2006 was a year of revelation for all of us. I think that everyone of us would admit that coming to BT was from the mercy and grace of our Lord. Not only finding the pearls that Ray has shown us, but we found each other. I know that I was very lonely in my Christian walk until I came to this Forum. And now I have brothers and sisters all over this planet to share with.....our ups, our downs, our highs and our lows, what God has revealed to us that we never saw before and how we can't wait to share it with each other.
For those of you that have never had the priviledge of reading Pilgrims Progress by John Bunyan, I would like to share the thread of that story in my own words. I hope this will be a blessing to you as it has been to me for many years.
There was a young man named Christian who from his youth was taught the commandments of God and how he must keep them in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. Each day, as he walked in this life, he found that trying to keep these commandments became more and more difficult. In fact, they became a heavy burden to him. One day, as he was walking by a wicket gate, he met a man named Evangelist. Evangelist ask Christian what he was carrying on his back for it looked like a very large sack. Christian replied, " I did'nt know anything was on my back." Evangelist replied, " I know what is on your back my son; it is the burden of sin. The only way for you to get this burden off your back is to enter the wicket gate." Christian thanked him for his advise and then went on his way.
The next day, as Christian walked by the wicket gate, he noticed that it was locked tight as it always had been. He thought to himself, there's no way that I can ever enter that gate for it has always been locked and no man can unlocked it. Yet he pondered the words of Evangelist who said he must enter the wicket gate. But as the days and months went by, Christian felt the burden on his back getting heavier and heavier. One morning as Christian was walking by the wicket gate, he glanced over to it and much to his surprise, he found it unlocked and open. As he stood there wondering what or who had unlocked the wicket gate, he remembered what Evangelist said. Then something in him said.....go in....go ahead....go in. Then Christian went through the wicket gate, but it was'nt easy for the burden on his back had grown so large that he could barley enter through.
But finally he made it through the wicket gate only to find himself at the bottom of a hill called Calvary. The hill was steep and Christian's burden was very heavy and he thought to himself that there's no way that I can climb this with this burden on his back. But something in him said...come.....come unto Me. So Christian began to go very slowly up the hill on his hands and knees because the burden on his back was too heavy for him to bare. So as he reached the top of the hill, with his face to the earth, he bumped into something and latched on to what felt like an old rugged tree. He stopped and looked up and saw a blood stained cross and while he looked, to his amazement, the burden on his back fell off....he stood up and never had felt like this before...the burden had rolled away and he was free of the burden of sin for the first time in his life.
He began to thank God for what had happened to him and while he was thanking God, he saw three men in white shinning robes come to him and they began to rejoice with him. Christian asked, "who are you and what are your names ?" They said, "we are your brothers; and our names are Faith, Hope and Love." And Love embraced him and kissed him and the other brothers said, "come with us Christian we want to show you something very wonderfull."
So off they went and climbed a very high mountain and when they had reached the very top, Hope said to Christian, "look Christian, look way off yonder to the other side and tell us what you see." And Christian said, " I see a very bright city." And Faith said to him, that's the City of God....the New Jerusalem." They said,"that's where we are going, is'nt that wonderful?" Christian thought to himself, what a wonderful place that must be. Hope said, " there will be no more sorrow, no more tears and no more pain or death, because we will all be together with God and our Lord Jesus Christ." Then Christian said, "is it true...is it real?" And all the brothers said, "yes Christian, it is real."
Then Christian looked down from the moutain and saw a very dark valley and asked the brothers what that was. Love looked at the other brothers and then held Christian and said, " that is the valley of the shadow of death." "We all must go through it to get to the City of God the New Jerusalem." "But don't worry Christian, we'll be with you and I'll hold you through it all, Love never fails." "Look here, God has provided you with His armour....come, lets us help you put it on, for without this armour, no man can pass through." So having his loins girt about with truth and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and his feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; taking the shield of faith, and the helmet of salvation, the sword of the Spirit which is the word of God they set off down the mountain.
As they came down the mountain, they found a very straight and narrow pathway. Faith said, " we must walk this way and never leave it for it is written, "broad is the way that leads to destruction and many that walk therein shall perish." It was very dark going through this valley and Christian became very frightful and very discouraged, but the brothers said again it is written " though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." So Christian was strengthened within and kept on the straight and narrow path.
Soon, the brothers came to a city called " Vanity Fair", where anything that a man wanted, desired or imagined he could have. The city seemed rather pleasant to the eyes and Christian was tempted on every side for there was all manner of evil and sin which he thought he had been ridden of. And as they passed through the city, the people began to press in on him, asking him to come with them and have pleasures he could'nt have ever dreamed of and he became confused as he listened to them. Christian turned and he found Faith missing and asked a man where his brother had gone. The man said with a sinister laugh, " your brother Faith is dead." Staggered at what the man had said, Christian began to weaken as they went on. The city became a nightmare to him and Hope said, "let's hurry and get out of here," and as they went a little further, Christian was pressed on every side with all the cares of this evil city and he felt temptations all around him. In dispair he turned and Love was lost in the crowd; he looked everywhere but to no avail, he could'nt find him. Hope then grabbed him by the arm and led him out of the city. Now shaken because Faith was dead and Love was lost, he tried his best to go on.
Not far out of the city, he met a very nice looking man who was very well dressed who asked him, " where are you going, and what is your name?" He said, "my name is Christian and I'm going to the city of God...the New Jerusalem." And the well dressed, nice looking man began to laugh him to scorn and said; "I've been going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it, and I tell you........ that there is no City of God.....there is no New Jerusalem! Christian's heart began sink and his knees began to buckle and as he was falling to the earth, Hope snatched him by the arm and wispered in his ear.........."Christian, have we not been to the top of the mountain.......have we not seen with our own eyes.....the City of God...The New Jerusalem?" And Christian's strength returned within him and with all boldness said to the man, "sir, I have seen with my own eyes and I know there is the City of God, the New Jerusalem, therefore, step aside and get thee behind me." And immediately the man fled from him.
And in an instant, Faith and Love were at his side, and all the brothers embraced and prayed with thanksgiving to God that they were together again. And Love held him and kissed him on the neck and they wept together and all got on their knees thanking God for the vision that He had given to Christian.
"Without a vision, the people perish."
Pro. 29:18 .
God bless you all,
Dwight,