Fellowship, So Blessing!!!

As 2009 is coming to the end, I am lately looking back this past year and seeing so many blessings.
One of the blessings that God reminded me of today is that He has blessed me with wonderful guys and girl to have fellowship with.
Of course I have many brothers and sisters in Christ in Okinawa (I dearly miss you all!!) and in States(You guys too!!), but I'd like to mention specifically Tokyo peeps.

I get to hang out with them not only on Sundays but other days too. We'd go eat and play games and just chat sometimes.
Needless to say that I enjoy all of these things, but what I love most is that I get to hear what God is doing in their lives and ministries. I am blessed and learn every single time when we share God's blessing and talk about God's goodness.
Yesterday, I got to see some friends from Tokorozawa. I hadn't seen them for a while, so we had so much to share!!! I was really excited whole time; hearing what God is doing in their lives and in their church!! They encouraged me in my ministry.
Today, at dinner, we took tim
e to share what good thing God did in this year. We shared about our ministries, our devotions, our weakness and so many things!! I learn so much from my older brothers.
My prayer is that I will continually learn from, first of all, God and those older brothers around me!!
Glory to God alone!!

That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.

— 1 John 1:3

２００９も終わりに近づいてきて、今年を振り返ることが多くなったこの時期に、多くの神の祝福を思い起こす。最近気付かされたのは、フェローシップの祝福。
　もちろん、沖縄とかにも多くのキリストの兄弟姉妹はいるけど（会いたい！！）、特にここ東京でのそれが今回はフォーカスを当てられた。

　昨日は、ＣＣ所沢の人たちとフェローシップを持った。しばらく会っていなかったので、分かち合うことがとっても多くあって、時間がとても短く感じた。神が彼らの中にどう働かれているか、彼らのミニストリーをどう用いてられているかを聞くことができ、とても喜びだった。また、ミニストリ－自体についても話して、励まし合うことができたのは本当に祝福だと思った。
　今日は、ＪＣの人たちと今年に主がしてくれた良いことを一人一人からディナーのときに分かち合うことができた。そこでは、個人の生活で、ディボーションで、ミニストリ－で神がどう働いてくださったかということが出て、本当に励ましであり、祝福された。
　いつも、年上の兄弟とフェローシップするときには、何かミニストリ－について、またはみことばを学ぶことができる。これというのが、とてつもない祝福だということに最近気付かされた。
　フェローシップ、ギリシア語ではコイノニアというのは、「キリストが中心の」という意味を持っている。自分に与えられているフェローシップがそうなっていることは神の祝福以外の何物でもない。　

”私たちの見たこと、聞いたことを、あなたがたにも伝えるのは、あなたがたも私たちの交わりとは、御父および御子イエス・キリストとの交わりです。”　１ヨハネ１：３

Father's Love

Just wanted to introduce this video.
I actually have not watched the whole movie "Most" yet, but I think this short clip illuminates the Father's Love towards us, mankind well.

Hope you'll like it.

God bless

Best present EVER!!!

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

"For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:6-8

　It is simply amazing how God teaches me things in my daily life.
I know it has been a while since I posted last time. But, God, in His grace, is still teaching me about His great love.

I was preparing for the Bible Study which I share the Word with usually a few guys weekly. This time, as Christmas is coming soon, I decided to share some thing about Christmas.
So as I was praying, studying and preparing for the time, God totally broke through my heart.
I had known that the greatest gift of Christmas is Jesus Christ, Himself.
But, I found myself taking it for granted.

We all know that Jesus wasn't born on Dec. 25th.
We all know that this date derived from pagan event.
We all know that one old guys with white bear comes from chimney and leave some presents.

But, what is Christmas really means to us?
It is a day we remember God's goodness, especially sending His Son to us.
Somehow, the meaning has been twisted into wrong stuff.
(here in Japan many celebrate Christmas with KFC chickens)

We all look forward to Christmas day. Wait, do we all??
There are many who cannot look forward to.
Maybe they are in poverty, they are in broken home, they are suffering from disease. The list goes on and on

In the darkness, God sent His Son for His love towards us.
God sent His Son to earth, Jesus took all the pain that we would ever go through and was obedient to the death on the cross. Why? So that God can have restored relationship with us, and He might become our richness, He might become Father to the fatherless, He might become our healer.

When I learned this, my heart was overwhelmed with awe and .....what can I say..
Jesus is our only Hope!!!
His name shall be called Emanuel, God with us!!
He is with us forever!!

His Love is Supernatural!!! スーパーナチュラルな愛！

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” . The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together.

Romans 8:14-17 (NKJV)

I just finished studying Romans. God totally blessed the time of study and showed me so much.
If you never read through Romans, I highly recommend to do so. I was listening to the message of Pastor Tim Chaddick of Reality LA on this passage, which was really impacting. So I'd like to share how God spoke to me through this passage.

Chapter 8 is one of the most inspiring chapter of the Bible. ( I even once heard this joke "All the scriptures are inspired by God, but not all scriptures are inspiring as Romans 8" )

The work of the Spirit is indescribable. He enables us to call God "Abba, Father" !!!!
I was once so far from God. But, Spirit convicted me of my sins and brought into the relationship with God. Once, I was slave of sin but now child of God!!
This is supernatural awareness, awareness of where I have been adopted from, by and into.

We are to obey God. But, how do you do it? What makes and motivates you to do it?
It is Love, Supernatural Love of God.
It is the beauty of the gospel and His love that melts our hearts and makes us want to respond to the Love. So the fact that I can say that I love God, itself is supernatural.
We try to tell non-believers how great God's love is. I have hard time to understand why they can't get it. But, it is not really our work to show the love. It is work of the Spirit to help man to understand and appreciate the love and to be moved and affected by the love!!

I also found the beautiful work of Trinity there.
God's love was revealed through the incarnation, the cross and the resurrection of Jesus, the Son. And His Love is poured out into our hearts by The Spirit.
Francis Schaeffer said "If God were not the Trinity, He would not be Love."

His love is so deep and wide that I cannot fully understand this supernatural affection. But, Scripture remedies the supernatural.

ThanksGiving. 感謝。

Some of you guessed this post would be the post regarding Thanks Giving Day.

Well, in fact, it's not really like that way. Not in bad meaning, we do not have Thanks Giving Day in Japan. No offense ;-)


But, I just wanted to Thank all the Readers or Followers of this Blog!!!!

I was studying last chapters of Romans and listening to Pastor Brian Brodersen' message.
He was saying how amazing it is that one man, Paul, was able to do, preaching all over Asia, without the technology we have today. It got me into thinking how I am blessed to have this kind of technology.
I have been overwhelmed to see how much I can do just writing my thoughts on this blog.

I started this blog to output what God is doing in my life and make them in record.
Hoping to be , perhaps, blessing to others who accidentally came here and read the posts.

But, those comments you have made has blessed me tremendously!!!

I thank God for people I have come across through this blog ( I cannot mention specific names on this public space though ).

So, again,
Thank You for Reading and Commenting on this Blog!!!
They are such a big Encouragement to Me!!!!


　　最近ローマ書の最後の部分を勉強していて、ブライアン・ブローダーソンのメッセージを聞いていました。その中で、彼が「パウロが、現代のようなテクノロジー（インターネットや車など）なしに、このような働き（多くの国での伝道）ができたのには感嘆せざるを得ない」というようなことを言っていました。

　　これを聞いたときに、このブログを通してどれだけ神が祝福をもたらしてくれていることを改めて、思い起こしました。

　　始めはただ神が自分の人生のなかでなさっていることを記録に留めて、アウトプットするという目的出始め、もしかしたら、他の人のためにもなれればと考えていました。

　　そうしたら、予想以上（元の予想がかなり低かったかもしれなけれど）に多くの人が読んでくれて、コメントも残してくれました。また、新たな出会いのようなものもありました。
　　だから、今回はその一人一人に感謝をしたいと思い書いています。

　　このブログを読んでくれてありがとう！！神に感謝します！

Truth, Exclusive?? Part3 "Tear Down The Wall!!"

"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down
this wall!"

by Ronald Reagan

On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan
spoke the people of West Berlin at the base of the Brandenburg Gate, near the
Berlin wall. Due to the amplification system being used, the President's words
could also be heard on the Eastern (Communist-controlled) side of the wall. The
address Reagan delivered that day is considered by many to have affirmed the
beginning of the end of the Cold War and the fall of communism. On Nov. 9-11,
1989, the people of a free Berlin tore down that wall.

And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain
from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks
rent

Mathew27:51

Oh, how significant! The veil of the temple was the testimony of how unapproachable God was to man. No man dared to enter in beyond that veil, except the high priest, and that only day in the year. And that only after many sacrifices and washings. And that only with great reverence and fear, having these bells tied on the bottom of his coat and a rope tied around his foot, so that those outside of the veil would listen for these bells to be tinkling inside. And if they would stop, then they would pull the guy out by his foot, knowing that he went into the presence of God with some blemish an God smote him dead. And so the rope, so they could pull him out and wouldn't even have to go in to get him. God was unapproachable by man. Man's sin had alienated from God. God's hand was not short, His ear was not heavy, but sins had separated people and the veil represented that separation of the unrighteous man from God. But at the death of Christ the way was made by which man might come to God, and God ripped that veil from the top to the bottom, saying "Come, come, it's open!" The way is now made through Jesus Christ for you, for me, to be able to come directly to God.

(From C2000 series of Chuck Smith)

20 years ago, the wall of Berlin was broken down, torn.
Maybe some of you have seen the video of the moment on TV lately. I was watching one documentary program by Japanese TV company (for which I work). I couldn't help myself being reminded of this passage.

God made it possible for man like me, unrighteous, wicked and dishonest one to come before Him with Righteousness of Jesus so that I may enter in His temple, Heaven. Isn't glorious????

The tragedy of religion is that they teach people to work to get to the heaven. But, man's work is never enough to enable themselves to do so. We may Do, Work, Try hard, even Fight. But, how does it make you right enough to be in Heaven? We have this confidence that by His grace which means something we never earn but given to us, God's undeserving favor to us, Jesus' work on the cross of Calvary and resurrection on third day, we can approach God and enter in eternal relationship with Holy God with the freedom from my sins.

He opened the door that leads to salvation for us. As Pastor Chuck said, He is saying to us "Come, come, it's open!!". God loves all the human being. God Loves you and me personally. He loves Ahmadinejad and Osama bin Laden.
Again, is Christianity exclusive? YES and NO!!! Why No? Because God Opened the Door to All the human being.

Truth, Exclusive?? Part2

True Tolerance

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved."

— Acts 4:12

I find it ironic that those who tell us we need to be tolerant are very intolerant of the gospel. In fact, the most intolerant people seem to be those who are always telling you to be tolerant. I have heard the complaint that Christians are so intolerant, yet I don't think that is true at all.

I think Christians are the most tolerant people of all, because we want to reason with those who have a different belief system than ours or live a different lifestyle than we live. Yes, we believe in absolute truth and believe in it unapologetically. But I have found that people who are the most intolerant are the ones who say, "I don't like the fact that you believe in absolute truth, and I am tolerant of everyone except you. I want you to shut up. I don't want you to state your views." What happened to all their tolerance? Where is the so-called love?

To proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only way to God will offend some people. But we proclaim it because the Bible clearly teaches it. This is what we call an essential, a nonnegotiable. Jesus stated it as succinctly as it could be stated when He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). When we state that as fact, it will offend certain people.

When a physician discovers a problem with a patient's health, he or she must tell the truth, even if it could upset the patient. As Christians, we must tell the truth about a person's condition, which, according to the Bible, is sinful. We must explain the problem and then offer the solution through Jesus Christ. And this will offend some people.

This is the quote from one of the devotions I receive daily from Pastor Greg Laurie's ministry.

I thank God that I read this in time like now.

I posted one article previously. In short, Ozawa's assertion was that Christianity is exclusive, in other words, "Intolerant".

Please read this and tell me what you think.

God bless

Truth, Exclusive??

Ozawa lashes out with scathing remarks on Christianity

Kyodo News
Ichiro Ozawa, secretary general of the Democratic Party of Japan. criticized Christianity on Tuesday, saying the religion is "exclusive and self-righteous" and that Western society is "stuck in a dead end."

Ozawa also said "Islamism is also exclusive, although it's somewhat better than Christianity" regarding exclusiveness.

The comments will no doubt cause a stir as he is the most influential figure in the ruling party.

He made the comments to reporters after meeting with Yukei Matsunaga, chairman of the Japan Buddhist Federation, a body of 102 Buddhist sects and groups, in Koyacho, Wakayama.

Christianity "is an exclusive, self-righteous religion. Western society, whose background is Christianity, has been stuck in a dead end," Ozawa said.

"Modern society has forgotten or lost sight of the sprit of the Japanese people," he said. "Buddhism teaches you how humans should live and how the conditions of the mind should be from a fundamental standpoint."

How did this article impress on you???
Stunning? Surprising? Shocked? Saddening? maybe Bothering?

Do you think that Christianity is exclusive?
Yes, I think it is. I think that the Truth is intrinsically exclusive.
Suppose it is inclusive, how can you get to the heaven?

I cannot imagine Jesus saying "Hey, Buddha, I think you are good enough to help me get people to the heaven!!", "Oh, yeah, we share some partial truth, Muhammad. Wecan work together."

No way!!!
Jesus said He is the ONLY way to the Father, to the heaven.
"No other way, No other truth, No other life apart from You."
(http://www.raymondgregory.com/)