MILEY THE HORSE RIDER, FALL 2010

This is something to think about. Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

STEVE CURINGTON DIED AT AGE 45

Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. (James 4:14)

We are sad to learn of the death of the founder and president of Reformers Unanimous, Steven Curington from Rockford, Illinois. Steve walked in the presence of His Savior for the first time around 4:30 pm on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010. He had an apparent heart attack.

Steve was just 45 and was being mightily used of God in helping thousands of men, women, and young people come to Christ and find victory over their addictions. Steve developed a ten principle plan that was implemented for local Baptist Churches to use in a two hour Friday night recovery program to help people who struggle with drugs, alcohol, pornography and any other addictions.

Our church started Reformer's Unanimous 5 years ago. Our former Director, Dennis Dull and I drove up to Saginaw, Michigan in Sept. 2006 to an R. U. training conference and had the privilege of hearing Steve Curington preach at that rally. I shook his hand and briefly greeted him as he passed down our aisle after one of the services.

He leaves behind a young wife, Lori, and five young children. I'm having a difficult time understanding this death. On this side of heaven, we would call this an "untimely death." A young, great leader, moving mountains for God, changing lives by the thousands around the world, author of some of the most practical Christian books to help people be liberated from not only addictions but church legalism, and now, he's gone.

But, there is a reason for this. And, as much as we will miss Steve and his family and close friends and his ministry will miss him, the bottom line is it "was his divine appointment" which God already had settled long before the world was ever created.

His work will follow him and the ministry will continue and probably grow even more now. Please pray for his wife and children as well as his parents and brothers. He died doing what he loved doing. He was busy preaching and serving the Lord. No doubt when Steve Curington entered Heaven, His lord said unto him, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matt. 25:21).

Learn more about the ministry Steve founded at: reformu.com

FALL MEN'S CHURCH RETREAT SUCCESS!

(Pictured: The 12 men from Liberty Baptist attending retreat)
Due to the days and many hours our men invested to put the finishing touches on our new church auditorium this year, we were not able to spend much planning time working on our annual retreat. Rather than having several church groups involved, this year we felt we needed to just get away as a group of men from our church. With limited funds available, the Lord used David and Janice Lichtensteiger of Convoy, OH to offer their cabin at Coldwater Lake, Michigan for free! The cabin was just the right size for our group, and with Deacon Jerry Miller organizing the meals, we had a grand ole time in the best "Indian Summer" autumn weather one could ask for.


Sunny skies from Thurs. to Saturday, and temperatures in the 60's and 70's, fishing and just sight seeing on the Lichtensteiger's pontoon boat were the highlights of the 2 day stay. For me, the fellowship was awesome, the campfire was warm, but seeing 11 men from our church Saturday morning sitting out in the Lord's creation alone during their "30 minute God and I Time" brought tears of joy to my eyes.


"Thank you Lord for putting this together for us this year! We all needed the rest and the fellowship in Your beautiful autumn weather and your scenic creation! What a blessing!"

ONE OF MY GREATEST HONORS

(Pictured: Jim & Coletta Burns, Beneth Jones, Bob Jones III)

Pastoring God's people in a local church is filled with tremendous blessings. It is also hard work because our sinful nature does not like doing spiritual things. Also,because the Devil is always against you, it can sometimes be brutal. Our pain and pressure as Pastors and Pastor's wives are not like the pain our good people at Liberty Baptist suffered with for nearly three years of striving to physically convert a school building into a church building. Our pain is not like the agony of a broken bone or pulled muscle. Our pain is often invisible to the human eye. Our pain is usually from the temptations of the world trying to pull us away from the will of God, and from a Devil and demons who would be thrilled to see us get washed out.

But the Bible still says, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9). Satan fought our church's building program about as hard as I have ever seen him fight. He did not want this to happen. He did not want that last drop of paint brushed on. Satan did not want the final light bulb screwed in. He didn't want the pulpit placed on the platform. He didn't want the church choir to sing their first song in our new auditorium. But, Satan lost this battle and Jesus won.

Every now and then, a special gift or event takes place that we know has to be God saying,"You've past another test,so, here's your reward for a good grade." For me as the Pastor here, my reward for what our church has been through these past three years was having Dr. Bob Jones III and his wife, Beneth Jones come to Van Wert to help us celebrate this great victory. This is probably the greatest honor Coletta and I have ever had in 34 years of ministering at five different churches in four different states.

Although hated and misunderstood by many, Dr. Bob Jones, III is one of the most sincere, genuine, compassionate and friendly men I have ever met. Beneth is equally the same as a Christian lady. Let me say the Devil hates this couple also. But Jesus loves them and has used them for many years.

Back in the 80's when a very well known Pastor of a large church fell, I heard Dr. Bob Jones, III say, "Maybe now we have finally learned that in Fundamentalism, our only hero should be Jesus Christ!" Well, Dr. Bob, I know your right about this. But I must confess, I have loved and admired you and your wife as a man of God and she a women of God since the day I met you, and you're still my hero in the ministry!

(Pictured: Me shaking hands with Bob Jones, III in new auditorium).

Thanks to both of you as well as the BJ pilots, Pete and Morgan for coming to our church Sept. 18 & 19, 2010. It made it worth it all. May God bless you.

(BJU Pilots, Morgan and Pete standing with Dr. and Mrs. Bob Jones, III)

SPECIAL GUESTS FOR DEDICATION SUNDAY!

This photo was taken Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010 on our Dedication Sunday. Most of our members stayed for the photo shooting. To the far right, my wife, Coletta and I are pictured with Van Wert City School Superintendent, Ken Anstutz and his family along with guest speaker, Dr. Bob Jones, III and his wife, Beneth. It was a glorious week end and a great victory for our church to be able to dedicate the facility the Lord gave us.

AFTER OVER TWO YEARS, FINISHED!

It's almost midnight on Friday night, Sept. 24, 2010, and I'm feeling guilty. Whenever I was out of town, sick, making church visits or entertaining my 3 year old granddaughter on Sat. morning, I would have an underlying "guilt trip" going on for not being at the Sat. work day at our church. I'm sure I can testify for myself as well as about 20 faithful church men and women from Liberty Baptist. "Tomorrow's Saturday and I don't have to go to work on the church building!" It's weird. When you add the hundreds of building committee meetings, praying and working to get needed funds, votes and decisions to make on what to do and "how to do it," (or, what color it should be), we are all drained, beat down and tired. But, as my son Aaron in China would say, "It's a GOOD tired!" And that it is.

There's no way I can thank the hard workers in our church for working on turning the Horace Mann School into a church building to house the Liberty Baptist Ministries. I just pray God will richly reward all of you. Very soon, I will type up a blog post about last week end's ribbon cutting, Dedication Service with Dr. Bob Jones, III and his wife, Beneth as our guests, and how the first two Sundays in our new auditorium went. Officially, this coming Sunday will be my first Sunday to preach behind the pulpit the church bought me 2 years ago. But, that's O. K., cos we saved it for NOW!

So, after over two years of work days, work nights, literal blood, literal sweat, and literal "tears," it's over. But, really, it will never be over until Jesus comes! Cos, we have tons of souls to reach for Christ, and plenty of roof leaks. Maybe doing those two maintenance projects will keep us out of trouble until the rapture!


I'm tired Jim C. Burns, along with a tired wife and a tired church . . . . . AND THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

DR. BOB JONES, III COMING TO OUR CHURCH!

Dr. Bob Jones, III, Chancellor and former President of Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC will be the featured speaker at the Building Dedication of the Liberty Baptist Church, 501 E. Third Street in Van Wert. The Dedication Service will be Saturday, September 18th at 2:00 pm in the church’s new auditorium. An open house and reception will begin at 3:30 pm.

Dr. Bob Jones, III and his wife, Beneth will also be speaking at Liberty Baptist Sunday morning, Sept. 19th. At 9:30 am, Mrs. Jones will teach a Bible lesson to the teen girls and adult women in the Youth Department, and Dr. Jones will address the teen boys and adult men in the church’s new auditorium. Dr. Jones’ final message of the day will be during the Sunday Morning worship service at 10:45 am. Liberty Baptist Church is now located at the former Horace Mann School.

You are all invited to come join us for this very special week end!

Jim C. Burns, Pastor - Email: jimmycburns@aol.com