Hebrews 11:13, Strangers and Pilgrims
These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
//Hebrews chapter 11 is sometimes called “God’s honor roll,” because it lists many of the Old Testament’s faithful figures, concluding that they could see into the future to the coming age. As Hebrews reports, they were “strangers and pilgrims” in a foreign world, waiting for the glory of God’s new age.
But how far, exactly, did these faithful men see into the future? When would the glory of God be revealed?
The book of 1 Peter is still waiting. Verse 2:11 reads, Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.
But the author of Ephesians (probably not Paul) has a different opinion. Ephesians contains an undercurrent of “realized eschatology;” that is, the doctrine that the new age has already begun. Verse 2:19 reads, Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God. For this writer, the age has arrived.
My opinion? The Kingdom of Heaven has arrived if you embrace it; it hasn’t, if you’re still scanning the skies waiting for Jesus to come back on the clouds.
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Fantasy Football, Anyone?
Put on the whole uniform of the Team, that ye may be able to stand against the blitz of oncoming linebackers. Don the hip pads of truth, the shoulder pads of righteousness, the cleats of preparation. Don’t forget the facemask of faith and the helmet of salvation. Then clutch the pigskin with much Spirit, for that is what the Play Book of your Coach in Heaven demands.The River of Life
Twice before Lee Harmon has written about Christian topics, once on the gospel of John and once on the book of Revelation. But the question people keep asking him is this: As a liberal Christian, why do you care so much about the Bible? Others wonder whether he is truly a Christian at all.
The Way It Happened
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| Revelation: A love story gone awry. | The Gospel: A love story set aright. |
What really happened 2,000 years ago? How did a persecuted minority of end-time believers known as Christians, with their dreams of Armageddon and a conquering Messiah named Jesus, evolve into the largest religion in the world? Author Lee Harmon explores the period in which the New Testament was written in his books about John's Gospel and Revelation.
(Bloggers: you may be eligible for a free review copy! Just contact us.)
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The God Show
Lee Harmon interviewed on The God Show about the History Channel's miniseries The Bible and Lee's latest book, John's Gospel: The Way It Happened.
About Lee
Hello! I'm an author, historical Jesus scholar, book reviewer, and liberal Christian, which means I appreciate and attempt to exercise the humanitarian teachings of Jesus without getting hung up on any particular supernatural or religious beliefs.
The Bible is a magnificent book that has inspired and spiritually fed generations for thousands of years, and each new century seems to bring a deeper understanding of life’s purpose. This is true of not only Christianity; through the years, our age-old religions are slowly transforming from superstitious rituals into humanitarian philosophies. In short, we are growing up, and I am thrilled to be riding the wave.
I avidly read all thought-provoking religion titles. New authors: I'd love to read and review your book!
Contact me here.
About Leslie
Hi! While Lee writes the articles and reviews the books, I edit, organize, and maintain the blog. The views expressed here are Lee's but I'm his biggest supporter! :-)
YES!
For THY Kingdom, The Kingdom of GOD(Heaven), HAS Come!
i don’t believe you will appreciate the following testimonies i have posted at a web/blog site i maintain, however, experience has taught me all things are possible indeed for Truth IS Alive!
http://asimpleandspirituallife.blogspot.com/2011/07/family-of-faith-or-system-of-religion.html
http://asimpleandspirituallife.blogspot.com/2009/05/what-of-new-covenant-and-new-covenant.html
The site can be accessed @ asimpleandspirituallife.org as well.
It was as Paul prophesied, for “The Messiah delivered up The Kingdom unto His GOD and Father, so that Our Father would be ALL IN ALL,” when the temporal, natural, earthly temple and realm centered in jerusalem were no more!
Thankfully Our Father, HE yet communes with HIS children, and HE provides the Comforter that helps them endure unto the end, when they draw their last natural breath, and are finally taken Home, Home at last!
Till then:
The brethren of The Messiah choose to be but “alien and pilgrims while on the earth” for they have realized that their “citizenship(Life) is in Heaven”…….
And each and every day reveals how “poor and in need” of Their Father they truly are:
Father Help! and HE does…….
All Thanks and Praise Be Unto Our Father!
Peace, in spite of the dis-ease(no-peace) that is of this wicked, evil world……. francis
Hi Francis, thanks for reading and responding! You’re right, judging from your blog, we’re polar opposites in what we believe. But that’s normal for the arena of religion, so maybe we can have some interesting and helpful discussions!
“discussions”?
Truth needs be received and is not manifest in endless discussion or debate.
Simply, except one receives “a love of The Truth they can not be saved”…….
And Truth IS, “the WHOLE(not just a portion) world is under the control of the evil one”, and especially the systems of religion, all of which are of “the father of lies” who rules over this wicked, evil world!
“Come Out of her, MY people!”
The brethren of The Messiah have “Come Out” and so it is we choose to remain but “aliens and pilgrims while on the earth” all the while hoping that soon, and very soon we will be taken Home, Home at last!
Till then:
Father Help! and HE does…….
I see. We won’t discuss or debate anything, we’ll just flip and coin, and the winner gets to choose his version to be the TRUTH.
Meanwhile, we’ll all keep scanning the skies, praying something will happen, somebody will come riding down on the clouds that will fix all the suffering in the world, overcome all the evil being planted here by the Father of Lies.
And while we’re waiting, we’ll live like consecrated bigots, never lowering our gaze to the earth, to all the things we could be doing ourselves to make life better. Church-sponsored soup kitchens and the like. All that stuff is evil.
Do I pretty much have a handle on it?
Just teasing, we just have different opinions about life’s meaning, and that’s cool. Par for the course on a religion blog.
‘religion’ is anti-messiah!
Multiplied millions have been, and are yet being, killed in the name of the god(s) of this, or that religion…….
http://asimpleandspirituallife.blogspot.com/2011/07/family-of-faith-or-system-of-religion.html
Hope is that one day you would experience The Miracle that is receiving “a love of The Truth” for only then will your “affections be set on things above” from “whence came the help” you truly needed.
Only then will you no longer have your portion with those “whose god is their bellies, and whose glory is in their shame, because they mind earthly things”…….
Only then will cease to be of those who “love this wicked, evil world and their own (self)life in it”.
And while there is breath there is hope!
For Miracles do happen…….
Father Help! and HE does…….
http://asimpleandspirituallife.blogspot.com/2011/03/brethren-of-messiah-love-not-world.html