Passengers Loading at Gate 1 -

We were on our way back from Wilmington, NC years ago and our flight had been delayed in Charlotte, which delayed us getting to Atlanta (everything goes through Atlanta) and we ran across the terminal to get to our gate.  As we approached the gate the lady at the desk had closed the door and gone back to her duties behind the desk.  We ran up to her desk and I said, "we were delayed on our other flight and we just made it on time."  She looked up calmly and said, "that flight is now pulling away from the terminal."  I looked out the window and the plane was still connected to the walkway.  I brought that to her attention but she wasn't budging.  So our choice was sleep in the terminal, or rent a car and drive the remaining 4 hours to our home in the early hours of the morning.  We drove.  We were so frustrated and her attitude didn't help any.  We ran to make our departure, but because it was so late at night, they made the choice to leave a little early and leave us behind.  Bummer.  If you have ever been left behind for anything you know how frustrating it can be and how much you feel "left out."  I could picture the people who made the flight looking out and saying, "good try buddy, but you just weren't good enough to get on this plane."

Years ago we took a youth group to a concert and one of the students had left his ticket at home in his other coat.  I had given them their tickets early and gave them the responsibility of handling their own ticket.  We were all going through the line and everything was going great, and that's when I saw this one young man going through all of his pockets.  He was searching for the ticket that was not there.  He got to the gate and looked at me and said, "I can't find my ticket. I think it's in my other coat."  This was his favorite group and he was about to be heartbroken when I pulled out an extra ticket I had been saving for this very thing.  His huge smile said it all as we passed through the gate together rejoicing that he could get in. 

Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:6-8 about his impending departure from this world.  He states that he is being poured out like a drink offering and then he states a very famous statement in verse 7.  He says, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith."   Paul's kingdom living was turning into kingdom looking.  He mentions that he has finished his course, not his race.  Why not race?  He wasn't competing with anyone else in his life of service. He knew what God wanted HIM to do and that was his course.  The course is where the race is held.  You play golf on a golf course,  You race a car on a race course.  You run a marathon on a running course.  The course is where you go as you run  your race.  Paul's course was different than anyone else's, just like mine and your's are as well.  The course is where we travel, what we do, and how we do it.  The end of that course is where our time on this earth is over and we cross that heavenly finish line.  Paul was looking ahead on his course and he was seeing the future of a crown of righteousness awarded to him by our Lord.  His goal was about to be complete and the things God did through him on this course were remarkable.  He didn't look at this upcoming time of victory  selfishly thought.  He reminded Timothy that the prize is there for all who follow Jesus and finish their course as well.  What a great encouragement for you and me, and all those who are believers.  The course we live on does have it's share of battles though.

We know what battle is if we live for God.  Ephesians 6 talks about arming ourselves for it and preparing for battle.  The reason for this preparation is because that battle begins the day we give our life to Christ.  We will go through many different phases in a lifetime, with many things to deal with but one thing is certain, God is faithful.  That faithfulness helps give us security and strength on the course we are running and keeps us supplied with a vision for where we should go next.  You see, when we are running our course, Jesus is right there with us, guiding us and lifting us up to do even more than we thought we could.  His strong arm of comfort and correction guides us through the many years we get to serve Him.   All He asks from us is to be faithful and to finish strong.  Then when we get to our final breath, we can say, "I've done my best and I've finished."

If you are not on the right course, then it's time to get back on course and start making a difference on that course with the power God has put in your life.  Don't just dabble in the faith, dive in.  Don't just wander around doing nothing, live in the wonder of His grace.  Make a difference in the world you live in and let  God's power direct you in the course you are on.  That way when you get to the end of it all you will get to the gate and they will be waiting for you because that gate is your gate.  Never too late.  Never disappointed.   On time and on course.  DONE!!!

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

The Changing Seasons

I was at my daughter's home the other day and the day we got there it was 70 degrees.  That night a cold front came in and the next morning it was 40 degrees.  We had been flirting with Fall like conditions, but when the cold front came through it was official.  Fall was here..... winter was almost here!  We went from shorts and a t shirt to long pants and a light jacket.  It's amazing how the changing of seasons can change your attitude, your outlook, even your personality.  The cold, cloudy weather brings on the desire to take more naps and veg on the couch.  The sunny days make you want to go out and throw a Frisbee or take a walk.  Different seasons, cause different emotions.  We as believers are a lot like this as well, and it affects our faith to the point of wanting to serve or not wanting to serve.  Following all of God's Word, or just following the easy parts.  Loving your neighbor, or tolerating your neighbor.  Seasons change and so do people.  There is always the tendency to let the "thing" of the moment drive who we are and what we do.  The temporal thing can sometimes become our foundation if we are not careful and that foundation will fall and disappointment will abound.  Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 4:1-5 for Timothy (and us) to preach the word in season and out of season.  At the beginning of verse 1 Paul makes a very solemn decree where he says, "I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom."  That's a very strong statement to begin an instruction part of this chapter and Paul's serious attitude behind that statement is seen in verses 3 and 4.  He speaks of people NOT enduring the sound doctrine, but wanting to have their ears tickled.  They will find teachers who tickle their ears and make them feel like where they are is the place to be.  Those people will come to love and follow those teachers as long as they make them "feel" good about themselves.  It's kind of like Dr. Phil Messages for the weak of faith.  Oooey, gooey faith is the one thing that will tickle their ears the most and they will continue on a path that turns them away from the truth of God's Word.  There's that "changing of the seasons effect" and it is all built on lies, not the truth.  Let me interject a bold statement about this whole group of people.  This group is larger right now in the modern day church than those who are committed to preach God's Word as it's written.  How can I say this?  Well, let me ask you this.  Why do people float around from one church to the other?  Sometimes it is because they aren't getting fed for that one hour of the week, or sometimes they aren't liking the feed.  Changing seasons, changing seasons. Do you see how weak this kind of faith is and how much it confuses the issue of serving Christ?  If everyone would serve wholeheartedly in the area God has gifted them, we would have less complaining and more attaining.

Paul concludes this point in verse 5 by telling Timothy to "be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry."  Some great instruction from a great soldier of Christ.  Remember, the seasons will always be changing, but we must stand firm and remain consistent in our work of preaching the gospel no matter if it's summer, winter, fall, or spring.  The seasons, they be changing.  The Word of God doesn't.  

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Tools of the Trade

Years ago I had several jobs in the workforce until I surrendered my life to full time ministry.  Some of those jobs were good, some bad, but they all paid money in return for work.  One particular job I worked at was hanging and finishing sheet rock.  It required me to have a tool belt, sheet rock hammer, circle cutter, tape measure, sheetrock knife, and a few other tools for finishing.  When I started on the job I had to learn to use those tools to be able to complete my work every day.  If I lost one of those tools, I would either have to borrow others, or quit.  The tools of that trade were very important to me so I could do the work of the day.  Also, I needed to keep ahead of the work required to keep from getting reprimanded or fired.  It was my goal to keep up and even surpass what was expected to build a little bit of job protection so I could keep getting my wages.  Some jobs are that way, where you have a quota, and if you don't hit that quota, you might not even get paid.  You build up job protection by surpassing your quota and staying ahead of anything bad that might come your way.  It's job protection.  Of course, I won't even go into the inequities that exist today, where a lazy person gets paid more than a hard working person because of politics, lying, etc.  That is a result of the condition of the world we live in.  The main point of this blog is to help you realize that the right tools make it possible for us to have job protection if we use them effectively.

As we go about our life we are commanded by God to serve Him.  That service many times will become difficult because of tough conditions that surface because of one thing; living a life of honor and Godliness!   Yes, we will have to pay the piper when we live a life that mirrors the Word of God.  That doesn't even make sense does it?  A life of Godliness causes persecution?  Paul speaks to this very thing in 2 Timothy 3:10-17 where He says in verse 12, "Indeed, all who desire to live Godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."  Now Paul is not just saying that those who live a good life will be persecuted, but those who live a Godly life.  What's the difference?  Paul in verse 10 speaks about following his example by following his teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings.  That's the Godly life he is speaking about.  Boy, it sure got quiet just now......(crickets...)  You know what that means?  We are to be aggressive in our faith and witness knowing that lifestyle will produce persecution from time to time.  Whew! Who wants to apply for that job?  Those who know Christ!  He also states something in verse 13 that is chilling for all who may fade away from this aggressive lifestyle.  He says evil men and impostors will proceed from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.  When you don't do the job or service you are called to do, then you start to make up ways to get out of the work.  You try to make your "break time" longer and you get a union official to argue for you to make your work easier.  Before long what used to be a worker, becomes a lazy complainer.  Churches are full of verse 13 people.  They complain and make excuses for not serving Christ as they get others to agree with them to argue their point and the end result is chaos.  What started out as a noble cause becomes a den of deception and lies.  When that happens, the cause of Christ is stopped....... sad, but true.

Paul says we can avoid all these problems if we will do one thing.  Use the tools of the trade, God's Word, and thus protect ourselves from becoming deceived and unproductive.  He tells us in verses 14- 17 what we must do to keep on track.  We must keep the things we have learned and be convinced they are true, even when others fade away from that truth.  We must remember our salvation experience and let that memory drive us in our journey of faith.  In other words, we are heaven bound, not bound for hell.  Remember?  Lastly, we must use the tools of the trade to handle all situations and keep us protected in these last days.  Our tools are found in the Word of God.  The Word of God is totally inspired by God to help us handle every job, and not only handle it, but complete it.  When we live by the Word, we are adequate.  Adequate means acceptable in quality and quantity.  That is a job well done.  In Matthew 25:21 Jesus relates the same thing as a person who completes what their Master says to do, and that Master's reply is "well done."  In other words, a" job well done."  Don't try to do it though without using the tools of the trade!   God's Word is alive and active and cuts through all the smoky haze.  May it forever be my "tools of the trade."

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Sampling -   A small part or quantity intended to show what the whole part is. We live a in a world where we can take giant leaps now in technology that pale the step taken just a few years ago.  We used to look at something new every 10 -20 years and marvel at it.  Now there can be a total makeover of an old invention that warps it ahead 20 years in just a matter of hours.  We have ipads, iphones, iyi, iyi, iyi.  I am a keyboard player and through the years keyboards offered "patches" of sounds and those patches were just for that particular keyboard and probably could handle very little memory.  Now keyboards can communicate with each other and switch sounds through midi communication and those little patches now have turned in to massive sound libraries.  There are piano samples that actually take up 1 gb of memory just for the piano, just so they can be more realistic.  This is all possible through "sampling."  In 2 Timothy 3:1-9, Paul is writing about the coming days ahead and he says things will become very difficult.  He calls these days the "last days" which point to the continued regression of the world up to the return of Jesus Christ.  Part of the regression he speaks about will be men loving self, loving money, boasting, arrogant, revilers (insulting criticism), disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips(wanting to do harm with their gossip), without self control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.  They will also hold onto a form of Godliness, but they deny it's power.

These people are "samplers" but are not of Christ.  They have become so smart and sampled so many different things (through technology) that they now can come across as part of The Way of Christ.  As Paul mentions in verse 7, "Always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth."  In today's society you can go to any TV channel, any newspaper, any street corner, and see "these people."  Many of them are driving how we live our lives today and even what we think.  Many of them are higher up leaders in mainstream churches.  They are every where.  This sampling, like in keyboards, has increased so much it has taken on it's own life form and come across as good to those in the Christian Faith.  Instead of taking the whole truth of God's Word, these people have led us to believe that "sampling" God's Word is a better way to live.  The increase in these last days people have overtaken many Christians and led them down a path that is wrong.  Societal relevant faith has replaced God centered faith and if you will stop your busy life for just  moment and look, really look at what's going on around you, it will cause you to say, "Something Wicked This Way Comes."  Of course, in these last days those who are weakest will be the easiest prey and the manipulation of truth and fact will catch their attention and then it will be too late.  I believe that has already happened and that now those who are Christians are "buying in" to this evil way of living.  We have almost become as Christians like the Stepford Wives.  We are made to do anything our society (even Christians) says to do, even when it doesn't line up with God's Word.  We have a tendency to take the easy way out anyway, so true Godly conviction is thrown out the window, and knowledge has become our resource for truth.  We have come to believe our knowledge (which is also sampled) is the answer.  Knowledge becomes helpful only when it is filtered through Godly wisdom that is found in God's Word.  You can actually learn something and never see truth in the essence of what you have learned.  SAMPLING!  A heart that is not turned completely to God will take the knowledge they have and amp it up to the point of absolute truth through human reasoning.  For believers that is a huge mistake.  

So what's the point?  Be aware!!  All around us the world is polluting the truth in the lives of non-believers and believers.   Paul warns that a partnership with the world is falling prey to the evil of these "last days."  Here's what Paul says to do, "reject this practice."  In verse 9 he says that those who participate in this "sampling" will not make any further progress.  The characteristics of a last days society are going to continue to be seen and believers are going to have to make a stand somewhere.  If you are "real" (very few are) and upfront in your faith and not allowing the indoctrination of the world to control you, then you will make every effort to distance yourself from such people and practices.  If you allow yourself to continue to be deceived, then you are part of the problem, and not part of the solution, and you will have to deal with a coming King in someway or another.  The Bible calls this time in our society Apostasy, which means the abandonment of all religious faith.  Do not go down this path and quit sampling anything the world offers.  Why?  Because Something Wicked This Way Comes....Matthew 7:13 - Enter through the narrow gate, for wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Bond - James Bond

Bondservant - A person bound in service without wages. James Bond, an agent of Her Majesty's Secret Service.  Willing to give life and limb to preserve the freedom of the Mother Country.  His duty was more than pay, it was commitment and honor.  The word bondservant is more than just a name that you share when introducing yourself.  It is a way of life that all Christians and especially full time staff members must keep as our focus.  What is your focus?

Having been in full time Christian Service (minister) now for over 30 years I tend to look at things a little more realistically.  I have served in Southern Baptist Churches this entire time and continue to do so until God directs differently.  During this time I have been a little confused over the way Southern Baptist Churches pay their staff.  In the late 70's there was the attitude to pay us as little as possible to keep us humble and wanting. (really) In the 80's we moved to California and since the area was more white collar and professional, they paid us as professionals.  In the 90's  the midwest was catching up to this professional way of looking at staff pay and state conventions were releasing reports on how much chuches should pay their staff.  In the 2000's the pay really increased and we were looked at more about what we could bring to the table at a church, than taking care of real needs.  As you can see there is no clear standard for paying full time staff.  Or is there?  I do know that the more people you have in your church, the more you get paid.  That is proven by the many pastors who make six figures and think it might not be enough for all the people they impact.  It's still kind of all built around what you produce.  Point in case:  If a church is not obedient in following the Great Commission and wants to just "have church" once a week they will not grow.  What kind of pastor would they want.  Well, they would want to have a pastor who gives them warm fuzzies to keep them feeling good about themselves, but doesn't rock the boat.  His pay would be more payoff than pay.  He would stay away from certain scriptures that might make those in charge feel guilty.  If he crossed the barrier they had set up for him, he would be "fired" or discredited.  I've just got to ask this question.  "Where is God in all of this?"  I have been called to churches before to "be a mover and a shaker" and my presence is supposed to immediately make scores of people flock to the church house and......GIVE.  What does that make me?  Deep thoughts.  Maybe not so deep, but maybe very shallow.

Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:24-26 about the Lord's bondservant and the characteristics of such a person.  These verses apply to all Christians, but even more so to ministers.  To the Christian it means that there are snares out there and if you don't watch out you will be caught by one of them.  Snares actually trap us into thinking more like satan than God.   You know how satan does things don't you?  He comes in like God, but just different enough to deceive.  That's why apathy is such a dangerous thing.  Apathy has a little bit of God and a little bit of satan in it.  It lulls the believer to sleep and before long they are wallowing in their "sin mud hole."  Paul talks about those who have been lulled to sleep and says that a bondservant must make every attempt to teach patiently the truth of the Word of God so that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil. (verse 26)  It is very difficult to preach the whole truth though if your strings are being pulled by those who don't want to hear it.  The person who should be a bond servant for Christ becomes just a "servant" when this happens and the integrity of their life is destroyed.  Paul wrote on the same subject in Titus 1:7 where he wrote, "for the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward, not self-willed, not quick tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain."  You don't even want to know what sordid means..Ok, here goes - DIRTY.  Dirty gain, can it be?  When I surrendered to the ministry my heart was set in stone.  Live for Christ and He will take care of the rest.  Through the years and through many pastors who "guided me" I have come to realize that I'm kind of drinking the koolaid here.  Oh, I've not attempted to get dirty gain at all.  But I have been lulled into the same thinking of those who are hired and not called.  For that I have repented.  The call on my life that took this bond servant out of a lost family situation to a wonderful Christian Family format is still very real today and very strong.  The part that weakens it some is the injection of a very worldly way of taking care of my needs financially.  At times I feel the very real pressure to compromise the Word of God to please people so they will keep paying my salary and that is wrong.  I have served with other minsters who openly compromised the truth to "get along" with those whose hearts were darkened.  This cannot be and will not be in my life anymore.  It's either all real, or none real.  I choose ALL.  You may say, "why be so transparent about this bondservant issue?"  I believe Paul is saying and would be saying the very same thing today.  How can I say any less.  If we are going to be true and real, then lets be what the Bible teaches us to be - bondservants.  If things are wrong in your life, then get them right now and quit compromising the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  THIS is God's Plan.

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

You Need to Grow Up!!

Ah, I remember it well.  Eighth grade year, riding the school bus to school.  Starting to really feel my stride and the smart aleck quips were rolling off my tongue.  I was having a blast one Friday morning.  The bus was moving along.  It was Friday.....I was feeling my oats.  We were laughing and making fun, when all of a sudden everything went south.  I always sat in the back of the bus, great place to comment on things.  I never moved anymore than two seats up.  On this particular morning, one of my friends had brought a science fair project that took up my usual seat, so, I moved up to the third seat from the back.  A little unfamiliar territory, but it would be okay.  On one of my more generous quips I leaned back too far and actually bumped the person in the seat in front of me.  This girl was a lot bigger than me (as most girls were) and when I bumped her, she proceeded to grap my left shoulder, spin me around, and slap me on the face.  She continued by saying, "you need to grow up!"  The silence in the bus was deafening for what seemed to be hours, but in reality it was just a few seconds.  "What will he do?"  "Will he hit her back?"  "You can't hit a girl!"  "But how do you explain the big red mark on your face?" "What to do, what to do..."  That's when it happened.   Everyone on the bus, including Mr. Cope the bus driver, burst into laughter like a finely tuned choir.  They started chanting, "You need to grow up, you need to grow up!"  I melted back into my seat and took it on the chin, literally.  We finally got to school, but I waited to the very last to get off.  Why?  Because of the embarrassment? No way.  I was afraid the girl would deck me again.  Point in case: You better grow up!!

That's what you call a "wake up call."

In 1 Timothy 2:20-23, Paul gives Timothy a "wake up call."  Paul reminds Timothy that there is always going to be good and bad.  With Christ in our life it is our goal to shed the bad and accent the good.  One dishonors and one honors.  In verses 21 and 22 Paul stresses that we are like vessels that are filled with something.  When we were lost, we were known as sinners, so we were filled with sin.  As saved people, we are known to be forgiven of our sin, so sin should not be in our vessel.   In other words, we need to pour out the bad and fill it with the new.  That kind of vessel will be honorable to "who we are."  For some Christians this is a real "slap in the face."  "You mean I need to pour out these questionable things in my life?" Yep!  Bummer.  They may say, "I didn't sign on for this.  I just want to go to heaven when I die!"  Point of reference: You need to grow up!  In the same procedure that changed us from sinner to saint, we must turn away from the old way and run to the new.  Paul says in verse 22, "Flee youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, with those who call on the Lord with a pure heart."  Can it be any more clear than that?  A clean heart is supposed to continue to be a pure heart as it pursues the righteousness of God.  The Word sanctification further stresses the point that holiness is what should fill our vessel.  That holiness should grow more every day as we pursue that righteousness.  It is the natural flow of the kind of life that is regenerated.  Our human nature fights strong against this change, because it is usually so drastic.  We make excuses to continue to be immature, thinking that "ignorance is bliss."  But it's not bliss at all.  It's stifling.  You can always tell someone who is fighting the "growing up" thing.  They avoid spiritual discussions and almost make a mockery of spiritual things.  They don't have time for discussing the deeper things of life, much less live it.  In verse 23 Paul pretty well pegs me from my earlier story.  Paul says, "refuse foolish and ignorant speculations knowing they produce quarrels."  When I was having my fun on the bus every morning, I had my audience and they put up with me.  When I crossed the imaginary line and bumped the seat in front of me it affected someone else and the end result was a slap across my face.  When people that are Christians relate to each other most things are very common.  When a Christian starts to move away from those circles, the different, disagreeing viewpoint of a lost world will not so easily respond to what we are talking about when it comes Christ.  Getting into fights with those people will many times only draw us into becoming more like them.  Part of the growing up process is knowing your audience and how best to share what you have in your vessel.  Self righteousness is always a self glorifying turn off.  God's righteousness through who you are leaves you more approachable and causes them to be comfortable around you.  Remember the story of Jesus and the tax collector.  Jesus didn't compromise Himself by loving Matthew.  Why?  Matthew knew the love was real.  Now that's a grown up vessel.  Oh that we would be more like Jesus in sharing our faith and growing up in the grace He supplies.  Don't keep playing the "religious games."  They don't work.  Don't continue compromising the gospel by your lifestyle choices.  It's way immature.  You need to grow up! NOW!  The Bible is "just sayin!"

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Word Wranglers

I grew up riding and training horses.  We were horse people, and all through my childhood and youth years I was either on a horse or getting ready to ride one.  From time to time I would go out with others and help them wrangle cattle.  In other words, gather cattle to get them in a pen so they can be loaded on a truck, or just for vaccination.  One particular time I went with a group of wranglers way back into the woods to gather some cattle who had been set free in an area of about 500 acres.  When we unloaded our horses the owner of the cattle said, "Now these cows haven't even seen a human for three years, so be ready for anything!"  That caused all of us to be on edge a little bit.  You see, we were heading down hills and valleys that had many dangerous parts that could cause a horse to fall with it's rider.  The fall could be five feet or fifty feet, so we knew our work was cut out for us to get these cattle to the sorting pen.  We made our way back to the area of the fields where the cows were known to "hang out" and  started finding them, sometimes one, and then four, and then 20.  Before long I had rounded up about fifty head of cattle, and then we had the difficult task of getting them back to civilization.  It seemed like it took at least an hour before we finally caught of sight of the sorting pen.  I was so relieved to see it, cause the cows were looking at us like we were aliens and I thought they could bolt at any time.   As we approached the pen, one of the workers started opening it to let the cattle in, and that's when it happened.  The owner tried to get the attention of one of the riders to bring his group up first and his way of getting their attention was by blowing his horn on his truck.  NOT GOOD!!  One of the cattle groups turned and ran down the hillside and that prompted the other cattle to do the same and we had ourselves a stampede!!  You know they did.  They went right back to the field where we had found them and started grazing again.  It took another 2 hours to get them back up to the corral and finally get them in the pen.  That story parallels the scripture in 2 Timothy 2:14-19 where Paul was telling Timothy to keep the people on task and to not keep "wrangling" with words.  He said it was useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers.

The term "talk is cheap" not only applies to those who are talkers and not doers.  It also applies to those who just talk without much thought about what they are saying.  I fall off into this trap from time to time and it can surely get out of hand.  Some people are natural word wranglers, and they want to get in a good fight about scripture, or politics, or something else and all they do is talk   talk  talk.  A sound faith is centered around diligence in the task at hand, not talking.  That diligence is very focused and purposeful.  A person can get distracted though and most of the time that distraction comes from wrangling about words.  Arguments on minor subjects can try to "pen up" the real focus for our lives.  Word wranglers get people distracted and going down the wrong path and before long, we forget what we are doing and why we should be doing it.  It's called confusion!!  In Galatians 1 Paul was astonished that those believers could be turned from sharing the gospel by word wranglers.  He said in verse 7, "Evidently, some people are throwing you into confusion and trying to pervert the Gospel."  Paul dealt with this all the time and his warning to Timothy was to stand on his foundation in the faith and don't get distracted.  In fact, he said that all the chatter just leads to ungodliness and related it to gangrene.  The best way to get rid of gangrene is to cut it out at it's core and remove it.

Now, back to the horse story.  When we got those cows to the gate and they heard the truck horn go off, it was a warning that all was not right.  It only took one small group of cows to turn back for all to turn and head back to safety.  When they were being herded along, everything was ok, but when they saw the pen and the way it was going to imprison them it didn't take much for them to stampede in the other direction.  We are the same.  We have been given a "truth filter" that helps us discern what is right and what is wrong.  The filter can get stopped up from time to time if we don't keep it clean (as in our life).  That  filter helps us stay on task and keep our life moving in the direction God has called us to. There's a chance some of you are being herded by false teaching into a situation you know is wrong.  You don't like the circumstances, and you don't like the surroundings.  I'm honking the horn to give you warning that false teachers are everywhere and they start out as "word wranglers" and then morph into something else after they've got you.  Turn now and go against the flow of the herd and sprint away from those false teachings before it's too late.  Sadly enough, we now live in a world where Christian Pastors will get in a pulpit and lead the cows of their congregations toward the pens of mediocrity and death.  All in the name of argument.  See them for who they are and stand firm on your own convictions from God's Word.  Don't let them wrangle you and take you some place you know is not right.  Mooooove.  Remember, complacency can become compromise so quickly.  It's time to stand on His firm foundation.

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Worthy of Trust

Trustworthy - Able to be relied on as honest or truthful

One day, while my son Zac and I were out in the country, climbing around in some cliffs, I heard a voice from above me yell, "Hey Dad! Catch me!" I turned around to see Zac joyfully jumping off a rock straight at me. He had jumped and then yelled "Hey Dad!" I became an instant circus act, catching him. We both fell to the ground. For a moment after I caught him I could hardly talk. 

When I found my voice again I gasped in exasperation: "Zac! Can you give me one good reason why you did that???"

He responded with remarkable calmness: "Sure...because you're my Dad." His whole assurance was based in the fact that his father was trustworthy. He could live life to the hilt because I could be trusted. Isn't this even more true for a Christian? (Tim Hansel)

A great story of what it means to have a trust relationship with our heavenly Father.  This close, intimate relationship we access again and again becomes a relationship of trust that not only helps us through the tough times, but also leads us to new places of trust and faith in the good ones.  Paul the Apostle was writing to Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:11-13, and his instruction included three great truths to hold on to.

1. verse 11 - We died to self and we live with Him.  What is dying to self?  Possibly crucifying the old sin nature or dying physically and being raised physically.  Whichever it is, there's one thing for certain.  We are connected to God through Jesus Christ.  You can believe it, heaven is rea,l and if you know Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are going there because you are connected to God through Jesus.  All other things may seem to fall away but we can believe in the simple fact of God holding to His promises.  The most basic one of all being, we will live with Him in eternity.

2. verse 12 - You can find a person's truth identity when it comes to his or her relationship to Christ.  Jesus told us we were going to have to endure various trials and tribulations, and that the effect of those was going to develop a stronger faith, and thus a stronger person.  We don't like to hear that though.  We don't want the tough times, the grinding times, the persecution, and we avoid these things at all costs if possible.  Some people will not only avoid the troubles, they will give up and say, "That's not what I signed up for."   Those who fall away did just that, they signed up......With disappearing ink!!!  When the Lord comes for His church, and the dead rise, and we go to meet Him in the air, if we can realize what is happening at judgment day, we will be very surprised to see who is in heaven and who is in hell.  If... we can realize it.  That part is iffy at best.  The point is this: some say I'm a Christian and they are members of a church organization, but they are not members of the Lord's Church.  Their fruit will find them out and they will be disallowed by God.  They will accept (its seems) and then deny.  They are not believers....

3. verse 13 - What happens when those who are truly believers lose sight of the Lord and become faithless.  They worry about everything.  They shut down at the thought of something risky, as in living for Christ.  Does God say, "forget you."  NOPE!  He remains faithful.  Even when we show no faith at all.  That how He rolls, and boy, am I glad.  I know I sometimes I come across to the Lord as a total failure, but He.....HE remains faithful.  The proof is in the proverbial pudding, and He is proven again and again, even when we fail.  Why?  Because when we receive Jesus Christ, we receive God.  He cannot deny Himself and this only shows what is now happening in our life since Christ.  We have the power to be change agents in a lost and dying world.  You want to see Hope?  I'll give you hope.  You want to see faith?  I'll give you faith.  You want to see peace?  I'll give you peace.  You want to see love?  I'll give you love!!  You want to see power?  I'll give you power!!  God is faithful to not only us, but to that part of Him that's in us.  This is where the faith thing gets a little muddy for us earth dwellers.  We can trust God, because we KNOW Him.  I mean, really KNOW HIM!  He is now in control of everything we are and everything we do and our desires are now matched with His desires for us.  Woh....Now that's cool!!

Next time you spend some time with God in prayer ask HIm.  God, what part of you am I depending on in my life? I think you will see that if we learn to depend on Him and trust Him and discover what it means for Him to be IN your life, you will cross a threshold that will be so affirming that you will never go back.  You will have learned to trust that part of God that is in YOU.  He is worthy of our trust.  He is God!!

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

In Prison, but Not Imprisoned!!

In 2 Timothy 2:5-10 Paul shares some insights about the strict life of a sold out believer.  Now we may think this is a list of don'ts. but it's not!!  Paul goes the opposite way of how we might perceive strict training.  If we go with a list of don'ts, we have already admitted we have a tendency to live a weak, barely get by Christian life.  Paul is not considering that kind of life at all.  In fact, he is more in line with the type of life that shows believers moving ahead at a rapid pace that is impacting all areas of life.  It's kind of like an "evangelist gone wild" type of life.  He is coming from the perspective that believers are out there sharing their faith in the world in a very aggressive way.  The are confronting the issues of the world and challenging believers to greatness and non believers to consider Christ.  Paul is on the move with every fiber of his being sharing the Good News.  He doesn't wait for a gathering of people and a pulpit.  He is taking the gospel on the road and he is doing it with a vibrancy that few were matching at the time.  So when he says in verses 5 and 6 about "if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not win the prize unless he competes according to the rules" and the hard-working farmer ought to be the first to receive his share of the crops", he is speaking about what he was doing right then.  We as ministers of the gospel should never let anything keep us from being true to God's Word and His Call for our standard of living.  We can never outrun the individual call of God on our lives, and that standard has to be held to every day.  We are to be out in the front, leading the way in injecting God's truth in every situation.  When we do that, we will see fruit and God will bless.  Paul goes on to say, "remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead."  We can never forget why we do what we do in life as believers.  Paul went to prison for his belief, but stated in verse 9 that the Word of God could never be imprisoned.  That still holds true today.

Somewhere along the way many preachers decided the Word of God was not "good enough" anymore and other sources of "'truth" started getting our ear when it comes to living the Christian life.  Even those who tout that they are Bible Scholars take note of strong teachings from "men" and hold to their truth as a standard for their life.  They follow Calvinism or Arminianism as a standard for their lives instead of the one who died for us Jesus Christ.  Oh I love different preachers and teachers and listen to messages that touch my heart and challenge me to greatness, but I always have to say what Paul did in verse 8. Remember, Jesus Christ.....Remember.  In reality Paul wasn't talking about some of the types of doctrines I listed, because it was before their time.  He was talking about the strict discipline of keeping Jesus Christ at the center of everything we do and not giving up that position to anyone or anything.  In other words, if Jesus was the quarterback of our heavenly football team and he called a play we didn't agree with, we shouldn't put in a back up quarterback who can't even play.  There is no comparison to the Word of God and and Jesus is that Word.  John 1:1 " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Paul knew the power of Jesus Christ, The Word, and He preached that word.  He was very strict in His aligning with Christ, the Word.  So Paul knew that even though he might be in prison, the Word of God could never be imprisoned.  It was for that very reason Paul endured the hardships that came His way.  He knew he was a winner either way, and that salvation was still going to happen for those who heard it.

In prison, but not imprisoned!!!

The only way the truth can be imprisoned in each of us is if we never let it be heard from us.    May it never be that the truth of the gospel is held captive by our silent lips.  May it never be that a lost a dying world won't hear the truth because of the prison built in our lives, where we are the warden. Stronghold -  a place where a particular cause or belief is strongly defended or upheld.  Please, take out the keys and let down your walls and let the message of Christ be set free in your life.  Don't get caught up in teachings that are centered on man's impressions and let that be the stronghold that keeps the gospel from escaping your mouth and your life.  Set it free!!!  All of these other teachings keep us distracted from the whole point.   Share your faith!!  Open those prison doors.   The Gospel cannot be imprisoned anymore.  Not if it is in a sold believer.

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Take Aim Robin Hood

I've always been a big gun lover and I believe that was picked up by my sons.  I hunted as a child, youth, and adult, and even though the ministry keeps me from hunting as much as I like, I still like it.  I remember my sister's husband Ralph Smith taking me out hunting and showing me the basics of what it means to be responsible, and of course, a good shooter.  He showed me how to aim my rifle and remain steady as I focused on my target and then squeeze the trigger to complete the hunt.  I killed my first deer at age 12 and at the time felt like I was lucky to hit it.  It was a day I will never forget. I remember the sound of the rustle of leaves that I had heard all morning, but this sound was louder.  I was sitting on a tree stump thinking the sound was from a fat squirrel and not a real deer.  To my surprise, over the hill came a beautiful deer just trotting along.  I gathered myself and slowly raised the gun to my shoulder and that's when it happened.  My hearing stopped working!!  I distinctly remember hearing all the noise of the wind, the leaves, and of course, my shivering.  But at the moment I realized it was time to take the shot, all of my hearing ceased as I focused on my target.  After pulling the trigger it was like I could hear again.  It was so strange, but at that moment I realized what it meant to be single-minded.  I didn't think about my growling stomach, my cold feet, my doubts of whether I could pull the trigger, or what was going to happen when I shot.  My mind was on one thing, the target.  I wish I could apply that same principle to my Christian life more and more every day.  You know, not let the ya ya's of the world distract me from my true purpose, serving Christ.  Oh I'm still capable of "doing ministry" but the distractions too many times get me off subject and great focus becomes nominal focus.

In the movie Robin Hood, Kevin Costner is trying to turn a ragtag group of commoners into fighting soldiers to be able to face the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham.  One of the boys is shooting his bow and hits a bulls eye.  He shoots again, but this time Robin Hood tickles his ear when he is shooting and the arrow goes awry.  Costner makes the statement that it's easy to shoot straight without distractions, but can you still shoot straight with distractions.  It's a good point for Christians to ponder in the midst of so many distractions in our world today.  If we are going to be single minded in our approach to serving Christ, what must take place?  Since we are part of the army of the Lord, training is necessary to get to the point of handling battle situations.  We need training.

Paul in some ways was doing the continued training of God's army by the instructions he shared with those of The Way.  In writing to one of his young soldiers, Timothy, he shares some very important insights about being single minded.  In 2 Timothy 2:1-4.  He says, "Be strong" in verse 1, but not just "be strong."  He says, "Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."  If we try to be strong in our own power, we will fail every time.  As believers we must realize our only strength is found in the Lord.  Grace is the "freedom element" that keeps us from letting our past failures weaken our future efforts.  In other words, sin doesn't rule us anymore, but it also doesn't control our future.  That feeling of freedom is beyond description. In the movie Chariots of Fire, it told the story of runner Eric Liddel who said "I believe God made me for a purpose, but He also made me fast.   And when I run I feel His pleasure." That is a pretty good illustration of standing strong and running in the freedom of Jesus.  You know He is your strength, so that frees you up to do His will.  Sounds awesome doesn't it?  That's because it is.  There is one more factor that makes the single minded lifestyle come alive in us.  FOCUS. Too many times we allow side issues and temporal setbacks to pull us out of focus.  Distractions take us away from God's original intent for our life and we begin to drift away little by little.  The noise of life captures our attention and then the focus that was so clear becomes fuzzy and weak.  Paul gives Timothy the tough news of what he needs to do to remain single minded and focused.  He shares with Timothy that he needs to be willing to suffer for the cause of Christ, just like Paul himself was doing at that time.  Part of that suffering seems to be letting the petty things of life fall to the wayside and get more focused on what His purpose is in life.  Here's what happens.  When we focus solely on Christ and His commission for our life we start to see more and more things that weren't visible to us when we lived a nominal, fuzzy  faith.  Those new things spark us onward to more pursuits for God and our vision becomes more and more like God's vision.  That impacts everyone we meet.  Why?  Because of your focus being on what is important.  On the other hand, if we look down the sights of life and keep looking away and just "fire" we may never hit the target, and may hit other targets that hurt the cause of Christ. It's one or the other.  No in-between!!   Sorry.....that's just the truth....for you and for me.

If you have lost your focus, then turn around and head the other direction.  Begin to spend more truthful, quality time with the Lord.  Do a "life check" and see where your problem lies and then ask God to help you deal with it.  Put some spiritual Visine in those tired "ole world viewpoint eyes" and let God clear them up.  Pick up your weapon and make sure it is ready to fire, then look through the sights and see what God is showing you.  When it comes into focus it will probably be different than you thought.....then fire!  When your focus is back on track, then you will hit "God's Target" for your life every time.  Come on Robin Hood.  When are you going to get back into the battle of life and start defeating the evil Sheriff of Nottingham, known as satan?  Training begins today and the battle is raging.

Ready, Aim, FIRE!!!

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Treasure Guard

You've probably seen one of the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies and of course, you probably know the name Jack Sparrow.  Basically all the movies deal with getting either treasure, eternal life, or something else they do not have at the time.   Each movie begins with the premise that they are seeking something they don't have and it drives all they are and all they do to get that one thing.  The funny thing about pirates is they can be deceived so easily to the point it's almost comical.  They get their hands on one treasure and lose their ship.  They get their ship and their treasure falls overboard, or someone (or a monkey) slips off with the whole thing.  They live a comedy of errors that can become almost more than a viewer can handle because it is frustrating to watch.  

Even more frustrating than watching it is living it.  The struggles of the Christian life are sometimes more than we can handle and frustration becomes the norm more than happiness.  It's just the way life is sometimes and believe it or not, there is a better way to live.  Just like the pirates we get the treasure that satisfies our longing (Jesus) and over a period of time, we lose sight of our purpose and then we start misplacing part of this glorious treasure.  Things begin to disappear and part of our treasure is gone and we can't figure out where it went.  Things like time, talents, service, giving, sharing, etc. begin to leak out of this treasure chest we have called the Christian Life and we begin to get frustrated.  But we keep on looking for more treasure and what seems like one adventure after another, becomes one disappointment after another.  Whew...Soon it gets to the point where we feel like we don't have anything left in our treasure chest and we scrape our hand over the bottom of the chest and find that it is empty.  We become discouraged and then God taps us on the shoulder and reassures us that we still have our treasure.  We ask how that can be when we didn't feel anything in the chest.  Then God reminds us of a very important fact.  The real value is found in the treasure chest itself.  Suddenly a light goes off and we start to think of what we can get for this treasure chest and God reminds us, "It's not for sale."  That is your treasure and yours alone.  Then in the stillness of the utter purity of thought you realize, "the treasure is me."  

Jesus gave His life for our life.  He took the sin penalty and paid it all on Calvary.  Our value became priceless when He died for our sins on the cross and it has kept it's value ever since.  It is only devalued by our lack of understanding about the value of this life that now mirrors the Son of God.  In Job 22:25 it says, "God Almighty will be your treasure, more wealth than you can imagine."  In other words, our treasure is found in God and Him alone. Oh, we will realize wealth (hopefully) on this earth, but it pales in comparison to the riches of God.    Luke 12:34 says, "It's obvious isn't it?  The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being." If you have a good perspective about where your real treasure is, then you can hand in your pirate rig and quit searching.  You have completed your task.  In the Pirate's Movies Jack Sparrow has a compass that points to what he really desires in his heart.  It never lies.  Where does your compass point?  Toward God?  It should!!  If He is what you treasure, you will always be rich and complete.  If not,  you will be found "wanting."  Sad, to follow the map and then not accept the treasure.  Kind of dumb too.

So, you have made the turn.  You've taken off your pirate's hat and given up the wild escapades that come with being dissatisfied.  The search is over and now you can.....share the wealth with others.  Then the treasure starts to pay dividends that are eternal.  It's doesn't mean you will be perfectly happy all the time, but it will mean you will be complete and rich.  2 Corinthians 4:7 says, "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves."  The real treasure is seen by God's power being revealed in us.

Final thing.....We can't do any of this on our own.  It's all God.  Job realized this and trusted God.  Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:13-18 and told him to guard his treasure, so he would not fall away and start looking for treasure elsewhere.  The reason he told him this was because he knew some others who were followers that went back into the pirate life and started treasure hunting again.  They missed the boat....oooo sorry, when it came to finding the real treasure.  If you know Christ, realize the treasure is in you the treasure chest.  That treasure chest is filled with God's riches and He has entrusted it to you to guard and take care of.  Do so with faithfulness, because His call on your life is to do just that.  Be  FAITHFUL WITH WHAT HE HAS GIVEN YOU.

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Shame and Ashamed

In 2 Timothy 1:8-12 Paul writes to Timothy with an affirmation to not be ashamed of the testimony of Jesus Christ and reminds Timothy that our salvation is based in that testimony.  Christ not only saved us, but gave us a holy calling that is not according to how we are, but according to how He is.  Too many times we think about serving Christ in accordance with how good or bad we are; or how busy or burdened we are with life itself.  If we choose to serve Christ out of that vantage point then we will never serve as He wants us to serve.  We are to serve Christ out of His Purpose.  What is His purpose?  Share His Message!!  Salvation for those who are lost is at the center of that purpose and that center is built upon the grace of God.  That grace makes it possible for sinners who are living in it to tell other sinners who aren't living in it how to get there.  Confusing?  Possibly at first, but let's explore these points.  If you come up to a person who knows your past and tell them about new life in Christ, they have the opportunity to reference your past and thus water down your message.  Your testimony is too weak to stand on it's own because of the sin in your life in the past and the present.  That's also a good measuring stick for someone sharing their testimony of being delivered by Christ.  If they only share their testimony and don't bring in the testimony of Christ, then that testimony will not have power.  Both must be present and Christ's testimony must be the focus.  I have heard numerous "famous" people share their testimony of deliverance from the penalty of sin and see people "come to Christ" because that "famous" person shared such a compelling story.  That is great if the testimony of Christ is included as well.  You see, we give ourselves way too much credit in this whole testimony thing and that credit is only to be given to Christ.  I remember when I first met Rich Wingo, former Alabama Football Player and Green Bay Packer.  I was awestruck by the power of his testimony, but only because in his humility he put Christ' message as the focus and Rich's story was the byline.  Now that is an effective testimony.

Paul continues on in this frame of thinking and gets to the heart of the message in these verses when he says "don't be ashamed of the testimony of Christ." Here are some quick definitions to help the truth along:  shame - a painful feeling of humiliation caused by the consciousness of wrong or foolish behavior.  Ashamed - embarrassed or guilty feelings due to ones actions, characteristics, or associations.  I think you can see where I'm going here and you will definitely see where Paul was going.  I think somewhere back in the deep recesses of our Christian minds there is a "kind of" embarrassment about Christ and heaven, and salvation.  Our American society is so pious and prideful at times due to very competitive actions, and that causes us to not want to deal with the humility issue.  I'm as guilty as the next person, but in reality we sometimes come across as ashamed of Christ.  You might say, "not me. I'm never ashamed!"  So how many people have heard the message or testimony of Christ through you today?  Ooops.  Sometime after our initial joy of salvation, we were able to make our faith more "politically correct" and palatable.  We used personal faith models such as daily quiet times, conferences, church attendance, giving, and many other Christian "actions" as a way to subdue the heart of the matter of our salvation.  "When in reality we are supposed to share it with EVERYONE!"  It's not like those other things are bad, but it means we have become distracted at best and lazy at worst.  We don't want to rock anyone's boat and we for sure don't want to offend anyone.  So, we have repackaged the gospel to be more "people pleasing."  That kind of sounds ominous doesn't it?  That's because it is..... This whole frame of thinking could go on and on and Paul eludes to that fact by stopping it at verse 9.  He says, "Grace was granted to us in Christ Jesus."  It was entrusted to us.  Pure and simple, we are the bearers of the answer to the questions of life.  Woh!  Now this is really starting to get gravity....uh heavy.  The gravity or weight of the whole thing is immense and Christ even gives us time restrictions by saying, "Live for today, cause you don't know if you have tomorrow."  We must shuck these Ashamed chains and get back to the reason for the whole thing.....SALVATION - HEAVEN-ABUNDANT LIFE!!!  How?  Share the testimony of Christ along with your testimony in a very personal, real way.  When?  As you go! To Who?  To whoever will listen!  Why?  Because you are the one who has been entrusted with this message by the King of Kings! 

Here's where the other word, shame, will come in very strong.  In verse 12 Paul says "For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day."  Believe it not, God is guarding that message He has put in your life and His protection is there to insure that when you share it you walk away free, not feeling any shame because you shirked your calling.  You did it.  Just a word of warning:it is likely you will feel shame if you don't share it and that shame will build a stronghold of compromise in your life that develops a side of us that resembles sin.  We do not want that because compromise becomes an idol in our life that takes away from our worship and our relationship with Christ.  Remember, Paul could see the inner workings of salvation and he shared this message with his son in the ministry to equip him to handle daily life.  We need it for the very same reason so it will keep us from feeling shame and being ashamed of the very life we have received.  We must share the whole message to be able to stem the tide of shame and being ashamed.  Keep on growing and keep on knowing...

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Come On Timmy, Light The Fire

Fire is an amazing thing to watch, to feel, to control, to put out, to ignite, to fuel, to whatever.  There is so much in a flame that just mesmerizes me and makes me want to "touch it!"  OUch!!!   Can't do that!  Fire can be good and fire can be bad.  Fire can destroy and fire can give life.  I was watching the movie, The Abyss, the other night and in their story line they told the story of an exploratory group many miles down in the ocean.  They had one problem after the other, but one thing was for sure, "The water was cooooooold."  In one scene Ed Harris has to swim underwater without a wetsuit for about 100 yards to get to a hatch so he could free his men from a room.  Of course, the hatch was frozen shut, so he went another 100 yards to a docking station.  He came out of the water and his body was starting to contract so hard he almost couldn't function.  Cold does that to you.  Your blood starts to freeze up and pretty soon you can't control yourself anymore.  I've felt this coldness coming for a few years in Christian circles.  The warmth of close, personal friendships are few and far between and the coldness is felt by all.  In 2 Timothy 1:1-7  Paul reminds Timothy of his warm, deep, sincere faith that was fostered by his grandmother and mother.  He reminded him of his "roots" and the importance of those roots.   In reminding Timothy he was affirming that his life exhibited that kind of faith also and that it was good. Real good.  Too many times our relationships are cold and indifferent and the very thing we need is almost unreachable because of "cold habits" we've allowed to creep into our lives. We have gone deep to get away from being open and honest and pride now controls our existence.  Pride that keeps us on guard to make sure we don't have to admit we don't quite have it all together yet.  We are so deep that now the warmness of Christian fellowship and friendship have been replaced with coldness and rigidity.  This may not seem like a big deal to you, but believe me it's dangerous.  Why?  The sincere faith each of us has is linked to a bigger picture, Godly warmth.   That warmth is what gives individuals and the church their strength and identity.  This special fellowship is the flame that keeps the coldness of a lost world from overwhelming the strong, warm fellowship of believers.  Jesus emphasized the point when He said in Matthew 18:20, "where two are more are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them."  In Matthew 12:50 Jesus said, "For whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother."  We are His and He is the source of our family warmth.  Tommy Boy Quote...."Brothers don't shake hands, brothers hug!"  So we find our warmth, our flame, our spark from doing the will of Jesus.  It burns brighter when we combine that with other believers who are of The Way.  That flame gets brighter and brighter and that is a model of a healthy, New Testament Church.  On fire!!

Paul basically tells Timothy, "the flame is in you.  Now let it go brighter and brighter."  He uses the word "fan" into flame.  If you have ever started a fire from scratch you know it needs oxygen and the fanning motion ignites the fire from a spark.  Years ago I used to lead a worship song called "Pass it On." It went like this; it only takes a spark to get a fire going, and soon all those around can warm to it's glowing."  There's the truth of the whole thing.  Keep good surface relationships and guard those warm friendships that only Christ can give.   In fact,  fan the flame and let those friendships get closer and closer and soon others will want to experience that warmth in their lives.  No need to keep drawing away from others and keeping to ourselves.  Good, warm open fellowship that fosters loving communication.  What a buzz that is.....Get warm in your relationship with Jesus, and the go warm some others with cool hearts.  You will be so much better for it.  Fan the flame!!  If you have Jesus, that flame is in YOU!!!  In 1 Corinthians 5:4 Paul writes,"Assemble the community-I'll be present in spirit with you and our Master Jesus will be present in power!" Wow!  Now that's what I call a warming front....

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren