How a 17 Year Old Boy Changed His Heart

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Testimony

“WHY WEREN’T YOU ABLE TO CONTROL YOURSELF?”

One day, a seventeen-year-old boy and his parents visited my office. His worried mother said that her son was being led by Satan to be wild and to live a violent life breaking windows. Recently, he pricked the eye of a girl who was passing by with a gimlet. Fortunately, the victim avoided the tragedy of going blind, since he pricked the bottom of the eye and not the eyeball. But the victim still suffered many hardships.

When I looked at him, he was just a handsome, good and innocent student. ‘That precious student is being led by Satan, who stole his heart.”

“Please,” I said to his mother. “Don’t scold your son, too much. Do you really know how much he regrets pricking that girl’s eye and gets tormented by it? He did it because he couldn’t control his heart.”

As I spoke, the student’s heart opened so much that he was able to listen.

“Well, you didn’t like what you did,” I said. “You didn’t want to do it. So why weren’t you able to control yourself?”

He completely agreed with this and was pleased that I acknowledged his heart. I calmly continued speaking with him.

“It’s not you who did it. Satan, in you, is dragging you. It’s because you are led by Satan. In a power game, a weak person can’t help but to be dragged when a strong person pulls him. How can you overcome Satan? So, even though you didn’t like it, you did it according to his command, as you were dragged.”

His heart was completely open.

“We can never overcome Satan. You can’t. I can’t. There is only one who can defeat Satan, and that’s Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can defeat Satan. So when Jesus enters into your heart, you can overcome Satan any number of times, and live with a blessed and bright heart, as you are no longer dragged by Satan.”

He received this in his heart.

“Do you know how to receive Jesus into your heart? Do you want me to explain it to you?

He was so pleased that he wanted to listen further.

“The Bible talks about the heart of Jesus, so receiving Jesus into your heart means that Jesus and I become one heart. When Jesus said to the man with infirmity for 38 years, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” the man thought he was not able to walk because he had been sick for 38 years. But when he listened to the word of Jesus, he realized, ‘What good have I gained by listening to my own thoughts? None! So why not listen to Him? If He says I can walk, then I can walk. With his heart, I can do it.’ The man stood with the heart of Jesus and God was able to work, amazingly. Once you receive the word of Jesus into your heart, you have one heart with Jesus. From that moment on, Jesus will live and work in your heart.”

HIS HEART BECOMES ONE WITH JESUS’ HEART

Step by step, I talked about the heart of Jesus. Then, I told the story of how Jesus washed away our sins.

“We think we are sinners because we commit sin, but let’s find out what Jesus says.”

I opened to Hebrews 10:10.

“Here it says, ‘By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’ Is that right? You think that you are crazy and evil, right? But the Bible says that you are sanctified. Now, here, please read 1 Corinthians 6:11. ‘And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ The Bible says that we are washed, sanctified, and justified. But we think that we are dirty. At this point, our hearts are different from Jesus’ heart.

God tells us that our sins were washed because Jesus carried and received all punishment for our sins, when He died on the cross. God says that we were washed but many people consciously think, ‘No, I have a lot of sin. I am evil.’

But God says that He will not remember our sins, that we are justified and sanctified, and our sins were washed. Your thought is not important but God’s word is important. God says you were sanctified. When all of your sins were washed, you became righteous. You feel like you are a sinner, right? That is natural. But the important thing is whether you believe in your thoughts or the word of God. The issue is whether your thought is right or the word of God.”

Amazingly, he received the word as it was written and became one heart with Jesus. He believed that all his sins were washed and he became sanctified like the word of Jesus.

NOW JESUS IS IN HIS HEART

Step by step, I talked about the heart of Jesus. Then, I told the story of how Jesus washed away our sins.

“We think we are sinners because we commit sin, but let’s find out what Jesus says.”

I opened to Hebrews 10:10.

“Here it says, ‘By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.’ Is that right? You think that you are crazy and evil, right? But the Bible says that you are sanctified. Now, here, please read 1 Corinthians 6:11. ‘And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.’ The Bible says that we are washed, sanctified, and justified. But we think that we are dirty. At this point, our hearts are different from Jesus’ heart.

God tells us that our sins were washed because Jesus carried and received all punishment for our sins, when He died on the cross. God says that we were washed but many people consciously think, ‘No, I have a lot of sin. I am evil.’ But God says that He will not remember our sins, that we are justified and sanctified, and our sins were washed. Your thought is not important but God’s word is important. God says you were sanctified. When all of your sins were washed, you became righteous. You feel like you are a sinner, right? That is natural. But the important thing is whether you believe in your thoughts or the word of God. The issue is whether your thought is right or the word of God.”

Amazingly, he received the word as it was written and became one heart with Jesus. He believed that all his sins were washed and he became sanctified like the word of Jesus.

Jan. 25th, 2015 Pastor Ock Soo Park’s Sunday Sermon

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Sunday Sermon in Good News Gang Nam Church

If you accept the Word of God into your heart...

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Sermon

The nobleman that believed the Word, “Thy son liveth”…

A nobleman believed that Jesus was the king of kings so he had the heart, “I just need to accept the Word of Jesus! The king I serve is the king of this land. If he commands something to be done, someone has to work to fulfill those words. But because Jesus is the king of all kings, once you accept his Word, the work is accomplished automatically!’

In the same way that he acknowledged the king because he was his servant, he acknowledged Jesus as king of all kings and accepted and believed the Word, “Thy son liveth.”

WHEN GOD SAID, “THY SON LIVETH…”
In John 4:46 Jesus went to Cana of Galilee. There was a nobleman there whose son was sick in Capernaum. He went to Jesus and pleaded, “Come down and heal my son.” Jesus said, “Thy son liveth.” He believed the Word of Jesus as it was and as he went back, his servants met him along the way and told him that his son was healed. He asked them when he was healed and the servants replied, “Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him.” He was healed at the exact moment when Jesus said, “Thy son liveth.”

JUST AS ALL ELECTRIC DEVICES ARE MADE TO WORK WHEN CONNECTED TO ELECTRICITY
When God made man, He also made his heart. There are many reasons why He made the heart. One is so that He can work once we accept His Word into our heart.

Washing machines are made so that if electricity is supplied to the motor, it turns the belt that spins the tub at a high rate of speed, which in turn loosens and separates the dirt from the laundry to be washed away. Washers can’t run without electricity; and if someone tries to run it with his own manpower, it will be too hard. However, if the washer is connected to electricity, the motor starts and the washer runs automatically. It washes away the dirt and wrings out the water.

Washing machines aren’t the only things that work that way. Televisions, refrigerators and air conditioners all rely on electricity to work. If there’s no electricity, no matter how good of a washer or refrigerator it is, it won’t work. As they are connected to electricity, the TV will display images, the washer will wash, and the air conditioner will blow cold air.

Just as all electrical devices are made to work with electricity, God made man so that when we accept His Word, He amazingly works.

“Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.”
What Jesus was trying to say was,
“Don’t look for signs and wonders, just believe my Word; then my Word will enter and work.”

Those who do not have God’s Word in their heart are led by thoughts from Satan and the desires of their flesh. So they try to please God by doing good deeds yet they are unable to because their fleshly desires lead them. But, when we accept the Word of God into our heart, the Word works inside of us and creates a heart that we didn’t have before.

BECAUSE JESUS IS THE KING OF ALL KINGS, ONCE I ACCEPT THE WORD, IT WORKS ON ITS OWN!
How sad the nobleman must have felt when his son was dying! Because he was a servant to the king, he had power and position but it was of no use in healing his son. Even though He was a servant to the king, he had to go to Jesus to plead with him to spare his son’s life. Jesus said, “Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe.” What Jesus was trying to say was, “Don’t look for signs and wonders, just believe my Word; then my Word will enter and work.”

The nobleman didn’t resist the words thinking, “I am a powerful servant of the king; I know my son is sick but isn’t Jesus being unreasonable?’ Instead, he had the heart, “All this time, I have believed in signs and wonders, but Jesus doesn’t want me to look to those things. He just wants me to believe the Word!” So, when Jesus said, “Thy son liveth!” he believed the Word as it was. A king’s servant doesn’t work according to his own will. It is the king who makes all the decisions regarding the matters of the kingdom. The servant reported situations to the king and inquired of his will. When the king considered all the reports and made a decision, the servant worked in accordance to that decision.

The nobleman believed that Jesus was the king of all kings so he had the heart, “I just need to accept the Word of Jesus! The king that I serve is king of this land. If he commands something to be done, someone has to work to fulfill those words. But because Jesus is the king of all kings, once you accept his Word, the work is accomplished automatically!’

In the same way that he acknowledged the king because he was his servant, he acknowledged Jesus as the king of all kings and accepted and believed the Word, “Thy son liveth.”

WHEN WE ACCEPT THE WORD, GOD’S POWER APPEARS IN US
The nobleman heard Jesus’ words and believed that his son lived. While he was going back home, his servants met him on the way and told him that his son was healed. When he asked them when he began to heal, the servants answered, “at the seventh hour the fever left him.” The nobleman realized, ‘It was the same hour when Jesus said, “thy son liveth”!’ and had even greater faith in the Lord. It was not that the nobleman prayed hard or poured his heart that his son was healed; he simply accepted the Word of Jesus into his heart.

For a washing machine to work, it’s not important to find a good place to put it. It’s doesn’t matter if you make it lighter or put oil on the motor to make it run smoothly. If you connect the washer to electricity the electricity will power the motor and the motor will run the washer. And of course the laundry will be done.

When we accept the Word of God into hour hearts with faith, the very same power that is in God’s appears in us. Satan is very afraid of that.

What Satan fears the most is for us to believe the Word of God. When we accept the Word of God into hour hearts with faith, the very same power that is in God’s appears in us. Satan is very afraid of that. So Satan uses all measures at his disposal to remind us of the many the things we’ve experienced and the things we know, so we won’t accept the Word of God with faith. Because all this time we lived with our own methods rather than believing in God, we have our experience and knowledge that tell us, “for this we have to do it like this, and for that we have do it like that.” That’s why it’s very fearful and burdensome to follow a way that’s different from what we’re used to.

However, people who believe God know that whatever we did until now according to our experience and methods is evil so we have to beware of those things. We must know precisely that if we follow our methods and experience then we will be destroyed and so we must throw them away. Once we throw away our methods and experience, then we get to accept the Word of God and God works inside of us.

THE LIGHT THAT CAST OUT THE DARKNESS AND MADE THE WORLD BRIGHT

Even though the man with an infirmity for 38-years clearly knew that he couldn’t rise and walk, when Jesus said, “Rise, take up thy bed and walk,” a fight arose between his thought and Jesus’ Word. When he cast out the thoughts that he believed in for a long time, the Word of Jesus entered into his heart. It’s like Genesis 1, after darkness was upon the earth for thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of years. But when the Word of God entered, light came upon the earth, cast out all the darkness and made the world bright. Through the light, flowers bloomed on trees, fruits came forth and the earth changed beautifully. The Word of God itself is the light. Once we accept the Word of God, the darkness in our heart disappears and God works.

Temptation, disappointment, despair; all these things are fruits of darkness. They appear in people who are in darkness and drag their hearts. But if God’s Word enters, because the Word is light, despair, temptation and darkness go away and it brings peace, joy, faith and hope in us to bring forth fruits that are of God.

WE ARE JUST LIKE THE MAN WITH AN INFIRMITY FOR 38 YEARS AND THE NOBLEMAN
The nobleman was a person like us. The man with an infirmity for 38 years was also a person just like us. God made us the same way He made them. Just as God’s Word entered into the heart of the man with an infirmity and he was able to rise with new strength, and just as the nobleman’s son was healed the moment his father accepted Jesus’ Word, whosoever accepts God’s Word receives great and precious grace and God works in him.

God leads us to accept His Word. Regardless of who we are, once we accept the Word of God, God’s power appears and changes our lives. From then on, we are held by God’s hand and His amazing works are accomplished through us.

A Deputy Secretary of the Department of Youth Whose Heart Is Meek and Humble

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Testimony

IT WAS VERY RARE TO MEET A PERSON LIKE HIM

Visiting many countries to preach the gospel, I meet many people. Especially, when I go to Africa, I meet people such as deputy secretary (vice ministers), ministers, and prime ministers whom I cannot meet easily in Korea. In special cases, I have the chance to preach the gospel to a president. We get to meet these people through events. However, as I preach the gospel to them little by little, they often open their hearts and accept the gospel.

One time, when we held a camp in an African country, the deputy secretary of Youth department came. Looking around the camp, he opened his heart a lot. Sharing a meal and conversation with me, he started to accept the gospel. When I talk about the gospel to government officials, most of them pretend to accept it out of politeness. However, this deputy secretary accepted the gospel very sincerely and received salvation. Whenever I met him, I talked about spiritual matters. In fact, it was rare that I had met someone among the government officials who accepted the Word with sincerity and had a joyful heart in front of the Word.

One day, the vice minister of the youth department visited me and talked about what was in his heart. He said to me, “My youngest son has a serious mental disability. Could you pray for him?” I promised to do that, and the next day he brought his youngest son to the camp. His son had many mental problems so I told him about spiritual life and prayed for him. After that, the deputy secretary was very happy and said, “After you prayed for my son, he became more stable mentally.“ He was very thankful. Upon hearing me saying, “If you bring him to me, whenever I have a chance, I want to preach to him and pray for him,” he left with a grateful heart.

THE DEPUTY SECRETARY DID. SO DID HIS WIFE AND SON

The next time he brought his wife to the camp. I said, ”I have something to tell you. Do you time?” She gladly gave me her time. I explained to her how our sins could be washed away. God gave us his begotten son so that we could come out of sins. Jesus carried our sins, shed his blood, and died on the cross. I told her that His death was not in vain, and all of our sins were forgiven. We became righteous in the eyes of God so that He called us righteous. She listened to the Word and received salvation.

After that time, the vice-minister brought his eldest son. He was a very positive, brilliant young man. On that day, it was difficult to speak to him individually because we had a group meeting. I said to this young man, “I have something to tell you. If you have time, can you visit me tomorrow?” The next day, the vice-minister’s eldest son came to see me by himself. I was so thankful. I preached the gospel to him. Just as the vice-minister accepted the gospel, so did his wife and son. The young man was studying in England so I introduced him to the church in England so that he could go to our church when he returned there.

GOD PREPARED PEOPLE IN EACH COUNTRY THAT WE VISITED

From then on, I could see that the vice minister of the department of youth was helping IYF with his whole heart and working for us. When I look back on that time, his youngest son had brought such difficulty and pain to the vice minister and his wife. However, I could see that God humbled the vice minister’s heart through his son. I could feel that his heart became gentle.

When I preach the Word of God to people, people usually think of their position and status instead of the Word itself. On many occasions people do not accept the Word of God and rather go against it when they have a conflicting thought while listening to the Word. Nevertheless, a humble person has no heart to abandon or refuse the Word of God because his heart is lowered. He has the heart to follow the Word of God and receive the grace of God. On the other hand, the person whose works are going well and better than others pursues their own desires. Therefore, he is influenced by those things, despite listening to the Word of God.

The vice minister provided great help to us as we preached the gospel. When we go to a foreign country and work for the youth facing various kinds of difficulties, I experience how God allows people to help us and work for us. If it were not for them, there would have been a lot of hardships ministering abroad. Wherever we went, God prepared someone like the vice minister in each country. Whenever I notice that these people help us and work for us, I am unceasingly thankful.

THE VICE MINISTER KNELT DOWN NEXT TO ME AND PRAYED

A deputy secretary! I respect him in my heart. I once visited him in his office, and he asked me, “Pastor, could you pray for us? Please pray for our children, for our youth department.” Then I suggested to him, “Sir, let’s pray together!” I knelt down on the office floor and prayed. He also knelt down next to me and prayed. He was so joyful and thankful.

A country’s vice minister of the department of youth is a very highly regarded person. It is not easy to meet a person like him. Nonetheless, whenever I went to that country, he visited me and spent time with me. Sometimes, he invited me to his office, prayed, and had fellowship with me. He always remains in my heart among the many government officials that I have met until now.

Although the pain and sorrow that he went through because of his youngest son was so great, I am thankful that the heart of the vice minister became the best heart to receive the grace of God through that. I am so thankful that the vice minister, his wife, and his oldest son, all humbled their hearts in front of God and received salvation. I am still very thankful when I remember the vice minister who helped us so that many things went well for us. I hope God pours abundant blessings and grace unto him. Whenever I think about him, I pray for his youngest son to be healed soon and live a blessed life.

GIVE THANKS TO GOD WHO MADE US PRAISE HIM

I do many things abroad. If I go to one county, I lead a conference or camp for the youth for three to four days. God prepares many people to help us whenever we face big and small difficulties in a foreign country. I am very thankful to God who lets us preach the gospel to many countries around the world and leads many youths to receive salvation in this way. God arranges people and lets them help us whenever we visit a certain country for the gospel. I give thanks to God who allows us to praise Him through this.

Who Is Guiding My Heart?

Testimony

My name is Gary Chafin, elder of the Good News Dallas Church. I have been born again for 9 years. Very recently, God revealed to me at the weekly men’s meeting that I had not been preaching the gospel correctly. I realized how arrogant and evil I was. I could not quit thinking about how little I knew of the Word compared to the Holy Spirit in the pastor.

When the Lord revealed the truth of righteousness to me I was overwhelmed by feeling of joy, happiness and peace. At that moment I cried at my desk. No one can explain that deep feeling and connection with God to someone who hasn’t experienced it. Then I could read the Bible many times over the years. Also the Lord sent me all over the world to different churches to experience His work. How great it was to be around Pastor Ock Soo Park and all of the servants preaching the gospel and seeing God’s work.

My first four years of salvation the Lord allowed me to prosper and I thought that I had very strong faith. For the last six years I was doing prison ministry along with my wife Suzie. But the Lord set His hand upon my prosperity and my business started failing during five of those years; I began to lose faith. Anger set in and I argued with the pastor, saw wrong things with the church, and questioned about decisions made for preaching the gospel. I began to hate going to church.

Three years ago I left the church in an argument with a pastor and stayed away almost a year. But I still went to the prison to preach. This was a tool to lift myself up to God with arrogance. I complained, “I am preaching the Words. Why are You not blessing me with prosperity? This is not fair! As you promised, You have to bless me!”

Satan was dragging me to his world of distrust. I was following him through thoughts, knowing I was, but could not stop. I was deceived. Satan used the Word with the Law and self-righteousness. How can God let me be ashamed and humiliated continually before lawyers, friends and family? I started thinking what a hypocrite I am to preach the gospel and say, “Come to God and my church,” while I was in such turmoil.

Two years ago, when our new pastor got dispatched, I came back to the church. I was still not prospering and had many struggles within the world of my heart. God was revealing many things to me but I could not retain them. I really didn’t focus upon the Word or God’s heart. When pastors came to Dallas for Bible seminars, I counseled with them. I thought I had discovered the key to my spiritual life but nothing changed. I read that I was a wretched man and there was no good in me, but I found that I was holding on to a great deal of goodness about myself.

In the summer of 2011, I was invited to go to Uganda, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania with Pastor Ock Soo Park. I worried about my financial situation. Pastor Mun encouraged me saying how few get this opportunity to be with Pastor Park and see God’s work. I thought, “If I go, maybe God will bless me and lift His hand from these circumstances.” So I decided to go. What a shallow man I am, how self seeking I am!

As difficult circumstances came upon me, I fell more into despair. I thought I would rather leave the church and quit thinking about all this. I wanted to stop running my wife crazy with all my despair and anger.

I prayed, “O Lord, I don’t want to fail, I don’t want to be ashamed. What will people say about my God? People would say how pitiful I am and how shallow my gospel was.” My eyes were shut so I could not see myself. Still, in my arrogance, I thought I can get out of this if I try.

During the 2012 winter retreat, I thought I could bring many business people and others to the retreat. As I worked for this retreat with my skills and ability, I believed that God will lift His hand and allow me to prosper again. As a result, I didn’t do anything after negotiating with the hotel, but I only argued with all the pastors. I was right and they were wrong as they made many mistakes. All I was doing was going against God and His servants. In spite of my foolishness, it was a great success. What a failure I am!

What can I say before God and the saints of the body of Christ? Nothing!

 It has come to my mind that I can trust nothing but God’s Word. One may speculate that it is always good to preach the gospel no matter what is going on. But as I looked back the last 6 years I would testify many times before the church, family, friends, and new acquaintances what I had been doing at the prison. How many souls were saved and how great God was working thru Suzie and me. The prison ministry became my righteous “ticket” to compensation and favor before God, as well the church and servants of God. Self-righteousness was streaming from my heart but I didn’t recognize it. This was not my ministry but the Lord’s ministry. This was the time for me to throw away my evil heart.

What is the conclusion of 9 years in the church? It is hard not to retain goodness in my heart, not seek my own way. I should believe God’s Words and listen to the shepherd that God has placed over me. I should stop looking at circumstances in the world, judging the church and the servants. I can do nothing on my own but all things are possible with God.

What do I know? That Jesus came to save me and impute His righteousness to me for eternal life. I am righteous in God’s eyes. He will finish in me what He started, never leave me or forsake me. He loves me and thinks upon me always. All our spiritual lives are shaped by God, each in very different ways, but for the same reason and direction. This is just my story of how God is working.

These days God is giving me more peace, bringing me closer to the pastor, and letting me see the importance of sharing so that the church becomes of one heart and one mind. I am coming to hate all things about me and this world. Only God is good! My only hope is Jesus. I cannot count the blessings God is bestowing upon me even as I write this article. Bless the saints and servants that preach the gospel around the world and let your grace be forever.

To Change into the Ground Which is in God’s Heart

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Sermon

After God sent the word, the ground which was without form, empty, and dark has become different. Likewise, God has sent the gospel into our hearts. If the word comes into our hearts, we will change, just as the ground changes, and become the person that God had wanted us to be. However, Satan implants a thought of distrust towards God. Once accustomed to these thoughts, even when God’s words try to come into us, we begin to think, “that isn’t right,” and reject it. So God cannot work inside of us.

Change that Ground

When God saw the world, it was “without form and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” For hundreds of thousands of years, although the world was in chaos and darkness, nobody could save it. However, one day as God was hovering over the face of the water, He saw the ground; and in order to save the world from darkness, he commanded for there to be light. To this ground that was sunken under water, he commanded it to divide above and under the firmament to separate dry land from the water. The ground that was previously under the water now surfaced, and it was but the land was still void and empty.

Likewise, God has begun to create the land in our hearts. God has made the beautiful paradise filled with love, where birds sing, flowers bloom, and deers roam, in our hearts, from the ground which was in darkness and in void.

There are two types of land. One is the ground which is in God’s heart. It is a good and beautiful ground. However the other ground is a land that you can see with your eyes, which is under darkness, void, and confusion. God loves the ground which is in his heart more than the ground which you can see. So he wants to change the ground that is under darkness, void, and without form to that of God’s heart. So God has sent the word. “Hey, word. Go to the earth and change that ground to be like the ground in my heart!” Then the word of God came out of His heart to the ground which was dark and void. As the word arrives into the barren land, the grasses grow, the flowers bloom, and the trees grow to bear fruits. God’s word has accomplished all this, and the ground has changed into a very beautiful land.

Though There is Nothing, God is There

When God created the world, the land was void. Genesis 2:4 says “This is the history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.” What was the history of the creation of the heaven and earth? There was nothing on the land. No rain fell, no man existed to till the land, no vegetation grew. There was only the mist that went up from the earth.

Although there was nothing, because God was there, He accomplished everything. He changed the world that was void, without form, and dark to a beautiful ground.

After Satan gives us a distrustful heart, we become attached to it. When God was talking in Genesis, does He just talk to the ground? No, not so. This story is about us, the human beings. When God saw us when we were first born, what was our image?

Humans started out from sin. Our hearts were void and dark. However, God sent His Word. Now if the Word comes into our hearts, we will change into someone who God wants us to be. Just as the land changes, we too will change into someone who God wants us to become. But Satan who saw this from afar, thought “Look at that. When the word of God entered the land, it changed. Likewise if the word of God enters humans they will inevitably change. So before this happens, we have to implant distrustful thoughts.” So, Satan puts these distrustful thoughts into our hearts, and after we become accustomed to them, even when the Word comes to us, we think “This is not it” and we reject His words. Therefore, God can no longer work in our hearts.

My Word has No Place in You

Jesus said, “but you seek to kill because my word has no place in you.” (John 8:37) Because of this, regardless of what kind of thoughts I may have carried so far, whether the Word fits into my thoughts or not, God transforms the people into the people who can take in the Word. When we receive the word of God into our hearts, we change into someone who God wants us to be. Conversely, if we believe in our thoughts and don’t trust or accept the word of God, we become rebellious against God. During the time of Noah’s flood, people were killed not because they committed murder, adultery, or theft; they rejected God’s words and followed their own thoughts. In contrast, those who received salvation during the flood were not saved because they were good or sincere; it was because they accepted the word of God.

For the Peopl e who Love and Believe in God Sincerely

Even now, God has many plans for us. We are God’s righteous servants in His heart. But Satan works in order for us to reject the word of God. This is why God tells us, Isaiah 55:6,7.

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

With my thoughts, we cannot accept God’s words. The man paralyzed for 38 years could never walk with his own thoughts. The servants in the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee could never have drawn the water when they needed wine if they held on to their own thoughts. Abraham could never have a son with his own thoughts. Truly, those who believe and love God will believe God more than their thoughts. The true man of God is the one who trusts and believes in His word and is not bound to his own thoughts. At that moment, we can change. Not through our efforts, but through the word of God, we can change into beautiful saints; we will change into strong children of God.

(A Mustard Seed) A Missionary Couple Who Decided to Walk by Faith

Pastor Ock Soo Park's Testimony

IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING

God poured a lot of grace on me. God keeps working in and changing my life and the lives of our brothers and sisters. Many times we go according to our methods because we trust in ourselves. However, it’s amazing how the grace of God changes people like us.

God says in the book of Romans, “The law entered that the offense might abound.” Nevertheless, we think that we are good if we do good deeds because we do not know ourselves well. Whenever we are in that mindset, God lets us fall into sins to shows us how evil we are and to break the heart of trusting in ourselves. Through that, we come to realize that we are truly helpless people and there is nothing we can do. We then deny ourselves and return to the faith to believe in Jesus.

Most people believe that they can do good things until they go through such experiences. There are many people who try to do good things and keep the commandments by their own efforts. In order to set us free from such hearts, God not only makes us know that we are sinners but also leads us into situations where we cannot do anything because there is no good in us.

Likewise, when we are at the point where we cannot do good no matter how hard we try, we finally rely solely on Jesus’ grace. If we think that we have even a little goodness in us, we will still try to accomplish something for ourselves instead of depending entirely upon Jesus.

There are two kinds of missionaries who preach the gospel. One kind think that they have something good in them even though they received salvation because they were sinners. These missionaries work with their own thoughts and will. They do not work only with the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. The other kind know that they are nothing and helpless people. These people work totally depending on Jesus. Some people try hard with their own efforts. Others deny themselves and only Jesus Christ works in them.

A MISSIONARY COUPLE’S MONEYLESS WITNESSING TRIP

One missionary went to South America and preached the gospel. During his eight years of ministry, the number of brothers and sisters decreased. Only two were left so he lost strength to go on with ministry.

He thought it was impossible to continue, so he decided to go back to Korea and find another job. However, he and his wife said to each other, “Let’s go on a moneyless witnessing trip as our final attempt. If God does not work during this trip, let’s quit our ministry and return to Korea.”

The missionary, his wife, and their five-year-old son hitchhiked to a city 100km away from Buenos Aires and they tried to spend the night at a bus terminal. However, the metal chair was too cold to sleep on so his wife said, “Let’s go outside to find a place to sleep.” They went to the police station and the fire station. However, there was no place to sleep. Then suddenly, they got caught in a downpour and were drenched to the skin.

Fortunately, a police car saw them and brought them back to the bus terminal.

The rain was blowing even into the bus terminal so they sat beside the restroom to avoid it. They could not sleep at all that night and thought a lot without talking.

‘When we went out to look for a place to sleep, we did not go with faith. We just went ambiguously so God did not help us. God stopped us with the heavy rain and made us come back here. Humanistic ways are useless.’

THEY REALIZED THAT THOUGHTS HAD BLOCKED OUT GOD’S WORKS

They realized this and thought to themselves, “Even though we want to get a job, if God stops us, it’s impossible for us to get one.” With that thought they made up their minds to live by faith. For several years, they preached the gospel, but they never depended on God in their heart. Instead, they lived hoping something would happen. That night, they realized that their thought had blocked out God’s works. They made up their mind to run with the faith to believe in God.

Since then, they saw God working. A certain man gave them a lot of money so they could sleep in a hotel. Then, a certain church prepared a room for them to sleep in. In San Luis, the destination of their moneyless witnessing trip, they preached the gospel and many people received salvation. About 20 brothers and sisters started a regular meeting. Someone also bought a coat for missionary’s wife and a pastor saw that this missionary had no watch and took off his watch and gave it to him. Another person bought toys for their son. This missionary was so astonished to see how God was working.

He realized in his heart, “Ah, for several years, I only followed my own thoughts. However, when I do not follow my thoughts and instead only do things with faith in God, God works like this!’ He realized this fact in his heart.

GOD GIVES FOOLS LIKE US WISDOM AND CHANGES US

No one can realize the world of God with their own wisdom. God gives us several kinds of situations and teaches us how useless it is to follow humanly methods and ways rather than relying on God. I see God is leading each of our missionaries in this way. I lived pursuing humanly ways and having expectations in people. However, God gave me the heart to trust him know that trusting in Him is better than trusting in princes. I saw God changing brothers in our church, as well as myself, in this way.

There are many missionaries in our mission. God let those who trust in themselves and work in their own ways, go through difficulties and hardships, making nothing work well for them. On the other hand, I noticed that God lets people who live with the faith in Him have blessed and graceful lives. I am so thankful when I think that the living God accomplishes His great and amazing works in us!

In our church there are more and more brothers who were caught by God and are working for the gospel. Still, there are many missionaries who cannot throw away humanistic methods and stay in difficulty. I see God is changing each of them. Even though Peter followed Jesus, he could not throw away his own ways and trusted in himself saying, “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” However, when the heart to trust in himself was crumbled down, he became a powerful servant of God. Abraham also got out of his country and from his kindred and from his father’s house. Still, he could not throw away his thoughts. When God told him that He would give a son to him when he was 99 years old, he laughed, and said, “Shall a child be born to a man like me?” Nevertheless, when that heart was crumbled down, Abraham became a powerful servant of God.

When I see that God giving foolish people like us wisdom and changing each of us into precious and great servants, I am unceasingly thankful. As time goes by, many people receive salvation through our church and many precious servants of God are arising. When I think that more powerful workers will arise, who will lead people in the world to the gospel, I have hope in God’s work and give Him thanks.

IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING

God poured a lot of grace on me. God keeps working in and changing my life and the lives of our brothers and sisters. Many times we go according to our methods because we trust in ourselves. However, it’s amazing how the grace of God changes people like us.

God says in the book of Romans, “The law entered that the offense might abound.” Nevertheless, we think that we are good if we do good deeds because we do not know ourselves well. Whenever we are in that mindset, God lets us fall into sins to shows us how evil we are and to break the heart of trusting in ourselves. Through that, we come to realize that we are truly helpless people and there is nothing we can do. We then deny ourselves and return to the faith to believe in Jesus.

Most people believe that they can do good things until they go through such experiences. There are many people who try to do good things and keep the commandments by their own efforts. In order to set us free from such hearts, God not only makes us know that we are sinners but also leads us into situations where we cannot do anything because there is no good in us.

Likewise, when we are at the point where we cannot do good no matter how hard we try, we finally rely solely on Jesus’ grace. If we think that we have even a little goodness in us, we will still try to accomplish something for ourselves instead of depending entirely upon Jesus.

There are two kinds of missionaries who preach the gospel. One kind think that they have something good in them even though they received salvation because they were sinners. These missionaries work with their own thoughts and will. They do not work only with the faith to believe in Jesus Christ. The other kind know that they are nothing and helpless people. These people work totally depending on Jesus. Some people try hard with their own efforts. Others deny themselves and only Jesus Christ works in them.

A MISSIONARY COUPLE’S MONEYLESS WITNESSING TRIP

One missionary went to South America and preached the gospel. During his eight years of ministry, the number of brothers and sisters decreased. Only two were left so he lost strength to go on with ministry.

He thought it was impossible to continue, so he decided to go back to Korea and find another job. However, he and his wife said to each other, “Let’s go on a moneyless witnessing trip as our final attempt. If God does not work during this trip, let’s quit our ministry and return to Korea.”

The missionary, his wife, and their five-year-old son hitchhiked to a city 100km away from Buenos Aires and they tried to spend the night at a bus terminal. However, the metal chair was too cold to sleep on so his wife said, “Let’s go outside to find a place to sleep.” They went to the police station and the fire station. However, there was no place to sleep. Then suddenly, they got caught in a downpour and were drenched to the skin.

Fortunately, a police car saw them and brought them back to the bus terminal.

The rain was blowing even into the bus terminal so they sat beside the restroom to avoid it. They could not sleep at all that night and thought a lot without talking.

‘When we went out to look for a place to sleep, we did not go with faith. We just went ambiguously so God did not help us. God stopped us with the heavy rain and made us come back here. Humanistic ways are useless.’

THEY REALIZED THAT THOUGHTS HAD BLOCKED OUT GOD’S WORKS

They realized this and thought to themselves, “Even though we want to get a job, if God stops us, it’s impossible for us to get one.” With that thought they made up their minds to live by faith. For several years, they preached the gospel, but they never depended on God in their heart. Instead, they lived hoping something would happen. That night, they realized that their thought had blocked out God’s works. They made up their mind to run with the faith to believe in God.

Since then, they saw God working. A certain man gave them a lot of money so they could sleep in a hotel. Then, a certain church prepared a room for them to sleep in. In San Luis, the destination of their moneyless witnessing trip, they preached the gospel and many people received salvation. About 20 brothers and sisters started a regular meeting. Someone also bought a coat for missionary’s wife and a pastor saw that this missionary had no watch and took off his watch and gave it to him. Another person bought toys for their son. This missionary was so astonished to see how God was working.

He realized in his heart, “Ah, for several years, I only followed my own thoughts. However, when I do not follow my thoughts and instead only do things with faith in God, God works like this!’ He realized this fact in his heart.

GOD GIVES FOOLS LIKE US WISDOM AND CHANGES US

No one can realize the world of God with their own wisdom. God gives us several kinds of situations and teaches us how useless it is to follow humanly methods and ways rather than relying on God. I see God is leading each of our missionaries in this way. I lived pursuing humanly ways and having expectations in people. However, God gave me the heart to trust him know that trusting in Him is better than trusting in princes. I saw God changing brothers in our church, as well as myself, in this way.

There are many missionaries in our mission. God let those who trust in themselves and work in their own ways, go through difficulties and hardships, making nothing work well for them. On the other hand, I noticed that God lets people who live with the faith in Him have blessed and graceful lives. I am so thankful when I think that the living God accomplishes His great and amazing works in us!

In our church there are more and more brothers who were caught by God and are working for the gospel. Still, there are many missionaries who cannot throw away humanistic methods and stay in difficulty. I see God is changing each of them. Even though Peter followed Jesus, he could not throw away his own ways and trusted in himself saying, “Though I should die with thee, yet will I not deny thee.” However, when the heart to trust in himself was crumbled down, he became a powerful servant of God. Abraham also got out of his country and from his kindred and from his father’s house. Still, he could not throw away his thoughts. When God told him that He would give a son to him when he was 99 years old, he laughed, and said, “Shall a child be born to a man like me?” Nevertheless, when that heart was crumbled down, Abraham became a powerful servant of God.

When I see that God giving foolish people like us wisdom and changing each of us into precious and great servants, I am unceasingly thankful. As time goes by, many people receive salvation through our church and many precious servants of God are arising. When I think that more powerful workers will arise, who will lead people in the world to the gospel, I have hope in God’s work and give Him thanks.

God Saw the Wickedness of Man Was Great in the Earth

Salvation Testimony _ Grace Yang (Good News LA Central Church)

One day when I was feeling troubled and could not sleep, I tried on the thought that okay let’s just say that 2,000 years ago God really did send His son, named Jesus, to the earth to die for everyone’s sins. And as soon as I tried on that thought, great peace entered me, and I was able to sleep.

Last March, I came back to America after living in Beijing for the last 8 years. My friend in Beijing convinced me to come over to Los Angeles to help him make it in entertainment as a DJ. Being directionless for most of my life, I agreed. I thought it was a good excuse to travel the world and party, which had been my dream.

After I arrived in Los Angeles, my friend convinced me that it would be a good idea to put a $2,900/mo year lease for a huge loft in downtown LA under my social security number, among other things like our 2-year cell phone contracts, internet, utility, gas, and DJ entertainment and software.

Although I lived in the penthouse, and the young people around me envied the life I lived (artists would come over to paint on the walls during monthly LA Artwalk and we would throw crazy parties that would get shut down by LAPD), I started to feel more dark and depressed.

With no income in sight and only expenses (I had refused to get a real job because in China I always worked in media and always set my own hours), I started to wander around LA.

Sometimes I would go to the beach to cheer myself up. One day I was in the metro deciding to take the train to Long Beach. After I got on the train, I thought it was the wrong one so I got off. After I got off, I realized that it was the right one so I waited there. As I waited for the next train I saw this guy who I knew from the gym, named Brooks. We started talking and he said that he recommended I go listen to Pastor Eddie Pennoyer’s sermon in downtown Los Angeles, that it was “an interesting interpretation of the Bible,” and I decided in my heart to go the next Sunday.

In the beginning, I kept coming to the church because it was sort of fun for me to make church people angry with what I would say. I remember once I made one of the elders face red with anger when I said that man wrote the Bible and that all religions are the same, only they have different faces: Buddah for Asian people, Allah for middle eastern people, and Jesus for white people.

As I became darker, my heart felt more and more restless. I couldn’t sleep at night until after about 4am, and when I went for a walk at night time, the shadows started to look like different kinds of monsters and demons.

Although I smoked weed every day to keep myself feeling somewhat hopeful, one day the reverse started to happen. I started to feel creepy, as if I was a serial killer in broad daylight. The feeling of wanting to kill my mom, what I had felt when I was in China, came on to me in full effect when I was high. Instead of feeling good, I felt a sudden terror and fear for all the people around me, that I may kill them.

I went to a fortune teller and she offered to get rid of the bad feeling I had for $15,000. Because I didn’t have this money, I continued to go to church because it was free.

During a retreat, again I challenged Pastor Eddie that man wrote the Bible. Then he showed me Genesis 6:5, “God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every intent of his thoughts was only evil continually.”

Then it “hit” me, at that moment I realized that man could not have written this verse in a million years.

Of all the different things I did in my life to find out the truth, from extreme sports, drugs, careers, and religions, never once have I ever fathomed that man’s thoughts could be 100% evil 100% of the time. Plus the fact that I couldn’t believe this verse in my heart meant that I could be, in fact, evil, just as the Bible stated.

After having it been proven to me that this word was true, I was open to learning more about what other things in the Bible were true. Especially about the part Jesus taking away our sins and that we don’t have sin anymore.

One day when I was feeling troubled and could not sleep, I tried on the thought that Okay let’s just say that 2,000 years ago God really did send His son, named Jesus, to the earth to die for everyone’s sins. And as soon as I tried on that thought, great peace entered me and I was able to sleep.

Since the time I accepted that Jesus took away my sin and that I didn’t have any more sin, my life has changed dramatically. Although I used to want to drink and find a reason to go out and “have fun” Wednesday through Sunday, after I drank I felt “down” instead of happy. This was because my sober self was actually more joyous and the alcohol was giving my spirit a “downer.” I tried to smoke cigarettes and it didn’t give me that satisfaction it once did.

Although I still fall into my thoughts once in a while, like not wanting to get up, when I believe in the word, such as the one, “Rise take up thy bed and walk,” my life has completely changed to be bright and hopeful.

2015 New Year's Message

Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, so many as the stars of thesky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable. (Hebrews 11:12)