Why Japanese?

The Largest Unreached People Group (Joshua Project, 2005)

Only 0.04% Christians!

Annual Suicide Rate: >30,000

100-300 new religion registered each year (Operation World, 2000)

The battle is fierce, Time is SHORT! Please RESPONSE, Please PRAY!!!



Sunday, March 08, 2009

Itinerary to Japan 09

It was a struggle trying to fix my itinerary to Japan with the limited resources that I have. As soon as I stripped  away all these physical "human" thoughts, He had quickly take away a few places (Kanazawa 金沢and Toyama富山) and replaced with another (Tohoku東北). The attraction of Kanazawa 金沢and Toyama富山 to me is the heavy sincere Buddhism practice, which might reserved as spiritual stronghold in spiritual setting, and Tohoku comprised of the top three highest suicide rate in the country. I am not sure what I will be able to see in Tohoku東北or Niigata新潟, but the map was drawn out and being confirmed these two days. If you know someone that I can work with when I travel to these places, please let me know. 

The uncertainties do not put me in doubt of this plan, in spirit I am rest assured. Compare to the down south trip, the up north trip is more like an expository trip, which reminds me about my first trip to Japan in 2005. 


Mar 23 - Arrival 
Mar 23 - 26 - Yokohama
Mar 27 -30 - Naganoshi, 壇田
Mar 31 - Apr 2 - JCMN Summit
Apr 2 - 8 - Shikoku, Sanuki
Apr 9 - 15 - Nara, 榛原町
Apr 16 - 22 - Osaka, 天王寺
Apr 23 - 29 - Osaka, Minami Osaka Fukuin Church
Apr 30 - May 7 - Nagoya
May 8 - 12 - Yokohama
May 13 - 17 - Saitama
Mar 18 - 29 - Iwate, Aomori, Akita, Sakata, Niigata
Mar 30 - Jun 1 - Yokohama
Jun 2 - 9 - Wakayama
Jun 10 - 13 - Nara, KBI
Jun 14 - 17 - Yokohama
Jun 18 - Departure

The missions of this 3 months trip to Japan is (i) to work with Heart4Japan members, (ii)to work with hikikomori, (iii) to establish connection with churches/bodies that we can work with in the future for resource sharing and interceding. As my position in Heart4Japan is fixed on research, I will continue to work on understanding the culture and social phenomenon from the social epidemiology perspective. 

Going to Yokohama横浜 is like "Touch Base" to me. My fellow worker Matthias Buerki and Justin Wrinn are serving in Yokohama横浜 at present, meeting Heart4Japan members is always a touch base practice for me. This will serve as (i) accountability, (ii) to share and pray with the information which we collected from the field. Saitama and Yokohama横浜 will be the meeting point with Heart4Japan members in Tokyo東京. Please feel free to contact me if you are available to meet. 

The trip to Nagoya名古屋 and Wakayama和歌山 will serve as retreat to me, will need some time to take rest with the support of friends: to pray, to seek time with the Lord, to gain strength in between battles. Don't ask me why I pick Nagoya 名古屋and Wakayama和歌山, perhaps just friends are there, perhaps I don't feel like working in Nagoya名古屋 and Wakayama和歌山, perhaps is another expository trip for me but less intense while compare to Tohoku東北...... I don't want to guess too much, but excited to see where the Lord is leading me this time. 

Akita 秋田 , Aomori青森  , Iwate岩手 , Niigata 新潟 ranked no. 1-4 of highest sucide rate in Japan. Generally believe is that the harsh weather and the hopelessness of elderly people are the major contribution to this phenomenon. There is always a burden in me to see these places with my eyes, to taste the spiritual atmosphere, and to seek Him of His heart for these spots and these people. I know no one at these places. Please kindly let me know if there is someone that I can work with in these areas. The area around Sakata酒田 had often came out while I imagine church planting ( I always thought if it happens, it will be at mountainous area, but Sakata 酒田 is located at seaside)

This trip is a trip that I had never dared to dream of. Knowing well the spiritual battle could be intense, and not knowing what to do as well because I felt so much unprepared. The trip to Nagano長野 is the same thing. But I believe that the LORD will have a good hand in this, so I TRUST Him.

Let's pray together with me!!! For I need your prayers and intercedes! Do watch over me!!!


SHALOM!

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

我们爱,因为神先爱了我们 ~ 约一4:19

要是上帝给你一颗日本心,那请问你的目标是什么?
a. 我不管怎样一定要去日本宣教!
b. 我现在就开始为日本得赎祷告!
c. 我要知道更多有关日本的消息,多了解这个民族和国家!
d. 我要开始着手去装备自己和装备别人!
e. 我要开始存钱去日本宣教!
f. 我现在就和别人分享日本的需要!
g. 我要专心日本,不再理会其他事情的需要!

不同的人可能有不同的回应。宣教对一些人来说是好玩,可能也是半个旅行团。可能宣教对一些人来说是个名衔,基督徒高人一等的名衔。而我希望这些都不是我们走宣教路线的人所考虑的范围!

首先基督徒宣教不是因为自己的宗教和文化高人一等,而是:i. 相信创造主的存在,ii. 知道创造主和我们之间乃是父与子的关系,iii. 受了耶稣的百般恩惠而愿意去到世界的末了,把耶稣平白的恩惠平白地告诉不知道的人。宣教是把全人摆上,不顾自己的利益和安稳也愿意把耶稣告诉别人。为什么?因为我们知道生命里真正的安稳就是认识神!而成为基督徒是何等的简单,就只需要,就可以了。只有在敞开自己的生命向神的时候,神就可以带领你翱游在祂的翅膀上,就算在暴风雨中你的人生也能享受安稳,因为你知道祂同在!

信神原来是这般简单,可惜很多人不知道。于是我们要做的是让别人知道,因为我们白白地得来也要白白地舍去 (马太10:9)因为基督是在我们成为罪人不认识他的时候死了,为我们背负所有的羞耻与罪。这些羞耻和罪把人压着,叫人没有办法抬起头来。这种生活是可悲的。在神的国度里,原本就是被压迫的更容易得着福音,因为他们所求的就是神的怜悯和同在。但是富人要进天国却比骆驼进入针眼更难。但是耶稣却留下了这一句话:在人所不能的事,在神却能(路加18:27)。能不能进入天国不在于我们,乃在于神。但是不传就别人就没有办法知道神,不知道原来要在生命里拥有神只需要信,信耶稣为我们死了,担当所有的罪,叫我们因着他能够到造物主父的面前。就这般简单。于是耶稣在加利利的山上对门徒说:“天上地下所有权柄都赐给我了。所以你们要去,使万民作我的门徒,奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗,凡我所吩咐你们的,都教训他们遵守,我就常与你们同在,知道世界的末了。”(马太28:18-20)耶稣记挂在心里的是以色列以外未能有机会听见相信这福音的世人。我们很难想像在当时的基督徒在被逼迫的环境下,只要闷声不说耶稣的名字就得以保全,但是他们却费尽了力量,宁愿被石头丢死,被万人唾弃也要宣扬耶稣的名字(参考使徒行传全书)。他们为的不是害怕被咒诅,而是真的喜乐地活在逼迫中,真心的希望人人都能有机会听见耶稣的名字,而有机会得救。在末世的那一天,万民在羔羊宝座前敬拜的时候,没有一个民族缺席。因为上帝创造了每一个民族,每一个文化,地球之上的每一个角落!他们舍命,乃是为了这偏远的民能认识耶稣。

今天的宣教可能除了中东以外,不需要再流血。但是世界仍然有许多地方不知道福音,又或者对福音一知半解,又或者因为许多人的私心把福音上了层层的枷锁,世人好可怜啊!每每用自己的方式试图去解答每一道方程式,总是无穷无尽。而生命的精彩之处不是正在与此吗?基督徒和不认识基督的又有什么不同呢?不同的是除了我们可以选择用主的方式,更可以在解答方程式中不失却生命的精彩同时拥有暴风雨中的安稳。

我不觉得自己是宣“教”士,“教会”与我无关。我关心的是人能不能认识耶稣、人能不能拥有幸福、人能不能活在当下却能认识天堂。我积极的原因是因为认识自己的过去,我不敢忘记自己未遇到主前的落魄和初遇主时的感动,不是因为我依然背负着当年的包袱,而是因为只有这样我才能紧紧地记着神的恩典才能有这个动力把耶稣告诉同样处在一个境况的人。


因此,当我听见上帝的叹息的时候,我回应了。我回应并不是因为我脑袋里对“宣教”和福音有什么幻想,而是当时对神对我毫无保留的爱所作的一个回应。与其说我在福音上有什么造就,倒不如说我衷心折服在他浪漫的爱中。因为爱,我愿意。我不懂上帝是不是一定领我去日本,但是我知道祂要日本得赎。所以无论去与不去,我都要为着这点站在破口处,寻得上帝的心意!

而我爱人的心是因为感受到他丰丰满满的爱我才有能力在许多的失望和惊涛骇浪中继续地热爱生命和所遇见的每一个人。我相信神爱的不仅仅是日本,他爱的是万民。因此我珍惜在我生命中遇见的每一个人。有时固然有自我的脾气而做不到最好,但是我愿意去爱,并时时反省自己是否用最简单最单纯的爱爱着每一个人。

Monday, March 02, 2009

日本与差传

福音在日本自从二战后没有增长过。在一战前,武士大名率先信主,为耶稣舍命,几经逼迫依然不愿意屈服,一直到后来的地下基督徒更促进了茶道的文化。二战后,MacArthur呼召宣教士进入日本的时候,只有半数回应。正确是因为经费还是仇恨蒙蔽了宣教的急迫性,现在已无从考究了。然而在近代的差传历史中,最大的单一文化单一语言的东瀛族群,在10/40视窗里面却时常被轻易地忽略了。热心事奉的基督徒想到日本只想到旅游却从来没有想到给他们传福音。我想我们必须检讨的是到底是因为我们因为历史对日本潜在的仇恨,觉得他们不配得着福音?还是我们认识主不够深,觉得物质富裕文化根源极深的日本不需要福音?还是我们觉得日本土太硬,花费太高,于是我们纵使知道日本需要福音,也不愿意把宣教士差到日本去呢?

事实上从事业满足感的角度去看(若宣教和福音是一个事业),那的确去日本宣教没什么了不起也毫不吸引的。日本的教会多半都是十几人,牧师必须出外打工才能维持生活。我们差传是渴望一挥手祷告,就有上百个人回应呼召的话,那就不要去日本,除非神给你应证,要在日本的某个土地上给你上百的灵魂。很多人在日本宣教八年,可能没有八个信主又待在教会里的。很多人因为工场上太困苦,精神上受了很大的压迫,宣教的路走不下去了,摇摇危机怀疑自己当初的呼召。但是若我们总是都这样想的话,有意无意地就把日本从上帝救赎世界的蓝图涂抹,那么在主来的那一天,东瀛民族缺席的座位上,我们人人都背负了流人血的罪状!

当我询问神祂对日本的心意的时候,祂就只有一句话:“有谁愿意为我们去呢?”这一句话在一声长长的叹息之后。有谁愿意为主去呢?