Trusting God's Plan in Uncertain Times

This episode features a heartfelt discussion on the current geopolitical tensions, personal updates, and the importance of faith and prayer in uncertain times. Pastor Gary Kusunoki shares with Daniel Mamora insights on missions, safety, and trusting God's plan amid global unrest.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:20

Well, good morning, good afternoon, good evening, wherever you may be. Um, good to have you back here on God Stories Podcast, Courtesy of Anchor International Relief, and uh Daniel here with Pastor Gary. We're actually remote right now. I'm broadcasting from South Orange County. He's broadcasting from Colorado Springs. And um, well, he's gonna give us a little update. Um, last week he's supposed to be flying to Uganda, but that didn't happen. He's gonna share why, and just kind of like a little update, which is also what we're gonna talk about as far as um, you know, a little bit as far as what's happening in the Middle East and just around uh around the world. Um, because uh even um as we speak, right? Because uh one of my good pastor friends, Chris Hilkin, down in San Diego at College App, he's supposed to take a crew to Israel as we speak, but uh, of course, that's not happening as uh, you've been following the news with what's going on over there. But uh Pastor Greg, why don't you give us an update? What's been going on and uh go for it?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

Well, everything's going on in our our life, my life personally, and then then um as a ministry and then geographically. So personally, um we have moved our uh home base from Orange County, South Orange County, to Colorado Springs. And um, there was a whole process that we had in mind. We're moving out of our house in Orange County, moved everything into stores, and we're flying to Uganda on March 1st, and then we were gonna come back in in uh in June and and uh begin the process of getting everything over. Well, a lot of things changed out. One is our oldest daughter who has been struggling for a long time with long COVID, is really um was having a pretty rough time, and so we wanted to come and spend time with her. So we made a decision, we pray, made a decision on Friday to um to reschedule our tickets, push it out from March 1st to March 15th, and um actually Saturday our tickets were canceled anyways because the war began uh between the United States, Israel, and Iran. And so um that that whole area blew up. Then we had tickets on the 15th, which just got canceled. And so now we are scheduled to leave here, God willing, on the 31st, but we're flying through Europe. So here to Boston, to Amsterdam, to Uganda, and uh on the 31st. And uh my my goal is I I need to be or what I want to be God willing in in the village by Easter. So everybody could just be praying for that, and of course, please be praying for for our daughter Heather and just for her health.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Yeah, and um, yeah. And if you have you guys missed uh our previous episodes, uh literally what um we there was you know that um I guess you could say rumor of like was Anchored moving to Colorado or out of state and all that stuff. No, Anchored is still operating here in Orange County and around the world, but also uh at the same time the Kusunokis moved their residency to Colorado Spring. That's it. I mean, and we've we said it, we made it clear is anything gonna change? Nothing's gonna change. They're just moving houses. That's it. So but anyway, go for it, uh Pastor Gary.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

I'll tell you what changed for me. Uh uh gasoline price dropped by 50 50 percent uh per gallon. So um I I think when you figured out you're you're paying twice as much as we are right now.

SPEAKER_00 4:12

So well, I'm not I I'm an electric car, so oh that's true. Okay, well never but I I I feel the struggle from everybody else because they're I was driving by an arco station today, it says six dollars a gallon, and that's arco so crazy. So but it's yeah, it's insane. Uh but yeah, it's it's just crazy just because of what's been happening in Iran, and with with all the war that's happening in the Middle East, and uh we can't even travel to Israel as we speak. Um and even uh Christian Perez, one of our brothers at Calvary South OC, he's supposed to go to CVI, Israel, for two months uh to do an intensive Bible training, and that didn't go anywhere. And so and that's what we want to talk about today, as far as um just what's been happening, and also should that encourage us or discourage us um in regards to our faith and regards to missions, because I know people sometimes are in fear about you know about going out there because um, but even even Jesus said himself, you know, following me, there is a cost. There is a cost. And I know we don't want to look at being scared of our lives as a cost, but I mean, even if you tuned in a few months ago, uh just with what happened with Charlie Kirk, um you know, in happening in our own soil, going out there, sharing his faith, and he gets smarter for his faith. But um, but anyway, uh I just Pastor Gary, I just wanted to kind of pass the baton to you about with what's happening and just kind of like should that be an encouragement or discouragement, and what does the Lord have to say to you uh, you know, about those things?

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Well, you know, people always ask us when we talk about where we go, we go to Nepal, which is uh a country that um has an anti-prospel prosperization law, and uh you know you can't share the gospel there. We go to Mexico where where the cartels right now are extremely active and um and targeting even American citizens and then then Uganda, which is uh you know, East Africa, which is uh actually, you know, when when I look at at uh where we go, uh Uganda's one of the safer places compared to to like Tijuana and and Nepal right now, but um all that can change in a second. So question is, is it safe? And the answer is, you know, if we are walking in the will of God, if we're doing what God has called us to do, then we don't need to be afraid to go wherever he calls us. Yeah, and and um, you know, I think of Isaiah chapter six, and and after Isaiah saw just a clear vision of God and all his majesty and his glory, and and then you know, had that clear picture of himself and all his sin and his feelings and his shortcomings. And and then he said, Woe is me, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I come from a people of unclean lips. And my eyes have seen the God of glory. And then, you know, the you know, the story that the the angel brought a coal from the altar and touched and said, you know, you're you're you're cleansed. And then he heard that call, you know, who will go for us and whom shall we send? And and and he answered immediately, here am I send me. He didn't say, is it gonna be safe? How much is it gonna cost? He just said, All right, if God's calling me, then I'm going. And and and how I get there, and do I have the money? All of those things, those are totally up to the Lord. And and and am I gonna be there? Am I gonna get to go and come back? Is it gonna be safe? And you know, um I know that as long as we're walking in God's will, whatever happens to us is God's will. And I remember Pastor Chuck one time saying that a man of God in the will of God is invincible until God calls him home. And so, you know, um that's it's it's not like oh, we're so brave, and people people say, Oh, you're so brave, you go to all these dangerous places, and and and it's like, no, it it's just what God's called us to do, to go. And and you know, it does require us to to really keep our eyes on him, be in prayer, be in the word, so that we have his peace that passes all understanding. But we do have peace, and we know that with all the changes in this world, and and you know, if we had to title this segment, it would be God is in control, even when it looks like the rest of the world is out of control. Um, we know God's in control. I mean, we're we're looking at at the impacts of the war here in the United States, and you know, gasoline prices going up and everything else, and it's like, all right, but God knows, He's not surprised by by any of this. And so um, you know, prayerfully in a in a few weeks that we'll actually the next time we do our our our podcast and it in beginning in April, we'll be in Uganda. And um so I'm asked everybody just to be praying for that, but we're excited actually to to be where we are. But the other thing I would want to say too is please be praying for the people of Iran. And and you know, uh it's an evil regime. And I have so many friends that are Iranian that are living here in the states, and and you know, they're rejoicing over what they see in the the in that in the hope that not only will there be regime change, uh, but there'll be a spiritual change in uh in Iran, and and then that will uh impact the whole Middle East. And you know, I I want to see an outpouring of God's Holy Spirit over over this area in this world, and and even if it's like, you know, this is one last uh great push work of the Holy Spirit before Christ comes for his church, then it's like do it, Lord, and and and then then bring us home. And so you know, I'm it it's it's an uncertain time, it's it is scary, I mean, honestly, and on some levels, and and but at the the same time it's exciting because we see uh prophetic picture being played out here, you know, according to the scriptures, and and so you know, I'm excited to see all that God's gonna do. And and we just know we're gonna get to Uganda when God wants us in Uganda. Um you know, we we had um canceled our tickets to ourselves the day before they were canceled by the the airline, and you know, that would have been super stressful for us, uh, especially with with us, you know, just having moved out of our house, moved everything into storage. And and like you said, the only thing that's changing as far as anchor goes is our home base.

SPEAKER_00 11:57

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 11:57

And and even, you know, we're telling people at at church at Calvary South LC that hey, you'll probably see us as much as you did before. Because, you know, we're still gonna be coming there two, three times a year. Our daughter is there and um Hannah, and so we're we're we're still gonna be there. So um, I don't know that most people would would even know uh the the difference. So um that's where we're at. That's in a nutshell where the world is at. Um, I mean, it seems like every time we do a show, it's like, you know, man, there's something cooking. God is is moving and he's working, and and we just want to be a part of that.

SPEAKER_00 12:43

You mentioned address change. I was just um listening to Pastor Josh Howarton of Lake Point Church, and he it was it was a um a sermon that he did right after Charlie Kirk passed away. And I love what he said that you know, for Christians, death isn't like there's no such thing as death, like because literally all we're doing is changing when they kill us, yeah, we kill they kill the body, but all we're doing is changing addresses. And so, yeah, and then literally, like when Charlie was was martyred for his faith, you know, he was in Utah, and now he's with the Lord. And so, um, and so that's that's that's the hope of of the Christian, too. And I think of two of uh Psalm 46, right? God is our refuge and strength, very present help and trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth me be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, and even in in good in John's gospel in the 14th chapter, peace I leave with you, peace I give to you. Not as the world gives due, I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. And I know people have been, you know, especially um Pastor Fabian had to cancel uh Mexico trips, um, you know, at least for now. And then also um at Downey, um, you know, I talked with Vanya and how her best friend who uh Jeanette who kind of runs the um the orphanage trips down to Waha um, I don't know if it's Oaxaca, but uh but somewhere down there, and uh and literally they had to cancel their trip because of all the cartel wars that are going on down there, and so um yeah, we canceled um our march trip um down to Tijuana because of that. Yeah, and so and yeah, even though like you know, I I want to encourage everybody, yeah, like with what's going on in the Middle East in Mexico, um you know, the Bible clearly commands it do not be afraid. You know, if we're in Christ, you know, he is our shield, he is our protector, because things like that can happen in our own homeland. I know we don't think about it, we don't want to think about it, but it can happen, yeah, even just like down the street, you know, from us, like literally. And I'm not just saying it like metaphorically, I'm just or or as an illustration, I'm saying it because it could literally happen, because no one would think that in out of all places a city like Lake Forest would see murders, would see assaults, and and I know it might not be in regards to the faith or anything like that, but even if you go down to let's just say downtown San Clemente and preach the gospel, and um and and of course, you know, like what what we said in the previous episodes, like of course, persecution in America does not compare to what happens over in the Middle East or in China, or you name it. But but even too, where like even or where the Lord has placed you anywhere around here, you know, ask the Lord to test your faith. Ask the Lord, you know, because if you want your faith to be active and to be bold, right, because that's what Acts talked about, you know, to be bold in our faith, right? Because the power of the Holy Spirit empowers us and we go and share the gospel and um and even then it's like God is right there, God is our shield, God is our refuge and our strength and our protector. And he's he and he promised, right? That he'll never leave us or forsake us. And and I think too where should we, you know, the when we ask the question, should we be afraid? No. Yeah, is there a little concern? Of course there's a little concern. But should we be afraid? No. No. You know, because the Lord is with us, right? Like if you even in even if you look at the 23rd Psalm, right? Yeah, people think that David, it was just a metaphor, but no, he literally walked a path where he literally almost lost his lost his life. But yet, even though I walk through the valley of shadow of death, I will fear no evil because the Lord is with me. And that's that's what that's what David said. And and I think too, if you ask the Lord to be with you, he will be with you. Yeah, that's the one thing that he'll definitely say yes to. He won't say no, he'll definitely say yes to. Ask the Lord to be with you, he will say yes. Because I hope all things he desires a relationship with you, he wants to embolden you in your faith, he wants you to be the heir of Christ, or heiress if you're if you're a sister, and uh and we're co-heirs, so to speak. And uh and so it's you know, it's Jesus is promised supernatural peace that's not dependent upon the world's events. So yes, there is bad news out there, but this is good news. This is good news right here. So anything you want to add, Pastor McGarrett?

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Well, I I would just say um, you know, when we talk about things being canceled or trips being canceled, God's not canceled. Um and you know, I know that that uh even if we don't get there, our team doesn't get there, or or whatever, that God continues to work. And so uh I know he goes before us, I know he's our front and rear guard, and I know, you know, Joshua 1, be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. Don't turn to the right or the left, verse 9, uh, but go straight ahead in the direction that he's given us. That's what our calling is, and that's what what our heart and desire is. And you know, I think as we close, let's um let's pray for Iran and the people of Iran, and then we can um do um, you know, just uh give those people to the Lord, and I think that's a great way to close. Absolutely. Go pray. All right, well, let's pray. Father God, I just thank you for this time and I pray that you're glorified in it. And Lord, I pray that that it's not us who are brave or anything, Lord. It it's all you. And so, Lord, um, I pray for each one listening that that they would have the courage to say, Yes, Lord, I'll follow you wherever you lead. Here am I, send me. And I pray that you would bless the people you'd on and um the families of those that have lost loved ones. And we don't even know how many tens of thousands have been killed, but Lord, I pray that you would um, as we said, not just bring regime change, but spiritual change. And that, Lord, you would protect the people and that Lord, you would pour your spirit out over the Middle East. Um, Satan can't lock you out, and so Lord, I just ask for your hand and your blessing to be upon us now in Jesus' name. Amen.

SPEAKER_00 20:06

Amen. Yes, amen. Well, um, well, we appreciate you guys joining in and listening. Uh, you could always um go to our website, anchorbelief.org, or our web or our blog spot at anchorbelief.blog. Um, you can follow us on Instagram, subscribe to our YouTube channel, and um also like on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Um, and then you could always, you know, uh message us or just email us or uh and message us on Instagram as far as like we need prayer or anything, or just want to know about us, do you want to give, you know, there's a giving tab on our website, tax deductible, and uh um and then we'll definitely keep you updated too as far as trips. Um and just with what's happening as well, because uh um yeah, because we don't want you know, because you know, of course we don't want to, you know, we encourage you not to be afraid, we're not afraid, but we're also sensitive to to make sure that like hey, we're following um the proper you know instruction from our government, you know, to make uh if if we're allowed to travel or anything like that. And so um, yeah, so keep keep an update on that. Be praying for for Heather, be praying for the Kusunokis, be praying for our missionaries uh in Nepal, Mexico, Uganda, and um and everywhere else. And uh and um and I also encourage you guys to pray for all your missionaries, uh, regardless of which church or denomination you represent, pray for your missionaries, you know, because like they they accept us a specific calling that it's hard to to say yes to, you know, because you're giving up um desires like as far as like dreams and this and that, and you're saying yes to the Lord. And so so be Praying for those your your your fellow missionaries, your fellow pastors, and your leaders. Uh they're gonna need it. We're all gonna need it. And so, um, because the devil's at war with us. The devil is at war. And so, um, but we have we have our sword with us. So uh Amen. Amen. Well, anyway, God bless you guys.

SPEAKER_01 22:22

And uh have you you oh Daniel, one thing that we forgot, well that you forgot, that you always forget every week, that if people text uh air AIR to oh yes nine nine four nine three eight four nine two eight four or sorry, nine two eight two nine four nine three eight four nine two eight two and they text the word air to that, then uh we we send out um urgent prayer requests and updates and things like that on that by text. We don't we don't spam you, we don't flood your your um messages in inbox. We you know maybe do uh um two or three uh a week. So yeah, um so if you want to be updated by text and get instant messages and prayer requests, then that would be a blessing.

SPEAKER_00 23:14

All right, Daniel. Thank you. God bless you all, and we'll see you next week. Take care.