✝ Daily Encouragement (6/27/23) "The Cross To Bridge The Great Divide"

Published: Tue, 06/27/23

A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation. The online Bible teaching ministry of Stephen & Brooksyne Weber.

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Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Union County, PA farm

(Click on photo to enlarge)

"The Cross To Bridge The Great Divide"

Message summary: We thank God that through His Son, Jesus, He provides an indestructible bridge to cross the great divide!

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“For God was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile everything to Himself by making peace through the blood of His cross—whether things on earth or things in heaven. Once you were alienated and hostile in your minds because of your evil actions. But now He has reconciled you by His physical body through His death, to present you holy, faultless, and blameless before Him— if indeed you remain grounded and steadfast in the faith and are not shifted away from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become a servant of it” (Colossians 1:19-23).

Oh, the love that drew salvation’s plan!
Oh, the grace that brought it down to man!
Oh, the mighty gulf that God did span
At Calvary!

Several weeks ago a bridge on I-95 in Philadelphia collapsed due to a fire caused by a tanker truck accident. This closed the extremely busy highway until it reopened this last Friday. We have been on this highway but I do not recall crossing this bridge any more than the vast majority of bridges we have crossed.

Any time we travel we are likely to cross a lot of bridges, not only over creeks and rivers but many overpasses. Driving up to the Grand Canyon area here in Pennsylvania (AKA Pine Creek Gorge) last week we crossed lots of bridges, most notably several times over the Susquehanna River. We are so accustomed to crossing bridges that we usually give them little thought.

However we have also crossed some famous bridges like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco and the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia.

But our most harrowing bridge crossing was over 20 years ago when we crossed the Royal Gorge bridge in Colorado over the Arkansas River. You have to leave the main highway to get to the bridge which is essentially a tourist attraction. We parked on the west side and explored the area by walking across the bridge. Since we were headed east we needed to drive across the bridge unless I wanted a very long back track.

During our visit I had watched as other vehicles crossed the bridge but nevertheless when it was time to cross I had a dread of crossing. My fears were allayed when Brooksyne reminded me that since we were driving a rental car if the bridge collapsed as we crossed it would be no big deal.*

In the case of the I-95 bridge and all other bridges on this earth there are other alternatives if that particular bridge isn't there. It may be a a greater distance or less convenient. But today let us consider a bridge that has no alternate route.

This bridge is massively underutilized and sadly even taken for granted by those who do use it. This bridge spans the chasm that separates us as sinful humans from a holy God. There is only one bridge that spans this chasm. There is no other means to cross the chasm that separates us from God.

This timeless bridge is indestructible and leads to an unshakable kingdom.

The musical group "Point of Grace" sings a song with these words:

There's a bridge to cross the great divide
A way was made to reach the other side
The mercy of the Father, cost His son His life
His love is deep, His love is wide
There's a cross to bridge the great divide

Salvation is often graphically depicted as a bridge between sinful man and a holy God. In fact the Navigators, a ministry I have appreciated through the years, has a small tract explaining salvation called "The Bridge To Life" illustrating that a great chasm separates sinful humanity from a holy God. But Jesus Christ, in dying on the cross, bridges that mighty chasm. The cross is God's only appointed means for man to reach Him. It is supremely trustworthy.

Pastor Rich Moore writes,

"God is an amazing bridge builder. His Son built a bridge across the grandest canyon known to us. He bridged between us and God, by offering forgiveness and love to us in the free gift of His sacrifice. Jesus built this bridge with only two pieces of wood and three nails."

We thank God that through His Son, Jesus, He provides an indestructible bridge to cross the great divide!

Be encouraged today, ( Hebrews 3:13)

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Heavenly Father, just like a grand canyon, sin cuts and digs a deep chasm between us and a holy God. Thank You for providing Your only Son, Jesus, to act as a redemptive bridge so that we can cross over the great divide and transition from sin to forgiveness, from death to life, from punishment to mercy, from despair to eternal hope. We are now one with You, Father, and can act as a channel of Your mercy when we invite needy souls to walk over the bridge of salvation. It is because of Jesus that we can approach You, our holy God, and pray to You as our heavenly Father. Amen.

* Just kidding about Brooksyne saying that!

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"The Great Divide" Click to listen on YouTube Point of Grace

"Living Hope" Click to listen on YouTube Calvary Church

How great the chasm that lay between us

How high the mountain I could not climb
In desperation I turned to heaven
And spoke Your name into the night

A final set of photos from my trip to northern PA last week

On the way up to the PA Grand Canyon area we rode 20 miles on the Buffalo Valley rail trail through scenic Union County between Lewisburg and Mifflinburg. This steel-wheeled tractor is indicative of the old-order groups in the area.

Along the trail we stopped by the Vicksburg Buggy Shop where they make and restore buggies. The buggy on the left is the type used in our area. On the left is one used by a group called the "Nebraska Amish".

(Click on photo to enlarge)

The shop-owners make and restore buggies and sleighs.

A large collection of buggies and sleighs were awaiting restoration.
(Click on photo to enlarge)

Williamsport PA hosts the annual Little League baseball world series. The main intersection is laid out like a baseball infield with bases at each corner. Here's home plate.

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Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.

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