HAITIAN PASTOR SPOKE AT LIBERTY!

Pastor Thierry Belade from Haiti preached and gave his Christian testimony at our church last night.  This is the first year Pastor Belade has ever been to the U.S.  We had several visitors and a house full at church last night. 

I think he preached about an hour or more, but it was packed with spirit, emotion and the power of the Holy Spirit.  He left Van Wert today on a bus to New York to meet up with his wife and his baby boy that was just born a few weeks ago.  Due to complications during pregnancy, Mrs. Belade was flown to New York for medical care.  She and the baby are doing fine.   Please pray for the Belade family as they return to their mission work in Haiti.  Pastor Belade has started 13 churches and is the overseer of the mission that helped start these Baptist Churches.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!

God blessed me in a great way this week end.  Coletta and I went to Bear Creek Farms in Indiana for a nice dinner out on Friday night.  Our church music leader, Fabian Canales and his wife Dolores took us out to Bob Evans Saturday night for our 35th Anniversary, and our church surprised us with a nice card and love offering at church today.   The Lord brought us 137 today at church, with many visitors in our worship service.  20 of our regulars were either in the hospital or out of town for Father's Day, so when they are back, we are  really looking to see "growth" at Liberty this summer!   The spirit of our church last Sunday and today has been excellent.  We have a renewed joy and freedom in the services that we have not seen in years!

Plus, I had a great Father's Day also. My granddaughter, Miley and her mom, Jenny in Kansas called us Thursday.  My son, Matt called me Saturday and Sunday, and I got a wonderful E-card and a "Skype" phone call from our youngest son, Aaron in China.  Great Father's Day gifts and a wonderful wife, Coletta, who has put up with me for 35 years as of yesterday.

I don't believe in luck or chance, but if I did I could say with Lou Gehrig, "I'm the luckiest man alive!"   Thanks everyone for making our Anniversary and my Father's Day so very special.

EASTER SUCCESS AT LIBERTY!

God blessed Liberty in a marvelous way yesterday at our 2011 Easter Service Sunday morning. Nearly every available seat was taken for our annual Easter Breakfast organized by our head Deacon, Jerry Miller. Our church men, teens, and even some of our Jr. age children helped fix food, take orders, and serve our guests.


The breakfast was followed by a 20 minute Easter Cantata, “Love Grew Where the Blood Fell.” Coletta Burns organized and coordinated this presentation and Choir Director, Fred Heimann directed the cantata. This was Fred’s very first cantata as our Choir Director, and both he and my wife, Coletta did excellent work. The singers were made up of our adult choir and a female teen quartet from our youth group.

After our Resurrection congregational singing lead by Song Leader, Fabian Canales, I was honored to preach a brief sermon on the Evidence of Christ’s Resurrection from the Bible and changed lives. With many friends, neighbors, and relatives coming to worship as our special guests, the Lord brought us a total of 168 people to this unified Easter Resurrection service.

God is good all the time, but He really showered His blessings on us this Easter to make this year’s worship and service very special.  That's "Something to Think About!"   

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

GOOD BYE, MATT, JENNY & MILEY BURNS !

Two days from this writing, my daughter in law, Jenny and our only granddaughter, Miley will be moving from Ohio to Kansas. Our oldest son, Matt will be finishing out his a/c - heating work for a company in Marion, Ohio and plans to join his wife and daughter May 13th. Matt and Jenny have lived near Marion, OH since their marriage and Miley was born in Marion 3 and 1/2 years ago at the same hospital where her "Nanny Burns" was born.

Moving "back to Kansas" where both Matt and Jenny were raised and attended school is a dream come true to them. They will be close to old friends, and family that still lives in Hutchinson and other nearby towns. Dorothy on the Wizard of Oz sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow," and when speaking of Kansas, she would close her eyes, click her heals and whisper, "There's no place like home." So, this beautiful "Burns' Trio" will have a new home not far from where "Dorothy" was from back where it all started.

Coletta and I are very happy for them. Just as we were excited with every new location the Lord moved us to during our earlier years of marriage and ministry, Matt, Jenny, and Miley are experiencing an adventure of a life time. Having said that, we will miss them dearly. Coletta and I are already starting to feel some of the "loneliness" that Miley's Grandpa and Grandma Riley have likely felt being so far away from their only granddaughter while Miley lived in Prospect, Ohio.  But as always, just like having our other son, Aaron in China, God's grace is always sufficient for changes in our lives like this one.

But, we will stay in touch and continue to be close even though many miles will be between us. Please pray for them in their journey back to Kansas, and for Miley as she adjusts to her new home and surroundings. We love you guys more than you will ever know, and we will see you again as soon as we can!

I'm "Papa Burns" writing for me AND NANNY BURNS, and that's something to think about!

JESUS SAID; BEWARE OF THE LEAVEN OF THE PHARISEES. (Matt. 16:6)

(John 8:7 - 12) So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:7 – 12)

The Religious Pharisees of Jesus’ day wanted to stone sinners. But Jesus loved this woman and wanted to win her to forgiveness and salvation. May God help we as Christians and the Church get back to loving people into the Kingdom rather than trying to “get them to act” the way we think they should act. Striving to force Christian convictions on people who might not even claim to be believers, when we as church members often fail miserably to “act right” is the height of hypocrisy. People who fall in love with Jesus will want to behave in a way that pleases Him. And, it will come from their hearts.
Jim Burns, Sr. Pastor, Liberty Baptist Church, Van Wert, OH. This is something to think about.

HERE'S THE CHURCH, BUT WHERE'S THE PEOPLE?

That's Something to think about!   Jim C. Burns
Email:  jimmycburns@aol.com

JIM BURNS WENT SKIING TODAY

Florida fun and sun the first of this month, flu last week, great day in the Lord's House yesterday, and then I went skiing (alone) today at Mad River Mountain, OH.  Our church group went Saturday, but I was home recovering from the flu and needed the rest so I could preach Sunday.

Now, a two day blizzard just started!   How can life get any better than this?

I'm Jim C. Burns, and that's Something to Think About!

Email: jimmycburns@aol.com

THE TRANSFER OF THE POWERS OF BURNS!

(Jim, Aaron & Matt Burns, and Miley Burns)

This is the "After Christmas Transfer!"  Our son and daughter in law from Prospect, OH were with us for Christmas along with our other son, Aaron who was home from China.  Our granddaughter Miley spent a couple of days with us after Christmas to play at "Nanny's House."  I  had a blast watching her "bond" with "Uncle Aaron" as she is now three and was just one when she last saw him.  Uncle Aaron and I took Miley to Kenton, OH and met Matt for a wonderful Mexican supper, then we "transferred" little Miley back to her Daddy to be delivered safely back to Mommy Jenny!  What a blessing to have a family that loves one and other!   Thanks gang for making Christmas so special for Coletta and me!

I'm Jim Burns and this is "Something to Think About!"     Email:  jimmycburns@aol.com

SCOOPING SNOW IS BETTER THAN MOWING GRASS!

My wife, Coletta and I along with our youngest son home from China just returned from a New Year's vacation last night.  Monday, we left sunny Daytona Beach, Florida with 75 degrees, flew in one of the  "two" planes out of Daytona Beach Monday, changed planes at Charlotte, NC. After our second plane was "de-iced," we took off and landed at Nashville where our mini-van waited on us.  (All other Daytona Beach flights were canceled due to the ice and snow in Atlanta).

After battling the ice and snow driving from Nashville, TN to Ohio last night, we were welcomed by over 4 inches of snow!  I just got in from scooping snow for about an hour and loved it!  One of the blessings of colder temperatures and living in N. W. Ohio is the snow and cold temperatures keep the grass from growing.  I hate mowing grass (with a push mower) but love the snow!  The colder temperatures also kill the mosquitoes and bugs, plus as far north as we are, we really don't have hardly any snakes!  (No poisonous ones at all and none at all in winter)!

It's good to be home.  Can't wait to see everyone at church tonight!

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