The Bridge

Scripture:
Romans 3:23-26 (NASB)

…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Devotional:

Picture yourself walking along a field.  The landscape is sparse and mostly barren.  There are patches of lush green fields and flowers with plenty of food and drink.  There are other places that are barren and dry.  As you walk along you come to a cliff.  Several hundred feet across you see the most beautiful and bountiful land you have ever seen.  You cannot get across the chasm separating you.  It is too deep and too wide.  There is nothing you can do to build a bridge big enough to cross over.  You see several people working away trying to build bridges to cross.  Some people work together and seem to get a little closer.  However, none can make it across.  As you walk along the cliff’s edge a cloud or mist rises between the cliff’s edges.  You can no longer see to the other side.  You do know that the land over there is still there just as lush and beautiful.  You come to two bridges.  One bridge is made of stone.  It looks strong and sturdy, able to handle a lot of weight and people at once.  The other bridge is an old rope bridge that looks barely able to hold one person at a time.  You cannot see to the other side of either bridge.  Finally you notice someone at the entrance to the bridges.  He asks if you trust Him to choose the bridge for you.  You can see people walking down both bridges.  What do you do?

We have all sinned and fall short.  The chasm is the sin that separates us from God in heaven.  Once we leave this life we must cross one of the bridges.  The bridge we choose to cross is made by our choice in life.  The strong and sturdy bridge is a life without Christ and it will lead you only part of the way.  In the end you cannot make it across to the other side.  The rope bridge is the bridge Christ has built giving us access to heaven.  Our lives may seem rough and that we may not make it.  Christ’s bridge is complete and strong enough to hold everyone.  The stone bridge, or the bridge of this world, only goes part way before dumping you down the chasm.  Nothing you can do can complete that bridge.  Sin is the chasm.  Living a life without Christ places you on the stone bridge.  Faith in Jesus, that He is the Savior John 3:16, is the rope bridge to eternal life…

From Death Comes Life

Scripture:
John 12:23-27 (NASB)

And Jesus answered them, saying, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.     “Now My soul has become troubled; and what shall I say, ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour.

Devotional:

We often think of death as the end of it all.  Huge debates take place as to what happens when we die.  The Bible is very clear on life and death.  Death is not the end but a beginning.  In the fall the trees go dormant and flowers die.  Winter brings a barren landscape.  The land appears to be consumed by death.  In the spring the leaves will bud and flowers bloom.  New life springs up everywhere you look.  Out of death comes new life.  A living flower will produce a seed.  The seed with no life in it will wait until the proper time.  Then out of its death new life with form.  From a dead seed a new plant will be given life.

Our lives are the same.  We live now but in our death comes new life.  How we live that new life will depend upon the choices we make here and now.  Christ came to this earth as a person so that He could pave the way for us to join Him in a new life.  In His death we are offered new life.  In our death to ourselves and this world we receive an abundant life with Christ.  We will be filled with His love, grace, mercy, and most of all His blessings.  

Who Can Cast The First Stone?

Scripture:
Luke 19:1-10 (NIV)

Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 

  When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 

  All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” 

  But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

  Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” 

Devotional:

Legalism is a trap we still fall into today.  As a matter of fact I know a few people who have at least partially fallen into the legalism trap.  The sad fact is there is very little room for Grace.  When I was a teenager I loved Amy Grant’s music.  In fact I bought several of her Albums.  Granted in her later years I had lost some of my interest.  I still love her early work.  I know someone who very much dislikes her because of a divorce she went through.  He doesn’t believe we should listen to her music or support her because she divorced her husband.  After all, the Bible state that we are not to divorce.  I knew people who will find your faults and condemn you for them.  They leave little room to forgive and give grace.

The truth is that Jesus could have condemned Zacchaeus because of his sinful past.  He could have rejected him.  Instead Jesus showed compassion and grace.  Shouldn’t we do the same?  Shouldn’t we show love, mercy, compassion, and most of all Grace?  When the religious leaders brought the prostitute to Jesus, John 8:3-11, Jesus said in verse 7 “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”  This same statement applies to us today.  Which one of us is able to cast that first stone of condemnation?  Which one of us has a spot free life?  The last time I checked the only person qualified to throw the stone chose not to.  Instead He showed mercy, love, and yes grace.  Shouldn’t emulate our teacher, mentor, Savior?

God Is Watching & Protecting

Scripture:
Psalm 121 (NIV)

I lift up my eyes to the mountains
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore. 

Devotional:

I remember one time I went to a friend’s house to help him work on his motorcycle.  For some unknown reason I put my glasses on instead of wearing contacts that day.  Which is unusual because working on the bile I would have preferred the contacts.  That way I wouldn’t have to deal with dirty glasses slipping down my nose.  While I was working on the bike a screwdriver slipped and raked across my nose ending on the edge of my glasses.  Had I not worn them the screwdriver would have went into my eye.  I firmly believe that God was watching out for me.  It was an inner prompting I believe that came from him to wear the glasses.  

When I was a teenager I was in a motorcycle accident.  My grandmother was on the back of the bike and we were heading towards home.  My parents were in the lead while a couple they were friends with brought up the rear.  Along the road the couple pulled up close to our side and was pointing at the back of my bike.  I looked down and saw a bag falling off.  I looked up and was on the edge of the road.  I went to swerve back to the center when the road gave out.  We slipped off the road into the tall grass on the side.  No problem, so far.  I started to slowly bring the bike to a stop when the front end went over a hidden board that was left on the side of the road.  As it turned the front in washed out and we went down.  There were no serious injuries but the bike was totaled.  My grandmother and I had to take a bus the rest of the way home.  God was with us that day as well.  Traffic was light and there was plenty of room on the side of the road so that we could slide to a stop safely.  

I can give many more instances in just my life when things could have been worse than what they were.  God is with us every day of our lives.  He watches over us protecting us from harm.  I firmly believe that there are times when we are not even aware of His protecting arms wrapping around us.  Nancy and I will often comment on why we get caught in traffic, or behind someone slow.  We will state God must have known something would have happened and he slowed us down.  How many so called coincidences are really God’s interventions?  Maybe we are rerouted, delayed, or have plans not happen for our own protection.  Maybe you missed that flight because God needed you somewhere else at the time, or he knew you would run into some sort of trouble.  God is with us watching over us.  We need to call on His name and allow Him to work in our lives…  Have faith He is aware and in control…