Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:00]:
Thanks so much. Hey. Great to see you guys. I know it's been a, a full week actually last week with Good Friday and the Easter celebrations on Saturday Sunday. And, we've had a special guest throughout, through the week, Esther Tang, and you're gonna see her, later on. She's gonna actually share a part of her, her story as well, this evening, a little different than if you've been joining us through the week. But I also just wanted to say, thank you to all the our dream teamers that made the last week impossible. You know, like on Saturday night, we have a dinner basically every Saturday.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:00:36]:
It's not that way normally on Sundays. And so on Sundays though, our hospitality team, they knocked it out of the park. You guys brought a lot of food as well. And so, we had, pastor Mitch and and his crew lead the egg hunt. We had musicians, playing through a whole weekend and then playing for the party at the end. And so, kids zone guys were great. There's so many people, so many moving parts, and greeters, and ushers, and all the back planning. But can we just say thanks to all of our our dream teamers? You know, we were praying that, this last weekend that we would more than have a a double of our normal and that's what happened.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:01:16]:
And so, God is faithful and we're really grateful to serve, a faithful God. But, you know, Easter is always a great time of celebration. But, you know, sometimes that, when we draw close that obviously we we have a time to celebrate, we draw close, we we get a chance to be empowered, empowered, we get a chance to be equipped, we get a chance to be inspired. But I what I loved that last week, what we talked about, was was we began this series actually last week was on a faith that works. And it it's because that the same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is alive in us. And so the in a series we wanna just talk about sometimes there's seasons or situations in our life, where it doesn't always feel like that. And how can we how can we experience that in in seasons like that? And, you know, somebody was saying, you know, how they kinda get through hard times is they they say that I I always pull out, my wallet and I I I look at the picture of my girl friend. And and, when I look at that, it it just it gives me courage to move on and say, oh, can I see? And she's and the guy said, oh, yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:23]:
Here she is. And he says, wow. She must be amazing that she gives you that kind of courage to move on no matter how hard it is. He goes, yeah. You know, we've been together 5 years and then I think if I've been together with this psychotic for 5 years, I know I can get through anything. No. I'm sorry. But, now some of you guys don't like this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:02:39]:
Ladies, when you tell a story, just make it a man. I don't really care, but it's a it's a dumb joke. Right? So, but, you know, sometimes we we think that there's things like that, but but I think everybody has areas in their life where that that we we struggle to see the things work, to see things moving. This week, on the heels of the kind of a nice full week, we had a great week. The other day, my, I come home and my my family says, dad, the garage door is broken. And you know what the first thing I'm thinking is, cha ching, cha ching. You know, how how much is this gonna cost me this time? Right? And and then I I go and try to fix it and I'm more I had to head out. I mean, I only was home for, like, 15 minutes and we had to go.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:18]:
I don't have a time to fix it. And I thought, oh, it's the sensor sensor is dead and, you know, the whole thing. And then I just kinda leave it. Right? I I I I just closed the garage, kinda kinda disable the whole thing. But, you know, when I went, I I was thinking like, man, should I call the repair guy because it'll get fixed instantly, but it's the most expensive way. Right? Second thing is the the cheapest way, sometimes I'm gonna order it from Amazon, but I'm gonna be down for a few more days before the part comes. I can go to Lowe's or I could go to Home Depot. I'm figuring to figure it all out.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:03:49]:
Right? And which is the way to to go, but then I need to match, make sure it's the same brand and will they have the whole thing. And and then I actually went back and went out and I looked at it and I kinda jiggled it. And then I noticed, I which I didn't think about, but there was some black tape, that was covering one of the wires. And so I just kept on moving it, and then I saw the light start to flash on the sensor. Right? And then you know what I realized was it's just a bad connection. And you know, sometimes when you got that bad connection that things don't work the way that you think they should work or the way that they ought to work, but when the connection is solid that there is a power that moves outside of ourselves, and a power that is greater than our own power. And when you face tough times, we all need that connection. We all need that power because, frankly, there's times that things that are bigger than us, that we all face them.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:04:46]:
And so no matter where you're at this evening that would you know that that, I think one of the things that we understand is that how you have that greater connection is we wanna have a greater connection with God, but to be honest, there's times you need a greater connection with people. And and I think that when we come to, look at our lives that everybody understands there's every time great things to celebrate, but there's you don't go through life without a bit of pain. Right? A bit of suffering, a bit of difficulty, and it it doesn't matter how old you are, you never outgrow that. And so Jesus talked about that as well. He he told us that in this life, you can have great, great joys. He says that my hope is that your joy would be full. That's why I tell you these things. But he didn't discount the fact that all of us will face trouble.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:05:38]:
And and so, we're gonna read that together and that not only that we'll face trouble, but he has a promise that goes with that. So we're gonna read in John 1633. Would you be kind enough to stand? Let's stand in reverence for God, reverence for His word, and let's read what God's word tells us. Shall we? Ready? Begin. Here on earth, you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart because I have overcome the world. And he doesn't say that, you know, you know, maybe you when you're, you know, in 10 years, you may have a problem. He says, no.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:16]:
You're gonna have problems in life. There's gonna be sorrows and problems in life. And all of us face them in different ways and different we may not have the same problems or the same challenges, but he says that it's a thing that's everybody faces. Sometimes you might look at some people and say, how does that guy get a charmed life? How come that guy's life is so easy? The reality is it's not. The reality is it's not. It may not be your challenge, but he has challenges. It may not be your struggle, but she has struggle too. And and so the promise though, he says is take heart.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:49]:
Let's say this, take heart.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:06:52]:
What does that mean? Have good courage, Right? Have kind of be bolstered. Have have a sense of expectation. Why? Because he says this, I've overcome the world. See, the trouble that you we have is because we live in this world, but Jesus is saying, I'm greater than whatever it is that you're facing in this world. So before you're seated, do me a favor, turn to your neighbor. God wants you to have good courage. Tell your neighbor, God wants you to have good courage. Why? Good courage.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:17]:
Yeah. You can have a can have a seat. Hey. And before we go any further, can we also say, welcome to our online church family as well. Hey, guys. We don't see you. The house is still full, but we'd love to have you again. Come join us, but thank you for joining us online.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:07:32]:
Hey, you know, there's 4 things we wanna take a look at this evening. And I think one of those that begins that that when we just kinda read about is is that you gotta accept that everyone has hardships in life. No one gets a free pass. Right? There's that it's not just no one in terms of outside, but it's also us. And and and we may be facing different things. I know there's some that probably facing a breakup or you're coming off of a divorce or some people that you're you're facing a trouble with a loved one or maybe that you're you're in a in a in a position where, you know, you're stuck in a hard place in a in a job because you you you got one boss that's telling you this thing and another boss that's telling you this and you feel like you're the the piece of meat between 2 dogs on on both ends. Right? Different things that people face. Some of us face financial difficulty.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:16]:
Some of us are facing health issues, but it doesn't matter what your tough time is. Jesus has said that I know you have those things, he says, but take heart I've overcome them. And so how do we experience that? How do you get through that tough time? The first is, is this, don't think it's unusual. Right? Don't think that you're weird. You're not weird when hard times come. To be honest, it's it's a part of life. Now there's hardships in a lot of different ways, but in Acts 14 22, this is what Paul said. He says they encourage them in the faith reminding them that we must suffer what? Many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:08:59]:
Now, you know, there's also a lot of us that, in the last week we we made some renewal commitment to God and there's some that just made a a decision for Jesus. And and so sometimes we think that maybe when we make a fresh decision for Jesus or we we recommit our lives, to God that that everything should go easy, but frankly, what it says here, he says reminding them that we must suffer many hardships. That word hardships might say mean that the the typical word means trouble, affliction, pressure, oppression. Right? And and there is a transition. There is a trouble that happens actually when you give yourself to Jesus. And and and and and you might have thought, I thought when I give my life to Jesus, I have less problems. You you have you do in some sense. Right? You have the first less problem you have is, you know what, that instead of being destined for darkness, destined for judgment, you're destined for heaven.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:09:56]:
Right? That that's a huge difference. Right? Just that alone. Jesus comes, lives inside of you. But when I talk to a number of people who transition to following Jesus fully, that sometimes I look back at my own experience, and I remember the difficulty I had coming to follow Jesus. It was like culture shock. I wasn't raised in the church. I I wasn't I I didn't know how to to live. I was already had so many habits and and things that were ingrained in me that were that was just my normal life that I I started to struggle.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:33]:
1 of the struggles with I had a joy. First, I'll say this. When I accepted the law, I had a joy I never had before. I had a freedom. I experienced a lightness that night. I felt the weight of the world being lifted off I never experienced in my life. And I knew the reality of God. But then this the weird thing is I started feeling guilty about things I never felt guilty before because it just wasn't normal.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:10:58]:
Right? And then I'd be why was that? Because my life was so out of alignment with the will of God, and I was I was sensing this the the challenge of bringing my life in alignment with God, and that presents a hardship, frankly. But this is a this is the good news about that hardship. That hardship was because I was battling my flesh. Right? I was battling my habits. I was battling the the the spiritual enemy on something. I had those that discomfort from those things, but it wasn't because God didn't love me, it was because He did. It wasn't because God wasn't working in my life, it was because he was that I had this now this this urge to battle of against those things that I never would have battled. I just would have gone along with it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:11:48]:
And so if you're experiencing that hardship, know that that's a good trouble that you're experiencing because it's the sign that God is at work in your life. Here's the thing though, that He just doesn't want you to do it on your own power because you and I, we don't have that the fullness of that power to battle that. We'll talk about that a little bit more. Sometimes there's a hardship with promotion that happens. Right? That you guys know what it's like that you you said, hey, I I wanna get to this position. You get to that position, you say, I'm gonna do this right, and then what happens? You go, oh, wasn't as easy as I thought, right? It's the same as it's like it's the same as being a homeowner. How many of you guys wanted to say, I I wanna own a place and then you know what? You realize, hey, my sink broke. I gotta call oh, I gotta call myself.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:12:35]:
I gotta fix my own sink. You know what I mean? There's there's things that happen. You wanted kids and you get kids, and then you realize, oh my gosh. I have this child. What a precious gift. But at 3 o'clock in the morning when they're screaming and crying and you gotta change dirty diapers, it doesn't always feel like that. Right? There's a there's a pain that even happens when God blesses you in promotion. But what is God doing? He's actually growing us on the inside.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:13:01]:
He's trying to grow us as people. He's trying to grow us to become more like Jesus. So there are these things. Right? Now, sometimes there are things though you suffer not because you're getting we suffer, and this is this part where we we don't wanna let the enemy get a hold of this, but sometimes we suffer because you you guys ever make a bonehead decision and you go like, what in the world was I thinking? I just made the trouble myself. You guys know what I'm talking about? Right? So, we've all had that, but how do you then that what about when the trouble is your of your own making? Well, regardless of the trouble, this is the second point, would you start the process of God redeeming your tough time? Start the process of God redeeming your tough time. You see, sometimes that if we don't give it to God, then He cannot start working on it, He cannot start changing it, he cannot start turning things around because the enemy will get you to wallow in that. And so he says it like this, there is a promise that we all ought to remember. Let's say the words Romans 828.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:20]:
Romans 828. That's the address. That's the address. This is the the scripture reference and and some of you have memorized this for a long time, but if you're new, if you're if you're fresh, if you're getting renewed again, then this is something you ought to be reminded of. In Romans 828, it's a great promise of God. And and can we read this together? It says it like this, and we know Let's say know. Know. We know.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:14:45]:
We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. And so this is great news, right, when we submit ourselves to God. This is great news when we seek him and want to follow him. God does something amazing. He starts to redeem. Right? He starts he's he works all things together for the good. Notice it doesn't say he makes bad things good. God doesn't even make a bad thing good.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:15:21]:
Right? Like, if if there is a horror that has happened that that you were you know, somebody got scammed you. I talked to somebody recently who was scammed, out of some hard earned cash. That's not a good thing. Right? How many right? We that's not good to be scammed. Right? So but it's a it's a bad thing, but God says this, I can work all things together for the good. Right? So but but there are some conditions. Notice what it doesn't say. It doesn't say that Right? Why doesn't it say that? Because God loves everybody.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:03]:
Right? God loves everybody. Right? Black, white, brown, yellow, whatever it is in between. Right? Straight, gay, whatever. Yeah. It doesn't matter. Right? Smart, not so smart. Right? Skinny, not so skinny. Right? Whatever.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:18]:
Tall, short. It doesn't matter that God loves everybody because God just loves people. Right? God just loves people. So, you know, it's not like one race is better than the other. It's not one gender is better than the other. God just loves people. But it doesn't say that God works all things together for the good to those people that He loves. It doesn't say that.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:16:39]:
The condition is different. It's it's that for those who love God, it says. Right? It's the opposite. Why? Because God already loves everybody. But He says that when we turn our hearts back to love God, and what else? And we start realizing that we are called according to His purpose, then He starts redeeming our past. It's when we respond to God's love that He begins this. He starts to redeem your past mistakes. Right? Again, it doesn't mean it makes the bad good, but he starts working good even out of the bad.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:17:21]:
I don't know if you guys have ever been in that kind of a place, but I've seen people who who've, made their mistakes and have actually paid the price for that. Right? And we have some friends and and that they you know, before they were believers, you know, they they got into, unfortunately, got in drugs, getting in drugs sometimes leads you to supply your own habit, and so you start dealing drugs. And sometimes when all those things happen, you end up in prison. And I we have some friends that ended up in prison. Right? So I spent some 10 years. We spent all this kind of thing. In prison comes to Jesus, but what happens to those 10 years? What happens to those 10 years that were before? God starts working it out for the good. Even you know one of those ways that I've seen? A lot of times, drug dealers, they're very entrepreneurial.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:18:15]:
And that you know what happens? When instead of instead of trying to do use this skill that you may have, this this ability that God put innately in you, that instead of using it for your own personal profit and the destruction of other people's lives, you start turning it for good. And you start using it maybe to make a living for you or your family, or then these people start using it in ministries. And so we've had friends that have become pastors and people who have become leaders, right? Because why? God starts turning around even those things. If you've been a fighter, then you you know what? God starts turning that fighting spirit, turning around to that we fight against the enemy, right? We don't fight against flesh and blood. We fight against the principalities and powers and spiritual forces of wickedness. That God turns things around. I've seen people who've walked with sickness, whether it's them personally or or with family members, come out with a faith and a grace that now as a result, when they see others go through the same thing, that they don't let them walk through that alone. Right? That they come alongside.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:19:30]:
Right? That's one of the things I learned early on. I I went through that as a young believer. When I felt overwhelmed because my brother had cancer. I felt overwhelmed because I was going through a breakup. I felt overwhelmed because I didn't know what it meant to be a Christian. But I received a grace. God began to say, you know, Glenn, all those things that you were involved in, you know, I'm I'm gonna work those things for the good. Here's the thing though, I don't always know how.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:01]:
I didn't know how. I just heard the promise. Sometimes God doesn't tell you how, but He does say this. This is what's gonna happen. I'm gonna comfort you and you're gonna use that comfort to comfort other people. Right? That's what it says in 2nd Corinthians 1:4. He says, he comforts us in what? All our troubles. Did he say some of your troubles? No.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:22]:
So it's the trouble as long as you didn't create your own trouble. No, it doesn't say that. It says all your trouble, trouble, whether you created it or someone gave it to you, someone took advantage of you, whatever it is. It's just a hard situation. He says God comforts us in all our troubles. Why? So we can comfort others. How? With the same comfort God gave us. Right? I didn't deserve it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:20:45]:
I didn't earn it. There's things I created for myself, but I started to do that. And I've had the capacity to come alongside people at times in difficulty because I've experienced God's comfort in my difficulty. Now, there are some things though that when you face that you you ought to change. Right? The the the scripture says this. I don't think it's in your notes, but Proverbs 223 says this, A prudent person or a wise person sees danger coming and takes precautions. He says, But the simple people will go blindly and suffer the consequences. So there's some things that you should see, it's like, if I go down this road, this is bad news, right? And we ought to change the road.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:21:32]:
Let let's just say God allows U turns, right? Aren't you God? God allows U turns, right? We can change the road that we're on. And and somebody said this that it's it's sometimes life is like I was walking down the road, there's a hole in the road, I fell in the hole, and I was there a long time. Then I got up and I got out. Right? And then I kept walking down the road and there was a hole in the road and I fell in the hole. And after a long time, it took me to get out. And a lot of times, this is the Christian life. And then there was a, I was walking down the road and there was a hole in the road, and I saw the hole this time, and I still fill in the hole. And then after a while, I got up and I started walking.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:22:17]:
Within this time, I was walking down the road. I saw a hole in the road, and I changed the road. Sometimes you don't do it on the first pass. You don't here here's the thing that but when you do see it, you do your best to avoid it. Right? But but there are some things that, to be honest, we can avoid. Right? You know what you couldn't have avoided? None of us could have avoided living in a season where we all went through COVID. No matter who you were, you couldn't avoid that. Right? You guess what? You couldn't avoid that having a financial season where hamburger costs more today than than than it's ever cost probably in in our lifetime.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:09]:
Right? That you go like this. So it's like, if you had a hamburger stand and your your cost now is, like, double what it used to, you just you just can't avoid that. Right? And and so there's some things you can avoid, but this is God's promise. I'm gonna work all things together for the good. Right? Is inflation good? No. It's not good. Not crazy inflation like we've been going through. It's not good.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:36]:
But he says, I can work good even in crazy inflation. Was COVID good? No. COVID wasn't good. But God says, I could still work good out of COVID. I could still work How does that happen? Well, in Mark chapter 4, Jesus is talking and He tells this story. He says this. He he said, this is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scattered seed on the ground.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:23:59]:
Night and day whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. Let's say those words. I don't know how. I don't know how. Yeah. All by itself, it seems, the soil produces grain. Now, if the man is sowing seed, what happens when the guy sows the seed on the ground? It gets dirt. Right? Dirt gets on it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:22]:
Right? And then then it rains and what happens? Then the seed gets wet and and over time it gets covered by other dirt. And so what happens is the seed is is wet and dirty and dark. Now consider this, if you're the seed if you're the seed, is that like fun times? Probably not. Like, you're all wet and sticky and dirty and it's dark. What is your what is your tendencies? I I wanna see daylight. I wanna get cleaned off. I I I wanna dry off. Right? But what happens? You would yeah.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:24:54]:
You wouldn't grow. Sometimes sometimes, in order to grow, you gotta let the dirt and the water and the pressure do its work. So how does God go? Sometimes, I don't know how. I just know who. I know God says this. I work all things together for the good, even when it seems I'm just dirty, even when it seems I'm all wet, even when it seems I'm stuck in a hole. But what's happening? Something's happening. But what's happening? The seed is transforming into a plant.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:25:37]:
Transformation doesn't always happen neat and clean and and shiny. Sometimes it looks hard. Right? But this is when you don't know how, make sure that you know who. You tell your neighbor that. You don't know how. When you don't know how, you can still know who. I see. Because God's changing you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:01]:
Right? You might not know when, but you know that He will. But you gotta keep yourself in the word of God. You gotta keep holding on to His promises. You gotta keep renewing your mind. You gotta keep drawing together to a place of encouragement Because know this, that God is gonna bring out good from your circumstances. Why? Because that's His promise. When? And His time. Right? Sometimes you know the timing, sometimes you don't know the timing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:26:32]:
Right? But you'll testify of his goodness. You'll testify of his grace. Right? You'll that you're still loved. You'll testify that when you are most scared, when you thought you'd never make it, you're that you made it. You know, but there's times that you gotta recognize that in those moments that, hey, you know, when even though we don't know how, even though we don't know when, even though we don't know what's gonna happen, that we start this process by what? By by loving God, by holding on to His promises and letting Him accomplish His purposes in us. But then there's sometimes that, okay, if we can avoid the whole, avoid the whole, but sometimes you can't, we said. Right? So what do you gotta do? This is the the the next thing is you gotta recognize there's times to embrace your difficulty. And it feels weird to do that for some of us.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:23]:
Right? Because you wanna avoid your difficulty. Right? You just if you're the seed, what you wanna wash off the dirt. You wanna you wanna dry off. You wanna you wanna be in the sun, whatever the case. But but here's the thing, that there's times that all of us, we we try to run and God says, No. God changed the circumstances and God says no. Paul experienced that. Even the best of us get this.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:27:48]:
It says this, that Paul when he was an apostle, Paul after he had been preaching, after he had planted churches, Paul after he had had visions of God, after he's been brought up to heaven, all of these things, he says, 3 times I begged the Lord to take it away. But He said to me, my grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness. You know, what does it mean that that Paul begged to to take it away? You know, that most commentators, we don't really know, it's not real specific. But they they do theorize that it's it was some kind of a physical affliction. Paul had many different afflictions. He he had been beaten. He had been stoned, not the fun kind.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:28:32]:
Right? He'd been shipwrecked. Right? And we know that he had vision problems later because he he says later that, you know, you can see which I I signed my name at the end, but you can tell because it's with the large letters because, you know, so and all this is before glasses. Right? So that he he may have had a he may have had a limp. Right? If you had been having rocks thrown at you, maybe maybe you tore a ligament somewhere. Right? Maybe you you got some dislocated joints. So all of these things, we don't know. But Paul is saying this, God, would you take it away? But what was God's answer? No. But my grace I'm giving you something in return though.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:15]:
When you have a problem, God says this, He has a special grace for that problem. When you have a challenge, He says this, there's a special grace for that challenge. Do me a favor. Turn to your neighbor and say, You have a special grace for what you're facing. What does that mean? I don't always know, but I just know that you have it. Because that's what he said. Paul said that God told him, he says no, no. My power works best, he says, in weakness.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:29:42]:
So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses so that the power of Christ can work through me. He said, that's why I take pleasure in my weaknesses. So what's Paul prayer? First prayer is, God, take it away. God said, no. I gave you a grace. Work in that. Instead, He says these things. Right? So we can experience God's grace to sustain us in various ways.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:09]:
You know, one of the ways that Paul sustained that that he experienced it is that when he couldn't see, God brought him a secretary. They call it an amanuensis. That's a guy who who would write. Paul would dictate his letters and that because he couldn't see, you know, he would write crooked. You know, he'd be writing his logic. You can't write, you know, like too much too many animal skins for that to happen. So there's a guy, he he wrote for him. But if he skins for that to happen.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:30:36]:
So there's a guy. He he wrote for him. But if he didn't have it, you know what? He wouldn't have had a secretary. It wouldn't have multiplied his ability. You know, I mentioned that, when I got saved, I was caring for my my brother, but a number of years ago, when my dad got sick, we were caring for my dad. And we believed in healing and we'd seen healing, right? I'd seen many people get healed, right? We've seen God do amazing things. But when I prayed for my dad, it didn't happen. But, you know, what did happen is I still had we still had the church to pastor, we still had all these things, but but God brought friends that came alongside.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:31:19]:
And there were times that even though I'm staying at my dad's house and taking care of my dad and maybe coming home once or twice a week and and and getting ready for the weekend and getting, you know, meeting with staff that those kind of days, but but people came alongside that I would never have allowed that unless it was beyond me. Some of us, to be honest, you won't allow people to help you. You won't receive the blessing of God till you need to receive the blessing of God. And so sometimes we have to be aware that the the blessing of God sometimes we think it's when God takes it away and sometimes He does, but sometimes the reality is He says, I want you to go through it. How? Because I'll give you a special grace. We've all probably heard the saying that what doesn't kill you make you stronger. You guys ever heard that? I heard some comedians say, well, what doesn't make you kill what doesn't kill you just makes you weaker. Right? And he's like, Oh, you got to like and he's making all these jokes about it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:32:21]:
But but sometimes that's true, right, that here's the thing. So he says, except except the Bible says that when you go through overwhelming things and you aren't strong enough to handle it, God wants you get to get to the place where you're depending on His power, not on your power. Right? He says, when you do that, when you start depending on His power and not your power, then it's at that point that that you realize it's not you. It's it's God getting through you. Now, some people, you get embarrassed to confess your weakness because you think that God wants you to be strong. Strong and and, you know, you can be strong. Yeah. Be be strong in the Lord.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:03]:
Sure. But but somebody said this. A pastor said this that that when he had a firefighter in his his church and somebody told that, that guy from his church who was a fireman, he says, only weak people only weak people need Jesus. Right? Only weak people feel like they need God. But you know, that's kinda crazy. That's a crazy thought, especially coming from a firefighter. Why is that? Because probably most of us you have like a fire hydrant somewhere near outside your house or if you're in a building that there's some kind of a hookup for that water thing, right? But when you look at that fire hydrant or you you look at that pipe that's in your building that that when you walk by it or drive by it, you don't say, oh, man. Like, I I cannot fight fires.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:33:54]:
I'm weak. And you don't see that as a negative, do you? Right? Because you don't have to fight every fire. What if you had to fight every fire? You don't have that ability. I'm I'm I don't have that ability. I don't know how to do it. Right? I could put out a little thing, right, but I can't like somebody's house on fire, I can't put that out. So imagine if somebody's house was on fire and it's raging and it's out of control and the fire truck comes up and the person runs out and they're mad and he says, how dare you call us? And then like, no. That's the very reason.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:34:31]:
Dick's laughing because he was a fireman. Right? Like, that that he said, this is the reason why we're here. Your house burns down when you don't call. Right? If you don't admit there are things that are bigger than you, that's when you pay the biggest price. Right? But when you call, the sooner you call, right, the sooner helps arrives. And we admire firefight as well because they run-in when everybody else is running away. Christians, we can be weak in that sense because we realize sometimes we face fires that will burn us and consume us. So we ask God, God, I need Your help because this is bigger than me.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:22]:
And this is what He says. He says, I'll have a grace for you. I'll have a grace for you. Right? And so when you're in that kind of a place, don't feel bad that you call out to God. Don't feel bad that you cry out to Him. Even the best of us cry out to God. In fact, you're called to pour out your heart before God. Psalms tells us, pour out your heart before God like water.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:35:48]:
Right? But but who else who else did this? Jesus did. If Jesus did, oh my gosh. How can I not do it? Right? It says it like this in Hebrews 5, 7, and 8. Let's read what it says. While Jesus was here on earth, He offered prayers and pleadings with loud cry and tears to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God. And even though Jesus was God's son, He learned obedience from the things He suffered. You know what? Jesus was the perfect son of God.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:36:30]:
He had no sin. He had no bad habits that he was getting over. But God was wanted to grow him. How? He cry loud cries and pleadings and obedience. And if Jesus needs that, needed that to grow, how much more you and me? Right? How much more you and me? Because when God's growing us, it doesn't always feel nice, but it is good. It doesn't always feel wonderful, but wonderful things result. Tough times create tough and resilient people. Easy times create soft people.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:37:18]:
God is growing sons and daughters to be people of faith and grace and love and power, but you don't grow just by soft times. Sometimes God has to bring you through the storm. There are times I've known that God is good and God is faithful, but I didn't know if I was strong enough to make it. You guys ever been in that place? God, I don't know if I can make it. You know, there's been times that I I remember as a young believer just so overwhelmed by all the changes in my life. It was good. You know, it was good, but it was just so different. And and I knew God was good, but I just didn't know if I had the ability to hold on.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:38:09]:
And I remember at my weakest point and I don't really I don't know if this is normal. I just and I don't really talk about it in a message much, but it's like, I just remember saying that, God, I don't know if I can make it. I don't wanna turn back to the world, but I I just feel like I'm I'm I can't do it. And I remember distinctly, I can picture it right now, in my bedroom, on my knees, crying out to God like that. And you know what I sense? It's like God entered the room and I felt an embrace. All I can say is I just felt like an embrace from heaven, like God came and hugged me. I I it's a weird I don't know how to explain it beside that. And and I felt a grace and a mercy that he had for me because I couldn't do it.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:10]:
This is what God was doing. Let me give you the power to do it because I can't do it. God wants to give you that power, but you gotta call out to him. Right? So he says, right, it's the ones who love God and then are called according to His purpose. Then he starts working all those things around. It wasn't my strength, but it's been God's strength. And, you know, finally, this is the last point, find camaraderie in the midst of your difficulty. Find camaraderie in the midst of your difficulty.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:39:46]:
Paul the apostle wrote this in his final letter. He said this in in second Timothy 2:3. Can we read this together? Let's read. Ready? Begin. Endure suffering means suffer together with someone. That's what he means suffer together with someone. That's what he's saying. Suffer.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:12]:
He uses this word that says, Suffer together with someone. And then he says who it is. He says, Me. And so he's saying, Don't suffer alone. Don't suffer alone. Move toward God, obviously, but move toward people. You are not designed to go through all the things that you go through in life alone. Somehow, whatever the hardship, whatever the whatever the difficulty, don't let it make you bitter.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:40:40]:
Let it make you better. How? Because you gotta you gotta get together with other people. And if you're not careful, if you just isolate in the middle of those things, you make uncomfortable situation like that again. And if you start saying those things, you start getting hardened in those positions. You don't realize it, but you start getting trapped by those vows and those promises and you find yourself stuck in unhealthy situations. But when you share it when you share it, what you find is that you gain a strength, although you might not see it right at the moment. I I I mean it like this. Last week, we celebrated the resurrection.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:41:27]:
Right? Yes. Now before the the resurrection happened, obviously you don't get a resurrection without a death first. Something has to die before it's resurrected. So Friday, Jesus dies on the cross, right? 3 o'clock, he says, boom, dies. Darkness falls on the land, the veil is torn into, the temple is open, but his followers are devastated because they never saw it coming. Right? They didn't understand. The devil never saw it coming. The reason why the disciples you guys ever think that, oh, the disciples are stupid.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:01]:
Right? How can they never saw it? We see Jesus talking about it. But the Lord actually hardened their heart to not see it. You know why? Because if all the disciples, oh, Jesus, he got die. Well, then the devil would never have wanted that to happen. Right? So He had to do that, but but they were discouraged. They were they were devastated. But on the morning of the resurrection, on Sunday morning, right, we see 3 instances in Luke 24. We see 3 instances where Jesus appears to people, the most devastated people that there are.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:42:39]:
The first was the 3 women who went to the tomb, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome and and Salome. And they're going to the empty tomb to anoint Jesus's body, and they encounter that the the tomb has been, the stone had been rolled away, the tomb was empty, and they encounter Jesus. Guess what? The 3 women were not alone. They went to the tomb together. It's not like one said, Mary Magdalene, then he said, you know, Mary, you don't know my pain. My pain is different from your pain. Like Salome, you didn't know Jesus. I knew Jesus.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:43:25]:
Nobody they don't say that. They're together, and they they come. What else is the next thing you see? We see 2 disciples on the road to Emmaus going in the opposite direction that they're called to go. One is Cleopas and the other one, we don't know his name because they don't say. Right? But but guess what? They're together and they encounter Jesus on the road. By the end of the chapter, when those 2 come to the disciples and they start telling the story about how when they broke bread that their eyes were opened and they saw it was Jesus. It says, at that moment when they tell that story, Jesus shows up in the middle of who? All the disciples. You see, none of the disciples lost it except Judas who betrayed him.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:44:21]:
Why? Because they all stuck together. Because the women stuck together. Because Cleopas and his friends stuck together. Even though they were all suffering, they didn't suffer alone, so they could make it, right, and find that there is a camaraderie. And Paul is saying this, you know, I know there's hardship, but let's go through this hardship together. Right? Let's do it together. And when you do it together, you have your pains and you multiply your joys. So if you wanna be able to get through the tough times, yeah, you know what? Don't let the devil beat you up because maybe maybe some of this was self inflicted.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:02]:
You know what? Let God turn it around. Right? Except it's part of life. It's part of life. And and then you realize, hey, that when I start seeking him, when I start loving God back, I start walking in my calling, and you feel you can't do it, there is a grace. There is a grace, but sometimes you just need people around. Amen? Make sense? I want you guys to hear how someone who's been facing probably, you know, not to compare not to compare, but had been facing a situation that wasn't their choosing. It wasn't under her control. It was beyond anything that anybody could foresee, but but she's still standing.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:45:56]:
Doesn't mean that she is always happy about everything that happens. But we have a special guest since a lot of you guys know that Esther Tang, who's been, one of our great partners in Myanmar, who is the academic dean at, dean at, Pac Pacific Rim Bible College in Yangon. She's the academic dean there. She helps to, run a orphanage. They have a New Hope, Yangon Church that her dad is the pastor at and she's on staff there as well. But she's been here basically all week. And would you do me a favor? Can you give a warm New Hope Kapolei welcome to Esther Tang? We either wanted her to come up and share her story. Because if you are not aware that the this nation of Myanmar has been COVID hit, it was horrible, and inflation and and all these kinds of things happened.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:01]:
Just like it happened here, it happened there as well. There was the the effects of COVID was much worse there than here. Part of it is they didn't have vaccines. They didn't have medications like we got here. But the other thing is just genetically, Southeast Asians, they found have a greater proclivity to succumb to COVID. And so there is a lot more of that that was happening. And in the in the midst of that, there was a, a junta that happened and and, like, fire on top of, you know, the the broken gas tank. And, and the country has been mired in war.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [00:47:41]:
And she's still standing. And she won't toot her own horn, but she can tell you her story. And so, let's just let Esther share part of her story. How, Esther, are you able to stand in the middle of a of a war torn country that oppresses Christians, that, has taken away all of the rights, How do you stand? And basically, that's what I'm gonna let's let Esther take part of our story.

Congregation [00:48:14]:
First of all, thank you so much for having me tonight. It is such an honor and pleasure, to be sharing about what I'm what I or we have been going through in our Lord is faithful in every minute and every manner of my life and the country. Well, you already have aware what our country's like today, and I'm sure some of you already heard about, the the presentation that I've been sharing this week. And also pastor Glenn has already mentioned a little bit about it. So the courage to hold on to in time like this, I would have to share how the lord has brought us through during the COVID pandemic. So our family lives in a school campus where there are more than 35 people, including orphaned children and bible student. It all started the day when my parents began to unfill well in June 2021. So we thought it was just, you know, a normal flu that usually happen in monsoon season.

Congregation [00:49:31]:
So but after the next, the next a few days later, we found out that everybody in the campus are already sickened, except me and my cousin's sister. So we took care of them, and I went to the pharmacy to get some medications. Then I saw a queue of crowd lining up to buy this prescription. So after several hours of standing in line, they give us very small amount of medication since everybody was buying it. So consequently, all the clinic and hospital are shut down, and there were no physicians to see. So at the same time, no one on the canvas was getting better. Well, 35 more than 35. Literally, there was no one I could lean on to outside our campus as they are being scared of infections.

Congregation [00:50:29]:
So I began to feel began to feel the frustrations in it. Can't get the medications, and no one's there to get food for us since I couldn't get off of the go out the campus. And even my cousin, I still remember her dropping off the food on the doorway and she would call me, hey, Esther. The food is at the doorway. Just pick it up. And I went there, but she was already gone. So that was a time like that. On the 2nd week, as my parent continued to worse, one of my former steward my one of my former students who live with us died from both COVID and his illness.

Congregation [00:51:17]:
The elder from the ward wanted to burn down our place, and it was the place where he stay because they thought he died from COVID. So I was in a panic. I couldn't talk to my parents because they are in, not a good shape. I was completely in despair that I don't know what to do. And, thankfully, one of our staff and Joseph, they got well they got a little bit better. So, I discussed with them and, we managed to get a letter from Christian doctor, stating that he died from his own disease, not from COVID. So close relative friends from, NGO help us to get him buried, but I, I couldn't let my parent knows because, he was pretty close to my parents that if they found out, I'm sure you are know you are well aware of the symptom of COVID. If the people get discouraged, it can easily affect it to die.

Congregation [00:52:28]:
So after about a month, some of the children and student have covered somewhat, but I asked them not to leave the room the room as they were so weak. My parents, however, had to continue each day with oxygen treatment. The condition was getting worse until they couldn't move themselves. I have to lift them up, both of them, and lie have have them lie down and have them get up from bed and go into the bathroom even they couldn't do that. It was during the time when no physicians are allowed to see any patient, limited medications, hard to find oxygen. Even if you have a positive money, couldn't buy some. As the as the military took control of every situation, every stat stations and factories, and the entire city was infected. I still remember our street was so quiet.

Congregation [00:53:36]:
No one would go out. I still remember vividly the day my dad was struggling to breathe after the last oxygen cylinder was empty. Very early that morning, I asked a guy to go stand in line to refill the oxygens. He came back home around 6 PM saying that they ran out of oxygen. There was no more oxygen. Thinking, how could we possibly get through the night? My dad kept asking for oxygen while my mom was struggling breathing. I would I was devastating kneeling on my knees, closed the door. Lord, whatever that happened, it's your will.

Congregation [00:54:31]:
And if it's your will to have them return to you, then let it be. Let it be your will. So that's what I pray. After a couple hour later, I received a call from a friend who offered to us let us use a cylinder of oxygen for the night as it was it wasn't urgent for his father. So while I was on the phone, I couldn't help but my tears thanking God for his faithfulness in our time of need. Last but not least, I was there all by myself taking care of my parents, children, students, finding medications, nursing, all of them. Since there were no physicians are available, and oxygen making food, doing the house chores, I rarely had more than 3 hours sleep each day for 3 months. It was the darkest and toughest season of my life.

Congregation [00:55:40]:
The memory is so fresh and it's chill me until today. Whenever I think about it, oh, it's let's just stop let's just stop talking about it. How did I make it through? There is only one source where I gained strength and power from. It is through the power of God that give me strength to overcome whatever comes my way. We thought it couldn't get worse, but we were wrong. The pandemic wasn't worse enough for our country. People across the earth country lives in fear every day calling for safety, justice, stability and peace since the military seized the seized, the power from our elected leader in a coup on February 1st, 2021. The country is grappling with extreme violence political crisis.

Congregation [00:56:39]:
Since the coup, we have lived knowing that our lives is constantly under threat as we can be arrested, accused, executed at any time or any place. 1000 of village across my country has been burned down by the Huanta on allegation of supporting people defense group, which engaged in counter attack against military since the coup. The military waged a terror campaign, including burning, beheading, mutilation, torching village and through a massive aerial bombing and camping that has been displaced near nearly 3,000,000 people. Since the coup, military has no reserve until that can be called up to its overstretching operations, which led to major loss. So this situation actually caused the Huanta to announce the implement the implementations of conscript law that all men between 18 to 35, all women 18 to 27 will have to serve 2 to 5 years in the military. 1 young man said, I would rather flee than being trained to kill my own people. For recently, a group of young young guys, 19 of them were being snatched at their home for the recruitment without any warning. After incident happened in our neighborhood.

Congregation [00:58:14]:
There was 3 time explosion and gunfire. The last that was on Good Friday. I still remember that, I was talking to Tim and texting him. And all of a sudden, at the night, we heard this explosion for 3 times really close by. So I, well, I was in the house and, some of our families gathering and talking story about what we are going to do. And all of a sudden, we hear this explosion. Half of half of us just, you know, ran out of the house and ran down to the building of the school, and they would just, like, lying on the floor. I said, what are you go what are you doing? They were like, well, we don't know what to do, so we just, you know, trying to escape.

Congregation [00:59:07]:
And I was like, no, it's not gonna happen in our house. But that's how we live in every day of our lives. The environment has led to disconnect for a youth, young adult with littles with so little hope. And many of young are seeking to escape to Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, and anywhere but Myanmar. The military who is supposed to protect us has become the driver of violence and stability economy decline and lawlessness in the country. The sacrifice has been immense. I often come to think, how long is long enough to get through this darkness? Who would hear of our pain and agony? Who to hope for rescue? What does the world do to possibly help us? I doubt if the world cannot to make or do anything to help our country. The situation seems to be a never end a never ending nightmare.

Congregation [01:00:24]:
We are out of sight, out of mind, forgotten, and are fearful of what to expect next. I'm sure those are the same thoughts that all the people in Myanmar share every day. Looking back now, I can see God was preparing me during COVID to be stronger enough in order for me to be able to endure the current situation. It may seem complete and hopeless for many day for many, and yet for us, those who hope the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagle. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not be faint. It is some sort it's not some sort of a problem from the book.

Congregation [01:01:20]:
It is a promises from the Lord. And that will hope that will uphold us and God keep all his promises. That's where I find my hope. It rises from the lord, not from any person or circumstances. His love, his strength, new every morning. I go to bed, wake up in the morning, remembering there is a pattern things that God is preparing for us. He will not give up, but put trust in Him and He will also allow us to see and feel the hope He has for us through you and your love and your kindness whom I call a family of God. Well, in Romans chapter 8 verse 24 to 27, I'm gonna read it through.

Congregation [01:02:11]:
For in this hope, we are saved, but hope that is seen is not hope at all. Who hope for what they have or what they already have. But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the spirit help us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the spirit himself intercede for us through wordless groan. And he who searched our heart knows the mind of the spirit, but the spirit intercede for God's people in accordance with the will of God. Families and friends here, I don't know what you are going through at the moment. I'm not assuming to say that our problem is bigger than yours.

Congregation [01:03:06]:
We all have our own trouble. But God is faithful that he will never allow us to be tempted more than what we can bear. And he will also provide a way to endure it. I really like what we just, learned from passage. With somebody. Can you repeat that to proceed something? The number 2 points. It's freaking sorry. Start the process of redeeming your tough time.

Congregation [01:03:44]:
I was so touched by that. Well, yes. Start the process of God redeeming your tough time. God redeeming my COVID tough time to be stronger and to be able to resist in a time like this in my country. So I would like to end what Pastor Wang has shared a couple of weeks ago. I know you didn't you don't have the apple and seed. It's okay. I forgive you.

Congregation [01:04:13]:
Just kidding. Actually, the message was intended differently, yet the holy spirit has revealed to me that I, let's pretend like I'm holding apple and the seed. So it's easy to count and see what I'm holding 1 apple. I'm sure you see the apple on my hands.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:04:40]:
We'll have an apple tomorrow. Yes.

Congregation [01:04:43]:
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. However, we'll not we will never be able to imagine how many apple could make out of that c. Well, I If I ask one of you which one you will prefer, most of us will prefer the prefer the apple, not the seed. We want the apple. We can eat instantly. Right? But we would never be able to imagine what the sea can provide in the future.

Congregation [01:05:19]:
But it takes time. So, likewise, we will never be able to imagine what God is going to do and the many great things God is working out throughout our troubles. There is only one thing we got to do is to fix our eyes to where God is leading us. So let us continue to keep our hopes up in the Lord. And that one day, we will see God has what God has in store as he work out his greater plan for his people to see his glory. Thank you so much. Make make uplift all of you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:06:09]:
You know, in some ways, it's a little amazing for her to be here, to get the visa to come during the craziness of what's going on in that country at the moment. But I think the most amazing thing to me is not that Esther has come, the most amazing thing is that she's going back. In a season where we're talking in politics about millions of people coming across the border, trying to come in because they just want a better life. They wanna make some money and have a better life. There's we don't fault them for that. But I think the aspect is what possesses someone who could easily melt into the landscape, especially in Hawaii, and be unrecognizable as coming from overseas, say, I can leave this and return, it's only the people who love God and are called according to their purpose. And so if you want God to redeem, you know, in some sense, we look at Esther. Don't think of Esther as a superwoman because if under her shirt there's no s, right, there there's h s, I guess, the Holy Spirit, but it's the same spirit in you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:07:45]:
And let God do His work. Just as He's done in Esther, let Him do His work in you. But we have to sometimes go through the tough time. And in those moments, you when you don't know when and you don't know how, at least you know who and you know that he will. Amen? Let's bow our heads. We'll close in order prayer. Father, we come and we see one another. Lord, we will shake each other's hands and hug one another and embrace.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:08:18]:
In a little while, we're probably gonna eat, but, Lord, it doesn't always mean that we know all the troubles that each and every one of us may be facing. But, father, we're thankful you do. And, father, we're thankful that you're able to redeem the deepest and the most painful things in our life, lord, when we love you and we start walking according to the calling that you have for us. We're thankful that, Lord, we're not calling bad things good. We're just thankful you have a capacity to weave them together to make something good. So, father, I'm asking right now for friends in this room and ask you that that right now, maybe today, you you've understood that, hey. Some of those struggles, it doesn't matter if it was you who caused it. It doesn't matter if it was thrust on you.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:09:17]:
Would you just say, God, I'm gonna trust you through all this? God, I'm gonna I don't know how, this this fact I'm in this period of darkness, but I'm gonna let the darkness do its work. Because God I know you're growing something and God would you grow that in me today? Would you make me stronger today? Would you change me and transform me today? Lord, we're thankful that there's a grace right now that's sufficient for our brothers and sisters. Father, we're praying though that no one suffers alone like the disciples, like the ladies, or like those on the road, God, it was the fact that they found camaraderie in the midst of their suffering that allowed them to get through that season. So father, I pray there would be greater connection among people and even those who are at home. Lord, I I pray that you would call them from from just kind of a place where no one sees and let them have a boldness to share their life with others. And, father, what they'll find is they're not the only one. Would you have your covering over your people today? Thank you for your promises. Thank you for the example, Lord.

Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi [01:10:36]:
If it works in a war torn, COVID ravaged nation that has a collapsing government, Father, we're thankful that you can work here in us and in our situation. We pray these things in Jesus name. God's people say amen. Amen. God bless you guys.