Relational Bridges

  Lord Jesus, You are the Lord of all and I submit to you as my Lord. Thank You for coming to ransom me with Your life. I love You, I worship You, I give myself over to You, for You have made me one with Yourself. Rule in all that I am: spiritually, mentally, willfully, emotionally and physically. I declare this day and embrace by grace through faith, that You have given to me all the work and triumph manifest in Your Cross, Your Blood, Your death, Your Sacrifice and mighty Resurrection.  Through all You have done, I am ransomed and have already been delivered from the dominion of darkness and have been translated into Your Kingdom. My sin nature has been cut away and removed by Your hand, for You have circumcised my heart and made it new as Your own. Every other claim being made against me by my ancient foe this day is cancelled, dismantled and disarmed and abandoned in Jesus’ Name.

ON HALLOWEEN This coming Sunday will mark one of the most celebrated day in our American culture. It is an ancient pagan rite of worshiping the powers of darkness, called Samhain. The ancient Druids practiced it toward the end of October, offering human sacrifice to appease the "forces of darkness" so they would keep the people safe during the dark days of winter. How odd to think that you could appease evil with evil and somehow keep at bay the very things that wanted to destroy your life before you found out about God's grace! The Church tried to redeem the day by having it be known as All Hallowed Eve, the evening before the feast of All Saints Day. That practice has proven futile, as culture has become more and more fascinated with the powers of darkness. Church's have "Fall Festivals" on October 31st to try and replace Halloween. It appears that we want to make sure our kids aren't denied their candy, or draw any more ridicule from their friends by ...

  In Romans 5:1-5, St. Paul states the astounding: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.” To have peace, shalom, with God means that you are invincible. There is nothing in your life, past, present or future that can separate you from the Love of God in Jesus Christ. Your life can be, and is being transformed by the Power of Jesus’ resurrection now work within you. Sealed by the Holy Spirit, you are eternally se...

  It is a strange thing that freedom can be frightening. To be set free of a fondly nurtured bondage, the chains that one has come to know with a comfortable sorrow, can seem like more an attack than a liberation. When one IS set free, there can be the experience of vast areas that are not empty. Time that used to be filled by one’s “ponderous chains” is now opened up and it can appear frightening. What DOES one now do withal the energy, space and time once occupied by one’s bondage, be it resentment, unforgiveness, bitterness, fear, victimhood, narcissism, or even nurtured sorrow? When God sets you free, He does not leave a void behind, He comes and by the Holy Spirit, fills you with His own Presence and power. He wants to show you that He has a purpose for you, that you have a destiny in Him, plans to bless you, not harm you. He wants you to flourish by His love and mercy so that you become more fully human every day as He lives out in you and through you. Freedom and w...

  Some one wrote about “not letting God off the hook.” in a recent post. This was in reference to Eugene Peterson’s introduction to Job that said that Job didn’t let God off the hook but kept demanding a hearing, justice for himself in the face of what seemed unjust. We will go there in our thinking and acting IF our relationship with God is akin to the “quid-pro-quo” of paganism, that says that somehow God owes us if we do what is right and suffering is can only be because we have failed in doing what God requires. The brokenness and suffering in the world are not God’s fault. It is the consequence of Adam and Eve choosing to believe they needed something more that God to make life whole and complete. And ever since, humanity has follow their folly. Jesus gives a similar parable about a widow “bugging an unjust judge to get recompense. In the parable the judge who cares nothing for God or mankind, gives in because the widow is wearing him out. Jesus was not comparing God to ...

  People, those who will believe Him get what Jesus Christ paid for. Hebrews 7:23-28 “23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, His priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.26 He is the kind of high priest we need because He is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when He offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed His Son with an oath, and His Son has been made ...

  Well, here is the 8th and final part of looking at the Armor of God. Ephesians 6:18 is often not taught in conjunction with teaching about the “armor of God”, but it is like a covering cloak. It reads, “18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Prayer is the foundation of all fruitful ministry and effective spiritual warfare. Being in God’s Presence in prayer, ongoing communication, communing with the Lord, praying in tongues if the Lord manifests that work of the Holy Spirit in you, keeping the lines of communication with “Headquarters” keeps us focused, alert and persistent in the ongoing covering of other followers of Jesus Christ whom we know are engaged in the ongoing battle as we are. We were born onto a planet that is at war. It has been said, “Retreat is not an option! Arm yourselves!” The truth is that Jesus Christ is, Himself the armor of God. God has fully clothed us in armor tha...

  As Promised, here is part 7 on the Armor of God Next is the “sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God”. Ephesians 6:17b “… and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” The word translated “word” here is not the Greek “logos” used for the written Word of God. It is the Greek word “rhema” the living, practically applied Word of God brought to bear by the Holy Spirit in our battling. It is that Word that the Holy Spirit brings to mind which becomes not merely a defensive weapon against deception, but an active, offensive, weapon to cut to pieces the lies of the enemy.  It is described here as the Roman short-sword, used in close combat to administer mortal blows to the adversary’s insinuations. In Psalm 119, the psalmist states, “You Word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against You.” God’s Word committed to memory is brought to bear by the Holy Spirit in the heat of “battle” as a living, pointed and specific Word from God for the moment....

  As promised, here is part 6 on the Armor of God. Next is the helmet of salvation. Ephesians 6:17a “17 Put on salvation as your helmet…” Question: Who is your salvation? Jesus Christ alone is your salvation. You never read the Apostles telling young believers that they need their heart or spirit renewed after they have put their trust in what God has done, receiving His salvation. We are given a new heart and a new spirit, made holy by God’s mercy and forgiveness. Our old sin nature is cut away and we are given a new nature, a new spiritual DNA that is none other than that of Jesus Christ, Himself. What we DO read in many places and in many ways is that we need our minds to be renewed. Romans 12:1-2 reads, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then y...

  As promised, here is part 5 on the Armor of God: The shield of faith. Ephesians 6:16 In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. I have a question for you. When Jesus came to live His Life within you and through you by the Presence, Person and Power of the Holy Spirit, did He somehow leave out any part of Who He is? No! 1 Corinthians 1:30-31 reads: “30 God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin. 31 Therefore, as the Scriptures say, “If you want to boast, boast only about the Lord.” Our righteousness is Jesus; He is our wisdom’ He is our holiness; He is our salvation. Now, read carefully. Galatians 2:20 “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for ...

  As promised, here is part four on the Armor of God. Ephesians 6:15 For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. Next are what we might call “Gospel boots”. Our feet shod with the Gospel of peace, the “shalom”, the wholeness of life that comes from receiving the Gospel, the Good News. It is a peace producing thing to know that God alone has rescued us, that our salvation is never and will never be dependent on us. Paul states in Romans 5:1 "Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us." We have done and never will be able to do anything to achieve what God has already brought to completion through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Our stability and endurance are eternally grounded in what God has done to establish us before Himself, holy, blameless and beyond reproach. Stability in following Jesus Christ is grounde...

  As promised, here is part three on the Armor of God. Ephesians 6:13-14 “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. 14 Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness." Next is the body armor, the “breastplate of God’s righteousness”. That armor piece described by the Apostle had a front and a back piece held together to protect us from what we can see and what we can’t see. Question: Who is your righteousness as a follower of Jesus Christ? Whose righteousness do you now have by God’s grace? Jesus Christ, when He came to live His life in you, brought all that He is to live in you and through you…all that He is. Jesus Christ is your body armor of God’s righteousness, ascribed to you by God, Himself. Follower of Jesus, God has made you righteous with the righteousness of Jesus. That righteousness given to you is what is work...