2015.05.17_Walk On the Water
/in 2015 Lord's Day, Ki Dong Kim /by Helen Nam
[Matthew 14:22-33]
God
is truly living.
He
loved the world and made Himself known (Jn 1:1-4),
and gave His word to believe and obey.
God’s word is not a mere sound perceived through our ears;
it is God’s commandment that leads to eternal life (Jn 12:50),
which we must receive with our hearts and obey.
Every principle in Heaven and earth, and all creations
were made to obey God’s command (Mk 4:41).
If God’s word is disobeyed,
the creations cannot move (Mk 11:23),
and every spiritual and physical order will be paralyzed.
If one claims to believe in God
but doubts His word, that is unbelief.
Unbelief
yields nothing
and has no part with God.
We must believe the words of God the Father,
believe in the grace of Jesus Christ,
put our trust and rely on the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5-8).
○If we believe in the Lord Jesus,
then we must continually
obey and keep our faith.
○Faith is not a one-off feeling.
It is a lasting promise that endures beyond our earthly days.
Hence only the soul can possess it.
○Pursuing one’s feeling is mysticism.
However we are not mystics
but saints who have united with God.
※Let us have faith.
Our soul must become the foundation of faith
and on it, our faith should grow.
Empty Yourself and Receive the Word God is alive. Nevertheless, He is invisible and thus we can only believe in God through His word. The whole world was created by His word (He 11:3), and by that word all things exist and have breath. This in turn demonstrates that the Word is reality. God’s word contains God’s will, eternal life, His blessings and wisdom. We believe God not by sight, but by hearing the word of God. Having faith means we have received the word of God. Subsequently, we must let that word reign over us. Even for Jesus Christ, the Son of God, once He became flesh, He received all of the Father’s words and thoroughly obeyed them. And for this reason, God raised Him from the dead. The Word is what holds God’s blessing and life, miraculous signs and power, wisdom and will. Unless we receive in that Word, it is impossible for us to gain anything from God. Whoever desires to receive in the word of God must first surrender his own conviction, philosophy, arguments and knowledge. Contrary to parents’ expectations, children do not always perform well once they enter school. In fact there is another factor that influences academic performance more than the child’s intellectual abilities. Academically bright children are good at letting go of their own convictions and philosophy when presented with new knowledge. When one believes Jesus Christ as the Son of God, he receives baptism. Baptism is the act of accepting faith and surrendering everything one used to have. Not only does one bury the original sin and his personal sin through baptism, he completely buries even his own passions and desires. Some time ago, a bus crashed and fell into a dam. All the people struggled in the water to survive, but in the end, they all drowned and died. However there was one survivor. An innocent baby wrapped in a blanket was rescued after being found floating on the water. The reason the baby survived was he gave himself to the water instead of fighting against it. In the same way, those who completely deny themselves after baptism receive that which comes from God, whereas the stubborn ones who refuse to surrender themselves cannot receive all the good things God is giving. Baptism – Denying Oneself, Living by the Word When the whole world perished in the Flood, Noah’s eight family members survived. At that time there would have been many boats and ships throughout the world, all of which were destroyed during the forty days that the Flood continued. Noah’s ark was a huge vessel that measured around 142 metres, and what is more, it was made of wood, not steel. While even steel ships are often damaged in a typhoon, how did Noah’s ark weather through the Flood without breaking apart? It was because Noah built the ark according to God’s word as it says in Genesis 6:22, “Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did”. It is written in 1 Peter 3:20-21, “Who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water. There is also an antitype which now saves us—baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ”. The eight members of Noah’s family came to survive while the rest of mankind all perished because they had abided by the word of God. This is the significance of baptism – to obey the word of God. Baptism is about humbling ourselves before God, burying ourselves completely. Though Jesus is equal to the Father, He did not count equality with God something to be had, but gave up Himself humbly before God. When He obeyed the Father to the point of death, God raised Him to life and exalted Him. Jesus Himself demonstrated what our faith is about. Through baptism, not only is our sin buried but the attributes of our flesh are also. Those that bury themselves entirely in this way, become humble before God. Galatians 5:24 says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires”. If anyone is not humble he is unable to accept faith, and without faith, no miraculous signs will follow. We must not try to lead ourselves with our own thinking, conviction, obstinacy, or emotions, but endeavor to live by God’s words. We need to accept the working of the Holy Spirit who helps us to understand God’s word and leads us to live by that word. We should not reject the guidance of the Holy Spirit with our own stubbornness, passions and convictions. Receive God’s Word No Matter How Unreasonable It Is The disciples were startled to see the Lord walking on the water because for man to walk on water is beyond reason. The disciples thought they had seen a ghost. But then Jesus said, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” Knowing that it was the Lord walking on the water, Peter answered, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (Mt 14:22-28). When we cry out to Jesus, “Lord!” we are confessing that we are His servants. A master has the right to manage and use his servant as he pleases, and the servant has the obligation to obey whatever the master commands him. Although it is logically and physically impossible for man to walk on the ater, Peter laid down all of his own thinking and ideas, and sought the Lord command saying, “Lord, command me to come to You on the water!” As soon as Jesus said, “Come!” he obeyed and began walking on the water. Our faith is about obeying the Lord’s commands. At times those commands may be unreasonable and make no sense. Nevertheless, we ought to obey the Lord’s commands saying, “If it is Your will God, I will obey”. John 15:7 says, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” If our prayers are not delivered and God’s signs do not follow, that is because God’s words find no place in us to dwell. By denying ourselves and humbly kneeling before God’s word, we must let God reign over us. Whatever we do, it is important that we receive the commandment through God’s word. A number of people tend to pray fervently and strive to be godly, yet they disobey when it comes to the word of God. Disobedience to the word is defiance against God, and disobedience to the Holy Spirit. Jesus warned us saying, “Whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come” (Mt 12:32). This not only implies that there will be no forgiveness for anyone that disobeys the Holy Spirit, but it means nothing will be accomplished for such a person. No matter how hard a person tries to lead a pious life, it is not so easily achieved. One might have the desire to obey God’s word, however, unless he is able to properly and fully understand His word, an entirely different outcome may result. The help of the Holy Spirit is imperative if we want to wholly receive in the word of God and be governed by that word. The Holy Spirit helps us understand and be led by God’s word. Unless we are ready to lay down our lives, it is impossible for us to ask, “Lord, command me come on the water!” As we seek the Lord’s command, we must be ready to give up our only life. Without the His command, we have no guarantee of fulfilling anything. By seeking God’s command, we must become spiritual people who succeed and triumph according to God’s will.
The saints who humble themselves before God seek their pastor to pray for blessings, and the pastor takes the request upon himself to pray for them. And does the pastor actually display faith when he prays and blesses such a person? Does that prayer contain faith? Is there faith in the person’s spirit who prays and blesses? Or is it just a prayer to comfort the person who is desperate? Blessing such a person is really not comforting him. It is knowing the glory that the child of God must receive and speaking to the spiritual Father on behalf of the person. The flesh is wretched, but his spirit here is more wretched than the flesh. If the spirit does not have the blessings, then he will not be able to receive blessings no matter how much the pastor blesses him. The person praying must be in the same shoes as the Lord Jesus. Jesus took the responsibility of our sins and received punishment upon His body instead of us. Hence, the person who prays with this heart is a true prayer warrior, a true blesser. People come to me for prayers, and I have received God’s calling to pray for them. Likewise, you must accept the fact that God desires to use you in such a way if a person asks you for prayer. If a person desires spiritual guidance from me, then I would be His spiritual leader. This responsibility has been given to me from God. Thus, I must pray more for this position and remember that it is my spirit that prays, not the flesh. If God’s command does not exist in my spirit, then there is no conviction. My prayers cannot be heard. Just as every branch sprouts, blooms flowers, and bears fruits, the conviction and power of Jesus Christ begins from Him and reach His branch, which is my spirit. Before blessing others, I must first be blessed. And that blessing can only be received by the spirit. Without the blessings existing in my spirit, I can never pray for blessings on others. Without faith in my spirit, I can never offer prayers to God. We do not mystically comfort our neighbors through prayers. We are spiritual workers that fulfill God’s promises and practice His authority. The Bible definitely says that without faith, we cannot please God. Dear kind-hearted saints, receive blessings first to help the neighbors. Let us be whole first in the faith to receive blessings. Any works without faith is evil. We are one with God. Let us be spiritual through the grace of Jesus Christ and the works of the Holy Spirit. That is the reason for living in this world. Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
[gmedia id=53]
[vimuse id=”2″]
Outline and Summary translated by Sarah Nam Chief Editor: Helen Nam
But the heart of the saint is desperate at that moment.
He is struggling financially, not knowing what to do because all the works do not get accomplished according to his wishes. He falls into depression for being oppressed by the harsh reality. Usually, he does not truly rely on God’s help, but because he is in an emergency situation, he now cries out to Him. Is this truly faith or mysticism?
Lord’s Day Worship Column
Letter translated by Jada Shim
Interpretations by Sarah Nam
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee
2015.05.10_Prayer, the Response to Persecutions
/in 2015 Lord's Day, Ki Dong Kim /by Helen Nam
[Acts 4:23-31]
God
is living,
thus
He fulfilled His will through Jesus Christ (Jn 6:38-39).
The creation of the world and mankind (Gen 1:1)
was God fulfilling His own will (Gen 1:31).
As a fruit’s outer skin is discarded eventually,
He will destroy the universe once He obtains the fruit (Matt 3:10)
Out of mankind that filled the earth,
He chose only one man Adam (Gen 2:7);
out of the many living souls on the earth
He chose only Abraham (Gen 12:1-2);
out of the numerous descendants of Abraham
He chose only David (Acts 13:22);
and out of them He chose the Offspring of the woman,
namely Immanuel, the Son of Man (Matt 1:21-23).
The Lord Jesus was persecuted and crucified
because He is not of the world
but of Heaven (Jn 15:18-19).
Since we are of Him, we suffer with Him,
that we may live by the Holy Spirit.
○Those who are of Jesus Christ
walk with Him forever
and receive persecutions with Him also.
○What we ought to do before our persecutors is
to demonstrate the characteristic of Jesus Christ,
which is to be equipped with the power of Jesus.
○Those who are of Jesus
rely on Him by the fullness of the Holy Spirit.
For this, there is nothing but to pray in one accord.
※Let us pray. Let us pray out loud.
Let us deliver our prayers and receive answers.
Miraculous signs and wonders are the answers.
Possess the righteousness by believing Jesus Christ God is living. Without fail, He continues to do His works. Just as time never stops, His works continue without end. He created the heavens and the earth and humanity, and out of the countless people that filled the earth He chose Adam. Likewise, from the midst of Adam’s numerous descendents, God chose Abraham, through whom He ultimately sent Jesus Christ. Thus, we must carefully observe the works God is performing through Jesus Christ in these last days. God’s works can be understood fully through Jesus Christ alone. God did not grant us a religion to believe, but His son Jesus Christ . By faith in Jesus Christ, we have been deemed righteous and become children of God. However, many people pursue religious beliefs, where they establish and seek their own righteousness. Such people will perish in the end like the Pharisees, who endeavoured to abide by the Law but fell away. Thus, we must remember the teachings of Jesus that, “Unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 5:20). God does not judge a man by his outward appearances, but by the presence of God’s righteousness within him. In order for us to receive the righteousness of God, we must believe in Jesus, for this is our faith. As written in the Bible, ‘Eat, drink and be clothed with Jesus´ means we should possess the righteousness of God. People who seek to establish their own righteousness by following their convictions can only grow further away from God. Regardless of how good their ideas are, if they are sourced from fleshly minds, they are adverse to God. Above all, God seeks for us to receive grace in Jesus Christ. Those who honour God’s word must be ready for persecutions. God cannot be seen. Given this reality, one may ask how we can place our hopes in Him. This can be achieved by seeking His words with a great sense of honour. In John 1:1, it is written, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”. How can people who honour God neglect the words of God, or the people who acknowledge the words of God overlook the Bible? This is the reason why we must honour the Bible and follow the words contained in the Bible. It is not strange for people, let alone churches, that persistently try to live by the Bible to be pressed by persecutions. Jesus said, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Jn 15:18). Even if we were to combine the number of Christians who have been taken up from this world with the number of believers today, the number of unbelievers within the same time frames would be unparalleled. Furthermore, if we were to only account for the number of people who live a true life of faith according to the Bible without the pursuance of doctrines, this comparison would reveal a stark difference. Therefore, the persecutions towards the minority should not be considered strange. Though the persecutions towards Christians cover the earth, these levels will continue to increase throughout the future. It is written in Revelations 20:4, “And I saw the thrones, and they sat on them and judgement was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years”. Those who possess the hope for the first resurrection should not attempt to avoid persecutions, but rather brace themselves and be ready to be beheaded . Amid persecutions, seek the power to confirm the words of God. When the disciples in Jerusalem were confronted with persecutions, they prayed, “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. Now, Lord, look on their threats and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus” (Ac 4:27~30). When confronted with persecutions, the disciples did not become faint but confessed that everything was the work of God’s will. They firmly held onto the Word of God for His will to be fulfilled in them. Had they denied Jesus, nobody would have persecuted them. Had they undermined the Holy Spirit by simply following doctrines, there would have been no persecutions. Resultantly, God’s will would never have been fulfilled in their lives. Even upon such persecutions the disciples were not shaken. Rather, they earnestly sought the manifestations of the powers that followed the Word. They knew just how futile it would be if they could not experienced the power of the Word during their times of persecution. Likewise, we are in the same position. Should we follow the instructions of the Bible, we must be able to witness the powers that accompany the words of God. Be it the persecutions of the world or religious churches, we must witness the confirmation of God’s words by His promised powers. Amidst persecution, we must not flee but rather confront and overcome them. May the words of God, the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit become spiritual sense. If we hope to be considered honourable in the face of persecutions, we must have a faith that is in line with the Bible. Thus, when we receive the words of God, we must receive them into our spirit, that is, allowing the words to become a spiritual inspiration. This does not imply that when you receive the words of God, you will feel a static pulse through your body. Instead, it to possess spiritual sense through the God’s word means that these words remain in us by reigning in our lives. We must have spiritual sense that is by the blood of Jesus together with the inspiration of the Word. People without the inspiration of the blood are constantly seized by anxiety and guilt. These people have a misconstrued tendency to think that their sins are the cause for their child tripping over or the distress of their husband’s company for example. However, we must realise that the punishment of sin is not to be inherited in this world, but eternally in Hell. One’s capacity to succeed/fail is based on how their conditions and environments are utilised, irrespective of whether they are a Christian or a non-believer. Some people think, ‘If I do this, I may be cursed!’ and are seized by the fear of such occurrences. We must realise that we were originally doomed to receive the punishment for our sins, but by the grace of Jesus who bore our sins on the cross, we are now receiving the eternal love of God. This blessing is not the result of anything we have done but purely by God’s grace imparted on us in Jesus Christ. People with the spiritual sense of the blood of Jesus have the full knowledge of Jesus’ deeds that saved them and the righteousness that now dwells in them, which in turn, becomes a comforting assurance. The devil continually provokes us by declaring, ‘I know you are a sinner. You ARE a sinner’. However, we must boldly claim, ‘I am forgiven. I have been made righteous’. This type of faith is also necessary in order for us to successfully deliver our prayers to God. We cannot deliver our prayers with a doubtful mind that questions, ‘Would God listen to a sinner like me?’ Finally, the spiritual sense of Holy Spirit cannot be neglected. The Holy Spirit has entered us and we must allow Him to work freely. 1 Corinthians 12:7~10 states, “But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the same spirit, to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues”. People with the spiritual sense of the Holy Spirit can certainly possess these gifts and powers. Whilst people that use God for their personal desires ultimately become enemies of God, people that offer their lives for the will of God will be cherished and nurtured by the God. As persecutions come, we must be filled with the words of God, the blood of Jesus and the Holy Spirit all the more. It is the Spirit that gives life, not the flesh (Jn 6:63). Do not seek God’s help simply for the wellbeing of your flesh, but for the growth and continual benefit of your soul. We must have boldness by acknowledging that our souls have put on the white robes (Rev 7:14). Leaving the church because it is receiving persecution is not a choice made for the sake of the spirit. We must neither deny Jesus before even the rooster crows, nor hide when we need to proclaim Jesus. Instead, we must boldly face persecutions and overcome them. We must earnestly seek God’s power. We must take after the words of the Bible. We must kneel before the words of God.
Beloved Sungrak saints! Until now, we have continued the movement of returning to the Bible in order to live according to God’s word. Because of this movement, we were misunderstood and condemned. However, the stronger the persecution, the more we tried to keep the Bible as the example of our faith and spiritual lives. We gave our lives to strictly abide by the Bible. Thus, we did not allow not even a little for our faith and spiritual lives to drift away from the Bible “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me” Semuon only walked the straight path for over half a century as a Berean. Finally, I have led the original lectures and teachings of Berea and Berea Academy. The reason for building Berea International Theological Seminary School was to perfect the faith without any misunderstanding biblically and theologically. Hence, our church should never stray from the boundary of this original teaching. Do you know how Sungrak Church has come this far today? Merely teaching is not the best method. Being a ‘Doer of Berea’ is the best. “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood. I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them” (Acts 20:28-30). Therefore, I advise you for I am concerned. The fact that Bereans are diligently educating and encouraging saints to apply in their lives is surely a joyful work. However, departing and neglecting the functions of the church for something unrelated to the church cannot be accepted. I, Semuon as the senior overseer, have already appointed the overseer and delegated the ministry and the movement of returning to the Bible to him. Thus, even if certain positions have been appointed by the senior overseer in the past must be reappointed to be accepted by the current overseer. The head of the church is Jesus Christ, and the church is His body. If a branch of the vine is cut off, then it immediately dries up and withers. Likewise, if the church does not agree to be under the current overseer’s jurisdiction, then the church would also wither away. ‘Doers of Berea’ is defined as ‘the more saints learn the Bible, the more saints must be loyal to the life of church as it is written in the Bible.’ If not, the fruits they bear would be completely unrelated to the church. Our Sungrak Church members know that they must be loyal to the church with the overseer being the center. Thus, the revivals and private meetings that are not acknowledged or confirmed by the church is definitely unrelated to the church (The teaching and faith of the leaders in the meeting cannot be verified.). For the lecturers who diligently teach should not deceive people in lies, acting as though they have directly received the word. Instead, I encourage you to visit and have your teaching verified by the original source, the Berea Academy. Wake up, Sungrak members! There should not be any breaking away from the policy of the church and wandering around. I ask you to cooperate with the church so that my heart and soul does not ache. Only the faith of the one who has become one body with the church can be approved and acknowledged. Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
[gmedia id=53]
[vimuse id=”2″]
Outline and Summary translated by Sarah Nam Chief Editor: Helen Nam
I, Semuon, believe in God who loves your souls.
I also believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ whom God has sent. And with the conviction of the Holy Spirit, I exhort you.
because that would be walking the opposite road of our Sungrak Church.
(John 15:4).
Lord’s Day Worship Column
Letter translated by Jada Shim
Interpretations by Sarah Nam
Korean Summary by Ki-Taek Lee