So, in case people were starting to think I’d backslidden because I haven’t been at church for so long, its ok, I’m just still in Japan. If you want to see some photos, check out my facebook. Everything’s going really well, and im still learning a lot – heaps of stuff for us to try and do! It’s Golden Week here (basically a week long public holiday!) which has been great, because it’s given me some time to think about what I’ve got from being here. I don’t want to spoil my messages when I get back, but one think I’ve been seeing a lot in JLH, and thinking about, is joy. How we are called to live in joy, regardless of circumstance, and how amazing life is with Jesus. Nehemiah 8:10 says “the joy of God is your strength” (MSG) It’s not our circumstance, but God’s joy inside of us.

Honestly, I’m in Tokyo! Probably the coolest city on the planet (at least that I’ve been to) and I’m here because I’m serving God with my life. Who knows where I’d be if I wasn’t, probably at work somewhere not going overseas, learning, growing, having heaps of fun. I was riding around where we live today on a friend’s bike (not a cool fixie – a sketchy fold up thing, but still fun) and it’s a beautiful day, and im in Japan! How good is God?!

I love David’s joy in Psalm 139 (MSG) “Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
you formed me in my mother’s womb. I thank you, High God—you’re breathtaking! 
Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
I worship in adoration—what a creation! You know me inside and out, 
you know every bone in my body; 
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
The days of my life all prepared 
before I’d even lived one day. Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful! 
God, I’ll never comprehend them! I couldn’t even begin to count them— 
any more than I could count the sand of the sea. 
Oh, let me rise in the morning and live always with you!”

So I guess my post today is just an encouragement. Don’t take for granted how amazing your life is! Even when circumstances don’t look good, you’ve got this incredible grace and favour from God, the creator of the universe loves you and calls you by name! that’s a huge thing, and something worth remembering everyday. It’ll change the way you look at what’s going on, and for me, help you to learn to have joy in every situation. Im not talking about being fake, there are times when we don’t feel happy. But I think joy is different to that, it’s something you choose to put deep inside of you, and is replenished by God.

Lewis, one of the guys here, made up a Japanese word last week, so I’m gonna steal it. ‘sugenki’. It’s a combination of sugoi (great, fantastic) and genki (happy, good – it’s like what you say when someone ask’s how you are going) So he was talking about being the most ‘sugenki’ people around, because of the joy we have inside of us. I don’t want to go into to much detail, because I think this is my explosion message when I get back. You’ll just have to come and listen for yourself

Much love to everyone,

Andrew

P.S. if you just read the youth site, Japan number 1 and 2 are on the main church site blog..