Yusuke Ueda
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In March, 1993, I was baptized, but I did not understand its real meaning. In 43 years of
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my life, I knew some enormous energy existed in the universe, which I called KAMI in Japanese (or God) and to which I prayed. Mitsuko-san told me , "It (KAMI or God) is Jesus Christ." I was wondering if that is the case. When I asked my son, who was saved by the Lord, "How can I realize this is true?", he responded said, "Why don't you pray and ask in the name of Jesus?"
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My real baptism took place at the Retreat in San Francisco years later. I travel abroad a lot
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in business. I happened to have a plan to drop by my company's subsidiary in San Francisco on my way back from Houston. My wife urged me to attend the Retreat in San Francisco while I was there, but I replied to her just "Hum hum". Accidentally, when I had a day off, the days perfectly fit into the Retreat schedule. It was at a small church in the woods, where the Retreat was held and I will not forget forever what happened to me there.
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There, I was prayed by Pastor Peter, and I fell down on the floor. I could not stop tearing.
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What did I see then? I don't remember much, except that the rays of light beamed through the stained glasses and wrapped all around me. Before this experience, while I was listening to a praise tape by the walkman, I could not stop weeping over her songs. It must have been an uncanny sight that an middle-aged man sat next to a young man with beers in a bullet train, and wept fiercely listening to a tape by the walkman. The tears I dropped in these occasions were entirely the same kind. I felt God so close to me and I was full of the holy spirit
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I received a new life. It was not because of Pastor Peter's preaching, not because of
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Mitsuko-san's healing prayers, not because of my reading the Bible or spending long hours of praying. It happened because that is God's will and His plan. He just gave me a new life.
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What does it mean that I received a new life? I suddenly realized that I was not
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complaining. I used to complain and criticize about anything. I thought it was a sign of intelligence. For others, I was the one who simply complained for the sake of arguments. I stopped complaining. Rather, I feel grateful for things around me. It was not I that changed me. It was God who transformed me. I believe now that things only happen because God makes them take place. For instance, God has me missed trains and have my promotions in the company delayed so that he makes me happy. I may not understand at the moment of the incidents, but I do understand later what God has done.
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Every time when my friends would worry to death about things and wonder about this and
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that, I think how sad the Lord will be. So I pray to the Lord for them. But every time I do, the Lord seems to have already prayed for them and us. Sometimes, He gives me answers right away, and other times, He doesn't. God waits for the exact time to do. God makes everything right and beautiful in His time.
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To my amazement, this acknowledgement was not derived from learning by somebody or
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reading something. The thought itself just sprung out of me. It is beyond our limited comprehension as a human being. I am wondering if this is the evidence that the Lord Jesus lives within me.
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My life was renewed. However, probably I don't understand the true meaning of renewal
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yet. I gratefully believe that the Lord will show me one by one for the meaning as long as I live. I am looking forward to seeing it what will be the next day by day.
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