HEART CHECK
Various Scriptures
Most of my weeks here at SEFC are pretty predictable. That is I know what I have to do each day. 4 days of the week I teach English classes, and Sunday I’m here most of the day teaching an English Bible class and leading this English Worship Service. I can pretty much tell how each class is going to go because I know the students and what level they are at. So they are pretty predictable. For example in my Tuesday classes Mrs. Ueno is the chaplain. And she knows that about 7:20PM she will hear me call out in a loud voice, “Noboru!” Why do I do that? Because Noboru always arrives first, he is very cheerful and a good student. It doesn’t always work. Once I called out Noboru, and Mrs Ueno replied with, “No, not Noboru.” So often my prayer concerns are pretty much the same every week.
Not so this last week. A couple of weeks ago I experienced tightness in my chest and later chest pains while sleeping. I didn’t think much of it because I’ve never had heart problems before. But this time I thought maybe I should get it checked out. My father had 2 massive heart attacks, and coronary artery disease does run in my family. I take medicines for my cholesterol and blood pressure and they seem to keep it under control. And I don’t know about you, but I’m always thinking, this won’t happen to me, it’s the other guy. Well maybe that’s what the other guy is thinking too.
So Monday I went to the doctor. I had asked Chihoko if her husband knew of any heart doctors since he is at a large hospital. He was able to refer me to a heart doctor who speaks English. Please pray for Chihoko because she has gone to Kyushu to be with her mother who is having surgery. Her mother is not a Christian and neither is her husband, so please pray for them. You probably know that her husband’s sister died just recently.
So I saw the doctor and he said he wanted me to have an X Ray and an EKG. After doing this he listened to my heart and I told him my symptoms. I was pretty sure he would say I was OK, but he didn’t. He said I might have resting angina, which is more serious than angina upon exertion, and wanted to do some more tests. Angina is a word for chest pains. I’ll tell you more about the heart later, but when it is not getting enough oxygen it sends a message usually in the form of chest pain to let us know this. This usually happens when we do heavy exercise. In my case it happened when I was sleeping.
Let me give you a little heart lesson. I know that in the Bible, we often hear about the heart. There are 677 verses on the heart. When we see heart in the Bible it usually speaks of our innermost being, consisting of our mind, will and emotions. Like I have a real heart to be a missionary in Japan. I could have gone elsewhere but I wanted to come here.
Here are a few verses on the heart, just for example.
Exodus 4:21 ¶ The LORD said to Moses, "When you return to Egypt, see that you perform before Pharaoh all the wonders I have given you the power to do. But I will harden his heart so that he will not let the people go.
In this case God sent Moses to Pharaoh to tell him to let God’s people go. God also wanted to do signs and wonders before Pharaoh so He hardened Pharaoh’s heart. Many times when you talk to someone who is not a Christian and they are not interested it is because they have a heart that is hardened toward the gospel. All you can do is love them and pray for them.
Here is one of my favorite Psalms.
Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.
This doesn’t mean anything you want is going to be of God. But it does mean if you are making Him your joy and delight, the desires you have may well be God’s desires for you as well.
But we also need to be on guard. Because this is often what we are like inside.
Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
But you know what? God can give us a new heart that responds to Him and obeys Him.
Ezekiel 36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Jesus also told His disciples not to be troubled or fearful the night before He was betrayed.
John 14:1 ¶ "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
Many times when we take the offering we are asking how much should we give. Paul answers that question and we need to do the same thing.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
And if you think of quitting, remember the One who didn’t quit.
Hebrews 12:3 ¶ Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
This should tell you a little about our hearts. Bottom line is, don’t let it get hardened against God. Because it might get to the point that it is so hardened it will become brittle like a glass and shatter. There is a passage in Jeremiah about that.
In this case we are talking about the organ that pumps blood throughout the body. The heart is a piece of muscle about this big and it has 4 chambers. It receives blood and pumps it to the lungs where it is oxygenated then it goes back to the heart. From there the heart pumps blood through the whole body. Every cell in the body, and there are trillions of them, more than I can count on my 2 hands is next to a capillary or blood vessel where it receives it’s nutrients and oxygen.
If you were to take all the blood vessels; the arteries, veins and capillaries and stretch them out from end to end, the distance of all the blood vessels would be about 100,000 miles. To make it easier, that’s enough to circle the earth four times.
The heart beats about 80 times a minute. Often, like me you don’t even think about it. Mine has worked very well for 58 years, with no problems.
But it’s not always like this. Within the heart are the coronary arteries which take blood to every cell in the heart. Like any other part of the body, the heart needs oxygen and nutrients. Without them the cells will die and not be able to carry on their function. And like I said earlier, chest pains, or angina is an indication the heart muscles are not getting enough oxygen or nutrients.
There are many parts of the body we can live without. I can live without this oniku. I could live without my limbs and my eyes, although I wouldn’t like to. As important as they are, they are not vital for life.
But the heart is. If my heart stops beating I will die. The same goes for you. 3 months ago I was in Ueno (not the chaplain) waiting to take the Keisei Skyliner to NRT. I had some time so I went to KFC to get something to eat. I noticed a man had passed out and a woman, probably his wife was trying to help him up. I went to KFC and on the way back to the station passed by them again. This time there were more people there, and I noticed the man was unconscious and not responding. His skin looked white. This time his wife was crying hysterically. It looked like he had a heart attack and died. A man called for help on his keitai and the police and ambulance came and took the man away. Its all I could do was to pray for that woman because she would be facing a lonely road. It looked like they were about 80 and had probably been married for 50 years.
I waited to have the X Ray and EKG done and several things came to mind as I waited.
I knew that if the tests indicated coronary artery disease it could mean several things, like coronary bypass surgery. I know many people who have been through that operation but I’m glad I’m not one of them. I think I told you about this one. Dr. George Hilgeman who was a missionary in Bolivia for many years was an elder at my church, and a friend in the fellowship of the gospel. He also was chairman of my ordination council. I still passed. He had a hip replaced and checked into the hospital to get the other one replaced. Instead of having his hip replaced he had a coronary bypass operation. When they did the EKG as is always done prior to surgery, it showed some signs of coronary artery disease. Further tests showed blockage in four coronary arteries. This kind of surgery is never fun to face, but remember, it is done to prevent the patient to have a heart attack. Dr. Hilgeman had a good attitude and a sense of humour throughout the whole thing, and he shared with me that God is good. And at our Thanksgiving praise service he shared how instead of having a hip replacement he had a quadruple bypass.
A coronary artery bypass operation simply involves taking veins from other parts of the body and grafting them into the coronary arteries where they bypass the blocked arteries. They usually have a very high success rate if done by a good surgeon in a good hospital, and give the patient more years of life. But they still involve opening the chest and in most cases stopping the heart and putting the patient on a heart lung machine while the surgeons operate. Usually the heart starts back up with no problem. But occasionally it doesn’t and when that happens, the patient must be pronounced dead. Because remember, if the heart stops beating, it’s sayonara.
I also knew that if I did have resting angina, it could also mean an imminent heart attack. It could happen suddenly and without warning, like an earthquake. Now I knew if that happened I would immediately go into the presence of Jesus, but I had other concerns. Namely an untimely death. Because we normally have a life span of 70 or 80 years. Psalm 90 tells us this.
Psalm 90:10 The length of our days is seventy years-- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
So 58 would be a little premature. Do you remember Bill Rodenberg who died of cancer? He was 59. He had plenty of time to prepare and he made sure people knew they could have eternal life by believing in Jesus.
And in the same Psalm, we are also told how to make the most of our time. And there’s the heart again.
Psalm 90:12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
I would like to be here for a normal lifespan. There are still some things I would like to accomplish in my life like getting married and getting a D.Min from Dallas Seminary. And also continuing in pastoral ministry.
But I was also thankful for things that have happened in my life. Like I’ve been blessed with good health, friends and family who love me. I was able to get a Th.M from Dallas Seminary. I was able to retire from AA and keep flying my 777’s. And my heart’s desire was to come to Japan. So I could be thankful for all that.
Because Wednesday afternoon, I was getting ready to go to the hospital and I got an email from my friend Tiemen. He told me that just the day before his younger sister was found dead in her bathroom. She was probably in her mid 50’s and had been in excellent health. Tiemen reiterated how she was a Christian and now was with Jesus, along with their parents. But it was still a shocker for the family because this was totally unexpected. I got an email from him the other day and he said his sister died of a cerebral hemorrhage or a massive stroke. It came suddenly and without warning.
I remember one of my seminary professors, Dr. John Hanna telling us that as pastors we will do funeral services. When someone has lived a long life, there is always grief but rejoicing that that person is now with Jesus. But he said the hardest funerals are for children. They have their whole lives ahead of them, and when their life is cut short at a young age, the grief is beyond measure. As in the case of my friend Tiemen, with his sister’s untimely death, there is not much I can say that will bring comfort to the family. I can only pray for God’s peace and comfort to abound, and because they are in Houston, I pray for God’s people to surround them with their love and His.
Because at the same time, I couldn’t help but think about those who don’t believe in Jesus. They don’t have this hope. I was telling Chihoko about all this. Because the possibility of a heart attack or having surgery was a little scary. But I also knew God would see me through it and He would give me grace for the place. And I could also say that I’m not afraid of dying. Why? Most people are terrified of dying. I think I’ve shared this with you before, but the biggest fear most people have is of death. Do you remember that tape I played a while back of a merchant who met Death in the marketplace. And he was terrified. He ran back to his master and asked if he could go to his father’s house in Samarra. When his master went to the marketplace and asked Death why he frightened his servant he replied he didn’t mean to frighten him. Death said he was surprised to see him in the market because he had an appointment with him that night…in Samarra.
Chihoko asked me why people are afraid of death? I replied that it is probably because of the unknown. Most people cannot tell you what will happen when they die. “Well, I hope I go to heaven when I die,” or “I think I’ll go to heaven, I’ve been pretty good.” But they can’t give you any guarantee. I went on and told Chihoko that, for a non Christian, if you know what awaits you when you die without believing in Jesus, you would really be scared. Because you will have to face Jesus Christ, not as your Saviour, but as your Judge. And you will spend eternity without Him.
I’m chaplain for our Friday night English class and I’d like to share with you what I shared with them Friday night.
1 Corinthians 15:54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory."
1 Corinthians 15:55 "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?"
1 Corinthians 15:56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law.
1 Corinthians 15:57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
This whole chapter is on the resurrection and Paul shows it’s certainty. We have been seeing it for the last several weeks in John’s gospel. Because if Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, so we too shall be raised from the dead. Remember, in the resurrection, Jesus conquered death. That is the hope we have. And because of that I’m not afraid of dying. I might not like earthquakes, but if worse comes to worse, it doesn’t change the hope I have in Jesus Christ.
I also can say that God is sovereign and He is good. Those both go hand in hand. They go together. So I knew that if I was facing a heart attack or bypass surgery, or neither, God is still sovereign and good.
I’m happy to say that the cardiac stress test and the echo doppler study went well and the doctor said it doesn’t look like I have coronary artery disease. I am very thankful for that. Now when I wake up, I’m thankful my heart is still beating. And just now we had an earthquake. I can feel my heart beating and my apartment shaking a little bit.
Life is a gift from God and like the Psalmist said, we need to make the most of our days. Paul says the same thing in Ephesians.
Ephesians 5:15 ¶ Be very careful, then, how you live-- not as unwise but as wise,
Ephesians 5:16 making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:17 Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is.
I had to ask myself several other hard questions. Why does SEFC have an English School? Is it to teach students English? If that’s the only reason we’re here, we’re no different than the other schools that are not part of a church. If we’re not telling these students who Jesus is and that they can have eternal life by believing in Him, then we really shouldn’t be here. I shouldn’t be here as a missionary. And we shouldn’t even be here as a church.
Friends, our earthly lives are only for a time. We are not going to live forever on earth. We will face death, and whether it’s expected or it happens unexpectedly, it will happen. The chances that you will die are 100%. The odds are 1/1. I’m prepared for it. Are you?
What about those around you who aren’t? Have you told them how they can have eternal life through Jesus Christ?
I always enjoy looking at the pictures downstairs of our 40th anniversary. I’m very thankful to be a part of it. God has blessed us as a church these last 40 years. But why was SEFC even founded in the first place? Why are we here? It’s exciting to celebrate as a church 40 years. But when it’s time for our 50th anniversary will we still be able to celebrate? What about our 80th anniversary? Our 100th anniversary?
My heart has worked very well these past 58 years. I don’t know how long it will go on working. But I do know, as long as it keeps beating, God still has a purpose for me, namely to love Him and glorify Him in everything I do. That is your purpose too. I was talking to Yuka the other day and I noticed she had the book, “The Purpose Driven Life,” by Rick Warren. If you ever have any questions on why God made you and put you here, read that book. It will answer your question much better than I can.
My time at SEFC will end next March. I don’t know where I’ll be after that. But God has given me a mission; to preach His word. And so as long as my heart keeps beating and as long as I have life, I want to be faithful in carrying out my mission. He has a mission for you too. Remember Jesus’ words to His disciples?
John 20:21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you."
Let’s be faithful in taking the gospel to the many Japanese without that hope. Just last Saturday I stopped in the fellowship hall and they were having a mini Jesus Way. Makishima Sensei was praying with Eri, a young woman. It turned out that Eri had just believed in Jesus. Any time someone believes there is always rejoicing going on in heaven. Don’t believe me? Read Luke 15.
Jesus’ words to Nicodemus, that means so much to you and me is also there for them.
John 3:16 ¶ "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
Let’s pray.
