Global Warming

Guest Editorial: Kip McKean

“You are the light of the world.” Matthew 5:14

“Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” Mark 16:15

“All mankind will see God’s salvation.” Luke 3:6

“A new command I give you: Love one another… By this all men will know you are my disciples…” John 13: 34-35

Kyle preaches an awesome sermon for the Inaugural Service in Honolulu!

Each “gospel evangelist” – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – recount the global vision of Jesus. For Matthew, the dream to evangelize the world in a generation is accomplished through “the light” of the disciples’ lives, both in word and deed. For Mark, Jesus’ command “to go into all the world” is to be obeyed through preaching the good news! For Luke, the ancient prophecy of Isaiah for “all mankind will see God’s salvation” is fulfilled through Jesus’ plan of discipling. For John, the love between disciples is the irrefutable sign of Jesus’ church, providing the pathway to a lost world’s heart. Paul shares that Jesus’ dream became reality – “All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing… [and] has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven.” (Colossians 1:6, 23)

"How Many Times Shall I Forgive"

Kyle Bartholomew

"Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times." (Matthew 18:21-22)

A Very Enthusiastic David Rydstedt joins the Honolulu International Christian Church

In this passage, Peter asked Jesus a very important question in dealing with forgiveness. He asks Jesus if there is a limit as to how many times we should forgive each other. In Matthew's account, Jesus states seventy-seven times, while Luke records Jesus as saying up to seven times a day! Why the difference in the number of times one is supposed to forgive another? Jesus' point was simple, as disciples, there is no limit! We are always called to forgive one another!

Josh Aguirre Prays over our Service!

Why such a strong emphasis on forgiveness? Jesus knew the destructive nature of unforgiveness as it is able to destroy both the disciple and the Church. Paul admonished the Ephesian Church to "not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." (Ephesians 4:26) The Hebrew author states, "See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." (Hebrews 12:15) I once heard a preacher say, "bitterness is the poison you drink hoping to kill someone else." Unfortunately for those who drink from the cup of bitterness they not only kill themselves but they also destroy the fellowship as they spew this deadly poison!

Week One: The Inaugural Service: June 8th, 2008

Kyle Bartholomew

"Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us, to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

The LA Mission Team on Top of Diamond Head overlooking Honolulu

As I imagined what my first week in the Honolulu International Christian Church would be like, I envisioned sharing my faith with a ton of people, having memorable bonding times with the disciples, an incredible first Sunday Service, a faith building Special Missions Contribution, and of course a lot of fun!

The Four Horsemen of Honolulu

Upon landing on Monday, June 2nd, we were greeted by our warm brothers and sisters from the Honolulu International Christian Church with a trademark from the Islands, Hawaiian lei's. From the airport, we traveled to Ala Moana Shopping Center where Chris Teves generously treated the entire mission team to lunch. After an afternoon of zzzz's on a full stomach we traveled to Aiea for an incredible barbeque at Jodi and U'i Tyrell's home. Being in LA for nine months made attending a barbeque with local food especially satisfying for me!

We woke up early the next morning on June 3rd, and set off for our hike up the steep slopes of a beautiful mountain called Diamond Head. After 30 minutes, a lot of sweat, and sore calf muscles we had finally reached the top. As we looked out over the city, we were blown away to see the vast number of buildings, cars, homes, and people that were visible. I reminded the group that we were looking out at a lost city whose only hope was Jesus Christ. Each of us prayed fervently for the city and for open hearts that would receive the gospel message. We capped off our mountain top experience by loudly singing the song, Hard Fighting Soldiers! After our descent from the mountain, we made a quick stop at Kinko's to print out invitations for our Inaugural Sunday Service and quickly made our way over to the University of Hawai'i at Manoa to share our faith. With each disciple's heart burning with excitement, we quickly canvassed the campus and shared our message of Jesus Christ crucified! The response was amazing as we all quickly racked up a list of phone numbers from people who were interested in our message, as well as attending our Inaugural Service. The sisters departed for a good night's rest, and the brothers and I finished our day with a 10:00 p.m. swim at the warm Waikiki Beach.