Title even now
Contents
even now
(Joel 2:12-14)
“Even now, saith the Lord, return to Me with all your heart, fasting, weeping and mourning” (verse 12).
In verse 12 of the text we read together, the prophet Joel said, “Even now, return to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping and mourning.”
This word 'now even' appears twice in the New Testament, one in John 11 and the other in Galatians 4. In John 11, after Jesus heard that Lazarus had died, he stayed two more days before he left. So, four days after he died, he went to the tomb of Lazarus.
Martha said. "Lord, have you come now? If you had come a little earlier, my brother would not have died, but even now..." He wrote the word now.
He asked, "Do you still believe that my brother will rise again if the Lord commands?" He saw that faith and said, "Your brother will live." After four days of death, the smelly Lazarus was resurrected. The word now means something like that, even now, even if it was.
In Galatians 4:20, the Apostle Paul says, "My children, I am in the labor of childbirth until Christ is formed in you, even now I am." Here, it is saying that even now, the image of Christ will be formed in their hearts by bearing the labor of childbirth.
In Matthew 20, we see the story of the laborers in the vineyard. At 5 pm before the end of the day, the owner of the vineyard took the laborers playing in the market, made them work for an hour, and gave them the same wages as those who worked all day. Here the master said to the other laborers who complained, "Didn't you make a promise to me for a denarius? Take what is yours, and it is my will to give to this man who has come later with you."
A person who comes to work at 5 o'clock wants to take him all day, but there is no one to take him... A person who is struggling to find a job because he or she is worried about how hard it will be for his family to have nothing to eat for a day, but how happy is it when the owner of the vineyard comes and takes him? How good would it feel to have that one hour job?
It is not a matter of getting paid or not. I am so happy and grateful that I was able to do my work without playing for even an hour today. How sweet would it be for this person to work for an hour and get paid for a day? okay… I wish I had endured to the end and was there in the marketplace... I am so grateful to the owner of the vineyard for calling me like this... I hope we have such gratitude today.
In the 14th chapter of the Gospel of John, we see a scene where Jesus suddenly calls for his husband during a conversation with a woman in Suga. So, the bewildered woman replies that she has no husband. Perhaps the Lord sees through her heart like that. "Yes, you are right to say no. There used to be five, but the husband you are living with is not your husband, so it is correct to say that you do not have a husband." You said so.
Shall I follow you? "Even now." "Call your husband now."
The Lord is still calling us to our husbands.
A husband who has not yet come to church in our family, even though he does not have a husband, the actual unbelieving family who not only does not believe in Jesus but also persecutes them for believing in Jesus among the in-laws and family members of that family may be the husband.
I mean bring it. The person who gave up saying, "No. Even the tip of the needle doesn't go in even if I stab it. I don't know about anyone else, but this one in my in-laws' family is really out of salvage." It's still not too late.
The apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 7:14, "The unbelieving husband is sanctified by his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by her husband, otherwise your children will be unclean." To those who are wandering because they are unable to stop the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, the prophet Joel is waiting for them by telling them to bring them to me and return to me “even now”.
The prophet Ezekiel said that the people of Israel are a rebellious people, brazen faces and hard-hearted people, but do not care whether they listen or not. 3:17 said.
I must do it. If I don't do it, someone else will evangelize... That's not it. You said, "You must do it now."
Ezekiel 3:18 says, “For if you say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not understand it, or if you speak to the wicked and turn away from their evil ways and save lives, the wicked will die in iniquity, but I will pay the price of his blood. will be found in your hand."
The Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel.” Even if we do not evangelize, evangelism enters through other people. However, we must remember the dreadful saying that the sin that I did not preach is found in me.
The reason I am giving these words to you today is that the coming Sunday, April 24, is evangelism Sunday by inviting family members. It's not a week we just want to pass by. How long will you leave your “five husbands” alone? How long will you live with your unbelieving husband, in-laws, and family members? The opportunity is still there.
Even when you say, "It's too late. It's out of control. Now I'm out of hand. I'm giving up." It's never too late. It's half the start. If you start now, it means that you are already half way through the work.
'What can I do to die tonight after drinking and swearing and committing sins? I will grind my teeth and weep and be dragged to hell where brimstone is boiling. Come out, I will give you eternal life in heaven before Jesus. Believe in Jesus. 'Hallelujah.
I heard this from a deacon at a church near Sangbong-dong.
His hometown is a town in Gangwon-do, and he persecuted him even though he did not believe in Jesus. Still, this younger brother and sister are working hard to lead a religious life.
I would like to offer a memorial service for my parents, but it is difficult. I don't usually persecute my brother for believing in Jesus. So I prayed fervently.
But the brother-in-law was ill. Even if I take medicine, it doesn't work. So, the younger brother went to his brother's house and said, "Brother, I will take my brother-in-law to a big hospital in Seoul and get some medical examinations. I will pay for it all." The younger brother comes out like that, so the older brother agrees.
So, I take my brother-in-law to a big hospital for a checkup, and nothing happens. It is said that there is nothing wrong with checking and taking pictures. But the sister-in-law is aching all over her body, but she doesn't know where and how it hurts. So, the brothers and sisters thought that this was not a disease that could be cured by a doctor or medicine. God has given you wisdom.
Finally, I made him attend the revival meeting of the church. Then, by the power of the Holy Spirit, God easily healed me on the day the meeting was over. Hallelujah. So, he changed the sacrifice he had been holding for decades into a memorial service, and he and his brother-in-law came to church, Hallelujah.
There are plenty of things like this.
Don't be discouraged folks. In the family, in the house, in the family, or in the in-laws, it's impossible to get rid of it now. I'm addicted to alcohol, my liver and lungs are punctured, I can't stop drinking, and I'm just playing around with catching alcohol. You're going to die, so don't be discouraged even if you're self-proclaimed and given up.
Looking at the text, He said, “Even now, return to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping and mourning.” Let's not be discouraged. Let's do it. Let's do it to the end.
Today, I am seeing very moving things here. Now, a deacon's son, in fact, was a man who had completely given up his life. When I was lying on the side of the road on a cold winter day, I was taken by a police ambulance and treated as a sick person. My health has also been restored. I came to church. I attended the last sacrament meeting. And my wife also came to church today. Hallelujah! You don't know how grateful I am. Don't be discouraged "even now". Others don't know, but my husband doesn't. Don't make up your mind already.
In the book of Ezekiel, it says, “Whether you hear it or not, tell it, preach the word.” Guys, how grateful we are to listen when we preach the gospel. He also told them not to send it to people who do not speak a different dialect or to understand them, but to go to a foreign country where they cannot speak the language and do missionary work, but instead of doing that, go around your house and preach the gospel among family members and people who can communicate with each other.
Ezekiel 3:14 says, “The power of the Lord” “The power of the Lord” “The Spirit of the Lord” “strongly moves me.”
It's not what I'm talking about. Once I make up my mind, the Holy Spirit moves me and asserts me. Trust me that you will sustain me. Evangelism is my decision, but it is the Holy Spirit who makes us believe and makes us use various methods. "Let's send a love letter with a drizzle evangelism card." Let us exhort, make up our minds, and pray. We'll be sure to bring it next week. Please try it.
If your mouth does not fall out, pray The Spirit of God will open your mouth. Make your own souvenirs. Let's do our best to evangelize so that we can hear the word of our Lord by gifting a tie, stockings, handkerchiefs, or something commemorative.
Next Sunday at 5:30pm. By all means, this church invitation program and our church's youth, clergy and staff are praying and preparing for this issue now, so if you bring them along at a time like this, great works will appear. "Do it now." It's not too late.
Last Sunday afternoon, I went to the little one's house with the various donations prepared by breaking the alabaster in our middle and high school and the clothes collected by various members of the church. From what I heard, there are people who are physically disabled and have little intelligence, and they complain a lot. There are so many complaints about bathing, cutting my hair, washing my hair, dressing me, and putting me to bed.
Folks, unbelievers complain a lot. That's what the devil in there makes. Think of that person as a good person by nature, think of them as God's precious sheep, and think of them as God's precious gifts, and try it with a sense of duty.
You can do it. In Judges 18:9 it says, "How can you be still? Do not neglect to acquire the land." The land refers to people. Shall I follow you? "Do you" "Why?" "Stand still" "Do you have it?" "Do not neglect to get him" "God has" "Into your hands" "Has given him" Hallelujah You put it in our hands.
But why do we sit idle and sit still? Guys, look at the handouts distributed in the bulletin. It's a really good song. Originally, the lyrics were "Children of God," but I changed the lyrics a bit. I changed the lyrics to "Let's Evangelize" and added it to the original song. Let's take a look.
Verse 1 Let the saints of the Sangwon Church pray for prayer
Preach the gospel of Jesus with all your heart and soul
Verse 2 Let's invite family on April 24th
Let's all share the good news together
Verse 3 Let's evangelize in season or out of season
There are many criminals who go near your house and rescue you.
Refrain Let's all go out and preach the good news.
Let the souls who are more precious than the world be saved.
Let's all bow our heads and pray
(1995. 4. 17)