Title: The Powerful Church/Philippians 4:13-14
Contents
A powerful church/Philippians 4:13-14
In the same way, if you want your life of faith to be wonderful and rewarding,
1) Must have skills.
It's not about speaking English well or making money, it's about spiritual skills.
2) Be healthy.
When this man was close to 80 years of age, he asked me to lead a meeting at the prayer center. At that time, I was in my fifties, and after the meeting, I was drenched in sweat.
"why?"
“So you have to do it while you are young!”
At the meeting that evening, he laid his hands on everyone. At that time, about 2/3 collapsed and I joined. Some people woke up after the morning prayer the next day. Awakened from his mouth, he testified: “The church must have the spiritual power.”
Not only in Korea, but also in the United States, you have to take the college entrance exam to go to college. Because if you don't have the skills, you won't be able to keep up with what you're studying in college.
We must have the same ability to follow Jesus. Because without the power, you can never follow the way of the cross.
When Jesus performed miracles and wonders, the disciples who followed him, saying, “When your kingdom comes, let me sit at the right hand or at the left hand of the Lord.” When Jesus was crucified, all the disciples ran away. Why? It was because they lacked spiritual skills.
However, after Jesus' resurrection and ascension to heaven, while praying in Mark's upper room, the disciples, who gained spiritual powers, preached the word of God. A miracle happened. Even if he touched Peter's shadow or even touched Paul's handkerchief, he was healed.
Therefore, no matter how complex and diverse this world is, if you have spiritual powers, you can live happily and joyfully.
So what kind of church is a powerful church?
First, a revival church is a powerful church.
Even though I have been to church all my life, I am the only person who has not been able to evangelize once and has lived a religious life alone.
However, some people diligently evangelize and bring life that is more precious than the world when they come to church.
A church that is reviving like this is a powerful church.
Do you always want to go to a fighting and noisy church? Or do you want to go to a church where the work of repentance occurs when the members are crowded, the hymns are loud, the Amen is resounding, and when you hear the word of God, your heart is pierced? Of course, it would be the latter church.
Thousands of people gathered wherever Jesus went. Because when Jesus went out to preach, he healed the weak and the sick and cast out demons. So a great crowd gathered from Jerusalem, Samaria, Galilee, and the Decapolis.
When our church was on the top of the mountain in Geumho-dong 1-ga, after the service, all the members of the church went down, filling the narrow road in front of the church. There were only a few hundred members of the church, but it looked like waves crashing.
At that time, we held a revival meeting at our church, and the people in the Gujongjeom came up to our church because of the loud noise of prayer. When I asked why he came up, he said that he came up because he heard shouting, “Fire!”.
There are countless members who have passed through our church over the past 34 years. If all of them remained in our church, our church's chapel would have been lacking. Therefore, it can be said that our Kumho Jeil Church is a church that is being revived.
However, especially during the youth worship service this afternoon, they say that they will preach in English. And next week, Rev. Oh Kwang-seok, who is studying as an honor student at SMU in the US, is scheduled to preach in English.
Our Geumho-dong used to be a poor dal-dong. But God has raised us to be capable people. Because God has seen our faith.
So, Proverbs 1:7 says:
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Paul testified in Philippians 4:12 as follows:
“I know how to be in need, and I know how to abound. I have learned the secret of being satisfied in all things, in spite of hunger, abundance, and want.”
He who pretends to know without knowing does not learn. They also know as much as a rat's tail and speak as if they knew everything.
Some people boast that they saw heaven while entering the military. However, he did not see all of heaven because what God shows only shows what is beneficial to the person's faith.
Having lived in Geumho-dong for 35 years, I know the location and roads of Geumho-dong very well. But you don't know who lives where.
Likewise, I cannot say that I know you well. That is why we pray to God who knows everything.
“God, the deacon is having a hard time. There is no one to help but the Lord.”
Second, the church where the Holy Spirit has come is the church with power.
Jesus said, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Acts 1:8). Paul also testified in 1 Corinthians 4:20: “For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.”
What ability are you talking about here? It is the power of faith. The writer of Hebrews testified about faith as follows:
“Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, by which the forefathers obtained the evidence” (Hebrews 11:1-2).
When we pray before God, we must be very specific. Pastor Vincent Peale spoke very accurately about this.
① Draw a picture (Picturize)
② Pray
③ Put it into practice (Realize)
Jesus said in Mark 16:17-18 that the following five signs will follow those who believe.
1) I will cast out demons in my name.
Therefore, when the demons are trying to cling to them, please cast them away, in the name of Jesus.
2) You will speak in a new tongue.
There is a doctor full of grace. When I go to his hospital, it is like a prayer center. Because there are scriptures all over the place, and hymns are blaring from the speakers all day long.
I prayed in his office. “God, please heal all the patients treated through this doctor.” At that time, the doctor began to vibrate as he spoke in tongues.
He studied without any trouble thanks to his father, who was the director of the Audit and Inspection Service. However, he suffered a lot while running the hospital. But through these difficulties, I experienced the grace of God.
Therefore, at four o'clock in the afternoon, they go down to the basement to pray. “God, please heal the patients treated today! I don't have that ability.”
3) You will pick up the snake.
It happened when I was leading the last coalition meeting in Chungju. I woke up at three in the morning and had a vision while praying. Suddenly a large snake appeared. So with a knife I cut two pieces from head to tail. Then someone pulled out the snake's flesh, which had been split by hand. Still, the snake's skin moved. So I cut the snake's skin into pieces with scissors. I think I captured all of Chungju's demons at that time.
4) You will not be harmed if you drink any poison.
5) Lay your hands on the sick and they will be healed.
Third, a church that does not stop praying is a powerful church.
John 1:14 testifies that:
“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth
Let's all follow along.
“I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
One day, while reading this verse, I caught this verse. Because I thought, “The God whom Paul believes in is the same as the God I believe in, so why can’t I do what Paul can do?”
At the age of 34, I was diagnosed with laryngeal cancer. At that time, I had a son, a sophomore in elementary school, a six-year-old daughter, and a three-year-old youngest son.
But God, who made me fall on my knees with laryngeal cancer, confessed my sins and made me repent, then threw a ball of fire. It is because of that experience that I am standing here now.
Faith is a number. are you going that way? aren't you going? There are only two ways to do it. Therefore, power comes to you when you trust that the living God will help you in your infirmities.
- Amen -