“Glory to the Precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ”

Ephesians 2: 19, 20   Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen

Hallelujah

Who are the strangers and pilgrims?

My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, in the past days we meditated  regarding if we repent then we will be saved. In these days, without any delay and without spending the days in vain, in the right time, as soon as we hear the word of God, if we repent, it will be a great blessing for us. In the past days, God showed us few things regarding Jacob as a pattern, and we meditated few things regarding how we should be redeemed from the bondage of Egypt. 

When Jacob came to Pharaoh, and Pharaoh said to Jacob, “How old are you?” Jacob said to Pharaoh, “The days of the years of my pilgrimage are one hundred and thirty years; few and evil have been the days of the years of my life, and they have not attained to the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.”

From this, what we understand is that, all our forefathers were pilgrims. That is, inside them, a proper cleansing was not there, they all confessed that they were pilgrims. Because, in the past days we meditated without the shedding of blood, there will be no forgiveness of sin. But, when they die, Hebrews 11: 13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off  were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland.

That homeland, is Canaan, where milk and honey flows which is Our Lord Jesus Christ. They are confessing that they are seeking it.

But Jacob also did not have that privilege. That is why he is telling Pharaoh that he is a pilgrim and his days are few and full of evil.

But we must think how special we are compared to them. They saw that land from afar off and died with faith. But we, eventhough we have put on our Lord Jesus Christ and though he has entered us and though he lived in us and though God has changed us for that homeland, many people keep saying that I am a pilgrim.

My dear people, Who is a pilgrim?

We must know that they are those who have not accepted our Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. In this manner, those who have fleshly deeds in them are pilgrims. Their life will be few and full of evil.

But we, in order to live along with him forever, he gave his life for us and if we possess the eternal life we will have long years of life. All our evil will go away from us.

Those whose life does not have victory over the world, flesh, and devil will be sad and filled with evil. If we change into God's house, we will always rejoice in Christ.

My dear people of God, who are reading this each one of us let us think about ourselves. If we have faith in us, and if that faith has  works, we will see God. Our heart should always be clean. We should know that if fleshly stains and worldly worries are removed from us, we will not be pilgrims.

Death and life are in the power of the tongue. So, people of God, read this and if each one of us correct our lives, we will be blessed. Hereafter, if our soul is filled with Gods love truthfully, we can decide that we are not pilgrims.

Acts 13: 17 - 20  The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He brought them out of it. 

Now for a time of about forty years He put up with their ways in the wilderness. 

And when He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land to them by allotment.

“After that He gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet.

When we read the epistle of 1 Peter, we can see that Peter has written, that he is writing to the pilgrims in the church. The reason for this is that people who are born again are walking according to their own lusts and so it is written that they are pilgrims.

1 Peter 1: 13 - 16 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 

as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 

but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 

because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Also to the church, the families, the reason for writing as pilgrims is because the people are walking like their forefathers in agreement with traditional deeds and we come to know that they are walking with decorations. Therefore, we come to know that he is also writing God's word about complete hope.

Also 1 Peter 2: 11, 12  Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 

having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation.

What the above mentioned verse is saying is that, those who are living with fleshly lusts and with fleshly deeds are sojourners and pilgrims. But Our Lord Jesus Christ manifests in order to destroy our fleshly deeds.

Romans 8: 13  For if you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 

Our forefathers did not get these activities. Therefore, God has given us, this good privilege and leads us through God's spirit. Each day he makes us stand with his grace.

But our forefathers who died with faith, when Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross cried out with a loud voice and gave up his spirit

Matthew 27: 51 - 53 Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, 

and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 

and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

My dear people, when we see the things mentioned above the Old Testament people who were holy, entered into the holy place only after Jesus resurrected. So, this shows us clearly that the days that they lived in the world were days of  being strangers and pilgrims.

But we, when we live in this world itself, Christ gave us his life and when we are in this world itself he is making us enter into the holy place. Therefore we are not strangers and we are not pilgrims but we are God's own people.

But my dear people, if any of you till now thought that you are pilgrims, receive the access of reaching God through the blood of Christ. Then, at this time itself he will surely protect you.

In all ways, he will protect all of you. 

Let us pray. May the Lord bless you all

 -To be continued