Faith & Life

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

Formula for Success

“Mr. Morgan, in this envelope I hold the guaranteed formula for success which I will gladly sell you for 25,000 dollars.” An old gentleman approached John P. Morgan, a world-renowned financier. Morgan said that he would be willing to pay for it if he liked it, and he opened the envelope and took out a sheet of paper. Then, without a word, he paid the agreed-upon 25,000 dollars to the old gentleman. The paper read: 1. Every morning, write down a list of the things that need to be done that day. 2. Do them.

Why There Are Many More Customers

In one village, there were two flower shops. One flower shop was large and diverse flowers were displayed, and the other shop was small but was always crowded with customers. So the owner of the large shop was envious of the small shop. ‘It doesn’t make sense. What flowers does she have over there to attract many more customers?’ The owner couldn’t find the reason why she was going through a slump in business. She enlarged her shop and put many more flowers on display. For a few days, some more customers visited her shop, but soon they again stopped visiting her shop. She found out much later that there was something that the owner of the small shop was…

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

The One Who Saves a Soul Saves the World

I met a Mongolian woman named Bolormaa, who came to Korea with her husband and was focusing on parenting as she had a year-old son. She looked very glad to meet us because she was going through a hard time raising her child alone in a foreign land with no relatives. As we were also raising children, we gave her good information on childcare and we got closer to each other. Visiting our church often, she became a child of God. But she liked talking and eating with Zion members more than following God’s word. We were anxious to deliver the words of God to her for the salvation of her soul. So we showed her a short video with…

Heo So-hyeong from Seoul, Korea

A Positive Mindset

During America’s Great Depression, Walter Hobby who lived in Pennsylvania kept sending resumes to a pharmacy which had over 300 branches just in New York. However, he did not even receive one reply from them. Yet he did not give up, and personally visited the pharmacy. “I’m Walter Hobby.” An employee welcomed him with a bright smile. “Mr. Hobby, we have been waiting for you. We have been looking for a positive person like you.” From that very day, Walter Hobby started working at the pharmacy, and later he climbed his way to the top post.

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

Eating Both the Pheasant and Its Eggs

There is a time when a pheasant acts differently, though it usually flies away when it senses even the slightest motion. It is when it incubates eggs. The pheasant never flies away by itself, leaving its eggs behind. So, if you see a pheasant sitting on its eggs, you can catch it and get the eggs as well. This is the origin of the saying: “Eating both the pheasant and its eggs.” It describes the pleasure of securing a double benefit with one action. However, there’s a sad story about a mother’s instinctive love behind the scenes.

When One of Two Is in Pain

Recently, I had gone through a hard time; I had a pain in my stomach and had a high fever and even vomited up. Sure enough, I was rushed to the emergency room and took various medical checkups in the hospital. It took a long time to take even one checkup. As my disease was not identified, I couldn’t get into a ward. What was worse, I had to wait for a couple of hours to see a doctor. Meanwhile, I was exhausted both physically and mentally. While I was having such a hard time, one person was always with me. It was my husband. Staying beside me for four days in the emergency room, he became my hands and…

Kim Sahng-seon from Gimje, Korea

Emperor Taizong and Zhangsun Shunde During the Chinese Tang Dynasty

In the age of the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty of China, a courtier named Zhangsun Shunde aroused criticism because he accepted bribes. Contrary to everyone’s expectation that he would be sentenced to a severe punishment, the emperor granted him ten rolls of silk. “Why do you give Zhangsun Shunde rolls of silk instead of punishing him?” “It is more painful to receive a prize without knowing the reason than to be punished. If he does not know such a shame, what is the use of punishing him?” However, Zhangsun Shunde did not know the great will of the emperor, and before long he made another mistake and was expelled from the public office. A year later, the emperor…

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

The Power of Affirmative Faith

When a famous professor from the department of heart surgery listened to the heart beat of a cardiac patient with a stethoscope, he made a diagnosis, saying, “His heart completely has the third heart sound gallop [S3 gallop].” “Gallop” is a medical terminology that refers to the late stage of the heart disease. The doctor meant that the patient could hardly recover. However, the patient pulled through rapidly, contrary to the diagnosis of the doctor. At last, the patient was restored to health. The professor asked him how he could get well so quickly. The patient answered. “Professor, you said my heart has a complete ‘gallop,’ didn’t you? Isn’t gallop a fast gait of a horse? I guessed you said…

What Facial Expression Will You Make?

The face is the most visible part of the body. There are four of five sense organs on the face, which are responsible for sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Not only do these sense organs accept external stimuli, they also perform the basic functions necessary for a person to live, such as eating, drinking, breathing, and speaking. The eyes, nose, and mouth on the face take on their respective roles, and also work together to create a variety of expressions. Animals and insects, too, have faces, but only humans can make various facial expressions. It’s because humans have particularly developed facial muscles. There are about 43 to 80 muscles on the human face, and there are more than 10,000 facial…

Life Exchanged with Treasure

During the voyage, a luxurious ferry struck a rock and was sinking little by little. Since the rescue boats were not big enough to take all the passengers, the little children and women were given priority to board the boats first. A noblewoman who was able to get a seat in the boat suddenly stood up as if she remembered something and ran back to the ferry. A surprised crew member shouted, “Ma’am! You have to come back within five minutes!” She ran to a cabin, picked up her treasure box, and was about to turn around and go back to the rescue boat. Then she was wide-eyed, surprised; she saw all kinds of treasure scattered here and there in…

Mission Accomplished

On the last holiday of June when the news about the drought continued, we went to the Deokwu Reservoir for cleanup. It is famous for fishing, and a perfect place for a family picnic. However, when we went there, there was almost no water due to the severe drought, and the exposed bottom cracked all over. From the positive viewpoint, it was perfect for cleaning; all the trash was exposed, which would have continued to cause the water pollution if it had not dried up. We started the cleanup with the head of the Bongdam-eup office and many other officials who came out to help us. Although they were the hosts who asked us to do cleanup there, it was…

Lee Eun-yeong from Hwaseong, Korea

Things That Should Not Be Overlooked

“You will not have to fight in this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.” 2 Ch 20:17 Jehoshaphat heard that the Moabites and Ammonites were coming to make war on him. He proclaimed a fast for all Judah and sought help from God. Listening to his prayer, God let them gain a victory even without fighting in the battle and granted peace. While doing things in Zion, I focused only on how to do it and often forgot to pray to God. Reading these words,…

Jang Dong-geon from Seoul, Korea

Stains

A man stopped by a gas station for gas. A worker cleaned the car’s windshield while pumping gas. “Thank you for using our gas station. Have a nice day,” said the worker. However, the man said that the windshield still looked dirty and asked him to clean it again. The worker quickly cleaned it again. “It looks good. You’re good to go now.” However, the man said in a querulous voice, “It’s still dirty. Do you even know how to clean the windshield?” Then the worker looked at the man carefully, went inside the store, and came out with a soft cloth, and gave it to the man. “Sorry, sir, but would you clean your glasses please?” The man cleaned…

The Reason I Can Do Everything

I don’t have any specialty. So when I am given something to do, I start to worry first. Fortunately, there is a verse that puts down my worries. “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” Php 4:13 Since God gives me strength, I come to have confidence that I can do everything. Heavenly Father and Mother, thank You for granting me all the strength and cheering on me while always being my side!

Kim Bo-rah from Busan, Korea

Present a Gift Without Spending Money!

When it comes to a gift, you think of a box wrapped in pretty paper and tied with a ribbon. However, a gift is not always put in a box. A gift is to bring joy and happiness to someone, expressing your thanks and love. So if you present joy and happiness to someone, it can be an excellent gift, like a cool wind, a blooming flower, and a rainbow in the sky that nature presents us freely. People say that what is essential is invisible to the eye and cannot be bought with money. This month, find out what is essential, and give it to your family! Tip Try out these gifts for your family: For your family, write…