Nomads2

Vs. 17. Boaz made it possible for Ruth to glean, but she was diligent in her work. This is something all Christians should have. “Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord. (Rom. 12:11). Ruth was a women of faith, but also was found faithful in every task. “True faith produces faithfulness.” “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:20). If she had not labored through the day she would not have filled her basket (1 bushel and 3 pints).  After gleaning, she had to beat out that which she gleaned. Sounds like a hard days work! There are two things we can learn from this passage about a harvest, 1.praying, 2. go into the fields and glean. Matt. 9: 37-38. Here are two bonus things to remember, 1. ‘A living faith is a going faith.’ 2. ‘Many a little makes a great deal.’ Vs. 18-19. Naomi says, “My, I’ve never seen anything quite like this! Where have you been today? Somebody has shown undue consideration for you.” Ruth tells the story of her day without realizing how important the man, Boaz is.  But, Naomi knows. Vs. 20. Lets look at this, another law that will be strange to us. Lev. 25: 25-28 explains God’s law about redemption of property. Lev. 25:47-48 is the law of God showing the redemption of people that have sold themselves into bondage. The goel, or Kinsman-Redeemer is a beautiful type of Christ. The kinsman redemption was of persons, and an inheritance. The Redeemer must be a kinsman. The Redeemer must be able to redeem. Redemption must pay the just demand in full. Exodus is the book of redemption, and teaches: 1. redemption is wholly of God. 2. Redemption is through a person. 3. Redemption is by blood. 4. Redemption is by power. The blood of Christ redeems the believer from the guilt and the penalty of sin. The power of the Holy Spirit delivers from the dominion of sin. The word ‘redeem’ means ‘to buy back’, or ‘buy back’, and ‘to take possession of.’ The one who redeems evicts and dispossess all those who have held his purchased during the time of its bondage. He takes personal possession of that which has been bought back. Here are 7 characteristics of our Kinsman-Redeemer, the One who has the right to redeem. 1. It is a divine appointment. Only one who is appointed by God has the right to redeem. (John10:16-18). 2. The redeemer must be near to kin of the one he redeems. (Heb. 2: 10-13). 3. The kinsman-redeemer himself be entirely free of debt. (Heb. 7:26). The one that redeems must fulfil the Law of God. He must fill in all the blanks. 5. The redeemer must be willing to redeem. No one can be forced to redeem. Because of love, the Lord Jesus Christ became our redeemer. (Ex. 50:5-7). 6. The redemption is specific and special, nothing general. The Kinsman-redeemer restored what he had not taken away. (Ps. 69:4).Our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, His work cannot be counted. (Rev. 7:9). 7. The One who has the right to redeem must raise up a seed. Our Kinsman-redeemer will raise up a seed. There are some people in this world who, having been chosen by God in eternal election and redeemed by special redemption, must and shall be saved by God’s omnipotent grace. (Isa. 53: 10-12. Ps. 22:30-31) Vs. 21-23. This is about six weeks. A six-week courtship of a very special couple. At the end, Boaz, the rich kinsman, and Ruth, the stranger, were in love. Remember this all occurred during the time of the Judges, which was written that Gideon had many wives and Samson had notorious affairs with women. In times of great sin and ungodly behavior, some still cling to faith and uphold the Law’s of God. The honest love of a man and of a woman is born in the heart of God! In the Song of Solomon it reads…for love is strong as death….Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it. Chapter 3 takes place on the threshing floor of Boaz. It’s obvious that Ruth was not claiming what she had a right to, so Naomi takes matters on. She becomes the matchmaker. Vs. 1. For six weeks now Naomi has been watching Boaz and Ruth return from the harvest work and she has seen what is happening, they are falling in love. The harvest is complete, but Ruth is very modest and is not making any claim on Boaz. So Naomi asks, “shall I seek rest for thee.” ‘Rest’ of course is marriage, things are not moving quickly enough for her .

That first little green blur is our grandson racing with the ball to score at his in-door soccer game. We never even knew that kids played soccer inside. I think he scored 4 goals his team and 2 for the other team. He is the fastest little guy on the team.

Chap. 2. 1. We are now introduced to the hero of our story, Boaz. The name Boaz means “strength.” Boaz is immediately identified as a kinsman (which is important to note) of Naomi’s husband.  A mighty man of Law can also be translated a mighty man of war. He was a mighty man of wealth, law and war. At this point we have to mention that Boaz is a picture of and a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. You and I have a Kinsman also, one who is made like we are, yet sinless. (Heb. 7:26). Vs.2. This is a strange law here because we have nothing like it in our legal system. Let’s read Lev19:9-10. God told His people that they had to take care of the poor. This was His way of doing just that. It is restated again in Lev. 23:22 and again in Deut. 24:19. Ruth acts upon this law. Vs.3. Ruth had no idea where to go, into the field that belonged to Boaz. It was of great importance that she would find the correct field! “Hap” is an old word meaning “perhaps or happens, or happenstance.” Divine providence, God’s Will brought Ruth to the place where she would meet Boaz. Proverbs 3:5-6. Vs.4-5. Boaz sounds like a great guy to work for. He greets his workers and they respond in like manner. Verse 5 starts the really exciting part of the story! Ruth has caught the attention of Boaz. “Whose damsel is this” could be translated as love at first site. This is romance in the fields of Boaz. Vs.6-7. It sounds like his foreman is half way apologizing and assuring Boaz he had nothing to do with her coming into the field. The foreman could not turn down her request, even if she was from Moab. Notice how Boaz reacts in the next verse. Vs.8. Is he interested or not? “ I want you to glean in my field.” says Boaz. Two very important things in verse 9, he invites her to stay in his field and he puts his cloak of protection around her. A widow from Moab would be subject to all sorts of hazards and Boaz knew this. He moved to protect her.  His words to Ruth  indicate what our God requires, expects and deserves from all of His children.  Boaz’s house was something separate and distinct from all the other houses of the land.  And he was determined to keep it that way.  What does God require of us, see 2 Cor. 6:14-18.         Vs.10. After listening to Naomi about how bad things would be for her in Bethelem, she cannot believe how Boaz has treated her. She is startled! Like Ruth, we have to ask why I have found grace in the eyes of God? The grace of God is seen exhibited here in the grace that was manifested to this woman. “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Vs. 11 Boaz was probably out of town when Naomi and Ruth arrived in Bethlehem probably fighting or closing a deal. He was a mighty man of law, war and wealth. But when he returned the town was buzzing about a widow that had accompanied Naomi home. Gossip, just like we do today, but gossip about how good she was. Someone from Moab could be this good to her mother-in-law. Boaz hears all these good things about Ruth, but also see’s her great beauty.  He is really blown away! Vs. 12 It was known that Ruth had made a decision in favor of the “Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust” . Remember that Ruth represents us, sinners saved by grace, God’s elect. All of us that are redeemed , converted by the power and grace of God. Ruth had come to trust God. Naomi taught both Ruth and Orpah the things of God. No doubt, Orpah believed Naomi’s words and was prepared to go with her to Bethlehem, until she realized what it would cost her. When she realized that, she went back to Moab. She believed Naomi, but not the Lord. But Ruth had come to trust the Lord God of Israel.  Wonder what kind of witness Naomi had? Vs. 13 Ruth is surprised, she had not expected any kindness and fully thought she would be treated as an outsider. She calls attention to the fact that  she is not like the handmaidens. This is probably what attracted Boaz to her.  There is a reason that he had not married yet. Ruth was different, this drew Boaz to her. Vs. 14 Boaz is in love! He meets her at ten and invites her to lunch.  Here are some things for us to ponder over, 1. The minute detail of divine providence in accomplishing the purpose of God is evident. (Eph. 1:11). 2. Once Ruth was in Bethlehem she went out into the fields to work. All who are brought into the family and kingdom of God are born to serve. (Eph. 2:8-10, Titus 2:11-15). 3. The calling of Ruth the Moabitess prefigured the calling of the Gentiles. (Eph 2:11-13, 19). 4. The love of Boaz for Ruth was a picture of the love of Christ for us. (Eph. 3:18-19; 5:25-27). 5. As Boaz’s love to her was a matter of unceasing wonder  to Ruth (‘Why have I found favour in your eyes’), so Christ’s love to us, His great grace to us, is an unceasing, wondrous mystery to the believing heart. (Eph. 3: 8-11, 19-21). Vs. 15-16. Boaz wants his workers to show Ruth every courtesy and consideration. He allows her to go where no other gleaner would be allowed. Boaz further tells his men, ‘When you see Ruth is behind you and nobody is looking , you just drop a sheaf back there and keep going and when she tells you about it you just say you have to keep going.’

Vs. 10. Their first decision is to go with Naomi. Vs.11. This was strange, but the Mosaic Law said that when a man died, the nearest of kin was to marry his wife, and if there were a brother he was the one to marry her. Naomi lays it out for her girls, if you go, you will never marry, you two are outcasts. Vs. 12. In other words, she is saying if I had son’s, you two would be cradle robbers. Vs. 13. God had judged Naomi’s family and she told them that she would have to bear that, but the daughters did not have to, unless they continued with her. Vs. 14. Scene 2, get out the Kleenex. These three ladies start crying again. Orpah kissed Naomi, but Ruth clung to her. This is very profound. Great issues are often determined by choices that appear to be insignificant.  This decision fixed forever the course of human history in the direction of God’s eternal, redemptive purpose! Vs. 15. As Orpah makes her decision, we see that she never really did follow God with a heart given to Him. She goes back to her idols, never to be heard from again. Ruth made her decision and she made it for time and eternity. Ruth has her name in the very first chapter of the N.T. She is in the genealogy that leads to Christ! Naomi tests Ruth to see if she is genuine or not. Vs. 16. This is a beautiful passage. This is the kind of repentance that means something. Vs.17. Ruth tells Naomi, 1. I made a decision to go with you, and I’m going. 2. She is not only going with Naomi, she will identify herself with Naomi. 3. I am forsaking my people, my idols and I am going to identify myself with your people, God’s people. 4. The real reason she married one of those unhealthy boys, she had heard of the true and living God that came from the house of bread and praise over in the promised land. In Ruth we see genuine and real repentance. Ruth shed tears of “turning in another direction” (metanoia, Greek for repentance). Orpah shed just as many tears as Ruth, but hers were not tears of real repentance. A lot of people today shed tears, but if there is no change in direction, a course correction, it will all be for nought. They will be like Orpah. Vs. 18. Naomi knew that Ruth had made her decision. Vs. 19. Naomi returns as a widow with a little foreign girl. Very much different from when they left. Vs. 20-21a. Naomi says call me, Mara, which means bitter or sorrowful. Someone once said, “Life in this world ain’t much. It begins with a slap on the bottom and ends with a shovel full of dirt in the face, and there ain’t much in between except bumps and bruises.”      Vs. 22. God leads Naomi and Ruth back home at just the right time, the time of harvest.

Vs. 1,  This verse starts to tell us one of the saddest family stories contained in the Bible. “Now it came to pass” means because God brought it to pass. Rom. 11:36. “When the Judges ruled” The book of Judges tells a sorry and sordid story of a departure from God. The people served the living and true God, then turned from Him to idols and immoral lifestyles, then crushed by enemies, cried to God and He raised up judges to deliver them. “A famine in the land” In the land of Canaan, a land that had flowed with milk and honey, a land where a cluster of grapes took two men and a pole to carry(Num. 13:23). Even in Bethlehem, which means house of bread and Judah which means praise, there was famine. This was one of the judgements which God had threatened to bring upon Israel if they sinned against Him(Lev. 26:19-20). “And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons” Moab is described in Psalm 108:9 as being God’s washpot, or it could be said that Moab was God’s garbage can. This man takes his family from the house of bread and praise to the dump. In the midst of God’s providential judgements our only course of action is obedience and faith, not what the world would do or what we think. Listen to Eccles. 7:14, “In the day of prosperity be joyful, But in the day of adversity consider: Surely God has appointed the one as well as the other.” “The day of adversity will either draw us close to our God or drive us to the world. If faith does not cling to Christ, the flesh will drag us from Him.” Vs. 2 Elimelech means ‘my God is king’ or ‘the King is my God’ a great name tha he did not live up to. The name Naomi means ‘pleasant’ She lived up to her name. Their two sons named Mahlon, which means ‘unhealthy’ and Chilion, which means ‘puny.’ “And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.” Not just going to Moab, but making their home there, in the dump. Vs. 3. The husband, my God is King, dies in the dump. When we get away from God, that is when trouble comes. Vs. 4. What happened here? They broke the law, the Mosaic law( Deut.7:2-3, 2Cor. 6:14). Those believers who choose to marry a man or woman who has no regard for God marry a life of trouble( Duet, 7:3, 23:3, Ezra 9:1-2, Neh. 13:23-27, 2 Cor 6:14). Out of fellowship, away from God in a far country, the next step is apostasy. Orpah means “deer or “fawn.” It means she was an athletic type and why she married one of these sickly boys is a good question. Ruth, has probably ten different meanings for her name, beauty is one and personality is another. Trouble has come and will continue to take this family to task. Vs. 5. Unhealthy and puny died. Naomi has lost her family and all she has left is two little foreign daughters-in-laws. We can learn 3 things from “my God is King” 1. We cannot outrun death. At the appointed time, we shall die. 2. We must never expect to prosper by disobedience. 3. All earthly pleasure and comforts are temporary. Vs.6. When Naomi heard what God had done for His people, she believed the message and arose to return to Bethlehem. Vs.7. There can never be a reconciliation with God without a separation from the world. In the coming verses Naomi is going to talk to her daughter-in-laws like a Dutch uncle. She is going to tell them that things are going to be rough for them in her home country. The Israelites just did not have anything to do with the Moabites, just like the Samaritans in the N.T. Vs. 8. Naomi tells these girls they have been good to her and her boys. They were good wives. She encourages them to return to Moab, if not, the cost to them will be high.

“Friendship is one of the sweetest joys of life. Many might have failed beneath the bitterness of their trial had they not found a friend.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon

http://www.unknownsoldiersblog.com/2012/01/usual-suspects.html

“If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” – Matthew 4:3

Before Satan tempted Jesus more directly, he threw out a cynical challenge to test Christ’s deity. The devil’s conditional statement, “If You are the Son of God,” assumed that Jesus was indeed God’s beloved Son (3:17). But he hoped to persuade Him into a demonstration of divine power that would violate God’s plan, which called for Jesus to set aside His divine power while on earth and use it only when the Father commanded. If Satan could make Jesus presume upon His divine rights and act independently of His Father, this would amount to disobedience.

Obviously, then, the purpose of the first temptation went far beyond getting Jesus to satisfy His physical hunger by wrongly using miraculous power. The devil wanted Him to doubt the Father’s word, love, and provision—to disobediently declare that being hungry was simply not fit for God’s only Son.

Satan’s argument was, “Hadn’t He endured enough humiliating circumstances already (the stable, the flight to Egypt, obscurity in Nazareth, this time in the wilderness) in an effort to identify with unworthy humanity?” But unlike Eve in the Garden of Eden (cf. Gen. 3:1f.), Jesus stayed true to God’s will and did not cast doubt on the Father’s word or His already secured position as God’s Son.

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Ask Yourself

Yes, there is more at stake in temptation than the mere subject of the enticement. There are significant matters of trust and freedom and identity involved. How seriously are you taking these threats to your Christian calling? Pray that God would help you see the battle for what it is.

“Time makes today tomorrow’s memory.”

 

I made these! No, really. 

“If you think the world will treat you fairly because your a nice person, then you probably think a bull won’t charge you because you are a vegetarian.”   Gen. Bill Garrison.

Dear Mr. Obama,

 

From the time you declared your candidacy for president of the United States and announced under your breath that you are a Christian, many true, Bible-believing Christians immediately had doubts about your muffled profession of faith. After all, for 20 years you drank deeply from the well of Rev. Jeremiah Wright — who, in spite of the clerical garb he wears, preaches a Universalist gospel. It is not the true gospel that Jesus proclaimed, which clearly states that He and He alone is the only way to heaven and the Father. That claim was for all people of the earth.

 

The Bible is not ambiguous, Mr. President, as you and some of your Universalist friends believe. Jesus made it clear in John 14:6 that He alone is “the way, the truth, and the life.” Furthermore, the Bible testifies in Acts 4:12 that “there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” except the name of Jesus.

 

That, Mr. Obama, is true Christianity.

 

Be that as it may, millions of Bible-believing Christians gave you the benefit of the doubt and decided to wait and see. After all, in the words of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, “By their fruit you will recognize them” (Matt. 7:20). Many in the Evangelical community deliberately refused to judge you by your questionable associates and friends; they wanted to see for themselves.

 

And sadly, Mr. President, you deeply disappointed them.

 

Not only did you use endearing, even fawning, statements and declarations regarding Islam and Muslims, but you deliberately treated the National Day of Prayer underhandedly. While publicly recognizing every Muslim holy day in the past year, you failed to issue an Easter proclamation in 2011. You chose not to mention the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is, after all, the foundational bedrock of your Christian faith and the very reason why our nation celebrates Easter.

 

The limits of time and space do not afford me the luxury of enumerating your many anti-biblical and anti-Christian executive orders and policies. But I must speak to the bombshell of December 6, 2011.

 

You see. Mr. President, there are persecuted Christians in your home country of Indonesia, as well as in Nigeria. And thanks to your indecisive and failed policies, we have added Egypt to the list. These beleaguered Christians have always looked to the United States for encouragement and affirmation. But when they look to you, they find none.

 

Imagine, Mr. Obama, their dismay that you have not publically threatened to tie foreign aid — which is the taxpayers’ money, not the government’s — to stopping the church burnings and the severe persecution and killings of Christians in Egypt. Yet on December 6, your administration did decide to publically threaten to tie American taxpayer money in the form of foreign aid to the support of gay and lesbian rights. (See related article)

 

You surely know, Mr. Obama, that as Christians, while we see homosexuality as the Bible sees it … a sin, we never hate nor advocate the killing of homosexuals. That is something left to your dear “friends” in the Muslim world; something they do to both homosexuals and Christians on a regular basis.

 

The White House declared that this announcement “marked the first U.S. government strategy to combat human rights abuses against gays and lesbians abroad.” This was no great comfort to desperate and persecuted Christians worldwide.

 

One final question, Mr. President.

 

If you are a true Christian, as you claim under your breath, why do you not feel that same passion and commitment toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, who are paying for their faith with their lives?

 

May the Lord’s hand guide you to all truth.

 

This is my regular prayer for you.

 

 

Matthew 2:1-12, We must look willingly for the King of the Jews, we must search carefully for Him, we must hope expectantly for Him, and we must change radically for Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

I thought I would write something very profound and of some meaning for this, the four hundredth post. After spending much thought, it just didn’t happen, so I will post some more pictures.

There are not too many days in our life where I make a batch of cookies for our youth Christmas party tonight and it hails in the desert. Thanks to our daughter-in-law’s sister, Aimee, for the inspiration of the cookies.

On Sunday we were given special recognition for our part (little part) in helping build the Vietnamese Baptist church of Phoenix. Many people on the stage performed long hard hours of work, quite a few of them were Arizona Baptist Builders volunteers. It was great to see so many from our fellowship in Wickenburg attend this special service.  

Today we were blessed to be a part of the first service in the new building that Norm and I had a small part in constructing.

Another job title we can claim. Our rates are reasonable, we are honest, we will eat your food,  and yes, we will spoil your dog.

These are some tough young cowboys coming up through the ranks of bull riders. 

We worked the snack shack for two days at the high school rodeo and it seems we did a pretty good job, at least that is what we were told. I think these two had a lot to do with our success. 

This is our friend Josh, his daughter Bailey rides and competes (and wins) in high school rodeo. It seems to us that Josh must be pretty high up in the rodeo pecking order as he gets to do cool things like smooth the arena with this jiggy tractor. Norm and I watched for a while and after some time of contemplation, she deemed Josh a, ‘Rodeo Zamboni!’ This was such a good title for Josh, it kept us laughing for two days.