http://junko.com/blog.html Junko: Blog Jannis' PHPRss class - http://www.jannis.to/ Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:29:39 -0700 http://junko.com/blog.html/the_power_of_radio
I just listened to part 1 of your focus on the family interview. I was so touched by your story of how God unlocked the pain that was buried deep within your heart. The image of you running through the rice fields and the story of you going for a run and coming to peace with that little Japanese girl touched a deep part of me. Thank you for sharing your gift. May God continue to bless you and your ministry.
-Eileen

I was in the shower this morning listening to my shoiwer radio and heard Junko singing a song about her young life in the rice fields of the rising sun. My wife is from Thailand and the song reminded me of her life when she was a little girl.
-Bob and Vanida

Heard about you for the very first time on radio. The interview was awesome. To have a Japanese Christian singer with such a beautiful voice had me riveted to the program. Your lyrics and the sweet Japanese style will be passed on to my 12 year old granddaughter who loves Japanese anime, songs, etc. She goes to a magnet school with half English, half Japanese instruction.
- Gail

I've heard people say that radio is going away and is being replaced by the internet. I don't know about you, but I think radio is very much alive and well. That's most of what I listen to in the car, and I spend a lot of time in my Honda Odyssey. I am hoping and praying that my interviews will continue touching people's hearts. If you've missed any of the interviews, you can always hear it online at www.focusonthefamily.com/weekend and there are also two more interviews coming up in July.

Thanks for listening!]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/the_power_of_radio Sun, 11 Jul 2010 07:29:39 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__worshiping_false_idols
When we are young and full of passion, we often get infatuated with musicians or screen stars. They have high visibility and our throbbing hearts get attached to their images (because they are looking pretty fine! and their music can really pluck our heart strings!). We may not know much about them personally, but we fall in love with them (in concept!)! Wherever they appear, as fans we scream or swoon at their sight, and we try to reach out to touch their clothes or see if they might reach out to us!

Jesus wants us to know that Satan and all his minions know just what appeals to our hearts. We can be extremely gullible, like teenagers who fawn over rock stars and movie stars. And we can fall prey to those who are good at wooing us with smooth lines and attractive facades. Somehow our infatuation with highly visible stars cover any blemishes or flaws they have. Like fanatical fans, we can practically worship our stars, not because they are so great but because it fills a need we have to worship someone or something.

As followers of Jesus, we know that our desire to worship can only truly be filled by worshiping Jesus. Our longing to put someone we adore on a pedestal is satisfied only when we lift up the name of Jesus. Sure, there are plenty of false gods running around in our lives, and we can spend lots of time and money trying to satisfy our hearts and souls on them. We may not get infatuated with music stars or movie stars, but the worship longing may affect us in our desire to be successful or wealthy or popular. Satan knows just exactly what we desire to worship in our lives (and it's usually not Jesus!) as flesh and blood creatures. We can chase after physical and emotional and even intellectual desires instead of what we were really created to do -- satisfy our spiritual longing in Jesus. So let's be wary of the false paths (and gods) Satan may try to lure us down -- the beast is not God! It may be our infatuation with a false hero or even worse, us (as the center of our universe)! Instead, let's give our hearts and souls to the one who is worthy of our worship and love forever, Jesus, our Lord and Savior!

Dear Jesus, I don't think I go gaga over any movie star or music legend. Yet sometimes I center my world around me instead of you, and I become my own hero! Teach me to worship you and you alone. All other worship is false. Please forgive me for worshiping other idols (like me!). In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__worshiping_false_idols Thu, 25 Mar 2010 07:14:54 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__avoiding_deception
Magicians can pull rabbits out of hats and do amazing tricks. I am always fascinated by how they can saw bodies in half and put them back together! I never see their slight-of-hand maneuvers, and so I am completely gullible (but deep down I know it's really fake!).

Jesus wants us to know that this beast is pulling off a great deception. Not only is he mocking Jesus' death on the cross as a parody, but he also is using it to draw the whole world astray. Just like the deceptive magicians we watch at shows, this evil beast is mimicking Jesus' death and resurrection and convincing others it is the real deal (Talk about narrow gates and wide gates -- this is definitely a wide gate leading to disaster!)!

As followers of Jesus, we need to be aware of others who may seem sincere and caring but have ulterior motives (like this resurrected beast!). We have one and only one Savior that is our Jesus. So we need to rely on His power to help us discern truth from deception. There will be false prophets and alluring messages from Satan to take the easy path and the wide gates of life. There will be those who encourage us to put Jesus and His cross aside because following Him is not the way to success, happiness, and good times (well, they are the temporary and selfish desires anyway!). Our lives are not designed to be one huge vacation, indulging in pleasures for ourselves just for the moment. We are shaped and molded to be His family, created to experience His love and His grace. We long to share that with others. And we are made to spread His love and grace in a world that desperately needs to hear the truth. So let's not be deceived by those who strive for their own personal successes and pleasures and goals (That's the wide gate, full of tricky magicians with their deceptive moves!). Instead, let's follow Jesus who beckons us to that narrow gate, where real love and absolute truth surround us completely. We will find that His ways are more deeply satisfying and fulfilling, and the ways of the false beast will not fool us down that wide gate now or ever.

Dear Jesus, I sometimes get drawn to magicians and wonder just how they do their tricks. Help me to remember that their deception is just like Satan's false ways. Teach me to see the truth in your Word and spread it to others before they go through that wide gate. In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__avoiding_deception Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:51:03 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__brotherly_and_sisterly_love
Brothers and sisters can be our best friends and most loyal fans. They can defend us when we are being attacked (even if we are in the wrong!). They can offer comfort and caring when we are down in the dumps. And they are the first ones we call when we have joyful news to share. They love us deeply, and we love them back just like that, too.

Jesus wants us to know that Satan is after all the brothers and sisters of Jesus (and that would be us, you and I!). Because we are followers of Jesus, Satan will seek us out and try to destroy us. Because we obey God's commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus, we will be sought after mercilessly by him and perhaps even lose our lives. Hopefully we will not wimp out and cave to any dragon because we are scared and fearful for our lives (because saving our lives would actually mean losing them to Jesus -- definitely a permanently wrong move!). But here we have brothers and sisters to come alongside us when we are being attacked. Here we have those who love us fiercely and will stand by us when things get tough. Having siblings who know what it's like to be attacked and pursued by Satan is such a relief. It just feels safer to know that Jesus has us covered, not just by His grace and love, but also by flesh and blood brothers and sisters in Christ! They can pray for us when we cannot pray for ourselves (sometimes our troubles get that bad!). They can give us support and assistance when we need it (maybe they won't literally beat up that dragon, but they'll protect us!). And they can surely surround us with their love and caring, just the way Jesus would. They know Jesus and love Jesus like we do! Thank goodness for siblings -- they understand us, sometimes better than we do ourselves! That's why Jesus put them in our lives now and always!

Dear Jesus, I am so glad I have brothers and sisters in Christ who know you and love you like I do. They are my lifeline to you sometimes when I feel all alone and defenseless. I know you have put them in my life so that I can experience your love and grace fully. Thank you for them. I love them dearly! In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__brotherly_and_sisterly_love Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:07:19 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__aint_no_river_wide_enough
In Hawaii the waves seem bluer and bigger. They lull us into thinking we are better swimmers than we are, so when we are clobbered by a huge wave, we may panic, go under, and swallow a ton (well, maybe not a ton) of sea water. Gasping for air, we finally come up, sputtering and disoriented, but safe (at least that has been my humble experience!).

Jesus wants us to realize the dangerous potential of this evil serpent, spewing water out to drown this poor woman. Thank goodness even non-animate parts of creation come to her rescue and save the day for her.

As followers of Jesus, we, too, don’t have to fear for our lives even when the dragons in our lives come spewing out with torrents of water! In fact, we can even rely on God’s creation to come and help us out (they are on God’s side, too!). Our dragons may spew out torrents that stem from school issues (for us, report cards are out and so, uh-oh! We may be facing harsh truth and parental consequences!). The torrents may be health-related, where illness or physical impairment drag us under, and we can hardly breathe (but we’re not drowned yet!). Whatever torrent seems to tower over us and threaten to topple us over, we can rest assured that God won’t allow us to drown or go under (Remember that song, Ain’t no mountain high enough; ain’t no river wide enough?). Jesus loves us that much! He is waiting for us to call out to Him in our times of need and rely on His power and grace to pull us through that excess water. He is our torrent rescuer par excellence and will never let any dragon come close to drowning us ever. Remember He went to the cross and died for us. That’s how much He loves each of us, so let’s never panic or be afraid. Jesus is there in the waves to save us now and always.

Dear Jesus, I know in my heart that there is no river wide enough to separate me from your love. Yet sometimes I just forget and stumble in the waves of my life. I come up swallowing lots of water, but each time you are there to pick me up and tell me I am all right. Thank you for being my rescuer even if I don’t deserve it! In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__aint_no_river_wide_enough Fri, 19 Mar 2010 07:05:20 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__eagles_wings
Our dog, Ringo, just loves to chase birds. Well, actually he loves to chase anything that moves (even his tail!). But he always looks so sad when the nearly pounced on bird just takes off in flight, with his ears perked and his head cocked to the side — another potential victim escaping the clutches of death (or at least injury!).

Jesus wants us to know that no matter how much that woman was dogged by the dragon, nothing could separate her from God’s loving protection and grace (and thank goodness for eagles’ wings, huh!). She could have been pounced on by that wicked dragon in a second, yet God’s plan was one of rescue and comfort. (I wonder if she had to flap them hard or if she could just coast in the wind?)

For us as followers of Jesus, we can sometimes feel like we are being watched and followed (and not by a curious little dog like Ringo either!). No matter how much we may try to shake that feeling of being pursued, sometimes there is that foreboding feeling that someone is in those shadows waiting to pounce on us. Thank goodness we have Jesus to provide for our protection and flight (if necessary)! Thank goodness Jesus has our back so that we don’t get pounced on or attacked by our enemies! Whenever we feel creeped out by something real or even imagined, Jesus will always provide for our escape and route to safety. Jesus knows about our worst fears and scariest nightmares. And he doesn’t make us feel bad for being such scaredy cats. He just wants us to trust and rely on him, especially when we are feeling scared and alone. He wants us to know that no matter what, He will provide safety and comfort and grace. He is our rescuer and redeemer, our anchor in any storm and our provider of eagles’ wings now and forever.

Dear Jesus, Some days I feel that there really is a dragon who might come and snatch me away from you. Help me to call upon you for help and not panic (which is what I tend to do!). I know in my heart that you are always here with me. Thank you for my eagles’ wings. In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__eagles_wings Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:27:45 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__the_mush_pot
When we play Duck, Duck, Goose, we have to run like the wind if our ducker is fast. When the ducker is little or slow (or both), we don’t have to run with panic in our hearts, and we aren’t in danger of landing in the mush pot (I am a frustratingly slow ducker, so there is no panic for the goose at all!)!

Jesus wants us to know that since heaven is now off-limits for Satan, he is on the prowl on earth and even in the sea. So if we haven’t been taken up to heaven yet, we are in jeopardy of being chased by a furious Satan who is desperate and mad as a hornet (because he knows he can’t win!). It appears that Satan, then, is the ducker who is bent on putting as many as he can in that mush pot. And I have a feeling he won’t just tag his victim but shove, push, and even maim!

For us as followers of Jesus, we need to keep up our guard for that evil ducker, Satan. He will keep coming at us and even try to persuade us that there is no mush pot (but there is!). For fast geese, it may never be an issue because we can outrun Satan (it may be our gift from Jesus!). But for slow geese like me, we need to rely and depend on Jesus’ protection and armor 24/7. We don’t want to end up in the mush pot because that is a term for a place without Jesus. That would be disaster and a fate worse than death! So let’s be in shape for the goose run ahead (reading God’s Word, praying (a lot!), and seeking His will in our lives), so that when the ducker comes chasing us, we won’t be helpless and easy prey — Jesus will be right by our side to save us from that dreaded mush pot today and forever!



Dear Jesus, Thank you for warning me about that ducker, Satan, who will come after those of us who love you and follow you. Please help me to be in shape for his chase so I don’t end up in that mush pot! Remind me not to panic if I get chased so that I can remember to call upon you for help! In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__the_mush_pot Mon, 15 Mar 2010 09:43:08 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__shrinky_dinks
In Vacation Bible School, we used to do this cool craft called, “Shrinky dinks.” We would color these little plastic thingies with our markers; stick them in a toaster oven, and voila! We had a harder-than-rock trinket that we brought home as mementos of our experience at Bible camp. It was a cool process to see our design become smaller-than-life by just a little heat!

Jesus wants us to know that these saints who overcame Satan by their faith and love for Jesus had three tactics: 1) being cleansed by the blood of the Lamb; 2) believing in and sharing the Word of God; and 3) being willing to stand firm in their faith, even to the point of death! Satan cannot defeat us no matter how hard he tries! Jesus has us safe and protected in His hands of love and grace. For us as followers of Jesus, we know and can be confident of being His beloved, cleansed by His blood shed on the cross. As flawed and as imperfect as we are, Jesus’ blood covers us and makes us pure and holy. It is such an awesome privilege that we just can’t help but share this with our friends, family, and others who need to hear about this! It’s life giving! And ironically, it is such a life-giving process to know and love Jesus that we would stand up for our faith even to the point of death (at least we think so!). It’s as if each of us who love Jesus and is loved by Him become our very own Shrinky Dinks! We are not only lovingly designed and colored by our Master and Creator, but we also are subjected to heat (hopefully not too hot!) to strengthen and galvanize our hearts and souls. And just like Shrinky Dinks, we emerge from that refining process even better than when we started! How sweet is that! So let’s not shrink away from our troubles and adversities when they come our way. Even if we face ridicule, persecution, and maybe even death threats, Jesus will be right by our side, making us tough and resilient because He looms over us, larger-than-life and victorious over all.


Dear Jesus, Thank you for your blood shed on the cross for me. And thank you also for being with me even when it seems that life is becoming overwhelming and tough! You are my lifesaver, and I am your Shrinky Dink! In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__shrinky_dinks Sun, 14 Mar 2010 16:43:43 -0700 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__guilt_trips
We all don’t like to be accused, whether we did it or not. The tone of accusation always stings, and our defenses automatically go up. We might blurt out, “No I didn’t!” (Even if we are guilty as sin!). Or we might cave and feel defeated and unworthy. Either way, the accuser wins because we end up feeling not so good about ourselves and what we said or did.

Jesus wants us to know that Satan’s best offense is his ability to hurl accusations at us, whether or not they are true. By undermining our confidence, Satan can get a firmer grip on our hearts and souls and try to erode our faith in God and our relationship with Jesus. Since it says in this verse that he is hurled down to earth, it is highly likely that he is roaming about looking for his next victim of prey to accuse. And since we, as flesh and blood, are prone to flaws, misjudgments, and plain old sin, those accusations (whether whispered in our ears or stated boldly in front of others) can weaken our self-esteem, self-confidence, and self-worth. Yet the key to feeling good about ourselves is really never about what we can do or say on our own merit. It really is about submitting ourselves (flaws and all) to our God who died for us and loves us (flaws and all). He doesn’t accuse us or belittle us or shame us. He just wants us to trust in His grace and love. And the amazing thing is that He will, through the power of His spirit, make us pure, holy, and righteous! He will allow us to feel His peace and love flowing abundantly in our hearts and souls to deflect any and all of Satan’s accusations. So, bring it on, Satan — you can’t defeat us with your lies and accusations! We have Jesus to cover us with His grace and love all the days of our lives!

Dear Jesus, I know Satan does guilt trips on me, and I fall for them every time! Help me to go to you for your grace and love and protection! Thank you for loving me just the way I am. In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__guilt_trips Sat, 13 Mar 2010 13:57:50 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__fighting_our_dragons
Sleeping Beauty is one of my favorite movies of all time. The dragon in the end (who is Maleficent transformed) gets slayed right in the heart by Prince Phillip with his charmed sword. It’s a happily-ever-after ending, like most fairy tails, but that dragon is quite ominous and looming!

Jesus wants us to know that the battle of good vs. evil takes place first in heaven, not on earth. Michael and his troop of angels defeat Satan and his minions (hooray!), and they descend to earth as the losers they are. Yet these losers are probably sore losers, so I doubt if they settled on earth as contrite and reformed angels ready to do good instead of evil!

For us as Jesus’ followers, we can just know that Satan and his fallen angels are lurking about all around us. They can hardly wait for us to slip up and fall prey to our doubts, our fear, and our sins and temptations. Of course we’d stay clear of any red dragons or evil sinister characters, but Satan is rather tricky and can appear to us in forms for which we’d let our guards down. He can reside even within those we trust and love — friends, family, and loved ones (how sneaky is that!). And through these normally staunch supporters of ours, Satan can weasel through their weaknesses to trip us up and bring us down (and away from Jesus!). It may seem like a slight detour from our regular actions or speech. Yet degree-by-degree we can end up further away from God than ever! Let’s not let any red dragon and his cohorts of the dark even get remotely close to us! All we need to do is say, “No way! Go away!” And we can actually escape from Satan’s snares without getting trapped in his webs of sin that he can weave around us. Let’s be brave (like Prince Phillip in the movie!) and charge forward with Jesus to protect us and give us His strength and power now and always.

Dear Jesus, I don’t know that I can slay any dragon, but I know I can stand strong in you, no matter what. Help me to rely on your power and strength to turn away from any sin or temptation Satan puts in my life. In your name, Amen.]]> http://junko.com/blog.html/pastor_ellens_daily_devo__fighting_our_dragons Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:55:55 -0800 Christian Singer/Songwriter, Worship Leader, Children's Musician - Junko - Blog