Right Living Produces Confidence

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The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Insecure people don't feel good about themselves. They convey fear and timidity. The wicked also stumble and collapse under the weight of attack because their moral core cannot hold up against tribulation. They fall. They fail.

Righteousness produces an inner strength that no one can take away. If you are right with the Lord, who cares what people think or do against you. You have the creator of the universe, the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the lion of the tribe of Judah roaring on your behalf. He surrounds His righteous ones with favor. He surrounds you with favor.

The wicked will flee and worry through sleepless nights about plots and schemes against them. The righteous sleep well. They smile about the future. Though they may lose their lives, they ultimately go to a better place. The key is their relationship with God. Those that know their God will display strength (Daniel 11:32)!    

Izumo Taisha: My Experiences

I t seems like a blur, my time in Izumo City. It was like going back into a time warp, with images and sensations of ancient gates, fog covered hillsides, rain moistened cobblestone, weather worn temples, and the smell of incense mixed together with steamy soba, all rolling together like a movie reel through my mind, never seeming to stop, only bringing up more memories. It was an awesome time. It was a thought provoking time.

As we drove to Japan's first Shinto Shrine, I peered out the window of our rent-a-van. A slight drizzle blanketed the city with a light mist, something you would see in a place like this. We passed soba shops, clothing stores, stationery kiosks, ryokans (inns), and other businesses along the way. I like quaint towns, especially ones steeped in history.

Izumo Taisha (shrine) was  built sometime around the first century AD or even earlier, no exact date has been found. The earliest record about Izumo Taisha from the Heian period (950 AD) stated that the temple was a 48 meter tall structure, supported by huge cedar columns, 3 meters thick. It was a huge thing. Today, a more modest version of the original behemoth structure graces the grounds below Mt. Uga. It's still big and beautiful, however, bordered by stately pine and cypress trees.

The temple houses the God, Okuninushi (the God of many names or the God of marriage). Japan's earliest literature, the Kojiki and Nihon Shoki talks about Izumo as the place where the pantheon of Japan's gods found their origin, Okuninushi being one of them. There is a rumor that all the God's of Japan gather once a year in this place.

As I walked the grounds, I was expecting to feel the oppression and heaviness associated with my earlier visits to Buddhist or Shinto temples. I didn't feel it here. It was refreshingly strange. It left me puzzled. I actually felt a cleanness, no defilement whatsoever.

I slowly walked the perimeter of the main shrine and found myself in the back, looking at a Japanese ume (plum) tree. "So this is where we get our red umeboshi seeds, so popular in musubis (rice balls)". The tree burgeoned with fruit. I love looking at stuff like this. Japan has all these wonderful sights and scenes for extremely emotional types like myself. Yes, I cry at the sight of lavender filled hill sides and UH football games that end in a win, especially over Boise St. Ha! The Japanese are masters at cultivating nature into a pristine art form. The tree was perfectly shaped. I stood in silence, enjoying the work of hundreds of years of meticulous gardening.

Then I proceeded to a small stream, trickling along round smooth stones, partially hidden by a wisteria tree, quietly carrying out its serene duty to provide the sound of fresh water.

I will write more later. It's therapeutic for me to process these things. I pray that it blesses you. Japan was and is beautiful. 
 

The Mountain is on Fire

“How could I be so careless? I knew there was something strange about that monk’s laugh”

Tsutomu plopped his big frame down and fumed. His body still ached from the many wounds sustained in the ambush. “What kind of room is this? The walls must be about two feet thick. They drugged me, shaved my head, and brought me here. If I only had my sword.”

“I smell smoke. Why would they be lighting such a big fire in the middle of summer? The crazy eunuchs!” The smell of smoke got stronger and the room warmer. He then heard the crackling sound of burning wood and realized the building was on fire. He heard the screams of men charging and dying. It sounded faintly familiar; like a castle being stormed by an invading army.

“They are being attacked! Someone set the building on fire! This is not the way to die!” He yelled, “Ukon, Ukon, get me out of here you rat.” No one came. He yelled louder. The screams of dying monks got louder too. He banged his fists against the wall.

The smoke started to get intense. He coughed uncontrollably. “Of all the ways to die. Suffocating in a rat hole on some God forsaken mountain.” Suddenly a secret door opened up and Ukon waved him through. “Hurry!”

Tsutomu covered his nose and mouth with a cloth and stumbled through the smoke filled room. He felt something hit his hand. It was his sword. “Use it! Protect me and I will lead you out of this inferno.”

Before he could say yes, a samurai jumped in front of him and tried to slice his head off. He rolled on the ground and dodged the strike. He simultaneously pulled his katana out and with one swipe took out the warrior’s leg. The samurai let out a shrill scream. Blood spurted all over the ground and shoji doors. He then finished him off with a thrust into the throat. He tried to yell, but only the sound of gurgling blood could be heard at the end of his blade.

He instinctively cut off the attackers head and rolled it into the horde of oncoming ashigaru. They stopped in their tracks. It was their chance to make a move. Ukon yelled, “Follow me!”

The corridor was filling with smoke fast. They had no time to waste. The little monk opened a side door next to a cabinet and led him down some steps into a secret grotto behind the temple. The sound of yelling and screams got fainter and fainter as they walked deeper into the garden.

Tsutomu rubbed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air. Ukon vomited into the stream, wiping his mouth with his sleeves . They again heard the wailing of dying men and the barking of orders “Burn this whore house down to the ground!”

Their eyes finally met and Tsutomu without hesitation unsheathed his sword to cut off the little monks head. Ukon cried out, “If you kill me, you will also die. You do not know the secret trails and tunnels that will get you to safety. Oda Nobunaga’s troops have surrounded the whole mountain. They are burning everything in sight. You have no chance without me. ”

“I will take my chances.” With that he lifted his sword at the cowering monk. “Wait! I have gold. It’s buried in Kyoto. If you let me live, I will take you there. Samurai do not kill defenseless monks. How shameful!” He held his sword aloft for a few more seconds and then slowly brought it back down. “You rat! You deserve to die. Keep your gold. I do not want to defile my sword with your blood or my purse with your money. Take me off this hell hole now!”

The monk sheepishly smiled and motioned the samurai to follow him. Just then an arrow zipped by both of their heads and lodged itself into a pine tree. “There they are! Kill them!” Ukon yelled, “Hurry!” Tsutomu hid behind a rock and when three samurai turned the corner, he sliced all three of their throats with one swing. Blood splattered all over the carefully manicured garden. They fell to the ground clutching their throats.

“This will buy us some time. Monk, get us off this hill!”

They ran to the base of a thundering waterfall. “The path is behind this waterfall! We need to dive in.” They both tied their robes around their waist and plunged themselves under the boiling foam of the falls.

The water was icy cold. The force of the falls pushed them to the floor of the pool. They soon made it to the other side and slowly climbed up the mossy rocks. Carved into the walls were carefully sculptured statues of Amidha Buddha.

Ukon walked up to one of the altars and lifted up the statue. In it he found some torches, dried moss, and flint. He hit the rocks. Sparks immediately flicked out onto the dry moss and a flame sputtered into existence. He placed the oil soaked torches near the flame. Soon, the whole cavern filled with light and they saw the pathway that led down the hill.

Ukon handed Tsutomu one of the torches and they both made their way toward the secret passage.

As they climbed down, they could hear the armies of Oda Nobunaga over head. It made Tsutomu uneasy knowing that only a few feet of rock separated him from his enemies. They must have silently walked for about three hours when Ukon abruptly said, “All you samurai are alike. You murder, pillage, and expect us to bow to you.”

“Hey monk, you want to lose your head again?” “Take my head! You scum bag samurai! It’s better to die than to continue to cower to you!”

Tsutomu thought, “This monk has guts! He’s still a rat, but I will let him live. Listening to him rant and rave will humor me while we walk down this monotonous path.”

“Hey monk, why is Nobunaga exterminating your kinsmen?” “He is the devil incarnate!” shouted Ukon. “Yes, he is ruthless, but he must have good reason to march his entire army to Mount Hiezan and exterminate all of you. Maybe you are the demons that need to be exorcised!”

The little monk glared at Tsutomu. He continued to pile on the abuse, “Maybe all your rat dung is stinking up all of Hiezan and Nobunaga just wants to smell fresh air wafting into Kyoto again.”

“Shut up! Shut up! You call yourself a Buddhist! That amulet you rubbed in your hands means nothing to you! It’s just a good luck charm for your own selfish purposes! You have no desire to live an honorable life. You have killed so many.”

“Be quiet Ukon! I hear voices coming up the path.”

              

The 26 Martyrs of Nagasaki

Jan and I walked up a steep hill and came to the spot where 26 Christians were martyred for their faith. I was sobered by their testimonies and challenged deeply in my spirit. It happened almost 420 years ago, but their faith and perseverance still shouts from the past. It's true. The blood of the martyrs is seed for revival. They did not shed their blood in vain. The land of the rising sun will truly become the land of the Rising Son.

The Battle of Nagashino

Oda Nobunaga, the first of Japan's great unifiers, was considered your typical country samurai, rough and provincial. This was a fatal mistake made by his enemies. Behind the simpleton facade, stood a very innovative and cunning leader.

The battle of Nagashino showed his tactical genius for combat. The Takeda army was laying siege to Nagashino castle when Oda Nobunaga and Tokugawa Ieyasu sent reinforcements to support the embattled defenders. The Oda/Tokugawa forces now numbered 38,000 troops, while the Takeda only had 12,000. Still, Takeda Katsuyori decided to send a cavalry charge against the Oda defensive line because he felt they would break under a massive charge. The Takeda were known for their horsemanship and cavalry. Every army in Japan feared the Takeda mounted samurai. They never lost.

Oda Nobunaga constructed a massive defensive line of wooden stockades and stationed 1500 arquebusiers with matchlock guns to man this position. He also had pike men and samurai stationed behind the gunners to cut down any cavalry that made it through the defensive works.

It had been raining earlier, so Katsuyori decided the matchlock guns would be useless. The distance between the two opposing forces totaled only 200-400 meters. The Takeda always won. There was no way the enemy could reload that quickly. He ordered the charge.

The bold offensive strike was doomed from the start. Not only did they have to cross a stream, but they had to climb a steep embankment before they could charge. As the cavalry made it over the rise, the gunners fired into their ranks (the rain had no effect). Nobunaga also set up a system of rotating volleys that continually poured rounds of fire into the attacking force without a break. He also strenghthened his flanks so the cavalry couldn't roll up his defensive position from the sides.

At the end of the day, the famed horsemen from Kai were repulsed and soundly defeated. Over one thousand cavalry men were shot down and two thousand more killed during the ensuing retreat. The Takeda never rose again from this massacre. The Battle of Nagashino was a turning point in samurai battlefield strategy as well as in the whole course of a nation. The old guard was giving way to the new.

War always sets the stage for the proud to fall. The Bible states, "Pride goes before the fall." Even with the numbers and terrain stacked against him, Katsuyori stilled ordered the attack. Most military strategists counsel that you need three times the size of the defending force to even think of mounting an assault.

The ranks of many Christians are falling in droves to the sin of pride. They launch out impetuously without taking stock of their strengths or if God is leading them in their pursuit of misguided goals. Boldness is good, but disciplined obedience is better.

The Takeda clan was finally exterminated at the battle of Temmokuzan. You could say pride destroyed them.

The Battle of Sekigahara

The fateful day arrived. The forces of Ishida Mitsunari and Tokugawa Ieyasu stared each other down with only one mile of muddy ground separating their sharpened spears. Mitsunari represented the loyalist western army (81,000) supporting the late regent, Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

Tokugawa Ieyasu represented the eastern army (88,000) of daimyo loyal to the Tokugawa and hateful of Mitsunari's underhanded ways. This was going to be the last great battle of the bloody Sengoku period that saw clan after clan vying for power.

From the start of the battle, Tokugawa Ieyasu placed himself and his armies in a very weak position. He did not have the high ground and his retreat route was covered by enemy forces. He was trapped. Military strategists, to this day, shake their heads at the mistake made by this astute leader.

Mitsunari, on the otherhand, had the high ground and a clear route of retreat. Maybe this was why he lost? With all their bridges burned, the desperate Tokugawa warriors fought with all their reserves. They held nothing back. Maybe this was Ieyasu's strategy? Who knows? People still question why General Lee ordered his men into a meat grinder at Gettysburg. Tokugawa's reasons are also still debated today.

The night fog burned away with the morning sun and Mitsunari realized the battle belonged to him. He would be supreme commander of Japan by day's end.

The fighting commenced with Ii Naomasa's red armored troops leading a vanguard attack against the western army's front line. These shock troops were renowned throughout Japan as Tokugawa's best fighting force. They cut a swath deep into the enemy lines with their initial cavalry charge and paved the way for advancing infantry.

The first hours of the battle saw both armies taking and retaking ground. Blood, mud, fierce hand-to-hand combat characterized the struggle. No one seemed to gain the upper hand, until an unforeseen predicament occurred on the western side, mass defections. About a third of the western army defected to the Tokugawa. This turned the tide.

Mitsunari had only one option, retreat. The remains of his massive army turned on their heels and retreated in confusion. Tokugawa Ieyasu and his army carried the day. Even with victory in his grasp, he shouted the command, "Victory is ours, but tighten your helmet straps." These words of caution in the midst of victory became a famous quote passed down to all Japanese school children.

Mitsunari was eventually captured and marched through Kyoto and beheaded. Toyotomi Hideyori, the remainig heir of Hideyoshi, mounted a final rebellion and eventually committed seppuku within the flames of Osaka castle. This sealed the fate of the Toyotomi and consolidated Tokugawa rule for the next two hundred and fifty years.

In hindsight, the battle was already won by Tokugagwa Ieyasu even before the first sword was drawn. The eastern forces were supremely loyal to Tokugawa Ieyasu and orders were unquestioningly obeyed. Mitsunari was a politician trying to lead a loosely held confederation of disgruntled daimyo. His orders on the battlefield were continually rebuffed by more seasoned warriors who considered Mitsunari unfit as a military commander. They actually disliked him, but hated Ieyasu more.

This love-hate relationship between politicians and warriors was and is still very common. Mitsunari had no chance against the superior leadership abilities of Ieyasu. He exuded confidence and commanded the respect of all his troops. Unity, character, and good battle field strategy eventually led to victory on that day. Even the western turn coats, who sided with Ieyasu, realized Mitsunari lacked the character and strength to rule Japan. They saw the writing on the wall. Maybe Ieyasu saw this happening before the battle. Whatever the case, he took a gamble with his initial battle tactics and won.

Sun Tzu had a favorite quote, "Victorious warriors win the battle before they fight. Defeated warriors fight and then try to win battle." It's like discipleship. We also need to count the cost before we choose to follow Jesus. The cost is high, but the fruit of victory filled with the eternal weight of glory. Many fall away, but for the few that stay the course, we will the hear the words, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Gokurosama deshita!

The Escape-continued

A bald acolyte opened the door and to his astonishment found a huge mountain of a man crumpled on the steps. He ran and called the head abbot.

It took four monks to finally drag his big frame into the alcove. “Where did he come from? What clan is he from? He looks like….. ” The monks conversed with one another. Tsutomu let out a deep moan, “Please hide me. They will come.” He tried to stand, but everything started to spin around. He felt his legs go limp and he collapsed into darkness.

He woke up with the sunlight streaming through a small window and the sound of cicadas screaming out their summer symphony. He felt bone tired and sore all over. The battle yesterday was a blur. He remembered the enemy streaming down from all sides of the mountain, his fellow samurai overwhelmed by spears, his Lord cut down by a wave of calvary, and him swinging his sword like a mad man. “How did I get away? I must have killed at least fifty men before I felt that arrow hit my shoulder. The force threw me off the cliff into a bamboo grove. I climbed and climbed. I only heard one word, live!”

There came a knock on the small trap door leading to the cellar. A smallish man with fox-like eyes peeked his head through the door and climbed down the ladder with a tray of hot rice, takuan, natto, and a stone kettle of tea. He bowed and placed the food in front of Tsutomu. He immediately grabbed the bowl and shoveled the hot, steaming rice and soy beans into his mouth like a ravenous wolf. In between mouthfuls he crunched on pickled turnips and gulped down the green tea. He looked up at the monk and mumbled, “Thank you.”

“What is your name?” replied the monk.

“My name is Amekura.” He spoke with rice spilling out of his mouth. “You were lucky to get away. They came by last night asking if we saw a wounded samurai come this way. They were very angry.” Tsutomu stopped chewing and smirked at his luck. He reached into his pocket and squeezed a bronze image of the Buddha his mother gave him twenty years ago. He looked at its weathered features and remembered all the times he rubbed it out of nervousness before a big battle.

The monk sat amused watching this big samurai squeeze his amulet like a little child. “Thank you for hiding me. I don’t know when I can come back to repay you, but I will some day.” The monk scooped more rice into his bowl and passed it back to him. “Did you know that you have cuts all over your body? It’s amazing that none of them penetrated deep enough to cut a vein or vital organ. Buddha was definitely watching over you.”

He slurped down the last grains of rice with hot tea and collapsed back onto the hard maple floors. Looking up at the ceiling he asked, “Can I stay here until I heal up? I just need to regain a little more strength.”

“You can stay here only under one condition” said the monk. “What is that?” “You have to shave your head and put on a robe. We cannot risk having someone find you.” Tsutomu laughed out loud at the thought of becoming a monk, even for a short time. If only his friends could see him now. They would all die of laughter at the thought of Tsutomu, the warrior, becoming a monk. “If only this monk knew?” thought Tsutomu.

“I will put on whatever you want and shave my head if I can stay a few more days in your monastery.” It was the monk’s turn to laugh as he refilled his tea cup. This made Tsutomu feel a little uneasy. As a warrior you always try to notice the slightest change in another person’s demeanor or words. He then waved it off as nothing and immediately fell back to sleep.

When he awoke, he found himself in another room and in a monk’s robe. His hair was completely shaved off and he felt drowsy as if drugged. “Who are these people?” thought Tsutomu. “Hey, monk! Where are you? What is the meaning of this? ” He soon heard footsteps and then from the top of the roof a wooden peep hole opened up and the same monk smiled down at him. “Are you feeling better? We took the liberty of dressing your wounds and cleaning you up. Do you like your new room?”

“This is not a room, but a jail cell you little rat. What did you put into my tea?” “Now, now, you’re still healing up. Don’t get all worked up. We are doing this for your own good.” “What do you mean my own good? What type of monks are you?” shouted Tsutomu.

“You’ll find out soon enough.” “We know who you are. You are the mighty Tsutomu Amekura of the Oda clan. We know you have killed many with your sword. Buddha brought you to us for the purpose of extinguishing your life. We cannot let you go on killing and bringing war to this world. You must be executed. Pray the sutras and prepare to die.”

“I will rip your head off, you little worm. I could crush you with one hand! You call yourselves monks!” He tried to jump up and grab the face of the monk. “By the way, my name is Ukon, and I will take care of you during your stay.”

“Let me out now you lying dogs! Where are my sword and things?”

“You will get them back in paradise” laughed Ukon. He then shut the peep hole and scurried away. The sound of many sliding doors placed him some where deep in the bowels of the temple.

Tsutomu threw himself at the hard oak walls of the room. The walls never rattled once as he kicked, punched, and threw his immense body at every side. After one hour of trying he finally gave up. “I must think. There must be a way out. ”