| Who do you compare yourself to in the Bible? |
| Probably Paul. Like him, I was brought up in a religious environment, and
my gifting is similar to his. |
| When do you pray? |
| Every morning, as well as speaking to God many times through the day. I have a strong awareness that He's listening, so I speak to Him without hesitation. |
| Do you think you are a giver or a receiver? |
| I like to give, but it would be impossible for me to give to the degree
that I have been given to! |
| If you weren't a pastor, what would you be doing? |
What indeed? I have a varied work history, and I have enjoyed a number
of occupations. However, I can't help sharing the good news of Jesus Christ,
so I guess I would be evangelizing, whatever my title.
|
| Which do you prefer on a pastor who is performing a wedding, a formal clerical
gown or a simple clerical collar? |
| I'm not too fond of being too fancy, but there are couples who want that. |
| Do you sometimes find it hard to forgive people? |
| I tend to forgive pretty easily by nature, but occasionally it's not quite
so easy. |
| What Scripture passages encourage you the most? |
| What a question! There are so many passages I love that it puts me in a
real bind, but what came to mind is Psalm 27:8. |
| Has your favorite Scripture passage changed as you have gotten older? |
| Increased is a better word than changed. The more I know the Bible, the more I love it. |
| Who is your favorite Christian singer, song? |
| I don't pay that much attention to singers, but I find Makoto Iwabuchi's
songs resonate with me. There are hundreds of Christian songs I love, but
I am particularly fond of Mr. Iwabuchi's "Spirit, Flow From the Throne." |
| What is your favorite religious picture? |
| I'm not big on religious art, but I have a print of "Jesus Laughing"
hanging on my wall. |
| What are you asking God for the most? |
| That the veil of darkness would be taken from Japan and the Japanese people believe freely in Jesus Christ. |
What do you think is important for a Christian?
|
| To give all you know of yourself to all you know of Christ. That is, to
love God and love your neighbor. |
| What's the first thing you want to do when you get to heaven? |
| To see Jesus and thank Him. |
| Who is Jesus to you? |
My Savior, my God, my Big Brother, my example, my all..
|
| What do you feel is good about having become a Christian? |
| Peace, joy, hope I don't think I could live if I weren't a Christian. |
| How were you baptized in the Holy Spirit? |
| I had sought the baptism for several months, but I had always heard that
"Tongues are the sign of the baptism," and I seemed unable to
receive. Then a friend told me, "Don't set conditions on God! Believe
His promise, ask, and then thank Him that you have received." I tried
that and didn't feel a thing, but then two days later I suddenly realized
that for the first time in my life I was, on my own initiative, speaking
to a total stranger about Jesus, and I received assurance that God had
done as He had promised. (I experienced tongues and other spiritual gifts
later.) |
| Are there times when it is hard or unpleasant to follow God? |
| "Unpleasant" is going a bit far. Sometimes it's not easy, but I can always get through when I trust God's love. |
| To this point, when is a time when you needed God the most? |
| There's a difference between "needing God" and "feeling
a need for God." Probably the most dangerous (needing God) time for
me is when I'm conceited and proud. |
| How have you overcome difficult times in your life? |
| I was raised to trust God. Words can't express what a wonderful blessing
that is. I've heard the devil whisper, "Throw away your faith,"
but even when the way ahead has seemed pitch black, all I can think of
is "I've got to trust God." |
| Tell of a memorable experience you have had with God. |
One time when I was praying fervently, "O Lord, speak to me," He spoke to me clearly, "Well then, shut up!" (God has a sense of humor!) Another time, I wasn't consciously praying, but I was complaining about a number of things in my heart. Just as I was thinking, "There are so many things I wish were different," God spoke to me very clearly, "How do you think I feel?"
|
| How would you encourage someone who is suffering? |
| In addition to praying for God's healing, comfort, and strength for them,
I would remind them of what God told Paul: "My grace is all you need."
When we have Christ, we can endure anything. |
| Some think a glass of beer is good for your health. Should Christians drink
beer? |
| Nowhere in the Bible does it say, "Don't drink." However, it
does say "Don't get drunk," and it also says "If it causes
my brother to stumble, I will never (whatever) again." Ultimately,
this is a matter between the individual believer and God. |
| Once you become a Christian, can you (are you allowed to) do bad things? |
| It's possible, but it's not beneficial, is it? The more you understand God's love, the more you want to please Him in response to that love. A fuller answer can be found in Romans 6. |
| When one hears "you can't serve God and mammon," it seems like
life would be spent in poverty and not much fun. What do you think? |
| No way! From my experience, those who serve mammon (money) are never satisfied,
are unsettled, and have no real inner peace. Those who serve God, on the
other hand, have their needs met, their hearts are light, and they can
really enjoy life. I have a non-Christian friend who sometimes brings people
to meet me, saying, "I want them to meet someone who really enjoys
life." |
| My family is Buddhist. I must go to the graves and take part in religious
activities with my family. What do you think about this? |
| This is indeed a big problem for Christians. It is good to show respect
for your ancestors, but we are not to worship anything besides God. There's
no problem to doing clean-up around the grave, but you need to avoid burning
incense. You'll need to explain your position to your family, which, though
difficult, is quite an opportunity to witness. You can tell them your feelings
about death, and the hope that you have in Christ. |
| Do you feel that Japanese have a unique religious sense? |
| Even though religion pervades Japan, the individual Japanese has no personal faith. Accordingly, there is the proverb that "Even a sardine's head is a valid object of worship." It is unusual to find a Japanese who will put their life on the line for their faith. During WWII, Japanese didn't die for their faith so much as out of obligation and a sense of duty to be faithful. When Japanese are filled with the Holy Spirit, they burn with faith as brightly as anyone. |
| What do you think of other religions? |
| This is very politically incorrect, but other religions are lies. Buddhism
has some great philosophy in it, but three different Buddhist priests,
on separate occasions, acknowledged to me that "There is no salvation
in Buddhism." I want to share the good news of the true God with people
who are trapped by other religions. |
| Do you hope that people of other religions would come to this church? |
| Of course! Welcome, from darkness into the light! |
| What is your hobby? |
| There are so many things I like to do, it's hard to say what's a hobby. Sometimes, even when I am enjoying the work I am doing, doing some other work I like is a change of pace and could be called a hobby. Some kinds of work I have done and enjoyed are: camera repair; photography; electrical wiring; carpentry; computers; etc. etc. |
| If you had a week (a month) vacation, how would you like to use it? |
| I think I'd like to go somewhere with my wife to a natural setting, read
and take pictures. |
| What do you do when you've got to have a change of pace (when you're feeling
down)? |
| What I do most often is play card games on the computer, but that's a real
waste of time. |
Right now, what do you want the most?
|
| If you're talking about "things," a notebook computer would be nice. If I'm not limited to that, I want the Holy Spirit to be poured out on Japan. |
| What season do you like best? |
Each season has its good points, but winter without snow and summer without swimming in the sea are a bit pathetic.
|
| Where in Omura do you like best? |
| My own church, house. |
| To this point, what is the worst injury you have had? |
| If you're talking about broken bones, I once fell and cracked two ribs, then two days later I sneezed so hard I broke them. If your talking about wounds, I was cutting a small plum branch with a chainsaw and it whipped around and struck my left hand, requiring 16 stitches to repair. |
| Do you like Japanese food? |
| Of course! |
| Do you eat natto (fermented soy beans)? |
| I can eat them, but I don't care to. |
| What will you NOT eat, and why? |
| There are a few things I don't care for, but I don't think there's anything I simply won't eat. |
| Why don't you drink coffee? |
| I do drink it! However, I prefer iced tea with lemon. |
| What are you particularly good at? |
I can do a lot of things, but probably "words" would come out
as number one.
|
| Other than church, what volunteer work do you do? |
Sometimes I repair people's computers, and sometimes I do house wiring for people.
|
| What are the top 5 worries of a foreign pastor and his wife? |
| (1)Communication(2)Discrimination(3)Closed society (island mentality)(4)Distance/transportation
cost in relation to family(5)Communication |
When do you feel happiest?
|
| When I'm fellowshipping deeply with God. |
| When did you start praying about marriage? |
| When I got married I wasn't praying much. It was totally grace! |
| Why did you choose your spouse? |
| We could really talk together, and I felt our hearts connected. |
| How did you propose? |
The first time it was, "I might as well make this official. Will you
marry me?" (this was over the telephone). A few days later, when she
said, "Ask me again," I said, "Will you marry me?"
|
You've been married over 36 years. Are you still in love?
|
Without question.
|
| How do you express thanks to each other? |
By words and actions. I say clearly, "Thank you," and I also
use many other expressions.
|
| What do you like best of what Cathy cooks? |
| That's hard! Cathy is an excellent cook, so it's hard to choose. A personal
favorite is Japanese pork stew. |
| How do you make up after you've fought? |
| In 36 years we've hardly ever fought, so this is hard to answer. When we've
had a disagreement, we tend to apologize for having upset the other, and
then express love. |
| With your 2 daughters and your other family members living so far away,
don't you feel lonely without them? |
| I would be happy if they were closer, but having been brought up in a missionary family, I tend to take it as a matter of course, I think. |
| What words would you leave with your family if you were to die first? |
Thinking of my father's example, this is a really heavy question. Before his final surgery, my father wrote two letters to the family. One was practical matters (embalming vs. cremation, cemetery, etc.) and the other was more personal. The content of those letters still reverberates in me. One thing he said was, "My highest prayer for each of you is that you will live in the very center of God's perfect will. His will for you individually will fit in perfectly with His will for everyone else on earth."
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