In the above youtube.com video, Japan’s Munakata Bethel Christian Center (MBCC) congregants are seen and heard singing “This Is My Story, This Is My Song” as they stand before the altar last Sunday morning , January 31, 2016, offering praises to God for His miraculous provision of Â¥38,985,000 (US$326,000) over the past four years to complete the purchase of the property on which the facility was built 25 years ago — the building and land all without a single bank loan.
Nils & Andrea Olson, BFI missionary-pastors to Japan since 1978, commented, “The classic hymn, Blessed Assurance by Fanny Crosby was a perfect way to express the congregation’s heart-felt gratitude to God and to all those whose hearts were moved by the Holy Spirit to believe and to give so joyfully of their offerings the past four years.”
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long.
“It began twenty-five years ago when the Holy Spirit spoke and said, ‘Lease property and build’. We stepped out of the boat as it were and began walking on water toward the Miracle Worker. He is the One Who has done this; I repeat, He is the One Who has done this. We shall NOT forget this miracle,” Nils said.
Nils puts his personal signet to a withdrawal slip in the amount of ¥10,985,000 ($92,000) for the final payment of the Munakata Bethel Christian Center land purchase.
Shaking hands on the completion of the land purchase on Friday, January 29, are Nils and the (former) land owner, Akio Ishimatsu, whose mother and father originally leased the property with no monthly lease payments to MBCC in 1991. Pictured to the left of Mr. Ishimatsu are the Judicial Scrivener, Mr. Gonda, and our real estate agent Toshiya Ishimatsu (not related to landlord). An occupation basically found only in Japan and South Korea, a “judicial scrivener” assists clients in commercial and real estate registration procedures.
Now that the land belongs to the church, over the next few months with the help of their real estate agent, Toshiya Ishimatsu, MBCC’s next steps will be to submit necessary paper work for religious incorporation.
All praise and glory to Almighty God, the LORD Jesus Christ!
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