Mount of Olives Church

When Ken and I visited the Holy Land, we were continually aware of the Gospel stories of Jesus during His earthly ministry. As we entered the Garden of Gethsemane, our guide told us the olive trees we were seeing were over 2,000 years old. Some of them were here during the time of Christ, he pointed out. My mind went back to the time before His crucifixion when Jesus and His disciples went into that garden to pray. Scripture tells us He sweat “great drops of blood” as He anticipated what was about to happen to Him. Jesus knew one of His own would betray Him, and the very crowds that had hailed Him as Lord would turn on Him. He knew the suffering He was to endure through the terrible death by crucifixion, and His anguish was poured out in those great drops of blood. And yet, Jesus willingly went through such pain and degradation because of His great love for humankind. As I stood in the garden that day, surrounded by those centuries old olive trees, I was overwhelmed by such love. My te...

Going to Uncle Jimmy’s house was a wonderful adventure for me growing up. His home had extensive acreage with horses to ride, a pond to fish in, a pool to swim in, and tractors and farm implements on which to play. But the most eye-catching thing at his house was the large den with the walls covered with big-game hunting trophies that Uncle Jimmy had collected from his many successful hunting trips to far-away places. After a while, his den floor was even adorned with a bear-skin rug. At every meal we always prayed, thanking God for the food and fellowship. But the prayers at Uncle Jimmy’s house seemed to always thank God for everything. They seemed like a grateful child saying thanks to his or her father, and they warmed all of us who were there. Many, many years later, all of his brothers, sisters, children, and nieces and nephews sat up front at Uncle Jimmy’s funeral. As we did at every wedding or funeral, we leaned into our shared love as we celebrated or mourned. On the morning of...

“If your eyes are your best feature…this is your moment!” I read this at the entrance to a boutique and had to laugh at the facemask humor! And it does bring me joy, knowing that while wearing my mask, only my eyes show. No make-up or lipstick…just keep my eyes looking good! But in all seriousness, the eyes are so important as followers of Jesus – not only what our eyes can see in a worldly sense; the physical and emotional needs of others, but even more importantly, what our eyes see in a spiritual sense; the lost, the confused and the hurting. Look around and use your eyes. Allow yourself to see what Jesus would have you see. There are so many people who need to know of His great love for them; to know His desire that we all can be reconciled to God through Him. His message is the same today as it was yesterday. When we see what He would have us see, the eyes of our hearts are open. Only then can we act in Jesus’ name, showing the love of Christ, by caring, loving, and being focused ...

Throughout my business career, I have read numerous books, articles and quotes that would speak to me, and sometimes I would make a copy of them and keep them in a folder for reference. Periodically, I would get the folder out and read through some of the quotes. Numerous times, I shared them with my colleagues and customers. Here is one of my favorites I have shared many times. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. The Carpenter An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by.   The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go, and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes. However in time, it was easy to see his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an ...

As a kid, whenever there was a new home being constructed in our neighborhood, my friends and I thought it was the greatest thing ever! As the deep hole was dug for the basement, with the sand and dirt piled high, we had the perfect battlefield for an all-out, epic dirt-clog war. The adventure did not stop there. As the house was being framed, we had the perfect place to play hide-and-go-seek. When the second story was constructed, we would jump from the open window frames and land on the huge dirt mounds below. With every new house came new adventures! After returning home from a day at the construction site, I made a startling realization; my engraved silver Speidel ID bracelet was gone! Now before I continue, I need to clarify that it wasn’t the bracelet that was so important to me. As a matter of fact, I don’t think any form of jewelry has any value to most boys in elementary school. What made this bracelet so important to me is that it was given to me by my favorite grandparents! ...

In his book, What’s So Amazing About Grace, Phillip Yancey tells the story of Ernest Hemingway. Hemingway grew up in a very devout evangelical family, and yet, there he never experienced the grace of Christ. He lived a libertine life that most of us would call "dissolute"… there was no father, no parent waiting for him and he sank into the mire of a graceless depression. A short story he wrote perhaps reveals the grace that he hoped for. It is the story of a Spanish father who decided to reconcile with his son who had run away to Madrid. The father, in a moment of remorse, takes out this ad in El Libro, a newspaper. "Paco, meet me at Hotel Montana, Noon, Tuesday… All is forgiven… Papa." When the father arrived at the square in hopes of meeting his son, he found eight hundred Pacos waiting to be reunited with their father. Was Paco such a popular name? Or is a father's forgiveness the salve for every soul? Whether we acknowledge it or not, we all long to be at on...

I have mentioned before how so many people believe they are almost invisible to God. After all, they assume there are billions of people in the world: “Who am I in this sea of humanity?” “There are thousands of problems everywhere which must be of greater importance to God compared to my situation.” Too often, we think we are insignificant to God, and yet, we are not. Here is what Jesus had to say: Luke 12:24 ESV Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! Think about the consequences of what this means. It means God must care for the fly, the moth and even the little ant. This is just how great God really is. No one and nothing He has created is insignificant to Him. If He takes care of them, He will certainly take care of you. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, You are amazing. You care for all of Your creation; from the smallest to the tallest, it is all of great concern to ...

"Humility isn't denying your strengths; it's being honest about your weaknesses." - Pastor Rick Warren Living in South Orange County, California, we often encounter some extremely successful people. They might have developed a very large and flourishing business or have amassed a great fortune. Maybe they have more than one PhD. And because they are so smart and successful, they are often filled with pride and arrogance. It is difficult for them to listen to others, because they believe they know better than anyone else. As a result, this arrogance causes them nothing but problems. It damages every relationship they have, and then actually wonder why. But if we could begin by being honest about our weaknesses, and even have the ability to say it out loud to certain select and safe people, we would begin to turn the corner in some of the challenges we face in relationships with others. This is what Jesus was talking about in the Gospel of Luke: Luke 14:11 ESV “For ever...

Luke 2:1-20 NRSV "In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. This was the first registration and was taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. All went to their own towns to be registered. Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David. He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid; for see—I am bri...

This story is about a young shepherd on that first Christmas night. And now he is old, and as his grandson sits on his knee, he recalls that night. "A long, long time ago, when I was a little more than a boy, I was out on the Judean hills one night with some other shepherds, keeping watch over the flock. And an angel of the Lord came upon us and the glory of the Lord shone roundabout us. And we were very afraid. But the angel said, ‘Fear not... for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord... you shall find the baby in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’" When he had said this, the old man’s lips quivered and ceased to move and there was silence. Then the grandson turned and looked with wide puzzled eyes into his grandfather’s face and said, "But, grandfather is that all? What did you do when you heard the good news? Was what the angel said really true? Was the Christ child ever really born?" The old shepherd sadly shook hi...

It's been said, “A student learns what his teacher knows, but a disciple becomes what his master is.”There is a great deal of truth in this quote. During this Advent season, we need to focus on this idea. We need to stop and ask ourselves, “Am I a customer or a disciple? I am making this distinction on purpose to help us process our own condition and outlook?” In the life of the church, there are many who treat the ministry of the church like they, the parishioners, are customers. They want certain kinds of music and even specific programs in the church. They have many demands, and if not met, it will cause them to find another church. However, a disciple knows it is not about them. It is about the mission of the church (Matthew 28:18-20), whether or not the mission is being achieved, and how they can help to make it happen. If being a disciple means we become like our teacher, we only need to look to Jesus to see what our outlook should be. He said He came not to be served, but to...

Andrew Murray put it this way, “Many Christians fear and flee and seek deliverance from all that would humble them. At times they may pray for humility but in their heart of hearts, they pray even more to be kept from the things that would bring them to that place.” Humility results in a life of dying to self which produces radical obedience and reckless abandon. Jesus was humble and “obedient unto death”. In my experience, humility and dying to self are some of the most difficult, and yet essential, of spiritual disciplines. Many people struggle in life because they refuse to humble themselves. However, those who work at humility find rich rewards. Their families are better for it. Their place of work is more functional. Their church is made stronger by it. During these days, we can learn to develop the spiritual traits of humility and dying to self. So much of this period is about having to do some things we do not really want to do. Our lifestyles have been substantially changed. ...

I think it was when I was about 15 years old, we lived down the street from the high school. There was a large lawn out in front, and one afternoon a pick-up football game got started. It was a mix of guys playing tackle football. At one point, the football got loose and went into the gutter and down the storm drain. Since it was the only football we had, we had to try to get it back or the game would be over. It was decided that someone should try to go down the storm drain and retrieve the ball. I got elected. I think it was unanimous. So, the plan was to tie a rope around my ankle, and I would start down the concrete tube (which wasn’t much bigger than I was) under the street. And if I didn’t find the ball, I was supposed to keep going – which I did. I finally reached the end of the tube and still did not find the ball. So now the plan was for me to be lowered down with the guys up top holding onto the rope. I was even given a flashlight so I could locate the ball. I was able to sh...

Luke 1:1-4 NRSV Since many have undertaken to set down an orderly account of the events that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed on to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, I too decided, after investigating everything carefully from the very first, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the truth concerning the things about which you have been instructed. This is how the Gospel of Luke begins (the same is true for the Book of Acts which Luke also wrote). The Gospel writer, Luke, is writing to someone he calls “most excellent Theophilus”. Some have speculated he got his name when he was born and his mother looked at him and said, “That’s the most awful face I have ever seen.” Just kidding! Actually, the name Theophilus in Greek means “lover of God” or it could mean “loved by God”. Theos is the name for God and philios is the word for love. Scholars think he was probably a high g...

In my book, Tales for the Pulpit (page 15), I tell a story I first heard in a sermon by my good friend, Pastor Ray Christenson. It is the story about a pastor who would regularly visit a farm family outside of town. He would visit them particularly because the farmer’s wife was blind. Each time the pastor would visit, things would go along like any of the other visits he made. He would enjoy talking with the farmer and Mrs. Syverson. They would tell the pastor of how their families came from Norway and how they settled in Minnesota. They would share their remembrances of family traditions and customs. It was always an enjoyable time together. The pastor would then try to direct the visit toward spiritual matters. He would offer to pray or share Holy Communion. After prayer and Communion, the farmer would excuse himself and go outside to continue his chores around the farm. When this happened, the pastor noticed something he could never understand. As the farmer would work around the fa...

Many years ago, I was coming back to the church office after Pastor Jim Reynen and I had lunch together. He was riding with me, and just as we got close to the church office I ran out of gas. I could sense it the minute it happened, because the power steering failed. However, even though I had run out of gas, we kept coasting and I was able to make a left turn into the church office parking lot and into a parking stall. The reason I ran out of gas was because I had placed a reminder note to do something on the dashboard and it covered the gas gauge. I was running out of gas and didn’t even realize it. I think this can happen in life. We get so busy and have so many things on our minds that we don’t realize we, too, are running on empty. Luke 10:38-42 ESV Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. ...

From time to time, throughout my life, I have had people tell me something was impossible. When starting something new or changing something old, there would always be someone who would tell me it will never happen. There are just always certain people around who can only see the negative, and refuse to see any hope. Perhaps it came about for them because of how they were brought up in their home of origin. Or maybe it was because of a bad experience which simply shaped them to focus on the bad, and rarely the good. As a leader, it is sometimes challenging getting their push back when trying to work on something. I am not saying that we should neglect considering all the facts, because we shouldn’t. What I am saying is it is better to try something new or fix an old problem from the position of hope, rather than from the outlook of finding fault with everything.    One afternoon, I had someone in my office sitting across from me as we talked about a problem and what the soluti...

Some time ago, I told this story in a sermon, but I believe it is worth sharing again. The story is told of two goats that met each other on a narrow ledge, just wide enough for one goat to pass. The two goats faced each other and wondered…what shall we do? They could not back up. That would be too dangerous. They could not go around because the ledge was too narrow. Now, if the goats had no more sense than humans, they would have begun butting each other until one fell over the ledge. However, goats have a lot of sense; more than some people. What they did; one goat laid down and let the other walk over him. There must be a willingness to lay down for the other to walk over. Luke 9:23-24 NRSV Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, one of the greatest s...

In  Luke 24:13-35 , there is a marvelous story of how some of the early disciples had an encounter with Jesus after the resurrection. Luke is the only Gospel writer to record it. It is called the “Walk to Emmaus”. Some of the followers of Jesus were on their way to the town called Emmaus. They were walking along talking about the events of Jesus dying on the cross, and they were very sad. A man came along, joined them and asked what they were talking about and why they were so sad. It was Jesus, but they were kept from recognizing Him. They asked this “stranger” if He was the only one who had not heard what had been happening in Jerusalem in the past few days. They went on to share what had happened with His death on Calvary. They went on to share how the women in their group had seen Him alive and how the tomb was now empty. They ended up inviting this “stranger” to spend the night with them since it was so late. Then, when they were sharing a meal, Jesus took bread and blessed i...