One of the more puzzling verses in scripture is found in John 8: “… But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. (7) 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.’ (8) Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.”

What's the significance of this? Some say that he was writing the sins of the group in the dirt. Others suggest that he was writing out the 10 commandments in the dirt. We simply don't know.

One thing that we see in these actions is the respect and dignity he gave to the woman. This was a shameful moment. She was the focus of every man's accusation and judgment, except for one man. There was one man who did not look at her in a condemning way. The woman, instead of being the center of attention, now finds that Jesus' actions have taken the focus away from her and brought the focus on to himself. She, in a way, slips into the background of this emotionally charged moment.

"Let anyone of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her."  The words "without sin" comes from a single word in the Greek language and is found only here in the New Testament. It means to be literally without fault, without error, without sin, without guilt. Jesus holds the mirror up, not to her, but up to these so-called righteous men. These men, so volatile! Breathing threats. Holding stones. Yelling that she must be judged, are suddenly quiet as the focus moves from her to Jesus.

That's the nature of God's word. It isn't provided so that we can easily see the sins and failings of others. It is provided so that we can see our need for forgiveness, for salvation, for a savior.  

What did Jesus do here? By writing in the dirt, he took the focus away from the woman and brought it to himself. Isn't that so? And that is exactly what Jesus did at Calvary.  

Our sin, the dirty vile things that we would be ashamed for anyone to see or to know about and those thoughts and attitudes that would bring us disgrace and shame if it were shown on the projection screen on Sunday morning.  All of that, Jesus took the focus away from that and brought our attention to Calvary.  

Like writing with his finger in the dust, Jesus took the eyes of condemnation and judgment away from us. “Where are those who condemned you? Neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin."

This past Sunday was my first Mother’s Day without my mom. The weeks leading up to that day were a struggle. I found myself missing her more often and wishing to taste her cooking. I wanted to hear her laugh and her voice calling me, “JJ!” I felt a longing to give her a hug and to tell her how much I appreciated her. But those desires were not fulfilled, at least not on this side of eternity. 

I cling onto my memories of her by looking at pictures and videos, going through her belongings, and decorating my house with her baskets and other shabby chic decor. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering things about her which are some of the hardest moments of my grief journey. I wish that I had written more things down like the advice she would give me for any random question I had or taken more pictures of the everyday dishes she would make so that I could remember her more vividly. If I had known that we would only have a year living together, I think I would have paid more attention to the things she said and made more opportunities to experience things together. 

The fact of the matter is that we do not know when God will call us home. If we were to live our lives knowing this, how would our lives be different? I’d like to think that we would be more gracious and understanding with one another. Things that would normally make us angry may not seem like such a big deal in the bigger picture. We would focus more on the things that truly matter. Perhaps we would be more willing to take steps of faith and make the most of our opportunities as it says in Colossians 4:5 and 6, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone.” I hope this encourages us to be bold for Christ and be generous with the love we have been given.

"to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:19

Did you know we live in the year of the LORD’s favor? Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit, "to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19). When God sent Jesus, this was the beginning of the year of the LORD’s favor. This phrase points to "the year of Jubilee" found in Leviticus 25, where slaves were set free; all debts canceled; all property sold were returned to their original owners; and the land rested. The implication was that all the mistakes and bad decisions that turned people into slaves would be redeemed, every debt forgiven, and people restored to their original status as freed people. 

Why did this year of redemption happen? Because God, the Master and Savior, lovingly decided to free his people from the dominating power of Egypt. Jesus came to redeem his people from the slavery of sin and pay the debt of our sins to make us holy and righteous. This "year of Jubilee" began when Jesus came to earth. All those who put their faith in Jesus are set free. You are no longer a slave to sin, fears, anger, and addictions. Jesus set us free from our shame and guilt. Are you living in His freedom? Are you living in His joy? Let’s ask God to fill us with His Spirit so that we can experience the depth of His favor. Let's thank God for sending His son to bring us His freedom. Let's enjoy the year of the LORD's favor. 

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.” -

Joshua 1:9 ESV

When I was seven years old, I lost my grandfather to cancer. I remember thinking at his funeral that the most quintessential figure in my life was gone. I lost interest attending church because he wouldn’t be around to take me anymore. For the next couple of years, I lived in fear without having a fatherly figure around.

In Joshua 1:1-9, Moses has died and God tells Joshua to cross the Jordan river with the people. “I’m giving you every square inch of the land you set your foot on—just as I promised Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon east to the Great River, the Euphrates River—all the Hittite country—and then west to the Great Sea. It’s all yours. All your life, no one will be able to hold out against you. In the same way I was with Moses, I’ll be with you. I won’t give up on you; I won’t leave you. Strength! Courage! You are going to lead this people to inherit the land that I promised to give their ancestors. Give it everything you have, heart and soul.”

I love this passage so much because Joshua is told to lead the people despite Moses’ presence being gone. No man is indispensable, yet God’s work goes uninterrupted. God repeatedly reminds us as He did with Joshua, to be strong and courageous for He is with us. This passage hits deeply as its allowed me to let fear go and I’ll be okay with my grandfather’s passing. I later rekindled my relationship with God in college and found others to look up to in life, but I’ll never forget my grandpa. Recently, I got hired by Delta Air Lines as an aircraft mechanic. I pursued the exact same occupation my grandfather did and made it to a major airline just as he did with American Airlines. When I checked into the hotel room for my Delta training in Atlanta, I couldn’t help but think of him. I knew he would be proud, but I knew he would be prouder for me to continue God’s work. What are some things you can think of where you may need strength or courage?

Recently, my office required us to take Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI training in the effort to promote the fair treatment and full participation of all employees. This training focuses on the treatment of various groups who have historically been under-represented and subject to discrimination in the workplace.

Truthfully, I was not looking forward to taking the training, but as I was watching the video it resonated with me in many ways, particularly on the concept of “micro-aggressions.” Microaggressions happen every day and are brief and subtle comments or actions which make people feel excluded, stereotyped, or inferior, among other things. They can be verbal or nonverbal, conscious, or unconscious, but over time, can do great harm because they are often invisible and overlooked. We all have likely experienced some form of microaggressions throughout our lives. Perhaps it was the time you felt ignored in a group setting or were overlooked to join an event because you did not “fit in”, or pigeonholed and asked to perform a certain task simply because of your gender.

We can be agents of change for God’s kingdom when we see these kinds of things happening to others. One of the ways we can intervene is to become an ally and speak out on behalf of a fellow brother or sister. We can also be conscious of “group-think” or the tendency to support thoughts and opinions because they come from the majority. It’s not easy or comfortable to go against the grain, but we can either make the choice to be a bystander, or an ally for real change in His kingdom.

Small gestures like offering a smile, a handshake, or an invitation to sit at a meal together can make a huge difference in making someone feel validated and valued. Let’s be active witnesses for God and pass on the love that He has poured on us, to others.

“We love because He first loved us.” - 1 John 4:19

Growing up, Founders’ Day was just another Sunday to me. It was the time of year when I’d receive a different colored offering envelope in my church program that was collected to help retired pastors with their pension fund. It was a time of year when the chairperson would pray for current and former pastors and their families, thanking God for their commitment and many years of service to the Lord. But that was essentially it. For context, I grew up attending a sister church in the Holiness Conference and so Founders’ Day wasn’t really a big deal. It wasn’t until I started attending LA Holiness Church when I developed a fondness for Founders’ Day and a deeper appreciation for our church’s rich history.

It’s been 102 years since a small group of young Christians from Japan with a love of God met together to study the Bible and pray for the salvation of the Japanese people in Los Angeles. But what always struck me was that it took just 5 young people who devoted themselves to God’s word, prayer, and fellowship; and God grew that ministry into 16 churches spread across California, Hawaii and Arizona that are actively impacting countless lives today. Coincidentally, we will be studying the book of Acts in our next LifeGroup series where there are remarkable similarities between the early Christian church and our church conference history.

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:42-47)

This Sunday, April 23, 2023, we celebrate Founders’ Day, a day to remember and thank the Lord for His faithfulness to our church and the OMS Holiness Conference of North America. Founders’ Day has now become a Sunday I look forward to … not just because of the delicious and incredible variety of food that’s served at the joint potluck luncheon, but because it’s a chance to worship together with our brothers and sisters from the Japanese-speaking congregation and hear stories about our faithful followers of Jesus that started our church conference. If you are unfamiliar with our history, I encourage you to check out a more detailed history of our church at our website and watch the 5-minute video that was put together for our centennial celebration. Can’t wait to celebrate and worship with you all on Sunday at Founders’ Day!

You are Only One Obedience Away From Experiencing Jesus Today

On Easter, we learned that Jesus was true to his words. Jesus foretold that he would suffer at the hands of the Jewish leaders, be killed, and rise again on the third day. Jesus was not only fully human but also fully God. Jesus paid the penalty for our sins, receiving the fullness of God’s wrath for us so that we could receive the fullness of His righteousness and receive his blessing. Easter reminds us of our Lord and Savior's love.

We also learned that Jesus meets us in unexpected ways when we obey him. John 8:31-32 says, To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” When we obey Jesus (hold to his teaching), we will personally experi-ence Jesus (we will know the truth), who is the truth. Mary obeyed the angel to tell the disciples that Jesus rose from the dead and she met Jesus unexpectedly. Likewise, when the disciples obeyed the angel to go to Galilee, they also met Jesus. When we think about this, we are all one obedience away from personally experiencing Jesus firsthand. Will you stop to listen to what Jesus may be asking you to do today? God invites us to experience more of our resurrected Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Every year on Easter Sunday I have always done the same thing. I go to church early for the fabulous Easter Breakfast, stay for the Easter worship service while we praise the Lord. After church I would go to a family gathering and eat a lot of food - scarfing it down! It's always a festive day but I always get so lost in the thrill of the day's activities, that the main reason gets lost. Jesus is the reason for this Easter season - it ain’t just for Christmas anymore!

Baby Jesus was born on Christmas Day. When he became a man, he was later crucified on that cross for us on Good Friday, and rose on the 3rd day on Sunday! This was God's only Son sent to save us from our sins. and to give us eternal life through His resurrection! What a price to pay for our terrible sins!

Won't you take some time to thank our Lord Jesus for all that he has done for us? Make Him a part of your gatherings with family and friends. He loves us so much. I think sometimes we forget that His love for us is so amazing! Remember Him and thank Him as you celebrate this Easter holiday and throughout the year. Pray as you continue to remember Him as you grow in your relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed Easter as we remember Him!

Is There a Cure for a Slow Heart?

How many times in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John does Jesus call people out for not having faith? It’s a frequent occurrence in the Gospels, and Jesus did it a lot post-resurrection, including in the last chapter of Luke (chapter 24). Having faith and believing should be easy, right? But, since we are only human, it is a constant struggle to hold onto that faith and keep believing in what we do not see.

I have a hard time remembering sermons, but every once in a while I will recall a blip here or there from specific sermons. One such sermon is from when we were walking through Luke at LA Holiness Church, and I clearly remember Seigo’s sermon from Luke 24 — when the two men are walking to Emmaus from Jerusalem the Sunday after Jesus’ crucifixion on Friday. So, here I am now in Hawai’i and I will be preaching for the first time in a few years on April 16th, the first Sunday after Easter this year. As I was praying, asking God for what I should speak about, He kept reminding me of Luke 24. Today I want to specifically address Luke 24:25-27, where Jesus says to the men walking to Emmaus, “… ‘How foolish you are, and how slow to believe (the original Greek uses the phrase “Slow of Heart”) all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?‘ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” (NIV) There is an article from *OpenTheBible.org, I found back in 2016 called “From Slow of Heart to Burning Hearts” by Kristin Wetherell. In it, Kristin talks about going through dry and lonely spells in our faith and gives three steps to combat such times in our lives: Believe in the Gospel; Wait on Jesus; and Remember God’s Faithfulness.

While living in Kansas, I was under a 5-year dry spell, and I often felt forgotten — that I was people’s second choice. Just like how the two men in Luke had high hopes when Jesus entered Jerusalem so triumphantly just a week prior — believing that Jesus had come to fulfill every prophecy — I had high hopes for ministry when I left Seminary and Los Angeles. But I kept feeling like whatever efforts I had put forward to follow God’s calling were thwarted by an unseen force. I became “slow of heart” and “foolish.” I became stuck, unable to see Christ walking with me during much of that time, just wallowing in unbelief.

With my Dad having lost his pastoral position at the church in Kansas, everyone in my family was forced to make some painful choices. Jonathan went back to school in Chicago, my parents entered into early retirement, and my choices eventually led to quitting my job at the newspaper and moving to Hawai’i. In this giant and risky move, I’ve had to heavily lean on my faith. My prayer has changed from “Help me” to, “Turn my unbelief into belief” (Mark 9:23-24, Jesus heals a possessed boy). Even here in Luke along the road to Emmaus, these two men are struggling to believe. With everything going on in life, each of us will have seasons in life where it is extremely hard to believe.

To change our slow hearts, we need to believe in the Gospel and in the promises of God. Isn’t it ironic that the answer to unbelief is believing? We just need to turn to the Bible, read its words and we will know. We will know God’s faithfulness, the suffering of Christ and the help we have in the Holy Spirit. Since moving to Hawai’i, I’m learning to believe again. I know that once my slow heart has turned into a burning one, I will break bread with Jesus and know that He has been with me this entire time. That is my prayer for you: May your unbelief be turned into belief; May you know that you are not alone in whatever season you are in; and May your hearts burn for Christ.

*(Article link:https://openthebible.org/article/from-slow-of-heart-to-burning-hearts/)

“‘No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him’ (I Corinthians 2:9). What does this verse mean to you? How might a day lived with the awareness of eternal life change the way you act and think throughout that day?”

This reflection question at the end of the first chapter of a recently purchased book had the phrase “awareness of eternal life” that caught my attention. These days we’re aware of so many things but eternal life may not be one of them. These other things shape our thoughts, perspectives, and even actions. Likewise, as Christians, what we focus on and what we put our minds to affects the way we think and live.  

I remember a professor at Tokyo Biblical Seminary asking his students what they would focus on when they became pastors. Students gave great answers, but one response was memorable to me. A single mother and former elementary school teacher studying to become a pastor replied, “Heaven, I’m looking to heaven!”  

Students were surprised.

Everyone knew that her simple but profound answer encompassed gratitude for God’s grace, a life with eyes fixed on Christ Jesus and devoted to keeping a relationship with him, and a life lived out one day at a time guided by the Holy Spirit. Of course, you don’t need to be a minister to have that answer. It’s merely a result of having been saved by the blood of Jesus and receiving his love. Paul writes to the Colossians (3:1), “Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven…” (NLT).  

The author of this book says, “Think of heaven more as relationship with God than a place.” He also says, “That’s what we are called to, faith that transcends the world of space and time and an ever-deepening trust in the God of eternal things.”

A day lived with the awareness of eternal life in today’s context is waiting to see what God has prepared for those who love him. We can trust him daily through the intense moments and the mundane things of life, and he will reveal more of his nature to us.

What an adventure that is! “Heaven, I’m looking to heaven!”

David C. Long, The Quest for Holiness: From Casual Conviction To Courageous Faith (Franklin, Tennessee: Seedbed Publishing, 2020)

I used to teach ESL in Japan, however I returned to the US in 2012 to take care of my elderly mom. At the time, she was in her mid-eighties and still quite independent. She went to the gym everyday to exercise and socialize, served at her church (our sister church in OC) with the nichigo, did daily gardening, went grocery shopping, took classes, regularly read scripture/informational books, did house cleaning, and made home-cooked meals for me.

My caregiving duties were limited to filing mom's tax returns, vacuuming, hiring contractors for home repair projects, and perhaps washing/drying dishes (I can cook, but my Issei mom's domain was always the kitchen). In the past 3 years as mom has become frail and has declined cognitively, my caregiving duties have increased to the point where I am doing a lot of the things that mom did before, as well as making sure she eats properly and takes her medications.

While it is sad to see mom's physical and mental decline, I am grateful that I can help make her golden years as comfortable and pain-free as possible. And despite the mental/physical fatigue that comes with caregiving, I am grateful that I can provide the care and support for her that she has provided me with throughout my life.

Here, I am reminded of 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Though caregiving for mom has its challenges, I am humbled that this experience has helped me develop a greater sense of compassion, patience, and resourcefulness. I am also truly thankful that as God has called me into service to care for mom, He has also provided me with an example on how to age well through mom's own life. As I reflect on mom's habits of serving others and keeping busy through daily activities, I can see how such purposeful things have helped to keep her healthy through most of her eighties. I am inspired to follow her lead and live in a similar manner.

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” - Romans 1:16

Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because there is nothing evil about what God has done. God sent His son, Jesus, the perfect one, through His death and resurrection, justice for all the wickedness we committed. For those who believe in Jesus are made right with God. What God did for us is completely good.

The irony is that people will shame those who believe in the goodness of God. People can ridicule and abuse those who believe in Jesus as their LORD and Savior. Why would people shame those who trust in such a loving God? I believe as Romans 1:21 explains, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Instead of seeing the goodness of God, their minds have become darkened and unable to understand the truth. Jesus also states in John 3:20 that, “Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.”

I appreciate what David shared this past Sunday. That we need to pray that the eyes of those who don’t know God will open to see the kindness of God. God is good to everyone. Many are just spiritually blind. James 5:16 states that, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” Those who believe in Jesus as their personal LORD and Savior are righteous. Therefore, the prayers of every Christian are powerful and effective. The question is what will you pray for? Will you pray that your friends, loved ones, and enemies will see the truth of God and no longer be blind? Will you pray that we will see the beauty of the gospel? How He continues to reveal his power for the salvation of everyone who believes? Will you pray that we will not be ashamed of the gospel? Will you pray? I pray you do.

This past week we started the latest sessions of LifeGroups. We typically read the passage for the upcoming Sunday’s message. By that Sunday we have thoroughly digested and meditated on that scripture and have had time listen to what the Holy Spirit has to tell us personally. It’s rewarding to hear things we may have already taken to heart but also to learn what more God had to reveal to us. With that in mind, I’m going to share some highlights brought up by members of the LifeGroup I attended this past week on Romans 1:17-32.

God’s Wrath. In our collective experiences, we often don’t hear messages preached about God’s Wrath. We hear messages preaching on God’s love and the gospel, but not often the “fire and brimstone” type emphasizing God’s wrath against godlessness and wickedness. In this passage, even though the people knew who God was, they suppressed the truth by their wickedness and “exchanged the truth about God for a lie”. So then in vs 26, “God gave them over to their sinful desires of their hearts, their shameful lusts and their depraved minds.” God yielded and gave them the right to choose. The people then descended further into evil and sinned in every possible way. They left God and verse 32 tells us “that those who do such things deserve death”, so God left them as part of His wrath. It was brought up this makes us appreciate and glorify God so much more for His righteousness, love and the grace He extends to us!

The prevalence of sin in our society today. This passage discusses many of the depravities that are common place even in our society today. There are many people today who can say they are wise and know who God is, but by their actions they act as fools. They have “exchanged the truth of God for a lie” by putting their desires first and as a result, evil and chaos is so prevalent today. As followers of Christ, it is important for us to stay obedient and often to “speak into the chaos” with the truth of God’s word. This might be difficult as it may result in ridicule, but we were reminded not to be ashamed of the gospel for it brings salvation.

These are just a couple of the points of our discussion in LifeGroups. I’m sure the Holy Spirit has given Pastor Rick different ideas to share with the congregation on Sunday and also each LifeGroup had different areas of emphasis and interpretations in their meetings this past week. That is what makes the Word of God so rich. It speaks to us so differently and it is rewarding to be in a small group where we can hear and discuss each other’s understandings. This is part of the joy of attending a LifeGroup! So, if you haven’t done so, join one this week.

"No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until 'justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.'" - Martin Luther King, Jr., quoting Amos 5:24 in his "I Have a Dream" speech

This past month, I had the opportunity to visit Atlanta with a bunch of my friends. Besides eating a lot of fried chicken (which Atlanta is famous for), trying out over forty different Coca-Cola products from around the world, and utterly failing at kicking field goals at the College Football Hall of Fame, perhaps the most meaningful place we went to was the National Center for Civil and Human Rights, a museum dedicated to the history of the Civil Rights Movement and the modern fight for human rights on all fronts. Atlanta, after all, was the birthplace of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as an important mobilization hub for the Civil Rights Movement.

As I wandered among the different exhibits and presentations, I was struck by how important the Christian faith was to that movement. Dr. King, of course, was a reverend at Ebenezer Baptist Church, and his writings are permeated with the influence of the long-suffering Christ who sides with the oppressed. One particular exhibition was all about the March on Washington, and as I read his famous "I Have a Dream" speech, this particular line caught my eye: "I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive." (emphasis mine)

It is really this point that challenges me most as a fledgling pastor, that there are times where I may have to challenge others to suffer, and suffer creatively—both in the sense of suffering in unprecedented ways, and in ways that create a new redemptive reality. It flies against the face of our self-protective instinct and our unwillingness to pursue promises that might not be seen in our own lifetime. How do we grow the faith to live a life of creative suffering?

At the same time, I wrestled with the irony that the segregationists and white supremacists would have firmly called themselves Christians. The young men who poured coffee and mustard on the heads of those doing sit-ins, the police chief named Theophilus ("loved by God") who sicced dogs and ordered fire hoses on protestors, the jeerers who heaped their rage on children in integrating schools, the Klansmen who bombed black churches—they saw segregation as a way of life that God sanctioned, even intended for humanity. Only seeing such a way of life as sacred could have enabled them to be such creative inflictors of suffering. To such a people, unearned "suffering"—really the loss of power and privilege—had no redemption behind it.

It is my hope that the discipleship our church has to offer will teach us to bear and to heal suffering rather than inflict it, to seek out and reach out to sufferers rather than keep them suppressed, and to react in ways that stop systemic cycles of hatred and enmity rather than perpetuate them!

"Who is the GOAT?"

As his fade away jumper swished through the net and the game was paused to recognize this monumental personal achievement, everyone at Staples Center (I can’t get used to calling it Crypto.com Arena) and the world had to acknowledge that Lebron James is finally the greatest scorer in NBA history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s previous record was held for almost 40 years, and Lebron’s record may and probably will hold for all time from an earthly perspective. Because of this great achievement, some would argue that King James is the NBA’s GOAT (Greatest Of All Time).

On occasions, Jesus’ disciples argued over which one of them was the greatest. Even the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus to permit her sons to sit on the right and left of His throne in His kingdom which angered the other disciples. How did Jesus define who would be the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? He alluded to this answer in several of His parables and teachings. Jesus said, “. . .whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave.” (Matthew 20:26b-27). “So the last will be first, and first will be last.”

(Matthew 20:16)

I don’t know how the hierarchy of heaven will work, and in all fairness, I will be happy just to have an entrance pass. I don’t believe there will be jealousy or animosity among the righteous who dwell in God’s kingdom. All I know is this: how we live today impacts how Jesus will treat us eternally. Being the least means to clothe ourselves in humility and live in a manner that is contradictory to our human nature. Are we willing to treat and love others and think highly of them more than ourselves? Are we willing to put the needs of others ahead of our own needs? Are we willing to follow in the footsteps of Christ who made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant?

We serve God and others not because we are jockeying for position in the kingdom of God, but because we genuinely cannot thank God enough for His mercy and grace. Our hearts cannot fully express our gratitude and love to God, but we can try through our acts of worship and service all motivated and fueled by love. One opportunity to express love to God and to others is to prayerfully consider joining this year’s Baja Team that will spend the week of Memorial Day to build a home for a deserving family in Mexico. No skill criteria or qualification is needed; just a willing heart that is eager to serve God and serve others is required. Maybe it is no coincidence that the word for low in Spanish is “baja”.

“Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes” - Proverbs 27:20 (NIV). Just as death is never satisfied and is always hungry for more to con- sume, the bible teaches that eyes are never satisfied. This is so true, especially in our day and age, where many look to YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Netflix, or whatever app you use to see the spectacular or watch an intriguing story. We long to connect with something greater than ourselves or escape the pressures or pain we carry inside. The problem is that our eyes are never satisfied; therefore, we watch one more episode or video and still feel discontent.

Who wants to find satisfaction in life? I know I do. Our theme verse for this year is, “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart” - Psalms 37:4. Delight means to be deeply satisfied. God is inviting us to find satisfaction, not from something made in this world, but to find satisfaction that is out of this world. Our hunger isn’t truly physical like what we see or eat, but our hunger is more spiritual in nature, so we need something spiritual. The good news is that God offers himself to us. God is “merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin” - Exodus 34:6-7. Will you take time today and satisfy your spiritual hunger? Deuteronomy 8:3 explains a purpose for hunger; “So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” Perhaps the point of our hunger for social media is our true longing for God.

In the 1930s and 1940s, my parents had a grocery store in Los Angeles on 12th Street and Union Ave. In the early 1940s, I attended a Japanese Catholic School. The school bus picked me up and brought me home each day. Since I was born on Christmas day, and named “Mary,” I was often selected to present flowers to her statute. When I was in Jr. High, I was asked to take classes in preparation for baptism and I was unsure and made the decision to attend a Christian church with my jr. high friends in Lil’ Tokyo.

My Sunday School teacher was Mr. Fukui (the mortuary owner) and our youth leader was Miss Fukui (his sister) and when we went on outings, we rode in the hearse and sat on the railings that held the coffin. We loved the people’s reaction of the places we went (horseback riding, roller skating, movies, etc) when the hearse drove up to the locations and we all piled out from the back.

Years later, my parents (John Masao and Kiyoko Nakano – Nichigo) started attending LA Holiness through an invitation of a friend. Kenny, Lisa and Lance and I decided to join them so that we could be at the same church. The first person I met was Mrs. Michi M.. I joined her in child care in the basement and played the piano for the children’s church. I remember Alric Oishi was the biggest “infant” I had ever seen!

Rennie Mau came to LAH Church as a seminary intern and Rev. Akira Kuroda asked Kenny and I to work together with Rennie and his wife Linda to form a children’s choir. This was the beginning of “LA Holiness Children’s Choir.” Rennie was a magician! We started with weekend and overnight music camps and produced musicals (“Joseph”) with background props and costumes made by parents. The parents also made each member’s singing uniforms. We presented musicals and concerts at our sister churches.

WLA Holiness members joined us in 1992, led by Bonnie and Paul N. and later, a few members from our South Bay church joined us as well. Soon we were having presentations at our SoCal and NorCal Holiness Churches, and special presentations which included the JEMS Christmas Program at the Japan American Theater in Lil’ Tokyo; the “Love to Nippon” Japan Earthquake Memorial Event at LAPD Civic Auditorium, and the Japanese Consulate General Izuru Shimura’s residence in 2013. The Lil’ Folks choir began in 2012 for younger children which prepared them for the LA Holiness Youth Choir (LAHYC).

The choir traveled to Japan five times (2012 included SoBay, West Covina and WLA), Brazil three times (2008-2013), once to Las Vegas Holiness (2009) and once to Ghana, Africa Orphanage (2014). Each trip was usually for 3 weeks. We translated songs in Japanese and Portuguese and most of the choreography was created by Bonnie N.. Scheduling the required shots and physicals, obtaining visas and passports and taking care of all the equipment and belongings was a major task.

The choir members raised funds for all the activities and mission trips through monthly newspaper and aluminum can drives, yard sales, car washes and coffee hours; and also, “Servants for the Day” projects which included yard work, tree trimming and preparing empty houses for sale.

Through the rehearsals, weekend camps and mission trips, it definitely felt like we were a real family. During the mission trips, the choir members were divided into a group of five members and a leader was selected from each group. The group leaders took attendance of their group each time we assembled or entered the bus or train. We took additional choir parents to assist us with cooking meals, washing clothes and taking care of any mild illnesses incurred by a choir member.

Thanks goes to Lance, Nathan and Val O. and Ruth T. for all they contributed. The memories are priceless and always warms our hearts when we look at past pictures and remember the friendships and lifetime memories God created for all of us. We were more than abundantly blessed.

After many years, we finally had our Family Camp last year in November, and I was so happy and excited to have the opportunity to get together as a church family and have fun. As we were planning this event, I was asked if I could be in charge of crafts on Saturday during free time, and I agreed. Since I have been making the cards for our Dash of Love Program, I thought this would be something I could have others create as well. During our craft time at family camp, we all had a wonderful time of crafting and fellowship, but in the back of my mind, I was a bit sad. Many of our senior members did not attend our family camp, and I was hoping to share this time with them. I just thought, maybe next year.

Then in a message, Pastor Michael mentioned the importance of having fellowship with one another. I felt that this was God speaking to me about having a fellowship time with our seniors and retirees to show how much they are loved. As a result, I decided to have a Craft Day with these special individuals. With Sue being gracious enough to open up her home to host this event, we had our Craft Day early in December. I invited a few of our seniors and retirees, and we were able to have a gathering of five crafters, Sue, Ann, Yumi, Val, and Janet. My plan was to have everyone make two Christmas cards and two chocolate crafts that could be given as gifts. They were also provided the opportunity to make birthday, thank you or sympathy cards. I enjoyed watching everyone’s creativity emerge and the pride they had after their projects were completed.

The time of fellowship that we spent together was filled with laughter and sharing various stories of the past. We have known each other for a number of decades, and we ended up talking about old times. It is amazing how God brought us all together, regardless of the age differences, and we thoroughly enjoyed each other’s company. Age did not make a difference. I felt God’s love through everyone that attended, and everyone seemed to truly enjoy themselves.

We plan to have about three or four Craft Days this year. I pray that this will not only be a time of laughter, but it will be a time to lift each other up during times of struggling. Then we can use this opportunity to pray for each other and show the love of Christ through our actions.

”Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 2:1-5

This year, Winter Vision 2023 was cancelled the day before we were supposed to leave for camp. Due the huge storm hitting California, streets were blocked by trees and a power outage hit the camp grounds we were supposed to be attending. I had taken on a new role this year as NorCal Dean of Women, recruiting cabin leaders, training them on cabin leading, and helping run camp. I was extremely excited for camp to not only be in person for the first time in ~3 years, but also to serve in a new capacity and see what the Lord had in store for me. It was really disappointing to have camp cancelled because I was so excited and had expectations that it would happen in person this year. I felt frustrated that all the work was for nothing.

On Wednesday, before I found out camp was cancelled, I was preparing some encouragement for the cabin leaders. I ended up spending time reading Hebrews 6:10 “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people and continue to help them.” Initially, I thought about how this can encourage cabin leaders if they felt discouraged if they didn’t see spiritual growth in the time they spent with their kids or their cabins were not going as expected in general. However, looking back, God was already preparing my heart with spiritual truths to reconcile the disappoint that came with camp being cancelled. He reminded me that God sees the efforts we put into furthering His kingdom, whether or not others see it or it leads to anything on this earth. He wants us to continue to love Him and love and help His people no matter what the reward on earth is, because He will surely not forget our work when we are rewarded with being reunited with God in heaven.

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of Jesus and then ushering in 2023. As I get older, I’m starting to feel a bit ambivalent towards the start of a new year, mainly because it only reminds me of my mortality. Lol. So this got me thinking about a few things as I prepared to start the new year.

I took some time this past Christmas Eve to thank God for various things that happened in my life. In May of last year, I found out that I had polyps in my stomach. I was grateful for the church praying for me, and thankfully the biopsy came back benign.

This past August, I had major surgery for the first time in my life when I had a compound fracture and broke both bones in my forearm. Thankfully, there was an excellent orthopedic surgeon at the Mammoth hospital who inserted two plates and 11 screws to patch me right back up. I was thankful it happened at Mammoth (a ski resort with patients who break their bones, even though I did it while fishing), and so grateful for Kathy who took care of me as I waited in the ER for my surgery that day.

In November, I was finally able to go back to Japan for the first time since the start of the pandemic. Being in Japan was so life-giving and renewed my passion as to why I work at JEMS. The most memorable and enjoyable moments spent in Japan were just being able to see the missionaries and friends that I hadn’t seen in a while.

As I reflected back on these things on Christmas Eve, I came away with these few thoughts that will influence how I will live in 2023. I will turn 60 in August (YIKES!), so it reminds me of the brevity of life. I’ve also come to realize that I have a lot of junk in my life, well actually in my house. I decided I really need to think about how I spend my money since once I die, one, I can’t take it with me, and two, someone has to get rid of it.

These two realities made me realize that time is a precious commodity, especially when you know it’s winding down. But given that reality, spending time with people by using my finances will drive my spending habits into 2023. It only reinforced what I knew was important to Jesus, which was “love God,” since our time here on earth is short and when we die, we will spend eternity with Him. But also, “love others/ neighbors,” since enjoying and impacting others with the love of Christ has the potential to make an eternal impact.

As we start 2023, what are your priorities? Why do you have them? Will those priorities impact eternity? May we live our lives with eternity in mind.

Then he (the criminal) said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus answered him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” -

Luke 23:42-43

This is one of my all-time favorite Bible passages. In my heart of hearts, I’m a procrastinator. I have to work very hard to fight against this tendency. But what I love about this passage is this: even at the very last second as Jesus was DYING, in agonizing pain from all his wounds and injuries, sleep deprived, hungry, thirsty and carrying the sins of all humankind on his shoulders, He had such compassion on that criminal that He forgave him even in His dying breathes and told him he would join Him in heaven!

What does this tell us about God? It tells me that God is compassionate, merciful and forgiving, since He is the very One who sent Jesus that we might all be given eternal life with Him. This also tells me that if we repent, even at the last second before we take our last breath, God is willing to invite us into His heavenly home! This man knew he was a sinner, yet I know he’s in heaven! That fact is so amazing to me.

Talk about the 11th hour, the just in the nick of time, the fourth and goal and the buzzer beater? These two simple verses tell me God is willing to take me back, no matter what, even if it’s at the last second! But that criminal had one thing we may not get; he had a few hours before he knew he was going to die. We may not get that luxury.

Take this time to pray and repent to God. It doesn’t mater if you’ve turned away from God for years or even 10 minutes. Ask for forgiveness and return back to Him.