Exodus

Today's blog post is inspired by a friend. I met Elisse while studying abroad in Kyoto when she showed up one day at our church. Elisse like me, is also a Japanese American and was studying abroad in Kyoto when we met.

In particular, I want to share about her experience with a cult in Japan called Setsuri. Setsuri (also known as Providence) is one of 183,000 cult groups in Japan. They classify themselves as Christian but hold doctrinal beliefs different than that of orthodox Christianity. Their leader is currently imprisoned for sexual abuses against his cult members and the leader's interpretations are commonly considered divine revelation among his followers.

Elisse while searching for a Christian group during her stay in Japan inadvertently became involved with this group. As she later discovered false teaching and the group's true identity, she found it difficult to leave the group as group members pressured her to stay in the group. Her heart broke for the friends she made in the group as she witness firsthand the ways they were led astray from the truth. Her experience helped cultivate a heart for the Japanese in her, and Elisse is also going to intern with Micheal Oh, but for longer than me for a total of 10 months starting hopefully in August. Check out her blog here! She's also fundraising as well so if you're interested in learning more and maybe supporting her, let me know and I'll share her support letter with you!

Anyhow, it is a great tragedy that with so many cult groups in existence, instances like Elisse's experience with Setsuri are not uncommon. But there is still hope in God's deliverance. Just as God led Elisse safely out of the cult group, God promises to deliver His people. Jesus knows his sheep and not one of them will be snatched from his hand (John 10:27-28). He is the good shepherd (John 10:11) and will lead his sheep even through the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23).

Even though the Japanese people are under bondage to false gods and false teachers, I have hope in the promise of God to deliver His people. Just as He fulfilled His promise to the Israelites by freeing them from slavery and bondage in Egypt under the blood of the lamb and delivering them to the promised land, I trust that God is mighty to free the Japanese from the bondage of false gods and false teachers and deliver them by the blood of the lamb into the kingdom of God. While the situation with Setsuri was in my opinion ugly, I have hope because God turns ugly things into beautiful things, the greatest example being the ugly gruesome horrible crucifixion of Christ becoming the glorious beautiful gift of grace by which we have life. My God grant life to the Japanese.

Kevin

For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. Hebrews 2:10