DEAR FRIENDS, with our move to Castle Rock, Carol and I got a big jump on our fall house cleaning.  Now that we're no longer in our old house, I don't miss a certain closet I always cleaned each year.  It was the linen closet.  It wasn't that it was so junky, it's just that other things start creeping in there, all by themselves, it seemed - mostly shopping bags, both paper and plastic.  Every time Carol went shopping, she put the bag in that closet.  After awhile there were so many bags in there they start jumping out at me when I opened the door, rather like Fibber McGee's closet.  "Fibber McGee and Molly" was an old radio show and he had a certain closet with so much in it, whenever anyone opened the door, it all came crashing down.

          Whenever I cleaned out that closet - and Carol was always glad to have me do it - it reminded me how I have some areas in my life that need a regular and thorough cleaning.  That's what Paul had in mind when he wrote these words to the Colossians:  "But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips.  Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ... But clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  Get rid of the bad stuff and clothe yourself with the good -- that's God's word of encouragement for us today.  Clean your personal closets of the bad so they can be filled with good things.

          It's often been said that a house never has enough closets, but that's because of all the stuff we put in them.  Our houses usually have plenty of closets, but we put so much in them, so much we rarely use, that our houses almost bulge.  We need to clean out those closets more often, and toss the stuff we don't need.  Some have said there are two kinds of Americans, keepers and tossers -- and they usually marry each other.  Carol and I can understand that!

          I was surprised recently when I asked an old and dying man if he had a will and he said no.  And the reason he said he had no will was because he had no possessions.  Oh, he had a rented apartment, a few clothes and a small amount of money set aside, but nothing else.  As we spoke, I discovered he really had given it all away, knowing he didn't have much time on this earth, time he wanted to spend with his family.  So he sold what little he had, gave to some charitable causes and lived with his children most of the year.  Then he'd return to his little apartment just long enough not to wear out his welcome with his family.  Though he had almost no possessions, he told me several times he was a wealthy man.  When I asked about his wealth, he said it was in the love of his family and his faith in God.  The things others must have to feel wealthy were gone, but he was a truly wealthy man with the things that really count.

          Where is our wealth?  What things do we have in our closets?  St. Paul tells of things that can truly foul up a person's life:  "anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language, lying..."  We may not realize it, but they're in our closets.  Christians can get angry, and that's not a sin in itself, but if we don't hold it in check, letting it build till it explodes into rage, we can hurt those around us.  Paul said, "Be angry, but do not sin;  Don't let the sun go down on your anger." (Ephesians 4:26)

          Last week someone dear to me heard me fly off the handle about something that didn't really matter.  I'd missed an appointment, so I fussed and fumed awhile.  I've never figured out why, when I have a Daytimer, that I still can forget to look at the things I've scheduled in it.  When I was finished storming around, I thought of how my best friend used to tell me, "Sounds like you have an opinion about that, Bob - tell us how you feel!"  Anger not held in check can hurt and destroy.  Better get that nasty thing out of the closet and toss it!

          I spoke with a young man whose wife divorced him several years ago.  I suggested he should attend a divorce recovery workshop to help him work though his feelings of anger.  "Oh I don't need that, I'm fine," he said.  "Are you sure?" I asked.  "I'm over it fine," he said.  But then hesitated and said, "But don't ask me to forgive her.  She doesn't deserve my forgiveness!"  And as he talked, his face turned red, his voice got louder and the veins in his neck bulged with rage over what had happened.  When he was done he said, "But I don't need that workshop - I'm over it now."  I should have said, "Sounds like you have an opinion about that, Joe -- tell me how you feel!"  He had a few closets to clean out in his life.  Who of us couldn't say the same?

          When it comes to malice and slander, one wonders today where decency and respect have gone.  In the past 20-30 years people have become more and more rude in public.  People say what they want, regardless of whose feelings could get hurt, and often decency gives way to malice and slander.  Gutter talk on radio and TV abounds freely.  And so does lying.  A recent poll showed a majority of young people between 18 and 30 found no problems with lying when they wanted to.  All of us need to be careful with lying.  If that's you, better clean it out of your closet!

          There's a lot more things in there we should toss, but if we cleaned them all out, what will we put back in?  St. Paul gives us a hand with that, too.  He says, "Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another."  Sounds like Paul's list we call the "Fruit of the Spirit."  You know them:  "Love, joy, peace patience, kindness, etc." (Galatians 5:22)   Those are ours from the Holy Spirit, precious gifts we'll never have to toss from our closets!

          The Son of God had to deal with a lot of junk thrown at Him in life.  Think of it -- He was the Son of God on earth and most everyone rejected Him.  He who sought to bring people back to God was undercut by the very representatives of God.  He who brought gifts to weddings was accused of being a drunkard.  He who spoke kindly to the sick and outcasts was condemned for His kindness.  He who was the Way and the Life was hung for telling the truth.  He who taught love and faithfulness was hated by enemies and abandoned by friends.  Though He did nothing wrong, He was tried and put to death.

          Even on the cross, as He forgave His captors, he was mocked and derided.  And worst of all, even His Heavenly Father abandoned Him -- but all for a reason.  The Bible says, "He was wounded for transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities, and with His stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)   The wonder of Jesus Christ is not that He did these things, but that He did them all for us.  And not just for us at Epiphany Church, but for all His precious people, even the most unfortunate, poor miserable ones.

          So how can you and I clean out those family closets and put good things back in?  Only with the help of the Holy Spirit.  Over the years I have heard people ask again and again, "How can I stop being so angry?  How can I forgive that person?  How can I stop that bad habit?  How can we strengthen our marriage?  How can I be a better parent?  How can I stop mouthing off to my Mom and Dad?  How can I stop my filthy talk?  How can I get rid of this bitterness I have?"

          Only with the help of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the forgotten God, the underworked and misunderstood Helper we all have.  His primary purpose is to help us trust in Jesus Christ, but He'll also help clean our family closets if we just ask Him.  I encourage you all to pray to the Holy Spirit daily, asking Him for what you lack.  Give your life's problems to Him and watch what happens.  He won't leave you hanging -- I guarantee it.

          Next to our new Worship Center at 550 Wolfensberger stands a ponderosa pine tree, a smaller version of a larger fallen tree just a few feet away, which lies rotting on the ground.  For over a hundred years that fallen tree used to stand 40 or more feet high, a giant among the short scrub oak around it.  It could be seen for miles around.  Across Wolfensberger Road from our church property is a volcano-like hill, one with its top removed because it was a rock quarry for many years providing material for roads and other building purposes.

          In 1895, a worker in that rock quarry was caught stealing and his fellow workers meted out the swift and harsh justice of the day.  They took him about a quarter mile down the hill to that big ponderosa pine, and there, about 150 feet from where our new church building now stands, they hanged him.  Just a half block from where we will worship God is the old hanging tree, now fallen.

          Some have said they think this is unfortunate, but I don't think so.  On the lighter side, I've told each of our sub-contractors about the thief who was hanged there and so far we haven't had a single thing stolen from our building site!  But more importantly, each one of us should be reminded that our Lord Jesus died on a tree.  He was hanged on a cross, an innocent man crucified between two thieves.  And because He was, you and I won't receive the punishment we deserve for our sins.  We are set free to live as God's people, men, women, and children, all given a second chance because our Savior was hanged on a tree.  Think about it!

          St. Paul concludes this portion with something important.  He says, "Take off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is in the image of God."  Since because of Jesus we're newly forgiven and restored, we ought to show this in how we live.  Pollster George Barna said that according to his research, there seems to be little difference between Christians and non-Christians.  Both groups seem to sin about the same.  Both groups complain and lie about the same amount.  Both cheat on their taxes and on their wives about the same.  Both Christians and non-Christians use foul language about the same.

          Dear friends, I hope people can tell you're a Christian by how you live.  We all struggle with junky closets every day.  But let's remember that we're all a witness in everything we say and do, no matter where we are or what we're doing.  No matter what our age, we can't blame someone else if our closets are filled with trash.  So let's open the doors and let the Lord do His cleaning.  It's His pleasure to do so and, believe me, He'll do a complete job!  Amen.

Copyright © 2001 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.