Good morning, Pilgrim. Good morning on a cloudy, sprinkly day in Hillsboro, Oregon. Flooding down at the coast, normal for Oregon, because it's been raining, not terribly hard, but for a long time. I guess it's been raining really hard up at Seattle area. So my son says. Anyway, grace and peace to you, pilgrim. Grace and peace. Friend, I'm gonna start a little series here. It's a mighty thing to be called Christian. That name Christian, it is more precious than any other name you'll ever wear. It means You belong to the Lord's own family. You're a family member. You're counted among God's nobility, part of the pure age of heaven. And that's not just words, it's a truth. And it's a truth that ought to fill our hearts with joy and gratitude. But with such a name comes a calling. God expects something from us. He expects something from me. He expects something from you. And your new name, it commits you to live in a way that honors Him. So pilgrim, don't disgrace the family name. Don't. Don't disgrace the name. Don't do anything unworthy of Jesus who represents you in heaven and who you represent here on earth. You represent Jesus. He's faithful to you, be faithful to Him. Let folks know what kind of Lord and Master you serve. Be His witness. Be His mirror. Be His living letter to the world. Let Jesus speak through you, and you speak of Him. Let your life tell your neighbors what He is. and what he means to you. Speak well of him to others, just as he speaks well of you to the Father, and he does. He's honored you by giving you his name. He blessed you with sonship. He blessed you with royalty and eternal inheritance in heaven. So do justice to his love and magnify his greatness. Let your light shine. Don't obstruct it, hide it, or mix darkness with it. The Bible says, Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60, verse 1. Pilgrim, the light you've received is the light of love. Let it shine. Let it shine forth brightly. It's the light of holiness. Let it shine. If you ask, how do I get this light and keep it burning bright? The answer is simple. Christ shall give you light. Ephesians 5.4 reads, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you. There's enough light in Jesus who is the light of the world. There's plenty of light. The Bible says, and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. For the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb, Jesus. Revelation 21, 23. There's no light for us but from Jesus, the Lamb. It's the cross and the cross alone that lights up a dark soul and keeps it shining. So we walk in the light as he is in the light. The Bible tells us God is light and in him is no darkness at all. None, none whatsoever. First John 1 5. Be true to him. Be true to him who loved you and washed you from your sins in his own blood. He deserves it, my friend. It's the least you can do for him. Follow him. Follow him. His first words to you were, come to me. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I'll give you rest. Pilgrim, you came, and you found rest. But he also says, abide in me, John 15, 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me, in Jesus. And follow me, he said, Matthew 4, 19. And he said to them, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. So you take up your cross as he took up his, and you follow him. The Bible says, and he said to all, if anyone would come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me. Why wouldn't you want to follow him? And therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. Hebrews 13. Through good report and bad report, Pilgrim, follow Him. He draws you, He leads you, He keeps you, and so you follow Him. Your whole life is to be one continuous following of the Lord. Jesus said, If anyone serves me, he must follow me. And where I am, there will be my servant. He, there will my servant be also. If anyone seers me, the Father will honor him. John 12, 26. My sheep, they hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10, 27. Peter, he describes a believer as followers of him who is good. 1 Peter 3, 13. Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? Zealous for Jesus. The proper sense being followers of the good one. The good one, Jesus. And the sure promises, again Jesus spoke to them, saying, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8, 12. In following him, you look onward, for Jesus sets his face steadfastly to go up to Jerusalem. When Peter tried to stop him from going to the cross, Jesus said, But he turned and said to Peter, Get behind me, Satan, your hindrance to me. Are you not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man? Matthew 16, 23. Well, pilgrim, you look upward. For he lifted up his eyes to heaven, John 17, 1. When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and he said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you. Pilgrim, your posture must be looking upwards, looking upwards, with your affection set on things above. The Bible says, if then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Colossians 3.1. You must bear the contradiction of sinners as he did. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or faint-hearted. He did it all for you. How can you not love him? Hebrews 12, verse 3. You must count the reproach of Christ greater riches than all earthly treasures. He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to the reward. Hebrews 11.26, that's speaking of Moses, who was a type of Christ. My friend, keep before your eyes him who was despised and rejected by men. Isaiah 53.3. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, And as one from whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Yet he was meek and lowly in heart. Take my yoke upon you, learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. His heart was not proud, nor his eyes laughing. And he did not concern himself with great matters, but humbled himself. O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high, I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me, but I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me. Psalm 131, 1 and 2. Pilgrim, you started this journey by turning your back on the world and looking to Jesus. My friend, keep on looking to Him. Looking to Him brought rest and healing to your soul at first, and looking to Him daily will keep your rest and perfect your spiritual health. Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, Hebrews 12. Looking to Jesus will give you light in darkness, strength in weakness, comfort in trouble, and cheer in weariness. If you ever take your eyes off the cross, you'll drift You grow cold and you'll forget you've ever been cleansed from your old sins. For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he's blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins. 2 Peter 1.9. Pilgrim, that cross is life, it's health, it's holiness, consolation, strength, and joy. So let nothing come between you and the cross. Nothing. And the light of that cross go forward steadfastly. For the one whose path is lit by the cross, there's no lasting darkness. Clouds may come. Yeah, they may come and there may be eclipses. But that light can never be quenched. And that sun will never go down. Remember who you are and what God expects from you. Live out your own profession, your own faith, your own prayers. God has had mercy on you, my friend. And in his great love, he's laid his almighty hand on you so you might be saved. The Bible says he sent from on high. He took me, he drew me out of many waters. Psalm 18, 16. He's delivered you not only from the wrath to come, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus, who delivers us from the wrath to come. 1 Thessalonians 1.10. But from this present evil age, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age according to the will of our God and Father. Galatians 1.4. By His grace, He turned you from the error of your ways. Now you're known as a convert, a turned one, turned to Jesus. But your conversion is just the beginning, my friend. It's not the whole story. It's only the first step. You're a disciple now, a learner, and your teaching has only begun. Your life is a book, and conversion is just a title page or the preface. The book itself remains to be written in your years, your weeks. All the days are its chapters and its lines. It's a book written for eternity. Pilgrim, make sure it's written well. It's a book for the inspection of enemies and friends alike. Be careful with every word. It's a book written unto the eye of God. Let it be done reverently, without levity, yet without fear. And let me give you a few counsels, friend. You'll soon feel your need for them, unless you're too wise to learn, vainly puffed up in your fleshly mind, Colossians 2.18. Let no one disqualify you insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind. First, glory in the cross as Paul did, but far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Galatians 6.14. But don't make an ornament of the cross to beautify your person. There's something solemn about turning the cross into jewelry. Be sparing with ornaments and fancy dress. Remember, you're betrothed to the Lord as a chaste virgin. For I feel a divine jealousy for you since I betrothed you to one husband. to present you as a pure virgin to Christ, 2 Corinthians 11.2. It's the white garments, the white garments that fit the Bride of Christ. It was ground in her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints, Revelation 19.8, the Bride of Christ speaking of there. not the purple and the scarlet, the gold and precious stones and pearls. The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet and adorned with gold and jewels and pearls, holding in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the impurities of her sexual immorality. Revelation 17.4 My friends, study these passages. The Lord said, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, therefore the Lord will strike with the scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts. The Lord will take away the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the crescents, the pendants, the bracelets, and the scarves, the headdresses, the armlets, the sashes, the perfume boxes, and the amulets, the signet rings, the nose rings, the festive robes, the mantles, the cloaks, and the handbags, the mirrors, the linen garments, the turbans, and the veils. Isaiah 3, 16, 23. I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarrelling. Likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty, self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire, but with what is proper for women who profess godliness with good works. Do not let your adorning be external, the braiding of the hair, the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear, but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is in God's sight, is very precious. 1 Peter 3, 3 and 4. As Charles Spurgeon once said, if you are saved, be sure that you live as a saved man and woman ought to live. If you are saved, be sure that you live as saved men and women ought to live. And John Flavel wrote, the greatest honor we can bring to Christ is to live in obedience to him. So friend, follow the Lamb. Follow the Lamb. Let your light shine before men. Let the world see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. And remember, you're writing a book for eternity. Make sure every page reflects Jesus. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me, John 14, 6. And the Psalms declare, the Lord is my light and my salvation. Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life. Of whom shall I be afraid? Psalm 27.1. Let us pray. Heavenly Father, thank you for calling us by the name of Christ and for the privilege of belonging to your family. Lord, help us to honor that name in all that we do. Lord, give us grace to follow Jesus daily, to shine the light of his love, his truth, and his holiness in our lives. Keep our eyes fixed on the cross. Help us to live as true disciples, writing a story with our lives that brings glory to you. Lord, strengthen us to bear reproach. to walk humbly and to seek things above, not of this world. And Heavenly Father, may we remember always that we are yours. And may our lives be a living testimony of your mercy and your grace. In Jesus' holy, precious name we pray. Amen. Amen. Marinetta, come Lord Jesus, clouds and all, come today. Well friend, read your Bible every day, pray often, pray daily, many times, and let God's word guide your steps, keep your heart close to Him. And my friends, if this message has blessed you, please subscribe, like, and especially share it with others so we can spread the good news of the gospel far and wide, around our neighborhood, around our town, around our country, and around the world. Let's shine together for Jesus. God bless. Well, pilgrim, walk with Jesus. Beside him, behind him, you don't want to get ahead of him. Stick with him. Stick with him. Stay close to him. And I'll see you later, the good Lord willing, and the trick don't rise. They're rising around here. They're rising, but I'm up in the high country. Not very high, but high enough. God bless Philadelphia. God bless my beloved friends. Love y'all.