We are the ones who have accepted Jesus as our Master. The reason you came to church is to accept Jesus as your Master, just as we have. You might have come with the question, “Should I accept Jesus as my Master? Is Jesus worthy to be called Master?” Those who go to church, the believers in Jesus, serve Him as their Master. And they know that Jesus is God. Yes, Jesus is God.

God is the Creator of heaven and earth and all things. He made the universe and everything within it—man and animals. Since He created man, He knows very well about man—what man needs and why he is in a crisis. He wants to help us humans and even now provides us with breath. You don’t breathe by making a conscious effort, do you? You don’t need to make a conscious effort to breathe and still breathe even in your sleep. God made us that way.

You can cut your hair, but you cannot make it grow. It is God who makes it grow. And your hair grows continuously, whereas your eyebrows don’t. What would happen if your eyebrows did grow constantly? You would need to trim it all the time, otherwise your face will be covered with your eyebrows. But your eyebrows don’t grow. The genes for your hair and eyebrows are different. Your eyebrows and your hair serve different functions. God fashioned us in this way.

That very God knows the danger we are facing. This danger is not due to poverty, nor is it because we are aging. The real danger is eternal—Eternal danger. The spirit of man is in danger. The spirit doesn’t disappear. Once God makes a spirit, that spirit never ceases to exist. God placed such a spirit into the body of man. Thus, man is not only made up of body; he also has a spirit.

It is said that the human body can live up to 120 years at most. Even if a person lives a full 120 years, the body perishes. It ceases to breathe and returns to dust. However, does that mean that man ceases to exist? No, he still exists. Because people have had a faint idea of this from a long time ago, many have acknowledged the existence of spirit. And there have been many experiences of the spiritual, which have been passed down through word of mouth and written records. People tend to treat them as “myths or legends” and disregard them, but they are true. Just because a person departs from his body, that does not mean everything is over. The person’s personality doesn’t disappear. That eternal person is what we call soul.

Man doesn’t only have a body but also has a spirit. The problem is that there are two paths for a spirit to take. To put it simply, there are two pathways. One of them is going back to God, for a spirit originally came from Him. However, this spirit has become a being that disdains God—rebelling against Him, betraying Him, speaking blasphemously of Him, and living in denial of Him. This is called a sinner. Man is not a sinner merely because he committed robbery, but rather because he denies and despises God—their Creator who provides life, breath, and everything else. This state of being is called a sinner. For this reason, man cannot come before God. Because of man’s hostility towards God, He cannot receive him either. That is why such a spirit has to go to a place that is irrelevant to God—completely irrelevant to His love and His joy.

What would there remain if man doesn’t have God’s love? What would man be left with if he doesn’t have God’s joy? What would befall man if he is without God’s life? There is only death, curses, suffering, and darkness—such a person must go to that place. Therefore, those who will go there wander on this earth, being in terrible torment because they know their miserable state. Such beings are called demons. Secular people worship demons, don’t they? However, we are not worshiping demons. We ought to meet God to ensure we don’t become such beings but return to Him.

The time you have on this earth is the time you should meet God. Only by having fellowship with God can we go to where He is. That place is filled with inexpressible happiness and joy. That place where there is utmost and greatest joy—the joy of God— is called Heaven. You have probably heard it referred to as Heaven or the Kingdom of Heaven. It is God’s house. According to the words of the Bible, it is God the Father’s house—a home filled with His love, where the Father grants every good thing He has. This is where we must go. It is also called the Kingdom of Heaven for it is a kingdom. Just as there are kingdoms on earth, there is also a kingdom in heaven. The Kingdom of Heaven. And we will go there.

Some people mistakenly think that we go to heaven only after we die. It’s not necessarily after death that we go there. It is when Jesus returns that we go there. Jesus may come after we die, or He may return while we are still living. But once Jesus returns, those who have already departed from this world will also be resurrected. They will be resurrected to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Resurrection means to live again—”to live again.” However, that doesn’t mean that the body that died returns from dust and becomes a body again. Once that body returns to dust, it never returns. However, a spirit still remains. Our spirit will be transformed. It will be transformed into a body. Yet this body will never decay. It will be a spiritual, everlasting body. When Jesus was resurrected and ascended to Heaven, He didn’t go as a ghost but rather in His body. The Kingdom of Heaven is where we enter with a body. It is not a place where ghosts float around, but where we will go in body. Later, we will be resurrected and put on a body.

This body we have clearly has senses— we can eat and shake hands. Similarly, the body we will have after the resurrection, when Jesus returns, will also have senses. But, do not think that the body we will have then will be the same as the body we have now. That body will not feel tired, it will not have a disability, and it does not need to go back to dust. It is not weak like the body we have on earth, but it is a body that will exist eternally in Heaven. That’s the body we will have when we enter Heaven. That body will be able to eat, touch, and so hug one another. Jesus is already in Heaven with such a body. And this is what we hope for. Even though we are afflicted on earth, we endeavor to lead a sound faith life in the present time so that we may live well in that eternal body in Heaven.

What glory will we receive in Heaven? What will our standard of living in Heaven be? The answers to these questions are influenced by the kind of life we live on earth. Anyone who labors for the works that please to God will have a very high standard of living in Heaven. On the contrary, anyone who has only received salvation but has not done anything for the Kingdom of God or his own spirit will only obtain salvation and nothing more. Of course, he will go to Heaven. But the glory he will be given in the Kingdom of Heaven will be miniscule. Such a person will regret deeply. Presently, it may be hard to understand or even perceive. However, we have sure evidence for this. If we didn’t believe this to be true, we wouldn’t be able to lead our faith lives as we do.

Ever since I put my faith in Jesus, I have practically lived at church every Lord’s Day. Although I am at church every day now, ever since I started believing in Jesus—even before I became a pastor—I simply live at church on Lord’s Days. If I didn’t have faith, I wouldn’t have come to church on those countless days. I wouldn’t have served God. If I didn’t have this faith regarding Heaven and the resurrection, I wouldn’t be so zealous in coming to church. It would seem like a waste of time if there were no resurrection. However, everything I do will be counted up and rewarded back to me. I sow something little on this earth, but in Heaven, I will reap much more. I sow with the perishable on earth. But in Heaven, I will reap what is imperishable. It definitely pays off. It’s a great deal. That is why we lead our faith lives.

However, everything we will experience in Heaven is unseen in the present time. For this reason, people tend to think, “Yes, let’s just say that there is such a thing. So long as it gives peace in our hearts!” But that’s not how it is. We are not simply supposing that heaven exists. Heaven is real. But where is the evidence? One might ask, “Do you have evidence of that?” Yes, we do. If there were no evidence, how could I believe that? If it were just a supposition that might or might not be true, why should I believe that? If I spent my whole lifetime believing, only to find out in the end that there was no evidence for what I believed and it later turned out not to be true and death is really the end, how great would that loss be? I have only one shot at life in this world. Without evidence, I couldn’t believe.

Thankfully, we have a lot of evidence. The greatest evidence we have is that we have received the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Spirit of God has come into us. Secular people get possessed by spirits through shamanic rituals. They receive demons. When demons enter a person, strange powers manifest. This is similar for us. Believers in Jesus also receive a spirit. But it is not a demon, it is the Spirit of God. If you believe in Jesus, you will receive the Spirit of God. A demon-possessed person manifests demonic power. But what power will be displayed if one receives the Spirit of God? The power of the Creator God will manifest. Incredible things will happen. This is not limited to certain people. The Holy Spirit is granted to all believers in Jesus. Whoever earnestly prays, wants, and asks will definitely receive the Holy Spirit. And from that time on, extraordinary things that were never before experienced will take place.

Personally, when I received the Holy Spirit, a change took place in me. Up to that time, even though I read the Bible, I could only accept it intellectually. I had heard so much, but I couldn’t believe. When others prayed at church, I thought, “Are they crazy?” I attended church for a few months like that. I was very troubled and bothered when others prayed in tongues. Although I was told to tithe, I didn’t tithe because I didn’t believe. Yet I went to church because I wanted to believe something. But I didn’t have faith. Yet the moment the Holy Spirit came upon me, I was changed instantly.

The important thing is that Jesus already promised this. “When the Holy Spirit comes, He will teach you to understand the word which you couldn’t understand before. He will give you the understanding of the word of truth. He will guide you into all truth!” This was His promise. Sure enough, the moment I received the Holy Spirit, the first word that popped out of my mouth was, “Father!” Up until that moment of receiving the Holy Spirit, I had never called God “Father!” I simply said, “God.” And I said, “If You are living, please meet with me!” Others told me to call God “Father,” but I just couldn’t get myself to say that. The reason was I had a father at home, so how can I call anyone else my father?

Yet at that moment when I received the Holy Spirit, a word burst out from deep inside my heart. I cried, “Father!” In that instant, I knew that the Father of my spirit is God! Prior to that time, I couldn’t get myself to believe even though I wanted to. But when the Holy Spirit came, I just knew it. I didn’t only believe, but I came to know it. And all of a sudden, I had no doubt: “If God didn’t create heaven and earth, then how could they come into being?” Previously, I couldn’t believe that Jesus died for my sins on the cross. I used to wonder, “What great sin did I commit that I have to die for it? And for that sin, God’s Son had to die? How could His death 2000 years ago benefit me?” It didn’t really hit home. However, I believed everything once the Holy Spirit came upon me.

In that same moment, a cry burst out of me, like a baby who had just found his mum again. You may or may not have a memory of this when you were a child, but I do. When I was about 5 or 6 years old, I woke up from sleep and nobody was home. My mother wasn’t home. I looked for her, but she was nowhere. I was afraid and began crying. For about an hour or two, I kept crying. In the end, I was so exhausted I couldn’t cry anymore. I was trembling in fear at home. Later, my mother came home. And that moment when our eyes met, what do you think I did? I burst out crying. As soon as I saw my mum—the one I missed immensely for two hours—all fear in my heart exploded, and I burst into tears.

It was a similar experience I had when I received the Holy Spirit. I had been wanting to meet God, I was lost, and I kept seeking Him, saying, “God, if You’re alive, let me know You!” Yet, I couldn’t find Him. But as soon as I received the Holy Spirit, I came to know Him. It was as if I had seen God. So from my inmost being—from my spirit— a cry burst out. That day, I cried for about an hour and a half. There were many people around me. Because the sermon was about to start, I had to quiet down and couldn’t cry anymore. But until then, I cried for a full hour and a half. And yet, even as I cried, I was so happy. I wept and wept. It wasn’t just tears that ran down, I wept aloud. I was a complete mess of tears and snot. Since that day, I have become a man who met God. I received the Holy Spirit.

After that happened, reading the Bible was completely different. Up until then, the Bible was boring to read. But all of a sudden, I was able to understand everything it was saying. Furthermore, the word came into my heart. It was fascinating. Even a day ago, I couldn’t understand what I was reading in the Bible, but now I was able to understand. How incredible is the power of the Holy Spirit!

Also, Pastor Ki-Dong Kim taught us that power will accompany us when we receive the Holy Spirit. What kind of power? “When you lay hands on the sick, they will get well!” So, from the moment I had faith in Jesus, I started laying hands on the sick whether they got well or not. Because I just believed and obeyed, people I prayed for experienced healing. They would say, “Huh? I’m not sick anymore!” When my father had a headache, I prayed for him. Though he was an unbeliever, he said, “What? I don’t have a headache anymore!” Regarding these experiences, many people responded, “Oh, it’s because he was already on the path of getting better anyway!” However, remarkably, many sicknesses were healed when I prayed for them.

Three months after I received the Holy Spirit, I went into military service. In the army, there were a lot of people with illnesses. Some complained of headaches, muscle aches, back pain, and the list went on. Whenever I met anyone who was unwell, I laid my hands on them and prayed for them. But before praying, I said to them, “If you get well now, you have to come to church with me!” In many instances, the response was, “What? I don’t have any pain anymore! I really am well!” Hence, I was able to lead many people to church. Even my company commander came to church later down the track.

In this way, the promised power of God accompanied me after I received the Holy Spirit. It was in the army that I first experienced casting out demons from a person. One day, I was given a chance to preach the word. To a group of unbelievers, I started talking about demons. At that time, I didn’t know how to preach. So I just explained about demons and said, “If any of you have a headache, please come to the front!” But nobody came up. I waited for about 3 minutes. Then one person stepped forwards. I prayed for him and then shouted, “Demon, come out!” I shouted like that for some time, but there was no response. I broke out in sweat while people were murmuring. Somebody said, “Just finish up!” So that session finished like that. I felt so humiliated.

However, the next morning, someone came to see me. It turned out that my efforts the day before were not in vain. Someone came to see me saying that he had a very sore throat and lost his voice. He asked me, “Is this also caused by a demon?” And then he asked to cast out the demon so that his sore throat would get better. Where could I take this person at that time in the morning to drive out a demon? Normally, when driving out demons, we may shout at them, saying, “Get out demon!” We thought about where we should go and decided to go to the restrooms across the field, as it was a quiet place. The restrooms had squat-style toilets. We entered one of the cubicles to avoid being seen by others. The man was wearing glasses, so I took them off. I placed them in my front pocket. Holding his shoulder with one hand and pointing at him with the other, I began shouting, “Demon, come out!”

Suddenly, the door flew open and someone said, “What are you doing! This is physical assault!” In that person’s eyes, I was assaulting an officer ranked higher than me. “This is a rebellion against a superior! You two, come with me!” So we were taken away. He said, “You guys are going to military prison, for sure!” But I answered, “What we were doing is in the Bible. I wasn’t assaulting him. I was casting out a demon as it is written in the Bible.” “Hey, I’ve been to church too. There’s no such thing as casting out demons!” “Yes, there is.” “Hey, don’t be ridiculous!” “Please call the military chaplain. You can ask him!”

But the chaplain was someone who disagreed with expelling demons and called it heretical, even though it’s in the Bible. Still, I requested him because I had no other option. The chaplain came. The lieutenant asked him, “Is there such a thing as driving out demons in the Bible or not?” It was turning out to be a very interesting situation. The chaplain always disagreed with demon expulsion. When the lieutenant asked, “Is driving out demons in the Bible or not?” the chaplain hesitated for some time and finally answered, “Yes, it is!” “Really? So you know these men?” “Yes! They go to church!” “I see. You can go now!” That’s how we were released.

After we were let off, we were supposed to go back inside quietly and cause no trouble. But that brother still insisted on driving out the demon somewhere else. So we went inside the boiler room in the basement. There, I cast out the demon, saying, “Get out unclean demon!” As soon as I said those words, the guy fell backward with a bang. I was shocked. I had never experienced that before. It was my first time driving out a demon. After he got up, I wanted to say a prayer and give thanks. So I said, “Let’s pray!” But he must’ve thought I was telling him to pray. He started praying, “Thank You, Father God!” Even a moment ago, his voice was lost and could only make a faint sound. But suddenly, his voice returned to normal, and he was crying out, “Thank You, Father God!”

From that incident, I experienced that this is really true. “Wow, it’s just as I learned at church. How can this happen in an army base near the 38th parallel? This guy is not even a member of our church. This is really true!’ The words of the Bible were fulfilled. And such powers accompanied me because I had received the Holy Spirit. This is the evidence.

What kind of evidence is this? Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He said, “It is for your good that I am going away! You may want me to stay with you longer, but if I remain here with you, I cannot be with others.” If He remained on earth in Jerusalem, we would have to go to Jerusalem every week. In that case, apart from the people close by Him, nobody else will get a chance to experience God. Thus, He said, “It is for your benefit that I go away. When I go away, I will send you the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit comes, you will receive power. You will experience that I am in you, and you in Me!”

Indeed, the Holy Spirit has come—even now, 2000 years later. What does that mean? Where has Jesus gone? Jesus promised, saying, “When I go to the Father, I will ask the Father and send the Holy Spirit to you. Unless I go, the Holy Spirit will not come. But if I go, I will send the Holy Spirit!” And to be sure, we have received the Holy Spirit. In that case, where is Jesus right now? It is evident that He has gone to the Father in heaven. We have firm evidence.

Moreover, Scripture is fulfilled in us. Scripture, which was written by someone 2000 years ago, is still being fulfilled in me even 2000 years later. The words of Jesus are fulfilled in me. His words are still powerful even after 2000 years. He is not a mere man—He is God. Therefore, none of His words will fall to the ground; all be fulfilled. He is the One who promised you, saying, “You will be resurrected and enter Heaven.” That is why I believe in the resurrection. We have this evidence.

In the passage you read today, there is the story about the birth of Jesus. He came into the earth through a human body, that is, a woman, but He was not conceived through a combination of human genes. He was not born through the fusion of God and human, that is, Mary. God simply came into the body of a woman. He borrowed her body for a short time. Before that, an angel appeared to Mary and said, “You will give birth to a son. He will be God’s Son!” Then she replied, “I don’t know a man yet. I’m not married, nor have I slept with any man. So how can I have a son?” The angel answered, “If you receive the word of the Almighty and the power of the Holy Spirit overshadows you, it will be done.” God’s word is able to fulfill that.

The angel went on, “Do you know your relative Elizabeth?” Elizabeth was barren and old, and it was known to all that she couldn’t have children. She was already old, and even when she was younger, she didn’t have any children. She concluded that she would be unable to have any children in her lifetime. But the angel told Mary that Elizabeth became pregnant recently. Nobody in her town knew about this news. Because it was embarrassing that an old grandmother was pregnant, and since it was before the child was born, they were quiet about it. Nobody knew it. Nobody in that town knew about it. But the angel disclosed that news to Mary. People who didn’t acknowledge the existence of angels would surely have been surprised— “How could Mary have known about Elizabeth’s pregnancy?”

Someone came and told Mary about it. It wasn’t man. But she came to know it. The one that gave her the news was an angel. And the angel had said to her, “Even Elizabeth who was thought to be barren is already 6 months pregnant! In the same way, God’s word will be fulfilled to you as well!” After that, the angel disappeared. At that moment, what do you think was on Mary’s mind? She probably pondered over what she just experienced and saw and wanted to find out whether or not the angel’s words were true. She needed to confirm whether it was true or not.

So how could she confirm it? For her to find out if she had a baby or not would take 10 months, even if she was pregnant right away. But she couldn’t wait for 10 months. Yet there was something she was able to confirm straight away. What was that? She could go and see if Elizabeth was really pregnant or not. It was something nobody else knew about it, but she came to know through some supernatural power. So she headed for Elizabeth’s home.

Now, who would’ve ever imagined that that old grandmother could become pregnant? Mary was determined to ask her, “Are you really pregnant?” But as soon as she entered the house, Elizabeth says to her, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! For as soon as you entered, the baby in my womb leaped for joy! The word God has spoken to you has been fulfilled!” Elizabeth already knew and said that her baby in her womb leaped for joy. There was no need for Mary to ask anymore, “Are you pregnant?”. Elizabeth already knew and told Mary as soon as she entered the house that the baby in her womb leaped. It’s remarkable.

When it comes to believing in Jesus, such wonders are often witnessed. Thus, Mary praised God. “God, You were mindful of us that You sent us a Savior. You have allowed that Savior to be born through me! Now the work of salvation for all the nations in sins has begun!” In this way, she had the sign (evidence) even before the baby was even born.

Our faith, therefore, has evidence. Later, we will be resurrected and enter Heaven, yet we can experience that truth in the present time by receiving the Holy Spirit. God’s power will be displayed in us. You can also pray. You can pray in Jesus’ name and your prayers will be answered. Marvellous things happen. Someone might say, “I’m too old and lack the strength to pray!” We don’t pray by our strength. We pray by faith. We pray in Jesus’ name. Whatever it is, ask in faith. Then, it will be done.

Once you receive an answer to your prayer, don’t only rejoice and stop there. What should you do if your prayer was answered? Confess and acknowledge, “Wow, His words are true! He is living! Jesus really is the name of God!” When you do that, you will not stop at only being healed of your sickness and receiving answers to your prayers, but it will lead you to Heaven. You will be resurrected and enter eternal life. Therefore, set your hope on the resurrection and life in Heaven. Thoroughly appreciate the evidence (signs) given by God while you’re on earth and maintain your faith until the end. In Jesus’ name, I bless you all to become such wonderful saints. Let us pray.

Father God, we thank You for giving us faith with evidence. Although we cannot yet see now the glory we will later receive in heaven, help us to possess the evidence of that while we are on earth. Help everyone here to long for and receive the Holy Spirit. For this, we want them to be baptized. God inspire them by the Holy Spirit when they are baptized, and let Your happiness and joy fill their hearts. In Jesus’ name. Amen.