SACRIFICING KIDS ON THE ALTAR OF YOUR SELFISHNESS

"But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea." (Matthew 18:6)

It's important for me to preface today's article by saying that I am not referring here to staying with a cult or a church ministry that is not Bible based. If you have a pastor or church who is not operating according to the principles of God's Word (the Bible), you need to get out of that mess as soon as possible. What I am talking about is Christ-centered Pastors, churches, and ministries that are living what they preach and who believe in exalting Christ and presenting salvation as a free gift. I'm referring to congregations who strive to live with Godly principles from hearts filled with love for Christ.

The burden of my heart has to do with selfish parents. Parents that are so selfish that if they don't get their way with something they want in the church or, if they have a conflict with another church member they’re leaving! Maybe the pastor "offends them" so the parents drag their "kids" and walk out. “ I got my feelings hurt, so, we're switching churches!" Or better yet, they take the more spiritual route and pull their kids out of church completely and don't go anywhere. I've pastored 4 different churches in 3 different states, and I've seen this more than once, and it's wrong. It's wicked, carnal, and very selfish. Paul the Apostle addressed this type of unchristian behavior this way, "For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?" (1 Cor. 3:3) Now think with me for a minute. Here is a child (let's say she’s a teen) and she loves her church, loves her pastor and family, and is absolutely crazy about the church's youth group and youth director. Her best friends are in her church youth group. She can't wait for the next teen activity, and wouldn't dream of missing teen choir rehearsal. Going to the Camp of the Wilds in July is something Ericka has been dreaming about since she was in the third grade. And then, just one month before the church bus pulls out of the parking lot for North Carolina, her parents rip her from everything that she loves and says, "Come on Ericka, we're having problems with _____ so, we won't be back at Liberty!" Jesus is saying in our introductory text, “Mom, you’d be much better off tying a big rock to your neck and sinking yourself in the lake and dying rather than to follow through with this horrible idea.” This type of divorce leaves scars, pain, and a lot of tears in the lives of children all across America. Most Christian parents would give their right arms to have a girl like Ericka who can't wait until the church doors are open again or the church bus is leaving for the next teen activity or camp, but not you, you're going to show the preacher, the church and the whole town, "we won't be back."

For any parent who is even tempted to think about doing such a selfish act, I have a sermon for you. What are you going to do when in just six months; your kid doesn't want to go to any church at all? She paints her finger nails black and dyes her hair pink. She starts hanging out with her druggie friends and soon after loses her virginity. She picks up a disease from a dirty needle and now, instead of embracing her Bible she is spitting at it. "I'm going to hell and having a party on the way!" is your daughter's new motto. Well Christian Mom, let me say this: You're going to have a lot to answer for when you stand at the feet of Jesus and He reminds you of the time when you should have just sat down with that other lady and got things worked out. You should simply forgive that other church member and be reconciled to your Christian "adult" brother or sister. Wouldn't this be the Biblical approach? Isn't this the right thing to do? So the next time you "don't get your way" at church or have a conflict at your House of Worship, why not be spiritual for a change, love your kids enough to not sacrifice them on the altar of your selfishness. You might be mad now for a gray haired preacher telling you the truth about your selfishness and pride, but one day, if you side up with God on what I'm talking about, you'll reap wonderful blessings with your children rather than bitter tears. It's better for you too. So just stop being so selfish and start growing up! Before you run away from God and the church, think about the horrible long term effect your exit will make on your children.

That's something to think about! jimmycburns@aol.com

NEW LIBERTY CHURCH SIGN!

Pictured above is our son, Matt Burns and his daughter, Miley in front of our new church sign at our new church building. An added blessing is that our son, Aaron in China donated his labor in designing this sign for our church. Due to a special donation, we were able to have our new sign for this year's Easter service. It was a blessing to have our oldest son, his wife, Jenny, and our only granddaughter, Miley with us for Easter.

Below is a picture of the three of them on our front porch right after our Easter services at our church.

OVER 30 YEARS LATER!

From Left to Right: Coletta Burns, Hilda Lubich, Ronna Garcia, and Ron Lubich in Beckley, WV.

My invitation to go back last week to the second church I pastored (Lester Baptist Church) in West Virginia proved to a very emotional and also inspiring trip for both Coletta and me. Pictured above is one of the families that attended the first church I pastored back in 1976 (Coal Marsh Missionary Baptist Church). Ron was the very first "new convert" I was privileged to baptize. His wife, Hilda had attended the church for years, and Ronna and her younger sister, Jennifer Hamilton (not pictured here), were in the children's departments while we were there. The whole family helped baby sit, Matt, our oldest son during his first year of life. This wonderful family is still in a Gospel preaching church being faithful serving the Lord. My next few posts will feature other "young people" who were just kids back in the seventies who are (28 to 30 years later), still in church! Most of those pictured above are dear friends that Coletta and I had not seen in three decades.

What a blessing to finally fellowship with them again!

If you are presently working with kids in the church, "Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Gal. 6:9)



This is something to think about!

TWO BOYS BORN IN BECKLY, WV!

On Mar. 24, 1977 our oldest son, Matthew was born at this hospital. On Aug. 24, 1979, our youngest son, Aaron was born at this same hospital. After being away from the Beckley, West Virginia area for 28 years, Pastor Wes Rigdon of the Lester Baptist Church, Lester, WV invited us to come back for me to speak at their church's Anniversary Revival. Please pray for this 4 night meeting at the same church Coletta and I served in from 1978 to 1981. I am typing this at the Econo Lodge Motel, on Harper Road in Beckley, just about 5 blocks West of the Raleigh General Hospital where we took these two pictures today. It is a special time for us to come back where Coletta and I started our first year in marriage, ministry, and where our two special "Burns Boys" were born. What a blessing!


That's Something to Think About! jimmycburns@aol.com

Fireproof at Liberty Baptist - Van Wert

On Sunday, April 19, Liberty Baptist Church, located at 501 E. Third St. (the former Horace Mann school building) in Van Wert, would like to invite everyone to a free public showing of the much talked about movie Fireproof.

Starring Kirk Cameron and Erin Bethea, Fireproof is the story of a professional firefighter that is an expert at pulling strangers from burning buildings, but who struggles to save his marriage.

Show time is 6:30 p.m., with free refreshments starting at 5:45 pm. There will be free infant and childcare provided.

For more information, contact Pastor Jim C. Burns at Liberty Baptist Church at 419.238.2273, or access the movie’s website at www.fireproofthemovie.com.

ROOF TOP CHRISTIANITY!

I'm sure by the time you finish reading this blog, you will possibly think me to be "unpatriotic." If you think that, you are wrong. I love the United States and I am proud to be an American. I think our country's assets definitely out way our liabilities. The concern of my heart tonight is more about the churches in the United States verses the horrible degree of depravity that now permeates our nation. Matter of fact, I think if the "Church" of America was what we should be, our country would not be in the sinful mess we are in today.

I have visited nine different foreign mission fields. I have also been to "Pastor's Fellowship Meetings" here in the states where some pastors feel it is our job as U. S. Pastors to go oversees and "tell our missionaries" how to "get the job done!" I think we have it backwards. I think it's time we get some folks from South America and Asia to come to our country and our churches and explain to us "how to get the job done" and how we as "Bible Believing Churches" in the U. S. need to get back to the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18 - 20 in the Bible and start doing what the church was founded for. Win Souls to Christ, get people saved, baptize new converts, and disciple these new believers. Honestly, I am tired of seeing people who know better come to church and "pretend." I'm tired of dealing with people who are at church nearly every service, but display no zeal for Christ, no spiritual maturity, and no loyalty to the Bible and to the real purpose for why we are left on earth after we are saved.

Please don't think my "sermon" tonight is all about Liberty Baptist, the church where I serve. I am honored to minister among some of the most loving, dedicated, sincere, transparent, and zealous believers in the world. I love my church and would die for any one of our members. Most of them love the Lord, love my wife and me, and are a great blessing to us. I'm talking about the "American Church." The "Me Church." I could write another thousand words about the huge problems in our churches today, but, let me summarize it up with a recent story I heard from a dear pastor friend in a distant state. His Senior Pastor put out a congregational survey to find out what the church members liked and disliked in order to "improve their ministries." One member shared a complaint that he didn't like the power point slides for the congregational singing, because it didn't have a "bouncing ball" that floated above each word of the song on the "big screen" to help "him" know which word to sing! I'd love to ask that man how many lost souls he witnessed to last week, or even all of last year for that matter. This is what I am talking about. It's not about the computerized "singing bouncing ball" my friend. It's about Jesus Christ dying for your sins, and the mandate we have from Heaven to get this message to every one we can while we can. It's about Jesus saving you from Hell and you helping to keep others from going there.

The pictures above and below are real pictures of a church in a distant Asian country that went to a roof top ten stories high, inflated a child's swimming pool to have a baptism for new converts. They couldn't baptize in a public meeting place on Main Street, lest they all get arrested and the new converts taken to prison. These people are paying a price to get saved and to live for Christ. Their question at the end of a worship service is never, "When is that preacher going to stop?" There plea is, "Can you tell us more?"


Maybe we need to get these folks to come down from their roof and come to America and have them "melt our singing bouncing balls" and show us some true "Roof Top Christianity."

If you are a conservative Bible believing Christian and a church member, why not ask yourself the next time you have your little pity party at church, "What in the world does my pity party have to do with Matthew 28 and the Great Commission?"

Oh one other thing. I'm not telling you where this rooftop church is because I want to protect these Asian believers. Even though these believers don't have a church building to meet in like most believers...the Asian people are eager to hear and study God's Word whether it be on a rooftop, at a hotel conference room, in an apartment, or at a park

Think about this for a while and let's get some "Roof Top Christianity" back in the U.S. Church of today!

Jim C. Burns Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

GOING BACK TO LESTER FOR REVIVAL!

Gal 6:9) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. (Galatians 6:9)
Well, I guess I'm kinda in the "car mode" for my recent blog posts. I couldn't find any old pictures of the first new car Coletta and I ever bought together, so, I found this one on the Internet. It's a 1977 Mercury Monarch. Only the one we bought was metallic royal blue with a white vinyl top. We bought it at a Ford dealer in Hinton, WV, and drove it home to Glen Daniel. About a year later, the Lord led us to resign the Coal Marsh Missionary Baptist Church to move over the "holler" to accept the call to minister at the Lester Baptist Church in Lester, WV. (Don't worry. The photo above was not our parsonage)! We were honored to serve the good folks at Lester from 1978 to May of 1981. Those were wonderful days. Matt was about one year old when we moved, and our second son, Aaron, was born while we were at Lester on Aug. 24, 1979. We were able to see the church grow, see many souls saved, and see two children's departments and a teen department start in the church, plus, we were at Lester when the church broke ground and built a new building on a hill at the West end of town right at the edge of Highway 54.

A few weeks ago, Lester's new Pastor Wes Rigdon called me to ask if Coletta and I would return for a four day revival which will take place during the church's anniversary. I have accepted Pastor Rigdon's invitation to come speak, and Coletta and I are so honored after these 30 plus years to go back to the second church where I have pastored to be a part of this special event. Please pray that the Lord will use us to help this dear pastor and his family and this fine church reach more people for Christ in their mission field.

"Thank you Lord for letting Coletta and I serve you together all these years, and for the privilege of being invited to go back to a church where we served 30 years ago for a revival meeting."