Prayer Journal: December 8, 2025
02. Mar. 2025 Immanuel Church Sunday Worship 2nd Service
Scripture Reading: Exodus 15:22-27
Thank you. I once heard the testimony of an elder when I was serving as an associate pastor, and he was an elder back then. He said that while they were eating a meal as a family, someone suddenly pulled out a gun, shot it at the ceiling, and shouted, “God is dead.” His mother had such strong faith—her name was even Kang Ban-seok—that she was completely shocked. She looked at that man and said, “You, I will make you a cabinet minister, so wait.” That person is Kim Il-sung of North Korea. His original name was Kim Seong-ju. The elder was so shocked that he ran away from that place on the spot. The situation was so urgent that he could not bring a single coin; he fled only with the Bible and hymnbook he had been carrying at church and the account books he used as treasurer. From that moment on, he could never go back. So he began a business in South Korea and greatly succeeded in his work. But when Sunday came, all the business partners would do their transactions, meet company to company, eat together on Sunday, have fun, drink alcohol, and do everything among themselves. But this elder could not join them because he had to worship on Sunday. As he was praying, God gave him one clear answer. He said that his heart hurt so much because he kept worrying about what had become of the sons and daughters he had left behind in North Korea. So he started looking into the children of the employees and partners who were going around drinking. When he checked, he found that all their home lives were in complete disarray. So the elder decided to give scholarships to all those students. After some time passed, the employees came to realize this. They were moved by the elder. Because he was taking care of their children and helping them study, they were deeply touched. As he shared that story, he told the whole story of how he had lived.
What is the very first thing we must do when we go into society? Today God has shown this. During three days of traveling through the wilderness, they could not drink water. If you cannot drink water for three days, of course it is difficult. They were almost at the point of death. Then they arrived in a certain region and found water, but it was water they could not drink. So they named that place “Marah,” but it was water they could not drink. The people began to complain again. The Israelites were very good at complaining. As they complained again, Moses prayed, broke off a certain branch, and put it into the water as God commanded, and the water was restored. Then God spoke these words: “I am the LORD who heals you.”
– First test – “I am the LORD who heals you”
At the very first test He said, “I am the LORD who heals you.”
Now, this elder, even as he healed unbelievers, works arose. So in a certain sense, you do not even have to evangelize at your workplace. Even if you do not try to, if you are praying, they will come.
Their scars
Without you even realizing it, they will come and begin to lay out their scars before you. You must reach this level. They will knowingly come and speak. That is when healing begins.
Hidden spiritual sicknesses
Or, conversely, almost everyone has hidden spiritual sicknesses. You are healing this. It is very important. Most people will not say, as soon as they meet someone, “I have this kind of scar.” They do not say, “You know, I…” and immediately spill out their hidden scars as soon as they meet a person. So even inside the company, there are deacons who live their life of faith roughly, half-heartedly. But there is this one deacon who considers the life of faith as the first priority. Then, who will those people with these problems (scars, hidden spiritual sicknesses) seek out? They will not seek out someone who is skillful in society but half-hearted at church. Why? Because that person seems fake. They cannot lay out these things (scars, hidden spiritual sicknesses) before such a person. Evangelism is not difficult. Once this door opens, it keeps opening.
Right now, all the military missionaries are listening to the message. Those who have these scars or spiritual sicknesses are the ones going into the military. That is why the military field is so good. When they first come in, they are low-ranking soldiers, so it is easy to help them. You can see it the moment you look at them. No one else can help them, and so they commit suicide in the military. It is heartbreaking. And yet there are military chaplains and others inside the army.
I told you this before too, did I not? There was a deacon who evangelized a lot who applied to a large ironworks company, and he said this happened there. During the interview they asked, “Do you have something to say?” He replied, “I am a Christian. So if you will only let me rest on Sunday…” In the past, Sunday was not a universal day off. “If you let me rest on Sunday, I will work hard every other day.” The executives around him became angry. “Do you think this is a church? All right, get out.” So he failed. Right? That deacon was that kind of person. They did not even need to ask that, but he said it. At that time, the highest-ranking president said something. “Hey, but that person seems like a real believer in Jesus.” He expressed it that way. Everyone with these problems (scars, hidden spiritual sicknesses) knows. He later got a job there and did much evangelism. Everyone knew. They all have hidden scars. And worse, they also have diseases. For us to not be able to help this is nonsense. Right? This is the start of evangelism. Look carefully.
[ RT 7 ]
All of the 7 Remnants were like this. Joseph healed Egypt. Moses healed the Israelites. Samuel and David healed the nation wounded by Philistia. And the Remnants who were taken as captives healed those nations. You must absolutely keep this in mind. “I am the LORD who heals you.” You must absolutely keep this in mind. No one brings out their scars to just anyone. Why would they? They hide everything. When do they bring them out? When do I lay my scars before another person? “Ah, if I tell this person my story, they will be able to listen.” They bring it out to that person. That is why today’s text becomes a very important text. “I am the LORD who heals you.” And then He said this.
▣ Introduction_ 〔26〕 Egypt
In verse 26 He says, “I will heal you of all the diseases that were in Egypt.”
1. Slaves (spiritual state)
First of all, the very fact of having lived as slaves is itself a sickness. Their tremendous spiritual state is diseased.
2. Slave diseases
And because they had lived as slaves, they had real physical diseases that came from their life as slaves.
3. Slave mentality
More important than this is that they had a deeply rooted slave mentality, slave way of thinking. Whenever they were bored, they would drag it out again, saying, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt to here?” They kept speaking like this.
▣ Main_ 〔25〕 Test – 〔40 years〕
The covenant you must hold today is in verse 25 in the main part. Verse 25 says this: “God tested Israel.” It says that God tested Israel. You must always believe this while you are walking the wilderness path. What did He test?
1. Exodus [Passover]
“Did not God bring Israel out of Egypt?” This is what He is saying. When they came out, God performed ten great miracles, and as the Israelites were going forth He said, “Celebrate this Passover as a memorial.” Did He not do that? He is now testing this. God is.
1) Exodus 3:1-18
We easily lose hold of this. When the Israelites became slaves, God called Moses and said, “Go to offer the sacrifice of blood. I will be with you. I will be with you with a mighty hand.”
2) Ten miracles
He performed ten miracles.
3) Passover
And on the day they put the blood, they were set free and came out. “Did you forget this? Do not forget it as you go along the wilderness path.” He is testing this. And that is not all.
2. Red Sea experience
They experienced the Red Sea. God’s goal was nothing else. They had to travel the forty-year wilderness path. When He looked at them, Israel was not yet ready. God said He would test them.
1) Sea
God led Israel into the middle of the sea, in front of the sea. We heard this last week, did we not?
2) Egypt
And He brought the Egyptian army in after them. The Bible clearly records this. He brought them into the middle of the sea and caused the Egyptian soldiers to go in. He used their already hardened hearts. He is explaining how we are to interpret the suffering and tests we face. Even the power of Egypt’s idols is no problem. The Red Sea is no problem. God had brought the Israelites out, and in the course of forty years in the wilderness they had a tremendous path to walk. In your remaining life, there is something you must absolutely leave behind. The secret of those forty years is where that is contained.
3) Army
What happened at the Red Sea? God destroyed all the Egyptian army. And He brought Israel out. They had only just come out when they complained again. They had reason to complain. Why? Because there was no water. Whenever they were bored, they complained, saying, “We are going to die here because we have no water; what should we do?” Similar things will continue to appear in the future. Here there are two secrets. One is that this is the time when God is revealing something important. It is the time when God is discerning who will enter the land of Canaan. Two things. You must never be afraid of the tests you face. God says, “Did I not bring you out of Egypt? Did I not bring you through the Red Sea?”
3. Future [absolute condition]
Then what about the future? There is an absolute condition for God to lead them into the land of Canaan. Right? You must believe this. From now on, you must believe it and teach it to your children.
1) Absolute sovereignty
First, it is God’s absolute sovereignty. You must believe this. What does that mean? He is the God who rules over your life. Why are you Korean? God’s absolute sovereignty. You must not lose this. Why did the multiethnic people come here? God’s absolute sovereignty. Right? You must not lose this. Why am I in this church? God’s absolute sovereignty.
2) Absolute plan
Then why must we walk the wilderness path? God is leading us. God with absolute sovereignty is leading us. He sent us to Egypt for world missions; and now that the time has come, He brings us out and performs world evangelization in the land of Canaan. At that time you will see God’s absolute plan. This is the path you will walk in your remaining years.
3) Absolute covenant
At this time the absolute covenant that will be fulfilled appears. You must always believe. If not, you will be shaken constantly. Because they were shaken so much, they could not enter Canaan, and only those who had this faith entered.
4) Absolute journey
From that point on, the absolute journey appears.
5) Absolute goal
The land of Canaan and world evangelization are God’s plan. Absolute goal. Even if everyone says no, God’s plan for this place is to build the three courtyards and perform world evangelization. Right? Even if everyone in the wilderness complains, going to Canaan is God’s plan. As they walk the wilderness path, God is doing two things: He is teaching them the many things they are to enjoy in the future, and He is discerning them. And we must enter into this covenant. This is the core answer in this week’s message that you must always realize. Wherever you go, God is the God who heals. Even if you only believe this Word, you will be healed. “It will be done according to your faith.” It is answered exactly according to how you believe God’s Word.
▣ Conclusion
And something even more important. Moses put in the branch; whether it was some medicinal herb or simply God’s power, in any case, they lived by drinking that water.
1. Elim
They arrived at Elim.
2. Twelve springs
When they went there, there were twelve springs.
3. Seventy palm trees
And then farther on, there were seventy palm trees. Very good, is it not?
There were twelve springs and seventy palm trees. There they pitched their tents. Many people say that after passing through suffering, such happy days will come. That is not entirely wrong. But I do not see it that way.
1. Elim (great tree)
The word “Elim” means “great tree.”
2. Twelve springs (choice)
The number twelve is the number of choice.
3. Seventy palm trees (conquest)
The seventy palm trees are the number of the seventy elders and of great conquest. It is a number of great joy.
Today there is an important answer that you must realize here and then wait for next week’s message. “God tested you.” Why? Because He truly wants to give you something (the forty years). These (Elim, the twelve springs, the seventy palm trees) are only temporary. So those who study Exodus say that in order to receive answers, what must you do? Those who study Genesis say that the beginning of problems and the answers must all come out; if you do not know that, you cannot receive answers. Then what must you do to study Exodus? It is true that Israel came out of Egypt. But that is not true liberation.
[ Exodus from darkness ]
Look. We must be set free from here (darkness). I told the pastors this. It is no use coming out of Egypt. It is no use coming out of the wilderness. They were taken again by Philistia. Even if they win there, it is no use. They go again to Babylon. It is no use. It follows them. It follows again. What does this mean? At last week’s Tuesday meeting I said this to the pastors: “Pastors, how must we give the Word so that people receive answers?” The issue is not that Israel came out of Egypt. We must perform an exodus from darkness. We must come out of darkness. You must believe this. For you, it is finished. He has set you free from darkness. Colossians chapter 1 verse 13 says, “He will rescue you from the domain of darkness.” It is tremendous. As you read Exodus, prepare many things, but above all you must be liberated from darkness, and there is still much to prepare. If you are facing hardship, it means there is much to be prepared. Right?
Remnants must remember this. “Why is my family like this?” God has given you what is necessary. He has given you what you must experience. “But is it not a bit too difficult?” It is difficult if you fall into it. But if you do not fall into it, it becomes a stepping stone. So when people who lived hard lives in the countryside come into the city, those who fall into it just live like country bumpkins. But those who do not fall into it work well. Those people are the ones who succeed. If your parents are very poor, those who fall into that show strange tendencies. Right? But those who do not fall into it instead gain greater strength to save the world. Holding onto this answer this week, I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ to enjoy for one week the blessing of worshiping next Sunday as witnesses.
Let us pray.
Prayer. We thank God. In the midst of giving us many things, allow us to surely enjoy what You have prepared. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray. Amen.