Title: Sunshine of the Soul (Psalm 37:4)
A new morning has dawned. This is the moment when anxiety and hope intersect. Human history is always about self-growth or extinction amid external threats and internal conflicts. Former President Chun Doo-hwan returned to Seoul. It is a proper respect for a person who used to be the head of a country. However, in this case, it is a deception for the people in that it comes back with the things that still need to be brushed off, the things that need to be explained to the people and ask for forgiveness in the process of taking power.
The 5th Offensive Force, or in the heart of or behind the 6th Republic, is still building a powerful force and engaging in various tricks and threats. We are raising a national fund in the name of compensation for the victims of Gwangju. Who were the victims of Gwangju, and are they raising national donations? Not one of our people appeared in Gwangju and shot and killed anyone innocently. It was only done by the new military, the Juche power of the Fifth Republic.
However, it is too reckless to try to solve the problem with money without due repentance and fact-finding. This is by no means a traffic accident, nor is it a collapse caused by poor construction. So money can't solve it. This is a question of asking the leading forces of the time and those who silently pursued their own safety to make a new decision of penance and renewal.
Just as Jacob repented of his mistakes and pursued a new self-birth until he broke his hip bone at the Jabbok ferry, we need to stop deceiving now.
Jacob used his wealth to appease his brother Esau. But it was an absurdly stupid feat. Only in order to survive, I deceived others and the Kwangju Incident would not be resolved without a complete change, such as Jacob who bit others' heels and turned into Israel.
National unity is impossible.
The new man 'Israel' was given the name "Peniel" because that place was his second hometown and second cradle at that time. The sun rose when Israel left Peniel. Under that sunlight, Esau and Jacob turned from yesterday's enemies to today's brothers. Esau forgave all his brother's sins.
Jacob gave all of his possessions as a gift to his brother. And Israel confessed, "Looking at your face is like seeing the face of God because you have welcomed me with such love."
The sunlight of Peniel is the new light, the power of new life, and the change of enemies to become brothers, and Jacob to become Israel. I hope that Dongdaemun Church in 1991 will become the “Peniel” of Korea where we can meet God, and the morning sunlight of Peniel from here will transform all enemies into brothers, and we hope that the history of seeing the face of God in the face of the enemy will occur.
Humans and their history are full of contradictions. The good is afflicted by evil, and the righteous is despised by injustice. So, meaningful people start a revolution to solve this contradiction in human history. Because I can't stand it any longer. However, there was no history of resolving the contradiction through revolution.
I did. The French popular revolution of the 18th century also ended with Napoleon's military dictatorship. The communist revolution of the Soviet Union in the 20th century also failed to reform poverty and humanity, and the nation of red flags raised a white flag in front of mankind.
In the old days, King David made it clear.
“Do not complain that the wicked prosper,
Don't envy the unrighteous for living well.
In no time like grass they wither
It fades quickly like greens
Believe in Yahweh
On earth you will eat and live without worry.
May the LORD find your joy
He will grant your heart's desire.
Trust him and trust him.
You yourself will do it
Showing your rightness like sunlight
He will make your rights as the noonday light” (Psalm 37:1-6).
Dongdaemun Church is a community of faith that believes in Jesus Christ. It is Dongdaemun Church's job to teach people who visit this place to believe in God instead of resentment and complaining about the world. It is Dongdaemun Church's job to lead people to find the joy of life in God. It is Dongdaemun Church's job to entrust the future of life to God and lead them to live. Then, the sunlight of the soul Dongdaemun Church will express the righteousness of each believer like the sunlight, and let the right shine like the noonday light.
A man's living righteously is the only image of God left to him.
A person's righteousness is maintained and perfected when he lives by trusting in God, hoping for God alone, and entrusting himself to God. If you forsake even this, you will fall into a human race.
Falls into an incorrigible existence.
The apostle Paul said:
"You must know what time it is. The time has come for you to wake up. Now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is almost dawning and the day is near. So the deeds of darkness Let us put off our clothes and put on the armor of light. Let us not eat and drink, get drunk, engage in fornication and indulgences, engage in strife and envy, always think in broad daylight and live modestly. Arm your body with the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't even think about gratifying the lusts of the flesh" (Romans 13:11-14).
This verse is the word that saved the famous Augustine. This is a bright day, not a dark time. Therefore, it is time to forsake the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
Ladies and gentlemen, there was no licentiousness or drunkenness, no lewdness or lewdness, no disputes or envy Dongdaemun Church will do its best to make you wear Jesus Christ as the sunshine of your soul in 1991. High morality will be pursued. I will make sure I don't owe anyone anything except the debt of mutual love. Because only love is the fulfillment of all laws.
The age of alienation from God has been reduced to an age of injustice. The Roman Empire was destroyed by extravagance and sexual corruption. Today's social concerns in America are drugs, unrestricted divorce rates, and AIDS. What is the reality of our country?
It is the appearance of indiscriminate murder and robbery, the crime of sexual assault, and structural corruption. It is enough to declare war on crime. This trend of social decadence is because the process of forming our society was through indiscriminate killing.
Sunshine of the Soul Dongdaemun Church is trying to develop the "Armor of Light" movement. It is a movement to put on Jesus Christ, a movement for social justice, and a movement for new morals. This cannot be a movement unique to Dongdaemun Church.
It should be a movement of the entire Korean church. To this end, I declare that the ties between the Brotherhood Churches will be strengthened based on the premise of love and faithfulness.
1991 marks the beginning of the second century of Dongdaemun Church. The last century has been a time of trial. However, a century from now must contribute to the history of Korean Protestantism in cultivating "spirituality as a true church." We will try to reform the worship ritual for spiritual cultivation. This will be pursued through sufficient preliminary experiments. To cultivate spirituality, we will try theological (doctrinal) training. In the future, church member training will focus on theological training. This is to develop a deeper knowledge, broader understanding, and firm convictions about what we believe in.
And in order to cultivate spirituality, we need to practice love to have strong evidence of faith. So far, we have practiced love through improvised programs without continuity, but we will continue to practice love for a certain number of neighbors in the future. In order to practice love, prayer life must be supported. Love without prayer is just a romance. Prayer without love is just a meditation. A Christian becomes the light of the world only through the practice of love anyway. Through prayer, Christians do not become discouraged in doing good.
“God holds your hand, so even if you fall, you will not be overturned. God loves justice and will not forsake those who are loyal to Him.” (Psalm 37:24-28) Dongdaemun Church Saint in 1991 You say, "Only trust in God and live. He will make you eat and live without worry on the earth." (Psalm 37:4) Amen.