Waves of Destruction, Physical and Spiritual, Buffet Japan

"The natural forces that knocked the earth 10 inches off its axis — and moved Japan four feet closer to North America — seem to have released any number of supernatural forces as well." from book Waves of Destruction, Physical and Spiritual, Buffet Japan - The New York Times Looks like a 'must read'.

Isaiah 9:2, "The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined." Jesus quotes it in Matthew 4:16, applying it to himself. "The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned." Jesus is our hope.

Evangelicalism

 Can Evangelicalism Survive Donald Trump and Roy Moore?

Should We Keep the Label ‘Evangelical’?

Not-So-White Evangelicalism: How Conservative Denominations Actually Fare Better on Divers... | News & Reporting | Christianity Today

How Revival Turned Protestants into Evangelicals

Roman 1:16, "I am not ashamed of the gospel…."

Merry Christmas

Naho and I at the recently opened AEON Mall.

(Wish I could post my kids too, but…..)

Becoming a curse for us

R. C. Sproul recently passed away. R.C. Sproul (1939–2017) I was immensely impacted by his book The Holiness of God. Note in the two quotes below how central the cross was to Dr. Sproul.

Long version of R.C. Sproul's The Curse Motif of the Atonement - YouTube  Here's the short version. Curse Motif of the Atonement, RC Sproul - YouTube

Galatians 3:13, 'Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us. For it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"'

"The more we understand of the holiness and righteousness of God, the more we begin to see by contrast how desperately fallen we are how utterly dependent we are on His mercy and grace."

'In all of (Paul's) teaching, in all of his preaching, in all of his missionary activity, the central point of importance was the cross. In effect, this teacher was saying to his students, "You might forget other things that I teach you, but don't ever forget the cross, because it was on the cross, through the cross, and by the cross that our Savior performed His work of redemption and gathered His people for eternity.”' R.C. Sproul, The Truth of the Cross

40 Quotes from R. C. Sproul (1939–2017)

Why Life Is Better When It's Not about You

Life Is Best When It Ain’t about You Amen and amen!

"You must worship God in order to get your eyes off yourself." Sharon Hodde Miller

Luke 22:19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me."

more When Marriage Became About Me, Myself, and I

"Gospel-Driven Sanctification"

Please read Jerry Bridges, "Gospel-Driven Sanctification"

"No sin can be crucified either in heart or life unless it first be pardoned in conscience.... If it be not mortified in its guilt, it cannot be subdued in its power." William Romaine

Here is some great theology.

The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is primarily the message of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ, with everything in Scripture before the cross pointing to God's redemptive work and everything after the cross--including our sanctification--flowing from that work.

There is no such thing as justification without definitive sanctification. They both come to us as a result of Christ's work for us.

Gradually over time, and from a deep sense of need, I (Jerry Bridges) came to realize that the gospel is for believers, too. When I finally realized this, every morning I would pray over a Scripture such as Isaiah 53:6," All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all," and then say, "Lord, I have gone astray. I have turned to my own way, but you have laid all my sin on Christ and because of that I approach you and feel accepted by you."

I came to see that Paul's statement in Galatians 2:20, "The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me," was made in the context of justification (see vv. 15-21). Yet Paul was speaking in the present tense: "The life I now live ...." Because of the context, I realized Paul was not speaking about his sanctification but about his justification. For Paul, then, justification (being declared righteous by God on the basis of the righteousness of Christ) was not only a past-tense experience but also a present-day reality.

And very importantly it (sanctification) involves a desperate dependence on Christ for the power to do these things, for we cannot grow by our own strength.

We must always keep focused on the gospel because it is in the nature of sanctification that as we grow, we see more and more of our sinfulness. Instead of driving us to discouragement, though, this should drive us to the gospel.

"Wretched man that I am!"

Read: Evangelical Christians Are "Sick" | Christianity Today

"Lord, you turned my attention back to myself. You took me up from behind my own back where I had placed myself because I did not wish to observe myself , and you set me before my face so that I should see how vile I was, how twisted and filthy, covered in sores and ulcers. And I looked and was appalled, but there was no way of escaping from myself. If I tried to avert my gaze from myself, his story continued relentlessly, and you once again placed me in front of myself; you thrust me before my own eyes so that I should discover my iniquity and hate it. I had known it, but deceived myself, refused to admit it, and pushed it out of my mind." Augustine

I was "convinced that I was not in the way to heaven, but in the way to hell. This state I labored under for the space of five or six months. … I was brought to perceive that my life hung by a slender thread, … and I found no way wherein I could escape the damnation of hell, only through the merits of my dying Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” George Liele

Rom 7:24, 25a, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!"

Small Town Pastor

Rural Stories: Books to Challenge, Inspire, and Encourage the Small Town Pastor | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

“Helping people dream big dreams for their small town is one of the largest challenges any church planter or pastor will face in a small town.” Donnie Griggs

Zechariah 4:10, "Who dares despise the day of small things…."

A book: Small Town Jesus: Taking the gospel mission seriously in seemingly unimportant places: Donnie Griggs

Read more: Small Churches

When It Appears the Gospel Isn’t Working….

Ministry is so very tough in Japan. Only 0.5% Christian. Listen to When It Appears the Gospel Isn't Working

“Paul’s ministry is a catalog of weakness, suffering, and failure. They are looking at him and saying, It doesn’t appear his gospel is working.” – Mike Cain

2 Corinthians 4:7~ "But we have this treasure in jars of clay…."

‘Killable People’

The Faith of the ‘Killable People’ | Christianity Today Here is an amazing story of the Lord's mercy, grace and love.

Matthew 12:20, "A bruised reed he (Jesus Christ) will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out, till he has brought justice through to victory." Also Isaiah 42:3

The Global Leadership Summit

Sanctification

John Piper and Tim Keller Wrestle with Sanctification - YouTube

Sanctification in the Everyday | Desiring God "How does the cross and victory of Jesus affect your everyday sanctification?"… John Piper writes, “When Charles Wesley taught us to sing, ‘He breaks the power of cancelled sin,’ he was teaching the fundamental truth about how the cross and our battle with sin are related. The cross cancels sins for all who believe on Jesus. Then on the basis of that cancellation of our sins, the power of our actual sinning is broken. It’s not the other way around.”

Articles on Japan：Abe's election, Work related deaths, Perspectives on kamikaze pilots

・Japan election: Abe’s landslide is a victory for militant nationalism in the Trump era - Africa, Asia and Australia - Haaretz.com
・Karoshi deaths in Japan persistent as Japanese continue to overwork - CBS News
・How Japan's youth see the kamikaze pilots of WW2 - BBC News

Barth’s Adultery

What to Make of Karl Barth’s Steadfast Adultery | Christianity Today

A thoughtful quote: I am a firm believer that good theology can be an immense help in leading a godly life. But there is a reason the Lord also gave us prayer and fellowship, Scripture and worship, among a host of other gifts: to help us grow up into the full stature of Christ. To paraphrase our Lord, some sins theology cannot exorcise but come out only by prayer and fasting.

Titus 2:11-14, "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works." 

Articles on the Reformation

500 Years After Luther, We Still Feel the Pressure to Be Justified | Christianity Today

Just before his complete conversion, Augustine had a vision of Continence, personified as a loving and gracious woman, who reassures him: “Why are you relying on yourself, only to find yourself unreliable? Cast yourself upon him, do not be afraid.” Please read A Roman Catholic Appreciation of Justification by... | Christianity Today

Johann von Staupitz, vicar of the German Observant Augustinian Friars, came to visit the monastery where Luther lived. When he saw how sickly Luther looked, he asked, “Why are you so sad, brother Martin?” “I do not know what will become of me,” answered Luther. “I promise God I will do better, but I find it is useless to make promises to God because sin is stronger than I am.” Von Staupitz did not fully understand the struggle Luther was experiencing, but he wanted to help him. “My friend,” replied von Staupitz, “look at the wounds of Jesus Christ and think of why He came into the world.” Though von Staupitz pointed him in the right direction, Luther was afraid of God and of His Son Jesus. He thought of God only as one who punishes sin. Von Staupitz tried to encourage Luther. “God is not angry with you. Christ Jesus does not want to terrify you; He comforts those in trouble and distress. He became man to give you the promise of deliverance. By His stripes we are healed. By His blood our sins are washed away. Love Him Who first loved you.” But Luther didn’t understand. Staupitz had given Luther a Bible and pointed his eyes away from his own unworthiness to Jesus on the Cross. To Luther’s crippling fears, to his guilt and feelings of never measuring up, to the penance and punishment he derived for himself, to his visions of Christ only as a Judge ready to smite him, Staupitz had a clear resounding refrain: “Look to the wounds of Christ.” Although Luther would continue to battle his own anxiety and depression for the rest of his life, he now had an anchor to hold him fast – the all-consuming grace of God, poured out in Jesus’ blood on the Cross. 

Ephesians 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."

The Reformation and Missions: 5 Invaluable Effects • Message Magazine Good quotes from the article. “A good missionary is a good theologian. A good theologian is a good missionary.” John Calvin   “If he have faith, the believer cannot be restrained. He betrays himself. He breaks out. He confesses and teaches this gospel to the people at the risk of life itself.” Martin Luther

Other helpful articles on the Reformation: 
What the Reformers Thought They Were Doing | Intercollegiate Studies Institute: Educating for Liberty
Unexpected Counsel from Martin Luther
The Protestant Reformation - YouTube The warts and everything, though some parts are inaccurate, I feel.
20 Great ‘Protestant’ Films

Movie "Dunkirk"

Please read these articles. 
"National Day of Prayer at the time of Dunkirk 1940 | Anglican Ink 2017 ©, 
Christians Together : The Miracle of Dunkirk: 70 years on 
Then look at the movie DUNKIRK. 
What the Lord did was truly the "Miracle at Dunkirk".

Money and the Logic of Grace

Listen to Tim Keller's sermon "Money and the Logic of Grace." Luke 14:7-24

Here's a great illustration:

     Some years ago, there was a British farmer who raised livestock, and he had a cow who was pregnant. He was very happy about that, because he actually had enough livestock on the farm to produce the things he needed, and therefore, he was going to be able to sell that calf once the calf was born and grew up. He was going to sell the calf and make a tidy profit. To his joy, the cow had two calves … twins … which meant he was going to get twice as much money from the sale when he sold them.

He was very excited. He came in to his wife, and he had a sort of magnanimous moment. He says, “Honey, we are Christians, and we go to church, and you know what? When these two calves grow up and I sell them, I’m going to give half the proceeds to the Lord. Half the proceeds are going to go to the church. I’m going to sell the two calves, I’m going to get X amount of money, and the amount of money I get from one will go to the Lord, and the rest we’ll keep ourselves.” She says, “That’s wonderful. How spiritual.”

Several weeks later, he walks into the house very, very sad in his face. She says, “What’s wrong?” He says, “Oh, the Lord’s calf died. They got sick. The one got better, but the other one didn’t get better, and it died.” She says, “That’s interesting. I didn’t remember that we designated one of those calves to be the Lord’s.” He says, “Oh no. Almost from the beginning I said, ‘That’s the Lord’s calf right there,’ and that’s the one that died. What a shame.”

The point of the story is it’s always the Lord’s calf that dies. In other words, there are certain clothes we want to buy, there are certain vacations we want to have, there are certain trips we want to take, there are certain places we want to live, and that’s the priority. If we have enough money to give for charity and ministry, we will. If there’s a problem and we’re pinched, that’s where we take it out of. We take it out of the charity and ministry. Jesus says, “I want you to switch those. I want you to take it out of your own hide.”

Christian Meditation

What Is Biblical Meditation? | Unlocking the Bible "Think of Bible meditation like slowly enjoying a piece of chocolate, letting it melt in your mouth, paying close attention to every nuance of flavor and texture. Like a thoughtful experience with well-made food, meditation brings delight in God’s holy testimonies and character, and that delight inspires even more meditation on his Word." Colin Smith

Also, check out Hearing God's Words: Exploring Biblical Spirituality (New Studies in Biblical Theology): Peter Adam: 9780830826179: Amazon.com: Books

Articles on Abortion, Japan and a message on Reconciliation

Woman who chose baby instead of chemotherapy has died - ABC News What amazing convictions and testimony!

"We must not be surprised when we hear of murders, of killings, of wars, of hatred. If a mother can kill her own child, what is left but for us to kill each other." Mother Teresa

Quora: Is Japan a Depressed Nation? We need to pray for and humbly share the gospel of Christ with this needy nation.

Reconciliation – Timothy Keller [Sermon] - YouTube "Near the end of his life, Joseph displays his hard-earned wisdom. He shows us that we need to leave all righting of wrongs to God; we must see God’s providing hand in man’s malice; and we must never repay evil with evil, but instead we must meet evil with forgiveness, and even affection."

'Family Barbecue'

Naho and I at Sweet's 'Family Barbecue'. Kids came too.  

Naho works at local bakery 2 days a week.

Up in Norikura.

With family. (Birthday supper at Otoya)

Sovereign and Smiling: How Joy Makes and Sends Missionaries

Pierre Richier and Guillaume Chartier became the first Protestant missionaries to cross the Atlantic Ocean and the first to step on American soil. They arrived in Brazil in 1557. From the moment Calvin offered his benediction over the team in France and commissioned them to “The New World,” frontier missions and Calvinism were wedded.

Read more…. Sovereign and Smiling: How Joy Makes and Sends Missionaries | Desiring God

 Matthew 11:25–27, At that time, Jesus declared, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.”

But the Gospel of grace

"Religiosity of morality permits no one to be a sinner and now everyone conceals his sins to himself and to others. But the Gospel of grace, which makes it hard for the religious to understand, confronts us with the truth that you are a sinner. Now come as you are to the God who loves you. He doesn't want anything from you nor your sacrifices or works - He wants you alone."　Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Ephesians 2:8−10　”For by grace you have been saved　through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” 

God's will is your sanctification

Pastor fired for porn addiction offers help to fellow strugglers | AL.com

"God has a design for sex that's awesome," Oliver said. Pornography inhibits and interferes with that plan, he said.

"This is a counterfeit; it cheapens it, reduces intimacy; this is going to hurt your ability to have healthy sex later in life," Oliver said.

"When you see how early kids start to see it, it's a big problem," he said. "Sexuality is awesome and porn cheapens it and undermines the ability to have healthy relationships."

"A church usually reacts only after something has blown up," Oliver said. "By that point, the damage is so severe, the damage is irreparable. It's a very reactive stance. This is already going on in droves. A prepared response is always better."

"There's already an assault on our sexuality," he said. "If we don't have a couple sermons a year on Sexuality, porn, purity, honesty, confession, accessibility, we're not doing our job. Churches need to get to know subject matter experts. We've gotten to know the therapists who are phenomenally good at treating sexually addicted people."

1 Thessalonians 4:3, "This is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality…."

This will really help! Keynote: Tim Keller - How To Change Deeply - YouTube

Dementia

“When we buy into the myth that our intellects and abilities define our worth, we diminish the value of those who lack the same capacities. We demean one made in God’s image, and in that sense we desecrate God himself.” John Dunlap MD, 

Read more: Dignity in Dementia

Our position "in Christ" is never diminished by dementia. Ephesians 2:4-6, "But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ-- by grace you have been saved-- and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." 

Finding Grace in the Face of Dementia - Kindle edition by John, MD Dunlop. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Enjoyed camping….

Enjoyed camping at Tenryū Village last Friday and Saturday. I'll be 60 this October, so we might not have many more family opportunities like this. What a good chance to talk with the kids without all the gadgets!

"I preached…"

At our Abundant Life Christ Church, I preached yesterday from Psalm 95 on What is worship? Please pray that the 'Word of Christ would richly dwell among us.'

Only a great Christ

“There are no great preachers,” Haddon Robinson said, “only a great Christ. However, also, “the audience does not hear a sermon, they hear a person—they hear you.” 

Dr. Robinson went to be with his Lord. Read about him.
・Truth Poured Through Personality: Dr. Haddon W. Robinson - Steve Smith, Died: Haddon Robinson, 
・Champion of Biblical Preaching | News & Reporting | Christianity Today
・In the Word: The Grim Shepherd | Christianity Today

2 Corinthians 4:5, "What we preach is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord…"

Victory of the Cross

Excellent sermon by Anglican pastor, Dick Lucas, from Colossians 2. Victory of the Cross « TGC | The Gospel Coalition

Colossians 2:15, Through the cross, "Christ disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him."

“The glory of the cross is bound up with the effectiveness of its accomplishment.” John Murray

"The Other Carey"

Remember the Other Carey: Unsung Hero of the Modern Missions Movement | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

Acts 1:8, "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Excellent! Youtube on how the gospel set free the slaves in England. The Old Corruption (Britain's Slave Trade Documentary) | Timeline - YouTube

Black Harry, One of the Greatest Preachers Ever Forgotten

Things we battle….

“Do not think it unspiritual to remember that you have a body. . . . The physician is often as needful as the minister.” 
Charles H. Spurgeon 
Read quotes on Spurgeon's depression. The Spurgeon Center | 11 Reasons Spurgeon Was Depressed

Psalm 43:5, "Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God: for I will yet praise him, the health of my countenance, and my God." 

Other thoughtful articles.
Prosperity gospel: The ‘Gospel’ That Almost Killed Me, 
Pride: Three Ways Ministry Can Make You Conceited, 
Porn: The Terrible Cost Of Porn | The American Conservative

“Where in Scripture is the love of Christ most greatly manifested?

“Where in Scripture is the love of Christ most greatly manifested?…. It’s manifested in the sufferings, in supremely the cross-work of Christ. Isn’t that what all the New Testament writers come back to again and again and again?…. Isn’t that what Paul says when describing justification in Galatians 2:20-21 and he throws in Christ Jesus, ‘who loved me and gave Himself for me.'” Don Carson

Please read The Cross (and Nothing Else) is the Ultimate Proof of Christ’s Love | Anchored in Christ

Also, Amazon | The Cross and Christian Ministry: Leadership Lessons from I Corinthians | D. A. Carson

[Session 9] Tim Keller—“Boasting in Nothing Except the Cross” (Galatians 6) - YouTube

"I became an artist through the portal of grief."

"Bono (of U2) says the power of art is especially seen when tragedy strikes. He fell in love with music when his mother tragically died. 

"I became an artist through the portal of grief," Bono told Taylor. "My mother died at her own father's gravesite. As he was being lowered into the ground she had an aneurysm. I was 14." 

It was an event that changed his life forever and motivates him to touch the families of Manchester and the rest of the world with his music. 


Read more: U2 Takes Jimmy Kimmel Audience to Church | CBN News, Jimmy Kimmel’s FULL INTERVIEW with U2 - YouTube

‘I Went to the Site Where Death Died’ - Bono on Grief, Jesus at Golgotha | MRCTV

"He wounds…."

"He wounds before his hands make whole." Read John Bunyan's Acceptable Sacrifice.

Isaiah 53:5, "But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are healed."

Dad and Mom's Memorial Service

Dad and Mom's Memorial Service on last Saturday was great!

See it on YouTube. I hour 43 mins.

Dad's award (some kind of order from the emperor) is beneath their pictures.

It was a time of music, hymns, testimonies and a light meal.

Pastor Koiwai spoke from their favorite Bible passage John 3:16. "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."

Their ashes were put in the same urn. 

I have never heard of this in Japan.

About 200 people came. Thank you Jesus!

In Sunday's local newspaper.

Small Churches

Japanese churches are 'small churches' by most standards. Here are some articles that might assist us. 5 Simple Statements Any Small Church Pastor Would Love ... | Pivot | A Blog by Karl Vaters

Zechariah 4:10, "Who dares despise the day of small things…."

5 Things You Should Never Say To A Small Church Pastor ... | Pivot | A Blog by Karl Vaters, 
Go Big or Go Home: Reimagining Rural Church Planting | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzere, 
'No LIttle People, No LIttle Places" Francis Schaeffer, 
Ruralology: All It Takes Is Sacrifice, Commitment, and a Desire to Be What God Made Us to Be | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer
Small Church, Big Ministry | CT Pastors
Five Things Small Town Church Planters Wish Their Denomina... | The Exchange | A Blog by Ed Stetzer

Honoring Dad and Mom

My father passed away this Tuesday, the 25^th of April. My mother passed away about two and a half years ago. I honor them from my heart. One of the Bible verses they“made” me memorize was Ephesians 6:1-3. “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother’ (this is the first commandment with a promise), ‘that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.’" My Mom used to say, half jokingly, “Do you want to live long? Then obey.” So right now I want to "honor (my) father and mother", by remembering them and honoring their Lord.

My parents were people of extensive service. Their passion was for the Lord and His church. They helped start six churches throughout the Matsumoto valley. They started a Bible bookstore. They had a weekly radio program that was heard throughout our Nagano prefecture. They were also heavily involved in other non-church areas. Mom and Dan both taught zillions of English students, little kids as well as university students. Dad was involved in two penal institutions. For his service there he received a special award (an order) from the emperor. Mom spoke at over 2000 PTA’s, and many other gatherings. She spoke not only on education and the family, but also on prejudice and business. I honor my parents for their servant hearts.

However, my parents would, most of all, desire me to honor them by honoring their Lord. Another Bible verse they “made” me memorize was the famous verse John 3:16. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Their God, and also my God, was (and is) the creator God who is not impersonal, but the One who “so loved the world.” The Creator’s love is personal. It is not just words, philosophy or some morals, but is a Person – His very own Son, Jesus Christ. His Son, died on the cross the death that we should die for our sins. He rose again. By simply believing, looking and clinging to Him, we have life—not only life after death, but by His death and life, we can truly live with great hope. Is there anyone so wonderful and honorable as our gracious God? As I honor my parents, I now, all the more, honor the living God.

During World War II my father fought against the Japanese in the Philippines. It’s hard for me to say this, but he hated the Japanese. After the war, while in university, he was reminded of a part of the above verse. “For God so loved the world.” The world includes Japan, his hated enemy, he thought. So then, Dad (and Mom) ended spending almost fifty years of their lives in Matsumoto, Japan, faithfully serving their former enemies. For that, even as I miss them, I truly honor the Lord that gave them this heart of love.

Revival and Theology

Oh, for revival in Japan! The North Korean Revival of 1907 | TGC, ‎Korean Pentecost: the Great Revival of 1907, A Century After North Korean Revival, Dreams of an Encore | Christianity Today "The story of Christian reformation, revival, and renaissance underscores that the darkest hour is often just before the dawn, so we should always be people of hope and prayer, not gloom and defeatism. God the Holy Spirit can turn the situation around in five minutes." Os Guinness

A reminder of some basic theology, for living and preaching. What Is the Difference between Justification and Sanctification? | TGC. "To know who we are practically and are to become positionally drives us to dig into this glorious grace—not only in our lives but also in the lives of church members. To know what Christ has won for you will fuel you and encourage you to press into one another’s lives with the word of victorious grace in the gospel (cf. Rom. 6-8). Because of what Jesus has done God will never love you more than he does that first hour of faith. And, because of what Jesus has done, you who truly trust in Jesus are as secure in that imputed righteousness as Christ is. It is as if his righteousness is stitched to your own soul! And, you can mark it down, just as Christ has been resurrected, so too will you walk in newness of this resurrected life (Rom. 6)."

Dad in heaven….

My father, Calvin Frederick Junker, from Petosky, Michigan (originally from Brooklyn N.Y.) went to be with the Lord, early Tuesday morning on April 25th, 2017.  After suffering a serious injury many years ago and the recent passing of his dear wife, Patricia Ann Junker (formerly from Waterford, Michigan), he is now joyfully with his Heavenly Father….   

We will miss him!