Monthly Archives: March 2010

this Easter Sunday..

If you need a church for Sunday, please come and check us out.

Welcome to the first spring season of a brand new decade. Our unceasing prayer for you is that no matter where you are in life, God will reveal himself and elevate you to even greater tomorrows. God’s will for you in the midst of what has been called the “Great Recession” is his “Great Elevation.” He wants to lift you way above “what was” and “what is” and bring you into what “can be” and what “shall be.”

This will be the focus of our upcoming Easter services from sunup to sundown on April 4, themed, “The God of Many Tomorrows.” The Grace Bible Church Pearlside family would like to invite you, your friends and loved ones to this very special celebration. Featured will be the past media profiled story of Pearlside’s own Randy Hirohama, whose miraculous rescue from death in the open seas and recent physical healing present just some of the hope filled moments coming that day.

Songs of hope to frame God’s presence, a children’s moment to touch the heart, a classic keiki Easter Egg Hunt and a flash of creative drama will frame what we believe to be a time that will birth you into a higher tomorrow.

To prepare the way for Easter Sunday, join us on Friday, April 2, for our Good Friday service. This experience will possess a youthful, yet multi-generational energy aimed at harnessing God’s power to open heaven’s door to this weekend of hope. Featured will be Bryan Yamashita, father, educator, and coach, whose wife Asa lost her life to a tragic random attack one year ago.

Below is the full slate of services scheduled for our Easter weekend:

Friday, April 2 – Good Friday Service
AT 7:30 PM

Sunday, April 4 – Easter Celebration Services
7:30 AM, 9:00 AM, 10:45 AM & 6:00 PM

You complete me..

KGKL flashback

James 1:3-5

“because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.”

2 Corinthians 12:9

“But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”

“You complete me.” We’ve all heard or said this one before. The question is, what is completing you? Is it a boy? Perhaps a girl. Or maybe you find happiness in partying, clubbing, alcohol, sex or some other activity.

Okay, now let’s take it back a step. What makes us feel incomplete? Where did that feeling come from? Well it could have come from a variety of places:

The past: a broken relationship: you gave your heart away and for some reason or another, that relationship ended in ways you wouldn’t of liked and left your heart with voids and scars.

The present: Stress. Expectations. Lack of purpose or motivation. Sometimes we feel so overwhelmed that we don’t know what to do in life. Many times over, we feel like giving up and taking the “easy” way out.

The future: Can I get this job? How am I going to pay my bills? Ohh the worries..

Now, where did all these voids, sense of incompleteness come from?

answer: The world..full of temporary fixes..

The solution: Allow God to fill the voids in your life. Allow Him to be that missing puzzle piece and complete you. The world is full of temporariness, but the joy only God can give last forever.

How do I know? Because I am a living testimony. So my plea to you, draw near to Him and I promise you He will do the same.

Jesus Loves You

i choose You..

-Alpha Pallarca: Team KGKL and co-founder of Shine Brightly for Christ

Follow the crown not the crowd.

Remember that as God’s chosen people, we are of this world but we are not of this world.

As Christians, we are aliens and strangers in this so called earth. This is not our home. We should not feel comfortable in this place. Our citizenship is in heaven.

We should not be indulging ourselves with all the pleasure that this world has to offer. We should not be lusting over materials things that can’t fully satisfy our heart’s cravings.

Look at the cross. Fix your eyes on heaven.  That is where your heart should be.

“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Matthew 6:21

As for me, I am constantly trying to defy the ways and allure of this world. “Lord, I chose you over the world. Because You’re all I need”

concluding “I love-lust you”

Thank you all for taking the time to come to our ministry and delight in your latest series. Love and lust are on opposite sides of the relationship spectrum and it’s important to distinguish both so you can tell whether you’re in a healthy relationship or not.

A few things to look back on.

“If God is Love… Then why not ask HIM for advice 
when it comes to understanding what TRUE LOVE is? 
Going to anyone else is like going to a Honda
 Dealership for a Volkswagen part.”

“FUN FACT: Boys follow incentives. 

If you date a boy while he’s still a boy, guess what? He’ll stay a boy. This is because you REWARD HIM 
before he has a chance to grow up. BUT if you make a boy WAIT and become a MAN before 
he can date you, this will eliminate the odds of you dating a jerk! 
Believe it or NOT, guys who are made to WAIT are far more likely 
to be faithful to you, than the average guy!”

“This world or for some people, singleness is viewed as a negative thing but when you have come to meet the love and grace of the Lord, singleness becomes a precious gift from God. It is a very important season in your life to grow in your relationship with your ultimate lover, king and Lord.”

“But most importantly, you ultimately have a God who sees and knows everything — your desires, your emotions, your heart. If all else fails in this world, know that He will be your valentine…”

“People all over the world struggle with not only lust but sexual impurity and there are numerous testimonies from both men and women in which small compromises lead to regret and heartbreak. Lust can never be satisfied. As soon as the object of lust is attained, it craves something more. People that don’t have the discipline to stop become trapped in a never ending pursuit of wrong desires, always reaching for something that can not be quenched.”

“To strive for Holiness, we need to constantly eliminate any kind of impurity in our hearts. Reach into your heart and take out that greed of lust that is constantly  looking for a new sexual thrill. Starve the flesh, feed the spirit.”

Stay tuned for new series and pieces from Team KGKL and friends.

Delight yourself in the ways of the Lord..

reflection..

Real stories, real people..

A BIG “thank you” to everyone would sent us stories or e-mails regarding the series, but this is the last “reflection” post.

Contributed–Brittany Asam. Aiea, Hawaii

Attraction -> Infatuation -> Comfort/Conflict Phase -> Mature♥Love.

This is so true, no matter what situation your in, friends & relationship it goes for both…

Relationship Wise–

Attraction- Jaw droppin’, speechless, can’t stop looking, starting to develop feelings and then the “i like you”.
Infatuation- can’t get them out of your mind, wanting to text/call at anytime of day, hear from them, and see how their day went, what are you doing, i miss you’s etc.
Comfort- Start getting used to the way things are, talking to them day&night, night till morning, being able to be your own self, and show how real you really are, and accepting the fact that your sleeping schedule got adjusted.
Conflict- Choices and Emotions begin to get tested. Picking fights, break up to make ups, so used to each other, the REAL you comes out, and things begin to change, which leads to “i miss the way things used to be”. “he/she’s not the same person” Questioning, WAS THIS EVEN WORTH IT?
Mature Love- Fighting through everything. seeing each others mistakes, accepting each others flaws, and PASSING and OVERCOMING all the emotions and conflicts, will make the feelings you both have for each other STRONGER, and will make you realize love is to be VULNERABLE.

Friendship Wise–

Attraction- Meeting each other and Getting to know each other.
Infatuation- Wanting to hang out, talk story with them, finding likes & dislikes, and what you both have in common.
Comfort- Opening up with them, sharing personal things, and talking about life it self.
Conflict- Getting mad, sometimes not accepting each’s flaws all the time. pointing fingers, and putting the blame. saying stuff like ” do you see how your acting?” “why you gotta be like that for” “why did you do that” “Look at you, i wouldn’t be talking”.
Mature Love- leads towards True friendship. and seeing how REAL your friendship really is. by forgiving, and loving them, accepting each other for who they are, leaving the past the past, not comparing, being real with them, speaking truth, catching them when their falling, and seeing their blindside, as they see yours.

Overall, in both Relationship and Friendships, the only way it can be successful is when BOTH are SELFLESS. If your selfish you’d jump from relationship to relationship, trying to find happiness for your own self, without thinking of the other person you hurt before going to the next boy/girl on your list. Jumping from relationship to relationship, wouldn’t matter, you still WON’T find satisfaction in any of them. You’ll be going through the SAME EXACT CYCLE, with different girls/boys, leaving one for another and STILL wouldn’t be able to find the Happiness/Satisfaction your wanting and looking for. which will make you “GIVE UP ON LOVE, & QUESTION :WHAT IS LOVE?”. DON’T BE EMOTION DRIVEN, but LOVE SELFLESSLY. Being selfless, is not thinking ONLY about what you want, and what makes only you happy. [Vise-Versa]

–I’ve come to realize, *Love is such a strong word. When we were just little kids, we always thought that love was all about hugs, kisses and happiness. But as we grow older we’ve also come to realize that love isn’t just about happiness; its also about rejections, tears, and riding through the pain each heartaches brings.

Through it all, Life it self, has many up’s and down’s. Life’s a current. You get pushed back and forth and go against the waves, trying to paddle back on shore. To feel SAFE. To feel SECURE. it’s a Roller Coaster. Life is a RollerCoaster, Wouldn’t you want to ride life, WITH someone, or go alone?

Be SELFLESS. Be SUCCESSFUL. Be SATISFIED. Be READY for the RIDE (:

Love IS a choice not an emotion; Love is PATIENT. Love is KIND. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps NO records of wrongs. it always PROTECTS, always TRUSTS, always HOPES, always PERSEVERES. *LOVE NEVER FAILS… [1Corinthians 13:4-5, 7-8 ]

SELFLESS WOMAN + SELFLESS MAN = The definition of trueLOVE ♥.

*BEAUTIFUL THINGS BEGIN IN HARD PLACES! So… NEVER GIVE UP, that’s the MYSTERY of KEEPING LOVE = A fight WORTH fighting FOR <3

Well said Brittany, well said indeed..

reflection..

Impacted by the “I Love–lust you” series?

If you have any stories, comments, or testimonies about how this series may of or not helped you, we would like to hear..

Real stories, real people..

Contributed–Jane L. New York, New York

It is a very common question, “How can I tell I’m in love?”, but at times, I really ask myself “what the hell have I gotten myself into?” At times, I get confused whether it’s a fling, infatuation or I just got into it with a guy for his body. It never was about pressure about getting into a relationship, but to get that “wanting” feeling that I wasn’t receiving from anywhere else. I went from guy to guy but realized it was nothing but sexually attraction and lust and not love.

The confusion between love and lust is often not seen because during that time we are with that person, we have a cloud nine mentality where nothing else matters. Too bad most guys just care about sex and getting satisfied.

Thank you knowgodknowlove.com for hosting this series about love and lust. For a person like me that questions the matter, it made a lot of sense. I know this impacted many people and bless you all for your efforts. If you don’t know what these people and site are about, get with it. I look forward to what you guys have to offer and will definitely share you to my friends.

reflection..

Impacted by the “I Love–lust you” series?

If you have any stories, comments, or testimonies about how this series may of or not helped you, we would like to hear..

Real stories, real people..

Contributed–DJ Silva Honolulu, HI

Fighting The Flesh

May just be one of the hardest things to do. What do I mean by that? I mean trying to resist your own desires and emotions, your wants and “needs,” your thoughts and feelings. It’s one of the most humanly difficult things to do. Giving in is easy, giving up is easy. Rising up is the hard part.

Fighting the flesh is an ongoing battle, everyday and night. We can choose to go along with the way of the world, go out of its way every now and then, or go above what the world has to offer.

One thing I do is worship. Worship comes in many forms: music, dance, sacrifice, tithing, serving, and obeying. I may not be the best at all these but I keep doing them. I may fail sometimes but I immediately run back to it, like when a child breaks something, they run back and apologize. I want to be able to do the same. To immediately run back to my maker and apologize after I’ve broken a law, knowing that he’ll forgive me because I believe in his son’s crucifixion.

I fight the flesh with worship in whatever form is around me. I admit, sometimes I don’t feel like worshiping and instead I’ll just give in cause I’m tired. But hey, it JUST occurred to me that our entire life is a form of worship. However long we live on Earth is how long we can worship. What we do with our lives can either please or displease God, and I would hate to displease the God who created the universe. We can choose to worship God or to give in to the world that our flesh was born into.

I want my life to bring God the worship he deserves.

Romans 12:1, 2

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Also..

Other people giving in to lust. I’ve seen in time and time again. When I’m at the mall, with friends, at the beach, and in school. I’ve also heard from friends’ experiences about how they’ve given into it and what the outcomes were. I’m no different. I struggle with it, I’ve given into it but I’ve also learn to overcome it.

Sometimes, I wish people would stop looking for love in all the wrong places. Rather than looking around for love, they should stop and look up. When we’re focused on God, or school or career, we don’t need to look for another person to spend time with. People should enjoy singlehood because once they’re married, it’ll be harder to engage with the opposite sex. It may become harder to make friends of that gender.

We should also use our singlehood to seek God so that he finds favor in us, and can bless us by bringing “the one” into our lives. If we keep seeking after relationships, we’re only extending our period of singlehood. How can God trust us with a person’s heart if he can’t trust us with our own eyes? If we jump in a relationship before God brings us the one, it’s like cheating on that person before you even meet them.

Aside from that, lusting after other people will end up hurting yourself. Your emotions won’t be complete, your desires will never be fully satisfied, your heart never fully content. Relationships will be harder to build because lust will have such an impact on your life. Don’t give lust a chance because it will take a lot more than you bargained for.

Thank you DJ.

one of the many awesome reflection stories sent to knowgodknowlove808@gmail.com

reflection..

Impacted by the “I Love–lust you” series?

If you have any stories, comments, or testimonies about how this series may of or not helped you, we would like to hear..

Please e-mail us at @ knowGodknowlove808@gmail.com


overcoming the cycle of lust..

Part IX of the “I Love–lust you” series..

Team KGKL Joshua De Gracia

God doesn’t want you to live in a cycle of defeat when it comes to lust.

It is hard? Yes. Will you fail and give into temptation from time to time? Yes.

The Key to escaping the grasp of lust the devil has over you is to embrace God’s standard for Holiness. We need to look to Him as our source of power to overcome and declare victory on lust and sexual impurity. Lust seeks to use what we know about the weaknesses of the opposite sex to manipulate and get what we want out of them. A “hit it, quit it and move on to the next thing lust craves for.” When it comes to embracing God’s Holiness, we need to look at the opposite sex not as a piece of meat, source of temporary satisfaction, but as men and women created in His image in which Christ died to save. If Jesus died for the sake of all of our sins, there is no doubt that with His power, you can overcome lust as well.

1 Peter 5:8-9

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

When thinking of a lion and how they attack, they do so with stealth and deception. They wait patiently for the right time to strike and focus primarily on the stragglers of the pack. This is how the devil works in our lives especially when it comes to lust. He waits till we are vulnerable and sends temptations our way in hope that we will become “devoured” by sin.

Alright, let’s get into a few practical things. Overcoming lust starts in the “battlefield of the mind.” A thought goes a long way. You could be walking around at a mall and see this gorgeous guy or beautiful girl walk right past you. The thought comes in, “wow, you are really hot/attractive” and then you may begin to check that person out or undress them with your eyes. Bam, you already fell victim to lust. Let’s take it a step further. Then you decide to ask for their number, go on a date and are alone together on a cold night (like it is here in Hawaii). Tempted by feelings and hormones, you lean over for a kiss and that “sparks” it up (honestly, once you are in the moment and start kissing or what this generation calls “sucking face,” you can’t stop). Then who knows, it may lead to sex, oral sex, heavy petting, unwanted pregnancy, etc..

People don’t see the consequences of their actions and thoughts because they get too caught up in the “moment” of things and how it makes them happy and satisfied. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians to take every thought and make it obedient to Christ. Back to the example, by looking lustfully at a person, we have already committed adultery in our hearts. When the enemy attacks you with lust, pray and ask God to take those thoughts away (it works for me).

To strive for Holiness, we need to constantly eliminate any kind of impurity in our hearts. Reach into your heart and take out that greed of lust that is constantly  looking for a new sexual thrill. Starve the flesh, feed the spirit. It’s only through sacrifice that something can be renewed. Choose to give God those impure thoughts and sow into His spirit. When you feel like falling into self indulgence, pray or put on some worship music. Draw near to Jesus and those thoughts of sin will soon vacate your mind, trust me.

You can’t overcome lust and sexual impurity by yourself. You need accountabilities to help you and hold you accountable. Guys, if you feel like doing a lustful act, know you have spiritual people you can call that know what you’re going through and can pray for you and what not. Besides having accountabilities, wanting to turn away from lust is a choice. Even though you read these strategies and strive to overcome lust in your life, if you don’t have the heart to want to change and take responsibility, you’ll end up in sin every time.

God’s love letter to women..

photo: Keiko Adachi

Special to the “I love–lust you series”

Today is “girl’s day.” Women are God’s gift to men and no I am not being sarcastic. Remember God saw that Adam was lonely and formed Eve from his rib to accompany him. Even if we may jerks from time to time, thank you women for who you are and putting up with us “men.”

——

When I created the heavens and the earth, I spoke them into being. When I created man, I formed him and breath life into his nostrils. But you woman, I fashioned after I breathed the breath of life into man because your nostrils are too delicate. I allowed a deep sleep to to come over him so I could patiently and perfectly fashion you.

Man was put to sleep so that he could not interfere with the creativity. From one bone, I fashioned you. I chose the rib, which protects his heart and lungs and supports him, as you are meant to do. Around this one bone I shaped you, I modeled you, I created you perfectly and beautifully.

Your characteristics are as the rib: strong, yet delicate and fragile. You provide protection for the most delicate organ in man, his heart. His heart is the center of his being; his lungs hold the breath of life. The ribcage will allow itself to be broken before it will allow damage to the heart.

Support man as the ribcage supports the body. You were not taken from his feet, to be under him, nor were you taken for his head, to be above him. You were taken from his side, to stand by him and to be held close to his side.

You are My perfect angel… you are My beautiful little girl. You have grown to be a splendid woman of excellence, and My eyes fill when I see the virtues in your heart. Your eyes… don’t change them. Your lips, how lovely when they part in prayer. Your nose, so perfect in form. Your hands, so gentle to touch. I have caressed your face in your deepest sleep. I have held your heart close to Mine. Of all that lives and breaths, you are most like Me. Adam walked with Me in the cool of the day, yet he was lonely. He could not see Me or touch Me.

He could only feel Me. So everything I wanted Adam to share and experience with Me, I fashioned in you; My holiness, My strength, My purity, My love, My protection, and support. You are special because you are an extension of Me. Man represent My image, woman My emotions. Together, you represent the totality of God.

So man, treat woman well. Love her, respect her, for she is fragile. In hurting her, you hurt Me. What you do to her, you do to Me. In crushing her, you only damage your own heart; the heart of your Father and the heart of her Father. Woman, support man. In humility, show him the power of emotion I have given you. In gentle quietness, show your strength. In love, show him that you are the rib that protects his inner self.

Jesus Loves You                    knowGodknowlove808@gmail.com