Title Why Does God Come Nearly?
Contents
title ; Why does God come near to you?
main text ; John 10:10
Unbelievers say, "There is no God." Or they say, "God may exist, but He is in the distance of ninety thousand miles and ten thousand miles." But we believe, "God certainly lives, and he is very close to us."
Originally, human beings were always close to God in the Garden of Eden, exchanging love with God, and being very friendly. So, many people think, 'God is too far away from you'.
However, when we were unable to draw close to God, God first came closer to humans. The Bible records the fact that God came close to humans. Then where and how did the God we believe come to?
1. You came to the top of the mountain.
The Bible says this in Exodus 19:18-19. "Mount Sinai was thick with smoke, for the LORD descended from it from the midst of fire. Its smoke rose like the smoke of a pot, and the whole mountain shook violently, and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder. Moses spoke, and God answered with a voice."
In other words, God came to the top of Mount Sinai in fire and smoke to meet Moses, especially among the people of Israel. That is why, even today, you can see many servants of the Lord or those who pray to go up to the top of a mountain to pray to meet God more closely.
2. He came to the flat tabernacle and the temple
From Exodus 40:34, there is a saying, “After that the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle…” In other words, God came to people, but now He has come closer and less fearful.
The tabernacle refers to the temporary temple until the Israelites entered the land of Canaan and built the temple. That is to say, it is a tent temple. And when the Israelites entered the land of Canaan and built a temple, God came to the temple there.
3. He came to the hearts of the prophets with the word.
In the Bible, we see many words, "The word of the Lord came to the prophet 000." Hebrews 1:1 also says, “Once upon a time God spoke to our ancestors through prophets in various parts and in many ways…”
In other words, we can observe God coming closer to the prophets from the top of the mountain to the plain and from the plain.
4. He came to us in the form of Jesus.
It is as if a father in Seoul spoke to his son in Busan only by phone or letter, and finally visited and spoke in person. And it's like a president who changed into a craftsman's clothes stained with oil and worked for a while in a factory to find out about the living conditions of the people. That is, God appeared to us directly in the human form of Jesus.
Regarding this, the Bible says: “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
“Behold, a virgin will conceive and bear a son, and he will call his name Immanuel, which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:25).
5. He came to us as the Comforter, the Holy Spirit.
Before Jesus ascended into heaven, he said to his disciples: "I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor, that he may be with you forever... For I dwell with you and will be in you" (John 14:16-l7).
And in the book of Revelation, Jesus tells us: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and sup with him, and he with me" (Revelation 3:20).
In this way, gentlemen, God came to us humans: from the mountain to the plain, from the plain to the tabernacle, from the tabernacle to the prophets, from the prophets to many, and from many to all. And you have come a little closer from far away.
And now you have come closer than our parents, our wives, or our children. That is, it has come to our hearts. Of course, because God came into us as a Spirit, our physical eyes cannot see it, but we know and believe that God is in us.
We do not know only with superficial knowledge, and we do not believe in superstitious beliefs, but we can confirm it with the Word of God, and it is a stark fact that we are experiencing according to the Word.
Then why does God come so close to us? Of course, it is because God loves us and loves us. But don't you and I well know that originally there was no reason for God to like us?
In this text, Jesus says: “The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come that they may have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). that you have come.
I pray that you will personally feel and confirm the God who is near you today. Also, I pray that God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, who have come near you, will always welcome you, and that you will receive help from God who is near you even in this foreign land.
Ladies and gentlemen, everyone wants to live an abundant life. In particular, we came here to immigrate to a foreign land or study abroad because we wanted an abundant life, and there are probably no people who came here because we wanted a poor life.
But the reality here on Canadian soil is not easy enough for us to lead an abundant life. Even if you look at the statistics of the Ministry of Immigration, you can see that no matter how highly educated the immigrants are and how much they earn in their country, they do not have a rich life compared to the natives when they come here.
As you all know, compared to Korea, the cost of living here, including house prices, is rather low. Of course, there are various subsidies provided by the government to the unemployed and poor people, but can't they lead a prosperous life with them?
Of course, the standard of an abundant life may be different depending on the times, circumstances, or people, but it is common for all people to want to live a more abundant life compared to others in that era, in that environment, and . So, in order to achieve a rich life, they study English on their own, learn technology at a technical school, or get information about this or that to run a business, or a couple work hard.
But, we must not forget that you and I have a very good benefit, or privilege, to have an abundant life. In other words, God has come close to us to enrich our lives.
So trust in God's clear will to enrich our lives. Be confident that I can live abundantly even in this foreign land. And for that abundant life, discuss deeply with God who is near you.
If you do not yet believe that God is close to you, open your heart and receive Him. And get his help. God who has come close to us always wants to lead our lives abundantly. He wants you to be rich in love and harmony, wisdom and knowledge, peace and joy, and health and happiness.
Ladies and gentlemen, God has given us the things that we must observe in order to enrich our lives, so please listen to them. God is telling us this.
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). Promise.
Maybe someone will say, "Isn't this promise only valid in Korea? Isn't it a bit different here in Canada? Besides, we're not native Canadians here, are we?" And I don't know if I'll ask. But God's promise to enrich us transcends time and circumstance.
Our God has the power to enrich us even here in Canada. God has come near to us because He has the power to enrich us.
Everyone, think about it. God even gave us His only begotten Son, what will He not give us? Do you not think that the God who gave life gives abundantly money, health, love, and happiness?
Some people say, "If you believe in God, you get money or food? There are people who say. But when we look at those who believe in us, especially those who believed in God and experienced a rich life, it is really sad that those who doubt God like that.
But I believe. And I experienced it. If we believe in our God, and if we do God's work first and work hard, God will fill all these things. The Bible promises. “My God will supply all your needs according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:19).
Ladies and gentlemen, compared to the natives here, we do not speak English well, and we do not know the laws, culture and knowledge of this place. In addition, racism, whether we know it or not, works against us. In other words, as a human being, getting a rich life is far more disadvantageous than the natives here.
But do not forget. We have the great benefit, or privilege, of an abundant life. It is our privilege to have none other than God who has come close to us. He can enrich our lives even in this difficult foreign land.
So seek his help. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness so that he may enrich your life and me in this foreign land. And ask him, seek, and knock. God has clearly promised. "Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7).
Gentlemen, we did not come to this foreign land to live in poverty. I came in anticipation of a more abundant life. But this is foreign land. My skills in Korea, my experience, and my judgment do not work well here.
So, look for another, more reliable way. Meet the God who has come near to enrich us. And I bless you in the name of the Lord that you may lead a prosperous life in this foreign land.