Glory (2)
[Passage]
[Haggai 2: 9]
'"The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts."
[Introduction]
Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and guests, let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who established and has been guiding this church for the last 34 years.
I give thanks to all the guests who have come to celebrate this joyous day. I welcome all of you who are here in this blessed place.
I give thanks to all the pastors, workers, and members who have been with Manmin since the opening.
I hope all those who are attending the service on GCN TV and Internet all over the country and all over the world will receive same blessings as in here.
I pray in the name of the Lord that you will have a happy and joyful day, giving glory to God to the fullest degree, in the grace and love of God who is with our church today.
[Main]
Dear brothers and sisters, and guests,
We can divide the history of our church into three phases. The 1st phase is from 1982 to 1999; the second is from 2000 to 2010, and from 2010 is the 3rd phase, and especially from 2016, we say it is the full-scale 3rd stage of take-off. Continuing from this past Friday all-night service, now let us delve into the glory of the 90's.
Romans 5:4 says that proven character brings about hope. In the 90's, I went through great trial as a pastor, but it fulfilled the conditions to have great hope. It is that I was dismissed of my pastorship from my denomination.
This church was growing up rapidly and it was becoming the biggest church in the denomination. Some pastors were jealous and wrongfully accused me and this church. Finally they decided to dismiss me, but the council that decided didn't even have the proper number of council members to do it.
1 Peter 2:19 says, "For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly." As said, God caused all things to work together for good. He revealed His glory in a different dimension than before through me and this church. It is that He let us establish a new denomination so we could freely preach the will of God without unjust hindrances from anybody.
On July 1, 1991, we established "The United Holiness Church of Jesus Christ" and came to preach 'The Fivefold Gospel'. Also, as an individual I passed the great test, God allowed even greater power. Our enemy devil and Satan had instigated evil people to destroy me and our church, but we were innocent in the eyes of God. So, the final outcome was that we gave glory to God.
For the next 7 years since that time, from 1992 to 1998, I and the church staff were very busy. We held many Christian events in our church. The Nissi Orchestra, choir, choruses, dancing teams, soloists, ushers and voluntary workers of our church served in various Christian events held in other places. Many famous pastors of other churches used to say it's difficult to hold an event without Manmin church.
For example, in August 1992, the "World Holy Spirit Movement Crusade" was held at Youido Square. The estimated number of attendants was 1 million. I took part as one of the executive officials. Our church provided Nissi Orchestra and 200 choir members for praises and more than 400 volunteers for traffic control and security.
Other than that, I supported various Christian events whenever I received a request. And year after year, there were more requests for support, and the praise teams became very busy.
From 1993 to 1996, I was invited to meetings of Koreans living in the United States. In 1993, I went to Washing D.C. in August and to LA in September to speak for revival meetings. In '94, I went to Washing D.C and Baltimore. I was invited to LA once again in '95.
In February '96, I delivered messages for a crusade and pastors' seminar for Koreans in Hawaii. The churches there had many conflicts between the pastors and church members. As for the church where the meeting was held, many members had left due to dissension and only 30 or so members remained. At first, the members were opposed to hosting the meeting in their church.
But after the first session was over, the members were blessed, and their attitude changed completely, saying they wanted to treat me and bring to me various things. After all the meetings were over, the pastor confessed with tears saying, "This church is having these problems because of my arrogance. It's all my fault." The pastors put all the blame on themselves and the church members also changed.
I spoke for two pastors' seminars during my visit at that time, and I gave them confidence. After the seminar, an elderly pastor confessed with tears, "It's not the members' fault but my fault. I was evil." Another pastor humbly said, "I thought of myself as a spiritual teacher, but I will learn everything from the start again."
Such changes of pastors also took place in Argentina, in July 1996. I spoke for a pastors' seminar with the title, "Secret of Church Growth." The organizers expected about 300 attendees, but more than a thousand people gathered, and they had to move the location to the biggest local church. The pastors asked for more messages, so the seminar that started at 10 continued skipping lunch. I could finish the message only after I promised I would come back the next year. As I promised, I led pastors' seminar in Argentina once again in October 1997. The total attendance was more than 8,000.
In the 90's, the gate of evangelism in Africa and Japan opened to us, too. In July '94, I spoke for a church leaders' seminar in Tanzania. God showed many wonders during this seminar. When our delegation arrived in Tanzania, the pastors said, "Pastor, it's very strange. We don't usually have any rain in this time of the year, but just before you arrived, it continued to rain and now the weather is very cool and there is no air pollution!"
After the seminar, I visited a Maasai village and delivered the gospel to them as well. Dr. Myong Ho Chung interpreted into English, and he was sent as a missionary to Africa the next year. Since then, he has been spreading the gospel and awakening African souls all over Africa. Now, abundant fruits have been borne. This year, 869 churches joined us as branch churches, and now, we have more than 5,000 branch and associative churches in Africa.
In January 1994, we sent our first missionary to Japan. In November the same year, I led a crusade in Ida, and in 1996, I led a crusade in Shinshu. In every crusade, we gave glory to God through many signs and wonders. The missionary works in Japan continued and now we have 12 branch churches from Okinawa, the southernmost part to Hokkaido, the northernmost part.
In the '90's, we did active missionary works through broadcasting, too. My sermons began to be broadcast by various stations ? in "Good news from a distant place" of Far East Asia Radio from March 1990, by Washington Korea Radio from August 1990, by Busan Christian Radio from December 1992, by Ee Ri Christian Radio from November 1993, by Chungjoo Christian Radio from February 1994, and by Washington Christian Radio Station from May 1994. The broadcasting hours increased every year until it reached 900 minutes per week. It was actually record-breaking to broadcast so many sermons.
Also, some of Christian radio shows of Far East Broadcasting Company and Christian Broadcasting Station were recorded in our church. A special open radio show "Renew Us" for the 40th anniversary of Christian Broadcasting Station was recorded in our church on December 8, 1994. Far East Broadcasting Company recorded a special open radio show, "Our church, good church" in our church on December 10, 1995.
While we were very busy with domestic and overseas evangelism, we held 2-week special revival meeting in May every year. We started it in 1993, and we had it for 12 consecutive years until 2004. On May 5, 1993, I was moved in my heart during the prayer for the sick in the evening session, and I prayed for the infertile couples for the blessing of conception. And so many couples that couldn't have a child came to give birth around the same time next year.
Fiery works of the Holy Spirit took place every year in the revival meetings and glorified God greatly. Those whose bodies were completely broken due to traffic accidents became normal. A premature baby weighing only 1.2 kg and having so many problems in the body was healed and grew up healthily.
One year there was a person who had just had a stroke and was unconscious. He was brought on a stretcher, and he regained consciousness and a new life through prayer. We cannot mention all the amazing works of power that took place every year. And you believers here are witnesses to those miraculous works of God. Let us give all thanks and glory to God the Father who has shown us unceasing power.
[Conclusion]
Dear brothers and sisters, and guests,
We've been diligently working since the establishment of the denomination in '91. Then, we went into a new phase through the 3 tests in '98 and '99. Daniel was thrown into lion's den and his three friends into a fiery furnace but they did not die. Because they didn't have any sin, there was a great turn of events and God's glory was revealed.
Yes, our church surely suffered because of the 3 tests, but because it's a church built on upon a rock by God, we never collapsed. Those hardships became the foundation for the glory of God that was going to be revealed from 2000. Many times I was reminded of the sufferings of the Lord on the cross while I was going through those 3 tests.
Even in the excruciating pain, Jesus interceded for those who were nailing Him on the cross. And I am thankful that I could follow His example. As for those who forsook the grace and tried to destroy the church, I did not hate them but only had pity on them. I just prayed with tears that none of them would fall into destruction but repent and receive salvation.
I did not pay back evil with evil but only with goodness and love. This filled up measure of justice and a different level of glory began to be revealed through this church from 2000.
Dear brothers and sisters, and guests,
Now I will talk about how we Manmin have been glorifying God in the 2nd phase, from 2000 to 2010. Through the message, I hope we will give glory to God the Father and inscribe on our heart the dream and vision for the future of Manmin once again.
The year 2000 is a year worthy to be commemorated for Manmin. It began with the miracle of bitter, salty sea water changing into sweet, drinkable water in Muan, and it's the year the explosive works of power began to go out to the whole world.
Right from the start, I did not care about the reality, but I just obeyed God whenever God commanded me to go to a certain country. We had the first united crusade in Uganda, Africa. But the preparations were not easy in the reality. It's because of the disturbances by Korean missionaries. Seeing this, I was heart-broken as I was reminded that it was the same race, the Jews, who were the ones that disturbed the ministry of Paul the most.
But that does not mean a crusade conducted in the will and providence of God would be stopped just because people's hindrances were severe. The great turn of events began to take place from the moment I set foot in Uganda. Many ministers came and greeted me at the airport, and God especially moved the Minister of Justice to help me from beginning to end.
He attended the crusade and witnessed the powerful works of God. He was not just amazed and touched; he came to my hotel room to receive my prayer. And God had prepared a woman pastor. God sent her from the United States to Uganda to prepare the way for me. She had seen me in her dream in 1993, and she was astonished when she see saw the wall-posters of the crusade 7 years later. She realized I was the one whom she had seen in her dream. So, she spread to others that I was a man of God.
Along with explosive works of divine healing, the crusade was also introduced to all over the world on CNN. Especially, there were many AIDS patients in Uganda, and many of them were healed to glorify God.
In the same year, we had a crusade in Nagoya, Japan. It was like a preparation process for the next crusade in Pakistan. And yet, God healed so many deaf and mute people to reveal how great the power had become, and how greatly those works of power would be manifested in the future.
In the crusade held in predominantly Islamic Pakistan, we had another turn of events by overcoming the hindrances of the Muslims. We can see how great the aftermath of the crusade was through the ministry of Pastor Taeshik Gil, who is now conducting a ministry in Pakistan.
Many Pakistanis remember the crusade held 16 years ago, and they eagerly want me to come to them once again. We also have been doing TV ministry there through Isaac TV. It is also bearing great fruits. The Pakistan crusade could be considered a historical event that strengthened Christianity in Pakistan, along with tremendous divine healing works.
In 2001, we had a crusade in Kenya, which let many Africans remember my name and the name of Manmin. The Uhuru Park, the crusade venue, was packed with people it was a great scene to watch. 8,500 people signed up for the pastors' seminar, which was many more than expected. On the day before the crusade, the local TV broadcast a special program to introduce my crusades in Uganda and Pakistan for 30 minutes. This brought 300,000 attendees, which was the biggest crowd assembled in Kenya's Christianity.
The Kenya crusade made my name known not just in Kenya but also in many other African countries. This became a stepping stone for Rev. Myong Ho Chung, our missionary to Kenya, to begin his ministry there. We also held a crusade in the Philippines in 2001. During our crusade in Philippines, there were two typhoons, but God drove them away through my prayer. Although it was the rainy season, God controlled the weather conditions so we had no problem. It was raining hard with thunder and lightning, but the meeting place itself had no rain at all. The drivers, guides, and even the local press said it was very unusual weather.
There many signs and wonders too. As soon as I mentioned 'rainbow' in the message, God showed us a circular rainbow around the moon. There were also many kinds of rainbows that God showed. A man who was almost dead was brought back to life through prayer. Numerous diseases and infirmities were healed by the Most High Power of Creation.
From this crusade, the level of my power was completely changed. It's because God gave me another level of spiritual authority from that time. 90% of the Filipinos are Roman Catholics. They say they believe in Jesus Christ, but in their actual lives they worship people including the Virgin Mary, which is a wrong practice of Christian faith.
And I boldly proclaimed the truth to such people to let them understand the incorrectness of their religious practice. Knowing this very well, the enemy devil and Satan employed many ways to disturb our crusade. But before the power of God, the pastors who were interfering with our crusade hid themselves, and at the farewell party, the local pastors apologized to me on their knees on their behalf. Before the power of God, the schemes of the devil will fall and the glory of God is revealed.
In 2002, we held a crusade in Honduras, which was described as 'Hurricane Jesus' by the press. The explosive works in signs and wonders increased all the time, and especially, this crusade was like a gateway to send me to Latin America. One of the major dailies of Honduras had pictures of me and the Pope side by side, and it was such a great contrast. In the photo I was preaching with a title that said, "Jesus Christ Heals Today," but the Pope was not in good health, with somebody helping him at his side. It was like foreshadow of the ministry of the end time that God would reveal through me in Latin America where majority of people are Roman Catholics.