#17: Christian+Faithful enter Vanity. ‘He who will go to the Celestial City and yet not go through this town, must needs go out of world.’ Evangelist prophesied that 1 or both of them must seal their testimony with blood there + it turned true. Vanity’s Fair thrives in our world of isms: materialism, consumerism, globalism, all manner of formal-isms. Our pilgrims only passed through, yet their mere presence exposed its crass, corrupt, violent + emptiness. ‘All is vanity!’ = empty, unprofitable, circuitous nonsense, Ecclesiastes’ Preacher proclaimed + Bunyan exposes how our culture has turned vanity into celebration. He satirically gave it the name, but society ironically embraced it in pride + named a fashion magazine after it! All nations parade their goods, games+guilt here; but when our pilgrims entered, their different clothes/speech+no care for Vanity's wares were enough to create hubbub. They wanted to buy Truth! and so were beaten + caged + the populace enraged: even moreso when some of the town's own people sympathized with the pilgrims! The elite: government+media+judiciary, rallied all forces of evil to condemn these 2 … and we’re seeing this same bullying today -with even greater efficiently organized malice ! The Judge: Lord Hate-good, impeached/condemned them without any trial as dangerous divisive disturbers. False witnesses: Envy +Superstition blatantly lied. + the Jury: MrBlindman+No-good+Malice+Love-lust+Live-loose+Heady+High-mind+Enmity +Liar+ Cruelty +Hate-light+Implacable, all satirically acted out their real names; eg Blindman: ‘I see clearly the man is a heretic.’ And so they scourged+beat+stoned+burned Faithful. But Bunyan saw a chariot immediately carry him to his celestial destination + Christian miraculously escaped! His pilgrimage was not yet complete... and neither is ours.

#15: What do you do when some days only seem to get worse!? No sooner was Christian through this valley than another appeared: The Shadow of Death. The previous one featured active battle; this now was a very solitary place, a wilderness, land of deserts + pits, drought, where no man dwells. 2 men ran past him in the opposite direction: ‘It’s dark as pitch; filled with howling/yelling/clouds of confusion, dreadful; Go back!’ But Christian refused their evil report + pressed on. His path was exceedingly narrow, with a deep ditch on one side + a dangerous quag on the other. ½ way through, the mouth of hell opened up, but he forged ahead, using his weapon -All-prayer, quoting Ps 71:16 ‘I will go in the strength of the Lord.’ … the same verse the Lord gave me years ago when I headed out on my 1st mission trip to Africa. Poor Christian! He was so confused, he couldn’t even recognize his own voice. But he did hear another voice clearly before him: ‘Though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no ill, for thou art with me.’ (Ps 23). His fear turned to joy, the darkness to morning light + all dangers moved far off. He left them behind: the remains of mangled bodies/bones of many who’d gone before him + 2 old giants: Pagan (superstition) -dead longtime + Pope (tradition) - crazy/stiff: who could only sit at his cave, grinning + biting his nails, no longer able to hamper those who passed by. And Christian passed by peacefully… + so do we.

#14: Christian now must descend into the Valley of Humiliation. ‘It is a hard matter to go down + not slip.’ Every person must pass here in life’s journey + if we do not willingly humble ourselves, we will indeed be humiliated. Here he meets Apollyon + with no armour for his back, Christian faces the demon’s 7 arguments head-on: 1 You are my subject still X No. I was, but now I belong completely to another! 2 I promise to treat you fairly if you come back X But I am no longer yours + I cannot/will not come back! 3 Just like all others, you will come back to me in the end X No. I have sworn my allegiance to Him alone! 4 You betrayed me, but I’m willing to forgive X No, I do not trust your promises. I am now Christ’s! 5 Pilgrims always come to an ill end X No. My Prince shares His glory with all followers, including me! 6 You’ve already been unfaithful to Him + lost your reward X True, but My Prince is merciful! 7 In your heart, you’re really selfish: even proud of being a pilgrim! X Yes, but I am pardoned! And so they battled long: Apollyon blocked his way, attacked with fiery darts + so wounded Christian in head+hand+foot that he began to despair of life. But almost at his last gasp, Christian grasped… his sword, gave him a deadly thrust + Apollyon fled. The spiritual parallels are unmistakeable. I'm sure we can all relate! Satan attacks our minds/hearts, but when we submit to God + resist him with the sword of the Spirit = the Word of God, we overcome + he flees. Christian's wounds were then healed from leaves of the Tree of Life -rested/refreshed! And so are we. God never leaves us in this valley; He brings us through to the other side - victorious overcomers!

#13: After the Hill Difficulty, Christian encountered the 2 lions from whom Timorous + Mistrust fled; he also thought to flee back, but a Porter from the lodge on the other side encouraged him: ‘They are chained; keep to middle!’ And so Christian continued and the lions did not touch him. Watchful (the Porter) welcomed Christian (we find out his original name was Graceless + aren’t we all?) to the House Beautiful + 4 beautiful, pure young virgins briefly question him: 1 Discretion: perceived his purpose of pilgrimage 2 Piety: searched out his motives 3 Prudence: verified his change from the old life +victory over sin, 4 Charity: asked why he’d not brought his family with him? The House Beautiful is ALL about JESUS! Here Christian feasts on Faith, rests in a room called Peace with his window open to the sun rising and hears the stories of His all-conquering love. He witnesses the ancient records of exploits, prophecies and predictions fulfilled and sees for himself what he’d only before heard. Then to the top of the house + vision: the BIG picture to encourage him in what lies ahead! And then even more: armour to protect + fight off further assaults! Like Christian, we need to spend more time in Our House Beautiful, esteeming the overwhelming beauty of Christ greater than our Difficulties in this world. His faith, hope and love are our overcoming testimony - past, present and future. Let our feasts be on the Lamb, our rest in His Peace and His Joy our strength! We need this NOW + in our journey ahead!

#12: Did anyone ever tell you that once you received Christ, you would no longer have any problems? If so… they lied.Bunyan brings Christian to the Hill Difficulty right after the Cross: ie the Gospel at times actually stirs up trouble! So let’s not be surprised when we encounter Difficulty! First he drank from a spring to draw on the Spirit’s strength + then chose between the Way straight ahead + 2 others: to the left into woods but called Danger + the other to the right into a field called Destruction. Christian chose wisely + stayed in the Way: ‘Better, though difficult, the right way to go, Than wrong, though easy, where the end is woe. Formalism + Hypocrisy chose poorly; they stumbled, fell and rose no more. Climbing the steep hill; Christian fell also, but he kept going, even on his hands + knees. He rested in an arbour ½ way up, but so distracted by his weariness, he fell asleep in the midst of difficulty + lost his precious roll = evidence of life + acceptance at the ultimate destination… but never noticed. When he reached the hilltop, 2 others came running… headed the wrong way! Timorous -lacking confidence + Mistrust -suspicion, were fleeing dangers/lions up ahead+ tried to get him to turn back. Only then he realized his roll was missing, so returned, retraced his steps + recovered what he’d carelessly lost. Setbacks, disappointments, losses… even viruses, try to overwhelm, but as Christian, we need not waver: ‘Back is nothing but death; forward is fear of death + life everlasting beyond; I will yet go forward.'

#11: 2 men come tumbling over the wall + Christian asks, ‘Where have you come from + where are you going?’ They answered: ‘From the land of Vain-glory (Futile Pride) + going to the Celestial City.’ ‘But why did you not come in at the gate?’ And so Formalist + Hypocrisy inadvertently expose their true identities by their excuses: ‘Keeping customs/traditions are just as valid; if we are in, we are in, what’s it matter which way we get in? And the only difference between us are the clothes some neighbour gave you to hide your nakedness. But Christian answered: ‘I walk by the rule of My Master, You walk by the rude workings of your fancies. You are but thieves. You come in by yourselves, without his direction and shall go out by yourselves, without his mercy.’ These 2 always travel together. Formalist seeks to present a pleasing external form/outward appearance that looks good on the outside, while Hypocrisy literally puts on a mask, as an ‘actor/stage-player’ presenting something he really isn’t; or even more sinister: ‘an interpreter from underneath’. Both are exposed by the truth that they didn’t come through the Gate-Door: faith in the Lord Jesus Christ-who He is + what He did. There are no shortcuts on this Way to Life. You either come through the Truth or you’re exposed for what you really are: a liar/robber/loser. Have you entered life through the Cross or are you still trusting to your own dead works? If so, you are a hypocrite for you will never be able to keep walking in your own righteousness. They will never save you!

# 10: The Cross is only the beginning of Christian’s new life journey. Immediately he meets more grace to face ever greater future trials: 3 Shining Ones meet him with ‘Peace!’ + each has a gift: sins forgiven + new clothes for his former rags + a mark in his forehead + roll/certificate with a seal = the Holy Spirit = his confirmation for entry intro the Celestial City. Then he meets 3 Sleeping Ones: Simple – I see no danger + Sloth -I just want a little more sleep + Presumption- I just pretend everything’s all right + close my eyes! Clearly, God knows what Christians need beforehand: the 3 angels give necessary antidotes to the world’s 3 temptations to just snooze… and ultimately lose. 1 God forgives us so we are free to forgive others + break the ignorant, embittering lies of unforgiveness! 2 God motivates us to look beyond self-centred laziness + get a vision to work in His harvest of souls! 3 God frees us from pretensions + releases us to reality of revelation + our part in realizing it! Sleeping when we should be Shining robs us of Vision + Destiny!