A Bump On A Log

Certain Things make us feel uncomfortable. Like the Discussion of Money. Talk about Jesus or the use of certain unacceptable words in public. One of the uncomfortable discussions we can have as a church that calls ourselves Followers of Christ is about whether or not we are doing what we should be as compared to just nodding at the facts like we agree or are actually living the teachings we hear each week. This morning in my email I found a pertinent Daily Devotional from John Fischer. I would encourage you to read it and then click on the link to subscribe to his Daily Email called Catch of the day. God Bless!

Jump!
by John Fischer

Three frogs are sitting on a log. One decides to jump down. How many are left? Three. He only decided he was going to jump. He didn't actually jump. Oh, he may have made a great decision. He might have even decided he was going to jump really far when he jumped down, or scream all the way and make a big deal of it. Or his decision may have come out of a good deal of soul searching. He might have been thinking: This time I'm really going to do this. I'm committing myself whole-heartedly to jumping off this log. This is it; there's no turning back now. But regardless of what he tells himself or how far he stretches this out, until he actually jumps, nothing has changed. He's still just a bump on a log.

A friend of mine often says that a decision without action is delusion. I've only deluded myself into thinking I've changed when I really haven't. The decision was only in my head.

Yesterday I wrote a catch about being a good listener to someone in his or her time of grief. After speaking with my sister upon the rapid decline and death of her husband, I was somewhat reluctant to keep calling. What do I say now? There are no words that can possibly reach this pain. That's when I realized, at the end of yesterday's Catch, that I could call my sister even if I didn't have anything to say to her, because I had realized the most important thing I could do for her is listen well. And I'm sure I gave the impression that the next thing I was going to do after writing that Catch was to pick up the phone and call her. But did I? No. You see I decided I could call her, I even decided I would call her, but I didn't actually call her.

I'm still only a bump on a log.

Jesus constantly talked about being doers of the word and not just hearers only. It was one of his major themes. It must have been important or he wouldn't have repeated it so much. We have lots of hearers in evangelical Christianity. Some of us have gotten so good at this, we could be known as professional hearers. We might even make a decision supported by going forward in a meeting and sealing our decision with a witness and a prayer. But until we do something about it, we are just a bunch of bumps on a log. Professional bumps—deluded bumps—but bumps nonetheless.

There's only one way off this log… Jump!

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock… But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand." (Matthew 7:24 & 26)

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Rusted and Weathered

I was in the local Wal-Mart a few days ago, just to get some razors and soap. It’s important to stay clean, Right? Anyway, I noticed an amazing array of products in what I call the forever young dept. The isles were filled with face soaps, lotions, washes, creams, gels, pastes and what looked like body putty filler. Huh! All guaranteed to do what no one can do. Keep you forever young! All it cost was a few dollars. Of course you will need daily, weekly or monthly applications so there is an ongoing cost. I’m not opposed to this stuff. I just find it humorous that everyone dies eventually and you can’t help but age. Yet every shelf seems to have the secret ingredient. I mean, did we really want to stay in the diaper stage or did we want to grow out of it? Did we really want to stay in high school or… okay I get it. We just want to look like we're still in high school.

Reading the bible I find nothing that speaks to the retention of youthful skin qualities. In fact, I find a lot that suggests we all must become rusted and weathered to become what we were intended to be.
1 Sam 16:7 says, “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart."

We as humans put a lot of time, energy, creams and lotions into trying to preserve what won’t last because we prefer a less weathered exterior, but God prefers a weathering that produces a heart turned towards him.

Proverbs 31:3 says, “Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.”
1 Timothy 4:8 says, “Physical exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.”

It’s not that any of these things are bad; in fact let me say “I am for them!” Dab, splash, brush or trowel it on. Do what ever it takes. Anything that keeps me from looking like a bicycle that has survived being handed down in a family of ten is an okay thing. It’s just that we miss something important when all we see is the way we were in our youth instead of focusing on what we are becoming.

In the last several years, in order to find time to clear my head from the daily events of life, I have taken interest in little trees, bonsai. What I find so interesting in them is that as an artist creates, trains and grows them into a visually stunning piece of art. It is all done with the inspiration of trees that have survived harsh elements and severe weathering. No one wants a bonsai that resembles a well groomed tree on a golf course. Everyone works to create trees that have stood the test of time. Trees that have weathered the storms have gained a unique beauty available to only the most persevering trees. God says the same thing about us!
First, in Psalms 139:14, he says we are “Fearfully and wonderfully made.”

He says it’s a process: 2 Cor. 3:18, “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord.”
He says its tough, but it has its rewards: Romans 5: 3-4 ,“Consider it nothing but joy when you fall into all sorts of trials, because you know that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect effect, so that you will be perfect and complete, not deficient in anything”

Revelation 2:10 says, “But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life.”
As we become transformed by God, we see the beauty in being rusted and weathered. We no longer fear what we can’t control. Instead, we find our true selves after the trials we endure and we find peace in our place in this world. One of my favorite verses says ,“We know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them,” Romans 8:28.

Rusted and weathered is part of the journey. It has a beauty that cannot be copied, purchased or added by anything man can buy. It comes through time, struggle and a harsh environment. It’s only available to those who persevere. We are fearfully and wonderfully made!

First look at our new website.

Here it is! Take a first look. There is much more to come yet. Some Tweaks and pieces yet to be finished but soon we will have an online community with,calendar of events,online small group management,sign up for events, classes, better communication for things happening at both locations and more. Check it out! I hope you like it.
http://www.ridgeministries.com/

A new web prescence

Hey we are just a few days away from launching our new website! We are pretty excited because it will give us a whole new way to stay connected. With many options for pod casting and taking part in a service you may have missed to on-line giving and specific pages for both of our campuses Iron Ridge and Stone Ridge. Keep watch for many exciting changes coming in 2010!

Moving Ahead in Forgiveness

This Sunday we looked at how to move ahead in Forgiveness.

1. Accept what cannot be changed
2. Give it up to God
3. Focus on what is left not lost

As an example of that kind of Forgiveness we watched this video on ED Thomas

Watch it Here

Are you “Trying to make it? Stop!

Many of us are struggling with various things this Christmas season. Some are sick, some broke, some broken. It may be hard to see the hope in this season. In fact you may feel anything but hope. The secret in our circumstances may be to stop Trying to make it. Sounds crazy I know. What about this and what about that you say. Well the story of Danny might bring a little more understanding to my point. Read it HERE Here's hoping you see Jah's Soldiers Everywhere. Merry Christmas


In the original text of the Hebrew Bible, "Jah" occurs 50 times, 26 times alone and 24 times in the term "Hallelujah" . In the King James Version of the Bible it is transliterated as "JAH" i.e. all capital letters, in only a single instance: "Sing unto God, sing praises to his name: extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name JAH, and rejoice before him." (Psalm 68:4)