The Pilgrim Path---Romans 1: 16

“For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.”

LOOKING BACK…

It often fascinates me going over older material that Christians read. This is from the “CHRISTIAN DIGEST,” from around 1969. The brief piece was entitled, “Man’s Work Compared to God’s Grace.”

---Longfellow could take a worthless sheet of paper, write a poem on it, and make it worth $ 6,000---That’s GENIUS…

---Rockefeller could sign his name to a piece of paper and make it worth a million dollars---That’s CAPITAL…

---Uncle Sam can take gold, stamp an eagle on it, and make it worth $ 20 dollars ---That’s MONEY…

---A mechanic can take material that is worth $ 5 dollars and make it worth $ 50 ---That’s SKILLL…

---An artist can take a fifty-cent piece of canvas , paint a picture on it, and make it worth $ 1,000 dollars---That’s ART…

---GOD can take a worthless, sinful life, wash it in the blood of Christ, put His Spirit in it, and make it a blessing to humanity---That’s SALVATION…

This is from the IDAHO POWER Company, Reddy—torial (also around 1969). It gives you an idea “how” much our Country has changed. We were not always a malicious, angry, self-serving people---IF we were, we had the shame--- to hide it. The article is entitled, “What’s Wrong with Being Old Fashioned?”

----In the America of yesterday you paid your debts as quickly as possible, and went without things, to do it.

---You disciplined your children---But disciplined yourself first.

---You spent less than you earned, and demanded your government do the same.

---You went to church, your children to Sunday School, you held daily prayers---and no court would have dared to interpose any law into your private religion.

---You would have been horrified at (and quick to change) men in high places who made “deals.”

---You expected to prosper by individual initiative ---by doing a better and better job.

---You obeyed the law---but took active enough part in government to see that the laws were just. You “walked softly but carried a big stick.”

---And that was the character which brought this country victory in two world wars in your lifetime, built it back from a shattering depression, and fed and saved the civilized world.

---If all this is “old hat,” so be it. It needs resurrection.

Jesus, Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll, hiding rock and treach-‘rous shoal;

Chart and compass come from thee: Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

Edward Hopper, 1871

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason