By Teacher Suksun
The Nature Bible
In
the beginning, God gave us a book, the Nature Bible--the very first Bible
personally written by the Creator God for His earthly children. The Holy
Bible we
read today is the second Bible, written by human beings.
The second Bible was given
to us temporarily; those who become holy sages will throw it away when they
leave for the new world. The Word became flesh in Jesus and so He ascended to
heaven without the Scriptures.
In the last days, those who
will go to the new world must be able to live apart from sin even without the
sixty-six books of the second Bible. If that is the case, their eyes must be
opened to read the first Bible, the Nature Bible.
[For since the creation
of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature,
have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made.] (Rom.
1:20, NASB)
[The heavens declare the
glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. Day unto day utters
speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. There is no speech nor language
where their voice is not heard. Their line has gone out through all the earth,
and their words to the end of the world.] (Psa.
19:1-4)
The
heavens proclaim God's love, and the skies testify of the work of His hands.
Day testifies to day, and night speaks to night. Though nothing is audible,
their voice spreads throughout the earth and to the ends of the universe. All
nature in heaven and on earth exclaims our God's love.
In
the beginning at the Garden of Eden, God never gave the sixty-six books of the
Bible, which were written on paper. Our forefathers, like Adam, Enoch, Noah, or
Abraham never even got a glimpse of the Holy Bible. In fact, they never
even heard of the Bible. Yet, they lived holy lives obeying the Word of God,
associated, and walked with Him as closer friends than us. How was that
possible? Remembering the Word of God that had been passed down by word of
mouth helped considerably. However, they were able to live such holy lives
because they walked with God while "reading" the Nature Bible, a much
better Bible than the one written by human beings.
Degenerated
humans (prophets) wrote today's sixty-six books of the Holy Bible with an imperfect language
and imperfect expressions. We can say that the Bible is an imperfect book. The
Holy Spirit spoke through a prophet: "The Lord speaks to human beings in
imperfect speech, in order that the degenerate senses, the dull, earthly
perception, of earthly beings may comprehend His words."
If we were to teach a
cannibal race about God, we could not do it speaking to them in fluent English
or Korean. We would have to learn their imperfect language and use it to
communicate with them. Likewise, God must use Korean in order to communicate
with Koreans and English to communicate with Americans. He comes down to our
level of communication and degenerate senses in order to meet us. The Heavenly
language spoken throughout the universe is neither English nor Korean, but a
separate unified language. Because He could not use that language on this
earth, He spoke to people using their imperfect language.
"Thus is shown God's
condescension. He meets fallen human beings where they are. The Bible, perfect
as it is in its simplicity, does not answer to the great ideas of God; for
infinite ideas cannot be perfectly embodied in finite vehicles of
thought."
Though the great truths of
the universe and the holy thoughts of the infinite God of heaven should be
expressed in the Holy Bible, it is impossible for finite human minds and
incompetent hands to express everything properly. That is why God gave us the
sixty-six-book Bible as an imperfect Holy Bible to use temporarily on this
earth and then discard.
"Instead of the
expressions (within the sixty-six books) of the Bible being exaggerated, as
many people suppose, the strong expressions break down before the magnificence
of the thought, though the penman (human prophets) selected the most expressive
language through which to convey the truths of higher education. Sinful beings
(prophets) can only bear to look upon a shadow (shade) of the brightness of
heaven's glory."
There is no way to properly
express the thoughts and objects of Heaven, regardless of how powerfully people
try to express them and how accurately and beautifully sinful prophets try to
express them. Apostle John's exile to the island of Patmos for testifying of
Jesus is a simple example. There, he beheld a greater glory.
On the Lord's Day, Jesus
came to him and showed him the New Jerusalem coming down from the heavenly
Father. He was so amazed and spellbound when he beheld New Jerusalem that he
could not properly express the joy of his amazement and enchantment. He began
to write about this vision in order to reveal quickly the good news to the
brethren who were being persecuted (executed) every day across the seas. He
wrote, "Then I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven
from God." Afterwards, he did not know what to compare it to and was
unable find the proper words to describe New Jerusalem, no matter how much he
searched in heaven and on earth. Though he was anxious to quickly deliver this
news, nothing--not the sun, the moon, or the flowers--could describe the beauty
of New Jerusalem. He could not write anything else. After agonizing so much, he
finally concluded that God's children were the most beautiful out of all
creation, that a woman was the most beautiful among people, and that a woman
(bride) was the loveliest on her wedding day. As unsatisfied as he was, all
that he could say was, [Then
I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,
prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.] (Rev.
21:2)
Do
you believe that New Jerusalem is only as beautiful as a human bride is?
Regrettably, John was forced to compare it to a bride because he could not find
anything else to compare it with in heaven and earth.
The
Bible that we possess is full of such weak expressions; there are sixty-six
"imperfect" books in the Holy Bible. Though critics in the
world today claim that the Holy Bible is exaggerated, in reality,
not even 10.01% has been properly conveyed.
However, there is a Bible
personally written by the hand of God. As mentioned before, He gave us the
first Bible, the Nature Bible, in the very beginning, before the sixty-six
books of the Holy Bible were written. God originally intended that we have
this Bible. His original plan was for us to only read the Nature Bible, obey
the truths written within it, and live happily forever.
Therefore, before we go to
the new world, our heavenly Father will open and restore our eyes so that we
can read the first Bible He personally wrote in the beginning. The restoration
of our eyes must occur now on this earth, before we go to the new world.
However, God's real
children became degenerate by following the gods of this world. Their eyes and
senses became numb and degenerate, and they were unable to read the first Bible
at all. Our heavenly Father had pity on them and gave them a second Bible, the
sixty-six-book Holy Bible we read today, saying,
"Now read this and understand." However, God's children became so
terribly corrupt and degenerate that they could not even understand this second
Bible. He therefore interpreted it for us and told us to read it and
understand. That was the third Bible, the [spirit
of prophecy.] (Rev. 19:10)
Sadly
enough, God's children could not even understand that. Therefore, He said that
He would send His Son in the last days to teach them and take them to Heaven. [For thus says the Lord God: "Indeed I Myself
will search for My sheep and seek them out...on a cloudy and dark (blind)
day.... I will feed My flock, and I will make them lie down,...I will seek what
was lost...bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick...I will establish
one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them; My servant David. He shall feed
them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and My servant
David a prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken.] (Eze. 34:11, 12, 15, 16, 23, 24)
Oh,
how tenacious the love of our Father is! No matter how much His earthly
children follow the gods of this world and become blind, deaf, degenerated, and
their senses become numbed, they are powerless before His tenacious love and
cannot help but be saved. He follows them, determined to personally redeem them
and take them to heaven.
Holy Sages who Will Ascend to Heaven on Clouds
As
mentioned before, God's real children who will enter the new world must be able
to read nature, the first Bible, well in order to be qualified to enter the new
world as its heirs. That is because in the new world, there will not be a
single volume of the printed Holy Bible, but only the Nature Bible
because our Daddy originally gave it to us and filled the universe with it.
Therefore, those who will enter the new world must be skilled in reading the
Nature Bible on this earth. Those whose hearts, eyes, and ears are opened to
read the Nature Bible on this earth right now are already prepared to enter the
new world and are suffering on this earth waiting for the brethren who are not
prepared yet.
We call such people divine
people, spiritually enlightened pursuers of the truth, or holy sages. From long
ago, it was said that those holy sages would not die but ascend to heaven
riding the clouds, and it is a fact. The holy sages who partook of God's
divinity amidst nature, the first Bible, will ride to the new world on clouds
when it is time for the new world. Holy sages such as Moses, Elijah, and Enoch
already became immortal gods and went to heaven before Jesus came to this
earth. Likewise, the last holy sages will also ride on clouds to the new world
at the end of the world.
A holy sage is merely
someone who lives with God in the mountains. "Holy sage" is written
in Chinese (神仙) as, <神 (God) + 人 (person) + 山 (mountain) = 神仙 (holy sage)>. God made it clear that a
holy sage, an heir to the new world, is someone who may not know Jesus or the Holy
Bible but
departs from the secular world, lives amidst nature--the first Bible--and is
transformed into God's image and character by understanding His love and the
truth through an intimate relationship with Him.
"Those whom Christ
commends in the judgment may have known little of theology.... Among the
heathen are those who do not know the Holy Bible or Jesus but have worshipped
God ignorantly, those to whom the light (the truth of the Holy Bible) is
never brought by human instrumentality, yet they will not perish. Though
ignorant of the written law (Word) of God, they have heard His voice speaking
to them in nature (the Nature Bible), and have done the things that the law
(the Ten Commandments) required. Their works (lives) are evidence that the Holy
Spirit has touched their hearts, and they are recognized as the children of
God."
[When Gentiles, who do
not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not
having the law (Word), are a law to themselves (their conscience).] (Rom. 2:14, NRSV)
Holy
Sages of China
China
is one of the last countries introduced to the Holy Bible. However, God
already prophesied in the Holy Bible that many holy citizens of
the new world would be found in China, [the
land of Sinim] (Isa. 49:12), even
before it would be introduced to the Holy Bible. Then who will be heirs
to the new world from China, [the
land of Sinim]? They are the holy sons
of China who resembled God by reading the first Bible He gave, the Nature
Bible, and understanding the great truths of Heaven through it. They are
the holy citizens of the new world from [the
land of Sinim]. Many Christians today
may say, "Confucius was a sinner and does not have salvation because it is
written in the Bible, [Nor
is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name (except Jesus)
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.] (Acts 4:12) Since he was a sinner who did not know
Jesus, he will be judged." However, those are the words of narrow-minded
humans, not the Word of God. As mentioned before, God said that [when Gentiles, who do not possess the law (and do
not know the Bible or Jesus), do instinctively (conscientiously) what the law
requires (and live accordingly), these, though not having the law, are a law to
themselves,] (Rom. 2:14, NRSV)
and He would save them. Christians today do not know that [the Spirit of Jesus] (Acts
16:7), by which [there is no other name
under heaven given among men by which we must be saved], was with Confucius. He taught the world to obey
God and live immortally (eternally). Everything he taught was a truth of the Holy
Bible and the Word of God.
I
presently live in Songni Mountain. Some families moved here, the entrance of
Songni Mountain, from distant provinces. They studied the Korean prophetic
writings of Jeong Gam Rog and Gyuk Am Yoo Rog,
and believed in the prophecy that the savior of mankind would appear in the
last days from Songni Mountain. As they became old and reached the end of their
lives, they entreated their children and grandchildren not to move but to live
there and wait for that savior. I was told that the sons, now in their
seventies with their hair in a topknot*, were still living there. (The
traditional hairstyle for Korean men long ago was to tie their hair into a
knot.)
One day, I rode my
motorcycle out to meet one of them, a knowledgeable, elderly Confucian scholar.
Upon greeting him, I said, "Sir, if there are any spiritual truths you
have realized, please teach them to me." At first, he was very humble and
replied, "Oh, I'm just a farmer living in the countryside." I knew
that though Confucianists seem humble, they have a great deal of pride. Not
wanting time to drag on, I urged him, "Please just teach me." His
only answer was that he knew nothing.
I spoke first. "Sir, I
believe that Confucius taught, 'He who follows the will of heaven shall live,
and he who opposes the will of heaven shall perish.' In other words, he who
obeys God will live, and he who disobeys God will die. Since Confucius died,
was he not someone who opposed the will of heaven?"
This elderly man became
flustered by my question and answered, "Oh, uh, uh, well, that is not so.
I think He will be born again in a later generation...." Flustered, he
profaned the god he revered and reduced him to a child of his own children. I
replied to the flustered, elderly man, "Sir, I think he meant this: 'He
who obeys God will live; even if he dies, he will be resurrected and live
immortally. But he who disobeys God will die and disappear forever.' I believe
that Confucius taught the way of resurrection." The elderly man opened his
eyes wide in astonishment.
For thousands of years,
teachers in private schools for the study of Chinese classics always raised
their voices to teach, "He who follows the will of heaven shall live, and
he who opposes the will of heaven shall perish," without even knowing what
it meant. They are no different than the people who carry the Holy Bible around today and teach
others without even knowing its meaning.
Confucius, like Jesus,
never told anyone to believe in him. He was a son of God who only led people to
God. Confucius never stated that people should believe in him. As a guide, he
only introduced God to others and led them to the path to God. He played the
role of Jesus during his time.
Let me introduce several
teachings of Confucius and other holy sages of China.
"He who follows the will of heaven shall
live, and he who opposes the will of heaven shall perish."
"He
who obeys God will live; even if he dies, he will be resurrected and live
immortally. However, he who disobeys God will die forever. Therefore, obey God
to live immortally." Confucius taught the way (the Holy Bible) of
resurrection, the grand truth of Heaven.
"Though people secretly talk with each
other, it sounds like thunder in God's ear. Though people deceive their
conscience in the dark, it flashes like lightening in God's eyes."
"People
may whisper quietly with each other, but it sounds like thunder in God's ear.
People may deceive their consciences in the middle of the night, but it flashes
like lightening in God's eyes." This is a Biblical teaching that everyone
should live with a clean conscience, speak kind words, and do good deeds since
no one can evade God's discernment between good and evil and His eyes of
judgment.
"Sow a cucumber and reap a cucumber; sow a
bean and reap a bean. Though Heaven's net is wide, nothing will just pass
through."
This
is a Biblical teaching. "You will reap a cucumber if you sow a cucumber
seed, and you will reap a bean if you sow a bean. Likewise, each person will
reap according to whether he (she) sowed sin or righteousness; God will judge
according to what he (she) said and did in the his (her) lifetime, whether good
or bad. Not one sinner can escape the net of Heaven's judgment, as wide as it
may seem, and everyone will be judged. Therefore, be a sower of righteousness
and goodness."
"Heaven repays those who do good with
blessings and repays those who do not do good with misfortune."
"God
repays those who do good with blessings and repays those who do evil with
misfortune." This testifies of the reward that befalls a righteous person
and the woe that befalls an evildoer. This is a Biblical teaching, "Be
blessed by God by only doing good deeds."
"Though no one harms the one who gains fame
through wicked methods and means, Heaven will surely kill that person."
"Though
people do not harm someone who gains worldly honor and power using evil methods
and means, God will surely kill that person." This testifies of God's
retribution and fair judgment. It is a Biblical teaching that tells us not to
commit a vice in order to gain honor and power.
"Though no one knows, Heaven surely knows
the loyal and filial person who wakes up early and sleeps late working
diligently."
"Though
no one acknowledges those people who wake up early in the morning and sleep
late at night with a heart of loyalty and filial piety and are faithful in
everything, God will surely recognize and bless that person." God
carefully observed the faithful and filial people in every generation, holy
sages who lived faithfully and sincerely such as Enoch, Daniel, Joseph, Confucius,
and Lao-tzu, in addition to nameless commoners, and He surely blessed them.
This testifies of God's meticulous love and care.
"Those who commit sin against God have no
where to supplicate."
"Sinners
who commit sin and leave God have no where to go and pray; there is no God who
will listen to their prayers." This refers to the unforgivable sinners who
have sinned against the Holy Spirit and departed from God.
"When the jug of sin is full, Heaven will
surely empty it."
"When
the cup of sin in this world is full, just as a bucket is full of water, God
will surely execute judgment." This is a Biblical teaching referring to
the merciless judgment of wrath after the door of grace is closed and the just
balances of God and His long-suffering comes to an end.
All
the previous teachings of Confucius and the other holy sages of China are the
same truths that are found in the Holy Bible. The way of the universe
and the truth are one. The truth is not the actual writings of the way, but the
deep meaning and significance found within them. Like Confucius and the other
holy sages of China, our spiritual eyes must be opened to read the truths that
God personally inscribed throughout all creation.
The
astonishing great truths of Heaven mentioned above are not the words of the
mortal Confucius or other spiritually enlightened men who lived in China. The
mortal Confucius and all the other people (sages) of China could not have
uttered these mysterious, great truths of Heaven on their own even if they were
to die ten times and be resurrected each time. The God of heaven poured His
Holy Spirit, [the Spirit of Jesus] (the Spirit of salvation), upon His specially
chosen sons (sages) and inspired them with those Biblical truths in order to
save so many of His loving children living in China (Sinim), before the means
of transportation and printing were as developed as they are now. China is
where most of God's children live. How could God just leave them to die for
thousands of years, before the printing of the sixty-six-book second Bible? He
could never allow that to happen.
Before
Jesus came to this earth and long before the sixty-six books of the Holy
Bible were
made, God already poured [the
Spirit of Jesus] upon various sages in
China, [the land of Sinim] (Isa. 49:12), where most of His children were
living. He taught the way of salvation through the lips of those sages who were
inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is a grave mistake to make judgments about God
with our narrow views and think that He is like humans. His love and wisdom are
infinite, and He has thousands of different, unknown ways to save His real
children on this earth. Once again, let us not forget that the teachings of
Confucius and the other sages of China were all God's words of truth and that
the same God who gave us today's Holy Bible gave us those teachings.
Therefore at the end of the
world, God will resurrect His messengers (holy sages) who taught the old world
with the Nature Bible, the first Bible, and take them to the new world.
For this reason, people call them, "holy sons." What is a "holy
son"? In Chinese characters, "holy son" is written "聖子." The character for
"holy" (聖) is comprised of the characters
"king" (王), "ear" (耳), "eye" (目), and
"mouth" (口). A "holy son" is the son of
God who has the ears, eyes, and mouth of God, the King of kings, the great King
of heaven, the son of God who perfectly resembles God. In other words,
"Jesus."* He is the son of God who, like God, only listens to, sees,
and speaks what is holy. Therefore, Confucius was the savior who appeared in
China with a different name and face during that generation. (*The meaning of
"Jesus": someone who [will
save His people from their sins.] (Mat.
1:21))
In
addition, it was prophesied that many other nameless non-Christians (holy
sages) who lived holy lives in every age in China and the other parts of the
world would also be heirs to the new world. I have a drawing based on a true
story hanging on the wall in my room that I value and love very much.
Long
ago, two friends (Huh-yu and So-bu) left the secular world with their family,
moved into the deep, deep mountains where a stream as clear as glass flowed,
and lived holy lives as neighbors. One day, as So-bu was letting his cow drink
from the stream, he noticed that Huh-yu, who lived in the house above, was
washing his ears in the stream repeatedly, murmuring something to himself.
Thinking it very strange, So-bu called out to his friend.
"My
dear friend!"
"What?"
"Why
are you washing your ears today and murmuring at the same time?"
"My
dear friend, you will never believe this. Some secular people (state ministers
of the country) came to see me and asked me to be the king of this country.
Since I've heard such foul words, I'm washing out my ears with this clean
water."
Upon
hearing this, So-bu quickly reined in his cow and exclaimed, "Ugh! I'm
scared my cow will drink the water you cleaned your dirty ears out with,"
and did not allow his cow to drink that water. This is the true story the
drawing is based upon.
How
holy these two people are! Their hearts and ways were congenial. Indeed, the
friend of a holy man is also holy. They are people we would consider "holy
sages," heirs to the new world.
Those
non-Christian holy sages neither knew of Jesus nor knew of the Holy Bible.
They were holy people who were led by [the
Spirit of Jesus], the Spirit of
salvation; understood God's love by learning the Creator's laws of love and His
virtuous truth through the Nature Bible, the first Bible given to us by God;
and lived transformed lives. He will take such people to the new world at the
end of the world.
[When Gentiles, who do
not possess the law, do instinctively what the law requires, these, though not
having the law, are a law to themselves (their own conscience).] (Rom. 2:14, NRSV) They are the holy sages
who will go to the new world.
The
Greatest Happiness of Living in the Nature Bible
"The
book of nature (the first Bible) is a great lesson book (God's book), which in
connection with the Scriptures (the second Bible) we are to use in teaching
others of His character (love), and guiding lost sheep back to the fold of God.
As the works of God (the first Bible) are studied, the Holy Spirit flashes
conviction into the mind. It is not the conviction that logical reasoning (the
theoretical knowledge of scholars) produces.... The sublime, spiritual truths
of the (God's) written word are impressed on the heart.
In
these lessons direct from nature, there is a simplicity and purity that makes
them of the highest value. All who will enter the new world need the teaching
to be derived from this source (the first Bible). In itself the beauty of
nature leads the soul away from sin and worldly attractions, and toward purity,
peace, and God. Too often the minds of students are occupied with men's
theories and speculations, falsely called science and philosophy. They
(students) need to be brought into close contact with nature (the first Bible).
Let them learn that creation and Christianity have one God. Let them be taught
to see the harmony of the natural with the spiritual. Let everything that their
eyes see or their hands handle be made a lesson in character building. Thus the
mental powers will be strengthened, the character developed, the whole life
ennobled."
"As
we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes His presence real to us, and
speaks to our hearts of His peace and love.... We shall ever be learning new
lessons of heavenly truth, and growing into the image of His purity. Thus shall
we [be taught by the Lord] (Isa. 54:13) (through nature); and in the lot
wherein we are called, like Enoch, we shall be granted the privilege to [remain (walk) with God.] (1 Cor. 7:24)"
"Nature
(the first Bible) and revelation (the second Bible) alike testify of God's
love. Our Father in heaven is the source of life, of wisdom, and of joy. Look
at the wonderful and beautiful things of nature.... The sunshine (Sun) and the
rain (water, dew) that gladden and refresh the earth, the hills and seas and
plains, all speak to us of the Creator's love.... The thorn and the
thistle...were appointed for (man's) good.... 'God is love' is written upon
every opening bud, and upon every spire of grass. The lovely birds making the
air vocal with their happy songs, the delicately tinted flowers in their
perfection perfuming the air, the lofty trees of the forest with their rich
foliage of living green--all testify to the tender, fatherly care of our God
and to His desire to make His children happy."
"Many are the ways in which
God is seeking to make Himself known to us and bring us into communion with
Him. Nature speaks to our senses without ceasing. The open heart will be
impressed with the love and glory of God as revealed through the works of His
hands. The listening ear can hear and understand the communications of God
through the things of nature. The green fields, the lofty trees, the buds and
flowers, the passing cloud, the falling rain, the babbling brook, the glories
of the heavens, speak to our hearts, and invite us to become acquainted with
Him who made them all.
Our Savior bound up His precious
lessons with the things of nature. The trees, the birds, the flowers of the
valleys, the hills, the lakes, and the beautiful heavens...were all linked with
the words of truth.
If
we will but listen, God's created works will teach us precious lessons of
obedience and trust. From the stars that in their trackless courses through
space follow from age to age their appointed path, down to the minutest atom,
the things of nature" speak of the Creator God's love.
Beloved
readers! As we have seen in God's words up to now, have the sun, the moon,
clouds, rain and dew, seas, hills, green fields, prairies, trees, birds,
flowers, and even thistles, spoken God's love to you? Were you able to read the
message, "God is love," written on the heavens, the earth, oceans,
mountains, trees, flower petals, and spires of grass? God who cannot lie clearly
said that all creation speaks to us and has words of love written on it. Our
ears must be able to clearly hear the whispering of all creation, and we must
be able to plainly read their letters of love. This is normal. Unfortunately,
we cannot hear the voices of nature or read their letters of love, no matter
how much we try. Though we rub our eyes repeatedly, the mountains look like
mere mountains, the oceans look like mere oceans, and the flowers look like
mere flowers. We cannot hear anything or see anything written anywhere.
This
boundary line separates the world of divine sages from that of secular people,
and the very difference between a partaker and non-partaker of God's divinity.
The ability to converse with nature is the proof that God's divinity has become
one with humanity. They are holy sages, people who are spiritually awakened,
spiritually enlightened. Even though God converses with all creation in heaven
and on earth, we cannot. However, there is one way to converse with creation.
If the true God who converses with nature enters our hearts and abides in us,
then we can also converse with all creation and easily read the messages
written in nature. This is what it means to attain the state of spiritual
enlightenment and the state of sanctification. In particular, how can secular
people and the corrupt religions of these last days attain this holy state? The
children of God who accept these words with childlike simplicity and a pure
heart can easily attain this state, for it was His plan to bring His children
up to this level.
[I
praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You have hidden these
things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.]
(Mat. 11:25, NIV) [Therefore, whoever humbles
himself as this little child is the greatest (heir) in the kingdom of heaven
(the new world).] (Mat.
18:4)
[If He called
them (Gods), to whom the word (the truth of nature) of God came (and the
Scripture (the truth of the grand way) cannot be broken)....] (John 10:35)
"It
was God's plan that through various beauties of nature, people would learn the
lessons directing them to the glories of the new world."
"God
has bound our hearts to Him through countless tokens (all creation) in heaven
and in earth. Through the things of nature...He has sought to reveal Himself to
us."
[Ever
since the creation of the world His eternal power and divine nature, invisible
though they are, have been understood and seen through the things (nature) He
has made.] (Rom.
1:20, NRSV)
"Those
who close their senses to the joyful voice which speaks to them in nature...are
not (believers)."
"His
(Jesus, the holy sage) happiest hours were found when along with nature and
God."
"It
is the (believer) who enjoys the beauty of the earth (nature) with the highest
appreciation."
This
was the life of the holy sages in the past and is the eternal happiness we are
to enjoy by becoming the holy sages of this age.
The
Teachers of Truth
Then,
let me introduce to you the first Bible that I see and read, and the nature
friends I meet and converse with.
Sun: The sun uniformly and evenly
shines its warm rays of love upon the mountains, fields, oceans, shores,
plains, and valleys and tells us of the impartial love of the heavenly Father,
who equally loves all people in the world, whether evil or righteous.
Moon: The moon shines at night
alone, regardless of the darkness in this bleak world, and tells us of the life
of the Son of God who came alone to this dark, sinful world and shed light upon
it. At the same time, we can see that the earthly children who follow Him and
live a life apart from sin will shine once again in this dark, sinful world.
Sky: The sky tells us of our
heavenly Father's wide, lofty love. In addition, when we see the birds flying
in the endlessly vast, lofty skies and dancing to their hearts' content, we can
see prodigal sons enjoying infinite happiness and freedom to their hearts'
content after returning to our heavenly Real Father's wide, lofty arms.
Oceans: Unlike the sky, the
oceans tell us of our heavenly Father's deep and wide love. We can see the
earthly children who were once caught in Satan's snare enjoying freedom and
happiness to their hearts' content after returning to our heavenly Father's
wide, deep bosom of love when seeing small and large fish swaying their tails,
dancing, and joyfully swimming around the endlessly wide and deep ocean.
Harsh wildernesses and deserts:
We can see the harsh wildernesses and desolate deserts of the hearts
(characters) of the earthly children who abandoned our heavenly Father's loving
bosom.
Deep marshes and swamps: They
tell us deep, indented unhappiness in the hearts of the earthly children who
left our heavenly Father's bosom of love.
Magnificent rocks and mountains:
They tell us of our heavenly Father's firm, eternal promise of salvation for
His children who sinned and fell into misery.
Trees in winter: We can see the
wretched appearance of the youngest, earthly children who stand in tears after
leaving our loving heavenly Father's bosom, having lost all the given blessings
and happiness trying to seek happiness on their own.
Trees in spring: We can see the
happy appearance of the youngest, earthly children who returned to our heavenly
Father's bosom of love. The once lost leaves of regeneration and flowers of
sanctification of their characters bud and bloom, and fruits of love are borne.
Various flowers: From the flowers
of the largest trees in the mountains to the those of the smallest grasses, we
can see the beautiful charm of each flower that contains the loving touch of
our heavenly Father who beautifully created each one of them. They tell us of
the tender love of our heavenly Real Daddy who meticulously loves and looks
after each one of His children living on the earth, to the point of counting
the hair on their heads.
Happiness
at the Beach
For
the first time in a long while, I took my family on a trip to the beach when we
were living in the southern region of Korea. After playing badminton and
swimming with my children, I went up to a large rock at the top of a hill by
the beach. While looking at the sky and the ocean, our heavenly Daddy's love
overwhelmed me. I wept so much I was unable to pray. I came down and spent more
time with my family, who had no idea what had happened, before returning home
later in the afternoon.
The
following is our Father's love that was revealed to my heart at that time: it
was the rainy season and the vast, endless summer sky was completely covered
with dark clouds that looked like black smoke billowing from a smokestack, and
it seemed as if nothing could penetrate those dark clouds. Before the fall of
God's youngest children on this earth, there were never dark skies in heaven.
The sky showed our heavenly Father's heart filled with sorrow and anxiety after
beholding His children who were doomed to die. Later, there was lightning and
loud rumbles of thunder. This was our heavenly Father scolding His dear
children with a sad voice, worried on their behalf. "My children! How did
you become like this? Why didn't you listen to Me?" Our heavenly Daddy was
sadly lamenting and calling out to His children. Such sounds of anxiety
(thunder) were unheard of in the heavenly paradise before the youngest children
of this earth fell. Moments after hearing the anxious scolding from the sky,
large drops of tears fell on the galvanized steel roofing, making loud noises.
Unable to hold back the sadness welling up, rain poured down in a roar. The
shower of tears spoke of our heavenly Father's tears of redemption that fell
unceasingly as He beheld His earthly children bound to death. Such tears were
unheard of in the heavenly paradise before the youngest children of this earth
fell.
Right
after the shower of tears, all the black dark clouds disappeared without a
trace, as if they had never filled the sky, and as if it had never rained. A
clear, blue sky appeared and the warm sun shone brighter and stronger than ever
before. This spoke of the greater love our heavenly Daddy poured upon His
children, earthly sinners, after completely forgiving them for their [iniquity, transgression, and sin]
(Exo. 34:7), the dark,
cloud-like sins they had committed.
The
shower that fell earlier revived once again the withered, dried, and dying
trees and plants throughout the world. This spoke of the recovery and revival
of the thirsty souls throughout the world, who were dehydrated and dying
without the living water of the Holy Spirit, through the shedding of our
heavenly Father and Son's endless tears of redemption, the living water of the
Holy Spirit. In addition, the dried streams and riverbeds overflowed once again
due to the shower. This spoke of the dried streams of the heart and the dried
riverbeds of the soul of His youngest earthly children that were dry without
the living water of the Holy Spirit but are now overflowing once again as [rivers of living water. (John
7:38)] [He shall be
like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its
season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper.]
(Psa. 1:3) And so, through
the living water of the Holy Spirit brought down by the shedding of our
heavenly Father's tears of redemption, sinners will abundantly bear the
beautiful fruits of the Holy Spirit (love) (Gal. 5:22, 23) and become holy
sages on this path to the restored paradise and go to the paradise of the new
world.
When
our heavenly Father taught me to understand these facts as I sat atop a hill by
the beach, I wept so much thinking about how this unfilial son had brought
great sorrow to His wide heart by making Him worry and feel anxious about me,
and how much I had made Him shed endless tears. I again wept in gratitude for
eliminating all the sins of this unfilial son once again, pouring upon me a
greater love than before, and allowing me to receive the joy of His love and
salvation.
Happiness
in the Mountains
Let
me tell you a story about a friend I met in the mountains.
As
long as there is nothing special for me to do at home, I like to spend at least
half the day in the Nature Bible, together with my heavenly Father. This is my
life and my greatest joy. Let me briefly share this happiness with you.
"The
closer we come to nature, God and His Son make Their presence real to us and
speak of Their peace and love in our hearts."
One
day, when I was living in the southern region, I went to the mountains, as was
my habit. I was singing praises to God for about an hour and forty minutes
when, suddenly, I just had to stop. Filled with gladness and delight, all the
trees in the mountains in front and on both sides of me arose and joyously
waved to me with their pretty hands. They were all saying to me, "God is love.
God is love," as they continued waving their hands to me. I waved back to
all my friends in the mountains, saying, "Yes, yes. God is love. God is
love." Even after I reached the top of the mountain and looked around me,
I saw that they were smiling joyously, waving their hands continuously, and
still looking straight at me. Filled with happiness, I once again joyously
waved my hands back to my lovely friends.
How
time passes when spending such happy moments with nature friends! An old saying
goes, "Sages in leisure know not that the axe handle rots." Though my
watch was telling me that half of the day had already passed, I did not want to
go down from there. However, I could not help but return home at the thought of
my beloved wife and children sitting around the table at home waiting to eat
with me. I waved goodbye, told them that I would come again, and unwillingly
parted with my friends in the mountains that day. As I was making my way down,
they continued to wave at me until they could no longer see me.
While
quickly making my way down home, a pretty "young lady" grabbed me at
the corner of the mountain trail. I looked down to see Miss Wild Rose smiling
at me with her beautiful rose-patterned sleeve extended to block my way. Though
I was already feeling quite happy, seeing pretty Miss Wild Rose grasping me
filled me with greater happiness. She coquettishly said to me, "Prince, it
has been a long time since we last met. Will you please talk with me for a
while?" When I told her to go ahead and talk, she gave a brief testimony
about her entire life. It was a silent testimony of her life of First
Corinthians, Chapter 13. I was completely astonished at that moment. I was so
deeply impressed with her life and felt ashamed. I bowed to her in my heart and
confessed that my own character and life were deficient. I repeatedly thanked
this dear friend for teaching me that precious truth through her own life.
Truly,
the wild rosebush is a friend in whom...[the
Word became flesh] (John
1:14) and who fulfilled First Corinthians, Chapter 13 in her life.
The
wild rosebush possesses a love that always suffers long. She knows how to
endure the pain of little children or adults bending her arms or cutting her
branches off with sickles. [Love
suffers long.] (1
Cor. 13:4)
The
character of the wild rosebush is never rough, but always tender and kind. [(Love) is kind.] (1 Cor. 13:4)
The
wild rosebush does not envy others or become jealous, all her life. [Love does not envy.] (1 Cor. 13:4)
The
wild rosebush does not boast, show off, act haughty or proud, or single herself
for praise, all her life. [Love
does not parade itself, is not puffed up.] (1 Cor. 13:4)
The
wild rosebush does not behave rudely but is always well mannered, all her life.
[Love...does not
behave rudely.] (1 Cor.
13:4, 5)
The
wild rosebush does not seek its own gain, all her life. Instead, it gives its
delicious leaves and tender stems to cows, lambs, goats, and little children
for consumption. She is a friend that overflows with love and unsparingly gives
her honey and pollen to bees and butterflies. [Love...does not seek its own.] (1 Cor. 13:4, 5)
The
wild rosebush does not fight or quarrel with its neighbors, all her life. [Love...is not provoked.] (1 Cor. 13:4, 5)
The
wild rosebush does not harbor evil or foul thoughts, even for a moment, all her
life; her thoughts are only pure and holy. [Love...thinks no evil.] (1 Cor. 13:4, 5)
The
wild rosebush does not know what sin or unrighteousness is, all her life; she
only lives righteously. She lives a beautiful life, follows the heavenly truth,
and bears the leaves of regeneration, the flowers of sanctification, and the
fruits of the Holy Spirit. [Love...does
not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.] (1 Cor. 13:4, 6)
Though
there are smelly trees and many rotten fallen leaves among her mountain
friends, the wild rosebush does not criticize or speak ill of them, despite
their defects and weaknesses. Instead, she covers their faults and defects with
her fragrance and her flowery sleeve and skirt. "Love bears all
things."
The
ill-natured, cruel winter brings cold frost, snowstorms, and windstorms and
persecutes her so terribly that her blossoms and leaves fall. After she is
stripped of all her clothes, the harsh winds punish her. However, she does not
say a word and endures all the persecution and insult. She believes and hopes
that the God of love will clothe her with new and better clothes in the spring
of the coming year and comfort her by embracing her in His loving arms. The
wild rosebush never in the least confronts or criticizes her persecutors. She
quietly endures the winter offender's severe persecution with perseverance,
only hoping all things. [Love...bears
all things, believes all things, hopes all things, (and) endures all things.]
(1 Cor. 13:4, 7)
Unable
to hide how ashamed I was in front of the gentle testimony of her life, I
confessed, "Wild rosebush, your life is truly commendable, and I feel
ashamed standing before you. Though I am your lord, I am ashamed to look at you
because I have not yet attained the life you live. I am truly ashamed." I
was not sure how to return the courtesy of this friend who had taught me a
great truth through her beautiful life.
So
I asked, "Dear wild rosebush, I am so grateful that I cannot just part
from you. What can I give you as a gift?" Then the wild rosebush replied,
"Dear Prince, I do not want anything. My only wish is that you quickly
resemble our heavenly Father so you can go to the new world where our Father is
waiting."
"Still,
I am too grateful to just leave like this." Then, I suddenly thought of
something.
"Oh,
there is one thing I can do. Before I leave, as a gift, I will sing you a nice
song that praises your beautiful life." She was very pleased and asked me
to sing it to her. I joyfully sang a song about First Corinthians, chapter 13
to praise and commemorate her beautiful life.
Love
always suffers long
Love
is always kind
Love
is never jealous
It
does not boast or is proud
Love
does not act rudely
Love
does not seek its own
Love
is not provoked
But
rejoices with the truth
Love
bears all things
Hopes
all things, believes and endures all things
Love
is forever unchanging
Faith,
hope, and love
Is
eternal until the end of this world
But
among faith, hope, and love
The
greatest is love
The
greatest is love
I
waved goodbye to the wild rosebush and came down. I had not gone too far when I
suddenly heard loud applause coming from both sides of the path. I looked
around to see the pine trees, oak trees, and other trees standing in rows on
both sides of the path cheering and applauding, overjoyed to see the heavenly
Prince passing by.
[For
the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the
sons of God.] (Rom.
8:19) [For you shall
go out with joy,...(and) the mountains...and all the trees of the field shall
clap their hands.] (Isa.
55:12)
According
to the trees, false sons of God (false servants) had appeared in the world for
countless years and were incorrectly teaching that God has eyes of fire and
fearfully judges and kills humans." These trees were so upset and sad that
they did not know what to do. Now, they were joyously applauding, saying,
"The real Son of God, who teaches the world God's infinite love and the
path of salvation frankly, has now come." In response, I waved to them, saying,
"How long have you been waiting? Yet, during all that time you did not
grow weary but endured with unwavering perseverance. Now that I, the Son of
God, have appeared, I will unveil all the false accusations against our
heavenly Father in front of the whole world and universe to your satisfaction.
Rest assured, and please rejoice." After waving back to them, I came down
home. What a truly joyful, happy day it was!
[We
know that the whole creation has been groaning in labor pains until now;]
[For the creation waits
with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God.] (Rom. 8:22, 19, NRSV)
Happiness
while Traveling
I
frequently travel from place to place, at times to distant areas, at the
invitation of those who desire to hear about God's love. When I look out the
window of the train, I can see mountains near and far. They sing resoundingly,
"The son of God is passing by!" I really enjoy the trip, seeing their
beautiful appearances and hearing them with the eyes and ears of my heart. [For you shall go out with
joy...the mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before
you...and it shall be to the Lord for a name, for an everlasting sign.] (Isa. 55:12, 13)
Moreover,
I am infinitely happy to hear the trees, near and far, joyously sing together
and see them wave their hands at me along the train tracks. Listening to the
chorus of willows, the chorus of pine trees, and other kinds of tree friends
standing in rows makes the trip truly enjoyable. When I stop at a certain train
station, I see baby forsythias, young maples, and midget spindle trees standing
side by side outside the window. The forsythias see me first, wave their hands,
and happily smile at me. If they notice the maple and spindle trees blankly
looking elsewhere, they poke them in the side and say, "The Prince of
heaven is passing by." Then, all the maple and spindle trees that were
looking away turn to me and joyfully wave their hands at me. I see them waving
their pretty hands at me until they can no longer see the train I am riding. I
also wave back, filled with happiness, until I can see them no longer.
As
the trip progresses, I see pretty but shy willow maidens bashfully hanging
their longhaired heads down and waving to me by the roadside, and pine tree men
that possess a firm, indomitable will all through the four seasons waving their
hands at me in farewell. Later, young forsythias and bush clovers wave with
their pretty hands at me. I am also glad to see poplar and oak giants that
"emigrated" from Italy waving at me. Behind them, sycamore tree
giants wave to me with their big hands. I am able to enjoy the best receptions,
the greatest glory, and the greatest happiness that no king in this world could
possibly enjoy from such happy trips. I will live together forever with just
these beautiful friends who do not have the least bit of deceit or impropriety
in their consciences.
The
Chinese sage Confucius said, "A knowledgeable person is fond of water, and
a virtuous person is fond of mountains; a knowledgeable person moves, and a
virtuous person is quiet; a knowledgeable person is happy, and a virtuous
person lives long." This means, "One who knows God, that is, a person
who is friends with God, is fond of water (rivers and oceans), and a person who
possesses God's character is fond of mountains. Therefore, a person who is a
friend of God is active in saving the world. A person who possesses God's
character is not noisy but quiet. A person who is friends with God is always
joyful and happy, and a person who has God's character will eventually live
forever." Holy sages, sons of God, live this life--the happy life of holy
sages living with God in nature. Whether in ancient or modern times, they are
God's friends, immortal holy sages who will ride to the new world paradise on
clouds.
Happiness
Day and Night
At
night, the charm of the beautiful moon captivates me. The night seems to pass
so quickly in the happiness of whispering to the baby stars. My heart flies
endlessly throughout the serenely flowing Milky Way. As the day breaks, looking
at the gallantly smiling, invincible sun gives discouraged people new courage
and strength. With a smile, cloud painters pass by, freely drawing whatever and
whenever they want to--lovely pictures of deer, lamb, pretty birds, angels,
etc.--upon the spacious blue and white canvas of the sky. They are the most
distinguished artists in the universe. As I gaze on, enraptured by the sight,
someone gently comes along, softly touches my shoulder, and asks with a sweet
voice, "What are you looking at that is so captivating?" I turn
around to see the cool breeze friend who always smiles with a happy face.
This
unchanging friend is always a smiling optimist. Even when a crabby person is
sweating heavily on the brow from being terribly unkind to his neighbors, this
amusing breeze friend comes along, asks, "Why are you so cross
again?" wipes the sweat off his forehead, and smiles as he passes by.
Where in the world can you find such a good friend?
When
walking through the narrow mountain paths, pretty vines, runners, and young
arrowroot vines on both sides of the path adorably stretch out their cute
little hands to me and ask me to hold them. These young forest friends are so
overwhelmed with joy as I go around holding all their hands, telling them to
grow up happily. I tell myself, "Ah, how beautiful is my Father's world!
It is filled with beautiful, affectionate friends that teem with a sincere
love! It is so beautiful and so delightful!"
Countless
numbers of tree and plant families live together all throughout the mountains,
in both rich and poor soils. In some small areas with poor soil, pine trees,
oak trees, runners, arrowroot vines, and various weeds all live together. They
all look sallow from malnutrition since there is nothing to eat. Yet, I have
never seen them complain to or fight with their neighbors, saying, "Hey,
this is my land since I was here first! This land is small. It's only big
enough for me to live on, so get off my land." Though they live on barren
land and look sallow from malnutrition, they still love one another, share even
the smallest amount of food with each other, and live together happily with
their arms around each other's shoulders. They happily wave to passersby with
their arms around each other's shoulders. Truly, they possess the hearts of
beautiful, holy angels! Even though people live on fertile land, eat and drink
to their hearts' content, and enjoy all kinds of pleasures, they argue with and
snap at each other, saying, "My land is too small! Go away! I am going to
sue you for ruining my honor and reputation!" Yet, these nature friends
live together, loving and sparing each other with such beautiful hearts!
"Oh,
my beautiful friends, my nature friends! Surely, God has bestowed the beautiful
new world paradise, the new heavens and the new earth, upon you. He has already
blessed you abundantly so that you may enjoy eternal happiness and immortality
there. And God will live together with you for eternity."
My
Father's Happy World
The
songs of mountains far and near,
The
chorus of the willows,
The
chorus of the pine trees,
The
whispering, the smiles, and the waving of their hands in farewell
Of
the forsythias, maple trees, and spindle trees
Fill
the traveling heavenly Prince's heart with infinite happiness.
Seeing
the willow maidens bashfully hanging
Their
longhaired heads down and waving their hands;
The
pine trees with a firm, indomitable will
All
through the four seasons waving their hands;
The
forsythia and bush clover young
girls waving their hands;
The poplar and oak tree giants that emigrated
from Italy
Waving their handkerchiefs;
And the sycamore trees waving their big hands,
Fill the heavenly Prince's heart with infinite
happiness
They are truly
My eternal friends without hypocrisy or
falsehood.
The charm of the beautiful moon captivates me
at night,
And I infinitely enjoy the chorus of baby
stars.
My heart flies endlessly
Throughout the serenely flowing Milky Way.
As I gaze enraptured at
The strong, invincible
Sun gallantly smiling during the day,
And the smiling cloud artists passing by
Freely drawing all kinds of beautiful pictures
Upon the white and blue canvas of the sky,
A smiling cool breeze friend,
Always kind and happy,
Softly comes by and gladly puts his hand on my
shoulders.
When walking through the narrow, mountain
paths,
All the young vines stretch out their pretty
hands to me,
Adorably asking me to hold their hands.
Oh, my Father's happy world
And all the beautiful friends within!
They have lived for thousands of years
Without a single frown, without any discord,
And without jealousy or greed.
My friends who only live
And love for the happiness of others!
I will only be friends with you and live together with you
for eternity.
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