Category : blog

 

 

I just wanted to share, again, some of my favorite recent images. These stand out for me over the last few years!

 

 

 

My dear freidn Virgil Boler.

 

 

 

Jack Graham playing with a younger Chester, He, (Chester), is now 81 pounds!

 

 

Thanks for going down memory lane with me!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

 

 

The older you get, the more you think, and the more you think the more clear things become.  It seems the theme of every commercial on TV these days is about what we want or what the advertiser wants us, to want!  After all, sales are driven by percieved desire of the goods being peddled!  If you believe what you are told, sales matter, money makes the world go around.

 

After three quarters of a century of life I’m not buying it!  I’ve had plenty of money and I’ve had very little money and the quality of my life has not been much different either way.  So If not money, what do I want?  How about fame?  I’ve had a very small amount and it’s not what it’s cracked up to be. Then how about power?  Those that have it have made most of us wonder if it’s such a great thing or that obviously it corrupts and destroys those that “think” they have it and can wield it!

 

No, after years of careful thought and prayer, I want to make a difference in the lives of others.  When I’m gone the only real evidence of my existence here on earth will be what is in the hearts of those that knew me and loved me.  Why would anyone love you?  I believe it will only be because you thought of them first, before yourself.  Now that is not easy to do, it is not our nature to care more for others than ourselves, but it is the only way to leave anything of value when you’re gone. I hope you want that too!

 

I just lost a dear cousin who was a physician for many years and left thousands of patients and family members that remember him with great fondness and appreciation.  He was a great Doctor, a wonderful friend, and loving family member and a man of great character and integrity.  He left the only thing of value any of us can leave, a family and group of friends that will miss him, and cherish his memory.  I’m proud to share our family name, Fortney. We’re all better because of the life he lived and the great honor he brought to our name.

 

Dr. Thomas Guy Fortney    July 11th, 1924 – January 7th, 2022

 

Most people say Rest In Peace, but I know he is back at work in the Kingdom serving the Lord He served through out his life.  He gave more than he took, should that be said of all of us.

 

 

blessings,

 

the pilgrim

Jack and I are looking forward to seeing old friends again in-the-field!  We are taking extreme precautions to keep our friends safe in this Covid environment, please rest assured we are following all approved Covid guidelines!

 

Hope to see you this year, back in-the-field this year!!!!

 

the pilgrim

 

Let’s call this one “Coffee With Carl”   My dear brother Carl Turner is a wonderful writer and more importantly driven by his relience on the Holy Spirit.  I believe this piece he has written is important or all of us attmepting to follow Christ, I offer it with his permission, to inspire and encourage you!

 

Brain vs Spirit

 

It doesn’t require faith if our intellect can logically figure something out – it is called “brain power”.  If the brain controls our bodies/thoughts/direction/speech then our intellect is in control of our daily tasks/function/routine.  This is a real issue   in our Christian walk.  In “normal” life, faith is not required as all decisions are under the control of our brains/intellect.    Yet, the bible teaches that without faith it is impossible to please God.  .

 

When we are converted and our spirits are rejuvenated to align with God’s Spirit – His Holy Spirit comes to reside in/with our spirits.  This rejuvenation causes God to live inside us in the form of Holy Spirit.  So the “war” that Paul talks about (IMHO) is the war that goes on inside of us – in our brains/intellect.  The war is whether we are going to continue to let our brains be in control of our decisions (carnal or old nature) or are we going to allow the Spirit of God control our lives via HS (the new nature).  

 

So to me the question boils down to – Is our brains over the Spirit (inside of us)? Or, is the Spirit over our intellect?  If our brains (logical thought pattern) control our every action then there is no need for Holy Spirit to reside in us.  But if Holy Spirit is over our brains then we are subject to God being able to use us far beyond what we can figure out logically.  I think this is what Paul is saying in verse 14 of our discussion last night,  “For all who are allowing themselves to be led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” (AMP).  If we do not allow ourselves to be lead by HS (Spirit over intellect), but by our intellect (intellect over Spirit), then I really don’t think we are “sons of God”.  That is the way I read/interpret that scripture (and others).  When we come to this conclusion it changes one’s whole viewpoint of Christianity!

 

So the question in my mind is “who is leading me”?  My brain or Holy Spirit?  Which is servant to the other?  I think this is what Jesus is saying when he simply said “I do only what I see My Father doing”.  He didn’t have to go into a long discussion of brain vs spirit!   His Father is Spirit!  He was following the Spirit inside of him.

 

Now, do we throw away our brains?  Of course not!  We have been given a logical means of deciphering things – billions of cells that can interact with each other in billions of ways to come to logical conclusions/behavior.   But the question for a Christian is, does the brain rule our spirits or does Holy Spirit rule our brains?  If HS is dominate over our brains then we will hear/do many things that we do not understand – some things people might call “weird” or “uncouth”.  As we learn to “hear” HS speak to us (inside us) and then do what we hear, we gain confidence in our ability to distinguish between our brains talking, demonic talking, or HS talking to us.  We gain this confidence over time to follow HS first and then our brains second – this is called “faith” – doing things we can not “see” (definition of faith) or logically figure out.

 

One of my biggest problems with going back to Evangel University, to many non-pentecostal churches, and my Jewish friends is that they must be able explain things in a logical manner – even God’s word.  It must be logical.  And I guess that is why is it called “higher education”.  But somehow in the spiritual world, our trying to always logically figure out things hinders/blinds us.  Truly, it is the brain ruling over the spirit.  Paul (in the verse above) is trying to tell us to let the Spirit rule over our brains.

 

Finally, do not come to the conclusion that I feel our brains are useless once we are converted.  Never!  I have a double minor and double major in college with two advanced degrees.  I do not walk up to my car door and ask God to unlock it!!!  I am all for learning.  But I am concerned that we as Christians are no different than non-Christians.  We eat, sleep, talk, go to places just as our brains tell us to – no different than other ordinary people.  THAT is not what Christianity is all about.  It is about leading an extraordinary life because we are being constantly talked to and lead by the maker of the world – the all knowledge – the all power – whose way is infinity beyond ours.  Christianity is about learning how to submit our minds to the HS that lives inside of us – not trying to figure something out – just do it and do it immediately!  Somehow it seems to me that Christians are all doing what Paul tells Timothy (2 Tim 3:7) – “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth”.  Somehow we are always learning but never coming to the truth that God is inside of us, talking to us constantly.  He is above all the knowledge we can ever get.  We must come to the truth that we must listen to Him first – our brains second!  It is a scary thought!  Faith is scary!  But only when we walk out into the “scary” can God use us to speak to people and do things that are not “logical” to our intellect – but is impactful to the ones we are with or those that are coming later.  We ourselves must be willing to step out of the boat – follow God when HS tells us something to say/do to others – no matter the cost of looking foolish/weird.  That is our calling.  It may be strangle looking – it may be scary to step out and say something contrary to our natural thinking – but it is truly what God has called us to do in order to be His servant!

 

I hope this blesses you as much as it did me!

 

In Him,

 

the pilgrim