Mr N and the Prime Minister
Mr. N and I had made plans to meet today for coffee. Last time, I gave him a Gospel of John, and he mentioned how he'd like to get himself a Bible (for an atheist, he shows more interest and enthusiasm for the things of God, than a whole room full of lukeys and christianettes). I told him that I'd found him a bilingual Bible on Amazon.com Japan. He kept saying he wanted to pay me for it, and finally the only way I could get him to take it, was to tell him that it was a New Years gift!
So today he called me and insisted that we meet at Mitaka station (which is very near me, and about an hour or so away from his house!).
I get to our nearby train and bus station, and lo and behold! There's a crowd gathered, with uniformed police and very capable looking agents in suits. They were all surrounding some men standing atop a van, making speeches. I rushed past them and into the station, and found Mr. N, then brought him outside. He said "You know who that is?!" (no...) "That's the former Prime Minister and the man who's running for governor of Tokyo!"
It was pretty amazing, but we only stayed a minute, since we had more important things to do... like look at Mr. N's new Bible and talk about JESUS!
Once we paid for our coffees and sat down, I asked Mr. N if he'd been reading the Gospel of John that I gave him last time, and he said "Yes". I continued - "So what did you learn?" and he said... "Nothing!" (I just cracked up... He's so funny!).
He added, "Well, I did learn one thing - what the word 'gospel' means. I looked it up."
I jumped in - "Yes, it means 'good news'! "
"Good news?" he said. "Yeah, good news for CHRISTIANS you mean!"
Once I stopped laughing, I explained that Jesus told us to spread this good news first in Jerusalem, then in Samaria, and then to the ends of the Earth, meaning Japan (he eyed me a little suspiciously).
I told him, "Well, why don't we come back to John later, and just start with reading the Gospel of Mark in your new Bible."
We talked about his family for a while, and suddenly he remarks - "My son told me that Christians believe in miracles, like, sick people getting well. I can't believe that! I'm studying Buddhism, and they don't believe in miracles... Well not many, anyway."
I said "Oh, you WILL, because you'll see it for yourself! But don't worry about that for now, just start reading the Gospel of Mark, and take everything step by step."
"Step by step..." he repeated to himself, nodding.
A little later we said our goodbyes. I noticed that the former PM and his entourage had moved on.
Around 8:00 tonight, I get a phone call from Mr. N - "This Bible you gave me, I can understand it! It's so clear! Not like the old one that my son stole from me. This one is WONDERFUL!"
One of the greatest joys of Wilderness Pioneering is seeing how people react to the gospel when they encounter it for the very first time.
I stand humbled, in awe of the Hand of God...
So today he called me and insisted that we meet at Mitaka station (which is very near me, and about an hour or so away from his house!).
I get to our nearby train and bus station, and lo and behold! There's a crowd gathered, with uniformed police and very capable looking agents in suits. They were all surrounding some men standing atop a van, making speeches. I rushed past them and into the station, and found Mr. N, then brought him outside. He said "You know who that is?!" (no...) "That's the former Prime Minister and the man who's running for governor of Tokyo!"
It was pretty amazing, but we only stayed a minute, since we had more important things to do... like look at Mr. N's new Bible and talk about JESUS!
Once we paid for our coffees and sat down, I asked Mr. N if he'd been reading the Gospel of John that I gave him last time, and he said "Yes". I continued - "So what did you learn?" and he said... "Nothing!" (I just cracked up... He's so funny!).
He added, "Well, I did learn one thing - what the word 'gospel' means. I looked it up."
I jumped in - "Yes, it means 'good news'! "
"Good news?" he said. "Yeah, good news for CHRISTIANS you mean!"
Once I stopped laughing, I explained that Jesus told us to spread this good news first in Jerusalem, then in Samaria, and then to the ends of the Earth, meaning Japan (he eyed me a little suspiciously).
I told him, "Well, why don't we come back to John later, and just start with reading the Gospel of Mark in your new Bible."
We talked about his family for a while, and suddenly he remarks - "My son told me that Christians believe in miracles, like, sick people getting well. I can't believe that! I'm studying Buddhism, and they don't believe in miracles... Well not many, anyway."
I said "Oh, you WILL, because you'll see it for yourself! But don't worry about that for now, just start reading the Gospel of Mark, and take everything step by step."
"Step by step..." he repeated to himself, nodding.
A little later we said our goodbyes. I noticed that the former PM and his entourage had moved on.
Around 8:00 tonight, I get a phone call from Mr. N - "This Bible you gave me, I can understand it! It's so clear! Not like the old one that my son stole from me. This one is WONDERFUL!"
One of the greatest joys of Wilderness Pioneering is seeing how people react to the gospel when they encounter it for the very first time.
I stand humbled, in awe of the Hand of God...
Comments
“For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it." The Word of God has clearly born fruit in Mr N as a revelation of who God is!