Mar 28 A two Board Bridge

Mar 26

Two Board Bridge

1Co 1:18 For the preaching of the cross

is to them that perish foolishness

When traveling in the southern states I enjoy reading the names of churches. “The Free Will Predestinated Baptist Church” made me wonder if they spend much time fussing over predestination. Then there are the delightful names like “Hog Creek Baptist” or “Two Peas in a Pod Baptist Church.

In southwest Missouri near Cassville is a church named Oak Ridge Baptist and they had a wonderful message on their church sign. It said “built a bridge with 2 boards and 3 nails”  What kind of bridge can you build with 2 boards and 3 nails? An engineer could design a small little bridge over an itsy-bitsy creek with two boards and 3 nails, but so could a couple ten year old boys. But what about a large span? The engineer would tell you it was foolish to think you could build a long span bridge with such limited materials. But that bridge has been built and is still in use today.

It is the cross of Christ. Technically the cross is not the bridge, but it is Christ who suffered and died on that cross that is our bridge. Anyway I thought it was an interesting seed thought. So our devotional today is thinking about the bridge we have because of Christ. What kind of bridge is it? You will be able to think of more applications than I have room to mention but here are some of my observations.

Is it a toll bridge? No!  You do not need to pay any toll to use this bridge. In fact if you think you can buy your way across this bridge you will not be allowed to use it.

Is it a private bridge and only people who belong to a certain organization can use it? No. This bridge is available to all, but not all will use it. There are some people who have attempted to steal this bridge and claim you must join their organization (church) in order to use this bridge, but they are mistaken.

Some teach that you must be baptized to use the bridge. Oddly enough the ones who claim this teaching are not Baptists.

Is this the only bridge? Well, as you travel the highway of life there are lots of billboards claiming there are several bridges, or that no bridge is needed, or you can build your own bridge. But like so much false advertising they are wrong, because there is only one bridge.

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way,

the truth, and the life:

no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

What about love? Isn’t it a bridge of love, and those who love enough get to use it?  Our modern culture is so saturated with the idea of “love” they think God is a big ole teddy bear that loves everyone and does not judge anyone or anything. The Beatles sang “All you need is Love” and as long as you attach love to the vilest form of fornication it is “beautiful”. Even our government is now claiming that Sodomites who love one another can get “married”.  But it was not our love but Christ’s love that built that bridge.

1Jo 4:10 Herein is love, not that we loved God,

but that he loved us, and sent his

Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

 I think you get the idea. There are many ways to think about the bridge made with 2 boards and 3 nails. As you have time today ponder this great bridge, built with Christ’s blood, and his perfect sacrifice for us. Perhaps more important than all the wrong kind of bridges is to think of the perfection of God’s work for us.

What does this wonderful bridge of salvation mean to you? There is one requirement that you must meet to use this bridge. You have to make an advance reservation.

Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written

in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. 

May God bless you today as you ponder this wonderful gift of eternal life through Christ His son. He is indeed our great bridge.

Re 5:12 .. Worthy is the Lamb….