A Person Reaps what the Person sows (Galatians 6:7) Today I'd like to share God's grace under the title of "A Person Reaps what the Person sows." As a Korean saying goes, you reap what you sow. Nowadays someone changes it to "You cannot reap what you sow naturally," but the original principle has not been changed at all. So what will happen then if we sow nothing? We end up getting thorns and weeds. Whatever we sow in small quantities we reap in small quantities and the other way around. We cannot share vegetables that are planted in our small garden with all of our neighbors. We can distribute what we plant in the field to our neighbors with abundance. Thanksgiving Day is the day when we think our good harvest from what we sow and give thanks to God for it. 1. Sowing and reaping from the view of nature First, we must remember sowing and reaping from the view of nature. The Lord says through the parable of the sower that we can reap in great quantity when we sow and grow it in a fertile field. "A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."(Lk. 8:5-8) Through this parable of the sower, the seed that falls on good soil consists of only a fourth. No matter how wonderfully the sower sows his seed, he must take good care of it. If it is abandoned without care, it cannot bear fruit. We should cultivate well ?by weeding a field, fertilizing, preventing diseases and insects, having irrigation facilities in place to control over droughts and floods, a seed may grow well. James 5:7 says, "See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains." 1 Corinthians 3:6-7 says, "I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow." Paul said this to the church members in Corinth after he built a big church there preaching the gospel. "I came to sow the seed of the life of Jesus Christ. Then Apollos watered it by his encouraging and comforting and teaching. However, it was God that made it grow to sprout to bear fruit." Our Yoido Full Gospel Church has grown to be the world's largest church by the blessings of God. I sowed the seed and watered it along with the late pastor Choi Jashil and then the late pastor John Huston and other many people also participated in this watering job. Nonetheless, it is God who has made it grow, not one of us. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything. Everybody can sow the seed, water it, but it is only God who makes things grow. Therefore we should give glory and praise to God. Psalm 50:23 says, "Those who sacrifice thank offerings honor me, and to the blameless I will show my salvation." Why does God want these thank offerings? Giving thanks gives us a tremendous positive power. There are so many negative forces in the world. "I cannot live. I cannot do it. It is impossible." If complaining, grumbling, and lamenting approach us like a mist, they will block God's blessings to come upon us. Through this negative force the devil comes to steal, kill and destroy. It is giving thanks that cast out all of these negative forces, clean our hearts blowing away the mist and wind. Then the bright sunlight of God shines through us to communicate with him. Giving thanks does not belong to our merits, but it pleases God and breaks down the negative barrier between God and us. Sometimes it seems to be invincible, but only through giving thanks, it is demolished. The more we are filled with worries, anxiety, irritation, and despair, the more we should give thanks to God. It is because we need more help from God at that time and it will break down the wall between God and us. When we give thank offerings to God, this glorify God so that it will open the way for him to reach his hands of salvation to us. Those who are able to control their minds and hearts will preside over their destiny and future. If not, even God cannot bless them at all, because he works through our hearts and minds. He never did it apart from our hearts and minds, but only through our thinking, dream, faith, and words in our hearts. Our hearts should be secure and under control. If not, God cannot help us. How can God help our hearts if they are full of complaint, lamentation, negativity, despair and destruction? The best way to control our hearts is to worship, praise and give thanks to God. Praise and giving thanks preside over our hearts. The glorious light of God will shine over them. Therefore, those individuals, homes, churches and countries that give thanks to God abundantly will experience his presence and blessings. The origin of Thanksgiving Day started from the puritans in America. George Washington, the first president of the States, built and established the foundation of the States. He proclaimed after he designated a day of public thanksgiving and prayer in 1789, "Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor--we should worship him giving thanks to his grace from eternity to eternity then he will protect us with his firm hands." This Thanksgiving Day was abolished by Tomas Jefferson, the third president of the States and then resurrected by Abraham Lincoln in 1863. At that time the States prospered greatly. However, in 1960s, under President Kennedy, a prayer and Ten Commandments were removed from public schools in the U.S. Afterwards many descendants of the Kennedy died a tragic death one after another. Nowadays juvenile delinquency in the States has become worsened to grow as a serious social problem. Any individuals or countries give thanks and praise to God will reap a harvest of prosperity and blessings. If not, they cannot but reap despair and difficulties. 2. Raising a human being Second, raising a human being is the same as a natural farming. The future of a nation lies in the hands of education. God always emphasized the importance of education to the Israelites. In the last state of confusion of Israel, he set up Samuel and let him learn from the high priest. Samuel grew up in the temple and served the high priest to experience and learned the glory of God. During three and a half years of his public ministry Jesus took his disciples all the time in his journey and spent time together and concentrated on teaching them. God came to the earth as a human being to teach his disciples. After Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension his disciples became full of the Holy Spirit and went throughout the world preaching his gospel to all the peoples. The explosive growth of our church lies in raising many disciples. After being raised in our church, they planted their own churches and have led a successful ministry and built another mega church in Korea. They are now doing their best in evangelizing Korea and the world. All of these result from the disciple training of our church. Churches should focus on the disciple training to have hope for future. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, "These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." The secret is education. Teach the Word of God to your children when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Since Israel neglected the education of the Word of God, their children grew up to rebel against God serving Baal and Asherah and other idols so that they were deserted and destroyed by him. Therefore God told the Israelites to educate their children by his Word. Proverb 22:6 says, "Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it." Learning from childhood will never go away. The reason why Korea was able to rise from the ashes was due to our parents' passion for education and the social climate to support it. Because of these two Korea can become one of the world's prosperous countries. It is the same as Korean churches. The future of the Korean church also lies in the hands of theological education. Only the correct theological education can give hope for the future of the Korean church. The necessity of a Jesus-centered mind and the grace of the Holy Spirit are required to the Korean church along with Yoido Full Gospel Church. However, something wrong is going on now. New theology and liberal theology will eventually turn churches into cemeteries. Galatians 1:7-8 says, "--which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse!" The Bible seldom curses, but it always blesses. Nevertheless, it curses anyone who preaches a gospel other than the gospel of Christ. "Cursed is the one who preaches heresy other than the gospel of Jesus Christ!" That person deserves curses because he/she tempts the children of God to hell. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."(Rm. 3:23) Human beings have no ability to make themselves righteous on their own. Since Jesus paid the debt of our sins through an inexpressible pain on the cross on behalf of us and shed his blood, we can receive forgiveness and righteousness under the precious blood and stand tall before God. The reason why you and I boldly call God as Abba Father and come forward with confidence before the Lord is due to the precious blood of Jesus. No one should disregard this fact. No one can be saved if our acts are required in our salvation. Those who claim it should be cursed. The future of the Korean church depends on the theological education. We ought to emphasize the cross-centered faith and the grace of the Holy Spirit and acknowledge the infallibility of the Word of God. His Word is given as a revelation from God and it is God himself. If we underestimate it, we lose our ground and the faith of God will disappear. The emphasis of Jesus-centered faith and the grace of the Holy Spirit is required. 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness with great fear and trembling. My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power." This is Paul's word. Even though he was far wiser and more brilliant and educated than us and the forerunner in the knowledge of the law of God, he discarded his wisdom and intellect as garbage and determined to obey the revelation of God and resolved to know nothing but the cross of Jesus. Nowadays those who are highly educated tend to follow the wrong way. They rely on their education and follow the false interpretation of the Bible instead of the guidance of the Holy Spirit to be in danger of teaching wrong revelation. 3. The seed that I have planted for 50 years Third, I have often looked back on the seed of faith that I have planted for 50 years. In my childhood I lived a poverty-stricken and isolated life. In my teens I had to drop out of school due to terminal tuberculosis. In my youth I suffered from total helplessness and frustration without knowing how to maintain life. If we fast for God even though we have food to eat, there is still hope and we feel no hunger. However, it is so horrible to starve without anything to eat. At that time I had nothing to eat at all! I felt too lonely and sad as I always had to skip meals away from home and didn't know where to go. After graduation from seminary I pioneered my first tent church with straw mats under it so that I was forced to belong to a slum area. With this worn-out tent church I could not enter the rich village. I had to be with those who were not better than me. They were in the same box with me. Most of them were struggling for existence while living hand to mouth. When I started my ministry, my congregation suffered from extremely hard living with no food for tomorrow. The gospel they so badly needed was not any intellectual or moral commandments but something that would guarantee their survival. To these people miracles of the Lord was urgently needed. Like the miracle of the five loaves and two fish they desperately sought the Lord who would give them hope and power and grace. Not Jesus who belonged to two thousand years ago but Jesus who is here and now. Not Jesus who walked in Jerusalem in Israel but who is in Korea. The Jesus who is with us here and now! The Jesus who is with us gives us the gospel of hope and it becomes the fivefold gospel and the threefold blessing. I have preached this gospel to people with earnestness and planted the seed of hope through this gospel for 50 years. As a result, Yoido Full Gospel Church has been established. No matter how rich people have become, this seed of the fivefold gospel and the threefold blessing still has a wonderful effect. Even today when we look at the fivefold gospel at the cross, we can receive great comfort. First of the fivefold gospel is the gift of forgiveness of sins and righteousness. In the midst of rich and abundance we still need forgiveness of sins and righteousness. The second blessing of this gospel is the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness of sins and holiness through the grace of cross is effective. As we look at the cross, our whole iniquities are forgiven and then we will live a holy life by the Holy Spirit. The third blessing is healing through the cross. Not only poor and naked and needy people but the rich also become ill. When we were poverty-stricken, stomach disorder was hard to find because of scarcity of food. A prevailing disease at that time was tuberculosis. A lack of food caused tuberculosis and malnutrition and many side-effects of the latter. However, nowadays, a stomach problem, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure which come out of obesity are called the disease of the rich. Both the poor and the rich are attacked by various diseases at the same time. When I preached the gospel in Europe which is far better than Korea with about $30,000 or 50,000 GNP, the site of crusade was packed to the full whenever I preached the healing of Jesus. All the sick people visited my crusade place because their hearts were depressed and painful to be healed from their diseases. Then Jesus at the cross gives them an answer. "He took up our iniquities and bore our diseases. By his stripes we are healed." Since Jesus carried our diseases at the cross, we can receive faith and hope and experience his miracles through Jesus. The fourth blessing of it is that Jesus took our curses at the cross. Not only our material curses but the curses of our life he took on himself. He carried our worries, anxiety, uneasiness, irritation, and despair. Some people say that since they are now enjoying a peaceful life without material curses, they don't need the gospel any more. What a nonsense it is! They still need the gospel more and more. Current society suffers from gradually growing breakdown of each home among us. In the past since each family member was so busy in their job they didn't have enough time to quarrel with each other. If there was something to eat, it should be shared among family members. However, we are now enjoying abundance of food, fine clothes, prosperity and leisure time so that we tend to judge other people and conflict with each other whether they really care for us or not. The more quarrelsome they become, the worse their home become only to break down in the end. Each home is filled with thorns and thistles. In our society so many complaint and friction and split among people and worries and anxiety and uneasiness, and irritation grow bigger and bigger. The rich have more worries about their possession because they don't know how to manage it or how to maintain their rich to the future. Those who have little have nothing to worry about because they can eat what they can eat today and still worry about tomorrow, but it is so trivial when we compare it with that of the rich people. Therefore, wherever we go, we always have to face thorns and thistles. Where could we remove these thorns and thistles? Right under the cross we can solve this problem. Nowadays so many people read the Bible and study it all the more, but they still don't know how to apply it to their daily lives. They are not aware of how to plant it or how to walk together with God. As I thought about how to teach them concerning the existence of God, walking with Jesus in our daily lives and how to apply his Word to our daily lives, it dawned at me the secret of the fourth dimension spirituality by the Lord. Through our thinking we can accompany God and his Word. Through our thinking and dream we can accept the plan and will of God specifically. As we dream about our desire, God works through our dream. For it is God who works in us to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. He works through our dream. Through our dreams we can accept God and have his Word in our life. Then with faith we can work with God. Through mouth confession we can have the kingdom of God in our daily life. He is not million miles away but his Word can perform miracles when we confess it with our mouth. Through this fourth dimensional spirituality we can experience Jesus who is with us now, not a Jesus who is far away from us, and live with the living Word which works in our daily life, not as the written Word in the Bible. The Bible says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."(Rm. 8:28) "He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all?how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?"(Rm. 8:32) This is the gospel of hope itself. Above all, I give thanks to God because I have plant the seed of the cross-centered gospel. My gospel is the cross-centered one. Without cross, there will be no hope or future at all. The cross-centered gospel means that Jesus Christ suffered on the cross on behalf of us. "But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed."(Isa. 53:5) Besides this gospel there is no other gospel for us. Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." What do you believe right now? We should believe in the Son of God who was crucified on the cross for us. There is someone who loves you so much that gave himself for you. He died taking your sins and iniquities and carrying your diseases, curses and hell. It is Jesus Christ himself! You believe in him now. He will never leave you and be with you forever. He is here with you now. He is within you. Who can be happier than you? Galatians 6:7-9 says, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up." Psalm 126:5-6 says, "Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them." We have been planting the seed of faith for 50 years. As a result, our church is established firmly and our disciples spread to preach the gospel across Korea and more than 700 missionaries around the world. It happens according to "A man reaps what he sows." We ought to be sincerely grateful to God for a harvest we gain after going through hell and high water. God accepts thank-offerings and is glorified through it. Giving thanks is to make us righteous before God so that we can experience salvation. The best way of praying in times of difficulties is praising. Praising God glorifies Him and shakes up the base of the devil. And the hands of Salvation of God will come upon us.