Leaving His Parents…..Anthony 2

As he said those words, he loudly sang the Psalm 113 with Louis Ibaraki next to him. They intoned,"..O children, praise His holy name….."
Their voice just like the ringing of silver bells echoed throughout the Nishizaka hill.  At that time the venue for execution to villainous criminals was covered with the Lord's presence who came down from heaven.  Those observing there estimated 4000 started to praise together following them.
The big chorus,"Hallelujah" arose. The heavens appeared in the place planned to be hell by execution. Grief existed no longer.  It was filled with the joy of boys who would triumph to march to heaven as winners.  And, the inside of people there got filled with the joy.

Anthony turned his face to heaven and sang praises loudly. The boy, Anthony had a belief.  God would absolutely reward his parents.

When we, a couple, were sent to Nagasaki, we visited this Nishizaka at first and prayed.  Then, I shared Anthony with my wife. The parents of my wife didn't believe in Jesus, yet at that time.  While my wife was an only child and daughter, she got married to me and got to come to Nagasaki, the mission field directed by the Lord, not the place of her parents.  After listening to me, she said,"I feel I am able to understand a little how Anthony thought."

Anthony was aware of that.  In spite of tearing hearts of his parents apart, it's to obey God that was the greatest goodness he could do for his parents.  If he would take the cross, this martyrdom, with his being submissive to God, the Lord Himself, absolutely might give his parents precious eternal life, he believed. He was expecting not temporary earthly reconciliation but eternal heavenly reward.

Leaving His Parents..........Anthony 1

He is a thirteen-years-old boy, Anthony, who was martyred on the cross side by side with Luis Ibaraki who had chosen God in Yamamoto village, Saga.  His home town was Nagasaki with his Chinese father. His parents weren't believers in Jesus Christ yet.  Then, government officials permitted his parents to come to beneath the cross of Anthony in his execution.  They eagerly wanted him to abandon the Christian faith somehow. The parents of Anthony shouted.
"It's a terrible thing for parents to outlive their child, isn't it? Please, please come down.  Anthony, please, please abandon Christ and come down."

Clinging desperately the cross, his parents was partly frantic to cry out.  But, Anthony told toward his parents.
"My father, my mother.  Please rejoice. I am going to heaven from now. Father and mother, please don't cry.  I go to heaven first and am waiting for your coming, Father and Mother. Therefore, please believe in Jesus, my father and my mother, and come to heaven after me.  Be glad, please. Please be glad."

Twenty-Six Crosses 2

Luis Ibaraki, the youngest 12-year old boy was among the twenty-six. He refused the request,"Be my adopted son" from Hanzaburo in Yamamoto Mura, SAga, and chose God. Arriving on the hill of Nishizaka, he asked guards there.
"Which is my cross I would be put?"
The guards indicated looking at him,"The cross you will be put is the smallest one over there." And Luis Ibaraki ran up to his cross with smile, and embraced and rubbed his cheek with the cross, and then kissed.
The executioners began their task of attaching the bodies to the crosses.  Fastening iron clamps around the neck, hands and feet,  they tied around the waist with a cord to keep the body steady. They fastened to the crosses fitly.  And they maneuvered the foot of each cross next to the hole that had already been dug and let it slip down inside.  Then, twenty-six crosses got straightened upright on the hill of Nishizaka. With twenty-six martyrs……..

Twenty-Six Crosses 1

Twenty-six holes were dug on the hill of Nishizaka, and each cross of twenty-six span-new ones was lying before each dug hole. They were cut away carefully and made elaborately. The height of cross was over two meters, and had a larger crossbar to tie both hands and a smaller one to hold legs. Each cross had five iron shackles to keep steady to the cross with one for neck, two for both wrists, and the last two for both ankles.  And there was a protruding seat for a martyr to sit in between them.

At 9:30 in the morning, twenty-six martyrs arrived on the hill of Nishizaka.  As soon as their own crosses were shown, they ran up dancing, and embraced their own crosses they were to be put on.

Farewell, Father and Son…John Goto 4

 A high-pitched voice by officials resounded.  The mandate to leave was mentioned. They started to walk toward the hill of Nishizaka, again.

Farewell, Father and Son…John Goto 3

 I grew up in a Christian family.  Now, I will be the father of three sons and totally six children. While observing how this father and son were contacting, I was moved with special impression.  They were a 19-year-old young John Goto, who was zealous to salvation to his last and the father, who sent his son to heaven with gladness, and lived himself for missionary work, and got prepared for martyrdom. Even though he had a possibility to lose his beloved son, the love between these two and their reliance and love to the Lord never collapsed. I also wish to succeed their heart toward the Lord. I had no choice to think so even as a son and as a father.

Farewell, Father and Son…John Goto 2

They were John Goto who entrusted to his father salvation of lost souls and missionary work at the hour he himself was going to martyr, and his father who accepted and answered unwaveringly. Both of them were considering about missionary work.  The father was quite content and glad to know the faith of his son, who was mentioning about salvation to lost souls before he would be martyred. The faith of his son, who had been glad with prayer and love until that moment, came out in troubles, martyrdom God gave.  It was a wonderful blessing.