2026.06.21 Sunday 1st Service
「Gold Cannot Become Dull」 (La 4:1-5)
Lamentations 4:1-5
01 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at every street corner.
02 How the precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
03 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
04 Because of thirst the infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
05 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those brought up in royal purple now lie on ash heaps.
Summary
※ What covenant must one hold onto in order to receive answers?
1. Israel — which received the gospel but did not share it or enjoy it — leading to children all perishing and disaster coming
2. Fleshly grief is the path to death; spiritual grief is the path to life
3. Jeremiah’s grief is the path to saving Israel and the world
▣ Introduction_ Spiritual Grief
1. Grief for the age — a spiritual epidemic is spreading across the entire land.
1) Children are falling into spiritual problems, drugs, and mental illness.
2) The church is not giving the gospel of life.
(1) Children in underdeveloped nations — captivated by superstition, idols, and evil spirits.
(2) Groups spreading strange movements in America and Europe
(3) Churches that have no interest in this and only fight
3) Children all over the world are dying, trapped in satanic festivals. It is an age in which children commit suicide.
2. God’s grief
1) God, sighing as He looked upon humanity that had become Nephilim through spiritual problems (Genesis 6)
2) Jesus, grieving as He looked upon sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-38)
3) One who has grief that says “only the gospel will do” blocks disaster (Matthew 5:3-4).
3. WRC must become a spiritual festival. Take that grief, gather strength, and save children in underdeveloped nations.
▣ Main
1. The promise God gave to the prophets who grieved
1) Isaiah — “It will only get worse, but the Remnant will not disappear.”
2) Jeremiah — “Call to me and I will answer you and show you unsearchable hidden things you do not know.”
3) Ezekiel — “Prophesy the word. Prophesy the breath of life.”
▷ For the Remnant, this is both the first and the last opportunity. You must not give them something else.
2. God who worked through the people who went to Babylon carrying their grief
1) Three young adults — even if successful, it is not success. We must save our people and the multi-ethnic peoples.
2) Daniel — he set his purpose and prayed with thanksgiving, as was his custom from the beginning.
3) Esther — “God placed me here for such a time as this. If I perish, I perish.”
3. God who accomplished the history of temple restoration through those who carried grief
1) Nehemiah — spoke to the king about restoring the temple.
2) Zerubbabel — the leader of temple restoration who knew grief
3) Haggai — God gave the word of restoration (Haggai 2:1-9).
▷ What matters is whether the covenant God gave is correct or not.
▣ Conclusion_ “I know your tears”
1. Fleshly grief is the path to destruction
2. Spiritual grief changes the world.
3. One who carries life-giving grief
1) Challenges because absolute possibility is seen within absolute impossibility.
2) It is fine even if no one helps, because they know God’s power.
3) It is fine even with nothing to show, because they know what prayer is.
4) God accomplishes the power of the throne and the work of the kingdom of God through this person.
▷ Offering — restore the three economies and give the very best to God.
The three-day weekend age — we must let our children and the multi-ethnic peoples know the gospel and prayer and send them out.
Transcript
※ What covenant must one hold onto in order to receive answers?
Thank you. Many people now want to receive answers. However, they do not know the actual method of receiving answers well. If you were the kind of person who receives answers at this point, what covenant should you be holding onto? That is important. We need to prepare for the World Remnant Conference. It is called WRC. At this time, what kind of answers should be received? What preparation should be made? And what does that have to do with me? How do you receive God’s power of blessing? This is very important. So you need to leave here with a simple answer, without it being complicated.
1. Israel — which received the gospel but did not share it or enjoy it — leading to children all perishing and disaster coming
Israel was completely ruined. The reason is simple. The gospel was given, but they did not proclaim it. They did not enjoy the gospel. They enjoyed other things. So disaster was inevitable. But in this situation, children were all perishing. And today, “How did gold change its color? No, gold changed its color.” That is how it is expressed. But actually, pure gold does not change its color. “How did our nation become so ruined? Gold has changed its color.” This statement is based on the premise that gold does not change its color. Right? What does this mean? “The color of pure gold has changed.” What does this mean?
2. Fleshly grief is the path to death; spiritual grief is the path to life
Today, the prophet Jeremiah expressed the grief he felt as he looked upon that scene. Without grieving hearts, prayer cannot truly receive answers. Fleshly grief is the path to death. Spiritual grief is the path to life.
3. Jeremiah’s grief is the path to saving Israel and the world
Jeremiah’s grief is the path to saving Israel and the world.
▣ Introduction_ Spiritual Grief
1. Grief for the age — a spiritual epidemic is spreading across the entire land.
Why is that?
1) Children are falling into spiritual problems, drugs, and mental illness.
What situation are children in now? Children all over the world are falling into spiritual problems and difficulties. Is that not the case? There are many children who study well? Almost all of them are in spiritual problems. Not just to that degree. Right now in some countries, they are recruiting teenagers to kill people and commit terrorism. Teenagers are now suffering from drugs and mental illness — a crisis is coming. There must be grief.
2) The church is not giving the gospel of life.
What is even more grievous is that it is not giving food to eat. A child is born and its palate is stuck — you need to give it something to eat. If a child is born and the mother leaves it without giving it milk, its mouth will dry out and the roof of its mouth will dry out and the child will die. That is what is happening now.
The church is not giving the Word. It is not giving life. Jews have not given life. They have never shared the gospel. Right? The next generation’s mouths are all stuck shut. If a child is born and you do not give it milk, what happens to that child?
This is the grief that Jeremiah is expressing now.
(1) Children in underdeveloped nations — superstition, idols, evil spirits
Many children now — children in underdeveloped nations — are in superstitions beyond imagination. Strange idols, evil spirits — they are captivated by these.
(2) Groups spreading strange movements in America and Europe
At this time, strange groups are rising up and spreading strange movements in America and Europe.
(3) Churches that have no interest in this and only fight
The church has absolutely no interest. It is only fighting. There are no churches that are not fighting. It is something to grieve about. They are always suing each other. In America, in foreign countries, people dislike Koreans now. They dislike them for suing too much. Koreans suing each other. They do it whenever they feel bored, so to speak. It is something to grieve about.
Children are actually falling into drugs. Drugs are serious. Parents do not know. They do not know their own children are like that. Children are dying from spiritual problems. There must be an aching heart. So there must be grief.
Children are dying in a house fire, and the parents have no grief? That person has a mental illness. Right? Even at the cost of your own life you run in. That is normal. Standing outside calmly watching — that is an strange parent.
3) Children all over the world are dying, trapped in satanic festivals. It is an age in which children commit suicide.
So all fall into Satan’s message. It is a grave situation. And young adults all over the world who like to have a good time are falling into strange festivals — satanic festivals — and are dying. One example of this is the Itaewon incident. They died while having a demon festival. People do not know what is happening. This is something to grieve about. It was not only at Itaewon. Demon festivals are everywhere. The church has no interest whatsoever. That is even more grievous. You must grieve. We cannot fail to save children from all over the world at this time. Multi-ethnic peoples worked themselves to death and came here like a miracle. There must be a grieving heart. We must make those children receive the accurate gospel and the strength of prayer and go back.
So many children came last year. When they came to Korea, do you know what was the very first confession they made? Never mind what else they were amazed by after seeing the culture. What was the first thing they said? They said it was the first time in their lives they had brushed their teeth. What would those teeth look like? And such people — even just coming here puts them at a higher level. They are scattered everywhere by the thousands. This darkness is spreading across the entire land. Do not only fear coronavirus — more frightening than coronavirus is the spiritual epidemic. Right? Children have started committing suicide now. What kind of life had they even lived when they commit suicide… This is that kind of age. There must be grief.
2. God’s grief
1) God, sighing as He looked upon humanity that had become Nephilim through spiritual problems (Genesis 6)
God also, in Genesis chapter 6, sighed as He looked upon humanity in the Nephilim age of spiritual problems.
2) Jesus, grieving as He looked upon sheep without a shepherd (Matthew 9:35-38)
In Matthew chapter 9, verses 35 through 38 — what did Jesus do? Looking at those sheep without a shepherd, sheep abandoned without a shepherd, Jesus expressed grief.
3) One who has grief that says “only this gospel will do” blocks disaster (Matthew 5:3-4).
Evangelizing in order to grow the church — that is a merchant. Right? There must be grief. Only this gospel will do. That does not exist anymore. That is why disaster is received. One who has grief blocks disaster. Jesus said it. Looking at church members who do not even know what a blessing is — that is not a blessing. Being poor in spirit — that is the blessing. Being in a good position through lying and flattery right now — that is not a blessing. Those who mourn are blessed. Jesus said that.
3. WRC must become a spiritual festival. Take that grief, gather strength, and save children in underdeveloped nations.
Today, everyone, pure gold absolutely does not change. What kind of answer should you receive? As you prepare for WRC this time, the whole church must become a spiritual festival. The whole world is in difficulty. Gather your strength and save those children in underdeveloped nations. Every time I think of Korea’s June 25th (Korean War). I was born during the June 25th War. Younger people do not know. Adults know. Missionaries came to our country that was dying miserably and helped us. Everyone else lies. The ones who reported as they were the strange situation happening in Korea — those were the missionaries. Politicians all calculate. All calculating people. And so medical personnel poured into Korea, missionaries came in bringing food to help us, building schools. What would have happened if that had not occurred? We need to have that kind of grief.
▣ Main
1. The promise God gave to the prophets who grieved
First. There is a promise God gave to the prophets who grieved.
1) Isaiah
First is what was given to Isaiah. He appeared to Isaiah with the power of the throne. He appeared while showing the activity of the angels. He said one thing. Things have been ruined until now, but they will be ruined even more. But the stump, the Remnant, will not disappear. That is the word given. You may feel it is far away and unrelated to you, but you must grab onto God’s word precisely.
2) Jeremiah
He spoke to Jeremiah, who was grieving over this nation. “Call to me and I will answer you and show you hidden things you do not know.” This time you must receive this answer. All of these are messages directed at the Remnant.
3) Ezekiel
What did He say? “Ezekiel, can these bones truly live?” “The Lord God knows.” “Then prophesy the word. Prophesy the breath of life.” This is what we must do.
When people from nations sunken in darkness come here, they all think they are poor. You must give them strength. You must breathe life into them. They all think they cannot do it. “Our country is poor. We have nothing.” That is not so. You must breathe life into them. Thankfully, the first missionaries who came to Korea breathed life into Korea. They said things that no one else would believe at all: “In the future, Korea is a nation of hope that can evangelize the world.” Looking at that, they breathed the Word and life into them.
※ For the Remnant, this is both the first and the last opportunity. You must not give them something else.
This is the first opportunity for the Remnants but also the last. Why? You cannot give them something else. As the passage says — it appeared right there. There is nothing to give. Their throats are dry, there is no one to give milk, no one to break bread for them. They keep giving only other things. Better to give poison — poison.
2. God who worked through the people who went to Babylon carrying their grief
Second. God worked through those who understood grief. Those are the people who went to Babylon carrying that grief. The answer comes quickly.
1) Three young adults
The three young adults. As you know, the answer emerged. One who does not have that grief does not even know what it means, does not know the answer, and cannot do it. Because they went to Babylon carrying the covenant of grief for Israel — we understand that even if we succeed, it is not success. The one who realized this has a different vision. It is not about living well. Here we must save our people and save these multi-ethnic peoples. Of course we cannot bow to idols. It is fine even if we die. These are the people who opened their eyes.
2) Daniel
Daniel, as soon as he arrived, set his purpose. “Oh, we succeeded!” — not that. A person like that is useless. “If I do this, it will benefit me” — useless, a person like that. “How can I benefit from being in this church?” — useless, a person like that. He set his purpose. Later, even amid slander and scheming, he prayed to God just as he had purposed. From beginning to end, exactly the same — “as was his custom, he gave thanks and prayed.” Knowing he might die. What is this? These are people who have grief directed at dying people in God’s sight.
3) Esther
Esther. She grew up without parents. She held the covenant. She became queen. How grievous a story she tells — when all the Jews were about to be killed, Mordecai said this: “Is it not possible that God placed you for such a time as this?” Yes. A truly aching story. What you must hold onto? “God placed me here for such a time as this.” At that time Esther answered. She said she would die if she dies. “Do not worry, but pray for me.”
These people are all those who carried spiritual grief.
3. God who accomplished the history of temple restoration through those who carried grief
Third. Those with grief who carried temple restoration — this is what made everything come back completely. Restoration.
1) Nehemiah
A person called Nehemiah — you know him, right? He explained things to the king. He was such a person of prayer. The king asked, “What is your worry?” “Yes, I want to quickly go back to our country and restore the temple.”
2) Zerubbabel
All of these people — Zerubbabel and others like him — are people who know grief. Because that person became the leader and guide, the second temple that was built is also called Zerubbabel’s temple.
3) Haggai (Haggai 2:1-9)
What does God say in the restoration word to Haggai, who had this grief? Six times — “So says the Lord.” “Heaven and earth and sea and all nations will be shaken.” That is the word when this covenant is restored.
※ What matters is whether the covenant God gave is correct or not.
We need to prepare the Remnant Conference with this blessing. Your covenant must be accurate. Right? What will you do? That is not important. How much will you do? That is also not important. What matters is whether the covenant God gave is correct or not.
▣ Conclusion_ I know your tears
1. Fleshly grief is the path to destruction
So fleshly grief is the path to destruction. “How can I stay as king for a long time? That David is a clever fellow — I cannot let him be.” That is now fleshly grief — and he died demon-possessed.
2. Spiritual grief changes the world.
Spiritual grief changes the world. David was different. “I sleep in a good place, but the ark of the Lord is in the wind.” That grief is different. It is different from King Saul. Of course King Saul died demon-possessed by suicide, and David could not but triumph. It is about what you grieve over. So today you must truly and firmly grab the covenant.
3. One who carries life-giving grief
1) Challenges because absolute possibility is seen within absolute impossibility.
So we challenge absolute impossibility. Absolute possibility is seen there. To whom? It is seen by the one who grieves for saving the nation.
2) It is fine even if no one helps, because they know God’s power.
It is fine even if no one helps. Because we know God’s power.
3) It is fine even with nothing, because they know what prayer is.
It is fine even with nothing. Because they know what prayer is. We must produce such people.
4) God accomplishes the power of the throne and the work of the kingdom of God through this person.
To whom will God accomplish the power of the throne and the work of the kingdom of God? To whom. To the one who has this grief. Right?
※ Offering — restore the three economies and give the very best to God.
When construction began, I just got rid of everything I had with some margin. Because that is not what is important. Even now when I give an offering to God, you will know. I give my most important thing. Something better than what I do with people in the world — I give it before God.
Today, our Lilian Washington family, Rebecca — they attended right here. Yang Yu-wei and people like that attended. Those people are not Koreans. I felt sorry about that — sorry about it, though there is no reason to be sorry — inside my heart. They sold the homes they were living in and gave us the construction offering here. Is that possible, everyone? This is content that requires a lot of thought. So if individual churches are running short on budget — you need to think about it. We need to quickly restore the three economies. We must give the very best to God. Right? We need to teach that from childhood. We need to teach children from childhood so that they can conquer the world.
※ The three-day weekend age — we must let them know the gospel and prayer and send them out.
Open the three-day weekend age and our children must know what prayer is and be sent out. Multi-ethnic peoples have come, and we are going to make it so they cannot even grasp the gospel or pray? That is the path to destruction.
This time, everyone, you must hold onto the covenant so that you receive this restoration answer. There must be a grieving heart. He said to Timothy, “I know your tears.” Those are not worldly tears.
May today, throughout the entire day, become a day of receiving the great grace of answers that God gives, I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ.
Prayer. May today become that day. May it become a day of seeing God’s grief, and may our grief become something spiritual. May it become something that saves the world. May today’s brief prayer appear as something eternal. We pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.