Ahead of the conference at the local gymnasium in Marilia, Brazil, Pastor Yoon had an interview with the Marilia TV Station. Their dialogue is as follows:
Pastor Yoon, during the interview
■ You are the pastor of one of the largest churches in the world. What is your secret?
Every pastor wants their church to grow large in number. The core is the spiritual power of pastors. It is a big challenge for anyone to understand and accept. Ministry is beyond human ability. For example, in the Bible, when Peter, a fisherman, was filled with the Holy Spirit, he stood on the street of Jerusalem and shouted to the crowd, ‘turn from your sins and turn to God’. At that time, about three thousands believed what Peter said and were baptized and added to the church.
A religious study mentioned that the number of the Jerusalem Church was about 500 thousand. It was very large. A large-sized church is not formed by human will. When pastors have the heart of Jesus to save a single soul to go to heaven, the church will be added with many people. And the people who receive the grace of God will keep on telling others the gospel. Then, naturally, the church will grow in numbers.
■ In Brazil the amount of Catholics keeps decreasing. Why do you think this is?
In universities, students enroll in the class of good professors. It is because their teaching is helpful in practice. Catholic churches also tell about Jesus but, in practice, it is difficult to meet Jesus in person, because they do not pray to Jesus in person, who answers their prayers, but pray to Mary.
They confess their sins to priests and believe that their sins are cleansed. They also believe they will go to heaven by sharing goodness with each other. These are all religious doctrines made by the Catholic Church in history. However, the beliefs of Christianity did not come from doctrine. Christianity is to believe the word of God in person. The word of God, the Bible, is the promise of God that He would fulfill.
All of us must meet Jesus in person. No matter what kinds of sins we have committed, we can step forward to Jesus in person, we can pray to Jesus in person, we can ask for the cleansing of our sins and receiving the Holy Spirit in person, as Jesus is our Redeemer and Savior.
Christianity keeps growing in numbers because of the certainty from experiencing the Holy Spirit and of meeting Jesus in person.
In other words, Christians meet God in person and receive the promise of God by obedience to the word of God. This is the difference between the Catholic Church and the Christian Church. In short, there are real experiences of the Holy Spirit, and the certainty of eternal life in heaven and the soteriology, which is the salvation of the blood of Jesus, in Christianity.
This is the truth. And when people meet this truth in Christianity, they naturally come to the church.
■ There are so many cities in Brazil, why is this conference being held in Marilia? Additionally, would you please give a word to those who want to believe in God.
I always go and deliver the Gospel without hesitation wherever and whenever God asks me to. Last year, I preached the Gospel in Santarem. At that time, many listened to the preaching and became to live new life in Jesus with new determination in the life of faith. Besides, people who did not know Jesus came to know Him.
I came to Marilia because Pastor Domingus invited me for the conference. When I received the request, I prayed and decided to come as God inspired me.
200,000 are people resident in Marilia, Pastor Domingus has a holy passion to make them believe in Jesus and be redeemed by the unification with other pastors in Marilia. I thank God for making the conference happen and for sending me, who is the most humble.
Many people hesitate about whether they should go to church or not. Why do they hesitate? The fact is whoever does not know Jesus is destined to go to hell when they die. But whoever believes in Jesus will go to heaven because they accepted Jesus as their Savior and Jesus saves them from eternal punishment. People are not aware of this. That is why they hesitate.
Therefore, if people are aware that God can solve all the difficulties and sufferings in their lives, that God answers our prayers and blesses us, and that all those who believe Jesus died for their sins will go to heaven through the blood of Jesus when they die, then everybody will believe in Jesus.
This is the reason why the dear citizens of Marilia who are watching this program should believe in Jesus. To have real life. For your future. I hope you will believe in Jesus and be blessed until you go to heaven. No-one can endure if they have to go to hell. Dear people of Marilia, I bless you to be happy in Jesus both physically and spiritually.
/Summarized by reporter Gye-Woo Lee
