Ready, Set, Go!!!

I have been to numerous Gospel sharing clinics, conferences, and training times.  It's amazing how much you have to learn to share your own personal testimony.  I remember learning certain techniques at an Evangelism Explosion Training Seminar and them sending us out to homes in the area to hone our "skills."  At first it was a little stiff sharing the way they wanted us to, but then I became familiar with the whole thing and it became kind of personal.  I have had the great opportunity to lead hundreds to Christ through my years as a Christian and it never gets old seeing someone bound for hell choosing the grace of Jesus and doing a total turn around.  At times in my life I have even been a zealot. A zealot is a person who is dynamically consumed with whatever they are doing.  I say "at times" because there have been times when just "doing the work" of the ministry has overtaken the real reason for ministry and that is sharing your faith.  Both are important, but both have to be firmly established in who Christ is, who you are, and how that is lived out in a fallen world.  In 1 Peter 3:13-14, Peter continues to push the positive effects of taking a stand for Christ.  In verse 13 he says, "Who is there to harm you if you prove zealous for what is good?"  He was sharing this knowing that persecution was occurring to him and all disciples who were just sharing the message.  That statement would be more applicable  today in America.  Who's gonna mess with you if you prove to be totally, all out, committed to the faith?  Basically, no one.  And keep in mind, that is how our country is at this very moment, but things....they be a changing.  Which further emphasizes the need for each of us to be more zealous about sharing the message of Christ.....while we can.   In verse 14 Peter throws in a disclaimer by saying, "But even if you should suffer for the sake of righteousness, you are blessed, and do not fear intimidation."    Why should we be intimidated?  Maybe if we are not too sure about who we are and whose we are.  You can always tell someone who has a nominal faith.   They are the person saying there are many ways to do the one thing Christ has commanded.  In their argument it usually means they aren't going to do anything.  You will notice that the moment you step out of the apathetic crowd into the light to take a stand for Christ, you will have many nominal Christians who set back and read you the rules to the game they aren't even playing.  They are the kind of people who step up to the line at a race and say ready, set, NO!!!  Not gonna do it.  Wouldn't be prudent!  In other words, they talk a good fight, but they never fight.  I call them casual observers.  They pull up their lawn chairs and tell you how to do something they have never done.

Peter is more concerned with those who are runners.  They don't talk about the race.  They basically need to be pointed in the right direction and let go.  Verse 15 speaks to how to prepare these willing participants.  They have set Christ apart as Lord in their hearts and now they just want to RUN!  They just need to be equipped to handle the struggles along the way and turned loose.  Not too many like that today though.  Most Christians have to be talked into sharing the message that burns in their hearts.  Or they have to go overseas once a year to an area where no one knows them and most don't have more than a first grade education in order to be bold.  These are what I call "Observation Experiments."  They observe their neighbor down the street or their coworker and then go somewhere else to experiment on willing people who just want a drop of clean water or a piece of bread.  It is totally part of the Great Commission to go to those "people groups" but the other part of the Great Commission is even more important.  Peter wasn't equipping the followers of the day to go hundreds of miles away to live this vibrant, zealous faith.  He was equipping them to do it right where they were and let it spread from there.  In writing this some might say, "David are you against foreign missions?"  To which I would reply, "I am for missions....period."  Where is our mission?  Right here.  Where do most Christians think missions are....somewhere else.  I had a "real live" missionary who loved me and my family and really believed in and lived Foreign Missions in the country of Jordan.  I hadn't been in the ministry very long and she was home on furlough and I made the statement, "I wish I could get called to missions in a foreign country."  She turned and looked at me and smiled and said, "You already are.!"  She said, "We are all aliens in this world and everywhere we share the gospel is foreign missions."  Wow.  It changed my perspective and I hope it changes yours as we prepare every day through a quiet time with God to see and reach the harvest of Jesus Christ.  He has raised his starter pistol and His Words are Ready, Set, Go!!

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Road Kill

I had a very sad occurrence  today.  I was driving on a local highway this morning and I came upon a squirrel crossing the road.  He looked up and saw me coming and started his zig zag pattern (serpentine) and I slowed to allow him to move off the road.  Then something happened, he froze!  I kept going....When I felt the bump I thought, "Maybe I hit a large rock or something?"  I looked in my mirror and sure enough, he was road kill. Ugh....What a mess with squirrel guts everywhere and....well, you get the picture.  Probably more picture than you intended.  I sum it up.  He's dead!!!  Then I realized something.  The only way to be road kill is to venture out on something you shouldn't be on if you are a squirrel,  a highway!  If he was in a tree, which is where he should be, he would be alive right now.  But no, he has to try to play chicken with huge, moving automobiles.  Why?  Possibly curiosity, or just dumb luck.  It could be he didn't know where he was because he had strayed.  The problem with this straying thing was, he didn't live through it! 

In 1 Peter 3:8-12 it illustrates a very good point when it comes to where you should be and where you should not be.  Peter also sums it up by telling us to live harmonious lives that are sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted, and humble in spirit.  What he means is that's where we should be (get it - squirrel...tree) and that should be where we stay.  If evil comes your way, don't go there.  If gossip and lying come your way, don't go there.  If obstinante people want you to hang with them, don't go there.  If any kind of evil tries to lure you on a highway you are not familiar with, don't go there.  If you do you will look like that squirrel.  You will try to go one way, then another, and just when you need to get off of that sin highway, you freeze and  SPLAT!!!  Because of a progression of sin in your life and wrong relationships you become Road Kill.  I know it's hard not to be lured onto that road and I know it seems you are bored and not "with it" if you don't try it out.  But in reality you are better off staying in the tree, or the woods, or possibly a grassy field.  Not the highway!!!  Highways were not made for squirrels and evil was not made for Christians.  It 's a trap

and Peter goes on to tell more truth by quoting Psalm 34 and warning about walking down the "evil highway" that can kill.   Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:10 about the temptation to get on that evil road where he says, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able,  but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it."  Basically, God is at the side of the road with a big sign that says, "DANGER AHEAD, DO NOT CROSS ROAD!"  Now it's up to us.   Will we heed the warning signs or will we try to navigate territory we have no business being on.  It is your choice and it's important that you make a good one.

In the Australian bush country grows a little plant called the "sundew." It has a slender stem and tiny, round leaves fringed with hairs that glisten with bright drops of liquid as delicate as fine dew. Woe to the insect, however, that dares to dance on it. Although its attractive clusters of red, white, and pink blossoms are harmless, the leaves are deadly. The shiny moisture on each leaf is sticky and will imprison any bug that touches it. As an insect struggles to free itself, the vibration causes the leaves to close tightly around it. This innocent-looking plant then feeds on its victim. 

Are you being lured into doing something you should not do?  Are you letting evil and those who promote it lure you onto the highway of evil?  Time to go home to where you are supposed to be and there you will find a satisfaction in knowing that God's ears are listening for our prayers and His eyes are toward the righteous.  Where do you stand right now?  Living on the narrow road of righteous, or ROAD KILL?

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

More Than Coexisting

The marriage relationship has taken some major blows in the past few years and the desire for what we want has overcome the desire for what God wants.  Some have redefined marriage in their thinking, but the definition God has placed on marriage supersedes all those other ideas.  Our worldly thinking has taken a very successful plan for a fulfilled life and distorted it to the point it is unrecognizable.  In our attempt to be super prideful and selfish we have kicked God out of the very thing He established and replaced it with a model that is destined to push God further out of our lives.  We have decided that coexisting is much better than life change due to following God's Plan.  Not smart!  And I don't care how many bumper stickers we publish, coexisting is barely getting by. That is why Peter in 1 Peter 3:1-7 reaffirms the model God has given for a wonderful life with God and our spouse.  God has taken two very different types of people and used Himself as the focal point to bring them together in a much stronger union than if they were separate.  Man and Woman were created by God with the same, but different purposes for their existence.  In Genesis 2:7 it tells that God formed man from the ground and breathed life into Him.  Not just breath, but the "breath of life." His body was formed from the earth, but his breath was from God.  That's why a person who is committed to serve the Lord says, "I will serve God with every breath."  Our breath is LIFE from God the Father.  God gives it and God takes it away.  Here's where some of the value of man has been diminished.  As a society we have taken man's value and lessened it even more with the worship of animals.  Every time you see someone lift the value of an animal above a human, you need to "wake up" and say, "not gonna happen."  The more we lift other lesser creations above the one who was made in the image of God, we lift a fist up to God in disgust and disobedience.  God created Man and He called him good!  Now it doesn't mean we abuse animals, but it does mean we lessen their importance in our thinking when compared to humans.  Then God saw that man needed a helper suitable for him (verse 18) so he decided to create Eve.  In verse 21 and 22 it says, "So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and close up the flesh at that place.  The Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man."  At that time the man said, "you are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh."  Does this all make sense to you?  Here's how it all works with the order of things per God, our creator.  God created man from the ground and breathed into him the breath of life.  He then created other creatures.  He then created woman from the man's rib that was created by God.  There is no "pecking order" here, but there is God's order, His PERFECT order.   When we water down God's order, we sin and lose the perfect idea for it.  To keep God's perfect order we must submit to God's leadership in all areas or it will not work like it should.  Man is the leader of his house and if he doesn't take on that responsibility from God he is sinning and the end result will be less than what God intended.  Woman is to follow man's leadership and if she doesn't take on that responsibility, she is sinning and the end result will also be less than what God intended.  Anything less than what God intended in the marriage relationship is just coexisting and anyone can do that even without God.  Of course, you get more divorces, more problem children, more confused sexual orientation, and of course, more sin.  We are trying to fix the problems in our society without keeping the foundations and it just won't work that way.  It's God's order or worldly disorder.  If you believe and try to live God's Word, you have no other choice.  I served as a youth pastor for over 25 years and the problems in students lives always came back to their parents relationship.....always.  Students were always more receptive to the teachings of the Bible when their parents were living their faith at home.

Somewhere along the line we got to thinking this marriage thing is a privilege when God calls it a glorious responsibility.  In other words, we are married to, first of all honor God, and then to honor our spouse.  Everything else pales in comparison to those two things.  So......when Peter writes in verse 1-6 for wives to submit to your own husbands, do it.  When he says for you to serve with a pure and Godly heart, do it.  When he says for you to adorn yourselves with a gentle and quiet spirit, do it.  You might say, Oh, that's not fair!"  It not about fairness, it's about God's Perfect Plan.  And in verse 7 where it says, "You husbands live with your wives in an understanding way and grant her honor."  Do it!!  Husbands if you don't do this command from God then guess what, your prayers are hindered!!!  In other words, your spiritual connection with your wife is failing and you are sinning.  You cannot exist in that condition very long because you have severed part of who you are and that part is found in your wife.  A.K.A. You complete me...

For years Christian couples have felt that it is totally acceptable to just coexist in their marriage relationship.  Not any more!!!  You don't want to mess this up because it messes up your relationship with God the Father.  I don't care how many men's and women's Bible Studies you attend, you must get this one right.  You don't want irreconcilable differences with God the Father do you?  

Here's a formula to get you going.  Be submissive to God and honor His Word in your thinking and your living.  When that happens, your relationship with your spouse will heal and step up in the right direction.  Remember, if your relationship with God is good, then life is good, even when it's bad.  Don't just coexist with the Lord in your life and don't just coexist with your spouse.  The breath of life was breathed into Adam and Eve for a Godly purpose and that applies to us too.  Every breath is given to enable you to be who God intended for you to be.

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Spiritual Punching Bag...

Suffering is an amazing concept in the Christian life.  If you watch certain TV Christian Shows you would think that suffering is not something any Christian should have to deal with at all.  Everything is great, and by the way, don't forget to send me your check.  You can immediately discount the "I'm picking out this Scripture to preach because it makes my point" type of preacher.  Of course, in making an argument we would go too far the other way to prove our point.  Both have some right and some wrong, but both must be lined up with what Scripture says.  Our Bible Study Teacher said something that made the whole class laugh this past Sunday, when he said, "Here's what scripture says, and it's hard to argue with scripture."  We didn't laugh because it was funny to mention that, but that it makes total sense.  How can you argue with something if it says it in the Bible?  You can't!!  There are answers to everything you ask "in the Bible."  The Bible is true to the core, with great insight in how to live your life and follow the right path.   The Bible is a constant source of encouragement, correction, and direction.  Then why don't we use it?  Because it has parts we like and parts we have trouble with when it deals with our wants and desires.  Pure truth has a way of doing that....You know, raining on our parade.  If you are like me your parade has been rained on a bunch lately and it gets old after awhile.  But guess what?  I still trust God!

Point in case:  Early in my ministry I was serving with a fellow minister who was my superior and he did everything the Bible said "not to do."  He lied, he cheated, he stole, he beat up on people, and he carried the sword of superiority to the max over me and everyone else.

He had a long list of coworkers he had "canned" when they didn't agree with him and I was on his list.  He attacked me financially and emotionally and every step I took was like walking through quick sand.  I cried and tried to deal with this whole situation by getting tougher and wiser, but it got worse and worse.  Him being my superior caused me great damage in my respect for that position and almost shut me down.  Then I read the scripture in 1 Peter 1:18-25.  I realized in this scripture that there was hope.  In verses 18 and 19 Peter shares that being submissive to unreasonable people is good and that it finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.  Hmmm.  Bears up.  Now think about that one.  God is apparently planning on me going through some tough times a.k.a. suffering, from time to time and He is saying one thing, "bear up."  Then in verse 20 that strength scripture comes through where it says, "But if, when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God."  There it is.....favor.  I pray for God's favor on a daily basis.  I long for God's favor almost on a minute by minute thought pattern.  But, there is one way to get it....Bearing up.  I wonder where this reasoning comes from.....hmmmm could be JESUS.  Peter goes on to tell that Jesus, who had no sin, and suffered, didn't revile or strike back, but He entrusted Himself and the problem to God the Father.  And since we were healed by His stripes He is the ultimate example of "what to do" in the suffering situation.  Wow. When I read this I got not only peace, but strength.  It helped me get over the hump and every time my superior came at me, I smiled and went on and let God fight that one for me.  I became a Spiritual Punching Bag!  Have you ever hit a punching bag continuously?  I can tell you now, you may get in your licks, but you will "punch out" after awhile.  Why?  Punching bags are made to withstand more blows than one person, or many people can put on them.  When the ones who are throwing the blows get tired and fade away, the punching bag continues to hang there, ready for whatever may come their way.

So.  Who comes out ahead on this whole thing?  Well, Jesus does.  Remember, it's all about HIm, our Savior.  But when He comes out glorified in all of this, He lifts us up and blesses us.  That's the way it works.  Human reasoning will reject suffering, but God's Word uses it to bring out righteousness in a fallen world.  Remember, the first will be last, and the last will be first?  Well, here it is!  For us to lose our high and mighty standing, per our own opinion is like saying "Dude, Where's my car?"   We feel like when we lose our pride, we lose our only identity vehicle for greatness.  Not so!  Forget the car and forget puffing yourself up.  God is our vehicle for greatness and it is found in following Him and Him alone.  He is our strength.  He is our hope.  He is our everything in every situation.   Verse 25 says, "You were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls."

Basically, God is fighting your battles for you if you do what is right.  If you don't think you can trust God to take care of your business, then you need to look back to the moment you received Christ and eternity in Heaven became a reality to you because of God taking care of business, namely sin business.   You may feel like a Spiritual Punching Bag from time to time, but remember, when it's all over those who have been punching will quit punching because they can't beat you down because God has insulated you from falling. Then they will give up and walk away.  Now THAT is a good word....

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Freeeeeedom....

If you have ever watched the movie Braveheart, you remember those dying words of Mel Gibson's character, William Wallace.  He believed so much in that freedom that he was willing to give his life for it.  His life was taken from him by evil men who did not want to give up their power and prestige.  Their love for "their ways" overshadowed the people's desire for freedom.  The ongoing battle for that freedom took men and women who had shied away from any kind of confrontation and brought them together as a mighty force for the good.  They seized the day and the "powers that be" could not withstand their great love for country and each other.  One man was known as a Braveheart, but they were all Bravehearts.  Peter talks about submission in freedom in 1 Peter 2:11-17, and the submission he spoke to sprouted from a heart that was firm in the freedom of Christ.  Peter knew that as aliens we believers would always have to deal with leaders who were somewhat unfair.  He stated that the unfairness was not an excuse for becoming worldly again in our thinking.  In verse 12 Peter said to keep our behavior excellent among the Gentiles (lost) and when they slander you they have no foot to stand on because you are above reproach.  He says, "so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them glorify God in the day of visitation."  So basically committed Christians get it from both sides; the lure of lusts in the world and the slander of evil men and women.  Bummer...  That's why it is vital for each of us to be in a close walk with the Lord, because these things are going to crop up and our reaction needs to be as those who have it all together, not those who are scattered.  In today's changing world we see the tide changing from a Christian nation to a post Christian nation and it scares many believers.  We need to remember to pray for our leaders and follow them up to the point of them dishonoring God's Law, which is our main priority.  In nation's laws vs. God's Laws, God's Laws wins every time.
The last point Peter brings out in verses 16 and 17 is what we are we to do with our Freedom.  Are we to just talk about it? NO!!  Are we to exploit it by abusing it?  NO!!!  Are we to hide behind it?  What you may ask do I mean?  Sometimes greedy, conniving Christians get in their mind that their freedom is just that, their freedom.  So they decide that since they have this permanent freedom, they will use it to do or say whatever they want because they know forgiveness is on the way.  This is abusing God's Grace and actually grace that should apply to help them on their pilgrimage to be more like God is coupled with an attitude to be more like satan.  Hmm, strange combination....God and satan.  Usually they use this freedom to strike out against other believers who are just trying to share the freedom with those who are in bondage.  They are the people who would open the jail door and just when someone was going to walk out, they would shut it quickly and laugh and say, ooops sorry.  It's amazing how much we mention the word grace to veil our sins, but how little we allow grace to change our lives.  Peter says this should not be and that real submission to God means changed lives and true spiritual growth.  Now that's freedom!!
It would have been different if William Wallace would have won freedom, not been killed, and become a wealthy land owner.  Then we would have seen how this freedom was used by him.  As to his character, we would think that he would take this freedom to allow others to be free as well.  That was what the fight was all about.  When Christ died to give us our freedom His sacrifice freed us from the penalty of sin, but not the result of sin.   When we abuse this freedom the result is a bad witness to the lost and a step backward for the one abusing.  Both don't have to happen if we will just realize that this freedom begins when we submit to Christ and the result is a changed life that grows more and more like Christ every day.  Freeeedom is my cry!  What about you?

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Possessed

I was watching a movie the other night and the whole thing was about a lady who was supposedly "possessed" by a spirit.  As far as I could see she wasn't possessed with the spirit of "acting."  It was very humorous how this whole possessed thing was portrayed and I turned it off after awhile because it was insulting even my intelligence.  But the possessed issue is a real and relevant issue in the Bible.  In 1 Peter 2:9 Peter says, "You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a Holy nation, a people for God's own possession."  God possesses us and it gives us the privilege of proclaiming who He is with real credibility.  Why?  Because we were in darkness and we have been called out of that darkness into His light.  And not just light, but His marvelous light.  As a chosen race, we are set aside as a people who are very distinct in our makeup.  Part of that distinction is the fact that we have been saved from the penalty of sin and saved to eternal life in heaven.  That's a pretty heavy distinction if you ask me.  Another part of that distinction is that we are communal in the way we function with others of the same lifestyle.  We have something called fellowship that we long for, use for strength, and plan for interaction with each other.  We also like to help each other without expecting anything in return.  Another distinction is we believe that moving ahead is better than dwelling on the past, so we constantly come up with ways to sharpen our lives and skills to be able to serve God more effectively.  Another distinction is we worship God together in unity, even though we come from diverse backgrounds.  There are many other distinctions that I could mention, but suffice it to say, we are a race of sorts.  Not a race due to an ethnic foundation, but a spiritual foundation.  In verse 10 Peter cranks down this reasoning by saying, "for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy."  Are you getting the picture here?  It's a picture of a living, breathing human being not having any identity without Christ, but having a most excellent identity with Him.  This is further emphasized by Jesus in John 6:63 where He says, "It is the Spirit who gives life, the flesh profits nothing, the words I have spoken to you are spirit and are life."  From time to time we as Christians will say, "I am nothing without Christ" and guess what, we are right!

We are possessed by God Almighty and as His possession we have the keys to the kingdom and the kingdom is for us.  We have all this possible through a mercy that was not always available, but through Jesus it is now.  The One who is possessing is taking care of the one who is confessing.  Now that's mercy.  Here is something to think about.  Israel is a favored nation and a race of people God blesses through their physical birthright.  We are a chosen race of people who are favored because of our spiritual birthright.  When we pray for God's blessings we know that He is listening because He wants to bless us.  We are His  possession and His prize and the price He paid for our salvation proves His care is for our best in every situation. 

Here is the result of knowing how much God values us.  We want to serve Him with every part of our life.  We want to know more about Him.  We want to receive those blessings He promises us.   We value the relationship we have with Him.  We honor Him who possesses us.  This value can take a person who doesn't feel like they don't have any purpose in life and give them a fresh, new outlook, and a new direction.  I write about the abundant life a lot, and this is the very foundation for that abundant life.  That abundance comes from God's overwhelming love for us, and His unique way of keeping up with His possession.  

I don't need acting lessons to show what possession looks like in my life.  All I need to do is live my life in the realization that I am in God's possession and He is taking care of me all along the way.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Conscientious Objector

Back in 1966 a very well known boxer by the name of Cassius Clay was drafted into military service.  It was also at that exact time that he converted to the Muslim Faith.  With that religion change came a name change, thus Mohammed Ali.  He also became a Conscientious Objector, saying he had nothing against the Viet Cong and would not fight against them.  While other American Men and Women risked their lives and gave their lives in the Vietnam War, Ali declined.  He was sentenced to five years in jail and pardoned after three.  Ali went on with his earlier career in boxing and made millions.  He rejected the stand of our country in Vietnam and refused to fight for his country and the rest is history.  

In  1 Peter 2:1-8, Peter brings out a very important point for all who claim the name of Jesus.  He characterized us a "living stones" that have tasted the kindness of the Lord.  

That kindness is best characterized by the Salvation made possible for us through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  When we repented and believed in Christ and gave Him our lives we took on the same "living" sacrifice that was exampled by Christ.  That immediately brought on a change in our lives that put aside things like malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. (verse1)  It also brought in a new desire.  A desire for the things of God and new life were part of that new desire.   Also, our growth was guaranteed  if we would seek after the Lord's wisdom found in the Word of God.   The diet we had before Christ was going to be replaced with a new, more healthy diet, that included the pure milk of the Word.  A natural reaction to this new diet is a life that wants to honor God with sacrificial service.  That is service that is prompted out of love and gratitude for the love Jesus has given us through our salvation.  In other words, we are now on His team, which makes us all on the same team.  As He goes, so we go.  As He calls, so we listen.  As He shows, so we see.  We are connected to this Precious, Living Stone who is Jesus Christ.  When we are connected to Christ our life has true value and that value is increased because of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  What we could have done before Christ can be great, but what we can do with Christ is awesome!!  When we receive Him and let this connection get stronger and stronger Peter shares that we will not be disappointed. 

I remember getting ready to go on a roller coaster when we lived in California.  The waiting time on the line was 55 minutes.  We were close to the exit and someone came out who had just ridden the coaster and I yelled to them, "How was it?"  The guy said, "it was great and you won't be disappointed."  That encouraged me to believe that the wait in line was worth it, so we waited it out.  By the way, it WAS worth it.   Glad I stayed in line.

We want to know that what we give our time and talent to will not be a waste and Peter shares in verses 4-6 that it is definitely worth the wait.   There is another group of people mentioned here though.  In verse 7 and 8 he talks about this group, "this precious stone is for those who believe, but for those who disbelieve becomes a stone to cause them to stumble and the end result is doom!  This is all laid out clearly for each of us to see, you are either with Him, which means you are like Him.  Or, you are not with Him, which means you are not like Him.  I guess it comes back to your conscience.  I have gotten to serve with some great people through the years, and I have also served with some "knot heads."  They are people that are obstinate and hateful. You say, "the room is blue, they call it red."  You say, "Let's go."  They say, "who are you to tell me what to do?"  The meaning of obstinate is "stubbornly unwilling to change one's opinion or course of action despite attempts to persuade one to do so."  In other words, Conscientious Objectors."  They don't mind talking about the war or living in the freedom, but when it comes to fighting, they say no.  When everyone else says, "charge" they say "why charge?"  In reality this kind of person is not attached to the "living stone" or they would resemble a "living stone" instead of a dead rock. The last thing Peter says about this kind of person is they are appointed for doom.  It's inevitable and it's sad, because they have the option on draft day to go fight.  It's their decision to change who they are so they can get what they want and that is just their way.

Don't be one of those people, and for sure don't hang around with those people because they will rub off on you and ruin your direction.  The church has all the neigh sayers it needs who are consciously objecting to the call of Jesus.  Be a living stone that answers His call every time.  Join hands with other believers and let the life of Christ in you be your passion for living your life.  Who can object consciously to that?  You'd be surprised!!!  I'm just saying...

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

I Love You But! The Goonies Treasure

Every year we do our taxes and the government takes more and more of our money for them to use.  The harder we work and the more we make penalizes us and withholds from us.  What does it mean to withhold?  Withhold means to suppress or hold back.  Suppress means to prevent the development of an action.  Do you see where this is all going.  To withhold on anything means to keep it from reaching where it is supposed to go.  You have probably seen the movie Goonies (edited version) where they find One Eyed Jack's treasure and they pack their pockets with jewels. Well, the other thieves who are looking for the treasure stop the kids and have them give up all the jewels.  One kid empties his pockets, his hands, and everything else that can hold jewels.  The crusty old woman who is the leader of the thieves notices that the kid isn't saying so much and that she remembered him being a real talker.  She figures it out and has him open his mouth and there it is, a huge jewel.  He was wanting to withhold some of the jewels at all costs, but when discovered he had to give that last jewel up.  He was withholding or suppressing the treasure so the thieves wouldn't get it.  His trick didn't work and he had to give it all up.  We do withholding during the year so it doesn't kill us all at once at tax time.  Many people get back taxes, so their withholding pays back.  In reality you are still paying the massive tax burden, but you feel better about it when you get to keep some of it.  The government in turn withholds what we all deserve to run their inept system.  When the system doesn't work good it causes us to regret getting anything withheld because we feel like we aren't getting our money's worth...and we aren't.

One of the main withholding problems we have as Christians is withholding love.  We get plenty of love from a Savior who died for us and a God who cares for us, but we withhold that kind of love and care from each other.  This love is withheld for various reasons: selfishness, evil intentions, guilt, etc.  Withholding the love God gives us has very drastic consequences.  First it pollutes our system with ungodliness.  Purity is just that, pure, and when a foreign substance is injected in that purity it becomes compromised and not fit for anything.  We as humans get to thinking we have reasons to pollute the wonderful pure things God has given us and then pretty soon you can't even recognize some of them.

Peter in 1 Peter 1:22-25 addresses this problem by reminding those he was writing to of the imperishable love that we received when we received Christ.  That love "takes over" our whole system and everything we do is to be run out of that love relationship. But it isn't.  Churches today have lost the desire and ability to love the world like we should, and now it has digressed to the point of us hating each other.  What does this mean?  There is no purity in many of our churches and our desires have taken over God's desire to establish loving fellowships to minister to the world we live in.  In verse 22 Peter says, "since you have purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart."  Is that what you see in churches today?  Hopefully, but probably not.  You see, it's hard to love each other when it is our desire to hurt each other.  They just don't mix.  Why does this type of attitude prevail many times in churches?  It is because many are church members, but not saved or regenerated believers.  The seed in their lives is a poisoned seed that hates, not loves and the end result is confusion for those who are looking to the church for purity...Especially purity in love.   In verse 23 Peter says, "for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word  of God.  Woh!  That is an answer to the whole thing.  It's what seed we are carrying is the difference.  A perishable seed is one that is built on who we are.  Am imperishable seed is one that is built on whose we are.  So a person who has a bad seed will bear bad fruit and vice versa.  That bad seed is best seen in one significant area, withholding love. We withhold it to see if we will get it, and if we do, then we will maybe give it back.  Jesus said to give it and not expect anything back.  You do remember the cross don't you?  He did not receive any love back for the love He gave.  We are sitting on a mountain of treasure and that treasure is love, but we are withholding it for the wrong reasons.  It's time to give it away and stop hoarding it for us.  Verses 24 and 25 put the final nail in the bad seed coffin where Peter says, "Our bodies will wither and fade away (perishable) but the Word of God endures forever(imperishable).  Then he caps it off with "this is the Word which was preached to you."  No excuses for lack of information for withholding love.  The bad seed is exposed.  It is best heard in the statement "I Love you, But!"  Which literally means, "I  don't love you at all" which means "I hate you."  Oh the joy of having God's Word to help us live in the reality of the truth.  Oh the bliss of knowing when what you are doing is wrong.  Oh, the conviction of the Word of God when we realize what seed is in our heart.  Or is it just, OH!

Words in this blog won't change your heart, but the Word of God changes everything.  Are you into logic?  How about God's logic?  Just be glad Jesus didn't say, "I love you, but!" when He was going to the cross.  Jesus calls us to take up our cross daily and that means we will have some things we will need to decide in the area of love.  Is your reply "I love you, but" or just "I love you."  Time to decide because time is fleeting and we need true revival in God's Church and it will not come through those who are half hearted and withholding.  Which are you?  Don't be a Goonie, give it away.  It's not ours to withhold!!

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Awestruck and Awesome....

I was at a church years ago and the pastor of the church used to "wear me out" by making fun of me saying the words "cool" and "awesome."  Those words had become such a part of my speech and usually on a daily basis I heard it, "Why do you still use those words?"  I would usually laugh it off and go on thinking, "I don't need to use those words around him." Warp ahead one hour and there it is.....awesome!  I said it and didn't really even think about it.  I was trying to remember when I started saying those words and it was surely a long time ago, but whenever it was...they stuck.  For me the word "cool" is an agreeable term of wanting to be an encourager or positive.  Someone might say, "We are going over here to get something to eat" and I would reply by saying "cool."  Some people think it came out of a time where hippies were setting language styles, but I can only trace it back to the eighties where I distinctly remember saying "cool" one night to a friend who told me something about.......Are you kidding?  How could I remember the first time I said something?  I can't, and to say I could would be stretching the truth, otherwise known as lying.  It just happened and now it is a word that continues to be "who I am."  Of course, I prefer it to the alternative some use...Hot!  Not gonna happen....

Another word that has invaded my speech and my thinking is the word "awesome."  It comes from the root word "awe" and is used quite often in the Bible to describe God.  Peter alluded to the word awesome and the attitude that goes with it.  In 1 Peter 1:17 he writes, "If you  address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear (awe)during the time of your stay on earth."  It's amazing how un-awesome God has become to a lost world and to many Christians.  It's all God can do to get our attention, much less change our lives to conform to His image.  We need a healthy fear of the God who saved us and keep in mind that we were not redeemed by perishable things, but with the precious blood of His Son, Jesus Christ (verses 18,19).  We don't draw our strength from the things around us here on this earth, but from the God who formed the seas, gives us breath, makes the sun shine and rain fall when we need it, and touches the innermost parts of our heart.  Verse 20 says, "He has appeared in these last times for the sake of YOU."  AWESOME!  Oooops, see it just comes out doesn't it!!  Who are the you?  Verse 21 goes on to finish the sentence...."You who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave HIm glory, so that your faith and hope are in God."  Why is God awesome?  It takes too many words to answer that but from my heart I must say I am awestruck by His glory and I have to proclaim He is Awesome.  This awesome God enables us to not only live life, but control it with strength and power.  Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:7  "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline."  Our response to who He is should be one of fear and honor.  Fear as in awe and honor as in obedience.  If the result of you knowing Christ is nothing more than an intellectual exercise of knowledge, then you might not even know Christ.  If you cannot proclaim "He is awesome and worthy of my praise" then you might not be attached to the fountain of grace that makes our life worth living.  That fountain cleanses, replenishes, and radically changes who we are and how we look at the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords,.  Our faith and our hope are in God almighty and He is so cool and so awesome!  Write that on your heart and your lips will never cease to give Him praise.  

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Yesterday's News

In the movie Groundhog Day, Bill Murray's character, Phil Connors, gets caught in a time loop.  In that loop he relives every moment of an earlier time, doing over and over again the same mistakes and stupid lifestyles choices.  This time loop causes him to evaluate his life and the direction he needs to take to make every day count.  Yesterday's news becomes today's problem over and over again.  That's kind of how it is for us as Christians isn't it?  We tend to live everything out of our past over and over again and the successes or failures of our past snuff out the prospects for the present and the future.  I guess you could say we are "backwards."  In the area of sinning, we could be called "backsliders."  Repeating anything from the past is a dangerous lifestyle to follow, because the Lord says that every day is a new day in Him.  That new day applies to everything we do.  If you committed a sin, God's forgiveness kicks in immediately and the freshness of that experience of grace totally changes how we live "today."  If God moved in a great way in an event from the past, praise God, but today is another day and He will move even different "today!"  If you had a conflict with a brother or sister in Christ in the past, that is to be dropped and made right and that will change how we view them "today."  There are so many examples in the Bible of how God is a today God.  That's why we start the day with Christ in prayer.  That's why we don't let the sun go down on our wrath.  That's why the sins of our past life no longer control our life today.  That's why we don't go back to a lifeless existence without Christ once we have given our life to Him.  It's all yesterday's news!!

In 1 Peter 1:13-15, Peter writes about the need to prepare for action.  What kind of action?  The action you get when you take a stand for Christ.  That action will come from Christians and non- Christians alike.  Christians that are not really wanting to serve Christ will try to slow you down to keep them feeling good about their lack of commitment.  Non-Christians are basically confused and their interaction with vibrant Christians causes them to question why you would be so committed to something.  Whatever the case, our eyes need to be fixed on this hope we carry around in us.  Hope in Christ.  In verse 13 Peter says, "prepare your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."  When Christ comes all this will fade into obscurity, but while we are here we are called to serve and be active.  If we don't look at life with a "big picture" vision, then the small things in life will bog us down and our "action" will be minimal at best.  That is a slippery slope than can lead to a life of compromise and confusion.  In other words, we have slid backwards!!  Peter speaks to that in verse 14 when he says, "As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts, which WERE yours in your ignorance."  Did he just call me ignorant?  I believe he did!  I'm only ignorant when I allow the old way of living to control me today.  The past life is gone and the new you is what you live out of today.  That's called today's news and that story is being written as I speak.  I mean, what did you think the abundant life was?  Living like you have always lived?  No way!  Today is new and fresh and exciting and abundant with God's mercies that are new EVERY DAY! (Lamentations 3:22-23)

The end result of us living a life centered on God's holiness is a life that is starting to be more holy in every area. Things that used to affect us in a negative way don't drag us down anymore and the prospects of a day for Christ starts to become our way of life.  We begin to grasp just a little bit more of the holiness of God and all that means, and then we take on that way of life and the rest is history?  Nope.  Then we begin making great history on a daily basis as we become more and more like Christ.   More like Christ means we are lining up with what God wanted in the first place.  Verse 16 says,"It is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy."

Don't get caught in a time loop by living your life out of your past.  Don't worry about tomorrow.  Tomorrow will take care of itself.  Live for today.  Take that breath that God just gave you and use it to proclaim that Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven and that His salvation is in YOU!!  That will make an impact on today and eternity.  That will be tomorrow's headline, not yesterday's news...

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Gold Versus Faith

I was watching the commercial where William Devane is on his horse out on his (supposed) ranch and he is talking about our economy going south.  He states that we need to be investing in gold because it has never gone down in value.  He gives the impression that when everything falls apart, gold will stand.  In our present American world structure that could be true and if you are going to rely on something for wealth, I guess gold would be your best bet.  If that's what you are relying on.  The only problem is all of that is still only temporal and when the Lord comes it won't mean ANYTHING.  Don't get me wrong, I could use some more money and if that's what God sees fit to give me, I will take it.  But my life is not built on how much money or position I have right now.  If it was built on that then my outlook on the future would be seasoned with things like having the largest house, or the most expensive car, or the richest friends, or the top position at my company.  That is a foundation that will fail every time in the process of real life.  The foundation has been compromised by allowing our own desires to distract us from the real source of hope and happiness.  We allow the lack of vibrancy in the evangelical churches in our area to compromise and dowse the fire that burns in all believers who know Jesus.  Our hearing becomes deaf to God trying to turn us around and turn to him.  Our eyes begin to see people in a new way; judgmental and harsh.  The soft, compassionate heart that used to be a result of a person who follows Christ, becomes hard and indifferent to the world around them.  Our ears start to filter out the call of God to change and lets other things take the place of God's Call.  Our mouth starts to spout hatefulness and hurt and cause people all around us to avoid us.  Our hands quit serving and start pulling everything we have back to us and we take no opportunity to help others.  Our feet quit running to Godliness and start running to the temporal things of life.  This is what happens when we take our eyes off of Christ and start trusting ourselves for hope.  We begin to think that we can make it without God and if we will just work a little harder everything will be fine.  That's a lie!!  Where is the person who says, "I am nothing without Christ?"  Where is the repentant heart that accepts instruction and correction from God?   Where is that welcoming heart that quickly responds to the Holy Spirit's leading?

In 1 Peter 1:1-7 Peter shares that we are blessed to have this salvation we live in and that God's eyes are on us to keep us obedient.   He individually cares for each of us and offers His peace and direction.  He says, "may everything good from God be yours."  Peter also helps bring everything into focus when he says that  we have so much good to look forward to in the future, and that future begins now.  Our looking to the coming King is not something that exists in the future, but Peter says, "it begins now!"  Peter assures that what we are looking for here on earth will come some day in heaven.  That is our hope and assurance.  William Devane says that monetary wealth that is built on gold will always stand, but he is sadly wrong.  It will also fade away and lose it's value.  In a common sense argument we need to keep in mind that gold is a rock.  A pretty rock, but just a rock.  It has value because a majority of people who value wealth have given it value.   That can all fall apart in a moment.  Just ask me and all who lost thousands of dollars on property that was worth one thing one day and worth something much less the next day.

That's why our foundation in life must be built on the eternal things because the temporal things are just that, temporary.  Peter shares that pure gold when refined by the fire of suffering brings forth a pure and genuine faith.  A genuine faith is one that is built on the promises of God and hope of eternal life in heaven.  Peter is quick to say it's not literally gold we are relying on though, it is an illustration that uses gold to emphasize the point.  He says that it is our faith, not our gold that Jesus will have as evidence of who we are and what we have done.  Let your faith shine as gold, but don't let your faith be built on gold. The result of that faith will be victory!!   That victory begins today, not tomorrow.  We are to live in victory and our faith will enable us to do just that. When choosing what to build your life on don't choose gold, choose faith.  Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please God."  If you know Christ, it is your desire to please God.  Your faith is all it takes and that is a foundation you can build  your life on.   The news is out: FAITH WINS!!!

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Crossing the Bridge...

We lived in the Bay Area of Northern California and served at First Baptist Pleasanton, California. We moved there from Missouri and the culture shock was quite substantial, but the sight shock was even more!!  Not bad shock, but good shock.  We lived where so many of the TV shows and movies we loved were filmed.  We would be in San Francisco and would come upon them filming a movie scene and act like a bunch of little kids.  It was awesome.  And the bridges....Oh the bridges.  We would cross the double decker Bay Bridge, go through the city and then exit to the north on the Golden Gate Bridge.  Then for the icing on the cake we would look off to the right and there it was, Alcatraz.  It was like one new event every day the whole time we lived there,even the earthquakes amazed us....in a scary way.

There was one bridge, beside the Golden Gate, that just floored me every time we drove over it.  It was the San Mateo Bridge.  This bridge started out relatively level, but all of a sudden it went what felt like "straight up to the sky."  The first time we went on the bridge our whole family held their breath in fear.  It was an awesome bridge.  One of our youth workers lived in San Mateo and he was working on his house.  I told him I would help him and went over to his house to scope it out and of course, travelled on the San Mateo Bridge.  By this time, I was an old pro and didn't even (act) get scared like I was from there or something.  We looked over the remodel part of the house and made a decision on how much wood and materials we needed.  Neither of us had a truck, so we borrowed one from another church member who owned a concrete finishing business.  Our plans were to get the lumber and take it to his house and get to work.  He had something come up and asked me to get the lumber and drive it to his house.  I agreed and went to the lumber shed, loaded up, and proceeded down the Nimitz Highway to the bay.  I noticed the load was really heavy on this truck and the steering was weak, so I took it real easy.  I had my son Ty with me and we approached the San Mateo Bridge and I said, "here we go big guy."  We started on the level part and everything was fine, but then we started up the steep slope and that's when it happened.  The front of the truck came off the ground, caused by too much weight on the back.  I was steering, but I wasn't steering!  My tires weren't touching the road and the worst part was we were at the top of the "San Mateo Bridge."  Ty looked at me and I tried to remain calm but we were veering toward the rail.  All of a sudden the front end came down and we started down the other side.  We breathed a sigh of relief and unloaded the lumber, and that was that.  I will never forget it.  Going on two wheels up the San Mateo Bridge.

I will have to tell you that for me that's what doing these blogs is like.  Scary territory.  I know that our world is not getting any better, and that the Word of God has already been compromised so much it's almost unbearable to rock the boat (or tip the pickup truck) but it must be done.  I say all of that to transition to the next book I will be writing from in this blog.  I will be going through 1st and 2nd Peter in the days ahead and we need a bridge like the San Mateo for this transition.  Why?  Because the great truths Paul wrote to Timothy are pressed on more and more in Peter's letters.  He was in the last decade of his life and it was time for God to use him to deal seriously with things like: heresies of false teachers, the inspiration of Scripture, and the certainty of the second coming of Jesus Christ.  Paul was like the San Mateo, moving up from level ground to a new viewpoint in life and Peter is the quick upslope that can scare you if you are scared of heights.  Peter in his real way of looking at truth, writes with no holding back.  This blog is the bridge or transition to this wonderful, challenging book of the Faith. 1 Peter begins tomorrow.  Make sure you are ready and I will do the same.  Let's cross this bridge together, God's Way.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Friends are Friends Forever

Many years ago a Michael W. Smith song revolutionized the idea of "friends" when he trumped it with the presence of the Lord.  If you add God to something it doesn't immediately make it "holy", but when God's Word is the stimulus for it, it does.  Friendship is an amazing thing.  I have counted many people friends through the years and have seen some of those friendships wain because of distance, different interests, or whatever.  In remembering some of my friends from past years, I remember people who have contributed to the ministry of the Lord in my life.  They are friends that have shown generosity as friends in the Lord.  Those friendships were all different, but all beneficial to the work of the Lord.  A person who doesn't understand that giving that comes from Godly friendships would say, "well, you sure benefited from their gifts!"  That's true, but not in a selfish way, but as one who is receiving a generous gift as from God.  2 Corinthians 9:7 says, "each one must do just as he has purposed in his heart, not grudgingly, or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver."  In other words, if I've got to talk you into to it, you probably shouldn't do it. My friendships have helped me be the benefactor and receiver of gifts that could only come from true friends.  I have just a few examples of those who have felt the compulsion to give to the ministry of God through my life listed below.  They gave out of what they had.....Running to give, to be a contributor to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Generous Ministry Friendships

They are people who when they find out you have a need,  take it upon themselves to help.  I remember Ward Franz, who was helping with our youth ministry  (he is now a congressman in the state of Missouri) who knew I needed a certain keyboard to further the opportunity for ministry in the church I was serving.  I had been leading youth in worship and leading youth to lead in worship and the keyboard I had was very inadequate.  Ward came up to me expecting no pats on the back and said, "buy that keyboard."  It surprised me, but it didn't shock me.   Ward was the type of guy who loved to give and was capable of it.  I bought that keyboard and used it until it wore out many years later.  Most people don't know this, but almost every time anyone accepted Christ when I led in worship, I would touch that keyboard and thank God for Ward's generosity.  A gift given by a "friend."

Generous Lasting Friendships

It has been a calling on my life for years to minister in a bigger way to students and adults through music and the word.  I have tried many times to fund and start this ministry but could never get it off the ground.  While I was in North Carolina Andra met a lady on the beach one day and that friendship started another dear friendship between two couples that I know still exists today.  Kent and Mary Ann Phillips came into our lives and showed a quick conviction for ministry that astounded me.  They immediately became very interested in helping me continue to move toward the  ministry God had laid on my heart, and they barely knew us.  They openly pursued contributing to the formation of that ministry and took us a step further toward it by helping us purchase some equipment for it.  The keyboard I lead worship with today and the guitar my daughter leads worship with in her church are because of their generosity.  I remember them almost every day as I continue to serve our Lord.  Wow!  Quick friends, good friends.  Friends who give out of what they have because they believe, really believe that God's hand is on my life and that I am impacting souls for the kingdom.  I will never forget their generosity and their belief showed through their help.  Great Friends..

Generous Quick Friendships

I have been able to experience this quick friendship giving myself.  We had a band in at a church where I was serving and I had a certain keyboard that was fairly dear to my heart in my office.  The keyboard player for that band saw it and commented on it, saying "he had been wanting that same keyboard for awhile."  They stayed at our home and we hit it off and I could tell he was really trying to serve the Lord with his talents.  When it came time for them to leave he commented about that keyboard again.  I felt like God was saying, "give it to him because he needs it."  As they were backing out of our drive I went back in and got the keyboard and took it to him. He was shocked and said, "I can't afford that keyboard."  I said, "you don't have to, it's your's."  A quick friendship and a ministry encouragement for the giver and the receiver.  It felt better to give than to receive....really.  Anyone that knows me, knows I like to get things that I need. It's even better to put those things in someone else's hands that have a need.  Some of these I have mentioned have made a much bigger impact than they can ever understand, but I consider them "friends in the Lord."  Not because they gave, but because I got to be a part of their obedience to the Lord.

God calls all of us to give to others out of the manifold grace of God  1 Peter 4:10 says, "as each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God."  You probably remember that scripture.  It follows the verse that says, "he who sows sparingly, will reap sparingly."  Now that's a lesson on giving in one verse.

Generous Life Friendships

The last one I want to mention is my close friend Michael O'Brien.  I had Michael at a youth event one summer and we became close friends for life.  I have since had him come and share his talent in every church I have served in.  Sometimes more than once at a church.  Why?  I know his heart for serving.  Also, it contributes to the ministry of the Lord through His life. That connection made us even closer friends.  He doesn't even live around me, but we keep in contact, and to this day have a very current friendship that both of us rely on.  Michael is a wonderful Christian Man, a great singer, and a very talented writer, but his greatest attribute is his love of the Lord and the desire to be a true friend.  That part comes from God.  When you have a friend like Michael, you want to check on them, and pray for them, and do anything you can to help them.  That is the kind of friend Michael is to me.  He is my closest friend at this point in my life and we share deep hurts and joys that I know I would not share easily with others.  He is someone I can depend on.  He will not judge.  He will not fade away. He will not hold back advice I need to hear. (even when it's tough) He is a true friend.  I try to be the same to him.  This is a LIfe Friendship.

Family Friendships

Of course, family is another tier up from friends for me.  Family, my kids and their spouses hold an interest for me that goes way beyond friendship.  I confide in my children and they have learned that dad is pretty transparent when it comes to them.  I want them to be the same with me.  Even though we are family, we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  How much more so should be our desire to help each other.  I just don't get the family idea that "when they're gone, they're gone."  Our American impression of what family is cannot supersede the Biblical standard for family.  I mean, they are family...  Paul didn't have the luxury of family as we know it today. He didn't get the Father's Day thing. Why?  They didn't have Father's Day!!  He didn't get to lead worship with his children like I am able to do from time to time. He didn't get to call on a cell phone or facetime with family or friends.  Not the same technology.  When he spent time with his friends, it was special.  May it be our desire to guard our friendships and family relationships and keep them special as well. I need to always realize how fortunate I am to have family in such close contact as I minister.  A result of this type of family is the fact  that all of my children and their spouses have hearts to serve the Lord.  That is another prayer answered for me as a parent.

Friends are friends forever.  Michael W. Smith penned those words to his wife, but the message applies to all friendships.  I hope I never take these relationships for granted and if I can ever be able to give in their times of need, I will do it.  Why?  That's just what friends do!

In 2 Timothy 4:9-18 Paul is reflecting on past relationships and he is remembering those who weren't very good friends and those who were good friends.  Even though they had some disagreements in the past, he still asked Timothy to pick up Mark.  Paul said, "he is useful to me for service."  Everything Paul did came back to the ministry.  Everything he received, he used it for the ministry.  Why?  Because he was CALLED.  His friends knew this and contributed gladly because they knew his heart.  HE contributed greatly to them by equipping them for "every good work."  He cheerfully gave of himself as a living example of the Christ he served.  May that be our heart's cry my friend!!  Friends for eternity...

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren