Spring 2016

Greg and Rachel LilleyNewsletterSpring 2016
  Once again we’re so sorry, it’s been far too long since our last update. So much has been going here in Japan that we could fill a couple of pages with things that are exciting and amazing. We have seen amazing breakthrough in both our community and in our lives as far as ministry goes. We wanted to share some of those things with you as we move forward.
As a community, probably the biggest news is that we have moved into a new base. This facility comes with a house attached to it, so it’s actually 2 different buildings that we are newly renting. The base itself could house up to 36 students and also has room for staff to live in separate quarters. And it gives us our first real meeting space as a community. It also has a large kitchen and space for us to have community meals for our community which has grown to over 40 people that was originally 5 or 6 when we originally encountered YWAM Tokyo.
Please be praying for our community as we are renting this facility, but we would like to own it and the cost of purchasing the base would be about 2.5 million dollars. Here is a link to the video that describes the base and the vision for it.
Link: https://vimeo.com/148823553
Our community has also just finished our first bilingual DTS where we saw Japanese and Many other nationalities raised up as missionaries. We graduated our 15 students this last Monday and sent them out. We are excited to have several of them planning on joining us as staff. 
Rachel has been very involved with our weekly worship and ministry night called the “Living Room”. We have been seeing many people encountered by the love of Jesus, and there have also been people healed in body and emotionally. It’s really powerful to see people raised up as worshippers and ministers. We have also been taking steps to record an album of the songs being written in our community. We hopefully will have more news on that in the future.
Our community has continued doing out reaches in Tokyo on Friday nights and has been seeing people come to know Jesus. We are also studying language as a community and processing what it looks like to start house churches here in Tokyo.
We have personally been able to pioneer a worship night on Thursday evenings that is focused on ministering to the Lord. We wanted to have a place where our family and families in the community their kids and be able to worship together. It’s often noisy but the wonderful thing is we are seeing the fruit of it already in our kids lives and it’s something they look forward to.
This coming summer, Greg will be leading the next DTS here in Tokyo. He will be co leading with a good friend that we are on the leadership team with. One of the most exciting things for us in this season is that Greg is also planning on leading an outreach team to Hokkaido during that time.
Family wise, we have been in a very busy season. This past October we moved into a new house!! It has been a journey of faith for us and we are thankful for more space and a place for our family to grow. This past November, we also welcomed our fourth daughter Angela Emiko Hope into our family.  

  She is a joy to our family and her sisters enjoy her greatly. Rachel has been homeschooling Arianna this year and we have seen her advancing and growing quickly. She is reading, writing and doing math quite well. She is an avid learner and it is great to see her blossoming into a good student. Megumi and Psalm are both doing great as well. They are active and enjoy playing with their sisters. They all enjoy drawing and it seems all have a gift for art as well as singing.
At this point in time we would love to share with you some things we need prayer for and breakthrough in. As always, for missionaries, it seems we need more support and we are in that place as well. In the past when we’ve had need, God has paused us in communicating that need and asked us to trust in Him and it has always worked. It is not that God has changed in this season, but He has asked us to communicate with our friends and family some of those needs.
We would ask that you would join us in prayer to see 700-800 more dollars more a month to come in, and that God would raise up multiple supporters to see that amount come in. As our family have grown, our financial needs have grown as well. But we realize that God has called us here to Japan to do more that survive. He has called us to walk in radical generosity and to be able to do the things He has called us to do. 
Practically, one of the things we need is a Mac Book Pro as ours has just died. We used it constantly for ministry as well as for schooling needs for Arianna. We would also like to in the not too distant future purchase a vehicle. Traveling around on public transportation works well in Tokyo, but as we start building relationships in Hokkaido and start looking towards moving there we are needing a vehicle so our whole family can travel together and be a part of the journey. As well as our expanding ministry to parts of the body here in Japan. Rachel in particular is part of a ministry to see worship released in Japan which means she would need to travel more.
We are also praying about possibly enrolling Arianna and in the not too distant future, Megumi in the local Christian School which is excellent. They have very reasonable rates especially for missionaries. But for us that would mean an increase of at least $7,000 for Arianna for this next year and then again to enroll Megumi the following year. We are open to the possibility of homeschooling our kids, but we are also asking the Lord what is His will for them and if He would provide for them to attend school. If you would join us in praying for this that would be very appreciated.
If the Lord moves on your heart to help meet any of the needs we have shared, please follow the link below or let us know.

Support

We would also like to share with you a a video that does a very good job of communicating the need for missionaries in Japan. It is called “Why Japan”.

Link: https://vimeo.com/92343293
Thank you so much for your love and support for our ministry in Japan. It is very much appreciated.
Blessings,

Greg, Rachel, Arianna, Megumi, Psalm and Angela Lilley 

Welcomed into Eternity

WELCOMED TO ETERNITY

You who are Eternity journey with me of mud and clay. For me a lifetime for you a day.
You found me and said come let’s play. You gave me life. You breath in me. You welcome me into eternity.

I am grass, a Lilly of the fields. Here today then gone forever. You who sit upon a throne unchanging love me a man of wavering. Love me with a love like you and not of me and welcome me into eternity.

You share wonder, desire, perspective and life. And all I bring is struggle and strife. Yet you in me changing, turning, shaping, wooing me. Have opened my eyes, heart, mind and welcome me to eternity.

What’s more than a wonder you bring Her to me. A treasure, a precious gem, a work of art, a perfect gentle and loving heart. And now she’s here with You. Here with me, simple mud and clay welcomed into eternity.

Faith and Grace, children’s names given me by The Eternal Flame. They run and hide an play away destined like me to run with you one day. A loving God steeped in charity who welcomed me to eternity.

One day my time will pass unless you come, the old will fade the new be born, but a treasure left a song to sing of a journey lived with a God of wonder a Prince of Peace who welcomed me into Eternity.

God on Campus!

Recently I have been reading God on Campus by Trent Shepherd. I walk away from every session of reading realizing more and more that God has radical plans for the university and college campuses of the nations in this generation.

Most excitingly for me is that I am certain this is true of Japan. In his book Trent shares about an experience a friend of his named Pete Greig who founded the 24/7 prayer ministry that has spread all over the world. In this experience the end result was God was telling him to “Call Campus America to Pray” and I love how Trent put it in his book. “Perhaps an Englishman heard “Call Campus America to Pray” because God wants to assure us that what is coming to U.S. Campuses is not limited to the United States. God’s dream is much bigger than the American Dream.” The campuses of America and the Nations are being called to awaken to their world changing destinies in God.

The University students of the nations are awaking today to the eternal realities that are calling them to something bigger then a large 401k retirement plan. That they have an inheritance and a calling that affects more than the next 40 years of their life and their bank account. As Trent puts it in his book “This means that the students of a nations universities have as much responsibility as the government of the nation in determining the direction of the whole nation.” The seeds for the end of abortion are being planted in the universities of today. Encounters with the Living God in the universities of today are shaping the breakthroughs in every area of the society of tomorrow. But just as exciting is that God is planting the seeds of tomorrow in the wonderful reality of intimacy with Him here and now.

The other reality is that the universities aren’t just planting seeds of future Revival and Reformation as Trent also says in his book “One of the greatest myths and most disempowering concepts of the collegiate years is the faulty idea that real life starts later. As if the daily decisions that deeply influence our friends, significantly shape our campuses and regularly recenter our lives have no actual bearing in the real world. Had the Holy Club (the collage group that had George Whitfield, John Wesley and Charles Wesley among others)

bought into the bogus belief, the world they would eventually transform might still be waiting for some humble and courageous souls to take the risk of actually doing something in the present, rather than forever waiting for the idyllic environment of the future (where apparently the real world -that mythical place where all your decisions really do matter – is eagerly lying in wait. One of the greatest and most exciting things about what is happening in the universities of the nations is it is NOW! God is releasing his spirit on them now! He is changing the world with them now! Not is some distant place called potential which may be the heaviest word in the English language because it is heavily weighted with expectation without much room for grace and failure. How many of us constantly feel the weight of wasted potential. The potential for the Kingdom of God future is born in the obedience of Kingdom of God now.

As we pursue Rikkyo University and calling the students into their inheritance, identity and destiny I am struck by the hope of the future that is being planted in them as well as the urgency of now that is being released through them. Jesus said the Kingdom of God is hear and is coming and that is true in Rikkyo! Pray for us as we partner with Him to see them encounter and walk with Him now and plant the seeds of future Revival and Reformation.

All for His glory!

Why is God so excited about Rikkyo University

As a new season begins here at YWAM Tokyo one of the things God has brought to the forefront of our prayers and hearts is Rikkyo

the seal of Rikkyo University (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

University. With two campuses, one in Ikebukuro the North West hub of the Tokyo rail system and the other in Niiza (where Rachel and I just happen to live) Rikkyo isn’t the biggest university in Tokyo much less Japan. While it has a long and distinguished history it’s profile is considerably less than say that of Waseda or especially Tokyo University.

So when God started highlighting Rikkyo I have to admit I was hesitant at first. Why would God want us to focus our effort there instead of say Todai (Short for Tokyo University) or Waseda which were known for raising up nation changing, shaping students. So I started praying about it and God started sharing his reasons.

The first clue came through a friend and prophetic voice in our community Pete Mahoney. Pete was probably the first to hear from God that our attentions needed to be directed at Rikkyo. As he was researching the University and it’s history God started to highlight one man in particular Channing Moore Williams.

Channing Moore Williams was one of the first protestant missionaries in Japan.Williams was born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1829, and ordained deacon in 1855. The Episcopal Church sent him to China, where he was ordained priest in 1857. In 1859 he was sent to Nagasaki, Japan, and in 1866 was consecrated Bishop of China and Japan. In 1868 Japan was opened to far greater contact with the West than before, and he determined that he could achieve best results by concentrating his efforts on Japan. In 1874 (or is that 1877?)

Williams went to Tokyo (then called Edo or Yedo), where he founded what is now St Paul’s University a.k.a Rikkyo University. In 1878 he helped unite several mission efforts in the formation of the Nipp0n Sei Ko Kai, the Holy Catholic Church in Japan. In 1889 his health began to fail, and he asked to be relieved. In 1893 a successor was appointed, and Williams stayed on, living in Kyoto and helping to open new mission stations. He returned to America in 1908 and died 2 December 1910. (previous information was provided by justus.anglican.org).

Williams was a pioneer for Jesus and the Kingdom of God in Japan! He founded the university as well as championed unity in the body of Christ. As I have read about Williams one of the points that is consistently brought out about him is that the biggest mark he left wasn’t the university it was the formation of Nippon Sei Ko Kai, or Holy Catholic Church in Japan. He was a living breathing answer to Jesus prayer in John 17 that we would be one as Jesus and the Father are one.

I have shared previously on this blog that I feel like God is highlighting both the universities of Japan and unity within the Church of Japan as areas He wants to radically touch, transform and change in this generation. Williams life is proof that God has long since been planting the seeds of this very thing. Williams was a man who laid down his life and lived in a nation that was not his own and embraced it and adopted it as his own. Embracing God’s vision and heart for a people who had yet to receive revelation of, much less embrace Jesus Christ. He was a champion of the Bride of Christ encouraging and even forging foundations of unity for future generations to build on.

English: Channing Moore Williams 日本語: チャニング・ウィリアムズ (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Anglican Church actually has a day or feast set aside in honor of Williams December 2nd. They also have a prayer for that day.

Almighty and everlasting God, we thank you for your Servants Channing, whom you called to preach the Gospel to the peoples of Asia. Raise up, we pray, in this and every land heralds and evangelists of your kingdom, that your Church may proclaim the unsearchable riches of our Saviour Jesus Christ; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.

For decades now this prayer has been lifted up. Let this be a generation that responds like Williams to the heart of God over Asia and especially Japan!

As you go about your week keep this prayer with you lifting it up to God afresh and new. Cry out for God to raise up in Japan and every land heralds and evangelist of the Kingdom of God, That the Bride my proclaim the unsearchable riches of Jesus Christ, The Father and The Holy Spirit.

Summer/Fall news from the Lilley’s

News from the Lilley’s in Japan

Hello all sorry it has been so long getting news out from here in Japan here is a quick update on how things are going

Discipleship Training School- We graduated 13 students in August from our DTS. Four of these students have already applied for staff here and at least two more are expected to apply soon. Three of the others are continuing on in missions is some other capacity so out of 13 students nine are continuing in missions!! Praise Jesus!

The Prayer Room- The Lord has made it very clear that the primary focus of this next season for our community is to be establishing the Altar of Worship as the center piece of our base. So we have prioritized prayer and worship in our schedule. Rachel and I are so excited about this and our community has jumped in wholeheartedly into pursuing God’s presence first and foremost.

Family News- Megumi’s Visa was and adventure, and for a little while it seemed our newest little one was in limbo, good thing we know she’s a citizen of heaven :). But her visa came through so now she is a legal resident of the USA. Both of our girls are adapting to life here. Arianna is so friendly, every where she goes she makes friends. One of the greatest joys for me is seeing her befriend people here in Japan. Whether on the train, walking down the street, or playing in the park, she is able to make friends. The language is something that is a challenge for us, but for Arianna, whenever she is addressed in Japanese by a child or adult, she answers in gibberish that sounds like Japanese. It makes for quite the funny scenario.

We are also currently in language study. Greg and I are studying to learn the language here. We are continually confronted with the fact that we have to learn to be able to function here. Especially as it pertains to sharing the Gospel we want to be able to truly connect with people and without the language that is not possible.

Recording Project- Rachel’s recording of her song “Jesus” is complete and being prepared for release. We will be releasing it on iTunes in the near future. We will send an update out when it is released. We are so excited to see this song released. Another of her songs, “Only You Can Satisfy” has been released on the Glory album available through iTunes or www.elevatedmusic.com.

Our Needs- Currently we are in need of an increase of monthly support. We have seen provision happen again and again in amazing ways, but we also feel challenged from the Lord to believe for an increase in our monthly support so that we can live and do all that he has for us in the nation of Japan. We are also pressing into this as a base. We are pressing into this corporately as a base, believing for financial breakthrough for everyone on our team. If you want to be part of our journey financially, please click the link below to use either paypal or you can donate through the University of the Nations in Kona, Hawaii for a tax receipt.

http://www.lilleys.org/support/

Our teaching week in Tokyo is now availible on itunes

Our teaching at YWAM tokyo is now available on itunes at
http://itunes.apple.com/podcast/ywam-tokyo-dts-2012-lectures/id521447500?l=en

What is God doing in Japan

Tokyo - Downtown : Crowd at a crossroad. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

As I look back on the last two months here in Japan I have taken some time to ask how is God moving in Japan right now? First and foremost I think He is more committed then ever to seeing the Alter of worship and prayer established here and He is raising up Watchmen/Prayer warriors with worshiping hearts to praise his name and cry out night and day for justice and revival in Japan. Also I am more convinced then ever that God’s dream for this nation is Radical and unparalleled Revival where the revelation of Jesus is proclaimed to every heart and the good news of His Grace, Power and Forgiveness is revealed to every single Japanese, that he might have the reward of his inheritance in this nation.

Right now between 1 and 6 percent of Japan knows and believes in Jesus which is stunning when you consider that when St. Francis Xavier arrived in Japan on 27 July 1549 and proclaimed/prophesied  that no other nation was more ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ then the Japanese. A prophecy that has for too long been delayed in fulfillment with too many Japanese souls lost for eternity for lack of revelation of the freedom and truth of the gospel.

I believe the proclamation of Japanese Martyr Paulo Miki which is…

I am a Japanese by birth… I have committed no crime, and the only reason why I am put to death is that I have been teaching the doctrine of Our Lord Jesus Christ. I am very happy to die for such a cause, and see my death as a great blessing from the Lord. At this critical time, when, you can rest assured that I will not try to deceive you, I want to stress and make it unmistakably clear that man can find no way to salvation other than the Christian way.

The Christian religion commands that we forgive our enemies and those who have wronged us. I must therefore say here that I forgive… those resposible for my death. I have no hatred… indeed I wish that he and all the Japanese would become Christians.“

The Christian way being that He (Jesus) is the Way the Truth and the Life and NO ONE comes to the Father except through Him. (emphasis added). And I KNOW that Paulo’s wish that all Japanese would become Christians or to rephrase his statement “would know Jesus” was a cry strait from the heart of God.

For generations Japan has been described “a hard place”, “swamp where the gospel can’t spread” and “to difficult”. This was not what St. Francis described or Paulo declared at the price of his own life. Our God is not intimidated by Japan. Our God is not indifferent about the Japanese. Our God is not incapable of revealing Himself or his goodness to this nation.

I was talking to a long term missionary here in Japan a few weeks ago and this subject came up I was so excited by what he had to say. It’s never been like this before in Japan he said there is an openness to Jesus to the Gospel to Salvation like never before. This man has given decades of his life pursing Japan with God’s heart, and HE sees God is doing a new thing here. Now is Japan’s time.

So the question we must ask ourselves is how can we partner with what God is doing/fulfilling in Japan. Here is what I see.

The Universities!!

Japanese University students are in a special time of life that is very much different that their counterparts in the west. In Japan kids work six day a week twelve hours a day or more to get into the right university. After University the expectation in Japan is that you work for your company with that same dedication. But while in university the pressure is off. Once in to a School actually getting a degree is relatively easy. Japanese university student actually have time to ponder life and purpose and not just be overwhelmed by expectation. It is in the Universities of Japan that the seeds of revival will be planted.

The Church!!!

God has never had a plan B. His bride is his partner in this age and She is awakening to who she is in Japan! The Church of Japan is starting to realize that they know the creator of the universe and their nation desperately needs to know him and they carry the message that unlocks the chains that for too long have kept this nation locked up. They are awaking to the revelation that Christ dwells in them and where He goes things have to change! They have to start looking like heaven.

Prayer!!!

This goes along with the Church but it has a more global perspective. Never before has the Church embraced her Lord and Savior in prayer and worship as in this current age and history has shown us that when the Church prays and seeks Jesus Revival and Reformation ALWAYS follows. What’s more since the March 11th earthquake much of that prayer has turned to Japan!!! So as we pray for Japan our Expectation HAS to be Revival in Japan.

What does that mean in our daily lives?

We need to Pray for the universities of Japan, The Church of Japan and participate in every practical opportunity. That looks different for each of us but the reward is the same that our Lord and Savior would receive the reward of His suffering in the nation of Japan.

Prayer Request

Hello to our dear supporters, and prayer covering, We are in Tokyo and are looking for a place to rent long term for the first time in our married life (four years) We have targeted two apartments in north west Tokyo. It is going to cost us about 4 months rent just to get into one ($3,250) (it’s the way things work here) and we also need to get basic furnishings for the appt. ie. cloths washer, heater, fridge, beds. and basic dishes and cooking stuff. we have some money set aside but we are asking you to pray for us that God would provide what we need when we need it. We also wanted to let our needs be known to you so you could pray and if the Lord leads to maybe sponsor one or more of these needs. This is an exciting time for our base as we start a new season in north Tokyo and a new DTS Rachel and I are so excited about what God is doing here in Japan. Thank you all so much for your prayers and support we love you all.

Greg and Rachel Lilley

If you would like to help, our website is

Support

We have arrived!! (In Tokyo)

Image via Wikipedia

Hello!!
We are so excited to be writing from Tokyo, Japan. We arrived in Japan a week ago and have definitely hit the ground running. This last week has been filled with a lot of prayer, worship, vision casting and community times together. It has felt so good to be part of a YWAM community again!
This last week, we were able to get registered with the Japanese government and now have what are called Alien Registration Cards. This means that we are now residents of Japan! We were also able to sign onto the national health care system, register for a bank account, and get cell phones. It feels like we have started putting some roots down here and are on our way to making Japan home. We also found out that the Japanese government helps families with children financially to help pay for the costs of living here. This itself was a surprise provision which we are so grateful for.
As far as our schedule at this point, we arrived here about a week before the DTS training begins. Greg and I have been invited to join the leadership team for this DTS so what that means is that we will be co-leading this DTS along with a team. We are excited and very honored to get to take part in this way and are looking forward to working with an incredible group of people in the leadership team and staff for this school.
We are still in need of housing for the students and staff at this point. The deadline to move is getting nearer and we would greatly appreciate your prayers in this point. Greg and I will also be looking for an apartment to move into as soon as we know where the student and staff housing will be located. This is exciting as well as stretching for us as it is the first time we will be able to set up a home in the almost 4 years we have been married. But we are feeling more and more that it is time to find a place to put down some roots and have a home for our children.
Our other need is that I (Rachel) would be able to find a pre-natal care and delivery doctor here in the next week or so. I am now in my third trimester so we want to get that settled as soon as we can.
Thank you to all of you for your prayer and support! It is so wonderful to finally be in this land and all of you have been a part of that with us and will continue to reap the fruit with us that happens here. We believe that now is the time for salvation and revival in Japan!
Blessings,
The Lilleys