by Keith Fukuyama

“Remember not the former things nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19

God never changes, but the way in which He decides to perform His work does.  That’s the point that Isaiah is trying to make to the Jewish captives in Babylon: “Don’t live expecting God to always work in the same way He has in the past (deliverance through the Red Sea). He will deliver you, but He is going to do it totally differently this time.”

This passage has a two-fold message for our church. 

The first message is to us as a church. We, as a church, need to recognize that God is doing a “New Thing” at Evergreen SGV with the transition of leadership from Pastor Cory to Pastor Rocky.  When Pastor Cory became the Senior Pastor of Evergreen back in 1977, God began to do a “New Thing.”  The church started to grow. The makeup of the church slowly changed. The way worship was conducted changed. The way we did things changed. The challenge to those who were present before Pastor Cory came was to not live in the past and insist that the church function as it had before; instead, they needed to perceive that God was doing a new thing and then go along with what God was doing.

As it was with those who were part of Evergreen in 1977, we now face the same challenge. The way we conduct ministry, the makeup of the church, the way worship sounds, may all change. What will our response be to that change? Will we insist that things be the same way they have always been, or will we perceive that God is doing a new thing at Evergreen SGV and go along with what God is going to do? 

Transition/change is never easy nor comfortable, but when we reflect on God’s faithfulness to our church throughout the decades, we can find comfort in knowing that God will continue to be faithful to us as we move forward. We can still look back fondly to the leadership and style of ministry that Pastor Cory had, but we must let that go and embrace the new thing that God is going to do through Pastor Rocky.

The second message is to us as individuals. Is there a “New Thing” that God wants to do through you?  So many times we (myself included) get caught up in thinking that God can use us in only one way, in only one type of ministry. We think to ourselves, “My area of ministry has worked well so far, and it will continue to work well in the future.” It gets to be comfortable, almost easy. When He calls us into something new, we dismiss it by saying, “That’s not my gifting,” and we take a pass on the new thing that God has in store for us. God may be calling you to embark on a new ministry, one in which you will probably feel totally inadequate in doing, a ministry in which you are going to have to completely rely on Him. Are you up for it? 

Let us not dwell on remembering the former things nor consider the things of old, but realize that God is doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?

by Rickie Miyake

What's your personality type?

Our branch did the optional activity suggested for Day 17 of our study of Rick Warren's “The Purpose Driven Life,” taking an online test to determine which of 16 different personality types we most closely matched. A lively discussion ensued as we shared our results.

For those of you not familiar with this test, you answer questions to determine which two types of personality you lean towards in four different categories: Extraversion/Introversion; Sensing/iNtuition; Thinking/Feeling; and Judging/Perceiving. Two types in each of four categories make for sixteen possible combinations, identified by the letter that is capitalized in the dichotomy of types I just listed (for example, being an Introvert-iNtuitive-Thinking-Judging type would be an “INTJ” - which was my result).

You can find the test and how to interpret the results here: www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/jtypes2.asp

I sat there pondering how closely each person’s results matched my own impression of them, especially those whose type out of the sixteen matched mine. Am I really like so-and-so? Well... sort of. I could see the similarities. But I could also see the differences, even though our result was the same. One “INTJ” type person isn't necessarily a twin of another INTJ.

Just for fun I posted the link to the test on an audio (i.e. stereo) enthusiast forum in which I participate and asked the members to post their results to see how their “type” matched up to their personality that came across when discussing audio topics.

There’s one person in the forum that I have to say I find annoying because he is so opinionated. He's always so sure he’s right and makes no bones about proclaiming it. I was wondering what type he would turn out to be. To my astonishment he said his result was INTJ. Same as mine! Well obviously that must be a flawed test...

Among the 40 results as of this writing, the results varied. While all of us in the forum form a group who share the love of audio gear, we’re composed of a bunch of different personality types. As I compared the results the members posted to my impressions of that member, some seemed to fit but some didn’t.

Ask non-audio enthusiasts (or even ones who are) to describe a group of audio enthusiasts and “a bunch of geeks” will probably be right up there in the responses.

There’s jillions of groups out there, defined by some sort of common ground. It’s really easy to pigeonhole and pre- judge the people in these groups when you don’t take the time to get more details. And from there, maybe to think and speak poorly of that group if they don't fit our view of what is “good.” Or maybe put them on a pedestal if they do.

“For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother’s womb. I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well” said David to God in Psalm 139:13, 14.

“But the very hairs of your head are all numbered” Jesus told His disciples in Matthew 10:30.

Our Creator, in His wisdom, made each of us unique, fearfully and wonderfully made in our own intricate ways, so much so that even the hairs on our head are numbered! (Or if you are bald, then how about your follicles are all numbered?)

A snow bank looks like one big white mass until you realize upon closer examination that no two snowflakes, just like no two fingerprints, are alike.

Groups are composed of individuals, all of them God’s creation. While we may dismiss some and favor others, we nevertheless have things in common with the people in groups that seem most opposed to our beliefs and interests, and differ in ways with people in groups to which our beliefs and interests seem most aligned. Give the folks in any group that personality test and you’ll get a variety of results.

In the end, though, all groups are temporal except for two - those who have the blessed assurance of Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, and those who don’t. It’s up to us who, by the grace of God are part of that first group, to share the Good News with and pray for the individuals in the second group that they may be blessed to join the first group, too.

The only “test” question that really matters is, “Is Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior?”

Hi, my name is Mark Salgado. I have been going to Evergreen my whole life. I have actually been attending Evergreen since we were located at 2nd and Evergreen. I became a Christian at an Evergreen VBS (Vacation Bible School) when I was really young. I have been very blessed to see how our church has grown and changed throughout my life. As I have grown up I have been involved in several different ministries. Currently, In addition to being an intern, I am serving as the department head for the nursery classes, a youth advisor at Bridge (the high school youth group), and I do ushering once a month.

My journey of becoming an intern started at the All Church Summer Conference in 2012. It was at that conference I received a calling to foreign missions. After the conference I talked to Pastor Victor about missions. One of the things he brought up was the possibility of becoming an intern. The thought of becoming an intern was one that really stuck with me. Unfortunately, my work schedule was always changing, so I thought I couldn’t commit to being an intern, but I never stopped thinking about it. In 2016 I changed jobs, and I finally had a normal 8-4:30 schedule. Thanks to this I was able to take on more commitments, but unfortunately I was now working 100% of the time the church office was open during the weekdays. I started to think I wouldn’t be able to become an intern for a while. Within my first half year at my new job I was passing by Pastor Cory. He stopped me, asking briefly if I would be interested in joining a group he was starting up again. I really didn’t know what the group was, and I didn’t realize he was starting up a group of interns. I think I kind of hesitated, even though I wanted to be a part of that group, so Pastor Cory told me to think about it and let him know later.

Shortly after, I decided I wanted to be a part of it, but I kept forgetting to let Pastor Cory know. Before I knew it, a year had passed, and I hadn’t let him know I was interested. I was starting to think I would be missing out on this group Pastor Cory was starting. Then last summer, Pastor Cory invited me to the intern retreat as the start of my internship. So now, here I am an intern of Evergreen SGV. I hope that as an intern I will be able to serve more people, and learn how to do full time ministry.

One of the guarantees in life is that things change. Some changes are relatively easy to handle while other changes are extremely challenging. Life can be simple and life can be messy. Regardless of the relative simplicity of life or messiness of life, things constantly change.

Our church is undergoing a change from a long-tenured Senior Pastor to a newly called Senior Pastor in Waiting. I am anticipating a change from 42 years of serving as a Senior Pastor to a life of active retirement. Things change and life must go on.

There are four things that will never change no matter how simple or challenging a life change may be. These four things are truths we can cling to in the midst of change.

In the midst of change, God never changes. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I, the Lord, do not change...”

In this passage of Malachi, God is telling the people of Israel that He will continue to have mercy on those who repent. He will continue to refine His people like gold and silver. He will continue to judge those who sin. In other words, He will be consistent with the way He was in “the days of old”.

God is telling the people of Israel that He hasn’t changed and will not change. God has no need to change because He is perfect without fault nor flaws. When things change in our lives, it is important to always have an anchor.

We can proceed with confidence and clarity because we know that God is consistent. Hebrews 13:8 reveals to us that “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever.” People do so much better when they have consistency in their lives.

Children do much better when their parents are consistent. They have more confidence. The Bible says, “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’…” Matthew 5:33a. Parents need to embrace this principle of consistency just as our Heavenly Parent does.

We can also proceed with confidence because we know God’s unchanging desire for us is for good.

Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” We feel so much better when we know someone is in our corner and wants the best for us.

So, whatever changes are going on in your life at this moment in time, you can know this...in the midst of change, God never changes.

Something to think about and three more to come…

Let me end from where I began. I quoted Alexander Pope from his 18th-century “Essay on Criticism”. In his essay he wrote “To err is human, to forgive divine.” Indeed to forgive is divine. However one of the implications of his essay is that humans can take on an attribute of God by forgiving those who trespass against them.

There can be essential similarities between God’s forgiveness and our forgiveness. The following is a list of areas of similarities.

God’s forgiveness is for people and human forgiveness is for people.

God’s forgiveness is personal and human forgiveness is personal.

God’s forgiveness is for wrongdoing and human forgiveness is for wrongdoing.

God makes forgiveness available to the wrongdoers and humans can make forgiveness available to their wrongdoers.

God’s forgiveness may not be recognized or accepted and human forgiveness may not be recognized or accepted.

God’s forgiveness releases the wrongdoer and human forgiveness releases the wrongdoer.

God’s forgiveness brings healing and human forgiveness brings healing.

One Bible passage that has meant a lot to me with regards to forgiveness deals with a resounding reason why we should be quick to forgive. Part of the reason is that we are called to be like Jesus who has forgiven us.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32 “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” Upon reading this verse, how then can we not forgive?

Who is it that you need to forgive? Perhaps it’s time to lay down your grudge and ask God to help you to forgive just as Christ has forgiven you.

Something to think about…