To make one person of faith
Content If you look at the reality of education in our society these days, you can't help but agree with the saying that the child's grades are the mother's grades. Sadly, the days when children could study alone seem to have passed. It is an era in which the whole family, especially the parents, has to completely jump in and participate in the child's education. Some say that the reason fathers cannot come in late at night after drinking alcohol is because they have to take care of their children's English and math homework at home.
However, it is not only the education of children that the whole family must work together. The same goes for my husband's job. When a husband wants to enter politics, his wife's help is absolutely essential. Isn't it said that the wife of a member of the National Assembly even appealed for votes by pushing the local wives' time in a public bath? Some say that they shook hands so much that their shoulders were paralyzed. When Jacqueline, the wife of President Kennedy, got married, her husband was a senator. But after marriage, Ms. Jacqueline took a political science lecture at the university because she doesn't know much about politics, but her husband is obsessed with politics, so she needs to know what the world is and what is required of a politician's wife that there was The same goes for the wife of a diplomat, the wife of a professional soldier, and the wife of a minister. Without the help and sacrifice of the wife, the husband cannot do it properly.
So, how about cultivating a person of faith? Can a person become a figure of faith on his own, or does he need the sincere help of those around him? In the book of Timothy, it is said that the faith of his maternal grandmother Lois and his mother Eunice was in his son Timothy. In other words, Timothy's faith was his mother's and his grandmother's.
When I heard the story of a pastor who was a missionary in Germany, I heard that a German priest also said that whether his mother was a praying man or a family with good faith, it was the same for a priest to come out of such a house.
Even in the case of Cardinal Jinseok Jeong, who recently became a cardinal, doesn't the mother say that her son has been praying since he was a child? I prayed, ‘Let my son later become a bishop or a cardinal,’ and that prayer was answered.
Don't you think it was the dedication of his wife Laura Bush that helped US President George W. Bush to become a Christian? It was thanks to his wife that he was able to stop drinking, regain consciousness, and find purpose in life.
This is true of all of us. None of us can become Christians on our own. It was possible because someone loved us, prayed for us, and taught us the Word. Just as life could be conceived because the parents loved when a baby was born into this world, there must be love in the spiritual life as well. There must be prayer. And it was made possible because there was the seed of the Word.
But after a certain point there comes a time when people can no longer help. When you first learn to ride a bike, you need someone to help you. If you step on the pedal while balancing from behind and the bike gains a certain speed, then you can go without holding on to it. In fact, it only takes one day to learn to ride a bike. If you learn it properly for a day, you can ride a bicycle, but if you gain a certain speed, you can ride alone from then on.
The same principle applies to launching an airplane from an aircraft carrier. The speed at which an airplane can fly is said to be 300 km/h. However, the deck of an aircraft carrier is narrow. How do you speed up to 300 km in that small space? At this time, there is a device called an injection molding machine, as if pulling and releasing a rubber band, the injection molding machine pushes the airplane instantaneously and speeds up to 300 km, so that the airplane can take off from the short deck.
The same goes for faith. You need help at first. You need encouragement, invitations to church, phone calls every Sunday morning, bring them in, and serve lunch. However, after a certain point, the person begins to be possessed by the power of God. Now, not because of man's help, but because God's power holds him, he can walk with God, do God's work, and live as a believer. Hallelujah!
Those of you who have been guided by praise will know this. When you first start, you need a lot of encouragement from the church members. We need church members to smile warmly, love us, and follow us. Without it, it's very difficult. However, at some point, when you start to be possessed by the power of God, even if the members of the church golden their noses, yawn, or do other things, they will not be noticed. I feel bold, relaxed, humorous and have the ability to lead me in something.
A lot of fans of a saint who was in charge of the last church inaugural concert attended, and one of them sent me a note. I heard a lot of his songs and went to concerts often, but when I saw him praising God at our church, it was surprising and a bit disappointing to see him praising God. Why? It is because I saw myself as a singer and then I saw myself as a servant of God on that day.
According to the writings of Avelyn Roberts, the wife of Rev. Oral Roberts, who was a famous revivalist in the United States, she said that although she has been with her husband for decades, she sometimes wonders if she is right when she preaches. It makes you feel like someone else you never knew. The reason is that at that moment it is not Roberts as husband, but Roberts as servant of God.
There are three main reasons why people are zealous for their faith. First, the trials of life. That's why we have to cling to God. Be zealous and pray.
Second, because we love God. Even if there is no particular pain or trial in life, because we love God, we believe in Jesus, believe that Jesus is right, and agree, approve, and support Jesus' words. It is a case of zeal because they have a heart to serve Jesus. This is the beginning of discipleship. A disciple does not cling to Jesus because of his or her personal problems, but clings to Jesus because he believes in him and follows him absolutely.
Third, loyalty. Human love is not always hot, but if you have loyalty, you can consistently follow it in times of distress, joy, rain, and sunshine. A mother of a baby loves her baby, but if she cries in the middle of the night, she doesn't love her even at that moment. But that doesn't happen, and there is no mother who doesn't breastfeed her baby. At that moment, it happens because it's your baby, and because you're a mother. That is loyalty. Church isn't always my favourite. It cannot always be a blessing. Nevertheless, the reason why we can cherish, love, and serve the church without blaming the church is because of our loyalty. Modern people must learn to love, but they must also learn to be loyal. You need someone who is loyal to your spouse and loyal to your workplace, church, and country. Things in the world change day by day, and my emotions and my environment always fluctuate, but when our hearts move at the same time, where can we stand?
The problem is that there are no trials in life, no love for the Lord, and no loyalty. It does not mean that I do not believe in the Lord, nor that I do not have enemies in the church. But it is difficult for such a person to be zealous. People need passion. Jesus also had passion. When he saw the money changers and those selling cattle and sheep in the temple, he made a whip, overturned the table, and drove them out. And he said, “It is written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you have made a den of robbers.” When Jesus saw the injustice, he became angry. This cannot be done without passion. Even on the Sabbath, Jesus saw the sick and healed them. When the widow of Nain saw the death of her only son and weeping, he did not pass it by and raised him up. I didn't ask anyone for help and I didn't ask for help. This is what Jesus saw himself, felt sorry for him, and raised him up. This is the zeal of Jesus.
In an evil world, the way we can keep our duty without being tainted by evil and unwavering is through zeal. Whether it's your child's education, business, politics, or hobbies, you too may be passionate about it. But if Jesus is inferior to your children's education or hobbies, what will be the status of Jesus? Isn't it? When I put the Bible on a desk or table, I intentionally try not to put anything else on top of the Bible, such as newspapers or bills. why? It is a peek into our hearts for the Lord. If the Bible is at the bottom and the weekly magazines and phone number books are piled up on top of it, it shows that the state of his mind is also the same. There is Jesus, but there are many things that are buried beneath it and put a lot of priority on it. That's not right. Jesus is not the kind of person we should neglect.
We should not misunderstand God because God is invisible, sometimes God's work seems delayed, and God does not solve all the evils and injustices of the world right away. There has been a recent coup in Thailand, and the king has authorized the coup, but the king has no real power. His position is symbolic. It is an object of symbolic respect from the people, but the actual power is held by the generals below it.
Likewise, there are times in our hearts when we think of God as the king of Thailand. Although God is the object of respect, there are times when we wonder if God will actually exercise authority. But it is a misunderstanding of God. If you look at today's text, you can see how accurate God is. If you look at verses 8 and 9, you can see how precisely the dimensions, materials, and shapes were required for making the tabernacle and making the ark of the testimony. “I have made them a sanctuary to dwell among them, and I will make them for myself, according to what I show you, the pattern of the tabernacle. And it shall be built according to the pattern of the equipment.”
“Let the length be two cubits, the breadth a cubit, and the height a cubit and a half.” A cubit is 0.43 m. The width is 1.1m, the length is 0.7m, and the height is 0.7m, and the material is pure gold and carved wood. Whether it's the material, the size, or the shape, you're asking precisely. This is God. It is our freedom to worship God or not, but once we want to worship Jesus, we have to follow exactly the way God commands us, not what we think. God is not powerless and makes no mistakes. God is never going to be overlooked. When he asks us to obey, he doesn't want us to be obedient. He wants you to believe and follow the word of the Lord accurately.
And verse 22 says, “There I met you.” It is not that we can meet the Lord, but the Lord must meet us. In Christianity, people do not go to meet God, but God meets Jesus through Jesus Christ. The method and place of meeting are precisely designated by God. “There I will meet you” is not in another place. Ultimately, this symbolizes Jesus Christ.
“There I will find you through the sufferings of Jesus Christ on the cross.”
“I will meet you through my Son.”
“I will answer your prayers through my Son.”
“I will forgive your sins through my Son.”
“I will forgive you through my Son.”
It is God ordained. We will believe it, rely on it, and obey it. Hallelujah!