2026.05.17 Sunday 1st Service
「Possess the Eternal Things」
(Is 40:1-11)
▣ Introduction
Today we must resolve the things many of you are curious about.
1. The thing most people are most curious about is the future.
I have had three strange experiences.
1) The taxi driver’s prophecy
I remember talking about this before — when I was a young pastor in Busan there was a church revival meeting. To get the speaker’s room ready, I rode in a taxi with another pastor. The driver of this taxi was a somewhat strange person. His mind seemed a little off. Without warning he fixed the rearview mirror toward us and started talking. I sat on the outside, the person I came with sat on the inside. He was making some kind of prophecy to us. I found it quite amusing. “I know what kind of people you are,” he said. Then, with my colleague pastor sitting there, he said: “That person sitting inside — he’s a strange one, that one.” I was a little surprised, because he was a bit off, you know. And then to me he didn’t say anything offensive. “That person is…” — he said something favorable. So the pastor who came along with me was quite offended. “Well, the guy’s a bit strange, isn’t he. It’s fine.” We left it at that, but the offense was real.
2) The prophecy of a prophesying deaconess
Now, I resigned from that church and was going elsewhere. That church was one where only wealthy people came; poor people would come and go without fitting in. In Busan, simply put, the person who first opened a department store was a member. When I said I was quitting, they were sad and insisted on treating me to a meal. They told me to come to their home on a Monday. “Understood,” I said. They even gave me a specific time — I had to arrive by 10 o’clock. “Understood,” I said. It was a large, prosperous home. But when I got there, other people were also there — some I knew, some I didn’t. Looking around, the atmosphere was like a gathering of some kind. I had been invited to it. So we sat in the form of a worship service, and after a moment a woman came out from the next room. She was a famous prophesying deaconess from Korea. She sat down, sang one hymn, and without hesitation began laying hands on people’s heads and praying. The prayer she gave was not just ordinary prayer — she spoke like a fortune teller, saying what this person would become, what they would do. At that moment I felt many things inside. “Ah, so this is how our deaconesses live. Completely separate from Sunday worship, this is how they live.” I felt many things. Then my turn came. When it was my turn, while I had been sitting still, everyone else had hands laid on their heads, but she took my hand instead. She was prophesying. When you will go to Seoul, when you will go to America — she talked like that. I had never worked in Seoul and had never studied in America. But people’s minds get strange — if things keep getting stuck, you think: “Am I stuck because I haven’t gone to Seoul?” The mind gets strange like that.
3) The prophecy of a British prophet
When I came here, a young British man — a real elite — trained with us at my house for three months. About three months in, a certain person came. According to that friend, he was a world-renowned prophet from Britain. His teacher. Since that friend was training here, he came to meet him. You’ll remember this. And then this person made a remarkable prophecy. It wasn’t an offensive prophecy either. “This upper room will evangelize the world. And specifically it will do evangelism that the White House recognizes.” I didn’t feel bad at all.
2. A complete answer must be given for what to do going forward. – Three things to understand
The problem is that for our people, “What will become of me in the future?” is in some sense perhaps the number one question. Right? “What should I do going forward?” The churches that used to do the upper room are no longer doing it, so those with a sense of calling are coming out, some coming to Busan, some coming to Seoul. Those people too will surely have a lot of worry about what to do going forward. And also the many people currently experiencing hardship abroad — what they all have in common is “What do I do going forward?” Today you must leave with a complete answer to that.
I’ll start with the conclusion. Back then, I was the same way. Things wouldn’t go well and I didn’t know what would happen. I needed to make effort but things just wouldn’t work. Before I understood three things, nothing worked. No different from an unbeliever. Just living life. Everything was too difficult and I was always worried about the future.
1) The gospel is the answer to all things.
One day I came to know that the gospel — not just that Jesus is the Christ, but — the gospel is the answer to all things. I was looking for that.
2) Prayer is enjoying all of God’s things.
I came to understand prayer. I came to know that prayer is enjoying all of God’s things.
3) The Word of God is the path that brings about evangelization.
What is the Word? The Word of God is what reveals the path that brings about evangelization.
From that point on, the bartizan, the throne, and the journey became visible. There is absolutely no need to worry about the future. The paths keep appearing.
The first thing I started when I came here was what? The upper room. How far have we come now? The 5,000 peoples. Keep praying. How does even the door to the 5,000 peoples open? Since we started praying for the 5,000 peoples, how is the door opening now? Our teams go and are astonished. The President of Vanuatu — that person is a great door to the 5,000 peoples. The President came to Korea in nearly a dying state. Whenever he comes to Korea, he recovers. My, Korean medicine is remarkable. Whatever it is, I was truly astonished. He came nearly dying and then goes back alive. At first he kept saying “thank you, thank you,” and now he has come to a full realization. He realized something like: “God is truly keeping me alive for this world evangelization.” How moved must he have been — our church saved that person twice. How touched he was — he said he would honor me as his elder brother. “Okay then. Listen well to your elder brother. Be sure to practice this treatment I’ve given.” And so I told our worship team: “Go and do it together with the 5,000 peoples. Worship together, play together.” That is what the field 100% should be. That team is now making its rounds. Such a remarkable work.
In the midst of that, just recently a politician from the Solomon Islands attended one of our gatherings. He asked me to pray for him. We prayed for him. And it happened that this very week that person became the Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands. He is now stepping forward saying he will preach the gospel fully. What a remarkable thing.
※ Without knowing this secret, one keeps grasping the wrong things.
Without knowing this secret, you keep grasping the wrong things. Right? Israel suffered seven disasters. They thoroughly held on to the wrong things. “The Lord is our nation’s king. Our nation’s God.” That is wrong. They deserve to be struck down. It is wrong. “God gave the covenant and the gospel only to us.” So they suffer until death, forever, generation after generation. They grasped the wrong things. A serious problem came upon their descendants. If you take the wrong path, it ends up like that.
1) Powerful nations – Keep grasping the wrong things and keep warring
What did the powerful nations do? They kept warring, just as they do now. They kept on with the wrong things. They needed to keep pursuing peace, but they kept on warring.
2) Israel – Running errands for the powerful nations that run errands for Satan
What did God’s people Israel do? They ran errands for the powerful nations that ran errands for Satan. If you go wrong, that is what happens.
▣ Main_ If You Know These Few Things, the Path Becomes Clear
So today we truly must hold on to the covenant — how does one find the path? If you know these few things, the path becomes clear. Even if you try not to see it, you will see it.
1. You must possess the eternal.
First. You must possess the eternal. That is right. You must possess the eternal. What is it?
1) You must possess the power of the throne.
God seated on the throne appeared. He showed many activities of the angels and spoke. Israel will face difficulties, but that is all right. Going forward, the stump, the Remnant will rise. He gave a covenant. The covenant of the throne. Please believe it firmly. What should you do going forward? You don’t need to worry about that. We are going 300%. You must possess the power of the throne.
2) You must possess the eternal gospel and the blessing of Immanuel.
Then what? “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and call his name Immanuel.” We possess the eternal gospel and the blessing of Immanuel. Right? If you have it, it becomes visible. We keep worrying and grasping at other things.
3) You must have the eternal.
Today we discussed something important. You must have the eternal.
(1) Isaiah 40:6-8
“Israel, go up to the high mountain and declare.” Declare what? “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of the Lord will stand forever — declare this.”
(2) Isaiah 40:18-19
“Is this thing made by human hands God? They make an image and bow down to it — is that God?”
(3) Isaiah 40:28-31
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord, the Almighty God” — “Did you not know the Lord who gives strength to us and power to the powerless? Even youths shall faint and stumble, but those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength.” You must have this. Are there perhaps those of you right now who are ill in body or who are struggling so much you can’t even attend worship? Let go of your worry. If God wants to call you home, he can do it without that. Right? God is giving you an important message. You must hold onto it. Do you die when you are sick? You die even when you’re not sick. Therefore, you are one who has the eternal.
2. Within the eternal, you must hold onto today.
Second. Within the eternal, you must hold onto today.
The past has gone. The future? In truth, it hasn’t come yet. Right? It’s good to dream of the future, but it hasn’t come yet. The past has already gone. It is today.
1) Establish the throne’s bartizan.
Within today, what is eternal? Without saying anything else, establish the throne’s bartizan.
2) Travel the throne’s journey.
Today, right now, establish the throne’s bartizan and travel the throne’s journey.
3) Establish the throne’s guidepost.
Regardless of whether it is a big or small matter, establish the throne’s guidepost.
Then something becomes visible. Right? Nothing to worry about. Joseph’s goal was not “to become Prime Minister.” That is what someone who hasn’t received salvation does. Someone who doesn’t know the spiritual realm. “My goal is to be with the Lord.” Right? Let go of all worry. Right now today, enjoy the power of the throne. This is also when sickness is healed. Right? Cancer cells keep attacking you unceasingly, but when you gain spiritual strength, they stop. You must remember this. You must take this with you today.
Possess the eternal. See today within the eternal.
Even when I meet unbelievers and evangelize, I tell them this. “You need to succeed here.” “I work at a restaurant…” “You need to succeed here.” Our assistants know. When I go to restaurants I always tip the young workers. I do this (thumbs up). “You need to succeed here. How do you succeed here? Do well with what’s here. Then the next thing opens. Then it keeps opening and opening.” I always tell the story of the janitor who succeeded. I always tell it. I tell the story of Wanamaker. A man who had nothing became the wealthiest person in America. Right? Worrying about tomorrow? That is all pointless.
3. The secret to holding the eternal – Today’s suffering and crisis is the path to saving the future.
What is even more important? Third. There is one secret to holding the eternal. What is it? Today’s suffering and crisis is precisely the path to saving the future. There has not been a single exception.
1) Joseph going as a slave – The path to saving Egypt
Joseph going as a slave was, in reality, the path to saving Egypt. Right? All of it was contained within that suffering. Experiencing God’s tremendous message — I can understand it even more when I am sick. Right? When someone else is sick I may not know, but when I myself am sick — how hard is that? That is when you understand. It was like that in every case.
2) David – Chose the crisis
So David was someone who chose the crisis. Others ran away from Goliath, but David went looking for Goliath. Rather, choose the crisis. In it are God’s important paths.
※ If you have the eternal things God has given, the path appears perfectly as an answer.
Something even more important. If you have the eternal God has given, the path becomes visible. Not visible to the eye. How does it become visible? It appears perfectly as an answer. Then you go that way. There is absolutely no need to worry about the future. “When will I die?” No need to worry about that either. When God calls, you go. Right? While alive, glorify God, gain strength, worship, and pray.
3) The early church’s Paul team
Hebrews 11:38 — it says they were those of whom the world was not worthy. The early church, especially the Paul team — they succeeded. Where was all of it accomplished? The eternal secrets were all fulfilled entirely through suffering. Knowing this, Paul said “I am thankful.” Right? What is there to be thankful for? “I am thankful.”
Yes. Because you must remember this, I will say it briefly.
▣ Conclusion_ Three things to keep in mind when seeking this blessing
So this is the blessing, but in terms of how you actually find it, there are three things to keep in mind. That is the conclusion.
1. Past – The path lies in the thing that has failed the most.
Of the three things in conclusion, first: the thing in your past that has failed the most — the path is there. Things that are going well also apply, but the path is in the thing that has failed.
I found the path in my own home. I came to understand the path of world evangelization by going through churches that were not working. Right? No need to be discouraged. Churches are struggling and floundering over evangelism. I realized it there. Going out into the world I found it frightening. One wrong move and you get deceived. I learned there. How to live. Nothing to worry about.
2. Today – How do you view the answers you have received?
The second thing to keep in mind. Today. The path is in the past failures. What about today? It is how you view the answers you have received. Now, the answer is important, but how should you view the answers you are to receive?
I’ll give three examples. Daniel achieved great success. He did not view it as success. Right? That is the important thing. He properly saw the path. His nation was destroyed and gone, yet he was succeeding right now. Why? He fixed his purpose. He saw the path. “I will be a witness to God here. I will pray for the restoration of the nation and the restoration of the temple. Even if I die, that is all right.” Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Esther are exactly the same. You must see it that way.
3. Future – Where will world evangelization arise going forward?
What comes next? One more thing to keep in mind for the conclusion. We don’t know. The future. Right? Going forward, it is a matter of seeing where world evangelization will arise.
Eyes looking at America: 237. Eyes looking at Europe: 5,000 peoples. Those people dominated all of Europe and the 5,000 peoples in the past. So now the answer comes easily. Works will keep happening. Joseph never once tried to succeed. God came to Joseph and made him a success. Right? David never struggled to become king. God established David as king, built 1,000 bartizans, and prepared the temple for world evangelization. From today on, stop worrying about the future. It will come out. Something even better will be given.
※ 7·7·7 Prayer – In the morning it is living myself, in the daytime it is delivering the blessing that is within 7·7·7, and at night it is creating masterpieces.
I have nothing to do myself. In the morning when I rise, throughout the morning it is the 7·7·7 prayer for living myself. Just stay within it. In the daytime, when I meet you all, you look so precious to me. It is delivering the blessing that is within this 7·7·7. At night, what do I do? Creating masterpieces. That’s all it takes. Then the doors of answer keep opening. Confirm the blessing you have received today and hold on firmly to it.
I bless you in the name of Jesus Christ that throughout today and this week you will receive great strength and grace. Let us pray.
Prayer. Thank you, God. May this day be a day of full answers from morning to evening, may we remain within that eternal covenant, may we see today within it, may we see the crisis within it, and open the eyes of the spirit to see my past, today, and future within it. May you work upon Immanuel Seoul, Ulsan, Changwon, and all branch churches. May you work upon the many 1.2 million disciples in countless regions who are hearing the Word. In the name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.