December 21^st 2008 Sunday Message
Original Message by Joshua Jung Myung Seok
Summary by Will Yeh & Shaun McMillan

Luke 2:8-14, Matthew 2:11

We give thanks and glory to God who sent us the Savior Jesus who came to save us and bring us to the Kingdom of God in Heaven. We celebrate Jesus’ birthday. We are truly grateful and thankful. This is truly a joyful Christmas.

When we see the things God did for the central figures or prophets in the history of Israel we see that it was during times of tribulations and hardships that they come to realize even more about just how much God loves them.

We see in the bible that Jesus appeared more and accompanied his people more during times when people who believed in him and loved him faced tribulations and suffering. The same is true in the present time. Everyone, think about your past and receive the Lord with thanksgiving and receive Christmas meaningfully and joyfully.

Jesus was messiah and should have had a glorious birth but unlike people’s thoughts, he was born in a humble manger like a regular person. God’s thoughts and man’s thoughts are truly different. For 4000 years God made the prophets prophecy the great hope of the coming of the messiah but when he was actually sent, he was sent in a humble way. Everyone should have come, received him and rejoiced over him but only a few people saw him.

During the pre-dawn prayer the Lord asked me, “Which will you choose? God or the world?” He said, “If you tell everyone this, they will understand what it means.” So I ask everyone who hear this Word: “God and the world… Which will you choose? The Lord and the world… which will you choose?” Did you give your answer? I urge everyone to live according to your answers.

Let me explain this in detail. “Will you trade God for the entire world? He is the Lord who will save you. If you were offered the world in exchange for him, will you do it? If you live having absolute faith in God and the Lord and love them, it is better than having the entire world,” He said.

You must understand why it is said, “Even if the entire world were offered to you, don’t trade the Lord for the world.” If you do not understand, you will sell out your faith and give up the Lord and God for love and material wealth and will go down the path of death.

Everyone, check your faiths again and see how you are thinking and how your are acting, fix yourselves every day, and struggle with all your might to achieve the more ideal life and salvation. People always follow the path at their level because even though the perfect Word is proclaimed, people fail to put those Words to action. If you don’t fix them now, it will be hard to fix later.