Baptismal - Jonathan, Christian Thoughts

In the month of June, 2013, two Baptismal were held at the Devon Church.  Thanks to the Lord God for His blessing to the Devon Church.  The Baptismal was performed for those who believe and accept Christ as God the Lord Savior, and invite Him to their lives.  There is Baptismal water tank under the pulpit of the Devon Church building.

Jonathan was a rascal in his child age, but now he has been helping his mother a lot and taking care of his younger brother.  He is looking forward to go to High School.  Thanks to the Lord God for his decision to take the action of baptismal at his teen age.

Pastor asked Jonathan that he believes the Lord Jesus as God and Savior.  Listening to Jonathan’s answer “yes”, then, Pastor asked Jonathan to talk his testimony.

Jonathan testified that he has been believing Jesus is God of love, and accepted Him in his heart.  Jonathan would be continuously loving Him and people, and spending his daily life to please God.

Pastor asked soon after his testimony, “Will you promise to read the Bible, pray to God, and walk with God?”

Of course, Jonathan answered “Yes!”

Then, Pastor looked at the congregation and asked, “Are you all help Jonathan to walk as Christian, and pray for him?”  Congregation answered “Amen!”

Jonathan has big responsibilities to walk as Christian, but those Congregations also have a big, big responsibilities to help Jonathan.  It is wonderful things and thanking God for praying for one another.

“Jonathan, please come into this tank.”

The first word Jonathan voiced at the time of his first step into the water was “Oh, Cold!”  All the children went around the tank to see what is going on.  Hiroko wondered what thought was in those children’s mind.

Pastor said, “In the Name of God the Father and God only Son Jesus and Holy Spirit, I baptize you,” and put whole body of Jonathan under the water.

Old Jonathan died at that moment, and picked Jonathan up from the water,

and notified to the congregation that new Jonathan was born at this moment.

Congratulation, Jonathan!  May the Lord God, keep you safe Jonathan, from any temptation and let him walk with the Lord God daily.

Jesus received baptismal from John the Baptist, and Jesus left us His commandments before He was ascending to the Heaven

Matthew 28:18-20

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

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Jonathan’s mother and Hiroko sung special music accompany with Pastor’s accordion the morning.

Here is Hillary and Hiroko.  It is bad not seeing Pastor playing accordion.

The song sung was “Fill my Cup, Lord.”  Pastor’s sermon the morning based on the scripture about this Hymn.  Please go to the Devon Church web-site to read the sermon – www.DevonChurch.org

This is the word of the song of “Fill My Cup, Lord”.- another Title “The Woman at the Well”

Like the woman at the well I was seeking
For things that could not satisfy;
But then I heard my Savior speaking:
"Draw from the well that never shall run dry".
(Chorus)
Fill my cup Lord, I lift it up, Lord!
Come and quench this thirsting of my soul;
Bread of heaven, Feed me till I want no more--
Fill my cup, fill it up and make me whole!
(Verse 2)
There are millions in this world who are craving
The pleasures earthly things afford;
But none can match the wondrous treasure
That I find in Jesus Christ my Lord. (Chorus)

(Verse 3)
So, my children, if the things this world gave you
Leave hungers that won't pass away,
My blessed Lord will come and save you,
If you kneel to Him and humbly pray: (Chorus)

These photos were taken by the church friends.  Thanks to Eric and Dr. Wang.

Painting Elsa's Room, Life

Elsa has been smoking in this room for quite a long time, so all the walls and woodwork became dirty and reddish-brown.  So Dan-san decided to paint the room.

 

The top two photos are the dirty walls

These two photos are the best effort to paint by Dan-san and Hiroko.  They painted twice.

These are the necessary things – paint, paint brushes, paint pans, lots of rags, plaster, lots of old newspaper, old sheets, and big plastic sheets

These newer paints wash off with water, so no need to have turpentine to wipe off any more.

All the furniture and things moved to the dining room.

Start to paint

Dan-san asked God to protect him from falling down from the ladder.  He put plaster on the ceiling because the ceiling wall was cracking and pilling.  Now, he would start painting the ceiling, and Hiroko did lower part of the wall.  It took us all day to finish.

But the finishing was not satisfied, so Dan-san bought another can of the same paint and painted twice.

Now, changing the rooms:

Elsa’s bed room is now in the small room by the kitchen.

The room with the just finished paint becomes the computer room.

Well, it is very good.

Hiroko wondered when the paint was discovered.  As usual, Hiroko went in the internet. 

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Paint has been very useful for many ways, cleaning outside and inside walls of buildings, using for decorative ways and advertising ways, preventing leak the water, etc.  After the paint Hiroko has always thought about the Tent made by Israelites under the instructions of Moses.

Those instructions written in the Chapter 24 – 26 of Exodus in the Bible give Hiroko goose pimples with surprising and amazing. The Tent was used by God to meet the people.  God came down to the Tent and talked to Moses and people.  The Tent made with fabrics, thread, woods, gold, silver, iron, bronze, etc.  Hiroko loves to imagine how beautiful the Tent was.  It might truly be the beautiful Tent for God existing in there.

Hiroko looked and found on the Japanese and English Internets about paint, questioning by whom, at where, what year, etc.  Hiroko couldn’t find any of that information on the English Internet.  The most English internet articles mentions that paint has been used at many counties for the long period time.  On the Japanese internet, many articles mention Japanese special paint, Shikkui and Toryo, but Hiroko found one interesting article at the web address www.asahitosou.co.jp/history.htm.  In the beginning of the article at the web-site mentioned that the origin of paint might be in the Bible.  Noah used animal fat to make the Ark, and the fat might become paint.

Thanks to the founders of the paint..  Elsa’s room became very beautiful, now.

Dan-san 80 Year Old B-Day Outing from Lisa

Lisa prepared Arlington Horse Race outing for Dan-san, her father.  It was a very nice day for the outing at the Arlington Horse Race Track.  This outing fee and betting money are Lisa’s B-Day present to Dan-san.  Thanks to Lisa for arranging this outing.

This is Arlington Horse Race Track entrance.  There are not too many flowers around the entrance as used to be. 

Dan-san and his friend are standing in front of the entrance

Horse stables for pacing

Horses that would run in the first race were pacing around.

No. 5 and 6 horses were very good looking horses. 

No. 3 horse Hiroko picked was at there, too.  Which is the best horse to win, No. 3, No. 5 or No. 6?

Ticket counter

Here is the track – This is different than Japanese track.  On the American track horses run counter clock wise.

From the finish line looking up to see the seats in the Grandstand.

Dan-san, Dan-san’s friend Charles, Lisa, Elsa, Elsa’s boy-friend Richard

Lisa’s Dave, Dave’s brother Chris’s family, and Dave’s parents were also there.  Hiroko thought it surely took their photos but they are not in her camera.  Chris’ daughter asked Hiroko to take the photo, so Hiroko might be confused, so Hiroko borrowed their photo from Christmas party photo.

This is the booth Lisa rented.  There is a tv screen to see the race in each booth.  The waitress constantly came to take our order for foods and drinks, and brought it to us.

The first race would be starting. All the horses were coming out to the track and warming up.

Starting point was across the field, so it was hard to see them, so it is nice to have the tv screen on the table.

Here is finish line.  Here comes the first horse.  It was #5.  Dan-san won this race.

Happy Birthday!  Congratulation!

The next race was Turf Race, which means the horse runs on the grass.  3 Turf races out of a total of 9 races were held on that day.

Starting gate was brought to the grass area.

Horses came out and lined up in the gate.

Workers were trying to put horses in the starting gate.

Race was started.  Horses were starting to run.

Now the gate was taken out and the finish line was prepared.

Battery in Hiroko’s camera was worn out.

Everybody stayed until the last race, 9 races.  The first race was started at 3 PM, so the last race was finished at 7:30 PM.

Thanks to Lisa and Elsa, Joyce and Holly for their generous presents for Dan-san to have such wonderful outing.