Tron-Life on the Grid

If you have ever watched a Tron Movie you will quickly identify with the life lessons it teaches almost at every turn.  Not that the movie is "deep", but the parallels with real life are remarkable.  In Tron-Legacy, Flynn's son gets caught up into the grid by revisiting his father's old computer console.  In getting caught up, I mean he is downloaded into a computer and put on "The Grid."  He wakes up as a player in a world full of dangerous games that could end his life at any time.  He finds out there are two groups of people in this computer, users and programs.  He, of course, is a user and starts his struggle to find his father in the world he is now living in, but father's not there.  He finds out that his father is living on a remote hill overlooking the grid.  His father has removed himself from fighting the fight and left the grid in the hands of his look alike, who is a program copy of himself.  Flynn's son ends up in his father's mountain home and questions why his father quit fighting.  Flynn has reasoned that it is too dangerous to keep trying to fight the fight he was fighting and his existence is centered around collecting and reading old books about what is right, and how the world used to be.  Young Flynn can't believe his eyes as he sees the father he used to know as a radical, get in the fight for right kind of guy, turned into a distant, watch the fight from a safe place kind of guy, now.  He shames his father as he takes up the banner Flynn first took and has now dropped.  Flynn sees the fight in his son's eyes and it stirs him back toward greatness once again.  His legacy of doing what is right is realized through his son and he gets back into the fight again as he gets back on the grid.

But what does getting on the grid cause?  He alerts those who are evil of his presence the moment he gets back on the grid and they pull out all stops to snuff him out.  Flynn thinks all this attention is just a war on him, until he sees that his copy (clu) has amassed an army that he is going to unleash on the real world and take over the world.  The sad part of this whole movie is that Tron, has been lured over to the evil side and his superior abilities are now being used by clu and his army.  The movie ends with Flynn fighting clu and giving his life so his son and one of the good programs can get out of the virtual world and in doing so closes the connection, or gate, so that the attack is ended.  Also, Tron wakes up to his original intent, or what he was made for, and that is to protect the users and helps defeat clu in the end.  It's a great story and there are many parrallels for Christians about the fight we fight every day in a lost world.

Sadly though, the parallels with Chiristianity are not good ones as we see that our "grid" is full of evil and we Christians are the users.  While on the grid we are faced daily with decisions about what to speak where, and when, and how bold we should be in challenging the status quo.  The fight about whether to fight seems to be bigger than the fighitng itself as we try to reason in our minds for ways to "not cause waves" while taking a stand for Christ.  In our "grid" we have drifted so far from morality, that even when we take a stand it is so unexpected and unsupported it turns all attention to the squeaky wheel and we are quickly "found out."  Then we are thought of as judgmental and the evil on the grid is quickly drawn to us to snuff us out.  What used to be a world that semi-honored our creator, is now a world that shakes a fist at Him and defies anyone who follows Him.  Wow, our world has really gone down hill fast and the slippery slope is more like a cliff.  If someone wants to fight they are quickly challenged by those who have bought into the evil intentions  of the one who tries to be god in our world, satan.  satan makes the evil look so good and appealing and he even makes it look honorable if he can, but it is still evil.  So what has happened to the users?  Many have faded, choosing to distance themselves from the grid at all and have made their cozy home overlooking the grid talking about what was, what could have been, and what will be. But where is the fight?  Not on a distant hill, but on the grid.  Those who live "above it all" have learned to fight, by not fighting at all, as they talk about the problems and the need to fight effectively.  In reality though, it is ALL talk and no interaction on the grid, so the evil continues to grow in strength and number, taking over more and more territory as it goes.  Even those believers who God chose to fight the fight in a special way like Tron, have drifted toward the evil and  are now fighting for the copy of what is right.  Sounds confusing?  That's because it is and shall continue to be until we decide to come out from our safe place on the hillside and get back on the grid and fight.   What does it mean to get back on the grid?  It means we stand for God's Word once again and quit apologizing for the King of Kings.  It means we use God's Word as our basis for rewriting the program to fight evil at every turn.  We need to learn from the living Word of God how to lift up the name of Jesus in the culture we live in, and that will be something powerful as God shows us the way to do it.  It will be something new and it will cause change, but if God is leading the change it will be powerul.  The only way to learn to ride a light cycle is to get on it and move forward, trusting that the cycle you are on will be able to carry you to victory.  Jesus is our light cycle and he wants to put us back in the game at warp speed and He will take us through every turn as we fight the good fight Paul called Timothy and us to. You may not believe that God can defeat this ever-growing evil, but His plan is the best plan and He will show you what to do.  In 2 Samuel 10 David fought against a very strong and large Ammonite Army that had acquired the Aramean's help in fighting against the Israelites.  Though the combined army was very strong David sent Joab out with the entire army of fighting men to meet them.  Joab saw the huge army before him, but instead of fading he made a decision to split his army  to fight the opposing army on all sides.  His reasoning was, if the Ammonites are too strong for you I will come and help you fight, but if the Arameans are too strong for me you will come and rescue me.  In verse 12 Joab said, "Be strong and let us fight bravely for our people and the ciites of our God.  The Lord will do what is good in his sight."  So Joab advanced against the Arameans and they fled from Joab.  When the Ammonites saw that the Arameans had fled, they fled too.  It wasn't over though.  The Arameans regrouped for one more battle, but they were met face to face with David and his army.  They fled from David's army and David killed 700 of their chariot drivers and forty thousand of their foot soldiers, and struck down the commander of their army.  All of sudden everyone wanted to make peace with Israel and they became subject to them and the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore.  The Israelite army was on the grid and they fought with wisdom and strength in God's power.  If we are to come off our mountain hideaway and get back on the grid we will need wisdom in how to fight just like Joab, and then even in the midst of terrible odds God will give us victory.  Part of our wisdom will be seen in how we fight together as believers.  When one group is being overun, we come and rescue them and then they do the same for us.  Of course, that victory has already been won through Jesus, but we sometimes live like He was defeated!!!  He was not!!  Flynn had to give his life to free those he loved from the gravity of the grid and Jesus has already given His life for us to free us.  Not only us, but all who wish to defeat death from the sinful gravity of the grid.

So, where are you?  Are you on the grid continuing to fight the good fight for our Creator, or are you overlooking the whole battle from a secluded safe spot?  We need to get in the fight and start taking back more and more territory for good.  Time to come out of our caves and get on our light cycle and proceed to the lift zone, taking more and more people with us as we go.  Are you a Tron?  Are you someone God has gifted in an extraordinary way to fight this fight. Then come back to the good side and start helping the users.  Are you a Joab?  Then use the wisdom and wealth that God has given you to figure out how to fight the fight the most effectively.  No more wire walking with a net.  Time to walk on the faith side and come from the masses as a person who can make a difference through Christ.  Then as you start to clip up through the portal to a better world when Jesus comes you can yell out, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 1 Timothy 4:7  As I write this I am overlooking the grid from my safe hideaway and that needs to change today.  Pray for me on my pilgrimage of faith as well.

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - When the Smoke Clears

In The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, the people and dwarfs had been through one major conflict that broke their spirits and they succumbed to the wishes of the great dragon who lived in the mountain.  The dwarf King, Thorian and a band of dwarves make a decision to take back their mountain and once again see the riches of the mountain flow to everyone around.  In their quest, they encounter one problem after another, as they work their way back home to their mountain.  They are strong fighters and their hearts are strong as well, but the lack of any action by anyone to challenge the evil darkness has lulled everyone they meet into a weak sleep, and they don't think they want to wake up.  Even those who are like them and living under the oppression of the darkness, turn on them, accusing them of being selfish and out for themselves.  In the last few minutes of the movie the humans have convinced themselves they cannot win and don't want to pay the price for trying.  The dwarves will not quit though and they search and find the secret door to go inside the mountain.  There's a great expectation as King Thorian puts the key in the lock and pushes open the door, revealing a very familiar pathway inside.  Thorian stops for a moment when inside and touches the walls of the mountain and says, "I know these walls and this path."  He is overjoyed at the prospect of being home and taking back what is rightfully his.  He has missed the life they once had in the mountain.  Of course, the movie ends with an incomplete battle that will lead everyone to want to watch the next chapter in the next movie.

All of this parallels with the life of Christians and our struggle with evil at every turn.  One battle after another as evil continues to grow and gain advantage at each one of those turns.  We remember times when God moved in a great way and great success was seen by all who called the name of Christ, but things have changed....Why?  We have given up too much ground in our desire to keep from fighting the good fight.  The battles have weakened our resolve and our hearts aren't in it as much as they need to be.  We even tear others down who want to fight to keep ourselvse from feeling guilty.  We have become complacent and comfortable, and we don't want to ruffle any feathers so we don't lose the comfort of our apathy.  In Paul's letter to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:12 he says, "Fight the good fight of the faith.  Take hold of the the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses."  I believe we need to get the same mindset of the dwarfs and Paul and "long" for the place we love, the place called the presence of God.  The key is Jesus and his light is shining to show us where to enter this place called home.  We, like the dwarfs, may feel like the light has shown but we have missed where the key goes, but if we will believe we will see the keyhole Jesus illuminates. When we push open the door and walk in we will revel in the sweet place we know as the presence of God and we will know that we have been there before and we like it.  That is taking hold of the eternal life in a big way and the great thing about it is God is waiting to give us the power to keep going as we reclaim lost ground that has been given up to the evil one due to our fear and laziness.  All of this is real and all of this is possible, but we can only do it with God's strength and with a desire to see God move again and then we will take back that which we have given to satan and when the smoke clears we will see God once again as victor in our lives.  Oh what a sweet reunion, when we come back to God and glorify Him once again in our lives.   Oh there will be tough times, but there will always be tough times in life, and the purpose of glorifying God in our lives will make those tough times fall to the side as we focus on the true meaning of living.

So, what's it going to be.  Are you going to live a life of mediocrity in the darkness, or a life  of purpose standing in the light?  What is it going to take to awaken us from the slumber of nothingness, and burn a desire for the things of God?  Do you miss the mountain of God?  If not, why?  Have you become complacent and let evil win at every turn, or are you ready to stop turning and live on the straight and narrow path God has put before us?  We will face the dragons of this world and they will blow fire and smoke, but if you live for Christ when the smoke clears we will stand victorious with our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He is our arckenstone, and He is the heart of our mountain!!!

The Pilgrimage continues.....

David Warren

A Place Called Hope

Hope - a feeling of expectation and the desire for a certain thing to happen.  That's the definition, but what is the true life meaning for each of us who know Christ?  We live expectantly.  We are truly waiting for the Lord Jesus to come at any time.  How many times have you thought or had some Christian say to you, "I believe Jesus could come back at any time."?  Probably more times than you can count.  That is because we are living expectantly....  We expect Him to come, and He will!!  Jesus Himself said in Revelation 22:7, "Behold, I am coming soon!  Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book."  Keep in mind that is the Son of God who is speaking there and His Words give us one thing, Expectant Hope!  If you are more impressed with this world you live in than the coming glory of heaven, you may not hope for Him to come because you want to have heaven on earth.  It aint gonna be heaven on earth.  Any hope in earthly treasures is fleeting at best and the whole thing will burn anyway.  Once again, Jesus reminds us of the Hope-filled attitude of living a Christian Life in Matthew 6:20 where He says, "But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do no break in and steal."  Hope in heaven is real and it does not disappoint, but propels us through the life we live here on earth.  It is the hope of things to come.  Expectant living enables us to handle the toughest times, as well as, the best of times with a steady way of thinking and reacting.  Hope in the coming of Jesus gives us strength for NOW!   Sometimes I get really low and my feeling of hope starts to wain some, and I renew my interest in the hope I have in Christ and the gloomy clouds will clear and my prospects look so much better.  Now that's the kind of hope that satisfies the soul.  If I didn't have that hope I would just curl up and fade away.   REALLY!!!

Another hope is found in the belief that God is going to do something great.  That expectant hope is the one we truly don't understand and many times misread.  Like many people, through the years I have been thrown many curves I didn't hope for and those curves have been life-changing, whether financial or other.  As a minister of the gospel I believe I am bound to go where God leads for the cause of Christ, not the cause of myself and that all-out attitude about following God has it's downfalls materially.   Many times I can't even explain it in human terms that make sense when telling someone the "why" of my moves.  My hope is that God is leading me to a place where I can serve Him most effectively.  That place many times is not the most appealing place, but it is God's place for me and that is the best at the time.  My family through the years has had to adjust in a huge way for me to follow what I believe is God's Plan for where I serve.  Thankfully it was always in the United States, although I would have gone to a foreign land if He led me there.  All of this was generated through HOPE.  Hope that God would do a great work and I would get to be a part of it.  These travels put me in places that were sometimes fun and friendly, and sometimes mean and miserable.  The main thing wasn't necessarily being happy, but more being faithful.....no matter what!  I'm not patting myself on the back here, but I tried to go "wherever" as best as possible.  Even when Andra was going "what are we doing" and my kids had to start another new school,  I felt that I was called to do whatever it took and live wherever He put me.  Through the years I have felt both the joy of success and the misery of failure in front of my wife and kids and neither have been lasting or balanced.  Success in following His Call has not translated into success financially or positionally.   I haven't been the guy who wanted to climb up the ladder of success in ministerial circles, because I didn't believe God looked at it that way.  Praise God He has always refreshed my vision wherever I landed and gave me a desire to equip the Lord's church and believe for revival in a dry land, and I have done it motivated by HOPE, not anything else.  I was always looking for God to do a great work and when it didn't happen, I still had my hope.

As I look back on 2013 and the other years of my life in ministry, I can't help but think about the hope that has "kept me alive" for all these years and propelled me forward in my walk with the Lord.  If you were to look at all we have had to deal with through the many years of ministry you might say, "how can you keep on hoping?"  To which I would have to say, "I don't have anything else, but my hope in God."  I knew a young man who was going through some financial woes in his life who just kept believing that God was going to come through for him.  His hope was fresh and real and not presumptuous at all.   His wife told me one day that she didn't understand how this young man could keep believing that God was just going to help him one day and all would be well.  In a world where everyone needed help, God was just going to pick him out and help him.  That young man had the hope I am writing about today. He had the misunderstood hope that sometimes can't be qualified or understood by human reasoning.  He had the hope of God and that is the hope that keeps us all going.  In the same way that we hope for the coming of our Lord, we hope for Him to take care of us in our daily lives, and even though it boggles the human reasoning of most, we don't give up our hope.  Peter wrote in his second letter about his reasoning for the hope of Jesus coming again, verse 16 "We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty."  My hope is that I have, through the power of God, impacted in a positive way some lives along the way, starting with my family.  I know it has been my hope to do just that, and the very desire to do that has come from the hope I have in my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  I am an eyewitness to His power in changing lives.  He is the beginning and the end of all things....REALLY!!

In Paul's letter to the Thessalonians, Chapter 1 verse 19 he writes, "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when He comes?  It it not you?"  It is my hope that I have impacted some in a positive way to live a real faith that touches others in a positive way and leads them to Christ.  It has been my  desire to do that for the past 39 years and the hope in Christ continuing to do that through my life, is just as fresh today as before.  I'm living proof that God keeps that hope alive through all the good and the bad, and that his hope is something you can count on.  I Live In A Place Called Hope. This next year is one of hope as well, and I believe, like that young man, that God is going to do something great through my life as I live for Him.  I don't deserve anything He does for me, but my worthiness has never been an issue for a God who sent His Son to die for the sins of the world.  He does what He does out of a great love for His Children, and praise God I am one of His Children.  So, I'm not moving out  of this place called hope. I'm gonna continue to have residence here and continue believing God will always come through as I live each day of my life.  If all around me should give up hope and my population get to just one, at least there will still be one.  Why?  Because I live in a Place Called Hope.  I want to be called a true follower and be able to say like Paul, "Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and of Christ Jesus, our hope!"

The Pilgrimage continues....

David Warren

With Thor You've Always Got More

I went to watch the new Thor movie that just came out in theatres and I love it!  I am a big

super hero fan and the thrill I got from seeing good defeat evil was huge.  This is the second movie bearing the Thor name and it follows the same theme as the first one with Thor trying to control his great strength and calling, and use it in the right direction.  In this movie Thor was more concerned with the "heart" of what he did and the "effect" it has on others and himself.  His desire to be the "king" was his thorn in the first movie, but life experiences have molded him into a deeper thinking Thor.  He realizes that strength isn't found in  being the strongest, but having true integrity and using that strength for good is the real result of true strength.  Thor's metamorphosis is beginning to change him into a super hero who knows the strength he has and the effect it has on others.  I guess you could say, "with great strength, comes great responsibility."  Hmm, I've heard that before.  That's because this great truth is found in Luke 12:48.  Verse 48 follows up on the parable of the watchful master who was left in charge to keep watch for the return of the Lord.  It is that master's responsibility to keep the servants ready for the Lord's return and not fall asleep on the job.  In today's church we see a lot of churches and church folk sleeping at a time when we should be wide awake!!!  We have been given a great amount of Holy Spirit power by the Lord, but we don't have watchful hearts and minds and we have become dulled by the world's constant drag on our lives.  If it isn't Obamacare problems, it will be church conflict, or something.  It really shouldn't matter what problems we face, but are we watching and staying alert for the return of our Lord?  If we aren't, then all these other problems have taken us away from the main thing; watching for the return of our Lord.  In the verses preceding verse 48 Jesus says to be ready even in the 2nd or 3rd watch.  It could be any time, but He wants us to be ready.  You may ask, "how can we be ready?"  Good question.  We can be ready by sharing the gospel with all we come in contact with and by training disciples to do the same.  Right now we have more harvest than we can reach with the present workers in church life.  We need more "watchful workers" who burn with the fire of revival in their hearts and push the bubble that causes change in our churches.  When we get servants with that kind of fire, then the process of going backwards as a church will stop and the ship will be turned and ready to sail.  To do this hearts will have to change.  We need to realize that we have Thor-like power, but our hearts have to be right our we will all try to be King.  There is only one King and he is Jesus Christ, the King of all Kings.  It should be our desire to live our lives for Him alone and use the power He gives us for His Glory by being a vessel poured out for Him.

Micah 5:4 says it well, "He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of thename of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to theends of the earth.

The greatness of our God is found in the realization that our only hope is found in Him and His strength.  Don't rely on the world's strength, it is futile and hopeless.  Don' rely on your strength, it is weak and temporal.  Rely on God's strength and then you will find the spiritual Thor inside that will impact this world as never before and cause revival and renewal wherever you go.  The title of the movie I watched last week was Thor:  The Dark World.  We live in a dark world, but we have the Light of Life and we must let that light be seen. When?  NOW!!!  Matthew 5:14 says, "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."  We are on the Hill and the name of that Hill is York Terrace.  Time to shine!!!


The pilgrimage continues.......


David Warren

Relieve the Pressure Lord!!

The relief valve (RV) is a type of valve used to control or limit the pressure in a system or vessel which can build up by a process upset, instrument or equipment failure, or fire.

The pressure is relieved by allowing the pressurised fluid to flow from an auxiliary passage out of the system. The relief valve is designed or set to open at a predetermined set pressure to protect pressure vessels and other equipment from being subjected to pressures that exceed their design limits. When the set pressure is exceeded, the relief valve becomes the "path of least resistance" as the valve is forced open and a portion of the fluid is diverted through the auxiliary route. The diverted fluid (liquid, gas or liquid–gas mixture) is usually routed through a piping system known as a flare header or relief header to a central, elevated gas flare where it is usually burned and the resulting combustion gases are released to the atmosphere.^[1] As the fluid is diverted, the pressure inside the vessel will drop. Once it reaches the valve's reseating pressure, the valve will close. The blowdown is usually stated as a percentage of set pressure and refers to how much the pressure needs to drop before the valve reseats

Alll of us have to deal with pressure.  Life is filled with pressure.  Whether we are Christian or non-Christian, pressure is a reality.  The difference in life is how we deal with pressure and how we continue to live with the pressure, even when it increases.  The Apostle Paul is a great example of dealing with pressure and at the church in Corinth he speaks of the greatness of the pressure he was dealing with and he gives a great perspective in how to deal with it in the midst of dealing with it.  In 2 Corinthians 4:8 Paul gives some great insight into how he was dealing with the pressures he was facing.  8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; You can read this and think, "How does this help me?"  Or you can read this and think.....Yeah, that's it.  I have a very close friend in the ministry who has gone through terrible trials and unjustified troubles, and all in the midst of serving our Lord.  He has been wounded and then stepped on by the very people he called close friends and it has left a huge scar on his heart, but he continues on.  How?  By the grace of God.  Remember, we don't only live in the grace of God, we live as a result of it.  This is God's pressure relief valve for those who follow Him.  When the pressure gets to be too much, He relieves that pressure by giving us more grace.  Grace= relief.  It's amazing how easily we forget that we are fallen individuals who, but by the grace of God, have life itself.  The very things that cause pressure turn us to God and cause us to experience His Love in a more excellent way.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying to God, "I need more pressure to make me experience You more fully Lord."  But I am saying that in the middle of the pressurized things of life, He is right there relieving that pressure.  God is our pressure relief valve and He knows just when we need to have the pressure lifted because He is growing us every step of the way to be more like Him.  This shows that God is intricately involved in the  details of our lives and knows and sees what is best for each of us.  We can't see it.  But He can.  You may ask, "How does this help me get through the pressure of life?"  Looking at it from God's perspective will help us handle those things as He gives us strength and relieves the pressure at just the right moment.  We see things dimly, but He brings it all into focus when we trust Him and His Word.

Remember, we are sinners saved by that grace and God is helping us in the midst of our struggles as sinners.  The pressure comes from our not trusting Him enough.  The pressure is relieved when we know God is out for our good, not our bad.  He is there all the time giving us strength and reminding us to not rely on our own strength.  When we mess up, God is very patient and continues to direct our path and give us hope and encouragement.  The following story illustrates God's great love and patience with us.

Years ago, my father coached a team of eight-year-olds. He had a few excellent players, and some who just couldn't get the hang of the game. Dad's team didn't win once all season. But in the last inning of the last game, his team was only down by a run. There was one boy who had never been able to hit the ball--or catch it. With two outs, it was his turn to bat. He surprised the world and got a single!
The next batter was the team slugger. Finally, Dad's players might win a game. The slugger connected, and as the boy who hit the single ran to second, he saw the ball coming toward him. Not so certain of baseball's rules, he caught it. Final out! Dad's team lost! Quickly, my father told his team to cheer. The boy beamed. It never occurred to him that he lost the game. All he knew was he had hit the ball and caught it--both for the first time. His parents later thanked my dad. Their child had never even gotten in a game before that season.
We never told the boy exactly what happened. We didn't want to ruin it for him. And till this day, I'm proud of what my father did that afternoon.
To my friend who has been "beat up" I continue to pray for God to relieve the pressure he must feel and not give up.  I also pray for healing and a fresh dose of God's grace in the midst of his struggle and I pray that for you as well.
When you pray, "relieve the pressure Lord."  God turns the valve so you can continue on renewed and invigorated.  Thank  you Lord.  We must  all remember that God is the one who lets us be in the game and encourages us when we realize accomplishment, even though it may not be much.  Now that is Abba Father for sure.

The Pilgrimage continues.....


David Warre

Living Life in the Spirit/Cross the Invisible Bridge of Faith

Romans 8:1-9  speaks to the point of living a life that is totally spirit led in every aspect.  In

fact to live anything less is telling God we don't trust Him, and that is a mistake.  Paul was an authority on trusting God and living His life in the spirit in every aspect.  In verse 9 he states, 9 But if God himself has taken up residence in your life, you can hardly be thinking more of yourself than of him. Anyone, of course, who has not welcomed this invisible but clearly present God, the Spirit of Christ, won't know what we're talking about.  The fact is we should know what Paul is talking about because that is exactly how we live our lives.....in the Spirit.  In verse 28 Paul shares a very important word with us that is very familiar.   All things work for good for those who love God and are called according to HIS purpose.  His purpose is found in the realization the Holy Spirit gives each of us who know Christ.   Living a Spirit-Led life is an exciting life of purpose and intensity.  God's purpose and intensity are so much more than we can comprehend or totally realize, so the pool that we draw from is never ending and fresh.  So how come we don't access that pool of power?  We have a constant tendency to fall back into living our life with a worldly perspective.  A perspective that leaves out what God can do in a situation.  Our perspective should be, "OK, reasoning says this, but let's ask God what His perspective is and what He can do."  When we look at it that way, everything begins to change and hope and faith are reaffirmed and strengthened.   I need that strength to live the victorious life Christ has made possible for each of us.  I need to see the things around me through Christ filtered eyes and see those situations for what they really are; tests to grow my faith.  Not only grow my faith, but concrete my faith.  My son recently put in a new pool behind their home and in one part of the concrete he, along with his wife and children, put his hands in the wet cement and left an impression that dried when the concrete dried.  Now when you go to their home and walk around their pool, you can see their impressions of that time when the pool was almost completed and they poured the final concrete.  It's a reminder every time they go swimming of the process of getting the pool completed.  Our life in the Spirit also has many times when we need to make a mark as a reminder of when God completed another step in our life.  That way every time we start to enjoy the fruit of living in the Spirit we see and remember that point in time when God was molding us to be more like Him.  Life in the Spirit is something that cannot be fully explained, but just commented on because it is different for each of us.  That is even more confirmation of how close God watches and protects us in the varying circumstances of each individual believer.  Now, that's a God who cares and empowers!!!
Listen to what Paul wrote to the Corinthians about thinking and living as Spirit-filled believers.
2 Corinthians 5:1 For instance, we know that when these bodies of ours are taken down like tents and folded away, they will be replaced by resurrection bodies in heaven - God-made, not handmade 2 - and we'll never have to relocate our "tents" again. Sometimes we can hardly wait to move - and so we cry out in frustration. Compared to what's coming, living conditions around here seem like a stopover in an unfurnished shack, and we're tired of it! We've been given a glimpse of the real thing, our true home, our resurrection bodies! 3 4 5 The Spirit of God whets our appetite by giving us a taste of what's ahead. He puts a little of heaven in our hearts so that we'll never settle for less. 6 That's why we live with such good cheer. You won't see us drooping our heads or dragging our feet! Cramped conditions here don't get us down. They only remind us of the spacious living conditions ahead. 7 It's what we trust in but don't yet see that keeps us going. 
Keep going, but let the Holy Spirit guide your steps and remember, Trust God!!

The Pilgrimage continues...

David Warren

Smothered Light

In Mark 4:20-25 Jesus shares a great truth about the life we are to live and how much He

wants to shine His light through us.
 20 "But the seed planted in the good earth represents those who hear the Word, embrace it, and produce a harvest beyond their wildest dreams." 21 Jesus went on: "Does anyone bring a lamp home and put it under a washtub or beneath the bed? Don't you put it up on a table or on the mantel? 22 We're not keeping secrets, we're telling them; we're not hiding things, we're bringing them out into the open. 23 "Are you listening to this? Really listening? 24 "Listen carefully to what I am saying - and be wary of the shrewd advice that tells you how to get ahead in the world on your own. 
In relating our need to grow closer to the image of Christ every day,Jesus relates it to a seed that, when taken care of will produce not just fruit, but a bountiful harvest.  This is illustrated as He shares the parable of the sower earlier in the chapter and he gives a warning that equips us to follow through on this great truth about growing as a believer.  Remember this, Jesus is the light of the world and His light is very powerful.  So powerful that it shines through those who follow Him also.  That light needs to be able to grow brighter and brighter in each of His followers and if we will embrace His truth and trust His will, we will shine brightly in our world and lead many to Christ.  This is one of the foundational truths for those of us who are disciples (learners-followers) of Jesus Christ.  In verse 21-22 Jesus shares some Christlike Common Sense that we should all understand.  You don't put a light under a basket if you want it to shine. No Duh!!  He goes on to say, "if you have ears that want to hear the truth then you will hear this message.  I'm listening.  Are You?  We live a in a world of information that gives us plenty of "light dampening truth" that we should not listen to at all.  To listen to a little, compels us to listen to a lot, and before long our light weakens and almost goes out.  In verses 24 and 25 Jesus gives us a warning that we must heed.  Don't even listen to advice that takes you away from shining brightly and effectively.  This advice can come in the form of well meaning direction about not following Christ too much, or it can be so blatant as to say, "It's not worth it to live all out for Christ."  In whatever form it comes in, we must always have an inclination to let His light shine in every area of our life.
Paul spoke to this in Ephesians 4 and following....7 And so I insist - and God backs me up on this - that there be no going along with the crowd, the empty-headed, mindless crowd. 18 They've refused for so long to deal with God that they've lost touch not only with God but with reality itself.  
So the truth is this - Don't follow those who are in the darkness any more.  Follow Christ and let His light shine through.  Then you will have some depth in your life and in your thinking, instead of being empty-minded.
What is luring you away from faithfully serving Christ?  Weigh it heavily and then get rid of it and your light will shine brighter than ever before and that is just the beginning.  Satan is a liar and it is his plan to snuf out all our lights.  Don't let Him do it.  Embrace the truth of Christ more and more as you live your life.  Let God "light you up!!"

The pilgrimage continues...


David Warren