One day in January 2024, I woke up in the morning and felt pain in my neck. I could feel a small lump. As time passed, the lump grew bigger and bigger to turn into a bump, and the affected area became swollen. It was easily visible, so I turned up my collar or covered it with a scarf. ...
"The holiness gospel freed me from game addiction"
Brother Toshihiro Taguchi, age 31, Osaka Manmin Church in Japan
I started video gaming on the console at home in the first grade. It was great fun and I was immediately occupied in playing them when I got back from school. I was drawn to them more and more and ended up becoming addicted at the age of 19.
In the meantime I spent little time talking to my family, talked imprudently, and often argued with my parents. I got a job when I was 20 but I quit in three months because I had no idea how to interact with others. I buried myself in games rather than seeking another job.
I devised methods to gather good items in games and constantly upgraded my skill level. I played games all day and I once played for 40 hours without sleeping.
My father advised me to go to church and I did so in March 2006. But I still played games with my handheld game console even as I was in a church gathering. I was often late for the service and sometimes skipped it. I landed a job again, thereafter I didn't go to church for a month. Soon enough I quit the job.
I heard from a brother in the church about Dr. Jaerock Lee in January 2012. He recommended Dr. Lee's message saying it was a great blessing to him.
I began listening to Dr. Lee's messages on www.manmin.org. I was greatly touched by his explicit explanation on profound messages of the Bible—'This is the authentic interpretation of the Bible!' I listened to more than a sermon a day and prayed to be renewed. I wanted to manage my believing life in the church where the holiness gospel is preached.
I finally went all the way to Osaka Manmin Church in November 2012. Osaka is five hours away from Matsuyama in Ehime Prefecture where I had lived. Pastor Channgmi Lee, ministering to the church, and the members cordially welcomed me.
I eagerly desired to transform my life by the Word of God, so I left home without any of my game consoles and game software. Now I am leading a joyful and happy life in the Lord, though I have no TV, no game console, and even no Internet access.
As I kept the Lord's Day and prayed in Daniel Prayer Meeting, God blessed me. I could rent a house near the church a month later and got a computer-related job three months after that. In fact it had seemed hard for me to get a job because I hadn't worked for almost ten years, since I was twenty. However, God opened the way to blessing for me as one who was merely trying to practice His Word.
I experienced a healing work too. Since high school, I had got my hands chapped and frostbitten every winter (the picture below). Even worse yet, my ten fingers became so swollen that they cracked severely when bent, and were painful when touched even in light passing.
I had tried to treat them by all means. I tried diet and helpful work-outs only to have no improvement. However, since I began learning the holiness gospel and leading a diligent Christian life, my hands have never again been frostbitten in winter.
I feel joy overflowing when I played the guitar with my hands which God had touched and healed and I praised with the members. I serve as a teacher in Students' Sunday School. I deliver the love of God and testify to my experiences, hoping that students will not have such pain as mine. Above all my parents are very happy to see me become renewed. They are proud of me since I am working diligently and living a healthy life. They visit Osaka very often to see me.
I give all thanks and glory to God who blessed me to live a healthy and happy life through the holiness gospel.
Manmin News 
15940
