From: "Tabloid Lintas Agama" [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Solving Life's Problems-1 : The Life of Jesus
By: DR. David Yonggi Cho
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:7-11
"But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. We are troubled on every
side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but
not forsaken; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus,
that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which
live are always delivered unto death for Jesus` sake, that the life also of
Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.
The distinction between a man who believes in Jesus and a man who does not
believe lies not in his exterior appearance but in his inner person. The
unbelieving man is controlled by a spirit of disobedience. The Bible clearly
states in Ephesians 2:1-2 "And you hath he quickened, who were dead in
trepasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of
this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that
now worketh in the children of obedience." However in Christians there is a
treasure. This Treasure died on
the cross to save us. He died, was buried and He resurrected in three days.
Therefore even the best theology, philosophy or ethics can never compare with
this Treasure.
Today`s scripture passage states that we are like the vessels of clay,
containing a priceless treasure. We are unworthy humans like plain jars of
clay. If the world is placed in a broken jar, the world in it shall also be
broken and gone. However the matter becomes totally different when the treasure
is placed in the jar. The treasure and the vessel become one. Paul said
in 2 Corinthians 4:7, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us." So a Christian`s life is
not lived by human wisdom, understanding, knowledge or schemes, but by the
wisdom, understanding, knowledge,
discernment and power of God. Just like a treasure may be found in a vessel of
clay, we must discern that this Treasure is dwelling in us and make every
effort to learn how to trust in our Treasure within us. Too many Christians
have not relied on the Treasure within. They continually rely only on the
vessel of clay - themselves. They rely on the jar instead of the
Treasure, although they already possess the Treasure by faith. So God
constantly allows small or big hardships to touch Christians so that they will
learn to lean on their Treasure - Jesus Christ, the Wisdom, Knowledge and Power
of God.
The Apostle Paul teaches that the power of God will be revealed when Jesus, the
Treasure, dwells within us. We must believe and understand clearly what Paul
teaches us the possessing of our Treasure, Jesus.
First, Paul says we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. On our
journey of life, we cannot know how many times we will be distressed
spiritually, mentally, physically, or circumstantially by big or small
troubles. Jesus said God takes care of a mere sparrow and knows the number of
hairs on a man`s head according to His good providence. God did not promise the
Christian life would be exempt from trouble. Then for what purpose does God
allow believers to be distressed? He wants to teach us great lessons. He
desires that we learn to trust Him instead of ourselves.
We try our very best not to lose wealth, honor and value of life by our human
ways. But when we are pressed down, we begin to realize we are just clay
vessels but Jesus Christ within us is everything. He created the heavens and
earth, possessing all the authority and power in it. He died in our place on
the cross, was resurrected in three days and now He lives in us. The Treasure
is Jesus Christ! As we realize that He is in us, we become broken at His feet
and
begin to trust in Him alone. If we discover the truth that Jesus Christ lives
in us and then we totally trust in Him, we will not be distressed though we may
be attacked. The human vessel may be distressed, but Jesus Christ within can
never be distressed. Who would dare doubt the Almighty God?
When the enemy surrounded the city, Elisha`s servant panicked. "Alas, my
master! What shall we do?" Elisha prayed, "Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes,
that he may see." Elisha knew his servant did not realize the treasure they
both possessed. As God opened his eyes, he saw the mountains full of horses and
chariots of fire around Elisha. Our Christian walk is the same.
When we are surrounded by troubles, we could easily collapse if we look at the
troubles with our own senses - taste, smell, sight, hearing, and touch. We
should be reminded that God is within us. He calls things that are not as
though they actually appear to us. As we humbly seek Him, we will receive His
strength to rise out of any kind of distress.
Our greatest resources come from our heart. "The spirit of a man will sustain
his infirmity; but a wounded spirit who can bear?" (Proverbs 18:14) No
matter how hard our financial or circumstantial difficulties distress us, as
long as we know we possess the Treasure within us, we will not be distressed by
them. But if one`s heart contains anxiety, fear and despair, one could be
destroyed when distressed. Why is it so good to believe in Jesus Christ? Though
Christians face difficulty, Jesus is our Source so we can pray to the Father
and overcome
all our difficulties.
Second, though we may be perplexed, we will not be in despair. In our daily
living we often encounter many perplexing matters. Like mosquitoes from a
summer forest come upon men, difficult problems always come into our lives.
Recently I had a suffocating experience. A small group of people from another
denomination in Korea attacked me and our church severely by spreading a false
rumor.
Though this became such a heavy burden, I did not cancel previously arranged
meetings in Korea or in foreign countries. I went to Paris to preach. Before
going up to the pulpit, I earnestly prayed to God and my pain and anxiety
disappeared. I preached God`s word with great peace and the Holy Spirit
confirmed the Word with many sick people being healed. I had such a marvelous
experience that 10,000 people were wonderfully moved by the grace of God. I
felt "chilled to the bone", because I realized that my Treasure, Jesus Christ,
who is within my earthen vessel of clay, is so precious and powerful under any
circumstance, in spite of attacks from the enemy!
Unbelieving people of the world fall into despair when they are perplexed over
difficult situations, but Christians are different. In the same predicament,
Christians can pray to God and receive comfort. How great is our Lord`s
comfort! Today people hurt each other. Many people are easily wounded because
nobody cares or comforts them. Other people commit suicide. The "you and I"
relationships are becoming cold in the individualized industrial urban life
setting and consequently people feel powerless when bad things happen. If you
have the Treasure of Jesus Christ in your vessel, you can seek His comfort and
you can trust Him in any hardship.
For us to live in true happiness, we must pray to our Lord and receive His
comfort. As businessmen, you especially need comfort. I know there are
countless company owners struggling with sleepless nights because of the recent
recessions. Small businesses have small problems and big scale businesses have
big problems. I urge all our business people to draw closer to God, pray more,
and worship more. Tightly cling to the Treasure in you - Jesus Christ. Then you
will be able to relax in life and business because you are living with His
comfort, courage and victory.
We are persecuted but we will not be forsaken.
Throughout the world, you will not find anyone who is not persecuted if he is
eagerly advancing and doing better than other people. When you find that you
are persecuted by your competitors or peers know that your business is growing
rapidly. There would be no
persecution from your peers if your business was not strong. People think
persecution is a bad thing; however, it can be a gauge for measuring your work.
When you are persecuted while operating your business, do not complain. Do not
become resentful, or become discouraged. Rather, thank God! Forerunners in any
field must accept the fact that persecution by other people is unavoidable.
Throughout my ministry I have always been persecuted.
As a result of pasturing the biggest church in the world, I naturally became
the object of peer
persecution. The fact that I am being persecuted tells me our church has grown.
If our church were small there would be no need for Christians to persecute me.
I am especially attacked in Korea by Korean Christians. However when I travel
through Europe and America for crusade meetings, the attitude is different.
Americans are very receptive and cry out for help. "Let us learn from the Yoido
Full Gospel Church," they say.
So I try not to allow myself to be discouraged by my neighbor`s persecution
because my Treasure, Jesus Christ, is in me. I minister daily with the hope and
joy that I will never be forsaken, though I am persecuted. Those standing
Christ-centered will not be forsaken because of persecution. Being Christ
centered is already a great blessing from God. Then who can dare take away
God`s blessing? When God opens a door, no one can shut it! When God shuts a
door, no one can open it! When God promotes a man no man can drag him
down! So I pray this prayer often, "Lord, if I do not live according to Your
will, make me to repent. If I live according to the will of the Father, I
believe I never be forsaken by You even though the entire world would persecute
me."
Dear believers, businessmen, I do not have any personal ambitions now. Recently
someone came to me and shared shocking news. He said he heard from a certain
believer that I had deposited a huge amount of money in a bank in Switzerland.
I do not know any bank in Switzerland. I do not know how to deposit or
withdraw money! Momentarily, I was so hurt by that news, that I complained to
the Lord, "Lord, call me home to be with You. I have run with the gospel
business for the past twenty five years and what is this rumor about? What is
this evil rumor about me? I have worked hard for the Church - Your Church. Is
this the reward?" As I lamented in this way, all of a sudden, the 200,000
members of our church at that time
suddenly appeared in my heart and I determined to be strong instead of having
resentment. A sense of duty is really something I asked of the Lord and I felt
He gave me that sense of duty. I got my bearings and strengthened myself; then
I asked myself, "What if I had wavered? What would happen to these members,
these children of God?"
That same year, we saved money in our budget so that we could help finance many
churches on the Korean army compounds throughout our nation. They are all small
churches; however, those Christian leaders who were persecuting and criticizing
our church said that I built many palace-like church buildings throughout the
Korean Army compounds and that I greatly boasted about it. We did not build big
size churches on the army compounds and those critics did not offer a single
penny. If had not been standing Christ-centered, I would easily have been
crushed and broken by such persecution. But my Treasure, Jesus, is within me.
So I can overcome this persecution through prayer and hard work for the sake of
missions and evangelism. During persecution, when I cling to the Lord through
prayer, He comforts me through His word: "Cho, who are you looking at? You
behold Me only and obey My words!
I will never forsake you!" Then I always respond with, "Hallelujah, Lord I
thank You and as long as You use me I will do my best in evangelism. I will do
Your works!" When you are persecuted by other people, please thank God! As
long as you are living Christ-centered, Christ is at your side. Christ will be
at your side so you will not be forsaken but rather you will become a great
witness.
Last, today`s passage says, "We will be cast down but not destroyed." How much
courage are we given by this word? As long as God is with us even if we are
cast down a thousand times, we will not be destroyed. We will bounce back
because God is with Christians. Then
who can destroy us as long as we are not cast down by God? We are not to be
cast down.
You, Full Gospel Businessmen, are doing great things now! It does not matter if
other denominations attack us. We are doing evangelistic work around the world.
Because of the financial support of our members of the Full Gospel
Businessmen`s Fellowship, the soul-winning movement through radio and
television is rapidly spreading. Our Lord Jesus clearly states in Mark 16:15
"Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." If we
disregard the mass
communication vehicles that are very powerful for preaching the good news, we
will be rebuked by the Lord later. Even people of the world use the TV networks
to advertise their products. How can we ignore these networks in spreading this
supreme, valuable and eternally precious gospel of Christ?
Today Korean Christians boast of our centennial, the 600,000 Christians and
20,000 churches. But Koreans are ignoring the soul-winning potential through
the tools of mass communication. Most of the Korean churches take a very
passive attitude to this very important subject. You, Full Gospel Businessmen,
realized the significance of using mass communication, such as TV and radio in
witnessing the gospel. We are gradually increasing our use of television
networks as well as Japanese television networks. In the United States we are
broadcasting on television networks coast to coast. Which church in Korea has
achieved this much? I am not saying this to boast of our church. I am saying
that we try our very best to preach the gospel and we will not be cast down by
God.
Clay vessels can not do these kinds of things. It is only possible because in
our clay vessels we have a treasure - Jesus Christ. You possess the Treasure
within you. You will never be destroyed by people because within you is Jesus
Christ, the son of God, who created the heavens, the earth, and all the things
in it. Christians will never be destroyed.
Though we may be distressed, persecuted and cast down we must continue to
preach the gospel to the end of the world resisting the devil so that we can
evangelize all of Korea and the people of the world to prepare for our Lord
Jesus Christ to come.
God is with us and within us. Our Treasure, Jesus Christ, lives! We will never
be destroyed because the life of Jesus was given to us. You Christian
businessmen sacrificed your time and finances to preach the gospel. Your sowing
for the kingdom`s sake must be written in the kingdom of heaven. God will
reward you with His great glory. Do not look at the vessel of clay. Look at the
Treasure in it. Do not be discouraged under any circumstances. March on! Let us
always pray for the great miracles of Christ in our lives. As long as we are
holding the flag of the gospel of Christ we cannot withdraw. Our Lord says, "No
man, having put his hands to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the
kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Until Jesus` second coming we will march forward
with His gospel.
Solving Life's Problems-2 : YOU CAN RECEIVE HEALING FROM GOD
BY PETER YONGREN ( Canada )
e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.peteryongren.org
Perhaps you have decided to read this letter because you or members of your
family are suffering from sickness or disease. It could be that you have a
great desire to see the healing ministry of Jesus in operation today. Whatever
your reason, it is only through the help of the Holy Spirit that the biblical
truth about healing will become a reality in your life.
Divine healing is God`s supernatural impartation of health to someone who is
sick physically, emotionally, or mentally. Faith is certainly important. Yet
the correct term is not "faith healing," but divine healing. The source of
healing is never our own faith but the One who gives us faith - God Himself.
The Holy Spirit wants to help us know God`s healing love so that we can not
only personally experience it in our own lives, but also share it with others.
Divine healing comprises total healing for the total man. Although this letter
deals primarily with healing for your physical body, you will see that there is
often a connection between your physical, mental and emotional health.
As we study the topic of divine healing, keep in mind that the teaching in this
book should not detract from the greatest miracle a person can ever experience
-salvation through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The eternal miracle of
salvation transcends our earthly life.
The healing ministry of Jesus was never meant to be a phenomenon from the past.
The Book of Acts begins, "I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to
teach" (Acts 1:1, NIV). The word "began" indicates that the Gospel accounts
were merely a starting point. Indeed, the ministry of Jesus continues today.
Now ask the Holy Spirit to make these divine healing truths real to you, and He
will do so. God`s Heart of Love.
Her head was lowered, her face partly covered by a piece of cloth. One glance
betrayed the woman`s awful condition. She was blind. Although I have met many
like her, the sight of this particular woman remains indelibly imprinted in my
memory.
In her native country of India, it is a disgrace for a woman to cut her hair;
yet here I stood, looking at a blind woman whose head was completely shaven. I
thought, "There must be something peculiar about this."
Turning to a man beside me, I asked, "Why did she shave her head?"
"She has done it as an act of sacrifice to an idol.
She has probably carried her hair as an offering to one of the many Hindu
temples. Only a very desperate woman would have shamed herself in such a way,"
he responded.
It was difficult for me even to begin to comprehend the thoughts of rejection
and fear that must have filled this woman`s mind. Here she was, as blind and
desolate as before. How tragic! Her devastation was obvious and complete. I was
in India to teach the good news of Jesus Christ.
Tens of thousands were sitting in front of me on the cricket field,
representing every creed, cast and religion that you could imagine.
No doubt someone in this woman`s family had heard of our crusade and about the
healings, wonders and miracles that were occurring and had encouraged her to
come in a final attempt to receive healing.
A young girl, later identified as her granddaughter, was holding the woman`s
hand and probably wondering if this was yet another one of Grandma`s hopeless
attempts to regain her sight.
When I spoke to the audience that evening, I endeavored to introduce them to
Jesus Christ - the HEALER. I presented the One who is the POWER behind every
PROMISE in the Word of God. Suddenly, and to the utter astonishment of those
around her, the woman began to blink her eyes rapidly. She turned her shaved
head from side to side as a smile of indescribable joy
flooded her face. She could see! The granddaughter quickly realized what had
happened.
"Grandma can see! Grandma can see! Grandma can see!" she cried. A path quickly
opened for them, and together they rushed toward the platform. The woman told
her story. SHE HAD MET THE HEALER, JESUS CHRIST.
Her eyes were new, but more important, she had received new dignity and
self-worth. It Works Everywhere. This book will introduce you to God`s healing
power and love. The Word of God gives literally thousands of promises regarding
God`s willingness to help you.
There are promises for peace, protection, prosperity, healing, freedom, and a
new, uplifting lifestyle.These good things are already in God`s heart for you.
More important than the promises is the God who is behind these promises. I
have watched Him at work in over seventy nations around the world and have
found that there is no hopeless case with Him. He always has been, He is, and
He always will be the unchanging Healer. Nothing is too hard for Him.
The healing truths I give you in this letter have worked and produced results
among Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics and Protestants. They have touched
people of virtually all religions and those of no religious background. These
truths will work for you.
I appreciate medical science, with all the modern technology available to it.
It is a blessing to
suffering humanity, but it is limited. God certainly uses the skills and
knowledge of physicians. However, there is an important distinction between
medical science and divine healing from God. Medical science is God-given, but
it is not supernatural. It is a natural ability and knowledge acquired by man
that restores health to a sick body. This is good. We praise God for all those
who are helped through the efforts of the medical profession.
Healing from God through faith in Jesus Christ is different. It is
supernatural. It transcends human ability. Supernatural healing cannot be
explained through human logic. It is God Himself who intervenes and restores,
be it in the physical, mental or emotional realm. Medical science is often
forced to treat only the symptoms, rather than the actual disease. Even a cure
foe the common cold remains elusive. This is because man, with all his
abilities, is limited. Yet God`s healing, love and power flow from His heart
toward us. Before sickness ever touched a human body, God had provided a
solution to the sickness problem.
As we uncover God`s master plan, including His plan for the healing of your
body, ask the Holy Spirit to help you receive these truths.
Prepared by:
Ev.Bambang Wiyono
e-mail : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
millist : [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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