The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

Pastor Ray will once again be filling in for me as I take a Sunday off. It is our sincere desire to get out of town for a little while and visit some family. The strong probability is that it will be another stay-cation due to the increase of miseries Barb has been enduring lately. Please keep praying for her as we pray for you. My being home with her adds a small measure of comfort to her struggle to stay positive and hopeful. She is a missionary to those who suffer chronic illness and pain. It’s sad that she never gets to “come home on furlough” and enjoy a break from her own difficulties. Yet, her ministry has born good fruit as she has encouraged others to trust in the Lord through every challenge of life. Don’t forget to maintain contact with your loved ones who may be suffering from illness or age. All too often we keep running with the healthy and leave the hurting to fend for themselves. Remember Jesus’ admonition that when we visit those in prison or feed those who are hungry, or help those who are sick, we are ministering directly to Him.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

People are very sensitive these days as to being treated like anything less than an equal even if it’s by a boss, a supervisor, or an elected official. We don’t mind honoring others unless they come across as expecting to be treated better than anyone else. Biblical submission isn’t a front we put on in order to fool others into thinking we’re more humble than we actually are; it’s a genuine expression of our understanding that we need to esteem others as better than ourselves. Nowhere is that more vital than in our homes!

Why is it we have an easier time submitting to strangers than to the members of our own household? Trusting God to be the fair and honest judge, we are free to submit to one another in love.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Doug & Jackee Raught are missionaries we’ve supported for decades. They started out in IMM (International Media Ministries) but soon transitioned to leading the “Fire Choir” in Belgium. The Fire Choir invites people from a very non-churched culture to join a community choir where they learn and perform Black Gospel Music. In the course of learning the songs and interacting with the missionaries a number of them have become followers of Jesus! An invitation to receive Christ was also issued in each of their concerts. It was a very unique way of taking Jesus to a nation uninterested in going to church.

Recently, the Raught’s have transitioned once again, this time from leading the Fire Choir back to IMM. With a strong background in graphic design and media their goal is to share the gospel via every available technological outlet. It came as quite a surprise to me personally when they made this latest change because of how vested they’ve been for so long in their ministry in Belgium. Not only did they change ministries they changed countries! Their new assignment is in Spain.

Why make the leap from choir director to program producer/director? When they checked in with the Lord, He wanted to reassign them. By “Checking Coordinates” they were as shocked as anyone that they’d be making such a drastic move. Have you checked in with the Lord lately? Maybe He’s preparing to redirect your life too!

-Pastor Joel Everhart

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

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

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