A Divorce That Works

We now live in a country where 60% of CHRISTIAN MARRIAGES end in divorce.  Wow!  I wouldn't have ever thought that Christian Marriages would be so unprepared to handle the pressures of daily living.  But, there it is D I V O R C E.  That old country song really stings in my ears now more than ever.  The very fabric of our faith is unraveling before our eyes and there seems to be very little or no attempt by the modern day church to meet this problem head on. Divorce -  a legal decree dissolving a marriage • a separation between things that were or ought to be connected.  No matter how you spell it out, it still spells failure. Failure to follow through with your commitment.  Failure to draw closer to each other now that you are one flesh. Genesis 2:24 For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.  Failure to pursue God together as a unified force in your world and family.  Failure to forgive and work things out one problem at a time.  Failure to develop your hearts together. FAILURE!!!

It's time to wake up and see where the problem lies.  In our hearts.  For those who know Christ, the bond we have with our heavenly Father is to be so strong that it makes it very difficult when you are not married to another believer. 2 Cor. 6:14 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?  You see, when we accept Christ and give Him our life He takes that step of faith and starts a process that begins with salvation and grows it into a very intimate relationship with our heavenly Father.  God changes in our lives from GOD, to Abba Father, or daddy.  That intimacy draws us closer to Him by giving us a desire to pursue Him with everything we are and that starts a very big change. (Oh no.  They didn't tell you that you would have an immediate change when you accepted Christ?) Our Bad!!!  REALLY.......Our bad.  Our spiritual gift of assumption kicked in and kept us from discipling you like we were supposed to.  Why did that happen?  Probably because no one made a concentrated effort to disciple us.  Makes sense doesn't it?  What's good for the goose is good for.....You know the rest.  So the legacy that should be passed down to all believers is not a legacy at all, but a weak expression of what we experience in Christ.  The end result is a very watered down faith without much power and even though the Holy Spirit is supposed to be controlling each of us, He is shut out because we don't even know He's there.  Wow!  Things look tough don't they?  Not so fast my friend.  God is still alive.  He still changes lives.  His Holy Spirit is in those who know Christ and ready to respond.  When can all this power and direction begin?  NOW!  Yes, I said NOW!  Here's what needs to happen. The only Divorce that needs to take place in your life is the divorce with your past life.  2 Co. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!   When you accept Christ you will have a new perspective on life.  One that is no longer self centered, but Christ centered.  You put your wants and desires on the back burner and you let Him lead you through a new life according to His Will.  That process is real and does work, but it has to happen.  You must  totally get a divorce from who you were and be joined with God and be one in heart with Him.  The problem with a lot of baby Christians is they are not told the whole truth and they just do a trial separation with their past life and dabble in their Christian life and never really see the turning, or the change become complete.  That trial separation is just a trial and before long they are back to living nowhere lives.  The only problem is that whatever they try to do is always compromised and less than what it should be because their CORE is not pure and healthy.  I guess you could say that a person who has a little of Christ and a lot of the world is a spiritual bigamist. The only problem is you cannot be married to both.  You must divorce, not do a trial separation from your past self and totally give your life to Christ.  Anything less than that compromises what God will be able to do in your life.Oh yeah, the divorce problem among Christians.....By now you must surely see how putting another person in your life with your weak faith can only lead to problems down the road.  Usually that ring, that ceremony, that paper, that commitment becomes another in a long series of failures.  So the root to the problem is not necessarily a lack of good marriage training.  It is more likely a lack of discipleship for the person who accepted Christ.  Of course, marriage problems are just one of many problems for a person who has a weak, worldly based Christian faith.  Right now though, it is tearing apart lives right and left, not to mention how much it is weakening the effectiveness of the local church.If you are going through marital problems right now, I am willing to believe that a weak faith by one or both parties involved is at the root of your problems.  You will get no better life and marriage counseling than that given by The Wonderful Counselor, Jesus.  Start with a heart to heart with you and Him, and then have a heart to heart with the other part of your flesh, and I believe things will start looking up immediately.It's time to move out of the house with your past life and divorce it once and for all, and renew your original commitment to the Lord.  You will be pleasantly surprised how much it will change everything else in your life.  That's a divorce that works!!!

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Breath Mints - Adjective Overkill

I was looking at a church's website today and noticed that in the name of being "real"(otherwise called truthful) they used so many adjectives it almost became comical.  Words like relevant, authentic, engaging, intentional, interactive, catalyst, strategic, and many others have become the staple of advertising for churches and church leaders.

I used them and they rolled off my tongue like butta.  It was innocent enough at first for me, but before long I was a major user.  I couldn't make a sentence without throwing in an all too familiar adjective like "relevant" or "authentic".  It became a crutch for speaking and before long all I wanted to do was hang around other people who used the same words.  Sadly, I was a member of a little known cult called The Contemporarys.  Yes, this group had sucked me in to their little group and fed my addiction with timely emails, newsletters, and free David Yurman cross cufflinks (to be worn on the inside not showing the cross because it would not be relevant in today's societal needs)  Before long I quit associating with Bible Thumpers who read from anything less than The New English Relevantly Hyperdrived Apologizing version of.........The Bible  If not for a group of Christian friends who made a commitment to intervene on my behalf, I would still be tied to the inner circle of the cult, known as "The  Inner Circle"  (It was tough for them to get a cool word for the inner circle)  As I distanced myself from their hold I began to see that what they were doing wasn't really anything new at all .......THEY WERE JUST WORDS!!

Of course, I am kidding, but this may be closer to the truth for some than they are willing to admit.  When I went to college I pledged a fraternity my first semester and joined the next semester.  I made some fairly good friends and actually felt like I was a Big Man On Campus.  But what made me a Big Man On Campus was not who I was, but who I was associated with in my fraternal membership.  It looks like the fraternal need of many Christian Men is still there and the best way to fill that need is to be a part of a hierarchy group of people who have all the answers to right the wrongs of past mistakes made in the modern day church.  To them the Bible is a reference book to be used with the latest bestseller from the hottest new Christian Author, instead of the other way around.  Over the years I have had many churches approach me about coming to serve in their fellowship and it is tragic to have one or more of their leaders ask me, "What book are you reading now?" as a litmus test as to whether I am up on my modern Christianity.  One such leader called a while back and when asked I just had to stop this whole thing, so when he asked what book I was reading I replied "Romans."  He laughed and said, "No really, what book like Visioneering or Blue Like Jazz?"  I didn't laugh and once again said, "Romans."  He didn't call back.

You can always tell when we have drifted too far from God's Purpose when we don't need Him or His Word to function anymore.  When Fortune 500 companies start to generate the vision for reaching out to people for Christ, something is wrong.  I'm not against adjectives that I mentioned earlier in this blog, but it causes me to think if we need to use those words, then we may have a problem  Are we not relevant?  Did you know that trends that used to take 3 years to establish are now established and gone in 6 months?   If that's the case, then who is relevant?  Talk about riding on a relevancy roller coaster! If we aren't authentic(def. having the origin supported by unquestionable evidence) then the problem could be in our source and that source is probably not God's Word.  If we aren't in a vision mode then we need what catalyst God can provide, not what catalyst Wall Street can provide.   I think right now in the church we are a product of unfulfilled fake Christianity.  As a youth pastor, I saw it coming years ago in the lives of students who were trying to live their faith through their parents.  I had to purposely try to get them to forget about living second hand faith and try to convince them to live a real faith one on one with Christ.   I also saw many kids who "got it" and deepened their walk with Christ, but there are many from the 70's and 80's who are the disgruntled preachers and church leaders of today.  Their opposite mindset about what their faith was like as a child and youth is driving their well meaning agenda, but it isn't helping the church move.  It's just a distraction.  And now adjectives are driving the course of modern day churches and we think if we say it enough it will get better, but it won't.  If you take Christ out of the Gospel, you have no gospel.  If you take the Holy Spirit out of discernment, you have no direction,  If you take God's Word out of authentic teaching, you have no truth.  If you take sacrifice out of service, you have no workers.  If you allow the World to control your church, you have no church.   If you want to be relevant, authentic, contemporary, and many other words that describe our desire to serve God, then be a Christian or Like Christ.  He is never ashamed of associating with us.  May we never be caught being ashamed of associating with Him.  In fact, I think this whole style of living shouldn't be allowed to leave a bad taste in our mouth when it comes to lifting up the name of the Lord.  When I have a bad taste in my mouth, I usually don't notice it is bad breath until someone brings it to my attention.  Then I have the option to either deal with it or not.  I usually get a breath mint and that takes away the bad taste for me and the bad smell to whoever I am talking to.  I think it's time to evaluate if this whole thing tastes good or not, and then see how it is affecting those we are influencing.  If it has even a hint of bad taste to us, then it probably smells even worse to others.  Remember, you cannot get anymore real or relevant than the truth.  Psalm 20:5-8 We will shout for joy when you are victorious and will lift up our banners in the name of our God. May the Lord grant all your requests.  Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed; he answers him from his holy heaven with the saving power of his right hand.  Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm.

The Pilgrimage continues......

David Warren

What Kind of Crucible Are You?

As believers we are blessed to live a life of hope and peace that DOES pass all understanding. Philippians 4:7  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. That peace and hope will many times be tested and that testing helps us now and in the future as God is developing our faith and sanctifying our hearts.   That testing is something that I many times question and  struggle with to the point of letting it get me down or allowing it to be a distraction to my walk of faith.  Of course, then I wake up and see that God's hand is preparing me for a task or ministry where a stronger faith and perseverance will be required.  In the middle of the testing it is tough and at times distressing, but if I can get a glimpse of what is beyond the test, it gives me strength to allow the result of that test to be good and affirming.  I'm not saying that I handle all of the tests in my life with great strength and understanding because I don't.  But if I can see God's Hand in the testing a sense of true peace will come over me that helps me wade through it and get to where God is leading me. James 1:2-4  Consider it pure joy, my brothers,whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

In the second Indiana Jones movie, Indiana and half pint, a boy tagging along for the adventure,  had gotten stuck in a room that was sealed and the ceiling was dropping from above, so as to crush them.  A trip lever had been stepped on putting the whole thing in motion and it was not looking good.  For just a split second though, the doorway out was open and Indiana got caught between staying and helping his young friend or getting out.  He stayed and now they were stuck.  What to do?  Fortunately,there was a mechanism through the wall, that when tripped would stop the ceiling from coming down and open the escape door.  His female companion, who had made it out, stuck her hand into an insect infested hole in the wall and tripped the safety switch to allow them to get out. Saved!!  Whoo Hoo!  What a test!  They had to react quickly to their tough situation, but they DID react properly and they were saved.

As you go through your many tests in life allow God to develop your faith by trusting Him, seeking His will, learning to think on your feet, and looking for that better day ahead.  Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your path straight." On the pathway of life we really don't know the way without God's direction.  So God gives us tests along the way so we will be able to handle things further down the path.  Just keep in mind that God's tests are for our good and they grow us closer to Him.  The tricks of satan are for our bad and his plan is for us to stop and quit.   Stay on God's path, even when things seem so desperate and there is no hope.  If you will look up to Him He will give you a glimpse of a better day and His blessings will start to be seen and experienced.  It's like the heating of gold.  Gold heats at approximately 1063 degrees, but getting to that temperature burns other impurities out of the gold itself until it is pure. A crucible is a melting pot used to hold the gold when it is being heated.  The crucible has to be able to handle the heat or it will melt along with the gold and the process will be spilled gold, impure gold.  God has formed each of us to be a crucible, by giving us the Holy Spirit and enabling us to handle the extreme heat while our faith is being purified.  At the end of each process what used to be compromised, impure gold, is now pure in form and the crucible still holds it without cracking or splitting.  The pure gold is the end result of the heat, but the crucible is the vessel that must stand the heat in the process.  With the Holy Spirit in our life we are able to be the crucible God needs us to be to allow the purification process to be complete.  The Lord is the one who keeps our crucible or vessel from cracking under pressure.  It doesn't mean we won't feel the heat.  It does mean the heat will not overcome the cricible's ability to hold the gold.  Faith refined by fire is lasting faith.  1 Peter 1:6-7 says, "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith-of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire-may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

What kind of crucible are you?  I hope I am the kind of crucible, or vessel, that through the power of the Holy Spirit will continue to trust God when the heat is turned up.  2 Timothy 2:21 says, "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel (crucible) for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work.

I want to be that kind of crucible.  Don't you?

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Give Him a Hand!!

The hand is an amazing part of the body and it serves so many important functions in our daily life.  From birth and throughout our lives we see how hands can be used for so many good and bad things.  Think about it, a finger on a hand can pull a trigger on a gun and end a life, or it can reach out to a drowning person and barely grab them and save their life.  A hand can be raised up to wave "hi" or a thrown forward to say "phooey."  A hand can hold water in it's palm, or spill it by turning it over.  A grouping of fingers when applied to specific musical instruments can make beautiful melodies that stir hearts. A clinched fist can be used to take a stand by bringing it down hard on an object while making a point, or when thrust forward in a punch can knock a person out. We put rings on our fingers denoting many different things, but the most frequent rings you see are wedding rings.  Those rings can be used to show that you have given yourself in commitment to someone else, or taken off to flippantly think that commitment is over because you only have a faint tan line.  Hands can be used to hold onto something and lift enormous amounts of weight when given strength throughout our body, or they can become lifeless when a person's life has ended.  A hand on a shoulder many times will bring peace and comfort, or make us feel distant when not reached out.  Doctors prick our fingers to get blood and put a pulse monitor on our finger to get a heart rate.  Our Savior's Hands are famous for the image of serving, comforting, admonishing, and sacrifice.  We are called to extend our hands toward heaven to lift up the name of Jesus and outward to lift up the afflicted and needy.  Our hands can cover our eyes, ears, and mouth seemingly to shut out the world.  A parent's hand can calm their children's fear and anxiety with a very gentle stroke, and be used to inflict a minor degree of pain for correction.  A prisoner's hands can be tied with handcuffs one day making them bound for their crimes, and when released they have the ability to feel freedom again.  Hands! A pretty awesome part of our body that when used the right way or wrong way can impact any situation for good or evil.  I've been in many situations where someone would perform and at the completion of their performance be rewarded with the clapping of hands.  Rhythm in music is many times represented by clapping our hands.  And of course, you can always tell those who don't have rhythm.  Whatever the use of our hands, they are pivotal in a Christian's life.Exodus 9: 29  Moses replied, "When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD's. Exodus 17:12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up—one on one side, one on the other—so that his hands remained steady till sunset.   Exodus 32:15 Moses turned and went down the mountain with the two tablets of the Testimony in his hands. They were inscribed on both sides, front and back. Psalm 19:1The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.  Psalm 28:2 Hear my cry for mercy as I call to you for help, as I lift up my hands toward your Most Holy Place. Psalm 47:1 Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.  Psalm 63:4 I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands.  Psalm 134:2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the LORD. John 20:24-28  Now Thomas (called Didymus), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. ²⁵So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." ²⁶A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" ²⁷Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."²⁸Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Acts 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.  Acts 9:17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."  Matthew 27:24 When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that instead an uproar was starting, he took water and washed his hands in front of the crowd. "I am innocent of this man's blood," he said. "It is your responsibility!" 1 Timothy 2:8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing.  Of course, the scriptures goes on and on using the word "hand."  The best use of our hands is to give them to God and allow Him to use them in the way He intended.  All of the right ways to use our hands are chronicled in His Word and helpful for instruction for now, and in the future.  Hands are front and center when it comes to uses for good and for evil and when we place OUR hands in HIS hands they become what God intended, an extension of our heart.....his heart.  They are the difference maker in almost every situation and God wants to use your hands for His Glory and His alone.  Put your hand in the hand of the one who has the scars that show ultimate sacrifice, and see what good can be done.  Give Him a hand.....Give Him your hands.  

The Pilgrimage continues......

David Warren

Scriptural References for The Parable, The Priceless Prize

The Priceless Prize

Part 1 The Call Scripture References-  John 3:1-2, Romans 6:23, 10:13 (The explanation of born again to Nicodemus and salvation as explained by the Apostle Paul) Ephesians 6:10-18 (The battle of the flesh and the spirit)is ongoing, but when you commit to God's way He protects you and guides you through it) John 6:60-67 (Some followers desert Jesus) John 14:15-21 (The promise of the Holy Spirit is real and lasting and that power is the catalyst for more and more growth) John 15:5-15, Luke 9:23 (The disciples are called friends and in this special relationship He calls us not only friends, but calls us to give our lives to Him)

 Part 2 Remember What the Gift Really Is Scripture References - Proverbs 119:66, 2:9, Hebrews 5:11-6:1 (God's Wisdom give us the ability to discern.  That is acquired by spending time with Him in His Word) Philippians 1:9-11, Proverbs 111:10 (He gives us the gift of wisdom to live our life and sets us on a path that is focused on His ways) Proverbs 18:1 (The gift is not shiny, but worth far more than any shiny thing.  We don't trust in things of the world, but trust on the promises of God.  Knowing that those promises give us to keys to hope, peace, joy, and many other wonderful things) 2 Corinthians 4:7-18 (This is only our temporary dwelling.  Even though our bodies are wasting away, our lives are being renewed day by day.  We see the things that are seen, but we fix our eyes on the things that are unseen)

Part 3 The Engine Still Runs Scripture References - Luke 18:18-30, Matthew 6:19-24,33, 7:7,8 ( We are seekers when we receive our new nature.  Our engine runs on seeking by faith and it runs good)  1 Corinthians 15:54-58, 1 John 5:1-5 (We live our lives out of VICTORY.  We don't worry about things that others do and it changes our perspective on how to live our life.  The Engine that powers us is one that never loses....ever.) Acts 13:49-52, Ephesians 3:14-21 (Our supply of fuel comes from spending time with God, but also serving God and seeing His hand moving in a powerful way in our lives and the lives of those He changes) 1Corinthians 2:6-16 (God enables us to view life in the same way He does.  He enables that through the Holy Spirit)

Part 4 More Precious Than Imagined Scripture References - Mark 4:31(What seems like an insignificant seed is actually a very important start to great growth) Luke 8:4-16, 2 Corinthians 9:10, James 3:18, 1 Peter 1:23 (The seed needs to grow to full maturity, so the plant can bear more fruit for the kingdom) Romans 3:25, Hebrews 10:19-25 (The power of the blood draws us closer and closer to God and in that relationship we find that this salvation is much more precious than ever imagined.  Had we not accepted Christ and been given access to the Father in this way, we would have never known how precious it is) Matthew 13:44,45, Psalm 119:72

Hope this helps.  These verses will probably bring other verses to mind that you already know.  If that happens, then the parable and all this writing has done what it needed to do.

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

The Parable Explained - Part 4 More Precious Than Imagined

 He backed out of the garage and headed to town.  As he drove into town everyone was looking at him in the roadster.  He couldn't believe the attention he was getting in this old car.  He just had to know more about the car that had been his grandpa's for so many years.  He knew of an antique car restoration place downtown and drove there to see if they could tell him anymore about his new, old car.  As he pulled up, the whole staff walked outside and the owner said, "Well, I've only seen pictures of this car.  I thought they were all gone."  The young man said,  "So, is this car worth a lot?"  The man said, "Oh yeah.  I have a dealer who would give you five for it today."  The boy thought the man was kidding when he said it was worth $500.00.  Surely, it would be worth more than that.  He said, "It may be only worth $500.00 to you, but to me it's priceless.  This was my grandpa's car and he loved it."  The man laughed and said, "Son, I didn't mean Five Hundred Dollars, I mean Five Million Dollars!  The young man couldn't believe his ears.  "Five Million Dollars!"  The dealer said, "Would you be interested in selling it?'  The young man told him, "No, it's not for sale.  It's worth much more if I pass it down through the family."  He got in the car and drove away, thankful for the ageless gift that continues to gather more and more worth as it gets older.  His grandpa's prize possession became his prized possession.  He suddenly sensed a great amount of responsibility to keep the car in the best shape possible.  It was not only his gift, but now it was going to be his legacy to those who would come behind him.

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When we receive Christ in our life we think we know just how precious the gift is and we navigate life by that impression.  That impression is Life Eternal, Forgiveness of Sin, Hope for the Future, and many other phrases that aptly describe the benefits of salvation.  But our Heavenly Father offers much more than those initial promises received at the new birth.  The forgiveness we receive takes the shackles of guilt and heaviness and throws them aside.   The freeing power of the new birth in our life opens the door to a way of life that is found by all who know Christ, but understood by few.  Why is it understood by few?  It 's a seed, earth, weed, growth thing.  He plants the seed in each of us and then the enemy, who seeks to steal and destroy,  lures us into thinking much differently than God  intended.  He wants us to live guilty, negative, defeated lives WITH the new birth in place.  When that happens it lessens the effectiveness of our testimony because we don't seem to be ANY different and that is a problem.  The seed doesn't grow much and the weeds are a constant problem.  Our stunted growth makes us miserable and then everyone around us is miserable..... Do you get the picture?  This in a small form is the picture of today's church.  Defeated, visionless, and worst of all.  Anemic!  You say, "What do you mean anemic? Here is the adjective definition of the word....lacking power, vigor, vitality, or colorfulness; listless; weak.  We have weak blood!!  The same blood that was shed for our sins is not the blood we are trusting in for a victorious life.  His blood has been weakened in our lives because we quit believing.  If you want to see the red blood cells start to rise in our faith, then start trusting God with all  your life.  His blood will start to take hold once again and the effect will be awesome.  Things like taking up your cross daily, immersing yourself in the Word, serving with a passion will be more evident in your life as you learn to follow God.  The seed will GROW!!!

Throughout the parable the young man could not grasp, first of all, how precious his grandpa was to him until his grandpa was gone.  His memory was jogged though, and he had not totally forgotten his grandpa and that relationship tie was enough to keep him looking for more answers.  His perspective about what was valuable in life had become skewed because he had gotten further and further away from the place where his identity was formed.  In other words, the world had become the source of his reasoning and that had affected his faith, instead of the faith being his source of reasoning and that affecting his world.  He was living upside down!  He turned the tide when he walked into the back room of the garage.  One step of faith and hope changed his whole perspective and brought him back to his true source of belief.  His Grandpa.  He was so overjoyed with finding the old car, that he drove it to town immediately.   He was proud of this new, old car.  He was amazed that everyone was looking at it.  It's amazing that when those we come in contact with see the foundational faith of the Bible lived before them, they are drawn to it.  Why?  PURITY!  God's Word doesn't age like everything else.  In fact, as things of the world get older and less dependable, our faith gets newer every day and more and more dependable.  It is a pure source from a spring that never runs dry.  Limitless!

The young man still had not caught on to what he had received, so he went to town to see if he could get a second opinion from someone who knew cars.  When the owner came out and told him the car was worth five million dollars, he was amazed.  But not so much surprised.  Why?  Because of his grandpa's promise of it being the best he could give.  The process was complete when the car collector offered to buy it and he turned it down because he suddenly realized it was worth far more than any money he could ever get.  It was priceless.  Through the years I have seen many fall to the lure of the world and all of it's compromise.  Sadly enough, I have at times compromised my faith, just to be quickly drawn back by God to a place of balance.  When I was a young man I would listen to older men and women of the faith and hear of the blessed pilgrimage realized by long life.  It was that kind of faith that caused me to draw closer and closer to God and let Him be my source of energy for living.  Even in my failure God has enabled me to stay close and grow in Him and to that I say, "Praise God."  There were times when I was offered a lot of money to "sell out" just like the young man and the temptation was almost more than I could stand.  But God wouldn't let it happen.  Because He cares!  This parable ends with a challenge to all who read it.  Do you have the right power source?  If you do, how is that power source working through you?  Have you lost your way and let the world lure you into mediocrity?  Perhaps you have forgotten where you put your vehicle for living a vibrant, powerful, passionate life.  Walk into the back room and uncover it.  It still runs.  When you start to drive it again, you will see that it's not old, but new.   Then after just a little time you will once again see just how much more precious it is than you ever imagined.  Or.....you can stay the same way, with the same faith, with the weak blood, that is not powered by God at all and fall into line with the world's way of living..... If you have Christ in your life, like the young man, you know what to do.  DO IT!

The Pilgrimage continues.....

The Parable Explained - Part 3, The Engine Still Runs

He got out of the car and walked toward the door.  There was a lock on the door and one of the other keys on the key chain fit it perfectly.  He unlocked the door and opened it and turned on the light.  In the back part of that garage was what looked like a car under a tarpoline.  He walked over to the tarp and gently pulled it back revealing a 1936 Roadster.  It was in mint condition, and in the ignition were the keys!  He thought to himself, 'This is his prized possession? An old car?"  He couldn't help but be disappointed.   All his dreams of a beautiful new racing car quickly popped when he realized this was the car his grandfather had left him.  He had one question.  Why?  Feeling a little bit selfish, he walked out of the garage and thought that he would just keep walking.  He stopped, turned around, and walked back in and opened the door to the old roadster and got in the drivers seat. As he reached down to adjust the seat he felt a card on the floorboard, and when he looked at it recognized his grandfather's handwriting.

To Josh:

He opened the envelope and read the card inside.  Josh, I hope you enjoy this car.   It is my prized possession and has never let me down when I needed it.  Since it has been so reliable to me all these years, I want you to have it because I know it can be trusted.  Take good care of it and hopefully, some day you will pass it down to your grandson.  Love, Grandpa.  PS - I haven't started it in 20 years, but it should do just fine.  I have a can of gas on the shelf.  Put all the gas in the tank, pump the accelerator two times, and fire it up.  Keep in mind....I was never beaten in any race in this car.

He teared up as he realized his grandpa gave him something he knew he could rely on.  The car he had kept and used for many years,  He walked into the other room and looked at the new two seater, turned and looked at the old roadster, and walked to the shelf, got the gas, and emptied the can in the roadster's tank.  He opened the back door of the garage and got in the driver's seat of the roadster and just sat there.  He thought, "Will it start?  It's been 20 years!"  He pumped the accelerator twice, turned the key, and heard the sound of the most powerful engine he had ever heard.  It not only started.  It sounded awesome!

_____________________________________________________________

When the key didn't fit the shiny new sports car the young man was disappointed and realized there WAS  more and he wanted to find what the key unlocked.  As he saw the back door of the garage and tried the key on that lock he saw it fit perfectly and opened the door to reveal a room he didn't realize was there.  He had only seen the front garage area and this new room was a new revelation for him.   The new room and the key shows us that God gives us the keys to a new way of thinking about life, and about our faith.  Sometimes we live in the superficial and in that room we see only a glimpse of what God is trying to show us about living the Christian Life.  Sadly, churches many times lead someone to Christ and then send them on their way and the only room they know about is the front area of the garage.  It is good at first, but is only a shadow of what God wants us to see.  We have the key to the new room but we don't try to open it because we don't even know it is there.  When we are open and "seeking" we suddenly realize God has so much more for us and the key that unlocks it is found in His Word.  As we go deeper and deeper in His Word our eyes are opened and we see many more things around us.  One of those things is this new "room" or way of thinking.  We have to choose whether or not to go into that room, and what will be the end result.   When the young man walked into the back area of the garage he saw the gift His grandpa had given him and lifting up the tarp he saw a perfectly preserved car and it was old....yet new.  This represents the scales that can sometimes form over our eyes to keep us from realizing all the blessings of God.  When we allow God to pull back the scales our vision improves and we see the gift of God, the Holy Spirit.  The young man could have gone to the back area of the garage years earlier, but he could never get past the new shiny current car his grandpa had at the time.  In his lack of maturity he was missing the greatest gift.

When the young man stepped into the old roadster he immediately thought "this feels comfortable, familiar" and stooped to at least adjust the seat.   That's when he found it.  The letter from His grandpa. The letter represents God's discerning power given through the power of the Holy Spirit.  It is the power given to us when we accept Christ to be able to discern, or figure out, what God is telling us through scripture.  Once again, that discernment has always been there, but we choose to not pursue it and so it goes unread and unused.  In that discerning power we also begin to realize just how great God's love is for us and it confirms and establishes an even stronger faith.  In His letter there are instructions about getting this whole thing started and the promise of it working, because it always has.   God also gives us encouragement about the strength and victories that have been won and will be one in the faith.  With Christ you never lose!!!!   Never!

When the young man walked to the shelf and got the gas and filled the tank he was showing his faith in what the letter said and proceeded as though it would all happen as his grandpa had said.  It has been said that the failing of God's church will be because of a lack of faith.  I am amazed that we have no problem believing when we accept Christ we will go to heaven, but we fall short of believing the same God can use us in an incredible way here and now.  That doesn't add up and we must be willing to be filled on a daily basis with the fuel we need to live a life of victory.  We need to be filled with the Holy Spirit every day.

I believe when we live our life with that kind of faith, that kind of power, and when we hear the roar of that engine in our ears we will also be amazed and renewed.  What an encouragement it will be to see that the engine of our faith still runs and it runs awesome!  Pure power, pure grace, pure direction, pure victory.  Isn't that what we all want, really?  I believe it is and I will continue in the next blog further explaining the parable.  After the last explanation I will list scriptural references to further encourage you in your faith.  God's engine is running and it is an amazing thing.  Listen........I hear it.  Don't you?

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

The Parable Explained - Part 2 - Remember What the Gift Really Is.

He went ahead and stayed at the house for the next two days and after the funeral went back to walk over the old home place.  He walked by the creek where he caught his first perch.  He saw his initials in the stump of an old tree where his grandfather had taught him the proper way to hold a knife.  As he walked up to the house, his aunt was there and came up to him and said, "Dad told me he made a commitment to give you his prize possession, his car.  Here are the keys and the title is already in your name.  He loved you very much and wanted you to have a car that could help you learn to race like you always wanted."  The young man took the keys and as he watched his aunt drive away, turned to look at the old garage across the driveway.  As he walked over to the garage he opened the door and there it was.  The ultimate driving machine.  Shiny, low to the ground, and ready to race.  He took out the key and noticed it was kind of old looking.  He thought that it was probably the car company's attempt to keep an old fashioned spin on a new car by having an old looking key.  He sat down in the driver's seat, and after gathering himself, raised his hand to put the key in the ignition.  To his surprise, the key wouldn't even go in!  He tried the two other keys on the key chain,  but they wouldn't fit either.  He couldn't figure out what was going on.  As he looked around the garage he noticed a sign on a divider door in middle of the garage in front of the car.  The sign said, "To my beloved grandson. Enjoy!" 

When the young man came to his grandpa's farm and was met by another member of the family telling him of his grandpa's death, he suddenly thought he was too late to accept the gift in person. He was like the disciples when Jesus told them He was going to leave them. The young man's focus turned to his memories of his relationship with his grandpa.  That relationship was filled with wisdom being handed down to him by his grandfather.  He thought of all the wisdom he had missed because his grandpa was gone.  He knew there were many more lessons to learn and really felt at a loss.  His aunt giving him the keys represents other members of those who know Jesus encouraging those who aren't growing in their relationship with Lord.  They want to serve God by handing off the access to a better way of living.  They also want to remind those they are encouraging that God really does love them and wants the best for them.  They are pointing the way so the purpose of God in a person's life can be furthered.  Sadly enough, we are living in a world that is presenting shiny, easy access faith and that faith is mostly shallow and very temporal.  It's strength is found in it's "looks" that entices those searching for the "true faith" to accept a compromised version of the real thing.  Shiny and Shallow go hand in hand and those who are looking for something like a movie hero faith result with no buy in, find themselves very disapppointed when what God is saying doesn't line up with what kind of faith is being presented.  The keys not fitting the shiny red car represent that our impression of what God is desiring to give us is much different that what we think we are receiving.  The only problem is; the keys of the faith don't fit this shallow kind of faith.  In God's love letter to His people (The Bible)  it details that God's love and direction are found throughout and His message to us is "keep looking" because I want the BEST for you.  His message is clear and it is pointing to the right faith and way of life.  In the next explanation in the days ahead we will see the "way" to living a life of purpose and wisdom.  A life that is not temporal, but eternal  A life that not only enables us to run the race, but win the race EVERY TIME!!!  There is a Gift that is waiting for all who follow Christ. We just need to remember what the gift really is!!

The Pilgrimage Continues......

David Warren

The Parable Explained - Part 1, The Call

Years ago a young man who loved racing cars started seeing his passion come to life as He immersed himself in the world of racing.  He started going to races, reading racing books, talking with guys who were former racers, and quickly moved toward the day he would get his own race car.  His grandpa, who lived in a country home about 50 miles away, knew about his love for cars and decided he was going to give him his prized possession, a car.  When he told his grandson that he was going to give him his car, his grandson got excited because his grandpa got a beautiful new foreign sports car every year.  He always got the best of the best for that year.  His grandpa told him when he reached 21 years of age, he could have his car. He could already see himself behind the wheel of that awesome racing machine.  Taking hairpin turns at ridiculous speeds.  Pulling up to stop signs and beating all those who pulled up beside him floated in his dreams on a daily basis.  He couldn't wait for his 21st birthday and the days dragged on.  Sure enough, the weekend before his birthday, he couldn't stand it anymore.  He decided he would go to his grandpa's home early to look the car over and see if he needed to get it tuned up or cleaned out.  As he pulled up to his grandpa's home, he noticed some extra cars in the driveway and he wondered what was going on and walked up the path to the porch.  He had no sooner gotten to the porch when his aunt came out and crying she said, "He's gone."  His grandpa, his friend, had passed away in the night.   The man who gave him so much wisdom about living life, and taught him how to fish, hunt, and race was gone.  Gone.... 

This part of the parable is how the whole thing started for each of us.  We heard the message of eternal life and accepted Christ.  In accepting Christ we might have had an impression of what we thought the Christian life was really all about.  We got eternal security with a place in heaven.  We received forgiveness of our sins and had a direct line to God through Jesus Christ.  We had the Holy Spirit in our lives and He showed us how to live our lives and that was given directly through the Bible.   Christian friends rejoiced at our decision, but then after a while we fell right into the "me first" part of Christianity, enabled through teachings of modernistic theology (real and relevant).  The young man represents US.  Me and You.  

In the beginning we learn about God through the new found zeal that is natural with life change due to salvation.  The sun seems brighter, we wake up ready to go, and life in general is amazing!!  We have such a passion for life that when directed in the right way it changes not only us, but all those around us.  We are contagious!!  It seems like the true essence of our life is built around this passion for living.  Much like the young man we have a "natural" tendency for a certain way of  thinking (cars for him) that is passed down to us from our heavenly Father.  At this point you can quickly see that the grandpa represents God.  The young man's love for racing was in his DNA and that was hereditary.  His grandpa's love for racing was coming alive in him.  But, he didn't live with his grandpa and even though he had learned many lessons from His grandpa as a child, he had not gotten the full meaning of those lessons because he had moved to a different location, the city.  His time with his grandpa had become less and less over the years and the city (the world) had redirected some of those life lessons in the wrong direction.  He had become self centered and selfish.  The lessons taught by his grandfather seemed old and distant and his new style of life seemed so carefree and easy.  It was.  Too easy.  His perspective of life changed from quality to quantity and his basic core belief system was no longer PURE!  

His grandpa had promised to give him his most prized possession, a car, when he came of age.  The young man's messed up life caused him to think it was something much different than reality and he based his hopes on something shiny and cool.  His hope continued to rise as he looked forward to the day he would get what His grandfather had promised.  The car promised represents the power of the Holy Spirit in our life.  It's not a second blessing, but actually the coronation of the first being seen in our lives.  It is the vehicle that takes us to a whole new level of serving God.  The Call!!  We many times miss The Call because we, like the young man, are looking for some glorious, shiny thing that will elevate each of us to a higher place.  When in reality it is much different.  Today's church seems to be looking for that spark, that shiny thing to lure others to come and join us.   Only to find that the shiny thing isn't what God is in at all.  Some Christians become disenchanted and believe that God isn't going to do anything renewed or powerful, and that His time for powerful movement is gone. Gone!  Tomorrow's explanation will continue the explanation of this parable about our individual walk and the need for the church to come alive as never before.

The Pilgrimage Continues......

David Warren

The Priceless Prize - A Parable by David Warren

I have written the parable below to illustrate some essential truths from God's Word.  I hope you will read it and be able to get something out of these truths over the next few days to encourage you in your faith.  Today I am posting the parable.  Tomorrow I will start illustrating the meaning of the parable.

Parable - a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.

Years ago a young man who loved racing cars started seeing his passion come to life as He immersed himself in the world of racing.  He started going to races, reading racing books, talking with guys who were former racers, and quickly moved toward the day he would get his own race car.  His grandpa, who lived in a country home about 50 miles away, knew about his love for cars and decided he was going to give him his prized possession, a car.  When he told his grandson that he was going to give him his car, his grandson got excited because his grandpa got a beautiful new foreign sports car every year.  He always got the best of the best for that year.  His grandpa told him when he reached 21 years of age, he could have his car. He could already see himself behind the wheel of that awesome racing machine.  Taking hairpin turns at ridiculous speeds.  Pulling up to stop signs and beating all those who pulled up beside him floated in his dreams on a daily basis.  He couldn't wait for his 21st birthday and the days dragged on.  Sure enough, the weekend before his birthday, he couldn't stand it anymore.  He decided he would go to his grandpa's home early to look the car over and see if he needed to get it tuned up or cleaned out.  As he pulled up to his grandpa's home, he noticed some extra cars in the driveway and he was wondered what was going on and walked up the path to the porch.  He had no sooner gotten to the porch when his aunt came out and crying she said, "He's gone."  His grandpa, his friend, had passed away in the night.   The man who gave him so much wisdom about living life, and taught him how to fish, hunt, and race was gone.  Gone....
He went ahead and stayed at the house for the next two days and after the funeral went back to walk over the old home place.  He walked by the creek where he caught his first perch.  He saw his initials in the stump of an old tree where his grandfather had taught him the proper way to hold a knife.  As he walked up to the house, his aunt was there and came up to him and said, "Dad told me he made a commitment to give you his prize possession, his car.  Here are the keys and the title is already in your name.  He loved you very much and wanted you to have a car that could help you learn to race like you always wanted."  The young man took the keys and as he watched his aunt drive away, turned to look at the old garage across the driveway.  As he walked over to the garage he opened the door and there it was.  The ultimate driving machine.  Shiny, low to the ground, and ready to race.  He took out the key and noticed it was kind of old looking.  He thought that it was probably the car company's attempt to keep an old fashioned spin on a new car by having an old looking key.  He sat down in the driver's seat, and after gathering himself, raised his hand to put the key in the ignition.  To his surprise, the key wouldn't even go in!  He tried the two other keys on the key chain,  but they wouldn't fit either.  He couldn't figure out what was going on.  As he looked around the garage he noticed a sign on a divider door in middle of the garage in front of the car.  The sign said, "To my beloved grandson. Enjoy!"  He got out of the car and walked toward the door.  There was a lock on the door and one of the other keys on the key chain fit it perfectly.  He unlocked the door and opened it and turned on the light.  In the back part of that garage was what looked like a car under a tarpoline.  He walked over to the tarp and gently pulled it back revealing a 1936 Roadster.  It was in mint condition, and in the ignition were the keys!  He thought to himself, 'This is his prized possession? An old car?"  He couldn't help but be disappointed.   All his dreams of a beautiful new racing car quickly popped when he realized this was the car his grandfather had left him.  He had one question.  Why?  Feeling a little bit selfish, he walked out of the garage and thought that he would just keep walking.  He stopped, turned around, and walked back in and opened the door to the old roadster and got in the drivers seat. As he reached down to adjust the seat he felt a card on the floorboard, and when he looked at it recognized his grandfather's handwriting.
To Josh:

He opened the envelope and read the card inside.  Josh, I hope you enjoy this car.   It is my prized possession and has never let me down when I needed it.  Since it has been so reliable to me all these years, I want you to have it because I know it can be trusted.  Take good care of it and hopefully, some day you will pass it down to your grandson.  Love, Grandpa.  PS - I haven't started it in 20 years, but it should do just fine.  I have a can of gas on the shelf.  Put all the gas in the tank, pump the accelerator two times, and fire it up.  Keep in mind....I was never beaten in any race in this car.

He teared up as he realized his grandpa gave him something he knew he could rely on.  The car he had kept and used for many years,  He walked into the other room and looked at the new two seater, turned and looked at the old roadster, and walked to the shelf, got the gas, and emptied the can in the roadster's tank.  He opened the back door of the garage and got in the driver's seat of the roadster and just sat there.  He thought, "Will it start?  It's been 20 years!"  He pumped the accelerator twice, turned the key, and heard the sound of the most powerful engine he had ever heard.  It not only started.  It sounded awesome!  He backed out of the garage and headed to town.  As he drove into town everyone was looking at him in the roadster.  He couldn't believe the attention he was getting in this old car.  He just had to know more about the car that had been his grandpa's for so many years.  He knew of an antique car restoration place downtown and drove there to see if they could tell him anymore about his new, old car.  As he pulled up, the whole staff walked outside and the owner said, "Well, I've only seen pictures of this car.  I thought they were all gone."  The young man said,  "So, is this car worth a lot?"  The man said, "Oh yeah.  I have a dealer who would give you five for it today."  The boy thought the man was kidding when he said it was worth $500.00.  Surely, it would be worth more than that.  He said, "It may be only worth $500.00 to you, but to me it's priceless.  This was my grandpa's car and he loved it."  The man laughed and said, "Son, I didn't mean Five Hundred Dollars, I mean Five Million Dollars!  The young man couldn't believe his ears.  "Five Million Dollars!"  The dealer said, "Would you be interested in selling it?'  The young man told him, "No, it's not for sale.  It's worth much more if I pass it down through the family."  He got in the car and drove away, thankful for the ageless gift that continues to gather more and more worth as it gets older.  His grandpa's prize possession became his prized possession.  He suddenly sensed a great amount of responsibility to keep the car in the best shape possible.  It was not only his gift, but now it was going to be his legacy to those who would come behind him.

As life goes on, so do the stories of our faith and all the lessons God teaches us.  Open your mind and your heart to the truth of God's Word and see your world change before you eyes.

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Guilty is Still Guilty

I was watching The Mentalist tonight and they had a story about a killer who was very proud of his killing expertise.  He was so proud that he thought he couldn't get caught and in his boldness seemed to make his killing an art.  In the end he was killed himself and he didn't boast anymore after that.  I have noticed that many Christians, including some ministers, have prided themself in the ability to sin and not feel guilty about it.  You say, how?  It's like substitutes for some of the "no say" words are now acceptable.  It's the new way of "being real" in our Christian Life and in our ministry.  The sad part about it is like a fraternity their little followers are doing exactly the same thing they are doing to be "cool" or "in."  This is coming in the disguise of living a "contemporary" way of living and boasts of being much more real and cutting edge.  The only problem with the whole thing is that "cool" really isn't "cool" at all.  It is still sin, no matter the package.  I watch different preachers messages from time to time and I am at times astonished by the language and illustrations being used.  It's like they are looking for the "shock" factor when they speak and rely on people being wowed over because of their boldness.   Before  I was called into full time ministry I worked as a deckhand on the Mississippi River and the talk and actions of many of those workers at the time was very crude and edgy.  It's sad to see that the desire to be relevant is causing many Christians to stoop to that type of talk and living.  Of course, as I share this I have to make sure in my heart this isn't a judgment by me, because I have no right to judge.  But this problem has increased and the witness of boldly sinning, without calling it sin, has grown to the point that it is taking the place of God's Word. Just like the bold killer in The Mentalist episode, there will be a time of reckoning, but the fallout along the way is becoming more and more devastating.  Here's something to think about when leaning toward this type of lifestyle.  Is this glorifying to God?  Has the world become more prevalent in your life than God?  Has one step in the wrong direction put you further down the road of sin than you intended?  If someone you trust as being Godly is leading you down this path, are they really someone you need to be following?  I will tell you this, if you are a minister and you take a stand against this type of activity and talk don't expect to get asked to lunch any time soon.  Also, don't expect to get an opportunity to speak to any of their groups in the near future.  This causes an interesting paradigm for you as a believer.  You are going to be exluded because of your desire to be more like God?  Does this finish painting the picture for you.  It's not worth it to "just fit in" to the right group, so don't do it.  God has great things He wants to do right now and He is very relevant to what is going on.  He just doesn't need us immersing our lives in sin to get it done. He calls us to be righteous as He is righteous.  Our type of righteousness is what the Bible calls "filthy rags."  Throw in the towel on the marginal lifesytle and come back to God.  He and His Word are still "cool", so don't worry, you won't lose your identity.  You will just gain the right one.  Guilty is Guilty.  Wrong is Wrong.  No excuses for sin.  Just reasons to be more like God. Galatians 5:13 "You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love."

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren