32. NO OTHER gods ARE LIKE THE LORD JESUS
“Among the gods there is none
like unto thee, O Lord; neither are there any works like unto thy works.” (Psalms 86:8)
“Almighty Lord God Jehovah, please thoroughly convince me
that Thou art the One and Only True, Living, Eternal God, and that Thou
art the Creator of all things that were created. Please
convince me that I exist because that Thou didst create
me, and that I need Thy Salvation and Eternal Life far above anything
else. Amen.”
In autumn 1978, a quite well known Matsuida town lady, Mrs. Orimo,
came to my house unexpectedly one morning and introduced herself to me at my
front door. I invited her to come in. Being new in town, I had never before heard of her. But she had heard much about me
from the town folks (especially the children), and she wanted to meet me
because of her interest in English. For several years, she had taught the
English subject in one or more public junior high schools in this locale.
Presently (1978), she owns 2 furniture stores about 7 miles apart
in the densely populated main highway area along here. But her main
pleasure is her own small private tutoring school (cram school) for elementary
and jr. hi kids, teaching them English. She asks me to assist in her classes
just a few times, as a guest “native speaker” (which I gladly do). Also she starts coming to my house weekly for me to teach
her from the Bible in English. I rejoice over that opportunity. She also sent
her son (about 10 years old) to my kids’ English class, a most rowdy boy that
did not behave and soon quit. She and her son lived together. She never
mentioned anything to me about a husband, and I didn’t
ask.
That 1st day she showed up at my house unannounced, she
asked me to teach her the Bible in English, and we set the date and time for
her 1st session (2 or 3 days later). Meanwhile, I prayed up and then
at that set time, taught her several basic important truths
about her Creator God. She listened well, while I spoke for close to 20
minutes. Then, when I finished, she set in teaching me
what had been instilled into her heart down thru the years, relating
to God.
“We Japanese don’t believe that one god is enough…” And she went
on telling me how that they felt that “the more gods, the better”. As she spoke
in that vein, hatred for that deception from the devil welled up inside me. She
went on to tell me (somewhat in a boastful manner) that the Japanese race has 8
million gods (tho they do not have near that many). That is just a boastful “figure
of speech” for the numerous idols the devil teaches them to make, each idol
being the replica of a devil (a demon). And each time any Japanese person
worships one of those idols, it robs our One Creator God of Glory, giving that
glory to Satan instead. It also gives that devil (demon) access to abide
in that place where its image (the idol) is placed and worshipped.
My Praying Christian Friend, please pray for Almighty Jehovah God
in Heaven to set these Japanese idol worshippers free from the many devils and
demons they are worshipping.
I greatly marveled at her “coming back to me”
with that speech, because I had started my Bible lesson with Colossians 3:11,
in particular, the end of that verse which boldly declares for all eternity “but Christ is all, and in all”. After showing her that verse and briefly declaring its greatness
unto her, I soon went on to 1st Corinthians 1:30. “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom,
and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption”.
I preached to her on how wonderful
and necessary to us, each of these 4 things is, and that Christ Himself
is made those things unto us. Not only does He impart them to the Christian
believer, but He Himself IS those things to us.
I finish off this first session with John 14:6, Jesus speaking in
the first person, “I am the way,
the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by me.” I briefly expound
those glorious things that Christ Himself IS. So
you can well imagine that I was disappointed in her response to those
wonderful Scriptural Truths that exalt Jesus Christ ever so highly. (Her
response is 3 paragraphs back, boasting of 8 million gods, against the
One God that I teach. Now that is quite large odds, is it not? Eight million to
One. The Lord Jesus Christ surely is greatly outnumbered, is He not? My blood
is boiling!)
It only took her 2 or 3 minutes to explain that devilish rot and deceit
to me. I patiently waited until she finished, and then placed my right index
finger firmly and directly under Colossians 3:11 in the open Japanese
Bible on the low table between us as we sat on cushions on the straw mat floor.
Remember now, that she had declared to me that they believe that one god is insufficient,
not enough. So with my finger under “ALL” in Colossians 3:11, I kindly ask her a most simple
question, “If you have ALL, is that not enough?” She was silent. She would not
answer my simple question. Well, come on, Lady! Give me the Yes or
No answer that I deserve in this civil conversation that we two are carrying
on, in my own house. Why the silence to this simple question?
“Precious Loving Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ, please enlarge my
heart and my understanding to fully comprehend and fathom the
vast, glorious GREATNESS of this Scriptural Truth, “but Christ is all, and in all”. Please enable me
to make the Lord Jesus Christ my all in all, loving Thee
with all my heart. Please open the blind eyes of the Japanese people to
whom Missionary Richard preaches Christ, to enable them to comprehend that The
Lord Jesus Christ is ALL, the One True God their Creator. Please
turn them from serving numerous idols to trusting in Christ, the One
and Only Saviour for all mankind that Thou Thine Own Self
didst create. Amen!”
Richard Yerby (Matsuida,
Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us