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 Sermon > Sunday Evening Service |
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Title |
Book of Life, Book of Remembrance |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Revelation 20:12, Malachi 3:16 |
Date |
2009-05-17 |
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Passage
[Revelation 20:12]
And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
[Malachi 3:16]
Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name.
Introduction
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
There are many kinds of books in this world. There are history books and biographies of people. At this time I will speak to you about some of the books that are in the kingdom of heaven.
There are many kinds of history books. There are records concerning royal families or books about the lives of ordinary people.
Some books are about specific historical subjects, like agricultural history or medical science.
In addition to history books, there are novels, books of poetry, essays and so on.
There are many kinds of books in the heavenly kingdom, too.
In Revelation 20:12, we see there are many books, one being the Book of Life. Malachi 3:16 talks about a 'book of remembrance' that was written before God.
We can see that among the various books in the heavenly kingdom there are two kinds of books for sure, a book of life and a book of remembrance.
I hope this message about books in heaven will help you greatly.
I also pray in the name of the Lord that your names and your deeds will be recorded in the books of the heavenly kingdom.
Main
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let me first talk to you about the Book of Life. I am sure you are familiar with the Book of Life.
When seen with spiritual eyes, this Book of Life is bluish-white in color.
In the Book of Life is written the names of those who have received salvation. In the book records at which hour of which day, which month, and which year the individual accepted Jesus Christ, was born by the Spirit, and has become a child of God.
This book of life will become a kind of evidence at the Great White Throne Judgment.
Revelation 20:15 says, "And if anyone's name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
Now, it is possible for a person's name to be erased from the Book of Life after it is recorded there.
Namely, if that person goes to the way of death and comes to have nothing to do with salvation, his name is erased from the Book of Life.
Psalm 69:28 talks about this kind of case, saying, "May they be blotted out of the Book of Life and may they not be recorded with the righteous."
Also, Revelation 3:5 says, "He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the Book of Life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels."
Therefore, even after accepting the Lord and becoming a child of God, we always have to live in the light of the truth until we reach the kingdom of heaven.
We may fall into the way of eternal death if we walk in the way of darkness and sins.
That is why Philippians 2:12 says, "So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;"
As said, I hope you will always obey the word of God. I urge you to obey the commands that tell us to do something, not do something, keep something, and cast away something.
In doing so, I pray in the name of the Lord that, your names will clearly be written in the Book of Life.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, now I will tell you about the Book of Remembrance. Even in this world, we set up some monuments for long term commemoration of meaningful events or outstanding persons. They also make statues.
Likewise, the Book of Remembrance writes the things that glorified God greatly and thus can be commemorated forever.
When people do the things that are impossible with men's ability by relying on God the Father and glorify God's name greatly, these things will be recorded.
God will give such people enormous rewards for the things that are written in the Book of Remembrance.
Those things please God so much.
Luke 15:7 says, "I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance."
When one person receives salvation and his name is written in the Book of Life, God the Father rejoices so much.
And how much more will He be happy when some things are recorded in the Book of Remembrance?
The Book of Remembrance will record in detail the kind of event, who did it, when it was done, and under what kind of circumstances it was done. When it's done by an individual, it will be recorded under his name, and when it's done as a group, it will be recorded under the name of the group's leader.
The book will record all the details beginning with the background through the final concluding results of a certain event.
It will record everything in detail such as, "Through this event a great many people received salvation" and "This event greatly glorified God."
Also, some important parts will have video records as well. It's not still pictures, but very clear video.
So, it feels more vivid and backs up the writings in the book.
Because the Book of Remembrance records each event in minute detail, it is very thick.
Some may think the Book of Life is thick for there are many people who receive salvation, but the Book of Remembrance is thin, but it's not true.
When seen with spiritual eyes, it gives out a golden color and it has some royal patterns on the cover.
We can see that it's a very precious book just by seeing the cover.
Now, let me mention some of the events related to the patriarchs recorded in the Book of Remembrance.
First, let us talk about Abraham's offering up of Isaac and the Elijah's bringing down the answer of fire.
Abraham was acknowledged because of his perfect faith in God through his deed of offering Isaac. He was established as the Father of Faith.
This was a historically significant event in the flow of the human history.
Elijah's bringing down fire was a similar incident.
Elijah brought down fire from heaven when he confronted the 850 priests of Gentile gods to prove that the only true God is the LORD God.
Through events of this occasion, many people who were worshipping idols, repented and returned to God.
The Book of Remembrance also writes about Daniel and his three friends when they overcame their situation with unchanging faith and greatly revealed God's glory.
Daniel's three friends refused to bow before an idol and were thrown into a fiery furnace. But, by God's power they were not hurt at all. So, King Nebuchadnezzar issued a decree.
Daniel 3:29 says, "Therefore I make a decree that any people, nation or tongue that speaks anything offensive against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego shall be torn limb from limb and their houses reduced to a rubbish heap, inasmuch as there is no other god who is able to deliver in this way."
At that time, Babylon ruled over many countries with several different languages.
Nebuchadnezzar had his ordinance translated into each of those languages and delivered.
How wonderfully God was glorified!
When Daniel came out of the lion's den, King Darius also issued a decree. Daniel 6:26-27 says, "I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; for He is the living God and enduring forever, and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, and His dominion will be forever. He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions."
Such events that give glory to God greatly and that can be remembered throughout history are recorded in the book of remembrance.
Now, can the names of those who go to Paradise in the kingdom of heaven be written in the Book of Remembrance?
No, not only the Paradise but also those who are in the 1st and 2nd Kingdoms of Heaven cannot be recorded in the Book of Remembrance.
Malachi 3:16 says, "Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who esteem His name."
The basic qualification to be written in the Book of Remembrance is that we have to fear the LORD.
Proverbs 16:6, latter part, says, "And by the fear of the LORD one keeps away from evil."
Therefore, to fear the LORD is to keep away from evil.
It means we have to be at least in the fourth level of faith, where we don't have any evil.
When those who fear the LORD this way give glory to God greatly, these events will be recorded in the Book of Remembrance in detail.
God the Father has let us know that the Muan sweet water is also recorded in the Book of Remembrance.
March 5, 2000 was the first day that the bitter seawater at Muan Manmin Church was changed into fresh sweet water. I prayed on the previous day, in Seoul, for the bitter water in Muan to turn into sweet water.
God the Father has not only changed bitter into sweet water, but He has also covered the water with the four different lights of His power.
So, those who drink and apply the Muan sweet water with faith are healed of various diseases.
God commanded us to put up a monument at the well of Muan sweet water in June 2000.
God knew in advance that a great number of different kinds of miracles would take place and give glory to God greatly.
He also told us what to write on this monument, which was how and when I prayed for it and how the water was changed.
It was to let the visitors understand and receive God's grace just by reading the writing on the monument.
After all, this too was to give glory to God. So, we engraved the following on the monument of the Muan Sweet water.
"In Exodus chapter 15, Moses prayed to God during the Exodus of the sons of Israel from Egypt, and the bitter water in Marah was changed into sweet water.
Some 3,400 years later, in February of 2000, Rev. Jaerock Lee of Manmin Central Church prayed for Muan Manmin Church that was having a problem because of their salty water. He prayed for it during his first prayer session in mountains where he was praying for the 2-Week Continuous Special Revival Meeting.
On March 5, 2000, right after Rev. Jaerock Lee finished the mountain prayer session, God showed the same kind of miracle that is in the Bible and changed this salty seawater into sweet fresh water.
Since that day, divine healing and powerful works take place mightily through this water. To the glory of God many people receive healing of illnesses and get answers to their heart's desires.
The monument at the well of Muan sweet water records this very briefly.
But the Book of Remembrance in heavenly kingdom writes about it in much greater detail through the observations of the angels.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ; in the heavenly kingdom there are many other books in addition to the Book of Life and the Book of Remembrance.
For example, there are books that sort and record the categories of the history of human cultivation.
Also, some books write about the men of God who were used by God in different times.
There are books that write about all the lifetime works of Jesus while on earth, and also the whole life story of Abraham. Some books are for educational purposes.
When we go to heavenly kingdom, we will learn many spiritual things.
Sometimes those who are in New Jerusalem will teach those who are in the 3rd kingdom, the 2nd kingdom, the 1st kingdom of heaven, and Paradise.
Therefore they will need some kind of textbooks. But it doesn't mean we can learn new things only through books.
There are many means of learning spiritual things including vivid video materials.
There are also some books that have special meanings like the Book of Remembrance. A book records the names of those who had overcome persecutions they received for the Lord's sake with thanks. This book has a reddish color.
These are the cases where they are persecuted not because of their own faults, but only because they believed the Lord.
There is also another book that writes about the trials that some people went through. They are those who are among the 24 elders or higher in the spiritual rank.
In the case of men, they are Elijah, Enoch, Abraham, Moses, and the 24 elders.
In the case of women, those who have the equivalent faith of the 24 elders will be written in this book.
This book will write about each person in detail and the kinds of trials endured to become a perfect man of God.
The Book of Remembrance mostly records the superior achievements of people, whereas these books focus on commemorating going though their trials.
For example, Revelation writes about the two witnesses who act during the 7-year Great Tribulation. They also belong to the 24 elders.
This book will write in detail about how they were trained and refined and how they fulfilled the prophecies in the Bible.
It also writes about the sufferings and trials of the prophets and the apostles and how they could become such great men.
There is a book that writes about the things that happen in Manmin church.
God has never opened this book until now.
He cannot open it because the ministry of our church has not yet been finalized. God preplans things in His foreknowledge.
So, some of the things are written because He also knows the future, but He does not reveal it now.
When we go into New Jerusalem, those who are invited (to my house) can read it together.
We can see from this book how God searches and writes everything in the minutest detail in every aspect.
Brothers and sisters, in the heavenly kingdom, there are some books that we can freely read, while there are other books that only authorized persons can read.
Isn't it the same in this world, too? For example, not everybody can freely read the records about the kings.
Even the king of that time could not read the records. Only after the death of that king, kings of later generations or some high officials had the access to such books.
The country would keep them under a very special care, and only limited number of persons could open them because they are extremely important materials.
In the kingdom of heaven there are books we can see only when it is opened by the Triune God.
They are the books that write about the things that God cherishes and considers very meaningful.
One of them is this Book of Remembrance. We can read it only when God allows it.
God the Father will choose a special day to show a part of this book.
Perhaps on another day He will begin with the cover and flip over the pages.
Sometimes He will excerpt from a part of this book to explain something. When God the Father opens this book and explains a part of the contents, we will listen with happiness.
Then altogether we will praise and glorify God the Father.
This is one of the happy things that we will enjoy in the heavenly life.
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in this sermon, I introduced to you some of the books that are in the kingdom of heaven.
Some of the heavenly books record spiritual things and about the limitless spiritual realm.
But the books about which I talked today are mostly about the history of human cultivation.
The Book of Life can be considered a general list of fruits of the entire historical record of human cultivation.
The Book of Remembrance is a record about the people who are like the highest quality fruits and about their deeds.
There are also books that write about all the words and deeds of unbelievers, and they will fall into Hell based upon those records.
Some of you write diaries and others don't. But in the kingdom of heaven, angels are writing your diaries every day.
Jesus said in Matthew 18:10, "See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven."
And some special contents of these diaries of each individual can be quoted to other books according to the subject.
Therefore, I pray in the name of the Lord that you will live a life of giving glory to God the Father in everything, whether you eat or drink or whatever you do on this earth.
[Amen] |
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