Author: Japanese Congregational Church

Exodus 16:13-36

Previously, expecting to be led to a land of milk and honey, the Israelites found themselves in the desert with no water. They complain to Moses and Moses prays to God, and God reveals a solution to Moses by turning bitter water into sweet, as well as finding them a place to rest with twelve springs.

Now they find themselves with no food, and they again complain to Moses, declaring that in Egypt they were slaves, but they had food to eat. The LORD declares that He will bring meat to them in the evening and bread in the morning, and He wants the people to know that it is He that is causing this.

It happens just as the LORD declared – Many quail appear to them in the evening, and in the morning, they find manna on the ground.

Just like when they lacked water, hunger was a real issue, and the people were not complaining just for the sake of complaining, so, again, the LORD does not bring any judgement against them.

The parallel between the plagues of Egypt and the blessings of Israel continues. Earlier, for Egypt, water became undrinkable, but for the Israelites, bitter water became sweet. And now, although it rained hail on Egypt, it rains food on Israel.

Manna has some curious nature to it. Regardless of how good of a collector one is, when what was collected is measured, it all comes out to be one omer, which was the amount the LORD had determined sufficient to sustain one person. Human nature being what it is, there were undoubtedly those who thought this as unfair – Especially those who were willing to put in more effort or more time or both in collecting manna. But for those who could not compete with some of the stronger younger collectors, it was probably seen as grace from God.

Another feature was that manna would not keep overnight. If someone wanted to get a head start and collect more than a day’s worth, they found that in the morning it had bred worms and became foul.

The exception to this was on the day before the sabbath. On the sixth day, the people were to collect two days’ worth, since there would be no manna to collect on the sabbath. And when left overnight on the sixth day, the people found that the manna was still good to eat. God made this happen so that the people could rest from collecting on the sabbath.

Verse 35 gives us a preview of what will happen – That Israel will end up eating manna for forty years, until they enter the promised land.

It is also interesting to note that a jar of manna was one of the three items that were placed inside the ark of the covenant, along with the second set of stone tablets with God’s handwritten Ten Commandments and the staff of Aaron that miraculously budded.

Let us look more at the “unfair” nature of manna. No matter what effort one put into collecting manna each morning ended in the same amount for each person. A young and strong person gathering at maximum effort ends up gathering the same amount as an elderly person with bad hips and knees that barely seems to be gathering. On the surface, this seems unfair, especially to the ones with the greater capacity to gather.

A typical question someone asks about salvation is about two types of people – One who devotes her whole adult life to help others and to make things better for this world, but just could not believe in Christ, and a second person who lives a terrible life, hurting and killing others and ends up in prison but comes to accept Christ as his savior and Lord. Is it fair that the “good” person will not receive salvation, but the bad person does? I used to ask this type of question before becoming a Christian, and I have also been asked this sort of question after I became a Christian by people who are seeking.  And from a human point of view, it does appear to be “unfair”.

However, we must realize that salvation is not reached by working towards it. It is a gift, just like manna was a gift from God. God knew that until the Israelites were able to eat off of the land in the promised land, they needed to be sustained by manna. He made sure that regardless of one’s physical condition or abilities, that each person could gather the exact amount of manna necessary to sustain life. In the same way we cannot earn salvation by working. Anyone, regardless of the lives they have lived or the physical condition they are in, can gain salvation by simply accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Another thing to keep in mind is how important God sees that we all get rest. Without rest, we cannot refresh ourselves. Without rest, we cannot continue to work well, either in our secular work or for the LORD.

Although salvation is a gift and there is nothing we can do to earn it, once we are saved, then we have Kingdom work to do. Now that the great gift of salvation has been given to us, we should be filled with appreciation and be willing to do the good works that God has assigned to us.

God was teaching the Israelites to depend on Him daily. Whether through more natural means like the quail, or miraculous like manna, God had the power and the will to sustain them. Jesus also promised us a similar thing in Matthew 6:25-34 – That if we seek first the kingdom of God, then God will provide to us daily what we require to live. And we need to keep in mind that God has the power and the will to keep his promises.

(The above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on July 28, 2024.)

Exodus 15:22-27

In the last chapter, we read that the Egyptian army pursued the Israelites to the edge of the sea. When Moses raised his staff, God parted the waters so that they could cross to the other side on dry ground. Once safely across, Moses raised his staff again, and the waters returned and drowned the army. Verse 31 tells us that, “Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.”

Then Moses and the people sing a song of praise to the LORD. Miriam then leads the women in dancing and singing. What is interesting about this Song of Moses is that Revelation 15:3 tells us that the people who conquered the beast will sing this song.

The elation and celebration do not last very long. On the other side of the sea is a desert and they do not find water for three days. When they do finally find water, it is bitter and they cannot drink it. They complain to Moses, Moses cries out to the LORD, and the LORD makes Moses throw a piece of wood into the water and the water becomes drinkable.

The LORD tells the people that if they will listen to Him and His commandments, He will not bring disaster on them like He did to the Egyptians.

The LORD leads them to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and they camped there.

We see that the people saw the great power of the LORD bring disaster upon Egypt with the ten plagues. Then they just witnessed another huge show of power by God when the sea was parted and they all crossed over safely, while the Egyptian army drowned. Still, it only takes a few days before they start to complain.

This is rather understandable, when we consider the fact that from the time Moses returned to Egypt, what they heard was that Moses had met Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. And this God is sending Moses to them so that he can lead them out of slavery in Egypt to the land that was promised to their ancestors – the land that flows with milk and honey.

So, that was probably their expectation – That they would leave Egypt and be taken to a rich land where they can live in freedom. Instead, they are now wandering around in a desert where there are no trees or water. They start to think that living as slaves, but in a land with water, food and trees, would be better than living free in the middle of nowhere with no food and water.

If they knew how things were going to turn out – That they would end up wandering around in the wilderness for forty years and that none of them would get to enter the promised land, they would have probably all tried to turn around and go back to Egypt. It was a necessary plan by God that He had them cross the sea, since they could not turn back. There really was no choice but to keep going forward and trust the LORD if they want to live.

As the journey towards maturity as a nation continues for Israel, we will see two different patterns of when the people complain to the LORD. Complaint based on genuine need – and complaining without a genuine need. This situation in the desert is the former, since one cannot stay alive in the wilderness without water. So, God provides them with a solution – Making bitter water drinkable, as well as leading them to Elim where there are springs of water.

Even though their attitude may lack faith, there is no judgement from God. Later, in the life of the Israelites, we will see the latter type of complaining that does come with God’s judgement.

We can see in this incident the reverse of what happened to Egypt. The first plague on Egypt – The water in the Nile turning to blood – made the waters undrinkable. Here, the undrinkable water is made drinkable.

There are a few things to note that are of interest to us as people of God.

God knows what Israel needs – drinkable water – but He does not prepare it ahead of time. People complain and Moses calls out to God in prayer. And the solution is not simple miracle – God points out the branch or piece of wood to Moses. And when Moses puts it in the water, the bitter water turns sweet. From this, we can see that it begins with a perceived need which turns to prayer, and then a solution.

It is important to notice that God’s action starts with a prayer. We may not be convinced that prayer does any good – “the only thing we can do is pray” – But what we see in the Bible is that God starts to act because of people praying.

Also, often, the answer God gives us is not a direct and dramatic miracle from heaven but directs us to a solution that is already present in our surroundings. Many healing methods are of this kind. Often the world gives science all the credit, but it is God who is showing the scientists how to apply what is already present.

We also see from this whole chapter, which starts with the people singing praises to God. But for the people of God, singing praises is not enough – There also must be prayer, listening to God, and obeying God.

So let us continue to praise God through our songs, but also commit ourselves to prayer, listening to God’s words, and live our lives in obedience to Him.

Jesus Christ was sent to earth so that He could die on the cross and be raised again. He had no sin so did not deserve to die on the cross, but He did so willingly, to take the punishment that we deserved. Through His death and resurrection, He gave us the opportunity to have our sins forgiven so that we can have eternal life when this life is done, and a godly vocation while we live – To be witnesses for Him – To let the world know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the World.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on July 14, 2024.)

Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village. 7 Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits. 8 These were his instructions: “Take nothing for the journey except a staff–no bread, no bag, no money in your belts. 9 Wear sandals but not an extra tunic. 10 Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town. 11 And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them.” 12 They went out and preached that people should repent. 13 They drove out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them. Mark 6:6b-13

Context:

Jesus has begun his public ministry. He has performed miracles of healing and exorcism. He has chosen his 12 disciples that will follow him and travel with him. Last week we saw how he calmed the wind and the waves as they encountered a sudden storm while crossing the Sea of Galilee.

In this text, Jesus is traveling around to various villages, teaching and healing. He begins sending his disciples out two by two. They are to do the same work that he is doing. He gives them authority over evil spirits (and we can assume from verses 12 and 13…..an authority to heal various other diseases and to preach the gospel with authority.)

He gives them the following instructions:

• Take nothing for the journey except a staff 
• no bread, no bag, no money in your belts
• Wear sandals but not an extra tunic
• Whenever you enter a house, stay there until you leave that town
• And if any place will not welcome you or listen to you, shake the dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them

Before we try to figure out what we should learn today, I have to admit that the text begs several questions:

1. Seriously? Jesus thinks that the disciples have been trained enough to trust them with this important work? (this balance between adequate training….and reliance on the Holy Spirit….continues today.)
2. Why are they to take nothing with them? No food, no money? Doesn’t this just cause a burden for those around them?  (“hospitality to the stranger” may have played a much more important role in their culture. No convenience store on every corner – and therefore a recognition that all travelers will need assistance from others.)
3. Why did they have to stay in one home only?
4. If someone didn’t want to listen to them….wasn’t it rude to shake the dust off of your feet as you left their home and village?

How do you pack when you travel?

• Most of us understand the concept and importance of traveling as light as possible. But most of us also fail at it.
• I can’t even decide on which shoes and how many pairs to take for a short trip!
• Present day “standard” – take only as much as can be fit in a carry-on piece of luggage? (so that we won’t be inconvenienced by having to check the bag.)
• Even in a world where almost everything could be easily purchased at our destination location, we usually try to pack in such a way that we will be completely ready for anything!

The culture in Jesus’ time was clearly different than ours. His disciples had a lot less stuff than we do. He may have been sending them out, knowing that the challenge of completely depending on God’s grace and the kindness of strangers…would lead to many powerful and important experiences. “Traveling light” was to be important to the disciple of Jesus. Is it still possibly true today?

So for us today: How is the instruction from Jesus on “traveling light” appropriate for us as individuals….and as a congregation? What does it mean for us to travel light?

Questions raised by Pastor Janet Hunt in her article about this passage – found on her blog “Dancing With The Word”

1. How does my attention to all my own stuff…sometimes distract me from reaching out with a gesture of kindness to another?
2. As I rely on my own careful planning for every eventuality, how am I less open to what God may have waiting for me?
3. If I already have everything I need on this journey (food, money, extra clothes, etc.) how am I less able to receive the gifts of those I meet along the way?

On this last point I can speak personally. As we served as missionaries, we were not allowed to work for profit or at a normal job in Japan. We didn’t have a work visa. Thus, we needed to have all of our needs covered by friends and churches and supporters back here in the U.S. It was never completely easy to feel so beholding and in debt to so many people – and yet it was through all of those connections that the work of God’s mission through us was accomplished, that needs were met, that prayers were offered, that friendships were deepened, that trust in God was strengthened.

Here are a few more questions that Pastor Hunt suggests for us as disciples and congregations:

1. Why do YOU think that Jesus had the disciples “travel light”?
2. What was absolutely essential for the disciples’ journey as they set out?
3. What should we “leave behind” as we are sent on our journeys of sharing the Good News?
4. What is absolutely essential for us as individuals? As JCC?

Thinking about these important considerations may help us move toward traveling more lightly!

(The above is a summary of the message shared during worship on July 7, 2024.)

Mark 4:35-41

Our text today is a well-known gospel account. Jesus, after having spent most of the day teaching a large crowd, directs his disciples to head across the Sea of Galilee to the other side. As they are in route, they suddenly encounter a severe storm which threatens to swamp the boat and end in disaster. While they panic, Jesus sleeps in the stern of the boat. In fear, the disciples wake him up with the accusation, “Don’t you care that we’re drowning?” Jesus gets up, rebukes the wind and says to the waves, “Be still, be silent” and there is immediate calm. Jesus appears to be surprised by their level of panic and lack of faith. The account ends with the disciples being in fear and awe over what they have just experienced – Jesus’ evident power over the wind and the waves!

There are so many ways to interpret and understand this account. Many scholars point out that it is a continuation of the revealing of Jesus’ identity through these displays of miraculous power. In the earlier chapters of Mark, Jesus has shown his power over evil spirits and over physical illnesses by performing miraculous healings. Here, he displays his power over creation – the natural world.

Others see it as a story of discipleship:

• We are invited by Jesus to get into the boat and cross over to the other side.
• The disciples (and by extension, us..) do so in our obedience and following of Jesus
• Yet, we soon find ourselves in trouble….. a storm that creates chaos
• How do we respond? How should we respond?

Let’s look briefly at the questions that arise in this story.

The disciples’ question of Jesus:

“Don’t You Care that we are drowning??”

This question….this accusation “don’t you care?” “where are you when we need you?” “Have you forsaken us?” is found throughout the Psalms, and in fact throughout the prophets in the Old Testament.

We find ourselves in crisis, even when we are trusting in God. Why doesn’t he come? Why isn’t he saving us? Has he forgotten about us? The apparent assumption that many people (sometimes ourselves) come to is: Either God does not have the power to help us….. or, for some reason he just doesn’t care enough about us. While these thoughts are evident throughout scripture, we can imagine the same questions even in our modern era:

• 6,000,000 million Jews killed by the Nazis in World War II. “Where is God in all of this?” was surely a thought on the minds and hearts of many.
• The situation in Gaza today. “Doesn’t God care about the innocent children being killed?” The same questions and doubts arise within our own hearts.

The disciples were fearing for their very lives. Surely their question is reasonable….and understandable.

Jesus’ question to the disciples:

“Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”

Jesus’ question appears to infer that fear and faith cannot exist together. Are fear and faith opposites? Is all fear bad? Is the emotion of fear somehow unnatural? Of course not!  The feeling of fear is absolutely necessary in order to survive. Fear of contagion causes us to be careful in washing our hands. Fear of failure….or not getting into a certain school or program…..causes us to study harder. Fear of what others will think….can cause a change in our behavior. Fear is often the engine or motivator for our actions. But is this always good? Is this always the best motive? Obviously, fear can at times be a detriment and a hindrance. Is it possible that although we can simultaneously experience fear and faith…that the two are on a spectrum, where we find ourselves operating primarily out of one or the other. To put it differently for the sake of this story…”Does our faith in God’s presence (Jesus’ presence in the boat with us) make any difference? Could that begin to move us from fear to faith?”  Consider the following two scenarios:

Scenario 1: we as disciples are in a boat in a storm. Jesus may be there, but we are not truly aware of his power, nor believe that he truly cares about us. This fear that grips us, rather than helping us survive, actually works against us.

Scenario 2: we as disciples are in a boat in a storm (the same storm!…even if we are people of faith). While we recognize our natural tendency to be afraid and lack courage, we trust in the fact that even in this difficulty, Jesus is with us. He has not forgotten about us, even though we don’t understand why he “is asleep”.

The disciples’ final statement:

“Who is this…..that even the wind and waves obey him!”

At the conclusion of this story,  the disciples were frightened – maybe a sense of awe rather than just being simply scared. Think about it…..they had been surprised enough at the miracles of healing and exorcisms. However, having the weather listen to his voice, seeing Jesus’ evident control of the storm – this was something that they had never even imagined, much less seen. We’re not told the conclusion to their thoughts…..but surely this must have been an experience they looked back on in later days and years. At this point in the story, the disciples were only beginning to understand the difficulty….as well as the available resources…..that would be part of their journey in following Jesus.

Some Conclusions:

1. Each of us has been invited “into the boat…to go with Jesus to the other side”. We don’t always know what lies ahead on this journey of discipleship….but we are willing to commit. This is true for us as individuals…..AND as a church.
2. We WILL encounter storms and chaos. “In this world you will have many tribulations” …as Jesus clearly told his disciples. The path of discipleship was never promised to be easy. How will we respond?
3. Although Jesus’ presence does NOT guarantee our desired outcome….He does promise to be with us in ALL circumstances, in ALL storms.
4. Will that fact begin to make a difference in how we live? Will we find ourselves operating more from faith than from fear?

(the above is a summary of the message shared during worship on June 30, 2024.)

Exodus 14:15-31

After the death of the Egyptian firstborn and the Lord’s Passover, Israelites leave Egypt after living there for 430 years. They are now a population of six hundred thousand men along with women and children. They and their household and livestock all leave.

God considered the state of mind of the people and led them in an indirect path that was less likely to result in battle. God thought that if the people had to face battle right away, they may get discouraged and be tempted to turn back. The LORD provided them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Whenever the pillar stopped, the people stopped, and when it moved, the people followed it.

God was not quite done with showing the Israelites, the Egyptians and the world around them God’s great power. He leads the Israelites in a way that makes it look like they are wandering aimlessly in the wilderness.

When Pharaoh hears what is going on, he decides to pursue them with his army to destroy them. He personally leads them.

The Egyptian army approaches, and Israel is caught between the army and the sea. People cry out and complain to Moses. God commands Moses to lift his staff and the sea divides. The pillar that was leading them now moves between the people and the army and the people move forward into the sea over dry land with a wall of water on both sides. The Egyptians also enter the sea in pursuit.

The war chariots are getting bogged down and the soldiers realize that they are in trouble, since the LORD is so obviously fighting for the Israelites. Then the LORD commands Moses to stretch out his hand again, and the water covers the Egyptian army and destroys it. The Israelites make it to the other side safely.

We notice that there are three elements working harmoniously in this miracle – God, human and nature. God chooses not to work alone. God commands Moses to stretch out his hand, Moses stretches out his hand over the sea, and the east wind blows all night to create dry land from the sea. It is not an instantaneous work of God.

The most advanced technology of the day, the war chariot , is no match for God’s creation. They get bogged down, making it obvious to the Egyptian soldiers that the LORD is God of all creation, and they are no match for His powers.

We recall God’s words to Pharaoh in Exodus 9:15-16 – “¹⁵For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth. ¹⁶But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.”

As I was preparing this morning’s message, it hit me that the same factors that were at work during the Red Sea crossing were at play. God directs that a message be delivered, Pr. Tim or I must do our part, and it takes a bit of time. God does not do it by Himself. It would be nice if God would just write the message and give it to us and makes us deliver it in perfect form. But He continues to use humans to do His work.

It is the same with any Kingdom work that He assigns to each of us. God directs, we respond and do our part, and it takes time and/or creation to also cooperate.

Most importantly, we should keep in our minds that the purpose of Kingdom work is to make God and His powers known to us and that His name would be glorified throughout the world. To preach the good news of Jesus Christ – That He was sent to this world to be crucified, not for His sins, since He had none, but for our sins, so that anyone who accepts Jesus as his or her savior and Lord would have their sins forgiven and granted eternal life with God and His people.

So, when called upon, let us do our part by following the guidance of the Holy Spirit and continue to tell the world around us that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on June 23, 2024.)

Exodus 12:29-32

Even after nine previous plagues, Pharaoh does not agree to let Israel go, so God sends the tenth plague – The death of the firstborn. Pharaoh has had enough and summons Moses and Aaron and tells them to go away with their flocks and herds. He also asks for a blessing. The Egyptians are eager to have Israel gone from their land and when asked, give them jewelry of silver and gold as well as clothing.

The LORD instructed the people through Moses and Aaron how to survive the death of their firstborn. They are to sacrifice a lamb for each family. They are to take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and the lintel of each house. They are to roast the lamb and eat it that night. No bones are to be broken. The LORD will pass through the land killing every firstborn human and animal, but when He sees the blood, He will pass over that house. This is the implementation of Passover.

People obey the Lord’s instructions, and their firstborn are kept alive, while the firstborn of the Egyptians perish in the night.

The month of the Passover is now to be considered the first month of the year, and the Passover tradition is to be observed every year and passed down through the generations, so that they too can be reminded of the great things the LORD did for Israel.

Celebration of Passover has been kept alive by tradition and ritual, following the command of the LORD regarding avoidance of leaven found in Exodus 12:14-19. During the festival of Passover Jewish households not only do not eat leavened bread but remove any leavened products throughout the house.

The Seder meal is at the center of the celebration. Families gather around the table and follow the ritual that includes reading the story of Exodus, drinking four cups of wine and eating symbolic foods – Matzah (unleavened bread to represent hurried departure that did not allow for dough to rise), bitter herbs (symbolizes the bitterness of slavery), a roasted shank bone (representing the Passover lamb) and others.

The telling of the story is meant to keep the knowledge alive of what the LORD did for them. The youngest person present traditionally asks the Four Questions:

1. Why is this night different from all other nights?
2. Why do we eat unleavened bread tonight?
3. Why do we eat bitter herbs?
4. Why do we dip our food twice tonight?

The food is dipped first in bitter herbs (representing the bitterness of slavery), and then in charoset (mixture of chopped apples, nuts, wine and spices), representing hope and resilience even in difficult times).

Each of the four cups of wine represents a different aspect of Passover. The first cup marks the beginning of the Passover meal. The second cup is consumed after reading the Haggadah, or the Passover story. The third cup is drunk after the meal, signifying redemption from Egypt and expresses gratitude for freedom. The fourth cup is the Cup of Elijah and is left untouched – It symbolizes hope for the future redemption and the arrival of the Messiah – It is called that because of the belief that Elijah the prophet will announce the Messiah’s coming.

Passover was celebrated in Jesus’ time, and it was the reason why the leaders of the land were in Jerusalem when Jesus was arrested, tried and crucified.

The New Testament identifies Jesus as the Passover lamb. John 1:29 refers to Him as “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”. Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 speaks of Jesus as “our paschal lamb”.

Jesus is hanging on the cross as the Passover lambs are being sacrificed. Exodus 12:46 commanded that none of the Passover lamb’s bones should be broken. John 19:31-34 tells us that when the soldiers went to break Jesus’ legs so that He would die quicker, they found Him already dead, so no bones were broken.

The Passover lamb symbolizes deliverance, freedom and redemption. That is what Jesus brings us also. Passover freed Israel from slavery to Egypt, while Jesus frees us from slavery to sin. Paul teaches in his letter to the Romans that before we were saved, all we could do was sin, but now that we are saved, for the first time in our lives, we have the choice not to sin.

Revelation 20 tells us that after our earthly lives are over and the Lord returns, there will be a final judgment. There is a lake of fire which is second death and anyone whose name is not found written in the book of life will be thrown into it. The way to get our names into the book is to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. When we do that, the blood He shed for us marks our hearts and second death will pass over us, just like the angel of death passed over anyone in the houses marked with the blood of the Passover lamb. Let us be grateful that our eternal life with the Lord is set, due to our faith in Jesus. For those who we encounter that are headed for second death, let us share Christ with them so that they might also get their names written in the book of life.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on June 9, 2024.)

Matthew 5:1-2;14-16

(Much of today’s sermon outline comes from Pastor Sanetta Ponton, who serves a Covenant Church in New Jersey.)

A few years ago our son was enrolled in a driver’s education course. There was both classroom learning as well as “behind the wheel” practice. As parents we were also part of the process, allowing him to practice driving while we rode in the passenger seat. There are many details and rules to learn, but most of the training could be summarized around the concept of “yielding” – being willing to “give in”, to be courteous and patient, perhaps even when the other driver is not. Don’t use your car as a weapon, don’t get angry, don’t encourage or participate in “road rage.” Take a deep breath, stay calm, practice patience…. In short, be willing to yield the road when necessary….even when you are “in the right”… in order to maintain the highest level of safety. Sounds good, right? But those of us who are experienced drivers know how hard it can be at times.

To yield is partly defined in the following ways: to admit to be true; to concede; to submit and comply with; to give up a demand, right, or claim.

But YIELDING is hard!

• We don’t like to back down…or give up….or give in
• We flash our high beams back at people
• When someone tailgates us….we stubbornly stick to our speed and our lane
• Our politicians don’t like to yield. They can’t even compromise anymore. Never give in!
• In our polarized America…..yielding is not usually the posture that’s most evident

The concept of yielding has also been mis-used. Our Christian faith and scripture have been used to force people to yield against their wills.

• African Americans forced to yield – kept in slavery for centuries
• Native Americans / Indians forced to give up their culture / re-educate their children in boarding schools across North America
• Women forced to stay in abusive marriages　
• We could go on and on……
• So we can understand why some people might be a bit reluctant to quickly accept the need for a yielding posture.

However, a posture of yielding shows up in scripture….and is a powerful message in Jesus’ teaching.

Matthew 5:1-2

“Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them…”　　　

In Matthew 4, Jesus has already begun his public preaching on the Kingdom, chosen disciples, begun performing miracles of healing, etc. The crowds are gathering.

But here in chapter 5 Jesus begins to teach his disciples what it looks like to live in the Kingdom of God. How it actually takes place, what it should really look like. How can we become salt, light, different from those around us? How should we interpret the Law? How do we deal with our enemies? How do we practice our spirituality – prayer, alms giving, and fasting? In each case, it appears that humility and a posture of yielding are absolutely fundamental to living in kingdom community!

So while yielding is HARD, and not encouraged by society, and while it HAS in the past been mis-used as coercion and force…… yet, Jesus teaches a yielded posture as absolutely critical to shared life in the Kingdom of God. While our culture may look down on it….Jesus calls those who have had to yield, who have had to accept a life of difficulty and sadness, and tears, and poverty…..as “blessed”!

How do we actually practice a yielded posture in our prayer life?  

1. Look up to Jesus  (Matthew 5:1)
   • Jesus positions himself on the mountain so he can see them, and they him
   • Keep our eyes on Jesus –Jesus not only teaches humility and yielding…but models a life of yielding to his heavenly father.
   • In prayer,  we can practice a physical posture of yielding (kneeling, bowing, retreating to our private, quiet place….not praying to be seen by others.)　
2. Recognize the authority of Jesus Christ and submit to his teachings
   • The disciples come to him on the mountain and sit….giving Jesus their attention.
   • “Who is this….that even the winds and the waves obey him?” It takes time, but the disciples begin to sense the authority of Jesus in a powerful way. At the end of Matthew, Jesus offers that authority…and his continuing presence…to his disciples… to us!
   • Do we come with a posture of yielding and learning? To come to learn implies that there is more for us to gain. What is the new thing that God is trying to teach us….that we might be resisting?
   • Is this possibly what’s missing in our society? Is it possible that we are no longer open to learning? “We go, each to our own news silos to hear only the things that confirm what we already believe.” Instead, can we go to God in prayer…go to scripture together…with the real hope that God might teach us something new?
3. Recognize that we do not yield alone. We are part of a community of disciples yielding to the Lord and to one another. This builds a community that mirrors the Kingdom of God.

May God continue to shape and lead us as a church….as we learn to yield completely to God….and to each other.

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship on June 2, 2024.)

Exodus 7:8-13

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and do what the Lord commanded them. Aaron’s staff turns into a serpent, but the Egyptian magicians also duplicate the act. And even though Aaron’s serpent swallows up the Egyptian serpents, Pharaoh, whose heart was hardened, refused to listen. This sets up the ten plagues that the LORD will visit upon Egypt.

The first plague is the water turning into blood. When Aaron strikes the water of the Nile with the staff, the water turns to blood, the fish die and starts to stink. All the water in Egypt turns into blood. The Egyptian magicians could also replicate this, and Pharaoh refused to listen.

Seven days later, Aaron stretches out his staff and frogs come up from the waters and cover the land. The magicians are also able to bring up frogs. Pharaoh calls Moses and Aaron and requests that they pray to the LORD to take the frogs away and then he will let the people go sacrifice to the LORD. So that there would be no mistake that the LORD is doing this, they set up the exact time that the frogs would go away, and they all die at the appointed time. Pharaoh changes his mind and will not let the people go.

Then Aaron strikes the dirt with the staff and it turns to gnats, and they cover the humans and animals. The magicians cannot duplicate this one, and they admit that this is the LORD’s power. Pharaoh refuses to let the people go.

Then the LORD sends swarms of flies. Goshen, where the Israelites live, is free of the swarm of flies, but the rest of Egypt is covered. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and offers to let the people sacrifice to the LORD, but in Egypt. Moses informs Pharaoh that the sacrifice has to be outside of Egypt. Pharaoh agrees, the LORD removes the swarm of flies, and again, Pharaoh changes his mind and refuses to let the people go.

Pharaoh is told that if he continues to refuse to let the people go, then a pestilence will attack the livestock of the Egyptians, but not the livestock belonging to Israel. Pharaoh refuses and the Egyptian livestock die.

Then Moses takes handfuls of soot from the kiln and throws it in the air. It causes festering boils on humans and animals. It gets so bad that the magicians can no longer come into Pharaoh’s presence. Pharaoh still refuses to let the people go.

The LORD warns Pharaoh that there will be heavy hail and all people and living things in the open fields will die. People who believe the warning put people and animals under shelter, and those who do not believe keep them out in the open field, where they die. There is no hail in Goshen. Pharaoh summons Moses and Aaron and admits that he has sinned and requests that they pray to the LORD so the hail will end, and he will let the people go. The hail stops, but Pharaoh still does not let the people go.

Moses and Aaron go to Pharaoh and warn him that the LORD is about to send locusts to Egypt. Pharaoh’s officials urge him to let the people go. Pharaoh is willing to let the men go but not the children. Locusts come and cover the land eating all the vegetation. Pharaoh relents and asks that the locusts be taken away. But once all the locusts are gone, Pharaoh changes his mind and refuses to let the people go.

Then the LORD sends darkness on the land so intense that people could not see each other. It lasts for three days, but there was light in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh is now willing to let all the people go, including the children, but insists that the livestock must remain. Moses insists that the livestock must go with them, but Pharaoh refuses and threatens Moses with death.

These setup the final disaster on Egypt – The death of their firstborn, and Passover for Israel, which we will look at next time.

There are no satisfactory natural explanations for any of these disasters. It goes beyond natural events. Water is no longer water, amphibians and insects overrun the land, hail large enough to shatter every tree falls from the sky and darkness so thick that no one can see each other. The fact that the land of Goshen is not affected by any of these makes it clear that these are God’s doing.

Yet, we see that God does not act alone – He acts through Moses and Aaron. It is a joint venture. God is doing all the heavy lifting, but He chooses to depend on Moses and Aaron to do their part. Of course, Moses and Aaron could do nothing without God. It is interesting to note that for the first three plagues Aaron is the one that is active, but then Moses takes over the primary role – Just like the LORD’s original plan.

The reason why the LORD stretched this into a total of ten plagues is hinted at in Exodus 9:16 – “But this is why I have let you live: to show you my power, and to make my name resound through all the earth.”

The immediate purpose was for Israel to be freed to go occupy the promised land and become a great nation. But God also had a plan for the salvation of humanity. Passover will become the central point of the Old Testament. Everything that came before and everything that comes after either looks forward or looks back to the event. The connection between Passover and the death on the cross of Jesus Christ, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, is integral.

Because all ten plagues played out in all their exaggerated way meant that the whole world would note what happened to Egypt and the power of God was on full display to be feared and remembered.

As Egypt carried out its deadly plan of genocide for Israel by killing all the male babies, the LORD put a stop to it. By twisting creation in unnatural ways, God restored the order of His creation and purpose for Israel to bring forth the ultimate blessing on humanity – Jesus Christ.

We are not called out for giant things like Moses and Aaron, but we need to remember that God has roles for each of us to play for His kingdom. To be witnesses to the fact that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of the world – To preach this good news to all who need to hear. Like Moses and Aaron, we cannot do it without God, but God is also depending on us to do our part.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on May 26, 2024.)

Exodus 5:1-23

After successfully meeting with the Israelite leaders, Moses and Aaron go to see Pharaoh and give him the message from the LORD to let Israel go celebrate a festival. Pharaoh not only refuses, but he also orders that straw no longer be provided to Israel, and yet, the number of bricks produced cannot be reduced.

The Israelites do not meet the quota of bricks and so the Egyptians beat the supervisors and task masters. The supervisors complain to Pharaoh and are told the reason – Because Moses and Aaron demanded to let Israel leave. So, they blame and complain to Moses and Aaron.

 Moses turns to the LORD and asks Him why this is happening. Instead of the people being delivered, the people are suffering more than before.

We can certainly empathize with Moses. He did not want this job. He did not want to confront Pharaoh. He was expecting that the Lord would swiftly show His power and free the people. Instead, the people’s sufferings have increased. He probably does not know how to address the concerns and complaints of his people. The only thing Moses can do is to turn to the LORD for a solution, since it is now way too late to reverse course.

We see how Egypt managed to keep the Israelites under control, even though they outnumbered the Egyptians. It is a pyramid scheme where only a few benefit from the labors of many. The slaves are driven hard to the point of exhaustion, making them easier to control. If they complain or cause problems, things will get worse – This is as good as it gets.

A few are “promoted” to supervisors with some power over the rest, serving as an example that if one works hard, things could get better. If problems arise, then these “leaders” are tasked to keep the people in line. The people cannot deal directly with Pharaoh, so they can only deal with the leaders, which keep them in conflict with each other. Schedule is the key and must be kept at all costs. This leaves little time for holidays and complaining.

This system is no different than how American slavery worked, and in some milder way, how large manufacturing firms worked before labor laws.

This system of oppression works well enough that we see in verses 22-23 that Moses does not blame Pharaoh for the people’s increased hardship but puts the blame on God.

God answers Moses in 6:1 – ¹Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh: Indeed, by a mighty hand he will let them go; by a mighty hand he will drive them out of his land.”

The LORD is not only going to have Pharaoh drive out the people from Egypt, He is going to demonstrate His great powers to Pharaoh, Egypt, and the surrounding nations. Other nations are going to hear about what the LORD does to Egypt, which will make them fear Israel, which will work to their advantage in the future.

The fact that God responds to Moses’ questions/complaints and explain what He intends to do must have been a welcome situation for Moses. Had God not responded to Moses, it would have put Moses in a very difficult position. He would have to deal with the fact that the people he claimed to have come to help are suffering more because of him obeying God.

Sometimes when we are doing what we believe God wants us to do, we experience setbacks. It will make us stop and ponder about the situation. It could be that God has His intent and timing for His plan to have the full effect and results. But it also could be that we got it wrong, and we are just doing what we want to do, or that we misinterpreted what God wanted us to do.

Moses’ situation was a little different, since there was a visible encounter with God, with God speaking directly with him. God also told Moses exactly what He wanted Moses to say and do. It was not left up to Moses’ imagination or discretion. Also, when trouble came and Moses called out to God, He answered immediately and in a direct and concise manner.

This is not the way things normally work for us. Through answers to prayer, reading of the Bible, listening to messages, requests coming from church leaders, etc., we get an inkling of what God wants us to do. When things do not go as planned, or the people we are trying to help end up dissatisfied, we get unsure of what we are to do. We call out to God in prayer for help, but often, we are confronted with what we perceive as silence. We often do not get a direct response from God like Moses did.

So, what do we do in those situations? We proceed with caution, and in prayer. We ask for the help of the Holy Spirit to guide us, in correcting us if we are not on the right path. We need to be aware that the answer can come from any direction – From reading the Bible, advice from pastors, contents of messages, a message from fellow sister or brother in Christ. There is always a chance that we are simply doing what we want to do, rather than what the LORD wants us to do. If we are the only beneficiary of what we are doing, then we should practice extreme caution….and careful discernment.

However, we can be pretty certain that we are on the right track if we are doing things that the LORD clearly commanded us to do. This includes helping people in need, bringing the good news of forgiveness and salvation through Jesus Christ, making disciples of Christ and bringing God’s blessings to others.

We may not have the huge task of helping to liberate a nation from slavery, but we do have the task of witnessing to the world that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the savior of the world. Even if we get into situations where we are not sure that what we are doing is actually helping anyone, we need to keep turning to the LORD in prayer, knowing that He knows what He is doing, and He will be with us and will not abandon us.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on May 12, 2024.)

Matthew 6:5-8

And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

(Today’s sermon outline comes from a colleague of mine, Pastor Peter Ahn, who serves a Covenant Church in New Jersey.)

As one half of a married couple I have become aware, over the years, of the important issue of really listening to my partner. Often my inability to listen…to hear correctly….is the source of misunderstandings and hurt feelings. I either haven’t been concentrating while listening…or I’ve listened but not really heard or understood.

If we are to have a deep, meaningful, relationship with someone, we need to really listen, to really hear. Could that be true in our relationship with God as well?

Do we approach God in prayer, and end up doing all the talking? Is our prayer just a long list of things we’re worried about….or things we need?

In the very first sermon about prayer in this series, we learned – and in fact we emphasized the fact that there is NO ONE CORRECT way to pray. God loves us – He does not mind if we tell him all the things we want, just like a small child telling their parents all the things they want for Christmas. God is so patient and just loves the fact that we’re praying at all.

But I also said in that first sermon that our prayers may change….as our faith grows. As our faith matures we may find that we are more and more longing to HEAR from God – to hear his voice – and not just fill the time with our own voice telling God what we want or need.

If it’s going to be a real relationship, then it will need to be a conversation – back and forth – not just me reciting words. In short we need to learn how to pray…. In order to HEAR God.

How do we do that?

Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

How do we pray…in order to hear from God? First, when we pray, we make prayer about God, and NOT about ourselves.

• In this passage the leaders and hypocrites were praying but it was all about themselves – doing it so that they could be seen, doing it so that they could be heard, doing it so that they could be respected. It was all for their glory….and not about God’s glory. And God says that when we pray that way, we have already received our reward.
• Now of course, corporate prayer is not wrong…but prayer that is about our glory is not helpful in hearing God’s voice.

In continuing verses (Matthew 6:9-10) we see Jesus teaching his disciples to pray in these words:

“This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven’”.

All about God, and not about me!

If we want to hear God’s voice, we must make our prayers about God.

How do we pray in order to hear God?  Secondly, we need to be willing to embrace Silence.

Again, from our text for today, Matthew 6:7-8 “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

God already knows everything we need. We don’t need to keep telling him. He is inviting us to be silent before Him.

Mark 1:35 – Jesus himself goes out in the morning to a quiet place, a lonely place in order to be silent before his heavenly father.

In my earlier example – just as I need to stop talking, and give complete attention to my wife, in order to really hear her, we need to stop “babbling” in our prayers, and become silent before God, telling him that we are listening.

But silence is hard isn’t it? Our minds quickly move to other topics and thoughts.

Why is practicing silence so important?

• Silence allows us to let go – to surrender our will to God’s will. It allows us to let go of control, let go of our fears. Most of our prayers come from a place of fear and anxiety. Becoming perfectly silent helps us recognize that…and begin to move toward trust.
• In Silence, we let go of our agendas / our plans – we allow communion with God (our relationship with God) to be the focus of our prayer….and not what we can GET from God. We seek His Face, rather than His Hand. We want Him, and not what He can Do for us.
• In Silence we shut our mouths…. and more fully open our hearts to HEAR God’s voice.

So in summary, how do we practice prayer….in order that we may more clearly hear God’s voice?

• By Making God the center of our prayer – His glory, not ours; His will, not ours
• By Embracing Silence
  • Surrendering our will, control, and fears
  • Letting go of agendas and plans, and making communion with God the goal
  • Opening ourselves to HEAR.

Perhaps you could start with a very short and simple rhythm of praying silently for 3 minutes a day? It will take practice before we are easily able to sit still and listen for that long! We may need to choose a special word (like “Jesus”, or “trusting”) , or a key image or phrase (like “speak, for your servant is listening”, or “God, I give you my anxieties”)… in order to help us stick to our listening…and not wander off to our daydreaming!

Remember, there is no wrong way to pray. God will meet us where we are. And maybe, just maybe…we’ll actually start looking forward, and expecting – to regularly hear from God!

(the above is a summary of the message shared in worship on May 5, 2024.)