Nonogaki Reports – July 2020
Life Discovery Class – July 10, 2020
Even after a person becomes a Christian, he might hold on to old habits and mindset. This is not unusual but very common. As a result, his Christian life is not productive and fruitful.
I believe that a person has to be really born of water and the spirit in order to experience the grace of God. Just being baptized into Christ doesn’t lead him to spiritual growth unless he works on it. Some people may make irrational decisions and get into a more confusing maze of life. Life Discovery Class is for such type of people.
God initially accepts us as we are, but at the same time, he tells us to change our thinking and behavior. In our class, we admit our weaknesses to God, but we pray to God that he will transform us.
Our class is very practical. We have three basic themes.
(1) To become a goal-oriented person. Make a short term goal, a middle term goal, a long term goal. Each goal varies from person to person because people are different. My role is to help each person make a biblical and practical goal so that he might live a fruitful Christian life.
(2) To make a schedule each day. Each person is expected to make a list of things to do for the next day. I believe how to live each day is very important. Today is a day for tomorrow. How to live today determines tomorrow. Also, he makes a year-long schedule.
(3) To make rational decisions prayerfully based on biblical principles. Whatever backgrounds a person has religiously or socially, this task is very important. Old habits tell him to move along with a wave as it moves. In this process, he needs to make up his mind about what his first priority is.
I believe this class is never-ending even if we end it and don’t meet together, because life goes on.
Two Themes I Have Been Preaching – July 11, 2020
I have been preaching from the Gospel of John. We came to John 14:13-14, “Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” I had to pause and ponder about it. I ended up speaking on the subject of prayer in eight consecutive lessons.
After that, we came to the passage John 14:15-17 where Jesus talks about giving the Spirit to the disciples. The Work of the Holy Spirit is confusing to many people, so I have decided to speak on it. So far I have spoken on the following topics. (1) The Old Testament, the Old Covenant and the Work of the Holy Spirit, (2) God in Trinity, (3) Jesus Christ and the Work of the Holy Spirit.
On 12 July I will speak the fourth lesson on the Work of the Holy Spirit. It is about “The New Covenant and the Spirit’s Blessings.” I think many people may overlook this point. I believe it is important to understand what blessings the Holy Spirit provides for us.
