Iwona
Our names are Masayasu and Takako and we are a married couple living in Tokyo. When Masayasu believed in Jesus and was baptized in 2017, and then I was baptized as well. We met Jesus and our lives changed 180 degrees!
Let me briefly introduce you to my Japanese correspondents; today spiritual siblings in Christ. Driven by curiosity, I asked them what the spiritual life of the Japanese and Christianity is like in the land of the cherry blossoms. This is what they replied to me:
We met in a house church run by a couple who had studied at Torben’s Danish Pioneer School, but they became ill and were unable to meet, so we worshiped at home with brothers and sisters we had met through TLR maps.
Among them was a woman named M. who was delivered from demons.
She was born with a hearing defect and in order to improve her hearing, she worshiped various idols (temples, divination temples, spiritual temples, New Age), etc. and was harassed by various evil spirits for 10 years ,is very sensitive spiritually, so she was easily influenced by evil spirits, but when she heard the hymn, the evil spirit within her reacted strongly, and when she heard the story of Jesus, she realized that it was true and believed in it. She experienced deliverance through penance, baptism and receiving the Holy Spirit.
It is said that the Christian population in Japan, including sects (such as the Unification Church and Jehovah’s Witnesses), Protestants and Catholics, totals only about 1%, and most people have no knowledge of Jesus or the Bible. So Masayasu and I lived without knowing the true, living God until we were saved.
Japan appears to be a Buddhist country, but there are many people who say they are not religious, do not like religion, and believe that Christianity is a foreign god and that there is no God.
However, even though the Japanese claim that there is no God, they still go to shrines on New Year’s Day, go to shrines when their children are born, visit graves in temples during Obon, and celebrate Halloween and Christmas without Jesus.
In Japan, there is a belief that those who die become Buddhas, and most homes have Buddhist altars.
The Buddhist altar contains photos and Buddhist utensils of deceased family members who offer flowers and food, pray and talk to them while holding folded hands.
Since there is no basis for Christianity in Japan, spreading the Gospel is quite difficult.
Some of the people who contact me through TLR Map are spiritual, but they are also somewhat interested, so I ask questions like: “What do you want to free yourself from. Is this a feeling of guilt?” Disease? Is this a bad habit?”
There is one of our brothers on the street who preaches every week in the station square. First, he walked around the station and called out to people passing by, asking: “I am a Christian. Are there any places on your body that hurt?” He laid his hands on them and healed them, saying, „This is the work of Jesus.” “It’s a miracle,” and then the gospel was delivered.
He then preaches in the square and begins by explaining that everything in this world was created by God, that there is a heaven and a hell, that everyone is a sinner, and that Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross. After a week, we tell them basic things, such as that Jesus died and rose from the dead and that the only way to salvation is by faith in and through Jesus.
It is difficult to lead people to salvation, but in Japan there are people who want to work for Jesus, and the number of people who support them is gradually growing.
I would be happy if you could pray for the opening of the spiritual eyes of the Japanese people and for the salvation of as many people as possible.
We bless you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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