hi I have question
Hello. My name is Yuki and my family moved to the USA from Japan in 2005. My family religion is Shinto, but I wish to learn about Christian religion. I want to go to church but I do not know how. Am I to just go on Sunday and sit? That's all for now. Bye!~ ^_^
Yuki - Welcome to the Answers area at CFS.
What I would recommend is that you look in the telephone directory in your area under "Churches". Pay particular attention to those that have small information ad's and carefully examine the ad for a web link. Go to the websites that you locate and read the "mission statement" that most Christian churches provide. This will give you a comparison of various churches, denominations and what they believe and what they teach. As you compare, you will find several different churches that basically teach the same things about Christianity, Christian Beliefs and Christian values. Attend several services at those various churches and see if any are right for you. If you 'feel at home' at any of them, then make an appointment with the Pastor and discuss your personal religious needs and any questions that you may have. After all of these visits and discussions, I'm certain that you will find the right church for you, so you can learn about Christianity and make up your own mind as to how you wish to proceede. May God bless you in your search.
Hi Yuki ! To find Jesus is to find an intimate relationship with the very Living God. There is nothing else like it.
I would recommend getting a bible and reading it. Start in the Book of Matthew and read to the end. The first four books are called Gospels or the good news. These books are where you will see Jesus fulilling prophecy and interacting with lost souls still in need of salvation.
Then comes the Book of Acts which demonstrates the birth of the Church. After this you will find that the rest is a love letter from God Almighty Himself to His people.
Man was created for intimate interaction and fellowship with God, this is the very reason for his creation and nothing else can satisfy a soul. That is why you see so many empty hearts so desperately trying to find satisfaction- all the things the world has to offer can satisfy only for a moment. That seeking soul has finally attained what he was reaching for only to find after a few moments of joy that he is empty again and must seek for something else. What is missing? The Living God. Only He can fill those empty places in a mans souls and only He can give your life purpose and direction.
Here are some links where you can download a great study bible. If you are interested there are even some modules you can download were you can read it in Japanese.
e-Sword - the Sword of the LORD with an electronic edge
e-Sword - the Sword of the LORD with an electronic edge
The Christian walk starts by simply realizing that God is holy and no sin can enter His Holy presence. Man's best efforts are not god enough to enter His presence for God looks deeper than actions and to the very motivations of the heart. So what hope is there for a lost soul? All humans have done wrong and sinned no matter how nice they are. The wages of sin are death so what hope is there?
God sent His beloved son to walk a sinless walk on thsi earth. He was not only able but willing to take the price of all our sin and pay for them in an ultimate act of love. Jesus the sinless lamb of God went to the cross to pay for your sin, my sin and the sin of the whole world.
This is a great treasure and beyond compare. Jesus Christ has now removed all obsticles between man and His loving, holy heavenly Father.
So why doesn't everyone come in?
You could have $1,000,000.00 in the bank and starve to death if you never wrote a check on that account. Here we have the greatest treasure ever offer to mankind but we must avail ourselves of it.
The bible says these things to us about the path to salvation:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
We all have shortcomings, sin and issues that have kept us from God.
Act 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Believe on Christ, confess your sin and lack of ability to be holy in your own strength, believe that Jesus died for your sins, open the doors of your heart and let in this Living God and you will receive New Life.
Rom 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Declare with your mouth that Jesus is your Lord and your God. God will see your heart. He will no longer see the sin that kept you from Him .
When we open our heart to God we do indeed receive new life and just as Jesus took your sins (all that seperate you from God) He gives you a special gift- He gives you His righteousness.
Now when your heavenly Father looks at you He sees the very righteousness of His Son.
He loves you with an infinite and everlasting love. He accepts you the same way He accepts His Son. He loves you the way He loves Jesus Christ, the sinless spotless one.
This is the most incredible journey a human being can undertake. From that moment on God becomes involved in and part of every circumstance and detail of your life.
When blessings come He is there (as the Blessor) sharing your joy and fellowship. When trails come He is there molding you, transforming you and bringing good out of every situation in your life.
When the day comes and it is time to leave this life a Christian enters directly into the presence of His heavenly Father. So you can see that we are blessed in every situation, as a child of the King we cannot loose.
The very fact that you have come here tells me that God is even now drawing you near. His call is the call of love, will you respond?
I look forward to your response and will gladly help in any way I can.
Many blessings, your friend Larry.
That's right. Go about 15 minutes before the service is due to start, and find a spot where you feel comfortable, near the back probably. Sometimes there's someone near the door to welcome people like yourself who are just visiting, as it's quite common for someone to just visit a church once to see what it's like, people who aren't Christians, or who are visiting friends for example. A church service usually lasts about an hour and a half, but at any time you can get up and leave if you feel uncomfortable. Some people leave part way through to go back to work, or parents with small children may leave early. Often a plate or tray or small basket is passed around for people to donate a small amount of money for expenses, called a collection or offering, if this is passed to you, just pass it on to the next person, as a visitor you aren't expected to contribute, and a lot of people don't, anyway. Some churches celebrate communion, in which a small amount of bread and wine (or raspberry juice or similar), is passed around and the people who have committed their lives to Jesus Christ, take a small portion to symbolise that they (we) are all part of one person (Jesus). If this is passed to you, just pass it to the next person, not everyone takes it.Originally Posted by Unregistered
As you probably have noticed there are many different denominations of churches, and, as mentioned in earlier posts, try to find one that believes the Bible is true, and that the way to become friends with God, our creator, is through His Son Jesus Christ.
I hope this helps, and hope also that one day you too will know Jesus Christ.
"...Behold, I have set before thee an open door..." Rev. 3:8
Hi Yuki. You have expressed an interest in learning about Christianity, but Christianity isn't really something Christians promote. You see, we behave as we do because we have been redeemed. I am sure that is a new word to you, but it simply means rescued from our impurities by Jesus. We don't attend Church because we like the Christian philosophy or expect a spiritual or life reward for doing the right things. Christianity is really not even about rituals and conventions and right living. We go to church for one simple reason; we have had a living encounter with the Creator of all things that exist in this universe. In the beginning, the Bible tells us, God (Jehova) created the sun and the moon. The Bible also tells us that every thing and everyone and every spirit is subject to Jesus. And finally, the Bible tells us that there is one Spirit above all spirits and that is the Spirit of God. Christianity is not something to contemplate, but Jesus is. Have you thought about Jesus? If you have, then right where you are just simply ask him to come into your life and give you eternal life and the fullness of His Spirit.
Hi Yuki, My daughter in law is from Okinawa and the first think I did was give her a bible. I would suggest you do is get a bible that is translated in your language and english also. Then I would find a bible believing church. Then start attending on reggular base.
God Bless and May the Lord reveal Himself to you through His written word!
Last edited by Remnant; 12-11-2008 at 10:46 AM.
What would you say to maybe looking in a phone book for someplace you want to try and maybe call that church and ask to speak to someone who is willing to help you with your question. This way, maybe the first time you go to that church you will already know one human and will soon come to know a Spiritual being. Just a thought!
Last edited by Associate Chaplain; 12-21-2008 at 08:59 PM.
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