Select a Language
As God said, “I am the LORD; in its time I will do this swiftly,” God is working without rest for our salvation. In these days, we ought to preach the gospel of the heavenly kingdom more diligently in accordance with God’s will, being united with one another in the holy city of Zion.
God is pleased with the unity of brothers
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Php 2:1-2
The Bible repeatedly says, “Be like-minded,” “Have the same love,” and “Be one in spirit and purpose.” This shows that it is very important for us to be united, without any divisions among ourselves.
It is God’s will and teaching that we fulfill beautiful unity. We can clearly understand the will of God through things He has made. Think of salt. It is indispensable for our daily life. Salt “NaCl” is a combination of two elements-sodium “Na” and chlorine “Cl.” Salt itself is eatable. However, if it is dissolved into sodium and chlorine, each element becomes harmful to our health when we eat it.
So is water. When two atoms of hydrogen “H” combine with one oxygen “O,” then water “H₂O” is formed. But suppose that the water molecules are separated and only hydrogen comes into our body. It was this hydrogen that Thomas Edison, the inventive genius of America, made his friend inhale and caused him stomachache, saying that he would make him fly like a balloon. If Edison had made him drink water-a combination of hydrogen and oxygen, he would have been all right. It was because his friend inhaled only hydrogen that he was troubled with stomachache.
Nylon, the first synthetic fiber, is a combination of water, air and coal. Suppose that each element remains as itself. Is it possible for water itself to turn into clothes? Or can we make clothes from air or coal itself? The combination of those three produces a new material-nylon.
In this earth there are many elements which God created; they produce precious things when they combine with each other. Though a substance itself is poisonous, if it combines with others, it turns into a new material which is beneficial to us. We are God’s children who abide in the truth. God wants us to be united in love rather than be in disaccord and get jealous of each other.
How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down upon the collar of his robes. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the LORD bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. Ps 133:1-3
In God’s sight, it is good and beautiful for brothers to be united in Zion. As we know, each of us is merely a sinner expelled from heaven for committing sin. We all know that when the 144,000 become united in love, the New Jerusalem Temple will be completed.
If a brother still has a sinful nature and does wrong, we have to encourage him to try to correct his mistakes, so that he may become worthy of entering heaven. Then we will be in perfect union which is most pleasing to God. The Bible makes us realize that.
Eternal life is given by uniting with Christ through the new covenant
Then, let’s consider why we should be united among ourselves in Zion and how to become one.
Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, … Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me. …” Jn 6:53-58
Eternal life is given to us when God remains in us and we are all united with one another in God. Without becoming one, eternal life can never be given to us.
So Jesus says in John 15, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers.” Through this word God also warns us what the result of our disaccord will be. God doesn’t want us to suffer such a terrible end. That’s why He tells us to be united.
God has given us the Passover so that we may remain in Him and He in us. We can become one with God only through the bread and wine of the Passover, symbolizing the flesh and blood of God.
Is it not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is it not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one loaf, we, who are many, are one body, for we all partake of the one loaf. 1 Co 10:16-17
What is the cup of thanksgiving which is a participation in the blood of Christ? What is the bread which is a participation in the body of Christ? That is the bread and wine of the Passover. Here, Apostle Paul explains to the saints in the Church of God in Corinth the profound meaning of the Passover through which they can become one.
We are to follow the way of God for our salvation. God allows us eternal life by letting us partake of the bread and wine of the Passover, through which we become one with Christ and our brothers. The only way to get eternal life is to become one with God. If we try to find any other way to have eternal life, we commit an act of ignoring God’s providence and plan.
If it is a chemical law to form water when two hydrogen atoms combine with one oxygen, it is a spiritual law to get eternal life when we are united with Christ and our brothers through the bread and wine of the Passover of the new covenant.
The devil, the evil spirit, is trying to destroy this spiritual law of God. He infiltrates into people’s soul and whispers, ‘You don’t have to keep the Passover,’ or ‘Is it not the law of Moses in the Old Testament times?’ We should stand firmly against the evil force who is trying to destroy God’s principle of salvation, so that we can preach the way of salvation even more.
… If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, do not boast olive those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. … Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. … After all, if you were cut out of an olive tree that is wild by nature, and contrary to nature were grafted into a cultivated olive tree, how much more readily will these, the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree! Ro 11:16-24
We were mortal sinners. However, God grafted us into Him by cutting off His flesh and made us united with Him, so that our past sinful nature would be extinguished. We the branches, which were once broken off, have come to life by receiving the sap from the root.
We are to die if we are left alone. Through the truth of the Passover, however, God has grafted us into Him, so that He may remain in us and we in Him. For this reason, the Early Church considered the Passover so important; especially Paul, known as the ‘Apostle to the Gentile,’ preached the Passover wherever he went. Even in this age, the importance of the Passover has not been reduced at all.
For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. 1 Co 11:23-26
Through all the above words, we can understand a little bit more why God told us to become one, to love one another, and to preach the Passover of the new covenant to all the peoples of the world.
When all our family members in Zion become united in love rather than to be jealous and exclusive, we shall enter the eternal kingdom, where we will experience eternal life.
Unity for God’s glory and unity for man’s honor
There is one thing we must remember when we unite ourselves; it is that our unity must be established for God’s glory, not our own.
Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there. They said to each other, … “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.” … The LORD said, “If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other.” So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. … Ge 11:1-9
When people built the Tower of Babel, they tried to distinguish themselves and display their own glory rather than God’s. Then God confused their language so they would not continue to do the work. Though they became one in mind, they intended to display their own glory and make a name for themselves, and God stopped them from doing the work. Through this history, we need to consider again what we should become united for.
If we are united to display our own righteousness, God will deter us from what we intend to do. However, if we become of one mind and one accord for the glory of God, we will receive God’s gracious help which we’ve not ever expected.
… When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. Ac 1:12-14
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. … All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. … Utterly amazed, they asked: “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphlia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs-we hear them declaring that wonders of God in our own tongues!” … Ac 2:1-12
Preparing for the day of Pentecost, the disciples were continually devoting themselves to prayer with one mind for the glory of God. When the day of Pentecost came, the strong power and help of the Holy Spirit came upon them from heaven.
As they joined together for the glory of God with one mind, God unified all their confused languages. Even though the disciples spoke in Hebrew, all the people-Parthians, Medes and Mesopotamians-heard them speaking in their own languages, as God enabled them.
Both in Acts and in Genesis, we can find the common point-it was that they were all with one accord. However, they got totally different results. As for the former, God unified their scattered languages so they could do His work, but as for the latter He confused their language so they might not do their own work. They were totally opposite to each other.
Now, we live in the last days. In doing the gospel work, we should not win a name for ourselves. It is good for all the brothers and sisters in Zion to become united in heart and in mind. In doing that, there must be a certain purpose deserving of God’s help.
Let’s unite into one for the glory of God
The one whom God helps is invincible. Any worldly weapons are useless to him when God helps him. Remember that about a hundred and thirty-five thousand men, the forces of Midian, were completely destroyed by three hundred men, the warriors of Gideon. How could they win victory? It was because they united with one another for the glory of God, not for their own.
‘We fight this fight for the sake of our God.’ With this thought, they were all with one mind. As a result, all the Israelites, who had been oppressed by Midianites for a long time, could be freed from them with joy. Only a small number of people, the three hundred men, defeated a hundred and thirty-five thousand men. It was because they fought for the glory of God. However, when people built the Tower of Babel, though a great number of people were called together for the labor, it fell down. For they said, “Let’s make a name for ourselves.”
We must not let such words come into our minds nor let it come out of our mouths. Rather, we shall only give thanks to God, who has redeemed us from our sins and given us the way to eternal heaven, in obedience to God’s will and all His commands. Then we will be able to follow the Lamb wherever He goes, won’t we?
We are to unite ourselves with everything, though it is a small matter. When we perform our own duties with one mind only for the glory of God, the last Reformation is to be accomplished. The task entrusted to us is just shouting: Our mission is to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth, proclaiming the new name of the age of the Holy Spirit who restored the new covenant, shouting, “He is our God.” For this, we must be united in mind. When we are all with one mind for the glory of God, He will surely help us.
Hear and pay attention, do not be arrogant, for the LORD has spoken. … You hope for light, but he will turn it to thick darkness and change it to deep gloom. But if you do not listen, I will weep in secret because of your pride; … Jer 13:15-17
All truth that we preach now comes from God. Nothing in this world belongs to us. We are all just messengers of God who preach the good news of salvation to dying souls all over the world. We have to thank God for giving us such a great mission, and devote ourselves to His glory even more.
For the glory of God, every member of the 144,000 is really precious. Suppose that a bolt comes out of a car. Though all the other parts are of the highest quality, if a bolt is inferior and it is pulled out of a moving car, what will happen to the car?
We’ve received the truth and each of us has become a member of God’s workers participating in the mission of salvation in these last days. None of us can be ignored; we are all precious and valuable. My dear brothers and sisters! Now our Father and Mother say to us, “You’ve finished marching around the city seven times. Now, just shout aloud!” In obedience to the will of our Father and Mother, let’s cry aloud with one mind.
Let’s go to heaven together in one mind
Now, we hear lots of glad news that our lost brothers and sisters stream to Zion to receive the truth. Besides, God speeds this gospel through the mass media. At this time, we should become in one mind and heart, always giving glory to God. Then God will help us to accomplish His will-the last Reformation, just as He helped 300 warriors defeat 135,000 Medianite soldiers, and just as He helped the Israelites cross the Red Sea even without a boat, feeding the six hundred thousand men for forty years.
Our Church of God has maintained its history until today with God’s help. Though people have persecuted and slandered us in various ways, God has always helped us. They have intended to hinder the growth of our church by magnifying a trifle matter and spreading groundless rumors. However, God has made our Church known more widely and let more people know our Church as true. Now, many brothers and sisters have come to Zion where our Father dwells, into the arms of Jerusalem our Mother.
All the people in Zion are to give all glory to God, following the tradition of the Church of God. Those who always think of the glory of God cannot become evil. However, those who think of the glory of their own, are supposed to be wicked. They are self-centered and try to obtain fame and promotion even by overriding and injuring others. Their self-seeking attitude makes our society more harsh and evil. Zion is not so. It is a beautiful unified organism for the glory of God.
God has given us good conditions. Now, let’s proclaim more diligently. Everything is possible if we do it for the glory of God. Believ-ing this firmly, let’s perform our mission faithfully, following our Father and Mother to the end wherever They go.
Our mission is to save all souls from sin and lead them to heaven, by proclaiming the last Reformation to the ends of the earth. My loving brothers and sisters! Let’s unite ourselves together for the glory of God. Instead of being envious and quarrelsome, let’s be united in love, manifesting God’s love not only in words, but in deed, so that we can safely arrive in heaven after we finish our journey of faith in this spiritual desert.