በኮቪድ-19 እና በዓለም አቀፉ የመላላኪያ አገልግሎት መዛባት ምክንያት ‹ነጻ የታተመ መጽሐፍ አገልግሎታችንን› ለጊዜው አቋርጠናል፡፡
በዚህ ሁኔታ ምክንያት በዚህ ጊዜ መጽሐፎቻችንን ለእናንተ መላክ አንችልም፡፡
ይህ ወረርሽኝ በቅርቡ እንዲያበቃና የፖስታ አገልግሎት እንዲጀምር ጸልዩ፡፡
ይህ ወረርሽኝ በቅርቡ እንዲያበቃና የፖስታ አገልግሎት እንዲጀምር ጸልዩ፡፡
Subject 27 : God's letters to us in the age of coronavirus
[27-1] We Do Not Belong to This World, but to Heaven (Revelation 4)
(Revelation 4)
““After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
““After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”
Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.
Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!”
Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.””
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.””
I heard that lately visitors to our website have been downloading many of our dual-language e-books. When we first introduced dual-language books, there were at most a couple of people downloading them, but I am happy to hear that yesterday alone, fourteen people downloaded them. Countries around the world have their own unique languages, and we put together dual-language books so that people can read them while comparing the text between two languages at the same time. As these books are very popular with people from all over the world, I would like us to publish more dual-language books in the days to come. There actually are many people in the world who use two or more languages. There also are many countries where the children and the parents in the same family speak different languages, so I think our dual-language e-books will be very helpful for such families. The more we publish dual-language e-books, the more people around the world will download them, and the more enriched their souls will be thanks to the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit. I can’t speak of every case here, but some people have downloaded dozens of e-books, so I have high expectations. After all, what would these people do after downloading our e-books? They will share them with many more people. Those people will then also see their hearts transformed. That is why we work even harder, thanking the Lord for His righteous work.
We just read the entirety of Revelation chapter 4. A while ago, we were blessed to share the message the Apostle John had for the Seven Churches of Asia. The Apostle John, who wrote the Book of Revelation, is Jesus’ disciple who also wrote the Gospel of John, one of the four canonical gospels, and John 1, 2, and 3 as well.
He was Jesus’ most beloved disciple of all, and toward the end of his life, he was persecuted by the Roman emperor and exiled to the island of Patmos. Because the Apostle John’s homeland, Israel, was ruled by Rome at the time, it was quite common for those who defied the Roman rule to be imprisoned and endure suffering. The Apostle John defied Rome by refusing to participate in emperor worship, and so the Roman officials exiled him to the island of Patmos and held him a prisoner there. But, while exiled in the island of Patmos, the Apostle John was able to share a deep fellowship with Jesus, and so this suffering was a blessing to him, and it is here that he wrote the Book of Revelation. It is on this island that God showed the Apostle John what would happen in the future. Like this, while the righteous also face hardship from time to time, God works in all things to ensure that they are blessed from this hardship.
It is by God’s providence that His revelation shown to the Apostle John has been passed down to us today. When we read the letter of revelation the Apostle John wrote with a clear understanding of his background, we can rest assured knowing how God will lead us. The suffering we endure are what helps us even more to follow the Lord.
“I Will Show You Things Which Must Take Place”
On the island of Patmos, God showed the Apostle John how this world will be transformed. Weary from his exile, the Apostle John was praying to God, and while praying he was led by the Spirit of God and was able to hear and see the revelation of Heaven. It’s written, “I will show you things which must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1).
In Revelation 4:1-11, God is speaking of the heavenly dominion that the Apostle John, moved by the Holy Spirit, saw with his eyes and heart. There, he saw the throne of God, twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones with crowns of gold on their heads, and four living creatures with six wings each and full of eyes all around. Day and night, these living creatures were saying without rest:
“Holy, holy, holy,
Lord God Almighty,
Who was and is and is to come!” (Revelation 4:8). Where the Bible says here, “who . . . is to come,” it is speaking of Jesus Christ. It refers to the Savior who came by the water and the Spirit, and who has saved all of us human beings from the sins of this world.
When the entire human race had fallen into the sins of this world and was destined to be perished, the Lord came to this earth and saved mankind from its sins once and for all through the gospel of the water and the blood. This Lord is Jesus Christ. Having completed all this work, Jesus appeared before His disciples after rising from the dead and said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18). The Lord is the Ruler of heaven and earth. He is not only the Savior of sinners, but He is also the Ruler to reign over Satan and the righteous. It is very important for us to have a clear understanding of the reign of Jesus, and with this understanding live by faith until the day we meet the Lord.
In the ancient days of the Old Testament, prayers were offered only to the Yahweh God, but in New Testament times, we know that our prayers are answered when we pray to Jesus Christ also, who is God Himself. Jesus Christ said that He has given all these blessings to us the believers in the gospel of the water, the blood, and the Spirit.
In Revelation chapter 4, the Lord is showing us how He reigns and rules over everything, from the heavenly dominion to the earthly dominion. All human beings ought to bow their heads before the exaltedness of Jesus Christ and His power, and praise and worship Him. Because we have put on God’s love, we can worship Him by faith.
Jesus Christ is in fact worthy of praise from all His creatures and angels. In the old days, God’s revealed names were several, including Yahweh, which means He who exists by Himself, and Elohim (אֱלהִים), which means God Almighty. Jesus Christ is God Himself who created all things in heaven and on earth, and who reigns and rules over all His creatures. This is what today’s Scripture passage is showing all of us. It is telling us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that Jesus is God Himself worthy of our praise and worship. He lacks nothing for us to worship Him, for He has saved us through the gospel of the water and the blood, and His honor and glory are boundless.
When the Lord returns to this earth, He will take the righteous who are still living in this world to His Kingdom—that is, to the Kingdom of Heaven—while He will judge all those who do not believe that Jesus Christ is the true Ruler and stand against Him instead. These people will be judged fittingly for their acts and unbelief.
Jesus Christ can take us to the Kingdom of Heaven because He has the power to save you and me from all the sins of this world once and for all. Because He bore the sins of the world once and for all through the baptism He received from John the Baptist at the age of 30, and because He paid off the wages of all our sins once and for all by shedding His blood on the Cross, He could make us whole. He completed His work of salvation, resurrecting all those on this earth who believe in this Truth. Now, our Lord Jesus Christ is sitting on His heavenly throne and waiting for us, having prepared the Kingdom of Heaven for all His people.
Jesus is the Ruler of all things in heaven and on earth, and He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of mankind, but He is also the true God Himself who is to receive honor and glory from all the believers.
We must believe that Jesus is our true Ruler. It is only fitting for Jesus Christ to be glorified through us the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, for He has carried out the righteous work of God on this earth for us. In this age and time, all of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit have become His people, and we are now His servants and His joy. The Lord came to this world looking for sinners, He has saved them through the water and the Spirit, and He loves and blesses all of us who believe in this Truth.
Jesus Christ Has All Authority in Heaven and on Earth
As the end gets nearer, it is absolutely imperative for you and me to have the proper knowledge of Jesus Christ, our true Ruler and God Himself, and to rely on Him and follow Him by faith. All of us should therefore pray to this God. We ought to live in peace, entrusting our everything to Jesus Christ our Ruler. And now, as the end gets nearer, we must exalt Jesus our Ruler and His righteousness even more in our lives.
The Book of Revelation is showing us how we, having been saved by the Lord, will from now on live in glory with God. The righteousness of Jesus Christ has brought true salvation to all of us who now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and it has blessed us to live with the belief that Jesus Christ is our God. We ought to all realize just how wonderful it is that we have our Ruler in these end times.
Some people may claim to believe in Jesus as their Savior, but in reality they do not recognize that Jesus Christ is the Ruler of heaven and earth. So, their faith is actually nothing more than just believing in their own minds. Those who believe in Jesus only as a matter of their own religious piety think God the Father is a great God, but they do not know that Jesus Christ is God Himself who is worthy of receiving honour, glory, thanksgiving, and praise from everyone. As a result, they are ignoring the work of Jesus Christ and His reign. This is such a tragedy. On their own they think erroneously that Jesus Christ has neither the same authority as God the Father nor the same power. None of us should ever misunderstand and misbelieve in Jesus Christ, the Ruler of all. We must never allow ourselves to make such a grave mistake.
So, we must recognize that Jesus Christ, who came to us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, is the true Ruler to all of us, our King, our High Priest, and our true Prophet. It’s a must for us to grasp what it means when the Bible says “For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things” (Romans 11:36). We must realize that this God who made all things in heaven and on earth has not only saved you and me from all the sins of this world once and for all through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, but He is also the true God to us the believers. In other words, Jesus Christ is the Ruler of heaven and earth.
God the Ruler will judge the sins of those who despise His authority, but He will reward those who obey His authority and Truth. In both Testaments, God spoke to us as the Creator who made all things in the universe, and He showed us that the Lord is the Judge and the Ruler who will condemn the sins of the fallen angels. Because the Ruler is righteous and just, God has also shown us that He will judge the sins of those who do not want His mercy. Such a just God has saved us, who are no more than lowly and despicable creatures, from all the sins of the world once and for all, and this is all because of God’s great mercy. That is why those of us who are now leaning on God’s mercy and believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit call this God our Savior and our Ruler.
Jesus Christ is the true Ruler and God to all of us. So He wants to receive all glory from us. We ought to live up to His expectations. Jesus Christ is God Himself who is worthy to be glorified by us, for He is the God who has saved us from the sins of the world. This God remains our Ruler in this present age also. We must work tirelessly to manifest God’s mercy to all the sinners who are pining for it until the day we stand in His presence. Like this, it is through faith that those who believe in the justice of the Ruler can glorify Him in their lives.
The God whom we believe does not want to just vanquish the opponents standing against His righteousness, but He wants to overcome them with His merciful love and justice. God wants the sinners to be saved through His mercy.
It is for this reason that the Book of Revelation is showing us that Jesus Christ is worthy to be worshipped by the angels and the elders. It’s written, “The twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying:
‘You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created’” (Revelation 4:10-11).
All of us who now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit know just how exalted the Lord is, and with this understanding we submit ourselves to Him in obedience. That is because the Most High is not only our true Savior but also our true Ruler.
Who Is the True Ruler?
A long time ago, certain angels challenged God’s authority, but God did not wish to destroy these opponents with His power, and instead wanted to overcome them with His righteousness, mercy, and justice. And the will of God our Ruler was for those of us who believe in His righteousness and love to receive true blessings. The Ruler of mankind wanted to bestow His merciful love not on the angels, but on us human beings.
Jesus Christ our Ruler bestowed His righteousness on the descendants of Adam who, having fallen into Satan’s temptation, stood against God; and Jesus was pleased to reveal this blessing through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, God’s gift. He was pleased to forever save the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit from all their sins of the world. He wanted human beings to be saved from all their sins of disobedience through God’s just love. That is why God has blessed those among His creatures who realize their sins and believe in His righteousness to become His true children.
Even now, many people are standing against the righteousness of God just like the angels who rebelled against Him a long, long time ago. So, the Sovereign God sought to punish the fallen angels for their sin of standing against His will. However, God treated human beings differently from these angels. Instead of punishing them, He was pleased to reveal His true grace of salvation to mankind. This grace of salvation is revealed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit that Jesus Christ has bestowed on us. Because God has manifested His just love in this gospel, whoever believes in it can see God’s glory.
Now, therefore, we must all believe in the salvation that our merciful God has given us, in accordance with His love and righteousness. All creatures must believe and confess that Jesus Christ alone is the Savior who has delivered us from the sins of the world. Jesus Christ our Ruler has liberated the entire human race from the sins of the world. Had He not done so, we would have all remained as God’s enemies standing against His righteousness.
We must therefore believe in the love of the Ruler who has made us righteous and reach our salvation by this faith. And with this faith we ought to thank the Lord. Our Sovereign God has made us sinless, and we ought to thank our Lord, who is our Master and Savior, for not dealing with us as He dealt with the fallen angels. So, as we carry on with our lives, it is only fitting that we should praise God with our sincere faith. We were made in the likeness of the image of God our Ruler, and this Sovereign God had come to this earth to save us once and for all from all our sins. That is why we must believe in His salvation and trust His rule in our lives. After all, given the fact that our Savior has delivered us from the sins of the world, how could we not be ruled by this God?
Just as the Book of Revelation shows us Jesus Christ sitting on the throne of God, all of us who have now been saved by faith will also live in His Kingdom. All those who believe in what God has done on this earth will also receive the glory of living in Heaven with Jesus. This glorious blessing is God’s blessing bestowed on whoever believes in the mercy of the Ruler. We are the blessed who will sit on the throne of heaven with our Ruler and live forever. Whoever believes in the just love of God, the ruler of the righteous, will live with Him forever in His Kingdom. You should never forget that God has blessed His people to enjoy everlasting riches and glory. So, to God our Savior and Ruler, we give all thanks, honor, and glory. And to do so, we must live out our faith for the Lord.
Through the Ruler of heaven, the Apostle John showed us who would receive the blessings of heaven. He also showed us what blessings await those of us who have been saved by believing in Jesus Christ. We are already grateful that the Lord has saved us from the sins of the world once and for all through the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Yet, as if this were not enough, we will also live forever with our Ruler in the Kingdom of Heaven, so we cannot help but give all thanks and glory to God.
Believing that Jesus Christ is our God, all of us can now glorify Him in our lives. Because God has given heavenly blessings to all of us, we ought to entrust and dedicate the rest of our lives to our Sovereign God. We have no choice but to live a life of faith and service as God has intended for us.
The Lord Will Return to this Earth
God showed the Apostle John this portrait in the Book of Revelation because he and many other Christians at the time were facing heavy persecution from God’s enemies. So, even during those Early Church days, the Lord’s followers were waiting for His return. Although we are now living in the 21st century, we should remember that we are also waiting for the second coming of our Lord.
It is 2021 now, but it is said that by 2035, fossil fuel-burning, internal combustion engines would be all banned. What would power vehicles then? They will be powered by alternative, environmentally friendly energy sources such as electrical or hydrogen power. Eventually, vehicles capable of flying like drones will be commercialized. By 2055, enough technological advancements would have been made for one liter of hydrogen to replace heaps of coal or oil.
Everything will become increasingly more materialistic. A new era is coming, when human dignity will be lost and computers, the Internet, and artificial intelligence (AI) will take over everything. When this time comes, human life will be devalued callously while AI will be elevated. Those who control AI will dominate over the rest, more and more people will stand against the believers in the righteousness of God, and then the Lord our Ruler will come and take us the believers away.
The Sovereign Lord will return to this earth. I am infinitely thankful that the Lord has saved me from all my sins, but sometimes I still struggle to keep peace of mind, so I long for the heavenly dominion God has prepared for me. I believe with all my heart that Jesus Christ created all things in heaven and on earth, that He rules and reigns over them all, and that He has command over everything.
Those Who Now Belong to God Have Hope for the Future
It is written in John 18:36, “My kingdom is not of this world.” When Jesus said here that His Kingdom is not of this world, it means that the Lord is not of this world. This also means that we do not belong to this world, either. To whom do we belong then? We the believers in the righteous love of God belong to Jesus Christ our Ruler, not to Satan His enemy.
Nothing in heaven or earth—indeed, nothing in the entire universe—matches our Sovereign Lord, just as the Lord’s Prayer says:
“Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9-10). This means God is above all creatures and reigns over them. The same goes for us, too, for the Lord said, “Because you are not of this world, you will be hated by those of this world. Know this clearly: just as I am not of this world, you are not of this world, either.”
The Lord also said to us, “Knowing that you are the spiritual beings belonging to heaven, take your spiritual stand against those who oppose God on this earth.” The Lord told us to believe that He is the Ruler who will come to take us away. While living on this earth, we must all endure earthly labor. How long do we need to labor on this earth? We need to do this until we spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit to people all over the world.
We the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are not of this world. Those who belong to the Lord will live where our Lord is, for they have no sin. Just as the Lord rose from the dead again, we, too, will rise from the dead again; and just as the Lord is honored, we, too, will be glorified together with Him. After all, we the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are to be served by angels. We will receive such blessings precisely because we are God’s children.
At this very moment, in your heart there must be faith in our Sovereign Lord, for we are of God, not of Satan, even though we are living in this world. Those who still belong to Satan have absolutely no hope. When this world is destroyed, they will also be destroyed along with the world, as will those who stand against God.
In contrast, we are not of this world, and instead belong to Jesus Christ our Ruler, and therefore we have the hope of entering and living in the Kingdom of Heaven. So I ask you all to realize who we really are, live by faith in the Word of God, and trust that we will enter His Kingdom when Jesus Christ our Ruler returns. Just as it is written in the New Testament, we will go and stand in the presence of God.
We the righteous are living in this world, and when the end of time is here and tribulations come our way, the Word of Truth that we have read and heard in our everyday lives will be our strength, empowering us to fight and prevail over our spiritual enemies. Because the Word of our Ruler works in the hearts of all of us who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, when the time is upon us to wage our spiritual war, we will defeat all our enemies. This victory will not come by fighting with our fists. Rather, it is by our faith in the Word of God that we the righteous believers in the gospel of water and the Spirit will make our stand and prevail over Satan and all those who belong to him. If we are martyred by our spiritual enemies then, the Lord will take us to the Kingdom of Heaven, for we belong to our Ruler. Only by trusting in our Sovereign Lord can we find hope for the future.
The Lord will surely return to this world as the Ruler. He who is to come, Jesus Christ, is the King of kings. He is now sitting on His white throne. When we turn to Revelation chapter 20, we see that it is our Lord who will carry out the great white throne judgment. God the Father has raised His Son as the Judge of righteousness. He has entrusted the judgment of sinners to His Son. This means Jesus Christ, God Himself, reigns over all things in this world. And when the judgment day comes, we the believers in the righteousness of the Lord will rest forever with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven.
It is therefore absolutely critical for us to lead our lives of faith with a clear understanding of who our Lord is. Of course, the Lord is the Savior who has delivered us from our sins, but if our understanding is limited to just this, we will not be able to fight by faith in the coming battle with the Devil. Only when all of us fully grasp the authority and power of Jesus Christ can we stand against Satan. As Jesus Christ has raised us to make a stand against Satan, we must trust Him as our Ruler, follow Him by faith, and be victorious. God is glorified when His people stand against Satan like this.
What Should We the Believers in the Gospel of the Water and the Spirit Do in the Time of the Coronavirus Pandemic?
Sinners do not know that Jesus Christ will return to this earth. But we the righteous know this very well from the signs of the present age. The world is going through tremendous changes at a dizzying speed. It is, however, still far away from when the enemies will attain complete control over the world. For this to come about, practically every law in this world would have to be turned over. Will all the people in the world be able to get vaccinated against coronavirus? In South Korea, vaccination is expected to be completed by late fall. It is said that Canada would have vaccinated all its people by September. The United States has also been moving rapidly with vaccination.
Living in such unusual times, how should the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit deal with the pandemic? We should obviously wear a mask and take every precaution against the disease. The virus has spread all around. When the virus enters a person’s body, it is very active for three days. In some other people, the virus apparently remains inactive. So we the believers should also be very careful. It is not easy to endure hardship patiently, but in times like these we need to be even calmer and take every precautionary measure against the disease, such as wearing a mask, washing our hands frequently, and using disinfectants whenever needed. Keeping our hands clean is very important since we touch our noses and lips habitually without even realizing it. This would not be a problem if disinfectants were used, but if our hands were exposed to the virus, it would lead to infection right away. It is also very important to wear a mask diligently. As it is said sometimes, until we are vaccinated, the next best protection against coronavirus is wearing a mask. While masks are not needed when we are at home with our family, we should wear them whenever we are with anyone outside of the household. We need to be very cautious.
Living in this age, we must believe in Jesus Christ and His Word of promise. When this terrible coronavirus pandemic is over, there will likely be another disease breaking out. Taxes will go up a lot as well. There will be more regulations imposed on businesses. Even so, let us not despair. Let us instead take every precautionary measure diligently, so that we can continue to dedicate our lives to the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the whole world. Do not let your guard down to not only get infected yourself but also end up infecting your fellow believers. We are vigilant about coronavirus not only because we want to protect ourselves, but also because we want to protect those around us. The disease is so contagious that if you get infected, it will not end there, and instead many people around you will likely get infected as well.
When an employee at a university hospital got infected with the virus, he ended up spreading it to nearly all his family members and his patients at the hospital. The whole hospital was turned upside down as a result. With the pandemic stretching over a year, many people have become too complacent. But we must endure this hardship patiently. We must spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the world. There still are many places where the gospel has not reached. We need more time.
Since we are not superheroes, it is physically impossible to finish this work all at once. It is an amazing miracle that we have been able to carry out our literature ministry to this day. Sister Minoo is not feeling well these days from exhaustion. I, too, have experienced this. Publishing is not an easy job; there is a limit to how much we can push ourselves. When we reach such a limit, we should take a break and rest. While we should work hard to carry out our literature ministry, it is also important for us to take care of our health and make sure to rest when we get exhausted. Because there is so much to do when it comes to God’s work, if we try to put off rest until we finish it all, our health will suffer. Only someone who has done a lot of God’s work knows this. Whenever we feel overwhelmed by work, we need to make appropriate adjustments to our workload. There is no remedy for overwork no matter what wonderful medicines you take unless you get enough rest. Everything else is ineffective. I am very attentive to my health conditions and take a short respite when I get too stressed. White blood cells are the cells of the immune system protecting the body against infections, and healthy white blood cells are round-shaped. But, when a person gets too tired, the white blood cells in his body lose their round shape and turn all jagged. The blood turns much more viscous, and as a result it does not circulate as easily. When blood viscosity gets too high, it can lead to death. It can cause a blood clot in the brain to trigger a deadly stroke or put too much stress on the heart. So, it is important for us to manage our workload appropriately. Let us all take good care of our health so that we can preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit all over the world and continue to save lives for a long, long time to come. We are still far away from spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the whole world.
People’s hearts are so hardened in these end times that they refuse to accept the gospel of the water and the Spirit. That is why our literature ministry is indispensable. Few people think of their spiritual death. Those whose hearts are hardened need to face some real difficulties before it is too late. If this is what it takes for their hearts to be broken before the Lord, and for them to reach salvation by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit we are preaching through our literature ministry, then it would be a wonderful blessing.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll, it is even more important for us to faithfully preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We should use all means, whether they are e-books, print books, dual-language books, or audio books, and we should make them as widely available as possible. You may wonder when the gospel would ever be spread to every corner of the world in this way, but you would be wrong to question this. After, God is cheering us on with our work. We ought to have faith in our Ruler. The Lord Almighty has saved us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and we ought to trust Him as our Ruler.
We must trust that God is blessing us and protecting us. I am so grateful for this. I have worked very hard and devoted my entire life to our church, doing everything I can to secure its financial future. Sometimes I wonder, “Why am I doing all this work? In the end I will leave it all behind and go to be with God, so for whom am I working so hard?” But such thoughts are fleeting. I must ensure that our church is on a solid financial footing long after I am gone so that your needs are met until the end of the world. Buildings are needed. Think about how much space we need for our ministry. When we first bought the buildings we are using now, they looked all rundown and decrepit, but they are now indispensable to us. What would we have done without these buildings? What would have happened if we had not prepared the field like this? What would have happened if we had not cultivated the crops? We must prepare in our own way.
The Lord whom we believe is now sitting on the throne of heaven as the Judge, the Savior, the Ruler, and the Commander. Realizing and believing this, let us all serve the Lord by this faith until the day we meet Him. This concludes today’s sermon; I hope to see you again next time.
Living in such unusual times, how should the believers in the gospel of the water and the Spirit deal with the pandemic? We should obviously wear a mask and take every precaution against the disease. The virus has spread all around. When the virus enters a person’s body, it is very active for three days. In some other people, the virus apparently remains inactive. So we the believers should also be very careful. It is not easy to endure hardship patiently, but in times like these we need to be even calmer and take every precautionary measure against the disease, such as wearing a mask, washing our hands frequently, and using disinfectants whenever needed. Keeping our hands clean is very important since we touch our noses and lips habitually without even realizing it. This would not be a problem if disinfectants were used, but if our hands were exposed to the virus, it would lead to infection right away. It is also very important to wear a mask diligently. As it is said sometimes, until we are vaccinated, the next best protection against coronavirus is wearing a mask. While masks are not needed when we are at home with our family, we should wear them whenever we are with anyone outside of the household. We need to be very cautious.
Living in this age, we must believe in Jesus Christ and His Word of promise. When this terrible coronavirus pandemic is over, there will likely be another disease breaking out. Taxes will go up a lot as well. There will be more regulations imposed on businesses. Even so, let us not despair. Let us instead take every precautionary measure diligently, so that we can continue to dedicate our lives to the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the whole world. Do not let your guard down to not only get infected yourself but also end up infecting your fellow believers. We are vigilant about coronavirus not only because we want to protect ourselves, but also because we want to protect those around us. The disease is so contagious that if you get infected, it will not end there, and instead many people around you will likely get infected as well.
When an employee at a university hospital got infected with the virus, he ended up spreading it to nearly all his family members and his patients at the hospital. The whole hospital was turned upside down as a result. With the pandemic stretching over a year, many people have become too complacent. But we must endure this hardship patiently. We must spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the world. There still are many places where the gospel has not reached. We need more time.
Since we are not superheroes, it is physically impossible to finish this work all at once. It is an amazing miracle that we have been able to carry out our literature ministry to this day. Sister Minoo is not feeling well these days from exhaustion. I, too, have experienced this. Publishing is not an easy job; there is a limit to how much we can push ourselves. When we reach such a limit, we should take a break and rest. While we should work hard to carry out our literature ministry, it is also important for us to take care of our health and make sure to rest when we get exhausted. Because there is so much to do when it comes to God’s work, if we try to put off rest until we finish it all, our health will suffer. Only someone who has done a lot of God’s work knows this. Whenever we feel overwhelmed by work, we need to make appropriate adjustments to our workload. There is no remedy for overwork no matter what wonderful medicines you take unless you get enough rest. Everything else is ineffective. I am very attentive to my health conditions and take a short respite when I get too stressed. White blood cells are the cells of the immune system protecting the body against infections, and healthy white blood cells are round-shaped. But, when a person gets too tired, the white blood cells in his body lose their round shape and turn all jagged. The blood turns much more viscous, and as a result it does not circulate as easily. When blood viscosity gets too high, it can lead to death. It can cause a blood clot in the brain to trigger a deadly stroke or put too much stress on the heart. So, it is important for us to manage our workload appropriately. Let us all take good care of our health so that we can preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit all over the world and continue to save lives for a long, long time to come. We are still far away from spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the whole world.
People’s hearts are so hardened in these end times that they refuse to accept the gospel of the water and the Spirit. That is why our literature ministry is indispensable. Few people think of their spiritual death. Those whose hearts are hardened need to face some real difficulties before it is too late. If this is what it takes for their hearts to be broken before the Lord, and for them to reach salvation by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit we are preaching through our literature ministry, then it would be a wonderful blessing.
As the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll, it is even more important for us to faithfully preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit. We should use all means, whether they are e-books, print books, dual-language books, or audio books, and we should make them as widely available as possible. You may wonder when the gospel would ever be spread to every corner of the world in this way, but you would be wrong to question this. After, God is cheering us on with our work. We ought to have faith in our Ruler. The Lord Almighty has saved us through the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and we ought to trust Him as our Ruler.
We must trust that God is blessing us and protecting us. I am so grateful for this. I have worked very hard and devoted my entire life to our church, doing everything I can to secure its financial future. Sometimes I wonder, “Why am I doing all this work? In the end I will leave it all behind and go to be with God, so for whom am I working so hard?” But such thoughts are fleeting. I must ensure that our church is on a solid financial footing long after I am gone so that your needs are met until the end of the world. Buildings are needed. Think about how much space we need for our ministry. When we first bought the buildings we are using now, they looked all rundown and decrepit, but they are now indispensable to us. What would we have done without these buildings? What would have happened if we had not prepared the field like this? What would have happened if we had not cultivated the crops? We must prepare in our own way.
The Lord whom we believe is now sitting on the throne of heaven as the Judge, the Savior, the Ruler, and the Commander. Realizing and believing this, let us all serve the Lord by this faith until the day we meet Him. This concludes today’s sermon; I hope to see you again next time.
This sermon is also available in ebook format. Click on the book cover below.
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