The Pilgrimage

Scripture: 

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [and Believers Chapel], 2 elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

1 Peter 1:1-2

8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God…

Hebrews 11:8-10

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. 14 For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. 15 And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. 16 But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Hebrews 11: 8-10

5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage. 6 As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. 7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.

Psalm 84:5-7

Devotional: 

Whenever you decided to accept Jesus’s offer and become His follower, citizenship in the Kingdom of God was bestowed immediately, causing the trajectory of your life to change, potentially forever. Like Abraham, your ancient ancestor, you obeyed the voice of God, thrusting you into pilgrimage. Pilgrims have one objective, to reach the desired destination; therefore, extreme caution is required to minimize valleys and maximize peaks while in route.

As a heavenly citizen, you are on a pilgrimage to bring the Heavenly Kingdom into the earth! Pilgrims have one responsibility – unwavering loyalty to the KING, also known as obedience. Obedience is the sole tool used to ensure journeying citizens are conformed into the image of Christ Jesus and live as kings and priests in the earth presently. The precursor to achieving that is death. If Jesus’s obedience led to His death by crucifixion, resulting in a name being given to Him that is above every name, His followers should be ready and prepared to do the same; only then will you be able to proclaim the same statement as Apostle Paul, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God”

While on pilgrimage, workers in the kingdom of darkness, namely, Principalities, Powers, Rulers of darkness, and Spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenlies, will continuously entice and tempt you to deviate from the Way by planting thoughts in your mind and orchestrating encounters which trigger various urges, such as, fornication, idolatry, adultery, homosexuality, larceny, disobedience, cowardice, lying, unforgiveness, etc., but you must resist if you want to complete your pilgrimage! This is how we resist:

1)        Filling your mind with the word of God, which is found in scriptures, songs, and books made by people with the spirit of truth (Holy Spirit) indwelling them, through dreams given to you by the King, and words of prophecy given by prophets, the servants of the LORD.

2)        Obeying what you received via the various forms mentioned above.

3)        Praying consistently. It's my conviction that we should be praying for a minimum of one hour per day.  Recall Jesus’s words spoken to His three disciples the night He was betrayed, “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” It is imperative that you be on guard and pray consistently because that is what keeps you from falling into temptation.

My fellow pilgrim, the King says, “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.” By the grace of our LORD, you have found the way which leads to life, and I implore you, do all that you can to ensure you remain on that path. I hope to see you in the New Heavens and New Earth once the pilgrimage is complete. Moreover, if you happen to fall along the way, do not condemn yourself. Acknowledge where you missed it, ask your heavenly Father to forgive you, and keep moving forward. Peter informs that “…the righteous one is scarcely saved…”; therefore, remain vigilant and circumspect in all that you do.  Safe travel!

Prayer: 

Heavenly Father, thank you for telling me that I am on pilgrimage. Please show me what I am doing well and where I need to adjust. Forgive me for missing the mark that You have set and help me to realign with the Governor of your Kingdom, Holy Spirit, so I can be conformed into the image of your Son and colonize the area in the earth where you have positioned me. Amen.

Diving Deeper: 

3. Read Matthew chapters 5,6 and 7 to learn about the requirements for a pilgrim's life.