The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him.

Transcription

1 The Pilgrim Nazarene Volume IX The Official Organ of the Pilgrim Nazarene Church Number 3 The father of the righteous shall greatly rejoice: and he that begetteth a wise child shall have joy of him. Proverbs 23:24

2 the perspective editor s Volume IX Number 3 Perspective 2 from the General Superintendent 3 Foreign Missions 4 Devotions for Plain Folk 7 Truth for Teens 8 Grandma D s Story Time 9 Journal 10 EDITOR Larry W. Pettit GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT Stephen R. Snodgrass GENERAL SECRETARY Mark Russell Jr. GENERAL TREASURER Michael Covington GENERAL FOREIGN MISSIONS SECRETARY Stephen R. Snodgrass Printing and Circulation: Country Pines, Inc., Shoals, IN. Photo Credits: Pages 4 and 10, courtesy of Steve Snodgrass. All other photos courtesy of 123rf.com The Pilgrim Nazarene The Pilgrim Nazarene Herald is published bi-monthly by Pilgrim Nazarene Publishing, 1925 W. 59th St., Davenport, IA Phone: lpetes@att.net Web Address: Subscription price: $10.00 per year for a single issue or $ per year for a bundle of ten (10) issues. Postmaster: Please send address changes to: The Pilgrim Nazarene Herald 5428 Walnut Drive Sylvan Springs, AL For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:6 What is this thing called carnality, or what does it mean to be carnally minded, and why is it important to me as a Christian today? Carnality is known as the sin principal, the sin nature, the carnal nature, and the fleshly nature. We have all seen it displayed at home in fusses, fights, anger and unkindness. We have seen it in action on the job by way of jealousy, gossip and undermining of other individuals. We have seen it in operation in the church with bell sheep that wrangle, control, and stop the development of God s kingdom work and the furtherance of the Gospel. 1 John 1:9 says, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Jesus died on the cross that we may have our sins forgiven and to have our sin nature cleansed from our heart. We are responsible for our sins-the deeds we have committed against God. But our sinful nature can t be forgiven, it is something that must be cleansed by the infilling of the Holy Spirit. Carnality has to do with our inward disposition, our tendencies, our actions and reactions, and our inner disposition. This sinful nature manifests itself with a hold-god-off disposition, a keep-god-out disposition with no or little time or place for God in one s life. It is a get-along-without-god attitude. It may manifest itself with an anti-god spirit-perhaps not necessarily mean but definitely not one that desires a holy life in their Christian spirit. It is an inward enmity towards God. It finds it hard or not necessary to tithe and give for the cause of God s Kingdom. A disposition to resist Him, His Word, or preaching that exposes or challenges the heart for Holy living. It is a dislike for the thought and desire for a death to self to be sanctified wholly. Carnality grows worse as it matures and becomes ingrained within one s personality. This will reveal itself in one or more carnal manifestations. Some of the results of seasoned carnality develops and may cause a person to be pushy, belligerent, domineering, egotistical, hot tempered, explosive in reaction, sharp tongued, critical, back-biting and belittling. It may be in a spirit where you must always be first or right or recognized. It is a love of self, self first, all for self; this breeds pride, conceit, vanity and arrogance. Carnality will isolate you with an againstness towards others that makes you hard to live with, hard to work with and makes one s professed love a lie. Carnality creates a love and desire for worldliness, worldly pleasures, and practices and standards against God s Word. It is a disposition to let down, cool off, not be all hearted, it makes it easy to quit or to let up in loyalty to Christ, the church, continued on page 6...

3 from the desk of the General Superintendent Rev. Stephen R. Snodgrass Some time ago, I was reading the life story of William Borden, heir to the Borden Dairy fortune. It is a life of complete surrender. In 1904, William (Bill) Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden family fortune, he was already wealthy. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-year-old Borden a trip around the world. As the young man traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world s hurting people. Finally, Bill Borden wrote home about his desire to be a missionary. One friend expressed disbelief that Bill was throwing himself away as a missionary. In response, Borden wrote two words in the back of his Bible: No reserves. Even though young Borden was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to look like just one more freshman. Very quickly, however, Borden s classmates noticed something unusual about him, and it wasn t that he had lots of money. One of them wrote: He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ and had really done it. We who were his classmates learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration. During his college years, Bill Borden made an entry in his personal journal that defined what his classmates were seeing in him. That entry said simply: Say no to self and yes to Jesus every time. No Reserves No Retreats No Regrets Borden s first disappointment at Yale came when the university president spoke in convocation about the students need of having a fixed purpose. After that speech, Borden wrote: He neglected to say what our purpose should be, and where we should get the ability to persevere and the strength to resist temptations. Surveying the Yale faculty and much of the student body, Borden lamented what he saw as the end result of an empty, humanistic philosophy: moral weakness and sin-ruined lives. During his first semester at Yale, Borden started something that would transform campus life. One of his friends described how it began: It was well on in the first term when Bill and I began to pray together in the morning before breakfast. I cannot say positively whose suggestion it was, but I feel sure it must have originated with Bill. We had been meeting only a short time when a third student joined us and soon after a fourth. The time was spent in prayer after a brief reading of Scripture. Bill s handling of Scripture was helpful. He would read to us from the Bible, show us something that God had promised and then proceed to claim the promise with assurance. Borden s small morning prayer group gave birth to a movement that soon spread across the campus. By the end of his first year, 150 freshmen were meeting weekly for Bible study and prayer. By the time Bill Borden was a senior, one thousand of Yale s 1,300 students were meeting in such groups. Borden made it his habit to seek out the most incorrigible students and try to bring them to salvation. continued on page 6...

4 the Great Commission Dear friends and supporters of missions, Over the last four years the people of the Pilgrim Nazarene Church have given well over $200,000 for the cause of missions at home and around the world. We have supported by giving of ourselves and our finances. Over the past four years, our people have visited various foreign mission fields. Bro. Steve Robinson, Bro. Mike Covington, Bro. Troy Truitt and I have visited India. Dr. Dave Boardman, Dr. Steve Boardman, Josh Boardman, Ben Boardman, Phillip Boardman, Matt Boardman, Sis. Gracie Betts, Bryan Shields II and Andrew Palacios have spent time working in the Evangelistic Faith Missions clinic in Honduras. Sis. Shirley Fogleman visited her former field of labor in Papua New Guinea. Bro. Bryan and Sis. Linda Shields visited their former field of labor in Barbados and St. Vincent. Also Bro. Shields has worked with Hope International Missions in their various fields including Mexico. Our churches have hosted and supported many different missionaries from various organizations. Sis. Gracie Betts and Sis. Shirley Fogleman kept the needs of missions before us and we have responded to the need every time. Also, due to your sacrificial giving, there is now a new building in Tenali, India, which is home to the congregation of the Steve Harbison Memorial Church and soon to be home to 47 orphans under the care of Favor the Helpless Mission. Simply said, missions is a vital part of the Pilgrim Nazarene Church! Let me say, Thank you, to each of you who took your vacation time and used it to help work in the Lord s vineyard! Also, thank you to those who give to the various causes of missions so that many who have never heard the glorious Gospel, have now heard! The question that is frequently asked is, Is it worth it? Is it worth the many miles traveled? Is it worth the money spent? Is it worth spending time away from family? Is it worth the risk in this day of terrorism? The answer to every one of those questions is, YES!!! YES!!! YES!!! and YES again!!! Recently, while in personal Bible study, I ran across this scripture in Romans 10, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world. (verses 13-18) In verse one of Romans 10, Paul vocalizes his greatest desire and that is that people would be saved! Is that not our greatest desire? Is that not what we work and give for? Is that not the passion that drives the church and its members? If we ever lose sight of the vision of people seeking and finding Jesus as their Saviour, we will die as a church. Imagine a fire department not taking a call to put out a house fire because of the price of gas. Imagine further, your child or grandchild in that house! Imagine a hospital closing for vacation or for lack of participation. Yet it seems so easy for us to cancel a revival, complain about expenses and give up what matters most in the ministry of the church the salvation of souls. Hungry souls! Never-dying souls! But the question remains, how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear

5 without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? We can play a part in sending out preachers to the ripe harvest fields in India. Fifty dollars a month will support a pastor and his family. At Camp this year, we will be renewing those pledges. Please be prayerful regarding what God would have you give. While we have accomplished very much with the help and guidance of God, there is still so much to do. Recently, while communicating with a mission organization leader who wants to send a missionary to India, he commented that he did not wish to infringe on the work we have India. I quickly told him, There are 1.3 billion (1,300,000,000) souls in India, and there is so much work to be done, we are workers together with so little time to do it. India Update While Bro. Truitt and I were in India in the month of February, we realized that there was still a need to complete the orphanage portion of the building. The floors needed to be tiled, and the electric lights and fans needed to be purchased and installed. Bro. Truitt came home and told his congregation at Trinity Grace Chapel of the need, and they immediately raised and sent $3, for the completion of this project. We felt that it was time sensitive to complete this project before the rain season in the Fall, due to the fact that the old orphanage gets flooded out. When we first built it, there was not a problem with flooding, but a neighbor has put much dirt on his property resulting in the orphanage getting flooded out. (Side note: the new orphanage is built up very high to keep this from happening again.) Here is a note from Bro. Johnpaul along with pictures to show the progress of the work. Regarding Orphanage building floors, the rooms floors are complete. They are fixing the stones on porch now. It is almost complete. I did attach the pictures. After all completion they wet the stones for a week and then they polish the stones with machine. After that we do the electrical work such as wiring, switches, lights, fans etc. Once they are all done, the children will be moving in to new building with great joy. Time and again I am grateful to you and lifting up your goodselves in our humble prayers. Your s in His Mission of Hand in Hand, Bro.Johnpaul. Wetting the stones The Porch Bro. Johnpaul and Bro. Isaac will be at Camp on the last weekend, and we will be touring as many churches as we can following the camp. Thank you again for supporting in the ministry of missions! SRS

6 ...What is Carnality? continued from page 2 Bible doctrine, Bible standards and have little or no prayer life developed. No wonder Paul warns in II Timothy 3:5 that in the last days, men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affections, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good. Traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God: Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. Don t ignore this thing called carnality. Don t believe the lie that nothing can be done about it. Follow Christ s words when he, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence Acts 1:4-5. Then see what happened in reference to the day of Pentecost inacts 15:8-9, And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us; And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. Our sins are forgiven when we are saved and our carnal nature is purified with the second work of grace known as sanctification. Seek Him with all your heart, and you too may experience what Jesus died on the cross to obtain for us. c...complete Su r r e n d e r continued from page 3 In his sophomore year we organized Bible study groups and divided up the class of 300 or more, each man interested taking a certain number, so that all might, if possible, be reached. The names were gone over one by one, and the question asked, Who will take this person? When it came to someone thought to be a hard proposition, there would be an ominous pause. Nobody wanted the responsibility. Then Bill s voice would be heard, Put him down to me. Borden s outreach ministry was not confined to the Yale campus. He cared about widows and orphans and the disabled. He rescued drunks from the streets of New Haven. To try to rehabilitate them, he founded the Yale Hope Mission. One of Bill Borden s friends wrote that he might often be found in the lower parts of the city at night, on the street, in a cheap lodging house or some restaurant to which he had taken a poor hungry fellow to feed him, seeking to lead men to Christ. Borden s missionary call narrowed to the Muslim Kansu people in China. Once he fixed his eyes on that goal, Borden never wavered. He also challenged his classmates to consider missionary service. One of them said of him: He certainly was one of the strongest characters I have ever known, and he put backbone into the rest of us at college. There was real iron in him, and I always felt he was of the stuff martyrs were made of, and heroic missionaries of more modern times. Although he was a millionaire, Bill seemed to realize always that he must be about his Father s business, and not wasting time in the pursuit of amusement. Although Borden refused to join a fraternity, he did more with his classmates in his senior year than ever before. He presided over the huge student missionary conference held at Yale and served as president of the honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high-paying job offers. In his Bible, he wrote two more words: No retreats. William Borden went on to do graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Within a month, 25-year-old William Borden was dead. When the news of William Whiting Borden s death was cabled back to the U.S., the story was carried by nearly every American newspaper. A wave of sorrow went round the world... Borden not only gave (away) his wealth, but himself, in a way so joyous and natural that it (seemed) a privilege rather than a sacrifice wrote Mary Taylor in her introduction to his biography. Was Borden s untimely death a waste? Not in God s perspective. Prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in his Bible. Underneath the words No reserves and No retreats, he had written, No regrets. c Portions based on material in Daily Bread, December 31, 1988, and The Yale Standard, Fall 1970 edition. Quotations taken from Borden of Yale, by Mrs. Howard Taylor, Moody Press, Chicago.

7 Rev. Larry W. Pettit Are you abounding? Is your Christian life abounding? Are you abounding in His peace, for Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:27. The world may give something, then quickly take it back. Not so with Jesus, He gives a lasting, satisfying peace. Are you abounding in it? How about joy? Are you abounding in joy? Again, He said, These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. John 15:11. Is His joy abiding, residing and abounding in you? He wants us to experience His joy and he wants our joy to be full. Not running on half a tank or running just on a few wisps of fumes of joy but full of joy. Are you abounding? Or would you say you are dragging, overwhelmed, stressed, and on or near empty? These things can change, but you have to do some changing also. You have to realize that Christ relied upon the Father; He prayed and believed what was said to Him. So we must do the same. God is able to make all grace abound toward us. Grace is unmerited favor from God. Many times some seem to think we have grace applied when we are first saved and then kind of forget about it, that is not how it should be. We need this grace or (unmerited favor) daily in our lives for every good work, in other words, for everything we do. Another word that is closely related is mercy-this is God s loving kindness or favor toward us, and the Psalmist tells us, As the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him. Have you ever looked out and up at the sky at night? We see millions of twinkling stars millions of miles away-even light years away. We have sent the Hubble Space craft far into space to take pictures, and it has not found the back side or end of heaven. And just as we have not found the limits to space, neither have we exhausted or extinguished God s supply of mercy or grace to us. What we need to see and realize is that this abounding grace is there for the asking. The Word says, Ye have not because ye ask not. Let s not short-change ourselves. Let s ask. Ask for abounding grace, ask for abounding peace, ask for abounding joy, then perhaps we could run and not limp, be thrilled instead of down and depressed, we would show the world the real light of a holiness witness and not be saddled with worry and nerves. It s there, the abounding grace, if you don t believe it go out tonight and look up and see those far away stars and be reminded God invites you to ask for grace to meet your need. c

8 W e all have one. You don t enter this world without one. We did not get a choice who our Father would be; and likewise, they did not get a choice who their son or daughter would be. God intended it to be that way. God has placed upon every man that would be a father a great responsibility. When I first set my eyes upon my first born, a child of my flesh, created by the union of my wife and me, an awe settled up my soul. A completely helpless, perfectly formed little human being lay wrapped in a blanket, and she was ours to take home. What lay ahead, I had no idea; yet day by day, I came to love, adore, cherish and learn my parental responsibilities. Not just for her, but her siblings as well. And each child was so different and yet so much alike. Each one came with innocence and a clean slate. They knew nothing, had formed no ideas, principles, morals, or even had an intelligent inkling about life. That was to be one of the duties I was to perform. I was to bring up my child in the fear and nurture and admonition of the Lord. I was to teach by my example and by the Authority of the Bible, God s Holy Word. I was responsible for food, shelter, protection and the education of my offspring. An awesome thought came to me; there is only one thing I can take to Heaven with me. That is not anything material, no bank accounts are going, no idol or fancy hobby, but I can take my family with me-if I live and pass onto my children the heritage and personal experience of the Gospel message of Jesus Christ. I think of the man that is my father. He was and is my hero. He led me by his example; I wanted to be just like him. He taught me by his conduct, I tried to follow in his footsteps. He set a precedent by his honesty and integrity. I set that as my aim and goal. Life comes and goes just one day at a time. Yet those days accumulate so quickly; months turn to years, years to decades, and decades to a life time. How important as fathers to get settled, grounded, and established in God s Word because that responsibility as a father so soon turns to choices of those who are called your children. God help me and each father that our family circles can be unbroken, and each one in this unit called our family make an eternal home in heaven through Jesus Christ.

9 Story Time with Grandma D At seventeen, Smudge was a very discouraged, despondent young man. He had been involved in drugs, robbery and many other forms of wickedness. He was at the end of his rope and decided to commit suicide. He knew nothing about God or salvation was told by his peers that there was nothing to religion and that the Bible was full of fairy tales so he thought if this life is all there is, he might as well just end it all. He deliberately set his face and steps toward the big bridge where he would climb to the top and plunge to his death. As he passed the little holiness church on his way to the bridge, he seemed to hear a voice saying, You have tried everything else, why don t you try God? He thought to himself, Why not check it out ~ I ve got nothing to lose. He found the door unlocked, and when he stepped in, he came face to face with a smiling young man who was cleaning the church. He asked him, Can I help you fella? Smudge answered, I want to know about God. The young janitor had only been saved a short time and did not know just what to tell him, so he asked him if he would like to talk to the pastor. Sure, why not? was Smudge s reply. He led Smudge to the pastor s office, where a middle aged man greeted him warmly. The janitor explained that Smudge wanted to know about God and, shutting the door, went back to his work. Tell me about yourself. What did you say your name was? Didn t say. Just call me Smudge. Smudge hardly knew where to begin ~ so much had happened to him in his short seventeen years. Well, you see, when I was three years old my dad left us. Said he wanted his freedom to do his own thing. His own thing turned out to be a very wicked life style, ending up in prison. Mom struggled to make a living for us but she was never home which left me with lots of idle time on my hands. Very early I got into drugs which led to stealing to support my habit. Things went from bad to worse and at fifteen I left home. Mom does not know where I am. Have you ever heard from your father? Naw ~ did hear that he got religion while in prison, though. The preacher studied him, finally saying, I believe I know your father. After he found Jesus, he tried to locate you with no success. You ve got to be kidding. You know my dad? Where is he? But I don t suppose he d claim the likes of me if he found me. The preacher reached for his Bible and read the story of the prodigal son from Luke 15. I am sure your father would love to be reunited with you, but there is another Father ~ the Lord Jesus Christ ~ Who is waiting for you to come to Him. The preacher explained the plan of salvation to Smudge. Tears filled Smudge s eyes and he said he would like to have what the preacher was telling him. They knelt together and prayed until Smudge knew his sins were forgiven. When they arose from their knees the preacher said, Now, Mike Albright (Smudge gasped ~ how did he know my name?), you are a new creature in Christ and today you have found two fathers ~ God, your heavenly father and Alan Albright, your earthly father ~ for you see, Smudge, I am your father. Mrs. Dorothy Tiethoff is Grandma D. She would love to hear from you! Her address is grandmadt@juno.com. SUBSCRIBE NOW... The Pilgrim Nazarene The Pilgrim Nazarene Herald is published bi-monthly by Pilgrim Nazarene Publishing, 1925 W. 59th St., Davenport, IA Phone: lpetes@att.net Web Address: Subscription price: $10.00 per year for a single issue or $ per year for a bundle of ten (10) issues.

10 From my journal... February 20th-March 31st, 2012 Monday, February 20th, I said goodbye to Connie and the girls and began the long trip to Tenali, India. Bro. Truitt and I met in Chicago and continued the journey to Tenali together. Fifty-four hours later, we arrived safely at the home of Bro. Johnpaul Pinapati where Sis. Sudharani had prepared a delicious meal for us. After catching up on some rest, we began to prepare for the dedication service of the Steve Harbison Memorial Church (SHMC) building. Friday, February 24th, we participated in the dedication of the beautiful building that the Pilgrim Nazarene Church family helped to build. We memorialized Bro. Steve Harbison and his love for the church and for young people. This building is also home to the forty-seven orphans under the care of Bro. Johnpaul. After much singing and praising God for this miracle, the congregation had a meal together to celebrate this great day. Many relatives of the Pinapatis as well as the converts of the ministry gathered together for this great event. It was a great day! Saturday, the 25th, we began our tour of the churches. We traveled about 100 miles to the first village. On our way, we passed miles and miles of chili pepper fields, and the workers were busy with harvest. Our second church was out in the middle of chili pepper field. It was a long day, and we preached in eight churches. Sunday, the 26th, we traveled to an area where we have never visited in the past. Again, we preached in eight churches, dedicated several new home sites, and held an outdoor crusade. This would be what we call in America, a street meeting. The Lord helped Bro. Truitt to preach in the street meeting, and we have later learned that the gospel seed is growing in the area since our visit! Praise the Lord! February 27th 28th, the pastors from far and near began to gather at the SHMC for Preacher s Meeting. Over the next two days, Bro. Truitt and I gave lectures on doctrine, relationships and the ministry of a shepherd. The Lord helped us in a wonderful way as we faced the culture and language challenges in presenting the material. As the meeting progressed, pastors from other denominations joined us, and the time of fellowship was of great encouragement. While we were there we also conducted a VBS for the children in the orphanage. Bro. Truitt presented the full armor of God in each of the lessons, and they quickly learned scripture and new songs. These children are such a delight and seem so eager to learn about

11 Jesus. These times together were so rich. Following the VBS on Tuesday, the 28th, Bro. Johnpaul announced that we were going to go to 2 or 3 or 4 churches for service. So at 8pm, we headed out to preach at churches in the Tenali area. I didn t know how or if we could make it, but the Lord gave added strength and helped us to make a positive impact at the four churches that we preached in that night. Wednesday through Friday, we were on the road again to preach in twenty-three more churches. The Lord helped us to share the good news, that there is a Heavenly Father who loves and cares for every need that these poor people have. Many nights we did not return home until a very late hour. There were times when congregations would wait for hours for us to reach them, but every service was worth the time and effort. We preached in a city where our pastors are facing much persecution. I often think of those pastors and congregations as they face extreme odds and pray for their safety. After all was done, we started to pack to come home. We had preached in 43 church services, dedicated the SHMC, held an 8 session Preacher s Meeting and conducted a VBS. We left Bro. Johnpaul Pinapati and his family very encouraged and expecting great things in the days to come. Bro. Truitt and I traveled from Chennai, India, to Frankfort, Germany, and on to London, UK. In London, we checked into a Holiday Inn and collapsed for several hours. Wednesday, March 7th, I bid farewell to my traveling companion, Bro. Truitt, in front of the hotel in London. We had to fly out of different terminals that morning. He flew to Chicago and on to St. Louis without delay. I flew from London to Houston where I missed my connection and had to delay my arrival home for about three hours. Safe and sound in Birmingham, I was greeted in the terminal by my lovely wife and three girls. So good to be home! The next few days were spent resting from the trip, and I spoke at my home church in Pleasant Grove PNC on Sunday night, March 11th. Monday, the 12th, my family and I traveled to Durant, OK, for the annual Preacher s Meeting. Although he was recovering from an illness, Bro. Chris Cravens did a tremendous job. The Lord came in our services and helped to encourage our good pastors and elders. Host pastor, Chuck Dodd and the Durant PNC congregation did a great job of making us all feel comfortable throughout our time there. March 16th, your General Board met, and the Lord helped us to get much accomplished during our time together. I appreciate each of these men and the dedication they show for the future of the Pilgrim Nazarene Church. As the meeting adjourned, we joined in prayer thanking the Lord for His help and wisdom. March 18th, my family and I attended church in Sherman, Texas, with Bro. & Sis. David Taylor and the wonderful folks there. We also enjoyed being in the Chuck Keister s home for two nights. Monday morning, after taking my in-laws, the Mark Russells, to the Dallas airport, we began our trip back home to Alabama. March 21st, I started revival services in our church in Jasper, AL. Bro. and Sis. David Fogleman Jr. are doing a fine job as pastor, and we had several visitors throughout the meeting. The Lord helped us preach and it was good to have my family join me several nights. We enjoyed being with our great people in Jasper. March 31st, Connie, Madelyn and I traveled to Davenport, IA, to be with Bro. & Sis. Larry Pettit and Melissa for the Sunday morning service. We arrived weary but safely. The activities of this month s journal represent about 23,500 miles traveled. I thank the Lord for His hand of protection over us for the many miles that we travel. He has been so good to us! By the time that you read this, we will be entering into Camp in Dickson, TN. I m looking forward to seeing each of you there, and we will be praying and trusting the Lord to pour out His Spirit upon us once again. May the Lord bless each of you! - SRS

12 The Pilgrim Nazarene 5428 Walnut Drive Sylvan Springs, AL Pilgrim Nazarene Conference & Camp Meeting Sunday, July 29, 2011 Sunday, August 5, 2012 Rev. Marc Dodrill Evangelist DIRECTIONS: 45 minutes west of Nashville Exit Route 48 (exit 163) Right on Route miles Left on Sam Hollow Road 2 miles For reservations, contact: Mrs. Carmelita Turner (765) Rev. Harrold Taylor Children s Evangelist Garner Creek Retreat Center 700 Sam Hollow Road Dickson, TN Located on 135 beautiful acres in rural Dickson County on idyllic Garner Creek Over 300 dorm beds 80 private rooms with full linen service Indoor chapel seating for 300 Large full service dining room serving buffet style RV area with hook-ups and bath house Rev. Jon Tarter Youth Evangelist Rev. Stephen Snodgrass General Superintendent