Life on this earth is truly filled with many tears and sorrows, pains and sufferings. King Solomon with his wisdom knew clearly that everything on this earth is impermanent and will pass away quickly. Even though he had riches, wisdom, knowledge, power, wives, whatever a man desire after more than anyone on this earth, but still he did not lose his wisdom and knew that all these things are evanescent and meaningless.
Ecclesiastes 2:4 4 I undertook great projects: I built houses for myself and planted vineyards. 5 I made gardens and parks and planted all kinds of fruit trees in them. 6 I made reservoirs to water groves of flourishing trees. 7 I bought male and female slaves and had other slaves who were born in my house. I also owned more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem before me. 8 I amassed silver and gold for myself, and the treasure of kings and provinces. I acquired male and female singers, and a harem[a] as well—the delights of a man’s heart. 9 I became greater by far than anyone in Jerusalem before me. In all this my wisdom stayed with me.
10
I denied myself nothing my eyes desired;
I refused my heart no pleasure.
My heart took delight in all my labor,
and this was the reward for all my toil.
11
Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done
and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind;
nothing was gained under the sun.
One day King Solomon asked one of his ministers, saying to bring something to him, something that would be able to comfort him in the time of sorrow and distress and that would be able to humble and calm him in the time of happiness and exaltation. The minister brought one thing to Solomon which gave him great joy and contentment when he saw it. It was a ring with a inscription of four Hebrew letters, גם זה יעבור” (gam zeh ya’avor), which means “This too shall pass.” Wisdom too shall pass; so are the riches, power, authority, youth, wealth, and finally short and absurd life. These words gave him much comfort, making him always aware that whether it is good or bad, a thing shall have its end just as it had its beginning: Everything is meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
This realization led him into a longing for the eternal and spiritual things that never end and that is not meaningless. To gain eternity he concluded:
Ecclesiastes 12:13 Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
God and his world is eternal. Before our short life on this earth is over and we should go to stand in front of God for the judgement, Solomon teaches us to remember God and obey his commandments because God can give us the eternal life in heaven.
What is the mystery of God in the bible? It is the Christ because our salvation depends on the Christ who was to appear on this earth. The reason he is considered a mystery is because no one can recognize the Christ in the worldly point of view. The biggest mystery among all the mysteries of the bible is God Elohim who would appear in the last days to give us eternal life.
The Old Testament of the bible is recorded originally in the Hebraic language and in the Hebrew language one of the words used to refer to God is “Elohim,” which was used 2,500 times throughout the Old Testament. This referent, Elohim is the most common word used to mean God. If we just look at the Genesis 1, we can see how many times the word “Elohim” is used to mean God. Listen to this Hebrew reading of Genesis 1.
Then what is so mysterious about a name of God? It is because contrary to the public opinion Elohim is not God in the singular form, but Gods in plural form. It means when God was creating the world and everything in it, God was not working by himself, but there was another entity who was working together with God the Father. Let us confirm this through the reading of Genesis 1:26 and 27.
Why is Elohim (God) using “us” and “our” to represent God? If God is singular and Father alone, then he should say, “Let me make man in my image and in my likeness.” Why is God referring himself as “us” and “our” in the plural form? The secret is in the word Elohim. In the Hebrew word, the singular form of God is “El” or “Elo(a)h,” which means God in the singular form and the plural form of God is “Elim” or “Elohim,” which means Gods literally.
You might say, “Does it make any difference if it is singular or plural?” The answer is “It does make all the difference.” To have knowledge of God is the basic condition of salvation. Even though there are many gods and many lords in the world, the true Savior and true God is one. And that one God is call himself as “us” and “our.” In the bible nothing is meaningless, and everything has meaning. Even a singular or plural form has meaning in it. For example, let us take a look at Paul’s words:
Gal 3:16 16 The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. Scripture does not say “and to seeds,” meaning many people, but “and to your seed,” meaning one person, who is Christ.
Even though Abraham had two sons or seeds, Ishmael and Isaac, the one who received the promise of God was one son or seed, Isaac, who represents Christ. The singular and plural form is essential to understand the meaning of Abraham’s seed, who would become his heir. All these were working as prophecies to teach us God’s heir. If we don’t not care if it is singular or plural, we completely misunderstand the salvation work of God. It is the same with Elohim. To understand if God is one or two, or singular or plural is essential for the salvation. If someone firmly believes God is one (even though God is two), he would not be able to accept God when he appears as two forms, and if someone believes that God is two (even though he is one), he would have to wait meaninglessly to the end without receiving salvation.
Then is God one or two? The answer is in man who was given God’s image. Man was created to reveal the image of God, and the man was created into two images, male and female, or Adam and Eve. And the creation of man shows us the invisible image of God as male and female, Father and Mother. According to the Romans 5 Adam was created to teach us the male image of Christ or God the Father coming as man in the flesh.
Both Adam and Eve were created in the invisible image of God. Since they are the copy of the image of God, through them we can conclude that God has two images too, that is, male and female, or God the Father and God the Mother.
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
Adam was created to teach us about the Christ, first coming and second, who represent male image of Elohim, Gods. Then who does Eve represent, who was given the female image of Elohim? She was created to show Adam’s wife or female image of Christ. In short, Adam is Christ in the male image and Eve is Christ in the female image who would come and appear in the last days: the Spirit and the Bride in the book of Revelation 22:17. The Spirit is the Christ who is coming as Adam for the second time and his bride is Elohim Mother who would appear as Adam’s bride or his wife.
Many says that the bride is the saints. But Father Ahnsahnghong clearly taught in one of his sermon explaining the Revelation 21 and 22 that the bride in the book is not plural, but singular. If the bride is saints, it should be recorded as brides in the plural form, not bride in its singular form, which means the bride is NOT saints. Just as many tried to deceive people from recognizing God the Father who came down to this earth in the flesh, and in the same way there are many who try to deceive people from know God the Mother the Last Eve who would appear in the last days to give us the water of life. To understand the deepest mystery in the bible, we must depend on the words of God in the bible, not on the teachings coming from man’s opinion.
The bible truly testifies that the Spirit and the Bride would appear to give us salvation. They are God Elohim, Father and Mother working together even from the beginning in the book of Genesis to the very end until all God’s people receive the salvation and eternal life in Heaven!!
Once in China There was a man named Sae-ong in a village. One day, his female horse ran away and did not come back. All the people of the town came and comforted him for his loss, but he did not show any change in his emotion. He was as calm as he was before. A few days later, the female horse came back to Sae-ong’s house, bringing a tall and stout male horse along. Nobody came to claim the horse back. So the horse stayed in Sae-ong’s house. When people of the town visited Sae-ong, now they started to exclaim about the good fortune he received and they all envied the windfall he had, but Sae-ong did not answer anything to them without showing any happiness for the new horse.
One day, the firstborn son of Sae-ong wanted to try the new horse and put a saddle on it and rode out to a field to test the horse. The horse was swift as wind, and ran around the town and far into the field. But suddenly it stopped just in front of a tall fence, knocking Sae-ong’s son off to the ground and he broke his leg so badly that he became crippled for good. All the people of the town came to Sae-ong and wept for the leg of his son and comforted Sae-ong for the bad thing that happened to him. But Sae-ong did not seem to be sad at all. He worked and behaved as if nothing had happened to him. Now townspeople thought it strange that Sae-ong did not feel sad for his son.
After many years, the country was having a big war with a neighboring country. And all the young men was drafted as soldiers to the war and most of them died in the war. But Sae-ong’s son could not go to the war because he was crippled and he could save himself from the war. Now there were many in the town whose sons died in the war and came to visit Sae-ong and felt envious for the son of Sae-ong. All of them said how lucky it was for Sae-ong that his son was safe at home. But Sae-ong did not say anything. And Sae-ong lived many years and he died at his old age.
The bible says that Jesus came as spiritual Moses to teach Israelites the Laws of God, just as Moses was sent to teach the Israelites the laws of God.
Acts 3:20 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’
Is a cross an object of worship?
Through this we can see that Jesus came as prophet like Moses to fulfill the work of God. Just as Moses were leading God’s people out of the land of slavery, Jesus was sent by God to set his people free from the slavery of sin and death. The life and work of Moses was given to us to teach us the work of Jesus. There is a wonderful example taught by Jesus himself.
John 3:14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
Jesus is comparing his crucifixion to the bronze snake Moses lifted up in the desert. What kind of relationship is there between the two events? To understand this we must first look at the work of Moses and then the work of Jesus. In the desert because of the lack of food and water, people started to complain and grumble, causing the wrath of God, who sent deadly snakes to kill grumblers.
Numbers 21:6 Then the Lord sent venomous snakes among them; they bit the people and many Israelites died. 7 The people came to Moses and said, “We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.
When people repented of their sins, God relented and gave them salvation.
Numbers 21:8 The Lord said to Moses, “Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” 9 So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, they lived.
God could have done many different things to save them. He could have simply removed all the snakes from them, or he could have given different objects or ways to save them such as say, “Forgive me,” loudly, or jump three times, or stand up on your head… But rather God commanded Moses to make a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. And when a person is bitten by a snake he could look at the snake and live. Then what was it that could give them life in this story? A pole, a bronze snake, jumping, shouting, standing on your head…? No. The promise of God given to the bronze snake: “Anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.”
But foolishly Israelites started to worship the bronze snake, thinking it has certain power to heal people for about 700 years until the time of King Hezekiah.
2 Kings 18:3 He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, just as his father David had done. 4 He removed the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. He broke into pieces the bronze snake Moses had made, for up to that time the Israelites had been burning incense to it. (It was called Nehushtan.)
Finally, 700 years later King Hezekiah realized that it is just an idol and broke the bronze snake into pieces calling it Nehushtan or a piece of bronze. This story of the bronze snake in the time of Moses was working as prophecy to be fulfilled by the work of Jesus. Jesus is comparing his death on the cross to the bronze snake. Moses made the bronze snake to give people life, but it was not the bronze snake itself that could give them life, rather, it was the words of God contained in the bronze snake. The bronze snake was just a tool chosen by God at that moment to give them life. But Israelites started to depend on the bronze snake for their life, rather than the words or commands of God which could truly give them life.
Making a cross is fun!?
It was the same with the cross. Jesus gave precious promises of God for the eternal life to his people. To fulfill the promise he must sacrifice himself.
Hebrews 9:16 In the case of a will, it is necessary to prove the death of the one who made it, 17 because a will is in force only when somebody has died; it never takes effect while the one who made it is living.
For the life of his people he made a will or covenant on the night of Passover, promising them the forgiveness of sins and eternal life and to fulfill the will the one who made the will must die. And to fulfill his promise, Jesus chose the crucifixion as tool. Here what is important for the salvation is to keep the words of God in the Passover, not the cross which was only a piece of wood used as tool to complete the promise. But what did people started to do? They started to worship the cross just as Israelites started to worship the bronze snake. As Hezekiah broke the bronze snake into pieces, we must now get rid of the cross. And to the obedience to the words of God, we must keep the Passover of the new covenant which gives us the salvation.
We must be like King Hezekiah who broke into pieces the bronze snake, which was pleasing in the eyes of God. How much God would feel pleased when we get rid of cross from us which is considered as detestable things in the eyes of God. These are the true teachings of Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother.
In the old days, princes and princesses had to learn certain manners they should have to be royal family in those days. They had special way of talking, acting, behaving, and doing every little thing in the palace. The most prominent example was that they should not act as if they were in urgent need to do something. However they are in a hurry, they should never run around; however they are hungry, they should not gulp down food or drink. Whatever they do and whatever situation they might be in, they should act in reserved and courtly manner to show decorum and dignity. If they lost their manner in front of others, it was considered as disgrace, lowering themselves to the position of common people.
Through this customs of the world, Heavenly Mother also told us that there are heavenly customs and manners that we should learns as citizens of heaven who are considered as princes and princess of the royal family in heaven.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ.
As a royal priests and citizens of heaven, what kind of manner and customs should we have? How can we know what is the proper way of talking, acting, and treating each other? Just as princes and princesses had special books explaining the courtly manner in the times of dynasties, we also have guidebook and guidelines given to us so that we may learn the heavenly culture: that is, the Bible. The bible teaches us the attitudes of people of heaven. They should have love, endurance, peace, contentedness, etc…
Mother eagerly wants to take us to our new home. But we are not ready to make the journey. Even though the appointed time is drawing near, Mother is waiting patiently for us to change.
When Mother taught this for the afternoon sermon of the Sabbath, I came to realize how much Mother wants us to change. If it is not necessary for us to go to heaven, why would Mother told us to learn the heavenly culture and practice all the godly behaviors. She was emphasizing that it is necessary for us to learn all those good attitudes. Through this teaching I come to realize many things. Mother is still on this earth in the world of pain and suffering for her and it is because we are still not ready. We did not change our sinful and worldly nature completely and in this condition we cannot enter into the kingdom of heaven and receive salvation. And Mother is waiting until we are ready to go.
Long time ago I once read a story of a mother swallow and babies. As the winter is drawing near, all the migrant birds including other neighbor swallows left the place one by one, but one swallow family could not go back to the south to find a warmer place to spend the winter. And it was because one baby swallow was not ready to take the long travel to the south. It was sick in bed and the whole family had to wait until it got well. Finally, just before the cold wind blew and the first snow came, they could make journey to the south long after everybody left the town.
Our Heavenly Mother is also waiting because we are not ready and still we are weak to make the journey. And because of us, our older brothers and sisters are all waiting too so that we can get ready. Now I think I should learn all the heavenly customs and make it into a habit to practice them so that I can be accepted as God’s children in heaven. Now I can feel how the mother swallow must have felt as the winter was drawing near, bringing cold wind and heavy snow. All the family could be in danger if they did not head toward south immediately. Our Heavenly Mother must be feeling the same way as the appointed time for the prophecy is drawing near. Everybody should be ready to make the journey, but Mother is worried because her children are still not ready. Now we should realize what Mother wants and comfort her by changing ourselves to resemble heavenly citizens, God’s holy sons and daughters.
Mother does not want to leave any of us behind and that is why she is still waiting.
2 Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.
Today in Sajik Stadium for Gymnastics the members of Church of God from the south-east part of South Korea gathered together to commemorate the 31st Ascension of the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong since 1985. After Father’s ascension many things have happened in the churches of God. The World Mission Society Church of God or WMSCOG spread out all throughout the world establishing Zions for God’s people, not just in Korea, but all over the world.
Now members from the overseas churches are visiting Korea the land of prophecy and the land of God Elohim so that they can learn the new covenant taught by God the Father and God the Mother. As the prophetical phase of gospel changed the Church of God has given many different messages to its members according to the time it belongs to. This year God wants to accomplish all the gospel work all throughout the world. Mother’s message for the year was clear even from the start of the year. Today too Mother and General Pastor repeated the message they gave us from the beginning of the year.
Mother entreated us to finish the gospel work by preaching all the 7 billion people of the world.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole worldas a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 28:18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Acts 1:7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
God’s gospel work on this will end once the gospel is preached to all peoples of the world as testimony to them. This year God’s message was “Preach the gospel to 7 billion people of the world.” 7 billion represents the whole world or all nations and thus preaching the gospel to 7 billion means preaching the gospel to all the nations. In other words Mother told us to fulfill the prophecy of the bible by completing the gospel work on this earth which God has been doing for 6000 years.
Mother admonished us by reminding us the prophetical time we are living in. She quoted a verse from the book of Luke:
Luke 12:54 He said to the crowd: “When you see a cloud rising in the west, immediately you say, ‘It’s going to rain,’ and it does. 55 And when the south wind blows, you say, ‘It’s going to be hot,’ and it is. 56 Hypocrites! You know how to interpret the appearance of the earth and the sky. How is it that you don’t know how to interpret this present time?
She told us to realize the time we are living in and live up to the mission by working diligently for the gospel by preaching to the family members, relatives, friends and acquaintances. She clearly stated the verse word by word emphasizing the contents of the message. General Pastor also added by saying that not only Jesus Christ, but also the Second Coming Christ Ahnsahnghong also told him as will to preach the gospel. At their last telephone call, Father said to him, “Diligently preach the gospel and then everything will turn out to be fine.”
Now is the time we should listen to Father and Mother. If we were sleeping, now we should wake up and know the present time and the work given to us. If we do not sow the seed at this moment doing the work of God, we will not reap any harvest. God commanded us, “Preach to 7 billions of the world.” Now we heard and now will we go to do the will of God.
Isaiah 60:1 “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. 2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. 3 Nations will come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your dawn.
Ephesians 5:8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10 and find out what pleases the Lord. 11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12 It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. 14 This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
2000 years ago, God himself came down to this earth in the flesh and dwelt among his people. Even though there were many wise men, scholars, and philosophers in those days, nobody could recognize the Christ and receive him. If they could, they would have received the salvation and eternal life in heaven. Rather they rejected him and persecuted him, calling him as a man who claimed to be God. Even though there were many rabbis, teachers of the laws, and religious leaders, they could not know the Christ with their own wisdom. That is why the Christ is called the mystery or secret which a man cannot know with his wisdom or understanding or knowledge.
Colossians 2:2 ….. in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
No man could know the Christ with his own wisdom and understanding.
1 Corinthians 2:20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him,
2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.
Who is a wise-man? A man like a socrates? Even though there were many wise men in the time of Christ’s first coming, they rejected him. They could not know Christ through the wisdom of the world. It is the same now. Who would be able to recognize the Second Coming Christ when he appears?
Even though there were many scholars who studied the bible many years, they could not know this mystery, Christ. It would be the same in the last days when the Second Coming Christ comes. There would be many scholars, wise men, and philosophers, but no one will recognize the Christ who comes as man in the flesh. They will stumble and fall down on him. Just as Jesus said, “Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me,” the same thing will happen when he comes for the second time. That much is it hard for people to know the true Christ. About his second coming Jesus already prophesied that he would be rejected when he comes.
Luke 17:25 But first he (the Second Coming Christ) must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.
Just as he suffered many things in his first coming, he would suffer many things and be rejected by people in his second coming too. Why? It is because there would be nobody who can recognize the Christ when he comes. If we cannot have wisdom to know Christ through the wisdom of the world, then what kind of wisdom should we have?
2 Corinthians 2:6 We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing. 7 No, we declare God’s wisdom, a mystery that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began. 8 None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
The bible teaches us we should have the wisdom of God to know and understand the mystery of God. Then how can we have the wisdom of God so that we can know the mystery of God, Christ?
2 Corinthians 2:10 10 these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.
Only those who have the Spirit of God in them can have the wisdom of God and understand the mystery of God. Then how can we have the Spirit of God in us? God says that our eyes are veiled or blinded by our sins and cannot understand the spiritual things, but once our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ by keeping the Passover, then God puts his Spirit in us to give us the wisdom and understanding coming from God. Just as the temple could be purified through the blood of animals so that the Spirit of God can dwell in the temple, our body of temple can be purified through the blood of Christ and contain the Holy Spirit of God in us. And through the Spirit God gives us wisdom and understanding so that we can know the mystery of God, Christ.
Ephesians 1:7 In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace 8 that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, 9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
About this Christ Ahnsahnghong taught in his book, The Mystery of God and the Spring of the Water of Life.
Unless we become one body with Jesus through the Holy Supper of the new covenant, we cannot know His mysteries. If we become one body with Jesus, His Spirit will be in us and we will come to know the deep things [mysteries] of God. (p. 66)
How clear it is!! Now God is inviting all the peoples of the world to come to God and keep the Passover and then God will lavish on them the Spirit of wisdom and understanding so that they may know the mystery of God, Christ. Therefore, God is teaching us if we think we are wise, now we must become foolish to get the wisdom of God. We should get rid of the worldly wisdom and fill ourselves with the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than the wisdom of the world. When we become wise with the wisdom of God, we can know Christ.
Ephesians 1:17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
We should cleanse our body of the temple through the Passover so that God’s Spirit can dwell in us to give us wisdom and understanding to know Christ Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother New Jerusalem. Give thanks to God Elohim!
What is the meaning of the new covenant? The new covenant Jesus established has profound meaning of “the forgiveness of sins” in it and let us take a look at some of the promises of God in the new covenant.
Jeremiah 31:31-34
31 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. 32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord. 33 “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will they teach their neighbor, or say to one another, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord. “For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
God gave the old covenant to his people in the time of Moses, but they disobeyed and could not receive salvation. That is why God said He himself would make another covenant or a new covenant to give complete salvation. What are the promises given to this new covenant? First, through the new covenant people can be considered as God’s people. Only those who are under the new covenant can be considered as God’s people. Second, through the new covenant, people can have the knowledge of God. In other words those who do not keep the new covenant cannot have any knowledge of God. Third, through the new covenant the sins of people can be forgiven and they can be set free from sin and death and receive the complete salvation which could not be granted through the old covenant.
Then who fulfilled this prophecy?
Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
2000 years ago, in the upper room of Mark Jesus and his disciples kept the Passover with bread and wine. On that night, Jesus gave the bread and wine which represent his flesh and blood. Concerning the Passover, Jesus said, “this is the new covenant,” which was written in the book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah God said that he himself would make a new covenant and the promise was fulfilled by Jesus (God) by establishing the new covenant through the Passover. Then why did Jesus establish the new covenant? To fulfill all the promises of God given in the time of Jeremiah. Through the new covenant of the Passover, Jesus fulfilled the promise of the forgiveness of sins. (Mt 26:28) Also through the new covenant of the Passover, God fulfilled the promise of the children of God. Those who keep the new covenant receives flesh and blood of God and through the flesh and blood of God they can become the children of God. (John 6:56) And through the new covenant we can have spiritual wisdom and knowledge to know who God is. (Eph 1:7-8)
All the God’s promises were fulfilled through the new covenant of the Passover. Even though the Passover was once abolished by the work of Satan, Christ Ahnsahnghong restored the truth of the new covenant through his flesh and blood. And He let us know the true reality of the new covenant, Our Mother Heavenly Jerusalem. Let us give thanks to God Ahnsahnghong and Heaven Mother New Jerusalem for giving us all the promises of God through the new covenant Passover.
The bible says that those who will go to the kingdom of heaven are called the living. Then who are the living? Everyone on this earth will feel offended if they are called the dead because people always tend to think that they are alive and living. But in the eyes of God it is a little bit different.
Matthew 22:32 I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.
In the eyes of God, they are considered as living? In other words, they are the ones who received the promise of eternal life from God. Then why?
These are the words of Christ given to teach about one characteristic of God’s people. The most important trait of the people of God is that they should be living. Literally, it does not make sense because everyone on this earth is living and Christ gave this teaching to the people who were living on this earth. In the time of Moses, numerous people were LIVING on this earth, but only the Jews were chosen as God’s people, the living. In the time of Jesus too, even though people were LIVING like sands on the sea, only few were chosen as his people, the living. Therefore, we must understand the meaning of “living” in the perspective of God. Then who are living in the eyes of God? The one who has life is the living. But in this case it cannot mean the physical life because people were chosen as God’s people not simply because they have breath of life in their nostrils. We can confirm this through the teaching of Jesus too.
Matthew 8:21 Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me and let the dead bury their own dead.”
How can the dead bury a dead person? They cannot rise from their tombs and bury the dead one and go back to their own tomb. For this reason we must understand the meaning of dead differently. In that story the father of the disciple was dead in the literal sense, but the dead who would bury him was not dead in the physical sense. In another version of Bible it is translated like this: “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead.” (NLT) So the dead mean people who are spiritually dead even though they are physically alive. Therefore, God’s people are those who are living spiritually. Not just because he lives a physical life on this earth, he is not considered “living” in the eyes of God; rather, he is considered as “dead” by God. Then who are the “spiritually living”?
John 6:53 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.”
What do you call a person who “has no life in him”? A dead person, right. Through this Jesus says that a person who did not eat his flesh and drink his blood is spiritually dead, even though he might be physically living. And He continues to say:
John 6:54 Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.”
Then who are the living who can be considered as God’s people who will be raised into eternal life at the last day? They are the ones who ate Christ’s flesh and blood. Through these words Christ teaches us who are the true living and who are the dead. To be living in the eyes of God, the person must eat Christ’s flesh and blood through the Passover. (Mt 26:26) Christ said that the bread of the Passover is his flesh and the wine of the Passover his blood. Therefore, through the Passover bread and wine we can take part in the Christ’s flesh and blood, and we can be considered as “living” in the eyes of God. And those who did not keep the Passover are called “spiritually dead.”
Even though all the people of the world were in the land of death without the promise of eternal life, the Second Coming Christ, Christ Ahnsahnghong brought us the new covenant of the Passover and gave us the chance to belong to the LIVING by eating his flesh and blood through the Passover. Seek God Ahnsahnghong and Heavenly Mother Jerusalem and Keep the Passover, then you will be considered as living by God. Thanks to Father and Mother for allowing us to participate in the Passover and giving us eternal life in heaven! God is truly the God of the LIVING!
Two women were walking together talking about the creation work of God and one woman started to say, “I can’t understand the some part of the creation work. Think about this. The sparrow is very small, but has wings. It does not need to go here and there fast to get food. It can get food quickly without moving to many different places with its wings because its stomach is so small too. But an elephant or hippopotamus is a big animal with a big stomach. So they have to move around a lot to get enough food to maintain its body. If they had wings like birds, it would have been better for them to get food by moving fast to find a place for food.”
The other agreed too and said, “You can say that again. Big animals should have wings, but they don’t. And little animals which does not need to move around to get food have wings. I don’t understand why God created animals like that. If I had done the work, I would have done it differently by giving wings to larger animals.” Sharing their opinions like this they were walking together for a long time. At that time a small bird was flying above their head and pooped on them. A white small dropping soiled the shirt of the one woman. She tried to wipe the stain away. But it was hard to get rid of it, and what was worse was the smell of it. Even though she tried so hard, she could not take away the foul smell of bird’s dropping.
At that moment, she exclaimed as if she realized something and said, “Now even though I don’t understand the creation work of God, I can understand what God has done is right.” The other one was puzzled and said, “What are you talking about?” The woman said to the other, “Think about this. This small bird flying over our head can make us annoyed so much with its small dropping. Then imagine if an elephant was flying and pooped on our head, and then what would have happened? Think about a hippo flying leaked on us.”
On hearing that the other woman understood what the woman was thinking and said, “Oh, I didn’t think about it before. I think what you are saying is right. God’s work is right. Even though sometimes we cannot understand some part of his work, we should believe what God has done has some reason behind it.” And the one said, “That’s true. From now on, we should not doubt God’s creation work because everything is done according to God’s providence.”
After this they felt happier and went their way.
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I heard this story from this Sabbath Morning Video Sermon of General Pastor of WMSCOG in Zion. The video sermon had some animations to show the story. When the story came to the part of an elephant and a hippo flying and dropping its poops and water, the animation showed an elephant flying over head, dropping a mountainous dropping over their head. It was so hilarious! Even though I would forget the contents of the sermon, still I would never forget the story he told in the sermon. Neither do I want any careless elephant flying around, causing annoyance like that. God’s creation work is always right!! Thanks to Father and Mother!
