Pilgrims' Pathway Newsletter
July/Aug. 2001
Contents:
Angel Presence
Book Review
Is Assurance Yours? A Death in the Family
Your Love Seems to Never End, Lord
Recipes
Honey Out of the Rock
Parting Verses
Above all, my mind being
now more opened and enlarged, I began to read the Holy Scriptures upon
my knees, laying aside all other books, and praying over, if possible,
every line and word. This proved meat indeed and drink indeed to my
soul. I daily received fresh life, light, and power from above.
I got more true knowledge from reading the book of God in one month than
I could ever have acquired from all the writings of men.
-George Whitefield
READ GOD’S WORD !!!
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Angel Presence
The Lord had moved me to northern
Iowa to live with some saints, to labor with them, and to support their
ministry. Little did I know what a time of testing and yet blessing
it would turn out to be.
I remember one fall day I was
walking on the west edge of town in Charles City, Iowa. As
I made my way going north on a gravel road, there was a bridge that had
old fashioned “railed” sides to it. One rarely sees these any longer.
For me this was a time of severe testing and dependence on Christ alone.
Had God really called me there or not?
The doors for gainful employment
were c losed despite all I did, yet the Lord showed me to walk BY FAITH.
He had not yet opened up the door to working in the medical c linic
in Mason City that He had indicated earlier I should apply to. All
doors were shut. I was draining down my IRA to live off, and my
(later divorced) wife was resistant to following me with our children
to relocate, and the marriage was going from very bad to worse.
There are times in the life of
a Christian when there is the lonely walk of faith, when even God does
not answer. When the “heavens are brass,” and there is no word
of comfort. You have examined your heart,
and there is no sin, yet the Father chooses
not to answer. And you cast yourself totally and completely on Him...And
yet, you are still walking with Him. Until you actually go through
this, one cannot begin to describe it. You must trust and rest in
God alone.
I missed my family so much and
yearned for them to come to see me, even drive halfway and I would lead
them here and see that there was a future with God...
But it was a gray overcast day,
and I was praying in the Spirit. As I passed over the bridge, I noticed
- looking to the west along the stream that traveled through some woods
- some spiny “burr cowcumbers,” hanging on their tan vines. There was
a light breeze blowing, and I was led to pray for a sister in the Lord (name
withheld).
I suddenly felt a presence in
that breeze. It was a soft, yet discernible presence as I prayed.
I was touched and I knew it was of God! He was strengthening me
for that time. Precious indeed is the Father’s love! Was it
an angel? I think so, for we read in Hebrews 1:7, “Who makes His angels
winds, and His ministers a flame of fire...”
-”M”
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If the good
things I do are done in and of myself alone, I am, in reality, trying
to justify myself by works. Rather, I must rely on Christ alone for
all righteousness. I sin whenever I turn to myself for righteousness.
Holiness comes from Him. My righteousness is “as filthy rags.” I
sin whenever I do not look at Him for all sufficiency and for all
righteousness.
-Atlanta Stace
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Is Assurance Yours?
The following is an article/summary
on a book, The Doctrine of Assurance, by A.W. Pink, along with
some of his quotes.
The need to understand
Biblical assurance is at the core of our salvation. None of us wants to
be told by the Lord Jesus, “I never knew you: depart from Me.” (please
see Matt. 7:21-24) We must strive to understand the Scriptures in
their context on this topic and not pull them out at random. So many
people are convinced of their salvation; certain they are going to heaven,
yet their daily walk plainly shows they are deceived, and that their assurance
is only a fleshly one. The Lord tells us in II Pet. 1:10 . . .”give
diligence to make your calling and election sure.”
Many people base their
salvation on verses like Jn. 3:16 and 5:24, and are content to take it
no further. But this is just the starting place. The Lord gave
us much more! The whole epistle of I John shows us how we may know
if we have eternal life. “Not once in its five chapters are we told,
`We know that we have passed from death unto life (just) because we are
resting on the finished work of Christ.’ (Rather, it says: We know that
we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. Sacrificial
love is one of the works or results of faith.) The total absence of such
a statement ought to convince us that something must be radically wrong
with so much of the popular teaching of the day on this subject.”
We must not close our eyes
to the truths of God’s Word. To be comfortable with overly simplified
or false teachings will not bring one to heaven. “An honest heart
does not fear the light. A sincere soul is willing to be searched
by the truth.” In I John there are many tests to make our “election
sure,” such as: “he that says, I know Him, and keeps not His commandments,
is a liar, and the truth is not in him,” “he that abides in Him ought
to walk as He walked,” “he that hates his brother is in darkness,”
“let us love in deed and in truth,” “we know that He abides in us
by the Spirit which He has given us.” As you can see, belief in
the Lord has results. We aren’t to just say we know Him, we
are to prove it. His “commandments should occupy our thoughts and
prayers as much as do His promises.” This does not mean we
will never stumble and sin, but
rather our heart’s desire is to keep His Word
perfectly, and we are to make an honest effort to do so.
Next we’ll look at two
statements. The first was made by the Puritans, the second
is a product of the 20th century from the Scofield Bible.
“Can true believers be
infallibly assured that they are in the estate of grace and that they shall
persevere therein unto salvation? Answer: Such as truly believe in
Christ, and endeavor to walk in all good conscience before Him (I Jn. 2:3)
may, without extraordinary revelation, by faith founded upon the Truth
of God’s promises, and by the Spirit enabling them to discern in themselves
those graces to which the promises of life are made (I Jn. 3:14,18,19,
21,24, etc.), be infallibly assured that they are in the estate of
grace and shall persevere therein unto salvation (I Jn. 5:13; 2 Tim. 1:12).”
Quote by the Puritans.
“Assurance is the believer’s
full conviction that, through the work of Christ alone, received by faith,
he is in possession of a salvation in which he will be eternally kept.
And this assurance rests only upon the Scripture promises to him who believes.”
Quote from the Scofield Bible.
The statement by the Puritans
is designed to lead to heart searching. The other statement is likely
to build up the deluded.
In the Sermon on the Mount,
the Lord Jesus blessed a certain type of people by their characters.
To be “poor in spirit,” is to have the sense that in the flesh “there
dwells no good thing.” Those that “mourn” have a deep realization
that spiritually they are poverty-stricken. The “meek” are yielded
and pliable, which makes them submissive and responsive to God’s will.
These traits, along with the other beatitudes, are mostly “inward graces;
not showy deeds, “and manifest themselves as we grow in Christ.
We should examine ourselves by the description Jesus gave to see if we can
be identified as such. John 3:20, 21 says, “For if our heart condemn
us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved,
if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.”
“The natural man, while left to himself, hates the searching light
of God, fearful lest it should disquiet the conscience, expose
the fallacy of his presumptuous confidence, and shatter his false peace.”
Sometimes we find it difficult
to determine our assurance because of our two natures - the flesh and the
Spirit - Gal. 5:17. The real Christian finds in himself much that
is conflicting and cries for God to search him. Those who have a carnal
or fleshly assurance feel no need to ask the Lord to “prove” them.
So here is the question: “Is a simple faith in Christ sufficient to save
a soul for time and eternity? Answer: No, it is not.” Mental
assent is not enough. The dictionary defines believe as: “assent
of mind or firm persuasion.” But according to James 2:19, even “the
devils believe and tremble.” The kind of belief in Christ that the
Christian is to have is much deeper. Strong’s Concordance defines
believe, faith and trust as: to entrust, commit, reliance
upon Christ, to rely on by inward certainty. Often these
definitions are used interchangeably with these words. “A simple
faith which remains alone, a faith which does not purify the heart (Acts
15:9), work by love (Gal. 5:6), and overcome the world (I Jn. 5:4), will
save nobody.”
Those who are sure of entering
eternity where there is no sin, but allow sin in their lives now (being
persuaded that Christ has fully atoned for sin), are deceived. If we
don’t hate our sin now and long to be free of it, then we don’t truly want
to be free of it in the future. Holy assurance will be evident when
we see the fruit of the spiritual graces follow it. We must beware
of having only a “form of godliness”, (II Tim. 3), which makes
excuse for sin, and does not seek to eliminate it. The Christian life is
not one of ease. We are to “strive” and be “diligent” in the race
that is set before us. “There is no remaining stationary in the Christian
life: he who does not progress, retrogrades. He who does not
heed the divine precepts, soon loses the good of the Divine promises (remember
the Parable of the Sower). He who does not add or conjoin with his
‘faith’ the graces mentioned in II Pet. 1:3-10, will soon fall under the
power of unbelief.”
To attain assurance of
salvation, we must have the courage and honesty to “prove ourselves” (II
Cor. 13:5). We must not fall into the trap of presumption-which
takes for granted, or be too busy with worldly affairs, or too lazy to
take the pains of self-examination. We must not be like the proud
Pharisees, who were brought up in a religious atmosphere where no
one expressed any doubts about their state. We need more than Jn.
3:16 to confirm our faith. Rom. 8:16 says, “The Spirit Himself beareth
witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God.” We need
the written promises of God AND the work of the Holy Spirit. We need
a contrite and humble spirit. We need to repent; that is, to turn
our backs on the world and our sinful practices. It is those who
hear the words of Jesus and do them, that are saved (Matt. 7:24).
It is those who do righteousness that are born again (I Jn. 2:29).
This is not works - this is the result of real faith! “True love
of God is neither begotten by fears of hell nor hopes of Heaven:
If I do not love God for what He is in Himself, then I do not love Him at
all. And if I love Him, my desire, my purpose, my aim, will be to
please Him in all things.”
- Michelle Stace
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Your Love Seems to Never End, Lord
Your love seems to never end, Lord;
All Your love shines upon me,
And Your kindness seems to always follow me.
It fills me to the fullest,
In the farthest places of my soul.
It makes me happy and joyful,
All the days of my life;
It’s a ray of light,
In this dark, cruel world.
Without You I’m nothing,
But with You I’m everything;
You make every day seem like a life full of love.
As I close my eyes in prayer,
I feel Your loving hand embrace me;
As You guide me through the darkness of life,
Into the light of eternal life,
Your love seems to never end, Lord.
It guides me like a shepherd guides his sheep.
It shows me the way through the darkness to the light,
And it’s up to me to follow,
As you lead me.
I will have many difficulties in life,
But all I have to remember,
Is that Your love seems to never end, Lord!!
-Clyde Ray Frazier Jr.
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Honey Out of the Rock
continued from last time
All temptations, Satan’s advantages, and our complaining,
are laid in self-righteousness, and self-excellency. God pursues
these, by setting Satan upon you, as Laban did Jacob for his images.
These must be torn from you, be as unwilling as you will. These hinder
Christ from coming in; and till Christ comes in, guilt will not go out;
and where guilt is, there is hardness of heart; and therefore much guilt
argues very little if anything of Christ.
When guilt is raised up, take heed of getting it allayed
in any way but by Christ’s blood: that will tend to hardening. Make
Christ your peace; “for He is our peace” (Eph. 2:14); not your duties
and your tears, Christ your righteousness, not your graces. You
may destroy Christ by duties, as well as by sins. Look at Christ,
and do as much as you will. Stand with all your weight upon Christ’s
righteousness. Take heed of having one foot on your righteousness,
another on Christ’s. Till Christ comes and sits on high upon a throne
of grace in the conscience, there is nothing but guilt, terrors, secret
suspicions; the soul hanging between hope and fear, which is an ungospel-like
state.
He that fears to see sin’s utmost vileness, the utmost
hell of his own heart, he suspects the merits of Christ. Be you never
such a great sinner (I John 2:1); try Christ to make Him your Advocate,
and you shall find Him Jesus Christ the righteous. In all doubting,
fears, storms of conscience, look at Christ continually, do not argue with
Satan, he desires nothing better; bid him go to Christ, and He will answer
him. It is His office to be our Advocate (I John 2:1), His office
to answer law as our surety (Heb.7:22), His office to answer justice as
our Mediator (Gal. 3:20; I Tim. 2:5); and He is sworn to that office (Heb.7:20,21).
Put Christ upon it. If you will do anything yourself, as to satisfaction
for sin, you renounce Christ the righteous, who was made sin for you (II
Cor. 5:21).
Satan may bring forward and corrupt Scripture, but he
cannot answer Scripture. It is Christ’s word of mighty authority.
Christ foiled Satan with it (Matt. 4:7). In all the Scripture there
is not an ill word against a poor sinner stripped of self-righteousness.
No! It plainly points out this man to be the subject of the grace of the
gospel, and none else. Believe but Christ’s willingness, and that
will make you willing. If you find you cannot believe, remember it
is Christ’s work to make you believe. Put Him upon it; He works to
will and to do of His good pleasure (Phil. 2:13). Mourn for your
unbelief, for unbelief is but a setting up of guilt in the conscience above
Christ, and undervaluing the merits of Christ, accounting His blood an
unholy, a common, and unsatisfying thing.
You complain much of yourself. Does your sin make
you look more at Christ, less at yourself? That is right, or else
complaining is but hypocrisy. To be looking at duties, graces, enlargements,
when you should be looking at Christ, that is pitiful. Looking at them
will make you proud; looking at Christ’s grace will only make you humble.
By grace you are saved (Eph. 2:5). In all your temptations be not
discouraged (James 1:2). Those surges may be not to break you, but
to heave you off yourself upon the Rock Christ.
You may be brought low, even to the brink of hell, ready
to tumble in; you cannot be brought lower than the belly of hell.
Many saints have been there, even dowsed in hell; yet even then you may
cry, even there you may look toward the holy temple (Jonah 2:4). Into
that temple none might enter but purified ones, and with an offering too
(Acts 21:26). But now Christ is our temple, sacrifice, altar, high
priest, to whom none must come but sinners, and that without any offering,
but His own blood once offered (Heb. 7:27).
Remember all the patterns of grace that are in heaven.
You think, oh, what a monument of grace you would be! There are
many thousands as rich monuments as you can be. The greatest sinner
did never pass the grace of Christ. Do not despair. Hope still.
When the clouds are blackest, even then look towards Christ, the standing
pillar of the Father’s love and grace, set up in heaven for all sinners
to gaze upon continually. Whatever Satan or conscience say, do not
conclude against yourself, Christ shall have the last word. He is
Judge of quick (alive) and dead, and must pronounce the final sentence.
His blood speaks reconciliation (Col. 1:20); cleansing (I John 1:7); purchase
(Acts 20:28); redemption (I Peter 1:19); purging (Heb. 9:13,14); remission
(Heb. 9:22); liberty (Heb. 10:19); justification (Rom. 5:9); nighness
to God (Eph. 2:13). Not a drop of this blood shall be lost.
Stand and hear what God will say, for He will speak peace to His people,
that they return no more to folly (Ps. 85:8). He speaks grace, mercy,
and peace (II Tim. 1:2). That is the language of the Father and of
Christ. Wait for Christ’s appearing, as the morning star (Rev. 22:16).
He shall come as certainly as the morning, as refreshing as the rain (Hos.
6:3).
The sun may as well be hindered from rising as Christ
the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2). Look not a moment off Christ.
Look not upon sin, but look upon Christ first. When you mourn for
sin, if you see Christ, then away with it (Zech. 12:10). In every
duty look at Christ; before duty to pardon; in duty to assist; after duty
to accept. Without this it is but carnal, careless duty. Do
not legalize the gospel, as if part remained for you to do and suffer,
and Christ were but half a Mediator and you must bear part of your own sin,
and make part satisfaction. Let sin break your heart, but not your
hope in the gospel.
-Thomas Wilcox
to be continued
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Book Review
Mimosa is a true story by Amy Carmichael.
We all know the importance of God’s Word in our lives and
of the example and encouragement of fellow Christians. Now imagine
a life where you’ve only heard a few fragments of God’s Word in a time
frame of 22 years. Imagine a life of severe persecution from family
and friends, terrible trails, cultish and satanic influences, and isolation
from other Christians. This was the life of Mimosa. As a girl,
she heard a few words about God. They went straight to her heart
and forever changed her. The Lord loved, taught, sustained, and encouraged
her purely through the work of the Holy Spirit. This is
truly an inspiring story. The book can be obtained at a Barns and
Noble book store.
-Michelle Stace
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A real Christian is an odd number. He feels supreme love for one whom he
has never seen. He talks familiarly every day to someone he cannot
see, expects to go to heaven on the virtue of another, empties himself that
he might be full, admits he is wrong so he can be declared right, goes
down in order to get up. He is strongest when he is weakest, richest
when he is poorest, happiest when he feels worst. He dies so he can
live, forsakes in order to have, gives away so he can keep, sees the invisible,
hears the inaudible, and knows that which passeth knowledge.”
-A. W. Tozer
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A DEATH IN THE FAMILY
We had a death in our family last week; we’ve suffered a terrible loss.
We’d known for sometime the end was near, but reality is a most burdensome
cross.
The family had all gathered ‘round, as we had every evening so long.
All sat there in silence aware, something very soon would go wrong.
Mother had just poured the coffee, and Dad adjusted his chair.
Brother and Sis sat quietly; for such a departure -- how can one prepare?
Suddenly her breathing grew silent, and her eye faded and grew dim.
In a moment it was all over; the rest of the evening was grim.
The children cried unashamedly, while Mother and Dad sat silently there.
Comfort and solace seemed to evade them; their loss was so hard to bear.
This one which had just departed, had been the center of the family so
long.
Without her laughter and her singing, everything seemed so terribly wrong.
Finally, after an evening of crying, and silent meditation had passed;
Composure was gained by all once again, for life must go on at last.
Then the family engaged in a discussion; many were the plans to be wrought.
Could we continue without her, or would a replacement be sought?
Quietly and silently two days passed by; her remains lay cold and bleak.
Replacement was the only solution, as the days turned into a week.
So mother and Dad planned an excursion, to shop at the local TV store.
“We’ve come to replace our beloved TV,” they said quietly to the man
at the door.
He led them quietly past the consoles, and they viewed the many models
arrayed.
Should we invest in color this time, or would that make the departed
betrayed?
So after a lengthy consultation, a selection was finally made.
The new TV was delivered that day, and all of their grief did instantly
fade.
My friend, where is your affection? What is the center of your life?
Would you be lost if your TV died? Could you survive under such awesome
strife?
There is something far more important, than indulging in the pleasures
of the world.
We were put here in the world for a purpose, that the Message of salvation
be unfurled.
So if you know Christ as your Savior, and want to serve Him with zeal,
Consider what is important; what does your lifestyle reveal?
-N.E. Durik
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.
If any man love the world, the love of the
Father is not in him." I John 2:15
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Recipes:
Albert’s Deer or Beef Bologna
20 lbs fresh lean hamburger
1 cup tenderquick
11 cups brown sugar
2 cups King Syrup or honey
2 tbl. black pepper
k tbl. red pepper
3 tsp. garlic powder or onion
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tbl.coriander
2 tsp. mace or paprika
3 tbl. accent
Mix ingredients with meat. Let marinate 24-48 hrs.
in the refrigerator. Put in 2” casings, plastic or muslin 20”.
Bake in oven 225 degrees for 3 hrs. Turn casing every half hour in
oven. All hungry bears will be back. Back for more and more.
Albert’s Fresh Sausage
60 lbs. lean fresh pork
1 cup brown sugar
6 tbl. black pepper
2 tbl. crushed red pepper
5 tbl. accent
7 tbl. liquid smoke
After grinding meat, mix in remaining ingredients until
well distributed. All hungry bears will be back for more.
-Albert Wible
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Parting Verses
Therefore gird
up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope
fully upon the grace that is to be brought to
you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as
obedient children, not conforming yourselves to
the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as
He who called you is holy, you also be
holy in all your conduct, because it is written,
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
I Peter 1:13-16
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