Due to COVID-19 and disruption to international mail service
we have temporally suspended our ‘Free Print Book service’.
we have temporally suspended our ‘Free Print Book service’.
In the light of this situation we are not able to mail you the books at this time.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Pray that this pandemic will end soon and the resumption of the postal service.
Subject 18 : GENESIS
[Chapter 6-4] In These Last of Days Prepare for Your Salvation (Genesis 6:5-12)
(Genesis 6:5-12)
“Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, ‘I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.’ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God. And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.”
In today’s Scripture reading we read, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And the LORD was sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He was grieved in His heart. So the LORD said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast, creeping thing and birds of the air, for I am sorry that I have made them.” But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD” (Genesis 6:5-8). Noah begot three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, and he walked with God.
This Current Day and Age Is the Same as That of Noah’s Days
During the days of Noah, the whole earth was full of violence and corruption before God. That is why God decided to completely destroy everyone on this earth. He thus carried this judgment out. And as for this current world, God has decided to burn it up with fire instead of judging it with water. As it was in the past people were judged for their sins through the Deluge, but as for this current day and age, God told us that He would pass judgment with burning fire. Today, as it was during the days of Noah, this earth is again filled with violence. People’s hearts are completely corrupt now, as it was back then. During the days of Noah everyone was hopeless before God, and they were living as people who had deteriorated into very wicked beings. Because of this, God decided to wash away all these evil people from the face of the earth with the Deluge. We are also living in a day and age whose time is close at hand with the judgment of God, because the wickedness of man is great on the earth just like the days of Noah.
People were hopeless and in such spiritual chaos during Noah’s days that God said He could not just leave them alone without passing judgment on them. We have also come to realize that the number of people today seeking after God is small. This is due to the great sins in the hearts of people who are committing sinful acts here in Korea as well as all over the world. Only 10 years ago a good number of people liked to attend our meetings when we invited them through our gospel newspapers and our large placards advertising our revival meetings. But today, no matter how we do it, not many people respond, and seeing this we are able to find out just how quickly the heart thirst of people who are seeking after God has cooled down. Truly this is just what the Lord told us about in the last of days, “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12), things are turning out according to His Words. Though human acts may be lacking, we have to possess a heart that lives righteously before God, but it is heartbreaking to see that not even a heart like this exists anymore. Even those who are attending church regularly are just there to offer worship as pew warmers without knowing about the gospel of the water and the Spirit. It is truly heartbreaking. They are all worshipping God in vain, and we must know that God does not accept the worship of these sinners. The Lord told us clearly that the true born-again believers can see what type of tree it is by just looking at its fruit. We the believers in the righteousness of God can discern someone’s faith by just sharing a few words with that person.
People living in this world today have deteriorated in body and spirit, with the result that they are turning rapidly into hopeless beings before God. Germany was one of the origins of Protestantism. A famous reformer named Martin Luther came out of this country. He even wrote a famous hymn titled, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” because he received persecution from the medieval Catholic Church as it was running towards Ultramontanism. Of course, he was not a man who was born again by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, but due to the influence of such Reformists, Germany became a Christian nation.
But despite this and according to a reliable survey report, it is reported that nearly 60% of Germans do not believe in the resurrection of Jesus, approximately 80% do not believe in the fact that Jesus is God, and approximately 30% do not believe that Jesus was born through the Virgin Mary. So when looking at these facts, we can see that many Germans are non-believers.
The United States is a typical nation which was built on Puritanism. At inaugural ceremonies U.S. presidents normally pledge their oaths by laying their hands on the Bible. The number of Christians even in the United States, a huge country like this has decreased noticeably. Thankfully, it is reported that many Americans are returning back to the Lord after the tragedy of 9/11, but nevertheless Christians in the United States, like those in Europe are becoming older and their churches are becoming hollow and empty.
AIDS is currently rampant all over the world. It is a well-known fact that disorderly sexual conduct is fanning this epidemic. The world is in a deluge of pornography. Events of the last of days as mentioned in the Bible are coming true. It is said, “But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away!” (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Just as God destroyed sinful people during the days of Noah because their hearts and plans were always evil, so are the thoughts and plans of today’s people always evil. With the advancement of genetic engineering, cloned animals have started to appear on the scene. They think that they can even clone humans if they so wish. Thus, life is taken much more lightly with the thought pattern, “God the Creator does not exist,” is widely spreading. This is an age when human beings are becoming gods.
When we visit college campuses these days, we can see that student’s views on sex is that much different from ours, the older generation. It is an era where people consider a man and a woman to have free sexual relationships as they share the same room with the justification that they are cutting down on living expenses, and if anyone considers this a sin they are treated as an alien. For them, the Seventh Commandment, “Thou shall not commit adultery,” has no meaning at all. For them, adultery is not a sin, but rather it is just living faithfully in accordance with their natural instincts. They say that if one were to think lewdness as a sin, then that person would be regarded as someone who is out of date behind current modern culture. They have no regard for proper human relationships and do not even feel such a sin is a transgression before God. The fact is that people today don’t even have the slightest fear over the fact that they are destined for hell due to their sins. Modern people are only satisfied for the day so long as it was enjoyable.
This so-called new generation is a generation without a tomorrow and without a hope for the future. This new generation culture does not only exist here in Korea. It is widely spread throughout all the advanced countries as well. Their greatest concern is what to eat and what to drink comforting only the flesh, and if things should go well with them, they feel very fortunate. But if things go the other way, they sink into a deep depression, and then they just commit suicide so easily. The young of this world commit much suicide because they do not have a hope for the future.
Just like in Korea it is difficult to get employed with a college degree. These days it is said that starting a business with money set aside for college tuition is that much better. Even if one were to graduate from a college, that person would not be able to get a job. The nation is on a downward slide; how can any factory keep its operation going? Therefore their greatest concern is all about seeking a good job, and not about spiritual matters. Neither campus culture nor religion is alive amongst college students. Christianity had flourished for about 300-400 years in Europe, and then it subsided. Even here in Korea where the Christian population increased so explosively that it was once called the Jerusalem of the Orient with just little more than 100 years of Christian history, young people are leaving church in droves and the total number of Christians in Korea is decreasing noticeably. As I preach the gospel throughout the world there is no desire in the hearts of people who are seeking after God and to live properly.
People of this world are becoming ruined in body and spirit. It means that not only in the realm of the flesh but their spiritual realm has already turned into ruins. As we reflect on the 20th century, we can see how science has advanced highly, but it is safe to say that the morals and spiritual culture has digressed instead. With the appearance of computers in the latter half of the 20th century, the realm of the mind and the spirit in human society has retreated greatly and hedonism has become dominant, willing to pass away just having sought after the joys of the flesh. Modern people do not mind what will happen to this world. With the exception of a few strong nations, all countries are moving back towards materialism and spiritual destitution. Therefore we must remember that the last day is near even though the whole world has been living and eating well up until now. So with this in mind, when the righteous have finished spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit all over the world, this world will come to an end.
Are there any young people with a conscience even in Korea? These days college students do not even hold demonstrations anymore. Today, all over the world everyone including college students, people of religion, scientists and housewives have one life ambition and that is, to become an overnight millionaire and everyone goes on living without any conscience. “Until death, I will live and eat well.” This is the objective of people today. This is the orientation of people who are currently living in this world.
It is written that people had corrupted their ways on the earth during the days of Noah, and it is exactly the same today. This world, which does not regard transgressions as sins despite being full of them, does not beckon a bright future. Where can one have a bright future be in this world? Fearing that riots would rise up if they were to say the end of the world is nearing, leaders of this world are engrossed in keeping political power and settling down people of the world with lies. Our true future lies only in having faith in Christ.
Noah’s Father Was Lamech, and Lamech’s Father Was Methuselah
The meaning of the name Methuselah is “a man of dart,” and he was someone who had accurately perceived the times and pointed out that the world would surely be destroyed. Methuselah’s son was Lamech and Lamech’s son was Noah. And in the year when Noah turned 600 the judgment of God fell upon the earth. God poured water onto the world and killed every living thing. The world was completely destroyed once back then, but now in this day and age it will again be destroyed.
Then one could ask, “If this be so, when will the end of world come?” But God did not speak about the exact time or date of this pending destruction. God only told us that He will destroy this world when people’s acts are corrupt, are violent, their plans and hearts are evil, and so we see just how this world has become so full of sin, just like the days of Noah. In short, God will destroy this world when wickedness is great in this world.
Therefore Christians have to now collect their thoughts, and listen intensively to the Word of God and believe in the blessing of being born again by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Christians today believe in Jesus, but no single book on the gospel of the water and the Spirit could be found amongst them. Even if I were to look for it with my eyes wide open, it could not be found. Thus, the thoughts and plans of people’s hearts are only becoming more evil continually. Pastors who have as yet not been born again and who are fearful of loosing their church members say that we who believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are wrong; but in fact they are wrong. Do they know the gospel of the water and the Spirit? No, they don’t. Could they preach to their congregations a sermon entirely on the gospel of the water and the Spirit? Because they do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they cannot possibly teach it to their congregation at all. You don’t know just how spiritually ignorant they all are. Because they do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they cannot preach or teach it, and furthermore cannot know the righteousness of God. Yet despite this inside their churches they are just confusing people’s thoughts with all sorts of false doctrines so as to gather up their tithes and monetary donations of thanks.
We today were able to receive the true salvation by being cleansed from all our sins by knowing and believing in the righteousness of God which is manifested in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. During the days of Noah God wiped out every corrupt person with the Great Deluge, and because this period we are living in is also like that, everyone must now believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
It is written, “Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” The salvation that God gave Noah was the gift of salvation that He had unilaterally made for him. If someone found money or a large diamond whilst walking on a road, they would say that it’s a windfall. Likewise, Noah received a tremendous windfall when he found grace in the eyes of God. Noah was a man who lived among fleshly people in a world who were filled with evil. Yet despite this, God gave Noah this gift of salvation. This is the grace of God. Having found grace of salvation in the eyes of God, Noah became a perfect person before God. Noah’s eight family members also received salvation and became the ancestors of the human race in this world. In this day and age, you and I are also those who have found this grace of salvation by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, just like Noah. How corrupt and violent has this world become? It is so unspeakably evil that the powerful kills the weak with reckless abandon.
When Korea experienced financial hardship, many people swindled the others because of the lack of money. During this time those with money were more oppressive. As the saying goes, money begets more money; this is exactly like the current period we are living in. In this world the rich makes more money and the powerful become the exploiters and dominate the weak. The wealthy help the poor only with words, but in reality, they are making a commotion just seeking after profit. As this world draws closer to its end, such things will become more and more apparent. Because people’s thoughts and hearts intent become only evil continually and because they resist the gospel of the water and the Spirit and not believing in it, God will be wiping out this world with fire. And so in the end, this world will suffer total destruction, and a new world which God has prepared will come about.
This current age is the age of the black horse. In just a few more years a shortage of food will become apparent all over the world. Worldwide famine is something prophesied in the Bible. Actually, the world-wide food reserve is in a noticeable decline. In other words, it means that if a world-wide famine should occur just for one year, the whole world will fall into a state of starvation. Still, because meteorological anomaly is accelerating due to the unyielding El Niño, world-wide famine and food shortages are already imminent calamities. You and I are living with such times ahead of us. During these times, people with power will take away things from the weak so as to gain more power. When the earth is filled with violence like this, it will inevitably suffer its destruction. When the strong and the weak become corrupt in this world like this, God will pass judgment on the world. These current times are no different from the times of Noah. We must realize that we are actually living in the days of Noah.
All cultures in this world are deteriorating into a sinful state. Just as a river flows into the sea, if people get caught up in this strong current of sin of this world, no matter how much they try to resist being swept away; they will all be swept away in the end. If the current of this world is sin, who is there who can resist this sinful current and lead a sacred life? Only the righteous can resist just for a while, but everyone else cannot but drown in worldly things and be swept away absent-mindedly. And so everyone like this will suffer destruction before God.
God will first wipe out this second world with fire when our Lord returns to this earth. By faith we are currently looking into the future for things to come about, such as famines, earthquakes, the plagues of the great tribulation, wars, martyrdom, receiving of the mark of the beast, and so on. Until now we have not really worried about food for the flesh, but I think it is time for us to starting doing so. In truth, we should already have prepared for the food of the flesh. Of course, if God were to give us famine as to wipe out everyone from the face of the earth, we would not be able to escape it.
Human history can be divided into 4 eras: The first is the era of the white horse, that is, the days of salvation when people receive salvation through the true gospel. The next is the era of the fiery red horse, that is, the age of ideological conflict. After that it is the era of the black horse, that is, the age of famine. And the next era is the age of the pale horse, that is, the time when the antichrist appears and rules over this world (Revelations 6:1-8). I believe that before this generation passes away eternal destruction will come upon this world and the new Kingdom of God will be realized.
The first two eras have already passed, and soon the next two eras of the days of tribulation will be upon us. During the days of tribulation we will be forced to receive the mark of the beast, and at that time many righteous people will die for their faith. And the Lord will destroy this world with seven bowls of wrath and then He will return. Do you think the Words written in the Bible are merely fictions? Dear fellow believers, do you think that dying of hunger due to the lack of food in the future is some light jest? Such an event can occur in just a short period of time. If God were to drop it like a bomb, it can happen all at once.
We are currently living in a time which is unstable like this, but you and I have received salvation from all our sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, although in such a perilous time. The salvation God gave us did not come to us by our deeds. But thanks to the righteousness of God we have received salvation by faith. We could not receive our salvation from sin by believing only in the blood of the Cross, but we have received salvation by having faith in both the water and the blood; the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Most Christians think that they can become ‘the righteous’ by just believing in the blood of the Cross and offering prayers of repentance. But in truth, they cannot become the righteous with such faith. The only way for us to be saved is to believe in both the water and the blood; the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
Noah Received the Grace of Salvation from God and Was Called Perfect in His Generations
God made Noah a just man before Him by perfectly remitting away all his sins. So Noah became a servant of God who preached His Word. All his family members also received the remission of their sins by believing in God. Just like Noah you and I also have received the grace of salvation from all our sins. We have received the gift of salvation by the grace of God. If we believe only in the blood of the Cross leaving out the baptism that Jesus received from John the Baptist, we cannot but remain sinners and cannot be clothed in the grace of salvation. Because people do not know the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they will fall into destruction even though they believe in Jesus as their Savior. Believing only in the blood of the Cross and not in the gospel of the water and the Spirit given to us by Jesus is not putting on the grace of salvation from God. Is the God-given gift of salvation something that takes away only our original sins, and then we have to offer up our prayers of repentance everyday to receive the remission of our sins? That is like being covered with sin while trying to receive the remission of sin by believing in Jesus.
We must receive the grace of salvation from God. What would happen to us if we do not receive the grace of salvation from Jehovah God? So at a time like this we are holding revival meetings to preach the gospel, and in these meetings is a special opportunity for people to hear the Word of God and receive the remission of their sins. But sadly because people do not believe, they are falling into destruction.
You and I who have received the remission of our sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit are the ones who have received the true salvation. In a world soon to be destroyed we are the ones who have received the true salvation. Do you realize what a great gift of God it is for us to have received salvation from all our sins by having faith in the righteousness of God? Do you know how great it is to receive salvation from a world that deserves only destruction? If this world gets destroyed after 10 years, you would then be able to experience just how great it is for you and me to have received salvation. The gospel of the water and the Spirit is the gift of the remission of sins given to us by God.
You and I cannot receive salvation from any one of our sins just through our virtuous deeds. We must know the Truth that came by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. If it was not for the faith of believing in the gospel Word of the water and the Spirit in this day and age, who would be able to receive salvation from their sins? Do you have the confidence to receive salvation with your own virtuous deeds? We became the righteous before God by receiving this great gift of salvation. In a short while this world will disappear. Currently this world is moving speedily towards the highest peak of its abominable cruelty, and the fact that we have received salvation from our sins means that we have been saved from destruction. See how evil people are. If you look at things that are happening in this world right now, you will be able to see just how severe violence has become. This current agony is nothing. As this year passes by, violence will increase in its severity next year.
When people’s wicked hearts and thoughts have reached its highest peak, God will pass His judgment over this world. Where can we find ‘real faith’ in all the worldly churches today? The churches of this world are like business firms of the world. There is no distinction to them. When new souls come in they try to secure those souls for their church, and then they go about frantically trying to collect tithes and donations from them. Is this not a business firm of the world rather than a church? Churches of this world that do not belong to the Church of God are firms extracting money from their congregations under the pretense of Jesus Christ. Christian leaders all over the world are running a fleshly business on the pretext of the Word of God.
Therefore Jesus told us that a church that does not believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit is a place where bodies and souls are being sold as merchandise (Revelation 18:13). Such places are not the Church of God but a gathering of worldly merchants. Even in this day and age, there are a great many church leaders who are trying to extract money from their congregation. They make sales under the pretense of the name of God, and those who attend church without being born again are all going there for the purpose of benefiting their own flesh. That is why they prefer a large church with many members. These people make it clear what sort of business they have and where it is on the envelope of the donation of thanks. For example, someone places a donation envelope with the words, “So and so deacon’s whatever business 1 year anniversary donation of thanks,” on top of the pulpit. Then the pastor seeing this, calls out the name of that donor, and advertises to the congregation that they should support that deacon’s business by purchasing his products. This method of advertising has a hundred times more effect than any other method of advertising.
These liars and those being lied to are all pursuing their own greed. Those being lied to by these false prophets are all the same. Despite knowing it all they deceive and allow themselves to be deceived. It is not the case that one’s flesh gets healthy just because that person believes in Jesus, and it also is not the case that wealth is gained just by believing in Jesus. Only when one believes in Jesus who came by the gospel of the water and the Spirit does God become their Father; and only when one lives by faith does God pour the spiritual blessings as well as the fleshly blessings onto that person. What sort of blessing can God give to a sinner? We should know that nothing will be given to any Christian sinner except for curses. Yet despite this there are many false prophets who are swindling their congregations out of their hard earned money. Those who teach like this, have swindled so much spiritually that they feel filled in their stomach. Truly, would such people share their food with their church members who are in hunger? For these types of people God has prepared a burning hell; God has prepared hell for those who stand against Him; He made it in order to lock up those who have acted as the servants of the Devil.
As we go on living in this world, we the righteous may not be in the forefront of this wicked world but we do follow it slowly from behind. As the end of the world comes closer, it gets filled with wickedness, and in such a place, the righteous may not always be safe. Even the righteous can be swept away by the currents of the world. The only difference is that the righteous are not in the lead or in front but following the world from far behind. Do you think a person is special just because they are a righteous person? It is all because this world is destined for its destruction. You and I are those who have received the grace of God, and even though we do not want to live along side this world, because the currents of the world is so strong, we are apt to be swept away by it. If we were to put down our guard by saying, “It is possible to just go on living like this,” then we would be standing in the forefront of this wicked world. But knowing this we must not do so.
Also, what we must bear in mind as we go on living in these ends of days is that we must not distrust our spiritual leaders. If we should do this then destruction will come sooner. In the Bible it is said, if you want to remove the speck from another’s eye, you must first remove the plank in your own eye. Those who are without faith always will provoke a quarrel with others on their shortcomings. For example, Noah drank the wine which was made from what he had gathered up from his vineyard and lay naked in his tent to take a nap. On seeing this, his second son Ham, disparaged his father and started to spread rumors all over the neighborhood. And soon as a result of this, this son ended up being cursed by his own father, who was the spiritual leader at that time. When the weather becomes hot and humid, it is possible for anyone to sleep naked inside their own homes. He should have just said, “My father must be feeling very hot to sleep so cool like that.” How could that be a blemish and a bad rumor to spread? We would also undress and wash ourselves in a stream when it gets very hot, so how could his father by doing this cause a blemish?
Dear fellow believers, you must believe in the fact that what God speaks through His servants will be realized as is. We must believe in the Word of God completely. It is useless if you believe in just some of the Words but not in others. When you believe another godly person, you should trust that person what he says completely and thoroughly.
You and I have put on the grace of God. The grace of salvation we have received is truly something exceedingly great. This is a gift of God. There is no other gift greater than this. Inside the salvation we have received, there is everlasting life, the way to become God’s children, the resurrection, the Kingdom of God, and everything precious. This is what we have received from God.
Even though we are living in this evil world, we have nevertheless found the grace of salvation in the eyes of God. Just as Noah had built the ark after having received the grace of salvation, we have also received this grace of salvation just like him and guide people to the Church of God. Noah built the ark for one hundred years and invited people in so that they could live inside it, but no one listened or came in except for Noah’s family. It is possible to see just how hardened people’s hearts had become. At least, shouldn’t all of Noah’s close friends have entered the ark?
“My dear friend Noah, in this perfectly fine world, why are you going mad like this all by yourself. Don’t you know people are pointing fingers at you?” Like this, his friends must have advised him to quit making the ark. But despite this even when Noah was still building the ark after 10 years and even after 50 years, some of his friends must have said to him, “You are such a stubborn man. Let us hear what you have to say.” Just then Noah must have told them, “God told me clearly that He will kill all living things that breathe in this world with water, even including the last of all the worms.” Then his friends must have asked, “Your faith is truly great. To do just one type of work for a year is tedious enough, yet how are you able to build this ark for such a long period of time?” Being a friend wouldn’t Noah have advised his friends, saying, “I will send you a notice one week prior to the beginning of the Great Deluge. Please come back then, do you understand?”? If that had been so, at least one of his friends must have come inside one week prior to the judgment by water, but the fact remains that no one had come in.
At that time God was going to kill all humankind, but the Bible tells us that Noah found grace of salvation in the eyes of God. Was Noah special? Was he especially greater than any other person in his days? Noah was exactly the same as all the other people of his generation. But Noah believed that God had saved him from all his sins. God told Noah, “I have decided to destroy this world, and you will also have no choice but to die because of your sins. But, if you believe in My righteousness, you will live.”
Noah’s ancestry reads like this: Lamech was his father, Methuselah was his grandfather; and if we were to trace further up the line, we will find Adam and Eve. Noah had inherited his faith from his ancestors. Although it was such a corrupt world, Noah had the same faith as that of his ancestors. Although Noah was lacking and insufficient, God nevertheless gave him the faith of believing in the gospel of salvation, by granting him grace, and entrusted him with His work.
Dear fellow believers, do you have something to boast about in body or in spirit? This world is rushing toward its end; but despite this will you not do the work of God while living amongst this sin? We mustn’t become boastful like this. We must rather receive the remission of our sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and we must share our hearts in the work of spreading this gospel. Those who do not share in the work of God while believing in the true gospel are the wicked, and God will deal severely with these wicked people. In the Bible we will find such wicked persons who did not work for the gospel despite having received the remission of their sins. That wicked person who received one talent will be cast out into outer darkness and appointed to his or her portion with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:51).
The Lord said, “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet that was cast into the sea and gathered some of every kind, which, when it was full, they drew to shore; and they sat down and gathered the good into vessels, but threw the bad away. So it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come forth, separate the wicked from among the just, and cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matthew 13:47-50).
God will separate the wicked from among the righteous. If one were to go against the righteous whilst claiming to be without sin and do the work that has nothing to do with the spreading of the true gospel of God, God will surely cut him or her down and cast them into the fire. Thinking that the Lord is late in coming, and if one were to drink alcohol and beat his servants; we are told in the Gospel of Matthew that this wicked person will be appointed in his or her portion with the hypocrites. It means that such a person will suffer the same punishment as that of a sinner.
Because we are also human beings, we seek all things that common people would naturally desire. And because the Word of God says to those who go on living without any concern in serving this gospel despite claiming to believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit by saying, “Appoint such a person in his portion with the hypocrites and cast him out into outer darkness,” I know that this would happen to me if I were to live only for myself. That is why I go on living for the gospel, not wanting to become such a wicked person as mentioned in this parable.
The righteous are the righteous. Sinners are sinners. And God’s workers are His workers. The righteous cannot become sinners due to their lacking. If you were to keep your faith in your heart, to serve the Lord despite your lacking, and preach what God has entrusted to you, then you are a worker of God. Providing the chance for all people to know the gospel of the water and the Spirit is ‘the work’ that has to be carried out by all the workers and the servants of God as well as by all the people of God. We are not those who gather up people for the sole purpose of exploiting money from them, but rather, we are those who go on spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit by obeying the will of God.
We the righteous are now living in a world full of corruption and violence. In this day and age, we who are in the grace just like Noah will pass away after having carried out the work of God faithfully. Regardless of what happens to this world, all we have to do is to carry out God’s work, and then we will go to the Lord when we are called home.
We must believe in the words spoken by the servant of God ‘as is’ and do the work of the gospel. We must completely believe in the Word of God that the servants of God have preached by faith. We mustn’t say this and that about what we see in the private lives of the servants of God. When the children of Israel were about to enter the land of Canaan, God told them to follow behind the priests who were bearing the ark of the covenant with about two thousand cubits by measure behind, that is, about 1 kilometer between them (Joshua 3:4). This was because the priest’s trespasses of the flesh are difficult to see from a distance of 1 kilometer away. Also when the trespasses of the servants of God would show itself you must first reflect on yourselves. Your faith will grow well when you realize you are worse off than them.
And, we must go on living with the faith of believing in the righteousness of God. As the last of days draws closer, we must do the work of God even more. Right now, the 20th century is behind us, and we have greeted the 21st century. There is not much time left for us to do the work of God, and not many days left over for us to gather like this to worship God.
When the era of the pale horse arrives, the Antichrist will make his appearance, and he will kill anybody who gather together and mentioning just the ‘J’ in the word in Jesus’. And if one were to not receive the mark of the beast, he will not supply water, electricity, and everything which is so indispensable to us the true believers. If one were to go around shouting, “I do not believe in Jesus,” then because the devil already knows you, it would be of no use. When that time arrives, great persecution and suffering will await us, and we must stand up to that terrible time for just a short while. Do not be afraid of death in these days of tribulation. When death should come to us, to die serenely is to do well. It is pathetic to die in a servile manner after having made a useless struggle to live when death should inevitably come. In the near future, Jesus will surely come again and at that moment, the righteous who had participated in the first resurrection will receive the glorious everlasting life. Those who have as yet not been born again will receive God’s judgment as the partakers of the second resurrection.
Just as Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah God, you and I have also found grace in Him. Do not think about anything else. To accuse oneself by saying, “My spiritual level is a low one,” is a completely useless thought. During the last of these days regardless of what may come, we should obey the command of the Lord by continuing to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit to the ends of the earth, and be loyal to the work of serving Jesus. All we can do is to pass away after devoting ourselves to this just work.
All a runner has to do is to just keep on running, and then to rush towards the finish line by using all one’s strength as the finish line draws nearer. Whether you come in first place or in last place, all you have to do is to do your best in your work. This is what we must do. In the last days we Christians must spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit with all our might and strength so that all the people of the world might know and believe. That is why we continue to do the work of spreading the gospel Words of the water and the Spirit to all the peoples of this world by distributing not only our paper books but also our electronic books through the internet.
There must be a distinction between the Church of God and the churches of this world. Just as companies try to make products that are discernable, the Church of God must be distinctive and different. God’s Church is truly different from the churches of this world. I don’t know about anything else, but the Church of God helps every sinner to be born again by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. If we were to live for the gospel of God and to live by faith, God will surely give us our daily bread. Worldly Christians say that if a person believes in Jesus, there will be food. But the Bible tells us that God does not hear the prayers of sinners (Isaiah 59:1-2). God helps only the born-again saints when they are in need of some help while carrying out the work of God. If you do not do the work of God even after having received the remission of your sins, God will say to you, “I do not know you.” Do you know how fair and just is the Lord?
In the past, whenever people should pass by, I would always gaze at them. Just then, they would say, “What is wrong?” Then I would answer, “Do you have sins?” Then most people would run away in surprise, but from time to time, some would hear my words, receive the remission of their sins, and be joyful. There were occasions when a person had bought me a lunch in gratitude. There were times when three to four people a day had received the remission of sins. The work of spreading the righteousness of God is so good that I can never get enough of it, no matter how much I spread it. Because I was spreading the gospel that contains the righteousness of God like that, God was pleased.
Dear fellow believers, you must serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit. There is nothing more precious than serving this gospel. If one were to preach the gospel one or two hours a day, souls will get saved. And there is no comparison between that and earning some money by working all day long. If you do the work of the gospel, God will allow you to earn much more money. I can vouch for the truth of this teaching. However, if you were to earn money and spent it only for your flesh, not in service of the gospel, God will only give you just enough for you to eat. If you serve the gospel, the Lord will provide you abundantly with material things, allowing your flesh to be partakers of this wealth.
Whatever the case, we must realize that we are those who have found great grace in the eyes of God, just like Noah. Just as Noah had built the ark by following the Word of God, even though it took him 100 years, we must go on living serving the gospel by drawing strength from the Word of God. We must believe in the righteousness of God and partake in the good work of spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit.
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