At the conclusion of Pilgrim’s Progress, the protagonist, a man named Christian, arrives at the Celestial City. This is a metaphor for heaven, a prepared place for a prepared people. One of the most exciting and sobering events that is being prepared for every believer is the Judgment Seat of Christ. Yet sadly many believers aren’t aware of this event or what will be involved.
Jesus is risen. He is risen indeed! Across Canada we enjoy the long weekend that Easter brings, yet for many what Easter really means is unclear. It is time to think deeper about Easter.
As we come to the end of the story of Pilgrim’s Progress, we see Christian and Hopeful enter the Celestial City. They have finished strong after facing numerous trials and challenges along the way. As they cross the river and enter into the City, they are greeted by angels who welcome them with songs of celebration. The example of Christian is an inspiration for us as we run the race of faith.
As Christian and Hopeful draw closer to the end of their pilgrimage, they reach the Enchanted Grounds, a place they had been warned about by the Shepherds at the Delectable Mountains. Bunyan describes the Enchanted Grounds as a place where the air naturally tends to make one drowsy. It is a place that is meant to make one tired and sleepy rather than refreshed. If Satan cannot cause us to succumb to unbelief, he will cause us to slumber.
As Christian and Hopeful leave Doubting Castle and the giant Despair, they reach the Delectable Mountains. These mountains are a picture of the Sabbath, Sunday the day of rest. The shepherds they meet represent the pastors that God has given the church to care and lead them. In this chapter of Pilgrim’s Progress we learn why Sundays should be set apart.
In the uncertain and changing world we live in we find a desperate search for hope. The key is to have a true hope, a hope anchored to the right source. If you place your hope in the present world, your wealth, or the people in your life, you will be disappointed. But there is a hope that God gives, which like the rising sun brightens your path.
As Christian and Faithful continue their journey, they arrive at a town named Vanity, in which there is an ongoing festival called Vanity Fair. At this fair, all types of lusts, desires, and cravings are on display and the two pilgrims face temptation to stop their journey to the Celestial City and partake in Vanity Fair.
God uses relationships with other believers to strengthen our faith. In this Podcast Pastor James talks about 3 Things to Look for in a Godly Companion: 1. A godly companion has a deep love for God. 2. A godly companion is a doer of God’s Word. 3. A godly companion submits to God’s authority.
When we receive Jesus, we are born again and made new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). However, we still have thinking patterns, mindsets and maybe painful memories that have been with us most of our lives. As we begin the process of renewing our minds in the Bible, we discover that the focus of our enemy shifts to this new battlefield. Here in the battlefield of the mind we can find ourselves in dark valleys that God has empowered us to walk through victoriously on our journey to the Celestial...
The Christian life is filled with challenges, but Jesus has given us everything we need to overcome the hills of difficulty. Regardless of the challenges we face on the outside, we can be renewed and refreshed on the inside every day.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks about the narrow gate, which is a metaphor for the path to eternal life. The narrow gate represents the path to salvation and leads to the Celestial City or eternal life that is referred to in Pilgrim’s Progress. The function of the narrow gate is to separate those who have chosen to follow Jesus from those who have chosen to follow the ways of the world.
We will be going through the book, Pilgrim’s Progress written by John Bunyan. This book really does cover the journey of a lifetime. In the pages of this allegory you will be introduced to a cast of unique and memorable characters, each with their own role and lessons to impart. You’ll be able to relate to the protagonist and find yourself encountering the same challenges and obstacles as he did. But with determination and perseverance, you’ll too find God’s strength and grace to overcome them. ...
Have you ever gone on a long trip? Maybe it was a holiday to an exotic destination. Possibly time spent living in an unfamiliar place. Perhaps an adventure that was unplanned or unexpected. No matter the journey, it likely took planning and coordination. This process may have been met with certain feelings of excitement, curiosity, even hesitation and apprehension. The truth is, we are all on a journey. This isn’t a surprise. We are sojourners through life. On a quest for purpose, meaning, and i...
Every gift reflects the giver. It reflects their personality, resources, commitment, thoughtfulness, sacrifice and ultimately an expression of love. When God gave us the gift of His Son it truly reflected God’s great love for the world. This supreme gift of love compels us to express our deepest appreciation in worship. This is to be our gift back to God.
The only invitation from God to anyone to come and visit Mary and Joseph and the infant Jesus is to a group of shepherds. They were common people on the bottom of the social ladder of the day, perhaps the last people that you’d expect God to send as the first VIP guests to see His Son. The shepherds represented Jesus’ identity as a descendent of King David, who was also a shepherd. They also remind us that Jesus was the sacrificial lamb. Because of the Messiah’s perfect life and death, we have a...
The genealogy of Jesus, in the opening verses of the New Testament, is often overlooked. Found in this genealogy are four women, all of them foreigners and each one of them had a season in their life that was R rated. They had to overcome shame, dead babies, dead husbands, lying men, being foreigners, being broke and insecurity. From these grandmothers of Christmas, we can learn some rich lessons in faith and divine grace.
A child was born for us. Perhaps we have heard this so often it no longer strikes us as unusual or perhaps we are hearing it for the first time and it strikes as absurd. The question that begs to be asked is: “Why would an all-powerful God give us His son?”
A special Christmas message from Pastor Dave Koop, spoken at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre in Vancouver.
This is the eighth and last Beatitude in our message series that touches on persecution and opposition to our faith.
Jesus was sitting with his followers and the crowd of people who came to hear from him, teaching them about the Kingdom Realm, what it is to live in the Kingdom Realm, how we activate the Kingdom Realm in our life to live heaven on earth and why we are blessed when we live in His Kingdom Realm.
In the beatitudes Jesus gives the assurance that the pure in heart shall see God. True Christianity lies in the purity of heart.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” Matt 5:7 To be merciful is revealed in action. It is actively compassionate. Treating people better than they deserve. God showed mercy in sparing us from the judgment we deserve for our sins through the saving work of Jesus Christ. We imitate God when we show mercy.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled. – Matthew 5:6 NKJV
In the midst of setbacks in life, we know that God has a plan! Rather than shrink back, we press ahead and sense God has great things in store for those who put their trust in Him. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. – Romans 8:28
Thankfulness is more powerful than we might think. It is the key to wholeness in our relationships and contentment in life. More importantly, it is the key to receiving the wholeness God has promised for every area of our lives.
In our culture today meekness may be perceived as weakness. However, meekness is not weakness, but supreme self-control empowered by the Spirit to live an overcoming life on earth.
God has designed tears and mourning to release that pain we experience and to be part of a healing process. When pain is bottled up and kept inside, it can poison our spirits. For those in the kingdom God has promised that those who mourn will enjoy His comfort.
Everyone who puts their faith in Jesus Christ is a citizen of God’s kingdom. And in the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us the beatitudes, the characteristics He expects every Christian to manifest. The beatitudes are more than pithy sayings, they are radical truths that are as relevant today as they were two thousand years ago.
