Personal Testimony of my Journey to Shincheonji Church of Jesus

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I have been receiving many messages asking to know more about Shincheonji Church of Jesus so I thought I would share experiences of my own journey to this church.

Have you ever been desperate for an answer to all the pain in your life? I have. I received a staunchly Catholic upbringing and education, and concluded that faith was more or less about being a 'good' person - treating others as I myself would like to be treated - and having to give an account of my actions to God after death. During childhood and adolescence, I attended church out of habit but I felt a persistent inner emptiness. It wasn't until after I graduated from university that I began to seriously question my faith and purpose. Although I had achieved a significant degree of success by the world's standards, and made a name for myself in my industry, I still felt empty. After a series of experiences, I was diagnosed with clinical depression and I cried out to God for answers. "God, why am I so unfulfilled in spite of everything I've tried to put my hands to?" "Why am I here?" "Why is this world so broken?" "Why is Christianity the supposedly correct path to God yet the Church so divided?" "Shouldn't believers in Christ all be united under the same 'truth', if that exists?" I began to look for answers in dozens of Christian (and non-Christian) conferences, seminars and Bible studies in the Catholic, Anglican, Mormon and Pentecostal churches. Yet I couldn't find any. Then I prayed to God asking him to take full control of my life and show me whatever it is He wants me to do. It was the hardest decision I ever made that I have followed through with, but it was the best one.

It was at that time that a close friend of mine introduced me to a six-month Bible study in Shincheonji Church. Within a few weeks, I realised that all teachings - bar none - were Biblical, and as my curiosities were resolved, the inner darkness began to subside. The hidden secrets of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation were being unravelled before me piece by piece, like a jigsaw puzzle. Why had I not learnt this before? That's when I learned about the identity of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and its fruit. The world has been blinded by Satan (sin), which is why Christian doctrine today is so vast and confused. Only the Bible need explain itself.

Why the name Shincheonji you might ask? Simply put, Shincheonji is the church promised in the Bible; specifically within the book of Revelation. Its full name is Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony. 'Shincheonji' translates from Korean as 'New Heaven New Earth'; 'heaven' referring to a church and 'earth' its people - in other words, a new kingdom and new people. The reason why it has a Korean name is that the promised events recorded in the book of Revelation were fulfilled in South Korea. It is named The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony because it can give plain testimony (evidence) of the promised events in Revelation as seen and heard by Jesus’ promised messenger (Rv 22:8,16) at one location. The head of the church is Jesus, and not any person. Again, what Shincheonji Church teaches is purely according to the Bible without any external commentaries.

What is the purpose of one's life of faith? Is it to eat and live well in the world? No. It is to go to heaven and receive eternal life according to the promises of the Bible. Then how does one go about receiving such a blessing? First, we must meet the true God. Where can this place be found? At the first coming of Jesus, it was the place where God's promises recorded in the Old Testament were fulfilled. At the second coming, it is the place where God and Jesus' promises recorded in the New Testament are fulfilled. In Rv 1:3, it is recorded that those who keep the word of promise in Revelation will be blessed, while those who add to or subtract from Revelation can not enter heaven (Rv 22:18-19). Moreover, for those who keep the word of promise, there is an oportunity to become a priest, which is the greatest blessing of all (1 Peter 2:9, Rev 1:5-6, Rev 5:9-10, Ex19:5-6). The standard of one's faith in Shincheonji Church is the word because God is the word and God is life (John 1:1-4). There is no question about God and His will that can not be answered through the Bible.

In short, the reason for the rapid growth of Shincheonji Church is that it is the promised church of the Bible. In November 2019, an unprecedented graduation ceremony was held in South Korea for 103,764 students from 113 nationalities (above photo) who had completed the intensive six-month Bible study programme.

However, because of Shincheonji Church's exponential growth, it has become the target of persecution by mainstream Christianity in South Korea, particularly among the Christian Council of Korea (CCK) whose churchgoers are leaving their Protestant churches and flocking to Shincheonji Church. The CCK, which was founded on the Presbyterian doctrine of John Calvin (1509-1564) who murdered opponents refuting his doctrine on predestination, is a highly corrupt and amoral criminal organisation that masks itself behind religion. From 2008-2018, pastors affiliated to the CCK were convicted of 12,000 crimes including forgery, embezzlement, assault and even murder. This is the reality of mainstream Christianity in Korea today.

While studying, I had heard about many allegations made against Shincheonji, claiming that it brainwashes or 'deceives' people, and I almost fell into the trap of believing in the words of ‘people’. But the Bible teaching was like honey to the soul and based entirely on the word of God. How could I deny this? I asked myself, "What defines a cult? Its name? Teachings? Or actions?"

Having completed the six-month Bible study programme and now being a congregation member of Shincheonji, I'm so grateful I was able to stick it through to the end and make certain changes on a personal level. It hasn't been an easy journey. Before studying the word in Shincheonji Church, I was very zealous for my faith, but my zeal was not based on a clear understanding of the Bible. Now, I can act according to the promise and keep it. Everyday I wake up, I have clear purpose and a deep-rooted hope of what is to come. I no longer cage myself in my own bubble and am determined to continue working on my life of faith. I'm also learning to love others and myself in the right way. Because of God and Jesus' love and sacrifice that enabled me to study the word in Shincheonji Church, I virtually have all my questions answered; the reason for birth, ageing, sickness and death; the promise believers must keep today; Jesus' anticipated second coming; and the hidden secrets from Genesis to Revelation.

In Revelation 21, God promises to return and dwell with His people in 'New Heaven New Earth' and wipe every tear from our eyes. God promises no more death, mourning, crying or pain; heaven and eternal life in paradise. Eden restored.