Prayer Journal: October 29, 2025
26. Jan. 2025 Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service
Scripture Reading: Genesis 39:19-23
The world must be evangelized, yet difficulties sometimes arise before us. What should we do then? At times, great hardships also come. What do most people do in such times? Many people, and this is when it matters, are greatly shaken. When I went to evangelize our middle and high school department, I explained the gospel like this: What does God’s Word say about the problems happening right now? Last week, this kind of incident occurred—what does the Bible say about it? I wrote letters on that basis. As soon as I came to this town, I also wrote gospel letters. I didn’t even get to the tenth; by the eighth letter, works arose. So I supplemented the remaining two. Now, listen carefully. Many of your answers lie in other places. For example, last week a singer many of you love committed suicide. Why did they do it? What is the answer, and what does the Bible say? When you give answers like this, remarkable works arise.
Now then, on one side, a great disaster was striking Egypt. It began together with the disasters striking the whole world. On the other side, there was one person who would proclaim the gospel, and that was Joseph. They put Joseph in prison. How do you think about that? The woman kept tempting Joseph. Even then, Joseph resisted, so the woman stripped Joseph’s garment. Yet Joseph still resisted. Then the woman shouted. She seized Joseph’s garment as evidence. The law stands on evidence. Presenting the evidence, they argued their case, and Joseph was put into prison. Such paired events were taking place. Therefore, for tomorrow and beyond, you must have a proper view of the world. You must see the Word rightly.
This was the exact beginning of world evangelization. That is, Joseph was now being taken to prison. But it was the prison where the king’s prisoners were confined. Was that a coincidence? You must know that, in the things that happen to you going forward in your life of faith, God’s blessings are almost always prepared. Therefore, not once did Joseph stumble because of this woman, call her evil, or seek revenge. There was none of that. Genesis 39:19–23 is the scene you all read together of entering the prison.
▣ Introduction [Genesis 37:1–11]
Now Genesis 37:1–11 connects with Joseph’s dreams. Joseph had a clear dream of world evangelization, and this is what happened. Here something tremendous takes place. If you cannot open your eyes to this, you cannot live a life of faith. The Pharisees, who were in the wrong, were seizing people and killing them—if God is alive, why was the Early Church persecuted? The Bible does not present that kind of complaint. How will you live a life of faith? Rome persecuted Christians for 250 years. How will you live a life of faith?
(Prison)
He went to a place called prison. This prison is the place where this mystery is fulfilled. It connects exactly like that. So take what is happening to you and compare it with what is in the Bible. Read them in alignment. This is the timetable when God’s special grace becomes visible. And that is not all. Look at the Bible.
1. Abraham (Genesis 12:1–3)
Events broke out around Abraham that almost brought him to death. From the very beginning God promised world missions. Even though he had no child, it was said, “All peoples will be blessed through your seed.” But incidents kept bursting forth around Abraham. Every one of them was a step toward world evangelization. Therefore, those who truly lived the life of faith were not shaken by persecution. Those who truly lived the life of faith, people of prayer, when they saw hardships, knew they were not hardships. Truly. If you cannot see that, you miss the real thing.
2. Moses’s hardship (Exodus 3:1–20)
One day, hardship came to Moses. To what extent? He fled and hid in Midian for forty years. At that time God called him—right on time. The astonishing history of the Exodus began. You need this eye to see the world tomorrow. There is nothing to be dismayed about. Potiphar’s wife could not help herself: full, wealthy, nothing to do, bored, spiritual problems arise—what would she do? Right? That does not mean we applaud her. Joseph simply left it alone. He saw what was important. Only when your eyes for the Word and your eyes for reality are accurate will you receive this kind of answer.
Now, remnants, some may say, “It is too hard to live in our home.” Then what does the Bible say? What does the Bible say about the remnants? It is the same as you. Yet they fulfilled world evangelization. You must be able to see this. Right now, as we worship, there is a church in Washington in America that has no preacher and is worshiping with us. Gwangyang Light Church is also worshiping with us. Many people think this is difficult. It is a golden opportunity. Right? It is fine to wait a little longer. A pastor who truly proclaims the gospel must come. Right?
So in America people said, “Please send a pastor who is good at English.” Must it be so? A pastor—though we have many assistant pastors here—a pastor must rightly proclaim the gospel and must be able to sacrifice with a large vessel for the church. Right? They must have the capacity to walk together with the believers. Right? Being good at German is not the issue. They must have the capacity to embrace many church leaders and remnants and lead them. The magnitude of that matters. Without it, even if they are fluent in English, German, and Japanese, it is of no use. So you are not facing hardship right now; in my view, it is the best timetable.
Look at them all. Joseph never grumbled, and the answer had already come. He had this (Genesis 37:1–11). This is very important. The beginning of your church and ours is this. If you look at a few of our deaconesses and elders who began with us, they all came out of churches where people fought and came because they did not want to fight. Is fighting the purpose when we go to church? They fought so much the police came and went. Shouldn’t we be the ones to go and comfort the police, rather than the police coming to comfort us? These are the people who gathered so as not to do that. So when we began here, we said, “Let’s do only the gospel movement.” Then you must see the way for everything. And that’s not all.
3. David’s hardship (Preparation)
David was pursued for decades. But that was not the essence. During the time David was being chased, disciples were gathered who could establish a thousand bartizans and prepare to build the temple.
4. The captivity
And as you know, when they were taken into Babylonian captivity,
5. Rome – 237 and 5000
and when they became a Roman subject nation, the same answer came. In those places were people of the 237 nations and the 5000 tribes who would block the darkness and the plague of darkness.
▣ Main
Therefore, today we are holding a missions commitment service. So then, what answers do we receive and pass on? That is missions.
1. The day destinies are changed
First, though it looked as if Joseph suffered a brief injustice, it was the day many people’s destinies were changed. This is important. If destinies are not reversed, they cannot come out of disaster.
2. The day the field is changed
It is the day the field is completely changed toward the 237 nations. Whenever hardships come, you must see this: it is the day someone’s destiny is being reversed.
3. The day the future is changed
Third, what is it? This, inevitably: the day the future is changed. Knowing this, you serve the church and give offerings. The offerings you give are used for this.
1. The day destinies are changed
Now, verse 21 says that the Lord was with him, but note how it is written. Verse 21 says, “The Lord was with Joseph and extended kindness to him and granted him favor in the eyes of the warden.” There was no one who could help him. Right? Then in verse 23 it ends like this: “The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph.”
1) False accusation
Although it looked like Joseph bore a false accusation, that day was the day Joseph’s destiny was reversed.
2) Prison
Although it looked like Joseph was sent to prison, that day was the day the warden’s destiny was reversed.
3) Disaster
It was the day disaster itself was reversed.
You must believe this. Then you do missions—and some people stake their lives and go out as missionaries. Long ago, missionaries came to our country, and Korea’s destiny was turned upside down. Before that, our nation was entirely an idolatrous nation. Korea’s destiny was overturned. Many still do not know this—people around the world still do not know. How did Korea develop like that? Korea is now one of the best places to live. There is no country as convenient as Korea right now. You are living unaware of it. Americans come to Korea and are astounded. At a competition—not even downtown but in the outskirts—they went to a motel and found everything computerized; they were amazed: “Is there a country like this?” When cars enter, everything is automatically recorded—everything is automated. Even in America, many places are not like that. Our nation’s actual power has entered the world’s top five. It was once a dark nation. Because it was so dark, Japan, though not strong, said, “Let’s swallow this and quickly go on to China.” But at that time, the light of the gospel shone into our land. You must know what missions is. You must know what your life of faith is. At the moment you realize it, light shines—destiny is reversed.
2. The day the field is changed
It did not end there. The field is changed. What does verse 21 say?
1) The warden
Verse 21 says, “He granted him favor with the warden.” On the path where the evangelist and the remnant go, God grants blessing even through unbelievers. Thus the field changes.
2) All affairs
Seeing Joseph, they entrusted to him all affairs. Verse 22 says, “The warden put all the prisoners under Joseph’s care, and he was in charge of all that was done there.” Why? Because the blessing of God’s presence began to appear in the field. Verse 23 says, “The warden paid no attention to anything under Joseph’s care, because the Lord was with Joseph.” Simply put, anything entrusted to Joseph needed no attention. Why? Because God was blessing it. This is missions. This is the blessing you will receive. And at the end it says, “The Lord gave him success in whatever he did.”
3) In everything
Not only in all affairs, but in everything. If you open your eyes to this today, your field will change. Suppose a remnant has a serious problem at home. Look at the Bible. See what problems came to Joseph. Then see what problem came to Moses’s home when he was a child. You will quickly find the answer. Not knowing this, people despair, waver, and are wounded. Wounds from childhood—if mishandled—though they were nothing, can grow into something strange as one grows up. They are trivial, yet wounds are taken. Last week I said this to young mothers raising our remnants: even the birth of a younger sibling can wound the firstborn. So, young parents, when the new baby is born, do not walk in holding the baby. Entrust the baby to someone else first. You must talk to the older child: “Your sibling has come,” and explain. When it is time to nurse, ask, “Is it okay if I feed the baby now?” One day, I saw a mother walk in holding a baby; the whole family looked at me, then stopped looking at me and looked only at the baby. The older child thought, “How can such a thing be?” Spiritually weak and sensitive children will be crushed by that—though it is nothing. The more sensitive and bright our teenagers are, the more they are wounded by trivial things. Then imagine if a big problem comes at home—what will happen? Look at the Bible. These works occur. Believe it surely. Wherever you go, destinies are reversed. Wherever you go, the field is changed.
3. The day the future is changed
It does not stop there. The future is changed. How is it written?
1) 20 – The king
Verse 20 has an important statement: “It was the place where the king’s prisoners were confined.” An astonishing word. This is the road there. God sent him there exactly—because the remnant Joseph had to go to the palace. God does things exactly like this.
2) The chief official
There he meets the chief official. We will see that next week. In today’s terms, he meets a person above cabinet rank—roughly a minister who serves the king. Compared to a president? There is no comparison. A president serves for a few years and is done; a king continues. Especially an Egyptian king—tremendous. That way is now opening.
3) The world’s disasters
Your hardship is the very day the world’s disasters are changed. Without fail. When your eyes open to this, you will say, “Ah, that is why we pray and wait.” When your eyes open, you will say, “Ah, this is what it means to serve the church. This is evangelism and missions.”
▣ Conclusion [Disaster]
Therefore, what you are now holding as your covenant is to block the disasters of every age. Surely. When the gospel came into Busan, it blocked Busan’s disasters. Ordinary people do not know. Politicians think they did it, but no. Those who actually saved our nation were businesspeople, doctors, scientists, and many such people. Professors and others at schools also saved it. And there were servants of God who silently proclaimed the gospel and prayed for our nation.
1. 237 – 5000
Therefore, this is the time when the blessing of the 237 opens. It does not all open at once. Little by little, as it opens, according to the exact timetable, the door to the 5000 tribes opens.
2. RU
From now on, RU will also arise in Korea. We will not recruit many. We will set a cap of about fifty and ask, “How shall we carry out the evangelism movement?”
3. Teams of five, nations
As our elder just said, organize teams of five in the church and communicate in prayer. While elders and deaconesses continue to unite in prayer, now organize elders, deaconesses, and remnants who can communicate for evangelism. And assign each to different nations.
The moment you hold the covenant, the darkness collapses. This is the blessing He has given. Do you know what He promised? I was astonished at this Word: “All authority in heaven and on earth is given to Me, and surely I am with you always.” Not the crowds—“Make disciples.” Right? “Those afflicted by the Nephilim disease, no one can heal—go in My name, the name of Jesus, and pray.” “When you receive only the fullness of the Holy Spirit, you will be My witnesses to the ends of the earth.” I think of that fullness of the Holy Spirit as 300%. Receive the 300% blessing. Let every church leader receive blessing so that your work shows 300%. What is that 300%? We discussed it at our session meeting this morning.
I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that a new timetable and new grace will come upon you this week. Let us pray.
Prayer. God, we thank You. Add new grace to us this week. Grant us new strength. Let the power of new world evangelization appear. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.