Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries

A Heavenly Country

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 9 Sep 2017 20:04:00 -0400

Hebrews 11 describes stories of faithful men and women in the Bible. Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. We must understand faith correctly because eternal life is hinged upon faith. In order for anyone to come to God, he must first believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those that diligently seek him. Noah believed God, so he moved with godly fear. The act of building the ark didn’t save Noah, but his faith in God that moved him to build the ark saved him. Abraham was called out of his country to a place that God would show him in the future. He went out motivated by only a promise of God. He obedience was proof of his faith in God. Have you ever gone out with only faith in God’s promises? Are you willing to go out to the place of your eternal inheritance, believing in God’s promises? Our faith grows through trials, challenges, and failures. When Sarah was told she would bear a son, she laughed in doubt and unbelief. God needed to break these down in her through reproof. God asks her, and us, this question: “Is anything too hard for the Lord?” May this question cause inner reflection and examination. Are you in the midst of an impossible situation? Has God given you a promise in the midst of this situation? God will give you strength and grace. Pray through this challenge until you receive strength. The patriarchs died not seeing the promise, but seeing it afar off, and were assured of God’s promises. There will be temptation to go back, just like the patriarchs, but they did not return because they desired a better country. Pray for greater desire for the Lord and for the heavenly country to which you were called!

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I Have Learned to Be Content

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 7 Sep 2017 20:03:00 -0400

This Scripture is on the subject of contentment. Paul tells his readers to rejoice always, not in avoiding the gravity of situations in life, but in showing how one lives out a Gospel-defined life. We can’t let the culture define us, but need to let the Gospel define us. Consider your identity in Christ. Contentment and joy are linked. Discontentment comes from misplaced joy. We are instead to rejoice, entirely confident in Christ. We are not to detach ourselves from reality during trials, but not to be anxious for anything. We can be comforted in knowing that we have a Father who knows all things. We are to make our requests known to God, confessing in an honest prayer how we’re feeling, and to do so with thanksgiving of what God has done for us through the Gospel. Peace doesn’t come from the remedy of the situation, but from fellowship with God. What we think about affects our peace and rest. Preach the Gospel to your mind. You are not defined by the way you think of yourself, or by how others think of you. What defines you is how you are in Christ. Contentment is rooted in God, not in self. We are to be God-dependent, not self-sufficient. Nothing is going to be remedied by my discontentment and impatience. We must learn to be content. This is a process, if you are willing. You will have to change your perspective of life. There is more work that needs to be done in your heart and life than you even realize. Measure your life by the Gospel, not by worldly standards, and you will find contentment. We cannot control much in life, but we can ground ourselves in our identity in Christ. In Christ, I can do all things that God has called me to. In Christ, we can be content.

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What Are You Doing Here, Elijah?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 2 Sep 2017 19:01:00 -0400

God had just used Elijah to destroy the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. King Ahab had been there and saw what the Lord had done, and went and told his wife, Jezebel. She became outraged and sent a messenger to threaten Elijah that she is going to kill him. Elijah was led to despondency because of Jezebel’s response. Depressed, discouraged, weak, and alone, he humbles himself before the Lord. The Lord knew he would need more strength for the journey ahead though, so He provided Elijah with food and drink from an Angel. We too must realize that our journey ahead is going to be too great for us, and we need to set aside time to rest, eat, drink, and spend time with family and friends. God knows what He’s designed for us, and He will supply what we need accordingly. Elijah then went in the strength that the Lord provided to Horeb, so that he might spend time alone with God. When the Lord leads you to spend more time in communion with Him, do not refuse this time. Elijah had become frustrated because he felt he was pouring his life out for the ministry of the Lord, but the Lord wasn’t acting accordingly. The Lord then displayed His power through wind, an earthquake, and fire to Elijah, but the Lord was not in any of those things. The Lord came in a still small voice that might have spoken what was spoken to Moses, declaring the Name of God. He is the Lord, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth. Elijah was overwhelmed by the mercy and grace of the Lord. Has the Lord revealed His Name to you? The Lord also tells Elijah that he will not do the work of the Lord alone because God had reserved 7,000 men for His work.

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I Have Made Myself a Servant to All

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 19:01:00 -0400

A witness is a public affirmation by word or example. As a church, we are to immerse ourselves in our cities and with our neighbors and not to be elitists. We are to go to those who are marginalized like Jesus did. We should not hide what we are going through. Admit who you are and then share how you’ve found the answer in Jesus Christ to your distresses. This does not show Christianity in a bad light--it glorifies Christ and what He can do in you. In this passage, Paul declares that the Gospel has freed him to do his ministry. He recognized that he’d been given a stewardship of the Gospel and he was confident that God was going to use his ministry for His purposes. Paul was not under obligation to any man but he made himself a servant to all that he might win more souls. He voluntarily made the decision to deny his rights and serve others instead. We are to exist in peace with others, as long as we do not offend God, so that we may obtain their affection and then share with them the hope of the Gospel. Jesus has comforted us so that we can bring comfort to those we’re reaching out to. Paul saw opportunities to help others and intentionally engaged them in their lives. In order to do this, Paul had to discipline himself. This is essential in ministering to others. Giving of ourselves for others will take time. Take for example athletes training for a race to win a perishable crown. We are going for an in imperishable crown, to please our Father, so be willing to serve, be willing to be disciplined in thought and time. Paul knew what Christ had given him, and therefore he disciplined his body so that he could give it to the world. Be faithful to carry out your ministry!

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We Are Members of One Another

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 14 Aug 2017 15:49:00 -0400

This message defines what community looks like and how it is played out today from a biblical sense. A community has a common identity and purpose, where each person sells their own individuality and sets aside their own personal desires. They are knit and joined together in affections, their mind, desires, and thoughts. Human nature may desire to be alone, but we are meant to be in a community. Community is to be a means of growth for each person. We all must individually give our lives unto God as a free offering first. Then we give ourselves to the body, and to the work. God has given each of us a gift to help others. We are not to be proud with our gifts, but to maintain humility. Just like the human body, each person has a different role but the body exists as one. We aren’t to think less of others though because they don’t perform our function, and we’re also not to think less of ourselves because we don’t perform another’s function. Who has God called you to be in the body? Be faithful in using your gifts. Live as a sacrifice unto God first, then to others. Paul describes how we are to exist together in the world. We are to love regardless of circumstances, without hypocrisy. We are called to abhor unkindness, and to outdo one another in giving honor to each other. We are to throw away all thoughts of pursuing self, and dispense love to others with a burning effort. Have your heart and mind renewed to this given life, unselfishly. We are to pray and bless those who persecute us. This high calling is radical thinking, which is why Paul exhorts us to be renewed in our minds. We are to be of the same mind, and associate with the humble. Remain engaged in this work!

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Bound in the Spirit

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 3 Aug 2017 09:11:00 -0400

Paul in this passage is finishing his third missionary trip and is heading to Jerusalem where he knows that chains and suffering await him. He sends for the leaders in Ephesus to meet him in Miletus to show them the gravity of the time, and the burden he has for the Gospel to be proclaimed. He had seen great works of God when he was in Ephesus, preaching the Gospel to a people who worshipped mythical gods in their large temple of Diana. He did not underestimate the power of the Gospel though and plainly taught the Gospel of repentance towards God and faith towards Jesus Christ. This is what our generation needs too--the simple Gospel, not watered down or new strange teachings. Paul was urged and compelled by the Holy Spirit to fulfill his calling. Does the love of Christ compel you forward in your vision? This is the only way to go forward, dying to self, going through tribulations. We will utterly fail if the love of Christ doesn’t compel us. We are not called to the American Dream--we are called to a race, a ministry, to reach this generation with the Word of God. God will provide all we have need of if we seek first Him and His Kingdom. In the face of chains, we cannot be moved. We must go on fighting the good fight with joy. We must be on guard against the dangers of being drawn away, taking heed of ourselves first, and then our brothers and sisters. False teachers can arise from outside the church, but as well as within the church. They will proclaim doctrines to divide and distract the flock. Therefore, watch against evil and keep in mind the Gospel of the Lord Jesus. Forgetfulness and not watching will lead to apostasy. Faithfully proclaim and defend the Gospel!

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To Rebuild and Repair the Ruined Cities

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 10:16:00 -0400

At times, God will awaken us to the brevity of life, and to the reality that we can never take back time that has passed. Moses prays to God that He would teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom. As Christians, we have a profound calling on our lives, and this prayer for us is to lead us away from idleness and towards the simplicity of the Gospel. We are called to be ministers of reconciliation. We are to be missional--to be sent out. We are to first have an internal love for God, which then turns external towards loving others. In this passage, Isaiah describes the Messiah, but he is also describing the way we are suppose to be because we are to follow in the ministry of the Messiah. God has set us apart for this ministry, and qualified us for this work. There is nothing random about this calling--God is intentional about this. He has placed us where we live, where we work, in our families, for a reason. If we recognize this, we see how great our responsibility is. God has consecrated you to bring good news to those around you who are in need. We must be intentional in reaching out to them, and in investing in their lives. Have the expectation that God will do a work in their life. It may require a lot of time, so continue to be intentional. Do you see the ministry of the church in this time, rebuilding and repairing the ruined cities? Do you see yourself in this vision, laboring with the others? Isaiah describes a time when the church is influencing society again--where the church is doctrinally strong and culturally relevant. God promises to give joy to those who have given themselves to this calling. Therefore, do not grow weary in doing good.

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Those Things Which Are Ahead

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 10:15:00 -0400

Paul reflects on his past with a purpose to motivate the church to move forward. Paul had many reasons to boast in his own flesh, but in all of those, there was no hope of salvation. Only faith in Christ could profit him, so he was willing to let go of everything else. He had to count all else as loss so that he could move forward in the work that God called him. As Paul kept walking by faith, he continued to count all things as loss. His desire, above all else, was to be identified with Christ. He desired an intimate, personal relationship with Christ. The knowledge of Christ is ever-increasing, so Paul had to continue to leave behind the past. Paul had decided that he was willing to go on by faith no matter what happened. What about you? Do you share in this desire to know God? Are you willing to share in the fellowship of Christ’s suffering and be conformed to Christ’s death? Paul then acknowledges that he has not already attained, or is already perfect, but he presses on. He had not yet finished the race, so he had to continue to press on by faith so that he could finish the race. Paul was convinced that there were more possibilities of grace beyond his own understanding. Let go of the way you used to understand, and be resolved to lay hold of that for which Christ has laid hold of you. Don’t become stuck in the past. God calls us continually forward. Reach forward to the promises of God ahead of you. There’s a goal ahead--eternity in the presence of God. There is still more for God to do in your life. Humble yourself and see by faith the further possibilities of grace and promises of God. Press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!
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The Glory of This Latter Temple

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 20 Jul 2017 08:55:00 -0400

The word of the Lord comes through Haggai during the feast of tabernacles, where the people held feasts remembering how the Lord had delivered them from Egypt. It was about one month since the people had started building a new temple for the Lord, but now they were getting discouraged. They started comparing this new temple with the old temple of Solomon, and were discouraged by the vast difference of the outward decoration and glory of the former temple compared to what they were building now. They had forgotten that the old temple was the very place of apostasy and idolatry for the Israelites. The Lord had departed from that temple because of the wickedness inside of it. God was looking at the inside, while the people were focused on the outside. Zechariah tells the people not to despise the day of small things but to rejoice because the Lord is going to show His power through the small beginnings. For it’s when we are weak that God shows forth His strength, grace and power. Therefore, don’t compare the small beginnings of where you are now with the past, or with the things around you. See by faith, and move forward to the fulfillment of God’s vision. God encourages the people to be strong and work because He is with them, and His Spirit remains among them. We are not to be confident in our own strength but instead trust in God, knowing that the presence of the Lord is enough to help us. The Lord of hosts is fighting on our behalf and He will complete His work, by His grace, not by our resources or understanding. God promises that the glory of this latter temple will be greater than the glory of the former temple, so we can be faithful to do what God’s called us to do.

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Fulfill Your Ministry

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 18 Jul 2017 08:54:00 -0400

The legacy of a leader is seen in the people that he’s influenced. God looks for people who look to serve others and who think little of themselves to be leaders. Paul was this type of leader to Timothy. He challenged Timothy to imitate him as he imitated Christ. And now as Paul was leaving this earth, Timothy had a mission--to carry on the vision that Paul had. Timothy was living in perilous times and Paul instructed Timothy that as Christians, they will suffer the rejection of men, but not to get discouraged. He told Timothy to continue in the things he’s been instructed, and then to teach others what he’s been taught. Paul’s desire was for Timothy to come into maturity, but only Timothy could step forward and continuously apply himself. Paul could not do this for Timothy. We have been raised up to now take what we’ve learned and bring it to others. The Gospel is a reproductive message, where we are shown the Scriptures, are changed by the Gospel, and then give it to others that they too might be changed. We must be intentional about the message we proclaim by first being intentional about what we think, and by casting down every thought contrary to Christ. Paul challenged Timothy, as we are now challenged, to make use of this ministry that we’ve been given, and to not be distracted or turned aside. We are to be watchful, and to fulfill the ministry that’s been passed on to us. We honor those who have taught us by obeying what they’ve taught and taking the teaching as our own. We are to now invest in others as those who’ve gone before us have invested in us. We must individually be committed to this vision. You must invest your mind, heart and desire to this calling.

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If God Is for Us Who Can Be Against Us?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 1 Jul 2017 12:37:00 -0400

We’ve all faced strained relationships--with family, co-workers, friends, etc. But when our relationship with God is strained, we experience the deepest anxiety. This is because we were not intended to be separate from God. Being out of union with God is usually due to sin, but God’s forgiveness can enable us to be brought back into a right relationship with Him. In King David’s life, he had sinned, but once he had sincere confession and repentance, God forgave him. David teaches us that God will bless you if you repent. If you repent of known sins, God’s blessing of forgiveness clears you of your conscience of your sin. God removes our sins when He forgives us. The guilt and responsibility of sin are gone. We can do nothing to earn this grace--it is a free gift of God. God’s grace not only removes the guilt of sin, but also the power of it. If we are unrepentant, God will discipline us. When David was running and hiding from the Lord, the Lord made him uncomfortable. God is our loving Heavenly Father, and He will not allow us to stay on the wrong path. If we continue in sin, there will be painful consequences. God has no delight in punishing the unrepentant. Once David did repent, the Lord forgave him. We, too, will find mercy and grace when we come to the Lord because He is gracious. Therefore, don’t cover and hide from your sin, but seek the Lord in repentance and you will find Him. You don’t know how much time you have, so seek the Lord now! God promises to help those who repent and obey. He will show you the way to go. Voluntarily choose to obey the Lord. If God is for you, who can be against you? Nothing else in this world compares to being in fellowship with God.

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The LORD's Messenger

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 22 Jun 2017 12:55:00 -0400

The book of Haggai starts at a time when the Israelites had started to rebuild the temple, but because of opposition, they stopped. They were unwilling to work because they thought that the time had not yet come to rebuild the temple. Instead, they were focused on their own lives and houses. Haggai speaks to them the word from God, to stir them up and to have them lift their eyes from the earth, to what God is trying to do. He tells them not to obsess over their dreams, plans or desires, but instead to look to the Lord and His will and purposes for their lives. We can’t prioritize the things of the earth over the work of the Lord. If we focus on ourselves first, we will waste our lives. Haggai was a true prophet whose primary concern was not that the people live in pleasure, but that the Lord is glorified. The true prophet calls people to consider their ways and examine themselves. We are called to take our eyes off of the temporal, and put it on the eternal. Live your life for the glory of God! A false prophet enforces people in their sin, while a true prophet declares the holiness of God. He declares to the people their sins and reveals to them the means of repentance. As a result of Haggai’s ministry, the people obeyed, and did not continue to waste their lives. They received the word from Haggai to be from God, and not man. After their obedience, Haggai gave a word of encouragement to the people. The work of the Lord must be done in faith and confidence, with a vision. We must be fully convinced that what God has promised, He will also perform. Obey the words of the true prophets, and set your hands on the work of the Lord!

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Do You Believe This?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 12:54:00 -0400

Our faith must be challenged and refined by the Scriptures. We must examine what we believe and allow God to expose areas that must be addressed and challenged so that we may have sound faith and foundational beliefs. In this passage, Jesus challenges what the people believed and what hindered them from embracing God’s intentions for their lives. Lazarus had died, and Martha is troubled. She has many questions because her expectations have not been met. Her understanding limited her from grasping a greater reality from God. Jesus questions her beliefs to see if she is willing to go beyond the comfortable confines of her accepted truths. We must let down our guard and step away from our comfortable beliefs, and step into Christ. This will be outside of what we can understand, but greater faith needs to be worked out in us. This is a process, so be willing to work this out. Let Christ uproot faithlessness. Make room in your own situation for God to move, instead of living in the limitations we set on God’s reality. If you will continue to trust God, you will see the glory of God. Raise your expectations to meet the promises of God. In this story, Mary and Martha’s perspectives were challenged, so that they might have a deeper faith, but also that those standing around them would see the glory of God. We are to be vessels, so God may use what seems to be inconveniences in our lives--our plans, our timing, our goals, our thoughts, our opinions--to show others the glory of God. What in your life hinders the Gospel’s work in you? Allow God to roll the stone away--to remove any unbelief or fear--to reveal the glory of God. Believe Him to do what He’s said He will do.
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God Has Set the Members

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 10:35:00 -0400

Paul describes to the Corinthian church how the church is the body. Each person is a member of the body and is necessary to the body because each serves a different part. Christ is the Head of the body, and without the Head, the church does not exist. Each member must be baptized into one body--buried with Christ in baptism, and then raised through faith. This baptism brings unity. It doesn’t matter who you were before baptism, now you are a part of Christ’s body. This is why the cure to racial discrimination is only possible by the Gospel. With this unity though there is diversity--diversity of gifts so that the body is useful to God. Paul encourages the church to not despair of your gift compared to another’s gift. Embrace the call of God on your life and be obedient to the role that God has shaped you to fulfill. Each member is necessary and dependent on the other parts of the body. God is the One who has set the members--it is not by human preference. The purpose of diversity of gifts is for the profit of all. Each member is to build up the whole body. No gift is for private advantage, but for the benefit of others. Paul also tells the church to not look down on others because their gifts are different than yours. Each gift is equal because each role is equally needed for the body to function, and is valued by God. There should be no division in the body--no separate interests. We should care for each other and provide for one another. Pray, encourage, exhort, and love one another. We are one body in Christ, so when one member suffers, all suffer. Realize the importance of your part in the body. This is God’s design, and it is just as He has pleased.
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The Gospel of the Kingdom

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 3 Jun 2017 14:20:00 -0400

In Matthew 23, Christ ends His ministry to the Jewish leaders by rebuking them because they are unwilling to come to Him. In the next chapter, Jesus leaves the temple because God has deserted it. Jesus’ disciples, however, were still focused on the exterior things and wanted to show Jesus the temple because they didn’t realize that God had abandoned it. When God calls us to something new, we cannot get stuck in what has always been. We must move on in obedience to the call of God. Christ tells His disciples of what will come in the future, but He tells them to not be troubled by these things. People will come deceiving many, so we must see and discern that we ourselves are not deceived. We must be diligent to study the Scriptures, and to test the spirits. In the media today, we hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see that you are not troubled. Don’t be ignorant of things going on, but don’t be consumed with all of it. Instead, fix your eyes on God and His promises. These things must come to pass, but the end is not yet, so walk by faith in the confidence of God. Remember the God that you serve. He is Sovereign and is working all things together for good. Persecution will come to Christians because there is hatred for Christ. There is a greater purpose being worked out though, so do not be troubled by it. People will betray and hate you, but we are commanded to endure--to persevere, and to hold fast to the faith. We’re also commanded to preach the Gospel and to bear witness to all. Instead of obsessing of the things that will come, set your mind and heart on reaching others with the truth of the Gospel. Christ is with us to the end of the age, so what do we have to fear?
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To Whom Else Shall We Go?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 27 May 2017 15:35:00 -0400

This sermon describes the ongoing preparation and transformation in our hearts by the Gospel. The Gospel challenges our desires and thinking into an intimacy and conformity to Christ. Our own desires keep us from God and from embracing the call of Christ, so we must have our desires realigned. In the passage, Jesus challenges those listening about what they are satisfied by. We must allow this exposing to take place, and then to allow the Gospel to transform those desires into God’s call for us. We are to seek the Kingdom of God, and then all things will be given to us. But the things that are given to us are not the desires of our flesh, but new desires aligned with God’s Kingdom. We are to let go of ourselves and face what the Gospel shows us. Unless you conform to Christ, you have no life in you. If you will give your life to Christ, He will give you life. As Christ’s disciple, there will be separation in your life. The Gospel requires something of us, but we are rewarded with eternal life in the end. If you will lose your life now, and allow the Gospel to realign your life, you will gain your life forever. Jesus knows that this work will be uncomfortable in your life, but He will reward you with everlasting life if you endure. Give yourself to this unseen work. God is shaping us for something far greater than ourselves and our desires. Christ asks each of us, do you want to go away and be satisfied with your flesh? Or are you willing to go through the transformation and have Christ as your prize? You must realize that there is no greater calling or commitment than God’s call in your life, and continue to press in and allow this work and transformation in your life.

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The Journey to Jerusalem

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 20 May 2017 10:34:00 -0400

This sermon describes Christ’s journey to Jerusalem. He journeyed to the cross with joy, not for death, but for the glory that would follow. He set out resolutely, not afraid of what He would face. Christ’s disciples also journeyed with Him, but they went with the spirit of pride, wrath, vengeance, and self-preservation. Christ went with the desire to be poured out for others, and with humility, forgiveness, self-sacrifice, and love. As you are being called into ministries, be sure you do it in a spirit like Christ’s—looking to save others. As the disciples and Jesus continued on their journey, they met others who were not willing to go down to Jerusalem, representing two temptations that people face when presented with the Gospel. The first was a religious man who was hoping that following the Lord would give him worldly advantage, wealth, and security. But Christ calls His followers to a life of faith and dependence upon the provision of God. Don’t let the things of this world and the thoughts of provision and your future consume you. These thoughts will only get in the way of being used by God. Although God does call us to provide for what we need, we are not to be consumed with the things that we want. The second man Jesus came across was one who desired control over his life, and put the desires for other things before Christ. He was looking for a guarantee of his future and did not want to wait for God’s provision, but he ended up missing the promise of God’s control and His faithfulness. Set your face steadfastly to go up to Jerusalem and be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit in your life because the call of Christ is deeply personal and individualized.

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Eternal Things

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 13 May 2017 09:27:00 -0400

Paul describes the role of the Gospel in one’s life to expose sin and wrong thinking. We are to come into the light and allow the Gospel to show us our imperfections and redeem how we define our own lives. The redeeming power of the Gospel reveals to us that we are now bondservants to Jesus. Our lives are common pots of clay, and it’s through the acceptance of this lowly position that the greatness of God is revealed. God shows who He is through those who are willing to be nothing. The challenges, trials and difficulties that we face are a reminder of how fragile we are, and God uses them to loosen our grip on this world. God is trying to reshape and redeem our lives and our mindset about our lives. God calls us to a death to self so that life may be formed. When we have this mindset, we do not lose heart in the trials because we know that God is working life in those around us through those trials. There is a real life purpose to those things that God challenges us to give up and surrender. My blessing and prosperity are not the highest aims. We can be confident of greater realities—that from death comes life—life in others now, and eternal life for ourselves. Death becomes a gateway for Christians to a greater life. We can have full assurance that if we die with Christ, we shall also be raised with Him. This realization takes the pressure off of ourselves and what we think our lives should be, and it gives our lives purpose. We don’t have to be held back from the pressure of fulfilling earthly ambitions, but this comes at the cost of us laying down our lives, including those ambitions. We have hope in the things that are to come, that are far more exceeding and eternal.

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The Fullness of Him

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 6 May 2017 14:41:00 -0400

Paul writes to the church at Ephesus to preserve the unity between the Jews and the Gentiles. It is only the Gospel that brings unity between God and humans, as well as between humans. Paul describes the benefits of unity which include blessings and graces of the Holy Spirit, redemption, and the forgiveness of sins. The work of God starts with, and continues, by faith. A necessary fruit of true saving faith is love for the saints. Love leads us to pray for one another, interceding for each other. We are to have a purpose in our prayers, acknowledging who God is. Understanding who God is will produce faith and confidence in our prayers. Paul prayed for wisdom and revelation for the church, which is only given by the work of the Holy Spirit. He prayed that the church’s heart and understanding would be right and pure. We too must have a right understanding, especially in the “post-truth” era we live in. Our understanding had been blinded by sin, so it must now be enlightened. Paul also prayed that the church would understand the power the God. This power is not native within us; the source of receiving this power is by believing. It is based on faith from beginning to end. The very same power that was required for God to raise Christ from the dead is available to us to raise us from deadness of sin. It is only the power of God that can make dead bones live. And God not only raised Christ from the dead, but He seated Christ at the right hand of God, and exalted Him to the highest conceivable honor, above all principalities and powers. By faith, we are co-heirs with Christ; therefore, we have nothing to fear, because Christ, as our Head, has been placed over all things.

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I Have Called You Friends

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 30 Apr 2017 20:12:00 -0400

What is unity? It is the state of harmony and oneness, where we forsake our differences and abandon our prejudices in order to be friends. This type of unity must be worked for with effort. Jesus calls us to this unity with Himself, and with the body of Christ around us. He establishes the role of believers with Himself, describing our submission to Him where He is our Source, Leader, and Teacher. Submission to Christ is the groundwork, but we are also to submit to each other. We are by nature barren and dry, and we must draw from the Vine as our source of life. If we understand this union, God will continue to prune us so that we may bear more fruit. But we can’t bear fruit on our own, or by our own acts of allegiance. Fruit comes from the inward working of God in a heart submitted to Him. It is only by your acceptance of Jesus’s doctrine that you will continue to bear fruit. And bearing fruit glorifies God because it is the evidence of His work in our lives. This union with Christ flows from God’s love for us. We will remain in His love if we keep God’s commands. This must come from the heart though, not just mere outward acts. We must see the Father’s love for us, and this will bring us joy to give of ourselves sacrificially to others. Christ laid down His life for us, and this love must change us, so that we can live sacrificial lives for others. Jesus will give us the power to lay down our lives for our friends, as well as for our enemies. When this love is seen by the world, it will be evidence to them of Christ’s love. Therefore, continue laying down your life in service to others. Your fruit will remain to the end of time, even if you don’t see it here and now.

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Come Follow Me

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 20 Apr 2017 20:49:00 -0400

Jesus’ resurrection shows us the power of redemption. His empty grave is an invitation to new life, but this new life comes at a cost. If we want to have fellowship with Christ in His glorification, we need to have fellowship with Him in the cross. We must come to terms with the cross in order to know the resurrection life. Will you accept these terms? Will you accept the cost? Only through death and suffering comes life—this is the Resurrection message. The empty grave shows Christ’s triumph—and He calls us into this triumph. Our redemption came at a high price. We need to see the reality of such a price. It’s nothing that we can earn, or work for on our own. Be reminded of God’s provision for our redemption and His kindness towards us. Christ came to redeem us from our failures and faults. Rejoice in the fact that we’ve been redeemed—not by our own works or deeds—but by the precious blood of Christ. Realize your insufficiency to free yourself from sin. Jesus’s sacrifice is the means of our redemption. He had to die so that we might be healed. We too must experience death to ourselves in order to know life and so that others may know life through us. We must actively be a part of this death. Don’t be afraid to let go of your life, or to be transformed. The empty tomb assures us that letting go of self will give us abundant life. So leave behind your securities, comforts and habits, and become a part of what Christ is doing. Experience the newness that the resurrection creates in us. Daily walk in this experience of Christ’s renewal, His resurrection, His life, and His hope. Follow Jesus to His death, and He will birth life in you.

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By Many or By Few

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 15 Apr 2017 10:26:00 -0400

The passage begins in the second year of Saul’s reign. The Philistines were oppressing the Israelites, so the Israelites waged war against them; however the Philistines came against them with a large army and surrounded them. Before the battle, Saul had made offerings to the Lord that only the high priest Samuel was suppose to offer. Samuel rebuked Saul for his disobedience, but Saul blamed others for his sin. He was unrepentant and refused to admit his own sin. He was not looking to God so he hid because he did not feel safe. He felt he was cast out of God’s protection and he saw God as his enemy, not his protector. If you find yourself in this place, repent and return to the Lord! Saul then turned to false religion. His son, Jonathan, however, had a confidence in the Lord and was dependent on Him. Jonathan and his armorbearer knew that there is no limitation with the Lord. His armorbearer bore witness to Jonathan’s vision and calling of the Lord. Likewise, we too can encourage those around us and our spiritual leaders by sharing in the vision. Jonathan followed the providence of God and took hints and direction from God. God will guide us as we trust in Him. We must learn to discern what God is doing, even in the smallest details, and not rely on our own understanding. God uses every detail to direct our steps. Jonathan obeyed God’s guidance, and he was confident that the Lord would deliver Israel, by many or by few. Only Jonathan and his armorbearer came to the Philistines, but they all fell before him, and his armorbearer killed them. Their faith inspired the others to join the battle. Fear was replaced by faith, because they knew that nothing restrains the Lord.

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All the Desire of Israel

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 6 Apr 2017 19:55:00 -0400

The Israelites desired a king like all the other nations. From all outward appearances, Saul was the perfect choice for king. Samuel knew, though, that this would divert their eyes from looking to and depending on God, but the Israelites were resolved to have a king. Sometimes God frustrates us in His love by not giving us something we desire, and other times He gratifies us in His wrath by giving us what He knows is not best for us. In the passage here, God tells Samuel to give the people what they desired, and He providentially orchestrates Saul into meeting Samuel. The people wanted an earthly king because they were depending and focused on man, instead of depending on God. Samuel, however, had an intimate, personal connection with the Lord and heard from Him, and God heard Samuel’s requests in return. You have to put your anxieties to rest so that you can hear from God. We are called to cast our cares on God. The Israelites’ desire was on Saul though, a man after their own hearts. Saul did not have confidence in himself, or in God, and always lived with a sense of inferiority. Whenever you have this sense of inferiority in yourself, do not turn to men or nations, but turn to God. May your eyes be fixed on the Lord. Examine your heart to see what your desire is on, because whatever your desire is fixed upon, will rule and reign over you. But only Christ deserves to rule and reign over us!

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Receiving the Seed on the Good Ground

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 1 Apr 2017 10:34:00 -0400

Jesus challenges the intent of the heart of the people He is speaking to. He addresses the expectations of their ideas of what the Kingdom of God is, as well as our vulnerability because good soil has to be soft to receive and take anything in. To hear the Gospel is to comprehend or understand. God grants the ability to hear to those who are willing. What you are expecting from the Kingdom of God affects how willing you are to be involved in the Kingdom. If you have any other intent than God Himself, you will seek self-sufficiency and independence. You will have the most growth spiritually when you are willing to receive. How you hear is dictated by what you are seeking after. If the soil of your heart is not good you will not be able to receive. Those who cannot understand the Kingdom of God will reject it. If you are not willing to let God change how you see and hear, you are in danger of missing out on what God wants to offer—fulfillment, life, and freedom. You must set aside your fears and own desires so that you can be able to hear, see and receive. You must be willing to endure the working out of this in your life. The first seed fell on hard ground, depicting the hardness of one’s heart. If the Gospel does not align with your personal desires, you will give no place to it. You must lay aside your life and own definition of the Kingdom of God. The second seed fell on stony ground, showing no depth of faith. They have a lack of willingness to endure because of their own desires, anxieties and preferences. The third seed was choked out, showing competing desires that choke out faith. The last seed fell on good soil, or a heart submitted to the whole truth of God.

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The Mantle of Elijah

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 12:22:00 -0400

The LORD was about to take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind. Elisha joins Elijah when he goes up from Gilgal. Before leaving he tells Elisha to stay behind, but Elisha responds that he will not. The sons of the prophets at both Bethel and Jericho tell Elisha that Elijah was going to be taken away. They did not see the event in the sacred light as Elisha did. When Elijah asks Elisha again not to continue on with him he makes a very strong oath that he will not leave him. It is likely that he was thinking back to the moment that Elijah had first called him to follow him. Fifty students from the school of the prophets at Jericho watch them from a distance as they stand at the bank of the Jordan River. They stood facing them at a distance as spectators. These men did not understand that all must enter into the service of God. They did not understand that all of the sons of the prophets were being called to the work of the LORD beside Elisha in the reformation of Israel. But these men chose to stand facing them at a distance. Both Elijah and Elisha cross the Jordan, symbolic of a time of transition. Elijah asks Elisha what he desires. He responds by asking for a double portion of his spirit. Then Elijah is taken away. Elisha picks up the mantle of Elijah and goes to the bank of the Jordan River. Now the LORD God of Elijah must become the LORD God of Elisha. Elisha had trusted in Elijah, now he had to personally trust in the LORD. He shows his faith in the LORD by striking the water of the Jordan River and it parts before him. The LORD had become his God as well. May the LORD God of Elijah become our LORD and our God.

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The Kingdom of God

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 22 Mar 2017 12:31:00 -0400

Christians need to constantly examine themselves to determine where it is that they stand. Discipleship is for those who are willing to set themselves aside for the Kingdom of God. We must be willing to lay aside our lives for the Kingdom of God. We must not give ourselves to the goal of another kingdom. Often, the focus is on an earthly and secular kingdom. Many in the time of Christ saw in the promised Messiah the fulfillment of their own purposes. But Christ came to fulfill an inward and not an outward kingdom. There are many competing visions of the Kingdom of God and Christ came to cleanse and deliver us from this. Our culture tries to tell us what our lives should look like, but we cannot listen. The call of Christ goes against the pressures the world puts on us. The Gospel is not about earthly blessing. The Lord is seeking in each generation those that will surrender their lives to Him. The rich are those that are goal driven and overwhelmed. They are focused on wealth, goals, a certain timeline of their life and their peers and their culture influence them. Many will spend their whole lives on these pursuits, but all is vanity. We must lay aside our lives for the sake of the Kingdom of God. We must not put all our time and energy into things that are passing away. We are blessed so we can serve others for the Kingdom of God. Christ calls us to love all things less in comparison to Christ and His Kingdom. Are we willing to fulfill the role that God has called us to? Are we willing to be servants? We will be a sacrifice and a ransom for others. We are to lay down our lives for the sake of the Kingdom of God, not for our own preferences and desires.

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By a Great Deliverance

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 10:43:00 -0400

Much had taken place in the life of Joseph to bring him to this moment, much suffering, trial, hardship, and difficulty. Upon his command all of his servants leave and Joseph reveals his identity to his brothers, and he wept aloud. This was the moment that all of his trials had brought him to, from the moment that his brothers had sold him into slavery 22 years before. Joseph’s brothers are silent before him. They fear that he will take revenge upon them. But Joseph had forgiven his brothers and he tells them not to be grieved or angry with themselves. Joseph acknowledges the providence and sovereignty of God even in the midst of the trials he had been through. Joseph acknowledges that if he had not been sold into slavery in Egypt then both Egypt and Canaan would have perished in the famine. Here in the end he attributes all to the overruling providence of God. Over 22 years Joseph had sought the Lord for an answer as to why all this had taken place. Joseph now acknowledges that what had taken place had been on account of God’s overruling providence. Joseph acknowledged that God does not permit any temporal evil that does not clear the way for a greater good. Joseph’s brothers had sold him, but it was God who sent him. If this had not taken place the people of the covenant would have been wiped out. All the sons of Israel would have been no more. The twelve tribes of Israel would have perished. Joseph tells his brothers to go and tell his father of his testimony. God had worked all things together for good. God had brought about a great deliverance! Pharaoh pours blessing upon blessing upon Jacob and his family. He provides for every step of the journey.

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Now Therefore Arise

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 10:42:00 -0400

In every generation God chooses specific people for a specific purpose. They are to arise and enter by faith into the work God has prepared them to do. The time of wandering in the desert was a time of preparation and now they are to cross over the Jordan. Joshua and the people were a testimony of Moses. God had used Moses to prepare Joshua and Caleb and now the people were to enter in. God promised that He would be with them. He had prepared them for this work. Step out in faith to what the Lord has prepared you for. The people had to join them in this work. They needed to trust in what the Lord had spoken. This was a time for the trying of their faith. God had led them all and joined them together for this work. He had brought them through the wilderness for this. The ground of their confidence was that God would not leave them nor forsake them. The promise of God is that He will be with His people. We must be fully convinced that what God has promised He is able to perform. The task before them was great. We must not be afraid of what will come. We must move forward. God will sustain and help His servants. There must be refinement to bring unity and love to the body. There must be no motivations for ambition or personal glory. The people must go in together. They must be unified. We must follow the leading of the Lord by faith. Do not let a lack of faith keep you from starting a work. They are to arise and join the work of God. The people respond: “We will go!” They would pray for their leaders and pledge their willing participation in the work before them. They would go in and inherit the land that God had promised them.
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Before the Lamp of God Went Out

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 20:38:00 -0400

Israel was fading into spiritual darkness at this time. It was a time of moral darkness and rebellion. The word of the Lord was rare and there was no widespread revelation. The sons of Eli were corrupt and did not know the Lord. They looked at the priestly office as gain for themselves. Eli was very old and incapable of controlling his own sons. Samuel was young and immature, but he was sincere. Eli could barely physically and spiritually see anymore and the lamp of God was going out in the tabernacle. One night while Eli and Samuel were lying down in the court of the tabernacle the Lord called Samuel. The young boy ran to Eli on three separate occasions because he did not yet know the Lord and the word of the Lord was not yet revealed to him. Samuel confused the call of the Lord with the call of Eli. He confused the call of the Lord with the call of another. It was not yet personal to him, it was wrapped up in someone else. He could not go the rest of his ministry being dependent upon Eli’s knowledge of the Lord and the revelation of the word of the Lord to Eli. Finally the third time Eli taught him to seek the word of the Lord and not the word of another. The word the Lord reveals to Samuel is a word of sorrow, calamity and destruction against the house of Eli! Samuel sees that to receive the word from the Lord is a burden and a heavy responsibility. Samuel speaks the word to Eli and moves away from his dependency upon him. Samuel becomes a prophet to all of Israel. We must lay aside the ephod and the little robe and mature from a place of dependency upon another. We must respond as individuals to God’s call and answer, “Speak, for Your servant hears.”

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I Count All As Loss

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 8 Mar 2017 20:37:00 -0500

Paul gave the right to his own life away when he came to Christ. He laid aside the temptations to advance in this life and he let go of the comforts of this world. Paul was willing to count the things of this world as loss for the sake of Christ. He knew he could trust God for all the provision he needed to fulfill the vision God had called him to. False teaching puts the focus of people on the earth and not upon God. Paul at one time had a comfortable idea of what his life was going to be like. He had a plan for the future. Paul now counted all things as rubbish that he may gain Christ. He was faced with the emptiness of his pursuit. We must lay aside the “American Dream” for the sake of Christ. We cannot focus on the things of this world and let go of the call of God on our lives. The Gospel is changing the earthly for the eternal. Even in the midst of struggle and hindrances he moves forward toward the goal and calling of God. Paul was willing to experience the lack of satisfaction in this world that he may find his satisfaction in Christ. His faith led him to forget the things that were behind and reach forward to what is ahead. Do not let fears and doubts keep you back from moving forward by faith. God is calling us to His vision and will, not to our will. We must overcome self-obsession and over forward to what God has called us to do. We are being called as a body to fulfill this vision and work. Let us have this mind together. As a Church we are to have one mind, we are to forsake our own dreams for the vision of the Body of Christ. Lay aside your will for the will of God. We must lay down our own lives for the sake of God’s call and vision.

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Do Not Be Afraid

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 5 Mar 2017 21:10:00 -0500

The response that Christ receives in each area of His ministry was dependent on the people’s response to His grace; it was dependent on faith. In Nazareth the people expected Him to do mighty works there simply because He was raised in their city. When Christ told them He would not do so they attempted to kill Him and throw Him over a cliff. In Capernaum the people responded by faith and Christ cast out demons and healed the sick. Luke then focuses on an individual’s response. Because of the crowds Christ has to preach from a boat offshore and He chooses Peter’s boat. This was not the first time Peter had interacted with Christ. Peter had met Christ when told about Him from his brother Andrew. Then Christ called Peter and told him that He would make him a fisher of men. And Christ had also healed Peter’s mother in law as well. In this story Peter is found counting the cost of following Christ. Peter still had a degree of ownership over his life. He still maintained a measure of ownership over his occupation and his future. He had a secure and stable existence. But then Christ tells him to let down his net again there is a miraculous catch of fish. Christ showed Peter that He is sovereign over all things, even the fish in the Sea of Galilee. What would have taken weeks or months of work the LORD provided in a moment. Peter repents and sees that he can trust Christ with all things! He repents of his possessiveness, worries, concerns, planning, and dreams. He forsook all and followed Him. Do not let your worries and concerns keep you from following Him and doing what He is calling you to do for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

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Looking Unto Jesus

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 26 Feb 2017 21:09:00 -0500

Faith has been the source of every work of the Church. Faith grasps the promises of God and holds onto them. Faith is belief in God that forms the substance of our lives, which is produced through testing. If we endure on the path set before us we will have true and genuine faith through perseverance. One man with God is a majority. From one life of faith was born a multitude. This is true of men like Abraham who believed God for the impossible. Even when they did not receive what they hoped for they continued to trust God anyway. Abraham left behind his former security with confident expectation and anticipation. We must lay down what we want to pursue for what God is calling us to do. Moses refused the earthly comfort of Egypt for a heavenly reward. He refused to lay aside the call of God for the sake of himself. He died to his own goals and pursued God’s call on his life. We are told by the world to pursue secular goals, to make more money and live the American dream. We must die to all of this and live by faith and walk toward the fulfillment of the vision of God’s kingdom. The world promises deliverance but if we look to the world’s goals we will miss out the call of God. The world tells us it won’t work and it won’t be worth our time. Faith sees beyond all of this. We could give our lives to working more and making a lot of money. We could give in to the world’s goals and ambitions and lay aside the promise and the vision that God has given. Faith does not mean success. We must see as God sees, not as the world sees. What God offers is of real value. Do not judge yourself according to the standards of the world. We live for the kingdom that is coming.

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The Good Shepherd

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 21 Feb 2017 21:12:00 -0500

The way of salvation is not closed to us. If we knock the door will be opened. God is willing to forgive all who come to Him. If a sinner comes the way God has shown we will be forgiven. God invites us to accept Him as the Lord of our lives. God simply knocks and gives us the power to respond to His knock by grace. He does not force us but we may resist His drawings. We could be regenerated, restored, and made new that we may love Him freely. If a person desires to enter where God is they must enter through Christ. He is the only door into God’s presence. It is only through faith in Christ that the door is opened. Many refuse God’s way of salvation and try to climb up another way. The Pharisees were those who claim to know the way of salvation but refuse to go in themselves. There are Pharisees in every generation. Jesus is completely different from those that enter ministry to gain for themselves but do not feed the flock. Christ is the door. Only through Him can we enter into His kingdom. Everyone else is a thief and a robber. Jesus is the only door that opens up to green pasture. He brings safety, security, peace, and salvation. His pasture alone can satisfy our souls. The thief is the opposite of the Shepherd. Anyone who says there is another door is a thief and will lead many to destruction. Jesus is the great Shepherd; false shepherds are those who are not truly called. We must leave our lives in the hands of Christ. We must see God as greater than our troubles. We must continue believing in Christ. We must lay down our lives by faith and follow the Spirit and not the flesh. The question is who reigns in your heart? May we no longer be slaves to sin.

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Walking By Faith

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 19 Feb 2017 19:32:00 -0500

This widow was faithful to God but still suffered oppression. The unjust judge had no sympathy for the woman. Day after day the widow haunted him. The woman was determined and persistent. She caused a great annoyance to come upon the judge. Men always ought to pray and not lose heart. When life doesn’t make sense we must remember this. Let us not be discouraged even if God takes a long time. Let us persevere. God will avenge. He will even the score and watch out for us. The elect are those who persevere in faith. God calls His elect to Himself. The predestined are those that are chosen by faith in Christ. Everyone who has faith is a child of Abraham. Persistence shows the faithfulness and mercy of God. The weapon of the widow was ceaseless prayer. God gives mankind an opportunity to turn to Him. God bears long with us and gives us an opportunity to repent. God will avenge His elect “speedily” and unexpected. God will intervene and aid His people. Not “quickly,” but “speedily.” God permits suffering long after we pray to Him. In the Lord’s time the prayers of the elect will be answered. God will move and be swift in judgment, but we must wait on God’s time. God will avenge His elect. Those that refuse the mark of the Beast will have victory over the Beast. These are called “chosen” and “faithful.” No one is predestined for Hell. God will justify those who live by faith in Him. Those who endure to the end will be saved. Some will depart from the faith in the end. Narrow is the way. Many are called but few choose to follow. We must continue to walk by faith in Christ and not by sight. Are you walking by faith? We must walk by faith or we will not enter the glory of God.

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Hold Fast the Vision

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 15 Feb 2017 19:31:00 -0500

Where there is no vision, the people perish. Opposition to the work of the LORD increases as the success of the LORD’s work increases. This was the case as Nehemiah and the Jews were successful at rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. The enemies of the Jews, such as Sanballat, began to mock the Jews. They sought to discredit them and destroy the work. They mocked both the Jews and the LORD. They told them the task was impossible. Often, the mocking of those who oppose the work of the LORD mock in the same way that the servants of the LORD are being tempted. But great works of God have very small beginnings. Nehemiah refused to forget the vision that God had given him even in the midst of temptations and mocking being brought against the work. The wall continued to be built because the people had a heart to work. Now the enemies of the LORD began to plan an attack. They turn to violence. Nehemiah turns to the LORD in prayer and sets a watch for the enemies of the LORD both day and night. Then the people of Judah begin to say the situation is impossible. They acknowledge they their strength is failing. Then many of the Jews begin to succumb to the fearful taunts of the enemies of the work and give in to their fears. They began to be tempted that something terrible and awful was going to happen outside of their control and God’s control. In times like this the LORD’s servants cannot give in to temptations and lose faith! God will bring His work to completion! We must remember that the LORD is great and awesome! Our God will fight for us! Do not lose sight of the vision, we must continue to faithfully labor and work toward its fulfillment.

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Cause Your Face to Shine

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 12 Feb 2017 19:30:00 -0500

The world that Christ was born into was a world of darkness. The message of Christmas is that God came to give illumination and hope. A people in darkness were given a great light. It was a fulfillment of a promise to bring restoration and life. What we see in the Christmas message is the fulfillment of the promise. In our time we can only cling to having hope in God Almighty. There is no other hope today. Christ in us is alone the hope of glory. We must believe that God can and will do what He promised. We must walk in expectation and hope and God will bring hope to His own. Our hope is in Him. Our hope is that He will move in our world, our generation, and our families. We may feel the pressure of everything around us, but God will come and He will set us free. We must walk in expectant faith. The LORD will not cast us off forever. Even if He allows difficulty for a season the LORD will intervene. He will not be angry forever. Christ came as the promise of restoration and hope. We must remember the faithfulness of the LORD during times of trial. Because of His mercy God helps all those who walk by faith. Let us remember all that God has done that seemed impossible at the time. All that we face, God will make a way. When Christ was born He alone was able to satisfy those who longed for Him. We are to long for the coming of the Messiah in the way that the faithful did before the birth of Christ. May we long for His salvation and His grace that He would move in our lives and the lives of those around us. Christ came for restoration. He will make all things new. He came to bring hope. The hope of Christmas is the hope of restoration. There is hope of restoration by faith.

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Our Deliverer

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 7 Feb 2017 10:20:00 -0500

God is the God of all comfort. He is the Father of mercies. He cares and encourages, consoles, and gives us the grace to persevere. It does not mean that we avoid suffering, but He gives us strength to go through the suffering. God comforts us in our tribulation so we could comfort those in trouble. God wants to comfort us and then He wants us to comfort others. We will all go through trials and suffering. But when we go through suffering we must remember that God is with us. Through trials we are given a testimony to share with others. The weight around our neck can launch us into ministry to others. God matches our suffering with comfort. Christ faced all the suffering that we go through. Christ became our perfect Savior by identifying with us in every way. There is confidence in His ability to deliver us. This is not escaping or avoiding suffering but by steadfast endurance. Through our endurance He will give us steadfast hope and through this hope we endure until the end. We are to be crucified to the world. Our only hope is in the cross and through this hope we become steadfast. God is our deliverer. The Apostles had a sentence of death upon them. God uses suffering to teach us trust and to stir consolation and comfort in others. Believers who suffer are not to become bitter or complain. We should be able to bear under suffering. One cannot share with others unless they have had the consolation in the midst of suffering themselves. We must encourage others that are facing suffering, we are to comfort, minister, and help one another. God uses suffering so we trust God to deliver us, we are to trust God to deliver us from daily suffering and trials.

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Rise Up and Build

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 10:19:00 -0500

Nehemiah was a cupbearer for Artaxerxes I of Persia. He was an officer of high rank and was held in high esteem by the most powerful person on the face of the earth. But here he is sad in the presence of Artaxerxes. Nehemiah was merely showing on his face the much deeper anguish and sorrow of his heart. The sadness of Nehemiah began when he heard about the state of the Jews and the city of Jerusalem. Nehemiah was concerned about the LORD and the honor of His name. Nehemiah was grieved because he knew what the people of God were called to be. He knew what the people of God had been at one time. But now they were a distressed and reproached remnant. Nehemiah was also grieved because Jerusalem had been the dwelling place of the kings of Israel and the city of the living God! But now it was broken down and the gates of the city were burned with fire. Nehemiah longed for the restoration of God’s people, he longed for the restoration of the place of God’s dwelling upon the earth. Four months of weeping, mourning, fasting, and praying go by and then God in His providence opens up an opportunity. Artaxerxes asks Nehemiah what he requests. Nehemiah asks Artaxerxes for an opportunity to rebuild the city of Jerusalem and he allows him to go. After his arrival in Jerusalem Nehemiah observes the city of Jerusalem in ruins by night. But he sees past the destruction that is before him. Instead he had a vision based on the promises of God. No matter what the city of Jerusalem currently looked like he saw by faith what it could become by the LORD’s power. He then calls on the people of Israel to rise up and build. Fix your eyes on God and vision He has given.

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Watch and Pray

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 24 Jan 2017 10:18:00 -0500

The Scriptures have been given to us so we can continue to have the LORD prepare us for the life to come. Life creates a longing to depart and see what Christ has prepared for us. We should desire to see eternity. As we draw nearer to the LORD and walk closer and closer to Him we will not be consumed with the cares and worries of this life. All will pass away. We must not be too focused on building up our own kingdom. We are to lay aside every weight, anything that will keep us from the crown of life. We must not neglect godliness for the sake of the things of this world. Those who are not ready are distracted. We must watch and pray. We cannot fully pursue the world and live for the glory of God at the same time. We must respond to the Gospel message. This is the separation between those who are ready and those who are not. We must continue to walk by faith so God con continue to transform us by the power of the Holy Spirit. God does not promise us tomorrow but He promises us eternal life by faith. We must acknowledge that this life is passing away. We are pilgrims. The danger is that the Day of Judgment will come upon us when we are not prepared. May we be prepared and use the grace He has poured out to be ready. Do not be distracted, overcome, or overwhelmed by this life. God desires that we would be ready for this day. If we persevere by faith He will keep us and prepare us for this day. All things in the life are passing away. Let us strive by faith to be ready. Do not let the things of this world become idols. So many have given their soul in exchange for this life. God desires to separate our hearts from these things. God is preparing us by faith.

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Come Now and Let Us Reason

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 17 Jan 2017 10:17:00 -0500

God sees the human population in rebellion against Him. All have turned away from the LORD. The sin of the first Adam has spread to all. It has caused a deep scarlet stain. It is our sin that God has a problem with. All sin deserves the wrath of God. Reason is supposed to come by divine light and revelation from the LORD. God wants us to reason with Him. Mankind must see his miserable and lost estate. The majority of humanity has been unable to reason what is the will of God our Creator. Sin has impacted everything. God has the right to enact justice upon the entire population. If you are willing to repent of your sins and turn to God through faith we can become as white as snow. Before we can understand the difference between sin, righteousness, and judgment, we must come to repentance. God gives all enough grace to come to repentance. It is the Holy Spirit that changes us and gives us power and gifts. Repentance may only last for a moment, but the transforming power of the Holy Spirit lasts a lifetime. The Christian becomes a habitation of the Holy Spirit. Then repentance goes on to a total change. With the Holy Spirit comes power and understanding. After we have been born of the Holy Spirit He does the work in us and transforms us. It is self-preference that keeps us from righteous decisions. Our heart is wicked above all things. Natural man’s reason is built on sand. That is why we must reason with God. Redemption is the price of release and to buy back. Redemption is through faith in Christ. There must be change. Sanctification begins and continues as we walk by faith. We must remain justified by faith and the work of the LORD will continue in us.

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My Kingdom

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 10:15:00 -0500

Jesus was seen as a threat to the religious kingdom of the Jews. Therefore, He is accused of blasphemy and condemned to death. But then the same group of people refuses to enter into the Praetorium of Pilate because they were afraid that they would become defiled. The same group of people who had just spit in the face of Christ, beat Him, and struck Him with the palms of their hands! They were afraid they would be defiled, while the whole time they ignored the defilement in their own hearts. The Jews showed themselves to be in bondage both to the inward wickedness of their own hearts and the outward bondage to ceremonial law. They did not see that from within, out of the heart of men proceeded all the evil things that defile a man. They were in bondage and slavery but claimed to be free while living under the rule of an oppressive legalistic and ceremonial law. And the law was entirely unable to purify their hearts. The only way that one may be free is to be set free by Christ. One must be regenerated, justified, and adopted. But there is no hope of freedom or adoption outside of Jesus Christ, because true freedom is only possible when God makes one free by faith. Pilate, like the Jews, was trying desperately to hold on to his kingdom. But even in spite of these efforts it was slipping out of his hands. But the kingdom of Christ is not from here. It could not be found in the religious kingdom of Jews or the political kingdom of the Romans. Both of these kingdoms were coming to an end. But the kingdom of Christ will never end! We must continue to look by faith to the everlasting kingdom that will not pass away and not be destroyed.

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God Is My Goal

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 3 Jan 2017 10:14:00 -0500

The only hope for mankind is repentance and to live with God as their goal. There are so many who seek to distract the people of God from their focus on Him. God is longsuffering because His mercy and because He wills for all to come to repentance. We must enter in to what God has called us to. We must see the goodness and mercy of God working. We must have a new mindset and vision. We must be wise and purposeful with our time. God is not slack concerning His promises. He is purposeful in His mercy. Time is running out. What the people hold on to will be burned up. Only that which is of God will remain. Be warned those who scoff and are forgetful! The Day of the LORD will come! The Day of the Dawning of Christ is ever upon us. Have hope that Christ will fulfill what He has promised. Those who have been awakened by the truth must respond to the call of God. We are to walk in love and in light. This leads to repentance and sanctification. We must be ready to enter our eternal home and allow Him to prepare us for this eternal home. We are to remain free of this world and its ambitions. Christ came to establish in our hearts: “God as our goal.” We must be separate and set apart with God as our goal. We must look for and hasten the coming of the Day of God and be ready when that Day comes. We should be looking for a new heaven and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Our only guarantee is this, not anything taking place around us. We must have vision for the coming kingdom. Do not let others pull you down to the earth. Do not forget your eternal calling. Let your works follow faith. Maintain an eternal purpose. Consider that the longsuffering of the LORD is salvation.

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Wrestling Before God and Not With God

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 10:13:00 -0500

We are to surrender entirely to God and obey His teaching. Christ spoke directly by the authority of the Father, His ways and thoughts were of Him who sent Him. The conflict is to know the doctrine; man must be willing to know the doctrine of God. There must be obedient submission. Every faithful believer will see the truth of Christ’s words, everyone who is of the truth will hear His voice. Every believer can know what God teaches when they come to the Truth. It comes from the LORD and not from us. This can be illustrated in the story of Jacob. He was born into a family of favoritism. He took the birthright and the blessing from his brother Esau. But the LORD saw something in Jacob He did not see in Esau. Up to the point of wrestling before God Jacob had operated in the flesh. Now he faces crisis. He became a cripple because he wrestled with the LORD. But at this point he willingly accepted God’s call, he obeyed and consecrated himself to the LORD, God protected him, and God blessed him. God has a distinct plan for each person’s life. God has a plan and purpose for everything He allows into our lives. God is not far away from any of us. God used Jacob to replace Esau and fulfill His purposes. The perfect will of God is to bring us to the greatest good. God desires the eternal happiness of us all. We must wrestle before God rather than with God. We cannot face all the struggles in our lives by ourselves. We are to be strong in the LORD and the power of His might. We must put on the armor of God and cast off the works of darkness. The evil day is the day of temptation, may God give us strength as we put on Jesus Christ by faith.

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The Lord Shall Reign Forever and Ever

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 11 Dec 2016 20:40:00 -0500

What is recorded in this passage is true worship. True worship exalts God for who He is and exalts the work that God has done. True worship focuses on the LORD and praises Him for what He has done. God has done this work to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt. He alone deserves all the praise and all the glory. The children of Israel simply had to stand still by faith and see the salvation of the LORD. They were told to hold their peace and remain silent. The LORD works on behalf and within individuals according to the response of each one to His grace. He dealt with the Israelites and the Egyptians very differently. To Israel He had become their strength, their song, and their salvation. To the Egyptians He had become a man of war. Pharaoh had hardened his heart and the LORD had hardened his heart even further. The cup of his iniquity was now full and the LORD would give no further restraining grace. Those who grieve the Spirit and resist the grace of God will become bold and presumptuous in sin and God will bring them to destruction. The end of those who rise against God is that they will be overthrown. They will be consumed like stubble. True worship focuses on God and praises Him for who He is. When we see God as glorious in holiness we will be reverent in praises. It is only when one has seen God and comes to know Him that one can truly worship Him in the reverence and awe He deserves. God’s saving work always begins with His mercy and His grace. And God will bring His saving work to completion! This is the covenant of the LORD that is based on faith. It is a conditional covenant based on faith. True worship draws attention to the LORD and leads others to fear Him.

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Carry Out the Rubbish From the Holy Place

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 4 Dec 2016 20:40:00 -0500

Hezekiah had become king after the death of his wicked father King Ahaz. The Kingdom of Judah had come to a very low place. Hezekiah was not willing to follow the ways of his father. His first step was not to build up his own kingdom. Instead, he sets out to do is undo what his father had done. His desire was for reformation. He had zeal for God and for the house of the LORD. He had a desire to undo all the wickedness that had been done. Before he could establish religious reforms he realized the individual lives of others had to be cleansed. Individual idols need to be cast out so hearts can be open to God. The people had turned their backs on the LORD. Hezekiah had made a decision to step out in faith and call for repentance. He steps forward to a place of leadership and maturity. He pledged to give his life to the LORD. What stirred and motivated him was the glory of God. We must make a covenant with the LORD and renew our consecration and our vows to the LORD. We must strive by faith toward what He has called us to do! God has called us to be agents of reform in our society and the Church. God has called us forward to this time and purpose. Hezekiah knew what God had called him to do. He was not going to listen to the voices of his day. He sought to know the heart of the LORD. It had to begin in the hearts of each one. A life of one faithful man stirs many around him to be awakened. It is the work of God to begin in the heart and then to spread to the rest of the people. This is the only hope for the Church and the nation. We are to humble ourselves, pray, and turn away from what hinders us. Do not limit what God can do through us by His grace.

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Have You Really Counted the Cost?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 27 Nov 2016 20:38:00 -0500

There is a banquet and you have all been invited, but one must open the door. God gave Christ that all who comes to Him may be saved. None will be turned away who come to Him. God calls sinners to repentance so they could be saved. We must step out of self and into faith in Christ. God’s purpose and desire is for all to come into His house. To be unwilling is to put self before God. God is not willing that any should perish. It is an invitation that we must accept. Only through faith in Christ could we be saved. We must not let the cares and the worries of this world overwhelm us. No society rises above its knowledge of God. This is why Christianity is on the decline in Europe and America. Mankind is on a path to reject the truth and put itself before God. The attitude of mankind will continue to exalt itself in pride. Secular humanism puts man first as is happening in America today. People make excuses instead of following God. We must remember that everything is on loan. Every person must decide after counting the cost if they will follow Christ or not. Many people even after responding to the Gospel refuse to give up self. Mankind was created to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh. Most of mankind is satisfied when we get what we want. But we are to love less all things compared to the LORD. We must not love anything more than God. We must give God command over everything. We are called to forsake all that we have, but are you willing? Even the righteous go through trials, but even this is according to the will of God. Will you go on and trust God? Have you counted the cost? Are you willing to follow Him? May we follow Christ all the way to Heaven by faith.

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The Lord Your God Carried You

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 20 Nov 2016 20:37:00 -0500

The spies and the people of Israel had lost sight of God and His promises. They had become focused on themselves and their own inability to enter the Promised Land. And they rebelled against the LORD. They complained in their tents. They came to false theological conclusions about who God is and about trials. They focused on their own inability to overcome. They listened to those who discouraged their hearts. And they focused on their difficulties and ignored the LORD. Complaining is often motivated by a lack of faith. They had forgotten the provision and providence of the LORD! Moses responds to the people and exhorts them to look to the LORD by faith! To look at the amazing works that God had done on their behalf! The LORD is the One who will fight for them! They needed to remember what He had already done! They needed to see in faith that HE will continue to do awesome works! He had sent the ten plagues! He had parted the Red Sea! And He had carried them through the wilderness. Every detail of their journey was planned before them; the path for them to walk on was set before them. God showed them every step they were to take. All they had to do was walk by faith. God had delivered them, carried them, and planned the path before them. As long as we walk by faith God will do all the work in us and through us. He will deliver us and He will carry us. He will plan the path before us and lead us through it. There is one condition for salvation: faith. There is one condition for damnation: absence of faith. Unbelief always leads to the sin of disobedience. Do not cast away your faith in the LORD! Do not draw back. But continue on in faith to the saving of the soul.

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I Am Being Poured Out

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 20:36:00 -0500

There is nothing that shows our devotion to God more than being poured out. The life of the Christian is to be a life that is poured out and broken for others. It is God working through us; it is not something we do. God is longing for lives to be given to Him; our calling is to be given entirely to Him. We are to pursue being filled to the uttermost. We are to come into unity with one another. We are to be unified with Christ and one another. Do not fall into self-seeking, but focus on others. Do not seek to outdo one another, but ear with one another. We are to focus on others and not self. Let us die to selfishness and instead live a life for others. God seeks to do a work in us. We are to follow the example of Christ. The greatest purpose of our life is to serve. We are to let go of what we think we should be and take on the form of a servant. Christ lowered Himself, He emptied Himself, and He willingly became a servant. This is what it means to follow Christ! To follow the same example! None will know life unless they are united with Him. The life of Christ is the calling of the Christian. We are to be humble servants of all. God is inviting and drawing those who are in unity with Him to follow this example and walk in love as Christ did. To be a sacrifice to God as Christ was. Remain humbly surrendered to the LORD and allow Him to continue this work in you. To persevere in serving others, even when they are difficult. We must remain faithful and not grow weary.. God gives us all the grace we need. God is shaping and molding my life as I continue to walk by faith and to be used by Him. We extend the light of Christ into the dark world by our sacrifice!

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The Life of Jesus

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 09:46:00 -0400

The life of Christ is to be duplicated by every believer. All will live a life of persecution and trial but will not be forsaken. Although the grace of God has been given to all, not all will come to faith. We must obey. Believers must not go back to willful sin. We must renounce the hidden things of shame. It is the light of God that shines on us and transforms us. The treasure is the Gospel. We find it in the face of Jesus Christ. We are earthen vessels and are easily broken. But we are to grow in grace to reflect Him. God recruits the service of fragile men, but God has purposed to use these vessels to show that the power is from Him and not from us. Christians will be troubled on every side and will face trials. But no matter how great the trials encountered, they are not beyond bearing. But we must have the presence and power of God in us. We are oppressed, squeezed, kept in a narrow place, and perplexed. But God saves us from despair. Sometimes we are troubled beyond what we can bear, but then God steps in. God never allows us to be overcome by despair. Our right bearing of these trials shows a testimony to others. To rightly endure trails brings one into an intimate relationship with Christ. Every time a Christian falls he rises up and he is never defeated. We must carry about the dying of Jesus. We must die to self and take up our cross daily. Christians die to self to live for Christ. When Christians die to themselves they show that Christ is in them. When we die to self others see the life of Christ in us. We must endure by faith. We must put on the new man! We must put on His suffering as He prepares to call us home one day.

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I Bestow Upon You a Kingdom

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 09:45:00 -0400

The hour had come. Christ knew what was to come, and yet He is gripped by this fervent desire even in the midst of the realization of His coming suffering. He did not fervently desire the suffering. He fervently desires the kingdom. But He knows that He must suffer for the kingdom of God to come. It was the love of Christ that overwhelmed Him with this fervent desire. Christ speaks of the kingdom of God twice and it is clear that the focus of His desire is upon the kingdom and not the suffering. He is looking with fervent anticipation to the fulfillment of the kingdom of God. The disciples were to divide the cup of suffering among them. They were going to suffer, both to have the reign of Christ established within them, and for the reign of Christ to be established upon the earth. But what were the disciples focused on? Did they fervently desire the kingdom? Or was their focus upon themselves? Christ was calling the disciples to join Him in the establishment of His kingdom. Bu sitting among them was Judas who desired the coming of his own kingdom. Some time along the way Judas realized that following Christ would not fulfill his own personal dreams and desires. So he decided to betray Christ. And the conclusion of his self-seeking, betrayal, and desire for wealth and glory was the field of blood. Christ showed His disciples that they were not to seek for the establishment of their own kingdoms. There was no need to dispute about which was the greatest. Christ humbled Himself and was among them as the servant. We must continue to endure through His trials by faith. We must take up this cup and divide it among ourselves. And He will bestow upon us a kingdom.

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If I Have Not Love, I Am Nothing

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 09:44:00 -0400

There is a challenge in these verses. It is not about the sentimentality of these words. This is about Christians. Love is the greatest goal of the Christian life. We are to give our lives as a sacrifice for others. Through our death, life will come to others. Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies it will abide alone. We are to be nothing. This is the example of the bondservant from Scripture. There is no greater fruit of the sanctified life. Paul is not speaking of perfection in actions, but perfection of love. Even if our actions are imperfect, as long as they are done in love they will be pleasing to the Lord. Christianity is not for personal gain. Without love we are nothing. Our first thought must not be focused on ourselves. Our focus must be upon others. In our day men are lovers of themselves. We must endure in love, and God’s Word defines love. To know the love of God we must be nothing before God. Do not fall into a false understanding of love! Obedience without love is legalism. We must never lose sight of love. Because we have received Him, we love Him and therefore we obey Him. Love does not envy others; it is humble and counts itself as nothing. It recognizes the grace shown and shows grace to others. Christians give their lives to serve others. True religion will lead us to love others. It will lead us to self-sacrifice and self-denial. True love weeps over the sins of others. It bears all things that can be borne. It believes that God can bring good out of every situation. Love clings to God and hopes for better. It does not fall into fatalism. Let us walk by faith into this fullness of love. Love is the greatest.

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What We Think Is Who We Really Are

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 09:43:00 -0400

Correct thinking requires a correct heart. The heart stores all the mind allows to be stored there. Out of the heart proceeds all sin, what we say results from what is stored in the heart. As we think in our hearts, so we are. We are responsible for what we think about. It doesn’t matter what we say, it matters what we do. We must allow God to take control of our thoughts. God places His peace in our hearts. We must enforce the truths that we believe. The proving process takes place every time we walk by faith during trials. Then God gives us peace that surpasses all understanding. We must continue to trust in the Lord with all our heart. We must acknowledge God to be first and foremost. We must cast down every thought and bring it into subjection to Christ. Every thought must be viciously brought down! What we think becomes who we are. We must conquer the enemies and remain in peace. We must be filled with the Holy Spirit to have our minds renewed by the power of God. Do not be anxious about anything. Do not base your success or failure on how you perform. We must leave all our cares at the feet and Christ! We must trust God and not ourselves. God fills the believer with peace as long as they do not seek to overcome anxiety in their own strength. We must allow God to guard our hearts and minds. Do not worry, it is the opposite of faith and leaves God out of our thinking. What we think about is what we become. We must hold to His Word as the final authority. We must rest our minds on God. Let us think upon what is noble, just, pure, and lovely. Meditate on the things that will make you like God. Then the God of peace will be with us.

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He Dwelt In the Land of Promise

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 3 Oct 2016 09:42:00 -0400

Abraham is called to leave his country, his family, and his father’s house to go to a place that God will show him. But God had not shown him yet; this was so he would walk by faith and not by sight. Each part of the command corresponded to a promise that was dependent upon Abraham’s obedience. Abraham would lose much in exile but he will gain in the end. The blessings upon Abraham would not merely be for himself, but he would be a medium of blessing to others. God promises His providential protection and care of Abraham. God used the obedience of Abraham to bless all the families of the earth, because from his line would come the Messiah. When we step out in obedience to the commands and call of God we cannot calculate or estimate the extent of the blessing that God will bring to others through us. Abraham did not depart alone. The call was personal to Abraham but although he obeyed the call as an individual he did so within community. When God purposes to do a redemptive work He does not only call individuals, but He calls a community, a Church, His Body. Lot went with Abraham and so did Sarah his wife. God called both Abraham and Sarah to play complimentary roles in His purpose of redemption. And they were called to compliment each other through different roles and responsibilities. Together, united by their faith in God, they were used for the redemptive purposes of God and from both of them came the seed of Christ. When Abraham entered Canaan he was not alone in the land of promise. He did not look around at what he saw but he looked to the LORD by faith and held onto His promises. He had no descendants or land. But he still held onto the promises of God by faith.

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Let Your Hands Be Strong

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 20:42:00 -0400

This is a challenge for the body of Christ to be united and for each one to take their part in the work of the Lord. We must consecrate ourselves to this work together and He will bring the increase. Now is the time and season to take up the work of God. We are to carry out this calling to build the Kingdom of God. God desires our commitment, He is jealous for our devotion, but are we zealous for God in the same way? God has a purpose for the Church to magnify His Name on the earth. God is looking to reestablish His work again. We must prepare for the work of God. Take your eyes off of what has been destroyed. Do not be troubled by what you see, see by faith! God has called us to establish a work in our lifetime. We must see by faith the vision fulfilled. Though it tarries, wait for it. Do not question everything. Do the work of God with faith, confidence, and strength. We must trust God by faith and remember the vision. Where there was desolation there will be life. But do we truly believe this? The times of mourning will become a time of peace, joy, and celebration. Each one of us has a part of the vision. He will fill the Temple that is unified. We must not become a house divided. May we expect, pray, and trust God to do great things in our time. We are called to something greater. We are repairers of the breach and we are those who restore! We have no idea what will happen in the future, let us believe God for the impossible. May we join this work and follow this call, may we see the faithfulness of God and move forward. May we persevere and progress. Let our hands be strong and do not fear. May we trust God for a mighty work, even in our day.

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Is There Anything Too Hard For Me?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 24 Sep 2016 20:41:00 -0400

In the court of the prison, as the armies of the Chaldeans are beginning to surround Jerusalem, Jeremiah receives a word from the Lord. The Lord tells Jeremiah to buy the field of his cousin according to the regulations of the Levitical Law. Jeremiah makes a very public decision to buy the field. This is a decision that Jeremiah was making by faith, he made it public, he signed it, he sealed it, and he made sure that everyone around him knew it. He is making a bold declaration of faith before all who had gathered to witness this event. Jeremiah believed what God had promised. He knew that “houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.” This is a declaration of faith against everything that he can see before his eyes or anticipating with his mind! This is contrary to hope, in hope believing! Jeremiah knows the God that he serves! He knows that God is Sovereign! Jeremiah knows that no matter what the situation looks like, not matter how his circumstances appear, he knows that God is great in power and nothing is too hard for the LORD! But he also knows that God must punish the sins of the people of Judah because He is perfectly Holy, Just, and Good. Jeremiah knows all the signs and wonders that He had performed on behalf of the Israelites in the past. Jeremiah knows that if the people would repent that God would move on their behalf again. Jeremiah’s faith is tested. He sees the siege mounds. He sees the Chaldean armies. But Jeremiah remained fully convinced that He who had promised is able to perform. We are not responsible for the future. We are responsible to do what God has commanded for us to do today. The rest is in the Sovereign hand of God.
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Don't Lose the Vision

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 20:36:00 -0400

The people of Israel at this time had forgotten the vision that God had called them to. They had settled into a comfortable life. They worked to provide for their family and build up their houses. But they had lost the vision. They were called to rebuild the Temple, but their zeal and excitement has been replaced by apathy. Those around them and the situation they were in had frustrated their efforts. We must build even when we do not see clearly. We must have faith in the vision that God has given! We must believe that God will do a work in our day as He has done a work in the past! God has called us in our day to the establishment of His Kingdom upon the earth! God have given the Church of today a vision, we must not be distracted. God wills to use us for His purposes. The people of Israel needed to be reminded of their vision. The people had become caught up in individual pursuits. They had put time into their own houses, but they were neglected the Lord’s House. They had time and resources for everything but the vision. In this state they are called to examine themselves and consider their ways. They must get back to building the Temple again! Do not be drawn away from the vision. God has not failed. God calls us to walk by faith. We must embrace the vision. We may not see it all fulfilled, but we must hold on to the vision and the work that God has called us to. We must prepare for the vision; we must persevere in following God’s call on our lives. We must see that He has given us a purpose to fulfill in this time! We must be diligent and faithful and not become discouraged by the outcome. God will fill the Temple with His glory.
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The Unity of the Spirit

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 20:34:00 -0400

One of the main themes of the book of Ephesians is Church unity. Paul wrote Ephesians to a mixed Church of both Jewish and Greek Christians and is calling for unity within the Church of Ephesus. Paul emphasized that both Jews and Gentiles are saved in the same way that they are to walk in unity. Paul exhorts the Ephesians to walk worthy of their calling. Walk means to live suitably as those who have been called into the Kingdom of God. How can one who considers all that God has done for them by the power of His grace do anything other than walk worthy of the calling? We are to walk worthy by entering into the privileges of the Gospel through faith and walking in them so we reflect these great privileges and magnify the saving work of Christ in a way that brings glory to God! We are to walk in lowliness toward on another. We are to walk in gentleness toward one another. We are to be longsuffering with one another. We must endeavor to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. To endeavor is to make every effort, strive, and be diligent. All true regenerated Christians are of one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of all. All of these things true Christians have in common and therefore we must be unified as one! God also grants gifts of grace for ministry. These are for the equipping and edifying of the rest of the Church. The purpose is that all come to the unity of the faith, all come to the knowledge of the Son of God, all come to perfection! But in order for this to take place all must grow up in all things into Christ. Only then can the whole body be joined and knit together in Him.
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Christlike Loyalty

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 14 Sep 2016 20:32:00 -0400

Jonathan was the son of Saul and he was going to be made king. In many ways he is an example of what it means to be a Christian in these three characteristics: piety, humility, and selflessness. Jonathan was not perfect but he was loyal, trustworthy, and dependable. Jonathan loved God as David did and they had a kindred spirit. They sought God alone for strength. They worshipped God in their hearts and lives. They were both men after God’s own heart. They lived by faith in God and knew when they died that they would be with the Lord. Jonathan honored God by anointing David instead and taking off his royal robe and giving it to another. Humility motivated Jonathan as it did Christ when He washed His disciples feet. Jonathan stripped himself of what he was and he laid it aside for the sake of others. Christ made Himself of no reputation and became humble to the point of death, even the death of the cross. As a believer we must take command over the thoughts of our minds and intentionally lower ourselves. We must be disciplined in our minds by faith. Jonathan laid down his life in selfless sacrifice fighting the enemies of God. Jonathan loved the Lord and Israel and he had faith in the power of God. Jonathan died so Christ could be born. We must die so He may live in us. Jonathan had Christ-like loyalty. He did what he did because he loved the Lord. He suffered the loss of all things and counted them rubbish that he may gain Christ. We must not honor men or ourselves more than God. We cannot follow the words and thoughts of other men. We must be mindful of the things of God. May we show Christ-like loyalty to our Heavenly Father.

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Behold I Make All Things New

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 10 Sep 2016 20:31:00 -0400

These visions of John are a reminder that the dismal condition of the existing world must be seen in relation to the promise of the condition in which it will be when God’s redemptive work is finished. In this passage we come to the climax of the visions given to John as the Book of Revelation. The new heavens and the new earth are a complete reversal of the whole history of sin. A new beginning is made, which corresponds with the new creation of the resurrected life of the Christian believer. It is to be made new in quality, not simply meaning something that is recently made. All the former things will be done away, that all may become new. God does not will to do only a partial work! God does not leave His work unfinished or incomplete! This is true both in His work of making Christians new and making all of creation new. At this time the effects of sin will be completely done away with and will pass away when God makes all tings new. Then the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven. This is a type and a symbol of the true Church of God and the establishment of the rule of the saints. We enter the New Jerusalem by faith and obedience to the call of God. By seeking a city whose builder and maker is God. What is the source of our confidence? We must trust in the One who sits upon the throne and has the power to make all things new! He alone is true and faithful! His work is finished! But do we thirst for Him? It is those who overcome that shall inherit all things. We overcome by entering into what Christ has done! Because He is the conqueror! And we enter into His victory through faith! And then we become conquerors by His power and overcome by His grace!

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Cause Thy Face to Shine Upon Thy Sanctuary That Is Desolate

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 7 Sep 2016 20:30:00 -0400

Do not refuse Him who speaks. We must not remain comfortable. A shaking must take place in us, as a great shaking is taking place all around us in our society and in the world. We need an awakening, a revival, that we may be the hands and feet of Christ. The people of the world are dry bones. There is desolation and despair. We need to speak life. Let us remember God and not accept what we see in the world as the new reality. Let us not ignore the means of grace such as prayer and the study of the Bible. We must be connected to God in vital reality and live in the reality of being connected to God. Daniel lived near the LORD. He was a man of prayer and God used him mightily. He could have become comfortable, but he was stirred up for the sake of the people. He did not want to accept what was taking place around him as the new reality. He was grieved that the people had accepted and accommodated to the Babylonian captivity. He turned to the LORD in prayer. He was grieved and he brought these things before the LORD. We need to stand in the gap on behalf of the people. We need to set our focus on the LORD and pray to the LORD. Where are those who seek His face? Where are those who are willing to pray? Where are the faithful? We need to seek God for what we lack in this hour. This world needs a demonstration of godliness. Love must be this demonstration. We must lay down our lives for those around us. We are reaping a whirlwind, but there is hope. We must set our faces to the LORD to intervene in all the situations that are going on around us. For our families, society, and world. We are to be priests and bring this all before the LORD. All of our hope is in the LORD.

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Reborn by God

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 3 Sep 2016 20:28:00 -0400

Elijah had just come through many trials and he had done many great miracles. But even after all this Elijah was taken by his fears and doubts. Elijah was brought to a place of quiet to hear God’s voice. Not only doing works out of religious zeal. The Northern Kingdom all around him was prospering economically, but it was declining spiritually. Elijah in the midst of this maintained an attitude of worship and testimony. He still heard the still small voice of God. Like Elijah, Nicodemus was doing everything he could to honor and serve God. But he came to the end of himself like Elijah. They both needed something they did not have. They had used up all their oil. Christ alone can restore everything to its created order. Their only hope is for God to make them new. You must give way to the still small voice and allow the Lord to speak to you. He will speak by His mercy and love. It is when we become aware of our failures and shortcomings that we ask God for new life. Life we did not have before. This is deep spiritual insight, not insight that is of the flesh. The natural comes first and then the spiritual. We must admit our limitations and inabilities. There is a time in each person’s life when we must realize our own personal insufficiency and find life in God. This is the “birth of the Spirit.” We can see evidence of regeneration by a change of life. Is God asking you, “What are you doing here?” or “How can this be done?” These are questions He asked Elijah and Nicodemus. Don’t try to figure it out intellectually. Surrender by faith and continue to walk by faith so God may do His work in you.

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An Heir of My Mountains

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 27 Aug 2016 16:36:00 -0400

Isaiah is drawing his prophecy to a close and in these closing chapters he describes a very different destiny for two very different groups of people. Isaiah speaks during a time of imminent judgment and for many it is a time of confusion because people do not understand why events are taking place around them. Others wonder why He does not work and move in their midst in the same way that he had in the past. The answer to why God is restrained and why He is holding His peace is because of wickedness, rebellion, and sin of the people. God had stretched out His hands in invitation and plea but the people had turned to their own thoughts instead. Even in their worship they disobeyed the Lord’s commandments. And yet they still believed they were holier than others. God will move and do a work, but it will be a work of judgment. He will repay, even into their bosom. But even in wrath the Lord will remember mercy. The Lord will not destroy all of them. There will be a remnant. God will deliver His remnant, His elect, those who have sought Him. But those who do not answer His call, do not hear Him, and choose what is evil will be numbered for the sword and bowed down to the slaughter. But there is still time to repent. There is still hope in these last days. But the only hope is that God will create a new heaven and a new earth. Our only hope is to look with faith and hope to the Kingdom that is to come. The Lord will rejoice in Jerusalem and in His people that have been recreated by His grace! The effects of sin will be erased. The elect shall not labor in vain! What God has promised will come to pass! Let us rejoice by faith no matter what is taking place around us!

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What Do We Do In Perilous Times?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 16:35:00 -0400

There is a need to discern the signs of het times. God calls His people in every generation to take a stand. We must be fit, ready, and have confidence. We must not live careless lives like the rest of society. We must remain alert, awake, and ready to respond. Be assured that perilous times will come. Do not think it strange. Our society has become increasingly wicked over time, men and women become more selfish over time. Generation after generation moves further and further from the truth. Hope is only found in Christ! But many have a form of godliness but have not been transformed by the Holy Spirit. The message of the cross has been trampled upon by our society. People desire to be teachers but do not want to be taught, they will not come to the knowledge of the truth because they do not want to know the truth. Many resist and oppose the truth. These will be times of persecution and opposition to truth, but God remains sovereign over all and He will work all things together for good. God’s purposes of redemption will go on. Paul calls Timothy to remember that God delivered him out of persecution. Do not be anxious! God will bring us through! Walk by faith in the midst of the storm. God will lead His people through the storm. Keep your eyes upon Christ. Our hope is not in the moral improvement of society or in political or religious leaders. We must continue in what we have learned. We must continue to stop out in faith and keep our eyes on Christ. Do not fall into fear! Do not be alarmed, discouraged, or afraid. We must keep our eyes upon Christ. Christ is everything and He must remain everything. Fix your eyes on Jesus and continue in what you have learned.

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Grasping for the Wind

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 17 Aug 2016 16:34:00 -0400

The effort of the natural man to overcome in their own flesh has led to their utter ruin. Most think the more they get the more secure they will become. Our life cannot be based on ambitions and desires! Personal happiness and enjoyment must not be placed first in our lives; it will lead us away from God. God desires people to come to Him and become one with Him. All who go on by faith will become like Him. Do not fall into the trap of living for self and loving the world. King Solomon fell into this trap. After having all the world had to offer Solomon came to the conclusion that all was vanity. Focusing on this world keeps fruit from ever coming to maturity. Only a life built on God will endure the coming storm. We must not allow ourselves to be consumed with even lawful things. Do not set your mind on earthly things! Security based on anything other than the mercy of God is passing away. Solomon fell from grace because he lusted after women and they became idols to him. He forgot the commandments of the Lord and allowed his life to come out of order. How can we avoid the fate of Solomon? We are responsible for the affections of our hearts. We must regulate the treasure of our hearts. Every treasure must be based on God’s Word because our hearts must be trained, exercised, taught, and guided. Only God’s Word can train our hearts. We must seek first the Kingdom of God. We must not worry about tomorrow. We must take each day as it comes. God will be the same loving Father tomorrow as He is today. We must all be about our Father’s business. Our main work and purpose is to believe and go on believing. This is abiding in Christ.

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The Thoughts of the LORD

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 16:32:00 -0400

This is a letter that was sent by Jeremiah the prophet to those that were carried away captive to Babylon. The year is 597 BC and 10,000 people have been carried away. This letter is opposing the voices of the false prophets that were telling the people that their captivity would be brought to an end speedily. At the very beginning of the letter Jeremiah makes it clear that the Lord had caused the people of Judah to be carried away captive. He had allowed all this to take place because of the refusal of the people of Judah to repent. Jeremiah was concerned that the exiles would be excited and led astray by the words of the false prophets promising what they wanted to hear rather than the truth. Jeremiah was concerned that the exiles would begin to take their lives into their own hands; they would try to dictate and to the situation and force change to take place. The Lord had revealed to Jeremiah that the captivity would last seventy years and that God alone would be the One to restore them, they would be unable to restore themselves. Jeremiah commands the people to dwell exactly where they are and live normal lives. But to live normal lives in hope of restoration! To live normal lives by faith. Because to listen to the delusional dreams of the false prophets and act in hasty ways would be in rebellion against what the Lord was doing. Jeremiah reminds the people that all would take place according to God’s timing, not according to their own timing. Jeremiah was telling the people to wait for the work of God, to wait in hope, to wait in expectation, and to wait in faith, because the Lord would deliver them. The people must surrender to God’s thoughts, plans, and purposes.

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An Eternal Inheritance

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 9 Aug 2016 16:31:00 -0400

Esau was willing to sell his birthright for a temporary relief and for the things of this world. Esau gave up being in the line of the Savior for the things of this world. He lost the vision. Esau valued the earth and did not value anything more. We must not become only focused on the temporal life; we must not be over-burdened and distracted by this life. People become so consumed with things of this life; we must not become consumed by the temporary things of this world. We are to be in the world but not of the world. So many show such little concern for others because they are so consumed with the things of this world. What you are fixed on will be your treasure. Where your treasure is your heart will be. Do not sell your birth right for the things of this world; we must know the rest of faith. Keep a single eye on the Father; do not be distracted by the things of this world. Do not be dragged into the earthly, sensual realm, we must fight and battle against this every day! We cannot serve two masters. We cannot serve both fear and faith. We cannot live in fear, doubt, anxiety, or worry. Worry cripples faith and pulls us down to the earth and way from God, it is the opposite of faith. The things of this world cannot become the dominating factor in our lives. God alone will support us. God is divinely ordering all things. Let not your heart be troubled. Will I give up the heavenly vision to focus on the things of this world? We can either be wholly engrossed in the now or we could continue to seek our heavenly country. Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness. Do not worry about tomorrow and do not allow the things of this world cloud your vision of eternity.

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The Christian Life

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 4 Aug 2016 16:30:00 -0400

The proof of the Christian life is in the fruit, not in what we are like we originally come. A person must come in repentance and faith. When one comes to God they are giving up their former ways. One must leave behind their former ways and put them to death. The Gibeonites represent the majority of people before they come to Christ. When we come to Christ God makes us new. We become a new creation. The Christian life is purged and made new by faith. Gibeonites are those who humble themselves and put faith in God because they acknowledge there is none greater than Him. Israel represents those who have already entered into a Covenant with God through faith. There must be a sacrifice, there must be atonement, and there must be faith in Christ. The Canaanites are the depraved. They are consumed with carnal desires and passions that must be destroyed. We must put the will of God first and by grace all these Canaanite attributes must be put to death. We must persevere by faith for this to take place. Gibeonites were different from the Canaanites. They were afraid of God and they saw something in Israel they wanted. The Gibeonites came in the wrong way, but why they came was not wrong. They were a type of new believers who come to God. They wanted to appear to be something they were not. God answers every penitent individual by making them His servants. When we are faithful with a little He will give us more. We must be renewed in the Spirit of our minds to be transformed from being who we are when we come to God to those He wills to transform us into. Are we faithfully serving and ministering to God? God desires to make all of us His children, even if we start as Gibeonites.

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Yet I Have Set My King

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 16:29:00 -0400

The Psalmist asks the same questions that many Christians are asking today, as the culture is growing increasingly hostile toward God and His created order. In a culture that is growing increasingly hostile toward Jesus Christ and the Gospel. In a culture that is growing increasingly hostile toward Biblical truth and anything related to a biblical worldview. We have reached a point where there is rebellion against every aspect of the will of God and against every truth written in His word. The nations, the people, the kings, and the rulers are going to war against God! They are plotting! They are raging! They are setting themselves! They want to break off the restraints put upon them by God and His Messiah! They hate being in subjection to God, under the authority of God, and living in obedience to the will of God. They despise and hate the Word of God! They are in rebellion against the commandments of the Lord and the truths of His Word. David faces a choice about how he is going to react to this rebellion. David decides to look away from what is going on around him and look to the LORD who sits in the heavens. God does not fear when this rebellion takes place! God does not lose His peace! God has not lost control of the world! God laughs at this rebellion. The purposes of the Lord will not be overthrown! God goes calmly forward in the execution of His purposes. God speaks to the rebellious nations and causes them distress. Hoping that this will bring them to repentance. But His final answer is that He has set His King. Their raging and plotting does not matter. Because God has established His King and there is nothing they could do to alter or change that.

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Separate Me From This World and Sanctify My Life For You

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Thu, 28 Jul 2016 16:28:00 -0400

The way of life and the way of death are set before us. We are all given a choice and a decision. The way of life is separation from sin and from the world. It is the narrow way that involves surrender. We must live and walk the narrow way. We must enter and remain upon this narrow way; this is the one way of holiness. We must be willing to take this way. It is more than an altar call or an emotional response. Often the true way is lessened so more people respond without counting the cost. So many people claim to respond without truly counting the cost. We only become disciples through complete surrender to Christ. The path to Heaven is narrow, but the way of death is broad. We must remain upon the narrow path. Diligence is needed to enter life. We must remain joined to Christ at every cost. This is a daily event. We must walk by faith in the narrow way. We must discern and study to come to an understanding of the truth and build a solid foundation. Our spiritual health depends on this. We must examine what we meditate on. Does it produce fruit in our life? We must receive the love of the truth. There must be truth in the inward parts. Many in the Church do not receive the love of the truth and therefore God sends them strong delusion. There is no other way that God has ordained. It is the way of holiness and sanctification. We must live the way Christ has taught us to live. We must build upon a solid rock and cast everything else to the side. Uproot everything not of Him. We must cast ourselves upon the mercy of Christ, again and again. May we yield our life to Him everyday, that we may be sanctified to the Lord. Let us not give this up for anything.

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Let Us Follow Jesus

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 20 Jul 2016 16:27:00 -0400

Jesus says, “If you love Me, keep My commandments.” Keeping the commandments of God are not pushed on us, nor are they something we fabricate ourselves by an increasing self effort. We must keep the commandments by love. The sole condition that enables us to do and keep what God has spoken to us is love. Love is the fulfillment of the law. The presence of love in our heart is the law being actually fulfilled. The biblical definition of love excludes self. It cannot be worked out by us and must be deposited by another source and that source is the Holy Spirit. A person who has not been regenerated does not have the Holy Spirit. God’s abiding inward presence empowers the believer to keep His commands, go on learning the standard of truth and remembering what they have learned. Only the new birth can give a person life. There are many who have entered the four walls of the Church but have yet to enter into the abundant life of Christ. Christians are new creations. They will boast only in the cross of their Lord Jesus Christ. The world and all of its attractions have been crucified to them and they to the world. They do not even trust in their religion, but in their Savior alone. Christians are alive because Christ lives in them and for no other reason! Jesus then speaks of a fuller revelation and of a greater power to be given to His disciples as they continued to faithfully follow Him. This power is the Holy Spirit that is given in greater measure as one follows Christ by faith. The Spirit comes in sanctifying power to purify our hearts by faith! The greatest gift any one can receive is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Christians are made joint heirs through faith in Christ.

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On to Perfection

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Tue, 12 Jul 2016 16:26:00 -0400

The writer to the Hebrews is calling all Christian forward, he is calling all Christians to leave the elementary principles and go on to perfection! There is no other direction in the Christian walk but the way forward! To move backward is to move toward apostasy. The foundations of the Christian life are repentance from dead works, faith toward God, the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead, and eternal judgment. The writer to the Hebrews tells his audience that by this time they ought to be teachers but they need someone to teach them again the first principles. They were not recent converts. Nor was it the first time they were hearing these things. But instead of moving forward they were still only taking in milk. They remained unskilled babes. The Christian faith must be understood by reason of use. One must experience the Christian life. One must experience the Christian life being worked out in them. As one walks by faith they will actually see, hear, taste, smell, and feel the working out of these truths in their daily lives. It must not remain cerebral and conceptual! It must become experiential! But if one willfully refuses to live by faith and refuses to believe in the promises of God and refuses to move on from the basics of the faith they will remain babes on milk! And this may become an endless cycle! We must go on to perfection! This does not mean a static, still, immobile, and motionless state where there is no possible improvement. It means the best possible state at any give time in a dynamic, lively, and continuous, process of growth! Let us receive by faith now perfecting grace. And let us go on to perfection.

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Keep Your Lamps Burning

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Mon, 4 Jul 2016 16:25:00 -0400

We must be made ready for the coming of the Lord. We must not focus only on the present and ignore the eternity to come. Be longsuffering, be patient, persevere, and do not be distracted. We are to build up and establish our faith here and now. The blessings of this life are small compared to the blessings of eternity. The return of Christ is drawing near. Be ready at all times to leave this world and enter into rest. We are to wait awake for the Master to come. We must not live in a state without vision. We must mature and not remain in a place of continual immaturity. We must keep the fire alive and burning. How are you using your time? Only so much time has been given for personal growth and faith. We are to develop deep faith and dependence upon God. Do not allow the world to dull this vision. Those that are striving and persevering will be found by their Master doing what they are supposed to do. Watch and pray! What is drawing our attention? What is our life being lived for? Did I make full use of the means of grace? Did it all pass me by and profit me nothing? We must examine ourselves by this truth. We must not become so focused on the things of the earth that our spiritual life dies. We must sever from our life anything that will render us unprepared for the return of Christ. The unfaithful servant refuses to acknowledge the reality of the times. This is common in the Church. People refuse to respond when God speaks to them and they come under delusion. Do not lose sight of the coming of Christ! Let us be faithful to carry out what we have learned; let us be ready for the return of Christ. Let us keep our lamps burning.

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The Spirit, the Water, and the Blood

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 29 Jun 2016 20:57:00 -0400

To bear record means to witness to give testimony, speak well of or vouch for. The great witness to the moving of God upon the Earth and upon men’s souls has always been the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, the human soul is without form and void. It’s empty until the Holy Spirit enters. He brings chaos and ruin into divine order. The Holy Spirit is our helper. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth. Every lofty thought, self centered, impure emotion is changed as the Holy Spirit enters a person. Holy decisions soon follow along with truthful choices. Just as the Holy Spirit hovered over the Earth, so the Holy Spirit hovers over us and in us introducing divine order and life. A person enters the family of God through repentance and faith in Jesus alone. They are then given the Holy Spirit by which they are sanctified and prepared for eternal life. We must surrender our way of thinking and allow it to be replaced with daily obedience to the Lord and to His word. Daily obedience to the Lord is not possible unless one believes. Once you believe, God gives the believer overcoming faith. Only when someone believes on Jesus Christ as Lord and acts according to this faith daily, can they be free. It is only as we practice this truth that we are set free. We must die to self to be fully in the truth. Then every believer is able to overcome sin through the Holy Spirit. To know the Holy Spirit is to know both the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit grants us assurance as a guarantee after we have completely surrendered our life over to Jesus Christ and fully trust Him with our future. Every true believer bears record to the Truth. Does the Holy Spirit bear record in your life?

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The Baptism and the Cup

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 20:56:00 -0400

Jesus and His disciples are on their final journey to Jerusalem. Christ is on His way to die and the disciples walk behind Him, amazed and afraid. Jesus takes His disciples to the side and for the third time predicts His coming death. The first time He had done this Peter had rebuked Him. This is because Peter was unwilling to take up his own cross and follow after Christ. The second time Christ had predicted His death the disciples did not understand but were too afraid to ask Him about it. The disciples were unwilling to reveal their ignorance and humbly ask Him what He meant. The disciples were in many ways showing their immaturity, but yet at the same time they were arguing among themselves about who among them was the greatest. James and John ask Jesus to grant them that they may sit on His right hand and on His left hand. Yet the whole time they were unwilling to enter themselves! They wanted Christ to go through His baptism of suffering and they wanted only the benefits of it. They wanted to sit in His glory. Jesus responds by asking them if they were willing to drink the cup He was already drinking or be baptized in the baptism He was already being baptized in. Christ was drinking the cup and baptized with this baptism from the manger to the cross! All Christians must drink of the cup and be baptized in this baptism individually! All must individually enter in! All Christians must deny themselves take up their cross daily, and follow Christ! All Christians must be baptized into His death! All Christians must be baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire! But each must enter in individually. Not at some obscure, future, time, but now!

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Will We Bear the Cross with Jesus?

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 20:54:00 -0400

There is a personal nature to Resurrection Sunday, yet people make it a self-indulgent holiday. We live in the time of an ego driven and entitled society and many Churches have followed the culture. Christians are to have a personal identification with the cross. The same path that Christ walked on we are to walk. We are called to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily, and follow after Christ. We are like Simon of Cyrene, compelled to carry the cross and share in the sufferings of Christ. Christ died for our sins, but we must enter in as well. True faith will result in the sacrifice of our will to the will of God. Christ came to die to show us we must die and join in fellowship with His death. There must be a personal identification with His death. We must experience the death of the cross as well. God calls us to enter this life of faith, but it cannot be experienced by proxy. There is a divine will that must be surrendered to. There is a death to be surrendered to and a resurrection to be experienced as well! The one who has died has been set free from past and present sin. To be raised is to have faith and assurance. Christ has opened the way of life. Our relationship with God must be more than knowledge. It must be experience. The death and resurrection is something to live, not only something to know. If you desire to be raised with Christ then reckon yourself to be dead to sin and live to Christ. Do not marvel but enter in. We must be willing to bear our cross with Him. Are you willing to be united with His death and His resurrection? We must fully surrender to Him in order for this to take place.

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Gethsemane

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 8 Jun 2016 20:53:00 -0400

Gethsemane is a place of great mental and spiritual suffering. To suffer is to go through an experience. Each disciple will face a similar test as Christ faced. All Christians must remain united with Christ through sufferings and experiences. One must despise self and follow after Christ. Jesus warns those who want to run from their Gethsemane that they cannot be saved. We must give up our rights to ourselves and die to ourselves. Christ did not want to suffer as He did but He said, “not My will but Thy will be done.” This is a change in nature, habits, character, and will. Our thinking is the key that changes everything else. The only way to know is to will to do His will. The only way to holiness is through obedience. This is obedience leading to righteousness. Our mind is not our own, we must stay in Christ. Incorrect thinking leads to bad habits. Habits become our nature. We must get our thinking into shape and be disciplined. We are to live in faith not lust or fear. Our thinking must turn into actions. None of us can claim knowledge without experience. We must put things into practice before we speak about it. We need to work things out before we speak. Are you acting according to how you think? Do you speak to others as one who has put into practice what you are saying? Do not think you are something you are not! Gethsemane is to do, not simply to talk. Christ left Gethsemane a willing sacrifice. We must arrive at the truth even if we don’t like the way to get there. We must hear and act; our Gethsemane must be a personal event. Gethsemane is a place of refinement. May we say like Christ in the midst of trials, “Not my will but Thy will be done.”

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Because of the Prophets

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 1 Jun 2016 20:52:00 -0400

Jeremiah looks out over the moral desolation of the Kingdom of Judah and comes to the conclusion that the deplorable moral condition of the land was because of the prophets. Unlike these false prophets Jeremiah had seen the LORD, he knew the LORD and he knew the holy words of the LORD. The people had become spiritual adulterers, the LORD had removed His blessing and the pleasant places had been dried up, and a curse had come upon the land. The corruption, defilement, and pollution of the prophets and priests have led to the corruption, defilement, and pollution of the house of the LORD! And this is primarily in the area of false teaching and doctrine; any errors in teaching and doctrine will always lead to errors in living! If there is corruption, defilement, and pollution in the house of the LORD then corruption, defilement, and pollution will increase in society. Beware of those who refuse to preach the whole counsel of God! Beware of those who are constantly speaking smooth words full of flattery and praise! These are those that will lead you on a slippery and dark path, and will eventually lead to your fall. Do not heed the words of anyone who speaks from their own heart and does not speak from the Word of God! If anyone ever tells you that they have a dream, revelation, or oracle from God for you that does not align with the Word of God do not hear them! A true prophet will never contradict with their mouth the mouth of the LORD! God sees all things! God sees the ministry of the false prophets! God sees the ministry of the true prophets! None can hide from Him! May we speak God’s Word faithfully!

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The Lord Was Ready to Save Me

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 25 May 2016 20:51:00 -0400

We are overwhelmed by disappointments and trials but we must hope in the LORD. We are called to move forward and progress by faith. We must not lose heart in our jobs, relationships, and ministries. We must not become cynical. We must learn to live by faith. People want everything now, but the road of faith is a long road. There will be constant changes and challenges on the way. We must not lose heart; we must remain walking by faith. Do not lose heart; the purposes of God will come to pass. We cannot fear the experiences of life or the storms that will come. We must learn to rest in the LORD. We must call truth to memory and allow the truth to become a reality in our lives. There is a process that needs to take place and a rest of faith that is available to all. God allows struggle and trial to come so we are not at ease. We must not lose sight of the vision. We can only find victory by faith in the midst of struggles and trials. It is only in times of frustration and bewilderment that we may learn these things. God visits us in the seasons of trial so we learn not to live on bread alone but in dependency on the LORD. We must walk in remembrance of what God has done. Many experiences will come, but the LORD will restore us and make us live. When all else fails the LORD will sustain us! It will only come from the LORD. Trials are purposed to separate from our hearts what would separate us from God. Trials purge our dependence on the flesh so we could walk by faith in the LORD alone. We must be brought low first so we can see the LORD alone, so we can learn to not live by bread alone. We must look to Him to do this by faith. Do not trust in the things of this world.

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To Release Those Subject to Bondage

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 18 May 2016 20:48:00 -0400

We can become slaves of worry and fear if we give into them and come under bondage. Bondage is the result of giving ourselves to something. We must trust in Christ now to be free! Do not remain in bondage to your heritage and the way that you used to believe. Jesus came to people who were willingly bound. Christ has come to free you from all bondage. Are you willing to depart from the thoughts that you are in bondage to? Set your mind towards what you have heard that is true. Don’t let these things pass by. Do not lose sight of God. We must heed what we have heard. We must not neglect so great a salvation. Do not settle for anything less. The answer is before us. If we would see Christ in all of His fullness the freedom will be ours! We must not allow our thoughts to become greater than God! Do not neglect the truth. God will lift us from this place if we trust in the LORD. He will set us free, but we must trust in Him. Christ is over all things; there is nothing that is not in subjection to Him. We have nothing to fear! God has sent Christ to restore us again. Christ has triumphed over all things in the cross and by faith we may enter into all He has done! Christ was crowned and He has dominion over all things. May we see Him, as having this dominion by faith, there is nothing that He has not conquered! He was made the complete, atoning sacrifice for all our sins. We must enter by faith into what He has already completed. May we see Him and enter into His victory. Christ came to destroy the work of the Devil in us and in the world. Christ has conquered Hell and death! May we see the triumph of Christ in this life and the life to come!

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The Lord Our Righteousness

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 11 May 2016 20:47:00 -0400

This word from the Lord came to Jeremiah during the eleventh year of the reign of King Zedekiah. It was the year 586 BC, the last year of the Kingdom of Judah. Later that year the Chaldeans under Nebuchadnezzar would burn Jerusalem and destroy the Temple. The siege had already begun. The Lord reminds Jeremiah that no matter what the situation is God is omnipotent, sovereign, and the governor of the universe. Nothing has happened that the Lord did not allow. Nor will anything happen that the Lord will not allow. The Lord reminds Jeremiah that when he calls to Him He will answer and show him great and might things! God is working all things together for good for those that love Him and are called according to His purpose! The people of Judah have done everything they could to defend themselves against the Chaldeans but they will fail. This is because the Lord is against them! But in the same way that Lord has stretched out His hand against Judah to fulfill His purpose in punishing their sin He will also restore them as well! The Lord who tears is the Lord who heals! The Lord who strikes is the Lord who binds! After a time of chastisement and judgment the Lord will restore both physically and spiritually. When the people turn to Him in repentance and faith He will pardon and cleanse them! Jeremiah sees visions of desolation and restoration! The desolate streets of Jerusalem filled with the song of the bride and the bridegroom. He sees the desolate filled again with the song of praise to the Lord! May we not focus on the silence of desolation but see in faith the restoration of the Lord! Return to the Lord and He will restore you! He is THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS!

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You Brought Us Out to Rich Fulfillment

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 4 May 2016 20:46:00 -0400

We have no say in the way God deals with us, His ways are perfect although we may not understand. We must trust Him and walk by faith. Do not seek an easier way for the flesh. This would lead us away from God. We face uncertainty to teach us that God is faithful. Our trials are for our good and for our betterment. God has a purpose for our trails. He uses them for healing and restoration. Trials are used by God to reach deep into our hearts. God desires to refine every part of us. Trials are ordained by God and given according to where we are in Christ. Do not turn away from the Lord in the midst of them! During times of trial we must cling by faith to God and He will bring us forth to rich fulfillment. God reveals His work in His timing. It is not for our destruction. There must be a personal response so we can see on the other side what God has done. The realization of what God ahs done will lead us to praise. We must have an attitude of consecration in the face of trials that are allowed by God. We should not seek outward signs during times of trial. We need to see God in the midst of them. His affliction does not end His goodness to me. He calls us out in the midst of the storm. Let us go forth in faith that we may come forth as gold. He has appointed our trials for our good. God’s work in us is done by His means and it is both painful and beautiful. We must not cast away our testimony because God hears our prayers and our cries when we call to Him. He will come, deliver, and uphold. God is working to create a heart purified of all things. Consecrate yourself to Him in the midst of the trial and do not run away or look for escape.

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How Small a Whisper We Hear of Him

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 27 Apr 2016 20:50:00 -0400

What is the purpose in suffering and trials? Suffering means to undergo an experience. All Christians will experience a continual baptism into Christ and will die to self. We will go through hard times but He will be with us to teach us. We will suffer for God’s sake and undergo many experiences. This how we will further be made into His image. Patience in suffering brings about His work in our lives. It costs to learn to persevere. How can we endure? We must fall back into the arms of grace. No weapon or tongue can stand against us, and the righteousness that is found in Christ! We must be disciplined to be Christ’s disciples. Obedience is worked out in us through fear and trembling. It is God who does this work in us as we walk by faith. No flesh shall glory in His presence. We must allow the Potter to do His work in the clay. He is the Potter and we are the clay. We must walk before Him in humility and weakness. What we have learned must be worked out in us. All things must be shaken so that which cannot be shaken may remain. Christianity is an ongoing personal relationship with God through Christ. Christianity is not about us “doing good” but it is about surrendering our life to Christ and living by faith. This is how our ideals become facts. Do not hide behind the false peace of the world. We must find peace in Christ alone. All we have to do is nothing for the Kingdom of Satan to be created. We partner with Satan when we live for self and apart from God. Is the road we are walking on lead us away or toward God? Christ disturbs the way we look at everything in our lives, but by faith He will bring us through and remake us entirely.

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I Have Set Before You an Open Door

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 20 Apr 2016 20:43:00 -0400

There is a time when the people of God have an open door set before them and they could cross over and enter in. God sets an open door before every generation. This open door is the finished work of Calvary. We can no longer draw back! We must press on and possess the land! God has opened the door to maturity, strength, and faith. Now is the time to enter in by faith! The way has been opened; the Accuser of the Brethren has been cast down. Do you want to be made well? God had brought the people of Israel to the entrance of the Promised Land for a second time. The first time they refused to enter so they were brought through years of refinement, trial, and purification in the wilderness. God has purified them of their former lack of faith. God reminds them at the border of the Promised Land of all that He had done. But it comes down to a trial of the will. Are they willing to enter in? We must remember what God has done and enter in by faith! We must be free of our self-sufficient attitude! We must live by faith and completely depend upon the Lord! To live by faith is to acknowledge that God is our only provision. We must come to Him in weakness and humility! The land that the Lord has promised is a land of provision of all things they need. They will lack nothing. But even in this there is a danger and a warning. Be sure to bless the Lord and do not forget. Remember what the Lord has done and do not forget His works. God is working in us through what we face. Remember the times of refinement, trials, and failings. Do not go back to the former ways! When we set up an altar of consecration we must not forget. Walk by faith in the victory that the Lord has granted.

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The Mercy of Our Lord Is From Everlasting to Everlasting

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 17 Apr 2016 20:45:00 -0400

Bless the Lord. The word bless as applied to God, means to praise, implying always a strong affection for Him as well as a sense of gratitude toward Him. This love arises from one who is walking in humility and in faith, one who acknowledges the work of God and does not ascribe anything to self. If we do not realize and acknowledge what God has done, we will not be able to whole heartedly bless Him. We need to acknowledge that God is the One who does the work. As we bless God and see Him moving in our life, our love for Him will increase. Those who gratefully love God will bless God. Let us not be too busy to witness what the LORD does around us that we may bless the LORD.

We are also called to love and obey Him. Those who do not bless Him will also not obey Him nor will they truly love Him. He calls us to remember what He has done. God releases us from slavery to obey Him. God forgives us of our sins, He heals our diseases, and provides for our needs. His mercy is high and great. Nothing can be higher or greater. It is given to those who fear (reverence) and obey Him. Therefore, let us submit to Him and acknowledge that He is God. Let us bless the Lord.

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The King's Enemies

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 13 Apr 2016 20:13:00 -0400

David had many external enemies, but he had many internal enemies as well. Each of us faces these enemies everyday and they seek to steal our crown. The Devil works through impressions of the mind. We are not to listen to the Devil as Adam and Eve did. Disobedience will exclude us from Heaven as it did to our first parents. We must not do what we want instead of obeying the Lord. We must turn and live to a place of grace, joy, and goodness. God calls us back again and again. We must believe and no longer be misled and allow God to restore you! Do not let anything turn you away from faith. We must not go our own way; we must walk by faith and obedience. Are you willing to be humiliated to show that God is right? All false thinking must be uprooted and done away with. Every believer’s greatest enemy is Satan. We must not doubt God; we must not listen to the suggestions of Satan. We must put our faith and trust in Christ to have perfect peace. We are not exempt from trial and proving. It is better to be refined now then to be cast into the fire of judgment! We must beware of the pride of life. David fell into this trap. He was deceived by self-satisfaction and this gave him pride and independence. He had a sense of personal importance. We must also beware of the lust of the flesh. Do not pamper your appetites and indulge. Do not let your personal desires dictate to you so that you become dependent on the things of the world. We must also beware of the lust of the eyes. We must only look at what the Lord wants us to see. Our eyes must be single. Do not open your eyes to other influences! Do not lose your fellowship with God for anything in this world.
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The Tabernacle of David

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 6 Apr 2016 10:48:00 -0400

In this chapter the prophet speaks against the idolatry at the altar in Bethel. He announces that the idolatrous worship is about to come to a violent and sudden end. And no matter where the people may try to hide they will be unable to escape the judgment of the Lord! God has determined to set His eyes on them for harm and not for good. This is because they had refused to obey the Lord and instead had lived in perversion and wickedness! They had lived this way in spite of all the Lord had done for them! In spite of all the blessings the Lord had poured out upon them! Therefore the Lord will punish them for their iniquities. But even in judgment the Lord is seeking to draw the people to Himself. He is seeking to draw them to repentance and restoration. How will we respond to the chastisement and drawing of the Lord? The people refused to repent because they were holding onto false security. They were trusting in past experiences. But they were not currently living in faith and obedience to the Lord. There is nothing in the fact that we have received the grace and mercy of God in the past, but it is how one is currently living now in light of the grace and mercy of God! The sinful kingdom is made up of all who refuse the grace and mercy of God and persist in rebellion against Him. God has decreed that the sinful kingdom will be destroyed. But even the smallest grain of faith shall fall to the ground! Those that are in faith will not be destroyed! They will dwell in Christ, the Tabernacle of David! And God will pour out spiritual blessings of grace and abundance upon them! They will live in spiritual liberty in Christ! And they will be secure in Christ by faith.

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Turn to Me With All Your Heart

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 30 Mar 2016 10:47:00 -0400

Joel is most likely the earliest of the Minor Prophets. He prophesied during a plague of locusts. God raised up Joel for a reason, to call the people to repentance. He called upon the people to make a decision. He preached to the people to keep and follow the command to love the Lord. All Christians must be fully resolved to keep God’s commandments. Respond when God speaks! Turn to the Lord with all your heart, humble yourselves and repent for withholding any part of your heart from the Lord. We must be broken and contrite before Him! We must tear the inner man. Rend your hearts and return to the Lord by faith. Beware of having a careless attitude. God is gracious and slow to anger. He relents from doing harm and does not enjoy judgment and destruction. This call comes at a cost. The Church in our time focuses on the outward and ignores the inward. The Church is a reproach as long as it does not take seriously the call of the Lord. The people must show their seriousness and desire for the Lord. When the people turn to the Lord He will respond to them. If God’s people respond, pray, and seek God’s face they will be restored. God heals and mends! Do not become distracted and comfortable or settle for anything less! God calls us to rise up in faith. Trust God for something greater. Perfect love prepares us for judgment and death. Fear not! God has not given us a spirit of fear. We must lay our fears down and turn to God once and for all. Once you were in bondage but now you are free! All the former things will be made new. May we labor to know God living by faith and love! May we know Him and see His work around us. Turn to Him with all your heart.

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In Remembrance of His Mercy

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 10:46:00 -0400

The background of the Christmas story is a time of of darkness, silence, suffering, oppression, and bondage. The people of Israel were under the oppressive rule of the Roman Empire under the authority of King Herod. But in those days God was at work. God always keeps a remnant even in the darkest of times. Mary and Elizabeth were among the remnant of their time that God was using to fulfill His purposes. Both of these women were being used in God’s plan, design, and purposes for the salvation of the world. God used these women because they were filled with the Holy Spirit, they were humble, they believed, and they were willing to be used by God. They were not used on account of any external reasons. They were ultimately willing to believe that with God nothing would be impossible. Mary was used because she magnified the Lord and not herself. Mary knew that this was all a work of God and not herself. All Christians must magnify the Lord and declare the greatness of His name! The work that takes place in the life of every Christian is because the Holy Spirit comes upon us and the power of the Highest overshadows us! And that is how Christ is birthed in the believer! Mary rejoiced in God, not in herself. She rejoiced in spite of her situation and this took faith. God regarded her lowly estate and she submitted to His will and believed that what had promised would be fulfilled. This is the story of salvation from beginning to end. He who is mighty has done great things! And holy is His name! God is not indiscriminate in His mercy. It is given to those who fear Him. God shows the strength of His arm and humbles and exalts based on the reception of the heart to grace.

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I Will Not Hold My Peace

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 10:45:00 -0400

The heart of God is restoration and revival. Isaiah is speaking of a time of darkness. When the people of God have been carried away into captivity. But in the midst of this God has a remnant, their captivity will end and their Messiah will come. Great breakthroughs come after times of great darkness. There is a time coming when God will move for the glory of His Name. There is a promise of restoration. Arise and be established! Isaiah is speaking the heart of God to the people. He will not rest and he will not be idle to do what God has called him to do. He longs for God to revive His purposes. He sees a Church around him that does not care. God’s heart is to rise up His people and establish His bride in the earth. Do not cling to the former! God will do a work of restoration! God will revive His people when they fully turn to Him. In the dark moments we must trust Him. If there had been no separation there is no need for a restoration. Israel had departed from God as the Church has done largely today. That is why God has raised up watchmen! To call the Church back to its first love! The hour has come for an awakening in the Church. The time for silence has passed. We are all to be watchmen. All believers are to do the work of the Lord and become active in their faith. We are commanded to grow in full stature! We must be serious about our commitment to God and the Church. We must be stirred and awakened. God has sworn to do this work in us if we would trust Him by faith! There must be a preparation. God is zealous for His people and we must respond and persevere by faith. God has promised to renew and restore us! May we consecrate ourselves entirely to Him!

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For Behold the Day is Coming

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 9 Mar 2016 10:45:00 -0500

The prophet addresses a people who have been speaking harsh words against the Lord. They had begun to focus on the immediate and obvious results of their obedience to the Lord. They had kept His ordinances; they had walked as mourners before Him. Yet they saw no profit in it! They looked around and saw the sinful as more prosperous and blessed than themselves. It seemed as if the proud were blessed and those who did wickedness had been raised up. But Malachi notes that the Lord listens to those who fear Him! It is not useless to serve God! It is not in vain! Every day one walks in obedience to the Lord is written in His book of remembrance! We must look beyond the obvious results around us and see in faith that one day the books will be opened! We must not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. On the Day of Judgment it is only God’s special treasure that will be spared. God’s special treasure are those who have received the grace and mercy of God through faith. God will refine His special treasure. He will refine, purify, purge, and fashion them so they will be a pleasing offering. On the Day of Judgment God will discern between the righteous and the wicked. We cannot focus on the outward appearance of all we see around us. We must remember that the Day of Judgment is coming. God’s visitation has different results to different people. Some will be as straw when it comes into contact with fire. Others will have the Sun of Righteousness arise with healing in His wings! Christians must persevere in faith and obedience. They must cease from harsh words against the Lord. For behold, the Day is coming.

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My Chains Are in Christ

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 2 Mar 2016 10:44:00 -0500

The selflessness of Paul is staggering to read and so is the evidence of his identification with the cross, his personal ideology, how he viewed his life and purpose, and his complete and consistent surrender to the will of God. It stands as a staunch challenge to all in the professing world of evangelicalism. It stands as a challenge to a generation of professing Christians who understand devotion in a shallow way. Paul’s sacrificial existence makes much of modern Christianity look like a joke. Paul wrote this epistle from a Roman prison and wrote to encourage others who might have become distressed in hearing of his affliction. Paul writes to encourage others in the faith in the knowledge of the providential moving of God that works all things together for good to those who love Him. Paul encourages those he is writing to submit wholly to God also. In his affliction Paul does not seek comfort for himself, but extends it to others. Paul was removed from the typical mindset of people who face difficulty and complain and look for sympathy from others. Paul found no comfort in the temporal realm, his life was hidden in God in Whom he trusted and to Whom he absolutely submitted. May we be like Paul and not be so concerned with personal comfort, personal desires, sympathy, and our situations! We are called to live a life of selfless, self death, and complete abandonment of our carnal comforts and wants. We are called to live by faith in the sovereign, providential hand of God as He brings us each into unity and fellowship with His will. And to live as vessels in the Master’s hand. This was Paul, a partaker of the sufferings of Christ and conforming to the death of Christ.

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Peace Be Still

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 24 Feb 2016 10:42:00 -0500

Before one can understand the rest of God they must know the One who gives the soul peace. Christ offered rest to people under an oppressive government and dead, formalized religion. People became overcome by the world. Jesus calls us to come to Him for rest. The disciples lived under a burden of fear in the storm. Their surroundings caused them fear and they did not trust in God. We must have faith enough to overcome our dread and anxiety. Without faith it is impossible to please God. We must trust Him with every aspect of our lives. We must not trust other believers instead of God; if we do we become idolaters. God expects those who claim to know Him to trust in Him. No one is immune to the troubles facing the rest of the world. We must strive to enter Heaven through the narrow gate. Through all trouble He is with us. Christians are to have the same spirit as Christ. We are condemned to die. This death is to self. We must examine ourselves, discipline ourselves, and hold onto Christ in all difficulties living out our faith in everyday trials. The things God promised will come to pass. Rejoice that you have a personal relationship with the One who makes all good things come to pass. Don’t get caught up in the things that come to pass. We must trust in God who raises the dead. Our greatest desire must be Christ magnified in our body. We must not be like the disciples in the storm. We must see storms as delightful and not as disastrous. Are you a conqueror? It starts with repentance, consecration, and faith.

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The Weight of Glory

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 10:41:00 -0500

The treasure that Paul writes about here is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The life changing power of the Gospel is the only hope for any person and the only hope for this fallen world! The treasure of the Gospel is placed in earthen vessels to prove and illustrate that the power is of God and not of the vessel. The treasure is placed in vessels that are insufficient, but God makes them sufficient by His power. This is to show that the excellence of the power is of God and not of us. The weaker the vessel the more of an opportunity God is given to show forth His power. That is why Paul boasts in his infirmities and weaknesses. These earthen vessels are hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck down! But by the power of God are kept from being crushed, in despair, forsaken, and destroyed! God allows His earthen vessels to go through this so the work of refinement and sanctification may be done in their lives. The Christian is also always dying through repentance and always delivered to death for Jesus sake through consecration. It is through repentance and consecration that the work of sanctification takes place in the life of the Christian. This is how one receives life. This is how they become like Christ and become like Him in the resurrection. The only way one can persevere in these things is through faith. The ultimate purpose is for others and for the glory of God. We must not lose heart. If one loses faith they will focus only on the outward man that is perishing and will lose sight of the inward man that is being renewed day by day. By faith we see that our affliction is light and for a moment compared to the exceeding and eternal weight of glory!

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I Am Not Alone

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 10 Feb 2016 10:40:00 -0500

The message of Christ is still misunderstood by those who claim to be Christians everywhere. The joy of a disciple is not based on circumstances but on likeness to Christ. As a woman is in labor pains before the death of a child so is the disciple who is having Christ birthed in them. This produces holiness and likeness to Christ. Those who go on by faith through sanctification have a similar “near death” experience. Each believer is brought to sanctification and fullness of joy by continuing on in faith in God. In order for a Christian to experience this they must adapt to God’s standard, consecrate themselves to His sovereignty, and remain completely His. The standard of God is to be like Christ. We must be doers of the Word. God will render to each one according to his deeds. Jesus always did what the Father commanded Him. Christ is our teacher and we should do what He says. As a Christian God is the head of my house, Christ is my Lord and Master, I do not listen to the advice of the world, and I live by faith. I press on and Christ will not let go of me. I forget what is behind and reach toward what is ahead. I press on and reach forward. We need a change of mind so we do these things. We must walk in a place of thoughtless dependence upon His sovereignty. We must cleanse our minds of doubt. The Lord goes with us and He enables us. Do not let any thought distract you from the sovereignty of God! We must obey God’s Word in every aspect of our lives. The fruits of the Spirit are signs of regeneration. May Christ reign upon our hearts! We must first see Him on the cross and then allow Him to reign upon our hearts in order for His image to be formed in us.

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A Living Hope

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Wed, 3 Feb 2016 10:39:00 -0500

This passage is full of earnest exhortation from Peter who knew from his own experience the certainty of the Christian’s faith, and the sure unshaken foundation of the Christian’s hope. It is full of comfort, which only a true Christian, rich in faith and love can give to the suffering. This hope is known by faith, a hope that is certain if we will continue to persevere, and a hope that is the promise to the believer of their continual transformation into the likeness of Christ. We must learn now to trust in the sovereign hand of God, to learn in adversity to trust in the working of His might hand, to see as mature believers the reality of the things we face, to learn no longer to be self-centered and focused on our own comfort. Instead we must learn to be living sacrifices, to surrender to the Father’s hand, to live for the glory of God, to live to be a blessing to others and serve them. We can either be molded into the vision God is revealing or we can remain, as we are unequipped for the days ahead. What has He laid ahold of us for? It is that we may be partakers of His divine nature and that we having persevered through this life may finally enter into glory. This is our hope, both sure and steadfast. God has laid hold of us for this purpose and He will fulfill that which is His divine wisdom to do. To truly know this is to know surrender, to see God as the Sovereign One and to lay ourselves at His feet unconditionally. This is the example of Christ, the Apostles, and the Prophets. We must entirely surrender our rights to His divine plan and will.

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Sifted As Wheat

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 18:06:00 -0500

Christ’s followers are faced with trials, just as He was. But they continue to live out their faith in God through the trials. The disciples of Jesus are promised entry into the Kingdom of Heaven if they continue in their own trials with Him. Jesus speaks to Peter before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion and assures him in the midst of the terrible trial that was at hand. Jesus tells Peter that he will be sifted as wheat in the trial ahead. As Satan had asked God to try Job he is also going to try the disciples. Judas had already been tempted and the Devil had won him. But God alone sets the boundaries and sets a limit to the extent of the sifting that takes place in the life of a believer. Jesus prays for Peter that his faith would not fail. The sifting of Peter is the same sifting that all Christians go through as an ongoing process until all desires, passions, appetites, and emotions are converted and changed to be like Christ. The souls of mankind are influenced by the natural, satanically, and spiritually as they go through this sifting process. Peter and Judas were sifted as wheat. Peter continued to persevere by faith in Christ, but Judas decided to return his own way and betray the Lord completely. The results for Judas were very different than the results of Peter. Peter repented and sought the Lord for forgiveness, Judas never asked the Lord for forgiveness. When disciples are sifted as wheat it is not their end. Christ came to baptize believers with the Holy Spirit and clean out the threshing floor. But Christians are not simply refined by the passing of years, but by walking in obedience to the Lord.

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That Your Name May Be Magnified

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 17 Jan 2016 18:05:00 -0500

It was during a time of dwelling and rest that David was tempted with a religious temptation. He began comparing his own dwelling place to where the Ark of the Lord was. And from this place of reflection David was inspired with a religious dream and vision of what he was going to do for God. But in doing this he was running ahead of the LORD. Both David and Nathan go ahead with this idea before consulting God about it. They began to focus on building a house of cedar rather than shepherding the people of God. The LORD speaks to David, showing Himself to be the omnipotent and sovereign One! God makes clear all the works He has done on behalf of David and how his exalted state, providential blessings, and salvation are from Him alone. David is shown that he is seeking to finish in the flesh what was begun in the Spirit. David is not to stretch out his hand in his own way to finish the work that the LORD had begun. Salvation is by grace alone and God is the sole author of salvation, but one must submit to His grace, surrender to His working, and yield their will to his will or there is no hope for salvation. David is not going to build God a house; God is going to build Himself a house! God is going to use David to raise up a seed! To set up a kingdom! And this was all going to take place through Jesus Christ. And Christ was going to raise up a Church through regeneration and fill the Church with His Holy Spirit. This would be the house that David longed to build! David is speechless and overcome by this revelation. And in a state of realizing his unworthiness he surrenders his religious dreams and visions to the LORD and surrenders to God’s will for his life.

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Rest for the Weary

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 10 Jan 2016 18:04:00 -0500

Total depravity describes how we are corrupted entirely since the fall. There is nothing in mankind that has not been impacted by sin. Our minds are darkened and our will enslaved to a debased mind. We are outside the reach of salvation without grace. Only grace can enable us to respond to God. If a person does not respond positively to the grace of God they remain in disobedience. God does not receive this one because they are focused on what they desire. They heard the gospel and saw God work but they refused the gospel and remained in depravity. If one refuses to repent their sin remains and so does the burden. Only Christ offers pardon, rest, and peace. He offers forgiveness and assurance! He enables us to rise above weakness and He takes away the veil. Jesus offers us rest and peace. He offers security, confidence, and relief. He relieves all of our burdens and fills us with joy! Only Christ can give us rest for our souls. Nothing in this world can completely satisfy us in this life. Jesus says for us to come to Him. We can only come to Him through faith. Faith is the only condition. One can come to Christ just as they are. Faith is all one needs to enter the rest of Christ. Whoever desires can partake of justification, deliverance from sin, victory in trials, and sanctification! This rest is not given to the wise and prudent, it is not granted to those who trust in self. Those who are willing to respond will receive rest. The only one we could trust in trial is Christ. Let us rely on Him and be subject to Him. We must approach Him as meek and humble. We must live in faith, humility, obedience, and total dependence upon Him.

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Everyone Who Has This Hope

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 3 Jan 2016 18:02:00 -0500

John is encouraging believers to become established in the truth. Because of what Christ has done we have been offered the way of salvation, sanctification, and hope in the cross. This is all based on faith. All assurance is based on faith in what Christ has done! We must lay hold by faith onto what Christ has done. Many antichrists have come. The Church has lost its vision and reality of the heart. Society is unstable but we must be stable in Christ by faith. We must be consistent, strong, and stable. God is calling us to maturity and perfection! We must have faith in confidence in the cross of Christ. True security only comes to those who decide to give themselves entirely to Christ. God has granted to us in Christ to know Him fully. This is the way to peace with God. The Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth, but will we follow? Rest in the simplicity that is found in Christ! Do not entertain thoughts that will lead you away from the truth. Do not look for a quick and easy way. The cross alone is the way to our salivation. We must persevere in the truth we have received. The failure of the Church has been not to obey what has been given them to obey. This is how heresies are born. We must give ourselves to truth and doctrine. Do not look for new or exciting things. Christ must be everything. Allow nothing to come along that will dislodge the truths found in Christ. Continue in what you know to be true. Abide in Him that we may have confidence at His coming. Let us purify ourselves as He is pure and be holy as He is holy. Let His work be the foundation of our life in the cross. Let us have confidence that this work He has begun He will complete.

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Greater is He That is in You

pilgrimspathway@gmail.com (Pilgrim's Pathway Ministries) — Sun, 27 Dec 2015 18:00:00 -0500

There are two categories of people described in the Bible. Those who obey the word of their Lord and live in victory as a result and those who do not obey the Lord but instead resist the truth. Those who resist the truth are like Jannes and Jambres. They are evil people who resist God and the servants of God. They have corrupt minds and resist the teaching of God. These are full of false thoughts that keep them separated from God. For a Christian to remain undefiled in his way they must delight in the law of the Lord and meditate upon it both day and night. They must remain undefiled in their ways and walk in the law of the Lord. They also must not do any iniquity. The heart of every believer is a throne where God alone sits and reigns. This is the treasure of inner knowledge of the glory of God that comes to one when God is rightly seated upon the throne of their heart. The amount of power each believer receives is based on the amount they treasure God’s Word. God alone must be seated upon the throne of the heart! Everything that exalts itself against Christ must be cast down! Because in Christ is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge! Christians must confess Jesus Christ as Lord. This is the way to discern between the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. Beware of demonic influence and false doctrines. Christians must have their minds filled with God’s Word and they must be filled with the Spirit of God. Because He that is in you is greater than he that is in the world! We must make a choice that He is greater! Whatever is born of God overcomes the world! Do you have the victory today?

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