Shincheonji Bible: Faith in what We Cannot See

Today we live in a society where we have a tendency to only believe in what we can see. Some instances of this case are exemplified in the belief that the world is flat. Other examples can be seen from couple hundred years ago before we had a microscope to see the bacteria and viruses that make us sick. Many actually thought bacteria and viruses were the unseen evil spirits that plagued the people. Now the reason we believe that bacteria and viruses exist is because we can see them through a microscope. However, does this actually mean we can only believe in the things we can see with our physical eyes? What about the people who are blind? How do they believe that everything around them is actually real? These are some basic questions I even personally think about. This is because I am intrigued by the fact that many people in this world believe in something they cannot see which are things pertaining to the spiritual unseen world.

Why do people of Christianity believe in the unseen world and even in God who cannot be seen with our physical eyes? First, we cannot just believe in God who is unseen because we "feel" His presence. God provides us evidence of His existence, but where does He show this? God shows His existence through the scriptures. God promises many things in His scriptures and He fulfills them. Fulfillment of His scriptures is evidence that the Word is living and breathing. How can something that is not alive fulfill a promise, let alone make a promise? A rock cannot promise nor keep a promise, but the scriptures which God's spirit is given (John 6:63) provides promises and even fulfillment. Then our quest as Christians is to find evidences of God's existence so we may have faith in Him (Jn 14:29).

Many people of the Old Testament based their faith in the seen. For example, they sought for God's existence through miracles such as the splitting of the sea or even the fiery pillars that came down from the sky. However, even despite seeing those things, they lost their faith in God and even created gods themselves. Then we have to ask ourselves how faithless people must be and what kind of faith God seeks from our hearts.

Let us continue to seek God through the scriptures in which we are able to see Him even if our physical eyes are unable to. Amen!

Shincheonji Bible:What does life mean to you? Part 2

Do you remember the question that I asked about your life? Do you think your life is precious? If so, what is your plan with your precious life?  We have to think about our lives in the perspective of God because God is one who gave us life. For example if someone falls into the ocean, they struggle and flounder in the ocean in order to live. A lifeguard who sees that individual struggle will dive into the ocean to save their life. Do you think that individual should just walk away from the lifeguard because after surviving from the treacherous ocean waves? Shouldn’t the individual be thankful to the lifeguard who saved their life? Like this story, we have to think about God who is root of all life. If we are still breathing at this time, we have to think about God with every breath that we take.  

In the bible, there are lot  people who sacrificed their lives  for God. In Hebrews chapter 11, many prophets were stoned, put to death by the sword,  persecuted and mistreated when they spread the gospel. How were they able to sacrifice their lives for God?  It was because they understood God’s heart through His Word that they were able to dedicate the most precious thing to God, which were their lives. Then in this era, what can we do with this precious life? We have to keep God’s Word in our hearts and our minds that came from prophets who sacrificed their lives for His Word.  God is looking for a person who has His Word because God’s heart is recorded within the Word. (John1:1-5) Those who think God’s Word as life will keep hold to their precious lives forever and ever. Amen.

 “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” –Ecclesiastes 3:11

              

Shincheonji Bible:What does life mean to you?

What does life mean to you?

From the dictionary, life means the existence of an individual human being or animal, and the condition that the capacity for growth, reproduction, and continual change preceding death.

But even without the dictionary, I am sure we all know the meaning of life.

However, all individuals have their own criteria for life through their personal experiences.

The meaning of life to a certain group of people may be defined as having the necessary things in order to live such as water, air, and food. Some others may see having a family as life. But let me ask you a question. What does life mean to you?

 

Life exists everywhere and that is evidence of how precious life is.  All the trees, flowers, and animals know that their lives are precious and always try to protect themselves to live. Who created the animals and the trees to live this way? If life were not precious, then the animals and the trees would not do their very best to live as long as they can. Why does a deer run from a tiger? Even a deer understands how precious its own life is. Therefore shouldn’t we think about how precious life is? The heart of understanding what is precious cannot be something that was taught. Deers do not teach their doe’s how to view life as precious. Then they must have been born with it and someone must have planted that heart. Who must have planted that heart? Would someone who doesn’t see life as precious plant the heart to know what is precious? No. That means that someone who sees life as precious must have planted the heart to know what is precious among all creation and that is life itself.

Next time we will see planted this in the first place. 

Shincheonji Bible: The Best Kind of Gift

What is the best gift anyone can receive?

When I was young, I wanted so many different gifts. During Christmas, I always wanted a gift from my parents and each year the gifts only got bigger and better. However, I would remember that after 3 to 4 months, I would quickly become bored of the gift. It wasn't until I grew 10 more years that I realized that gifts of material worth were so temporary.

Then we have to ask ourselves again. What is the greatest gift? What lasts and what never gets boring? It is life.

Life is truly the best gift we can receive. We live everyday without appreciating this gift because we always have it. We wake up every morning expecting to be alive. We go to sleep everyday already thinking what tomorrow will be. However, we cannot live like this. Why? Because the moment our lives are at stake, we will regret how much we didn't value this life of ours.

When I talk about life, I am not talking about the things done in life. I talking about the very breath that we breathe and the very blood that pumps through our bodies. The fact we are living is the greatest gift. However, this gift ends. This gift of life ends when we turn old. Why is this?

This is a question I will leave with you. However I will leave you with this analogy. If a galaxy phone dies who do you go to in order to fix it? You go to the creator which is Samsung. When an iphone dies who do you go to in order to fix it? You go to the creator which is Apple. Then when we see one another die at the end, who should we go to? When we see the earth dying who do we go to? We go to the one who created it. Amen.

My Life as a Photographer

Apart from cooking, I am an amateur photographer. However I am not any kind of photographer, I am an analog (film) photographer. What does this mean? I actually have to buy rolls of film, take a picture, hope that the picture turned out well, and lastly drop it off a photo lab to have the pictures developed. Quite a progress right? It is, but film is a lost art that we all forgot about. Film is different in its feel and one who sees the pictures can be confident knowing the photographer put in a lot of effort for even one picture.

Take a look at the picture above. Do you see the grain? Do you see the antiqueness of the image? This can only be formulated through film. In fact the grain arises from the high speed film of 800 iso.

Let us look at another picture.

What do I love about this picture? There is so much one can say about this image. First we see a shopper who is surrounded by a vast variety of vegetables, yet the image is consisted of all the natural greens of the earth. She blends right in making it seem she is a part of the surrounding.

Lastly I present the last image.

In a time where we celebrate the freedom of our country, the 4th of July was the perfect time to take pictures. A flag raised high waiting for the lights to dim stands tall, but no one would be able to tell if this picture was taken in 2017 or 1980. This just shows that time may go on, but beauty of the earth never changes.

We snap pictures everyday hoping to capture moments of our lives. We snap, we delete. This creates a culture of photography that captures moments without meaning. With film, I have never found myself not remember the moment I took every picture. Every picture was meaningful to me and every image is something I care about. Film is fun, so why don't we all try?

Shincheonji Bible: Who are You in the Bible?

Until the Bible is all fulfilled, we must think about where we are within the very texts that are yet to fulfill. What book are we in? We know for a fact that we are not in the book of Deuteronomy and we know for a fact we are not in the book of John. Then what book are we in? What if we are in the book of Revelation? These are questions we must ask ourselves everyday.

The first thing someone with faith should definitely ask is how close are we to the fulfillment of revelation? Many say we are far from it and some say we are close to it. However, what is the evidence that shows directly where we are? We should never try to guess or try to make our own interpretations, but instead look at the signs that directly point us to the direction where we may be at. If we look in Mt 24, we can understand that there is a sign that is to show when it is near the end. The scriptures state that when there is an abomination that causes desolation standing in the holy place, one should flee to the mountain. Then isn't it our curiosity to ask who this abomination is, where the holy place is and what mountain we must flee to? If we are not asking these questions, when will we recognize the signs? It will be difficult. So let us start asking. Where are we in the Bible and who are you in the Bible? Are you someone who is just like the blade of grass who withers away in time? Are you someone who is a part of the holy nation? Are you a part of the great multitude in white? Although we may not know, God surely knows. So let us come before God and ask for a heart of discernment and ask Him to reveal us what is true to us today. Amen!

Shincheonji Bible: The Heart of a Father

There once was a time when I really felt that I grew up mentally in my life. The moment that guided me to see much deeper into my fathers heart was when I got my first car. Through this one moment, I realized the heart is difficult to see and it is not as tangible as we may think. I perceived that the heart can be seen when it is understood.

During my young years in life, there was a time I asked my father for a car because everyone else had one and I felt that I deserved it. I found it unfair that every other person in my age had one while I was still being dependent on others for a ride. I complained and complained to my father asking him why he cannot get me a car. All I thought was about my perspective, my needs and my life.

After a couple of weeks of nagging, my father finally bought me a car. I was overjoyed and drove everywhere. I felt proud to get what I wanted. I was grateful, but that thankfulness was only a thankfulness that resulted from my conscience to be thankful when given something. The thankfulness wasn't from the heart, but still I had no regret for complaining and begging for a car.

However... All of this changed one day when I saw my mother text message from my father. My father wrote that he was under his desk at work in trembling and fear that we would lose our house. He told my mother that paying for my car was the most difficult decision of his life because it put him under enormous amounts of stress. However at the end of the message he wrote, "Even though it may be hard for me, seeing him [myself] driving around makes me smile. Even if we lose our house, our child's joy is why we work." At this moment I bawled and at that moment I understood my father's heart for me.

We understand our father's heart when we understand what he must go through to give us what we need. We may see it as something we deserve, but we must understand that sacrifice must come for others to receive. Our father in Heaven is our spiritual father whom we must understand. We must see His heart of suffering through all the historical events of the Bible and see how much He worked in order to give us faith. We may believe that faith is something we make and something we form, but in fact we must understand that it is a gift. God had to work until now so we can even have faith. He had to show that He is willing to suffer for 6,000 years in order for us to see His heart. But the question is... do we know His heart? If we don't then we must pray and ask God to grant us faith and lead us to the word that can open our minds and hearts to His own. I pray that we may all one day understand God's heart so we may carry out the actions of faith to help Him complete His purpose and will. May the grace we perceive push us to action! Amen!

Shincheonji Bible: The Word that Grows

Why is farming such a phenomenon in this world? Little do we know that everyday there are farmers who farm many of the foods we enjoy everyday. Although it may seem like an unnecessary part of people’s lives, every person lives by it and is able to eat because of farming.

However as someone who had studied science, farming is more than just something that makes things grow for consumption. Did you know that everything starts with a seed? Let us look at corn. Corn starts with one kernel that contains information called DNA. This DNA is important in order for this kernel to grow similarly like the plant it came from. This kernel may have DNA that makes it sweeter or softer in texture. Apart from all the science, we can understand that whatever is sown will grow to the plant it came from. Never will we see a kernel of a corn become an apple.

Although it seems like farming is mostly a science, the order in which things are grown can be found in the natural laws of the earth. However did you ever think of where we can learn about farming? We can actually learn it in the Bible. For example, God created the seed in order to show it represents the word. This word is said to grow into a tree and bear fruit (Luke 13). We can understand that God used farming in order for us to understand the way in which he talks about heaven. Therefore we are truly able to understand why we even farm in the first place. One may say it is just for food, but we can see that it is ultimately used to show how farming can help us understand what God is trying to show us through His word.

Just like farming and the seed, there should also be other aspects of nature that help us understand what God wants us to know. Then how about next time we look at why God allowed rain to fall from the sky! Until then, may the seed of God dwell in your hearts in your day.

Shincheonji Bible: What is a Promise?

What does a promise mean to you?

When making a promise, do you keep them 100%?

It is very difficult for anyone to make a promise and keep it because we do not see the value. Keeping a promise builds a trust between two parties and it also build faith. When we see an individual keep his promises all the time, that person is seen as reliable, trustworthy, and faithful. This is a person who many people will follow and this is a person many people will want to follow.

Since the first day of God's spiritual and physical creation, God has been keeping His promises with al of His creation, but it is creation that did not keep their promises. Let us look at Adam. Adam was to make sure he doesn't eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil and his blessing was that he would be able to rule over all creation. However just as Hosea 6:7 states, Adam broke the covenant and this broke the trust and faith between man and God. Entrusting in the serpent's words, Adam now was bound to sin and sin had entered the world as a result of breaking a simple promise.

Then from this story in the Bible, shouldn't we be ones who make sure we keep every little promise? Shouldn't we keep even the smallest promises with one another and even more so with God?

Let us remember that God wants to be with his people as stated in Revelation 21. Then let us make sure we keep His promises. Then let us first understand His promises and be sure we keep it the way He wants us to keep it.

Shincheonji Bible: Ruth the Faithful

Who is Ruth? 

Ruth was a gentile woman who married an Israelite and lived in the country of Moab. In addition, Ruth was born in Jerusalem as a gentile women. Moab was not a country of God's favor as Jerusalem was the chosen nation that God was at concern. During the famine that occured during the time of Judges, Ruth had been faithful an returned to the country of her birth. Upon her return, there was a harvest in which she met Boaz who was a harvester. Boaz was kind to Ruth because she was obedient to her mother in law Naomi and followed Naomi's God, the God of Israel. Naomi was also a widow due to her husbands death and Boaz took Ruth who was a widow as his husband. Through this lineage, David was able to appear through Obed and through Jesse. In all of the genealogy, Jesus was able to appear and bring salvation to the earth and even return in the time of Revelation.

What can we learn from this story recorded within history? 

We can learn that we must always be ones who return to a land where the harvest is plentiful and where the land and nation God resides. We must follow the laws of God and follow those who have God with them just as Ruth had Naomi. Through this we are able to become spiritually fruitful and multiply to the entire earth creating a world that is filled with the spiritual children of God. We must never forget that God is with us and He will remain with us as long as we stay where He dwells.

Amen!

Shincheonji Bible: Promise and Faith

The first man, Adam, and Eve returned to dust (Gn 3) and received destruction (Gn 7) because they did not believe in God’s promise (Gn 2:17). Noah’s son, Ham, became cursed (Gn 9:20-27) and was destroyed in Canaan (Jos 9 ~ 10) because he committed the same sin that Adam did (Gn 3:10). The Israelites, the descendants of Abraham who escaped to Canaan from Egypt, were destroyed and went into captivity because they worshipped the Gentile gods again during the days of Solomon (1 Kgs 11).

The Israelites had been keeping the Law, and the first of the Ten Commandments was, “Do not worship any other gods.” God even told the people of Israel, “Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (Jos 1:8). However, neither Adam nor the Israelites kept the Law and as a result, they all received destruction (Hos 6:7). Then, God promised to create a new thing (Jer 31) which, unlike the Law that was given to Moses, was to plant two kinds of seeds. What God did through Jesus was to sow the seed of the New Testament (Mt 13), and Jesus returns to harvest the fruits of that seed (Rv 14:14-16). Jesus seals them and creates the twelve tribes (Rv 7). They are the firstfruits, the 144,000 in Rv 14.

Today, God has shown the greatest power (the fulfillment of Revelation) within the 6,000 years of history of the Bible. However, are you yet to overcome your flesh and are still so short of faith? Will you face the same end like Adam who once started in spirit but ended in flesh (Gal 3:3, ESV)? Why do you not believe, but instead fall into laziness and disregard the promise? What is it that you want? Is it the bread that merely feeds the flesh? What we believe is the promise, and it was given for us to believe when it is fulfilled (Jn 14:29). The holy spirit will drive out those who do not believe or do not participate in the work of harvest. God has been working for 6,000 years to create the twelve tribes of the New Testament, and only the sealed twelve tribes can enter the kingdom of heaven.

I have taught the promise of the New Testament and its fulfilled physical entities for the people to believe them. Let us not be ungrateful. Eternal life, or eternal punishment, is right before our eyes.

Shincheonji Bible: True Love

When you think of love, how do you show love?

There are many people in this world who show love in a variety of ways such as with giving, speaking, and even listening.

However, what is true love in the eyes of God and Jesus? According to John 14:15, Jesus says that if you love him you will obey His commands. Then we have to ask ourselves a question a lot of us do not want to hear. What does it mean to obey His commands? First we must ask ourselves what Jesus' commands were. When we look throughout the entire New Testament, we are able to see a lot of the scriptures written in ways that may be difficult to understand. Why is this?

When we look within scriptures, we are able to see that Jesus spoke in a figurative language according to Psalm 78:2. It was a prophecy in regards to Jesus speaking in parables and uttering things hidden from the past. Then the question we should all have is, "How can we obey something we do not understand?" If you asked yourself that question, your heart is in the right direction. For example, if you saw a stop sign and you did not know how to read English, would you be able to keep the stop sign? No it would be impossible. Then how are we as believers supposed to show our love to Jesus if we cannot understand what he is commanding? This is why we must live a life of faith with a heart of searching the answers that Jesus wants us to thirst for.

When we look at the entire New Testament, there is a book that is written in prophecies such as the book of Revelation. This book in the Bible is show to this Apostle John in a figurative vision in which many of the believers today have such a hard time interpreting. More than trying to understand in our own way, we must look and verify through scriptures what these all mean. If we truly say we love Jesus, then shouldn't we put in effort to search out what Jesus meant in all the New Testament? Without a heart of searching, one will never be able to truly be confident to say they love Jesus the way that Jesus wanted to be loved. When a person you love desires something, you always have to remember that it is not the desire you think unless you know them 100%. If you don't know, simply ask. They may be mad that you didn't know, but it is much better than showing them love in the way they do not want. Jesus wants us to understand His heart more than anything else. By us understanding His heart, we are also able to understand God's. Let us make sure we love God the way He desires! Amen!

Shincheonji Bible: The End of Age and Faith

The End of Age and Faith

Main Reference: Mt 13:36-43 (Mt 13:24-30, Lk 8:11)

Jesus came in the name of God as the light and sowed the secrets of heaven, the seed of God (Lk 8:11), in the field (church). The devil came to this field and sowed weeds among the wheat. These two types of seeds grew together within one field until the time of harvest. (Mt 13:24-30)

At the time of the harvest, God’s sons born of the good seed are harvested to heaven, and the sons of the devil, those born of weeds, are not harvested but are left to be burned in the field. This time (the time of harvest) is the end of age (Mt 13:36-43). At the end of age, true faith is to believe in the promise of this time (the time of harvest). At this time, there appear those who are harvested and those who are not—they are the physical entities of the fulfillment of promise. According to Mt 13:39 and Rv 14:14-16, the harvesters are the angels and the sharp sickles in the hands of the angels are the congregation members who believe in the Word.

About 2,600 year ago, God promised through Jeremiah in the Old Testament to sow two types of seeds (Jer 31:27). About 2,000 years ago, God sent Jesus to sow the seed as promised. Jesus then promised to return to harvest, and left. Today, about 2,000 years since that time, Jesus came in spirit with the angels to harvest as promised (Rv 14:14-20). He is creating a new kingdom and new people according the promise.

I have made known to all the people regarding what I have seen and heard, and what I have done. I have made known regarding harvest, peace, and the creation of the newkingdom and new people.

God prophesied the work of peace (Isa 52:7). Jesus carried out the work of peace as promised (Lk 19:38-42) and said, “Whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do” (Jn 14:12, ESV). This is why I am also doing the work of peace. Jesus said in Mt 7:21, ““Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” Thus, I am working according to the will of God and Jesus.

Believers with the same hope in heaven! Whose words do you believe in—God’s words of promise or the words of your pastors? It is written that all nations will have fallen from the wine of adulteries in the last days (Rv 18). One’s path to life can only be found by going to the promised pastor of the New Testament. We must go inside the Word and meet the promised pastor to achieve our hope. Jesus said to see and believe when the promise of the Bible is fulfilled (Jn 14:29).

Shincheonji Bible: Why do You Read the Bible?

Often, many people of faith read the scriptures and reflect on what they read that day. Some others post pictures of their bible open with so many highlight marks and it can be appealing to those who don't read the scriptures as much as they would. However in God's eyes, who is the one at fault and who does He look favor upon? Do highlight marks indicate one is closer to God? If someone's bible is falling apart, does that they are closer to God? Not necessarily.

What good would it be if a book is read 1000 times and over with every page marked up, but the reader does not understand? What good is it? In fact it would be better off not to have wasted that much time on the book while trying to understand it with one's own thoughts and imaginations. However what would be the result of someone who reads the book once and it is explained directly by the author what every sentence means? This person would be one who is more knowledgeable than anyone who attempts to read the book.

The Bible is the same. We do not read the Bible to flex how much faith we have nor do we read the scriptures because we want to look good to others. We do not read it for us to feel good nor do we read it to just become a good person in front of God. We must start to read it as a book to KNOW God and His heart. This is a book that has been brought to every single one of us through blood shed and one cannot understand the heart behind this book unless they know the hearts of those who died for it. Furthermore, one cannot fully understand this book unless they have felt the heart of God through the first page and the last. The Bible is not a book to make us do good things, but through the knowledge and understanding of God's heart through every page, one is able to naturally change. For example, when a child understands the heart of their parents by becoming a parent themselves, they change and show gratitude to their parents. It is a matter of now becoming mature with the scriptures and leave the infancy of our hearts. This way God may fully share His heart with you. May we find those who know the heart of God! May we pray to meet those who know the heart of God!

Shincheonji: A New Year, A an Everlasting Beginning

Another year has passed and we have a time to look forward to a new year.

During the past year we may have done many things whether beneficial or devastating, but we have to ask ourselves what we have done for God. Have a time to think, what did I do for God? And what did God do for me? This is a question that we must ask every year and this is what we must look at in order to set goals for the new year!

There are many things we may have been able to fulfill such as getting a new job, a new weight, a new mindset, but the one thing we have not been able to fulfill is the preparation for God to dwell with His people. With so many wars still taking place, with many people dying, is this a world prepared for the heavens to come? When we look at Revelation 21, we see that the Holy City New Jerusalem finally comes down to the earth where God is finally with His people. However, this has not fulfilled and it is something we should all strive to help God return to His people.

God has given a way for Him to finally return to His people and if we look in Heb 8, we are able to see that God returns to those who know His word and the New Covenant in their hearts and their minds. Then we must ask ourselves, do we have the words in our hearts and our minds? The very reason God left his creation in Genesis 6, is because His creation rejected His commands. For so long, God has been waiting and another year has passed for us while for God, He has gone through many. For us we say that we have gone through so much this year, but God has been going through so much more.

More than anything, we should thrive to make this year a year where we are that much closer for God to finally return, that means we must keep the New covenant in our hearts and our minds as well as making sure that everyone around us do as well. This is how God can finally come to a people who have the same mind and heart as Him.

Let us all make it a resolution to do our best to keep the New Covenant! Amen!

Shincheonji Bible: Betrayal and Rebellion

Have you ever felt betrayed in your life?

More than anything in this world, betrayal is the worst of many things that can happen.
Why is betrayal such a bad thing within this world? Before we say "it can happen," let us remember the time we have felt betrayed the most.

We must recognize that betrayal is not a joke, but something that truly hurts. We must also remember that betrayal is not committed among just any two individuals or two parties, but from those who are the closest. This is why betrayal hurts and this is something that everyone in the world will face one day or another.

Why is this betrayal being discussed?

The reason is because there is one who has felt the greatest betrayal in all over the world. This being is God.

Let us remember the time of Moses.
During the time of Moses, the Israelites were in slavery for over 400 years. Little did many of them remember that this was part of a promise that God had made with them and further a promise of salvation to a promised land. God did everything he could to keep His promise and the Israelites should have as well. As we all know, Moses was sent by God to free the people from their slavery and many miracles were performed as God wanted to show His people that He is keeping His promise. Many believed at first and that is when we can say God and the Israelites were finally understanding one another and in agreement to do everything as told and promised (Ex 19:8).

However, after a time, the people lost faith in the covenant...They stopped believing that God will keep His promise of bringing them to the promised land.They lost their faith when they could not persevere in waiting for Moses to return from the mountain top of Sinai. At the moment they started to lose their faith, they had started to have the heart of betrayal. What was that betrayal? They built an idol and worshiped it in place of the one who saved them...

God was indeed angry, but moreover, what do you think He must have felt? God felt sorrow as He now had no choice but to judge them for their sins. God does not anyone to die, but instead everyone to live. However once betrayal is committed, God can no longer dwell with those who turn their backs on Him.

If you were in the position of God and you saved hundreds and thousands of people from their misery but later on are betrayed by those very people, how would you have felt?

This is why we must know God's pain. If you know what betrayal feels like would you betray others yourself especially the ones you say you love? If that heart of understanding is true, one will NOT betray. Therefore let us recognize what position we are with God and repent to find the way of being one with Him and help fulfill His purpose!

Shincheonji: The Life of a Believer

There are many instances in life where we come upon much hardships. However in those hardships do we see them as blessings or do we see them as what they are?

People with faith and people without faith in the Bible all go through hardships. Those who go through hardships outside of the Bible may see it as an opportunity to overcome future problems. People with faith on the other hand may see it a sign or a calling from God. This may be true, but what does a Shincheonji congregation see hardships as?

A Shincheonji congregation sees hardships as nothing but a problem because of this a certain mindset that can be seen all throughout the Bible. The Bible shows God's hardships for so many years that amount to the thousands. As a believer who is able to see the Bible as a whole, one is able to find every hardship as a test to grow their faith even more. Through hardships believers must be able to overcome that hardship using the Bible. The Bible is filled with hope that no hardship is worth going through. If the disciples were able to go through death which can be weighted as the greatest hardship, then we have to ask ourselves how they were able to do this.

The reason in which the disciples were able to overcome every single hardship was because they saw a hope that was worth greater than their lives. Let us ask ourselves if we see the hope to overcome any circumstance. If the hope is unclear, we must be able to now understand God's heart through the word. God has recorded many characters in the scriptures to show us how to overcome, and this is something a believer must take into consideration. The word is full of hope, but how much of that hope do you see?

May everyone be able to pray earnestly with the heart of finding this hope so that one may be able to overcome the circumstances of their lives and even more help others overcome theirs.

Shincheonji Bible: Purpose

Before anything else, I would like to ask you as the reader, "What is the purpose of life?"

This is an answer that many on earth believe they are able to answer with confidence. In all honesty, we may all have different purposes in life and some may also say that there is no true purpose that everyone must live by. However, if I were to say that the purpose of life is to work hard, be happy and die, there are many who will say "yes, that is life."

Now let me ask you what the opposite of LIFE is. I believe everyone can say it is death. Then the opposite to live is to die. Then how can we say that the purpose of life results in death? Even the word 'Life" is the opposite of what many can say what their lives are about. We must reflect on what then is wrong.

Life is precious and the purpose of our life should be to live as long as we can. Many people in this generation strive for longer life and we ask ourselves if this is naturally built within our hearts. I guarantee that not many people will say they want to die early. Even ants see life as precious and dogs. Then as humans, what has life become to us?

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Then how do we have life?

Romans 8:11 says that the spirit of Christ that lives within us can give us life even to our mortal bodies. Furthermore John 6:63 say that the spirit gives life, the flesh counts for nothing and that the words Jesus spoke which are now recorded in the scriptures are spirit and are life.

Furthermore it says that the light that was in Jesus was the life that gave life to all.
Now is there a lot more hope then we expected right?

Therefore let us continue to see more than just physical ways to prolong life, but let us be able to look for the way that God has said gives life. It is the word and I truly believe that it is through the world, the entire world will come to truly live life with the purpose of living.

Shincheonji Bible: The Identity of God and the Identity of Satan

Main reference: Jn 1:1-4, Jn 8:42-47 (Mt 7:15-20, 1 Jn 4)

When we look at the Bible, we are able to find God and His heart recorded within it. Furthermore, the Bible also records the acts of the enemy who opposed God. As believers, we must be able to examine what the identity of God and also the enemy who is trying to stop God's work. 

Who is God? God is the creator and owner of his creation which is everything in the heavens and the earth. God is also life (Jn 1:1-4), spirit, love, and truth. 

Who is satan? Satan is God's creation that wanted to be above God because of his pride and greed. That is why he was cast out by God and eventually he had become the being he is today. (Ez 28:12-19, Is 14:12-15). Satan became the origin of death, evil, curses and lies. 

Why is it that satan is the origin of lies? It is because there are many cases in the Bible where satan's deeds are exposed. From the beginning satan as the serpent lied to Ever that she would not die, but become like God by eating the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as stated in Gn 3:5. The fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil carries its name because it has a mixture of what is good and what is evil. Therefore, because Eve ate of it, she once who was good had become one also mixed of evil. Eve no longer was good, but evil had entered her in which was an act of turning her back on God. Through the lies of Satan, the words of deception had entered the earth, and since then God has been trying to bring His people back. However, because satan is trying to block God's work, he will carry out actions of persecuting, cursing, and lying so that God's work through people is slowed 

What is it that we must think about then? We must become believer who sees God as life and make sure we do not turn our back on Him. Because God is life, He is the one who keeps us living in spirit and once we turn our backs on him, the life will leave us with no choice. The reason why God has still been working for 6,000 years is because God who is good and love had to leave mankind due to evil entering the world. Therefore, we must do our best effort to not break the covenant and speak lies so that the word of truth do not leave our hearts or else we may lose the likeness and image of God. If we lose the image and likeness of God, then we have no choice, but to become a possible target that satan is looking for. Let us be that much more rooted in the word so satan can never grasp hold of us. God who has been working for so long has been waiting for believers who will grasp onto His word with his/her life. Let us become those believers today and hopefully be able to see our hopes become a reality before our eyes in this lifetime!