By Chris Hong

"And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple blessing God." (Luke 24:52,53)

Jesus has risen from the dead, appearing to his disciples, and then He ascends into heaven. What a joyous sight indeed! It was only a short while ago that hopelessness, despair and defeat had been on the minds of the disciples, but now they are witnessing hope, joy, and victory instead. How could they not worship Him and praise God for what they had observed?

Like those early Christians, I think we experience something like that (on a much less grand scale) each year when we celebrate Easter. I was marveling at how wonderful forgiven sin and right standing before God are! The worries of life that had been burdening me paled in comparison to this display of God’s goodness and faithfulness through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection. How could I not give Him praise for who He is and what He has done?

But then comes Monday, then Tuesday, and then more days. “Normal life” sets back in. The victory of the cross and the empty tomb haven’t changed, but I’m once again faced with difficult relational strains, finding myself working to the bone, or just dealing with life. I don’t feel as victorious as I did during Easter worship service, and am not sure how to praise God in the midst of these things. Or maybe life is going so well that God is not at the forefront of my thinking, and I’m enjoying the blessings of friends, family, and material goods more so than the Blesser. What do I do when I forget about God or He doesn’t seem relevant?

No matter how we feel at this particular moment, God is always praiseworthy. Through tough times we know that God is near (Psalm 34:18), someone we can call upon in our time of need (2 Samuel 22:4), and where our help comes from (Psalm 121:2). When times are good let us recall all that He has done for us (Psalm 103:25), that He alone is the provider of all things (Job 1:21), and that God will continue to grow our faith because He granted it (Philippians 1:6). And there is so much more truth about Him than can fit in this space, but can be found in His Word!

Wherever we are, regardless of what is happening in life or how we are feeling, may our heart’s cry be to praise and bless God with great joy, remembering who He is, and all He has done.

by Pastor Ron Miyake

Have you heard of the Azusa Street Revival? It happened around 110 years ago. Do you know where it took place? No, not just north of the 210 freeway in the city of Azusa. It took place in the area now known as J-town... or Little Tokyo. The church where this took place and the street, which now is more like a narrow alley, is right in the area that includes the Noguchi Plaza, Aratani Theater, and the Japanese American Community Cultural Center. There are a few small signs in the area that mention this.

What was the significance of the Azusa Street Revival? For some, it is considered the place where the modern Pentecostal movement began and then spread. Some remember it for being the revival that was led by a then unknown African American preacher named William J. Seymour and attended by people of different races and denominations. That was significant in those days because of the racism that was prevalent at the time. Some think of it as a place where the move and power of the Holy Spirit affected not only the people and area then, but also people and places throughout the world even now. Some believed that this was the work of God while others didn’t. Yet the effects of this revival and what God is doing is still felt all over the world 110 years later. Azusa then, brought together many Christians of different races, areas, and denominations to worship, pray, and experience the power of God.           

Azusa Now will be on Saturday, April 9, 2016 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It is being planned in part to try to bring together the body of Christ to worship and pray together for our country and world. It will also be a time for evangelism and praying for healing. It seems like bringing the diverse body of Christ together is such a difficult task. With our various differences, will this be possible? I know it can happen. I’ve heard and seen it happen before. I hope it will happen again on April 9th. I’m reminded of Jesus’ words in John 17:23 “I in them and You in Me, that they may be perfected in unity, so that the world may know that You sent Me, and loved them, even as You loved Me.”

I hope and pray that the Azusa Now gathering on April 9th will be just the start of another mighty move of God that will continue for many more years. A move that will see a greater unity in the body of Christ, where many people will become followers of Jesus, and where many will experience the power of God.           

If you are interest in attending Azusa Now, check out the website, www.AzusaNow2016.com.

by Mo Nakatsui

During Passion Week, before Jesus was betrayed to the Jewish religious leaders, Jesus said this: "Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You, even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life. This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do. Now, Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was."  John 17:1-5 (NASB)

Notice the connection between eternal life and knowing God. From the very beginning, God intended that man should know Him intimately. Right after Adam and Eve sinned, Genesis 3:8-9 says, “They heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden. Then the LORD God called to the man, and said to him, ‘Where are you?’” God knew that Adam and Eve had disobeyed, but He still sought them out because He wanted to continue the intimate relationship He had with them.

God gave Moses the first commandment [Deuteronomy 6:5], “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might,”
as an encouragement to man to know God intimately.

Throughout the Old Testament, God expressed His desire to be known by His people. He sent prophets to proclaim His desire for His people to worship Him and Him alone. He promised prosperity, if they obeyed and punishment, if they disobeyed. But alas His people went after other gods. In the fullness of time, God sent His Son to die on the cross that all who would accept the Son would be forgiven and be reconciled to God. But as John 17:3 implies, reconciliation is only the beginning to getting to know God intimately. That is God’s ultimate objective; that we might come to know Him intimately.

When Jesus walked the earth, He spent time with His disciples so that they might get to know Him. He taught them by involving them in the life of ministry and allowing them to ask questions along the way. Through getting to know Him, He was letting them get to know the Father (John 14:7). Today we don’t have Jesus in our physical presence, but we have His word and the Holy Spirit (John 14:25-26). It is through these that God intends for us to get to know Him intimately. Hearing preachers and Bible study leaders expound on the Bible are only means of introducing us to God. If you want to get to know God intimately, you need to spend quality time in the Bible, struggling to understand what it says. Consider that to develop an intimate human relationship it requires spending quality time with him or her; going through the struggles of life together. No amount of being told about him or her by others or having casual conversations with the person will lead to an intimate relationship. Similarly with God, if you want to know God intimately, you need to study the word of God with the help of the Holy Spirit, wrestle with it, ask questions, seek out answers, all the while knowing that God wants you to know Him intimately.

Starting Sunday, April 3, JK Lee and I will lead an Adult Christian Education class lasting for one year. The class will start right after the church school hour and continue through the end of second service. The emphasis of the class will be to teach you how to study the Bible. We will introduce you to various Bible study resources and how to use them. For practical application, we will be studying the end-times together by studying the books of Daniel and Revelation, and Matthew 24-25. Consider joining us and see if this class is for you. Due to the progressive learning inherent in the class, no one will be allowed to join the class after the first two meetings.

According to Evergreen SGV’s policy and procedures handbook, the purpose of a sabbatical study leave is for

1) Rest and relaxation from the rigors of ministry, 2) Spiritual renewal and replenishment,

3) Growth in specific areas of life and ministry and 4) Time to visit and learn from other churches and ministries.

On March 1st, I will begin my first ever three-month sabbatical as a pastor at Evergreen SGV. When I was youth pastor from 1991 to 1997, I left ministry the same year I was eligible for a sabbatical study leave. At Evergreen SGV, a pastor is granted a three-month sabbatical after five years of pastoral ministry. However, I was so burnt out after five plus years of working with teens like Paul Moy, Carly Yoshitani, Adam Noritake and Bethany Chang that I just had to leave ministry in order to retain my sanity. Bahaha!

After leaving, I worked at a homeless shelter for one and a half years and then for 11 ½ years I was self-employed working in the data communications field. In 2009, God called me back to pastoral ministry and I returned on January 1st, 2010. It’s hard to believe but this past January 1st marked my 6th year back in full-time ministry! It certainly doesn’t feel like it’s been six years at all. It only feels like 5 years, 11 months and 29 days. He-he. I would have taken a sabbatical after five years but I honestly did not feel like I needed it and there were also some ministry scheduling conflicts.

For my sabbatical, I will be sticking around and will only leave the SGV when I go on a seven-day solitude retreat to Waikiki in Hawaii. That was a joke. It will only be a two-day solitude retreat and I’ll probably go to a site near Mount Hermon. My goals are mainly to study Scripture (I will be focusing in depth on some of the Psalms since I’m already reading through them for 2016), write out my philosophy of ministry, finish reading a list of books on grieving and discipleship, and plow through one major tome (1,200 pages) by John M. Frame. It’s a systematic theology book that I’ve wanted to read for the past two years but have not made it a priority to work my way through it. Yeah, I know what you’re thinking, “Hmm, that sounds pretty boring.” Or you’re thinking, “What? Kenny reads books?” Ha!

I’ll also be visiting a variety of churches and ministries in the SGV in order to get a better idea of what’s happening in Christian-dom throughout the SGV. If there is a specific church that you’d recommend I attend on a Sunday morning, please email me your suggestion.

So, beginning on March 1st, I won’t be around on Sunday mornings or at the church office during the week until June. I think it’s going to be a little weird for me because for pastors, our work community is also our church community. Therefore, as I leave my work, I also leave my church.

Since I see most of you at church, I probably won’t see a lot of you guys for the next three months. However, if you shop at the Azusa Costco or at the Sam’s Club in El Monte, then there’s a very high possibility I’ll see you. I buy pretty much everything from those two stores: Milk, fruit, bread, veggies, paper goods, meats, office supplies, cleaning supplies, medicines, electronics and pretty much all my clothes. Seriously though, thank you for the opportunity to go on sabbatical and I will miss you guys. God bless and see you three months!

by Pastor Ron Miyake

Colossians 3:23-24

“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”       

Have you ever been involved in serving the Lord and were not sure if what you did had an impact or not?

When I think about serving the Lord, I try to remember what it says in Colossians 3:23-24. This passage reminds me that whatever I do, to do it for the Lord. To stay obedient to what He has called me to do even if I don’t see visible results or impact.

Recently I was reminded of a friend of mine named Bill Saito, who around three years ago, went home to be with the Lord. I saw this passage of Scripture exemplified in Bill.

I didn’t grow up in a Christian home and rarely went to church. If I did go, I went very reluctantly. But in the summer between my 8th and 9th grade years of school, for some reason (probably to meet girls), some friends and I went to the local church. We ended up in the 8th grade boys Sunday School class where Bill was the teacher. At the time, I didn’t know much about God or the Bible. I thought the Bible was nothing more than a bunch of old stories that had nothing to do with me. All that changed when I met Bill. He was a high school teacher, a football coach, and an actor who appeared on TV. So I saw him as a pretty cool guy.

When Bill taught us about God and the Bible, he also made it relatable and relevant. He told us about Christians who lived their lives for God. Even now, I remember Bill telling us about Stan Smith (one of the top tennis players at that time) and Dag Hammarskjöld (former Secretary General of the United Nations) who were Christians.

At the time, I never told Bill how much what he taught had an impact on me. But I think Bill was just doing what he felt the Lord was leading him to do.

Over 30 years later, as I was sharing at a prayer gathering of different churches, I saw Bill sitting amongst the people. I was able to share with the people, and with Bill sitting there, how much he had this impact on my life that he probably didn’t even know.

Being faithful and obedient to what the Lord called him to do whether he saw results or not. That’s one thing I learned from Bill. I hope we can all serve God in the same way.​