Bill Nieporte, Pastor

Michael & Michelle

 

 

I am not young enough to know everything.

– Oscar Wilde

Ability becomes a liability when we trust in the ability instead of trusting in God. – Steve McVey 

Heard a great story the other day as told by Evangelist Billy Graham.

Rev. Graham was in another country, in a region without much in the way of mass communications technology.  In essense, Rev. Graham was a virtual unknown by the residents of the community.  While touring the region, he met a local farmer and they struck up a conversation.  Rev. Graham began to tell the man about Jesus Christ.

As Rev. Graham completed his presentation, he was surprised to see the man begin crying.  After a few moments, he spoke, saying, “I’ve always known that God was like that.  I just didn’t know His name.”

Later, as he tells the story, Dr. Graham says, “I did not lead that man to Jesus.  I just gave the man Jesus name.”

Relaying this story, Dr. Mark Biddle, Old Testament Professor at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond, said:

“Evangelism is not introducing people to Jeuss.  We don’t arrange for people to have an encounter with Jesus.  We simply name it.”

Could it be that Jesus is already involved in people’s lives?  He’s already revealing himself and God’s grace!  If so, that should cause us to redefine evangelism.  Our job is not to line up converts, as though we are making notches on some sort of Gospel gun.  Evangelism is not spreading propaganda for Jesus (handing out tracks in the mall, or leaving them in place of a tip when we get breakfast at a local restaurant).  Rather, evangleism is about egaging people in a relationship. Its about learning what’s happening in a persons heart, mind, and life.  Then, when we see an expressing of Jesus in their lives, we simply NAME IT.

May Not Look Good - But It WAS a Happy Day

“The chief aim of man (sic) is to love God and enjoy Him forever!” – Westminster Catechism

Daughter Michelle 17 Years Ago

Start Immediately: “This is the day that the Lord has made”

Unplug from wasteful activities – does anyone watch too much TV

Fellowship With People Of Faith – Recover the importance of festival

Find and reason to party (blessings, achievements, births)

Focus on the Goodness of God daily –think about God’s grace

Make noise and move around when you praise God. See 2 Sam 6:14; Ex. 15:20

Find a joy mentor. Spend time with people who fill you up, not empties you out

Set aside a day for pleasure and celebration

Incorrect assumptions lie at the root of every failure.  Have the courage to test your assumptions.  – Brian Tracy

(Brian Tracy is America’s Leading Business Authority on Success.  Learn more about Brian by visiting http://allaboutsuccess.com).

(This brief article comes from Ron White. You can learn more about Ron at the conclusion of this great article).

One of Ralph Waldo Emerson works was a poem on success, and one of his measures of success in that poem was to, ‘Leave the world a bit better.’

That line has always stuck in my head. Emerson said you have succeeded if you leave the world a bit better. And I have made that line part of my life philosophy. When the tide goes out there is a watermark left behind of where the water was. When the waters of life recede from the shore of my being and my heart pumps for the last time, my desire is that there will be a mark where I stood. My aim is that the mark will say, ‘For some decades a man occupied this space who saw others more important than himself and efforted to leave the world a better place for them and those yet to come.’

Our society tells us that success is measured by bank accounts, power, beauty and wealth. These are often the result of hard work, luck or birth. They are not evil and I strive for some of them daily. However, they are not the mark I will measure the success of my life with.

So how do you do it? How do you ‘leave the world a bit better?’:
– You give a percent of your income away to a charity or church. This makes your community better.
– You save a percentage of your income to pass down to your family when you leave.
– You volunteer your time for those who are less fortunate. Are you volunteering anywhere?
– You mentor someone who needs a positive direction in life.
– You follow and get involved in politics. Our laws and leaders will determine the future. You can have a hand in that future.

Or you can amass as much wealth as you can, spend it as fast as you can on the fading desires of your heart and seek to please yourself first. Our culture might tell you that this is success. Emerson tells us that it is not. I encourage you to realize that the waters of your life will eventually withdraw from the shore. When it does, will there be a watermark?

—–
Ron White is a world renowned author, speaker, consultant, and “memory expert.” My family and I have used his memory courses and found them a great blessing. Below is my endorsement of his product. A link to Jim Rohn’s site (where you can get more details about Ron’s memory enhancement courses) is also included below.

“My name is Bill Nieporte. I am a full-time pastor of a small but wonderfully loving rural church in, Virginia I have always received high marks as a gifted preacher. I love communication and though my church is small, I have had many chances to preach in big churches and speak on platforms of up to 2000 people. It’s a real blast – but for me always involved hard work of preparation (of course) and even harder work of MEMORIZATION. I never really memorized verbatim – but it was pretty close to it.

Since completing your “Memory in a Month” course, the memorization has been much easier, and more enjoyable. In fact, the pictures I create and place on my “Sanctuary List” provide even greater inspiration toward additional content. It’s an incredible blast! My congregation has noticed!

This past Sunday three different people said, basically: “Don’t take this wrong, cause you have always been a good preacher – but the last several sermons have been simple incredible.” Since the raw material (the Bible) is equally good each week – and my preparation and interpretation is basically the same, I have to assume the reason for the praise it that I have been using the system you taught.

Additionally, we’ve had several visitors over the last few weeks – and they have been amazed that I remember their name when seeing them in the community. They’ve even come back a second time for that very reason. My reason for writing is simply to say THANKS!

My wife listened to the material with me – and is finding application as a teacher with “special needs” children. Our young children are going to go through the materials with us following labor day, as they begin school. I have always enjoyed listening to Zig, Jim, Chris, Brian and the other motivational speakers with whom you associate, not to mention the pulpit masters from whom I try to gather wisdom. I am happy to place you among these esteemed individuals. I also purchased your Einstein resource – and we listened to it while traveling for seven hours to our mountain “family retreat” just a few months ago. It was very enjoyable listening.

Thanks again for these wonderful resources. Someday I hope we can meet in person. Till then I offer you God’s blessings!” — Bill Nieporte

To learn more about Ron’s memory enhancement courses, please visit http://allaboutsuccess.com

A bit odd – but I like it.  Not sure I could officiate it – but I do love dancing.

Bear - One Of Our Two Dogs

“Here is why humans can do remarkable things: because they are remarkable. Humans are different than any other creation. When a dog starts with weeds, he winds up with weeds. And the reason is because he’s a dog. But that’s not true with human beings. Humans can turn weeds into gardens.” 

 This quote is from  Jim Rohn, America’s Foremost Business Philosopher. To subscribe to the Free Jim Rohn Weekly E-zine go to http://allaboutsuccess.com

In 1951 Sam Turner, a 29 year old serving an 8-year prison term near Atlanta, Georgia, saw an opportunity and took it.  Working on a road gang, Sam notice a security lapse that gave him the opportunity to “just walk away”— and he did.

 It took 46 years, but authorities finally caught up with Sam. In 1997, a routine search of driver’s license renewal records turned up the man who had been a fugitive for nearly half a century— all the while raising a family, working as a machinist, serving as a deacon in his church, and by all appearances living a normal life. He’d gotten a driver’s license, applied for Social Security benefits, and even been stopped by police for traffic infractions— yet his secret had never been discovered.  He never even changed his name.

 When authorities caught up with him in December 1997, Sam was sitting in his den watching TV, just like any other citizen in his little town might have been doing that evening. After 46 years, he was a prisoner once again.

 Sam Turner’s story reminds us that THE NEW LIFE we’ve been granted through grace should never be taken for granted.  Easter is about the gift of NEW LIFE – and this new life is always “Unfinished Business.”  Christ redemption IS COMPLETE – but NOT what we do with it.  We are always being called “one step further” as we follow Jesus.   Jesus was not in the tomb, the scriptures repeatedly say.  “He’s gone on ahead of you!” the angelic messengers declare.

 Indeed He has – and Jesus calling us to live the new life He has given us.  Those of us fortunate to experience this new life must ask: Are we making this new life mean something?

(Not sure where I found this story and the thought behind it, but its good from wherever it came from!)