This is a series on bridges…when we were standing on the observation deck of the Statue of Liberty with a couple of our friends this past September we counted five bridges that we could see from that great vantage point. Of course we had the help of a New Yorker who graciously (as graciously as a New Yorker can be) pointed these bridges out to us and named all five. We thanked him and then out came the digitals.
By name they are George Washington bridge, Manhattan bridge, Brooklyn bridge, Williamsburg bridge, and the Verrazano Narrows bridge which really is not all that narrow ( I’m speaking of the narrows, not the bridge.) There are many more in the city but these you can see from the Statue.
Bridges as we know enable us to cross over places and obstacles that we could otherwise not cross, like New York harbor area bridges do. (Of course there are tunnels and boats, ferries and so the list goes on) but I think you get my point, I’m talking about bridges but not physical man made structures.
Here are some dangers and pitfalls that we need to cross over.
The world, the flesh and the devil(you’ll notice lower case letters for the devil, ) He is definitely a …lower case.
While we are in this flesh and are walking on this planet
the flesh will be our greatest enemy or a least that is how I see it. The flesh is my greatest obstacle. The reason for my saying that is first of all from my own experience. I have my biggest trouble with me. I’ve said this before, I know. The world and the devil are external and I have the power of God available to me to overcome the world and I have the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony to overcome Satan, but my flesh I pamper and like a spoiled child, it gets away with too, too much. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Praise His name!
Paul, that great apostle of our faith gives us a list of the works of the flesh in Galations 5:19 “…adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, verse 20…idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, …verse 21…envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in. time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This is read from the NKJV. The following is how the NRSV describes these works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, verse 21; envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I am telling you, as I warned you before those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” These are all obstacles in our journey that we must cross. Notice that along with adultery, etc. and murders, etc. is selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions….things that we pamper the flesh with maybe? Sin is sin.
It’s not just the things that are specifically listed but he says that those who do things like these (sinful, destructful acts) and practice these things. These are works of the flesh, not the works of the devil…you see what I mean by my biggest problem being me? Oh yes, the devil will jump in and fan the flames, so to speak…he’ll be in the flames one day, praise God! How about you? Are you any different than I am? But thanks be to God we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul says in Romans chapter 12 starting at verse 1, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable sacrifice.” The NRSV says in that last phrase, “which is your spiritual worship…it’s our worship, our sacrificial worship…presenting our bodies(and that includes our minds) it is what true worship is, not just singing His praises, that is all part of it ..it is offering myself as (not a dead sacrifice...praise be…) but a living… every day 24/7 burnt offering, burning with the fire of the Holy Ghost…a sacrifice!
The old hymn asks “is your all on the altar of sacrifice? I have to renew my thought life, we have to renew our thought life if we are going to be the church of the living God. So at this unmerciful hour when I can’t sleep, I am renewing my mind by thinking good thoughts like it says in Philippians ch. 4 verses 8&9, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy…meditate on these things, verse 9,
Now my flesh wants to think on things that are not true maybe or things that are not pure or lovely or of good report but Paul says…The things which you learned and received and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” This is a bridge for me to cross over the obstacle of my fleshly living.
The bridge is called “renewing my mind” Sometimes I have to will to think on these things because of the weakness of my flesh. Jesus said in His Word “if you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed”
By name they are George Washington bridge, Manhattan bridge, Brooklyn bridge, Williamsburg bridge, and the Verrazano Narrows bridge which really is not all that narrow ( I’m speaking of the narrows, not the bridge.) There are many more in the city but these you can see from the Statue.
Bridges as we know enable us to cross over places and obstacles that we could otherwise not cross, like New York harbor area bridges do. (Of course there are tunnels and boats, ferries and so the list goes on) but I think you get my point, I’m talking about bridges but not physical man made structures.
Here are some dangers and pitfalls that we need to cross over.
The world, the flesh and the devil(you’ll notice lower case letters for the devil, ) He is definitely a …lower case.
While we are in this flesh and are walking on this planet
the flesh will be our greatest enemy or a least that is how I see it. The flesh is my greatest obstacle. The reason for my saying that is first of all from my own experience. I have my biggest trouble with me. I’ve said this before, I know. The world and the devil are external and I have the power of God available to me to overcome the world and I have the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony to overcome Satan, but my flesh I pamper and like a spoiled child, it gets away with too, too much. Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil. Praise His name!
Paul, that great apostle of our faith gives us a list of the works of the flesh in Galations 5:19 “…adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, verse 20…idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, …verse 21…envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in. time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” This is read from the NKJV. The following is how the NRSV describes these works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are obvious: fornication, impurity, licentiousness, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, anger, quarrels, dissensions, factions, verse 21; envy, drunkenness, carousing and things like these. I am telling you, as I warned you before those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” These are all obstacles in our journey that we must cross. Notice that along with adultery, etc. and murders, etc. is selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions….things that we pamper the flesh with maybe? Sin is sin.
It’s not just the things that are specifically listed but he says that those who do things like these (sinful, destructful acts) and practice these things. These are works of the flesh, not the works of the devil…you see what I mean by my biggest problem being me? Oh yes, the devil will jump in and fan the flames, so to speak…he’ll be in the flames one day, praise God! How about you? Are you any different than I am? But thanks be to God we can be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Paul says in Romans chapter 12 starting at verse 1, “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable sacrifice.” The NRSV says in that last phrase, “which is your spiritual worship…it’s our worship, our sacrificial worship…presenting our bodies(and that includes our minds) it is what true worship is, not just singing His praises, that is all part of it ..it is offering myself as (not a dead sacrifice...praise be…) but a living… every day 24/7 burnt offering, burning with the fire of the Holy Ghost…a sacrifice!
The old hymn asks “is your all on the altar of sacrifice? I have to renew my thought life, we have to renew our thought life if we are going to be the church of the living God. So at this unmerciful hour when I can’t sleep, I am renewing my mind by thinking good thoughts like it says in Philippians ch. 4 verses 8&9, “Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be anything praiseworthy…meditate on these things, verse 9,
Now my flesh wants to think on things that are not true maybe or things that are not pure or lovely or of good report but Paul says…The things which you learned and received and saw in me, these do, and the God of peace will be with you.” This is a bridge for me to cross over the obstacle of my fleshly living.
The bridge is called “renewing my mind” Sometimes I have to will to think on these things because of the weakness of my flesh. Jesus said in His Word “if you continue in My Word, then are you My disciples indeed”
That is the key to crossing this bridge named "renewing my mind"
posted by Randall | 5:19 a.m.
3 Comments:
Randall,
I am glad to see that when we are
talking about sins of the flesh we
are talking about all sins not just
the big ones as people see big one,
Adultery,Murder,Idolatry.
But jealousy, gossip,anger,selfish
ambition,these to are sin and they
have the most effect on the family
of God. It is as if the person that
likes to gossip about the big sin
does not know that they are sinning
too.To God sin is sin.
We all have to renew our minds
and builded our own bridges.
Your blog is a good way to start.
You bring God's word to us for us to think about.You help to show us
what God wants from us.
Keep it up
C.M.
Great study - great word.
I see the bridge as our "overcoming power" - and I can see that that is how you see the bridge too. We have been given the power to overcome - the bridge reminds us.
Bridge,another name to add to the list of names we have for " JESUS "
Coffee
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