• All e-books and audiobooks on The New Life Mission website are free
  • Explore multilingual sermons in global languages
  • Two new revised editions in English have been released
  • Check out our website translated into 27 languages
Search
English
English
Due to COVID-19 and disruption to international mail service
we have temporally suspended our ‘Free Print Book service’.
In the light of this situation we are not able to mail you the books at this time.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.

Book Reviews

People who have read our books have sent the following reviews. It is our hope that through them, you would all share with each other the grace of God that has enabled us to be born again of water and the Spirit. Your post will be seen only after we approve it.

Post a message
Total 316
  • No. 316

    We are the Messengers of the Will of God

    Based on the book of Luke, Paul C. Jong`s book 49, We Are the Messengers of the Will of God, is a wonderful guide on how to humbly serve the Lord. The author uses the parable of Lazarus and the rich man from Luke 16 to illustrate the need for having the correct faith now because the next world is eternal. During his lifetime, Lazarus was a beggar and suffered greatly. On the other hand, the rich man led an opulent lifestyle, never having to worry about food or shelter. But once they both died, Lazarus went to Abraham`s bosom, and the rich man went to hell. The lesson is to prepare for the kingdom of God by having the correct faith today, as only this determines where we will spend eternity. Let us therefore have the faith of Abraham and Lazarus and let us not be concerned with living comfortably in our flesh.In Luke chapter 18, a certain ruler asked Jesus what he should do to inherit eternal life. God has already saved us by giving up His life on the Cross after taking on the sins of the world at His baptism(세례); there is nothing we can add to it. Rather, we only need to believe. The ruler believed he was good and able to meet the Lord and enter heaven with his deeds. But God gave us His Law to show us how incapable we are of keeping it, not to measure our goodness before Him. "For by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified" (Galatians 2:16).Those who recognise themselves to be a mass of sin are humble before God and His Law. This is demonstrated by the example of the Pharisee and tax collector in Luke chapter 18. The Pharisee prayed to God with a heart full of ego and thanked Him for not making him like other men. He considered his actions to be holy and was proud of how he believed he followed God`s Law. But the tax collector would not so much as raise his eyes to Heaven but asked God to be merciful to him, a sinner. Inside the hearts of the haughty, there is no room for God and His salvation. Such people consider themselves to be doing just fine without God. They don`t want Him meddling in their lives, they don`t think they need God`s mercy, and they certainly don`t think they are sinners before the Law.However, those who want to be embraced into Abraham`s bosom, the Kingdom of God, ask God to save them from their sins because they know they are unable to keep even one of His Holy Laws. This is the heart we need to have in order to become the messengers of the will of God: a heart that is not full but has plenty of room for Jesus to be seated as King. Zacchaeus was someone who longed to meet the Lord, and so Jesus went to meet him and said to him "Today I must stay at your house" (Luke 19:5). We must make room for Jesus to come inside our hearts, to reign as King and lead our lives.Jesus came to this earth to serve us. He saved such wretched beings as ourselves by receiving our sins at His baptism(세례) by John the Baptist, carried our sins to the Cross and gave us His life because He loves us. Without God`s sacrifice, we would forever suffer in hell, tormented day and night in the fire that cannot be quenched (Mark 9:44). Zacchaeus in Luke chapter 19 knew that his sins mounted up high before God, and so he longed to meet the Lord. Knowing this, Jesus who is God went to Jericho to meet Zacchaeus who mourned over his sins. When he heard Jesus was coming to Jericho, because he was short in stature and couldn`t see over the crowds, climbed up a sycamore tree to see Him. And Jesus, when He saw him, said, "Today I must stay at your house" (Luke 19:5). Jesus will meet and comfort everyone who mourns over their sins (Matthew 5:4).God has bestowed salvation on the whole world. In John 1:29 it says, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Sadly, not everyone believes in the salvation that Jesus has accomplished for humanity. But for those who do believe, we must serve the gospel until He returns, preaching and sharing this truth with everyone around us. When He returns, He will reward those who served Him faithfully and cast into hell those who rejected Him. The author illustrates this using the parable of the ten minas in Luke chapter 19. A nobleman called ten of his servants to him and gave them one mina each and told them to do business until he returns. The nobleman is God. `Mina` means `ability`. God has given us the Holy Spirit and also many talents and abilities to serve Him in this world. Also, God has given the fullness of the Holy Spirit to each and every believer.Those who serve the gospel reap many rewards and bear fruit and thus multiply their mina. However, there was a wicked servant who gave his master back only one mina that he originally received. God knows that we can’t serve Him perfectly because of our weaknesses. But we must set our hearts on Him and thus bear fruit so that when He returns, we will not be cast away like the wicked servant. To those who don`t want to serve the gospel after being born again, God says to them, "But bring here those enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, and slay them before Me" (Luke 19:27). These are for our example. Our earthly lives are so short that we should set our sights on the kingdom to come, living each day denying ourselves and our ego and instead serving our King.The book concludes with the author praising the Lord, who is in charge of all of our blessings. God is in charge of the weather, our health, our finances; the more we serve Him, the more blessings we will receive. But in order to serve the Lord, we must break our egos. It is our own job to break our egos before God. No one can break our egos instead of us. We must do this if we want to serve the Lord. If we can`t be like the servant who returned five minas to the Lord, then we at least should try and be like the man who returned two. We can all do that when we break away our egos. As I said at the beginning, this book is a beautiful read and an example to all. We who have received our one mina from the Lord should live a worthwhile life and reap the rewards from our Master when He returns. May God bless your reading and grant you many blessings as you serve Him. "Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever" (Psalm 136:26).

    • Loren Simons
    • United Kingdom
    • 02/15/202617
  • No. 315

    We Are the Messengers of the Will of God

    Hello, This is a review of the book entitled We Are the Messengers of the Will of God by Rev. Paul C. Jong. The title of Chapter One is "Let Us Believe in the Righteousness of God." It focuses on the question of what is true faith, using the parable of the rich man and Lazarus as its central text. Looking at these passages in the Bible, most people tend to summarize that individuals are either condemned to hell or are welcomed into Heaven based on how they treat others throughout their lives. If they do many good deeds, help the poor, and generally maintain a kind disposition, they are welcomed into God`s arms; but if they live selfishly and fail to obey the commandments they will be rejected by the Lord.However, this interpretation centers salvation on human righteousness rather than on the righteousness of God. On the contrary, the Bible teaches that only God is truly good, and we human beings do not have the ability to live without sinning. Therefore, the author explains that there is no other way to enter Heaven except through faith in the righteousness of God, which was fulfilled through the baptism of Jesus. This alone is the one and only gateway to eternal life.Sermon 2 is titled "People with Servant Hearts for God." Drawing from the account of the unjust steward in the Gospel of Luke 16:8–13, this sermon invites the reader to reflect on whether they should live as a shrewd servant of God or as a servant of man. This question is of great importance, especially since the Bible reminds us that we cannot serve both God and mammon. If we are to be faithful, to whom should we be faithful? Who deserves our faithfulness? We must carefully consider what is most profitable—not only in this life but also in the life to come. The person who does not go through this decision-making process is said to be unwise.This book serves as a guide to the born again who seek to live wisely. To be shrewd in serving the Lord benefits not only the Kingdom of God but also provides the most fitting and proper way of life for those who have received the blessing of the remission of all their sins. The author draws from the account of the days of Noah, when men were eating, drinking, and marrying until the day that Noah entered the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all. This serves as a reminder that the day of the Lord’s return will be like the days of Noah. Therefore, our hearts must gradually detach from the things of this world, lest we be overcome by selfish desires and fail in our duty to share the beautiful gospel with the world because of spiritual blindness blinded by lust and faithlessness. As the Lord warns in Luke 9:24, “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it.”In another sermon, the main topic is how the Lord transforms sinners into the righteous. Focusing on the account of the Pharisee and the tax collector in Luke 18:9–14, we are reminded that the Lord justifies those like the tax collector who cannot even lift up their eyes to Heaven because of their awareness of their sin, and instead cry out for the mercy of God. Such individuals are those whom God finds and cleanses completely, washing their hearts through the baptism of Jesus.Throughout his sermons, the author explores the Godly wisdom behind why the rich in heart cannot enter the Kingdom of God. For such people, their entire religious identity is bound up in their perceived human goodness—which, in truth, is no goodness at all. This is why Jesus says, “How hard is it for those who have riches to enter the Kingdom of God?” The only way for salvation to come to such people is for them to become poor in spirit, cast aside their facade of goodness, and believe in the righteousness of God that Jesus fulfilled by washing away the sin of the world at His baptism by John the Baptist, receiving the judgment for our sins on the cross and rising from the dead the third day.I also came to understand from reading this book that those who have little to boast of in a worldly sense are often the ones most eager to meet the Lord, despite their obvious flaws. While discussing the backstory of a tax collector named Zacchaeus, who climbed up into a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus as He was passing through his town, the author explains that it is people like Zacchaeus—those who are looked down upon and who have done many wrongs to others—who have an immense desire to meet God, confess their sins, and change their way of life from serving themselves to serving God with a willing heart. Zacchaeus was most likely dishonest, yet when he met Jesus, he confessed his sins and held onto the hope that through encountering the Lord and being born again, he could become a servant of righteousness by faith in the baptism and the blood of Jesus.In conclusion, if we receive the blessing of hosting Jesus in our hearts and homes, then it is both our duty and honor to serve Him as our Lord and allow Him to reign in our hearts as King. This is the right path for the righteous. The author warns to be careful not to become like the unfaithful servant described in the parable in Luke 19:11–27. If we choose to live a faithless life after receiving the fullness of God’s grace and salvation, He will not accept our excuses but rather cast us out of His presence forevermore. The nobleman in this parable represents our Lord Jesus Christ, who has not only washed away all of our sins through His baptism by John the Baptist, but who has also sent the Holy Spirit of promise into our hearts. For this reason, let us all put our trust wholly in the Lord of glory and pray that we may multiply the good works of Jesus while we are entrusted with His ministry as the messengers of the will of God. Amen.

    • Aneka Simons
    • United Kingdom
    • 02/15/202655
  • No. 314

    From Nicene Creed to the Gospel of Water and Spirit: Pastor John Karanja’s Review on True Biblical Salvation

    MY BOOK REVIEW: FROM THE NICENE CREED TO THE GOSPEL OF WATER AND THE SPIRIT Thank you for sending me this book. Another door of knowledge was opened to me after completing HAVE YOU BEEN TRULY BORN AGAIN? This book gave a historical background of the Gospel as it was preached by the Lord Jesus Christ and His early Apostles. Indeed the gospel of water and Spirit was preached by the early Church  as indicated in the book of Acts. The book presents the gospel as presented by Jesus, describing Him as the One who came from heaven with a mission of coming to carry all the Sins of the world on His shoulders through His Baptism by John the Baptist. This was the baptism that fulfilled the law of sacrificial system that was found in Old Testament; and then He is the one who carried the punishment of our sins by the blood he shed at the cross during His Crucifixion. The concept of sin transference to the sacrificial animal was fulfilled when Jesus was baptized and John testified  it next day (John 1:29) describing Jesus as the Lamb of God that  takes away the sin of the world Then the book reveals that in the course of time, this gospel was deleted by the early fathers and the man-made creed (the Nicene Creed) which came eliminated the idea of the Baptism of our Lord. Over the years true gospel was hidden and was left to a few followers whom God has used return the truth to the Body of Christ in this age and time. THE BOOK IS THEREFORE A VOICE CRYING … FOR THE RETURN OF THE TRUE GOSPEL TO THE BODY OF CHRIST. The book reveals this dilution of the true gospel seen in the present day church communities ⇒ Many struggle with sin even after confessing that they are born again. ⇒ Many remain without assurance of salvation. ⇒ Many have not believed in the Masters Work done for us and thus never met him personally as their Savior and as the Lord of their lives. Instead they are continually seeking Him with negative confession and repeated repentance that denies them total freedom. This book clearly provides very important sermons which the Servant of Christ Paul C Jong outlines how the church lost the true gospel of water and the Spirit then historically the creed was established, expanded to the point where the church is today. This confession of faith I just learned how it was altered and key true Word deleted. It painfully reminds me of where I have come from! Having faith in Jesus whom I had no idea of what He did for me. Living without full assurance of my salvation. I lived wallowing in the religious recitals and routines not knowing that I was made righteous by Jesus  through the faith of His baptism. Without the gospel of water and the Spirit our Christianity is shallow, weak and we are lost. Without the inclusion of how and why Jesus was baptized removes remission of sins all together. This shifted the church into believing a salvation centered on the cross alone suppressing the connecting link of the gospel of salvation. It emphasizes more on the sacraments which drives man into a salvation of works and self-efforts and keeping of traditions. The book has important sermons which enriched me in the understanding of the gospel of water and the Spirit. I can now understand how the early Church stood firm in her preaching of the true gospel and the effect of losing the sharpness  of salvation by eliminating the gospel of water and the Spirit. I could now clearly understand the emergence of what Paul the Apostle called “Another Gospel” in Galatians 1:6-9 and also 2Corinthians 11:4. The book clearly shows how the gospel was perverted. Removing the truth about Jesus’ baptism by John at the Jordan makes His death alone become a weak foundation in understanding total remission of sin and total redemption. It leaves so many believers like empty shells when confronted with explaining how the sin problem was dealt with by God. What we remain with are large colorful services without the life of Christ. The truth of being born again is lost. Church needs to return to this very gospel of water and Spirit so that true saints are directed to the Lord by believing the gospel word of truth I am so grateful to the Lord God because this has become my own return to the gospel Apostle Paul believed and preached.  The book then expounds on how this gospel was enhanced and given power by the Holy Spirit. From the comparison of teachings of Watchman Nee, Roman Catholicism and the Now teaching of Rev. Paul C. Jong I could clearly understand our Pentecostal experiences and their fallacies. Rev, Paul explains it beautifully by connecting it to the Jesus’ Baptism and the cross. He explains how Our Lord gave the Spirit as a gift to His Disciples as the indwelling Power of GOD to those who believed His Son Jesus’ baptism, blood of the cross and resurrection. This is totally different from what we have been teaching in the churches. We are told just to believe in Jesus, pray, repent and then get to the experiences and manifestations. Instead I have gotten it right.  Believe the transference of sins by water through Jesus who came to deal with our imperfections. Then His blood on the cross could bring the remedy by total removal of sins of the world placed on His shoulders. Through this valuable book I have a clear understanding of those who will receive the Holy Spirit of GOD as a gift. Great lesson here is that the Holy Spirit does not come to the following: ⇒ The magicians who cover themselves with outward Christianity.as the character mentioned in Acts 8. ⇒ Those guided by institutional procedures eg Baptism, confirmation or just to those  waiting for an event after salvation ⇒ Not to the highly respected maybe believers or the baptized ones. ⇒ Not to those with money or influence! Don’t we have men who are even selling the gifts of the Holy Spirit to others in the name of anointing oil, water or pieces of clothes? ⇒ Not to those who come with titles… the Great men of God, One in my country calls himself the mightiest prophet of God! The truth is, the grace of God can’t be bought. When men fail to believe the true gospel of water and the Spirit; and the blood, they deteriorate and become sources of heretic movements arising in the name of churches or ministries. It is only to those with pure hearts, seeking salvation by believing in Jesus; such the Spirit will indwell and empower. We have to lay our foundation on receiving the remission by believing the baptism of Christ and the cross of the judgment on Him. There are several lessons I have gained through the sermons in this book 1. My hope is rekindled by entrance using the narrow gate Matthew 7:13-20. I believe that by understanding this book the gospel of water and the Spirit is the path to the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ baptism to Jesus’ cross is the route. His resurrection and indwelling and the power of Holy Spirit give us the confidence and assurance of salvation. 2. I have come to know that both ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were planned by God AND Complimented each another. John comes as a connector of the law and the Gospel. He became the lst prophet of old and a door opener of the New Testament. We see that clearly by his linage through Zechariah to the Aaronic Priesthood. He opens the era of God’s righteousness and sets man’s salvation into completeness. He prepared the way for Lord Jesus; a voice in the wilderness who would perform transferring work. 3. On the other hand, is the ministry of Jesus? He came as a Savior. A Carrier of the sins of the world on His shoulders. He was a divine sacrificial lamb to do the work once and for all. He came as a redeemer of mankind. In both, we see a representative of heaven meeting the representative of the earth. (Luke 1:76-79). With these we get the complete reasons why JESUS BAPTISED AND WHY IT HAD TO BE DONE BY JOHN. 4. I have learned how the church of God is built on a strong foundation of faith. Peter’s confession in Matthew 16:18-16 clearly shows the foundation of the church is Jesus Christ who came as Messiah, the Anointed one and the Son of God. He is our Savior, the Messiah and He is God. 5. I also learned of this Kingdom where Jesus is the designated The Ruler as well as being the Creator of the Universe. The King, the High Priest and the Prophet who is the Firm Foundation of the Church. The same has declared me a righteous one, without guilty and the Word of Life that sustains me here on earth. He speaks to us as we confess and declare the gospel of the water and the Spirit. And through me He is speaking to the world. This brings me to this great decision of my life: to live in the things I have learned. I am convinced of this gospel of Water and Spirit is the reason for my being here today. Apostle Paul admonishes us thus in 2 Timothy.3:12-17 to restore the pure origin of the gospel. I am learning to start from where the gospel began. The gospel of water and the Spirit! I have to teach this truth and make sure that the people I guide receive the proper word of the Lord. PST John Karanja, Kenya

    • PST John Karanja
    • Kenya
    • 02/04/202614
  • No. 313

    The Prophetic Blueprint for the True Believer

    This profound work by Reverend Paul C. Jong stands as both a clarion call and a spiritual compass for the end times. It is far more than a speculative study of future events; it powerfully connects the complete gospel of the water and the Spirit to the unfolding timeline of God’s judgment and redemption. For believers who have received true, born-again salvation as revealed in Scripture, this book offers unshakable certainty, clarity, and purpose. Truth in an Age of Apostasy While many interpretations of prophecy are rooted in tradition, fear, or conjecture, Reverend Jong builds every argument on the unassailable biblical foundation of Jesus Christ’s baptism and His blood on the Cross. With clear and compelling scriptural reasoning, he demonstrates that only those who believe in both the water (Jesus’ baptism by John, through which He bore all sin) and the blood (His atoning death) can rightly discern the signs of the times.The book boldly exposes one of the greatest deceptions of this age: a mainstream Christianity that preaches the Cross while neglecting the baptism of Jesus—thereby proclaiming a gospel that cannot fully remit sin. In this light, Reverend Jong explains that the spirit of the Antichrist is already at work within global religious systems, preparing the way for the final rebellion against God and His true saints. A Manual for the Remnant The sections addressing martyrdom are not written to instill fear but to prepare and strengthen the true Church. Reverend Jong faithfully reminds believers that persecution is not an anomaly but a promised reality for those who follow Christ completely. He draws a clear biblical distinction between the purifying suffering of the saints and the righteous judgment awaiting those who follow false doctrines. This understanding replaces anxiety with steadfast faith and spiritual courage.For those born again of water and the Spirit, the teachings on the Rapture and the Millennial Kingdom overflow with certain and glorious hope. These promises are not vague possibilities for an undefined Christianity, but guaranteed inheritances for the redeemed Body of Christ—those who truly understand and believe the full gospel of their salvation. This assurance fuels perseverance and ignites genuine evangelism.  Why This Book Is Indispensable Scriptural Harmony – It masterfully unifies the Law, the Gospels, and the Book of Revelation, revealing the gospel of the water and the Spirit as the key to all prophecy.Spiritual Discernment – It provides a clear lens through which to interpret global turmoil, religious confusion, and increasing persecution.Confirmation of Faith – It powerfully affirms the assurance of salvation for believers in the true gospel.A Tool for Salvation – It serves as a loving and urgent warning, calling souls out of spiritual Babylon and into God’s Ark of truth.Final TestimonyIs the Age of the Antichrist, Martyrdom, Rapture and the Millennial Kingdom Coming? is one of the most important prophetic works for this generation. It separates divine truth from human tradition, the faithful remnant from deception, and certain hope from empty presumption. Reverend Paul C. Jong has rendered a priceless service to the true Church.This book is a trumpet blast—calling believers to stand firm in the full gospel, remain unwavering in coming trials, and look upward with absolute confidence toward their promised deliverance.BOYD PHIRI, Zambia

    • BOYD PHIRI
    • Zambia
    • 01/01/202632
  • No. 312

    We Are The Servants Who Believe In The Gospel Of The Water And The Spirit

    Hello, This is a review of the book entitled "We Are The Servants Who Believe In The Gospel Of The Water And The Spirit" by Rev. Paul C. Jong.In the preface of this book, the author encourages the reader to consider the consequences of their beliefs before deciding what to believe—just as we would carefully think through a practical task, considering its feasibility and the direct effects it would have before proceeding. However, the consequence of going down the wrong path in matters of faith is far more detrimental to our souls than failure in practical matters. Therefore, we should all carefully consider the most important questions surrounding our salvation before deciding what to believe.As you listen to this review and hopefully read this book, I ask you to consider whether you still have sin in your heart even though you believe in Jesus. If the answer is yes, then do you think you will be permitted entry into Heaven with sin? Do you believe that your repentance prayers have washed away even just one of your sins, and if not, could this be due to the fact that the doctrine you currently believe in is not 100% accurate according to Scripture?Ultimately, the fundamental question is whether you believe in the Bible as the Word of God and consider His judgment to be just and true. Do you believe that the wages of sin is death? Do you depend on God wholly to be saved, recognizing your inability not to commit sin, or are you stubbornly fighting against your sinful human nature while remaining outside of the righteousness of God?The message in this book will help you to look within and honestly address all these questions surrounding salvation, bringing you to the point where, as it says in Romans 3:19, that “every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God.” It is at this point that God reveals the mystery of salvation of the gospel of the water and the Spirit to the hearts of those who are truly poor in spirit.In Chapter 1, the author talks about the importance of recognizing oneself as a grave sinner who, by nature, is incapable of obeying God’s law and is therefore deserving of God’s judgment in hell. Those who, like King David, mourn over their true sinful nature are wise before God. They confess, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)Such people, rather than trying to become perfect in their deeds, on the contrary, beg the mercy of God, saying, “Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.”Whereas those who only see themselves as partial sinners, who sin only a little, such people never come before Jesus for redemption even though they attend church regularly and praise Him loudly for all to see. God says that they are unwise in spiritual matters as they do not seek His mercy, but the praise of other sinners. The Bible likens them to the scribes and Pharisees who reject the baptism of Jesus, in favour of their own righteousness.But it was Jesus’ baptism that saved us as this was the method by which the sins of the world were laid upon the body of the Lord, as it is written in Matthew 3:15, “Jesus answered and said to him (John), ‘Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he allowed Him.”In Chapter 2, the author expresses the urgency of accepting God’s invitation to be born again and enter the Kingdom of Heaven by using the parable in Luke 14:12–24 as an example, where a certain man prepared a great supper, but those who were originally invited began to make excuses as to why they could not attend.They deemed their practical responsibilities more important than attending the supper resulting in them missing out on salvation. The invitations were then offered to those who, in contrast, judged themselves unworthy to even be invited. Spiritually speaking, these people who had nothing with which they could repay for His invitation were exactly the type of people who are the most worthy of attending of the feast and ultimately, enter God’s Kingdom.Using this parable, the author expresses the urgency with which God longs to find His true believers, to redeem them with the gospel of the water and the Spirit. He says, “Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind… Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.” (Luke 14:21 & 23)Whether you choose to accept the invitation or not, God’s house will be filled. It will be filled with people who recognize their true sinful nature and admit that they are unworthy of even being invited, as they have nothing with which to repay the Lord for His kindness and mercy. God is seeking such people to attend His great supper, which represents becoming born again of water and the Spirit and entering the Kingdom of God.The main topics in the 3rd and 4th chapters focus on the importance of denying ourselves in order to be able to follow the Lord. To become a true disciple of Jesus, we must actively take up our own cross and have the faith to hate even our own family members if they attempt to come in between us and the will of the Lord in our lives, as Jesus said in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.”We must not only leave behind those who try to obstruct the preaching of the gospel, but more importantly, we must first deny our own pride, our own righteousness, and our own thoughts if we have any hope of having the strength of faith to be able to leave behind everything else.The message in Chapter 5 is that of consideration and calculation. We are encouraged to examine our own faith and decide whether we can still follow the Lord if we get pulled in other directions from the desires of those around us.And if we succumb to the will of others through not having set our hearts right to follow God, the Lord warns us that we will become like unseasoned salt that is not fit for purpose and will be thrown out by both men and God, having become useless to both (Luke 14:34–35).The author explains that we cannot follow the Lord by our own volition, as our human willpower is weak even when we have the best of intentions, like the Apostle Peter, who adamantly declared to Jesus that he would never betray Him, only to end up denying Him three times out of weakness.Ultimately, as the born again, even though we have received the Holy Spirit and have become the children of God, we cannot trust in our own determination to remain at one with God. To follow Jesus we must empty our hearts completely, as it’s only by faith in Him that we can do all things. As it is written in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”Sermon 6 speaks of the lengths that God will go to to find His lost sheep. Of the many Christians who believe in the Lord, the true lost sheep equate to one person in a hundred as spoken about in Luke chapter 15.These are those who have a sin-sick heart and guilt-ridden conscience. Although God has saved the whole world through the baptism and blood of Jesus, it’s only the lost sheep whom God is looking for, and He will not stop until He has found them all, healed their sin-sick hearts that have been in constant agony from the burden of their sins, and clothed them in His righteousness with the gospel truth of the water and the Spirit.Sermon 7 speaks of the parable of the prodigal son who was embraced into the arms of his father after squandering all his money. In the end, he came to his senses, humbled himself, and repented of his faithlessness.His father therefore was happy to receive him back into the household, much to the dissatisfaction of the eldest son who remained faithful. The parable of the prodigal son speaks to the fact that there is no amount of material fulfillment that can bring true joy to our hearts.Furthermore, there is no peace to be found in the religions of this world, and the prodigal son, having realized this, returned to his father to give a full account of his transgressions in the hopes that he could at least be made like one of his hired servants.Like the prodigal son, the born again were also inherently lost to this world, spent everything trying to find peace and happiness, and in the end, by the grace of God, we were exhausted and returned to Him through faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.As it continues on to explain in Sermon 8, we all became separated from God due to the sin of Adam and lived a miserable, unstable, and empty life. It’s not as though the rich could find happiness while those who were poor were miserable due to their lack of material prosperity.But everyone, rich and poor alike, wastes their lives in the pursuit of achieving their ambitions, whether small or large, yet still no one can find lasting happiness without the righteousness of God.King Solomon admonished us, “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1). As such, those who admit that they have wasted their whole lives chasing useless, selfish endeavors, sinning against God and their fellow man, before we lose our faculty of mind and are seized by the world, let us return to the Lord and receive the true spiritual inheritance—to become a child of God, able to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.The message in Chapter 9 is centered around teaching the born again the importance of casting aside our own righteousness lest we become arrogant like the firstborn son in the parable of the prodigal son.The firstborn son represents those who have already received the grace of God, yet have now come to think of themselves as good and virtuous all on their own. Such born again can come to look down on new believers like the younger prodigal son who had made many mistakes in their walk of faith, but in fact, such people like the prodigal son are much loved by the Lord because they admit their wrongdoings and desire to remain and work for the Lord within the church.The author warns us not to become comfortable with our own thoughts just because we have walked with the Lord for a long time. If we lose sight of why we needed to believe in Jesus in the first place, we will be deceived into thinking that we are better than everyone else, and this will lead us to judge and criticize the brethren.Nobody comes to Jesus in a good and righteous state, and furthermore, nobody becomes a better and more virtuous person over time. God holds dear all His children who remember their previously fallen state and who, as a result, boast in His righteousness alone.Throughout Chapters 10 and 11, the born again saints are reminded that they are to live with the hope for the eternal Kingdom of God. In order to lay hold of that hope, they must serve the gospel faithfully and wisely in this age, searching for the lost sheep, using all the spiritual and material resources that God provides.And finally, the message through Chapters 12–13 is that of encouragement. Knowing that we will be hated by the world for speaking the truth of the Gospel, the author reminds us that since the time of the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist, many people are pressing in to hear the good news of salvation, as it says in Matthew 11:21 and Luke 16:16: “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the Kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.”As such, we must continue on the narrow path, spreading the righteousness of God even if we are hated by our family and friends, because ultimately God is looking for His lost sheep, and it is through His faithful servants in His church that He finds them, rejoices, and carries them home.This is the unchanging will of God no matter how many people may seek to stand against it. Let us together fulfill this perfect will of the Lord together with His help.Amen.

    • Aneka Simons
    • United Kingdom
    • 12/20/202555
다음 맨끝
The New Life Mission

TAKE OUR SURVEY

How did you hear about us?