buy the house, but they were so joyful. It was such a beautiful scene to me. It made me think. Had I felt uncomfortable staying at the room that came with the chapel and said, “Hey, Brother Kim, what do you think of the parsonage?” or provoked some brothers and sisters to find a home for me, would they be this joyful? Would they rejoice? Probably not. It is so graceful because God wants to give me the parsonage! A while ago, a new chapel was built in Gumi at a church that belonged to our mission and they built a beautiful parsonage. When I visited the church, the pastor of the church asked me, “Pastor, is it okay to have a parsonage like this?” I answered this pastor, who is a disciple of mine, “I, too, live a life that is beyond me, and I enjoy what God has given me. The important thing is that it is not a problem if you are with God even if you live in a palace. But if you live with a high heart even though you are poor, that is a problem. So, live peacefully at this parsonage.” I saw that God was helping and protecting my life. Because I am a pastor, I do not live through making money at a job, but I live through the congregation. I have never once felt uncomfortable with living this way. It is because I always saw that God knew beforehand and was
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New York Times
The Most Beautiful Scene I saw God working in my life many times. We bought a chapel in Daegu when I was ministering there. We only had a few brothers and sisters, but they put all of their hearts into the purchase and we rejoiced when we bought the chapel. That chapel had a little room where my family could stay. We liked the chapel so much that we lived without feeling the discomforts of having a small parsonage. However, one day the brothers and sisters discussed amongst themselves and said, “Let’s prepare a house for Pastor.” I felt burdened and tried to stop them. “Our church is becoming better off by the day, and do you think I could live in such a house as this in the future even if I wanted to? I believe there will be plenty of opportunities for me to live in good homes. The congregation has spent much money to buy the chapel, and there are many people in debt. Let’s wait to see what happens.” But the brothers and sisters said, “Pastor, you always say, ‘Faith, faith,’ but why don’t you want to do it by faith this time?” They gave another commitment offering to prepare a home for me and found one. One weekend, I was on my way home after a week-long Bible conference, but it was the day we were moving into the new house. I opened the gates and stood in the yard for a long while, unable to enter. In the kitchen were the young married sisters making food. There were elderly sisters trimming vegetables on the patio. The
New York Times: Notes on Genesis I
preparing for me when I faced there were so many works God did difficulties. Whenever I feel that I for me. am lacking, I have the heart, “God is giving this to me,” and I am at peace The More You Experience God and thankful. The day we moved into the new house, I thought that it was For Me to Be Happy so beautiful because God gave us There are many joys God has given the house. If I tried to make this me. One of them is that although I am happen with my humanistic methods, a man with a terrible personality, there it would not be so beautiful. From are always great people around me. then on, I waited for God to work I am so happy because the people no matter what I faced. I was filled around me truly give me peace: the with happiness waiting for God. pastors of our church, the elders, the Sometimes, I would wait an entire deacons, etc. month, and sometimes I would wait A long time ago, shortly after I for a year, but I had happiness putting was married, I came home with a hope in God. God had blessed the very joyful heart, but my wife was things that belonged to me, one by feeling completely down. Before I one, and in every corner of my life was married, I was happy even if she there were testimonies of the works was feeling down, but after becoming of God: how God helped me in a couple, I, too, would become difficulties, how God filled me with down when my wife was down. the things I needed. . . . A long time After becoming married, my wife’s ago, I thought I was doing well sadness became my sadness and my because I had done many things, wife’s joy became my joy. I came to but I came to see how useless those know, “I am not happy just because things were as I lived inside of Jesus. I feel happy. I can be happy when my I often think to myself. When I wife is happy as well!” Thus, I prayed, am leading my family as opposed “God, make my wife happy.” However, to God leading them, when I am it was not only my wife that had to working for the church as opposed be happy, but my son, my daughter, to God working, or when I am the pastors of our churches, the elders, preparing for my future as opposed the deacons. . . . They all had to be to God preparing for it, what I happy for me to be happy. do cannot compare. The more I I came to know that God blessing experience God, the more pitiful the people around me one by one and small my methods become, was actually God blessing me. I did which I thought to be great. Now, not try to establish our church or even though I may have some plans, try to have the brothers and sisters I have the heart, “No, I cannot go by become better off, but I saw that this plan. I must do it by the heart 34
Lot, However . . . Abraham must have gone through much pain during the night he went to Egypt and lost his wife! If he were a strong man, perhaps he could fight for her, but it was the Pharaoh of Egypt that took his wife, and he would be killed if he even resisted. He had no other way. Abraham could only seek God. Before this, he thought his methods were good, and he thought he could do well. However, he reached his limits in this situation. There was nothing more he could do. It was just like the time Moses’ parents kept Moses hidden for three months but could no longer hide him and placed the child in a river. Abraham realized that his methods were useless. He deceived people into thinking that his wife was his sister, and all his other methods were useless. When he had many methods of his
own, his prayers to God were simply out of formality. He could not say a prayer truly from his heart. However, he was able to pray to God in his heart when he had no other methods of his own. Soon afterwards, God worked upon Pharaoh and allowed his wife to be returned. Then God became established in Abraham’s heart. He had many methods and ways of man and no Word of God in his heart when he was entering Egypt, but now all of his methods died and only God was established. His nephew Lot also went to Egypt when Abraham went. They both entered Egypt, but Lot did not go through pain. Abraham and Lot went to Egypt with the same heart, but were leaving with different hearts. Lot still had his humanistic methods and ways, but Abraham knew truly how useless those things were. Afterwards, they had many sheep and cows, but only a small place to stay and there was strife. Abraham said, “Let us not fight against one another. Let not you and I, and your shepherds and my shepherds fight. If you will take the right hand, I will go to the left, and if you will go to the left, I will take the right. You choose first.” Lot only had humanistic methods, and chose the place that looked good to his eyes. He chose the plains of Jordan, which were the plain lands where Sodom and Gomorrah were. It was true that it would be difficult for Abraham to feed his sheep if he enters the woods, but with the 35
New York Times
of God. It is failure if I do it with this heart. It must be done through the heart of God.” I am originally a person without faith, but when I learn faith through God leading me inside the life of faith, it is amazing to see the things I do disappear more and more while the things God does appears one by one. Before, I only could see what I’ve done and could barely see what God has done. As I live inside of Jesus, it is amazing that the things I’ve done lessened more and more and turned out shameful, while the things God did appeared one by one.
New York Times: Notes on Genesis I
promise of God, Abraham chose the plains of Mamre which were on the other side of the plains of Jordan.
build his own world and be blessed, the more he would become distant from God. Ultimately, you have no choice but to kneel down before The Blessings That Came as Soon Him. The more such a person is as Lot Left blessed, the more he becomes distant The interesting thing about the from God. Therefore, God cannot Bible is, in Genesis chapter 13, verses bestow His blessings in such a state. 14 and 15, it says, And the Lord After Lot left Abraham, God said to said unto Abram, after that Lot was Abraham, “I will give this land to separated from him, Lift up now thine you and your seed. I will make your eyes, and look from the place where children like the dust of the earth,” thou art, northward, and southward, and gave him many blessings. and eastward, and westward. For all the land which thou seest, to thee Ambition Summons Curse will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. As a pastor, when I counsel people God was blessing Abraham because who are experiencing problems and Lot left him. God could not bless difficulties, I can see, “This person is Abraham because Lot was there continually trying to do something although He wanted to bless him. for himself, but is calling a curse upon Because the blessing would then also himself. He is summoning a plague.” become Lot’s as well, God waited For a while after salvation, I too, until Lot left. wanted to become a great pastor, an This is talking about the world able person, and a great person. I of our heart. It is not that God does had many ambitions and methods not want to bless us. What kind of of my own. But after some time a father does not want his children passed, when I looked back upon my to do well? God feels the same way. life, it seemed that everything I did God is happy when you are happy. It that appeared to have gone well and pleases Him that you are doing well, gone successfully ultimately failed. I, and He is satisfied when you are holy. like Abraham, was able to precisely It is not God’s true heart to leave you feel this. On the other hand, when in pain and suffering. God wants to I thought, “Now I am in trouble! bless us. He wants to protect us. Now it’s over!” and looked to the However, Lot did not have God Lord, I have not failed once. as the king of his heart, and was Afterwards, I knew, “In the nurturing the desires and ambitions beginning, it seems that my plans of the flesh in his heart. Thus, when are going well, but all thoughts that he would be blessed, he would use come from man ultimately go against those blessings to nurture his desires God and ruin man!” Therefore, I and ambitions. The more he would could not follow my thoughts even 36
We become deceived by Satan and it seems that we will be ruined if we live with the faith to believe in God, and that we will do well if we go about with our own methods. We fall into this illusion and always live with our own methods.
though many of them often arose. I knew clearly, “I will fail if I follow those thoughts. I will be ruined.”
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New York Times
People Who Walk Lot’s Path When Abraham said, “I will go right if you go left, and I will go left if you go right,” Lot, as a shepherd, felt that the plains of Jordan had good pastures, good water, and it was really the best. Lot moved to the plains of Jordan and entered the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. But as soon as he entered, there was a war in that city, and Lot lost all of his wealth and was captured along with his family. Abraham heard about this and came and saved his family. It seemed that the path of Lot would be a successful and beautiful one but Lot ultimately lost his wife when Sodom and Gomorrah was being destroyed with fire and sulfur. He could not keep any of his loving possessions and was left emptyhanded. Later on, he was in a pitiful state living in a cave. We become deceived by Satan and it seems that we will be ruined if we live with the faith to believe in God, and that we will do well if we go about with our own methods. We fall into this illusion and always live with our own methods. Lot’s end was being ruined when he
followed his own way, but there are many people who die without ever realizing this. This is the reason behind people failing over and over again throughout their lives when it seems that they will do well. At first, it seems that there is plenty of food in the luscious pastures, but the results of following the ambitions of man is failure, curse, and destruction. There is no perfect way other than the way of God. As I see Lot, as I see Abraham, and as I see my own life, I can precisely realize in my heart that everything I did by my humanistic ways completely failed. But even after coming to know that fact precisely, the thoughts of man still often arise in my mind as I face different situations. “I should handle this like this, and handle that like that.” But on one side of my heart I think, “If I do this, I will fail.” And I cannot proceed with that method. Then I can only rely on the Lord, and while doing this, the Lord takes charge of everything in my life, and I can live a blessed life, no matter what I face. When I give sermons at church, I say, “Throw your thoughts away. Do not believe in yourself,” because I have experienced the Bible in my life. But people take these words lightly. There are many people
Just as Abraham took the maid servant and had Ishmael because he wanted to have a child, we, too, have fallen into the illusion that everything will go well if we do not throw away our methods...
who think, “How can I live without believing in myself? Only fools like him believe in Jesus. All of this is useless to me because I am smart!” However, when time passes, we see that they are following the path of Lot. To the Faith to Believe in God There is only one true, perfect path of faith. That is why I have left everything of my life in the hands of God. Everything of my church and everything that will happen to me in my old age, I have left in God’s hands. There is no one who can do as well as God, and there is no one who can protect me as perfectly as Him. However, people think that they are better than God. Not only is this so in your life, but also in your faith. What you pray for and what God has you pray for completely differ. God promises Abraham a son, but Abraham could only manage to have Ishmael through a maid servant when he tried to have a son on his own. But he can have Isaac if God works. The difference between Isaac and Ishmael is immeasurable, is it not? Just as Abraham took the maid servant and had Ishmael because he wanted to have a child, we, too,
having fallen into our illusion that everything will go well if we do not throw our methods away and go our own way, are walking the foolish path. After going to Egypt, Abraham realized how useless it was to follow his methods. Now he left all things not to his own methods, but in God’s hands. And he had true rest in his heart. I often say this. Spiritual life is not through your own effort. It is not through your own determination. True spiritual life is composed of “repentance” and “faith.” You have to have completely repented from yourself before you can believe in God. Repenting is not saying, “I stole something. I committed adultery. I lied,” and turning from a specific sin. It is saying, “I am by nature an evil man! I have no good in me, only filthiness!” and becoming freed from yourself. We receive the faith to believe in God after first denying ourselves. Loving folks, believing God means not believing in yourselves; it is believing in Him. It is believing that God will bless you and bestow grace upon you. I hope that all of you will live the blessed life of living through true faith and believe in God. 38
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Gospel Lesson
God’s Power and Divinity
Inside of CREATION Pastor Han Gyu Lee | Good News East Seoul Church
The Atheist’s Crushing Defeat A couple decades ago in America, there was a national convention for atheists. An elderly couple, who just happened to pass by the building, felt curious so they entered and sat in the audience. The elderly man realized that a number of people have already presented views that asserted for atheism and two presenters were left. When the old man had sat down, a presenter was entering the stage. “Everyone, how are you all doing? I am an astronaut working at the Space Knowledge Center. Using my personal experience as a foundation, I would like to propose evidence against the existence of God. While I was working for a long time as a fighter jet pilot, I flew above
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five different oceans and six different continents. After I was discharged, I worked for fifteen years as an astronaut and I have piloted space shuttles that departed and returned to the earth multiple times. Based off of what I have seen and my experience, I have never seen heaven in the sky before. If any one of you have seen heaven with your own eyes, please raise your hand. Yes, look around; no one has seen heaven before. If there is a heaven, where would it be? I have departed from this world and gone into space multiple times but have never seen heaven. Everyone! If it is true that there is no heaven, is there a reason to believe in the words of the Bible? If there is no heaven, would there be a hell? There is no one that has died and came back to life so who would know whether there is a heaven or a hell? We are living in a much more remarkable era of science and civilization than the times of Jesus. If I had seen heaven in the sky, wouldn’t I testify of heaven before anyone else would? Christians foolishly believe the words of the Bible to be true. Of course, I acknowledge Jesus Christ as a great person. The words he said were to give lessons of morality because living according to one’s conscience and being kind makes the world harmonious and beautiful but, besides those things, his words have no meaning. As soon as the astronaut finished his presentation, the audience gave thunderous round of applause. The last presenter proceeded to the stage. “Everyone, how are you all doing? I completely agree with what the astronaut has just said. I want to speak about how atheism is the truth through a different point of view. It has been thirty years since I started a hospital, and if I were to estimate, I had performed surgeries on average at least two patients a day during that period of time. Let’s say that in one year, I had surgeries on three hundred patients, then in thirty years, I have had surgeries on nine thousand patients. I have performed surgeries on thousands of patients and have analyzed their bodies; however, I have yet to ever see a person’s spirit. No doctor has filed a report that they have observed a person’s spirit through microscope or x-ray. Christians say so
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Gospel Lesson
easily that people have spirits and say that if that person’s spirit has sin, after they die, it descends into the fires of hell and because they themselves have become righteous through the blood of Jesus, they say that they will go to heaven. Everyone! Where is the spirit? Is the spirit inside of the heart or, if not, is it attached to the liver or the gall bladder? I have delicately seen the cells of people through my microscope but have never seen the spirit. If it is true that there is no spirit, isn’t it obvious that there is no heaven or hell that the spirit goes to? For us, there is no afterlife. For us, this life is everything. So, we do not have to worry about what happens to us after death.” Many of the audience members nodded their heads. Lastly, the emcee came on stage and finished the event. “Today, we have shared such sober and profitable conversations. If we were to aggregate the content of the presentations from such prestigious people, the conclusion that there is no God or an afterlife has become clear. If any of you have an objection or a question, please ask.” At that moment, the old man who was passing by raised his hand. “I will ask each presenter a question. First, Mr. Astronaut! I have this drink which I was drinking because I was thirsty. Do you perhaps know what this drink tasted like?” “Hey, old sir. Today’s topic was atheism. Please ask a question related to the topic.” “Yes, I know the topic very well. The Atheism question I have is directly related to the is the disbelief or lack of belief in the existence of topic.” God or gods. Atheism is “Hey, old sir! How do I know whether contrasted with theism, which, in its most general your drink tastes like apples or oranges? I form, is the belief that at have not tasted it. You who have tasted it is least one deity exists. The the one who knows.” term atheism originated from the Greek atheos, “If so, Mr. Astronaut. Have you ever meaning “without god(s),” tasted the love or power of Jesus Christ?” used as a pejorative term applied to those thought to “No.” reject the gods worshiped “Mr. Astronaut! I am a person that has by the larger society. tasted the love and power of Jesus Christ and so I have the qualifications to be his witness. You have just said that since you
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day, I tasted the “That love of God inside of
have not tasted this drink, you are unable Jesus Christ for the to tell us the taste. If that is the case, how can you, who have not tasted Jesus, talk first time and believe about Jesus? At a young age, I made in the promise of society insecure with my wicked life and I God... For the first was an object of criticism by others. I did not want to live such a life style however I time, my life became was caught up by sin so I could not help new and filled with but to live in that way. Then one day, one thankfulness. Christian started to talk to me about Jesus. I sneered and scorned him, however, he was not concerned with my attitude and earnestly introduced me to Jesus. When I heard his words, I realized why I could not help but to live such a filthy and dirty life. Then, one day while I was hearing his words, I realized the very amazing grace and love of Jesus Christ and received salvation. That day, I tasted the love of God inside of Jesus Christ for the first time and believe in the promise of God. As I became closer to Jesus, my loving Lord allowed me to stop drinking and stop doing drugs. From then on, my gloomy and painful life changed to become clean and bright. For the first time, my life became new and filled with thankfulness. I am a living witness of how Jesus Christ changed me. Mr. Astronaut! Amongst the Word of God, who I serve, there is Psalms chapter 34 verse 8, “O, taste and see that the Lord is good” and I am truly a witness of “tasting” the goodness of the Lord. However, because you have not tasted Jesus yet, you do not have the qualifications to speak about him. It is exactly the same as how you have not tasted the drink I have in my hand so you cannot talk about its taste. If the word of Jesus is a lie, do you think so many Christians can become holy, happy, joyful and live inside of thankfulness by believing in such a lie? You said before that since no one has died and come back to life, we cannot know whether there is a heaven or a hell, right? Jesus Christ was in Heaven and came down for you and in order to wash away your sins, he shed his blood and died on the cross and rose again. He had tasted death precisely. Because Jesus went and came back from the dead, He has the sure qualification to speak about the other side. The same person who made the hot sun – why would HE not be able to make a hot hell? He makes seeds, which appear dead, to bring forth life, and He makes the silkworm reborn into a moth so why would He
”
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Gospel Lesson
be unable to allow us to live in heaven eternally? Would God, who did not spare his son to wash away our sins, create His beloved human beings to live once and then disappear forever? Because Jesus has never lied, all the words He has spoken is truth.” The astronaut was unable to respond and the entire building was as silent as cold water was being poured. Then, the old man spoke to the prestigious doctor. “Doctor! I have something I want to ask you. Do you love your wife and kids?” “Of course.” “If so, Mr. Doctor! Have you ever observed love under your microscope?” “No, I have not.” “You said that no matter where you looked in the internal organs, you could not find a spirit. If so, where would you be able to see love?” “…” “Mr. Doctor! You only have seen the outside man and you are blind to the inside man which is our spirit. Let’s think about one drop of a tear. When one drop of a tear falls, we only see the physical drop of liquid. However, Isn’t there the psychological world inside of a person which made that person shed that tear? A thankful heart, or want or shock… do not those things work to bring about tears? This is a different world from the essence of the flesh. Have you ever dreamed a dream? Is a dream of the physical world? Have you ever felt insecurity and fear, or peace and happiness? Can you see those things through your microscope? You said since there is no spirit, there cannot be a heaven or hell however, there is surely a spirit. An according to the word of God, heaven and hell which the spirit will end up, surely exist. You must also have the sins in your heart washed and you must also receive salvation. If you do not, you cannot escape eternal curse and destruction.” In front of the old man’s words, the entire convention hall was silent. God’s Power and Divinity inside of Creation The thought that, “There is no God” is foolishness which defensibility is beneath contempt for those who received the word of God and have received Jesus into their heart.
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In the same way “ that a watch
operates on fixed
“The fool hath said in his heart, there is principles because no God.” (Psalms 14:1) The people who say that they need the manufacturer to see God to believe in him only trust has designed and in what they see. The world that we can see with our eyes is so limited. There are made the watch so many stars in the sky but the stars we to do so, God are able to see with our eye’s only amount programmed the up to six thousand. Eyes are unable to see everything and they are not precise either. earth to run more The evidence that God is alive is so sure precisely than any in the Bible and the hand of God appears elaborate watch. many times in the life of Christians. Let us say that there was a room that has been empty for a long time. Then, let’s say that you opened the door after a long while and from the dark room you can hear the squeaking, then you would think, “Oh, there are probably mice living in the room”. However, let us say that you turn on the light and there are a lot of mouse droppings on the floor. You could now think, “There are surely mice living in this room.” It is because their squeaking and their droppings exposed their existence. That is why we are sure that there are mice even though we did not see them and likewise, God has revealed his power and divinity through all the things He has created. “For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20) Let me give an example. An inanimate object is unable to move by itself unless a force from the outside acts upon it. This table would not be able to move by itself, correct? Cars need someone to turn on the ignition and a top needs someone to constantly hit it for it to spin. However, this enormous earth which we live on is constantly spinning in the void. Is it spinning on its own? On top of that, this earth is orbiting the sun at a fixed speed, on a fixed track, and in a fixed period. How can this enormous and massive piece of dirt “on its own” orbit with such precision? It is not that it is spinning “on its own” but “someone” who has great power and perfect wisdom is spinning it. In the same way that a watch operates on fixed principles
”
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Gospel Lesson
because the manufacturer has designed and made the watch to do so, God programmed the earth to run more precisely than any elaborate watch. For the earth to rotate, it takes around twenty four hours and its rotation speed is one thousand, one hundred and sixty-nine kilometers per hour. So, if you were able to observe the people on the earth from outside, that person is spinning along with the world at one thousand, one hundred and sixty-nine kilometers per hour. The earth is revolving around the sun at the speed of one hundred and seven thousand kilometer per hour and completes the revolution in 365 days. Can this be coincidence? It is confirmed that this has been programmed by God who has unlimited power and perfect wisdom. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” (Psalms 19:1) The earth is the shape of a sphere and seventy percent of it is covered by water. The amazing thing is that the water does not gather in one place, and although the earth is spinning so rapidly, it does not flow out into space but stays stuck onto the earth. Can you cover a sphere with seventy percent of water with a width of one centimeter and prevent the water from falling out? God has made it to be like this. “Upholding all things by the word of his power.” (Hebrews 1:3) God is holding the earth and the waters together by his Word. If you look how a person has decorated their house, you would be able to take a peep into their interests, ability, and personality. If you see many paintings of landscapes hanging in someone’s house, you would think, “The owner of this house must have interest in pictures.” If you see that their house is always clean and in order, then you could deduce their personality. By the invention, you can see the skill of the inventor. God is clearly showing us His unlimited power and perfect ability though the exquisite order of the universe and in all things He has made. The more scientists study the order of this vast universe, all the things inside of it, and the amazing human body, they realize that it was impossible for these things to be made by chance. “Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things” (Isaiah 40:26) Please focus on the hand of God in all these things. Then your spirit will be able to say this; “The sea his, and he made it; and his hands form the dry land. O come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the LORD our maker” (Psalms 95:5-6)
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Preaching the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
I too Have Seen the Light! Testimony of Pastor Ock Soo Park
A long while back, an elderly pastor attended one of our summer retreats. He was a Pyeongyang Missionary School graduate during the Japanese Imperialism, and was a veteran pastor who had ministered along side me and had retired. While I was sharing the words and having fellowship, he came to see me. “Pastor Park, I’m leaving.” “But pastor, the retreat isn’t even over. Why are you leaving already?” “I came here to receive some grace, because I was feeling a bit insecure, but it’s like a Tae Kwon Do studio here. All these young’uns are flying around everywhere, asking me, ‘Did you receive salvation? Do you have sin?’ It’s getting me so angry that I can’t stand it!” He then headed downstairs, away from the retreat venue. The retreat was held at a farm on a high hill, and there was a part on the way down that sloped down like a cliff. While 48
following him, I started to think about his life. He was a very elderly person with death at his doorstep. If I just let him leave like this, it was clear that he would fall down the cliffs of eternal destruction. I felt that this is his last chance to hear the gospel! There was no time to care about him losing his face or his elderly position. Walking closely alongside him, I spoke to him. “Pastor, are you really born again? Do you really have the sins in your heart washed as white as snow?” After walking a while and listening silently, the pastor suddenly stopped. He then put his bag on the ground, took out a handkerchief, put it on his bag, and said, “Pastor Park, sit here.” He sat on the grass. I tried refusing, but he strongly insisted, so I sat on the bag and continued to preach the Word. Beginning in Romans chapter 1, we began a Bible study. At the retreat venue, the guest speaker failed to return on time, so the brothers and sisters continued to sing hymns. Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5- chapter by chapter, I explained it to him, and when I got to chapter 6, he suddenly stood up and shouted. “Pastor Park, it’s done! It’s done! I’ve seen it! I’ve seen the light!” Unable to hide his joy, he began to dance around. We then returned to the retreat venue. It was time for the afternoon service, and he gave a testimony. “I’m a pastor, and I sinned. When churchgoers sin, they go to the pastor. But if the pastor sins, who can he go to? For many years, I painfully cried to God, begging Him to wash my sins. Today, I’ve had all my sins washed away, and I’ve seen the light. Before, I always sadly sang, “Where dost Thou, dear Shepherd resort with Thy sheep to feed them pastures of love? Say, why in the valley of death should I weep, or alone in this wilderness rove?” I too have met the Good Shepherd now!” Returning home from the retreat, that pastor gathered his children and told them, “Kids, your father Jeong Hae Kyu who left the house a couple of days ago is dead.” He meant that he had been crucified along with Christ on the cross. 49
Church Directory (North America) EAST COAST
Good News New York Church 718-878-4246 300 Nassau Rd., Huntington, NY 11743
Good News New Jersey Church 201-406-4677 1075 Queen Anne Road, Teaneck, NJ 07666
Good News Manhattan Church 917-678-3344 2152 3rd Ave., NY, NY 10035
Good News Detroit Church 248-885-9646 1181 Harding Ave., Rochester Hills, MI 48307
Good News Bronx Church 646-339-6432 685 Morris Park Ave 2nd Fl, Bronx, NY 10462
Good News Indianapolis Church 317-294-5329 383 S. Emerson Ave., Indianapolis, IN 46219
Good News Brooklyn NY Church 917-526-7498 765 43rd St. 1st FL, Brooklyn, NY 11232
Good News Miami Church 954-667-7753 331 NW 65th Way, Hollywood, FL 33024
Good News Flushing Chinese Church 631-535-1169 134-24 Cherry Ave., Flushing, NY 11355
Good News New Orleans Church 504-602-9930 3205 Cherry St., New Orleans, LA 70118
Good News Atlanta Church 404-966-6352 11000 Rogers Circle, Johns Creek, GA 30097
Good News Jacksonville Church 904-800-7890 3850 Beach Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32207
Good News Atlanta Spanish Church 678-387-9271 2635 Fairlane Drive, 2nd FL, Doraville, GA 30340
Good News Boston Church 617-320-3296 4 Church St. #8, Malden, MA 02148
Good News Philadelphia Church 215-379-0501 305 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027
Good News Charlotte Church 704-500-6063 8731 Green Ivy Lane, Charlotte, NC 28217
Good News Chicago Church 847-329-0237 4825 W. Jarlath St., Lincolnwood, IL 60712
Good News Fort Wayne Church 260-797-3412 3316 S. Calhoun St., Fort Wayne, IN 46807
Good News Washington Church 070-4643-8245 7461 Miramar Dr., Manassas, VA 20109
Good News Nashville Spanish Church 615-927-8980 120 Arbor Knoll Blvd., Antioch, TN 37013
Good News Memphis Church 901-206-7891 764 Chatwood Cove, Memphis, TN 38122 Good News Minneapolis Church 612-384-2090 3000 West Broadway Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55411 Good News Orlando Church 407-312-4028 301 S. Oak Ave., Stanford, FL 32771
WEST COAST
Good News Central Church 213-386-0097 3500 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90004 Good News Tacoma Church 253-582-3599 10103 South Tacoma Way, Lakewood, WA 98499
Good News Albuquerque Church 505-301-7167 3001 Cuervo Dr., N.E. Albuquerque, NM 87110
Good News Houston Church 210-315-0346 2516 Wavell St., Houston, TX 77088
Good News Dallas First Church 972-272-4724 4502 Lawler Rd., Garland, TX 75042
Good News Phoenix Church 480-273-2199 9001 West ELM St. #5, Phoenix, AZ 85037
Good News San Jose Church 408-893-2267 1548 Curtner Ave., San Jose, CA 95125 Good News Las Vegas Church 702-248-0572 2880 Red Rock St., Las Vegas, NV 89146 Good News Salt Lake Church 801-656-5299 2364 S. Main St., Salt Lake City, UT 84115 Good News O.C. Church 714-226-0595 3330 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801 Good News Anchorage Church 907-258-9987 1020 W. Fireweed Lane, Anchorage, AK 99503 Good News El Paso Church 915-309-7075 6869 Enid Ct. #74, El Paso, TX 79912 Good News Portland Church 971-300-1127 6225 S.W. Dale Ave., Beaverton, OR 97008 Good News San Antonio Church 210-993-9414 405 Walton Ave., San Antonio, TX 78225 Good News Denver Church 720-308-3442 6400 W. 26th Ave., Edgewater, CO 80214 Good News Kansas Church 816-210-0351 1301 E 100th TER, Kansas City, MO 64131 Good News Hawaii Church 808-679-2800 1219 Keeaumoku St., Suite 400, Honolulu, HI 96814
Good News Sacramento Church 916-996-4655 3501 Bradshaw Rd. #115, Sacramento, CA 95827 Good News Oklahoma Church 405-535-9553 5801 S. Pennsylvania Ave., Oklahoma City, OK 73119
CANADA & CARIBBEAN
Good News Vancouver Church 1-778-881-5508 409 Goyer Ct, Coquitlam, BC V3K, Canada Good News Ottawa Church 819-431-0377 132 Rue Brodeur, Gatineau, QC J8Y 2R2, Canada Good News Toronto Church 1-416-321-2004 70 Mcgriskin Rd., Toronto, ON M1S 5C5, Canada Good News Jamaica Church 1-876-318-0189 63b Deanery Road, Kingston 3, Jamaica W.I. Good News Dominican Republic Church 1-809-350-1429 Calle 26 #2, Valle Verde 1, Santiago, La Republica Dominicana Good News Haiti Church 509-70-8253-2511 Rue Jeremie #22 Delmas 33, Port-au-Prince, Haiti