Contrary to popular sentiment, the Christian faith has ever only taught exactly one way for human beings to get to God’s heaven at the end of this life. To be sure, there are many denominations of Christians who hold differently on relatively minor issues. But, the Christian faith holds in solid union the single way to Heaven as revealed in the Bible, God’s holy Word.

There are probably many mistaken notions about Heaven and how to get there, but in my forty-five years as a minister, the ones I illustrate below are among the main misconceptions people seem to hold.

I will give them as I recollect them and then, at the end, I will explain what the Bible teaches about God’s plan of salvation.

The Seven Mistaken Notions About Heaven

1. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN IS NOT CONDITIONED UPON HOW NICE YOU ARE

The Bible teaches that there are actually NO nice people in the world as compared to God’s holy standard. We are all sinners, according to God.

As an example the Bible says of human beings in Jeremiah 17:9

“The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. Who can know it?”

2. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN DOES NOT RELATE TO MEMBERSHIP IN OR ATTENDANCE UPON ANY CHURCH OR SYNAGOGUE

The day Christ died on the Cross He guaranteed Heaven to a man who had probably never darkened the door of any house of religion.

The thief on the cross that was adjacent to Christ’s, repented of his wickedness and called to Christ to save him. Jesus said: “Today you will be with me in Paradise” Luke 23:43.

Hundreds of times in Scripture the needs of men’s souls are discussed in Scripture. Not one time is it ever said or implied that salvation has anything whatsoever to do with attendance upon or membership in any church. In fact, the Bible never mentions church membership even once. Of course church membership has its place but that must not be confused with preparation for Heaven.

3. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN DOES NOT DEPEND UPON HOW RELIGIOUS YOU ARE

All references in the English Bible come from just two Greek words and are given exactly five times total. Four of the five mention religion negatively. The single reference to religion in a positive sense deals with being merciful to persons who have need such as widows.

Religious rituals are never spoken of in the Bible as a part of one’s salvation from sin. The Bible is not really a book about religion. It is a book about God’s redemptive plan.

4. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN IS NOT CONDITIONED BY ONE’S PHYSICAL HEALTH

Jesus tried to help the lame, the blind, the deaf and the downtrodden in His earthly ministry but there were many in His native land He never saw or was in a position to help. Those unfortunate souls He did not help were not victims simply because of their physical misfortune.

Heaven is never taught in Scripture to be a place of mere compensation for those whose health is poor. Weak and sickly or well and strong, neither in any way shape or determine one’s readiness for Heaven.

The Bible says “there are first that shall be last and last that shall be first-
Luke 13:30. God has a different way of measuring equity than we mere humans understand. No, Heaven is not a reward for those who have been unfortunate in this life.

5. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN DOES NOT DEPEND UPON THE STATE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

Being sure of Heaven is not a scheme hatched out as a crutch to help dependent-type people who have trouble coping with “real life.”

The reality of sin and its consequences do not lead to poor mental health. Actually God’s Word assures us that understanding His Word is helpful in this regard: The Bible says: “God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind” -II Timothy 1:17.

6. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN DOES NOT HINGE UPON HOW BAD YOU ARE

According to Acts 10:34, “… God is not a respecter of persons.” In the eyes of God every person is a lost sinner until God saves him or her. There are not essential differences.

Regardless if your heart is as black as Hell with sin or if you have tried your hardest to avoid evil in your life– we humans are all lost until God saves us. We are, in that sense, equals.

The Apostle Paul, probably one of the most religious men of his day said of himself, before he became a Christian, that he was “the chiefest of sinners.” -I Timothy 1:5.

7. BEING SURE OF HEAVEN DOES NOT DEPEND UPON HOW MUCH FAITH YOU HAVE

Jesus said the faith the size of a mustard seed could move a mountain. God is sympathetic to the person who has a little faith even. A man cried out to Him one day: “… Lord I believe, help my unbelief.”- Mark 9:24.

It is not the quantity of faith that saves a person. It is the object of faith that we all need. Faith must be simply and only in the person of God’s dear Son who died on the Cross for us all.

Conclusion

The Roman Governor, Pilate, in presenting the tortured Christ, abused by soldiers and bedraggled by tormentors, said to the angry mob about him: “What will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ.” Of course they all said: “crucify him.” And that was done.

But that death on the Cross was for you and me. The simple truth is that if any sinner, regardless of how bad or self-deluded into thinking himself not a sinner- regardless, Christ and Christ alone can save any and all.

The sinner’s prayer, so-called, is based upon an incident in Scripture where a poor sinner man called out for God’s help. He said: “God be merciful to me the sinner” -Luke 18:13.

Any person who will confess to God that he or she is a sinner and wants a way out of sin, can call upon Christ to save him or her. And He will. You can demonstrate that to your own satisfaction by calling out to God to save you. You can do it today. If you do, write to me and I will send you helps for your new Christian life. Come to Christ today for His perfect salvation. The greatest question of your life and mine is: “What will you do with Jesus who is called the Christ?”

Rev. Kenneth F. Pierpont

The “FAITH” program of loving witness is an idea the Lord gave me as I studied our Saviour’s great emphasis upon love and how He expressed it. Among His children there is a dire need for believers to express love to others who are not, as yet, fortunate enough to know Him as their own personal Saviour.

This idea is not entirely a new one. In the past few years I have seen the idea variously expressed in kindnesses shown to others by various groups of believers. Sometimes it has been referred to as “Random Acts of Kindness.”

Youth groups will show up at the home of a widow, for example. The group will simply begin doing some outside job that is obvious for its need, raking leaves and gathering them, or asking permission and then washing windows for such a person.

Some youth groups have conducted car washes with the words “Free Car Wash” on a big sign held up at the curbside. These are usually done to include politely declining payment or tips for such service.

As a believer you can pray and ask God to help you “love somebody to Christ” through some act or set of acts He leads you to do for some person who does not profess faith in Him.

There are believers too, in difficult circumstances to whom you might give help. As you pray and ask God to show you whom to help and how to help, I am sure He will reveal to you what you can do.

Don’t try to focus upon something too big for your circumstances to handle. Be sure you don’t convey the idea that you are condescending to help someone either. Jesus never made Himself look “big” at some less fortunate person’s expense. Just quietly do something for somebody else.

Don’t think about a reward, even a pat on the back, in return. Loving Christians do not help others to look charitable or holy or opportunistic. The only honorable motive for helping others is to meet, in love, a need for Jesus’ sake.

Don’t do something or help someone for the express purpose of “evangelizing” that person. Make no mistake, there will come opportunities to witness of your faith, and that is wonderful. But, if your primary motive for doing something good is to confront a soul about his sin and lost condition, I believe the person will sense that and you will lose his or her respect.

Solid actions motivated by the love of Christ for a person will go a long way to preparing that heart for salvation. Remember, we are to be ready to help others “in season and out of season” (II Timothy 4:2).

Finally, do not forget that no honorable and properly motivated deed is too small to do for Jesus’ sake. Remember that a cup of cold water so given is worthy of Christ (Matthew 10:42).

Love that FORMS AN INTRODUCTION TO CHRIST will send you and me on many an adventure of faith for our precious Saviour. Let’s get started today. And, don’t forget, bathe all your actions in prayer!

Rev. Kenneth F. Pierpont

In Febraury 7 children trusted Christ as there Savior.

This Month, (March) we praise the Lord for the great turn out at the Released Time Classes with Paul Spotts of Rural Bible Mission Ministries.We met our goal with 285. That was 10 above the goal set for us this year…. All the children who attend in April will receive a candy bar as a reward.

This message is for “us.” And who is “us”? It is every child of God who is eager to find out truth from God’s Word the Bible and to live by that truth, come what may.

I believe every Christian should be completely opposed to any form of social drinking whatsoever. Even in the medical community one hears very little about the use of alcohol for medicinal purposes any more. But of course this message is not about any alcohol admini-stered under the care of a physician for his patient. I am talking about the bottle and we should just say “No!”

RECENT CHANGES IN THE ATTITUDES OF CHRISTIANS TOWARD ALCOHOL

Until recent years it was customary for Bible-believing Baptist churches to oppose alcohol right down to placing an article against it in the church’s official papers.

My home church, in Grand Rapids that ordained me, stated in its Church Covenant: “We oppose the sale and use of alcoholic drinks as a beverage.” At one time the church turned down an applicant for membership who was driving a beer truck for a living.

When I was in college at Cedarville it was common knowledge that a student caught with a cigarette or a drink would be automatically dismissed from school. The Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary held a similar view.

On the other hand recently articles have been printed in national Christian magazines presenting in pro and con fashion the bad and “good” of drinking”, allowing the reader whatever latitude he or she wishes to decide whether or not a Christian will drink liquor.

In a personal letter to me a few months ago, a senior research editor of a respected former fundamentalist Christian organization defended social drinking. This writer, a fellow graduate of the Grand Rapids Baptist Seminary, said: “Although I don’t drink, I know many fine Christians who do.” Further he went on: “The Bible doesn’t teach total abstinence. We need not labor under such a necessity.”

My question is: “What changed Christian minds on a subject that made it absolutely taboo not that many years ago so that is has be-come acceptable now?”

LET’S TALK ABOUT THE” GOOD” THAT CAN BE ACCOMPLISHED BY SOCIAL DRINKING

At a recent meeting of our southern Michigan fellowship, our speaker, who pastors one of the larger churches in the state, told of some meetings that were arising spontaneously in his church. Some forty or so of his members were holding neighborhood get-togethers in which unsaved neighbors were invited to social gatherings.
To his sorrow, the pastor later found that these meetings, in which his people were inviting and making friends of their neighbors, in-cluded the serving of wine. This they said, was for the purpose of avoiding embarrassment to their neighbors who might have thought these Christian people too “old fashioned” to serve alcohol! So, we conclude that one “good” to come from social drinking would be to put others “more at ease.” Drinking alcohol together does put people at ease. I agree.

A second “good” to come from social drinking would be to demonstrate that Christians are not opposed to things that make us feel good. At a party, say, there would be a more relaxed atmosphere, a casualness and open friendliness that might be missing if alcohol were not served. I grant that this is so. Alcoholic drink does foster a certain open-ness and casualness that without it might not be present. I grant this contention.

Thirdly, a “good” thing to come from social drinking would be that it would serve to teach our children. We would be suggesting that “everything is all right if done in moderation”. That way, when they go off to college or business relations they would have been taught to partake of beer or whisky without thought of being out of step with their peers at such gatherings. I grant that this is so also.

A fourth “good” to come from social drinking would be to follow the biblical suggestion that “every creature of God is good and nothing to be refused, if it be received with thanksgiving” (I Timothy 4:4). So, it would seem to some, even the Bible authorizes some drinking because alcoholic beverages fall under the category of those things created by God, and, as such, are ours to enjoy! We will have more to say on this point later.

Now, above are four examples of “good” things that can come from the drinking of alcoholic beverage. I am sure that the proponents of social drinking can probably come up with additional examples. To stay within the allowed scope of this message, I have chosen but four examples. Anyone reading this is welcome to contact me to suggest any additional examples and I would be glad, privately, to respond to them. However, it will be my purpose to destroy all these I have suggested in the next few minutes. I’ll be glad to take on any you might suggest as well.

A REFUTATION OF EVERY SUPPOSED “GOOD” TO COME FROM SOCIAL DRINKING

As for point #1 above, namely, that social drinking puts others more at ease with us, of course that is true. The problem is that as a child of God, my responsibility is to represent the Lord Jesus Christ. Am I comfortable with the idea that the first thing someone, knows about me as a Christian is that I am not uncomfortable with alcoholic beverage? I think not. Do I want my family or my church to be known as accepting of alcoholic drink? Do I want others to be at ease with a substance that is so dangerous that the smallest amount of over-consumption can and often does lead to terrible sins and offenses? So, to put my friends at ease with drinking is actually to put them off-guard with the truth. How can a Christian do this?
In my second point above I mentioned that social drinking brings a certain casualness, an open friendliness between men and women, husbands and wives and others present that without alcohol would not be present. Yes, and the more drinking there is the greater the relaxation to the point of almost anything happening. When I was a sixteen-year-old boy I would go to a bar with my friends, some who were eighteen and legally entitled to buy 3.2% beer. Then they would bring it back to the booth where I would drink it too. On one such night at about three o’clock in the morning, my dad had to come down to our front porch and confront me, as I bragged and shot off my mouth to the high heavens after only one or two such drinks.

We might say, after one drink if men and women do not begin to fee] sufficiently friendly toward one another, perhaps a second or even a third drink might help. True, then what? How much would be just the “right” amount to have a lively party? How stupid! And we are going to countenance this as approved by God for the Christian?

The third “good” I suggested of social drinking, you will remember, is that it is an example to teach our children. It certainly is! That is what the mother of the eighteen-year-old young lady was doing who allowed her to go to the island of Aruba so she could drink in a nightclub legally. Unfortunately, someone in that tavern that night had something other than one drink on his mind. The young lady has not been seen nor heard from since. Did her “friends” lead her out of that place after a few drinks for some purpose? Is her body at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean? We may never know. Some things are better caught than taught. You may be sure your children will catch what you teach them about social drinking.

Finally, my fourth suggested “good” to come from social drinking is that it is something God has created and is therefore to be received with thanksgiving. All we have to do to destroy this argu-ment is to ask ourselves a simple question: “Is alcoholic beverage something God created?” The answer, of course, is a resounding “No!” God did not and does not create alcoholic drink. It is an anomaly. It is extremity in nature. At the conclusion of this message I will have more to say of this.

The local county jail some time ago had a run on orange juice for breakfast. It seemed every inmate requested orange juice for breakfast. Were these men seeking to stay “fit” while incarcerated? Were they watching their diets for only healthy things? No, they were not. They were saving and hiding their orange juice for long periods of time; then they would drink it. Hmm, getting drunk in jail. I am sure the sheriff didn’t approve. Keep this thought.

FIVE BIBLE REASONS WHY NO ONE CAN BE BOTH A SOCIAL DRINKER AND AN OBEDIENT CHRISTIAN

We have already seen that alcoholic beverage can be a mind-altering substance. What evil young man has not thought of trying to get his date to drink so she will be in a more cooperative mood? How, according to Scripture, should we have our minds altered? The Bible says: “Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess, but be filled with the Spirit’ (Ephesians 5:18). There it is- alcoholic beverage is set in contra-distinction to being filled with God’s Holy Spirit. God commands the Christian to be filled with His Spirit. As such we must automatically refrain from any influence of alcohol. They are mutually exclusive!
Scripture teaches that the Christian is not to be brought under the domain or authority of anything, even good things:

“Everything is permissible for me– but not everything is bene-ficial. Everything is permissible for me– but I will not be mastered by anything. Food for the stomach and the stomach for food– but God will destroy them both.” (I Corinthians 6:12-13a,NIV)

Absolutely the only way to be sure that we will never be brought under the domain or influence of alcohol is simply to completely avoid it.

The Christian is commanded to avoid even looking upon alcoholic beverage favorably:

“Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly. In the end it bites like a snake and poisons like a viper.” (Proverbs 23:31-32, NIV)

There is a connection with immorality associated with alcoholic drink as old as history itself. Noah drank alcoholic beverage, uncovered his nakedness and was so seen by his son Ham. The Bible does not fully discuss this incident but the ramifications were so serious as to cause God’s curse (Genesis 9:21-22).

In addition to this, David of Old Testament fame used alcoholic beverage to intoxicate his young army officer, Uriah, in order to entice him to go home and sleep with his wife in order to cover David’ own sin which had impregnated her (II Samuel 11:12-13).

The prophet Isaiah of the eighth century before Christ records the connection between drinking and misconduct of all kinds including disregard for the commands of the Lord. Read verses 1-25 of Isaiah’s fifth chapter. There is the warning about this whole matter of characterizing alcoholic drink as something innocent and manageable with the words “woe to those who call evil good.”

The book of Habakkuk puts it very bluntly: “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed!” (Habakkuk 2:15-16, NIV) I can almost hear the skeptical reader saying in response to this: “Oh, I’d never do anything like that, I drink in moderation.” And just what is “drinking in modera-tion?” How many, I wonder, started out to “drink in moderation” and were nevertheless, carried into shameful conduct by alcohol’s grip? No, there is not a human being alive who can accurately define what “drinking in moderation” is. Break out the bottle for your neighbors and incur the wrath of God. Is it worth it? I don’t think so !

These five Bible reasons for avoiding alcoholic beverage could be expanded to more than twice that number. But the truth is clear: no obedient Christian can have anything to do with alcoholic beverage.

Conclusion

A careless reading of verses like I Timothy 4:4 might seem, on the surface, to countenance drinking alcohol. Not so! Here is the verse: “For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving, because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer. II (I Timothy 4:4, NIV)

You may say, “Well, God created alcoholic drink and so with proper guidance and care we may safely include it within things to be approved.” No, God did not and does not “create alcoholic beverage.” Decay and death create it! Let me illustrate.

We have fellowship meals and dinners at our church gatherings at times, as do most Christians. Suppose at such a gathering, when we finish a meal, we simply allow the food to remain on the tables and then return the following week to partake again. We then heat or chill the various dishes as appropriate and begin eating them. You say, “Why, that is crazy, the food would be spoiled and you would be poisoned.” You are correct. And that same principle explains fermentation, the necessary step to “create” alcoholic beverage. You see, alcoholic beverage is not a part of nature’s creation, it is the ruin of nature’s creation. No wonder our local law enforcement people tell us that 90% of the crime they must deal with involves alcoholic drink and illicit drugs. A Christian ought to avoid such in the same way he would a rotten meal!

Finally, The American Medical Association includes in its large Medical Encyclopedia of 2003 a major entry on alcohol abuse. It defines drunkenness as impairment, the same as many law-enforcement agencies do. This authoritative volume includes a detailed chart, provided by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, showing data related to drinking and impairment. The chart shows that at the first drink impairment begins to set in. It declares further that the only safe driving limit is that which exists when a person has had zero number of drinks. What further proof do we need to demon-strate that since impairment begins to set in with the first drink that as believers our only honorable and honest response is to avoid alcoholic beverage altogether. May God help His children to stand firm in full obedience to Him and His Word in this critical social area.
Amen!

Preached at Jonesville Baptist Church Sunday November 20, 2005

Pastor Kenneth F. Pierpont, D. Min.

JONESVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH

Rev. Kenneth F. Pierpont

A word of explanation and apology: This very imperfect attempt at capturing some of the background and highlights of the history of our dear church will leave some who venture to read it disappointed that certain persons and events were omitted. This was not a matter of design on my part but rather a combination of ignorance and need for brevity. Please take heed and indulge me with your forgiveness and understanding. Thank you.

September 2005

In the fall of the year in 1955, Rev. Orris Porter with Mr. Bruce Bennett and certain other believers came to town to “start a gospel testimony in Jonesville.” A building was bought at 201 Water Street. This brick structure was used as a parsonage as well as a meeting place. Souls were saved immediately. Later, a block building was erected in the rear of the parsonage to be used as a sanctuary.

In 1956 another building was purchased at 214 North Street and was used as a parsonage. These building were purchased by way of land contract and promissory notes and the group valiantly worked to pay them off.

Rev. Porter continued on with the work until June of 1958 at which time he resigned. A new pastor was called and on the first Sunday of July Rev. Kenyon Wirick took office. Later that fall the interior of the concrete building was redecorated. Up to this point the church was called “Grace Baptist Church.” On December 7, 1958 the congregation voted to change the name to “Jonesville Baptist Church.” Seventeen members were present for the vote.

A charter was formally organized and presented for the signatures of the membership. On September 21, 1958 a constitution was presented and adopted and the charter was closed. The following names are listed in the Church Minutes as signers of the charter: Lew Webster, Edith Small, Earl Mallery, Marie Mallery, Betty Gibbs, Stanley Gibbs, Bruce Bennett, Betty Bennett, Dorothy Price, Bert Porter, Mabel Bisel, Mrs. Bill Coburn and Mr. and Mrs. Russell Morrison, fifteen names in all.

Work progressed on the newer building which needed to be readied for use. On the first Sunday in July in 1960 the first services were held in this building. This was exactly two years into Pastor Wirick’s tenure.

A young people’s group was functioning at that time and the youth attended the Gull Lake Bible Conference. A two-week Vacation Bible School was held. Both these were in the summer of 1960.

The new building would accommodate 200 persons and the public was invited to an “Open House” on Sunday, January 8, 1961. At that time the work had risen from an initial 20 in the summer of 1958 to a record high for two Sundays in 1961 of 81.

On August 7, 1964 the present tract of land came into the hands of the church. Mr. Frederick Craddock, a single man, sold eight- plus acres of land to the church on the extreme southeast corner of the village for the sum of $4,000. A down payment was made and the balance paid off to allow the church to relocate out of the downtown area.

For many of the church’s early years it was militantly evangelistic. The record shows that from 1959 through 1965 no fewer than 525 persons claimed Christ. The total membership as of June 1961 stood at about 160. The converts were gleaned from Sunday school, youth groups, calling and the services themselves

The church struggled with internal problems for some time during the period around 1966 and some members were lost but the congregation kept its support behind Pastor and Mrs. Wirick and the storm was weathered.

One characteristic of the church has been in evidence nearly all its life. The attendance at the business meetings has usually been fewer than twenty members. Some meetings years ago were attended only in the single digits, as now. Often important decisions were made with only a handful of members present. Decisions included numerous notes and mortgages undertaken between members and financial institutions to keep the work solvent and progressing. A faithful few remained strong and the work moved ahead.

The work continued under the leadership of Pastor Kenyon Wirick and a bus ministry was established which eventually included four buses purchased primarily from local school districts. The buses ranged through the area with 20-30 students each and were effective in those earlier years in reaching out to the community. Attendance averages are known for a few of the years in this general period: The year 1961 averaged 71 in attendance. In April 1962 the average rose to 91. In the year 1963 the average was 88 and in 1975 the average attendance stood at 94. In 1975 forty-two persons professed faith in Christ, fifteen of whom were baptized.

As for the building of a new facility on the newly purchased land, small amounts of money were borrowed and the work was anticipated. In March of 1965 a committee was appointed to guide the church in the construction of the new building on the large tract of land. In April 1965 the Building Fund balance stood at a mere $246.00! Nevertheless, by the use of small loans here and there earth was moved and the work began on building the lower part of the existing building. At this point, the church struggled with typical building questions: Which end of the building would be used for the platform? Would the cross on the front have square or rounded corners? Should the front doors have full-length windows? Would there be a carport?

On October 25, 1966 the old church building was sold and concentration was made to occupy the lower floor of the new building. Long hard days and nights were spent in the labor. Finally, in the heart of the winter of 1967 the furnaces were installed and the church transferred its furniture to the fellowship hall and occupied the lower floor. Meetings were held there for several years during the continuing building program. Evidence that the platform occupied the south section there is still visible today.

From the early days to the present Jonesville Baptist Church has fellowshipped with the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches at the national, state and regional levels. Numerous entries in the Minutes announce the names of messengers to these meetings. Upon occasion, the regional meetings have been held here locally, the most recent being in the winter of 2005. Additionally the church fellowshipped with the American Council of Christian Churches, a sister fundamentalist group, and though the church dropped out for a time, in recent years it has realigned itself with the ACCC.

Several years of hard work and dedication were needed to bring the upper part of the building into use. By 1969 the entryway on the lower side had been added and in 1970 work began to raise the superstructure. In September of that year the roof was finished and the building was roughed in. By September 1971 most of the brickwork was done and the inside work progressed. Outside work continued as well. The cross was hung in place and work on the main entrance was begun.

At this point the church purchased the nice Hammond Organ it still has which is known to be one of the best of its kind. On through the year of 1971 and finally on March 19, 1972 the last service was held downstairs. After the services the pews in use downstairs were carried upstairs and the way was clear to use all the new building, including the new organ. Thousands of man- hours had been invested and there remained many things to do, but the church now had the opportunity to use all its facilities. The final project outside was to erect a carport that was expected to shelter churchgoers from the elements. After a number of years it was removed because, as was stated in a business meeting, “it was an eyesore.”

It had become necessary to take a long-term loan from the bank of $40,000 to pay off the many responsibilities incurred in building. Total spending to construct the building reached $66,000. Since that time numerous projects and improvements have been undertaken, usually without borrowing money to complete them.

By 1972 a new parsonage was under construction and the old one on North Street was sold. Later, the parsonage underwent additional work downstairs and in 1999 the lower bath was finished and made separate from the bedroom on that floor. In 2003 the entire upstairs was redecorated and new carpeting was installed. The presence of this building on the campus has been a key to a number of ministries, particularly in recent years.

The church continued its ministries with buses, youth groups, Sunday school and other ministries and in 1975 it was reported that forty-two had come to the Lord that year. Jet Cadets and Awana became regular ministries and the evidence remains today of an extensive teaching ministry among youngsters in the Sunday school. Elaborate files were maintained in those years of visual aids and Bible lessons, a solid tribute to the faithfulness of some of God’s servants of the past.

By the fall of 1977 Pastor Wirick had served the church nearly twenty years. Rev. John Garris had come for a speaking engagement that year and it was about this time that Pastor Wirick tendered his resignation. Rev. Garris was voted upon and called to the church. On January 1, 1978 Rev. Garris and his wife were brought into the membership having accepted the church’s call. Rev. Garris began a ministry here that was to last through July of 1984.

A problem the church always seemed to struggle with was consistent attendance in any numbers. Attendance averages peaked at just over ninty during the early years and began slowly to wane. Many members who were brought in during earlier years fell away and numerous meetings were held to cleanse the rather large membership rolls of those who had broken fellowship over the years. Average attendance in 1972 had declined to seventy-five. In spite of this, the Minutes of the 1977 Annual Meeting show that no fewer than 165 souls claimed Christ during the year. Nevertheless with the ouster of many inactive members, the church was beginning a new phase. Primarily this situation was the most graphic during the years of 1978-1981. Many dozens of members were discharged primarily for in-attendance and breach of other covenant obligations. However, during Brother Garris’ tenure, numerous members were added to the membership rolls. And, there are testimonials in the church Minutes of victories in people’s lives.

The bus ministry had also peaked and the older buses were sold. However, in 1981 the church purchased a van that was used primarily to transport church youngsters to area Christian schools. The bus ministry was finally discontinued in 1985 with the sale of the last full-sized bus.

In 1979, the church continued to struggle financially as it had always done. Often the earlier pastors had gone without their pay, had even helped the church pay bills, and bills were in arrears frequently, though the church did its best to keep up with them. Pastor Garris lived on a salary of less than $11,000 annually and the church finished 1980 with just over $3,700 on hand in all accounts. In 1983, the decision was reached to hold evening and prayer services in the fellowship hall as a cost cutting measure. The pastor’s salary had been reduced that year as well. During this period, however, the giving to missions was about twelve per cent of the church’s income.

Rev. John Garris resigned his position as pastor in July 1984 and Rev. Arthur Hicks was appointed the same month to serve as Interim Pastor. Rev. Marvin Potter was called upon to fill the pulpit for the Wednesday services. This continued until March 16, 1985 when Rev. James Hinkle was called to serve as pastor. Brother Hinkle accepted the church’s call and labored here faithfully as the church’s decline continued, running in the 60s and 70s in 1985. By the early 1990s averages had dropped to the 30s and 40s.

Several efforts were made to establish renewed outreach under Pastor Hinkle but core members began to waver and numerous entries in the Minutes reveal that previously faithful members began dropping out. However some members were added during Rev. Hinkle’s ministry and he was instrumental in working with the church to save considerable sums of money on the church’s indebtedness.

Pastor Hinkle regularly conducted a very useful ministry of taping his sermons that were distributed to shut-ins and others for a considerable period of time. Later, a large collection of these tapes was sent to Brother Hinkle after he had left for another work as he had a continued to use them in his ministry.

In the mid-nineties attendance had declined to the 20s and 30s in the Sunday services with the evening and prayer services attended by the core church only. One decision reached during this period was to erect a pole building for storage. The men of the church did this work and this building meets a vital need today. During this period the church sold the van and by 1993 all transport vehicles were eliminated.

On November 17, 1993 Rev. Hinkle tendered his resignation and moved to a new field of ministry. Again Rev. Arthur Hicks and Rev. Marvin Potter were called upon to fill the pulpit and inquiries for a new pastor went out to various schools in an effort to secure a new pastor. In the meantime the membership was further eroded by the departure of members who had become discouraged or disappointed in decisions that were made.

An important milestone was reached, however, during this period of time without a pastor. Mr. Don George, Chairman of Deacons, led the church to consolidate some monies on hand to pay off the remaining balance of the mortgage, about $7,000. On April 13, 1994, the last payment on the facilities was made to render the church at last debt-free.

On April 10, 1994 Rev. Kenneth F. Pierpont filled the pulpit for the Sunday services and was invited to continue doing so for the remainder of the month. He was invited by the deacons to become a candidate for pastor and on May 1st received a unanimous call from the fifteen members present in a business meeting called for that purpose.

At this point an important change was made necessary by the church’s small size. Rev. Pierpont’s call stipulated that it was understood he would continue work outside the church to supplement his income “until such time as the church’s financial condition improves.” Unfortunately, that same situation prevails to the present time with numerous cost- cutting measures made necessary by the weakness of attendance and limited giving to support the ministry.

Shortly after Pastor Pierpont took office a restroom upstairs in the church building was constructed by Brother Larry Roan with the help of others and other improvements were made outside by Brother Roan and Deacon Wayne Holland who had been one of the original builders.

With the presence of Pastor and Mrs. Pierpont, both of whom were educators, the possibility of establishing a Christian school came into being. In January of 1997 Mrs. Pierpont was directed to open a small school to serve as a pilot project of the church. In July of the following summer, the school became a permanent ministry of the church, known in the community as “The Christian Learning Center.” Much work was done to turn the fellowship hall into a learning center under the curricula of Accelerated Christian Education. A few church members and parents of students assisted in making other minor changes that helped accommodate the students.

It was hoped that eventually the presence of the school would attract adult workers to the church to begin again some of the ministries that had been curtailed by the departure of most of the seasoned Christian workers from the church. Mrs. Pierpont as founder and principal of the school labored faithfully, assisted by the pastor and a few aides, mostly from among the parents of students and the school eventually reached a total of just over fifty students with two students reaching high school graduation. After three and a half years Mrs. Pierpont’s declining health necessitated the closing of the school after graduation in June of 2000.

Meanwhile, various programs were instituted and attendance averages reached into the 40s twice over about a three-year period. Attrition, though, began to take its toll. By the year 1999 all core members of the church who were present when Pastor Pierpont came had either dropped out, had died or had moved away from our parish area. By that time only two persons who were in the church when the Pierponts came were still in attendance.

In 1999 the church extended a call to Rev. Kevin A. Pierpont, the Pierponts middle son, to become Associate Pastor. “Pastor Kevin,” as he came to be known, continued to support his family with his computer skills as arrangements were made to accommodate his family on the church grounds. This continued until June of 2000 when Pastor Kenneth Pierpont resigned to take up a ministry in Ohio. Pastor Kevin was immediately called as Senior Pastor.

By the 1990s it was becoming evident that rather extensive maintenance and repair were necessary to keep up the facilities and to improve them. The church did have some savings and numerous projects were undertaken to protect the church’s interest in its property. One project accomplished under the leadership of Pastor Kevin was the roofing of the main building in 2001. Volunteers were secured from a sister church in Fenton, Michigan, and from other workers both within and without the church. In June of that year, the roofing was completed in a single day, a Saturday, at substantial savings to the church in time and money.

In January of 2002 the church extended a call to Rev. Kenneth Pierpont to return to the work in the role of Associate Pastor under Pastor Kevin, an almost exact reverse of the situation of 1999. Work was begun under the leadership of Mr. John Steingass, an officer of the church, to construct a modest apartment on the lower level of the building to house Pastor and Mrs. Pierpont who agreed to return after the two-year ministry in Ohio. Pastor Kevin sacrificed his salary to make the return of his parents in the work a reality and in April of 2002 the move was complete and the newly-completed apartment was occupied.

Numerous prospects were secured through calling and follow-up during this period but almost without exception none of these joined the membership and a few of the newer members fell away leaving the church with no real gains.

In February of 2003, Pastor Kevin Pierpont resigned to take a full time pastorate and Pastor Kenneth Pierpont was again called to serve as Senior Pastor. The same budget problems that had plagued the church for many years continued with the church failing to meet its established budget year after year from the mid-nineties on. Nevertheless, the sacrificial giving of the few who remained made it possible to continue improving the property and twice insurance underwriters reclassified the church upwards.

In spite of limited finances, the church has kept up its commitments to its missionary family and in 2004 the church finished the year with a little over 21 per cent of gross receipts going to missions. The church has excellent credit and is held in respect for the generosity of gratuities given to visiting speakers and missionaries.

Worthy of note is the ministry of release time Bible classes in the church’s facilities, led by RBM missionary Rev. Paul Spotts. In 2005 Jonesville became Brother Spotts’ largest ministry reaching a total of 338 students during the year with a high day of 290. The presence of the church here makes this outreach possible.

During the summer of 2004 the storage building roof was replaced by Rev. Jim Evans whose family occupied the apartment during that year. The Evans family are missionary candidates and the use of the apartment for several months assisted them toward their support. At present plans are underway to roof the parsonage during the summer of 2006.

To summarize the situation with regard to the property, we need only thank the Lord for His wonderful provision. Land that was purchased for a mere $4,000 is today worth many times that figure, particularly in view of the presence of the new high school as the church’s neighbor. The church building, constructed for about $66,000 together with the parsonage and storage building and all contents today have a combined insurance value that was placed in 2005 at over $930,000!

What does the future hold for Jonesville Baptist Church? In a way, this is a frightening question. Church attendance by Americans that peaked years ago has steadily slid since then. Attendance declines and lack of commitment of church members today is widespread whether in fundamental or liberal churches. We are now in a period which historians call “Postmodernism.” The principal feature of postmodernism is a rejection of absolutes. This is particularly true of the things of the Lord. While we are still firmly committed to the final authority of Holy Scripture in this church, as the church has always been, others reject final authority. Many people today, even professed believers, choose other activities and commitments, especially on the Lord’s day. As a result, church attendance in our area, as in others, is extremely low. The church is seen by many in the community as merely another “charity organization.” Very frequently, we receive phone calls from people near and far asking for money for rent, utility payments, gasoline, et cetera. One call, received recently, specified that we were being asked for groceries but the caller rejected canned goods as not to his liking. The real mission of the church is the saving of souls for whom Christ died. Tragically, most of these go on their way ignorant and uncaring for eternal things.

While the church has helped and continues to help those in need, we know our primary mission is to present the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is our plan to continue to do so as long as this work stands, hopefully to the day our Saviour returns for us and we meet Him in the air. Never mind that most people do not want to hear the truth. That fact does not relieve us of the responsibility to declare it and to present it to a dying world.

Fifty years ago this fall, a group of humble believers gathered in this town to “establish a gospel testimony in Jonesville.” While there are other churches in Jonesville, they are related to denominations that are part of the National Council of Churches, an apostate organization, with which we would never compromise. We here at JBC will never tire of presenting Christ as the ultimate need of every human being. The old-fashion altar call will never be an embarrassment here.

We, in no way hold ourselves aloof from our neighbors and friends who need Christ. In fact we have done many things to win their respect and hopefully their ears. But our view is that a church of the blessed Saviour ought not to be known for card games, soup suppers, rummage sales and paper drives. Rather, our mission is to preach, teach and live by example, the saving graces of the Lord Jesus Christ. This, God willing, we will do, as we continue our mission of establishing and maintaining “a gospel testimony in Jonesville.”

I close this humble historical sketch of Jonesville Baptist Church with a reminder of just what the Gospel of Christ really is. The Bible says the gospel is: “…how that Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures” [I Corinthians 15:3-4]. Jesus said: “Behold I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” [Revelation 3:20] .

The Bible makes it plain that when Christ comes in to the life of the repentant sinner, that he or she is a “new creation.” Jonesville Baptist Church desires above all else to stand unashamedly for the cause of eternal salvation for every believing sinner and to train those believers to present this Gospel to lost people everywhere, both here and abroad..

This week was the week for “America’s Tsunami,” as I call the terrible Hurricane Katrina that ripped ashore off the Gulf Coast and destroyed what we know as civilization in New Orleans, Biloxi, Mississippi, parts of Alabama and, heartbreakingly, so many other American communities in the affected area.

This awful storm with winds of more than one hundred-fifty miles per hour has created a modern nightmare of enormous proportions. Now, a week after the destruction, dead bodies are being retrieved from vast cesspools under which were once busy streets and productive fields.

In the aftermath, looting rampages have emptied stores and warehouses of everything of value. Armed gangs have had shootouts with the police and shoot-to-kill orders were finally put into place. During the first days hospital entryways were being guarded by heavily-armed police to keep marauders at bay. The governors and mayors involved have cried for federal help: troops, money, food, water, clothing– every form of relief. It was slow in coming. Now a vast network of help of every kind is being formed.

In the earliest days, often alone and without power or water, heroic doctors and nurses worked around the clock to do all they could for victims. Workers and patients were alike stranded in flooded hospitals. Police officers, far outnumbered, worked heroically to place themselves as guardians of civility into dangerous situations. It is reported that at least two of their number have committed suicide.

As this staggeringly unbelievable event has unfolded before our television-fixed eyes, I am sure many have asked: “Why?” What possible good thing could come out of such tragedy?

WHO’S IN CHARGE OF THE WEATHER?

In last year’s tsunami some of us, who wondered aloud if God was teaching the world a lesson, were shouted down by the voices of soft moderation. “After all,” wrote one Baptist pastor, “three religions were practiced by the various people involved in the tsunami-stricken areas– which was He trying to deal with, if God had anything to do with it?”

It is time to ask ourselves a simple question regarding this mot tragic event, “Who’s in charge of the weather?” Often, in introducing the weather report, the television announcer will say something like:
“Well, Clade, what kind of weather do you have planned for us this weekend? Be sure to bring us something nice.” With a broad smile, the good-natured weather man will often brag about the upcoming weather he “is going to bring” us. But, I noticed that nobody took personal credit for this event! We all know that no human being is the world is capable of bringing or changing the weather anywhere on this planet.

So, if men are not in charge of the weather, who is? In a couple instances in the annals of American warfare during World War II prayer was offered regarding the weather. In one case, General George Patton, a man given to good leadership and extremely bad language even ordered one of his chaplains to pray for good weather.

On the other hand, some leaders have assured us that “God has nothing to do with natural disasters.” Do we, therefore, attribute good weather to God and the bad weather to something or someone else? Who’s in charge of the weather?

Listen to these words of Maltbie D. Babcock’s eighteenth century hymn:

This is my Father’s world, and to my list’ning ears, all nature sings and round me rings,
The music of the spheres. This is my Father’s world, I rest me in the thought,
of rocks and trees, of skies and seas, His hand the wonders wrought.

Isn’t that beautiful, so peaceful and serene. Do you think it is true? Of course it is.

But wait, hear also these words from William Whiting, another eighteenth century hymn writer:

Eternal Father, strong to save. Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep its own appointed limits keep:
O hear us when we cry to Thee for those in peril on the sea.

That passage, from “The Navy Hymn” expresses puny man’s total dependence upon an all-powerful God. Tell me, is it true? Of course it is.

So, I ask again, “Who’s in charge of the weather?” Years ago, in my hometown in Ohio, a Bible
preacher was leading his small congregation to erect its church building. One dark night, early in their building program, a storm of wind came and swept away the first walls the church had erected for its building. One man came and said to his pastor, “Pastor, do you think God did this to us?” The pastor looked at his anguished brother and said, “Can you blow that hard?” Of course, God is in charge of the weather.

According to I Samuel 12:17: “He sends thunder and rain.” Listen to these words from the book of Ezekiel: “Therefore this is what the sovereign Lord says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundations will be laid bare. When it fall you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the Lord. (I Samuel 13:13, NIV).

WORDS IN GOD’s MOUTH

One leader has said, and this was in connection with the Tsunami of 2004, “No one has a right to put words in God’s mouth.” And, of course that is right. However about this, however: “No one has a right to retract words that God has spoken.” Is that not also true? Therefore, it is our Christian duty to examine the truths of Scripture to see if God has a message for us in all this. If we fail to do this, especially the household of faith, we merely insure that God may take more drastic action to get our attention.

Every single Christian, every church, every Christian enterprise, ought to be concerned about the plight of the suffering masses of humanity in the South where this hurricane hit. How dare we sit in judgment of others when the cleanliness of our own skirts is in question. Jesus looked at the suffering multitudes and His response was invariably: “He had compassion on them.” So must we! And I don’t mean pity. That is cheap. We need to give help. Help will be needed for a long time. We need to commit ourselves to help in the wisest way we can. But, first we be careful to take in the lesson God has for us in all this. To merely throw a few dollars at this problem may salve our consciences but it would not be doing what God has called us to understand and to undertake.

SOME FACTS MUST BE FACED

The earliest pictures of this terrible event’s damage showed gambling casinos which had been completely destroyed, beaten to pieces. Buildings were gutted. Thee were slot-machines floating with the other debris. In describing this “industry” that was obliterated by the wind and water the words “gaming, casinos, gambling,” and the like were most often heard. Sexual sin has been the stock-in-trade of downtown New Orleans all my life. Everyone knows this.

Am I saying, “God has poured out His judgment on this area for its many sins?” No, I am not saying that. I am simply trying to connect the dots called facts. While it would be wrong to absolutely conclude that Hurricane Katrina was the handmaiden of God’s judgment, it would be equally wrong to conclude that God had nothing to do with it.

Another fact to be faced is the realization that the United States of America has received a great humbling. News reporters have wondered over national television how this could happen in America.

We have created the illusion that since we are the world’s only superpower, that there is nothing we cannot do. I love my country very deeply and consider myself a loyal citizen. But, we have, as a nation, turned our backs upon a holy God and His Word. Whether God brought this humbling directly or indirectly matters little. Our vaunted power has been humiliated. Now it is time to listen to God.

I do not consider it insignificant that Alabama was one of the states hit with the hurricane. Alabama’s chief Supreme Court justice was relieved of his post because he would not give up defending the posting of the Ten Commandments in the capitol of that state. In an era of moral relativity anything goes. Is that why rampant looting has been taking place in the aftermath of this terrible storm? I don’t know. I do know that stealing of any kind is a breach of the seventh commandment. At least one looter was conscious of this and while taking for his family’s desperate needs, kept a list of thing he took in order to replace them some day.

Listen to this quotation from Luther’s Small Catechism as to the meaning of the seventh commandment: (A later editor has brought the catechism up to date in modern terminology:
“The grossest forms of dishonesty are robbery, burglary, embezzlement and forgery. There are recognized by all as wrong. But, it is also wrong to bring our neighbor’s property into our possession by unfair dealings and fraudulent means, such as concealing stolen property, withholding lost or borrowed property, evading taxes, refusing to pay debts, willful idleness and beggary, betting and gambling, lotteries and chancing, bribery, useless lawsuits, negligent management of another’s property, stealing car rides, unfaithful labor, insufficient wages, cornering the market, overcharging, usury, adulterating goods, giving short weight or measure and cheating of any kind.”

Now those are not specifically the words of Scripture but would you care to hazard a guess as to what Book Martin Luther may have been reading as he formulated that paragraph? Is it any wonder we are in trouble?

Poor people hae very little political clout. Many of the victims of the hurricane, hit hardest, were the poorest among us. Matthew chapter 25 is absolutely clear that we, as believers, are to give aid and comfort to the sick, the hungry, the imprisoned, the terribly poor. Perish the thought that is should be true of a Bible-preaching church that we could fail in our duty to the poor.

We have exhibited on television screens the most wicked of sexual sins. And now we are appalled that God should allow an area where much of this perversity is carried out to be decimated. We have not trained our youth in righteousness but in unrighteousness. Thank God for every Bible-preaching church in this area of so much sorrow. I am sure many a pastor has pleaded for people to live above all the sin and violence displayed on television. But now we are surprised that God would come in and visit such destruction upon people. My great surprise is not that it happened but that it hasn’t happened all over the country. We need to get back to God and to His Word.

SO WHAT CAN WE DO?

Since this happened, we have been impacted with the terrible suffering of our fellow Americans in the South . Pleas of “Help us!” have been heard everywhere. People, in those first awful days were desperate for the simple necessities of life like water, food and shelter. Anyone unmoved by these horrors would have to have a heart of stone. But, there is one cry of desperation I have not heard. Many have called for America to save them, but I have not heard anyone cry “Oh, God save me!” Probably some have, perhaps many. I hope so. I know one thing, while America can and is helping, yet only God has the real answer.

It would be wrong to diminish or take for granted the desperately difficult work many are doing in the midst of this stricken area. Thank God for every one of them. On the other hand, this is a golden opportunity to turn in repentance to God over sins committed which break His heart and bring His wrath.

I would like to list some things that every blood-bought child of God can and should do to help in this awful emergency. These are things all Christians can do. These are things the love of Christ ought to drive us to do

I believe there are at least five things every Christian can do in light of the awesome power of God displayed in Hurricane Katrina. There are grounds we should and must occupy for our Lord. Here they are:
(1) We must be sure we are on praying ground. No unconfessed sin may be in our lives (Psalm 66:18).
(2) We can and must pray in faith that God will help and bring His will into this situation in the lives of all that He is calling to Christ. Pray that many will come soon (John 6:37.

(3 We can and must make some sacrifice ourselves and we will if we are genuinely saved (Matthew 25:34-35).

(4) We can and must see this as a wake-up call to alert us to the eternal danger every person is in who is outside of Christ (Ezekiel 3:17-19).

(5 We can and must stay informed and stay concerned about this human tragedy that will stay with us for a long time to come. Help us, Lord Jesus! Amen.

God presents all of us in this world with a choice to believe Him, to accept Him and to obey Him in this life. When we act toward God, we win! God calls such people “… the righteous.” What a title–totally undeserved but God’s grace has been extended in behalf of God’s Son to us and now we are His children.

Unfortunately, many who are presented with this wonderful opportunity turn it down. In that cases choices in life are so very often unwise, destructive to those who choose them and irreversible. Sad.

These ungodly and foolish choices are referred to in Scripture (Psalm 1) as “chaff.”
Chaff is, of course, the worthless remainder from a harvest of wheat.

One does not become hopelessly addicted to tobacco who does not take the first cigarette.

One does not die of delirium tremens who does not take the first alcoholic drink.

One does not succumb to the addiction of pornographic literature who does not linger over the first evil magazine.

One does not gamble away a fortune and future who does not put down the first $2 bet.

One does not leave his wife and children for another who does not test forbidden waters with the first flirty remark.

One does not receive conviction for theft of a fortune who does not misappropriate the first item from his office or factory.

One does not mistreat his subordinates at his workplace who has not first run roughshod over his own family.

One does not disdain the precepts of Holy Scripture who has not first ceased reading his Bible.

One does not stop attending his church regularly who has not first omitted such attendance on his vacation.

Finally, one does not turn his life into chaff who has not turned his back upon the first tiny rebuke the Holy Spirit has used another with which to confront him.

Let us not be like the chaff, “which the wind drives away,” but like the righteous who “meditate in His law, day and night.”

Question:

Are we involved in “a just war” in Iraq?

Consider this important fact, please. Never before in the history of our country have we ever attacked a sovereign nation for the purpose of overthrowing its government when we were unprovoked, never!

Is our nation, or any other nation entitled to simply drive its tanks into a country’s capital and declare its government overthrown? That’s what Saddam did in Kuwait! As a result, a coalition of nations- a major part of the free world, joined together to expel him and his military from this tiny but oil-rich nation. What entitled the USA to do what Saddam Hussein did? According to President Bush, he was exercising “a preemptive strike.” Unwittingly, by the use of that very term, our president admitted that we were going into Iraq unprovoked! Sad!

Throughout the history of the Christian church, most groups within Christendom have pretty well agreed that there is such a thing as “a just war.” When a strong man orders his troops into a peaceful nation, begins a reign of brutality there, threatens the very future of that nation, at that point, many Christian leaders would feel that there was
justification for war by that nation and even its allies, if the nation attacked so desires.

If it be argued that such justification had already been supplied by the brutality Hussein had demonstrated against his own people the Kurds, this is contradicted by the fact that the Kurds are his own people. They are a part of his nation. What even evil men do in their own nations is not in and of itself proper justification to go to war with them as an outsider looking on.

Furthermore, it is interesting to note that at the very time we were fmalizing our plans to attack Iraq, North Korea solemnly announced that it had produced a nuclear weapon (a weapon of mass destruction.) What did the Bush administration do? We announced that this was a matter for North Korea’s neighbors to address

when the decision time came for deciding whom we would attack, we took on Iraq, though the existence of nuclear weapons in Iraq was of no immediate certainty. Weapons inspectors would have found any evidence of them had they existed.

So, why are we in Iraq? Basically because our President decided to overthrow its government. Though he claims we are at war, only Congress can declare war. Though he claims it is all part of the terrorist network, Iraq was not a melting pot of terrorists until we had overthrown the sovereign government of that nation.

What is the Bottom Line?

Weare in the no-win situation we are in today for two reasons: (l) Our president took us to a war at the expense of giving up the moral high ground. Weare involved in an unjust war, a war of our own making. And, (2) We have greatly underestimated the nature of radical Islam. President Bush continues to refer to Islam as a “great, peaceful religion.”
Nothing could be further from the truth. Islam was founded in brutal warfare and perpetuated by its founder by war. Jehad is an official doctrine of Islam. “Holy war” is its watchword.

We cannot disengage with our enemy radical Islam entirely because, by its very nature, it has and will continue to call for war. But what can we do? We can, and we
must, withdraw from Iraq which has become a slaughterhouse for our men and some of our women in uniform. As long as we are over there, many more of our precious young people in uniform will be killed, maimed and disabled by the carnage perpetrated upon them by a cunning enemy with all the advantages at his disposal.

No general or politician alive can assure us that we can win a guerrilla war, which is what we are in. We lost in Vietnam and we will ultimately lose in Iraq. We will lose because we are involved in a war of attrition. Already, we have had nearly enough soldiers and marines and airmen killed and injured to fill out most of a modern infantry division. This must stop. Eventually, the American people will say, “Enough is enough!” Then we will withdraw.

Note that our administration has prohibited us from seeing the coffms, flag-draped and fmal being removed from the aircraft coming to Dover Air Force Base every day. The reason: “to protect the privacy of the grieving families.” The real truth is that such deprivation protects the ineptitude of our current president to do anything real and permanent to end this war, the war he started! Write your Congressman-Let’s get out!

At our evening meal a time or two I mentioned that I had seen or had run over a snake that day while mowing. My wife, my mother and I lived in the parsonage, at the time, and I knew my mother disliked snakes very much. Her fear of them, though, was nothing compared to that of my wife. Her attitude toward them was that of pure terror! I didn’t dwell long upon my “snake experiences” because of their disgust with the subject.

Past Experience

When our older two children were young school kids, we lived in Grand Rapids on the ground floor of a small house we shared with the owner who had an apartment upstairs. To give the children a fun outlet I decided to buy them a pair of garter snakes. The small snakes, each about two feet long, we named “King” and “Grit,” King so-named because he was a couple of inches longer than his fellow serpent.

When my wife learned how I had spent Saturday morning with Melony and Ken, at the pet store buying our new “pets,” she was, shall we say, not pleased! We assured her, though, that we were placing them in a glass cage with a secure woven wire lid. After only one night, we learned that “secure” for us did not equal “escape-proof.” In the morning, we had to round up the snakes from, as I recall, the underneath side of the couch pillows. As the children and I conducted our search for the missing snakes, my wife had stood in the middle of the living room looking around in stark terror and was not without vocal expression regarding her dislike for our new friends.

This time, we placed a weight on the cage lid giving assurance to my wife who was more than a little apprehensive about it all. She checked back with me at bedtime to ascertain that this time the cage was, indeed, escape-proof. I confidently assured her it was and dismissed her concern with the comment that they were not poisonous. With eyes large with uncertainty, she retired to the bedroom.

“Dad, they’re gone again!” Ken awakened me with the Sunday morning news. We hurried around to play snake roundup before getting ready for Sunday school. Throughout the day, my wife made it clear that she was not in favor of keeping the snakes. I determined, this time, to make their cage really secure. Before bedtime, after evening church, we placed some bricks on the cage and checked for cracks which King and Grit might turn into escape routes. There were none. We all went to bed to get a good night’s sleep.

Blood Curdling

I can hardly recall the time, but it was well into the night. The children had been bedded down for several hours and Jane and I were sleeping peacefully. At least, that is what I thought. All at once the apartment air was pierced by the loudest, most pitiful and ear-splitting scream known to man! Jane bolted upright in the bed. “Oh, no, one of the snakes had gotten out and had curled up beside her,” I thought. It was not so.

“The snakes, the snakes,” she could only stammer. It seems the snakes had escaped only in her nightmare. I raced out into the dining room to observe their prison. All was secure. That, however, meant nothing to my wife who was still trembling in horror over her experience with the “escaped snakes.”

Melony and Ken were awakened by it all. Then and there we agreed that our serpent friends were creating too much wear and tear on their mother. We aroused them from their cage and went outside with it, returning them to the great out-of-doors. We agreed that, under the circumstances, snakes for pets were probably not a good idea. Later we found Grit and held a brief funeral for him. He apparently had succumbed to the shock of being so summarily returned to his native habitat.

The Snake at Hand

As I recall, it was the next day after my last mowing that I entered the basement of our Ohio home through the garage. There was no light switch near the entry door from the garage into the basement. A pull chain was available after one had traveled a few feet into the basement from that side, however. As I made my way into the darkened basement room leading to the stairway, I noticed a form lying partly concealed behind the trash can I kept there for use during the week. In the darkness it was hard to make out the shape exactly but the head of a snake seemed at least partly visible and was of some size, larger than King or Grit had been, for sure.

I reached up for the pull chain on the light, thinking as I did how I was going to deal with a snake in this basement so full of things to hide behind. “Wait, don’t disturb him,” I told myself. In the semi-darkness I retreated to the garage and quietly located my large pointed shovel. I stole softly back to my position to observe any movement the snake made. There seemed to be no awareness of my presence. I determined to deliver the coup de grace!

The Death-Blow

Doing my best to move silently to a position of advantage, I decided to try to deal the snake a death- blow with the rounded part of the shovel. If I could catch him in that way he would be crushed between the heavy shovel and the concrete floor. Straining my eyes for a final look at his shining head, I raised the shovel as high as possible to the ceiling and swung with all my might.

It was a perfect hit. The shovel scoop bounced off the basement floor with a mighty “clang.” The form before me lay motionless. Jane, hearing the crash from upstairs, appeared at the top of the stairs. “I just killed a snake,” I shouted, trying not to sound triumphant. “Switch on the lights,” I called. She did.

Not Always
Now with the lights on, I moved in to observe my “kill.” Above the trash can, I usually hung my morning walking clothes. The “snake” I had “killed” was my black leather belt which had fallen from its place, probably shortly after I had hung it there that morning. Of course, the “shiny head” was the buckle.

I learned again, that day, that “things aren’t always what they seem to be.” Unfortunately, however, this works for serious matters as well as silly ones like those I have just described. My serpent was not real, no more so than those in Jane’s nightmare. There is one serpent, however, who is real. That is Satan. Satan is as real as is God. The Bible makes that so clear that no Bible-believer could deny it. By using God’s Word as our shield, we can defeat his evil purposes in our lives. Satan, “that old serpent,” can make wrong things seem so attractive. Beware! It is not always so.

Visit us soon for a Sunday morning service. 11:00 o’clock.
Pastor Ken Pierpont

Big Storm Ahead

Tuesday morning came and the local radio station began updating its weather forecast. As the morning progressed, the promise of a big wet snowstorm was broadcast every few minutes. “This will be a big one, folks. We’ll have rain changing to snow early tomorrow morning.”

Both our local station and those in Lansing began revising the coming snowfall. First it was stated at two to four inches. Then four to six inches were promised. By noon there were hints that it might reach eight to nine inches, all over the area, coming in from the south.
What to Do?

When my wife was leaving for work Tuesday morning we talked about the coming storm. She quickly agreed with me that I was in no shape to run the snowplow tractor, or even leave the house. I would be doing well to keep my doctor’s appointment.

As I watched the clock and tried to get ready for my appointment, I began to get a strange sensation that God wanted me to pray about the weather. No great fan of Michigan cold weather, I usually just endure it. But, today I felt differently. “I’m too sick to shovel snow,” I thought, “and I know I’m not likely to get better anytime soon. If we have the kind of snow they’re talking about, the tractor will be snowed in too. It always drifts in front of the storage building.”

I went to the phone and called my wife’s work number. As I did, I wondered what she would think.

Prayer Partners

“Honey, will you pray with me about the weather. They say there’s going to be a big snowstorm following all this rain early tomorrow. It may reach eight or nine inches. We’ll never be able to move it.”

Jane assured me she would pray about it and we finished our conversation.

I had about an hour before my appointment. I picked up the phone and called one of our prayer warriors. Katie is blind and the wife of one of our deacons. She loves the Lord and is faithful to pray. I told her about the coming storm. She already knew about it. Yes, she would pray about it. “Katie, let’s just pray this one on over. God knows we’ll never be able to move it. I can’t even walk to the storage building, much less do anything on the tractor.” Katie assured me she’d be praying about it.

It was raining when I left for the doctor’s office. It was just a little above the freezing mark. As I drove through the streets to Hillsdale, I took stock of the weather: “Wow, look at all this rain. If this changes over to snow, we’re a dead duck. Please, Lord, get us out of this one.”

“I’m All Ready

Back from my appointment and a stop at the pharmacy, the phone rang. It was a friend to whom I had been witnessing for a couple of years. He called to ask about me and was surprised to know I was sick. He began bringing me up to date on the weather. “We’re goin’ to have a big storm. Nine or ten inches they say. I’m all ready this time. I got my cars turned around headed out, got my food laid in, and I’m just goin’ ta sit back and watch it snow!” Inwardly I groaned. “And he lives right here in Jonesville,” I thought.

Nightfall

At four o’clock I took the first of my new medicine. I was reeling in weakness and very sore from hundreds of coughs. I reminded the Lord of how sick I was. “Lord, this coming storm is heart attach snow. You know we’ll lose our Sunday services if it is as bad as they say it will be.”

As darkness came on early that Tuesday evening, Jane, now home from work, did what she could be make me comfortable. It was pouring rain. The words of my friend from Jonesville came back to me: “It’s goin’ to rain “˜til nine o’clock and then change over to snow about ten.” I prayed again.

Well into a third week with this sickness, I tried to stay up for awhile in the evenings to make sure I could sleep through the night. It hadn’t worked very well, but the thought of lying awake in misery kept me moving around a little until about 9:30. I looked out on the parking lot. It was still raining. Exhausted, I retreated to the bedroom.

The Big Storm

As I lay down in bed, I sensed a strange feeling of confidence I’ve seldom felt before. I prayed: “Please, Lord Jesus, You know we’ve had lots of rain. We don’t need the moisture in the ground. Please don’t let this big storm come. You know it’ll shut us down.” I fell asleep.

About four o’clock, I was awakened to the need to use the bathroom. I felt terrible. “Sure hope that new medicine’s working,” I thought as I made my way slowly down the hall to the bathroom. Finished there, I decided to go into the living room and look out to see if it had snowed. As I headed for the east windows to part the curtains for a look, I felt, again, a strange sensation. I stopped and clasped my hands together. “No, Lord Jesus, I’m not going to look out. You know what we need. Please don’t send this big snow. I promise to praise You for answering my prayer.” I turned and made my way back to bed.

Morning

When I’m in good health, I try to rise each morning through the week at five forty-five. Now, so weak, so sick, I hardly cared when I got up. As I recall, it was about six-thirty when I awoke. I made my way, the best I could, to the living room. The security lights would afford me a good look at the outside. I parted the curtains.

“Thank you, sweet Jesus,” I remembered crying aloud. A mere trace of snow was being swirled by a light wind this Wednesday morning, up and down the sidewalk. No snow! “Honey, it didn’t snow!” Jane and I were jubilant.

It was the eight-o’clock report on the local radio station. They started their newscast: “We don’t know what happened. We didn’t get our big snow.” I switched to the Lansing station I hear each day. “We didn’t get the big snow we were supposed to get.” I couldn’t tell if they were glad or disappointed. I knew how I felt.

I stood in the middle of the living room. I remember clasping my hands again. “Thank you, dear Jesus. I promised to thank you. I love you. Thank you so much.”

My wife got off to work easily. I called Katie. We rejoiced.

Later in the morning two television reporters were talking. They looked at each other and wondered aloud. “Maybe the rain took up all the snow,” they said. They didn’t know what happened. I knew! “Thank you, Jesus! I don’t deserve all your precious blessings. But, I thank you for them.”

Late in the morning, the phone rang. It was my well-prepared friend from Jonesville. “Well, what do you know, it didn’t snow, ” he mused. After a few moments I told him what we had done, how we had prayed. He was silent for a moment. “I believe it,” he quietly said.

I get no credit for having a lot of faith. I am sure my prayer partners feel the same way. I only know how good God is. I’m so glad to know that when I have my back to the wall, God still loves me and is looking out for me. Thank You, Jesus!