Prepare the Way for the Lord's Coming!

“Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty

and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” (Matthew 13:8, NLT).

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

As we enter into the new season of Advent to prepare to celebrate the birth of a baby Jesus in Bethlehem, a voice from the wilderness is echoing around our ears,

 

“Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming!” (Luke 3:4b, NLT).

 

So how’s your first step to this new beginning looks like, I mean through your preparation? And what do you see at the end of your journey? In other words, what is your wishes and hopes and dreams for this new journey?

 

One day, Jesus sat beside the lake and talked about our preparation for the final day, I mean, for the end of our journey. According to that story, it might be devastating, disappointing, or full of joy and thanksgiving. It was a parable of the farmer scattering seed.

 

The story goes like this…

 

A farmer went out to scatter seeds on the ground all across the field. Then, some seeds fell along the path; some fell on rocky ground; some fell among thorns; and some fell on good soil. I wonder what the farmer had in his mind scattering seeds, I mean his hopes and wishes and dreams. By the way, it could be her too.

 

I believe no farmers want them to die when they scatter the seeds but to produce many fruits out of it in the harvesting season! However, those seeds on the path were taken by the birds. They ate them all. Those seeds on the rocky ground wilted under the hot sun and died because they did not have a deep roots. Those seeds among thorns were chocked out by them as it grew. Only those on good soil produced a crop, thirty, sixty and even a hundred times much.

 

We might wonder “what made it difference?” Of course, we know it was soil, GOOD soil!

 

How about our spiritual life, I mean our spiritual soil, to end our journey with joy and thanksgiving in thirty, sixty or hundred folds someday?

 

Here is a story of good soil. Two thousand years ago, when people lost their hopes and dreams, an angel came and told a young virgin named Mary that she would conceived a child by the power of the Holy Spirit. Then the angel also told her fiancée named Joseph to marry her and name the baby Jesus even though Mary was pregnant before they got married. Shepherds saw angels in the sky and were told of a savior’s birth in Bethlehem. Wise men from the East traveled hundreds of miles to worship the new born King just following the star.

 

They were all from different places, i.e., classes, nationalities, ages, and genders; however, there was one thing in common. They followed what God said to them even taking the risk of losing their life. What a good soil they were! It made a Christmas story, I mean the miracle of God’s love on Christmas Day. 

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this Christmas miracle can happen to all of us when we prepare our life like Mary and Joseph, shepherds and the wise men. Then we will celebrate with full of joy and thanksgiving at the end of our journey! How exciting!

 

So now I would like to invite you to join us in this Christmas miracle story this month imagining bountiful harvest, thirty, sixty or even a hundred times than what we sow this month together! Join us!

Grace and Peace,  

Pastor Kyochul

Enter into the Joy of Your Master!

 

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he 

created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27, ESV).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

As I look around the fields where those corn and beans are getting harvested, I feel so thankful! The empty field! The emptier the field becomes, the fuller I feel! I don’t know why. Then, I have more room in my heart to look around us in this season searching for more thanksgiving.

 

One day, as usual, I drove to the hill, I mean, to the church at Markesan, and a sign came to my eyes from our neighboring church. “WE DONT CHANGE GODS MESSAGE IT CHANGES US.” I do not know how long that sign was there though… It looked like all the punctuations were missing on that sign for certain reasons. However, I understood it right away and said “Amen!” to that because it was so true! 

 

Then, every time, when I passed that sign, an assuring word “Amen” just came out of my mouth automatically. “God’s message changes us! Amen!” “God’s message changes us! Amen!” How many times have I done that? Countless times already in October! 

 

Now through the month of November, we are closing this Christian calendar year by celebrating “Christ the King” and preparing the new through Advent. Our season of hard work is almost done and the season of break is coming for the new beginning. So how’s the message of God has changed us so far this year as we have waited for Christ’s coming back to us as our King through forgiving, loving, and serving? How do you look different or feel different now from last year, I mean spiritually?

 

“So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the 

Lord. And the Lord-who is the Spirit-makes us more and more like him as we 

are changed into this glorious image” (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT).

 

According to the Apostle Paul, when we turn to the Lord, the veil between God and us is removed so that we can come closer to the throne of God and the Lord makes us like Him. However, it is not new because God already put His own image in us when He created us a long time ago. In other words, it is God’s will for us to find our true identity by getting out of our false identities in this world. 

 

That is our spiritual growth! And that is the key to the Kingdom of God eternal, the perfect salvation. In other words, we are the keys for the eternal salvation for the transformation of the world into God’s kingdom on earth as in heaven when we are changed by the message of God fully. Then we will see the Kingdom of God all around us wherever we are and whoever we are.

 

“Enter into the joy of your master” (Matthew 15:23b, ESV).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the economy of God’s kingdom. When we are changed by God’s message, the kingdom of God will come on earth as in heaven and we will join the heavenly banquet, full of joy and thanksgiving! Is that a wonderful journey to be like Him?

 

So now I would like to invite you to join us in this growing journey to the kingdom of God to be changed continually by the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ! Join us!

 

Grace and Peace,  

Pastor Kyochul

Don't Lose It But Use It Always!

 

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 

gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” (Galatians 6:22-23, ESV).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Now, I can see the obvious color changing in the field around, I mean, it is the season of harvesting, this month and the next month, a very busy season of the year! So, as a follower of Jesus, how’s your harvesting for the spiritual fruits this year? Are you ready to store them in the Kingdom of heaven or are you ready to share with others on earth as in heaven? 

 

However, unless we grow and mature this year, we might not have much for that and we might not be busy at all for harvesting? But are you busy now?

 

Anyway, in my house, there is an old apple computer sitting in the corner of the basement room, not very busy one because I use it only when I listen to the music. However, this computer has a story. 

 

When it was young about fifteen years ago, I used it always. It means, this computer was very busy for a few years, I mean very productive! However, after I did not use it for a week for my summer vacation, I forgot the key, I mean, the password. I punched all the possible words but no success at all! It means I could not access to my account. I lost everything in there, all of my pastoral works, my sermons and all documents! So, now I access to it as a guest only through the guest account. I own this computer but I am using it as a guest because I don’t have a key, I mean, the password. 

 

Two thousand years ago, people brought a demon possessed boy to Jesus because his disciples were not able to cast out demon from him. Of course, Jesus did that for him right away with compassion. Later on, his disciples asked him, “Jesus, Jesus, why could we not cast it out?”

 

Jesus said, “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:29, ESV). 

 

In other words, prayer is the right key to save this boy from the demon. Unless they have it, nothing would happen, I mean, the key! Actually, Jesus was the key for his disciples, for their success, because he is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how about our spiritual journey to the Kingdom of God eternal? Through our journey, God wants us to grow and mature and produce many fruits of the Spirit. God wants us to store all those fruits in the kingdom of heaven and also to share them all on earth as in heaven through harvesting in this season! It is a real successful Christian life, I mean the life that God wants us to have!

 

“Be fruitful and multiply…” (Genesis 1:28b, ESV).

 

What is our right key to hold for that? It is Jesus Christ! So don’t lose it, but use it always!

 

So now I would like to invite you to join us in this harvesting journey in the kingdom of God for our successful life eternally with this key, Jesus Christ! 

 

Grace and Peace,  

Pastor Kyochul

Let the Journey Begin!

 

"...and all the more as you see the Day approaching" (Hebrews 10:25b, NRSV).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

Have you ever been longing for something in your life? Of course we have! However, what is the most recent one? The first day of school or the last day of school already, or the first day of snow, or the day of being free from COVID 19, or maybe for most of us, the day of our full gathering for worship, praising God in the gospel fellowship? 

 

Actually, in the month of August, we planned to have a Community Picnic because we missed the fellowship so much as we followed some safety measures for one another due to the pandemic. It is almost eighteen months since we hold this fellowship gathering as a church together. In other words, we have abandoned our gatherings and somewhat we had been separated from each other, even with our neighbors around. So we were so excited! 

 

But as our care team prepared the Community Picnic, we read the weather forecast of that weekend. There would be a big chance of thunderstorms during those picnic hours outside. As the day was approaching, everyone prayed harder without losing hearts! And guess what? We had such a beautiful day with gentle breeze in that afternoon. It means, we had a wonderful fellowship together!

 

About two thousand years ago, there was Christian believers who waited for Christ’s return in perseverance because of the pressure and persecution by the Roman Empire. It means, their gathering for worship and fellowship was getting harder and harder and harder. So, some believers began to abandon their gatherings then it became their habits. In other words, people began to separate themselves from their faith community. It means, they moved away from God. If they were separated from God, from the body of Christ, they were more likely experiencing the spiritual death. So what did they do to help each other to overcome the spiritual death?

 

“And let us consider how to provoke one another to love and good deeds, not 

neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, 

and all the more as you see the day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NRSV).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, do we feel moving far away from God or closer to God as we still deal with COVID 19? Where are you now as the summer is almost over? Our new day is approaching and God invites us to join this journey with our renewed and refreshed and strengthened minds and bodies in the new month of September because our journey to salvation will never end. 

 

It is time to rise and let the journey begin! Join us!

 

Grace and Peace,  

Pastor Kyochul

 

Happy Are Those...

 

"Happy are the pure in heart; they will see God." (Matthew 5:8, GNT)

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ!

 

It was quite a change I noticed in the corn field after I got back to Wisconsin last week from my two weeks trip to Korea. Wow! They grow well! As our summer is getting much greener now, we are going much deeper walking with Jesus in our spiritual journey in this season. Is that true? I think so!

 

Anyway, how’s your summer vacation time going with you so far if you already had it? Did you see the grace of God wherever you visited, the treasure of heaven? And do you feel blessed or happy as you see the grace of God around you or find the treasure of heaven? 

 

Actually, as I got back home, sweet home, from my trip to Korea, I happened to listen to an interesting song named “Happy We” from Handel’s comic opera, Acis and Galatea. It is a very simple song because a loving couple repeats a few words over and over again throughout the entire song.

 

“Happy, happy we! What joys we feel, what charms we see, Happy we!”

 

That simple song just makes me ponder what makes us happy. We know happiness is a very popular theme in our life and there are so many happiness experts wrote about happiness like… The Art of Happiness, Psychology of Happiness, Lasting Happiness in a Changing World, Happiness Now, Happiness Project, Resisting Happiness, Happiness is a choice, and Secrets of Happiness, etc. Even, there is a Workbook for Happiness.

 

It looks like “Happiness” or being happy or staying in happiness is very critical matter for us. No wonder why Jesus also talked about the happy people when he gave a sermon on the mountain because people want to be happy always. I am the one of them and there is no exception, I presume.

 

Generally speaking, people feel happy when three things are fulfilled: having a controlling power, having an ability to work well and being recognized by others - the more, the better! In other words, holding a remote control is a key to happiness like when “my will be done on earth”! It means, we start to feel unhappy if we’re controlled by others; if we’re not able to do much; and if nobody recognizes us! Those are all about what we don’t “want” as well as what we “want” for our happiness.

 

However, what is the true happiness for us who want to follow Christ taking our own cross, the true happiness that we “need” for the eternal Kingdom of God? 

 

“Happy are those who reject the advise of the evil people; who do not follow the

example of sinners; or join those who have no use for God. Instead, they find the

joy obeying the law of Lord, and study it day and night.” (Psalm 1:1-2, GNT)

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, how do we pursue our happiness now during this season of deeper green? Are we looking for what we want - the temporary one, or for what we need - the eternal one? Which one is the true happiness for us? We are truly happy when we see God’s will and when we follow it with our whole heart and strength even though we are not perfect and it is not happening right now in here but someday when only God recognizes us as faithful children as we sing, “God’s will be done on earth as in heaven”!!

 

Let us be happy in the freedom that Jesus brought us in this season as we seek the Kingdom of God first!! 

 

Grace and Peace,  

You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation...

 

"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps” (Proverbs 16:9, NLT).

 

Greetings to you all in the name of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

 

It has been three years since I’ve moved from Rice Lake to Markesan with my family and became a part of the Princeton and Markesan Methodist Community of faith. So far, it has been a wonderful and blessed years as we get to know each other and learn from each other in Christ Jesus. 

 

As we have experienced from the beginning, living as a community of faith in Christ is not easy unless we surrender our will and follow wherever God is leading us. However, every time, when we stop and look back, we always see how God is gracious to us and the words of thanksgiving come out of our hearts. In other words, we learn how to live in joy and thanksgiving fuller each and everyday as we move through the challenges of our life and grow in the spirit.

 

So, as we take the first step to our fourth year together, we want to give thanks to God who gives this life as a gift of blessing and also life together as a church to be a blessing to the world.

 

“Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song. Sing his praises 

in the assembly of the faithful… Let everything that breathes 

sing praises to the Lord! Praise the Lord!” (Psalm 150:1 & 6, NLT). 

 

However, I also want to say thank you all those who have faithfully and truthfully serviced among us behind the scene. As a worshipping community, I am so thankful for all those who prepare our Sunday worship as well as mid week/weekend worship: our worship team, music team, prayer team, A/V team, social media and technology team, cleaning and fixing team, decoration team, hospitality team, ushers and liturgists, especially, for their extra works to keep each other safe when we have dealt with COVID 19 so that we are able to continue to worship in spirit and truth. 

 

We know those are not all because there are more of you who faithfully, generously, and joyously support the ministry of our church in different ways. Why did we do that, I mean, why did we support the ministry of the church faithfully, generously, and joyously? 

 

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his 

own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who 

called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9, ESV).

 

Brothers and sisters in Christ, it was because of this Living Word of God. We are a chose people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation! In other words, we are God’s people who got called out of darkness into God’s light. In other words, the world where we are living in is still a full of darkness-broken, wounded, sinful, divided, and confused. However, we got the blessing of this marvelous light to bless others! We have a long way to go together as God’s people holding this marvelous light, God’s eternal love!  

  

Join us!

Pastor Kyochul