It's hard to believe in the impossible.  One would think these days that shouldn't be so, since technology seems to overcome all obstacles.  But still things come up, small things, daunting and fearful things that seem virtually impossible.  And often they are.  A baby is born weighing only 14 ounces.  A young woman is struck broadside at 60 mph.  An Islamic nation under repressive dictatorship tries to live under democracy.  Impossible, we say, yet the baby went home this week, and the young woman is beginning to walk and Iraq is becoming a democracy.

          But it's still hard to believe in the impossible.  One day Jesus and His disciples were discussing who could get to heaven, and Jesus was telling them how hard it is to get there.  He said the lure of riches blinds us to trusting God, and that it's harder to squeeze through the eye of a needle than for the rich to get to heaven.

          The disciples were surprised, for they thought wealth was a sign of God's blessing.  Surely the rich have a place in paradise.  "If not the rich, then who can be saved?" they asked.  Jesus spoke the words of our text, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God."

          This weekend Lutheran High of the Rockies graduated its first class from its new physical plant.  Three years ago the Denver LHS Association took on $18 million of debt in order to build Lutheran High of the Rockies and also to remodel Denver Lutheran High.  They did so with a repayment plan that called for 550 students at their three facilities by now.  However, they are expecting only 400 this fall.  And starting one year from today, the repayment of that $18 million will cost $130,000 a month!  The low enrollment makes it hard to pay monthly bills, and a year from now, the budget will require another $130,000 per month.  Wow!

          Back in the 1950's there was a well known Hollywood radio host and song writer named Carl Stuart Hamblen who was noted for his drinking, womanizing and partying.  One of his bigger song hits at the time contained the line, "I won't go hunting with you, Jake, but I'll go chasing women".  That line pretty well summed up Hamblen's philosophy of life.

          One day a young preacher was holding a tent revival in the area.  Hamblen interviewed him on his radio show, presumably to poke fun at him.  But he didn't.  In fact, in order to get a good look, Hamblen went to one of the preacher's revival meetings.  In the meeting the young preacher announced, "There is one man in this audience who is a big fake!"  Others may have thought the same, but Hamblen was convinced the preacher was talking about him.

          Those words haunted him, so a couple of nights later he showed up drunk at the preacher's hotel door around 2 AM, demanding that the preacher pray for him.  But the preacher refused to pray for him.  He said, "This is between you and God, and I'm not going to get in the middle of it."  But he did invite the drunken man in and they talked about three hours.  Hamblen finally dropped to his knees in tears and prayed to God.  That night the "Big Fake" received Jesus as his Savior.

          The life some people lead makes heaven seem impossible.  And it is.  Every life is.  When Jesus said, "With man this is impossible," He meant no one can do enough for heaven - no one!  The disciples thought being good should do it.  Jesus said, "With man, heaven is impossible; but with God, all things are possible."

          I must say I am a bit worried about the future of our Lutheran High Schools with a debt like that.  But all it takes is more students.  They're not going to close any doors soon, but if more students don't come, that will happen.  We have a treasure in those schools.  They train fine young men and women for the future of our church and the future of our country.  It's easy to take for granted they will always be there, but unless the students come, that may not be so.

          God make the impossible happen. What do you think is more impossible - $130,000 a month or healing a sick woman?  What's more impossible - 150 more students at LHS or bringing a man back from the dead?  What's more improbable - telling the story of wonderful high schools so that parents send their children to get a fine Christian education, or a drunken, carousing womanizer giving his life to Jesus Christ?

          You see, after that night, Stuart Hamblen quit drinking, quit chasing women, quit just about everything others considered "fun."  This, of course, resulted in his losing favor with the Hollywood crowd.  One day he refused to accept a beer company as a sponsor, and the radio station fired him.  Hollywood started ignoring him.  He tried writing a couple of songs but only one had much success.  He called it, "This Old House," written for his friend Rosemary Clooney.  It was a hit, but one of few.

          One day, a long time friend named John took him aside and told him, "Stu, all your troubles started when you got religion.  Was it worth it all?"  Stuart answered simply, "Yes".  Then his friend asked, "Don't you ever miss it -  the booze, parties, women?"  Stuart answered, "No."

          But John said, "I don't understand how you could give all that up so easily."  Stuart responded, "It's no big secret.  I've learned that all things are possible with God."  And John said, "That's a catchy phrase - you should write a song about that!"  And the rest, as they say, is history.  Stuart Hamblen wrote his biggest hit, one that topped the charts for months.  You've heard it.  The refrain goes,
 
          "It is no secret what God can do;
          What He's done for others, He'll do for you.
          With arms wide open, He'll pardon you;
          It is no secret, what God can do."

          Sometimes the impossible things we face are our own fault - we did it, so we have to face the music.  Sometimes the impossible comes from what others do to us - then we must be careful to avoid being the victim.  But whatever it is, God can fix it.  Like someone once said, "With God all things are possible; the impossible just takes a little longer."

          Sometimes we make it seem impossible because we worry it to death.  Author Mark Twain, who made some huge financial blunders in life, once said, "I've seen a heap of trouble in my life and most of it never came to pass."  Worry rarely makes things happen except grey hair.  Prayer is the opposite of worry.  It lays troubles at the feet of Jesus, where they belong.  Giving God our troubles isn't a "cop-out" - it's faith in action.  God doesn't want us to stop looking for solutions, but He wants to be involved in them.  With God all things are possible.

          Jesus died for our sins, and He calls us to trust Him.  He did all necessary to bring us to heaven, but we must still let Him lead us there.  Every trouble we have can be given to Him, but we still need to look for a better way.  Faith doesn't quit looking for solutions - that's laziness.  Faith does the work, but knows the result is in God's hands.

          By the way, the young preacher who refused to pray for Carl Stuart Hamblen, but then led him to Christ?  That was Billy Graham.  He was just starting out his ministry and he's the one who told this story in one of his books.  And Stuart's friend John?  Later on he quit boozing, too, and he quit womanizing and partying, partly due to health, but mostly from a change of heart.  And he received Jesus.  John was baptized just before he died, maybe because of Stuart Hamblen, or maybe not.  After all, John pretty much did everything his own way.  We would expect as much from John - John Wayne, that is.  The "Duke" became a Christian.  It really is no secret what God can do.

          God is calling us to trust Him.  He wants us to repent of our old ways and trust Him.  Then He'll make the impossible happen.  And it'll happen in Jesus' name, amen!

Copyright © 2005 by Pastor Bob Tasler.  All rights reserved.