33. Aren’t You Afraid In This House?
“Lord, thou hast
been our dwelling place in all generations.” (Psalms 90:1)
Upon moving into my rental house in the town of Matsuida, Japan on
the 1st of August 1978, immediately neighborhood children started “flocking
out”. (To the best of my knowledge, at that time, no other Caucasian lived in
this town. I was certainly a rare commodity, a sight to be seen!) Each time
children popped in, I would teach them about Jesus, and then play (with them)
the games they wanted to play. I was somewhat astonished that several different
children would ask me, “Isn’t this house scary?” “Aren’t you afraid to live in
this house?”
I would reply ‘No’, but it puzzled me as to why that
matter was so heavily on their minds. Months later, I found out. A
neighbor Japanese adult related the following story to me.
An elderly Japanese couple had this house built for them to live
in (in their old age). But not too long after moving into their new house, they
each died one after the other, just a few months apart, I think. Because those
2 elderly Japanese were “devout” Buddhist and thus carried on the customs of
worshipping Buddhist idols in this house (and because of the Buddhist rituals
carried out by that “priest” as each of them “lay in state” in this house,
those demons behind those devilish religious customs had
made this house into a stronghold nest of theirs, dwelling here.
Sometime after the 2nd person of that elderly couple
died, their grown daughter put this house up for rent (shortly before I came to
Matsuida). When a Japanese family rented the house and moved in, the demons
soon started harassing them, plenty fearfully. Often at night, the
demons would literally shake this wood frame house. On one or more occasion,
the shaking became so violent that the pajama-clad family fled out into the
street, fearing that the house would collapse onto them. Neighbors close by (aroused
by the ruckus) came around to gawk and talk. So the
tale of that happening spread like wildfire thru this close-knit, crowded,
nosey, gossipy neighborhood and town. Most everyone around knew about this “haunted
house”.
Because they could not live in peace in this house, those renters
moved out (fleeing the wrath of those demons). The owner (daughter of the
deceased couple) put the house up for sale, wanting to be rid of the haunted
house. A Japanese man (living in nearby Takasaki City) bought the small, cheap
house, thinking he or his relatives might use it in the future. When I asked if
I could rent it, I knew nothing about the previous renters’ battle with
demons in the house. The new owner is most happy to rent it to me to get my
monthly rent money. So now, this gossipy community is talking → “That foreigner moved into that haunted house!” “I wonder
how soon he will flee from the ghosts?” They were holding their breathes,
waiting for the next “house shaking” to happen.
As I write this story in the Summer of 2020, I have lived in this
same house for 42 years. Upon moving into this house, I soon climbed up thru
the narrow passage in a closet ceiling to tear away the papers wrapped around
the highest timber in the attic. Then I took those papers out into my tiny yard
and burned them. I had observed (elsewhere) the Buddhist performing the customary
ritual when the wood frame and roof had been built for a new house. One part of
that ritual was attaching these “Buddhist papers” to that “ridgepole” under the
roof. So I made sure to remove that writing of lies,
burn it, and then open my Bible inside the house to read Psalms 90 and 91 aloud,
and to sing aloud “Power in the Blood”. Christ Himself is my
Dwelling Place.
“Our Lord Jesus Christ…who is the blessed and only Potentate,
the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in
the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can
see; to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen.” (1st Timothy 6:14~16)
I praise God that Our Lord Jesus Christ dwelleth in light. Friend, do not be dismayed because that Scripture tells us that it is light that no man can approach unto. Keep the following Scripture in mind also.
“But if we walk in the
light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the
blood of Jesus Christ his son cleanseth us from all
sin.” (1st John 1:7)
“Lord Jesus Christ, I praise Thy High and Holy
Name that Thou art the Light of the world. Please enable me to submit my
life fully unto Thee, for Thee to always guide me to walk in
Thy Light. I pray this for the many Japanese idol worshippers around
Missionary Richard, who live in gross spiritual darkness and in fear of demons.
Please shine God’s Marvelous Light into their darkened hearts, and by
Thy Light guide them to trust in Thee as their Saviour. By Thy Unlimited
Almighty Power, Lord Jesus, please fight for them to set them free from Satan
and all demons. Please daily Shield, Guard and Protect
Missionary Richard as he lets Thy Divine Light shine in that spiritually dark
land of many idols and strong satanic power. Amen!
Richard Yerby (Matsuida,
Japan) www.Christ-is-all.us