Relational Bridges

 

  How odd it is that we act as though God were answerable to us…that He owed us an explanation as to what is going on…as if He were not God, but that we were.

  Holy Spirit, thank You for coming! Thank You for uniting me to the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, my Lord. Thank You for giving me a new heart and a new spirit, for dwelling in me and for Your promise, that having begun the good work of salvation and transformation in me, You will bring it to completion. I love You, Lord; I praise You and worship You. I thank You for empowering the Body of Christ for the ongoing ministry of Jesus in the world. I ask and receive from You today Your anointing and filling for the day ahead of me. Thank you for saturating me with Yourself, immersing me in Your own Self and Presence. You have sealed me, uniting me to the Holy Trinity. You are my Comforter, Counselor, Sanctifier, Teacher, Strength and Power for life and ministry. I surrender to you, this day, all that I am; my whole being: spiritually, mentally, willfully, emotionally and physically. Fill me, Holy Spirit, I ask You this day so that I may walk in step with You in all things. Fi...

 

  When one has lived in profound darkness, light is a painful rather than a welcome intrusion on the eyes. Don't take it personally when you are rebuffed for walking in the Light of Christ. The pain in the "eyes" of those still walking in the shadows will produce accusations you of being judgmental. Don't draw back. Keep living and loving in the Truth. Light always exposes things as they are; then, He heals them.

 

  " The timid civilized world has found nothing with which to oppose the onslaught of a sudden revival of barefaced barbarity, other than concessions and smiles." (Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn) Where are the dread-champions of love, faith and grace? The Holy Spirit was given to Jesus' followers to empower them to lay down their lives and live His. Risk is a given, no guarantees of ease promised, just radical engagement.

  The Truth is Still the Truth I just read a study that states that it found that: Over 60% of born-again Christians between 18 and 39 say Jesus isn't only way to Heaven; Muhammad, Buddha also valid paths to salvation. This shows me that whoever "discipled" these folks did not explain the Gospel to them. To be born again; born of the Spirit of God is grounded in the eternal truth that there is no other name but Jesus Christ of Nazareth that has been given to humanity by which we can be saved, restored to God, rescued, transformed, be given a new heart and a new spirit. There is salvation in no other. God made it simple for us. It is not searching for a needle in a haystack! Jesus Christ said, "I am the way the truth and the life; no one can come to the Father except through me." It is THAT utter exclusivity that opens the door to all ethnic, cultural, social and racial groups. Jesus Christ is not the salvation of some, but the only Savior for all who will but b...

 Thankful Thank you, Gracious Father, for including me in Christ, forgiving my sin, giving me His righteousness and for making me complete in Him. Thank You for making me alive in Jesus, raising me from death with Him and seating me with Him at Your Right Hand. Father, You have established me in His Kingdom, in His authority; anointing me with Your Love, Your Spirit and Power. I embrace and receive all You have done with thanks and praise, giving You and Your works for me total claim to my spirit and heart, to my mind, will and emotions, to my body and all that pertains to my life. I declare that the Life and Work of my Lord Jesus Christ and the fullness of His salvation will today cover my life, my home, my family, my household, the sphere of influence You have assigned to me and all that I steward in Your Name.  

 LABELING People seem to love labeling others who seem to disagree with them. In Rwanda, one tribe called another tribe “roaches” and worthless garbage. It dehumanized them and made it easier for the others to slaughter them. Calling someone “progressive, woke, liberal or socialist” keeps the name callers “safe” from having to see the other as a fellow human being in need of the same grace we are in desperate need of. To call someone a racist because of their skin color, or because they voted for someone different than you did or to accuse them of bigotry is, in fact, bigotry defined. We can be bigoted toward conservatives or liberals (sorry for the labels) and bastion ourselves behind pride and never see the other. Jesus Christ saw the whole world in need of rescue; the religious and non-religious. He didn’t label people so He could avoid having to do anything with them. He marginalized no one. He didn’t advocate the overthrow of Rome. He called everyone to repentance: turning fro...

 PERSEVERE Doing the right thing does not guarantee that anyone will notice and applaud. Doing the right things does not guarantee success as culture measures it. Doing the right thing because it is right will, however, forge character that is more valuable than accolades ever will be. As it has been said, "Do justice, right wrongs, follow the King!"

  Да это правда!  

 THIS IS JUST WONDERFUL!!! https://fb.watch/7iHXaOTGSa/ 

  IT'S NEVER EASY C. S. Lewis said that if we were going to make up a religion, Christianity wouldn't be it. We'd make up something that we could manipulate, would be easy to pull off, wouldn't require any change of us in any way, and would be all about our own pleasure and convenience. THAT is not what following Jesus is. Following Jesus Christ is not like having an personal advisor to tweet your life. Following Jesus Christ is singularly following Him as LORD. That means that He is in charge, not you or me. We'll never become our best selves through any kind of self-effort. What God designed us for, our destiny and purpose, will never be discovered buried somewhere deep within us. It doesn't exist there. What God does in rescuing us from sin and self is beyond us. We are unable to make ourselves anything other than the broken us. The fact is, what is broken cannot ever fix itself. It's beyond human help, even if it were the cumulative help of all humanity ...

 Listen... Some find it odd that followers of Jesus speak of "hearing" God. Is it strange that a child should recognize the voice of its Parent? Is it odd that the God of creation would be able to communicate with His creation via any means He might choose? Is it strange that God would want to communicate with us now? He's given us His Word written. Why would He pretend to be mute now? He still speaks...listen!

Ministering in the Holy Spirit's Power  

  MEANING IN LIFE The meaning of our lives is not grounded in “feeling like” they have meaning. God has called us out of death and in to His Own Life. Therefore, our life has the very meaning of the life of God. It transcends circumstances, which can be so dark and painful we can see little hope. That is why there is peace, even in the face of turmoil; peace that keeps us moving forward, even when we can’t imagine our feet ever moving forward again. In Christ Jesus, we are children of hope, not circumstances.

                            Just something beautiful God has made for your Sunday joy!