About Kohitsuji no Mure
Kohitsuji no Mure (Flock of the Lamb) is the church of praise led by the Lord Jesus Christ. We have one central church, the Church of the Wind in Ashiya, Japan, and approximately 500 house churches throughout Japan and the world. We have no church membership, for we believe our heavenly membership is sufficient.
What We Believe
We stand on the faith of praise God has entrusted to us: “The love of Christ alone is sufficient” and “Everything is completed in praise.”
We believe in the Triune God: God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. The redemptive work of Christ was completed once for all by His cross. The risen Lord shall work all things together for good in His redeeming love. We simply trust in the Lord and worship Him in Spirit and truth.
We shall live in the faith of God, and it has nothing to do with adhering to Christian dogmas or doctrine as a religion. While church dogmas are earthly isms, faith is to see heavenly visions. Christ is the living God of love, the Healer and Savior of all creation.
All things are created to praise God. Things in heaven, on earth, and under the earth are to be redeemed in the cross and worship as one. We believe that the end time is the time of love when the redemption of Christ shall be revealed in its entirety.
Worship
We believe that worshiping the Lord is of supreme importance. We worship and praise the Lord in Spirit and truth. The invisible God who rules the entire universe reveals Himself to us amid praise. Praise does not mean mere singing; it is for each one to come before the Lord and to worship Him as one with all creation, which we call Cosmic Worship, as described in the book of Revelation.
Church
The Greek word for “church” is ecclesia, meaning the called ones by God. It is not an earthly organization based on dogmas, but it claims the mystical Body of Christ, in which we believe all creatures in heaven, on earth, and under the earth worship the Lord God as one. We have no membership, for we belong to the church in heaven (Church Universe).
Word
The Bible is the Word of God. Everyone can learn the Bible directly from God. No special teacher with in-depth biblical knowledge is necessary to understand the Bible. Intellectual learning is helpful as long as the Holy Spirit works, yet accumulation of knowledge is not required.
Most important is for each one to come before the Lord and hear His voice in heart. To put it into practice, we have the “Bible Study in the Wilderness.” In meditative prayer on the Word, God surely speaks to each of us, inspiring our thoughts and imagination. We never assert what is spoken to us is absolute. We may have different interpretations, and it is alright, for all that matters is to see Christ in the Word.
Healing
We pray for healing in the name of Jesus Christ. We believe in the healing of Christ who was crucified on the cross for us, as Isaiah 53:5 says, “He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed.” Healing flows amid worship, and people receive both physical and inner healing. We believe that healing also flows to the wounded earth and to all things created by God.
We would not be attached, however, to manifestation of healing, for we know the Lord works for the best in praise far beyond our understanding.
Baptism
In Kohitsuji no Mure, anyone who confesses the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior can immediately receive baptism, as in the book of Acts. The Lord says, “I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” We believe that baptism is the seal of God’s love put upon each soul as His promise, “I will protect My sheep for eternity.” No commitment to a church organization is required. Our old self dies, and a new walk begins in the risen life of Christ.
Fullness of the Holy Spirit
It is by the Holy Spirit that we can confess, “Jesus is Lord.” When filled with the Spirit, some may speak in tongues, fall, or cry. Human emotions can be evoked, but outward phenomena are insignificant. Various spiritual gifts manifested through the fullness of the Spirit are all for the building up of the Church as the Body of Christ. The most significant sign of the fullness of the Spirit is “praise,” for the Holy Spirit is the spirit of praise.
Offering
The Bible promises that through our offering God will open the windows of heaven and pour out blessings for us until it overflows. We have neither membership nor donation pledge. During worship we have a time of offering as our thanksgiving and praise to God.
We stand on the faith that God provides all our needs in praise and that the Body of Christ is built upon our praise and prayer.
History
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- 1969
- Peter Shimada began his ministry in Philadelphia.
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- 1971
- Peter became the pastor of the Japanese Christian Church of Philadelphia (in 1979 affiliated to the United Presbyterian Church).
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- 1987
- Mitsuko was struck by the White Dove of the Holy Spirit in New Jersey.
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- 1989
- Peter and Mitsuko were given the Vision of Kohitsuji no Mure.
The first Kohitsuji no Mure house church gathering started in Nishinomiya, Japan.
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- 1991
- Peter resigned from the Japanese Christian Church of Philadelphia.
The Kohitsuji no Mure ministry in New Jersey started.
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- 1992
- The First Retreat was held in Kanto, Kansai, and Kyushu.
Number of house churches: 7
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- 1993
- The Kohitsuji no Mure main church was opened in Ashiya, Japan.
Number of house churches: 16
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- 1995
- The Great Hanshin Earthquake occurred.
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- 2000
- The Revelation Praise (later called "Heavenly Praise" or "Hato Praise") started pouring through Mitsuko.
The First Praise Concert was held in Nishinomiya, Japan.
Number of house churches: 292
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- 2001
- The 9/11 Terrorist Attacks in the USA occurred.
"Praise and Prayer for Peace" started.
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- 2003
- The First Overseas Praise Concert was held in New York.
Kohitsuji no Mure was approved as a religious corporation in Japan.
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- 2005
- The First World Retreat was held in Hawaii.
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- 2008
- The Church of the Wind was built in Ashiya, Japan.
Worship Live Streaming started.
Number of house churches: 501
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- 2010
- The Spain Praise Concert Tour was held (in Girona Cathedral, Crypt of Sagrada Familia, and Santa Maria del Mar Church).
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- 2011
- The Great Eastern Japan Earthquake occurred.
The First Retreat after the completion of the Church of the Wind was held at Kobe Portopia Hotel.
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- 2013
- The Second Spain Praise Concert Tour was held.
Multi-dimensional praise was sung in Sagrada Familia Cathedral.
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- 2016
- The NY Retreat and Praise Tour was held.
The House of Life was built.
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- 2019
- The Overseas Retreat was held in Hilo, Hawaii.
The Tokyo Sanctuary was opened.
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- 2020
- The COVID-19 State of Emergency was declared in Japan.
The Easter Concert at the Church of the Wind was recorded without an audience and distributed online.
The Revelation Praise Concert was held at the Church of the Wind.
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- 2021
- The flood of Alleluia Praise started.
The First Alleluia Praise Recording began.
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- 2023
- The General Assembly Concert was held at the Church of the Wind, which marked the 60th concert of Kohitsuji no Mure.