Podcasts about god ruth

The Content of Saving Faith      Eternal salvation has always been by grace alone through faith alone; however, the content of faith (i.e., what is believed), has changed throughout the ages. According to Arnold Fruchtenbaum, “Indeed, there always was, always is, and always will be only one means of salvation: by grace through faith.”[1] Though grace and faith are constants, the content of faith has changed over time, depending on what God revealed to each person or generation, as divine revelation came in stages. William MacDonald sates, “From Adam to Christ, God saved those who put their faith in Him on the basis of whatever revelation He gave them. Abraham, for example, believed God, and it was reckoned to him for righteousness (Gen 15:6).”[2] According to Norman Geisler, “the revealed content of the gospel varied from age to age in the progress of revelation.”[3] Charles Ryrie notes, “The basis of salvation is always the death of Christ; the means is always faith; the object is always God (though man's understanding of God before and after the Incarnation is obviously different); but the content of faith depends on the particular revelation God was pleased to give at a certain time.”[4] Thomas Constable adds, “The basis of salvation is always the death of Christ. No one is saved except by what He accomplished at Calvary. The requirement for salvation is always faith. It is never works. The object of faith is always the Person of God. The content of faith is always a promise from God.”[5] The following examples demonstrate that the content of faith has changed over time.      First, after the historic fall of Adam and Eve (Gen 3:1-7), the content of saving faith was God's promise of an offspring of Eve who would crush the head of the serpent. In the presence of Adam and Eve, God told Satan, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel” (Gen 3:15). This is commonly regarded as the protoevangelium; that is, the first gospel message. The crushing of Satan's head—a fatal blow—was accomplished by the Lord Jesus at the cross where He triumphed over sin and death. How much Adam and Eve understood about this prophecy is not known. However, it is assumed they trusted God at His word concerning the future offspring that would crush the serpent's head. Shortly after giving the promises, God killed an animal, which meant shedding its blood,  and made clothes from its hide and gave it to them to wear (Gen 3:21). Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes, “The covering of animal skins, which required the shedding of blood to give them the atonement, replaced the covering of fig leaves. Then the verse states: and clothed them. Physically, He clothed their nakedness, but spiritually, He also covered their sin by making for them their atonement.”[6] And according to Charles Ryrie, “When Adam looked upon the coats of skins with which God had clothed him and his wife, he did not see what the believer today sees looking back on the cross of Calvary.”[7]We should not assume that Adam and Eve understood the death, burial, and resurrection of Messiah. What they understood was God's promise of a future offspring who would crush the serpent, and then they witnessed God killing an animal, taking its skin, and making clothing for them. When they believed God's promise and accepted His provision, it resulted in their salvation.      Second, in the book of Genesis we have the record of Abraham's salvation. Moses wrote that Abraham “believed in the LORD; and He reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6). The content of Abraham's faith was the promise of God concerning the Abrahamic covenant (Gen 12:1-3), especially as it related to God giving him a biological descendant (Gen 15:1-6). Abraham accepted God's promise as true and reliable, which meant he trusted in God Himself. And when Abraham believed in Yahweh, we're told that God “reckoned it to him as righteousness” (Gen 15:6b).[8] Concerning Abraham's faith in God, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states, “The content of his faith was the promises of God. The object of his faith was Jehovah.”[9] According to J. Carl Laney Jr., “God had just promised Abraham, an elderly man with a barren wife, that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars. In spite of the physical hindrances to the fulfillment of this promise, Abraham trusted God…Because Abraham accepted God's word as true and reliable, God declared him righteous, and therefore acceptable.”[10] Paul cited Genesis 15:6 in Romans (Rom 4:3) and Galatians (Gal 3:6) when making his case that believers are justified by faith alone, and not by any works of the Law (Rom 4:4-5).      Third, in the book of Ruth we find a good example of a Gentile who came to trust in the Lord. Ruth told her mother-in-law, Naomi, “Your people shall be my people, and your God, my God” (Ruth 1:16). Here is an expression of faith in the Lord Himself. God directed Israel to serve as His witnesses (Isa 43:10), telling others, “I, even I, am the LORD, and there is no savior besides Me” (Isa 43:11). For a Gentile to be saved, it meant trusting in Yahweh alone and not pagan idols, of which there are none. It also meant not trusting in works, which is what pagan idolatry required. Concerning this verse, Warren Wiersbe states, “Ruth's statement in Ruth 1:16-17 is one of the most magnificent confessions found anywhere in Scripture…[as] she confessed her faith in the true and living God and her decision to worship Him alone.”[11] And Arnold Fruchtenbaum notes, “Ruth invoked the name of God in her oath and not the name of Chemosh. This shows in whom she truly believed.”[12] What's interesting is that after Ruth married Boaz (Ruth 4:13), she was brought into the family line that led to King David (Ruth 4:18-22), and the Messiah Himself (Matt 1:1, 5). Ruth was among the Gentiles in the OT who believed in Yahweh and were saved. Other Gentile believers include Melchizedek (Gen 14:18), Rahab (Matt 1:5; Heb 11:31), and likely the Queen of Sheba (1 Ki 10:1-13), Naaman the Aramean (2 Ki 5:15-19), the Ninevites (Jonah 3:5, 9-10), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan 2:47; 3:29; 4:34-37),[13] and the Magi who came from the east to worship Messiah (Matt 2:1-2, 11). Dr. Steven R. Cook   [1] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2008), 275. [2] William MacDonald, Believer's Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments, ed. Arthur Farstad (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1690. [3] Norman L. Geisler, Systematic Theology, Volume Four: Church, Last Things (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2005), 484. [4] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Dispensationalism, Rev. and expanded. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1995), 140. [5] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ex 12:43. [6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 110. [7] Charles C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism, 134. [8] In his commentary on Genesis, Allen Ross notes, “The text does not necessarily mean that Abram came to faith here. Hebrews 11:8 asserts that he left Ur by faith. Genesis 15:6 simply reports at this point the fact that Abram believed, and for that belief God had credited him with righteousness.” (Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis, Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998, 310). [9] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 275. [10] J. Carl Laney Jr., “Soteriology”, Understanding Christian Theology, 238–239. [11] Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Committed, “Be” Commentary Series (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1993), 21. [12] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Books of Judges and Ruth, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2006), 300. [13] It's very likely that Nebuchadnezzar trusted God after being humbled by the Lord (see Daniel 4:1-37). Throughout the decades of Nebuchadnezzar's life, he'd had interactions with Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, and the king gained knowledge about God. From his own mouth, Nebuchadnezzar said to Daniel, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings” (Dan 2:47), and to Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah he declared, “no other god is able to deliver in this way” (Dan 3:29). After the king had suffered for seven years, he eventually came to the place where he said, “I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever” (Dan 4:34), and “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven” (Dan 4:37). Though one cannot be dogmatic, Nebuchadnezzar's final words strongly imply salvific faith in God—at least as he understood Him from his interactions with the Hebrews—and the result was one of worship to the Lord. If one accepts Nebuchadnezzar's words as an expression of his conversion, it means he trusted in the God of Israel.

In this episode we hear the story of Ruth Ripken.Ruth and her husband, Nik, spent over 30 years obeying Christ's command to share Jesus across the globe. After 7 years in Malawi & South Africa, they moved to Nairobi, Kenya to begin work among the Somali people, in the context of war and famine. Many Somali believers there suffered for their faith. Most were martyred. Near the end of the Ripken's tenure among the Somalis, their 16-year-old son died. One year later, the Holy Spirit led the Ripkens to begin a global pilgrimage to learn from believers in persecution how to recapture a biblical missiology of witness and house-church planting in the midst of persecution and martyrdom. Currently the Ripkens have interviewed over 600 believers in persecution, exceeding 72 countries. Sitting at their feet, the Ripkens learned from the suffering church how to thrive amidst suffering, not merely survive. To learn more of their incredible story, or to purchase their books: The Insanity of God, The Insanity of Obedience & The Insanity of Sacrifice, visithttps://www.nikripken.com/To watch the documentary about the persecuted church that they made, visit https://www.insanityofgodmovie.com/_________________________________________________________________________________Do get in touch if you have any questions for Matt or for any of his guests.matt@frontiers.org.ukYou can find out more about us by visiting www.frontiers.org.ukOr, if you're outside the UK, visit www.frontiers.org (then select from one of our national offices). For social media in the UK:Instagram: frontiers_ukFacebook: @frontiersukfriendsAnd do check out the free and outstanding 6 week video course for churches and small groups, called MomentumYes:www.momentumyes.com (USA)www.momentumyes.org.uk (UK) _________________________________________________________________________________

When you take refuge in God, he is put on display. Join us as Pastor Trae takes us into week three of our series through Ruth.

For the Love of God

Join us for an inspiring message from Pastor Ruth Filmer. We're a local church based on the Fylde Coast with a passion for God and a heart for our community. Like and subscribe to our page for future updates and notifications and connect with us on social media.   - CONNECT WITH US - Hope Church Website: https://www.hopechurchlytham.com Hope Church Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/hopechurchlytham Hope Church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopechurchlytham 

Pastor Phil Sparling - Journey - Weekend Sermon Podcast - www.auburngrace.com

Sermon by Pastor Hans Kristensen at Marsfield Community Church, Sydney on Sunday 7th Jan 2024. Series "Ruth - from tragedy to love".

Message from Pastor Kory Cunningham on December 24, 2023

Message from Pastor Kory Cunningham on December 17, 2023

Message from Bro. Ricky Cunningham on December 10, 2023

December 10, 2023 | Luke Harding

Message from Pastor Kory Cunningham on December 3, 2023

Front Porch Republic's Jeff Bilbro talks about how a venture capitalist's speech calling for, in very religious terms, her secular vision for fighting for our nation. He also addressed the educational loss during the Pandemic, and the difficulty in getting a non-smart cellphone. Ruth Kramer of Mission Network News, updates us on the situations in Lebanon whose people could be dragged into the conflict between Israel and Hamas, as well as the increase in human trafficking of children and women in the wake of a Nepali earthquake.  Ruth addresses the need for Christians to not turn way and let their hearts grow cold in the wake of bad news. Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: Click here  

Message from Pastor Kory Cunningham on November 26, 2023

'Called By God' is a series of interviews for the Anglican Diocese of Grafton, celebrating 30 years of the ordination of women in the Diocese. In this episode The Reverend Ruth Pobjoy shares some of the story of her call to ordained ministry. Ruth is one of the Diocese's newest priests, serving in the Orara Valley.

Be Strong in God Ruth 1:1-7 22 Oct 2023 Philip Deller AM Ruth

It is no secret that law students and attorneys exist in a stressful environment. The American Bar Association (ABA) has conducted a study that shows how this environment tends to contribute to high rates of mental health disorders and substance abuse. In an effort to face this challenge, LSM is proud to launch the Wellness Program—focused on providing students resources and discussions to face this issue, together. For our inaugural event, the Wellness Program is privileged to host a very special guest—Ruth Haley Barton. Her topic will focus on pursuing wellness through established rhythms and an abiding relationship with God. Ruth has spent over 20 years as a student, a practitioner, and a leader in the area of Christian spirituality and spiritual formation. She served on the staff of several churches before founding the Transforming Center, a ministry dedicated to creating space for God to strengthen the souls of leaders, equipping them to lead transforming communities. Her website here. She is the author of numerous books, including Embracing Rhythms of Work and Rest, Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, and Invitation to Solitude and Silence (purchase here). Music Credit(s): Tokyo Music Walker & Rexlambo.

Through this message we explore the inspirational story of how God worked in the lives of two seemingly ordinary woman - Ruth and Naomi. Although we may not see God at work, HE remains active in our lives.Support the show

Guest Preacher: Jason ShiverKey Points:1. God's work is often hidden2. God's work has always included the outsider3. God's work is always full of kindness and mercy

This week Tim continues our new sermon series 'But God...', keeping with our Courageous Resistance theme, sharing the word at our Evening Celebration. Missed us this week? Join us in person or online next Sunday at TEN & SIX!

Hello and Welcome to Silverdale Baptist Church's Podcast! We hope this episode is helpful to you in your relationship with Jesus. We would love to connect with you! To contact Silverdale, click the link to our website below, then click Connect at the top right. David Thompson's Invitation to join a small group ABOUT SILVERDALE BAPTIST CHURCH Silverdale exists to lead people into an authentic relationship with Christ so they will worship God, grow in their faith, and serve the Lord in our community and world. Silverdale's Lead Pastor is Tony Walliser. FIND US ONLINE Website http://silverdalebc.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/silverdalebcInstagram https://www.instagram.com/silverdalebcFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/silverdalebc

God provides and redeems through the kind, faithful actions of Christians

Broken People, Big God. - Ruth (Pastor Tim Birdwell) by Phoenix Bible Church

How do you know when it's time to wait on God, or when it's time to get up and just do it? This Message from Pastor Darren will help you figure out if it's time for you to wait, or if you need to get up and take action. C3 Victory is a Home for Hope located in Newcastle, Australia.

Naomi teaches us that we need to trust God even when we don't want to; when our theology is right, but our interpretation is wrong. What is God up to through our disasters?

Science has become so loaded with cultural baggage, it's easy to feel that it's incompatible with belief in God. The reality is that science – as taught in our schools and universities – is not just compatible with, but can enhance, the experience of faith. Dr Ruth has a background in genetics and developmental biology, and is now Church Engagement Director at the Faraday Institute for Science and Religion. She is also a writer, a theology student and an explorer of the Cambridgeshire waterways by paddleboard.

A new MP3 sermon from Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: The Christ-centered Providence of God - Ruth 1 Subtitle: Through the Bible Speaker: Nelson David Moncayo Broadcaster: Cornerstone Reformed Baptist Church Event: Sunday Service Date: 12/18/2022 Bible: Ruth 1 Length: 26 min.

Title: The Kindness of God Speaker: Ben Daniel Passage: Ruth 4 Series: From Famine to Fullness Recording Date: 17.07.2022 - PM

The Providence of God Ruth 2:1-4

Listen today as Pastor Tyler continues in our "This Is Our God" series and teaches from the book of Ruth. To stay connected to what's happening at Mission Church, follow us on any of the following platforms: Instagram instagram.com/missionchurchca Podcast missionchurchca.com/watch Newsletter missionchurchca.com/updates Mission Church is a new church in the East Bay Area of California. Get more info at missionchurchca.com

A new live recording of FAITHFUL's “Go and Speak” album is releasing next month on May 6. To celebrate we wanted to share some unreleased conversations that happened down the hall at the live recording. Today we'll hear an amazing conversation between authors Ruth Chou Simons, Trillia Newbell and fellow author and singer/songwriter Ginny Owens. It's a rich time as they discuss the love of God and what that actually means for us, how repentance both challenges and equips us to love our neighbor and why it's important to Sing In the Dark. Let's listen. You can change the life of a girl in poverty: compassion.com/faithful Faithful Project Instagram Faithful Project YouTube

We see Ruth totally commits herself to her mother-in-law Naomi and the God of Israel, which makes all the difference. Naomi declares herself bitter at the loss of her entire family. She does not see the great reward that God has in store. Ruth trusts completely in God without knowing what the future will bring. Ruth is “all in” for God and shuts the door behind her.  We also learn of God's way of taking care of the poor and how societies should take care of those in need.   Does God always recognize those who turn Him?  What value is there in taking care of the human needs of a loved one? Can we keep one foot in the old life and one foot in the new?  Is there a Biblical way to have welfare?  Download our free Lesson Plans on our website: Reasoning Through the Bible – Straightforward with some Critical ThinkingSupport the show

     In Deuteronomy 23:1-8, Moses addresses immigration laws in ancient Israel, limiting who could worship in the assembly of the Lord. Moses opens, saying, “No one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off shall enter the assembly of the LORD” (Deut 23:1). The phrase, “one who is emasculated or has his male organ cut off” is rendered more literally as “a man whose testicles have been crushed or whose penis has been cut off” (CSB). The practice of emasculation was done on servants who guarded a man's harem, and was practiced by men who were radical devotees of pagan worship. Daniel Block states, “this prohibition seems have been influenced by pagan religious rites of self-castration, perhaps as an ascetic act of self-torment or in pious imitation of the gods.”[1] The phrase, the assembly of the LORD (קָהָל יהוה qahal Yahweh), occurs six times in this section (vss. 1-8), showing God had concern for the sanctity of the congregation that met Him for instruction or worship. Previously, Moses had emphasized the positives of gathering for worship (Deut 12:7, 12; 16:11, 14), but here emphasized the negatives that excluded one from fellowship. Being excluded from worship among the Israelites did not mean one was excluded from the covenant community as a whole. Earl Kalland states, “Most likely this law did not exclude one from residence in areas where Israel was to live but rather from the benefits of full-fledged citizenship and most particularly (and maybe only) from participation in religious rites in the homes and at the tabernacle and later at the temple.”[2] Such exclusions based on physical defects were not limited to non-Israelites, as Levites with physical defects could not serve as priests at the tabernacle/temple (Lev 21:16-23). Even animals with physical defects were not eligible for sacrifice (Lev 1:10; 4:32).      Another person excluded from gathering at the assembly of the LORD was one born of illegitimate birth. Moses said, “No one of illegitimate birth shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of his descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall enter the assembly of the LORD” (Deut 23:2). The phrase, one of illegitimate birth, translates the Hebrew noun מַמְזֵר mamzer, which refers to a “bastard, [or] child of incest.”[3] This could refer either to one who was the offspring of a pagan prostitute (cf., Deut 23:17-18), or perhaps from an incestuous relationship, which was practiced among the Canaanites (Lev 18-20). Such an exclusion might have sought to deter Israelites from pursuing immoral relationships.        Moses continued, saying, “No Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the LORD; none of their descendants, even to the tenth generation, shall ever enter the assembly of the LORD, 4 because they did not meet you with food and water on the way when you came out of Egypt, and because they hired against you Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse you” (Deut 23:3-4). It should be remembered that the Ammonites and Moabites were the offspring of an incestuous relationship between Lot and his two daughters (Gen 19:30-38). Whatever their parentage, God prohibited the Ammonites and Moabites from participating in the worship of the Lord because they sought to curse His people (Num 22:1-6, 22-24, 31-33). Thomas Constable writes: "The main reason for the exclusion of the Ammonites and Moabites was the extreme hostility that these nations demonstrated toward Israel when Israel was approaching the Promised Land. Evidently Ammon participated with Moab in resisting Israel's passage, in seeking to curse the Israelites with Balaam's assistance, and or in corrupting the Israelites through sacred prostitution (Num 22–25)."[4]      As Israel traveled toward Canaan, they were met with hostility and opposition as Balak, the king of Moab (Num 22:4), hired Balaam to curse the Lord's people (Num 22:5-6). The word curse translates the Hebrew verb קָלַל qalal, which means to treat as small, little, or insignificant. This same word was used by God when He set forth the promises pertaining to the Abrahamic covenant, saying He would bless or curse others depending on how they treated Abraham and his descendants. God told Abraham, the progenitor of Israel, “I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses [קָלַל qalal] you I will curse [אָרָר arar]” (Gen 12:3). Allen Ross sates, “Those who blessed Abram would receive blessing from God; that is, those who supported and endorsed him in his faith would actually find enrichment. Conversely, if anyone treated Abram lightly, he must be cursed.”[5] God's promise to bless or curse was based on an unconditional covenant that started with Abraham and extended to his descendants forever (Gen 17:7; Num 24:9). Concerning the curse in Genesis 12:3, Arnold Fruchtenbaum states: "The first word for curse is kalal, which means “to treat lightly,” “to hold in contempt,” or “to curse.” To merely treat Abram and the Jews lightly is to incur the curse of God. The second word for curse used in this phrase (him that curses you will I curse) is aor, from the Hebrew root arah, which means “to impose a barrier,” “to ban.” This is a much stronger word for curse than the first one in the phrase…Therefore, even a light curse against Abram or against the Jews will bring a heavier curse from God."[6]      This cursing from God is seen in His opposition the Ammonites and Moabites when they sought to curse His people. Moses tells us, “Nevertheless, the LORD your God was not willing to listen to Balaam, but the LORD your God turned the curse into a blessing for you because the LORD your God loves you” (Deut 23:5). God's people were under His divine protection, and no satanically inspired curse would penetrate the wall of fire around them. Solomon wrote, “Like a flitting sparrow or a fluttering swallow, an undeserved curse goes nowhere” (Prov 26:2 CSB). In fact, not only did God prohibit Balaam from cursing the Israelites, He directed him to bless them instead (Num. 23:7-10, 18-24; 24:3-9). Balaam's actions angered Balak, who said, “I called you to curse my enemies, but behold, you have persisted in blessing them these three times!” (Num 24:10). God's protection from opposing military and spiritual forces was because He loved His people and desired their best. For Israel, knowing God's blessing was tied to their obedience to His directives (Deut 11:26-28). When they stepped outside God's will, they opened themselves up to all forms of evil as well as divine discipline.      Because the Ammonites and Moabites sought Israel's harm at the time of their journey from Kadesh Barnea into the land of Canaan, God said, “You shall never seek their peace or their prosperity all your days” (Deut 23:6). Here was the boomerang effect, in which those who sought to curse God's people wound up bringing a curse upon themselves. This verse should be understood as referring to those who continued in hatred and hostility toward God's people and were excluded from treaty relationships. Daniel Block writes: "Previously Moses had noted Yahweh's love as the motivating force behind his election and rescue of Israel from Egypt (Deut 4:37; 7:8) and his lavish blessing (Deut 7:12), but here it underlies Yahweh's protection from hostile military and spiritual forces. Because the Moabites and Ammonites had opposed Yahweh and his agenda regarding the Israelites, the Israelites are never to seek their peace or their welfare. Since “a treaty of friendship” functions as a general expression for well-being in covenantal contexts, this may be a ban on treaties with Ammonites and Moabites."[7]      But God's dealing with Ammonites and Moabites did not exclude displays of grace. Remember, God had previously given the Ammonites and Moabites land south of Israel, and His people were to leave them alone (Deut 2:9, 19). Though the Ammonites and Moabites were collectively under divine judgment, and this because of their negative volition and hostility toward Him, He knew there would be descendants who would trust in Him and become part of the blessed community. This was the case with Ruth the Moabitess, who loved God and His people (Ruth 1:16-17), and was even included in the line of Christ (Ruth 4:13; Matt 1:5). Eugene Merrill writes: "Disbarment from the assembly was not synonymous with exclusion from the covenant community itself as the one example of Ruth the Moabite makes clear. Having determined to return with her Israelite mother-in-law to Bethlehem, she vowed: “Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16). This was more than mere wishful thinking or personal resolve, for Ruth went on to marry a leading citizen of Bethlehem (4:13), and she eventually became a great-grandmother of King David (4:21). There can be no doubt that Ruth was welcomed among the people of the Lord as one of their own though presumably never with access to the assembly."[8]      In contrast to the hostility of Ammonites and Moabites, Moses said, “You shall not detest an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not detest an Egyptian, because you were an alien in his land” (Deut 23:7). The Edomites were the descendants of Esau (Gen 36:1, 8), who was born to Isaac and Rebekah (Gen 25:21-25), and therefore in the Abrahamic line and biologically related to Israel as a “brother.” Furthermore, Israel was not to detest the Egyptians. Though Israel had lived in Egyptian captivity for four centuries, their basic needs of safety, shelter, and food were met. Though Pharaoh and his administration were hostile to Israel, it does not appear this was the case with the Egyptian people themselves. As a result, Israelites were not to treat the Egyptians in a negative way. God Himself opened the door for the Egyptians, saying, “The sons of the third generation who are born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD” (Deut 23:8). This meant that after a time of exclusion, Egyptians could be allowed to worship in Israel alongside Israelites, assuming they had trusted in Yahweh and were willing to abide by His directives in the covenant community. Present Application      All Christians are called to walk with the Lord and to submit ourselves to Him for service. This means, in part, devoting ourselves to the study of Scripture (2 Tim 2:15; 1 Pet 2:2), offering our bodies for service to the Lord (Rom 12:1-2), living holy lives (1 Pet 1:15-16), regularly confessing our sins to God (1 John 1:6-9), sharing the gospel with others (Mark 16:15; Rom 15:15-16), assembling for worship (Heb 10:25), offering praise to God (Heb 13:15), doing good works (Gal 6:10; Heb 10:24), sharing our resources with others (Heb 13:16; cf. Phil 4:18), living selflessly for the benefit of others (Phil 2:17; cf. Phil 1:21-26; 2:3-4), praying constantly (1 Th 5:17), giving thanks (1 Th 5:18), and walking in love (Eph 5:1-2; cf. 1 Pet 1:22). These are just a few of the Christian duties that are to be obeyed by all believers.      However, apart from the general duties of all Christians, there are specific qualifications for some who would serve in a special way. For example, serving as a church elder or deacon means meeting certain qualifications; specifically, church elders are appointed by God (Acts 20:28; cf. Eph 4:11), consist of men only (1 Tim 3:2; Tit 1:6; cf. 1 Tim 2:12-14), and must be doctrinally, morally, and spiritually mature (1 Tim 3:1-7).[9] Failure to meet these qualifications disqualifies one to serve as a church elder or deacon within the local church.      Furthermore, there are some Christians who should be excluded from Christian fellowship, and these include believers who are continually teaching false doctrines or pursuing sin (this is not the occasional sin, but ongoing sin that harms the spiritual walk of others). The reason we should avoid such persons is partly because “bad associations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor 15:33). When writing to Christians in Corinth, Paul said, “I wrote to you not to associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or a swindler—not even to eat with such a one” (1 Cor 5:11). Disassociation was for the purpose of maintaining personal holiness with the Lord. We always hope the sinning Christian will come to his/her senses and come back into fellowship; however, we must maintain distance until they do. In another place Paul wrote, “I urge you, brethren, keep your eye on those who cause dissensions and hindrances contrary to the teaching which you learned, and turn away from them” (Rom 16:17). And, “We command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from every brother who leads an unruly life and not according to the tradition which you received from us” (2 Th 3:6). Such actions are never easy, for we love fellow believers and desire friendship with them. However, our walk with God must always take priority, for He is our greatest Friend, and allegiance to Him secures for us all that is strong and good and meaningful in life. And if/when the erring believer turns back to the Lord and resumes their walk-in-the-Word, then all will be as it should, and fellowship within the Christian community can be restored.     [1] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, ed. Terry Muck (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2012), 534–535. [2] Earl S. Kalland, “Deuteronomy,” in The Expositor's Bible Commentary: Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 & 2 Samuel, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1992), 140. [3] Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 561. [4] Tom Constable, Tom Constable's Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Dt 23:1. [5] Allen P. Ross, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1998), 263. [6] Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Ariel's Bible Commentary: The Book of Genesis, 1st ed. (San Antonio, TX: Ariel Ministries, 2008), 242. [7] Daniel I. Block, The NIV Application Commentary: Deuteronomy, 536. [8] Eugene H. Merrill, Deuteronomy, vol. 4, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1994), 309. [9] The function pastors is to solve doctrinal problems in the church through biblical discussion and research (Acts 15:4-11, cf. Acts 16:4), work with “the whole church” on ministry matters (Acts 15:22), shepherd the church through general oversight (Acts 20:17; 28), guard against false teachers and their false doctrines (Acts 20:28-32), guide believers to spiritual maturity (Eph 4:11-14), be servant-leaders (1 Th 5:12; 1 Tim 5:17; Heb 13:7, 17), work hard at “preaching and teaching” (1 Tim 5:17; cf. Gal 6:6; Eph 4:11-14; 1 Th 5:12), receive financial support from those who benefit from their ministry (Gal 6:6; 1 Tim 5:17-18), and offer support and prayer for those who suffer (Jam 5:14).

The post Living In The Present In The Providence Of God (Ruth 1) appeared first on The Church Next Door - AZ.

Anthony reading Ruth 1:1-5 8 Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly (hesed) with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband!” Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept.” (Ruth 1:8-9) HESED: “hesed is a challenging word to translate because it combines the ideas of love, generosity, and enduring commitment. Hesed has been translated into English a number of ways, including “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” “unfailing love,” and “steadfast love.” Ultimately, hesed describes an act of promise-keeping loyalty that is motivated by deep personal care, which is why most translate it as “loyal love.” Hesed is the kind of love demonstrated by someone determined to keep a promise and motivated to endure and maintain a covenant through self-giving generosity. It's concrete, action-taking love. It's the difference between saying the words “I love you” and acting in honor of your commitment to another person by serving them. Seventy-five percent of the occurrences of hesed in the Hebrew Bible refer to God's loyal and generous commitment to his often undeserving people.” - Tim Mackie 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again. 15 And Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. And she said, “See, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said, “Do not urge me to leave you or to return from following you. For where you go I will go, and where you lodge I will lodge. Your people shall be my people, and your God my God. 17 Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried. May the Lord do so to me and more also if anything but death parts me from you.” 18 And when Naomi saw that she was determined to go with her, she said no more. (Ruth 1:14-18) “In the days of the Judges when Israel was forsaking YHWH and following other gods, a Moabite woman (Ruth) is forsaking her gods to follow YHWH.” —Carissa Quinn “May he be blessed by the Lord, whose kindness has not forsaken the living or the dead!” …“The man is a close relative of ours, one of our redeemers.” (Ruth 2:20)  8 "At midnight the man was startled and turned over, and behold, a woman lay at his feet! 9 He said, “Who are you?” And she answered, “I am Ruth, your servant. Spread your wings over your servant, for you are a redeemer.” 10 And he said, “May you be blessed by the Lord, my daughter. You have made this last kindness (hesed) greater than the first in that you have not gone after young men, whether poor or rich. 11 And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you all that you ask, for all my fellow townsmen know that you are a worthy woman. 12 And now it is true that I am a redeemer. Yet there is a redeemer nearer than I. 13 Remain tonight, and in the morning, if he will redeem you, good; let him do it. But if he is not willing to redeem you, then, as the Lord lives, I will redeem you. Lie down until the morning.” (Ruth 3:8-13) 13 So Boaz took Ruth, and she became his wife. And he went in to her, and the Lord gave her conception, and she bore a son. 14 Then the women said to Naomi, “Blessed be the Lord, who has not left you this day without a redeemer, and may his name be renowned in Israel! 15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age, for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has given birth to him.” 16 Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her lap and became his nurse. 17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, “A son has been born to Naomi.” They named him Obed. He was the father of Jesse, the father of David.  18 Now these are the generations of Perez: Perez fathered Hezron, 19 Hezron fathered Ram, Ram fathered Amminadab, 20 Amminadab fathered Nahshon, Nahshon fathered Salmon, 21 Salmon fathered Boaz, Boaz fathered Obed, 22 Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David (Ruth 4:13-22) “It shows how God is constructing his grand story out of the small, seemingly inconsequential stories of everyday people. This little story is intentionally framed at the beginning and end by the larger storyline of the Bible. Ruth shows how God is at work in the day to day activities of average people. All the characters face life's normal challenges (death, moving, lack of financial resources, familial responsibilities, etc.) and find God is weaving a story of redemption out of all the details. The Book of Ruth encourages us to view our day-to-day lives as part of God's bigger plan for our lives and world.” —Tim Mackie  

Ruth 2

Today we are diving into ruth and Naomi. As we embark on our singleness journey we must be content and secure within this season. Ruth was a loyal woman. when she cleaved to Naomi, her mother-in-law a "Your people will be me people, and my God will be your God" (Ruth 1:16), it showed another level of loyalty and trust. I hope you all enjoy this podcast. --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today, I want to talk about mighty prayer as a journey, and in this episode I will share with you my prayerful journey as this episode came together. It all started while I was writing last week's episode. Right in the middle of writing the episode about not being alone when we pray, and bringing all the thoughts on that topic together, I had a strong prompting about a specific scripture and the thought that it was to be used for the next episode. I quickly wrote the scripture and the words “for the next episode” in the margin of my notebook and continued with the work I was doing. “...whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:” (Ruth 1:16)  Hymn: I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go, MUSIC by Carrie E. Rounsefell, 1861–1930TEXT by Mary Brown, 1856–1918. Contact: shauna.gappmayer@gmail.comFacebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/getchagoing Support the show (https://getchagoingdigital.com/index.php/send-a-senator-a-prayer-rock-2/)

Series: The Gospel According to Ruth This sermon was first preached on April 25, 2021, at Ramah Baptist Church in Palmetto, GA.

We get to know our main characters a little bit better and see what kind of person Ruth is. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @thecommuterdevotional Music by scottholmesmusic.com