God’s Protection

“I am your God and will take care of you /until you are old, and your hair is gray. / I made you and will care for you; / I will give you help and rescue you.” Isaiah 46:4 【TEV】

I am happy that I am considered as a senior at “Don Quijote” & “Ross” (Tuesday Senior Discount) and “McDonald’s (senior coffee).”

I arrived in Honolulu with my parents from Japan when I turned 16 years old. My father, Kunihiro was called to be a pastor of Olivet Japanese Department in 1978 (46 years ago). He served as a pastor of Olivet for 22 years and half until the end of year 2000.

I came back to Olivet in 2002 as a pastor of the Japanese Department after serving in Japan for 14 years. Now, I have been serving for 22 years and half at Olivet, the same amount of time as my father served here. I am now 62 years old. Time flies!

The third Monday of September is designated as “敬⽼の⽇ , Kei Rou no Hi” in Japan.

“敬Kei“means “Respect,” “⽼Rou” means “Elder,” and “⽇ Hi,” means “Day,” So, altogether, it means “The Day to Respect Elders.” Our Japanese Dept. will recognize members who are over 80 years young during our worship service on Sunday September 15. We all respect and appreciate their lives who demonstrated their faithfulness in Christ, dedication, love and care for our church. Our elders are the good examples, and encouragement to the younger members of our church.

Even when we become seniors, that is not the end of our active lives. God told Joshua when he became older: “Joshua was now very old. The Lord said to him, "You are very old, but there is still much land to be taken”: Joshua 13:1【TEV】 I believe that there are still many things to do even when we become older. You can actively pray for your family and members of Olivet. You can encourage your friends and younger members by your loving, and kind words with your caring attitudes. These are the precious tasks God gives us to testify His love and glorify Him.

As I quoted Isaiah 46:4 at the beginning of this article, the Bible promises that God takes care of you until you are old because He is the creator who made you and loves you. So, we can all face tomorrow as God leads us.

May God continue to protect, rescue, and bless you!

Makito Watanabe

Japanese Language Pastor

Run Hard

As big a deal as it is today, the original Olympic games were an even bigger deal! Let me explain. The Greeks started running and wrestling (and throwing things) almost 800 years before Jesus was born. They dedicated these sporting events to their gods; eventually, the Christian Emperor Theodosius outlawed the games because of their deep connection to pagan worship.

People in the early church were familiar with sports; we can see this in how New Testament writers like Paul used sports vocabulary to help us all better understand how we are to live as followers of Jesus. One of the best examples is in 1 Corinthians 9.

24 Don’t you know that the runners in a stadium all race, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way to win the prize. 25 Now everyone who competes exercises self-control in everything. They do it to receive a perishable crown, but we an imperishable crown.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

In verse 24, Paul invites us to picture a footrace in a stadium (the word stadium even comes from the Greek word stadia); all are running but only one will win. Jesus calls us as His followers to give all that we are to running to win the path in which he leads us, nothing less. In verse 25, the verb “compete” is agonizomai in Greek (where we get our word agony). It is easy to be half-hearted about things, but nothing less than great and sacrificial training enables us to “run in such a way to win the prize.” The athletes at the ancient games won a wreath made from the laurel plant, but the prize God promises us is imperishable (literally, will never wilt or decay).

Here is God’s wonderful encouragement to us – yes, He calls us to exercise self-control in everything (v.25), but it does not depend on us! God has a plan and God prepares us for those plans. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Take heart, dear friends! No matter what each day brings, in Christ, God made each one of us for good works that He specifically planned for us to do. Let’s run hard, as individuals and as the church, for when we do, it is for His glory and for our good.

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

TRUE FREEDOM

July is upon us, and with it we remember our country’s birthday. July 4th is not just a time for hotdogs and fireworks, but also an opportunity to consider the cost of freedom. The blessings of freedom we enjoy today were dearly bought by so many. We remember the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence, but we do not often consider what they endured. Five of the signers were captured and killed by British forces during the war, while another nine died from battle wounds or the hardships of military service.

I am particularly drawn to the story of one of the signers, Thomas Nelson Jr. At the final battle of the war, the British had set up their headquarters in the family home of one of the signers, Thomas Nelson Jr. They say that Nelson urged George Washington to fire on his home, even offering a reward for the first cannoneer to score a hit. They say his house was severely damaged, and because of his wartime sacrifices, he never regained the funds to repair it.

When reminded of such stories, I feel my gratitude for freedom is weak and feeble, compared to what it ought to be. I should thank God every day for His great blessings to us, not the least of which is to live in the place and the time that we do. As recipients of such sorely bought freedom, ours is the great challenge, to live in freedom according to God’s plan, and not our own.

Paul wrote to the church

For you were called to be free, brothers and sisters; only don’t use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but serve one another through love. (Galatians 5:13)

As followers of Jesus, we should always remember that His death bought our eternal freedom. When we live only to freely please ourselves, we dishonor both the One whose Name we bear and the sacrifices of the men and women of past generations, whose legacy still touches us today. Let us give thanks to God for the freedom that is ours, but let us use our freedom to honor the Lord’s command, “to serve one another through love.”

PS One other thing I discovered about old Thomas Nelson Jr – he was my 9th great grandfather!

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

CELEBRATING THE DAYS

Does it ever strike you as odd that we have so many “special days” these days? A quick Internet search tells me that we are supposed to kick off the year with Houseplant Appreciation Day on January 10th, followed by Squirrel Appreciation Day on January 21st and then Cherry Pie Day on February 20th. We get to enjoy some intellectual fun on April 13th with National Scrabble Day followed up by the all-important National Hug a Plumber Day on April 25th.  These celebrations seem a bit wacky, but I know we can all get behind May 15th as National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day and looking ahead into the summer, even National Chocolate Milk Day near the end of July.  

Where do all these days come from? Why do they seem so important to some? Maybe it is because we can easily forget how special every single day is; for many, each day seems to blur into the next in a never-ending cycle. But God sees things differently, and it is always best when we seek His wisdom for our lives. Every day of our lives is infinitely special, because God made each of us with a specific plan in mind.   

For it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I will praise You because I have been remarkably and wondrously made. Your works are wondrous, and I know this very well. My bones were not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was formed in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw me when I was formless; all my days were written in Your book and planned before a single one of them began. Psalms 139:13-16 (CSB)

This is true for every person who has ever lived and ever will live, but it is all the truer for those who are followers of Jesus.

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do. Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

Dear friends, let us take heart in these truths from God – we are wondrously made and in Christ made for a good purpose! If we still have a pulse in our veins, then God still has a purpose for our lives! We need to remember these things, especially when the days seem long and meaningless and we need to encourage each other, as brothers and sisters in Christ. As the writer of Hebrews puts it:

And let us consider one another in order to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching. Hebrews 10:24-25 (CSB)

If we celebrate Left Handers Day on August 13th or World Pasta Day on October 25th and it makes some people happy, no problem! But let us take each day as a precious gift, given to us in the infinite love, mercy, and grace of God to us.

Note: All these wacky special days and many more are listed at https://abc7ny.com/holiday-strange-festivus-pi-day/80782/ 

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

MAY DAY / LEI DAY

Lizzy’s mom always used to celebrate her birthday for the whole month (a practice I think we should all embrace!) In that same spirit, let me wish you a happy May Day, even if it was a few days ago. I was surprised to learn that our own tradition of May Day here in the islands only dates to 1927, with a change to Lei Day in 1928. You may have already started humming the song "May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii"! The 3rd line in the song says: “Flowers that mean we should be happy, throwing aside a load of care.”  

Sweet blossoms and beautiful colors can lift our spirits, but there is nothing that compares to remembering the loving words of our Creator God, the One who made the flowers and who created us as well. 

Psalm 139:13 reminds us that 

it was You who created my inward parts; 

You knit me together in my mother’s womb.

May is not just May Day and Lei Day - we also celebrate Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. Anna Jarvis launched Mother’s Day in 1908, as an expression of appreciation for the sacrifices that all mothers make on behalf of their children. I love her original vision! We can all celebrate motherhood, because one way or another, we all had a mother who in one way or another made sacrifices on our behalf. God’s gift of life comes to us through both mother and father, but we honor the special role that mothers play in our lives.   

Mothers give us the gift of life; on Memorial Day our nation honors those who lost their lives in service to our country.  Their sacrifice that we remember this month turns us back to God once again. Just as He gives us life, we remember the sacrifice of Jesus by which He saved all who believe, repent, and follow Him.

13 No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. -- John 15:13 

We have much to celebrate this month, from the beauty of creation and the gift of our earthly lives to the bravery of those who serve our country and the perfect sacrifice of Jesus by which God saves us! With so many reminders of God’s love, let’s be quick to 

Cast our burdens on the Lord, for He will sustain us. Ps. 55:22, paraphrased)

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor 

How is the Fruit harvest in your Life?

Hello friends!

Today’s church Bible reading passage put me in mind of something a dear friend told us once, while we were serving in missions in North Africa. We were mostly young families struggling to raise young children; God knew we needed some wise and Godly encouragement, so He sent a couple deep into their retirement to join our team a season. The lady used to tell us, “If you want to be nice little old people someday, you have to work at being a nice young people now!”

What a contrast to the evil goings-on in today’s passage from 2nd Kings 11! The Bible truly is real history of real people. Tragically, an evil old grandmother named Athaliah tries to hold onto power as queen by killing off everyone else in her family. God protects her infant grandson Joash from her bloodthirsty ways, and one day brings him back to the throne.

While we can’t see into Athaliah’s heart, her wicked cruelty is a matter of historical record. Only God can see into our hearts, but Jesus Himself taught us that every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. . . . So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. Matthew 7:17b and 20 (CSB)

Here is my point – let’s never give up on presenting ourselves to the Lord as His children, His servants, and asking Him to weed out our sinful fruits (actions and thoughts) and grow His good pure fruit in our lives. There is no time limit for such a humility of the heart; young or old, we can all reflect on the grace of God that took us from who we were (dead in our sins) to who we are in Christ (alive and justified by God and to God).

So, let me just ask – how is the fruit harvest in your life? Let’s never give into the temptation to say, “Well, I know there are areas of my life that are not pleasing to God, but I am just too old to change!” Rather, let’s keep in mind the encouraging words of John Newton (who wrote Amazing Grace). God took Newton from being a slave trader to a pastor. He writes:

I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I wish to be. I am not what I hope to be. But I can truly say, that I am not what I once was--a slave to sin and Satan. And I can heartily say that by the grace of God, I am what I am!

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

Change

A Greek philosopher named Heraclitus once said, “There is nothing permanent except change.” We see this all around us, because the pace of change is faster and more pervasive; not one area of our lives is not constantly being renegotiated.

Change never asks permission! I was talking with our son David, who is in school in Kansas City, Missouri. He had fallen sick because the weather had soared up to a toasty 80 degrees, then it was snowing a few days later, and then back to 80 degrees or more. It wasn’t the specific conditions of the day that made David and a whole wave of his friends come down with colds, it was the abrupt change from one season to the next, and back again!

Change is hard and rapid change is harder. But what are our alternatives? When change stops, life is over. The good news is that God stands outside of change. He is involved in every part of creation, perfect in His sovereign power over the great and the small events of our lives, yet without being changed. And when we feel overwhelmed, we can rely on Him, always. Hebrews 13:8 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” (CSB) Whether old or young, when we surrender our lives to Jesus in faith and repent of our sins and follow His way for our lives, we undergo the one change that fixes our path for eternity! “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (CSB) And what God makes new through Jesus will never change!

One writer (John Maxwell) says this: Change is inevitable. Growth is optional! We can grow each moment that God gives us, when we look to God’s grace every day, and His aloha that we give and receive from each other in the church. And when change gets tough, we can remind each other of this:

“Because of the Lord’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! I say, “The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in Him.” Lamentations 3:22-24 (CSB)

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

God’s Love

Our Bible verse of the month for February is 1 Corinthians 1:18

For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved.

Do you remember the first time you heard the story of Jesus and His love for us? Maybe that first time you heard the stories of the Bible they made no sense to you. But when you stop to think about it, maybe you can remember how amazing it was when God opened your heart to believe and repent and follow Jesus as Lord!

God’s grace is amazing, but part of what makes it so amazing is His enduring perseverance in seeking the lost. A research project once studied people successful in sales. They expected to find some trait, like friendliness or being handsome or beautiful, that made the difference between success and failure. What they found was fascinating - the only difference in outcome was perseverance. Those who failed in sales gave up after the 3rd person told them “No” while the successful did not give up until after the 7th person told them “No”.

With President’s Day coming up, I am reminded of the father who urged his young son, “Never quit, son, never quit! Do you remember George Washington? Thomas Jefferson? Abraham Lincoln?” “Of course, I remember our great presidents!” said the boy. “What’s your point?” The father said, “My point is that they had one thing in common - they never quit!” Then he went on, “Son, do you remember Henry Hackensack?” “Well, no, “the boy replied. “Who was he?” “Of course, you don’t remember him! He quit!”

As long as God gives us days on earth, He will never quit pursuing us with His love. Because God never quit on us, we know Hi love and His amazing grace, which is “the power of God to us who are being saved.” God is still doing this great work of seeking and saving the lost! (Luke 19:10) Each of us has friends and family members who still see the message of the cross as foolishness. But let us never stop praying for them and telling them about how Jesus died to save them from sin. Even when we feel like no hope is left, God may still open their eyes, and what was once foolishness to them may save them in the end!

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

Serving with Joy

Happy New Year!

Something in the church Bible reading for today triggered a memory. In Mark 10, 2 of Jesus’ followers are angling to get a higher position with Jesus, trying to squeeze out everyone else. Of course, this starts a squabble among the twelve disciples and Jesus speaks to them about it.

You know that those who are regarded as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and those in high positions act as tyrants over them. 43 But it is not so among you. On the contrary, whoever wants to become great among you will be your servant, 44 and whoever wants to be first among you will be a slave to all. (Mark 10:42b-44)

Here is what I remembered: when I was engaged in mission work in North Africa, we would often say, “I am here to be a servant, I am here just serving the Lord!” One time a big conflict broke out with 2 or 3 local pastors. They began making harsh comments about how they viewed the missionaries and what they wanted from us. A group of us were processing the experience and praying together, when someone said, “You know, we say we are here to serve, but only when someone treats you like a servant do you know where your heart really is.”

Some of their hurtful comments were important for us to hear, while other things that were said had no truth to them. But it is all too easy for us to get our hearts and feelings hurt when we feel like others do not appreciate our values and our contributions. What are we to do in this situation?

Look to Jesus! Jesus finishes His teaching with these words:

45 For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45)

We look to Jesus as Lord and Master, Savior and Shepherd; what He went through, we know that we will go through as well. In these first days of a new year, let me repeat to you my sincere gratitude for your faithfulness to the Lord and how through you, we are blessed as a church. If you ever feel discouraged by others as you seek to faithfully serve and follow Jesus, keep looking to Him, in God’s Word and in your prayers. Sometimes people make us feel like servants, but we can hold our heads high, because it is only the words of our Master that matter! And as we faithfully go to God’s Word each day, pray, give, serve and love, we will one day hear Jesus say to us: “Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Share your master’s joy.” (Matthew 25:23)

Jamie McElrath

Senior Pastor

THANKFULNESS

Happy (belated) Thanksgiving! Hope you were able to connect with friends and family in special ways.

Let me share with you one of my dad’s jokes. When you are young and you go out to play tennis, your mind tells your body – fix your eye on the ball, leap forward into action, swing your racket decisively, and win that point! You know you are getting older when your mind gives those instructions, but your body responds “who? me?!?”

When I was a kid, I thought that was hilarious; now, I find my body speaking up with those same words more and more often: “who? me?!?” For instance, last year I tried my hand at pickle ball and the next thing I knew, I was on the ground (in the church parking lot, no less!) It gives me great encouragement that even as my muscles and joints become less inclined to “leap into action”, God’s faithful presence with me is just as strong as ever.

We often think of Paul the Apostle as a giant of faith, someone who never wavered, but 2nd Corinthians shows us a different side of his life. In 2nd Corinthians 12 Paul speaks with transparency about some undefined source of suffering that he was undergoing. Even though he prayed to the Lord to deliver him from this suffering, we can see God’s answer: But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is perfected in weakness.” – 2 Cor. 12:9 (CSB) No matter what we go through, God is sufficient for whatever we face.

In his letter to the church in Galatia, Paul gives us further encouragement to be honest with ourselves and our limitations, but to never give up on God’s gracious provision to us for each day. Paul wrote: Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up. – Gal. 6:9 (CSB) How incredible! What God is doing in us and through us does not depend on us being fit and able, but rather on us not giving up. Louis Berkhof puts it like this: It is because God never forsakes His work that believers continue to stand to the very end.

I am very grateful to you, Olivet senior adults. There is so much about our church to be thankful for today, and so much of that comes to us because of God’s faithfulness to you, and through you in the past. And as long as we have a pulse, God has a purpose, for every sing

Jamie McElrath,

Senior Pastor

FOLLOWING THE MASTER

Hope you enjoyed a chocolate-filled Halloween!

Doesn’t it seem a little odd that we get so much fun out of an event focused on things that frighten us and even the subject of death. We usually prefer laughter and candy and costumes to facing the things that frighten us, but face them we must. So how can we best prepare ourselves for our final days?

A Bible professor once wrote of a man who had gotten a very bad diagnosis. He begged his doctor for some comforting words about heaven. The doctor, who was a Christian, heard his dog scratching at the door. “Can you hear my dog scratching at your door?” inquired the physician. The sick man assured him that he could. “Well,” the doctor said, “Heaven must be like that. My dog does not know what is in this room. He only knows he wants to be with me. So it is with Heaven! Our Master is there. That is all we need to know!” [1]

No matter the spooky and scary things that come along in life, as followers of Jesus, we know who our Master is, and we can trust His words of comfort:

1 Don’t let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? 3 If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to myself, so that where I am you may be also. -- John 14:1-3 (CSB)

[1] Jeremiah, J. T. (2001). The place called heaven. Regular Baptist Press.

Jamie McElrath,

Senior Pastor

RENEWED JOY

As I shared at our gathering, if God gives a pulse, He has a purpose! As Olivet’s kupuna, you are a dearly valued and tremendously valuable to the life of the church and for God’s purposes in us and around us as His people, now and in the years to come.

Let me share a brief thought with you from the book of Philippians. I was going through a season of disappointment in various areas of life, and I got stuck in a grumbling habit. I felt like my problems were everyone else’s fault, not mine! One day, these words leaped off the page and into my heart!

12b Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. 13 For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose. 14 Do everything without grumbling and arguing, 15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God who are faultless in a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine like stars in the world, 16 by holding firm to the word of life. -- Philippians 2:12-16a (CSB)

The surge of conviction for my bad attitude and grumbling quickly gave way to renewed joy! Yes, I had to work, but not “work to earn God’s salvation”. Rather, I was to “work out” what was already God’s gracious gift to me, through faith in the saving work of Jesus Christ! Even more than that, it was not me doing the work but God working in me, by His grace! God used these verses to begin reshaping my heart and drawing me out of my dark grumbling and back into a season of smiling and shining.

Years ago, a man named Rufus Jones spoke to a group about shining like stars in the world (v 15). A woman shared her fears that she had very plain features; how could she ever give off a sense of God’s shining light. Jones replied, “Madam, while I have troubles of my own of that kind, I’ve discovered that if you light up from within, any old face you have is good enough!”[1]

Let’s press on, as God is at work in us! And let’s celebrate how God is empowering us to shine like shine like stars in the world, holding firm to His words of life!

Jamie McElrath,

Senior Pastor

GREATER PURPOSE

I recently read a funny story that I want to share with you!

A story is told of a woman who fell out of a second-floor window and landed in a slow moving garbage truck. She was surprised to open her eyes and find herself half buried in litter. A foreigner standing on the sidewalk saw the incident and quipped, “Another example of how wasteful Americans are. That woman looks like she’s good for at least another 10 years!”[1]

Funny perhaps, but such a good reminder that as long as God gives us a pulse, He also gives us a purpose! Each one of us is blessed and gifted by God in unique ways, but all of us are to be about the great purpose of our Lord, that as we follow Jesus, we will help other people follow Jesus, who will help others follow Jesus, and so on. (Mt 28:19-20, 2 Tim 2:2)

I am so grateful to see our Senior Ohana Ministry springing back into action! God is not done with any of us yet, and I know He has glorious things in store for us as older church members and for our whole church!

10 Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve others, as good stewards of the varied grace of God. -- 1 Peter 4:10 (CSB)

You can read the full article at this website: https://www.seniorlivingministries.org/2023/06/finding-fulfillment-in-your-kingdomcalling-6/

Jamie McElrath,

Senior Pastor

SPIRITUAL SUPPORT FOR OTHERS

I want to share some helpful ideas with you from an article I read recently. We all need spiritual support at every stage of life. But what are ways that we can be that spiritual support for others, especially when life is taking its toll? In a Focus on the Family article, the author writes:

“. . .the spiritual domain is one area that still provides room for growth during the senior years. The body may break down, but the spirit is still capable of expansion, renewal, or even new birth in old age. In spite of changes, losses and chronic health conditions, elderly people can continue to cultivate their relationship with God.”

Spiritual growth in our later years requires some extra effort and attention. What once was easy now involves a little more planning, a little more time, and maybe even the help of friends, family, and of course our church family. And while we may still be able to take care of our own spiritual needs for growing in our love for God, walking with Him every day, and connecting with the church in Bible study, worship, and service, how are ways we can help those who are struggling in this area, even as we work to stay fresh and growing in our faith?

The article provides us with a few helpful tips, using the example of a loved family member in need of some spiritual encouragement and support.

Jamie McElrath,

Senior Pastor