What Can the Japanese Do?

Yuko Kawanishi wrote a neat article in year 2004, published in Asian Affairs vol:35, addressing the social psychology and mental health of modern Japanese youth.

At the last part of her paper, she wrote, "What Can the Japanese Do?"

"Japan's accoplishments of the last century have been remarkable. From the abyss at the end of WW2 to the hieghts of the success and self-confidence during the period of the 'bubble economy' the people of Japan had worked very hard to achieve their dreams but they might have done so much too quickly.

Many japanese wanted to erase the past from their memory without fully recovering from the war's traumas. The focus was on tangible achievements such as economic growth and material gain, not on such sentiments as individual sense of well-being. It might simply have taken a while, maybe three generations, for the psychological consequences of these too-rapid social changes to surface.

What was happening at home was pushed aside as something too personal or private to discuss. But the social cost of denying the personal has become too big to ignore any longer. It is time to confront domestic problems, becuase the quality of the home is after all crucially linked to the social and political success of any society. For that so happen, the silent voices of children need to be heard. Family relationships need to be worked on rather than taken for granted. The question is: can the Japanese do it?"


Re: Yuko Kawanishi. Japanese Youth: The other half of the crisis? Asian Affairs. vo;. XXXV, no.1. March 2004.



The reason to put this article forward to you is a hope to challenge our view and thoughts about the observation and opinion which had written by Miss Yuko. With this, I hope to open a floor for discussion.

(I'm afraid we still have to use this site and the facebook column for a while until our net builder, Mr. Justin is more settle after he gets marry tomorrow. :-) Congratulations to your wedding with Miss Izumi! お結婚をおめでとう！）

Omamori お守り

" No public ritual could be more riverting than the one that takes place on the gray-tiled sidewalk of Omotesando each New Year's holiday or O-shogatsu, when more than three million people burst from commuter trains and subways to stream up Omotesando and enter the park like Meiji Shrine. Treading on the gravel path beneath its ceremonial wooden gate, or torii, the worshippers patiently await their turn to stand on the black wooden steps of the shrine to seek ancestral blessings.

Hanging in the rafters are clanging bells whose long ropes teenagers and aging grandparents, one by one, grab and tug to gain the gods' full attention. Then, bowing their heads, squeezing their eyes shut, they whisper silent prayers - for wealth and happiness, for a new bank loan perhaps, or for a passing grade on a fiendishly competitive college entrance exam - before solemly clapping their hands three times. Before departing, they may buy a colorful good-luck amulet, and omamori, to protect them against evil. " -- cited from 'The Cult of the Brand - Shutting Out The Sun' by Michael Zielenziger

Beautiful and well written description of what takes place in Meiji Shrine during O-shogatsu.

Perhaps something for us, as mediators, to carefully examine the hearts of people, and hear their cry.

Japanese could be seen as not religious at all. But at the same time, there are several things that people would really like to hold on. Omamori - the lucky charm, you might find at least one in everyone's pocket. In Japan, omamori represents a meaningful friendship gift to many people, including young and old. They might seemed to be not holding religions as serious as others, nor they have a solid belief system, yet certain practices had also reflected the emptiness and longing in life.

Check our hearts, see if we are making full use of this information! :-) Bless you.

To Seek My Heart, In the Rain

I had introduced to you once, about Ramone's artwork for Jesus. Now, I will still introduce to you the site for Art-for-Jesus. 

In the recent article, he had written this, "in rain". The Lord said, "to seek my heart, in the rain." This means a lot to Heart4Japan too. 

May you be blessed by the art-work for Jesus!

我必震动天地！

天地都要灭没，你却要长存；天地都要如外衣渐渐旧了。你要将天地如里衣更换，天地就都改变了。诗篇102：26

四川是这样吗？天地如外衣渐渐旧了，如今改变了，神必起来怜恤锡安，因为现在是可怜她的时候，日期已经到了。

在四川的时候听见一些关于“审判”和 “神愤怒”的信息。心里总觉得有点不对径儿。回想911的事件，Tsunami的事件，教会和回教堂都在散播着这些信息。有人说，因为四川太多偶像，人心太硬，抗拒福音，因此神震怒了。我不禁忧愁起来，比四川拜偶像更盛的地方比比皆是，神要算帐的话，那香港、马来西亚、中东早就毁了。而且不堪一击。日本也会被毁的。基本上，世界各地没有一个地方逃得过吧？我只知道，圣经告诉我两件事。第一件，末世的时候，灾害是明显的，震动天地的，那表明主来的日子近了。第二件，神的审判从神的家开始。

在四川，让我感动的，是主内弟兄姐妹都休假跑到前线去了！不是扛着一包一包的干粮药物冒着余震的危险徒步上山，就是集中物资作地勤安排，妇女年老就留在教会煮饭送饭，看顾生还者。每一个人，都尽着自己的一份绵力，把耶稣基督的爱和看顾分给身边有需要的人。累，但没有人愿意停下脚步，这个时候任劳任怨的，只想作更多的事，帮别人轻省一下。

我想这些实际的行动，充满光辉的爱，比另一些人躲在远远的一个角落，说什么这个时候到灾区去的都是出风头耍名气、又批评政府这里做的不对那里做的不足的，更能显出一个基督徒实在该有的身份吧。

解放军也是很辛苦的。汶川地震的第一天就开始持守岗位，不眠不休。自愿者都是很辛苦的。出钱出力出命，都是一些默默的无名英雄。每一个人都累，但是思念着瓦砾底下的人，眼看着一个一个受伤的生还者，却没有人愿意休息。他们也是要我们去关心，去爱，去为他们祷告守候的一群。神用他们及时救了很多的性命。

有很多自愿者是从国内四面八方涌来的，冒着余震的危险，累着家人邻居帮助他们收割，挺着一条命，来参与救援的。

我看着、听着、伴着、行着。心里有的，仅有无数的感恩。医院里，很多人流着泪告诉我，他妈妈是他在瓦砾中拼死拼活用双手挖出来的！每一条生命都充满了奇迹，充满了感恩。能够活着，已经很好了，哪怕是没了腿，没了手，没了腰。我从来没有感受过这么大的生命震撼，一股“我要活下去”的震撼！

不止中国内地的自愿者。外国也来了。我的团队里，有香港的，有加拿大的，有美国的，有马来西亚的，走的时候，新加坡的接替了。日本早去了，还要再派人来。我日本的同工下个星期也去，Heart4Japan那些不能去的给我捎信说，“谢谢你代表我们去。” 我心里扎实，我是中国人，是马来西亚人，也是日本人啊！血统、命脉和国度给了我三重的身份。这个时候，该去的、能去的，不去还能说些什么呢？该去的，能去的，是义务，是奉命，没什么好骄傲或者自持的。

正如郑老师说主要做什么，他的目的是什么我们不知道。但是他心里安稳，不愿离开四川，因为神早就给他一句话，说 “我必震动天地” 这是哈该书。而我自己的领受是，

“我必震动万国；万国的珍宝必都运来，

我就使这殿满了荣耀。”

这是万军之耶和华说的。

万军之耶和华说：

“银子是我的，金子是我的。

这殿后来的荣耀必大过先前的荣耀；

在这地方我必赐平安。这是万军之耶和华说的。” 哈该书2：7-9

我相信这是神的应许。但愿神亲自抹去哀动的人的眼泪，但愿教会合一起来能做更多的事，更但愿神震动财宝，把属神的人一并震醒，叫他们看见世界的需要，末世的紧逼，看服事为本分当作的事！

愿神怜悯我们。

银子是我的，金子也是我的。这殿后来的荣耀必大过先前的荣耀......

Pain

My heart is in great pain as the record of suicide mixing stored-bought detergent and chemical had reached 145 just within last few months. At the same time, there were still others in Japan continue to use all means to die.  

Life seems to be not worth living.  

I couldn't stop thinking but to remember the survivors of Sichuan I met in the hospitals and sites. They almost lost everything, some houses, some family members, some paralyzed, some lost their legs, some lost their hands. In the hospital, people were thankful because they survived. Tired family members that were taking care of their loved ones, had lost all things in the earthquake, but thankful because one survived. The one who survived might had lost both parents or children. The grief of the bereaved, the trauma experience were beyond comprehension.  

Yet, everyone strived to live.  

Life seems to be worthwhile to live.

ABC News:Toxic Vomit Sickens Many. May 22, 2008

The Power of His Love

As I was back tracking the emails, I found this in my inbox. 

"I will be praying each and every day. I'll be interceding as well for your protection - that His cleansing blood and strength carry through every situation and circumstance. That your inner man and outer man be strengthened. That the love of Christ flow through you like living water. Your courageous commitment to Christ and the greatest cause for the Gospel will only open a way for God to display His power on your behalf." 

I was just so grateful for this prophetic words and kind encouragement! "...courageous commitment to serving our Lord ..." these are kind words that I do not deserve. But I guess this is why and how I was preserved in this trip, mentally and physically. It's your prayers! The Holy Spirit continued to minister to me each day while I was in Sichuan, strengthening my inner man and outer man, giving me courage and love and patience to endure. 

I also saw how He had flowed through me, and I am still amaze while I look back. It had been His grace and His work, not mine. I just felt that the trauma that I experienced in the past, the healing that I experienced after received Jesus in my life, the power of healing remained sipped through by touch, influenced the one in grief silently and quickly. I thought I would be depressed after this whole experience, yet the work of the Holy Spirit was refreshing. While the bereaved felt the love of Christ, I experienced the power of love. 

After finding out my past, SY said, "let this experience be the reminder in your life, that will remind you about the needs and urgency of souls."

The grief I went through in the past had turned into strength in me, in turn it strengthened the one that I touched. I praise the Lord for His healing power. He is to be magnified!

On the right is the survival from BeiChuan. She was so traumatized when we first saw her in WenJiang Community Hospital. Yet, the Lord provided a miraculous time for hug and sharing her grief. As her hand grabbed my shoulder, I hugged her and her head leaned down on my shoulder. She weeped quietly, and I held her head in my hand and kept praying quietly. I just felt that the Lord was ministering to her. While we were leaving, she came out and say goodbye. As I saw her face shining, I just knew that the good Lord had lifted up her burdens just at that moment while we hugged and prayed. The work of the Lord was just so amazing, I was stunned and moved. 

 I write this to tell you that the Lord is greater than all! I had always thought spiritual relief or healing would be at a later phase, but the Holy Spirit had taught me otherwise. He comforted the grief! He is ABLE. 

Deyang May 19, 2008

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth." - Psalm 121:1,2

Shane W. had this verse at the bottom of his letter. 

We were singing the same song the first night in Deyang, after we evacuated the patients from the hospital building to the outside. There was a prediction of after shock of about 6.5 degree and a heavy rain that night. Tents were not enough. Everyone was doing all their best, the doctors, nurses, patients, volunteers. Two police officers came and stood outside the hospital, I guess they were guarding us. It was around 2am in the morning, no moon and no stars, perhaps it was because the street light was just too strong, and just above our eyes. 

A Christian volunteer came to me and passed me a few brochures, she said, "this might be the last night for all of us. Save as many as you can."

I held the brochures in my hand, seeing her walking from bed to bed, telling the victims about heaven, I was amazed by her courage. While everyone was still in great shock and great pain, she came with a message. I didn't know what she said to the patients. I took the brochures with me, I walked to the street, where our bags were. Another volunteer came over and sat beside me, she was a seeker, and I passed it to her, I told her what another volunteer had told me, and I said to her perhaps it's a time for you to make the choice. 

As I lay on the street, waiting for the aftershock, (i felt it actually, but it was ok, we were anticipating for a more severe one, I guess) I kept thinking, 'if I'm to see the Lord the next minute, am I clean?' I could still imagine the picture of this Christian volunteer who was working hard now, yet having the experience of being in the situation of traumatized of loss, I doubt the way it works, and I certainly prefer a personal touch, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on. A trust.

At around 4am, the after shock was over. And I fell half sleep, asleep? 

There was no rain, most of the team members didn't feel the after shock. God had been protecting us!

I am back in Hong Kong now.  Will write more later. 

Too tired for now...... Thank you for interceding!

Pray for His Workers!

When you send your workers, you need to pray for them!

For the rescue team to Myanmar and Sichuan Province, please pray for them, be their watchman!

Pray for:
Individual
1. Spiritually and Physically Fit.
2. Emotionally Stable.
3. Connecting to Jesus.
4. Protection and Covering of the blood of Jesus.
Team
5. Trust and open communication in the team.
6. Smooth cooperation among team members.
7. Communication with the locals and international board.
8. Wisdom in decision making.
9. Resources.
10. Witnessing.

Let's work till THE END

I had called for intercession for the Unreached nations, Japan, in particular, for the specific stir that He had put in my heart. I was unsure about many things, and I'm still unsure. Yet, there is one thing that I know, it is the love and trust that I have in my Lord. And it is this love that drew me to love Japan, one in His heart. Love became so strong, that Japan became a part of me, just as I'm in Jesus. 

In response to all disasters that is striking the earth today, Myanmar, Sichuan, unpredictable movement of tropical cyclone, quakes, typhoon, flood, Tsunami...... causing speedy destruction, and we could only response one by one as they come. 

There are destructions by man, too, if not more, equal. Human factors that had caused self-destruction or destroying others, a huge population. In Japan, people needs to be alleviate from the state of depressed. It is the time to either feed them with Good News or they will be fed by all other spiritual forces. （It's time to act, you can do something!)

As in other places, humanitarian aids and cry for social justice is needed to alleviate the situation. 

This is the DAY that the nations are at our door step. Reaching out to the nation had been more practical and easier these days. Social justice and human rights of migrant workers had often been neglected in most countries. 

The land that breed me and groomed me needs Jesus too. If the Lord had called you to Malaysia, please come. When you come, get in touch with people on the field. Be aware of the news, the needs of foreign and local ministries. The same thing that we should do for any nation that we are going to, be alert, have all the latest developments on your fingertips, move with the time, and train you sensitiveness with the Holy Spirit, so that you know what to do, how to pray, where to move.

Jessica sent me a note earlier, saying that she felt "God's urgency". Yes, there are NEEDS all around us. 

Proverbs 30:15-16

 "The leech has two daughters. 
       'Give! Give!' they cry. 
       "There are three things that are never satisfied, 
       four that never say, 'Enough!':

  the grave,  the barren womb, 
       land, which is never satisfied with water, 
       and fire, which never says, 'Enough!'

How do we response then? Where should we go? 

Let's quiet ourselves, seek Him, and learn His direction in our lives. Let's not settle in our comfort zone, let's not be complacent about what we see. Rise up, at least in your community! Reach out! We need to be sensitive and proactive to lift them out of the trash and ashes! 

Move on earnestly, praising Him for the work that God had done and is doing. Move on fast! For the time is near. 

I love you. Let's work and gather workers around us to work together to the Harvest! to the END TIME.

Useful links for ministries needs in Malaysia: Tenagalita (Human Rights for Migrant Workers), Malaysiakini (Politics)

National Police Agency statistics that showed 47.8 percent of the 1,052 murder and attempted murder cases in 2007 involved people attacking family members. The ratio was 46.9 percent in 2006 and 39.1 percent in 1997. (family-murder-suicide)

Continue Intercede!

Thank you for your earnest prayers for Japan in past few weeks! The internet suicide influence had slow down for almost ten days now. There were still suicide news, yet we are hoping that this will come to an end SOON! 

Please continue to press in in interceding! There are prayer points that I would like you to consider.

Internet providers' decisions/responsibility.

The Internet providers had not really seriously decided to delete the harmful contents in the website. Check this out. Although it seems that the news release was quite assuring that they are going to delete the harmful contents, yet until April 25, nothing had been done. (Please refer to the earlier news release that I sent).  

About what to delete, and what not, there is another thing that I wish to gain your attention with: "However, recently sites such as secret school sites in which junior high and high school students post slanderous comments about other people have appeared, and providers have had a hard time deciding whether or not the information is harmful and whether they should delete it."  

The slanderous comments about other people had been another form of destructive school bullying - Ijime. It had suspected to lead to suicide and social isolation of a number of students. However there is no official reports from school or police. However this had caused serious attention of the media since 2 years back.

Suicide as a result of Ijime had always under covered. Yesterday a 12 years old boy jumped down from his Tokyo apartment. Was he one of the victim? we don't know. 

Remember the areas without church! 

The church is reviving in some places in Japan. We praise God for that! We still have a lot to do! There are many in Japan who live in a circle without any church or any Christians in their community. Let's pray for workers, not only in the campus, but elemental and secondary schools. Let's pray for revival not only in the cities, but the rural areas like Nagano, Akita, Aomori, Iwate, Wakayama, Ishikawa etc. Some works had been started in some of these place, still there is a lot to be done!

 

Please, remember the Japanese in your prayers!  

Prayer points: 

1. The chance of life. 

2. Empty hearts to be filled. 

3. Opportunity to learn and experience Jesus. 

4. The responsibility of the net providers.

5. Shut down of secret school sites. 

6. Shut down of internet suicide sites. 

7. Pray against Ijime, the school bullying.  

Thank you!

Re: 

Hundreds evacuated after Hokkaido man kills himself by inhaling deadly gas: 

12-years old boy jumped from his Tokyo Apartment.

45 Victims Caught in Demonic Suicide Influence in last 20 days

This piercing pain pierced me deeply at my soul, and I felt limp for a moment while I was writing this. 

At least 45 victims were caught in this demonic scheme just within last 20 days, hurting many more bi-standers and innocent people. 

Let's call for intercession!

Pray for:

1. The Lord to intervene.

2. Break the bond of the devil.

3. Wisdom and protection of the Japanese police officers who invest this case.

4. Peace and hope for the bereaved family members.

5. Wise and immediate action from Christians groups in Japan. 

Feel free to add more and comment on the intercession point! We will love to hear from you, if you had heard His voice about this. 

Re: (1) http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=4171 (2)http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20080403TDY02307.htm

What is Urgent?

Japan needs Jesus. And Japan needs experts in web-base technologies, social science people, medical people, teachers, businessmen, artists who are Christians, to be there in their societies. I always believe that the Kingdom is about "life impacting life". 

The story that Shane picked up at CNN news report on April 24, last Thursday, had been a disturbing one.

A 14 years old girl killed herself by mixing detergent and cleanser. And it seems to be another one encouraged by internet sites. It is not that we were not aware of the high number of suicides in Japan, but it is the extend of the internet suicide influence had gone far worse these days. The international art-festival celebration had highlighted and celebrated the production of people like Ryo Nakajima and Shunji Iwai, where some of their productions had been hard to swallow. "This World of Ours" and "The Story of Lily Chow" will perhaps lead you to a fantasy of hidden dreams and sadness of hidden reality in this society.

• STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• Girl, 14, mixed detergent, cleanser to make toxic fumes
  
• Fumes escaped from bathroom, sickening 90 people in apartment house
  
• Girl's death latest in string of suicides encouraged by Internet sites
  
• Japan has ninth-highest suicide rate in world, government says

Please, seriously think this over. If you have the talent, if you have the skill, if you like to be a tentmaker, please consider Japan. If you are thinking of supporting the mission field, please consider Japan. Japan had always been left out from the 10/40 windows for reasons, either intentional or unintentional. Many had been set back because of the high cost, and low response rate. Perhaps, it could be the feeling of the "proud and ego" needs no healing. Perhaps it could be "hatred". Perhaps, it was BLINDNESS.

If you think there are more "urgent place" than Japan, I'm not sure about this. I had never see the Kingdom is "urgent" at one place, and "no urgent" in another place. 

But I do agree that there are many urgent needs of healthcare aids and human rights aids. And we feel good, because we fulfilled a good Samaritan duty. People feel good when they have something to give! Honestly, we might not be be proud or sensing urgent to tell people about Jesus, but we are good in giving money to the poor and needy. 

I just wish to make these facts clear to you: 

Japan has 128 million people, and you probably have more than 30% of them are above 50s. We have around 100 people suicide in a day. The common suicide group was the middle age group, but now we observe school children. Violence and crimes, homicides by children or teenagers. The economic setback had not turned well. A report of 1 million of missing youths. People are dying because of aging, or suicide, or living in grief because of lost of someone. We are losing this group of people! 

If you need to feel good in missions, you can give Japan something too. Give them your love, your thoughts, your prayers! Give them friendship, tell them about Jesus, tell them how to live! Give money to the one who is going to Japan to be a missionary. Don't just hang on to your tithe, or established mission organizations. There are many places where people are dying, and there is not a single church or a single presence of mission organizations!

Pray, and ask God to lead you to this person!

Pray, and ask God to show you this place, and the needs of this people!

Do not brush off Japan from your mind, because it appeared to be "rich", and not as "urgent"as other lands! I don't think this is what the Lord has in His mind. 

Be sure, be encouraged! The Lord had called a team! You are not the only one, if you had been yearning for the Salvation in Japan for long. Take courage! 

Spiritual poverty is no better than physical poverty. I know every place is sick, but be clear about this: JAPAN  is sick,  too. 

Bless you!

Roseline

三自之说

原来日本也有三自教会之说：自治、自养、自传。

这个三自的定义和中国的三自定义一样，同样是提倡本土化色彩的教会，不依靠外来宣教士，不采用外国的教材，乃是度身订做自己的教材。但不同的是，日本的三自是民间教会运动，中国的三自是政治运动。

那么，日本的三自教会在教义上与传统教会有何不同？这一点就要多方考究了。但是的确有些三自教会到最后是与基督教义貌合神离的。除了挂上个十字架、谈信神、也谈爱邻如己，却在本质上有许多不同和相冲的地方。到底为什么会这样呢？

再看清楚的时候，这个“原始”和“外来”的冲突早已在1890年，内村鑑三早已提出，直至在1901年的时候创办了“无教会”。

因此日本化的福音不是个新鲜的题材 -- “道会” 和“基督心宗教团” 早在20世纪初期已经在传，期待用日本的视窗去理解福音，可惜却与真道大相挺径而。而无教会、无藩篱的论调更不新鲜。今天在宣教里我们还是一样会谈这个，但是我们必须理解别人抗拒和赞同的原因。

这些资料却告诉我们日本人很早就希望拥有完全属于自己的教会，一个不吞没自己传统和民族色彩的教会。于是当我们今天再谈救赎文化的时候，面对冲击的时候，面对不被谅解的时候，我们也可以从历史里知道问题的所在。日本的福音的领土上不仅仅只占一小片土地，所占的这一小片却有着无数的心酸、牺牲、争拗、苦痛和逼迫。仅仅地那1%，却被看似基督的异端瓜分了超过七成。难怪日本教会总是小心翼翼，时而比外邦人更会挑剔、更不合作。

为日本的这样一个景象要多祷告！我们出去短宣的时候所看见的是絢烂和绮丽，但愿这些热情不限于一刻，乃是持久有力。

Re: Mark Mullins. Christianity Made In Japan - A study of Indigenous Movements

Woman's hour

If you remember in 2006, when many were expecting and predicting a change of the Japanese women status quo and power in the future, Princess Kiko had gave birth to a boy in September that year. BBC host Jenni Murray had a interesting conversation with Kuniko Inoguchi, Dr. Lola Martinez and Lynne Nakano at the beginning of the year. 

Though the issue of empress or emperor no longer exist, the issues that had been discussed in this program perhaps are still the very core issues today: opportunities for women in work, opportunities for women in education, low birth rate and high 1st married age.

The link to this audio record is still available in BBC. Please click on the link below and check it out. It's kind of interesting perspectives of three different women at different side of the world. 

BBC Woman's Hour

I will urge you to pray before you listen to this program. Also, if you are interested in women ministry, you might get some light of what is awaiting for you, and how your gifting is going to be useful in the field. :-) God bless!

Manga Messiah

Read this:

New Life League Japan (NLLJ) is publishing a very important and exciting series of books called “Bible Manga.” Japanese artists are creating five genuine manga books based on the Bible (three Old Testament and two New Testament). The original art and text is in Japanese but Manga Messiah has already been released in English and is available at Amazon. According to Roald Lidal, NLLJ will publish the original Japanese version of Manga Messiah in Japan in early 2008.

I have a copy of the English one. I think it is great, accurate to the account, and they had tried to deal with the accurate time frame in Jesus' ministries by a careful study of the four gospel. Get a copy of it, Manga Messiah.

SEEKING FORGIVENESS FOR 1,250 YEAR

Every year during the darkness of cold March night sparks fly, as monks shake 2.5-meter-long flaming torches with all their might, and bells and horns echo through Todaiji temple in Nara, Japan.

 

About 30,000 visitors flock to see part of the two-week ritual on the climactic night of March 12.

 

The more than 1,250-year-old annual ritual calls for 11 selected monks to cut themselves off from their usual lives and gradually purify their minds.

 

While the monks with the torches dance close enough to the fire to singe their eyebrows in a closed-door ritual, conducted in the temple's inner sanctum, one of the eleven monks splashes sacred water and others help to dust off the sparks from the floor. The other monks bow thousands of times to repent for people's sins.

 

According to Buddhist doctrine, people commit myriad offenses due to the ‘Three Poisons’ -- greed, anger and ignorance. When the offenses accumulate, people become unable to see the truth and become ill.

 

Since ordinary people cannot repent for their sins and misconduct, the monks do so, on their behalf in the ritual.

Source: Yomiuri News, by K. Sakane, 2006-06-20

Some people might think this is creepy. But I guess majority of us here would see this perhaps serve as a great redemptive tool for Good News! These people do acknowledge sins, and believe that there is a need to repent!

Many in the crowd might be there just for fun, but many more would be there simply believing that the Kannon will remove their sins, and they will be heal from sickness and troubles in life. We need to find these people and tell them what is the TRUTH! more 

Mission Frontiers

I hope that you are already reading this, and I pray that you will read this if you have not. 

 "Missions Frontiers" presents very solid ideas on the direction of evangelical and missions movement providing firm evidence to each idea they claims. It opens our eyes on the area "unserved", "untapped", and moves us on to take role in the Kingdom movement. 
Let's learn together!           January - February 2008 Contents

Heart4Japan

Job had just called me this afternoon, sharing with me that 30 people had registered as volunteers for community work during missions week at church back home. In deed it was a great news! 

I was informed that a friend in the same time was trying to recruit people to pray for Japan. So, I believe that we have a small corner for Heart4Japan, screening the H4J promotional clip, as well as "God's Fingerprints in Japan" produced  by Daniel Kikawa and his team. We had prepared new brochures, and we are launching "Christians Love Japan Action 2008" in the missions week. 2 more days to go, and I pray that God will open the hearts and minds of people about the needs in Japan. I pray for likely minded partners, intercessors, doers! 

While all these things are happening back home, Heart4Japan is also moving in Hong Kong, although uncertain still, but very likely the plans of God for Heart4Japan at this place is going to be unveil soon, in a fuller manner. 

We have now a group of people that comes from different churches had gathered together to pray for Japan, and share about their desires and love for this nation. And this group of people had also began to adopt the name "Heart4Japan" for themselves. To me, that is tremendous progress! 

"Heart4Japan" should be a movement that people take on the passions and spark it on to others. It's an individual thing, in the same time a corporate thing. Individual should be supported by their respective churches for their visions and plans to get involve. If not, we will support each other as a team! Not to act alone, but as a team. We share resources, provide information and links to local churches and missions organizations. We share our visions, doubts, and we pray together for a breakthrough in the field! The basis for Heart4Japan existence is that, "We come for each other!" We stand in for each other. 

Interestingly we find, Satan love to distract us from this vision, by threatening individuals, making us to feel alone, creating chaos and disunite God's people to come together even just to pray for Japan. The evil one had been doing this since day one as we started this group. The devil hit so hard, that we could always feel it instantly as almost every meeting began. The atmosphere would became so intense, that we would quickly engage into spiritual warfare, and that was scary at the beginning, but it helped us to train our spiritual muscles. Now, as we pray, we are excited about things to come, we know we are on the track, and the devil is afraid. And it is exciting to see how God intervene in this matter! We are not fighting alone, but with the help of holy beings and His very presence. 

As a member of Heart4Japan, whether you are networking with us or not, we need to beware of what is going on at the other side, and put on the armor of God regularly, constantly if possible. Knowing that it is not against flesh and blood that we are struggling with, but the powers of darkness and spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 

And this was what I saw when I was in Shiga, listening to this sermon in year 2005. I saw the power of the sermon was being bounded by the forces of authorities, just like a cocoon in the air, struggling, full of energy. Yet it was so hardly pressed that you can sense a bursting force encapsulated, and that was this sense that this cocoon had been there for a long period of time. 

Then I began to sense the heartaches, disappointments and desperation in the field, which mainly caused by the disunity and distrust of God's very own people. And we need to break THAT to reduce the dark force! Heartaches, disappointments, desperation was the essential component that had aggravated the dark force that had bounded the spirit of God in a form of cocoon! It is silly that on one hand we are shouting REVIVAL, and we are asking for REPENTANCE in this land; on another hand we are pulling one another, thus delaying the march of the Kingdom! 

We need to be aware! Be fully aware of it!

Now, the church that I am serving in Hong Kong had been thinking about working along with Heart4Japan. Although things had not gone very smoothly, yet there is hope in Christ! God had told me that "the Church is coming in", "this is not your ministry, but MY ministry. " I will lean on that message!

Yet, the group in Hong Kong had not been able to get together to pray with each other since October last year. This is not good at all! We need to get together to pray for Japan as corporate at least three times a year. And aside from that, we should form into small groups, constantly sharing our visions and dreams and encourage each other and intercede for each other at least once in a month. We should know what others are doing, be alert, and reading resources on our own, so that we know where we are, and how we can help to facilitate others for Japan! Ask God for the peace in Japan, ask God for the workers to be sent, ask God to send us partners to work together! Our God is for missions! He sent His only Son to die for us so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but live forever! His heart is for all people, not one less. 

People, we are called to be a Watchman! Not sleep-man. 

Arise! Watch for Japan! For our Lord, Jesus Christ is coming. He arise!

Pledge Allegiance

As we are going to have this discussion of "Is Christ the only way to Heaven?", this song came to me, "I Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb".

This song was one of my favorite songs, not that I can sing them well, but songs that I listen in my quiet time, as I seriously consider my faith. 

God had quietly introduced to me a number of songs that almost review the whole history of early disciples and the life of Jesus before I was matured enough to read the bible on my own. It was the time while i was seeking, I was listening Nichole Nordeman; then Michael Card before I made my choice; then while I was building my foundation on Jesus Christ, Roy Boltz became my another source of inspiration. And because of the work of these artists, my heart was heavily pounded and half aware by the sacrifice of Christ and choices that believers have to make.

Look for these singers, Nichole Nordeman, Michael Card, Roy Boltz, and may you be bless! May you begin to seriously hear the Gospel, and choices that comes with it. If you are still considering in making that choice in your life, and you are not reading the bible, these songs would help you.

Bless you, my friends!

Coming back to this song, "I Pledge Allegiance To The Lamb", If Christ is not the only way to Heaven, it doesn't make sense of the effort of the early church. And beware my friends, there will come a time for us to choose. What will you choose?

Listen to it carefully, and you will hear, it is the name of Christ that Herod had asked the people to reject, so we can see the name of Christ is really important, a foundation of our faith. Not all who does good go to heaven, but the one who believe in His name, Jesus Christ.