On April. 29th, 2018, the Gratia Community Church in Seattle, Washington held a Sunday service in Christ.

This time Pastor Peter Tzeng, minister of the San Francisco Gratia community Church visit Seattle Gratia community Church and delivered a sermon.

From John 5:1-15, he delivered a message titled ‘pick up your mat and walk’. He explained that people without God is same to the invalid for thirty eight years and in our life, Jesus is needed. He contrasted the Jewish people who only saw the fact the invalid violated the law of Sabbath so condemned Jesus as a lawbreaker and the Jesus. Jewish people only saw he broke the law and could not see the core thing. The core thing is not just about the miracle. The core thing is not simply that the invalid took a mat and walked. Rather, it’s that he had a faith. He tried the act of faith. the core thing is this and we should be able to see this core thing.

He continued “except Jesus, there is no way to heal our disease. We should go in front of Jesus and live with the grace that solves all our problems.

He added one story. In this story, one man had a dream, and in his dream his room was filled with light and the lord came and commanded him to push a rock. The dream was vivid so when he woke up, he went outside and push the huge rock in front of his house. He pushed it with all his might. The next day, he went out and pushed it with all his strength. He continued it for a long period. 6 months passed, he measured how much it moved. But to his disappoinment, it did not move at all. He was frustrated because he felt he spent whole his days for moving it but it was all in vain.

one day, he decided to take his troubles to the Lord.

“Lord,” he said, “I have labored hard and long in Your service, putting forth all my strength to do that which You have asked of me. Yet after all this time, I have not even budged that rock even half a millimeter.

the Lord responded, “I did not ask you to move it, I just said to you ‘push it’, and now go to before the mirror and look at yourself’ And he saw himself. He is no longer weak, now he is stronger and muscular. He said that the situation could not be changed, but the lord wants us to change. This is true miracle. There are many miracles in the bible, but if our life does not change, it does not have meaning.

On May. 2nd and 3rd, 2018, the Gratia Community Church in Seattle, Washington held a Wed. Service and bible class at Gratia Community Church by Grace of God.

The pastor taught Romans 6:1-11. He said “The bible is not a simple book. It is true. There is a very deep world. In Luke 17, just as it was in the days of Noah, it will be in the days of the son of man. When you learn the old, you will know the new. What has happened in the past will be again. There is one God. When he saves mankind, his way is the same. So just as it was in the days of Noah ? so how was it? Noah was saved and he planted a vineyard. He washed his robes in wine. In the days of salvation, in the days of the son of man, this is the same as in the days of Noah.”

He also said “Genesis 49, Jacob¡¯s sons, he has a will for his sons. Judah, what kind of person is he? Jews came from Judah. After being taken captive, everything fell. But they became the center ? the Jews became the foundation. So the will of Jacob was very scary. Jacob said, Judah, you are a lion¡¯s cub. Like a lion, it comes out. Even in the time of being captives, his faith did not shake. You should wash your robes in wine. Your teeth will be whiter than milk. So with the truth and Holy Spirit, what happens when you wash your robes in wine? Does it become clean? It becomes redder. There is this deep spiritual world of truth. What must we do? We have been saved. Those who have received salvation, what must we do? We must not sin again.”

May the souls in Seattle follow the Word of truth. Please pray for God to work through them and expand the Gospel in the world.

The Pastor  taught Matthew 13:3-17 Parable Of Sowing Seeds. He said “It is said, “The wind does not blow on the tree with deep roots.” If there are deep roots, faith won’t be shaken by even the most intense persecution. Therefore, we must teach people a way to strongly withstand the growing persecutions and hardships. When spreading the message, we must always teach them to grow a deep root. It is not always easy. There will be a time of difficulties. The true leader is the one who can manage the crisis well, and the good believer is the one who can overcome the persecutions and trials in the path of faith. Life is not sailing along with a fair wind. The wind may be in opposition and will not always blow in the direction where the boat is heading. We need to be able to overcome and move on.”

After Sermon, they had a table fellowship and pray together in love of Christ.

May the souls in Seattle follow the Word of truth. Please pray for God to work through them and expand the Gospel in the world.

21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[a] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[b] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

A righteousness from God apart from law has been made known to which the Law and the Prophets testify. It’s not that it appeared all of a sudden, but what are the law and the prophets? The Bible, the word of God, and it was already there for a long time. It was taught to the people of God and was testified. Therefore the word of God must be looked at carefully following this testimony. It was the path of salvation following this testimony that revealed a righteousness from God. It was a plan from God given to us.

24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus

We can say the gospel is Romans chapter 3: 21-26. Especially v24, “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

Understanding this matter is very important. 2000 years ago, the death of Christ on the cross cleansed and washed all sin, my past, current, present, and even future sins. When you testify to the gospel, this is very difficult to explain. We need to meditate on it deeply and we need to understand it fully. When Jesus talked to Nicodemus, he declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” And he talked about being born again of water and the spirit. How about you? Were you born again? Being born again, we should accept the precious blood of Jesus.

So even though we are sinners, he didn’t ask of the sin, but he forgave. He didn’t make us his enemy, but he freely clothed us in his robe of righteousness and saved us. So we just accept this love. Sola fide sola scriptura sola gratia – By faith I am justified, I gain salvation. Salvation that has avenged me by grace.

Faith is the passageway to receive grace, the grace that happened 200 years ago. What is sola fide? Universally, all have sinned, and all are bound by this sin. Christ freely broke the chain of sin and freed the human race. Sin made us enemies to God. Christ became the atoning sacrifice, and through His blood we were reconciled to God.

So through his life we were already reconciled, but then saying reaching to salvation that’s in the future, Paul is trying to say it’s about reconciliation and redemption. These 2 things so reconciliation is by Christ and how can we gain redemption? It’s being fulfilled.

So Paul said in v3:23. What is the glory of God? That’s Corinthians chapter so in the restored world we can see face to face, so God of promise, so we can see face to face. So we can see face to face? After the fall of Adam, man’s conversation and relationship with God was broken. You are isolated from God you are separated from God so we have to know about this fall well there is this cut off in relationship you are cut off and separated from God, how did it happen?

“Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away?” The relationship of Israel and God is love. Analogically, this is the relationship of husband and wife. “Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.”

sacrificed as a fellowship offering, this is the term used for offering. And then we were redeemed and set free. Originally, Redemption is a commercial term. When a person bought a slave from the owner, he could set him free. Paul explained it well with precious words.

People who distrust God ask, “Why is our life so painful? Why did God make man to live in such painful conditions? But that is in no way true! The world God created was beautiful and full of God’s glory. Our lives were not originally meant to be painful. That pain was caused by man’s depravity. But God process the salvation of man. In the time of law, he taught men through numerous prophets and teachers of law. And dramatically he sent his son Jesus Christ and set us free from sin. Revelation 21 is the grand finale. Through Christ, he cut off the curse of sins. The Bible is the holy book God gave us, that teaches us about the history of creation, the fall, and salvation.

What is love? Love is sacrifice. We should understand well that humans have been an enemy to God. Paul emphasized penal substitution. God sent his only son to the sinful world. Where did the event of salvation happen? It happened under the shadow of death. We could not but live under the shadow of death. We were doomed to be blind and crippled from our mother’s womb. Where did our salvation come from? It came from the surprising sacrifice of Jesus, we didn’t pay for it. We have to understand this well. This is the core message of the gospel. Paul understood soteriology well. If we do not understand this well, the message of salvation in Christianity becomes vague. Even if other knowledge increases, the amazing power of Christ would not reach us.

What is the power of his precious blood? We don’t have to worry. We are born again. Was I really born again? Was I touched? How did I receive it? Even though we receive a very small amount, the power of precious blood of Jesus is great. Isaiah prophet said “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” We were born sinners, but the Lord did not ask of our sins and forgave us.

1 Corinthians 6:20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

I didn’t earn salvation by my own efforts. It’s not that I performed the history of salvation by myself. What about the Asian religions? They are self-awareness religions. Where does nirvana and salvation come from? It comes from cultivating oneself morally or religiously. Is this truly possible? Christianity is really difficult for wise men to accept. It is difficult for those who try to stand by themselves to accept. In man, there is a dependency toward God. Humans were made like this. So was the creation. Man was created in the dependent relationship of love. If man is removed from God, God is still God. God can exist alone. But if God is removed from man, man cannot exist. Man is a deficient being.

When the power of the Lord comes into our heart, sins disappear. Sins are bleached. Isaiah said ‘Although you wash yourself with soda and use an abundance of soap, the stain of your guilt is still before me,” With soap, with soda, can our sins be washed? It is impossible. There is only one thing that can wash our sins. It is only possible through the love of the Lord. Though we are sinners, the Lord did not ask of our sins but he loved us conditionally. Only through this love and grace can our sins be washed away.

There is only one way to freedom from our sins, and that is through grace. Though we are sinners, he did not ask of our sins and he loved us. How can we know this grace? We cannot understand it with our heads. Christianity is not a religion of speculation. Christianity is a religion we accept through our hearts. We accept the redemption of Christ’s cross, the self-emptying, self-lowering, the revelation of the love of God. What is faith? What is sola fide? It means we accept this grace by faith.

Pastor Thomas Maeng preached a message 1 Corinthians 1:18-31, He emphasized, “When we preach the Gospel, we should not try to be smart. we should think that how can we be foolish. why? Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. we should have pride in our life. We have to have faith in the way we live. We need to have confidence in our lives. Where does futility come from? It becomes futility when the gospel is blurred in life. The place where avoid and reject the ability of Cross, cannot taste the revival. we should be revealed the authority of those who received the salvation and boast our life.”

1 Corinthians 1:18-31 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.” 20 Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22 For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23 but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks[b] foolishness, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27 But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28 and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29 that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30 But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God—and righteousness and sanctification and redemption— 31 that, as it is written, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.”

Is this cutting of the heart necessary? When a surgeon performs surgery, they must cut. Without it, they can’t remove whatever is causing the illness. For believers and unbelievers alike, the Holy Spirit sometimes works to illuminate conviction of their sins inside their hearts.

When we realize that it was my sin that pierced Jesus on the cross, when we see that I was the one who was shouting ‘crucify’ together with the crowd, then it really brings much sorrow, pain and anxiety. It’s not just someone else’s problem anymore. And this incision is necessary as much as we don’t want to bring any hurt to anyone.

2 Corinthians 7:8 Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it—I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while— 9yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. 10Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 11See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.

Paul was very careful in this matter, yet, he had to say what he had to say that brought sorrow to his readers at Corinth. It cut to their hearts. Yet, afterward, see what an amazing healing it brought.

What brings healing after they are cut in their hearts? After the Holy Spirit shows me of my sin and when I am deeply distressed, how can I be healed? Peter is wonderful in his sermon.

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

There is hope for everyone, no matter who you are. Because in Jesus Christ, there is forgiveness for our sins. He will wash away our sins and He will bandage our cuts. He will heal us and restore us back to complete health. When we repent and come to Jesus, he will surely take us in. We receive His righteousness as ours and become the children of God.

Thanks be to God for the gift of forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. May our lives be used preciously to bear abundant fruits for His Kingdom!

*Prayer: Father God, thank you for all you’ve done through your son Jesus Christ! Let us live in Christ Jesus in every aspect of our lives and in his love!

*Reflection: Let’s make clear of one thing. These verses aren’t here to promote poverty. These verses aren’t here to promote indifference. And these verses aren’t here to give us excuse for not seeking to feed the Lord’s lambs with love.

Then, what is the purpose of these verses in the wisdom book?

As believers, we ask, seek and knock. We do our very best by praying and using our time and life to experience God’s blessings in our present reality. Yet, while we are in the process from ‘having nothing’ to ‘having everything,’ there could arise the heart of despair and hopelessness.

We don’t enjoy the current state of poverty although it is heading toward the sure future of God’s blessedness and plenty. As we ask, seek and knock, our hearts are filled with darkness and pessimism. We are easy to see the negatives of how things are now than to see how great the process we are going now is toward even greater future.

If that’s my view, then my heart will be falling into despair. My heart will hate my life now. I will suffer with the daily labor and only see it as oppression. I will be saying, ‘oh how wretched,’ that will be the sigh of my life.

Will adding money or luxury change things when it comes to such a person? A person who is complaining today for thirst, hunger and lack, could that person become joyful, positive and optimistic once what was lacking gets filled? For example, let’s say I’m complaining and upset about lack of money. When I receive a lot of money, will that be the thing to change me to be happy and joyful?

The author of Proverbs is telling us an important truth. The truth is, no, I won’t be happy even though I have that very thing I want or any other luxury. That isn’t the solution as far as quenching the thirst that lives deep within me.

It’s really true. Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred. I may have the very best and get my heart’s desire and see everything around me changing to that of what I desire, but that may not be the solution of changing my pessimistic view, my complaining heart and the spirit of despair.

What is the solution to heal that? It is Jesus Christ.

In fact, Jesus, who had nothing desirable, like a small serving of vegetables, came to us with love, did he not?

Isaiah 53:2 For he grew up before him like a young plant,
and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

He wasn’t desirable but he has something that was big enough, great enough to satisfy and fill up our souls. He has love.

Philippians 2:6 who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be exploited,
7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a slave,
being born in human likeness.
And being found in human form,

Though He was rich and majestic, He chose to come to the manger in Roman’s provice of Judea. Not to Rome as a son of an Emperor. No, at the most lowliest place filled with dirt, a fringe of the Empire filled with dirts and dry land, dry hearts, that’s where he landed.

Yet, he had love. He loved us. Doesn’t matter whether he was from Judea or not. Doesn’t matter how bad looking he was. He had love and that love filled us up to the brim. That love quenched our thirst to its source. That love was good enough to bring eternal joy that doesn’t end.

Jesus Christ is the solution for my sickness, for my dissatifaction, for my pessimism and for my despairing heart.

When we are quenched, fed and satisfied with Him, then we can do everything. Without Christ’s love overflowing in us, we will once again fall into despair, once again only see the negative and once again fill our minds with pessimism.

Without Christ, even the fatten calf won’t taste that good – however tasty it’s supposed to be. Let us be filled with the love of Christ first and then diligently ask, seek and knock. God will surely give. Let’s be satisfied in our spirit with Him, then we can withstand the difficulty of our current poverty as we seek our way out to plenty with God’s blessings.

*Prayer: Lord God and Father, let me learn to love my life now with its challenges and hardships because your Son Christ Jesus is with us. Let not my heart be quenched with any other things but your son Jesus. As I get satisfied, lead me so that I pray and seek with the same love of Christ for others around me who thirst and hunger