Mount of Olives Church

“Life is a tapestry: We are the warp; angels the weft; God the weaver. Only the weaver sees the whole design.” – Eileen Elias Freeman Actual angels here on earth? I believe I’ve had two such experiences. First, I was traveling in Venezuela to watch my son play baseball for team USA in the 16 and under world tournament. While that was thrilling in itself, traveling there at that time was considered to be very dangerous, especially in Caracas. When it came time to return home, I had to fly from Barquisimeto to Caracas, and then catch a cab at night to the hotel to lay over until morning. I knew catching the wrong cab could be disastrous. It turns out that a businessman at the Barquisimeto airport sensed my distress, took me under his wing, sat with me on the plane, and actually insisted on staying with me after the flight to personally arrange a reliable safe passage for me to the hotel – an angel, indeed! A second incident was when I was meeting with my one on one accountability brothe...

My friend recently told me an amazing story about her father who lives in Michigan. He was struggling with his faith. One evening, after the family left for church, snow began to fall. He went to the window to watch the flurries getting heavier and heavier, and then went back to his fireside chair and began to read his newspaper. Minutes later, he was startled by a thudding sound...then another, and then another. At first he thought someone must be throwing snowballs against his living room window. But when he went to the front door to investigate, he found a flock of birds huddled miserably in the snow. They'd been caught in the storm and, in a desperate search for shelter, had tried to fly through his large landscape window. He didn’t want the poor creatures to lie there and freeze. So he ran to the barn, opened the doors wide and turned on a light. But the birds did not come in. He figured food would entice them in. So he hurried back to the house, fetched bread crumbs, sprinkle...

“We must accept finite disappointment but never lose infinite hope.”- Dr. Martin Luther King Hope is not about ignoring the setbacks and difficulties of life. It is not about being in denial in relation to the “finite disappointments” of life. Rather, hope is knowing there are problems, but knowing all the more the Almighty and Everlasting God will keep His promises. He has promised to always stand with us and walk with us. The cross and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the proof. Hebrews 10:23 RSV Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who has promised is faithful. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, our hope in You is never “wishful thinking”. It is built and based on a certain reality. The reality is You can never lie, and in Jesus, You have come to rescue us. Because of these truths, give us greater hope. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Yours because of Him, Pastor John R. Steward Senior Pastor Mount of Olives Church

A pastor finished his message early one Sunday, and he wanted to check his congregation’s understanding of it. So, he asked, "Can anyone tell me what you must do before you can obtain forgiveness of sin?" There was a short pause and then, from the back of the room, a small boy spoke up, "You have to sin." This is a cute little story filled with an important truth. The Bible says all of us have sinned and have fallen short of the glory of God. But even though the Bible teaches this, there those who do not believe it applies to their lives. Instead, they compare themselves to people they see in the news who have done such terrible things and think – everything is fine with me. Using this comparison, there are those who do not think they are sinners. The fascinating thing about this is with God, sin is basically sin. There are no real degrees of sin with God. There are degrees of consequences from the damage our sin might bring about, but basically, all sin is the same...

It has been said, “You are only as sick as your secrets.” Over the years as a pastor, I have found this to be true in many people’s lives. This phrase can be lived out in a variety of ways. But basically, it means we should never think we are healthy if we have a secret life. Living a secret life means you are not being honest with others or with yourself. It means that you will be constantly walking around with a submerged sense of guilt and shame, and this will harden your heart. In addition, eventually, you will most likely be discovered and then more damage will follow. When we grow deeper in Christian community, we discover there are those in the Body of Christ (another name for the church) who can lovingly help us to be restored and turn our back on the secret lives we have lived and discover freedom in Jesus. This is another ministry of the church. The church is meant to be a safe place where we sometimes face some difficult truths about ourselves, and experience forgiveness and...

One of my favorite pieces of advice says, “When the grass looks greener on the other side, it is time to water my lawn.” From time to time, we might look at our lives and compare it to something else or even someone else. And when we do, the temptation is to be filled with envy, and we might want to walk away from our lives and responsibilities. The Ten Commandments tell us not to covet what others have. We don’t really get anywhere wishing we were someone else. Because of Jesus Christ, we are children of God. We are a unique creation of God. There is no one like you anywhere, and so, it is important to be all God has meant for you to be. So instead of wishing we were someone else, it just might be time to water my lawn and become the best me I can become. God’s grace is available to give us the strength to do just that. Hebrews 12:12-13 NRS Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out...

In 1914, Sir Earnest Shackleton, an explorer from England, attempted to cross Antarctica. His exploration didn’t go so well as his ship, The Endurance, was caught in the ice pack and slowly crushed as the ice closed in around it. Luckily, Shackleton and his crew managed to make it off the ship and they camped on a drifting iceberg for 5 months. The problem was the iceberg was drifting into warmer waters and would eventually melt. So Shackleton and his men took the lifeboats they had left and set out. They came to an uninhabited island. Shackleton and five others decided they would go for help, while 22 remained on the island under the command of Frank Wild. Month after month, those men waited until they were finally rescued in August of 1916; two years after they had initially set out to cross Antarctica. The story goes that Frank Wild was the one who kept hope alive in the hearts of those men on the island. The way he did this was every morning he would pack up his things in cheerful ...

Here is one of my favorite stories, and one I have used in a past sermon. In his book, Dr. Rich Dorst tells it this way: There was a priest who was carrying the burden of a secret sin. Even though he had told God he was sorry, and truly meant it; for some reason he couldn't accept God's forgiveness and he had no peace or joy – only guilt. A woman in his congregation claimed to have visions of speaking with Christ. She felt like Jesus would tell her things that nobody else could know. The priest, quite skeptical of her claims, challenged her, "The next time you have one of these 'visions’, I want you to ask the Lord what sin I committed while I was in seminary 20 years ago!" She readily agreed and went home. When she returned to the church a couple of days later, the priest said, "Well, did Jesus visit you? Did the Lord speak to you?" "Oh, yes, Father, He certainly did!" "Well, what did the Lord tell you?" "He said, 'I forget,...

Here is an outstanding definition of endurance: Endurance is patience concentrated.― Thomas Carlyle This is a helpful way to understand endurance. This description of endurance is even more helpful because of the times in which we are living. Endurance is not simply waiting around until things blow over. It is not just putting our plans on hold. Rather, it is disciplined with a purpose. This is what Abraham in the Old Testament experienced. God promised him he would be the father of a great nations and as many stars as there are in the skies would be the number of his decedents. From a human perspective, this looked impossible because he and his wife were way past childbearing years and had never had children. When Abraham’s wife Sarah heard the promise, the Bible says she laughed out loud (never a good idea to do with God). However, the promise was fulfilled in the birth of Isaac and those who followed. Here is how the writer of the book of Hebrews described it: Hebrews 6:15 ESV And ...

So many times through the years, I have had people ask me to pray for them. They ask in a way which tells me they don’t think they can pray for themselves. I have told them I would be happy to pray for them. However, then I ask if they are aware they can pray for themselves. Their answers will range from what a broken person they are to how God has more important things to worry about in the world than their little problem. And yet, God loves you and me and wants to hear from us. In addition, because of Jesus Christ, we have access to the throne of grace. Here are how the writers to the Hebrews put it: Hebrews 4:16 ESV Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. We can go to God with “confidence” because of what Jesus did for you and me at the cross. His death and resurrection mean we can go directly to Him and receive “mercy and find grace to help in time of need”. So today, make it a part of the plan...

From time to time, I find myself in the position of not being able to find something in the refrigerator. I can look and look, but it is not there. This is the point when I ask my wife, Torild, what happened to the item. Virtually, every time she will walk over and instantly hold up the item and say, “Here it is.” I don’t think I am alone in this. Actually, for some reason I think it is a “guy thing”. For some reason, many of us just lack this skill of finding things in the refrigerator.  In fact, it reminds me of one of my favorite stories. There was a man standing at the refrigerator looking for some mustard he wanted to use on a sandwich. He looked and looked but could not find it. He called to his wife and asked for her help, and of course she found it immediately. And then she said to him, “I don’t understand something. You are a commercial airline pilot. You fly into the Columbus, Ohio, airport several times a week. You are always able to find the Columbus airport, but you ca...

Dr. Jim Moore, pastor of St. Luke’s UMC in Houston wrote a book entitled "You Can Grow Bitter or You Can Grow Better". He wrote that he came up with the idea for the title from a young woman who once came to him in a most tragic moment in her life. She had tears in her eyes and her knuckles were white as she twisted a handkerchief. She had just received word that her twenty-six-year-old husband had been killed in a farming accident, leaving her alone with three pre-school age children. One moment he was alive and vibrant; the next moment gone. "I don’t know how I am going to be able to get along without him," she sobbed. "But I do know one thing. I can either get bitter or I can get better." Whatever you are going through today, it is essential for you to not allow it to make you “bitter” because “bitterness” will make things a great deal worse. Replace your bitterness with thankfulness. I have found no matter what happens, there is at least one thing for ...

  John Wooden was one of the greatest college basketball coaches in American history. He was the head coach at UCLA for decades and was known as the “Wizard of Westwood”. He did more than coach basketball when he said things like this: “Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.” - John Wooden When life hands you challenges, how do you respond? You have a choice. You can respond with complaining and fault-finding, or you can decide to look for the good in every situation. Some people are so focused on the problems that they become bitter. I have often said, the way bitter old people become bitter old people is they start off as bitter young people. It is essential for us to resist this tendency. And we can because of the grace of God. Knowing that because of Jesus we have his “unmerited favor” can help us to focus on faith and hope. Since God is always pouring His strength into our lives and guiding us at each step we take, we can make the bes...

Young people are often influenced by “peer pressure”.  Remember when you were in your teenage years? You were very concerned about what other people, especially those your own age, would think of you. At that point in your life, you made many decisions with this in mind. It affected everything from how you dressed to the kind of music you listened to. You would think we should grow out of this, but many people don’t. Too many times, we are still affected by what other people will think of us. We often try to fit in with our pursuits of materialism and recognition. This concern prevents many from sharing their Christian faith with others or inviting someone to church. Think of the power we have given over to others. However, we don’t have to give them this kind of control when we remember their opinion doesn’t really matter. We follow the leadership of the God of heaven and earth, who came to rescue us from sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. As a result, we are set free to...

Many years ago, before my wife and I were married, she was going through some challenging times. At the time, she was a single mom. She didn’t have a great deal of money and her dishwasher had broken. So she called Sears, and a Sears repairman came out and fixed the dishwasher and spent some time listening and talking with her. After he left, she realized he hadn’t left a bill for the repair. So, she called Sears. They told her they didn’t have a repairman by that name, and they had no record of anyone coming to her home to repair her dishwasher. She couldn’t understand this, because he came in a Sears truck wearing a Sear’s uniform, and yet there was no record of this happening. She has since said the time he spent listening to her was very comforting, and we think what really happened was she had experienced a visit from an angel. Hebrews 13:2 ESV     Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.   Angels a...

Hebrews 6:19 ESV We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. A ship without an anchor will drift and run aground. Or maybe it will smash into the rocks on the shore and be destroyed. It is essential for our lives to have an anchor. Eventually, we will need this, at some moments more than at others. Like right now – we have an anchor in our Lord Jesus Christ. And the writer to the Hebrews goes on to say that Jesus enters “into the inner place behind the curtain”. He is speaking of the curtain that covers the Holy of Holies in the Temple in Jerusalem in their day. Only the high priest could go into that space to make sacrifices for the sins of the people. Now, Jesus makes the final sacrifice for our sins that we might have eternal life – what good news. During these days, remember your very soul has been anchored to Jesus, your savior. He will not allow you to be shipwrecked. You are moored to the grace and powe...

Monday, April, 27, 2020 Someone once said that persistence is like wrestling a gorilla. You don’t give up when you get tired. You give up when the gorilla gets tired!  Hebrews 12:1-2 RSV Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. I have seen many people quit too soon. I have watched this for decades – people giving up too early and too soon. I have come to believe one of the keys to experiencing the abundant life, which Jesus talks about, is learning not to give up too soon. We can persevere because God will never quit.   Pray with me: Heavenly Father, You never give up and You will never give up on us. It is difficu...

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” When we cannot see – when we cannot understand – when we feel alone – when we do not know what to do – it is faith that makes the difference. Here it says that faith is the evidence – that when you see yourself responding in faith that is the evidence, the assurance – that God is going to work it out somehow and in some way for us. "Mommy, what does God look like?" asked 5-year-old Timmy. He put down his peanut butter sandwich and took a big swallow of milk. "Well, God is a Spirit and we can’t see Him in the same way that we see people," his mother began, not knowing quite where to go from there. "But if we can’t see Him, how do we know what He’s like?" he persisted. "Well, suppose you were blind," she suggested to Timmy. "Would you be able to see Daddy, for instance?" He shook his head. "But would you know what Daddy is lik...