The Bible tells us what the good news (gospel) is: Jesus Christ is the good news! He died on a cross for sinners and then was raised from the dead. He provides the way to salvation for all who believe. This good news is called "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." (Romans 1:16) Now, by putting our faith in Christ, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. (Romans 10:13)

But do you know why this news is good for you? God is wise, so He had good reason for dying on the cross. See, no matter where we go in the world, no matter the country or the culture, people have one common problem: sin! This means you! Sin is very simply breaking God's law. For example, Jesus commanded us to "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength." If we fail to love God with any part of our being for any instant of the day, we have sinned. Jesus is the only One who ever obeyed God with his whole being every moment of His entire life. This is because, Jesus is the exact nature of the being of God!

Because everyone has failed to perfectly obey God, it may not seem like such a problem: we are all in the same boat. That is, until you realize the perfect purity of the One True God. He hates all sin and must destroy it. Just as crime calls for punishment, crime against the eternal God calls for eternal punishment - hell. The Truth is that all people are born into sin, and born into God's wrath. If you do not want to believe that, then believe this: we have all sinned! (Romans 3:23)

But not the Savior! Jesus never sinned. He totally followed all of God's law with his whole being. That is why he can save us. Christians are people who believe in Jesus, and through that faith, God forgives us. Instead of punishment, we receive the goodness of Christ. On Jesus' cruel cross, God allowed His beloved Son to become our hateful sin. We have no work to do for our own salvation; Jesus took care of it for us. It was all settled on the cross. He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30) The Bible tells us simply:

T H E    G O O D    N E W S    I N    J A P A N

Some people have asked me: "Why do you want to force your religion on the people of Japan? Don't they already have their own religion?"

Wow, how do I answer this question? My immediate reaction is to say, "I am not forcing anything on anyone." But this response actually misses the point. I do seek and pray for gentleness, and to obey the Bible's call to respect all men, but a better response has nothing to do with my desires in Japan.

See, I guess it comes down to faith in God. If the God of the Bible is real, then all of those who do not believe in Jesus will go to hell forever. This is a harsh statement. But people who wish to argue this point are not arguing with me or my authority. They are arguing with history's best seller. And since the Bible itself claims to be the inspired word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17), you are actually arguing with God. If this is too great to accept, then I will say that you are arguing with the authors of the Bible - people who practiced and even died for what they preached. They were willing to give their own lives to prove to us that they really meant what they said. How far are you willing to go to contradict them?

Here is the truth:

"I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Jesus - Luke 12:2-5)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (Jesus - John 3:16)

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." (Jesus - John 3:36)

Now, having answered the first part of the question, the second part of the question just falls apart, because, as far as I know, there is no other religion that preaches Jesus as the only way to heaven. The Japanese have only Buddhism, Shintoism, and an arsenal of new religions. I chose the word "arsenal," because all of these religions basically teach God's beloved Japanese people to worship something other than God Himself. Therefore, these religions are just some of Satan's deceitful weapons to lead the people into eternal destruction by causing them to break the first of the Ten Commandments: "Have no other gods before me."

So now, having understood why, my question to the reader is this: why don't you also come to Japan and preach the Good News! (Or send someone to do so?)

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:13-15)

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Jesus - Matthew 28:18-20)

W H Y    J A P A N ?

To best answer the question of why I came to Japan, please read my story on this web site. To answer the question of why Japan needs the gospel, let me try to somehow explain the need.

One of the things I really hate about Japan is the suicide. Did you know that suicide is the number one killer in Japan? Not just businessmen, but a lot of junior high and high school students too. In fact, there are a number of web pages that advertise the best way to kill one's self as well as ads of people who are seeking a suicide partner. A lot of people say this comes from the old Japanese idea that killing yourself is honorable. But do the little kids really think that before they jump in front of a train? If so, then why do they often seek a suicide partner? It seems to me that there might be something deeper than Japanese ethics behind all of this suicide. I will boldly say that it is because many Japanese people see no value or purpose for their life. This leads to self-hatred. Oh, how I love to tell them that their Creator loves them so much that He died for them and that He has a great plan for their life, if they will just believe!

I used to think that Japanese people are quite resistant to the gospel. But no, actually American New-Agers are generally much more resistant. Instead, I am now seeing many openings to preach the gospel and to show them Jesus. It just takes obedience to God and daily abiding in Christ. Then all of the necessary patience and other fruits of the spirit will come (pray for me). In other words, I am looking and seeing that there is a harvest in this country, but we do need more workers. Lord, please send more workers. Amen.

Now for some statistics. It is legal to preach the gospel in Japan. According to Operation Japan, less than .02% of the native population consists of evangelistic believers. Research reports that most baptized believers fall away from Jesus in less than 5 years. It is strange that in such an open and developed country there are less than 2,500 missionaries for its 126 million people. This means about 1 missionary per 55,000 people. Next, one third of the villages in the Kanagawa prefecture have no church at all, but the people of this prefecture are considered to be some of the most open of all the people groups in Japan. I am currently living and working in this prefecture, in a town called Chigasaki.

You can support missions in Japan by going, supporting financially, and by prayer. Please sign up on my prayer chain for this reason, and pray for Japan everyday. We have seen many great things happen in our churches through prayer, so please be a part of it, and pray for Japan for 15 minutes each day. Please click on the prayer section.