First love

the Bible words 'Cross to the other side' struck a chord with me, and I was given a vision of spreading the gospel in Europe, a place I had never been to before. The path opened up to me as far as the Greek island of Patmos, where the final book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation, was written.

I thought I would receive a message about the end times and the heavenly worship hymns of Revelation on this journey, but the message God gave me was to return to my first love.

Jesus is said to be the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, but at the end, he spoke of my first love, reminding me of God's humor.

My first love with Jesus.
It was also a hymn I received on a European journey seven years after being led to marry my wife, Kazuko.

I will love Kazuko, a gift from God given to me, with my first love.

And I will remain in that first love with Jesus, who changed my life, and as someone who delivers the hope of the Gospel, I renew my resolve to continue walking the way of the cross and devoting my life to love.