Yokosuka Baptist Church Update

Yokosuka Baptist Church Update
"Worshiping in Spirit and in Truth"
IN OUR UPDATE
In this update we are including some upcoming events, a message from the Pastor, and introducing a new
Sunday school series. There is a section that we will try to put in each month that will be testimonies of
our current or former members. We are most excited about a section for our Japanese members. Rather
than translate a separate newsletter we will be including an encouragement in each of our updates in their
own language. We will be putting that near the bottom of each update.
Please, feel free to forward this update as you see fit to encourage others in their walk with the Lord or to
remind them of what is going on at Yokosuka Baptist Church.
- YBC
"GLORY TO GOD"
On April 14th one of our members, Geronimo A., was not feeling well. He
went to the naval hospital that evening and was diagnosed with
pneumonia. At 3:00am the infection was only getting worse and he was sent
to Kyosai Hospital, a Japanese hospital in the Yokosuka Community. They
put him into a coma, inserted a breathing tube, feeding tube, and later a
chest tube in his side to drain his lungs. Our church started praying for
Geronimo that God would heal him and for blessings upon the doctors. He
was very near death getting only 10% of the air he needed for each
Geronnimo A.
breath. His wife, Jeannie, was very strong through the whole ordeal.
Geronimo was in a coma until the following Tuesday when the infection started to subside. Then he was
back to the naval hospital on Friday, out on Saturday evening to rest at home; but they couldn't keep him
out of church on Sunday. He was visibly weak but wanted to come to the pulpit on Sunday night and give
his testimony of a God who answers prayers. The doctors were amazed when Geronimo came back on the
base because they had never seen a case of pneumonia that severe and expected the worse. While
thanking the doctors for their help, Geronimo told them that his quick recovery was because of the
prayers of his church and that all glory goes to God.
NEW HYMNALS
We are in need of more hymnals at our church. Rather than invest in a few more
copies of the songbooks we have been using for many years; we have decided to
purchase new ones from Bible Truth Music. They are hymnals that have the great
songs of the faith from Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, Fanny Crosby, Ira Sankey,
etc. In addition there are many new songs from the Composers of the 20th Century
such as Garlock, Hamilton, Peterson and Foxx.
Each hymnal will cost $14. We
are asking each of our members to purchase one for each member of their
family. If you would like to contribute to this offering please designate it for
"Hymnals." We will have special offerings taken up on May 16th and June 6th.
UPCOMING EVENTS
This Saturday morning, May 8th, we will be having a Men's Prayer Breakfast at 8:00 am. We will be having
the meeting at the church upstairs.
May 9th, we will be honoring all of our mothers in attendance with a special
gift. We will also be recognizing the oldest mother, youngest mother, and a
special category as well.
May 16th, a special offering will be taken up for new hymnals for the
church. We will also have our YBC Family Fellowship after the evening
service. We will be celebrating May birthdays and anniversaries and enjoying cake and snacks.
Saturday, May 29th the ladies will be enjoying a Day Spa Trip, the cost is 4,300 yen. Please sign up at the
Usher's station below the bulletin board if you plan to attend.
WELCOME TO SEVERAL NEW MEMBERS
Mel & Marily
Mark & Rose
Patrick & Dinah
We are thankful for the many people that have joined over
the last six weeks. We welcome Mark C., whom we mentioned last
month who was saved and baptized into membership; Wade and
Toshie S.(Toshie was saved and baptized); Mel and Marily F. (Marily
was saved and baptized). Also pictured is Mark and Rose G. (Rose
was saved and baptized into membership as well) and Patrick and
Dinah F. who come down each weekend on the train from
Yokohama. These are dear families that we look forward to
ministering to and serving with.
Wade & Toshie
YBC Discipleship Series
During our Sunday school hour we have been having a wonderful time
going through the YBC Discipleship Series. We have started with our
first set of studies on "Effective Bible Study." These lessons are
designed to help our young Christians and mature Christians alike to
understand why God's Word is so important to us and how we can learn
to study it effectively. Many people struggle with their Bible reading and study because they do not have
the basic understanding of how they should come to it. We have six more lessons to go, don't miss
out. Oh, don't forget that the adult class has a light breakfast and coffee prepared every Sunday morning
at 9:50 am. Come join us for the fellowship and teaching.
PASTOR'S THOUGHTS
Isaiah 53:6 says "All we like sheep have gone astray;..." There is a danger for every sheep that is in the
fold of God to go astray. When we go astray it means we are outside the bounds of habitation that the
Good Shepherd intended for us. It means to go in a way that is not according to His will.
Shepherds would lead their sheep to good pastures where they could be fed and be safe from danger. We
too need to makes sure we stay in good pastures - God's pasture. Here are two key points about staying in
God's pasture.
PUT UP SOME FENCES IN YOUR LIFE
People don't like fences or boundaries in their lives; yet the Bible has a clear set of guidelines that we are
to live by. We need to set up fences that are based on Biblical principles. God gives us the guidelines,
but we set up the fences for ourselves. It is dangerous when we do not set up fences because we often
will without thought cross out of the pasture of God's will and blessing.
Fences are important for three reasons:

Fences are for our protection - they keep the evil out.

Fences set up the bounds of habitation - they tell us where we can safely roam.

Fences identify us - they tell who we belong to.
For instance, the Bible says that drunkenness is a sin (Proverbs 23:30-35). Therefore I will set up some
guidelines that will protect me from this sin of drunkenness. Some examples of fences would be: I will not
drink alcoholic beverages; I won't have them in my house; I won't go to bars or night clubs (there are many
principles as to why these are wrong). I won't hang out with people who are going to do such things; if I
must go to a military function where it is served, I certainly won't bring my family and will leave at the
earliest opportunity. Why, because I don't want to get out of the will of God. I may have a moment of
weakness, but if I am on the right side of the fence I will not be near the sin and therefore not partake of
it. Many Christians have fallen into sin because they were near sin at a moment of weakness.
Self-imposed fences will help keep us from sinning against our Lord, not to mention will identify us with
him.
But we also need to:
STAY CLOSE TO THE SHEPHERD
Even when people set up fences in their lives they still need to learn that danger lurks near to the
fence. The best place to stay is in the center of the pasture, near the Shepherd. When we stay by the
Shepherd we are:

Staying close to His Word - the Bible

Staying close to His Bride - the local church

Staying close to His Heart - witnessing to the lost and
serving others.
When we lurk near the fence (which is away from the Bible,
Church, and God's service) we are longing for things that are
outside of His will and where danger is found. Don't go there;
stay close to the Shepherd. A good indicator as to how I am
doing as a Christian is to test whether I am lurking near the
fence or am I am staying close to the Savior.
- Mark A. Sage, Pastor
祈ること
たゆみなく祈りなさい。(コロサイ 4:2)
興味深いことに、聖書の中には祈りについての模範と訓戒、また約束の記事が多い。聖書
を開けばすぐに、「そのとき、人々は主の御名によって祈ることを始めた」とおり、また
聖書の末尾には｢アーメン｣という熱心な嘆願がある。祈りの実例はいくらでもある。神と
格闘するヤコブ、日に三度祈るダニエル、心を込めて神を呼ぶダビデなどがいる。山上に
はエリヤがおり、獄中にはパウロとシラスがいる。
祈りの戒めも約束も数えきれないほどある。これが祈りの重要性、必要性を示すものでな
くて、何であろう。神がことばを尽くしてお語りになったことは、私たちの生涯にとって
重要なことである。神が祈りについてこれのど多くのことばを費やしておられるのも、祈
りが私たちにとってどれほど必要であるかを知っておられるからである。
私たちの欠乏はまさに深刻な状態にあるので、天国に入るまで祈りをやめてはいけない。
あなたには何の不足もないというのか。もしそうだと言うなら、あなたは自分の貧しさを
知らないのだ。あなたは神のあわれみを求めなくてもいいのか。もしあなたが求めようと
しないなら、主のあわれみがあなたのみじめな状態を示してくださるように。
祈りのないたましいは、キリストのないたましいである。祈りは信仰の幼子の片言であり、
戦っている信者の叫びであり、臨終の床にある生徒がイエスの中に眠る時の歌である。祈
りはクリスチャンの息であり、合言葉であり、慰めであり、力であり、誉である。
もしあなたが神の子なら、あなたはあなたの父である神の御顔を求め、また父なる神の愛
の中に生きることを望むであろう。この年も、あなたが全く謙遜であり、熱心であり、忍
耐強くあるように祈れ。キリストとの深い交わりに入り、さらにしばしば愛のうたげに加
われ。あなたが他の人の模範となり祝福となり、さらに主の栄光のために生きることがで
きるように祈れ。この年の標語は、「たゆみなく祈りなさい」でなければならない。
C.H。スポルジョンの朝ごとにから
Yokosuka Baptist Church
Contacts us:
Mark A. Sage, Pastor
(046) 823-4654
27-6 Ogawacho
www.ybcjapan.org
Yokosuka, Kanagawa 238-0004 Japan
[email protected]