September 21, 2001

Twin Towers, Taliban, Tokyo, and your Prayers

 

Dear Family and Friends,

As incredible as Tuesday, Sept. 11th was, it is also remarkable and incredible, that on Wednesday Sept. 12th, at the initiative of Japanese Christians at Oyumino Church, 10 people gathered for a hastily called prayer meeting to pray to God for America and for God's grace in this awful situation.

Don't miss this. Remember, 57 years ago, Tokyo was as much as, or even a greater enemy of America, and enemy of God, than the Taliban are today! The thousands killed by the Japanese in the Pearl Harbor surprise attack, or by the terrorists in NYC Sept. 11th, are small numbers compared to the multitudes the Japanese killed throughout Asia. They killed tens of thousands of innocent people throughout China, Korea, and the Philippines in the name of one of their gods, the emperor. They did so many unspeakable evils, including the making of Korean 16-year old girls into sex slaves for their imperial army platoons.

Is it not remarkable that today, just 57 years later, in the land of our "enemy," we preach the gospel freely and start churches throughout Japan?

Is it not remarkable that an annual survey repeatedly shows that the country which Japanese most trust and respect is, by far, the United States of America, the nation that killed more than 100,000 Japanese with atomic bombs?

Is it not remarkable that 57 years ago the Japanese police and military were trying to kill and destroy Americans and Christians and Christianity, and a few decades later I was invited to speak about life and morality to more than 100 of Japan's semi-elite motorcycle police?

Is it not incredible that 57 years ago, the beaten-down Christians in the few churches throughout Japan were forced to bow to the emperor first before starting worship, but two years ago 35 Japanese churches and people throughout Japan loaned us American MTW missionaries $150,000 to help buy land and a building for a new church plant in Kokubunjidai, and all except one quickly sent the money to us without any written guarantees!?

Can you see members of the Taliban or Bin Ladin helping to fund church planting in Afghanistan in a few years?

Can we pray in faith for God to do that same kind of thing, and more, among the Taliban, throughout Afghanistan, and throughout the Muslim world? What is happening in Japan today was unthinkable 57 years ago. The Kingdom progress and partnership with nationals today in Ukraine or Russia was unthinkable 20 years ago.

In the past few weeks, many Americans have turned to Psalm 46 for comfort. But let us not forget to read past the first few verses. Verse 10b holds an exciting promise: "I will be exalted among the nations!"

The truth of this Psalm, indeed, the truth of the Bible, is easily missed for we American Christians who really act like America is the center of the world. The central thing is not our safety, our stock market, or even victory in this new war; it is God‚s victory in the bigger, even more unseen, war. The central thing is not about us, but about His Kingdom, His gospel, and His being exalted among all nations.

As you pray, please don‚t miss that history is moving toward that great climax in heaven where the elect from every nation, from Tokyo and from the Taliban, from Africa and from Afghanistan, will offer white hot worship to God.

As you pray, remember that God rules. He is sovereign over wars and events. He ruled over the evil Babylonians who made Jerusalem a ruin 2700 years ago. Today He sovereignly uses for His glory the unspeakable sin and evil of these terrorists and the ruin they have caused to some of our biggest idols.

"Be still (and pray), and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations." All of them!

Do pray for Tokyo, and for the Taliban too. Pray that 57 years from now, we would look back on this and see that it was the beginning of a break-through in the Muslim world.

..."Give heed to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to Thee, when my heart is faint; Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.... A TOWER of strength against the enemy" (Ps 61:1-3).

Dan

 

Dan Iverson is the Team Leader of the MTW Tokyo-Chiba Church Planting Team.