2024.11.23 Core Message
Scripture Reading: Acts 8:4-8
▣ Introduction – 24
Thank you. I heard that the deaconesses of our church have organized a 24-hour prayer team. So, you can also recover your health and comfortably do 24 in the way that works best for you.
1. Morning (1:1) (Continuous) – 10 seconds, 7.7.7
As I mentioned earlier, in the morning, simply open your eyes and keep praying as you move about. For your health, breathe 1:1 while continuing to pray. This has a tremendous effect. Morning is about continuous prayer and breathing in a 1:1 rhythm. Those who have had cancer must do this. And we never know when we might get sick, so we do this also to guard our health.
Continuous means to keep inhaling deeply and exhaling continuously. One inhale and one exhale will take about 10 seconds—that is the standard. Even without counting, if you inhale slowly, it will take about 5 seconds, and if you exhale slowly, about 5 or 6 seconds. That means about 6 breaths per minute, which is best for your health. Try doing this continuously while in prayer.
When inhaling, pray through each item (7〮7〮7), and when exhaling, pray for me, for the pastors, and for North Korea—whatever is on your 24-hour prayer list. The important point is this (continuous – 10 seconds, 7〮7〮7). Do it so that it becomes true prayer.
2. Everything
During the day, turn everything into prayer. Because you have to be active during the day, set your focus on your lower abdomen. If you are sitting now and place your focus slightly on your lower abdomen, your breathing will naturally become longer. At the same time, turn everything into prayer. This is very beneficial to your health. Doing this (Introduction 1) will revive your brain and your lungs as well.
3. Night – Deep prayer (1:2:4)
At night, breathe so slowly it is almost like not breathing—like an animal in hibernation. They stay still, yet they are breathing. Breathe that slowly as you go deep into prayer. At this time, use the 1:2:4 method—inhaling slowly for about 1 second, holding for 2 seconds, and exhaling for 4 seconds. Do this very slowly. Then your prayer will deepen, your health will revive, and everything will connect together.
(1) Disaster
Right now, this age is under 24 disasters. This is why you must pray—especially for North Korea. Being under disaster means the powerful nations are continually at war. So far, there have been about 12,000 wars. Added to that are dictators and wrong ideologies, so conflicts keep breaking out. We never know when disaster will strike.
(2) Curse
This is why people are living their lives entirely under curses.
(3) Darkness
They are completely in darkness. Young people don’t even know why they live. They suffer to the point where they have no clear reason for life. Looking at many young people—those newly married, for example—you see they often have wounds from their parents, and their spiritual lives are shaken. If you live like that now, it will be a disaster for the next generation. You’ve seen older people struggling; that same thing will come to the future generation unless you completely turn it into prayer.
Gospel peace unification
There is only one way for North Korea: unification through the gospel.
1. Spiritual wind
If you hold on to this mystery (Introduction), a great spiritual wind will first blow. When you, especially the 24-hour prayer teams, pray, a tremendous spiritual wind rises.
2. Victory without fighting
And you win without fighting. The 7 remnants all won without fighting.
3. Binding the darkness
Each time you pray, the forces of darkness are bound.
“The Samaritan Evangelism”
Thus, evangelism to North Korea is like evangelism to Samaria.
▣ Main message
1. History
You know the history of Samaria. After David became king and prepared for the temple, Solomon became king. Israel became so developed that neighboring nations dreamed of seeing Solomon. In the past, one way to make peace was to take a family member—often the king’s daughter—in marriage. Thousands came to Solomon in this way because Israel was so powerful at that time.
These women had nothing to do, so they asked Solomon to let them worship the gods they had served back home, because they missed their homeland and were bored. Solomon should have said no, but he allowed it. Israel became a land of idols. At that time, Israel split into two—Israel and Judah. Israel’s capital was Samaria, and Judah’s was Jerusalem—just like North and South Korea today.
Around B.C. 722, Assyria invaded. They took all the men of Israel and sold them as slaves in the markets. They brought in foreign slaves and scattered them throughout Israel. Over time, the women married these foreign men, and the Samaritans were despised and considered non-people.
Later, around B.C. 586, Babylon took the people of Judah into captivity. The south returned from Babylon and maintained themselves, but the north did not. On top of that, the Samaritans worshiped idols, so they became a troubled people. Their historical background was this: when traveling north, people would go around Samaria to avoid it, considering it cursed. That is why, when Jesus asked the Samaritan woman for water, she said, “You are a Jew. How can you ask me for a drink?”—meaning Jews did not associate with Samaritans. This is similar to how North and South Korea are divided today.
2. Need (Gospel)
What North Korea needs most:
1) Evangelism disciples
They need disciples who will only proclaim the gospel—not those aiming to build their own revival or seek personal gain. You must never exploit North Koreans; only give them the gospel.
2) Only Christ
North Korea needs only Christ—not just Christ in name, but only Christ in reality.
3) Only healing
North Korea needs massive healing—true, complete healing. When this is prepared, God will open the doors to North Korea peacefully. There is no other way but the gospel. What else could unify North and South? Only the gospel.
If war breaks out, it will be completely disastrous on both sides. We cannot predict what they might do. This is why we must pray.
3. Method
There is only one method for North Korea missions: through the future generations—those who have come out of North Korea or our remnant generations.
1) Acts 17:1
2) Acts 18:4
3) Acts 19:8
Paul staked his life on breaking into these places. Those doing North Korea missions must establish absolute bartizans here and give their lives to it. It will be resolved only when remnants rise within North Korea or go into North Korea and begin a gospel movement.
Ephesians 6:12
Why do we need a 24-hour prayer team? Ephesians 6:12 says our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against Satan—rulers, authorities, and spiritual forces of evil. Satan holds the governments, the rulers, false religions, and criminal organizations in his grip. This is why we must truly put North Korea in our 24-hour prayers.
In some ways, there is no place more urgent than our nation right now. Sometimes leaders start wars when cornered or desperate—history has many examples. This is why you must pray for North Korea. While preparing this message, I realized, “I haven’t been praying for North Korea in 24-hour prayer.” I felt sorry to the North Korea team and decided to start today, praying in the name of Jesus Christ for the complete binding of the darkness over North Korea.
John 16:11–14
Satan invisibly controls everything, ruling as a false king.
2 Corinthians 4:4–5
He is called the god of this age.
2 Corinthians 10:4–5
He builds bartizans and strongholds in people’s lives.
Matthew 12:26–30
He completely possesses individuals and takes them captive.
Receiving the gospel is an immeasurably great thing. The moment you receive salvation, everything changes.
John 14:16
At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit begins to work in you.
1 Corinthians 3:16
Paul said, “Don’t you know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
When you are filled with the Spirit, you will receive power and be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth.
I am thankful for our prayer teams. Especially you who hear this message—find your 24-hour prayer. Include North Korea in it. Until last week, I hadn’t thought of it, but now I will. I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that the darkness over North Korea will be completely bound.