When?  Tuesday, November 15,  7 pm EST – 10 pm EST

Where?  Facebook Page of Raising Real Men

What to do…  Anytime between 7 pm and 10 pm EST, log in to your Facebook and visit the Facebook Page of Raising Real Men

You will be joining Pilgrim Institute and friends for a fun-filled 3- hours of conversation, free party favors and doorprizes sponsored by Raising Real Men!

Pilgrim Institue will be offering own own special party favors, including a special Thanksgiving audio story for you to enjoy with your family this Thanksgiving season!

As a special treat, we will be sharing a door prize sure to enliven your teaching of America’s Christian History!

We look forward to visiting with our friends tonight!  Be sure to check back right here on the Pilgrim Institute blog for information on our doorprize once the party is underway!

• For further study, please consider the materials and courses offered by Pilgrim Institute. www.PilgrimInstitute.org

• The Mighty Works of God Series

• Online Course: Rudiments of America’s Christian History and Government

This is Part Two of an interview Mrs. Smith participated in recently on a homeschool blog.

The Question posed to Mrs. Smith was, “If you were to teach just three things about the Bible in English link on the Chain of Christianity what would they be?  What is the “big idea” we should be teaching our children in this link?”

Answer by Ruth J. Smith, Pilgrim Institute:

To narrow the teaching of the Bible in English link to three main ideas is difficult, but I would propose the following:

1. The Price that was Paid  (link to Part One of Interview)

2. Without the Bible, Truth will Be Hidden

“In New Testament times, God used the Apostles, particularly Paul, to teach and preach throughout Asia and Europe. As they ministered in these areas, churches were formed. Historians describe these churches in different ways. Leonard Bacon, in his Genesis of the New England Churches, 1874, described the first century churches: ‘there are indications that in every place the society of believers in Christ was a little republic. . . Each local church was complete in itself, and was held responsible to Christ for its own character, and the character of those whom it retained in its fellowship.’

“Between the first century after Christ to the time of Constantine (312 A.D.), changes occurred in the structure of the churches. The self-governing churches of the first century gradually changed to an Episcopal form of church government, with power flowing from the top down. The power gradually centered in the Church of Rome. Constantine set himself as the head of that church in 312 A.D. This Church dominated history for centuries until the Reformation.

“These changes occurred because people did not have access to the Bible and could not know the Scriptural principles of church government.”5

As the Bible has become less and less an authority in the lives of the Christian of our day, error will creep into the home, the church, and ultimately the nation. The Bible must be the basis of reasoning in all spheres of life and living.

Stay Tuned for Part Three of the Interview with Mrs. Smith……..

Recommended Resources:

The Mighty Works of God, A Providential History Series for the Home and School by Mrs. Ruth J. Smith

Recently, Mrs. Ruth J. Smith of the Pilgrim Institute was interviewed on a homeschooling blog.  We will present the interview in three parts on the Pilgrim Institute blog.  Here is Part One:

Question posed by Interviewer:

“If you were to teach just three things about the Bible in English link on the Chain of Christianity what would they be?  What is the “big idea” we should be teaching our children in this link?”

Answer by Ruth J. Smith, Pilgrim Institute:

To narrow the teaching of the Bible in English link to three main ideas is difficult, but I would propose the following:

1. The Price that was Paid



“Many Americans have little understanding of the price that was paid for us to have the Bible in our hands. It is important for the students to treasure the Bible as the Word of God and to recognize the price that men paid to give us the Bible in English.”1

The history of the Bible in English begins with the earliest light of John Wycliffe’s translation from the Latin. The Roman church of that day did not approve the people having the Scriptures in their hand, but Wycliffe labored for the people of England to have the Word of God in their language. Though his life was threatened, God preserved Wycliffe and his assistants to produce the written word. But first the people had to learn to read. Even without the printing press, the knowledge of the Word spread throughout England. “Historians tell us that if you met two people on the road in England, at least one would have followed the teachings of Wycliffe.”2

“William Tyndale had studied the Word of God. He knew it was very important for each person to read the Bible for himself. He did not think the church leaders should be the only ones who could have a Bible. He declared, ‘If God preserves my life, I will cause a boy that driveth a plow to know more of the Scriptures than the pope.”3 Tyndale dedicated his life to translating the Scriptures, not from the Latin, but from the original languages. For this labor, he paid the ultimate sacrifice, as he was imprisoned and martyred. God, in His wisdom, opened the door for Tyndale’s translation in England. “Within one year, Tyndale’s translation of the Bible was brought to the King. The King said the Bible could be sold in England.”4

Persecution of Bible scholars and teachers under the bloody rule of Queen Mary brought together the men who would produce the Geneva Bible – the Bible of the Pilgrims. Though Queen Mary’s purpose was evil, God meant it for good.

The story goes on with the great price that was paid for the Bible to be in English for all the people. Do we as individuals and families know this story and do we treasure it?

Stay tuned for Part Two of the Interview…..

Please visit the Pilgrim Institute website and Online Store  for resources to deepen your understanding and appreciation of America’s Christian History.

We recommend the Online Course, Rudiments of America’s Christian History and Government..Ongoing Learning for Today’s Lifestyle.

The Mighty Works of God

Two new reviews of The Mighty Works of God series have been posted online. Check out what others are saying about the series.

https://heartsathomestore.com/index.php?main_page=page&id=85

http://www.principledmom.com/feed/

An Individual’s Journey With The Principle Approach
First in a Series
Ruth J. Smith
www.PilgrimInstitute.org

It was early in the 1970’s, my husband, Allen Smith, and I found our lives were extremely busy — three children attending Christian school, working in a church ministry and Christian school, which was very demanding in time and commitment.

The school administrators were introduced to two ladies from California who had published two large red books, and there was much discussion about using the “Principle Approach” in the school. There wasn’t any published curriculum that taught using this approach, most Christian schools had never heard of it, and so the question had to be answered: How do you have a school that uses the Principle Approach?

The principal of that Christian school taught a class on Sunday evening, which was open to anyone who wanted to attend. Interested in learning what the school was teaching, my husband and I attended that class. Little did we realize that this class would change our lives!

Principles of government were introduced, and we began to think through some very basic ideas which had been part of our thinking. Who controlled history? Was it God’s Hand that controlled, or was Satan controlling through a great conspiracy? What does it mean to govern yourself? What was our view of individuals? How were we training our children? What was our view of each of our daughters?

But the Lord wasn’t going to let us just attend a class and think through these ideas in our home. He had different plans!

Check back for the next in the series on the Pilgrim Institute blog! Or follow us on Facebook.

Teaching Biblical Ideas and Reasoning

            How may students of any age be trained in the capacity for Biblical reasoning? How is Scripture related to what we teach? How will this teaching influence the heart and life of the student? His home? His calling in life? His community? His nation? America’s historic method of Biblical reasoning seeks to restore independent learning, mastery of academic principles, and the ability to apply the teaching of Scripture to every aspect of learning and living. This workshop will inspire and equip the parent with illustrations from a variety of academic subjects.
             Hear Ruth Smith at CHEK Homeschool and Family Conference, Louisville, KY, June 24 and 25.

Teaching the Next Generation to Love History

       The adults of this generation are responsible to teach the rising generation the mighty works of God, that they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments. Ps. 78:7 This is accomplished, not by teaching dates, facts, names, and events, with no consideration for their cause and effect; but rather by teaching how to reason from cause to effect in historic events, discerning the governmental principles that bring forth liberty, and gaining an understanding of the major events of history. Mrs. Smith’s practical expertise in teaching both students and home-educators, based on over 30 years of teaching and learning, will inspire participants with an approach to teaching history which gives life to the subject, focusing on the individuals and events used by God to advance the Gospel and liberty.
      Hear Ruth Smith at CHEK Family and Homeschool Conference, Louisville, KY, June 24 and 25.

This Thursday, June 16, is the live Question/Answer time. If you entered the Giveaway, your invitation for the Q/A should have been received. We used PunchTab to process all entries for this Giveaway, but it appears that a number of individuals may have simply used the Facebook “Like” button, rather than processing through the PunchTab form. A limited number of spaces are still available for the Q/A session. If you thought you had entered but have not received your invitation, please send us a quick note, Info@PilgrimInstitute.org, and we will process your entry. Please forgive any inconvenience.

“For Such a Time as This”

This is the third in a series of posts regarding the Leadership Demanded by a Republic. James Rose addressed the unique characteristics of the leadership demanded by a Republic. Ralph Bullard  reminded us of the means to cultivate the unique leadership demanded by a republic.

God has a plan which He is accomplishing in each of our lives and in the life of each nation. The Word of God reveals the Hand of God working in specific events, placing just the right individual in the right place at the right time. As individuals, the challenge for us is to learn to rest in His Providence.

We must learn to rest in His Providence in our personal lives. In a recent Ministry Musings post, I shared some memories of my husband.  As he battled cancer and we knew that, barring a miracle of healing, his days were numbered, I had to search my heart. I had been teaching Providential history for years, could I now rest in the Providence of God even when the times were difficult?

We must also rest in His Providence as it relates to our nation. Does this mean we simply sit idly by, or do we assume our Biblical responsibility for our nation? What is that responsibility? It is God who places the rulers in authority, but we must consider on what basis does He determine the rulers for a nation?

Listen to this audio clip from Ruth Smith’s presentation, “For Such a Time as This”, at a Pilgrim Institute conference.  The full presentation is available either on CD or DVD.

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