In circa 2000s,  I received a telephone call from a boyhood schoolmate. We have managed to stay in touch over the years. I was happy to hear from him. He had a new job and his own boss, so he was not stressed. We talked about the Washington metro area problems, crime and traffic and the rising housing and gasoline costs. I sensed that we were beginning to narrow in on a particular subject and maybe the reason for his contacting me.

It was the old story of sibling family problems, the care of an aging parent, and confusion about the family farm. I listened and suggested that he talk to his minister, not act too hasty, and, above all, to pray about this difficult time in his life.  When I hung up the phone, an echo from the scriptures was very close to what he had said.

Someone from the crowd said to Him, “Master, order my brother to divide the inheritance and share it with me.” But Jesus told him, “Man, who has appointed Me a judge or umpire and divider over you?” Luke 12:13,14.

Jesus was not distracted but went on to give the parable of the rich man (16-20) and called him a fool, for on this very night, his soul would be called to give account;  there’s a short duration of things. (28); and avoid what the world seeks (30); instead, seek the unfailing and inexhaustible treasure in the heavens (34) and let us be waiting, prepared, our lamps burning, for the master to return (36). So, let us be focused and pray to see clearly that love and forgiveness stand tall over all our worldly cares.

The preceding has been on a small floppy for years and now has risen via a search and revive mission.  The brothers who had the farm problem have passed on.  Time provided its’ usual solution, sometimes even PEACE!

People say they want to climb Mt. Everest – it is possible these days! Or travel or settle down and view science, maybe find peace for the world to see. Don’t wait, do it now!

The “Peace Song”
“Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me;
let there be peace on earth, the peace that was meant to be,
With God as our Father, brothers all are we.
Let me walk with my brother in perfect harmony.
Let peace begin with me; let this be the moment now.
With every step I take, let this be my solemn vow;
to take each moment and live each moment in peace eternally.
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.”

Written by the late Jill Jackson Miller 1913-1995. Reading about Jill Miller’s life is enriching – do a search!

Many years ago, where we worshipped, the Church was trying to reach people moving into the area; in small ways, it worked; in a shifting population, the total effect is always unknown.  It was a time of new houses, people, and church buildings with new names.

I have lived in this County for 35 years and have seen much growth: schools, shopping places, restaurants, and buildings to meet every need…physically, mentally, and spiritually; churches with new names: The Father’s Way, Freedom Worship Center, The Black Stockings (Two by Twos), Trinity Church, Monterey Church, Spirit Care/Support Ministry Center, House of Nanak, Home Church, The New Church, and the World Church.

Why does this happen over and over again? Is the answer in Proverbs 16:21!

If one could talk to all these congregations, the answer would be, “We felt that we needed our own name and church building.” One person I know told me their group thinks playing horns adds greatly to the service.”

If I went into a nice restaurant and only ordered black beans and rice, I would want to receive black beans and rice.  If the waitress boasted of adding two other kinds of beans to the black beans and maybe chopped ham, and the rice was given a ‘kick’ from the hot sauce, chopped onions, and garlic.

Well, how about trying to buy a nice men’s suit, and the owner comes out with a clown’s outfit with the red bulb nose and a flaming red hat with the tiny bells…well, maybe I have gone too far, in the end. We are on prongs of modern times that can’t get anything broken or fixed.  What you are wearing this season will not be there next season.

I finally visited the home attic; lots of stuff in boxes that had a purpose once up upon a time; a friend at McDonald’s, when he heard of my attic visit, invited me to his acreage and a barn filled with whatever…he said he was afraid to go near the barn!

The wise in heart are called discerning, and gracious words promote instruction. The proverb describes the wisdom of the heart, for which others will call you prudent. Note two things – this wisdom is in the heart, not the head and the effect is prudence, not brilliance. The wisdom here is not head knowledge but the understanding of a discerning heart. The result is prudence and practical wisdom for happy and successful living.

If you have practical wisdom in your heart, you may not know how to communicate it to others to gain their trust, calm their fears, satisfy their questions, or change their minds. There are men and women with discernment and prudence who leave no mark on the world because their abrupt, calloused, insensitive, or rude communication turns others off. This is a great waste, for the wisdom that could serve others never gets to them.  (Biblical Concordance)

Once upon a time, there were two young ladies just out of the Marine Corps; they happened to be in Arlington, Virginia, and had found employment at the National Bank of Washington and Trailways. They were fortunate to get an apartment together on Lee Highway, west of the Potomac River. Throughout the week, Gloria was off to the Bank, and Shirley was off to duel with fuel bills at the Bus Depot.

Times were difficult, rent was easy enough, and if you saved and saved, you got by until the next month. Gloria often remarked about the bus ride to work, which always packed and left you in the aisle.  When it was raining, passengers got sopping wet, and you just managed to get to work before you were also drenched; men never had to worry about their hair.

When Shirley returned home one day, she had news that someone could share the apartment and the rent.  They had to ensure management never saw the third person –  frowned on such.

Time went on, and they lived happily together.  When there was a knock on the door, (Pat) would hide in the closet…It worked. How this happened was never revealed to me; Shirley told Gloria she had learned that (Pat) had a pistol.  Somehow, this came out, and (Pat) told the two that she had an ex-male friend who was stalking her.  At the moment she was sure he did not know where she lived, but would definitely find her; and obvious this had gone on long enough to warp her personality..became the reason to have a pistol (maybe it was his!).

The ‘secret’ made the two jittery…come home from work and the mystery became: was (Pat) there? If so, she might be in the closet…if she was in the closet, did she have the pistol, and was it loaded… their minds raced with all the 911 possibilities.  It was tight lips; if management found out, they all got the boot! The deposit was gone.

Somewhere out of the blue, their third told them she would leave, maybe back to Pennsylvania to live with her parents for a while.

I was told all this by Gloria, my late wife (Shirley has passed away, too).  They never knew or wanted to know whether whoever knocked on the door was friendly.

Does the Bible mention “door” and  “knock”…YES!, many times here are just a few:

Matthew 7:7-11 – “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Acts 12:16 – “Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed.”

Matthew 7:8  – “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.”

Yes! I still remember the morning at work when I put a disk into my computer and hit the re-format; the computer came back with a message, “Do you want to do this?” I did not stop to consider it but replied, “Yes!”  To my horror, I realized that I had given the computer the freedom to do its thing; there was no way  I could stop its journey to re-format the main drive and erase everything I needed for the day.

What if you were a soldier on the front line, and every time you needed to fire your rifle, it misfired?  If you were a parachutist, and every time you jumped from the aircraft, the main parachute failed to bloom above your head, always going to the emergency chute, barely able to reach the ground safely.

This would be pretty discouraging and you would soon be a jangle of nerves. Always living to splurge extra money for a better auto or a household appliance that goes when you hit the button.
It all adds up to you wanting to relax for a few hours and doing things to make that happen.

One can repair or replace to seek the best of mechanical servants, but what can we do when those intangible cords that bind one to others are cut or endangered?

Importantly, you and I could be like the soldier with the ‘not so good gun’ or the parachutist who thinks all chutes have holes, but smiling, knowing the emergency chute will always bloom and
save one’s life.  Living eternally in a sea of jeopardy!

Historically, people have found ways to adapt and overcome challenges, even when faced with insurmountable odds. A century ago, flying across the country was a fantasy, yet today it is commonplace.

As we navigate the uncertainties of modern life, whether technological failures or personal challenges, it’s important to remember that just as every parachutist trusts in their emergency chute, we too can find security and confidence, knowing there are always backups and safe havens. These supports not only help us manage our mechanical and digital tools but also guide us in strengthening the fragile bonds that connect us to others.

In these moments of vulnerability, finding a “rock of refuge” is crucial, much like the one mentioned in A.M. Toplady’s hymn, “Rock of Ages.” (Rock of Ages, cleft for me, Let me hide my self in Thee: …Be of sin the double cure,  Cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r. (Be my rock of refuge. – Psalm 31:1-5). This rock symbolizes a source of strength and stability, something—or someone—that can offer protection and reassurance amidst chaos.

Embracing this mindset allows us to live fully, not in fear of potential failures, but with confidence in our ability to face and overcome them.

Prayer is that beautiful English word – the Biblical word that offers us spiritual nourishment: “In seasons of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief and oft escaped the tempter’s snare, By thy return, sweet hour of prayer.”

A February 8th newspaper article took me back to Ethiopia and a desert road across the Great Rift Valley. Millions of years ago, the earth was torn here and had left a deep canyon. In the 1940s, Italian engineers built this road that breached the canyon wall, crossed the floor, and ascended the opposite wall. They had placed prayer shrines on either side of the canyon walls, a place to cool the brakes, have a drink of water, and thank God for your very life!

Dennis McConaty, a recovering alcoholic, had the vision to build a prayer stop near one of the metro area’s busiest traffic corners, where more than 19,000 cars pass each day.  This came to fulfillment, and passersby left notes, “Cancer spreading, please pray.” “Help me off heroin addiction,” “I am homeless, pray that I find a job.” The 8′ by 12′ shack became a fixture for prayer to those in distress; people entered and prayed silently for help and comfort from God and then, refreshed, went on with their daily lives.

Anything out of the ordinary in today’s world seems to have a short shelf life. Five days after the prayer stop opened, McConaty’s church received phone calls from people familiar with his past. He failed to reveal that he was listed in the county’s sex offender registry. The county detective and the church agreed that Dennis, 62, had made a clean break with his past, but the detective said that he worked on the premise that “once a sex offender, always a sex offender.” So now, the prayer stop will be closed for some undetermined date in the future.

At a church we once attended, it became known that one of our returning visitors was a homosexual. Imagine this! We who represent the church exist for the purpose of reaching sinners, and one walks in off the street. He had AIDS, and members were concerned. But not for long; he was found murdered in his apartment, probably for a small lottery winning.

Saul of Tarsus persecuted Christians to the point that they were delivered in chains and suffered unto death for believing that Jesus was the Christ, the son of God. Saul (Paul) was converted and baptized, but fellow Christians were anxious about his past. (Acts 9:26)

The Scriptures abound with help and encouragement for us to leave behind our old nature and look forward to our wealth in our God. He is our everything! Martin Luther summed it up by writing, “There but for the grace of God go I.”

In I Peter 5:7-8: “Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you, Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”

Let’s close with a verse from #922 (Songs of FAITH and PRAISE)

I HEAR THE SAVIOR SAY, “THY STRENGTH INDEED IS SMALL; CHILD OF WEAKNESS, WATCH AND PRAY, FIND IN ME, THINE ALL IN ALL. JESUS PAID IT ALL, ALL TO HIM I OWE; SIN HAD LEFT A CRIMSON STAIN, HE WASHED IT WHITE AS SNOW.

The day had been busy and very rewarding.  Uriel’s talent with wood had finally begun to pay off with work that took several days to complete.  The latest was to start repairs on one of the Jerusalem city gates.  The advance of money for materials had enabled him to hire an extra man to help with hewing the rough wood before placement.  Sunup till sundown was about all the body could stand.  Uriel smiled when he saw his young son and daughter run to meet him.  Ezra and Naomi liked to be around the shop but were never allowed inside during the busy hours of the day.

There was always plenty of wood chips and bits of leftover lumber to grace the home fire.  Days were very hot but could be chilly after dark.  Yes, they were having fun hurrying about the shop, sweeping and tossing cedar bits at each other.  Life was good.  Uriel’s wife, Mary, had never felt better.  She had overcome her illness of several months.  She was near collapse one day, and the next day, she was humming about the house.  Busy with the shop’s work, he had never asked and was never told if the doctors had found a cure for her mysterious sickness.  Yes, God was good to his family, and Uriel thought that he should offer up the proper sacrifices at the temple to express his thanks for all their blessings, but why, at the moment, are soldiers at the door?

“Uriel, the carpenter?” asked the soldier in charge.

“Yes, I am he. ”

“I have been sent to ask you to prepare three crosses to be used on the morrow to crucify two thieves and a condemned man.” The soldier’s stare told Uriel it would be done without question.

Uriel did not know why his shop had been singled out for this odious task, a waste of energy and time.  “Yes, I will do my best. I think I have some rough timbers that can be sawed and nailed together within a few hours.” He would have contributed to ridding the area of criminals.

“Sergeant, may I ask who the third man is?”

“Carpenter Uriel, the man is the Nazarene who preaches that he is the son of the Jew’s God, known as Jesus by his followers.”  The soldiers left.

“Ezra, would you help your father bring back one of the workers?  We may have to burn the oil lamps into the night to finish this extra work.”  The son was glad to help his father with the important task.

Uriel felt a tug on his arm. It was tiny Naomi, upset and close to tears.

“Father, the man Jesus is the one who helped mother.  She got through the crowd at the market and pulled on his robe.  Jesus turned and saw her and healed her.”

“Naomi, are you sure ?”  Uriel had never known his daughter to bend the truth.

“I am sure I was right behind Mother and saw him.  The touch of his clothing healed her.  Isn’t there anything we can do?”

Uriah was not sure what he could do. “Jacob, do we still have the extra cedar logs we smoothed for my house? Please bring those out and make sure that there is not one splinter or rough edge to be found on them. I don’t wish to add to this man’s pain by making a small, wide footrest. (This may have happened.)

“And when they had mocked Him, they took off the purple from Him and put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. And they compel one Simon, a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear His cross.” (Mark 15:20,21)