Ridgell's Originals

Gary became a Christian at a young age but wandered away from Jesus by the time he was grown.  Stayed away a long time.  But he married a faithful Christian, Jana.  Gary refued to have anything to do with Jesus for a long time, but a year or so ago he started having conversations about Jesus.  Before long, he was coming to church.  Then part of a small group of men that regularly have breakfast together, talk about Jesus, and pray with and for each other.  That's a good story.

 Uliana is a Russian lawyer practicing in California and Texas.  She was dating Gary's son and wanted to meet his parents so she came to Abilene.  Gary and Jana brought her to church one Sunday and that is how my wife and I met Uliana.

She was raised Russian Orthodox and has interest in Jesus but had never done much about making a true commitment  She was especially interested in baptism as the way to die with Jesus and be raised to a new life.  So over several months, Uliana and I would email and text about Jesus and about what her Jesus journey might look like.

Marsha and I drove from Abilene over to Arlington so meet her at a Starbucks and talk in person about it.  Three hours.  It is possible that I have a loud voice, so Marsha and Uliana still laught about the Starbucks Bible class.

So a couple of weeks ago, Uliana called Gary and Jana to tell them she wanted to come to Abilene and be baptized.  So we baptized her in the Country Club swimming pool.  It was wonderful.  Her first words when coming out of the water were "I am born again."  That is a good story.

And here is why it is a great story.

God used Gary to reach Uliana with the good news about Jesus .

All those years of Jana waiting on -- and praying for her husband.  

Gary coming back to Jesus.

Uliana searching.

Gary connecting us.

All so one more soul could be reached.

Only God.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Our daughter-in-law, Jamie Ridgell, turns 46 tomorrow.  She has been part of our family for a long time now so she is really more of a daughter.  So here are a few reasons I love Jamie so much.

She is really consistent.  I say a lot of the same things every year about her.  They have been true for a long time.  That speaks well of her and you always get to really know people over time.

She is great with her family.  She loves our son Joe Don.  Great Mom.  Has raised remarkable children.

She rolls with the flow.  I know things have to upset her or get to her, but you just rarely see it.  She takes life as it comes and deals with it.

She is really supportive of others.  Her family, her friends, us.  She encourages others to pursue their dreams.  Even if those dreams are not her dreams.  That is rare.

But here is the big one.  Jamie really, really loves Jesus.  Reads her Bible.  Prays.  Worships.  Tries to live like Jesus.  Encourages others to live like Jesus.

So God... thanks for putting our son and Jamie together.  We sure have been blessed by her.  Just like a lot of other people

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 We are starting into the weeks leading up to Easter and this is a good time to have Jesus discussions.  When you get opportunities to talk about Easter with non-believers, here are six ideas to get conversations started.  And they are also pretty good ideas for family conversations.

Easter is what Christmas is all about.  Jesus came into this world to save us.  He did that by dying on the cross.  Baby Jesus grew up to die.  For us.

Raised from the dead.  God raised Jesus from the dead.  He came out of the tomb.  Big deal.  Good news.  That is amazing and astounding.  God has power over death.

Death.  Yes I do talk about death at Easter.  Because there are people doing Easter without parents, or a mate, a friend, or a child.  The fact that God raised Jesus from the dead means he can raise me too.  And that means that our loved ones that believe in Jesus will be raised from the dead.  Us too if we believe.

New beginnings.  Easter is a great time to talk about starting over.  New life in Christ.  Forgiveness.  Purpose.  Joy.

Jesus.  Talk about Jesus.  Don't let the Easter message of life over death get lost in the flowers, baby rabbits, and pretty dresses. 

Starting over.  Re-writing your story.  Changing the ending.  Starting your Jesus journey.  Coming back to your Jesus journey.  Spring and Easter.  A new start. 

Great Sunday to invite people to go to church with you.  

Easter is one of those times where people are perhaps more open to the Jesus message.  Both those who never believed.  Or those who used to believe.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I occasionally have discussions about baptism where someone says baptism is not in water but is just a spiritual exercise.  

My problem with that view is that the Bible connects baptism with water in several passages.

In John 3, while talking with Nicodemus, Jesus refers to the need to be born again of water and the Spirit.  Doesn't say that is baptism but never have figured out what else that would refer to except baptism.

In I Peter 3, there is a passage that links baptism to water, salvation, an appeal to God, a clear conscience, and the resurrection.

In Acts 8, the Ethiopian hears the good news of Jesus.  When he sees water, he asks to be baptized.  Phillip takes him down into the water to baptize him.

Saul is told in Acts 22 to be baptized to wash away his sins.  Language connected to water.

At the end of John 3, both Jesus and John are baptizing in the countryside because there is much water there.  

Of course baptism is a spiritual activity.  A spiritual activity that literally happens in the water.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I always have conflicting thoughts about Lent.

I know the celebration of Lent is not is the Bible so we do not have to celebrate it.  And I don't mark Lent, I don't teach people to observe Lent, and I don't think it is a mark of spirituality to celebrate it.  But I don't think it is wrong or it is some kind of sin.  But I don't mark it or celebrate it.

Except...

I am trying to do better at the spiritual discipline of fasting.  That is a very Biblical thing.  And it is a big part of Lent.  For a long time, I viewed fasting as doing without food.  And I often got so busy I missed lunch.  That is not really fasting.  Fasting is doing without in order to do.  So miss a meal to spend more time in prayer and the Word.  Or don't watch TV to spend more time in prayer and the Bible.  This is a big emphasis of Lent.

Prayer.  I don't pray enough.  And I pray a lot.  I want to get more intentional about praying and prayer times.  Oddly enough, that is an emphasis of Lent.

Time in the Word.  Mimi and I read our chapter every morning.  I really don't know if that is part of Lent or not.  I think so for some reason, but not sure why;

The cross.  I love the fact that Jesus and God love me.  Enough to do the cross.  I like Easter because it is a great time to start Jesus conversations.  I like when much of the world is thinking about Jesus.  And that is what Lent points to.

Jesus was raised from the dead.  We ought to be ready for his return.  Much of the emphasis of Lent is to be ready for that.

Dust to dust.  This life is not it.  This body doesn't last.  But I will live forever.  But I don't do Ash Wednesday since Jesus made such a point about doing these kind of things where no one notices.

So I don't do Lent.

Except when I do.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 Of course I believe I am right.  It would be pretty strange to have convictions that you do not believe.  I thank all of us think we are right about most things.

For example, I believe the word of God to be true.  Absolutely.  All of it.  If I don't understand it, it is not because it is wrong.  It is because I don't understand it.  I know some people don't believe that.  Some argue that parts of Scripture are true, but not all of it.  Or it was true when written but no longer true.  Or it means different thinks in different cultures.

But here is the think.  I may be wrong.  I don't think so obviously or I would not believe what I do believe.  But it is possible.  So here are a few things I think matter if I can be wrong.

I may be right.  There is a reason I believe what I does.  

You may be wrong.  You have a reason you believe what you do.  You might be wrong.

I am not going to change may might just in case.  

Telling me I am wrong, condemning me for not seeing it your how, or treating my as if I am not smart enough does not change my might.  

You can but a faithful Christian and not see things the way I do.  I might choose to not even go to to church where you go.  And we still might be in heaven together.

And some things matter so much I just can't agree to disagree.  

And some things are not worth arguing about.

So what is the point of all this?

Teach your convictions.  Live your convictions.  Decide what matters so much that you cannot compromise.  Realize you may not always be right.  Look forward to heaven.  Don't fight over what does not matter.

Jesus.  Always Jesus.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 I have worked for Herald of Truth for over 19 years.  My job for the majority of that time was preaching and writing.  I know very little about administration or organizational leadership.

But...

I had only been here about a year when our President suddenly resigned.  So for about six months I was the interim President.  And co-CEO for another six.  Didn't like it.  Wasn't good at it.  And turned down several chances to be President.

So I have a great appreciation for capable administrators and leaders.  Here are three I have greatly appreciated during my time at Herald of Truth.

Vince Swinney was Chairman of the Board when I was the interim and we co-led the organization.  Then Vince took it over.  He was a man with a great heart and strong integrity.  I am not sure Herald of Truth would have survived except for Vince's reputation and leadership.  He eventually resigned but continued on our Board for a number of years.

Bill Brant was hired by Vince as CEO and ran Herald of Truth for over ten years.  Strong business background.  Understood our donor base.  Outstanding at letting his staff do what they did best.  For me, it was talk about Jesus.  Bill is the one who got us back into the United States after several years of strong work primarily overseas.  Increased our permanent endowment, got our budget in shape, and was the architect of our Hope for Life efforts in the U.S.  He retired about six years ago.

And I was thinking about Vince and Bill because Joey Roberts just resigned from Herald of Truth.  He started as a Communications, Marketing, Graphic Design person who worked his way up to Vice President of Operations.  Had a heart for ministry, ran the Abilene office, and truth be told... ran much of the whole Herald of Truth operation.  Joey just took a position with Christian Homes and will be an outstanding asset for them.  Still ministry but he will be able to be home more with his family.  

I appreciate all these men who served Herald of Truth in areas I don't really understand.  But what they did mattered greatly to the Kingdom.  

So thanks Vince, see you when I get to heaven

Thanks Bill for enabling me to do what I love for Jesus.

And thanks Joey.  But honestly... I love Christian Homes and since we still go to church together.. this was a little easier to take.

/Well done men.  Well done.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 We Christians must seem so strange to non-Christians.  We do things so opposite of culture we must seem foolish.  Here are a few reasons why.

We deny ourselves.  We put other people before ourselves.  Culture says take care of yourself, meet your needs, live your life.  Insist on your rights.  Stand up for yourself.

Our whole existence as Christians comes the fact that we die to self.  We are born again by being crucified with Jesus.

We get to give.  We give our time, energy, money to take care of each others.  To take care of people in need.  Culture very much says get all you can.  And keep it. 

We are sorry when we don't live up to the standards of Jesus.  We confess to each other.  We try to do better.  We change.  Culture says be true to yourself.  Be you.  Find your identity, whatever it may be.  We lose our identity to find identity in Jesus.

Our best life is not found here.  It will found in the presence of God forever.  We believe we have a good life here, but it does not compare to the life to come.

We believe we will be raised from the dead.  Just like Jesus was.  How strange that must seem to people that do not believe.

Yes, we must seem so strange.

Losing ourselves in Jesus.

Changing our behavior to conform to the Jesus way.

Putting others first.

Living for what we cannot yet see but believe.

Strange... and the best life imaginable.  

And we invite others to join our strange band of pilgrims as we journey home.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments

 One of the core convictions we share with people wondering about what it looks like to follow Jesus is the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead.  And as they start their journey, we often remind them why this conviction matters.  

Here are a few things we help each other to remember about why we believe in the resurrection.

The resurrection shows God's power.  The resurrection proves God's power over our greatest enemy and our greatest fear.  Death.  The resurrection robs death and Satan of their power.

The resurrection gives us purpose and power in this life.  We do Kingdom things here because we believe we will live forever.  How pathetic if we give up everything in this life only to find out this life was everything.  But because we believe in the resurrection, it is not.

The resurrection enables me to believe I too will be raised from the dead.  If I have been united with Jesus in his death (baptism), I will be united with him in resurrection.

Believing in the resurrection keeps me from grieving without hope when my loved ones die.  I am a hope griever and we comfort each other with this conviction.

And of course, believing in the resurrection lets me face my own death with courage and faith.  

And the resurrection assures me my sins have forgiven.  If not for the resurrection, Jesus would just have been another religious person promising more that he could deliver.  Someone who died and that was that.  But God raised him from the dead never to die again.  Jesus is God's Son.  Sinless to die for my sins.  And that changes everything.

Thank you God for the resurrection.  And I look forward to the day you raise me.  Forever.

# posted by Steve @ 5:00 AM 0 comments