Elder Sangbaek Lee (aged 55, 2-11 Parish in South Korea)

From left, Elder Sangbaek Lee, Seminary Student Jieun Lee, Sister Yeeun Lee, and his wife Deaconess Myungsun Kim having happy time in the Lord.


On July 24, 1998, I attended Friday All-night service of Manmin Central Church for the first time. At that time, my family went to another church, but my wife was guided to Manmin by an acquaintance and she had received great grace in the Friday All-night Service. I desired to go to the church, too. Just as she said, the church was filled with the Holy Spirit all the time. Since I liked to sing praises, I felt happy as though I were in Heaven while listening to the choir's anthem, watching special performances, and singing praises and praying in the second half.

During the first week of September in 1998, I registered in Manmin Central Church and my Christian life changed a lot. Through the messages on keeping the whole Sabbath and giving the whole tithes, I came to understand why my business went bankrupt twice during the IMF crisis. And I listened to Senior Pastor Dr. Jaerock Lee's sermon 'The Message of the Cross'. While listening to it, I came to know the love of God the Father, why Jesus is our only Savior, and the spiritual meanings of Jesus' crucifixion and passion. It led me to have true faith.

In 2012, my workplace was in financial difficulties due to recession. At that time, I learned that my company had a deficit as much as my annual income. So I told the owner to hire another person whose annual salary was less than me. By the time, an elder in my church prepared for opening an insurance company and asked me to work together with him. So I retired from my job.

In fact, I was a timid man, so it was not easy to introduce insurance products to strangers. I was in charge of sales by giving a briefing that is the most common way of sales, but I couldn't get any results. My company considered me and let me do the sales targeting CEOs. For me it was more comfortable and was enjoyable to me. I had been in charge of many fields of business including accounting, personnel management, and human resources. I counseled people and introduced our insurance products. However, contracts weren't made smoothly. Since my performance was bad for more than two years after starting to work as an insurance salesman, I spent all my savings and money from mortgage loan. I fell into a very difficult situation financially.

But I kept in my heart the Word, which reads in 3 John 1:2, "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers". And I was focused on making my soul prosper. I walked the right path, tried to pursue peace with my working partner, and threw away selfish motives and greed. When my performance was bad, I looked for my untruthful things and repented. I tried hard to live by the Word of God.

Moreover, I stopped making jokes that I had habitually made to accomplish a truthful heart. I prayed fervently to cast off sinful natures from my heart. I worshiped in spirit and truth during services and praised with my heart. Eventually, I achieved the beautiful heart of spirit on March 31 in 2014.

Until the last week of March, my performance was bad so I was thinking that I should move to another company that offers monthly base payment. But then contracts were made with firms that I had counseled in March so I made up my mind to try it again. In April, after I achieved the heart of spirit, God started to give me blessings in full scale. I had given 100 US dollars as a tithe but I came to give 1,000 US dollars. Hallelujah!

I used the same words in sales as those words that I had used previously, but the responses from the CEOs were very good. Moreover, they even introduced other CEOs to me. Seeing it, I became assured that I was under the guidance of God. When I held God's Word of promise in my heart, prayed, and acted upon it, God fulfilled it.

I am a member of Shalom Choir, a leader of Peniel Chorus, and a sub-district leader of my parish. My wife is a cell leader. My first daughter is a seminary student called by God and a member of Heavenly Voice Chorus of Performing Arts Committee. My second daughter is a member of Crystal Singers. I give all thanks and glory to God who blessed my family to stay healthy and lead happy Christian lives.