The Great Escape - The Great Basket Rider

Acts. 9:23-25 23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him, 24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death; 25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down through an opening in the wall, lowering him in a large basket.

Saul was preaching Jesus wherever he went and it was causing quite a stir, so the Jews conspired to kill him and shut off this "movement."  Saul knew about their plan to kill him so he and his followers made a bold move.  They took him by night and lowered him through an opening in the wall in a basket to escape those seeking to kill him. He was a major thorn in the side of the Jews of the day.  Saul taught that Gentiles didn't have to do any of the jewish traditions to accept Christ and live for Jesus.  His teachings were contrary to what the Jews were teaching. Saul not only had to convince the Jews about what the Gentiles should and should not do, but the Gentiles who accepted Jesus also had to be taught the truth about God accepting them as they were.  The Jews of that day would not want to sing the hymn Just As I Am!

Many times when someone accepts Jesus we want to pigeon hole them into doing a certain tradition or rite of passage to be a full fledged believer.   The reason we put stipulations on a person is to conform them more to what we think, or believe, or what we were "raised" to do.  Those kind of practices and traditions were a constant hindrance to the furtherance of the gospel and they morphed into the state run church in the late 1400's and early 1500's.  The reformation of the Catholic Church was begun by men like Martin Luther, Jan Hus, Peter Waldo, and John Wycliffe to stand against the drifting of the church  to an institutional religion.  Luther was the most notable to challenge the teachings of the Catholic Church (which by the way was supremely powerful)  The very gospel that Saul and many others had taught openly for all to receive and live by was over a period of time watered down and molded into something mere men could use as a way to be power brokers of the faith.  There arose a schism or a major disagreement among church leaders about the Bible and the church's traditions that had long sense become outdated (like man's plans do).  The only way things could be made right was that schism becoming a movement of releasing those who held to the true teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ to spread their message throughout the world.  The battle against Protestantism was led by a counter reformation group.  But the iron clad commitment of Luther and many others held on and the reformation took place, even with a thirty year's war.  I tell you all of this to let you know that the war against Saul was nothing new, and his desire to share the gospel of Jesus intimidated those in power to the point of wanting to kill him and shut him up.  Over a period of time up to the 1400's the power brokers of the day molded the message of salvation into something unrecognizable and the Christian faith became a "religion" to many.  Those that perceived it that way could never fully understand what God wanted because they became their own gods and thus made the Bible do what "they wanted."'

Which brings us to the church of today.  Have we taken on so much of the state of religion, spurred on by unbiblical traditions, that it minimizes the gospel message and maximizes man's traditions?  I think so.  I'm not necessarily talking about any specific churches, but the evangelical church of America.  Have we become so institutionalized with worldly teachings that we no longer understand the significance of the power of the gospel?  All appearances would point us to think that our traditional denominational teachings have superseded the teaching of the Bible and it has landed us in a ditch.  Perhaps we need another reformation that brings back the teachings Saul and other believers fought so hard to preserve and share.  Teachings that exalt the name of Jesus and lift up His ways for reaching a lost and dying world without the weight of institutional religion to hold it down.  I have heard "we need to get back to the Word."  That would be a good place to start and then we would probably need to relook at what a church is and how it should function. It would be good to reestablish what the purpose of the church is and reorganize for that purpose.

What would be the result of such a movement?  The gospel message would once again be fresh and exciting to share and to hear.  Christians would begin sharing their faith wherever they would go.  The lost would be saved and discipled.  The world would be radically changed by the power of the Gospel.  Wow!  That would be awesome!!  But there would be those who live by tradition who would want to kill it and those preaching it.  Those who are seeking awakening would be chastised and shunned, much like a fraternity rejecting an unworthy pledge.  But it would be worth it!  Don't you think it was worth it for Saul.  I would like to know what he was thinking when he rode that basket down the wall as he escaped from "religious" people trying to kill him and his message.  Whatever happened that night did not stop him, but spurred him on to greatness.  We who defend the gospel of Jesus Christ need to stand up and present the true message of hope and God will protect us and empower us to keep sharing it.  Romans 1:16 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  

Here is the question I have for you.  Are you on the side of institutionalized religion or are you on the side of Christ?  If you are on the side of Christ, get your basket ready cause "it is on!"

Matthew 5:10 “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Dr. Paul and Mr. Saul

Have you ever thought about something in your life you are doing wrong and you just want to change?  It may be your bad temper,  or aloofness, or even hatefulness.  So someone comes up to you and says, "You do this wrong."  You say, "Ok I will change "right now!" You change right there.  Time goes by and you catch yourself falling back into the way you were and before long you are worse than before in the lifestyle you are living.   Frustrating!!

As we looked at the conversion of Saul yesterday in Acts 9:1-19 we see an immediate, strong confrontation with Jesus on the Damascus Road and the effect is amazing as Saul is changed by the life giving Savior who met him on that road.  The scales fall from Saul's eyes and he sees life, real life, for the first time and then he was baptized.  In verses 19b - 22 we see the immediate effect this conversion had on his life.  In 19b it says, "Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.  At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God."  Did you get that.....AT ONCE!  Dr. Paul replaced Mr. Saul.  You probably know the old story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.  It is the story of a mild mannered doctor who concocted a formula to turn him into a raving monster.  That monster would do evil things uncontrollably and as long as he was on the formula Mr. Hyde would appear in the man Dr. Jekyll.  He couldn't control Mr. Hyde once the formula kicked in and the evil would come out.

The opposite was true for Saul (Mr. Hyde).  Saul was, to use the Biblical terms, "breathing out murderous threats against all who proclaimed the name of Jesus."  Saul was totally out of control with his evil hatred against those followed "The Way."  When he met Jesus he was turned in to Paul (Dr. Jekyll) and immediately took on the changed life of a follower of Jesus.  As we see in verse 20 that he immediately started preaching Jesus...."in the synagogues!"  What a turnaround of a man so much against Jesus to a man so much FOR Jesus.  In fact, the believers were astonished at the change and said in verse 21b "Isn't this the man who raised so much havoc n Jerusalem among those who call on this name?"  

Saul didn't take a "formula" for the change.  Saul didn't change himself.  Saul didn't do anything but respond and believe and Jesus did the changing!  In the case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde the formula wears off after awhile and then he goes back to normal.  In the case of Saul, he was changed and never went back to his murderous lifestyle.  Which just goes to show, when you truly meet Jesus you will change and you will not go back to what you were after a short time. You are changed for good.

What was your Mr. Hyde life like?  What is your Dr. Jekyll life like now?  Was there an immediate change when you met Jesus?  Has that change been lasting, or have you reverted back to a life with no direction?  We all  still have to deal with a bunch of Mr. Hyde's who should be more like Dr. Jekyll.  I know that it is sometimes frustrating for believers who want to see God's TRUTH and lasting change be the dominant lifestyle in the church.  There is a church sign I see from time to time that says "Know Jesus, Know change...  No change, no Jesus"  That saying truly speaks to this very subject "a changed life."  Here is the effectual change that took place in Saul's life.  In verse 22 it says, "Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ."  Of course, the truth of God's Word shows that Jesus is the  Christ.  The changed lives of His followers shows how immediate and real that change is when it happens.  Time to give up the Mr. Hyde lifestyle and baffle those around us by the change that Christ has made in our lives.  It will best be seen by lives that pursue righteousness and preach Jesus in our churches and in the world.   Time to be Dr. Paul and grow more powerful every day.  Pray God will change our ugly, evil self into a beautiful, Christ-centered follower of Jesus Christ!!  Today's blog really makes 2 Corinthians 5:17 even more relevant where it says, "Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Blinded By the Light!!

In Acts 9:9 - 19 we see Saul being led to Damascus because he cannot see.  His eyes so focused on killing believers, now blinded by the light of the Lord.  The light shone through the darkness of his heart and physically blinded him, so he could be healed of his darkness and see life in a whole new way.  Not only was he blinded, but God was paving the way for him to see as never before and God was going to use a believer by the name of Ananias.  In verse 10-17 records the conversation between God and Ananias. 10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” And he said, “Here I am, Lord.” 11 And the Lord said to him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying, 12 and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your [b]saints at Jerusalem; 14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.” 15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; 16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.” 17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”  God using Ananias was a great thing in the process of this whole life change for Saul.  You will notice Ananias thought he was reminding the Lord of the attitude and mission of Saul at the time.  Ananias knew Saul's reputation and he realized his life could be in danger by just going near him.  He knew Saul could take his life for following Jesus and yet he trusted God and followed through with faith.  Keep in mind, God SPOKE to him in a vision.  In today's trust factor we might say, "I wonder if that vision was from God or not?"  Ananias was faithful and God used him in an incredible way to bring the message to the Gentiles and anyone else who might listen.  The next moves Ananias makes are pivotal.  The very one who blinded Saul's eyes opened up the eyes of Ananias to see that Saul needed to be commissioned and that the impact would change the world.  This brings to mind the thought of the instrument of God  and the one who is bringing that instrument to life.  Ananias was very important to God's plan and his trust in God brought about a great meeting between him and Saul, the murderer of Christians.   In verse 17 it says, "So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain  your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 

Saul felt and realized the miracle of sight had been given back to him, but sight to see the world in a whole new way, through the power of the Holy Spirit!!!

What would happened if each of us who know Jesus would listen to God to the point of trusting Him to do extraordinary things through our lives.  Some of us would be like Ananias and some would be like Saul.  God's light would be what would show us our direction in life and then our journey would begin.  Saul's day was changed forever when he saw the light.  Ananias' life was changed forever when he saw the vision of God.  The world and the ministry of Christ took a dramatic step forward when both were impacted by what they saw.  One a blinding light and one a vision with direction.  What is holding us back? Could it be darkness?  Darkness will make a lost person miss Jesus.  Darkness will make a saved person miss God's vision.  It seems impossible for believers to miss the visions of God and John 8:12 confirms where those visions come from and the light it shines on life's situations.  John 8:12 "Then Jesus again spoke to them saying, "I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." Is Jesus speaking metaphorically?  I don't think I can make that determination.  I think I am to believe it literally or I might be accused of trying to "explain away" God's word and that would be dangerous.  The light of the world IS Jesus and that light was in the beginning in Genesis  1:3 when God said "Let there be light!"  And in verse 4 when God says, "Let there be light; and there was light."  To me that is plain English for us all to understand.  Understand what you may say?  That God's light stops us in our tracks and points us toward Jesus.  That God's vision compels us to spread the Gospel wherever we go. That God's focus on redeeming mankind is a truth that is burned in the eyes of all who follow Jesus.  We cannot escape it and the only time we find peace with God is when we are doing that very thing.  Sharing Jesus.  The church of America will die on the vine if it continues to ignore the vision that God also gave to Ananias.  It will continue to lose it's way if it doesn't allow the light of Jesus to blind it to the ways of the world and open it's eyes to the harvest.   Jesus, looking down through history speaks truth to our generation as he did in Matthew 9:37 where he says,  "The harvest is plentiful, bu the workers are few."  Has God blinded your eyes to your own path?  Maybe it is time for your Damascus road experience, so you can open your eyes to the direction God wants you to take in your life.  Close your eyes to the world and open your eyes refocused on the direction of God.  Perhaps God has given you a vision for what he can do through someone you know that has seen the harvest and is wanting tor respond to it.  Maybe the step of faith God is asking you to take is a stretch, but you know it is right and must be done to commission a new direction in ministry.  Can you have an Ananias type of faith that overcomes fears and doubt?  Can  you take the steps to the place God  wants you to go to fulfill the longing in your heart?  The impact of your faith will be much like the impact of Ananias because it compels you to unbridled obedience and God's peace is found right then and there.

Wherever you are, God is the one generating the change, so listen closely and be wise and faithful. He will take care of the rest.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David  Warren

On A Roll

In Acts 9 we find Saul condemning more and more followers of Jesus.  He has gotten so good at it that now he is going back for more indictment letters to get some more.  Saul was on a roll and believers everywhere were having to face the hatred and evil of this one man who was intent on stopping this Jesus Revolution!!  Here is how scripture records the steps of this murderous man.  Acts. 9:1-2 -  Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.  Saul had his letters of indictment and he was on his way to Damascus to get more prisoners to take back to Jerusalem.  But God had  a different route in life planned for him and it is found in verses 3 - 9  3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.  

I guess you could say "his lights were turned out."  Jesus, the true light, met him on the road he was traveling on and stopped his murderous path with the power of God.  Keep in mind that Jesus had gone to heaven already, and came back to earth to meet Saul on the road and change his plans for the day.  I guess you could say this was a heavenly "stop!"  Whatever it was, Saul fell to the ground and met Jesus for the first time.  It is interesting that the other men traveling with him heard the voice, but didn't see the light, so they could still see.  That pinpointed light was for Saul and Saul alone, and his life, and the work of Jesus would never be the same.  This was just the beginning of a very vibrant life of purpose that Jesus set Saul on.  Saul, the one killing the followers of Jesus, now has met Jesus himself and he will never be the same.  I can't help but think about Jesus' encounter with the Samaritan woman in John 4:7 and how her life was changed in an instant as he gave her the "living water", of which you will never thirst again.  She didn't know at the time who she was talking to, but he still changed her life. Jesus told the Samaritan woman to give him a drink and he told Saul to go ahead and go into Damascus and then he would be told what to do.  Both followed the Lord's instructions and both were changed.  When they followed Jesus, Jesus started putting a purpose in their life that set their life on a roll.

When you met Jesus, what happened?  Did you accept Him as Savior and Lord?  Did you find in His Word your instructions by Him for what you were to do next?  If so, did you do it?  If we are going to truly be disciples, then we need to know what to do next.  You know, after meeting Jesus.  Oh, he probably didn't shine a pinpointed light on you when you were walking down the street, or ask you for a drink of water.  But you were still saved for a purpose.  Today we have too many Pinball Machine Believers.  They are believers who just bump around wherever the situations of life bounce them without any purpose or direction. Our life is supposed to have much more purpose than just bouncing around from here to there.  Just keep in mind.  When God stops you in your tracks and saves you, then your real life just begins, and that life is a life of purpose centered on serving God and Him alone. 

When you do that, you are "On a Roll" and rolling in the right direction.  If you haven't gotten rolling yet, now is the time to get in God's Word, get in an accountability group, and hang around some people who know their purpose in serving Christ. All of that will set you in the right direction and your life will take on a purpose that will impact this world for Jesus Christ!

Harry Truman once said, Men who live in the past remind me of a toy I'm sure all of you have seen. The toy is a small wooden bird called the "Floogie Bird." Around the Floogie Bird's neck is a label reading, "I fly backwards, I don't care where I'm going. I just want to see where I've been."  Time to quit living in the past and starting living in the wonderful future of God's purposes for your life.  That kind of living will give you the purpose you need to make every day count for something or someone.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Divine Appointments

Acts 8:26-40  This details the very familiar story of Phillip and the Ethiopian eunuch.  This story is a perfect example of God setting up a divine appointment to get the gospel shared and accepted.  How did God set this appointment up?

1.  An angel of the Lord told Phillip to go south to the road-the desert road- that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.  So Phillip went down that road. vs. 26-27

2.  An Ethiopian eunuch was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. He was on his way home from Jerusalem where he had gone to worship.vs. 28

3.  The Spirit told Phillip to go to the chariot and stay near it.vs. 29

4.  Phillip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the Prophet and asked him if he understood what he was reading. Vs. 30

5.  The eunuch said "How can I?" unless someone explains it to me and he invited Phillip to get in the chariot and sit with him. vs. 31

6.  The eunuch read the scripture in Isaiah 53:7,8 where it says, "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, se he did not open his mouth.  In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.  Who can speak of his descendants?  For his life was taken from the earth."

7.  The eunuch asked Phillip,  Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?"  vs. 34

8. Then Phillip began with that very scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.  vs. 35

9.  The eunuch believed and as they went by some water asked Phillip "Why shouldn't I be baptized?" vs. 37

10.  Then Phillip and the eunuch went down to the water and Phillip baptized him. vs. 38

Now that is a ten step program that will work for anyone when God is the one directing the whole thing.  The appointment had been put together by God, but he used Phillip to share the good news about Jesus.  If you ever feel like you are lacking purpose, please remember this story and know that God wants to use all believers to present His message to a lost and searching world.  Proverbs 8:17 says, "I love those who love me and those who seek me diligently find me."  The eunuch couldn't get clear of the living Word of God he was reading and it all made sense when God used Phillip to explain the gospel to him in light of the scripture he was reading.  The scripture that drew the eunuch to wonder what it meant was the very scripture that Phillip explained about who the lamb was and what Jesus did.  This is an incredible story of how our mission is to be accomplished.  God setting up the appointments and the Holy Spirit telling us where to go.  Phillip was in that eunuch's life and path for one thing and one thing only....salvation.  In verse 39-40 scripture says, "When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Phillip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing.  Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea."  Phillip didn't go "Wow, I led someone to the Lord.  That should be good enough for me for life!"  No, no.  It was just one of many times he would preach the good news of Jesus on his travels.  Please note that he was "led by the Spirit."  Very important part of this whole thing.

What does God have on the books for you.  Does his appointment book have your name by a person you meet at Wal-Mart or at a shoe store, or in a church service?  Oh you can be sure he has some appointments just waiting for you to fill.  And they probably have a certain location, a certain time, and a certain person.  What is missing in this whole thing?  You saying yes and going where the Spirit wants you to go.  They may not be sitting in a chariot reading God's Word, but they might be.  Whatever the circumstances, God will show you what to do and how to do it.

Now, will you be faithful to make your appointment or will you cancel out on God.  Will you let other, less important appointments, take you away from the one that really counts for eternity, or will you be sensitive to the Holy Spirit showing you your next appointment?  Time to focus on God's appointments and His travels as you go on this journey.  Heaven is watching.

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Real Power!!

Acts 8:9-13 - The scriptures tell of Simon the Sorcerer.   He had been doing sorcery or magic in the area for quite some time. The people at that time thought he was The Divine Power and they followed him because he had amazed them with his magic. Vs. 11  Things changed when Phillip came through preaching Jesus and the Kingdom of God.  One thing that immediately showed change was that Simon the Sorcerer believed and was baptized.  All of a sudden those who had followed him for his magic tricks saw that his power was pale in comparison to the saving power of Jesus.  And his seemingly changed life proved that he had to bow to a higher power.    In verse 12 scripture says, "But when they believed Phillip  as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus , they were baptized, both men and women."   In the very next verse it tells of the supposed conversion of Simon.  The Simon, who had been followed by many people, started following Phillip wherever he went, amazed by what God was doing.  Simon had the appearance of someone who really knew Jesus, but did he?

When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God they sent Peter and John to them.  Scripture in verses 15 and 16 says, "When they arrived they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.  Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit."  

Of course, Simon was watching all of this going on and thought the Holy Spirit was given by these men.  Peter and John in praying for these new converts showed the power of God working, but not their power.  Simon totally misunderstood where the power was coming from and thought he could get it given to him by men.  He wanted it so bad he was willing to pay for it. In verse 20 Peter said "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!"  Peter went on to tell him he had no part in their ministry because his heart was not right.  He told him to repent of his wickedness and pray to the Lord.  Peter went on to tell Simon he was wicked and full of sin.  Which showed he had not really repented and turned his life over to God.  Simon still didn't get the truth of the whole thing because he said to Peter, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me."  Peter could pray for Simon, but the change had to be from the inside out in Simon's life.  In other words, there is no second hand faith that is accomplished through someone else to God on our behalf.  Oh, we can pray for someone, but the changes are between that person and God from the inside out.

I remember when I was a youth pastor one of the biggest problems in students getting right with God is they were living second hand faith.  In other words, they were trying to live their faith off their parents commitment.  It's like they thought their parents commitment to the Lord could be passed down to them.  Not possible!!  The individual faith we have is total, open communication with God through Jesus for each person who comes to God.  Not through a person just praying for us.  That is why it is important when leading someone to Christ to get them to communicate with God themselves, especially in their prayer of repentance and belief for salvation.  We can't believe for them.  There is no power, no Holy Spirit, no life change unless the individual heart is regenerated and made right with God from the inside out.  To bypass this very important part is a mistake that cannot be made or the end result will be the same condition Simon found himself in.  He found himself wanting and lost without Christ and without the Holy Spirit.  His heart's desire was to get a power to advance his career of magic and the motivation of that heart left him without the very thing he needed.... Jesus.

Real Power only comes through the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit is found in all who come to Christ for life change.   We receive the Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit when we receive our salvation and that acceptance of Jesus is an act of faith and repentance between an individual and God.  A person of faith can guide someone to that point of communication with God, but only guide.  The life change only comes when that person's soul is made right with God on a one to one basis.  Our faith cannot be bought with money or position, or church membership.  It is an inside change of a life made possible through the blood of Jesus and that is it. End of discussion.  It is time for real power to be seen in Christian's lives, but they must have the power source if that is going to happen.  It doesn't happen through osmosis.  Osmosis is a subtle or gradual absorption or mingling of materials together.  You can't get Christ by trying to have him rub off of someone else into your life.  YOU have to do the repenting and the believing to truly receive the power of forgiveness and life change.  NO SHORTCUTS.

We knew some people who a had a little boy who hated to be disciplined for doing something wrong.  If he was caught doing something wrong and his dad would try to talk to him he would put his hand up to block his dad's vision of seeing him while he was disciplining him and explaining his wrongdoing to him.  It seemed like the little boy thought his hand could keep him from having to deal with the discipline, or being told he had done something wrong.  I have seen some people try to get salvation on the "down low" and come to find out they didn't really accept Jesus at all.  No real power for living the believer's life of strength and direction.  Inside of letting God deal with their heart, they practice spiritual avoidance and that practice deceived them into thinking their salvation was real when it wasn't at all.  SCARY!!!

The real power we need in our life only comes from God through Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit is given to us at salvation to make our lives more powerful for serving Christ and living a life of purpose and meaning.  That kind of power draws others to Christ and also gives us the wisdom to live a life that makes an impact.  If you don't have that power, then you don't have real power.  Time to get right and get the real thing.  Here is one truth that will make all this come into focus.

Romans 1:16  For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

1 Peter 1:5 -Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

Johnny Appleseed Mentality

Acts 8:1-8  Tells of the scattering of the disciples due to the increased persecution that broke out against the church in Jerusalem that was spearheaded by Saul. Scripture says, "Saul began to destroy the church.  Going from house to house, he dragged out both men and women and put them in prison."  Saul was running from God and taking an offensive stance in fighting the Lord who He was experiencing everywhere through His followers.  I like verse 4 where it shows the disciples response to this hatred and persecution.  Vs 4 -"Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went."  The word of God continued to be shared and it intensified more and more.  The more they were persecuted the bolder they got.  In softball terms we used to call that "bowing your back."  In other words, stand your ground.  Don't go backwards.  Start to move forward because you have been awakened.  Churches are praying for awakening wherever I go and I pray for it too.  If the response from God is like this early group of believers we can probably plan on some open persecution to get us awakened to the fact it is all Jesus and nothing else.  In most churches you have to almost pay Christians to go visit anyone.  And to ask anyone to give their time to go and visit their neighbors and share the gospel is unheard of.  But this early group of believers defied those persecuting them and shared the gospel wherever they were scattered to.  In Acts 8:5-8 scripture says, "Phillip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there and when the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said.  For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.  So there was great joy in that city."    When the people of that city really listened to the gospel Phillip was preaching they sensed that it was from God and responded with changed lives.  Oh to have that kind of awakening in modern day American churches today.  For people to really listen to the Word of God being preached and know it is from God.  What a great joy would fill our fellowship of faith and the gospel would spread like wildfire.  All of this stemmed from Saul persecuting the church and God sending those early believers out with the message wherever they would go.  On the very day Stephen was stoned was when the persecution began immediately, and the seeds of the gospel were scattered with those who were being persecuted and God did a great work through what seemed to be a negative thing.

It's kind of like the story of Johnny Appleseed.  Johnny Appleseed was a real person.  His real name was John Chapman, born on September 26, 1774 in Leominster, Massachusetts.  He actually didn't plant orchards like the stories tell, but established nurseries that grew apple trees in Pennsylvania and Ohio.  He would establish the nurseries and build fences around them to keep out the animals and then get a neighbor to care for the trees.  He would then come back every two or three years to tend the nursery.  He was considered a Nurseryman and his desire to establish apple trees showed a pure commitment to the thing he loved the most.  Seeing apples grow on the trees he had started.

The early Christians who were persecuted in Acts 8: 1-8  were like Johnny Appleseed. Their love for Jesus and the message of hope compelled them to establish believers wherever they went and many of those early believers were later followed up on by Saul, now Paul, on his missionary journeys.  Just imagine, the very one who persecuted them and caused them to flee the comfort of their close fellowship with each other was the one who scattered the seed of the gospel of Jesus Christ when he was still a non-believer.  God had great plans for Saul and the gospel he was rejecting was going to impact his life very soon and the world would never be the same.

This scripture compels us to take the seed of the gospel with us wherever we go, sharing the message of Christ to all who will listen.  Just like the ones who listened intently to Phillip's message, those we share it with will have to respond in some way or the other because of the truth of that message.  

Do you believe in the truth of God's Word?

Have you looked intently at the message it presents to you?

Do you share God's Word so others can respond to it's message?

If we are not sharing the message then they will not hear it.  In Romans 10:14-15 the apostle Paul tells the roman Christians  "But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?  And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is why the Scriptures say, "How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news."  

We have good news.  Time to share it.  Get the Johnny Appleseed mentality and share it wherever you go.  You never know what you may get started....AWAKENING!!!

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

The Coat Rack

Acts 7:54-60  We see here that the inevitable has happened.  They tried to intimidate

Stephen into shutting up and he kept preaching.  They threatened his life without any power backing their words and he called them out for being stiff necked, Then they brought in a heavy hitter name Saul.  Skip ahead to Acts 9:1 and you see the heart of Saul.  Vs. 1 - "Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples." 

Saul wasn't playing.  When you brought in Saul with his letters of approval, you were showing how serious you were to stop the messenger.  These people were going to kill the message of Christ by killing the messengers and Saul brought them the legal right to do that very thing.  Stephen was a "marked" man and Saul had his sights on getting Stephen stoned.  Stoning was a very serious sentence, that is an early form of capital punishment.  The first five books of the Hebrew Bible showed stoning as a  method of execution, where the offender would be stoned until dead, with no one person being thought of as the killer, since there were many stones being thrown.  Doesn't this sound familiar?  No one wants to be the one to throw the stone that kills, but they do want the person to be killed.  In this case, no one but Saul was the final say so in the matter.  He brought letters of execution from the Sanhedrin to give a final verdict on Stephen and any other disciples who were sharing the message of Christ.  Saul didn't throw any stones, but he did serve as a Coat Rack for those who wanted to free their arms up so they could inflict the most punishment when throwing.  In other words, Saul was totally willing to hold their coats so they could do the deed most easily.  Saul was a BAD MAN!!  But the Lord was going to have the final word that day.

In verse 55 it says, "But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  Look, he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."  When they heard him say this scripture records that they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him.  (vs. 58) Get this, while they were stoning him Stephen prayed "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." Then he fell on his knees and cried out.  "Lord, do not hold this in against them."  Then he fell asleep.(vs. 59-60)  Ok,  so he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God.  They covered their ears because they couldn't stand to hear this man speak anymore.  Then  they drag him out and stone him and he falls asleep.  In my imaginative mind I can see Jesus looking down and comforting him for what was to happen in the next few minutes and then God taking him without the final stone's death blow.  God takes him home and that was ok with Stephen who loved being in the presence of God on earth, so heaven is a step up for him, no matter how it was done.  Stephen never bowed to the criticism and to the taunting and to the threats.  He kept on preaching the truth!!

Do you ever find yourself holding coats for people who don't really want to live the life Christ has called all of us to live?  They water down the truth so it is more palatable for them to handle and hate it when a person steps up and "tells it like it is."  Then you get a glimpse of how Saul must have felt at the time.  Do you ever get so convicted about sharing the message of Christ that you want to do it at all costs, even to the point of rejection by those who hear it?  Then you get a glimpse of how Stephen must have felt.  What are the differences?  Saul was being used by the devil and Stephen was being used by God.   So we have to ask ourselves.  Am I a coat rack for others to kill the messengers of Christ, or am I the one getting persecuted for sharing the message.   For me, I want to share the message no matter what and I don't want to hold the coats for those who want to throw stones at the messengers of Christ.  The very last part of vs. 60 says, "And Saul was there, giving approval to his death."  By being The Coat Rack we are showing we approve of those who try to keep the church from exploding with the message of Christ.   We are the weak, yes people who don't make a difference by defending the message.  In other words, we just "go along."  

That kind of Coat Rack living will not cut it anymore.  If you are in a church that is playing games with the blood of Jesus, it is time to quit holding their coats and walk away.  Get into a fellowship that really cares about sharing the message of Christ and get on with it.  Don't waste God's time by holding coats when you could be joining hands with others who are committed to following the Great Commission at all costs and be a vessel that glorifies God.  Who do you think impacted Saul the most, the stone throwers, or Stephen.  I think it was Stephen.  In Acts 9 we will see the impact of what Saul saw when he meets Jesus on the Damascus road on the way to killing other disciples.  Even Saul sees the Coat Rack is the not the way to go.  Why don't you?  Time to change.  Time to fly!!

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

The Stiff Neck Syndrome

Acts 7:1- 53  This man Stephen.  What a man full of grace and the Holy Spirit!  They basically put Stephen on trial for proclaiming Jesus is the only way to heaven and that Jesus is the Son of God.  He is taking his stand for this whole thing.  In  Matthew 16:24 Jesus says, "Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me."  Here is where Stephen is taking up "his" cross and following Jesus no matter what.  Now, the weird thing about this is he is having to defend himself to the religious leaders of the day.  There is something very wrong with this picture, but Stephen has ruffled their feathers to the point that they want to kill him to stop the message he is sharing.  These Jews could not get beyond their own preconceived ideas about who the messiah would be and how he would enter the world.  Jesus upset their apple cart by coming as a man and dying on a cross.  He also messed up their lives by declaring the real truth and exposing their self proclaimed laws that elevated them to high positions.  Stephen tells the whole history of the coming of Jesus and brings it from the beginning to the present time through his spoken words.  In verse 48 Stephen says a mouthful when he says,"Howerer, the most high does not live in houses made by men."  I was listening to some people talking the other day about witnessing and one person said I started witnessing to a lady and I asked her, "Do you go to church?"  I thought, "What does that have to do with anything?"  I guess we could give the excuse that it helps us establish where they are spiritually.  Or does it?  Everything we do has become so institutional and confined to buildings that it has lost it's everyday power in our individual lives.  I guess that could be why people of faith who have established their faith by attending a church building have such weak faith.  That could be why the fighting and backbiting in the church actually takes place.  Because our faith is more established on a building than a relationship.  Some will smooth it over and say, "Oh, it is both." When in reality it isn't.  Stephen was really hammering the point when at the end of his monologue he says in verses 51-53, "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!  You are just like  your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!  Was there ever a prophet your father did not persecute?  They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.  And now  you have betrayed and murdered him- you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."  

How do we know we are stiff necked?

1.  We make rules that elevate us but we don't even follow in our daily lives.

2.  We proclaim that Jesus is Lord in the church building but never outside in our daily life.

3.  We want our way in everything and reject Godly leadership that challenges us.

4.  We never want to leave our comfort zone and step out in total faith believing Jesus.

Do you want to know how much Stephen believed in the purity of what Jesus did?  Because he was willing to give his life for it.  The message just burst out of him, because he couldn't let the lies of those religious leaders be the message that people heard, instead of the true message of Jesus.  Wow!  What a great man Stephen was.  His pure heart exposed the stiff-necked leaders and they hated him because of it.

What are you willing to do to stand for the purity of the gospel and the message of Christ?  How will your message be received when you reveal truth.  People will hate you.  If we follow Stephen's example we will be chastised and persecuted.  Jesus spoke to this in Matthew 5:10 - Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." RIGHTEOUSNESS  I kind of thought the persecution would come mainly from a lost and dying world, but if I look at this example, maybe not.  Truth is no respecter of persons and cuts both ways.  The Stiff Neck Syndrome is a terrible malady to have and those who have it are immersed in their sin, to the point of wanting to cover it  up at all costs. So be careful when you stand for the truth.  You never know who it may expose.  The story below shows just how the sin of having a stiff neck can kill you from the inside out.

Radio personality Paul Harvey tells the story of how an Eskimo kills a wolf. The account is grisly, yet it offers fresh insight into the consuming, self-destructive nature of sin. "First, the Eskimo coats his knife blade with animal blood and allows it to freeze. Then he adds another layer of blood, and another, until the blade is completely concealed by frozen blood. "Next, the hunter fixes his knife in the ground with the blade up. When a wolf follows his sensitive nose to the source of the scent and discovers the bait, he licks it, tasting the fresh frozen blood. He begins to lick faster, more and more vigorously, lapping the blade until the keen edge is bare. Feverishly now, harder and harder the wolf licks the blade in the arctic night. 

So great becomes his craving for blood that the wolf does not notice the razor-sharp sting of the naked blade on his own tongue, nor does he recognize the instant at which his insatiable thirst is being satisfied by his OWN warm blood. His carnivorous appetite just craves more--until the dawn finds him dead in the snow!"

It is a fearful thing that people can be "consumed by their own lusts." Only God's grace keeps us from the wolf's fate. 

The religious leaders of the day were so immersed in their thinking they were willing to kill someone of their own blood to satisfy their taste for power.  Stephen called them out!!

If you have the Stiff Neck Syndrome.  Stephen's message to you is to"wake up."  The gospel will continue to thrive without you, but you can be a part of seeing it grow more and more through your willingness to serve.  Free up your neck and free up your heart and see what God will do.

The  Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren