Storms

The other day as the storm clouds rolled in from the ocean I started thinking about the storms in our lives. As the storm got closer, the lightning started flashing and the thunder rolled and you begin to prepare for the storm that’s about to hit. When I was a girl growing up in Texas the storms seemed to be so powerful and so strong– they in fact scared me. I used to run, grab my shoes and put them on because we never new when we had to run for the storm cellar. Thinking about these storms remind me of how we can be when a spiritual storm hits our life. Most of the time we never see it coming. The storm hits and we are unprepared. We run away from the storm, we look for shelter because a lot of the time we are afraid to face what’s coming.

In Matthew 8:23-26 it says, Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

God has a purpose for the storms in our life. But we can rest in Him knowing He is our shelter against anything that comes our way. When the storm is over and the clouds clear we see things in a different way– a lot of times we see things the way they should be, instead of the way we perceived them to be before the storm.

Have a wonderful week!

On Thursday, at Ohana Group our discussion drifted to 1Corinthians 10:13 (NIV), which states:
13No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
The discussion we were having involved why people used this particular verse when someone is going through a trial and people say, “God never gives you more than you can handle.” My argument was that this verse doesn’t clarify that it’s referring to a trial, but that it is speaking of being tempted. … So after much discussion it was determined by everyone in the group that it was talking about being tempted and not being in a trial. I know that one particular person in the group felt let down because she had always relied on this verse when she was in the midst of a trial. Ihave to admit, I also relied on this verse for many years but was always confused about the word “tempted”. Not wanting anyone to stumble for my lack of knowledge I decided I would take it a step further and looked up the Greek word for “tempted”. The word is peirazo (pi-rad-zo) which means to “test” i.e.. endeavor, scrutinize, entice, discipline-assay, examine, go about, prove, tempt, try. With this in mind, I then started looking through different translations of the bible. And for those of you who were at Ohana Group on Thursday evening –my apologies, please forgive me.

1Corinthians 10:13 (The Message Bible)
13No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it. (emphasis mine)
God is with us in our trials, He is there no matter what, for,
... God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."... (Heb. 13:5 NIV)

Easter

For those of you who are wondering about our Easter Services, worship will start at 10:00 AM in the Waikoloa Elementary School Cafeteria. We hope you can make it. We have an awesome worship team who will be blessing us with contemporary music, a special song by Fran Black, a skit performed by some wonderful men of God and be sure to bring the keiki's (children) because Aunty Julie has some fun things planned in Childen's Church.

And we can't forget the Easter message by Pastor Frank Giraud entitled "The Ulimate Bail Out"

The poem I am sharing with you is something I came across several years ago. The author is unknown it's entitled:

You Ask Why I Follow This Jesus?

You ask why I follow this Jesus?Why I love Him the way I do?

When the world's turned away from His teachings And the people who serve Him are few.

It's not the rewards I'm after Or gifts that I hope to receive

It's the Presence that calls for commitment It's the Spirit I trust and believe.

The Lord doesn't shelter His faithful Or spare them all suffering and pain,

Like everyone else I have burdens, And walk through my share of rain.

Yet He gives me a plan and a purpose, And that joy only Christians have known,

I never know what comes tomorrow, But I do know I'm never alone.

It's the love always there when you need it; It's the words that redeem and inspire,

It's the longing to ever be with Him That burns in my heart like a fire.

So you ask why I love my Lord Jesus? Well, friend, that's so easy to see,

But the one thing that fills me with wonder is Why Jesus loves someone like me.

Have a wonderful week!

For God so loved...

We all know what John 3:16 says, for me it's one of the 1st verses in the bible that I had to memorize as a child. For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son...

20But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowd to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus executed.
21"Which of the two do you want me to release to you?" asked the governor.

"Barabbas," they answered.
22"What shall I do, then, with Jesus who is called Christ?" Pilate asked.

They all answered, "Crucify him!"
23"Why? What crime has he committed?" asked Pilate. But they shouted all the louder, "Crucify him!" Matthew 27:20-23 (NIV)

For God so loved the world... God so loved me, God so loved you, that had it been only me or only you- Jesus still would have died for us. We don't understand this agape love that God has for us, but we will one day, and I for one think that it will be hard to contain-

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I pray you have a wonderful week filled with God's love.