ベサニー・キリスト教会

While the Bible assuredly insists that man still bears the divine image, although impaired by his fall into sin, it nonetheless stresses God's ontological as well as well as moral and noetic otherness; divine revelation is not manipulatable through man's initiative and mystical techniques, but is mediated everywhere at God's initiative through the Logos of God. The Bible, moreover, represents this mediated divine disclosure as rational and objective, and not as transcending logical distinctions and the sphere of truth-and-error. That the Logos of God is central to the Godhead is an unyielding scriptural emphasis. While there is a mystery side to God, revelation is mystery dispelled and conveys information about God and his purposes.

Page 73 of God, Revelation, and Authority Volume I by Carl F. H. Henry

On December 7th, 2008 I finally met my guardian angel. My angel appeared in the form of a wheelchair opperator at the Osaka Kansai International Airport. I arrived back in Japan from my Thanksgiving visit to America in very bad shape indeed. I was so anemic and weak that I could not walk more than 2 or 3 steps at a time. However, there was a wheelchair and a wheelchair opperator waiting at the door of the plane and from that moment I felt I was in Heaven-all I had to do was to sit quietly while the wheelchair opperator wheeled me through customs and all the way to my sister-in-law's waiting car. I was so weak that I did not feel like talking and in fact did not hardly talk at all except to tell one of the officers that my condition was caused by cancer and was not some rare tropical disease that should keep me out of Japan. At any rate I have never been so thankful as I was to this un-named wheelchair opperator-I am sure he was an angel send by God to help me.

From the airport I went straight to bed and the next day talked to my doctor. The following day he had me come in for an IV and I am now eating normally and my strength is coming back. In fact, I am feeling very very good right now. Thank you for all of your prayers and I would continue to ask for them.

来週の日曜日、１２月２１日、ベサニーキリスト教会では、朝１０：３０からクリスマス礼拝を行います。
今年も、洗礼を受ける姉妹が与えられ、礼拝の中で、洗礼式も行います。礼拝後は、ささやかですが、昼食会を用意しますので、あわせてご参加ください。

クリスマスは、神さまの御子イエスさまのご誕生を喜び祝うだけでなく、なにより、イエスキリストによって私達の罪の贖いがなされたことを心にしっかりと受け止めて、神様に感謝をこめて、礼拝ができるよい機会です。ぜひ、教会礼拝は行ったことがないというかたでも、ご家族、お友達と誘い合って、気軽にお立ち寄りください。

１２／２１　（日曜）　クリスマス礼拝：　１０：３０～１２：００
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　昼食会　１２：３０頃～

１２／２３　（祝日）　クリスマス・イブ礼拝：　　１６：００～１７：００
　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　キャンドル・サービス、お茶＆ケーキ

お待ちいたしております。

最近よく、心の風邪をひきます。
自分の思い願ったこととはかけ離れた方向に進んでいると感じて、焦って不安になったり苛立つこと、ないですか。心の中に溜まってくる不安・不満などが少しずつ風船のように膨らんできているときに、身近な人のささいな言動が引き金になって、ＢＡＮＧ！！　（直接その人に関係ないことについての不満をも含めて、）すべてその人が破裂させたかのように、抑えていた他の思いが相手に向かって口からとびだしてしまい、余計なことをいい、後味の悪い恥ずかしい思いをします。

その後、（この風邪の熱が下がって）落ち着くまで少し時間がかかります。私の場合、この過程で、まず自分の正当化に走ってしまうので（白血球が活躍？）、最悪です。学習能力が低いのか、私は何度もこのような怒りの罪を繰り返してしまい、そのたびに聖書の御言葉を思い出し、もっと心が聖霊さまできよめられますように、と祈りもとめています。

よい忠告だとわかっていても、人に指摘されると、ムっと感じて素直に聞き入れるまでに時間がかかるのですが、不思議なくらい、聖書の御言葉は、速くよく効きます。神様は聖書を通してやさしく語って教えてくれるから・・・だと思います。

もし、あなたが、私のように風邪をひいては薬で治すことを繰り返しているのなら、ぜひ一緒に祈りましょう。また、風邪を引かないように手洗い・うがい（デボーション、兄弟姉妹との祈りや奉仕を通しての交わりと分かち合い、礼拝、等）などの予防も積極的に努めましょう。

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Again this year I have been thinking about the unique place that Christmas holds in the church in Japan. Of course Christmas is important in all churches all around the world. However, my memories of church and Christmas in America centered on attending Christmas events with fellow Christians as opposed to Japan where Christmas (at least for me and our church here) is centered on evangelism.

I am in Japan based on Matthew 28:18-20. Many of our baptisms take place at Christmas. Christmas is one of the few times that our church can be filled with people who have never been to church before. It is also the time that many people make the decision to become disciples of Jesus.

Yesterday, we had our Christmas Service. Miss N was baptized and she gave a wonderful testimony of how she came to believe in Jesus after hearing a sermon based on the calling of Mattew where Jesus told Matthew to come and follow Me. Mattew was a tax collector and a sinner but Jesus went on to say that He came to call sinners and not righteous people to Himself. I do not have an exact figure but there was a huge number of non-Christians in church who were able to hear this testimony and to see a Christian baptism take place. And of course also it was a chance for people to hear about the true meaning of Christmas-to hear the Christmas Story read straight from the Bible.

Christmas is also a time when we have a big meal together at church. It is a chance to relax together and talk together-again with many people who normally are not in church and where this might be the only chance to talk with them. I was overjoyed to see the church packed with people and to see and hear the gospel being proclaimed through not only preaching and testimony but through songs and private conversations.

Again this year I was impressed by the fact that Christmas continues to be a tremendous time for evangelism and for the church in Japan. Please pray that many of the people who heard the gospel this year will follow through with more visits to church or with more talks with Christians. Thank you Jesus for Christmas! Amen!

I will remember the deeds of the LORD;
yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago.

I will meditate on all your works
and consider all your might deeds.

Psalm 77:11-12 NIV