SS Thoughts #34: A Bridge To Us?

Bridges are soooo useful. They allow us to connect areas that could otherwise remain separated. Some bridges give us the feeling that they are solid and strong. Others appear quite frail—persons are afraid to trust the bridge to hold them. Or their fear of heights might prevent them from venturing onto such bridges. Bridges with a sound foundation support the load of traffic easily, but a bridge with weak foundations can lead to great loss of life/vehicles.

I’ll share a couple quotes from Pastor Samuel Telemaque’s Outline for the Adult SS Lessons (Q2-2015; #12): a) “We need to build our lives on the foundation of Christ, that we may be strong enough to support the loads we are asked to carry…. b) Jesus, being perfect in all aspects, bridged the gap between God and man, by becoming the only God-Man—completely divine, yet completely human at the same time”.

As our Savior, Jesus offers salvation for all people. Laying aside His kingly position, He reached down to connect with lowly, sinful, human beings—but He desires to restore His own image in us. By becoming human, He understands completely our weaknesses and infirmities and wants to support us.

c) Jesus built bridges for communication of the gospel. E. G. White urges us not to be “stereotyped in one manner of working”, but to adapt our methods of witness in creative ways, (Evangelism, p. 106). Facebook is a good forum to reach out to others in our global community and share the good news of the gospel.

Won’t you reach up to Jesus for His support, and to accept His offer of salvation? Won’t you reach out and across and share Him with others who also need to know Him?

A bridge to us (2):

Someone made a comment to my post on Facebook that made me want to add something.

The comment: "Bridges can indeed be a source of help or a place of calamity... I am thankful however that Jesus is the bridge that takes mankind once again before the Heavenly Father.... Thank you for your Cross Lord!"

This reminded me of an often-shared 'cross' story:

The man in the video clip was exhausted from carrying his cross, and cried out to God asking Him to lighten the load.  In the next picture, the man had a saw in his hand and was cutting off a portion from the bottom of the cross and then thanking God for making it lighter.  This happened several times and the cross got shorter and shorter. The others around him kept carrying the full weight of their cross, but his kept getting lighter and lighter and he was thrilled.

When they got to the huge gap in the road, the others used their cross that had not been shortened to get over to the other side—to figuratively get to heaven. This fella’ did not have that option—his cross was too short…. Hmmmm…. Our burdens make us stronger.

Romans 5:3-5 says, “…we glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulations produce perseverance; and perseverance, character, and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit…”  

Watch the short video at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1hn0u9Hgyg

#33: Hold Fast To Hope

This post is NOT my own words. It is taken from Joyce Meyer’s Devotional “Hearing from God Each Morning”. I believe it is well worth sharing. It is posted early to make up for my lapse last week….. I was discouraged…..

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance, and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4, NIV)

Joyce writes: 
“We all need to be encouraged. Sometimes we need to be lifted out of the pit of discouragement, but at all times we can use an affirming word, a ray of hope, or a message that says to us, “You can do it!”

God Himself is the best source of encouragement, and we should seek encouragement and hope from Him. He encourages us through His Spirit, but He also speaks encouragement to us through His Word. Many times, when I need to be encouraged or strengthened, I go to the Bible. I have several favorite passages I read or meditate on when I need strength, support, or encouragement.

God’s Word is filled with encouragement and as long as we have a Bible we have a prescription for encouragement—the medicine we need.

Go to God’s Word when you need to be encouraged—when you are hurting, frustrated, disappointed, confused, or weary. Let His words sink into your heart and mind as you wait in His presence. God will never fail you and you can always depend on His Word—especially when you need hope and encouragement”. [End of quote)

What’s your excuse for not seeking that encouragement? Technology has afforded us the opportunity to have the Bible on us all the time!! And in many different translations that make the words easier to understand... 

What’s your favorite encouraging Bible verse/s? Perhaps sharing it could help us to endure till the end…. 

Someone shared Psalm 27:6-9 with me this week (on WhatsApp)—I was touched. Marvelous words of encouragement, praise, and prayer.

See this link, (or many others), for more words of encouragement: http://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/encouraging-bible-verses/  Images are from google.

SS Thoughts #32: Exercising Faith (2)

I would like to share some stories of athleticism that will hopefully encourage persons to keep exercising their faith:

o   At age 17, Canadian Wayne Gretzky was an athlete intending to pursue a career in ice hockey. However when he tried out for the pros he was told, “You are too small”; “You don’t weigh enough”; “You won’t be able to survive in the rink”. Gretzky DID NOT listen. He practiced and practiced and went on to become the greatest hockey player in history.

o   Rafer Johnson was a decathlon champion. This grueling track and field competition consists of TEN events—long jump, high jump, discus, shot put, pole vault, javelin, 110m hurdles and the 100m, 400m and 1500m sprints. Decathletes are multi-disciplined, and the winner is considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, athlete in the world. But Rafer Johnson was born with a clubfoot and was not even expected to walk properly!

o   Michael Jordan is arguably the greatest basketball player that ever lived—in a side-by-side comparison, he outperforms Lebron James! But Michael Jordan was dismissed from his high school basketball team for “lack of talent”.

If these athletes could practice and practice to become the best, then you too can exercise your faith in ALL circumstances until it becomes a firm basis to live on, despite the trials and tribulations you face on a daily basis. We have Christ’s promise to be with us along the way. Be encouraged….