God is Holy

Good Morning

Yes, My wife and Daughter Rachel are in California now working on getting settled into University life. Rachel gave the testimony about life with a heart transplant. It has been a remarkable journey. I can remember her at 10 days old just breathing so fast. Not like a race that had been run. But this breathing was like someone drowning gasping for air. It was painful to watch her suffer. We took her to the Emergency room. It was busy but our daughter was given priority. We heard the diagnosis which confirmed our worst fears. She had dilated Cardiomyopathy 拡張型心筋症。Mihoko and I looked at each other and said “Oh no not again.” It was just 10 months prior to Rachel's birth that we buried our first born 3 year old Caleb who died of the same disease while waiting for a heart transplant. Cardiomyopathy is the condition of the heart being enlarged too much. Where it's not pumping the blood out of the heart. A heart should shoot 30 meters far. But only 20% of her blood was getting out of her heart and pumped through the body. She was drowning in her own blood and unable to breathe because of fluids built up in her lungs. This was a like a double drowning where not only could she not get her blood circulating but her air was unable to process. Without some intervention she would die within days. She was put on powerful medication and this extended her life for a few years but eventually the heart got weaker and weaker and it would need to be replace.

We went in for a normal routine check up. Rachel was walking into the clinic. She had a procedure called an echo cardiogram心絵構図(Kokoro eikou zu) (Sometimes it's 心エコー図) This showed her heart to be even weaker than ever and her medicine for her tiny body was maxed out. You can only put so much medication into a little body before it has no effect. She was more tired and sleeping all the time. The doctor told us without a heart transplant there is not way to extend her life. This was where we were exactly with Caleb our first born son. He had the same prognosis予後 and pattern. We were fearing the worst and I was questioning God. “WHY GOD?”Okay once I can understand but I know you love me and my family but why a second time? This was a dangerous question but one that many people ask. Why does God allow suffering not just once but over and over? God answered me.

Just before Rachel was in a coma. She had lost more weight. At 3 and a half years old she was just skin and bones. The Doctor said if you don't want her into a coma where we force feed her you need to get some food into her stomach. She would throw up anything she ate. The doctor said even if it's empty calories she needs to keep her digestive system working or it too will begin to shut down. It was a Friday Night we are in EAST Hollywood. West is the good part with movie stars and shopping. We were in a very old part of Hollywood where you don't go out at night. But I asked Rachel what she wanted to eat and she said, “Popcorn and a blue slushy”(Slushy is like Kakigori) So I braved the wild streets of Hollywook to go and get my princess a popcorn and a blue slushy at 10 pm at night. I was worried and telling myself don't look at anyone. Just go to the 7/11 that was fore blocks away. I walked. While I was walking I was marveling to myself. “What a great dad I am. Braving the streets of Hollywood to get my daughter some good things.” Then out of no where a voice spoke into my heart. “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (NIV)” “してみると、あなたがたは、悪い者ではあっても、自分の子どもには良い物を与えることを知っているのです。とすれば、なおのこと、天におられるあなたがたの父が、どうして、求める者たちに良いものを下さらないことがありましょう。” That verse became like a broken record in my head. I had to apologize to God and thank him and ask him to heal my heart. So I enter 7/11 and get a popcorn and a blue slushy and a bag of chocolate cakes and a 2 liter bottle of soda.... Hey I needed to be rewarded for my brave deed. But the whole time I'm in 7/11 that bible verse is playing in my head. I wondered where that verse was located in the Bible. So when I got back to the hospital room while we were eating our snacks. I looked up the verse... It was Matthew 7/11. I was in 7/11 getting good things for my sick daughter but I wasn't in the Bible getting good things from the heavenly Father. I was shocked that God spoke to me in such a way. I prayed even more and with a sincere heart. Even though I was going through suffering with my daughter. I was numb to God's presence. I knew he was there. But I couldn't sense him because I was not in the word. I'd read it like it was a manga for key point or inspiration but I wasn't hungry for God to speak to me. This caused me to start to search the Bible about suffering. Not so much why? But more so how do we navigate our suffering? The greatest book on suffering in the Bible is the book of Job. One day, I was reading Job 38:1 and I could not read any farther. Job 38:1 “ Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm.” “主はあらしの中からヨブに答えて仰せられた。

As I was thinking of God in heaven I didn't even think that in the storm was where God was at. He wasn't outside shouting directions to me. He was from within the stom speaking to me.

So in order to address the subject of suffering we must know a few things about God. In the presence of God are pleasures forevermore. Outside the presence of God is suffering. The Bible tells us that God's Nature is Holy. His unseen Spirit is Holy. That means he is so pure no evil or sin or contaminated thing can exist in his presence. 1 Samuel 2:2 “主のように聖なる方はいません。 まことに、あなたのほかにはだれもいないのです。 私たちの神のような岩はありません。” “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.”

The Bible itself describes the holiness of God as light. 1 John 1:5 神は光であって、神のうちには暗いところが少しもない。これが、私たちがキリストから聞いて、あなたがたに伝える知らせです。 “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all.” I like to illustrate this by describing a Bug Zapper (虫ザーパー）The device is a light that attracts bugs and the bugs have no protection so that when they come into the light they are zapped and die. God's light is holy light and we are attracted to it but our protection is weak and we cannot get close to God because the Bible says it is our sins that have separated us from him. Isaiah 59:2 (But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. むしろ、あなたがたの咎が、あなたがたと、あなたがたの神との仕切りとなり、あなたがたの罪が御顔を隠させ、聞いてくださらないようにしたのだ。) The Bible tells us that God desires us to be Holy like him so that we can have a relationship together. Leviticus 19:2 “イスラエルの全会衆に告げよ。 あなたがたは聖なる者でなければならない。あなたがたの神、主であるわたしが聖だからである。” ”Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy. “

How do we become holy?

In the Old Testament the Jews would sacrifice a lamb in their place and used the Blood symbolically as a covering for their sin. So that God would not look at the worshipper's sin and failed righteousness but God would see the lamb's blood taking the sinners place and would forgive their sin that was placed on the lamb and they could have fellowship together with God.

In the New Testament Jesus goes to the Cross and suffers offering his life in the place of ours and gives us his eternal covering of righteousness. God no longer looks at you and sees your failed righteousness he only sees Jesus' covering. We still need to ask for forgiveness of sins and keep our relationship in order but we no longer fear the pending zap of God. Jesus took the zap away. You know if the flies and mosquitoes could have a special teeny tiny rubber suit they could fly into the light and not get zapped. We too need to put on a suit of protection so that we won't get zapped. But is is not our suit. No work we do or create will protect us. We need this suit from God by faith.

[Rom 3:20-24, 26 NIV] 20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God's sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. 21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. ... 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

ロマ3:20-26　20　なぜなら、律法を行なうことによっては、だれひとり神の前に義と認められないからです。律法によっては、かえって罪の意識が生じるのです。 21 しかし、今は、律法とは別に、しかも律法と預言者によってあかしされて、神の義が示されました。 22. すなわち、イエス・キリストを信じる信仰による神の義であって、それはすべての信じる人に与えられ、何の差別もありません。 23 すべての人は、罪を犯したので、神からの栄誉を受けることができず、 24 ただ、神の恵みにより、キリスト・イエスによる贖いのゆえに、価なしに義と認められるのです。 25 神は、キリスト・イエスを、その血による、また信仰による、なだめの供え物として、公にお示しになりました。それは、ご自身の義を現わすためです。というのは、今までに犯されて来た罪を神の忍耐をもって見のがして来られたからです。 26 それは、今の時にご自身の義を現わすためであり、こうして神ご自身が義であり、また、イエスを信じる者を義とお認めになるためなのです。

Back to when I was reading Job was blessed by God. God saw into Jobs heart and loved him greatly. He tells the devil about Job but the Devil tells God to take away his protection and he'll loose faith and die.

God permits Satan to take away Jobs business, property, live stock, possessions, and even his servants and kids. Job is suffering but is still faithful to God. Satan then causes him bad health. He's super sick. Head to toe stinky sores. Jobs wife can't bear to watch the suffering. She loves job but thinks he should end his life to end his suffering. Job remains faithful. Then his friends come not with biblical wisdom but different types of man's philosophy. In the Book of Job; Chapters 1&2 are destruction and then 3-37 are debates. Mankind reasoning for “the why” of suffering. But they never ask for “the Who.” Chapters 38-42 are the deliverer, the WHO of Jobs life. Sin is the cause of all suffering but after the destruction and debates job learns that God is his deliverance. God didn't cause suffering sin did. But God is the salvation for us even during our times of suffering. 

Job 38:1 out of the storm, whirlwind, tsumuji kaze. God speaks. Was this storm in the atmosphere or in his heart. Job started to doubt God and demanded a reason for suffering. But the reason is easy. We live in a fallen world. For all are born with a sin nature. All sin because we are sinners. The only salvation we need is God himself. Job didn't need an answer to his why... but he needed a “who” that can deliver him out if sin and suffering. Jesus is the light of the world, Jesus is the bread of life, Jesus is the way the truth and the life. We don't need a big book of rules to follow. We need a Savior to follow. A Holy God needs holy people. Suffering teaches us that he suffered for us, and we are not holy.
Suffering is the state of not having pleasure. In God's presence are pleasures forevermore. Outside of God's presence is suffering. In our suffering know that God is near. He is ready to help us, guide us, and comfort us. To those who don't know him? He is ready to save all the time anytime. Paul used his suffering to glorify God. The soul that glorifies his creator is a most noble soul.

James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. 見なさい。耐え忍んだ人たちは幸いであると、私たちは考えます。あなたがたは、ヨブの忍耐のことを聞いています。また、主が彼になさったことの結末を見たのです。主は慈愛に富み、あわれみに満ちておられる方だということです。

Will I suffer more.? As long as I live on this Sin filled planet with sin tainted DNA I will experience some kind of suffering. I too have the same heart disease as my Son Caleb and daughter Rachel. How much longer will the medication work for me? I don't know? But I do know this. That when the suffering comes I can be at peace that my Savior will be with me and if the worst happens and I go home to heaven. I'll rejoice exceedingly because I will be with Jesus and in a place where there is not more.... Revelation 21:4 “And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 彼らの目の涙をすっかりぬぐい取ってくださる。もはや死もなく、悲しみ、叫び、苦しみもない。なぜなら、以前のものが、もはや過ぎ去ったからである。」 Let's pray.