Declare His Glory Among the Nations

Real Testimonies: Phillip Wong, "God has a Better Plan"

2011-05-25T15:00:00.000-07:00

God has really shown Himself to me through my job and my workplace. About six years ago I was laid off due to a restructure at my lab research company. I had never met failure at such a high stake. The idea of losing a job because you were not adequate compared to others was a hard thing to grasp. This job loss was crucial, however, for God to humble me. The job I had at the time was taken selfishly; it was actually something that I picked up and just decided to stick to because nothing else better had come along. During this struggle, God showed me that He had bigger and better plans for me. I realized after my layoff that God was calling me to do something that had a direct impact on people’s lives, and that turned out to be teaching.

Not only did I feel called by God to become a teacher, but everything related to teaching just seemed to fall in place. I was able to go to school part time and provide for my family at the same time when I picked up a teaching job in San Bernardino. Two years down the road, I am now a credentialed teaching looking towards tenure. God’s plan for me has not stopped there. I first felt that God had put me here to make an impact on students’ lives. I have now realized that God has not only put me here for these students, but also to teach me lessons in life as well as from my students. How ironic that God put me here as a teacher, and yet I am getting schooled by Him at the same time!

Real Testimonies: Kris Fong, "Wait on the Lord"

2011-05-18T15:00:00.000-07:00

One of the things I've felt the Lord putting on my heart is patience. Most recently through my schooling. Last semester, I was looking to transfer from my Community College, Goldenwest College, to a CSU. Due to various circumstances, I was unable to transfer to a CSU for the Fall 2010 Semester/Quarter. So I decided to take some classes, mostly interest classes, at GWC, to boost my Grade Point Average and to have something to do. I applied for transfer again, but upon recommendation changed my CSU choice from Long Beach to Dominguez Hills. Again I ran into obstacles, the state budget. The lack of a budget for California left many students in a state of limbo because it stalled transfer students and made it difficult for people to know if they could get financial aid. My application and proper paperwork was submitted back in September. I finally found out my Spring 2011 school at 2:00 AM on a Thursday in November. Come Spring 2011, I'll be at Dominguez Hills. This is one of the many times I've seen His hand at work in my life. I feel that He used this experience to really emphasize the point that I must wait on Him for everything, not just for ministry and church stuff. He will provide all that we require at all the necessary times so we have nothing to worry about.

Real Testimonies: Anh Trinh, "God's Love"

2011-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:00

Trinity church has been my home since I was 13 years old. I first attended Friday night youth group by invitation from my cousin who attended the Saturday Chinese language school at that time. I was quite the troublemaker and probably raised a few eyebrows with my antics but the youth leaders were very welcoming. They showed a very different and loving side of humanity that I did not expect. I soon realized this unusual treatment I received really stemmed from the love of God. Every progressing week, I was being mentored and nurtured by the leaders and youth group members. Their investment in my life resulted in my acceptance of Christ at age 14. I soon became aware that taking up the cross was no easy task because I faced persecution from my Buddhist family. My parents gave me strict warnings about getting baptized as they feared my newfound religion was cult-related. But through time and observation of the big change in my life, they became more accepting of my faith. Since my acceptance of Christ, I have been involved in a handful of ministries at Trinity but my passion has always been with youth ministry. God has impressed upon my heart to advance his kingdom by reaching the hearts of young people and help raise up new leaders. I have seen many youth come and go but God has taught me that his word is true and He is faithful to his people. As a result of his promise, I've also seen quite a few former youths become leaders in their respective ministries.

As much as I love serving God, my only regret is that I have not been bold enough to share more of my faith with my parents and family. Thankfully, God has recently presented me some opportunities to share a few gospel stories and several key Bible verses with my parents and grandmother. I hope that there will be more opportunities. Please pray for the salvation of my family as God uses me to be a good witness.

Real Testimonies: Christine Chang, "Act Upon With Prayer"

2011-04-27T15:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings one and all. It was 10 years ago when my relationship with God deepened and my faith in Him became stronger. Since then, God has given me several keywords to live by and to act upon with prayer. The first of these words was TRUST him. I had recently started single parenting (divorce) and was concerned for my financial well-being. But I trusted and God led me back to Trinity where my children (and I) had opportunities to become involve with the children’s program. I trusted and God led me to a teacher’s education program where I received my teaching credential and where He opened a door to a fantastic teaching position Then, God said be BOLD for me. This was where I said STOP!! Dear Lord, no can do. But God simply said to wear an ichthys for him and to contact the local director of Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). I did, and God has been revealing to me why he wanted me to obey. By wearing the fish openly, I am letting the world know that I am a Christian. Since wearing the fish, my colleagues, school families, and students have opened up to me, sharing confidences, knowing that I will listen, understand, empathize, and never judge because she is a Christian. I hope one day, I will become even bolder by readily sharing the gospel during these conversations. And my initial email to CEF resulted in a Good News Club where 30-35 students are meeting after school once a week to hear Bible stories and the gospel over and over again. I have also met some wonderful Christian sisters through this program. We are currently in our second year.

Finally these next 3 words all came to me within the last year. Live JOYFULLY, with the PEACE which exceeds all human understanding (Philippians 4:7), and in ANTICIPATION of what is to come. It is the last word which makes me feel like an excited child, who can hardly sit still. A season of my life is about to end. My youngest child will be off to college this year. Now what Lord? How can I best serve you with what I have? Where do you want me to go? What other stories will there be for me to share? I can hardly wait.

Real Testimonies: Owen Reinhardt, "Courage"

2011-04-20T15:00:00.000-07:00

"I've been really irritated by advertisements recently. I can't believe the kind of stuff that is put in our faces in the media. Everyday on the freeway I have to pray for the billboard for the strip club, the next shady movie coming out, etc. Last week, a Mexican restaurant in front of my apartment put out a painting of a half-naked lady holding a burrito on a major street. I prayed about it for a week and nothing changed. So today, as I rode by, I had enough. I went in and asked to talked to the manager. 'She's covered up,' the manager said. 'You still think that's a problem?' I replied, 'Yes. I don't like the way that it portrays women, and I don't think it's appropriate for our neighborhood.' Turns out their previous sign was stolen recently. So I offered this: 'If you bring the lady inside, I'll start praying that your business increases, and I'll even pay for a new sign if you want.' I left my card, shook hands, and she said, 'I'll let the owner know.' So we'll see. My hope is that facing our fears will create environments where the next generation will have a healthier place to grow."

Real Testimonies: George Wong, "Looking Back"

2011-04-13T15:00:00.000-07:00

One advantage of being in the Prime Time category, I can look back at my life and see God's work in me through the years - teenager, collegian, newlywed, new parent, church life , raising teens, sending kids off to college, seeing children get married, and the empty nest syndrome of being a grandparent. Romans 8:28, is one of my favorite verses, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." My life has been and is a journey in trusting in God's faithfulness, his love, his mercy, and him being a promise keeper. The Lord not only has answered prayers for things for which I have prayed, but even for things that I didn't even think about. I have gone through many valley type experiences, trials and the other ups and downs of life which we all face, and God has used them to shape me into what he wants me to be. I praise the Lord for his many blessings which includes all of the negative stuff too. I'm deeply grateful for "...the life which I now live in the body. I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself up for me." (Gal 2: 20b)

Real Testimonies: Karen Yeung, "A Life With No Regrets"

2011-03-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

Life was simple until the early 1980’s when I was diagnosed with a borderline case of breast cancer. I was stunned. My condition forced me to search my heart. I wasn’t afraid of death. But God got me thinking, “If I would leave this world tomorrow, did I have any regrets?” I had one regret at the time. I did not follow through on a decision I made during a college retreat to serve as a short-term missionary. Excuses abounded as many opportunities came knocking and went unanswered. I finally responded after 12 years and including 7 years of marriage when many “God-moments” came together. But instead of joining a work, Brad and I were asked to start a work. God has a sense of humor in other ways, too. Not speaking a lick of Spanish nor having any experience, we became the organizers of a church plant in Calexico, California, a border town near El Centro.

Little did we know we’d be making the 225 mile trip 225 times over the next 7 years – often weekly for some of the years. But it was a ‘God-work’ where ¼ of the church body eventually made the journey with us – several making the trip 100 times or so. The locals benefited, but I tend to think we received more than our share of blessings.

God has restored my physical health, but importantly he made me whole spiritually and led me to live a life with no regrets.

Real Testimonies: Keith Jourdian, "From Rules to Grace"

2011-03-09T15:00:00.000-08:00

As I grew up at church as a kid, I would physically be at church but my heart wouldn’t be there. I also had developed this immature view of God and my salvation. Sin was a big issue in my life, especially in high school and I always had a guilty conscious about it all the time because I couldn't stop. So I was caught up in this endless cycle of asking for forgiveness, repenting, then sinning again. It wasn't until my senior year in high school when I truly learned from my pastor Albert about God's grace that I ought to be living by grace and not by the rules. Instead of trying to be good law keeper, I found that God's grace and free gift of eternal life and unending love would then make me this crazy lover of God.

I truly began my relationship with God in college after sometime after I joined Korea Campus Crusade for Christ. God got me to know more obvious and wonderful that things I never quite realized through many different ways, through friends' lives, books, and sermons from church and KCCC. I started trusting that God cares more for my good infinitely more than I do. I also began to realize and apply to my life that God tells me that sin will hurt me, bring me death, and separation from Him. Being a "good law keeper", lover, and forgiver of others just simply became a byproduct from this trust in God's powerful unconditional love for me. I now find superior satisfaction in what I have in Christ.

Get to Know Colleen Louie

2011-03-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Colleen Louie is our new Children’s Ministry Director. Colleen shares a little bit about herself.

Tell me about your family?
My husband, Vincent, and I have four kids. They are Tiffany (26), Kristina (21), Mason (14), and Joey (11). Tiffany will be getting married soon in the summer of next year.

What do you like about children’s ministry?
I love making kids laugh, planning programs, and teaching the Bible.

What are you looking forward in serving here at Trinity?
I look forward in creating programs that fit Trinity’s needs and desires. I try to make it so that the children will enjoy their time here, experience the love of God, and feel that Trinity is like a second home, so they will want to invite friends and family to church.

I heard you came to Trinity when you were a child. Can you tell me a little more?
I came a long time ago when I was in 2nd grade, when the church was formerly called First Chinese Church of the Nazarene at Jefferson Blvd. Auntie May Fong and Uncle Donald brought me to the church for Vacation Bible School. That was my first time, and since then I wanted to continue to go so they brought me every Sunday. My other three sisters came too. I felt church was much better than just staying at home. May Fong would take care of us every Sunday. Eventually the church moved to where it’s now at, in Monterey Park. I stayed till junior high.

What experience have you had with working with children?
I started when I was 19. My first experience was as a refreshment director for a big church, 200-300 kids. Then I tried out teaching, as an assistant teacher to Sunday School teachers. Later, I became head teacher then master teacher, and eventually the department head. I also really enjoy kids camp, VBS, field trips...basically anything with kids!

What do you like to do for fun?
I enjoy listening to music, reading books, gardening, and making crafts.

What is your favorite Bible verse?
Philippians 4:13. I always rely on God’s strength to do everything. He is my source of strength.

Real Testimonies: Gloria Cabrera, "Praying for My Loved Ones"

2011-03-02T15:00:00.001-08:00

I was born in a non-Christian family in Korea. I started going to church when I was about 9 years old, and I was very devoted to God at a very young age. Particularly, God put a burning passion in me for the salvation of my family. When I was in high school, I prayed for my entire family for hours and hours. I don’t know why I always cried so much whenever I prayed for my family. In addition, my parents didn’t like the fact that I was so involved with church activities. So, whenever I came home from church, they harshly persecuted me. They even locked me in my room so that I couldn’t go to the church retreat. In the end, God is always good and faithful, and he heard my cries and prayers. My dad started going to church, and then my mom. Recently, my sister has become very devoted to prayer and evangelism. My brother used to go to church and had an encounter with God. So, my entire family was introduced to the gospel. Not only my immediate family, but also my extended family started converting to Christianity from Buddhism. Even my aunt who used to be very harsh to another Christian aunt became a sincere Christian always telling other relatives about God. I have seen God’s saving work in me and in others. He is still saving people all around us. God will save our families and friends as we plant seeds and patiently wait on the harvest.

Real Testimonies: Alfred Arellanes, "So Far, But Now So Close"

2011-02-22T22:30:00.000-08:00

Growing up Catholic as a kid and going to church was not a great experience, such as kids pulling my hair when I sat in the pews. As I got older in my early teens, I found another church but I felt Jesus wasn’t explained well or that I just didn’t pay attention. In my 20’s and 30’s I was so far from God. My bad behavior got me sent to prison. The only good that came out of it was when one time they confined me in a secluded room. There I found a book on the floor. I needed something to read. It was the New Testament. I read a little but then my name was called to transfer me out of the room. Something inside my heart said to take the book with me. I did and I felt it was God’s way of saying it is His time that I’ll know Him, and it was up to me to believe. He told me He will not force me to believe. The more I read the more questions I had about Him. Thank goodness that I didn’t put the Bible down. Some time soon, I believed in Him as my Lord and Savior. Now I try to do my best to receive my daily bread. Even when thing don’t go so well, He is always with me. He never said it would be easy. He tells me to have faith and to share Him to others. To God be the glory.

Real Testimonies: Diwata Cahapy, "From Religion to Relationship"

2011-02-18T10:00:00.000-08:00

I praise God with all of my heart and all of my soul! He is good and merciful. I learned about God from a favorite aunt. She brought me to church and to catechism classes on Sundays. I was a good Catholic and a staunch defender of the faith. At that time I believed that born again Christians were heathens and that I would go to heaven and they would not. Such arrogance on my part yet God was merciful to me! He then led me to a Christian couple who invited me to attend their church services and Bible studies at their home. Soon I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Savior and then I was baptized. I then began to see God’s hand on everything. The earth, indeed, is full of His glory! I marveled even at the little plants with pretty yellow flowers growing between cement and asphalt cracks.The Holy Spirit became a constant in my life and He taught me not to judge others. I also experienced what was lacking in my life all along – a personal relationship with God. The security of my relationship with Him is a priceless gift - one that I hope and pray that those still in the dark, my family including, will be able to experience. I know God is not finished with me. Sometimes I wonder what He will have me do in His kingdom or where He will lead me. It’s exciting and et (help me here, God!), a little scary.

Real Testimonies: Michael Au, "Freedom"

2011-01-27T14:30:00.000-08:00

Jesus is truly good and powerful. He set me free from the power of sin all due to His grace by the power of His blood.

I came to put my faith in Christ truly on February 5, 2007. Before that I experienced loneliness, pain, and depression almost all the time. I had many worldly seasons back in the days: basing my worth off of people’s acceptance, drinking and partying, video games and gambling, and a religious spirit of going to church because my parents told me to go. None satisfied my heart causing me to question whether I really knew Jesus. Then on that day in February, I submitted my life until His ways and He gave me a new spirit. I was then filled with His deep joy, peace, and love.

The next few years I was growing in the Lord but there was still one hindrance internally. I had a fear of the future especially my career. I could not get rid of this fear by my own power. In December, 2009, the Lord delivered the majority of fear through powerful healing prayer. Since then the Lord has been revealing deeper intimacy to my heart. I’ve also been set free from all types of sin that I could not overcome before. It’s not by power, nor by might, but by Spirit! Jesus is truly alive and I choose to live and bring this reality to others because that is His desire. There is hope for all who put their faith in Jesus!

Real Testimonies: Alexander Yao, "The Reality of God's Love"

2011-01-19T13:41:00.000-08:00

My life is a complicated web of God’s grace, mercy and handiwork. As I reflect on my life, I can see how God has taken me through painful and difficult struggles in order to display his glorious majesty. I was blessed to grow up (in the Bay Area) in a Jesus-loving, Bible-believing church and family. I knew all the Bible stories, the Jesus loves me songs, and how to act like a “good Christian”. I accepted Christ when I was seven at VBS, went to Sunday School and attended youth group regularly. However, it wasn’t until I went on my first short-term mission trip in 2001 where I began to realize the reality of God’s love for me. That’s when my world changed. The stories I once learned became a reality in my heart.

Recently, I have made one of the hardest moves back down to LA. Prior to moving, I believed with all my heart that God was calling me here, despite how difficult and painful this move away from my family, home, & security net would be. The move was beyond what I had anticipated. After 5 months, I’m reminded of God’s grace and love and how desperately we are all in need of it. I am able to see how His hand has been in every step of my life and how He will be the one guiding me through the rest. I am grateful for all the ups and the downs He has taken me through and my prayer is that at the end of the day I remember His faithfulness.

Real Testimonies: Ralph Ogata, "It Could Have Been Me"

2011-01-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

In the early ‘70’s, I was a young Air Force serviceman stationed in Turkey. As an unbeliever, and away from home for the first time, I wasn’t much different from other U.S. servicemen there. Some of us were interested in traveling around this unique country whenever we had a few days off. On one occasion, four of us were to drive down to the coast. At the last minute, I pulled out, and they went on without me. On their way back a couple of days later, they got into a car accident, and one of my friends was killed. I was stunned. This was the first time that someone my own age whom I personally knew had died suddenly. I mourned his lost, but I also started realizing my own vulnerability, especially since I could have died myself. What would have happened to me if I had died? I became more open to what God wanted to tell me. I began attending a small Baptist mission outside our base. There, I was introduced to a close-knit community of believers. Little by little, my many questions were answered, and the salvation plan was made plain to me. The Holy Spirit started convicting me of my sin, and I knew I needed to be saved. After unwavering conviction of my sins over several weeks, I finally gave up and prayed to accept Jesus into my life. It was the most important decision of my life, and I’m thankful I made the right choice.

Real Testimonies: Ivy Conklin, "My Life's Journey"

2011-01-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

“Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” Surrounded by loving Christian parents and family, how could I not believe? Grandpa carried me from the cry room to introduce me to worship; I was sure that God turned on His water faucets to cause rain; I pounded the table and shouted while playing preacher. At our South Los Angeles mission, daddy was preacher, mama, grandma and my aunt teachers, Sunday afternoons were to visit homes, hospitals and jails. Four days before my 10^th birthday came war. By light of one flickering candle during a blackout on Easter night, I was baptized. Teen years were camp meetings, youth choirs, youth activities, Loyal Workers, Christian Endeavor songfests. God equipped me, over and over, to serve Him and my churches: 5^th-6^th grade Sunday School teacher, superintendent, bulletin boards, banners, cakes, landscaping, scrubbing, waxing, treasurer, finance, congregational care, witnessing to Girl Scouts for 30 years. Now it seems He wants me to teach adults; with His help, I’m trying. God gave me treasures: my husband, four children, three grandchildren, and an internationally extended family. God traveled with us through 49 states, even to help build a church in Alaska. He put His arms around me the night our son Duane died, prayed with us the night our granddaughter Danielle battled a diabetic coma, grieved with us when our granddaughter Riki was killed. “Even when I am old and gray,” God has not forsaken me. He has blessed me, by taking away my terrible temper. But I’m not quite used up, so God isn’t finished with me yet.

Real Testimonies: Brandon Ng, "Seeds"

2010-12-29T08:19:00.000-08:00

Brandon Ng's testimony of how he grew and how he's been growing in his walk with God:

In my life so far, many seeds have been planted in me and I have been blessed with such great people who have helped me grow these seeds. I can say that my life has indeed flipped me upside down. When I was in junior high, I never thought I would choose the art field as a career. I never imagined that I would play guitar and bass on a worship team. I would have never guessed that I would be leading a youth group in worship. God has blessed me by putting people in my life that could help me grow my spiritual gifts and strengthen my understanding of who God really is. I never thought that a meeting of two people at a handball court during recess would lead me back to Trinity and branch out to learning how to play guitar, bass and how to worship throughout my daily life. These seeds in me are still growing and I know that God will be with me every step of the way.

I do not know what He has planned for me in the future, but it will probably be something unexpected. God is mysterious and a lot of times we never understand what is going on until the moment after your prayers are answered. In that moment, that is when you think back and say “God is so good”. If you are going through a rough time in your life right now, God will meet you when you least expect it. Just wait and believe.

How Can We Love Our Neighbors?

2009-10-20T14:37:00.000-07:00

Jesus says in John 13:35, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." The greatest commandment, according to our Lord, is to love God with every fiber of our being and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

What are some concrete ways we can show love our neighbors? Post your suggestions here! Here's some ideas to get you started.

Worshipping Through Prayer

2009-10-15T16:22:00.000-07:00

Gloria You, our Team Leader for Worship and Creative Arts Ministry, wrote this devotional on prayer:

"When we think about worship, we usually think music. However, the meaning of worship is veneration, adoration and giving worth to God etc. When the Samaritan woman was discussing worship with Jesus, she was only concerned about where she must go and worship. However, Jesus made it clear, “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such as these to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4: 23-24). How can we worship God in spirit and truth then? One of the ways that we know how Jesus constantly sought to be in tune with God was prayer. He was in spirit and truth by communicating with God through prayer. Prayer is an act of worship. If we don’t feel like singing praise songs, clapping hands, raising hands and so on, we just pray for ourselves and other people around us. We can worship God in many ways, besides using music.

"In fact, prayer must come first before we do other acts of worship. I remember working as a leader of a high school group, at my church in Korea. Before any worship service and any kind of meeting, I would be interceding for hours, on behalf of those who would be there that night. In fact, I literally cleaned the sanctuary before every service, and it was that time that I took to pray. I believed that prayer is a pleasing offering to God. So, God multiplied the group that I was leading and so many high school kids committed their lives to God. It didn’t take music or well-organized programs to attract the young people to the presence of God, but it was the intercessory prayers. When we have worship team rehearsal on Sunday morning at Trinity Church, it is very hectic sometimes and the rehearsal time gets delayed due to technological problems. Yet I always make sure that we pray for the worship service and for people, before the rehearsal. That’s the first act of our worship so that we will be in tune with God, and not only with music. I never want to compromise prayer for anything else. Otherwise, I am not worshipping God in spirit and truth. I appreciate your prayers, and every one of you are the worshippers!"

Walking to the Cross with Jesus, Day 5

2009-04-10T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's passage is just six verses long, but it represents a critical turning point in human history. After hours of excruciating pain, with a loud cry, Jesus breathes His last. And as He dies, we die with Him. The old self has been crucified to make way for the new. Our sins have been nailed to the cross, to be remembered by God no more. It is finished. Jesus has paid the price for our sins - in full. The centurion voices what we all know in our hearts: "Surely, this man was - and is - the Son of God." Read, reflect, pray, and be blessed.

- Pastor Albert

Mark 15:33-39

At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of those standing near heard this, they said, “Listen, he’s calling Elijah.” One man ran, filled a sponge with wine vinegar, put it on a stick, and offered it to Jesus to drink. “Now leave him alone. Let’s see if Elijah comes to take him down,” he said. With a loud cry, Jesus breathed his last. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, heard his cry and saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!”

Walking to the Cross with Jesus, Day 4

2009-04-09T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jesus has been given the most horrific sentence imaginable: death by crucifixion. As our Lord makes the slow, agonizing ascent to Calvary, forced to carry the instrument of His own death, we shudder at the humiliation He must endure for our sins. Witness His great mercy as nails are driven through His palms. Reflect on His humility and restraint as He is relentlessly spat upon, mocked, and insulted. Obedient unto death - even death on a cross - such is the great love that our Lord Jesus has for the Father and for us.

- Pastor Albert

Mark 15:16-32 (NIV)

The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!” Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him. A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means The Place of the Skull). Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each would get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The written notice of the charge against him read: THE KING OF THE JEWS. They crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Christ, this King of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him.

Walking to the Cross with Jesus, Day 3

2009-04-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Jesus has been arrested and turned over the the Roman authorities. Now, the hour of his death quickly approaching, Jesus stands before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor. As we stand in the room, watching our Lord's interrogation, one soul searching question stands out: "What is truth?" Read, reflect, pray, and be blessed.

- Pastor Albert

John 18:28-19:6 (NIV)

Then the Jews led Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness the Jews did not enter the palace; they wanted to be able to eat the Passover. So Pilate came out to them and asked, “What charges are you bringing against this man?” “If he were not a criminal,” they replied, “we would not have handed him over to you.” Pilate said, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” “But we have no right to execute anyone,” the Jews objected. This happened so that the words Jesus had spoken indicating the kind of death he was going to die would be fulfilled. Pilate then went back inside the palace, summoned Jesus and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “Is that your own idea,” Jesus asked, “or did others talk to you about me?” “Am I a Jew?” Pilate replied. “It was your people and your chief priests who handed you over to me. What is it you have done?” Jesus said, “My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place.” “You are a king, then!” said Pilate. Jesus answered, “You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” “What is truth?” Pilate asked. With this he went out again to the Jews and said, “I find no basis for a charge against him. But it is your custom for me to release to you one prisoner at the time of the Passover. Do you want me to release ‘the king of the Jews’?” They shouted back, “No, not him! Give us Barabbas!” Now Barabbas had taken part in a rebellion.

Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.” When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!” As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Walking to the Cross with Jesus, Day 2

2009-04-07T05:00:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we sat with Jesus as He shared one last Passover meal with His disciples, prior to His arrest. Today, we kneel together with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane as He pleads with His Father one last time: "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from Me." May you be richly blessed as you meditate on the humility and obedience of our Lord throughout the day.

- Pastor Albert

Matthew 26:36-46 (NIV)

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Rise, let us go! Here comes my betrayer!”

Walking to the Cross With Jesus, Day 1

2009-04-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I invited the congregation to "walk to the cross with Jesus" by meditating on a passage of Scripture every morning. I've selected passages that describe key moments in Jesus' journey to Calvary. Read the passage, pray about it, meditate on it throughout the day. God bless you.

- Pastor Albert

Matthew 26:17-30 (NIV)

On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, ‘The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.’” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover. When evening came, Jesus was reclining at the table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, “I tell you the truth, one of you will betray me.” They were very sad and began to say to him one after the other, “Surely not I, Lord?” Jesus replied, “The one who has dipped his hand into the bowl with me will betray me. The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.” Then Judas, the one who would betray him, said, “Surely not I, Rabbi?” Jesus answered, “Yes, it is you.” While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father’s kingdom.” When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

Choices

2009-04-01T13:18:00.000-07:00

Michael Au shares some thoughts on the choices we make:

"As I was going through my day I noticed that every day in our lives we are bombarded with choices left and right. Sometimes we can be so inundated with the amount of choices we feel overwhelmed. And unfortunately we have so many choices that we forget the most important one, that is to seek God first. I realized throughout my day the small choices I make lead to other choices and so forth. I also noticed that one bad choice tends to increase the probability of me of making another poor choice. For example, some days in the beginning of the year I would make one small choice to spend some time idly watching the television. I would sit for 30 minutes or so then I would make another choice to watch another 30 minute show. Then another show then another until it would start to dawn on me that I’d wasted 2 hours of my life to just satisfy my own desires. This feeling of guilt and lethargy would start to sink in so to alleviate that I would make another poor choice of going on the internet to play some computer games. A few hours spent there and then my relationship with God would grow distant. I would feel horrible so to make myself feel good emotionally I would choose another pleasure that I could enjoy myself in.

"This is what a typical day looks like when I don’t seek God first. It all started with a harmless choice of watching some TV. What I learned was that after watching that 30 minute show (the length isn't the emphasize but more of the the attitude/motive) the first thing I should have done was consciously make the decision to turn it off, knowing that not doing so would affect my relationship with God. Personally for me, when I’ve engaged too much in the world for a moderate duration of time my relationship with God starts to wane. A verse pops into my mind which is, "Everything is permissible for me" - but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me" - but I will not be mastered by anything (1 Cor. 6:12 NIV). This is Paul speaking about sexual immorality but this can also be applied to the freedom God has given us. I can watch TV, but it may not be beneficial to my soul; I can still play video games, but I may not be able to control myself once I play it for too long. What do you consider to be permissible in your life but have a hard time mastering, thereby affecting your relationship with God?

"So it all comes down to the choices we make it life. Prayer is a choice as well. Do we make the time for God to pray to him in the first place? If we don’t, then I suggest that we need to re-examine our priorities and detach ourselves from some of the worldly things that consume our time with God. Prayer is a choice that we make. We either talk with God or we choose to just talk with ourselves without including our creator in our decisions. I’m not saying we must talk to God constantly but that we need to be in His presence and power when we make all the choices we face each day. I ask that when we feel distant to God at times that we re-examine our hearts and attitudes and then go back to our Father in love and because we just want intimacy with Him. Somehow God convicts us ever so slightly when we make a bad choice, then sends an even bigger conviction when we continue to make unwise choices. That’s the power of the Holy Spirit."

The Lord's Prayer

2009-02-25T17:50:00.001-08:00

Ivy Conklin wrote in response to last Sunday's sermon:

"It was a thrill to pray together the Lord's Prayer last Sunday! And it stirred a lot of memories. Like how most Protestant churches have thrown out the liturgy (because it was Catholic?), but most have kept the tradition of saying this prayer together every time they worship. How it makes us feel bound together and knowing we're in the right place when we visit most any church anywhere. This is the first time I've heard it used from the NIV, which I never memorized.

"It reminded me of Margaret Wall who attended our Montebello church every Sunday. Margaret was born deaf. Several members of United Methodist Women attended Peggy Metz' classes at Beverly Towers to learn sign language. Ellie Mires became very proficient, and it became her mission to sit with Margaret on Sundays. When Ellie couldn't be there she asked one of us. It was a tough assignment to keep Margaret in the same place as the rest of the congregation, but it made us feel so useful. The minister printed out the sermon and prayers; music and readings were in the hymn book; order of worship was in the bulletin. Of course Margaret knew the Lord's Prayer, and recited every word. Whenever I hear the Lord's Prayer I hear Margaret's voice, sometimes echoing just a syllable behind the rest of us."

"When Will the Sun Stop Hiding?"

2009-01-23T08:52:00.000-08:00

Desiree Wong, our Pastoral Intern for Children's Ministry, was inspired by a preschooler's question to write this devotional:

"Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds..." - Genesis 9:14

Today I had one of my preschoolers asked me "Mrs. Desiree', is the sun ok?" I didn't understand..."Hmm...what do you mean 'is the sun ok'?"...His response was "Well, I just wondered if it was ok..." It occured to me that it was cloudy and gray outside and he wondered if the sun was "okay" because he couldn't really see it. "Yes, the sun is ok, it's just hiding behind the clouds today." He was quite concerned with the sun and when it would stop hiding. I love that...It makes me think...Life brings plenty of clouds, plenty of rain, but am I still shining even through the clouds and the rain? Have I not "built my house on solid rock"? I've heard rains and storms used as metaphors a million times, but today as my student asked me if the sun was okay I paused to think how life is just like that. We hide behind the clouds, we hide behind the rain, we try to stand firm on our rocks and when the rain stops and the sun comes back out to shine what do we see? Beautiful rainbows...I know it sounds cheesy, but it's so true...Yet, how many times have I faced something cloudy or stormy only to end up forgetting to look for the rainbow? Beauty can be missed so easily by focusing on the wrong things. Take time today to remember your storms and revisit or even search for your rainbows

And just to make you smile, here's one of my students versions of Luke 1:37-"For nothing is impossible with guns." Hahahaha...you gotta love the three year olds! :)

Praying For Our New President

2009-01-21T13:53:00.000-08:00

Hello friends,

With the inauguration of a new president, let us not forget to lift our leaders up in prayer regularly. Let us intercede in the same spirit as this thoughtful prayer, written on behalf of President Obama.

A Prayer for President Obama

God bless,
Pastor Albert

Life-Saving Prayer

2009-01-20T15:35:00.000-08:00

Brad Yeung shared this amazing story a little while back. It still gives me goose bumps:

Yesterday in mid-morning, while returning home after visiting their younger sister Winnie in Las Vegas, my wife Karen and her older sister Colleen experienced brake failure while going downhill. Colleen tried pumping the brakes and changing gears (it's an automatic) but to no avail. Although this whole incident lasted only a few minutes, at the time it seemed to stretch for miles and miles with no end in sight except for the prospect of a really bad crash.

With an increasing speed (last noticed at 110 mph) and even driving on the shoulder to avoid hitting other cars, they became desperate. Discussions of how to crash the car to maximize their chances of survival were punctuated with several cries of "God help us!" Karen said to herself that the next time she would see me would be from a hospital bed. Then a thought flashed in her head about a discussion I once had with her about using the parking brake in an emergency. Colleen pulled on it and the car started to slow down and gradually stopped. God had answered their prayer! There were no injuries - just a lot of rattled nerves.

They were eventually towed to the near-by city of Victorville where the Honda dealer replaced the master brake cylinder, and the remainder of their trip went without incident.

Deliberate Time With God

2009-01-15T17:30:00.000-08:00

Michael Au writes on prayer:

Over the past few weeks I realized that prayer is really a discipline that God wants us to practice on a continual daily basis. The word discipline has some negative connotations to it but as we know the word disciple comes from the word discipline. Jesus said in Luke 9:23, ""If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." This command from Jesus reminds us how important it is to make that daily commitment to follow him. I believe it's very difficult to follow him when we don't spend our time in prayer with him. Days without prayer can be make us feel very lifeless. A mantra that I like to keep in my heart is "hard to easy, or easy to hard." I find that when I spend that morning time, no matter how hard it is to wake up a little earlier or how much I don't feel like praying, I always find my day is so much easier when I set apart some time just for Him. On the other hand it's much easier for me to snooze my alarm to get more sleep but the sacrifice is precious morning time with Him. I then wake up and am late to whatever I need to do causing me to be in a rush during the morning. And due to not praying my day is so much harder because I'm not in tune with the Spirit. Some of you may be saying well can't you just pray throughout the day, and not do the quiet times? I'm sure that you can, but I guarantee that your spiritual life will not be the full measure of what God has in store for you. This is because God has given time for us to give back unto him. Not just in service and love to others, but in service and love to Him in prayer! There are also days where I do pray passionately and my day is still not the best, but the chances of that happening are very rare. I encourage you all to make a habit of regular quiet time to experience more of God's sustaining and mighty power.

I'm also sure God doesn't mind what time of the day we pray to him. Jesus prayed in the morning and in the night. The most important thing is that God wants us to make that time for him. We always say, "seek first his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Mt 6:33), and we can show God that we truly do seek Him by making that deliberate time in prayer with him.

God as the Potter

2009-01-13T10:56:00.000-08:00

Bonnie Lee sends in this inspiring story:

As many of you know, ceramics is a great passion for me. In 2000, I took a ceramics/clay class series as part of my transition into retirement. Working with clay is so relaxing, timeless and fulfilling. Like a good friend, clay is nonjudgmental, goes along with whatever I want to do and is always there regardless of how I treat it! Like key lime pie, I love clay. I now realize that it was God’s plan for me that this ceramic/clay experience would be continually used to soften my heart and to spur a deeper relationship with Him.

For Christmas 2008, I decided to make 12 ceramic plaques (e.g., peace dove with an olive branch and the Bible verse about God calling us to live in peace) as Christmas gifts. It took about 3 weeks of careful planning, detailing, burnishing and preparation for the first kiln firing. When I opened the kiln after the first firing, I saw that every plaque was broken – into small pieces and dust! I was so disappointed and cried that all my effort became crumbled clay. What happened? I later realized I had not properly stacked and supported the 12 plaques in the kiln. Well, instead of 12 beautiful plaques, I baked 12 pumpkin breads for Christmas gifts.

I see us as those broken crumbled pieces of clay – not worth repairing, discarded clay and not good for any purpose. It would have taken me more than a lifetime to try and repair those plaques so they would be ‘perfect’ gifts. It wasn’t worth the thought to make such as effort. I trashed them.

But I've learned that God, the real ‘Potter’, sees us differently. God deeply cares about our brokenness. He senses our pain and hopelessness in our brokenness. But, thanks be to God!! God repairs our brokenness and makes us new and perfect in his image and for his purposes. His love and his investment in each one of us are steadfast and full of intent.

When I see the Potter’s love activated in each of you, how can I not see God’s passionate desire to want us to eternally fellowship with Him? Jesus made it possible for this relationship to happen.

God, indeed, is our Potter. The potter is in total control of his clay – from his very first image of our total being – to molding, glazing, firing and then – to the final complete product and presentation. God seeks joy and delight in his creations. It is very good.

A few years ago, I made a very personalized ceramic planter for my hairstylist. She commented to me that when she sees this specific ceramic piece that is displayed in her kitchen, she does not see the design on the pot but remembers and reflects thoughts of me (the one who created it). Thus, it is the same that we should remember God as our Potter.

Godly Legacy

2009-01-12T12:11:00.000-08:00

Eenar Lee wrote this great devotional:

“God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man's design and skill.” ~ Acts 17:27-29

As we approach the end of the year, I often reflect on my "accomplishments" for the year. The following is my list for 2008:
1. My daughter started school
2. I became a co-life group leader.
(The End)

This year's list seems surprisingly short....previous years, there are big events such as graduations, new job, child birth, wedding, move, or even divorce, sickness/death in the family, etc. As years pass, I have fewer and fewer "accomplishments" I can show for.

Here are my stats: I'm working, renting and single parenting. I rush between work, daycare/school and home everyday. On good days, my daughter will have a home made dinner (and leftovers for lunch), most days, it's PB&J for Breakfast and lunch and something store bought for dinner. On weekends, we juggle between family, church and errands. My excuse to myself and my daughter always has been, I'm sorry, I don't have time, if only I didn't have to work. I'm sorry, you can't buy that, if only I made more money. I'm sorry; we can't go, if only we had more energy. I'm sorry we can't..., if only...
It dawned on me.. that's my legacy this year "I'm sorry, we can't...., if only...."
This is NOT what I want my daughter to learn from me. This is not how I want my friends to think of me. This is not how I want my family to see me - as someone who's always finding excuse for her circumstances.

Then I wonder: What kind of legacy will I be leaving for my daughter? How much have I grown? Is there anything I have done this year that people or my daughter to remember me as me?

As a Christian, I try to live my motto as I'm here for a purpose. God sent me here to be a blessing to those around me. I'm not here to be popular, I'm not here to conquer the universe, I'm not here to discover the unknown, but I am here to be the light of the world. I want my daughter, friends and family to say, Eenar was a good mother, a good daughter, a good aunt, a good friend and most of all a good Christian. I want my behavior to reflect that. I want people to remember me as "Eenar cared about me, made my life brighter, or better, or more blessed, or more joyful."

I think that I can achieve that by appreciating my surroundings, my family, and my friends. Instead of rushing the very minute I wake up. I can be thankful for a peaceful night. I can be thankful for my daughter (who is still sound asleep)- for her health and her bright smile. For a blessed day to look forward to. Before I hit the road, I should think about all the other drivers who are also on the road fighting to get themselves to school or work. Think that some patience and consideration would make my drive and their drive so much more pleasant. While dropping my daughter off at school, instead of running in and out, I can stay and make sure my daughter is comfortable, smile at one of her care-takers, say hi to another parent or their child. At work, rather than complaining about the workload, gossips with other employees, I am thankful that I have a job that pays for bills and expenses. I focus on my work and think of how lives my work can affect. At night, I can spend more time with my daughter going through her day at school, our plans, read some stories, and sing off-tune veggie-tale tunes in the shower. Before bedtime, we can pray and be thankful for an eventful, fun, exciting day and thank God for being with us every step of the way. And pray that others will also experience God as we have. Love God as we do. And thank God for who He is.

Whether you're 15 or 85, through our actions, temperament, words, behavior, we leave a legacy. I pray that our legacy is one which reflects God's image and whom God has created us to be.

Dad's Greatest Treasure

2009-01-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

George Wong sent in this moving testimony:

"One blessing of growing old is that you can look back and see how God has worked in your life. One of my favorite verses is Rom. 8:28. My dad became ill with cancer in the early 1970s. He was not a church going person. One Sunday the Chinese speaking service had a pastor from Indonesia who spoke at their service. May Fong invited him and they came over to the house where dad was in the last stages of his fight with cancer. Pastor Iman presented the Gospel in my father's dialect to him and prayed the sinner's prayer with him. My dad was always very hard of hearing and the cancer was in his nasal area which by then had impacted his vision, swallowing, and probably even his brain. Yet because of his having cancer, God used this as an avenue for my dad to hear the Gospel and respond positively to it. This probably would never have happened if he had been healthy. This story reflects the power of the Gospel and how God uses people for kingdom purposes. Dad worked hard all his life but the greatest treasure he received was in the last few days of his life, and that was the only thing he took with him into eternity."