God Surprise

When the commander Bonaparte Napoleon was defeated, finding himself alone on an uninhabited island, he realized the truth about Jesus and his love. His love is more powerful than the weapon with which he tried to conquer the world. He wanted to conquer the world with arms, but Jesus conquered the hearts of people with his unique love and justice.

Through this story I came to a conclusion that Christianity is not just a fictional religion, as some claim, but the truth that leads us to the true God. All who believed in Jesus Christ were reconciled with the Heavenly Father on the basis of the sacrifice of the Son of Christ and they become children of God. This is the highest privilege that humans can experience in this life.

For example: let's say that the president of a country has a son. To him, the president is just a father, but to others, he is an inaccessible person. Despite the fact that not every citizen has access to this president, the president's son can easily enter his office, even ask his father for money. That is the attitude of a person to God, just like the son to the president. A son can at any time turn to his father for help, so can we. All we have to do is to ask in prayer to meet our needs. God is always ready to take care of our needs.

I remember by any chance, in Australia I got a book “Escape from Buchenwald” written by Zinchenko. After God orchestrated his escape from the concentration camp, he became a famous Christian who has traveled extensively around the world by preaching the gospel. . In addition, he has made a huge contribution to missionaries. The book was very exciting that I was able to read it in one breath.

The story of this book focuses on how God miraculously saved this man whose life was hanging by a thread. He could have been killed at any moment, but only thanks to the intervention of God he was able to escape from the concentration camp. If you come across this book, I highly recommend that you read it, it's worth reading it.

The Collapse of the Soviet Union. 1991

In the early 90s after the collapse of the Soviet Union, the country found itself in a very difficult economic situation. As a result of it, most of cutting- edge enterprises closed down, and at the same time the vast majority of people have lost their jobs. A new wave of change has begun abruptly throughout the country.

At that very moment for the first time in the country the first and the last president of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev was elected. In order to lift the country out of the fallout of the crisis, he began a new political reform of the country so called a perestroika and glasnost. In connection with the new political reform, freedom of speech came to the country and some restrictions on movement around the country have been removed. …

The Sakhalin Island that had been considered as a strategically important military objective for many years was classified. Therefore, in this regard, no one could cross the border of this island without the permission of the Soviet government. Only the inhabitants of the island with Soviet nationality could freely move around Sakhalin and from the island to the mainland and back. As for the rest of the citizens of the USSR, they could not cross the border of the island if they so wish. As for me, although I lived and was registered in Sakhalin, I could not move freely out of the Sakhalin Island as well as travel through it since I did not have Soviet citizenship.

Despite the fact that the parents had the opportunity to acquire Soviet citizenship, they chose to maintain stateless persons, hoping that they would someday return to their homeland. Due to the fact that they renounced citizenship, it was not easy for our family in our life, as for all ethnic Koreans living in the Sakhalin region. At that time, there was a harsh law on violations of the passport regime. In case of the violation of the passport regime, it was strictly suppressed and punished by the legal authorities, up to and including imprisonment.

I knew people, many of whom were serving sentences for violations of the passport regime. Therefore, it was not easy for me to move from one area to another. The island, being considered closed for many years, could not withstand the pressure of new political publicity, and opened its doors.

However, Sakhalin, which seemed to never open its doors, under no circumstances, with the coming to power of Mikhail Gorbachev, the island's doors could not withstand the pressure of the so-called policy of perestroika and glasnost, at last it wide opened. In addition, Sakhalin was elected as a free economic zone, which attracted many foreign investors from the countries of the Asian Pacific region.

No sooner had the island been proclaimed a free economic zone than a stream of foreigners rushed there so that it was impossible to stop them. Only could God do that! Together with them are the Protestant missionaries.

Once after the daily work was done I came home to find many guests whose faces I did not know. At first, I could not understand what was going on in my house. Why are so many guests gathered at our home? What brought them to our house, I was very interested to know. It turns out later I learned from my mother that the missionary guests came from South Korea.

That's how it got all started. As soon as I open the door, a tall missionary approaches me, his height was less than 2 meters. Although I was not familiar with the guest, he spoke as if we knew each other well. He began by saying that I need to believe in God and repent of my sin, then I can go to heaven. Frankly speaking, I did not like their approach, as they imposed their idea on me to accept Christ. They were completely unfamiliar to me, how I could trust them. On the one hand, I was glad to see them, because the room was filled with a warm atmosphere, which we lacked, but on the other hand, I was not ready to accept what they imposed on me. In order not to offend them, I pretended to accept their offer, and behaved appropriately. However at the start, I wanted to observe them for who they are. The first impression they made on me was pleasant and inspiring. As far as spiritual life is concerned, I saw the purity of their hearts and zeal to evangelize, in contrast to other faiths. They began to gain some attention with their sincerity like a magnet. And I thought that maybe through them I would be able to fulfill my dream – to go to Korea.

I had a big selfish plan for the future, to fulfill my father's will to go to Korea.

As a child, I remember my father during his paycheck, came home drunk, and harassed us with his own conditions – who are you going to live with? Naturally, we answered him with mother. In response to this, he got cross at us l and behaved very aggressively, and it happened that he forced us to undress to our underpants, and kicked us out the door despite its cold outside whether in summer or in winter. It was tolerable in summer because it was not cold, but in winter it was unbearably cold, so we answered that we would go with him. Then suddenly he became soft and nice that invited us into the house by taking care of us with food and talked about his homeland. He said that he was on Sakhalin not of his own free will; he was forced to come when he was 20 years old by the Japanese authorities. The Japanese gave severe orders to young Koreans who had not yet turned 20 when they were forcibly mobilized to serve in the army of Japanese imperialism. Listening to him for hours, we ourselves did not notice how the dream was sown in our souls. From that moment, my brother and I only thought about how to leave for the homeland of our ancestors. Only in order to fulfill my father's will, I did not get married there while almost all my friends got married and have children.

In order to fulfill my father's will, I did everything so that they would be impressed by me. Initially I went to church formally, but inside I was far from God. Generally I was not interested in God at all; all I wanted to do was to fulfill my dream. From my point of view, I could not believe in God, because he is invisible. Therefore in order to please our guests, I did everything they demanded of me, and I myself pretended to be a believer. Even though I would go to church, my life remains as it was. In fact, I had been obedient and tried to please them with everything. However inside of me I remain the same- no transformation involved. However, my life at that point did not differ from the life of my friends. I also continued to keep up with the world, follow new trends. One leg was in the church and the other in the world. Every Sunday I go to church, but on weekdays, I also play cards and enjoy the beer. Unlike my friends, I didn't really like vodka, but I was a fond of the beer. Usually, my friend and I liked to drink beer after the bath, moreover, a lot with a mountain of fish being served (smelt) on the table. Sometimes, we could drink so much with him that we could barely move our legs. Apparently God was not pleased with my double standard life, he decides to impact me. In fact, I kept telling people that I believe in God, but in reality my heart was way too far from the truth. In order to change me, God decided to teach me a lesson, and he started following me. After God intervened in my life, suddenly strange events began to occur in my life, in which I have had to feel remorse. More than likely, God began to work in my life, crushing me into an image that he wants me to be The most interesting thing is that when I was a godless, no matter what evil I have done or lied to people I felt no remorse. From that experience I learned a great lesson that my life was led by evil. I belonged to the god of this world so God did not pay special attention to me. It turns out that I was a child of darkness and wrath, so he did not need to interfere with me at all. In the Holy Scriptures there are many cases how God intervened with his chosen people, but he did not pay attention to other nations. Therefore when I was a godless, I was a child of darkness, I did not sense God and lived as I wished. My spirit was dead, but God revived it. If God does not interfere in people's life, it means that people belong to the power of darkness. This is my conclusion based on the experience of my spiritual life. Whether agree with me or not, my statement is true. As it is written in Romans:“There is not one righteous;

11 there is no one who understands; no one seeks God; Romans 3

And just as they did not care to have God in their minds, God gave them up to a perverse mind – to do lewdness.

I know this from my experience when I lived by the will of the god of this world, nothing like this wonderful thing happened in my life. However, after I accepted Jesus into my heart, having learned the truth that was revealed in the light of Christ, life went in a completely different direction.

What happened was, then the other night I get back, I stay up all night because of guilty conscience. I spent all night in getting on my knees by repenting of my sin. I cried out to God for help to get rid of the torment of guilty conscience.

I have been under the fire of conscience for a week. Technically I can't find the words, what I went through then, and I don't even want to flash back to that night. No one will ever understand me without being in my place. I was lost and desperate to struggle with myself to get out. Lots of bad thoughts crossed my mind it was the devil's whisper. When I was in this state, the devil whispered to me to commit suicide, and then you will be at peace. After I heard this voice, I became even more scared, and did not know what to do. Then I realized that it was what seemed to be the voice of Satan, and suddenly the thought of my brother's suicide I flash back to those days. It turns out that my brother went against his will because Satan forced him to end his life.

The next day, in order to comfort myself in time of despair, I decided to make a purchase brand goods at the competitive price at a specialized store named Berezka. I thought if I bought goods from that store, it would comfort my heart. During the Soviet Union there was a shop which used to sell various foreign-made items such as jackets, T-shirts, shirts, etc. It was impossible to purchase with rubles, only it was possible to acquire with currency. In order to go to that store, I needed to go to Kholmsk, because this store was only there, but I didn't have a car. So I asked my friend to take me there. He agreed, provided that I would give him some currency. I agreed, and the deal was struck; at that point , the currency was of insignificant. And so we finally got to Kholmsk, and purchased things that I wanted to, but these things do not make me any better. I learned my lesson from this experience that money is powerless in the face of grief, it cannot make people any better.

Of course, I’m not saying that we don’t need money, but we do. I wanted to say that our soul is much more important than money or anything. Money can buy everything, but it can't heal the soul. Money cannot buy health that has been lost. A cold can be cured with pills, once you take it, that’s all, but the soul, no pills will help. Only God can heal the soul as soon as a person is touched, and that's it, then the person can become a different. Then I realized that it was not a physical torment, but spiritual. I still cannot understand how I was able to endure a whole week, which seemed like an eternity. As written in 1 Corinthians chapter 10:13.

The temptation has befallen you no other than human: and God is faithful, Who will not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength, but in the temptation itself will give you a way out so that you can endure.

1 Corinthians 10:13

It seems I have been through thick and thin with torment and mental pain. Although it did not last long, it seemed to me it lasted a very, very long time. Probably the suffering that I endured can be felt only in hell, not only after earthly life, but also in this life. Life without God in this life is like in hell and in the world to come. Since this happened to me on weekdays, then there was no one near or nearby who could help me get rid of this pain and anguish. Then my friends could not help me, I needed an experienced spiritual mentor. Therefore, I prayed almost every day that Sunday would come quickly for me to see a spiritual guide.

Finally, the long-awaited day has come, which I have been waiting with impatience. With the coming of Sunday, my spiritual mentor, also my spiritual father arrived. As soon as he appeared at the doorstep of my house, I ran into him with questions, and told him everything that had happened to me during the past week. However, in response, he said nothing, by which I was disappointed in him. As soon as possible, he asked me to gather our neighbors for a bible study meeting.

As the people got gathered, we began to sing a hymn and then the missionary began to pray. Shortly after he preached the gospel and then the meeting was over. For the first time in my life, I began to listen very attentively with great interest to his sermon, looking back at my entire sinful life.

After the gospel was preached, suddenly a peace came upon me and my soul rejoiced as if a heavy weight fell off my shoulders no more remorse as if nothing had happened. I was in the state of mind that I immediately forgot what I felt through. At the blink of an eye I have changed beyond recognition.

After this spiritual transformation, I stopped going to restaurants and spending time with friends playing cards and keeping a company. For several days I kept praying and repenting of the sins that I had committed. For once in my life, I experienced a peace of mind that I had never felt before. I guess, I am getting a second wind. At the tail end of my 30s is like “breathing fresh air"

This state should be nothing but the presence of God in the midst of confusion. The Tears start welling up in my eyes with joy that I have been forgiven of the sin I had done. Although the tears kept flowing down my cheek, I was not ashamed of. Before that, I did not know what those tears meant, but now I know that the tears mean the fruit of the Holy Spirit that produces by the Holy Spirit. The tears are the result of forgiven and the profound change in my spiritual walk with Jesus.

After having these terrible experiences, I did not want to return to the world of sin, which is ruled by Satan. Then I felt relief a sense of some lightness as never before as if I were floating in the air in a state of weightlessness. However this state did not last long. That was enough to prove that God exists! I have got such joy and peace in my soul, great. To be honest, I would not say that his sermon was inspiring and heart breaking; rather, it was boring and monotonous because the whole sermon was about my godless life.

Being filled with joy, and an unearthly peace, I turned towards the window and vowed to God that I would never again follow the heels of this world and lead a sinful life. Something happened to me that never happened before as if someone replaced my soul, and no more heartache and remorse, peace reigned in my soul. It seemed to me that I was in such a state as if a bird flew out of a cage, freed from dependence. Later I realized it was the peace of God in my heart. This peace has not been known to me since I was born. My life has taught this peace should never be taken for granted.

The following day I began to see the world in a different light, and perceive everything that surrounds me differently. The trees, to which I had never paid much attention before suddenly seemed so alive and colorful that I felt like talking, and the singing of birds that once seemed to be like noise under the window when I was sleeping, poured into my ears so melodiously as if I was just in seventh heaven. I cannot describe what changes took place in me when the spirit of God touched me.

How can you not believe that the God we believe in is loving and all-forgiving and He knows our hearts better than we do.

There is no doubt that what happened to me was nothing more than the grace of God was upon me.

Eventually, the blindness of my essence fell from my eyes, and my new spiritual eyes were opened to enjoy things differently. And the blindness, which prevented me from perceiving the world correctly, disappeared forever from my life. In addition, with the change of my life, there have been changes in my guts. I became more balanced, and morally stable, and my temper changed to patience, which I lacked.

All my life I have suffered and tormented because of my stubbornness. I liked to argue, I was kind of self-opinionated. I did not yield anything to anyone because of our differing opinions.

In another word, in this way my life was completely crippled because of my stubborn nature. If I could not stay at home, even for a second, I became constantly drawn to something. Since I could not be in one place, I have had to travel through the Sakhalin oblast illegally These days, nothing gets me down. I can rather sit down and read the Bible and pray and sing to God.

I find joy in doing what pleases to God.

Even my mother sensed some change in my demeanor. One time she asked me: What happened to you, that you became completely different? You don't seem like your usual self. On top of it you are not interested in going restaurants nor meeting your friends. Furthermore, you are being completely isolated from the outside world. After I have tasted the bitterness of this life, and the atrocity of the world that makes people sin. I did not want to return to the world of darkness any more. All I wanted to do is keep my heart pure and holy! No more filthiness of this sinful world and lawlessness.

Bible reading and prayer gave me such great pleasure and joy, and solitude with God that I could sit quietly for days and hours at home. If I used to fidget back and forth before, I could not sit still. Life without God is not a normal life; it is sheer boredom, not life, but just vanity.

With such joy and peace, I could not just sit with folded hands, but went and told my brother's friend about God, who touched my essence, and gave me peace, in whom I found the meaning of life. Seeing that I was sincere, he was getting all the attention of my testimony of living God. After all, he went to church with me, and God touched him. He has not been to the hospital since he devoted his life to God!

After he became a Christian, his siblings, including his parents, were opposed to his decision to start anew!

Before he came to know the lord, he often got sick. He worked as a bus driver, he often had to climb under the bus, as a result of which he was very sick and had to be hospitalized twice a year.

Upon learning this, his wife and his children abandoned him. He was left alone. He had lost interest in life, so he wanted to end his life. After he became very ill, his family left him alone. Naturally, he fell into despair, and on numerous occasions he tried to commit suicide. Fortunately, his mother happened to be at the scene on time, and all his attempts to end his life did not work out as expected. Otherwise another tragedy could have happened.

Due to the fact that he was often ill, he has had to go to the hospital for treatment twice a year. Once the doctors said that he had an incurable disease and their words broke his life, so he wanted to give up on everything.

After I found freedom, joy and peace, I remembered what my mother told me about his story that he wanted to commit suicide. So I made a decision to challenge him with the message of Jesus. One day I went to him, he was an elder brother of my friend I had already spoken of. By the way, I caught him at home on time, I told him about God who gave his life for the sake of humanity, He is loving and all forgiving. However he hates sin and he is the giver of peace and of joy and so on.

Some people misunderstand about guardian angels that protect people from tragedy. It is not true! Only true believers are reliably protected by guardian angels.

I used to think so, but then I realized that I was mistaken according to the bible Psalms 44:7The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. ..

I am very grateful to God that he used me as a messenger to convey the truth to him. The truth that changed my life, allowed me to reprioritize. I had to do the right thing in the right order.

When I did not know God, I laughed at people who talked about God. If I knew who God was, I would believe in him. Now people laugh at me when I am telling them about God.

I was sure that God would impact him to turn around. Something happened that I knew that would occur in his life.

As soon as possible, I began to share with him what happened to me. I was sincere in sharing my testimony. I have never had such a serious conversation with him before. I didn't want to hide anything from him what happened to me. In fact, I was more frank with him than ever before. Seeing my frankness, and the authenticity of my story, he immediately opened his heart to me. This was the work of the Holy Spirit upon me to make a great impact on him. I remember how I talked to him for hours about God and about Jesus, and time flew by at the blink of an eye. I could never have imagined that my story would intrigue this man to start anew. After all, it was not just some kind of fictional story, but the truth, based on conscience and feelings. Therefore, he was blown away by my testimony. He listened to me with such great interest, and a thirst for knowledge of the truth, by which I was greatly pleased.

At this point I didn't know very well about Jesus. All I knew that he died for our sin and rose again from the dead. The next Sunday we went to church together. And you know what? A miracle happened, he was healed during the sermon as had been expected! He began to feel better and better every day that he had decided to come with me to seminary. After this incident, I do not remember that he ever went to the hospital. Having accepted Jesus into his heart as Savior and Lord, he gave his whole life to the Lord. As his life changed, he devoted his life to serving God. Now he serves as a pastor in Dolinsk church.

God blessed him with marriage, so he got married again that God prepared a good bride for him. After he decided to give himself to the Lord, the entire families, including his parents, were opposed to him.

When I had been told, that all his relatives were against his decision to become Christian, I was surprised at that news. What's wrong he had done to be criticized.

Anyway, at least it’s better for him to be alive than to be dead.

They wanted him to live an ordinary life without God, because they did not believe in the existence of God. It has been a long time since then, to a great surprise, his mother believed in God when she was in a hospital bed, when her life was in danger, then my mother was constantly near her and prayed and told about Jesus. The heart surgery has undergone successfully after which she also believed in God. And now she goes every Sunday without missing a single Sunday. And his father also accepted Christ, being paralyzed, bedridden when I flew to Korea on my business from the mission field. What does Jesus tell the Pharisees?: It is not the healthy need a doctor but the sick. I have come to call not the righteous, but sinners. Who are the righteous that Jesus spoke of? This is a category of people who, relying on their self-righteousness, ruin their lives and want to look righteous outwardly, but inside is full of hypocrisy.

What the Apostle Paul said in his letter to the Romans: not understanding the righteousness of God and striving to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to the righteousness of God.

Then my former friend with whom I loved to spend time with a glass of beer and his sister opened their hearts to the Lord. It is too early to tell the results, but something would happen. Nobody knows when but God does!

This is not a self -fulfilling prophesy as people may think of. Of course not, God is alive; He is the creator whom we can not see because of our spiritual blindness. The Word says that the God of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the gospel of Christ that is shining upon them.

I feel embarrassed to tell that I used to know Jesus like a historical person like one of us, who had nothing to do with my life. Now I know that He is my savior and Lord, more importantly he is the source of life and joy. He has done so much in my life that it is impossible to count on. My whole life is connected with him from now on forever.

After God walked into my life, the impossible becomes possible and the weak becomes strong and the poor becomes rich in God!. I bless the day God walked into my life after which I was able to start a new blessed life! Sometimes it happens that when you want to meet a person, he works miracles in an amazing way. Among many people, he can accurately point to the person with whom you want to meet. It seems as if he is aiming at people with a magnifying glass so that the object become larger and more clearly visible and noticeable. Anyway, this is how I feel but others may feel differently.

It is impossible to describe the glory of God and his works in human language!

Now I understand what it means to be forgiven and redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus. I was forgiven and saved from the bondage of sin, and have been given new life-eternal life that can only be obtained through Jesus Christ. The most interesting thing is that people do not want to believe in him by making an excuse that they are busy minding their own business. Perfect joy and true happiness can only be found in him. For Jesus is the King of the world and the giver of joy. Jesus set me free from sinful life and gave me new life. The more I believe in him, the more I want to talk to people about him. People who do not know God like the prodigal son. But there is hope for everyone to find the truth and the meaning of life, but the time has not come yet.

Jesus is always ready to accept you as you are. You must be aware of the story of the prodigal son. In fact, at first it may seem to you that this story has nothing to do with you, if you carefully look at this character in the story, then you will find yourself in the place of the prodigal son. It was not in vain that Jesus spoke of the prodigal son. The story of the prodigal son concerns all people who cut off from God! These people do not have real peace and joy in their hearts, rather anxiety and worrisome. It seems to them now that everything is going smoothly, but in reality it is not so, it just seems to them. They are the most unfortunate people, driven into a dead end by the forces of the darkness. The story of the prodigal son shows his helplessness, hopelessness, and inability to hope for the future.