Enlightenment

Like Elijah’s Prayer

After I received the truth, my values and standards in life changed. Having the salvation of my soul as the goal of my faith, I no longer busied myself satisfying worldly desires; instead, I made every effort to live a righteous life as a child of God. The people around me were frustrated when they saw me living a joyful life with hope for heaven, because they couldn’t understand me. Whenever I met some people who slandered the truth blindly, I felt lonely and heartbroken. But whenever that happened, I remembered these Bible verses. The prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel…

Lee Ji-won from Gimhae, Korea

God Sympathizes with Us

‘Why did God live the same way people lived?’ This is what I had been wondering about for a long time since I began to believe in God. Our sins can be forgiven only through the precious blood of Christ, and for that reason, God must have come to the earth in the flesh. However, He could’ve suffered the pain of crucifixion only for a short moment. Why did He endure all that pain and suffering for such a long time? I couldn’t understand it easily. One day, however, I happened to read one verse in the Bible. I felt as if I got punched in the head. “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to…

Yun Eun-ju from Goyang, Korea

The Law of God

“The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.” Ps 19:7–8 There was a tough time when I studied law, dry and dull. I had so many thick books to read, and slightly different theories gave me a headache. The more pages I turned, the more frustrated I became. One day, I saw the above verses from the lyrics of a New Song. It was a liberating experience. Reading the verses directly from the book of Psalms moved me even more deeply. ‘That’s right.…

Lee Su-jin from Hwaseong, Korea

Those Who Hope in God Will Renew Their Strength

I was not motivated to do anything, just like a plant that had lost its vigor and faded away. My self-respect also dropped to the bottom level. I knew that I had to overcome myself, but it was not easy to do so. What was worse, there was a whisper of darkness in my mind; “Lay all down now.” It was tempting, but I couldn’t give up because I had a heavenly home to return to. I urgently needed spiritual strength. Then I happened to read some verses that touched my soul. “He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who…

Kang Sun-bong from Jinju, Korea

I Have Prayed for You

When I was a college student, I had many gospel activities. One of the most memorable experiences was having a prayer gathering with some Zion members in a lecture room. We used to meet at 8 a.m. before lectures began. As I was living far from my campus, I had to take a subway train at 6 a.m. to join the prayer gathering. Moreover, I often stayed up until daybreak to write reports and to study for exams. Although my body was tired, my heart was full of joy. Every time we gathered, we read the Bible. The following verses still remain in my mind. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for…

Kim Min-ji from Virar East, Virar, MH, India

Until the Morning Star Rises in Your Hearts

It was when I was in the first year of high school. The math teacher handed out papers with an interesting pattern and told us how to look at it. When I did as the teacher directed, after a good while, I could see a three-dimensional shape built on the flat picture. Excited, I took it home and showed it to my mom. My mom, who succeeded at the end of a longer challenge, was amazed, seeing the picture again and again. The picture was a Magic Eye. A few years later, I received the truth through my older sister. Then my mom came to mind first. Mom was always living a hard life, raising her eight children along with…

Lim Ji-yeon from Seongnam, Korea

Tied with the Bond of Peace

I am rather hot-tempered. I’ve become somewhat patient after becoming a child of God, but I haven’t completely changed yet. One day, my impetuosity hurt a member’s feeling. Regretting it, I was reading the Bible to look for a solution. Then these verses caught my attention. “Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:2–3 “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace”—these words resounded in my heart. When things didn’t go my way, when somebody misunderstood my words or action, and when somebody thought the very opposite from what I thought,…

D.Tuvshinjargal from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Repentance

“Please forgive me for my lack of love for my brothers and sisters.” “Please forgive me for my disobedience to Your words.” There were many times when I could ask God for forgiveness—on the Sabbath day and Third day every week, and the Day of Atonement when we confess all of our sins committed throughout the year. However, I just repeated vague prayers without sincerity. I knew my wrongs, but I just thought God would forgive me and prayed for my wishes rather than for contrition. I really never knew how to repent. Then this one verse changed me: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for,…

Jang Min-gyeong from Seongnam, Korea

God Does Not Break a Bruised Reed

I met God when I was going through many things. What would have happened to my soul if God had not given me a hand; I don’t even want to think about it. I was grateful that I could smile again after meeting God. However, the human heart is unpredictable. I soon started running out of the new strength I’d gained through the blessings of Heavenly Father and Mother as I was tossed about by temptations and storms of life. It was God’s word of love that saved my dying soul. “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he leads justice to victory.” Mt 12:20 “Ah! I was a bruised…

Kim Tae-hui from Cheongju, Korea

No Longer Live for Themselves

I had many changes in my life after accepting the truth and realizing the existence of the heavenly family and the Heavenly Parents who give life to my soul. The blessing of eternal life that I’ve received through the Passover skimmed fear off my mind, and the precious teachings of the Bible revived my soul day after day. Now, after more than a decade, I come to realize that the blessings I’ve received in the truth were not free of charge. “And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” 2 Co 5:15 When my younger brothers and sisters were born in a…

Yun Eun-ju from Goyang, Korea

I Will Be Joyful in God

I once struggled financially as my company went bankrupt. I tried many things, but I couldn’t find the answer. I felt like walking a long, dark tunnel alone. Thinking that I needed to pull myself together in times like this, I focused on listening to sermons, reading the Truth Books, the Bible more diligently. Among the verses I read, there was one verse that comforted me greatly. “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God…

Park Min-gun from San Miguel, Argentina

God Who Protects Me All My Life

I first came to study the Bible at the Church of God. I was so excited by the amazing and marvelous words that I could not help reading the Bible every night. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all you who remain of the house of Israel, you whom I have upheld since you were conceived, and have carried since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Isa 46:3–4 The impression I get after reading the above verses before going to bed doesn’t fade for a long time.…

Lee Chang-seob from Namyangju, Korea

My Son’s Finding the Way Back Home

In the late afternoon when the sunlight came through the curtain, I became drowsy. Suddenly, my cell phone rang. It was my second son who went out with his friends to ride scooters. “Mom, I don’t know where I am.” When I heard that, my body got up instantly. ‘He had said he was going to a nearby park, but how come he doesn’t know where he is now?’ My son said he was riding scooters in the park, and then he went out of the park and rode it around the alleys with his friends. As the evening time was approaching, his friends went back home one by one, and he was left alone. Looking around, he could not…

Jeon Eun-ok from Seongnam, Korea

Please Let Me Always Have Hope in God

After I graduated from university, I worked as an administrative assistant at the school immediately. At first, I was grateful to God for allowing me to accomplish the workplace mission at the school where I had been working for the campus mission until then. As time went by, however, I lost my commitment to the gospel mission. As the new semester began, things got tougher. I was not familiar with the administrative work, but while dealing with freshmen all at once and carrying out professors’ instructions, I lost track of time. I thought, ‘Do I have to work so hard like this?’ Wanting to be comforted by someone, I pulled out my cell phone and our church app caught my…

Lee Jin-gyeong from Suwon, Korea

The Best Medicine

“I just want to sleep for a day, no more or no less.” I go to work early in the morning and work all day. After work, I go to church and participate in the young adult group gathering. So, I often get exhausted when I return home. When I spent even day-offs with things, I felt like my body was so heavy that I wanted to sleep all day long. Last Sunday, I left home early in the morning because of the IWBA education. I was still tired, but my eyes opened wide as I heard the professor read the following verses before education. “My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not…

Seo Mi-ju from Incheon, Korea

If the Words of God Remain in Me

I prayed to God many times to allow me to bear good fruit of the gospel, but it was hard to bear fruit. I was wondering why, and then a verse came into view. “If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” Jn 15:7 The secret of receiving whatever I want is having the words of God in me. On the contrary, if there is no word of God in me, I cannot get what I want. Heavenly Mother always gives us sound instructions and godly teachings so that we can go back to the kingdom of heaven. However, I have been lazy in engraving God’s words…

Kim Mi-hui from Geoje, Korea

Do Not Be Afraid of Them, for I Am With You

When I received the truth in the Church of God, I was so happy and joyful, and being confident that this is the true church which people must go to, in order to receive salvation. I wanted to become a great prophet and preach to many people—to whomever I meet. But I was often intimidated because of my age and what I would look like. Everybody always mistook me for being an elementary student because of my petite body and baby-face look. I was also slow-witted and didn’t speak well. So I wondered, ‘Will people listen to me and be convinced in what I say?’ While I was in distress because of this matter, one of my branches, who led…

Sharina Aya Z. Gorospe from Quezon City, Philippines

Until All of the Prophecies Are Fulfilled

It has almost been a year since I started preaching overseas. When my heart was going to be weakened due to the hot weather lasting throughout the year, a great language barrier, and unpalatable food, I became spiritually renewed by the following verses: “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels? But how then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen in this way?” Mt 26:52–54 Jesus was able to avoid the situation at that time, but He silently…

Kim Min-gyeong from Cheongju, Korea

Spiritual Vitamin

This happened when I was on my gospel mision in Spain. A deaconess came from Korea to preach the gospel for a month. I was worried that she would not be accustomed to unfamiliar circumstances as she was not good at speaking Spanish. Unlike my expectation, however, she preached the word of God until late at night, always wearing a smile and showing no signs of fatigue. I wondered how the deaconess could be so eager to preach without rest, and I asked her how. Then she opened the Bible and showed me this verse. “. . . but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and…

Kim Jin-hui from Seongnam, Korea

Test Me and Know My Anxious Thoughts

While my faith was growing little by little, I got tested. I thought that “test” was only for a person with weak faith. So I earnestly prayed to God that the hard times would pass by quickly. However, the answer to my prayer was getting delayed. While I was bearing the time of loneliness and desperation, my hope for heaven grew even bigger. After much time, I realized that the test I had at that time was God’s plan to grow my faith. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23–24 If there was any…

Kim Su-yeong from Gunpo, Korea