Congratulations, everyone, on today’s World Church of Messiah Grand Autumn Service. First, I would like to thank all the staff at Hotel New Otani Osaka for their understanding and cooperation as well as their tremendous support. They made this service possible, and for that, I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to everyone at the hotel. Thank you very much. As all of you may already know, my wife, Mayumi, came back home earlier this month after being in the hospital for the last seven months since suffering a brain stroke in February. For those seven months, I know that she has been in your prayers, and through the consideration of President Narii, many staff members devoted themselves to support her. My two sons and their families were there for us, too. It is only because of all the encouragement and support we received that my wife was able to overcome this hardship that suddenly befell her, work on her rehabilitation with determination and endure her long stay in the hospital. For this and for your prayers, Mayumi and I are deeply grateful. Even though she has left the hospital, the left side of her body is paralyzed for the most part, and she is using a wheelchair. At the moment, she is doing as much rehabilitation as she can, as she looks forward to the day that she can meet all of you. As you heard from the greeting and the expression of resolve by President Narii just a moment ago, yesterday, the Church held its elections for executive directors and directors that take place once every three years. This election process is the first for World Church of Messiah. Through Meishu-sama and Jesus, I thanked God for allowing us to hold these elections. To the newly elected, I humbly granted my approval and authorization in the name of Messiah, in the name most holy and high. In order to accomplish the purpose of God’s creation, the new executive directors and the new directors will further advance the work of true salvation. That is, they will respond to the will of Meishu-sama that says we will save all humanity by working in concert with Christians. Together with the executives and together with all of you who are under them, I am determined to grow even more and serve the one and only God who predetermined that He would make all humanity His children by reviving all creation. I strongly believe that this will lead to the further development of World Church of Messiah. I should also mention that at the time of the election, Vice President Kawatani retired and is now newly appointed as Senior Advisor. Until today, Senior Advisor Kawatani, together with Vice President Shirasawa, has single-mindedly walked together with me no matter how difficult a situation may have been. I relied on him so much for numerous matters, and I was always greatly encouraged by his unfaltering faith and burning passion. From now on too, I wish to move forward receiving his precious advice and support. Let me also mention that the new directors are all women. This truly is a historic matter, to say the least. I have always believed that the ways of the Church have to be ones that women can be joyful of. I am certain that women will play an even more important role from now on. In deep awe and fear of God, in heaven, before setting out on the work of creation, God not only bore spiritual children who were to be human beings, He also bore the spirits of all creation. At that time, God imbued His purpose, direction and conclusion of creation not only into us human beings but also into all creation. Just like us, all creation received God’s will of creation in heaven. God then created, in form, all creation through us. That is, God sent all creation to the earth through us. And lastly, we human beings were sent to the earth. Now, we have a duty to recall what the relationship is between us human beings and all creation. Meishu-sama said the following: All things that exist in the whole universe are necessary existences for human beings. First, they sustain human life. Second and needless to say, they assist in each one of our missions. Meishu-sama is saying that all creation is there to assist in what we do, our mission, each one of our missions. The mission of each one of us is to be born anew as a child of God, Messiah, that is, to become a child of God. All creation exists to assist us who are destined to be born anew. In the Bible, it is written: All of creation waits with eager longing for God to reveal his children (Romans 8:19). God created visible creations as well as invisible creations like all the elements. God is working hard, using all of these creations so that we can fulfill our mission of becoming children of God. In our daily life, how do we think about all creation and how are we treating those creations? I believe that we have forgotten how we were serving God together with all creation in heaven. We decide whether we need something or not according to our own, selfish ideas or criteria. We decide what is a good creation or a bad creation and evaluate according to our needs. In this way, we have been enslaving all creation with our thoughts. Earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, floods and droughts—these are also the workings of all creation. While we often pray that damage caused by them is minimal, we seldom think of the existence of God who works through all creation in the moments of these natural disasters. I mean, have we ever thought of God’s grace by which He prepared all creation for us in heaven, at the very start of His creation? We truly are ignorant and arrogant before God, aren’t we? But still, God has forgiven the likes of us. Through the blood that Jesus offered, God atoned for and forgave us. God set free all creation that had been enslaved by our thoughts. It means He set each one of us free, too. How profound and immense is the grace of God who is the Creator of all things and our true Father. Now that we have come to know this grace, let us, first and foremost, acknowledge that God works through all creation always and also express the following to God: O God! I want to receive the atoning blood and, together with all creation, return to heaven as ones who are already atoned for and forgiven! All creation and we are one. Without all creation, we cannot be born anew. At the same time, all creation cannot return to heaven except through us. For it was through us that all creation was sent to earth. First, all creation has to return to heaven and be revived. It is only then that we are able to be born anew and be used in the work that accomplishes the purpose of God’s creation. One creation that has an intricate, inseparable relationship with us is money, and it is something that represents all creation. God allows us to offer money in His presence. That is, through using money, God is assisting us in offering ourselves to Him in His presence. Through using all creation, that is, through using money that represents all creation, God is trying to welcome everything we think and feel as something that has been atoned for and forgiven. Let us express our gratitude to the love of God who prepared all creation so that we can be born anew. Let us also, as we enter autumn, the time of harvest, offer ourselves in God’s presence so that He can harvest us as the fruits of His work of creation. Toward the end of this year, we will celebrate the one hundred and fortieth anniversary of Meishu-sama’s Birthday. Today, the document entitled “Regarding Observance of Holy Days in Our Church” that I wrote with Masaaki was distributed. As you can see in it, from this year onward, our Church will officially celebrate the day when Jesus was believed to have been born on earth, that is, Christmas. Accordingly, at the upcoming Meishu-sama’s Birthday Service, together, let us celebrate the birth of Meishu-sama and the birth of Jesus for the first time in the history of our Church. As we near that monumental day, let us with gratitude and jubilation serve in the work that creates a future filled with hope and glory, together with all ancestors and with all creation. O God, we thank You for allowing us to serve You in this way! In the name of Messiah, may all authority, glory and blessings be returned to You. Thank you very much.