Prayer Journal: September 30, 2025
05. Jan. 2025 Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 1st Service
Scripture Reading: Genesis 13:14-18
▣ Introduction
Thank you. Today is the start of the answer of eternity. Already in the past as well, but now many people are in a situation where they cannot even offer worship. “Let us make a name for ourselves and build the tower of Babel.” Words no longer work. So that tower of Babel collapses completely, and God tells Abraham to leave from there.
So today, new believers must ask, “How can I live the life of faith properly?” We should ask this question, right? So let us draw the conclusion first now. For many of our church leaders, the question is, “How must I live the life of faith to have truly found the way?” I consider this the most important. What does it mean for our remnants to have truly found the way?
1. Gospel
Of course, we must first realize the gospel, but—
1) To be liberated from Satan’s 12 strategies
The gospel is to be liberated from Satan’s 12 strategies. It is tremendous.
2) That the Triune God is with you within you by the Holy Spirit
And the gospel is that the Triune God is, by the Holy Spirit, within you and with you now.
3) Because God is with me, I no longer need anything regarding “me.”
Therefore, in the gospel, nothing more regarding “me” is necessary. Because God, who is greater than I, is with me. But if one does not understand this statement, one has not understood the gospel.
“Why are you able to interpret dreams?” “Because the Lord is with me.” “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. For the Lord is my shepherd.” “We can enter into the fire.” “We can enter into the lions’ den.” “It is okay even if I die.” This is the life of faith.
※ Because this is not established, the gospel is not enjoyed, and disasters come (Genesis 3, 6, 11—me, mine, ours)
Because this is not established, the gospel is not enjoyed, and disasters keep coming upon the whole world now. They know nothing but themselves. Satan uses that and says, “You will be like God. If it is mine, that is all.” In this way they become the Nephilim. “Let’s be strong among ourselves.” This is the tower of Babel.
This is how it collapsed. It is the same now. At this time all over the world, there are too many spiritual problems, and things do not work out. We must quickly testify to this urgent gospel. We must quickly shine the light.
2. How will I be used for world evangelization with my work? The more accurate and factual, the better.
Then today, you only need to hold onto one thing and go. I will talk about various things. How does one live the life of faith properly?
1) Abraham, for whom the covenant that “through your seed all the peoples of the earth will be blessed” did not seem to fit
God spoke to Abraham: “Through your seed, the nations will be blessed. All the peoples of the earth will be blessed.” For Abraham, this was too difficult a word. It simply did not seem to fit. “But now You said, ‘Leave your country, your relatives, and your father’s household,’ and I left, and You say to save the nations? And ‘through your seed’—but I do not even have a child!” “Through your seed all the peoples of the earth will obtain blessing.” It simply did not fit.
From now on, what must you ponder deeply? How will I be used for world evangelization with my work? The more accurate, the better. The more factual, the better. Then your life has found the way.
2) Abraham, who lost the way and suffered to the point of death
“How can I do something that difficult?” Now Abraham lost the way. He is suffering to the point of death. Wherever he goes, death approaches. To the point that they try to kill Abraham and take his wife. He even suffered that twice. Wherever he goes, crises approach. Later even his nephew causes problems. So today’s main passage is the content of separating from his nephew. The words, “Through you the nations will be blessed,” did not make any sense to Abraham.
3. The characteristics of the 7 remnants
Remnants, you must remember. The 7 remnants had one thing that was different from their fathers. There was exactly one thing different from the adults. What is it? For how to do world evangelization, they had a schedule. This is what is different. This is far easier.
1) Joseph
“The sun, the moon, and the stars bowed down to me.” That is world evangelization. The brothers said, “He’s crazy.” People who do not know say that: “He’s crazy.” It is not insanity. He knew the way of world evangelization. Every path Joseph took was an answer. You must hold to this. The more accurate, the better. Abraham failed to hold this. He just went because he was told to go. Then unbelief arose. “Where will I go to make a living? And frankly, if I die, at least someone should hold a funeral. I have no child.” So he enticed his nephew. “Hey, come here.” Like this. “Let’s go.” Though he was told to leave his relatives, he said, “Let’s go.” This becomes another problem.
With a single word today, you must understand: The whole way of my life must be seen.
2) Moses
Moses failed to find this for 80 years. He had heard from his mother, but he could not find this way. Because he could not find it, nothing worked. He found it at age 80. Right?
3) Samuel and David
Those who realized the covenant of world evangelization from childhood were Samuel and David. Right? You must find this way. It is not difficult at all. No matter how far, God is set to accomplish it. For most of you, that way likely does not exist now. Most of you are probably living like Abraham. Things do not go well. Nothing works out. You do not see the way. As I know it, most church members are like this—suffering raw hardship, suffering that should not be done. God will continue to answer, but I cannot find it. Because there is no way. I lost hold of it. If I only go on that way, just going quietly, answers come. Joseph went as a slave, and that was a blessing. He was falsely accused and went to prison, and that too was a blessing. He met the king, and that too was a blessing. He became prime minister, and that too was a blessing. Of course. Young David knew this too well. “You will build the temple. Carefully keep the ark of the covenant. Build a temple with a courtyard for world evangelization.” David had all the answers. He had it from his youth. These are the 7 remnants.
※ If you only know the way, the Lord will set up the bartizan, the journey, and the guideposts and make you go.
We Christians have almost all lost hold of this. It is not even that we are commanded to do it—if you only know the way. On the way you go, the Lord will set up the bartizan, the journey, and the guideposts and make you go. Today you must surely realize this.
※ Find the schedule in your life for going on God’s way.
Since we fail to realize it, the Nephilim now realize it. Bill Gates already left university. “I will do this and move the whole world.” The late Steve Jobs said, “We can put the whole world in this mobile phone. I will devote to the world.” Is that insanity? It turned out that way, didn’t it?
What did Jim Rogers, who came to Korea, say? “I will retire at 46. After retiring at 46, I will travel the world and serve.” Indeed. It happened that way. He retired at 46. He is traveling the whole world now. He is smart. He even took on a North Korean defector as his secretary. Why? Because he intends to invest in North Korea. It is tremendous. An unbeliever is doing this.
So Abraham was not becoming it. By God’s grace, it was truly realized. Friends, saying “I can do what is impossible” is nonsense, right? Saying “I can do what is impossible.” And saying “I cannot do what is possible” also does not make sense, right? Yet this is how we are living the life of faith. We say we will do what we cannot do, and we do not do what we can do. Find the schedule in my lifetime for going on God’s way. Just watch and see whether it works or not.
There is a person I truly liked and respected, about ten years older than I. I found that there was so much I could learn from him. He was truly diligent. He graduated from Seoul National University, served as a judge, and worked as a lawyer. Sadly, he passed away at age 70, but I found that he lacked exactly one thing. He was truly smart, but he did not have it. What was it? He had no schedule of evangelism and missions for the future in his life. I intended to tell him, but I could not. If a person like that had it, he would have become tremendous.
▣ Main
By now you have probably caught it—what this means. “But how can we do something that difficult?”
1. The timetable to change what one possesses
First. For Abraham, it became the timetable to change what he possessed.
1) Genesis 13:14–18
“It was after Lot separated from Abram.” This means after Abraham laid down all unbelief. It means after he laid down all the scheming. From that time he began to build an altar. This is important. He began to build an altar holding to the covenant, and what did God say? “Now arise and walk through the land to the north and south, east and west. Look to the north, south, east, and west. Travel through its length and breadth. I will give it to you forever.” It was finished now. Abraham ended unbelief. He saw the way. Then even when it came to yielding, he yielded everything to his nephew. “You choose first.”
2) Genesis 14:14–24
A war broke out and Lot was about to die, his nephew. He took 318 trained men and went. He returned in victory. Besides the spoils, the king of Sodom gave Abraham a large sum of money. Abraham said he could not receive it. “Later you will say that I became rich because of you, will you not? I cannot receive it.” On his return he gave a tithe of the spoils to Melchizedek.
3) Genesis 15:1–6
In chapter 15, God spoke thus: “I am your shield; I am your very great reward.” Who can say anything? “I am your shield and your reward.” It had become time to change things. The timetable is important.
2. The timetable to find what is genuine
Second. For Abraham, it now became the timetable to find what is genuine.
1) Genesis 17:1–8
In chapter 17 it says this. There is a word we must surely learn: “Do not call your name Abram, but Abraham.” To say it again: “You are the father of many nations. You are the father of world evangelization. You must see that schedule. By any means I will do it, so you must see that way.” And what then? Abraham believed that.
2) Genesis 18:1–19
In chapter 18 he entertained guests, and later he realized he had entertained angels. What came forth then? “Around this time next year, you will bear a son.” That son is Isaac. It was promised. This is Abraham beginning properly to find God’s covenant.
3) Genesis 22:1–18
Not only that. The child was growing well, and the Scripture says: “To test Abraham, God said, ‘Take your son, your only son whom you love, and go to Mount Moriah and offer him there.’” Ah, what is this? Abraham had so many possible excuses. But what should he do?
He took his son and went. As they went up the mountain, the son asked, “Father, every year when we offer sacrifice we take a ram; why is there no ram?” He asked this. At that time Abraham could have said one word, right? “Perhaps God’s taste has changed; He says to offer you.” It would not have been a lie. But then the son would be shocked and think, “Father has become strange. My father has gone strange,” and run away. What did he answer at that time? “God Himself will provide.” He did not say anything else.
The Bible says God was testing him. When he truly tried to offer his son, what did God say? At that time God prepared a ram. He planted the gospel that cannot ever be forgotten. He engraved the gospel into Isaac forever—the ram. He engraved the gospel that Abraham can never forget. Without Christ, we cannot block disasters on this earth. We cannot block those spiritual problems. We cannot block those fights. Those battles in darkness cannot be blocked except by the light. “A ram in place of your son.” This is the gospel.
At that time several words were spoken. Did not God give several important promises to Abraham then? “Through your seed all the peoples of the earth will be blessed. You will possess the gate of your enemies. I will multiply your seed.” He promised. The most important—“You will possess the gate of your enemies.” He found it exactly. He found the way of world evangelization.
3. The timetable to establish the way of world evangelization (Genesis 26:12–25)
Third. The timetable came out to establish the way of world evangelization.
1) Source of springs
In that timetable, Abraham dug wells in various places. He was rich. It is the way of world missions. He dug wells in various places. The enemies came and, out of jealousy, stopped up all those wells of Isaac. Right? What did God do? He made Isaac obtain the source of springs.
2) The blessing of one hundredfold in one year
He farmed, and a hundredfold came out. He blessed him with the blessing of one hundredfold in one year. Why? Because he had to do world evangelization. Remnants earn in one year what would normally take one hundred years. Why? Because they must do world evangelization.
3) Rehoboth
The enemy came and kept blocking, but God gave a larger land—the blessing of Rehoboth. You must hold to this covenant.
4) The covenant fulfilled in Joseph
In the end, this covenant is fulfilled in the grandson. Who is it? Joseph. It begins to be fulfilled amazingly. It is used in the work of breaking the darkness, timed exactly with the age of Egypt.
▣ Conclusion
Today, it is enough even if you only think.
1. When I was in charge of Sunday School
When I was in charge of Sunday School, I thought, “How can I preach the gospel to these children and evangelize them?” A burning heart arose. But the children could not listen to the Word. So I realized, “Ah, I must meet the sixth graders separately. They will soon go to middle school; if they go then, it will be the end—what should I do?” Then what I realized was the House of Peace. I realized the tremendous thing in the Bible. So at the homes of church members who had larger spaces, I gathered the children and had House of Peace meetings. I did that in seven places, and more than a thousand children flocked in. It is not difficult. How will I evangelize throughout my life? You must have the way firmly. Even moment by moment, you need that answer.
2. When I was in the military
Did I not say it before? The most difficult time for me was when I suddenly went to a unit where I had to undergo training for a full year. A year. I felt like dying. I trained for a whole year—all day long. At that time I thought: we trained 50 minutes and rested 10 minutes, trained 50 minutes and rested 10 minutes, and at each 10-minute break I thought, “There must be a prepared disciple in here. I will find that disciple.” How to find him? I do not know. I only need to realize it. There must surely be a disciple here. Right? The reason God sent me here is that there must surely be a disciple. Of all times, why send me to such a difficult place where we only receive training? No need to say more. From that time God worked—the commanding officer accepted Christ. Not to mention others—the commanding officer accepted. Later, every Wednesday I preached a message to all the soldiers gathered together. It is a remarkable thing. I am telling you to hold to the covenant.
3. When I began in Yeongdo
When I went to Yeongdo in Busan and quietly began, there was nothing—what should I do? I could not even dream of such a fine church. There was no church building at all. I prayed to God. “It does not matter. I will spread the movement of the Word throughout all of Yeongdo.” I spread it. Thousands of disciples arose.
4. Regarding building the temple
God did not permit the temple. Why do we need a temple? Now go see Busan. Just looking at it now makes you dizzy. I realized late—the three courtyards. The moment I held to that covenant, God began to give every answer.
5. The current timetable
Now our church is in earnest training the 5,000 tribes. We bring them and train them. Then we send them out to evangelize. We must send them to block that darkness. They are falling into disaster and dying. We must save them. There is no way.
Now look at the situation of our nation. There is no way. That is a spiritual problem. They are caught in spiritual problems and absolutely cannot listen to others. It is not that they will not listen; they cannot listen. Even if they are ruined, only after receiving disaster and being ruined will they listen. Even ruined, they cannot listen. Before that, we must shine the light.
Today you must firmly hold to this covenant. There is no need to be hasty. The more accurate, the better. If you set the schedule accurately, remnants must surely hold it. If you do this, you will see that answers are prepared in every place you go. It is true.
Someone sent me a text: “Pastor, please do not boast so much.” “Understood. Thank you.” I try not to as much as possible, but I cannot help it. This is not boasting. Right?
※ Everyone is trapped in darkness and spiritual problems and cannot listen. There is no way to solve the darkness. The light is needed. We must first remove the darkness.
All are trapped in darkness and cannot hear. Trapped in spiritual problems, they cannot listen. This battle is now arising across the nation and the world. It is arising throughout the whole country. Will North Korea listen to us? Without the light shining, there is no way to solve that darkness. Will Russia listen to us then? If we say, “Do not wage war,” will they not wage it? The whole world is in turmoil. The light is needed. Therefore we must first remove the darkness.
Begin the important start of this year truly and properly. You will see what God does. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that this blessing will overflow. Let us pray.
Prayer. We give thanks to God. Let us find our way. Let us see the way of world evangelization. Though it is absolutely impossible, by God’s creative power let the light shine. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.