The Kingdom of Heaven Has Been Forcefully Advancing

We hear the glad news that the flame of the gospel is burning throughout the world and our heavenly family members, both nationwide and worldwide, are bearing abundant fruit. Such good news is a result of the positive thought of all our brothers and sisters in Zion who strive for the gospel, depending on God’s word, thinking, ‘Everything is possible in God.’

Through all ages, world history has been made by those who positively think, ‘Everything is possible.’ Thomas Edison, a famous scientist, made great achievements in science through constant experiments, with the thought-‘It’s possible.’ He sat on eggs like a hen to hatch chickens; and he had his friend inhale hydrogen gas to realize his dream of flying in the sky. Such thoughts brought about scientific advances through many trials and errors. As a result, today a lump of metal of several hudreds of tons flies in the sky or floats on the waters.

On the other hand, those who thought, ‘It’s impossible,’ have not produced any achievements or advances for mankind, because of their overworrying about everything-even about little things. History proves that. ‘At this moment, the kingdom of heaven is forcefully being advancing by those who have positive faith-‘I can do.’ Let’s find out how to forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven, through the Biblical teachings.

The positive thinking, ‘I can do’

From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.Mt 11:12

The kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing by those who strive for the gospel; it is not given to those who just wait for it, doing nothing. Not a portion of the kingdom is for a man who does not attack it. A man like Judas Iscariot, who keeps company with God in favorable conditions but betrays Him in unfavorable situations, can never enter the heavenly kingdom.

Think of some ancients who kept their faith in God to the end; even a blazing furnace could not destroy their faith. Such a faith came from their strong will to forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven. In the Early Church, there were many martyrs including Apostle Paul; some were burned alive, some became food for the wild animals, some were sawed in two, and others were beaten with rods. Despite that, they kept their faith to the end and entered the kingdom of heaven. It was because they tried to forcefully lay hold of it.

Even at this moment, the kingdom of heaven is being forcefully advancing. By whom? By those who reluctantly go to church, without any fervor for the gospel? To them, the kingdom of heaven is an impregnable fortress.

The kingdom of heaven is being advancing forcefully and gradually by those who make every effort to enter, trying to receive spiritual blessings like Jacob, though losing worldly things. It is unceasingly advancing by more people throughout the world-by young adults including college and university students, soldiers and office workers, and by middle-aged and older adults, both male and female. The kingdom of heaven is forcefully advancing by all who have the positive thought, ‘Everything is possible in God.’

Do you still hesitate? If you do, please have this faith-‘I can do.’ Everyone can bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit if he has a strong will to surely enter the kingdom of heaven.

God has given opportunities equally to all individuals, from children to adults. Is it impossible for a child to preach? No. We often see children lead their fathers or mothers to the truth.

‘Nobody can do,’ and ‘Everybody can do’

A song titled ‘Nobody’ was popular in the United States at one time. This song expressed defiance against the age in negative terms. It was a worldwide popular song to arouse sympathy from a large number of people. How regrettable!

These are the words of the song: “Who is fit for the presidency in the world?” “Nobody.” “Who can stop wars?” “Nobody.” “Who is respectable in the world?” “Nobody.” Like this, this song contains negative words-nobody, nothing, or impossible. Considering it was so popular among the youth, we can guess how spiritless and pessimistic they were in those days.

Why did they come to have such negative and pessimistic thoughts? It’s because they did not seek God but worldly pleasure and gratification. That’s why such a song with negative words became popular in the world. How sad! People with such negative thinking cannot make any progress in history.

How about us? What shall we answer if anyone asks us, “Who is fit for the presidency?” We will answer, “Everybody.” “Everybody is fit for the presidency,” we will say. If anyone asks us, “Who can stop wars?” Then we will answer, “Everybody.” If anyone asks us, “Who is respectable?” We will also answer, “Everybody.” We will say: Everybody is fit for the presidency; everybody can stop wars; everybody is respectable.

All of us in Zion are a royal priesthood, aren’t we? We are all fit for pastoral duties and evangelization. We can do everything; nothing is impossible for us.

The switch of faith does not work when we do something with the thought-‘It’s impossible.’ God said everything that does not come from faith is sin. Can we save souls, committing sin? Certainly not.

Remember that the kingdom of heaven is being forcefully advancing at this moment. We should be more devoted to the gospel, wherever we are. Let’s take pride in everything we do for the kingdom of heaven even though it is a small thing, whether we are on the front line or on the sidelines or behind backs in the gospel work.

… for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.Php 4:10-13

Apostle Paul aimed only at saving souls. That’s why he could have a positive thought, “I can do everything.” It is against God’s teaching to think, ‘I can do nothing’ or ‘I have no ability to preach like him/her,’ isn’t it?

Everything is possible if we do it with the belief-‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.’ However, if we hesitate or give up with the thought, ‘I can’t do,’ we are unable to make history or lead the world. We cannot step forward with the negative thought, ‘I can’t do.’

Nothing is impossible if we depend on God, not ourselves. God is with us in Zion and helps us. Sometimes we forget that and come to think, ‘We can’t’ or ‘Nobody is fit for the work.’ That’s the spirit of ‘Nobody.’

“Who is fit for the work?” “Nobody.” “Who can bear much fruit?” “Nobody.” If the church members have the spirit of ‘Nobody,’ can they forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven according to God’s will? Never. Let’s burn up the thought, ‘Nobody,’ by the fire of the Holy Spirit and have the thought, ‘Everybody.’

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see …. And without faith it is impossible to please God …Heb 11:1-6

The Good News Bible says, “To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see” (Heb 11:1, Today’s English Version). With faith everything is possible. Faith makes the impossible possible.

Has God ever commanded inanimate objects to produce fruit? No. He has told us, living beings, to bear fruit, because we can do it. If our thought is changed from the negative ‘Nobody’ to the positive ‘Everybody,’ we will surely be able to bear fruit. With such a positive faith, we shall display the glory of God all the more.

Faith is required to enter the heavenly Canaan

On New Year’s Day morning, I watched a TV program about a success story of a famous woman. She was a Korean with short stature, who became a rare millionairess in the United States; she gained success after going through all kinds of troubles. The one and only secret of her success was the creed-‘I can do.’ She said that she was always sharing her creed-“He can do, she can do, why not me?”-with the people whom she met, as well-wishing remarks.

Thus, everything is possible for the person who thinks, ‘I can do’ he/she can build a large city even in a desert land. What about the person who thinks, ‘I can’t do?’ He can never make the desert fertile; it will remain desolate forever.

We are called by God to awaken the people of the world to repent, so they may qualify to enter the kingdom of heaven. This is not an impossible thing at all. From nothing, God made the light, created the heavens and the earth, made the sea, created all the living creatures of the sea according to their kinds, and made all the wild animals and the livestock of the earth and the birds of the air. They were non-existent in the world; but God created them all. Which is difficult, to make something out of nothing or to bring what is already created? Com-pared with God’s creating man, it is really not difficult to bring back the 144,000 God has already created.

The Bible shows us there is a great difference in the results between those who hold the faith, ‘I can do,’ and those who think-‘I can’t do’-and give up. Considering the opposite results obtained by the two, we can recognize that the kingdom of heaven is given only to those who have a positive faith, along with a firm resolution that they will surely enter it.

Then Caleb silenced the people before Moses and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” But the men who had gone up with him said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. … That night all the people of the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this desert! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” … Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes and said to the entire Israelite assembly, … “And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will swallow them up. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us …” The LORD said to Moses and Aaron: “… In this desert your bodies will fall-every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun.”Nu 13:30-14:30

As you know, this is a story about the twelve spies. Ten of them gave up early, repeating the word, ‘Nobody.’ “Who can enter the land of Canaan?” “Nobody.” “Who can live in the land of Canaan?” “Nobody.” At the spies’ disheartening words, all the Israelites wept bitterly. When the thought-‘I can’t do’-prevailed among the Israel-ites, there arose a kind of defeatism and hopelessness: ‘If only we had died in this desert!’ A sense of inferiority-‘They seemed like giants, but we are like grasshoppers’- began to weigh heavily on their hearts.

All of them gave up, and God didn’t allow them to enter the land of Canaan. He rewarded them according to their thought and faith. Only two persons, Joshua and Caleb, cried out, ‘Everybody can enter the land of Canaan.’ They set an example of faith for us today, giving us a lesson that we can do everything under any circumstances because God is with us.

The kingdom of heaven is given to the person who thinks, ‘I can do’

The gospel can advance when there are many who think, ‘I can do.’ What happened to the Israelites in the desert is an example for us today. Considering the history, it is clear that those with the positive thought-‘I can do’-will ultimately enter the eternal kingdom of heaven.

Now, let’s dismiss the negative thought, ‘We can’t do,’ or ‘It is impossible for our church or group to do it.’ The thought-‘I can’t do’-makes us shrink back and plunges us into destruction. Let’s forcefully advance with the thought-‘I can do,’ depending on God, like Joshua and Caleb.

Those who think, ‘I can do,’ achieve their goal if there is a 1 percent possibility. However, those who think, ‘I can’t do,’ are unable to accomplish it even though there is a 99 percent possibility. So God said, “If you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move” (Mt 17:20).

If we believe that we can do, depending on God, nothing is impossible for us. Let’s change our thought from now on. If we have the same faith as Joshua and Caleb, Babylon will be fallen soon, as was Jericho. Though Jericho seemed impregnable, it fell like piles of sand before God-it was blown away like chaff and perished as nothing.

Babylon appears powerful now, but it will be as nothing and consumed like stubble before our Almighty God. With great boldness and strong faith, let’s forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven.

The LORD Almighty has sworn, “Surely, as I have planned, so it will be, and as I have purposed, so it will stand.”Isa 14:24

God spoke through prophecy that everything would be accomplished. To us, who believe in God, the Bible gives this passage: ‘I can do everything through him who gives me strength.’ Remember the words of Jesus, “According to your faith will it be done to you.” Have a firm faith and resolution to fill the heavenly barn with good fruit that pleases our heavenly Father and Mother.

The world belongs to those who think that they can do. Likewise, the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who have positive thinking and faith. Those who think, ‘I can’t do,’ may just occupy their own sitting room. However, those who think, ”I can do,’ will take the whole universe and become a royal priesthood in heaven, ruling over the galactic system (1 Pe 2:9).

Dear brothers and sisters, let’s do the gospel work with strong and affirmative faith-‘I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.’ Do not think in a negative way-‘I’m not capable of preaching,’ but in a positive manner-‘Everything is possible because God is with me; if I fail to do it, there must be something wrong with myself.’ I hope all of you will accomplish everything by doing it with faith.

The kingdom of heaven is forcefully being advancing even at this moment. Let’s leave our mark on it. Let us all forcefully advance the kingdom of heaven and enter it with joy, meeting our Father with abundant fruit when He comes.