Posted by: soulbridge on: November 24, 2010
If you watch the news with any regularity, it can be easy to become disheartened about the world. So far this morning: N. Korea continues its aggression against S. Korea, financial markets around the world are still unstable, and your baby monitor can put your family at risk! Ugh.
I have always though there a should be a TV news program devoted only to good news – people who help their neighbors in times of need, folks who feed the hungry, kids who do the right thing in the face of peer pressure.
But it would never fly because we don’t like good news as much as we like bad news. It’s true – thats why the networks focus on it so heavily. People are drawn to the misteps, failures, and tragedies of others more than they are to the stories with a positive spin.
Why? Because it makes us feel better about ourselves and our circumstances to hear that others are worse off. Sad. True.
So the networks and new hours and newpapers continue to lead off with the worst and put the good news like a tag on the end – so we can all feel a little better, a little more smug about our lives and our short comings.
But, here is the absolute truth about that: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking it all.”
James 2:10
So, the murderer on the news is no different from me – the person who may lie occaisonally, or have a moment of rage, or have impure thoughts.
We are both law breakers in the eyes of the Lord. Doesn’t matter if you have broken one law or 100 laws. Doesn’t matter if you have lied or killed.
It is all the same. If you weren’t disheartened before, maybe you are now?
But don’t be. Because like the evening news I am going to finish with good news.
Because we are all lawbreakers in the eyes of God,we need a way to make things right – to get back into a right standing with God. But an imperfect person can never fully please a perfect God. So, God made a way for each and every person to be justified – to have their guilt removed. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, met every requirement of God’s law.
As Pastor Justin said this past week, Jesus was 100% perfect 100% of the time. And then he willingly traded his perfection for our imperfection: “God made him who had no sin, to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Jesus willing took upon himself the sins of the world, past present and future, and allow the full wrath of God to rest upon him, so that we might be redeemed. He threw us a life preserver. But what good is a life preserver to a drowning person of they do not grab a hold of it? None.
You have to give up your struggling, and trying to save yourself, grab hold of the life preserver and allow yourself to be pulled to shore. If we do not grab hold of the truth of Jesus Christ and what he did for us, and give him control, then the gift of life is useless to us. We don’t get saved by default. We have to let Jesus take control of our lives and pull us out of our lives – which are drowning in sin and corruption. Then our own story, one originally written with a rotten ending, becomes one with the greatest ending of all -
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Sprit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
Romans 8:1-2
That is the best news of all!
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 22, 2010
“I’m so tired.” “I’m bored.” “My job stinks.”
“My spouse just doesn’t get me.” “I wish the preacher wouldn’t talk so long.” Sometimes, it seems that all I hear from people is what is wrong, what is bad, what needs fixed, what is lacking. We are all very quick to complain about this, that and the other thing. Well, I think it is time to stop.
This is the season of year when we celebrate Thanksgiving. It is supposed to be a time for us to reflect on our many blessings and give thanks to God for all he has done and is doing for us. But here is the thing. In this world of
“gotta get more” and “it’s all about me” we are very slow to be thankful, because we are too busy complaining.
Let’s look at things this way: Yes, the economy is still very sluggish, and there are still many many folks out of work.
But, if you have more than 3 changes of clothes in your closet, you are richer that 1/3rd of the world’s population. Yes, our pensions and stock funds are still catching up and a dollar doesn’t go as far as it did a few years ago, but if you eat three meals a day, you are better fed than 1/2 of the world’s children.
If you own at least one Bible, and are free to let it sit on a shelf collecting dust, then you are more blessed than Christians in countries like China, Indonesia and Iraq.
And, if you know Jesus, and have let him have your life, then all the riches of heaven are yours.
It is time to change our tunes folks. It is time to stop complaining about what we think is wrong, or what really is wrong, and really practice thankfulness.
When was the last time you thanked the Lord for clean drinking water?
The people of Haiti are dying for clean water right now.
Thank the Lord for peace within our borders. Your fellow citizens are serving in Afghanistan and Iran, watching our borders and monitoring the skys for you to have that peace.
Thank the Lord for the freedom to read this blog, or go to church, or read whatever book you want. Remember that people are still going to prison and dying for this freedom.
And finally – thank Jesus.
He died for you, even though there is absolutely nothing you can do to repay him, or be deserving of that sacrifice.
And he did it willingly, with a heart full of love.
All because He loves you, no matter what.
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 18, 2010
I have been stumbling upon some pretty inspiring blogs recently and they all seem to have a common thread: there are some amazing people serving the Lord in ways that they don’t even think are significant.
I read one blog by a 20 yr old college student whose wry sense of humor has a way of making you think about theology in a fresh way. And I read another by a guy who plays music for Jesus in a London subway.
I bet if you asked these guys they would say that what they do is no big deal – but in the economy of God, little things matter a lot.
God is not interested in how many people we preach or witness to, or how many people may read the blog or book we write. He is more interested in our intentions and our obedience. He wants us to want what He wants, love what He loves, and go where He sends us, without thinking of how big, how flashy or how “important” it may be to others.
Jesus never cared about how much stuff someone had or didn’t have – he was always looking at their heart, their intentions. Luke tells us a story about that in chapter 21 of his gospel: “As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting thier gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. I tell you the truth, he said, this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on.”
See, Jesus doesn’t want a part of what we have and who we are, he wants it all. So when we give it all, even if it is very small, He is very pleased.
Be encouraged. You may think you don’t have much to give, but Jesus does. It doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks about it, just give it all and HE will be pleased.
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 15, 2010
I have posted some blogs recently with the topics “Who is Jesus”, “What did Jesus do”, and “Where is Jesus now”. But that’s not all to the story of Jesus, because He is going to make another appearance on planet Earth.
Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you may also be where I am.”
John 14:1-3
And the Apostle Paul wrote – “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”1Thessalonians 4:16-18
Jesus promised his disciples, and us, that he would return. The Apostle Paul reiterates the promise in his letter to the church in Thessalonica. As we have seen, Jesus didn’t abandon the church at his resurrection. He is at work even now, interceding for his children before the throne of his Father. And he is patiently awaiting the word of God that will send Him back to Earth to bring about the end of the age, and the full innauguration of the Age to Come. Jesus told his disciples that only the Father knows the day and the time of the Son’s return.(Mt. 24:36) Jesus always encouraged his followers to be ready for his return at any time.
The early church lived with constant anticipation of this wonderful event.
But what about the church today? Do we awaken each day with the thought that it could be our last one here on this planet? Do we preach, teach and serve with the urgency of the knowledge that we are not guaranteed a tomorrow? Are we eager to see the Lord, or satisfied with our lives to the point of complacency? Have we come to believe that the day of his return is never coming? Have we stopped hoping?
We are approaching a time in the calendar year when Americans begin to focus upon Christmas. Back in the day, that meant that people really began to think about the birth of Jesus – his first appearance on earth. Christians also used this season (called Advent amongst Catholic and Evangelical Christians) to contemplate the Lord’s Second coming. It was a time to reflect and prepare; a time to be thankful for his birth and prepare for his return. Now it seems that the focus is upon everything BUT Jesus. TV commercials push the latest in electronic gadgets and the hotest fashion trends as merchants vie for our hard earned dollars and cents. Schools have stopped having Christmas programs, instead holding “Holiday” parties and concerts.
Silent Night and O Come, O Come Emmanuel have lost out to Jingle Bells and Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer.
Don’t get me wrong. I am no Scrooge. I love a good carol and the tree at my house goes up the first of December. But I have found myself sucked into the commercialism and the hype, and losing the heart of the holiday and the hope of His return.
I think this is the perfect year to put Jesus back into Christmas – after all, thats who started it all in the first place!
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 11, 2010
I am blessed to know or have know many veterans throughout my life. Some have been family members, and others have been friends and neighbors. I have met soldiers, sailors,airmen and marines – merchant marines too.
They have served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan; they served in peace and in war.
I have listened to the stories of the sacrifices and the sucesses; and I have heard them share their frustrations too.
But one thing I have noticed, none of them ever said to me that they regretted serving their country. Whether they were drafted, or volunteered, these men, and thousands of men and women just like them, have been honored to serve and defend the United States of America at home and abroad.
So whether or not you agree with the “politics” of war, you still need to take some time tomorrow to thank a veteran. Thank them for putting you and this great nation ahead of themselves. Thank them for their willingness to do whatever was asked of them. Thank them for making sure you enjoy freedoms you usually take for granted. Offer them a handshake, a hug or a salute. Buy them a coffee, or lunch.
Lay a wreath on a grave or display the American flag.
We may not always get it right, but by the grace of the Lord and the willing service of these veterans American is still the greatest nation in the world.
So, to any veteran who happens to read this post – from the bottom of my heart I say THANK-YOU. You have helped make America great. May God bless you, and keep you and make His face shine upon you!
Happy Veteran’s Day.
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 7, 2010
“After He had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he became as much superior to the angels in heaven as the name he inherited is superior to theirs.” Hebrew 1:3b-4
“Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God, through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Hebrews 7:25
“But if we do sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense – Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
1John 2:1
Jesus is not an impotent, ineffective, dead god. He is not an idol on a shelf, a picture on a wall, or merely a name in a book. Jesus Christ lives today as one with the Father, seated in heaven at the Father’s right hand.
Jesus came to provide atonement for sins, through his death on the cross.(See “What did Jesus do?”) But his mission, his purpose, continues. Jesus lives to continue to save those who come to God the Father in faith. He stands before God as a defense witness, or as the perfect scapegoat, willing giving himself for anyone who seeks forgiveness through him. And then he does not forget those whom he has saved. He lives in closest communion with the Father, at his right hand, always interceding for those who have chosen to follow him. He is always making known to the Father the requests of his children; always giving us a voice before the Father in heaven.
In that way, the saving grace of Jesus Christ continues day after day – new believers are welcomed into the family of God, and God’s children are cared for by the interceding power of Jesus.
Christianity is not a passive, past-tense, dead religion. Our faith is living, active, and powerful – fueled by the ongoing ministry of Jesus Christ in Heaven.
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 5, 2010
“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross. Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation – if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the gospel.”
Colossians 1:19-23
The “fullness” of God is found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. The writer of Colossians, the Apostle Paul, used the Greek word “pleroma” meaning the “sum total of all characteristics and attributes” to describe Jesus. Everything God is, so is Jesus. Therefore, he alone is able to reconcile the broken relationship between God and mankind.
Since the first sin in the Garden of Eden, mankind has been in conflict with God – rebelling against his holiness and his commanments. Jesus Christ, through his sustitutionary death on a Roman cross, paid the penalty for all sins, for all time, and made a way for man and God to be reconciled. He took those who where enemies, and made them not only friends, but created a family bond – God now calls believers “children”. All we need to do to come into a family relationship with God the Father is to accept by faith the price paid by The Son, Jesus Christ. By recognizing our inability to rescue ourselves, we turn to Jesus, trust his substitutionary death, and allow him to begin to re-order our thinking and re-align our behaviors. “Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”
John 14:13
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 3, 2010
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by him all things were created; things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead so that in everything he might have the supremacy”
Colossians 1:15-20
These verses describe for us the power, majesty and authority of Jesus Christ. He is the image of God – the word image meaning “exact representation”. He lived with us on earth to reveal to us the characteristics and power of the Father God. If you want to know what God is like – look to Jesus.
He is firstborn over creation and firstborn from among the dead.
Jesus, in his incarnate state as a human being, is the most important of all men born, holding the first rank in God’s eyes. As firstborn from among he dead; he is the first man to be raised with a perfect resurrection body. In Jesus we see a glimpse of what our eternal bodies will be like.
He created all things and all things are his. This harkens back to Genesis One and the story of the creation of the world. It also reminds us that God has not left creation to fend for itself, as this passage tells us that Jesus is still holding all of creation together.
Jesus is the head of the church – it was created by him and for him.
Jesus is not a god made by human hands or fashioned in a story by human imagination. He is living, reigning, and actively working through his church today. He is not a god of the past only, but God of the past, present and future.
Jesus is the ideal, the perfect, the goal. His perfection makes him unlike any religious leader before him or to come in the future. He is the Lord of the universe and the lover of our souls. No one is like Him. Hallelujah!
Posted by: soulbridge on: November 1, 2010
I have to admit that I am burned out, worn down, and feeling over exposed by the political rhetoric surrounding tomorrow’s general elections. I feel like one of the characters in a Peanuts TV show, when the teacher begins to talk, all I hear is “Whaaa whaa wha, whaa wha whaa whaaa..”
I don’t care what party is talking, or what side of the fence any particular politician says he or she resides on, it has all become too much noise for me. All of the ads and the interviews have done nothing to change my point of view. They have only served to solidify my belief that politicians and political parties are not going to save America, and they are not going to save me.
More than 20 years ago, I put my hope in Jesus Christ, and I have since learned that that is the very best decision I have ever or will ever make.
No matter what may happen in America, no matter what party is in control of Congress or who holds the highest office in the land, Jesus Christ is still on the throne in heaven and in my heart.
Jesus came to set us free from the “law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2). Jesus is the one who came to break down the barriers of division between races, genders, and economic backgrounds and build a family of believers who are one in faith and spirit. (Colossians 3:11). Jesus is the only one who can bring peace to my heart (Philippians 4:7) and provide a joy that transcends the circumstances of life.(Romans 15:13).
It is true that what happens tomorrow will affect my life in the near future. It will determine how much I pay in taxes and whether I lose more of my civil rights. But it doesn’t determine, affect, or change in any way my eternity. That has already been determined by Jesus Christ the day he voluntarily bore my sins on the cross.
So I don’t plan to lose any sleep over the election results tomorrow, or in the days ahead. Jesus is coming back one day and I plan to center my life on that promise today – and all of my tomorrows.
Posted by: soulbridge on: October 28, 2010
The following is the author’s personal confession of faith. You can disagree on principle, but, PIC or not, I won’t be changing my mind.
I am a Christian. I don’t know what you think that means, but I am sure you have an opinion – everybody does these days. Admitting it can be risky.
You might label me “intolerant” “hateful”, “bigot”,
“foolish” or “narrow-minded”.
For me, being a Christian has nothing to do with my politics, my nationality, or my family background. It doesn’t mean that I think I am better than you, or more holy or perfect. It just means that I have met Jesus, that I listened to his wisdom, and I accepted his words as truth.
I have given up my ways (which frankly, were taking me in circles) to follow in His footsteps. I have laid down all that I thought was important or would bring me peace so I could pick up the cross and carry it forward. I have surrendered my self-centered will and submitted my life to the unselfish God who gave His life for me. In turn I have received the joy that comes from giving up, giving in, and giving away.
So go ahead, call me a “radical”, a “fool” or a “zealot”, but I ‘d rather have Jesus than anything else this life has to offer.
