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 Sermon > Theme Words of Life |
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Title |
2012 Prayer Prayer Title(1) - Blessing |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
3 John 1:2 |
Date |
2011-12-31 |
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Scripture
3 John 1:2
Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.
Let's give all thanks and glory to God the Father who blesses us to offer up this 2012 New Year's Day Service.
I welcome all of you here in this blessed place in the name of the Lord.
I extend my thanks to the servants of God and members who came from other countries to attend this service and to those who are attending the service through the Internet and GCN TV.
I extend my sincere thanks to those who devoted themselves in various fields for the kingdom of God and souls during the last year.
I pray in the name of the Lord that, each and every one of you who are attending this service may receive and enjoy all the amazing blessings that God the Father has prepared.
Dear brother and sisters in Christ.
While we receive cultivation on earth as Christians, each one of us builds our work on the foundation of Jesus Christ.
Here, 'work' refers to one's achievement accumulated with toil; it shows how much he has put his heart, mind, and strength into the achievement before God.
Therefore, the quality of the work constructed on the foundation of Jesus Christ will be different according to how earnestly we live by the word of God and work for God's kingdom.
1 Corinthian 3:12 mentions that the quality of the work is sorted into six levels: gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw.
And then 1 Corinthians 3:13-15 says, "each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work. If any man's work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss..."
On 'the day' when God tests and evaluates each man's work, we will receive either a reward or penalty in accordance with our work.
One of 'the evaluation days' is the last day of a year.
Of course, our church has finished appraising the 2011's achievement. But with the closing the year, God also measures your works you've done in 2011.
Then, which category do you think your works' quality may fall under among 'gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, and straw'?
Some might get a good mark of 'Good Job,' yet others might get a poor score.
Even if your work is not enough to get a good score, how thankful it is for you to still have time to try to get better!
Although today is the evaluation day of the accomplishments of 2011, we still have time until 'the day' when our whole lives will be evaluated before the Judgment Seat.
Therefore, I hope you will make up your mind once again and make a new start during this New Year's Day Service.
I pray in the name of the Lord, by doing so your work may be recognized as having the quality of 'gold' on the day when your work is finally appraised.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
In this 2012 New Year's Day Service, I am preaching the message entitled 'Blessing' which is the first prayer title among the four that God gave to this church for Year 2012.
Nobody hates it when someone says to him 'May God bless you.'
But the meaning of the word 'blessing' could vary from person to person.
Most of the worldly people may think they are blessed when they have wealth, fame, and authority on top of clothes to wear, food to eat, and a place to live in as well as well-grown-up children.
But how many are out there who can enjoy all of them on this earth?
Even if some seem to enjoy them on the outside, they are probably living with worry, concern, and anxiety inwardly. They also feel afraid of death.
Then, what is true blessing?
The greatest blessing above all others is to gain eternal life.
It is to receive salvation and enter Heaven.
Only when we have gained the blessing of eternal life can the other blessings have meaning.
What is the use of enjoying wealth, fame, and authority or possessing everything you want on the earth without eternal life?
On the other hand, even if you have nothing and enjoy nothing on earth, it will still be the greatest of all blessings if you find yourself in the arms of the Lord after your life on Earth is finished.
The Bible explicitly presents the way to receive the blessing of eternal life.
It is to accept Jesus Christ as Savior, revere God, and keep His law and commandments.
God will repay such person with His blessings according to what each person's done and sown as well as the blessing of eternal life.
He will not only reward him in Heaven, but also allow him enjoy abundant blessing.
Tonight's scripture tells us the way to enjoy all those blessings even on this earth.
It says, "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers."
It means, when your spirit and soul prosper, you can prosper in all respects and enjoy good health.
If you truly believe in this verse, you will put the top priority on making your spirit and soul prosper, won't you?
Today, many Christians ask God for blessings.
They ask for blessings they need during their lives on earth such as blessing of finance, good health, children, and so on.
But not many of them inquire about how to receive all those blessings, that is, the blessing of 'the soul's prosperity.'
Then, what does it mean that spirit and soul prosper?
In brief, it indicates the state where spirit controls soul and body as a master and they obey the spirit.
A man was originally created with spirit, soul, and body.
At first, Adam as a living being had spirit as a master, and his spirit governed his soul and body entirely.
But after Adam sinned, his spirit died and his soul began to act as a master, instead.
The soul in this case is ruled over by the enemy devil and Satan, the forces of darkness in this world.
In other words, the enemy devil and Satan stain the heart of men through their souls, and instigate them to follow the worldly desires.
As men are becoming stained with sins in that way, they suffer from all kinds of difficulties and hardship like tears, sorrow, pain, diseases, unhappiness, and death.
But God did not abandon them. He sent His one and only Son to the earth and opened the way for their spirit to revive.
The Holy Spirit enters the heart of anyone who accepts Jesus Christ as his Savior, and revive his dead spirit.
Even though the dead spirit is revived, however, that is not the end of the process!
The revived spirit must keep growing.
Even though the spirit is revived, the soul is still stronger than the spirit.
It is because the untruth, which is ruled by the enemy devil and Satan, takes up more in the heart.
Therefore, you should help the spirit grow up well once it is revived.
You can do so by diligently obeying the word of God and putting it into practice.
You have to live in the truth and the light following the desire and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Then, the fruits of the Holy Spirit will be borne in your heart and your spirit will keep growing.
Eventually the spirit will become stronger to defeat the soul that is governed by the enemy devil and Satan.
In other words, you will follow the heart of truth guided by the spirit, not the heart of untruth guided by the soul.
In the process, spirit and soul are sometimes in fierce stand-off since their powers are almost equaled.
The enemy devil and Satan instigates men's souls by any means possible in order to lead them to the world, to the darkness, and to lust again.
On the other hand, spirit guides them to follow the desire of the Holy Spirit and to come to light and truth.
During this battle between spirit and soul, you might sometimes fee 'weary'.
If you rely on the Holy Spirit who helps your weakness, muster up strength again to follow His desire, your spirit will eventually grow up enough to control and rule over your soul.
From then on, you will neither have inner conflict nor think Christian life is challenging.
It is because your soul and body will obey your spirit that only follows the desire of the Holy Spirit.
Then, you can lead your Christian life in peace.
Once your soul prospers in such a way, you will obey the voice and guidance of the Holy Spirit instantly.
Since the Holy Spirit knows everything, He will lead you to the most prosperous and blessed way.
A person guided by the Holy Spirit receives blessings in all respects no matter what he does and where he goes.
His business will be prosperous, or he will be recognized at his work; no matter what he does, he will be led to the way of prosperity.
As promised in Deuteronomy 28, he receives blessings when he comes in and goes out. He lends, not borrows and becomes the head, not the tail.
In addition, no diseases or infirmities can get into the one whose spirit and soul get along well.
Diseases cannot enter into his body because he doesn't commit sin which is the cause of the diseases.
Even if he gets sick through his own fault or carelessness, the diseases go away when he prays by faith.
When your soul prospers in this way, everything will go well with you and you will enjoy good health.
You have witnessed, heard, and experienced it during your Christian lives.
I myself am the evidence showing what kinds of blessing will come to a person whose soul prospers.
It applies not only to me but also to those who have come into spirit and whole spirit.
Even those who haven't yet entered spirit also have experienced blessings coming down upon them to the extent that their spirits and souls prosper.
Now, God the Father let me proclaim this prayer title, 'Blessing' in 2012 with the scripture saying 'in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.'
Here is the mysterious providence of God the Father.
In the year of 2012, our church as well as individual church members will receive blessings.
Of course, God the Father has given us the word of blessings before, but this prayer title, 'Blessing' carries a totally different meaning.
Since we have prepared proper vessels sufficient enough to receive blessings, all the blessings will be realized in this year 2012, and so God is telling us to ask for whatever we want.
God the Father has prepared blessings one by one for not just individual members but also the whole church.
That is, He has guided the members' spirits and souls to prosper.
It is because other blessings will follow automatically after they receive the blessing of their souls' prosperity.
That's why God has led the church members to become prosperous in spirit and soul since the start of the church. He worked, especially in 2010 and 2011, to let the members rapidly grow in faith and spirit.
When you commit sins leading to death, and befriend and love the world, you should not dare to receive God-given blessings.
No matter how much you give offerings to God or no matter how faithfully you work for the kingdom of God, you cannot ask for true blessings.
Psalm 66:18 says, "If I regard wickedness in my heart, The LORD will not hear."
Isaiah 59:1-2 also says, "Behold, the LORD's hand is not so short That it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull That it cannot hear. But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear."
As said, if you have wall of sin against God, He can neither listen to nor answer your prayers even though you may pray fervently and perform your duties in earnest.
To the contrary, Psalm 37:4 says, "Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Those whose spirit and soul prosper are loved by God and pleasing to Him.
If you have established such relationship with Him, He will fulfill your heart's desire.
1 John 3:21-22 says, "Beloved, if our heart does not condemn us, we have confidence before God; and whatever we ask we receive from Him, because we keep His commandments and do the things that are pleasing in His sight."
One with a prosperous spirit and soul keeps God's commandments and lives by the word of God.
Since he casts away all evil and sins from his heart, his heart doesn't condemn him.
He can have confidence before God and pray with God-given spiritual faith.
Jesus said in Mark 11:24, "Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted you."
You will receive whatever you ask including the blessings of finance, good health, and family.
Additionally, countless promises of God recorded in the Bible will be all yours.
God the Father set His providence and has worked for you so that you can come into such a level of faith.
In 2010, He gave you opportunities to repent and receive forgiveness. And in 2011, He led your spirit and soul to prosper quickly through the works of the aurora light.
Now many members came to have confidence and now pray with spiritual faith.
Even some members have come into the level of 'pleasing to God.'
Now it is very natural to see individual members receive blessings in 2012.
To the extent that soul prospers, blessings will follow in the New Year.
Even if you haven't yet come into spirit, you will come to have assurance seeing those whose souls get along well receiving blessings.
Then, as your spiritual growth has accelerated, the number of spiritual men who receive blessings will also increase.
Then, what will happen to our church when individual members receive blessings?
Of course, blessings will overflow.
As individual members' spirits and souls prosper in this way, the church will be able to fill up the measure of spirit enough to receive great blessings.
Just a few members who have come into spirit and whole spirit cannot lead the entire church to the blessings.
The members' average measure of faith should pass the standard that was set by God, and the number of men of spirit and of whole spirit should reach the number that was also set by God.
How quickly your faith grew up both in 2010 and 2011!
Now you have self-confidence that you can do it, and you make a firm resolution to come into spirit and whole spirit.
On such a rapid spiritual flow, many of you have experienced spiritual growth and now exceeded the standard God had established.
So we will see the blessings come and overflow in this church in 2012 just as God promised.
God the Father has given us this first prayer title of Year 2012 to let us glorify God greatly as we see the blessings run over both in members' lives and in the church.
So it is our prayer title, and at the same time it is the word of promise that God gives to us.
If your spirit and soul already prospered, ask God for what you want clinging to this message.
Also, ask Him to allow the church to see and touch the blessings.
May you reap and reap the fruit of blessings in this New Year, and give glory to God the Father as much as you want, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray!
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ.
It is important to lay a strong foundation when you build skyscrapers.
Once the foundation is strongly established, the ensuing processes won't take much time.
If you take the work of laying foundation lightly and finish the construction in haste, the building will not last long.
Likewise, God the Father also has prioritized the blessings of soul's getting along well in guiding this church.
In fact, since He is the master of all the heavens and earth, He could have given everything to us freely. He could have allowed us to build the sanctuary a long time ago.
Many other churches have built sanctuaries and received financial blessings, and yes, God the Father can give such things to us.
In fact, our church members' faith has surpassed the standard that can bring such blessing.
But God didn't allow it to happen.
He was not satisfied with the level of faith the church members had, and He has been waiting for the right time to give much greater blessings to us.
This is because His providence towards us is such great and amazing.
Numerous Manmin members should go to New Jerusalem and countless members should enter at least the third kingdom of heaven.
This is the best church where an incomparably great number of members should come forth as ones whose souls prosper.
In addition, pastors, church workers, and members of this church will build Canaan Sanctuary and Grand Sanctuary and greatly accomplish the world mission.
By achieving such works that no one else can do, the glory of God will be revealed to all over the world to the greatest and most amazing degree.
In order to achieve all those works, in His justice, God can't help but to set a high standard on the spiritual qualification of the church and the members.
So once our members reach the standard, He will pour down unimaginable blessings.
Through the blessings, God the Father will let us fulfill all His providence remarkably.
God the Father appointed the year of 2012 as the time of such blessings and has led us this far without the slightest error.
Now is the time. You and I, and all churches that belong to Manmin Central Church should bring down such blessings.
In this New Year, we will hear the news that members will receive blessing here and there.
And testimonies will flood everywhere.
You will not stop giving glory to God with joy and thanks.
May you be the one who can give such testimonies with joy and thanks, and enjoy the year of blessing, Year 2012, in the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ, I pray! |
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