Sunday, February 26, 2012

Bring down the walls in our lives. 私たちの生活における壁を壊しなさい


#14 Joshua 2:8-15 
   Things surround us that bring on fear.  A conversation with your doctor and he tells you that your spouse has Cancer.  Fear grips you heart upon hearing that “C” word.  At the end of the week, you receive an envelope with a pink slip in it: your job has been terminated.  Thinking of the home you are still paying for, fear spreads over your mind. You get a phone call from the police department: your son/daughter who has been late in returning home is in jail with a DWI, plus there was an accident. Fear. You are taking that well deserved vacation on the cruise ship and there is a dull thud sound and the ship starts to list to the port… And it does not even need to be situations like that, which would merit some fear or discomfort. There are also the imaginations of the mind.  2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.  知識に逆らあらゆる高慢を打ち倒しあらゆる思惑をとりこにしてキリストに従わせ
But, instead, we let our minds go free and it goes places that will hurt us. We need to give our thought--our day dreams, etc, to the Lord.  To bring every thought and word into captivity is a strong case for a holy life.

   "There is some doom coming upon me…I can feel it! It is going to crush me"—and then someone touches your arm and you become unglued.  There might be fear of the dark. In fact, there is a list of phobia that number 542 clinical names for the fears people have. From the fear of washing- to fear of chickens- to a deep fear of the color yellow. These all are very real to the people who have them. 

   It was once said by that social character Dave Barry: "All of us are born with a set of instinctive fears--of falling, of the dark, of lobsters, of falling on lobsters in the dark, or speaking before a Rotary Club, and of the words "Some Assembly Required." いくつか組み立てる必要があります。
Or a German Proverb "Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is." 「恐怖は狼を実際より大きく見せる」

  The people who lived in and around Jericho had a real fear of the Jewish Nation-called JUDEOPHOBIA.  That and the fear of being killed or SOCIALPHOBIA or athazagoraphobia.  And they had every right to be afraid. 

   Listen to what Rahab was saying.  2:9-13. 9 “I know the LORD has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 10 For we have heard how the LORD made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed. 11 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the LORD your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.
 12 “Now swear to me by the LORD that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee that 13 when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.”   They knew the stories that were over 40 years old.  They were real and they brought tremendous fear to their hearts.  Everyone in the land is living in terror. 

   You know the story, don’t you?  The spies got away after giving her a promise they would not hurt her or her family if they stayed in her house during the attack.  She did and they did and when the war for Jericho was over, Rahab was invited to be part of the tribe and later married into the Hebrew nation and from her offspring would be King David and still way later, Jesus, Himself.  Not living in terror anymore but being part of the Footprints of God! Oh, that we could see things from His perspective! 

   But when it comes to our own lives, what do we do with those walls of doubt that get built up around our lives?  The walls of fear? Of uncertainty? The stories of terror that we imagine that become reality in our lives?  That is why the 2 Cor verse can be so helpful. We all have these walls and I hope we will be able to identify them, learn from the Bible how to deal with them and move on, to the Promise land like was promised the Hebrew people.

   Now, to identify one of these walls.  One of the walls that need to fall down from around us is the wall of depression.  (絶望の壁)
   It is estimated that well over 19 million US adults today are living with major depression. Depression runs from a simple sadness (a state of unhappiness) to being a psychiatric disorder (deeper unhappiness that leads to hopelessness and dejection, poor concentration, lack of energy, inability to sleep and sometimes, suicidal tendencies). It may come on us slowly, sometimes way under the surface and it is completely unaware of by the host. 

   Since March 11, depression is seen almost everywhere here in Japan.  Not only for those individuals who were physically effected but also the many who were not.  Some took on the fear.  Some felt guilty because they survived or that they were not displaced.  And these feelings are very real.  The Gospel speaks to those situations.

   We can go to certain web sites that could help us but it many times we might need professional care to really aid in becoming healthy again.  Being depressed is not the end of the road.  You are not washed up and useless.  It is, or can be, a situation you are in for a time period.
   Or if you are interested in learning more about depression, maybe the site: www.medicinenet.com/depression/article.htm would help to learn about this wall in men, women, teenagers and children.   Plus, you can read about treatment, medications, side effects and diagnosis.

   Of course, it is wise not to self medicate yourself for this problem otherwise it could really get out of hand and cause more harm than good.
   But, then again, it could also be a spiritual problem and places like Mayo Clinic will not help you in ways you need to be helped. In such cases, let us consider some verses from God’s Word—as His Word touches us and heals us with His Truth.

  1. Identify the wall: 壁を認めよWe can find deliverance from this depression as we look to Him to deliver us from ALL of our problems.  The reality is that He does heal.  And if you continue in the illness, that does not mean you lack Faith…not at all. What I mean is you are to carry this and to carry this with and in His Power.  Look to Psalm 34:17. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; He delivers them from all their troubles. 主は悪を行者に御顔を向け/そ記念を地上から絶たれる

2. We need to overcome and deal with the depression. 壁を乗り越え対処しなさい
We can also overcome these walls by a little role-play called “Self-Talk”.  These are the words you say under your breath or in your head when you face a hard situation.  Sometimes these words said to yourself are harmful. “Well, that was stupid!  What were you thinking? You always do that!”   
   Another way to deal with this self-talk is called “Thought Control” 思いをコントロールas is found in Phil 4:8. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.  ピリピ 4:8終わりに兄弟たちすべて真実なことすべて気高いことすべて正しいことすべて清いことすべて愛すべきことすべて名誉なことをまた徳や称賛に値することがあればそれを心に留めなさい

   This is us, realizing as the Hebrew nation realized—every once in a while—their God was on their side! 

   Fear not: Isa 41:10. イザヤ41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. 恐れることはないわたしはあなたと共にいる神たじろぐなわたしはあなた勢いを与えてあなたを助け/わたし救い手であなたを支える
   Our need to cast all our cares on Him: 1 Peter 5:7. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.  第1ペテロ 5:7思い煩いは何もかも神にお任せしなさい神があなたがたことを心にかけていてくださるからです
   The long haul is possible! Luke 18:1. ルカ18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  イエスは気を落とさずに絶えず祈らなければならないことを教えるために弟子たちにたとえを話された
   Our source is the Lord God, Himself, as we read in Romans 15:13. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. ローマ 15:13希望源である神が信仰によって得られるあらゆる喜びと平和とであなたがたを満たし聖霊力によって希望に満ちあふれさせてくださるよ

3. We need to identify how we can find encouragement from the Lord as these walls come up in our Walk of Faith. あなたの生活における壁の中から勇気を見つけ探しなさい

    There is a check-list that we looked at over one year ago we might want to revisit. It is found in 1 Thess 5:11-23. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 12 Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. 13 Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. 11ですから、あなたがたは、現にそうしているように、励まし合い、お互いの向上に心がけなさい。12兄弟たち、あなたがたにお願いします。あなたがたの間で労苦し、主に結ばれた者として導き戒めている人々を重んじ、13また、そのように働いてくれるのですから、愛をもって心から尊敬しなさい。互いに平和に過ごしなさい。14 And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. 15 Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. 16 Be joyful always; 17 pray continually; 18 give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus14兄弟たち、あなたがたに勧めます。怠けている者たちを戒めなさい。気落ちしている者たちを励ましなさい。弱い者たちを助けなさい。すべての人に対して忍耐強く接しなさい。15だれも、悪をもって悪に報いることのないように気をつけなさい。お互いの間でも、すべての人に対しても、いつも善を行うよう努めなさい。16いつも喜んでいなさい。17絶えず祈りなさい。18どんなことにも感謝しなさい。これこそ、キリスト・イエスにおいて、神があなたがたに望んでおられることです。
19 Do not put out the Spirit’s fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything. Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil23 May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 19の火を消してはいけません。20預言を軽んじてはいけません。21すべてを吟味して、良いものを大事にしなさい。22あらゆる悪いものから遠ざかりなさい。23どうか、平和の神御自身が、あなたがたを全く聖なる者としてくださいますように。また、あなたがたの霊も魂も体も何一つ欠けたところのないものとして守り、わたしたちの主イエス・キリストの来られるとき、非のうちどころのないものとしてくださいますように。


Next week, The Battle: GI JOSH