by Pastor Steve Peich

Ruth 1:1-6, 8-18

In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to live in the country of Moab, he and his wife and two sons. The name of the man was Elimelech and the name of his wife Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion; they were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They went into the country of Moab and remained there. But Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died, and she was left with her two sons. These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. When they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, so that the woman was left without her two sons and her husband. Then Naomi heard in Moab that the Lord had blessed his people in Judah by giving them good crops again. So Naomi and her daughters-in-law got ready to leave Moab to return to her homeland.

 …Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go back to your mothers’ homes. May the Lord show loving kindness to you, as you have shown to your dead and to me. May the Lord bless you with the security of another marriage.” Then she kissed them good-bye, and they all wept aloud …Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye. But Ruth clung tightly to Naomi. “Look,” Naomi said to her, “your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same.” But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she said nothing more. So the two of them went on until they came to Bethlehem. (Ruth 1:1-6, 8-18)

As we wind our way through this period of fasting and prayer, where we are yielding our lives to God’s shaping of them, I find this beautiful story of Naomi and Ruth so inspiring of what needs to be shaped in me. This is a story of two devastated women who went on an amazing journey together. Naomi was a Jewish woman, while Ruth was a Moabite woman.

As we just read, their relationship was borne out of tremendous tragedy. First of all, there was a famine in Israel, Naomi’s homeland. So she and her family go to an area that has a long history of being hostile to Jews, Moab, which is on the eastern side of the Dead Sea.

While there Naomi experiences tremendous loss: the loss of a husband and two adult sons. This meant of course that Ruth (and Orpah), the young Moabite brides, had their share of tragic loss as well.

Moreover, given the social context of that era, these losses particularly made Naomi incredibly vulnerable to other losses. For example, the loss of land, the loss of wealth, loss of security, loss of a future, and perhaps most of all, the loss of hope for an older woman. Have you experienced such difficulties and losses in your life? Do you know the journey of frightening vulnerability and weakness?

Ruth 1:6 tells us that after these devastating events, Naomi hears that things are better back in Israel and so she seeks to return. Perhaps she is thinking that at least she can still survive there. Thriving in Moab at this point was pretty much out of the question.

Understandably, the two daughters-in-law wanted to remain with Naomi, but Naomi knows that their best shot at a new life would be in their home country among their own people and family, not in Israel. Eventually Naomi convinces Orpah to go back home, but Ruth makes this amazing statement to Naomi.

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.  Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” (vv 16-17)

Notice a couple of quick things. First, for Ruth to make this kind of commitment is an incredible sacrifice. As I alluded to, she had a better a chance for a new husband, having kids, etc. in her own country. She would be safer in Moab than in a country hostile to Moabites, but she instead chooses sacrificial loyalty to Naomi. She chooses a life that is potentially loaded with hardship. Like Jesus, Ruth intentionally steps toward suffering so that Naomi’s life could have a life. Simply put, Ruth put her life at great risk for the sake of another.

Jesus said, “No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends,” and Ruth is doing just that. In fact, some scholars believe the name Ruth means “friend.”

Bottom line, our church, your neighbors, your coworkers need the heart, courage, and compassion of Ruth to flow from you. I don’t care if you are a guy, you still need the heart of Ruth in you. I say that because there are so many folks, male and female, who feel the pain and walk the journey of Naomi.

How does this story of committed love and risk-taking impact your life? Have you known such love and commitment with others? Have you experienced it from God, Himself? Have you ever stepped toward suffering so that others could find life and love amid their own journey of pain and hardship? What is God saying to you today?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give me the eyes to see the hardships that are below the surface in others around me. Give me the courage, energy, wisdom, and time to move toward their vulnerability and to serve them as You would. To You be all the glory. Amen

 Email Pastor Steve

by Jenny Sung, Executive Coordinator

Then Job answered the Lord: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. (Job 42:1-3)

I have a pet peeve of sorts. I’m not sure why, but when people finish my sentences or assume they know what I am thinking, and they’re WRONG, it rubs me the wrong way. Oftentimes I am not thinking or feeling what they assume. They don’t fully understand the situation, the history or my thought process, yet they speak as if they do. Perhaps that is why I value those who ask questions and listen well.

Yet as I reflected upon today’s passage in Job, I realize I do the VERY SAME thing to God! In moments of self-righteousness and ignorance, I assume I know more than the almighty, all-knowing, everlasting God. I utter things “I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.”

Many know the story of Job where he was tested and lost everything––property, riches, relationships, family, health––and Job argues with God to the point that God responds to Job in the whirlwind. In breathtaking prose, God speaks. “Where were you when I….” ... “Can you” ... “Look at” ... “Who can?”

Then in humility and repentance Job utters, “I know that You can do all things,” and then worships God.  We know the end of Job’s story, how God restores all that Job had and more.

We don’t know the end of our own story yet, but we can trust God in the whirlwind. It takes humility and a soft heart to yield to God in the greater work that He is doing in our lives. Sometimes we think we know more than God and want to accuse, put God in the wrong, or condemn Him (Job 40:8). We think we understand all there is to understand in the situation.

But throughout the Bible we see the overarching character of God––the God who keeps His covenant promises with His people; the God who forgives over and over again; the God who longs to draw His own very close, like a mother hen to her chicks; the God who sent His only Son Jesus to bear our sins and die a painful death on the cross. Why? Because God is love, and His very nature encompasses all that surrounds love.

As we go through our 40-day fast as the body of Christ this Lent, let us become even more aware of His leading. Let us listen well. Let us be the people of God with soft, pliable hearts, moldable like clay in the potter’s hands. We can trust Him the One who can do all things and loves us with an everlasting love.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank You for loving me, even when I assume things I do not know, or want to control my life and be the center of our universe. Forgive me and draw me closer to You. I want to have a soft and moldable heart. I want to listen well. I want to be conformed to Your image and submit to Your will. Thank You for being my God. In Jesus name I pray, Amen

Email Jenny

by Adele Chong, Elder

John 8:1-11

 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”

“No one, sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”

Imagine yourself as a highly respected member of the community, like a Pharisee in Jerusalem in today’s Scripture passage. You know all the rules, and you make sure everyone knows you follow them scrupulously. You enjoy the deference of other worshipers in your Temple. Life is good, you have it made, you have the system figured out, and you know how to be on top.

Then along comes a man who upsets the system. He talks about loving God, loving other people, and forgiving them. He says the rules come down to “do to others as you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12) People throng to hear him talk instead of listening to you.

Now you devise a strategy to trip this new man up, demonstrate that he does not follow the rules, and in fact is telling people to ignore the rules. You believe that if you can achieve this, people would turn against him and get rid of him, and you’d be back in your comfortable position. You and your fellow Pharisees contrive a situation that is a Catch-22––where no matter how this man answers, he will be wrong. This should make the people turn against him.

But in front of everyone, he refuses to answer your questions. He puts his finger in the dirt and starts writing. You can’t see what he’s writing, and you continue asking him questions. Then you panic. You realize he knows all your secret sins. You’re not as perfect as you have led everyone to think. Perhaps he’s writing the names of people you’ve cheated or lied to, perhaps he’s writing shameful things about you that no one else knows. Then he stands up and says “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” And he goes back to writing in the dirt. Instead of you trapping him, he has trapped you. You can’t risk throwing a stone because he might expose you. Your best option is to slowly and quietly back away and leave, hoping no one notices.

During Lent, as we spend more time getting closer to God, we realize all the more that we are imperfect. No matter how hard we try, we cannot be perfect. But unlike the Pharisees, we have the option to ask for Jesus’ forgiveness, ask the Holy Spirit to empower us 24/7. The Holy Spirit will help us to live out the command to “do to others as you would have them do to you.”

Dear loving Father, bring the Holy Spirit to me again today. I confess I need to ask for your help every day. I want to love you with all my heart, soul, and mind. Thank You, Jesus, for not condemning me for my sins, but for offering me the Holy Spirit to help me follow Your simple, easy-to-understand law. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Email Adele

by Michael Shishido, Elder

I enjoy writing. I have since high school. My job requires that I write commercials you hear on the radio. Someone once said of me that “there’s a book in him somewhere.” High praise.

And yet, when it comes to keeping a daily journal, I am woefully lacking. It seems like a chore, if I’m honest. Every now and then I’ll start up a journal. I used to write emails to myself. It’s an easy way to document thoughts and keep it electronic and “in the cloud.” A few days later, I got lazy or busy or both. 

Maybe it’s time to start anew. It’s never a bad time to journal your Christian life. Regardless of the events in your life, there’s always something to write about. Longtime First Prez members will remember Pastor Sim Fulcher. He had a sign in his office that read “There’s Always Something.” Apply that to journaling and you get “There’s always something to write about.”

God encourages us in Psalm 105:4-5–– “Seek the Lord and His strength; seek His presence continually. Remember the wonderful works He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He has uttered ...”

We can’t possibly remember it all. But we can if we document it. It’s a lot to remember. You might think, “You don’t know me! How do you know about anything wonderful or miraculous that has happened in my life?”

Here’s what I do know. You woke up today. You opened your eyes and perhaps took in a view of nature. Maybe you breathed in the wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee. You turned on some sort of electronic gadget and opened this page and started reading.

Mundane? Maybe. But no less miraculous than planets orbiting the sun. Just because it happens every day doesn’t mean it’s not a miracle. Especially if you compare it to what bad things could have happened.

All that to say that if we consider the little things daily, we have a lot to be thankful for. A lot to marvel at. A lot to remember. And a lot to journal about.

The season of Lent is all about connecting with Jesus. We give up something and in its place, spend that time with Him. This is a great opportunity to remember the works He has done in our lives, both big and small. The biggest being those three days surrounding His death on the cross and eventual resurrection. He died for you and me! That’s worth writing about.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank You for everything. Help us to remember that You are our all in all. As our Abba Father, You’re concerned with everything that goes on in our lives, the big and small. We take this time to remember all that You have done for us. And we thank You in advance of all that You will do. In Jesus’s name we pray. Amen

Email Michael

by Frank Lim, Deacon

In the mid-70’s, a young couple sat on top of the world. They faced a bright future. He was finishing his service in the USAF, and had in hand an offer to a prestigious residency program; she was a nurse instructor. They had a son, a bright little baby, who was the center of the universe for them. He was their little god.

During medical and nursing schools, dating and early marriage, rigors of internship and nursing practice, military life and friendships, they had fallen away from their respective Catholic and Lutheran faiths. They resisted attempts by friends to bring them back to church.

Then tragedy struck. Out of the blue, their son started having hundreds of seizures every day. After extensive testing and consultations, he was diagnosed with Infantile Spasms, a neurological condition with a poor prognosis of progressive mental and physical impairment. The couple found themselves in a downward spiral of despair, desperation, and deep depression.

In the midst of this turmoil, people from a small Baptist church rallied around them, and prayed for them. A caring surgeon introduced them to Jesus, who was calling them to Himself. They accepted His call, and at that moment, there was peace and hope in their lives. No deals were made.

They only asked God to help them to love and care for their son, whatever the outcome of the illness was. Over a period of months, the seizures gradually abated and ceased altogether. Today the couple is reminded often of God’s faithfulness and grace, the healing of their son, and more importantly, of His calling them to Jesus.

Psalms 106:6-7 “We have sinned, even as our ancestors did: we have done wrong and acted wickedly. When our ancestors were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea.”

Psalms 106:19-21. ”At Horeb, they made a calf and worshiped an idol cast from metal. They exchanged their glorious God for an image of a bull, which eats grass. They forgot the God who saved them, who had done great things in Egypt.”

Moses constantly reminded the Israelites of their plight in and flight from Egypt, and yet they continued in their grumbling, disobedience, and worship of idols. Are we like the ancient Israelites? Have we failed to remember the good things God has done for us, His love and grace and the gift of salvation ? Have we forgotten His forgiveness, provision, compassion and mercy ? Do we continue being discontented, immersed in today’s culture, which draws us away from God and His precepts ? Do we continue in the worship of idols, be they persons, objects, or activities ?

Lent is the season when we can reflect on Jesus going through the events of Holy Week because of His amazing love for each of us. It is a time to remember, and be thankful. It is also a time to become more aware of the idols in our lives and to ask the Holy Spirit to help us to remove them.

We may forget, but God remembers His covenant to us. Out of His great love, He relents and shows us His mercy. (Psalm 106:45-46). Our God is forever faithful!

By the way, the couple referred to above is Diana and me, and the baby boy is our eldest son, Brian, a clinical psychologist.

Prayer: Father, may we always remember what a good and merciful God You are, and make us into a thankful people. Jesus, we thank You for Your love that brought You to the Cross on our behalf. And Holy Spirit, we thank You for Your presence in each of our lives. Guide us away from the thing that distract and take us away from You. In Your name we pray, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Email Frank

Karen Makishima, Director of Ohana Ministries

Psalm 95: 6-7 Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker; for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture, the flock under His care. Today, if only you would hear His voice.

At the time of this writing, it is one day before the HIM (Hawaiian Islands Ministries) 2022 Youth Conference. There is a lot of excitement in the air as various teams of staff and volunteers make preparations to host the youth one week, and the general public the following week for the main HIM conference.

Dan and Pam Chun, co-founders of HIM, have invited the Soul Survivor Watford Church team from England––Mike Pilavachi, Andy Croft, and Tom Smith––to lead the youth conference. I’ve seen them lead youth conferences at their church. They do an amazing job of ushering the youth into the presence of the Lord to worship Him, and I’m grateful the youth of Hawaii have the chance to experience that through HIM this year.

So I invited First Prez families, friends, co-workers, and kids in our ministries to the conference. I was hoping they’d say yes. That they’d experience standing before God to simply worship Him. And that they’d realize they will never be the same.  

However, many responded with, “I ain’t got time for that,” or “I’ve got sports and school,” or “It’s tax season.”

And my response was, “Just come anyway! Come and be in God’s presence. Listen for His voice and know that you are loved.”

I have discovered that there is something about coming before God, our Maker, that is so transforming. Just standing before the One who designed every single inch of our bodies is life changing. He’s the One who designed our temperaments; gave us our passions; knows our fears. He’s the One who has a plan to prosper us.

As I come before my Maker, I am reminded that He sees me. All of me––my hurts, my unresolved issues, my inadequacies, and all the areas that still need to be refined. In the midst of all my mess, I feel His unchanging love for me. Sometimes I have a hard time grasping this love, but when I do, it is transforming. 

Obviously, the HIM conference is not the only venue to experience God. I also experience Him on Sunday mornings during our worship services, when I go for walks, when I read His word, when I am gathered with friends, and many other times.

We are all busy, and our calendars are full. Choosing what to say yes to can be hard. Making wise decisions on what to give time to is difficult in the midst of seemingly endless demands.

But some yeses are better than others.

It is my hope that we will choose to say yes to worshiping God and spending time with Him regularly.

Making time for God would be our best yes.

Prayer: Lord, thank You for loving us as we are. Help us to make You, our Maker, our best yes. Help us to choose to come and worship You, not just during the season of Lent but all throughout the year. In Your Son’s name we pray, Amen.

Email Karen

by Marianna Meachen, Director of Pastoral Care

Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.

In 1944 Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested for hiding Jews in their home in Haarlem, Netherlands during the Holocaust. They were all imprisoned. Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to Ravensbrück, a women’s concentration camp in Germany, and it was there that Betsie died on December 31, 1944.

Betsie’s last words to Corrie were: “There is no pit so deep that God’s love is not deeper still,” and “God will give us the love to be able to forgive our enemies.” Corrie was released from the camp in error by a bookkeeping mistake.

Betsie’s words stayed with her and were put to the test three years later when, after she had spoken at a church in Munich, a man who looked familiar approached her. It took a few moments, but she then realized that he had been a guard at Ravensbrück, where she and her sister were sent.

Interestingly, he did not recognize Corrie. He told her he had been a guard at the concentration camp, but had since become a Christian. The man then said to her, “I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well.” He then reached out his hand and said, “Will you forgive me?”

How could she forgive this man who was not just harsh to prisoners, like she and her sister, but by his own admission, cruel? Corrie wrestled with how to respond. How difficult it must have been knowing the thousands who were starved, beaten, and murdered in cold blood. And now this man, who represented all the evil she had seen, wanted her forgiveness.

Corrie said she prayed silently, but then felt God’s strength. She reached out her hand and in that moment she felt a current run down her arm into her hand and the hand of the man standing there holding hers. It was then she knew the breadth of God’s love intensely and was able to forgive.

Is there someone in your life you need to forgive? Ask God to help you. As you forgive others, you will receive the forgiveness He has for you.

Prayer: Father, in this season of Lent, I am reminded that it is only by Your grace that I am able to forgive. I know I must forgive over and over, even as You forgive me again and again. Thank You that Your love pervades our transgressions, and when I understand the depth and breadth of Your love, I can share that love with others. Thank You for Jesus and His example of forgiveness on the cross. The ultimate forgiveness. In Jesus’ mighty name I pray. Amen

Email Marianna

by Julie Lockyer, Events Scheduler

Fasting is very important to me. I have seen God’s work in my life by taking the time to fast, getting into His Word, seeking after Him, and being still and listening to God’s voice. To me fasting is more than just giving up something; it’s running to God and thirsting for Him. And the best part is I gain so much more because I grow closer to God.

“As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for You, my God.”

— Psalm 42:1

I have seen God work over and over again in my times of fasting. There are so many ways to fast. God listens no matter what type of fast you are doing. You can do ½ day fasts, 24-hour fast, 40-day fast. Whatever you choose, remember it’s between you and God.

Fasting is not an easy thing. But I know it’s something God asks of me. He wants me to keep my head up and humble myself before Him.

Through fasting God has led me to a mission trip to the Philippines and my current job at First Prez. He has helped me to stand strong in times of trials and worked in the lives of loved ones when I fasted and prayed for them. Fasting on behalf of others and seeing God work in their lives is so fulfilling.

Our God wants us to fast and drawer closer to Him. He wants us to trust Him in every area of our lives. Are you ready to give up something small for something so much bigger then we can even fathom?

I know I am.

Prayer: Lord, my soul pants to know more of You. As we go through this Lenten season, help us to draw closer to You. I pray that we spend more time reading the Bible, and that You’ll be pleased as we seek after You. In Jesus Name, Amen

Email Julie

by Shayna Kusumoto, Graphics and Communications

They did not understand that He was telling them about His Father. (John 8:27)(whole passage: John 8:21-30)

Did you ever not understand something until much later when you looked back on the memory and it finally makes sense? That happened to me when I was listening to Pastor Steve’s sermon on Feb 13th. The topic was “How Do I Pray?” He was describing his three-month old granddaughter Frankie with so much love and joy in this stage of her life, where all she can do is smile and babble back at him. I could hear the adoration and affection in Pastor Steve’s voice. I thought––wow, he really loves her so much!

Later in his sermon, Pastor Steve was talking about being embarrassed when he first became a Christian because everyone would tease him for sounding like Rocky when he talks, with his thick Jersey accent. But Rocky was a total moron, he thought, so he tried super hard not to sound like that—especially when he prayed out loud. 

The story made me remember a time when someone said something really hurtful to me after we had prayed together. This person said he got a picture from God, supposedly, of a baby blowing bubbles and babbling. That was supposed to be me—a babbling baby! Instantly I wanted to cry, thinking that was one of the most belittling comments anyone had ever said to me. I was so hurt. 

But in the present moment, half listening to Pastor Steve's message, the truth started breaking into my heart. God began to heal me of that old hurt. Pastor Steve’s words suddenly started making sense. He said: 

“Even today when we (Pastor Steve and Frankie) Facetimed, I spoke to her and she greeted me with a big smile and started babbling on about something. It was so precious. Just a little insight into how God may feel when we ‘babble’ to Him.” 

I broke down in tears when I realized—I’m the babbling baby in this story, and it’s a precious, glorious, wonderful thing! I never understood that “insulting” vision until that moment. “Oh, Lord, THAT’S what you meant! Wow, You think of me like that?” And as I told the story through tears again and again, my heart healed more and more. 

Lots of times when Jesus spoke to His disciples, they just flat out did not understand what He was talking about. They didn’t get it. How could they? Their understanding was so limited. Before Jesus went to the cross, He had explained everything, foretold EVERYTHING to His disciples. They should have known, right? But just like me misinterpreting that babbling baby vision as an insult, they just didn’t get it. They would have to wait until much later before the truth would be revealed to them and they would be saved. 

My prayer for all of us is that we would trust and believe God even when we don’t understand at all what is happening or why; that we would be so secure in His adoring love for us; that He is for us and not against us. So secure that we continue to walk with Him with the confidence that all things will be revealed in its due time. It’ll all make sense in hindsight. 

As we make our way towards Resurrection Sunday, can we identify with Jesus’ disciples in their cloudy understanding of everything He told them? Can we empathize with them? Can we look back on their experiences and go, “Oh, Lord, THAT’S what you meant! I believe, Lord, I believe!” 

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we don’t understand everything. Actually we hardly understand anything. I’m honestly like a baby babbling and blowing bubbles at you—that’s how dim my understanding is of You and who You are. Yet You look at us so tenderly—with eyes full of love and affection. Help our understanding to grow. Help our unbelief. Help us to believe that You are who You say You are, and to believe that we are who You say we are––Your precious children whom You came to save. Amen

Email Shayna

by Candi Miller, Children’s Ministry Coordinator

Psalm 105:16-22 Then he called for a famine in the land and destroyed the supply of bread. He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave. They bruised his feet in fetters; his neck they put in an iron collar. Until his prediction came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him. The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free. He set him as a master over his household,  as a ruler over all his possessions, to instruct his princes according to his will and to teach his elders wisdom.

Everything is in God’s timing. We have gone through two years of the constant change and effects of Covid. From losing loved ones, to lockdowns, to restrictions, to unknowns, and a different way of living in this world. From masking, reopenings, social distancing, and emotional ups and downs, we have been through so many changes. Things are finally feeling more normal after this long time of patiently waiting.

We look at Joseph’s life and what he went through for so long, being sold by his brothers, and imprisoned unfairly. He waited on the Lord and His promises. He trusted God, not knowing why such things happened to him. He kept loving Him and serving Him. It was all God’s timing that showed through all that Joseph had to go through.

As we continue in our season of Lent, we remember that God is good and His plans are good. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28)

When we are going through hard times in our lives, we know that we can trust God. It can be so hard to feel like things will get better when we are dealing with emotional, mental, physical, or health issues. Sometimes it can be difficult when we just want things to get better, or we just want the thing we have been wanting for so long to happen. God is always there with us, listening to our prayers. He knows what we are going through. He has shown us that we can trust Him and we can be patient with His timing.

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for everything You bless us with. Thank You for our family and friends, and for Your constant love for us. Please help us to remember that no matter what we are going through, we know that You are in charge and that You have a plan. Amen.

Email Candi

by Gary Toh, Director of Prayer Ministry

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

When I graduated from the university in Singapore, I was really excited to look for my dream job that will allow me to travel and see the world (and eat all the delicious food along the way).

An opportunity arose for a job that would require me to be stationed overseas and travel around the region. I went through a number of rounds of interviews and tests. I was so confident that I will get the job that I started to look for places where I could live. Finally, it came down to me and another candidate for the position. When I was told that I was not selected, I was devastated.

I had prayed earnestly and fasted (for one day) for the job. I was so, so disappointed with God. I started to question if I had prayed enough, read the Bible enough, and fasted enough. Deep in my heart I really felt that God let me down. It was during this time when the Lord reminded me that when He said He will grant the desires of my heart, it would be according to His heart and will.

Somehow I started having this desire to learn more about God and what He has in store for me. I started to pray not for what I wanted but for what He wanted. Long story short, I did end up working in ministry for 10 years before coming to Hawaii.

We have been told by people to follow the desires of our hearts. People say, "Follow your heart and your dreams will come true.” On the other hand, Matthew 15:19 says, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander." So sometimes our heart may not be leading us to where the Lord wants us to be.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Instead of following our heart, we should be leading our heart towards God. When we trust Him with all our heart, the Lord will direct us to the path He has destined for us. Would you allow Him to lead your heart?

Prayer: Lord, please guide my heart. Show me what You desire for me. Show me the way to Your will. Guide me toward the direction You want me to go. Amen.

Email Gary

by Rosella Shishido, Communications Ministry Coordinator

A brand-new lawyer in his brand-new office on his first day in practice sees a prospective client walk in the door. Wanting to impress, he decides he should look busy, so he picks up the phone and starts talking: “Look, Josh, about that business deal. I think I better run down to the factory and handle it personally. Yes. No. I don’t think 3 million will swing it. OK. Call you back later.” He looks up at the visitor and says, “Good morning, how may I help you?” And the prospective client says, “I don’t know. I’m just here to hook up your phone.”

The lawyer in our story is trying to impress someone who could not be impressed. The visitor saw right through the lawyer. Sometimes it’s like that way with us and God. In Psalm 50 God says:

 8 I have no complaint about your sacrifices or the burnt offerings you constantly offer. 9 But I do not need the bulls from your barns or the goats from your pens. 10 For all the animals of the forest are mine, and I own the cattle on a thousand hills. .... 14 Make thankfulness your sacrifice to God, and keep the vows you made to the Most High. 15 Then call on Me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give Me glory.” (Psalm 50:8-10 and 14-15)

Our sacrifices get us nowhere. Unless our hearts are aligned with His. And it’s the same with fasting.

Difficult as it may be, our fasting––our willingness to give up something for the season of Lent––will be totally worth it. The motivation behind the fasting will be the game-changer. If we are intentional about being close to the Lord, we can be transformed for the better.

We go without something to remember that we go with Him.

But those sacrifices must lead to us changing for the better. Psalm 50 reminds us that God has no complaint about our “sacrifices” (which includes fasting), but it does matter to Him that they result in us being more grateful and faithful to Him (v14). Otherwise, our fasting ends up to be nothing more than an empty religious ritual.

We lose out too when our fasting doesn’t make us hungry for the Lord, and it certainly doesn’t please Him. And what would He rather have? A thankful heart, a life of obedience, and a steady trust in Him that will affect and impact those around us.

How’s your fast going so far? Good, I hope. As of today, we have four more weeks to go, and I am confident we can do this!

Prayer: “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Psalm 19:14) Please purify my motives for fasting. I want my heart to be aligned with Yours. In Jesus’ Name I pray, Amen.

Email Rosella

by Jeff Page, Director of Young Adults Ministry

Daniel 9:4–6, 9 (TNIV) 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed: “Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. 6 We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.... 9 The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him.

In TS Eliot’s The Cocktail Party, a woman receiving free therapy describes her real and significant problems to a therapist. After describing her bleak situation she says, “I hope it’s my fault.” The stunned therapist asks for clarification. Her reply: “If it’s my fault, then I can make changes and things will be different, but if this is just the way things are, if the world is just against me, then I’m doomed.”

It’s actually a very hopeful thing to find out that our problems are in some part our own fault. It means a better future is in reach.

In our Scripture passage, Daniel’s world was a mess, but his prayer shocks us. “We have sinned,” he said. Wait, Daniel was kidnapped as a child, enslaved to a brutal empire, and the Scriptures record nothing but courage and righteous living from him. If anyone had a right to feel like a hopeless innocent bystander it was Daniel.

Our world is kind of a mess –– as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, sky-rocketing inflation, and political, societal, and international disintegration.

I’m tempted to pray: “Lord, they have sinned. Our world is a mess because of Putin, the military industrial complex, millennials, boomers, rich people, big business, the patriarchy, social justice warriors, corrupt politicians, and governments…”

But what do all those have in common?

Answer: They should all get off my lawn? No, the common thread is I have very little influence over anything on that list. A deep incisive understanding of those problems will likely change nothing. But a fearless and searching inventory of my own shortcomings can result in dramatic, immediate, and lasting change for the good.

Why does my attention constantly focus outwards? Because I take myself way too seriously. I am more committed to being perceived as right, good, and respectable than to improving the world for everyone (including me). I am caught by the inability to laugh at myself, or the horrifying possibility that others may laugh at me.

I am seriously considering buying a squeaky clown nose. I need a tangible reminder that the world won’t end if I look silly. Maybe putting it on now and again will help me chuckle along with Jesus at myself. Let’s face it; a clown nose clearly matches my size 14 shoes.

Early in the 1900’s the London Times posed the question many of us are facing: “What is wrong with the world today?” May God give us the grace and humble lightheartedness to answer with G.K Chesterton’s counterintuitively hopeful answer: “Dear sir, I am.”

Prayer: Father, I hope it’s my fault. Lord, our world is a mess, but things can be different. We have sinned. Jesus, help us to hear Your infectious and affectionate giggling that will help us to own our own silliness and buffoonery before they darken into something much worse. Amen

Email Jeff

by Patty Kamahele, Administrative Assistant

1 From the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for Your help. 2 Hear my cry, O Lord. Pay attention to my prayer. 3 Lord, if You kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? 4 But You offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear You. 5 I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on Him. I have put my hope in His word. 6 I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. 7 O Israel, hope in the Lord; for with the Lord there is unfailing love. His redemption overflows. (Psalm 130)

Have you ever done something and wondered if you can ever be forgiven for it? It changes from seemingly “little offenses” when we are kids, into adulthood when we know what we’ve done can affect our lives and even the lives of others.

It’s wondrous to know that God does not keep a record of our sins. For if He did, as this psalm says, “Who could ever survive?” (I remember wondering about my survival if my dad ever found out we snuck some cigarettes from his car when we were teenagers! Stupidest thing ever!) 

But God removes our sins through His Son Jesus and places them into the "Sea of Forgetfulness.” And then, as Corrie ten Boom said, He puts up a sign that says, “No Fishing Allowed!” As far as the East is from the West (which never meet), He has removed our sins from us. Amazing Grace. 

And in these days of uncertainty, pandemic, and conflict, we must be reminded that our hope needs to be in the Lord and His Word. In his commentary on Psalm 130, Chuck Swindoll says, “That’s what this Psalmist’s trust is all about: Hope in God and what He has said [His Word]. For hope is a knowledge of something to come that has yet to be realized. But we know it will and we will not be disappointed!”  

What a wonderful thought that we won’t be disappointed with all God has awaiting us if we place our faith in His Son. So during this season of Lent, may we reflect on these things about our Lord:

• He is with us in our despair. Call for help. He WILL hear and pay attention to our needs.

• He doesn’t keep a record of our sins but offers forgiveness through His Son as we come to Him.

• Put your hope and trust in Him and His Word.

• He is filled with unfailing and unconditional love.

• His redemption overflows for we were bought with a great price.

Reach out to our faithful God. Receive His forgiveness. He is there to meet us where we’re at.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Your Son Jesus, in whom we find great mercy. Through Him, You have removed our sins as far as the east is from the west…“from one scarred hand to the other.”

Please take a few moments to click and listen to this beautiful song, “East to West” by Casting Crowns.

Email Patty

by Al Linton, Elder

Mathew 7:7-11 Ask and it will be given to you: seek and you will find: knock and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives: the one who seeks finds: and the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophet.

To me this says, yes ask and it will be given. But it also says we need to give. We need to give back as much as possible. And I don’t mean just tithing, although that’s part of it. It’s giving of ourselves to others.

How often do we ignore those in need? How often do we give a stone when asked for bread? Our Father wouldn’t! One of the first things I was taught as a child was in today’s scripture passage––“Do to others what you would have them do to you (v11)–– often referred to as “the Golden Rule.” If we remembered and applied this every day, the world would be a better place.

We also need to understand that sometimes it’s the little things that make a big difference in someone’s life. Everyone has different needs and wants. In this time of Lent and fasting, it’s a good time to focus on others. It doesn’t have to be financial. It could be giving a ride to a neighbor to the store; a sharing of prayer and worship; a phone call to ask and encourage those in need. It’s the little things that can mean a lot.

We are each other’s keepers. God put us here to help each other. Remember to do the little things. God will take care of the big things. Keep and live “the Golden Rule.” And remember the second most important commandment––Love each other (Matthew 22:39). It’s what we all want and need.

Prayer: Dear Father, we ask that we live by Your word and the Golden Rule. As we go through Lent, help us to focus on others as well throughout our day, and be kind to each other. Thank you! In Jesus’ name, Amen

Email Al

by Chevas Wong, Director of Contemporary Worship

Today we're focusing on Jonah’s second call to Nineveh and, at the end of this devotional, I’ll invite you to take a moment to 1) consider if we are going through something similar to what Jonah experienced, and 2) pray and invite God’s mercy — that surpasses our understanding — into our own inner-perspective. 

Jonah is an Israelite with a whale-y important story, one best read as a whole. As we are being stretched in our understanding of God’s love, especially during this season of Lent, I encourage you to read his book — from head to... tail — and keep an eye out for how God’s mercy and salvation shelters the conflict happening in Jonah’s heart and mind. 

Conversion of Nineveh
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah a second time, saying, 2 “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah set out and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across. 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day’s walk. And he cried out, “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and everyone, great and small, put on sackcloth.

6 When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 Then he had a proclamation made in Nineveh: “By the decree of the king and his nobles: No human being or animal, no herd or flock, shall taste anything. They shall not feed, nor shall they drink water. 8 Human beings and animals shall be covered with sackcloth, and they shall cry mightily to God. All shall turn from their evil ways and from the violence that is in their hands. 9 Who knows? God may relent and change his mind; he may turn from his fierce anger, so that we do not perish.”

10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil ways, God changed his mind about the calamity that he had said he would bring upon them; and he did not do it. (Jonah 3:1-10 NRSV)

Nineveh, capital of Assyria, was the oldest and most populous city of the Assyrian empire — the nation that conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and held the southern kingdom of Judah — located in modern-day northern Iraq, near the east bank of the Tigris River.

After the whale delivered Jonah to the shores of Nineveh, we read that Jonah received a commission to announce God’s impending judgment to the Ninevites (offering them a chance to respond to God’s word, repent of their wickedness, and humble themselves before God). 

This passage details how the Ninevites — enemy of Israel — reacted to the word of God; first, how their king led all Ninevites to repent and cry to God and, second, how God responded to them (with mercy). Even though this seems like a happy ending, it’s not so straight forward or simple from a human perspective. 

When you read the text as a whole, you immediately sense the complexity of Jonah’s obedience. We know he struggled internally (for rational, logical, understandable reasons) before, during, and after he shared the word God asked him to share with the Ninevites; facing the truth that God’s love is perfect, and His mercy and salvation is for all humanity. 

Have you ever wrestled with that in your life? I have. Sometimes I forget that God’s mercy isn’t regulated by human judgment or approval. God’s incomparable mercy is dutiful to His perfect love- it’s the gospel provided to me, and to you, and to all humanity. Praise God! 

As we consider the things or people we’re grappling with today and during Lent, let’s make space in our minds and hearts, and pray these words if you’d like: 

Prayer: Lord, help me remember who I am in Your story and why my testimony is important to You. How would You like me to carry Your heart to others? Where would You like me to be? What do You want me to do? I ask for Your mercy now. I want to be humble before You (even in my inner-dialogue). Help me to be merciful; help me encourage others to discover Your love; help us enjoy our walk with You- individually and together (as Your family of believers). Amen. 

Email Chevas

by Shelley Germain, Elder

It's been almost a week into my Lenten journey, and with all that’s going on in our world today, I admit to having trouble focusing on the 40-day fast we are on.

It was difficult to choose what to fast from. As I prayed about it, something came to mind, but I rejected it for some reason. Instead I wandered through options I had fasted from before––chocolate, white rice, Korean TV dramas, and even sarcasm! But none of those seemed right. The recent Alpha Day-Away, Pastor Dan's Ash Wednesday devotional, Scripture readings, and listening to the Holy Spirit helped a lot in making me realize that God had already answered my prayer of what to fast from. It was the first idea that came to mind but that I had rejected. I’ll spare you the details, but it’s a habit I picked up that I might be leaning heavily on a lot more than what’s good for me.

God showed me the way.

Isaiah 55:6-11 from this week's Lectionary has been a gift to me:

6 Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. 7 Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. 9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. 10 “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; 11 It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.

Even after speaking of the trials and tribulations the Israelites would be going through, Old Testament prophet Isaiah still knew God’s good purpose for His creation and all of humankind. I think of Chris Pan's terrific photo that he showed during a recent sermon of the little mother dove that remained steadfast while birthing her little one, and how that represented to Chris God’s love. 

Isaiah mentions rain and snow as metaphors for how God shows Himself to us. Living in Hawaii, we identify with rain more than snow, but don't we grumble if our rainy days last for more than four days as it interrupts our activities? During a recent rain, I remember getting out of the house (finally) on the fifth day and suddenly realizing that the world I was looking at that day had been cleansed. The clarity of light from the sun, the fragrance of flowers and greens, the clear blue of the Pacific, and even "dirty" streets felt like they had been scrubbed! It’s like God used a Dyson vacuum or a Wet Swiffer mop (not to be disrespectful, Lord)! 

Driving along H1 a week later, I also noticed a green Diamond Head, and then later a green Koko Head cinder cone along Kalanianaole Highway. Both are normally brown, but that day they were lush and green on all sides. Yes, rainwater penetrates deeper into the earth to nourish creation. It reminded me that God’s allowing things to happen (like the rain for four days) has a reason and a purpose. God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not His ways.

I pray that I will always journey with Him as He teaches me His thoughts and ways, so that even in the turmoil I see in the world today, I can believe that everyone can know His mercy (Isaiah 55:7).

I need the Lord’s strength in this Fast, as there is a duality in not just “sacrificing" but also taking the deeper step of leaning on my Abba Father to see this Fast through. With 30 or so days of fasting to go, it is so good to know that He is the Way-maker and that my fasting is His good will for me. I praise Him that I have had success this first week!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, thank You for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I continue to fast and remember what You did for me. I am sorry that I still am disobedient and need forgiveness, but I truly believe that You do love and forgive me. Help me to love as You do, and to know Your thoughts and Your ways more and more. You are the Way-maker, and I pray this in Your mighty Name. Amen

(You can watch, pray, and sing “Waymaker” by clicking here)

Email Shelley

by Scott Schultz, Elder

“The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. The commandments of the Lord are right, bringing joy to the heart. The commands of the Lord are clear, giving insight for living. Reverence for the Lord is pure, lasting forever.  The laws of the Lord are true; each one is fair. They are more desirable than gold, even the finest gold. They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb.” (Psalm 19:7-10 NLT)

Those are good points!

The saying "when you point a finger, three fingers point back at you” somehow comes to mind. And from that I came up with the following as insights for peaceful living with others:

• Everyone has a point.

• Listen to understand, and hold back those talking points.

• Seek “listening points."

In his sermon Being People of Peace in the Age of Rage Part 2, Steve Peich said:

“We are called to be peacemakers, not point-makers. We Christians are way too committed to being point-makers than being peacemakers. When I counsel folks, it's like they read James 3:18 like this: "Point-makers who make their points reap a harvest of righteousness.”

“Point-makers want to win, but peacemakers want to heal. So, when you need to work things out with someone, put winning aside and make your aim healing and understanding. If you start with the goal to win, I'm telling you right now, you've already lost.”

Here are a few related ideas I (Scott) came up with:

• Practice peacemaking by pointing out someone when they are doing good.

• Start at your workplace (co-workers) or your home (loved ones).

• Ask yourself: Is the other person an asker or an arguer? How about me?

The apostle James wrote: “You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.” (James 3:18 The Message)

During the Lenten season, what can I give up to be a peacemaker?

• My pride? In Christ alone ... boast in Jesus!

  • “Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” (1 Cor 1:31)

• My need to have the last word?

  • “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. (James 1:19)

• My hesitancy to share the Gospel?

  • “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has redeemed you from your enemies.” (Psalm 107:1-2)

You may be wondering––what’s my point?

Point to Jesus! And as you do that, three fingers point back at you:

• He created you!

  • "You are the one who put me together inside my mother’s body, and I praise You because of the wonderful way You created me..." (Psalm 139:13-16)

• He loves you!

  • "Think how much the Father loves us. He loves us so much that He lets us be called His children…" (1 John 3:1)

• He died for you!

  • “He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead!” (Luke 24:6)

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, as we look forward to another Easter, the celebration of the hope that is only found in the resurrection, help us to point to Jesus in all of our interactions with our neighbors. Help us to be peacemakers. Amen!

Email Scott

by Marianne Schultz, Deacon

Lent is here, and it is such a very spiritual time. While I pray upon the need for the Lord in my life, I offer this humble recent experience that was very purposeful and very rewarding.

My husband Scott and I love good food, fried food, bread, pasta, POTATOES (I love them for dessert!), PIZZA … all those wonderful carbs! Give those up? Not a chance, not possible! But with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). Scott’s hip replacement surgery in January led us down a different road of eating. I say “us” because I did not think it fair or kind to eat things he had been advised to not consume.

“One day the disciples of John the Baptist came to Jesus and asked him, “Why don’t Your disciples fast like we do and the Pharisees do?” (Matthew 9:14 NLT)

But my love for Scott is so deep that I would do anything for him. Low carb/low sugar––how would this be possible? We know the answer! Lots of creativity on my part to make meals look appealing, for we all know we eat with our eyes! This diet regime was to help reduce inflammation and the possibility of infection. I prayed to see Scott recover successfully and to get strong again with a healthy diet.

I relied on my Nutrition Management curriculum textbook and notes. I looked through the Mayo Clinic cookbook and into my imagination. For my support to Scott, I relied on these resources as I have relied upon the Bible as a roadmap for my life in good living and serving the Lord.

Was it easy? No. Was it delicious? Well, yes actually! Was it a learning experience? Certainly! Will we continue beyond the suggested timeframe? Yes, I think we can! I think giving up something for those we love is important whenever necessary, especially during this beautiful season of Lent. After all, God Is Love.

“Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whomever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is Love. (1 John 4:8)

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let me focus upon Your goodness, love, and the sacrifice you did for us all this Lenten season. I know You are love, and let me show that in my daily life and prayers always. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Email Marianne

by Luke Shin, Middle School Coordinator

If Jesus asked you, “Who do you say I am,” what would you answer? There was a similar question in a Youth Alpha Series video, where people on the street were asked who they think Jesus is. Some answers from the video and from our youth: a man with long hair, a man with slippers (Jesus Slippers), the face of grilled cheese, a friend, God’s Son, the man on the cross.

As we read today’s Scripture passage, let’s look at how people saw Jesus during those times.

Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “God’s Messiah.” (Luke 9:18-20)

Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say I am?” This is such a real and raw question. It makes us really dig deep in our hearts to see where we are with God and how we see God.

Hopefully we all will come to the point where we can say what Peter said––“God’s Messiah.” I do see Jesus as God’s Messiah, but when I say that, there is always another question that lingers in my mind: “Am I living a life that Jesus is God’s Messiah?” This is a very sobering question that helps me realign myself to God.

I hope I get to remind myself to live a life that Jesus is God’s Messiah by reading more of God’s Word. Some of the youth and I have been going through the “Bible in One Year” reading plan together. During the process I have learned that I am not the best at keeping a routine and keeping up with my daily Bible readings. Don’t worry if you, too, have a hard time sticking to a reading plan because reading the Bible can be hard at times. But keep trying!

As we enter the season of Lent, my hope is to realign myself with God. To grasp who He really is and to also catch up on my readings.

So who do you think Jesus is? And are you living a life that reflects your answer?

Prayer: Dear Lord, I thank You for sending Jesus to Earth to be the Messiah. As we go through the season of Lent, give us the strength needed to dig deeper into who You are and to be in a more intimate relationship with You. I thank You for all that you are doing. In Jesus’s name, Amen.

Get to know Luke