"He Leads to Joy"

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters."

Psalms 23:2

George Young, a carpenter, and his wife dedicated themselves to serving the Lord wherever He would lead. "he often does the leading," they said, "And we do the following." Their finances were tight but they never went hungry. They finally saved enough money to buy a small piece of property on which George built a cottage. It was a fulfillment of a life's dream. They dedicated the house to God and sang the Doxology. Some time later, while George was on a ministry trip, a disgruntled thug, who was offended at a message George had preached, burned down their dream home. God began to impress George with the words to , "God Leads Us Along." In a few days he wrote the song we cherish and sing. The chorus says, "God leads His dear children along, some through the fire, but all through the blood..."

Years later, Dr. Harold Lillenas, the famous song writer seeking to track down George's widow drove to Kansas and was shocked to find Mrs. Young in the County Poor House. When he found her she commented, "I sure miss my husband, but God lead me here! I'm so glad He did, for you know about every month someone comes into this place to spend the rest of their days, and Mr. Lillenas, so many of them don't know my Jesus. I'm having the time of my life introducing them to Him! Isn't it wonderful how God leads?

What a testimony of joy. In poverty, yet happy with God's leading. Are you following His leading?

In shady green pastures, so rich and so sweet,

God leads His dear children along;

Where water's cool flow bathes the weary one's feet,

God leads His dear children along.

Chorus:

Some thro' the water, some thro' the flood,

Some thro' the fire, but all thro' the blood;

Some thro' great sorrow, but God gives a song;

In the night season and all the day long.

Sometimes on the mount where the sun shines so bright,

God leads His dear children along;

Sometimes in the valley in the darkest of night,

God leads His dear children along.

Tho' sorrows befall us, and Satan oppose,

God leads His dear children along.

Through grace we can conquer, defeat all our foes,

God leads His dear children along.

Away from the mire, and away from the clay,

God leads His dear children along;

Away up in glory, eternity's day,

God leads His dear children along.

Following Him,

Sis. Tammy

Low-Fat Pumpkin Pie

INGREDIENTS:
1 can (15 ounces) solid-pack pumpkin
1 can (14 ounces) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 unbaked pastry shell (9 inches)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large mixing bowl, beat the first seven ingredients just until smooth.
Pour into pastry shell.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes.
Reduce heat to 350°; bake 25-30 minutes longer or until a knife inserted near the center comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack.
Store in the refrigerator.
Yield: 8 servings.

NUTRITIONAL FACTS
One piece equals:
246 calories
6 g fat (2 g saturated fat)
3 mg cholesterol
334 mg sodium
42 g carbohydrate
3 g fiber
8 g protein
Diabetic Exchanges:
2 starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 fat.

Enjoy this great all-American dessert with less calories and fat, but same great taste.

Until the Shout,
Sis. Tammy

Swine Flu

My husband and a man at church were out door knocking today and ran into 2 people with swine flu. PLEASE, PLEASE pray that we do NOT end up with it. I sure would appreciate it.

Thanks!

Many Blessings,
Sis. Tammy

An Amazing Meeting

In Luke 9:18-22,"And it came to pass, as he was alone praying, his disciples were with him: and he asked them, saying, Whom say the people that I am? They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again. He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God. And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing; Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day."
Luke 9:28-36, "And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray. And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering. And, behold, there talked with him two men, which were Moses and Elias: Who appeared in glory, and spake of his decease which he should accomplish at Jerusalem. But Peter and they that were with him were heavy with sleep: and when they were awake, they saw his glory, and the two men that stood with him. And it came to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master, it is good for us to be here: and let us make three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias: not knowing what he said. While he thus spake, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them: and they feared as they entered into the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him. And when the voice was past, Jesus was found alone. And they kept it close, and told no man in those days any of those things which they had seen." (empahsis mine)

If you were put on the spot, could you say concisely what the central fact of your faith is?

Jesus came to die

We explain the death of Jesus was on our behalf. It atoned for our sins, and reconciled us to God. These phrases and more, mean nothing if we are unclear about who Jesus is. He is the only one who could truly save, at terrible cost. He looked beyond that cost as He told His disciples He would rise again.

He gave a complete picutre of events in one sentence, Luke 9:22. The subsequent verses, vv23-26, clearly set out the response required if we intend to follow Jesus: a wholehearted commitment that will cost us dearly, a rethink of our priorities; a total life change.

Who do you say I am?

What we think of Christ is crucial and determines our destiny.

The question to Peter was to draw out a confession of faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Thinking and actually saying are two very different things. Verbalising our faith in Jesus will produce a reaction from others. We need the courage to stand up for our convictions. The events of the next passage, vv29-31, should give us confidence!

Looking on this wonderful scene we see Jesus as the man and then glimpse His majesty - the human and divine. The experience took place as Jesus prayed and was mainly for His benefit. It confirmed God's approval of Jesus, His Son and was an encouragement as Jesus prepared for His imminent suffering. It was also a confirmation to Him of His purpose as the One who would fulfill the prophesies in scripture.

Wake up!

Are we so dozy at times that we miss out on some of the wonders God wants to share with us? Do we acknowledge Jesus as Lord but in some senses take Him for granted because we have known Him for some time? What an indictment on the reality of our faith!

Are we expectant when we pray? Do we hunger for an immediate experience of God as we commune with Him, or has our prayer life lost any sense of expectation? Prayer is an honour and we should apply ourselves to it eagerly. Through prayer we can enjoy growth in wisdom, grace and joy as we share in communion with our wonderful God.

Encouragement

When Peter was fully awake, he found God was graciously confirming his previous confession that Jesus was the Christ of God. His words spoken as rebuke and instruction, confirmed Jesus as the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 18:15.

We must not minimise our Lord's humanity or His divinity. We must "hear him". Our ability to follow Jesus only comes from knowing who He is and what He accomplished on our behalf.

Until the Shout,

Sis. Tammy