I welcome you and wish you peace in your heart. And that you will be blessed by the new message that you are hearing.
When I was in China I met Mrs. Jang who was severely depressed. Before she got married she had been very smart and was an active volleyball player. Her condition worsened as she did not want to meet anyone. Finally she could not work any longer. Her thoughts were very distracted. Her husband was my co-worker and he asked me if they were to believe in God would that help for her depression? I said yes, God can cure depression, and so I visited his home.
As I introduced the Bible to them, I told them there is good medicine for her condition.
“It is very good medicine, will you try it?” I asked.
“This medicine works almost 100% and I guarantee you will feel better. Will you try it?” She said, “Yes, I will, but what’s the name of this medicine? I have tried all kinds of expensive medicines, but nothing works for me so far.”
“Sing at least seven songs a day, please.”
My plan was to teach her to sing hymns. She laughed at me in disbelief. I could read her expression, “What kind of help will I get out of that?” But I insisted for her to try. It almost sounded like a magic mantra to her, but as she sang and memorized the lyrics of the songs and Bible verses, her condition got better.
There was another story about a man who had the same problem. He had tried all kinds of medicine, but they didn’t cure his depression. So I wrote a text from the Bible for him, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but has eternal life.” John 3:16, and I told him to memorize this verse. But he said he couldn’t concentrate very well. I guess depression patients or any sick patients can’t memorize things very well.
So I wrote the verse on pieces of paper and hung it on several different places, in the kitchen, bathroom, side post and everywhere. And I encouraged him to read and memorize it. Later he began to memorize the verse, and he stopped worrying because he was so focused on the verse and had no time to worry.
The next time I visited him I began to write little longer verses for him to memorize. Psalms 23:1-6
“The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and loving kindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” Psalm 23:1-6.
This was a much longer memory verse and he complained to me saying, “Why are you making me so busy?” He said that he didn’t have time to worry any more. By God’s power he also recovered from his depression. I believe God’s words are so powerful, and those patients who got well proved it. Singing hymns has definite power.
There are many good materials that can help us to be happy and joyful. No matter how many bags of salt you may have, if you do not use it in your soup preparation, your soup will be tasteless. And it is possible you can die of thirst if you do not plan to drink the water when you have a well right next to you. If you do not fetch the water and drink it, what good will it be for you? And if you don’t drink it, how would you know its taste? The gracious Words of God are good for the one who drinks them.
A lady who lived in Nam-Won told me she couldn’t leave her home as she needed to, because whenever she leaves, her husband won’t eat anything until she comes back. She prepares all the food for him and sets it out on top of the counter before she leaves. But he won’t eat, he just waits for her to come home.
Our God has presented His grace and salvation in many different ways and He has made them available in the Bible and in numerous hymns for us to eat and drink of to live.
I realized one thing as we learned the New Start program. All the essential substances such as air, water and sunshine are in abundance everywhere and were given to us free of charge. Also there are many places where we can exercise. Because it is free, we often forget the value of it, but they are the essentials for our life. Often times we think that very expensive herbal medicines, such as ginseng or antlers of the young deer, will help us to maintain a healthy life. But actually God has given us so many things that are free. Meaningful life, happiness and health don’t come from expensive extra lessons, or you do not have to pay six hundred thousand dollars for something that other people say is good. We are wasting our money and time with these unnecessary things. So I think we human beings are not that smart. It is a lie if we think humans are smart.
Jesus told us to learn from the birds of the air and the lily of the field, or learn from dandelions that bloom and are gone along the roadside. He pointed us to the birds and the lilies that we might learn about faith, instead of pointing at Moses, Daniel or Joseph. We have not seen them having worries or struggles, have we?
The sparrows in the air eat just a little and say, “It’s enough for today,” and they happily sing and fly here and there all day long. If we were to ask them, “don’t you worry about tomorrow?” Then they would answer, “God is still alive and He will feed us tomorrow, why would we worry?”
And look at the dandelions. How beautiful they are. They look so beautiful from near and far, and under the microscope. If they were afraid regarding possible danger they wouldn’t bloom so beautifully.
A little later someone may come and say how beautiful the dandelions are, and pick them, or goats may come along and nibble them up, or a farmer may pluck them away thinking they are weeds as he passes by. If the dandelion worries about all those risky things, how could it bloom so yellow and beautiful? They would rather turn blue and be scared to death. (Laughter)
But they are telling us, even though someone comes and picks me up, or goats may come and nibble me up, or the farmer plucks me away with his hoe, God’s grace is enough for me. They are telling us as long as there is sunshine and a few drops of dew that is enough for us, so how could we not be thankful to God and bloom so beautifully. But people are saying, we are different, it may be enough for sparrows, but for our declining age we must pile up some wealth.
Some people may wonder why I am moving my family to here or there without having my own home? I know what they are telling me. They are saying, “Don’t you worry about your retirement?” But why would I? Instead of retirement funds, we should prepare for matters after death.
Our country (South Korea) has a very good senior support system, and our church has a food ministry. The church members visit solitary seniors and deliver food to them. And not only the churches, but also the town offices are there to support them. Every season they take them to hot springs and sightseeing. The solitary person is given a monthly support for their living expenses. When I get older I may be the one to be supported, but who knows…? Our country supports the poor and the disabled when they are sick. These are free services so, instead, I think we should worry more about matters after death. We need to trust God and live like the dandelion and the sparrows who depend on God. We worry too much about our children and our old age. Instead of that let us enjoy air, water and sunshine that our gracious God has given us. To be happy we need to sing and memorize Bible verses.
Soon you will know what peace and satisfaction mean. We are often forgetful, but when we sing and memorize Bible verses we will be blessed and will be saved. Heaven can be established among us as we live this way every day.
There have been many a times when I worry about things, but when the darkness overshadows my mind I start singing. By the time I sing about three songs my worries are gone. Sometimes, even before I finish a song, a sense of guilt, hatred or depression will disappear.
I recommend that you memorize the song titled “Fountain will flow down in the desert.” I have memorized about thirty songs, so whenever the negative thoughts begin to bother me, I start
singing.
Some people feel that money, diplomas, or a job are insurance to take their cares away, but I prepare my mind with Bible texts and hymns to sing. I recommend you try it. Yesterday we studied Heaven in four different ways. It is like sowing seeds in the field. My wish is that you will be a good field. No matter what kind of circumstances you are in, even though you may not have money, property or good health, you will still be happy and rejoicing.
Then others will watch you with much interest and wonder how you could still be happy in your situation, even though they have a fancy car, a beautiful home or a secure job. They will watch Christians and wonder why they are so happy. Christians are a good field and because of these people many others will say, “I want to join your church.”
Next I mentioned that Heaven starts as a small mustard seed, but later it grows big and fills our heart. Heaven is a power to comfort us when all our hopes have disappeared. It is like a hidden treasure. Have you found Jesus the hidden treasure through this lecture?
Are you not sure yet? If so, I recommend that you pray about it. If you seek and pray as, “Please open my heart and clear my mind. I want to understand Heaven not only by my brain, but also with my heart. Please clear my confusion and let me see your holiness and your kingdom. Jesus has hidden great secrets in it.” When you ask He will show you. I saw it and because I’ve seen it, I do not have much interest in earthly things. There is the indescribable spiritual world that gives us joy, peace, and happiness, and it will overflow in us.
Some day you will find that world in Jesus, and we should do as the farmer has done. No matter what other people say, once you have found Jesus you should stay focused on Him. I really want you to stay and not go back to your old ways. Next, I told you that Heaven is like the 4th dimension world. It is not a fantasy, but there is space for the 4th dimension world and it actually exists.
Just as if we drive 100km per hour, we will arrive in Seoul within two hours, Heaven is practically there. In Heaven all our wishes will come true, we will love one another with nothing withheld, and we can sing songs together in perfect harmony in love and freedom.
There is a 4th dimension world, and when we arrive there we will testify to the unfallen residents in Heaven about what we have seen and done on earth. On earth some of us might have been just small gardeners and our minds and hearts have been all so tired. Perhaps no one recognizes us.
But up in Heaven we will be the main characters. My prayer is that you might overcome all the hardships on earth with the hope of Heaven and the expectation of a glorious day. As we look at the dandelion or a lily, they never give us any burdens, from far away or close by, but they are always pretty. How about people?
Perhaps we look may nice from a distance, but as we get closer we can find each other’s flaws. And if we look through the magnifying glass how will it be? If we have faith that Jesus will save us and bless us, then we may live like dandelions, or even better.
Let me show you another aspect of Heaven. Matthew 20:1-16
“For the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard. About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’
So they went. He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’ ‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered. He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’ When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his supervisor, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’ The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These men who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’ But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am not being unfair to you. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. If I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you, don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’ So the last will be first and the first will be last.” Matthew 20:1-16
Here it says that Heaven is like a landowner who hires the laborer to work in His vineyard. What does that mean? There is a vineyard and it is big, so the owner needs laborers. Since seven in the morning, workers were waiting to be hired at the market place. They are day laborers.
He said, “Come to my vineyard, I will pay you a Denarius a day,” He selected laborers.
After breakfast he went out again around nine o’clock and he saw some laborers still lingering around there. “Why are you still standing here? Come to my vineyard and work, it’s not too late.”
Again he went out about eleven o’clock, and then at one o’clock after lunch, “Why are you still standing here?”
“There is no job.”
“Why don’t you come and work in my vineyard.”
“Is it really ok to join this late?”
“Just go there, I will pay you as you worked.”
And in the evening about five o’clock, he went out and found one more person standing on the side of the road and he looked as skinny as I am. Maybe no one thought he would be a good worker and who knows that may be why no one hired him.
“Why are you idling all day long here?’
“No one hired me, sir.”
“Go and work in my vineyard.”
“It’s almost sunset, sir, are you sure it is ok?”
“Just go and work anyway, I will pay you.”
After an hour all the work was finished. Who did He call to pay at first? He called the man who came at five o’clock and He paid him a denarius. So the one who came early in the morning expected to get paid more than one denarius. But each of them received a denarius. When they received it, they grumbled at the landowner, “It is unfair and illogical.” Don’t they sound about right?
“This last man only worked one hour, but you have paid an equal amount as those who worked much harder under the scorching hot sun. It is not fair,” they said. But he answered and said, “Friend, I am not doing anything wrong to you, didn’t you agree with me for a denarius? Take what is yours and go, but if I wish to pay this last man the same amount, that is my business. Why are you grumbling?” They could not complain any more.
He is telling us that this is Heaven. What does that mean? Past or present, the poorest people are usually the day laborers.
In Korea the situation has changed a lot, so that these day laborers working as carpenters or plasterers will all come to work with their own car. If I tell this to the Chinese people they don’t believe it, because they are not in that condition. 2000 years ago the day laborers were having a hard time to feed themselves and some days they could eat only one meal. Many Chinese people are having that kind of condition now.
We find many laborers are standing near the train station or at the intersection waiting all day long to see if anyone will hire them. The same situation happened 2000 years ago as it does today. I assume the worker who waited from morning until five in the evening, may not have had any food in their house. The food might have been all gone two days ago. When he said goodbye to his children and wife in the morning, I suppose he told them to just wait one more day, he promised he would try his best to bring some food home today.
He waited – 7 o’clock, 9 o’clock, 1 o’clock, 3 o’clock, and all day long until 5 o’clock, but no one hired him. The 11th hour in the Bible is the same as 5 pm these days. Why couldn’t this man go home yet? He must have known there wasn’t any chance to be hired after 5 pm. But he couldn’t go home with empty hands knowing his hungry children and wife were at home waiting for him to bring some food.
This landowner is asking the other laborers, “Can’t you understand this man’s dire situation, who stood out there all day long, with a disheartened, miserable and troubled heart? You may not understand him, but I do understand him.” He told the workers who were still disgruntled, “Physically you may have worked harder, but mentally he really had a miserable day.”
We human beings are not interested in other people’s problems or pain because we are selfish and sinful. We do not want to understand their pain. We are interested in and concerned about only our family, our relatives, our country, and that is all there is to it. As we see how we are, we are sinners.
However, it is so fortunate that our God is different from us. His character is like the owner of the vineyard who understands our sorrows and agony.
About 80% of Chinese people are farmers. In the countryside most farmers can’t support their children through junior or senior high school, so the farmers move to bigger cities hoping to make more money. But there aren’t any jobs waiting for them. Then they make a big sign and hang it around their neck. The sign reads, “Plasterer” or “Tile Layer” and they stand out there all day long in the cold winter or hot summer… yet no one would hire them. If someone stops to hire one, then a group of these day workers will gather around him and compete to be hired.
Often times I would pass through the streets where they were standing, but I did not pay attention to them. Once in a while, however, I would wonder where they came from. Without work what went through their mind all day long? But I just passed by them.
After I arrived in China, I made an effort to learn the Chinese language. Then I had an opportunity to teach the Korean language to Chinese people from 4 pm to 8 pm. On the way back home from teaching, I would always pass by a big restaurant. That restaurant had lots of windows, so I could see inside.
Many well dressed people were eating there and I knew they paid roughly $100.00 per meal. Outside the restaurant a group of children about 8 or 9 years old were holding roses for sale, and they were waiting for the diners to come out. These kids were shivering outside in the cold weather. When the people came out of the restaurant the children would gather around them and beg them to buy their flowers. But they shook their heads and hurried off, and disappeared into their shiny luxury cars. I suppose they were thinking that it was their own money and they would spend it as they wished. There isn’t anything you could to say about it. But I believe
when Jesus comes He won’t say they have not sinned.
I am telling you, our God is not that kind of God. The man who came at 5 o’clock worked only an hour. When the landowner called workers to get paid, would you say he could line up quickly? He was standing at a far distance, hoping to be told to come back tomorrow. Then even though he didn’t get paid that day, it would be worth his short labor. He may be walking back and forth nervously hoping he will get called for tomorrow, but the owner saw him and called him the very first to get his wage. When he got a denarius he must have been so moved by His generosity.
A sack of rice might have been a little too expensive for him to buy that night, but he could bring some bundles of noodles and barley bags in both hands. How happy he must have been. His children and wife were very proud of him I am sure. For once in a long time they had a good dinner. His wife asked him, “Honey, where did you work today?” “Oh, well. Actually I couldn’t find a job till 5 o’clock, but I met a generous landowner and he called me to work. I only worked for an hour, but he paid me a whole day’s wages. I can’t believe this at all. And not only that, but he told me to come back to work again tomorrow.
The whole family would be thankful to the landowner. The next day, who do you think worked the hardest? There is no question that it was him. He may have spared his break time to go to the bathroom, while others were lazy and took it easy whenever the owner wasn’t watching them. He must have thought I will do anything for this kind owner of the vineyard. Let’s read verse 16.
“So the last shall be first, and the first last.” Matthew 16:16
The meaning of this verse is that the last believer can have a lot more fervent zeal than the early believers. So, how many years we have believed that the position of deacon or elder, doesn’t really matter too much.
The important thing is what kind of mindset I have toward Christ who died on the cross for me. The more important thing is whether I am deeply moved by Him and have gratitude toward Him or not. As I read this verse I can understand why the last believers can be more enthusiastic.
I don’t want you to think that you are too old to believe in God. Don’t ever think, “I am already a 60 or 70 year old man, why don’t I just live how I lived and then die?” What does it say here? Here it says the last ones can be more sincere and faithful, and have fervent zeal. They may enter into Heaven first.
As I look around you, some of you are already reaching toward sunset. But please don’t worry because you are 70 or 80 years old, you still can pray to Him fervently, and thank Him deeply. God said He is searching for those kind of people even today. So I am telling you today that Heaven is like the generous landowner who is hiring workers at the vineyard. Even though you are a latecomer don’t worry. Pray to God and be thankful to Him who promised us Heaven. I wish that you have this hope in His promise.
