Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Psalm 65:1-13, “Better Than Mom’s Goodies.” Remembering back to attending UC Davis and receiving care packages from his mother, Eric recalls sharing and savoring the delicious treats. God’s blessings to us are by far more significant, so as we celebrate Mother’s Day, we also celebrate God even more. This psalm is often used with Pentecost, a festival held seven weeks after Passover to celebrate the harvest. It offers great thanks and gratitude to God. In our lives today, why do we celebrate God?

1) Celebrate God for He is our Savior. (vv.1-4) ¹Praise is due to You, O God, in Zion, and to You shall vows be performed. ² O You who hear prayer, to You shall all flesh come. ³ When iniquities prevail against me, You atone for our transgressions. ⁴ Blessed is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your temple! Jesus took our sin and keeps us from the depths of hell and gives us heaven and eternity with God instead. Because this is all God’s doing and not our own, all praise is due to God. Zion is God’s holy hill, that place where all hopes and dreams turn. Our vows and promises go to God as we worship Him. It is only God who hears and is able to give a harvest, both physical and spiritual. The grace of God alone is the primary reason to praise God. When we sin, it is only because of His atonement on our behalf that we can be forgiven. It is God who chooses us, there is nothing we can do to earn our salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 spells out the gospel for us. Romans 5:8 explains God’s love for us while we were still stuck in our sin.

2) Celebrate God for He is our Creator. (vv.5-8) ⁵ By awesome deeds You answer us with righteousness, O God of our salvation, the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas; ⁶ the one who by His strength established the mountains, being girded with might; ⁷ who stills the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples, ⁸ so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at Your signs. You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy. God is the maker of all. Our hope is in the one who created everything. We are in awe of His power to save and power to create. Not only does He have the power to save a few, He can also save all. Those who dwell at the ends of the earth, refers to all mankind, there are no excuses for not knowing Him. There is secular belief that says if something is not grounded in science, it is not fact or knowledge at all. This influence causes doubt about the literal Word of God. It also devalues faith as having no reason or validity to it. The ironic thing is that science actually does point to God, not away from Him. The specific amount of gravity on the earth is a perfect balance of not too much or too little. The distance of the earth from the sun is a very precise placement, again not too far or not too close. This can only point to an intelligent, all knowing creator God. Psalm 19:1, The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork. We can have confidence and awe in our God, not doubt.

3) Celebrate God for He is our Provider. (vv.9-13) ⁹ You visit the earth and water it; You greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; You provide their grain, for so You have prepared it. ¹⁰ You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. ¹¹ You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. ¹² The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, ¹³ the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. God brings us much blessing. We can celebrate God for His goodness. Everything that we have has been provided by God. Sometimes we forget the hand which feeds us. We complain about the things that we don’t have, because we forget about what He has already given us.
Luke 11:11-13, “¹¹ What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; ¹² or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Praise God and celebrate Him for giving us every good and perfect gift that we need in Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed week, celebrating God, our Savior, Creator and Provider,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee for the message from Psalm 57, “Distress Call.” We continue in our series on Psalms: Praying the Psalms, which covers a span of 900 years of history. It is the largest book in the Bible and is the most frequently quoted text in the New Testament. Rabbis referred to it as the Book of Praises, its theme: Living life in the real world. Psalm 57 was authored by King David, who at this point, was anointed as Israel’s future King but he is running for his life, pursued by the army of Israel and is hiding in caves. Psalm 57 is one of six psalms which contain the word ‘miktam’ in its title, which has an unknown meaning, but all seem to be a cry to God.  Question: How can we call upon God in time of distress?

1) Prayer for Deliverance. (v.1 NASB) ¹Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You; And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge until destruction passes by. Be gracious to me – is repeated twice to express urgency. ‘have mercy on me’ – shows a humble and passionate plea.  And In the shadow of Your wings – acknowledges divine care. (Deuteronomy 32:11,  like an eagle …that hovers over its young.) (Matthew 23:37,  How often I wanted to gather your children together, the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings.) Here there is the symbolism of angels’ wings in the Jerusalem temple. My soul takes refuge in You – speaks of David’s past reliance upon God. I will take refuge – refers to his continued reliance on God. Taking refuge is not an escape from suffering but it is that you can find peace in the midst of it. Until destruction passes by – intensive plural, calamity, huge storm, engulfing ruin. (v.2)  ² I will cry to God Most High, To God who accomplishes all things for me. David appeals to God Most High – who is over all creation and over all life.  Accomplishes all things – focuses on the eternal value, which further declares loyalty on the part of David. (v.3) ³ He will send from heaven and save me; He reproaches him who tramples upon me. Selah. God will send forth His lovingkindness and His truth. David is assured of God’s response and His ability to save him. David is the anointed, in the kingly line of Israel, yet his death is sought by Saul. God could have sent angels to save him, but instead He sends lovingkindness and truth. We often ask God to take away the big battles in our lives instead of focusing on God’s attributes. The first three verses have been prayer, and now he brings in the concern or need. How often we go the other way? We tell God our problems first. Which is greater? Our problems or our God? So honor God first, then make your request for yourself. Recognize who He is before throwing our issues at Him. (v.4) ⁴My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword. Among lions – opposition as wild beasts that devour. Breathe forth fire…teeth…spears and arrows…tongue a sharp sword – as is intimidation, gossip, insults, character assassination that we receive from others. It is often a verbal attack other than a physical attack that we face. Prayer again. (v.5) ⁵ Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth. God is exalted not for what He may do but for what He has done and for who He is. He closes this section as he closed the first, God shall be honored.

2) Praise for Deliverance. David previously began with prayer and ends with his concerns. Then he continues with his concerns and then ends in praise. (v.6) ⁶ They have prepared a net for my steps; My soul is bowed down; they dug a pit before me; they themselves have fallen into the midst of it. Selah. They prepare their snares and traps, then fall into their own pit. My soul – litteraly, my glory/the glorious part of me. (v.7) ⁷ My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises! Twice he states his heart is steadfast, he has faith and assurance in his God. It is so easy to complain about our situation rather than to exhibit trust and sing praise to Him. (v.8) ⁸ Awake, my glory! Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. David eagerly anticipates the dawn – a new and fresh future. How is our attitude and mindset at the start of our day?

My glory – God-given faculty that responds to God. (v.9) ⁹ I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to You among the nations. David not only is praising God in the midst of problems but he gives his praise from the confines of a cave, even praising from under a death penalty. He sings praises to God among the nations – to share the word of God even to the Gentiles.  (v.10) ¹⁰ For Your lovingkindness is great to the heavens and Your truth to the clouds. God’s character and qualities are inexhaustible, to the heavens, to the clouds. David closes with same prayer and praise as in verse 5. (v.11)  ¹¹ Be exalted above the heavens, O God; Let Your glory be above all the earth.

Doubts about God can creep into all of us when we feel under attack or when we feel discouraged. Sometimes it is the practice of people to withdraw from Christian fellowship and community in these times. In Andrea Palpant Dilley’s book, Faith and Other Flat Tires, she makes two statements about doubt: 1) My doubts belongs in church. 2) Doubts are a part of my faith.  There will be no answers for doubt when we walk away from the church. Church is where we can care and pray for one another. Bring your praise and honor God, bring your request to Him and in all ways give all glory to God, despite any doubts you may have.

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Thank you to Andy Morimoto for sharing her call to serve with OMF International as their School Partnership Coordinator. She is grateful for the years of development and support she has received growing up at SanLo and for the various missions trips she has experienced, including Mexico, Cameroon, Thailand and Japan. She did not sense a specific call for her to return to a specific country, but sensed the call to mobilize future leaders from our college campuses to go on short-term missions. There is a need to reach the 3 billion unreached peoples of the world. Please pray and consider how God may be calling you to go or send. If you would like to support Andy in this full-time ministry position, please contact her at: kiyoko.mo@gmail.com

Have a blessed week in the Lord,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Dr. Vernon Kam for the message from Psalm 62, “The Right Perspective.” Psalm 62 was written by David during a difficult time in his life. Probably it was the time when his son, Absalom, tried to take the throne away from him.  In this psalm, David tells us the right perspective to have when we encounter trials.

1.  Waiting on the Lord. My soul waits in silence for God only (v.1 – NASB). David is waiting for the Lord to answer his prayer to help him overcome this problem. God often makes us wait. Remember God promised Abraham that he would have a son.  But 10 years later, it hadn’t happened.   So he and Sarah took matters into their own hands.   Sarah had a bright idea.  She gave her maid, Hagar, to Abraham.  And that is how Ishmael was born.    But Ishmael was not the son God had promised.  God’s will was for Sarah to have a son, which she did later, Isaac. We see the consequence when we don’t wait on the Lord but get ahead of Him.  Arabs today say Ishmael is their ancestor, and we know how they hate Israel and the Jews, who are descendants of Isaac.  So often we pray to know God’s will, but we don’t pay much attention about knowing how God wants His will done.  When we do things our way, we will get results, but we will get Ishmael, not Isaac.   What does it mean to wait in silence?  It means to wait and not complain because you submit to His sovereignty.  Why does God make us wait?  It has to do with timing.  Here are three reasons: a. See the power of God at work. At the right time, He will demonstrate His power to you.  Your faith will increase.  b. We may not be ready. We speak of waiting on the Lord, but perhaps God may be waiting for us.  Perhaps He is waiting for a change in our attitude.  Let’s say God has called you to a certain position, but for you to do well you have to be a patient person.  Right now, you are impatient.   God will put you through a training program to learn patience.  It is like a test.  If you don’t pass the test, then there will be another test, and it keeps going until you pass the test.  c. Divine delay. God makes you wait because He is protecting you. So next time you have to wait, remember that it may be a divine delay. God may be making you wait because He is protecting you from harm that is around the corner.

2. Our Rock.  David refers to God as his Rock – a rock is something solid and sturdy. God is his salvation, his deliverance from problems and also his salvation from sin. God is also his refuge in any and all of his trials. (v.2, 7) Because of that, his faith was unshakable.

3.  David talks to himself. For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence….. (v.5-7 ESV) He’s talking to himself (O my soul).  He is reminding himself about God. You should remind yourself of who God is, what God has done, and what God has promised.  We know a lot of truths about the Christian faith in our heads, but those truths have to get deeply into our souls if they are to make a difference.  That is why we need to remind ourselves.  Do you ever talk to yourself?  Like David, we should do that.

4. Trust in Him. Trust in Him at all times…. (v.8 ESV) So often when something adverse happens, we ask God, “Why?”  Most of the time, we don’t get an answer.   We need to trust Him.  To trust God means there will be some unanswered questions.   We have to be comfortable not knowing why. Simply believe God knows best.   God is all-powerful and loving (v.11-12) We know the bible says God loves us.  But too often it is just information.  We need to stay amazed about it.  It’s a good idea to say to yourself several times when you are alone, “God loves me.”  Say it until your soul really believes it.

Conclusion. What is the right perspective to have when we encounter trials?  Trust Him.  Because He is solid, all-powerful and He loves us.  When we trust Him, we are able to wait in silence.

Children’s Message:

Thank you to Eric and Lynne Kishi for the Children’s message on building our house (lives) on the solid foundation only found in God, who is our Rock. He is the only One who is reliable and trustworthy to build our lives upon.

Have a blessed week in the Lord with the right perspective,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Psalm 63:1-11, “Starved!!!”  For the next 10 weeks, we’ll be in the book of Psalms, the Essence of Prayer. The Psalms are a key for better understanding prayer and our relationship with our Lord and Savior. Have you ever felt starved or felt famished? Were you ever so thirsty you would do anything for a drink of water? Starvation is not something that we long for. Yet this is exactly the situation David is in. He is both physically and spiritually starved and hungry. David is in the dry and barren wilderness of Judea without water. Yet the deepest thirst of his life was for the Living Water. David’s soul yearned for God!  David wasn’t just hungry for God, he was starved for God.  As we consider the words David penned, we ask this very important question, “How can we increase our hunger for God?”

1) A ceaseless desire. In the heart of David there was a fire that never went out. There was an endless hunger and thirst for God.  You can think of the psalms as the praise songs or hymns that we sing. Today they are so important, because they aren’t just nice music, but they also teach us something about God.  ¹ O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. ² So I have looked upon You in the sanctuary, beholding Your power and glory.  ³ Because Your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise You. ⁴ So I will bless You as long as I live; in Your name I will lift up my hands. David specifically identifies God as not just a god, but, “my God.” David doesn’t just believe that God exists but more importantly, God is personal to him. When David says my soul and my flesh, there is a totality of his entire being going after God. He pursues God with everything in him and he expresses his ceaseless efforts to be in the house of God. It was in those moments that David experienced the love of God. In Hebrew, steadfast love is called hesed, to bend or to bow oneself. The idea carries with it that God lowered Himself to David. As New Testament believers, we truly know this, because God lowered Himself through His Son coming down from Heaven. It reveals God’s kindness and grace. David would pursue God, because God had pursued him. In the same way, we pursue God, because He pursued us with His lavishing love through the creation, through the cross, and through new creation. Ask God to give you an unceasing desire for Him and to give you a hunger and thirst for Him. Ask God to give you unending longing for His love.

2) A content soul. As God builds and develops within us a deep hunger for Him and His Word, God then grows in us a satisfied soul.  Our soul is at rest in God, it is content. ⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food, and my mouth will praise You with joyful lips, ⁶ when I remember You upon my bed, and meditate on You in the watches of the night; ⁷ for You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I will sing for joy. ⁸ My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. As David continues in his praise of God, he finds life sustaining satisfaction in God. David says – God, You are my portion, and not just my portion, but You are the one who satisfies my appetite. Lord, in You do I find great satisfaction and joy!  Remember the woman at the well, Jesus said the same thing to her in John 4:13–14, ¹³ Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, ¹⁴ but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” God guarantees satisfaction and He gives us an everlasting satisfaction in Him.

3) A confident believer. As you grow in your desire for God and as you grow in your satisfaction with God, God will grow in you assured faith in Him. Desire leads to satisfaction, and satisfaction leads to confidence. God will increase your confidence in Him as your Savior, Provider, and Protector above all things to become a confident believer. ⁹ But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth;  ¹⁰ they shall be given over to the power of the sword; they shall be a portion for jackals.  ¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by Him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped. There is this extraordinary confidence that David has in God. David’s confidence is revealed in two violent images. The first image is that his son, Absalom, and his army will be defeated. There will be no doubt about their defeat. The second image is even more violent, not only will they lose, but they will also be slaughtered. We can have confidence in God, because He is protector and provider for those who have faith in Christ. He promises to uphold us when we might feel like the enemy surrounds us. He will carry us through life’s toughest battles. We can have a strong assurance in God. We can be confident believers.

Lord, help us come to that place…that we might say as David said… O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You; my soul thirsts for You; my flesh faints for You, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

Missions Moment:

Thank you to Todd Fong and Dennis Yata for sharing about the ongoing FACC/SLZJCC mission work in Chiba, Japan. This year’s team will include the Fong family, Haj Kanzaki, Dennis Yata, Gloria Kama and Ashley Hu.  Mike Rodriguez and Elena Woo will serve from FACC. The mission will be this June 26-July 10 to support the Grace Coast Ichinomiya church plant.

Have a blessed week as you hunger and thirst for the Lord,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Scott Shimada for the message from Psalm 86, “Heavenly Perspectives.” From the book of Psalms, we are going through our series, “The Essence of Prayer. We can learn a lot about David and his relationship with God but more importantly, we can see what we need to do when we have our own tough times. The past few months have been pretty rough. There have been a lot of ups and downs.  At times it seemed like a lot of things were going bad and it was all starting to pile up.  Have you ever been in that situation? Maybe you’ve had your own low points. Times when you just felt so hopeless.  Those times when you feel like you can’t win or that everyone is against you. Have you been there?  Have you felt so low that you even start to tell yourself that you can’t win.  You convince yourself to look at the dark side and ignore the bright side. Question – When we are going through tough times, what should we remember to do?

1) Remember to Pray to God. (vv.1-7) David is in pain, he is in deep trouble and he calls on the Lord. “Hear, O Lord, and answer me…” “I call you all day long…” “Hear my prayer O Lord…” “In the day of my trouble, I will call you…” That word for call in Hebrew is Qara – to cry out, to invite, to implore, to appoint, to praise. David is calling to the One and only who can help him.  David says, “I call to you all day long.” He knows God will not ignore him.  When we call to God, we will not get a busy signal or a voicemail.  He is there waiting to listen to you. So when you are going through rough times, it is good to remember to pray to God because He is trustworthy to hear your prayer.

2) We also need to Praise God because He deserves it. (vv.8-13) Look at these vivid descriptions we have of God:  There is none like You. You alone are God. No deeds compare with Yours.  You are great and do marvelous deeds.  David saw God work in his life and do some amazing things – such as the time he defeated Goliath. What about you?  Can you look back on your life and the marvelous things God has done in your life?  God is doing awesome things in your life right now!  It may be hard for you to praise God when things seem like they are not going well. But that’s the perfect time to praise God!     Too often we may focus on all the bad going on around us.  We look around and feel sorry for ourselves or we get angry because things are not going the way we want them to. If we turn our eyes to God and focus on His goodness, we remind ourselves that God is in control.  We remember that He has a plan.  We remember that there is more to live for than just what we see here on this earth.  We remember that God loves us and will take care of us.  (v.11) “truth” – firmness, stability, sureness.  Do you want to stand on this kind of truth?  The kind that is sure and stable and firm?  Then focus on God and give Him praise.

3) Remember that God is our Protector. We can have faith when we call on Him, He will protect us. (vv.14-17) David is being attacked by people he calls “arrogant” – ruthless men who are trying to kill him. A band or mob, not just one guy is threatening him. They are men who choose violent ways rather than what was right. David then talks about God, who is compassionate and gracious.  David knew all too well about God’s compassion and grace.  David made some huge mistakes, including adultery and murder but he knew God was bigger and mightier than his sins and that God’s grace covered him. God is slow to anger. He does not act quickly to judge and heap vengeance on people but rather is patient. (v.15) “God” – El – is used here because it emphasizes might, power, and strength. We follow a powerful and living God who can do anything. We follow the God who created the world, who freed His people, who parted the Red Sea, who used a little boy to defeat a giant. Our God heals the sick and makes the blind to see.  He died for our sins and conquered death so that we could live forever! David asks for protection because he knows our God is a mighty God! We can look to a God who protects us from a world full of pain and sorrow. Romans 8:31 reminds us – “If God is for us, who can be against us?” It does not matter how big our opponent is.  It does not matter how strong the enemy may seem. The waves may be big and the storm may rage on but our God is an awesome God and He reigns over everything!  He is on our side!

David asked for strength and for a sign. (owth) – sign, mark, token, badge, warning, or an omen. It is used about 80 times in the Old Testament with most of them being attached to some kind of miracle. Our God is the God of miracles.  I’ve asked for miracles from God.  Some of the times I got exactly what I wanted and hoped for.  Other times, I got the opposite.  But every time I have gotten exactly what God wanted and what turned out to be the best thing for me overall. So ask God.  He knows what’s best. Storms are going to come and storms are going to go.  We don’t know when they come or how long they’ll last. But we do know that we have a God we can rely on.  He wants us to come to Him. So pray to Him, praise Him and recognize Him as your protector.

Have a blessed week with a heavenly perspective,

Stan, for  SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee for the message from Luke 24:13-32, “A Talk to Remember.” News travels quickly these days via the internet. Back in Jesus’ day, news of His miracles, who He is, His arrest, trial, death and resurrection was shared verbally and through writings. Luke was a Gentile historian, who wrote the longest gospel, and was the most prolific of New Testament writers. Luke is the only gospel writer who wrote a sequel (Acts), and gives the most complete account through compiling eyewitness testimonies, some of them include: Mary, mother of Jesus; Mary Magdalene; His disciples. (vv.13-14) ¹³ And behold, two of them were going that very day to a village named Emmaus, which was about seven miles from Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And they were talking with each other about all these things which had taken place. These two are disciples, however, not part of the remaining eleven. These men were in serious, communing in conversation about the resurrection event that took place that very day. (vv.15-16) ¹⁵ While they were talking and discussing, Jesus Himself approached and began  traveling with them. ¹⁶ But their eyes were prevented from recognizing Him. Jesus, Himself joins them, but God prevented them from recognizing Him. (v.17a)  ¹⁷ And He said to them, “What are these words that you are exchanging with one another as you are walking?” Jesus asks them a question, always the teacher, yet not just a teacher, He is God. (vv.17b-18) ^17b And they stood still, looking sad. ¹⁸ One of them, named Cleopas, answered and said to Him, “Are You the only one visiting Jerusalem and unaware of the things which have happened here in these days?” The two disciples stood still - stopped walking, were saddened. Thinking their dreams, hopes, and future ended, this turned to concern, anguish, confusion, and pain. They wondered how could anyone not know about what happened? (v.19a) ¹⁹ And He said to them, “What things?” Jesus countered, allowing the two to unburden themselves, to have an outlet for their emotions.

The Promise of the Prophet: (v.19b-20) ^19b And they said to Him, “The things about Jesus the Nazarene, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, ²⁰ and how the chief priests and our rulers delivered Him to the sentence of death, and crucified Him. Jesus the Nazarene – not to be confused with any other. Prophet – yet more than that.  The responsibility for the illegal trial was on religious leaders, not on Pilate and Romans (v.21) ²¹ But we were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, it is the third day since these things happened. They were hoping for political and spiritual deliverance. (v.22-24) ²² But also some women among us amazed us. When they were at the tomb early in the morning, ²³ and did not find His body, they came, saying that they had also seen a vision of angels who said that He was alive. ²⁴ Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just exactly as the women also had said; but Him they did not see.” The report of the women to the disciples about the empty tomb was already spreading.

The Prophet of the Promise: (vv.25-17) ²⁵ And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! ²⁶ Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” ²⁷ Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. Foolish – having no sense; slow of heart – dull, the heart was considered the center of intellect, not the head as they wanted only glory and victory of the Messiah, not a suffering servant. (vv.28-29) ²⁸ And they approached the village where they were going, and He acted as though He were going farther. ²⁹ But they urged Him, saying, “Stay with us, for it is getting toward evening, and the day is now nearly over.” So He went in to stay with them. Getting to their destination, they extended hospitality with an invitation to stay for supper. (vv.30-31) ³⁰ When He had reclined at the table with them, He took the bread and blessed it, and breaking it, He began giving it to them. ³¹ Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him; and He vanished from their sight. Could it have been the way He broke the bread, or was it the nail marks in His hands, or perhaps His prayer to the Father that helped them to recognize Jesus? It was God who enabled them to recognize Jesus. He was not a ghost or a spirit. (v.32) ³² They said to one another, “Were not our hearts burning within us while He was speaking to us on the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” Does your heart burn in the reading of His Word?

Have you received the promise of the prophets as Jesus is the Prophet of those promises? Don’t ignore the invitation to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. Then let your hearts burn with love for Jesus Christ.

Have a blessed Resurrection Week in His Love, Mercy and Grace,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Brian Tekawa for the message from Luke 19:41-44, “Heartbreaker.”  This passage is known as the “Triumphal Entry.” For those with false hope in Jesus, it was a triumphal entry but for Jesus, it was His death march. To remember Jesus’ triumphal entry, we call this day, Palm Sunday. It is a significant day to remember for the follower of Christ as it is the day that marks the beginning of Jesus’ last days on earth. On this day, Jesus arrives in Jerusalem one week before He would be crucified, riding on an un-ridden donkey with the crowds shouting hosanna and laying palm leaves before Him like a red carpet to welcome Jesus. Their hope was for Jesus to be the king who would free Jews from Rome.

Luke’s focus was writing to the Greeks and he emphasized Jesus, the Man. Maybe that is why Luke is the only one of the four gospels that records Jesus weeping over His people. Jesus is 100% God but He is also 100% man. There is no other religion that makes this claim about the person they follow.  There is no other man like Jesus. You either believe in Him or reject Him. He is God and man. Not just any man but a sinless man who committed no wrongs. When we forget that Jesus was a real person we forget that He had real emotions. We don’t realize how our thoughts or our actions affect Him. We don’t think about how our actions can break His heart. Today we are going to examine what breaks the heart of Jesus as He entered Jerusalem for the last time. What breaks the heart of Jesus?

1) The heart of Jesus is broken when He and all He offers is REJECTED. Jesus is rejected when His peace is not received. The Jews were mistakenly expecting Jesus to conquer the Roman Empire and take away the turmoil and oppression they were experiencing. They expected Jesus to take away the hardship and missed the peace Jesus offered. Jesus taught, “That in Me you may have peace. In this world you shall have tribulation but take courage for I have overcome this world.” Jesus wept and said (v.42), “If you had known in this day, even you (Jerusalem), the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.” He mourned for the Israelites because of their failure to recognize the peace He offered. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding, an inner peace that prevails in the midst of turmoil. Jesus cried out for His people but they did not listen. Now peace was hidden from their sight. Jesus offers you that same peace. Are there circumstances surrounding you that seem to be falling apart? Do you feel alone or afraid due to situations that are out of control? Peace might be difficult to find because you or your loved ones are suffering. We can choose to be bitter or better. Jesus offers His peace that goes beyond all that we understand, we only need to ask to receive it. Last week we completed our series on the book of Acts and observed how both Peter and Paul understood the peace of Jesus. Their lives were full of turmoil yet you could sense the fullness of life and purpose, the peace they had in the midst of tremendous hardships. The heart of Jesus is broken when His peace is not RECEIVED by His people.

2) The heart of Jesus is broken when a person does not RECOGNIZE Jesus. (vv.43-44)  “⁴³For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, ⁴⁴ and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.” Jesus saw the consequence of the Israelites rejection of Him. Around 40 years later this prophesy came true. In 70 A.D. the Roman army under the direction of Titus, surrounded the city of Jerusalem. They built high walls, entrapping all the people of Jerusalem (hemmed in on every side) for 143 days, and killed 600,000 Jewish men, women, and children. Thousands more were taken captive. The temple and city were utterly destroyed leaving no stone unturned. This broke the heart of Jesus because they did not recognize the time of His visitation. They did not believe in or accept that He was God’s Son. They rejected Jesus. His heart was broken when He saw their judgment. Jesus saw in His people the emptiness of their pursuits. He understood they did not recognize who He was, their Messiah, their Savior. Jesus knew they did not believe in Him. When He was not recognized and rejected by them, it broke His heart and His tears flowed. Jesus longs for you to be a part of His life. There is so much Jesus wants to share and do with us.  It breaks the heart of Jesus when we show up for a moment then walk away, never having enough time for Him.

The wonderful and amazing thing about Jesus is that even if you do not RECEIVE His peace or RECOGNIZE who He is, by His grace He loves and receives you the instant you turn to Him. It is when we take our focus off of Jesus that we lose our peace in the midst of life’s harsh circumstances. We can choose to keep our focus on Jesus instead of falling. Don’t break the heart of Jesus. RECEIVE the peace He offers and don’t REJECT Him. Turn your eyes upon Jesus.

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Thank you to Daisuke and Cheryl Ikegami for sharing their two-fold purposes of their mission call. The first is outreach to young adults who have never heard the gospel message through activities with Young Life in Chiba, Japan. The other is to build up the Christian community in the Ichinomiya area to increase the Jesus culture through personal relationships using English language classes, craft making, Homestay experiences, and the monthly Life House Club events. If you would like to be connected with them, you can follow them on Facebook at:  Life House Club

Have a blessed week living in the peace of Christ,

Stan , for SLZJCC

Thank you to Pastor Eric Yata for the message from Acts 28:17-31, “The Final Episode.”  We have come to the end of Acts. This final episode and chapter focuses on being witnesses and living out the gospel for Jesus Christ just like the beginning of Acts in Chapter 1 verse 8. So, the key question is, “What happens when we live out the gospel?

1) There will be trials. (vv. 17-20) These verses are a summary of Paul’s recent life. It summarizes Chapter 21 to 28 where Paul goes from one trial to the next one even though he is innocent of all charges. Yet, even in his trials and struggles, Paul doesn’t blame his follow Jews for putting him in prison. (v. 19) He doesn’t hold any grudges to God or even those who imprisoned him. He sees his trials as not an obstacle but as an opportunity to share the hope of Jesus Christ. (v. 20) How do you see your trials? Do you see them as an obstacle or an opportunity?  Is your hardship a God-thing or a me-thing?  God can use our trials as opportunities to share the hope of Jesus with others. This is never easy, but it is the perspective God desires for us to see and to live in order that He might be glorified through us.

2) There will be tragedy. (vv. 21-27) Verses 21 to 22 are very interesting verses, because here the Jewish leaders haven’t heard about Paul.  Yet they are so intrigued to listen to him. They say they have no idea who this man is but they’d like to hear his views on Christianity. The Jewish Romans were a very proud people, because their country dominated everyone else at the time. So it was in their pride that they desired to hear what Paul had to say. Yet, his words will end in tragedy for them. Paul quotes Isaiah 6:9-10, and it describes how these Jews won’t hear, see, or understand the gospel. They are deaf, blind, and even heartless to the gospel. Yet, there is hope in the final verse if they would turn away from their sin, then God would heal them and save them. So, I ask you have you gone deaf or blind to the gospel of God? Will you turn away from your sin and turn toward Christ in your life? Don’t let your life end in tragedy, but allow God to come into your life in order that He might give you victory over sin and death.

3) There will be triumph. (vv. 28-31) In these verses, there is a major change on many different levels. Paul provides great hope not for the Jews but for the Gentiles.  The mood changes from tragedy to triumph, from disappointment to deliverance from sadness to salvation. This is not a plan B, because God’s desire has always been that everyone come to faith in Christ.  Paul presents two essential things when sharing the gospel: (1) testifying to the kingdom of God and (2) teaching about Jesus Christ. Many times, we are good at doing (2) telling people about Jesus, but we aren’t so good about explaining the kingdom of God. What does Paul mean about the kingdom of God?  Paul explains to these Jews the entirety of the story of the Bible and how God’s promises are all fulfilled throughout Scripture from Creation, to the Cross, and finally new Creation (Heaven). It’s imperative that we explain and tell people about how big and grand our God is in order that they are compelled by the whole story of the Bible just not a small portion of it.

The final episode of Acts ends abruptly with no further explanation what happens to Paul or his trial. Luke purposefully ends with a cliffhanger, because God intends for you and I to write the final chapters of Acts and the life of the church. God gives us the privilege to share the gospel no matter the trial or tragedy in life so we might see God triumph in our lives and those around us. Take time this week to share the good news of the gospel with someone you know.

Pastor Eric challenged us to invite a friend to one of our Easter services and use the flyers that were inserted in the programs even if you just leave it on someone’s desk or door with a little note, you can leave it and just pray and ask God to do His work!

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Thank you to Gloria and the children for leading us in the praise singing this morning.  Thank you to Ken Yoshioka for bringing us the Children’s Message.  Ken walked in saying he was sooo tired, busy, had too much homework, had to clean his room, etc.  Sometimes we feel overwhelmed and sad, but we are never alone.  God is always with us, just like with Paul in the Bible.   Paul went through some very tough times but he still told people every where about Jesus.  When we have the best days like when we get to go Disneyland, do we remember to thank God?!  Remember God is with us in the good times and the hard times. Ken quoted, Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him.”

Blessings for a great week in the Lord!

Kathy T.

Thank you to Pastor Rod Yee for the message from Acts 27, “Weather or Not.”  There are severe weather storms such as tornados and hurricanes. There are equivalents to weather storms throughout life: trials and issues that affect us physically, emotionally, spiritually, financially, in our family or relationships. Paul, while a prisoner of the Roman Empire for allegedly starting a riot in the temple area in Jerusalem (Acts 21) is accused by the High Priest before Felix, the Governor (Acts 24). Felix’s successor, Festus, invited King Agrippa and his wife Bernice to listen to Paul. He was a descendent in the line of Herods, placed by Romans in Jerusalem and Caesarea. Acts 26:28-9, In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian. “I would to God, that whether in a short  or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am, except for these chains.” Paul appealed to Caesar (25:11) otherwise he would have been set free. So he is sent to Rome, the most powerful city of the time on a six-month voyage of 276 persons, soldiers, sailors and prisoners, who were on board the 140 foot Egyptian grain ship.  How do we weather the storms of life?

1) Know That We Are in God’s Hand. (vv.9-10, 14-20) This was not his first voyage, nor his first shipwreck — three times I was shipwrecked (2 Cor. 11:25). The conditions were so severe they had to undergird the ship (v.17) by passing cabled rope under the ship to hold it together. They also threw cargo and tackle overboard (v.18). Luke describes the situation with comments: “the winds were contrary” (v.4), “the wind did not permit us to go farther” (v.7), “with difficulty sailing” (v.8), “violent wind” (v.14), “violently storm-tossed” (v.18), “neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us” (v.20),  “being driven about” (v.27), “hit a reef” (v.9), “ship broke up” (v.10). They had nothing or no one to turn to for safety or to rescue them. From then on all hope of them being saved was gradually abandoned (v.20). Despair was settling over them like a fog. God allows storms to come into our lives. We can feel battered, beaten down, with no hope, because of our finances, relationships (courting, marriage, family) work, or our health. We must understand that we, in God’s hand, have a future. We have a hope. God does not fill in all the details about what will happen. Why would we need faith if He did so? Allow God to work through trials, remembering God is holding us. Learn to depend fully on Him.

2) Know That We Are in God’s Plan.  Where is He taking you? (vv.21-26) None had eaten for several days, although there was plenty of grain, because of seasickness and fear. (v.22) “now I urge you to keep up your courage, for there shall be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. The crew was disbelieving, they were hopeless and felt doomed. When the storm was at its worst, Paul’s spirit was at its calmest. (v.24) “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you and all those who are sailing with you.” Imagine yourselves seasick, terrified, helpless and hopeless. Here Paul, a prisoner with no authority tells you he has seen and spoken to an angel of his God. How would you react? Would you think he was having delusions? The secret of living within a storm is to trust in the presence and resources of our Risen Lord.

How can we weather the storms of life? (vv.27-32) They were blown westward 600 miles for some two weeks on open water when they ran aground on the island of Malta, some 65 miles south of the tip of Sicily. Some of the sailors tried to escape by using the lifeboat. Paul told the centurion, Julius (v.31) “unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved”. At dawn Paul encouraged them to eat, after two weeks of not eating. Paul probably taught the symbolism of communion. He offered hope of being physically saved and hope that many on board would be spiritually saved. (v.39) they observe a certain bay with a beach, so they lightened the ship, then struck a reef, then the ship began to break up. The soldiers were about to kill the prisoners, but a centurion saved Paul, and they all jumped, some swam, others floated on planks, (v.44) and thus it happened that they all were brought safely to land. We will never know the final destination God is taking us, except for heaven! We can trust Jesus in all situations. Will you have joy in what God has for you?

We welcome Daisuke and Cheryl Ikegami with Young Life, along with their homestay students, Nobu, So, Jib and Genki. We thank the Nakasones, Yatas, Fongs and Yamamotos for hosting them this week. Genki returned back to Japan Sunday morning, while the other three will fly back on Wednesday. Please pray that the seeds of the gospel, watered with relationships and guided by the Lord, will take root and grow in their hearts.

Thank you to our missionary with SEND International, Richard Nakamura, on home assignment, bringing us up to date with his mission in Japan. He and Keri are faced with some very difficult decisions concerning extending their time in Seattle to take advantage of a special learning disability program for 2 of their 5 children which is not available in Japan. Observing how to reach the lost in Japan, a renewed focus on evangelism and discipleship is needed rather than focusing on church planting in the traditional form. Building relationships vertically with God and horizontally with other people is key. House churches and creative access will be vital to reach those who will not step foot in a Christian church on their own initiative, even with an invitation.

Praise God for the moving testimony of Rev. Akira Sato, who spoke at the Evening Praise and Worship Service, how after growing and building 4 churches, were all destroyed by the 3/11 earthquake and tsunami. Yet through his congregation and in his own life, they learned much from having all things stripped away. They are able to focus on the unconditional love of God through provision for their every need, helping them to appreciate all they do have, no matter how simple and meager. He finds joy and hope in God’s provision, despite having everything lost.

Have a joyous week in Christ, trusting in Him, regardless of your circumstances,

Stan, for SLZJCC

Thank you to Dr. Vernon Kam for the message from Acts 26:4-23, “Paul’s Testimony.” In Chapter 26, Paul is before King Agrippa II.  He gives his testimony.

1.  Early life.

As a Pharisee. (Acts 26:4-5)   The Jewish leaders thought highly of him.   Paul was very serious about the Jewish religion.  He saw Christianity as a threat to the Jewish faith, and so he attacked it with great passion. (vv.9-11)

2.  His conversion.

Paul tells us he was on his way to Damascus to arrest Jews who had become Christian (v.12)  Suddenly, a bright light shone upon him and his companions.  He heard a voice, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” He asked who it was.  The reply was, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” (v.15)  At that moment, Paul’s life was turned upside down.   The thing to notice about Paul’s conversion is that it was sudden and unexpected.   Suddenly, God takes the key player in the persecution of the church and turns him completely around.   Perhaps you have been praying for someone to accept Christ, and that person shows no sign it is going to happen.    What happened to Paul was sudden and completely unexpected.  That means the same thing can happen to others.   Suddenly, Jesus turned things around.  That’s the way He is.  Life with God is an adventure.   Suddenly, things can happen. God is full of surprises.

3.  Who is Jesus?

Paul asked, “Who are you, Lord?”   Paul answers that question for us.  We are told, “… he proclaimed Jesus in the synagogues, saying, ‘He is the Son of God.’” (Acts 9:20)  It is amazing that Paul, just recently converted, calls Jesus “the Son of God.”  How did he know?   Because Jesus revealed it to him.  To call Jesus the Son of God involves the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  Scripture says there is only one God, and yet numerous verses refer to the Father as God, Jesus as God, and the Holy Spirit as God.  And that is why we have the Holy Trinity.  There is one God, but that one God consists of Three Persons.

4.  Purpose.

Referring to Paul, Jesus said, “… he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of My name.” (Acts 9:15-16 ESV)   Two things for Paul.   First, he is to be a minister and witness, especially to the Gentiles.  Second, Paul was to suffer for the sake of Christ.  But not just Paul; we too are to suffer.  For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake. (Philippians 1:29 ESV) That is something we don’t like to hear.  Yet the Christian life involves suffering.  Why is that?  I want to offer two specific reasons.  One has to do with pride and humility.  We are told, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6 ESV).   God cannot effectively use a proud person. Before his conversion, Paul was a proud man.  He thought he was better than others. Later in life, Paul said: I am the least of the apostles. (1Corinthians 15:9)   I am the foremost of sinners. (1 Timothy 1:15)  Paul learned humility, and that is why he was such an effective instrument of Christ.      Second, suffering gives us opportunity to demonstrate the love of God.   It is love that bears pain.  It is willing to endure.  Example: God wants us to forgive.  But it is hard to forgive.  There is pain in doing so, but we do it for the sake of Christ.

Paul said in I Corinthians 13:2, 4-5, “² And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. ⁴ Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant ⁵ or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful. God is full of surprises, Jesus is the Son of God, His purpose for us is to witness for Jesus Christ, and love at all times, both in good and bad.

Have a blessed week living out your testimony in Jesus Christ!

Stan, for SLZJCC