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THE GOOD NEWS
by Pastor Ock Soo Park
No. 24
The spiritual life of Being Led by the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual Life of Being Tied to the Law
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. Thus saith the LORD, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar; The LORD of hosts is his name: If those ordinances depart from before me, saith the LORD, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me for ever. Thus saith the LORD; If heaven above can be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the LORD. (Jeremiah 31:31 ~ 37) the law.
The Essay on Gods Covenants With Humanity
Gods Covenants With Humanity Bible history reveals the Jews were not always faithful to God. Church history confirms the same is true of Christians. Human beings within any religious system are capable of adjusting or distorting their understanding of God will for expedient social purposes. But, deviant theology has no effect on Gods truth. Gods truth is everlasting. Civilizations come and go, but ...
man his neighnour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, (Jer. 31:34)
Pastor Ock Soo Park
Another Heart
For those who believe in Jesus, a heart different from their own lives and works. I vividly remember the day my son was born. It was the day before my father’s birthday. On my father’s birthday, it was customary for my family to gather together for breakfast. My hometown was one hour away from where I lived and on that particular day, I had no money to buy my father a gift, nor did I have the money to pay for transportation. It was the first time I could not be with him on his birthday. It broke my heart thinking of my father waiting for me, and all day long, I felt dejected. One person came to my house that night and I preached the gospel to him. While preaching the gospel, I was able to forget my hunger, and forget that I had missed my father’s birthday. Jesus at that time had put His heart in me, and I was able to preach the gospel to him with the same heart of Jesus that, “I was crucified for you!” About 11 o’clock that night, he received salvation. Despite having no money and nothing to eat, I could not erase the joy that filled my heart at that time. I walked him out and came back into the room, overflowing with joy. Then my wife became very upset.
“All you have to do is preach the gospel. Why do you talk about such nonsense?” I realized that my wife, who was in the final stages of pregnancy, had begun having contractions, but she did not say it because she thought that it would distract me from preaching the gospel. It had been extremely difficult for her to endure the pain. The contractions had started, but we did not have a single dime. When I reflect upon the past, not once did I think that I was miserable even though I experienced so much difficulty, pain and sadness. It was because there was another heart, one different from my own; the heart of God, the heart of Jesus inside of me. Jesus has no complaints, bitterness, disappointment, or despair in His heart. No matter how hard Satan tries to throw us into despair and bitterness through various challenges, it is impossible when we are in the heart of Jesus. I lived with the peace, joy, and happiness that is not found anywhere in the world because Jesus led my heart.
The Term Paper on Holy Spirit God Jesus Bible
... sins was because God, his Father made him. Children disobey their parents all the time and Jesus had a choice ... committed, all men now sin. God created them with his Law written on their hearts and until Satan came to ... his disciples lost hope, until Jesus tomb was discovered empty a few days later. Then and only then ... didn t listen and I goofed off, two days later something was bothering me about how I ...
God said that He would establish a new covenant when the days come. A new covenant means that there was an old covenant. God said this to the people of Israel. “I will bless you if you keep and do all of my words. If not, I will curse you. Will you keep this law?” At that instant, the Israelites answered, “We will keep them all,” and promised God. God then gave them the Ten Commandments. They were supposed to have been led by God in their heart, but they were led by the law. Hatred, greed, deceitfulness, and lust arose in their hearts, but the law said, “Thou shalt not murder. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not bear false witness,” which could only cause them pain. They enjoyed sin in their heart, but they were told not to sin. Therefore, they could not keep the law. The desire to lie fought against the law that told them not to, and the people continually broke the law. They could not keep even one law of God but in the same manner broke them all.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah. (Jer. 31:31)
As I Am
I have tried to pray, but when I thought I had prayed for an hour, only 10 minutes had actually passed. However, one day, through the Holy Spirit leading my prayer, I prayed oblivious to the time passing. It was graceful and peaceful. I often became sleepy and frustrated when I try to read the Bible, but it is so peaceful when the Holy Spirit has me read the Bible. People try to do it through the law, saying, “I felt overfilled when I prayed before, and I’m gonna do it like I did then. I’m going to try, like Wesley, and like Paul.” Spiritual life can never be done through the law. Then how should it be done? You must recognize that you cannot do it with your strength and give up. Although I am a pastor, I often pray, “God, I cannot pray well. I will do well if You lead me.” I do not put hope in what I do but in Jesus. True spiritual life is turning from your effort and labor, and even if it fails, having the Lord do it. If the prodigal son in Luke chapter 15 tried to clean himself while in the pig pen of the far away country, before returning to his father, he would have never been able stand before his father. He would have starved to death. In the same manner as the prodigal son returning to his father in the dirty, filthy image he was, you too should not try to repair your evil deeds or dirty life. Do not try to become truthful, but go to God as you are. Admit that you are a lacking, weak human being before God and say, “God! I now throw myself into your hands. May the Holy Spirit come and change me. Then I will be changed.” Turn from your efforts and put hope in Jesus. “I am filthy, but I will be clean if Jesus cleanses me. I am riotous, but I will be prudent if you allow it. I cannot preach the gospel, but I will preach if you enable me to preach the gospel.”
The Term Paper on Jews And Gentile God Paul Law
... 20-21 that when sin abounded, God's grace abounded more. Paul explained how we received our justification and spiritual life, and the implications of ... but that it brought spiritual death because it defined sin and increased our natural desire to break God's laws (7: 7-13). Because ... of the Law was opposed to faith, being a works covenant at heart (10: 5). The way to receive God's righteousness is ...
How can we know God? If the heart of God enters us, our heart is then the same as God’s, and we can know God.
When You Realize Failure
When I used to go to church before I was born again, I always sinned no matter how hard I tried not to. I repeated the life of sinning and repenting, and sinning and repenting. When I gave up on all of my effort, one day Jesus entered my heart, and thereafter, my heart changed. This did not happen through my own will or effort. The Holy Spirit led me this way. Is there anyone among you who still lives a spiritual life tied to the law? Are you saying, “I should pray because I go to church.”? Or does the heart to pray spring up in your life? To live a true spiritual life, you must realize, “It is all a failure for me to try to keep the law, to try to not commit sin, and to try to please God! I can do good and be righteous only when Jesus comes to my heart and I have the heart of Jesus!”
The New Covenant Recorded in the Heart
God said He would establish a new covenant because the Israelites had all committed sin and broke the first covenant. It was because the law He first gave us could not make us whole.
A Light that Fades Away
When the Israelites departed Egypt and were in the wilderness, Moses received the tables of stone with the Ten Commandments from Mount Sinai. However, he broke those tables of stone when he saw the Israelites dancing with the golden calf they had made. Moses again climbed to the top of Mount Sinai, and after spending forty days and nights with God, he once again received the Ten Commandments on two tables of stone and brought them down. At that time, the people were amazed to see that Moses’ face was shining. Moses quickly hid his face with a veil. Why did he hide his shining face with a veil? It was because that shine was not an everlasting shine, but one that would soon fade away. Moses’ face shone when he was with God, but that shine disappeared when he was far from God. The Israelites would become disappointed when they saw the shine from his face disappear, so Moses hid the shine to prevent them from seeing it at all.
The Essay on Image Of God Jesus Quote Man
There are many images of God between today s culture and the past. Some of these images are very different, from a vengeful and unforgiving God to a caring and loving God. Most of these images have been passed down through time and different sources such as the Bible. The first image of God I have chosen to discuss is the common image of God from the Old Testament as God the creator. My first ...
Two Kinds of Spiritual Life
The English gospel preacher, John Wesley, received salvation while he was a pastor. No denomination in England would receive him after he received salvation, so he would ride his horse preaching the gospel to people even if it were two or three at a time. Riding in a car is quite tiring, but the distances Wesley traveled on his horse and the number of times he preached is beyond our imagination. Wesley was able to live this way not because someone told him to, but because the heart of Jesus in him led him. The Methodist church began through Wesley and as time passed, the Methodist church lived on, but the heart of God that lived inside of Wesley disappeared. There are many people today who say, “This is how Wesley witnessed. Let us do the same.” Wesley witnessed from his heart, but church goers today are led by law because they do not have the same heart inside of them. There are two hearts in spiritual life. There is the spiritual life, through the Holy Spirit, where we find ourselves hating sin, wanting to witness, and wanting to pray because such hearts spring up. Then there is the spiritual life that is tied to the law: “Tithe, witness, and do not sin,” despite the fact that we enjoy sinning in our heart. Don’t you at times live spiritual life through the law? From time to time, even I have the heart, “I am a pastor. Is it okay for me to be this lazy? I’d better get up early.” This is law. The law leads us according to its demands but God leads us according to His heart. That is why we cannot become close to the heart of God if we live a spiritual life that is through the law. We can only please God, accomplish the will of God, and experience the work of God when we are led by the heart of God.
The Term Paper on God And Christian Life
A healthy, vibrant, growing and happy Christian life requires a regular routine of communion with God through prayer, study His Word, and in Christian service to mankind. Like eating, sleeping, and exercising, it demands daily attention. And like our bodies, our spiritual life quickly withers and dies without spiritual food. I. Communicating Your Mind with Him The story of Enoch is a great example ...
The Law Which Is the Old Covenant
Jeremiah chapter 31 clearly tells us the difference between a spiritual life through the Holy Spirit and one through
Pastor Ock Soo Park’s Homepage
God recorded the Ten Commandments, which was the first law given by God, on tables of stone. On them He said, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me….” But if the heart to not have other gods is recorded in our heart, would we serve other gods? We would not. God made the heart when He made man. When a man is grown, he feels love when he sees a woman. That is why marriage is joyful. God did not simply tell people to marry and make a family; He gave men the heart to love women. It is not that a woman is beautiful that makes a man love her. A woman appears beautiful because he loves her. God gave parents the heart to look upon their children with love. That is why it is not painful for them no matter what kind of sacrifices they make for their children. The parents are joyful and happy no matter what hardship they endure. Likewise, spiritual life must not be done according to law but by accepting the heart of God. If you try to keep the law, you will realize, “I cannot keep the law because evil, lustful hearts arise within me! God has to enter my heart. I cannot live spiritual life with my own heart.” People who have not realized this try to live their spiritual lives zealously on their own.
They try to quit drinking by themselves, try to give offering by themselves, and struggle to not commit sin by themselves. They live the spiritual life bound by the law. In contrast, when Jesus enters your heart you change without knowing. Even though your heart is dirty, lustful, and wicked, the heart of Jesus is not that way. The heart of Jesus will have unsaved people seem pitiful to you, and you will have the heart that says, “That person will be saved if I preach the gospel…. I’ll preach the gospel to him.” Our original heart is that we are happy when things go well for us and we couldn’t care less about how others fare. On the other hand, if the heart of Jesus enters us, seeing others do well brings us joy and happiness. God recorded the first law on tables of stones, but He recorded the second law in our heart. He puts His heart into ours. If God puts the heart to hate adultery, to hate stealing, and to hate hatred, we will be led by that heart and we can live like God. You cannot live like God when you are led by the law, but if you receive the heart of Jesus, your life is automatically changed into a beautiful and blessed one.
Love Your Neighbour: An Essay On The Teachings Of Jesus
... is the greatest of God’s commandments, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, ... compassion and help when in need. Jesus taught that it is God’s will or law for people to love each other, and that ... any failure to love others is disobedience to God’s will or law. So ...
And they shall teach no more every
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the Lord: But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their in ward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Jer. 31:32,33)
themselves. They are unable to leave things up to the Lord, and there are so many people living spiritual life, holding onto everything themselves. Everything shines for a moment, but soon fades away. Many people say, “I used to be joyful when I prayed, I used to be satisfied while witnessing.” They long for the faded light. Do not look to that. Look to the Lord inside of you. The reason Jesus cannot work inside of you even though He wants to is that you are trying to fix yourself. For once, let go of the things you have tried to do well through your own efforts. The Loving Jesus will change you. You need not try to do it, but the things Jesus led and changed, the things Jesus accomplished; these are the beautiful things. I spent 44 years inside of Jesus. One day, my father came to me while I was being trained in the missionary school. My father looked around and said, “Who is the highest missionary at this school? Let me say hello to him.” My father met the missionary and spoke to him. “Missionary, Ock Soo here quits quickly once he’s had only a taste. It was about time he quit, but I see that he is still up to this. I guess this is the work that’s cut out for him.
Please teach him well.” As I recall, that was indeed how I lived. I have tasted the world of Jesus for 44 years, but I am still inside the Lord. I did not do this. Jesus did it. If I had done it, it would have ended quickly. Things done with our effort do not last long but end quickly. Now, do not try to do it yourself. Give God a chance, say, “Everything I have done has failed. Now I will let go. God, You be the one that works.” If the heart of God comes, the best of people and even the worst of people can love God. I hope that you will be led not by your own righteousness or effort, but by the Holy Spirit and become people of God. Pastor Park’s sermon will continue in the New York Times from April 24th and it will be printed every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. We hope you will continue to follow the words of Pastor Park in the New York Times.
What Jesus Accomplished
Many say they believe in Jesus, but in truth, they do not believe in Jesus. They feel that nothing will work if they believe in Jesus and feel that they can do a better job. So, they try to repair
There are two kinds of lights: a light that fades, and a light that is eternal. The one that fades is the light that is through the law. When I pray zealously, read the Bible, and witness, for a moment, it seems that I am shining. However, this light fades little by little. You are overcome with joy when you tithe and fast for a few days. This soon fades. Many people today labor to gain this kind of light. Moses told them to not look at this light because the light from his face would soon disappear. Even though it was shining at the time, he hid it with a veil.
Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness of speech: And not as Moses, which put a vail over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished (2 Cor. 3:12~13)
Spiritual Counseling Good News Central Church, 3500 W First St. L.A., CA 90004 Phone: 213-880-3452, 675-9525 E-mail: [email protected]
A collection of sermons by Pastor Ock Soo Park. Forgiveness, which is the greatest gift of God, is now revealed.
Liberty Where the Spirit of God Is
But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the vail is upon their heart. Nevertheless, when it shall turn to the Lord, the vail shall be taken away. (2 Cor. 3:15~16) 1. The Four Lepers When you forsake your way and move your foot steps toward the new way God has opened… 2. Jacob and Esau Is it through grace? Or works? Which attitude of faith will you have? 3. Woman Taken in Adultery What is the secret that frees the woman taken in adultery, who should be stoned to death? 4. The Man with an Infirmity for 38 Years What is needed for a sinner who is like the man with an infirmity for 38 years? 5. The Chief Butler and the Chief Baker Some people are saved like the chief butler and others are destroyed like the chief baker. What is the difference? 6. Eternal Redemption Solving the truth one by one through matching the Old Testament with the New Testament. 7. Man Who Fell Among Thieves Who is the one that saves the man who fell among thieves? 8. The Power of Samson The power of the gospel shatters the chain of sin. 9. Cain and Abel What is the difference between the person and offering that God accepts, and the person and offering He doesn’t accept?
What does it mean here to turn to the Lord? When I try to keep the law I am turning to the law, not the Lord. Many people today claim to serve God, but are serving the law. We must live spiritual life not through the law but through receiving the heart of God. Verse 17 says, “… and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” For example, I would not feel free if I were at your house. I would be afraid that you would be uncomfortable if I rested on your bed, and I would be careful and worried that you might be upset if I were to take the water out of your refrigerator to quench my thirst. If your heart and mine become one, we are comfortable and free no matter what we do. We are free if we have the spirit of God because we then have the same heart as God. One who tries to keep the law can never gain liberty in front of God. No matter how well he keeps the law, he cannot gain liberty before God. There is true liberty where the spirit of the Lord is.
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Pastor Park’s sermon will continue in the New York Times fron April 24th, and it will be printed every 2nd and 4th Monday of each month. You can find previous sermons online at www.goodnews.or.kr/en.
