Subject 13 : The Gospel According to MATTHEW
[Chapter 24-11] Love the Lord More Than The Things of the World (Matthew 24:32-51)
(Matthew 24:32-51)
“Now
learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already
become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So
you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near—at the
doors! Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass
away till all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away,
but My words will by no means pass away. But of that day and hour no one
knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. But as the
days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as
in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did
not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will
be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill:
one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not
know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of
the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have
watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also
be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over
his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant
whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to
you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. But if that evil
servant says in his heart, ‘My master is delaying his coming,’ and
begins to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the
drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not
looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of, and will cut him
in two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
How
have you all been? It’s raining now. When it rains like this, our
hearts can sometimes get depressed for no particular reason. But, we who
have been born again will continue to live for the gospel and then
afterwards go to the Lord. Your fate and mine has already been decided.
The Lord has saved us out of His complete love for us; we have no other
way but to live our lives by trusting in the Lord and loving Him. Of
course its natural since we are all too human, it is therefore still
possible for us to be disheartened at times, and we share in both times
of hardship and times of joy. We the righteous live for the Lord, but
even for us, there are times of happiness, sadness, joy and suffering.
During
these times, it is the Lord who comforts our hearts and consoles us.
The Lord alone is our faithful friend who strengthens our hearts and
bestows us with His grace. But should we love anything else other than
the Lord, there will be neither any peace nor any strength in our
hearts, and we will struggle alone in suffering, not knowing where to
go. In contrast, if we love the Lord and follow Him more than anything
else in this world, then He brings peace into our hearts, strengthens
us, enables us to love Him, makes us serve Him, and leads us to follow
Him until the day He returns.
In
today’s Scripture passage, Jesus spoke of the end of this world using
the nation of Israel as an example, and He spoke about how the servants
of God should go about leading their lives. He said, “Now learn this
parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and
puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. So you also, when you
see all these things, know that it is near—at the doors! Assuredly, I
say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these
things take place.” The words mentioned here, “This generation will by
no means pass away till all these things take place,” what the Lord was
actually saying here was that He would return before the disappearance
of the nation of Israel. When iniquities abound in this world, Israel
will also be drawn into war swept up by this ever-changing world. Even
though the Israelites are God’s own chosen people, they too will be
dragged into war as it is written in the Word of the Lord, and as they
go through and experience the tribulations, those who of them who would
believe in the perfect salvation Jesus gave us, will be saved but in the
end will eventually lose their country.
The
entire world is now filled with sin. For example there are so many rave
party clubs in Los Angeles a large City in the United States, where it
is reported that many people gather in these clubs, just too use
dangerous drugs. There are also a large number of Korean people living
there, who also frequent such clubs and indulge in these terrible drugs.
Many Korean residents living in that area are now advising parents in
Korea not to send their children to Los Angeles to further their
education. Recently a new drug has been introduced; it is reported to be
several times more powerful and yet cheaper than methamphetamine or ‘P’
as it is generally known. So we are now seeing this new drug gradually
spreading across Europe, Asia, and the United States, it is now becoming
an epidemic that governments have declared war on drugs.
A
number Korean residing living abroad are said to be also taking this
new drug, which means that it is only a matter of time before these
people smuggle this drug into Korea as well. When people are in the
business of smuggling drugs, they hide them inside cigarette packages or
under the soles of their shoes or in places unimaginable, and the
police have a real tough time to screen them out, particularly more so
because they smuggle in these new drugs that are still not known in
Korea.
This
drug currently costs about US$20 each. This new drug is very popular as
it is six times more powerful than methamphetamine and capable of
inducing extreme hallucinations, but at the same time, it paralyzes the
brain and the jaw. So in the end it can eventually paralyze the entire
nerve system, trigger a seizure, and even lead to death. Anyone who
takes this drug ‘just once time’ is immediately addicted. Despite its
seriously damaging effects, when the drug eventually wears off, people
will still keep taking this drug time after time, wanting to experience
its hallucinating effects again and again. The drug is easily available
to anyone who wants it. All that is needed is a telephone number a phone
and some money, and can call a drug dealer at anytime of the day, and
it would be delivered into his hands in no time. This drug is widespread
in the United States, and it is now making its way into Korea also.
In
Seoul our Capital, more and more clubs are now opening where people do
drugs and dance under its hallucinating effects. These clubs are now
flourishing all over; I wonder what would happen to this generation if
this trend would continue unabated. I think that drugs hook people
because they have no real satisfaction in their lives. This trend is not
unique to just Korea, but it is a global trend. It looks quite likely
that by the end times, drugs would intoxicate the whole world.
To
tell you the truth, does anyone have any satisfaction at all, except
for those who believe in Jesus Christ and His true gospel? Is there
anything that’s worth doing or any joy at all? When I put myself in the
shoes of those who have not been born again, I don’t think I could live
without drugs, as I would have neither any joy nor any satisfaction. How
about you? What do you think will happen to you if you put yourself in
their shoes? Don’t you think that you would also do what they are doing?
After all, don’t people do drugs because their lives are completely
devoid of any real satisfaction, that is why they take drugs in order to
forget about everything and feel better, if only momentarily? In Korea
also, many entertainers have been charged and prosecuted with drug
abuse.
Jesus
told us to learn from the parable of the fig tree. He said that when
its branches turn tender and its leaves come out, we should realize that
the second coming of the Lord is imminent, and that He would return
before the passing of this generation. In the Bible a generation is
estimated to be about 40 years. I believe this passage of scripture
refers to the end of this world and its universe will come about when
Israel is oppressed by another nation and goes into the final full-scale
war, and in the end is destroyed. But it seems to me that irrespective
of whether it is Israel or any another country, when everyone takes
drugs and goes mad, war would break out due to the collective madness.
If this should be the case, then as I examine various events that are
unfolding now, I think that the day of the Lord’s return is not that far
away.
I
believe that this is more than likely to happen, once drugs are cheaply
made and become freely available throughout the whole wide world. When
we consider how people have no hope in this world, if they can take
drugs at a cheap price, experience its hallucinating effects, and
thereby become addicted to them, wouldn’t everyone then come to use
drugs in the end? Once addicted to drugs, people would have no control
over their compulsive use but continue to abuse them day in and day out
as if they were eating meals, and some of them would inevitably perish
out of this excessive abuse of drugs. If this should happen then there
would be no way for drug-addicted people to realize their sins, and they
may even die without hearing this glorious gospel.
No
one knows the exact day and time of our Lord’s return, but He did say
that He will come when people are busy getting married, eating and
drinking, just like the day when Noah entered the Ark. What will really
happen when our Lord returns at this time? When tribulations descends on
this world, all those who have received the remission of sin will
suddenly be transformed and lifted up into the sky with Him, whether
they are already dead / sleeping in their tombs or are still alive.
To
bring this into sharper focus, Jesus said that there would be two men
in the field, one will be taken and the other one left. It will be just
as He told us in the Word, although there are countless number of people
living in this world, only some of them will be called by the Lord and
lifted up into the sky, for they would have been saved, but the rest
will be left behind to endure every disaster to come. In other words,
when the Bible says that one of the two men in the field would be taken
up and the other one is left behind, it means that while some people on
this planet have received the remission of sin, others have not received
it.
Those
who have received the remission of sin will go to a new world when the
Lord returns. And they will also reign in this new world, the Millennial
Kingdom together with the Lord. In contrast those who do not believe in
the Lord and have not been born again will be forsaken on this planet
to endure the tribulation. After a thousand years has passed, the Lord
will resurrect the dead sinners and throw them into the everlasting fire
of hell together with all the sinners that would be still living. We do
not know when this day is, but the Lord will surely return soon. So we
must be ready at all times. The Lord told us that just as one would be
ready if he knew about the coming thief, those who believe in God must
be awake, become thoroughly faithful and wise servants, who are made
ruler over the Master’s household to give them food in due season.
What
should we do whilst living by faith until the day of our Lord’s return?
What should we do to love the Lord, love this gospel, and live in this
world with Him until the day He returns? When we consider these
questions, we see that we should love the Lord rather than the things of
this world. If we really solely love the Lord, then regardless of when
He may return to this planet, we are able follow Him until that day,
love Him, and carry out the task He has entrusted to us. I am absolutely
sure beyond any doubts whatsoever that the born-again believers who
believe in this salvation plan given to us by the Lord, should now all
become such exceedingly faithful servants who continually share the Word
of God, this very bread of life, with others they meet in obedience to
the Lord’s commandment.
My
fellow believers, in order for us to love the Lord and live until the
day He returns, we should not be drawn away and love what this world has
to offer. Yet because we are all frail and too human, we could at times
find ourselves drawn to the world. One thing is however clear, that we
cannot love the things of the world more than the Lord, nor can we set
our minds more on them rather on the Lord. If we should fall into the
trap of loving the world in equal proportions as we love the Lord, then
we will eventually come to forget about following the Lord, and would in
turn have the thinking that His return is delayed, and we will then
indulge ourselves in self-complacency.
When
the Lord returns at such time like this, these people will be appointed
their portions with the hypocrites, therefore we must never lead this
kind of life. Although we could at times stumble as we are only too
human, we must never love the things of the world, but instead we must
remember how much the Lord loves us, and we must believe in this love
from the depths of our hearts. Because the Lord is a jealous and envious
God, we please him greatly only if we love Him alone no matter what. If
we instead should love what is in this world, or love both the Lord and
the world, then He will be disappointed, frustrated, and jealous. So I
hope and pray that no matter what, you and I would never find ourselves
loving the things of the world more than the Lord.
So
it is my hope and prayers that you and I would all walk with the Lord
and live by faith until the day He returns. In this time at the Lord’s
imminent return, we must truthfully follow the Lord, carry out His work,
and share His bread. This work of sharing the bread of life is not
something that just ministers are required to do. For you to spread the
gospel is also sharing the bread. If you love the Lord more than
anything in this world, then you can live as a servant of Jesus Christ
to share His bread with the people of God. Because the strength to
continue to live like this is given to us by the Lord, and we able now
to live such a life with the Lord. If we should love the things of the
world more than the Lord, then we are unable live for Him.
No
matter how much we may try to live for the Lord, if there is something
that we love more than the Lord, it would then become impossible for us
to live for Him, for He would not be pleased with us. We at times make
mistakes even when we love the Lord and follow Him more than what is in
this world, but the Lord tolerates such occasional mistakes. However, if
we should love the things of the world more than the Lord, then He will
cause displeasure to rise within our hearts, He will then not walk with
us anymore, and will be jealous, saying in frustration, “I don’t care
anymore; do whatever you want to do, and live in whatever way you want
to live.” My fellow believers the return of the Lord is now imminent.
One thing is very clear and that is, we must love the Lord more than
anything else in this world. Do you grasp this? If you don’t then you
will not be able to love the Lord when He returns, neither able to
follow Him nor carry out His work.
Because
we are all living in this world, none of us can at times help ourselves
but love what the world has to offer. But even if this were the case,
if we should love the things of the world more than the Lord, then this
will be to our doom. It is quite possible for us to like what is in the
world, but this should only be to the extent that it does not offend the
Lord or hurt His heart. If you should follow the world too much, you
will only be asking for the wrath of the Lord and your own destruction.
What will happen then? The Lord said that at the time of His return, if
one beats his fellow servant, and eats and drinks with the drunkards,
then the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not
looking for him and at an hour when he is not aware of, and will cut him
into two and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites. For us to
really lead our lives of faith properly until the day of the Lord’s
return, we must love Him more than anything else in the world or what it
can offer.
The
Lord is a jealous God. Mankind’s own conjectures and speculations are
completely useless before the Lord. He knows all about our hearts. If
anyone loves the things of the world more than the Lord, then He will
cut off such people right away and no longer walk with them. Is there
anyone who can prevail over the Lord? Can anyone deceive Him? No not at
all; no one can deceive Him.
However
if we should love the Lord more than what is in this world, He will
then make our hearts happy and full of joy. He will then give us the joy
to our hearts, wisdom, peace and rest. But what will happen if we end
up loving the world more than Him? The Lord will become jealous, and He
will not even talk to you for days, as He dwells in our hearts, if He
should stop talking to us because He is displeased with us, how could we
then, who are living only because of Him, ever have joy in our lives?
When in our hearts there the Lord displays His anger, how could we then
continue to live happily? It is simply impossible!
Everyone
who has received the remission of sin has the Holy Spirit living within
his or her heart. So when we set aside the Holy Spirit, we are unable
to live out our lives of faith. Simply put, we can live out our faith
only if we do everything according to the pleasures of the Holy Spirit.
Although we have received the remission of sin, if we should love the
world more, then the life of faith itself becomes impossible to lead.
The Bible says, “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If
anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John
2:15). Are you now wondering, “Well, what am I supposed to do then? It
is impossible not to love what is in this world; I cannot help myself
but to love these things. So what I am to do?” This passage of scripture
means that you should not love the things of the world more than the
Lord, just do what pleases Him.
Is
there then anyone in the world today who does not love anything of the
world at all? No not at all, as we go on living in this world, it more
than possible for our hearts to be drawn to the things of the world.
Nevertheless, at least in the center of our hearts, the Lord must always
be our foremost priority, and we should never love anything of this
world more than the Lord. Does this then mean that if we just resolve in
ourselves not to love the world more than the Lord, we can somehow
achieve this? No, this is not the case at all.
Although
it is still possible for us to sometimes love the world more, what is
crucial is that in times like these, we must always admit our mistakes
to God and turn around speedily. Regardless of any excuse we may have,
we must cherish the Lord more than everything else in this world, love
Him more, and follow Him more, for the Holy Spirit dwells in your heart
and mine. Everything we do from henceforth is done only under the Lord’s
permission. The Apostle Paul also said, “I can do all things through
Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). Unless the Lord permits,
we cannot do anything at all. I am not just insisting on my own
hypothetical notion here, but the Holy Spirit actually does dwell in us,
and therefore it is best for us all to live accordingly.
My
fellow believers, do you desire to live as true servants who share the
bread of life with souls that are in the house of the master until the
day of the Lord’s returns, and then go to see Him? If this be the case,
then you must think of the Lord first, and you must please Him first
before anything else. And if there is anything you want to do, you must
first ask for His permission.
The
end of the world is near. As I keep talking about the end, you may get a
bit annoyed. Perhaps you are thinking, “The end will come when it
comes; let’s just keep quiet rather than talking about it all the time.
Stop talking about such things! I get nervous and uneasy when I
constantly hear it. I am already weary enough as it is, so why do you
keep saying these things?” But believe me it is not as if I enjoy
talking about the end of the world. Yet despite this, I am compelled to
continue to speak about the end times because this last day is indeed
closer than we may think.
The
nearer this day approaches us, the more sin abounds in this world, and
the more things that make us unable to follow the Lord. As such, until
the day the Lord returns, we must love Him and live in this world within
the bounds permitted by Him—that is, we must live the kind of life that
is pleasing to the Lord, and that is cherished by Him before we go to
see Him. I keep saying these things so that you would be able to meet
the Lord in joy.
I
am not one of those world-renowned eschatologists. Few people are as
humane as I am. If you really get to know me, you would see that I am a
very soft man. You too, are gentle like a lamb. When you consider
yourself, are you gentle or not? In fact, there is no one whose heart is
as gentle, pure, clear, and clean as those of us the righteous. Because
our hearts have no sin, we are able to smile genuinely and gently
unlike everyone else, all thanks to the Lord. The real righteous people
have the Holy Spirit in their hearts, and therefore no one else can be
gentler or purer than them, unless they are facing a situation where
they have to stand up resolutely.
Whenever
I speak of the end of the world, I cannot but talk about the gloomy
prospect the world is facing, but I wish I could talk about brighter and
more cheerful things than such depressing things. Sadly I have no
choice but to speak of these things despite my wish to be different. It
is also extremely wearisome to see the world actually nearing its end.
Somewhere in my heart, I have this thought, “If the Lord were just to
come now, I wish He would return soon and end this world in 30 minutes!”
But the Lord is not a human being like me, and so He will not do this.
The Lord is full of mercy; He endures in patience time after time,
waiting even until the last moment for people to be saved by believing
in Him.
This
world is getting darker and darker. A few days ago, I was watching a TV
news program titled “World Now,” and I came to see just how evil the
world is. As I saw my fellow Koreans in LA dying from drug abuse, I felt
great pain in my heart. Some of them even smuggle drugs into Korea to
make money. They don’t just take drugs for themselves, but they make
addicts out of others. They go on a group binge, splurging themselves
with drugs and partying all night long in debauchery until they
collapse, and the next day, when they wake up in misery with their
bodies shaking uncontrollably, they once again turn to drugs and are
drawn into hallucination. When one is high on drugs, their mind is
altered and his vision is skewed. Nothing looks normal, but everything
looks foggy and dazzling.
Once
one takes drugs a few times, he gets addicted, and once he is hooked,
it irritates him and drives him mad not to be high on drugs. That is why
so many people find it impossible to quit doing drugs but continue to
abuse them. They are burning their whole bodies just for the momentary
pleasure of drugs. I feel best when my mind is the clearest and I can
think of everything rationally and clearly. I used to drink everyday
when I was in my early twenties. Some people say that they feel good
when they drink, but I actually felt bad whenever I drank back then.
That is because it only slowed down my head and my body. So I see
absolutely no point in this stupid practice.
It
is my sincerest hope and prayer that until the day the Lord returns, we
would all love Him more than anything else in this world, so that the
Lord would rejoice inside our hearts, unable to help but to love us.
That is the best course to take. The best thing for us to do is to love
the Lord the most and be loved by Him. We look the most lovely in God’s
sight when we think of His work first as His servants, love the Lord
before and more than anything else in this world, walk with Him, talk
with Him and abide with Him in our lives. I believe that until the day
of the Lord’s return, you and I must continue to share the bread of life
with others, preach the gospel to them and nurture them, so that when
the Lord is finally here, He would reward us all. The nearer we draw to
the end, the more we must love the Lord.
There
are only two types of people on this planet: Those who have been born
again, and those who have not. If you don’t love the Lord more than the
things of the world, and instead you end up loving the world more than
the Lord, then you will leave Him in the end. Leaving the Lord means to
leave His Church. If you leave the Church, it means that you don’t love
the Lord. What would happen if you and I no longer loved the Lord with
all our hearts? You would then be destroyed. You would not only leave
the Church, but the Lord Himself would also disappear from your heart.
This would be akin to losing your parents and becoming an orphan. Your
life of faith is not something that is forced upon you against your
will. Nor it is something that you can lead just by making your own
resolution, but it is something that becomes natural if you love the
Lord more than anything else in this world. In other words, we can live
out our faith only when the love of the Father is found in our hearts.
We are nothing if the Father’s love is not in our hearts. Without the
love of God the Father, our lives of faith would only entail religious
rituals and forms.
The
world is a very dark place. Do you then still love the world, even
though it is so depressing? Is it not right for you to set your mind on
the Lord who is guaranteeing your future, rather than setting it on a
completely hopeless place? Won’t you then live as a servant of the Lord
until the day He returns, love Him and serve Him more than anything else
in this world, live within the bounds permitted by Him, and then meet
with Him on His return? Should we not all receive the Lord like this?
Let us indeed receive Him in this way. Do you grasp this fully?
Jesus
said that two women will be grinding at the mill, and one will be taken
away and the other one left. Even though everyone lives in the same
world, works the same, and drinks and eats the same, some people will be
taken away when the Lord returns, while others will be left behind on
this earth. To be left behind on this earth means to be cast into hell.
Do you then still want to remain on this polluted earth? This earth will
soon be destroyed, and so if you are left behind on this earth, it
means that you will along with the earth be discarded as garbage.
Although
there are countless people living in this world, only some of them have
been truly born again, while the rest of them have not. Ask yourself
whether you really are a born-again person or not. Are you someone who
has the Holy Spirit in your heart? Are you someone who believes in the
gospel of the water and the Spirit? Even though you are insufficient and
weak, do you believe that the Lord has blotted out all your sins?
Despite the fact that you are flesh and blood, do you really desire to
walk in accordance with the Word of the Lord? If your answer is “yes” to
all these questions, then you are the one whom God will take away on
the last day.
Those
who have not received the remission of sin will be destroyed on that
day. They are the pitiful of this world. Some are starving and others
are suffering from terrible debilitating diseases. But the most pitiful
in this world are not the homeless starving in the streets. Hundreds and
thousands of times more wretched than these people are those who have
not received the remission of sin. Christians who neither know nor
believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and therefore still
retain theirs sins intact in their hearts despite them professing to
believe in Jesus, and those who have neither been remitted nor washed
from their sins through Jesus Christ—these people number thousands and
tens of thousands of times more wretched than the homeless. Such people
cannot call God their Father, and even though they profess that Jesus
has become their Savior, they cannot call Him their Savior either. This
is all because they have not accepted the Truth.
My
fellow believers, right now huge consignments of our books are being
shipped and distributed all over the world. Last month alone, tens of
thousands of books were shipped to various places around the world.
Thanks to these books many people are now reading about the gospel of
the water and the Spirit. Our books are designed and very easy to
understand that people can finish reading them rather quickly. As their
contents are not that difficult, if people just set their minds to it,
they can finish reading them in a day or two. If one person reads one of
our books and recommends it to another person, and this person reads
it, then even if we estimate that just two people read the same book in a
week, it would mean that at least hundreds of thousands of people are
coming across the true gospel in one month.
What
a tremendous accomplishment is it that at least ten thousand people are
able to encounter the gospel in a day? If all our books published in
various languages apart from English are spread like this, then the
gospel will be preached all over the world in no time, even though some
people would believe while others do not believe in this gospel. It is
really not impossible nor a distant prospect for us to accomplish the
spreading of this gospel to the ends of the world very soon. On the
other hand, this world is also being corrupted very rapidly. For
instance, this gospel cannot reach people on drugs. After all how could
anyone high on drugs and hallucinating see the gospel of the water and
the Spirit clearly? If you go to such people and say to them, “Do you
have sin in your life?” they will just reply, “What is sin? Get away
from me!” As even their character would be destroyed eventually, if we
try to give our books to them, they may rip them apart and turn violent
towards us.
This
world is changing so fast, but the gospel is also being spread very
rapidly. Some people after receiving and reading just one of our books
should hand over this book to another person to read, and those who have
received and read our books in the second place are now making contact
with us. Others have requested more books and just yesterday, a
psychiatrist working at a prison in the United States got in touch with
us and requested 50 more books, saying that they were very useful to the
inmates there. Fifty books would be shared and read by thousands of
people in the prison. This would then mean that we would be preaching
the gospel to thousands of people with just 50 books. It is as if we
were sitting in that prison and preaching the gospel to those inmates.
Like this the gospel will soon spread all over. Spreading the gospel is
difficult at first, but once it gains some momentum, it will spread like
a bushfire.
Given
the fact that the world is becoming darker and darker, and the day of
the Lord’s return is getting closer, how should we live and conduct our
lives? I know that your body is tired and weary. But I also know that
the Holy Spirit is inside of you, and I also know how you must live to
be happy. For you to live as a faithful servant until the day the Lord
returns, your heart must love Him more than anything else in this world.
Only then can your heart find peace and rest. Otherwise you will be
destroyed. Do you grasp this? Jesus has saved us through His water and
blood. Since you believe in this, is there any sin left in your heart?
No, there is none. Just as this is real so is the return of the Lord
real, including the end of this world. I am not saying these things to
ask you to bring me your money. Just as I have never passed around
offering plates before, I am not telling you these things so that you
would sell your house and bring the proceeds to me just because the end
is near.
Far
from it, my only admonishment is this: Let us love the Lord more than
this world until the end of this world and His return, serve Him like
this out of our pure love for Him, live within the bounds permitted by
Him, and then meet the Lord. In other words, let us spread the gospel
while we are alive. Believe that the day of the Lord is at hand and that
you have to prepare your faith to go through the end times. My fellow
believers, if you should face the last day without believing, then it
will be too late. Believe now.
Is
the world turning just fine nowadays? For some strange reason, people
do not take natural disasters seriously, even as they have devastating
results on them. When the end times come, God will pour out one plague
after another, from famines to earthquakes, wars and volcanic
explosions. If you do not really believe in God, He will unleash
earthquakes and bring your house down. Rather than only realizing then
that the end is indeed upon you, believe now. Only then can you be
ready. I am not saying that you should offer all your money to me as the
end is near, but what I am saying is that you should prepare your
heart.
Even
though the world is trying to confuse and misleads us, we must be
wide-awake and be ever alert. While it is true that we still are unable
to help ourselves but to follow the world, we should never lose our love
for the Lord that is in our hearts. The Lord said, “Do not love the
world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of
the Father is not in him.” From this passage of scripture, we should
realize that, “The Lord will not be pleased if we should love the things
of the world more than Him. So I should not do this. It will not be
beneficial to me at all.” Even though the Lord is not visible to our
naked eyes, He is still the Master of our hearts. As His servants then,
what could we possibly gain by doing something that offends the Master?
So let us please the Lord instead, and live prosperously being loved and
blessed by Him until the end.
Moreover,
this planet earth will not last that long. If you keep refusing to
believe, a great earthquake may arise within this year. Your house may
collapse from the earthquake and you may have to live in a tent. I am
not saying that I will bring this about, but the Lord may do this if His
heart is disappointed, so that you would wake up. “Lord, Your people do
not believe that the end of the world is at hand. Make them believe,
Dear Lord. Shake them up once more and then hold them steadfast again.” I
can pray like this. But if this is not God’s will, He will not respond
to a pray like this.
Those
who do not believe that this world will end are too fond of the world
and love it too much, and they will eventually leave the Lord. You must
realize clearly here that if you leave God’s Church, you will fall into
destruction right away. I say this only because I want you to prosper; I
have no other motive here. For you and I to prosper, we must lead our
lives of faith properly. That is your happiness and mine, both in body
and spirit. Do you think that you would prosper even when you leave the
Lord and depart from the Church? If you are really a born-again person,
then you can never prosper when you leave your own family.
Anyone
who really has the Holy Spirit in his heart can never flourish when he
leaves the Lord. That is the fate for the born-again. Although I say
these things in words, because I am also a human being just like you, I
don’t like that the world is darkening and turning depressing, and I am
also weary of it as well. Spring is upon us, but just look at the
weather. I wish it were a nice spring, where just sitting on the warm
grass would make you doze off, but because of the sand storm blowing far
away from China; the sky is cold as if it were angry. I don’t like this
either.
My
fellow believers, we need to examine our hearts to see if they might
not be totally controlled by the current of this world, and turn our
hearts toward the Lord. Both you and I are equally human beings. When
this world is fine enough, we feel good, but when this world is
troubled, we are troubled the same. You and I are alike. Let us live our
lives believing that the day of the Lord is near. And let us be ready
for the end. When the end times are so near, how could we afford to
expand into too many useless businesses and go into debt, only to find
ourselves having nothing to eat later on? I admonish you to be wise. The
wise are those who manage what they have at the present well; live a
wholesome life until the day the Lord returns; lead their lives of faith
diligently; love the Lord inside their hearts evermore; preach the
gospel; receive joy into their hearts; and share the bread of life with
others. Let us all become such people. Only then do we really live out
our faith properly.
My
admonishment is this: Let us live our lives receiving God’s blessings
for both our hearts and bodies. Let each and every one of us prosper,
leaving none behind. Let us flourish in both body and spirit before we
go to the Lord. There is only one way for us to prosper in both body and
soul, and it is to love the Lord with our hearts, more than anything
else in this world. If we love the Lord more than the things of this
world, then we will flourish in both body and spirit.
Even
though we are just weak beings, we can manage our lives well if we love
the Lord with our hearts, more than anything else in this world. So
that no one may fall behind, let us all live well. Let us live within
the bounds permitted by the Lord and go to Him when He calls us. If you
want to be happy and prosperous, then love the Lord more than the things
of this world. There is no other way. Halleluiah!
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