Testimonies of Blessings
The Way Was Not Visible
For many times before I asked myself what I was doing on earth, why God was still keeping me alive and what my purpose was in life. Life felt like everyone else except me knew the way to go, and most times I was confused. “It would be painful to die,” I thought but it was more painful to live. How long will I keep on living, until when?
I kept asking myself when life never seemed to hold any purpose for me. I kept seeking my identity and the position in life I should be in but I never seemed to fit in anywhere. I felt I was alone in this world with no one else like me that I could ask how they felt with a similar life like mine.
But now I realize that I wasn’t alone, many people faced the same troubles I had behind fake smiles. Through the word I have found a way and I don’t have to hold my smile any longer because I found joy beyond what anything could provide and now, I don’t need any other reason to be happy when I find the answers I’ve been looking for so long and couldn’t find them anywhere else but in the books that were delivered to me. This has greatly changed my life and I don’t even know how to explain it.
I was suffering because of ignorance. I didn’t know. But after I knew, my life was never the same as it used to be. And for that wonderful experience, I can’t resist sharing what transformed my life. I don’t have to die in silence anymore or live every day pretending everything was fine when actually deep within, nothing was fine at all.
I thank the lord for this message and for letting it happen. I can now explore God’s love for me with confidence, hope, courage, and strength, something I never used to have. Of all the books I had ever read since I was a child, it was that one book that changed my life. Sometimes I look back at that moment and I’m filled with laughter and wonder. How grand God’s plan is!
Ever since then, my attention has been diverted to Christ as I learn each day and grow in faith. I feel like a child, no longer like a stranger for I know I’m receiving God’s love all the time. My perspective was changed everything about me was changed, even my mind has never been the same. I had never thought that words written on paper would ever change my physical reality. I’m still amazed. I even sleep comfortably.
Through this sermon, I have learned the responsibility of a priest. I’m one of those people who think that a priest is someone who leads the church services. That’s what we’re taught from childhood. Knowing that everyone led by the Holy Spirit is a priest has made me even long so much to receive the Holy Spirit. Part of my efforts was to befriend the priest at church and I worked physically towards it. I once thought it would bring me closer to God and make me known before God, but many times I was disappointed and frustrated when it didn’t happen as I thought it had to be.
But now I know I can become one through the Holy Spirit. I’m imagining how wonderful it would be to heal the sick, forgive sins, and even perform wonders and signs like Christ did. A life free from wrong choices, full of guidance and power!
Sister Caroline from Uganda
March 5, 2024
Now, the Only Thing I Desire
I listened to the overseer’s sermon, ‘Christians Who Will Be Filled with the Fullness of God.’
Ah, so that’s why the Holy Spirit came! To enable us to do God’s work!
The Holy Spirit not only empowered me but also desires that I be filled with God’s love.
For this, I too want to empty myself and remove sin so that Christ can work comfortably within me. I want to be filled with God’s fullness.
The One who was filled with God’s fullness was Jesus Christ. Now that I have become a part of His body, I realized through this sermon that I too must be filled with God’s love.
I want to resemble God’s Son and come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
I’ve also learned that there are necessary steps to achieve this: my inner person must become strong so that Christ can dwell in me comfortably, I must be rooted in love, and only when I come to understand and know this love can I truly be filled with God.
I am grateful to the overseer for guiding the direction of my life and teaching me how to walk this path. I truly desire to become like Christ, filled with God. Until now, I lived for myself and failed to fully welcome God into my life. I trusted people more than God. I repent for not obeying God.
I am thankful for the overseer’s guidance and patience.
Sister Tatiana from Russia
February 2, 2024
I Have Taken on Responsibility
Upon hearing the sermon on ‘longsuffering,’ I’ve come to realize how I’ve neglected my responsibilities. At the beginning of his series on Ephesians, our overseer explained that the church is a mystery hidden from the beginning of time by God. This made me think, ‘Ah, the church holds such a high position. As a member of the church, how great is the glory I possess.’ My heart was filled with joy and overwhelming emotion. Although I thought about the need to worthy change of this glory, it seemed there was no great burden on my heart.
However, as the overseer spoke in Ephesians 4, my heart began to feel heavy and burdened. Humility, gentleness, longsuffering… Initially, the absence of these qualities in me was distressing and guilty. But then, the overseer said, ‘The responsibility of longsuffering is shared among all the saints,’ leading me to realize that my true anguish and repentance should be for having neglected the responsibility that comes with the grace I’ve received.
What God has given us is beyond my imagination, a God’s life that I could not acquire no matter how much I desired it. God made sacrifices and fulfilled His responsibilities to give us this life. I received this life without paying any price. God bestowed such immense grace upon me, not asking for anything impossible in return but simply a sincere heart and will to respond to this grace. I am deeply ashamed and sorry for feeling burdened even by this.
Frequently and casually speaking of grace, I began to take it for granted, gradually becoming ungrateful. I neglected the responsibilities that come with receiving grace, always looking to receive more from God. Now, I must consciously strive to overcome this selfish sinful nature. I intend to deepen my understanding and appreciation of what God has already given and to bear witness to it. Remembering the patience the Lord has shown me, I will also try not to judge others by mere human emotions but to patiently await their change.
After listening to the sermon “The Share of Longsuffering Given to Believers’ by Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim,
Brother Lee from Sungrak Church
March 8, 2024
The Seat of the Scornful
The words from the Bible come to mind, saying that the blessed do not sit in the seat of the scornful. My insincerity stems from pride, leading me to dominate others from above, proclaiming, “I am the best,” and taking the highest seat. This belief that I must be superior to others results in constant comparison, refusal to acknowledge those I perceive as better, and belittlement of those I see as inferior.
Even in my ministry, I’ve acted to prove my superiority rather than out of genuine heart and dedication, realizing it was just a means to elevate myself based on my standards.
Blindly following what others do to satisfy my vanity, without understanding the evil in it or refusing to acknowledge and be jealous of praiseworthy behaviors that I should learn and strive for, seems like I’ve sat in the seat of the arrogant without truly making an effort to change but merely imitating the appearance.
I’ve come to realize how deeply my pride has hindered my growth and obstructed my ministry. God has said He will destroy pride, which is of the devil’s nature, and the Lord said that the humble will enter the kingdom of heaven, commanding, “Be humble as I am humble.”
Though I’ve suffered due to my pride, I thought it could just be ignored because it is the nature of sinners and I resisted change. Not sitting in the seat of the scornful but continually offering my heart to the Lord in truth and following His guidance step by step is the more perfect way to fight against pride requires a struggle to the point of shedding blood.
Though my emotions may not always align, I am determined to despise pride and practice humility, valuing others above myself, and work sincerely. I’ve felt ashamed for pitying my family, who doesn’t understand me, thinking, “I am doing something valuable, and you are living a life of failure.”
I repent for treating the souls entrusted to me by the Lord lightly, judging them carelessly, and dealing with them mechanically instead of with true blessing. As one who has received the Gospel’s grace of the Lord, who values a single soul more than the whole world, I will strive to treat these souls with genuine respect, consistently and truthfully serving them.
I am thankful for the grace of being entrusted with work, for the patience, and for the teachings, despite being such a proud person.
After listening to the sermon ‘Humility: The Sign of Those Who Have Redemption’ by Overseer Sung-Hyun Kim,
Sister Kim from Sungrak Church
February 18, 2024
The Word of Life Reaching Out to Colombian Prisons and Many Souls
The Berea books sent from Sungrak Church have truly been a great blessing for our study of the Word and in carrying out our prison and community evangelism projects.
All the books sent last year were distributed to numerous brothers and sisters, including those in Colombian prisons. They have learned a lot about the Holy Spirit and also how to stand against the works of the devil.
As our ministry continues, we would be grateful if you could send more books. We particularly wish to share the “Let Us Know the Holy Spirit” book with more people. We have realized the importance of properly introducing the Holy Spirit working in our lives to newcomers of our community. Indeed, this book challenges newcomers to open their hearts to the workings of the Holy Spirit.
We hope that the books you send in 2024 will continue to have a life-changing impact on many souls. We are thankful for the interest and efforts of Sungrak Church in supporting this book, and we bless your lives. May the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
Pastor Arismendi from Colombia
October 18, 2023
