Ki Dong Kim – Page 33 – Sungrak Church

2015.12.06_The Power of the Precious Blood

in 2015 Lord's Day, Ki Dong Kim

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[Revelation 12:7-12]

God
is living.
He
sent His Son to the world (Jn 3:16)
to give His own blood (Jn 10:10).
God’s blood alone is His word (Jn 1:1).
Whoever transgresses against God, his spirit dies.
However
God showed that nothing but His blood
can save the spirit (Heb 9:14),
and the Son was thus sent to the world.
The Son
is God (Jn 1:18),
the Word of God (Jn 1:14),
His blood (Ac 20:28),
and the absolute power that overcomes the devil (Rev 12:11).
The devil is the enemy,
the messenger of hell,
the spirit that accuses the saints to the very end (Rev 12:10).
The Holy Spirit bears witness to the Blood,
and manifests Himself when there is the power of the Blood.
○ We became Christians
by the power of Jesus’ blood.
The blood of Jesus is life for our souls.
○ We became holy servants
by the power of Jesus’ blood.
The blood of Jesus is our divine power.
○ Our hope of entering Heaven
is in the words of Jesus’ blood.
The blood of Jesus leads us into eternal life.

※ The Holy Spirit manifests Himself
only where there is the precious blood of Jesus.
Let us accept the blood of Jesus and receive His power.

Summary

God sees the blood.
God is living. The fact that He is living is not just an idea but a reality. God is one and only. He is spirit and yet He has blood. It is logically incomprehensible that a spiritual being has blood. However, our faith is not about believing in common sense. God purchased us by His own blood and by that we have become the body of Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 9:22 says, “And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” During the Old Testament times, the articles in the temple and the people were sanctified by sprinkling the blood of animals such as oxen or sheep. Today, our worship and praise to God as well as our service in the church cannot be consecrated without the sprinkling of blood. We escaped hell on account of the blood that was shed; we were also saved by the shedding of blood. Though we continue to sin, we have the confidence to stand before God because of the Lord’s precious blood.
We need to have God’s blood in our families. When Israel came out of Egypt, God commanded them to take a lamb and put its blood on the doorposts and lintels of the house where they were staying. God accepted only those who passed through the blood-stained door as His people and led them out into the desert. On that night, the angels of death passed through the land of Egypt and destroyed all the firstborns. However the families that had the blood escaped God’s wrath, as God said, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you” (Exo 12:13). What God is seeking is the Blood.

The power to overcome the devil is in the Blood.
The devil is God’s enemy, the messenger of hell, the spirit that accuses the saints to the end. What is the reason that our spiritual life is a struggle? The devil is constantly at work to separate us from God. He is the ruler of the kingdom of the air. Ephesians 2:2 says, “In which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience”.
The devil can make us prosper in our flesh with the authority he has in the world. When he appeared before Jesus who had finished fasting and tempted Him saying, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me” (Matt 4:8-9), Jesus did not deny the fact that he could give all the glory of this world. The devil is the ruler of this world. He can help people become successful in the world. However, his final goal is to separate them from God.
When things do not seem to go well or some trouble comes upon their family, some people call for a shaman to perform exorcisms. And at times, they are relieved of their troubles or difficulties they were facing, but this is because a demon has gone in and started to work inside them. The deceiving spirits are the ones that work to let the demons enter a person. Deceiving spirits deceive people’s minds and cause them to despair, creating an opening for demons to go into them. Moreover, the devil separates man from God and dissuades them from relying on God, thus allowing the deceiving spirits to operate.
The devil is the one that torments people to the very end. The Bible says that the devil went to make war with those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ until the end (Rev 12:17). Revelations 12:9 says, “The great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world.” He is the one that comes in between God and mankind and separates them to destroy them.
The devil’s specialty is to condemn the believers. Some believers have faith in Jesus, and yet do not have joy in their souls. The primary reason for that is that their consciences are being condemned by the devil. Though we sinned, we have already received forgiveness. However the devil keeps condemning us saying, “No, you haven’t been forgiven. Your sin is too grave to be forgiven.” And those who are condemned by the devil are constantly anxious so that if their child happens to fall over, they think, is it because I sinned that this happened? When they struggle at work or their business is not doing well, they are constantly condemned in their hearts as if it is the result of their sins.
The reason a person is condemned is because he does not acknowledge the power of Jesus’ blood. The blood of Jesus has atoned for our sins perfectly. For the Israelites, they repeatedly shed the blood of sheep and oxen for 1500 years since the Exodus until they reached Jerusalem to escape from wrath. This was a type and shadow as a fleshly ordinance. The reality was revealed to the world when Jesus came to the earth, died and shed His blood on the cross. Though we are weak, we can stand boldly before God because we believe that Jesus’ blood has redeemed us.
The devil however does not stop accusing us saying, “You can’t be forgiven. You will never escape being cursed”, and thus denies the blood of Jesus. Sometimes when people hear that a certain person has received God’s grace, they refuse to accept that he has been forgiven saying, “How can a person like him ever receive God’s grace? That’s impossible!” In doing so, they unknowingly deny the power of Jesus’ blood just like the devil. We must acknowledge that the power the precious blood can forgive all of our sins, no matter how grave they might be.

The Holy Spirit works where there is the Blood.
It is not possible for the Holy Spirit to operate where the power of the Blood is ignored. The Holy Spirit had never come upon anyone in Israel when they relied on the blood of animals. It was only after Jesus died and shed His blood on the cross, resurrected and ascended into Heaven that the Holy Spirit finally came upon us (Jn 7:37-39). The Holy Spirit manifests Himself where there is the Blood. He governs the Church also because the souls redeemed by God’s blood are in the Church.
The Holy Spirit comes where there is the blood of Jesus. Acts 2:38 says, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is about uniting ourselves with the blood of Jesus. Where there is the blood of Jesus, there the Holy Spirit operates. And only when there is the working of the Holy Spirit, can we drive away the works of the devil. Therefore it is imperative that we have the faith to trust in the blood of Jesus in order to overcome the works of the devil.
The devil will condemn us to the end saying, “You’re a sinner. You can’t be saved. You have to be cursed to pay the price of your sins”. The way to overcome this is to trust in the blood of Jesus. Apart from the sin of denying God, by the blood of Jesus we can be forgiven of all sins such as any trespassing against the Law or breaking the laws of this world.
The devil’s goal is to make us deny the power of the Lord’s precious blood. He targets our conscience to weaken us and lose our joy. Christians lose their joy because they do not have faith in the blood of Jesus. We must trust in Jesus’ blood. We are the one who believe in God’s blood, who have been saved by the Blood, and who have the word of testimony of the Blood (Rev 12:11).
What is evangelism about? It is about proclaiming the blood that Jesus Christ shed (1 Cor 11:26). We were redeemed from sin because He shed His blood. It is all because of His blood that we became Christians, sanctified and God’s children. Those empowered by the blood of Jesus Christ must testify of the Blood to others.
The Holy Spirit manifests Himself to those who believe in Jesus’ blood. Though many Christians desire to be filled by the Holy Spirit, they cannot actually receive His help because they do not trust in Jesus’ blood. God bestows the grace of forgiveness upon those who believe in Jesus’ blood, pours the Holy Spirit upon the forgiven, and manifests the powers of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues, visions and healing. Whoever wants to be healed of their sickness must also rely on the Blood. The saints will also be raised at the resurrection by the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:11).
Nothing but the blood of Jesus moves the Holy Spirit to work. As the voice of the blood of Abel cried out towards Heaven, our prayers too should be the voice of the Blood that cries out and reaches Heaven. Our worship and praise to God, serving and performing our duties at church should all be the voice of the Blood. Every act of our faith life should be our confession the power of the precious blood.

Semuon’s Letter

It all happened so quickly – trees are no longer dressed in a golden tessellation, and there is but the gush of crisp cold air to flush my lungs. My body is wasting away, and my strength is failing. It seems like it was only yesterday that I received my calling to be an evangelist, but here I am, now standing at the foot of a path so clear. Though I’ve laid down the weighty responsibilities of a pastor, I make the most of what I have left, my voice and my lips, I will use them. I will do all that I must with these God-given gifts.

My lifelong regret is to know that my youth was absent of much education. “If only I had studied more, read more. How great would that have been?” In those days I had nothing; only the hope of Heaven that came from Jesus. Thus, I have nothing to boast while cloaked by this fog of regret. The only reason why I am who I am today is because of my initial experience with Jesus, the incredible power of His blood and the light that He shines. This is my life-long testimony, the power by which I have lived. I have been set free from the chains of sin, and have been given the righteousness of faith, and joy in the depths of my soul.

If it weren’t for Jesus’ blood, I would have slipped into the endless vault of sin, and become swallowed into the accusations of the Devil, whereby my weak conscience would have been cursed. There is but one means by which I can live, and that is to bear witness to Jesus’ blood. It is essentially my life, though, in fact, greater. His blood is the word of my testimony, and it has made my ministry complete. There is no ministry, no prayer without this blood, and indeed, there is no freedom for spirits that do not have the mark of Jesus’ blood. The Holy Spirit works only in accordance to how much we testify to the blood of Jesus, and for this, I give thanks.

The blood of Jesus! My faltering lips are not worthy in the testimony of God’s great gifts, His life, salvation, grace and the blood that becomes a source of blessings for all. My days aren’t many, but I must testify to this blood without suppression. By the power of the blood of Jesus, I have come to know God, and by the same blood, I have been redeemed from the grasp of sin, and elected as a servant of God. Back when I was primarily focused on preaching crusades, I had purely proclaimed the blood of Jesus in testimony and praise. How can this change? Indeed, it will not.
Ministry is the work of helping people participate in the drinking and singing of Jesus’ blood. Jesus said, “Most assuredly, I say to you… unless you drink [my] blood, there is no life in you”. In hearing this, many of Jesus’ disciples refused to accept His message, and fled. However, we are people who believe. We believe the words of Jesus.

The blood that Jesus came to testify of is equally our testimony. This is our victory and power. God gave us the blood of Jesus and it is the sign that reveals that we have seen and met the living God. I will proclaim this wondrous power, the wonders of Jesus’ blood. Forever, it is my testimony.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2015 Audio

2015 Video

Credits

2015.11.29_The Blessing of the Pentecost

in 2015 Lord's Day, Ki Dong Kim

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[Acts 2:1-4]

God

gives blessings.

As God

blessed the seventh day (Ge 2:3)

and rested on it, it is a great and holy day.

God rests where there is His blessing,

and the blessing of God’s rest is an everlasting blessing.

On the Sabbath, all flesh (Ex 20:8-11)

can rest with God,

but their souls cannot (Mt 4:17).

The soul’s rest was prepared separately,

namely, the Lord’s Day (Mk 2:27-28).

This is the day the Lord Jesus atoned for the sins of mankind (Heb 10:19-25)

and achieved the victory of resurrection with mankind.

Truly,

those empowered by the merits of Jesus and redeemed by faith (Jn 3:16)

gathered together and prayed out loud,

and were thus all filled

by the Holy Spirit (Ac 2:1-4).

They all began speaking in tongues and finally,

the church, the body of Jesus Christ, was born (Eph 1:20-23).

○The church is the body of Jesus,

purchased by His blood,

and formed by those that are partakers of His resurrection.

○The church is a gathering of those who obeyed the words of the Lord Jesus

and received the fullness of the Holy Spirit

just as the Lord had commanded.

○The Church of Jesus Christ

has been formed according to His desire;

the Triune God was glorified.

※As we are all gathered together,

we ought to be blessed as our Lord Jesus said

and be filled by the Holy Spirit.

Summary

We must receive the blessing God gives us.
God is He who gives blessings. Blessing belongs to God; it is uniquely His. The blessing which the Bible speaks of refers to God’s blessedness which only God possesses forever. God shared that to those He loves, that they may share in God’s blessedness.
People believe that blessing is when they are successful in their endeavors in this world. However blessing is unique to God, and He desires to give them to us. Yet we cannot receive blessings just by sitting still. Our faith is about longing for God’s blessedness, and also asking to receive it.
When we seek God’s blessing, our attitude should not be like that of people who stand in line to receive aid from relief organizations, for we are not unworthy people who have to put on a pitiful look and beg God to receive His blessings. The only one who can partake in the Father’s glory is the Son. In the same way that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, inherited Heaven, we who call God as our Father in Jesus Christ will also inherit Heaven as children of God.
One of the reasons that God’s blessing is different to the blessing the world defines is that God’s blessing does not only go to the one who receives it but also to his children, family and every member of his household. The members of one’s household can be defined broadly as those who are under the influence of a particular person. So for example, if the CEO of a company was blessed by grace, the employees of that company can all receive grace. However if the members of the household of a person blessed by God were not sharing in God’s blessing, then the Lord’s will is not actually being fulfilled. God’s blessing does not cease with one individual or his family only; when it spreads to all the members that belong to him, that is when that blessing is fully effective.

Keep the Lord’s Day holy.
God created heaven and earth over six days and blessed the seventh day. God blessed the seventh day in order for Him to rest on that day (Gen 2:3). Blessing is God’s resting place. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, the first commandment they received from God was “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, for the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Exo 20:8). He commanded them to rest from their own work on the seventh day, just as God finished creating the world over six days and rested on the seventh day.
Then 1,500 years after God gave the commandment of the Sabbath through Moses, Jesus commanded the believers to keep the Holy Day. The Holy Day Jesus commanded to keep was the day after the Sabbath, which is called the Lord’s Day. Many Christians seem to confuse the Sabbath and the Lord’s Day although they are two different days. Christians are saints who keep the Lord’s Day, not the Sabbath. God ceased from His work on the Sabbath. But on the Lord’s Day, God raised Jesus from the dead. The Lord’s Day is a day of resurrection and victory. This is the day that God raised Jesus to life, not when He rested.
John 7:37 says, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink’”. The feast mentioned here is referring to the Feast of Weeks, and the last day of the feast was the first day after Sabbath, seven weeks since the people harvested wheat and dedicated the firstfruits to God. In other words, it was the Lord’s Day. This day is called the Pentecost in the New Testament Church. And the day on which the disciples received the Holy Spirit in Mark’s Upper Room as Jesus promised was also the Pentecost. Thus, the day of the resurrection of Jesus and the day on which the Holy Spirit first came upon the believers were both the Lord’s Day.
The Lord’s Day is a day we receive God’s revelation. The day when Apostle John received the revelation written the Book of Revelations was also the Lord’s Day (Rev 1:10). The Lord’s Day is the day Christians gather together and celebrate the Lord’s flesh and blood. In regard to this, Acts 20:7 says, “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread”. The Lord’s Day is also the day we give offerings to God. It says in 1 Corinthians 16:2, “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come”.

Repent and receive the Holy Spirit.
On the day of Pentecost, the disciples gathered in Mark’s Upper Room just as the Lord instructed them. Most of the people gathered there were from Galilee. They had personally witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion, His resurrection after three days and ascension to Heaven. For a dead to be resurrected after three days is astonishing news for anybody to hear. And if anyone witnessed it, he would probably want to go back to his hometown first and tell his family and friends all about it. Nevertheless, those people did not leave Jerusalem even after many days, for Jesus had told them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:4).
People were also gathered outside Mark’s Upper Room at that time. They were people who came from all different nations to celebrate the feast. While those inside Mark’s Upper Room were witnesses of the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the people outside did not know much about Jesus. But they came to witness what happened to the people inside the room. Just as the Lord said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth”, when the people gathered inside the room received the Holy Spirit, the Jews who had come from different nations over the world witnessed the testimony of the risen Jesus. And among them, three thousand people repented and accepted the Lord on that day. As the disciples were blessed, the people around them were also blessed through them.
We must receive God’s blessing. This is God’s command (Num 23:20). Some people say, “I’ll be lucky if God blesses me. But if He doesn’t, well, what can I do”. However Christians are those who have renounced fate. God commanded us to be blessed. Thus if we do not receive His blessing, it is equivalent to disobeying is commandment.
As God first blessed the seventh day and then rested on it, it is after God’s commandment is given that we can receive the Holy Spirit. And that commandment is the command to repent (Matt 4:17). God sends the Holy Spirit to those who have confessed that they are sinners and repented. That is why Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). The disciples in Mark’s Upper Room were not sitting around idly either; they repented and prayed, waiting for the Holy Spirit to come.

Be filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
When the day of Pentecost arrived and the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, they started to speak in tongues. Believers receive the Holy Spirit and speak in other tongues as the Holy Spirit gives them utterance even today. Some church members want to see newcomers receiving the Holy Spirit and settling in the church quickly, that they even try to teach them how to speak in tongues. However this is not at all advisable. A person does not have to be forced to receive the Holy Spirit, for he will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit when he truly receives the forgiveness of sins.
Jesus said that speaking in tongues is a sign that follows those who believe (Mark 16:17). The gift of speaking in tongues is a gift that any Christian who believes in Jesus should essentially have. Some people regard speaking in tongues as the least of all the spiritual gifts, and look down on those who speak in tongues. However, the gift of speaking in tongues is not the least but the most fundamental. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are very diverse, and speaking in tongues can be said to be the first of all those gifts (Acts 2:4).
Some people disregard the gift of speaking in tongues by saying, “What’s the use of saying something you can’t even understand?” Indeed, we cannot understand what is spoken in tongues. The only one who understands is God, as 1 Corinthians 14:2 says, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.”
The devout Jews who had come from different nations throughout the world on the day of Pentecost did hear the disciples speaking in tongues. However the disciples in Mark’s Upper Room were not speaking in foreign languages, but the Jews who heard them speaking in tongues hear them in the language of their own country. Thus the Jews did not say, “How do those Galileans speak our own language?” but instead they said, “How is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born?” (Acts 2:7-8).
Speaking in tongues is not another language, but our spirit’s prayer which God hears. Because of sin, man was unable commune with God; but now he is able to, and that is the very significance of speaking in tongues. The fact that we speak in tongues means we received a “new tongue”. The tongue that was used to communicate worldly knowledge and emotions with people has now become the tongue by which we commune with God.
The Bible reveals that receiving the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues was not just an occurrence limited to Mark’s Upper Room. When Peter was preaching to Cornelius’ household, the Holy Spirit came upon those who were listening and began speaking tongues (Acts 10:1-47). Also when Philip went preaching in the church of Samaria, those who heard him spoke in tongues (Acts 8:5-17). It also happened that when Paul went to the church in Ephesus and laid his hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit, spoke in tongues and prophesied (Acts 19:6-7).
Even today, the Holy Spirit continues to come upon those who believe and pours His gifts on them. The Lord spoke of the Holy Spirit as “the Holy Spirit who comes out of the Father” (Jn 15:26). As the river never stops flowing, the Holy Spirit continues to come out of the father and into those who believe. To cast out demons and speak in tongues are common manifestations for the believers. Whoever received the Holy Spirit should not be content with being able to cast out demons and speak in tongues, but diligently carry out God’s work in order to experience the abundance of His gifts which He freely bestows on us.

Trust in the Lord’s precious blood.
It is important that we understand that the Lord’s command is greater and more fearsome than the Law. That is why we must repent according to the Lord’s commandment, and be filled by the Holy Spirit as the Lord commanded. In the past, God commanded the Israelites to remember the Sabbath and keep it holy. But after Jesus came, He commanded us, “On the last and greatest day of the feast, a river of living water will flow from within you! This is the Holy Spirit whom the believers will receive. Receive the Holy Spirit!” This word remains unchanged even today.
In order for us to be filled by the Holy Spirit, we must first resist the devil’s scheme, who ceaselessly tries to condemn us. As long as we have the flesh, it is impossible for us not to sin. However we have already been justified by the Lord’s grace. Even so, the devil condemns us saying, “Your sins are too big. You will never be forgiven.” Thus we have to rely on the power of Jesus’ blood all the more so. Revelation 12:11 says, “And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.” Only when we confess the power of the Lord’s blood will we be able to fight and overcome sin.
God gives the gift of the Holy Spirit to those who are filled by the power of the precious blood. The Lord’s blood and the Holy Spirit work together. As the people were gathered together in Mark’s Upper Room on the day of Pentecost, we must also gather together on the Lord’s Day and receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Semuon’s Letter

I have seen things going on the earth and learned much from it while I have been living this world. There is a limitation in the world, and it is like a fish caught in a net so we could not but suffocating soon. In this same manner, the world is hopeless so all people struggle but only leave.

When I came off as insignificant, the world showed no interest whatsoever. But when God gave me glory, the world began to persecute me. Religious bodies joined in on the suppression, eventually letting me go. Though to my memory God received the past half century as a pleasing offering, the rest of the world wanted to destroy me out of envy. Nevertheless, my life belongs to the Lord. He has therefore spared me a long walk, and has even used me in the presence of His perfect will.

Surely, there has been nothing more beautiful than this. My joy is not the result of spending flurries, nor the glory of this world. I had but poverty, an ill-temper and a lack of education. But after having received the Holy Spirit, I became filled with power, wisdom, truth and hope, the elements by which I live in joy and thanksgiving. Now, I seek to pour out all that He has given me into the works that He desires.

I am at the center of two extremes. On one end, I have the world in all its slander and envy; and on the other, God, who loves me ever so dearly. The choice is clear. I must pour out my heart and strength. If I am but
a heap of dirt, the Lord God will sculpt me to become a vessel. If I were to be a tree, He would tend me and mend me to become a great temple pillar. Even if I were to be a donkey, perhaps the most hopeless and frail one of all, I would strive to have Him take up my back, that He may use me.

Oh my soul, there is no greater joy than to walk with Jesus. Though the flesh that coats me is weary and sapped of strength, I seek to live as a servant of the Lord. Though the bitter oppressions of the world grow, I hope to commit my soul to the Lord. The world tries to sympathize with me, but they do not know the bliss of my soul – indeed there is nothing to sympathize.

My one desire is to be “filled with the Holy Spirit”. In the Holy Spirit, I hope to possess the holy wonders of Jesus Christ’s healing and power all the days of my life. This is my earnest prayer. In light of this, I have seen the sick rise in joy after laying hands on them. How can I keep from giving thanks to the Lord who gives me this great power? I am filled with the joy of daily witnessing His works in my life. Daily, my soul looks unto the Lord. Daily, I see Him.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

2015 Audio

2015 Video

Credits

2015.11.22_To Become a Disciple of Jesus

in 2015 Lord's Day, Ki Dong Kim

Senior Overseer Ki-Dong Kim

Outline

[Matthew 16:24-28]

God

is living.
He sent
Jesus Christ to the world, that the world
may hear, see and learn of God through Him.
Therefore,
if anyone
is not with Jesus Christ
he can neither know God or even stand before Him (Jn 14:6).
Since Jesus said,
“If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself,
and take up his cross and follow Me” (Mt 16:24),
whoever has taken up his cross is the one who has laid down his life.
One does not become a disciple of Jesus
as the result of many years of church life;
rather, he who knows only Jesus and has overcome himself will become His disciple (Eph 1:22-23).
The disciple of Jesus is made one body with Him,
and thus he must go wherever He leads.
He must follow Him from Nazareth to Golgotha.
One who does not surrender himself
does not have Jesus and cannot become His disciple.
○Let us become disciples of Jesus.
Follow Jesus and please Him,
and share in His fate.
○Let us become disciples of Jesus.
Deny yourself
and be a disciple that pleases the Lord only.
○Let us become disciples of Jesus.
If you have decided to follow Him,
be prepared to die with the Lord.

※As the Lord has resurrected,
so will His disciples be resurrected.
This is our faith and hope.

Summary

We must become disciples of Jesus
God is living. God demonstrated His existence through His Son, and even now He wants to make His existence known to all people. To believe in Jesus Christ does not mean to have a religion, for what we have received through Him is life and everlasting life from God. God sent His only begotten Son and revealed Himself to us in order to save us and give us eternal life. Jesus made Himself known to us and said, “Eat My flesh and drink My blood, for then you will have life. You will have eternal life.”

When Jesus came to the earth, what He began doing was to make disciples of His believers. Even now, He wants to make us His disciples. No one has ever seen God; no one has ever gone into Heaven. The only one who knows God and the Kingdom of Heaven is Jesus. And Jesus desires to impart everything He knows to us. We ought to accept everything He imparts and do so as if we are eating His flesh and drinking His blood.

Some people zealously lead their faith lives for a while but because of something, they fall into temptation and eventually fall away completely. However they would not have fallen away like so if they had known God deeper. This is the reason why Jesus wants to make us His disciples. How wonderful is it that the Son of God Himself is our teacher who teaches us to know God, about His kingdom, the ministry of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and life? We have to be fully aware that we are not religious people but the disciples of Jesus.

Deny yourself and learn Jesus.
Whoever wants to become a disciple of Jesus must deny himself. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me” (Mt 16:24). The biggest obstacle we face in knowing God and Jesus Christ whom He sent, is none other than our own selves. Anyone that wants to follow Jesus must take up his cross. In other words, he must be ready to die according to God’s commandment.

It is essential that the disciple of Jesus is with Jesus. When Jesus first called the Twelve He wanted, what He essentially wanted of them was that they be with Him (Mk 3:14). Just because a person diligently attends church on the Lord’s Day does not necessarily mean his faith life is sound. He cannot be deemed a disciple of Jesus simply because he attends church. This is similar to how every child at school performs differently academically. A disciple of Jesus must learn Jesus. Rather than being satisfied with listening to a sermon at church, he should earnestly desire God’s word.

Make disciples of others.
Once you come to know Jesus, you cannot but teach others. When a person drinks Jesus’ blood and eats His flesh, he cannot contain the shock he experienced and shares it to others. As the number of such people increases in the church, a revival is bound to follow. In other words, there has to be many disciples in the church in order for the church to grow. One can really be called a disciple of Jesus when he is able to influence others with the word he received, as Jesus said, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples” (Jn 15:8).

Everyone that meets us should become sincere followers of Jesus. A person of faith should not be led into temptation on account of us. Once I heard a joke people made about theological seminaries. They said, first year students are like pastors and second year students are like elders. Then in third year, students are like deacons, in fourth year, they are like laymen, and finally, graduates are much the same as non Christians. However to take this simply as a joke, the reality is too serious. As much as seminaries should not turn out this way, we too should not become such people either. We must ensure whoever meets us, becomes a disciple of Jesus through us.

Some people misinterpret the command to make disciples. They approach people who are already doing fine at church and teach them to eventually follow them. Strangely enough, those that learn from such people do not heed the pastor’s teachings altogether, and follow those people to even leave the church completely. We need to make disciples but not cause divisions in the church as these people do. We ought to make true disciples of Jesus who abide in His words.

Not only should we, but our families should also become disciples of Jesus. Our families should be acknowledged by God as those who know Him. It should happen that anyone who visits our families becomes disciples of Jesus. However some people instead hinder their family members from becoming disciples of Jesus. If their children are actively involved at church, they scold them saying, “Why are you involved so much with church activities? You should study”. Or if one’s wife is eager in her church life, the husband warns her saying, “It’s not a good idea to go in too deep into church life”. What can God ever expect from such families?

Share your fate with Jesus.
In order to become Jesus’ disciples, we must share our fate with Him. In other words, unless we are ready to die and follow Jesus, we cannot become His disciples. Soon we are going to face terrible times in the future. Even at this present, Christians are being killed in many parts of the world, and such news is ever increasing. It is only a matter of time before this happens in Korea. It may no longer be news of distant countries that hundreds of saints at a church are killed by a suicide bombing.

We may be subject to persecution as we cast out demons in Jesus’ name. For example, some people denounce it as the work of shamans. Nevertheless, we must cast out demons as Jesus commanded and promised us. For He said, “And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons” (Mk 16:17), we must obey His words no matter what people say.

When we make the decision to become Jesus’ disciples, the Holy Spirit will work upon usTo His disciples who had been baptized Jesus said, “Do not leave Jerusalem until you receive the Holy Spirit. You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and then you will be My witnesses” (Ac 1:4-8). Therefore we must let the Holy Spirit work from within us. In the same way that we came to meet Jesus and imitate Him, those who meet us should also become like Jesus through us.

Semuon’s Letter

I am not against religion. But the fact remains, religion cannot save one’s soul and thus, I cannot accept the idea of Christians becoming religious people. For there to be salvation, there must be a Savior. And in Him, there must be a clear sign to testify of our salvation and the atonement received. Amidst this, he who has been saved must be born again, and the signs of his transformation must be revealed as his fruit. Salvation comes from God alone, the Creator of all things. Thus, Jesus Christ, whom God has sent, is Savior of the world.

We proclaim not of morals and ethics but of Jesus Christ, His Name and His works. However, that is not to say that bearing witness of these things is at the neglect of the former qualities, for these are fundamental behaviors necessary across all groups, be it Christian or a religious body. Nevertheless, our purpose is to save souls, for their salvation gives rise to the election of God’s faithful servants and witnesses. Thus, our goal is to make disciples of saints that have been saved, and with this at heart, we strive to sow the gospel and actively tend them, that we may ultimately prepare fruit pleasing to the Lord.

However, it seems that though believers grow in number, the disciples of the Lord remain few. My heart is disturbed within me, to know that there are many pastors who do not have the desire to grow further and reach their spiritual peak. My earnest plea is to see believers become pastors and servants of God, and then ultimately true disciples that are willing to be crucified with Christ. But I am truly distraught to know that instead, many simply seek the title of a pastor with the hopes of adorning themselves.

Those prepared to die for the Lord must fight a fierce battle. They must look beyond their parents, their families, their work and the glory of this world. Such must be left in the hands of God, for Jesus will provide the daily bread. To otherwise place their motives in receiving these things will most certainly be a means of disappointing the Lord.

As a good tree bears good fruit, a true disciple of Jesus should give rise to another true disciple of Jesus. Into a family filled with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and of God given faith and blessings, is born such true disciples of the Lord. Thus, in order that we may fulfill the teaching that good fruit comes only from a good tree, we must actively fight to overcome.

Now that I have passed the age of 77, I feel sapped of strength and energy. I try with all my might, but there is surely only so much I can. Thus, I am entirely grateful that I have lived not in the boasting of my flesh, nor in the shame of the gospel. I know, the path my children ought to go is a perilous one – but they must go.

Pastor Ki-Dong Kim
Lord’s Day Worship Column

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