Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Sunday School Lesson for August 28, 2011: Caring for One Another (Ruth 4:1-10)

Ruth 4:17
The neighborhood women started calling him "Naomi's baby boy!" But his real name was Obed (Servant). Obed was the father of Jesse (Possessor), and Jesse the father of David (Beloved). ` (parenthesis mine’s)





Lamentations 3:58
You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.





Isaiah 44:22
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.”







Just a moment. This story starts with Naomi. Let’s finish it there. You see, we relate to Ruth’s story: a stranger in a strange land grafted into the Promise, a beautiful picture of us being grafted literally into the Body of Christ, into the well from which Eternal Life springs, into the House of God. But let’s not look past Naomi. Naomi, too, returned from a foreign land, but to what? Without a husband, without sons, what would become of her? An elderly widow with no visible means of lasting support, no immediate family save the foreign born widow of her deceased son, When Boaz approached the near-kinsman redeemer who was closer to Naomi in relationship than he (Boaz), that near kinsman (un-named) was in a win-win situation. Sure he would buy Naomi’s property and, in essence, the responsibility for Naomi’s care along with it. I can’t question his purpose or integrity. He was doing exactly what was required of a wealthy kinsman according to the law. But when Naomi passed, what would remain of the house of Elimelech and Naomi? What would become of their ‘legacy’? Quite simply, the name of Elimelech and Naomi would vanish, as though they had never been.

When faced with the prospect of having to also ‘redeem’ the widow of Naomi’s son and having to, by law, bear a son by her and pass the inheritance of the deceased to that son as a way of continuing the legacy and name of the deceased, it was too much for him take on. He became fearful that he would put his own property, legacy and inheritance at risk. However, when Boaz, stepped in and took on the responsibility of redeeming Ruth and Boaz, he made it a certainty that Naomi and Elimelech would be remembered, a real picture of eternal life promised to us in Christ.

Beloved, when Christ ‘redeemed’ us, He gave us an eternal inheritance. He writes our name in the Book of Life, He throws our sin into the ‘sea of Forgetfulness’ and remembers them no more. When Christ redeemed us, He took us from a place where we had no eternal sustenance and literally plugged us into … Himself. He is the Vine, the Source of all Life. When He saved us, we were hopeless, cutoff and ashamed. Literally ‘Despair-ate’… Desperate! In the moment we believed, He put Heaven in our grasp and all that entails. He Blessed us, and when God, Almighty, Blesses, you are Blessed!

Eternity awaits us, the promise of a Future and a Hope. Rejoice as Naomi did. She was given a ‘son’, a hope, a future, a name that would last. Beloved, you’ve been given the Son (Christ)! Rejoice!



Blessings,



.wb





Galatians 3:14
He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 21, 2011: Empowering the Needy (Ruth 2:8-18)

GOD moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Olney Hymns (1779)--'Light Shining out of Darkness'



Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.





Ruth and Boaz: A love Story. Somewhere between all the ‘thee’s’ and ‘thou’s’ there is a very human story with very human interactions, attractions and outcomes. Long story short: Boaz got the girl. That’s really what this part of the Book of Ruth is about. Boaz is attracted to Ruth at first glance (for whatever reason you choose: spiritual or otherwise). He immediately takes steps to bring Ruth and Naomi into his sphere of influence. He tells his workers to see to it that she is treated with dignity, he tells Ruth not to glean elsewhere, but to glean in his fields, and then he sends her back to Naomi’s house with the equivalent of thirty days worth of grain. In my sanctified imagination, I think he was clueing Naomi in on what was on his mind. You may or may not agree with me, but God used very human circumstances to bring about His Providential will.



I asked my brother, the poet (my real brother) to ‘interpert’ this passage, Ruth 2:8:18. I think his offering is tastefully done. I offer it for your perusal…



Blessings,



.wb



Then Boaz said unto Ruth

go not to another field to harvest

but to my field of wheat and grain

reserved only for the maidservants

of my clan

Don't worry about the other men

taking your beauty as a sign

to get out of hand

harvest as much as you can stand

you will not be troubled

for this is my command

take what you must

drink from water already drawn

free from the fields of dust

i am a man and who you can trust

your happiness and well being

is a must



Ruth bowed to Boaz in gratitude

Thank you for your kindness to a mere stranger

what have i done to favor such attitude?

and Boaz answered in kind

I have watched you for a while

i must admit i like your style

the way you watched after your mother in law

after her husbands final fall

is the epitome of loyalty thats all

the Lord taketh away

but he also giveth

to those under whose wings pray

Ruth replied Boaz let me find favor in your eyes

for you have comforted me to no end

even though we are unfamiliar and no kin

And then Boaz declared

well let that be the reason that at meal time

you come to my table

in which to dine

Ruth did exactly that

bread dipped in vinegar

roasted corn simply devine

best feast she had eaten in a long time.



and when she was risen up to harvest

Boaz warned his young man

let her harvest and poach

this woman is off limits, above reproach

and if she falls short of the standard

leave her portion behind

and pay it no mind

speak to her only when spoken to

and always be kind



So Ruth harvested all day

and then went to the city

there she found her mother in law Naomi

Happy, but quite weary

and Ruth shared all that she had

true love for Naomi was all she ever had.



Saturday, August 13, 2011

Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 14, 2011: Making a Choice (Ruth 1:8-18)

Deuteronomy 30:19
This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live





Joshua 24:15
, …then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.”





Proverbs 12:26
The righteous choose their friends carefully,





Proverbs 8:10
Choose my instruction instead of silver, knowledge rather than choice gold,





Psalm 119:30
I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set my heart on your laws.







We are the sum of our choices. For as long as we’ve been out from under the constraint and control of our parents or guardians who reared us, it’s been our own, individual responsibility to choose our life’s path. This week’s lesson highlights that fact. Elimelech made a choice. He relocated his family to Moab in a time of famine. His sons chose Moabite women for wives. The nation of Israel strayed away from God in the time of the Judges and this is what that looked like. But now Elimelech was dead and his sons were dead, and it was time for Naomi to make a choice. She’d heard that God had visited Israel and brought her bread (sustenance). Should she stay in Moab, a widow, with no support system to sustain her? Or should she return to Israel and place herself at the mercy of God’s sovereign and providential will? Selah.

A good place to pause and reflect: should you or I remain in a place of abject misery and despair or should we throw ourselves at God’s feet and seek His tender Mercy? Many are the choices before us. Among them, the Father beckons. Choose the path He lays before you. In it are the blessings of eternal life. Naomi chose God. Beloved, there are no risks with God. When He beckons to you to step out on faith, be assured that where you step will be a solid place, a sturdy place.

Orpah and Ruth had choices to make. Orpah chose to stay in a place of familiarity. Though she too was a widow, the scripture infers that she had some family that remained in Moab. A new beginning would be tough, but doable. Ruth made a different choice: she chose to remain with Naomi. What fueled that relationship? What inspired Ruth to take on the unknown? I always fall back to the witness of Naomi. Her godly demeanor evoked great love from both of her daughter in laws. Make no mistake, both Orpah and Ruth loved Naomi deeply, and she loved them just as deeply. Separation would be hard. Ruth saw something in Naomi that she wanted more of. Were there more people with the demeanor and temperament of Naomi? Ruth was counting on it. Selah… another moment to pause and consider. What kind of temperament do we display when we meet the new employee in our workplace? A guest of a family member at the family outing? A visitor at Church? The first impression you leave could have eternal consequences. Be nice!

Ruth not only chose Naomi and Naomi’s people (Israel), but she chose the God that Naomi served. She too, had heard that God had visited Israel, bringing Life. Ruth chose Life. God was a stranger to Ruth, but Ruth was no stranger to God. He knew her from the beginning and He had a plan for her: a plan for a future and a hope. As we follow Ruth’s story over the next few weeks, we’ll see how God rewarded her choice. We’ll see that He is Caring, Faithful, Loving and Powerful. We’ll watch as He opens doors for Ruth because of her faithfulness and loyalty. We will find, in God, a Father who always blesses and never curses as He brought Ruth from a place of poverty to a position of honor and blessing in Israel and a place of relationship with Him. Beloved, God wants nothing more than to bless you and to make Himself known to you. He may be or may have been a stranger to you, but He calls you Friend. Don’t be hesitant. He means you no harm, only blessing. Choose His direction at every turn in the path. Naomi did. Ruth did. They found and God demonstrated that He could be trusted entirely. Selah!.. pause and consider. The scriptures were inspired by God, breathed by the Spirit, recorded for our benefit. God left them as a witness of His faithfulness. He demonstrated complete love to a complete stranger: Ruth and He recorded it for our benefit, so that we would know… that we can trust Him. Choose God and Live.





Blessings,



-wb





James 1:16
So, my very dear friends, don't get thrown off course. Every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven. The gifts are rivers of light cascading down from the Father of Light.







Matthew 22:14
“For many are invited, but few are chosen.”





Matthew 11:27
“All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.





John 15:16
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.





Ephesians 1:11
In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,



1 Peter 2:9
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Sunday School Lesson for Aug. 7, 2011: Walk in God’s Path (Judges 13:1-8, 24, 25)

Ephesians 6:4
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.





Proverbs 22:6
Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.





Judges 13:11
Manoah got up and followed his wife. When he came to the man, he said, “Are you the man who talked to my wife?” “I am,” he said.





Judges 13:18
The angel of God said, "What's this? You ask for my name? You wouldn't understand—it's sheer wonder."





Judges 13:21
He said to his wife, "… We've looked on God!"





the·oph·a·ny
/ Spelled[thee-of-uh-nee]

noun, plural -nies.

a manifestation or appearance of God or a god to a person.







When God brings a child into the world, He will send a Herald, a Messenger to instruct. Why does He do this? Because every one of them came from Him. Every one of them. There is not one child born that does not have a plan and a purpose born of God on his or her life. Not one. As parents, our responsibility is to seek God’s will for our children, just as Manoah and his wife did. This is a Holy calling, to raise Godly children. We must not take it lightly. For the parent who has an ear to hear, there is a Word from the Lord concerning your child. A very specific Word.

Forgive me. This is not my normal pattern. However I was struck by the magnificence of the circumstances surrounding Samson’s birth. God Himself came to Manoah and His wife with very specific instructions on rearing of the child that He was speaking into their lives. There are four times that come to mind where God touched the womb of a barren woman, Sarah; the mother of Isaac, Hannah; the mother of Eli, Manoah’s wife; the mother of Samson and Elisabeth; mother of John the Baptist. Then there is Mary, the mother of Jesus. She was not barren, but a virgin. Each of these sons had God’s purpose in their veins and each had a Herald, a Messenger who instructed their parents specifically in how they should be raised.

Does God still send Messengers to herald the coming of His children? Yes, He does. Most every person I’ve met had some kind of memorable spiritual experience as a child (myself included)J And in many cases, God sent messengers to their parents with clear guidance from on High. An Elder, a preacher, one of the older sisters from the church, a relative, a friend... Someone with a sensitivity to the Spirit of God, who in obedience, spoke into the life of their child, sometimes, not yet born. I’m a witness. I know some of these people and I’ve heard their stories. I’ve heard enough of them over time that I’ve come to believe that God, who is not a respecter of persons, acts in this way every time. Every time. I’ve also come to believe that if that parent or parents will receive that really specific ‘Word’, they will remember and ‘speak’ that same word over and over to their children, shaping them and molding them into the Godly children that the Master seeks.



Parents: Be encouraged. God has a purpose for your child. Don’t give up. Don’t stop praying for them. Teach them to walk in God’s path.

Children: Obey your parents in the Lord. They have a tough, but Holy job: raising you.



For those of you who think that my message today may not apply to you: Not so fast. God loves you and has spoken into your life continuously from the day you were conceived. He really does have a plan for you. Just keep living. His Will will be revealed in you in due time. Count on it.





Blessings,





-wb





Malachi 2:15
Didn’t the Lord make you one with your wife? In body and spirit you are his. And what does he want? Godly children from your union. So guard your heart; remain loyal to the wife of your youth.





Luke 18:15
[ The Little Children and Jesus ] People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them.





Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.





Proverbs 23:19
Saying 16 Listen, my son, and be wise, and set your heart on the right path:





Proverbs 31:2
Listen, my son! Listen, son of my womb! Listen, my son, the answer to my prayers!





Luke 10:21
At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.





John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.