by Whitey | May 6, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.” (Numbers 18:20)
If we as Christians are a Kingdom of priests, why don’t more of us act like it?
What if we followed the example of the Levites, and considered ourselves set apart for the work of the Lord? What if we gave up our personal rights in order to give more time and money to the work of the Kingdom, and considered anything we receive as simply a nice bonus, the real reward being God Himself?
Isn’t that the example Christ set too?
by Whitey | May 6, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“But only you and your sons may serve as priests in connection with everything at the altar and inside the curtain. I am giving you the service of the priesthood as a gift. Anyone else who comes near the sanctuary is to be put to death.” (vs. 7)
A big part of what the Old Testament teaches us today is all that Christ has saved us from. This is one of those things. Under the Old Covenant, only the Levites could serve as priests, and only they could enter the sanctuary. They were the mediators between God and his people.
The New Testament teaches us the “priesthood of all believers.” We can all go to God directly because of Jesus. We can minister to each others needs. We are all “priests,” and Jesus is our Great High Priest.
What a privilege we have in Christ!
by Whitey | May 3, 2011 | Ministry News
Hi everyone,
Thank you for continuing to pray for Japan!
This past month has been a time of getting back into “normal” routine after the disruption caused by the earthquake back in March. Here’s an update and some prayer requests:
1. Our English ministry at Immanuel Nagoya Church are going really well. The new kids class now has 12 students, 10 of whom are from outside our church. My adult classes have also been going well, and relationships between students and our church are deepening. It’s been really great to see my Wednesday students in particular becoming closer friends. Our monthly English Club event was held on Easter Sunday in April, we had over 20 people of all ages show up, and at least 4 non-Christians, two of whom were students from my weekly classes. I shared a message about how Christ brings us hope in the midst of fear and sorrow. I’m told there were some significant conversations taking place afterward as well. Please keep praying for this bridge-building ministry, as well as for my students.
2. I also returned to Japanese studies at the YWCA this past month. Honestly, I feel like my Japanese has plateaued lately, and it’s been a bit frustrating; so it’s really good to get back into a more regular study routine (classes 2 mornings a week). Please pray for my studies and for my everyday communication.
3. In addition to my weekly English and Japanese classes, I’d ask you to pray for these monthly events: Leading worship at prayer meeting on the11th; youth ministry at Nagoya-Higashi Church on the 14th; English Club on the 22nd.
4. Meanwhile, though it seems to have mostly disappeared from the headlines in the western media, the situation in North-Eastern Japan is still far from back to normal. Some 26,000 people are dead or missing; there is over $300-billion in damages; and thousands are homeless and jobless. Entire towns are being evacuated because of the ongoing nuclear radiation danger. And aftershocks are expected to continue for up to a year. Relief efforts are still ongoing, and rebuilding of affected communities will probably take years.
Please remember to pray for the many who have been affected by this tragedy. Pray that the Church will be able to show God’s love through this situation, and that many will find hope in Jesus Christ. I believe God can bring good out of this. Let’s keep praying to that end. As I mentioned last month, if you would like to give to the relief efforts, I would highly recommend giving to CRASH (www.crashjapan.com).
Thank you so much for your partnership in my ministry to Japan!
– Robin
by Whitey | Apr 26, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” (vs. 4)
Here, seeking the Lord and seeking His strength are stated as though they’re one and the same thing. Worshiping God and receiving the strength we need to serve Him go hand-in-hand. When I am weakest, it is usually a sign that I have not been seeking Him. And as this verse reminds me, I need to seek Him always.
Seeking God isn’t just about our private devotional life or public church activities. It’s about our everyday work and play as well. What if, before doing anything, we asked ourselves “Can I seek God through this?” “Can I do this as an act of worship?” “Can I invite God into this?” Maybe then we wouldn’t waste so much time on things that pull our focus away from Him.
Lord, please keep reminding me to seek You always.
by Whitey | Apr 25, 2011 | Thoughts, Uncategorized
“Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead.”. (vs.14)
Even after all they’d been through together, the disciples didn’t believe when some of their own testified to seeing the resurrected Jesus. Even after all they’d seen and experienced with Jesus, and all He’d taught them (including predictions of his death and resurrection) they didn’t believe until they saw Him for themselves.
But what a change occurred after Pentecost. The disciples went from being scared, unbelieving and weak, to bold, faithful and powerful witnesses of Christ. It just underscores the fact that, as powerful and meaningful as the death and resurrection of Christ are, we need His Holy Spirit in our lives to change us from the onside out.
Thank You, Lord, for the death and resurrection of Jesus. And thank You that after the ascension, You did not leave us alone. Help me to live in the victory and freedom You won when with the resurrection, in the power of the Holy Spirit, for the glory of the Father. Amen.
