Mount of Olives Church

I used to worry all the time. Mostly about the health and safety of loved ones near and far, but also about problems in this world that were out of my control. A dear friend at church told me years ago to pray instead of worrying. That sounded like a good idea, but at the time it was not easy for me to change my habit. It was at Cursillo where I had a transforming epiphany. I realized by completely relying on God in all circumstances, I am never alone. I don’t need to be afraid because God has me in His hands. I don’t need to worry because I can trust Him always. He will never leave me. I have learned to turn my worries into prayers. I go to Jesus first as soon as I feel anxious or afraid. Prayer relaxes me both emotionally and physically. There are numerous places in the Bible that tell us to trust our Lord and not to worry. Psalm 56:3 Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in you. Matthew 6:34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enoug...

“As the deer pants for the water – so my soul longs after You.” This phrase from the well-known hymn, “As the Deer” written by Martin Nystrom, brings up a clear image of a deer seeking water; perhaps during a warm summer’s day. What about the phrase, “So my soul longs after You” – perhaps not a clear visual, but an emotional phrase to which we all can relate. Haven’t we all “longed for” or “yearned for” something which is out of our reach? Yet, have we ever longed for or yearned for our Lord? Longed for a better, more meaningful relationship with Him? During these past months of social distancing, there have been many “longings” – to be in person with family and friends, to return to school, to go to sporting events, to return to work. Yet, few of these “longings” have actually occurred. However, our yearning for our Lord, a reaching out to Him is ours for the taking – anytime, anywhere, no matter what! This yearning for a closer, more intimate relationship is a very real longing and ...

Psalm 71:14 As for me, I will hope continuously and will praise you more and more. Consider this: Beethoven handled the violin awkwardly and preferred playing his own compositions instead of improving his technique. His teacher called him hopeless as a composer. Louisa May Alcott, the author of “Little Women”, was encouraged to find work as a servant or seamstress by her family. An expert said of Vince Lombardy, “He possesses minimal football knowledge. Lacks motivation.” Winston Churchill failed sixth grade. He did not become Prime Minister of England until he was 62, and then only after a lifetime of defeats and setbacks. His greatest contributions came when he was a “senior citizen.” ~ Chicken Soup for the Soul 1993 When we look at the difficulties, inconveniences, and problems of life as potential assignments from God, our perspective changes. We can decide to focus on what God can do through a difficult circumstance rather than the details of the circumstance itself. We can’t con...

Young moms often ask me the secret to raising three successful sons, and my answer is always the same: pray all the time! I was raised to believe in the power of prayer, and it has been second nature for me to bring my requests to the Lord. My childlike prayers were simple, and because of the model in my home, centered around the needs of others. I prayed for my family, my friends and my church. When I got older, my prayers became rather self-centered, and I prayed for help with my social life, my school work, and my activities. At times I would treat God as a fairy godmother, asking for things I badly wanted: a date with a certain boy, an invitation to a particular party, or entrance into a social group. Often my prayer was answered, but it was a ‘No!’ My faith was such that I accepted God’s answer, even though I was disappointed and would shed many tears as I let God know I didn’t understand. At times, hindsight would prove God’s answer was right for me, but other times, I was not t...

Wednesday, May 5, 2021 “Grandma, can you pray to God for me?” “Well of course I can pray to God for you; I pray for you and your family every day. You do know though, YOU can pray to Him – you don’t need me.” “But Grandma, if you pray for me, maybe He will answer your prayer because He doesn’t answer my prayers.” “Well,” Grandma said, “You can pray to God whenever you want. You should remember He sometimes says ‘yes’, sometimes says ‘no’, sometimes says ‘you will need to wait.’ What were you praying for, dear?” Her young grandson hesitated a moment, and then said, “A special kind of BeyBlade.” To which Grandma responded, “The other thing that God asks is ‘Will this bring you into a closer relationship with Me?’” Too often, we pray only when we want something; this young boy is typical of children and adults alike. Have we thought about talking to God, praying to Him throughout the day, every day – just like having a conversation with a friend? God DOES hear all of our prayers, and s...

The Serenity Prayer God grant me the serenity To accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference. Living one day at a time; Enjoying one moment at a time; Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace; Taking, as Jesus did, this sinful world as it is, not as I would have it; Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His Will; So that I may be reasonably happy in this life and supremely happy with Him Forever and ever in the next. Amen. (prayer attributed to Reinhold Neibuhr, 1892-1971) In my early years of being a Christian, whilst going through hard times, I encountered the subtle message that if I trusted God enough and prayed enough, I would not feel the feelings I was feeling. As a young wife and mother of four children, I often experienced times of sadness, despair and loneliness. I soon learned to mask these feelings in public and display the persona that all was well in my little Christian home. It wasn’t...

It was July 17,1996, and we were headed to the airport to catch a flight to NYC, on to Paris, then catching a connecting flight to Athens. Our flight left early, had a good tail wind, and we arrived at Kennedy ahead of time. Rather than wait several hours for our scheduled flight, TWA 800, we went to the information desk and asked if there were any earlier flights to Paris. We were told there was, and if we hurried, we could make it. We did, and subsequently made our connecting flight to Athens. We arrived at our hotel to find messages to call home immediately. We panicked and had some trouble getting the international call through, but eventually Jim answered our home phone where he and Jennifer were house sitting. When he heard my voice, he let out a sob as he asked if we were okay. Of course we were, was my response. Was everyone okay there? It took him a minute to compose himself as he assured me everyone was fine. Then he told me TWA 800, our scheduled flight, had exploded in New ...

Have you ever been out in the world, when all of a sudden God reaches down and touches your heart? This happened to me just recently. I was in Eden, Utah, skiing at a resort called Powder Mountain. I skied out of the trees into the most breathtaking view I have ever seen. Before me were the bluest skies I’ve ever seen with a beautiful blanket of pure white snow covering every mountain around me. Out of this beautiful pure white blanket were some of the tallest green pine trees I’ve ever seen. Can you see it in your mind’s eye? At that very moment, I felt God‘s presence so deeply and the next thing I knew there were tears rolling down my cheeks as I was overwhelmed by the beauty God had presented to me. I was wearing a ski helmet and my phone’s playlist was all Christian music. God, at that very moment, chose for me to listen to the song “Testify to Love” – which as followers of Christ we know: He is Love! The people I was skiing with could tell something was happening with me and as...

It was said that Henry Ford was an automotive genius. He came up with great ideas and handed them to researchers for development. One of his ideas was the concept of an engine in which the pistons were set at an angle to each other, rather than in a straight line. He sketched out his idea for the V-8 motor and took it to his engineers. After he left, they looked it over and shook their heads for the boss’ ignorance of basic engineering. Somebody volunteered to tell him that his idea was impossible. Ford said, “Do it anyway and stay at it until you succeed.” It took over one year and many designs, but eventually, Ford’s researchers came up with the design of the most powerful automobile engine known to us today. His refusal to acknowledge the impossible laid the foundation for turning an idea into a working design. We need to have this kind of strong determination. Every aspect of our lives would improve if we could move from seeing mostly problems to anticipating what is possible. As a...

“Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength - carrying two days at once. It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.” - Corrie ten Boom Too often, we think worrying means we are working on solving the problems we are facing. Most of the time it simply depletes us of strength. We become weaker and more fragile through worry and anxiety. Easter is the wonderful reminder that God is still on His throne and He is strong enough to meet the needs of our lives. Psalm 3:5 ESV I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the Lord sustained me. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, because of Easter, we can actually lay down and sleep, and allow You to run the world and our lives. Remind us of this great truth every day. In Jesus” name. Amen. Yours because of Him, Pastor John R. Steward Senior Pastor Mount of Olives Church

"When walking through the rural roads of India, you will occasionally come across a post with a sturdy shelf about shoulder height. These posts are called Soma Tonga, which means 'resting place'. As people travel on foot, they can stop at a Soma Tonga and place their heavy load on the shelf for relief. Once rested, they can continue their journey. One can easily see why Christians in India call Jesus 'My Soma Tonga’.” – Unknown Author The reason He can be our resting place is because He is victorious over “sin, death and the power of the devil”. As God in human flesh, He has come to rescue us and will refresh us. Easter means you have a resting place on the journey. Psalm 73:26 ESV My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, this life is full of pressures and demands. In addition, there are a great deal of setbacks and serious disappointments. Sometimes our hearts just break over it all. I...

The Philistine’s Goliath was nine feet tall – truly a “giant of a man”. As a result, the army of the Israelites were very frightened of him. It has been said: “King Saul thought Goliath was too big to fight, but David thought he was too big to miss.” As we face problems in our lives, too often they seem too big for us to solve. We are sometimes defeated before we even try. This is how Saul, the King of Israel, saw the battle with the Philistines. He was only evaluating the strength of his army compared to Goliath and the Philistines. But David had a different perspective. He had faith that God would keep His promises, and this caused David to look at the same situation with different eyes. While King Saul saw only an impossible problem, David saw an incredible opportunity. In the days ahead, as you face the “Goliaths of life”, be sure to keep your eyes focused not so much on the problem, but the promise. Psalm 54:4 NRSV But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my l...

A man approached a little league baseball game one afternoon. He asked a boy in the dugout what the score was. The boy responded, “Eighteen to nothing - we’re behind.” “Boy”, said the spectator, “I’ll bet you’re discouraged.” “Why should I be discouraged” replied the little boy. “We haven’t even gotten up to bat yet!” This is sure having a positive attitude. We might chuckle, but I would like to encourage you to adopt the same outlook. I truly believe we can. I have simply found the Christian life is filled with so much hope that we can have big expectations. So, pray with a holy boldness and remember just how big God is. Psalm 54:4 ESV Behold, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, You are almighty, all knowing and everlasting. There is simply nothing too big or difficult for You. Strengthen our lives by remembering this great truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen. Yours because of Him, Pastor John R. Steward Senior Pastor Mount of Olives Church

My mentor and friend, Dr. James Kallas, would tell the story below of when he was a young college student, and he worked in a warehouse for a Jewish man. Dr. Kallas wanted us students to better understand the Jewish theological outlook. One day the man told him to go up to the 3rd floor in the freight elevator and bring down a refrigerator. So, Kallas went to the 3rd floor, put the refrigerator on a dolly and pushed it into the elevator. The only problem was the elevator was no longer on the third floor, and when the refrigerator hit the bottom, it smashed into thousands of pieces. The Jewish man came running over, looked at the refrigerator and looked up to Kallas and said, “God has spoken. Go get another refrigerator.” My family and I have often used this phrase in our home. There are times when a door closes and we just have to say, “God has spoken. Go get another refrigerator.” We must do this, knowing God has not forgotten or abandoned us. Instead, in His great love, He is always ...

"Waiting is not just the thing we have to do until we get what we hope for. Waiting is the process of becoming what we hope for." - Ben Patterson, Westmont College, Santa Barbara, CA. We are learning a great deal about waiting in these times of the Pandemic. Most of us thought it would last maybe two to three months. However, we are coming up on a year and probably more. But this waiting can be our teacher. It reminds us in our “instant” society about the need for delayed gratification. Learning to wait makes us a more grateful people. Waiting trains us to be more patient. It teaches us that God is on a different schedule than ours, but He is never late. Ben Patterson is correct – this is a time when we can be developed and transformed. So, let us change our thinking and view this period as an opportunity to become the kind of person God is calling us to be. Psalm 25:4-5 ESV Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you ar...

Many times in life, we are faced with difficult decisions. Sometimes it appears so challenging that we make no decision at all. In those moments, we think the situation is impossible. Here is some advice from Dr. Robert Schuller: "Again, and again, the impossible problem is solved when we see that the problem is only a tough decision waiting to be made." - Dr. Robert Schuller So in the future, we must stand up to tough questions and make a decision. However, we must always remember we do not do this alone. We must pray and search the scriptures, because the God of heaven and earth wants to guide our steps. As long as we allow God’s Word and His power to guide us, we can do the difficult things. Psalm 25:12 Who is the man who fears the Lord? Him will he instruct in the way that he should choose. Pray with me: Heavenly Father, in those moments of indecision, remind us that through Your Word and Holy Spirit, You are guiding us. Help us to respect (fear) You so we will always de...

“Knowledge is knowing what to say. Wisdom is knowing when to say it.” - Anonymous Recently, I have been preaching on wisdom. Here is another example of what wisdom looks like. We don’t have to say everything that comes to mind. We don’t need to offer our opinion. Sometimes it might be better to listen to someone else. There is a difference between knowledge and wisdom. As this quote is saying, we might have a great deal of knowledge on a subject, but wisdom is different than knowledge. Wisdom makes sound judgements and is aware there are times not to speak. Wisdom realizes we must consider the consequences of our actions, and this includes our words. Here is the prayer of the Psalmist in this regard: Psalm 141:3 ESV Set a guard, O Lord, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips! Pray with me: Heavenly Father, helps us to be good stewards of our words. Help us to use them with wisdom. Give us the ability to think before we speak so we might grow in wisdom. In Jesus’ name. Amen....

There are so many things that can trouble our spirit and cause us to be rather negative. We can come to a place of despair. From the Pandemic, to challenges in our nation and around the world, we can come to a perspective of hopelessness. And then there are always the personal trials of health and well-being we add to the mix. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of Great Britain during WWII. There were tremendous challenges all around him and his nation as Hitler was trying to take over Europe. So, he knew what great difficulties were all about. But in the midst of it all, he said this: “For myself I am an optimist – it does not seem to be much use to be anything else.” – Winston Churchill We must always work at having an optimistic outlook. There will always be painful moments in life, but it is our outlook and attitude which are so essential for getting us through it all. I truly believe the reason we can be hopeful is because God Himself is still on His throne and will bring us...

During this pandemic, there has been an increase in the level of fear. Whether it is the fear of the virus or losing your job, people have been on edge. Even now as we read reports about new vaccines to cause us to be resistant to the virus, there are those who are afraid of the vaccine. One thing I know is we cannot allow fear to be the driving force in our lives. Here is an example from history: “Black Bart was a professional thief whose very name struck fear as he terrorized the Wells Fargo stage line. From San Francisco to New York, his name became synonymous with the danger of the frontier. Between 1875 and 1883, he robbed 29 different stagecoach crews. Amazingly, Black Bart did it all without firing a shot. Because he wore a hood, no victim ever saw his face. He never took a hostage and was never trailed by a sheriff. Instead, Black Bart later said from prison that he didn't need to fire a shot; all he had to do was to use fear to paralyze his victims. ‘Fear, the face of the ...

When the COVID-19 Pandemic began back in March of 2020, I am sure you thought, as did I, it would only take about three months, and then life would go back to normal. However, here we are in December of 2020, and we are still dealing with many of the same issues.  Recently, as I pondered this period, it occurred to me that through these many months, we have been learning one of the lessons of Advent. This lesson is about waiting, but not just any kind of waiting; waiting for God. All through the scriptures, we see example after example of people waiting for God to do what He said He would do – like Abraham in the Old Testament. God promised him he would be the father of a great nation, even though he and his wife never had a child and she was past child bearing years. Abraham had to wait a long period of time for this promise to be fulfilled, and yet it was. Advent is the period of time where we learn the lessons of waiting on God. We learn to be more patient. We learn to be more h...