Sonny Kanoho [00:00:00]:
Yeshua. That's the Hebrew name for Jesus. It means salvation. Yahweh is salvation. So in English, we call Him Jesus. In Greek, they call him Iyesos. And in Hawaiian, we call him what? Iesu Christo. So today I'm going to be speaking about, you know, this.

Sonny Kanoho [00:00:18]:
Let me introduce you one more time. I'm Brother Sonny and I'm here at New Hope Kapolei, and I'm doing day 19 of the 21 Days of Prayer. And the senior pastor is Pastor Glenn Yamaguchi. And don't forget to text your prayer request as well as your Prayer reports to 808-793-5655. That's 808-793-5655. So this evening I chose, you know, it's a privilege just to come up here and just to speak about Jesus Christ. You know, there's nothing that I could never do that God has not already done and continue to do in my life and my family's life. So it's a privilege to just come over here and, you know, I've been speaking for a while, so if I had said anything in my words or my deeds or my actions, I apologize, you know, because sometimes we get zealous for the Lord and we just go, give it to youo.

Sonny Kanoho [00:01:11]:
But some of us, you know, I have to use it with the love and compassion. But the word I give to you and I share with you is something that I want to encourage you because in the times that we are living in, you need the true word of God. Can I get an amen? That should mean you're agreeing with me. So my topic for tonight, I choose Choose Joy. And the reason why I chose Choose Joy is that me and my wife were talking at home. And, you know, that was one of her sayings or monikers, Choose Joy. But we experience joy every day. Do we? Hopefully we do.

Sonny Kanoho [00:01:48]:
And by tonight at the end, you have to experience joy. Well, let's go. Joy can be just an emotion. And I'll give you a good example. A couple weeks ago, Friday, I guess the Blue Angels came to do a demonstration event at the Cornea Marine Corps Base. And I guess I told my family and they wanted to go. And I said, I never let go. The reason why I never let go, because I used to run that event with the police department.

Sonny Kanoho [00:02:19]:
I went to all the meetings, I did all the planning. I went to every single show that I could know the show. But redeeming that, I have a grandson, my wife said, you better take your grandson and then I said, okay, who wants to go? So my son and my daughter and my grandson and myself, my wife couldn't get off. We went to the Blue Angels. And the other Blue Angels show is. It's amazing. It's amazing. But for me, the amazing thing is that F22 Raptor, that thing is unreal.

Sonny Kanoho [00:02:52]:
How much power, how the nation that we live in called the United States of America is so powerful. How they can put so much intricate fine tuning equipment. And he's. And that, that pilot was just doing some amazing stunts and tricks. So I said, okay, we went. So we got over there, my son and my daughter and Sonny and I guess it was kind of loud. I told him they had to bring two things. I said, go be hot and go be loud.

Sonny Kanoho [00:03:19]:
And I said, it's not just the loud, it's the concussion that you can feel from the engines. So, so we went. And then my grandson had his earphones and he was getting overwhelmed by the sounds. So I said, give Sonny to Sonny. I know Sonny will hold Sonny. And I held my grandson. And then I watched my son and I watched my daughter in law who never been to an event like that, enjoy the show. And I saw pure joy in their face.

Sonny Kanoho [00:03:49]:
They experienced joy. My son, he was like one little kid going over there, getting all excited. He said, oh, Dad, I can feel him. I said, what is that? You like to play sports? He said, yeah, it's the adrenaline of God, the joy in you. But what I chose joy. This joy choose is found in the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah, chapter 8, verse 10. And if you go to my first screen, it says right there, the one Nehemiah, 8, 10, it said.

Sonny Kanoho [00:04:16]:
Then he said to them, go your way. Eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions to those whom nothing is prepared for. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength. And then I got there, I can read verses nine and eleven. That was verse ten. So verse nine it goes. And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra, the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, this day is holy to the Lord your God.

Sonny Kanoho [00:04:48]:
Do not mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the word of the laws. And like I read 10, I will read 11. So 11 reads, so the Levites quieted all the people saying, be still for the day is holy. Do not be grieved. Interesting story. Very interesting story. So why did I choose this? Choose joy.

Sonny Kanoho [00:05:09]:
You Got to remember the captivity in the Israelites. They were held captive, and it was due to the disobedience and failure to keep God's command. God exiled him to another land which was occupied by the Babylonians. So they were held captive by the Babylonians for their disobedience and for their. If you look at failure to keep God's commandments, but God has something in store for them. And when you read that, the whole thing is going to be talking about the return and rebuilding. So after many years of captivity, some of them were let go and some of them let go. So Nehemiah led them.

Sonny Kanoho [00:05:56]:
And the first thing, when they got back as a nation, they wanted to rebuild the walls. And the reason why they wanted to build the walls, because they understood that they don't want to be overrun again and taken captive or taking prisoner. So they had to build the walls. But we know that those walls that was built before in Jerusalem, they built the walls like Jericho. Those walls were humongous, that you could ride chariots. On the top of the top of the wall, they had chariots. So that's how big and thick. But the walls that they built over here was not as thick and not as impressive.

Sonny Kanoho [00:06:32]:
They didn't do what they could do like they did back then. So you got to remember when they came back, Nehemiah led them to rebuilding the wall. It wasn't high or thick and massive and impressive as it's once been, so it was less impressive. But then if they look at the other cities that were part of the enemies of Israel, their walls were solid. But the people, you got to remember back then, had many detractors trying to stop what Nehemiah was trying to do. And then the next one is called Renewed focus. In Nehemiah 8, it's a significant moment when the people had rebuilt the physical structure of the city, which is the wall. Then they turned their attention to rebuilding their relationship with God through his walls.

Sonny Kanoho [00:07:21]:
That's what they did. So after they built the city walls, they said, hey, now we took care of the physical, now we're going to get back into the physical. So the next step was to rebuild the people by teaching them the law of God that had been neglected for many of years. That's why they were exiled and held captive. So Ezra, which is the chief priest, he read the book of the law to the people. And when he read that law, the people were convicted. Their ignorance and disobedience. So the thing is that that word caught their ear.

Sonny Kanoho [00:07:57]:
And the reason why it Caught their ear because I bet you they experienced so much pain and suffering that once they heard a word of God, they needed hope. The people of Israel was God's people. They needed to hear the King of Kings and Lord of Lords speak to them. And when they took word and when their hearts were ready, when God spoke, they were ready. So that's why they renewed the focus after the wall. Taking your spiritual step. So the next step was to rebuild the people by teaching them the law of God that had been neglected. And like I said, once that word was read by the chief priest, Ezra, they began to repent.

Sonny Kanoho [00:08:39]:
They began to weep for the actions. So that's the sinful ways. So they started to renew the commitment to God's law, Particularly it's called the Torah. That's what they read, the Torah. The Torah translated to instruction or teaching or law in Hebrew. The Torah consists of, you know, the Pentateuch. You guys know what the Pentateuch is? The first five books in the beginning, Genesis, like I said, is Leviticus, numbers and Deuteronomy. That's the books that were written, and that's the book that was spoken.

Sonny Kanoho [00:09:09]:
Because they don't have a phone that you can just pop up. Nkgnis elementop. Or they don't have a book. They got. They cannot. But what did they do? They grabbed the Torah, one book, open it up, and the word of God is spoken. Now, when the word of God is spoken, you know, what's that? When Schwab speaks, everybody listens. You know, the commercial, it's not one commercial.

Sonny Kanoho [00:09:34]:
It's the real deal. So that's the. When we think about that and you listen to that renewed focus for the whole nation, then it starts from the wider angle. It goes small. The focus starts going into personal. From corporate for the nation to personal relationship. So this is where we talk about personal relationship. So the people respond.

Sonny Kanoho [00:10:00]:
How did they respond? Their spiritual ears heard the law being read and they were moved to tears. And they recognized their past failures to uphold God's commandments. That's a changed heart. And that's the. That's what they wanted to do. The spiritual ears. I'm sorry, that's. They gathered together, they heard the law.

Sonny Kanoho [00:10:20]:
It was read and explained to them. And they demonstrated a desire to understand, obey God's word. They were open, their hearts were prepared because of what they had experienced. They had the ears to hear, and they needed to change. And that's what they do. That's the spiritual ears. Do we have spiritual ears nowadays? I sure hope so because God is speaking louder and clear every day that we wake up. I tell you, God, the word of God is being spoken very loudly.

Sonny Kanoho [00:10:50]:
And if you're not, you better go clean your pepe out. Coolie. Go doctor, go get the wax out tomatoes, whatever you got inside there, well clean them out. Because you know why? God is speaking very much. And he's speaking to us each and every day. So that's the spiritual ears, a changed heart. So upon hearing the word of God's law, the people were moved to tears, like I said. And they recognized their past failures to uphold God's commandments.

Sonny Kanoho [00:11:15]:
And when the people understood how they had disobeyed and neglected the Lord, they were sad. Does the word of God move us through like that today? That when we hear the Word of God speaking by any one of us, that from these last few weeks the word of God was shared? Were we moved enough for the Word of God to touch our hearts? Were we moved enough to say, hey, wait a minute, I'm coming over here. I'm lost and broken. I'm a sinner in eater of a Savior. I'm no good. I'm no better than anybody else out there. I need the Lord each and every day, 24 7, 365. I need Jesus.

Sonny Kanoho [00:11:50]:
Because without Jesus, oh, I won't fall, fall very hard even though I'm old. But my balance is still there. But you know, spiritual balance is what we need. So no commercials, sonny. No commercials today. Stay focused. That was a commercial right there. So change heart.

Sonny Kanoho [00:12:08]:
So like when the people understood that they had obeyed and neglected the Lord, they were sad. However, in their repentance. Now listen to this. In their repentance, God wanted them to rejoice, to not grovel in guilt. But God wanted the people to don't remain dejected. Don't feel guilt ridden. Don't feel unworthy. God had not rejected them.

Sonny Kanoho [00:12:30]:
That's what he was telling them when they heard the Word of God. When they heard the Word, the spirit of God moved. And this is what he was telling the people. Hey, rejoice. Don't feel guilty. Don't be dejected. Don't feel guilt ridden. Don't feel like we're unworthy because you're not.

Sonny Kanoho [00:12:47]:
And under his righteousness, we are made whole. Without the Lord, yes, we are sinners fall short of glory. The greater is he who is in you than he is of this world. You know, that's who God came for us, man. With God, all things are possible. That's the possibility when we have God in our lives. But God, remember, he didn't want his people to remain like that. He didn't.

Sonny Kanoho [00:13:11]:
He wasn't there to reject them, but he was in a process. This is how great he is. He was in the process of forgiving them and restoring the nation of Judah to where it needed to be. Can I get an amen? And this is what they responded to. They responded by living a changed life and obedience to God. And I think that's what's needed today. Amen. I think we have taken for granted who God is in our lives.

Sonny Kanoho [00:13:41]:
I'm a guilty. I take for granted. I take shortcuts. I forget, I fail. What does that God does. But God still loves me. So when we think about it, the next one is God. Celebration.

Sonny Kanoho [00:13:57]:
They had joy filled celebration. After everything was done, they repented. They turned from God. They heard the word, the people spoke. God has changes. So they began to celebrate by the urging of the Lord. This is the Lord wanted them to celebrate. Does the Lord want you to celebrate? You better believe it.

Sonny Kanoho [00:14:13]:
Have joy. Have joy of the Lord. We don't need to be dejected. A good question is that I went to Costco the other day and I saw a gentleman who's a Christian but you would never tell he was a Christian because if you don't exude Christ or reflect Christ, you would never tell. And even my wife said, oh, that's your friend Sonny. I said, yeah, I would have never known he was a Christian if you didn't talk about Jesus next to him. Don't be that, don't be like that. But I know that gentleman for a long time.

Sonny Kanoho [00:14:48]:
And once I saw, once I talked, I connected with him and it brought him back to where he needed to be. There was a smile on his face because that, that word of God is in you. It's not going to go void. It's going to be there. That's my men's group. Don't they know I speaking tonight? Stop texting. So what the people did, they went into a feast and they gathered and it's called the feast of Tabernacles. That was a celebration that they observed with such enthusiasm since the time of Joshua.

Sonny Kanoho [00:15:20]:
The feast of Tabernacles. Tabernacles is the last and greatest of the seven feasts. I'm not going to go through the seven feasts that the Lord had. But this feast helped them remember. God's presence is with them while they were. While the children of Israel were wandering the desert. That's the feast of the tabernacles, they understood that. They celebrated that time, that even though.

Sonny Kanoho [00:15:44]:
Even though the thing never looked good, look all bossed up, God is still in the midst. And that's why they celebrated the feast of the tabernacles. They understood God's word and the fact that he was forgiving them. And God wanted them to rejoice. And their strength was renewed as they went from mourning to feasting to rejoicing. And that's why it says, the joy of the Lord was their strength. Can I get Amen. That's how.

Sonny Kanoho [00:16:19]:
Good God. So one question I'm going to pose to you today or this evening. Is joy still possible in these days? You better believe it. As Christians, we have to take up. We have to answer that positively, like a yes. Is joy still possible in these days? Yes. Amen. Because joy is still available to Christians even though we suffer and go through hardship.

Sonny Kanoho [00:16:45]:
There's one quote from a Christian missionary and author, and the quote is from SD Gordon, and this is the quote that he reads. He wrote, it says, joy is distinctly a Christian word and a Christian thing. It's the reverse of happiness. Happiness is the result of what happens, of an agreeable sort of joy has its springs deep down inside. And the spring never runs dry, no matter what happens. Only Jesus gives that joy. Amen. And even though my son, you know, he had.

Sonny Kanoho [00:17:22]:
They had that joy watching that show, I know they have the joy of the Lord in them. But that joy of the Lord is a spring. You ever heard the song Spring Up a well within my soul? Spring up a well and make it grow, grow, grow. You heard that song before? Brother Sonny cannot sing. I'm sorry, that's another commercial. But that's probably for some place later on. But I'm going to tell you, here's some reasons why there's joy still possible. You got to read number one.

Sonny Kanoho [00:17:51]:
You got to know that the joy is a fruit of the Spirit. It's in Galatians 5, 22 and 23. It reads like this from the new King James Version. It says, but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness and faithfulness, gentleness, which is meekness, self control against. There is no law. So the joy is a fruit of the Spirit. So each and every one of us is born again, washed by the blood. Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior.

Sonny Kanoho [00:18:22]:
As soon as you do that, the spirit of God is upon you. You have joy, you have peace, you have love, you have long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self control. You have that. God gives that to you. It's a gift. He's given it to you. So that. So you got to remember.

Sonny Kanoho [00:18:37]:
The Bible describes joy as a fruit of a spirit, meaning it's an attribute. An attribute that believers like us are empowered to exhibit. We got to exhibit because why? Because the Holy Spirit lives within us. Can I get an amen? Do I need to go through that one more time? Joy is the fruit of the spirit, meaning it's an attribute that believers as us are empowered to exhibit because the Holy Spirit is present in our lives. These qualities are not just produced by human effort alone, but a result of the Holy Spirit working within a believer's life. These fruit of the spirit are signs of spiritual maturity, a reflection of God's character. And that's why there is joy. Number two.

Sonny Kanoho [00:19:24]:
Joy is in Christ. John 5:11. It reads just like this. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy, my joy. Tell your neighbor Jesus, God's joy may remain in you and that your joy may be full, plain and simple. This is what he's telling John. Jesus is telling John, hey, my joy may remain in you and that your joy will be full. What does that mean? It's that Jesus Christ is living largely in your life.

Sonny Kanoho [00:20:01]:
Then your joy is full. The spirit of God is living largely in your life. That joy of God is full beyond capacity, called press down, shaking together and running over. That's the spirit of the Lord. Philippians 4. 4 says, Rejoice in the Lord always. Again, I say, rejoice always. Rejoice in the Lord.

Sonny Kanoho [00:20:22]:
No matter if the walls is falling down, you know, you get puka teeth or you got to fix your car, you know, you get puka shoes. The joy of the Lord is your strength. Because why? Because God is the one that's going to take you through all that and meet your need. Can I get an amen? I get quiet over there. Christian joy, you got to remember, is distinct from worldly happiness. Worldly happiness is dependent upon circumstances. But the true Christian joy that we talk about is deep and enduring sense of peace. It's a fulfillment that comes from a relationship with Christ and a reliance on God's unchanging promises.

Sonny Kanoho [00:21:00]:
That everything in the Bible is a promise, that is give it to each and every one of us. So if you don't like treasure hunting, you don't want to find out what God has in store for you. No need to open a book. But I challenge you, go open that book. Let that words on the pages come alive in your life and if you don't understand, ask the Lord. He'll give you. And if not, we have a lot of knowledgeable pastors and people here at New Hope Kapolei, spiritual leaders that will help you, direct you into the right way. I don't know everything, to tell you the truth.

Sonny Kanoho [00:21:35]:
I really don't. But the Lord does. But the Lord does, so the next one. So like I said, Christian joy is different from worldly happiness. It's dependent upon. It's not dependent upon circumstances. It's a deep, deep, enduring sense of peace. How many of you have that sense of peace? How many have Jesus peace, the peace that surpasses all understanding.

Sonny Kanoho [00:22:04]:
That's the peace that we need nowadays. So that peace that God gives us is based on a relationship with his son. And there's real reliance on God's promise, regardless of the outward circumstances, regardless of whatever is occurring in our lives. You can have the peace, you can have the joy, because that's what God is saying. We are called as Christians to maintain a joyful attitude and to celebrate the Lord. Always, always, always celebrate the Lord. Okay, number three, it says, joy in suffering and hardship. And the Book of James, chapter one, verses two and four.

Sonny Kanoho [00:22:44]:
And I'll read it. This is, my brethren, call it all joy. When you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience, which is endurance or perseverance. But let that patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect or mature and complete, lacking nothing. The Bible encouraged us as Christians to endure or embrace suffering. What is going on? Who does that? Who wants to embrace going through some issues, circumstances or trouble? Do you? I don't. But when you read the Word of God, it says, let the word of God, let God work in work his spirit within you. That, that power that we have is.

Sonny Kanoho [00:23:26]:
He says, it's not by power, not by my, but by my Spirit, says the Lord. So it's the Lord's spirit that's in you that will help you overcome that. So the Bible encourages Christians to embrace suffering as an opportunity for spiritual growth. I can use some other growth, but hey, spiritual growth leading to a deeper and more enduring joy. And I heard so many testimonies here and out there. I seen so many miracles from those raised from the dead. I seen, I heard all. So when they went through their hardship and they speak about Jesus or speak about God, they have that joy.

Sonny Kanoho [00:24:03]:
And that's what I want us to get, the joy. Sorry, I'm working hard up here. So you got to remember that scripture verse in James, it invites the believers to count it all, joy when facing trials, and to recognize that testing of their faith produces perseverance, which in turn leads to maturity and completeness. So when we can understand what the word of God is with this scripture verse found in the book of James, that's when spiritual maturity comes. How do you get my spiritual maturity? You got to get down and dirty. You got to be a warrior for Christ. You got to take up your cross and follow him. You got to get plugged in.

Sonny Kanoho [00:24:43]:
You got to go and learn the word. When it's open, you got to get involved in a service, fellowship with others, prayer night, open, get there. You got to get involved. We cannot be sitting idle. Now is not the time for idle. And I move over here, you know, when I move to the west side, I want it to be idle. But that's not what God wants us to do. Because if you have the joy of the Lord, you better go share it, sonny.

Sonny Kanoho [00:25:11]:
So the next thing I have is joy and fellowship with other believers. And it's found in the book of Hebrews, chapter 10, 24 and 25, and it reads just like this. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as in the manner of some, but exhorting one another so much more that you see the day approaching. Christians are encouraged. You got to remember when you read that we are encouraged, that we need to support one another. That's why it's so important when we come here and we come to service, that we see other individuals working for the Lord. Tell them thank you for serving, thank you for serving. Because they're taking time out of their busy schedule or their family life to serve the Lord.

Sonny Kanoho [00:25:53]:
But not only that, since you see that, let's start joining them and be a part of the family of God. We all cannot just do, all do one thing. We all work together. One got to be the hand. Because if only had one hand. What we going to do with one hand? You need not a handful clap. So we got to be hand, feet, eyes, mouth, nose. We all work together for the glory of the Lord.

Sonny Kanoho [00:26:17]:
So that's why we are encouraged to support one another in the times of hardship and sharing the burdens and finding peace and solace in the fellowship of other believers. And that's what I pray that you get, that we can just put all our differences, put all our hoo hoo aside, and the common denominator or the common denomination that we know we have is Jesus Christ and the love and that we can just work together for his glory. Because earth is not. We're just passing through. You know, heaven is your home. So we got to live. We got to learn how to live with everybody. Because if heaven is your home, you got to make sure that your name is written in that Lamb's book of life.

Sonny Kanoho [00:27:00]:
So joy and fellowship with other believers. And the other one, the next one is joy. God's presence fills us with joy and spirit. Found in Deuteronomy 31:6. It says, Be strong and of good courage. Do not fear, nor be afraid for the Lord your God, he is the one who goes with you. And he will not leave you nor forsake you. That's Joshua.

Sonny Kanoho [00:27:21]:
God told Joshua if he took over for Moses and he was going into the promised land, he had a little doubt, but so do we. And the same words that he used to Joshua, he's given us today. That's a promise that God's given us. That we can be strong enough of good courage that we can have joy and thrive in the midst of suffering. Not because the pain is going to be ignored, but because God's presence is known to be constant, attentive and loving in every moment of life. Let me repeat that. We don't just have joy thriving in the midst of suffering. That's.

Sonny Kanoho [00:27:59]:
That is tough. Not because we're going to ignore the pain, but because God is always present and he's always constant. You know what constant, 24, 7, 365. Every day, all the time. Every time. That's what constant means. And he's attentive. So don't think that when you speak to God that He doesn't listen to you.

Sonny Kanoho [00:28:19]:
He does. Don't think that when you cry out to the Lord, you shed tears, that he doesn't collect those tears and put it away. He does. He remembers everything. He knows every single hair on your head. He knows your name, everybody's name. That is awesome. Now, do you know his voice? And does he know your voice? That's the thing that we want to work on.

Sonny Kanoho [00:28:41]:
So remember, he's attentive. He's loving in every moment of life. God is present in our everyday life. And you know what? God never changes. He's the same. The same God that rose Lazarus from the dead part of the Red Sea. The same God we serve. His love and his grace is the same.

Sonny Kanoho [00:28:58]:
Still abound. That's why it says, nothing will separate you from the love of God. No height, no depth. There's no sin. That you can commit, that God cannot forgive. He can, except for one. But we're not gonna go there. We're gonna stay right here.

Sonny Kanoho [00:29:12]:
So God's presence fills us with joy. And the last one is hope. For our future brings joy. Romans 8:18. It says, For I consider the suffering of this present time not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. What does that mean? This is what it means. That we can find joy in the hope of the future glory, knowing that the present suffering that we are going through is not comparable to the eternal weight of glory that he's revealing for us, that he has for us. According to that, According to Romans 8:18, we have to understand, my brothers and sisters, that don't grow roots.

Sonny Kanoho [00:29:51]:
I remember Pastor Glenn said, don't grow roots here, because if you grow roots, it's going to be hard to shake it. Don't put your trust in man, because don't put your trust in me. I'm going to fail you. I'm going to forget. I'm not going to remember. But put your trust in God, put your hope in God. Store your treasures in heaven, not on earth. Why? Because moth and rust will get it.

Sonny Kanoho [00:30:12]:
It's temporary. So the eternal weight of glory is for us to put our trust in the Lord and understand where he wants us to be. So that hope of that future that we have with the Lord is that we are pressing toward a higher goal or a higher calling. Heaven. Tell your neighbor, heaven is your home. Heaven is your home. You know, there's no sickness, no pain, no suffering, no worry, no doubt, no unsurity. All Jesus.

Sonny Kanoho [00:30:45]:
And you know what he said when you get over there? If you don't want house over here. Oh, excuse me. If you don't have a house here, you can have mansions. You're going to have mansions. And if you street, get pookas or, excuse me, holes the city and county or the state never come patchy road, guess what? You're gonna have streets of gold. That's what the word of God says. I'm not making it up, but so good to have that joy. So my last quote is from Sam Storms, he's a pastor and author.

Sonny Kanoho [00:31:18]:
It says, joy is not necessarily the absence of suffering. It is the presence of God. It's the presence of God. So if God is present in your life, then you have joy. You gotta remember in Nehemiah 8:10, that prophet encouraged the Israelites to find strength in God's joy. After returning from the exile, they were lost and they didn't know what to do. But Nehemiah grabbed that bull by the horns and he said, you need to find strength and joy in God. We can find that same joy if we surrender our lives to the Lord Jesus.

Sonny Kanoho [00:31:55]:
This is done by renewing our commitment to God through repentance and to a change of heart and to change our way of our living. If our lives need to be changed, let it change. Let the Lord change it. Because if you're not following God's plans and purpose, and in Hawaii they say, poho, no good, you're not gonna get nothing. But that's not what God wants us to do. God wants our name to be written in the Lamb's book of life. God wants to see you in heaven. One of my mentors who was my first pastor that came, Pastor Oscar Manu, before he went home to heaven, you know what he told me? He said, sonny, I want you to meet me in heaven.

Sonny Kanoho [00:32:33]:
I said, okay, Pastor, but you know, more hell, when the Bible says you're going to have here, I don't recognize you or what Commercial. But yeah, understand that that's a commercial. I'm sorry. So the joy we experience, the joy they experience and the joy we are experiencing is not just a fleeting emotion, but it's a deep seated strength rooted in our relationship with God. Thank you, Sonny. The same God that they serve in the book of Nehemiah is the same God we serve today. He never changes. That joy empowers believers individually to help face the life challenges and it helps us overcome adversity and it helps us find peace amidst the difficult circumstances.

Sonny Kanoho [00:33:16]:
And we can experience that joy today, right now. The joy of the Lord is present here this evening. It is important to note the joy that they experienced back then and the joy we are experiencing now. It's not just mere happiness. It's a God given divine spiritual strength that can be present even during times of sorrow and hardship. It's from the natural to the supernatural. We got to live in the supernatural, especially more than ever before now. The joy of the Lord is something that we cannot purchase, or you don't work for it to obtain it, or you cannot just conjure up yourself the joy.

Sonny Kanoho [00:33:52]:
But it's rather, it's a gift from God that sustains us. And how do we apply this? We need to learn how to find that joy in God's presence today. Even in the small things, you will find that joy. That joy that transforms our perspective in life and gives us the strength we need to persevere. And I pray you guys Find that. And you're only going to find that in a relationship with Jesus. And then my last, last light, that's my joy. So if you look in the corner, the left hand corner, if you look, that's my mom.

Sonny Kanoho [00:34:28]:
Every time before I went to work, she stayed with us in Covid. Every time before I went out the door, I tried to sneak out the door, my mom would start praying from the top of the stairs. She prayed for every single piece of equipment I had on me, even down to my pen, to my car. But the Lord is good and that's my family and that's where you can find joy. So we're gonna go. Just don't forget to text her prayer request to 808-793-5655. And I'm going to just close short and then we'll be back with corporate prayer. Amen.

Sonny Kanoho [00:35:01]:
Hallelujah. And then we'll be back. So let's close. Lord, I thank you for your word that was shared. I pray that it would just take root in the hearts of the people, that it will come into fruition. But thank you Lord for your word. We give you glory and we give you honor. In Jesus name, Amen.

Sonny Kanoho [00:38:33]:
Desires of the heart, you know the challenges that they face and Lord, I pray that the peace and joy will be placed upon them right now. And it's in your mighty name, Lord Jesus, I pray every individual that is sitting here, Lord, whatever they are facing, we know we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but the principalities and the pulling on our strongholds. So in Jesus mighty name, we bind that enemy and Satan. Take your hands off the people, Lord. You set them free from whatever is holding them back. Whatever illness is upon them, Lord, heal them. In Jesus mighty name, deliver those that are struggling spiritually, mentally, Lord, you said you never give us a spirit of fear, but a power loving, a sound mind, Lord. Pray that word upon them, Lord, that you will just help them to achieve what you have in store for them.

Sonny Kanoho [00:39:20]:
There's always a plan and purpose for each and every one of us. So let it come into fruition for those that are here this evening and online. And Lord, those that you know trying to find a purpose or trying to find how they're niche in your, in your kingdom or just in fellowship. Let them put their trust in youn and to just know that being a part of a family of God is what you want us to do. But Lord, I know that your hand is moving and I know that your spirit is moving here this evening and I thank You Lord, for them. And Lord, we just bless them. Hallelujah, Lord. And now I'm going to just open up in prayer for every request that we came.

Sonny Kanoho [00:40:03]:
There's a lot of requests. So Lord, I just pray for your healing touch for the sick, Lord Jesus, for every request that was made, mentioned and text here, Lord, you know it. You know their tomorrows, Lord, you know their hearts, you know what they can bear and what they cannot bear. But Lord, you don't give us that we're not prepared for. So Lord, for those that are afflicted in body, I pray for your healing in Jesus mighty name. That your blood will cover them with the blood from the top of their head to the soles of their feet. That you will deliver them out of that sickness or you will give them the strength that they need to endure, or you give them the patience that they have. And Lord, that you will just help them to count it all joy and that you will help them to go through whatever trials.

Sonny Kanoho [00:40:48]:
For those who are afflicted in body, those who are going through trials. Will it be family issues, Lord? Relational issues? Lord, the greatest masterpiece, Lord you have created is your son Jesus, the pastor, a husband, a wife and the children. So establish your masterpiece upon every individual here this evening. Those that are married, bind them together with one mind and one accord. That three stranded cord and you are the foundational truth for them. Mind that family together. Help them put aside their differences. Help them look to you where their help coming from.

Sonny Kanoho [00:41:30]:
But let them have that common ground which is you, Lord Jesus and I pray for every student that went back to school or going back to school that you would just continue to bless them, Lord, and in the world that we are living in, Lord, I pray that the parents will raise them up in your ambition and that the word would be shared in this. Each and every one of us here will be utilized as a mentor or a disciple. But we do church as a family, Lord. We worship together. Lord, I just ask for your blessing upon those that are looking for employment. Open up the doors of employment for them. Put them where they need to be, meet their need financially. Lord, you said if you not try, you test you that you will not open up the windows of heaven.

Sonny Kanoho [00:42:17]:
Pour down, shake it together. So Lord, we know where hump coming from coming from you. So if we put you first, Lord Jesus, I just stand in prayer for all those. And Lord, I just pray for the anniversary coming up for tomorrow service here at New Hope Kapolei, their anniversary, the 26th year anniversary for the service here on Saturday and for the service in Ho' Okele on Sunday. May your blessing be upon each and every individual that has taken a part to help with the ministry, Lord. And that we pray that the word that is given unto Pastor Glenn will be inspiring, but that our hearts will be ready, Lord, that we will come to receive and to expect, expecting something. And that expectation is to be molded and shaped by you. Lord.

Sonny Kanoho [00:43:00]:
We just pray for the healing, like I said, all the healing. But Lord, I thank you for this time and thank you for this opportunity of being here this evening. Thank you for all my brothers and sisters, sisters from the 18 days prior to me that spoke and shared. Thank you for all those that have listened online and in person. And I pray, Lord, that every single word that was shared and every heart was touched and every life is changed. And may the spirit find power, renewed power and renewed faith in them. Renew it, Lord Jesus. But Lord, we just love you.

Sonny Kanoho [00:43:39]:
We give you glory, Lord, like we said. Yeshua, our salvation lies with you, Lord. And we give you glory once again. And we thank you and we all say in Jesus mighty name, Amen.