Drunk on Ourselves

Romans 12:3 - Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  It seems to me we have become a huge entitlement society that thrives off the thought of ourselves and our worth.  We have responded so madly to the thought of low self esteem with the opposite response of conceit.  Most of the time the conceit is unjustified, but present anyway.  I guess you could say we are drunk on ourselves.  In other words, we no longer think with sober judgment on who we are and what we deserve and think we deserve it all because we are "all that."  In the above scripture the Apostle Paul is following up two very famous verses with a "dose of reality" for all who would listen.  Paul basically says "don't get drunk on yourself", think soberly about who you are and don't think more highly about yourself than you should."  The earlier verses are as follows  Romans 12:1-2  Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.  Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

It is an incredible act of worship to offer yourself as a living sacrifice that is holy and pleasing to God. Paul calls that true worship. Then Paul follows that statement with a sober reminder to never conform to the world, but be transformed by having a different mind than the world. In other words, our thinking has to be different.  Point in case - Participation trophies for those who haven't won anything!  Also Face book=narcissism!  Narcissism (def)  is the pursuit of gratification from vanity or egotistic admiration of one's own attributes.  (the opposite of what Paul is talking about in verse 3.)  The next time I see someone swing their finger around and say,"I'm all that" I may have to do something or say something.  This self bragging has gotten way out of hand.  We have become intoxicated on ourselves and our ego is the whiskey of choice.  Someone's  mommie or daddy didn't brag on them enough when they were growing up and they are getting it now!

Paul says to think soberly about ourselves and don't let conceit become a part of your life and earlier he shows how to make that happen.  Offer your bodies to God's service and be transformed into the person Jesus wants you to be.  All of this has changed the way we perceive service to the Lord.  In many ways, if you want to get someone to serve the Lord, then elevate them or promise them elevation if they will serve.  That only enables the conceit of the spiritual alcoholic and feeds their alcoholism and need for "stardom."  If they cannot see a way to be a star they probably won't commit to be a servant if asked.  In their mind they will think "Hey, I'm not getting credit for doing this?  Then I'm out!"  If you have bought into the lie about serving and only believe in doing the "high profile" stuff, then you need to rethink what you are drinking.  When speaking to the Samaritan woman in John 4:14  Jesus said, "but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst."  When you deprive yourself of your conceit whiskey and think more soberly you will find that not only does the living water taste better, but it comes with humble pie also. Micah 6:8-9 -  says "He has shown you O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God."  If that scripture doesn't help you then read this one. James 4:7 says, "Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."  The devil is in the details and those details are all about puffing ourselves up, but God has a different plan for promotion and it is all about promoting Him and Him alone.

When getting drunk, don't get drunk on self gratifying wine of self, but be filled with the Spirit and then our lives will make the impact intended.  It's all about God and it will always be all about God.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

The Power of Forgiveness

When the first missionaries came to Alberta, Canada, they were savagely opposed by a young chief of the Cree Indians named Maskepetoon. But he responded to the gospel and accepted Christ. Shortly afterward, a member of the Blackfoot tribe killed his father. Maskepetoon rode into the village where the murderer lived and demanded that he be brought before him. Confronting the guilty man, he said, "You have killed my father, so now you must be my father. You shall ride my best horse and wear my best clothes." In utter amazement and remorse his enemy exclaimed, "My son, now you have killed me!" He meant, of course, that the hate in his own heart had been completely erased by the forgiveness and kindness of the Indian chief.

In the short book of Philemon there is a huge example of a desire for forgiveness that causes me to think about how much Paul really knew the true essence of the word, forgiveness.  Basically a man by the name of Onesimus, a slave of Philemon, had stolen from his master and fled. He eventually made his way to Rome where he crossed paths with the Apostle Paul, who led him to faith in Christ.  The forgiveness and life change Christ did in Onesimus was complete and known by Paul, so Paul wrote to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus.  The letter Paul wrote to Philemon is recorded in God's Word and sandwiched in between the books of Titus and Hebrews.  Such a small part of the Bible, but such a great truth that reveals the essence of our forgiveness and sets an example of what our attitude should be in the area of forgiveness.  In the letter Paul's approach was to praise Philemon for his great love and faith in verse 5 and then make his plea to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus.  In verse 8 Paul stated that he was confident in the forgiveness that Philemon had experienced in Christ.  He knew that he would not have to demand he forgive him, but just appeal to him to forgive him.  In verse 9 Paul stated he did this for love's sake.  Paul in those three words, "for love's sake" drove home the point in Christ-like fashion to Philemon and to us.  Keep in mind that this letter was written by Paul while in prison for preaching about the very forgiveness he was exhibiting.  Paul knew that the chains and prison walls that confined him physically could never contain the great forgiveness he had received from Jesus and his appeal to Philemon was very heartfelt and real.  Paul in verse 17 said, "If then you regard me a partner, accept him as you would me."  Paul even pledged to pay back anything Onesimus owed Philemon as a way of letting him know he was very serious about the young man's change in life.  Paul's example of going the extra mile for Onesimus shows me the huge importance of living a life with forgiveness in your heart. Get this!  This epistle was being sent by Paul and Onesimus was the one delivering it!!   The above story at the first of this blog shows that forgiveness is something that must be complete to allow us to go on with our lives and the freedom it gives shakes us to our core. Because it is at our core is where love's fountain must flow to permeate every area of our life.  Our words, our actions, our hopes, our dreams, our relationships, everything.  When growing up as an eleven years old boy a group of people reached out to me and led me to Christ.  My mother accepted Christ at the same time and this began a journey for me dealing with a father who was super skeptical about the Christian faith and actually told me he was disappointed that I had ever gotten involved in the whole "Christian thing."  That was soured even more when I surrendered to the Gospel Ministry full time and started the journey I am still on today.  I harbored unforgiveness toward my dad for quite a few years because I knew he wasn't proud of me for the steps I had taken.  It was ironic.  The very thing I was preaching was something I was having trouble doing.  I preached about God's forgiveness and all it entails, but yet I  had unforgiveness and hurt in my heart toward my father.  Our course, my heavenly Father showed me just how wrong I was and I had a "come to Jesus" meeting with him about this very issue, and I changed my attitude about the whole thing by forgiving my father for not supporting me.  I cannot express in words the freedom I felt when this happened.  I didn't go on TBN and tell them all my dirty laundry and make a big thing about it.  I just forgave and that was it.  It was a conversation between me and my heavenly daddy about my earthly daddy and then it was over.  I will say the sunshine was a little brighter after that exchange and my heart was refreshed.  Paul in Philemon verse 20 says, "Yes, brother, let me benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ."  It was going to be refreshing for Paul's heart to see that Philemon would offer his forgiveness to the new convert Onesimus.  Paul would just get to watch the forgiveness and it would refresh his heart.

So.... Forgiveness is not just something we get when we accept Christ. Forgiveness is "who we become." We become forgiveness and take on the very essence of forgiveness in our life as believers.  It changes us to our core.

That is why we must share our testimony of God's forgiveness through Jesus with others who are living without that forgiveness.  We are compelled by God's great forgiveness to experience it and live it every day.  Here is some scriptural background for this very point

Matthew 6:12 (Lord's prayer)

Luke 6:37 - Forgive and you will be forgiven

Luke 7:47 - whoever has been forgiven little loves little

John 20:23 - If you forgive anyone's sins, their sins are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven

Forgiveness that is real shakes our very core and our lives are forever impacted by that forgiveness because we own it and must be forgiving agents of grace.  Read Philemon and see just what I am writing about and it will impact how you look at others and their problems.  Praise God for His great forgiveness.  May I become a person of forgiveness myself.  May you realize today the power of forgiveness.  It will change your life!!

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Brick by Brick - Building the House

Ephesians 2:20-21 "He used the apostles and prophets for the foundation.  Now He's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone"  

I was in carpentry for a while early in my work life and I remember working feverishly on a house and almost built it totally by myself.  My boss came out to the job site the first morning of building this house and said, "I can't get a backhoe, so we are going to dig the footing by hand (or shovel).  I  was just dumb enough, and hungry enough to say, "Sure, where's the shovel?"  So we laid out the measurements for the footing and I started digging.  After about there hours I started thinking, where is my boss?  Or where is the other part of WE?"  My boss said WE were going to have to dig it by hand, and then he was no where to be found.  I shrugged my shoulders and said, Oh well, and kept on digging.  By 2 pm that afternoon I had dug the entire footing for the blocks or foundation to be poured and laid.  The footing was 2 foot deep and 20 inches wide, so there was no doubt I was going to be sore the next day.  My boss had a lot of other interests that took his time, so he didn't show up until around 2:30 p.m. and when he drove up he was grinning  from ear to ear.  He got out of his truck and said, "I thought it would take us two days to dig this footing."  I said, "WE?"  He laughed and said, "Oh well, now we can lay the blocks and keep going and now we are ahead of our time frame."  I went over and washed my face with some cold water and loaded up and went home, exhausted.  What started out as WE turned into ME.  I really felt deserted a little after noon that day.  I knew that with someone else digging we could really get it dug quickly but my boss's interests were elsewhere, but he stilled wanted the footing dug.  He would constantly use the word "team" when doing something and then when the work started "team" was me.  

That's how some people look at the church and serving Christ.  They will attend and say they are part of a church, but never invest in serving the Lord through that church.  Like my boss they are members in name only, and sometimes not even that.  So, the work of the church is turned over to a small group of laborers who become the "team" and keep the whole thing going.  

If we are going to reach the harvest the Lord calls us to reach we are going to have to realize just how important each of us is to the whole process.  We aren't the "boss."  We are co-laborers for Christ and that position puts us in a place to not just look at the work being done and then leaving for our own self interests, but becoming a part of the building itself by doing the work of a servant.  There will always be distractions we have to deal with,  but the greater issue is not the distractions, but the heart.  Perhaps believers don't realize just how much we bring to the table in serving God.  Of course, on our own, we don't offer much as fallen people.  But with the Holy Spirit in our lives our importance meter really goes up to the point of making a huge difference in "being the church."  The Apostle Paul wrote beautiful letters to the churches he planted all over the region, but it seems to me his letter to the Ephesians is a shining guidebook for how we as believers should be a part of the building of the church.  In the above Scripture in verse 20 it says, "Now He's using you, fitting you in brick by brick, stone by stone, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone."  A friend of mine, who is a Calvinist, said a few years ago to me, "God doesn't need us to get anything done.  He already has it all planned out and we can't change that."  To which I replied, "If He doesn't want to use us then why put the Holy Spirit in our lives and conviction in our thinking?"  We are "compelled" by the Holy Spirit to do the work of the Lord.  It is inescapable!!  Sadly though many believers have become "numb" to the conviction of the Lord and have in their hearts been able to squelch that conviction that brings them back to the core of who they are in Christ.  Like my boss, they say WE, but get distracted by other interests, other things, and leave just when they could contribute so much to the house being built.  Along with that, those who serve, even with right hearts, get a little disillusioned and the work suffers.  Keep in mind Paul says we are not the builders, but we are the bricks used in the house to keep it strong and Jesus is the cornerstone.  If we aren't willing to invest our lives in the house being built, there will be gaps where there should be bricks and the house will suffer.

It's time to quit letting distractions take us away from our mission as believers and give our "lives" to the Lord to be used to build His house.  We need to put blinders on so we don't get distracted by side to side distractions and we need to put in ear plugs so the siren call of the world cannot draw us away from what Jesus wants us to do.  And as the writer of Hebrews said so well in Hebrews 12:2 - 3 "Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.  For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners so that you will not grow wear y and lost heart."

Maybe that is the main problem, we aren't "considering Jesus" and all He did for our salvation, so the heart of gratitude and worship is being replaced with a heart of selfishness and pride.  I believe if you will readjust your thinking and jump in the midst of serving the Lord, one day you will be able to step back and look at something that was built and say, "I know that house, front to back and my life is in that house."  To which Jesus will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant."  The foundation is laid, the cornerstone is strong.  Time to lay bricks....Uh.. that is you and me.  When the Lord picks up your life (brick) and lays you in His house I'm sure I will hear you singing. "Take my life and make it useful for You Lord."

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

Mother's Special Place in This World

Anna M. Jarvis (1864-1948) first suggested the national observance of an annual day honoring all mothers because she had loved her own mother so dearly. At a memorial service for her mother on May 10, 1908, Miss Jarvis gave a carnation (her mother's favorite flower) to each person who attended. Within the next few years, the idea of a day to honor mothers gained popularity, and Mother's Day was observed in a number of large cities in the U.S. On May 9, 1914, by an act of Congress,  President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. He established the day as a time for "public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." By then it had become customary to wear white carnations to honor departed mothers and red to honor the living, a custom that continues to this day. Pulpit helps May 1991

Genesis 3:20 - Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living. 

As Mother's Day approaches there is an all out assault by a secular and Christian world to come across as lifting up mothers.  I use the word assault because many times the thing that drives this recognition is none other than money and greed.  The rest of the year motherhood is basically ignored and even put down by those wanting to advance "their" rights as individuals.  To me that is so ironic because a true mother is one who only wants to serve, whether it be her husband or her children.  She is a servant.  A secular humanistic society will call that being slighted, but God's word calls her glorified and highly esteemed.  In fact in Proverbs 31:10 it speaks of a Godly wife by saying, "A wife of noble character who can find?  She is worth far more than rubies."  Part of that noble character, a BIG part of that noble character is heightened by the introduction of motherhood in a woman's life.  When a woman has a child it changes her, in some ways completes her, and even strengthens her.  For women who cannot go through child birth they sometimes feel like they are missing something.  In God's great wisdom He sees fit to alleviate their emptiness in mothering by allowing them to adopt or become godmothers to other's children, but mothering just the same.  What I am saying is the mothering capacity God gives to women is "special" and even life changing for those who get to experience it.  Personally I am thankful for all mothers, even the poor examples of mothering, because there is still hope for them to realize just how special God has made motherhood.  Mothers take on a power to protect that mirrors God's great protection of His people and in that mirror mothers can also be seen protecting their children in many ways.  In watching the NFL draft, I was amazed, not surprised, to see so many mothers walking the red carpet with their sons.  Sons looking to lift up their moms because of how much their moms made them believe in themselves by saying "you can do this."  I know my mother was a constant encouragement to me and I miss her words of strength urging me on to greatness.  My wife Andra, has been the best example of motherhood I have ever seen and I know that my children will echo these words when I say, "she is the best!"  If you were going to mess with our children, you were going to mess with mom.  If you doubted my children were capable of doing something she would reroute your mind to a better place called belief.  If you threatened to harm our children you were walking into a lions den.   Mothering is a special quality that God put in His creation and that quality continues to shape lives and our world.

I thank God for my mother, my wife, and my daughters and daughter in laws and lift them up as being pivotal women in God's plan.  I want to honor them and say, "We need you."  And say it again and again.  Please keep on keeping on!!  You are appreciated and loved.

You have a special place in this thing we call life and God has blessed all of us with your presence.

Happy Mother's Day Andra, Dana, Natalie, Lindsey, and Jessica.  And to all mothers out there.  Happy Mother's Day and thanks for being a mother.

Keep this scripture in mind - Proverbs 31:30 - "Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who reveres the Lord will be praised."  I hope my words of praise will in some way let you know how much you are appreciated and loved.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren