Psalm 84:4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.

Psalm 84:6 Blessed the man who finds refuge in you in their hearts are pilgrim roads.

Pilgrims are not foreigners per say but one from abroad visiting religious sites from one site to another, not staying for long. It is not like a foreigner coming to Singapore for work or holidays. A pilgrim is a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reasons. The root word is from latin, peregrinue which means foreign. The word used for a bird, Peregrine Falcon in medieval latin. Their long flights were migratory pilgrimages.

So too as Christians we go on this flight on a long pilgrim journey to lands unknown to find the presence of God and ourselves, perhaps even being a blessing to many. We may not stay in one place for long, being led by the Holy Spirit of God. Surely, we have always been foreigners for our abode on earth temporary whilst waiting to go back home to God’s kingdom in heaven.

In Ps 84:4,6 it is as if we are foreigners to the house of God, residing outside. Therefore, when we come into the presence of God we are like a foreigner coming in.

It is not a jouney to find ourselves or god within for we are not God. Rather, it is a journey to be in the presence of God that we might bring God into our hearts. We are like a foreigner outside the presence of God making a pilgrimage journey into the presence of God where our Home should have been.

The journey is not a new life or even a transformation, but within to the house of God in our hearts if we have indeed been baptised by the Holy Spirit by accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour. Our hearts talk about our yearning and desires. The pilgrim road in our hearts reflect our passion for the presence of God.

When we make an inward and outward journey, a pilgrimage into the presence of God, as we go through the seasons of our lives, including deep pain and suffering, we bring the inward presence of God and give hope and refreshing on the outside. It is not us but the presence of God working in us.

Pilgrims are often wanderers without a target per say. Israel was in the desert wandering aimlessly for 40 years. As gays we have been rejected by the church. We suffer like Cain being a homeless wanderer not because we killed anyone but because our spirit, and soul have been destroyed being condemned because we are gays. We are pilgrims wondering aimlessly outside the church walls.

I am reminded more than 17 to 20 years ago when both City Harvest and New Creation would kicked out gay church members and they would be banned from the church, and the church members directed to have no fellowship with these condemned sinners under 1 Cor 5:11. There was no grace nor mercy and they became homeless pilgrims.

In the outside, many have died both spiritually and physically. They have become like dry bones in the desert, the homeless pilgrims whom no one knows the name of except God in heaven. Their dried bones have long been covered by the desert sands, but their blood cries out to God for justice.

Jesus also made a pilgrim journey to Israel. He was a foreigner in His own land He had created now under the abode of Satan. The Jewish religious leaders although prayed to God was justified in their own works following the law. Jesus came as a pilgrim foreigner to bring us back home to a heavenly kingdom, not by works, but by grace. The people of faith killed Jesus in His pilgrim journey for faith is often a series of harsh laws just as Christians have condemned gays to a road of hell.

The Lord is God. Twenty years later, the Cornerstone church talks about kingdom invasion for evangelism in Asia where Christians are a small minority. They don’t realise that they can’t open the door wide for the skeletons of the dead wandering pilgrim still hold tightly to the door asking to come in. Their skeletons had blocked the doorway out. They have long prayers to bind satan and her minions not realising that it is a skeleton that is blocking for the blood is in their hands.

Singapore churches including city harvest have some of the best pastors and also infinite resources and wealth for the Great Commission. Surely after twenty years, their numbers should have doubled and revival fires burning in Asian cities. Yet, there is no widespread revival fires.

Pastor Brian Houston talked about the elephant in the room about the high suicide rate of gay youths. The finger points back at the church, for condemnation kills, and it kills the innocent children of their lives and faith. They are dead and their bodies still at the church doors still wanting to come in. Alas, even if the doors were opened tommorow, none would come in because they are all dead and waited too long.

The harshness of religion/faith and her laws have killed Jesus Christ and many prophets. But only Jesus Christ rose again, for He is God and totally sinless. But for many gay Christians, life was over a long time ago never to rise again. It has indeed been a cruel pilgrimage for the gay innocent wanderer wrongly accused and crucified by the Christian church. They will not walk this path again.

Who will bring the homeless pilgrims home.

Have thy way Lord, have thine own way

Thy art the potter, i am the clay

Mould me and make me, after thy will

While i am waiting, yielded and still