1. Throw away your idols
Today Japan celebrates the national holiday for elderly people. On this occasion I would like to contemplate the meaning of growing old, by reference to the Bible. In the Old Testament we find expressions which honor aged people, for example: “Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life” (Proverbs 16:31). Or, “The glory of young men is their strength, gray hair the splendor of the old” (Proverbs 20:29). Moreover the Bible compels us to respect the elderly: “Rise in the presence of the aged, show respect for the elderly and revere your God” (Leviticus 19:32). (³¤­…)

1. The First Encounter

Today, we celebrated with the baptism ceremony of a believer, and welcomed a new member into our congregation. Their confessions and testimonies reveal their conviction of God’s love and acceptance of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. They are dedicated to following the Christian path through which they will come to experience a strong faith, while being helped and supported by teachings from the Bible. (³¤­…)

1. Letter to the Nomads - Then and Now

In accordance with the church calendar, we commence today by reading: 1 Peter 2:11-17. The letter claims authorship by the apostle (1 Peter 1:1), but, many interpreters doubt that the apostle was the actual author. It seems the letter was written by Silas, one of Peter’s disciples, and dictated by Peter (1 Peter: 5-12). (³¤­…)

# On the 4th Sunday of every month, Pastor Mizuguchi gives a lecture of reflections upon, “The Sermon on the Mount.” This session today, is the fifth of the series.

The sermon on the mount was a discourse of Jesus recorded by Matthew (chs. 5-7) as having been spoken to disciples and others in the hill country of Galilee in the early part of his ministry. It begins with a group of blessings (the Beatitudes), and then deals with social duties in a series of contrasts between the teachings of Jesus and the ancient legal traditions of the Jews.

1. Concerning AdulteryToday’s lecture from Jesus’ sermon on the mount is

concerning adultery and divorce. There remains many moral views and cultural positions which need to be taken into consideration. The focus of today’s lecture is upon Jesus, and His teachings about these moral issues. The first antithesis is on adultery, Matthew 5:27-30). Matthew himself was Jewish, and the traditional Jewish teaching was that adultery was a sin. (³¤­…)