Relational Bridges

  Dear Ones, As we approach the ending of this year's season of Lent look toward the approach Holy Week, here’s a thought for you. Lepers may live in the same colony, but they share no vibrant community. Shame is that deep stain that comes with our brokenness. It whispers that we are contaminated and that we should avoid getting too close to others lest they discover how broken brokenness really is. Shame seeks to isolate us, to cause us to wear masks, become self-protective and to feel as if we live life as perpetual hypocrites. Shame hates the light and in the shadows whispers that we will never change, encouraging despair. But we have a greater truth; greater than the truth that we are broken; greater than the sum-total of all the iniquity of our sin…the sinfulness of our sin. Jesus Christ has, by His own power and action in human history, delivered us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into His own Kingdom as sons and daughters, not strangers, aliens or groveling bast...

  When Jesus Christ makes this statement, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) it is incredibly freeing. We all, in varying degrees, seem to have swallowed and metabolized the lie that there is actually something we can do, must do to effect God’s salvation in our lives. Think about this. Scripture states that we were dead in our sins, essentially alienated from God. If we are now alive, it is because we have received a new life, a new heart and spirit from God. What is dead has no capacity to change itself to any degree. Salvation is of the Lord, or it is not salvation at all. Knowledge of “self” never redeemed or transformed anyone. If we want to know who we are, we need to seek the one Who created us, and rely on His Word provided to us by the Holy Spirit that we might turn from self and turn to God alone. To know and believe that life-change, healing, and t...

  Midian’s defeat…another wonder of God! Gideon’s summons of Israel’s warriors gathered 32,000 men…against 135,000 Midianites! It still reads rather odd when the Lord God says to Gideon, “You have too many warriors with you. If I let you all fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to Me that they saved themselves by their own strength.” God knows human nature. Even now, when we see God act and do wonders, we are tempted and succumb too often to taking credit in the flesh what God has done by His Spirit. Or, we think it is something rather special about us that God would work a wonder through us. We forget what Jesus stated, “Apart from Me, you can do nothing.” The works pf the Kingdom of God are done solely by the power of God, or they are not done at all. So, God told Gideon to say, “Anyone who is timid or afraid, may leave and go home.” 22,000 men left right away, leaving only 10,000 Israelites to face 135,000 Midianites. God said that was still too many. There was a test...