Faith & Life

Mother’s Voice

Babies like their mother’s voice. Even while they are crying, they stop right away when they hear their mother’s voice; they move their arms and legs at their mother’s singing or make a similar sound to the singing. There is a certain reason why they respond to their mother’s voice. Functional units and sensory organs of the human body are formed in the womb. It is the organ of hearing that is developed first, and babies are most sensitive to their mother’s voice. That is because their mother’s voice is imprinted on them as they listen to their mother’s voice and move to its vibration from the womb. This is not only the case for humans. Baby birds who have…

Aroma of Christ

There are moments that are remembered by scents. Occasionally, my mom bought flowerpots for gardenias; when I put them by the window, the scent from the flowers spread out along the soft wind. To this day, when I smell gardenias, I’m reminded of old memories against the sunset background. In my middle school years, when I opened the door of the broadcasting room for the final interview of joining the broadcasting club, I smelled freesias which eased the tension. The scent of freesias evokes the old memories I had with the broadcasting club. In spring season, acacias bloomed around my university, turning the air into sweet scents like those of perfumes. Every spring, I’m vividly reminded of the memories I…

Lee So-yeong from Seongnam, Korea

All Parts of the Body Should Have Equal Concern for Each Other

In Nolan Creek, Washington D.C., there is the 3rd largest western red cedar in the world. But unfortunately, it is already dead. Over 30 years ago, when a large-scale logging operation was conducted there, the tree was spared by loggers because it had a symbolic meaning. However, as the trees around were cut down one after another, the red cedar gradually withered. People tried every possible means to save the tree, but all their efforts were in vain. Finally the tree withered up and died. The reason why the red cedar tree withered up was unexpectedly simple: even though it was a gigantic tree, it was unable to live while withstanding the fierce wind in the desolate wilderness alone. We…

What Can I Give You?

I was getting ready for work when my five-year-old daughter woke up earlier than usual and came to me, rubbing her eyes. “Dad! Are you going to work?” “Yes, I am.” Then she kept looking at me until I took out a small bag of biscuits from a drawer and gave it to her. “Yunji! You can have this after breakfast.” “Is it for me?” “Uh huh. I want you to have breakfast first, and then you can have this, too.” Then she seemed to think hard and said, “What can I give you? Do you want me to leave a biscuit for you?” I said to her with a smile, “No, you can have it all. I’m okay. See…

Yeo In-won from Daejeon, Korea

The Best Way to Overcome Difficulties

Charlie Chaplin, a famous comic actor, used to write all of his lines on paper before going on stage, although he had performed in front of crowds many times. Even after he was somewhat accustomed to his work in broadcasting, whenever he went on stage, he felt nauseous as if he was seasick. British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli, who left many wise sayings, also vented his mental sufferings by saying that it would be better to be the commander of a cavalry than to speak in front of people. Such influential people, who dominated the world in their time, had their own hardships. What do you think was their secret to overcoming difficulties and achieving success? The secret of their…

Faith Like Abraham’s

Abraham obeyed God’s command to sacrifice his son Isaac, who was born to him when he was one hundred years old, as a burnt offering. Since Abraham passed this test, he earned the title “forefather of faith.” God promised to make Abraham’s descendants numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore through Isaac. To me, the command to sacrifice Isaac as a burnt offering seemed too difficult to obey. Wondering what kind of mindset Abraham had, I came across a verse that helped me fathom the depth of his faith. By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had received the promises was about to sacrifice his one and…

Hong Jeong-eun from Seongnam, Korea

Be the One Who Serves

After I received God and started my life of faith, I noticed a few things in Zion that couldn’t be seen in any other places. First of all, it was hard to find out who was older and who had attended church longer. The reason was that I didn’t see anyone who exerted authority over others. Second, they all participated in the Bible study, cleaning, and volunteer services very actively though nobody asked them to. These were the things that I couldn’t understand easily, because I was used to the strict order of rank in the social life. In my experience, it is usually hard to control a group, so it requires a command system. If two people are in…

Park Seong-min from Seoul, Korea

Let Us Never Give Up on Heaven

The Israelites made a golden calf and worshiped the idol when they saw that Moses had not come down from Mount Sinai but was staying there for a long time. Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew just to satisfy his hunger. Demas abandoned the truth because he loved the world. All these people are the characters in the Bible, whose misfortunes started the moment they gave up on the things that were truly precious and valuable to them. ‘I’ve done my best, and that’s enough. I can’t do it anymore.’ There are difficult moments when we feel like giving up. However, even in those moments there is one thing we must never give up on. That…

Misunderstanding Is Bitter, and Understanding Is Sweet

In The Little Prince, a novella by Antoine de Saint-Exupery, the fox says to the little prince, “You will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstanding,” and the fox continues to talk. This scene is very contradictory, but it shows that words are a very important means to communicate and understand each other’s thoughts. Misunderstanding can be produced not only by words but also by actions. Many times, there can be a coincidence that two events happen at the same time and cause a misunderstanding. Even though one had no other intention, his action can look like he intended in others’ eyes. It is very unfair to be misunderstood, but such a thing happens all the time. No one…

To Enhance the Beauty of the Bride

There is nothing more suitable than Hanbok (traditional Korean dress) for traditional Korean holidays, and Norigae (a traditional Korean accessory) goes well with Hanbok. Western clothing is suitable for formal occasions, and a brooch can make the outfit look more elegant. Being properly dressed for any occasion makes the wearers look nice and it even ennobles them. “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.) Rev 19:7–8 In this age, when the heavenly wedding banquet where Heavenly Mother appears as the Bride is…

Delivering Jewels on a Jewel-like Day

#1 Nam Ji-eun from Gangneung, Korea Mukho-dong is a very sloped mountain village. There are many narrow alleys where handcarts can hardly enter the village. It is almost impossible to deliver coal briquettes to the village. However, the Church of God members from Yeongdong, Gangwon Province, deliver coal briquettes to the village every year. This year, more than 200 members joined the briquette relay to help the elderly in Mukho-dong spend a warm winter. I could not deliver briquettes this time due to my chronic back pain. This was a volunteer activity which I had really wanted to participate in. So I volunteered to drive the members to the place and waited in the parking lot. Thanks to this, I…

Gangneung, Korea

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

In the Face of Frustration

The darkest hour is just before dawn. Likewise, the most hopeless time in a person’s life can be a sign that hope is coming. Everyone experiences frustrations. Things do not always go as planned, and sometimes something bad happens unexpectedly. Whenever this situation occurs, we become so discouraged and downcast that we feel like just giving up. Even though we keep looking around, it seems like there is no way to out. At that very moment, God extends His hand to us. When the Israelites came out of Egypt, there were so many frustrating situations awaiting them. However, God did not leave His people alone to fall. When they were trembling in fear, trapped between the Egyptian army pursuing them…

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

Let Us Laugh Again and Again!

When you laugh, blessings come your way and harmony follows your family. When you laugh, hope wells up in you and sorrow goes away. When you laugh, you can overcome hardship and relieve stress. Laughter is so good for your body like restorative medicine that it helps you keep your health and drive away cancers and sometimes it can even change your destiny. It brings you happiness, the greatest goal of your life, in the end. People say that they laugh as they are happy, but sometimes they get happy as they laugh. This month, let us enjoy the privilege of laughing to our hearts’ content. Tip Laugh as soon as you get up, and you will be happy all…

To Know and to Act

“It is good for your health to eat meals at regular times and to do exercise steadily.” “You should be diligent to fulfill your duty successfully, whether it is study or work.” Everyone knows this very well, but it is not easy to put it into practice. Ganda Masanori, a Japanese management consultant, said, “The know-how for success is definite, but there is only one percent of people who put it into action.” This implies that even though there is a definite secret to success, only the person who puts it into practice can succeed. The book of “Acts,” as its name implies, is a book that records the acts of the apostles who preached the gospel widely from Judea…

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

Mother Is My Salvation

There is a sister whom I led to Zion. She was my age and very interested in the Bible. Once she started studying the Bible, it usually took a couple of hours. She also installed a Bible app on her smartphone and read it all in just a few days. As her new semester was approaching, she went off to the province where there was her college dormitory. Her place was five hours away from Uijeongbu, and there was no Zion in its vicinity. Even the transportation was inconvenient, and it took a great deal of time to get to the church. After she moved into the dormitory, I was worried about her, so I visited her on Friday as…

Kim Hyeon-dong from Uijeongbu, 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

“Good Job!”

In our school days, when our teacher placed this “good job” stamp on our assignment after checking to see if we had completed it, we were as happy as if we had gained the whole world. Everyone probably experienced this kind of joyous moment during their childhood. We felt joyful and happy just to see the “good job” stamp, so in order to receive that stamp, we did our assignments wholeheartedly even though we felt like playing outside with our friends. This must still have remained a pleasant memory for someone. Now, an incomparable compliment—the greatest compliment of all—has been reserved for us. “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man…