Hymn: It Is Well with My Soul Bible Passage: Philippians 4:4-7 4 May you always be joyful in your union with the Lord. I say it again: rejoice! 5 Show a gentle attitude towards everyone. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don't worry about anything, but in all your prayers ask God for what you need, always asking him with a thankful heart. 7 And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds safe in Christ Jesus. (GNB) ピリピ人への手紙4:4−7 4 いつも、主にあって喜びに満たされていなさい。 もう一度言います。 喜びなさい。 5 自己中心的でなく、思いやりにあふれていることを、だれからも認められますように。 主がもうすぐ来られると、いつも意識していなさい。 6 何事も心配してはなりません。 むしろ、どんなことでも祈りなさい。 神様にお願いしなさい。 そして、祈りに答えてくださる神様に感謝するのを、忘れてはなりません。 7 そうすれば、人間の理解をはるかに超えた、すばらしい神様の平安を経験できます。 キリスト・イエスに頼る時、その平安は、あなたがたの心と思いとを静め、安らかにしてくれるのです。 (JLB) Introduction - What a joy it is to be back with you here in English chapel again. I would like to share with you for just a short time today, two of my favorite interests and try my best to blend them together for you. One of course, is music. All my students know how much I enjoy music. We have the joy of listening to some kind of music in every one of our classes. The hymn that we sang today is also one of my top favorites and has been for many, many years. Another interest that I'd like to share with you today is storytelling. This came from having a mother who was one of the best storytellers I've ever know. She could put so much feeling and excitement into every children's book she read to us! I also got a lot of inspiration from the famous American radio announcer of the last generation, Paul Harvey. Almost everyday as I was growing up, I would listen to his truly wonderful stories on our local radio station. The beginning of our story - With that in mind today, let me tell to you the story of one American man and his family. One hundred and eighty seven years ago, a boy was born into a well- known family in Lansingburgh, New York. His father was a government worker who had close connections with Thomas Jefferson, president of the U.S. at that time. The boy was given his father's name, Horatio. As he grew, he discovered that he really enjoyed law and began his training as a lawyer, especially medical law. When he graduated as a lawyer, he decided to move west from New York to the "Windy City," Chicago. There he opened his very first law office and began his career. It wasn't long before he became one of the most successful lawyers in the whole city. About this time, he met a very pretty young lady named Anna and they fell in love. Soon they were married and started their family. Before long, they had 4 lovely young daughters to be very proud of. Horatio worked hard as a lawyer and also was very wise to invest his money in real estate in the central part of Chicago. He became rich from his investments and he and his family were very well known in the city as being gracious, peaceful Christians. They gave much money to poor people and did much volunteer work. Now, at this point, you might say that he and his family were living the "American Dream." He had a good career, plenty of money and a sweet and loving family. But wait just a moment. Now - the Rest of the Story - On October the 8th, 1871, a great and terrible fire swept through the city of Chicago, the worst fire in the city's history! In the blink of an eye, the city center was destroyed. As the city was burned to ashes, Horatio lost almost all of his money that he had invested in real estate there. For the next 2 to 3 years, he and his family worked hard to help so many people who lost their homes in the Great Chicago Fire. But all this hard work left Horatio and his family completely tired. They decided to take a bit of a break and go to Europe to enjoy a family vacation. They traveled together from Chicago to New York where they would leave for Europe. At the last minute, Horatio got word that there was some unexpected business that he needed to take care of. He told his wife and daughters to go on ahead to England and that he would come as soon as he could. Anna and their four daughters got on the French steamship Ville du Havre on November 22, 1873, along with 307 other passengers and crew. At about 2 a.m. that same day, in North Atlantic Ocean, the Ville du Havre collided with the British sailing ship Loch Earn. The Ville du Havre sank in just 12 minutes, killing 226 people, including Horatio and Anna's four daughters! The British ship was damaged but was able to help 61 passengers and 29 crew members from the Ville du Havre. Anna was one of those lucky people who was saved. Finally Anna and the other survivors reached Cardiff, England. On December the 1st, 1873 Anna sent a telegram to her husband in the U.S. The message said, "Saved alone. What shall I do?" Horatio quickly took the next ship he could to join his wife. As he was sailing across the Atlantic Ocean, the captain of the ship called Horatio to come and see him. The captain said, "I thought you might want to know. We are now passing the spot where your daughters' ship sank." Horatio went back to his cabin, took out a piece of paper and wrote down some very beautiful, memorable words. The man's full name: Horatio G. Spafford. The words he wrote are words of the hymn that you and I just sang today! "When peace like a river attendeth my way, When sorrows like sea-billows roll, Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say: It is well, it is well with my soul." Conclusion - How could he write such wonderful words as these when he was so sad, while he was mourning for his daughters? His secret was his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And it really is no secret! Look again at the last part of today's Bible passage: And God's peace, which is far beyond human understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus! Do you have problems that are bothering you these days? Do you feel that your worries are so very heavy? Then let's do as Mr. Spafford did. Let's take all our cares to Jesus. And in return, He will give us the greatest sense of peace that we've ever know before! Closing Prayer - Dear loving Heavenly Father, thank you so much for our time together today in English Chapel. Thank you that we can share this beautiful music, these beautiful words and sing our praises to You. Sometimes our hearts are filled with happiness, but sometimes also, they are so heavy and sad. Dear Lord, we thank you for all the joys You bring into our lives. Please be very close to us, comfort us and help us when we go through the tough times. We love you and give You all of our lives - and in return, please fill our hearts with Your peace that goes far beyond our human understanding! And I pray all these things now in Jesus' precious name, Amen. ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
God bless you today as you go from our chapel time. May God wrap you in His peaceful, loving arms all day today!
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Hymn: All Creatures of Our God and King Bible Passage: Luke 12:27-28 27 "Think about how the lilies grow. They don't work or make clothing. But here is what I tell you. Not even Solomon in all of his glory was dressed like one of those flowers. 28 If that is how God dresses the wild grass, how much better will he dress you!" (NIrV) ルカ12:27−28 27 ゆりの花を見なさい。別に働いているわけでもないし、紡いだり、織ったりするわけでもありません。だが全盛時代のソロモンでさえ、この花ほど着飾ってはいませんでした。 28 今日は咲き誇っていても、明日はしぼんでしまう花でさえ、神はこのように装ってくださるのです。そうだとしたら、疑い深い人たちよ、どうして、神がちゃんと着物を用意してくださるとは考えないのですか。 (JLB) Introduction: Welcome to English chapel this afternoon and thank you so much for coming today. My name is Don Frank and I'm the English Bible teacher here at Hokusei Junior College. A new school year has just started and it's quite an exciting time to be here! It's good to see all my old friends again now that the spring vacation is finished. It's also very nice to see all these new faces here on campus! You know, the cherry blossoms are blooming all over Japan already. Soon the snow will be melted and Hokkaido flowers will be blooming too! I'd like to take a short time today to tell you several stories. The first story is about a certain king and his garden. 1. The King's Garden - An old legend tells of a king who walked into his garden one day to find almost everything withered and dying. After speaking to an oak tree near the gate, the king learned that the oak was troubled because he was not tall and beautiful like the pine tree. The pine heard their conversation and said that she, too, was upset, for she didn't have delicious fruit like the pear tree. The pear tree heard his name and began to complain that he did not have the lovely smell of the spruce tree. And so it went throughout the whole garden. Near the very edge of the garden grew a little daisy. As the king approached, he noticed her bright little face, full of life. "Well, little flower," said the king, "I'm glad to find that there is at least one happy face in my garden." "Oh king," she said, "I know I'm little, and not many people notice me, but one day I realized that if you planted me here, you must have had a good reason. So, dear king, I've decided to be the best little flower I can be!" Our King, Jesus, has planted a beautiful garden also. Not one of us is greater than the next. It is his His perfection. We must come to a place where we trust that God has a reason for creating us the way He has. He has planted us in just the place he wanted. When we become satisfied with His creation, that's when we'll find true happiness... and... we will shine just like that beautiful little daisy. 2. English Is His Gift - My next story is about a man that some of you may know. His name is Katsuya Kobayashi and he is one of the top English speakers in this country! Mr. Kobayashi was born in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima in 1941. He grew up right next door to the U.S. Air Base at Iwakuni and by the time he was in the 3rd grade of elementary school, he was listening regularly to the Far East Broadcasting Network's English radio shows. On his own, he began to study about how our mouths and tongues work to make good English pronunciation. By junior high school, he was listening to and learning English from Voice of America broadcasts as well. From then on, top musicians and top U.S. DJs were having a big impact on him! He then decided that he definitely wanted to work in English! Throughout the 1970s he worked as a DJ on a variety of radio programs that helped introduce new Western music to Japan. Then in 1981, TV Asahi offered him the chance to be the host and VJ (visual jockey) of his own TV music program called Best Hit USA. For the next 8 years, he hosted some of the greatest artists in Western music on his program. And the result was that his English became almost perfect! I'm serious! I've watched many of his videos on YouTube and I can hear no accent at all! He sounds just like a native American! As far as I know, Mr. Kobayashi is not a Christian. But I definitely believe that God gave him the gift of speaking English. And he is using that gift even today! He bloomed where he was planted! 3. The King and All His Gifts - Our Bible passage today tells us about our third and last story. One day Jesus was talking to a large group of people about the many things. Maybe as He was teaching, Jesus could look around and see many wild flowers blooming. Maybe he stood up, went over to some lilies that were nearby and spoke these words. Look at these beautiful flowers of the field. Aren't they just naturally gorgeous? You know, even old, rich King Solomon didn't had such fine clothes made for him! Even his best servants couldn't make clothes as beautiful as this lily! Now think for a minute. If my Father in heaven makes the lilies so nice, how much more will he make you beautiful? Did you ever think about all the gifts God has given you? God made you. God planted you here in Sapporo. God gave you your family. God gave each of you special talents. And just like the King's garden, God plants each of us right where He wants us! You are not here by accident. God himself decided to put you here! And now today, God brought us together in this chapel at Hokusei University! God has a wonderful plan for our lives! Conclusion: And now my time is almost finished for today and want to leave you with this challenge. Will you be like the daisy in the king's garden? Will you trust God? Will you see that God has you right here for a purpose? Will you trust Jesus completely to make you the best that you can be - the best student - the best teacher - the best friend - the best follower of Christ? Please... bloom where God has planted you! Let's pray. Closing Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this wonderful day you have given us. Thank you for sending your Son to be our Teacher, our Friend and our Savior. Speak to each of our hearts today. Help us to understand how special and important we are to you. We want to follow you more and more everyday. Take us by the hand and guide us. Help us to trust you with all of our hearts, even right now! I pray for all these things now, in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Thanks ever so much for coming to English Chapel today.
God bless you today you as you follow His Son, Jesus, in everything you do! Hymn: 'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus Bible Passage: Luke 7:36-38 36 One of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him. So he went to the Pharisee's house. He took his place at the table. 37 There was a woman in that town who had lived a sinful life. She learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee's house. So she came with a special sealed jar of perfume. 38 She stood behind Jesus and cried at his feet. She began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair. She kissed them and poured perfume on them. (NIrV) 36 あるパリサイ人から食事に招待されたので、イエスは快く応じました。 一同が食卓に着いていると、 37 町の女が一人、高価な香油の入った美しいつぼを持ってやって来ました。 この女は売春婦でした。 38 女は部屋に入るなり、イエスのうしろにひざまずき、さめざめと泣きました。 あまり泣いたので、イエスの足が涙でぬれるほどでした。 女はていねいに髪で涙をぬぐい、心を込めて足にくちづけしてから、その上に香油を注ぎかけました。 (JLB) Introduction: Good afternoon and welcome to English Chapel time. My name is Don Frank and I am very happy to be with you today. I would like to share with you about a story that I teach in English Bible 1 class every year. It's a simple story about 3 people and their journey through the challenges of faith. 1. Simon, the Pharisee - Our Bible passage today tells us that our first character is a Pharisee and his name is Simon. Pharisees were a group of Jewish leaders in Jesus' time. He was a religious man, an educated man, a man with some money and power in his community. One day, Simon invited Jesus to come to his house for a nice dinner together with some of his friends. They were curious about Jesus and His teachings. As they were enjoying the meal, a bad woman from town came in and sat on the floor near Jesus. Simon and his friends' reactions tell us a lot about their faith! Immediately Simon thought to himself in verse 39 of our Bible part, "If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him. He would know what kind of woman she is. She is a sinner!" His first thought was to judge this woman! His friends had the same kind of reaction in verse 49 when Jesus forgave the woman. The friends said, "Who is this who even forgives sins?" Where is Simon on his journey of faith? Not very far at all! Could he sing with us today's hymn? Could he sing from his heart, "Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus?" No, he couldn't! And as far as we know from what the Bible says, he never believed in Jesus. I hope that he did, but it seems that he and his friends were only curious about the Son of God. 2. The Sinful Woman - The next person that we see was an uninvited guest to this meal. The sinful woman was the opposite kind of person from Simon. She was a prostitute, a lady of the evening, a disgraceful, totally low-level person of society. She had no power, no status and was not a good leader of her community. Everyone looked up to and respected Simon, but everyone looked down on and disrespected this woman! And yet, she was much farther along her journey of faith than all the others! She believed that Jesus was a man of God. Our Bible passage tells us that her heart was broken by sin and she showed her deep emotions in front of everyone right there at Jesus' feet! She cried on His feet, kissed them and poured costly perfume on them! The smell of that perfume filled the house! She was giving up her sins and wanting forgiveness! She definitely could sing with us, "O how sweet to trust in Jesus, just to trust his cleansing blood; and in simple faith to plunge me, neath the healing, cleansing flood!" And then what happened? Jesus says to her in verse 48, "Your sins are forgiven." He also says at the end of the story, in verse 50, "Your faith has saved you. Go in peace." She overcame the challenges of faith and simply trusted Christ - and she was saved! 3. Jesus, the Savior - The last of the 3 people in our story today is the main character. We see Jesus Christ, the savior of the world, God's own Son! He kindly accepts Simon's invitation to dinner. And in return, Jesus offered a simple invitation to all at the dinner party. The invitation was to believe in Him! He taught Simon and his guests a simple story about 2 people who owed money to a money lender. One owed a little money and the other owed a lot. The money lender forgave both people and they didn't have to pay back the money anymore! Then Jesus asks Simon a very important question in verse 42, "Which of them will love him more?" and Simon says in verse 43, "I suppose the one who owed the most money." And here's the point of the story. Jesus offered the same thing to both Simon and the nameless, sinful woman. As far as we can tell from the Bible, one took the offer and the other didn't. One person's life was changed forever and the other just went back to his normal life! Conclusion: As our song today says, "Yes, 'tis sweet to trust in Jesus, just from sin and self to cease; just from Jesus simply taking, life and rest, and joy and peace." A story from 2000 years ago, is repeated in our hymn for today. The words of Jesus ring just as true today as they did so many years ago! Verse 47 of our Bible part today says, "So I tell you this. Her many sins have been forgiven. She has loved a lot." My time today is almost finished, but I'd like to leave these final thoughts with you. Where are you and I on our journey through the challenges of faith? Are we just "curious" about Jesus, as Simon was? Do we just listen to His words and then go back to our normal lives? Or are we as the nameless woman of our story? Do we feel the weight of sin deep in our hearts and the need for Jesus and His forgiveness? Are we searching for Him as she did? I hope and pray that each of us will come to Jesus, find forgiveness and then simply receive from God's Son "life and rest, and joy and peace." Closing Prayer: Our loving Heavenly Father, thank you ever so much for this English Chapel time today. Thanks for giving us another chance to get together, sing together, open the Bible together and worship you from our hearts. Now Jesus, go with each of us as we return to our classes. Help us to teach and to study by the power of the love you have for us! Guide us and be with us all through this beautiful day. And I pray all these things now, in Jesus' precious name. Amen. Thanks for coming to English Chapel today ~ and see you again next time! God bless!
Hymn: He Hideth My Soul 1st Bible Passage: Exodus 33:22 When my glory passes by, I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. (NIV) 出エジプト記33:22 わたしの栄光がいま通り過ぎる。あなたを岩の裂け目に入れ、わたしが通り過ぎるまで、手であなたをおおう。(JLB) Introduction - It's so nice to be back here at Hokusei after our summer vacation. And welcome to our 1st English chapel of the new term. My name's Don Frank. I'm the English Bible teacher and one of the Oral English teachers here at the junior college. I'd like to share with you today about the topic, "the Hand of God." You know, this is a pretty popular topic in the Bible! The Bible writers talked about God's Hand more than 100 times! And even the lady who wrote our hymn today, Francis Crosby, talked about God's hand too! Let's take a look at a couple of ideas from today's hymn. 1. He's Our Loving Protector - The words of the 1st verse go like this, "A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, a wonderful Savior to me; he hides my soul in the cleft of the rock, where rivers of pleasure I see." These words come from the story in our 1st Bible passage. This story is about Moses, the great leader of the Jewish people, from the Old Testament. One day, Moses was having a conversation with God. Moses asked God a very nice favor. He said, "God, I want to see you!" And God answered, "I am much too bright for you to look at. If you look at Me, you will burn up!" But God really wanted to give Moses that favor. So, he picked Moses up and put him in a cleft or an opening in a big rock. Then he covered Moses with His hand. Then He passed by Moses and Moses could see God's back! I think we can learn several lessons from this story. First, God loves to have conversations with us. These conversations are called prayer. He is so very happy when we talk to him everyday. Second, God loves us very much. God loved Moses and wanted to spend time with him. He wants to do the same for us! And third, God wants so very much to protect us. He lovingly protected Moses. If we trust God with all of our hearts, He will cover us with His big, strong hands and protect us too! In our song today, Fanny also wrote that in God's hands are "rivers of pleasure." Not only does God protect us, but he also gives us pleasures like rivers! Think about that for a minute. God wants to give us so many pleasures that they are flowing just like a river! That's a lot of joy and happiness! I live right beside the Makomanai River and I watch it everyday. The water never stops. It's always moving. It's always fresh and new. God's pleasures are like that too. They never stop! Every morning when you wake up, His joys and blessings are new and refreshing! 2nd Bible Passage: John 10:27-30 27 "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one can steal them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than anyone. No one can steal them out of my Father's hand. 30 I and the Father are one." (NIRV) ヨハネによる福音書10:27−30 27 わたしの羊はわたしの声を聞き分けます。わたしは彼らを知っているし、彼らもわたしにはついて来ます。28 わたしは彼らに永遠のいのちを与えるのです。だから、絶対に滅びたりはしません。だれも、わたしの手から彼らを奪い取ることはできません。29 父がわたしに下さった群れなのですから。父はだれよりも力があります。わたしの羊をさらうことなんか、だれにもできません。30わたしと父とは一つです。」(JLB) 2. He's Our Loving Guide - Fanny Crosby also wrote in the chorus of our hymn, "He hides my life in the depths of His love, and covers me there with His hand." And our 2nd Bible passage, John 10, talks about this very clearly. This Bible part is from the New Testament and Jesus is talking to his believers. He is like our Shepherd and we are like his sheep. We listen to his voice and he knows us! He loves us so much that if we believe in him, he will give us eternal life! He is our Good Shepherd and he wants to lovingly guide us every day. Do we believe that he died on the cross to pay for our sins? Then we should listen to his voice and follow him carefully. We can trust him everyday, follow him with joy and then He will give us life that never ends! The Bible part also says that He will hold us in His hand and that no one can come and steal us away. Jesus even said that Our Heavenly Father holds us in His hand too. And He is so great and powerful that no one at all can steal us from the Father's hand! Conclusion - What an amazing song it is that we sang today. And what amazing promises we read from the Bible too! As this new semester begins, do you feel that you need someone to guard you? Do you feel you need a guide as you're going through all of your classes? Will you give your life to Jesus? Will you trust Him to be your protector and guide? If you will, then He has promised to protect you and guide you every moment of your life - both here on earth and in heaven too! Closing Prayer - Loving Heavenly Father, I want to thank you so very much for this English chapel time today. Thank you for all who came here to join us. God help us to remember all these beautiful words You've taught us today. You love us. You protect us. You guide us. You promise us eternal life. Thank you for being with each of us all through this day. I pray all these things now in Jesus' precious name. Amen. May the Lord bless you and take good care of you.
May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord look on you with favor and give you His peace. Hymn: Sweet Hour of Prayer Bible Passage: Philippians 4:6-7 6 Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God. 7 Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. (CEV) 6 何事も心配してはなりません。 むしろ、どんなことでも祈りなさい。 神様にお願いしなさい。 そして、祈りに答えてくださる神様に感謝するのを、忘れてはなりません。 7 そうすれば、人間の理解をはるかに超えた、すばらしい神様の平安を経験できます。 キリスト・イエスに頼る時、その平安は、あなたがたの心と思いとを静め、安らかにしてくれるのです。(JLB) Introduction: It's so nice to be back here at Hokusei for this new school year. And welcome to English chapel today. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Don Frank. I'm the English Bible teacher and I also teach Oral English here at the junior college. Throughout our chapel times this week, we've been observing the anniversary of the Tohoku earthquake and tidal wave. I remember that so very clearly and watched it on television every day. It was such a shock for me. During that time, so many people around the world were praying for Japan. In fact, many, many people are still praying for this country! And it's this topic of prayer that I'd like to talk about with you today. What do you think about prayer? What is prayer? Does it really have any effect? Often when we humans have problems, we try our best to find answers by our own power first. Then if that doesn't work, we just say, "Oh, I guess I'll pray about it." I'm going to suggest to you today that prayer should be your first choice - not your last choice! 1. Learn to Pray Often - Let's take another look at our Bible passage for today. It says in Philippians chapter 4, verse 6, "Don't worry about anything, but pray about everything. With thankful hearts offer up your prayers and requests to God." God truly wants us to pray about everything! We should take everything to God, not only the big things but the little things too. Every day as we go about our daily lives, we should carry on a non-stop conversation with God. We should enjoy talking to God about everything in our lives. We never know what is coming in the future, so we should talk to the God who made this whole universe - He knows! Let me give you an example. I had a personal experience about praying in my first year of university that I'd like to share with you today. One day, I was outside in the parking lot in front of my apartment building and I was changing the tires on my car. I had the car jacked up and I was taking off one of the back tires. I set the tire down on the ground and I was sitting with my legs under the car. All of a sudden the jack slipped and the car began to fall. I didn't have time to say anything else but "God help!" I felt my legs being pushed apart and the car fell right down between my legs! Crash! As an answer to my two-word prayer, I believe that God sent an angel and pushed my legs apart so that the car would not fall on me! That day I learned 3 very important lessons: 1. God is always watching out for us, 2. God uses angels to help us and, 3. We should pray in any situation! I not only prayed about my immediate problem, but after it was finished I took the time to thank God for his help and his protection. I can tell you for sure from this situation that God does indeed answer prayer! 2. Know that Prayer Changes Your Life - Our Bible passage for today goes on to say in verse 7, "Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel." Did you know that prayer can change your life? That's what God's Word says! The more we pray, the more God will change our lives and give us a really deep sense of peace. Let me share another very well-known Christian story with you this afternoon. The famous American preacher, Billy Graham, wrote this story in his 1975 book, Angels: God's Secret Agents: John Paton was an early missionary to the New Hebrides Islands (the country we call today, Vanuatu, off the northeast coast of Australia). He told a thrilling story about angels and the power of prayer. Angry natives came to attack his home one night. They were going to burn down the house and kill the missionary and his family. John and his family prayed all during that terrible night that God would save them. When daylight came, they were amazed to see that the attackers had left. They thanked God so much for saving them. A year later, the chief of the tribe became a Christian and Mr. Paton remembered what had happened that one night. He asked the chief what had stopped him and his men from burning down the house and killing them. The chief replied in surprise, "Who were all those men you had with you there?" The missionary answered, "There were no men there; just my family and I." The chief argued that they had seen many men standing guard - hundreds of big men in shining clothes with bright swords in their hands. They stood in a circle around the missionary's home so that the natives were afraid to attack. Only then did Mr. Paton realize that God had sent His angels to protect them. The chief agreed that there was no other explanation. As an answer to the missionary's prayer, God had sent many angels that night to protect them! And because of this one missionary's prayer, many lives were changed completely! The missionary's life was strengthened! The chief of the village was saved! Plus all the people who have heard this story over the years have found wonderful power in prayer! Conclusion: So now, where do you stand on the topic of prayer? Do you still think it's only a last resort? I hope you will join me today in believing that God answers prayer. Let's pray often about all things in our lives. And then when God brings his answer to us, let's be sure to thank God from the bottom of our hearts for the wonderful power source of prayer! Closing Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, I want to thank you so very much for this English chapel time today. Thank you for all of our teachers, workers and our students here at Hokusei. God bless them today as they work in their offices and as they go to their classes to teach and to learn. Dear Lord, walk with each of us, hold us close to Yourself and always remind us of the wonderful chance we have to talk to you anytime we want. I pray all these things now in the precious name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. God bless you today in everything you do! ✞ I hope you enjoy talking to God often!
Worship Song: As the Deer Bible Passage: Luke 12:16-21 16 Then Jesus told them this parable: “There was once a rich man who had land which bore good crops. 17 He began to think to himself, ‘I haven't anywhere to keep all my crops. What can I do? 18 This is what I will do,’ he told himself; ‘I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, where I will store my corn and all my other goods. 19 Then I will say to myself, Lucky man! You have all the good things you need for many years. Take life easy, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!’ 20 But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night you will have to give up your life; then who will get all these things you have kept for yourself?’” 21 And Jesus concluded, “This is how it is with those who pile up riches for themselves but are not rich in God's sight.” (GNB) 16 そこで、たとえ話を一つなさいました。「ある金持ちが、良い作物のとれる肥えた畑を持っていました。 17 倉はいっぱいで、収穫物を全部納めきれないほどです。あれこれ考えたあげく、うまいことを思いつきました。 18 『こうすりゃいいんだ。あの倉を取りこわして、もっと大きいのを建てる。 そうすりゃあ、作物を全部納められるさ。』 19 ひとり悦に入った金持ちは、ふんぞり返って、われとわが身に言い聞かせたものです。『もう何も心配はいらないぞ。これから先何年分もの食料がたっぷりあるんだ。のんびり、楽しくやろう。さあ、酒だ、女だ、歌だっ!』 20 しかし神は、こう言われました。『愚か者よ! あなたのいのちは、今夜にもなくなるのです。そうしたら、ここにある物は、いったいだれのものになるのですか。』 21 いいですか。この地上でいくらお金をため込んでも、天国に財産を持っていない者はみな、愚か者なのです。」(JLB) Introduction: Good morning my friends and welcome to this week's English chapel time here at Hokusei University. For those of you that don't know me, my name is Don Frank and I'm a part-time English and Bible teacher here at Hokusei Junior College. And it's my very great joy to be able to talk with you today. The theme of my message today is something that I've been dealing with a lot in my own life recently, so I thought it would be a good idea to share it with you today. 1. The Hole in Our Souls - You know, we humans are looking and looking everyday for things to satisfy us. And there's a reason for this. I believe that we humans are born with an empty space in hearts. I like to call it a hole in our souls! And we search everyday for things to satisfy us - to fill that hole. A. We try so many things, don't we? Time. We try to fill every minute of every day. In this fast-paced society, we keep our eyes on the clock always! People. We try filling our lives with family and friends. We write messages to them. We share our feelings with them. We spend time with them. Money. Just like the story Jesus taught us in our Bible passage today, we try like the rich man to get more and more money. Activities. We are constantly moving to do more and more things. When we finish our work, we focus on our hobbies - club activities, family activities, personal and private activities! Things. This is indeed a trap, isn't it? Maybe we collect money only to spend it on buying more things! We want the newest smart phone, the best clothes, the most delicious food and the newest, trendiest goods! B. This semester in English Bible class, I'll be teaching about the greatest, wisest man in all history, King Solomon. You know, he did an experiment in his life. He was so rich that he decided to try everything in life. The Bible says, "I determined that I would examine and study all the things that are done in this world... I learned all knowledge… I enjoyed myself and became happy… I drank wine and had a good time… I built houses and planted gardens… I owned many slaves and animals… I piled up silver and gold… I had all the women a man could want (The Bible tells us that he had 700 wives and 300 lovers!)… Anything I wanted, I got. I did not deny myself any pleasure. I was proud of everything I had worked for, and all this was my reward. Then I thought about all that I had done and how hard I had worked doing it, and I realized that it didn't mean a thing. It was like chasing the wind — of no use at all. (Ecclesiastes 1 & 2, GNB) 2. God Has the Piece! - Could you understand what Solomon was saying? He tried everything! And still he said he was not satisfied! But God has what you are searching for. He already designed a piece to fit that hole in your soul perfectly! A. And what is that piece, you might ask. Of course, it's the cross of Jesus Christ! God loved you and I so very much that he sent his only son to die on the cross for us. In the Bible, Jesus said, "Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28, GNB) He also said, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." (John 7:37-38, NIV) More than anything else, Jesus really wants to satisfy us. He promises to give us rest and satisfaction always! B. Now Christian, you're probably wondering about yourself. What about me? Yes, I believe in Jesus, but I'm still not satisfied. I'm still looking for something. Can you help me? So, let me tell you what Paul's advice was. He shares with us the secret of being satisfied. "And I am not saying this because I feel neglected, for I have learned to be satisfied with what I have. I know what it is to be in need and what it is to have more than enough. I have learned this secret, so that anywhere, at any time, I am content, whether I am full or hungry, whether I have too much or too little. I have the strength to face all conditions by the power that Christ gives me." (Philippians 4:11-13, GNB) That's it! If we keep our eyes on Jesus Christ always, he will give us the satisfaction that we need. I have the strength to face all conditions. How? By the power that Christ gives me! Conclusion: Are you here today and you feel empty inside? Do you feel like somehow you lost your way? The answer is the same for both the believer and the non-believer! Jesus Christ! He wants to show you the way to His cross. And from that day forward, he will always be with you, guiding you every step of the way! You can find in him everything that will satisfy you completely, both now and every day in the future! Closing Prayer: Dear Lord, I want to thank you for this wonderful time that we can worship you and learn about you together today. Please be with everyone here in our chapel and at our university. Help us to find you as the answer to all of the needs we have in our lives. Dear Jesus, please help us always to look at the cross to find true satisfaction in our lives. From now on, please walk with us every step of the way of life, helping us to find the answers for all of our questions and satisfying as completely as our Savior and our Best Friend. And I ask all these things now in your precious name, Amen. ✞ ✞ ✞ ✞
God bless you today as you go from our chapel time and may He satisfy you completely, deep inside your heart. Hymn: He Leadeth Me Bible Passage: Psalm 23 (Good News Bible) 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. 2 He lets me rest in fields of green grass and leads me to quiet pools of fresh water. 3 He gives me new strength. He guides me in the right paths, as he has promised. 4 Even if I go through the deepest darkness, I will not be afraid, Lord, for you are with me. Your shepherd's rod and staff protect me. 5 You prepare a banquet for me, where all my enemies can see me; you welcome me as an honored guest and fill my cup to the brim. 6 I know that your goodness and love will be with me all my life; and your house will be my home as long as I live. Introduction: I'm so thankful that you came to join us today for our last English Chapel before summer vacation. Have you got some good plans for the next 6 weeks? I pray that God would bless you a lot during the vacation and bring you back safely in September! But, no matter where you go or what you do, God will be with you and He wants to guide you everyday. And that's the theme of my message that I want to talk about today. If you want to know of God's faithfulness, just look to your testimony! So, let me share my testimony with you today - in three parts. (testimony = 証 <あかし>) 1. Salvation - I had just graduated from high school and summer vacation had started. I had spent my 3 years of high school not really knowing where I was going. I was a very quiet young man who was looking for answers to life's tough questions - Who am I? What's the purpose of my life? But I couldn't find any answers, no matter how hard I searched. I got depressed often because of this and became pretty shy. Then one day, I met one of my friends and she asked, "Would you like to come to a hayride that Youth for Christ is having? It's gonna be a lot of fun! Were gonna eat a lot of good food, go on a real hayride, sing songs and play games!" I couldn't think of any excuse and so I told her "Yes." The event was just as she had said - lots of fun from beginning to end. As the evening drew to a close, a young man got up on stage and gave his testimony about how he became a believer in Jesus. His sincere words of faith and loving smile had a deep impact on me! That evening, 40 years ago this month, June 1973, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior. God turned my life around 180 degrees! I became positive, outgoing and happy for the first time in my life! I look back on that now as the single most important moment of my life! Jesus became my shepherd. He gave me all I needed. He let me rest in His fields of green grass and led me to His quiet pools of fresh water. And He gave me His strength which has never left me to this day! 2. Protection - Time passed quickly and soon I graduated university and seminary. What was God planning for the next chapter of my life? Soon, God called me to become the minister of a small church in Hawaii. My job-hunting days were over! Little by little, believers came and joined the church. One by one, men and women accepted Christ as their savior. It was a joyful time not only for myself, but also my mom. She loved Hawaii and was so excited to come and visit! Maybe she was thinking, "Finally my son has the perfect job in paradise!" We spent good time together, sharing that special Aloha Spirit! But as each year passed, I began to feel restless. Was God preparing me for something else? On my 8th anniversary of working in Hawaii, my good friend, Jim Allison came there on his honeymoon. After spending some refreshing time together, Jim asked, "How's your work going here?" I answered that maybe God was ready to take me on to some new work. He then invited me to come to Sapporo to teach English and Bible. Quickly, God opened the door for me to move to Japan. And I arrived here in March of 1992. My mom was so disappointed! How could her son give up a job in paradise? Now he lived on the opposite side of the world! I told her that God had clearly led me to Sapporo, but this didn't help her feel any better. Then, 6 months later in September, God showed us His purpose. The largest tropical hurricane in U.S. history struck the state of Hawaii. It tore through the exact center of the island of Kauai! The roof of the home where I used to live was sucked off and half of the church roof collapsed! It was a shock! Soon after, I talked to my mother on the phone. She finally said that she was so glad God had protected me so clearly. If I had not taken the job in Sapporo, I may not have survived! Jesus guided me in the right paths. His shepherd's rod and staff protected me! 3. Guidance - My life here in Sapporo has been one blessing after another! I taught at Hokusei for 4 years after moving here. Then God led me to restart a ministry I had done before. As I pastored my church on Kauai, I also had the joy of working as a resort minister. I preached and did weddings at hotels all over Kauai. Now God clearly opened the door for me to do the same in Sapporo. I quit working at Hokusei and followed God to strengthen the wedding work He gave me. After investing 13 years and performing over 5,000 weddings, suddenly one day in July of 2009, I got a phone call from my old friend, Bob Gettings. "Hey Don, would you be interested in coming back to teach the Bible at Hokusei?" God's timing is always perfect, isn't it?! My wedding work had settled down and God again was pulling my heart to other work. I immediately said "Yes" and now here I am, back at the best university in Hokkaido! I just finished teaching the 1st semester of my 5th year after returning to Hokusei and I have some good news I want to tell you. Of all the years I have taught Bible here, this has been the best so far! More of my students have gotten excellent grades than any other year before! And more students are showing their interest in Christ! I thank God for His faithful guidance! Jesus welcomes me as an honored guest and fills my cup to the brim. I know His goodness and love will be with me all of my life! Conclusion: Our chapel time is almost done for today. To my fellow believers I say, "Look to your testimony if you want to see the faithfulness of God!" To those here today who haven't believed in Jesus, I say, "Summer vacation is the perfect time! Trust Jesus with all of your heart and see the wonderful testimony He will give to you!"
Closing Prayer: Loving Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this very good 1st semester. Thank you for the hard work of all the teachers and students. God, watch over us as we enjoy our vacations. Bring us salvation - give us protection - and above all, take is by the hand and guide us everyday. I pray this now, in Jesus precious name. Amen. Hymn: To God Be the Glory Bible Passage: Psalm 126: 2-3 (Good News Bible) 2 How we laughed, how we sang for joy! Then the other nations said about us, “The Lord did great things for them.” 3 Indeed he did great things for us; how happy we were! Introduction: I'm so very glad to see all of you here today at our weekly Hokusei English Chapel time. What a joy it is to be back here on campus for this new school year. I'm enjoying reconnecting with many of my friends and seeing many new faces as well. And… I really enjoyed singing that beautiful hymn together. Thanks so much for giving that hymn your best shot today! As many of you know, I like music so very much. I also enjoy taking the words of our hymns and writing my messages from them. And that's what I've done today. The hymn we just sang is an old Fanny Crosby number called "To God Be the Glory." God inspired me to ask a question that comes from that song. What great things has God done for you? 1. He planned you! Let's begin by going straight to God's Word and see what we can find. In Ephesians 1:4 it says, "Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ." (New Living Translation) Isn't that truly remarkable? Before God began creating this universe, He already had you in mind! God was thinking and planning for your future. He knows everything about you and He loves you. If you believe and trust Jesus Christ, then you are chosen by God! You are then part of God's plan that He made ages and ages ago. What wonderful news that is! 2. He made you! Yes, that's right - God made each of us. Now, we usually think that mom & dad got together and made us. I know part of me looks very much like my mother (raise hand to show my height). And part of me definitely looks like my dad (brush my hairline)! But the Bible tells us differently. Psalm 139:13 says, "You created every part of me; you put me together in my mother's womb." Isn't that a great thing God has done? By His Own Power, He lovingly took your parents DNA and creatively put them together to make… YOU! 3. He died for you! You know, Easter was just 3 weeks ago. It's one of the 2 most important holidays for us Christians. It's the day that Jesus came back to life again. On the Friday before, Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. So... let me ask a simple question, "Why did He do this?" And the answer comes clearly from God's Word, from John 3:16 - "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life." (Good News Bible) What a truly great thing He did for us. He loved us so much, He left heaven to come, live and die for us! 4. And now, He invites you! When I was a kid, at the end of the day as the sun was going down, my mom would call to me, "Don, it's time to come home!" Home. For many of us, home is the sweetest, dearest place in the world. I know that's especially true for me. I just moved into a condominium that I bought at the beginning of this year. I love my new home. It's the most comfortable place on this earth to me. But this world is not our true home, if we believe in Christ. The Bible says in Philippians 3:20, "But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus lives." (New Living Translation) Conclusion: And this idea brings me to the end of my time with you today. Let me ask you again - what great things has God done for you? He planned you. He made you. He himself died for you. And now… He invites to share His home for all of eternity. The songwriter, Albert Brumley, from the state of Arkansas in the U.S., wrote a very inspirational Christian song entitled, "This World Is Not My Home." Jim, you're from that state. I bet you know this song, don't you? "This world is not my home. I'm just a passing thro'. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angles beckon me from heaven's open door. And I can't feel at home in this world anymore." God has done so much for you and me - from eternity past - all the way to the present. If you are here today and believe in Jesus Christ, then this is a time to rejoice and thank God for all the wonderful things He has done for you. But maybe you're not really sure about God today. Maybe you're thinking, "Does God really exist? Does He really think about my little life and does He really care for me?" And my answer is a resounding "Yes!" I hope you too will see all the wonderful things that God has been doing - and trust Him too. (^v^) Closing Prayer: Dear loving Heavenly Father, I'm so thankful to you for all the many things you do for us everyday. You planned all this creation, including us. You loved us so much that you came and died for us. You joyfully walk with us and guide us throughout our lives. And then you promise to make a very special home for us that is so fantastic that we can't even imagine what it will be like. God, help us to always remember the great things you do for us. Help us to believe in you more faithfully. And by Your Love, help us follow you better and closer - everyday. I pray all these things now, in Jesus' precious name, Amen. Thanks so much for coming and joining us at English chapel today. God be with you and bless you richly in all that you do today!
Hymn: The First Noel Bible Passage: Luke 2:8-14 8 There were shepherds living out in the fields nearby. It was night, and they were looking after their sheep. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them. And the glory of the Lord shone around them. They were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy. It is for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord. 12 Here is how you will know I am telling you the truth. You will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth and lying in a manger." 13 Suddenly a large group of angels from heaven also appeared. They were praising God. They said, 14 "May glory be given to God in the highest heaven! And may peace be given to those he is pleased with on earth!" (NIrV) 8 その夜、町はずれの野原では、羊飼いが数人、羊の番をしていました。 9そこへ突然、御使いが現われ、主の栄光がさっとあたり一面を照らしたのです。 これを見た羊飼いたちは恐ろしさのあまり震え上がりました。10 御使いが言いました。 「こわがることはありません。 これまで聞いたこともない、すばらしい出来事を知らせてあげましょう。 すべての人への、うれしい知らせです。 11今夜ダビデの町(ベツレヘム)で救い主がお生まれになりました。 この方こそ主キリストです。 12布にくるまれ、飼葉おけに寝かされている赤ん坊、それが、目じるしです。」13 するとたちまち、天の軍勢が現われ、御使いといっしょに神をほめたたえました。14 「天では、神様に栄光があるように。地上では、平和が、神様に喜ばれる人々にあるように。」(JLB) Introduction: Time is passing so quickly, isn't it? The end of the year is upon us and Christmas is right around the corner! We've only got 4 more weeks of classes till the school year is finished. And Christmas is coming in just 18 days! Here in Japan, December is called shiwasu (師走) or the time of the year when even the teachers are running! I've been running from school to school, from class to class and from lesson to lesson for the past several weeks now! I may be the busiest right now, but I'm having a lot of fun. Let me tell you about this, my favorite time of the year. 1. The Holiday Season - The end of the year is so very special to me. My heart holds so many good memories and feelings for this season. My mom always went in really big for the 3 major holidays leading up to the end of the year: Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Each one had it's own charms and joys. Halloween was when the Frank Family holiday season began. Mom always made sure we had special costumes. We'd help her decorate the house with all kinds of pictures of witches, ghosts and goblins. We'd dress up in our costume and mom would take us around to the different neighborhoods in our small town for "trick-or-treating!" We always got bags and bags of candy! Thanksgiving then came one month later. Boy, were we happy for this holiday to come! This meant spending the day at grandma and grandpa's house. We'd arrive at our grandparent's house late in the morning. Grandma was already in the kitchen preparing the thanksgiving feast. We'd relax in the living room and watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on TV for 3 hours! Then grandma would call us to the dining table and we'd eat so much turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy. Then came dessert! She always made 3 different kinds of pies: mincemeat, pecan and pumpkin! We stuffed ourselves until we were ready to explode! Christmas came just 3 weeks later. This was the biggest of all the Frank holidays! As soon as Thanksgiving was done, mom would start preparing for Christmas. First, she and dad would decorate the outside of the house with a big wooden Santa and his reindeer on the roof! Then next was the big Christmas tree in the living room. And quickly after that, presents began to appear under the tree. Then before we knew it, Christmas Eve had come. Mama was so excited! She was just like a kid! She couldn't wait to open the presents. But before that was a big Christmas dinner together: roast ham, potato soup, freshly baked bread and lots of desserts. Then it was off to the neighborhood Methodist church for the Christmas Eve worship service. Then back to the house for the big event, opening the presents. Everyone got several presents each. We all had to watch as one-by-one, the presents came out of their wrappings. It was such a happy and rich experience as we all listened to Christmas carols and spent such good time together! 2. The Reason for the Season - When I was 18 years old, I trusted Christ as my savior for the very first time! Everything in my life changed! The holiday season took on a whole new meaning for me. Of course, all the holidays still held wonderful family memories, but now I knew for the first time "the reason for the season!" Our Bible passage today tells us about wonderful story. First, this holiday was marked by the joyous announcement that filled the heavens - God's Son was born on earth! It wasn't that Santa Claus had come! It wasn't that the tree was decorated and it was time to open presents! It wasn't time to go on a Christmas dinner date and eat Christmas cake! This is Jesus' birthday celebration! Second, this holiday should be marked by all of us giving glory to God. Yes, it's a good thing to thank all of our family and friends. They give us so much happiness at this season of the year. But we should also give God the glory for the tremendous present of His Son! And third, because Christ's birth is truly the "reason for the season," then peace should fill our hearts completely during this holiday! God's Son came for the sole purpose of taking away our sins and giving us peace. If we trust Jesus, then He will give us a kind of peace that passes all understanding! Conclusion: Yet there are so many of us humans who haven't found the true joy. The end of the year is just a busy time of finishing our work, doing Christmas shopping and attending year-end parties. In the animation story, A Charlie Brown Christmas, Charlie Brown himself was so frustrated about this season. He cried in a loud voice, "Doesn't anybody know what Christmas is all about?" His friend Linus gives him the perfect answer! It's so simple that a child can understand it. This is the real meaning of Christmas! I hope and pray this Christmas will different than any other Christmas that you have ever celebrated. May God fill your heart with peace this holiday season because now you know the reason for the season! Prayer: Dear heavenly Father, thanks so much for this chapel time together today. Give us your grace and strength, as we are so busy at this time of the year. God bless us with a very special Christmas this year. God I give you glory for the greatest Christmas present of all - the gift of your Son Jesus - and the peace He brings into our world even today. In His precious name I pray, Amen. Hymn: As the Deer Bible Passage: Psalm 42:1-2 1 A deer longs for streams of water. God, I long for you in the same way. 2 I am thirsty for God. I am thirsty for the living God. When can I go and meet with him? (NIrV) 1 ああ神様。 鹿が水をあえぎ求めるように、私も神様を慕い求めます。 2 焼けつくような渇きを覚えながら、私は生きておられる神様を慕っています。 どこへ行けば、お目どおりがかなうのでしょうか。 (JLB) Introduction: Time flies and we're back together again here at Hokusei. Can you believe how fast this year is going? I can't! Summer vacation passed too quickly! I enjoyed myself 100%. But I must admit, I'm very happy to see all of my friends again! Let's enjoy sharing the the Word of God more together this semester. Our Bible passage today is one of my all-time favorites. And that's why I chose that song for us to sing today. The song and our Bible part talk about being thirsty for God. You know what a cool glass of water tastes like when you're thirsty? That's what God tastes like to our souls. And at the end of verse 2, the psalm writer says, "When can I go and meet with him?" Well, our time to meet God is now. Let me tell you a little bit today about the God of the Bible, from the beginning to the end. 1. God at a Distance - I'm just beginning to teach the Old Testament here at Hokusei this semester. I'm really enjoying giving my students a tour of the great men and women of faith from a long time ago. God in those early days showed his people that He was separate from them. Do you recall when Moses came to meet God for the first time? Moses had gone to the top of Mt. Sinai and there God said to him, "Do not come any closer. Take off your sandals. The place you are standing on is holy ground." (Exodus 3:5) God kept even that great leader Moses at a distance! Then later God gave His people a place to worship. It was called a Tabernacle (ユダヤ神殿 [しんでん]). The people could not go inside this very special "tent" for worship. They all had to stay outside. Only the priests could enter. Then at the very back of the tent was the very holy place. Only the high priest could go in there. He could only go in one time a year to meet with the Lord! God and the people were very separate. God was trying to teach them that He was holy and they were sinful. He was pure and they were dirty! Yes indeed, God and we humans are very, very different! We cannot get close to God. He has to come and be close to us. 2. God's Son Up Close - Last semester I taught my students about the life of Jesus Christ. When you look at God's Son, you can see God so very clearly. God sent His Son, Jesus, to give us a perfect picture of Himself. God decided to become human, just like us! He lived with us, walked with us, laughed with us and cried with us! He even chose to die on the cross for us! Now let's read Jesus' words. "Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) Before God said "don't come any closer." Now it's the opposite. Jesus lovingly invites all of us to come to God whenever we want! What changed? Now God is showing another part of His character - not His holiness, but His love! He loved us so much that he decided to become human. He decided that He Himself would become the sacrifice for our sins! The one thing that keeps us separate from God is our sins. God's Son takes them away for us. Now there's nothing blocking us from coming to God! 3. The Holy Spirit Is with Us - First, God seemed so far away in the Old Testament. Then, Jesus came and God walked with us. And yet, God will come even closer to us. Jesus said just before He went back to heaven, "But what I'm about to tell you is true. It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Spirit will not come to help you. But if I go, I will send him to you." (John 16:7) God's Spirit is in the world today just as Jesus promised. He is God and He is right here with us in this place! Do you understand what I'm saying? Look at these words that the Apostle Paul wrote. "Don't you know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit? The Spirit is in you. You have received him from God. You do not belong to yourselves." (1 Corinthians 6:19) God the Holy Spirit lives inside everyone who truly believes God! This is easy to forget because we are often so busy. As we trust Jesus as our savior, then He sends His Spirit to live in our hearts forever! Conclusion: Researchers tell us that we humans are made up of 5 parts: physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual. We humans do many things everyday to satisfy some of these parts. But the one part we don't really take care of is our spiritual longing. Oh yea, we check our horoscope every morning and make sure our Feng Shui is correct. We do yoga, deep-breathing exercises and Tai Chi to see that our energy is flowing smoothly. But we're still not satisfied!
Just like our song this afternoon, deep down inside our hearts we long for God. Just like a deer longs to get to the river and take a drink, we are thirsty in our souls. I can tell you from my own personal experience that God can and will satisfy like none other! If you're longing for God this afternoon, then listen to Jesus' words and come and find rest for your souls! He'll give you the Holy Spirit and then you'll never be thirsty again! Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank you from the bottom of my heart that we can meet with you here today in our chapel time. You know our hearts and how much we long for you everyday. Satisfy us as no earthly resource can. Fill our hearts with Your Spirit and guide us through Your Word everyday. May we never be so thirsty in our souls again. I thank you now for all these things and pray in Jesus' precious name, Amen. |
About This PageThis is my personal space to share my messages and thoughts about Hokusei English Chapel and the things that God brings in to my life. Archives
October 2015
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