The World for Christ

A friend I love deeply shared with me a quote. A missionary to Japan had written on the first page of his Bible. It read:

" I for Japan

Japan for the world

The world for Christ

and All for God."

- Ganzo Uzimura -

My friend then compared the passion Uzimura had for Japan to the affection I have for my country. While I might seem to have a particular heart for the souls of my French compatriots, I cannot say that my heart for them is any stronger than for the Saoudi Arabs or the Berber or any other people group on the face of this earth. Only, by daily living among a people, the heart grows fond and cries out for a nation that is stubbornly refusing to drink water though dying in the desert of unbelief.

May we have a heart for our nations, but may we also have a global passion to see God worshiped among every people group. The greatest expression of love for a people group is not water, medicine, roads or food. If we give all these, but fail to show them the surpassing value of Christ, we have hardly begun to show them love. To love is to tell of God's grace and Jesus' love on the cross of Calvary.

Doctrine As A Reminder Of The Truth Of The Gospel

I just got off Skype with a friend in Japan. It is so encouraging to speak with other people that know God and love Jesus. If you are in an environment without any other people who love and follow the God of the Bible, the great danger is to dry up and go stale. You can be overwhelmed with doubts of various kinds. Indeed, everything and everyone around you seems to prove and think that you are out of your mind. The God of the Bible is a great and glorious God and this concept of such a greatness doesn't pass along well with mankind. Even among believers, we struggle to worship God in spirit and truth, and tend to come to Him on our own terms.

But what Akira said that was so encouraging was doctrine. As we were closing our conversation and were praying for each other, he thanked God again for His grace in the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus. I felt deep tearful joy at those words. That's it! I know what God saved me from. I know the change affected in my life when I met Jesus and realized that I was a rebellious hater of God, but that He wanted me to become His child. I've heard the stories and seen the changed lives in hundreds of people from hundreds of different countries. Who dares to say that this God is just a figment of an overactive imagination? God IS! He's a great and loving and absolutely awe-inspiring God and would want nothing less than life in relationship with Him.