05/10
Our floor is green field. Our house is the trees of cedar and fir. Our gallery is the roses of Sharon and lilies of the valleys. Song of Solomon 1:16-18
My Church
My church is God's universe, the nature. Its roof is the blue sky, its rafters are the stars, its floor is the green fields and the colorful flowers, its musical instruments are the branches of pine trees, and its musicians are the little birds of the forest; its pulpit is the summit of the mountains, and the preacher is God himself. This is the church for non-church Christians. This church is far better than the Church of England or the Church of Rome. One who belongs no church eventually has the best church.
05/11
And out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every fowl of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. Genesis 2:19
Learn Natural History
God created human beings according to His image. Therefore human can understand the will of God. One of the purposes that God created the earth is to make it serve for the development of human understanding. It is our duty to learn His creatures and the earth and to develop our understanding. In the beginning God created animals of the field and birds of the air and brought them to Adam to learn them. Thus the study of natural history is God's first revelation to human understanding. Learn God's creatures through His direct instruction. This is a way to know God and a method to study the truth. Natural history is the first science of human beings. Adam learned to distinguish animals and to classify birds. How blessed is to study natural history. There is no harm, but much reward. We can reach God through the Nature. Come fellows, listen to the song of birds in the mountain and learn the life of wild animals in the field.
05/12
The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalms 23: 1-6
Lord, My Shepherd
What I am today I owe to Jehovah. I tried to abandon Jehovah; but He did now allow me to leave. I tried to become a man of this world; but He drove me into His Nation by crushing my designs. Jehovah led me with His staff and rod; He leads me today to lie down in green pastures and beside the still waters. Steep and harsh was my life in the past; but this worked good to me. I too was rushed to heal. Like a foolish sheep, I was urged into the Lord's pastures.
05/13
And now, says the LORD who formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel is not gathered, yet I shall be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength. And He said, "It is but a little thing that you should be My servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to bring back the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give you for a light to the nations, to be My salvation to the end of the earth." Isaiah 49: 5-6
Servant of God
Humans cannot carry out the work of God no matter how they make effort. God alone carries out His work and a servant of God obeys only His commandments. The servant of God speaks and works only according to His voice. God fulfills His work by Himself. The Exodus was not the work of Moses and Aaron; they were mere messengers to speak the commandment of God in front of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. God himself stretched His almighty hands and saved His chosen people. Isaiah, Paul and all other servants as well acted only according to the command of God. Therefore they could fulfilled the great work. A servant of God has no own plan of work, but just speak and work of God. The servant has to declare the commandment of God without being afraid of the face of humans and work despite of scorn and mocking of people. The great plan of God is fulfilled beyond the intention of the servant. What god requires to a servant is not one's wisdom and power, but faith and courage. The servant is a tool of God to fulfill His great work.
05/14
Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. So says the Lord God to these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews on you, and will bring up flesh on you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live. And you shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a noise. And behold, a shaking. And the bones came near, a bone to its bone. Ezekiel 37: 4-7
Hope of Resurrection
"Rachel weeping for her children, would not be comforted, because they are not" (Jeremiah 31:15). But there is but one way to be comforted. If somehow my beloved live again; if by some power the one whose eyes and lips have been closed can be revived to stand before me, talk with me, receive my love and return the same love to me; in a word, if that one could be resurrected, then truly I would get comforted and my lament would be healed perfectly. People may laugh at hearing "resurrection," but resurrection is the very desire longed by everybody who suffers from separation by death. Eternal separation cannot be tolerated by us. Without the hope of resurrection; without the expectation of reunion, death is a "great mourning without comfort."
05/15
Divisions are necessary among you, in order to be seen clearly which of you have God's approval. 1 Corinthians 11:19
Differences in Faith
Differences in faith may be unavoidable; but the judgement of other's faith must be avoided by all means. While rejecting the Catholic, the Episcopal and the Methodist faith, I have to express my deepest respect for their earnestness. To achieve discernment, a clear distinction is essential. People know I am not a Buddhist but a Christian, not a Roman Catholic but a Protestant, and not a church-follower but a non-church follower. By this distinct difference, let people hate me if they will. To be loved by opponents should be more unfortunate than being hated by friends. Clear distinction of belief is indispensable for faith.
05/16
Peter came to Jesus and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times? Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven. Matthew 18:21-22
Forgive Seventy Times Seven
Jesus forgave his enemies. He benevolently pardoned them seventy times seven. Any of His followers should never cherish enmity or make resentment in heart. We ought to forgive, with the love of Christ, all who sinned against us. If righteous Christ forgave those who nailed Him to the cross, why can not we, sinful beings, do the same? Gladly are we to forgive enemies, how painfully their insult may vex us. If we cannot forgive enemies, we are not Christians, even if we profess to know God's presence. If we cannot renounce antipathy in heart, we are not Christians, however possessed with deep knowledge of Christianity and complete understanding of dogma. God bears long-suffering; and Christianity teaches a religion of long-suffering. A Christian can pardon all offences committed against him/her.
05/17
For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
God's Love and Human's Faith
The greatest thing in the world is Love; the greatest thing in God is His Love. The greatest thing in human is faith in God. In God's love and human's responding faith is Reconciliation: God's joy and human's salvation. Love and Faith are the two greatest things in the world. Theology that does not come up to these two, church that does not cling to these two, and Christian mission that is not conducted upon these two, are not worth having, here or anywhere.
05/18
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving. Colossians 4: 2
Prayer of Thanksgiving
The major portion of my prayer is not wishing. I start my prayer with wholehearted thanks. I thank my God for having prepared such a beautiful universe to live in. My deepest thanks are for being granted with good friends, with works to devote my life to, with a heart to discern good from evil and look up to God of righteousness, and especially for the unfathomable depth of mercy in receding my soul by the revelation of Jesus Christ, when I was preoccupied by selfish gains and lusts, far away from God. Then and when my heart overflows with gratefulness I say, "Thanks" to the bunch of little violets on the wayside. Also I am grateful for the gentle breeze that strokes my cheeks. Or rising early in the morning, and viewing the infiltrating golden glory in the eastern sky, I cannot often resist chanting psalms of thanksgiving.
05/19
Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For each one who asks receives; and one who seeks finds; and to one who knocks, it shall be opened. Matthew 7: 7-8
Seek Truth
Seek the truth for the sake of truth. It comes from religion, and is the vital force of science. Truth is Holy. Without a heart of devotion, no truth can be discovered. Nature is like an intimate friend. Meet her with humble heart; then she will gladly open and show her chest of treasure. She never shows herself where I am driven by pride, deep in jealousy and merely seek fame and am overcome by selfish gains. Self-interest deprives me of the power of discovery and the key to open the hidden door of nature. Religion crowns science with eternal achievement of truth. Science cannot make progress where true religion is declined. The great discovery in science takes place in the nation where the people respect religion. Ponder truth deeply.
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