Words of the Bible

What is the reason why every church erects the cross?

There was no cross in the early Church The reason why the churches today set up the cross is because they regard it as the symbol of Christ. Even those who do not believe in God take it for granted. However, the cross can never be a symbol of Christ. The cross, which was an object of shame and the"accursed tree" to the apostles in the early Church (Gal 3:13), was introduced into the church as Christianity became paganized. The leaders of the Church of Rome accepted pagan ideas and symbols under the pretext of evangelizing pagans, and one of them was the cross. Paying attention to the fact that Jesus was crucified on the cross, the Church of Rome…

The Heavenly Wedding Banquet

The Bible tells us that everything on this earth is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven (Heb 8:5). As we have a physical body, so we also have a spiritual body—a newly reborn body—which we, God’s children, will be clothed with when we go back to heaven. As we have our physical father and mother, so we have our spiritual Father and Mother who give birth to us and will change our physical body into a spiritual, heavenly body. We can find this fact in God’s providence over the creation. Eternal life given in accordance with nature Our ancestors would say that it’s natural that people should realize the will of Heaven and follow it, and that…

The Sacrifices in the Old Testament

The sacrifice ceremonies, which were conducted in the sanctuary in the Old Testament times, were so difficult and complicated that nobody really knew them in detail except the priests who took charge of them. Not only that, but since the types, ways and names of the sacrifices were similar or overlapped, it was not easy to tell the difference. Since it is hard to accurately classify or explain the sacrifice ceremonies of the Old Testament, let us take a look at some sacrifice ceremonies which appear several times in the Bible or can help our life of faith. 1. Sort by the purpose of sacrifice: sin offering, guilt offering, fellowship offering 1) Sin offering It was a sacrifice offered to…

Everyone’s Hope

When a human foot finally touched the gray, shadowed surface of the Moon, people watching on television erupted in cheers. It was July 20, 1969—the historic day when Apollo 11 became the first spacecraft to land on a celestial body beyond Earth’s atmosphere. NASA’s ambitious Apollo Program, designed to send humans to the Moon and bring them back safely, had succeeded spectacularly. The achievement required more than 25 billion dollars and the combined knowledge and skill of some 400,000 scientists and engineers. The astronauts’ space suits also drew great attention. Designed not only to ensure the astronauts’ survival and safety but also to allow them to move comfortably on the Moon, the suits embodied the very peak of twentieth-century science…

According to the Deeds of Faith

If, at the end of life, you are to face a harsh evaluation of how you have lived, will you be willing to change the principles and attitudes you have held onto until now? Alfred Nobel, a chemist, gained worldwide recognition for inventing dynamite. His invention brought revolutionary progress to mining, waterway, tunnel, railroad, and road construction. Yet the praise did not last. Once dynamite was used as a weapon of war, public opinion turned cold. As mass killing was carried out with his invention, fierce criticism poured down upon Nobel, who had grown immensely wealthy. One day, he read a newspaper article announcing his own death. It was actually his brother Ludvig who had died, but the paper mistakenly…

Because He Went Before Us

On May 6, 1954, at the athletic track of Oxford University in England, a 25-year-old man named Roger Bannister sprinted across the one-mile (Approx. 1,609 meters) finish line. His time: 3 minutes 59.4 seconds—a record no one had ever achieved before. His groundbreaking feat sent shockwaves through the world of athletics. At the time, sports physiologists even warned that attempting to run a mile in under four minutes could cause the lungs, heart, muscles, or ligaments to rupture, possibly resulting in death. Because of this fear, very few attempted to challenge the so-called four-minute barrier. From the moment Bannister resolved to break through that mental and societal wall, he had to fight the daily fear that he might die trying.…

With the Ability We Have Received

There is a saying: “The bird that flies high sees far.” Indeed, birds can see astonishing distances—some can even spot insects on the ground from several kilometers above. Hawks, famous for their exceptional vision, have five times more photoreceptor cells concentrated in the macula (the area of the eye where images form) than humans do. This allows them to perceive fast-moving objects almost as if they were passing slowly, frame by frame, enabling them to catch tiny insects mid-flight with their beaks. Hawks also have two maculae, enabling rapid focus adjustments much like a camera lens. When they search for prey from high above, their vision functions like a telephoto lens; when they lock onto prey and begin their descent,…

The Fragrance of Life to the Whole World

Once they take root, plants remain in the same place for life. To spread their seeds, they use various methods—some are carried by the wind, others through animals’ droppings. But the Crinum asiaticum (commonly called the spider lily), a perennial plant of the amaryllis family, uses a far bolder method. In Korea, the only natural habitat of the spider lily is Tokki Island, near Seongsan Ilchulbong on Jeju Island. How could this plant, believed to have originated from the southern seas, have taken root on such a small island, filling the air with its delicate fragrance? Spider lilies typically grow along coastlines and bloom from July to September. Each flower stalk bears around twenty long, slender white blossoms. After the…

Why is the church named the Church of God?

Sister, God bless you! I’m Pastor Clear. It’s nice to meet you! Good to see you, too. Pastor, I’ve got many questions because I’ve just started attending the Church of God. My first question is this. Why is the church named the Church of God? Isn’t every church the Church of God if they believe in God? Many people think that way. But, Sister, aren’t there many churches in your neighborhood? Among them, there are the churches established by God, and also the churches that were not established by God. Is there a church not established by God? If that’s true, I must find out which church is established by God before I go to any church. Certainly. Then, how…

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In the Age of Post-Truth, People Believe Falsehood

“Did you know spaghetti grows on trees?” This fake news was reported by BBC on April Fools’ Day 1957. At first, people made fake news for fun, but recently it has been shaking society at large. Fake news in article format are deceiving many people with false information online. In summer, 2016, when the U.S. presidential election was approaching, there were lots of fake news articles that were favorable to a certain candidate and malicious against the opponent candidate. Thinking it was suspicious, the press traced those articles and found out that the source of most of these fake articles was a small village called Veles in Macedonia, a country in Southeastern Europe; some teenagers were producing fake news referring…

The Seas, a Repository of Life

On March 26, 2012, James Cameron, the movie director of Titanic and Avatar, successfully explored the Mariana Trench. The Mariana Trench, which is known as the deepest part of the world’s oceans, reaches a maximum depth of about 11 ㎞ [36,090 ft]. It is deeper than the height of Mt. Everest (8,848 m above sea level). Why is it that the expedition to the seas that are so familiar with us draws so much attention in the age of cutting-edge science, when we have even left human traces in space? It is because it has been hard for humans to explore the deep seas due to its high pressure, cold water temperature, and complete darkness. James Cameron made a six-hour…

You Will See the Deliverance God Will Bring You

By celebrating the Passover, the Israelites were finally released from Egypt, where they had been slaves for 430 years. However, their joy didn’t last long. Pharaoh changed his mind and began to chase after them in hot pursuit with his chariots and his horsemen. To make matters worse, the Red Sea blocked their way. They could neither go forward nor turn back. Being extremely terrified, the Israelites cried out to God and began to complain against Moses. Then Moses calmed them down, saying: “Do not be afraid. You will see the deliverance God will bring you. God will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then God said to Moses: “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand…

God Opens the Door of Hope

As we live in this world, we may occasionally encounter trials and obstacles. When faced a problem, many people give up or fall into despair, unable to find a solution. When we read the 66 books of the Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, we can find the fact that whenever God’s people encounter trials or obstacles, God always opens a door of hope for them behind the scenes. Life on this earth is sometimes tough and difficult, but it is all part of our journey to the eternal kingdom of heaven. We will continue to live a truly glorious life every day in heaven where there is no death or pain or sorrow. Such a gracious world has been prepared…

Starlight: The Universe’s Signal

In the movie Interstellar, the protagonist embarks on a space mission for the future of humanity. From a five-dimensional space, he sends a signal across time to his daughter on Earth. Even today, humanity receives time-transcending messages from the universe. The light emitted endlessly by the stars in the night sky—sent from the past and arriving in our present—is precisely that signal. The vast universe is filled with countless stars1 and galaxies, each radiating its own light. Yet from Earth, we cannot see the universe as it exists now. We see the Sun as it was eight minutes ago, and we navigate by the North Star as it appeared 466 years ago. What messages does this starlight—having traveled across space…

Ransom

As he expected, Jesus Himself came down to the earth in the flesh to save the souls who sinned, and sacrificed His body as a sin offering for them. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” So, in order to save the spirits who sinned, a righteous person without sin must die. According to ancient law, if a man sets a sinner free, he must die instead of the sinner (1 Ki 20:42). From Chapter 13 “The First Adam and the Last Adam,” VISITORS FROM THE ANGELIC WORLD 1. Literal Meaning Ransom, ‘λυτρον [Lutron]’ in Greek, is a word for money demanded in return for the release of a slave or a captive. 2. Meaning of ransom in…

Destiny

“The events that will necessarily happen to a particular person or thing in the future, or the hidden power that is believed to control what will happen in the future.” This is the definition of destiny. Simply put, it refers to something beyond human power. A beggar had a pessimistic view of life. He thought his destiny was different from that of the rich or great people. He asked a wise man, “Why is my destiny different from theirs?” The wise man answered, “Your destiny is not different from theirs. They were born with the same destiny as yours.” At his words, the beggar felt a little hopeful. He lived, waiting for his life to change. Then he died. After…

“I Was in My Mom”

Children sometimes joke, “I think my mom is a god. Even though I did it secretly, somehow she knows it was me.” “Not only she knows when I’m joyful and happy, but she also knows when I’m ill, lonely and sorrowful. It’s as if she knows me more than I know myself.” That is not all. She even defends her children despite the threat of death. We do not need to mention the case of the 27-week-old premature infant that came back to life just by being held by his mother for two hours to display the miracle of mothers who have saved their children on the brink of death. Mothers fear nothing and can accomplish anything for their children.…

When Jesus Saw Their Faith

One day, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, who had come from every village of Galilee and from Judea and Jerusalem, were listening to the teachings of Jesus. Some men came carrying a paralytic on a mat and tried to take him into the house to lay him before Jesus, but they could not find a way because of the crowd. They gave up entering the house through the door and went up on the roof. They took off some tiles and lowered the paralytic on the mat in front of Jesus. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the patient, “Friend, your sins are forgiven.” They could have given up because there was no way. However,…

Which Day Does Jesus Want to Celebrate?

The Day We Stand Before God

The Bible prophesies that each of us will one day stand before God. When our life on this earth comes to an end, the time will come when we must give an account of our deeds and faith before the judgment seat of God (Rev 20:11–15; Ro 14:10; 2 Co 5:10). How joyful will it be if we can give an account to God on that day for what we have done to please God? If we are able to offer an abundance of beautiful gospel fruit to God as a result of carrying out His command to “preach the gospel to Samaria and even to the ends of the earth,” it will truly be an overwhelming and glorious moment…