Something That You Know When You Do It

My parents died when I was young and I had to earn a living. So, my life was literally like a war and the world was like a battle field. In order not to get left behind in the cold-hearted world where no one could protect me, I worked tenaciously. Even after having a family at a late age, my life was the same.

Doing the delivery service in the market, I had been working nights and sleeping days for over ten years. It was even difficult to see my children due to my busy daily life, so my only joy was to chat with the market vendors and get drunk. Since we had been living a tough life, we were all hot-tempered and our words and actions were tough. However, we were close like a family. We used to get rid of stress by gathering together, laughing, and chatting every morning after working all night or on weekends when we had no work.

I don’t remember when, but my wife started to go to the Church of God with our kids. Whenever my daughters asked me to go to church, I waved and said, “I won’t go! All you should go to heaven.” I would have been interested in the Bible and religion in my school days because I went to a mission school. But I liked drinking and using rough words. So I thought living a religious life didn’t suit me at all.

“Our Mother” Writing & Photo Exhibition was a turning point in my life. Actually, I didn’t really expect from the exhibition. Since I lost my mom early in my life, I thought mother’s love was something that only other people can feel. But while reading the writings one by one, I could not control my feeling. I only forgot about her, but she was the one I loved and missed by nature. She was like a hometown in my heart. I couldn’t cry bitterly in front of others in my 50’s. I wiped my tears secretly and went to the restroom where I burst into tears.

‘Why have I been living like this? I haven’t even looked back. At least for my mother-in-law, who gave her precious daughter to me, I shouldn’t keep living this way. Now, let me change. I will be more faithful to my family.’

With a firm determination, I received baptism, a sign of becoming a child of God as my wife and children wished. I also promised to go to church with my family once a month. It was my first step to become a good father and husband, but I couldn’t keep that promise. Since I started the Bible study by the overseer’s request, I came to know the will of God. Then I couldn’t keep the service only once a month. God’s words that I learned in Zion were totally different from what I had learned before. It was not only a good teaching, but it was the law established by God the Father and God the Mother, who really exist, and the law that I must keep.

I kept the Sabbath day worship every week. While doing that, I realized I should live a holy and humble life and be gentle. Glorifying God with good deeds and preaching the gospel diligently to save dying souls were also the missions that I ought to accomplish. It meant that I had to totally change my lifestyle which I had had for half of my life. The most urgent thing was to change my intemperate lifestyle and speaking harsh words. I was worried at first. ‘What if people think I am indulgent? Wouldn’t I be in trouble at my work? It would be a big problem if I lose clients. . . .’ Many thoughts came across my mind.

With the faith that God would help, I put into practice the teachings that I learned in Zion. It was surprising. What happened was opposite to what I had thought. I was afraid that people would laugh at me or ignore me, but they rather said, “Church goers are indeed different” and had more trust in me. As I became gentle in words and deeds, other people, too, treated me in a soft and gentle way. I realized that as I had been rough on them, they must have instinctively treated me in the same way.

My daily life, which was like a battle field, became as peaceful as a flock of sheep feeding on grass in green pastures. I go to Zion on the Sabbath after practicing God’s words with joy and thanks for the week; my gratitude doubled. While being with Zion members who give love to each other without pretense, I couldn’t stop saying, “I’m happy.” No matter how much I had earned money, happiness was far away somewhere just like a rainbow. In God, however, happiness was in Zion, at home, and at my workplace.

The best words, Zion, the warmest place, and the loving heavenly family members . . . I wanted to make known all these things I realized and was enjoying to the people who were living without knowing what happiness is just as I had been in the past. It was not easy to put the idea into practice. It was because I went to bed as soon as I came home after work, and was busy receiving orders and sending goods at work. I was also concerned that people might regard me as weird, or I would be drifted away from them.

So, at first, I preached only to my acquaintances who weren’t negative about the Bible. While I was idly spending my time without any fruit, something happened about a year ago from now. The sermons that I listened to via my cell phone became a medicine for my soul. As it is said, “Faith comes from hearing,” whenever I heard the words, I was so thankful for the fact that I realized the perfect truth of the new covenant among seven billion people. “We are the happiest people who have received the true God.” These words also touched my heart greatly.

The truth was so precious that I couldn’t just keep it to myself under the excuse of a lack of time or courage. I didn’t want to make excuses any longer. Apostle Paul didn’t make any excuse because of this or that in front of a soul who had to be saved right away. He also made tents and preached the gospel at his own expense.

‘Let me live like Apostle Paul. There are tens of people I meet at work, and when I include all the people I have known for over ten years, there are hundreds. I will deliver this good news to every single person; at least one person a day.’

Since I became enthusiastic about the gospel work, whenever I saw my acquaintances, I talked about the words of the Bible. It was difficult to do that a first time or a second time, but later on, the conversation continued smoothly. Even those who were uninterested or felt uncomfortable because their family had a different religion grew serious on the topic of life and death. The people in my age are likely to feel depressed and vague at the thought that the days left to live are shorter than the past days. As the Bible clearly shows the secret of life and death and the way to kingdom of heaven, their ears must have been wide opened. Moreover, when I showed my sincerity, saying, “I have peace in mind since I went to church and believe in God,” “Why don’t you come with me to church? Your life will change, too,” the people around me replied, “I’ve wondered what church could change you this much,” and started to study the words of truth in earnest.

Among them, there was even an acquaintance who was working for drinking. Come to think of it, he used to depend on drinks since he had nothing to rely on. Surprisingly, he received the truth without hesitation, stopped his great pleasure of drinking, and kept asking the overseer to teach him about the truth. Now he keeps worship services regularly with me. He says that it is really good to believe in God.

An older friend who had attended a Protestant church for over twenty years also received the truth. At first, he kept himself aloof from my preaching, saying that he had been to all recommended churches. But hearing about God the Mother, he was surprised and studied the Bible for about a month, and was reborn as a child of God.

More than sixty people were led this way since last year until the beginning of this year. I didn’t know that there were that many heavenly family members around me. I wouldn’t have known this forever if I hadn’t preached to them at the thought that they didn’t have any interest in church or the Bible as they were living a content life outwardly.

Not long ago, a friend from my hometown, whom I used to preach to on the phone for over six months, received the blessing of a new life. Though I couldn’t see him face to face, I could preach if I was willing, and whoever listened opened his mind and came to God. I couldn’t help but preach harder. It is said that when you do what you like, you don’t feel tired at all. That’s the exact situation I am now in. God pours the Holy Spirit over me every day, so my eyes get opened joyfully in the morning and I am filled with excitement when I wake up. I am really happy and I mean it. I am happy that I am in God with my family, and I am happy that I can share happiness with precious people around me. It is a value that I cannot afford with money.

I hope all members of Zion can also enjoy such joy. If we find all our heavenly family members quickly, Father and Mother would have no better wish. It is not difficult. It is to boast about the blessing that we’ve received and about how to receive it. It is just as we suggest good food to our close friends. Then God Almighty helps us in everything. If you try to do it once, you will know that there are so many lost brothers and sisters around us and God has prepared this much blessing for us.