📰Two years ago, heresy counsellors belonging to the Korean Church predicted that Shincheonji Church of Jesus, the Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Shincheonji) would be dismantled in the wake of Covid-19. They insisted that believers would leave Shincheonji and go to their churches instead. Yet the reality has been the opposite. The established Church in Korea is facing its greatest crisis as it experiences a sharp decline in membership, while Shincheonji has grown rapidly over the past two years, producing a whopping 40,000 graduates. The stories of faithful believers, who have overcome discrimination and hatred amid an unprecedented era of 'fake news' during the Covid-19 pandemic, are recounted here.
[Cheonji Ilbo = Reporter Su-kyung Kang] Mr. A, an office worker in his mid-20s, professes to having no interest in, or liking, to religion. As a child, Mr. A said that all he had to do was to go to church a few times with his grandmother. He said, “Growing up in the home environment, I was filled with negative thoughts. I had no family, no friends, no world, nothing fun.”
“It got to the point where I thought life would last until my mid-20s, because life after that would just be marriage and an unknown future. I really couldn't picture my future. It felt too difficult living in such a state. My life back in those days was all about what to eat and drink and things that would give me satisfaction in the short-term.”
The turning point, that would change his life 180 degrees, happened when he came across the Bible and the words of Shincheonji Church of Jesus through a friend. “I used to think that compromising on my own wants in order to satisfy my family's was the sole purpose for my existence, but after hearing the Word that was introduced to me through a friend, I began to feel strongly that God was giving me life for my soul and spirit,” said Mr. A.
Mr. A personally related to the story of Joseph, who was one of the twelve sons of Jacob. Joseph was persecuted and harassed for no reason and even dragged to another country, but he did not give up his faith in God. In the end, Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt. Mr. A said, “I reasoned that if I also learn the Word to the end without abandoning my faith, God would save me.” Mr. A was self-assured that, by doing so, he would be used like Joseph.
Mr. A, who was surprised by his own transition in belief, said, “I think a change of heart on my part was possible because my faith was not blind faith, but one in which I was continuously growing through an understanding of the prophecies and fulfilled realities revealed to me by Shincheonji Church of Jesus.”
As a result, Mr. A's attitude towards life has since drastically changed. Mr. A, who could not imagine life beyond his mid-20s, now desires to become an evangelist who can spread the message from Shincheonji Church of Jesus to people in Japan by exercising his prominent Japanese language skills.
Mr. A said, “Due to Covid-19, this dream has been difficult to make a reality, but just mapping out the future with the abilities I have has given me new life that cannot be compared to the existence I had before.” He added, “There are so many things I want to do in the future.”
===========================
Shincheonji Diary of Faith Series“Her faith, filled with grace, led to a healthier relationship”: Shincheonji fosters solid mother-child relationship [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 3]
''My parents, who tried to force me to undergo coercive conversion for years, acknowledged my life of faith in Shincheonji after seeing 'unity' between my husband, children and I [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 2]''
“This Word is True”: The Word of Shincheonji and My Family [Shincheonji Diary of Faith - 1]
http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-word-of-shincheonji-and-family-this.html
http://noahbrown1984.blogspot.com/2022/03/the-word-of-shincheonji-and-family-this.html
No comments:
Post a Comment