Th Bible tells us in James chapter 4, that life is a vapor.  “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.”

Life sure goes by quickly.  It’s seems like only yesterday I was a new graduate from Damien Memorial High School, as it was called back then, ready to prove to the world that I was indeed somebody.  Well that was 37 years ago and while I didn’t become a famous, rich superstar like Steve Tyler, I met the most powerful person ever and even became part of His family and that is none other than Jesus.  My life has truly become different now.

As I face the future, I’m glad my life is different.  I face it with confidence knowing the God I serve is well able to take care of me and provide all that I have need of for my family, my ministry and my life.  We live in very exciting times.  There are mega great things happening and there are also mega tragedies taking place.  The recent earthquake and tsunami in the land of my ancestors, Japan, is a tragedy beyond comprehension. Yet, my God can heal this too.

Over the years I have witnessed many things.  Not as much as some of you and much more than others. One thing stands true, life is exciting, you never know what is going to happen next. But one thing remains constant,  God and His love and mercy for us who believe in Him. Let’s draw close to Him in these days ahead.  Let’s trust Him in all the things we face.  Life’s Different Now but definitely for the better with Jesus!

Readiness in giving and freedom from meanness or smallness of mind or character are attributes that would greatly make a difference in our communities.  The Bible says this about being generous: There is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, but it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich, and he who waters will also be watered himself. (Proverbs 11:24-25 NKJV)

We can be made rich if we are generous.  Now when I say rich, I’m talking  about the generosity type of rich.  Yes we should prosper to bless others but, not being mean, now that’s rich.  I know some well off people who are mean.  In fact, I know mean Christians, but to be free from meanness, that’s what I call very prosperous.

Prosperity is not just having stuff.  It’s having prosperous relationships, prosperous health and great peace of mind.  It’s living life to the fullest.  Generosity opens the door to this kind of life.  It doesn’t mean we won’t have any challenges, but it does mean we can face those challenges in a much better position and win.

So let’s start today to live a generous life.  Let’s implement generosity in everything we do.  Watch what happens.  Generosity, let’s live it.

In the beginning, in the book of Genesis, God told Adam that he could freely eat of all the trees in the garden except one.  That tree was the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  In verse 8 of Genesis chapter 2, the Bible tells us that God made every tree that was pleasant to the sight and good for food.  The tree of the knowledge of good and evil was probably the most pleasant to the sight because it caught the attention of the man and woman and the serpent was able to use that.  It was you could say the best tree in the garden but, it was God’s tree.

When Cain and Able brought their offerings to the Lord, Cain brought just that, an offering, while Abel brought his best.  The firstborn with the “fat” or in other words, the best portion of the best he had.  It was his first fruits and it pleased God.  After the flood, the first thing that Noah did was offer the best he had in the ark to God (it was the best in world also).  The Bible tells us that it was a sweet smelling aroma to God.  First fruits!  Abram gave a tithe of all to Melchizedek after the battle from his spoils.  First fruits!  Abraham also went to offer his only son Isaac to God because God commanded him to, which actually was a test, but it was Abraham’s best.  First fruits!

In the New Testament we see Jesus talking about seeking the Kingdom first. If you do that, God will take care of all the things that you and I need.  When we put God first, it’s first fruits.  So you see, first fruits is a principle that is threaded throughout the Bible.  When we bring our first fruits to God, we are honoring Him with something that represents our lives.  The tithe is a first fruit of our finances.  It’s a tenth.  And what that does is puts all of us on the same level no matter what our economic status.  It’s all the same to God.  Ten percent of a dollar and ten percent of a million is still ten percent. Now that’s cool.  Paul tells us to come weekly and bring a gift storing up as we prosper. (1 Cor. 16:2) The NIV tells us that it’s according to each ones income.  That’s the tithe and it’s first fruits.  So it’s not about have to or it’s required.  It’s about honoring God with our first fruits.  Not only financially, but with our time and our talents too.  Let’s make it our life’s aim to honor God with our first fruits.

Check this out, Jesus said it, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep”. (John 10:9-11)

The abundant life doesn’t come by us working for it or pressuring out about it, it comes from a relationship with Jesus.  He came that we would experience this life that is abundant!  When we really make Jesus the Lord of our lives, abundant living becomes a by-product of it.  We have peace that passes understanding because we know what to focus our life on.

Things, you know the stuff that can consume us all the time, don’t mean the same because in the major scope of life they are not worth pressuring about.  Abundant living comes about when we totally surrender to to God.  So let’s get about living life abundantly for Jesus!

Many years ago, I was an automobile mechanic and along with a close friend opened a repair shop on the island of Maui.  The first thing we had to do was get legal advise supplied by an attorney.  Then we had to find a place for our shop which was supplied by a commercial landlord.  We needed shop equipment and found a supplier on Oahu that could get all the equipment we needed.  After that was a part inventory that we found a supplier for.  We needed office equipment and invoices which came from another supplier.  You see without these suppliers, the business wouldn’t get off the ground.

Philippians 4:19 says this, “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” God is our ultimate Supplier.  He is the only One able to provide everything you and I need to live life to its fullest.  He can supply finances when there are none to be found.  He can supply healing when the doctors don’t know what is going on.  He can supply wisdom when we are facing overwhelming circumstances.  God is our Supplier!

One thing that God can provide that is really amazing is peace when we should be full of anxiety.  Today we live in a fast paced ever changing world.  Situations seem to be changing minute by minute.  To be able to face life with a peace in our hearts is simply fantastic.  Instead of stress, peace.  Instead of physical complications brought on by outside pressure, peace.  My Supplier which is yours too, can supply everything that is needed for you and I to have the abundant life promised to us in the Bible. (See John 10:10)

Let’s stay in contact with our Supplier.  Let’s keep His way in front of us continually so He can supply all we have need of.  I’m thankful that God is our Supplier!

Even though my dad was great, God is the ultimate Dad! He is there when we do good and He’s there when we blow it.  He loves us no matter what. In the Gospel of Luke chapter 15, there’s the story of the prodigal son.  He was the younger of two sons who took his dads inheritance and spent it on prodigal living.  The word prodigal means wasteful or recklessly extravagant.  He blew his money on wild living.  This probably broke his dad’s heart.

As Jesus continues, a famine hit and the wild son went broke and ending up slopping pigs starving because of no food.  He comes to his senses and decides to go home to become a servant of his dad because his dad’s servants were living better than him.  He’s decided to humble himself and ask for forgiveness.  His dad sees him coming home and rushes to greet him.  No servant position for him.  He puts a robe on him, a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet and makes a feast to celebrate his son’s homecoming.

After all the wrong his son did, the father is happy and excited to see him.  That’s the heart of the Father.  It’s the heart of God.  Now the older son was not happy.  He told his dad that he never did anything wrong and was never treated like that with a feast and all.  But the dad reminded him that everything he owned belonged to this older son. We should celebrate because your brother who was lost is found!

You see the heart of God is that none perish or are left out.  It’s that same heart that we need to have this Father’s Day.  Not just the dads but all of us Christ-followers.  The Heart of the Father that is quick to forgive, not hold grudges.  Quick to restore, not condemn.  Let’s have that Heart of the Father.

As all of you are aware, I hope, 2010 is an election year here in our state of Hawaii.  This is the year that we elect a new administration as a new governor will take office.  Most if not all of the State House seats are up for grabs.  Many of the Senate is up too.  The state faces many challenges in the economy, in education and in it’s policies.  No, this is not a political endorsement, it’s a call for the everyone to stand up and be counted.

We are fortunate to have been placed in a country that allows the people to make their voice heard through voting.  I hear many, including Christians, complaining about our government, our economy and so forth and yet many still don’t vote.  There is no reason why people shouldn’t exercise their right to vote.

Now I know that the main issue sometimes is there is no one to vote for.  Well, we need to pray that good people, with integrity and character, will answer the call to run for office.  I know sometimes I struggle with that issue of not believing in the candidates. However, I still vote.  And I still believe for good people to run.  People have given their lives to make sure you and I have this right.  I’m not going to forget that.

So this year, stand up and be counted.  If you’ve never voted, register.  If you’re registered, vote.  Find out who are the best people for the job and do your part to form our future by voting. The Bible tells us to not only be hearers but doers of the Word.  I know that’s talking about the things of God. But the principle can be used in every area.  If we don’t do what we should, then our lives will be wasted.  Let’s do this in 2010.  Let’s make use of our right to vote and not let this opportunity pass us by.  Stand up and be counted!

Nowadays, when watching the game, there are times microphones eavesdrop into the various teams huddles during timeouts.  It’s during these sessions that I often hear the coaches tell their players, work the ball in, get it to so and so, take the shot and make it count.

Make it count!  Don’t just take a chance, make it count.  Champions always make what they do count, no matter what the sport.  Whether it’s Kobe Bryant or Ray Allen in basketball or Serena Williams in tennis or Ray Lewis in football or Michael Phelps in the Olympics, all champions make it count.

You an I are champions!  The Bible tells us this,  “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” (2 Corinthians 2:14-15 NKJV)  Because of what Jesus did for us on the cross, we always triumph and therefore, we are champions!

Now remember what I said, champions always make it count.  I can hear our “Coach” telling us to get out there in the world, take the shot at life and make it count. God has given us everything we need to make a difference in someone’s life.  We only have one shot at life.  We are not coming back as someone or something else.  We got one shot.  Someone once said, it’s the dash that counts.  What?  When we have gone on to be with the Lord, our tombstones, or memorial notice will have on it, 1946-2020 (just an example, don’t get worried if your born in 1946). That dash between the dates represents our lives.  What we do with the dash is what counts.

Let’s make our dash.  Let’s be concerned about others more than ourselves.  Let’s touch the world for Jesus one life at a time.  When you and I do these things, live with this attitude of serving others, our lives count to the people we touch and to God.  Jesus is King of king and Lord of lords not just because He’s God, but because He came as a man and laid down His life so you and I can live!  His life, definitely counted.

We are supposed to be like Jesus.  Our lives count when we lay it down for others.  Not when we become successful and make a “name” but when we don’t even get public recognition and help others. Let’s be the champions we are.  Let’s take this one shot at life and make it count!

The word challenging means: something that by its nature or character serves as a call to battle, contest, special effort, etc.  Something that calls us to battle, or to contest.  Something that requires us to take special effort to overcome.  Not the same old stuff that has become routine.  Something that will require us to call on God for creative solutions.  Now to me, that’s exciting!

Life is invigorating when we have opportunity to be part of the solution to the problems that haunt society as a whole.  It’s challenging and yet, exciting.  I think of the issues we’re facing; the economy, lack in the educational system, the breakdown of the family unit, violence, drug usage, abuse, and so on and it occurs to me that God has the answer and we know Him.  Jeremiah 33:3 says this, ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ (NIV)  Wow, He’s ready to help us.  He tells us to not be afraid because He’s with us and He will help us. (See Isaiah 41:10)

How can we lose with God on our side?  It’s impossible, God has never been defeated.  Even when they crucified Jesus and thought it was over, God won.  Jesus rose from the dead and death and sin were conquered.  If that’s the God we serve, and it is, challenging become opportunities for God to show Himself strong on our behalf.  Here’s the challenging part, no pun intended, we need to do something.  We need to get out of the boat and walk on water.  We need to take on the giant.  We need to face the fiery furnaces. We need to stand between the living and the dead so the death stops. We need to say, “Here I am Lord, use me”.

Here’s something that we can do to get out “feet wet”.  Vote!  Make our voice heard.  Vote!  Well, it’s not going to change anything, just one vote.  A lot of votes is only a whole bunch of one votes.  Your vote matters so exercise your privilege to vote. Doesn’t sound like much of a challenge does it?  Yet many don’t even take that on and then worry about the other stuff.  However some are taking this challenge head on and running for office. We need to pray for them that God will answer their call to Him for wisdom.

We can accept the challenge and get involved in community issues such as the homeless issue, school concerns, and so forth in order to make God’s voice heard.  Excitement comes when challenges are accepted.  It’s exciting when a champion takes on a challenger.  That’s so cool!  We are champions because of Jesus!  We are being challenged by all the problems of life.  Champions don’t shrink back and pray that this will all go away.  NO!  Champions get excited because a challenger has shown up!

Let’s not shrink back at the challenging times.  Let’s stand and see God work.  We are more than conquerors through Him!  Yes, it’s challenging times but it’s exciting!

Well the world is basically everything that is driven by our senses.  The Bible tells us that it’s the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life (see 1 John 2:16).  It also says in that verse that these things are not from the Father but from the world.  So when we live our lives based on senses or the drive to be numero uno, we are looking like everyone else and worse yet, we act like everyone else.

Now look at the definition of the word transform.  It means: to change in form, appearance or structure; metamorphose.  It also means to change in condition, nature or character.  Did you notice that both definitions have a common word?  That’s right, CHANGE.  Let’s look at that word.  Change means to make the form, nature, content, future course, etc., of (something) different from what it is or from what it would be if left alone.

Okay, I’m with you, it would be much easier and much more painless to just leave things the way they are.  Just leave it alone.  However, that would mean we forfeit growth for the sake of comfort.  God doesn’t want us to live a mundane life of same old, same old.  He wants you and I to live life to it’s fullest!  After all, He has given us everything that pertains to life and Godliness.  Jesus did say that He came that we would have life more abundantly.  If we want our lives to be awesome, we cannot settle for routine. We need to embrace change.

To embrace change means you and I have to get out of our comfort zones and do what the Word of God tells us to do.  Is it easy? No. Is it rewarding? Definitely YES!  Lining our lives up with God’s Word means messing with the way we have done things all of our lives until now.  It means changing some of our traditions, our mindsets and yes even our opinions. It means getting rid of some of our bad attitudes and giving up “getting even” rights.  But as we embrace change, our lives transform into something we would have never thought possible. Our lives changed lives will  prove how good God is.

I used to be full of hopelessness, now I’m full of hope.  I used to be afraid of failing, now I’m afraid of not going for it.  You see, like you God has changed me but He never forced me to change.  I had to embrace change.  When I made the decision to embrace change, life started transforming. Am I done?  Far from it but I keep on pushing for transformation in my life.

Let’s embrace change. We will all be glad in the end that we did.