Can you hear the cry of your heart?
There is a nursery rhyme "Canary" composed by a lyricist Hachiju Saijo.
"Should we throw away the canary because it forgot how to sing? No, we shouldn't.
Should we burry the canary in the bush because it forgot how to sing? No, we shouldn't.
Shall we hit the canary with a whip of willow because it forgot how to sing? No, we feel sorry for it.
If the canary floats on the sea in the moonlit night, it'll remember the songs it forgot."
Hachiju composed the song when his lyrics were not selling, and he was running his family business which is tempura shop after graduating from a high level university. Not that the family business went poor, but it was hard time for him who wanted to be a lyricist.
What is the purpose of man if singing is the purpose of birds? Is it a work? If so, it means that handicapped people who cannot work or those who cannot find a job are out of their purpose. The purpose of man is something different than that.
The first question of the Westminster Larger Catechism is "What is the chief and highest end of man?" Here is the answer. "Man's chief and highest end is to glorify God and fully to enjoy him forever." Whether you can work or not, healthy or not is not the problem. The best purpose of life is to praise the goodness of God and live with joy by living the way God the Creator made you to live.
If you feel you are like that canary, I want you to know your Creator through the Bible and experience the joy of life prepared for you.
"Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me." Psalm 50:15
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Prayer was answered!
Sometimes pastors like me have opportunities to be overwhelmed by the power of Almighty God. I tell you a great thing that happened several weeks ago.
Our church member Ms.M's father was at the age of 86 and a teacher of exorcism of a new religion called Church of World Messianity, "Sekai Kyuseikyo" in Japanese for fifty years. She kept praying that her family may know the love of God at any cost since she became a Christian. But her father stubbornly refused and didn't listen to what she told him. After that he suddenly got cerebral infraction, entered hospital, got paralyzed and became unable to talk. Ms.M continually visited the hospital which was far, preached the gospel earnestly, and asked him if he would believe in Jesus.
One day he finally answered her by holding her hand. At that time he had just a little strength left. And when he was asked to see me, he held her hand and agreed. Two days later she took me to the hospital and I asked him like this. "Mr. S, life on earth is not all of our life. God who made us has already prepared a place called heaven that lasts forever. Unfortunately we cannot go there just as we are because we have sin. That's why Jesus, the Son of God was crucified and took all our sin on the cross on our behalf. If you believe in Him as your Savior, he willingly forgives your sin and gives you eternal life. Do you believe in Him? If so, grip my hand and show me your decision." When I asked him that, he said "yes" and gripped my hand! Moreover he said "I am glad" with his word! Giving thanks to God and went home praying. His grandson, also our church member, emailed me that night. "My grandfather passed away and went to heaven. I was so surprised that it was as if he had been waiting for you!" It is "grace" we are astonished.
We are not sure when something amazing happens in our life. And we should not judge by only what we see. We should not cease to pray.
Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Matthew 7:7)
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
It won't go well even if you are diligent
Those who are now reading this message may have diligent personality. Being diligent is a virtue of Japanese people and its effort resulted in the prosperity of this country. But I think the reality of Japan today may be facing a setback even though people are very earnest. All the effort they made could have all gone down the drain because of natural or man-made disasters.
A man named Solomon wrote down the following word in the Bible three thousand years ago. "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
(Proverbs 14:12)
What a warning it is that setting a goal to live rightly and earnestly could lead us to a way of death! Isn't it the exact thing Japan is facing at the moment? Let me ask you two questions. The first question is this. "Aren't you wrong with the goal of your life?"
You may think you can gain a higher status, property and admission to a university by working or studying hard. But is it the goal of your life to build up things and make an achievement?
This is a parable Jesus told: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, "What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops." Then he said, "This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." "But God said to him, "You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?" "This is it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21)
Being diligent is a good character but it doesn't fully reward your life. I encourage you to set a goal in loving God and man that cannot be broken by natural or man-made disasters, not setting a goal in pursuing the prosperity of this world.
The Second question is "On what standard do you say your earnest is?" It could be a bit much to say, but you may hurt people and yourself if you fall into the self-righteous. Set your right standard from the Bible.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Protected by heavy snow
The cold wave is pretty severe, and damages by snow in Hokkaido and Tohoku regions have been daily reported this year. I would like to express my hearty sympathy with them.
But let me tell you a real story of people protected by snow.
During the World WarII, a horrible news came into a small village in Poland. They heard an army sent by Hitler was going to come to attack the whole area of the land. People felt so frightened, and they had a gathering for prayer at a church in the village. Among them a girl read a verse from the Bible.
"For surely, O Lord, you bless the righteous; you surround them with your favor as with a shield. (Psalm 5:12) "
They spent sleepless night in fear and anxiety. But they were encouraged by the verse and kept praying for God's protection during the night. What do you think had happened next morning when some people went out in twilight? It had snowed heavily on trees that surrounded the village, and the church and other houses were protected by the big snow wall. No one could recognize if there was a village beyond the trees. But there were thousands of footprints on the road. The army surely marched the area at night. God answered their prayer and gave them much snow. He "surrounded them with his favor as with a shield."
God secures those who depend on him how old they are and gives them a shelter in need. I encourage you to know the God of love and welcome you to a service at our church anytime.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Though The Mountains Fall Into The Heart Of The Sea
The time flies, and we got into December. When I look back this year, there is a thing that I cannot forget. As you know, it is the earthquake and tsunami in the northeastern Japan on last March. Many people was drawn, the houses were drifted, and towns were destroyed by the water. What's more, the nuclear power plants are threatening the people in Japan. We are facing the tragedy of losing all the wealth, house, and loving family, and we feel helplessness of human and grief keenly. In this difficult time, what can we have to depend on?
Three thousand years from now "Psalm" was added as one of the sixty-six books of the Bible. And it says,
"God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.
Thereforre we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." Psalm46:1-3
Did they have an earthquake or tsunami at this age psalm was written? It sounds like they experienced them. If they did, they might have lost all the wealth, houses, and families. But the author of the psalm confesses that God the Creator, the Almighty God is "the refuge, strength, and ever-present help in trouble" in the midst of his emptiness of relying on human strength.
Sometimes we experience same kind of trouble. Ayako Miura is a Christian writer. Because of her illness called "caries," she was in bed for thirteen years, and at the latter part of her life she got rectum cancer and Parkinson's disease. However, she wrote a book "Hyoten" and other eighty best sellers and gave big influence to many people.
One day she had a speech at a conference, and this is what she said first. "It is said that 'one step ahead is darkness.' But after I knew Jesus Christ, a step ahead of me was changed from darkness to light."
In this time of fear and at the end of the year, I pray that you will attend a church and find the unshakeable way of living through the Bible.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Memorial Ceremony of Buddhism and Christianity
A memorial ceremony of a member of our church, who has passed away recently, was held at his family's house. At the ceremony I told attendees about the difference between a funeral ceremony of Buddhism and that of Christianity.
Buddha himself had not told about the life after death, but his followers had a ceremony desiring he would go to Paradise (and they wished he would be there). In India people normally have that ceremony once a year for seven years. In China people hold it for ten times because they consider seven times are not enough. And in Japan people have that gathering for thirteen times, and the number of times gradually increases. Buddhists have the ceremony; asking and praying that those who died would go to Paradise even though Buddha did not know where they would go. But a memorial ceremony that Christians have is totally different from it. It is not just a desire to go to heaven. It is a gathering of thanksgiving to God for those who had died could go to a world of hope called heaven.
There is a good reason to say so. After Jesus was hung on the cross, He rose again from the death three days later, and His witnesses proclaimed the salvation by His cross and the resurrection. They even put their lives to death as martyrs.
What's more, a powerful verse Jesus said is written in the Bible.
"I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies."(John 11:25)
Hope after death comes from believing this promise.
I held funerals and memorial ceremonies many times as a pastor, and always I feel a firm hope. Do you have a hope after death? Please think about it.
I pray for your blessings.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Why do we pray when God knows everything before our prayer.
I got a question from a truth seeker in the past.
"I'm a freshman at Kyoto University. And I heard some things from a member of Buddhism study group. He says that Christianity is a false religion because they 'pray.' If they fully believe in God, they don't need to pray. For God knows everything and answers their prayer. I don't want to agree with him, but so it seems. It is a paradox that the more you pray the less you believe in God. Please explain this contradiction"
I see what he says because I myself had the same question before. The wrong idea stems from a lack of understanding of what the prayer is. The member of Buddhism study group thought the definition of prayer is the same as "a desire."It is not right. Of course it is true that telling a desire is a part of prayer. But basically prayer is "a conversation with God."
Prayer is not what we, human being, ask God to do something for us. It is interaction that we praise Him and His greatness, thanksgiving and joy toward His grace and repentance including our self reflection. If we focus on our desire, we have a truth that Jesus said. "Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."(Matthew 6:8)
You have this promise, so you can put your trust in God and ask Him your desire with peaceful heart. If you wonder about "prayer"as a believer or a truth seeker, I hope this message will help you understand what it really is. May God bless you. Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Eternal life prevails over prolonging your life
The previous day I wrote this manuscript, I had got a phone call from a lady of my church. She was told by hospital that her husband fell into critical condition. Though he had faith and got baptized three years ago, he has been sick till this day. This time he was miraculously saved in the crisis of the rupture of aneurysm, but another sickness has been found through struggling against his illnesses and his condition became critical. Not that he had any hope to take an operation, however the operation would not give him any guarantee to be safe. It was a heartbreaking decision for his family not to take the operation and let him accomplish his life without pain. They handed him over to the hand of God, thinking deeply of His grace.
Once I heard it from the family, I directly drove to the hospital. And at ICU I read verses John 14:1-3 in his ear.
Jesus said, "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms…And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me."
Although he had no strength left to utter, he was listening to the words with tears in his eyes. I deeply thought the love and grace of God who gave him faith, would set him free from his illnesses and lead him to the world of everlasting life.
It's natural to prolong life in the progress of medical science. But it's impossible to overcome death itself no matter how a lot of measures are taken. Isn't it a triumphal path to have "eternal life"? That is a great way that prevails a life support system and death!
I pray for you that you will come to know such a wonderful salvation in the Bible and come to faith.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
You can restart your life even if it is the last moment of your life.
Tetsuo Kashiwagi is a doctor who has been working at Yodogawa Christian Hospital and started a hospice, which is for terminal cancer inpatient, for the first time in Osaka. He wrote a book called "When You Come to the Moment of Your Loved One's Death"and says in his book,
"The average term people receive final care and spend at hospice is about a month.
Sometimes, patients who feared and were afraid of death grow up as a person and bravely accept their death. When I see the bright human strength, I stand in awe. I feel with all my heart that man can continue growing until they die."
The most you worry, feel sorrow and fear is "death."You can be proud of your money, status and good health condition when you are fine. But you will fear the reality that these things cannot do anything for you before death.
What can support you when you get into trouble?
All of us have no strength before death that takes everything away from us.
But we can find hope that enables us to overcome death and leads us to everlasting life through the Bible. It says;
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."(John 3:16)
I have sat at many people's deathbed as a pastor. I saw people who ended their life with abundant hope to eternal life that prevails death even if they fall because of heavy illnesses they had. It was a great death and great victory. It is true that you can also restart your life even if it is the last moment of your life!
In summer, a lot of Japanese go back to their hometown using their holidays called "
Obon"and have a memorial service for the loved ones.
It is a good opportunity to think of your death. And I encourage you to find the best preparation in the Bible.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Maker of Nature
You may go on a holiday and feel the greatness of nature in this July. Blue sky, white clouds that come up like smoke, the horizon that seems to last forever, a number of stars that shine at night and beautiful flowers and so on. All those are like an oasis that brings a glimpse of healing to us surrounded by stressful matters.
As for me, the sun, the earth and the moon appeared to be there from the beginning. When I was a junior high school student, I was taught the universe started by a kind of an explosion. When I became a high school student, I came to know the Bible and know God the Creator made the universe, not by a simple coincidence. But at that time I thought it was a kind of myth or expression in the ancient world. It is too splendid to have such a great nature by chance. And I thought it is impossible to explain it as "a cause of explosion."
In those days, I read a thesis written by Kazuo Murakami, the authority of genetic engineering at Tsukuba University, and something like scales fell from my eyes. He says "I was so moved when I saw the work that exceeded human being in cells and genes. I must admit that living things could not have been born unless something beyond the power and work of mankind existed."
Even today's science assumes a maker of the great nature. The Bible boldly claims the following.
"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." Genesis 1:1
This is the beginning. You can't go well without it. It is just like you mistakenly button up your shirt and can't wear it properly even if it looked right during the process, we have something that you have to acknowledge in life. God is the beginning, not us humankind. The cause of all the present issues seemed to start from replacing God with man.
Hope you accept God the Creator of your life and start blessed days.
Pastor Masao Nakanishi
Power Of Compassion and Gentle Words
On the second week of June we have Flower Day. We church members go to a hospital and a nursing home to give flowers to comfort those who live there.
On one Flower Day, we visited elderly people there with the children of our Sunday school. A child tried to hand a flower to an old man, saying "Hope you'll get better." A nurse who stood near told him that the old man doesn't understand anything and asked him to put it on a table. He got worried but smiled and handed it to the man as I had told him to give it to him anyway. "Mister, hope you'll get better." Then, the man who had shown no reaction raised his hand very slowly and grabbed it firmly. What's more, he started crying with a loud voice. The person who looked shocked the most was the nurse who stood near them since she had thought he would not be able to show his feelings.
By what things are you moved and can you find power to live? Some efforts are needed but there may be a time you lose your strength to make any effort. But if you find compassion or gentle words around you, you come to recover from depression and try to do something and live again. On the other hand, if you live by negative words and thoughts of others tell you like, "you are useless and your life is going to fall apart", where does power to live come from?
You may feel tired to live and think that you can't step forward any farther. But you must remember there is one who never considers you as a worthless person but give you strength to live. He is the loving God, Creator of your life who lives today.
He tells you in the Bible.
"You are precious and honored in my sight, and I love you." Isaiah 43:4
I wish you could come to know the love of God. He will give you life, and you will get hope and power to live.
Rev. Masao Nakanishi
Look Up!
Since the East Japan earthquake took place on March 11th, various kinds of songs have been sung in many places. I found the famous song "Look Up" by Kyu Sakamoto had sung among Japanese people. Maybe you have heard the phrase, "Look up at the sky and see the stars."
People somehow have looked up to the nature with a humble heart ?when they faced problems, and the modern science and their wisdom come up against a blank wall. As ages have passed by, the wisdom of man began to fall and experienced the limit of science as a result. Then people looked up at the sky, ?came to know the existence beyond themselves, and believed the world of hope and walked till this day. ???
Three thousand years ago, there was a certain man named David. When he served his master King Saul, he was "bullied", now we say, and frequently ran away to a cave. At that time he looked up at the sky, saying;
"When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?" ?(Psalm 8:3-4)
When he was in trouble, when nothing seemed to be changed, and when he felt lonely because no one accompanied him to protect him, he could still look up at the night sky. As someone said, "Look around if you want to be discouraged, but look up if you want to have hope." As David looked up at the night sky and a numerous number of stars, he could live his tomorrow because he believed in God who made everything works for good. After he underwent a lot of sufferings, he became the most beloved king in the history of Israel at the end.
In what things do you find hope in the reality of the earthquake that visible things have been falling down? If you feel the limit of man and science, why don't you know the way of life that make you look up? I pray God's blessing for you. ??
Rev. Masao Nakanishi