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Today’s Devotional – February 12th

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Pilgrim’s Family’s Progress!

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“Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine

by the sides of thine house:

thy children like olive plants round about thy table.”

Psalm 128:3

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In its day, that great allegorical tale, Pilgrim’s Progress, shook the Christian nations of Europe and the colonies of America!

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Not only was it the first of its kind, as a total Bible allegorical tale. But John Bunyan’s book opened up the spiritual nature of the Bible in a way that put both the Bible and the Christian life in such an amazing light, as never before seen nor appreciated!

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And of course, Bunyan wrote it in such charming old English language, that it immediately captured the hearts of the Christian nations, and has continued to do so for well over 300 years!

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Pilgrims Progress title page third edition 1679 – Wikimedia Commons – public-domain

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PILGRIM SETS OUT ON HIS JOURNEY

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The story is of a man named Christian, who has a great burden on his shoulders.

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And after unsuccessfully trying to persuade his family to flee from the City of Destruction, and come along with him (they thought him “touched” in the head for such a crazy notion), he set out by himself, on a personal pilgrimage to unload his heavy burden from off his back.

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And on this amazing allegorical journey through the countryside, Pilgrim encounters various interesting characters, and experiences, and dangers, and giants, and setbacks, and etc…. 

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I Saw A Man Clothed With Rags pilgrims progress – Wikimedia – public domain

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PILGRIM FINALLY CROSSES THE RIVER

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Now the reason why Pilgrim’s Progress is the subject of today’s devotional, is actually because of the sequel to that book.

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You see, at the end of the first book, Christian, the pilgrim, finally crossed the river into Beulah Land, the Celestial City, Mount Zion. But though Pilgrim arrived safely in the Celestial City, his family was still back home in the City of Destruction!

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Now John Bunyan was finally released from his twelve-year jail sentence, and soon arose to international fame because of his book’s almost universal laud and overwhelming acceptance.

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Yes, copies of Pilgrim’s Progress were now rolling off the printing presses and encouraging Christian pilgrims both here and abroad!

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The Pilgrim’s Progress by Byam Shaw – Wikimedia Commons – US public domain

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THE SEQUEL: PILGRIM’S FAMILY COMES TOO!

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But his book, as beloved as it was, did not have complete closure.

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Oh yes, the pilgrim made it safely to the Celestial City. But the pilgrim’s family was still back in the City of Destruction!

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And so, in God’s divine providence, John Bunyan was once again arrested and thrown back in the Bedford jail for another six-month stint.

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And as many assert, during that time, Bunyan wrote the sequel, in which the Pilgrim’s wife, Christiana, decided to follow after her husband, Christian, taking her children along with her.

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And so, the sequel tells of her adventures as she and her four children also followed her husband’s footsteps on their way to the Celestial City.

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Pilgrims Progress Christiana – We Are All Undone – Wikimedia – public domain.

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CHRISTIANA’S GENTLER JOURNEY

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Now one big difference between Christian’s journey and his wife’s journey, was that her journey seemed to be much more protected.

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In other words, whenever a dangerous situation arose, something or someone just happened to rescue her and her children, safely passing over the situation altogether, making her sojourn much more smooth and pleasant and trouble-free than was her husband’s experience.

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Pilgrim’s Progress 62 – p159 – Wikimedia – Public Domain

 

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MANY PILGRIMS TODAY MUST GO IT ALONE

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But here’s the great point that today’s devotional is trying to make.

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There are many, who, like this pilgrim, have decided to follow Jesus. And, more often than not, such pilgrims also must go-it-alone, without their family. And though these pilgrims do not actually leave their home and family, as the pilgrim did in this allegorical tale, they nevertheless find themselves walking that spiritual upward pathway without their family’s approval or participation.

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Oh yes, they still live under the same roof.

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But they are often, seemingly, in two separate worlds, as the saying goes.

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Christian in Pilgrims Progress – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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MANY PILGRIMS MUST GO IT ALONE!

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Now, needless to say, this can be very distressing and even sad and lonely at times for the Christian!

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After all, the Christian’s great hope is for his family’s Salvation! And that Christian will often try to plead to his or her spouse and children to also come along on the heavenward journey.

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But like Bunyan’s pilgrim, today’s Christian pilgrims quite often meet with ridicule and rejection from their loved ones. The family just doesn’t have the heart for such an all-consuming life as a stranger and pilgrim merely traveling away from this City of Destruction, i.e., this world.

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People, by nature, merely want to be comfortable and enjoy their lives in this world of selfish pleasures and worldly desires.

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Girl Praying – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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PILGRIMS MUST CLING TO GOD’S PROMISES

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So here is the big point to be made. Any Christian who has an unsaved family, should not despair.

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The Bible has promises for us to cling to!

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Just listen to one of those promises…“Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walks in His ways.

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For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be,

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and it shall be well with thee.

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Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house:

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thy children like olive plants round about thy table.

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Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.”

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Psalm 128: 1-4

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Yes, this above Psalm, as well as other Bible passages are the “great and precious promises” that each Christian needs to cling to, as we sojourn through this sad world.

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Grape vines – cropped image – Wikimedia commons – share-alike-license

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PILGRIM’S VICTORY ALSO FOR FAMILY TOO!

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And so, as you read Pilgrim’s Progress, you will notice what the pilgrim did to solve his family dilemma: he himself, simply made it to the Celestial City!

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That’s it! The pilgrim crossed that river and came up out of the water on the other side!

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You see, a Christian’s family’s Salvation does not depend on him or her becoming a veritable summer-camp-youth-activities-director! Nor does it require him to become some sort of “romance-novel-Casanova” with his wife. Neither did the pilgrim have to resort to forcing his family to live under stringent rules.

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Those kinds of notions come right from the lips of the Worldly Wisemen of this world!

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No, what it takes, is to do exactly like Christian, in Bunyan’s tale! The Christian must cross that river; to die-to-self; to crucify the “Old Man” with his affections and lusts, so that the “New Man” can freely and fully live out His life through that Christian!

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This is the great goal of each and every Christian: to be crucified with Christ, so that it’s no longer “self” that lives, but Christ is now living out His life through him…or her! And “self” no longer calls the shots, as they say. Self has been crucified!

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This is what Bunyan’s book was really all about!

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Pilgrims Progress – Thus They Got Over – Wikimedia Commons – Public Domain

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PRAYERS FOR FAMILY FINALLY ANSWERED!

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Then, once the Christian does cross that river. Once his head goes fully under that water, he will come up on the other side. He will be an overcomer! He will have overcome the world! He will be fully surrendered to Christ’s leading!

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And then, all those prayers he or she made through the years for their family, will now be answered!

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Just like the pilgrim’s prayers for his family were answered, once he crossed that river (died-to-self) and entered that Celestial City!

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Pilgrims Progress – His Burden Fell Off His Back – Wikimedia – Public Domain

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TODAY’S PRAYER…

“Dear Lord, Give me the strength and desire to continue to purify my heart in Thy Word, and in my life. Continue to work in in me, to will and to do of Thy good pleasure…

Family Prayer Before Meal – Wikimedia – US-Govt. – Public-Domain

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Crown of Revelation 12: What Is “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”?” or you can also read… “Castor and Pollux (Part 2: The Return of Christ & The Dawning of the Day)”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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THE END

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TODAY’S FEATURED HEAVENLY SIGN

The info and pics of the constellations on this site are all taken from Wikipedia and from The Internation Astronomical Union (click here to view their site)

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FLOWER OF HEAVEN CONSTELLATION

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God called to anyone, and everyone to come follow Him on a heaven-ward journey, symbolized by the Summer Constellations of Signs Of Heaven. God then led His followers through the battle between good and evil, symbolized by the Winter Constellations.

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Then, after the battle was over, and the Revelation 12 Woman (The Church) (sketch right) victoriously swerves toward the Narrow Gate Stars (Gemini stars, picture to right), it begins to be seen that she is rising as incense from the Altar/Ark Constellation.

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GOD’S PURPOSE FINALLY UNDERSTOOD

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And finally is seen this Flower of Heaven, suspended as a vine from this Altar/Ark (picture right). So now we understand the Lord’s intent. Now we see what God was doing all along. Yes, God has been severe. Yes, He has brought Humanity through a very horrific experience. But alas, He took a dying flower (Humanity), and through a long process, He revived this dying flower. And in the end, God, through Christ, gave new life to this dying flower: new life which shall never ever perish. And this flower no longer springs up from the Earth. But now is suspended from this Altar/Ark, which is located in Holy Mountain of Zion…God’s eternal throne.

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But as we look at this Flower of Heaven Constellation, it also reminds us of something almost romantic. This last scene from Signs Of Heaven almost reminds us of a love letter, written by God to Humanity, with a single rose, placed upon that letter, just waiting for anyone to read it.

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READ MORE…

To explore deeper into this subject, please read… “The Flower of Heaven Constellation”

Question book magnify svg – Wikimedia – GNU license

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TOMORROW: 

February 13th (The True Pilgrim’s Pathway!)

Upward Pathway – by böhringer friedrich for – Wikimedia – Share-alike License

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20 MINUTE+ AUDIO STUDY IN JEREMIAH 

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ALL‘NOBLE BEREANS’ (open-minded seekers of Bible truth) ARE ENCOURAGED TO BEGIN FOLLOWING THIS 650+ AUDIO BIBLE STUDY THROUGH THE BOOK OF JEREMIAH EACH DAY ON THIS DAILY DEVOTIONAL.

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THIS STUDY #43 IS PRESENTED BY THE LATE HAROLD CAMPING, FORMER CEO OF FAMILY RADIO…

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above picture: Prophet Jeremiah – www.christianimagesource.org – Public Domain