Yesterday was a great day! It started with a great service at Church, which included a particularly challenging sermon. We were looking at the first half of Romans 6, where Paul talks about the fact that our sin nature has died and in Christ we have a new nature that can say no to sin. Matt, the preacher, used a particularly good illustration to explain why this doesn't always seem to ring true in our lives. He compared the sin nature to a vine (not to be confused with the vine of John 15) that he had growing on his Church building back in the US. One of the jobs of keeping the yard clean was to rip down these vines that grew up the side of the building. They were quite strong though and it was hard to rip them off the wall, so what you had to do was cut it off at the roots and leave it for a while to die and then after waiting many weeks, the vine would be weak enough to rip off.
Likewise, our sin can be like that. We have died to sin, the old body was crucified with Christ - it has been cut off at the root. But its still there, but slowly losing its grip on our life. We need to continue to trust in the power of Christ, that is given us when we choose to follow Him, rather than our own strength, to rip that vine off the wall. And one day, the vine will drop off altogether, when we meet Christ face to face.
The day then continued in its awesome ways, as a group of us went to the beach. It took us an hour to get there (unlike the 5 minutes or so it used to take in Sydney), but it was well worth it. I hadn't seen the ocean since I arrived in Japan, so it was refreshing to swim, to feel the sand between my toes, enjoy the sea breeze. We had a lot of fun just hanging out.
When we left, we went to Nagoya station and got some Cold Stone (or Cold Rock for my Australian readers) and the girls working there sung for us as they made the ice cream. Then we all got a photo with them. They all went out back to get their cameras to get a photo for themselves too haha. All in all a fun day!
Monday, June 29, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
And I thought it couldn't get better
After seeing 4 girls come to Christ in a matter of days, I was incredibly excited and amazed at what God was doing. But He wasn't done yet, and frankly, that shouldn't have surprised me. Yesterday we had 2 more girls choose to follow Jesus.
During lunch time Cecilia and Pam met up with a first year girl, Kumiko, who is friends with the Mai who came to Christ earlier in the week, because Kumiko wanted to find out more about Jesus. And she decided during lunch that she wanted to follow Him.
Then last night at our International Night, Cecilia got to share, along with Mika (a student at Nagoya Gakuin University - NGU), with Mika's friend Kyoko after we had heard a message about how Jesus had changed Jody's life. Kyoko invited Jesus into her life too.
Praise God for new members of God's family!
During lunch time Cecilia and Pam met up with a first year girl, Kumiko, who is friends with the Mai who came to Christ earlier in the week, because Kumiko wanted to find out more about Jesus. And she decided during lunch that she wanted to follow Him.
Then last night at our International Night, Cecilia got to share, along with Mika (a student at Nagoya Gakuin University - NGU), with Mika's friend Kyoko after we had heard a message about how Jesus had changed Jody's life. Kyoko invited Jesus into her life too.
Praise God for new members of God's family!
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God
... over one sinner who repents" - Luke 15:10
Wow, what a week! Talk about God's Spirit moving!
Here's the short version:
since Friday 4 girls at Gaidai have come to know Jesus as their Saviour!
Here's the longer version:
On Friday at lunch, Pam and Kahori (one of the student leaders) were talking to a girl Kahori went to high school with, Miki and during the conversation they were able to share the Gospel with her and she received Christ. Then straight after that, Pam went to do a Christianity Explained course (a short 6 lesson overview of the life of Jesus) with a first year Gaidai girl named Mayuka who we'd met only the week before, when she said she had an interest in the Bible. After doing CE, Mayuka decided she wanted to follow Jesus.
Then on Monday, Cecilia was meeting up with some girls for lunch with Pam and Kahori, and after lunch one of them (Mai) stayed back to hang out and they shared really openly about their struggles, which led to Cecilia being able to share how she came to know Jesus. Mai started to cry as it really impacted her and Cecilia and Pam were able to share with her the joy of knowing Jesus and she decided to become a Christian too.
Then just an hour ago, Kahori and Saki (another Gaidai Christian girl) did CE with a student named Ayaka, and she prayed to receive Christ as well.
God is working and its exciting to be a part of it!
Wow, what a week! Talk about God's Spirit moving!
Here's the short version:
since Friday 4 girls at Gaidai have come to know Jesus as their Saviour!
Here's the longer version:
On Friday at lunch, Pam and Kahori (one of the student leaders) were talking to a girl Kahori went to high school with, Miki and during the conversation they were able to share the Gospel with her and she received Christ. Then straight after that, Pam went to do a Christianity Explained course (a short 6 lesson overview of the life of Jesus) with a first year Gaidai girl named Mayuka who we'd met only the week before, when she said she had an interest in the Bible. After doing CE, Mayuka decided she wanted to follow Jesus.
Then on Monday, Cecilia was meeting up with some girls for lunch with Pam and Kahori, and after lunch one of them (Mai) stayed back to hang out and they shared really openly about their struggles, which led to Cecilia being able to share how she came to know Jesus. Mai started to cry as it really impacted her and Cecilia and Pam were able to share with her the joy of knowing Jesus and she decided to become a Christian too.
Then just an hour ago, Kahori and Saki (another Gaidai Christian girl) did CE with a student named Ayaka, and she prayed to receive Christ as well.
God is working and its exciting to be a part of it!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
God listens
Wanted to share a brief little story of ministry from this past week:
It was Thursday morning and I met up with Masayoshi, one of the Japanese staff, before we started ministry on Aichi Gakuin University (AGU). We were both a little discouraged by a few things that had happened recently. We'd been searching for a new place for our weekly student meeting on Thursday Nights (Immanuel Meeting) and we had one promising location we'd found, but we got word that morning that they were unable to help us out anymore. And something else Masayoshi and myself had been planning was starting to fall apart (more on that later). On top of that, someone I had become really good friends with over the last few weeks had just flown home to the US that morning. So we had both come to campus feeling a bit down.
We read a bit of the Word, and were encouraged by God's promise in Micah 4:3 - "He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore". Life is tough, its filled with war - whether real war between countries, or spiritual war, or war within ourselves. However, we know that God has promised this will not last forever - there will come a day when there will be no more war. So we prayed that God would continue to encourage us today even if we weren't feeling like doing ministry or anything like that.
So we headed out to meet some students, sat down next to some guys to eat lunch, only for them to get up after a few minutes and leave. Not the most encouraging start. Then two guys sat down next to us and Masayoshi said hello. After a few seconds we came to realise that these guys weren't actually Japanese, but rather Chinese exchange students. When Masayoshi was at Uni he majored in Chinese and Chinese history, so he burst into Chinese chatting to these guys. We found out their major was Global English, so they spoke English reasonably well too. It wasn't a huge thing, they didn't receive Christ or anything like that, but I could see in Masayoshi's eyes that this was encouraging to him. He doesn't get the chance to speak Chinese much and this was just what he needed at that time. God heard and He responded - just as was needed at that moment in time.
It was Thursday morning and I met up with Masayoshi, one of the Japanese staff, before we started ministry on Aichi Gakuin University (AGU). We were both a little discouraged by a few things that had happened recently. We'd been searching for a new place for our weekly student meeting on Thursday Nights (Immanuel Meeting) and we had one promising location we'd found, but we got word that morning that they were unable to help us out anymore. And something else Masayoshi and myself had been planning was starting to fall apart (more on that later). On top of that, someone I had become really good friends with over the last few weeks had just flown home to the US that morning. So we had both come to campus feeling a bit down.
We read a bit of the Word, and were encouraged by God's promise in Micah 4:3 - "He shall judge between many peoples, and shall decide for strong nations far away; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore". Life is tough, its filled with war - whether real war between countries, or spiritual war, or war within ourselves. However, we know that God has promised this will not last forever - there will come a day when there will be no more war. So we prayed that God would continue to encourage us today even if we weren't feeling like doing ministry or anything like that.
So we headed out to meet some students, sat down next to some guys to eat lunch, only for them to get up after a few minutes and leave. Not the most encouraging start. Then two guys sat down next to us and Masayoshi said hello. After a few seconds we came to realise that these guys weren't actually Japanese, but rather Chinese exchange students. When Masayoshi was at Uni he majored in Chinese and Chinese history, so he burst into Chinese chatting to these guys. We found out their major was Global English, so they spoke English reasonably well too. It wasn't a huge thing, they didn't receive Christ or anything like that, but I could see in Masayoshi's eyes that this was encouraging to him. He doesn't get the chance to speak Chinese much and this was just what he needed at that time. God heard and He responded - just as was needed at that moment in time.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Lessons learned
It seems that being here on STINT is one big long lesson, or at least lots of little lessons building on top of each other.
I've learned a lot about myself - what I value, what I prioritise, my weaknesses and failings.
I've learned a lot about others - how their values and priorities differ, their weaknesses and failings.
I've learned a lot about God - His values, His priorities and His complete lack of weaknesses and failings.
I've learned that God is in the business of changing hearts. I've always known that and mentally adhered to it, but over the last 2 months, I've experienced it in amazing ways. God has been molding me to reflect His priorities and values. I've been faced with situations that just a year ago would have caused me to stumble, and God has blessed with the ability to fight through them. I'm nowhere near perfection and would never claim to be, but its been amazing to see and feel the change God has made so far and I can't wait to see what else He will do in the coming months.
I've learned that God is in control. There have been so many Divine appointments so far. God has brought people along at the right times and used it for His Glory. The future isn't always plain to see, but we don't need to know the future to follow faithfully after our Father. As a poster in a Church I visited once said: "I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I do know Who brings tomorrow". I will continue to strive to trust God's plan, no matter how strange or bizarre it may seem or how little sense it may make to me.
I've learned to be open, to be honest. I've learned to confess my sins, admit my failures and be honest about where I've failed. My life as a Christian started with admitting that I had failed, and my life as a Christian should continue with that attitude. I want to be the first to put my hand up and say that I've messed up, not so I can seem more holy or anything like that, but that I wouldn't deny the Holy Spirit one minute to work in my heart.
Most of all, I've learned that I am dearly loved, through nothing I've done or achieved, but solely through what He has done and achieved on my behalf. Saved. Chosen. Sanctified. Blessed.
I've learned a lot about myself - what I value, what I prioritise, my weaknesses and failings.
I've learned a lot about others - how their values and priorities differ, their weaknesses and failings.
I've learned a lot about God - His values, His priorities and His complete lack of weaknesses and failings.
I've learned that God is in the business of changing hearts. I've always known that and mentally adhered to it, but over the last 2 months, I've experienced it in amazing ways. God has been molding me to reflect His priorities and values. I've been faced with situations that just a year ago would have caused me to stumble, and God has blessed with the ability to fight through them. I'm nowhere near perfection and would never claim to be, but its been amazing to see and feel the change God has made so far and I can't wait to see what else He will do in the coming months.
I've learned that God is in control. There have been so many Divine appointments so far. God has brought people along at the right times and used it for His Glory. The future isn't always plain to see, but we don't need to know the future to follow faithfully after our Father. As a poster in a Church I visited once said: "I don't know what tomorrow brings, but I do know Who brings tomorrow". I will continue to strive to trust God's plan, no matter how strange or bizarre it may seem or how little sense it may make to me.
I've learned to be open, to be honest. I've learned to confess my sins, admit my failures and be honest about where I've failed. My life as a Christian started with admitting that I had failed, and my life as a Christian should continue with that attitude. I want to be the first to put my hand up and say that I've messed up, not so I can seem more holy or anything like that, but that I wouldn't deny the Holy Spirit one minute to work in my heart.
Most of all, I've learned that I am dearly loved, through nothing I've done or achieved, but solely through what He has done and achieved on my behalf. Saved. Chosen. Sanctified. Blessed.
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