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Have you ever wondered if your children were deaf?

………………………You seriously needed them to do something, but no

………………………matter how you called, they were nowhere to be

found. It is strange how some kids can pull a vanishing act when it comes

to work, yet when you call them for some treat; they miraculously appear.

Someone certainly needs to discover a way to produce them on demand.

Likewise, maybe you’ve wondered if God is deaf. There have been times

you needed Him, and called for Him, but there was no response. No matter

how desperately you pulled on the ropes of Heaven, God didn’t seem to be

at home. What gives? Does He not care about your need? Did He go on a

far journey? Maybe He’s deaf and simply cannot hear you. The following

comments by Mrs. Julia Shelhamer may help shed some light on your

situation.

“No matter how important the prayer, God will not answer if the following

behaviors are being engaged in.”

1. You are holding a grudge:

2. You refuse to forgive someone for what they’ve done to you, or

someone you love:

3. You do not apologize for your faults or sins:

4. You are not making every effort to pay your debts:

5. You do not make your wrongs right and restore that which you

have wrongfully taken:

6. You are not kind and gentle to all your enemies:

7. You are indulging in any known sin:

8. You are yielding to temptation:

9. You are jealous or critical:

Now obviously, this list could be much longer than this, but what food for

thought! Scripturally speaking, the least disobedience to God throws Him

into a state of apparent deafness to our prayers, and He will not answer,

regardless of how we may pound on His door. If we want His ear, we must

repent of our sins and bring our life into alignment with His will. Then, and

only then, will He be delighted to hear and enable us to cash in on over

3000 delightful promises in His Word.

Sounds like a small price to pay for the privilege of being on His side.

Happy praying, Pastor Tim Forsee

Some have wondered if God is deaf. There have been times to

The Pastors Desk

The Franklin PHC is an affiliate of the

Midwest Pilgrim Holiness Church

Conference. You may visit their website at

midwestphc.org.

Visit our Website: franklinphc.com

Church Service Schedule

Sunday School 9:30 A.M. Sunday Morning Worship 10:30 A.M. Sunday Evening Worship 6:30 P.M. Wednesday Prayer Meeting 7:00 P.M.

Pilgrim Pulpit Page 2 The Forgotten Grace Pastor Tim Forsee Church Calendar Page 3 Alicia’s Kitchen Announcements GodSearch Page 4 Selected Teen Scene Page 5 Checkmate? Andrew Casalino Creation Series Page 6 The Amazing Octopus Larissa Robberts Guest Column Page 7 A Boyhood Prayer Rev. Don Raines

“There is a great craving today for a religion that

shall adorn, but shall not restrain, for a religion

that shall be toothless, and have no bite in it, for a

religion that shall sanction anything we want to

do. Popular Christianity is a very easy fitting

garment; it is like an old shoe that you can slip on

and off without any difficulty.” Unknown Source

“We cannot live a Christian life that is pleasing to

Christ without cost to ourselves.” Unknown

Source

Table of Contents

When God seems Deaf

The FORGOTTEN GRACE

Matthew 26:14-16, 47-50 Bad boy of the New Testament. Thief. Traitor. Liar. Lost soul. There is little to commend when we think of Judas Iscariot, the “man from Kerioth.” In spite of his service to Christ during the 3 years of His ministry, Judas’ life ended in tragedy. The only tragedy in fact, of the 12 original followers of Jesus. The rest of the disciples served Christ faithfully and went to their reward rejoicing – but not Judas. Judas chose a different course. Why did he do what he did? Was money really his objective in betraying

the Son of God? Was he trying to force Christ’s hand in proclaiming

himself to be King of the Jews? We may never know. Judas had privilege

above so many, but still chose to sell the Messiah for thirty pieces of silver.

It wasn’t the last bad decision he was guilty of making. In Matthew 27:3-

5, we see him so full of regret for what he did, that he tried to give back

the blood money to the Jewish leaders. When they would not receive it,

the scripture says that he threw it on temple floor and went out and

committed suicide. Apparently, he hanged himself by the neck until he

was dead. The rope then broke and his body fell to the rocks below.

How deeply tragic. The betrayal was bad enough. That sin could not be

forgotten if one lived a hundred lifetimes, but suicide? Suicide was so

final. Suicide locked the door against hope and threw away the key.

There is no coming back from suicide.

If Judas would only have cried out for mercy. If he would have only run

back to Christ, even as He hung on the cross, and begged His forgiveness,

would he not have found grace? A penitent thief found forgiveness and

Christ prayed that His tormentors might be forgiven. Why wouldn’t a

sobbing and repentant Judas have received the same favor?

But Judas didn’t ask for forgiveness. Abandoning all hope, he committed

a desperate act and carried his sins across the threshold of death. There

is no hope for Judas Iscariot.

What a sad reminder we find in this story. There are a lot of sins that

human beings can be guilty of. Dark and heinous sins. Sins so vile they

are unmentionable; and the temptation can be to carry them all by

ourselves. We are so ashamed over what we have done, we cannot face

anyone, especially God. Consumed with guilt, we live and we die, a

prisoner to those crimes and enter eternity a lost soul.

What a waste of the blood of Jesus! The truth is there is grace, even for

the vilest of sinners. Just as He did Judas, Jesus knew all about our dirty

deeds before we did them, and He went to the cross to pay for those sins

anyway. If we will repent over what we have done and accept Him as our

Savior, He will be delighted to forgive us and set us free. It is what He

came to earth to do. We simply can’t afford to forget grace. We have to

ask.

Pastor Tim Forsee lives in Trafalgar with his family. He has pastored the

Franklin, PHC for 14 years and has personally experienced God’s amazing grace

The Pilgrim Pulpit Pastor Timothy Forsee

The Last Chance

The story is told of a young man who was about to be

executed. He was guilty of the crime, there was no doubt

about that. Everyone agreed that his life should be taken

away. Everyone that is except his mother.

In spite of his dastardly deed, Mother loved her boy and

wanted his life to be spared. She wrote many letters to the

only one who could spare her poor child: The Governor

of their state. At first the Governor dismissed her letters

as the sentiment of a broken-hearted parent, but after a

while his heart softened. Maybe the boy was worth

saving. Maybe grace would be appropriate. He decided

to visit the boy incognito and see if he was repentant.

An hour before midnight on the night of the execution, the

guards admitted a stranger into the condemned man’s cell.

The young man sat with his face in his hands. He never

even bothered to look up.

For 30 minutes the stranger grilled the young man, asking

questions about his life and crimes but nary a word would

the young man answer him. Overwhelmed with bitterness

and self-pity over what was happening to him, he refused

all efforts to draw him out.

Finally, the boy’s last chance stood, and with a wistful

glance back, left the cell. The guards arrived soon after to

escort the prisoner to his doom. ~Selected

Ingredients: 1 (8 ounce packages) of softened cream cheese, 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk, 1 egg, 3 tablespoons ReaLemon lemon juice from concentrate, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries, 1 (6 ounce) ready-made Oreo crumb crust, 2 ounces semisweet chocolate morsels, 1/4 cup whipping cream (Prep: 15 m, Cook: 35 m, Ready In: 50 m)

Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees F. With mixer, beat cream cheese

until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add egg, ReaLemon(R) and vanilla and mix well. Press raspberries firmly into bottom of crust, reserving a few whole berries for garnish. Slowly pour cream cheese mixture over fruit. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.

Chocolate Glaze: In small saucepan, over low heat, melt

semisweet chocolate with whipping cream. Stir until thickened and smooth. Remove from heat. Glaze over cheesecake. Chill. Garnish as desired. Submitted by Alicia Casalino

Activity Schedule

Due to the Corona Virus our calendar is subject

to change. Please confirm before any events are

attended.

*Spring Revival: April 24-26. Services 7:00 P.M.

nightly. Sunday: 10:30 A.M. and 6:30 P.M. Paul

Stetler, evangelist.

*Youth Lock-In: Friday, April 3, Conference

Grounds in Anderson. (6:00 P.M. – 2:00 A.M.)

*Church Annual Business Meeting: Saturday,

March, 28 10:00 A.M. (Church Board meets at

9:30 A.M.)

*Easter Sunrise Service: 7:00 A.M. April 26.

Breakfast: 8:00 A.M.

*Easter Pageant: Sunday Evening, April 26. 6:30

P.M. (See advertisement on this page.)

*Pilgrim Holiness Ministerial: May 5-7.

Noblesville, IN. Rev. Timothy Cooley and Larry

and Trish Jewett are the workers.

*Graduation Service: Sunday Night, June 7. 6:30

P.M. (Kindergarten – College) Refreshments

afterwards.

*Pilgrim Youth Camp: June 15-19. Steve Stetler,

evangelist.

It is comparatively easy to win people to a cross,

but to a cross that leaves them uncrucified,”

Andrew Murray

Alicia’s Kitchen Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Light and Life FROM a COLD STONE

An Easter Pageant By the Franklin, PHC Youth Group

Sunday Night, April 26

6:30 P.M.

Come at 6:00 and enjoy the worshipful prelude music.

There will be a time of fellowship and snacks after the service.

Trafalgar Library

Go to our church Facebook page to watch our services online.

Polaroid Contest Winners

Ethan Forsee and Olivia Slaughter were

the first to turn in their pictures in the

biblical photography contest. They

were awarded with a new Polaroid

camera.

We are now waiting for the rest of the

young people to finish taking their

pictures and turn them in. The two

winners of the next stage of the contest

will get to choose the next youth activity

destination and have all their expenses paid.

young man was searching for God. The Great Mystery

. .. so perplexed his mind that he finally began seeking

outside help. People told him of a wise ascetic that lived on a

faraway mountain; a man renowned for his piety. Surely, he

could answer this young man’s questions.

Traveling many days, the young man finally reached his

destination. Climbing the mountain, he found the ascetic

sitting on a stone beside a lake. Panting from his exertion, he

immediately began blurting out the questions that had

bothered him for so long. Why was God so elusive? Why

didn’t He reveal himself? How could one possibly get to know

the Almighty?

Holding up a hand, the wise old man silenced him. Without a

word, he stood and beckoned him to follow. Leading him out

into the icy waters of the lake, the ascetic refused to stop until

the water was chest deep.

Suddenly, before the young man could think, the older man

grabbed him about the neck and forced his head under the

water. The young man tried to fight back, but to no avail. The

sinewy grip was too strong for him. Panic set in as his body

was deprived of oxygen. His lungs burned within his chest

until he thought they would burst. Spots appeared before his

vision; and his strength failed him. A great darkness began

clouding his mind. Then, just before he lost consciousness, the

grip relented and dragged him from the depths. Laying on the

lakeshore, coughing and retching, the young man began

gulping huge lungsful of sweet mountain air. Nothing had ever

tasted so delicious.

Turning to the sober man studying him, angry words rose to

his lips, but again, the hand silenced him. “When you want

God as much as you just wanted air,” the old man said quietly,

“you will find Him”.

Application

Now, obviously, a story such as this can spark a heated

theological debate. Many would want to argue whether desire

alone is sufficient to lead one to the true God. Isn’t the Word

of God necessary for them to be led correctly? However, we

just want to point out a simple truth from this story.

Many people, who already know the correct way to God, do not

show much initiative in their search for God. They say they are

interested in knowing Him, but you would not know it from their

actions. Other than reading an occasional inspirational book, asking

a casual question, and sporadically attending church, they are not

really serious about their pursuit of God. They are so easily

distracted by entertainment, hobbies, work, family, and friends;

Then, they wonder why God is so elusive.

Is God really elusive, or is it simply

that people are not searching

DILIGENTLY enough for Him?

Let me offer a word of advice from an old ascetic: We cannot expect

to uncover the mystery of God with feeble efforts. If we really are

interested in knowing Him, and enjoying an ever-deepening

relationship, we must be desperate to find Him. No cutting corners.

No haphazard approach. No excuses. Nothing less than a sincere,

wholehearted commitment that consumes the best of our time and

resources. I pray His blessing on your own God search. `Editor

Jeremiah 29:13 And ye shall seek me, and find me,

when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

If you are hungry for God, it is because He is calling you.

Draw near to Him and He will draw near to you.

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ave you ever felt trapped? Maybe during a board game or sporting event. What about during a conversation? Or maybe you’re

…….. tempted to feel like nobody cares. Sometimes we quickly say something without thinking it through, or make a decision that gets

us cornered with no escape. But when it comes to our spiritual safety and well-being, God has promised to always have a way to escape

temptation for us. This kind of assurance and promise would definitely be nice to have onboard for awkward situations; but more

importantly, Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10:13 that God's love for us is unending. (There.hath no temptation taken you but such as is

common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make

a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.) He is committed to giving you a way out of every temptation no matter how strong and

overwhelming that pressure to sin may be. Some times that way of escape may be as simple as walking away, or maybe by saying "no".

If we look for a way to say “no” to whatever sin compels us, God promises we will find it. In some cases, that might mean literally

"escaping" from a situation, as Joseph ran away from his master's wife (Genesis 39:7-12). God is actively working to help those who are

in Christ, who want to do what is right, to be successful. The Creator of the universe has created an escape plan for every temptation you

have faced, are experiencing, or will ever encounter. Our job in these situations is to look for it. It’s there, He promises.

Andrew Casalino is the youth leader at the Franklin Pilgrim Holiness Church. He and his wife Kemberly have 5 children and homestead in Trafalgar. Andrew enjoys animals, spending time with his family, and ministering at his church.

International chess master Paul Morphy and a friend entered an art gallery. Mr. Morphy was drawn to a .

.. painting depicting two men playing chess. The name of the painting was “The Chess Players” by Morits Retzch.

… In the painting, a man is playing chess with the devil, the stake being the young man’s soul. The artist had most

. graphically depicted the point in the game where it was apparently the young man’s move, and he seemed just

.. n.. realize the fact that he had lost the game, the agony of despair being shown in every line of his features and

……. …. attitude, while the devil from the opposite side of the table gloated over him with fiendish delight. The position

….. of the game appeared utterly hopeless for the young man. His soul was lost.

Even though his friend got bored and moved on, Mr. Morphy stayed behind, eyes fixed on the chess board. Before long, he came

hurriedly to his friend and exclaimed, “It’s not over! The young man has one more move! I could win the match for him!” They returned

to the painting and Mr. Morphy showed exactly how the young man could not only escape the situation, but win the match.

The Lesson: Every day we are in a battle for our souls. The devil

makes a move, we make a move. Back and forth we go. Sometimes we

seem to be winning and sometimes we feel like we are losing. Once in a

while, we feel like we are backed into a corner and ready to give up. But

when those times come, we need to remember that we always have one

more move. But the only way to discover that move is to accept the help

of the “Master”. He is the one who knows us even better than we know

ourselves. He knows who we are, how we feel, and what we are capable

of. He knows our strengths and our weaknesses. When we turn it over to

Him and let Him show us how to win, we will always be victorious. Even

in our darkest hour, when there seems to be no hope in sight, the Master

can come and show us a path to victory. There is always another move for

us. (Dr. Kris Heap, Sucessify.net)

The Chess Match

H

. ere is a question I’m sure you all can answer. What sea creature has eight legs, with suction cups? Yep! An

. . octopus. That was easy, but did you also know that one of those suction cups is powerful enough to suck out

. your eyeball??? In fact, Some of an octopus’s largest suckers can hold up to 35 pounds! They have nearly

240 very strong suckers on their tentacles. They even squirt ink for protection from predators. Now, an octopus’s

arms kind of have a mind of their own. Some researchers cut off an octopus’s arm, and when they tried to poke it, it

flinched and wiggled all by itself! Their arms also grown back.

Now, most of you probably know that an octopus has three hearts. Two pump blood throughout the body, and one

pumps blood to its other organs. When it swims the third heart stops beating! That might be why the octopuses

prefer to crawl. So, an octopus has three hearts, but guess how many brains it has? NINE!!! It has NINE brains! No

wonder it’s so smart! In fact, an octopus was seen unscrewing a childproof lid, and another one pulling a plug.

Octopus’s also get bored easily, so researchers give them complicated toys or puzzles to solve, like a Rubik’s

Cube….Yeah…an octopus solved a Rubik’s Cube! Some of them use shells to make gardens around their lairs, and to

use as weapons. Some even use coconut shells for armor. Speaking of armor, they can change their body color in 3/10

of a second! WHAAAATT???

Now, octopuses don’t have bones or cartilage, so they’re kind of squishy and stretchy—so stretchy that they can squeeze through any hole the size of their eyeball! Wow! There are a lot of cool things about octopuses. God made every single thing about the octopus special so that it can survive in its habitat. He made us to glorify Him, love Him, serve Him, and eventually go to Heaven to be with Him forever. Larissa Robberts (Dr. Booplesnoot) is 13 years old and lives in Kansas. She travels with her parents doing Vacation Bible Schools in the summertime and loves to teach others about the Christian faith. She attends the Pilgrim Holiness Church in Ottawa and has one sister and one brother.

Creation Series By Larissa Robberts

They were all sitting in the Peugeot as their Dad started the motor. The announcement was made, “Children, we must pray that God will send the needed money in today’s mail, or we must stay in town tonight, because we will not have enough gasoline to get home.” They all bowed their heads in earnest prayer that God would answer the need. Down through the mountains they went, trusting God. When they arrived in town, they anxiously looked into the mailbox. There was much rejoicing at the reality that God had come through again. The place was Dominica. The time was long ago, but it was never forgotten. Yes, I remember the hardships, the sleeping bag for five on the concrete floor; the oatmeal over the open fire for breakfast, dinner and supper, as we blew on wet wood and listened to the hissing raindrops. But above all these things, I remember the God that answered our prayers. Years later, in Bible School, with a bill I could not possibly pay, the impression still remains true, and in earnest once again, I bowed my head to ask God for the needed $1,497.00 by the end of the week. Knowing God would not fail, I told the authorities the money would be there. And praise God, He didn’t fail. A check for the total amount came through in time.

Prayer cannot be explained, it can only be experienced.

Although we cannot explain why and how God works through

prayer, we know that He does. I am so thankful that as a young

child I experienced the value of prayer. Prayer is the stabilizing force in the Christian experience. And even in the days that I now live in a state-side parsonage, I realize it as the main asset physically, financially, and spiritually. I pray, even here, that my family will have the opportunity to experience prayer; to witness firsthand prayer moving the hand of God. I pray that the spiritual heritage that blessed my life, might continue into the lives of others, that the God of reality might be glorified. Rev. Don Raines now pastors the Pilgrim Holiness Church in New Castle, IN. This article was originally written in April of 1989 for the Midwest Pilgrim publication. His God has been faithful and Don has since experienced many more answers to prayer.

A Boyhood Prayer By Don Raines

Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every word; Tell

me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was heard. Tell

how the angels in chorus, Sang as they welcomed His birth,

“Glory to God in the highest! Peace and good tidings to earth.”

Refrain: Tell me the story of Jesus, Write on my heart every

word; Tell me the story most precious, Sweetest that ever was

heard.

Fasting alone in the desert, Tell of the days that are past, How

for our sins He was tempted, Yet was triumphant at last. Tell of

the years of His labor, Tell of the sorrow He bore; He was

despised and afflicted, Homeless, rejected and poor.

Tell of the cross where they nailed Him, Writhing in anguish and

pain; Tell of the grave where they laid Him, Tell how He liveth

again. Love in that story so tender, Clearer than ever I see; Stay,

let me weep while you whisper, “Love paid the ransom for me.”

Tell how He’s gone back to heaven, Up to the right hand of God:

How He is there interceding, While on this earth we must trod.

Tell of the sweet Holy Spirit, He has poured out from above;

Tell how He’s coming in glory, For all the saints of His love.

This song was written by Francis J. Crosby, a blind songwriter

who lived during the Second Great Awakening. (1820-1915)

Francis was one of the most prolific hymnists in history,

composing over 8000 songs and hymns. It is said that “Her

gospel songs were "paradigmatic of all revival music", and Ira

Sankey attributed the success of the Moody evangelical

campaigns to Crosby's hymns.” Some of Crosby's best-known

songs include "Pass Me Not, O Gentle Saviour", "Blessed

Assurance", "Praise Him, Praise Him", "Rescue the Perishing",

and "To God Be the Glory". Some publishers were hesitant to

have so many hymns by one person in their hymnals, so Crosby

used nearly 200 different pseudonyms during her career.

Tell Me the Story of Jesus