Hope For Life » Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org Mon, 21 May 2012 17:33:56 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (I John 2:6) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/whoever-claims-to-live-in-him-must-walk-as-jesus-did-i-john-26/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/whoever-claims-to-live-in-him-must-walk-as-jesus-did-i-john-26/#comments Mon, 21 May 2012 14:00:07 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1609 It really is more than talking the talk.  It is walking the walk.  Do what Jesus did.  Do not do what Jesus would not do.  Treat people like Jesus did.  Put your life where your mouth is.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/whoever-claims-to-live-in-him-must-walk-as-jesus-did-i-john-26/feed/ 0 The youthful vigor that fills his bones will lie with him in the dust. (Job 20:11) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-youthful-vigor-that-fills-his-bones-will-lie-with-him-in-the-dust-job-2011/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-youthful-vigor-that-fills-his-bones-will-lie-with-him-in-the-dust-job-2011/#comments Fri, 18 May 2012 14:00:19 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1662 There you have it.  We are getting older and someday we will die.  So let’s live today so that we make a difference for eternity.  God has a purpose for you today.  Find it.  Live it.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-youthful-vigor-that-fills-his-bones-will-lie-with-him-in-the-dust-job-2011/feed/ 0 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (II Peter 3:9) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-lord-is-not-slow-in-keeping-his-promise-as-some-understand-slowness-he-is-patient-with-you-not-wanting-anyone-to-perish-but-everyone-to-come-to-repentance-ii-peter-39/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-lord-is-not-slow-in-keeping-his-promise-as-some-understand-slowness-he-is-patient-with-you-not-wanting-anyone-to-perish-but-everyone-to-come-to-repentance-ii-peter-39/#comments Wed, 16 May 2012 14:00:26 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1607 God wants everyone to be saved.  It is not God’s desire that anyone spend eternity away from His presence.  He wants this so much that He let Jesus die to save us.  But it our choice.  God has already made His.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-lord-is-not-slow-in-keeping-his-promise-as-some-understand-slowness-he-is-patient-with-you-not-wanting-anyone-to-perish-but-everyone-to-come-to-repentance-ii-peter-39/feed/ 0 Rend your hearts and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity. (Joel 2:13) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/rend-your-hearts-and-not-your-garments-return-to-the-lord-your-god-for-he-is-gracious-and-compassionate-slow-to-anger-and-abounding-in-love-and-he-relents-from-sending-calamity-joel-213/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/rend-your-hearts-and-not-your-garments-return-to-the-lord-your-god-for-he-is-gracious-and-compassionate-slow-to-anger-and-abounding-in-love-and-he-relents-from-sending-calamity-joel-213/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 14:00:38 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1653 If you have drifted away from God and wondered if you could ever really come back to the Lord, then here is your answer.  Yes!  Don’t focus on the external, but give God your broken heart.  God loves you.  He wants you to experience His graciousness and compassion; not His anger.  Today is the day you can return to God.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/rend-your-hearts-and-not-your-garments-return-to-the-lord-your-god-for-he-is-gracious-and-compassionate-slow-to-anger-and-abounding-in-love-and-he-relents-from-sending-calamity-joel-213/feed/ 0 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea. (Romans 16:1) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/i-commend-to-you-our-sister-phoebe-a-servant-of-the-church-in-cenchrea-romans-161/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/i-commend-to-you-our-sister-phoebe-a-servant-of-the-church-in-cenchrea-romans-161/#comments Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:04 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1600 What a great way to be known.  Phoebe is described as a servant.  What one word will describe you today?

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/i-commend-to-you-our-sister-phoebe-a-servant-of-the-church-in-cenchrea-romans-161/feed/ 0 Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, until he comes an dshowers righteousness on you. (Hosea 10:12 http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/sow-for-yourselves-righteousness-reap-the-fruit-of-unfailing-love-and-break-up-your-unplowed-ground-for-it-is-time-to-seek-the-lord-until-he-comes-an-dshowers-righteousness-on-you-hosea-1012/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/sow-for-yourselves-righteousness-reap-the-fruit-of-unfailing-love-and-break-up-your-unplowed-ground-for-it-is-time-to-seek-the-lord-until-he-comes-an-dshowers-righteousness-on-you-hosea-1012/#comments Wed, 09 May 2012 14:00:59 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1604 Today is your opportunity to sow righteousness.  Seek the Lord.  Look for opportunities to do the right thing.  Enjoy the fruit of God’s unfailing love for you.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/sow-for-yourselves-righteousness-reap-the-fruit-of-unfailing-love-and-break-up-your-unplowed-ground-for-it-is-time-to-seek-the-lord-until-he-comes-an-dshowers-righteousness-on-you-hosea-1012/feed/ 0 The eyes of the arrogant man will be humbled and the pride of men brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted in that day. (Isaiah 2:11) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-eyes-of-the-arrogant-man-will-be-humbled-and-the-pride-of-men-brought-low-the-lord-alone-will-be-exalted-in-that-day-isaiah-211/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-eyes-of-the-arrogant-man-will-be-humbled-and-the-pride-of-men-brought-low-the-lord-alone-will-be-exalted-in-that-day-isaiah-211/#comments Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:30 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1602 The day is coming when everyone will know that God alone is worthy of our worship and praise.  The proud and arrogent men and women of this world will be brought down.  Choose to follow God today.  Exalt Him to His proper place.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/the-eyes-of-the-arrogant-man-will-be-humbled-and-the-pride-of-men-brought-low-the-lord-alone-will-be-exalted-in-that-day-isaiah-211/feed/ 0 My printer only prints in black and white… http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/my-printer-only-prints-in-black-and-white/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/my-printer-only-prints-in-black-and-white/#comments Sun, 06 May 2012 14:00:24 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1582 I discovered this the day I tried to print a document that had all the titles in a gray border.  I tried three times, and every time I got all the black and white but none of the gray.  I know that by now some of you have figured out that my color cartridge was out.  Correct, though I still cannot figure out why you need a color cartridge for gray.  This experience also reminded me that this is how some people think Christianity is.

They believe that we live our lives by some ironclad list of do’s and don’ts.  There are people who think that is what the Bible is – a list of rules, everything being black and white.  This leads to some wrong assumptions about Christianity.  There are those who think they could never follow such a list so why try.  Others think the Bible is not relevant because it does not have a black and white list for every situation in today’s world.  Then there are those who try living Christianity by a set of rules and just get frustrated because they cannot find the rules or cannot follow the ones they do think they have found.

This is not Christianity.  The Bible is not a list of rules.  We are not expected to memorize hundreds of rules so we will know what to do in every situation.  That would not require any emotion, just a photographic mind and strong willpower.  Christianity is a matter of the heart.  Yes, Jesus does ask us to live a lifestyle different than the world around us, and he gives us guidelines to know how to do that.  Let me share the three most important.

  1.  Love God with everything you have.  Jesus said this was the greatest command.
  2. Love your neighbor as yourself.  Jesus said this was the second greatest command.
  3. Follow the steps of Jesus.  The Bible says Jesus left us an example so we could follow in his steps.

These principles will help you decide what to do in any situation you encounter as a Christian.  And these principles are about love.

Blessings,

steve

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/my-printer-only-prints-in-black-and-white/feed/ 2 Say to them, “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live, Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Isreal?” (Ezekiel 33:11) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/say-to-them-as-surely-as-i-live-declares-the-sovereign-lord-i-take-no-pleasure-in-the-death-of-the-wicked-but-rather-that-they-turn-from-their-ways-and-live-turn-turn-from-your-evil-ways-why/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/say-to-them-as-surely-as-i-live-declares-the-sovereign-lord-i-take-no-pleasure-in-the-death-of-the-wicked-but-rather-that-they-turn-from-their-ways-and-live-turn-turn-from-your-evil-ways-why/#comments Fri, 04 May 2012 14:05:01 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1587 God does not want anyone to be lost.  He does not like it.  He did what He could to prevent it by sending His son Jesus.  It is now our choice.  God wants everyone to turn from evil.  No one has to spend eternity away from God.

]]> http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/say-to-them-as-surely-as-i-live-declares-the-sovereign-lord-i-take-no-pleasure-in-the-death-of-the-wicked-but-rather-that-they-turn-from-their-ways-and-live-turn-turn-from-your-evil-ways-why/feed/ 0 Honor the Lord with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine. (Proverbs 3:9) http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/honor-the-lord-with-your-wealth-with-the-firstfruits-of-all-your-crops-then-your-barns-will-be-filled-to-overflowing-and-your-vats-will-brim-over-with-new-wine-proverbs-39/ http://hopeforlife.org/2012/05/honor-the-lord-with-your-wealth-with-the-firstfruits-of-all-your-crops-then-your-barns-will-be-filled-to-overflowing-and-your-vats-will-brim-over-with-new-wine-proverbs-39/#comments Wed, 02 May 2012 14:00:21 +0000 Steve Ridgell http://hopeforlife.org/?p=1585 If God has blessed you financially, it is so you can use your wealth to honor him.  Give to your church, give to a mission project, give to the poor and needy.  Use your home to honor God.  Share what you have.  When you do that, God will see that you have more… to give away.

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