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Today English Message

Ena Christian Center
Message: Pastor Genichi Jinnai

“The Established Purpose of Christmas” 1

As Galatians‬ ‭3‬:‭13‬-‭14‬ states, we will be freed from the curse that began with Adam, and we will be freed from poverty, sickness, and the second death, but we know that there is more to it than that.
Today, I would like to focus on Ephesians, that God’s plan is condensed and written.

In Ephesians, Paul was speaking to the Gentiles.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,

We know that we have all spiritual blessings.
When Adam and Eve sinned, the curse began, but how was it resolved in the long Old Testament?
We also know that God had a plan before Adam and Eve sinned.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
‭‭
If we were to give a title to Ephesians chapter 1, it would be “God’s Plan.”
God’s plan is to make us holy and without blame through Christ, that is, in the flow of the New Testament, before the foundation of the world.

And this was “having predestined.”
Ephesians 1:7 “In Him”, in Christ.
“according to the riches of His grace”
We receive this riches of God’s grace.

God’s plan is to proceed through Christ and within it.
In the Old Testament, Jesus has not yet appeared, so even though God’s plan is there, the time has not yet come, so He waited.

We will look at the fullness of time for God’s plan to be fulfilled.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬-‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
having made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of the times He might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth—in Him.

This plan, “having predestined”, this fullness of time, takes place in the New Testament.
In verse 9, “according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself,” in His Son, Jesus.
As we read earlier in Ephesians 1:5, it says, “having predestined”.

“The fullness of the times”brought the birth of Jesus. Then it became the New Testament, and not only that, but it also had to reach the point where Jesus was crucified and resurrected.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will,
‭‭
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Ena Christian Center
Message: Pastor Genichi Jinnai

“The Established Purpose of Christmas” 2

Humans have acquired dominion over the earth, but God does not intend to complete everything on this earth, but planned to make us inheritors of His kingdom in the invisible world.
In the Old Testament, because of sin, no one could go to heaven because if they saw God, they died. They could not meet God in the kingdom of God.
But God makes it possible.
This is by becoming holy and without blame in Christ.
We will go to the kingdom of God wearing Christ.

We have been given the guarantee that we will receive that kingdom.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭14‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.

We have received the Holy Spirit as that guarantee.

‭‭I Corinthians‬ ‭12‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

Also, as Romans 8:15 says, “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.”
You have learned that you received a guarantee to be the same children of God as Jesus, who can call God the Father “Abba, Father.”

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,

Let us have our hearts’ and spiritual eyes opened to know this.
God crucified Jesus, took all our sins upon Him, and then used His almighty power to raise Him from the dead, and sat Him at the right hand of God.
At that time, Jesus had a certain authority.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭20‬-‭21‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

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Ena Christian Center
Message: Pastor Genichi Jinnai

“The Established Purpose of Christmas” 3

After Jesus was crucified, died and rose from the dead, He was given all the authority of far above every name that is named.
What does this mean for us?
In the “predestined” plan, we become holy and without blame in Christ.
Originally, Jesus did not need to be crucified.
And in Christ, we gain far above all principality and power that surpasses all things in Christ.
The gathering of us is the church.

Ephesians‬ ‭1‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.
‭‭
The “church” is in this plan of God.
The church is a gathering of us Christians, not a building.
Through this church, Jesus has the authority to further God’s plan, and gave Him to be head of the church.
And the church is the body of Christ.
Because we are the body of Christ, we are saved.
This was predestined.

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Ena Christian Center
Message: Pastor Genichi Jinnai

“The Established Purpose of Christmas” 4

Next, chapter 2.
The plan to save us, how was it done?

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭1‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins,

Such people are “by nature children of wrath” (Ephesians 2:3).
However, in the grace of Jesus Christ, we become sinless and receive salvation.

And not only that,

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Jesus was born and crucified. Because of what Jesus did, we who believe in Christ are united with Christ and made to sit together in the heavenly places.
This is what He planned.
What will we need at that time?

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭8‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

We become this way “through faith.”
The faith is not the faith you believe in, but the faith you have received, that is, the faith of Jesus.
No one is saved by their own good works. We move into it with the faith we receive from God.
And while we are made holy and without blame in Christ, there is a plan for us.

Continue

Ena Christian Center
Message: Pastor Genichi Jinnai

“The Established Purpose of Christmas” 5

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭10‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It was predestined that Jesus would be crucified.
And it was also predestined that we would be saved and do God’s work.
We must not only rejoice that Jesus came at Christmas, but also know that there is something that has been prepared for us beforehand.
What is it?

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭15‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace,
‭‭
These two are Jews and Gentiles.
The one who was close was the Jew, and the one who was far was the Gentile.
The plan was to make these two into a new man.
There is currently a war in Israel, but there is a plan for us and them to become one in Christ.
Jesus also spoke about these two things in other verses.

John‬ ‭10‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd.
‭‭
This also mentions Gentiles and Jews.
This is part of God’s plan.
We will bring revival to Japan and the world, but we must not forget the revival in Israel.
This means that they will change from Judaism to Christianity.
However, in the prophecy of the Bible, only a part of them will change, not all of them.
The 144,000 Jews are the ones who will wait until the end and be saved.
I would like us to be firmly aware that we will be saved by something.

Ephesians‬ ‭2‬:‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬:
For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.

It is through one Spirit, the Holy Spirit, that we have access to God.
This is because the Holy Spirit is the Spirit that can call God “Abba, Father.”
This can only be done through the Holy Spirit.
And including Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, verse 19 says, “members of the household of God”‭‭.
Everyone becomes members of the household of God.
—5

And here’s how it happens.

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へご連絡ください。

 

フィリピンの方の証です。

私の名前はベスです。フィリピン出身です。
私はこの教会(ERM京都聖会)に時々参加しています。

私は先週日曜日、私が以前通っていた教会の礼拝に参加しました。
ある女性の方の隣に座ったのですが、(周りの人が言うに)その方は悪霊に取り憑かれているようでした。
私はただその方の腰に触っただけだったのですが、その後家に帰ると、(私の頭に)3つのできものと、(首回りに)3つの腫れ物が出来ていました。
それはとても痛くて、月曜から、火曜、水曜、木曜、とずっと痛みがありました。

ですが、今日友人からこの聖会のことを聞いて、参加しに来たのです。

私がこの部屋に入った途端、できものや腫れ物の全部が消えてしまいました!!!!
主を褒め称えます。

だから私はこうやって首回りを触っているのです!!!
本当に、主よ感謝します。誉めたたえます!

 

 

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今日のみことばN

2024年11月24日 聖日礼拝

恵那クリスチャンセンター

メッセージ:神内源一牧師

        全編

「聖書のキーワード  “型” 」  1

前回、アブラハムがイサクを屠ろうとすろうとするところを見ましたが、少し言い足らないところがありましたので、続けていきたいと思います。

創世紀22章1節でアブラハムが試練を受けたところをみました。

試練というのは、私たちを困らせるためのものではなく、試すもので、私たちが神様に対して信頼を置いているかどうか、私たちの信仰が本物かどうか、はっきりしていきます。

成長過程で挫折することはありますが必ず強くなっていきます。

モーセも挫折があり、神を知ってからもその器になるために40年かかっています。

私たちも、最後はそのように整った者であることを信じていきたいと思います

アブラハムがイサクを捧げなさいと言われてわが子を屠ろうとした時の出来事がどう書いてあるか、ヘブル人の手紙から見ます。

「信仰によって、アブラハムは、試みられたときイサクをささげました。彼は約束を与えられていましたが、自分のただひとりの子をささげたのです。

神はアブラハムに対して、「イサクから出る者があなたの子孫と呼ばれる」と言われたのですが、

彼は、神には人を死者の中からよみがえらせることもできる、と考えました。それで彼は、死者の中からイサクを取り戻したのです。これは型です。」(ヘブル11:17~19)

「型」ー 聖書の中に色々な型について書かれています。

この型は、死者の中からイサクを取り戻したということです。

現代において、もし子どもを縛って屠れと神様に言われたら、私は、それは神の声ではないと思います。

なぜならこの型というのは、神様によってイエス様が死んでよみがえることを表しているからです。

だから神様は酷いことを言うのだと思わないでください。イサクは死んでいません。

神様は型を教えるためになさっているのです。

現代においてはイエス様が死んでよみがえられたことで私たちの罪が全部赦されているのに、神の声に従うかどうかを試すために子どもを屠れということはありません。

イエス様によって全て解決されているからです。

神を愛しなさい、人を愛しなさい、という教えを私たちは受けているので、今現代にこういうことは絶対ありません。

今あるとしたら、それはサタンの声ですから間違わないでください。

イサクはイエス様の型です。

神に従順に従っていく。

イエス様は十字架にかかることに従順に従われました。

イサクも年老いた父親が自分を屠ろうとする時に抵抗せずに従っています。

イエス様の型を表していると思います。

 ——–1

創世記22章の11節12章、「アブラハム」と呼び掛けられ、「あなたの手を、その子に下してはならない。」と言われました。

神様は、アブラハムが地上において最高の宝である我が子以上に神を愛すること、神のことばに従うことを示したことを見ました。

アブラハムの信仰も型です。

あなたの子孫はこの星々のようになるということを信じて、義となったと書いてあります。義とされたのです。

アブラハムの信仰義認も型です。

私たちがイエス様を信じ、イエス様が十字架に架かって死んでよみがえったことを信じる。

それだけで義となる。

神様は私たちが神様の考えを理解するために、旧約を通して型を表しているのです。

捧げ物の型としては、一番良いものを神に捧げることの例です。

アベルは最高のものを神に捧げ、カインは残り物を神様に捧げました。残り物を捧げることはありえません。

これも型です。

神様はこういうことを通して教えています。

イスラエルの民がカナンの地へ帰って行きます。

私たちが天の国に帰る型をこういう形で聖書は示しているのです。

 ーーーーー2

「その人たちは、天にあるものの写しと影とに仕えているのであって、それらはモーセが幕屋を建てようとしたとき、神から御告げを受けたとおりのものです。神はこう言われたのです。「よく注意しなさい。山であなたに示された型に従って、すべてのものを作りなさい。」(ヘブル8:5)

モーセの幕屋は天の聖所と違っており、その違いが分かるような形にしたものの型だということです。

モーセは自分で思うように天幕を造ったのではなく、「よく注意しなさい。山であなたに示された型に従って」

つまり天幕も型。

メノラー(燭台)の形も型として造られているのです。

私たちが成功する人生も聖書の中に型で示しているのです。

これを私たちが知って、聖書通りの祝福された人生の中に歩んでいけるということです。

イエス様は三日目に復活されました。

これにも型があります。

ヨナです。

ヨナはニネベに行き、神のことばを伝えるように告げられますが逃げました。

乗った船が沈みそうになり自分のせいなので海に投げ込むよう言います。投げ込まれたヨナは大きな魚に飲み込まれ三日三晩、魚の腹の中にいて、悔い改めた時に吐き出されたとあります。

他の箇所にヨナのしるしのほかには、しるしはないと書かれています。

「主は大きな魚を備えて、ヨナをのみこませた。ヨナは三日三晩、魚の腹の中にいた。」(ヨナ1:17)

三日三晩いて、三日目に出てくるという型です。

 ーーーーーーー3

また「ひな形」というところを見たいと思います。

「そういうわけで、ちょうどひとりの人によって罪が世界に入り、罪によって死が入り、こうして死が全人類に広がったのと同様に、― それというのも全人類が罪を犯したからです。

というのは、律法が与えられるまでの時期にも罪は世にあったからです。しかし罪は、何かの律法がなければ、認められないものです。

ところが死は、アダムからモーセまでの間も、アダムの違反と同じようには罪を犯さなかった人々をさえ支配しました。アダムはきたるべき方のひな型です。」

(ローマ5:12~14)

アダム一人によって全人類が罪となり、イエス様一人によって全ての者の罪が、イエス様を信じるだけで救われる、という型なのだということです。

 ーーーーー4

次にノアの箱舟です。

第1ペテロにあるノアの箱舟についてです。

ここにも型が出てきて私たちを教えています。

「キリストも一度罪のために死なれました。正しい方が悪い人々の身代わりとなったのです。それは、肉においては死に渡され、霊においては生かされて、私たちを神のみもとに導くためでした。その霊において、キリストは捕らわれの霊たちのところに行って、みことばを語られたのです、昔、ノアの時代に、箱舟が造られていた間、神が忍耐して待っておられたときに、従わなかった霊たちのことです。わずか八人の人々が、この箱舟の中で、水を通って救われたのです。そのことは、今あなた方を救うバプテスマをあらかじめ、示した型なのです。バプテスマは肉体の汚れを取り除くものではなく、正しい良心の神への誓いであり、イエス・キリストの復活によるものです。」(Ⅰペテロ3:18~22)

ノアの箱舟も私たちを救うバプテスマをあらかじめ示した型だとあります。

(イエス様が罪のため死んで蘇って霊において生かされ、信じなかった人たち、ノアの時代に従わなかった霊たちのところへ行き救いを宣べ伝えられた。)

わずか八人の人々が箱舟の中で水を通って救われたことは今あなた方を救うバプテスマをあらかじめ、示した型とあります。

ノアの箱舟に乗った八人は洪水という大水の中で救われたことが今私たちが救われるためにバプテスマを受けるという意味の型ー新生のバプテスマのことを言っていると思います。

洗礼を受けなくても天国には行けますが、洗礼は神への誓いを示すものだから、救われていることを表すために水のバプテスマを受ける。

そういう点でなら水のバプテスマかとも思いますが、救われるために受けるバプテスマとして新生のバプテスマを示した型という意味ではないかと思います。

 ーーーーーーー5

ダビデの幕屋も型として書かれています。

神様は、私たちが理解できるように型を示してくださっています。

ダビデの幕屋というのはモーセの幕屋と違って仕切りの幕がありません。

イエス様が十字架に架かったとき、神殿の幕が上から下に裂けました。つまり幕がなくなった状態の型す。

ダビデの幕屋は、天国を示す型、また新約での礼拝の型、新約の幕屋の型が示されています。

しかし、イエス様が来られていないので、まだ完成していません。

それをイエス様によって建て直すということです。

ソロモンの時代に造られた神殿には幕がありました。

ダビデは特別な人であり、ソロモンより前にダビデの幕屋を建てる時に示されていたのです。

普通は預言者と祭司と王は別ですが、ダビデは王であり祭司です。

私たちはもⅠペテロ2:9にあるように王である祭司、だからダビデは新約の形です。

ただ完成していないので型として示されているのです。

当時、異邦人がどんどんパウロの伝道で救われるので、ユダヤ人の使徒たちが会議をしました。その時にイエス様の弟のヤコブがこれらのことが聖書に書いてあると示しました。

「この後、わたしは帰って来て、倒れたダビデの幕屋を建て直す。すなわち、廃墟と化した幕屋を建て直し、それを元どおりにする。」(使徒15:16)

元通りにしていく計画があったということです。

 ーーーーーーー6

ヤコブが最愛の妻ラケルによって得た子ヨセフについてです。

父親の愛情を一身に受けているヨセフは兄弟に妬まれ、奴隷として売られます。

彼は、総理大臣になる、親も兄弟も頭下げるという夢を二回見ていたのですが、ポテパルの奴隷となります。

しかし主人に認められ財産管理を任されるようになるのですが、容姿にも恵まれていたヨセフは主人の妻に言い寄られ、これを断ると逆に襲われたという冤罪を負わされ投獄されてしまいます。しかし、ここでも看守に気に入られ人を管理する仕事を任されていき、彼は能力を身につけていくのです。

どうしてこんな目に会うのだろう、わざわいでない平安であり、将来と希望溢れる人生なのにと思う人がいるかもしれない。

ヨセフはこれで終わりません。彼は訓練され整えられていきます。

モーセが40年をかけて整っていったように、皆さんも訓練された中で整っていくのです。

その後、ヨセフは獄中に一緒に入っていた献酌官の夢を解き明かし、私は冤罪なのであなたが戻ったら王様に口添えして欲しいと頼みますが、献酌官はヨセフをすっかり忘れてしまいます。

彼は人に頼りました。

ヨセフは人に頼ってはいけない、神に頼らなければいけないということをはっきり気付かされて、主よ、あなただけを信じます、頼りますと向き直り、また自分を奴隷に売った兄弟たちを赦す心を持った時に彼は牢から出され、出た途端に総理大臣になったのです。

これも型です。

これは 私たちが必ず勝利する型です。

今トラブルの中にあっても、この型を知っているからこれから必ず良くなる。

初めのころは私も分かっていないから、嘆いて神様に一生懸命涙ながらに祈ったり叫んだりしました。

皆さんも分かってくると問題があっても解決すると言えます。

天地万物、宇宙を造った神が、滅びない神のことばが私たちに言っていること。エレミヤ29:11を信じる時に、心配ありません、主にお任せしますと言えるはずです。

ヨセフは牢獄にあって、主に委ねます。

ペテロは、明日殺されるかもしれない、処刑されるかもしれないという状況の中でも全て委ね、悩みませんでした。

私たちの目には大きな問題であるかもしれないけれど、神にとってそれは容易い問題であると信じる時に、大丈夫だと、恵み、信仰に立つことができる。

型がなされていきます。

 ーーーーーー7

祭壇も型通りに造れと言われています。

「また私たちは考えました。後になって、もし私たち、また私たちの子孫に、そのようなことが言われたとしても、そのとき、私たちはこう言うことができる。「私たちの先祖が造った主の祭壇の型を見よ。これは全焼のいけにえのためでもなく、またほかのいけにえのためでもなく、これは私たちとあなたがたとの間の証拠なのだ。」(ヨシュア記22:28)

型は全焼のいけにえのため、また他のいけにえのためのものでもありません。

この型は、神様と私たちの間の証拠なのだということです。

色々な型を話しました。

これは私たちにとってイエス様を通しての証拠の型だということを知って信仰生活をしていきたいと思います。

私たちは聖書を読む時に、聖書全体がイエス様のことを通して私たちの恵みを表わしていると知ります。

イエス様が神の命令で地上生活をしたことも型です。

私たちがイエス様を信じてイエス様の中に神を持つ者としての型がイエス様です。

神様はそのように型を示し、私たちが勝利の歩みができるようにしてくださっていることを感謝していきたいと思います。

栄光を主にお返しします。イエス様の名前で、アーメン。

恵み深い天のお父様、感謝します。主の大いなる守りと祝福の中でひとりひとりが本当に神の型を聖書の中から知り、天国へ行く型、罪赦される型を、イエス様を通して示されていることを知りました。その型の中で私たちは圧倒的勝利者であり、神が共にいる素晴らしい勝者であることを感謝します。

おひとりおひとりが益々未来を信じ、過去形で信じて受け取るようにしてくださったと信じます。

主イエス・キリストの御恵み、神の愛、聖霊の親しき交わりが豊かにあるように祝福します。

イエス様の名前でアーメン

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川崎聖会 2/7 会場zoom

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Message: Truth and Reality

Kigen Joh
Principal
ERM Bible School

What is the “truth”?
When we proclaim, “I am blessed”, then that will come to pass. Every morning, a sister in Okinawa was proclaiming, “I am blessed! I am loved by God just as God loved Jesus.” She, a single mother, and her daughter were both unemployed, but money came in and a call came from her former place of employment asking her to return to work. In the past, this sister used to say, “I am sinful and unclean”, but today she has become someone who proclaims, “I am blessed”.
“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him (mark 11:23). It says here that we must believe in heart and say it. What we say from our mouths, however, is not only about what we believe, what we doubt also comes out of our mouths.

Let’s take a look at Job who was respectful of God. “This man was blameless and upright; he feared God and shunned evil” (Job 1:1). Job was such a wonderful person as this. Verse 3 says, “He was the greatest man among all the people of the East”. But he had a certain worry. In verse 5 we learn, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.” Job was worrying that his sons might be sinning. And then Job lost his fortune, fire took place, he got sick, and lost his sons and daughters. Why would these things happen to such an upright God fearing person? Job said, “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised” (vs 21). It is so written in the Bible, however, this was not what God had said, but it was said by Job. Job said, “God gives and God takes away”.

Actually, we believe that God is He who gives and gives even more.
Why did such a rich man like Job lose his fortune, get sick, lose his children and become like a beggar? The problem was with Job’s confession.
What I feared has come upon me; what I dreaded has happened to me (Job 3:25). Job was fearful. And what was in his heart had been said by his mouth. Perhaps he was saying something like, “maybe one day I might lose my fortune, or lose my children because they sinned.”

For us, what we speak will come true.
Because Jesus was cursed on our behalf, we are no longer under any curse. Because we all have the curse from the sin of Adam and Eve, Jesus was put on the cross to remove that curse from us. You who believe in this, is not under any curse.

Let us say out loud,
”I am not under any curse. God’s plan is not to harm me but to give me peace, hope and a future. In the name of Jesus”.
When we continue to speak this, it will come to pass just as it has been said.
I may have talked about another sister who had been living on a meager salary from the church. She said to herself, “Since Pastor Joh is always saying he is blessed, why don’t I say it too.”
When she started to speak, “I am blessed”, the blouse she had been wanting was given to her by a church council member, and she started to obtain things at low costs. When she was going overseas at the time fuel charges were escalating, she was told her flight had been changed and for that the fuel charge was being waived. It is important to confess!

Let us look at anther verse regarding confession. “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit” (proverbs 18:20, 21).

Everything about us is decided by what we speak.
Speak what is good. Good things will happen to those who are saying,
”I am blessed!” “I am healed”. If you think and say, “I am sick”, then you are continuing to hold on to that.

Let us look into what it is that we should confess.
As a Christian, if you do not know the difference between the truth and reality, then faith can fluctuate.

A person questioned me, “Pastor Joh, you are always energetic. Do you not get discouraged?” I think this is because I know the difference between “reality” and “truth”.
What we are to confess is not the “reality”.
There are three types of Christians.

First, there are those who are praying but do not understand the heart of God. They do not know if their prayers will be answered or not, but they are praying.
Second, there are those, let us say are sick, for example. Though they are sick in reality, these are the people who by faith are receiving in advance, by praying and proclaiming that they have been healed. All is well as long as they are in belief. However, when the condition prolongs, because their standing position is in the reality, they look at the surroundings, and seeing that they have not been healed thus far, they become discouraged.

I had been suffering from an allergy related nasal condition. I kept saying, “I believe I am healed”, but I was not healing for a long time. It became painful for me to say, “I believe I am healed”, because I was beginning to feel as though I was lying.

Today, I would like for you to leave in knowing the difference between “reality/fact” and “truth”, that which is meant by the Bible. When you come to understand this, you can always be joyful.
I have here a bottled drink.
Who believes there is a bottled drink here?
You do not have to believe that do you? Because it is here, it is a fact that it is here. To believe means believing in something when that something is not in the reality. When asked, whether this bottled drink is the ” truth”, though it is actually here, can I say that is the “truth”? What is the “truth”?

Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).
And before Jesus was put to the cross, He said: “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth (John 18:37). “What is truth?” Pilate asked (vs. 38).
Unless a Christian understands what the “truth” is, he cannot walk the true walk of life.
The “truth” is unchanging.
When this service is over, the remaining water in this bottle will be brought back to Ena in the car. Therefore, the fact that this bottled drink is here now, is not an unchanging matter. Therefore, it is not the truth, but a fact.
The fact that this bottled drink is here is not the truth.
We must be clear about this.
There is a difference between the “truth” and the “fact”.
What is it that we must confess?
We are not to confess our wishes, or, confess the present condition.
For some twenty years, I suffered in confessing, “I am healed”, when I was not healed. This suffering was solved.

First of all, what is the “truth”?
When you come to understand the difference between the “truth” and the “fact”, you will stand in true faith and not waver.
(It is this person who is standing on true faith which is the third type of Christian.)
“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth ( John 17:17).
God’s word is the “truth”.
Do you know how this world had come to be?
The reason why the people of the world do not understand God is because they only accept the “reality”, that which they can see.

As we journey in the way of the Christian life, we should know the realm of the “reality”, and the other realm which is that of the “spiritual”.
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible (Hebrew 11:3)”.
As we walk our Christian lives, we must recognize that there is the world of the “reality” and the world of the invisible (spiritual world).

”What is seen was not made out of what was visible”.
This is the creation of God.
Satan will say, “You say you are healed but you are sniffling. You are not healed yet.” Furthermore, we sin as we carry on in our Christian lives. Then, Satan will say, “You call yourself a Christian? A Pastor?” In “reality or fact”, that is so.
Satan is the ruler of this world. Satan is controlling what is visible.
That is why Satan will direct you to look at the reality.
I suffered in confessing “I am healed” though my nasal inflammation was there. As a Christian, lying will bring on suffering. Satan will also say, “Are you going to lie in saying that you are healed when you are not?”
I want you to understand well what it is that we should be confessing.
Unknowingly, we sometime say out loud the “present state” of things.
We say things like: ”I don’t have money.” “Sickness is prolonging.” “I’m lacking ability.”

Now let us see what Satan is like. Satan is the ruler of this world.
He is the controller of the visible world that this is.
The devil gives the riches of this world to those he picks.
“You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Satan is not standing on the “truth”.
Furthermore, he is not standing on the “Word”.

Let us look once again at Hebrew 11:3,
“By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible.”
This world was made by the Word of God.
”What was not visible” is meant as God’s Word.
All things were made by the Word of God.
Satan may talk about “reality”. But that is not the “truth”.
”God’s Word” is the “truth”.

In leading a Christian life, one will become discouraged as long as he is wondering if he can do something or not, if he posses such faith or not.
However, when you believe in God, in Jesus, and take the position that what God is saying is exactly about you, then your thinking pattern will begin to change.

“By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). In the Bible it is written so in the past tense. Therefore, we pray,“I have been healed.”
For two month, I was inconvenienced by the fact that I had double vision from my left eye. At that time I kept saying, “I believe my eye has been healed.” The following day I would say, “I believe I am healed.” After a month, I was saying, “I believe I am healed.” When I looked into the mirror I was seeing four eyes. Satan will say, “you are not healed, look at the reality.” For two month I continued to say, “I believe I am healed, and I was healed. Reality changes by the “Word of God, the truth”.

If we hold on tightly to the “truth, that which is unchanging”, then we can bring that into this world. However, for those who do not hold on tightly, that will not happen. To believe means not to recognize the “reality” of not being healed. I have talked about my wife before.
She was semi-paralyzed due to cerebral infarction.
“In the name of Jesus, left hand move!” Still no movement. But I don’t quit. The devil says, “It’s not going to move, it is impossible.” He attacks with “reality, the fact”. However, the “truth” is the “Word of God”.
1 Peter 2:24: “By his wounds you have been healed”. This is the “truth”.
Next day I said, “In the name of Jesus, hold my finger!” Then she held my finger. She recovered, and a month later she was released from the hospital.
What would have happened if my wife’s hand did not move the second day?
I would have continued speaking, “In the name of Jesus, left hand move!”
Is there anyone sick at this time? Perhaps in reality there is that sickness.
However, we must know what to confess. It is the Word of God that we shall confess. The Word of God is the” truth and it is unchanging”.
When we believe in that which is invisible and “unchanging”, “reality” will change. This is the nature of our faith.
If the Word of God says we are “healed”, then we are healed.
That is the “truth”.

A sister in Okinawa is confessing, “I am blessed!”
She has no husband, the daughters have no work, and she herself had no work in recent times. In such midst, by confessing the “truth” in proclaiming, “I am blessed!”, the “reality” begins to change. She received, 500,000 yen, 1,000, 000 yen, and I was told she was also given work.
That is because the Bible says, “ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future (Jeremiah 29:11).
When we continue to mouth, “that is mine”, then that begins to take place.

Let us proclaim again today:
”I am blessed in the highest!
“I am loved by God in the highest!”
“I am more than a conqueror.”
“I have decided to forgive all people and love all people!”.
“In the name of Jesus. Amen.”

Satan is a liar (John 8:44). What is a lie? Here is a bottled drink. This is “reality”. This can become a lie. What is it compared to that this becomes a lie? When that is compared against the “truth”. Perhaps you are sick at this time. Perhaps you are troubled financially. Perhaps you are amidst problems.
But looked at from the standpoint of the “truth” which is the Bible, those are “lies”. Satan is not standing on the “truth”. You may be suffering from illness. And Satan will say, “in fact that is so”. However, Jesus was put on the cross and had taken the curse of your illness upon himself, therefore, that curse does not belong to you. What is there is a “lie.” Anyone who understands this and proclaims, “I believe I have been healed in Jesus”, for him the “reality” will change no matter how many years he has been sick.
For 25 years, Abraham kept believing in being given a child. Why was he able to continue believing for such a long time? It is because he was not looking at the “reality”. “The child is not born yet, maybe it is not possible.”
Not Abraham. He was standing on the “truth”. Abraham did not waver because he was standing on the Word of God, the truth, that said, “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky, like the dust of the earth” (Genesis 12~).

Those who have problems now, please say, “This present condition that I am in is not right!” It is not right for me to remain in sickness. It is not right for me to remain in poverty. It is not right for me to be without work. We must speak these. Blessings will come when we believe so. When we believe, those blessings will come. Galatians 3:13, 14: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree. He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.”
Those who proclaim, “I am blessed”, who are standing on the Word that is the truth, do not waver. Those who are standing on “reality”, and speaking with the feeling of, “I wish if it would turn out this way”, when answers to prayers are prolonged, they relent to saying, “perhaps it is not possible.”

Today, I would like for you to remember that what we are proclaiming is not our wishes, but the “truth of the Word”. I suffered in not knowing the difference between the “truth” and “reality.” The Word is unchanging. We shall stand on the “truth”, on the “Word.” Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away (Mark 13:31). We shall be free when we know the “truth”!

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:31, 32).

Many do not understand the truth. They only understand what is visible. But the“truth”is in the invisible.

Person with cancer gets healed, and like in Pastor Gwajima’s ministry, the deceased come back to life. Because there is belief in the Word of truth that says to raise the dead, such a phenomenon is taking place. Furthermore, if you will abide in the truth, you will truly become disciples of Jesus. Jesus is saying He has taken the place of your sickness. If you will believe that then you are His disciple, and just as He says will surely come to pass though we do not know when.

And when you come to know the truth, you will be free.
In the unseen, there are many “truths”.

For example, is there someone who is in financial difficulty? In the spiritual realm, there is the truth that says you shall not be troubled (Ephesians 1:3).
We are not to look at the world of “reality”. The Word is the “truth”.
Therefore, we shall stand on the Word. That is our standing position.

Jesus became poor for our sake.
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Therefore, in Christ we are rich.
Therefore, we will continuously proclaim, “I am rich”.

Because we proclaim this “truth”, reality changes.
Like Job, should we say something other than what the Word says, then we happen to invite that on. We are not to be speaking the symptoms of the reality. The doctor may speak of worse symptom. He may say something fearful that may cause anxiety. We, however, will not be that way. For God has given to us a plan that is, “not of anxiety but of peace, future and hope”, which is God’s Word. Therefore, my life is rich in hope!

Those who believed that sickness has been healed knows that in the spiritual realm this has already been accomplished, therefore, he does not dwell everyday on whether he has been healed or not, but instead, he thinks about how he will exist in the reality until healing comes. He knows he is going to be healed, therefore, he can think about what he will do when he is healed. In the meanwhile, he is positive, perhaps thinking about obtaining qualifications to find work, etc.
I will confess of the “truth”.
The Devil will look at me and say, “Is your attitude appropriate for a pastor? And you call yourself a Christian?”

What is the Bible saying to us about the “truth”?
“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,” (Romans 8:1). You are not condemned to sin.
This is the “truth”. God’s Word says you are definitely not condemned, but you are condemning yourself to sin. That is because you are looking at “reality/fact”.

Should we sin, then let us pray, “Father in heaven, I have sinned. I have done what is wrong but please forgive me now, for on the cross, Jesus has paid for all my sins until I go to heaven. I believe I have been forgiven, and I give thanks unto you.” And then we shall proclaim the Word of the truth.
As we look into the Bible, we are being the person that is even unimaginable to ourselves.

Japan’s revival will take place from now, but what is said of the kind of people God will use? He will use those who are without worldly wisdom, power or knowledge, the ordinary, marginalized and many kinds of people.
If someone is not able to believe that, then that is when he is looking at the “reality” of his ability, thinking that he will not be used.

Paul had wisdom. He was distinguished. Then, why was he of wisdom used by God? It is because he said, the wisdom and ability he held were “rubbish”.
“What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ”, (Philippians 3:8).
He did not say he was of excellence, far superior to others, and that surely he ought to be used. Rather, he said he has nothing.

You may say, “I have nothing”. But if you begin to speak the “Word of truth” and say, “I who have nothing is quite awesome in Christ”, then you will change.
Do not look at yourself which is in the“reality/fact”.
It is a fact that I am not smart. I am lazy and I am weak.
However, in the “truth”, I am more than conquerors. “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us”, (Romans 8:37). When we confess that, then that which we confess will begin to take place.

We shall not look at the “reality”.
The “reality”, when compared with the “truth” could be a lie.
What is real is the ”truth”.

“But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation”, (Colossians 1:22).
Reconciliation has already taken place through Jesus.
Therefore, we are holy, without blemish, free from accusations. We shall confess this every day.
For when we do so, the “reality” of being holy, without blemish, free from accusations, will come to pass.

Let us proclaim, “I am holy. I am without blemish. I am free from accusations. That is me! That is the “truth”! I am successful. I have been healed! I have no reason to be sick.”
When we are speaking the “truth” in this way, then if sickness is there, it will change to healing, and change for blessings will come to be. We must know the difference between “truth” and “reality”, and speak not the facts, but the “truth”.

I will close with a prayer.
“Merciful heavenly Father, we give you thanks. And we return all glory unto you.
That though in reality each person is not yet able to see who he really is, I give you thanks because he will know the realm of the truth, and when he proclaims the Word, he will come to know who he really is.

I give thanks because when we say what you had said, when we say the Word of God, as the visible evolves out of the invisible, our true selves, the selves of the truth will become the reality..

Though someone might be sick at this time, the truth of 1 Peter 2:24 that says, “by his wounds you have been healed”, will heal him, restore his health, make him able to work, and give him a life of future and hope. Therefore, I give thanks.
Though some might be thinking, “I am not capable”, “I don’t have the ability”, I give thanks that these people will become as so in declaring the Word of truth that says in Philippians 4:13, “ I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”

In the name of Jesus we will continue to speak the truth no matter what circumstances or situations we may be in.
We are not speaking lies. But the lies called “reality” will begin to change.
In the name of Jesus I give thanks.
Amen.”

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