Pilgrims' Pathway
Newsletter
Sep./Oct. 2000
Contents:
A Prayer of Praise & Thanksgiving
The Church's Most Unexpected Guest
Three Gates
Spotlight In History
God's Calling
The Disappointed House
Declare His Deeds Among the People
Recipes
Creation Nugget
Parting Verses
A Prayer Of Praise & Thanksgiving
Holy Lord God, Almighty
Father, Eternal God, Creator of
all things in the heavens and on the earth, from everlasting to everlasting
You are. Alpha and Omega - beginning and end. All-powerful God, who
can create oceans and mountains with just a thought, who made so many,
many, beautiful things for us to look at each and every day. You
gave us flowers to see and smell and not just one kind but thousands of
different kinds, each one more beautiful than the one before. You
gave us Your gorgeous sky to see every day. Each time I look at it,
it creates in me such wonderment and awe of Your tremendous abilities and
artistry, Your kindness and love, to have done all this for us. With
all Your powers and abilities, You choose to be bothered with us to be
so wonderful, loving, and caring to us, to provide for us every little thing
we need out of the bounty of Your love and kindness. What a wonderful
God we serve! You are complete in Your own self, not needing anything
or anybody else to sustain You or to make You happy. You are everying
You need, and yet You choose to care for such insignificant creature as
us. And Your love for us is never ending. No matter how many
times we fall, You are there to pick us up, to forgive and to forget, to
take care of our every need. When we are sad, You hold us close to
Your heart and dry our tears with Your love. You pour out Your blessings
on us each day in so many ways that if we spent all day trying to list them
all, we would never finish.
I thank You for calling
me to be one of Your own. Thank You for saving my life; for patiently
waiting for me; for pulling me out of the depths of despair and drawing
me to Yourself; for showing me that I am a person of great worth when covered
by the blood of Your Son, Jesus; for allowing me to work for You in spreading
Your Word; for giving me everything I need to do Your work; for loving
me every minute of my life when I don't deserve one second of Your love.
My Sweet Lord Jesus, my loving Lord God, who gave up Your throne in heaven
to lower Yourself to become a mere human. Who gave Yourself to be
humiliated, stripped, tortured, and finally killed by Your own creatures
upon whom You had continually showered Your blessings and Your love.
You did all that just so that we would be able to be saved from the damnation
we deserve. Thank You, sweet, loving Lord Jesus, for all You did
for me then and for all You continue to do for me now. My God, my
Savior, my only hope, my life, my everything, I thank You.
In Jesus name I thank you, amen.
-Author unknown
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Three Gates
If you are tempted
to reveal,
A tale to you someone
has told,
About another, make
it pass,
Before you speak, three
gates of gold.
These narrow gates:
First, "Is it true?"
Then, "Is it needful?"
In your mind,
Give truthful answer.
And the next,
Is last and narrowest,
"Is it kind?"
And if to reach your
lips at last
It passes through these
gateways three,
Then you may tell the
tale, nor fear
What the result of speech
may be.
-From the Arabian
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
God is my lifetime employer.
The work is great, the wages are great, and the retirement is eternal.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
God's Calling
"But as God has distributed to each
one, as the Lord has called each one, so let him walk." 1 Corinthians
7:17
God has commissioned each one of us
for a special task. A commission is an authorization to carry out
a task. Therefore, God's authority has been placed in us for a purpose.
As we fulfill His commission, we can
know that the Lord is doing His part. We are to do our part, and He
will do His.
When the Lord commissions, He empowers.
To be obedient to His call we need to recognize that His power and authority
are in us. It is just a matter of activating that power by living
a holy and pure life and by living a life of prayer. As His disciples,
His power and anointing need to be present in our lives and ministries.
This is the differencebetween a victorious and a defeated life, and between
a victorious and a defeated church. One of the reasons that the world
doesn't feel attracted to the church is because they don't see God at work
in it, the supernatural, life-changing power of God is absent. The
early church was able to turn its world upside down, all because the power
and anointing of the Holy Spirit was a reality in it.
When the Lord commissions, He entrusts.
By commissioning us, He has entrusted us with the gospel (Eph.6:15) and
the lives of those that come to know Him (Heb.12:15). The gospel,
nor the people are ours, they are God's. We should diligently watch
to keep the purity and singleness of the gospel and the purity and well-being
of the people of God. We are stewards of what He has entrusted us,
and we are to be faithful to that task.
When the Lord commissions, He enables.
Many times, when God calls us to serve Him in a specific task, we don't
feel able to follow His call. When we think like this, we have forgotten
the kind of God we servThere are three principles of the nature of God
that put aside all the excuses and questions we might have. These are following:
God is love - His will is always the best for me; God knows it all - His
directions are always right; and God is all powerful - He can enable me
to do the task He has called me to do. God never calls someone for
failure or defeat. When He calls, it's always for success.
The greatest enabler for the task is His presence.
Since God has called you to serve Him,
you are to trust His power to make everything possible.
-Author unknown
"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love
God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." Rom. 8:28
-Author unknown
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"You
may trust the Lord too little, but you can never trust Him too much."
-Anonymous
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Declare His Deeds Among the People
Ps. 9:ll
Do you remember
the old children's story "The Stubborn Sillies"? It was about a husband
and wife who each refused to shut the front door of their cottage, waiting
to see who would be the first one to give in. Meanwhile an interesting
parade of visitors helped themselves to the couple's belongings. The following
is sort of an update version.J
We were on our way home from spending the weekend in
Baker City, Oregon, and we had more than three quarters of a tank of gas.
My husband thought we could make it home on that, and didn't want to stop
and top off the tank. That was fine by me, but I didn't want to stop
at one of the small towns later to get gas because the prices were very high.
By the way, we were pulling a 22 foot camp trailer.
We were probably about three quarters of the way home, crossing
the last mountain range, and I could see there was no way we were going to
make it on our remaining gas. I thought, O well, that's what we get
for being stubborn. I was very sleepy at that point, and I didn't feel
like praying (more stubborn foolishness) but then I thought what a sour
ending this would be on a fun weekend. Also, my son had a test the
next day at college and a long delay would greatly cut into his study time
at home. So I asked the Lord to please forgive us and to please somehow
overcome the mess we had gotten ourselves into. After that I fell
asleep. The next thing I knew, my husband was saying we were out of
gas. By this time we were seven miles from town and approaching a
small convience store at a resevoir. He managed to coast in there.
Then he tried starting the engine again. It started. There was
another little store half a mile down the road that sold gas . . . or at
least my husband thought so. Anyway, we made it there, and just as
we pulled in, the gas ran out completely. But there were no gas pumps
(apparently they had been taken out in 1990! J).
My husband went into the store. The man inside had a couple gallons
of gas that he had just bought for his lawn mower which he was kind enough
to sell us!
The Lord doesn't always spare us from the consequences of
our foolishness, but this time He did for some reason of His own.
Needless to say, we were very thankful.
-Michelle Stace
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Creation Nugget
The boid (bo'id) family is
a family of snakes often called constrictors. They kill their prey
by wrapping their bodies around the prey and constricting. The three
largest snakes - pythons, anacondas, and boas - are all constrictors.
Most members of the boid family
have remnants of a pelvic girdle (hip bones & end bones of vertabra),
as well as remnants of hind limbs! This strongly suggests that they
once stood upright. Interestingly, we find that the Bible agrees
with this as we read in Genesis 3:13,14 "And the Lord God said to the woman
(Eve), 'What is this you have done?' The woman said, 'The serpent
deceived me, and I ate.' So the Lord God saidto the serpent: 'Because
you have done this, you are cursed more than all cattle, and more than
every beast of the field; on your belly you shall go, and you shall eat
dust all the days of your life."
-Atlanta Stace
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The Church's Most Unexpected Guest!
"I never thought I'd see you here!" said the parishoner
to the Devil.
"Tell me, why did you come to church, it just isn't
on your level?
"I thought that you hung out in bars, and all those worldly places.
I can't believe that you'd come here, with all these Christian faces."
"O! I don't worry about those in the bars,
they're already in my corps.
I spend my precious time in the place, where I need
most to score.
"So I always come to church, and I come for every service.
This is an important day for me, so don't let me make you nervous.
"On Sunday morning I start out early, I make things
tense and jumpy:
They watched TV late last night, so they're all tired
and grumpy.
"I helped them sleep a little late, and the cereal's soggy and lumpy
The clothes must be ironed and the dishes washed, so Mother is really jumpy.
"Then when they're finally ready to go, starting
the car is quite a battle.
Dad's keyed up - his blood pressure soars, and they
arrive at the church all rattled.
"Going to church is not of much value, when they come with such a spirit:
Regardless how good the sermon is, they really never hear it.
"While in church, they critize, whatever they see
or hear.
Another battle I have won! Their involvement in service?
- NO FEAR!
"And when the preacher tries to persuade them, that they must help reach
the lost,
I need to be there to again remind them, just how much that is going to
cost.
"I also need to come to church, because some are
their Master serving.
I try to introduce new ways, to start their feet
a swerving.
"I cause a lot of little distractions, like people looking around.
Sometimes a frown or even a stare, will cause good saints to lose ground.
"I have other reasons for coming to church; I must
defend myself there.
They have fought me all these years, so I come to
keep this fight fair.
"My work is becoming much easier, in this jet-age generation -
Even the staunchest and strongest of saints, look on sin with much less
condemnation.
"They say you know times have changed; it's not like
it use to be!
Everyone accepts this new way of life; we can't change
it, don't you see?
"Yes, my friend, I go to church! I fight my foes where I'm not expected.
How to defend themselves against me, is a subject most preachers have neglected.
"I've been in church for centuries now, more than
any other created being.
The results I've had I proudly admit, are really
worth your seeing.
"I've confused and abused with doctines rare, far from God's Holy Word.
I've cheated and defeated would-be-saints, to name all my deeds would be
a little absurd!
"So I'll be faithful to the end, fighting the church
is my goal.
Though I know I can't win the fight, my efforts will
sure take their toll.
"I find the church the most interesting, of all the places on earth.
Their reasons for coming to church, range from true worship to simple mirth.
"I don't know why God tolerates, all of their sins
and foolish whims.
They piously say, 'Oh, yes, dear God,' and with their
time and goods - rob Him."
So, will I see you again real soon? How about the evening service?
Or do you come just once a week? Does too much church make you nervous?
"And how about the prayer meeting? It meets on Wednesday
night.
I find that service the biggest challenge; most of
them seek to do what's right.
"Anyway, when you come again, whenever that might be,
I'll be right here, right on time. You can always count on me!"
-N.E. Durik
"Be sober, be vigilant;
because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking
whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8
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Spotlight In
History
Verse 1
Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a fore-taste
of glory devine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of
His Spirit, washed in His blood.
Chorus
This is my story, this is my song, praising
my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song, praising
my Savior all the day long.
Verse 2
Perfect submission, perfect delight! Visions
of rapture now burst in my sight;
Angels descending bring from above, echoes of
mercy, whispers of love.
Verse 3
Perfect submission, all is at rest, I in my
Savior am happy and blest;
Watching and waiting, looking above, filled
with His goodness, lost in His love.
This is one of my favorite hymns by Fanny
Crosby, (I've always had a special interest in Fanny Crosby; especially
after I found out we shared the same birthday!J)
It has been estimated that Fanny wrote more
than 8,000 gospel song texts in her lifetime. Her hymns have been,
still are, and I'd imagine always will be sung more frequently than those
of any other hymn writer.
It is amazing that anyone, let alone someone
who was blind, could write on such a variety of spiritual truths.
For a considerable amount of time during her life, while she was under
contract to a music publisher, she wrote three new hymns each week!
She used hundreds of pen names besides her own - in fact, many original
texts are still being uncovered.
Many times the themes for her hymns were suggested
by visiting ministers wishing to have a new song on a certain subject.
The music for others, including "Blessed Assurance", were written by musician
friends who would first compose the music and then ask Fanny Crosby for words.
The music for this hymn was composed by Mrs.
Joseph Knapp, an amateur musician, wife of the founder of the Metropolitan
Life Insurance Company, and a close personal friend of Fanny Crosby.
One day Mrs. Knapp played this melody for the blind poetess and asked,
"What does this tune say?" Fanny Crosby immediately responded, "Why,
that says, 'Blessed Assurance, Jesus is Mine.'"
Fanny Crosby died in 1915 at the age of 95.
Only eternity will disclose the many individuals who have been won to a saving
life in Christ or who have been spiritually enriched through the texts of
her many hymns.
'She hath done what she could' is engraved
on her tombstone in Connecticut. What she did do has enriched me
spiritually - praise God for Fanny J. Crosby!
-Jaime Rowland
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The Disappointed House
"Do you not
know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in
you?" 1 Corinthians 3:16
Once there was a
very rich gentleman whose name was Restore. It was Restore's hobby
to find old, rundown houses, and fix them up. He enjoyed this very
much. This was a very costly hobby, but as he was so rich, he never
ran out of money. He was a very compassionate man, and he was always
sorry to see broken down houses that no one cared to take care of.
One day, as Restore
was reading through the ads in the newspaper, he spotted an ad that read
as follows:
"Small house for
sale, old, needs work. 2359 Sadness Street. Call Deceiver at 938-4658."
(Deceiver, by the
way, owned all the houses that Restore did not own.) Now Restore
thought to himself, This house just might be worth looking into. That
evening he drove over to the house to take a look at it. The house
was abandoned, so he was free to go in. The name of the house was Disappointed,
as no one had lived in it for a long time, or bothered to take care of it.
Restore carefully examined it both inside and out. It was just what he was
looking for. The house was very rundown and filled with old trash
and broken furniture. He smiled to himself at the thought of what
he could make the house into. He sometimes tried to buy a house that
was outwardly beautiful. However, such houses had to have all
their outward beauty destroyed and the insides gutted before Restore could
make them truly beautiful, and fill them with priceless treasures. Deceiver
almost never allowed this, unless Restore fought him very hard. Restore
usually bought houses that were greatly in need of repair. Deceiver
was usually willing to sell these because he was unable to repair the houses
himself with his worldly wisdom.
As Restore walked
back to his car, he met Mr. Foolish Wisdom on the street.
"You surely don't
mean to buy that old house, do you?" he asked.
"I certainly do,"
Restore replied.
"But why?
What profit can be made from buying it? It is certainly unfit to live
in and would cost you a great deal to repair. Certainly there are
many fine houses for sale that need no work, and would suite a gentleman
like yourself much better that this rundown, decrepid place."
"Their owner will
not sell them to me and neither would I live in them until I had emptied
them of their wickedness and purified them. Those outwardly nice
houses also have very poor foundations built on sand; they only last for
a time. You may have noticed that the houses I own are grounded in
rock. And they are filled with all kinds of fruits and other good
things that will never loose their value." Restore explained.
Mr. Foolish Wisdom
retorted, "All there is to see about your houses can be seen very easily
by just looking at them. They are so plain and simple looking it
is a wonder that anyone would want to live in them! And from what
I've heard, no one does live in them. I am aquainted with all the
families of this town -the Arrogance family, the Prides, the Lusters, the
Deceptions - the list goes on; I know them all. And none of them
live in your houses. It is my wise opinion that you know little about
houses and are very unwise in the way you spend your money."
"Foolish Wisdom!
My houses are far from being empty, for I myself dwell in them all.
You look at the appearance, I look at the heart. Your eyes are too
blind to look through the windows of my houses and comprehend what you
would see inside." And with that Restore got into his car and drove
off.
Early the next day,
Restore called up Deceiver.
to be continued...
_______________________________________________________________________
Cooking tip:
For a delicious as well as nutritious homemade jam, try using
Ball Fruit Jell-no sugar needed pectin. (There are other brands also.)
In my jams I like to use l cup evaporated cane juice and l cup apple juice
concentrate in place of water or fruit juice.
-Michelle Stace
Recipes:
Golden Turkey Quiche
One 9-inch deep-dish pie shell
1 cup cooked, diced turkey
1 cup chopped celery
1 tbl. butter
3 tbl. pimento
3 eggs
1 cup milk
3 cup mayonnaise
2 tbl. yellow mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
Put foil around edge of pie shell and bake at375 degrees for
10 min. Cook celery in butter until tender. Stir in turkey and
pimento. Beat together eggs, milk, mayo, mustard, and salt.
Stir everything together. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with
cheese. Bake at 375 degrees for 25-35 min., until knife inserted
in center comes out clean (I mix part of cheese into batter).
-Jaime Rowland
Date Cookies
2 cups chopped dates
2/3 cup evaporated cane juice (this healthy sugar substitute can be found
in a health food store or health section in some stores)
3/4 cup water
1 cup softened butter
2 cups evaporated cane juice
1/2 cup buttermilk or sour milk (to make sour milk, add 1 tbl. vinegar
to half cup milk & set in warm place for 1 hr.)
l tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
In saucepan, combine dates, 2/3 cup evaporated cane juice,
and water. Cook until thick, stiring constantly. Cool.
In medium bowl, blend butter, 2 cups evaporated cane juice.
Then beat in buttermilk & vanilla. Stir in flour, salt, baking
soda, and cinnamon.
Form about 3 tbl. of dough into cookie shape and place on
greased cookie sheet. Top with 1 tbl. of date filling. Top with
1 tbl. or so of dough formed into a "cap". Repeat to fill cookie sheet.
Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or so until browned
on top.
My entire family likes these cookies, despite the fact
that dates are not a favorite.
-Atlanta Parting
Verses
Good and upright is
the Lord: therefore will He teach sinners
in the way.
The meek will He
guide in judgment: and the meek will
He teach His way.
All the paths of
the Lord are mercy and truth unto
such as
keep His covenant and
His testimonies.
Psalm 25:8-10
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