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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.)

Numbers 14:1-12

In Numbers 13 we were told that twelve spies were sent into the promised land to see what it was like. When they returned, they reported that the land was a good rich land that “flowed with milk and honey”. However, all except for Caleb suggested that the inhabitants were too numerous and strong for them. Caleb was the only one who urged that they should immediately go in and take it, since the LORD was with them.

After listening to the reports, the people conclude that they should not enter. They are afraid especially for their wives and children. They want to choose a new leader and go back to Egypt. Moses and Aaron, as well as two of the spies – Caleb and Joshua – Try to convince them otherwise, but they are determined to go back and threaten to stone them. The presence of the LORD appears and tells Moses that He will strike down the people and will make a nation out of Moses.

Moses once again intercedes for the people and asks that the LORD forgive them. The LORD accepts Moses’ request and forgives the people. However, all the adults who have seen the LORD perform miracles and yet have not believed and trusted in His promises will not be allowed to step into the promised land. Instead, they will wander in the desert for forty years until they die. And then the LORD will take their children, who the people believed would become booty, into the land. Caleb and Joshua, who showed faith in God and His promises will be the only ones allowed to enter the land. The other ten who spied out the land die by a plague sent by the LORD. The LORD tells Moses to lead the people back towards the Red Sea the next day.

When Moses tells the people what the LORD had said, they all realize that they sinned against the LORD and mourn. They decide that they will enter the land after all. Moses tells them not to do it and warns them that this would be another sin against the LORD. Additionally, since the LORD will not be with them, they cannot succeed.  They go in any way and are defeated.

It is interesting that the Israelites end up getting what they desired through God’s judgement against them. In verse 2, they said, “Or would that we had died in this wilderness!” and they will. They did not want to enter the promised land, and they will not. They were concerned for the safety of their children, and the LORD will take them in after the current adults have died in the wilderness.

When the people finally understand that they made a mistake by not entering the land, they think that they can make things right by going in. But the LORD had already decided that they should not enter. Going in now would mean going against the LORD’s will. We should keep in mind that the LORD’s plans include not only people and place, but also timing.

These Israelites have committed two great sins against the LORD. The first was in Genesis 32, when they worshipped the golden calf. The second one is their refusal to enter the promised land. Each time, the LORD takes these seriously enough that He was going to destroy them and create a nation out of Moses. Each time, Moses intervenes so that the LORD forgives the people.

This speaks well of Moses, since it would have benefited him to become the ancestor of a great nation. Instead, he is willing to forgo any benefits and rather works for the welfare of the people.

In Luke 9:24, Jesus taught, “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” The Israelites were afraid of the inhabitants and wanted to save their lives and their children’s lives by refusing to enter. They will die in the wilderness. Moses, on the other hand, lifts God’s plans above his own glory and he will be remembered as the greatest prophet of the Old Testament.

There are parallels between this incidence and the coming of Jesus Christ. From the time of Abraham, what the people were looking forward to the most was to come into the promised land and take possession of it. Yet, when that time came, they refused to enter. Apparently, the land having residents that must be overcome was unexpected, and the fear they had for this was greater than the LORD’s promises. They could not come to trust in the LORD’s words and power, even though they had witnessed and felt His power regularly.

In the time of Jesus Christ, all of Israel was eagerly awaiting the coming of the Messiah. Yet, when He came, He did not meet the people’s expectations and so was rejected. They were not willing to trust in Jesus, although they had witnessed His power and teachings regularly.

The New Testament teaches us that when we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, and we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we will not only be forgiven, but we will also be given eternal life with the Lord and other believers. Not only that, but we will also then be able to do the work the Lord has been planning for us.

It is easy enough to go astray out of fear. When we can’t quite trust in the power of God, then temptation comes to entice us to go our own way. And when we do, there will be consequences, not only for ourselves, but sometimes for those around us. Although the consequences may not go away, we can trust that God will forgive us.

When we see others go against the Lord’s will, we should pray for them and intercede for them, just as Moses did for the people.

When we have gone astray, we need to trust God’s love and turn back to Him in repentance. In Romans 8, Paul teaches us that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord – Not even ourselves.

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on October 13, 2024.)

Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus. “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.” “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.  Mark 10:46-52

This story, the healing of Bartimaeus, is the climax, or conclusion, to the first half of the gospel of Mark, as Jesus is making his final trip toward Jerusalem. For this entire final journey to Jerusalem Jesus has been trying to explain what true discipleship is – what it looks like, what it means to be a disciple. And those around him never seem to really understand.

• Peter doesn’t seem to understand….he recognizes that Jesus is the Messiah, but refuses to accept that Jesus must die on a cross.
• The rich young man didn’t seem to “get it” as he turned sadly away from following Jesus, after being told that he would have to sell all his possessions.
• The sons of Zebedee, James and John, didn’t seem to understand discipleship when they asked for special positions – on Jesus’ right and left – when he came into his kingdom.

But here we have a blind beggar, who seems to understand clearly, who Jesus is, and what following him will entail. We know that he’s important to Mark, because of all the healings recorded in Mark, this is the only individual who is named. We see the faith of Bartimaeus in the following:

1. He grasps who Jesus is. (“Jesus, Son of David……”) this phrase appears ONLY here in Mark.
2. He persists… despite hindrances  (the people try to shut him up, but he continues shouting…..)
3. He expects a transformation… he expects to be healed  (he throws off his cloak as he’s led to Jesus)
4. He asks for the right thing  (not a place of privilege – see James and John earlier…but sight.)
5. He immediately follows Jesus on his way (to Jerusalem and crucifixion)

But I want to have you take special notice of….. and remember…..his cry:

“Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

This has been used within the Christian Church, particularly the Orthodox Church, and known as the “Jesus Prayer”. It is similar to the prayer of the publican (tax collector) in Jesus’ parable who, in contrast to the proud Pharisee, prayed “God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

“Jesus Christ, Son of David, have mercy on me, a sinner!”

In this short prayer and cry – all of the essentials are confessed:

Who Jesus is:  Royalty, Messiah, Son of God

Who I am:  A blind beggar

What I need:  Mercy

This is the essential way in which we approach God, in our neediness, blindness, and sin.

We have no real claim on Jesus outside of this plea for mercy. It may seem strange that Jesus asks Bartimaeus a question that would seem obvious. “What is it you want?” One way to understand it is that the man is a beggar, so he might simply be after some money.  In that case, Jesus’s question may be better understood as, “What do you really want?”

Bartimaeus says that he wants to see… to have his sight restored. But it’s clear that although his eyes are blind, Bartimaeus already has a kind of spiritual insight – he knows clearly who Jesus is, and that Jesus is the only one that can help him.

If Jesus were to ask us “What do you want me to do for you?”…. how would we answer?

Would it be a list of things that we wish God would do for us…..?  A place of privilege? Security for our retirement?    Or…. If we really understood who Jesus was, and what our need was, would we simply have a request more like Bartimaeus…   “Lord, I want to see!” 

(The above is a summary of the message shared during worship on October 6, 2024.)

Gallery and Video Premiere on Sunday, October 20, 2024

Recently I received an email from Carolyn Shimabukuro, a leading expert and student of the art work of the famous Japanese Christian artist Watanabe Sadao. She recently completed a video about Watanabe which will be premiering at the Japanese Baptist Church on October 20, 2024. I’ve copied her email below which includes all of the necessary information. It’s free….so please plan to attend this inspiring event!

Hello Pastor Tim,

Thank you for your response to my email.  I trust that you and your ministry are well.

I completed a project that we have been working on for several years now.  It is a mini documentary on the life, art and faith of Sadao Watanabe, Printmaker.  I have personally been impacted by Watanabe’s Biblical prints and I felt compelled to tell his story through the eyes of his one student that he mentored  – Mrs. Anne H.H. Pyle.  

Dr. Ken and Anne live here locally in Medina Washington and have the largest personal collection of Watanabe art. The Pyle’s have been faithful stewards of Watanabe’s work.  I have learned so much from them and I trust that the Watanabe story will live on through his art and us.

I want to invite you and the Japanese Congregational Church members and friends to a premier showing of the video and gallery of over 20 Watanabe prints.  This will take place on October 20th with showings at 1:00 and 3:00 at the Japanese Baptist Church in Seattle.

Please see attached flyer with information below and please RSVP by Oct. 13th. See jbcseattle.org; click on the red “Watanabe” bar across the top of the front page.

Note: this is a family friendly event – with an art section for kids.  Also, the video is bi-lingual: English with Japanese subtitles.  

Carolyn Shimabukuro / All Seasons Counseling and Spiritual Direction 

questions? Feel free to text or call at 425.417-7401

James 5:13-20

Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

Over the past 9 months I’ve spoken 6 different times on the topic of prayer. We’ve looked at some basics of prayer, learning to pray, praying for others, praying for our daily needs, and praying as a conversation with God.

Today, our text, this final portion of James, also talks about prayer. Specifically, James is talking about the power and strength of prayer that happens in the community, within the body of Christ. Individual prayer is of course possible, and assumed, and necessary – but here James is speaking about the special effectiveness of those prayers that happen within a group setting.

Verse 13-14

13 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14 Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

In short, being in trouble, being happy, and being sick are simply shorthand for describing all of our possible situations. Do any of these three describe you? What’s your situation today? We are to pray with and for each other at all times, in all situations. “Calling for the elders” and “laying on of hands” as well as the “anointing with oil” – all emphasize the effectiveness and naturalness of praying together…as one body.

 Verse 15-16

15 And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

It appears that some conditions are listed here – perhaps we could state them in a type of formula:

Prayer offered in faith + Confession of your sins to each other = forgiveness and healing

Or perhaps we could word it a bit differently: Confession (one to another) coupled with corporate prayer (with and for each other) leads to healing. The healing James describes here may not always include complete physical healing – the result that we usually pray for – but it does always include that broader healing that involves spirit and soul (forgiveness).

Verses 17-18

17 Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. 18 Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

Just as James points to a scriptural hero – Elijah – an historical case of God answering prayer, we, too, add our examples and voices to this narrative. As we pray in community, we point to those times and examples where God answered prayers and we experienced healing.

Verses 19-20

19 My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, 20 remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

These final verses may seem a bit off topic, but here, too, James suggests a specific kind of corporate, community prayer. Every family includes members who are no longer with us. Particularly those that are no longer with us in faith or practice. The importance of praying for, and reaching out to those that are “wandering” is considered a vital and meaningful task of the community.

So what is James’ recipe for a healthy church and healthy faith?

Be in community 

Meet regularly, talk regularly, in person or zoom or on the phone. Find a prayer partner. Faith was never meant to be a solo endeavor, an individualistic act. We take this journey in community. Being in community is not easy in our present world and individualistic environment. This is particularly true in our prayer lives!

Trust each other – and be transparent with one another 

Confess our sins to each other, develop solid spiritual relationships, be open and honest with each other. This too, will not come easily. Making sure that our community – our church family – is a safe place to share and be transparent with one another will help us grow and mature in our corporate prayer life.

Pray for one another

In all times – times of sadness, gladness, and sickness, as well as continuing to prayer for each other’s families and those who are “wandering”.

What a beautiful encouragement to our JCC family – to go deeper in mutual confession and prayer…. and in so doing, find forgiveness and healing!

(the above is a summary of the message shared during our worship of September 29, 2024.)

Numbers 13:25-33

After the golden calf incident, the people start moving towards the promised land in Numbers chapter 10. After only three days, the people complain again. This time, it is not about the lack of food or water, but the fact that they are sick of eating manna, and they want meat. Moses turns to the LORD and He gets angry and declares that they will soon have so much meat that they will be eating it for a month – Until it starts coming out of their nostrils.

The LORD causes a strong wind which carries quails, and they fall around the camp. There is so much quail that they could walk a full day in all directions until they would end, and two cubits deep, which would be about three feet deep. Numbers 11:32 tells us that the least anyone gathered was ten homers, which would be about 1,900 birds.

The LORD also sent a plague and the people who had the craving for meat died.

Then in Numbers 12, we learn that Miriam and Aaron criticized Moses for the fact that he had married a Cushite woman and questioned why Moses was the only one that gets to speak directly with the LORD. This angered the LORD and He tells them that He would speak to other prophets in dreams and visions, but He chooses to speak to Moses directly. Miriam becomes leprous. Moses intercedes on their behalf and Miriam is healed but must stay out of the camp for seven days.

At the start of Numbers 13, they finally reach the southern edge of Canaan, the promised land. The Lord commands that twelve individuals be selected – one from each tribe – and that they should go into the land and bring back reports of how it is. They find it very fertile and brought back sample fruits – grapes, pomegranates and figs. The cluster of grapes was so large that they had to carry it on a pole between two men.

In this morning’s passage, we find out what the spies report back to the people.

The majority report is that the land is very rich as promised – “It flows with milk and honey.” However, the inhabitants are strong, they live in large, fortified towns, and some of the people are large.

The minority report was made by Caleb, who says, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

Then the other spies exaggerated their negative report.  The “land of milk and honey” becomes “the land that devours people.” The inhabitants are stronger than Israel – all the people are giants – Israelites are like grasshoppers compared to them.

All twelve spies saw the same thing, but the recommendation that Caleb made was far different from the recommendation that the rest made.

In Numbers 1, the LORD ordered Moses to take a census to determine the number of men twenty years and older who could go to war — they counted 603,500. This is a large number – for reference, there were 450,000 active-duty personnel in the U.S. Army in 2023. When they moved, they moved in formation. This certainly seemed to be in anticipation of a military campaign.

God made His power and presence obvious to the people. The ten plagues in Egypt, the Passover, the parting of the sea, the destruction of the Egyptian army, water and food in the desert, the physical manifestation as He came to meet them on the mountain, the pillar of fire and smoke, and the promise of the conquest of the promised land.

All of this was enough for Caleb to believe in God and His promises.

The promise of the land was first given to Abraham. Then it was passed down to Isaac, and then to Jacob. Even the four hundred years of captivity and liberation were foretold. They were finally at the southern boundary of that promised land, and that land is a rich and fertile one.

Whether they go in and take the land or not will depend on their faith in God and His promises. Caleb has faith sufficient to recommend that they take the land. The others, not so much.

Sometimes when we feel that God is leading us to a decision, it would be much easier if God would give us a miraculous sign. But if this were true, the Israelites should have no doubt going into the promised land, since God had repeatedly shown them miracles as well as His presence.

So, whether we can move out in faith comes down to how willing we are to trust God. We see examples of this in the Bible. We also see examples of men and women and faith outside of the Bible which become encouragement for us when we need to move out in faith, even against odds.

Through our faith in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, we are promised forgiveness and eternal life. This should give us the boldness to do the Lord’s will, even if it involves some chance of danger. We are being examples – good or bad – when we either step out in faith or not.

When the time comes, let us pray that we can have faith like Caleb and be able to say to others, “Let us go up at once and occupy it, for we are well able to overcome it.”

(the above is a summary of the message shared by Shun Takano during our worship on September 22, 2024.)

It’s hard to believe that almost a year has passed since Chris & Missy Takano, and their sons, Caleb and Eli visited us during Sunday worship and shared with us about their ministry and work at the Black Forest Academy in Kandern, Germany. Here is their most recent newsletter. Just click on the image below to read it.

Scott & Kely Furushima serve with an organization called “Activate International”. They feel called by God to serve full-time as missionaries in Japan, and are presently praying, planning, and raising support in order to make that a reality. We at JCC are playing a very small role in all of that by praying for …..and supporting them financially. To learn more about ACTIVATE INTERNATIONAL, just click on this hyperlink.

We’ll post their e-newsletters here on our website blog whenever we receive them. This most recent update arrived on Sept. 22, 2024. Just click on the photo below to see their news!