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Through the Storm 

I pull from my faith in God, daily. I am grateful to Jesus for what He does to help. It has been 18 years since my traumatic car accident. Through the storm, I was unconscious. I heard a voice. This voice prayed over me and prayed for me. It was the driver I collided with who rendered help. I am forever grateful that she prayed for me.

White Dove in Full Flight photo by Dorian Stretton.

That after effects of this trauma impacted my years in college and beatboxing. It nearly costed me my life. Satan “John 10:10’d” me like he did Job. It felt like a ton of bricks crushed every fiber of my being.

Through it all, I am grateful to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Jesus kept me in Him and He relentlessly protected me.

In 2008, I went through an oppression by the adversary. I couldn’t figure it out. I prayed to God, “Jesus, please send me to a Christian church and plant me there so I can grow to know You (Jesus).” God answered my prayer and sent me, not one, not two, but three individuals that invited me to Word of Life Christian Center. An uncommon church.

I got planted at Word of Life Honolulu, a church I can call home. I got plugged into a bible study called “Life Group.” I registered for classes to grow closer, deeper and stronger in my daily walk with Jesus.

My walk with God is how I fight the good fight of faith. I endured an uphill battle tougher than any math problem, hip hop and beatbox battle. The warfare was not carnal. It was spiritual.

I surrendered it all to God. God kept me.

Jason Tom Word of Life Christian CenterJesus was relentless on restoring me. I am forever grateful to Jesus Christ. My personal Lord and Savior.

In 2015, my pastors, Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulveda prayed for me and over me. 

In 2016, Jesus supernaturally avenged me and crushed the head of the serpent of old, Satan, on my behalf. Jesus rescued me. Restored me. Then Pastor Kuna prayed for God to complete His healing ❤️‍🩹 work in me. Jesus performed a miracle work by fulfilling His promises. 

I am forever grateful to God for Word of Life Christian Center and how Word of Life ministry has equipped me on how to tap into an uncommon faith in the Word of God, the Anointed One, and His Anointing. 

The Word of God restored me for uncommon living.

Jesus has been doing and continues to do an uncommon work in me and through me.

Thank you Jesus! I love you God! I give you all of the honor, praise and glory.


“I See You” by Chris Tomlin and Brandon Lake

Five Months From Now 

Five months from now marks the 12th anniversary of my time at Word of Life Christian Center, a church I call home.

Had it not been for God in my life and Jesus doing a work in me I would not be free and not be alive. I am grateful and thankful to my Word of Life family, Pastors Art and Kuna Sepulveda, Pastor Wally and Patti Matanza, Rick and Nicole Abordo, John and Lexi Lum, and our men's Life Group growing together in the Word of God, and the things of God.

I am grateful God came into my life as early as He did.

Those of us in our current walk with God, let us rejoice each day that Jesus rescued...
Forgave...
Restored...
Redeemed...
Freed...
Healed...
Delivered...
Made whole.
Renewed...
Pruned...
Counseled....
Taught...
Disciplined....
Refined...
Favored....
And clothed you and I in His majesty.
This Jesus is available to you and I, our family, friends, our neighbors.


In 1998, I accepted Jesus in into my life at age 15 while I was a student at McKinley High School. Prior to that I had gotten my copy of Charlie's Victory signed by Charlie and Lucy Wedemeyer with Philippians 4:13. I was a new born again Christian, but not yet a committed one.

In 2008, age 25, I sought after God. My friend Janel invited me to a Christian conference at the Sheraton Waikiki that featured the Katina's. That night, I opened up my heart to God, and I rededicated my life to Jesus.

I shared this with my music business classmate John Tussey, and he encouraged me to find a home church. To get planted there, grow in my walk with God, and get to know Jesus. I prayed to God to make a way.

Days following my prayer to God, my music business classmates Lei and Cherry Anne encouraged me to enter the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show on Friday, October 24. I answered, "yes."

Jason Tom Beatboxing at Word of Life Emerge Talent Show

Video Credit: Isaiah Viernes

That same day, my audio engineering professor James Hearon asked if I'd be interested to teach a beatbox workshop at Word of Life Academy on Monday, October 27. I answered, "yes.

I got to Word of Life Christian Center on Friday, October 24th, and I got greeted by Cherry Anne. I met Yumi, and she took care of the sign up of the contestants. She interviewed me, and I met the age cut off to enter. I was the twelfth out of twelve contestants to sign up for the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals. The order of the contestants was the order of our sign up.

I met 11 amazing talent including Kevin the Kwalified Emcee who I met then as "Kevin."

I asked Kevin, "what talent are you going to perform tonight?"

"I'm going to rap," Kevin responded.

Kevin asked, "what about you?"

"Beatbox," I responded.

When it was Kevin's time to go on stage, he asked the host Jarmal to beatbox while he rapped.

Then I told myself I will bring my A game beatbox mode.

When I got on stage, host Jarmal asked, "so Jason, what are you going to do for us tonight?"

I said, "I'm going to beatbox." The crowd made a thunderous roar before I began.

During my performance the crowd was so loud that it felt as though I was on a roller coaster ride.

I won first place at the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Semi Finals, and I advanced to the Word of Life Emerge Talent Show Grand Finals.


I rededicated my life once more to my personal Lord and savior Jesus Christ that night. Jarmal equipped me with my first bible, which I still have to this day. I then began my bible reading plan with the Gospel of John. Word of Life Christian Center is a church I call home.


 

So Thankful God Brought Me Out of Chaos 

I hope you had a blessed Palm Sunday. I am thankful to God that He brought me out of chaos. I attended Word of Life's 6pm service via Facebook live.

One of Pastor Art's openers referenced Psalm 40:1-3; my blog post here is using the Amplified Holy Bible translation that captures the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew:
"I WAITED patiently and expectantly for the LORD;
And He inclined to me and heard my cry.

He brought me up out of a horrible pit [of tumult and of destruction], out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock, steadying my footsteps and establishing my path.

He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear [with great reverence]
And will trust confidently in the LORD."

I am thankful to God that He is of order. 
I am grateful to God that He is not of chaos.
I am humbled that God is in control.

The Holy Spirit brought out of the miry clay. He's counseled me how to guard my...
1. Ear gates
2. Mouth gate.
3. Eye gates (window to the soul).
To guard my heart.

We are...
1. Spirit
2. Soul
3. Body

Our soul is the...
1. Mind
2. Will
3. Emotion

Pastor Art's sermon confirmed my devotional on James 1:19 as how God helped me by His mercy and grace to...
1. Be quick to listen (to guard my ear gates)...
2. Slow to speak (guard my mouth gate)...
3. Slow to anger (guard my emotion.. soul.. eye gates).

Meditating on and applying James 1:19 renews my mind and transformed my character.


God pruned me. I was the reverse order of James 1:19 and the inverse of it. In my younger years I was....
1. Quick to anger (did not guard my emotion.. soul.. eye gates)...
2. Quick to speak (did not guard my mouth gate)...
3. Slow to listen (did not guard my ear gates).

That was the old me. Sown unto to me. Thankfully that old me is dead.

In the natural, I was modeled to be quick to anger, quick to speak, and slow to listen.


In the supernatural, Jesus modeled for me how to be quick to listen to the Holy Spirit, slow to speak, and slow to anger. How to guard my ear gates, mouth gate, and ear gates. How to forgive. Be merciful. He's forgiven me, forgiven us. Jesus models for the body of Christ how to forgive. I am so thankful that God delivered and healed me from years of destruction, torment and trauma.

I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. The new me is alive.

Psalm 141:3 is what I pray to God to help me be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger, by putting a guard over my mouth...
"Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips [to keep me from speaking thoughtlessly]."

Proverbs 13:3 reinforces guarding our mouth
"The one who guards his mouth
[thinking before he speaks] protects his life;
The one who opens his lips wide [and chatters without thinking] comes to ruin."

and Proverbs 21:23 further reinforces guarding our mouth
"He who guards his mouth and his tongue
Guards himself from troubles."

When I lettered two-years in varsity soccer and judo, I had a literal mouth guard. But this guarding of our mouth is a spiritual guard.

What words are we speaking?
Are we speaking hate?
Are speaking anger?
Or are we speaking forgiveness?
Mercy?
Are we speaking love and the Word of God?

I am thankful each day how God has done a work in me.

Faith with God's finished works is alive.