神はあなたを何者と召しているか？

  士師記6:12「主の使いが彼に現れて言った。
 「勇士よ。主があなたといっしょにおられる」」




ギデオンは自分が最も貧しい家の出身で、家族の中でも最も小さいものだと信じ切っていた。周りの人々も同じ事を思っていた。そんな自信がなく強敵の前で震えていたギデオンに、神ははっきりと宣言して言われた。

「ギデオン、そうではないんだ。自分を「弱い」、「打ち負かされている」、「できない」と決して言うな。わたしはあなたを強い者、確信に満ち、どんな状況にも打ち勝つことができる勝利者として召しているのだから」




私たちはどうだろう。敵の前で、逆境に向かって立ちすくんではいないだろうか。




自分の感情でもなく、考えでもなく、状況がそのように見えるからでもなく、神が何と自分を召しているかだけを聴いていこう！そして恐れが心に湧いてきた時、神の力ある言葉を何度も何度も宣言して、自分が強く、確信に満ち、どんなことでも可能なのだと知ろう！

その理由は？　「わたしが主があなたと共にいる」と言われる全知、全能、永遠無限の神があなたとおられるから。神はあなたは最強とみなしておられる。



だからいつも弱さ、逆境に対して宣言していこう、「力ある神のことば」を。




私は病気→そうではない、私は健康なのだ！



借金で押し潰れそうだ→そうではない、私は金銭的にも豊かだ！


仕事が見つからない→そうではない、神はベストな仕事を、喜びが感じられる仕事を与えられる！




悪習慣から逃れられない→そうではない、私はすでに解放されている！



 私にはできない→そうではない、私はどんな事でも神の力でできる！




奇跡は信じる人にだけ起こる：



もし不可能に思える状況に対して、神のすべてを変化させる言葉を信じて宣言していくなら、「あなたが信じるように、状況よ、そうように変われ」と神様は命じられる(創世記1:3)。神は逆境に命令し、「彼が宣言するように、変われ」と言われるお方(マタイ9:22)。

神のことばを信じる者にとって、逆境は決して逆境に終わらない：神は逆境の起こる前に、解決の道を、勝利の道を、喜びと感謝の道をすでに備えておられる！ 





今日、神はあなたを何者として、召しておられるだろうか？　








士師記6:12「勇士よ、勝利者よ、解放された者よ、癒された者よ、祝福された者よ、あらゆることを可能とする者よ。主があなたといっしょにおられるのだ！」








神はあまりにもシンプルに困難な状況に命令される、「彼の信じるごとく、そのようになれ」と。











（ジョエル・オスティーン牧師のメッセージを基にして；http://www.joelosteen.com/Pages/Index.aspx)

What God Calls You

TODAY’S WORD from Joel and Victoria

“And the angel of the LORD appeared to him and said to him, ‘The LORD is with you, O mighty man of valor’ ”　(Judges 6:12, ESV)

In scripture, God called Gideon a mighty man of fearless courage. Now Gideon looked around and said, “God couldn’t be talking about me. I come from the poorest family. I’m the least one in my father’s house.” Gideon saw himself as weak, defeated, and not able. But God saw him as strong, confident, and being more than a conqueror.

The question is are we going to believe what God says about us, or are we going to believe what we feel, what we think, or what the circumstances look like? You may feel weak today, but God calls you strong. You may feel like a victim, but God calls you a victor. You may be afraid, but God calls you confident. You may be in debt, God calls you prosperous. You may be sick, God calls you well. You may be addicted, God calls you free. You may feel inadequate, but God calls you well able.

Today, get into agreement with God. No matter what the circumstances look like, you’ve got to dig your heels in and say, “God, I agree with what You call me. I’m free, forgiven and healed in Jesus’ Name!”

A PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father God, thank You for loving me and calling me Your own. I choose to receive Your Word which is life, health and strength to me. Fill me with Your peace and wisdom. I set my thoughts on You. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

畑を選ばない種

皆さんお元気ですか？




今日はお仕事で外回りをしてました。その時、ある教会の看板に 「畑を選ばない種」と次週の説教タイトルが書いてありました。


本当にこのタイトルが頭から離れず考えさせられました。なので分かち合いをしたいです。






-------------------------------------------------


畑を選ばない種・・・・






（マルコ 4:3-8）種を蒔く者は種を蒔いた。その結果・・・
①ある種は道ばたに→鳥が食べてしまう(外的要因によって種が奪われてしまう）

②ある種は石地に　→土が殆どないので芽は出すが、根が育たないためすぐ枯れる(種が植物として育たない)　




③ある種は茨の地に→茨が周りで育つので、種は、成長後も栄養をどんどん取られてしまい、実を実らせるまでに至らない。

④ある種は良い地に→すくすくと芽が出、成長し、実を実らせるどころなく、30倍、60倍、100倍の溢れる実を実らせる（種が本来のデザインされた通りの成長を遂げ、多く祝福を世界にもたらす。）

I: 30,60,100倍の祝福という実を実らせるようにデザインされた種：


種＝完全で力ある神様のお言葉(マタイ4:4、ヨハネ1:1)

この種には人の人生を変革させてしまう特別な力が宿っていて、もしこの種が本来デザインされた通り人の中で成長するなら、ものすごい良い実を実らすように設計されている。




種＝それはどこまでも神の愛のメッセージ：イザヤ43:4「あなたは我が目に高価で貴い。私はあなたを愛している。」



エレミヤ31:3「主は遠くから彼に現れた。わたしは限りなき愛をもってあなたを愛している。それゆえ、わたしは絶えずあなたに真実をつくしてきた。 」

だから種に対する確信を持ち、その種(福音)の持つ爆発的な力（すべての神の愛に反するものを蹴散らし、また神の愛に生きるものに無限の力、永遠の命を与える力）を信じていこう！この種があるならどんなことでも本当にできる(ピリピ4:13)


畑=人の心






II: 種を蒔く者になることを神は私たちに期待しておられる：


種（神様の御言葉）はどんな人にも平等に蒔かれて(与えられて)いくように神は願われておられる。(マタイ4:9)
私たちがその種を蒔く者になるように神は願われておられる：(マタイ28:19-20)　だから私たちはこの最高の種を蒔きに、どんな畑にも種を蒔きにいく。


心に留めたいこと：種を成長させるのは神様の担当。私たちの担当は種を蒔きに行くこと、それが私たちに与えられている使命。

私たちにはその畑が良いか悪いか事前には分からないようになっている。私たちは種を蒔き、その結果によってのみその畑の善し悪しを知ることができる。


逆に畑の状態が悪くてもそれは私たちの責任ではないので、悪い畑に遭遇しても落ち込まむ必要はない。良い畑に出会って、種が豊かに生長するように、また別の畑に出かけよう！






III: どんな時でも種を蒔き続けよう（神の言葉を伝えていく）:


IIテモテ4:2「御言を宣べ伝えなさい。時が良くても悪くても、それを励み、あくまでも寛容な心でよく教えて、責め、戒め、勧めなさい。」


種を蒔き続けよう、たとえそれが逆境の様に思える時でさえも。
実は逆行の時にこそ、より強く神様は働いてくださる





IIコリント12:9「私の恵みは、あなたに十分である。というのは、わたしの力は、弱さ（逆境）のうちに完全に現れるからである」


どんな時も種を蒔く。それは、神様から私たちに与えられた使命であり、Lifestyleであり、喜びそのもの。


ビ ル・ウィルソン牧師は語る。「My commitment is stronger than my emotions（私の神の使命への忠実さは、私の感情にいつも打ち勝ちます。）」ビル・ウィルソン牧師は、ニューヨークのスラム街で伝道を現在も続けて いるが、襲われ、銃で口の中を撃たれた。時に病で倒れ、3度飛行機事故に遭った。それでも決して伝道することを止めず、種を蒔きに行くことを、止める理由 にはしなかった。


種を蒔く段階で、良い地だけを選んで種を蒔くことは、私たちには求められていない→だから、どんな畑（どの様な心の持ち主）にも種を蒔くことが期待されている→芽も出ない人(鳥)、芽は出す人(石地)、成長までする人(茨)、

　　　　　　  ↑
(この両者には圧倒的な祝福の違いがある)
              　　　↓

実を想像を超えて実を実らせる人(良い畑)。実を実らせる人は、神様は30、60、100倍の祝福を計画されておらえる←すごすぎ！！

最後に覚えて：あなたの中に蒔かれた種・・・あなたという畑でぐんぐん成長しているその種は、ただの種ではないということ。

それは神が与えた種は神の言葉そのもの。神ご自身と同じ力をもっている(ヨハネ1:1) 

すなわち30、60、100倍の実を実らせるDNAを備えたもの。種の品質を絶対疑わないで。太鼓判を押された神品質！その種は想像を絶して実を豊かに実らせ、その実は、あなた1人では抱えきれないほどのもの。

あなたを始め、あなたの周りにいる多くの人にまで、その祝福のが行き届くようにすでにあらかじめ計画されている！(エレミヤ1:5)








だから今日も神様におもいっきり期待してこう、どんな出会いがあるだろう！この最高の種をもって、畑を選ばずにその人（達）に会いに行こう！

②If you can't be a king, Be a kingmaker:

②Bill Wilson's message

  1: Joseph who provides a place, he got engaged to Marry, He realized and said with sensitiveness.,  “Marry!, you recently got bigger”. Marry someday spoken to him, “I got pregnant”. Joseph must have thought “Maybe she is not for me”
he tried to put her away privately. 

But because of “a go sign” from an angel, Joseph chose to stay with Marry with pregnancy…then the time came Marry bore Jesus at a barn for no hotel was available….Joseph who was supposed to be a king but did provide a place for Marry for his delivery.

 

E.g. A business man took me in 1961 and put me in a church to have me raised. The man noticed a little boy sitting on a side for the last two days. On the third day he got off his truck and came close and spoke to me with “Are you ok?” at that time I got lots of holes on my clothes and could not speak well….

What did this guy do to me, without knowing I will be a pastor with the biggest Sunday school in the world”?

  5 hours after the guy first approached me I was on the way to a Christian camp…. The guy borrowed 17 dollars from someone else then let me have it to be able to go to a church camp. 

He did not have even that little amount…but he provided what I need with a sacrifice; He provided a place for me. Then at the camp I accepted Jesus as my eternal LORD!

E.g. On a TV program I asked him who picked me up, “Why did you stop by him” the guy answered, “Even once, only one time, if I bring this little boy to the presence of the LORD, something might happen to this boy” the boy whom no one knew got a place. 

 

(as Ptr. Bill Wilson always bring lots of photos of Children who need supports) 

Q. Why do I go around the world with these photos of children? I am not asking you to provide entire cost for their college..no, no! I am asking you to provide a place where they can understand someone loves them so much….

2: Joseph was prepared for king’s deliver: Joseph did not know who he was going to work for when he was young. 

e.g. after I came to Christ at the first camp, I did not have a place for me to go home…I lived in the church which the man who picked me up goes to. Some families brought me leftovers everyday…one meal a day.. 

 A reporter asked me "what was your dream when you were a kid?" I never thought a kid is supposed to have a dream. 

I was praying at the time…”LORD please, tonight do not let somebody forget of me and bringing a meal for me! God was only someone I can rely on.

e.g.Two little girls were kicked out of their small room for while they are out, their older sister does prostitution.  As soon as they found me, they invited me for such poor meal; some rice with cockroaches creeping over…then I realized, I was just like them before…eating humble meal once a day with such a dirty place like here…now I can feel exactly how these little girls feel like..since then I have been prepared for taking care of these children.

Friends, you have been prepared to be a kingmaker. Some might want to get tempted to ask, “Ptr. Bill, years I spent were waste,” But know God knows God uses the years for His glory…

3:Joseph perseverates: he was faithful to his destiny.  To be faithful you don’t have special abilities… 

e.g. Bill got shot years ago, encountered planecrashes three times…etc.. ”Bill might get retired this time”, said someone… 

BUT “My commitment is stronger than my emotions”,

 my work toward God has not finished yet.  There is no time to get sad for His ministies for 43 years. During 43 years many ministries, mnisters rose up then disappeared…

Joseph was prepared to do something he himself could not understand…. But he chose to stay with it….he never gave up on what God is going to do through his life.

E.g. Rodney, a boy on my bass long time ago. He never missed my Sunday school, he was so happy and excited to get on the bass, he was talkative…but someday he sat on a seat at the back of the bass with no words and no smile and he kept it for weeks.

  

One day, He could not want to get off the bass at his place, started crying aloud…he could not utter a word..  He screamed right before the door , he pulled up his shirt and let me look at his stomach…the guy who lives in his mother engraved his name on belly with a knife… I let someone live with him…

Years and years later I got a phone, “Ptr. Bill, remember it’s Rodney…you would be proud of me, I graduated from high school, I found someone who loves me and got married, guess what, I am now a Sunday school teacher just like you did it for me before. Ptr. Bill, you know what?  They, my Sunday shool children wrote on a wall,  “You are the king of this Sunday school” Ptr, I am the king! Thanks for loving me…Now I am blessings others!”

Then I hung up the phone, I thought “I am not a preacher who preach at Tokyo dome but that’s ok, I am not going to be a king, but I am a kingmakers!”

Life might not be a life you wanna have…you are not gonna be on a TV show, might not be a king…..but I made up my mind years ago..if I am not gonna be a king, I am not gonna be depressed…I will just drive a sunday school bass all over places, I will provide a place so that children can hear the gospel. 

Dear Friends! You might not be a king in future but remember,  you are a kingmaker just like Joseph for Jesus, our eternal king. 

Isn’t it something?  

①I thought I can be a king...

①A message from Bill Wilson making a tour of Japan...

Who is Bill Wilson?  

Weekly more than 30, 000 children attend Sunday school in Brooklyn in NY under Metro Ministry International which Bill Wilson leads. 

 Unless children at their early ages are loved and cared unconditionally by someone, it's hard for them to grow in spirit when they become an adult.

“You are a kingmaker” by Bill Wilson

Matthew 1: Genealogy:  this is the place no one wanna ready, cz it seems boring… taka a deep breath with me…. Say, “I’m not gonna be bored...”  

This genealogy was a great family line of kings until Matt.1:11; the exile to Babylon…the kings who used to be now became slaves to Babylon…..

Joseph was destined to be a king. Joseph was in the lineage of kings but suddenly life was changed…

Isn't it like our lives? when something unexpected happens to our lives, everthing changes.

E.g. I am gonna have this good job, but economy goes bad. I now lost my job, broke up with someone I love and etc… Many got married with an oath but they get separated.

Joseph was like that….he was supposed to be a king but his life changed…for Nebucadnezzar in Babylonia caused Joseph not to be a king..

Q. what are you gonna do when you realize that you can’t be a king any more?  What you do if you know you are not going to succeed on an area? Are you gonna be depressed? Sad? Desperate? Hate this entire world? Is is how sad of you who was supposed to be a king, but not any longer?  

Joseph’s reaction to a happening…Joseph could not be a king , but he can be someone who can produce a king out of him.

Background of Joseph:  Joseph, the father of Jesus on earth, He was supposed to be a king based on the great king line.  This world always focused on  his wife, Marry. 



Know Joseph was actually the one who made Jesus a king!

e.g. Some of you at a young age thought you will be successful in church and in business But life changed then you are not doing it any more.

When I was 26, I thought I am going to be a great preacher at a huge stadium…many people prophesied over my future….but…but when I was wake up in a morning and realized “my life is not gonna be so” life changes… “It is not gonna be that way”

Sometimes we need to go through a tough time in life to be successful on a given call from God just like Joseph did...

But again know Joseph was actually the one who made Jesus a king!

How can we be a kingmaker like Joseph?

To be continued...