Sermons on important subjects by Rev. Paul C. Jong

Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For each one shall bear his own load. Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”

Galatians chapter 6 verses 6-7 states, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches. Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”

If you lead a life of faith by knowing the gospel of the water and the Spirit, you can please God. The Apostle Paul tells us that we have to share in all good things with him who teaches. If we lead a life of faith by finding out and realizing the meaning of this passage from the Bible, our lives of faith will surely be smooth sailing. If he had said, ‘you should share in bad things with him who teaches,’ it would be a problem, but because he had told us to share all good things, all we have to do is to share good things according to God’s Word.

We must share the faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit with our leader. It is important that we have the same faith in the Lord and we share the works of serving the Lord with our leader. If the saints or the servants of God who have received remission of sins do not share in all good things with their leader, they will face many difficulties. There cannot be an isolated person who leads a good life of faith in God’s church on his own. It is only when the saints and the servants unite with their leader that they can carry on their spiritual lives well.

Because God told us to share good things, we must unite with God through the faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit with which we receive salvation from all sins. To unite with the servant of God who precedes all others in His Church, is to unite with Him. But the Apostle Paul admonished the Galatian believers because they had not done so.

The Apostle Paul said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). In other words, he is saying that if people were to believe that they would become a descendant of Abraham by receiving physical circumcision after believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, such faith would be greatly wrong. The Lord has saved us from all sins by the gospel Truth of the water and the Spirit. But if one were to hypnotize oneself and to believe in a strange gospel of his own making, it would be greatly wrong before God. For us to try to become God’s people of concrete faith by following the example of those who claim physical circumcision would also be truly wrong, more than ever so. This is the faith of mocking God before Him.

God saved us from all sins once and for all by the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, we must purely believe in our hearts according to the Word of Truth that is recorded in the gospel of the water and the Spirit by which God has saved us from sins, and we must go before God with such faith. However, the problem is that there are those who are convinced of their salvation by false faith of their own making, apart from the gospel of the water and the Spirit. People of Galatia didn’t receive salvation from their sins by receiving circumcision in the flesh.

The word “to mock” in today’s Scripture passage has the meaning, to deride or to ridicule. God is saying that those who try to become Christians by receiving circumcision in the flesh are ridiculing God by the faith of their own making. Because their salvation relies on the faith of their own making, it would be something that mocks God.

Whenever I have time, I think about the works of God, especially about the overseas mission. I am wholly absorbed in the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Even today, I was discussing the spread of the gospel of the water and the Spirit with the staff ministers of our mission and talking about what we could do to serve the gospel of God better.

Dear fellow believers, in order to serve the gospel better, I am now preparing a business with my coworkers. In order to run this business successfully, we are studying and researching the market, making and testing new products, and so on. All the earnings from this business will be used for spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Therefore, for you to unite with us in this new business is to spread the gospel of God together and to follow the Lord. Do not seek to do something original on your own. Rather, you have to think about what is necessary and beneficial for the church of God to truly serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Only then, you can find the right way to serve the gospel. When we share the faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit with our leader, the spread of the gospel of the Lord will make rapid progress.

The Apostle Paul told us to share in all good things with him who teaches the Word, and this is a very important mandate we have to keep in mind. Because the Apostle Paul’s faith was correct and his way of serving the Lord was right, the Galatian saints who were taught by him should have united with him in serving the works of God with his same faith and heart. But they didn’t take this admonition to heart, and as a result, they ended up going astray and dying off. This is why the Apostle Paul told us to share in doing good works. If we understand and follow this lesson, we will receive spiritual blessings.

The Apostle Paul said that the proponents of physical circumcision in his time were not correct, and that all the saints had to share all good things with him, that is, to live by the faith in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and to spread this gospel. If the Apostle Paul tells us to share all good works with him, what do you and I have to do in this day and age? In this day and age, all you and I have to do is to go before God with the faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and also, to unite with the works of the church of God, ruminating on this true gospel everyday. When we all decide on a plan after consulting one another, all we have to do is to gather all our collective strength and do it together.

There are works that we challenge by faith because it is beneficial to the Lord’s Kingdom and would further the spreading of the gospel. It might seem to be an imprudent act, but by doing it all together, we get to taste God’s blessings because it is for the spreading of the gospel, not for the realization of our personal desires. If we share the good work with our leaders and do it together, we would be serving the Lord and we would be able to defend our faith automatically. And the growth of our faith, the receiving of God’s blessings, and our service to Him would all be realized by their own accord. It means that people can neither lead a life of serving the Lord nor a life of faith until the end if they do not share all good things with their leaders, if they devote themselves only to their own affairs and not to the works of God’s church, if they try to do in their own style, or if they work separately while saying God has entrusted a separate work for me.

Today, there are people who have left the church of God even after spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit like you. Because they do not truly believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit together with us, they are leaving the church of God. They are leaving while slandering God’s church because they did not unite their heart with His Church where the righteous are united with their leaders in all good things.

Actually, if God’s servants were to continue to serve the gospel of the water and the Spirit, it is the case that the saints would follow those steps. Be that as it may, does our church compel the saints to make monetary offerings? Since we do not even do that, there is only one single reason why they find it difficult to be in the church of God: They believe the church lies in telling them to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit and to keep that faith. They wish for the church of God to express some of the inner desires of the flesh, for example, singing popular songs once in while, but because all we do is simply devote ourselves to the works of God’s righteousness, they leave the church saying that such things are tedious. In short, they did not want to join in their hearts spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit everyday. Also, they didn’t want to devote themselves to the overseas mission and to the righteousness of God everyday.

Of course, some of them might leave the church of God because of temptations, but the roots of their departure lies in their love for their own desires. The fundamental reason why they left the church of God is because they didn’t have the solid faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit in their hearts. They had to believe absolutely in their hearts the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and they had to share good things with God’s servants who had taught them. Yet, they left because they could not do so.

While we are gathered here at this hour, have I ever given a sermon, quoting pedantic words from philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, Nietzsche, Hegel, and so on? What use would such people’s logic have in our lives of faith? All we have to do is discuss and learn what the Word of God means and take part in the virtuous works of God along with the servants of God who lead us. However, people reach their spiritual death by not doing so and by leading a life of faith on their own accord.

It was the case that the saints in the churches of Galatia were leading a life of faith on their own accord. Even though the Apostle Paul hadn't taught them to do so, the believers of Galatia went astray by accepting and believing in the other gospel of their own accord, and their faith was deteriorated eventually. That is why the Apostle Paul said, “But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.” (Galatians 1:8).

There were times when I was perplexed, not knowing the gospel that the Apostle Paul had preached. I use to think, “In the Bible, there is the Gospel of Mark and the Gospel of Matthew, but how curious. What is the gospel Paul had preached? The Apostle Paul wrote about ‘any gospel other than what he had preached,’ but is there a gospel other than the gospel of the blood of the Cross? Is the gospel that he believed different because he was so spiritually great?”

Before I was born again by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, I had only believed in the blood of the Cross, without knowing this gospel of the Truth. However, the gospel that Paul had preached was the very true gospel that had the baptism of Jesus and the blood of the Cross in it.

The Apostle Paul clearly meant “the gospel of the water and the Spirit” when he spoke of the gospel “we have preached.” If the believers of Galatian churches had united their hearts in the gospel that the Apostle Paul had preached and in the spreading of the gospel; if they had prayed together, believed, and served the gospel along with him, God would have been pleased. If they had such faith, there wouldn’t have been any problems.

Yet, people in the Galatian churches separated themselves from the gospel of the water and the Spirit. They led a life of faith by creating a gospel in their own way. That is why they all fell into strange teachings when the supporters of physical circumcision had come to the churches of Galatia. They went astray despite the numerous guiding teachings of the Apostle Paul about the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Today, we should listen to the words of the Apostle Paul, share the good works with Him, and lead a faithful life with the same faith. Because God has told us to share the good works with His servants, all we have to do is to support the church of God in whatever work it pursues.

I am so glad that our ministers do not give sermons during the ministry hours by copying sermon series of other ministers after waiting around. We, the servants of God, do more work than the saints. We are so glad to work together with the saints while serving the Lord in the forefront, glad to spread the gospel all over the world without trying to just grow only our own churches, glad to try to obey God’s commands, and glad to follow His will. How good is it for them to follow the Lord’s will without ministering to spreading the gospel in their own accord? It is so pleasing that there is nothing here to quarrel about, that there is no need for promotion, that each person is devoted to works that he or she is in charge of, and that we are serving the Lord in union with the church of God. Before God, how good were our lives?

Dear fellow believers, we are sharing the works of God. If those who precede us uphold and serve the will of God first, the rest of us must pray for them and share in all good things with them. To do so, we must unite wholeheartedly with the leader-servants of God personally and do the works of God together with them. It is because God tells us to share in all good things with him who teaches. For all the works that we do, aren’t we doing them all to spread the gospel, not to satisfy our personal desires? We shouldn’t just say with lips, “I will live for the Lord! I believe you Lord.” But, we should truly believe in our hearts, and then actually do the works of God by offering ourselves. I am saying that we should share the works of God.

What use is it if we try hard to minister like the people who weren’t born again from their sins, if we attempt to minister by banging on the podiums and telling their foolish followers to offer money everyday. Even if they minister well for themselves, all that they are able to do is to build a huge chapel for themselves. In God’s churches, people who are born again by the gospel of the water and the Spirit minister together to spread the gospel all over the world. Other than this, there is nothing else involved in sharing in all the good works of God. When we share in all good things with the servants of God who teach us, all things work together for the good to those who love God, and thus, the gospel is propagated. That is why we must share in all good things with His Church in our life of faith.

We must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit individually, but the life of faith in which we follow and serve the Lord and live by upholding the Lord’s will is something that we should do by uniting with the church of God. After we have received the remission of sins, we have to share all good things with the church, and go forward together with the servants of God if their plans are good before God. The only thing that members who are behind have to do is to follow those who precede them. To share good things with God’s church is to follow its decisions with their hearts. We must encourage ourselves to join in on the good works of God. And in any case, we must wholeheartedly share in all good things with those who teach us and lead a faithful life of faith. That is how to pursue the will of God. In doing so, we become people approved by God. When we share in all good works with the church of God, we are precisely living a true life of faith.

Must we pray a great deal personally, see visions, perceive the word personally, and propagate the gospel a great deal to lead a true life of faith? That is not so. If the church of God sets a goal to spread the gospel all over the world and this is also the will of God, then we have to take part in this mission by uniting our hearts for this goal. It is natural that those who have the Holy Spirit want to take part in serving the gospel voluntarily without being forced to do so.

Thus, when I consult with my fellow workers, I express my views strongly, and also, if their words are right, I give an approval. By the way, I think that uniting with the work of God is more important than any thing else.

We are currently extending our business to spread the gospel better. By doing this work well, our goal to spread the gospel all over the world will be accomplished much earlier than we have expected. Because the objective of all our work is to spread of the gospel, we must carry on the business well, so that we can pass on the gospel and distribute the food of life to everyone around the world for free. Otherwise, it will become more difficult. Sharing the work of God with His servants to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit is leading a life of faith well. For example, Aquila and his wife Priscilla, who were tentmakers by occupation, were working together with the Apostle Paul in the same trade to serve the gospel (Acts 18:2-3). Life of faith is something simple. Participating in and Praying for God’s work with His Church is none other than leading a good life of faith. As long as the work is not robbery, sharing all good works together with God’s servants is doing well.

God told us to share in all the good works with the one who teaches God’s Word. Nothing, other than doing so, is the true life of faith. Having received the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, it is not the case that some people’s faith will grow further by exerting zeal and by praying fervently or undertaking deeds beyond their strength, or that a spiritually indolent person will become degenerated. If we take part in the work of spreading the gospel that the church of God does, our faith will grow and mature automatically.

If we share the good works that the church of God does, our hearts will be pleased and happy, although we may be physically tired. Just as when Elizabeth heard the greeting voice of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb for her joy, the Holy Spirit is feeling happy inside our hearts when we are willing to unite with the works of God. Dear fellow believers, there must have been times when your heart felt happy because the Holy Spirit was happy when we were doing missionary works even though we may had initially felt dislike when we were told to do such works. If we share the good works of God, the faith of believing in God will grow well. Actually, people who share the good work that God is pleased with lead a much better life of faith than those who look at the Bible by themselves and offer fasting prayers.

Here, the Apostle Paul tells us to share the good things with him who teaches, and if so, all we have to do together is the works of God. What is the slogan of our missionary organization? What is written in the weekly bulletin? For us, all our goals of ministry lie in the spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit. The Lord told us to boast about the gospel of the Lord, not to boast of ourselves or be saddened by our own weaknesses. Isn’t it only right that we must endure if we hope to spread the gospel all over the world? Therefore, the true life of faith is sharing in the good things with the church of God, that is, spreading the gospel throughout the world, enduring, and living with hope. “Why do I fail to lead a life of faith well? Why can’t I become like that? I do things diligently, yet why am I lacking each day?” That is because one can does the work of God separately all by oneself, without uniting with God’s Church. We must share the works of God by heart with His Church. In doing so, the Lord will become pleased, and the will of the Lord shall be realized through His help.

In Psalms, it is said,
“Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
It is like the precious oil upon the head,
Running down on the beard,
The beard of Aaron,
Running down on the edge of his garments” (Psalms 133:1-2).

God’s blessings are with all those who share in the good works in His Church. It means that God speaks to His leader-servants and blesses them first, and then the blessings would be granted to those who share in the good things with their leaders. That is why He said, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” He was saying that such blessings would be upon those who share in all good things with their church leaders. Hence, all we have to do is be together with the church of God. Awake or asleep, if the church of God aims at spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit, all we have to do is to take part in this mission together. Would God be pleased if we were to cease spreading the gospel all over the world and we spread the gospel only in Korea? He would not be pleased. If we were not to share the works of the church of God, would the Lord be pleased? He would not be pleased.

I consider the workers of God precious. I think about those among the saints who share in all good things by uniting with God’s church as His workers, and I consider them precious. After coming to this meeting, if you think to yourself, “How many times has the gospel of the water and the Spirit been emphasized up to now in his sermon?” instead of believing in the true gospel, I would like to ask you to go and find another church that suits your taste. Whenever I open my mouth, I preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Those who are looking for something other than the gospel of the water and the Spirit must go to other places. Why? It is because such people are not sharing the good works of God.

We are the servants of God. With the gospel of the water and the Spirit, the Lord has saved us from all our sins. We are the people who have received the remission of sins by believing in the Word of God and who have come to share the works of God with thankful hearts. Thus, we believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and share in the good works with the preachers of God’s Word. Because it is said that the Lord is pleased by the work of spreading the gospel all over the world, we place our hearts there together. The Lord is pleased with us because we have set our mind toward this goal, not because of our own ability.

Yet, some ministers say, “This is not my style of pastoral ministry. I have decided in my heart to spread the gospel throughout the world after having gathered ten thousand people as my church members.” Such a pastor is saying that he would never build another church until the number of his church members reaches ten thousand. It might be difficult to achieve such a greedy goal even if one sacrifices one’s own entire life. Yet, is this the will of the Lord?

The work that the Lord is pleased with is that of spreading the gospel. Uniting with the will of the Lord is for us to set our target precisely on spreading the gospel and to unite ourselves in the direction that the church of God is moving toward. First of all, everyone must receive salvation by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. There is no other gospel besides the gospel of the water and the Spirit. One must believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and receive salvation from sins. Then, all one has to do is to take part in the works that the church of God is doing. By doing so, one would succeed.

Do I emphasize anything else to you? To spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit, our bodies have to be healthy, and we must consistently support this work today as well as tomorrow. Because we must support our mission in spreading the gospel, we are running the new businesses. And, you and I also join in on the good work so that we may continue to work together. I am doing the work not because I know how to do these things but because I want to do the good work together. As it is written, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God,” (1 Corinthians 10:31) our standard of judgment is whether or not it is beneficial to the spreading of the gospel. If some people do things not beneficial to the spreading of the gospel, we tell them that it would be better to do such and such since that is not right. All you have to do is to believe the leadership of God’s church and follow as it leads. Then, it is the case that all our hearts are at peace. Because we are not requesting different things apart from the spreading of the gospel, I would be comfortable, and it would also be comfortable for you to see me. We would be mutually comfortable.

If there is something that I want from you, it is for you to believe that there is no other gospel besides the gospel of the water and the Spirit. Everyone has to receive the remission of sins by believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit with their heart. And, God is pleased with our spreading of the gospel of the water and the Spirit all over the world after we receive salvation. That is why I ask you to join in on the works of serving the gospel with God’s church. This is all that I wish from you. Because I am also a member of God’s church, I join in this precious task and it is the case that you join in also. Our aim in life is to spread the gospel of the water and the Spirit, and there is nothing else.

From the beginning up until now, for more than ten years we’ve never changed the objective of our church, and even if the whole world changes into a new one, there isn’t going to be a change. When the Rapture occurs in the future, if there still are people remaining on the ground, who have not been raised, despite truly having believed in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, they have to share in the good works even then, that is, spread the gospel. Instead of looking for a rat hole and hiding, they must spread the gospel even though they would have to die anyway. That is all they would need to do.

Thus, I speak honestly and frankly before everyone who has received the remission of sins: “The only direction where our church should move is toward spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit. And we are all friends, fellow workers, and laborers if we share the goal and do it together.” Besides the spreading of the gospel, there is no other goal in our lives. Whether by life or by death, we must live for the glory of God, live by the Word of God, and share in all good things with His Church according to His will. For us to share the good things with the preceding servant of God is very simple. All you have to do is to believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, to unite with heart and participate in the spreading of the gospel, and to share by faith according to the abilities and wisdom that God has given you.

Recently, the church of God purchased a chapel building. We did so because it was suitable to serving the gospel, not because there was any other objective. Since we were told to share in all good works, we did it because it was evaluated as being beneficial to the spreading of the gospel. To share in everything if it is beneficial to the gospel is something very simple. Although a life of faith may seem difficult and complex, it is very clear and simple. That is the only thing that God expects from us. All we have to do is truly believe in our hearts when we are told to believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit. To those who have received salvation, God says that they are good. God invites us, if we want to, to share in the spreading of the gospel all over the world, and if we share in it, He says that we are good and faithful.

Dear fellow believers, that is the way to lead a life of faith. It is only right that we obey those who precede us in faith and that we unite with them by faith and follow them, because we are told to share with them in all good works and because we don’t have to think in a complicated way and try to probe into people’s thoughts. Because we are told to share in the good works and because the work of spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the world is the very good work, we share in it.

Is it right for us to disregard those who are leading us by faith? Is it something that is right or not right? It is not right at all. If one were to ignore those who precede him or her in faith, that person would also be ignored.

Dear fellow believers, is there a difficulty in leading a life of faith or not? There surely is. But, must we look toward and follow the Lord while carrying our own cross without thinking only about difficulties? Yes, we must. Are difficulties in just one person or are they in everyone? They are in everyone. If we look into it, everyone has difficulties. When you experience a difficulty, you say, “Maybe I only have such a difficulty,” but if you carefully look into people here and there, they all have difficulties. We are perfect only by faith, but because there is no one who is perfect in the flesh, everyone has many anxieties and concerns. That is why it is written that we should share the burdens, and thus, there is no need to point fingers at one another. One should carry one’s own burden, but there are instances where each person must help one another. And there are instances where one must accept each other and cooperate with one another. Whether distinguished or foolish, we must lead the life of faith in that manner.

I don’t work boldly before God because I never feel weary. There is no one who goes on boldly, not feeling weary. Of course, there are many occasions when I wish never to be tied down and made to run forward forcibly.

But, God granted hardships on everyone. The Apostle Paul had a sickness in the body, and the Lord said that He gave him this sickness because he might become arrogant if he were to run forward forcibly by himself by faith on his own. “Is that faith? Belief? Look at me.” Lest one should become so arrogant and haughty by oneself, God gave each of us hardship so that we may realize our deficiencies and be humble. Thus, if the others face difficulties, the leaders should share fellowship with them, if there are things to reprimand in them, the preceding person should reprimand them, and if there are insufficiencies that need compassion, one should give compassion to the depressed. One should neither abase others nor slander them by saying, “How can a saint do that!” There are 10 times more faults in oneself than in those in a person to which one points a finger.

No matter how lacking a worker might be, he or she would be a precious person if he or she were to share in the good works. However, the problem arises when one does not share in the good works with the church of God. If one were not to share the good works with God’s Church but instead do them in one’s own style due to that person’s own arrogance, we must reprimand strongly and make that person turn around. But if one were to share in things despite one’s own deficiencies, we should consider that person precious. That is the true faith.

As we are told to share in the good works, could we possibly ignore the spiritual order? If the order comes to collapse, the spread of the gospel of the water and the Spirit cannot be possible. For this reason, we must obey the spiritual order of God’s Church to share the good works. Instead of quitting because it is hard to work or saying, “Look at me. I do things better than you,” because it is easy to work, we must serve in the church of God by the gospel of God and devote ourselves to the God-given works whether we are lacking or talented. Whatever the case, because the will of the Lord is for us to share in the good works and to seek benefit for the gospel, there is no law saying that a person should stop doing the works of the Lord because he or she is meager, and there is no law saying that a person should stand above others just because he or she is prominent. Although our individuality may differ, what the Lord wants is for us to do things together within the order God has established in His Church.

Actually, if it is beneficial to the gospel and if the will of the Lord could be realized, one would feel happy even if one’s self-esteem were to crumble. Not caring if we feel happy, joyous, distressed, or sad, we should look and believe in the Lord and press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). Believing in, looking toward, and praying to the Lord that He will resolve all problems, we should simply go on running toward the goal by faith.

A certain minister says, “I cannot do pastoral ministry any longer because I feel weary having suffered such an incident.” He is not someone who shares in the good works of God. Everyone has his own burden as it is said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). Is there anyone that doesn’t have a burden? A person without burden is a person who does not share in the good works with the Lord. Everyone has a burden.

We love and cherish each other because we share the good works with each other. Each of us has a marked individuality, but because our care for the gospel is the same, we are able to put aside each one’s deficiencies. It is said that we have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

Dear fellow believers, is your life of faith difficult or easy? It would be easy if one resolved to share in the good works by the faith of believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit in the heart. But, your life of faith would be difficult if you did not resolve to share the good works in your heart, and instead did things in your own style according to the situation.

Would you like to always have a difficult and strenuous life of faith with problems after problems? If not, set your mind to serve the gospel and go on running toward this goal by faith.

It is said, “Can two walk together, unless they are agreed?” (Amos 3:3). If we share in doing the good works, we will be well acquainted whenever we meet each other and we will feel good in whatever we may do. And although the work may be tiring, it feels good to share in it. However if we were to not share in the work with our hearts, we would instead feel uneasy even though we are working together in a same room.

These are not just my words. But God also desires you to do so, saying, “Do you care for Me? Do you want to live by My will? Is it not right for you to share in all good things with those who teach My Word to you?” God knows everything. There is only one thing that we could say. “But, the Lord saved me from sins by the water and the Spirit, took me in as one of the people of God, and told me to do the good works that the Lord likes and is pleased with. I will share in these works.” There is nothing for us to say except these words. It is not that the life of faith is complex and difficult but we have to simply do what is required.

As we share in these good works, we would improve in body and soul because the Holy Spirit within us changes us in our heart and in our faith and because He gives us understanding and wisdom. Improvement occurs because we share in doing good things, and if we were to not share in doing good things, there would be no improvement.

Can you become a spiritual Christian just by reading the Bible all day long and praying incessantly by saying, “Lord, please make me spiritual”? Doing works that the Lord is pleased with, praying together if there is the need for prayer, going together if asked at the moment to go and do rough works, and battling together if there is the need for battle—these actions are what is meant sharing in the good works. Dear fellow believers, people who live by faith are those that share in the good works with one who teaches the Word. Faith will grow in such people and they will receive blessings even in a physical sense. You must be seeing and experiencing such things.

Even those places, which didn’t have any customers before, suddenly become crowded with new customers right after we go there. Because Jesus Christ is the origin of good fortune and we are His disciples, people are crowded and everything goes well in places where we prefer to go. It is because God gives blessings to the righteous.

God blesses those who share in the good works and live by faith after being born again of water and the Spirit. If one believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and shares in the good works, God will see this and then make the person blessed. But if one were to say that he or she serves the Lord well without believing in the gospel of the water and the Spirit and without sharing in the good works, it would be mocking God. God told us not to mock God, but I am saying that there are those who do so. To mock God is to ridicule and scorn God. To say, “I have lived so for you,” without uniting hearts in the works of God, that is precisely scorning and deceiving God.

God scorns such a person. The Lord saved us by the gospel of the water and the Spirit, but not believing in this Truth would be mocking Him. God said, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” (Galatians 6:7). If one believes in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, one receives salvation, and if one believes in God and shares in the good work of spreading the gospel, that person will receive blessings of faith and blessings in body and soul. You must have experienced God’s blessings upon you when you shared in the good works. It is the case that when one shares in the Lord’s work sincerely and faithfully, God helps and fills all the deficiencies of the person on various aspects, but it wouldn’t be so if someone were to just pretend to do these works together. We must actually share in the good works. All we have to do is that. If there still are dregs of the flesh in your heart, it is difficult for you to live entirely for the gospel. But, if the dregs are peeled off by faith, one would be able to taste true joy and live according to the Lord’s will.

You may think that you are the most troubled, but do you think that there cannot be anyone who is facing more hardship than you are? Everyone has hardships. Even I have many hardships. Yet, I do not suffer from hardships either. It is because I entrust every hardship to God. What else can I do about the hardships that I cannot take care of? There are many difficult problems because I do not have the ability to solve them, but in such cases, I look toward the Lord and make a request. Then, I devote myself to the good works with which God is pleased. That is how we should go on. Since being sad does not resolve problems, to look toward the Lord and to share in the good works that the Lord is pleased with are shortcuts to His blessings. If one were to join in God’s works and live by faith, that person would go on living with the strength given by God. God would also give ability and blessings so that one would be able to bear fruit for the righteous works of the Lord. By leading a life of devotion by faith, one would be receiving blessings in body and soul. Thus, we can live happily.

What good is there in this day and age that we should go on living with a sweet smile? Dear fellow believers, if a person hasn’t receive the remission of sins, there is nothing left but things to make the face wrinkle. Even if one has received the remission of sins, it would be the same for the person to have no pleasure of life, if the person were to not have the faith of sharing in the good works of spreading the gospel. If one has neither purpose nor hope, with what enjoyment could one live?

What joy would there be for people who haven’t been born again? Because there is no joy, the sinners continue to lead trivial daily lives that are complex, chaotic and dry without vitality. If you do not serve the gospel, what joy would there be? There wouldn’t be any joy. Because we are serving the gospel, our hearts are happy and good.

Dear fellow believers, are you weary? I am weary also. But, do you believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit? I am sure you do. I hope that you will take strength from that faith and share in the good work, the work of spreading the gospel of the water and the Spirit throughout the world. Do you share in this good work? If you do so, then, you are blessed people. For all our worries and troubles to disappear, we must entrust all worries and troubles to the Lord. The Lord says that He will take charge of them all if we throw all our concerns to the Lord. If we do the works with which He is pleased, He will make all our lives prosperous and protect us. Life of faith is not a theory. It is a reality.

As we continue to lead a life of faith, many aspects of our deficiencies will be revealed. But, you should not be bound by such deficiencies any longer. I am telling you once again, “The just believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit always by heart.” Ruminate this beautiful gospel by heart and share in the good works. In doing so, God will mend everything there after, even your deficiencies. God will mend your deficiencies through whomever He desires.

To offer the grain offering, Israelites had to grind heads of grain roasted on the fire to get the fine flour of the grain (Leviticus 2:14). God wants to grind us to make us his instruments, but the willful ones will spring out. In that case, He continues to grind ones that are still inside, and then start grinding the ones that sprung out by sweeping them with a broomstick and then placing them inside once more. There still are ones that will spring out again. And, as for these ones, He lays them down and then firmly crushes and twists them from their top. How painful is it to be firmly pressed down and crumbled? God wants to make a powder and make something new by grinding them all, but if one of them were to spring out trying to keep its own style, it would eventually be smashed with the pain of being pressed firmly. In the Bible, it is written, “Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, yet his foolishness will not depart from him” (Proverbs 27:22). Truly, the Lord is alive and presses down firmly on those who are being stubborn in trying not to be shaped into someone that could be comfortably used for the gospel of God.

Is there anyone among you who are facing a hardship now? God is forging you into a new tool. The Lord continues to do so until you are molded into a suitable vessel through pains and hardships. Why? It is because He loves you. I had many things that were not pleasing to Him. But I have been made into someone beneficial to His righteous work by having been hit, trampled, broken, and cracked by God. If one were to get trampled so severely and thoroughly, it would seem that one would become perverse. But because I have come to realize that God has done this so I can share in the works of God because He loves me, my heart became humble instead.

Then, my heart has become the one that phrases, “For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness” (Psalms 84:10). Such a heart is formed. Really, the faith that it is much better to live a day inside the Kingdom of God than to live long in this world arises. Once my heart came to recognize that serving the Lord is blessed, ever since then, my heart has felt so comfortable that the works of the Lord became my work and what the Lord likes became what I like. Having become so, there is the courage of faith in me, and in addition I feel so good.

But, before having become so, many fleshly thoughts arose: “What shall I eat? What shall I drink? I should really preach the gospel of the water and the Spirit for it is the Truth. Yet, how can I earn money so that I may live by having a large chapel, and even live by spreading the gospel?” But, God trampled me so thoroughly that my heart came to say later, “Even if You don’t bless me and even if You don’t give me a large house, I will be thankful if You would let me just serve You.” And just then, my heart became tranquil. However, before having become so, I felt good in some situations and felt sad in other situations according to outside circumstances.

Because I believe that the Lord will also do so unto you, I will simply leave you alone. If you believe in the gospel of the water and the Spirit, I will just leave you alone as you are before God. Those who do not get broken quickly will be broken later. Even if you became a pastor, God will break you if necessary. Whether they receive the training now or at a later time, I just leave them as they are because they would eventually have to receive God’s severe training. It gets difficult if you try to receive the training after you have been given a higher position because you haven’t been trained yet. That is why it is good to receive God’s training at an appropriate time when He gives the training.

The Apostle Paul may simply say now, “Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches” (Galatians 6:6), but this passage is immensely important. One shouldn’t just let it drift away by thinking, “We share in doing things because we were told to share in the good things,” without the understanding of the Apostle Paul’s inner thoughts.

We have finished planning on how to serve the gospel of God, but we don’t have the strength and materials to carry it out. As our Lord told us to share in the good works, I regain the strength and serve the gospel of God because I believe that He will do it together with us. The project of gospel ministry is all ours. If God moves along with us in this ministry, there is nothing to be afraid of. I will share in the good work. I ask you to share in it also. The life of devotion is simple. In doing so, there is neither worry nor anxiety. Instead of trying to do the work of God according to your own personal style, just share in the good work in accordance with the direction of the church of God. That brings a much better effect than that of the efforts put forth on your own.

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It could be the case that if each person does the work of God uselessly as an individual endeavor, strength itself will be used up and the work itself will be ruined. Do you think you would be able to do the work of God so well on your own strength forever? After a while, wouldn’t you just die out of exhaustion?

Strength grows by sharing in the good works. No matter how healthy or strong a person may be, if that person were to do things alone, he or she will be discouraged first, not having accomplished them fully. But, if we unite and share in the good works within the gospel of the water and the Spirit, strength will spring up ceaselessly. If we do not share in doing good things, we will not even have the strength to live.

I ask you again to share in the good works of the Lord. I believe you will do so. I pray that the Lord gives blessings to you who share in doing good things.

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