Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Easter time exalt the Christ our Savior and King

Anemic Christians are anemic because they are never shown that the preeminence of Christ is the most important aspect of our faith. They don't learn that Christ came to earth as a seed of God placed in the womb of the virgin. They don't learn of "The Word", Christ, became flesh and dwelt among us. They don't learn that Christ purposefully died a brutal death. They don't learn that Christ being God although taking our sin into the death realm He could not stay dead as death has no grip on Him being God. They are not taught Christ rose to ascend to a much higher calling as a co-ruler with God the Father on the throne at the right hand. Christ is our personal advocate. Christ is our personal Savior. Christ is our King. Christ is our Lord and master. Christ justifies us. Christ purifies us. Christ sanctifies us. Christ holds us, He lifts us, He embraces us, He fills us, He overflows us with his love, He gives gifts to us, He has given us of His riches. He loves us, Oh how he loves us. Rise up and stand to applaud this Mighty King who deserves our glory and honor of Him. He deserves our praise. He deserves our attention, He deserves our Face time, He deserves our prayers, He deserves our respect and to stand for him, He deserves our voice to proclaim his truth. He deserves us to shout from the roof tops and mountain tops the glories of his name. Let's forget our troubles for a moment and let's look at the mightiest military commander in all the universe who is suited up and ready to mount to bring his people home. Ride Jesus Ride. YES and AMEN

Monday, February 4, 2013

Shunting away from the Holy Spirit


Mihoko and I came back from a long day in Tokyo. Visiting some great people. So we are on a subway and the young driver was in a hurry. Until he accidentally overshot the safety doors at one station. They have on the subways a double set of doors. I call them the anti-suicide doors. But the train doors must line up with the suicide doors so they will open. The driver had to apologize and back up the train. This reminded me of a quote by Andrew Murray in his book "Absolute Surrender." 
You all know what shunting is on a railway. A locomotive with its train may be run in a certain direction, and the points at some place may not be properly opened or closed, and unobservingly it is shunted off to the right or to the left. And if that takes place, for instance, on a dark night, the train goes in the wrong direction, and the people might never know it until they have gone some distance.
And just so God gives Christians the Holy Spirit with this intention, that every day all their life should be lived in the power of the Spirit. A man cannot live one hour a godly life unless by the power of the Holy Ghost. I may be very diligent and doing a great deal, and yet all the time it is more the work of human flesh than of God’s Spirit. What a solemn thought, that man can, without noticing it, be shunted off from the line of the Holy Ghost on to the line of the flesh; that he can be most diligent and make great sacrifices, and yet it is all in the power of the human will! Andrew Murray "Absolute Surrender"

Maybe your praying for an open door looking too far ahead and the door is right there but you have over shot the door because of speed and prideful expectation. Maybe you need to back up and resynchronize with the Holy Spirit and watch the doors open.   

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Books of the Bible in Japanese

 
旧約聖書
kyuu yaku sei sho
The Old Testament
法律 LAW
創世記 sou sei ki - Genesis  
出エジプト記 shutsu ejiputo ki - Exodus  
レビ記 rebi ki - Leviticus  
民数記 min suu ki - Numbers  
申命記 shin mei ki - Deuteronomy 
 
歴史HISTORY 
ヨシュア記 yoshua ki - Joshua  
士師記 shi ji ki - Judges 
ルツ記 rutsu ki - Ruth  
サムエル記第一 samueru ki dai ichi - I Samuel  
サムエル記第二 samueru ki dai ni - II Samuel  
列王記第一 retsu ou ki dai ichi - I Kings 
列王記第二 retsu ou ki dai ni - II Kings 
歴代誌第一 reki dai shi dai ichi - I Chronicles 
歴代誌第二 reki dai shi dai ni - II Chronicles  
エズラ記 ezura ki - Ezra  
ネヘミア記 nehemia ki - Nehemiah  
エステル記 esuteru ki - Esther 
 
詩と知恵POETRY 
ヨブ記 yobu ki - Job 
詩篇 shi hen - Psalms 
箴言 shin gen - Proverbs  
伝道者の書 den dou sha no sho - Ecclesiastes 
雅歌 ga ka - The Song of Solomon 
 
主要な預言者MAJOR PROPHETS 
イザヤ書 izaya sho - Isaiah  
エレミア書 eremia sho - Jeremiah  
哀歌 ai ka - Lamentations  
エゼキエル書 ezekieru sho - Ezekiel  
ダニエル書 danieru sho - Daniel 
 
小預言者MINOR PROPHETS 
ホセア書 hosea sho - Hosea  
ヨエル書 yoeru sho - Joel  
アモス書 amosu sho - Amos  
オバデア書 obadea sho - Obadiah
ヨナ書 yona sho - Jonah  
ミカ書 mika sho - Micah
ナホム書 nahomu sho - Nahum  
ハバクク書 habakuku sho - Habakkuk  
ゼパニア書 zebania sho - Zephaniah  
ハガイ書 hagai sho - Haggai  
ゼカリア書 zekaria sho - Zechariah  
マラキ書 maraki sho - Malachi  

新約聖書
shin yaku sei sho
The New Testament
福音書と使徒 GOSPELS
マタイの福音書 matai no fuku in sho - Matthew  
マルコの福音書 maruko no fuku in sho - Mark 
 ルカの福音書 ruka no fuku in sho - Luke  
ヨハネの福音書 yohane no fuku in sho - John  
使徒の働き shito no hataraki - Acts 
 
行動書簡PAUL'S EPISTLES 
ローマ人への手紙 ro-ma jin e no tegami - Romans  
コリント人への手紙第一 korinto jin e no tegami dai ichi - I Corinthians  
コリント人への手紙第二 korinto jin e no tegami dai ni - II Corinthians  
ガラテア人への手紙 garatea jin e no tegami - Galatians 
エペソ人への手紙 epeso jin e no tegami - Ephesians  
ピリピ人への手紙 piripi jin e no tegami - Philippians  
コロサイ人への手紙 korosai jin e no tegami - Colossians 
テサロニケ人への手紙第一 tesaronike jin e no tegami dai ichi - I Thessalonians  
テサロニケ人への手紙第二 tesaronike jin e no tegami dai ni - II Thessalonians  
テモテへの手紙第一 temote e no tegami dai ichi - I Timothy  
テモテへの手紙第二 temote e no tegami dai ni - II Timothy  
テトスへの手紙 tetosu e no tegami - Titus  
ピレモンへの手紙 piremon e no tegami - Philemon 
 
渤海書簡PASTORALEPISTLES 
ヘブル人への手紙 heburu jin e no tegami - Hebrews  
ヤコブの手紙 yakobu no tegami - James  
ペテロの手紙第一 petero no tegami dai ichi - I Peter 
 ペテロの手紙第二 petero no tegami dai ni - II Peter  
ヨハネの手紙第一 yohane no tegami dai ichi - I John  
ヨハネの手紙第二 yohane no tegami dai ni - II John  
ヨハネの手紙第三 yohane no tegami dai san - III John  
ユダの手紙 yuda no tegami - Jude 
ヨハネの黙示録 yohane no moku shi roku - Revelation 



  

Thursday, January 24, 2013

A surrendered heart by a transformed mind

First of all I mean no harm or ill will in this. I am thankful for the Japanese Bible versions we have. I do believe it is the Word of God. I am seeing that the difficulty lies in Culture and etymological nuances that lead to misconceptions. My apologies if offense is taken.

In Romans 12:1&2
I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

1 そういうわけですから、兄弟たち。私は、神のあわれみのゆえに、あなたがたにお願いします。あなたがたのからだを、神に受け入れられる、聖い、生きた供え物としてささげなさい。それこそ、あなたがたの霊的な礼拝です。

2 この世と調子を合わせてはいけません。いや、むしろ、神のみこころは何か、すなわち、何が良いことで、神に受け入れられ、完全であるのかをわきまえ知るために、心の一新によって自分を変えなさい。(Shin Kai Yaku)

 
καὶ μὴ συσχηματίζεσθε τῷ αἰῶνι τούτῳ ἀλλὰ μεταμορφοῦσθε τῇ ἀνακαινώσει τοῦ νοός ὑμῶν, εἰς τὸ δοκιμάζειν ὑμᾶς τί τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ τὸ ἀγαθὸν καὶ εὐάρεστον καὶ τέλειον (Strongs text on blueletterbible.com)

This is where we were studying on Wednesday night. In verse two the word in the Greek is "Nous": mind. In Greek; heart is kardia.  Now in Japanese culture 心の (Kokoro no) is also mind using the kanji for heart or the center of emotions. But also 気 (Ki) is mind in Japanese. It is not a translation error but as Jonathan said a nuance that fits more culturally. Although, a new Japanese believer didn't think so. As I am pointing to my mind cause the text says mind they are wondering why I am not pointing to my heart?

Now in Japanese Culture, which I am very ignorant of. Yes I admit my faults at least my wife tells me to do that, I have learned through this that the center of thinking is their heart. Japanese are very emotional I have found very passionate but are very good at masking the true heart and rendering a stoic heart. Anyway, I have over spoken already and will not address this anymore.