Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:1-7.
Memory Verse: “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him” —Hebrews 2:3
Introduction:
Clarence Hall, a World War II correspondent, gave this remarkable testimony:
I can never think of the boons and benefits the Bible invariably brings without thinking of Shimabuku, a tiny little village I came upon when, as a war correspondent, I was following on the heels of our troops beating out their tough and bloody victory on Okinawa.
It was an obscure little community of only a few hundred native Okinawans. Thirty years before, an American missionary on his way to Japan had stopped here. He hadn’t stayed long—just long enough to make a couple of converts, leave them a Bible and then pass on.
One of the converts was Shosei Kina, the other was his brother Mojon. From the time of the missionary’s visit, mind you, they had seen no other missionary, had no contact with any other Christian person or group. But in those thirty years Shosei Kina and his brother Mojon had made the Bible come alive. Picking their way through its pages, they had found not only an inspiring Person on whom to patter a life, but sound precepts on which to base a society.
Aflame with their discovery, they taught the other villagers until every man, woman and child in Shimabuku was a Christian, Shosei Kina became head man in the village, his brother Mojon, the chief teacher. In Mojon’s school the bible was read daily. To Shosei Kina’s village government, its precepts were law. Under the impact of this Book pagan things had fallen away. In their place, during these thirty years, there had developed a Christian democracy at its purest.
Then after thirty years came to American Arm, storming across the island. Little Shimabuku was directly int heir path and took some severe shelling. When our advance patrols swept up to the village compound, the GI’s, their guns leveled, stopped dead in their tracks as two little old men stepped forth, bowed low and began to speak.
An interpreter explained that the old men were welcoming them as fellow Christians. They remembered that their missionary had come from America. So, though these Americans seemed to approach things a little differently than had the missionary, the two old men were overjoyed to see them.
The GI’s reaction was typical. Flabbergasted, they sent for the chaplain.
The chaplain came, and with him officers of the Intelligence Service. They toured the village and were astounded at what they saw—the spotlessly clean homes and streets, the poise and gentility of the villagers, the high level of health and happiness, intelligence and prosperity of Shimabuku. They had seen many other villages on Okinawa—villages of unbelievable poverty and ignorance and filth. Against these Shimabuku shone like a diamond in a dung heap.
Shosei Kina and his brother Mojon observed the Americans amazement and took it for disappointment. They bowed humbly and said: “We are sorry if we seem a backward people. We have, honored sirs, tried our best to follow the Bible and live like Jesus. Perhaps if you will show us how…” Show them?
I strolled through Shimabuku one day with a tough old Army sergeant. As we walked he turned to me and whispered hoarsely, “I can’t figure it , fellow—this kind of people coming out of only a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to live like Jesus!” Then he added what was to me an infinitely penetrating observation: “Maybe we’ve been using the wrong kind of weapons to make the world over!”
ORIGINAL
Clarence Hall, a World War II correspondent, gave this remarkable testimony:
“I can never think of the boons and benefits salvation invariably brings without thinking of Shimmabuke, a tiny village I came upon as a war correspondent in Okinawa.
“Thirty years before, an American missionary enroute to Japan had stopped there just long enough to make two converts—Shoesei Kina and his brother, Mojkon. He left a Bible with them and departed. For thirty years they had no contact with any other Christian missionaries, but they made the Bible come alive! They taught the other villagers until every man, woman, and child in Shimmabuke became a Christian. Shosei Kina became the headman of the village and Mojon the chief teacher. In the school the Bible was read daily. The precepts of the Bible were the law.
“When the American army came across the island, an advance patrol swept up to the village compound with guns leveled. The two old men stepped forth, bowed low, and began to speak. An interpreter explained that the old men were welcoming the Americans as fellow Christians! “
The flabbergasted G.I.s sent for their chaplain. He came with officers of the Intelligence Service. They toured the village. They were astounded at the spotlessly clean homes and streets and the gentility of the inhabitants. The other Okinawan villages they had seen were filthy, and the people were ignorant and poverty-stricken.
“Later, I strolled through Shimmabuke with a tough army sergeant. He said, ‘I can’t figure it out—this kind of people coming from a Bible and a couple of old guys who wanted to be like Jesus Christ. Maybe we have been using the wrong kind of weapons to make the world over.”
Lesson Questions:
- How did Paul answer when a prison officer asked, “What must I do to be saved?” Acts 16:30-31.
- What did the prison officer do next? Acts 16:32-34; Proverbs 28:13.
- What happens if we confess our sins to God? 1 John 1:9.
- What is the true situation if our thoughts tell us we cannot be saved? 1 John 3:20.
- What else is involved in our salvation? Acts 2:37-38.
- Do our good works save us? Romans 3:28.
- What is faith like if we don’t have good works? James 2:17; Ephesians 2:10.
- Can you have faith without works? James 2:22-24.
- If we break just one commandment, of what are we guilty? James 2:10-12.
- What did Jesus say that those of us who love him should do? John 14:15.
- Why did Jesus come into the world and die? 1 Timothy 1:15.
- Do you have God’s perfect peace in your heart that you are saved through Christ? Ephesians 2:13-22.
Hall, Clarence W. “The Village That Lived By The Bible” The Word and Work, vol. 93, no. 5, May 1999, pp. 131-132.