Cartoonology Devotional 04-04-09

Cartoonology. There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

This photo looks like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, doesn’t it? Close. The same American company built it, and it is a twin to the Golden Gate Bridge. This one is located in Lisbon Portugal, however. This is the April 25th Bridge that spans the Tejo River and connects Lisbon with the southern part of the country. The view here is looking north toward Lisbon. The bridge carries 6 lanes of traffic and two railway lines underneath. Originally the bridge was christened as the Salazar Bridge in honor of Portugal’s once prime minister. After he was deposed during the April 25th 1974 revolution, the name was changed. You might remember seeing this reported on the news.

The April 25th Bridge is special to me, because it was being revamped for construction of the train trestle beneath it while Janet and I were Mission Service Corps volunteers in Lisbon. One of the American engineers on the project attended our church. Before we returned to the states, he took another missionary and me to the top of one of the towers. You see it in the background. Yes, to the very top! It was on a Saturday, so no one was working that day. The elevator was also not working, so we walked the chain-link scaffolding from the roadbed to the top. It was quite a trek but also quite an experience seeing Lisbon from that vantage point - about 600 feet above the river. This photo is from the online Wikipedia encyclopedia.

Bridges are wonderful pieces of art, but they provide a wonderful service, too. They connect things across barriers that were once impossible, difficult or time-consuming to cross. They also are constant reminders of the bridge God provided through Jesus Christ across the great chasm of sin that separates us from Him. The Bible reminds us that all people are sinners (Romans 3:23), and that the result of sin is death (Romans 6:23). The story of Lazarus and the rich man talks about the great gulf that cannot be crossed between the righteous and the unrighteous (Luke 16:19-31). Scripture also tells us that sin keeps us from heaven (1 Corinthians 6:9-10). Thankfully, however, God has provided a bridge through the cross of Jesus.

John 14:6 (NKJV)
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

In order to cross the April 25th Bridge, you must pay a toll. How do you cross the bridge Jesus provides? You must confess your sin (1 John 1:9), repent of your sin (Acts 3:19) and place your faith in Him (Ephesians 2:8-9). What glorious provision! 04-03-09

edrynn@verizon.net

Cartoonology DEvotional 04-03-09

Cartoonology.  There is great theology in cartoons and comics.

Do you still have your wisdom teeth?  I still have all of mine and, so far, they are perfectly healthy.  I have had them so long that I must have a lot of wisdom, right?  Not hardly.  The phrase “wisdom teeth” came from the fact that these teeth are the last to come in therefore, a person has much more wisdom by that time.  It is true that some wisdom does come from old age, but the Bible has a better prescription for wisdom. 

Matthew 7:24-25 (NKJV)
²⁴ "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:
²⁵ and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Solomon said it another way.

Proverbs 1:7 (NKJV)
⁷ The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.

The word “fear” in this text has to do with reverence or awe for God.  It means to have great respect for Him.  Reverence, respect and awe would compel one to take seriously the Word of God - the Bible.  It is from the Word of God that we find true wisdom.  To find true wisdom, one must find God and develop a relationship with Him (Proverbs 2:6-12).  One must also understand that God’s wisdom is not like the wisdom of this world (1 Corinthians 2:1-16, Isaiah 55:8).    James tells us that if we ask God for wisdom, He will give it to us plentifully (James 1:5).

I like this Arabic Proverb.

1.     He that knows not and knows not that he knows not; He is a fool—shun him!

2.     He that knows not and knows that he knows not; He is simple—teach him!

3.     He that knows and knows not that he knows; He is asleep—wake him!

4.     He that knows and knows that he knows; He is a wise man—follow him!

—Gospel Herald  04-04-09

edrynn@verizon.net