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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Father's Providence (1) |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Genesis 1: 3 |
Date |
2017-12-17 |
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[Passage]
[Genesis 1: 3]
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light.
[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
We welcomed the year 2017 with many plans, resolutions, and expectations, but already it's coming to an end, and we will yet begin another year. Have you decided your prayer titles for the new year yet? Even the unbelievers make plans for the new year, such as learning another language, diet, and expanding their businesses in hopes for a better life.
But we believers in the Lord should be different. We have to make plans not just for the well-being on this earth but to take hold of better dwelling places in heaven and garnering heavenly rewards. Colossians 3:1 says, "Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."
You have not only been raised up, but also you have been called to the church that is specially established by God for His end time providence. You have a special duty to fulfill, like the members of the Jerusalem Church that laid the foundation of all churches and the members of Antioch church that supported Paul's missionary trips with fasting and prayers.
There is God's providence in establishing this church and calling you here. When He tried us and refined us in the same way as the "The crucible is for silver and the furnace for gold," He had very good reasons. It was to save many souls and then to lead them to New Jerusalem.
1 John 5:19 says, "…the whole world lies in the power of the evil one." As said, countless souls today belong to the devil and they deny God and Jesus Christ. They even insult the name of God or try to interfere with His work.
But through Manmin, God the Father has shown His original nature. He revealed who He really is. First, He has been showing that He is the Creator through the signs, wonders, and powerful works. It was to fulfill 2 Corinthians 10:5, "We are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ," Moreover, to many people who misunderstand Him, God showed that He is love itself. He has also been showing us that there will be the judgment at the end of human history, as prophesied in the Bible. Namely He's shown He is the Judge.
In Sunday morning service and evening service today, we will look back into how God has been showing us the original nature of God this year. I hope you will remember the grace given at each moment and you will be overflowing with thanksgiving. Furthermore, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will be filled with hope and expectations for the coming year, thinking about the amazing ways that God will fulfill His providence for this church.
[Main]
Dear brothers and sisters,
In this year through Manmin, first of all, God showed that He is the Creator. He did it by showing us the signs, wonders, and powerful works.
The unbelievers have their theories about the beginning of the universe, the Earth, and mankind. Many people believe in the Big Bang Theory and Darwinism, but they are only theories. But the Bible clearly addresses the beginnings of this world. Genesis 1:1 says, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
If their heart is good even to a minimal degree, people can't say that they don't know God. Romans 1:20 says, "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse." Just by seeing the common facial structure that all men and all animals have, we can understand that the world was designed and created by one God.
This year, many of you saw my image in clouds, petals of flowers, lamps, or in the pupil of the eyes and many photos were taken. Many of you also testified that you saw the image of the Lord and me in the moon and you were so amazed. Such things can be done only by God the Creator who created the sun and moon, sky and clouds, and the flowers and trees. You can believe in God the Creator through such spiritual experiences.
But it's a different story for the unbelievers. Many of them can't believe in God the Creator because they get stuck in their own knowledge and theories, namely their human limitations. So, God sent prophets, Jesus, and the apostles at a specific point in human history, and they manifested the amazing power that can be done only by God.
Especially, in this end time, we are in need of ministry of power more than any other time. That is why He established this church. In this church, there were works of God's power taking place right from the opening.
But for men of flesh, even though they see such amazing things, they just doubt them, or they forget them very quickly. For this reason, God has been showing increasingly more amazing works of power year after year. Now, He is often showing the level of power that Jesus performed, stepping over the level of power that can be manifested by men, even the prophets and apostles.
Who is this Jesus? John 1:3 says, "All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being." He is the Creator. As Philippians 2:6 says, He is in very nature God. So, during His ministry on this earth, He manifested amazing things that only God the Creator can do.
Genesis 1:3 says, "Then God said, "Let there be light"; and there was light." In the same way, what Jesus commanded was also done as He had spoken. When He commanded the deaf and mute person, "open", his ears opened and his tongue loosed, and he began to speak. When He commanded the blind to see, the blind were able to see. When He commanded a paralyzed man to get up, he got up and walked. He brought the dead back to life and calmed the wind and waves just by commanding. Just by commanding with His words, a sick person who was at a distance was healed and the demon went out from him. Just as all things were created by the word of God, all things obeyed the words of Jesus.
Brothers and sisters, do you think only the people at the time of Jesus saw such miracles? No, you have also seen them. Just in this year alone, how greatly was the power of re-creation unveiled? Which of those works do you remember the most? Was it about the bringing down sweet rain in the lands where they had severe drought?
The great prophet Elijah received the answer of rain after praying seven times with pains likened to his intestines being torn. But in this church, just by offering a short prayer once, it rained the next day, or even on the same day. On the other hand, through one prayer, the rain stopped in places where they were suffering from great flooding. Whenever I prayed for a believer who runs a ferry company in the east sea, the high waves also calmed down immediately. The extreme hot weather in summer succumbed before prayer and the heavenly breezes and clouds controlled the temperature and humidity.
Wherever Manmin's members were, the typhoons and hurricanes moved away from them. The typhoon that was projected to affect our summer retreat location suddenly changed its course and went away through one prayer. But then, the east sea was still under its influence, and we have a ferry company owner who operates there, so I prayed once again. Then, the typhoon moved again about 100km further away toward east. But this typhoon could now impact Japan, so I prayed once again for our believers in Japan to safely come to the summer retreat. Then the power of the typhoon was weakened to a great degree.
What happened to a category 5 storm, the strongest level category for a hurricane? Hurricane Irma devastated the Caribbean islands and it was rushing toward eastern Florida, where we have Manmin members. And when I prayed, it changed its course as I prayed; it weakened, and soon died out. With the Power of Re-creation, the magnitude or the size of the problem doesn't matter.
It does not only drive away hurricanes. The fine dust situation that couldn't be solved by any science or technology was resolved by the proclamation of faith and prayers. The Power of Re-creation caused unexpected winds that cleaned the sky completely. We were able to see the clear blue sky for quite a while afterwards, and your hearts also felt clean and purified.
Brothers and sisters,
The Power of Re-creation was unfolded not just in South Korea but also all over the world, transcending time and space. Through such works, the Manmin members all around the world could be united. Also, many pastors and believers came to know about Manmin and meet God through crusades with powerful handkerchiefs, GCN TV, literary media publications, WCDN conferences, and the Manmin International Seminary. The diseases were healed and life problems were resolved. Hearts were filled with hope of the kingdom of heaven.
For this reason, and because they love this church and me so much that many people from other parts of the world visited us on my birthday, for the summer retreat, and the church anniversary. It's like seeing the fulfillment of Isaiah 60:4 which says, "Lift up your eyes round about and see; they all gather together, they come to you. Your sons will come from afar, and your daughters will be carried in the arms."
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
When God created heavens and earth and all things in them, what did He care about the most? As you know very well, it was human beings. Other than men, God created everything by His Word, but He molded men with His own hands and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. The first man Adam did not experience aging, sickness, or infirmities, because he was created in God's image.
But as he committed a sin and was cursed, men began to experience infirmity and illness. Some of you also suffered from infirmities and diseases. But amazingly, by the prayer of God's power many people were healed of the diseases that couldn't be treated with medicine.
Such testimonies are always present in this church. Just in this year, many people testified saying, "I was diagnosed with last stage cancer but all cancers were gone after receiving prayer!" "My sight has gotten so much better that I don't need eye glasses any longer." "The broken and shattered bones caused by an accident returned to their right places and were bonded together by receiving prayer." "I had no chance of survival after a serious brain injury but through prayer, I recovered fully." "I had a heart-attack on the street and fell into a coma, but I became even healthier than before after receiving prayer." "I reached the threshold of death due to acute heart-failure at the age of 19, but after receiving prayer, I became normal." "I had a sudden difficulty in breathing and almost died, but I returned to normal life after being prayed on." These healing testimonies could keep going on all night long and still they wouldn't come to an end.
What is the reason that so many of you believers in this church are healed of not just minor illnesses but also serious diseases? It's because God the Creator is alive and at work. It is He who created the eyes, nose, mouth, and all internal organs, bones, joints, nerves and tissues of men. Unlike idols that can neither blink nor breathe, it is the One and only God who gives life to men, and He controls that life, and He is at work in this church.
When men make some things and they are broken, the one who made it can fix it the best. Likewise, God the Creator can heal the sick body of men better than anybody else. God is our Creator. Also, He is full of goodness and love.
In this past summer retreat, do you remember the many deaf and mute believers who came from many countries and gave their testimonies of their ears being opened? We cannot possibly fathom how earnestly they asked the Father God with the desire to be able to hear. But our God knew it so very well. Psalm 94:9 says, "He who planted the ear, does He not hear?" As said, as the One who created our ears, He is the only one who can heal our ears. Also, He is full of compassion. He is God of love who hears the prayers of His children and answers them.
About this nature of God's love, I will talk to you about it in the evening service.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters,
In this year, God has shown us so many works of re-creation that it's difficult to count them all. When God was inflicting the Ten Plagues upon Egypt, the Egyptian magicians somehow imitated the plagues up to the third one. But from the 4th plague, which was to turn the dust into gnats, they couldn't imitate it. It means they couldn't show any work of creation. So the magicians said to the Pharaoh that it was the power of God.
When Elijah brought down fire from heaven in front of 850 priests of idol gods and so many people, they fell to the ground and said, "The LORD, He is God; the LORD, He is God." Recently contents of driving away Hurricane Irma was posted in the Washington Post, a very prominent newspaper company in the world.
What kinds of expectations do you have for the next year regarding powerful works? Through the ministry of you who are called to this church, even those who used to stand against God would profess that God the Creator is alive and at work today, I pray this in the name of the Lord who is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow. |
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