Something in the bible that has never ceased to grab my
attention is the working together of Old Testament shadows with the New Testament realities. What do I mean by
this? Listen to the Saviour’s words in the days when He walked the earth: “I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the
manna in the wilderness, and are dead… I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever.” True, there was value in the manna that fell in Moses’ day, but it paled in comparison to the living manna, who would not only give life to the outer man but also to the spirit man – one manna being but a shadow of the Real yet to come. Also, in the time before Christ, God’s people gathered to worship in temples made by hands. We still join together in such places today. However,
what has been made by hands will never be of more significance than the new and living temple, formed by none but the One on high. It’s a New Day! We can go on and on with antiquated statutes, provisions, and ordinances of all types.
But let me ask this. Do you feel that our Father in heaven took any real interest in the blood of sacrificial animals? I think not. It was only meant to point us ahead to a greater day, as were all other things of Old Testament times. The manna; the temple; the endless flow of the shed blood of animals through the centuries. These and so many more such things, from a distant world of long ago, were simply given to guide us along the way and to eventually unfold final truths.
We’ve heard of them referred to as pictures and types and foreshadows.

Consider this. When He commanded the ancients to rest one day in seven, this rest was never meant to be an end in itself. His eye was on a greater day; and the full unfolding of His plan for His people would speak of a greater rest. It’d be a rest to far surpass a rest for the flesh , and then for more than a mere twenty-four hours a week. This rest would be an eternal rest, not for the first man of the earth, but for the second man born from above.

But there is so much that has changed, or maybe we should say, that has become magnified, from
the time of the Old Testament, up to the resurrection of Christ; for instance, there’s the role of the prophet. Once only certain men were designated to function in this capacity, and for the most
part the Spirit would do no more than come upon them. This was but for a time, while they would write or speak of things to come. When the Holy Spirit served the intended purpose, He would then depart. Not so in the day in which we live. Today every child of God has become His
prophet; to add, a prophet is now one who simply professes truth relating to the One True Supreme Being. Granted, no two believers will ever serve in this office in the very same manner and to the same degree. Nevertheless, all who profess Him speak as His prophets. Another thing to consider is that in the New Day in which we live, the Spirit doesn’t leave us after working through us, but contrariwise He’ll fill our spirit man through all eternity. And so, He’ll not merely rest upon us any longer, but abide within forever. Still, it doesn’t end there. Before Christ had come, that select few who spoke living words as oracles of God, did so as servants. We today do not tell of the Most High as His servants, but as His very offspring. Yes, the Holy Spirit has taken up residence within. There He gives birth to the dead – a spirit that has long been lifeless. It is a birth that truly makes us children of our Father in heaven. And so, the people of faith have risen from servants under Moses, to sons under Jesus Christ. Paul speaks of the great difference between the two positions in his letter to the Galatians.

By Jesus’ return back to the Father all has been made complete. Yet in the time preceding His
visitation to our world all things were simply in part. Do you remember of how each year one man was chosen out of Israel’s priesthood to serve as high priest for that year? During this period he would enter the holy of holies but a single time – and not without blood – as the scripture
states. This blood only served to cover the sins of the nation, but just until the same ritual was repeated over again in its designated season. On and on the practice continued, along with
multiple other types of practices. Yet by their endless repetitions nothing had ever changed. But when Jesus shouted aloud with the cry of a warrior upon the drawing of His last breath, the way into the most holy place became opened wide – opened to every believer so that each one may now have access to God, to know, love, and serve Him there always. That fierce rending of the curtain speaks to us today of the tearing away of the flesh of Christ, the One Way to the
Father. This occurrence changed our relationship with the Triune God forever.
Now these words have been spoken to us: “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is Christ.” Today, that which was in part has been swept away; the shadows have passed. Now all has been made whole and every bit complete in Jesus Christ, who has not to do
with the shadows, but only with the Real; and He is all that we need. In Him,
as the scripture states, is hidden all of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. It’s another way of saying that all things pertaining to God lie only in the Son. And there they wait to be discovered by the heirs of the kingdom.


In the Old Testament, even people served as types and pictures of the Real – the Real, who would come in a New Day. One example is Abraham. Who was he? He was a type; he was a representation. Abraham would serve as a forerunner to a great people, who would come into being long after his day. Great they would be both in essence and in number. They would be the church. But how was Abraham a forerunner of God’s present-day people? First of all, like us, he was not under the law. It hadn’t yet come. To add, he was instructed by his Maker to walk by faith. Does it sound familiar? Paul the apostle stressed over and over to the early church that they were not under the law. Furthermore, he told them that they would be saved through faith, and in faith would their walk in the Lord be; all of this just like our father Abraham. However, the law was needed following the time of Abraham. The main purpose for this was to show that such a great salvation could never be earned by the keeping of its statutes. Painfully we’d need to learn to put our faith in another, who would satisfy God through the law on our behalf. In this we were humbled, acknowledging what Paul once wrote: “ Within our flesh dwells no good thing.” And so, once again – who was Abraham? He was the foreshadower of every New Testament believer. He would be multiplied many millions of times over throughout the New Testament age. Yet the work in him was only in part, for he lacked the abiding Spirit within, and therefore the entire new birth. Yet in Christ the work has been made complete, though for now, as it were just in vessels of clay. Now let’s turn to the man, Melchizedek, the man of mystery. The bible speaks of him as being both a king and a priest. This is remarkable. No one man was to serve as both king and priest – not any man having to do with Israel. And the scriptures don’t exactly make his identity clear to us. But there is something that is even more important than his identity. It has to do with his purpose. This side of heaven we may never know the entirety of his purpose. However, one thing we can be sure of is that, besides his coming to prefigure the Son of God, he’d serve also as a forerunner to all who would later be born of the Spirit. And so, he like Abraham would be duplicated countless times. Yet how is it that we have been fashioned after him? We can begin with the fact that Melchizedek was a king; to add, he was a priest. Understanding this, we can see first that he was royalty. And the born again one, who has been given birth by the King of all creation, by way of His Spirit – are we not royalty? Moreover, the man of mystery was also a priest. But in this matter, has not the Lord Jesus done away with the great veil that once separated the holy place from the innermost sanctuary? No longer is the way closed. Now all may enter as beloved priests of the Most High God. Therefore today, in the final writing of the scriptures, we can read, “ We have been made a nation of kings and priests unto our God.” And so, within every vessel of faith there will always be found the Spirit of Melchizedek, a foreshadower, leading us in the way of our eternal calling.

Lastly there were our first parents. Surely Adam and Eve were forerunners for every soul to be set apart for salvation. Once their world knew not a single flaw; there was no defect, frailty, inadequacy, or vulnerability of any sort. The only test lied in them. And we’ve all heard of the outcome. Yet prior to the fall, all creation was every bit whole. The environment in which they
walked would have surely surpassed our imaginations. The air they breathed - the things they saw – the sounds they heard – will never be captured on the big screen. That’s because Hollywood with all of its resources could never summons the Spirit of the Most High God, who filled that world through and through. But even that place, in all of its beauty and wonder, was pointing ahead to a land that would one day overshadow even it.

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God...’ “Then He who sat on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new…’ “And the city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it, and the Lamb is its light…And he showed me a pure river of the
water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb… And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face. There shall be no night there: They need no
lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”

From a garden in Paradise to a celestial and eternal city. Our first parents once lived in a
world of peace, rest, wonder, and great joy. Tragically, their world was lost. And so God would do a greater thing in a land surpassing theirs, so that in it we together with them should one day be made perfect. Adam and Eve – Melchizedek – Abraham. The first looks ahead to the most glorious environment we’ll ever know. The next tells of the honor bestowed upon every child of God our Father. And the last portrays pure hearts of faith in Him forever. Still, the law needed to
come between the time of these forerunners and the church of a future day. Then we’d nderstand that His never-ending kingdom wouldn’t become our inheritance by the mastering of His
ordinances. If that were the case, we would feel deserving of a world so undeserved by mere mortals. But to the contrary, we’d need to realize that it was the gift of God, not worked for, but a gift. For if we could work for life eternal, it nullifies payment made by the Son on our behalf. And so, following the Old Testament types and figures from that ancient world of long ago, of whom actually there were many, there had to come the law. It was imperative that it come into rule, so that we the church would truly know that eternal salvation could only be ours by the pure, unfailing mercies of God.

The foreshadowers of old pointed out the way, that we should excel beyond the places to which they were brought - their numerous shadows directing us towards the Real. Concerning this, a thought came to me one day. Suddenly I saw that all of it can be likened to a simple child’s
puzzle. We’ve all seen one. There is a small board on which the outlines of its pieces can be seen. Then there are the pieces themselves. Prior to our Lord’s coming to earth, all that believers had was the board without the pieces, nothing more than a likeness of them. But God has provided a better thing for us, as the writer of Hebrews puts it; the better thing being the pieces themselves. Still, we struggle with how it all fits together. But the apostle Paul explained to us why this is. He said that now we see as in a mirror dimly. However, there’ll come the Day when He wipes the mirror clean. Then we will know even as we are known. Now there are no more questions;
now there are no more doubts; all fears, mistrust, and uncertainty have been put to rest for all time. For from out of Eden has come the kingdom of God. From out of the Old has come the New and all of the pieces have been set in place. The first creation has been delivered into the fullness of its redemption, even as it will be with all of the children of God. Praise be to the
One who sits upon the throne.


- J. Pecoraro

From Faith To Faith

Windows of heaven flung open wide;
A mighty rushing wind is sent,
Bound for earth as oft before
To blast with fury thru this tent.

For in this tent I must abide
Until I step out in the sun;
Sever then the silver cord
That I be born and work be done.

For in this sixth day I must toil.
But by Thy Spirit have it be.
Then I shall enter heaven's rest.
And thru eternity be free.

- J. Pecoraro

Awe Inspiring God

How awesome is our God,

With whom we have to do,

Who neath our feet spreads pasture green

And to the sky speaks blue.

He takes the stars like priceless jewels

And sets each one in place,

That forever they may stand and sing

Before His glorious Face.

How awesome is our God,

Who fills the earth with seas.

He orders forth the raging winds

Yet sends the gentle breeze.

The highest mountain He brings down

To raise the lowest hill,

The working of His mighty Hand

For the pleasure of His will.

How awesome is our God!

He gives life to the dead!

And more than this He sets His guard

Upon that living head.

He leads him on in triumph;

Bows low to call him "son";

And walks with him thru all his days

Until his time is done.

How awesome is our God,

Whose paths escape our sight,

Who rides the tempest - dark and grim -

Yet dwells in heaven's great light.

Transcends His boundless universe,

Still His bosom is our nest,

Then sits upon eternity

And ordains it for His Rest.

-J. Pecoraro

Contenders For The Crowns

I know a man in Christ; it wasn’t long ago that this man had a dream. The dream was about nothing more than a simple baseball game. And so it’s not the dream that’s important, but it was what the dream set off. When the man awoke he began to think of his ball playing years. Taking himself back delighted him. However when finally he returned to the present, he thought of how the sixties and seventies were long ago. Then he realized that not only couldn’t he get a good swing on a bat anymore, but he’d have a hard time even gripping one. And as far as the speed he once had around the bases – it was long gone. Now he had lost the ability to even jog, due to a physical condition. Depression began to take hold of him. But just in time the Spirit came to his rescue. He was sure that he felt His touch. Next the Spirit even spoke. He began telling the man that those games were not the real contests, and that it was now that he was being called to exercise his true gifts and talents. The Spirit spoke of how even now he was at climactic points in the contests of his life – contests given him from above. But the man was reminded that they are on a battlefield; and that they are on a running track; and that they are in a prizefighter’s ring. The Spirit encouraged the man to fight for the prize that awaited him, ensuring that there was laid up in store for him an imperishable crown.

The outcome of it all was this. The man felt that he was given a fresh new start in contending with a dark and menacing adversary. Now his main ambition was that at the end of his time in this world he would be found still standing – standing and the victor in the contest of his life; that on the last day he could leap with his hands raised high in the air, with the enemy of his soul on the canvass. This now had become his great hope. Yet he believed that first he had to present himself humbly before his God, and in all of his infirmities. For he had come to understand that when we are weak, only then are we strong.

As for his imperishable crown, he’d read how that Jesus will descend to earth one day with many crowns upon His head. What he wished more than anything, was that his Lord would accept his; that it would be numbered with the many. For he was convinced that it was Christ and no other, who at the Resurrection became every believer’s victory, both now and forever.

This man’s experience caused me to ponder an issue that I’d already felt to be true; it is this. The real contests in life – they haven’t to do with the world of sports with which we’re all acquainted. Still thousands upon thousands fill stadiums every day all over the globe to witness athletic events, cheering and booing as though something of such great importance hung in the balance. Yet in the eyes of the saints who have gone on before us, we can be assured that the outcome of these games are inconsequential. As children of God and believers in His kingdom, should we not come to understand who we are? As many are the numbers that gather together to watch as earthly teams compete – far less are they than the throngs who draw near to observe the offspring of God. For who can know the sum of “an innumerable company of angels along with the spirits of just men made perfect?” The book of Hebrews tells of them. These are the great cloud of witnesses that surround us, watching and praying while we contend with the darkness. These are conflicts that the world can neither see nor understand. But He opens the eyes of His own that they may know what is true. Still, who is it that we contend for? Should it not be for the Son, who the man clearly saw as being every believer’s victory? Is He not then worthy of every crown? And that they all may adorn the once wounded Head on the day He descends to our world from the right hand of Power – in Light unapproachable and in all of heaven’s glory. Even as it’s written in the end – come, Lord Jesus!

- J. Pecoraro

From The Altar To The Stars

All of me I give to Thee,
O God of heaven and earth.
That I may shine as sparkling wine,
Or a jewel of infinite worth.

Take my hand to tour the Land,
The realm of the Most High.
Then near to me shall your Spirit be,
And the Son will too draw nigh.


Now lift me up to drink the cup
Of power and praise and glory,
So abundant life despoils strife,
That it may be my story.

O let there be a place for me
Upon a brilliant star.
There I shall dine with One, Divine;
Gone every prison bar.

- J. Pecoraro

Within The Human Temple Lies a Sanctuary

Many are the gatherings that we people of faith attend by which we can set our minds on the things of God. What types of gatherings would these be? A bible study would be one example; coming together for prayer and praise; even a Christian concert can cause one to ponder the wonders of the Lord and His kingdom to come. And certainly we can think of other such events. But when we think of them we find that most are of such a nature that they really don’t require much patience or discipline on our part. There is however one way in which we’ll experience His presence that does indeed demand these virtues. It is a way set apart from every other, and in a place seated high above all the rest. Yet it is here that believers struggle most to talk to and think upon their Maker.

If you’re familiar with the scriptures, you’ve heard of this place. Albeit, in our day it has become altogether changed. Though in Old Testament times you knew never to enter there, unless you were the high priest of Israel. And by now you may have guessed that I speak of the inner sanctuary of the temple – back then, the feared and dreaded holy of holies. Jehovah’s servant had good reason to fear the sacred room behind the curtain. If while in there he was found displeasing to the Almighty One of heaven and earth, it could have resulted in the loss of his life.

Be glad! It’s a new day; it’s a new day and a new covenant has now replaced the old. Today, our body is the temple in which God dwells. And by His Spirit He resides in the very center of that temple – that is to say, the heart, our innermost sanctuary and most holy place. Now it is this sacred chamber where the believer meets with Him. We have become the priest. It is we now who minister to the Lord there. The offering up of the body of Christ for sin has made the old sanctuary obsolete, the miraculous tearing of its curtain signifying this. It is we today who have gained access to the Father through the work of the Son. And the work being of an eternal nature, grants us access to Him forever. No longer is it a place to be feared. On the contrary it is where David’s beautifully penned words become realized: “You show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.”

It is this secret and hidden and holy sanctum of our inner being where we come to intimacy with God. Once it was a room defined by ritual. When this was ended there was nothing left for the priest to do but depart. Yet today we can remain in the sanctuary as long as we desire, while basking in His love. Once it was for a single man, and then only one time yearly. But in the new day of His marvelous grace, it is for every child of God, and we may enter as often as we will. Once it was merely in part, having only to do with the blood of animals and a priest yet unregenerate in his spirit. But today all has been cleansed by the blood of the Son, and we who enter are born of God and robed in white.

But as I’ve already stated, as much as it offers, it is here where believers struggle most to have communion with their Maker. When in a group, we seem to not have trouble with this. Freely we are able to sing, pray, worship, and have ourselves a time in the Spirit. But when there is only the Father and His child – even as it was when the high priest entered - we may be at a loss for words; our minds begin to turn to things outside the holy place; our eye is on the clock, wishing the hands would speed up. Yet our heavenly Father cherishes these moments.

To be clear and to the point, it is this inner chamber that can be likened to the room where a husband and wife become intimate; where a knowing of one another takes place. Except now it is not in the flesh as with a man and a woman, but in the Spirit. Now the two, becoming one, occurs with the God of the universe and His most beloved creation. As a holy communion unfolds, there begins a merging of spirits. And so, we may venture into places in Him where we have never before been. Also we may open doors within ourselves where we have never allowed Him to enter. Such a time with the Father can only result in the heights and depths of abundant life – life that none but the Spirit can bring. And nothing beyond the walls of this sanctuary can rise above the love we come to know there.

In the Holy Scriptures there can be found metaphors of all types. The tree is used several times, teaching us of various truths. But I feel the Lord has shown me of another truth that the tree can convey, making more clear the topic that I’ve brought to light. I believe that the tree speaks to us, not only of our relationship with the Father, but also with all of His children, and then the Spirit who empowers. Let’s begin with the trunk. The trunk of the tree is our holy place, who neither I nor anyone can describe while rendering it its due worth. It is here that we live out our personal union with the Most High, both in this life and the life that’s to come. But then there are relationships with the rest of the family of God to be considered – an offspring amazing and vast in number. Here is where the branches come in. And so, from the trunk the Spirit takes us outward and upward into a new and different and marvelous kind of light. Now the many offshoots of the Lord reach beyond where the eye can see, each with their own glory, their own place, and their own measure of celestial life, granted them by the Spirit. As we venture wherever we’re inclined, we give unto others from what the Father has bestowed upon us; a portion of us is implanted in them; we also receive from those who we have touched, so that our person likewise is added to. Thus the Spirit of Christ has caused us to bear fruit in one another, strengthening even more a divine kinship. This too is abundant life.

As fantastic as the relationships between all of God’s children will be, the truth is that it all goes back to the holy place. For it is here that we become bound together with the Bestower of every good gift. Here is where we meet with Him alone, where never another can enter. And as it goes in the inner chamber, so will it go when we leave there. If when with our heavenly Father, we draw near, so that He rains upon us great grace and goodness and glory, then it will be of this fullness that we will shower others – those who are among the thriving boughs of the tree He has planted. And so, it is all traced back to one’s most holy union with the Father.

In all of this, where in the tree would the Spirit be portrayed? The Spirit is the tree’s immortal roots, mightily administering all of the goodness of God – Life and Strength; Wonder and great Joy; Glory, Love, and Peace in all of their entirety.

Lastly there is the Son who walks ever with us through it all, loving us with the same love that drove Him to His cross. For it is He and no other, who standing before us becomes an open door to the King of all creation – the King who now becomes abba Father to all who have entered by way of the fallen, yet risen One; the mortal, now immortal; the onetime slaughtered Lamb, but the Lion reigns forever. He is the Way and we are the seekers. We are the sheep and He is our Shepherd. And through ages unending He will be the highly celebrated Christ and King among the innumerable branches in the Great Tree of Life.


- J.Pecoraro

The Grand Slam

A thief it was on first base;
A killer on base two;
An adulterer was stuck on third;
The fans could only boo.

Then Jesus stepped up to the plate;
A fast and tricky pitch was thrown;
It couldn't fool the cleanup man;
He brought the sinners home!


- J. Pecoraro

The Old Grows Cold, But The Pot Stays Hot

God is always cooking up new things for us; it’s His joy. And so, memories may be cherished, but we must keep them in their place, lest they subdue us. We have all heard of people who spend much of their time reliving the past. The reasons for this can vary. Perhaps they are getting up in years and don’t see much of a future ahead. Possibly tragedy has hit; both the present and the future now look bleak. Then there are those who are just overly sentimental by nature. What’s listed above is often described in such terms as: “prisoners of the past,” “quitters,” “sentimental fools,” etc. But what they all have in common is that they have come to settle for yesterday’s bread.

It was the ancient Hebrews who quickly learned of the problem with yesterday’s bread. For the first time in over four hundred years Israel had become a free people. But where would such a great number now find the food needed to sustain them day after day until they came into the Promised Land? For all who can conceive of it, their God would miraculously provide it for them. “I will rain bread from heaven for you,” Jehovah said to Moses. And it happened as He said. The bread would come upon their camps in the early morning. However with this heavenly bread there came a stipulation. The people only had so many hours in which to eat it. In other words, one of the first laws instituted for the new nation under God was: No eating old bread. Nevertheless many of them neglected the command and let the bread remain past the time allowed. Also they went out to gather it on the seventh day – the day they were instructed not to gather it. Yes, it appears that from the beginning they were an obstinate bunch.

Many have been the times when I’ve heard a believer say words such as these: “With all the miracles that the people in the wilderness witnessed, how could they have doubted and disobeyed as they did?” My answer would be that we see and hear Him in greater ways today - or so we ought to - and we doubt and disobey even as did the Hebrews. Would it surprise you to know that the Almighty is still raining bread from heaven? It has never stopped. And would you believe that like the ancients, we too have it remain past its time? In other words, we too have a thing for old bread.


But what exactly is this bread that He sends His children today? It is Jesus. Did Christ himself not say, “For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world… I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” But how do we receive this food and this drink, the body and the blood of our Lord? It is in the form of the written Word that we receive Him. Listen to what His disciple John penned: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God… And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” And so, when we receive into our hearts and our minds the written Word, we receive the bread which comes down from heaven, Jesus Christ our Lord. There is one thing however that the church has failed to grasp. Simply it is this. Jesus ever comes to us new and fresh - that is to say, at the time the old bread is no longer edible. Yet we commit the same wrongs and have the same lack of faith as the Israelites. We store Him up and neglect what has arrived in our new season. Why? The answer isn’t difficult. The old bread is already handy. It is more accessible than the new that has just fallen fresh from heaven. We may understand that the old will not be as beneficial to the believer as what has come anew, but that’s okay by us. It’s okay because we have grown quite familiar with what is now past its time; we’ve come to know it well. Therefore it will never surprise us, find us unprepared for it, or possibly even shock us. Fresh bread from heaven has a tendency to sometimes do these things. Still, our heavenly Father knows the nutriments each of us needs for the continued growth and well-being of our spirit man.

Or let’s learn a lesson from our lives in the flesh. All of us know that when newborns come into the world, they can feed on nothing more than the mother’s milk, or its equivalent. After some time they’re able to take in baby food. From there they graduate to certain table foods. Then before we know it they’re eating meat right along with the rest of us. It is pretty much the same with one who becomes born of God. What I’m saying is that our God has more than just milk and some easy to chew table foods in mind for us. Eventually He desires for us to partake of a little meat. For the more complete the diet of our spirit man is, the stronger and healthier we will become. The stronger and healthier we become, the more fit we are to take up our weapons of war and efficiently utilize them.

Still, many are the people of faith who never imagine themselves ingesting anything beyond milk and some light foods. And so, their weapon and the armour they become clad with are not of the greatest quality, yet it is all that they can bear; too light in weight perhaps; not very able to protect, or to strike a significant blow with. However, God in His mercy and loving-kindness towards His children often lifts up a standard against their foes, lest they be destroyed. But then there are those who have become strong and wise for reason of how they partake of the Lord in the food and drink He offers them. These are likely to do well in the battles they engage in. Yet they must never come to believe that they have done enough; that they have gone the distance; that they can put down the sword and rest. As long as we walk in the shoes of our mortal man, the Lord ever looks to do something new in us. Never does He tire of equipping His soldier with a new weapon, teaching him of a new strategy, or having him climb a mountain that he thought to be too great. You see, all of the above are much like the food and drink we take in. He would have them to be new at every new season of our lives, always benefiting us in newer and greater ways.

Every believer who is resolute and steadfast in their God, fully devoted to the carrying out of His will – to them the darkness becomes real. Rightly do they discern that there is an unseen enemy who moves about. His arrow can sow in them a lie if they are not careful; his flaming darts, deception. The weapons of his warfare may in fact strike hearts with fear, discouragement, unbelief, gloom, unfounded suspicions, anger, and the list goes on. But the mighty One of heaven and earth has not left the sons and daughters of the kingdom without means. For them He has fashioned armour for their protection, and weapons by which they may attain victories. “And the weapons of our warfare,” writes the apostle, “are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds…” And what exactly is it that our Lord and Captain equips us with, that we may stand and not fall in the dark day? Simply it is the written Word. Even as this same Word serves as food for our spirit man while we grow in spirit and truth, so does it serve for the weaponry that God provides us.

Why is it that the people of faith have an enemy so bent on their destruction? It is because he is a hater of God, and all that is good. And so it only follows that he hates all who are loved of God, and love Him in return. His senses are not dull but keen. These he puts to use while he fully devotes himself to the task of learning all about us, of coming to know us well. Sad to say, he may outshine the believer in what he has been called to. What is his top priority? It is to know our strengths and our weaknesses. He then directs his attacks at the areas where he sees we are vulnerable. But for this we have a shield. The shield is our faith. It is able to intercept lies - those flaming arrows - before they find their aim. Now we counter with the sword. Our sword is the Word of truth, but now a specific word that has come to us for the present danger, so that we may expel the lie intent on bringing us down. Yet the word that He sends us we must believe in our hearts, in order for us to emerge victorious in the conflict. And such is the nature of spirit warfare.

There is however a common misunderstanding that so many of us have when it comes to the use of what He has equipped us with. We somehow feel that the sword that’s been put into our hand is the one we will fight with till the end of our pilgrimage in this foreign land; we believe that a word or a concept He’s unfolded to us has been given that we may wield it against the darkness for as long as our warfare goes. After all, it came to us so alive and with power. In a mere breath so great a victory was wrought by it. But would it surprise you to know that it may have only been given for a day, perhaps an hour, or only for a moment? But the moment was crucial. When afterwards we tried to employ it, it was awkward, strange to our hand, no longer able. But we thought it best for the weapon to remain on our person, since we continually cherished the memory of its victory, though now it only served to weigh us down. “Abandon it!” exclaimed the Lord. “It is no longer useful. It has become cankered; the weapon has fulfilled its purpose. I have new things for you. Put away the weapons of the warfare of long ago and I will do a new thing with you. Throw out the old manna with its worms. Drink of the new wine. And I have meat for you to eat that you know not of. I desire to fashion for you a sword that you have never before seen, a greater armour than what you have known. I will cut out for you a path that you have never trod, and bring you to a mountain that will amaze you. Yes, and there are deeper wells to drink from, so that springs of living water will ever gush forth from within you.” Such is the longing of the Lord for His own.

Even as He takes the children from faith to faith, its increase knowing no end; or as He brings them from glory to glory until they shine forth like the Son, so He works in the lives of His elect concerning all things. It is then not meant for us to stop in one place for too long, or to become attached to a thing beyond the time it was intended for us. The old at some point becomes no longer profitable for where He is about to take us. A new day has come. A new region lies before us. Yet to move from one path onto another
is rarely if ever a smooth transition. But if we refuse the Spirit’s bidding to follow, it is at that point that the adventure ends. It is then that we’ll gradually sink into a spiritual stupor. We’ll become overly fond of past experiences and speak often of them. Now we are content to just sit and bide our time until we go home to be with the Lord. It sounds very peaceful and rewarding, we must admit. But is this a picture of one who has finished the race? Unless I’m wrong, I would think that comes upon the drawing of our last breath. I’m sure that Caleb of old would have agreed. I say this because he was still seeking to do battle – and then with giants - when he was a whole generation older than the rest of Israel’s army.

I wonder. Even with the ushering in of the kingdom in its fullness, will the development of our person simply cease? Or could it be that we will always come to know Him at greater heights and depths? Will we not ever search Him out? Will not knowledge and understanding ever increase towards Him who is Himself unending? And the delight of the new wine – will it never cease to be made new in us? The Word of God, the Bread of Life – will He not be our sustenance forever in all these things?

Where then do boundaries lie in the things that God has planned? I imagine there would be no place for them. That is, unless we choose to stop and set them up. But that would never change the fact that He is from Everlasting to Everlasting. And continuously He calls out to tell us so. We then should never stop seeking, following, hoping or believing, for the end of Him is nowhere to be found. And so, ever does He turn our way, bidding us always to come and dine.

- J. Pecoraro

The High And The Holy

How can there be not the High and the Holy?
Yet the Darkness declares this is true.
But if there were not the High and the Holy
Then skies could never be blue.

All thru the day they’d cry down the raindrops.
They’d send blasts of thunder all thru the night,
If there were not the High and the Holy
Who lights up His worlds so bright.

But this cries aloud for the High and the Holy;
It tells He could only be True:
If we look deep into the core of our being,
There’s a spark of His Spirit in you.

Atheism? C'mon

For every class there is a Teacher,
Or who would ring the bell?
Before each flock there goes a Shepherd
With much Good News to tell.

Every team demands a Coach,
Or who makes the decision?
One Man leads a nation.
In him we look for vision.

Chief Executive Director.
The very name inspires dread.
Even every human body-
At the top there is a head.

Now what about the universe?
Let the bells not ring.
Over worlds of light unending,
They say there is no King.

Not The Miracle But The Sacrifice

Throughout the late sixties and into the seventies, my best friend’s older brother would often witness to me about the Lord. This went on for six years. Over that long period of time my answers to him were, “no,” “still no,” and “you can stop now.” But he never did stop. Then on April 21st of 1973 I finally broke down and surrendered my life to Christ.

I’ll never forget one night when he first began to speak to me, how he really laid it on. He held my interest somewhat. And so, it was the following day at work, while on my morning break, that I had a very unusual experience. As I walked to the small grocery store nearby, and thought of what I’d heard the night before, I suddenly began to feel like I was about five feet above the pavement. The sensation was powerful. I was quite amazed at it all. I knew in my spirit that this had something to do with Dominic’s words to me. I then believed that God was showing me what it’s like when you become born again. My response was, “say no more, Lord; just sign me up!” Once inside the store I was feeling nothing less than invincible. I could barely take it all in. I had no reason to believe that these indescribable sensations would ever end. But they did end. As I returned to work, the bit of heaven that had fallen down upon me had very gradually begun to lift. I fought it tooth and nail, but the effort was in vain. Soon, and I could feel the hardness of the pavement beneath my feet again. As I entered my place of employment I had completely returned to my old self. I was crushed. However, I had gotten over it, passing it off as just some strange phenomenon. Sad to say, I went back on my commitment to the Lord. It would be another four to five years before I truly yielded my life to Him. In thirty-seven years as a believer I’ve never been quite as touched by the Spirit as on that day. But He lets me know that the best is yet to come.

Let me tell you of a friend I once worked with at Chicago’s city hall. His name was Luciano. He had come over from Italy. I was a new Christian at the time, and one day I decided to tell Luciano the gospel. He became very interested, but there were questions in his mind. I asked him if he’d like to talk to Dominic, who had now taken me under his wing. He was all for it. In fact, I believe he showed up there the same evening. I too went. The results were remarkable. Not only did Luciano get saved, but he was telling my friend and I of the great things that were going on inside him. He began pacing the floor and shouting aloud. Dominic had become moved, telling Luciano of how the Lord’s hand was on him in a tremendous way, and that he would do mighty things. I believe my Italian friend left there that night as high off the ground as I remembered someone else once being. Before I knew it, Luciano had gone out and purchased himself a five pound bible. He went marching all over downtown Chicago with it, telling people about Jesus. I was astonished over him. But then it began to happen, just like with me. With each passing day he seemed to cool down more and more. Finally he had returned to the same Luciano that I was introduced to some weeks before. He too had descended back down to earth. Tragic. My prayer is that the Lord, through His love and mercy, had at some time recovered him, even as He had done me.

Believe it or not, I have been introduced to millions more who have had the same experience as me and my friend Luciano. I was introduced to them through the book of Exodus. They are the entire Hebrew nation who once passed through the Red Sea on dry ground. When you talk about sensational happenings, what can top the miracle that the Almighty performed for His people on that day? Not only had they become a free nation for the first time in over four hundred years, but God had mightily interfered with nature in a way that the human eye had never witnessed. The people were no doubt beside themselves as they watched the waters cover the Egyptian army while they stood on safe ground. But when we read on, we discover that the thrill was soon gone. It wasn’t long and they were murmuring and complaining, as though the Lord had never lifted a finger on their behalf. How frail the spirit man can be. Must we ever see His hand at work, or otherwise live discontented? What’s the answer for this dilemma? Well, it hasn’t anything to do with what He reveals to us. It’s what we present to Him. And that happens from the altar - the altar of the heart. Romans 12:1 tells us to offer up the body a living sacrifice. In my opinion, few do this. We may say the words, but in reality offer Him a mere body part; a hand for instance, possibly an arm. Though I believe it is a rare occasion when God sees the entire body sacrificed. Such a one will not have to rely on the sensational to keep him on track. For in him the Lord plants everything needed for the victorious life. These rare few are of no common breed.

Every body of people set apart for a specific purpose can be divided into two groups. The larger group, for all intents and purposes, is the status quo. The second group is quite small. They are those who are of a different spirit. It was said about Caleb of old – and by his Maker – that he was of a different spirit. When Israel entered the Promised Land, he and Joshua were the only fighting men left from the generation before. That is to say that when the great majority of Israel’s army ranged from their early twenties to their late forties, Caleb was eighty-five years old, and still wielding the sword. As if that wasn’t enough, he asked Joshua to send him to the land where giants lived. What a spirit the God of Israel had put into His servant, in exchange for what I believe was the full offering up of himself.

The sensational? It is not God’s best. Neither will it be enough to keep us near to Him. But it is when He endows one with an excellent spirit. Then He has put all things into his hand. Of this I wasn’t aware when I walked five feet above the pavement. Nor did my friend Luciano understand. Neither were the Hebrews enlightened on this matter while crossing the Red Sea. But it’s men like Caleb who know the secret. It isn’t the miracle that He puts before us, causing us to stand with our mouths agape. It is what we put before Him. If it be the whole body, leaving nothing upon the altar, it is altogether precious in His sight. But what is left on the altar is in time swept away, never again to be recovered. The abandonment of the earthly man. Greater is this to God than all of heaven’s gold.


J. Pecoraro

Christ Our Champion

Among a race of fallen men
Stood One alone and Tall,
Who ran with God in paths untrod,
Twixt them there grew no wall.

He was a Stranger to our world.
Of that I need not tell.
His mission was to conquer giants-
These, sin and death and hell.

How would He war with three such foes?
Take sword and run them through?
For they were not of flesh and bone,
Who the Son was to undo.

In Spirit would the battle go,
So the enemy did err,
Taking nail and spear to run Christ through,
While laughing at the Fair.

Then they heard that it was finished,
But little did they know,
That when they drew the Precious Blood,
Life began to Flow.

It flowed out to the nations,
God's war plan from Above.
For Christ came not to win by might,
But by the Sacrifice of Love.

And soon the roar of battle ceased,
With wounds to both, it's said.
For the Son had bruised His heel
As He crushed the Serpent's head.

Victory over evil!
A New Prince upon the earth!
But for this Man and a Wondrous plan
There'd be no second Birth.

O Champion of the human race!
Who is likened unto You?
You heard the Call, You took the Fall.
And You'll make creation New.

J. Pecoraro