Faith & Life

How Many Colors Are in the Rainbow?

When you see a rainbow in the sky, you cannot take your eyes off it because of its amazing appearance. It may sound random, but how many colors are in a rainbow? Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Even children know this, but why am I asking you this? Actually, it is difficult to count how many colors are in a rainbow because it is a continuous spectrum; the boundaries for each color are hard to draw. Technically, it consists of 207 colors. However, it became common sense to know that the rainbow has seven colors because Newton defined the seven colors of the rainbow in his research on light. Different countries have different views on rainbows. In…

To Become a Good Tree

I participated in a tree planting event held in Loganville, Georgia. The tree planting campaign is one of the major campaigns of the World Mission Society Church of God Young Adult Worker Volunteer Group [ASEZ WAO] and it aims to combat climate change by planting trees. While doing the meaningful work of protecting our planet as a home for life, each member of Zion also learned to become a good tree to bear good spiritual fruit. To plant tree seedlings, we first had to break up the ground. The groundwork required the most effort. While I was pulling out weeds and removing stones from the ground, I was reminded of God’s word, “Break up your unplowed ground” (Ho 10:12). It…

Jonathan Hall from Atlanta, GA, U.S.

The Reason We Should Practice God’s Word

If you look at the records of Jesus’ work, you can see Jesus healing the sick suffering from incurable diseases. Why are there many miraculous works of Jesus recorded in the Bible? In fact, they are a copy and shadow, giving us a lesson. On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.” Mt 9:12 Jesus came to the earth as the spiritual Doctor. Just as we go to see a doctor when we are sick, we must go to God for the healing of our souls that are mortal as a result of sin. Two thousand years ago, tax collectors and sinners who were with Jesus were despised by people, but…

Fujikawa Moto from Kyoto, Japan

A Lunch Lady Becomes a Hero

Jarrett J. Krosoczka, an American cartoonist, went to give a lecture at the elementary school that he attended, and ran into a lady who had been working in the same school cafeteria since he went to the school. He was delighted to see her, who still worked at the cafeteria for a long time, and the moment he saw her, he was inspired to create a new artwork. It was about a secret agent, a school lunch lady, fighting villains with cooking utensils and protecting the school and students. The cartoon became very popular and it changed students’ attitudes toward lunch ladies in their schools. Students delivered thank-you letters to lunch ladies and gave them a flower vase with their…

A Conversation Between Two Elderly Women

An elderly woman with huge baggage got on the subway. Just in time, there was an empty seat in the senior citizen’s area, so she put down her baggage and sat down. Then, another elderly woman of a similar age talked to her, “Why do you have such huge baggage?” “While making water kimchi, I was reminded of my daughter, who likes it, so I'm bringing it to her. Since I was visiting her anyways, I started looking for stuff to give her. I packed many things, so my baggage became this large.” “Then, you should have shipped it to her, taken a taxi, or told your daughter to come to get it. Why are you going through such trouble?”…

Donate Your Talent to Your Family!

Musician with music, chef with dish, and lecturer with lecture ... Contributing to society by donating their talents and abilities to others is called Talent Donation. Talent donation is generally done in society, but it can also be done at home in a narrow sense. Everyone has one thing that he or she is good at. You can do it for your family. God has given a talent to each of us, wanting us to use it for others. If we use it for our family, it will be more meaningful. Even for a small thing, do not keep your talent to yourself but use it for your family. Then, it will be a great help to your family’s harmony…

Mother’s Street Filled with Happiness and Inspiration

Port Elizabeth in southern South Africa is known as a resort with its mild climate and beautiful beaches. The Church of God members planned an environmental cleanup to create a Mother’s Street that would shine as a true tourist attraction in Port Elizabeth. During the preparation for the cleanup, a few church members returned to their hometown after university exams. As the number of participants decreased, it was uncertain whether we would be able to carry out the cleanup properly. In the morning of that day, we went to the appointed place, worried. But from a distance we could see the members who came early to the square, waiting for the cleanup to begin. Although only thirteen members gathered, the…

The Port Elizabeth Church in South Africa

The Most Beautiful Fruit in the World

A week after I received the truth, my dad too was blessed with a new life. To raise his three children all alone, my dad, who just farmed in the countryside, moved to a city and did all sorts of hard work like shipyard work and construction work. So when my dad received a new life, I felt great I thought that I gave him a precious gift. However, he didn’t come to worship God fully. He had to take care of household chores due to the absence of my mom, and he didn’t miss any of the fifteen Confucian events held at our house, as the firstborn son like his father and his grandfather. Time passed, and my dad…

Choi Han-na from Busan, Korea

Mother’s Creation

One day when I was on a short term mission, preaching the gospel overseas, I came across a flower on a street, unwittingly picked it up, and brushed off the dust. The flower was very beautiful at a close distance. I gave the flower to one sister, saying, “Sister, this beautiful flower resembles you.” Then with a twinkle in her eyes she said what made a profound impression upon my soul, “Mother’s creation!” “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” Rev 4:11 Her word totally changed my point of view of faith. It really touched my heart…

Park Min-ji from Seoul, Korea

The Greatest Joy

Long hair that comes down below the shoulders, beard, a denim jacket, sunglasses, and cowboy boots! This was me before receiving the truth. I let my hair and beard grow because I was shooting a film at that time. As an actor, I was in quite many movies, and made one or two movies myself. I felt satisfied with my talent and lived according to my standard, not thinking about how other people viewed me. However, it was different when it came to religion. Although I claimed to believe in God and know the Bible, it didn’t make sense whenever I read the Bible. Although my pastor didn’t really teach me the Bible, I believed him more than God, but…

M. Dorjdagva from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

The Voice of Father and Mother

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries are still imposing travel restrictions. However, we also hear gracious fragrances of Zion that the pandemic has provided an opportunity for our members to study Heavenly Father’s Truth Books. In order to teach us the way of salvation, Heavenly Father came to this dark and gloomy world, which confuses the truth with falsehood. Every Truth Book that Father wrote for 37 years, staying up all night, contains His earnest love for His children; Father wanted all of us to correctly distinguish the truth from falsehood and receive salvation. There is a Bible verse I got reminded of while studying Heavenly Father’s Truth Books. O people of Zion, who live in Jerusalem, you will…

Sushan Khati from Gokarneshwor, Nepal

When You Procrastinate

The Rational Decision Maker sets out on a voyage to the Island of the Blue Sea. Suddenly, the Instant Gratification Monkey appears and snatches the wheel. The Instant Gratification Monkey has only two interests: fun and ease. The Instant Gratification Monkey hold the wheel and turns to the Dark Playground. It is a place where people always play with feelings of guilt, anxiety, and self-hatred. There is, however, a Panic Monster on board. When this Monster wakes up, the Monkey hides quickly and the Reasonable Decision Maker can head to the Island of the Blue Sea. The Island of the Blue Sea is less fun than the Dark Playground, but it is a place where important things happen. The Reasonable…

Christian

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Pe 4:12–16 Sometimes, we look for a prestigious title in the…

Alisa Szewcik from Seattle, WA, U.S.

In Accordance with God’s Plan

“Have you ever heard about God the Mother?” “Yes!” This was the reply from a lady whom I preached to. I ask this question to whoever I meet. Most Colombians are Catholics and they mistakenly regard Mary the mother of Jesus as Heavenly Mother. I thought she too had the same belief and so asked her again, “Have you heard about the Bride of the Lamb?” “Yes. You mean Heavenly Jerusalem?” I was surprised because the Gospel hadn’t been preached in her village. She said she heard the truth when she was working elsewhere in the previous year. When we met her for the Bible study for the second time and the third time, she showed how clearly she remembered…

Gong Ju-hui from Medellin, Colombia

Those Who Saved Others’ Lives

“The old woman trapped in the fire reminded me of my mom in Sri Lanka.” A Sri Lankan man who jumped into a house on fire and saved his elderly neighbor in Gunwi, Gyeongbuk, Korea, in February 2017 “As a father with two daughters, I just thought I had to save the baby.” A man in his thirties who rescued four members of a family, including a seven-month-old baby, in a car submerged in water due to heavy rain in Gwangju, Korea, in August 2017 “I was reminded of my grandma in the countryside, so I gave my physical education uniforms to cover her and reported it to the police.” A middle school student who rescued an elderly woman suffering…

I Have Prayed for You

Whenever I went through hardships and trials in my life of faith, I always prayed, seeking God’s help and asking for strength to overcome all of them. One day, a member read me a verse that really moved me. “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” Lk 22:31–32 Even though Jesus foreknew Peter would deny Him even for three times, Jesus never hated him. Instead, He prayed for Peter not to be wavered by the situation, but to have faith so that he could carry out his mission as an apostle of the New Covenant.…

Arnaldo Codoy from Mandaluyong, Philippines

Two Sweet Rice Doughnuts

On the way home after a student gathering at the church, suddenly I was reminded of Mom and phoned her. “Mom, I’m on the way home after the gathering.” “I see! Seohyeon, you know . . .” “Yes?” “I really want to eat sweet rice doughnuts.” I told her I would get it for her and hung up. Then I looked through my bag. I found a creased thousand-won bill and a few coins. I thought I could buy at least one doughnut, and went inside a bakery. Thankfully, I could barely buy two doughnuts. At the mere thought about how much Mom would enjoy it, my footsteps were light. Finally, I handed the doughnuts to Mom. “Mom, here it…

Kim Seo-hyeon from Seoul, Korea

How to Get Debts Written Off

Often times, we may find it hard to forget our hurt feelings. Although I thought that I let go of my hurt feelings, they would come up again and resurface in my heart. “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay…

Kimberly Martinez from Los Angeles, CA, U.S.

Wherever God Leads

[S]o David inquired of the Lord, “Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you hand them over to me?” The Lord answered him, “Go, for I will surely hand the Philistines over to you.” . . . Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim; so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, “Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the balsam trees . . . So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon to Gezer. 2 Sa 5:19–25 David asked God before going to battle against the Philistines. God promised David…

Lee Hyeong-hui from Lima, Peru

A Family That Can Communicate Is a Happy Family!

Many people say that they are afraid to go abroad or to meet foreigners because they cannot communicate with them. Probably, there is nothing as frustrating as being unable to communicate. Sometimes, people feel distressed from failing to communicate even with someone who speaks the same language. If that person is someone unrelated to you, you can simply avoid them; people naturally get close to someone they can communicate with and far from someone they cannot communicate. However, if that someone you cannot communicate with is in your family, it is a serious problem. Nothing would be more distressful than having to live with someone you cannot communicate with in the same house all your life. Even if someone satisfies…