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 Sermon > Official Service |
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Title |
Thanksgiving - Feast of Harvest Sunday Morning Service |
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Speaker |
Rev. Jaerock Lee |
Bible |
Deuteronomy 32: 10 |
Date |
2013-07-07 |
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Passage
[Deuteronomy 32: 10]
"He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye."
Today is the Feast of Harvest Sunday.
When Israel headed towards Canaan Land after the Exodus, God commanded them in the wilderness as follows:
In Exodus 23:16, He said, "Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field."
He told them to observe the harvest of the wheat, which is the first fruit among other harvests of the year, after they went into the Canaan Land.
It was so that they could remember the fruit was given to them by God.
From today's reading passage Deuteronomy 32:10, we can understand that it was God who protected the people of Israel in the wilderness and guided them to the Canaan Land and blessed them.
It says, "He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of a wilderness; He encircled him, He cared for him, He guarded him as the pupil of His eye."
Today, we are also living in a world that is like wilderness, both spiritually and physically.
The unbelievers are suffering from the famine of being unable to hear the word of God.
It is increasingly more difficult to find the word of God which is the truth, and instead, the world is full of unrighteousness and lawlessness.
The world has become very harsh and fearful.
The world has become spiritually desolate, and physically there are increasingly more natural disasters and so many diseases as well.
However, think back over the last six months since the New Year's service.
We were protected even in this kind of dangerous world.
Furthermore, we have been receiving so many blessings.
And who is the One who is giving us such blessing?
It is God the Trinity.
At this time, on this Feast of Harvest Sunday, let us think about three conditions of thanksgiving.
I hope you will offer up to God a spiritual sacrifice for Him being with us and protecting us in the first half of the year.
Psalm 50:23 first part says, "He who offers a sacrifice of thanksgiving honors Me; and to him who orders his way aright I shall show the salvation of God."
I urge you in the name of the Lord that you should pay God back for His grace by honoring Him with your thanksgiving.
Main
Dear brothers and sisters, and viewing audiences,
First, I hope you will give thanks to God for giving us abundant grace without ceasing.
What is grace?
One of the dictionary definitions says it is 'a favor rendered by one who need not do so'.
It is also true in the Lord.
Grace is not given because we did something well. It is a free gift from God.
God always thinks about what His children will need.
Just like a good shepherd would take care of the flock day and night and all throughout the year, God watches over our conditions.
A good shepherd would feed the flock diligently, so they wouldn't starve.
In order to do that, he constantly looks for green pastures and quiet waters.
After the sunset, he brings the flock inside a fenced area and keeps them all-night from ferocious animals.
In the same way, God the Father has been constantly providing with us our necessities and protecting us both in spirit and body.
Especially, He has been overflowingly supplying us with the word of God, which is the bread and water of life.
We are now in a generation when people are thirsty and hungry for the word of God because they distance themselves from it or because they don't understand the meaning of God's word.
What kinds of words are the messages given to this church?
It is the word that clearly shows us the way of salvation.
It is the word that makes our souls prosper, so that we will prosper in all things and be in good health.
Many of you church members are the witnesses.
Most of you came to this church when you were spiritually very mal-nourished, but you were changed being supplied with the bread and water of life.
Now you have become like fat rams and you confess as follows:
"I now have the assurance of salvation!"
"I have a clear goal in life, and I don't have to wander around anymore."
"Ever since I began to live by the word of God, all my family members have been healed of sicknesses and have been blessed."
As above, the word of life will restore the soul and makes our spirit healthy.
Not just the words of hope that tell us about Heaven, but also the words that point out our sins and penetrate the sinful natures deep in our hearts will restore our soul, if they have life in it.
They will also make us rich.
Nowadays, you are supplied with such words of grace not just from main worship services but also in other cell or small group meetings.
Many leaders have entered onto the rock of faith and others have entered into spirit. They are delivering the words that cause changes and give life.
Of course, the word of God itself has the power, but according to the level of faith of the preacher, the magnitude of the power will be different.
Through the word that is being supplied to you, you receive grace and are given the solutions to problems, and you are changed and receive answers to your heart's desires.
In this church, there are also works of God's power along with the words of life that are supplied abundantly.
By listening to the word, you learn the ways for your soul to prosper. And your faith grows up so that you can practice the word you heard. But for you to receive an answer from God you still have to fulfill the measure of justice.
The greater the answer you are seeking, the greater the measure of justice you have to fulfill.
And yet, so many of you are receiving so many kinds of answers from God.
This is not only because you clearly understand the way to receive answers, but because the measure of justice is already filled up so that you can receive an answer by just doing one tenth of the requirement.
This is the space of the shepherd.
As the shepherd in charge of the flock in this church, I tried to fill up the measure of justice so that none of you will be weak.
As a result, God has allowed for us such special grace.
Nevertheless, some of you did not even have an assurance of faith because you did not even have faith as small as a mustard seed, and so, you were suffering from various problems.
So, I had to ask God for greater power so that even such souls as these could receive salvation and receive answers to problems.
God the Father gave me increasingly greater power day by day, and even the power to break one's freewill.
They are the gifts of God given to this church, which are the original light and original voice.
Through the original light and voice, many of those who were going the way of death turned around.
During the 3-months suspension period, many pastors, Levites, and members demolished their walls of sins.
And in this flow, many of those who stopped attending church came back, too.
Namely, your parents, husbands, and children came back to the side of God.
Also, those who were befriending the world cut off the worldly things and began to live in the truth.
Just in this year alone, there were so many testimonies.
Many of you said you could quit drinking, smoking, computer games, and television very easily.
You said that you could let go of the worldly things very easily, which you could not cut off by your own strength, and now your hearts are filled with hope of Heaven.
Also, many of you have received the answers to the desires of your hearts, which were not easy to receive at all.
In some families the unbelieving family members began to attend church immediately after the original voice was given forth.
And there are always so many testimonies of healing of diseases.
Also, you are hearing from many people that they are receiving financial blessings, too.
Above all, you came to hate flesh and long for spirit from the depth of your hearts, and for this I am so thankful and happy.
As above, the word of life and the power of God that are constantly supplied to this church, are leading you to the way of life and peace and to New Jerusalem, like two wheels of a towing truck.
Psalm 144:3 says, "O LORD, what is man, that You take knowledge of him? Or the son of man, that You think of him?" It is really true.
What are we that God is giving us such abundant grace without ceasing?
Let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who is continually giving us overflowing grace day and night, and even at every hour, minute, and second.
Brothers and sisters, and viewing audiences,
Secondly, give thanks to God for giving you the measures of faith.
In Ezekiel 47, we see a messenger of God measuring the faith.
The messenger of God went out toward the east with a line in his hand; he measured a thousand cubits, and let Ezekiel through the water.
The water reached the ankles, knees, and then waist, and it became a river that could not be forded.
This symbolizes that the measure of our faith is measured with the water, which is the word of God.
Through the Sunday morning services, your faith is being checked as to whether or not you really have the faith to receive salvation.
Also, through the power of the Holy Spirit who searches even the deep things of God, God has given you the measures of your faith.
Especially, through the leadership conferences each year, He has been teaching us in detail about why you cannot stand on the rock of faith, why you cannot go into spirit, and why the growth of your faith slows down after going into spirit.
For the faith of many of you is measured, many others are challenged to give a spurt in their race of faith.
There were people who were not participating in the race of faith. They were just watching the flow of spirit, but they also came to be awakened and are now running towards Heaven.
You have the longing for your measure of faith to be checked, and it has set your faith ablaze.
It has become the driving force to change you.
Of course, not all of you have received the exact measure of faith in numeric figures.
And I believe there are none of you who have given up on yourselves thinking you no longer have anything to do with this flow of spirit.
When people around you receive the measure of faith, if you check your own faith by reflecting yourself upon those people, then God will give you the same kind of grace.
Namely, He will let you realize yourself and change yourself to make your faith grow up.
Since the measuring of each one's faith began, you now obey the words that are preached from the altar.
You cut off certain things and do certain things obeying the messages preached.
Also, those who were not learning the Word of God are now diligently learning it.
Those who were not praying before, those who prayed continually and then ceased to pray, and those who were praying in meaningless repetitions are now praying with all their hearts without ceasing.
Those who were not faithful, long for God-given duties and work hard for the Lord now.
Meanwhile, many of you changed in a way that you now love God and are loved by God.
You feel the happiness and peace that you never felt before. You are living each day in joy having hope of Heaven.
Even if you have not received the measure of faith, you feel the love of God deep in your heart, so you are happy as if you owned the whole world.
Furthermore, problems that have not been solved for a long time are now resolved, and you receive blessings. So, you are so happy just being able to lead a life in faith.
These things are what you do when you receive the measurement of your faith.
This is also the real reason why God is measuring your measures of faith.
Is there anyone among you who is discouraged because you did not receive the measure? Or you did receive it but are you disheartened because you didn't get as much as you expected?
Doing so is not the desirable reaction that you can show in this opportunity God has given to check the measure of faith
God the Father is giving us the measure of faith in order that we will also increase our faith and take hold of better heavenly dwelling places.
For everyone who believes in the love of God the Father for all of us, God will give us the measures of faith in various ways.
He lets us check our faith through the words of God or the works of the Holy Spirit.
Also, He delicately lets us realize what we lack and what we have to cast off and what we have to fill.
If you believe in this love and constantly store up deeds of faith, your faith will surely grow up.
You will soon stand on the rock of faith and be able to lead a life of faith in happiness without a change of attitude in any situation.
You will rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances while running towards spirit.
This way, you will eventually go into spirit.
Even if you have not received the exact number in the measure of faith, you can quite accurately measure your faith.
It's because you will have spiritual light to the extent that your faith grows up.
This light will shine on not just the brothers in faith, but also for the unbelievers in the world.
I hope you will always check your faith in your life through such fruits.
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
How thankful we should be that our measures of faith are being checked now and not at the Great White Throne Judgment !
Therefore, I hope you will keep marching on with thankfulness whenever God checks your measure of faith in various ways.
Revelation 22:14 says, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city."
Brothers and sisters, viewing audiences,
Thirdly, give thanks to God for showing us so many evidences of His love.
Harboring love in the heart and expressing it with words and actions are quite different.
God the Father has been expressing His love towards us continuously.
He showed and proved His truthful love by giving over His only begotten Son on the cross.
He is showing His love continually still today.
He is constantly showing us the beautiful spiritual realm, which He has prepared with His love for us.
For example, what do you feel seeing the original light, the aurora-like lights?
Seeing the beautiful colors and different shapes, I feel the beauty of Heaven, but above all, I feel the love of God the Father.
For example, when He shows to us rings, heart shapes, or flowers, or when He shows us New Jerusalem, spiritual bodies, and angels, I deeply feel His love who desires to lead us to New Jerusalem so much.
Also, through an unprecedented event, the separation of spirit, God let us feel the spiritual realm as if we ourselves had been there.
This was a miracle that was manifested through His earnest love, for He does not want His children to go to Hell but to come into Heaven.
On my birthday, through the sketches that the angels drew at many places in the church, we could see the Lord, the patriarchs, angels, and shapes of you and me even without the spiritual eyes being opened.
Also, for those who have been praying for their spiritual eyes to open, their spiritual eyes are being opened since that day.
Now you know very well.
All these things were not done just like that. You know that they were the fruits of the sacrifice and dedication of your shepherd.
I am just so thankful that I can deliver to you the love of God the Father.
Let us give all thanks and our love to God the Father who is leading us to New Jerusalem by showing us such great love.
Conclusion
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and viewing audiences,
What kind of attitude of mind have you had living each day of your life for the past half year?
Have you spent each hour, each minute, and each second looking for conditions of thanksgiving in faith, hope and love?
Or have you spoken words of complaints and resentment saying God has given you nothing?
While I have been going through the harsh spiritual trainings, I've been counting the number of days.
And I finished each day with a prayer of thanksgiving for I believe that each of days would surely be borne as precious fruits.
I hope you will also give thanks at all times too. In that way there will be more conditions of thanksgiving in your life.
Remember the grace that God has given you so far. Feel His love that is being poured out at every hour, minute, and second, so that you can offer up greater aroma of thanksgiving during the remainder of this year.
I pray in the name of the Lord who is the origin of life that, in doing so, you will bear beautiful and abundant fruits at the end of this year. |
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