06/10
Thus says God the LORD, He who created the heavens and stretched them out, spreading out the earth and its offspring; He who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk in it. Isaiah 42: 5
God of Universe
No other way is left for me but to revert to the old, remote monotheism produced by Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Jesus, Paul and others. It refers to the God who, in the beginning, created the heaven and the earth also all the creatures therein. There is the God, called "Immanuel", who abides with human beings. Yet both are not twain Gods, but are one identical God, who created the universe, presides over it, and descends to its midst to sustain it. This is not the god of deism, who stands high, aloof from the affairs of the universe and human life, feeling nothing and sensing nothing. Nor is it the god confined within the universe and incapable of doing anything beyond what pertains to nature. God created the universe but is greater than it. He gradually reveals Himself through the universe. His will shall be the way of person. One can know about God through the universe, but His will can only be known by direct approach to Him.
06/11
The Jews' Passover was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem, And found in the temple those that sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the changers of money sitting; And when he had made a scourge of small cords, he drove them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen; and poured out the changers' money, and overthrew the tables; And said to them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of merchandise. John 2:13-16
Accusation of Sin
Christianity hates sin. God is Love, and, at the same time, a Burning Fire. God will not tolerate evil: "He will not at all acquit the wicked" (Nahum 1: 3). God liberally pardons human sins, but this is not to pardon "unconditionally." This means all who believe in Christ will be liberally pardoned; that is, by virtue of the righteousness of faith. God judges our sins. Christ's Cross, indeed, is the culmination of the punishment of our sins. We take refugee the Cross for our sinfulness.
06/12
I tell the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Spirit, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brothers, my country-people according to the flesh who are Israelites. Romans 9: 1-4
Two-centered Faith
Religion is neither just private nor just public. It should begin with private but end to public. Perfect faith is not circle one-centered, but ellipse two-centered. Faith two-centers in oneself and others. Faith starts from oneself, but not self-satisfied; it further has to center others. One's salvation by Christ sympathizes the salvation of others and of the world. We come to realize the deep meaning of the salvation of Christ for the first time when we go to public.
06/13
Those on the good ground are the ones who, in an honest and good heart, having heard the Word, keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. Luke 8:15
Keep Faith
In the nation of disbelievers, it is a great challenge to keep faith. A faithful needs not to build a church, or to gather many believers, or to write a great religious book. Just keep faith bravely, firmly to the end. But it is very difficult to keep the Gospel pure among disbelievers. The fact tells us that thousands of once believers forsake the faith and millions left the faith. It is especially the most difficult to keep faith without depending on the churches, the missionaries or other's aids. Let us thank God for the great miracle that He kept our faith pure. For thirty, forty or fifty, I was allowed to speak the gospel and to keep my faith in midst of oppositions, neglects, and despises of society. Just keep faith firmly within and independently without worrying of the life. This is the missionary.
06/14
For even the Son of man came not to be served to, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark 10:45
Serving to Human
Salvation means serving humans, that is, doing good to others, laboring for others, and, in fact, giving oneself to other people. If a brother suffers from debts, let it not be passed by as a matter of no concern but let everything be willingly done to save him from the bondage of debts. And sin is the greatest debt of ours; so, God willed that this heaviest debt should be removed from humanity in and by Christ. Should this mind not be pleased by God, He might not be called by the name of God. The same mind, to some extent, is being cherished even by us whose humanity is deeply involved in sin. How much more by God Himself. For the sake of the name of God, He must as well be a Redeemer. He will infallibly and voluntarily bear human debt and to remove its sting from humanity. The same mind was embodied in Christ who came into this world. By him we are given to know that God never betrays our hope and is truly our Redeemer.
06/15
An astounding and horrible thing is committed in the land; The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests bear rule by their means; and my people love to have it so; and what will you do in the end thereof? Jeremiah 5:30-31
Need of Reformation Again
The world needs Reformation of the Christian Religion again. The Reformation of the sixteenth century ended as an interrupted movement. Protestantism institutionalized was a return back to the discarded Roman Catholicism. We need another Reformation to bring Protestantism to its ideal consequences. The new Protestantism must be perfectly free from a trace of churchism; it must be a fellowship, not an institution; it is free communion of souls, not a system or an organization. Practically, it will be churchless Christianity, calling no person bishop or pastor, save Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And who can say that God could not intend Japan to be the country where such Christianity is to appear, the new experiment to be tried in the spiritual history of mankind, to begin Christianity anew in the Land of the Rising Sun?
06/16
The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5: 9
Best Grace
It is a grievous misconception to see the grace of God in the happiness and success of life. Such misconception lead us to doubt and lose God. The best grace that god gives us is the Holy Spirit, not happiness. The Holy Spirit creates us goodness, heart of love for God and people, heart of thank at any circumstances, and peace of mind. This grace comes immediately though the Holy Spirit, and has nothing to do with the happiness and success of worldly life. Rather in many cases, the grace is opposite to the happiness and the success. We do not care whether we have the happiness or not. The essential matter that we need is goodness. That's all, and nothing more for the goal of life is to pursue the heart of goodness.
06/17
The LORD hears when I call to Him. Tremble, and sin not; speak within your own heart on your bed and be still. Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the LORD. . . You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the time that their grain and their wine increased. I will lie down, both in peace and in sleep. For You alone, LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalms 4: 3-8
Independence and Unity
Independence must be distinguished from isolation. Independence means to stand alone with God, while isolation means having none else to stand with. An individual can stand with God; and with God, he can become God's friend. Anyone who says, "Independence brings about isolation" has not yet tried seriously to be independent. Independence can scarcely be isolated. No one else, in reality, can have more companions than an independent one. As Carlyle said: "the unity of mankind can only be achieved when each individual has attained independence." An independent one loves same independent persons. Where independent persons are united together, there will be the most brave-hearted community, although it is based on the independent mind to stand alone. Here arises a paradox of life; there is the most uncompromising community where unity is not loaded for.
06/18
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, "For Your sake we are killed all the day long. We are counted as sheep of slaughter." But in all these things we more than conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:35-39
Victory of Love
Jesus was the only person who did not commit sin by any means. An only person was there who was not angered by crowning with thorns, buffeting with fists, spitting on the face, or by nailing on the cross. Let the tempest of enmity rage as it will, yet the rock of love could not be moved. Though the tide of hated press on as it will, the shore of love could not be beaten. Christ's death meant love's victory over hatred. Here, hatred, with its fierce bolt, clashed against love, and was defeated. From now on, hatred cannot boast its malice. Once overcome by the Son of Man, its destruction has already been sentenced. Christ's death in love disclosed a direction to world peace. Christ was raised on the cross, to raise love to the highest Throne.
06/19
But if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him. Romans 6: 8
Christ Within Me
Christ now dwelling in heaven, on the right hand of the Father, leaves me not desolate. He dwells in me by His Spirit, and leads me, and teaches me, and comforts me, as when He was with His disciples in the days of His flesh. The Christian is strong, not because of one's incomparable faith, but because of the Strong Son of God, the Immortal Love, who dwells in him or her, and works through him or her. I am more than a conqueror through Him that loves me, that is, through the Spirit of Christ who is with me. Christ within me is a present reality, and makes the Christian religion to me, not merely a thing of past, or of future, but a working power, now and here.
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