The View From My Window Pastor's Weekly Blog

Okay, I’ve been doing really well on my “program” (diet & exercise) for the better part of this year but I have to tell you: sometimes it gets wearisome. I had an extra helping of rice along with my dinner yesterday just to remember how good it feels to have a full belly & this morning the scale told me I’d gained two pounds! Now I know there are natural ebbs & flows to body weight & if I stick to my program those pounds will be gone by the end of the week BUT…

Oh how my flesh yearns for permission to pig out, to indulge itself, to destroy itself. And sadly, there are long stretches in my life I give it the freedom to do just that. “Oh Lord, please grant me more of that fruit of the Spirit called self-control!” If you had more willpower what would you spend it on? What would you change about yourself if only you could? Maybe there’ll be a little help for you in this morning’s message.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

There is an elderly couple in our neighborhood that is in the process of transitioning to a nursing home due to a recent series of health issues. In the meantime, their son has been spending a lot of time taking care of many of their household chores. He can be seen pulling into their driveway carrying a load of clean clothes into the house, retrieving their mail, etc. He always looks burdened & in a hurry, obviously trying to fit his caregiving duties between his work schedule & time with his wife & kids.

One day as he walked to the mailbox with his head down & his face tight in thought I called out to him, “Is there any way we can help you?” He stopped, walked closer & said, “Excuse me, what did you say?” He looked tense. “I said, is there anything we can do to help you? It must be difficult to have so many responsibilities on your shoulders.” His countenance changed, he relaxed & said, “Oh, no thank you, we’re doing fine.” Since then he’s like my new best bud. Love is a powerful force: it can turn strangers into friends, grumps into humans.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

It’s football season! Football teams are a fascinating blend of individuals. It’s not unusual for an offensive lineman to stand 6’7” tall & weigh 350lbs while a punter can be 5’6” tall & under 200lbs. Wide receivers don’t look like they come from the same planet as linemen. Often the head coach is severely overweight even though he demands his players be in optimum physical condition. You can find him on the sideline screaming his displeasure into the facemask of a player that could crush him with just one blow. Some players are fast & athletic, others wide & bulky.

Without such diversity a team can’t possibly hope to compete. What makes a team member successful at one position would cause him to fail miserably at another. So it is in the body of Christ. Not all of us are gifted to preach but some are; the same with singing, teaching, serving, etc. Find your gift & become a pro at your position.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Not long ago my daughter was busy taking care of her youngest when she spied a spider across the room. Her oldest son, now 6 years old said, “I got this Mom” & went over to stomp on the intruder. Until then the usual mode of killing insects in their house was for one of the boys to scream, “BUG!” then expect one of their parents to do the squishing.

There comes a point in every believer’s walk of faith when God expects them to start taking the battle to the enemy. He doesn’t want us screaming like a child & shaking in fear; He wants to see us maturing into confident soldiers of the cross. Go stomp on some snakes & scorpions in Jesus’ name.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

My phone is only two years old but soon after I got it, it informed me that there was no more storage space available on it to update my current apps let alone download any new ones. I guess I made a poor choice to pick a phone that was obsolete before it was paid off. It still sends & receives calls & texts just fine but its limited in what it can do otherwise.

Some Christians are like my phone: useful for basic functions but restricted in what they expect to accomplish in life. Unlike my phone their limitations are self-imposed. The power of God working through us is limited only by our lack of expectation to be used by the Lord. Surely God has all the strength we need to do anything, but when we decide we can’t do something rather than trusting the Lord to show up — that’s where we get stuck. Expect God to use you to show someone else the way to find peace with God.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

My brother’s first job out of college was in research & development at PPG Industries. They developed a new resin that was very durable & could be used to make sinks, tubs, etc. These sinks were a beautiful blend of colors that would have dressed up our bathroom but they had one little flaw: not enough resin had been poured into the mold in order to complete the channel from the overflow hole to the drain. The sink itself looked great but any water that was splashed into the overflow would have ended up in the bottom of the vanity rather than running into the sewer line. They looked great, they could even be used but eventually their defect would have caused major problems.

Many churches have a debilitating defect: they have the Bible, they have people of faith but they do not welcome the ministry of the Holy Spirit into their fellowship. In fact, some churches actually bar Him from being active. Sooner or later that flaw is going to cost them. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in this place.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

I’m out on my morning run & I pass through the Dunkin’ Donuts parking lot. There stands an EMT next to his ambulance with a donut in one hand & a cigarette in the other. His hair & mustache are pure white so I know he’s no spring chicken. Here’s a man that sees the ill effects of bad habits every day. In his medical training he’s learned about the bad results of smoking & eating donuts. I wave at him as I pass but he doesn’t respond.

Once again I’m reminded of the truth that education is not enough to change behavior. Knowing something to be true does not necessarily equate to living as though it is true. Listen to this morning’s message, judge for yourself if it is true, then take it before the Lord in prayer & ask God if you should be experiencing more of His power & presence in your life than you are right now.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Tom Cotter said, “When I was 16 years old, the morning of my birthday, my parents tried to surprise me with a car, but they missed.”

It helps to know what to expect; it makes it easier to be prepared. What can you expect from God? How should knowing the Lord change your life? Does He do all the work or does He expect something from you? Hopefully this morning’s message will wet your appetite for more than you’ve yet experienced. Don’t settle for less than what God has for you!

– Pastor Joel Everhart

I’m running in my first race ever this next Saturday. The East Berlin Area Community Center sponsors a 5k every summer & this year I decided to run. I’ve been running for 30 years & have logged over 30,000 miles but none of them in a race. My intelligent side keeps telling me, Just run your normal pace & finish: to finish is a victory in and of itself. My insane side says, You don’t want to look like a total loser. There are people older than you running in this thing & some of them are real runners. You need to train & you need to dig or die trying.

Do you have an insane side? Thank goodness for the Holy Spirit that helps us get life sorted out! He comes along to help us put things into eternal perspective. No one but me really cares how fast I run this Saturday. Regardless of the outcome, life will go on just fine.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Piles. I pile stuff up — I’m a piler. More accurately, I’m a burier: I bury stuff. Once I clear my desk I can keep it clean for a while. I sort all my mail & place it in an appropriate place or act on it or throw it away as soon as it comes into my office. Then it happens: I get something I want to address but can’t do it right away & the 1st pile starts. I’d like to read that article, I tell myself … or, That’s a worthy cause & I should give it some more consideration before I say ‘no.’ Piles become mounds as my desk gets ugly. I’m embarrassed by my clutter & promise myself I’ll take care of it soon.

Finally the day comes when I’m out of excuses & must face the piles that have become mounds that have become a mountain. I dig, I pitch, I file, I read, I find offers that have expired, dates & deadlines that have passed. In that moment I realize that I’ve not only buried things, I’ve killed them: I’m a killer.

With a clean desk before me I swear to myself that I’ll never become a piler again! Is there a group for people like me? Hi, my name is Joel & I’m a piler.

– Pastor Joel Everhart

Barb & I went out to eat the other night & found our hostess to be a bit rattled. Inquiring about her wellbeing we learned that a customer had gone postal on her for a very minor infraction that was easily fixed. Almost all of us have had jobs at one time or another or been members of an organization that served the public. What is there about putting on a uniform or name tag that causes others to forget that we are still human beings underneath our cloak of responsibility?

Sometimes I am working for you & at other times you are working for me. But let us remember that first & foremost we are all working for the Lord. How would He react to a visitor among us, a regular attender or even a member of the staff?

Even if you have an issue with someone else, always remember to lead with love. Troubles come & troubles go but people are meant to be treated with respect & kindness even if they are not acting that way themselves.

– Pastor Joel Everhart