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The Baptism with the Holy Spirit |
本文「はしがき」から抜粋
| I read the Bible for the first time when I was nineteen years old. During World War II we were not taught English. So after the war, I began to study English from the alphabet at the YMCA English school. I was taught the Bible there. I was very impressed when I read Luke chapter twenty-three verse thirty-four, because the Lord Jesus Christ, who was on the cross was praying for his enemies that God might forgive them.
I made up my mind to preach this supreme love of Christ to the world. God then led me to a Bible seminary.
Just after I entered Tokyo Bible Seminary, I was introduced to a woman who was kind enough to give me a scholarship, though I had not known her at all. In the meantime we have had correspondence and exchanged a photo of each other, so that I could know what and who she was. When I was sophomore, I caught tuberculosis, and I had to go to a sanatorium. During those days, she wrote me once a week or so, and encouraged me. She has become my dear sister in Christ. So we have been a sister and a younger brother in Christ for over thirty-eight years, though we are not able to see each other face to face yet. In October 1978, I began to issue a small monthly magazine, "Friend of the Bible" I wished my dear sister in Christ, Mrs. Bledsoe, could read it, but since she can't read Japanese, I have written the first page in English, so that she could at least read it. I have continued writing the articles for more than twelve years. Now I have collected them and made them into a single book. I have been reading the Bible in English aloud every morning, and these articles are mostly born from morning prayers and meditation. I admit that some articles are often repeated and others sound so similar. I believe that the Holy Spirit is the best gift God wants to give us. May this little book help you who read it to be baptized with the Holy Sprit, and receive the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. Amen. I would like to thank Mr. Jonathan Sims, who is a son of Mr. Harold Sims who introduced me to Mrs. Bledsoe, that he was kind enough to read the articles and corrected mistakes. Since my English is almost all self-taught. I would also like to mention here my daughter, Muneko, "Will-Be" who helped me by typing all the articles. THE AUTHOR MACHIDA, TOKYO, April 23,1991 |
