Ken Pierpont's Blog, page 159

Josiah Faas

A Classic re-post from 2007

I love to think that I have been used in some small way to point people to the glories of Christ, His creation, and His other works. Today I received evidence in my e-mail box that the Lord has used me in the life of Josiah Faas in that way. He sent me this comment:

I thought of you today as I drove up a couple streets to the new McD's for Hazelnut Iced. The fields are being harvested and the trees are adorned in their fall colors. I go down a little road through an alley of trees and my tires kick up the yellow leaves strewn on the road. It's beautiful here. God is very good, and I thought I'd thank you for being a voice in my life to stir up my heart to see Christ more in everything around me. I love His creation so much, and to think it's a but a mere, fallen reflection of the beautiful Creator. How wonderful He must be. God bless you, I hope you're having a great week. Thank you and your family for being my friends.

Last week in the Northwoods I captured a photo of Ox Yoke Lake for my son. He recently told me that he spent many Sunday afternoons with the Lord looking on this scene. I like to think I inspired him Godward, too.

I pulled this from Kyle's site this morning:

In my heart wells the warmest feelings of happiness when the cool days of autumn come. It is a deeply rooted happiness from childhood. My love for the season of autumn was passed down from generations before me. I believe this passing down to be a gradual process. I do not believe there is one single moment when the next generation possesses an inherited love for autumn, but if there was I remember the day it happened for me.

It must have been mid-October. Dad broke from writing in his garret study to take me on an autumn stroll. We walked slowly back the old, abandoned road bed to a clearing on a bluff over Yoder Creek. The view is embedded into my memory. The rolling hills of the valley were covered with corn that would be harvested in a few weeks. The glistening water of the Kokosing River wound it's way through the valley. A slight breeze carried with it the scent and chill that only comes two months of the year. Leaves of the Maple, Ash, and Beech trees blew across our gaze. We stood side by side, the only noise the singing of creation around us. It was one of the moments of the season man cannot ordain. One of those times that is a coming together of God's predestination and man's stumbling into it.

As we stood and soaked up the glory of the moment, Dad pulled from the pocket of his jacket a copy of the Creator's Word. He opened and read;

" – You visit the earth and water it; you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide their grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy." - Psalm 65: 9-13

Bonar's Morning Rules

Classic Re-post from 2005

Here is an interesting quote from J. H. Jowett's Yale Lectures on Preaching, "The Preacher, His Life and Work." I read this Saturday night while preparing my heart for the pulpit: Andrew Bonar wrote in his journal… "By the grace of God and the strength of His Holy Spirit I desire to lay down the rule not to speak to man until I have spoken to God: not to do anything with my hand until I have been upon my knees: not to read letters or papers until I have read something of the Holy Scriptures…"

Jowett also included this quote from Bonar's journal: "In prayer in the wood for some time, having set apart three hours for devotion: felt drawn out much to pray for that peculiar fragrance which believers have about them, who are very much in fellowship with God."

Your Audience

Here is a secular idea that every preacher and teacher should consider when they are presenting the truth of God to an audience.

Check it out here.

Our Darkest Enemy

This message would be a special encouragement to anyone troubled by fear of death or the death of a loved one. I've done a bit of story telling in this message. Let me know if it was a blessing to you.

Message: Our Darkest Enemy

Text: Matthew 9:18-26

Series: Matthew's Gospel

Date: September 25, 2011 AM

Place: Evangel Baptist Church–Taylor, Michigan

Speaker: Pastor Ken Pierpont

A Church, or a Museum?

Don't Judge

Don't Judge! Invite! from Doug Davis on Vimeo.

I'm Still a Believer

Classic re-post from 2002

If you know me you know I like to tell happy stories about good things. I like to tell stories of love and goodness. I make excuses for celebrations every day. I like to point others to God's good gifts all around them. I find this especially easy to do when spring overcomes winter and when summer turns to autumn. Evidence of God's goodness abounds in autumn. But sometimes even in the autumn heartache silences laughter and tears drown any thought of celebration. That is what happened one sunny morning last fall.

Last fall the Trade Towers crashed to the ground and a year later our memories of that day are still painfully vivid. I remember that the almost universal reaction to the tragedy was to turn to God. There was some ambiguity about who that God was, but prayers, hymns, and memorial services were the instant response around the world. Who can forget the image of congressmen and women standing on the steps of the Capitol Building weeping and singing God Bless America? Who can forget the image of our President leading the nation in prayer and reading the Scriptures?

Within days pastors, theologians, talk show philosophers and essayists were trying to help people make sense of what happened from a spiritual perspective. Some were answering the question, "Where was God on September 11th?" Others were answering the question, "If God is good why would He allow such evil?" Those working to forge amity among the peoples of the earth had their hopes violently dashed again. Clearly when tragedy strikes some people are plunged into doubt. But that was not the effect it had on me.

I have spent my life thinking, reading, and studying daily of God. Since my childhood I have been taught basic truth about God from the Bible. On September 11th last year I did not see anything happen that weakened my faith in the God of the Bible. My heart was broken but my faith was not shaken. Everything I had been taught about God and the world and humanity was confirmed, even illustrated in the events of September eleventh.

Here are some of the things the Bible teaches:

. Mankind has fallen into sin and is depraved and in need of redemption.

. False religious systems foster inhumanity and end in death.

. Lasting peace will not come to earth until the Prince of Peace comes.

. Man and women are made in the image of God and have intrinsic value.

. Life is as short and fragile as it is precious.

. Human life is a divine gift.

. Humans are capable of great acts of sacrificial love and valor

The Bible teaches that humankind is fallen and depraved. All men and women are scarred by sin and estranged from God. The terrorist's attacks confirmed that for all the world to see. The evidence of man's depravity was beamed around the world instantly via satellite.

The Bible teaches that there are false religious systems that foster inhumanity and end in death. They are demonically inspired and have deadly consequences. That is exactly what we saw on September eleventh.

The teaching of the Bible is that lasting peace among the peoples of the earth is impossible without God's intervention. In the tiny gaps of time between tragedies of this magnitude brave souls try to forge a belief in the possibility of humanity living at peace on the earth. When tragedies like this come it is clear that peace will not come until the Prince of Peace comes. The exact timing and details of that future day are still matters of debate and discussion among Christians but the fact is firmly asserted by all who are true Bible-believers.

The Bible teaches that every man and every woman is created by God in his image and has intrinsic value. Even in the confusion that followed the attacks no one ever suggested that life was not valuable and to be cherished. The world was plunged into mourning, not because of twisted steal and a marred skyline. The world wept for the people who pictures were tacked to telephone polls and bulletin boards around the City of New York and for their loved ones. Somehow in the deepest part of us, even on our darkest day we know that human life is a divine gift.

The Bible teaches the power of human love. The terrorist tragedy displayed the depth of that love and inspired acts of sacrifice and valor.

The Bible teaches that life is a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes like the morning fog. Life is short. Life is precious. Life is fragile. We saw those biblical truths illustrated thousands of times in the tragedy of September 11th.

Did the terrorist attacks make me doubt the existence of God? Did they make me doubt the goodness of God? Did they make me question the Bible? Did they shake my confidence the power of Jesus' death and resurrection? Did they convince me that men and women do not need redemption? No.

On September 11th the very things that Bible asserts about man were captured on film and beamed around the world by satellite.

When tragedy, terror, famine, war and injustice come, the truth of God is the only thing that makes any sense of it. September 11th is here again and I'm still a believer.

Missionary Questions

Here is a link to a great list of questions to ask missionaries. Let me know what you do with this.

(Don't these just look like great folks?)

Listen to a story about Doug recorded by Joni Erikson-Tada.

Every Life Has A Story

If you are a follower of Jesus Christ, I shouldn't have to explain anything about this video to you.

I believe one of the most powerful ways to influence people's lives for Christ is through three stories:

1. Their story… Get them to tell you their story–as long as possible.

2. Tell them your story… as simple and short as possible. (How you cam to know Christ).

3. Ask permission to tell THE STORY… Tell it as clearly as possible.

In Case You Ever Forget

My Grandpa Shipley was a man of few words, but they were usually well chosen ones.

When you left the family would form a circle and hold hands and Grandpa would pray– in a few well-chosen words. Then the last thing before you went down the steps and through the breezeway he would often repeat his little life motto; "Remember whose you are."

His motto had a double meaning. He always wanted you to remember that you belong to the Lord and that you belong to him, too. I think it also served as a gentle reminder to live up to your name and maintain a good testimony for Christ. He had the initials RWYA printed on pencils and cards as a testimony to his family, friends, and customers.

In the last few months of Grandma's life she would often say; "Grandpa just isn't Grandpa." He would forget so much. He struggled to put a complete sentence together. Sometimes he forgot the name of a loved one. The confusion that clouded his mind frustrated him. A few days ago he even failed to recognize his own favorite song "Overshadowed" which had always moved him to tears before. On a recent visit his daughter, Sue asked him, "Daddy, do you remember whose you are?" He remembered and answered immediately; "I'm the Lord's"

When you think about it, it really doesn't matter what you forget as long as you… …Remember Whose You Are.

"Overshadowed" is a beautiful song about the love of Christ written by H. A. Ironside, once pastor of Moody Church in Chicago.