❖ Video ❖ Audio The Lord is Our Help and Shield Psalm 115 Andy Nagahara In this week of Easter Sunday, typically I bring a message from a chapter of the gospel, putting aside the general topics. Interestingly however the series from Psalm suits the context of Easter very well. Thus we continue reading Psalm, and today’s chapter is 115.  A. To whom does the glory belong? (1-3) 1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. 2 Why do the nations say, “Where is their God?” 3 Our God is in heaven; he does whatever pleases him.  “…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Why Doesn’t God Take Away Our Suffering? Luke 22:31-34 Mari Ikeda Today is called Palm Sunday, a week before Easter, and this week is Passion Week. It is a time when we should think again about the death and resurrection of Jesus, but preparing for this message was a bit difficult. That’s because I have been doubting God for some time now. I felt like God was not doing anything about my personal suffering and the many tragic things that are happening in this world, including Ukraine. While I was in the midst of suffering that I wanted to disappear right now, I had no idea…

❖ Video ❖ Audio From My Egypt to My Israel Psalm 114 Andy Nagahra 1 When Israel came out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion.3 The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back;4 the mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs.5 Why was it, O sea, that you fled, O Jordan, that you turned back,6 you mountains, that you skipped like rams, you hills, like lambs?7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,8 who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Even When People Repeat Their Mistakes… Romans 11:25-36 Mari Ikeda      Today we finally come to the last part of Romans 11, the last of the difficult parts of the book of Romans. Scholars have different opinions on how to interpret this passage, and what I am going to share with you today is just one interpretation. But one thing is certain: Paul believed in the salvation of the Jews. Paul believed that no matter how many times man repeats the same mistakes, God’s mercy is poured out on man without ever changing.      To find out why Paul was so convinced, we shall…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Hallelujah Sandwich Psalm 113 Andy Nagahara 1 Praise the LORD. Praise, O servants of the LORD, praise the name of the LORD. 2 Let the name of the LORD be praised, both now and forevermore. 3 From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the LORD is to be praised. 4 The LORD is exalted over all the nations, his glory above the heavens. 5 Who is like the LORD our God, the One who sits enthroned on high, 6 who stoops down to look on the heavens and the earth? 7 He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the…

❖ Video ❖ Audio The Prejudice of Faith Romans 11:11-24 Mari Ikeda Today’s verse is from Rome chapter 11 verse 11-24. The theme is about prejudice by faith. Don’t we sometimes look down on others by believing that I who know Christ is right because Christ is right? Today’s verse asks such a question to us. From verses 11 to 15. A. Those of faith judging those without faith (11-15) 11 Again I ask: Did they stumble so as to fall beyond recovery? Not at all! Rather, because of their transgression, salvation has come to the Gentiles to make Israel envious. 12 But if their transgression means riches for the…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Blessed Are Those Who Seek Justice Psalm 112 Andy Nagahara Today’s text, Psalm 112 is the same as the previous one, with each line arranged in the order of the Hebrew alphabet.Following the 111, which sings in praise of God’s justice and closes with the importance of fearing the Lord, the 112, which begins with the fear of the Lord and sings of the blessings of those who do God’s justice, is a continuation of the same theme, but it is sung with a focus on human beings who follow God rather than God himself and is considered to be by the same psalmist.　First, let’s read…

❖ Video ❖ Audio The Faith That God Left for Us Romans 11:1-12 Mari Ikeda      Starting today, we are going to read Romans 11 in three parts. The book of Romans, up to this chapter 11, is a theological explanation, and from chapter 12, it starts to give practical advice to the believers. So, this chapter 11 is the conclusion of the theological explanation. (In other words, the hard part is just around the corner.) Let’s read it through. First, from verse 1 to the first sentence of verse 2. A. Even among those who reject God 1. Paul himself as proof (1-2a) 1 I ask then: Did…

❖ Video ❖ Audio Where There is No Justice, There is No Love Psalm 111 Andy Nagahara The psalms we will be reading this time and the next have the unique feature that in the original text, the first letters of the words at the beginning of each line are arranged in the order of the Hebrew alphabet. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew language. So, there are 22 lines in this psalm, except for the first line, “Praise the Lord!”. Although its format is not reflected in English or Japanese, there are important details that can help us understand God’s thoughts toward us. A. The justice that God…

❖ Video ❖ Audio The Responsibility to Believe, Rejoice, and Never Give Up Romans 10:14-21, Acts 2:43-47 Mari Ikeda      Today we are going to read the second half of Romans 10. The last part of our previous reading said that anyone who believes in the Lord will be saved, and this left us with the question, “then, will those who do not believe in the Lord perish?” The answer to this question is “No.” There is no teaching in the Bible that says you will go to hell if you do not have faith while you are alive. Nevertheless, the question of what differentiates those who have faith…