People Before Us!

I have been in a Sunday School class while in the LA area. We have been studying the great book of Hebrews. Chapter 11 is the focus during the last few weeks.

Heb 11:39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.
12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

While there are many names in the beginning of the chapter that we all know and remember, the second half of the chapter deals with the un-named Saints of the Faith. Both groups were set apart for us to be examples of what it means to walk the Walk of Faith. The problem and the great truth of this walk is that we may NEVER see the answer. Never! We might die not seeing the object of our Faith and dreams.



And that is OK with me.


While we have the Bible as our guide and the history of these great people of Faith, those men and women had only a promise that was given to them--by faith. And they never saw the results of their heart's desire. NEVER!

They died in the wilderness, they were killed with the sword, they were spared from being eaten by lions, yet they did not give up.

Makes me want to cry for them. Makes me rather angry at myself as well. Why is it so hard to get an answer? Why is the Walk so hard and filled with pain and disappointments?

In short, (it had been promised that way) "God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." My holding on to the promises of God will help them--back there--and the ones yet to come--to experience the reality of our Faith, namely Christ Jesus.

E.M. Bounds wrote a while ago: "The possibilities of prayer are the possibilities of faith. Prayer and faith are Siamese twins. One heart animates them both. Faith is always praying. Prayer is always believing."

Let's press on and keep praying with faith in the One who is completely Faithful.

Pray for Latin America and the Caribbean!

Blow the Trumpet!
A Call for Repentance and Prayer

Joel 2

Dear Friends of ICCS!

Our focus this week is on Latin America and the Caribbean. During the 20th Century, the Americas proved to be the most dynamic Christian continent. Especially in Latin America the growth of the Evangelicals in the 20th century has been spectacular. However there are certain “hot spots” that needs urgent prayer.

The moral devastation caused by drug trafficking is corrupting all spheres of life and destroying the lives of millions of people.

The unresolved issue of widespread poverty which was caused by economic progress that failed to filter down to the poor. Marxist guerrilla insurrections once plagued many countries but since 1990 these have reduced in number. This still leaved many democratic governments fragile and economies struggling in many countries.

• · Centuries of wrongs against the indigenous peoples have caused civil wars where protest and revolt came from the repressed e.g. Guatemala and Peru.

(Operation World – 21st Century Edition)

Let us join as the Body of Christ worldwide as we pray for the people of this diverse continent.
Visit these links for more prayer information:
24-7 prayer/Operation World
Window International Network
http://www.persecution.com/
http://sb.od.org/index.php?supp_lang=en

We give thanks to the Lord for 162 nations registered officially for the Global Day of Prayer on 23 May 2010. To see whether your country, region or city is registered please visit: http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/countries.html

The following nations in Latin America and the Caribbean have NOT registered officially :

The Falkland Islands
French Guyana
Nicaragua
Panama
Antigua & Barbuda
Barbados
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Haiti
Martinique
Netherlands Antilles
Puerto Rico
St Lucia
Virgin Islands of the USA

Register by contacting info@globaldayofprayer.com or register online at http://www.globaldayofprayer.com/registration.html

We got to PRAY!

How many times a day do you pray? Do you pray at all?

Sometimes we might pray about getting on the right train. Or that the parking place is close to the office door. Or that you will have enough power in your cell phone to make that important call.

What happens when we get on the wrong train, or there are no parking places or your cell phone is dead? What do you do then? The question then is: what is prayer and why do I do it?

Oswald J. Smith once wrote: In this [modern day] we are, more and more, turning from God-appointed means of intercessory prayer and adopting, instead, merely natural agencies for the carrying on of His work. Intercessory prayer has been shelved. For some reason it is out of date. Our methods, we say, are better, our plans more successful, and so we adopt natural means to bring to pass the supernatural.

My brethren, it can never be done. We may appear successful; crowds may come; the altar may be full night after night. Reported results may be broadcasted everywhere. Whole cities may be stirred and mightily moved! And yet when it is all over and two or three years have passed, how little will be found to be genuine! And why? Simply because we have been satisfied with a superficial, spectacular work, brought to pass by natural means. Consequently the truly supernatural has been largely lacking. Oh let us get back to intercessory prayer, they highest form of Christian service, and give God no rest until we have a spiritual outcome.

These are timely words for us today. We must be so careful not to run from one Christian fad to another and forget the bedrock of the Faith. It takes time to grow deep with God! It takes a community of people praying to really effect the society we live in.

Both in the Church and in our own lives, we must put aside the superficial and pray for nothing less than for the Spirit of God to move among us in a deep and personal way.

Remember today, you can never bring about the supernatural through natural means--even with proven methods and plans. Don't even try.

We are to remember what George Mueller once said: "Faith doesn't operate in the realm of the possible. There is no glory for God in that which man can do. Faith begins where man's power ends."

Are you at the end of man's way in your life?
Turn to God for His Power and His answers!

See you in Church on Sunday. Pray a prayer of intercession for the service and for the speaker. Pray as well for those who come--that their hearts will be open and obedient to God's Word.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++

• ２月28日　説教要旨

  聖霊の働き

  ローマ８：18-27

  岡山　哲

  　ローマ書１８章に移る前に１７ 章を見てみると３つの法則があります。１つ目は、思いの法則、２つ目は罪と死の法則、３つ目は命の法則です。パウロは、「私たちは神に従う思いがありなが ら、しかし罪と死の壁にあたる。そして打ちひしがれて絶望感にひしがれるが、命の法則に導かれる」と説きます。法則とは、条件が整えられれば必ず成り立つ ことを意味するものです。聖霊による救いの法則とは、条件として聖霊の働きを受け入れるならば、命と平安を得るという約束を意味します。罪と死の法則から の解放です。父なる神が証し、保証する約束です。条件は、体の行いを死に渡す。そうすれば、私たちは神の共同相続人となる。聖霊によって現在は「親子」の 関係であったのが、将来は「共同相続人」として長子の権利を得ることを意味します。それには私たちの力では無理なので「聖霊の働き」を受け入れる必要があ ります。

  　将来に至る聖霊の働きを受け入 れることにより、現在は自分の救いが、将来にわたる救いに至ります。それは全被造物に救いがあることです。太陽が救いを待ち望んでいると考えたことがあり ますか。私たちの救いのみならず、被造物全体の救いに関わります。神様から全被造物の管理を任されている私たちの救いだから、パウロは「現在の苦しみは将 来の救いに比べればたいしたことはない」と説きます。現在の苦難は将来の救いに望みがあります。望みをもつことが既に救いなのです。

  　体が贖われるという言葉に対し て、私たちは疑いがあったのではないでしょうか。苦難に直面したときに望みをもっていたでしょうか。「体が贖われる」とは非科学的ですが、確信できるもの があります。それはキリストの働きです。内在するキリストの働きを確信するのです。苦難が与えられていても、聖霊の働きがあるならば、いかなる祈りをすべ きか導かれます。

  「主よ。早く帰ってきて下さい。」

  将来への望みがあるのです。全被 造物の望みが私たちの双肩にかかっているなら「忍耐」すべきです。望みを失うなら、もっと聖霊の働きを求めるべきです。祈る方法も言葉もない・・・そんな うめきの中に、予期せぬ驚きに満ちた素晴らしい救いが待ち受けているのです。神を認めるならば、私たちの想像や予想を遙かに超えた神の働き、聖霊の働きの 前に、私たちは言葉を失います。それは内在するキリストの働きです。私たちのために取りなしてくれるキリストが内在するのです。キリストが私たちの心の奥 底を探り救いに導きます。神の熱心こそが素晴らしい。私たちはそれに対してどう答えるでしょうか。信頼するのです。そうすれば今までのもの、心の奥底に あったものを光の中に明らかにしてくれます。

  　時に私たちは

  「こうなってください」

  「私のここが悪いので直してください」

  と祈ります。神はそのようなこと は既にわかっています。心の奥底の壁を取り除き、その奥底を変えたい。私たちはそれに反して、私たちの「どうか」ここを直して下さいと、私たちの思いで神 の思いを邪魔します。私たちの思いは銅貨（どうか）の思いです。しかし、神の思いは「金貨」の思いです。私たちの思いが聖霊の働きによって明らかにされ、 神の思いに変えられていくのです。

  　最後に、最近の出来事ですが私 どもの知人に手術をする方がおり、手術の時間に私どもはお祈りを捧げていました。ところが手術の時間が早まっていたのです。後で知ったことですが、手術の 時に麻酔が効きすぎて、その麻酔が切れたときにちょうど祈りのタイミングとあったことがわかりました。神のタイミングは絶妙です。

Going Into 2010 With Good News

Going into 2010 with good news…

The word “gospel” means good news. The four Gospel that open the New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – recounted the life of Jesus Christ and the good news that He brought to mankind. John 3:16 is at the heart of this good news. It says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believe in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Our desire is that you understand how Jesus loves you and that you know Him in a personal relationship.

1) THE TRUTH

To many, God seems distant and impersonal, but the truth is God desires a personal relationship with you and that it is possible to personally know the God of the universe. John 17:3 says “Now this is eternal life; that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, who You have sent.”

2) THE PROBLEM

Man is separated from God because of sin. Romans 3:23 says “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Good works or deeds will not resolve our separation from God, for even our best efforts fall short of God’s perfect standard. Isaiah 64:6 says “…and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” Ecclesiastes 7:30 confirms our situation “There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins.”

3) THE SOLUTION

In order for God to have a personal relationship with each of us, His perfect justice demands a penalty (punishment or chastisement) from each person for their sins. Yet out of God’s perfect love, He offered His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the penalty for our sin. Romans 5:8 says “But God demonstrated His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We can be reconciled to God through Jesus Christ.

4) YOUR RESPONSE

To know God personally, you must acknowledge your need to be reconciled, believe that Jesus Christ pain the penalty for your sins through His death on the Cross, and receive Jesus Christ as the Savior of your life. Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For it is by grace you have been saved, through Faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so no one can boast.”

Please contact your friends here at ICCS if you have any questions on how to have a personal relationship with Jesus. That will be Good News to your heart.

JUST POSTED! LIVE @ ICCS

Merry Christmas to one and all!

We are trying out a new system here at ICCS. It is a message in AUDIO FORMAT. The file is smaller than MP4 and can be downloaded! It is in WMA format, so it can be played with Windows Media Player.

Though the sound is a little more "base" due to the mic setting. This will give you a VOICE of ICCS for the first time!

Give it a listen and contact us with your comments or suggestion. (Please know that this is our first attempt to do this, so be kind.)

Much thanks.

Maybe next week, we can have someone sing as well!

Maybe!

Psalm 119:17~24: The Word for Today

¹⁷ Do good to Your servant, and I will live; I will obey Your Word.

¹⁸ Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in Your Law.

¹⁹ I am a stranger on earth; do not hide Your commands from me.

²⁰ My soul is consumed with longing for Your Laws at all times.

²¹ You rebuke the arrogant, who are cursed and who stray from Your commands.

²² Remove from me scorn and contempt, for I keep Your Statutes.

²³ Though rulers sit together and slander me, Your servant will meditate on Your decrees.

²⁴ Your Statutes are my delight; they are my counselors.

(NIV)

The question I have for you today is: How do you live such a life as this? A life that has His Word ALIVE in you 24/7?

You need to know His Word.
You need to be reading His Word.
You need to believe His Word.
You need to follow His Word.
You need His Word.

That would be a good start. How can you show others of the new transformed life in you when you let His Word slip from your heart? Stop right now what you are doing and enter His Word with an open heart. Read His Word as if your very life depends on it.

It does, you know...

Until next time,
Under His Grace.
Pastor Stan (in LA)

Need help? Feeling down?

諸教会の先生と信徒の皆さん！


主にある尊いお働きを心より感謝いたします。

ストレスの多い今の時代、うつはとても身近なものになっています。私たちの周りでもたくさんの人々がうつで苦しんでいますし、

自分もうつになる可能性はあります。うつになったら、そこから抜け出すのは大変なこと。そこで、うつに対する予防は、とても大切なものとなります。

来る11月20日（金）午後６；３０−８；００に、うつの予防セミナーを行いますので、添付のチラシをご覧くださり、是非ご参加ください。

また、教会の方々やお友達をお誘いください。

冬には、うつのための信徒カウンセラー養成トレーニングも計画しています。

このセミナーが、みなさんにとって、また働きのために益になることを願いつつ。


JCCCのAndy Meeko 拝

www.drmeeko.net