Mount of Olives Church

Deuteronomy 29:29 “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” This verse has brought me comfort over the years as I face trials – trials of unanswered prayer or prayer answered but not the way I wanted or thought best. I consider these as the “secret things” that belong to God. While I may want or feel the need to understand, I am reminded that these belong to God and He does not need to share all His ways with me. Indeed, sometimes it is for my good or the good of others that they are not revealed and go unanswered. I can, however, count on “the things revealed” as belonging to myself and my children and future generations forever – statements of truth I can claim! John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the w...

Deuteronomy 7:7-8  The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples. But it was because the LORD loved you. God is who He says He is. God can do what He says He can do. There’s truth in His Word. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. The New Testament tells us God loves believers in Christ the same way He loved His people in the Old Testament. We also know we have been chosen in Christ for God. We need to claim these things personally. Consider how God feels about you. The Word of God says He is holy, most righteous, most perfect, full of splendor. He is a God who has set His affections on you. Do you feel like life is an uncharted mess? Does it feel like the rails have fallen off and you can’t get back on track? Perhaps life just feels a little “off”; a little “meh”. Let’s own the moment and claim the truth: “God loves ME no matter what.” What can I do right now to embra...

While dropping my son off at Wood Canyon Park in Aliso Viejo for Cross Country practice, I decided to get a run in myself. Running through the canyon was beautiful; there were a lot of friendly people on the trails, I crossed over small bridges, I jumped over small streams, and I enjoyed the shade the large canopy of trees provided above. Assuming the trail would loop back to the park, I confidently ran. However, as I came out of the trees, I found myself in an unfamiliar neighborhood, nowhere near where I began! As I looked at my watch, not only did I realize Noah would need to be picked up very soon, but my GPS also revealed I was now 5 miles from where I needed to be. I suppose I could have called an Uber, but instead, I went for it. Even though I thought I was finished running for the day, I ran those additional miles as fast as I could so that I could get back to Wood Canyon Park, and my son would not think he had been forgotten. How often have we felt like Dad has forgotten us? I...

When I yelled, “Hit it!” I had no idea what was to follow. The conditions on Lake Mead were perfect. The water was like glass; not even a ripple. With my rope secured at the tower and my wakeboard bindings strapped to my feet, I went for it! The first couple passes felt great! I cleared the wake with no problem. But soon thereafter, it was time to go big! The driver turned up the music, changed the trim settings on the boat, did a figure eight, and created the biggest wake I had ever seen. I went wide and stuck the rail of my wakeboard on heal-side. As I shot toward the boat, I launched into the air! I had never caught so much air, nor had I ever had such an epic crash! The exuberant cheers subsided when those in the boat realized I was unable to move. With the help of the medics, I was carefully placed into the helicopter and airlifted to the Trauma Center in Las Vegas. The loss of movement in my legs terrified me! Was I paralyzed? Would I ever walk again? Not knowing, strapped down, ...

Many years ago, we decided we needed a dog in the house. After all, we had a cat our son named “Sweat Pea”. We heard about a breeder who had a recently returned dog, because the new owner couldn’t keep the dog where she lived. We also learned the dog would be free. So, we went to visit the breeder and the little Dachshund. Her name was Fraulein von Munchkin. The breeder said she was one of the original munchkins. So, we took her home and had some fun times with “Munchie”. Some people at church were even able to meet her a few times. One of the things I will always remember is how worked up the dog got if anyone came to our front door. She would almost loose her mind with barking and the like. You could always count on Munchie to become hyper-excited when someone came knocking. There were times when I knew someone, like the plumber, would be coming over to the house at 2:00pm, and Munchie would be lying in her bed in my home office. I would look at her sleeping; knowing in a short time ...

“The best way out is always through.” - Robert Frost  In our lives, we struggle with this idea. We would rather find the short cuts. We would rather travel the easy road, while others simply run away altogether. We do this through making promises we don’t keep and telling lies hoping others will forget. And then there is always denial; when we try to pretend everything is fine when it is not. The problem is, none of these approaches really work. Robert Frost is correct. Instead of trying to go around the problem, why not face it straight on? Instead of telling people what they want to hear, try being honest and even transparent. As the children of Israel were passing into the Promised Land, they too were nervous. However, through Moses, God gave them this promise, and He gives it to you this very day: Deuteronomy 31:6 ESV Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the Lord your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.” Pray with ...