In his pre-council address, "Pushing Back the Darkness - Why, Where, and What It Will Take", Vice President of International Ministries of the C&MA asked this important question:
"If we as the C&MA were to stand before God and He were to ask us, 'Why are over one billion people still without easy access to the gospel?' what would we say? Those people are just not responsive. Too much cost and too high risk for what? They’re just not ready yet.
Lost people matter to God and he wants them found! "
Less than 1% of the Japanese know Christ, their Savior. Holding this nation for nearly 2000 years unchallenged, Satan fiercely defends this territory.
The 126 million people of Japan matter to God. He wants them found.
Japan is among the"least reached" nations of the world - nations where few know the way of Salvation, Jesus Christ. These are nations and people groups which the Alliance is committed to reaching with the Gospel.
“Sunday mornings, you can see people lining up outside of buildings, just waiting for them to open. What are these businesses that have such an excited clientele who will wait to get in and get a prime seat?
Sometimes we feel like we are living in someone else's missionary story. Events brought on by God's leading stun us.
Yesterday we led a Bible study in a farming village called Daiwa Cho, a forty minute drive from home up mountain roads through valleys tiered on both sides with rice fields and mountains covered with pine and bamboo. The drive is breath-taking, but the evangelistic Bible study is awesome.
The Bible study meets in the home of a Christian family. About a third of those who attend are Christians. The other two-thirds are not just non-Christians; until now these Buddhists and Shintoists have never heard the gospel before.
Gospel Singer, Ray Sidney, leads a workshop for the Alliance Gospel Choir
"What is sin?", asks a choir member after singing "O Happy Day."
"Black Gospel", as it is called here, became the craze after the movie Sister Acthit the shores of Japan some years ago. Today, young people love to sway and sing Gospel hits.
Alliance missionaries are taking advantage of this interest by teaching not only the music, but also the meaning of the GOSPEL they are singing. Choirs around Japan practice for several months and then perform joint concerts, complete with a live band and professional Gospel singers from the States and Japan. The newest choir started this Spring, with 80% non-Christians.
The Japan Alliance Mission shares the gospel and makes disciples
in order to plant multiplying missionary churches.
Japan Alliance Mission 2-36-3 Higashi Tokorozawa, Tokorozawa-shi, Saitama-ken 359-0021
