Author: Japanese Congregational Church

Last week we received a newsletter from Chris and Missy Takano. Please take a moment to read it and catch up on what’s happening in their lives in Kandern, Germany and at the Black Forest Academy where they teach.

NEW YEAR’S NEWS FROM CHRIS & MISSY TAKANO

Merry Christmas to Y’all!

Dear Friends and Supporters,

Our hearts are filled with gratitude and reflection.  After many meaningful years serving in Japan and the US, we will be retiring from SEND this December.  It is a bittersweet moment, but we are filled with peace, knowing that our sovereign and gracious God faithfully guides our steps past, present and future.

We want to thank you, dear friends, for your unwavering support, prayers, and encouragement throughout these years.  Some of you have partnered with us since the very beginning.  Your generosity and commitment have made a profound difference for Christ and blessed our family.  Together, we have witnessed God’s amazing work through traditional churches, house churches, nursing homes, camps, conferences and the unforgettable Tohoku earthquake relief efforts in 2011.  We are deeply grateful to the Lord and to you for each moment shared and every life touched by His Spirit.

As we step into this new chapter we look forward to what the lord has planned for us.  I, Richard, will continue as Spiritual Life Coordinator at Nathan’s school.  I also have Marketplace Chaplain opportunities at a couple of local companies.  In light of His coming may we grow ever closer to Him and to each other in these days, ready to share the love and hope of Christ wherever He has planted us.

Thank you once again for being such a vital part of our journey.

To God be the Glory!

With Love and Gratefulness,

Richard and Keri Nakamura 

(New Email)    Rknakamura25@gmail.com 

3421 Beekman Dr., Fort Worth, TX  76244

Luke 2:1-20 / Exodus 34:29-35

Merry Christmas!  We are still in the 4^th week of Advent and a couple of days away from Christmas…but what a joy to share in this worship together today!

Our theme during Advent has been “Eternal Light”.

• First, we looked at Isaiah 9:2 as we considered the “Dawning of the Light”.
• Then we visited John 1:1-14 as we looked at what it means to “Witness to the Light”.
• Last Sunday during our Children’s Worship we looked at Ephesians 5:8 and shared with the children how we could “Live as children of the Light”.
• Today, we will consider what it means to “Radiate the Light!” How Do we do this?

One of the most well-known blessings in the Bible is found in Numbers 6:24-26. We often use this as our benediction at the end of worship.

“The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face towards you and give you peace.”

• This is a visual image of God shining his face – radiating his glory – on the people, on us.
• Moses actually had his face shine after communicating with God. “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the LORD.” Exodus 34: 29
• Our faces may not radiate God’s light exactly as Moses’ face did, but our words and actions can radiate the light and love of God.

Christmas is a time of year when we consider the glory of God’s light. Warming together around a fire, the inner glow of Christmas memories past, spending time with family, singing carols, and enjoying favorite music and food are just some of the common activities. Even as we exchange gifts…our words and actions can be a way that we radiate God’s light.

But our challenge is for “after Christmas”. Come January, the tree will be taken down, decorations boxed up, lights put away, and that holiday “cheer” can fade pretty fast. How do we continue to radiate the light and love of God?

In Matthew 5 Jesus taught the following: ‘You are the light of the world’, and, as such, ‘Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven’ (Matthew 5:13-16)

Radiating Christ’s light isn’t to be a Christmas one-off experience….but to be a practice throughout the year. How do we do that? In Luke 2:8-15, we have some hints provided to us from the shepherds:

• Find the source of the Light – the shepherds weren’t satisfied with the splendor of the angels and the fanfare and dazzle of light, but they wanted to see the reason and source of the light. ‘Let’s go … and see …  ‘When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” Luke 2:15
• Joyful worship – when the shepherds saw the glory of God and the light that ‘shone around them’, and visited the child in Bethlehem…they couldn’t stop themselves from breaking out in praise to God.

Do our lives radiate God’s light in such a way…that others will notice it, and be interested in seeking the source of that light?  To be honest, that question alone makes me feel deficient and unworthy. Can I really live my life in such a way that I’ll be a shining light? I’d love to…but often I do not.

• But here’s a secret that will relieve that stress. We were never called to actually BE the source of the light. Even though Jesus says to “let your light shine” he clearly means – let God’s light… shine in your lives.
• Just as the moon has no light of its own – but reflects the light of the sun, we too have no actual light of our own. We are merely called on to reflect the light of “the Son”

How do we do that?

1. Turn toward Jesus, face Jesus – in other words, have a close relationship with Jesus (remember our earlier example of Moses talking with God and actually having his face shine / reflect God’s glory?) The light can’t radiate from our face….if our face is not looking directly at Jesus.
2. Spend time with Jesus – our efforts to radiate God’s light begin with focusing on Jesus and his presence in our life. The natural result of spending time with, getting to know, and soaking up his light – is that our lives will then naturally begin to reflect that light.

A seminary teacher once told us, “Anybody can ramble for 30-45 minutes. But the key is to be concise and memorable. Can you put your whole sermon into one sentence that everyone can understand and remember?” 

So here’s my attempt to give you a special Christmas gift in the form of a “sermon sentence”:

Know Jesus…to reflect Jesus!

John 1:1-14

In the first four verses, John writes about the nature of Christ, by referring to Him as “the Word” or “Logos”. The Greek philosophers viewed Logos as the rational principle that created and sustained the world. Philo of Alexandria (20 BCE-50 CE), a Hellenistic Jewish philosopher, saw Logos as the word through which God created and interacted with the world. John presents Jesus as the divine Logos, connecting Jesus with both Jewish and Greek audiences. John tells us that the Christ was not only with God from the beginning but is God, and all things that came into being came through Him. Christ gave life and is also the light of the world.

Verses 6-9 tells us that John the Baptist was sent by God to be a witness for Christ. John was not the Messiah but was getting the world ready for the coming Messiah.

John tells us that most of the people did not accept Christ, but those who did, He gave power to become the children of God.

Both Genesis and The Gospel According to John start with, “In the beginning”. Genesis tells of the creation of this universe, earth, plants and animals, and humans. John tells of a new creation, a new humanity who become children of God through faith in Christ.

When John the Baptist sees Jesus coming toward him, he declared, “Here is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” John also testified that Jesus is the Son of God.

John the Baptist was a witness for Christ, telling the world that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. John the gospel-writer is being a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is not only the Savior of the world but also the Son of God, by writing down his gospel.

Jesus referred to Himself as the light of the world in John 8:12 – “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life.”

There is a prophesy in Isaiah 9:2 about the Messiah – “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness – on them light has shined.” It is a great picture of what God has done for us by sending Christ to us. But sadly, as John points out, His own people did not accept Him.

Especially during the advent season, there will be opportunities to share the true meaning of Christmas with those who do not know Him yet. Just as John was called upon to be a witness to the light, we too are called to be witnesses to the light.

In Matthew 5:14, Jesus says to us, “You are the light of the world”. It is helpful for us to accept that Jesus is the true light of the world. We cannot really shine on our own. We are more like mirrors, which can reflect the light of Christ and direct it towards the dark places. It is also important to keep in mind that the only way we can reflect His light is to have our surface cleaned, and then face Christ. Only then can we direct the light into the dark.

Over fifty years ago, I attended a service where John Stott was bringing the message. He asked whether we thought this world around us is one that is full of light or one that has many dark places. He also asked whether this world is a refreshing place or whether it has many rotten places. He proposed, and we all agreed, that this world could be less dark and less rotten.

So why doesn’t God do something about it? Stott’s point was clear. God is doing something about it – He is sending us. This is what Jesus meant when He told His followers that they are the salt of the earth and light of the world. We, who are the servants of the Lord, are to act as salt and light. Otherwise, like salt, we are to bring the refreshing and preserving power of God to those around us. We are also to bring light into the darkness.

All we say and do are supposed to witness to the love of God. The type of love that would love an enemy. The type of love that would send His only Son to the cross, even though most will reject Him.

Before we speak or act, we should ask ourselves whether what we are about to do or say would witness for the love of God? Will it further the good news of Jesus being accepted or praised? Will it reflect well on our Lord?

The Gospel of John acts as a witness to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World. In this advent season, let us reflect the light of Christ so that the people living in darkness can witness God’s love, grace and forgiveness.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship of December 8, 2024.)

Here is a link to Anna Rosengren’s Fall / Winter Newsletter that arrived the first week of December. There’s lots of news and reports…. as well as her new address. Read it HERE.

Isaiah 9:2

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.

Our text for today is from the prophet Isaiah. Isaiah was living in Jerusalem in the southern kingdom of Judah. He prophesied both about judgement and hope.

• Judgement, because the people of Israel had wandered far from God. They had rejected God’s teachings and law. They had worshiped other gods. They had stopped asking for God’s leading….and had begun seeking out mediums, spiritists, and fortune-tellers to get help. As a result, Isaiah described them as distressed, and living  in darkness.
• However, today’s text is also one of hope. Isaiah prophecies that people living in darkness will experience a great light. This light will come as the result of a child’s birth. A royal child who will reign on the throne of David.
• At the time, this may have simply been heard as a prophecy of an earthly king. However, as Christians, we now read these texts as God’s promise for Israel and the entire world. This text points to Jesus Christ, and the eternal light that came into a very dark world.
• Each year we remind ourselves of one of the main themes of advent. It is the contrast between darkness and light. It is the image of being in the dark….but waiting for the light.

All of us have experienced the inconvenience and fear of darkness. Maybe you’ve tried reading without enough light, going up or downstairs at night in the dark – feeling your way along, or holding a sick, feverish child through the night, wondering if you can make it to the dawn. For me, after living many years in Japan – earthquakes at night were one of the most frightening things to experience. They are also frightening in broad daylight, but not being able to see as you run downstairs, or run from your home was always a bit scary. In each of these examples – a bit of light, more sufficient light – would solve or at least alleviate the problem and take away some of the fear.

Light is essential for life.

• Isaiah 9:2 echoes the opening verses of the Bible (Genesis 1:2-3) ‘Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.’
• The beginning of life….starts with light.
  • The Spirit of God hovered over the darkness of the physical world, ready for creation to burst forth…..
  • In the same way, God’s spirit moves and is at work in our spiritual darkness, preparing to bring new life.
  • In both the physical and spiritual situations, God’s answer for darkness is “LIGHT”.
• In Isaiah chapters 8 and 9, darkness is clearly a metaphor, an image, for sin. The people had wandered far from God. They were each going their own way. The result, according to Isaiah, was that they were living in darkness and distress. But Isaiah promised a time when a bright light would appear and bring salvation.

In our present world, we too experience spiritual darkness.

• War (Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, Israel, and many other locations)
• Hate and racism, injustice and inequality
• Just like Isaiah described the Israelites of old – ignoring God, seeking help from fortune-tellers, spiritists, and their own made-up religions, etc., – we presently do the same.
• We can’t escape the darkness and suffering and pain that this world brings. We’re surrounded by it.

But we have seen the dawning of a new and great light. This great light is Jesus and Jesus provides the beginning of new life. Do we really believe this?

We have 4 weeks until we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus.

How are you preparing your heart?

1. Perhaps today, on this first Sunday of Advent, we can prepare by accepting the darkness and brokenness of our world, of our own lives, of our need for a Savior. And then we can take time to wait quietly and consider the coming of Jesus into our lives. This is hard to do while buying presents and frantically “getting ready for the holidays” – but it’s well worth the effort.
2. What are your struggles today? Emotional, spiritual, financial, physical illness? We don’t need to pretend to be cheery. We don’t need to deny our deep need and longing for healing and wholeness. That is what ADVENT is about. Waiting in darkness, but with hope…. and desire…. and longing…. for a Savior.

Our world IS broken and in need of healing. But a Savior is promised!

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on December 1, 2024.)

Deuteronomy 34:1-12

¹Then Moses went up from the plains of Moab to Mount Nebo, to the top of Pisgah, which is opposite Jericho, and the LORD showed him the whole land: Gilead as far as Dan, ²all Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea, ³the Negeb, and the Plain—that is, the valley of Jericho, the city of palm trees—as far as Zoar. ⁴The LORD said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants’; I have let you see it with your eyes, but you shall not cross over there.” ⁵Then Moses, the servant of the LORD, died there in the land of Moab, at the LORD’S command. ⁶He was buried in a valley in the land of Moab, opposite Beth-peor, but no one knows his burial place to this day. ⁷Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. ⁸The Israelites wept for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning for Moses was ended. ⁹Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites obeyed him, doing as the LORD had commanded Moses. ¹⁰Never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face. ¹¹He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that the LORD sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants and his entire land, ¹²and for all the mighty deeds and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.

The LORD brings victories to Israel. One of the areas that they were victorious was the land just east of the Jordan River. The Reubenites and the Gadites had a great number of cattle, and they thought that the land was perfect for raising cattle. So, they, along with the half tribe of Manasseh, make a request to Moses that instead of settling in the Promised Land, they be allowed to settle in the Transjordan. Moses grants this request, as long as they still send their men across the Jordan along with their brethren to help with the conquest of the land.

Towards the end of his role as the leader of Israel, the LORD reminds Moses that although he will be able to look upon the Promised Land, he will not be allowed to enter it. So, Moses asks the LORD to appoint a new leader who will take the people into Canaan, and the LORD designates Joshua. They hold an official ceremony for the change of leadership in front of all the people.

The book of Deuteronomy is basically a series of speeches given by Moses to the Israelites to prepare for their entrance into the Promised Land. It includes the reiteration of the Law, the covenant with the LORD, love and obedience and the leadership transition.

The first four chapters give the historical review of the journey of the Israelites from Egypt to Moab and highlights God’s faithfulness and the people’s past disobedience.

Chapters 5-26 reiterate the Law – The Ten Commandments, various civil and religious laws and instructions for worship and daily life.

In Chapters 27-30 Moses outlines the blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience and emphasizes the importance of following God’s laws.

The final four chapters covers Moses’ farewell and death.

 Moses is considered the greatest prophet of the Old Testament. His actions and teachings are referenced throughout the Old Testament. He also makes an appearance in the gospels, appearing with Elijah to meet with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration, to discuss the upcoming crucifixion and resurrection of Christ.

In Jude 1:9, there is an interesting reference to the Jewish legend about Satan and the archangel Michael contending regarding the body of Moses. The legend has it that Satan wanted to find and use the body of Moses to tempt Israel into sinning and Michael prevented this.

In Deuteronomy 18:15, Moses prophesies that someday, the LORD is going to raise up a prophet like Moses from the Jews. Many scholars believe that Moses is pointing to Jesus Christ. There are some well-known parallels between Moses and Jesus.

They were both born at time when there was a royal decree to kill all the male infants but were saved. Moses fled out of Egypt to escape being captured, while Jesus lived in Egypt for a time to escape King Herod.

Moses delivered the Law from God at Mount Sinai. Jesus preached about the Law in the Sermon on the Mount.

Moses performed many miracles through God. Jesus performed many signs and miracles.

Moses acted as an intercessor between God and the Israelites, pleading on their behalf. Jesus acts as the mediator and intercessor between God and humanity.

Moses delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt and led them to the Promised Land. Jesus delivers believers from the bondage of sin and leads them to eternal life.

The narrative about Moses and the Exodus is the central story of the Old Testament. Everything that comes before it leads to Exodus, and everything that comes after looks back at what God did for the Israelites. Likewise, the narrative about the cross and resurrection of Christ is the central story of the New Testament. Everything leading up to it points to it, while everything that comes after looks back on it.

About 3,500 years ago, God heard the need of His people and sent Moses to deliver them out of slavery. Two thousand years ago, God sent Jesus Christ to deliver humanity so that we can be freed from slavery to sin.

Through the death on the cross, Jesus Christ gave us the path to forgiveness and freedom from sin. All one has to do is to repent and accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and not only forgiveness is granted, but eternal life with the Lord is also assured. We will become sons and daughters of God. This is what we celebrate during the Advent season, which is right upon us.

There are many around us who are still living in darkness and need to accept Jesus into their hearts. God so loved Israel that He sent Moses to them. God so loved the world that He sent Jesus to us. The fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Savior of the world is the good news that we not only need to appreciate and celebrate, but to spread to those who need to hear it.  

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship of November 24, 2024.)

Numbers 21:4-9

⁴From Mount Hor they set out by the way to the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; but the people became impatient on the way. ⁵The people spoke against God and against Moses, “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we detest this miserable food.” ⁶Then the LORD sent poisonous serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many Israelites died. ⁷The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the LORD and against you; pray to the LORD to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. ⁸And the LORD said to Moses, “Make a poisonous serpent, and set it on a pole; and everyone who is bitten shall look at it and live.” ⁹So Moses made a serpent of bronze, and put it upon a pole; and whenever a serpent bit someone, that person would look at the serpent of bronze and live.

If you are out in the wilderness and a poisonous snake bites you, do you know what to do? According to the Mayo Clinic, these are the things you should do (after calling 911):

• Move far away from the snake.
• Stay still and calm.
• Remove any jewelry, watches or tight clothing before swelling starts.
• Sit or lie down so that the bite is in a neutral, comfortable position.
• Clean the bite with soap and water. Cover or wrap it loosely with a clean, dry bandage.

And these are the things to avoid doing:

• Don’t tie off the bite area, called using a tourniquet, or apply ice.
• Don’t cut the bite or try to remove the venom.
• Don’t drink caffeine or alcohol.
• Don’t take pain-relieving medicine, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) or naproxen sodium (Aleve). Doing so can increase your risk of bleeding.
• Don’t try to catch or trap the snake. Try to remember its color and shape so that you can describe it. If possible, take a picture of the snake from a safe distance. Knowing what kind of snake bit you can help with treatment.

Had the Israelites had smartphones and had access to the internet in the desert, they could have looked up what to do if bitten by the snakes. Or they could have done whatever was the then current belief on how to treat snake bites. But no one would have thought about making a bronze serpent and putting it upon a pole. On their own, no one would have thought that they would live if they would simply look up at the bronze serpent.

Those who did not believe and tried other methods died, while those who were bitten and looked up at the bronze serpent lived. Pretty soon, the word would spread and people who were bitten would not bother with other methods and would simply look at the bronze serpent – And live.

So, why doesn’t Amazon sell bronze serpents so people can put one in their backpack when they go hiking or camping in places where poisonous snakes are present? It is because it does not work as a remedy for getting bitten by a poisonous snake. It would be best if you followed the Mayo Clinic’s guidelines.

Why did it work for the Israelites in this chapter? It is because the LORD made it so. If the LORD says that if those who are bitten want to live, to look up at the bronze serpent, then that is what one should do. It is not an inherent character of a bronze serpent that can cure – It is the LORD who cures.

The Israelites forgot that the LORD was the one who was the healer. We read in 2 Kings 18:4 that King Hezekiah of Judah, who was one of the few righteous kings, destroyed the bronze serpent because people had been worshipping it and made offerings to it.

When I first read through the Gospel According to John, there were some parts that I could not fully understand, since I had no Old Testament knowledge. One of these was what Jesus said in John 3:14-15 “¹⁴. . . And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life . . . “

We all have been bitten by a poisonous snake called “sin”. There is nothing that we can do to avoid death. Trying to be good or doing good deeds will not cure us. The only way for us to be saved is to look at Jesus Christ and accept Him as our Lord and Savior.

From a human logic point of view, it may sound foolish. The other religions that say that we must do more good than bad to be saved might sound more reasonable or believable. But the Bible tells us that it is only through faith in Christ that will save us. Why is this the case? It is because that is what God decided.

This is a great illustration of mankind’s path to salvation. It is easy to remember and visualize. It would be good to keep this in our hip pocket so when the opportunity arises, we can use it when we are witnessing for the Lord.

And just like Jesus did when He was talking with Nicodemus, we can follow-up the illustration of Moses’ serpent with one of the most beloved verses in the Bible – John 3:16.

¹⁴And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ¹⁵that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. ¹⁶“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Pastor Shun Takano during our worship on November 10, 2024.)

Psalm 146

Our passage for today, Psalm 146, is one of the “praise songs” that completes the book of Psalms (Psalm 146-150). Its structure can be summarized as follows:

• Opening Doxology (v.1-2)
  • Praise the Lord! I’ll praise God as long as I live. I’ll praise God with my whole self  
  • I’ll praise God with and through my life 
• Stanza 1: The fallibility and weakness of mortals (v.3-4)
  • Don’t put your trust in human leaders. There is NO political leader or political party that aligns with the Kingdom of God.
  • All leaders (on both sides!) are weak, fallible, and soon to be gone. When they die, their ideas and plans die with them.
• Stanza 2: The power and enduring glory of God (v.5-9)
  • Happy are those who trust in God!
  • God is the creator of heaven and earth…and everything!
  • He remains faithful forever
  • He looks out for the oppressed
  • He feeds the hungry
  • He sets prisoners free
  • He gives sight to the blind
  • God loves the righteous….and lifts up those who are bowed down
  • God protects the orphan, widow, and alien (stranger, refugee, immigrant
  • God frustrates the plans of the wicked
• Closing Doxology (v.10)
  • Praise this Great God…who reigns forever! Hallelujah!

An even shorter summary could be the following:

1. Praise God!
2. Don’t put your trust in human leaders!
3. Trust in God!
4. Hallelujah!

We are a nation divided. (Japan is too. The ruling party just lost their coalition in last week’s elections.) Anger and loud voices take the place of civil debate, argument, and disagreement. We point fingers at each other. We forget that we are all citizens of the same country. We can’t see that we are being manipulated to act this way. We listen to our own news channels and decide our own facts. Truth is too time-consuming, too costly, and too complex. Fiction and lies are fast, free, and easy. When we read Psalm 146 on the brink of our election this week….. Does this really seem like a good time to be focusing on praising God?? Perhaps a lament would be more appropriate?

Yes! This is an excellent time to be praising God for the following reasons:

• Praise is NOT mood music. We don’t praise God just because we feel happy or joyful (although that certainly may be the case). When we praise God, we state WHO GOD is, and WHO WE are. That’s why praise is important even when we’re in trouble!
• Voting may be our responsibility and civic duty. But Praise is a confession of our faith.
• Crying and grieving may be cathartic and empathetic.  But praising (especially in the middle of strife as we see it now) is, in one sense, an act of defiance.
• Praise produces power, by producing a change in us.
• This is NOT a Polly-annish, rose-colored-glasses, glass-half-filled kind of optimism. We don’t praise because we believe that “everything will be suddenly better tomorrow”. We praise because we trust God, and trust that God alone….can bring about the wonderful results listed in verses 5-9 above.

A wonderful example of praise acting as a form of defiance and producing power….is found in Acts 16. Paul and Silas, after being beaten within an inch of their lives, are then thrown into prison and put in stocks. In that dark cold prison…at midnight….their songs of praise can suddenly be heard. It says that the other prisoners were listening to them. Can you imagine how surprising it must have been in that prison to overhear two prisoners quietly singing praises to God?! Why are they singing praises? Don’t they know that this would be the perfect time to complain and find fault with everyone?

Instead, they confess their trust in God…and take strength through singing praises. The result of their praise is not completely known by us….but for starters it was followed by an earthquake that shook all the doors open, causing the jailor to almost take his own life because he was afraid the prisoners had all escaped. Later, the jailor and his whole family are baptized! Will our praises always bring about dramatic results like this? Maybe not, but we may be surprised by the power that comes from praise.

Nothing in Psalm 146 discourages us from being involved in the political process, or from actively using our political structures and our votes to seek change. However, the warning is clear. Our ultimate salvation and true hope is NOT to be found in a political party or even political leaders. They ALL (whether good or bad) serve at the pleasure of our Sovereign God.

I challenge you this week to be people of praise!

• pray for our country.
• Pray for the safety and accuracy of our election and its results.
• Pray for our fellow-citizens – that peace, and kindness, and calm will prevail.
• Let’s praise God together that He is in control – that while human leaders come and go, His love and reign are eternal.

Our hope and our salvation is not, finally, in our political structures, our elections, or in any of the candidates – whether they be excellent or poor.

Our hope is in the Lord God. And regardless of outcomes… or our tomorrows… God has promised to be with us. Hallelujah!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on November 3, 2024.)

Numbers 20:1-13

The Israelites were freed from slavery in Egypt after 400 years. With Moses and Aaron as leaders, the LORD performed great miracles which forced Pharaoh to let them go. The LORD led them to Sinai, where the ten commandments were given.

Even though the people sinned against the LORD by worshipping a golden calf, through Moses’ intercession, the people are forgiven and are led to the southern boundary of the promised land. Fearing the residents of the land, the people refuse to enter, and the LORD pronounces that He would lead their children into the land after all the adults have died in the desert.

They are on the move again in the wilderness, and Miriam, the older sister of Moses and one of the leaders, dies there and is buried.

There is no water, and they complain to Moses and Aaron, who turn to the LORD for help. The LORD instructs Moses to take the staff, assemble the congregation, and command the rock to bring forth water.

Moses and Aaron gather the people before the rock, and Moses says, “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” Then Moses strikes the rock twice with his staff, water comes out, and the people drink.

Later in the chapter, we read that Aaron dies and Israel mourns him for thirty days.

On the surface, this narrative reminds us of an earlier incident found in Exodus 17. That was also in the wilderness of Sin, at Meribah, and people had no water to drink. The LORD instructs Moses to strike the rock with his staff, and when Moses strikes, water comes out of the rock and the people are able to drink.

These are the similarities between the incident in Exodus 17 and Numbers 20:

• Both take place in the wilderness of Sin, at a place called Meribah
• There is no water to drink for the people and livestock
• People complain to Moses and Aaron
• Moses and Aaron turn to the LORD for help
• When Moses strikes the rock, the LORD brings water forth

However, in this morning’s passage, the LORD is unhappy with Moses and Aaron and tells them that they did not trust in Him so they will not be entering into the promised land when the time comes.

So, what was different about this time that things did not end well for Moses and Aaron? Scholars have been pondering this question throughout the ages.

There are some obvious differences. In the prior incident, Moses does exactly what the LORD commands him to do – Gather the people and strike the rock. In the latter incident, what the LORD commands is to gather the people and command the rock to produce water. Moses does a couple of things that were not commanded – His little speech to the people and striking the rock not once, but twice.

Let us look at what Moses said to the people – “Listen, you rebels, shall we bring water for you out of this rock?” The problem is probably the use of “we” in his statement. If Moses meant Aaron and himself, then that would be a big mistake, since there is no way that Moses and Aaron by themselves could bring forth water from a rock. So, Moses probably did not mean that. So that would probably mean that Moses meant, “us and the LORD together”, when he said, “we”.

Moses has witnessed the LORD’s great power from the time he first encountered the LORD and learned His name. Through preparing Moses for his encounter with Pharaoh, through the ten plagues upon Egypt that would force Pharaoh to release the people, the parting and closing of the Red Sea, through His provisions of manna, quail and water – But it is also true that each time, Moses had a role to play. So, the pattern has been, a problem has been identified, Moses turns to the LORD, the LORD tells Moses what he needs to do, and when Moses does his part, the LORD does His.

It would be natural for Moses to assume that there is some sort of a partnership that has been established. Moses does what he is commanded to do, and the LORD will use His power.

When the latest water shortage hit, Moses acted out what he was assuming/feeling – The faithless people are complaining again, and he and the LORD will once again solve the problem for them.

What Moses forgot was that although it was necessary for him to be obedient and do what the LORD commanded him to do, it was not true that the LORD needed him. It was not like unless Moses acted, the LORD was powerless to act. The LORD has His reasons for Moses to do what he was commanded to do, but it was the LORD who has the power to make things happen – Not Moses.

On the surface, we can be sympathetic towards Moses. After all that he has endured in obedience to the LORD, he is not going to be able to enter the promised land. Moses will have to shepherd the mumbling rebellious people for forty years, but when the LORD is ready to take the people in, it will not be Moses that will be in the lead. Instead, Moses will die in the wilderness, just like the rest of adults who rebelled against the LORD by refusing to enter the promised land. By the punishment, we can surmise that what Moses said and did was seen by the LORD as disobedience and lack of trust.

When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and ask for forgiveness of our sins, our sins are forgiven, we are assured of eternal life with the Lord, and we are given work to do while we are on this earth.

It is a privilege that the Lord chooses us for His work. We need to be led by the Holy Spirit and prayerfully approach our assignments. Although we need to do our part seriously, the real power that gets things done is from the Lord. It is dangerous to start believing that the power comes from us.

This is what Moses momentarily forgot at Meribah the second time. Because of it, Moses will not be allowed into the promised land. Instead, he too will die in the wilderness with the others who did not trust the LORD.

This does not mean that the LORD had rejected Moses as His chosen prophet. Moses just has to face the consequences of what he did. We know that Moses is still in God’s favor, since at the mount of transfiguration, as Jesus looks towards Jerusalem to go die on the cross, it is Moses and Elijah that appear and consult with Jesus.

We too can make mistakes that will have consequences. But if we have accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior, our place in eternity is assured. Our names have been written into the Lamb’s Book of Life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during worship on October 27, 2024.)