"What Good Is It?"

In nations there are various hopes we have--freedom, peace, prosperity, blessedness and more. We strive to fight to establish 'our rights' (and then if we succeed in getting them, we live in perpetual fear that they'll be taken away).

This year when the new NIV came out, I read the translators notes and found that scholars now agree that "thieves" was a mistranslation; the two who were crucified with Christ were *rebels*, like Barabbas, who had also "taken part in a rebellion." And it makes sense: after all, common sins like thievery would not be punished with crucifixion, but putting down political rebellions and then crucifying rebels would send a message of fear to other would-be rebels. This is why the Jewish leaders repeatedly emphasized that Jesus claimed He was the Messiah, the King; they wanted to stress that He was committing treason against Rome. They wanted to present Him as the leader of a rebellion, as a threat to Rome.

Understanding this makes a lot of things fall into place, doesn't it? After all, Christ didn't merely take our place as those who committed common sins--He took the consequence of our *rebellion* against God!

Suddenly, the crucifixion becomes the meeting place of ideologies, of aims, goals, efforts and striving. Barabbas and the two rebels sought to gain back their ancient land, freedom and sovereignty. The Roman centurion followed orders and lived to protect Rome, its assets, its people and its way of life. Into this mix comes Jesus, giving grace to the sinners and unreligious, and preaching *love* of all things, even for enemies! He says He is King, but here He is hanging on the cross, defeated.

"Love didn't work, did it!" The two rebels mock Him. The Romans divide up His clothes. He loved His enemies and forgave them, and they divided up His clothes. But wait... one of the rebels starts to notice. "Wait a minute, we earned this and are paying the price of this, but *He* didn't deserve this!" And a Roman centurion looks up in wonder as well, seeing something divine, above and beyond the way of the world that depends on physical might and power.

The unrepentant rebel continues on, "What good was it, Jesus?" Because he is still bent on rebellion--still bent on getting his rights, his homeland, his freedom. He is still fighting for the spoils of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. But the other two have begun to notice an eternal kind of 'life' in this death in front of them. They begin to see the tree of life.

*****

See also:
• "Trustworthy Power"
• "The Release of Barabbas"

Happy All Hallows Eve!

Click to see larger!

Happy All Hallows Eve! and happy Reformation Day!

On October 31st, 1517, (the evening before All Hallows Day) a monk named Martin Luther nailed up a list of 95 problems with the rules made by the church, because Jesus' love is FREE! Sometimes we Christians make lots of rules and say that God won't accept you until you keep them. But the Bible says,

"God forgave us of our sins, having cancelled the written code with its regulations... He took it away, nailing it to the Cross." (Colossians 2:14)

Jesus died on the Cross to free us from the burden of trying to be perfect because He knew we couldn't be! He doesn't want your perfect show or performance—instead He just wants YOU!!! He loves you and LIKES you so much that He'd die just to be able to spend forever with you!

A few years ago I wrote about "Re-formation" (see this link) and had the idea of posting a note about the significance of the day on your door. I suggested it to some friends in the States and they turned it around, asking, "Can you make one for us?" So I prayed about it and God said YES!

So here it is! You can print it out, post it on your door, or print a bunch of them and give them to trick-or-treaters along with candy. If you'd like a larger file so that you can print in better quality, just email me: Contact Me!

I think another great idea would be if you print out some verses of your favorite promises and wrap the candy inside them (make sure to wrap *over* the candy's original wrapper—don't take the original wrapper off!). You could put verses like, "Taste and see that the Lord is good!"

And if anyone's bold enough, it'd be fun to put on a monk robe and go out with the trick-or-treaters to give something to people! You could give them the message, but I think it'd be good if you give them some candy, too. =)

Are Disasters God's Judgments?

A friend asked: I am a bit confused about the whole thing about whether God sends the natural disasters as judgment, or is it more about shaking us out of our routines/apathy/complacency, etc, and getting our attention, to call us to come to Him, repent, to seek Him...what is it then? Verses...I want better understanding of this.

In the times of the Old Testament, God proclaimed judgments against several nations, but mostly against Israel because Israel broke the Sinatic covenant (the Old Covenant).

To better understand that, first it's important to notice that only Israel was covenanted to God (in the Old Covenant). No other nation had that relationship. The terms of the Old Covenant are between Exodus and Deuteronomy. God promised to be Israel's God, and Israel promised to be faithful. (We know how well that arrangement worked out...) Because of this God acted in extraordinary ways on behalf of Israel. He judged her enemies and when she rebelled, He judged her as He promised He would.

So the center of His actions of judging nations in the Old Testament revolves around the Old Covenant (with Israel). In its rituals and festivals, the Old Covenant also contained "shadows" of Christ. And in fact the whole purpose of the Law was to show people they were captive to sin so that they might believe in Christ who saves apart from the Law.

Speaking of the judgments that came upon Israel, the New Testament says that "these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did... These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come" (1 Cor.10:6,11).

The ways that God judged Israel and the nations in the Old Testament are not patterns of how He judges nations today. They were examples and shadows. The Old Covenant with Israel was given to show the world what sin looks like, and even though the Old Covenant is now obsolete (Heb.8:13), it still testifies through the pages of the past.

This was even the whole purpose of bringing Israel into Canaan:

"He gave them the lands of the nations,
and they fell heir to what others had toiled for—
that they might keep His precepts
and observe His laws." (Ps.105:45-55)

From the beginning God purposed to redeem the world through Christ, and to use Israel (and her neighbors) to show the consequences of sin and law: that even if a nation had righteous laws and were blessed with miraculous signs, not only would they still commit sin, but they would make their pagan neighbors look innocent by comparison (Ezekiel 16).

These things were shadows and examples, just as the Old Covenant itself contained shadows and types. The judgments of the Old Testament related to the Old Covenant. Now that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled in Jesus, the testimony of the Old Covenant is completed; it is no longer the standard by which God judges the nations. Now the Holy Spirit convicts of sin using the Cross of Jesus Christ (John 16:8-11). Now instead of judging nations to draw us to Christ, God uses the Cross to bring "all mankind" to Christ (John 12:32).

There will come a time when God judges the nations, sending redemptive judgments, however, before that time the church will be judged first (1 Peter 4:17). I.e., God will clean out His house before He cleans out the world. But even when He does this, it is not final punishment, but is discipline meant to help us from being condemned (1 Cor.11:32).

(Note: At times in the Old Testament, judgments were pronounced against nations seemily apart from their connection to Israel, however this is not the rule but the exception. When this happened, generally what was cited was that it was because of the nations "bloodshed"... exact terms are not usually given, because only the Law was given to Israel. God didn't give a clear "line" that we could see when a nation has gone too far, but at times He did send prophets to tell people when they were getting close to it or had gone over it.)

Today, when charismatic ministers/prophets proclaim that this or that event was a judgment, they do not proclaim the gospel, the Cross, or the New Covenant. It has virtually no relation to Jesus Christ at all. Instead the reasons they point to are usually some kind of sin in the nation (neverminding that other "unjudged" nations have those sins in greater abundance) or a nation's failure to support the modern state of Israel. In other words, when charismatic ministers/prophets proclaim these things as judgments, they do so operating from the understanding of the Old Covenant, not the New. They are looking through shadows, not in the light. They still believe that God relates to the world through the Old Covenant, and they don't understand the New.

And, they don't understand that God is going to come correct *us* about these things before He begins judging the world, because words like these misrepresent Him to the world. Judgment is not about the Law or Israel -- that was the Old Covenant -- rather now it is about Jesus Christ and what He has done for us on the Cross (John 3:17-18).

After I posted a picture and word about this, a friend left this prayer:

Thank you, Father, that you do not punish us for our sins because Your Son, Jesus Christ, took the punishment that we deserve upon Himself when He died on the Cross for us.

Father, help your children understand Your agape love for all people so that they will not continue to misrepresent Your heart by speaking words of condemnation and judgment as if from Your mouth.

Even when we don't understand why You allow terrible things to happen, teach us to trust Your heart and know that Your thoughts and ways are higher than ours.

Father, more than anything else let us become a conduit of Your love and mercy to Your thirsty children.

*****

See also: "Where Is God??"

Imagine Relieving the Disasters...

Ok, think about your church for a minute.

Imagine it's in a suburbian city not too far from the coast.

Imagine there was a huge, huge earthquake, but your church is OK.

Imagine that there is a big tsunami that wipes out the coast.

Imagine that supplies come out of nowhere pouring into your church.

Imagine that lots of people become homeless because of the disasters.

Imagine that a nuclear power plant gets damaged from the disasters.

Imagine that a lot of people have a real reason to be very angry now.

And imagine again those supplies that keep pouring into your church.

Imagine that you start giving those supplies out to people.

Imagine that you go to visit people living in evacuation shelters.

Imagine that you give out food or needed stuff, like towels.

Imagine that you just sit and listen to people unload.

Imagine they share their fears with you.

Imagine they share their cares and worries.

Imagine that you get to share some hope and love with them.

Imagine that they start to want to help you help others.

*****

Do you think I'm talking about Fukushima?

Why is your church different?

Just because you don't have the same disasters?

But you do!

Don't you have people in your city who are:

...suffering from depression?

...lonely and suicidal?

...poor and trying to scrape by?

...homeless and without hope?

...under the terrible weight of cares and fears?

And haven't you gotten a lot of "supplies" of love from Christ?

And from each other in your church?

It's not so different at all, is it!

What are you going to do, sit on those supplies?

Sit on that love?

Or go ye therefore and love one another "as I have loved you"?

Fukushima - Ok, Lord!

I just returned from my second trip to Fukushima last Friday. This time I spent two weeks there, from July 15th to 28th. I had also gone on a first trip in June for four days, from the 27th to 30th.

It all started around May 20th, when I watched a video online of the work that the church was doing there in Iwaki city, Fukushima prefecture. As I saw volunteers and church members comforting and praying with people at evacuation shelters, God overcame me in the Holy Spirit with weeping and said, "Go there and paint pictures for people!"

Really? Ok, Lord!

It was a step out on limb. Financially and in a lot of other ways. Actually, I have several friends doing work further up the coast in Miyagi prefecture, closer to the worst damaged areas. Don't go with them? "No, go to this church in Iwaki, Fukushima." Ok, Lord!

Getting ahold of them was confusing at the time, and well, my Japanese isn't so great, let alone over the phone! I tried one way, talked to one person, and then didn't hear back for awhile. Actually, I had met the assistant pastor a long time ago when he was a seminary student in Osaka. Didn't know if he remembered me or not, but he had an email address I couldn't forget! Still, getting a confirmation that I'd be able to come (that is, permission or invitation) was not happening. Then when I was having lunch with a friend from the local church here, I felt impressed to ask him about his recent trip to volunteer (in another area, in Miyagi). Then he said he was actually planning another trip, but going to Fukushima this time. "Oh really?" I said. "Where?" "Iwaki..."

Ok, Lord! So I went with him.

Before I went out for the first trip in June, I knew God was sending me to paint pictures for evacuees and to visit them in shelters. But I didn't know if I'd be able to do that or not. I mean, after three disasters (earthquake, tsunami, nuclear crisis) there's a lot of stuff to do. I didn't know if I'd be cleaning up debris, or if I would have a choice or anything of what I did. It was one of the big steps of faith I had to take on that first trip, not knowing if I would get to paint at all.

As it turned out, I painted about 45 pictures for different people in just 4 short days there! The reason was because the church started a "cafe"... they have a lot of supplies that people send them, so they started distributing them. While people are waiting for their requested supplies to be searched for and gathered into one spot, they wait at the "cafe", which is really just a few old sofas and chairs thrown together in a corner of the main floor of the church building (not yet renovated to look anything like "a church"). There they are served drinks by church staff and volunteers, and they can just relax and talk while they wait.

In the cafe, the goal of the volunteers is basically "kokoro no care" (literally, "heart care")... mainly that means a lot of listening. And just plain friendly chatting. Once in awhile there's a volunteer who doesn't do the "listening" part, but is waiting to speak to slip in a word about Jesus and "present the gospel", but for the most part volunteers know their job is listening and loving. And if there is a chance to give the visitor some love by praying for them, yeah, we go for it. If they're open to hearing about Someone who's got peace and hope in His hands because He loves them, yeah, we share that. But if we don't get to, it's ok. Sometimes various volunteers supplement the cafe with their particular gift... some give massages, foot baths, haircuts, I saw a doctor there once giving advice, and of course I was there painting pictures for people.

I had no idea at all that the church had this kind of space or ministry (cafe) there! Generally you can choose from various jobs each day, like cleaning up debris near the coast, or working at the cafe, or cleaning the church or cooking, etc. After the first day, I wondered what I'd do the second day. I felt obligated to do some outside debris clean-up, because really, that's the hard work, right? I felt that I was somehow doing the easy thing and skipping the hard work, or something like that. Then inspiration hit me: Pray about what to do the next day! So I prayed, and He said to do the cafe again the next day. Ok, Lord. On the third day, I prayed and realized the obvious: I'm not going to get to do debris clean-up, am I, Lord? "That's right. I sent you here to paint pictures for people." Ok, Lord.

Also, twice on that first trip and about six times on the second trip I was able to go visit two different evacuation shelters, where we prepared food for the people and then sat to eat and talk with them. I painted a lot of pictures there, especially on my second trip!

By the way, most of the stories and anecdotes from the first trip are on the two blogs I wrote about the trip here:

1) My first Fukushima trip
2) Art from the first Fukushima trip

I guess I should say something about all those pictures I painted. I mean, they seem really "Jesus-y", don't they? It might sound weird to some (but I don't really care, haha), but actually I wasn't being super evangelical. I didn't push anyone into conversation about spiritual things. I listened instead of waiting to speak. I chit-chatted.

We're not supposed to ask people about the disaster, but I take that to mean that we just need to be careful and not directly ask them something insensitive or stupid, like, "Did you see the tsunami?" or "Did anyone you know die?" What I did ask was more like, "Is your home Ok?" or "Is your family Ok?" or "Is your job Ok?" Not in a barrage like that, of course. The goal I had was mainly seeing what difficulties they had. When they did share, like having lost their house, I would simply give the best Japanese equivalent of "I'm sorry" as possible. The goal is mourning with those who mourn, like the Bible says. I didn't want to offer them some cheap solution. And if I could give them a bit of hope or Bible verse, I think that's great but I need to do the "mourning with those who mourn" part first, you know? I need to sympathize with them first. I need to come alongside them in their pain, and even if I can only do that a little bit, it's something. I want them to know that they're not alone. I want them to know that God is with them. But they don't know Him yet. So I need to let them know that we are with them.

And shoot, that was just the very thing that I wanted to do, to be with them in their grief. I don't want them to go through it alone. I want to be there, or another volunteer, or someone, someone at least to be with them there so that they don't have to go through it alone.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Carry one another's burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ." Yeah. Like that. I can't carry the burden forever, and I'm not supposed to. But if I can come alongside and lighten the load for a little bit, that is something. And I can pray that they come to know the same Jesus that helped me by carrying my own load.

So into this goal of listening, morning, and carrying burdens, comes the art. I would pray quietly by myself, and God would give me a picture to paint. A simple picture. Something like Him hugging the person. And maybe a few words, like "God is with you" or a simple Bible verse talking about His love. I would paint it, put it in one of the plastic file-sleeves I brought, and give it to them. I really hope and pray people could get the love from this. I didn't say, "Believe in Jesus and be saved from hell!" or anything like that. My purpose wasn't to evangelize or gain conversion. Yeah, heck yeah, of course I want them to know Jesus! But one thing at a time. First I want them to know that they're not alone. And that they are loved, that He loves them. And if nothing else, we love them and don't want them to be alone.

Sometimes we prayed for people, but whenever I did that I wanted to make sure that the people were open to it, didn't mind, or wanted it. If I prayed for someone, the reason was because I wanted them to be touched by love, and through that love, to know that He loves them and they're not alone.

Of course, things didn't always happen the same way twice. Actually, they rarely happened the same way twice! Sometimes He had me start painting a picture for someone who hadn't even walked in the door yet. Another time I was painting pictures for children before I arrived at the shelter! Other times I would talk to the person first and learn something about them. And still other times people would approach me and ask for a picture! Maybe a picture of them themselves, or one time a lady asked for a picture of Jesus!

I also had various volunteers ask for pictures several times. So I prayed and painted what He gave me, sometimes including words He wanted them to hear. On the second trip, I found myself also getting to know better the church members and the the long-term volunteers. A lot of them are working really hard, and I got to listen and "carry their burdens" too. I was really thankful for that. The "carrying burdens" thing isn't heavy, by the way. All you do is be an ear for someone, and then you keep passing stuff to Jesus and keep your ear open to Him. You stay in His rest and listen, and it's like He siphons some of the weight off of someone while you just sit there and listen and pray. Yeah! Ok, Lord!

So anyway, it's been an interesting journey. And it's not finished. The relationship with the church and the volunteers there has only really just begun. I know God is going to send me back there at least two more times, and already this week I'm going to meet some fellow volunteers here in Osaka.

I still have yet to put up blogs for the pictures from the second trip. Better do that before the third trip rolls around. But in the meantime, there's a volunteer still out there with a gift for writing (among other things!) who is keeping a beautiful blog of her experiences here: http://becauselifewins.blogspot.com/