The Invisible Bridge

The Invisible Bridge

This Devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.—Hebrews 11:1

In the movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Indy Jones takes a journey to find the Holy Grail – the cup Jesus drank from at the Last Supper. Along his quest, he uses his father’s journal as a resource to guide and show him how to overcome the obstacles present in order to find his treasure. The last test he comes up against is a test of faith. He must step onto the “invisible bridge” in order to cross a cavern. Everything he read in his father’s journal told him it would work, but it is hard to put your life on the line for something you cannot see. It was not until he had put his full weight on the bridge and had taken a step that he discovered with certainty that the bridge was real.
Faith comes first in believing that God is who He says He is. John 3:16 says that whoever believes that God gave His son as a sacrifice for our sins shall have eternal life. The first step in being a Christian is to move forward in faith and believe. The second step comes in believing God will do what He says He will. It is about believing in God’s promises even when it doesn’t feel like they are promises. It is trusting in Him, even when those around you think you are crazy.
Hebrews’ chapter 11 is known as the Hall of Faith. It documents amazing people of the Old Testament who lived out their faith. It was by faith Noah built an ark; it was by faith Abraham left his home and his inheritance; it was by faith Sarah had a child in her old age; it was by faith Moses’ parents hid him from the Egyptians when he was born; and it was by faith the people of Israel walked through the Red Sea on dry land. There are many stories of people relying on their faith in God, even when it didn’t make sense.
Sometimes, taking those steps of faith is difficult. It is hard to step forward into the things unseen and to rest in faith. The great news is that we have a letter from our Lord. A letter that tells us that we are loved children of God. A letter that confirms that our faith is based on truth, a letter that tells of the blessings the Lord has for us when we are willing to take a step of faith. This letter is the Bible. No matter what part of the journey you are on right now, God is with you and He is for you. Take a step of faith in Him; put your full weight onto His promises. He will not let you down.

Devotional by Greg Laurie

Hey there!! Seems it's been a little while since my last post!! I received this devotion today, and I thought I'd share it with you...it was written by Pastor Greg Laurie, and here it goes:

He Is Greater
He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.— 1 John 4:4

The devil can gain a foothold on your life in many ways. I think one way is through drugs. Sadly, we are seeing a real revival of drug use today. Another way I think you can open the door to demonic power is through these occult activities that people dabble in today. You may think of them as innocent, but they open the door a little bit.Now, can demons tempt Christians? Absolutely. Can demons harass us? Without question. Even the great apostle Paul spoke of a demon power that would come and buffet him (see 2 Corinthians 12:7). But God won't let you face more than you can handle. He always will put His hedge of protection around you.
The Bible clearly promises that when Christ comes in your life you are free and protected. Jesus Himself said, "'Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed'" (John 8:36).When Jesus comes into your heart, it is not in a timeshare plan where He occupies the heart part of the time and the devil part of the time. No, Jesus takes control and He is there to stay. Christ made this clear when he proclaimed, "He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world" (John 4:4).But, if you are not a Christian, if Christ is not living in your heart, you are open game for the devil. Maybe you are not a drug addict or an occultist. But I will tell you this—you are still a sinner. Everybody has sinned and broken God's commandments (see Romans 3:23). Reach out to Jesus now. He is greater than the devil. He will forgive you. He will transform you.

FAITH

In your personal opinion, what do you understand it takes for a person to go to Heaven? Let's consider how the Bible answers this question....it's a matter of FAITH....

F is for Forgiveness
We cannot have eternal life and heaven without God's forgiveness.
(Ephesians 1:7a) In Him we have redemption through His blood...

A is for Available
Forgiveness is available.
It is-Available for ALL
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life
But it is NOT automatic
(Matthew 7:21a) Not everyone who says "Lord, Lord" to Me will enter the the kingdom of heaven...

I is for Impossible
It is impossible for God to allow sin into heaven
-Because of who he is: God is loving and just. His judgement is against sin
(James 2:13a)..because judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful
-Because of who we are: Every person is a sinner.
(Romans 3:23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God

But how can a sinful person enter heaven, when God allows no sin?

T is for Turn
Turn means repent.
Turn from something- sin and self
(Luke13:3b) But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Turn to someone: trust Christ only
(Romans 10:9) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord", and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved

H is for Heaven
Heaven is eternal life.
Here...
(John 10:10b) "I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly"
and Hereafter....
(John 14:3) "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you with me that you may also be where I am"
How? How can a person have God's forgiveness, heaven and eternal life, and Jesus as personal Lord and Savior? By trusting in Christ and asking Him for forgiveness.

Here is another acrostic you can use for FAITH: Forsaking All I Trust Him.

If you would like to take that step of FAITH right now, please pray this prayer with me wherever you are:

Lord Jesus, I know I am a sinner and have sinned against You in many ways. I believe You died for my sins and only through faith in Your death and resurrection can I be forgiven. I want to turn from my sin and ask you to come into my life as my Savior and Lord. From this day on, I want to follow You by living a life that pleases You. Thank you, Lord Jesus, for loving and forgiving me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

If you just prayed that prayer for the very first time, welcome to the family! You are now "Born Again" and you are now my brother, or sister in Christ. It is VERY important that you tell someone!! Find someone you know that is a Christian, so that they can pray with you, and for you, and help you get dialed in with a Bible, and help in getting you plugged into a church. If you need help in any of those areas, please let me know! You can contact me by leaving a comment for me! And please, leave me a comment anyways, and just let me know of the decision you just made so that I can be praying for you! God Bless you...