God began to build his bridge,
So many years ago;
But not the usual kind of bridge,
Beneath which waters flow.
This bridge began at Calvary,
And it is not finished yet;
A chasm still exists you see—
Conditions must be met.
On this side of the chasm, there is selfishness and sin.
On that side of the chasm—only holiness has been;
On this side of the chasm, there is greed and what is vile.
On that side of the chasm, there is happiness and smiles.
To walk along the Bridge of God,
Will take a thousand years;
It’s strong enough to take the weight,
Of mankind’s pain and tears.
There is no need to worry,
No need to run and chase;
For great and small—yes, everyone,
Is invited to a place…
A place where love shall be the law,
And everyone a friend;
A place where TRUTH the password is,
And kindness never ends.
So if upon God’s Bridge you’d tred
Look to the one who made—
The Bridge of God quite possible,
For down his life he laid.
Yes, on that hill at Calvary,
He died for you and me;
He is the Way, the Truth, the Life—
The Bridge of God, you see.
Sr. Rosemary Page — 2017
Suggested Further Reading
What Does Being Consecrated To The Lord Mean?: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/01/01/romans-121-what-does-being-consecrated-to-the-lord-mean/
All Flesh TO Be Blessed – Spread the GOOD NEWS!: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/07/12/all-flesh-to-be-blessed-spread-the-good-news/
The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2016/12/20/nehemiah-810-the-joy-of-the-lord-is-your-strength/
Excerpt from Reprint Number 1243-1245, “Views From The Tower,” from “The Original Watchtower and Herald of Christ’s Presence.” This reads, as follows:
“The only safe place for God’s children is as far as possible out of all the strife. Remember the statement of the Bible, “Godliness with contentment is great gain,” and lay in a large stock of both. These two qualities will serve to separate you and your aims from the worldly and their aims, ambitions and greeds. Rather be willing to be classed as “old fogy” and “lacking ambition,” and to earn a humbler living with godliness and contentment and the great gain of peace of heart, communion with the Lord and some more time to spend in his service, doing good unto all as you have opportunity—especially to the household of faith.
Look at the list below and choose which you will have as your experience. You cannot mix them: an attempt to do so will only discomfort yourself and others. Choose the second list and endeavor to shape your course accordingly.
Ambition for self: Ambition for God:
Selfishness Godliness
Discontent Contentment
Impatience Patience
Pride Meekness
Rudeness Gentleness
Anger Self-control
Malice Brotherly kindness
Hatred Love
Strife Joy, Peace
Bitterness of soul Fellowship with GodThe Lord says to all, even to those who are not saints: “Seek righteousness, seek meekness; it may be that ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord’s anger.”
Leave, in general, most of your grievances and wrongs for the Lord to make right.
Trust in the Lord and do good, and verily thou shalt be fed and generally blessed.—Psalm 37:3.
LOVE AS A STIMULUS.
Ah, yes! Love would do instead of ambition and selfishness to push the world along the highway of progress. But how few have pure, unadulterated love. This love is one of the choicest fruits of the spirit of God. It is not, consequently, to be found growing wild in the worldly heart. It is found only very imperfectly developed in Christian people, absolutely perfect in none, and approximately perfect only in a very few—the saints. And of these few we remember that the Lord declares there are not manyrich or great or wise. This “little flock” is mainly composed of the poor of this world (both in mind and in purse), whose only riches are riches of faith. The world will not think of these, their words and examples, but will go on blindly, talking about love and practicing selfishness, hatred, malice and envy, and all the unlovely elements of the spirit which is the reverse of the spirit of love, until the great time of trouble, which God’s Word predicts, shall be precipitated.
GOD’S WAY.
While presenting, above, the only course of peace and blessing under the present condition of society governed by ambition and selfishness, we well know that the moderate course will not be pursued. Selfishness, envy, covetousness and hatred are souring the hearts of all classes, except the few in whom the very spirit of gratitude and love and appreciation of the numberless blessings of our day lead to thankfulness of heart toward God, the giver of every good gift.
What lies between the present and that grand perfection for men? The Millennium—a thousand years of discipline under the most just and loving and sympathetic government conceivable; and yet under the strictest rule the world has ever known. This is God’s bridge for spanning the chasm between the present state of sin, selfishness and imperfection and that future state of holiness, love and perfection. Its foundations were laid eighteen hundred years ago [NOTE: today, it is now nearly 2000 years ago] at Calvary—when “the man Christ Jesus gave himself a ransom for all;” and soon it shall be testified in God’s due time to all men, and all shall have the fullest opportunity of crossing over by obedience and love to perfection and life by the bridge of restitution, and such alone as will not cross will perish in the second death.
But God’s word reveals, too, that selfishness will be permitted to bring upon men one more final and to many an everlastingly profitable lesson, before the bridge of restitution is thrown open. This lesson will come in connection with the entrance of the world upon the restitution age, which as a bridge connects the present with the state of final perfection. In their rush for the coveted blessings and liberties God designs to give to all, selfishness is about to cause the great crush—the time of trouble such as was not since there was a nation, nor ever shall be again.
It is toward this bridge or age of judgment and trial, leading to Paradise restored, that all men, though ignorantly, are heading…
…It is God, through Christ, that is opening up the times of restitution of all things. They think that present day inventions and blessings are of men—an increase of human wisdom. They do not see that the flood of light which is now illuminating the world is of God, who has raised the curtain so that, as predicted, men are running to and fro and knowledge is increased.—Daniel 12:4.
A very few scattered here and there understand the real situation. These are God’s holy ones, his special friends. He has revealed to them the real situation through his Word. They know what others are ignorant of, that the blessings now beginning are but a foretaste of greater ones yet to come, and long promised by Jehovah “by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” (Acts 3:19-21.)
These strive not so anxiously as the others for their full rights and full share of present blessings.
They thankfully take what comes, acknowledging that every good and perfect gift comes from their Heavenly Father.
And what they do get, even in the present time, thus affords them more pleasure than the greater number of comforts does to others.
“The little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked.” (Psalm 37:16.)
Even their faces distinguish them from others.
Whatever their condition, whether sickness or health, whether very poor or in comfortable circumstances, these have peace within and realize that godliness with contentment is a great gain. Theirs is indeed a peace that the world can neither give nor take away. (John 14:27.)
These are always rejoicing, and now so much the more as they see the great blessings of the Millennium drawing near.
They are content to receive their share of coming blessings in God’s way and in God’s due time.
These, if they cannot obtain their rights under present laws and regulations, will wait for justice, remembering the Apostle’s words:
“Be patient, brethren; the coming of the Lord draweth nigh”—his Kingdom will give full justice to all; wait for it. (James 5:7.)
They remember that it is written,
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord;” and again,
“Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath;” and again,
“The servant of the Lord must not strive, but be gentle unto all, apt to teach, forbearing, in meekness instructing those that oppose themselves.” (2 Timothy 2:24,25.)
They remember, too, the outward characteristics of godliness enumerated by the Apostle—sobriety, modesty, hospitality; not strikers, not greedy of filthy lucre, patient; not brawlers, not covetous. (1 Timothy 3:2,3.)
They remember, also, that they are to follow in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus, who was the personification of gentleness, humility and love.
These may be in the very midst of the trouble and anxiety of the world and yet retain in their hearts the peace of God which passeth all understanding. “
URL: https://biblestudentsdaily.com/2017/06/14/gods-bridge/
