The South Gibson Star-Times serves the towns of Haubstadt, Owensville and Fort Branch.
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/1479458
CHURCH The woman who had, for some decades, been head of state, greeted the woman newly become head of government. Two days later, while Liz Truss continued as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Queen Elizabeth lay dead. The Queen was dutiful to the end. It was not as if she had enjoyed uni- formly wonderful innings. Living in wartime Britain--indeed, in wartime London, a place easily reached, on moonlit nights, by the bombers of the Nazi Luftwaffe, could not have been an absolute treat. To the burdens of her office were added personal problems, not least, the marital situations of her children, and an extensive fire at one of her residences. Nonetheless, she persevered. Endurance is a quality highly rec- ommended by Scripture. Jesus assured his disciples, at the time of his sending them out to preach to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, that "the one who endures to the end will be saved." And there would be a fair amount to endure: flogging in the syna- gogues, and being dragged before governors and kings. Brother would deliver brother up to death, parents and children would rise against one another. There is also that famous list of things to be endured found in the let- ter to the Hebrews. It includes suffer- ing torture, mocking and flogging, chains and imprisonment; being stoned, sawn in two, and killed with the sword; being destitute, afflicted and mistreated. But whatever may come upon them, believers are called upon to endure. Near the beginning of his letter to the seven churches, the Seer John speaks of being a partner with them in "patient endurance." Members of the church at Ephe- sus are commended for their "patient endurance," as are the members of the church at Thyatira. Members of the church at Philadelphia are like- wise praised. Further along in the book of Rev- elation, after John has described the great red dragon with seven heads and ten horns, which desired to consume the child of the woman who was about to give birth, as well as the beast with ten horns and sev- en heads, that rose out of the sea, he writes, "If anyone has an ear, let him hear," concluding, "Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints." In the 14th chapter, after having recorded the messages of the three angels, John underlines those mes- sages by saying, "Here is a call for the endurance of the saints." Some people--perhaps all peo- ple, at least occasionally--find being obliged to endure, if not quite be- trayal by family members, public flogging, mocker y, torture, impris- onment, stoning, dismemberment, destitution and mistreatment, then at least affliction as regards ill health, inappropriate work, an inadequate economic situation, and disappoint- ments in relations of affection, un- just. They find such experiences a tri- al of their faith, for, if God is really good, if God is really just, if God, as He claims, really loves us--then why are these things being allowed to happen? We assume that when God, at Je- sus' baptism in the Jordan, said, "This is my beloved Son," He is speaking truth--and look at the suffering that Jesus was obliged to endure. We live in a fallen world, in which bad things are going to happen. We may not be protected from these things, but we can depend upon be- ing sustained within the situation. We will not be set upon by sur- prise. We have been warned, in ad- vance, what is out there. We have been repeatedly urged to endurance. More, we have been given the ex- ample of those–again, check that list in 11th chapter of Hebrews--of many who persisted and endured: Abel, Abraham, Sarah, Jacob, Joseph, Mo- ses, Rahab, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel, and so many others, not specifically named. These, the writer calls "so great a cloud of witnesses, examples of how to live lives of fortitude. We are given these encouraging examples in Scripture. We are given more of them throughout the histor y of the Church. Moreover, around us, daily, are those who, in difficult cir- America in Crisis America has experienced a straightfor ward, "in your face" wake- up call. The violence, brutality, and political upheaval we have remotely watched occurring in other places have come to our own soil. The so- cial and political forces of change are sweeping across the world; and like a hurricane growing in intensity, we are in its crosshairs. It began on 9/11 and has continued unabated since. Most people recognize COVID has changed the world. What life was like was before COVID is now a memor y. We are not going back. Joe Biden is president. If Trump is elected in 2024, we are not going back to the previous Trump days. Cities that got on the bandwagon to defund the police are feeling the repercussions of their foolish decisions. Cities are begging the police to return. But the damage is done. Their cities are in shambles, businesses and citizens are moving elsewhere. We are not going back. The news media has abandoned any pretense of balanced reporting. It's openly progressive biased report- ing has thrashed any credibility left. People know "fake news" when they see it and are looking elsewhere for information. President Biden, in recent speech- es, has labeled ever yone not bowing down to his definition of democra- cy as extremists and dangerous to democracy and America. The great uniter has become the great divider. Dissenting views in his America are not allowed. Political correctness and being "woke" rules the day. Some children are being taught in schools to hate themselves because of the color of their skin. We must do penance at the altar of the "woke" for sins of our forefathers. Those aggrieved demand recompense from the public checkbook. Some advocates embold- en the aggrieved by suggesting just go take their "stuff." We will not vote ourselves out of this muddle. We are too far down the road to turn around for the missed exit. The god of this world has us on the ropes. This god is opposed to all that is good and full of life. This god robs his followers of genuine compassion and kindness and gives them a false hope fueled by fentanyl, greed, cancel culture, and more gov- ernment handouts. The western world has rejected God. They declared ever y human god. This god of "Self" is sacred, worthy of worship. It spends its time cater- ing to its own desires. It withholds no pleasure. Self-revels in its nakedness and self-indulgence with no shame. The god of self is like a pig, all cleaned up, perfumed up, and ready for a show. No matter how good it looks, it's still a pig. A pig doesn't know it's a pig. It's always going to be a pig. It prefers to wallow in the mud. In contrast, Jesus died and revived. Self has no future other than death. Our only hope is another "Great Awakening." On July 8th, 1741, Jon- athan Edwards visited Enfield, Con- necticut, where his friend, Eleazar Wheelock, pastored a congrega- tion. Someone wrote, "So barren was the place spiritually, that on the Saturday evening before Ed- wards was due to preach, a group of South Gibson Church Services BUCKSKIN ST. JOHN'S CHURCH OF BUCKSKIN 8260 E. 900 S., Buckskin Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser vice 10:15 a.m. CYNTHIANA FIRST UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Corner of North and Walnut Sunday worship ser vice 9 a.m. FAIR HAVEN CHRIST FELLOWSHIP Church Street, Cynthiana Mike Douglas, Pastor Phone: 812-724-4735 Sunday morning worship 10 a.m.; Wednesday evening 7 p.m. FORT BRANCH BETHLEHEM GENER AL BAPTIST CHURCH 3208 W 525 S, Fort Branch (CR 325 W off of Hwy. 168) Steve Wilson, Pastor Bible study 9 a.m. Sunday worship 10 a.m. FIRST CHURCH OF THE NAZARENE 601 S. Lincoln, Fort Branch Pastor Br yan Holzappel Sunday school 9:30 a.m. Morning worship 10:30 a.m. FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 212 West Locust, Fort Branch Pastor Corey Atkins Phone: 812-753-4623 Sunday school 9 a.m.; Worship ser vice 10 a.m. (Communion first Sunday); Second Cup of Coffee (la- dies' group) all ladies welcome, sec- ond Wednesday, 9 a.m. FIRST UNITED METHODIST CHURCH OF FORT BR ANCH 100 W. Vine St., Fort Branch Rev. John Baylor, Jr., Pastor 812-753-4424 Sunday School 9:30 a.m.; Sun- day Worship 10:30 a.m., nurser y provided for preschool age and under. Youth Groups for grades 4-12 meet at 6 p.m. on Sunday evenings, Sept. through May. De- tails on the church website www. fbfirst.org. HOLY CROSS CATHOLIC CHURCH 200 S. Church St., Fort Branch Fr. Gary Kaiser Pastor Joe Siewers, Deacon Saturday Mass 4:30 p.m.; Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. PROVIDENCE PRIMITIVE BAPTIST CHURCH CR 550 S., NE of Fort Branch Mitch Breidenbaugh, Pastor Sunday school for children and adults at 10:30 a.m.; worship 11 a.m.; For information, call 812-753-3386. ST. LUCAS UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 6777 S. 350 East, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday school 9:30 a.m.; Sunday worship 10:30 a.m. ST. BERNARD CATHOLIC CHURCH SNAKE RUN 5342 E. SR 168 (East of Fort Branch) 812-753-4568 Fr. Chris Forler, Pastor Sunday Mass 8:30 a.m. ST. PAUL'S UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST 4222 E. SR 168, Fort Branch Pastor John Heumann Sunday worship 9 a.m.; Sunday school 10:15 a.m. VERTICAL CHURCH Coal Mine Rd., Fort Branch Rich Clark, Pastor Sunday morning worship ser vices 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. Vertical Kids chil- dren's ministr y available during both ser vices for children from birth to fifth grade. Ignite Ministr y is 6 to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays for students in sixth-12th grades. WESLEYAN CHURCH 202 E. Vine St., Fort Branch Sunday school from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.; Sunday worship, 10:30 a.m.; Sunday evening worship 6:30 p.m.; Wednesday evening adult Bible study, 6:30 p.m., GIG (Growing in God) Club for ages 5 to 11 (available while school is in session), Teen Group for ages 12 and up. For more information call the church at 812-677-5007. HAUBSTADT NEW LIBERTY CHRISTIAN CHURCH Hwy. 68 between Cynthiana and Haubstadt Gordon Jones, Pastor Services Sunday 10:30 a.m. New Life House of Prayer 208 West Street, Haubstadt Adam and Lindsay Ping Phone: 812-215-9003 Sunday morning ser vice 10 a.m.; Children's Sunday school during ser vice; Food Pantr y open first and third Wednesdays of the month from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. Ever yone welcome! IMMANUEL LUTHER AN CHURCH (LCMS) 1-1/2 miles south of I-64 and U.S. 41, Volkman Rd. Rev. Kirk Horstmeyer Saturday evening ser vices 5:30 p.m.; Sunday worship ser vices 8 a.m. and 10:15 a.m.; Sunday school 9:10 a.m. ST. JAMES CATHOLIC CHURCH Old Princeton Rd., Haubstadt Fr. Andrew Thomas, Admistrator Fr. Kenneth Betz, Parochial Bicar William Brandle, Deacon Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. STS. PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH 201 Vine St., Haubstadt Fr. Andrew Thomas, Admistrator Fr. Kenneth Betz, Parochial Bicar William Brandle, Deacon Saturday Mass 5 p.m.; Sunday Masses 7 and 10 a.m. ZION UNITED CHURCH OF CHRIST Second and Elm St., Elberfeld Rev. Paul Fraser Sunday school 9 a.m.; worship ser- vice 10 a.m. LYNNVILLE BARNET T CHAPEL Stanley Road, Lynnville Don Williams, Pastor Points to Ponder By Curtis Bond Two Minutes With the Bible By Pastor Paul M. Sadler Reflections From the Page By Cleoramae G. Stunkel Sad, but true "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." — I Corinthians 10:12 Heard a stor y told by a Grace Be- liever who met another Grace Believ- er in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge: "I was standing in the middle of the Golden Gate Bridge admiring the view when another tourist walked up alongside of me to do the same. I heard him say quietly, as he took in the beauty of the view, 'What an awe- some God.' "I turned to him and said, 'You a Christian?' "He said, 'Yes, I am a Christian.' "I said, 'So am I,' and we shook hands. I said, 'Are you a liberal or a fundamental Christian?' "He said, 'I am a fundamental Christian.' "I said, 'So am I,' and we smiled and nodded to each other." I said, 'Are you a Covenant or dispensation- al, fundamental Christian?' "He said, 'I am a dispensational, fundamental Christian.' "I said, 'So am I,' and we slapped one another on the back." I said, 'Are you an early Acts, mid-Acts or late Acts, dispensational, fundamental Christian?' "He said 'I am a mid-Acts, dispen- sational, fundamental Christian.' "I said, 'So am I' and we agreed to exchange Christmas cards each year. I said, 'Are you an Acts 9 or 13, mid-Acts, dispensational, fundamen- tal Christian?' "He said, 'I am an Acts 9, mid-Acts, dispensational, fundamental Chris- tian.' "I said, 'So am I' and we hugged one another right there on the bridge. I said, 'Are you a pre-trib, Insight By Dave Ingler His name was John "Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from ever y nation who fear him and do what is right." (Acts 10:34-35) Several years ago, our family went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Twen- ty-three to be exact. It was my moth- er and father-in-law's fiftieth wedding anniversar y and they chose to cel- ebrate it with those of us who com- prise the immediate family. And I am glad they did. We had a wonderful time together. From the tropical sights of the is- lands to the various activities associ- ated with a cruise line, our days and nights were filled with great times. But I think all of us would agree that the highlight of each day was the evening dining experience. There is much to be said about fine china, gourmet dining and time spent in conversation with those you care about. And they are all the more A-6 Tuesday, September 20, 2022 South Gibson Star-Times See INSIGHT on page 7 See BIBLE on page 7 See CHURCH on page 7 See REFLECTION on page 7 See CRISIS on page 7