Recently I have been searching and reading the writings of senior pastors who served house churches. They fought the good fight, have finished the race and kept the faith. So, I wanted to learn something from their insights. In my pursuit, I ran across the Pastor’s Column written by the pastor Kim, Jae-Chung.  The title was “My Last Request”. While reading it, I thought about what my last request would be when I am ending my ministry.  Let me introduce his column because its theme is in the same spirit as my Pastor’s Columns that I have presented to you recently. I pray that it will help us examine our spiritual lives, faith, and ministry.

 

  There should be three personal testimonies in everyone’s spiritual life. First. is the testimony of salvation at the cross of Jesus.  The ones who should come forward to God are not the holy and spiritually pure-hearted, but ones poor in spirit who acknowledge their sins. The ones who mourn for their sins are the blessed ones.

  There is only one central theme of the Bible. It is the love of God who seeks, waits and forgives the sinners. God does not love us because we come to church and try to do something for God. God waits for us and loves us even when we don’t know him, or even refuse him (Rome 5:8). The forgiveness and love of God is the gift from him that we get for free. It is the “grace of God”.

  The essence of spiritual life is to realize and enjoy the unconditional forgiveness and love of God. The spiritual life means rejoicing in forgiveness and salvation through Jesus. The root of the faith is the hope and assurance that we will go to heaven even if we die now. This is because we become the beloved children of God through his grace that unconditionally forgives and loves the sinners like us. Embracing the heart of the forgiven prodigal son and living a life to please the heart of God should be the life of his spiritually grown up children. 

  Secondly, it is the testimony of experiencing God through prayer. It is the testimony of having prayers answered by God, and experiencing his power, miracle and touching hands. It is a daily walk with God where God is not far away but closed to me in my life. 

  Our faith should not be based on knowledge and ideology but should be based on personal experience. God gave us the privilege to pray so we can experience the living God. Prayer is the path to experience God’s touching hands and blessings. We can live boldly in any circumstances when we become the children of God and receive his protection and guidance in every aspect of our lives.

  Third, it is the testimony of being joyous while loving and serving a soul. It is the testimony of guiding a lost soul to believe in Jesus; the testimony of living a life that influences a lost soul to change by praying for him and serving him.

  Our life becomes meaningful and joyful when we deeply love and serve a soul and become his unforgettable someone by being a path to God’s blessing. I wanted to leave church members with these three testimonies. My loving church members, it is my request and my hope that you repeatedly learn and focus on these three testimonies, so that you can live a spiritually abundant and joyful life in God.