Health Info

Here is a link to precautionary measures against swine flu

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20090427-201664/Swine-flu-symptoms-diagnosis-prevention

This is Really Exciting!

New Social/Prayer Network!

Please sign up and join our newly built network that is devoted to prayer. Two hours after its launch twelve new members have joined. Let's keep it going for the glory of God!

http://prayer-lifeseminarsjapan.ning.com/

Events

April 25 (Saturday) - Gospel Concert with Tess D. as guest performer
May 3 (Sunday) - International Congregation marks its 10th anniversary
May 4 to 6 - Japan Assemblies of God Conference in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan

Resurrection Sunday

Jesus Is Alive!

Last night, I spoke on the subject of what the resurrection meant to the ones who first witnessed it. The Scripture text I used was Luke 24:1-12.

Here's the outline of the message:

WHAT DOES THE RESURRECTION MEAN?

INTRODUCTION:

I. TO THE WOMEN

A. The women were identified/ named in verse 10.

B. The women were loyal and faithful supporters of Jesus – c.f., Luke 8:1-3; 23:46- 49; 24:1

*IN LIFE - ¹ Soon afterward Jesus began a tour of the nearby towns and villages, preaching and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom of God. He took his twelve disciples with him, ² along with some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases. Among them were Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons; ³ Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod’s business manager; Susanna; and many others who were contributing their own resources to support Jesus and his disciples. (Luke 8:1-3)

*IN DEATH - ⁴⁶ Then Jesus shouted, “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands!” And with those words he breathed his last.

⁴⁷ When the Roman officer overseeing the execution saw what had happened, he worshiped God and said, “Surely this man was innocent.” ⁴⁸ And when all the crowd that came to see the crucifixion saw what had happened, they went home in deep sorrow. ⁴⁹But Jesus’ friends, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance watching. (Luke 23:46 - 49)

*IN BURIAL - ¹ But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. (Luke 24:1)

C. The women were the first to receive the news of the resurrection and one of them (Mary Magdalene) was the first one to see Jesus alive.

LESSON/APPLICATION:

A. Their service was never in vain - How would you feel after realizing that all that you have worked for and all you have invested in with your strength, time & resources have come to nothing?

(Illustration):

1 Corinthians 15:58 ^“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”

B. Their sorrow turned into joy –

II. TO THE DISCIPLES

A. The disciples were student-followers of Jesus. Judas betrayed Him and later committed suicide. In contrast to the women, they all deserted Jesus when He was arrested. Peter, the most vocal among them, denied Him three times.

B. Imagine their fear, shame and sense of loss.

C. Then they heard the news from the women (verse 9). But they didn’t believe it (verse 11). They thought it’s too good to be true.

LESSON/APPLICATION:

A. There are things that block our reception of the truth, even how Good the News is. Are we aware of any? How can we remedy it?

(Illustration):

B. Jesus showed them kindness, love and forgiveness. How would you feel when you meet someone you know you have offended or have sinned against? I suppose that’s what Peter felt. That’s what the other disciples felt. Yet, Jesus Christ restored them into a right relationship with Him and commissioned them for ministry as His witnesses.

III. TO US

A. We were not there when it happened some 2,000 years ago. But, this greatest miracle in history has reached us today. What are we going to do about it?

B. Well, we have two options:

1. We accept and believe it; or,
2. We ignore and do not believe it.

C. I pray that we will choose to accept and believe it. But, why should it matter whether Jesus Christ rose from the dead? ANSWER: Because, if it is true (and it is) there are eternal consequences. His physical resurrection is important only if it’s true. If Jesus didn’t rise from the grave, then the unbeliever is no worse or better off than before. However, if Jesus did rise from the dead, then it is reasonable to believe that everything He claimed is true. If what Jesus claimed is true, then He died for the sins of the world and one receives eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.

The apostle Paul told the people in Athens that God wants all people everywhere to repent because he has set a day when He will judge the world by Jesus. He has given proof of this by raising Him from the dead (Acts 17:16-33). Paul asserts that Christ has indeed been raised from the dead (I Corinthians 15:20-22).

CONCLUSION

Easter Metaphor

NEW LIFE IN JESUS!

キリストにある新しい命

I am a caterpillar. I hardly make a sound.

私はイモムシ、めったに音を立てません。

I look for lots of leaves to eat up high and on the ground.

食いつくす葉っぱを求めて地を這いまわる。

And as I eat, my body grows. I am ready for a change.

食べて太って、変化の用意は整った。

I wrap up in a chrysalis (cocoon); it looks so very strange.

糸に巻かれて繭になる、とっても奇妙だ。

Though it may seem to those who watch that inside I could die, our God is making something new-

人の目には死んでいるように見えるけど、神は新しい何かを創っておられる。

See, now, a BUTTERFLY!

ほら、見てごらん、蝶だ！

Our Savior works in this same way. He died for you one day. He rose again on Easter morn to take your sins away.

私達の救い主は同じようになさるのです。主は貴方の（罪の）為に死なれ、貴方の罪を取り除くためにイースターの朝、蘇えられたのです。

“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17)

誰でもキリストの内にあるなら、その人は新しく造られた者です。古いものは過ぎ去って全てが新しくなりました。（第Ⅱコリント５－１７）

Through faith, believe in this great gift. He’ll make your heart brand new! And just like me you’ll be transformed; he gives new life to you!

この素晴らしい贈り物を、信仰によって信じてください。主は貴方の心を新しくされます。この私にも起こったように、貴方も新しい命に移されるのです。

DEAD AND ALIVE

死と命

I’d like you to meet my friend Chris. We’ve been friends for a very long time.

私の友人、クリスに合ってください。私達はもう何年来の友達です。

Wow! It looks like Chris is pretty tired. I guess that’s what happens when you’re the oldest caterpillar in the world!

うあ～、クリスはとっても疲れているようです。きっと何かが起こって、世界一年寄りのイモムシになったのでしょう。

Leader: Chris, tell us, how did you become the oldest caterpillar in the world?

クリス、どうして君は世界一年寄りのイモムシになってしまったんだい？

Chris: Well, to be honest, my life wasn’t supposed to be like this. I was born to fly. My dad was a flyer. So was my mom. My grandpa was a radical flyer. He did things most flyers never dream of doing. And I was determined to be the greatest flyer of them all!

クリス　う～ん　正直言って僕の人生はこんなはずじゃなかったんだ。僕は飛ぶために生まれたんだよ。僕のお父さんは飛んでいたし、お母さんもさ。お爺さんなんかサイコーだった、誰も想像出来ない位すごかったものさ。だから僕は誰よりも素晴らしく飛ぶんだって心に決めたんだ！

Leader: What kept you from flying Chris?

どうして君は飛ばなくなっちゃったの？

Chris: I’m not exactly sure. I worked harder than any other caterpillar around. I exercised. I ate the right vegetation. I got the proper sleep. I even read Flyer’s Weekly where I learned techniques from the best of the best. But then came the day of covering.

クリス　　よくわからないよ。僕は周りの誰よりも一生懸命働いたし、練習もした。体にいい野菜を食べ、適切な睡眠を取り、最高の飛行技術を学ぶ為に、フライヤーズウィークリーを読んだりしてね。でもやがて「カバーリングの日」がやってきたんだよ。

Leader: The “covering”?

カバーリング？

Chris: I will never forget it. I was sitting on a leaf, minding my own business, when something started to cover me. My parents said “the covering” was how they became new creatures. They said it was the day they became free to one day soar through the sky!

クリス　僕はきっと絶対に忘れないと思うよ。僕が葉っぱの上に座って、仕事の事なんかを考えていると、何かが僕を覆い始めたんだ。両親からはカバーリングは新しい生き物に生まれ変わる為だって聞かされていた。それはいつか自由に大空を飛び回れる為の日だって言うんだよ。

But I wasn’t expecting it. What was happening? I was afraid. So I squirmed out from underneath it.

でも、僕はそうは思えなかった。何が起こったかって？怖かったのさ。

だからそれから這い出したんだ。

Oh, I knew I was supposed to change into a chrysalis, and then a few weeks later, I’d change again to become a butterfly. But I saw a chrysalis once. It sort of freaked me out. It looked dead! How could anything good come out of that? What if I didn’t come out at all?

うん、僕はたぶん繭になって、それから何週間かしたら蝶に生まれ変わるはずだと分かっていたよ。でも繭を見た事があるけど、ゾッとしたよ。死んでいるみたいだった。どうやったら、あんな物から何か素敵な物が出て来れるんだい？もし生まれ変わらなかったらどうするんだい？

So every time it starts to happen, I squirm away. Now I’m the oldest caterpillar ever. And I never become a flyer.

Maybe one of these days … it seems kind of risk, but maybe one day…

そうやって、いつも同じ事が起ころうとすると、僕は這い出してしまうんだ。

今、僕は世界一の年寄りイモムシで、飛べるようにはならないよ。

もしかしたら、そのうちいつか・・・なんだか危なっかしい気がする、でももしかしたらいつの日か・・・。

Leader: What do you think? What has Chris missed? Why won’t he allow himself to be covered?

貴方はどう思いますか？　クリスは何を失ったのでしょうか？

なぜ、彼は（繭に）覆われたくなかったのでしょうか？

The Bible says, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2 Cor 5:17).

聖書には「誰でもキリストの内にあるならその人は新しく造られた者です。古いものは過ぎ去って全てが新しくなりました。第Ⅱコリント５－１７」とあります。

Jesus came to earth so that through his life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection, he could make us new.

キリストがこの世に来られたのは、彼の命、十字架上の死、復活を通して私達を新しくする為なのです。

He came to cover all our sin and disobedience. But He didn’t just cover it up; He took it away!

キリストは私達の全ての罪と不従順を覆う為に来られましたが、ただ覆うだけで無く、それらを取り去る為に来られたのです。

He makes us his new people. He gives us His own purity, his own goodness, his own holiness, so we can live as God’s friends now and forever.

イエスは私達を新しくして下さいます。キリストにあって　聖くし、善いもので満たし、聖なる者としてくださいます。その結果、私達は永遠に神の友として生きる事が出来るのです。

We don’t have to earn this new life. We don’t have to work and strive to get it. New Life is a free gift. Do you want to accept that gift?

私達は自分の力でこの新しい命を手に入れる必要はないのです。それを得ようと努力して何かをする必要はありません。新しい命は無代価の贈り物です。この贈り物を受け取りたいとは思いませんか？

In Jesus, you have become a new creation! Just as God turns caterpillars into beautiful butterflies, he has made you his beautiful new creation through faith in what Jesus did for you on the cross! You are new!

キリストにあるなら貴方は新しく造られた者です。まさに神がイモムシを美しい蝶に変えられるように。キリストが貴方の為に十字架上でなさった事を信じるなら、その信仰を通して、神は貴方を新しく美しく造り変えて下さるのです。

Let’s thank Jesus for his great gift of new life!

イエスの下さった新しい命という、素晴らしい贈り物に感謝しようではありませんか！

“Dear Jesus, thank you for making me your new creation. Thank you for covering my sin, my mistakes, and my selfishness with the blood of your cross. Thank you for giving me your very own goodness in place of my sin. Make me strong in faith so I can live out the new life you created me to live. I love you Lord Jesus! Amen.

「　愛する主よ、私を新しく造り変えて下さる事をありがとうございます。私の罪、犯してきた間違い、我儘を十字架で流された血潮によって覆い尽くして下さって感謝します。私の罪の代わりに貴方ご自身の善きものを与えて下さいます事をありがとうございます。どうぞ私の信仰を強めて下さって、貴方が私の内に創って下さった、新しい命に生きる事が出来るようにして下さい。主イエス様、貴方を愛します。アーメン。」

A Sigh of Relief

Thanks to those who prayed

Last Sunday, North Korea finally launched its rocket passing through Japan's airspace and then it went down into the Pacific Ocean.

Although the issue is not yet over, we in Japan are glad to know that there's no untoward incident that happened here relating to the said launch.