2013년 8월 29일 목요일

Why did Adam and Eve die?



There lived a happy couple, Adam and Eve, under the love and protection of God in the Garden of Eden. One day, the cunning serpent approached them. The serpent deceived Eve to eat the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil forbidden by God. She also gave some to her husband and he ate it. As a result, they were expelled from the happy Garden of Eden due to the sin of disobedience and lived painful lives. And they died in the end according to the words of God.
Even non-Christians will know the story of the Garden of Eden. The Bible says that death came to all people on this earth due to disobedience of Adam and Eve (Romans 5:12.)
Are there any ways to recover life? Numerous Christian churches emphasize faith, shouting “We can be saved as long as we have faith in God! Do you believe?” Of course, we can have the promise of salvation through faith. Then, didn’t Adam and Eve believe in God when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Yes, they did. Adam and Eve and even their descendents had faith in God. If such insistence that “we can be saved as long as we have faith” is correct, Adam and Eve should have not died and live happily in the Garden of Eden until now. This shows that faith alone does not necessarily lead to salvation.
Adam and Eve believed in God. What didn’t they believe?
They did not fully believe in the words of God: “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” They suspected the words of God with their own thoughts such as “Well, that’s not gonna happen. How can I die if I eat from it? It’s good for food and pleasing to my eyes.”
God wants us to have such faith that we can believe in the words of God absolutely, even the part which may not be possible to believe with the human thoughts.  God judges our faith through the “Passover of the new covenant.”
Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. (John 6:53-54)
So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover… While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take and eat; this is my body." Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. (Matthew 26:19-28)
God promised that “those who keep the Passover have eternal life.” What will you do? Are you going to reject observing the Passover with the thought “How can we have eternal life with such Passover bread and wine?”
Adam and Eve were kicked out of Eden although they believed in God to the end. Empty shouting such as “I believe in Jesus only” is not faith! It’s no more than autohypnosis. True faith is to believe in and follow the words of God—even something that is hard to believe with the thoughts of men.

2013년 8월 21일 수요일

World Mission Society Church of God visited and shared warmth in Ampang Old Folk's Home [WMSCOG]

[Photo] The church members and the elders after the performance



(30th of May in Ampang) Malaysia News - World Mission Society Church of God visited and shared warmth with the elders in Ampang Old Folk's Home, through singing and dancing.
The church members sung golden oldies, performed a vignette, and played musical games.
They also took care of the elders by kindly serving them with homemade bread, nutritious drinks, and korean sweet red-bean porridges.
Being fascinated by their performance, the elders couldn't lose their bright smiles.
Secretary of the welfare committee in Ampang Chia Soon Seong said, "I am so happy that the members of the Church of God visited us. I truly give thanks to them for holding a performance for the elders."
She also said, "I could see the elders smiling, which is a rare sight these days."

2013년 8월 20일 화요일

Is your God in the Bible? [World Mission Society Church Of God/Christ Ahnsahnghong]

Is your God in the Bible? 

He is the one I know very well and love the most like my life. I went to the place of our appointment and greeted him very nicely. However, his response was cold. He even said, “I don’t know you.” How would you feel if you find yourself in such a situation? You will surely feel embarrassed and might be terribly disappointed by his response.
What if the one who didn’t recognize you is “God”?  You surely will not want to imagine that. Unfortunately however, it’s not just an imagination. It must happen to someone in reality.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers [you workers of lawlessness: ESV]!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)

It’s the word of Jesus in front of the door of the kingdom of heaven. To whom will He say, “I never knew you. Away from me”? To those who did not know God? No. Jesus will say to those who had special faith and loved Jesus, so as to say “Lord, Lord” and to act as the prophets who prophesied in the name of Jesus and performed many miracles.
Why will Jesus ignore and expel people with such faith from the kingdom of heaven?

We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 John 2:3-6)

Faith starts from knowing God. Believing in God without knowing Him is no more than blind faith. Those who do not obey His commands neither have faith nor know God. The God who is in the Bible acknowledges that we are His children if we observe God’s commandments such as the Sabbath and the Passover.  However, many people follow man-made commandments such as Sunday, Christmas and cross-idolatry. Which God do they believe in? The God believed by such people is another God not found in the Bible.
We are walking the path of faith with an expectation of a joyful meeting with God. If you wish to be welcomed by God someday, you must seek “God in the Bible.”