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