“Arise Japan” is the slogan we are using for our new movement. The name comes from “Arise, shine; for your light has come” (Is. 60:1). God is shining upon Japan. Through prayer, much ground has been gained. Now we must rise up in a newer and broader way. We must target the problems that are on God’s heart. We must believe God for a movement to begin that affects the entire nation.

RECAP:

Gideon’s Army 2 Japan (2001- 2006) has officially ended. A lot of good came from the prayer journeys and strategies that the Lord had us commit to over the past five years. It culminated a year ago in May with the double meetings of Cindy Jacobs (Tokyo) and Chuck Pierce (Sapporo).

In the 2005 Cindy Jacobs meetings, the Lord showed us how the spirit of death was ruling this nation: spiritual initiatives would come to a premature end, or “be aborted”. These initiatives, which had been coaxed into being through prayer and effort, often bore little fruit. We broke off the spirit of death by repenting of the national sins of abortion and infanticide (in past history).

Chuck Pierce taught us that God was releasing the winds of the Holy Spirit over Japan. All last year we prayed and declared the north wind of the Holy Spirit was blowing and bringing new life and even resurrecting seed that had been sown years ago. We declare the east wind of deliverance was blowing and that powerful ministries of healing and deliverance would begin to arise.

Thus May 2005 to May 2006 was a time of transition. Now is time to announce the new strategy God has given.

ARISE JAPAN VISION STATEMENT:

The core of what we aim to do is built upon “Arise and shine, for your light has come” (Is 60:1) and “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, Because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings, to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim liberty…to give them beauty for ashes…”(Is 61:1-3)). Two things jump out immediately. Now is a time to rise up and do. It is a time for action, not a time to sit and wait. God is pouring out His Spirit on this nation. We must rise and act with Him. Secondly, we must focus on the same things that are on the heart of God. It calls for much more than just evangelism and prayer in the usual sense. We must be willing to go far beyond what we have attempted or even dreamed of attempting before. We must cause a movement to arise to shake this whole nation.

THREE ARMS OF STRATEGY:

1. Massive increase of Intercessors
The need for prayer never changes. We need more intercession than ever. However, the idea of intercession must be upgraded. It must be prophetic in that intercessors know the heart of God and pray for the same things that are on the heart of God. Intercessors must be apostolic in that they know God has sent them and that our prayers will displace the darkness with His light. We will seek to build up intercessors by:

* Helping intercessors in each region
* Offering prayer guides via internet
* Making new resources available

2. Healing and Deliverance
Is 61:1-3 says we are anointed to bring healing and deliverance. The two go together.

A. Healing - seminars on healing to equip. Our main purpose is not just for healing ministry to occur in church, but so Christians can easily minister in the market place. Here are some of our plans:

* Aug 3-4 Che Ahn
* Jan 1-3 Ian Andrews
* I myself plan to have a 6 lesson course on healing and deliverance available by Sept 1.
* Develop Seminars on prophetic ministry and healing in marketplace (dates to be announced)

B. Deliverance – Because the occult blanket over Japan is gradually being drawn back, we are now seeing what we could not see before. We are seeing many Christians afflicted and hindered in their Christian life by demons. They need help. This help is simple and straightforward. The more we minister it in church, then the more Christians can in turn minister deliverance wherever necessary

3. Influencing society/ministering life:

Since our slogan Arise Japan our focus will be to oppose the spirit of death working in Japan. Its work is manifested in the destruction wrought on woman and child in areas of child. We cannot ignore the horrendous social problems quickly surfacing in this country. Each year:

Following is a list of seed ideas of some necessary projects. Some we will do. In other cases, we will join forces and lend support to already existing ministries:

1. Teaching/counseling to prevent abortions by removing the ignorance about it
2. Start strong youth movement against pre-marital sex
3. NPO for stateless children
4. Adoption homes/foster homes
5. Help the poor and needy (helping ministries in Japan as well as helping medical missions from Japan to poor nations

These are just a few ideas, and of course there is much more that could be said. For me, the key is in the two scriptures already quoted. We must arise and shine, because God is already pouring out His Spirit on this nation. He has already anointed us to preach, to heal, to deliver, and to comfort. Now is time to arise and do. Now is the season!

Arise, Japan!