Ruth ~ Humble before the Lord!

Ruth 2: 5-13 ~ 

And Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?”

The foreman answered, “She is the Moabitess who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. She has said, ‘Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.’ So she came out and has continued from morning until now, except that she rested a short time in the shelter.” 

Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Do not go and glean in another field, and do not go away from this place, but stay here close to my servant girls. Let your eyes be on the field they are harvesting, and follow along after these girls. Indeed, I have ordered the young men not to touch you. And when you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.” 

At this, she fell on her face, bowing low to the ground, and said to him, “Why have I found such favor in your eyes that you should take notice of me, even though I am a foreigner?” 

Boaz replied, “I have been made fully aware of all you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you did not know before. May the LORD repay your work, and may you receive a rich reward from the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have taken refuge.” 

“My lord,” she said, “may I continue to find favor in your eyes, for you have comforted and spoken kindly to your maidservant, though I am not like one of your servant girls.” 

Ruth 3: 9-14 ~ 

“Who are you?” he asked.

“I am your servant Ruth,” she replied. “Spread the corner of your garment over me, for you are a kinsman-redeemer. ” Then Boaz said, “May the LORD bless you, my daughter. You have shown more kindness now than before, because you have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor. And now do not be afraid, my daughter. 

I will do for you whatever you request, since all my fellow townspeople know that you are a woman of noble character. Yes, it is true that I am a kinsman-redeemer, but there is a redeemer nearer than I. Stay here tonight, and in the morning, if he wants to redeem you, good. Let him redeem you. But if he does not want to redeem you, as surely as the LORD lives, I will. 

Now lie here until morning.” So she lay down at his feet until morning, but she got up before anyone else could recognize her... So she lay at his feet until morning, but got up before anyone could be recognized; and he said, "No one must know that a woman came to the threshing floor"~ Ruth 3:14.

Out of Ruth's modesty and humility, she found favor. So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife ~ Ruth 4:13.

Jesus is Calling...

You need me every moment. Your awareness of your constant need for Me is your greatest strength. Your neediness, properly handled, is a link to My Presence. However, there are pitfalls that you must be on guard against: self-pity, self-preoccupation, giving up. Your inadequacy presents you with a continual choice... deep dependence on Me or despair.

The emptiness you feel within will be filled either with problems or with My Presence. Make Me central in your consciousness by praying continually: simple, short prayers flowing out of the present moment. Use My Name liberally, to remind you of My Presence. Keep on asking and you will receive, so that your gladness may be full and complete ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:17; John 16:24 AMP

Admonish one another out of love...

So many well intended people who claim to be Christians and claim to know the Bible will say, "don't judge cause its says so in the Bible". Agree. But if they did read the Bible for themselves they would know this: "...we urge you, brothers/sisters, to admonish (rebuke/reprimand) the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, and be patient with everyone" ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:14."

"He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ" ~ COL 1:28. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts" ~ COL 3:16. 

Why admonish? So that we who are in need (weighed down by sin) can be made holy by putting on a new self in Jesus Christ. The prodigal son did not return home with his dirty habits: a duffel bag of porn, a few hookers, a bottle of booze and his live in lover saying here I am dad. He went in humility, seeking forgiveness, REPENTING!

Here is the difference between judging and admonishing... Admonishing (rebuking/reprimanding) is a means to correct pointing out the sin that weighs them down. This is thus a way to recuse, to lift up in fact out of the mire. It is a way to point someone weighed down by sin in the right direction. So, when we see that someone is weighed down by sin no matter how terrible it seems to us, we are not to walk away from it. 

We are to go and help them get out of it; essentially deliver them. Judging is threatening to throw someone to the lake of fire so that they will behave themselves as if that threat is enough. We as Americans judge too much and we don't admonish enough. Again, most people don't want to admonish out of fear of being admonished. They are comfortable in their sin even to the point of liking their sin rather than the light which is Jesus Christ.

Remember, Jesus said, the gate is narrow...why? Because the only way to the Father is by Him - Jesus Christ. His Word is truth and it is life!

Mark 1: 1-11 ~ Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God...

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.  It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’”

This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am...so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him  like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

Psalm 34...

I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the oppressed hear and rejoice. Magnify the LORD with me; let us exalt His name together. 

I sought the LORD, and He answered me; He delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant with joy; their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man called out, and the LORD heard him; He saved him from all his troubles. 

The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and he delivers them. Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Fear the LORD, you His saints, for those who fear Him lack nothing. 

Young lions go lacking and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Who is the man who delights in life, who desires to see good days? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from deceitful speech. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it. 

Th eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and His ears are inclined to their cry. But the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to sever their memory from the earth. The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears;He delivers them from all their troubles. 

The LORD is near to the brokenhearted; He saves the contrite in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the LORD delivers him from them all. He protects all his bones; not one of them will be broken. Evil will slay the wicked,and the haters of the righteous will be condemned. 

The LORD redeems His servants, and none who take refuge in Him will be condemned.

Psalm 32...

Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven,whose sin is put out of sight! Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!

When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long.  Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat.

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.

Therefore, let all the godly pray to you while there is still time, that they may not drown in the floodwaters of judgment. For you are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with songs of victory.

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Do not be like a senseless horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to keep it under control.” Many sorrows come to the wicked, but unfailing love surrounds those who trust the Lord.

So rejoice in the Lord and be glad, all you who obey him! Shout for joy, all you whose hearts are pure!

Psalm 31...

In You, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame; save me by Your righteousness. Incline Your ear to me; come quickly to my rescue. Be my rock of refuge, the stronghold of my deliverance. 

For You are my rock and my fortress; lead and guide me for the sake of Your name. You will free me from the net laid for me, for You are my refuge. Into Your hands I commit my spirit; You have redeemed me, O LORD, God of truth. 

I hate those who cling to worthless idols, but in the LORD I trust. I will be glad and rejoice in Your loving devotion, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the anguish of my soul. 

You have not delivered me to the enemy; You have set my feet in the open. Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes fail from sorrow, my soul and body as well. 

For my life is consumed with grief and my years with groaning;  my iniquity has drained my strength and my bones are wasting away. Among all my enemies I am a disgrace and among my neighbors all the more. I am dreaded by my friends, they flee when they see me on the street. 

I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind. I am like a broken vessel. For I hear the slander of many; there is terror on every side. They conspire against me and plot to take my life. 

But I trust in You, O LORD; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in Your hands; deliver me from my enemies and from those who pursue me. 

Make Your face shine on Your servant; save me by Your loving devotion. O LORD, let me not be ashamed, for I have called on You. Let the wicked be put to shame; let them lie silent in Sheol. May lying lips be silenced, which speak with arrogance against the righteous, full of pride and contempt. 

How great is Your goodness which You have laid up for those who fear You, and bestowed on those who take refuge in You in the sight of the sons of men. You hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the schemes of men. 

You conceal them in Your shelter from accusing tongues. Blessed be the LORD, for He has shown me His loving devotion in a city under siege. In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!”

But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help. Love the LORD, all His saints. 

The LORD preserves the faithful, but fully repays the arrogant. Be strong and courageous, all you who hope in the LORD.

The Word of the Lord Stands...

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God ~ John 1:1.

Jesus is the Messiah, He is the Christ and Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever ~ Hebrews 13:8. If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved ~ Romans 10:9.


John 14: 11-13 ~ Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father is in Me—or at least believe on account of the works themselves. Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in Me will also do the works that I am doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in My name... AMEN!


For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” ~ 1 Peter 1:23-25.

Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts ~ COL 3:16.

So it is not the children of the flesh who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as offspring ~ Romans 9:8.

Do not conform to the pattern/behavior of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

And don’t address anyone here on earth as ‘Father,’ for only God in heaven is your spiritual Father. And don’t let anyone call you ‘Teacher,’ for you have only one teacher, the Messiah. The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. Matthew 23:9-12. AMEN!

Yes, This is belief that all who are called by God to believe in Jesus will be saved. In John 6:37 Christ states, “All that the Father gives me will come to me,” and in John 6:39, “And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.” God’s sovereign election is not contingent on our response; those who are called by Him will ultimately obtain justification and glorification (Romans 8:28-30).

To all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ ~ Romans 1:7.
And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose ~ Romans 8:28

All who call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved!  YES, If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved ~ Romans 10:9.

 
To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--their Lord and ours ~ 1 COR 1:2.

Who is a Disciple and How to Make Disciples?

Making disciples of Jesus means making servants who love one another. 

Jesus said, “So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:33), so only those who renounce all for Christ are actually Jesus’ disciples, but how can we know whether someone is truly a disciple of Jesus or not? We cannot know, God knows.

We just persevere in His Word, we believe in His Word and share His Word. It is whether they do what He commands. That’s a start. It doesn’t matter at all if they are male or female, black or white, a business owner or a janitor…God is no respecter of persons. 

A disciple of Christ has nothing to do with who they are or what they look like. They are someone called to live “in” Christ, equipped to live “like” Christ, and sent to live “for” Christ. 

This “calling” includes salvation and abiding in Christ (John 8:31–32). “Equipping” includes spiritual formation and growth (2 Timothy 3:16–17). “Sending” includes discipling others, doing good works, bearing much fruit, and loving our neighbors (Matthew 28:18–20, John 15:8, John 13:34–35). 

“Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me’” (Matt 16:24), and said, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher” (Luke 6:40), and those who are like Christ will suffer persecution like Christ, although not to the same extent of course. 

 

This means, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26), and “Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:27), so every Christian should know, if they don’t already, it will be narrow path to eternal life that will be difficult to travel, and apparently few will find it (Matt 7:13-14)

Does that sound like something only a mature Christian can do? There are some of us who are yet in the milk stage... but if we persevere, we will get to partake of the meat of the Gospel in our becoming a disciple and making disciples as we are discipled into mature Christians. What about 'hating' father/mother/wife/children... ? 

This is the price of being a disciple. It sounds harsh but this is the price everyone pays. It means to put God FIRST!  Yes, husband puts God first, wife puts God first, parents put God first, mother puts God first, child puts God first, etc. In this way, we are now all equal before God, because He is First!

We know this is possible for all things are possible with God and we know that the basic element is love. Love of God, Love of neighbor... Making disciples of Jesus means making servants who love one another.

Think of it like this, if you meet someone you can fall in love immediately but that does not mean you truly know that person and could have a godly life with that person. Yes, love is powerful and can overcome much but as the world is fallen, we need more than the love the world offers. 

As we are born again, we get a taste of another kind of love, a greater love. In this love, we can grow in love and share that love over time ...this is the experience for the disciple. Its becoming a follower of Jesus Christ and as we are discipled we grow in love more and more each day as such and can disciple others.