2006-8-6 2 Corinthians 9: 6~ 9 Nodaji, A Rich Mine of Blessing Today, I would like to share a message titled, "The Nodaji Blessing." At the end of Chosen Dynasty, the Western countries established a diplomatic relationship with Korea and came to visit the land of Korea. Many mining site surveyors came and visited Korea. The expert surveyors of the mining sites from U.S. and Europe came and surveyed gold, silver, bronze, and iron in Korea. However, they put a peg at a place wherever gold could be found. They put a peg and wrote on it in English "no touch!." It meant "do not touch." However, at the time, since Korean people did not know English well, they thought that gold and silver will be found abundantly in places where pegs were put in, so they called Nodaji, the place where gold and silver could show up indefinitely. Because this word became so popular today, we say about a place where something can be acquired abundantly: "Hey, this is Nodaji. This sale is Nodaji. This business is Nodajj. This happening is Nodaji." This is how we came to say this. The believers of Jesus indeed have attained a big Nodaji. The Bible is this Nodaji. The Bible is the treasures of heaven that brings success into our life, blesses us, and makes us live powerfully. One of the Nodaji is the principle of sowing and reaping. If we understand well concerning this amazing principle of sowing and reaping in the Bible, we can live a successful life that does not lack anything. When we live our life, what we all are given is something that was sown. Whether it was sown at the time of our ancestors or sown by us, there is no principle that allows us to reap without sowing. In Genesis 8:22, God spoke after the flood of Noah: "While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, winter and summer, and day and night shall not cease." God said that, as long as there is earth, the principle of sowing and reaping will continue eternally. We who are farmers know very well concerning the principles of farming. Any farmers know that to reap we must sow. Regardless of how good land we may possess, if we do not plow and sow the field, we will never be able to reap. There was a father who had two sons, but both sons were too lazy. They only expected freebies, not willing to work. When the father was about to pass away, he called them and gave his last words. "Hey, for you two, I have put gold in the field I owned. I have hidden the gold I don’t know whether you can find it searching the entire field. If you find the gold, then with it, live well and happy sharing it amongst you brothers." And then, he passed away. The two sons, after the funeral, ran to the field leaping with joy, but the field was enormously big. They had no way of knowing where it was hidden in this large field. From this day on, tying a headband around their forehead and bringing the workers, the two searched the field. They searched the field from its beginning to its end; they took out the rocks, plucked out the weed; after they searched the entire place, no gold was found. However, looking at it, because the field was turned upside down very well, it was thoroughly cultivated. "Anyway! Since the field is cultivated, let's try to sow some seed." After they sowed the seed in the field, as the grain swayed under the wind in the fall, the color of gold shone brilliantly. Finally at this they said, "Ah! This is what my father spoke about putting gold in the field." They farmed, and having a great harvest, they made money and lived happily ever after. We reap because we have sown. Also, we reap whatever we sow. We reap according to its kind. We cannot reap peas if we have sown red beans, and we cannot reap red beans after sowing grains. The peas sprout where peas are sown and red beans sprout where red beans are sown. This is the same concerning the spiritual truth. We cannot reap love after sowing hatred in our heart. After we've hated, envied, angered, and been jealous of a person, it is ridiculous to expect to receive love from others in our own life. If we plant love wherever we'd go, later this love will be reaped as love. As an old saying, it is said: "Do not leave your wealth to your children; they will become reckless. Do not leave behind a book; they won’t be able to finish reading it. Leave behind many merits. Then, later on, your children will gain much help from it." If we pile up merits, then always, the same generation or the next generation will reap them according to what was sown. In Galatians 6:7-8, "Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life." Man's life cannot stand avoiding the principle of sowing and reaping. If we sow much, we reap much. Also, regardless of how much we may sow, we can reap only when God helps us. Look at our recent floods. Farming yearlong, regardless of how we sowed so diligently, when the flood comes and wipes them away, nothing is left. Faced with a natural disaster, there is nothing can be done with the strength of man. As South Korea went through a lot of flooding, North Korea also went through incredible flooding. Of what can man boast? "Where is God?" "Do not believe in God but believe in my fist," they boast like this, but when God sends down rain even a little, then everything is wiped away. Man can only live under the grace and blessing of God; without the grace and blessing of God, he can never prosper. In Psalm 65:9, "You visit the earth and water it, You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it." If God does not provide, we cannot prosper, with the strength of man. The drought mustn't come, but if the drought comes, regardless of how much we've sown, doesn't everything dry up and burn? Because of today's global warming, the weather is so hot, so not too long in the future, becoming hotter, we are told that the trees and grass of the earth will dry up. Thus, if the trees and grass of the earth dry up and it rains again, mud slides will occur and flooding will occur; the world will be inhabitable. Since mankind treads on the nature, abuses the nature, and does not respect the nature, the wrath of the nature pours out into our life. I lived for 70 years, but it was first time for me to see the nationwide flooding, and it was first time this year for me to experience such hot days. We are witnessing the phenomenon of the great revolt of the nature. Regardless of how well we've farmed, the flooding should not occur. If the flooding occurs, the fertile field utterly turns into a sand dune. If the hurricane and heavy rain come, how can a person be able to withstand them? Also, the harmful insects must not pest severely. If the harmful insects chop away and kill the things that we've sown, the farming is not possible. Earthquakes and fire should not occur; also, if the weather is cold and ice storms come, the crops will not grow, bearing no fruit. We must know that regardless of how hard the man may endeavor, without the blessing of God, all work is done in vain. This is not only for the crop farming. Beginning with raising children, which is human farming, to our business and the daily life, there must be the blessing of God to bear fruit in the work of man; if God does not grant blessings, all efforts of man will be done in vain. In Deuteronomy 28:38, "You shall carry much seed out to the field but gather little in, for the locust shall consume it." God is the one who makes our harvest of the field, crops, wine, and oil bountiful. There is no one who can shut the door that God has opened up, and there is no one who can open the door that God has shut. An individual or a nation that God has lifted up will not perish. While we live on this earth, we must know that the principle of sowing and reaping is the law of nature and the spiritual law. The Nodaji of life is indeed here. "Where can we dig out gold and silver? Let's dig up going to a place where foreigners posted the sign 'Nodaji' without telling." It is foolish to think like this. In our life, the true Nodaji is in the Bible, and the law of Nodaji is sowing and reaping. The devil comes and takes away this principle of sowing and reaping from us. Letting us sow but not reap and reap where it is not sown, the devil gives us the greed to take away the things we have not put our efforts into, so that we can perish. In 2 Corinthians 9:6-9, "But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever." The tithe is the most important of the principle of sowing and reaping. Tithing is sowing in God. Tithe is not ours but God's. Of the blessings given by God, 9 parts are given to us and God is asking for only 1 part from us. Let's not do it with a harsh heart, not giving it forcibly, but with a true heart, if we sow tithe in God, God will make us reap it. 50 years ago, when I came up to Seoul for the first time, I didn't know where Seoul was located. From Pusan, taking a slow train, I traveled 12 to 13 hours to come up to Seoul. I was very disheartened. It was because, in Seoul, I had no place to stay or to eat; I did not know anyone. Moreover, since I came empty-handed to Seoul which was desolated by war, where could I go? At this time, remembering Jacob, I prayed. "God, I am going to Seoul empty handed, where there is no one I know and there is no place to stay. If the Lord opens up a way for me to live, granting a place to stay and food to eat in Seoul, I will never steal one tenth of the blessings You'd give me. I have nothing to cling to except the tithe; for I will surely offer my tithe to God, please look after me." I do not forget this prayer in my memory even to this day. From that day on to this very day, at the age of 70, I have not stolen tithe even once. I continuously sowed the tithe in God; thus, God did not make me hungry once, clothe me in every season, fed me in every season, and provided me with a place to stay. I know so well about the blessing of the tithe through my experiences. Test God with tithe. God promised that to those who offer tithe He will grant blessings so much that there is no place to store them. Even man does not break promises; for God made a promise, it cannot contain lie. For God is not human, He cannot break a promise, and for He is not a man, there is no deception. What He had spoken, God always fulfills them. In some instances, He may delay accomplishing them, but if we suffer long and endure it, praying before God, God fulfills what He had promised. A famous Japanese theologian, Uzimura Ganzo said, "Tithe is advantageous to us even in terms of making a deal. It is because God request 1 part from us and provides 10 parts to us." In Malachi 3:10, "'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.'" Isn't this Nodaji? The Nodaji sign post that God has put up is Malachi 3:10. This is Nodaji of your life. God is speaking that if you were to go in here, the blessing of God will pour out like Nodaji. Though tithe is to be offered to God, we should not be harsh in helping our neighbors. When our neighbors are in pain, faced with poverty, and in suffering, if we turn our face away and pretend that we didn't see it, we won't receive the blessing of God. This time, in every part of Korea, the flooding was severe; seeing this in the newspaper, we say, "This just has happened! The special people will help them; how can a person like me who is barely surviving help them?" If we think like this, then we are gravely mistaken. God has given us the field of blessing but we have rejected it. A person who is poor, naked, hungry, and suffering comes to us; then, it is God providing us with a field. "Sow here. I will make you reap from it." If we throw away the field that God provided for us, there is nothing special for us to reap. Helping the poor are the field in which we can receive blessings. In 2 Corinthians 9:9, "As it is written: 'He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.'" Look at this. "The righteousness can exist eternally." God says, "Hey! You have indeed done righteous things. You did well." God's compliment is given not only for a day or two but eternally. We know how the relief efforts are remembered by God and are effective. In the Bible, Cornelius was a gentile, an Italian centurion who did a lot of relief works. Meanwhile, in one afternoon, an angel appeared and said, "Go to Joppa and ask for a man named Peter. Your relief efforts are remembered by God." There is this amazing work of God that, a gentile, not an Israelite, an Italian centurion, did a lot of relief efforts and helped many poor people, God remembered this and called Peter so that he can listen to the message of salvation and receive the Holy Spirit. When Dorca died, people bathed her and clothed her, putting her in the upper room, and when Peter was asked, he came and prayed; thus did not Dorca come back to life again? At this time, the widows said, "When Dorca was alive, she looked after many widows, and look at the clothes she made for us." For she did a lot of relief works and helped many neighbors, Peter prayed to God that she had come back to life again, so God gave her life back. The relief works are not just of God's plan but remembered by God eternally. Therefore, offering tithe to God and doing relief works for our neighbors are written on the list of our wealth. It is surely recorded in our account in the kingdom of heaven. We must have this foundation, so that when we pray for God's blessing, God will not hesitate and answer us. In the Bible, in Luke 6:38, "Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you." Missionary Hudson Taylor one day visited a poor home. He went and saw a sick young woman, laying down in the house, holding an infant in her arms; because the baby couldn't get the milk, the baby was whimpering sucking on the mom's empty breast; in the house, there was nothing to eat. However, Hudson Taylor prayed for them and said, "God will bless you and take care of you." And when he was coming out of the house, the Holy Spirit spoke in his heart. "Hey, you hypocrite, you liar! In your pocket, aren't there 2 shillings and 6 pence? Having 2 shillings and 6 pence, how can you come out of there, saying to this widow who has nothing to eat and who is ill with a whimpering baby: "Are you peaceful? God will help you." So Hudson Taylor spoke to God: "God, I need to eat breakfast tomorrow, and I have only 2 shillings and 6 pence for breakfast." "Hey you! Tomorrow morning is tomorrow. Today this widow is dying in hunger with the baby. Are you going to leave, putting them in your pocket?" So he turned around. Again he went to the widow and gave 2 shillings and 6 pence saying, "I am sorry. I came back because God reproached me that I just prayed and didn't help you although I had this money." Shedding tears, this widow received the money, and ironically, she prayed for the blessing on Hudson Taylor. The next morning, because he didn't have the money for the breakfast, he was about to go without eating; about the time to eat, a letter was received. So he opened up the letter, and in the letter, there was 10 gold shillings. There was no note from the sender, and there was no address and no name of the sender; he gave 2 shillings and 6 pence but he received 5 times as much, 10 gold shillings. Thus, Hudson Taylor was amazed. "God never forgets and remembers about helping the poor. I gave everything that I had I thought no one could remember this, but God remembered and God sent me, like this, the money for the breakfast." He exclaimed like this and recorded in his diary. If we give to the poor, then God will give to you: in good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. Therefore, we must believe in the promise of God. People do not want to believe in the promise of God. All blessings that God has given to us are the promise of God in the Bible. Salvation is also a promise. It is the promise given to God that whosoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. We must believe in the promise, expect that we will receive the eternal life, and offer our life. The material blessing is also a promise. If you tithe, then God will open up the heavenly doors and pour them out on you. If we help the poor, then God remembers them and returns thirty, sixty, hundredfold. We must believe in the promise of God. In Malachi 3:10, "'Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this,' says the Lord of hosts, 'If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.'" As we receive the promise from God and offer tithe and help the poor, God will protect us from the environmental disasters. The environmental disasters are fearsome. In Malachi 3:11, "'And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field,' says the Lord of hosts." It is said like this. If locusts come and eat up the harvest, then the crop is worked in vain. If the grape vines are diseased and grapes fall off, then the work in the vineyard is done in vain. He says He will get rid of disasters. As an example, this year, there were many storms, and God is saying that He will get rid of them. It is possible that God can send the hurricane back which is headed to Korea, not hitting Korea. Is there anything that God cannot do? If we make the promise of tithe with God, when we are in difficulties and cry out to God, God remembers the promise. And God surely keeps this promise. Surely, to receive the blessing from God, we must establish a firm foundation on which we can pray crying out to God. If we tithe and live not being harsh about the relief efforts, then this becomes the firm foundation on which we can call out to God. "God, I didn't steal tithe. I was not harsh on helping out those who are having difficulties. Now Lord, for I am having difficulties, please help me." How can the Lord say, "I do not know you"? The Lord will never say "I don't know you." And others will see our life and be amazed. Others would say, "That person, how can he prosper as his soul prospers, is in health, and receives life, receiving it abundantly?" Inasmuch as others would be amazed, God says that He will bless us. In Malachi 3:12, "'And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land,' says the Lord of hosts." They will be amazed. John Wannamaker who is well known as the king of the department stores could not go to school when he was a child because he was poor; he worked as a factory worker in a brick making factory. However, he attended church diligently. One day, the pastor finishing the sermon announced, "Because the church is decrepit, it must be renovated, so everyone please offer what you can." Wannamaker wanted to do something for the church, but he had nothing to offer. So he went to the owner of the brick factory and said, "Sir, our church is renovating, but since I do not have money to offer, if you give me some bricks I will offer them to the church. And I will deduct the cost of the bricks from my paycheck." The factory owner said, "Okay, take as many bricks as you want and I'll deduct the cost of the bricks from your paycheck." Thus, one day, he pulled the squeaking cart full of bricks to the church in the early morning. The pastor saw this; Wannamaker came to church sweating a lot with the bricks fully laden on the cart. "Why did you bring this?" "Pastor, I had not anything to offer for the church renovation. But because the factory I work for is a brick factory, with the permission from the owner of the factory, I brought the bricks. Please use them for the church construction." The pastor embraced this young child, and tearfully prayed: "God, please bless this boy who loves and is dedicated to the church so much like this." Wannamaker started business later on; being blessed continually, he became the king of the department stores. Later, he built a new building for that church spending one million dollars. And then, becoming ever so prominent, he turned into the world renowned king of the department stores. He said like this: "When I was a child being poor, I diligently made offerings, and God gave me this blessing." If we sow before God, God will always repay richly. In 2 Corinthians 9:8-9, "And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: 'He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.'" Today, the U.S. is the world's most powerful nation and it is affluent. There is a reason for the U.S. becoming the world's most powerful nation and being affluent. The wealthy U.S. people tithe thoroughly to God and utilize the principle of sowing and reaping. Because they do not think inconvenient to help the poor neighbors, giving away their wealth, the world's wealth is amassing into the U.S. The blessing of God is given to be shared. If it is not shared, the fountain will dry up. Warren Buffett is the CEO of the U.S. investment company and business entrepreneur; he is the 2nd richest man next to Bill Gates. Last June 25th, he announced that he will donate 85% of his total wealth of 44 billion dollars which is 37 billion dollars. This is the largest donated amount in the history of the U.S. donations. He decided to donate 85% of his total wealth. CEO Buffett, despite his well-known name, "the world's richest," he regularly drives a used car. The house he lives in is a house he bought in 1958 paying $31,000. Being influenced by his father who was a stock broker, beginning at the age of 8, Buffett started to read books about stocks. At the age of 13, he delivered newspapers and saved money, and he bought a machine doing brokerage work; he had a knack for making money. After becoming a rich man through stock investments, because he thought "if I bequeath my wealth to the children, I could ruin their life," he insisted on the return of the wealth to the society. He opposed Bush Administration when they announced the removal of inheritance tax. He insisted that the inheritance tax should be imposed heavily. Moreover, Buffett did not donate 90% of this large sum of money to the Foundation in his name or in his family names but he chose the Bill Gates Foundation which is managing donation money very well today. Because he lived a life sharing, he received blessings from God thus, he was able to donate this large sum of money. Today, he is selected as the #1 honorable economist. For God grants blessings to be shared, if we do not share them, the fountain of the blessing will dry up. God has given us Nodaji. The Nodaji is tithing and doing relief works for our neighbors. God has put up a sign on it: "This is Nodaji." I bless you in the name of the Lord that as the people who know about Nodaji of God, going into the mine of Nodaji, to receive richly the blessings God have prepared, you should never steal tithe and not be lazy in helping our poor neighbors.