Lifted Vision Ministry

There is so much to contend with concerning Spiritual Warfare in Nishinari. Besides hosting the largest Red Light District in all of Osaka and also the largest homeless population bound by drug and alcohol addiction, there is also an overshadowing and looming presence over all of it; false idol worship.

Today as I was sent out by the Spirit to go on a prayer walk to cover the land, and just a short walk from my home, the Lord led me to this temple. Isshin-Ji, founded in 1185, is a Buddhist temple that holds services daily. Encapsulated by a graveyard, it was told to me that people come here to worship the Okotsubutsu; a statue of Buddha made from the ashes of 200,000 deceased people. Furthermore, this process is still in active continuation today and it was shared to me that the ashes of over 20,000 of the deceased “faithful” are brought to the temple each year. 14 Okotsubutsu’s have been made in total, meaning that 2.5 million people’s “spirits” have been brought there and used for false idol worship (is what they said). This not only breaks my heart, but shows the immense need for Christ to come and rectify this situation. It is only Christ who can draw the hearts of the people away from these false idols and into His loving arms. It was not by happenstance in the least that I was led here today; I was guided by the Holy Spirit’s leading, ended up walking into one of their services, and was convicted and commissioned to pray. I prayed incessantly while I was there, praying for hearts to turn and people to realize the true and living God- Jesus Christ.

-Leviticus 26:1 ESV-
“You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.

As you can see from the videos below, people are throwing money at the statues, performing hand rituals such as clapping and making certain Buddhist hand gestures resembling “meditation poses” and “washing” themselves in incense as well as burning incense to their ancestors.
*please see the videos below*
I also witnessed a man place a piece of bread before a buddha statue, pray for about 10 minutes, and then take the bread back and eat it. For the people that go there, they believe that they can connect with their ancestors and that the buddha there is the physical, “resting place” for their deceased. They believe that they can connect with their deceased loved ones and that these buddha statues can truly save them. Oh, how we who are enlightened and know the truth, our hearts grieve together so much over this.

Although I could not enter the temple’s main service (due to not having any ancestral ties), there were many parts of the grounds I could see and enter. Referring to the photos below, you can see that there are other “deities” that resemble women engraved on the doors as you enter the temple as well. I asked one of the temple workers there who those women were and what they represented. The Japanese man chuckled a little and said that truthfully, he didn’t know, but that at some point people came to ask them for things and pray, so they are worshipped now. The fact that many of the Japanese do not know who they are praying to exemplifies that these traditions are merely traditions that are deeply rooted in their society.

-1 Corinthians 10:14 ESV-
“Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.”

The good news is that all hope is not lost for Japan. It is not too late for them to come to Christ! They are a spiritual people, and once the truth of Christ is shared with them, they really receive it well by God’s grace from what I have seen and experienced. This ministry, Lifted Vision, is based on evangelism; sharing the gospel with the lost in the streets, local outreach and distributing Bibles. I believe God will continue to work and save each soul one at a time, as I have seen Him do here in these past two years faithfully. God is so faithful and to be trusted. He will continue to call them and draw hearts- let’s continue to pray together in that way!

-John 4:23 ESV-
“But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him.”

Be blessed dear ones!