Why Hawai’i is Important for World’s Last Days

What's Hawai'i got to do with it? Where does Aloha fit into the Last Days? It's getting real with Pastor Jonathan Steeper--a pastor who refused to shutdown the church during global lockdown, who stood for religious freedom in a national war & looks spiritual war in the eye. After 15 years at Kalihi Union Church, Pastor John reflects on the “gentle” miracles of persistent faith. This is what has lead to the rare sight of many cultures choosing unity under one roof for Christ's sake.

If you care about God's true Church, unity, spiritual warfare, religious freedom, & faithful leaders, this conversation will challenge & encourage you. Subscribe, share with a friend; & please comment your greatest takeaway or question... It helps keep ALOHA ALIVE!

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Transcript

Welcome And Pastor John’s Journey

SPEAKER_00 0:11

Aloha Mika Ko. Aloha. I'm especially blessed to have my pastor, Pastor Jonathan Steper, with us today. He's been at Kalihi Union Church the past 15 years. You were actually born into Kalihi Union Church as your dad started there, Reverend William Stieper many years ago. But today we're going to hear a little bit about Hawaii history, both supernatural and spiritual, with Pastor John Stieper. Good hello and welcome, Pastor John. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

It's great being here.

SPEAKER_00 0:43

All right. I'm going to hit you hard with a bunch of good questions because you're actually retiring, re-firing. You know the good ones never retire, they re-fire and go onward, Christian soldiers. So he's finishing his tour of duty here in Hawaii and going on to other things. I'm going to have to hit him with a bunch of questions that I selfishly just wanted from me. So welcome. You served God in faraway places like Canada, Central America, you've been in Africa, even Europe in Albania in a war revolution. It was the Kosovo refugee crisis, but you've pastored right here in Kalihi, where we're filming right now, the last 15 years. So let's start here. What mighty move of God have you witnessed here?

SPEAKER_01 1:25

Most of the things that I've witnessed have been gentle, but just as mighty. You know, the still small voice as opposed to the tsunami. So uh I think one of them is perseverance. Um coming back to Kalihi, we weren't naive about the realities of Kalihi. And when we came, we were aware of the of the struggles. And and I think the the prayer that Pastor Kendall has always had for Kalihi is that it would be known for righteousness.

SPEAKER_02 1:56

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 1:57

So I I think seeing little steps of righteousness in the community and in in our church.

Gentle Miracles And Community Perseverance

SPEAKER_01 2:05

So we have um now uh uh uh quite a few different services at our on on campus from a whole bunch of different communities that all have roots in Kalihi. And uh and I think that's that's miraculous because to have Tongan and Samoan, and I think we have one Tongan, three Samoan, seven Chukis, we have uh Marshallese Church, we have Korean Church, Japanese, we have all the Kushayans. Um and and to have them work together for for the sake of Jesus, um, to me that's that's a mighty move of God.

SPEAKER_00 2:46

I think it's lovely. You're even wearing a Micronesian lamb, sorry, don't know which um nation is represented. Chukis. And uh you you always have us pray and and just have a heart for the community at Wide. I think at last um there were about 18 churches partnering under one roof. Is that true? Yeah. And so thank you, Pastor John, your heart for outreach within our own Ohana, within the in-reach, and that's kind of living up to our name, Kalihi Union Church. Can you speak to where that name came from? I think we just celebrated the 112th birthday of Kalihi Union.

SPEAKER_01 3:22

Yeah, so we were with the um United Churches of Christ, and then in the 90s, when they shifted their theological emphasis, um our our our church pulled away. And um, but there was at that point a very, very strong, vibrant evangelical union of reaching out in the name of Jesus. Hallelujah. And um so when they felt that they were moving away from those biblical roots, uh they joined the Evangelical Free Church of America. Um but the uh Kalihi, where our church started when the community started, and the the whole intent of Kali Union Church was to be multi-ethnic. Wow. Well, at that point in 1913, when the church started, or or formally started, started before that, um most churches were uh one ethnic group or one language. That's right. And so from the very beginning, we tried to bridge that and have uh a place where uh all different ethnic groups could join and worship uh the one Lord.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

It's beautiful, and as you were saying, I'm thinking about some of the Hawaii history where you had the different ethnic groups coming to work in the plantations quite often. So you would have the Japanese had their own church, the Chinese had their own church and even their own religion. But after the Chinatown fires in downtown and then Chinatown, um, it seems that our history as Kalihi Union is they spread to the outermost parts of the city, and now that's become a beautiful melting pot for over 112 going on years. So thank you for that reminder. And we know uh one of my favorite scriptures is Psalm 133, verse 1 that says how good and pleasing it is when God's cakey, when God's children live together in unity. And the next two verses talk about therein comes either the the oil that drips from Abraham's beard, I'm sorry, Aaron's beard, or the dew that drips from Mount Hebron.

SPEAKER_01 5:24

Herman.

SPEAKER_00 5:24

Hermon, thank you. Good thing I have the pro here, uh, because I get it all garbled, but that's anointing because those those are holy things to the Lord God. And so in unity comes that anointing. And I see it on campus to this day. For example, you're still wearing that because you helped to minister to one of our um Micronesian families. But too often, Pastor John, otherwise, I'll see a lot of the Micronesian churches meeting at public parks, like literally right outside the bathroom or sitting on the picnic tables. They'll do whatever it takes to meet the living God, but it's so neat that we get to share an altar with these families. So thank you for encouraging that.

SPEAKER_01 6:02

It's an honor, it's a privilege, and and it's a blessing for us. Um initially, you know, people, because we don't rent out space, we we share what we have, it's the Lord's campus. Initially, people are very shocked, thinking, oh, what about expenses? And because our water bills and our electrical bills are very high and those kinds of dynamics, but it's it's the sharing and the partnership of the gospel, and that they are able to reach people that that uh alone we would never reach, but together uh we can have an impact. And we are able to take the the strengths from one group and and share it with the weaknesses of another. And so we're we see that even with a lot of the gym activities where the young people, the young adults, they from all the different churches, they gather together and they it it enables them to have greater relationship and greater bonding.

SPEAKER_00 6:53

And what's neat to me is I I shared with you as I do get to attend prayer with the pastors early on Sunday mornings, I had come to a funeral service there, a celebration of life, as we Christians tend to call it, but it's basically a funeral. And these are also we're talking about outreach to many different people groups and different uh churches where they come in under our roof and at the same altar. I saw a service for um an ex-gang member who had become uh a minister at Adult Friends for Youth, and then he was unfortunately killed. I saw more gang memorabilia coming into the church that day. I was actually sincerely shocked. And you have a heart to reach out again, the in-reach. What's the thinking there? Because I know we do great things and we have Christian, it's you know, it's so nice that we have these gym activities and weightlifting nights and things like that, but you also have a heart to go after the least of these and the worst of we's inside the church.

SPEAKER_01 7:49

Well, when when we go through struggles, we struggle together. When one person suffers, we all suffer. And we've had a number of of very serious situations of deaths, of murders, of young people, of um, and of course, we're part of the community and we all suffer together. Yeah. But we bring the light and the power uh of Jesus and the truth of the resurrection to bear. Yes. And so a lot of what we do, it it's extremely expensive for people to have funeral services. You know, it costs $5,000 just to rent for for a funeral service in a mortuary. Um, and for a family that is broken and grieving, I mean, where do they go? Right. So we try to come alongside. So

Why Kalihi Union Stays Multiethnic

SPEAKER_01 8:35

we have done literally hundreds and hundreds of services um from everything from policemen to to um you know families in our community or families tied to our community. Right.

SPEAKER_00 8:47

Um dignitaries from other countries, uh Micronesian countries.

SPEAKER_01 8:52

Well, we just had we had had we just had on uh Saturday the um the Prime Minister's wife from Japan, whose husband was was uh was killed, executed. And so we we really have um uh a a vast array of of people that come. We've had heads of state, we've had all kinds of contacts in just little Kalihi. Um, and yet God God takes the the that which is weak to shame the strong. Amen. And he uses, I think, sometimes out of places that are nothing to shame those who think they are something.

SPEAKER_00 9:28

Yeah. And I love that, as you said, there might be expenses incurred, but again, uh we're a very mission-hearted church. We even know missionaries in many other countries, but we're even doing mission to the countries here in our country at Kalihi Union. One time there was a Samoan wedding, and how many you I think you shared, was there over 20 guys on the bride bridegroom's side, and then on the bride? How many were there? Because buses had to pull up to drop them off.

SPEAKER_01 9:54

They had a bus for all of the bridesmaids, and then another bus for all of the groomsmen.

SPEAKER_00 10:00

It was like 26 guys and then 26 women on the bride's side. That's how we roll, Kali. Some women strong, uso strong. So we love all of these, and again, it's about the unity. Um, I love that that God shows up in mighty ways, but it's in that still soft whisper and in the gentle ways with one another. Your dad, uh Reverend William Steeper, was senior pastor at our same church, Kalihi Union Church, where you've served 15 years now. He did so as you were born and as a small child. I believe you were the youngest of six.

SPEAKER_01 10:35

Correct.

SPEAKER_00 10:35

And he did that in the 50s and 60s. What was that like for you, Pastor John?

SPEAKER_01 10:40

Well, it's it's more of a heritage that I have heard about than one that I remember. Um, we were the only Howley family in in the church. Um and back then there was a lot of prejudice. There still is in different contexts and ways. Um my siblings, my older sister is bright blonde hair and um in in Manoa Elementary School, you know, came home one day and said, you know, mom, uh what wait what's it mean to be a dirty, dirty howley? You know, so we we've had we've had that side of it, which is in the community, which I think most most people have had in in various contexts and ways. Unfortunately, you don't know Jesus. But uh we've also had the incredible, overwhelming overflow of aloha and love and uh and privilege that comes from being a part of of Ohana here in Hawaii. So I think the respect of um of leaders and of Christian leaders was very much firmly implanted. Yeah. Uh and it's still here, fortunately, in Hawaii. It's not in every place. Wow. Um and so dad used to work with um the prisons, he used to work with all the high schools on the islands as well. And um and God used dad very powerfully in, I think, touching a lot of young people's lives. Yes. Uh he worked a lot with uh UH as well, with uh University Christian Fellowship. He he uh had a big part in that. So those are some of the distant memories, even though I was extremely young, right, uh, that have sort of been fed to me through the years. Um in coming back, those that were young and came to Christ were then the uh the matriarchs and the patriarchs of the church and and the leaders and the spiritual giants. And so that has been my my privilege of being able to build upon that foundation.

SPEAKER_00 12:42

And just a few of those spiritual giants that I can think of off the top of my head, like Ada Lum, who just passed away. She was a hundred years old. We had just celebrated her birthday at church, and she just passed a couple of weeks ago at the time of this taping. And then there's also Danny Amashiro from Good Life Hawaii, and he's an evangelist. You all grew up together.

SPEAKER_01 13:01

Well, I've known Danny my my whole life, uh, incredible man, um, but personally have just really developed the relationship since coming back. Yeah. Um, and he preached last Sunday and did an amazing job as Danny always does. Um, so so yes, there's many, many networks of significant relationships. And I don't think there's a week that goes by that I don't have someone from the past uh show up and say, Oh, when I was this year, or my parents were married here, or that kind of a thing. And the the way the gospel grows in time rather than diminish. Yes, I think is one of the heritages that that we have in in our community.

SPEAKER_00 13:43

And what I especially love, Pastor John, is it's really grounded in God's word. I mean, everything is about the Bible, so much so that I had attended earlier, like a decade ago, and we are friends with Trisha,

Funerals Outreach And Serving The Vulnerable

SPEAKER_00 13:55

your wife, but also I came back again because I had kind of gone to follow um Pastor Bud Stonebreaker as he was running for office and then went to his church. Came back recently around right after COVID times, and somebody said, Oh yeah, there's um so-and-so. He's 102 years old. He's teaching one of our Bible study classes, and I went, 102 years old. This guy is going fire for fire with God. Is that true? And he recently stopped.

SPEAKER_01 14:20

Pastor Hidaniusui.

unknown 14:22

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Oh, we we have remarkable, remarkable godly men and women. And um very, very much when you say rooted in scripture, I I think our our church was the first in Hawaii to have a dedicated pastor for for for Christian education.

SPEAKER_02 14:37

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01 14:38

And and uh have always viewed the the teaching of of scripture as being fundamentally essential to everything that we do. Hallelujah. Um and we know that our culture gets tossed around. But we really want to be on on the the anchor of the word of God. Amen. And so that's been a great privilege to be able to preach scripture and teach scripture and lead lead the the people and growing to understand the Lord.

SPEAKER_00 15:05

And is it true? Because I said the 102-year-old, I think would be 103, but stopped because recently he passed on to glory. So that's the only reason he stopped teaching the Bible. I had the privilege of taking the gateway class, which is kind of an intensive. I felt like it was a college-level class, might not be for everybody, but for me it was college level. Same thing. It's rigorously in the wonderful rich word of the Lord and learning foundational truths that I don't have to get swayed about pronouns or about um uh confusion about gender, etc., because it's black and white in the word of God. And that is a straight line that does not shift like a shadow or get tossed like a wave. So thank you, Pastor, for continuing that rich tradition of drawing a straight line, where maybe not all do. I have another question for you. Uh, you witnessed a church back then, and one of my favorite things, memories that you shared when your dad, you had mentioned that it was a little bit more um formal back when your dad was the reverend in the 50s and 60s, and your dad would wear like the robes and they had the seats up on the stage. But what was your favorite memory with your dad? It so touched me when you shared that in church recently.

SPEAKER_01 16:13

I was also I was very shy and uh as the youngest of six, and people are always grabbing at you as a pastor's child. So dad would shake hands with everyone at the end of the services, and uh I would go and hide under his robe, and there no one could see that I was there and I would be safe, and that was my spot. And in in many ways, it it there's a spiritual insight of uh I I remember before dad died, he had a stroke for for 12 years, and he called us and and he actually gave me his mantle. And I I I I have his robe, I've worn his robe many times, even though we don't wear them in Hawaii very often. Um, and so there there is a component I I think in which it is a wonderful picture not only of the Heavenly Father with us, but I've had that privilege of having such a godly dad and have being able to come underneath his mantle and uh and and to to serve uh the same Lord with the same kind of passion.

SPEAKER_00 17:09

Amen. And your mom, just a wonderful pillar of faith, also raising six children. Like you said in Hawaii, you're blue-eyed, right? The blonde kids. I'm sure everybody was grabbing on you because you're so cute. But I love one time you were sharing how your dad would wait, all the children would sit at the table as hungry as you were, but you wait till mom sat down. Is that true?

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Oh, yes. We we had we had uh a really fun childhood, lots of fun, but we were very strict. Everybody was to be there for supper. Yes, and everyone was important, and we waited till everyone was there, and of course, the most important person other than the Lord would be my mom. Wow and honoring her uh for all that that she does as a mom.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Well, that leads me naturally into another question I had for you because I um I spy out the promised land. I look at a lot of marriages and I check them out and see which ones really work well and which ones may not. And I've I've watched you and Trisha, your wife, you've been married many years. Please tell us how many. And then you also not only raise your three children, please tell us, remind us their names, but you also Hanai Keiki. You bring in fosters. Can you tell us what's the secret of a great Christian marriage? Because I think being a child of divorce and seeing too many um marriages are the number one target for Satan because it symbolizes Jesus and his bride, the church. Christian marriage, you might as well just put a nuclear sign on it because he's definitely after them. But what's your secret to a long and thriving marriage?

SPEAKER_01 18:39

Well, been married 43 years, and um Trisha and I actually dated for five years before getting married. So we've known each other a long time. And um, from the very beginning, the Lord was at the center. Um she hung around Christian friends and had a Bible memorization club and all kinds of things like that. So there was um from the from the very get-go, uh, one of seeking the Lord and of valuing uh the Lord's working in each other. Yes. So I have learned so much about Jesus from my wife. Yeah. Uh the Holy Spirit. You know, we often joke, oh, listen to the Holy Spirit through your through your spouse. Wow. And it's true. Yes, very true. Um so we pray together. Um, you know, there are seasons of marriage, and uh in every kind of work, there are seasons when you are out at night and you're out early in the morning and you're not always together. But we have always kept, like I said, with my family, we've always had supper together, and that was a rule uh for us, and always tried very hard to to be home for supper on time. Um because you every night I'm out uh as a pastor, and so to guard that that time and make sure I'm able to have at least one touch point with my with my my family. Um with uh every night we go to bed together, even if I have to leave. I I have I have a lot of crisis calls, not as much now as in the past.

Growing Up In Hawaii As Pastor’s Kid

SPEAKER_01 20:15

And so we go to bed, we lie down together, and we hold hands and we pray and we pray for each of our kids and we pray for each other. Um and so that that's just been the norm. Of course, we always worship together. Uh and I don't think we've I've ever I can't remember ever not being in church on a Sunday uh in my life. Maybe uh I've been sick a couple times, but uh it's just the norm. And so we don't we don't do things on Sundays um that we can do the rest of the week. So um we we don't work in terms of the things I would normally do for work. Um I don't hold meetings. Yeah, we don't spend money on Sunday because that makes someone else work. Yeah. And um and so we we try to do the things that are worth more than what can be purchased with money and are people centered and that are focused on serving the Lord and his people. So that that would be, I think, really key for us as well. That's a that's a pillar that has not moved. Our kids never do homework. Um we had two roles. Uh one uh and they were never fostered, we never received money um at all. They were always just kids who lived with us for years. So there would be first of all that they they were they'd come to church. Anyone in our home comes to church. That's the way it is. Um and that wasn't a problem. We've always had amazing churches. But secondly, They'd be home for supper. That was hard. That was much more difficult. And to work those relationships. But uh so we have for the vast majority of our 43 years had people live with us. Wow. Probably 35 of them.

SPEAKER_00 22:17

Um 35 Hanay children.

SPEAKER_01 22:20

Well, probably more than that, probably 35 years.

SPEAKER_00 22:23

They're not kids. A lot of them. I've seen Ben recently is a a grown man. He's older than him. Yeah, yeah. Wow.

SPEAKER_01 22:29

So yeah, we've had we've had them, and those are in days and in places when there weren't sort of foster systems or we they just needed a place and we would have them. So I have an amazing wife, and I have amazing kids because they have opened up their their hearts and their world. One example when our daughter Rebecca uh was just just a little uh I think she was two or three, she could speak and we had this young man, he was 18 and he had slit his wrists and was spraying blood in the teachers' faces and at high school, and they had no one who would take them, and uh and they begged us to take him. The the the principal didn't so I brought him home and he was he was very much demonized. He he did he had a really bad streak to him. But we were at a supper table and uh and Becca said to him, uh David, would you would you pass whatever? He didn't answer. She said, Oh David, would would you please you know pass whatever? So I said, I said, David, why why aren't you answering Rebecca? He said, Nobody ever tells me what to do. And and it was just classic of the kind of dynamics we would face just on a on a regular level. He became just an amazing part of our family, gave his heart to the Lord, um, you know, after long, long stories. I actually ended up here in Hawaii being a pro a semi-pro cyclist. Um, but uh many, many uh times we were at our stretching point where we didn't know what to do, or God. And for him, we both sat down and said, God, you've got to give us a heart to love this guy. Right. And he did.

SPEAKER_00 24:16

Amen, Lord. The power of prayer. And your three kids, you remember uh you mentioned Rebecca. You also have Ben and your third son's name. Matthew. Matthew. And they're spread all over the creation. I think Ben's here in Hawaii. Yes. And then one is a recording artist, completely.

SPEAKER_01 24:33

Yes, Matthew and his wife Kelly. Yes.

SPEAKER_00 24:35

Wow. And what does Rebecca do?

SPEAKER_01 24:37

Rebecca is in and lives near Niagara Falls, Canada. And Rebecca is a health coach, and um, she's uh she's a beautiful young lady. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 24:46

You're a blessed man. Thank you for blessing so many, Keiki. That's a lot of Hanai. All right, so I'm gonna ask you about Albania, and you have a heart for missions. It seems like God took you to the extreme because you were there during the Kosovo refugee crisis. This is a brutal time of revolution and war. I only remember as a young person watching it um on the news, and it just looked horrific to me. Um, what was that like? What were you doing there at the time, Pastor John?

SPEAKER_01 25:16

Well, we were sent initially uh when communism fell under under Enver Hoja. Um basically the country was ripped apart. The only atheist country in the history of the world, uh, take North Korea, put it on steroids, um horrible, horrible setup. So no one had any jobs, everyone wanted to leave the country. Um there were, of course, no churches of any kind or no religious expression of any kind allowed. Um it was a brutal regime. Uh so when we went in, it was how do you plant churches in a unifying way? Uh this little country where all the churches of the world sort of converge. So uh they were trying, I was working with the Baptists at that point, and they were trying to work in in one spirit. Um and so I oversaw the uh Baptist World Alliance work of all the Baptists in uh in North America as well as in Europe and then in Brazil and then of course in Asia after that to try to get uh a cooperation. Um and it it was uh it was quite a challenge. Um we worked in the area of uh church planting holistically. We also did pedagogy, we trained teachers in all the schools. Uh we worked in the areas of agriculture, I had I had agricultural teams uh doing libraries and seed plantings and things, and then we did the um uh infectious diseases clinic and we set up family practices. So I worked with all the hospitals and all the prisons. So that was it was sort of surreal in that I uh part the other component of what I did is I worked with the heads of the Orthodox, the Muslim, and the Catholic communities, working with the Prime Minister's office because we rewrote the constitution for the country and wanted to make sure there was religious freedom. So

Marriage Rhythms And Hanai Family Life

SPEAKER_01 27:10

there isn't Americans don't understand there really isn't religious freedom in Europe the way we have here. And even in Western countries.

SPEAKER_02 27:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

So that was the goal, and we're able to do that. Albania has the the the best, most free constitution of any country in Europe right now for religious freedom. Thank you. Um and so that was uh uh a huge challenge and uh but also blessing of God to be able to do. So as a result of that, we we had um favor with the Albanian government. Out of thousands of groups and organizations, we were one of the only ones that was uh legitimate in terms of having government approval. So when uh there was uh Remuya, which which means um chaos that happened, there was true anarchy, which is far worse than war. Uh, and then after that there was the Kosovo War, then the Macedonian War that tied in. Um so there there was uh very, very difficult from uh the perspective of safety, but also of spiritual uh chaos. Just total chaos.

SPEAKER_00 28:24

For broaching that topic, because that was my next question, is it it seems evident to me that it was spiritual battle, but you're saying it was spiritual chaos.

SPEAKER_01 28:34

Oh, i i I it it's very difficult to explain what it would be like going back 200 years, which is what you're doing, and then meshing that immediately with our modern world.

SPEAKER_02 28:50

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

And and all of the the thought patterns and the values and all of those kinds of dynamics, you try to put them all into this pressure cooker where you're condensing the transitions of hundreds of years literally into one or two years, and then you're taking the most homogeneous culture in the world, even more than Japan, and you are bringing in the entire world invading, and and taking a people that that uh had had zero outside access to any of the the values of the Western world or of Christ, of course, and then you just have this flood of everything bad and good coming in, right? And then you have tremendous economic poverty, um, and Albania, which which of course a Sicilian uh mafia is Albanian, and uh and so they just came rushing right back into Albania, and so Albania becomes the center of the sex traffic trade and all the gun running. And so all of that happening simultaneous, it's insanity. And then you take a country that has no cars, maybe had five cars, if that, and uh 93, to then having thousands of cars imported illegally. You could order whatever car you want for a couple thousand, it would be stolen and brought in. Um just this massive convergence of change at an insane pace. Um so yeah, it it it was it was riding a bull.

SPEAKER_00 30:25

And according to my read of scripture, we're facing more times a lot like that, the convergence of an emergence of evil in opportune moments, right? As you were saying, a lot of good was rushing in to bring aid, but there was also a lot of evil that was corrupt and collusion. Um, how would you advise us to deal with spiritual battle? How do we prepare and obey God in spiritually dark times like that?

SPEAKER_01 30:51

Well, now of course we're we're facing AI and um and all the good that is available with AI, sure, and all that terrifies us and makes your blood run, and those that know the most um seem to give the greatest warnings. Um so but I as as Christians, the Lord is real and he is on the throne.

SPEAKER_03 31:16

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

What's artificial is artificial, right? And all that the the enemy can do is do forgery. Uh we we know the real living true God. Amen. And so I I I think if we keep that relationship dynamic and true, God will deal with the bigger issues. Um but we do have to keep that relationship with the Lord Jesus central. And I think that's the test in the church. Um will be the test in preaching, is in how people can just go to AI and say, write me a sermon. It'll be the it'll be the the the the test in in anybody's life. Is there a a a direct, genuine relationship with Jesus, or have we made it something artificial?

SPEAKER_00 32:00

Yeah. And that was a real headline I saw yesterday on End Times headlines that there are more sermons now being generated from AI, which is artificial intelligence versus ABBA intelligence or having that connection with God. And you and I, the way that uh both know, and the way that I term this is I can really sense and discern or distinguish with eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to comprehend, as Jesus said, when it's a pressed oil, when somebody has really wrestled with the Lord for that word. But if we become inundated with a lot of AI-generated sermons or AI generated church and programs, uh I I go back to what you just said a few minutes ago that we stay grounded and connected to the word of God. Is that what you would advise, Pastor? Because I am I am afraid of nothing but God, but I there is concern.

SPEAKER_01 32:50

Well, pe people won't survive. I mean, Christians who who are not grounded in the word and and rely upon commentators or even the AI commentating kind of things, they won't survive.

SPEAKER_00 33:04

Yeah. AI Jesus, AI Council, right?

SPEAKER_01 33:07

There, but there are certainly great tools that can be used. If it's if it's a tool, that's great. But as soon as it it replaces, I think, hard work and study and prayer and memorization. Yeah. And I think I think the Lord has his ways. He'll he'll surprise us, he'll shut off the power for a while, and we'll have to all face reality again. Um, you know, those those kinds of things happen, and the Lord knows how to do it. And the Holy Spirit is alive and well.

SPEAKER_03 33:35

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 33:36

And the passion that comes when Jesus forgives our sins and makes our new, I mean, nothing artificial can ever ever duplicate that. No. And so He's He's constantly calling people to Himself all the time, and so we rejoice in that.

SPEAKER_00 33:49

That's good. You know, and one practical example that I will bring up that you brought up in church just a few weeks ago at the time of this taping was on Mother's Day Sunday, which is kind of a big day, right? And this is kind of we joke about it, but it's serious that moms have one day out of the year when they get to make an appeal, and let's go to church is often for a lot of moms. But on this Mother's Day 2026, you, Pastor John, had told the pastors in early morning prayer, and I happen to witness it. We're going to take the time to talk about this AI that is it should make your blood boil, but we're going to put up a website because a lot of our kupuna, we have a lot of elderly at Kalihi Union, will click on a link. Can you explain and describe why that was a concern and it was so important to you as a shepherd, a pastor, to warn the sheep?

SPEAKER_01 34:37

Well, there's a lot of horrible scamming. Horrible, evil, evil scamming. And and now, of course, you you don't know what's real and what isn't real. Exactly. Even if it comes from uh an email address of someone that you know and it's

Albania Missions And Protecting Religious Freedom

SPEAKER_01 34:55

their right address, it may still be a scam that then can take over your computer. And uh we have very good computer experts in our church. Um and and there are very big scams that are going on. And they prey upon, of course, those that are most vulnerable. And uh they're always after money or uh af after control to get money eventually through through networks. So it's it's a big concern. Yeah. And um I I have encouraged people not to do group emailings. That may sound kind of extreme, but um the level of of threat is well beyond, I think, what most people uh understand. Yeah. And the caution that is needed, I think, is well beyond what we are aware of. Yes. And um, and so just the the few little things that I have I have seen and had to navigate as our church is being attacked in different times. Um it's something that I think will change the nature and how we communicate. And my prayer is that it goes back to have to do the face-to-face stuff.

SPEAKER_00 36:07

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 36:08

Because the other is going to become more and more complicated. They can duplicate your voice, they can duplicate anything your picture. You don't know what's real.

SPEAKER_00 36:17

You can't.

SPEAKER_01 36:18

So that's why it's good to be here face to face with you.

SPEAKER_00 36:21

And it was neat because you put up, you know, a slide and there was a um you said, don't open any links, even if it's for a you know or a grad party or Mother's Day, Father's Day, do not open click that link. And because you warned me, literally Monday the next day, I got an email from a trusted coworker, and it was both his different emails sending me a link to a fundraiser for ministry. And I went, uh, and then it hit me, the Holy Spirit speaks, as you said. And I went, don't click that link. And you had provided for our sheep and our our attendees at our church, um, people to look at it because you said we do have great computer, but that's just one practical example. And then what made me laugh is at the end of that, um, and sorry I laugh inappropriately, but I just find certain things funny in church. Then at the end of this announcement about the all of these things going on with technology and AI, you said, and I'm glad we're face to face right now to give this, you know, announcement. I didn't make a video notice or send it on an email to you. And I laughed out loud uproariously, and I was alone in that laughter, but that's okay because I found humor in it and the joy of the Lord. So thank you for being a good shepherd as I rem as I recollect Psalm 23, the shepherd psalm that says, Thy rod and thy staff, they do comfort me. And my understanding, please correct me, is a rod is for beating off wolves or predators, and the staff is that shepherd's hook that brings back the sheep. Is that correct? Yeah. So we need shepherds who will stand up there and deal with right now relevant um predators or things that are coming for your money. They're coming for your identity. Thank you for doing that, Pastor John. Now I'm gonna pivot just a little bit as we're starting to wind down our time. I enjoyed our time so much. And yes, I was absolutely selfish that I wanted extra time with Pastor John as he's retiring, refiring, and God is sending him on to his glory-to-glory next level ministry with Trisha. Um, you did not shut down Kalihi Union during COVID-19 and the pandemic in 2020. Why not? Because God didn't die.

SPEAKER_01 38:21

And no one has the authority to stop the work of God. Nobody.

SPEAKER_00 38:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:27

And no governor, no uh politician. In Albania, I I worked, you know, as I said, with with the heads of countries on religious freedom. And if we have no religious freedom, we have no freedoms. Yeah. It's the foundation of every other freedom that we possess. And say that again.

SPEAKER_00 38:47

If we have no religious freedom.

SPEAKER_01 38:48

It is freedom. There is no such thing as freedom. It is the the cornerstone of all freedoms. And for someone to say that we are not relevant or that we are are not essential, um, it was very interesting. The the first we uh the first Sunday we decided, okay, we we can't shut down. Um so we we just had a long, you know, six to eight hour service where people could come in and go as they want. Wow. We set up hand washing stations, we set up higher standards than what the state had in terms of sanitation. But um there was a family that that came uh for the first time, never been to church before, and their their daughter tried to commit suicide the night before. And and it was just just like the Lord hitting us in the face and and saying, what you do here is important and has eternal value. Right after that, there's a family that came in. They have no electricity. And people think, oh, they can watch on the net or do this. No, they they have no, and they they would just come as a place that was safe to sit in the presence of God. And um, so we saw God do amazing, wonderful things uh during that time. And we weren't flaunting it, yeah. I wasn't advertising, you know, come, we're not close very much, uh just trying to do what we do for Jesus. Um, but it it was a very, very significant time.

SPEAKER_00 40:19

Well, and you know, the the counterpart or the opposite of that is that the government did approve that liquor stores could stay open, that McDonald's was open, you know, others, as you said, were essential. Um strip clubs were open, and but were not open. I was watching the news and Kupuna, you know, who regularly walked parks or were down at the beach and families, you couldn't, they would get arrested for going out.

SPEAKER_01 40:43

The irony is I had had lunch with uh Governor Josh Green and and I'd asked him prior to this happening, I say, Are you gonna you know promise that that you will not uh you know legislate the vaccinations or anything else? Oh, he he made a promise to us, to our face. He we that he would not do that, and and turned around and did the exact opposite. And um, you know, my wife and I have always had this uh this plan of when I get arrested or what you know what happens, that kind of thing. But it uh the the hypocrisy of uh some of our leaders, and specifically that that I saw of our governor at that point, of operating in an emergency context and removing uh the things that were needed the most by our culture at that time showed to me a complete misunderstanding of our people. Um but same time, I mean, that's his responsibility under the Lord, I leave him to the Lord and we pray. Amen. But in in terms of I am responsible under the Lord to care for those that he's given me to care for. Yeah. And and I I'm accountable to the Lord Jesus to do that.

SPEAKER_00 41:48

As a Kahu, this is your kuliana. You answer to Jesus Christ. Yes. And so there have been times in my own short history of ministry here in the state of Hui, one of them was um same-sex marriage, and you were there as well at the state capitol, and that costs some of us or it costs all of us something, and that's onward Christian soldier. So thank you, Pastor John, for having stood for truth and inalienable rights that were granted to us by none other but God and can be taken by none other but God.

SPEAKER_01 42:18

And I and I think I think there, Dawn, I came from a different perspective. I came from Europe, where they're like decades

Spiritual Battle In An AI World

SPEAKER_01 42:25

ahead in a bad way, and from Canada where we'd seen all this, I was so happy to get to Hawaii where it was not going to be an issue.

SPEAKER_02 42:32

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 42:32

And all of a sudden hit with this. And and uh and so looking back with hindsight 2020 vision for people who are just being shocked with facing it for the first time. Um and we we face huge spiritual battles. Wow. Of course, in in the Lord Jesus, we're victorious in the mall, regardless of what the local fad or trend is or what the law says at this moment, it's eternal in the heart and the character of our God. And uh and so we constantly look to him. Um and and I think that we will see uh unfortunately the negative repercussions, as we've seen in other countries of that kind of legislation, which they they lied again straight to our face on what they would do and what they weren't weren't gonna do. But we will also see common sense and reality of not only God's natural law, but his moral law, as as a spirit that works in our culture, and people come back and have a hunger for Jesus because the world can't replace what God gives in Christ. It can't replace what God gives in in marriage and in our identity as men and women under God. So that that's that will happen. It's good and I look forward to seeing seeing God work in that way.

SPEAKER_00 43:47

I do too. I appreciate that you mentioned the power of prayer and that you and Trisha talked about, you know, the day we get arrested. I just saw an extreme film that came out of Iran. They actually had to film it in Singapore. You may have seen it myself. Sister Michelle sent it to me, and she's a pretty extreme missionary herself. And um, two, a couple of lines stood out, but the one that I'll focus on was that the people there, the married couple, say, I'm gonna leave the house and I may not come back. Right? You saw that. And there are consequences in other countries where there are no religious freedoms. I think at this time, uh, my Mana'o or my humble uh opinion is that we need to prepare ourselves because so much, as you you kind of glanced off this point of emergency powers that were exercised by our current governor and administration as not just one person, it's a whole political um organization, has stripped us of certain freedoms that will not be coming back. And so I have prepared myself to stand for the biblical lines. I'm not trying to be illegal or disobedient, but there does come a day when we have civil disobedience, as we see with um when they when Moses came and was put out into the river, right? His mom didn't yield to those illegal laws of killing babies. So thank you for standing strong, Pastor John.

SPEAKER_01 45:04

And and we always say yes to God.

SPEAKER_00 45:08

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

And we are free in saying yes to God at that point to honor those even that are different from us. Um, but we also take the consequences of those choices that we make to say yes to God.

SPEAKER_00 45:24

Amen.

SPEAKER_01 45:25

And sometimes the world um is kind and sometimes the world is not. We were praying this morning for Pakistan, and they are starting invading all the churches, and the last two weeks has been very brutal. Um but but what that means for us here, uh we we sometimes think we're in this safe little bubble. No, we're not. No. And we are safe in the hands of God, so that's that's the safety. He's never gonna let us go. But in terms of the interaction of culture and the world, uh, we must stay firmly rooted in the Word of God.

SPEAKER_00 45:57

Amen. Thank you, Pastor. Okay, so last question. As a traditional question, we ask we ask each guest, and is uh here on Aloha Alive, what is aloha to you, Pastor John?

SPEAKER_01 46:12

Aloha keekua. Um I I I think other than shalom or agape, uh aloha is one of those rich treasures that God has given to the Hawaiian culture, Hawaiian history, of understanding who he is and the heart that he has, the beauty that he has, the the tenderness, the graciousness, the humility, all of all of that in action. And I think that's so important. It's not in theory, it's in action. And I've just received the tsunami of aloha from our people in saying goodbye. You know, literally I I've had lays that that no one should have the privilege of wearing uh that are made, and you've made many of them, Dawn. And I I've had gifts and prayer and kindness and overflowing that gives out of the joy of giving and not out of an expectation of receiving. Um and that's the kind of God we have. And I think Hawaii will always be special in the face of the earth because we understand the character of God as it's seen in Aloha. And I have experienced that my whole life. Um there was a lady, Mrs. Cosner, uh, I remember her telling me about Pearl Harbor and the pilots coming right down over her house, but she was very poor and uh part of our church. But when when Trisha and I were very poor in uh in university, we had just got married. We were living off of $12 a week. That was our our budget, and I never had any debt, but I I never spent what I didn't have. But she would send us uh checks in order, just they weren't a lot, but it it was a lot for us. And when we were in Albania, the church here, they prayed, um, even though they hadn't seen us in decades. Um and and I think that aloha that looks beyond ourselves to how can I love in the name of Jesus? How can I love with the heart of God and the blessing that comes when we love

Why The Church Stayed Open In COVID

SPEAKER_01 48:20

that kind of way?

SPEAKER_00 48:21

So that's beautiful. And with that said, uh, the very last question is the knowing Aloha Kiyakua is your version of aloha, your definition, and I love that, it which means God is love. Who is your aloha hero, either a person who lives pure aloha, past or present, and how so?

SPEAKER_01 48:41

There are so so many, um, honestly uh thousands in uh that I could tell about. But Richard Cano is uh a man who lived to pray. And um and as as just uh uh whenever his his family and grandkids would be around, he would always come and gather them in close and say, I want to tell you about Jesus.

unknown 49:11

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 49:12

And he would just pray the blessings of heaven down on them. And I think um no, I I loved Richard, uh was there just just before he died, and but it was this genuineness, he was he was someone who actually grew carnations and would make a lay every Sunday out of the carnations he grew, and they were these big double carnations, beautiful, but it as you know it's the aloha in the making. It's it's the love for Jesus, and it's the love of wanting Jesus to be known in the world. And I think that kind of of passion that comes from just being loved by Christ has been something that I've seen over and over again in countless people.

SPEAKER_00 50:02

Well, thank you, Pastor. And uh then before I let you go in on that note of Mr. Kano always praying for his grandchildren. Can you pray for the state of Hawaii and give us just a little piece of the mantle? I'm not gonna ask for the whole mantle. I know you got your mantle from your dad, but I know that you're going on to um God, great things, we're gonna miss you already.

SPEAKER_01 50:22

Let's pray. Lord, we thank you. You are the mighty God.

unknown 50:28

Yes, Lord.

SPEAKER_01 50:29

There is no one like you, and there is no one who could make you do anything or stop you from doing anything. You open doors that no one can shut, and you shut doors that no one can open. So in the name of Jesus, we pray that you would open that door wide of aloha once again here in Hawaii. Father, you've you've kept it open, Lord, and you've been witnessing through your church to the power of Jesus for these centuries, but Father, that you would open up and spread that door wide to the hearts of the little children, to the hearts of the Kapuna, all the families, all the different ethnic groups, Lord, that there would be this flood of the power of your Holy Spirit to bring change. And Lord, that there would be just uh first and foremost this amazing awareness of the power of the cross and

Defining Aloha Plus Prayer For Hawaii

SPEAKER_01 51:25

of the depth of your love for us. And Lord, that there would be evidence clearly a shaking of these islands by the power of the resurrection of Jesus, who has defeated Satan, defeated death, and Lord has defeated all of the power of sin in our lives. So, Lord, we we pray that outpouring of the power of the resurrection in your church through your people, Lord, many, many countless people come to Christ here and all through the world. And we thank you. Stir people to pray, Lord. Let there be unity between denominations, let there be unity uh within families, let there be unity, Lord, where we see discord. And Father, that in the name of Jesus there would be glory that would last and multiply. Thank you. And God, I pray your blessing on Dawn, all that she does to bring your aloha here in these islands. And Lord, thank you that all of it will bear fruit that will last for eternity. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 52:33

Thank you, Pastor. And of course, on Aloha Alive, we end with Aloha always wins. Help me out, Pastor. Ready? Aloha always wins. Thank you, Pastor.