9/24/2013
Creator of Eternal life God AhnSahngHong: What is the worthy more than jewels? [ Christ Ahns...
Creator of Eternal life God AhnSahngHong: What is the worthy more than jewels? [ Christ Ahns...: God said " the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. " (Matthew 13:44 ~ 46) And to get the treasures buy that fie...
Gracious and Touching Words
As the proverb says, "Nice words for nice words," we surely need to use correct and gentle words in order not to hear harsh words from others, and get along well with other people in our daily life.
It is said that God created us with two ears and only one mouth so that we should listen twice as much as we speak. In many parts of the Bible, God has given us teachings about how to speak.
Now we need to take off our old self that pursued worldly desires and insisted on our own opinions, and should change into God''s beautiful children whom our Heavenly Father and Mother want us to be, following Their teachings. While praying a lot, we must resemble God''s nature that is generous, merciful and gentle, so that we can lead many people around us to salvation as wise children of God.
Lay aside all malice and speak what is good and helpful
Those who live according to the flesh are often likely to get into an argument or quarrel at the end of their talk. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that we should speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs; for we come to commit wrong if we do not keep a tight rein on our tongues.
Eph 4:26-32 『"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.』
In our daily life, sometimes we may get angry. However, we should not hold on to our anger but release it as soon as possible, so we can say what is helpful without letting unwholesome words come out of our mouths. If we have malice, we cannot say what benefits those who listen.
If we want to say what is good for edification and what gives grace to those who hear, we need to have a kind, compassionate and forgiving heart like that of God. It is God''s will that we, children of God, should put away all malice and possess the mind of Christ who is good and merciful. God''s people, who have received the good news and been taught by God, must be different from the people of the world.
We are now changing into new creatures by putting the teachings of Heavenly Father and Mother into practice. So, we must follow the will of God with all our heart. God earnestly wants His children not to say any unwholesome word, but only what is good and helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that we do not commit sin again.
Col 4:2-6 『 . . . And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.』
Just as we season a dish with a proper amount of salt to make it more delicious, we should let our conversation be full of grace and wisdom, in order to maintain good relationships with people around us.
On the big national holidays when every family comes together, we often see an arguement or quarrel occur among the family members due to an unwholesome talk, which destroys the festive atmosphere. Most people who do not have hope for heaven usually talk about worldly things. So, during conversation, if one of the family members utters some offensive or boastful words by comparing himself or herself with others, the rest feel bad and it causes trouble among them. On the contrary, the members of Zion only speak beautiful and humble words to their family members when they visit their hometown on the holidays. There are many cases where the members have led their family to God by touching their hearts through gracious words. When we follow the teachings of God in faith, God even saves our family and relatives.
Those who reap eternal life from the Spirit
Gal 6:6-10 『Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.』
Since it is written, "A man reaps what he sows," if we sow evil words, we will reap evil fruit; and if we sow good words, we will reap good fruit. It is the same when we meet our family, relatives and neighbors. If we sow what is physical in their hearts, from it we will reap a perishable fruit; and if we sow the Spirit in the fields of their hearts with earnest prayers for their salvation, from it we will reap the fruits of eternal life and everlasting joy and pleasure.
Keeping in mind the words, "A man reaps what he sows," we should speak what is good and helpful whenever we meet our family and neighbors; particularly, we should tell them the word of life from God. Some may not receive the word of life right away, but if we do not give up on them but continue to tell them the good news, the seed of God''s word will take root and grow in their hearts, and there will be time for us to harvest.
Jn 12:48-50 『"There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."』
Let us boldly speak what God has told us. God has commanded us to hear the word He speaks and give people warning from Him, and has given us the opportunities to receive His blessings. "Save souls through the words full of grace, seasoned with salt!" Believing that this command of God leads to eternal life, we should make every effort to lead many souls to repentance, so that we may offer the fruits of gratitude and joy to God.
Those who reap destruction from their sinful nature
When we preach the word of God, we sometimes hear people speak to us arrogantly with contempt. Nevertheless, we should not respond to them using harsh words. Even if people say evil words against us, we should have a broad mind to understand them and bear the situation.
Going one step forward, we should tell them the good news of salvation and eternal life with touching and gracious words. When they speak evil words against us, if we respond to them with harsh words, it doesn''t please God. Those who sow ungodly acts and impetuous words will receive eternal punishment from God.
Jude 1:14-16 『 . . . "See, the LORD is coming . . . to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage."』
1 Ti 5:13-15 『Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to . . . Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.』
In the Early Church, too, there were some people who got into the habit of being idle and learned to be gossips and busybodies, saying things they should not. The Bible says that such people finally turn away to follow Satan. So, we should be more careful with our words. It is also written that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Mt 12:36-37).
As we see in the Bible, if a man gets angry, out of his mouth comes words unwholesome, ungracious and unworthy in the sight of God. It is because the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart (Mt 12:34). In the desert history of the Israelites, too, the people who spoke words of complaint were all destroyed.
Before we say something, let''s think more than three times whether what we are about to say is "what we can say" or "what we ought not to." Our seniors who lived before us say this is the wisdom of life. We''d better not say "what we ought not to." There is a warning that those who speak what they ought not to will lose the truth of God in the end.
1 Ti 6:3-5 『If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our LORD Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.』
The instructions about speaking are also part of the godly teaching which Christ has given us. If we ignore Christ''s teaching that we should use good and gracious words, and do not strive to put it into practice, we will eventually be robbed of the truth and enter into eternal destruction.
A man reaps what he sows
We, the people of Zion, are still not perfect and stumble in many ways, so we often happen to offend our brothers and sisters with our words. We should hold on to the teachings of God all the more and prevent such an ungracious thing from occurring.
Jas 3:2-6 『We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.』
Just as a small spark can burn down a whole house or a great forest, a small word can bring about unfortunate results for people around us. So, God warns us that the tongue is a fire.
Since it is written, "A man reaps what he sows," if we sow evil words, we will end up with evil and ungracious results; however, if we sow God''s word, the kingdom of heaven and the love that God has taught us, we will reap eternal salvation and the fruit of life abundantly.
Let''s boldly tell the good news of salvation with love and emotions. By doing so, let us lead our loving parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and neighbors to the way of salvation. If the realm of God is realized in each family, the kingdom will come much sooner.
We should become the salt and light of the world by practicing good deeds as God has taught us. Let''s display the glory of God by changing beautifully through the teachings of Father and Mother, so that all the people around us will be moved by the Holy Spirit.
In our everyday lives, we should always renew and confirm our commitment to never let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only good and beautiful words that give grace to those who hear. Even though we have not completely taken off our sinful nature yet, from now on let us live a life worthy of God''s children, full of grace, always speaking beautiful words and doing good deeds.
It is said that God created us with two ears and only one mouth so that we should listen twice as much as we speak. In many parts of the Bible, God has given us teachings about how to speak.
Now we need to take off our old self that pursued worldly desires and insisted on our own opinions, and should change into God''s beautiful children whom our Heavenly Father and Mother want us to be, following Their teachings. While praying a lot, we must resemble God''s nature that is generous, merciful and gentle, so that we can lead many people around us to salvation as wise children of God.
Lay aside all malice and speak what is good and helpful
Those who live according to the flesh are often likely to get into an argument or quarrel at the end of their talk. The Bible repeatedly emphasizes that we should speak only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs; for we come to commit wrong if we do not keep a tight rein on our tongues.
Eph 4:26-32 『"In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.』
In our daily life, sometimes we may get angry. However, we should not hold on to our anger but release it as soon as possible, so we can say what is helpful without letting unwholesome words come out of our mouths. If we have malice, we cannot say what benefits those who listen.
If we want to say what is good for edification and what gives grace to those who hear, we need to have a kind, compassionate and forgiving heart like that of God. It is God''s will that we, children of God, should put away all malice and possess the mind of Christ who is good and merciful. God''s people, who have received the good news and been taught by God, must be different from the people of the world.
We are now changing into new creatures by putting the teachings of Heavenly Father and Mother into practice. So, we must follow the will of God with all our heart. God earnestly wants His children not to say any unwholesome word, but only what is good and helpful for building others up according to their needs, so that we do not commit sin again.
Col 4:2-6 『 . . . And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should. Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.』
Just as we season a dish with a proper amount of salt to make it more delicious, we should let our conversation be full of grace and wisdom, in order to maintain good relationships with people around us.
On the big national holidays when every family comes together, we often see an arguement or quarrel occur among the family members due to an unwholesome talk, which destroys the festive atmosphere. Most people who do not have hope for heaven usually talk about worldly things. So, during conversation, if one of the family members utters some offensive or boastful words by comparing himself or herself with others, the rest feel bad and it causes trouble among them. On the contrary, the members of Zion only speak beautiful and humble words to their family members when they visit their hometown on the holidays. There are many cases where the members have led their family to God by touching their hearts through gracious words. When we follow the teachings of God in faith, God even saves our family and relatives.
Those who reap eternal life from the Spirit
Gal 6:6-10 『Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore,
as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.』
Since it is written, "A man reaps what he sows," if we sow evil words, we will reap evil fruit; and if we sow good words, we will reap good fruit. It is the same when we meet our family, relatives and neighbors. If we sow what is physical in their hearts, from it we will reap a perishable fruit; and if we sow the Spirit in the fields of their hearts with earnest prayers for their salvation, from it we will reap the fruits of eternal life and everlasting joy and pleasure.
Keeping in mind the words, "A man reaps what he sows," we should speak what is good and helpful whenever we meet our family and neighbors; particularly, we should tell them the word of life from God. Some may not receive the word of life right away, but if we do not give up on them but continue to tell them the good news, the seed of God''s word will take root and grow in their hearts, and there will be time for us to harvest.
Jn 12:48-50 『"There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say."』
Let us boldly speak what God has told us. God has commanded us to hear the word He speaks and give people warning from Him, and has given us the opportunities to receive His blessings. "Save souls through the words full of grace, seasoned with salt!" Believing that this command of God leads to eternal life, we should make every effort to lead many souls to repentance, so that we may offer the fruits of gratitude and joy to God.
Those who reap destruction from their sinful nature
When we preach the word of God, we sometimes hear people speak to us arrogantly with contempt. Nevertheless, we should not respond to them using harsh words. Even if people say evil words against us, we should have a broad mind to understand them and bear the situation.
Going one step forward, we should tell them the good news of salvation and eternal life with touching and gracious words. When they speak evil words against us, if we respond to them with harsh words, it doesn''t please God. Those who sow ungodly acts and impetuous words will receive eternal punishment from God.
Jude 1:14-16 『 . . . "See, the LORD is coming . . . to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage."』
1 Ti 5:13-15 『Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to . . . Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.』
In the Early Church, too, there were some people who got into the habit of being idle and learned to be gossips and busybodies, saying things they should not. The Bible says that such people finally turn away to follow Satan. So, we should be more careful with our words. It is also written that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken (Mt 12:36-37).
As we see in the Bible, if a man gets angry, out of his mouth comes words unwholesome, ungracious and unworthy in the sight of God. It is because the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart (Mt 12:34). In the desert history of the Israelites, too, the people who spoke words of complaint were all destroyed.
Before we say something, let''s think more than three times whether what we are about to say is "what we can say" or "what we ought not to." Our seniors who lived before us say this is the wisdom of life. We''d better not say "what we ought not to." There is a warning that those who speak what they ought not to will lose the truth of God in the end.
1 Ti 6:3-5 『If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our LORD Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, he is conceited and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy interest in controversies and quarrels about words that result in envy, strife, malicious talk, evil suspicions and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain.』
The instructions about speaking are also part of the godly teaching which Christ has given us. If we ignore Christ''s teaching that we should use good and gracious words, and do not strive to put it into practice, we will eventually be robbed of the truth and enter into eternal destruction.
A man reaps what he sows
We, the people of Zion, are still not perfect and stumble in many ways, so we often happen to offend our brothers and sisters with our words. We should hold on to the teachings of God all the more and prevent such an ungracious thing from occurring.
Jas 3:2-6 『We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to keep his whole body in check. When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.』
Just as a small spark can burn down a whole house or a great forest, a small word can bring about unfortunate results for people around us. So, God warns us that the tongue is a fire.
Since it is written, "A man reaps what he sows," if we sow evil words, we will end up with evil and ungracious results; however, if we sow God''s word, the kingdom of heaven and the love that God has taught us, we will reap eternal salvation and the fruit of life abundantly.
Let''s boldly tell the good news of salvation with love and emotions. By doing so, let us lead our loving parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and neighbors to the way of salvation. If the realm of God is realized in each family, the kingdom will come much sooner.
We should become the salt and light of the world by practicing good deeds as God has taught us. Let''s display the glory of God by changing beautifully through the teachings of Father and Mother, so that all the people around us will be moved by the Holy Spirit.
In our everyday lives, we should always renew and confirm our commitment to never let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only good and beautiful words that give grace to those who hear. Even though we have not completely taken off our sinful nature yet, from now on let us live a life worthy of God''s children, full of grace, always speaking beautiful words and doing good deeds.
The Passover and the Seal of God
Now, there are so many disasters everywhere in the world: wars between nations, ethnic conflicts, terrors, famines, earthquakes, and deadly cold or heat or flood caused by changes in weather patterns. Whenever such things occur, people tremble with fear, not knowing who or what they should set their hearts on.
The Bible already prophesied about the coming disasters and what people would do in the day of such disasters.
Am 9:2-9 "Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, ... Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, ... Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, ... "
As described in the above prophecy, people desperately try to hide themselves anywhere, because they come to face terrible disasters which men cannot endure. The above prophecy is not about what happened in the days of Amos the prophet about 2,800 years ago, but what will occur in the great and dreadful day of the LORD, at the Last Judgment.
Men cannot escape the last plagues by their own methods
Modern people, who live in the age of the high-tech science, feel fear about the coming disasters and the end of mankind, and they try to find various ways to escape from the disasters. They make every effort to find refuge underground or at the bottom of the sea or on a planet outside the earth so that they may escape the threat of nuclear weapons capable of annihilating all life on earth many times over. An atomic submarine for hiding themselves at the bottom of the sea, a spaceship for climbing up to the heavens, ... , such various methods are being discussed. According to a press report, America has constructed a large bunker beneath the White House at Mount Weather; and there is said to be ninety-nine underground cities in various places, as a provision for emergency.
However, the Bible clearly says that even by using the modern scientific methods, no one can escape God's fierce anger. It also says that the last disaster will come upon all the earth, not just upon parts of it.
Lk 21:35 "For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. "
Isa 24:3-13 "The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. ... So will it be on the earth and among the nations, ... "
Now, let's see how the disaster comes upon every nation all over the world.
2 Pe 3:7-10 "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. ... But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."
The Bible says that God will use fire for His judgment. So the disaster, which will come upon the whole world, is fire. When the day comes, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and all things will be burnt up and melt in the heat. The day will be a day of distress; even the warriors will tremble with fear and cry out bitterly.
However, God has prepared a way to escape the disaster when such dreadful day comes. He has made the way-the good news of salvation-known to us. We can get it only through the Bible, not through any high-tech equipment developed by scientists.
Passover is the way to escape the disaster
Let's take a careful look at God's word of promise to let us escape any disaster.
Ex 12:11-14 "... it is the LORD's Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals ... The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. ... "
At the time of the Exodus, when the plague of destroying every firstborn was brought upon Egypt, no plague befell to the Israeli houses which kept the Passover. In other words, the plague passed over them. Thus, Passover (pascha in Greek, pesach in Hebrew) implies "Plagues pass over."
Such a history was written as a warning for us. Faithless Israel didn't believe in the power of the Passover. However, Judah regarded the Passover as important and celebrated it. Through the history of Israel and of Judah, we come to realize how truly important the Passover is.
Hezekiah king of Judah read all the words of the covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD when it was being repaired and restored. He realized the covenant of God and sent couriers to all Judah and Israel so that they might celebrate the Passover which had not been kept for a long time. When the couriers delivered the king's command to "come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover," Israel scorned and ridiculed them, and several years later it fell to Assyria (2 Ki 18:9-12). However, Judah celebrated the Passover holy and could repulse the attack of powerful Assyria with God's mighty power (2 Ch 30:1-27; 2 Ki 18:13-19:37).
In these last days, there are two groups of people: one group who will receive terrible plagues, and the other who will escape them with God's help.
Rev 7:1-4 "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth ... another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. ... "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
The only way to escape the last plagues is to receive the seal of God. Then, what is the seal of God? The Bible prophesies that the blood of the Passover lamb will be a sign for God's people so that they may escape the last plagues. In other words, the blood of the Passover lamb is 'the seal of God' through which God's people can be saved.
At the time of the Exodus, the Israelites could be saved from the terrible plague of destroying every firstborn, by putting the blood of a year-old Passover lamb on their door posts and eating the meat. The Passover lamb of the Old Testament represents Jesus.
1 Co 5:7-8 "... For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival,...
No one can escape the last plagues without 'the blood of Jesus Christ' who is the Passover Lamb.
When the angels, who are given power to harm, let go of their hold on the wind [war], the terrible disasters [the last plagues] will come upon this earth (Rev 7:1-3). To make the last plagues pass over His people, God places His 'seal' on His children's foreheads. The 'seal of God' is the seal of salvation through which God's people can escape the disasters.
Eze 9:4-6 "and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. ... Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple."
Whom did God order the destroying angels to begin with? He told them to begin with the elders [leaders] of the false churches, who do not have the mark-the seal of God, the blood of the Passover Lamb-on their foreheads.
Considering the prophecies of the Bible, we are now living in the days of the last plagues. God is awakening us, His children, to the fact that we can escape the plagues only through the 'seal of God.' He shows us that His sealing work will arise from the east and spread to the west.
Rev 7:2 "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God."
When Apostle John received the revelation on the island of Patmos, he saw an angel ascending from the rising of the sun. This implies that God's sealing work is to begin in the east.
God seals us as His own children
When we celebrate the Passover, God abides in us, and we in Him (Jn 6:56; 15:4-8). As we dwell in God, we belong to Him.
2 Co 1:21-22 "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He ... set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
God has set His seal on us to be marked as 'His own.' Let's see what blessings God gives us, His own.
Isa 43:1-3 "O Jacob, ... : "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. ... When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. ... "
God has made us His own by putting His seal on us through the Passover. He has firmly promised to protect us from any destructive disasters. God is now calling His children, living in the days of disasters, to celebrate the Passover and escape the last plagues.
Before the angels, who are holding back the four winds, let go of their hold, we should preach the Passover of the new covenant-the seal of God-to the whole world, as the couriers of the good news of salvation.
Brothers and sisters in Zion! Let's give thanks to God for making us His very own, His treasured possession. We must all take part in God's salvation work in this age.
The Bible already prophesied about the coming disasters and what people would do in the day of such disasters.
Am 9:2-9 "Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, ... Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, ... Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, ... "
As described in the above prophecy, people desperately try to hide themselves anywhere, because they come to face terrible disasters which men cannot endure. The above prophecy is not about what happened in the days of Amos the prophet about 2,800 years ago, but what will occur in the great and dreadful day of the LORD, at the Last Judgment.
Men cannot escape the last plagues by their own methods
Modern people, who live in the age of the high-tech science, feel fear about the coming disasters and the end of mankind, and they try to find various ways to escape from the disasters. They make every effort to find refuge underground or at the bottom of the sea or on a planet outside the earth so that they may escape the threat of nuclear weapons capable of annihilating all life on earth many times over. An atomic submarine for hiding themselves at the bottom of the sea, a spaceship for climbing up to the heavens, ... , such various methods are being discussed. According to a press report, America has constructed a large bunker beneath the White House at Mount Weather; and there is said to be ninety-nine underground cities in various places, as a provision for emergency.
However, the Bible clearly says that even by using the modern scientific methods, no one can escape God's fierce anger. It also says that the last disaster will come upon all the earth, not just upon parts of it.
Lk 21:35 "For it will come upon all those who live on the face of the whole earth. "
Isa 24:3-13 "The earth will be completely laid waste and totally plundered. ... So will it be on the earth and among the nations, ... "
Now, let's see how the disaster comes upon every nation all over the world.
2 Pe 3:7-10 "By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. ... But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare."
The Bible says that God will use fire for His judgment. So the disaster, which will come upon the whole world, is fire. When the day comes, the heavens will be destroyed by fire and all things will be burnt up and melt in the heat. The day will be a day of distress; even the warriors will tremble with fear and cry out bitterly.
However, God has prepared a way to escape the disaster when such dreadful day comes. He has made the way-the good news of salvation-known to us. We can get it only through the Bible, not through any high-tech equipment developed by scientists.
Passover is the way to escape the disaster
Let's take a careful look at God's word of promise to let us escape any disaster.
Ex 12:11-14 "... it is the LORD's Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn-both men and animals ... The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. ... "
At the time of the Exodus, when the plague of destroying every firstborn was brought upon Egypt, no plague befell to the Israeli houses which kept the Passover. In other words, the plague passed over them. Thus, Passover (pascha in Greek, pesach in Hebrew) implies "Plagues pass over."
Such a history was written as a warning for us. Faithless Israel didn't believe in the power of the Passover. However, Judah regarded the Passover as important and celebrated it. Through the history of Israel and of Judah, we come to realize how truly important the Passover is.
Hezekiah king of Judah read all the words of the covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD when it was being repaired and restored. He realized the covenant of God and sent couriers to all Judah and Israel so that they might celebrate the Passover which had not been kept for a long time. When the couriers delivered the king's command to "come up to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover," Israel scorned and ridiculed them, and several years later it fell to Assyria (2 Ki 18:9-12). However, Judah celebrated the Passover holy and could repulse the attack of powerful Assyria with God's mighty power (2 Ch 30:1-27; 2 Ki 18:13-19:37).
In these last days, there are two groups of people: one group who will receive terrible plagues, and the other who will escape them with God's help.
Rev 7:1-4 "After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth ... another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. ... "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
The only way to escape the last plagues is to receive the seal of God. Then, what is the seal of God? The Bible prophesies that the blood of the Passover lamb will be a sign for God's people so that they may escape the last plagues. In other words, the blood of the Passover lamb is 'the seal of God' through which God's people can be saved.
At the time of the Exodus, the Israelites could be saved from the terrible plague of destroying every firstborn, by putting the blood of a year-old Passover lamb on their door posts and eating the meat. The Passover lamb of the Old Testament represents Jesus.
1 Co 5:7-8 "... For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival,...
No one can escape the last plagues without 'the blood of Jesus Christ' who is the Passover Lamb.
When the angels, who are given power to harm, let go of their hold on the wind [war], the terrible disasters [the last plagues] will come upon this earth (Rev 7:1-3). To make the last plagues pass over His people, God places His 'seal' on His children's foreheads. The 'seal of God' is the seal of salvation through which God's people can escape the disasters.
Eze 9:4-6 "and said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. ... Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple."
Whom did God order the destroying angels to begin with? He told them to begin with the elders [leaders] of the false churches, who do not have the mark-the seal of God, the blood of the Passover Lamb-on their foreheads.
Considering the prophecies of the Bible, we are now living in the days of the last plagues. God is awakening us, His children, to the fact that we can escape the plagues only through the 'seal of God.' He shows us that His sealing work will arise from the east and spread to the west.
Rev 7:2 "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God."
When Apostle John received the revelation on the island of Patmos, he saw an angel ascending from the rising of the sun. This implies that God's sealing work is to begin in the east.
God seals us as His own children
When we celebrate the Passover, God abides in us, and we in Him (Jn 6:56; 15:4-8). As we dwell in God, we belong to Him.
2 Co 1:21-22 "Now it is God who makes both us and you stand firm in Christ. He ... set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come."
God has set His seal on us to be marked as 'His own.' Let's see what blessings God gives us, His own.
Isa 43:1-3 "O Jacob, ... : "Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. ... When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. ... "
God has made us His own by putting His seal on us through the Passover. He has firmly promised to protect us from any destructive disasters. God is now calling His children, living in the days of disasters, to celebrate the Passover and escape the last plagues.
Before the angels, who are holding back the four winds, let go of their hold, we should preach the Passover of the new covenant-the seal of God-to the whole world, as the couriers of the good news of salvation.
Brothers and sisters in Zion! Let's give thanks to God for making us His very own, His treasured possession. We must all take part in God's salvation work in this age.
9/10/2013
The Meaning of the Sacrifice of the Passover
As the Bible says that faith is being sure of what we hope for, the people of Zion believe firmly in the prophecy and earnestly hope for the kingdom of God, and they are preaching the glory of Mother throughout the whole world. As a result, many souls are now coming back to Zion.
If we are proud of our Father and Mother and display Their glory, They will greatly bless us and allow us to achieve wonderful results. Now, let's take some time to think about the meaning of the sacrifice of the Passover and the flesh and blood of God given to us.
A mother saved her child with her own blood
There was a great earthquake in Russia, and a whole town was laid in ruins. At that time, a mother and her baby were buried alive under the rubble for several days. The mother lost consciousness when the building collapsed. At the cry of her baby, she barely recovered consciousness. Then she found out that the whole town had become a town of death and that she and her baby were buried under the ruins caused by the earthquake. She tried to breast-feed her crying baby, but the milk didn't come out well because she hadn't eaten or drunk anything, not even a sip of water, for several days. It was obvious that if they were not rescued, they would lose their lives.
The mother decided to do something extreme in order to keep her baby alive until a rescue squad arrived. She took a sharp stone, cut off part of her finger and let her baby drink the blood dripping from her finger.
After a while, a relief squad arrived to save the mother and her baby. Unfortunately, the mother had already died, but her baby who was sucking her finger was still alive and was safely rescued.
To save her baby, the mother tore her own flesh and let her child drink the blood flowing from it. It was an act of her extreme love to save her child.
Through this real story, we come to understand God's love for us. Like the mother, God gave us, who were destined to die, His flesh to eat and His blood to drink in order to grant us the forgiveness of sins and lead us to eternal life and salvation. Whenever we eat the Passover bread representing Christ's flesh and drink the Passover wine symbolizing His blood, we should not only rejoice in having eternal life but remember the holy love of our Father and Mother who saved our lives.
Passover, the love of God who gave His children His own flesh and blood
The child in the above story was drinking the blood dripping from his mother's finger, which was cut off, to satisfy his hunger. He was completely unaware of the fact that it was the blood of his mother who sacrificed her own life to save him. If we were previously just like this child, we should now think of God's love and sacrifice contained in the Passover.
Jn 6:53-57 『Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me."』
God has made a precious promise to mankind that whoever eats Jesus' flesh and drinks His blood will have eternal life, while the person who does not eat His flesh or drink His blood has no life in him. To save us His children, who were sinners from heaven, God didn't even hesitate to die for us on the cross. Through the sacrifice of God, we have received salvation and eternal life.
Just as the mother saved her child with the blood flowing from her finger at the critical moment, our Father and Mother gave Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink in order to save us. They willingly gave us Themselves for Their children since it was the only way to save the sinners who were destined to die eternally.
Mt 26:17-19, 26-28 『". . . The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you." This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."』
The Passover bread and wine are given to mankind as the symbols of Christ's flesh and blood, having the promise of eternal life. It is God's sacrifice and love that we can ultimately discover through the Passover.
We are happy that we have eternal life by keeping the covenant of God, but we feel so sorry towards Father and Mother because They have sacrificed Themselves to give us eternal life. It is not God's will just to feel sorry or guilty. First, we should keep in mind how much our Father and Mother have suffered to save us and always give thanks to Them for Their grace. And we should willingly give ourselves to saving the whole world, just as our Father and Mother gave Themselves up for our salvation, so that we will enhance the value of the holy sacrifice of Father and Mother.
"Do this in remembrance of me"
The Passover is a feast that every member of the heavenly family must keep. The Apostle Paul emphasized that we should remember and celebrate the Passover and also proclaim it until Christ comes again.
1 Co 11:23-26 『For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.』
Christ wanted His children to remember the sacrifice of Father and Mother whenever they eat the Passover bread and drink the Passover wine; and before His ascension, He told them to proclaim His death by doing that until He comes. Through the Passover of the new covenant, we can discover God's infinite love for us and His great sacrifice that He has made to save us for 6,000 years. So, Jesus said that the Passover was the new covenant (Lk 22:20), and the Bible states that through the new covenant we have become God's heirs who will inherit the kingdom of God. Only those who understand the holy sacrifice and love of Father and Mother are worthy to be Their children and inherit the kingdom of heaven.
This beautiful story of the new covenant is ours alone, so not everyone can share it. There is no Passover in spiritual Babylon because the story of the Passover is not theirs. They abolished the Passover because it was a meaningless day for them. The Passover is the everlasting covenant established by God and a day to commemorate the sacrifice of the heavenly Father and Mother for Their children's salvation. Nevertheless, they insist that there is no need to keep the Passover This is proof that they do not belong to the heavenly family.
However, it is a very important day for us, the heavenly family members. So in Zion we keep the Passover holy in remembrance of the love and sacrifice of our Father and Mother.
As God has loved us
God is love. Everything done by God, every purpose and will of God, has come through His love. The Passover is a feast that God has established through His love to give us life.
So, Jesus said at the Passover "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Just as the mother saved her child by shedding her own blood in the aforesaid true story, God saved us by tearing His flesh and shedding His blood. As God loved us, so we should love one another.
1 Jn 4:7-11 『Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him . . . Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.』
1 Jn 4:16-21 『And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him . . . If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.』
Love comes from God our Father and God our Mother. Everything done by God has come through His love. Since He loves us, He has been waiting for us to be purified like pure gold refined in a furnace and become worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven, sometimes using discipline to correct us, sometimes shedding tears for us, sometimes rejoicing, sometimes groaning, only caring for our future and worrying that we may give in to the temptations of the devil and lose the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, we also ought to love one another with the heart of God. If we do not love one another, it proves that we still understand only the literal meaning of the Passover viewing it merely as a ceremony of eating bread and drinking wine. In this situation God would say to us, "I gave you My own flesh and blood, so that you have gained life. Then, why can't you sacrifice for one another?"
Looking forward to the everlasting kingdom of heaven, we should faithfully follow the teachings of our Father and Mother. We should not grumble against each other or envy each other: If one achieves something, we need to share in his joy; if one faces difficulties, we need to encourage and comfort him. Without unity, the gospel work cannot be fulfilled. If we preach the gospel with the holy sacrifice and love that God has shown us, God's glorious work will be quickly accomplished.
Faith that acknowledges Father and Mother and boasts about Them
How can we not boast about God who has shown us the example of the holy sacrifice? Why are we hesitating to proclaim our Father and Mother who are so wonderful? We shall tell all the people of the earth about the gracious sacrifice and love of our Father and Mother and invite them to participate in the blood of Their sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and salvation.
We should proclaim more proudly our Father and Mother who have made us what we are today through Their love. We believe in Mother not just because the Bible testifies about Her, but because She is our heavenly Mother who gave us Her flesh to eat and Her blood to drink to save us from sin. That is why we long for Her love and sacrifice and follow Her wherever She goes, as Her children, isn't it?
If we, God's children, have understood the sacrifice of our Father and Mother, we shall boldly proclaim Their names throughout the world. We should preach Jerusalem Mother to all people around the world, so that they may repent of their sins and come back into the arms of Jerusalem Mother. This is most pleasing to our Father.
1 Jn 4:13-15 『. . . If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.』
About 2,000 years ago, God's people proved their faith in Jesus by acknowledging Him. In this age, however, we are required to have faith in the Spirit and the Bride and proclaim Them to all the people with gladness. Our Father and Mother willingly sacrificed Their lives for our salvation. Their children, who have understood Their sacrificial love for them, are now proudly telling the whole world about the goodness of Their Parents.
What if one is ashamed of his parents and tries to conceal things about them? They will not blame or punish him for that, but will feel sad. On the contrary, if a child is proud of his parents, saying, "My dad and mom are number one," how pleased will they be? Thinking about how our earthly parents feel, we can understand the heart of our heavenly Parents.
Now, God's children are proudly proclaiming the heavenly Father and Mother, and so many people around the world are coming to Zion to meet Father and Mother according to the prophecies. When we see this unparalleled amazing work of salvation occur every day, we feel that our heavenly Father opens all the doors for preaching, being pleased with our efforts.
God is love, so He has established the Passover of the new covenant to save His children. Now we celebrate the Passover every year; whenever we partake of the bread and wine, we should remember that the bread is God's flesh torn for us and the wine is His blood shed for us. Through the Passover let us engrave again in our hearts the sacrifice of our Father and Mother and give thanks to Them for Their grace; let's put the love of God into action and proclaim the glory of our Father and Mother.
We must not become the foolish ones who say, "Lord, Lord, open the door for us!" after the door is shut. I hope all our brothers and sisters in Zion will do their best to preach the new covenant and confidently proclaim Jerusalem Mother, who is the reality of the new covenant, so that we will live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to our Father and Mother. May God bless you all with much good fruit!
If we are proud of our Father and Mother and display Their glory, They will greatly bless us and allow us to achieve wonderful results. Now, let's take some time to think about the meaning of the sacrifice of the Passover and the flesh and blood of God given to us.
A mother saved her child with her own blood
There was a great earthquake in Russia, and a whole town was laid in ruins. At that time, a mother and her baby were buried alive under the rubble for several days. The mother lost consciousness when the building collapsed. At the cry of her baby, she barely recovered consciousness. Then she found out that the whole town had become a town of death and that she and her baby were buried under the ruins caused by the earthquake. She tried to breast-feed her crying baby, but the milk didn't come out well because she hadn't eaten or drunk anything, not even a sip of water, for several days. It was obvious that if they were not rescued, they would lose their lives.
The mother decided to do something extreme in order to keep her baby alive until a rescue squad arrived. She took a sharp stone, cut off part of her finger and let her baby drink the blood dripping from her finger.
After a while, a relief squad arrived to save the mother and her baby. Unfortunately, the mother had already died, but her baby who was sucking her finger was still alive and was safely rescued.
To save her baby, the mother tore her own flesh and let her child drink the blood flowing from it. It was an act of her extreme love to save her child.
Through this real story, we come to understand God's love for us. Like the mother, God gave us, who were destined to die, His flesh to eat and His blood to drink in order to grant us the forgiveness of sins and lead us to eternal life and salvation. Whenever we eat the Passover bread representing Christ's flesh and drink the Passover wine symbolizing His blood, we should not only rejoice in having eternal life but remember the holy love of our Father and Mother who saved our lives.
Passover, the love of God who gave His children His own flesh and blood
The child in the above story was drinking the blood dripping from his mother's finger, which was cut off, to satisfy his hunger. He was completely unaware of the fact that it was the blood of his mother who sacrificed her own life to save him. If we were previously just like this child, we should now think of God's love and sacrifice contained in the Passover.
Jn 6:53-57 『Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me."』
God has made a precious promise to mankind that whoever eats Jesus' flesh and drinks His blood will have eternal life, while the person who does not eat His flesh or drink His blood has no life in him. To save us His children, who were sinners from heaven, God didn't even hesitate to die for us on the cross. Through the sacrifice of God, we have received salvation and eternal life.
Just as the mother saved her child with the blood flowing from her finger at the critical moment, our Father and Mother gave Their flesh to eat and Their blood to drink in order to save us. They willingly gave us Themselves for Their children since it was the only way to save the sinners who were destined to die eternally.
Mt 26:17-19, 26-28 『". . . The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.' " So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover . . . While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body. Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you." This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins."』
The Passover bread and wine are given to mankind as the symbols of Christ's flesh and blood, having the promise of eternal life. It is God's sacrifice and love that we can ultimately discover through the Passover.
We are happy that we have eternal life by keeping the covenant of God, but we feel so sorry towards Father and Mother because They have sacrificed Themselves to give us eternal life. It is not God's will just to feel sorry or guilty. First, we should keep in mind how much our Father and Mother have suffered to save us and always give thanks to Them for Their grace. And we should willingly give ourselves to saving the whole world, just as our Father and Mother gave Themselves up for our salvation, so that we will enhance the value of the holy sacrifice of Father and Mother.
"Do this in remembrance of me"
The Passover is a feast that every member of the heavenly family must keep. The Apostle Paul emphasized that we should remember and celebrate the Passover and also proclaim it until Christ comes again.
1 Co 11:23-26 『For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.』
Christ wanted His children to remember the sacrifice of Father and Mother whenever they eat the Passover bread and drink the Passover wine; and before His ascension, He told them to proclaim His death by doing that until He comes. Through the Passover of the new covenant, we can discover God's infinite love for us and His great sacrifice that He has made to save us for 6,000 years. So, Jesus said that the Passover was the new covenant (Lk 22:20), and the Bible states that through the new covenant we have become God's heirs who will inherit the kingdom of God. Only those who understand the holy sacrifice and love of Father and Mother are worthy to be Their children and inherit the kingdom of heaven.
This beautiful story of the new covenant is ours alone, so not everyone can share it. There is no Passover in spiritual Babylon because the story of the Passover is not theirs. They abolished the Passover because it was a meaningless day for them. The Passover is the everlasting covenant established by God and a day to commemorate the sacrifice of the heavenly Father and Mother for Their children's salvation. Nevertheless, they insist that there is no need to keep the Passover This is proof that they do not belong to the heavenly family.
However, it is a very important day for us, the heavenly family members. So in Zion we keep the Passover holy in remembrance of the love and sacrifice of our Father and Mother.
As God has loved us
God is love. Everything done by God, every purpose and will of God, has come through His love. The Passover is a feast that God has established through His love to give us life.
So, Jesus said at the Passover "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." Just as the mother saved her child by shedding her own blood in the aforesaid true story, God saved us by tearing His flesh and shedding His blood. As God loved us, so we should love one another.
1 Jn 4:7-11 『Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him . . . Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.』
1 Jn 4:16-21 『And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him . . . If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.』
Love comes from God our Father and God our Mother. Everything done by God has come through His love. Since He loves us, He has been waiting for us to be purified like pure gold refined in a furnace and become worthy to enter the kingdom of heaven, sometimes using discipline to correct us, sometimes shedding tears for us, sometimes rejoicing, sometimes groaning, only caring for our future and worrying that we may give in to the temptations of the devil and lose the eternal kingdom of heaven.
Therefore, we also ought to love one another with the heart of God. If we do not love one another, it proves that we still understand only the literal meaning of the Passover viewing it merely as a ceremony of eating bread and drinking wine. In this situation God would say to us, "I gave you My own flesh and blood, so that you have gained life. Then, why can't you sacrifice for one another?"
Looking forward to the everlasting kingdom of heaven, we should faithfully follow the teachings of our Father and Mother. We should not grumble against each other or envy each other: If one achieves something, we need to share in his joy; if one faces difficulties, we need to encourage and comfort him. Without unity, the gospel work cannot be fulfilled. If we preach the gospel with the holy sacrifice and love that God has shown us, God's glorious work will be quickly accomplished.
Faith that acknowledges Father and Mother and boasts about Them
How can we not boast about God who has shown us the example of the holy sacrifice? Why are we hesitating to proclaim our Father and Mother who are so wonderful? We shall tell all the people of the earth about the gracious sacrifice and love of our Father and Mother and invite them to participate in the blood of Their sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins and salvation.
We should proclaim more proudly our Father and Mother who have made us what we are today through Their love. We believe in Mother not just because the Bible testifies about Her, but because She is our heavenly Mother who gave us Her flesh to eat and Her blood to drink to save us from sin. That is why we long for Her love and sacrifice and follow Her wherever She goes, as Her children, isn't it?
If we, God's children, have understood the sacrifice of our Father and Mother, we shall boldly proclaim Their names throughout the world. We should preach Jerusalem Mother to all people around the world, so that they may repent of their sins and come back into the arms of Jerusalem Mother. This is most pleasing to our Father.
1 Jn 4:13-15 『. . . If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.』
About 2,000 years ago, God's people proved their faith in Jesus by acknowledging Him. In this age, however, we are required to have faith in the Spirit and the Bride and proclaim Them to all the people with gladness. Our Father and Mother willingly sacrificed Their lives for our salvation. Their children, who have understood Their sacrificial love for them, are now proudly telling the whole world about the goodness of Their Parents.
What if one is ashamed of his parents and tries to conceal things about them? They will not blame or punish him for that, but will feel sad. On the contrary, if a child is proud of his parents, saying, "My dad and mom are number one," how pleased will they be? Thinking about how our earthly parents feel, we can understand the heart of our heavenly Parents.
Now, God's children are proudly proclaiming the heavenly Father and Mother, and so many people around the world are coming to Zion to meet Father and Mother according to the prophecies. When we see this unparalleled amazing work of salvation occur every day, we feel that our heavenly Father opens all the doors for preaching, being pleased with our efforts.
God is love, so He has established the Passover of the new covenant to save His children. Now we celebrate the Passover every year; whenever we partake of the bread and wine, we should remember that the bread is God's flesh torn for us and the wine is His blood shed for us. Through the Passover let us engrave again in our hearts the sacrifice of our Father and Mother and give thanks to Them for Their grace; let's put the love of God into action and proclaim the glory of our Father and Mother.
We must not become the foolish ones who say, "Lord, Lord, open the door for us!" after the door is shut. I hope all our brothers and sisters in Zion will do their best to preach the new covenant and confidently proclaim Jerusalem Mother, who is the reality of the new covenant, so that we will live a life that is pleasing and glorifying to our Father and Mother. May God bless you all with much good fruit!
9/03/2013
A Stumbling Block to Jews and Foolishness to Gentiles
At the time of the early Church, there was a stumbling block to Jews.
Every day they gathered together to plot how to stop the crowd of people who were doing what was a stumbling block to them, how to slander and hinder them from attracting people's attention.
What was the stumbling block to the Jews?the thing that they hated the most?
It was the preaching of Jesus Christ.
God is light, so darkness hates the light (Jn 1:1-14).
It is because darkness retreats even when a tiny bit of light shines.
What Satan hates the most is revealing God, our Savior in each age: Jehovah in the age of the Father, Jesus Christ in the age of the Son, and the Spirit and the Bride?our Heavenly Father and Jerusalem our Heavenly Mother?
in the age of the Holy Spirit.
The preaching of Christ is a stumbling block and foolishness to people in the world, but it is most pleasing to God. We, who are children of light, should shine the light of the glory of Jerusalem on the whole world, so that we can defeat darkness and lead all people into life. The world does not know God through its wisdom The preaching of God who has come in the fl esh is a stumbling block to Jews who claim to believe in God, and foolishness to Gentiles who do not know God.
However, God's point of view is completely different. The Bible says that God is pleased through the foolishness of what is preached to save those who believe.
1 Co 1:21-24 『For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.』
When Christ came to this earth as the Savior in the age of the Son, people in those days did not have the wisdom to recognize Him.
To the Jews, Jesus was a stone that caused them to stumble, and all the disciples who preached Jesus were also an annoyance to them.
The name of God whom they believed in was Jehovah, so when God came to this earth in the flesh in the name of Jesus, they had a strong antipathy towards Jesus, saying, ‘How can you, a mere man, claim to be God?" Jesus was a man just like one of them in their eyes, but the disciples preached that He was God, and it seemed so foolish even to Gentiles who did not believe.
However, as more and more people paid attention to the teachings of Jesus, who was completely different from the Jewish high priests who were authoritative and hypocritical, they came to feel the voice of God.
The Jews, who felt a sense of crisis, plotted how to remove Jesus and His followers, how to make people have a bad impression about them.
So, they produced false witnesses and spread false rumors to oppose Christ, and slandered the saints of the early Church, calling them the "followers of the Nazarene sect" (Mt 26:59-61; 28:11-15; Ac 24:1-5).
Jn 10:30-33 『"I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."』
The Jews picked up stones to stone God just because He referred to Himself as God.
How deplorable and lamentable it is!
God can come to this earth in the flesh anytime. The Bible clearly shows that God appeared as a man in the days of Abraham (Genesis 18), and it was also prophesied in many places of the Bible that God would be born in the flesh.
However, to those who neglected the prophecies, Christ appeared to be a mere man, the son of a humble carpenter. He seemed to have no power and did not live a rich and dignified life, but instead He kept company with the poor and lowly people, the so-called sinners, taking pity on them. This prevented them from recognizing Jesus as God.
Finally, they went to Pilate, the governor, and strongly asked him to have Jesus crucified. Pilate was afraid of an uproar, and said in front of the crowd, "I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility." Then all the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" They were so confident in opposing Jesus. But where are they now?
Preaching the gospel of Christ is a stumbling block to Christians and foolishness to people of the world, but we are doing this great work in this age. As the Jewish people in those days did not have the knowledge of God, so do people today.
We are preaching Christ like the disciples who received Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, and the so-called Christians today are slandering the truth just like the Jews who rejected Jesus 2,000 years ago.
If we preach the gospel, each individual soul realizes the truth correctly and comes to know God the Father and God the Mother. That is why Satan hates it so much. However, God has prepared the kingdom of heaven which is beautiful and glorious beyond all human imagination, for the heavenly children who make every effort to display the glory of God, their Savior.
1 Co 2:8-10 『None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"?but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.』
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned The preaching of God who came in the flesh was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. It was because they looked at Him from a physical point of view.
From a spiritual point of view, it is really great and amazing. Since we are doing this great task, our God is preparing us for the glorious times we will enjoy in the eternal kingdom of heaven. God has promised to let us eat and drink at His table in the kingdom of heaven and put each of us into a position which even angels envy.
When we go back to heaven by keeping our faith firm and working hard to save souls, God will then give us everything we want. This work we are doing is never in vain (1 Co 15:58). So, thinking about the glory of heaven which Father and Mother will bestow on us, let us put value in the heavenly things and live in hope.
1 Co 2:13-14 『This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.』
Since the Jews looked at spiritual things from a low, physical point of view, they were never able to see the divine nature of God. So, when Jesus testified about Himself 2,000 years ago, even His relatives attempted to restrain Him, saying He was out of His mind.
Jesus had brothers and sisters, and the whole town knew that He was born by His mother Mary. So, when Jesus referred to Himself as God who came down from heaven, they could not understand it.
However, the Bible clearly prophesied that God the Almighty would be born as a baby through the body of a virgin (Isa 7:14; 9:6).
As we can confirm the existence of microorganisms when we look through a microscope, so we can understand spiritual things when we discern spiritually.
Since people look at spiritual things with their physical eyes, they do not believe in God the Mother no matter how many times we show them the Biblical verses that testify to Mother. They make their own thoughts higher than God's words.
Still, they claim to believe in God. So the Bible says that they claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him (Tit 1:16). Since it is written like that in the Bible, it is not worth rediscussing. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot understand why Father and Mother have come to this earth in the flesh, and why we put our whole heart into preaching the gospel to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
They value physical things, but we pursue the incomparable value of the heavenly kingdom. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. If one finds the treasure, he will not foolishly just pass it by. We should make every effort to obtain it. In ancient times, Galileo Galilei was brought to the Inquisition, being accused of spreading heretical theories.
Standing before the Inquisition, he said that the earth moves, and the judges forced him to recant his beliefs, saying he was crazy. Now the Vatican has acknowledged its mistake in condemning Galileo. It is because the heliocentric theory has been proven true, thanks to scientific advances.
In those days, however, no one could prove it. Heavenly Mother viewed through the Bible As for the invisible world, we can judge whether or not it exists through a microscope or any other equipment. It is the same for the invisible world; we can see and discern the spiritual world through the Bible.
Not through the Bible which is a microscope given by God, how can we find Father and confirm the existence of Mother? Without the prophecies of the Bible, how can we interpret this present time? We have to understand God the Father and God the Mother through the Bible, and we should also find the will of God in the Bible. It is the Bible that proves all things.
As the Bible tells us that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, let us confirm the value of the Bible further. People in the world put so much value on earthly things, but we find the greatest value in heavenly things. That is why their thoughts are different than ours. So, Jesus always reminded us of the value of the heavenly kingdom, and the forefathers of faith also asked us to set our hearts on things in heaven.
2 Pe 1:19-21 『And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.』
Whatever God says can never fail; it will surely come to pass (Isa 14:24-27; 46:11; 45:23). The words of the Bible are not stories men have made up, but they are the words of God, which are still being fulfilled according to God's purpose and plan for our salvation. Even though people in the world do not acknowledge us, we don't need to be influenced by that. Our salvation depends on God.
No matter how much people try to slander and hinder us, our God continues to carry out the work of redemption. The Bible says that the Spirit and the Bride, Heavenly Father and Mother, will appear in the last days and call all people to receive the water of life, and that Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD and all nations will gather in Jerusalem at that time (Rev 22:17; Jer 3:17). This is a prophecy about God the Mother that men spoke from God and wrote as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Gal 4:26-31 『But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.』
"The Jerusalem that is above (in heaven) is free, and she is our mother." Apostle Paul also received these words from God and wrote them as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows that we are children of Jerusalem Mother, the free woman, and that we, like Isaac, are children of promise.
At that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit. It is the same now. People are continuously persecuting God's people, who are preaching Christ, because it is a stumbling block and foolishness to them.
Can a man hide the sky with his hands? Nevertheless, they try to stop the gospel of God from being preached to the whole world.
However, no matter what they do, the great plan of salvation set by our Father and Mother who manage the universe is carried out as prearranged. At the time of the early Church, God added to the Church of God daily those who were being saved, even in persecution and hindrance from people (Ac 2:47).
A pleasing thing to God God says that not everyone who says to Him, "Lord, Lord!" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Heavenly Father (Mt 7:21). God our Father said, "Peter followed Jesus, Joshua followed Moses, Elisha followed Elijah, and I follow Mother." We should understand why Father said that, and according to the will of Father we have to believe in God our Mother correctly, so we can all attain eternal salvation in the kingdom of heaven.
Our faith comes from God. The Bible says that men moved by the Holy Spirit received prophecies from God and wrote them. All the Bibles in the original language or any other languages describe that "the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." If our Heavenly Mother did not exist, how would these words be written in the Bible? How would the Bride, who gives the water of life together with the Spirit who is God our Father, be described in the Bible?
Testifying to the Savior who has come in the flesh?
this is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. However, God says that there are people who are longing and waiting for the good news throughout the world in the last days?
at the end of the gospel age, and that once they hear the news, they will all fly along to Jerusalem our Heavenly Mother like clouds, like doves to their nests.
The preaching of Christ is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but it is a beautiful and pleasing thing to God. So God encourages His children who testify to Christ, saying, "You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up," and, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news" (Isa 40:9; 52:7).
God's sheep listen to His voice and follow Him (Jn 10:27). When we absolutely trust and follow all the teachings in the 66 books of the Bible, the voice of God, we will attain the eternal kingdom of heaven. Believing this firmly and putting it into practice, let us quickly proclaim the glory of Heavenly Father and Mother throughout the whole world, as "children of light" and "children of promise."
Every day they gathered together to plot how to stop the crowd of people who were doing what was a stumbling block to them, how to slander and hinder them from attracting people's attention.
What was the stumbling block to the Jews?the thing that they hated the most?
It was the preaching of Jesus Christ.
God is light, so darkness hates the light (Jn 1:1-14).
It is because darkness retreats even when a tiny bit of light shines.
What Satan hates the most is revealing God, our Savior in each age: Jehovah in the age of the Father, Jesus Christ in the age of the Son, and the Spirit and the Bride?our Heavenly Father and Jerusalem our Heavenly Mother?
in the age of the Holy Spirit.
The preaching of Christ is a stumbling block and foolishness to people in the world, but it is most pleasing to God. We, who are children of light, should shine the light of the glory of Jerusalem on the whole world, so that we can defeat darkness and lead all people into life. The world does not know God through its wisdom The preaching of God who has come in the fl esh is a stumbling block to Jews who claim to believe in God, and foolishness to Gentiles who do not know God.
However, God's point of view is completely different. The Bible says that God is pleased through the foolishness of what is preached to save those who believe.
1 Co 1:21-24 『For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.』
When Christ came to this earth as the Savior in the age of the Son, people in those days did not have the wisdom to recognize Him.
To the Jews, Jesus was a stone that caused them to stumble, and all the disciples who preached Jesus were also an annoyance to them.
The name of God whom they believed in was Jehovah, so when God came to this earth in the flesh in the name of Jesus, they had a strong antipathy towards Jesus, saying, ‘How can you, a mere man, claim to be God?" Jesus was a man just like one of them in their eyes, but the disciples preached that He was God, and it seemed so foolish even to Gentiles who did not believe.
However, as more and more people paid attention to the teachings of Jesus, who was completely different from the Jewish high priests who were authoritative and hypocritical, they came to feel the voice of God.
The Jews, who felt a sense of crisis, plotted how to remove Jesus and His followers, how to make people have a bad impression about them.
So, they produced false witnesses and spread false rumors to oppose Christ, and slandered the saints of the early Church, calling them the "followers of the Nazarene sect" (Mt 26:59-61; 28:11-15; Ac 24:1-5).
Jn 10:30-33 『"I and the Father are one." Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him, but Jesus said to them, "I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?" "We are not stoning you for any of these," replied the Jews, "but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God."』
The Jews picked up stones to stone God just because He referred to Himself as God.
How deplorable and lamentable it is!
God can come to this earth in the flesh anytime. The Bible clearly shows that God appeared as a man in the days of Abraham (Genesis 18), and it was also prophesied in many places of the Bible that God would be born in the flesh.
However, to those who neglected the prophecies, Christ appeared to be a mere man, the son of a humble carpenter. He seemed to have no power and did not live a rich and dignified life, but instead He kept company with the poor and lowly people, the so-called sinners, taking pity on them. This prevented them from recognizing Jesus as God.
Finally, they went to Pilate, the governor, and strongly asked him to have Jesus crucified. Pilate was afraid of an uproar, and said in front of the crowd, "I am innocent of this man's blood. It is your responsibility." Then all the people answered, "Let his blood be on us and on our children!" They were so confident in opposing Jesus. But where are they now?
Preaching the gospel of Christ is a stumbling block to Christians and foolishness to people of the world, but we are doing this great work in this age. As the Jewish people in those days did not have the knowledge of God, so do people today.
We are preaching Christ like the disciples who received Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, and the so-called Christians today are slandering the truth just like the Jews who rejected Jesus 2,000 years ago.
If we preach the gospel, each individual soul realizes the truth correctly and comes to know God the Father and God the Mother. That is why Satan hates it so much. However, God has prepared the kingdom of heaven which is beautiful and glorious beyond all human imagination, for the heavenly children who make every effort to display the glory of God, their Savior.
1 Co 2:8-10 『None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. However, as it is written: "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him"?but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit. The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.』
Spiritual things are spiritually discerned The preaching of God who came in the flesh was a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. It was because they looked at Him from a physical point of view.
From a spiritual point of view, it is really great and amazing. Since we are doing this great task, our God is preparing us for the glorious times we will enjoy in the eternal kingdom of heaven. God has promised to let us eat and drink at His table in the kingdom of heaven and put each of us into a position which even angels envy.
When we go back to heaven by keeping our faith firm and working hard to save souls, God will then give us everything we want. This work we are doing is never in vain (1 Co 15:58). So, thinking about the glory of heaven which Father and Mother will bestow on us, let us put value in the heavenly things and live in hope.
1 Co 2:13-14 『This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.』
Since the Jews looked at spiritual things from a low, physical point of view, they were never able to see the divine nature of God. So, when Jesus testified about Himself 2,000 years ago, even His relatives attempted to restrain Him, saying He was out of His mind.
Jesus had brothers and sisters, and the whole town knew that He was born by His mother Mary. So, when Jesus referred to Himself as God who came down from heaven, they could not understand it.
However, the Bible clearly prophesied that God the Almighty would be born as a baby through the body of a virgin (Isa 7:14; 9:6).
As we can confirm the existence of microorganisms when we look through a microscope, so we can understand spiritual things when we discern spiritually.
Since people look at spiritual things with their physical eyes, they do not believe in God the Mother no matter how many times we show them the Biblical verses that testify to Mother. They make their own thoughts higher than God's words.
Still, they claim to believe in God. So the Bible says that they claim to know God but by their actions they deny Him (Tit 1:16). Since it is written like that in the Bible, it is not worth rediscussing. Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot understand why Father and Mother have come to this earth in the flesh, and why we put our whole heart into preaching the gospel to Samaria and to the ends of the earth.
They value physical things, but we pursue the incomparable value of the heavenly kingdom. Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. If one finds the treasure, he will not foolishly just pass it by. We should make every effort to obtain it. In ancient times, Galileo Galilei was brought to the Inquisition, being accused of spreading heretical theories.
Standing before the Inquisition, he said that the earth moves, and the judges forced him to recant his beliefs, saying he was crazy. Now the Vatican has acknowledged its mistake in condemning Galileo. It is because the heliocentric theory has been proven true, thanks to scientific advances.
In those days, however, no one could prove it. Heavenly Mother viewed through the Bible As for the invisible world, we can judge whether or not it exists through a microscope or any other equipment. It is the same for the invisible world; we can see and discern the spiritual world through the Bible.
Not through the Bible which is a microscope given by God, how can we find Father and confirm the existence of Mother? Without the prophecies of the Bible, how can we interpret this present time? We have to understand God the Father and God the Mother through the Bible, and we should also find the will of God in the Bible. It is the Bible that proves all things.
As the Bible tells us that spiritual things are spiritually discerned, let us confirm the value of the Bible further. People in the world put so much value on earthly things, but we find the greatest value in heavenly things. That is why their thoughts are different than ours. So, Jesus always reminded us of the value of the heavenly kingdom, and the forefathers of faith also asked us to set our hearts on things in heaven.
2 Pe 1:19-21 『And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.』
Whatever God says can never fail; it will surely come to pass (Isa 14:24-27; 46:11; 45:23). The words of the Bible are not stories men have made up, but they are the words of God, which are still being fulfilled according to God's purpose and plan for our salvation. Even though people in the world do not acknowledge us, we don't need to be influenced by that. Our salvation depends on God.
No matter how much people try to slander and hinder us, our God continues to carry out the work of redemption. The Bible says that the Spirit and the Bride, Heavenly Father and Mother, will appear in the last days and call all people to receive the water of life, and that Jerusalem will be called The Throne of the LORD and all nations will gather in Jerusalem at that time (Rev 22:17; Jer 3:17). This is a prophecy about God the Mother that men spoke from God and wrote as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Gal 4:26-31 『But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written: "Be glad, O barren woman, who bears no children; break forth and cry aloud, you who have no labor pains; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband." Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. At that time the son born in the ordinary way persecuted the son born by the power of the Spirit. It is the same now. But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son." Therefore, brothers, we are not children of the slave woman, but of the free woman.』
"The Jerusalem that is above (in heaven) is free, and she is our mother." Apostle Paul also received these words from God and wrote them as he was moved by the Holy Spirit. The Bible shows that we are children of Jerusalem Mother, the free woman, and that we, like Isaac, are children of promise.
At that time the one born according to the flesh persecuted the one born according to the Spirit. It is the same now. People are continuously persecuting God's people, who are preaching Christ, because it is a stumbling block and foolishness to them.
Can a man hide the sky with his hands? Nevertheless, they try to stop the gospel of God from being preached to the whole world.
However, no matter what they do, the great plan of salvation set by our Father and Mother who manage the universe is carried out as prearranged. At the time of the early Church, God added to the Church of God daily those who were being saved, even in persecution and hindrance from people (Ac 2:47).
A pleasing thing to God God says that not everyone who says to Him, "Lord, Lord!" will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of the Heavenly Father (Mt 7:21). God our Father said, "Peter followed Jesus, Joshua followed Moses, Elisha followed Elijah, and I follow Mother." We should understand why Father said that, and according to the will of Father we have to believe in God our Mother correctly, so we can all attain eternal salvation in the kingdom of heaven.
Our faith comes from God. The Bible says that men moved by the Holy Spirit received prophecies from God and wrote them. All the Bibles in the original language or any other languages describe that "the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." If our Heavenly Mother did not exist, how would these words be written in the Bible? How would the Bride, who gives the water of life together with the Spirit who is God our Father, be described in the Bible?
Testifying to the Savior who has come in the flesh?
this is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. However, God says that there are people who are longing and waiting for the good news throughout the world in the last days?
at the end of the gospel age, and that once they hear the news, they will all fly along to Jerusalem our Heavenly Mother like clouds, like doves to their nests.
The preaching of Christ is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but it is a beautiful and pleasing thing to God. So God encourages His children who testify to Christ, saying, "You who bring good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up your voice with a shout, lift it up," and, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news" (Isa 40:9; 52:7).
God's sheep listen to His voice and follow Him (Jn 10:27). When we absolutely trust and follow all the teachings in the 66 books of the Bible, the voice of God, we will attain the eternal kingdom of heaven. Believing this firmly and putting it into practice, let us quickly proclaim the glory of Heavenly Father and Mother throughout the whole world, as "children of light" and "children of promise."
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