The Line

Moving forward is a prerequisite for life, even though it may seem like sitting still in peace is the best move. We are not static or still for very long as a born-again believer. God is always moving, and if we are in tune with God, we will be moving as well. That is why man-made traditions that teach us to just sit on them for many years are not very God centered, but man-centered. Some traditions are fairly, or maybe just a few, or none. If something has become a tradition that controls our life, and it is not from God's perfect Word, we are just being sentimental and not very Biblical. What I am trying to say is that "God's ways are higher than our ways, and those ways are fresh and new every day." Our ways are usually stale and me-centered, and the direction we proceed from going "our way" doesn't yield much progress. Scripture says that God's mercies are "new every day," and I am glad those mercies are fresh and current, not stale and weak. Lamentations 3:22 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease 23 Great is his faithfulness;

His mercies begin afresh each morning. 24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!”

Our very "hope" is sourced in the fact that God is always at work and His work is perfect and good. If you have a problem moving at the pace God sets before you, it may cause you to be frustrated at times when God says, "You need to go do such and such!" This life we have in Christ is not a sedentary one, and we need to be open to following God's leading wherever He leads. That is just the way it is for born-again believers.

Paul spoke to this progression of movement in the following verses in Romans 5. Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. 3 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance.4 And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. The truth of the above verses is very deep when we analyze them. If we don't get on the line of growth, we may not have growth at all. In other words, we won't have our hope of salvation without realizing a strength of character, and we wouldn't have strength of character without endurance, and we wouldn't have endurance without problems and trials. Hmmmm. I don't like the problems and trials, but the confident hope of salvation, I like.

The Line

Problems and Trials = endurance=strength of character=confident hope!!

God is always at work, and when we tie ourselves to his wagon, that wagon is going to be moving forward toward the end goal. Hang on and stay hitched to this glory train. For me it went like this: Surrendered to the gospel ministry in my hometown. God led me to Northern California for four years, and He led me back to Arkansas for four years, and then He led me back to my hometown, West Plains, Missouri, for six more years. That is when God truly showed me just how awesome He really is, and He did an awesome work while we were there. Then he moved me to Florence, Alabama, and then on to Huntsville, Alabama. From there, He sent us to Wilmington, North Carolina, and then back to Alexandria, Alabama, and then back to Florence, Alabama. Then the ministry He birthed in my heart during my second visit to West Plains has led me to where I am right now, and God has more in store for me. I am glad because it keeps me fresh and moving forward, even at 70 years of age. Paul wrote this to the church in Ephesus in Ephesians 4:21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. Guess what? I get renewed every morning because of the Holy Spirit and God's word. I am constantly throwing off the old sinful nature, and a big section I am throwing off is the tendency to just settle for mediocrity. Nope! NOT GONNA HAPPEN! God is too good to me to settle for just anything. Only His perfect will is gonna satisfy me, but that will involve keeping a fresh walk with Him, and He is allowing me to walk with Him. I first had to commit to The Line of growth He has for me, and I am hanging on in the midst of following that line. God is faithful!

Keep it fresh,

David Warren