Japanese Christian Websites
JEMS
(Japanese Evangelical Missionary
Society)
For a nation so powerful and thriving as Japan, one thing is conspicuously absent: God. While millions of Japanese practice Buddhism and Shintoism, these religions have become hardly more than habits, with most Japanese not knowing the motivations behind the rituals they practice. And why should they? Neither Buddhism or Shintoism promote the worship of a God who is worthy of being worshipped, a God who loved the world so much that he gave his only Son to die for us!
In neighboring countries like South Korea and China, also strongholds of Buddhism, Christianity is gaining momentum as a religion that truly makes a difference in people's lives. Although Christianity is technically illegal in China, thousands of Chinese risk their lives to proclaim Christ to their neighbors. Seoul, South Korea, is the home of the largest Protestant church in the world! So why is it that Japan, with all of it's influence and wealth, should show such apathy toward God? The answer is complex, but it is clear that blessings of wealth and power do not mean that a country is right with God.
My heart aches for Japan and the millions of people living there who don't know or have never heard the Good News of Christ. If you care at all about Japan, please join me in praying every day for the nation of Japan. Thanks to Patrick Johnstone's book, "Operation World" (Zondervan Publishing) for the following facts about the state of Japan's spirituality:
Only 2.2% of all Japanese profess Christianity. That leaves 125 million Japanese who have never heard or do not understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Japan is the most literate country in the world. And what is the best selling book in the most literate country in the world? The Holy Bible, where sales of the Bible are only exceeded in two other countries, the U.S. and South Korea, both with large Christian (or nominal Christian) populations. It is obvious that the Japanese are seeking God, but they need someone to explain him to them.
There are 1800 towns of 18,000 to 30,000 people in Japan that do not have a single Christian church.
Every year, thousands of Japanese students travel abroad to get college degrees. Statistics have shown that a Japanese student is much more likely to become a Christian when studying outside of Japan. If you are a Christian and a college student, take advantage of your situation to befriend a Japanese student and demonstrate the love of Christ. Who knows, the student you lead to Christ might be the one who returns to Japan to introduce thousands of other Japanese to Christianity.
Friends, if you care at all about the Japanese people, then you will care not just for their current state of affairs, but their eternal state of affairs as well. Your prayers or involvement with the Japanese can make all the difference.