”For your sakes he became poor”

“You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.”　2 Corinthians 8:9

”Think of Jesus’ costly grace until you are changed into generous people by the gospel in your hearts.... So the solution to stinginess is a reorientation to the generosity of Christ in the gospel, where he poured out his wealth for you. Because of the gospel you don’t have to worry about money. The cross proves God’s care for you and gives you security. Because of the gospel you don’t have to envy anyone else’s money. Jesus’ love and salvation confer on you a remarkable status- one that money cannot give you.”　Timothy Keller

Pict: Rembrandt's Adoration of the Shepherds

An early Christmas...

Since the 24th and 25th are a little busy, we celebrated an early family Christmas on the 23rd. We first opened up our presents. Then I made some brunch. After that we enjoyed the movie, the Preacher's Wife, with Denzel Washington and Whitney Houston. The story is good, but the gospel music with Whitney is excellent. Watching this movie has now become a Christmas tradition for our family.

And my the Lord give you and your family a very special Christmas.

"I am."

G. K. Chesterton was once asked by a London newspaper to join other authors and thinkers to address the weighty and important question of "what's wrong with the world."His response:

Dear Sirs,

I am.

Sincerely yours,

G.K. Chesterton

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:15

"With the precious blood of Christ"

“[Jesus Christ] should bring complete rest and assurance to our consciences. His salvation is of infinite value. His blood was shed as a ransom (Mark 10:45) to pay for our sins. This blood was the blood of God (Acts 20:28). Imagine how valuable that is. No sin is too great to be forgiven; no corruption is too great to be healed.” Timothy Keller

"You know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect." 1 Peter 1:18-19

Check out Keller's sermons. Redeemer Sermons

Listening....

“The first service that one owes to others in the fellowship consists in listening to them. Just as love to God begins with listening to His Word, so the beginning of love for [others] is learning to listen to them… Listening can be greater service than speaking… There is a kind of listening… an impatient, inattentive listening, that… is only waiting for a chance to speak and thus get rid of the other person.”

Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger." James 1:9

March 11th, all hope was lost....

However,

'A large crowd followed Jesus, and he healed all who were ill. He warned them not to tell others about him. This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah:

“Here is my servant whom I have chosen,

the one I love, in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,
and he will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out,
till he has brought justice through to victory.
In his name the nations will put their hope.”'

Matthew 12:15-21

Watch video Youtube video: 'We will always remember you.' It will break your heart though.

Please pray that the Lord would show His mercy to Japan, especially those devastated by the massive earthquake and tsunami this March 11.

True virtue...

“True virtue comes when you see Christ dying for you.” Timothy Keller

”Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified." Galatians 3:1

Every Heart That is Breaking...

＜Here is a song for the victims of 3・11.＞

Please listen to it on VIMEO. Words below.

For the young abandoned husband

Left alone without a reason

For the pilgrim in the city

Where there is no home

For the son without a father

For his solitary mother

I have a message?

He sees you, He knows you

He loves you, He loves you

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

Is the heart of a child that he holds in his sight

And, oh, how He longs to hold in his arms

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

For every heart

For the precious fallen daughter

For her devastated father

For the prodigal who's dying in a strange new way

For the child who's always hungry

For the patriot with no country

I have a message?

He sees you, He knows you

He loves you, Jesus loves you

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

Is the heart of a child that he holds in his sight

And, oh, how He longs to hold in his arms

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

Every heart that is breaking, tonight

For every heart

by Twila Paris

Please don't forget those who were devastated by the massive earthquake and tsunami this March 11. Continue to pray for them and then visit them.

@ Pict taken by me about 1 month after the tsunami in Ishinomaki.

God has made all people to reflect, to be imaging beings....

“God has made all people to reflect, to be imaging beings. People will always reflect something, whether it be God’s character or some feature of the world. If people are committed to God, they will become like him; if they are committed to something other than God, they will become like that thing, always spiritually inanimate and empty like the lifeless and vain aspect of creation to which they have committed themselves… We become spiritually blind, deaf and dumb even though we have physical eyes and ears. If we commit ourselves to something that does not have God’s Spirit, to that degree we will be lacking the Spirit… The point is that our lives become vain and empty when we commit ourselves to vain idols of this world.”

G.K. Beale

“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them...." Exodus 20:2-4

The work of God's Holy Spirit begins with bruising....

“The work of God's Holy Spirit begins with bruising. In order to be saved, the fallow ground must be ploughed up; the hard heart must be broken; the rock must be split in sunder.”

C.H. Spurgeon

But, "The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Being a Christian

“Again I must say it- what a tremendous thing it is to be a Christian! Oh, how we vie with one another in seeking earthly honours; how we try to prove that we are related, however remotely, to somebody who happens to be great- we attach great importance to these things. Yet what the humblest Christian can claim is that the is a child of God, born of God, out of God, generated by God; that is the very essence of what is meant, according to the New Testament, by being a Christian.”

D.M. Llyod-Jones

"But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions— it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:4-6

Cities

“It may be helpful to those who harbor misgivings about cities… to reflect on the fact that urbanization as a present fact of life for most of the human family is a reality under the providential control of God… By means of these enormous gatherings of people, God provides the church with one of history’s greatest opportunities for evangelization. Pressed together in metropolises, the races, the tribes, and diverse groups are geographically more accessible than ever before… God in our time is moving climactically through a variety of social, political, and economic factors to bring earth’s people into closer contact with one another, into greater interaction and interdepednce, and into the earshot of the gospel. By this movement God carries forward his redemptive purposes in history. A sign of our time is the city. Through worldwide migration to the city God may be setting the stage for Christian mission’s greatest and perhaps final hour.”

Roger Greenway

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." Acts 1:8

Joy which arises from divine light shining into the soul

"Men have a great deal of pleasure in human knowledge, in studies of natural things; but this is nothing to that joy which arises from divine light shining into the soul. This spiritual light is the dawning of the light of glory in the heart. There is nothing so powerful as this to support persons in affliction, and to give the mind peace and brightness in this stormy and dark world. This knowledge will wean from the world, and raise the inclination to heavenly things. It will turn the heart to God as the fountain of good, and to choose him for the only portion. This light, and this only, will bring the soul to a saving close with Christ. It conforms the heart to the gospel, mortifies its enmity and opposition against the scheme of salvation therein revealed: it causes the heart to embrace the joyful tidings, and entirely to adhere to, and acquiesce in the revelation of Christ as our Savior."

Jonathan Edwards

"The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.... You are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. " 1 Corinthians 1:18, 30

Love

“God requires love that cannot be required.” Edmund Clowney

At once they are aware of a conflict.

“People who have no sense of conflict at all in their lives are patently just not Christians; they are in the sleep of death spiritually. The moment men an women become alive spiritually, they are aware of these forces and powers, and at once they are aware of a conflict.” D.M. Lloyd-Jones

"The sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.... But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." Galatians 5:17,18, 22, 23

Pastor Hisashi Tateishi

November 11, during our worship, Pastor Hisashi Tateishi, missionary to Japanese in New York, shared a simple message on the 'Ten Commandments' and the 'Cross.' He also answered many questions. More info: Setting the course

Thanksgiving

“Though the [Civil] war would not end until 1865, the tide had turned for the North, and the president could begin tending to other matters. On September 28, Sara Joseph Hate, the editor of Lady’s Book wrote the president [Lincoln] asking for an appointment. She proposed that the president set up a national celebration of Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving, though originating in colonial days, had been only sporadically observed in the decades since- and never at a set time. After the victories at Gettysburg and Vicksburg, Lincoln was convinced that there was much to be thankful for, and he agreed to her proposal. Thus the annual holiday of Thanksgiving came to be an integral part of American life.”

Joe Wheeler, The Courage and Faith of Abraham Lincoln

Zentsuji Baptist Church

Our family had a great time at Zentsuji Baptist Church. Since Pastor Kubo was on vacation, I did the preaching. From Luke 10 on how Christ must first of all be our 'Good Samaritan.' Lord willing, Brother Bin (left) will, speak at our church December 18th. He is a deacon, professor at Shikoku Gakuin University and a Gideon.

‘Partakers of the divine nature’

“We have become, as Peter puts it, ‘partakers of the divine nature’ (2 Peter); we have received the disposition of God Himself. We look at things from the Godward angle rather than from the human and carnal and sinful one…. I need emancipation; I need to be lifted to another realm; I need a force and a strength and a power that I have not got myself. That is my need, and here is the answer: I am given a faith- I am given an outlook and understanding- I am introduced to a source of power- I see something that that other person has never seen. I see beyond. I see a might and a power that is even greater than all that is opposed to me.”

D.M. Lloyd-Jones

"His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires." 2 Peter 1:3,4

Mine are Christ’s living...

“Mine are Christ’s living, doing, and speaking, his suffering and dying, mine as if I had lived, done, spoken, suffered, and died as he did.”

Martin Luther

"Christ... is our life." Colossians 3:4

As the Father has sent me....

“I am a missionary, heart and soul. God had an only Son, and He was a missionary and a physician. A poor, poor imitation I am or wish to be. In this service I hope to live, in it I wish to die.” David Livingstone

'Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."' John 20:21

For parents who feel they've messed up and done everything wrong...

"I was raised in a secular home. Jessica (her daughter) was raised in a legalistic home.... God uses failures in fantastic ways. It's not all up to you. ... The beautiful reality is, your work isn't going to save your kids. You can relax. You do not know how God will work. Be weak and throw yourself on the mercy of God." Elyse Fitzpatrick

"He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD,.... I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity." Jonah 4:2

Read more of the article: WORLD Magazine | Getting grace | Susan Olasky | Nov 05, 11

Book by Fitzpatrick and Thompson: Give Them Grace (Crossway, 2011)

Related article: Homeschool Blindspots - Joshua Harris

Through the cross

“God’s kingdom is won not though strength and accomplishment, however, but through the cross. It is entered not by the strong, but by those who admit their weakness and need for grace. This completely changes our attitude toward the poor, the powerless, and the marginal.”

Tim Keller

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9

Check out Keller's books Generous Justice and Ministries of Mercy.

We do not lose heart

”The miracle is not that we do this work, but that we are happy to do it.”　Mother Teresa

"Therefore, since through God's mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart." 2 Corinthians 4:1

Prayer...

“Prayer… is the splicing of our limp wire to the lightening bolt of heaven.” John Piper

"This kind can come out only by prayer." Mark 9:29

Books by John Piper.

Christian righteousness

“Where Christ is truly seen, there must be full and perfect joy in the Lord, with peace of conscience, which thus thinketh: Although I am a sinner by the law, and under condemnation of the law, yet I despair not, yet I die not, because Christ liveth, who is both my righteousness and my everlasting life. In that righteousness and life I have no sin, no fear, no sting of conscience, no care of death. I am indeed a sinner as touching this present life, and the righteousness thereof… But I have another righteousness and life, above this life, which is Christ the Son of God, who knoweth no sin, no death, but is righteousness and life eternal…

He that strayeth from this Christian righteousness, must needs fall into the righteousness of the law; that is to say, when he hath lost Christ, he must fall into the confidence of his own works. But… when I have Christian righteousness reigning in my heart… I do good works, how and wheresoever occasion arise… Whosoever is assuredly persuaded that Christ alone is his righteousness, doth not only cheerfully and gladly work well in his vocation, but also submitteth himself… to all manner of burdens, and to all dangers of the present life, because he knoweth that this is the will of God, and that this obedience pleaseth Him.”

Martin Luther

"It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God- that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption." 1 Corinthians 1:30

Shikoku Gakuin University

October 12th, I preached at the chapel service of Shikoku Gakuin University from Ecclesiastes 2. Here's verse 1. "I thought in my heart, 'Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good....' But that also proved to be meaningless." Solomon checked out all sorts of pleasure. But he found out that pleasure apart from God is meaningless. I ended the sermon with Beethoven's Ode to Joy. 'Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee.' From the entirety of scripture we know that to enjoy God through Christ is our greatest joy. Other joys are but a shadow.

The gospel through our actions

“The gospel is the good news that we are forgiven by God’s grace, and that the whole world will one day be renewed by God’s grace. That is why deeds that alleviate suffering are so integral to the declaration of the gospel. In one sense, showing mercy to our neighbor is a result of the gospel, because as converted people we live like the one who saved us. In another sense, showing mercy to our neighbor is itself a gospel proclamation. It preaches the gospel through our actions.”

Tim Keller

Check out his books and his sermons.

‘the great strategy of faith’

“Most of our defeats, I think, are due to the fact that we parley with sin, we attempt to fight it. Now there is a sense in which we have to do that…. There are times in our experience when, for reasons often beyond our own control, unless we run to Christ and hide in Him we are certain to be defeated. But thank God, the possibility that is held up before us is that we can go to Him directly, immediately and look to Him. That is what I might call ‘the great strategy of faith.’…. When the fight is yet strong and the enemy is there and we feel we are on the point of falling, we must simply cry, ‘Jesus’ and believe and know that He is looking on and that He is there and is ready to deliver us and protect us.”

D.M. Lloyd-Jones

The grace of God as manifested in the Gospel

"When persons are truly converted they always are sincerely desirous to make rapid progress in piety….Why then is so little advancement made? First, there is a defect in our belief in the freeness of divine grace. To exercise unshaken confidence in the doctrine of gratuitous pardon is one of the most difficult things in the world, and to preach this doctrine fully without verging towards antinomianism is no easy task and is therefore seldom done. But Christians cannot but be lean and feeble when deprived of their proper nutriment.

It is by faith that the spiritual life is made to grow, and the doctrine of free grace, without any mixture of human merit, is the only true object of faith. Christians are too much inclined to depend on themselves and not to derive their life entirely from Christ. There is a spurious legal religion, which may flourish without the practical belief in the absolute freeness of divine grace, but it possesses none of the characteristics of the Christian's life. It is found to exist in the rankest growth, in systems of religion which are utterly false. But even when the true doctrine is acknowledged in theory, often it is not practically felt and acted on.

The new convert lives upon his frames rather than on Christ, while the older Christian is still found struggling in his own strength and, failing in his expectations of success, he becomes discouraged first, and then he sinks into a gloomy despondency, or becomes in a measure careless….[U]ntil religious teachers inculcate clearly, fully, and practically, the grace of God as manifested in the Gospel, we shall have no vigorous growth of piety among professing Christians….The covenant of grace must be more clearly and repeatedly expounded in all its rich plenitude of mercy, and in all its absolute freeness."

Archibald Alexander

"Christians must be exposed to the gospel of grace versus works again and again, not only to bring people to justification, but to enhance sanctification." Tim Keller

Recent baptism...

October 2nd, we were very happy to be able to baptize our 2nd believer.

I am sorry I can not give details of the individual. When it comes to religion, Japan in many ways still is not a free nation. However, this person's faith in Christ is very real.

Ambitions for God....

“Ambitions for God, however, if they are to be worthy, can never be modest. There is something inherently inappropriate about cherishing small ambitions for God. How can we ever be content that he should acquire just a little more honor in the world? No. Once we are clear that God is King, then we long to see him crowned with glory and honour, and accorded his true place, which is the supreme place. We become ambitious for the spread of his kingdom and righteousness everywhere.” John Stott

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1Corinthians 10:31