Happy Birthday!

Yesterday was my sweetie's birthday - we celebrated Wendy's #^th birthday! I have been blessed to be with Wendy for 19 years, 17 of them as her husband. She must either be really tough or have an extra measure of grace from God! Regardless, I hope we celebrate many, many more.
Aloha -

Summer is almost over!

Aloha to you and I'm sorry I have been away from the blog. This summer has been jam-packed and busy! Summer has flown by and now school is beginning again. The Lord continued great things during these months and I anticipate that He will provide more as we are faithful to follow His plan. During June and July, we had a chance to have a summer missionary at the church. Corey Perkins came in the end of May and just left last Sunday to return to Arkansas. Corey worked hard to build relationships and understand the ministries found throughout Maui. Prayerfully, we will have Corey back soon.
Rick Coram and his family are with us again during our special revival services. Rick has been faithful to proclaim and teach God's Word and the church is experiencing a refreshing from the Lord. Continue to pray that our Father will use us for His glory in the days ahead. Keep looking up!
Aloha -

May is here!

Aloha to you and I hope you were ready for May! We are moving through this year and God is continuing to bless us each day. As we finished our study on "Keeping Our Heritage Alive" many questions have come up about wanting to know more of the great Hawaiian heritage that surrounds us. If you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to find the answers with you. We are very blessed to have such a rich Hawaiian heritage and a solid Christian heritage. Keep on growing in Christ and have a wonderful day.
Aloha -

Right On Time

It has been a few days since I have placed a post - time seems to go by faster than ever!  All is well and God is solidly moving things in His direction.  Today brought a little rain to Lahaina and that reminded me that we always receive what we need in the time we need it.  I really had not noticed that the grass was dry and the hillsides were a little brown, but God's automatic sprinklers took care of it once again.  Mahalo Lord for meeting our needs - even the ones we fail to notice.

Aloha -

A Glorious Weekend

This Easter/Resurrection Weekend, God truly blessed our efforts in ministry in several amazing ways.  

Thursday and Friday night, the choir shared the message of Jesus in Whaler's Village and the Lahaina Cannery Mall.  The choir sounded fantastic and the crowds were great.

Saturday, our annual "He Is Alive" outreach at Honokowai Beach Park was phenomenal!  Over three hundred kids attended and the atmosphere was absolutely fun!  We were given the opportunity to share the love of Jesus with many in the neighborhood and it was a blast!

Sunday morning began with our "Sonrise" service and it was spectacular!  At 6 am, the moon was still bright and the sky gradually lightened while the choir sang.  The attendance was good and the 8 am worship was also perfect.  The 10:15 am worship was filled past capacity and again, the choir shared the cantata in an incredible way.  In everything, God blessed us to serve Him and seek His glory throughout the entire weekend.  Praise the Lord.

Aloha - 

A Pleasant Surprise

We hear thunder in Lahaina very rarely.  Yesterday, we had a few showers in town, but the thunder that accompanied the showers were a blessing to me.  I love to hear the crash and rumble of the thunder because it reminds me of the incredible power of our Father.  He is able to shake this earth with His glory at His command.  Aren't you glad that He is your Father and not your adversary?  Without Him, we would have no hope!

Aloha - 

Palm Sunday

Palm Sunday is a great reminder to us that we need to live our lives to prepare the way for others to know and believe in our King, Jesus.  We can get caught up in the busyness of life and forget that how we exalt Jesus as our King is evident to all that see us.  Is He the King in our conversations?  Is He the King in our intentions and actions?  Is He the King in our desires and our dreams?  If He is not, He should be!  Prepare the way daily for the triumphal entry of Jesus into the hearts of those around us as we faithfully live for Him.

Aloha - 

Get Involved!

This evening during our mid-week worship, we were able to shift from our Bible study to prepare for the "He's Alive!" Easter outreach at Honokowai Beach Park. Coordinated by LauraLee Hufalar, everyone worked in teams to fill Easter eggs with candy and label them with Scripture stickers. Some rotated to the training areas to train for their events at the park. Overall, it was a tremendous blessing to see all of God's people working together to prepare to minister to God's community. Many mahalos to all who responded to the call of God to get involved! Keep up the great work for His glory!
Aloha -

A Great Beginning...

This week began in a great way - we were able to celebrate the baptism of Jack Vantrease. Jack has been asking about being baptized for about two years and we were finally able to see it come to reality! I'll share a little more about Jack later. God is continuing to bless His work on Maui and we are very blessed to be a part of it! Keep on praising Him and we'll catch up again tomorrow.
Aloha -

Aloha - from in front of the computer...

Aloha and welcome to the Provisional Paradise - just a temporary place to serve and be blessed until we receive our eternal home with Jesus! This blog is an extension of the web ministry of Lahaina Baptist Church and is managed by me, Pastor Chris Martin. We desire for this site to be a place where harmony and unity is understood and appreciated and God is glorified. Feel free to visit and communicate with me anytime through this blog. I would love to hear from you and hear of what God is doing in your life. So, welcome! E komo mai!