This Sunday (January 1) we will have a gathering at 11 am only for everyone (all children included).

Here is a link to the gatherings during the week of prayer and the prayer guide:

http://s3.amazonaws.com/churchplantmedia-cms/the-ridge-tx/ridgeprayerguidepdf.pdf

What did we learn this past week about Jesus?  Isaiah shared more than 700 years before the first advent names of the Savior, which speak to who He is.  He is Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace and the Sovereign King. 

Wonderful Counselor(9.6)
People seek after meaning, purpose for their lives and answers to their problems finding empty wells and solutions.  Jesus is the answer, our wisdom, the meaning to life, and the only solution to our problems.  He knows all things!  He knows what is best for you! We need wise counsel, but we also need the power to do what is right and best.

Mighty God (9.6)
He is all powerful.  He has full divine power to act on our behalf (creative and resurrection power).  He has power to defeat sin, destroy Satan, kill death, heal people, raise the dead, snatch people from hell and answer prayers.  He is power beyond power.

Everlasting Father (9.6)
He is literally the Father of Eternity.  He is a Son and a Father.  He is the Father of eternal life. 

Prince of Peace(9.6)
This is what men want and need – peace.  Ephesians 2.14 says, Jesus is our peace.  He brings peace to hearts, peace between man and God and peace between others.  He will bring those who belong to Him forever into His kingdom of peace which is coming soon.

Sovereign King(9.6, 7)
Jesus is the rightful King of the coming Kingdom of God. He is the King of all!

Jesus came once from heaven, born in a manger to die a sinner’s death on a cross, He rose from the dead and ascended to heaven.  While here on earth Jesus said, I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life (John 8.12).  This is who we celebrate this advent.  Jesus, the light of the world!  Jesus has called us, His church, to reflect the light of His glory, to be a city on a hill, to be the light of the world, as we wait in hope for Him to come again and to reign forever.

This season will be filled with different things for different people.  My one prayer for you no matter what this season brings you is that it would be filled with Jesus.  This is my prayer for you all the days of your life, but especially this season.  I know with all the things that can fill our time and thoughts this season, the most important thing can get choked from our life.  Jesus speaks of this choking in a parable saying, The one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful (Matthew 13.22).  Jesus was speaking of people who make superficial commitments to Christ, but their salvation was not genuine.  The cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches that choked off the word in their lives can also choke the most important thing from our life this season.  I pray instead that you would choose like Mary did this season.  Jesus said to Mary’s sister Martha, Martha, Martha, you are worried and bothered about so many things; but only one thing is necessary, for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her (Luke 10.41-42).  That good part that Mary chose was sitting at the feet of Jesus.  I pray we would choose to have Jesus fill our lives this season.

As a body, we will celebrate Advent together by beholding Jesus for who He really is.  The word advent means coming.  During this season our worship will be centered around Jesus, who has come and who is coming again.  We want to encourage you to make the worship of Jesus prominent this advent season.  As you do we pray that you would resist consumerism, give generously like God did through Jesus and give yourself relationally this advent season.

This advent season the elders have put forth an advent giving goal for us.  This year’s goal is $80,000.  In years past, you have given above and beyond to help fund the work of the gospel both locally and globally.  We want to invite you to pray and join in doing the same again this year.  As you pray let me encourage you to meditate on 2 Corinthians 9.6-8.  Let this be a joyful opportunity this advent season. 

The funds given this year will be broken in half.  $40,000 will go toward our normal monthly giving and the over and beyond amount of $40,000 will go toward specific ministry endeavors locally and globally.  $17,000 will be committed to the following global efforts:  10 Jesus Wells in Asia ($10,000), The Israel Family in Eastern Europe ($5,000) and the Revision Work of the New Testament for Papau New Guinea by Jee-Young ($2,000).  $23,000 will be committed to the following local efforts:  Church Adoption Fund ($2,000), Real Options for Women ($6,000), Apartment Life ($4,000 – this is contingent upon an opportunity opening up at Autumn Chase), LINC Creekview HS Work ($4,000), and a Local Church Plant ($7,000).

May this advent season truly be all about Jesus.

For your advent joy,

Jerry

Advent Worship Gatherings
November 27-December 25

Sunday, November 27 at 9 and 11 am
Children 4 years and up will join parents in the worship gatherings
Spiritual care for Infants-3 years

Sundays, December 4, 11 and 18 at 9 and 11 am
Spiritual care for infants – 5^th plus the 4-6^th grade Bridge Class at 11 am

Saturday, December 24 at 4:30 and 6 pm
All Children will join parents in the worship gatherings

Sunday, December 25 at 11 am
All Children will join parents in the worship gatherings

God's Word tells us in Psalm 119.9-16 how one can keep his or her life pure.  The anwer is the word of God.  The word of God shows us what a pure life looks like and helps us maintain that life.  The word of God is God's truth and this is what God uses to sanctify His people (John 17.17).

So, what does the Psalmist say that we should do to have this life of purity?  First, we must keep or guard our life with the word of God (119.9).  Next, we should seek the Lord with all our heart and not wander from His commands (119.10).  So, we must be in the word of God and read it relationally, as we seek to know God more and more. 

Then we are encouraged to internalize the word of God (119.11).  By hiding the word of God in our heart we will not sin, but instead live in purity.  We are to hear, read, study, memorize and meditate on the Word.  So the Psalmist encourages us to respond to the word of God in these ways.  Specifically we are told to rejoice (119.14), meditate (119.15) and delight (Psalm 119.16) in the Word.  Do you rejoice at the Scriptures?  We are to meditate.  Not just memorize, but to think of the word and practice it continually.  Do you delight in the Scriptures?  The Scriptures should be something we go to happily and find great joy in because we know they keep us living in purity.

Proverbs 16.20 says, He who gives attention to the word will find good, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord.  We must read and listen to God's word.  When we do we will find great joy in the Lord as we grow in our faith in Him and rejoice at knowing God.  We will also be happy as we know and walk in His commands. 

So, give much attention to the word of God, so that you will live in purity and live a life pleasing to God.  This is both for God's glory and your joy. 

God also gave Adam community.  God said, It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2.18).  God gave to Adam a woman, the corresponding strength that he needed.  God made Eve.  God from the beginning wanted you and I to enjoy living for His glory together.  He never intended for us to live as individuals or in isolation from community.  God’s desire is for humanity to know the community that is shared between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  He created not only individuals as image bearers of His glory, but a people together to image the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

When Adam and Eve disobey God the effects of their sin is widespread, impacting everything from creation, individual relationships with God and relationships with others.  All things are broken due to sin and are in need of being reconciled to God.  The apostle Paul says, For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Christ), and through Him to reconcile, all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 3.19-20).  So, God is on a mission to spread His glory through displaying His love, grace and mercy through reversing the effects of the fall and drawing people back to Himself through His Son.

As we learned Sunday, God has invited you and I to join Him on that mission.  Those who have been reconciled to God through Christ have been given the ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5.16-21).  This is God’s great love for us, that He allows us to join Him in making much of Him through loving others with His gospel (the word of reconciliation).  So, God is reconciling individuals to Himself, but not only that, a people, the church.  He has fashioned together a community of ambassadors for His namesake. 

This community is a people for the community and for the world and not a community for me (Alan Hirsch, The Forgotten Ways).  We got a great glimpse of this Sunday in Acts 2.  This community loved each other and even those outside their community.  They didn’t focus on building a community, but instead focused on the mission of God and God created the community.  In fact, I love what Matt Carter of Austin Stone Church says, If you focus on community you will rarely get community and never get mission.  We must be focused on our mission of making disciples. 

We must be a community with a cause, but at the same time we cannot be people without a clue.  That is why we say here at The Ridge that are focus must be, Disciple: Be One, Make One.  We must be a people that have depth.  Just as the Acts 2 church devoted themselves to four important elements, so must we.  They were devoted to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer (Acts 2.42).  Our community must have these as their focus, both in our worship gatherings on Sunday and in our LIFEgroups.  The Acts 2 community had depth to it.  They didn’t replace a life with God for a life for God.  They knew the relationship with God was important to the mission.  The mission will be unsustainable if there is no discipleship.  There must be deep roots if you want much fruit. 

Here at The Ridge we want to encourage you to join in the air war each Sunday as we gather at 9 or 11 am around Jesus to worship Him.  We need this time as Christ followers to be encouraged corporately through song, the teaching of the word, prayer, communion, and the presence of each other.  So, it is with our children each Sunday as they enjoy the fellowship with those their age and worship alongside them. 

We also want to encourage you to join the ground war.  This is what happens outside of our gathering on Sunday.  This is where the community of the church becomes smaller.  We want to encourage you to get involved in a LIFEgroup.  This is where you truly fellowship with others and do life with them.  In groups you find care, accountable, encouragement, growth and people you can do the mission of God with.  This is important.  It is not plan B, but part of plan A.

Not only that, but we also want to encourage women in the church to link their lives with other women.  This happens in LIFEgroups and also Connecting Women helps to do that.  We also want to encourage our men to sharpen each other’s lives by connecting with each other on the First Tuesday of every month.  This is a great way for men to continue to connect with those in their LIFEgroups and beyond that.

Let’s be a community devoted to being a disciple and making disciples.  Let’s not lose sight of the mission, but stay focused on the mission of God for His glory and the joy of all people.         

I know a fellow he’s a friend of mine
Tall and slender and pleasantly kind.

He lives in a land that is cold you might say
It’s covered in ice nearly everyday.

Now this fellow has a family
A wonderful one you see
A wife, two daughters, a son
All as cute as could be.

Now their days were always full and filled to the brim
To school, to work, always out and back in!

From the long days
They always came home together
He dropped them off at the door
To keep them out of the weather.

And down the road and around the bend
With the car in the garage he was out again.

Bundled in his warm coat and shivering the whole way
He walked up the hill to the house…alone everyday.

But one night, things would change
“Tonight can I go with you to the garage.” His little daughter did ask
and after pondering a moment he granted her request.

Down the road and around the bend
the car in the garage and the two, father and daughter, were out again.

Now the cold was even colder that night
But the stars were out shining so big and so bright
So the father took the opportunity, as he felt it was right.

So with the stars in site he told a story from old
Of Abraham and his family and the promise God told.

And the little girl listened closely till they reached the front door
Out of the cold and into the house, safe and warm once more.

Now time went on, every night hand and hand
The father told his daughter stories of God’s great plan.

Stories were told and the cold was cold
But strangely enough it never got old.

The years they did pass, as they seem to do
New house, new garage, and the little girl grew.

On her wedding day she called her father to her side
She wanted him to know what she was feeling inside.

“Those stories you told I remember them all
Of Jesus and David, Sampson and Paul

It was those nights and those stories that changed my life
I fell in love with the bible and gave Jesus my life.

So today I say thank you for being so bold
To tell me those stories even when it was cold.

As it so happens the cold never did bother
My heart was always warmed with stories from my father”

So then my dear reader
I have nothing else to say
But if faith comes by hearing
Then what story will you tell today? 

-AWT

The Psalmist begins this glorious writing with focusing on the enjoyment and happiness of God.  Followers of Christ can know such enjoyment and happiness when they walk in the law of the Lord (Psalm 119.1).  The law here refers to the first five books of the Scriptures, but not just that.  It also refers to the Old Testament as well.  So, we are encouraged to obey the Old Testament, but really the entirely of God’s Word.  We can know the blessing of God by walking in obedience to Him and His Word.

This blessing that is connected to obedience is connected to the observing of His testimonies (Psalm 119.2).  We must read the Word and look into it.  We pray as we observe that it leads to seeking Him with all our hearts (Psalm 119.2).  As we observe and seek Him God changes us to walk more like Him and obey His Word.  This is the blameless way (Psalm 119.1).  It is a life lived in integrity, a life lived in godly character and in maturity (becoming more like Christ).  

As we continue to be in the Word our life becomes more like the Author of it.  What we do, what we think and how we do things are established in the Word of God instead of the flesh and human reasoning (Psalm 119.5).  As we live out this changed life we will come to the Word unashamed longing to look deeper into the Scriptures to be transformed by them (Psalm 119.6).  We are also thankful to the Lord when we read, learn and grow in the Word (Psalm119.7).  So, we are not worshipping Scripture, but the Author of the Word, which is God Himself.

This first set of eight verses is closed with I believe an interesting statement.  It says, Do not forsake me utterly (Psalm 119.8)!  The Psalmist wants the nearness of God.  He does not want the Lord to be far from Him (Psalm 38.21).  As we are in the Word of God we are reminded over and over of the grace and love of God even when our strength fails (Psalm 71.9).  As we keep His Word we experience His nearness.  That is the surface look at this last verse and obviously it is encouraging, but as we look even deeper we see an interesting translation of this verse in the Hebrew.  It literally reads, do not abandon me to excess.  Looking into this within the context I believe the Psalmist is saying, Don’t allow me to go beyond the boundaries of Your Word.  He wants to keep them diligently and He knows that the law of God is for His good.  So, the Psalmist does not want to be far from God, but in the Lord’s will.  He doesn’t want to go outside the Lord’s will in forsaken territory.

May God give us a love for His Word that would stir our affections and love for Him, so that we would live according to His will. 

Paul says, But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed, therefore I spoke," we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you (2 Corinthians 4.13-14).

Do we have the same spirit of faith that Paul is speaking of?  Paul believed.  He believed in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.  He believed that this was the only means for his deliverance from death.  He believed it so much that he couldn't do anything else, but speak about it.  He didn't take the path of St. Francis of Assisi and believe that you preach the gospel and if you have to use words.  Paul believed in using his voice to preach the gospel, not just mere lifestyle.  Paul also knew God would raise him up just as He did Jesus.  Do you know this?  I pray you know personally and intimately this truth.

May we have the same spirit of faith.     

Love Your Enemy
Jesus says in Matthew 5.43-46 says, You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy’.  But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? 

The words of Jesus are quite striking.  The Christian is to love his enemy and those who persecute him.  This is so opposite from what our culture or any other world religion says.  Jesus uses the Father as the example of the love we are to have for those who are against us.  Just as God provides common graces to the righteous and the unrighteous, so shall we.

The Reality
Jesus says in Matthew 5.21-22, You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’  But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.  According to Jesus we all are as murderous as Bin Laden and deserve hell.  It is tempting to think that we are quite good compared to such an evildoer, but the reality is that we are not (Romans 3.10-19). 

So, we should be thankful to God for His mercy and grace.  Even though, we are sinners who deserve hell, God through Jesus has loved us and saved us.  He gave His one and only Son as a sacrifice to bear His wrath which we all deserve.  Thank God for His mercy and grace.    

Vengeance
It is probably good to move to this point next.  It is the topic of vengeance.  God reminds us on several occasions in Scripture that vengeance is His alone (Deuteronomy 32.35; Psalm 94.1; Romans 12.19; 1 Thessalonians 4.6; Hebrews 10.30).   I believe the death of Bin Laden must lead us to ask the following two questions, Am I looking for vengeance?  Or am I thankful for justice?  Yes, we thank God that He is just.  Vengeance though, is contrary to the gospel.  So, vengeance belongs to the Lord.  He is the one who repays, not us. 

God and the Death of the Wicked
The Lord tells Ezekiel, Say to them, 'As I live!' declares the Lord GOD, 'I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel (33.11)?'  

God wants the Israelites to know that He takes no pleasure in putting people to death for their sins.  He much prefers that they turn from their sin and live (2 Peter 3.9).  So, we should look at the death of the wicked and think about our own repentance.  Not mere remorse or regret, but true repentance.  Repentance includes the mind, the heart and the will.  We change our mind about our sins and agree with what God says about them; we abhor ourselves because of what we have done; and we deliberately turn from our sin and turn to the Lord for His mercy (Constable). 

So, even the wicked dying is a discipleship issue.  We really have two choices when a wicked man dies.  We can either go immediately to all the bad he did and justify his death, which in most cases would be with pleasure, which is opposite of what God feels at such an occurrence.  Or it can lead us to look into our own heart, mind and will.

Response
The following two verses give rise to mixed emotions. 

When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there is joyful shouting (Proverbs 11.10).

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles (Proverbs 24.17).

There seems to be a mixture of joy and sorrow.  There is joy over justice that is enacted and sorrow over destruction.  So, there is a relief that is without vengeance at the death of Bin Laden and at the same time sorrow over the death of a wicked man who did not turn from his way and live.

Closing Words
When I turned on the television last week to hear the news, the one thing that came to my mind and heart was, God, Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6.10).  I long for the day when Jesus from His throne says, Behold, I am making all things new (Revelation 21.5).  Until then may God, by His grace, give wicked men, like I once was, new hearts and new spirits within them (Ezekiel 36.26).  I pray the reality of hell also sinks into the church at such an occurrence.  People who die without Christ spend eternity in hell.  Though just, that is a sad reality.  I pray God would ignite His church to love their neighbors and enemies, so that they are grace-bearing agents of the gospel.

Then, God gives Adam a command and a tool (Genesis 2.16-17).  He gave him a command to not eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  He gave Adam a tool, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, to keep Adam in check, so he does not misunderstand and think at anytime that he is God.  Adam is a creature, created in the image of God, he is dependent on God, but he is not God.  The tree is to stand as a constant reminder of that, revealing the glory of God. 

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is the tree of righteousness revealing that God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55.9).  Adam’s righteousness and goodness is dependent on God alone, who created Him.     

Then we see that man has not been created for individualism, but for a community of submissive and serving relationships (Genesis 2.18).  The animals and the man’s work of naming them, was not sufficient to meet the need of man. 

God creates a woman, Eve, which means mother of the living (Genesis 2.21-25).  Here God also creates the sacred bond of marriage bringing the man and woman together in oneness, a relationship that was freeing, loving, secure, and without any fear or anxiety.  It was the perfect marriage.  He also sets up the standard of parenting as well as the man will leave his father and mother.

Then everything changes…

You already have original sin, which Lucifer (Satan) committed in wanting to be God and even greater than Him (Isaiah 14.12-14).  He along with a 1/3 of the Angels, now demons, fall (Revelation 12.3-9). 

Through the serpent Satan tempts Eve to disobey God (Genesis 3.1-6).  Adam and Eve break the command of God by eating of the fruit of the tree that God told them not to.  Adam and Eve both are deceived into thinking that they can be God.  God is truth, good and righteousness.  By eating of this they disobey God’s command, but they are also deceived having their eyes opened into thinking that they can determine what is true, righteous, determining what is good and evil and decide what the standard is according to their own desires.

So, Adam and Eve sin.  Sin is any thought, word, or deed that breaks God's law by omission or commission.  They break God’s law. 

Then they make their own coverings out of fig leaves to cover their nakedness, then they hide from God’s presence, Adam blames his wife and God for making her, not taking responsibility.  Then Eve blames the enemy, not taking responsibility as well.  Sin is now transferred to humanity and the world through this one act of disobedience (Romans 5.12).  The groaning of all creation begins.  Cursed is the serpent, there will be hostility and hatred between those who love sin and those who love God, and also from the seed of the woman will bring forth Jesus and between Him and the enemy will be hostility (Genesis 3.14-15).  The woman is told she will experience great pain in child birth reminding all women of the sin committed on this day and the sinful nature that the child being born bears. 

The relationship between the husband and wife changes too.  The wife will be like a lion, which devours its prey, toward her husband.  This is the extreme of what desire means.  When you look into Genesis 4.7 you see the same word used for the desire of sin wanting to devour Cain.  The main point is that the woman will now want to control, dominate or master her husband instead of lovingly and respectfully accepting his leadership (Genesis 3.16).  There will be future struggle between the husband and wife, as the husband will want to dominate her in with controlling power. 

The ground is cursed and Adam is told he will experience toilsome work and physical death, as the body will die one day returning to the dust (Genesis 3.17-19).  Then worse of all, Adam and Eve are driven out of the Garden of Eden where the Triune God dwells.  Sin separates them from God’s presence, from having a relationship with Him and they are surely dead in their transgressions, as God promised (Genesis 3.22-24).

This is horrible.  This is bad news, but in the midst of all this bad news there is hope.  Even though creation has been subjected to futility, slavery and corruption there is hope (Romans 8.21-22) and there is good news even right here in the beginning (Genesis 3.15, 21). 

God says to the enemy, He shall bruise (crush) you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel (Genesis 3.15b).  This is looking forward to the cross.  The cross will be a mere strike on the heel, that provides satisfaction for the wrath of God toward sin, so that mankind can be redeemed, but the enemy will be crushed through this striking on the heal.  The enemy thought He would win and be greater than God, but through the cross and resurrection, Jesus is the Victor, providing hope and victory for all who belong to Him over sin and eternal death.

Then Moses tells us, The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them (Genesis 3.21). God provided garments for them by killing an animal.  The animal was sacrificed to clothe them and cover them instead of them relying on their own fig leaves to do the job.  God will provide His own Son, Jesus, to die for them to cover their sin and to be their righteousness.  This is the gospel.  The gospel changes everything.  By God’s grace, Jesus enters history to deal with all the causes and results of our broken relationship with Him, making it possible for us to live as we were created to in relationship to Him, to love Him, and in relationship to others, to love others as He has loved us. 

This also makes possible restoration to the brokenness of the roles within marriage and parenting.  What we see in the creative order is holy and good.  It is God’s standard still today.  His desire for marriage and parenting has not changed even though sin has entered the world.  The gospel redeems people and the roles ordained in creation.

Thanking God for the beginning.