The spiritual world/霊的な世界

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When we open the Bible, we discover that there is a spiritual world—a supernatural realm. Since God is spirit (John 4:24), we can say that as believers, we live in two realms: the spiritual and the physical—even right now. I myself have experienced several supernatural events over the years that cannot be explained by the logic of this physical world. Yet until recently, I had never really taken the initiative to explore the spiritual world in any particularly serious or intentional way.

Today, it is said that around the world, particularly among younger generations in the West, there has been a rapid increase in interest in and involvement with the occult, partly influenced by social media platforms such as TikTok and Instagram. When I look at Japanese anime and manga, I also get the impression that they are increasingly moving beyond the realm of mere imagination and becoming more deeply infused with spiritual themes and elements.

When you are on the mission field, things happen that would normally seem impossible. They force you to think about the spiritual realm, whether you want to or not—from things that can only be explained as miracles of God to things that seem to be nothing less than attacks of the enemy.

When Jesus sent out the twelve disciples on a missionary journey, He told them, “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves” (Matthew 10:16). In other words, the daily reality of believers is not a peaceful garden where everything is safe and comfortable; it can be more accurately compared to a battlefield. We are called to follow the Lord sincerely and wholeheartedly, while at the same time remaining alert to danger, guarding ourselves with wisdom and discernment so that we are not caught up in evil—and, at times, even fighting against it. As Ephesians 6 says, we are to “put on the full armor of God.”

If this is not how we understand the reality in which we live, we may be walking around with a blindfold over our eyes—or we may have been deceived by the enemy.

I had been increasingly convinced that, in order to proclaim Christ, we need to understand the spiritual realm well from the biblical perspective and learn how to engage with spiritual realities in a sound and biblical way. Otherwise, sooner or later, we may find ourselves overwhelmed and crushed.

It was in the midst of these thoughts that I attended a four-day men’s retreat—the first-ever Wild At Heart retreat held in Japan. Wild At Heart is an international ministry led by John Eldredge, a bestselling author, counselor and lecturer, with a focus on the restoration and formation of the human heart. 

A few weeks before the retreat, around fifty men had registered. But when the day finally arrived, over 110 men showed up—about half of them Japanese, with others coming from Taiwan, China, Indonesia, the United States, and even as far away as Norway. The venue had a capacity of 120, so it turned out to be just the right number—not too crowded, but almost completely full. How did the four-day retreat go? I will let John tell you all about it himself. https://wildatheart.org/media/johns-weekly-video-update/video-update-breathtaking?message_id=22947&message_donor_id=53e8535e-a6f0-41af-9da1-81d3294827ff

In March of this year, I had attended a Wild At Heart retreat in the Netherlands together with over 350 men from 40 countries around the world. There, I experienced God the Father in a new way. I discovered lies that I had believed about myself for many years, wrote them down on a piece of paper, and burned them in a fire. We prayed for one another, and through Christ Jesus, I experienced healing and freedom of my heart.

The human heart is incredibly complex. And yet, as I watched the hearts of over 350 men being touched and set free by the Lord, two questions came to mind: “1) This cannot be accomplished through mere techniques or skills alone. It must happen through prayer. How then do they pray? 2) And the work and glory of God cannot be manifested in this way without unity and oneness within the ministry team. How do they build such a team?”

With these questions in my mind, I headed to the retreat held on the shores of Lake Yamanaka in Japan. My role was simply to help with practical tasks and interpretation so that the ministry team of 7 Americans could focus fully on ministry without being distracted by logistical matters. I was not part of the daily staff prayer meetings. But I also knew that if I let this opportunity pass, it might take another thirty years before I had a chance to discover the answers to my above mentioned questions.

Prompted by Jesus’ words in Matthew 7: “Ask, seek, and knock”, even though I felt a little presumptuous, I went ahead and asked if I could sit in on the team’s morning meetings. To my surprise, they welcomed me warmly. I was given the opportunity to join their morning prayer meetings as well as their times of team prayer between sessions. That experience became very significant for me.

While experiencing and learning from their prayers, it was as though I could see, almost firsthand, what was happening in the spiritual realm. My eyes were opened to the possible attacks and schemes of the devil and demons, the power of the name, blood, and authority of Jesus Christ, the glory and sovereignty of God the Father, and so much more. It became a turning point that transformed the way I pray every day.

That alone would have been more than enough of a blessing. But God wasn't finished with His surprises. I was invited by Wild At Heart to attend their Guide School (https://wildatheart.org/events/guideschool）in the United States in November.

Guide School is not open to everyone; it is by invitation only. It is a training program for men who have personally experienced healing and growth in their own hearts and are now ready to guide others toward Christ Jesus. It is a place where men are equipped to help others grow spiritually, experience healing and freedom, and learn to live in relationship with God.

I am deeply thankful that God has enabled me to participate in the school. My participation has been made possible thanks entirely to someone who has incredibly generously covered the entire cost of the school, my airfare, transportation between the airport and the venue, and my hotel expenses. May the Lord richly bless them. I am also grateful for my wife’s understanding and support. She will stay behind to take care of things at home, making it possible for me to visit America.

With deep gratitude for God’s grace, for the sacrificial love and prayers of many people, and for my family’s understanding and support, I am determined to make the most of this opportunity and learn what the Lord has in store for me. This is all for the glory of Jesus and I would be grateful if you would keep me in your prayers. Thank you so much for standing with us in our mission.

聖書を開くと、霊的な世界、すなわち超自然的な世界が存在することが分かります。神は霊です（ヨハネ4:24）から、信仰者は霊的な世界と物質的な世界という、二つの世界に生きていると言えます−今この時も。僕自身も、物質的な世界の論理では説明できない、超自然的な出来事を今まで何度か経験してきました。しかしこれまで、霊的な世界について、特に積極的に探究したことはありませんでした。

現在、世界中で、特に欧米を中心とした若年層で、TikTokやInstagramなどSNSの影響もあり、オカルトへのめり込む人が急速に増加しているのだそうです。日本のアニメや漫画に目を向けても、単なるイマジネーションの世界を超えて、以前にも増して「霊的」な要素が強くなっているという印象を受けます。

宣教地にいると、普通では考えられない出来事が起きます。そして、霊の世界のことを否応なしに考えさせられるのです。神さまの奇跡としか説明できないことから、悪魔の攻撃としか考えられないことまで。

イエスさまは、12人の弟子たちを宣教の旅へ送り出す際、「狼の中に羊を送り出すようにして、あなたがたを遣わします。ですから、蛇のように賢く、鳩のように素直でありなさい（マタイ10:16）」とおっしゃりました。つまり、私たち信仰者の日常は、お花畑ではなく、むしろ戦場に例えることができます。主に対して純粋な心で誠実に真っ直ぐ従う一方、危険を察知し、悪に巻き込まれないように注意深く、思慮深く身を守り、時に戦わなければならない。「神の武具を身につけなさい（エペソ6章）」とある通りです。もしこれが私たちが置かれている現実に対する理解でなければ、私たちは悪魔に目隠しされているか、騙されているのかもしれません。

キリストを宣べ伝える上で、この霊的な世界のことを聖書的によく理解し、霊的なことの扱い方をしっかり習得しなければ、いつか潰れてしまうと痛感しているところでした。そんな中、参加したのが、Wild At Heartが日本で初めて行った４日間の男性リトリートでした。Wild At Heartは、ベストセラー作家でありカウンセラーであるジョン・エルドリッジ（John Eldredge）氏が率いる、心の回復・育成を目的とする国際的なミニストリー団体です。参加者は開催日の数週間前まで50人程度でしたが、当日蓋を開けてみると、110人以上（約半分は日本人。台湾や中国、インドネシアやアメリカ、遠くノルウェーから来た人もいました）。会場の上限は120人だったので、窮屈にならないまさにピッタリの人数でした。リトリートはどうだったのか？ジョンさん本人に聞いてみてください（申し訳ないですが英語のみです。）。https://wildatheart.org/media/johns-weekly-video-update/video-update-breathtaking?message_id=22947&message_donor_id=53e8535e-a6f0-41af-9da1-81d3294827ff

僕は今年３月オランダで行われたリトリートに、世界40カ国から集まった350人以上の男性たちと参加したのですが、父なる神さまを新たに体験し、長年自分の中で信じ込んでいた嘘を発見し、それを紙に書いて薪の炎で燃やし、参加者同士で祈り合い、イエス・キリストを通して、心のいやしや解放に与ったのでした。

人の心とは非常に複雑なものです。それにも関わらず、350人の男性たちの心が主に触れられ、解放されていくのを目の当たりにして、2つのことを思いました。「①これはただ単にテクニックやスキルではなく、祈りによらないと不可能だ。スタッフたちはどのように祈っているのだろう？②そして、このような神さまの働きと栄光は、ミニストリーチームの一致と団結がなければ現れない。どのようにチーム・ビルディングしているのだろう？」

そんな思いを胸に、山中湖のほとりで行われたリトリートへと向かったのでした。僕の役割は、アメリカから来日した7人のミニストリーチームが問題なくミニストリーに専念できるように、雑用や通訳でお手伝いすること。毎日のスタッフミーティングや祈りの場には入れてもらっていないし、そのような予定もない。しかしこの機会を逃したら、上記の疑問の答えがわかるのに、あと30年はかかるかもしれない。マタイ7章の「求めなさい、探しなさい、たたきなさい」の御言葉にも促され、図々しいと思いながらも、毎朝のチーム・ミーティングを見学させてもらえないか打診してみました。そうすると、思いもよらず、快く受け入れてもらえ、毎朝のチームでの祈り会、セッションの間のチームの祈りの場に同席させてもらえたのです。

その経験は、僕にとって、とても貴重なものとなりました。彼らの祈りを体験し学ぶ中で、霊の世界で何が起こっているのか、手に取るようにわかるようでした。悪魔や悪霊の攻撃や罠、イエス・キリストの御名と血潮と権威の力、天の父なる神の栄光と主権などなど、目が開かれる機会となり、自分の毎日の祈りが変わる転換期となりました。

もうこれだけで十分すぎる祝福でしたが、神さまのサプライズまだ終わりませんでした。Wild At Heartから、11月にアメリカで行われるGuide Schoolへの招待を受けたのです。（https://wildatheart.org/events/guideschool）Guide Schoolは、誰でも参加できるものではなく、招待を受けた人のみの参加なのですが、自ら心のいやしと成長を経験した男性が、今度は他の人々の心をイエスさまへと導くための、リーダー養成プログラムです。人々の霊的な成長、心のいやし、自由、神さまとの人生へと導く役割を担うため訓練される場所です。

神さまが参加を可能にしてくださったことに感謝でいっぱいです。Schoolの費用も航空券も、空港・会場間の移動費もホテルもすべて負担してくださった方がいて（主が彼らに豊かに報い、祝福してくださいますように）、留守を守る妻の理解や協力があり初めて参加が可能となりました。

神さまの恵み、多くの人の愛の犠牲や祈り、家族の理解や協力への感謝を胸に、しっかり学んでこようと思います。すべては神の栄光のために。お祈りに覚えていただけたら嬉しいです。よろしくお願いします。