A Letter to Dr. Paul Yongi Cho

Yoido Full Gospel Church,
Young Deung Po Gu,
Seoul, South Korea

Dearly respected Dr. Yongi Cho,

Greetings in the sweetest name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I consider it as a great privilege to write to you this humble letter. I admit that I am not worthy to write this letter to you – the pastor of the biggest full Gospel Church in the world. I acknowledge that you are a very great statesman and a well-respected preacher. I also acknowledge the fact that your preaching and books influence millions of believers.

Dr. Yongi Cho is a name known to all Christians of the world. To compare you with my status, I am just a worm, an illiterate unknown person. You may never have heard of me before. According to your status and stature, it is possible that you to throw away this letter and to not take pain to read it. I would like to state here that I am a bond slave of Jesus Christ and gradually growing to the stature of a disciple of Jesus Christ. I had the privilege to read your world famous book “The fourth dimension”. I understand that millions of copies of this book are being sold everyday. I know that this book is being published in Indian languages. I heard the testimonies of many believers who received material benefits by adopting the principles you have mentioned in this book.

After reading this book I have a great desire to meet you personally to discuss few things. But since you are always engaged in the ministry in different parts of the world, I realized that you would not find the time to discuss with me. I admit that I am a very weak person, but the grace of God is leading me every day. Recently while I was on my Philippines and China Gospel tour, I attended a worship service in one of your church in Asia where a Pastor from your church in Seoul ministered from the Word of God. While attending that worship service, the Spirit of God compelled me to write to you this letter. I thought of ignoring the guidance of the Holy Spirit thinking that you will not take time even to read this letter. But the spirit of God compels me to write to you the following message. As a bond slave of Jesus, I am just obeying the counsel of God.

SEEKING GOD'S BLESSINGS

In your book – “The Fourth Dimension”, you have proposed certain principles to be followed while seeking things from God. As you know very well that God as a Father knows all our needs even before we ask, (Math.6:8) says, “Be not, ye therefore like unto them; for you ask him.” Mathew 6:31 says, “Therefore take no thought, saying what shall we eat? Or what shall we drink? Or wherewithal shall be clothed? (For after all these things do the gentiles seek) for your heavenly father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.”

When we study about the creation, God provided everything required for mankind even before they felt the need of anything. And in the history of Israel God provided “manna” and other required things even when they rebelled against God. God gave them “manna” till they were able to eat the corn of the Promised Land - Canaan. God as a father knows the needs of His children. God never wanted Israel to have a human king, because He desired to remain their king forever. In the perfect will of God, He had no plan to give them a king. But when they continued to ask Him, He permitted them to have a king according to His permissive will. So whatsoever mistakes or sins and drawbacks had happened in Israel through the kings, Israel is responsible, and not God.

As per Ephesians 2:19, a saint is a member of the family of God. Jesus says in John 14:23, “If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.” It is the plan of God to dwell in the hearts of His disciples. From the scriptures it is very clear that God desires to be our Father and that we remain His children. A responsible father will always provide for his children even before the children ask him. When the father knows all the needs of his children, why we should ask Him time and again?

In your book you have mentioned that knock and it shall be opened and ask it shall be given. When we study Luke, 11:9-13, Jesus tells them to ask or knock, not for material things but for the Holy Spirit. In your book you explained that we should ask specifically certain things and then only we will get it. For example, according to your book, if a girl wants a husband she should ask God, mentioning all details using her imagination for her would be-husband or if a person needs a car he should ask with the color and make and type of the car; so that God may supply the exact one. To support the method of asking specifically, you quoted the scriptures James 4:1-3.

“From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not; ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain, ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because we ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.”

This same scripture says clearly that you do not get because you ask to fulfill your desire and lust. In order to prove your teaching, you quoted scripture from here and there partially. I believe this is a great crime against the saints of God. Through quoting the scripture to suit your thoughts, you are misguiding people. Col.3: 1,2 says, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

When a child of God is raised up from the sinking miry clay of sin and made to sit in the heavenly places, he should seek heavenly things. His desire should be to grow to the stature of Christ. 1 Pet.2: 11, says, “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” Apostle Peter clearly admonished the children of God to abstain from fleshly lust and to continue the journey as strangers and pilgrims while on this earth. Gal.5: 17 says, “For the flesh lusteth against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other, so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.” This scripture clearly says about the spiritual battle between the spirit and the body of a saint. If a person desires to lead an overcoming life, he should bring his body under control through the Holy Spirit.

If you continue to feed the needs of the body, the body will try to take the upper hand in the spiritual battle. Paul says in 1 Cor. 9:27, “But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection; lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.” Paul brings his body under subjection so that he may grow spiritually. Your ideas mentioned in your book make people to think and desire more for worldly things. Basing on your book they ask material things and gradually they become carnal minded people. Outwardly they look good but spiritually they are becoming weaker everyday and lose the battle. Taking your advice and principles they start asking or seeking for more material things and become worldly. They long for material things and get trapped into different kinds of sorrows.

1 Tim.6: 6-11 clearly states that we should be content with what we have and should not allow fleshly lust to overcome us. 3 John 2 “beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth.” This scripture says that one should prosper and be in health both spiritually and physically. When the spirit rules bodily desire, then only a person can prosper and be in health. If he feeds the needs of his body more, the battle in his personal life intensifies and there by he becomes restless. The principle teaching of Jesus Christ is to make people His disciples. If a person has to become a disciple he has to die daily and deny himself and carry the cross, which means sufferings for the sake of Christ, Luke 14:25-27 and Luke 9:23.

Jesus Christ walked on this narrow difficult path of sufferings and sorrows. Apostles and the first century saints walked on this path and finished their race. They counted themselves as pilgrims and finished their course. Abraham even after reaching the Promised Land continued to live in tents looking for the city of God with his son Isaac and grandson Jacob. (Heb.11: 9,10,13,14). Through their lives they proved they were seeking for a country. I am sorry to state that through your book many saints have taken the path of worldliness and material things. Your book “Fourth Dimension” has brought much worldliness into the Body of Christ. People are confused. It is your responsibility to correct them and lead them on the path shown in the unchangeable Word of God.

I came to know that Dr. P.G. Varghese of Delhi, whom I know from the beginning of his Christian life, started publishing this book in Indian languages. The country India is on the threshold of a great spiritual revival. We have been praying and laboring without rest so that the people of India may know the risen Christ. Only the power of resurrection can bring revival in India. If the saints have to experience the power of resurrection, the only way is to perfect themselves through the path of sufferings. That was the experience of Apostle Paul. Phil.3: 7-12. Apostle Peter says in 1 Pet.5: 10 “But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.” Through the sufferings a saint is perfected.

By publishing this book in Indian languages, the material things, which I call as garbage is being brought into the Body of Christ so that the lambs may forget their true nature and become, like pigs. The lambs of God – Children of God are to be gradually transformed into the likeness of Christ – Holy Doves – so that they may fly away at the trumpet and meet their bridegroom. I am sorry to state that by publishing this book in Indian languages by Dr. P.G. Varghese of Delhi, you are creating a great hindrance in the revival of India. India does not need material things now but spiritual things, heavenly things. So I request you not to pollute the spiritual standard of Indian saints.

I came to know that you brought 100 dancers from Korea for a big crusade in Delhi. In order to draw a large crowd you are using all these techniques. What a shame for a gospel preacher to use human methods of dancing on the stage to attract larger audience? Dear brother, the Gospel itself is powerful, It is like a two edged sword and a mighty hammer. The True Word of God is enough to break a sinful heart. By using human methods you are attracting big crowds but failed to break the hearts of idol worshippers. Jesus Christ did not instruct His disciples to use psychological methods to make disciples but to use the power and authority through the Holy Spirit to break the fetters of sin and demonic power. Through human and psychological methods you can attract a large crowd and get appreciation and fame from people and make it a good means to raise funds through video cameras.

The people of India easily accept Jesus Christ as a god or avatar or a prophet and believe in Jesus for healing, peace and joy. Along with 3 billion gods and goddesses, it is not difficult for the Indians to accept Jesus Christ also as one among the gods and goddesses. When many avatars, prophets, god men and deities are performing miracles in India, healing, and miracles will not open the spiritual eyes of the people of India. Only though the power of resurrection and spiritual authority through the Holy Spirit, the god of this world could be bound and people are released from the fetters of sin and idol worship.

When a preacher’s aim is to neutralize the power of the god of this world and to deliver the people from the fetters of sin and idol worship, he cannot compromise with the political leaders. On their preaching stages, political leaders will find no place. Holy God almighty will fill the place with His mighty presence. Then people will cry aloud for deliverance from sin. People will truly be saved from sin and idol worship and at the same time; the preacher will get stones, allegations, persecutions and jail. Jesus has not changed. Holy spirit has not changed, Satan has not changed. Word of God has not changed. Nature of sin has not changed. So the need of this hour is not big crowd and psychology but the true word of God with authority and power of resurrection. So as a brother in Christ I advice you to turn to the old path of preaching the gospel with the power of Holy Spirit.

JOINING POLITICS

You encourage saints to join politics. In Seoul Church there are many political leaders. If a pastor has political leaders in his church as members, the pastor will have great influence on the people. The status of the pastor is elevated to a national leader’s stature with fame and popularity. Political leaders will have to compromise with the world to achieve their political aims. Jas. 4:4 says, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.” This scripture clearly says that a person can become political leader only through making friendship with the world.

The Church of Jesus Christ is a mighty army with a mighty power. Song of Solomon 6:10, “Who is she that looketh forth as the morning, fait as the moon, clear as the sun, and terrible as an army with banners? First century saints lived like strangers in this world and shook the world upside down with the power of resurrection. In this modern world preachers with their fame and popularity attract large crowds employing psychological methods but the people are not shaken from their sinful ways.

I had the opportunity to know the lives of some of your church members. Outwardly they sing aloud, dance and worship the Lord but inwardly they are hollow. They love to worship Jesus for material gains and for a comfortable life on this earth. They have no desire for personal holiness and to grow to the stature of Christ. Their way of dressing and fashions are conforming to this world. The system of making boy friends and girl friends among the church members is a sin of adultery. If true holiness and path of separation is preached in your church, majority of your members will not turn back to the church again.

When Jesus Christ has given the commission of making disciples and to perfect the saints to the full stature of Christ, how one can be satisfied with the miserable spiritual life of their members. Though you know all the scriptures but the spirit of the Lord compels me to quote the following scriptures

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
(1 Cor.6: 19,20)

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service, And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
(Rom.12: 1,2)

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers; for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? Or what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them. And walk in them and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a father unto you, and ye shall my sons and daughters, saith the Lord almighty.” (2 Cor.6: 14-18)

MONEY LAUNDERING

In the concluding chapter of your book you have mentioned about getting a large amount of money from the bank. Through prayer when you did not get the amount in time, you went to the bank authorities and promised that many of your church members will open account with the bank, if they gave that big amount. The bank authorities readily accepted that offer and gave you the big amount. Brother! It is plain business. You adopted a good business method to get the large amount. Holy God has no part in these business tricks.

Since you have the biggest church in the world, many zealous young soldiers of Christ have started adopting your principles of building big organizations. They go to big cities where there are much people and start working with your principles to build big congregations. In order to attract large crowd, they forsake true doctrine of the Word of God and preach pleasing easy gospel of material benefits. There was a time when young people filled with burden of souls, used to go to the remote areas and preach the gospel to the people living in the valleys and mountains. Now the attentions of young people are towards people living in big cities. Who will go to the remote areas and preach the gospel to the unknown thirsty and hungry people?

Preachers do not know the withdrawal tactics of Satan. When Satan knows that the ministry is not according to the proper pattern of the Word of God, Satan gives directions to his wicked spirits not to disturb that kind of ministry but to help them so that people in thousands and millions may follow that pattern which is not according to the Word of God. Satan knows that these deceived ministers and millions of people will not disturb him or challenge his authority. But when a true minister start laboring in the proper pattern of the Word of God, Satan and all his hosts will oppose him inch for inch. Satan will create all kinds of hurdles on his way against him.

Basing on the principles mentioned in your book, people have started placing demands on God with all details through their continuous knocking, and God is now busy in choosing the partners for brides and bridegroom, cars, air conditioners, big crowd, big building etc. who is there to walk in the perfect will of God? Who is there to accept a deaf or dumb or blind or lame bride or bridegroom as their life partner, if that is the perfect will of God?

Brother, when we place all these demands before God, then how can we say that the Spirit of God leads us?  Rom.8: 14 says, “For as many as are led by the spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” Phil 4:6 says, “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks giving let your requests be made known unto God.” When a person is abiding in Christ, like a branch of a true vine, it is the duty of the Vine to gather manure and water, sap required for the branches and supply to the branches in time. The responsibility of the branch is to abide in the vine and to bear fruits. The branches should seek heavenly things, should ask for spiritual things by prayer and supplication, so that they may bring forth spiritual fruits in all season.

But through your book of “Fourth Dimension”, instead of abiding in the true vine, believers started demanding material things and through their desires send their own roots to the ground searching for material things. The true vine has become like a banyan tree having plenty of branches and roots for every branch. Even when they are cut off from the true vine, still they are flourishing because the branches have established themselves among the people with their roots of money earning publications. What a sad state of spiritual condition? When I see the spiritual condition of people I cry and weep in the presence of God.

It is true that through your worldwide ministry millions of people have come to Christ. But how many of them have become a true disciple of Jesus Christ is a matter to be tested through your fruits. While you are sowing the seed, tares are also being sown. Mathew 13:24-30 gives the clear picture of it, while men slept enemy came and sowed the tares. Churches are full of tares, preachers preach about compassion of Jesus, healing, blessing etc, so the people accept Jesus for their blessings and not for forgiveness of sins. The need of the hour is to preach about sin so that people may be pricked in their heart about sins. Then they will call for Savior to deliver them from the fetters of sin. Then only true spiritual birth will take place. Then you can see the fruit of repentance in their lives.

SATANIC DECEIT

In Mathew 16:13-24 we read two different revelations of Peter. His first revelation about Jesus Christ was from God. But when Jesus began to tell the disciples about his sufferings and death Peter began to advice Jesus to escape sufferings and death because his thoughts were from Satan. So Jesus called him Satan and said, “you are concerned about the things of men.” Therefore Paul says in 2 Cor. 10:5, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” Every thought that comes in our mind is to be tested through the unchangeable Word of God.

Satan in the form of angel of light infiltrated among the saints and polluted the gospel field. Liberal theology attacks the very foundations of true doctrines. Materialism and worldliness is being brought into the holy body of Christ though literatures like your book the – The fourth dimension. Please look at the spiritual condition of saints of the western countries and your own country- South Korea. Form of godliness is there but the people are far away from God. Look at the immoral condition of the people. Preachers are trying to make a road of pleasure, easy living, luxury and fame; parallel to the old Narrow path of thorns, stones, allegations, shame etc.

Dear Brother! The velvet road of pleasures and material blessings will never bring a saint to spiritual perfection. Apostle John writes, “Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrines of Christ, he hath both the Father and the son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not in your house, neither bid him God speed; for he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds.” 2 John 9-11.

As a prophet sent by the Lord I exhort you to stop bringing worldliness and material things into the body of Christ. Your book - The Fourth Dimension is a dangerous poison that slowly kills the spiritual growth of a disciple of Jesus Christ. Many Disciples of Christ have realized it and started throwing away your book into garbage. As a Brother in Christ, I beg you to follow the narrow path and finish your race. Paul says,

“For I think that God hath set forth us the apostles last, as it were appointed to death, for we are made a spectacle unto the world, and to angels and to men. We are fools for Christ’s sake, but ye are wise in Christ; we are weak, but ye are strong; ye are honorable, but ye are despised. Even unto this present hour we both hunger and thirst, and are naked, and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place; and labor, working with our own hands; being reviled, we bless, being persecuted we suffer it, being defamed we in treat, we are made as the filth of the world, and are the off scouring of all things unto this day. I write not these things to shame you but as my beloved sons I warn you. For though ye have then thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.” (1 Cor.4: 9-16)

One day we all have to stand before Jesus Christ and there the work of every person would be revealed. I would like to close this letter with these words of 1 Cor.3: 10-15, “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise master builder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth there upon, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is. If any man’s word abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any mans work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so by fire.”

Beloved Brother Dr. Cho! I love you in Christ. I intercede for you. So that the Lord may speak to your heart through this letter and His word so that you may correct you’re preaching and writing of books and articles. Since you are a world famous servant of God, saints will quickly accept your corrections whereby millions of saints would be perfected. I beg you to join the battle against Satan as per the old pattern and deliver children of God from the fetters of worldliness and materialism. Our task is to make disciples and to present them perfect before Christ. “Whom we preach, warning every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom; that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.” (Col.1: 28) when you come forward to fight this battle, the world may reject you, they may persecute you but the Mater Jesus will be pleased with you and finally you will hear from Him “Well done my faithful servant.”

Kindly pray for me. May God bless you and the whole ministry.

Your servant in Christ.

A.M. Samuel
(A bond slave of Jesus Christ)

(Ref. No. 200/40/95)
A Personal Confidential letter to Dr. Paul Yongi Cho, sent by registered Letter
Dated: 24 Nov. 95