The Importance of Preparation

By the end of this week I will have conducted my 103rd and 104th funeral services in the nine years I have been pastor here at Westmoreland Baptist Church. These serve as another couple of reminders to what the Bible reminds us about death. It’s certain. We may not know when. We may not know where. We may not know how, but it’s coming for each of us. It is important for us to remember that this is an appointment that we all must keep (Hebrews 9:27).

Fortunately the two dear ladies whom we have lost were prepared for their appointments. We can certainly take comfort in the fact that when they fell asleep here, they awakened in the presence of their Lord, Jesus Christ. Each of them had made those preparations years ago, when they came to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord.

The Word of God goes to great length to urge us to be prepared – for the likelihood of our own deaths, or for His coming to take His children home. Jesus, himself, used parables and lessons to teach of the importance of preparation.

I am thankful to know that in a world of uncertainty, preparation is possible. God has revealed His plan to us through His Word which explains that we can be prepared for death through the cleansing of our sins in the precious blood of Jesus.

Neglected preparation is sad, indeed. He tells us it is “Not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance”. (2 Peter 3:9) John 3:16 tells us the scope of God’s love, for everyone. The fact that any would leave this life without a relationship with Him is truly tragic, and totally unnecessary.

Thank God, however, that preparation has glorious results. Death is a blessed event to the one who knows Christ. It is certainly not a happy experience for those who have said farewell to their loved one, but it is a precious event to the Lord (1 Peter 3:4). One can only imagine the beautiful scenes that await us in Glory. We can rejoice in knowing that earthly pain and suffering are not even a memory to those who rest in the presence of Christ. It is a realm of endless bliss, perfect peace and rest, and fullness of joy for the believer.

I hope that you have made your preparation, because the time for each of us is coming!

Love This Old Poem

Years ago, my friend, Carl Taylor, would quote this poem from memory around Christmas time.
I have looked for it for years, and fortunately, this morning I have finally found it. We boys who grew up in the 50’s (and probably those from the 40’s too) can really relate to this poem. It’s a month late for Christmas, but I think it’s appropriate anytime.
Hope it brings a chuckle to you today.







Jest 'Fore Christmas
By Eugene Field



Father calls me William, sister calls me Will,


Mother calls me Willie, but the fellers call me Bill!


Mighty glad I ain’t a girl—ruther be a boy,


Without them sashes, curls, an’ things that’s worn by Fauntleroy!


Love to chawnk green apples an’ go swimmin’ in the lake—


Hate to take the castor-ile they give for bellyache!‘


Most all the time, the whole year round, there ain’t no flies on me,


But jest ‘fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be!






Got a yeller dog named Sport, sick him on the cat;


First thing she knows she doesn’t know where she is at!


Got a clipper sled, an’ when us kids goes out to slide,


‘Long comes the grocery cart, an’ we all hook a ride!


But sometimes when the grocery man is worrited an’ cross,


He reaches at us with his whip, an’ larrups up his hoss,


An’ then I laff an’ holler, “Oh, ye never teched me!”


But jest ‘fore Christmas I’m as good as I kin be!






Gran’ma says she hopes that when I git to be a man,


I’ll be a missionarer like her oldest brother, Dan,


As was et up by the cannibuls that lives in Ceylon’s Isle,


Where every prospeck pleases, an’ only man is vile!


But gran’ma she has never been to see a Wild West show,


Nor read the Life of Daniel Boone, or else I guess she’d know


That Buff’lo Bill an’ cow-boys is good enough for me!


Excep’ jest ‘fore Christmas, when I’m good as I kin be!






And then old Sport he hangs around, so solemn-like an’ still,


His eyes they seem a-sayin’: “What’s the matter, little Bill?”


The old cat sneaks down off her perch an’ wonders what’s become


Of them two enemies of hern that used to make things hum!


But I am so perlite an’ ‘tend so earnestly to biz,


That mother says to father: “How improved our Willie is!”


But father, havin’ been a boy hisself, suspicions me


When, jest ‘fore Christmas, I’m as good as I kin be!






For Christmas, with its lots an’ lots of candies, cakes, an’ toys,


Was made, they say, for proper kids an’ not for naughty boys;


So wash yer face an’ bresh yer hair, an’ mind yer p’s and q’s,


An’ don’t bust out yer pantaloons, and don’t wear out yer shoes;


Say “Yessum” to the ladies, an’ “Yessur” to the men,


An’ when they’s company, don’t pass yer plate for pie again;


But, thinkin’ of the things yer’d like to see upon that tree,


Jest ‘fore Christmas be as good as yer kin be!

A Mighty Fortress

Martin Luther is a towering giant in the history of the Church, and an iconic figure in the Protestant Reformation. Born in Germany 498 years ago, he became a Roman Catholic Priest, scholar and professor. His study of God's word led him to rebel against the teachings of the church which allowed for sin to be forgiven by monetary purchase. His "Ninety-Five Theses", presented in 1517 brought him in direct conflict with the Catholic Church. Pope Leo X demanded that Luther retract his writings. Luther refused, and as a result, was excommunicated from the Church.

Luther is perhaps best known for his teaching of Justification by Faith. He taught that salvation came through Christ alone, and could not be earned by our good deeds. This Biblical doctrine teaches that only a belief in the vicaroious death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Christ could bring one into right standing with God. He rejected the concept of the Papacy and taught the priesthood of all believers.

His translation of the Latin Bible into the language of the people, made a tremendous impact on the church, by making God's Word more easily accessible to the common man. It also led to further translations, and influenced the the King James translation in 1611.

Luther also authored several hymns. One of those hymns has become one of my very favorites. It has long been a standard and a comfort to believers who face tribulation and persecution. It was inspired by Psalm 46, and my heart thrills when I sing (or even just read) the words of this great treatise of faith. I joyfully share this message with you today.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never failing;

Our helper, He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;

His craft and power are great, and armed with cruel hate,

On Earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing.

Were not the right man on our side, the Man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;

Lord Sabaoth, His name, from day to day the same;

And He must win the battle.

And tho' this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us.

The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure, for lo, his end is sure,

One little word will fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;

The Spirit and the gifts are ours, through Him who with us sideth:

Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;

The body they may kill; God's truth abideth still,

His kingdom is forever.

Merry Christmas from C.J. and Linda!

2011 is winding down to its last few days, and Christmas is only two days away.



Linda and I want to take this opportunity to wish a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all of our friends, at home, and around the world!



Christmas is a busy time. Decorations are out. Shopping is being done. Get togethers are underway for church, business, and families. For a few short days, we take a break from most of the cares and worries of life and bask in the glow of the Christmas holiday.



At Christmas time, during this season of gift giving, I am always reminded of the greatest gift ever given (John 3:16) and of all the blessings that come with that gift, to those who believe.



I am thankful for Jesus. Thankful for the fact that He, alone, brings access to a personal relationship with Almighty God. Thankful for the family of God into which I have been adopted. Thankful for the forgiveness, grace, and mercy that He has brought to my life. Thankful for the treasures of eternal and abundant life that reside in this temporary earthen vessel. Thankful for a peace that passes earthly understanding and a joy that is unspeakable and full of glory. Thankful for the ultimate healing that He has brought to my never dying soul.



When we celebrate His advent during this very special time of the year, I always try to focus on the true reason He came to earth. He came, not just to be the Holy Child in the stable, but the one who came to show us the Father - the one who came to reconcile us to Him - the Lamb of God who became our sacrifice - the risen Savior with healing in His wings.



As we celebrate His first coming, nearly 2000 years ago, let us look forward with anticipation to His coming again - not as a helpless baby in an obscure stable - but as King of King and Lord of Lords!

We wish you all the blessings and joy of knowing that you are His - at Christmas time, and all 365 days of the year!

Until He Comes,
C.J. and Linda Adkins

What If...?

It’s that time again, and we are constantly reading and hearing news reports about “The War on Christmas”. As followers of Christ, we know what Christmas is all about. We all know and regularly use the current religious clichés, ie. “Jesus is the Reason for the Season”, “Christmas begins with CHRIST”, and “Don’t take Christ out of Christmas!”

Many of us go out of our way to find Christmas cards with religious messages and depictions of Nativity Scenes, (complete with shepherds, wise men, barnyard animals, a big star, and Mary, Joseph and the Baby) or cards with singing Angels, or at least cards with depictions of quaint churches in little villages under a cover of snow. We make sure the inside message makes reference to Christmas (with words like “Peace” and “Joy” prominently displayed) rather than the secularly popular “Happy Holidays” or the most bland “Season’s Greetings”. The faithful among us eschew the very mention of a “Holiday Tree” and make sure that the trees that decorate our homes, and the public square are properly named, “Christmas Trees”. We’ll protest loudly or sign petitions if they are called anything but the proper nomenclature.

After all, this is “war”. Right?

Why should we be surprised by a “war on Christmas”? There has been one going on for centuries. The Enemy has done everything within his power to derail God’s eternal plan of redemption. The Old Testament gives several examples as to how Satan has used kings and nations to try to stamp out the Jewish people before “The Anointed One” could arrive through the Tribe of Judah and the lineage of King David. If he could short circuit the promise of the “protoevangelum” (Genesis 3:15) or nullify the Messianic promises given by God to Israel and Judah by ancient Hebrew prophets, perhaps he could continue to keep mankind enslaved to sin. But alas, the genocide against the Jewish people, by the likes of Pharaoh and Haman were overcome, and his other plans were to no avail.

Even after Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, the Enemy used Herod the Great to try to eradicate the Messiah by the slaughter of the infant boys under the age of two! Satan has been, and still is, serious about nullifying the message of Christmas.

I’m going to risk making some wonderful folks angry here, but let me advance a proposition this Christmas.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not suggesting that we scrap the trees, garland, tinsel and holly, or any of the other trappings with which we are familiar. I certainly advocate the scriptural message for any greeting cards sent by Christ Followers. Nativity Scenes in our yards and in our homes should certainly hold a more prominent place than Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, and the big guy in the red suit. “The true meaning of Christmas” most certainly should be taught to our children.

But what if we went beyond even that?

What if we weren’t so militant about demanding our rights to publicly celebrate Christmas?

What if we celebrated Christmas in a different way?

What if we REALLY believed that Christmas is the real prelude to Easter, and celebrated it as such?

What if we explained to our children that the tree in our living room should be a bold reminder of a tree that was once used to fashion an old rugged cross, where our Savior died as our substitute.

What if we used the red lights and bows and greenery to be reminded about the True Light who came to a sin darkened world? He shed His red blood on the cross of Calvary, and died as a sacrifice for our sins.

What if we let the familiar evergreen boughs of the tree serve as a reminder that Jesus is the author and the only source of eternal life?

What if we were not so focused on the Baby Jesus, but rather on the adult Jesus who taught with authority?

What if we focused on following His radical teachings, denied ourselves, took up our crosses daily and followed Him?

What if our actions would identify us as His followers?

What if we allowed Him to fill us with His Spirit and cultivate His Fruit in our lives?

What if the gifts we gave one another spoke more about God’s great gift to us?

What if we were more focused on His example, and we learned that it is more blessed to give than to receive?

What of others would know that we are Christians by the love that we have for one another?

What if we were not only grateful recipients of His Grace, but also active conduits of it?

What if we had the faith of a grain of Mustard seed?

What if we really were Salt and Light in the world?

What if we were more mindful of the spirit of giving, and shared more quickly with others what God has given us through Jesus?

What if we smiled and exchanged more cheery greetings with others like we often do at Christmas time?

What if we did more random acts of kindness, gave more food, clothing, and water to those in need, in the name of Jesus?

What if we were so transparent in our motives, speech, and actions that others could readily see Jesus in us?

What if we followed the marching orders He gave us, and took the message to every people group on Earth?

And what if we did all these things 365 days per year, and not just on December 25th?

Surely the true Spirit of Christmas, would be so prevalent in the lives of Christ’s Followers, that we would never have to concern ourselves with the “war on Christmas”.
Lives would be changed, eternity would be effected, and Satan’s influence would be nullified in the lives of those who hear and accept.

After all, the victory was completed in Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection, nearly 2000 years ago.

We know that Jesus wasn’t born on December 25th. But we know that He WAS born, of a virgin, and we know the familiar story. However, the events surrounding Christmas many years ago in Bethlehem would be meaningless without the events of Passover week, centered around an execution site called Golgotha and a borrowed tomb that was only used for a portion of three days.

What if those “Good tidings of great joy” would be published to every people group, from around the corner to around the world?

It’s up to us.

"It's Christmas"

Larry Gunnoe is a friend whom I met in January 1970 at Free Will Baptist Bible College in Nashville, Tennessee. Larry was another West Virginia native (from Raleigh County) and we became great friends. He, Doug Goolsby, and I were an early version of "The Three Amigos" there on West End Avenue. We worked at the same laundry, laughed together, prayed together, and made many a pizza run when the meals just weren't exactly what we were hoping for at the dining hall.

They both served as grooms men in my wedding. We were all so close, I just assumed that we would always be close, but after school we all went our separate ways. I ended up in pastoral ministry, Doug carried mail for the U.S. Postal Service, and Larry has worked for Xerox, and has been involved in music and teaching ministries throughout the south. We actually lost track of each other, until one day Larry appeared in my former insurance office. He was working in the area and looked me up and we had a great visit, but alas, we lost track of each other again, until we recently found each other on Facebook!

Larry recently wrote the following article for a Sunday School Department Christmas Booklet at his church, and subsequently posted it on Facebook. I thought it was well worth posting here, and I have his permission to do so. So here 'tis:

"It’s Christmas"

"Have you ever heard someone say, “That’s what Christmas is all about”? Usually when I hear this comment, it is referring to the provision of a good meal for a needy family. Perhaps it is because an ...organization provided Christmas presents for children who would get none otherwise. I heard a man last year speak with enthusiasm about a concert he had recently attended. He stated, “You really get into the Christmas spirit when you hear Mannheim Steamroller!” Thinking about it later I wished I had invited him to the Christmas at Hilltop presentation, but it was too late then.

These things do help us get into the “Christmas Spirit” if you are thinking about the traditional American idea of Christmas. But this year, I want to go a little farther. As we study these two lessons about the birth of Jesus in our Sunday School classes, let’s think more about what Christmas meant to Jesus. We can plan to be even more appreciative of the great sacrifice Jesus made for us.

The best way to do that is to take upon ourselves His mindset as described in Philippians 2, verses 5—7. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”Jesus, Who is God, did not think being God was worth holding onto when He could become a babe which would lead to His sacrifice on the cross — Philippians 2:8 “And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”That is the true beauty and joy and cause for celebration for Christmas time. That Jesus surrendered to His Father’s will to become the perfect sacrifice to pay for my sin, and yours.

Notice, the story does not end there. Philippians 2 9—11 give the great conclusion to this venture. “Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” If we exalt Jesus during this season, we are doing what God Himself is working to do. To me that’s what Christmas is all about."

Good word for today, Larry. Thanks for sharing it, and now I've done the same. Merry Christmas Bro.!

A Happy Birthday - And A Sobering Anniversary

This handsome guy is grandson number 3, namely, Canon Josiah Adkins. (that's right another C.J. Adkins!)

Canon, who is seen here in his favorite hat, celebrates his seventh birthday tomorrow, with his brother and their parents in New Orleans. Seven years ago, he was born at Oschner Medical Center in the Big Easy, and it's one birthday I suppose I will never forget.

You see, Canon is not only my grandson, but he's also my marker.

The day he was born in a New Orleans hospital, I was admitted to Our Lady of Bellefonte Hospital in Ashland, KY. My family doctor socked me in the hospital for tests to determine why my hemoglobin level was less than seven. The day Canon was born, the doctors in Ashland explored my innards from north to south. (I was praying for a bleeding ulcer, but no luck on that!) The next day, the doctor (like the Starship Enterprise), "boldly went where no man had ever gone before", and he hit the jackpot!

The pictures showed a huge, ugly yellow looking mass that the doctor allowed was surely malignant. He immediately got me in touch with a surgeon, and within a week, I was back in Bellefonte Hospital, having three feet of my intestines unceremoniously removed. Biopsies were performed on the tissue that had been removed, as well as on my liver and several lymph nodes. The reports came back positive, and I was told I had an aggressive cancer that was spread throughout several organs. "Stage 4. Incurable" I remember the doctor telling us. Research (and later the oncologist) revealed that 18-22 months was the average survival time for someone in my condition.

And so the adventure began.

I could go on and on, but let me just say that with wonderful medical attention from the doctors, nurses, radiologists, etc - and (most importantly) the hand of Almighty God - has kept me here five years beyond the average survival rate.

Since he lives so far away, I don't get to see Canon but about four times per year. Those visits are precious. Partly because he is such a special little survivor himself (5 surgeries on his leg in four years) and partly because he is my marker. Whenever I see that little grandson, and note how grown up he is, I am reminded of how long God has allowed me to stay here beyond the expected time.

I can't tell you why He has spared my life, but I thank Him that He has, and I want to make every day count for Him!

Happy birthday Canon! Papaw loves you - and hopes to be around to see you have many more November 29ths!