December 31 2008 Wednesday Message Summary

If people who love the Lord and believe in the Lord believe without really knowing how the Lord lived when he was in this world, they cannot love him deeply and cannot believe in him.

– The story of things that happened in the house of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus who lived in Bethany during Jesus’ life is truly deep. That story became one that is told over and over again during the last 2000 years and gave Grace and inspiration to the people that followed the Lord, and it made people think deeply about the Lord. It also made everyone envy their family. The Lord is doing the same things even in this time period.

– The offering given by one widow moved the heart of the Lord and became a living lesson that teaches everyone who gives offerings to give like her. I bet you that widow did not know that the offering she gave out of her poverty was a story that will be told over and over again for the next 2000 years. (Luke 21:1 — 4)

- By going to the land of Samaria and having a Samaritan woman recognize that he is the messiah who is sent by God through just a few short words in a conversation, the grief and frustration in his heart caused by the Jewish religious people were washed away. That day became the day to leave such a story. The Lord made this story preach the Lord’s heart of wanting to say, “Realize about me like this.” (John 4).

- As he was going through the region of Caesarea Philippi, the Lord asked the disciples, “Who do you say I am?” To this Peter answered clearly, “You are the Christ, the son of the living God.” That spot became the spot of a deep story. It left the story that opens the eyes of the spirits of the people who do not realize the Lord. (Matthew 16:13 — 20)

– The story of the cross on Golgotha contained a tremendous story. That story leaves a tremendous shock and sorrow and seeds the grief in the hearts of everyone who believes, follows, and loves the Lord. The story left the following lesson: “Don’t cause suffering for your brothers by hating them out of ignorance.” The Lord’s words concerning this was left as a record for history and left the story of how he followed the path of salvation.

Although the time of Jesus was painful and heartbreaking, ultimately those stories created an ocean of people in the world who believe and follow the Lord.

The Lord stored in his heart all the stories that happened while he made history in the world for the past 2000 years and he prepared unimaginably many places for the people who are saved, those who believe in him, love him and serve him with all their heart, will and life, believe in God, and those who obey his words, preach the gospel, and dedicate their lives to him. He prepared those places and has returned. The doors of his kingdom have come close to us and the Lord is next to us and watching everything we are doing.