Mar 30, 2010

Love Is On the Move!!!

well, some of you noticed that the title is from Leeland's latest CD which was given me by my sister for my birthday. ( Isn't she cool?)

I really liked the title, "Love is on the move".
This will be the final post from CCC conference from which I have been writing these past few posts.

College life is very tough and challenging. To some, it is stumbling.
I've seen what the "College life" is like 2 years on campus. Well, what it is like, you know, drinking, trying to have girl friend, partying....etc. I do not know if it is same in other countries, but it is very sad to see many students who left their parents place and started living alone to get into those dirty things.

But, one of the biggest encouragement that God gave me was the people I met who accepted Jesus as their Savior during the time, mostly through evangelism at campus!!!
I was so blown away to see the evidence of God's power!!!

God's love is on the move!! He never stops working, it is always us who stop.
Let us expect what God has in store for us at where we are!

CCCのカンファレンスシリーズのポストの最後になります。
リーランドの最近のCDのタイトルは「Love is on the move」です。
このタイトルで、書きたいと思います。

大学生活はとてもきつく、チャレンジでもあります。そして、悲しいことに、ある人にはつまずきにもなります。
「大学生活」というものが何か、この二年間で実際に見てきました。お酒、女の子、セックス、飲み会・・等。心を満たしてくれないもので、何かを満たそうとしていることを見ることはとても心が痛みます。
親元を離れ、大学に来て、この「普通」の大学スタイルに流され、神のもとから離れていく人も多くいます。

先のカンファレンスで神が与えてくれた大きな祝福の一つは、大学で救われた人や大学時代に救われ今でも神に仕えている人たちとの出会いでした。
彼らは、神が今も大学生の救いを願い、働かれているということの明らかな証拠です。

神の愛は決して停滞することなく、動き続けている!!!
止まってしまうのはいつも私だということ。

神に期待し続けましょう!

右はICUの学生のK村さん。
二年ほど前に救われたそうです。

なんと、CC宜野湾に行ったことがあるということでした!!

Mar 19, 2010

Stepping out in faith

“Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent! For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”
Acts 18:9-10
here is quote from Greg Laurie's weekend devotion
Edward Kimball was an ordinary man who taught Sunday school at his church. He sensed God's leading to share the gospel with a shoe salesman.

After nervously pacing outside the store several times, he found this young man in the storage room. Kimball shared God's love and the salesman received Christ.

The year was 1858 and the salesman's name was Dwight L. Moody, who went on to become one of the greatest evangelists in human history. But the story doesn't stop there.

Several years later, when Moody was preaching, a pastor named Frederick B. Meyer was deeply stirred by Moody's preaching. As a result, he started a nationwide preaching ministry.

A college student named J. Wilbur Chapman accepted Christ after listening to one of Meyer's sermons. Chapman became a pastor and started holding evangelistic outreaches.

One of the assistants he hired was Billy Sunday, a former baseball player. Sunday went on to become a powerful evangelist, reaching thousands and thousands of people with the gospel in the early 20th-century.

One of Billy Sunday's evangelistic crusades was held in Charlotte, North Carolina. Afterward, a group of enthusiastic businessmen wanted to do more outreach in the area and asked another evangelist named Mordecai Ham to come and preach.

During Ham's revival meetings, a young farm boy known to neighbors as Billy Frank made his way down the "Sawdust Trail" and gave his life to Christ. Today, we know Billy Frank by his given name, Billy Graham.

So look at this chain of events, starting with this unsung hero. Kimball reached Moody, who touched Meyer, who reached Chapman, who helped Sunday, who reached businessmen in Charlotte, causing them to invite Ham, who reached Graham!

It starts with one!

It all began with the simple witness of Edward Kimball!
If we had more Andrews, we would have more Simon Peters. If we had more Edward Kimballs, we would have more D.L. Moodys. If we had more Mordecai Hams, we would have more Billy Grahams!
So do your part to reach someone today. Who knows, they could be the next great evangelist God uses to reach a generation!
Great story!!! isn't it??

When we step out in faith, knowing God will help me share the gospel with other people, there is so much possibility that can turn the world upside down.
I would often think "You know, he seems to have stubborn heart. Maybe I should wait and see how he react to things around him. Then, maybe there will be chance to tell him that I am Christian and next time maybe little bit more....."

Well, of course there is a place for patient evangelism. But, God really convicted me of not being bold to share my faith. Thank God for He showed my weakness and bringing repentance.

Please, Pray for me that I will more bold and faithful for His calling.

To God alone be the glory.

Mar 18, 2010

Love Movement

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."
John 3:16
I was given a opportunity to attend CCC's national conference this Tue. and Wend..
God spoke to me so much. I will post a few from my experience there.

It was wonderful time to learn and have fellowship other students coming from all over Tokyo and Japan.
I took a course of classes on how to share the Gospel with others. The material for the class was THE famous "KGP" which stands for "Know God Personally" booklet.
I really liked that classes for they were so practical and biblical!!!

In one class, we had a Korean teacher. (Of course class was done in Japanese. He speaks very well).
He called the evangelism, "Love Movement".
I was listening and thinking "Man, that's so true. Evangelism should be from love!!"

"God created us and He loves us" is first topic of four on the booklet.
HE LOVES US!!! Isn't that the reason we go and tell others His story??
He gave me the purpose to live, He is giving me all the resources I need both spiritually and physically!!!
My prayer is that I'll see more how my God Loves me and how amazing He is!!

the picture on right is from scence of night service

Mar 13, 2010

Sin is creepy!!!

"I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve."
Jeremi
ah 17:10

In the last post, I mentioned to the Chinese medicine store that I went to in Hong Kong.
In the store, we, group of tourists, were taken to the small room and received the explanation of the Chinese medicine. ( in other words, I was taken to the place that I can't escape from the sales.)

Well, I ended up buying nothing there, but the explanation they gave was really interesting.

The sales woman told us that poison in human body is hard to find but everyone, no exception, has it to some degree. And what matter is that weather we continue to stock the poison in the body or we get rid of it time to time, taking it out of the body.

Same can be said to a spiritual health. Sin is creepy. It often looks good in our eyes.
Remember the story that took place in garden of Eden. It is described (it's not a apple, we all know ) " the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes". Then next moment you know, she took and eat it and so did Adam.
Not only they broke the order God had given to them, they didn't acknowledge their responsibility.

One sin leads to another. One compromise lead to another.
Take a look at life of Lot. He is one of the ultimate compromiser in the Bible.
Lived in wicked city Sodom, became the leader of the city somehow, living immoral lifestyle.

Are you getting weaker and weaker spiritually? Compromising things that you shouldn't?
The further you get from the Lord, the harder it becomes to go back to Him.

Sin is scary one, guys. Watch out!!!
Let us ask God to search and bring the light into my heart and make us pure!!

Mar 12, 2010

Long life, for what??


well, it has been a while since last time I posted.

I took a trip to Hong Kong last week with some friends of mine.
We had two days to tour around the city. First day was with tour guide.
So he took us this place called "Long Life Garden" which is Chinese medicine store.

It had really unique smell that I cannot say I liked it, but it was interesting experience, seeing all the weird medicines.
It was also interesting experience as spiritually too. The place name "Long Life Garden" inspired me with some spiritual insight.
Chinese are known for having long life, healthy diet and those unique medicines or medical care.

We all want to live longer, live happier, live healthy life, don't we??
So, suppose we now have long life, what is it for? What does long life do to you?
Some would say "well, the longer we live, the happier we will or the more chances to be happier we will have". Do you think so?
I can agree to some degree with this kind of thought. But, I think, on the other hand, the longer we live, the more suffering we will have.
There are news that tells the old found dead after days or weeks being left alone.
Or another tells man committing suicide after losing loved ones for he thought there is no reason to live on this earth.

Bible tells our lives on this earth is temporary. (2Corinthians 5)
Pastor Greg Laurie puts this way
"For the Christian, earth is just a stopover. Waiting for us on the other side is heaven. And we will arrive there sooner than we may realize. "

It is only God who can make our lives happily lived, satisfied and ultimately purposed one.
We live on this earth, knowing that this is not it but there is place awaiting for us.
"In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."
John14:2

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
Revelation21:4-5


先週、数名の友人と香港に行ってきました。
実質、2日間の旅でしたが、色々なことろを行って、見ることができました。
初日だけツアーガイドの日程でした。そのときに連れていかれたのがこの場所”LONG LIFE GARDEN” 漢方の匂いがなかなか独特で、なれない匂いだったけど面白かった。

今回の旅では色々な思いが与えられました。その一つが、この場所でのことでした。
漢方薬とこの店の名前がリンクして、インスピレーションが与えられました。
中国人は長寿、健康、おいしい料理(笑)で知られてます。
私たちも皆、長生きしたいし、それを期待して生きている。
じゃあ、なぜ長く生きたいのだろうか???
ある人はこう答えるかもしれません「長生きすれば、幸せになるし、幸せになるチャンスも多く訪れてくるからだ」とね。
本当にそう思いますか??

僕はこの意見にはある程度は理解を示せます。でも、逆に、長生きすればするほど辛いこと、苦しみが訪れるのも事実でしょう。
私の祖母がぼそっと「長生きするのは良いことだけど、葬式ばっかりなのも大変だよ」と言っていたのを思い出しました。
日本では「孤独死」という社会問題まで起きています。

聖書はいまある人生は一時的なものだと言っています。そして、天を望んでいると。
「私たちはこの幕屋(この世での人生)にあってうめき、この天から与えられる住まいを着たいと望んでいます。」Ⅱコリント5:2
人のこの世での人生は旅行途中の短い滞在だとグレッグ・ローリーはたとえています。
神は私たちに住むべき天の場所を備えてくれいる。
そこに住みたいと思うから、私たちには希望をもって生きることができる。

「わたしの父の家には、住まいがたくさんあります。もしなかったら、あなたがたに言っておいたでしょう。あなたがたのために、わたしは場所を備えに行くのです。」ヨハネ14:2
「見よ。神の幕屋が人とともにある。神は彼らとともに住み、彼らはその民となる。また、神ご自身が彼らとともにおられて、彼らの目の涙をすっかりぬぐい取ってくださる。もはや死もなく、悲しみ、叫び、苦しみもない。なぜなら、以前の者が、もはや過ぎ去ったからである。」黙示録21:4-5