Moriel Japan April 2013

Dear believers in grace,

We just got back to Thailand two days ago.  I’ll try to give a summary of  our trip to  Japan here.  In 27 days we stayed in over  10 different cities…

JiujitsuIn

In Kumamoto one night I went to a Jiujitsu training  hall just out of curiosity.  They invited  me to join in the training and afterwards I got to give out tracts to all of  them.  Then, I was sore for about a week  after that!  But, it was worth it to  share the gospel there.  Jiujitsu can  also mean “fruitful” in Japanese (using a different Chinese  character).

In Kumamoto one night I went to a Jiujitsu training  hall just out of curiosity.  They invited  me to join in the training and afterwards I got to give out tracts to all of  them.  Then, I was sore for about a week  after that!  But, it was worth it to  share the gospel there.  Jiujitsu can  also mean “fruitful” in Japanese (using a different Chinese  character).

Osaka

After Kumamoto we went to Osaka to spend time  working with Geoff some more.  Had a  great time getting to know him and his family.  Gave power point presentations eight times in various surrounding cities  there, on Dinosaurs, Assyria, Jericho, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Daniel.  Met  one lady who was 90 years old who said  her family moved away from Hiroshima just a month before the atomic bomb  struck.  Her Dad was a Buddhist priest,  but she became a Christian later and was still going strong for Jesus at 90.

They  Sacrifice to Devils

One day we went to Kyoto to see a former student of  mine.  She took us to see a temple that  had 1000 idols of Kannon.  Surrounding  these were 28 “protectors” of hers, many of which looked like demons,  some having snakes hanging out of their head or arms.  Many of  these 28  were taken straight from Hinduism.  Doesn’t that say something when a  “deity” is being protected by demons?

Demons certainly don’t want to promote the truth.  Oddly, the Dalai Lama is  said to be the  manifestation of this same “deity,” even though he is male, and  usually Kannon is portrayed as female.  By  the way, the brand name “Canon”  (cameras, printers, etc.) is also named after this devil… (1Corinthians  10:20  “But I say, that the things  which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God…”)  http://www.canon.com/about/history/outline.html

Japan has 10 idols of Kannon that are taller than  the US statue of liberty.  We saw the  tallest Japanese one in Sendai, standing on a dragon (and my friend Erik was  able to witness to a man there).  A lot  of money has gone into these idols.  In  our time in Kyoto I was also able to give out a few copies of my article on  Buddhism in Japanese, “A Dead Man Can’t Help You.”  And, we gave tracts to  my student and her  friend.

Street  Witnessing

After leaving Kyoto we came to Osaka late at night.  Geoff and I were going  to preach like we did  in Kitakyushu, but we couldn’t find a good spot where people were standing  still for a long enough time.  So, we  decided just to hand out tracts and talk with people.  Geoff met a Christian  man who had not been  going to church because of false teachings which had been in his church, and  that church had forced him to tithe.  So,  Geoff was able to talk with him quite a while and invited him to his church  in  Koshien.  I was able to talk with a  Muslim man from Sri Lanka about the importance of knowing Jesus.

Missed  the Bullet Train

We missed the Shinkansen leaving from Osaka!  We were taking pictures of it in front, thinking it would stay a while, like  they do in Thailand for a long journey train like that.  Fortunately there  was another one 10 minutes later and we didn’t have to pay extra.  It made  for a good sermon illustration though (which I had a chance to use two times  in  Japan).  We had a second chance that day, but some people are so caught up  in their activities they totally miss the train without a second chance.

That was a terrible feeling just to miss an earthly train.  How terrible  it would be to really miss the train by ignoring God.  People get ready,  for the train is coming…do you know that song?

Machida

Met another former  student in Machida.  She’s married to a  Christian, but is an unbeliever.  We had  a good time talking about the Bible together and also gave them some  testimony  DVDs of our friend Bill Cook in Japanese.

We pray they will both will serve the Lord wholeheartedly in the future.

Trip  to the Tsunami Affected Area

We have friends who are  missionaries in Sendai who bring physical and spiritual help to those  affected  by the tsunami.  I’ve known Erik since  1993 when we both were in Kenya at Daystar University for one term.  We saw  the devastated area and also went to  their relief center one day.  Then, we  went with them for a church camp about 2 hours north of there.  They let me  share 4 times in 2 days and asked  Khae to share her testimony on the last day.

It was great to meet this group of Christians and to encourage them in  evangelism.

“Take  Heed That No Man Deceive You”

Erik told me that other  missionaries had told him that doing door to door evangelism is a big waste  of  time, but then in looking at a book of statistics he noticed that the cult  group, Jehovah’s Witnesses was seeing more growth than any other  denomination.  I believe God can use many methods of  evangelism and we should be ready to share the truth in season and out of  season, even out of our comfort zone.

Jesus told us there would be false teachings such as the JWs, so this is  not surprising, but we should all have our feet shod with the preparation of  the gospel of peace, being peacemakers, bringing God’s enemies to make peace  with God, through Jesus Christ.

“Almost”

We took another Shinkansen to Tokyo and were sure to board right away, knowing it would stay  on  schedule like an atomic clock.  Then, we  flew from Tokyo back to Kumamoto.  On  Sunday I gave a message titled “The Almost Christian,” at the church  I used to attend there.  The message is  the same title as a message John Wesley once preached, but that’s where the  similarity ends.    Being at the train  station, but not in the train, is not enough.

Being in church, but not in Jesus is not enough.  Being an “almost”  Christian is not  enough.  “Almost” going to  heaven, means not going to heaven.  In  Matthew 22, many people rejected the invitation to go to the wedding, but  there  was one man who came to the wedding, but was not wearing the right clothes  (not  clothed in Jesus’ righteousness).  He was  “almost” blessed.  Almost is  not enough…

Conclusion

We saw many other  friends, handed out many tracts to strangers along the way,  and overall had  a very “juujitsuu”  time.  We pray that God will bring His  life to this spiritually barren wilderness area, also known as “The Land  of the Rising Sun” (This life is in the SON, not the SUN- I John 5:11).  Coming back to Thailand (which means  “The Land of the Free”) we were encouraged to see that our students  who took care of our animals are growing in the Lord, and becoming truly  free  (It is the truth which sets people free- John 8:32).  Champ plans to share  the gospel with his  parents this coming week.  Please pray  for him and them.  Khae is teaching the  two girls the Bible right now.  A  final encouragement for every laborer  in the harvest fields:  Galatians 6:9  “And let us not be weary in well  doing:  for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

In Christ,

Scott and  Khae.