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September 30, 2005
Your Importunity Is God's Opportunity
One of the spiritual principles of life that we see illustrated over and over again in the Bible is the idea that Satanic attacks can always be expected during times of great blessing. When David became king over all Israel, the Israelites' mortal enemies, the Philistines, attacked (II Sam. 5:17ff). At the beginning of His public ministry, the Son of David, Jesus Christ, received baptism in the Jordan River and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him like a dove. He then went into the wilderness, where he was severly tempted by the Devil (Matt. 3:13ff). Similar attacks also come to people when they begin to follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And, it recently happened to us here at Harvest Time.
During the time when I was recently in the U.S. (beginning of September), we received notice from Chiba Television that they would stop broadcasting our program as of the end of September. This was a real shock to me. The fact that it was so sudden, I suppose, is what made it so surprising (we've been broadcasting with Chiba Television for all 19-and-a-half years of our existence). When I asked them for an explanation, I was told that it was due to a general re-organization of their programming structure. It's quite a mystery to me as to why something like this came on so suddenly, but the reality is that we're using their airwaves and we basically have no say in the matter.
As I thought this over, I could visualize the faces of our viewers on Chiba Television. All within a short span of time, I began to feel a flood of emotions -- shock, discouragement, a desire to cry out to God, and even the tug of a new vision that began to form in my heart. It seemed as if our Enemy (Satan, the Enemy of God) had grown frantic to crush Harvest Time. Yet, in that very moment, new strength and vision was given to me. Even with this hard news, I knew we wouldn't just be sitting around and licking our wounds. In fact, I was sure we'd be rising up in faith to move on. As I thought about these things, joy and eagerness returned. And here's the plan I came up with:
There will come a time when it will no longer be possible to share the Gospel. The "now" that we live in still offers us the opportunity to do so and we want to make the most of it. This incident has made me see this as never before. We ask that you would continue with your support for this ministry and we thank you for your past faithfulness.
- Currently, our program airs on the SkyPerfecTV! satellite service at 7 p.m. Mondays, ch. 216. I want to promote this even more than we have in the past. This is one of the free channels on satellite, so a visit to your local electric appliance store to get the antenna, decoder and basic service started would be an easy way to watch Harvest Time. We're currently talking with SkyPerfecTV! about the possibility of adding a Sunday evening broadcast, as well.
- I'd like to expand our Monthly Video Service (four programs that air during the month, dubbed onto one VHS tape and mailed to subscribers) to include a DVD version. To encourage as many people as possible to subscribe, we'd like to offer these for ¥1,000 per month, plus shipping (tax included). The VHS version would contine to sell for ¥2,000 per month. For any of you who might be interested in our programs on DVD, I urge you to order a subscription.
- We also want to begin Internet TV broadcasts. In the near future, I'd like to make some of our past Harvest Time programs available for viewing on-line at our website. We'll also be preparing some of my monthly "Getsureikai" meeting messages as audio files that can be accessed on-line.
Now, I'm happy to tell you that there's more to this story. After I came to the conclusions above, I made an appointment to meet with the Chiba Television officials at their head office in Tōkyō last Thursday afternoon (9/22) and make one more appeal to extend our contract. And something amazing happened.
This response had seemed highly unlikely when I left for Tōkyō, so you can imagine how surprised I was. Yet, I shouldn't have been. The key to victory in life is not the right set of plans or the best strategy. It really has to do only with one's ability to depend upon God. Through personal fellowship with God, one can receive wisdom and power for all the challenges of life. King David obtained the secret of victory through prayer and so can we. The obstacle that appeared to be an "importunity" for us, was actually God's "opportunity" to further His purposes in our lives and in the world.
- They agreed that we could continue with things as they are until the end of March, 2006. Hallelujah!
- Until then, they would re-evaluate and consider continuing our broadcasts after that, though our broadcast time-slot is likely to be changed (we currently air on Saturdays at 9:30 a.m.).
Now, with this great new development, I need your help in getting the word. At our September "Getsureikai" meetings and also in our October newsletter, I announced that the Chiba Television broadcasts would cease at the end of September. Would you please let the folks around you know that those broadcasts will be continuing? And, for those of you who live in the Chiba Television viewing area (and JUST those of you who do), we need you to write them and ask them to continue airing our program after March of next year. The address is:
We can't tell what Chiba Television will eventually do. However, we still plan to implement the projects I listed above. And, I've got a feeling that something wonderful is going to happen! We covet your prayers. Shalom to you and yours in Y'shua's precious name.Chiba Television
1-1-25 Miyako-machi
Chūō-ku, Chiba-shi
Chiba-ken 260-0001
Kenichi Nakagawa
Posted by HarvestTV at 10:41 PM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2005
How to Keep from Getting Discouraged
It seems these days that there are a lot of folks that are dealing with disillusionment in their lives. You'll find others, as well, who routinely become discouraged, as if by force of habit. So, what's the difference between those who live life to the fullest and those who don't?
Dr. Jerome Frank of Johns Hopkins University has written something interesting about that. What he had to say brought it all into focus for me. Almost everybody tends to have preconceived notions, he said, about life, God, oneself, others -- virtually everything. For folks whose premises match up with reality, their lives are comparatively happy and they adjust well to their suroundings. However, he continued, if their life premises don't mesh with reality, they tend to live chaotic lives filled with anger and/or despair.
So, are your "life premises" realistic? For the Christian, I believe the following two points to be extremely important.
At Harvest Time, we are almost daily assailed by unexpected situations. If we were to restlessly deal with only the visible circumstances, we would very much be like a small boat tossed about in a raging ocean. However, if our perspective is based upon the idea that the Lord is at work for our good in any circumstance, then it's best to keep moving forward -- which is just what we do.
- Not only should we base our life premises upon reality, but they must also be expressive of hope in God. The Christian lives in a world where personal effort alone is not enough. What kind of balance we strike between reality and our faith greatly impacts both our faith and our spiritual well-being. If we pay attention only to reality, our lives become tedious. On the other hand, clinging to unrealistic hopes and mistaking that to be faith results in disillusionment.
- Another important thing is one's response to circustances when events don't turn out as expected. Especially in the case of an unforeseen tragedy, how you deal with events, to a large extent, determines how you live your life. A Christian is at once concerned about discovering God's plan at work behind the scenes in any event. If you believe that all things are working together for your good (Rom. 8:28), then new power rises up within you. If things don't work out as you'd planned, then abandon your own plans and learn to move forward, trusting God's guidance. That is the best way to protect your emotional life from discouragement.
Two weeks ago when I was in Los Angeles, we were holding two of what we call our "Harvest Celebration" evangelistic meetings. The special music guest that we had invited came down with a sore throat and couldn't attend. However, God blessed those meetings far beyond our expectations. On that Saturday, a well-known flamenco guitarist came to the meeting and, on the spur of the moment, came up and led our praise time. On Sunday, a musician from Venezuela, who had played flute on the soundtrack for the movie, The Passion of the Christ, was there and rushed up to help us out.
In whatever circumstance of life, we can experience the wonder of God's unseen "Hand of Providence" in our lives. I pray that you, as well, might find the peace of His provision in every circumstance of your life. In wrapping up things for this week, I'd like to encourage anyone who has ever been on one of our Harvest Time Holy Land tours to join us in welcoming our Israeli tour bus driver, Yossi Dadon, and his wife on their first trip to Japan. We'll have a reception for them on September 19th at the Aogaku Kaikan in Tōkyō's Shibuya Ward. There are still some seats left, so contact us if you'd like to join us. Rich blessings and "Shalom" upon you in Yeshu's precious name!
Kenichi Nakagawa
Posted by HarvestTV at 06:22 PM | Comments (0)
September 08, 2005
The Secret to Mikuni Restaurant's Success
Two years ago, we did a program that featured the folks at Mikuni Restaurant in Sacramento, California, and it got a big response from our viewers. I was back in Sacramento last week and part of the reason for going was to shoot a follow-up program about their work. We did just that and I'd like to share with you what we found.
We'll be airing this program in October, so we hope you'll be looking forward to it. In wrapping up this time, there are a couple of items I'd like to call your attention to. First, the September issue of Israel Today is on sale now. It's all about the Gaza pullout, so I'd urge you to get a copy for yourself (Japanese readers can get them from us at this link and English readers can go here to order). And we've also completed a DVD version of Dr. Kazuko Andō's "Evolution or Creation?" seminar we hosted in July. If you or someone you know is interested in watching this fascinating presentation, contact us for a set (Japanese-language only). That's it for this week. Rich blessings upon you all in Yeshua's precious name!
- Prior to this trip, we planned and promoted what we were calling "The Story of Mikuni Restaurant Tour," a three-night, four-day journey through Southern California. The purpose of the tour was to learn the secrets of Mikuni's success. Including Harvest Time staff members, there were 13 of us. We traveled in two minivans from Torrance, near L.A., and got to Sacramento after about an eight-hour drive. We started each morning with a time of devotions and, overall, it was very much like one of our Holy Land tours.
- When we were there two years ago, Mikuni had grown from one restaurant location to three. This fall, their fourth location wil open for business and the fifth one is now under construction. They've even selected the site for a sixth location. Mikuni has miraculously grown and is expanding. It was an amazing thing to see.
- Undoubtedly, the main reason for Mikuni's success is the faith of owner and pastor Kōki Arai and his wife, Komichi. However, in the course of our investigations, we discovered another reason: the wonderful bond between parent and child.
Their oldest son, Tarō, showed us around the construction site for location number five and I was able to have this conversation with him.Tarō, just watching you, I can tell that you just really love your parents.
That's true. Sometimes I worry about whether I'm giving my folks the respect they really deserve while they're still alive, so I try to do all I can for them every day.
What kind of influence did you get from your father?
Rather than just words, I've learned about action from my father. He's truly a man of faith. Even now, when I ask him what he thinks I ought to do in a certain situation, he always says, "Just go for it!" I grew up with a Dad like that looking over my shoulder.
And what have you learned from your mother?
My mother is such a loving person. I've seen her take care of so many handicapped folks. Even now, serving others is one of her greatest joys. I've picked up that attitude from her. That's really what the service industry is all about.- Right after I finished talking with Tarō, his mother, Komichi, chimed in and began to share some of their background with us. When they first came to California (about 20 years ago), they were trying to raise three children and were very poor. It was a hard time for them. The kids went to school every day, but it was a real struggle to come up with lunches they could take with them. She broke into tears as she described the happy times the kids enjoyed as they overcame their problems together. As the tour members listened, they started to cry, too. After that, we all sang praises to the Lord and prayed together. The construction site had suddenly turned into a sanctuary.
- While we were learning the secrets of their restaurant business success, it seemed like we were also picking up on the essence of what family education is all about. The most important reason Mikuni has been successful is because the Arai family has become one in Christ. Pastor Arai made this comment: "If a family can join hands together, I don't think there's anything they can't do. That's how we've made it this far." Indeed, their lives are a powerful testimony to the truth of that statement.
Kenichi Nakagawa
Posted by HarvestTV at 10:48 PM | Comments (0)
September 01, 2005
Reading the Undercurrent of the Age
If you look up the word "undercurrent" in the dictionary, you find this definition: "a current below the surface, a hidden tendency of opinion or feeling" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). Japan's next general election will be held on September 11th and it just may be the means by which we get a glimpse of the "undercurrent" of the times in which we live.
Personally, I find this election to be an extremely interesting one, despite the pathetic reporting "drama" being played out by the Japanese media. And by "interesting," I mean that it's something which is firing up interest in me. Prime Minister Junichi Koizumi has tailored the election to revolve around the issue of privatizing the postal system. The campaign fight, of course, is developing as another classic showy production. The pundits who've been tagging it as "Koizumi Theater," I think, are pretty much right on the money.
However, I think it'd be a mistake to write this off as just another dog-and-pony show. In my opinion, this one may tell us more about where we're going than elections in the past.
- It's been 60 years since the end of the Pacific War and this is the first election in which "policy" has become a real issue. Even though privatization of the postal system is the special focus of the debate this time, there are actually other issues being discussed along with it. And the Prime Minister's focus has resulted in a good number of easy-to-understand policy debate charts showing up in the media. As a result of this election, Japan's political system is showing that it's just not able to stop the rush into an era where people and parties are chosen on the basis of their stated policies.
- What has become the "election process" over the course of the past 60 years may well be completely undone with this election. This is also tied to an undoing of the supporting structures that have hitherto bound citizens and their government together. This time, a good number of newcomers and women, especially, are being supported for office. Included among these are a large number of very capable people. In the election process as we've known it, we've not seen this large a number of new faces make their debut into the world of politics. We're now witnessing a power shift in the political world, as the old gives way to the new. It's quite possible that the ruling Liberal Democratic Party itself has already become something other than what it's always been.
- This election may determine whether Japan's political system will be a true multi-party system or not. In the long-run, I'd welcome a multi-party system. Creating a system that enables the smooth transfer of political power is a path that puts the kind of pressure on government that's needed to overcome the "inertia" of an entrenched bureaucracy. And it wisely keeps political corruption to a minimum. With this in mind, I think we need to watch this election and see which party will most skillfully present a viable future for Japan without downplaying the particular focus of the current campaign.
During the latter half of the 1980s, a leader by the name of Mikhail Gorbachev came onto the scene in the Soviet Union. By using terms like Glasnost ("Openness") and Perestroika ("Restructuring"), he promoted freedom and democracy. By hoisting the flag of "new thought" diplomacy, levels of conciliatory negotiation with the West started to develop -- something that was 180° different from that which had been before. Gorbachev, of course, was the unwitting instrument through which the old Soviet system met its demise. Creating a new system, however, required a new leader.
It seems to me that there may, indeed, be some similarities between Prime Minister Koizumi and the General Secretary Gorbachev of the late '80s. The Prime Minister is in the process of tearning down Japan's old system. However, I don't believe that he's the man that can re-draw Japan's future. Who or what party will be the one to do that? This is the first election in which we as citizens must seriously take on the task of figuring that out. You might even say that this election is a kind of training course for us in learning to recognize what a democratic system is all about. Of course, that's really the case in every election, but this one, especially, is critical in that respect. It's definitely no time to stay at home and leave the voting to someone else.
Finally, I'd like to add that I've been in the Northern California area of the U.S. all this week for some TV program production work and some ministry opportunities. I especially covet your prayers for our "Harvest Celebration" meetings this weekend in the Los Angeles area. There will be two gatherings that will provide a great opportunity to share the Gospel with many lost friends and family members of our viewers in the U.S. Pray with us for abundant blessing upon the meetings and for my safe return home. God willing, I'll be back in Japan on September 6, busily preparing for our regular studio tapings on the 15th. I hope you've all had a great summer. May our Lord's richest blessings be upon each of you in Y'shua's precious name. Shalom!
Kenichi Nakagawa
Posted by HarvestTV at 10:40 PM | Comments (0)