Pictures of Kyoto

Pictures of Kyoto

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

I am a Child of God, Called by God, Sent by God, God is with me, and He will deliver me.


I came across this passage recently and preached from it here at church. I want to share it with you here on our blog.

I want to talk about God’s call and the fear we sometimes experience in following that call.

Jeremiah 1:1-9, 11
This passage was written more than 2000 years ago. It is God’s call to Jeremiah to be a voice to his nation. These words can apply to us today.

Verse 5. “Before I formed you I knew you.” You weren’t a surprise to God. Even before you’re mum and dad got together, God had a plan for you. God doesn’t send his angels to hospitals to see who the new kds are.
“Hey God look here, it’s a girl.” “What’s her name?” “I wasn’t expecting her, what will I do with her?”

NO amazingly God was thinking of you long before your birth. God made your body in your mother’s womb and he has a marvellous plan for your life. You can live it your way or you can come to Jesus and find his plan and purpose for your life.
Jeremiah was discovering the reason for his life; he was to be a voice to his nation.

Verse 6. “I cannot speak for I am a youth.” I always find it funny when I here Japanese people speaking in English and they say, “I can’t speak English.” But ... you just did. What they mean is, “I can’t speak English very well. And I’m afraid to try in case I make a mistake.” Its fear and Jeremiah was also speaking with fear.
We have all given God a similar excuse at some time. I cannot speak, I’m a youth. I cannot speak, I’m a new Christian, .... I’m busy, ..... I’m tired, ...I’m shy, ...I’m Japanese and I don’t want to stand out. What excuse do you have?

Verse 7. “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, I am a youth.”
The Lord tonight is saying, “Do not say I’m shy. Do not say I’m weak, I’m a new Christian, I’m busy, I’m old, I’m young, I’m Japanese, we don’t do it that way.”

“For you shall go to whom I send you and whatever I command you, you shall speak.” God is sending us to the people around us. The people in our work place, school, in our community.

Verse 8. “Do not be afraid of their faces, for I am able to deliver you – says the Lord.” Do not be afraid. Don’t let fear stop you doing what you have been called to do.

Verse 9. “Then the Lord put forward His hand and touched my mouth.” How has the Lord touched us? He has promised to give His Holy Spirit and said, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you shall be my witnesses.”
The purpose of the Holy Spirit is to empower you to be a witness. So we need to seek and be filled with His Holy Spirit, and go out to be a witness.

Verse 11. "More over the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, What do you see?” What do you see?

When you are out of this meeting, back in the real world, what do you see? Do you see a lost world? DO you really notice? Does it grip your heart? They are lost and going to hell.

When you look at your own life, what do you see? I’m weak, I’m shy, I’m afraid. Or do you see yourself as God’s child, “I am a child of God, I am called by God, I am sent by God and He is with me, He is able to deliver me.”

God is calling you to be a voice, to your family, to your school, to your work place, to your university, to this community to this city and maybe even to this nation.

Synchronized swimming.


I have come across an interesting sport program in Junior High School for boys here in Japan. Synchronized swimming. As funny as it sounds for teenage boys, well it is.
It all started from a movie and TV show called, "Water Boys." In it, a bunch of boys are interested in joining the synchro swimming team because they want to check out the new sports teacher. However she is pregnant, (not that you could tell) and after the first training session she goes off to hospital and has her baby. Very funny but strange. And so the boys set out to learn synchro swimming from a dolphin trainer and then have their first performance in front of family and all the girls from the neighbouring girls school.

Last month Sharon and I went off to watch one of the young guys from Church. He had a synchronized swimming compation at his school. Very entertaining and funny. The boys dance in front of their mum's and dad's and all the girl's from their year level. And then they are in the water to do their performance.


I couldn't help but think there is no way 13 year old Australia boys would do this in front of their mum's and dad's and the girl's from their school.

Most of the boy's seemed to enjoy themselves, some however were a little shy. No eye contact could be made.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

Excuses I have heard.

I was thinking of how lots of people have excuses for not becoming a Christian or for not coming to church.
The following are some of the excuses I have come across in Japan; maybe they are everywhere, maybe even yours:

"I'm not a Christian so I can't come to church."
Who said you had to be a Christian to come to church. To enter a mosque maybe you need to be a Muslim, to enter a cult's meeting you need to be a member i.e. Jehovah Witness, Mormon etc. But a Christian Church, we are all welcome.
Jesus gives an invitation to all. He said, "For this reason I have come, to seek and save sinners." He said, "Come to me all who are tired and carry a heavy load and I will give you rest."

If you have ever had these thoughts that you couldn't come then just come and experience Christ's love and acceptance for you. You are welcome.

“My Family is Buddhist so I can’t be a Christian.”
Who told you this lie? At some point your great, great, great grandpa became a Buddhist. Probably because he was told he had to or there was nothing else at the time to put his trust in. At some point he chose to be a Buddhist. Do you therefore not have a free choice to believe in what you want?

“I’m afraid of what my family will say.”
Your fear will keep you from finding peace, purpose and meaning of life. Your fear will also stop your family from receiving this new life in Jesus. If you become a Christian you could be the light of Jesus that brings the hope of Jesus to the rest of your family.

“I have other plans / I have something to do.”

Will you allow your plans and the things you do to stop you from finding what life is really about? So many people have no idea what life is about and they never face this question because they fill life up so much that they have no time to stop and reflect. “What is my life? Where am I going? Why am I here?”
Is your diary so full that you have no time to consider what is important?

“Oh, I’ve been to church before.”
Yes you may have been before, but if you’ve been to my house once does that mean you know me. To strengthen your faith in God or discover why so many trust in Jesus you have to come more than once. What you may have heard last time may only have be the beginning of what Jesus wants to say to you.

So if you are in Australia grab a friend and be at church this Sunday and see what Jesus has wants to say to you.
If you are living in Kyoto come visit us and come to our church. Jesus will answer all your questions about life and give you purpose for your existence. You are not just a number in Japan but a loved person made by God.

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Yukata night.



Last month we had a great summer night. Yukata night. It was a great night of fun, dancing and singing. Plus Sharon shared a great message.



Girls are the same everywhere they love to dress up.



We are trying the Don Obori dance pose with Moegi Chan. "Joy Joy Joy."


The girls making a yummy snow cone. "Arigato."



Thankyou Hanna for organise a good night.

Friday, September 05, 2008

Proverbs take on Friendship.


How do you spell friend in English. FRIEND. When I was a child I would always get the IE mixed up. Then I learnt this saying. “If you fri a friend, it will be the end of your friend.”
How do we make BF that will last forever? Most people can make BF but can’t keep them forever.

Take a look at what the book of Proverbs has to say on friendship. Proverbs is a book of random thoughts on many subjects, so I have gone searching for the principles of friendship that are in this book.
These principles could also help you in your marriage; they could make you a better husband or a better wife. They could even help you find a wife or a husband.


How to make friends and keep them forever.

1. Proverbs 12:26 Choose your friends carefully.

2. Proverbs 19:6 Give gifts.
This verse is not about bribing; giving gifts to your friends is not a bad thing if done with the right motivation. It is a good way to show someone you desire friendship. Gifts can also be giving of our time or writing a note/ card to encourage another person. Sometimes I will send an email to my friends to say hi and encourage them. Japanese people already have a culture of gift giving. Do it to strengthen your friendships.

3. Proverbs 22:11 He who loves purity of heart has pure motives.
When you approach friendships your motives should not be, “What can I get from this friendship?” but “What can I give?” No body wants a friend who is using them. You have to have pure motives for friendships to last...... Everybody wants to be the king’s friend because the king has power and wealth. But who will the king choose to be friends with? A person of pure motives, not a person trying to get what the king has.

4. Proverbs 16:28 The Whisperer.
If you want to separate your friendship, talk about your friend when they are not with you; whisper, gossip about your friends. “Do you know what they told me?” “Do you know what they did last week?”
Don’t make friends with whisperers and don’t be a whisperer. Stop it. It’s only going to hurt .....

5. Proverbs 17:9 Keep a friend, Cover a friend.

6. Proverbs 18:24 Keep a Friend, Be a Friend.
True friendship has to be both ways.

7. Proverbs 27:9 Take Time to Listen.
Hearty council comes from a person who listens. You can’t bring delight to your friends if you don’t listen. Stop talking and listen to your friends.

8. Proverbs 27:14 Take Time to Listen.


To be a good friend we have to be ready to listen.

9. Proverbs 17:17 A Friend loves at all times
A Friend loves even in the hard times, even when our friends make mistakes and hurt us; a friend loves.

So how would you match up with these principles? Would you give yourself a 9 out of 9 or do you have some areas of friendship to work on. These principles aren’t written to condemn and say you’re a bad friend but to say, “If you want to be a better friend and have friendships that last forever, follow these principles.”

Sometimes I haven’t been a good friend. Sometimes I haven’t given gifts, sometimes I’ve been a whisperer, sometimes I haven’t covered a friend with love and sometimes I haven’t listened. But I have made a decision to be a good friend, to put my friends first. As I get older I want to make sure I have good quality friends.

How are your relationships in life? Do you have the friendships you need to carry you through the rough times of life?

A friend loves at all times. I want to say that the friend who loves at all times despite all your weaknesses and mistakes is Jesus and he is always waiting to have a wonderful friendship with you.



箴言(しんげん)Proverbs

1.12:26 正しい人は悪を離れ去る、しかし悪しき者は自ら道に迷う。
The righteous should choose his friends carefully, for the way of the wicked leads them astray.

2.19:6 気前のよい人にこびる者は多い、人はみな贈り物をする人の友となる。
Many entreat the favor of the nobility, and every man is a friend to one who gives gifts.

3.22:11 心の潔白を愛する者、その言葉の上品な者は、王がその友となる。
He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend.

4.16:28 偽る者は争いを起し、つげ口する者は親しい友を離れさせる。
A perverse man sows strife, and a whisperer separates the best of friends.

5.17:9 愛を追い求める人は人のあやまちをゆるす、人のことを言いふらす者は友を離れさせる。
He who covers a transgression seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates friends.

6.18:24 世には友らしい見せかけの友がある、しかし兄弟よりもたのもしい友もある。
A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

7.27:9 油と香とは人の心を喜ばせる、しかし魂は悩みによって裂かれる。
Ointment and perfume delight the heart, and the sweetness of a man’s friend gives delight by hearty counsel.

8.27:14 朝はやく起きて大声にその隣り人を祝すれば、かえってのろいと見なされよう。
He who blesses his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it will be counted a curse to him.

9.17:17 友はいずれの時にも愛する、兄弟はなやみの時のために生れる。
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

A night at Starbucks.


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