Author: RCCM

My heart is burdened for Okayama and many other areas affected by floods in West Japan. Pastor Ryuji Saito of Kibi Covenant Church in Okayama had shared online about an effort to collect towels and distribute them in flood-affected areas. When we heard about it, we sent them 3 boxes of towels. I heard that, in response to his call, various churches within our Japan Covenant denomination sent a total of 20 boxes of towels. What is required in each emergency varies from situation to situation, but from here on we hope to be prepared to meet the needs that arise. Below, I would like to share an excerpt of

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. We are entering the final section of 1 Kings, which is about King Ahab, the worst king in Israelite history, and the prophet Elijah. Today’s passage is short and will introduce these two main characters. I would like to talk why Ahab was considered the worst king and what Elijah represents. From both characters, I would like to share reflections on the idea of suffering and how we can respond to hard times. Let’s pray. [Read 1 Kings 16:29-17:1] Ahab So why does the writer of 1 Kings think that Ahab is the worst king

By Pastor Shoichi Ino I never expected to visit the country of Finland, but this year I had an opportunity to do so for the first time. On invitation by the North American Covenant Churches, I visited Finland from April 2 to 8. A seminary of the Finnish Evangelical Free Church had invited representatives from the American Covenant Churches to speak on the subjects of church revitalization and pioneer evangelism. Local pastors and seminary students attended the lecture. Representatives from the Japan Covenant Churches were invited too, and we sent 3 Japanese pastors to discover if we could apply lessons from the lecture in the Japanese church context. In a

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By Pastor Shoichi Ino When preaching, a pastor shoulders the great responsibility of conveying God’s word, entrusted to him by God. He reflects deeply on the words of Scripture and makes it easy for the congregation to understand. I’d like to share something I read in The Supremacy of God in Preaching, a book by John Piper, about 5 steps the writer tries to keep in mind when preaching: APTAT. Piper asks for the help of the Holy Spirit by offering an “APTAT” prayer. A – ADMIT: I recognize that without you, Lord, I am nothing. P – PRAY: So, Father, I seek your help. Please grant me the insight,

From a sermon series on 1 Kings by See Huang Lim, a missionary at IBF. Intro Today we will read 1 Kings chapter 13, to continue our series on 1 Kings. Chapter 13 contains a rather strange story and a warning. Before reading, let us pray. [Read 1 Kings 13] A strange story Welcome to the strange world of Old Testament stories. You probably have several questions buzzing in your mind. The writer doesn’t give many answers; he simply records the events that happened. But a few things are clear. First, the story begins and ends with King Jeroboam. Second, the writer often repeats this phrase: “the word of the

In 2018, let us continue to be servants of Christ in our churches, homes, and the places we are sent to. During the first worship service of January, I spoke on the Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). God our Father desires that we repent and return to Him even if we lose our way. May we have the heart of the Father and share the good news with many. Happy New Year, Pastor Ino. Last year’s Candlelight Service in Dec 2017: Bells performance during the Candlelight Service: