The most beautiful month of the year in Michigan has come and gone. Last night, I arrived home late from meetings at church to discover a gallon of sweet apple cider and a peck of Honey Crisp apples on the table. A gift from a friend. A Michigan apple is the signature of autumn. I like to say:
An apple is miracle, a marvel, and a wonder of God’s creative power.
In the three or four minutes it takes to eat an apple you have experienced:
The patience of winter snows
the promise of springtime blossoms,
the product of warm summer days,
and a piece of autumn in the palm of your hand.
Today we have a fresh, new month ahead of us. This month we will celebrate Thanksgiving and, in December, Our Lord’s Birth. It’s a wonderful way to end the year. I hope it’s been a good year for you and yours. It’s been a very hard year for many, especially in these parts. If we use the whole month of November for Thanksgiving and the whole month of December to especially worship and adore Christ we will have a good start on a new year. The key is to do our best to keep it simple and sacred.
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What Does the Bible Mean to You?
by Ken Pierpont
My friend Bill is a Gideon. We was on the campus of the University of Michigan giving out New Testaments one winter day. He and his friend were bundled up against the cold waiting for student to pour out of a large lecture hall. Some students were warming their hands by a burn barrel.
Gideon Testaments are nice Bibles. They have a durable cover. They are bound well. They include not only the New Testament, but the Psalms and Proverbs. They also have a page of helps, so you know were to look in the Bible for help. Each Gideon Testament includes a clear explanation of the gospel…. how to be saved.
Most of the students eagerly accepted a Testament, some politely refused or just nodded and walked on. One young man took a copy of the Testament, walked over to the burn barrel and dropped it in. Bill was unable to talk to him or try to unravel why a young man would react with such hostility to the gift of a Bible.
When Bill told me the story I felt a pang of pain in my soul and sadness for the young man. The Bible is a fascinating book breathed from the heart of God full of warnings, direction, wisdom, and the way of eternal salvation.
I know you would never burn the Bible but, I had to think; How precious is the Bible to me? Is the Bible precious to you? Do you cherish it? Do you value it? Do you read it, study it, memorize it and mediate on it?
Ken Pierpont
Granville Cottage
Riverview, Michigan
November 1, 2011
evelyn
We are an example to our families. I think what kind of hostility was this young man taught in his home? We need to pray for our college kids they are being taught hostility toward God… Thank you Pastor for sharing this true story.