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Friday, September 26, 2014

Waters Traveling Toward Homeland


   God Appeared Joyfully
   [When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.] (Mat. 3:16) [A voice came from heaven which said, "You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased."] (Luke 3:22)
   During the thirty years that Jesus lived on this earth, never did God appear to Him and say "[You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.]" However, on this day, God personally appeared [when (Jesus) had been baptized, (and) came up immediately from the water,] and delightfully said, "You are truly My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." For thirty years, God had never been that joyful or delighted. Why was He so happy today after Jesus was [baptized, (and) came up immediately from the water]? In addition, the Holy Spirit joyfully appeared. [And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him (Jesus).] Why were the heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit so happy and delighted, and why did They love Jesus so much for going into the water and coming out of it? What is [water]?
   Let us learn about water.

   Tearful Self-denial
   Water is originally from the alpine regions and the high mountains.
 A long time ago, adults used to say, "Water is higher than the mountains." This is true.
Water can be found on top of Mt. Baekdu, the highest mountain in Korea, and on top of Mt. Tien Shen, the highest mountain in the neighboring country of China. As it looks down at the rest of creation, it struts with pride thinking that it is the highest, that there is nothing above it.
   Then, God says to the water, "Water, come down from your proud place and descend to the lowest position, the lowest place." Disappointed over God's command, the water turns pale from shock and disappointment. It would rather die than come down from its high place. Yet, it has no choice but to do so since it is God's command. As it forces itself to come down, the water complains and murmurs every step of the way, even shedding tears out of agony. It continues to grumble and unwillingly descends to lower places, but later accepts its fate with resignation. Some grow angry and complain about God's command. They say, "I can't go down," and insist on remaining on the mountaintop. They are none other than the stagnant waters that refuse to come down. Because of disobeying God's word, which is their life, they soon begin to rot. Later, deer or birds refuse to drink that "dead" water, and they become infested with insects.
   Meanwhile, the water that obeyed and forced itself in tears to come down does not die but descends very well. While it descends, it begins to think that it only denied itself, left its high position, and dropped endlessly to lower places. For many days, it continues to descend in tears. However, to its surprise, the lower it goes, the more it meets and befriends other waters that have also relinquished their high positions and are coming down from other ravines. They are happy to meet one another, and they comfort one another holding each other's hands and placing their arms around each other's shoulders. Instead of murmuring, they now sing songs of joy so loudly that their singing later echoes throughout the ravine as they joyfully flow down.

   The Mountainside Stream Meeting
  
The water is not lonely anymore. It has made many friends, and now they can travel together to even the lowest places on this earth singing. The amusing journey continues without rest. After many days, the waters suddenly arrive at a place where a large crowd of water have gathered, something they have never seen before. They ask a water among the crowd, "Where are we, and what is going on?" The water answers, "This is where the mountainside stream meeting is held." The waters from the ravines have finally reached a wide stream.
   Then, a lecturer stands up and says, "Ladies and gentlemen! I am sure that you went through much trouble to get here from the high mountains. However, we still have a long way to go to reach our home in the new heavens and earth. Let us continue to move forward with greater humility and patience." Everyone in the audience responds with applause.
   The waters have made more friends, and the lower they humbly descend, the more they dance waving their arms, shaking their shoulders, and even swinging their hips. They all flow down with their arms around each other's shoulders. The lower they go, the happier, the more joyful and broad-minded they become.

   The River Meeting
  
The waters continue traveling in a long procession, shouting their motto of modesty and humility. After traveling for many days and nights without rest, they once again arrive at the largest meeting place they have ever seen. One water asks another water among the crowd where they are. The water replies, "This is where the river meeting is held." The waters have arrived at the river.
   The crowd is so large here that they cannot see the lecturer. They can only hear his gentle voice over the loud speaker. "Ladies and gentlemen! I am sure you all went through much trouble and suffered for many days in order to obey God's words and come all the way here from the high mountains. However, we still have to travel for many more days to arrive at our homeland, the ocean in the new heavens and earth. Yet, I fully believe that our God who has guided us this far will undoubtedly have us arrive at our destination shortly. Though you may be exhausted from the journey, please be patient to the end. Please make sure you arrive at our homeland, the ocean in the new heavens and earth, and live happily for eternity." All attendees of the river meeting respond with loud applause.

   Homeland, at Last!
  
Everyone continues traveling with the motto, "Nothing but humility! Nothing but modesty!" As they travel, they greet each other: "Friend, where are you from?" "I'm from Mt. Sorak." "How about you?" "I'm from Mt. Fuji." "I'm from Mt. Everest." They were all born in different places. One day, after traveling for many long days, they suddenly hear the sounds of cheering and splashing. They look up and realize that they have finally reached the ocean in the new heavens and earth they have always dreamt about, their homeland.
   Then someone shouts, "Wow! We've reached our homeland!" Everyone lifts up their voices simultaneously to sing songs of triumph. Overflowing with love, a countless number of brothers and sisters in the ocean of the new heavens and earth swarm to them, embrace them, and welcome them. They hold their hands and tenderly say, "Brothers and sisters! How much trouble did you go through to come this far? There is nothing here that will hurt your feelings, no more rocks and stones to block your way or crash into, no more brambles to block your way or tear at you, no more pain from falling off high cliffs, and no more anxiety from passing through dark gorges and narrow passes. Here, you will live enjoying eternal joy, freedom, peace, and happiness." They add, "Since you have traveled through many adversities and obstacles for many days without rest, from now on, rest comfortably for eternity. Until now, close friends would meet together, and then have to part with one another, gather together, and then separate again. Here, you will live eternally with your dear friends and never have to part with them again."

   The Song of the Choir of the 144,000!
 Brethren tell them that the choir of the 144,000 will sing a happy, new song forever as they happily live there. When asked what the title of that new song is, they say, "The Roaring of the Waves in the Azure Sea." They carefully explain, "When the choir of the 144,000 sing the new song, innumerable sea gull 'angels' will especially fly here to dance together and a countless number of waters will join in to sing as one grand choir. All through the day, large numbers of cloud 'audiences' will gather to watch with a smile, and all night long, the moon and innumerable stars will gather around to listen devotedly with joy." Someone else draws near and whispers, "This homeland, the ocean of the new heavens and earth is filled with infinite jewels of every kind and rare, precious treasures."
  Upon hearing this, the waters that have finished their travels shout in unison, "Wow! How exciting!" All through the night, they repeatedly sing songs of gratitude and praise to the grateful God who led them from the high mountains to this place.

   True Baptism
 Water possesses the most beautiful, humble, and modest heart among all creation in the world. When Jesus was thirty years old and at the closing years of His life, He went under the water, or lower than water, and then came out (baptism). The heavenly Father, whose entity is humility and who loves those who possess a humble heart the most, immediately appeared to Jesus in inexpressible gladness and joy and exclaimed, "Truly, [You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.] Likewise, our heavenly Daddy joyfully says, [You are My beloved son (daughter); in You I am well pleased,] to His children today who possess a humble heart, who go down lower than the humble water. This is the purpose of true baptism and the ceremony that makes us holy citizens of the new world.
  Contemporary Christians try to follow the example of Jesus, and they indiscriminately baptize people by immersing them in water. However, if that baptism does not move both the one who baptizes and the one being baptized to empty their hearts and have humble, modest hearts that are lower than water, like God and Jesus, then that baptism is a false, meaningless act, a mere formality.
  Jesus, who perfectly resembled our heavenly Father, said, "[Unless one is born of water...he cannot enter the kingdom of God (the new world).]" (John 3:5) This does not mean that simply entering the water and then coming out of it will save a person. It means that we will not be able to see the new world unless we possess a humble mind and character like water, the lowest of all creation. Every baptism that is not based on humility and is performed as a formality or carried out as some annual religious function, or held just to increase church membership will be recorded in heaven as the capital sin of cursing and defiling the holy names of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Those who recklessly call the names of the most holy Three Gods will be culpable in the eyes of Heaven.
  "The vows which we take upon ourselves in baptism embrace much. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit we are buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection, and we are to live a new life. Our life is to be bound up with the life of Christ. Henceforth the believer is to bear in mind that he is dedicated to (the humble) God, the Christ, and the Holy Spirit."
  Baptism by immersion is making the following vow before God: "I will be a son (daughter) who, like water, humbly obeys my heavenly Father."
  "Baptism is a most solemn renunciation of the world. Those who are baptized in the threefold name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, at the very entrance of their Christian life declare publicly that they have forsaken the (proud) service of Satan and have become (humble) members of the royal family, children of the heavenly King."
  "You must see your own death through the death of Christ.... Know that you end a sinful life and begin a sinless, new life through faith (baptism)."
  "How deep is the meaning of this ceremony! It symbolizes the great truth of Christianity and the dual effect upon the believers who accepts it. First, the reformed man sees and symbolically reenacts the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. A life of sin becomes a life of righteousness. Yet, the purifying characteristics of baptism call for the purification through the blood (death) of Christ in the heart. Next, he will realize that he is not the person that he was in the past but 'a new creation in Jesus,' who lives a 'new life' through the power of God (the heavenly Father) who raised Christ from the dead.
  Baptism symbolizes the greatest change in a person's life, [for as many...as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ (with humble heart).] (Gal. 3:27) Baptized souls become holy citizens of the new world. They have already died (self-denial) and have nothing to do with the sinful habits of the past. The Bible states that they are resurrected into a new life of communing with heaven once they are dead to sin. A 'tomb of water' (baptism) lies between his past (and present) life."
  "Baptism is a vow before heaven as an outward show of a greatly changed life for all to witness. Therefore, it is very important not to baptize too hastily, for it is not something to be chosen today and forsaken tomorrow."
  "It is the grace of Christ that gives life to the soul. Apart from (the heart and character of) Christ, baptism, like any other service, is a worthless form. He that does not (follow and) obey the Son of God will not see eternal life (in the new world)."
  Baptism "demands that reformed people perfectly follow the footsteps (live a selfless life) of its Founder, Christ. Only then can they be called Christians and enter a true baptismal ceremony."
  All baptisms that are not reciprocated with a humble, selfless character and Christ-like life and end as a mere formality are false. They are abominable sins.
  Unless we all become like the humble water, go lower than water, and be [born of water,] we [cannot enter the kingdom] of Christ and [God (Real Daddy)] (John 3:5) who are humble.
  The entire Bible focuses on the coming of the Helper, the Holy Spirit in the last days who will literally fulfill "heaven" in our hearts and souls so that we may enter the eternal, new world.

  You Also Be Water
  Many people who are ignorant about heaven, the new heavens and the new earth, say that we go up to heaven. However, no one who tries to go up to heaven will be able to enter. Only those who go down will reach the new heavens and the new earth, the new world. Neither those who try to ascend in front of others nor those who say, "No other denomination but ours will go to heaven," will enter heaven. Heaven--the new heavens and the new earth--the new world, is a place only those who continue to yield to others, who descend to lower places in modesty and humility like water, can enter.
  Though Jesus said, "[Narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it,]" (Mat. 7:14) I would like to tell my beloved brothers and sisters today that the road of life is very wide and easy.
  Jesus said that few would find the narrow and difficult road to life because He did not see anyone humble like water among those who were listening to His sermon in that age; He only saw pride and arrogance in their hearts. He said, "As for you, the way to life is narrow and difficult to enter." However, the lower humble people descend, the wider, smoother, and easier the way to life becomes.
   The waters that traveled for so many days to reach their homeland, the new heavens and the new earth, attain a state of selflessness. As their humility is perfected even in that place, they become invisible water vapors. Every day, billions of tons of water joyfully ascend to heaven apart from the world. They also become saviors who supply all creation in the world with fresh water (life) while traveling through the skies. In the same way, when we continue to humble ourselves like water and become saints who have perfected our humility, that is, attained a state selflessness--become "invisible" like vapor--we will enter and live in the new heavens and the new earth, the new world God prepared. We will live forever and travel freely from star to star around the whole universe. The true purpose and vow of a sacred baptism is to help us pass through the "door" of such a holy state.
  Blessed are those who, like water, constantly follow the road to their homeland with a humble heart. From this world to the new world, Real Daddy's eternal love and grace will be with those whose hearts, like Jesus, have descended to a position lower than water.
  In our generation, there are those who [came up immediately from the water;] [behold, the heavens were opened,] and they heard [a voice (that) came from heaven which said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."] (Mat. 3:16, Luke 3:22) Their hearts have become water. They live a humble, selfless life of humbly flowing under the world and their brethren. Real Daddy's love, reward, and grace will be with them forever and ever.
   [Jesus answered, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.] (John 3:5) Therefore, you must be water, like Me. Then, you will live with Me eternally in My Father's land, the happy new heavens and new earth, the new world."
   No matter how much we try to pick up water, we cannot grab it. Unlike people, it does not stab or hurt anyone. It becomes perfectly selfless vapor and ascends to heaven. I hope that by casting aside all the greed and selfishness in our lives and becoming selfless, we will all become members of the "water family" who fly to the new heavens and new earth, the happy new world, like Jesus.



The Ocean Smiles

The ocean smiles.
It smiles in pleasant weather
And in poor weather.
It smiles when it rains,
When it snows,
And even when it is windy.

The ocean smiles when people fight,
And when they dance.
The ocean smiles when nations are at war
And when they are at peace.

The heart of the ocean is wide.
The heart of the ocean is deep.
That is why the ocean can forgive all things,
Love all things, and just smile.

All the beautiful brethren of our country, the new world,
Are beautiful, holy water,

Citizens whose hearts are like the ocean.

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