Traveling with My Best Friend

Glad Tidings, God has taken back Japan! Men in Ministry; force the Kingdom to come, in your city. God has taken back your city. God is Faithful! Hebrews 11:1

I am in Japan and have been for the last 4 days. Japan is interesting for many reasons. It has a wonderful culture; the people are friendly open and engaging. The Japanese seem to be a hard working, self-reliant people. After the tsunami in March of 2011, that destroyed significant parts of the country and crippled many nuclear power plants, the Japanese self-reliance is obvious. Japan, in an independent self-reliant way, will repair itself without outside help. Japanese people do not have an entitlement mentality. The entitlement mentality, exist is Europe and is growing rapidly in the United States.

That is not the subject of this writing it is a good background. The last time I was in Japan for more than passing through the Narita Airport was about 25 years ago. I realized then and again felt the demonic presence near me as I entered and moved around the country. I am not sure what or why this is, but I am sure of the need for prayer and the Word of God even stronger.

I looked at some statistics. Today 6% of the population of Japan claims Christianity as their faith. This is up from the ever stagnate 1% for the prior 400 or so years. Praise God for the Glad Tidings! The growth has been among the young. Praise God for more Glad Tidings!!

I always travel with the Bible, my best friend. I read and study it in the morning. I read it throughout the day as I have gaps in the schedule. The most comforting thing I do each day is pray and read the Word and let it fill me up. The Bible gives us a glimpse of home each time we read it. The Bible brings us in a more intimate relationship with the Lord each time we fill up on His message. Prayer and reading the Word, plus our witness forces the presence of the Kingdom.

God loves the people of Japan. He died on the cross for each one of these beautiful people. It seems, from my travels, the message of the Gospel is not yet evident anywhere I have traveled in Japan. A business associate brought me to a shrine. He wanted to show me the beauty and tell me how they pray to Shinto or Buddha or the spirit of Japan, some demonic thing. He washed before he prayed and was proud to take me into this outside shrine. A time to witness; it probably was but I missed it. Jesus put me here at this time to bring the Kingdom of Heaven to Japan. He does this with all believers. Jesus lives in us. We are on a mission, to bring the Kingdom wherever we go. I did not have a calling to witness to him. Normally when I miss an opportunity I have a burden. I pray that I have a burden for all people who I meet.

Japan is like San Francisco as to the presence of the real Lord in peoples' lives. About 6% of the 127 million Japanese people say they are Christians. The difference I found in Japan is people are more open to listen. They have an apparent interest to learn, there are other ways than the one they know in many areas of their lives. They do want proof.

To a few friends, I told the story that Chuck Colson, one of the Watergate conspirators tells as to why he accepted the Lord as his savior. He says; as the Watergate Cover-up was unraveling it became obvious to the conspirators that they were going to be discovered. He tells that he and his co-conspirators were at the pinnacle of power. They were in the office of the President of the United States, the most powerful person and office in the world. A few men had all the power. These men, as they realized they were going to pay for a silly crime, they stopped lying and told the truth to save their skin.

Chuck Colson tells the story then says; the Apostles each could have denied Christ and the authorities would not have executed them. They did not deny the truth and they suffered mightily for it. Jesus is the truth!

The correlation is men will deny a cover up, even if with this denial they lose overwhelming power. They will deny the lie to save their own skin. The Apostles believed the truth. They were executed for their belief in Jesus Christ.

I was able to tell this story. The people did not accept the Lord; however God Promises his word will never return empty. Isaiah 55:11

I started this writing thinking that the devil had a hold on Japan as I finish the writing; I see that God is doing a remarkable thing in Japan. The growth of 600% and having the main growth in Christianity be among the young is fabulous!

Traveling, once again, with my best friend brings reinforcements to the Army of God enhancing the reality of Our Kingdom on Earth. 

Frank Slovenec is the founder and leader of Glad Tidings Men's Ministry International. www.gtmmi.com

Men in Ministry