Ridgell's Originals

 I don't know.  I mean, if anyone says they understand the teaching and exactly how it applies to every situation, well... I just don't believe them.

Our church is studying the Sermon on the Mount and the divorce passage is early in the sermon.  And we are looking at Jesus teaching in Matthew 18 as commentary.

This is hard.  But that never stops me from making a few observations.  

One, it is so frustrating to hear everyone start the teaching on this by apologizing.  I even have people say "be so careful" because we have divorced people listening.  Of course we do. In that same passage, there is teaching on murder and anger, adultery and lust, and keeping your word.  We have people in our assembly and class that have those issues also.  Our church community is full of flawed people who are trying to live like Jesus.  So of course we have people that are hurt, wounded, wish they had not..., etc

And by the way, it is often divorced Christians who support this being taught.  They know the pain caused when this teaching is not followed.

Here is how I have often heard these passages taught:

Don't divorce.  If you do, be sure you mate cheated on you so you can remarry.  I don't really think these are the points Jesus is making.  Of course that was true then and in that culture but we are in a different time and place so it can't possibly mean what it says. Obviously the way I view Scripture is at odds with this last view.

What if Jesus teaching in that whole section is not just about actions and attitudes?  What if Jesus is actually teaching us how to live as His disciples?

So here is what I am certain is taught in these passages.

Marriage is a big deal.  Not convenience.  Not something to move on from when your mate changes.  Or you change.  Or you think your marriage is the cause of your unhappiness.

Divorce is bad.  Don't do it.

Marriage is between a man and a woman.

One of the marriage mates can choose to break the convenant.  They are wrong and it is sin.  By the way, the covenant is not broken by the one that files for divorce.  The covenant is broken by the one who chooses abandon their mate.

Maybe the passage is about marriage.

So what is so hard about this passage?

Handling repentance and forgiveness.  People who come to the Lord - or come back to the Lord -- after multiple marriages.  Children.

Life in community with Jesus can be messy and hard.

But I do not think these passages are primarily to teach us when it is OK to divorce and remarry.  Or when it is not OK.  

I believe this teaching is to help us understand marriage and live a fuller life as disciples. 

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 2 comments

 So we are building a Barndominium/Family House/Retreat Center on our ranch.  We poured our foundation earlier this week.  And we buried a Bible in it.  On the front porch right where you walk in our front door.

Why?  

Well, first of all it is not because the Bible is the most important part of our home.  God and Jesus are.  But they are sort of in the house and wherever we are.

But we thought how great it would be to have a spiritual foundation of truth to build our Bardo on.  And since our church is studying the Sermon on the Mount and that whole build your house on the solid rock.  Not just hear, but do the words of Jesus.  

Instruction on how to live.  Proactive and reactive if needed to correct things.  

Marsha and I very much believe the Bible is the word of God.  We believe if the Bible says it, it is true.  Not was true, might be true, could be true.  Is true.  Don't belive God left out important things we didn't need.  

So Jesus is life.  God is our Father.  And the Bible is our blueprint/guide/truth for how to live that life.

Our Bardo needs a strong foundation to build on.  We want it to there for a long time.  We expect our kids and grandkids and even our great grands (someday) to enjoy being there.  

But even more we want the strong spiritual foundation.  Our hope and prayer is that there will be lots of Bible study and Jesus stories told there.

So, as my wife puts it, we did two foundations.  One for the building.  One for the people that come into that building.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 My wife and I are involved with over a dozen people who are seeking to start their Jesus journey.  Some of them have some degree of belief but are looking for help in learning how to live out their faith.  Others don't really know much about Jesus but they want to learn about him.  And a few just know they want a better life and they are willing to hear the Jesus story just in case he is the answer.

Several of our Christian community are also heavily involved in helping with these seekers.  

And Satan is heavily involved in trying to stop them from finding Jesus.  It is interesting to see some of the ways he attacks them.

Some of our Jesus seeking friends are battling addictions.  Addicts have triggers.  It is amazing how Satan seems to continue to try and activate these behaviors.  It is hard for people in an addiction battle to focus on much else.  Even if they suspect Jesus is the key to the sobriety they seek, it is hard to hear his message among the guilt and shame of another failure.  Some of them even get consumed with managing the consequences of their struggle and just are not able to come to worship or to a discussion about Jesus.

But they should.  Well of course we Christians know that.  But for someone just trying to figure Jesus out, priorities are different.  And let's not pretend we Christians do not sometimes get distracted also.

Economics.  Lots of our seekers are on the edge financially.  They literally have no assurance of food or shelter going forward.  So if a job opportunity comes up, they take it.  Even if it means missing class or an appointment to visit about Jesus.  It is almost as if Satan dangles a little money in front of them to keep them from learning more about Jesus.  One of our couples actually had a employer promise higher wages but only if they would work every Sunday morning.

As Christians, we want to make the point that God will take care of their financial needs if they would just embrace Jesus and trust him.  I believe that.  God has proven that in our life many times.  But it is hard to ask someone to trust Jesus when they are not even sure they believe in Him yet.  And even many of us Christians have missed worship for work on more than one occasion.  Or we have not taken on spiritual responsibilities because of work demands.  

Well then let's just help them financially so they can have time to talk with us.  It is a difficult process.  We do help with many of them.  Some of them a lot.  But we do not want them to feel obligated to have to talk about Jesus.  No "buying" their interest or their time.  And some would even happily sit thru any class or worship we tell them to as long as we take care of them.  This is a matter of love, wisdom, and discernment.

Obstacles.  Barriers.  Distractions.  I think caused by Satan who will do anything to keep people from deciding to follow Jesus.

Or maybe it is just life.  Because life is hard.  And I would suggest life is hard because we are in a fallen world and Satan likes it that way.

Jesus is the answer to life.  Real life.  Now and forever.  

So we are patient.  We are helpful.  We pray lots.  And share Jesus whenever we can.  Planting seeds by our service, watering them by our teaching.

God will give the increase.  And some of my friends will become my family.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 As I mentioned in my last blog, Randy Harris taught of the Sermon on the Mount to kick off our church wide study.  In his lesson, he talked about three things as part of studying the Bible.  They are not new concepts and preachers have been saying these things for years.  But Randy has a unique way of communicating and I liked the way he stacked these three concepts together.  

So here is my take on three things to help us use, study, and know Scripture.

1. What does it say?  Learn what the Bible says.  Personally, I am pretty much a "if the Bible says it, it meant it."  So I think you always start by assuming God said what He meant to say.  Love your neighbor.  That is clear and I do not have an option to argue that God didn't mean for us to love our neighbor today.  If I believe Scripture is true, and I do, then the command is clear.  Lots of Scripture is clear like that.  We may not like it, but it is clear.  Most of us will live our lives in a world that will not accept truth that is plain.  But we do.  So start with what the Bible says.

2. How do I apply it?  This is the hard part of Scripture.  Not so much interpretation, but application.  In my experience most "interpretation" is actually trying to explain that God did not mean what He said.  Or that God really did mean to add some things to what He said.  But application is different.  Love your neighbor.  The lawyer that asked "who is my neighbor" is a form of application.  Who is my neighbor?  What does it mean to love my neighbor?  Not questioning the Scripture, but figuring out how to live it out.  That is one reason we live in community.  Together we figure out how to apply clear commands in our world.  I think that is where we rely on the leadership of elders.  Sometimes they help with how our particular community of faith is going to apply Biblical teaching.  

3.  Do it.  The Sermon on the Mount, James, and many other places in Scripture are clear on this.  Don't just learn what it says.  Don't just figure out how to live it out.  Do it.  And if we really want to be honest, this is the hardest of the three.  By a long shot.  I get that I am to love my neighbor.  I can even figure out what that means in my daily life.  But doing it is hard.  Needy people.  People that are not Jesus people.  Inconvenient.  Messy.  Costly.  Much easier to argue about the application than to do it.

So...

Read what it says.

Figure out how to apply that in your life.

Do it.

It really is simple.

And hard.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Our church is studying the Sermon on the Mount over the next couple of months.  Nathan Burrow, our preacher, is preaching on it.  Every Bible class is studying it.  And to help kick it off, we had Randy Harris come teach a combined Bible class on it.  He did a "get ready to study this" lesson.  

One thing he talked about really struck me.  He talked about memorizing the Sermon on the Mount.  

I like that idea.  Chrisitians just do not know Scripture like we used to.  Or at least like we thought we did.  Knowing Scripture is important.  Having Scripture be a part of you matters.  It is good to have Scripture just pop up in you mind at the right time.  You can read Scripture and that helps.  Read it aloud.  Read it repeatedly.  Those all help.  

But memorization matters.  I hope children's classes still do memory verses.  My wife always had a memory verse for our cousin camps every summer.  

The Sermon on the Mount is a life guide for followers of Jesus.  I need to have in my mind and heart the Beatitudes.  I need the teaching on forgiveness.  Or not doing my religion to be seen by others.  Or not to lust or get angry.  Or to trust God.  Or to do what is in this sermon.

So my wife and I are working on memorizing the Sermon on the Mount on our morning walks.  After we pray.  Yes, she makes me walk a long time.  And no, we are not going to demonstrate how we are doing.  Kinda misses the point if we do that.

So thanks for that reminder Randy.

And thanks to Virgil Bentley.  Way back around 1980 I heard Virgil preach a sermon.  The Sermon on the Mount.  He preached it from memory.  And I remember thinking how great it was that he could have that message be so much a part of him.  

So thanks to Virgil and Randy -- and Marsha -- I am putting the Sermon on the Mount into my mind, heart, and life.

It's a good idea.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 1 comments

 Toward the end of Acts, Paul is on a ship that is in a storm and in real danger.  Paul assures everyone that they will be saved but that they must "run aground on some island."  So here is my question...

Was Paul saying that here is the sequence of events?  You will run aground on an island but you will be saved.  

Or, was Paul saying that they need to find an island to run aground on because that is how they would be saved?

Depends on how you read it.  I wonder if they spent a lot of time debating the meaning of Paul's words.  Did they start looking for an island?  Did they see the island and they understand this was what was about to happen?  And by the way, the text just indicates that when they saw the island, they immediately began to jettison cargo and prepared to run aground.  

Does it even matter?  They knew that Paul said they would be saved.  They knew he said they would run aground on an island first.  So when they saw the island, they were ready.

I wonder if we ever get so caught up in trying to decide exactly what the means that we miss the whole point.  Trying to make Scripture fit into our preconceptions and arguing to the bitter end that we are right.  And if not careful, failing to let Scripture have any impact in our lives.  

Trying so hard to get everything right (sorry if that offends my conservative brethren) or trying so hard to make Scripture fit what we think is right (sorry if that offends my liberal brethren) that we miss the whole point.

You know ... like the whole "who is my neighbor" debate.  Pretty easy to miss the point.

Arguing so much about worship that we don't worship.

Debating who can be an elder so much that nobody shepherds anyone.

Trying to be sure every point of baptism is understood to the point that we forget it is about dying with Jesus and living a new life.  Making it a legalistic to-do step.  Or saying it really doesn't matter.  

I am trying really hard this year to read my Bible in a way that changes how I live.

So...

I don't know how they exactly heard Paul.  I just know that when they saw the island, they were ready.

And they were savcd.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I believe Christians ought to get along with each other.  Scripture has a lot to say about how to handle disputes with your brother, what to do when you have something against your brother, and even pleas from apostles to get along.  We should forgive each other, support each other, love each other, and unity is one of our distinguishing features as believers.

So we are ministers of reconciliation.  That phrase is right out of II Corinthians 5 and would make a great introductory verse to a lesson on getting along with each other.

Except that is not what it means.  Great phrase... wrong application.

That passage is clearly about God reconciling men to himself thru Jesus, not counting their sins against them.  We are ministers of reconciliation, God making His appeal thru us.  That phrase is used to encourage us to be representatives of Jesus in sharing the good news of Jesus.

Great phrase.  From the Bible.  And the Bible clearly teaches reconciliation among Christians.  Just not in that verse.

Just like so many verses, it is really easy to take out of context.  Really easy to use in support of what is actually true.  

It is just not true to the text.  

We have to be careful with Scripture.  Using the Bible out of context undercuts your message.  

It is easy to decide what is true, then use any verse that could support our conviction.  Whether that verse actually teaches that point or not.

Because if you are careless with using a verse out of context to support something that is taught other places in Scripture, you may become careless in using a verse out of context to support things that are not taught elsewhere in Scripture.

Use Scripture.  Honestly and in context.  

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Our grandson, Jake Gilbreth, turns 17 next week.  Everyone needs to know they are loved and that someone is proud of them.  And why.  So, as is my custom, here are a few of the many reasons I love Jake and am proud of him.

He is very determined to find his own faith path.  He listens, evaluates, and is deciding what he is going to do about Jesus. I appreciate him for putting in the work to know his path.  And I appreciate that he always comes to hear me preach when I am preaching anywhere in and around Abilene.  He likes my preaching, but he also likes to support me.  That is special.

He is a hard worker.  Applied for and got his first job at 15.  At a Garden Center.  He has earned raises, he is responsible, and he is a good employee.  I do not know what Jake will do for a career, but he will succeed at it.

He is genuinely kind and has a heart for people that are hurting.  That is a rare thing these days but he has it.

He loves animals.  We have that in common.  Tender hearted.  Looks for the lost animals.  Would adopt as many as he could.  

Jake is a gentle giant in the very best sense of the phrase.  He is strong, but he has a good heart to go with his physical strength.  

I know it is easy to worry about kids and grands as they get closer to being on their own, but I really don't worry about Jake.  He will be fine.  He will take care of himself and he will help others.  He will decide on his faith and he will not be shaken.  He will live it out.

So thanks Jake.  Thanks for making me proud.  Thanks for becoming a man that we admire.  

God bless Jake.  Thank you for protecting him and watching over him.  Do great things in him and thru him.  In the name of Jesus. 

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 So my daughter Julie and her husband Tim Cope are about to celebrate their first anniversary,  Here are a few of the reasons I love them and are proud of them.

They are in love.  I know that seems pretty basic.  Maybe even trite.  But for two people who were really burnt in their last relationship, having someone love you is a big deal.  

They work really hard to mesh families.  Julie never expected to be a grandmother --JuJu-- at this stage of her life.  And now she is.  And she fully embraces it.  Loves Tim's grands.  Making them her grands.

And Tim sure never expected to be helping raise two teenagers.  And teens are the toughest ones to merge into new families.  But Tim is walking that fine line between "I'm not your Dad, but I love you like I was"

Both extended families are thrilled.  Tim's family loves Julie.  Appreciates her.  Tim's kids love her.  And the grands are crazy about Jake and Avery.

Our family loves Tim.  He helps out at the ranch.  A lot.  Way beyond what he has to.  Gets along and is a great uncle to Joe Don's kids.  

They get that this marriage is hard work and that they aren't perfect.

And of course there are still things to work on.

It is hard for grown-ups to get married and share lives.  They are still trying to find their church home.  They are learning how to communicate.  But here is the thing.  They are working on every one of these.  

That is very different for both of them.  

They are happy.  And that makes this Dad happy.

Thank you God for letting them find each other.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments