California Mountains---beautiful

After all the rain we had in CA last week has planted a lot of snow on our California Mountains. It is beautiful. The day after the rain with no smog was even better than these picts. Yet Still God makes such beautiful scenery.

Moving day

Off to the garage sale. 20 years of stuff. Wow are we pack rats? Lots of blessed memories. Jane had to get a last ride on her bike.

Palm Trees

We love the way Palm trees line the streets in many places in California. It is a significant landmark that you take for granted when you live here but now that we are back we really missed them. They have palms in Japan but they are not as organized.

Received a gift card to Chilies Restaurant. What a blessing, need I say more?

FOOTBALL makes it hard to talk to my wife

It is the playoffs and what exciting games. I haven't been following football at all in Japan it is too distracting but here I am at Chilies Restaurant and making my wife perturbed at how easily distracted I am with watching football and ignoring her. Blast those big screen TVs.

Home Fellowship

When we left a year and a half ago for Japan. I left our old home fellowship in the hands of the Lord and he has chosen to keep it going. It was encouraging to hear the guys are still meeting weekly and hearing the teaching of the word. Some of the guys enrolled into the Bible College and are pursuing a deeper life in the Lord. It was just so exciting to hear the testimonies of love and grace and just God at work in every ones life. I got a call from John McBade who is a missionary from Japan here on a break. He is sent by Calvary Chapel Santa Barbara and is ministering to the body at Grace Christian Fellowship in Ome. He came out to lead us in some worship songs. It was awesome and such a blessing. I shared from the word some things God laid on my heart and it was so refreshing to just be in the word with folks I love dearly and to see the Spirit stirring hearts for the things of God. Praise the Lord.

Mihoko's twin Felice was there. They are blessed with similar fashion tastes and we always laugh when they show up at conferences or meetings or church wearing the similar outfits. God bless you Felice.

Views of a Dove

We visited Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa this week and while I was in the office I noticed the many different places the dove of Calvary appears. I will take some more and post them later but the dove is hidden all over the campus like a where's waldo wonder land. I will be fun to try and see how many different doves we can find. I like the small endtable stand. Someone made that out of stainless steel. Most of the doves are crafted and donated to the church by others some are made in various places by guys working on items and adding their trademark in the wall or walkway or railing they worked on.

I always wondered why they call it Riverside

Mihoko's Parents Live in Riverside California. There isn't a big river here so I have always wondered why they called this Riverside. Well after the heavy rains this week I learned perhaps one reason why. When it rains hard the place fills with water very fast. Yet it seems that maybe Lakeside would have been a more appropriate name as the water didn't move downstream well but just sat there. We didn't have to row our boat but we did have to drive very carefully navigating the hubcap deep water in many places. It was an adventure the kids will remember.

Inventory Reduction...YES!

With the closing of a wonderful restaurant there is the issue of inventory reduction. What do you do with all the sashimi left over from the restaurant? You eat it. It was good stuff. The kids are happy to see the G-parents and all. The rain is not fun but the rainbows are awesome.

Awesome rain

There was some fantastic weather here in California. With El Nino type conditions it hailed on us driving out to Riverside with lots of lightening and thundering. Wow what a storm. Lot's of accidents out there. Everyone drive safe and slow down. My goodness after being in Japan for over a year, they drive slow, Here it is way too fast. Crazy

A Long day of Travel

Taking Korean Air meant a early flight out. We had to catch a bus at 7:30 am to make our 2:40pm flight. So a 2 hour bus ride, a 4 hour terminal wait, a 8 1/2 hour flight. Makes for a long day. The time in the terminal found some interesting pictures my kids were taking with the camera. But we made it to LAX an hour earlier. The Korean Air was a really nice flight. It had a soiled reputation in my mind from some prior experiences but today my hat is off to the crew that flew and got us through.

Going back to the States

I seems surreal but it has been a full year and a half since we all have been back to the states. The kids are outrageously excited and so are we. I just want to let you know we are having a get together at the Fujikura's home on the 22nd to have a potluck and Fellowship time. We will share what God is doing and have a dynamic slide show. If you're in the area and would like to attend email me and I'll give you the address in Irvine on Fireside circle. Email is danbolinger@calvarychapel.com

potluck begins at 6pm Friday night the 22nd and the sharing begins at 7:30pm
Hope to see you all there.

Rachel's Ear Drum Surgery

Thank all of your for praying The procedure went really well and She is going to be fine. They told us the fluid and pressure was too great for her to fly home next week so we were thinking we'd have to cancel our trip back to the US. Now there is no problem we think? Although we now have to protect her ears and I hope there isn't too much pain.

See some of you in a week on Tuesday we fly in and Friday we are having a potluck get together at the Fujikura's. Email me if you'd like to come and hang out. danbolinger@calvarychapel.com

Pray for Britt Hume and Tiger interesting stuff

I am impressed when a man can stand up and declare his faith confidently. Britt Hume a very prominent news caster has done just that. We are being brow beaten by other faiths and even the non-Christian "EnviroMENTALism"is outright attacking the Christian faith. Pray for more to be stronger and shine brighter in these last days for Jesus. Japan has a new religion Called ECO ism. It is this huge campaign that corporations are scrambling to propagate for profit and yet not adhere truly to the tenements. Take Toyota, They have a small car that is not "Eco" friendly because of its class, weight, and size. There are no discounts when buying the standard model. Ah! Here is the catch. If you bump the weight by adding custom seats and some other things the car enters a new category earning the right to be called ECO friendly and they can falsely advertise the standard car as able to receive the discounts the government has given. Jesus pointed this out in the faith of the Pharisees in Luke 11:44 "...For you are like hidden graves in a field. People walk over them without knowing the corruption they are stepping on." A Lawyer says, "Wow we take offense in that and you have hurt us in what you said." Jesus responds in Luke 11:46 "Yes I have" and then Jesus goes off on these guys. I sense some cultural tension here and Jesus loosing patience with these guys. I can't believe he's having lunch with them. Although it was a free lunch do you think he got to eat much?

A Sign to the nations

Jesus says in Luke 12 29-32 Jesus tells the people they are evil and seek for a sign. The only sign he says the people will get is the sign of Jonah. Looking at Jonah I see a rebellious prophet of the Lord running away from his duty and then while on the ship he is in the midst of a raging storm in life and what is he doing? Sleeping! Wow can this be a picture of the US? The pagans are rowing the boat and trying to stay alive they are fighting the evil storm coming against them and the servant of God is sleeping not praying. Dr. Richard Bennett in a message he preached a few years ago said, "You can't pray when your disobedient." A disobedient servants prayers are routine and smug and very self-centered. The men in the boat are asking why are we in this storm? It is easy for the follower of God to qwip, "Oh it's the pagan people, the pagan's are bringing the wrath of God." When in reality it is a disobediant servant of the Lord that is in the boat. Could the problems we are facing in reality be as a result or lack of our inactivity and disobedience?

Jesus Says look at the sign of Jonah. So when we look at the sign what happened? The Men didn't know what to do with Jonah..Jo said throw me overboard. The men said what are you talking about? You need some rest and take a sabbatical and we'll get you help. The world's solution is not God's solution and the storm got worse. If you seek the worlds answers to your problems chances are your storms will get worse. So they launch Jo over the bow. What happens to a servant of God reputation when they go overboard? The Rep goes with him. What about his stuff? It goes too. When we serve Christ we are not to be worried about what others will think we are to be obedient. That is what Jesus our real example did. The Bible says, "But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: Phil 2:7. Jesus became lower than the angels to love a sinful humanity back to God. To the evil generation of Jesus day he pointed himself to identify with the prophet that went overboard and died to all that he represented.
The Sign over his life was I am a Hebrew and the list went on. He could tell them of all his accomplishments and yet when he went overboard that didn't matter. Jonah was a reputable prophet in the Bible 2Kings 14:25. They too lived under wicked leadership and political problems on every side. Yet it says in Kings v26 that no helper was found. In this evil time Jonah hears clearly to "Go to that great city of Nineveh and cry against it." A city more evil than his own. He wants God's wrath to fall on them. So Jonah get pickled in the belly of a Whale for his disobedience. Maybe your in a pickle and can's see a way out. What did Jonah do? He prayed. Not just any prayer but the words he used you can find every one in the Psalms. Psalm 120, 86, 42, 16, 18 all have the words Jonah used. He had the words in his head. But when he finally came to that place of surrender while in the storm; while in the sea; while in the belly of a stinky fish did the word of God finally get into his heart and he appropriated it for himself. It is easy to give others their medicine. It is easy to tell others what to do but for the majority of Christianity it is very hard to assimilate it for ourselves.

So Jesus points to Jonah to identify with as the sign to the evil generation. The sign is the 3 days an nights in the belly of the whale. That is what Jesus is known most for his death, burial, and resurrection. The sign was death to the flesh life. I look at Jonah and wonder what kind of sign am I to this generation? Am I dead to the world? Am I dead to my reputation (as if I have one)? Am I letting go of my possessions as I go overboard for Jesus? There are many signs that we look at each day some serious some funny some warn, some inform. What sign are you? I don't mean your astrological sign either. The sign Jesus identifies with is a man though he was disobedient went overboard for God and got the word of God into his heart and then obeyed. Can Jesus Identify with my signage? Hmm, I must admit I need to be thrown overboard.

Girls cut their hair

As I say this blog isn't just for ministry but it is also for family to hang out and see everyday life. This week the girls, Rachel and Jane, had the opportunity ie Coupon to get their hair cut prior to going to the the US on the 19th. Aren't they just cute. In the South they may say..."Well, don’t you look prettier than a glob of butter melting on a stack of wheat cakes!" Or something like that.

Midnight at the Temple Evangelism

Some may not agree some may get mad some may say right on. Such is the life of trusting in Jesus and the leading of the Holy Spirit. Mark Bedow is a great friend and encouragement to me and he invited me to come along for a midnight romp in a local Buddhist temple. Hundreds gather at midnight to ring a bell and receive a blessing for the new year. Mark goes right up to the stairs of the temple and starts preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Mark lives with a conviction from God to impart the good news of Jesus into the ears of who so ever will. He mostly spends his mornings at the train station preaching to the masses that commute to Tokyo. In fact, at the temple one observer noticed Mark as we walked by the line of people and said to the person next to them, "Hey look it's that guy who preaches at the train station!"

I was personally uneasy with going into the temple grounds but I was there to encourage and pray for Mark. The people were very nice and didn't seem to mind some even thanked him. There was one person who had unkind words. But Mark nodded and kept preaching until all the line was gone. The highlight was a young boy who came up and shook Marks hand and introduced himself and ask him what he was saying. Mark spoke kind and explained to the young boy how to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The boy thanked him and rejoined his parents in line. I pray that he will listen to the truth.

If there were persons of another religion coming into our worship service I would be upset so I do think we should respect others. I can see standing outside and handing out tracks and conversing with people. Yet I am not being critical of Mark but as my first time out this was a great experience to see first hand what the Japanese people traditionally do on New Years. They line up to pull a rope that rings some small bells and they give an offering and say a prayer then they receive from the priest a wooden plaque with a fortune or blessing written on it. There was a bon fire at the entrance of the temple for the people to burn last years good luck charms and last years blessings.

I felt like Peter as I warmed myself by the fire. It was -2 Celsius and need I say more. After an hour I was ready for a hot coffee. That is what we did at Jonathan's coffee shop. It was great to bring in the New Year in a new way with new understanding of the culture here in Japan. Most people at the temple were filled with the spirits of what they had been drinking all evening. It was humorous to watch some ring a big bell as they left the temple. But I am ashamed to laugh at a great bunch of folks who are without Christ and don't know really what all the things mean nor why they do them. It is just tradition. May God break their traditions and usher in a new era of men and women falling in love with Jesus and yielding their lives to the living God and Creator of Heaven and Earth. May God bless Mark this year and may there be much fruit abounding to the Kingdom of God.