Bittersweet Farm

Bittersweet Farm

Ken

Don’t Ask Me For Anything

Filed Under: Bethel Church-Jackson, Bittersweet Farm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MQv1EENYXss

On a clear morning last June I hiked out to this point on the property of the Kentucky Mountain Mission to pray. I thought; “What should I ask God for?” The future was uncertain to me.

The answer came ringing into my spirit; “Don’t ask me for anything. Just tell me you will go wherever I ask you to go, do whatever I ask you to do, and say whatever I tell you to say.”

That prayer gave be great peace all summer long. God led to me to travel and preach almost every day, usually a couple times a day. I preached 116 times in Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, New York and Canada. God met every single need all summer long for our family. He provided what was needed for our daughter Heidi and her children who had fled to us for shelter from an abusive marriage.

Churches in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan expressed serious interest in my becoming their pastor. By autumn I was called to be the Lead Pastor of Bethel Church here in Jackson. Now we have a growing flock to feed and lead and protect and teach and shepherd. We live on our own little two-acre “Bittersweet Farm” where we are surrounded by natural beauty and birdsong, trees and growing things, deer and wild turkey. We can see the sunrise and watch the sunset. We have an open view of the night sky, the stars and waxing and waning of the phases of the moon. In every direction is peaceful beauty.

We lie in our big bed in our upstairs bedroom every night and talk of the goodness of God and thank Him for his great faithfulness.

I’ll go where you want me to go, Lord.
I’ll do what you want me to do.
I’ll say what you want me to say.
I trust you, Lord.
If you call me to something hard,
strengthen me and help me to be faithful.

Bittersweet Farm Journal (Number 5)

Filed Under: Bittersweet Farm

This Week on Bittersweet Farm

Things have been quiet. They are usually wonderfully quiet and peaceful out here. It’s not remote but it is beautifully rural. The noise of songbirds is picking up. We’ve had a couple late-season snow-storms an the past couple weeks. They add a white beauty to a world waiting to turn green.

When first I laid eyes on this house one of the first things the leapt into my imagination was a picture of me sitting on this porch on a Saturday night going over my message for Sunday morning. I’m looking forward to hours of quiet contemplation, listening to the voice of God in the turning of the seasons, to the bird songs wind in the treetops.

Last Sunday morning a three-quarter moon was setting in the west. The sun was about to rise. I stood outside in quiet worship before I left for the church and captured some pictures for you.

Last Sunday morning a three-quarter moon was setting in the west. The sun was about to rise. I stood outside in quiet worship before I left for the church and captured some pictures for you.

Be An Answer to Someone’s Prayer

We camped out one night, the boys and I, in the Red River Gorge. It was a good memory but a really poor night of camping. When we pulled up stakes and broke camp and left there was no attendant to take our money. When we arrived late the night before there was no one there to take our money. I drove away knowing that I would be back by this way later in the day and I could pay then for the night’s stay at the campground at Natural Bridge.

Later that day I packed up my bright Red Jeep “George” “Red River George” to head back to Michigan. I would be traveling alone save for the company of our faithful Yorkie, Hazard (who you may remember is from the Bluegrass himself). I pulled out of Campton and in a few minutes and was descending the hill at Slade into the Red River George.

I thought about not paying. We had not been there long, but at last my conscience prevailed and I pulled down into the campground and paid for a our poor night’s stay. The attendant was pleasant and we chatted for a while. I had a long trip ahead of me and now I was a bit behind my schedule.

Out onto the Mountain Parkway I pulled. There was still a mist in the mountains that morning and there was almost no traffic at all on the Parkway that claimed and descended the mountains and wound and wove thorough the dense Daniel Boone National Forest.

After a few minutes a sight ahead caught my eye—a distressed motorist in a little red Ford Focus was broken down on the side of the road with a thoroughly flat tire. Behind the car was an elderly lady looking into her trunk.

I pulled up behind her.

“Can I give you some help?”

“O, I was just standing here praying that someone would come alone who could help me.”

“Well,” I said; “It not every day you get to be someone’s answer to prayer. I ask God every day to give me opportunities to help people so it looks like you are an answer to my prayer too.”

In a few minutes I had her little “donut” spare in place and she was headed toward Lexington to have her tire repaired. I followed her until she got there to be sure everything was OK. I had not thought to tell her that the maximum speed on a donut tire in 45 or so… This dear grandmother put her foot in it and drove all of 70 miles an hour all the way to Lexington. Her guardian angels must have been worn out by the time they got her safely there.

I hope you have a good day. I hope you are answer to someone’s prayer. I hope someone else is an answer to your prayer. Oh, and pay your honest debts, too. If I had not I would have missed being an answer to prayer that day.


Ken Pierpont
Bittersweet Farm
March 7, 2018
Summit Township, Michigan

HOW TO “MEZUZAH” YOUR HOME

Filed Under: Faith and Family

The Jews place a Mezuzah on the doorpost of their home to remind them of their love for God and the Law of God. Here are some things that you can do to influence those in your home to love God and regard the law of God:

* Fill your home with reminders of the truths of Scripture and your allegiance to them.
* Listen to good, Christian Radio Broadcasts and iPod, etc.
* Play Christ-exalting, pure, joyful, scripturally-sound music constantly in your home.
* Have a copy of God’s Word featured prominently in your home. (Not a decoration)
* Place good, Christian literature all around your home. (Toilet-tank edification)
* Make craft items that feature Scripture quotations. Place them around your home or use them for gifts “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”
* Have a family bookcase and invest in good biographies of Great Christians. Read them to your children in the evening or paraphrase them for smaller children. (Use the highlighter outline method)
* Record your family stories which illustrate the things the Lord has taught you and send them to your children or grand-children.
* Keep a Prayer Book and record answered prayer
* Make a special project of making a Missionary Prayer Book (card collection; stamp collection) (Jer. 5:5)
* Take one of your children on a missions trip.
* Go on an adventure to seek God. -One pastor took his son on his senior year to section hike the AT and taught him the Book of Ephesians on the trail. -North Manitou Island Adventure.
* Be careful not to grieve the Spirit of God with entertainment that doesn’t please Him.
* Have a world map in your home and show where world prayer needs and missionary endeavors.
* Have missionaries in your home.
* Display beautiful, balanced art— with a purpose or a story
* Invite those with needs to your home to help them.
* Bake and cook to give things to others.
* Be sure each child has his own Bible and learns how to treat it.
* Take advantage of difficult situations and see them as “aids to communion” (2 Cor. 12:7-9)
* Dad: Before you leave for work in the morning arouse the children’s curiosity by saying: tonight after dinner, I’m going to tell you “The BB gun mystery” The story of “Skipper the Missionary Dog.” etc.
* Mom: Devote yourself to meaningful homemaking. Turn on your creative skills toward it.
* Get your home neat and organized. Practice jurisdictional leadership, example.
* Have a time of family devotions regularly.
* Use scripture memory charts and small incentives.
* Put scripture memory cards on ‘fridge, shaving mirror, speedometer, wallet etc.
* Carry “ammo” for the devil in areas of temptation.
* Build a good Bible Study Library
Complete Concordance
A Word Study Bible
A good Bible Dictionary (teachers should have “ISBE” or Zondervans Pictorial Bible Dictionary).
A good Bible Atlas
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. (TSK)
* Come to prayer meetings as a family
* Worship as a family
* Teach your children to sit quietly in church (how to do it)
* Create a quiet bag
* Have a Saturday night ritual
Quarterly discussion
Shine shoes -this is a good time for the Father to “bless” each member of the family
Wash car
lay-out all clothes
* Have a Sunday Morning ritual (music, Breakfast, no time for selfishness here)
* Dress up and make the Lord’s Day special
* Develop a family ministry (sing in Rest Homes/ Adopt a Widow)
* Teach your children young how to tell others how to be saved.
* Make your own Wordless Book
* Sponsor a neighborhood 5-Day Club
* Teach them to distribute tracts
* Evaluate teaching, but never openly criticize spiritual leaders.
* Father should assume enthusiastic leadership in all these areas
* Mother needs to show great enthusiasm at whatever attempts the father makes in this direction.
* Remember that spiritual things are discerned with the spirit, so don’t worry if you think preaching is “over their head.”
* Cleanse home. Go through your house and ask God to show you anything that could cause your children to stumble… remove it.
* Study Scriptural and spiritual definitions of names and use them to “bless” your children
* Put the children into bed each night with a prayer.
* Have them pray, but don’t have them pray “canned” prayers
* Go on special “adventures”
* Rise early and go on a walk to work on Scripture memory
* Get out on the lake to talk about a biblical principle
* Take “full moon” walks
* Establish scriptural convictions and educate your family to embrace them.
* tell stories of the spiritual journeys of your families.
* Use clothing that symbolizes your devotion to Christ.
* Praying together as a family
* Use your talents for Christ
* Listening to people and acting on needs as a family
* Bible memory
* Use character-building books—Christian
* Center around the local church. Always cast local church ministry in a positive light.
* Have the children serve under people who don’t have the same gifts that you do.

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