Passage

Romans 12: 2
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect."

Introduction

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
This is the celebration service of the 26th anniversary of Manmin Central Church and also the 3rd anniversary celebration of GCN. Let us give all thanks and glory to God who has been with us until today.

I give heartfelt thanks to all the guests from both within the country and our guests from nations world-wide who have come to celebrate together, and I welcome you all in the name of the Lord. I also welcome the relatives of our church members and invitees from the depth of my heart.


I give my thanks to pastors, missionaries, full time workers, and members of Manmin who have been dedicating themselves for the kingdom of God and also to Mr. Nestor Colombo the president of GCN and the workers of GCN.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests, when Manmin Central Church first opened its doors, I had only 7,000 won, which is about 7 dollars.

When we had the first service with 9 adults and 4 children in a sanctuary of about 33 square meters, we didn't have the pulpit, microphone, choir, or anything. But we had spiritual faith to believe in the almighty God. We also had the dream and vision given by God.

It was to preach the providence of salvation of the cross to all peoples of the world like the waters that cover the sea. The other providence is to construct the most beautiful Grand Sanctuary to declare the glory of the Creator God all throughout the earth. These dreams became clearer and clearer as the days went by, and God has been opening the ways to fulfill them.

Now we have more than 8,000 branch churches and more than 2 million church members around the globe.

Also, for broadcasting ministry, God gave us Manmin TV and GCN.

In pre-dominantly Islam or Hindu countries where it's difficult to preach the gospel, or in Europe which is thirsty for the works of the Holy Spirit, and in Africa that is in desperate need of God's grace, and at the end of earth, Israel, so many people experience God's works and send their testimonies.

But Manmin Central Church and GCN will not be satisfied with what we have accomplished, but we will broaden our areas even more.

Until the Lord comes back again, we will spread the Word of God and Power of God to guide countless souls to God. It's because this is the will of God.

And there is a condition to meet to fulfill the will of God. Like the today's message title, we have to become good children.

Those Christians who really love God have to cast away sins and evil from their heart. This is the desire for God for all Christians around the world. When I meet with pastors and church leaders from other countries, they often ask me the following questions:

"How could you make your church grow up so much?" "How can we perform such power of God?" "How can we receive spiritual and material blessings?"

The simple answer for that is, "Become a good child of God."

When one becomes such a child, God rejoices over him so much.

And when such a child asks anything, God answers and gives abundant blessings spiritually and materially.

And through these good children the kingdom of God can be enlarged ever more greatly.

God's kingdom cannot be accomplished with the ways and wisdom of the world.

It can be accomplished through spiritual authority and power.

When pastors become good children, they can receive the power of God and the church growth will be very easy. I hope all of you here will become good children who resemble God.

I pray in the name of the Lord that the grace of God that has been with our church for last 26 years will also be overflowing in your lives.

Main

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, the good children that God wants, first of all, are those who do not have fleshly thoughts.

Romans 8:6-7 says, "For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so." Put more simply, fleshly thoughts are all the evil thoughts that are contrary to the Truth of God.

For example, you are envious of another brother and wishes that something will go wrong with him.

This is obviously thoughts of untruth, and fleshly thoughts. Also, being disappointed, having resentment, and feeling like you want to give up your God-given duty are all fleshly thoughts.

If you have doubt thinking, "Will God really work?" it's also fleshly thought.

Those who have spiritual thought will never doubt God until the end.

Those who have spiritual thoughts, When they feel their shortcomings and feelings of incompetence, they more earnestly ask for God's strength.

Until we have Manmin Central Church of today, for last 26 years, we sometimes had great difficulties.

But I was never dismayed or doubted God. I only had thoughts of faith and confessions of faith.

And God drove away all the hardships according to my thoughts. He gave us blessings through the hardships. That way God let us accomplish the kingdom of God more greatly and received glory.


Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, honored guests, the second aspect of 'good' children of God are those who give comfort to other people's hearts.

And to do this, we must have generous and broad heart and treat others with good and gentle heart.

We have to care for others in everything.

This is the heart of the Lord. Don't you feel touched just by remembering the Lord?

Also, when you think of somebody who resembles God, your heart is warmed up and you feel happy.

We have to resemble this Lord.

If you are like this then you will be able to give glory to God with your good deeds as it says in Matthew 5:16.

Then the number of those who are being saved will increase like the Early Church.

The reason why this church could grow up like today is because the members have been trying to resemble the Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests, the third aspect is that good children of God seek the benefit of others.

Most people live seeking their own benefit. They take the merit to themselves and put the blame on others.

But God's children shouldn't do that. We have to live for others seeking their benefit.

If you seek others' benefit this way, God Himself will seek your benefit.

Since the opening of the church, I have always given glory to God for all the good things that took place. Next, I gave thanks to the people who worked together.

When there was a problem, I repented with tears before God saying, "God, it's all my fault. I taught them wrong and I didn't care for them enough."

Even when I couldn't rest or eat properly for the gospel of the Lord and for the souls, I gave thanks. Even when I suffered for no reason and sacrificed myself, I was rather happy.

This church also helped other churches in need, even when our church was small right after the opening. When there were events of church associations, we cooperated in spirit and body.

To accomplish world evangelism is not for our own benefit.

We want all peoples to experience the grace of God and receive salvation, and we evangelize them with our money and effort.

Then, countless souls were saved and this church received revival and blessings.

Conclusion

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests, our church has been trying our best to fulfill the will of God.

Just in the main church thousands of members gather every night to pray for two or three hours.

We prayed to become good children of God and for the 6 billion people of the world, and tried our best to preach the gospel.

Then, God worked for us and established and let us bear many fruits.

We began with 13 members, but now we established a great denomination of 8,000 churches worldwide.

He gave us many affiliated organizations to include a kindergarten school, a publishing company, the theological seminary, an international seminary, and Manmin TV.

We also have many bishops and presidents of pastors' associations among the students of Manmin International Seminary. They volunteered as students to learn the gospel of holiness in more depth.

Above all, as the time went by, God has showed us greater and greater works of His power.

Since the opening of the church, the blind came to see, the deaf and mute came to hear and speak, and the lame came to walk.
Especially from the year 2000 to 2006, we had twelve mega size crusades in many other countries.

Whenever we had crusades in other countries, hundreds of thousands or even millions of people gathered.

Even at the Marina Beach of Chennai, India where a total of three million people gathered, and at Manhattan Madison Square Garden in New York City, which is a major cultural and economic center of the United States, these powerful works of God took place in the same way.

In Europe, Asia, and many African countries, and wherever we stepped on in the world, God manifested the same fiery works of the Holy Spirit.

And these powerful works of God are also medically and scientifically verified through the ministry of WCDN World Christian Doctors Network.

Many medical doctors and medical staff from more than 40 countries have become members and they prove the works of God's power scientifically.

All these works of the Holy Spirit are also spread to each corner of the world through broadcasting.

GCN is playing a very important role. Through broadcasting, many people who were thirsty for God's grace tasted the gospel of holiness and powerful works of God. They also experienced the works of the Holy Spirit. When they listened to the message and received prayer through the broadcasts, they received healing of their diseases or physical disabilities, and also received answers to life's problems.

Every week, whenever they send their testimonies from all over the world through regular mail, email, or fax, I am so thankful for God's mercy.

We have received requests from more than 100 countries to conduct a crusade in their nations, but we are not in a situation to respond to all of them.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and honored guests, we have been marching on without rest for the glory of God.

But the things that we have to achieve from now are much greater than all the things that we have done up until this time.

For this we need more workers.

I hope many of you will come forth as workers who are used for the noble purpose of God's kingdom.

I also ask you to always remember our church in your prayers.

In order to meet your expectations of love for us, we will become a church to rise and shine to give glory to God greatly.

I pray in the name of the Lord that, when we later enjoy the glory and rewards in heavenly kingdom, we will all be able to share the joy together with all of you.

Let us give all thanks and glory to God once again for He has received glory through us until now, and for even more glory that He will receive through us together in the days to come.[end]