The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

My brother was a collector. He collected the most unusual things. Visiting his house after his funeral I found all of his old Royal Ranger stripes, badges & awards. Several toys from his childhood were in excellent condition. He had tickets from great events he’d been to, an odd collection of jewelry, baseball cards, etc. John often talked about opening a little trading shop but we all knew he’d never part with his treasures. Not much of what he had was valuable to anyone else. Each held a memory he would savor when he held it. If the memory could be transferred to the new owner, how expensive that would be!

What was your favorite Christmas gift of all time? Do you still have it? This morning we’re going to draw a line between the 1^st Christmas ever and one that is soon to come. If you enjoy the story of that initial revelation of Jesus, you’re in for a wonderful surprise when He comes again.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Only a couple weeks left of 2020. Will anyone be sorry to see this year gone? In some ways it feels like it has lasted a decade. So many things have changed; so many things keep changing (school, activities, work from home/not from home…). Where will it all land? How many restaurants, theaters, and other entertainment venues will be lost forever? If we live through the virus will we survive the economic fallout?

“There remains a rest for the people of God”, Hebrews 4:9. Rest today. Rest your mind and your heart in the love, care and promises of God. A Sabbath isn’t a Sabbath if you don’t rest. You can go to church and do a bunch of religious stuff but if you don’t allow yourself, or maybe I should say, force yourself to find a quiet, peaceful state of mind secure in Him, you’ve missed the point. Take a deep breath, cast all your cares on Jesus, and allow His sweet peace to invade your soul.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

I had a dream early one morning. I was watching an old friend of mine compete against his younger brother in a soccer type game where each of them had a dog as a teammate. My friend, Kevin, kicked the ball toward the goal but his little brother’s little dog blocked the shot. Kevin said, “Good block, boy!” That’s when I shouted from the stands, “Now that’s a good big brother, he even cheers for your dog while he’s playing against you.” Kevin stopped what he was doing and said, “Did you hear that?” That’s when I woke up.

Brothers are famous for competing with one another. The other thing they’re famous for is the bond that forms in the middle of all that competition. They also like to be appreciated for the things they do for their siblings. Don’t we all?

No one deserves more appreciation than God. He is merciful, kind, loving and generous. He’s the kind of God that cheers us on even when we choose to contend against Him. Stop being so contentious and give Him the praise He’s due.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Today we’re continuing our study about thorns. That’s the term Paul used to describe something that hurt and hindered him. Unlike a thorn that might prick us causing a sharp yet brief pain, the type of thorn he refers to gets lodged into place. You can’t remove it; best you can do is learn to live with it.

Its human nature to work at removing thorns from our life. We do our best to minimize their affect on us. No one likes to admit that a thorn has moved in for good. You may wrestle with diabetes, arthritis, bi-polar depression, the disability of a loved one under your care, or any other number of issues. Like Paul, you’ve prayed for its removal but it remains. I hope that what we learn over these next several weeks will help us cope better with these intrusions to our health, peace and comfort.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

Things happen. I sat down at my desk, clicked on my desk lamp, there was a flash and the smell of something burnt then the lamp was dark once again: blown bulb. It went out in a fury! For its last gasp it shown brilliantly. On cold days I used to rest my hands on its housing to warm them. It gave light as I studied the Scriptures day in & day out. It had been a faithful bulb, steady on the job season after season for many months. So much so that it utterly amazed me when it was no longer able to show up for work. What did I do with such a loyal worker, one that had helped me for so long? I threw it in the trash then went to Sam’s office to find a replacement.

Bulbs do what bulbs do until they can’t do it anymore then they’re thrown away. People are not like bulbs. We’re brighter some days than others. We can’t work at the same level of competency for days on end. We need inspiration, motivation, dedication, rest… Working too long or resting too much, not eating enough or eating too much, neglecting our health or becoming self-centered can all lead to burnout or uselessness. You are not a light bulb, you are a human being in need of balance & self-control, ever adjusting your excesses and deficiencies. May our study from God’s word today help us in those ever- fluctuating battles.

-Pastor Joel Everhart

We had a house full of grandkids this week. Our little dog loves them all. She spends a lot of time licking them. Thursday morning she kept tapping Colten on the arm with her paw until he rubbed her belly. However, there are a few things that set her off. She likes to be fed whenever everyone else is eating. When she’s tired, she likes to be left alone. But her biggest irritation, one that will cause her to nip at them is whenever they start to wrestle with grandpa. No one touches grandpa when Callie is in the room. The kids are always surprised when their faithful companion, the licker of their skin transforms into a guard dog.

Our God is very loving & gracious, so much so, that one might conclude He’s all fluff & mush. NOT SO! His anger can be as harsh as His grace is loving. We ought not keep poking Him. Our sin will demand a reaction from on high. I don’t think our recent troubles – storms, virus, riots, fires…- are an accident. I believe they’re warnings.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

You’ve heard of cults. They often require their members to adhere to a very strict code of conduct: abstinence from sex, dress in very plain, odd ways, eat a starvation diet, fast for long periods of time, work tremendously long hours, exist on very little sleep… Their followers are always taken advantage of by the leaders of the group. You might ask who in the world would put up with such treatment, yet millions around the world are under their control.

If the devil can’t catch you in his web of immorality & loose living, he’ll out-sacrifice you to death! There is a balance to this life we choose to walk in Christ. It’s strict enough to keep us from harming ourselves & others by making foolish choices & it’s loose enough for us to enjoy the very best things life has to offer. Christ’s blessings add no sorrow to our lives.

Just because someone dresses or talks “holy” doesn’t mean they know the Lord. They can be just as lost acting like a saint as they can be acting like a fool. Be careful with whom you fellowship.

–  Pastor Joel Everhart

Our neighbor across the street adopted a kitten recently. This thing is wild! It climbs everything, squeezes in places it doesn’t fit, knocks over lamps, pictures and anything else sitting on a table or counter. Anytime you run into Shirley she’ll show you her latest collection of bite and scratch marks. Every time Barb comes home from a visit to her house she has stories of how she was stalked by the beast, pounced on and wounded. Shirley often puts it in its pen just so she can have a few moments of peace.

Her hope is, of course, that her kindness and discipline will eventually result in a mature cat that provides comfort and companionship. In the meantime, it’s a daily temptation to drop the little terror off at a shelter.

Seeing people through rough spots in their development in Christ can be nearly as exasperating. You may even have some scars from helping others in church. No wonder the Bible calls on us to bear with one another in love. Even though the process may be difficult, the finished produce is worth the trouble.

-Pastor Joel Everhart