Honor your Mother, Lessons from the Book of Ruth

Lessons from the Book of Ruth
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Deuteronomy 5:16
"Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the LORD your God is giving you.

A relationship between a mother-in-law and a daughter in law.
The relationship is birthed in joy but solidified in difficulty and sorrow.

1. Stepping Stones or Stumbling Blocks
We know that difficulties in our lives will either make or break us as individuals. The difficulty that faced Naomi, losing her husband and then her 2 sons in Ruth Chapter 1 has caused Ruth to cling to Naomi.

2. The Defining Moment in Ruth’s Life
Ruth 1:16-18
16 But Ruth replied, "Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the LORD deal with me, be it ever so severely, if anything but death separates you and me." 18 When Naomi realized that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped urging her.


When you honor and cling to someone your destinies become entwined. Their future will very much help determine your future. Be wise in who you cling to because it will have a very powerful impact on you.
You see a similar discourse between Elijah and Elisha before Elijah is taken up in the whirlwind.

3. Bitterness
In Verse 20 of Chapter 1
Naomi, Ruth’s mother in law is having a change in identity. Her name Naomi means pleasant but her new name, she wants everyone to call her is Mara meaning bitterness. She’s had some very real challenges and it’s taken a toll on her personality.

The only way I know to overcome bitterness is through genuine heart forgiveness.
The only way I know how to genuinely forgive is to realize by revelation that I’ve been genuinely forgiven according to the parable of the unmerciful servant.

4. Ruth’s youth get’s Boaz’s Attention her character keeps it.
5 Boaz asked the foreman of his harvesters, "Whose young woman is that?"
6 The foreman replied, "She is the Moabitess who came back from Moab with Naomi. 7 She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She went into the field and has worked steadily from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter.“

This is a lesson on gifts and character. Your gift(s) will open doors for you but your character will allow you to stay.

The foreman noticed she was a determined and steady worker. He noticed her and it get’s communicated on to the land owner.


Leviticus 23:22
" 'When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and the alien. I am the LORD your God.' "
Ruth’s honorable actions are the subject of Discussion and earn her favor.
Ruth 2:11,12
11 Boaz replied, "I've been told all about what you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband—how you left your father and mother and your homeland and came to live with a people you did not know before. 12 May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.“

5. Ruth’s Heart is Truly Humble
Ruth 2:13
13 "May I continue to find favor in your eyes, my lord," she said. "You have given me comfort and have spoken kindly to your servant—though I do not have the standing of one of your servant girls.“


Luke 18:14b
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

6. The Kinsman Redeemer
Leviticus 25:25
25 " 'If one of your countrymen becomes poor and sells some of his property, his nearest relative is to come and redeem what his countryman has sold.
Deuteronomy 25:5
5 If brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her.

7. Another Defining Moment
Ruth Chapter 3
5 "I will do whatever you say," Ruth answered. 6 So she went down to the threshing floor and did everything her mother-in-law told her to do.

Chapter 3
9 "Who are you?" he asked. "I am your servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me, since you are a kinsman-redeemer." 10 "The LORD bless you, my daughter," he replied. "This kindness is greater than that which you showed earlier: You have not run after the younger men, whether rich or poor.

11 And now, my daughter, don't be afraid. I will do for you all you ask. All my fellow townsmen know that you are a woman of noble character. 12 Although it is true that I am near of kin, there is a kinsman-redeemer nearer than I. 13 Stay here for the night, and in the morning if he wants to redeem, good; let him redeem. But if he is not willing, as surely as the LORD lives I will do it. Lie here until morning."

We know that Naomi's words are true when she says, “the man will not rest until the matter is settled today.”
Boaz calls together the elders and has a legal meeting in the presence of the kinsman who is nearer in kinship and offers the land of Elimelech to redeem.
The kinsman seems excited about the deal until he realizes there is a widow involved also and then he backs out opening the door for Boaz to redeem the land and the widow, Ruth.

Romans 8:2,3
What an awesome picture of this verse.
through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. 3For what the law (the first Kinsman is a type of the Law) was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son (Boaz at type of redeeming Christ)
Boaz and Ruth get married and Naomi is blessed.
Ruth 4
13 So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son. 14 The women said to Naomi: "Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel! 15 He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth."

Obed the father of Jesse is born from this family. The grandfather of David. Of the lineage of Christ the Messiah.

Jubilee Family Church

House agrees to muzzle pastors with 'hate crimes' plan

The U.S. House has approved a federal "hate crimes" bill that would provide special protections to homosexuals but leave Christian ministers open to prosecution should their teachings be linked to any subsequent offense, by anyone, against a "gay."

The vote, 249-175, came despite intense opposition from Republicans who argued the measure would create a privileged class.

Bishop Harry Jackson Jr. of the High Impact Leadership Coalition also condemned the action, offering a warning about the nation's future.

Jackson said the action puts "sexual orientation" in a specially protected class under federal law.

"Based on history, it really isn't something that needs to be protected," he said. "There's a problem that this is going to mark the first time that a protected class status is given to … whatever sexual orientation one has."

He said the experience in other countries has led to prosecution of Christians. In Sweden, for example, a minister was sentenced to 30 days in jail for preaching from Leviticus.

Jubilee Family Church

Obedience and Perseverance

To listen to the message on Obedience and Perseverance please click here.
The Wise and Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24
24"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.

Lives can crash and be wrecked. Obedience to God’s word is the key factor in this parable. Simply hearing the word of God doesn’t cause your house to be resistant to difficulties, it’s obedience and implementing Godly principles into your life that cause your house to stand when the day of testing comes.

Today's drama draws out the concept of perseverance as well. Showing the consequences of giving up on God and walking away even though you’ve been somewhat obedient for a season of your life.

Suddenlies
When God moves suddenly to change your current circumstances away from the way they are to the way he’s been speaking to you and you’ve been speaking to him.

Suddenlies can be preceded by years of difficulties challenges and persecution.
Sometimes these challenges are there to develop our character.

James 1:2-4
2Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If they are from God or the Devil it doesn’t really matter if you can view them as stepping stones instead of a stumbling block.
Continuing to persist even though the challenges are rough.
There are many keys to persisting but the main one is a solid devotional life.

Consider Ms. California
She lost the crown for her convictions about the traditional family which are rooted in her belief in Biblical Christianity.

Many would consider this a bad thing.
Now she’s responded to the challenge as a stepping stone and become the spokes person for the traditional family.
There’s probably a book deal in the works etc.

She could’ve folded up like a tent and gone home crying declaring, “I’m never going to amount to anything!” That experience could’ve crushed her if her attitude would’ve been different.

A different example but a similar concept.

Christ as the Cornerstone
Matthew 21:44
44He who falls on this stone (Jesus) will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed.“

How you respond to Jesus changes how he affects you. Either he will remake you into his image and likeness or you will ultimately be crushed by him.

A suddenly from the Old Testament

Prison to Ruler of Greatest Nation on the Earth

Genesis 41
41 So Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I hereby put you in charge of the whole land of Egypt." 42 Then Pharaoh took his signet ring from his finger and put it on Joseph's finger. He dressed him in robes of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck. 43 He had him ride in a chariot as his second-in-command, and men shouted before him, "Make way !" Thus he put him in charge of the whole land of Egypt.

Consider the Challenges after Joseph has a dream from God

1. Hated by his brothers
2. Sold into Slavery by those closet to him
3. Falsely Accused of Rape
4. Imprisoned

The Dreams
Genesis 37:6-8

To His Brothers
6 He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had: 7 We were binding sheaves of grain out in the field when suddenly my sheaf rose and stood upright, while your sheaves gathered around mine and bowed down to it." 8 His brothers said to him, "Do you intend to reign over us?
Genesis 37:9,10
To his Parents
9 Then he had another dream, and he told it to his brothers. "Listen," he said, "I had another dream, and this time the sun and moon and eleven stars were bowing down to me."
10 When he told his father as well as his brothers, his father rebuked him and said, "What is this dream you had? Will your mother and I and your brothers actually come and bow down to the ground before you?"

1. Hated by his Brothers

Genesis 37:4,8
4 When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.
Vs. 8 they hated him all the more because of his dream and what he had said.

2. Sold Into Slavery

Genesis 37:23-27
23 So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe—the richly ornamented robe he was wearing- 24 and they took him and threw him into the cistern. Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.
25 As they sat down to eat their meal, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were loaded with spices, balm and myrrh, and they were on their way to take them down to Egypt. 26 Judah said to his brothers, "What will we gain if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? 27 Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay our hands on him; after all, he is our brother, our own flesh and blood." His brothers agreed.

3. Falsely Accused

Genesis 39:11-18
11 One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. 12 She caught him by his cloak and said, "Come to bed with me!" But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.
13 When she saw that he had left his cloak in her hand and had run out of the house,
14 she called her household servants. "Look," she said to them, "this Hebrew has been brought to us to make sport of us! He came in here to sleep with me, but I screamed. 15 When he heard me scream for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."
16 She kept his cloak beside her until his master came home. 17 Then she told him this story: "That Hebrew slave you brought us came to me to make sport of me. 18 But as soon as I screamed for help, he left his cloak beside me and ran out of the house."

4. Imprisoned

Genesis 39
20 Joseph's master took him and put him in prison, the place where the king's prisoners were confined.
But while Joseph was there in the prison, 21 the LORD was with him;

God will show us the complete picture without putting in all the difficulties in getting there.
What if he did? Would Joseph have gone for it?
What about you? What are your dreams? What is God speaking to you about you? Be encouraged a suddenly is on the way!

Jubilee Family Church

What God Wants from You

To watch the video of "What God Wants from You (Part 1)" CLICK HERE.
To watch (part 2) CLICK HERE

Have you ever given yourself completely to something or someone?
Maybe a person like a girlfriend or boyfriend? Completely surrendering your heart to them, making yourself vulnerable yet completely enraptured in the experience? Maybe in this process you spent hours on the phone? Sometimes not even talking just sitting there quietly.

Maybe it was a goal like winning a game or a state championship. All your energy focused on one thing, winning that game or title. Spending countless hours in a gym or on a field preparing.

Maybe you have career goals and objectives and you spend countless hours studying, preparing individually and corporately in meetings with teams of people. You do all this because of the goal the objective, the idea of a better tomorrow.

What causes us to hold back from complete and utter abandonment when trying to know someone or achieve something?

Generally it’s fear of loss or fear of failure.
There’s a certain “safety” in not taking sides, not choosing to go for it. Just being a fan and not getting into the game of life.

Sometimes it’s an inability to see the benefits of such extreme commitment to a person or cause.
I believe that many people are in this category today.

I was awakened Thursday morning with today’s message and it’s a very simple one but extremely important because it’s a core value of God’s and should thus be a core value for his people.

God wants us to abandon ourselves to Him.

Jeremiah 24:7
And I will give them a heart to know (recognize, understand, and be acquainted with) Me, that I am the Lord; and they will be My people, and I will be their God, for they will return to Me with their whole heart.

Deuteronomy 4:29
But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul.

People who don’t “find” God don’t seek him with all their heart. They don’t step out into the risky environment of love and trust.
For various reasons they shrink back from true emotional commitment to God.

Deuteronomy 6:5
Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.

This scripture means total emotional attachment to God. This emotional attachment leads to very practical works.

1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
Deuteronomy 10:12
And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul,
Deuteronomy 11:13-16
13 So if you faithfully obey the commands I am giving you today—to love the LORD your God and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul- 14 then I will send rain on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains, so that you may gather in your grain, new wine and oil. 15 I will provide grass in the fields for your cattle, and you will eat and be satisfied. 16 Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them.

Love for God defined as willful obedience.
Love for God results in God providing for your natural needs.
John 14:15
"If you love me, you will obey what I command.
John 14:21
Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

The Benefits
When Jesus Shows Himself to you remember what he says to his closest followers.
Luke 10:24
For I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it."

False Idols are idols of the heart

Loving God is more powerful than prophetic utterances or miracles

Deuteronomy 13:1-3
1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, "Let us follow other gods" (gods you have not known) "and let us worship them," 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul.
2 Thessalonians 2:9,10
9The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, and in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.
Joshua 22:5
But be very careful to keep the commandment and the law that Moses the servant of the LORD gave you: to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul."

Why don’t people Surrender their Hearts?

1. Lack of information
2. They love their idol(s).
3. Fear of loss or lack of trust in God

1. Lack of information or revelation
Hosea 4:6
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.
Matthew 16:18
And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

2. Idol worship
Anything that takes the place of Jesus Christ in the heart of a man.
Fear of Man placing the opinions of man over the opinions of God
Tribulation because of the Word
Worry and Anxiety
Lust – Sexual, financial,
Others

3. Fear of Loss or Lack of Trust
Psalm 19:7
The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
Psalm 33:4
For the word of the LORD is right and true; he is faithful in all he does.

This subject on loving God is like prayer and practice
It can never hurt you to do a little more.

Ask God to search you like David did in Psalm 51

Maybe you would say that I’ve given everything and my heart is completely his.
Then your prayer should be, “Lord, give me a bigger heart.”
Help us to Love you the way you loved us. Teach us and guide us to be a people that you would be proud to call your people. The holy spotless Bride of Christ, eagerly awaiting you to come and sweep us off our feet.

Jubilee Family Church

Image vs. Substance

To watch the video of this message on Image vs. Substance please CLICK HERE.

Image - a popular conception (as of a person, institution, or nation) projected especially through the mass media.

Substance - ultimate reality that underlies all outward manifestations and change.

The Image of Absalom David's Son

2 Samuel 14:25
In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.

It’s obvious from this passage that Absalom’s image was excellent. It was something people talked about.

Eight Character Qualities that reveal the Substance of Absalom

1. He was a man who knew how to hide bitterness and strike in vengeance.
2 Samuel 13:28 Absalom avenged his sisters rape by ordering his men to kill his half brother Amnon at a family dinner.

2. He was a self promoter
2 Samuel 15:1
In the course of time, Absalom provided himself with a chariot and horses and with fifty men to run ahead of him.
2 Samuel 18:18
18 During his lifetime Absalom had taken a pillar and erected it in the King's Valley as a monument to himself, for he thought, "I have no son to carry on the memory of my name." He named the pillar after himself, and it is called Absalom's Monument to this day.


3. Absalom would make it his highest priority to strategically stroke the need of the individual thus causing an identification with him and an un righteous soul tie with that individual
2 Samuel 15:2
2 He would get up early and stand by the side of the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone came with a complaint to be placed before the king for a decision, Absalom would call out to him, "What town are you from?" He would answer, "Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel."

4. Absalom would undermine the king’s ability to lead by emphasizing the king’s weakness and his own ability to meet that need.
2 Samuel 15:3,4
3 Then Absalom would say to him, "Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you." 4 And Absalom would add, "If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that he gets justice."


5. Absalom would place honor onto the men of the kingdom thus stealing their heart away from David
2 Samuel 15:5,6
5 Also, whenever anyone approached him to bow down before him, Absalom would reach out his hand, take hold of him and kiss him. 6 Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

6. The Lord has positioned himself against Absalom and desires to undermine the false kingdom Absalom has stolen.
2 Samuel 17:14
14 Absalom and all the men of Israel said, "The advice of Hushai the Arkite is better than that of Ahithophel." For the LORD had determined to frustrate the good advice of Ahithophel in order to bring disaster on Absalom.

7. The forest is claiming more lives than the sword 20,000 v.8
2 Samuel 18:9
9 Now Absalom happened to meet David's men. He was riding his mule, and as the mule went under the thick branches of a large oak, Absalom's head got caught in the tree. He was left hanging in midair, while the mule he was riding kept on going.

8. Absalom dies and his kingdom falls.
2 Samuel 18:14
14 Joab said, "I'm not going to wait like this for you." So he took three javelins in his hand and plunged them into Absalom's heart while Absalom was still alive in the oak tree. 15 And ten of Joab's armor-bearers surrounded Absalom, struck him and killed him.

There is a battle in the hearts of Christian leaders today in our country between an image of man centered ministry and a substance of Holy Spirit centered ministry.
Some ministries are built around an image of man.
Some are built around the substance of the Holy Spirit
Some have both

It's not wrong to have a sharp image if the substance of God is supremely more important. If image ever trumps the substance of the Holy Spirit that ministry has moved into error.

Saul’s Image
1 Samuel 9:2
He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites—a head taller than any of the others.

We’re not exactly sure what made Saul “an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites” but we know immediately following this statement his physical stature is added implying strongly that his height is part of his impressiveness. He seems to have an excellent image.

Saul’s Substance
1 Samuel 15:26-28
You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!" 27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you.

Compare and Contrast David and Saul
1 Samuel 16:7
7 But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.“

The Image of Jesus
Isaiah 53:2b
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
One of the prophetic references to the suffering messiah.

According to Scripture Jesus was not an attractive man physically. He most likely didn’t look like a rugged modern day model.

The Substance of Jesus
Hebrews 4:15
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
Jesus had Perfect Character

Watch this wildly popular video to see a contemporary illustration of a person with very little professional image but a lot of substance.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY

You may or may not have the greatest image but God is looking for substance. If you have substance without image you may be a person who’s yet to release what God’s given to you.

If you have image without substance you are building a house of cards and your “kingdom” will collapse around you.

If you have both you can use both to reach people but image must be crucified if it takes precedence over the substance of God.

If God has given you a word; go for it.

God’s empowering strength will make his dreams for you a reality if you are faithful and obedient for the long haul.

Consider Josephs horrible image but he had substance
Joseph
Has a dream
Sold to Merchants
Works as a slave
Gets Promoted to being a house slave
Accused of Rape
Sentenced to Prison
Get’s promoted in prison
Makes Strategic relationships
Expresses his gift
The gift gets re communicated eventually to Pharaoh

The substance is real in Joseph’s life and he gets promoted to the highest place in the land.

Sound Doctrine
2 Timothy 4:3
For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.

What do you really like? A professional and sharp image or the substance of God? Hopefully you can find both where the substance of God rules and reigns in the hearts of people.

Jubilee Family Church