BITS and PIECES
292nd Edition – April 26, 2026
A random collection of news and views compiled by Frank McClelland for the Toronto Free Presbyterian Church.
A FORTY BILLION MILE JOURNEY
John Bunyan (1628 – 1688) was famous for writing his Pilgrim’s Progress. In it he sees the Christian as a ‘pilgrim’ on a journey from earth to heaven. The ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ is regarded as the greatest Christian allegory ever written. Every Christian, young and old, should read it at least once in their lifetime.
The term ‘pilgrim’ is a Biblical one. Paul and Peter spoke of God’s people being “strangers and pilgrims.” There is within the word the idea of travelling. All of us are on a long journey, much longer than the moon astronauts boasted recently.
The sun is an amazing orb with a diameter of 865,400 miles. It is about 93 million miles from earth. It is so large it would take a third of a million earths to balance the sun in a scale.
Our earth travels round the sun at about 66 mph, with all of us on board! Therefore, if we live to the Biblical norm of “threescore and ten” [Psalm 90:10] we will have travelled at
least 40 million miles – not counting the fact the earth also rotates on its axis at about 1000 miles per hour. We are, as it were, on an immense spaceship hurtling through time and space racking up some 66,000 miles every hour!
THE ULTIMATE DESTINATION
It should be remembered that this planet on which we live is headed for a mighty fiery crash [II Peter 3:10]. And we are on the spaceship Earth hurtling towards that burning disaster.
You say, what hope have we got? How can we escape the disaster that will overtake the world caused by its rebellion against God its Creator?
Well, there is another ‘spaceship’ called the “new earth” [Revelation 21:1]. It is one wherein dwelleth righteousness, and it continually travels in the orbit of God’s glory [II Peter 3:13]. But the question arises, how can we get from this present earth and its forthcoming destruction to the new earth and its blessing?
Right now, we must prepare to leave this present world. The Bible speaks of the second coming of Jesus Christ, and how He will catch up into the air all of His redeemed people. He is coming back soon and all His flock, either in the grave or alive at His coming, will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. [I Thessalonians 4:16-17].
The key to the transfer from this world to the next lies in the expression “In Christ”. The ‘ticket’ to the new world is to have Christ as Saviour, and in due time He will snatch us away from this planet hurtling to its divinely appointed destruction.
The great preacher, C.H. Spurgeon, lived in the early days of train travel. He gave a great illustration when he spoke of standing on a railway platform, and how comforting it was to pat his pocket just to be sure his ticket for the journey was there.
Dear reader, death is bearing down on us like an express train. Have you got your ‘ticket’ for the journey? Make sure you are heading to the right destination.
FOUR CONTRASTS IN MATTHEW 7:13
“Enter ye in at the strait gate”
What is the final destination to which you travel? There are but Two Destinations. They are “destruction” and “life” [v13], Heaven and Hell. There is no in-between. Only a fool would choose the destruction of Hell.
There are Two Sets of Travelers – “the many” and “the few.” The many are found on the wrong road. Most people go with the crowd, and swim with the stream to their destruction. The few follow the Lord.
There are Two Roads – the “broad” and the “narrow.” The natural man chooses the broad road, that is wide enough for every human sin. But there is another way, “This is the way, walk ye in it” says the Lord. [Isaiah 30:21].
There are Two Entrances. – “Wide” and “Strait.” The “wide” gate has no restrictions. All sins are accommodated, no reformation required, the devil stands at the door with a welcome ‘come in.’ The “strait” gate has the idea of pressure in Greek, a restriction that keeps sin out. It leads to Heaven. Jesus commands, “Enter ye in at the strait gate.” Jesus is the only door to Heaven.
