My beloved friends and family,

God’s Grace and Love be with each of you.

This past Sunday, in Exodus chapters 25, we focused on the Ark of the Covenant —

which is the most important element—where God dwells and meets with His people.

God wants to first address the problems caused by our inherent shortcomings,

mistakes, and sins. Only those who have this Ark at the center of their lives will receive

forgiveness of sins and experience the shining glory of the Lord.

The material used for the Ark of the Covenant was acacia wood — a tree that survives

in the desert climate and barren land. Although it is not a type of wood typically used for

construction, according to God's will, who commanded the Israelites to build the Ark of

the Covenant and the Tabernacle, Israeli carpenters carefully crafted this wood to create

the necessary materials for the Tabernacle.

Would a tree grown in a barren land like the desert grow as straight and tall as the trees

we see here in Connecticut? It would grow crooked and unusable as timber, but by

cutting and carefully shaping these trees, and combining several pieces, they were able

to create planks and beams.

Sometimes, our lives are like trees growing in a harsh and barren wilderness; the wood

is hard but unsightly, not growing straight, and full of thorns and knots. The Israelites'

spiritual state was like this—a life full of thorns and wounds, struggling with sandstorms

and drought, and experiencing hardship and discomfort. They had to acknowledge this

reality for their problems to be resolved.

Acacia wood symbolizes Christ's humanity, and gold symbolizes Christ's divinity. God's

use of acacia wood for the Ark of the Covenant symbolizes that many trials will come

from the outside when we try to keep God's word, and the gold covering symbolizes

purity and faith.

Covering the sacred tools of the tabernacle with gold signifies that our flaws and

wounds are covered by God's grace, love, and purity, allowing us to be used as holy

servants of God. Acacia wood itself is hard, but to make it into planks, the bark must be

removed and it must be carefully cut.

Like the Israelites, for us to be used as servants of the Lord, we must shed the things

that hinder our service—the worldly shells that surround us, our stubbornness and

obsessions, our thorny and greedy hearts. Through being stripped, hammered, refined,

and covered with gold, we become holy and sacred instruments of God within the

tabernacle, bringing glory to God.

Like the acacia wood that endures extreme environments, we too must be covered by

the life-giving power of our Lord and the spiritual grace like gold. As workers in the

church, we must be dedicated to service, empowered by the Lord's power and covered

by His blood.

When the life-giving power and glory of the Ark of the Covenant radiate brightly from the

center of our hearts, we believe that our character and personality will be transformed,

and we will experience amazing works that change the world. Jesus said, "The kingdom

of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). This means that God's reign and presence are not a

distant future event, but have already begun in the hearts, lives, and communities of

those who believe in and follow Jesus Christ. This emphasizes that the transformation

of the heart, the relationship with Jesus, and a life lived according to His will are

themselves the Kingdom of God.

This verse contains the core message of the gospel: that the Kingdom of God is not a

visible political kingdom, but an inner experience and a reality realized in our present

lives.

Many people in the world live without deep thought, simply pursuing worldly power and

wealth. While those who chase after "what is visible" may seem to be living well, those

who truly live well are those who cherish precious things in their hearts, living with their

eyes fixed on God. Those who seek to be seen spend their lives searching for things to

show off, but those who cherish precious things in their hearts live with gratitude and

contentment for the blessings God has given them in their daily lives. Such people do

not worry or fret about worldly matters, nor do they cling to worldly status or positions,

neglecting the spiritual work they ought to be doing. If we have lived this way this year,

we can confidently say we have lived well.

We call those who work for money "salarymen," and those who enjoy business

transactions "businessmen." There's nothing wrong with being a salaryman or a

businessman, but if they cherish precious things in their hearts, they will accomplish

things even more wonderfully.

As Christians, we must go beyond worldly categories and work according to the calling

God has given us. We must become "those who are called." This means seeing beyond

what is visible, seeing with the eyes of the heart, and living with our gaze fixed on where

God is looking. Such a person is a true Christian, and I pray that my beloved church

members will prepare for a new year of living well, fulfilling God's will.

God bless you.

Your pastor,

Oon Don