How Precious is the Atonement?

I just listened to Piper's message on the atonement. Though the title says, "Part 7 - Limited Atonement", it simply blew the doors open on my "little" limited view of the atonement! What Jesus did on the cross brings people to and is in and of itself the main thing in the entire universe! What Jesus did on the cross is for everyone in the entire world (yes, YOU!) who would believe and is actually effective for those who do believe. If you are unsure of Calvinism and Arminianism, or have never studied these important issues at all, this is the place to start seeing some answers.

Click here and go to part 7.

The glue that holds us together

(From a friend)

And then I lost my breath. And it wasn't because I was running my treadmill, either
It was because he started talking about laminin. I knew about laminin. Here is how wikipedia describes them :

"Laminins are a family of proteins that are an integral part of the structural scaffolding of basement membranes in almost every animal tissue." You see....laminins are what hold us together....LITERALLY.

They are cell adhesion molecules. They are what holds one cell of our bodies to the next cell. Without them, we would literally fall apart. And I knew all this already. But what I didn't know is what laminin LOOKED LIKE.

But now I do.

And I have thought about it a thousand times since (already)....
Here is what the structure of laminin looks like...AND THIS IS NOT a "Christian portrayal" of it....if you look up laminin in any scientific/medical piece of literature, this is what you will see...

Now tell me that our God is not the coolest!!! Amazing.

The glue that holds us together....ALL of us....is in the shape of the cross.

Immediately Colossians 1:15-17 comes to mind.

"He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible,
whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things HOLD TOGETHER. “ Colossians 1:15-17

Call me crazy. I just think that is very, very, very cool.
Thousands of years before the world knew anything about laminin, Paul penned those words. And now we see that from a very LITERAL standpoint, we are held together...one cell to another....by the cross.< /B>

You would never in a quadrillion years convince me that is anything other than the mark of a Creator who knew EXACTLY what laminin "glue" would look like long before Adam even breathed his first breath!!

We praise YOU, Lord !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

"The Land of Disappearing Children" -- Japan's Population Crisis

Posted: Thursday, May 08, 2008 at 4:56 am ET
by Al Mohler

The nation of Japan faces a devastating population crisis. The crisis, however, is not a problem of too many people living in Japan, but too few. Japan, with several other nations close behind, faces what we might call a population implosion.

Indeed, Japan has experienced 27 consecutive years of declining birth rates. Within just a few short years the nation will experience massive social problems and a complete breakdown of economic activity.

In previous eras, this kind of population loss would be explained by war or some natural catastrophe such as famine or the plague. None of these explanations is relevant to Japan's experience, however. As a matter of fact, the population of Japan actually grew during World War II, only to start falling in the early 1980s.

As The Washington Post reports:

The number of children has declined for 27 consecutive years, a government report said over the weekend. Japan now has fewer children who are 14 or younger than at any time since 1908.

The proportion of children in the population fell to an all-time low of 13.5 percent. That number has been falling for 34 straight years and is the lowest among 31 major countries, according to the report. In the United States, children account for about 20 percent of the population.

Japan also has a surfeit of the elderly. About 22 percent of the population is 65 or older, the highest proportion in the world. And that number is on the rise. By 2020, the elderly will outnumber children by nearly 3 to 1, the government report predicted. By 2040, they will outnumber them by nearly 4 to 1.

The numbers tell the story. Almost a quarter of Japan's population is 65 and older; only 13.5 percent are children. The inescapable conclusion is that there will soon not be enough Japanese to keep Japan functioning as a nation, society, and culture.

The paper calls the reality "a slow-motion demographic catastrophe that is without precedent in the developed world." Looking ahead, the paper assured its readers that it was not overstating the case. Indeed, "The economic and social consequences of these trends are difficult to overstate."

The Japan Center for Economic Research predicts that Japan will lose 70 percent of its workers by mid-century. Japan may now be the world's second-largest economy, but it cannot retain that status with a population in severe decline.

A society that stops having children is like a healthy person who simply decides to starve himself. This is an act of the human will, not a natural calamity.

The population explosion prophets are still warning of a population crisis to come, but they got the story almost perfectly backward when it comes to nations like Japan. Russia and several other European nations face similar crises.

Babies are a clear sign of cultural confidence and cultural health. The Washington Post describes this crisis as "Japan's disappearing children." Those words do describe Japan's predicament -- and this crisis will not disappear.

-----
Here are Mark's two cents:
Japan is now paying its people to have children for them! By the way, Maki and I are more than happy to oblige! If we would simply follow God's commands to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Gen 1:26-28) then things would be much better. On the contrary selfishness has given way to abortion and "free" living. God says, "Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children are a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." (Psalm 127)

Continue to Intercede!

Continue to Intercede!

(From the Heart4Japan blog)

Thank you for your earnest prayers for Japan in past few weeks! The internet suicide influence has slowed down for almost ten days now. There were still suicide news, yet we are hoping that this will come to an end SOON!

Please continue to press on in interceding! These are the prayer points that we would like you to consider.

Interesting Verse

The LORD will keep you from all harm he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. -- Psalm 121:7-8

The only way you can believe this verse is if you believe that God is in control of every event in your life. "He will keep you from ALL harm". Since pain, death and tragedy happen at some point in everyone's life, one must conclude that these painful things are ultimately not harmful to us, they are helpful in guiding us and shaping us into the image of Christ, however painful they may be in the short-term. What a wonderful God that we can rest our souls and our lives in. He is watching over his children like a good Father and He will keep us from ALL harm.

This e-mail made me smile today

67－AMAZING　GRACE　～　332-GRACE, GRACE

英語1、2、日本語1、～英語、日本語

Key: E

Intro: last line "Was blond, but now I see"

Introduction to Intelligent Design

Until the end of June Campus Crusade has a 50% off sale on three DVDs exploring intelligent design:

• The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
• Unlocking the Mystery of Life
• The Privileged Planet

If you would like to view these last titles online you may view them here for FREE.

William Dembski writes in a blog post:

The Privileged Planet was, of course, co-written by Guillermo Gonzalez, Ph.D. (Iowa State U.)

Ben Stein’s Expelled asserts that Dr. Gonzalez was denied tenure for challenging Darwinian Orthodoxy. Perhaps someone you know would enjoy seeing what is so controversial about Gonzalez’ ideas in particular and Intelligent Design, in general.

The DVDs present solid scientific concepts in language the layman or laywoman can understand, with state of the art, memorable graphics.

How Depraved is Man?

"Luther saw that lurking beneath the controversy of merit and grace, and faith and works was the issue of to what degree the human will is enslaved by sin and to what degree we are dependent upon grace for our liberation. Luther argued from the Bible that the flesh profits nothing and that this 'nothing' is not a little 'something.'"

Read the whole article by R.C. Sproul here.

Charles Schultz Philosophy




The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz ,the creator of the 'Peanuts' comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.

2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.

3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.

4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.

5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and
actress.

6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.






How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.





Here's an other quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.

2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.

3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.

4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.

5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.



Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.



Pass this on to those people who have made a difference in your life.

Free Audio Download: Martin Luther In His Own Words

Check out May's free download from ChristianAudio.com.

Martin Luther: In His Own Words (Unabridged) by Martin Luther
Most all Christians know the name Martin Luther. Less familiar, however, are his words. This compilation of many of Luther's most important writings serves as an excellent introduction to those new to Luther. It also provides a fresh medium for people familiar with his writing. 2 Hrs. 45 Mins.

Use the coupon code MAY2008 to redeem this download. You can listen to sample audio here. Here is a list of the contents:

• The Small Catechism
  
• 95 Theses
• On Faith and Coming to Christ
• On Confession and the Lord's Supper
• Of the Office of Preaching
• Excerpt from Luther's Tower Experience
• The Last Written Words of Luther

(HT: JT)

Jinglish
Fun Japanese English can be found throughout Japan. I think it is there just to make foreigners smile.

Aren't there many paths to God?

Influence of the Internet on Suicide in Japan

TOKYO, Japan (AP) -- A 14-year-old Japanese girl killed herself by mixing laundry detergent with cleanser, releasing fumes that also sickened 90 people in her apartment house, police said Thursday as they grappled with a spate of similar suicides.

Emergency responders enter an apartment building in Konan, Japan, where a girl commited suicide.

None of the sickened neighbors in Konan, southern Japan, was severely ill, although about 10 were hospitalized, authorities said. The deadly hydrogen sulfide gas escaped from the girl's bathroom window and entered neighboring apartments.

The girl's suicide Wednesday night was part of an expanding string of similar deaths that experts say have been encouraged by Internet suicide sites since last summer.

Japan's government has long battled to contain the country's alarmingly high suicide rate. A total of 32,155 people killed themselves in 2006, giving the country the ninth highest rate in the world, according to the government.
--
Please pray for those who are struggling today in Japan. Pray that they would find the hope of the world - Jesus.

Read here for more.

Evel Knievel and the Power of Prayer

Solitude & Community

My brother has some great thoughts here on the need for solitude and community. He has some wonderful practical suggestions also.

The New Prodigy

Is he praying? We wondered too. : )

Atheism: An Irrational Worldview

"Clearly, atheism is not a rational worldview. It is self-refuting because the atheist must first assume the opposite of what he is trying to prove in order to be able to prove anything. As Dr. Cornelius VanTil put it, “[A]theism presupposes theism.” Laws of logic require the existence of God—and not just any god, but the Christian God."

Read more of this fine article by Dr. Jason Lisle

Together for the Gospel

I am sure all of the messages at this conference are excellent. These are some of the top preachers and evangelists in America today. I encourage you to listen to Dr. John MacArthur though. I am listening to his message on total depravity (The Sinner Neither Able nor Willing) right now and am being humbled and deeply encouraged.

It saddens me, as it does MacArthur, that so many people reject this great basis of the gospel.

Confronting Your Secret Sins

Watch or listen to my twin brother Doug as he preaches in Kentucky.

"One is more than many"
(by a fellow missionary near Tokyo)

As we were waiting for the students, a statement from the book, “Taking Men Alive” by Charles Trumbull came to mind: “one is more than many.” In fact, presented as a Biblical paradox, it is probably the main point of the book. The book is a classic on personal evangelism. So when we returned home, I pulled it back off the shelf and skimmed through it again. It is one of the few books outside of the Bible that I have read through more than once. In my case, that is significant, since by nature I am an activist and not a reader!

Let me share a few more key points from this book:

Christ proclaimed his message by preaching, as his ministers must do today; but Christ won men and women to the acceptance of his message and of himself as Messiah and Savior by his loving, deeply personal, individual evangelism—conversational evangelism is has been well called. P. 37

Reaching one person at a time is the best way of reaching all the world in time. P. 41

But we can never have this needed knowledge of the man, as a first step toward winning the man himself, unless we devote our whole energy, for the time being, to knowing the man…. The art of taking men alive calls for tact (tact is simply touch) at the very beginning, which means, first of all, studying your man. P. 74

He then gives several principles:

1. Their present interest:

He must touch them at the point of their present interests, unworthy though these interests might seem in comparison with higher spiritual matters. He must use a bait that would attract these men just as they were, without waiting until they should come, of their own accord, to worthier interests. P. 77

2. Honest Commendation

It will land the most slippery human fish alive. No man can resist it. A word, heartily spoken, of sincere commendation for a fellow-being, will disarm opposition and draw him to us more effectively than any other method. P. 79

To be a good listener is one of the surest ways of winning and holding men. The “I can help you” attitude is fatal in this work; the “you are helping, or interesting, me” spirit is one of the secrets of success. P. 85

3. Use their “open nerve”

4. Follow-up – pursuer to decision and beyond

5. Explain in terms of Current Reality

All of his principles are illustrated with stories of people he interacted with over the course of his life. Several of the people initially showed no interest and would not be considered good candidates to hear and respond to the gospel. But over the course of time, through the interaction, their hearts changed. The stories bring life to the principles and make it an interesting, easy to read book.

In the back of the book, I wrote:

Keys to his life:

Ø Used every opportunity God gave him

Ø Was genuinely interested in the other person

Ø Followed through on each person

Two more quotes:

To win his confidence to me was a duty, if I would hope to lead him toward Christ. P. 96

But this leading of men to the Bible is to be accomplished, as a rule, by wisely recognizing that those whom we would win to Christ are probably not interested in the Bible to begin with: that their attitude is more likely to be indifferent or even antagonistic to it at the start. This being so, we shall do better to make our approach in the language of their everyday life and in the terms of their present interests, leading them later, with loving skill, to the Book without which any life is sadly incomplete. P. 121

Encouraging News on the Willow Creek Church front

Encouraging News on the Willow Creek Church front

Our of Ur blog reports:

Today, Greg Hawkins, executive pastor at Willow, recapped the study and then shared some changes that the church is now making in response to the research. He said they’re making the biggest changes to the church in over 30 years. For three decades Willow has been focused on making the church appealing to seekers. But the research shows that it’s the mature believers that drive everything in the church—including evangelism.

(HT. Vit. Z)

Ninja Bear in Japan

Expelled

See Relevant Magazine's preview of the movie.

The film opens April 18 (in the U.S.) to approximately 1,000 theaters nationwide. Don’t miss this one.





See more at http://www.expelledthemovie.com/

1,250 years of Seeking Forgiveness

(heart4japan.blogspot.com)

Every year during the darkness of cold March night sparks fly, as monks shake 2.5-meter-long flaming torches with all their might, and bells and horns echo through Todaiji temple in Nara, Japan.

About 30,000 visitors flock to see part of the two-week ritual on the climactic night of March 12.

The more than 1,250-year-old annual ritual calls for 11 selected monks to cut themselves off from their usual lives and gradually purify their minds.

While the monks with the torches dance close enough to the fire to singe their eyebrows in a closed-door ritual, conducted in the temple's inner sanctum, one of the eleven monks splashes sacred water and others help to dust off the sparks from the floor. The other monks bow thousands of times to repent for people's sins.

According to Buddhist doctrine, people commit myriad offenses due to the ‘Three Poisons’ -- greed, anger and ignorance. When the offenses accumulate, people become unable to see the truth and become ill.

Since ordinary people cannot repent for their sins and misconduct, the monks do so, on their behalf in the ritual.

Source: Yomiuri News, by K. Sakane, 2006-06-20

Some people might think this is creepy. But I guess majority of us here would see this perhaps serve as a great redemptive tool for Good News! These people do acknowledge sins, and believe that there is a need to repent!

Many in the crowd might be there just for fun, but many more would be there simply believing that the Kannon will remove their sins, and they will be heal from sickness and troubles in life. We need to find these people and tell them what is the TRUTH! more

Jesus loves to lift up the weak
Update: www.lifewithoutlimbs.com

What about those who never heard?
Greg Koukl has a good set of videos here on this and other topics.

Thanks for Praying

Here are some pictures of Easter at our CrossRoads Chapel, as well as pictures of the skit we did there.
Judging by the comments I received, it seemed like many people were touched by this - including non-believers. Thank you for your prayers!

Leading like the King of Kings

Men like accomplishment. We like to look at we've done and say, "I am successful." We like it even more when others see that success and give us respect because of it. Of course this has nothing to do with right and wrong, it is simply the way that God programmed men to lead. The problem lies in the fact that we take the popular opinion of what success is over true success, as God defines it. Then we go a step further and take credit for our measly work rather than thanking God for the ability and the heart to do anything for His glory.

People who want to be like Jesus are not immune to these sins. I must confess, for example, that it is often a temptation of mine to want to get a higher degree, not because that is what God is necessarily calling me to do, but because that is what the world says brings respect and success. I am tempted to prefer upfront, big-event, mass-ministry over personal, life-on-life ministry.

Today is Easter. Let's therefore remember the leadership method God incarnate chose for himself and his followers. First off, he did not choose the accomplished, successful religious figures of the day for his closest disciples. He chose weak, uneducated fisherman and tax-collectors. He didn't choose the life of moving up the corporate ladder, He chose the life of a servant, the life of downward mobility. He loved his own dearly till the end and then gave His life for them. This is the type of leader that I want to be - a person who spends his life for others as he gains life from God.

I have another confession. I am still learning to submit to this definition of leadership. It is so backward to the world's way of thinking; even to most Christian thinking. Not many people say what I have learned from Henry Nouwen, in his book, In the Name of Jesus.

Nouwen writes, "I kept praying, 'Lord show me where you want me to go and I will follow you, but please be clear unambiguous about it.' Well God was." God led Nouwen out of a professorship at Harvard and into a life of personally serving mentally handicapped people by these words, pressed deeply into his heart: "Go and live among the poor in spirit and they will heal you."

He writes, "So I moved from Harvard to L'Arche, from the best and brightest, wanting to rule the world, to men and women who had few or no words and were considered, at best, marginal to the needs of society."

I could go on and on quoting important words from his book, but I will end with these and hope you will buy the book yourself.

"We are not healers, we are not reconcilers, we are not givers of life. We are sinful, broken, vulnerable people who need as much care as anyone we care for. The mystery of ministry is that we have been chosen to make our own limited and very conditional love the gateway for the unlimited and unconditional love of God."

Keller at UC Berkeley

This is a little long, but well worth the time.
(HT: JT)