Hey, guys, are we going to let Satan win this one?

I have really exciting news! Mrs. Nishi, the lady who has joined our Bible study, has asked to study twice a week instead of once. She is interested in the lessons, and wants to know more about God!

Mrs. Nishi is just one lady, but this is so much bigger than it looks. Mrs. Tsubakihara is sitting in on every lesson, and already teaching them to her sister, and unsaved mother. And the whole church is watching this drama unfold. It’s a kind of beta test to see if Bible studies outside the church could be one solution to church growth.

One other factor has me convinced this is very significant. Satan is doing his best to throw a monkey wrench into things.

My daughter, Elizabeth has developed strange and unexplained lumps all over her body, and has a chronic fever.

I’m having serious problems with chronic fatigue.

And for some unexplained reason, the bottom has dropped out of our finances. It all looks the same as usual on paper. Same number of English classes. Same bills, same ravenous teenagers on weekends, same amount of unexpected expenses... But inexplicably, I seem to be going under. Currently, I have about $1500 in outstanding bills, and no idea where the money’s going to come from.

The stress is adding to my fatigue, I’m sure.

This is all a bit surprising, as usually it’s the unsaved person who falls under attack as they start to show and interest in the gospel. That may come a little later as well, but for now it’s definitely my daughter and I who are the target.

So now it’s up to you. Remember Moses and the battle with the Midianites? Moses had to keep his hands raised throughout the entire battle. Whenever he dropped them, the Midianites started to win. But as long as his hands were raised, the battle was in Israel’s favor.

Moses got awfully tired, and Aaron and Joshua (I think) had to stand next to him, and help prop his arms up.

Will you help lift me up in prayer right now? Pray that:

• satan’s purposes will be thwarted,
• that my daughter and I will both be blessed with health,
• that the doctors will be able to find what’s wrong with her,
• that I’ll have the strength and wisdom to teach a good lesson tomorrow,
• that Mrs. Nishi will be able to understand and believe,
• and that God will send the financial provision that we need.

Thank you ever so much, and I know one day Mrs. Nishi will be thanking you as well.

Regards,

Debbie Penner

PS. Do you drink coffee? If you’re wondering how you could help without hurting your budget plans, check out the World’s First Healthy Coffee. You would have bought coffee anyway, and if you buy it from my link, I’ll get a small percentage of the retail price.

I mean, you’re going to buy coffee anyway, right? Get the free sample and taste it. If it tastes comparable to the coffee you’re drinking now, you can switch, knowing that the proceeds are going to help people hear the Good News of Jesus Christ

Doom and Destruction - a meditation

The other day I came across one of those doom and despair underground newspapers that talked about how the government is planning to declare a national emergency, fabricated or real - it doesn't matter - and confiscate our guns, houses and property, then herd us into concentration camps they call "community centers." It outlined how they are directing the pastors of traditional Christian churches to preach on Rmans 13, the passage about submitting to authorities in order to prepare the populace to be compliant when the time comes.

Who knows? There might be some truth in the stories. Living way off in Japan, I don't sense the subtle changes in American culture that perhaps make this type of thing more plausible than just an Orwellian horror fantasy.

Actually, it had me a bit troubled. I didn't sleep so well that night. Whether the reports have truth in them or not, it's a certainty that the world is a major mess at the moment.This morning I read John 12, and verse 16 jumped out at me. Jesus had just entered Jerusalem on a donkey amid great acclaim and songs of praise. The disciples didn't recognize that prophecy was being fulfilled before their eyes.

Perhaps we are even now in the last pages of prophecy. There are distinct parallels between Bible prophecy and our newspapers, and if the disciples didn't realize what was happening then, the last days might not be so obvious either.

Suddenly I remembered that indeed, God has everything under control, and hasn't changed at all. He is still the God who cares every time a sparrow falls. I found a small Japanese Beetle with his shell stuck in the window sash yesterday. He was flailing with all his might to get free. Amazing. Our God was aware, and cared about its distress. He's not going to let any one of us be lost in the great movements of the ages.

I just pray that I'll be able to lead even just one more person to Christ before there is no more time. Please continue to pray.

A New Baby Now?

The Watanabe's have gone to the hospital!
That means Mrs. Watanabe is in labour, and their 4th baby will arrive soon.

I'm reminded of the second verse of the song "Because He lives". It says the world is a mess, and it seems unfair to bring a new baby into it to grow up with all the uncertainty and suffering that is sure to come, but it's because Jesus Christ is alive that the new baby can face uncertain days.

Indeed. Have you been following some of the prophecy teachers about what's happening in the world? I have, and it's not a pretty picture. We don't have much time left.

I got goosebumps last night. I was teaching English to an anesthesiologist at the University Hospital in town. He has no knowledge of the Bible, and frankly most Japanese don't even know where Israel is on the map, but he was saying, yes, it looks like there's going to be a war with Iran within the next 5 months, and it's going to change all of our lives. I'm very frightened.

On the other hand, I'm just listening to a song that says "I'll give you peace when the wind starts blowing". Aren't we blessed to have a firm foundation in Jesus that guarantees we will be alright regardless of what happens in the world?

The Summer Has Ended, and I'm Still Not Posting

Wow. I've been a lot weaker than I had anticipated this summer. I just don't do heat well at all.
Next summer I'll have to move to Antartica and spend the summer with the penguins.

Biggest news: I've started my very first ladies Bible study! The second session was yesterday, and there are three of us studying together. I'm really very excited about this. It's not a very big beginning, but it's solid. The material we're covering is "Firm Foundations" by New Tribes Mission. Were going through the entire Bible in 50 weeks, and covering everything that's needed to make a salvation decision. Then when that's done, we'll go back through from the beginning, and cover who we are in Christ.

One of the ladies, Mrs. Nishi, is brand new. She's never really even heard the gospel, and is approaching this from a completely humanist/Buddhist perspective. It's a terrific experiment for me to see if this course will work in Japan. The other lady is Mrs. Tsubakihara. I've given her a teacher's manual, and am using the time to train her to teach her own class in the future.

Please pray for this project. It's small in numbers, but huge in vision and prospective fruit. Satan will try to stop us. Pray that the Lord will protect us from those onslaughts. Also pray for several ladies who will potentially join us. Mrs. Hayashida is a member of another church who has fallen away. It's been 6 months since she's prayed. She had said she wanted to study with us, but is making excuses not to come now. Pray that this will be a doorway back to the Lord for her.

Oh, and pray for me. I'm having a lot of trouble with my health. Went to do an errand a couple days ago, and was so fatigued I had to stop the car and sleep some before giving up on the errand and driving home. I've started cycling and walking in the morning (today was the first time.) so that might help some.

Thank you!