Monday, June 23, 2008

Day with stones...

Tuesday I took my FM partner to the Asakusa temple.  I have been there so many times the last few years that the images there are engraved in my mind.  This year though God taught me something different through being there.  I was walking through looking at all the statues and for the first time it hit me that God created all of that stone that those idols are made of.  And when He created that stone, He knew which piece would be used for which idol.  He showed me that if we stopped worshipping that the stones those very stones would cry out.  God is so amazing and worthy of all praise.  Its weird to think how those stones people worship....worship and glorify God.  He is above all.  Be in prayer that the people here would see that to.

Monday, June 16, 2008

From the front lines

This is such a different looking summer when it comes to... everything.  There are thirty-seven interns.  His faithfulness amazes me because we started out with only nine my first summer.  It is such a blessing to see how He has grown this ministry.  Its also very different the guys live about an hour and a half away while we still live in the same house that we did last summer.  He is drawing the Jpnese to Himself daily, it is so amazing!  Some one said four this week and around forty for the summer.  My mind is struggling to wrap its mind around that fact.  He is so amazing and perfect, He is going to be God of this city and when that day comes all will bow and acknowledge Him as king.  

He is doing so much and I am learning constantly.  Everyone I talk to in the apt. is teaching me more and more about who He truly is and helping me understand more.  This is a summer where He is capturing my heart in such a way I know there is no other I would ever want to worship.  Sometimes I forget that He loves me too and wants to.  The King of the universe wants to have a personal relationship with me.  The One who died for me on a cross still reaches out to me after all I have done wrong.  This amazing love and compassion I do not understand but know that the only way I can demonstrate that kind of love and compassion is though Him.  I am slowly learning that I can do nothing apart from Him and that I dont want to.  Why waste the energy to try and fight His sovereignty, His perfect will, His perfect plan, and His holiness.    He is Lord of all and we have a opportunity to serve and worship the one true God.

Friday, June 6, 2008

Greater things are to come for this city...

I leave to the city in five days and I think I will be completely honest right now with whoever wants to read this. I feel like I should not be going. That I will be in the way, that my work in there comes later in life after I meet others who want to do the same thing there. For the past four months I have lost so much of my passion for this people group. I have done a good job masking this lost of passion and I wish I could say it was because I feel like He is calling me to another country, but thats not it at all. I have lost my passion and motivation to run after Him, worship Him, and love Him with my whole heart. I have slipped away from that daily relationship since I quit the pharmacy and stopped going to the Monday prayer meetings. During those days I was closer to Him than ever before, and lately its the furthest. I have stopped praying and reading the Word as much. Today I began listening to a worship CD while with Katy and her mom and began worshiping again for the first time in a long time. Praying, deeply praying. So good! Well anyways please be lifting that up.

Completely off subject here is this years theme song Its God of this City by Chris TomliYou're the God of this city
You're the King of these people
You're the Lord of this nation
You Are

Bridge:
For there is no one like our God
There is no one like our God

Chorus 1:
Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Verse 2:
You're the Lord of Creation
The Creator of all things
You're the King above all Kings
You Are

You're the strength in our weakness
You're the love to the broken
You're the joy in the sadness
You Are

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Where glory shines from hearts alive
With praise for you and love for you
In this city

Greater things have yet to come
Great things are still to be done
In this city
Greater things are still to come
And greater things are still to be done here

Last year it was Might to Save and people were...this year we are proclaiming Him as God of that city and He is.