Kingdom's Keys Fellowship
Where God's Kingdom Meets Man's Heart.
Pentecost 99 The Eye of the Spirit
Pentecost 99 The Eye of the Spirit
In 1952 the Mathews Bridge was built connecting Arlington to down town Jacksonville. Just before it officially opened I drove the first bus across. It was a JJC bus (now JU). I drove the Glee Club to a concert downtown. Just before it was built there were only two bridges, the Old Bridge (Acosta) and the New Bridge (Main Street). There were only two roads to the beach, the Old Beach Rd. (Atlantic Blvd.) and the New Beach Rd. (Beach Blvd.). Those four were marvels at the time. Today we see two Interstates, four more bridges and a beltway around Jacksonville.
Roads are taken for granted but the initial effort to build a road, any road, is a major undertaking. There has to be the first one where there is nothing but wilderness. If we can visualize their beginnings someone had to have three things going for them, the reason and plan for a road (vision connecting town and beach), the assurance it can be built (submission to the idea), and the motivating energy (the determination and power) to build it.
The spiritual parallels are belief in the vision, the idea (the mind of Jesus in Scripture), trust in the idea and plan (evangelizing the heart) and faith (the energy of the Spirit) to carry it through to the finish. Again, three things are spiritually engaged, the mind, the heart and the spirit. Each is a reflection of the Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit (architect, contractor and labor force). Created in God’s image we have all three capacities. In Jesus they come alive.
Jesus carries us forward. He gives us the vision for a road and a bridge to the hearts of others. He gives us the idea and plan to where He leads us to begin and He gives us His Spirit to carry out the vision and its plan. Each of us is called to build a spiritual road to others by getting to know new people. Then He calls us to build a bridge to their hearts so that the Lord crosses from us to them through conversation and committed communication. As we read Scripture the Spirit energizes the relationships we make thus the roads to others and the bridges to their hearts become a reality.
The important thing to recognize is that there is no road or bridge to others unless we step out and build them. In this world there is only a wilderness between people until a road and a bridge is built. Of course it is a risk in any kind of wilderness, forested, social or spiritual. But being missionaries is always risky. Our task is not to use already existing roads but to make new ones. This is why we have started with the eye of the mind (Scripture), the eye of the heart (perception) and now the eye of the spirit, faith.
Dr. David Livingstone, the great 19th Century missionary to Africa, called for more missionaries from England. Many responded with these words, “We will come if you show us where the roads are.” He responded, “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
God made a road to our hearts when there was no road. He made it through the Cross of Jesus. Isaiah got the message, “(51:10) Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?” “I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up (Is.49:11).”
Stay tuned………
In 1952 the Mathews Bridge was built connecting Arlington to down town Jacksonville. Just before it officially opened I drove the first bus across. It was a JJC bus (now JU). I drove the Glee Club to a concert downtown. Just before it was built there were only two bridges, the Old Bridge (Acosta) and the New Bridge (Main Street). There were only two roads to the beach, the Old Beach Rd. (Atlantic Blvd.) and the New Beach Rd. (Beach Blvd.). Those four were marvels at the time. Today we see two Interstates, four more bridges and a beltway around Jacksonville.
Roads are taken for granted but the initial effort to build a road, any road, is a major undertaking. There has to be the first one where there is nothing but wilderness. If we can visualize their beginnings someone had to have three things going for them, the reason and plan for a road (vision connecting town and beach), the assurance it can be built (submission to the idea), and the motivating energy (the determination and power) to build it.
The spiritual parallels are belief in the vision, the idea (the mind of Jesus in Scripture), trust in the idea and plan (evangelizing the heart) and faith (the energy of the Spirit) to carry it through to the finish. Again, three things are spiritually engaged, the mind, the heart and the spirit. Each is a reflection of the Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit (architect, contractor and labor force). Created in God’s image we have all three capacities. In Jesus they come alive.
Jesus carries us forward. He gives us the vision for a road and a bridge to the hearts of others. He gives us the idea and plan to where He leads us to begin and He gives us His Spirit to carry out the vision and its plan. Each of us is called to build a spiritual road to others by getting to know new people. Then He calls us to build a bridge to their hearts so that the Lord crosses from us to them through conversation and committed communication. As we read Scripture the Spirit energizes the relationships we make thus the roads to others and the bridges to their hearts become a reality.
The important thing to recognize is that there is no road or bridge to others unless we step out and build them. In this world there is only a wilderness between people until a road and a bridge is built. Of course it is a risk in any kind of wilderness, forested, social or spiritual. But being missionaries is always risky. Our task is not to use already existing roads but to make new ones. This is why we have started with the eye of the mind (Scripture), the eye of the heart (perception) and now the eye of the spirit, faith.
Dr. David Livingstone, the great 19th Century missionary to Africa, called for more missionaries from England. Many responded with these words, “We will come if you show us where the roads are.” He responded, “If you have men who will only come if they know there is a good road, I don't want them. I want men who will come if there is no road at all.”
God made a road to our hearts when there was no road. He made it through the Cross of Jesus. Isaiah got the message, “(51:10) Was it not you who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea so that the redeemed might cross over?” “I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up (Is.49:11).”
Stay tuned………
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