Right? I too am experiencing a spiritual revival. Since November, I have not only been exercising, losing weight, and making lifestyle changes, but I also started seeking God so much more in my life. God then burdened my heart to pray for that one girl whom I was close to but never got serious with, the one from Ireland who never did me wrong. It inspired me to go back and read the journals I had written during those days to relive those memories of college and the times I spent with her, and in doing so I reconnected with the younger version of myself who was far more connected with God than I have been in too many long years. It's like that version of myself in my 20s has been teaching me, now double that age, what it is like to truly trust God's plan for my life when I have all but given up on seeking that over the years. So I took the chance to reach out to her, and it was her father who contacted me. He confirmed that she truly is in trouble, having endured trauma and abuse which drove her away from God years ago and is now married to a militant atheist. I now remain in contact with her father, but 3 out of 5 of his children have turned away from God.
But for me, living here in Japan, I am rededicating myself in my faith and am being proactive in studying the Bible with my family. My wife's faith has waned over the years as well, but she definitely knows that we are in a spiritual battle not only in our private lives but on a world-wide level with these doom shots. I'm not adequate to really minister, but we now do "pajama church" on Sundays in which we lay in bed and read the bible together, in English and in Japanese. And last month in both my children's and adult English classes, I took the opportunity of Christmas to share the message of Jesus to students, which I shied away from many years ago. I had one adult student who is an elderly man bring his Bible to the evening class and share his favorite verses with me. He said that he admires the message of the Bible far more than Buddhism and least of all Shinto. You see, the most genuine Christians I have ever encountered have been here in Japan, but they are so few and far between. MacArthur said to send missionaries after the war, but American clergy were still to bitter to do so. The skyline of a city in Korea is sprinkled with so many crosses atop of churches, but not here in nearby Japan. I wish this was not so.
I don't know what this country will be like in 5 years from now. People keep getting these doom shots, then complaining about "testing positive." I tell them that my family and I have not been vaccinated at all and we've been healthy for this past 3 years. I did catch something in October that gave me a fever and scrambled my brain a bit, and my sense of taste and smell was weird for a couple of days, but nobody could tell I was sick. After that, in November, both my body and spirit were ascended, and I spend more time in the evenings praying while exercising rather than focusing on hobbies.
I pray for revival, for my dear cousins, the lovely girl whose family wanted me to marry (and Satan has attacked me with guilt for not marrying her, with the idea that I could have saved her from the abuse and trauma that has sunk her soul into darkness), even the one who betrayed me. Because I am witness to their sincerity in their love of God back then, 26 years ago. I pray that God will reveal Himself to them and rescue them from the sin that has been layered on them through poor decisions. Apart from my family though, and a couple of Christian friends I talk with on the internet, and of course my frens here on this forum, I'm just in spiritual isolation. The "coworkers" of mine (whom I rarely see) are mostly libtards, and two are vehement anti-Christian bigots. I pray for revival.
I'll spend some time with those verses you shared with me today and in prayer. Thank you and God bless.
Right? I too am experiencing a spiritual revival. Since November, I have not only been exercising, losing weight, and making lifestyle changes, but I also started seeking God so much more in my life. God then burdened my heart to pray for that one girl whom I was close to but never got serious with, the one from Ireland who never did me wrong. It inspired me to go back and read the journals I had written during those days to relive those memories of college and the times I spent with her, and in doing so I reconnected with the younger version of myself who was far more connected with God than I have been in too many long years. It's like that version of myself in my 20s has been teaching me, now double that age, what it is like to truly trust God's plan for my life when I have all but given up on seeking that over the years. So I took the chance to reach out to her, and it was her father who contacted me. He confirmed that she truly is in trouble, having endured trauma and abuse which drove her away from God years ago and is now married to a militant atheist. I now remain in contact with her father, but 3 out of 5 of his children have turned away from God.
But for me, living here in Japan, I am rededicating myself in my faith and am being proactive in studying the Bible with my family. My wife's faith has waned over the years as well, but she definitely knows that we are in a spiritual battle not only in our private lives but on a world-wide level with these doom shots. I'm not adequate to really minister, but we now do "pajama church" on Sundays in which we lay in bed and read the bible together, in English and in Japanese. And last month in both my children's and adult English classes, I took the opportunity of Christmas to share the message of Jesus to students, which I shied away from many years ago. I had one adult student who is an elderly man bring his Bible to the evening class and share his favorite verses with me. He said that he admires the message of the Bible far more than Buddhism and least of all Shinto. You see, the most genuine Christians I have ever encountered have been here in Japan, but they are so few and far between. MacArthur said to send missionaries after the war, but American clergy were still to bitter to do so. The skyline of a city in Korea is sprinkled with so many crosses atop of churches, but not here in nearby Japan. I wish this was not so.
I don't know what this country will be like in 5 years from now. People keep getting these doom shots, then complaining about "testing positive." I tell them that my family and I have not been vaccinated at all and we've been healthy for this past 3 years. I did catch something in October that gave me a fever and scrambled my brain a bit, and my sense of taste and smell was weird for a couple of days, but nobody could tell I was sick. After that, in November, both my body and spirit were ascended, and I spend more time in the evenings praying while exercising rather than focusing on hobbies.
I pray for revival, for my dear cousins, the lovely girl whose family wanted me to marry (and Satan has attacked me with guilt for not marrying her, with the idea that I could have saved her from the abuse and trauma that has sunk her soul into darkness), even the one who betrayed me. Because I am witness to their sincerity in their love of God back then, 26 years ago. I pray that God will reveal Himself to them and rescue them from the sin that has been layered on them through poor decisions. Apart from my family though, and a couple of Christian friends I talk with on the internet, and of course my frens here on this forum, I'm just in spiritual isolation. The "coworkers" of mine (whom I rarely see) are mostly libtards, and two are vehement anti-Christian bigots. I pray for revival.
I'll spend some time with those verses you shared with me today and in prayer. Thank you and God bless.