The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog



August 1, 2021

If we were playing a game where we were asking others to guess who we were acting like, what things would you do &/or say to imitate me? How about Pastor Ray? President Trump? President Biden? Joe Calhoun (the weatherman)?

Now here’s one for you; Paul asks us to be imitators of God! How do we pull that one off? Create any universes lately? Part any seas? Heal anyone?

Maybe we can start by caring for others the way He cares for us or saying things like, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Feeding enemies, being nice to strangers & blessing those who curse us also come to mind.

I don’t think anyone is going to mistake us for God but hopefully they’ll see a family resemblance.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

July 25, 2021

I heard someone complaining about someone else the other day and they could not have done a better job of describing themselves if they tried. Every complaint they had about the other person was true of themselves. Why is it that we’re so good at pointing out everyone else’s faults but are so blind to our own? The rules of godly living are as much for us as they are for anyone else.

The secret to spiritual growth is to identify our own faults, confess them, ask God to help us overcome them, then do everything we can to change our behavior. If we let others know that we know what our weaknesses are, they can help keep us accountable. “Ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee.”

-Pastor Joel Everhart

July 18, 2021

“Steady as she goes!” Progress, make some progress in your life. I’ve found what our grandparents told us to be true: “The older you get the faster time flies.” It fascinates me that an hour can feel so long while years fly by. As we age there is a temptation to drift, to coast, to allow the days just to pass. We’re not as anxious about things, not as motivated, not as concerned. But we must fight the tendency to retire into a vegetative state. Each day we’ve been given is a gift and we should use it to continue to accomplish worthwhile things that will benefit others. As Jesus said, “We must work while it is day for the night cometh when no one can work.” I find having a healthy routine helps. Scheduled time for exercise, devotions, study, writing, services, contacting others, etc. helps me stay in a productive rhythm.

Set some goals beyond your own happiness. Serve a group of people who won’t be able to return the favor. Go out in a “blaze of glory”. Get better at doing life, not bitter that it hasn’t been as good to you as you had hoped it would be. Each of us has something to offer and can do something that needs to be done. Do it.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

July 11, 2021

There are brain surgeons who don’t know how to fix a clogged sink. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t want a plumber doing surgery on my brain! The plumber may know some things the surgeon doesn’t but that doesn’t make him smarter nor does it mean either can do what the other can. Every piece of knowledge we have, every skill we’ve developed is a gift from God. Some skills come naturally to us whereas others we’ve worked hard to master. Either way, they’re a gift from God.

We spent a couple hours in prayer the other day and when we went to stand up everyone groaned and laughed as we righted ourselves. I quoted Paul in saying, “Having done all to stand, stand!” Then I added, “The older I get the more challenging that command becomes.” Although we’ve been standing all our lives there will come a time when we cannot stand anymore. That will be a sad day. The same can be said for every other skill we’ve mastered. Therefore, don’t take all these gifts, little and big, for granted. Be thankful for them and use them to glorify God and help others.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

July 4, 2021

An interesting phenomenon has developed due to the lack of workers. I’ve noticed that everyone has become a recruiter for their company. People who never cared much about the welfare of the business they work for are out looking for new hires. Why? First of all, they’re probably having to work mondo overtime which will only get better once more workers sign on. Second, the future of the company could well be in jeopardy which would put them back out on the street. Employees buying in to the needs of the company while the business itself steps up its efforts to meet the needs of its workers in order to secure their continued help sounds like a really good result.

What motivates you to work harder? What motivates you to live better? What does it mean to “live worthy” as Paul tells us to do in today’s text? That’s what we’ll be talking about today.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

June 27, 2021

My mother-in-law was one of the most self-deferring, humble persons I’ve ever known. If you took her out to eat, she’d rarely order more than a bowl of soup even though I knew her to have a healthy appetite. If she found out you were going to throw away some left-overs she’d find a way to eat them regardless of how much she’d already consumed because, as a child of the depression, she never wasted any food. She always made sure everyone had as much as they could eat before she’d put much on her plate. She was always more comfortable serving than being served.

It was actually difficult to bless that woman without getting paid back double. All of that goes on her resume for sainthood and I don’t mean to detract from that at all. Ruth Duff was truly a remarkable, godly woman. But even the saintliest of us has a right to exist, to take up space, to breathe the air, eat some food and live a little. It doesn’t always have to be about everyone else.

In fact, God intends to lavish strength and gifts on you so people will not only know you’ve been here but that you’ve helped change their world. Some people are too big for their britches but others of us need to grow up into ours. Find your niche in the Kingdom and fill it, fill it all the way up.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

June 20, 2021

When it comes to fathers some of us won the lottery and others got ripped off. Some of us have dad who are still very vested in our lives while others will have to wait for heaven to see their dad again. There are fathers who still light up the grill, pilot the boat, set up the volleyball net, fix your car…there are fathers who need 24/7 care.

Some of us are fathers. It’s a joy, a responsibility, a moving target. Depending on what stage of life you are in you may be changing diapers, tires or the beneficiaries in your will. What does it mean to be a good father in the phase of life you’re in? Maybe it’s time to change what everyone else has come to expect; maybe it’s time to change what you’ve come to expect. May God help each of us to tweak our serve so that we are ever more effective in blessing our family and setting a godly example for them to follow.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

June 13, 2021

Have you ever had that feeling like you’re the only real person and everything & everyone else is just staging? You’re not but there is something to be said for being watched by others we can’t see. I’m not talking about Big Brother or the many, many cameras we have running wherever we go today.

Not only will you one day be a trophy of God’s grace; today you are on display as God works His glory through your life. I’m not quite sure how it all works, if there’s a Joel channel, a Tom channel, etc. where those above can tune into at any given moment or not. Somehow, our life is fascinating beyond those brief moments we feel fully engaged and entertained. Its real reality tv. As you go about your life realize you’re not alone, you are on display!

June 6, 2021

What if you got a text from your spouse telling you they’d invited Jesus over for dinner tonight? She or he told Jesus you make a really good whatever and now you’re expected to cook for the Lord. What would that feel like? No pressure, right? Jesus in a crowd, Jesus in the Temple teaching, Jesus passing by are all different than Jesus coming to your house to sit at a table across from you, eating food you prepared, talking about…Oh my, what do I talk about with Jesus? The weather? How’s work going? The sinful thought I had at lunch today? AWKWARD!

How do you talk to someone who knows what you’re thinking? I don’t know about you but I think I’d play the role of Martha, busy in the kitchen, not Mary sitting at His feet. Let me demonstrate my love for Jesus not have Him examine my heart… But what if I didn’t know it was Jesus, Creator of the Universe, etc.? What if He just seemed like a really nice fellow, someone easy to talk to with soft eyes and an easy smile?

-Pastor Joel Everhart

May 30, 2021

  God’s family is multiracial. “Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” The devil does his best to divide us, and sadly, he is often quite successful. But perfect love casts out all fear. Fear isn’t the only thing perfect love casts out. Prejudice, bitterness, anger and hatred also have to go.

To be a Christian is to walk as Jesus walked. He came to save us all. He died for all people. Our cultural differences are lost in the precious blood of Christ and we are heirs and joint heirs with all other believers from around the world.

The Kingdom of God has no 2nd class citizens, just sons and daughters, brothers and sisters. If you find any remnants of hate in your heart, repent and ask the Lord to fill you with the kind of love that embraces others different from yourself.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

May 23, 2021

  I’m not a vacation sort of a guy. I’d just as soon keep working. But this week I’m on vacation. I like vacation once I’ve vacated but for whatever reason it’s hard to get me moving in that direction. We’re praying that my wife is in good enough condition that we can at least get out of town for a while. Our plan is to visit her brother who doesn’t look to have long to live. Please keep us all in prayer. I believe this is an important trip for us to make.

Beyond that, the Lord seems to be telling me I need to use more of my vacation time for the good of my ministry. My brains need a change of scenery in order to work better. He reminded me that He required His people to stop working and join a festival at least three times a year. Do you have any plans to “get away” this year? It can be a great investment in your every other day of the year. God has given us all good things to enjoy so get out every so often and enjoy them.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

© 2021 New Life Assembly of God
2136 Baltimore Pike, East Berlin, PA 17316

Email us anytime at hello@nla.today
or give us a call at 717-259-9941