When Ezekiel receives his call from God, the Lord warns him that the people He is sending him to are stubborn, and may not listen. But Ezekiel must go anyway. God’s call on Ezekiel — and us — is not to success, but to faithfulness. And thankfully, it is paired with an encouragement, repeated multiple times in this chapter: “Do not be afraid.” God doesn’t send us out alone. He goes with us.
Hi everyone,
Thank you for your prayers for me and my ministry this past month! In early October we held our first English Cafe, and a few foreign friends came to help out, along with several English students and other Japanese friends. The total was about 15 people, over half non-Christian. Praise God that one of our missionary guests got to share her testimony with the others in her group.
In October I also started teaching a new English class on Tuesday evenings. There are 8 students in this class now, and 7 of them are from outside the church. This includes two ladies I met at a coffee shop randomly the day before our first class.
This past Sunday, the Nagoya church celebrated our 60th anniversary. It was a great day of celebration, especially since it also included the baptisms of two of our young people.
I’ve been really impressed that our pastors and leaders have been using this 60th anniversary season as a time not only to remember and give thanks for things in the past, but also to cast a vision for the future. In addition, we are holding an outreach event on November 13 related to our anniversary, as a way of saying thanks to the community and welcoming them to come and check out our church. Please pray for this special event.
Please be in prayer for these things as well:
Thanks again for all your prayers, encouragement and support!
– Robin
Hey everyone. Welcome to my new personal/ministry blog. It’s actually a merger of my JapanLog (formerly at Tumblr) and my Devotional Blog (right here at Posterous), now found at my “permanent” URL, robinwhiteonline.com.
From here on out, this is where I’ll post ministry news, photos from Japan, thoughts on what I’m reading in the Word, and occassional other Japan-related or personal stuff.
If you’re looking for my comics-related stuff, you can go here or here. I’m also on Twitter, if you’re into that, with both a personal and a Doodze-related account. And in case you’re wondering, no, I don’t do Facebook anymore.
Shot on my iPhone from the roof of my church about a week ago.
Shot on my iPhone early one recent morning.
“私は神様を愛しています。 なぜなら、祈りを聞いてくださるからです。身を乗り出して聞いてくださる神様に、私は生きている限り祈り続けます。” (詩篇 116:1, 2 JLB)
最近も一度祈りの大切さと力を思い出しています。この箇所のように祈ります。自分の毎日生活に祈りをもっと大切にしたい。 “I love the Lord because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!” (Psalm 116:1, 2 NLT) I don’t have much to say about this verse, other than that it goes along with what God has already been reminding me of lately: the importance and power of prayer. This Psalm is my prayer today. I want to make prayer a more important part of my life.“But Nineveh has more than 120,000 people living in spiritual darkness, not to mention all the animals. Shouldn’t I feel sorry for such a great city?” (Jonah 4:11 NLT)
Japan has more than 120 million people… And yet, how often do I, like Jonah, get distracted by my own needs and wants, and forget why I’m here? How often do I complain rather than give thanks? How often do I act like God owes me something? How often are my prayers short and weak and all about myself? Lord, please forgive me, and help me to see the world from Your perspective.“When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.” (Jonah 3:10 NIV)
Our God is a God of love and grace. After Jonah disobeyed and ran away, God could have just killed him off and found someone else to send to Ninevah. But He gave Him another chance. And when the people if Ninevah repented, God had mercy on them as well, and withheld the punishment they deserved. And God is gracious to us as well, even when we run away. Yet many miss out on this grace… “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” (Jonah 2:8 NIV) If our arms (lives) are full of other stuff — idols — we can’t receive God’s gift of grace. We don’t need to earn forgiveness, but receiving that gift requires letting go and opening up our hands (hearts) to His love. Believers, though forgiven, sometimes miss out on God’s best. Sometimes we let our lives get cluttered up with other things, and don’t give God the space He needs to live and work. Father God, may I keep my arms (heart, life) open so I can receive Your gift of grace and love today. May nothing get in Your way.Sometimes I go through phases when I read the Bible but can’t seem to engage with it. I don’t “get anything out of it.” I guess that’s probably normal, to an extent. Everyone has their days.
But through today’s passage, and especially Paul’s Old Testament quote, I’m reminded that sometimes the reason we don’t hear God is simply because we’re not listening. And sometimes we don’t want to. Sometimes we allow our hearts to grow cold and hard, and we’re not open to His teaching and leading. Dear Lord, soften my heart today, so that I may be open to the changes You may want to make there. Open my spiritual eyes and ears, that I may hear and see and obey. Forgive me for the days I’m not open to Your teaching and leading. I know Your will is also my best. Change my heart, Lord. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Wadaiko! Spotted while leaving Starbucks the other day…
And I just realized how apt a description of modern Japan that is. East meets west, ancient meets modern, all within a walk around the corner.
(2011/10/20)