Relational Bridges

  I was reading a daily devotion the other day and the last sentence of the day’s thoughts made me stop. “If we continue to trust and obey Him, God will help us.” What came to mind immediately were Jesus’ Words, “I am the Vine and you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit. For apart from Me, you can do nothing.” That must mean that apart from Him, trust and obedience are impossible on my own. A branch does not have “life in itself” as its life comes from the Vine. In fact, the branch has no life flowing in it if it is not vitally, relationally and exclusively attached to the Vine. Abiding in, making our permanent home in Jesus Christ is a work of the Holy Spirit Who unites us to both the death and resurrection-life of Jesus. The Holy Spirit puts us “into Jesus”. We are given a new heart and a new spirit, made righteous and holy by Jesus coming to live His very life in us in the Holy Spirit’s power. Our righteousness is derived from His Li...

  The One in the Manger I wonder if you knew the following about the manger that Jesus was laid in. Of course, mangers are animal feeding troughs but in ancient Israel they were made of stone - not what you would see in a modern-day nativity scene. Not comfortable, but great for protection. That’s why those who were experts in this matter, the priests, would put their newborn lambs in them for protection. But not just any lamb, the unblemished perfect lambs that were used in the sacrifice for sins. And Bethlehem, where Jesus was born was FAMOUS for their UNBLEMISHED LAMBS used for the sacrifice. These lambs had to be perfect so they would wrap them tightly in cloth, called swaddling clothes, and lay them in a manger to keep them safe. This is exactly why the only time “mangers” are mentioned in Jesus’ birth story, it is being told to shepherds. In Luke 2 it says, “This will be a sign for you, you will find a baby wrapped in cloth and lying in a manger.” These shepherds would have u...

  WORSHIPPERS ALL The test of all happiness is gratitude. I felt grateful, though I hardly knew to whom?” G. K. Chesterton   When a person says, “Thank you.”, they acknowledge, admit, that they are indebted to another for something received, whether tangible or intangible. We can be thankful for a birthday present or for just a smile that lifted the mood of our day. All of us must come to the place where we pragmatically accept the fact that we are neither independent nor self-sufficient. Those who doubt that this is factual, please join with me in the “oxygen-test”. Take a deep breath now…and hold it till I say you can let it out. (Lengthy pause occurs now.) We may take it for granted, but we are definitely dependent on both the ability to breath and the specific atmosphere of planet Earth that has, that unique combination of gases to keep us alive. Thanks for the air! People rarely will admit that they were created to worship. “Homo-adorator” is Latin for “man the wo...

  Hebrews 12:1 “ Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. ” This passage will be astoundingly clear to anyone who has run a marathon. I have not, but a dear friend responded to a question from me, "How do you run 23.6 miles?" She said, "I don't. I pick a point on the horizon and run to that. Then I pick out another point and keep running in segments till I finish my race." Jesus Christ has already run the race, marked out the course...and he promised to never leave of forsake His followers. So, fixing my eyes, the eyes of my heart, my will, my emotions and my spirit on Jesus Christ as the One upon Who my faith depend from start to finish, He will be there to both be my destination on the horizon of life as well as my running Partner so that I have His pe...

 WHY SUFFERING...ARE WE ALONE? It’s a strange phenomenon that so many people live today with the idea that difficulty should never be a modifier in their lives. In reality, it borders on narcissism, as if the world and every person on it exists to make me happy, unthreatened and sheltered. In every century preceding the one we breathe in, people assumed that they would at some time have deal with difficulty, tragedy, sorrow, unanswered questions and the like as they lived out their lives. Interestingly, that reality didn’t dampen the hope and joy of some folks on every continent. This seductive idea that the world owes me something has even begun to infect the church; not so much in Asia or Africa, but definitely here in the west. In some twisted theological orientations this non-biblical idea has warped the faith of some so that it looks little like the faith lived out by the Apostles and those in the early centuries of the church. Some even seem to think they can use God’s own Wo...

  What Holds Your Attention? Saul of Tarsus was a highly educated Hebrew, a Roman citizen, schooled in Greco-Roman philosophy, trained under one the premier Rabbis of his day, Gamaliel He had memorized the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms as well as the Mishnah and Midrash, the commentaries on the Law & Prophets. He was a firm believer that IF God’s people would only keep the Law, then God would intervene, throw off their enemies and restore Israel’s former glory. Performance was tantamount. In Acts chapter 9, Saul of Tarsus is on his way to Damascus with legal documents enabling him to arrest and imprison anyone who claimed to be a follower of Jesus, called the Messiah. On his way there, he was blinded by a vision so bright that it dislodged him from his horse and he fell to the ground. A voice that that everyone heard, that seemed to come from everywhere and yet nowhere, asked Saul, “Why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asks, “Who are you LORD?” Saul would have only referred to...