Our man in Japan

 The mob roared even louder.. Mark 15:14 It's great to have a space to write online. But new tech has created cancel culture, the internet mob. And mob rule is not good. We need wise and courageous leaders in business & politics who will do the right thing, regardless. Noem is not that guy.

 You just want to see the battle! 1 Sam 17:28 King David may have been one of the greatest kings Israel ever had, but it seems his older brother Eliab wasn't a fan..

 Man looketh on the outward appearance, but Jehovah looketh on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7 Poor Maya Angelou. I sold the 4th volume of her remarkable autobiography 'The Heart of a Woman' today to a 2nd hand bookstore in Tenjin for only 5 yen. One of the most famous female African American writers is virtually worthless here in Japan, it seems. It's true my copy was somewhat dog eared and creased, but as we say in English, Don't Judge a book by its cover! We are all guilty of that, though, aren't we?

 How can this man save us? 1 Sam 10:27 Doubt and scepticism is the spirit of the age. And, let's face it, some doubt is healthy and full of common sense. There are scammers about. It is human nature. Some men seek to profit off others unfairly. But is it reasonable to consider the Church merely a scam? No, I don't think so. Christians have been at the cutting edge of social reform and social progress for centuries. Many so called progressives these days scorn church teaching, and regard it as regressive. This is a big mistake. You can't improve upon what is already perfect, and Jesus is the only perfect man to ever live. 

 They have continually abandoned me.. 1 Sam 8:8 Breaks my heart to see rioting in Bristol tonight. The youth of my country have been betrayed by left wing teachers who have abandoned Christ, and we see the results. Police vans set on fire, police stations under seige. And who will go to prison, and lose any chance of a respectable career? Not the classroom Marxists. 

 You have me- isn't that better than having 10 sons? 1 Sam 1:8 It is a mystery to me why Elkanah here isn't the patron saint of unsympathetic husbands. He surely works in that department in heaven? Can't help but like the guy tho. He means well. He is trying. But there is a reason why Hannah is a popular girls' name while Elk never took off for boys...

 I went away full... Ruth 1:21 The immigrant's lot is not an easy one. I'm considerably poorer now than when I arrived in Japan, 21 years ago. For every immigrant success story you read about, there are people like me and like in this Bible passage whose expatriate experience is not quite so pleasant. But in fairness to Japan, I never came here to get rich. Some people do quite well here. Most go back. 

 Samson put his hands on the 2 centre pillars that held up the temple. Pushing against them with both hands, he prayed, "Let me die with the Philistines". And the temple crashed down... Judges 16:29-30a

 So the Philistines captured him & gouged out his eyes. Judges 17:21 I don't know what your life is like, but if you are feeling bad today because of money worries, relationship worries, or someone in your family has died, it is always good to count your blessings. If you are reading this God has blessed you with eyes and an internet connection. It is far from easy to stay thankful at the worst of times, but there really is usually someone worse off than you. 

 Joshua, son of Nun, the servant of the LORD, died at the age of 110. Joshua 24:29 I just heard my cousin died. David, son of Stanley, died at the age of 40 something. Mid forties. May he rest in peace.🥀