On 21st November 2019, Daily Leaders published an article entitled ‘100K Graduation Fever Evident at Open Bible Seminar in Busan’. This is a translation of that article.

2 tribes in Busan, 4,000 people gather at the Open Bible Seminar 

Continual Requests for follow-Up Open Bible Seminar Made after Chairman Man Hee Lee's Open Bible Seminar on the Second Coming and Harvest 

(▲On 6th November the Open Bible Seminar was held at Shincheonji Church of Jesus’ Andrew Tribe Zion Mission Center (left) and Busan James Temple (right). In the photo, the guest speakers are Myeong-seok Choi, Thaddeus tribe leader (bottom left), and Jae-sang Lee, Thomas tribe leader. [Photo = Provided by Shincheonji Church of Jesus]

Shincheonji Church of Jesus' graduation ceremony (Chairman Man Hee Lee; hereafter Shincheonji Church of Jesus) for '100,000 fresh graduates' was simultaneously held in three venues domestically and in 112 venues overseas on November 10th. Fever from the graduation ceremony continued on in Busan.

Shincheonji Church of Jesus' Busan James tribe and Andrew tribe, which covers regions including Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam and Jeju, held their Open Bible Seminar for 1500 and 2,500 guests, respectively, on November 16th.

The Open Bible Seminar on the Second Coming and Harvest led by Chairman Man Hee Lee last month in Busan - East Busan (Andrew tribe) and West Busan (Busan James tribe) - was followed by the 12 Tribes' Open Bible Seminar. 

Guest speakers Myeong-seok Choi and Jae-sang Lee spoke at the 12 Tribes' Open Bible Seminar at Andrew Tribe's Zion Mission Center and Busan James' Temple, respectively, on the theme 'Promised New Kingdom New People of the New Testament: Creation of the 12 Tribes' and 'Work of the Holy Spirit and Elementary Truths of God's Word'.

Myung-seok Choi, Thaddeus tribe leader, said, “God prophesied about the sowing of His seed, and promised to return to carry out the work of harvest after His seed was sown by Jesus. Jesus has returned 2000 years later and is harvesting those born of God's seed to Mount Zion today. Those who have been harvested are sealed with the revealed word of God and create the 12 tribes - the promised kingdom of the New Testament. The place where the promises of God and Jesus are fulfilled is New Heaven New Earth.”

Jae-Sang Lee said, “When perfection comes, everything we know in part will be known fully. And perfection is seeing face-to-face. Revelation must be fulfilled to attain perfection. The new work promised at the Second Coming is the creation of the 12 tribes - the new heaven and and new earth - where God, Jesus and heaven come down and become one. This is a perfect place."

One pastor who attended the conference confessed that it possesses "irrefutable Biblical teaching", adding, "I was amazed at the words that were being explained purely through scripture, without personal opinions or judgment. Just as the New Testament testifies to the reality of the Old Testament at the time of Jesus' first coming 2000 years ago, the New Testament also testifies in detail about the prophecy and fulfillment of the book of Revelation. The process is the same. All Christians should listen to this word. After today's event, this should be properly confirmed and actively discussed."

Sang-hee Kim, who attended the recent Open Bible Seminar in Busan, said, “I felt that the word was different from that of the existing Church. As the seed is the word, I realised that the place where the sons of God are gathered is this new kingdom here."

The lecture was publicised in response to a flood of inquiries about Shincheonji Church of Jesus following the success of the Chairman's nationwide 'Open Bible Seminar on the Second Coming and Harvest'. In fact, since last month's Open Bible Seminar, more than 60,000 people have enrolled for online Bible study. Accordingly, for two days from the 15th to the 16th, Shincheonji Church of Jesus' 12 Tribes' Open Bible Seminar was held with visiting lecturers, and attendance from thousands on the themes of the New Testament including the Harvest, End of the Age, New Covenant, Judgment, Tree of Life, and the Counsellor.

On the 22nd and 23rd, the head of every branch of Shincheonji Church of Jesus will hold their respective Open Bible Seminar nationwide throughout their regions. In particular, Chairman Man Hee Lee will be keynote speaker at the Open Bible Seminar in Jeju Island, scheduled for the 19th.

A Shincheonji Church of Jesus official said, “I would like to actively promote this word so that no one will say they have not heard about Revelation, which is the promise of the New Testament. It is up to the individual to believe. Everyone understands and believes that this is what God wants and the duty we have received. If the book of Revelation is fulfilled, don't simply say 'it's a cult'. Become a sincere believer who checks and discusses the word meticulously."

To read the original article in Daily Leaders Newspaper (Korean only), please click here⇨https://bit.ly/2vlQ50U

Many believers call Abraham the 'father of faith'. Why? Is it just because he believed in God? Abraham did indeed believe in God, but more importantly he believed in God's promise. Belief in someone else is proven through that person fulfilling their promise. Let's see how that is demonstrated through the story of Abraham.

Abram was 75 years old when he was commanded by God to leave his homeland of Harran and go to a foreign land (Gen 12). Abram obeyed, letting go of everything he had been accustomed to all those years, and taking with him his wife Sarai, nephew Lot, and some possessions (they had no children). Despite his relatively old age and fear of the unknown, he obeyed God's calling.

A short time later, God came to Abram in a vision and promised him that he would have a son born from his own flesh and blood from whom descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky would come (Gen 15). Abram believed in God's promise and walked faithfully with God. 

However, as time passed, his wife Sarai, who was ten years his junior and well past child-bearing age, grew despondent, though she knew of God's promise. She pressed Abram to sleep with her maidservant Hagar in the hope that she might raise a child through her. Hagar conceived and gave birth to Ishamel.

When Abram was 99 - 25years after God made the promise - God again appeared and told him to be "blameless" (Gen 17:1). Abraham had wavered in his belief and bore Ishamel, who was not the child of promise. God then reaffirmed his promise, telling him that Sarai would bear him a son one year later in her old age. Abram laughed to himself. Nevertheless, God who always fulfils what He promises, gave them a son one year later whom they named 'Isaac', meaning 'he laughs',according to God's command. Surely Abraham would never have forgotten God's faithfulness every time he called his son by name.

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” (Gen 22:1-2)

The child of the promise whom Abraham and Sarah had waited for 25 years was asked to be sacrificed. Why? And how can a supposedly loving God make such a demand? Would someone walking in obedience to such a command not be considered psychotic and, at the very least, be sectioned in a psychiatric ward in today's day and age?

Yet Abraham got up "early the next morning" and obeyed God's command. On the pretext of making a customary offering to God, Abraham and his son walked up Mount Moriah - wood, fire and knife in hand - to make the intended burnt offering. (A burnt offering in the time of the Old Testament was typically performed on a sheep or lamb whereby their flesh was ripped apart and burned with fire). As Abraham lifted his hand to strike his son dead, an angel stopped him and God acknowledged him. Abraham obeyed God, believing that God could even raise Isaac back from the dead to fulfil His promise because God always fulfils His promise (Heb 11:17-19). 

Faith is "confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see" (Heb 11:1). Abraham had true faith because he knew God's promise and, in spite of his many physical setbacks, kept it, believing that God would fulfil regardless. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Heb 11:6). 

Today, there is a clear promise that God has made with believers, as recorded in the four Gospels and the book of Revelation of the New Testament. Do you know what this promise is?

★Shincheonji Church of Jesus, The Temple of the Tabernacle of the Testimony is the promised temple that has appeared according to the promises of the book of Revelation. If you are curious about the promise a believer must keep today, the reason for birth, ageing, sickness and death, or about Jesus' promised second coming, you can register your interest for Shincheonji Church of Jesus' online Bible Study Course, delivered by experienced lecturers free of charge:-

⇨http://bit.ly/bible_061102 (English)

⇨http://bit.ly/shengjing_061102 (Chinese)

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