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 Sermon > Friday All-night Service |
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Title |
2016, the Year of Love |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Romans 13:10 |
Date |
2016-12-16 |
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Scripture
Romans 13:10
Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
tonight, we had happy Christmas Tree Light Ceremony. When we hear, "Merry Christmas," we feel warm and cozy even in the biting cold. It's because such is the love of the Lord who is the lord of Christmas.
Just as the white snow seems to blanket the frozen land, the love of the Lord embraces the sorrow of lives, and the wounds of the world. Just like the Christmas tree lights that shine even in the deep darkness of the night, the love of the Lord adds hope and joy to our lives, and helps us walk with confidence and sing joyful Christmas carols.
Tonight, instead of taking a rest or enjoying yourself in the world, you hurried to this temple of God. As you stay up all night, your heart is pounding with curiosity about the grace God may pour upon you, because the love of the Lord is all around you.
I pray in the name of Jesus Christ that, as you worship and sing praises before God, your heart may become full with abundant grace and emotion.
Dear brothers and sisters.
Romans 13:10 says, "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law." When people hear the word, 'the law,' they feel uneasy and easily reminded of punishment that they may receive by violating the law. But, Deuteronomy 10:13 says, "And what does the LORD ask of you. . . but to keep the LORD'S commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?" So, the purpose of the Law is for our happiness.
If you live by the law, you will live in the light. If you live in the light, the darkness cannot come to you; you can be free from diseases, poverty, and disasters, and you will enjoy God's protection and blessing, free. Those who understand this fundamental purpose of the law can understand the love of God, and thus it is not difficult to keep the law.
When you love someone, you want to cater to your loved one. You can eat the food your loved one likes, even if you used to dislike it. You are ready to make a big sacrifice if it can please your loved one. Love can drive away fear of death, and it can make you run with joy even along a thorny path.
God the Father showed this love to us before we did. He created mankind with love, and He has cultivated mankind on earth with love. He's been patient and He's endured the betrayal of Adam and evil deeds of his descendants. He's loved us until He eventually gave up His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to the cross.
Many people have ignored this love; many said they believed but later they betrayed it. But the Father has never stopped. He still has the door to salvation open, and gives chances for people to change. Until the last moment of the cultivation, He is showing unchanging love to them.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Many people have forsaken the love of God, but those who grabbed the love and put it into their heart were saved; they changed and they greatly glorified God. It was not hard or difficult for them to change. They were not forced to do their duty.
Apostle Paul made his confession in 2 Corinthians 5:13-14; "For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; if we are of sound mind, it is for you. For the love of Christ controls us..." Apostle Paul and his people committed themselves to the gospel to the point of looking as though they were completely beside themselves. Yet he said he couldn't but do what he was doing not by a man's might, but by the love of Christ that controlled him.
Furthermore, the prophets of the Old Testament were beaten and imprisoned facing the threat of death as they preached the gospel. But they couldn't stop what they were doing. Jeremiah explains the reason in Jeremiah 20:9; "But if I say, "I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name," Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am weary of holding it in, and I cannot endure it." That is, the heart of the Father was planted in his heart.
The heart of God for the Israelites that betrayed Him is written in Hosea 11:8, which says, "...My heart is turned over within Me, All My compassions are kindled." The kindled heart of the Father, the Father's mourning and love for souls was fully conveyed to the prophets, and their hearts were also kindled.
I myself can understand His heart. Although I'm too weak to stand or lie down and I am like melting candle droppings, the hope of my heart never gets blurred. I wish all the people of the world can feel the love of the Father and go to heaven. I wish all of you can be free from poverty, diseases, and disasters, and live everyday happy. It is because that is the love of God the Father and His earnest desire. The reason He's allowed me to pay the price of justice is that He desires for you to see, hear, and experience His love.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Have you been happy for all this year 2016? While I was paying the price of justice, the Father allowed the special moments of grace this year. The Lunar New Year day, my birthday, the feasts of spirit, the Leadership conference, the summer retreat, the anniversary; all these moments embodied the expression of the Father's love.
Each moment, you witnessed how I filled up the justice and how the power of re-creation grew stronger. The most outstanding work of the power in 2016 was the adjustment of temperature. Of course, we have always experienced various signs including temperature adjustment.
This year, however, I was in the course of training so that I could control all the fundamental weather environments, including temperature. A week prior to my birthday, it was 33~35 in Celsius in May, which was the hottest May in 84 years. As you can recall now, the weather on my birthday was pleasant enough to enjoy a party. After the days of scorching heat, the weather suddenly cooled down on my birthday, and you were in awe as you found yourselves in the midst of the Father's love
What about the feast of spirit? It was the feast not only for the invited people of spirit and of whole spirit, but for all Manmin members. At the festival of light that illustrated the 1st Heavenly Kingdom, not only those where were there, but also Manmin members who watched it on screen wished to enter spirit all the more.
Why did I make great efforts and hold the feast of spirit? By providing a space where the emotion of heaven could be felt, I wanted to praise those who have been faithful to come into spirit, and to give hope to all of you. In fact, I personally wished to have invited all of you, but I couldn't due to some restrictions.
Yet, this year, by exception, I invited students there. To invite them I had so many things to consider such as transportation, food, and restrooms. Nevertheless, after thinking long and thoroughly about it, I made a decision to help young students overcome the world and hope for heaven.
As a result, many students have changed. "I used to be scared when I heard about the 7 Year Tribulation, but I now wait for the 7 Year Wedding Banquet." "I could feel the love of the shepherd and of the Father deep in my heart." I heard such testimonies as these. "I will cast off the world." "I will study well. I will live a diligent Christian life." They made up their mind like this. Even though they were young students, when the love of the Father touched their hearts, they received strength.
The title of the Leadership Conference was the 'Depth of Love.' I explained to you how the love of the Father is in 7 levels. During the conference, I shed tears a lot. In a sense, it is not an easy job to overcome this rough world. Yet, you hope for heaven, love your shepherd, and try hard to follow me; you looked very precious and dear. And so, I clung to the Father all the more with tears so that He could forgive you even if you still fell short. So many of you shed tears together with me, felt the love of the Father, and got strength.
When we had the conference indoors for 2 days, the heavy rainfall cooled down the heat of July. On the 3rd day, it turned into a bright day. Weather forecasters said it would rain, and so the pool was not crowded. Our members could relax and enjoy the pool. Such delicate and tender care is the love of the Father.
In August, there was the Summer Retreat that all Manmin members world-wide had waited for. It was burning hot; the temperature in Seoul reached 35 in Celsius, and a nation-wide heatwave alert was issued. Before you headed to the place, however, I foretold you that the temperature would be adjusted to 24. In the morning of the 1st, it was 30 in Celsius, but do you know what the temperature was right before the message at 7 in the evening? It was 24.
On the 2nd day when it was a field-game day, an excessive heat warning was issued in the province. The government texted an urgent warning, "Avoid outdoor activity." In the Jumping Park, however, there was cool breeze, the sun was covered by clouds, and the temperature was 27-28 even at 1 in the afternoon. While we were enjoying the field-games in the fine weather, there was heavy rainfall in the neighboring area, which I showed to you later.
While you were enjoying the 3 days without caring about the heat, you didn't stop making confessions of happiness and joy. On the first day when I delivered the message, you were touched by the holy emotion as if you were in the mount of transfiguration with Jesus. During the divine healing meeting, along with many healing testimonies were the healing works of eyes. The joy of becoming united as one, and the clouds that covered the scorching sun during the field-game day, the tears and emotion during the campfire night ? all of these were the love of the Father. "I will go to New Jerusalem together with you for sure." You could make this confession from the depth of your heart.
What about the anniversary day? For days, the temperature dropped down to 17. On the anniversary day, however, the temperature was moderate enough (23.7 in Celsius) to enjoy lunch in the church yard. After the celebration event, you said that you felt the very emotion of the 7 Year Wedding Banquet and the feast of heaven.
As we have enjoyed these moments of grace to welcome Christmas soon. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the grace you received this year should not stop where you were happy to get healed, to receive answers, or to witness and experience the power of adjusting temperature. The reason God the Father poured the grace upon us is eventually that He wishes to express His love for us.
Some of you said that, even by seeing me shaking hands with tens of thousands of members on the Lunar New Year day, or on my birthday, they felt the love of the Father and were strengthened. What about the Leadership Conference? The shepherd didn't seem to be physically able to conduct the conference, but they saw the shepherd manage 5-6 hour conferences for 2 days. And they made up their mind by faith that they could do it and that they would begin again.
The healing works, the weather, the sacrifice of the shepherd; all these experiences became faith and strength to you, and you were encouraged to hope for heaven. They turned into a driving force to help you enjoy the cultivation on earth and run the race in the world.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
Have you been happy this year 2016? This year, this country and the whole world were so chaotic and corrupt. To Manmin members, however, the year 2016 was the year of love. God the Father and the Lord have been with us 24-7 for 365 days, and poured overflowing grace upon us. He has constantly given us opportunities so that you could hope for heaven more, change better and do better. He has blessed all of those who understood and longed for hope and be changed.
Now I introduce a testimony of a member who was healed in the summer retreat I conclude this message. So many members were healed of various diseases and infirmities, and yet this is the testimony of Deacon Ma Chang-ho of Chinese Parish, had his eye-sight healed. 3 years ago, his left eye sight was obscured, and he could see a horizontal black line in the middle. Due to this black line, his eye vision was reduced to two thirds. The examination revealed that his retina was torn and there was bleeding.
His eye sight dropped to 20/70, and he couldn't read books because both eyes couldn't focus. Following his wife's advice, he offered the whole tithes that he didn't give for the last 3 years prior to the summer retreat.
During the divine healing meeting, while singing songs of repentance, he couldn't stop shedding tears because he was sorry for the days he took in the world. While singing praises in tears, he was suddenly astonished. The black line in his left eye vision was gone, and thus the vision became clean. Soon, his eye sight was recovered to 20/20, and he has no problem in reading books.
After he was healed, he was interviewed. "I was short of many many things. I had so many negatives thoughts. 'I cannot do it.' After receiving the prayer, I was suddenly able to see. I said to myself, "Even a person like me can change. The Father recognizes me and helps me revive at all costs. My shepherd hasn't given up on me." I just shed tears. Shepherd, thank you for praying for a low man like me. I will surely renew myself."
The confession is the same for young students, the adults, and the elderly who experienced the power. They receive the grace and confess that they can do it thanks to the love of the Father, and that they will surely change and go to New Jerusalem. This is how God the Father cultivates you. He lets you see, hear, and experience the love of the Father who loves even a person like you till the end. This is how God the Father gives you chances, grace, and strength so that you can complete the law.
In this December, I hope you can engrave the love you have received for this year all the more deeply. May you march on toward whole spirit all the more vigorously in the space of love of God the Father again in the upcoming new year, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray. |
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