Friday, January 31, 2014

Pilgrims and Strangers

Around 382 years ago a man named John Doane left Plymouth, England for Plymouth Colony, MA to join the first group of settlers in a new country.  John Doane was one of the Assistant Governors of the colony and records show him to have been influential in the governing and church at that time. This is important to me because I am a 13th generation descendant of John Doane.

I can't imagine what it must have been like to leave not only your home, but your country, for a land that was a complete mystery.  But many did, and they were each seeking the "new country."  They were looking for freedoms, opportunities and lives they felt they could never find in the country which they had left.

As Christians, we too seek a "better country, that is heavenly," (Hebrews 11:16.)  How often do we feel out of place in this changing world?  It is good for us to remind each other this is not our home, not our country.  Ours is in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.  If we are sitting in Him, what can bad can ever befall us?  What can we have to fear?


Ephesians 2: 6,7
"And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus."


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