Bridge Builders

Why go to church on Easter?  I wonder if there would be as many people in attendance if it were universally known as Resurrection Day.  What if eggs, candy, baskets and bunnies were not marketed as part and parcel of the day?  What if it was acknowledged as a Holy Day and not a holiday?  What if we all wore blue jeans?  What if you attended because you wanted to and not because you had to? Delete the fluff surrounding the day. What would remain?  Would anyone look forward to coming? Psalm 122:1 122 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord . Because of The Resurrection, we have the privilege of entering into worship, forgiven, saved and sanctified.  How can we not have joy and thanksgiving whenever we have the opportunity to enter into the house of the Lord?  Thus, the reason we come together in worship is not that much different for this coming Sunday than this past Resurrection Day.  The for...

My deltoids hurt.  My triceps and my biceps are sore.  Raising my arms is akin to lifting dead weight.  I worked on my upper body at the gym yesterday.  I felt nothing last night but this morning was another story.  Exercise is beneficial and has its rewards.  The problem I have with working out is eventually everything hurts.  Why does something considered good for you have to hurt?  It’s even worse when you stop your routine for an extended period then return to the gym.  Your muscles forget they have done this before so the pain returns.  Eventually, my body feels better, my energy increases and my stamina improves.  But it does hurt. Romans 5:3-4 3  And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance;  4  and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Tribulation hurts.  Those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior should expect pai...

It’s not about the “Easter” play.  It’s not about the outfits.  It’s not about the Easter egg hunt.  It’s not about the family meal.  We look forward to celebrating Resurrection Day because of the cross.  It’s an old rugged cross, stained with blood and marked with splintered wood.  We would rather discuss the festivities of “Easter” than to remember the whippings, piercings, the nailed scarred hands and feet.  Even the term “Easter” sounds festive.  It does not bring to mind the repulsive sin in the hearts of men that made Resurrection Day necessary.  The death we deserved was passed to Him who had no sin.  In the coming weeks leading up to the high day in Christendom, reflect on the pain and suffering endured on your behalf.  Focus on the grotesque cross which played an integral role in the healing of our diseased hearts.  As you prepare for worship, appreciate the play and poems, compliment the Easter frocks and enjoy ...

Silence can be golden.  When you can no longer use words, your actions speak for you.  Last week, a beloved and prominent pastor in San Antonio was called home to be with the Lord.  Rev. Buckner Fanning was remembered for his commitment to interfaith cooperation and his inspirational 30-second TV spots declaring God’s love and the offer of salvation to the world.  In the later days of his illness, his son Steve Fanning said “his father could not put two words together. Bucker Fanning saw a physical therapist for six months, until the doctor said nothing more could be done.  But you know, without (Buckner) saying a word, after six months, that physical therapist became a Christian.”  Sometimes, it’s not what you say but what you do. 1 Peter 3:1-7 3  Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives,  2  when they obs...